Chaos in New York 🗽🏀⚽⚾ | The 2:00AM Crew | Ep. 52

New York sports are in absolute chaos... and the 2:00AM Crew is here to sort through all of it.

This week, Rick and Jason break down one of the busiest weeks in sports. The guys react to the NBA's wild offseason, discussing the biggest blockbuster trades, surprise moves, and which teams instantly became championship contenders.

Then they shift to the World Cup, where Team USA's tournament came to a disappointing end after a tough loss to Belgium. Was it simply a better team on the other side, or did the U.S. miss another opportunity to prove they're ready to compete with the world's elite?

Back home, things aren't much better. The Yankees and Mets have become two of the biggest disappointments in baseball, leaving fans asking the same question...

**How did it get this bad?**

From questionable roster construction and inconsistent performances to the pressure of playing in New York, Rick and Jason debate whether either team can turn things around before it's too late.

**On this episode:**

* 🏀 Winners and losers of the NBA offseason.
* 🔥 Which blockbuster trade changes the NBA the most?
* ⚽ Team USA eliminated by Belgium — what went wrong?
* ⚾ Are the Yankees officially in trouble?
* ⚾ Can the Mets save their season?
* 🗽 Why being a New York sports fan is the greatest blessing... and the greatest curse.

Late-night debates. Honest reactions. New York sports the way only **The 2:00AM Crew** can deliver.

**Because the best sports conversations don't happen at halftime... they happen after 2:00AM.**


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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:48

Welcome to the two AM Crew, episode number fifty-two. Now, I I do got a special surprise uh for my lovely co-host, but before we get to that, I'm your host, Rick H, the greatest beard in podcasting, hopefully. And I'm joined by my sp my co-host, as always.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

Jason Enrique, the best hair in podcasting. Yes, indeed.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Um, so you know how Facebook gives you those uh memory things.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Oh, yeah. Yeah, all the time. Um trying to some of those memories I like to forget.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

Damn. No, I think this is this is a cool one. You'll appreciate this. All right. Um now I can't find it. Oh, here we go. So there's a couple ones that popped up. Obviously, it's been a year since it was my son's birthday. Uh a year ago, today exactly, you and I did an episode of the of the 2 a.m. crew.

unknown 1:58

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 1:59

Now, I'm not sure if you were the official co-host just yet. You probably were. I think we should lock those dates down and figure that out. You should, yeah. Um, but Jason and I are celebrating our special two years of being friends on Facebook, and it is not official unless it's on Facebook. So I'm gonna hit share here. Um, yeah. So there you go. There's there's a couple of things. Now I I'm gonna find out exactly what that was. So it's kind of like I'm talking July 4th weekend.

unknown 2:40

It was good weather.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Let me see. Three really good games. My Mets won the series against the Inks, tying up the oh, there was a Subway series last year. I mean, these six games of the Subway series have been great. Win or lose, great baseball to watch. A great man. I'm excited to see what happens this season. Yankees have a really good team, really decent team, you know. This would be great in October, a subway series. Let's see. New episode tomorrow of the 2 a.m. Proof. Me and Jason, we'll talk Yanks, we'll talk matter, and we'll talk next. See you guys there. Wow, what a what a what a difference a year makes.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

Yeah, and actually, I'm looking at my Instagram right now, and July 9th, 2025, which is actually it's the seventh now. It's uh two more days, it'll be the ninth. That's when we officially announced on all social media platforms that I was the official co-host of the 2 a.m.

unknown 3:36

crew.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

Yeah, I mean, I I think at that point we're already like on a regular weekly groove.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Right, right. But like that's when we let the world know, like, hey, world, I'm here. So get used to us.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Yeah, so um that's basically that that that was that's pretty cool, you know. So I reposted it. It's not official until it's on Facebook, right? So Jason and I are two years, we're celebrating our two years of Facebook friendship.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Yeah, and with that being said, happy anniversary. Happy anniversary, buddy.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

Now, um where do we begin? First of all, have you found a suitable replacement for the for what the Knicks provided us for those two months?

