Stephen A. GOES SCORCHED EARTH on complaints against NBA’s 65-game policy 🔥 | First Take

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and Molly Qerim talk through the hottest topics in the NBA.
0:00 Tyrese Haliburton’s comments about the NBA’s 65-game policy
0:30 Stephen A.’s fiesta response!
7:00 Stephen A.’s STILL GOING!
10:00 NBA should consider lessening the amount of games?
12:40 Mad Dog’s response!
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Pacer star point guard Tyrese halber and returned from injury after missing 10 of his 11 last games he had this to say to the athletic on the NBA 65 game policy quote I think it’s a stupid rule like plenty of the guys in the league but

This is what the owners want so as players we got to do our job playing 65 games if we’re able to so that’s what I got to do take care of my body to be able to play in those games and I think you’re seeing other players in the

League kind of face the same thing as long as the owners are are happy you want to you want to you want to start here you start you’ve been feisty on go ahead Tyrese halberton is somebody I voted as an Allstar uh this year uh starter in the All-Star game I

Think he’s been Sensational uh you know in terms of the points per game leading the league and assists patrolling the number one offense we get all of that uh but respectfully he’s wrong and I want to make sure that I say this to America

Out here you want to look at the NBA and these rules that inhibits or derail somebody from capturing some of these League lead League Awards MVP and all of this other stuff and how it’s going to cost you money because if Tyrese halberton misses a few more games he’s

Not eligible to make a first team all NBA or anything like that and It ultimately end up costing him about $40 million because his new max deal kicks in next season okay well blame some of your contemporaries because it’s their fault it’s not the League’s fault what

Do you you supposed to do you’re the National Basketball Association and you have watched and I’m going to say it I’m going to call out I’m not calling out every NBA player that I’m not talking about anybody who’s had legitimate injuries I’m talking about the fact that

We’re living in a day and age where you see people sitting out games to prevent injuries they’re not injured they’re preventing themselves from getting injured by sitting out games they’re perfectly fine to go to an arena and play they show up to the arena they’re dressed 189 19,000 people are in the

Arena and you elect I’m not talking about when a team forces you to I’m not talking about cuz those scenarios happen but you elect to sit out oh you’re not feeling 100% you’re not necessarily ready to go etc etc let me throw this by you dog because I have my research and

Do some history here Michael Jordan played in at least 78 games a season in 12 of his 15 Seasons nine times he played all 82 games John Stockton 16 times all 82 games car Malone 10 times all 82 games Michael Jordan Gary Payton nine times all 82 games Scotti pipp and

Dennis robman five times Kobe Bryant four times now let’s go to load Management in this load management era and I understand that kawh Leonard has had some injuries kawh Leonard has only played in at least 65 games in three of his 12 seasons in three of his 12

Seasons oh by the way doggy through this SE season he will have earned $276.5 million I’m diing folks out right now we got Paul George we know those are legitimate injuries with him cuz we’ve seen those injuries take place it wasn’t like kawh L dropping 38-1 game against

Phoenix and then the next day he ain’t ready to go for some inexplicable reason when he walked off the court looking perfectly fine Kevin Durant we know Kevin Durant loves the game of basketball not throwing any shade at him but just throwing out these numbers here

Played in at least 65 games in 10 of his first 12 Seasons through to 2018 2019 season hasn’t played in more than 55 games in a season since 2019 he will have earned 3967 million through this season okay I got Kyrie Irving can’t forget him okay has only

Played in at least 65 games in four of his 12 seasons in a National Basketball Association we’re bragging about Anthony Davis they’re 0 and three with Anthony Davis this year out of the lineup he’s only missed three games congratulations here’s the problem you were averaging 28 missed games over the last four years

Okay and Anthony Davis he’s only topped 60 games in a season Once in the last five years he will have earned $266.25 games in four of his first Seven Seasons through 2018 2019 including a pair of 882 game Seasons but hasn’t played in more than 60 games in a season since

2019 okay and this number is at $ 267.9 million we hear people like Draymond Green and others talking about New Media New Media New Media well guess what you got to steal remnants from old media in terms of telling the facts and when it comes to talking about the facts

You have an abundance of players not most not all but too many players who are marquee who are the Billboards who are the star attractions that literally choose at their discretion to sit out games we saw the other day last year remember I went ballistic because Steve Kerr the coach of the

Golden State Warriors decides to sit out four the five starters including the Splash Brothers how do you do that to an audience you couldn’t you couldn’t sparse it out you couldn’t you couldn’t take give two guys a game off here two guys a game off there no regard for the

Audience whatsoever we got nationally televised games popping up and guys are choosing at their own valtion I’m not playing this game I’m not going to sit out this game so you know what they came up with a strategy that’s going to compel you to play in those games to

Ensure that you earn your damn money because the people who built this league for you that’s what they did Michael Jordan couldn’t have set out games Michael Jordan could said Patrick Yan couldn’t have set out games all of these people that’s played in the NBA the Kareem the wils everybody that helped

Build this game they couldn’t set out these games but they did you know they didn’t do it why didn’t they do it because it wasn’t just about them it was about the league and really propping up the league and making sure you live up to a standard that was set before you

They did it for the future generation of players and and and some of these players not most not all but some of them have basically gave the proverbial finger to the league to the media to the public and the NBA said damn that you getting paid this money generational

