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This is Free Range with Von Miller, the podcast where I step outside the lines and I take you with me. Each week, we're talking everything from the biggest stories around the league to the biggest stories off the field. This isn't your average sports podcast. This is game meets culture, locker room meets living room, and no topic is off limits.
So if you're into good conversations that ruffle a few feathers, join me every Wednesday and follow Free Range with Von Miller everywhere you get your podcast. Crimes Of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season, starting with the true crimes that inspired Hollywood's most iconic horror villains. Listen to and follow Crimes of available now wherever you get your podcasts. It is. The J.R.
Sport Brief Show on the Infinity Sports Network. I'm coming to you live from Atlanta, Georgia. Thank you to everybody listening all over North America. I'm in Atlanta. Our producer holding it down in New York City, Ryan Botcher.
Appreciate him. Thank you to you for being here. With you on the highway? The roadway, the back way, the alleyway, maybe you're cooking something up in a restaurant, maybe you're at work, maybe you're at home, and maybe you're sitting in that driveway. Maybe you're out there shopping for the holidays.
I don't know what you're doing, but thank you for being here, okay? I'll be hanging out with you for the next two hours. This show gets started. Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. Eastern.
Three Pacific. You can always listen on the free Odyssey app. You can lock in on your local Infinity Sports Network affiliate. You got SiriusXM, it's channel 375. If you got a smart speaker, be smart.
Ask the speaker to play the Infiniti Sports Network. We've had a busy show. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it in here yesterday. And so we caught up on a few things. There was Monday night football.
Tuatonga Valoa looked like trash. There's a good chance, according to his head coach Mike McDaniel, that he'll be benched. It's a possibility. Jaden Daniels, we found out that he's done for the season. Washington commanders are like, why are we going to run you out there for three games left?
We ain't going anywhere. Sit down, have a seat, get better. for next season. We know my Holmes and Michael Parsons they are done for the season. Thank you so much to Will Graves joining us to talk all things stealers from the Associated Press.
And we have more to get into. How about this with all these injuries? Dr. David Chow is going to join us in about 40 minutes to give us an update on what we could realistically expect. from Patrick Mahomes and Michael Parsons.
Also Man, every time I look, it looks like uh Jason Tatum is progressing nicely. Is there a chance that we see him this season? We'll have that conversation with doctor David Chow. NBA Cup action, about thirty minutes away in Las Vegas. The New York Knicks and the Spurs.
battling for the NBA Cup Championship. only available. On Amazon Prime. Yeah, you got to have Amazon. You want to watch the basketball.
Amazon bought the rights, they're paying billions of dollars. That's where you got to watch Victor Wembenyama and his second game back with the San Antonio Spurs. against the New York Knicks. And it's just something about the Knicks. potentially winning an MBA Cup.
Then I'm not gonna say it's a slap in the face, for Yeah, I mean there's Nick fans who are alive, plenty of 'em. In nineteen seventy three when they last won their championship. Yeah. I'm not gonna say it's a slap in the face. For fans who could remember the last twenty five years of nicked them well, maybe even dating back to ninety nine when they Went to the finals against the Spurs, and the Spurs just said, Tim Duncan is going to take these bums out.
It just You can only hope that it's a a stepping stone. If you're a Knicks fan, for the Knicks winning a championship this year. And good luck with that one. I mean, it would take some injuries and maybe Oklahoma City, you know, bad things happening to them. For somebody else to win the championship of the title, but we got some action.
The Spurs just beat Oklahoma City. on Sunday, or excuse me, Saturday, uh to advance to this final in the NBA Cup, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that maybe the Spurs You know, make it to the NBA Finals. I'm not expecting it. I think OKC would beat them in a seven game series. I mean, the Spurs beat them one hundred eleven to one hundred nine to give them only their second loss this season.
And that was Victor Wembanyama's first game back on Saturday. after going down twelve games with that calf strain. And you think about a a calf on a guy like Victor Wembenyama, sheesh Bacha, his calf is what? Long as a yardstick? You gotta have the longest calf in the NBA.
It's gotta be like that. Did you see the video of him stepping over. The Great. It's security great? Uh-oh.
No. Again, you know, you know the great where it's like a traditional human, it's like up to their stomach to chest? Yeah. He basically stepped over it with no ease like a hurdle. Oh.
Well, you're seven five, right? You can do that. I know, but it's it's scary. puts in perspective how freakish he is. This was in Las Vegas.
He did this? Yeah, he was he was like, it was post-game or pre-game. They were walking back to the locker room, and I said he was on the wrong side.
