Bronny James, the son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, suffered cardiac arrest after collapsing during an informal workout at USC on Monday.
James, who was in intensive care, is in stable condition, according to a statement from his family.
After starring at Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles, the 6-3 James was a highly coveted recruit. The 18-year-old picked USC and will attend the school in the fall.
Here’s a statement from the James’ family via Shams Charania:
Unfortunately, athletes have had issues with cardiac arrest. In January, Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest after making a tackle against the Bengals. The 25-year-old Hamlin has made a full recovery and has been cleared to return to the field.
In 1990, Loyola Marymount star basketball player Hank Gathers died after suffering cardiac arrest in a game. Gathers was 23.
Fortunately, for all parties involved, James condition is stable. This is scary situation on many fronts; hopefully, James can make a full recovery.
With just over seven minutes left in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers(29-32) on Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks(32-30) took their largest lead of 27 points and were in complete control.
However, the Lakers closed the half strong and cut the lead to 61-47 at the break. Los Angeles would outscore the Mavs 64-47 in the second half and defeat Dallas 111-108 at American Airlines Center.
This season, teams were 0-138 when trailing by 27-plus points, but that changed with the Lakers’ win on Sunday.
Kyrie Irving, who had 21 points, a career-high-tying 11 rebounds, and five assists, says no 20-point lead in the NBA is safe.
“It’s a tale of two halves,” he said. “I think tonight showed it. First half, we were playing incredible, other than the last three minutes of the first half, where I think we came in up 14. We were up 25 or 23 … I’ve been quoted saying this, ‘There is no 20-point lead that is safe in this league anymore,’ just because of pace and style of the game. But for us, I think we showed some great poise in the third quarter. But in that fourth quarter, I have to do a better job of just getting us into some initiated offensive sets and just be aggressive and not kind of force my way into the lane.”
Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said Dallas lost its rhythm and got too caught up with the officials.
“We lost our rhythm in the sense of just playing our game and not worrying about the other elements,” he said. “Our rhythm there in the first two-and-a-half [quarters], we were playing at a high level on both ends offensively and defensively. Then, we just got a little distracted with the whistle. We’ve just got to be better with that.”
Luka Doncic, who had 26 points, nine rebounds, and five assists on Sunday, agreed with Kidd about the team getting distracted by the officials.
“It’s probably true,” he said.
Kidd knows what it takes to win an NBA title; he did it as a player and an assistant. According to Kidd, if the Mavs want to win a championship, he believes the team has to grow up.
“We’ve got to grow up, if we want to win a championship,” Kidd said. “There’s no young team that’s ever won a championship, mentally or physically.”
Dallas was down three with 15 seconds left, and an inbound pass from Irving to Doncic was thrown toward the backcourt, but not knowing the ball could be thrown in the backcourt, Doncic tried to keep the ball in the frontcourt, which caused a turnover. Anthony Davis secured the loose ball for the Lakers, and Dallas was forced to foul.
“I thought Luka needed a little bit more room, so I threw it towards the backcourt because I thought Jarred Vanderbilt did a great job denying him,” Irving said of the play. “I thought he was just going to let it bounce twice and then go grab it, but once I saw him try to save it from halfcourt, I looked at him maybe like a minute later and was like, ‘You know you can go backcourt,’ and he was like, ‘Ah, man. That’s my fault.’”
Doncic added: “That was my bad. I totally forgot you can go backcourt. That was my mistake. That is why I tried to save it.”
Dallas, who has lost four of their last five games, has to execute better late in games, and thus far, Doncic and Irving have struggled together in that area. Fortunately, with 20 games left in the regular season, they have time to fix it.
“I’m glad it’s happening during the season and not during the playoffs,” Kidd said. “When you have those two guys [Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving] out there, it’s about the details. We’ve got to do a better job with the details.”
It happened! LeBron James has always been “The King,” and he officially became the king of scoring in the NBA on Tuesday. Late in the third, James sank a 14-foot fadeaway shot to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the NBA.
James, who has amassed 38.390 career-points, finished with 38 points, but the Lakers would fall to the Thunder 133-130 at Crypto.com Arena. After surpassing Kareem, James was emotional and was joined on the court by Abdul-Jabbar, Adam Silver, and members of his family.
