JR SportBrief Hour 2

Last year, you may have made some smart decisions, and you may have made some not-so-smart decisions.

Like, maybe putting too much trust in those friends you met at the hotel in Sicily. The good news is, making smart financial decisions is easier than you think. NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast has the weekly know-how you need to get ahead. Sean and Sarah, the hosts of Smart Money, break down the latest financial news and give you honest, objective money advice. Subscribe to NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast. You're listening to the J.R. Sportbrief on CBS Sports Radio.

It is the J.R. Sportbrief show on CBS Sports Radio, and I am coming to you live from Atlanta, Georgia. Much love to everybody listening in Lockton all over North America. I'm going to be hanging out here with you for the next three hours.

Go ahead and pat yourself on the back. So whether you're at work, whether you're driving, whether you're in the car, the bar, the hospital, whether you're at home, whether you're delivering, whatever, shout-outs to you. I appreciate you. You can always listen to every minute of the show on the free Odyssey app. You can tune in on your local CBS Sports Radio affiliate. You can lock in on Sirius XM Channel 158. And if you have a smart speaker, you can ask it to play CBS Sports Radio.

You can start at 10 p.m. Eastern, 7 Pacific, and it's been a busy night. The minute, the second that we came on air tonight, second that my microphone was turned on, the Atlanta Hawks did a thing. They advanced into the NBA playoffs tonight by beating the Miami Heat the final score, 116 to 105. And so with that, the Atlanta Hawks will take on the Boston Celtics as the seventh seed, taking on the Celtics who happen to be seed number two. And you can go ahead and thank Trey Young, who, despite being in all types of rumors and Hawks are open to trading him and offseason, etc., he still went out there and scored 25 points, had seven assists and eight rebounds, despite only shooting one of eight from downtown.

For the Miami Heat, their leading scorer was just an older guy off the bench, Kyle Lowry coming through with 33 points. But the Hawks just held the Heat at bay the entire game and the Heat could never catch up. And so the Miami Heat now have to play this upcoming Friday. They will take on the loser, the loser.

I'll say it again, the loser between Chicago and Toronto. So Miami still waiting for a chance and an opportunity to get into the playoffs as the eighth seed. Trey Young spoke to TNT after the game, both Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal. They asked him about this game in particular and how he was able to stay focused with all of the rumors.

Take a listen. What was different tonight? Total team effort.

What was different tonight from your bunch? I just think we brought the physicality to them. I mean, they're known and around this league for being a very physical team and try to bully a lot of teams on the defensive end. And if you don't match their intensity and their physicality, you can get beat. And that's what I feel like has been going on these last couple of games against them, the last few games.

So tonight, I think we really matched their physicality in a show. I got to make sure this is Trey Young. Let me hear it. Trey, look, I know you're going through a lot. What did you say to yourself today? Hey, I have to focus on this to, you know, play the type of game that you play, because, you know, with all the stuff that you're going through, you could have went either way. But I felt you played a fabulous game. What did you say yourself to stay mentally prepared? For me, just all day, just been trying to think about tonight, just trying to focus on the next task.

I mean, I can't control all the outside noise and what's going on everywhere else. I can only control what I can control, and that's what I do on this court and for my teammates and making sure we come out with the win and let everything else take care of itself. So that was my mindset, not to get focused on anything else but today's game. Yeah, the Hawks, they come out on top here tonight. I think they're too inconsistent overall. Let's see if they can give the Celtics a fight. I don't think they're going to win that series. Maybe they'll pick up a game or two.

It would be a major shock if they walk away. Good luck to the Atlanta Hawks as they get ready to take on the Celtics, but the conversation surrounding Trae Young, his future in Atlanta, it's not going anywhere. Meanwhile, I told you about the Miami Heat tonight. I said yesterday, and I know we had a few callers who asked about the Heat, talked about what they did last year, talked about Jimmy Butler becoming a different human being, and I said, that's all nice and well, it's going to be tough for them to score with anybody.