So he just does like a little step over. And it it looked like the most clear he cleared basically four feet with like No issue. that guy's leg, he probably swung his leg over and swung over to China, right? Basically. Yeah.
I watched him give somebody a high five here in Atlanta. I saw him he was sitting in the he was sitting courtside warming up. And he basically reached back four rows to the aisle to greet somebody. I said, what? I just laughed.
He reached back to say hi to somebody, and and his whole arm you know, your arm, my arm. might reach just the next row behind me, right? And that maybe, possibly. His arm went three rolls past that and I'm like, Okay, here we go.
So Yeah, Victor Wembenyama, he's back, he played, they brought him off the bench. On Saturday against Oklahoma City. He got busy late in the game. He finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks. Only played 21 minutes.
I mean, the San Antonio Spurs were rolling. while he was gone. It was like he didn't miss a beat.
Now only an idiot would tell you that, Oh, they're a better team than I've victor Weminyama. We know that's not the case. I don't think they're a a championship contender this year. But I think they're certainly making strides with all their young players. Who do they want to keep?
Who do they want to grow with? We just we gotta see, man. We gotta see. Victor Webenyama very worldly, and You talked about what this NBA Cup means. It's not going to be a super significant step, but still a significant one.
Because it's a high stakes game that both teams are going to be very invested in winning.
So it just shows that You know, we are preparing and we will pass the next step to for more significant games in the playoffs.
Well, this is like a stepping stone. Like I said, the New York Knicks. If the Knicks won the cop You just give them two claps and go, all right.
Now, tell me when you won a championship, okay? You guys have been hanging in here forever and haven't won a damn. thing. at all. Carl Anthony Towns.
He says, Yeah, if we win the cup, it's not the big championship, but winning is winning either way. No matter if it's the Cup, NBA Finals, winning anything, winning any game, when you get that. That feeling of winning is addictive. And you know, obviously, I want us to be. Oh.
I want us to have that mindset where we're addicted to the next championship. Yeah, well, please, man. New York Knicks fans have been hoping and praying to God for a championship for decades now. I mean, you you're not in the category all by yourself out there. And so it's also going to be very fun to see Victor Wembanyama on the same basketball court with Carl Anthony Towns.
Carl Anthony Towns is seven feet tall. He's a big dude, period. He's carrying around weight, too. But just looking at Victor Wembanyamo on the court next to him is. Going to be interesting.
These are two of the top bigs. and the NBA, two guys who can actually go out there and shoot. Uh but here's a question. Is Wembin Yama going to come off the bench like he did against Oklahoma City on Saturday? Or are his minutes still going to be.
kind of tampered, not tampered, tempered down. Just to kind of uh You know, keep the guy healthy. Uh listen to what Ben Benyama said. It's gonna be a mix of uh different opinions, but At the end of the day, I'm ready. And even if I will have my own opinion, I will also it will also be based on my thoughts and The thoughts of the staff, so just say a bunch of nothing.
Basically we we're gonna discuss it. And bottom line is, it looks like that decision has been made. Bacho, what's going to happen with Wimbenyama? He's going to come off the bench. It's no reason to block everybody's shot, right?
Basically. Just good bursts. Yeah, come off the bench, block some shots, sit down. In this game, Botcha correct me if I'm wrong. This championship game is an exhibition.
It doesn't count in the standings for anybody, does it? No, it doesn't count for the record or the standings, but. It is a good significant pay raise if they do win it. Yeah, everybody on the team gets a half million dollars if you win, huh? Yeah.
So I think the loser, what do they get, like 100K compared to the one who gets 500K?
So It's important. Any money is good money, but here's the Jalen Brunson. We talked all this about Carl Anthony Townsend. In Victor Wembanyama, Jalen Brunson has been on a heater. In order for the Knicks to get here, they beat Orlando on Saturday in Vegas.
He dropped 40 points in that game. He's on one of these spaces where every game Jalen Brunson is dropping 30 and 35 points.
So he's feeling it. And he was asked about the record and this not counting, and this is what he had to say. You're not winning or gaining anything on your in your your record, but um you're going there competing, you know, you're playing for more than just yourself. You're playing for your team, your organization, and your city. It's um There's there's a lot at stake besides the record.
So, um You go out there and compete no matter what. Yeah, you want to go try to go out there and win. You want to go out there and do some damage. It doesn't matter what's going on. Who, like I said earlier in the show.
Who wakes up? Then says I want to lose. I haven't met the person yet. I don't know anybody running around saying that. He has something else to keep in mind.