There was a short ceremony where Abdul-Jabbar gave a ball to James, and the 19-time All-Star gave a short speech.
Recently, the NBA compiled some scoring milestones from James’ 20-year career.
Here is a few of them:
10,000:
-He became the youngest player to reach 10,000 career points (23 years and 59 days), achieving the milestone with Cleveland in a game against the Boston Celtics.
15,000:
-James became the youngest player to reach 15,000 career points (25 years and 79 days), achieving the milestone with Cleveland in a game against the Chicago Bulls.
20,000:
James became the youngest player to reach 20,000 career points (28 years and 17 days), achieving the milestone with Miami in a game against the Golden State Warriors.
25,000:
The four-time All-Star became the youngest player to reach 25,000 career points (30 years and 307 days), achieving the milestone with Cleveland in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
30,000:
James became the youngest player and seventh overall to reach 30,000 career points (33 years and 24 days), achieving the milestone with Cleveland in a game against San Antonio.
35,000:
James became the third player (along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone) to score 35,000 career points, reaching the milestone with the Lakers in a game against the Brooklyn Nets.
LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo were named captains in the 2023 All-Star Game at Vivint Arena in Utah, the league announced Thursday.
In the East, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Donovan Mitchell were named starters, while in the West, James will be joined by Nikola Jokic, Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic, and Stephen Curry in the starting lineup.
James(7,418,116), who made his NBA-record-tying 19th All-Star appearance, was the leading vote-getter overall, and Antetokounmpo(6,761,032) was the leading vote-getter in the East.
Fans, current NBA players, and a media panel selected starters for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. Fans accounted for 50 percent of the vote to determine the starters, while players and media accounted for 25 percent each.
Each player’s score was calculated by averaging his weighted rank from the fan votes, the player votes and the media votes. The two guards and three frontcourt players with the best score in each conference were named NBA All-Star Game starters.
The All-Star reserves will be named on February 2, and the NBA All-Star game will take place on February 19. On that night, James and Antetokounmpo will select their teammates.
Notes:
-At 23, Doncic joins Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Isiah Thomas, and Anthony Davis as the only players to earn four All-Star nods before their 24th birthday.
-This is Mitchell’s fourth NBA All-Star selection and his first time being selected as a starter.
-Williamson, who is also an All-Star starter for the first time his career, becomes the fourth New Orleans player to be voted a starter, joining Chris Paul (twice), Anthony Davis (x3), and DeMarcus Cousins.
Christmas Day basketball could have started better for the Dallas Mavericks(18-16) against the visiting Lakers(13-20). In fact, the Lakers led by as many as 14 points in the first half and took a 54-43 lead at halftime.
However, in the third quarter, the Mavs woke up. They scored 51 points in the quarter on 72% shooting, including 61% from deep. The 51 points are tied for the most in a quarter in franchise history and are also the most in a quarter by any team on Christmas Day ever.
Ultimately, the Mavs would defeat the Lakers 124-115 at American Airlines Center.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 16 of his 26 points (6-14 3FG) in the third quarter; he felt Dallas was a little nervous early but got comfortable in the third.
“I think we had to get the jitters out of us for a little bit,” he said. “It was some guys’ first time ever playing on Christmas Day. Just being able to appreciate the opportunity for the most part and being able to go out there and get the nerves and the butterflies out of your system. I think that’s what happened, and [we] came out in the second half more aggressive, pushing the pace instead of walking the ball up the floor, and getting the ball moving, and knocking down our shots.”
Luka Doncic, who scored 13 of his franchise-record 32 points in a Christmas Day game, to go along with nine rebounds, and nine assists, battled double teams all game long, says the team played with pace in the third.
“I would say the 51 points we scored,” Doncic said. “I think was a franchise record in a quarter. I think we just played with pace, played with smiles on our faces, and kept going since I was being doubled every possession in this game. We just had to play out of that because it was the right play, and that’s what we did.”
In his Christmas Day debut, Christian Wood scored nine of his 30 points in the third. He also added eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and two blocks. Wood felt honored to star on Christmas Day.