SPEAKER_01 4:28

Honestly, no. Honestly, no, and with the fact that USA lost last night and Colombia just got eliminated tonight. Wow. Um, I was actually um I was actually talking to somebody, I was texting somebody earlier, and I said, as much as it sucks that USA lost yesterday and Colombia lost today, uh, I'm still riding a high from the Knicks that it is able to still wash it away. I think that it's amazing what a championship can do for you. It's like the perfect elixir. So I don't care. Like I I thought about this. I don't care that Columbia is not in the World Cup anymore. I don't care that USA is not in the World Cup anymore. I don't care that the Yankees are a disaster right now. I don't care that the Jets continue to be the worst team owned by the worst owner in all the sports. I don't care that I'm still single at 40 years old with no kids or a wife. I think that right now I'm just still riding the high.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

Everything is right with the world.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

Yeah, between between Jalen Brunson's 45-point game, his MVP win, OG's tip in. I still catch myself watching clips of the Knicks championship on social media and on YouTube, and that is like the ultimate Alexa. Like, forget about Pornhub or ASMR videos. The Knicks championship is where it's at for me.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

I I've been in the same situation where uh I find myself going back to watching highlights of the games, and you kind of forget how special game four was, right?

SPEAKER_01 6:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:02

Um, and I saw the I saw the I rewatched the game in its entirety. And I'm like, oh my god, oh, that's right. This happened here, this happened here, and we wow, we were down by this much? Really? I don't remember this part. So it makes you appreciate it more. And then today you hear the news that Brunson uh was essentially playing with an injury on his shooting wrist 45 in the closeout game in the NBA finals. That just makes it even more special. The fact that the captain was hurt, uh, the rest of the team, they looked a little uninterested in that game five. Like, I didn't see no energy from anybody else. Like, I didn't see that killer instinct to close out that game. I only saw it from Brunson. Uh Mikhail played his game, and OG, you could tell OG was the second person to put in that that type of effort, but you you they were getting tired. Um, they didn't look like they were going out there to win that game five. Um, and you could tell from the beginning how Brunson was playing that he wanted to close it out then and there.

SPEAKER_01 7:16

Yeah, forget about the whole, you know, we'll win it in six, and we'll bring it back home, and that's when it'd be the real celebration. No, when when he set his mind that we wanted like if it was up to him, we this this would have been done in four games. But he did everything and he did anything and everything he could to win that game, to win the championship, and by and goddamn it, he did it, and it was well deserved. And it's just you know, one of the things that I just continue to love about this team, and uh why I think it's special, it's so special to me in an in a myriad of ways. But one of them is the fact that we don't necessarily have that quote unquote superstar, that person per se on the squad that we we were looking in the offseason or looking at the trade deadline to try to get us over the hump. You know, we were we didn't have this as much as I love Jalen, and yes, he is a superstar, and you could also put Kat in that category. You know, the Knicks didn't necessarily have like a LeBron or Steph Curry or Kevin Durant or Giannis or anything like that. We did it with our own guys and did and built it from the ground up, and it just feels so much better compared to all these other teams that have been doing the supers team, you know, gaining all these players. It seems like what Philadelphia is doing right now and Miami's doing right now, and Boston is doing right now, and everything there's just so many moving parts, and it's it's just it's just great to see that we're still that at the end of the day, we're still the champions of the year.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