The Knicks, they hear this a lot. Oh, yeah, you gotta go ahead and compete for the NBA Cup and all the Knicks might compete for a championship or well, Boston Celtics are without Tatum Cavaliers all seem sick of each other. This might be the next year. The the East is is down. The the Indiana Pacers are with the Halibur and the East is down.
The East is down. Jalen Brunson don't want to hear about that. I think there's too many great teams and great players, regardless of who's out. they're still competing. And so um You don't take anyone lightly, you don't take anyone for granted, you go out there and do what you gotta do every single night.
And so, um the East is, um it's a lot better than people think and um It's a grind every night. Yeah, it's gonna be a grand.
Well, they're gonna tip off in about twenty minutes. and we'll see whether or not the New York Knicks or the San Antonio Spurs walk away victorious, Uh with the NBA Cup. It's going to be an interesting game to see. Botcher. This is going to be, this should be a good one.
I'm barely, like, Victor Wembanyama to me is the X factor. And and knowing that he's he's probably not gonna play, they don't wanna Kill him out there just to win an NBA Cup. I don't does this mean more to the Knicks than the Spurs? I'm we got two teams here. that are i i it's a good mix.
The Knicks haven't won a championship since 73. We know the San Antonio Spurs historically have been winners. But then they got this new young team that's certainly on the come up. And so I think this is going to be a good game. I think it'll be a good one.
It should be. I I think that the Spurs with Wemby have that kind of factor where They can blow a team out by 20, 30 points any night just because of how dominant Wemby is. But they're also young.
So they they'll be competitive or basically have rough nights. And then the next side, it's just. Can Brunson just be Brunson and can Cat stay out of foul trouble? They'll win games if those two things happen. And uh with Wemby You could see Cad struggle, but the Knicks should win this game.
Should. The Knicks, I don't know. I think it depends on how much they have Wembenyama out there. And if Wembenyama is just there, like, you know, we need to sit him down. But San Antonio is good without him out there.
I mean, you got De'Aaron Fox, who's helping to lead the team at the point guard position. Matter of fact, l let's listen to De'Aaron Fox. He talked about these young guys and the team whole, with or without Wembanyama. For us, I mean, we know that this is a process, though. You know, we're going day by day, step by step, to try to win a championship.
And if we can do it this year, I mean, that would be fantastic, make history. But like I said, we know that this is a long process. We're continuing to get better.
Some would say we're a little ahead of schedule, but I think we're right where we need to be.
Okay, I think they are ahead of schedule.
So let's see what they do tonight. It's tough. I want to give the San Antonio Spurs an edge. I want to give them an edge. But it's just is is are you gonna botch, is it worth it?
The guy's been gone, and let's think about this too. And this is something for the team to consider. Victor Wembanyama was gone for twelve games. He came off the bench on Saturday, had a great game in 21 minutes, dropped 22 points. Tonight is the championship game against the New York Knicks.
He's had enough time. Are you going to put Victor Wembanyama in that same range? And now, also this. Being the fact that these are two teams competing for a championship, the NBA Cup, They're not getting a break like everybody else in the NBA. The San Antonio Spurs play tonight.
They're back in action. Hosting the Wizards. I get it, it's the Wizards, but they're hosting the Wizards on Thursday. and then they are here in Atlanta, On Friday. I'm gonna go see Wimbinyama here on Friday.
And Bacha, he may not even play on Friday. He may not play. Here's a better idea. You think they sit him out against Washington? put em on the road here in Atlanta.
That's that's the smart thing to do because I You'd argue Washington is worse than the the Hawks?
So you'd rather rest him in the game where you can win without him and then have him for a Friday game? And I'm assuming... They don't play till Sunday or Monday. They play Washington. They play Washington again on Sunday.
So, yeah, I would say I would bench him Thursday just in case.
So I know it's said and reported that he'll play twenty minutes today. Realistically speaking, if it's a close game. You might have to push that. A little bit, depending on how he feels. Sit out Wednesday.
Or Thursday. Sit out Thursday, get the extra day rest if you have to somehow play 25 minutes, 28 minutes. Just play Friday here in Atlanta against the Hawks. Yes. That's what I would do.
And same thing, of course, the the New York Knicks aren't dealing with a 7'5 freak with a strain calf. But the Knicks are in a similar position to think about how they wanna Not manage minutes today, but it's going to be a little bit of a push. The Knicks are going to play tonight in Las Vegas against the Spurs for the Cup. They're back in action in Indiana, so there's not going to be a lot of celebrating. They're going to be Indiana on Thursday, and then the Knicks have a home game Friday against the 76ers.