“It’s amazing. It’s a blessing,” he said. “I used to be that kid sitting at home watching Kobe [Bryant], watching LeBron [James]. That D-Wade, LeBron pass. Just to be playing against him on Christmas Day, specifically, is a blessing. It’s an honor, so I was happy and ready to go tonight.”
Dallas has now won three straight and has an opportunity to string together some wins as the Knicks and Rockets come to town, and they go on the road for two more against the Spurs and Rockets.
We’ll see if the Mavs can make a push.
Notes:
Before the game, Dirk Nowitzki’s statue was unveiled. Nowitzki played an NBA record 21 seasons with Mavs and helped lead Dallas to the franchise’s only championship in 2011. After the game, Doncic talked about Dirk’s statue.
“Oh, it was brilliant,” he said. “I’m just really happy for him. He deserves all the things that are happening to him, and it was amazing. The statue looks amazing, and he deserves it.”
The Lakers were led by LeBron James, who scored a game-high 38 points (13-23 FG) to go with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Today was his 17th career Christmas Day game, passing Kobe Bryant for the most games played on the holiday.
Former NBA player and coach Paul Silas has died, his family announced Sunday.
He was 79.
As a player, Silas, who played 16 seasons in the NBA, won three NBA titles(two with the Celtics, one with the Sonics) and was a two-time All-Star.
During his playing career, Silas spent time with the Hawks, Suns, Celtics, Nuggets, and Sonics.
As a head coach, he started with the Clippers(1980-83) before waiting 16 years to become a head coach again, this time with the Charlotte Hornets(1999-2003). After Charlotte, he became the head coach in Cleveland(2003-05) and was LeBron James’ first coach. He would return to Charlotte to coach the team in 2010 and be there until 2012.
In total, Silas spent 12 seasons as an NBA head coach
Currently, Silas’ son, Stephen, is the head coach of the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets released this statement on the passing of Silas: “The Fertitta Family and the Rockets organization are deeply saddened by the passing of Paul Silas, father of Rockets head coach Stephen Silas. Our heartfelt thoughts are with Stephen and his family during this difficult time.”
The Cavs released the following statement on the death of Silas: “Paul Silas served as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003-05,” the Cavs wrote in a statement on S. “His engaging presence and huge personality inspired legions of NBA players and coaches. We send our deepest condolences to the Silas family and everyone that loved him. Rest in power Coach!”
The Suns released a statement on the death of Silas: “The Phoenix Suns are saddened by the passing of Paul Silas, a beloved basketball figure and former player and assistant coach with the team,” the team said in a statement. “The first Suns center to be named an NBA All-Star and the first All-Defensive selection in franchise history, Paul still holds the Suns’ record for rebounds in a single season. Respected by all those who encountered him throughout the NBA, we are grateful for his contributions to the game across a lifetime in basketball. Our condolences go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.”
It would not have been pretty if the Philadelphia 76ers(13-12) lost to the Lakers(10-15) on Friday night. Philadelphia led by as many as 18 points in the fourth; they had a 16-point lead with just under five minutes to go, and the Sixers led by nine points with 34.8 seconds left in regulation.
Then, it got crazy. Philadelphia turned the ball over three times in the final 30 seconds of the game. Ultimately, the Lakers had an opportunity to win it in regulation, but Anthony Davis missed one of two free throws, and the game would go into overtime.
In OT, James Harden would score nine of his 28 points to go along with 12 assists, and Philly would outscore the Lakers 13-2 to win 133-122 at Wells Fargo Center.
“We will take the win, and one thing that I will say is that usually when you give up a lead like that, to gather yourself and play well in overtime is rare,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. “I told our guys that we were very proud of that. Just the mistakes we made down the stretch, very similar to the Houston game; we have to fix that.”
Joel Embiid added: “We were just trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Honestly, I think we had a bunch of turnovers, and we should have never been in that position. I’m glad we had another opportunity, and it went to overtime, and we closed it out.”
The first quarter was all about Embiid, who scored 20 of his 38 points in the first quarter. According to Embiid, he wanted to set the tone for the team.