The most that they can do is what Trae Young said, and that's beat you up and be physical in the process. Jimmy Butler with 21 points, a bam out of bio, not showing up the way you wish he would, only 12 points. Tolly Hero had 26, an old man, typically old, injured, and out, Kyle Lowry, had 33 points. Eric Spoelstra, one of the best coaches in the NBA, he talked about the game, and he said, listen, you got to give the Atlanta Hawks and their new head coach, Quinn Snyder, a lot of credit.

Listen to this. I think Quinn has done a real good job of just creating an identity for that team. They're different just in terms of how they really try to crash and get second opportunities, and that was costly today.

Oh yeah, you talk about second opportunities. Clint Coppella had 21 rebounds. He dominated the boards basically all by himself. So I told you, up next from Miami, they got to wait on the loser between Chicago and Toronto, excuse me, the winner between Chicago and Toronto, and then whoever wins that game on Friday, that'll be a single elimination game at that point. They will go on to the NBA playoffs as the eighth seed in the East to take on the Milwaukee Bucks. What a pleasure that will be.

What a prize for whoever ends up as the eighth overall seed. Eric Spoelstra, he kept on talking, and he says, yeah, we still got some work to do in front of us. We got to start from square one. We definitely have to get to the film and go back to all the fundamentals. We knew coming into this game that this game would be decided, ball in the air, ball on the floor, and it certainly was.

I'm sorry, brother, but fundamentals and looking at film ain't going to change nothing. The Miami Heat can't wake up and get younger. Their veteran players can't get younger. Their younger players can't get older.

There's too much of a disparity. They don't have offense that just lights it up. Tyler Herro can go out and do it, but you don't want him jacking up shots, you know, thinking that he's Michael Jordan out there. And so Jimmy Butler, he's older, man. I know, and I'm not burying Jimmy Butler, but he's been through a lot. Jimmy has played hard and is one of these grinding players since day one. Bam Adebayo isn't what everybody thinks he is on a consistent basis, OK? Tyler Herro can get buckets, OK?

We know that. But then besides that, you bring in Kevin Love. Kevin Love is old, man.

Come on. He played three minutes tonight. And then you have Victor Oladipo. He played nine minutes. Kyle Lowry gave you a miracle 33.

I'm expecting Kyle Lowry every time I see him to be on the bench or not even be in the arena. And so good luck to Miami. One more chance on Friday against the winner between Chicago and Toronto.

And whoever wins that game on Friday will go into the playoffs to take on the Bucks. 855-212-4CBS. That's 855-212-4CBS. Greg is here from Michigan. You're on the JR Sport Brief Show. Hey, JR.

Thanks for taking my call. Mr. Positive.

Hey, if the GOAT, James, wins with the Lakers, how far will he go in the playoffs and stuff like that? And everybody please remember my man, Agents of Inclusion. Love it. It's fantastic, you guys.

But how far will they go, JR? Thank you, Greg. Appreciate you for calling from Michigan. Thank you for also plugging Agents of Inclusion. Go ahead. Look it up.

A Special Olympics podcast that we're doing highlighting a different athlete every single week and their inspirational stories. LeBron James is currently active and playing right now this minute. The Minnesota Timberwolves, as I told you, came out and played like they have nothing to play for.

Backs up against the wall. Everybody's expecting us to get washed and wiped anyway with no Rudy Gobert. Well, the Lakers currently lead 47 to 46. They basically went on a 12 to 2 run to retake a lead where Minnesota looked like they just they had a little bit more. So there's about three minutes left here in this game and it's a close one.

And it should be close all the way through. LeBron James currently has 16 points. Twelve of these points has come in the second quarter. And we mentioned this last night or at least I mentioned it briefly.

If you take a look at the Los Angeles Lakers, if they can win this game tonight, the Lakers will advance and they'll be slotted to take on the Memphis Grizzlies and the Memphis Grizzlies. They've been dealing with their own problems. Maybe you haven't noticed. OK. And even outside of looking at John Morant, you can look at Steven Adams, who is looking like he's out for the year.