They then play again. Sunday. I mean, knowing that, and you think about this. This the time frame of the NBA Cup as the league is Had to figure out scheduling and put teams on break. It's almost like a mini.
A mini break. And so coming out of this Man, there's there's a lot of games that are coming up real fast. for all of the teams. I mean, even looking at the New York Knicks schedule, I don't think there's a a point or space in time. Where they have more than Two days off.
I mean, until you get to late January. Like the New York Knicks are literally playing Tonight. Thursday Friday. Sunday. Tuesday Thursday, Saturday, Friday.
Monday Damn, they're playing New Year's as two day botcher. They're literally playing. every day and some days back to back. I mean Friday the first They host Atlanta, and I mean, the the day, a couple of days after Christmas, they'll be here in Atlanta. Bacha, my knees hurt looking at these NBA schedules, man.
And then they wonder why. The Stars don't want to play in nationally televised games, the Stars don't want to play in the All-Star game, or they're not going to try in the All-Star game. It's just... Everybody knows that the schedule's too long. Or the season's too short, like it like time-wise.
But nobody wants to actually fix it. Yeah. The the schedule is a sprite. Nobody wants to fix it. I mean, they're making a lot of money here, huh?
I know, but if they extend it out.
Well, they extend it out. like started earlier instead of like early October, you started they do. You wanna they they just change the season to spread things out a little bit more. They basically so we've gone from one extreme to the other, right? The NBA has eliminated back-to-backs because that was too taxing.
For the most part, there's now less back-to-back games. But even looking at the schedule, maybe I'm so damn used to going uh There's no back-to-backs. Even looking at games where it's just like you play Tuesday and then you play again on Thursday, and then you play Thursday, you play Sunday. I mean. Look, and if there's one thing, didn't Michael Jordan say this in one of his pre-recorded stupid NBC segments?
Didn't he say something about uh You know, what are you doing in the 24, 48 hours when you're not playing? Didn't he say that? Yeah, they were talking about practice and then getting stuff through that. I'm like, how do you recover? It's a good point.
Like, what are you doing if you only have to play? 35 minutes or 30 minutes, and let's be real. Everybody's not pl the stars are playing that much, thirty to thirty five minutes plus. Everybody's not doing that. But if you're a star and you're making all the money in the world, and you only got to play and run up and down for thirty five minutes, two hours, What are you doing in those other two days?
We know you got to travel and get in a hotel, and that's taxing in and of itself, but. Yeah. It's tough. There is no simple solution unless these guys want to take less vacation. And start the season win, Botcher, in early October.
Yeah, I early October. It's just a I also think these debates on just Wear and tear? Pace is obviously a big thing here. Yes. But At a certain point The medical advancements we've made in society too.
should also like be You would assume it'd be like in stride to stride to make sure these athletes can recover as fast as possible. Like there's different techniques to getting healthier. I think another element of it is the finan it there's there's so many Things that come into factor here. I think the money balls are plays a big part. I mean these teams and organizations and the players too.
The players are making more money. They don't have as much incentive to go out there and earn it, especially for some of the star players. It's like, oh, I'm already making 50 and 60 upwards, and now $70 million. I don't need to push it because I don't need to prove anything. And then you have, from a team perspective, they're just like, oh my God, we're paying this guy 60, 70 mil.
We don't want him to push it because if he does it, And now you w we were out of an investment.
So I I don't know how things potentially come to a he a head. I think it's just guys like Anthony Edwards and maybe Wemben Yama who wake up and say, I'm just gonna go balls to the wall and I'm just gonna I'm gonna play as much as I can, but How sustainable is that for everybody across the league? Not too sure.
So they're going to tip off in about 10 minutes. Or, at least, that's what Amazon says. You know, they be lying when it comes to these start times. The New York Knicks and the Spurs will go after it for the NBA Cup. We'll give you an update when that game gets started.
Of course, we will. Hey, speaking of injuries, we have Dr. David Chow. He's going to join us in 20 minutes here. It's the JR Sport Reshow on the Infinity Sports Network.
We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, Now I can tell you one guy, he doesn't have to worry about resting because he's 18 years old and he's already putting up massive numbers. I'm going to tell you who it is on the other side. It's the JR Sport Brief Show, the Infinity Sports Network. Listen up, football fans.
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This is Free Range with Von Miller, the podcast where I step outside the lines and I take you with me. Each week, we're talking everything from the biggest stories around the league to the biggest stories off the field. This isn't your average sports podcast. This is game meets culture, locker room meets living room, and no topic is off limits.