“I tried to send a message to my teammates,” he said. “I often hear a lot about how I’m actually due to be the best offensive player, the best defensive player, playmaking, leadership; it’s a lot to deal with, but you know I like the challenge.”
The third quarter was all about D’Anthony Melton. He scored 16 of his 33 points in the third quarter. In addition, according to Stathead, Melton is the first 76er in franchise history to post 30-plus points, eight-plus three-pointers, and seven-plus steals in a game. He joins Michael Adams as the only NBA players ever to do so in league history.
“On offense, my teammates were just finding me,” Melton said. “They kept leaving me open, so I just kept shooting it and shooting it with confidence. We got so many guys that draw attention that it opens up space for other players. Tonight, was my night and my teammates kept finding me, and I kept finding the open spot. “
In the future, Philly has to be stronger with the ball. They ended the game with 23 turnovers, and those turnovers almost cost them in the end. Philly’s seven-game homestand, which could help the team string together some wins, continues on Sunday against the Hornets.
On Tuesday night, the Cavs(16-9) began a three-game homestand as they welcomed LeBron James and the Lakers(10-13). Cleveland got a little fortunate as Anthony Davis, who had been on a tear, left the game in the first half with the flu and did not return.
Fortunately for Cleveland, they got Jarrett Allen back, and ultimately, they would defeat the Lakers 116-102 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to sweep the season series.
With the loss, the Lakers three-game winning was snapped, while the Cavs have won three of their last four.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Lakers.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell had a season-high 43 points(17-27 FG) to go along with five rebounds, six assists, and four steals. According to StatMuse, Mitchell became the first Cavalier to have a 40/5/5/4 game since, guess who, LeBron James.
Fourth Quarter: With the game tied at 92, the Cavs took over. They went on a 21-6 run to take their largest lead of the game at 113-98. When the Cavs needed him the most, Mitchell came up big, with 17 points in the fourth.
Jarrett Allen, who returned after missing five games with a lower back injury, scored 22 of his season-high tying 24 points in the first half and grabbed 11 boards. This is a different team when Allen is on the court, and it showed against the Lakers.
Darius Garland had a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists. This was Garland’s sixth double-double of the season.
Points in the Paint: The Cavs stayed in the Lakers’ paint. They scored 70 of their 116 points in the paint.
Not So Great:
All good for the Cavs
Bottom Line:
The Cavs swept LeBron and the Lakers this season. The Cavs win their seventh straight at home and move to 11-1 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Last season, LeBron came into Cleveland, had a triple-double, and dominated the fourth quarter, this season, the Cavs have Donovan Mitchell, and he was not going to let that happen.
Mitchell was the one who controlled the fourth.
What’s Next:
Cleveland continues their three-game homestand on Friday night against the Sacramento Kings.
Best of the Rest:
LeBron James led the Lakers with 21 points and a season-high 17 rebounds; Thomas Bryant had season-highs of 19 points and nine rebounds.
James falls to 17-3 against the Cavs in his career.
In two games against the Lakers this season, Mitchell has averaged 38 points.
Junkyard Dog:
Donovan Mitchell got the “Junkyard Dog” award for his dominating performance against the Lakers.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been selected to the 2021-22 All-NBA First Team, the league announced Tuesday.
The All-NBA Second Team consists of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, and Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan.
The 2021-22 All-NBA Third Team is composed of Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James , Suns guard Chris Paul , Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.
Antetokounmpo was the only player to receive All-NBA First Team votes on all 100 ballots (500 total points), earning his fourth consecutive selection to the First Team and sixth All-NBA Team honor overall (First Team, Second Team and Third Team). This is the third All-NBA First Team selection each for Doncic and Jokic, the 2021-22 NBA Most Valuable Player. Booker is making his debut on the All-NBA Team, and Tatum joins Booker as a first-time selection to the All-NBA First Team.
With the selection of Antetokounmpo (27 years old), Doncic (23), Jokic (27), Booker (25) and Tatum (24), the All-NBA First Team is made up entirely of players age 27 or younger for the first time in 67 years (1954-55 season).
Embiid, the 2021-22 NBA scoring champion, has been named to the All-NBA Second Team for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Morant, the 2021-22 NBA Most Improved Player, is an All-NBA Team honoree for the first time. This is the 10th All-NBA Team selection for Durant, the eighth for Curry and the third for DeRozan.