Brandon Clark is done for the year as well. I look at some of their depth up front. A lot of their big guys are much, much younger. And I just think that they're going to. And this sounds crazy.

I wish I could explain it better. The Grizzlies are just going to try to run everybody up and down the court. And I know Jaron Jackson Jr. is a big dude in his own right. The Lakers, they have more size. I don't think Jaron Jackson is going to be able to stop everybody on the way to the basket. And I just think the Grizzlies, teams that just want to get into shootouts. I don't think it always works in their favor when things have to get slowed down, especially into the playoffs. It's it's tough.

It really is. And I'm looking at Austin Reeves dribble the basketball right now. I recall someone last night saying that Austin Reeves would be a difference maker here for the Los Angeles Lakers. I'm like, well, if if he has to be, the Lakers are basically screwed. Austin Reeves doing his job so far.

Seven points. And he has a rebound here in the first half of this game, which I swear is going to be good all the way through. When you have teams out here that have nothing to play for. Minnesota, no Rudy Gobert. You got McDaniel's who breaks his hand on a wall, punching a wall. Nobody expects anything from Minnesota.

And I'd be shocked. And maybe we do if Minnesota wins this game. I don't know if we're going to get one of these Patrick Beverley-esque celebrations from last year.

Minnesota got into the playoffs and they celebrated like they won the finals. And so let's see what happens this game. 8 5 5 2 1 2 4 CBS. Ben is here from Charlotte. You're on the JR Sport Brief Show. What's up, Ben? Hey, man. Thanks for taking my call. I appreciate it.

Sure. What's up? Just wanted your opinion as a longtime NBA fan. Talking about Trey Young earlier and what he's trying to do in Atlanta.

I'm in Charlotte. What I've seen us think about our phenom that no longer wants to be here in LaMella. Oh, my God. Being out him being out in the L.A. Clippers locker room celebrating with Westbrook. Just how the game has changed from a from a we we will win to an I all about I. And I just think about, you know, the greatest basketball son of the state of North Carolina being Michael Jordan. If Michael would have ever seen one of his teammates in another locker room celebrating, celebrating or even talking to someone else, action or like Cliff Livingston, somebody even at the end of the bench, not the face of your franchise and then requesting a trade. And then you hear about the disconnect that's happening down in Hotline with Trey Young, whether he wants to be there or not and whatever. I don't know what all is going on with their organization, but just what a change for the NBA that has happened. And you've got small market teams, big market teams.

But the I versus the we like. Well, there's a there's a few things here. I didn't hear anything about Lamello Ball celebrating with the Clippers in their locker room. What I have heard recently was that Lamello Ball was was asked about his time in Charlotte and what he said was pretty much boilerplate.

He said that he wanted to to to stay. And what does that mean? So what people say that all the time. So I haven't heard what you heard. I have to look that up, but I haven't heard anything.

I saw a clip of him embracing Westbrook in the in the Clippers locker room. And that, OK, he had to do every once I get it. Well, slow down, Ben. Let me answer your question. I will look that up. I typically hear a lot of things. I didn't see that.

Maybe I missed it. But for your overall point here, that's welcome to the world of professional sports. The players have more freedom and it doesn't matter what sport it is. I know the NFL is a little bit more restrictive, but for about 30, 35 years, this has been a development of free agency where the players aren't beholden to a team in perpetuity. And so now with the amount of money that they're making, the players now have freedom. There was a point in time where the players, they had no say in anything.

And so all we're seeing is an evolution of the game. I don't think it's more so I, I, I. In society overall, are people more selfish? Are we more self-centered?

People into their phones and selfies and videos? Yes, I think that permeates all through society, including professional sports. I don't think it's just a sports issue, but from a business side of the game, I have no problem with more of the players saying, hey, I want to leave.

I want to do this because for a long time, a long time, a long time. The teams just basically held all of the cards. And so I don't see this changing. I think this is just how sports is going to be. And I think we all got to get used to it or just not watch. Yeah. And I don't know the stats like you do, but I would. My gut would tell me that viewership is probably down from for the NBA because fans just know to pull for a player and you chase them around. But you can't. You know, you don't pull for a team. Nope.

