Episode Details

EP. 650 opens with a tribute to longtime Lakers PA announcer Lawrence Tanter, which quickly turns into a campaign to get Rudy Jay to apply for the job. Mike checks in from Hawaii while handling dad duty, and the crew gets ready for Spurs Media Day before diving into another packed show.

The biggest sports conversation centers on Victor Wembanyama landing at No. 2 on ESPN’s NBA ranking, behind Nikola Jokić and ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo. That means no American players in the Top 5, leading to a bigger conversation about international basketball development, Wemby's two-way impact and just how quickly the Spurs could get back to championship contention.

Topics Covered:

• Remembering Lakers PA announcer Lawrence Tanter
• Why Rudy should apply for the Lakers PA job
• Spurs Media Day is coming up
• Mike handles dad duty live from Hawaii
• PIWTP and the chaos of social media
• TMZ reports Gregg Popovich has gotten married
• The guys debate "bro code" and Pop's reported relationship
• Mike defends Pop and revisits the old-school relationship between sports media and teams
• Wemby ranked No. 2 on ESPN's NBA list
• Nikola Jokić takes the No. 1 spot
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo round out the Top 5 discussed on the show
• No American players in that Top 5
• Why international basketball development has caught up
• Wemby's defense, conditioning and room to improve
• Spurs championship expectations
• Throwback Thursday with Mike and Rudy
• Mike flashes back to the 2014 Spurs championship parade
• Rudy brings out an armed 2017 throwback from Monterrey
• WYWW finally happens on Thursday
• Tony, The Boys in the Boat, the Dungeon Crawler Carl book series and BlackBerry
• Weekly NFL and college football picks
• Rams at Broncos
• Eagles at Bears
• Cowboys vs. Ravens in Brazil
• UTSA vs. Colorado State
• Texas at Tennessee
• President Trump expected at Texas-Tennessee, as discussed on the show
• Final eight players remain in the ITB Survivor Pool
• Survivor picks need to be submitted before kickoff
• Members Only Friday returns at noon

Key Moments:

• Mike pitches Rudy Jay as the next Lakers PA announcer, and Rudy immediately starts working on his player introductions.
• TMZ's report about Gregg Popovich getting married sends the show completely off the rails with a debate over friendship, relationships and whether any supposed "bro code" applies.
• The ESPN ranking puts Wemby at No. 2, and Mike and Rudy debate whether that's too high, exactly right or whether his two-way impact could even justify an argument for the top spot.
• The guys notice the entire Top 5 discussed on the show is international and talk about how overseas players are developing against professionals at much younger ages.
• Throwback Thursday features Mike broadcasting during the Spurs' 2014 championship celebration and Rudy posing with a shotgun and cigar during a 2017 trip to Monterrey.
• WYWW returns a day late with Rudy watching Tony, Mike finishing The Boys in the Boat, Pelón continuing his book series and adding BlackBerry to the conversation.
• Rudy makes an early call on Cowboys-Ravens in Brazil, taking Dallas outright, while Mike and Pelón side with Baltimore.
• The final college pick is Texas at Tennessee, with President Trump expected at the game according to the discussion. Rudy and Pelón take Texas, while Mike takes Tenne