So if you're into good conversations that ruffle a few feathers, join me every Wednesday and follow Free Range with Von Miller everywhere you get your podcast. Hey there, we're Corinne Vienne and Sabrina D'Anaroga here to introduce our newest podcast, Crimes of a Crime House Original. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season, from Crimes of the Paranormal, Unsolved Murders, and more. Our first season is Crimes of Infamy: the true crime stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains. Listen to and follow Crimes of, available now wherever you get your podcasts.
Welcome to Radio Rental. The scariest stories you've ever heard in your life. All told by real people. And off we go. This wasn't a human being that I saw.
There's something here in this house, something not of this world. There was a woman moving through the hall. I stepped back and I was completely alone. Radio Rental is available now. Listen for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
You're listening to the JR Sport Brief. It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you, coast to coast. On the Infinity Sports Network. Hey, in about 15 minutes, we're going to have a conversation with Dr. David Chow.
So much going on in the world of sports. We saw Michael Parsons go down with an ACL. We saw Patrick Mahomes go down with an ACL, and also the LCL in his leg. And we're going to try to get an update. And an understanding of when we could expect any of these guys back realistically.
Patrick Mahomes has reportedly already had his surgery. and has already begun the uh the rehab process the best way that you can.
So We got some conversations, some things to have a chat with Dr. David Chow about. We also talked about injury management in the NBA. As uh the New York Knicks and the Spurs are getting after it tonight. for the NBA Cup championship, but then after this, oh man, it's a It's a sprint.
I'm talking about games every other day for the majority of the league. Who knows how things are going to turn out over the next several weeks?
So, also, one guy who doesn't need rest. And that that's not true. His legs are pretty fresh. Fresher legs than a lot of other folks. Cooper flag This man had a career high.
42 points last night against the Utah Jazz. Unfortunately for him, they they lost. It was an overtime game. Cooper flag, listen to this stat line. Forty-two points.
13 of twenty seven from the field. Seven rebounds, six assists. They lost to Utah 140 to 133. And let's be real, neither one of these teams, if you've ever sat down and watched, Utah this year. They don't play no damn defense, so yeah, they took them the overtime to go out there and get the job done.
Keontae George, who, unless you're sitting around watching the jazz. Unless you went to Baylor, you have no idea who he is. He dropped 37 points for the Utah Jazz. Louis Markinen had 33. But more importantly, Cooper Flag.
eighteen years old. He set an NBA record. Most points scored by an 18-year-old in a single game. LeBron James had 37 points. And Cooper Flag already doing something that LeBron has not.
And it looks like this learning experience for Cooper Flag is. Is working out. Who knows what he's gonna be? He's 18 years old. Already balling out.
How you feeling about being in the NBA? It's been a few months now already, Cooper. I think just you know settling in. You know, it's it's a new game, it's a you know, different spacing, different you know, people out there get more and more comfortable with my teammates, um, playing alongside them, figuring that out. And You just settled in, bro.
Um honestly just be myself and and let the game come to me and Um, I think it's worked out for that one. I think it has. I think for the most part, he wasn't looked upon as someone who's just going to be this ridiculous scorer. But his numbers for an 18-year-old, he turns 19 on, well, damn it. What is that?
Thursday? Bachelor, when's the 21st? Is that Sunday? Yeah. Yeah, Sunday.
He turns nineteen on Sunday. Listen to these numbers. 18 points a game. Six rebounds. Three and a half assists.
Those are his season averages. And so I'd say his numbers are even better than what I expected. And he appears to have certainly. He sit in his stride, forty two against Utah 22 against Brooklyn, 19 versus Houston. He took on Oklahoma City at 16, took on Miami, had 22 points.
He's looking like a You know, a 20-point, six-rebound, six-seven assist type guy. He's blocking shots, he's playing defense, and it's He's only 19. His shooting is going to improve. Everything is going to get better. He's just a complete basketball player.
Bacha, this doesn't get talked about a lot either. He's listed right now at six foot nine. He could stop at six foot nine? There's no guarantee that he's not gonna get taller, you know? Yeah, wh when do you stop growing?
Like twenty twenty one around there? I'd say I'd say for men, yep.
So he could possibly get up to six, eleven, seven foot maybe?
Now that that's that's a problem. That that's some dimensions given his he's already long at six foot nine. He doesn't have no his arms are long, his legs are long. He's going to be a problem if he's able to add another two inches in height or add to that wingspan. Jason Kidd has seen a lot of players.