Nope. I think I think that might be a difference in in, I don't know, the era. The NBA was was extremely happy to tout additional viewership. Regular season viewership is down. But the NBA as a product, there's a lot of younger people who aren't sitting down watching a full game, but consume the NBA at a ridiculous pace in their phone, in their highlights, on House of Hoops, on House of Highlights, on Bleacher Report, on Instagram, on highlights.

It's I don't think the NBA is suffering in that regard at all. Interesting. OK, well, different. I put it to you this way. Different strokes for different folks. Yeah. No question.

And nowadays, I'll tell you this. There are more younger fans who have more of an allegiance towards a particular player versus a team. I think we're on the same exact same page there, for sure. Yeah.

So I don't look at the Durant and the Kyrie's and the Harden. Nobody. Nobody is losing. These guys make enough money.

They might as well just be be hired guns. Hey, Ben, I appreciate you calling. Great way to put it. That is a great way to put it. Yeah.

Thank you so much. Yeah. No, they hired guns. If you're good enough and this is what happens in most cases, it don't matter what your line of work is. If you are good enough, if you can get to a certain place, you can start to call more of the shots.

That's it. There's only a handful of guys in the NBA who even have the ability to wake up and kind of move a needle. Everybody else is happy to have work. They want to show up to work. If they get traded, they get traded. They want to cash their checks. They get paid handsomely. There's only a handful of dudes who have the power. We're talking hundreds of players.

Hundreds. Andy is here from Baltimore. You're on CBS Sports Radio. Hey, how you doing, buddy? Very well.

How are you? I hear this guy. I hear these guys talk about LeBron James, the greatest of all time.

He and him. He's not even in the top three for somebody in their 60s or older. I mean, LeBron never was the great leader. Dish the ball off too many times and critical games and playoff games and championship games.

Instead of taking the shot. I mean, he'll never be Michael Jordan. He'll never be Kobe Bryant and he'll never be Magic Johnson. He's not even in the top. He's in it.

He's not even one of the top two Lakers of all time. I mean, that's just my opinion, but watch a lot of and then the day will slow down. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm sorry.

No, it's okay. I'm just trying to understand. I don't think I don't think LeBron even talking about the Lakers tonight. I don't think the name LeBron James has been uttered. We certainly haven't had a full conversation about him. Maybe I said he scored this many points. No, not you.

Why is this? Well, let me let me ask you a question. Sure. Why is this something at the top of your mind? Like nobody is even talking about this right now. No, two callers ago. You a guy said about the goat James. I I didn't I didn't hear that.

Maybe you didn't do it. Was that what's his name? Greg, Greg, Michigan left himself some LeBron James. You know, it's Greg from Michigan.

Yes. So you are responding Andy to Greg from you. That's you responded to him pretty much. I mean to me it's it's it's an insult to some of these players that when when it was game time, they took the ball in their hands and they won the game and you knew they were going to win the game and LeBron's playing in a soft period of time where these other guys played with the bad boys from Motown.

They failed you and your shoulders were the first thing that well Andy even even to that regard we can go back. So let's not act like Michael Jordan might have been undefeated in his finals appearances. He got his ass whooped on the way there. And so there really haven't been too many players that have just walked into the NBA, sands of Bill Russell and have just basically won every single thing. That's that's one point. The second thing is if you want to talk about errors of basketball, it's not fair to go ahead and just paint a broad brush and kind of denounce LeBron James for the error. Reportedly that he played in because the man has been around for two decades playing basketball at a ridiculously high level that we have not seen anyone do.

Is it a benefit to the era? Possibly when he came in. They were still whooping ass in 2003 and 04. Here he is in 2023. And so I can understand if you are not a fan of LeBron or you don't believe he is one of the best basketball players ever.

There is no possible way in hell. And he's had his own amazing, ridiculous playoff moments where he has taken over. He's also been criticized at times, especially early in his career, for passing up shots. You really have to look at the totality of his career and you will see and find something that no one has ever done in NBA history. And he's not done yet. The other beautiful thing is and I'll leave on this note, because this is a conversation, as you know, Andy can go on for about five days consecutively.