This is the second All-NBA Team honor for both Towns and Siakam and the first for Young. James has extended his NBA record for most All-NBA Team selections to 18. Paul has been voted to the All-NBA Team for the 11th time, the second-most selections among active players behind James.
NBA legend and NBA on TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal brought his larger-than-life personality to the latest episode of “The Pivot Podcast” as he opened up for the first time about two regrets in his life: his divorce and not sufficiently reaching out to Kobe Bryant before his tragic death. Those topics and much more are examined in the new episode available now on the show’s YouTube channel.
After O’Neal praised the show for its ability to bring out new sides of its guests, O’Neal begins the episode by telling podcast co-hosts and former NFL stars Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor about how he tailors his life based on the same disciplined principles he was raised with by his stepfather Phillip Harrison.
“I was a high-level juvenile delinquent,” said O’Neal. “My dad’s only mission was to teach me to be a leader, not a follower. I started playing basketball because I watched the movie ‘The Fish Who Saved Pittsburgh’ and I loved Julius Erving in it. My dad saw that I wasn’t doing well in school, so he said, ‘if you do better in school, I’ll take you to see Dr. J.’ So we’re at Madison Square Garden, and Dr. J went up and dunked and the crowd went crazy. It was like the basketball gods entered me right then. I knew that was what I wanted to do.”
O’Neal also makes sure to praise his mother Lucille throughout the episode, using her hard work while raising them as motivation and her happiness as his measuring stick for success.
“My definition of being rich is seeing a beautiful black woman, Dr. Lucille O’Neal, wake up, cook a hell of a breakfast, make sure we were fresh, take us to and pick us up from school, and make a hell of a dinner,” said O’Neal. “We would go buy a nice house and I could see in her eyes, that’s what she wanted. So my definition of being rich is being able to buy my mama whatever she wants…She’s the woman who sacrificed everything for me when we didn’t have nothing. Being able to get her whatever she wants, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
The conversation stays on family, giving O’Neal a chance to open up for the first time about his 2011 divorce from his ex-wife Shaunie, including the blame that he shoulders for the situation and how he eventually was able to motivate himself to move forward with his life.
“I never talked about this and I’m glad you guys asked, but I was bad,” explained O’Neal. “She was awesome and I was really bad. I wasn’t protecting her and I wasn’t protecting those vows. She did exactly what she was supposed to do.
“The best feeling was coming home and hearing five or six different voices. I was just being greedy. I had the perfect situation. Wife was finer than a mug. I had it all. I don’t make excuses. I know I messed up. I was lost. In a 76,000 square foot house by myself. Lost…I said to myself, you’re not married, but you still need to provide for this family. Get your ass up and man up. What are you going to do next?”
O’Neal was able to find that next step through his many ventures outside of basketball, including numerous investments that take up his time outside of his TNT duties. For O’Neal, he took a similar motivation from the basketball world into those business ventures.
“I like proving people wrong,” said O’Neal. “I like doing good business. I like meeting outstanding people and I just try to navigate positively in the world. I realized that if you started winning, you could walk into any restaurant and eat for free and do anything you want.”
Naturally, the discussion turns to basketball and specifically his early career with Penny Hardaway and the Orlando Magic. O’Neal initially tells a story of how he pushed Magic management to draft Hardaway, before explaining how the Hardaway situation turned into one of his few regrets.
“Penny and I were two young superstars who let other people get into our heads,” said O’Neal. “I was thinking we were the next Magic and Kareem. The problems started happening when people started say ‘who’s shit this was?’ Instead of being about the team…So when I got the Lakers contract, my agent told me Orlando wasn’t going to match, so I signed right there.
“I think if I slash we, didn’t have those egos, we could have worked that out. Because Penny was Kobe before Kobe. That’s something I always think about, because I could have stayed there, ended up there long term and owned a piece of the team.”
After O’Neal moved on to the Los Angeles Lakers, he endured a higher profile, more obligations and pressure. He tells the hosts about the unlikely source that helped him learn how to tune out the criticism that came with his high-profile position.