He's seen a lot of dudes from the Tim Duncans of the world to the Kevin Garnetts, guys who are 6'11 just going out there balling. But Cooper Flag is a freak. Jason Kidd was asked if this is what he thought Cooper Flag could be. Listen. Yeah, I think um yeah, well I think we've said that when we drafted him.
Um but I think just understanding uh the more time he's on the floor, the more that he sees, the better he gets, and he displayed that this night uh tonight.
Okay. Botcha, you want to know who didn't play last night for the Dallas Mavericks? Uh Anthony Dav Day to Day Davis. Yeah, he didn't play. You know, Anthony Davis didn't play.
You want to know what his problem was? Uh, this time, was it this rest, I'm assuming? It was his calf. Again? Yep.
Didn't play last night, Cat. He's hurting his own trade value even worse. Like I know it it's he already has a big contract, one. But not even try, like, just keep re-injuring the same thing over and over. I don't know if it's just bad luck.
or it's him pushing it to get back into the lineup. But it just 33 in March.
Okay? Does he seem like the type of dude who's going to age gracefully in the NBA? Has he aged gracefully now? Like he he was never healthy when he was younger too. No, it's kind of crazy.
He's missed so many games. He's already about to be 33. We didn't even realize it. He just. Just can't stay healthy.
He has played 11 games this season. 11.
So how many think he's getting at this year? You you take at forty he's going under, right? Definitely. Yeah. Thirty games he plays.
Thirty. Thirty-five, probably. Damn. Yeah, let's see let's see what schmuck team says. Let's add him and I hope that he can Work things out.
And congratulations to Cooper Flag, though. At least he's, I think he's probably learning more. by having a ball around with no Anthony Davis.
Okay, so we'll see. We'll see. It's the J.R. Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network. Speaking of injuries, what a segue this is.
We're going to have a conversation with the sports doctor. Man, he was a team doctor for the Chargers, his work with the NBA, so many other teams. Dr. David Chow is going to join us. He'll be here in about 10 minutes.
But right now, as we get ready for the NBA Cup, there's so much going on in the world of sports. To get a full update, here he is, Rich Ackerman. Yeah. That 365 is paying out before the final whistle. Check out Bet365's unrivaled early payout offer.
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Call 1-877-718-5543 or visit morethanagame.mc.gov. Must be physically located in North Carolina. TNC's applied. This is Free Range with Von Miller, the podcast where I step outside the lines and I take you with me. Each week, we're talking everything, from the biggest stories around the league to the biggest stories off the field.
This isn't your average sports podcast. This is game meets culture, locker room meets living room, and no topic is off limits.
So if you're into good conversations that ruffle a few feathers, join me every Wednesday and follow Free Range with Von Miller, everywhere you get your podcast. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season, starting with the true crimes that inspired Hollywood's most iconic horror villains. Listen to and follow Crimes of available now wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Radio Rental. The scariest stories you've ever heard in your life.
All told by real people. And off we go. This wasn't a human being that I saw. There's something here in this house.
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You're listening to the JR Sport Brief. It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network. I mean, it's that time of year.
Well, every time of year, unfortunately, people go down with injuries. We saw two major injuries to two big superstars over the weekend in the NFL with Patrick Mahomes. In Micah Parsons, we have another big star in Victor Wembanyamo, who will be playing tonight. For the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA Cup game coming off of his calf strain that he just returned from, to talk about some of the things that we've seen, unfortunately, over the past several days and weeks and what we may be able to expect moving forward. Right now, it's time to have a chat with someone who's been an NFL team doctor, and you can catch all of his NBA and NFL, MLB, all sports injury analysis online at ProFootball Doc.
Welcome back to the show, Dr. David Chow. Doctor, we appreciate the time. Thank you, J.R. I listen to you all the time as I shuttle the kids around to their sports.
Hey, listen, I know how it goes. Unfortunately, I know you're busy at this time when a lot of these injuries go down, a lot of calls, a lot of TV, a lot of radio. We've heard and learned that Patrick Mahomes has already had his surgery, and Michael Parsons is waiting on his. What can we expect realistically with any recovery?
Well, it depends on what the injury is. And it is much too simplistic to say Patrick Mahomes has an ACL and Micah Parsons has an ACL, and that's it. ACL is one of the things they have. What other injuries do they have is the key. And for Patrick Mahomes, it's become clear that he has an LCL injury.