I like the fact that to me, I think we have the best starting five in the NBA. I'll take I'll take that over having a mega superstar on the team, uh, and then a second, like a Robin to that person's Batman, and then some regular role players. Um we're gonna talk about the NBA real quick because a lot of changes happened. The Knicks really turned the NBA upside down. Uh a lot of teams got worse trying to get better, you know. Um West. The West is looking worse. We don't know what. Well, first of all, we don't know what Boston's doing, right? They they signed Mitchell Robinson. Mitch, good for you. You got your bag, but I would have preferred you went somewhere else. I'm not gonna dog you, but just know you're the enemy now. You're an op. Before the that game starts, Boston, New York will give you your flowers, but once you're between those lines, it's over. So Hackamich is coming. Yes. So they sign Mitchell Robinson, then they get rid of their. I mean, Jaden Brown played MVP basketball last year, and they trade him to get uh Paul George. So now you got a team that consists of Paul George, uh Mitchell Robinson, who's a role player, a terrific rebounder, role player, uh, and you have Jason Tatum coming off of major injury that still hasn't gotten back into that rhythm. And uh, excuse me, and you got White. Right. Not scared of Boston. By the way, Boston made those moves because they were already stating that they didn't feel that they were gonna be able to compete with the Knicks. So this is the move that they make to compete with the Knicks.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

That was a report, yep.

SPEAKER_00 10:43

So that's Boston, right? Philly improved. Now, what's it gonna look like with Embiid, Brown, and Maxie? There's only one basketball. So Philadelphia's gotta figure out what type of offense they're gonna run. Um, but it's a good problem to have. Again, not afraid of Philly. We swept him. Uh uh Donovan Mitchell got his money. No real change to that roster that much. Detroit is completely tearing it down. Not afraid of that roster. Milwaukee uh gave away Giannis, got Tyler Hero, and uh who else did they get from Miami?

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Um, I forget.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

Um they got pigs, Tyler Hero and a couple players. Right. Miami essentially gutted their team to line up Bam at a Bayo with Giannis, and then they got Andrew Wiggins. Congratulations, Miami. I don't know how that's gonna fit. Uh, because you don't got a ball handler, and you got two guys that play very similar in Bam and Yannis. No, uh, so that's that move. Uh, the Kawhi of the Toronto move is strange to me. Super strange. Like, now you want to go back. Most of the guys that were on that squad are no longer there. Um, what kind of Kawhi are you getting? And New York essentially ran Toronto, so not worried about Toronto. LeBron's not staying with the Lakers. We don't know where he's going. To me, he's either Golden State or Cleveland. Again, doesn't worry me.

SPEAKER_01 12:37

Uh well Sham Sharania, he actually just tweeted out that the three the three leads that it seems like he's hearing behind the scenes when it comes to LeBron, it's either Cleveland, Miami, or Philly. Those are the one, those are the three teams that he hears most out of all the time. I don't see him in Philly. I really don't see him in Philly. The reason why they're saying Philly is because with the Jalen Brown move, they feel like that's actually a contention spot for LeBron to go to.

SPEAKER_00 13:06

I mean, he was dying to come here. And as much as Rich Paul wanted to say, oh, the Knicks are not an option because they won a title, he really wanted to come here, and New York just doesn't want anything to do with him. Um, DeMar DeRozan is an interesting one, right?

SPEAKER_01 13:24

Yeah, they just waved him.

SPEAKER_00 13:26

Uh, I would love him on the Knicks. He is a guy that could two-way player, could come off the bench, uh, veteran leadership. So that's an interesting one for us, and I think that that would really put the roster over and really upgrade it. I like what they did getting Andre Drummond to uh replace Mitch. That was nice, and re-signing Jose and re-signing Landry Shamit, those guys uh definitely earned their contracts, but a lot of wild moves happen in the NBA, and I don't see one team that got like incredibly better. Now, San Antonio is interesting to me. There's a lot of players being linked to San Antonio via trades, and the one that it scares me a little bit, and it's something that's been in the works for a while now, and he's been very vocal about it, but it's the Trey Young to San Antonio move.

SPEAKER_01 14:33

Did that happen or no, it has not happened.