This is what it boils down to. LeBron James is great in his era. There has not been a better basketball player as much as I personally even like Kobe Bryant. LeBron James is one of the most complete, if not the most complete basketball player of all time.

And if you want to go through time, what now, 76 years of the NBA, every era has its time. Every player has its great. If you ask me personally, I will go with Michael Jordan. But there is no way that I can say, well, this guy's greatness in comparison to this guy's greatness. LeBron James has done things in regards to his career that Michael Jordan has not. Michael Jordan has done some things that LeBron has not.

And we can woulda, coulda, shoulda if Michael played 20 years, if LeBron did this and we can do that. Greatness comes in many forms and I think we need to appreciate that. So I appreciate you.

I got to hit the break. I appreciate your love for a lot of the older basketball players, which I do as well. But let's, let's not kill LeBron. I would say 99.9% of NBA players, even guys at the top, would love to have his career. It's the JR Sport Reshow here with you on CBS Sports Radio.

I'm going to go ahead and keep these phone lines open. And you know what? Speaking of someone who would want his career, I'm going to tell you about Zion. We'll get into Jeff Okuda.

We got a lot to do. It's the JR Sport Reshow, CBS Sports Radio. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief on CBS Sports Radio.

You're listening to the JR Sport Brief on CBS Sports Radio. I listen to all your episodes on agents of inclusion. Really inspire me. I have a disability. I never had one until last June.

I'm B-72 this month. And it really helps me cope through my life with what's going on with me. I stumbled onto your show while I laid in the bed at Rochester, Minnesota, fighting for my life. I just want to thank you. I love your show. You do a good job, man.

You mean a lot to me. Call in now at 855-212-4CBS. Thank you so much to everybody who listens here to the JR Sport Brief Show.

Thank you to everybody who checks out Agents of Inclusion. 855-212-4CBS. That's 855-212-4CBS. Right now, Minnesota and the Lakers here at halftime. Minnesota currently leading 60-49.

We'll keep you up to date on that game. Right now, Carl Anthony Towns is perfect from the field. 17 points, 5 of 5.

Nobody can go out there and stop him. Meanwhile, LeBron James has 16 points here for the Los Angeles Lakers. As we continue on with the show, we'll keep you up to date on this game. The winner will advance to the playoffs to take on the Memphis Grizzlies as the number 7 seed. And the loser of this game will go on to take on the loser of tomorrow's play-in game. Well, the winner, excuse me.

I just consider everybody here to be almost losers. My apologies. Freudian slip. I'm sorry?

Freudian slip. I mean, this is what the plan is. It's a bunch of last place teams and most of them are going to be losers anyway. I mean, what can we say? Right before we went to break, and we're going to get into Zion. I want to talk to you about the NFL Sunday ticket. Shep, you had a point. One of our call is about LeBron.

What's going on? Well, JR, it's fascinating to me that everybody, the argument against LeBron James is that he's playing in an era which allows players to get away with so much. The game is soft. Defenses don't nearly play up the way and press the way they used to back in the day. But, JR, if you look at his peers, like Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, both of those guys, they're already in the Hall of Fame. Carmelo Anthony is no longer in the NBA. Darko Milicic was out of the NBA a decade and a half ago.

They have a guy from that draft class, 2003, that has literally been a head coach for three different franchises. And LeBron James is still one of the top ten guys in the world. And like when Michael played, you had Stockton the same age go the same amount of time. Carmelo played the same amount of time. There's no peer that has been around as long as LeBron James. And if the game were that easy, then all of his peers, at least the great ones who came out in the same draft class, would still be in the NBA.

And that's not the case. Not to mention the fact, when you want to talk about this guy's mental faculties and toughness, two different doctors told him, LeBron, you're near 20 based on the way we see your foot at this particular moment. You should not be playing on it anymore. You should call it a season. He has gone against the advice of multiple doctors just to be out there for a play-in game and drop one-third of his team's points already at halftime. We need to stop this LeBron James hate. It's nonsense and it needs to go once and for all. Well, we might as well get used to it forever.