That's what we thought all along from the War Room Sports Injury Central, where we monitor all the games. And that's what we said. And as soon as The uh Word came that he was going to Dallas for a second opinion, that seemed to confirm the LCL to us, and then he had early surgery that cemented it. What does that mean? And there's a surgeon in Dallas, who's a very good doctor, who did Jalen Smith's LCL, who did Rashi Rice's LCL for the Chiefs, who did Travis Hunter's LCL.
And that's why Patrick Mahomes went down there to see him for this. And the immediate surgery is because the LCL requires a repair, not reconstruction. I'm not trying to be too technical, but that's a reason to do the surgery early, which is why, for example, Micah Parsons hasn't had his done yet because it's an ACL reconstruction.
So not all things are apples to apples.
Well, let me ask you this just from a football perspective. We know what the Patrick Mahomes does on a football field, running and scrambling. He may not necessarily be utilizing the same torque as Micah Parsons is, who went down with a non-contact. You know, Micah's chasing quarterbacks, and Patrick Mahomes is, well, he's trying to get the ball downfield any way that he can. Does that have any type of effect on the rehab process at all?
It absolutely does. It is much harder for Micah Parsons, a Edge rusher to return from an ACL than typically for a quarterback. because 0.1 seconds is the difference between the strip sack And him just being a guy, right? And 0.2 seconds slower than you're out of the league.
So it's just different. Look, I love my guy, Phillip Rivers, but he's not exactly speedy afoot and can't do a lot and coming out of retirement and whatever. But yet he almost won a game. Like you can't be an edge rusher retired for five years of carrying a few more L B s and do anything, much less play the game, okay?
So that's where the advantage is to the quarterbacks. Yes, Mahomes does run. But Mahomes' injury is multi ligament, L C L, ACL. The closest comp I can give you is Carson Wentz in twenty seventeen when he was with the Eagles. The Torres LCL and ACL In week fourteen at the Coliseum versus the Rams.
This is week fifteen for the Chiefs here. And Carson Wentz made a pretty quick recovery, and yet he still what? Did not make the start of next season. And when he returned week three, I thought it was still early, and he kind of had a subpar year with Future issues that year. All I'm saying now is with the LCL, meaning making it a multi-ligament, this will impact.
Mahomes and the Chiefs next. season. makes it unlikely to be ready for the start of the season. And it may be a while into the season before he gets closer to one hundred percent. In fact, Carson Wentz claimed that it was eighteen to twenty four months before his felt like as good as it can be.
And I'm not saying Mahomes' career is going to be derailed, but I am saying this is a big deal because it's multiligament. Dr. David Chow is here with us on the JR Sport Brief Show Coast to Coast.
Well, thank you for that insight as it relates to both Patrick Mahomes and Michael Parsons. You also mentioned Philip Rivers, who's forty-four all those years where you were the head team doctor with the Chargers. What impressed you or what impresses you the most when you get a guy like that who hasn't played in five years and can get the job done? What has impressed you and what may worry you as he kind of finishes out this season?
Well, you know, I wish it would have been a fair shot. You know, a 44-year-old who was. Expecting to come back and working out and in better shape kind of thing as opposed to off the couch. And I'm sure if Philip knew that, he'd been working out too. This is a surprise to him and everyone else.
But look, it was the line was fourteen points and they took it to the buzzer, right?
So you got to give him some kudos to that. I did text Philip saying, you know, You know, the fairy tale almost came true, but the dream stays alive, and he agreed. And the bottom line is, he's going to keep trying to play. He's got a big Monday night football game. But I'll tell you something else.
As long as there's a chance for the Colts to make it to the Plows, he'll keep playing. But the second the Colts are eliminated, he'll be gracious and shut it down and give Riley Leonard or Anthony Richardson or whoever it is a chance. He'll do whatever Shane Steichen says. It's very impressive to do what he has done. I I I wish they let him throw it outfield a little more.
I get it. He's older and coming off the couch doesn't help the situation. You know, um so let's see what happens against San Francisco on Monday night. It'll be fun either way, and at least he tried.
Well, let's go from a. I can't believe he's half his age, less than half his age. But tonight on the basketball court, Victor Wembenyama, in his second game back, is going to be competing against the Knicks in this NBA Cup. We know Victor Wembenyama with his size and length and how he's moving out there. He had that calf strain.
They were obviously worried about any additional injuries to his Achilles or whatnot. What impresses you about Wembenyama? What worries you given that we haven't seen a guy move like this at his size? No, no question. And one more thing about my man, Philip.
Remember, he's got the longest active consecutive start streak.