Money generational money Michael Jordan averaged four million in salary a year he made his big time money from Nike he averaged $4 million so when you look at guys you signing for2 200 250 jayen Brown just signed for 305 million you know that means Tatum’s going to get 350 million

Okay Lord knows what Giannis is going to get or anybody else you’re talking about generational money future generations for crying out loud and all they’re asking in return is that you show up to work you show up to work show up to work more at least 65 games that they giv you

A 17 game window where you can miss I feel sorry for Hal Burton because that’s legitimately injured I really really do I understand that and Anthony Davis major props to him but you know what they’re saying about Anthony Davis right they’re saying wow he really worked hard

In the off season y’all he took care of his body he’s really looking good and that’s why his durability is up this year so does that mean that’s what you were not doing all of these years leading into this season what the hell have you been doing when you’ve been

Collecting this money I’m not I don’t know the answer to that question I’m just going by the narrative that has been created somebody got to say it the fact is you’ve got folks talking about New Media they got their podcast they’ve got they got their game they’ve got

Their businesses on the side and stuff like that I’m not talking about somebody like Russell Westbrook cuz that brother want to play all day every day I know Kevin Durant is injured because when Kevin Durant ain’t that brother want to play all the time every time but I’m

Just saying you have too many people that set the standard and they’ve sullied the product so much so that the NBA said enough of this plus you got a new contract coming up down the coming down the pike with these networks you got to put something in place that

Ensures these players are going to play and you know the last point that I want to make that proves my point even more we saw how people were playing during the inseason tournament when it was a mere $500,000 per play on the table okay how they look sense how the Lakers look

They’ve been terrible in the NC tournament how they look since then you know the Lakers are 10 games under 500 on the road 10 games under 5ow I mean really how can LeBron be 10 under 500 under 500 I’m looking at all of this and it is clear certain games are prioritized

Certain games are not it is a disservice and a betrayal to the individuals the Pioneers who set the stage for them and it ain’t just the players it’s the media Brian Burwell the late great Brian Burwell gu rested Soul Ralph Wy Michael wilbor is still alive today ask him ask

The historians the late great Sam la and others people who have chronicled the World of Sports who have chronicled these issues people like me who were sitting up they’re fighting for players to get their money and too many of them have gotten it and said kick rocks we

Getting paid we going to do what we want to do we running the show the NBA had to do something and halberton unfortunately is a victim of circumstance but it is circumstances created by the the modernday players not the players from the past not the media and not the

League let me ask you this do you think the NBA should consider lessening the amount of games in term that UPS the intensity no because they want their money so if you lessen the games you lessen the revenue coming in which means you would have to lessen a pot for the

Players which they’ll never sign off on so if you want your money this is what comes with it how is it somebody one day is going to have to explain to me how can you play in the 70s the 80s the ’90s technology wasn’t what it is today

The money that they’re making today far exceeds the money that they once made but notice how dudes played not just to uplift the sport but to take care of themselves because the little bit of pot that was available to them they knew that they had to go to work it’s amazing

What you do when there’s a level of urgency attached to it when it when oh you got to do this in order to get paid suddenly you see cats out there but when you know I don’t think they were doing it for the 500,000 I think it’s more the

Bragging rights the pride of winning the inseason tournament all I respectfully Molly all I can say to you is this watch the inseason tournament games compared to some of these other games you see the difference everybody sees it yeah every you think those Lakers players are worried about

500,000 for for the bench guys they are um yeah yeah yeah from I’m not talking about the marquee guys LeBron might I thought you were saying I’m like worri I’m just lower God but I’m just saying in the end again it’s not all it’s not most but far too many have been too

Outspoken about how this is a new day this is a new era whatever this is why you have Hall of Fame players in the ears of people like me and others screaming in my face to hold folks accountable because if it were us you would have held us accountable why are

You letting them off the hook they are it is Absol absolutely the truth without question and anybody anybody that wants to debate me on that I’m talking about one of these players name the time and place and I’ll show up 100% right I can’t I know what else is I’ll say four

Quick what about protecting their bodies ah stop protecting their bodies how many times did Stevie and I be in a New York Nick locker room in the in the 90s and I got Ying who’s got two bad knees with his feet in the ice buckets basically

Can’t walk and he’s out there any two games a year but maybe they don’t want to do that to their why not that’s for being a professional athlete you’re not 100% every day you show up and work don’t you he’s not 100% every day he’s bouncing around America he shows up and

Work I got to work I mean G win and I blame papovich papovich had a lot to do with this non and that is why that is why Stern never gave him the uh job as the head coach of the Olympics because he was annoyed at papovich for making

Sure that Duncan and The Parkers and the goobies didn’t play games on the road and that’s why pop didn’t get that job as to coach the Olympics and after Stern passed away and then gave him the job Larry Brown told me that story and that’s Larry Brown and Pap and he’s 100%

Right and the other thing how about the old days with joy West I’m just bringing him up I’m not using him as an example travel you know what they did you’re talking about four games and four nights in four different cities and they’re flying coach West is in the back of the plane

He’s not in a shorter with getting say’s in the back of a plane and first thing in the morning to get to the next city that’s Jay West and halberton here’s what I got a problem with him don’t say the owners well the owners want the fans

Want you to do this right it’s not the owners it’s the fans they want to go to a ball game knowing that you are going to play in it because you’re one of the fun guys in the league to watch and I tell you right now this is on Silva 65

Games is soft 65 games to him was incredibly soft that should have been minimum minimum 70 games I’m fine with the 65 Still