There's always going to be folks who find something. If the Los Angeles Lakers are to lose tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves, you might as well get ready. We will be inundated with even more callers who say, well, why didn't LeBron James win? LeBron James couldn't beat the Timberwolves and the Timberwolves beat LeBron James. You know, when you sit at the top, there's always going to be criticism, unfortunately. And this is this is where LeBron James is.

People don't have an appreciation for what he's done, which is absolutely ridiculous. 8 5 5 2 1 2 4 CBS. Say 5 5 2 1 2 4 CBS. Carl is here from Mobile. You're on the JR Sport Reef show. What's up, Carl? Hey, thanks for taking my call.

I really want to just weigh in a bit. I had I was riding along with a co-worker as a female and she asked me, so what's so great about LeBron James? It was a couple of years ago and I told her the real thing that's great about LeBron James is he in his prime could guard five positions on the floor. If you could had a player and you were a coach, an NBA coach, and you had a player that could guard five positions, what would that do for you? Remember in the bubble chip when Jamal from what's his name from the Nuggets when the Lakers were playing him?

He was giving everybody trouble. And in that last game, LeBron said, I'll guard him and LeBron shut him down. Yeah, no, there's there's there's no doubt about it. And even outside of that element, he is one of the most complete basketball players that that anyone has ever seen. He is six foot nine. He is he's still a ridiculous athlete. You can't deny that.

And thank you, Carl, for calling for Mobile. I agree with you. That's that's one element that he was he was defending everybody when he was in his prime. You don't want him doing that so much. Now he can get in front of somebody, but he's not as as quick laterally.

I don't know if we'll ever see a chase down, but look, I wouldn't be shocked if we did. He's a freak. Has he slowed down? Does he play as many games as all the injuries catching up?

Yes. But this man is still one of the best players in the NBA. He can still go out there and put up a dominant performance. Is he going to do it consistently at the same rate as he used to?

No. But what he's doing and what he has done, you you can't deny. You can't eight five five two one two four CBS. I'm going to get some more your calls on the other side of the break. I do want to talk to you about someone who I wish I wish got a decent start off to his career.

Maybe you can still clean it up. It's Zion Williamson. He spoke to the media today and he addressed some of the criticisms that he's faced.

He has also talked about his ability to play basketball and whether or not he's currently facing a physical block or a mental one. We're going to hear from Zion on the other side of the break. It's the JR Sport Reshow on CBS Sports Radio. You are listening to the JR Sport Brief on CBS Sports Radio. You are listening to the JR Sport Brief on CBS Sports Radio.

You make ten, eleven months and I always appreciate you being poignant, intelligent and exactly. Call in now at eight five five two one two four CBS. It's the JR Sport Brief show here with you on CBS Sports Radio right now, about halfway through the third quarter, the Minnesota Timberwolves lead the Los Angeles Lakers 70 to 61. Whoever wins this game will be the number seven seed versus the Grizzlies, the loser. They're going to take on either Oklahoma City or even outside of Oklahoma City, the New Orleans Pelicans to determine who will win the eighth and final seed. So whoever loses tonight will still have an opportunity and a chance to get into the playoffs.

Speaking of those New Orleans Pelicans. Zion Williamson spoke today, and we learned for this man who just has had a hamstring injury out since January 2nd. Zion said that that he can play. He said that there are mental hurdles there, that he doesn't want to go out and play until he feels like himself. And I heard him say this earlier today and I kind of tweeted it out.

I said, that's that's probably a problem in and of itself. I don't want Zion to come back and feel like Zion. I want Zion to come back and and feel like a lighter version of Zion.

That's that's what I want. And so he answered and responded to some of the criticisms about him sitting out. Just misconceptions that people have of him. And ultimately, I just I don't want to say I think it's weak. But it is. Go out there and play basketball, man. What the hell are they paying you for? I understand if it's an injury concern. But are we at another Ben Simmons mental health here?