“When I was losing in L.A., I would get all of the flack and it made me go crazy,” said O’Neal. “The team had me meet with a nuclear physicist, his name was Burt, and he made me watch the movie ‘The Fan.’ The whole thing in that movie is that Wesley Snipes’ character just doesn’t care. So, Burt asked me why I cared so much what other people wrote and said? Once I stopped caring, I took off.
“He told me that I should have one hand stress. I only care about what my mama says, what my kids think, if it’s going to mess up the money and what my boys think,” continued O’Neal, while counting fingers. “If the nobody can influence the somebody, then the nobody wins.”
In discussing his time in Los Angeles, the group pushes O’Neal into talking about his time with Bryant, and how their rocky relationship was maintained enough for them to win three championships before O’Neal’s Lakers career ended in 2004.
“We’ll always go down as the most enigmatic, most dominant and controversial one-two punch, big and little, ever,” said O’Neal. “Let’s talk about it in street terms. I had the block for a long time, but there’s another kid with the potential to run the block and he wants your block. He always kept me on my toes. If he got 25 points, I have to get 40.
“Our relationship was perfect and not perfect. It was perfect because we made each other play at a certain level and we were able to win three titles. Did we get along all the time on the court? No, but that’s how it is in sports…As a leader, you either focus on the task or the relationship. As a leader, I focused on the task.”
That task led to those three-straight championships and legendary status as a team and as a duo. Despite the accomplishments that many predict they would have achieved had they stayed together longer, O’Neal claims that he wouldn’t have changed anything he did during their careers.
“People thought it was worse than it was, but it was just two brothers with differences of opinion. I always tell people, watch after we won that first championship. When I have my arms raised, who’s the first person that jumps into my arms? If we hated each other, how’d we have that moment? The thing that kept us going was the respect.”
For O’Neal, the regrets regarding his relationship with Bryant stem from after their playing careers. Never fully squashing the beef between the two legends is something that still haunts O’Neal to this day, exacerbated by Bryant’s untimely passing coming just days after his sister passed away.
“I wish we could have communicated more, because I still have sleepless nights,” said O’Neal. “I was hit with a double whammy, because my sister passed away first, right before Kobe. I’m quick to say, I have to go do this podcast, I’ll call him later, and then never do it.
“I called my guy at the sheriff office, he confirmed it, and I started crying. I’m like goddamnit, I didn’t even holler at him. We did the sit down that everyone was waiting for, and that’s the last time we talked. I didn’t get the number, I didn’t call him, I didn’t text him, and that still haunts me. All the shit we went through, we could have shook hands and put it aside…I think about it all of the time, I have pictures of him in my house that I see and…I just can’t sleep.”
As one of the most famous Lakers of all-time, O’Neal is also asked about the recent struggles of the team, who missed the playoffs this past season. Despite sporting superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, O’Neal believes there is much work that needs to be done to return the team to the Shaq and Kobe Lakers era glory.
“The only knock on LeBron is that they don’t fear him anymore,” said O’Neal. “He’s older, so these young guys like a Ja Morant, they don’t fear him. Then you have a guy like Davis, who’s supposed to be carrying them, and he’s in street clothes. You have to look at the people at the top. I really think they need to get some younger guys in there around LeBron.”
After some more conversation on the current state of the game, the podcast hosts ask a similar question to what they pose to all of their guests. Clark asks what O’Neal has learned from a defining moment or “pivot” in his life, ending the episode on another poignant note that goes beyond surface level with one of sports’ biggest stars, as O’Neal once again gives his mother props for being his guiding light morally.
“You just have to realize that just because things you do make you seem perfect, you’re not perfect,” said O’Neal. “That was a big mistake in my relationship with Penny, big mistake in my relationship with Kobe and a horrible mistake in both marriages. Other than that, I don’t really dwell on a lot…I’m glad that I’ve lived my life and I’ve done it my way.
“I’ll know that I’ve made a mistake when I get the call from the woman of my dreams, Dr. Lucille O’Neal. Then I’ll correct it. If she calls me and says ‘baby, don’t do that,’ I’ll correct it. But if I don’t get that call, it doesn’t matter to me.”