So people who thought that he'd get hit broken and not come back and play week two, his second game, are misled, right? I mean, he's as tough as they come. And Victor Wenbayama, he's a unicorn, a guy who's that tall, that lean, that athletic. and uh and do what he does. Yeah, the cast strain, it is something that can linger.
It's something to be careful of. He is coming back now. This is not. should not be a worry for an Achilles tendon rupture. The Tyrese Halliburton was said to have a calf injury.
for the Indiana Pacers for the NBA Finals. But per our visual, our analysis, the way that he was taped, we always thought it was an Achilles tendinitis problem that they were calling a calf. And that can lead to Achilles tendon rupture. The same back all the way back to the Golden State Warriors and Kevin Durant. It was announced as CAF.
We always felt it was Achilles where he was grabbing, where it was lower, and that unfortunately turned into a tear. Thankfully, he's come back full. Same with Tyrese Halliburton, I don't think it was ever a cast.
So, because of that, I am not. Worried about Victor Rembayama becoming an Achilles after his comeback from McCaff. Of course, he can re-aggravate McCaff. But that's not the catastrophic event the Achilles rupture is. Given his length and his dimensions, he is just ridiculously long.
Is he not more susceptible to having leg injuries? The muscles? You know, you know, with the with uh doing uh As long as he is and as athletic as he is. You know, look, players nowadays are obviously bigger, faster, stronger. And when you're bigger, faster, stronger, guess what?
Your ACL and your Achilles doesn't get any bigger. Whether you're a basketball player or a football player, my Achilles is not much different in size or girth or my ACL than Victor Wimbayama's or some or Micah Parsons. And so here you are with someone bigger, faster, stronger, putting more force, more torque on the same chassis or a bigger tree planted in the same pot, right? And what do you expect to happen? It's just sort of common sense, unfortunately.
Yeah, really stinks.
Well, as we we start to wrap things up, I do have to ask you about one more player. Uh there's been word about him working out and and trying to come back, and that's that's Jason Tatum. The Celtics are looking good. Do you think there's a possibility we might see him at the end of the season when things kind of get rougher and tougher and more physical?
Well, look, it depends. If you're waiting for Tatum to be one hundred percent, I think As hard as he's working, it's very hard for him to come back to be the complete dynamic self that he was before. If you're bringing back a limited version of Jason Tatum, I think that absolutely can happen in terms of his return. The recovery for an Achilles is hard enough and as dynamic as the game of basketball is on both sides. Can you bring him back as a spot of shooter?
Sure. As the dynamic offensive and defensive threat, I think that's a high bar. do. And then you got to also understand if the Celtics go far and deep in the playoffs and are doing well, what happens to Chempestry when you add someone?
So I'd love to see it. I mean, I want I'm rooting for him But whatever you get out of Jason Tatum, I think is icing, is is frosting, you know, is extra. The rest of this season, we certainly have all the young guys, the old guys in their forties are balling out at a different level. You expecting to see more old guys sticking it out at the end of their career? These LeBrons and Chris Paul well, maybe not Chris Paul, but uh you know the LeBrons and Aaron Rodgers of the world?
Well, you know, what LeBron's done is amazing, right? Because he's played not only a long time and entered the NBA very early, but very in a very dominant way. And he's played extra, extra seasons with all the playoffs and NBA championships and other stuff. And that's One good news about Patrick Mahomes. He too has played a lot of extra football.
going deep into the playoffs. And maybe this is a chance for him to regroup, work on rehab. He's going to be with the same team. Offseason programs not as important for him as, let's say, a Daniel Jones coming off Achilles if he were to change teams. And maybe this is the silver lining here.
Look, we remember the suspension year for Brady for the deflate gate. He missed the first four games, and what happened? It helped his older body. They won a Super Bowl that year.
So there can be silver linings to all of this. Hey, Doctor, we appreciate your time. Tell everybody where they can follow you and all your work. Yes. On Twitter, it's ProFootball Doc, but Sports Injury Central is SICScore dot com.
We have all the NFL, MBA analysis, injury analysis, hidden injuries for advantages for whatever purpose you want from wagering to DFS to fantasy. Hey, Dr. David Chow, we appreciate you coming through and sharing your expertise. We'll catch you down the line, okay, Dr. Chow?
Thanks, Dear. No doubt about it. That's Dr. David Chowder's NFL team doctor for 17 years. You can catch him online, filling you in on.
Unfortunately, a lot of the injuries have given us some insight across all sports.
So make sure you go ahead and check out ProFootball Doc on X. It's the J.R. Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network. We're going to take a break, and when we come back on the other side, I'm going to give you an update on what's going on with the NBA Cup. Listen up, football fans.
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