Well, what are you doing? The point of going out there is to play so you can get better. I know his conditioning is probably crap.

He hasn't played since January 2nd. Welcome to the new world. And I don't think this is a Ben Simmons thing. I just think this is weak. It's an all the way to put it. This is what Zion had to say about people who believe that he just wants to sit out games.

Take a listen. I love this game. I say it over and over for those people that think that I just want to sit on the sideline just to sit over there.

I don't know why people think that, but I know it sucks. I just I want to be playing basketball for. He's the same guy. He said that he wants to play like himself.

He doesn't want to play unless he feels like it, that he's fine physically. It's just a mental block. So come on. People got mental blocks and it's such a slippery slope. You have to be cognizant of people who who deal with mental health issues, which I completely understand. But when you when you have comments, you're a basketball player. And that doesn't absolve him from from being a human being and having feelings. They're paying you money, man.

He continued on. Can't worry about what people think about. It's tough.

I can't lie is it's tough. From my perspective, I just want to play basketball. I want to hoop.

I want to do play the game I love. But the reality of it is that I check my phone. I'm just watching TV.

I'm out of what it is. I can't really escape, you know, with the with the world thinks with people, people's opinions are so nice. It's frustrating.

Zion continued on. I can pretty much do everything. It's just a matter of the level that I was playing at before my hamstring. I don't want to go out there and be in my own head and affect the team when I could just be on the sideline supporting them more.

Wow. Says that there's still times where he feels a hesitation when he makes certain moves. OK, I get that. Your hamstring. Well, why is that? Is it because of your conditioning? Probably. Your lack of playing time, your injury history? Yeah, probably.

And so, yeah, you don't have to worry about what everybody says about you, but you can improve yourself. As Zion is getting eaten alive, it's unfortunate and sorry for the phrase eaten alive, but he is. But he's the one who can change it. Eight five five two one two four CBS. George is calling from Miami. You're on the J.R. sport show. What's up, George? Hey, what's up, J.R.? How's it going? Very well, man. What's on your mind?

Yeah, I spoke to you last night and I'm calling to do something probably a lot of people don't do. But H.M. Crow. I told you how Miami and and Jimmy was going to take care of things and show the heat from last year. And obviously that didn't happen.

Well, they have another opportunity on Friday against either we don't know yet, Chicago or Toronto. So we just have to wait and see. Exactly. But I just wanted a quick comment on what you're talking about, Zion. Yeah, I don't get that. I don't I don't get in paid the kind of money that man get paid and and taking that that type of attitude. Well, that said, that said, coming back to the heat, I haven't given up. But I was very disappointed with the lack of energy, the lack of focus.

I'm just just very disappointed tonight. Well, it's understandable. I think one thing and I think I mentioned this to you specifically, maybe if not, it goes for anybody. One thing that you can never change. You can change your approach. You can change your strategy. You can change your effort.

You could change your study. One thing that does not go anywhere. That you can't just wake up and have different is the talent. And that's probably the most pointed thing for the Miami Heat.

Just like anything like there comes a point where you just got nothing. Burt is calling from Baltimore. You're on CBS Sports Radio. Good evening. How are you? I'm very well.

What's on your mind, Burt? Oh, let me give you back history. I'm from Baltimore. Really? I've been a wizard's friend since they were the bullets.

I've been a capitalist fancy that didn't exist. Baltimore doesn't have an NBA team any longer or NHL team. You never have. Yeah, but I'm kind of really concerned about the state of both franchises.

I just wanted to get your opinion on on what they should be moving forward. I don't think the level I've done a good job has done a good job of the capitals. And I'm not a big Tommy Sheppard fan. I don't put it all one. I was until junior. I put it out of this when the general manager both this one and the one previously this one. Well, I can't tell you so much about the Washington Capitals outside of I don't like Ovechkin. I wish he never.

I hope he doesn't break any any more records. But that's besides the point. And then when it comes down to the Wizards, the Wizards are just they're screwed, man. They're cooked. They have Bradley Beal who's overpaid and he's paid like a difference making superstar, which he is not. You have Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma who are going to be operating on player option deals. And the Wizards are just treading water. I wish I could tell you that I can blame Ted Leonsis for owning both of these teams.

He spends his money into media and a lot of other things. But this is I wouldn't feel too optimistic on either side. Bird, I think you're used to this. Hey, you're Orioles fan too, though, right? I am and I'm way more optimistic about them. You you got something to have some faith in. Hey, thank you, Bird.

Appreciate you. No doubt. And speaking of Bradley Beal, Bradley Beal spoke to the media. I know you've you probably heard this. He's being investigated for slapping towards a fan, slapping the hat towards a fan who wanted to curse him out after a game where Beal performed poorly. Fan yelled at Bradley.

Hey, you cost me thirteen hundred dollars. And a Bradley Beal said a few things. He's not happy with the state of things in Washington, but he understands why everybody's frustrated.

And he continued on to say, hey, I gamble too. Don't get mad at the players. Be pissed at yourself. Listen to Bradley Beal.

And a little bit more developing, ongoing nastiness in the last few years with the sports gambling stuff. I mean, granted, I understand. I go to casinos. You know, I gamble. I understand that. But I also understand it's a 99 percent chance I'm going to lose all this.

I'm not sitting here about to get angry at the dealer, angry at everybody else. But, you know, I get it. I get the sports world like everybody. You know, you want to win.

Nobody wants to lose money. I get it. You know, if you keep it about sports, I'm all for it. But I think it's when people start getting personal, talking about your family, talking about your character, your integrity towards the game, you know, I think all of that, you know, we can save it. You know, we can really keep those comments to ourselves. But if you want to talk about our game and that's something at night, that's cool. I mean, that's that's part of being a fan. But all the other extras can. I think that's what unnecessary.

More than unnecessary. And we'll see if anything comes out of that that Bradley Beal incident. It's not the first.

It's not the last. It's the same damn thing. Kyrie Irving said, and one of the few things I agree with Kyrie on. It's like, hey, if you're going to make a bet for on me or for me to do anything in a game. You stupid.

Don't get mad at me if it doesn't work. You're the dummy. And I don't know, maybe maybe professional sports needs to put out a PSA. Maybe all of these companies, the draft kings and fan duels of the world need to do a better job saying, if you bet and you lose, don't blame the players.

Blame your own dumb ass. It's the JR Sport Brief Show here with you on CBS Sports Radio. Speaking of money, if you want to watch the NFL via Sunday ticket this season next season, you're going to pay a whole lot of money. We're going to talk about this. Don't move here on CBS Sports Radio.

Please listen and follow This Little Light, a presentation of Cadence 13 on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. This podcast is brought to you by the Showtime original series Yellow Jackets. For those of us who didn't peak in high school, those teenage years were pretty angsty, but nobody had it worse than the whiskey high Yellow Jackets girls soccer team of 1996. Yellow Jackets, the Emmy nominated phenomenon that has us all asking what really happened out there and what wouldn't you do to stay alive is back for its much anticipated second season. The team survived a plane crash and a summer stranded in the woods. But winter bites and those girls are hungry.

Plus, there might be a dark force in the wilderness compelling them to do some unsavory things. TBD. Meanwhile, 25 years later, the surviving adult Yellow Jackets are grappling with their past while getting caught up in kidnappings, cults, murders and parenting moody teenagers. Melanie Linsky and Tawny Cypress star with Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis. The Internet is obsessed and Rotten Tomatoes declared it 100% fresh. So if you haven't watched Yellow Jackets, it's time.

New episodes streaming now only on Showtime and now stream Showtime on Paramount Plus. Surgeons keep our hearts beating. They do the amazing, help save lives and so can you. Your CSL plasma donation can help create 24 critical life-saving medicines that can give grandpa the chance for his heart to swell when he meets his new grandson or give a bride the chance for her heart to skip a beat on her wedding day. Every plasma donation helps more than you know. Do the amazing, help save lives. Donate today at your local CSL plasma center and be rewarded for your generosity.