SPEAKER_00 14:37

Okay, because he's still in Washington, he is in Washington. He's signed an extension, but that's a destination where he wants to go. San Antonio should and could improve. Um, and we obviously we know OKC's gonna be OKC, they'll be a lot better. Jalen Williams will be healthy or Hardenstein just resigned. Yeah, so to me, a lot of teams made a lot of moves. Some made sense, some didn't. Uh Philly got better. Miami got a better player, but now they got to build the roster.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Um, and and they got rid of a key piece to Miami's recent success, was which was Tyler Hero, who's now in Milwaukee.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

I also, you know, like the Minnesota trade didn't make a heck of a lot of sense to me. You know, you pick up LaMelo Ball, he's always hurt. Is he gonna work well with you're getting an immature star, right? And you're lining him up with another immature star. Um, and who's gonna be the veteran presence there? You know, it doesn't really make sense. Miami could be interesting because there's there's talks about Westbrook taking a minute, uh a minimum going down there. Um, and Pat Riley, I never count him out, but uh, I don't I I'm I I like my chances. Uh that's that's just basically my whole point in this conversation. What do you think? Uh which trade in the NBA shocked you, and which one you feel will be interesting to watch?

SPEAKER_01 16:19

Well, I don't know about shocked, but it was more like, are you trying to pull a Nico Harrison when Boston got rid of Jalen Brown and they sent him to not only Philadelphia, uh, but they also sent him to a team in the same conference as them, and it's still the same division. So it's almost like you're saying it's I don't know what happened behind the scenes, but Jalen Brown is such a good player, and he was such a formidable piece for for Boston, especially with Tatum out with the injury. I agree. He basically he basically carried that team on his back, and for him to get disrespected the way that he got disrespected, I know that he's gonna be motivated and and you know, getting wanted to get retribution, especially he's gonna come at you. Yeah, and essentially, and essentially, like, even even though Embiid is the real star, like he's the face of the franchise, and you know, you got Maxie. Uh, it just I think that Jalen Brown adds a little bit of spark to that team, even though I still don't necessarily believe that they're a true contender.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

I mean, Philly really needs to move on from MB. Now you could take what you get from him and and and get some bigs, essentially, to eat up some minutes and play some defense for you, but you got a nice maxi, you got maxi and brown. So now you have a one of the best shooting guards in the NBA, and you can line him up with a young point guard who's got a bright future. And Jalen Brown is is pretty young. I I don't know how old he is.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

If you if you could look it up real quick, yeah, and I think that and I think that Nick Nurse is a bet is a much better uh coach than Boston's coach.

SPEAKER_00 18:03

I mean 100%. I read uh you know there's some coaches that like you know spolstra is a good coach. Jalen Brown is 29, 29 years old, and Maxie, I think, is like 24, 25 around there. Yeah, he's pretty young. Uh Tyrese Maxie is 25. So now you got Maxie and Brown essentially lined up together. You don't really need to rely too much, excuse me, on Joel. So you Nick Nurse is gonna have to figure out an offense where Joel can get his minutes and he can do. I I think Joel Embiid has become a 25-minute player, you know, 25 minutes max. Um, and in the first half of the season, I wouldn't even give him that much run, and I will watch his minutes and keep him on a minutes restriction. And you you you do what the Yankees try to do with Stanton. You keep him healthy till you get to the playoffs and make sure he's fully healthy to do a run in the playoffs. Halliburton is returning, but um yeah. Again, not we'll see what Indiana is. Uh, and we'll see how Tyrese is. Uh, because he had a lot of trouble with those injuries. I I like my chances. I'm not, I mean you know people might think I'm crazy, but not nothing makes me nervous so far.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

Where did Isaiah Stewart get traded to? He got traded recently.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

Stewart, hold on, that's a good one. I I I think he was let go.

SPEAKER_01 19:51

Isaiah Stewart, he is now with the Memphis Grizzlies.

SPEAKER_00 19:56

Yeah, so essentially nothing. No. Detroit got worse trade. They try they traded him. It wasn't it wasn't um Detroit got worse, and they can't re-sign Duran, so it's it's it's it's becoming a problem.

SPEAKER_01 20:16

Yeah, and uh we'll leave we will see how long uh how much of a uh a short leash that JB Beckerstaff has as well because he's he's looked like he looked like he if he can't get his uh act together with the team, he's gonna be on his way out sooner than later.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

I'm getting text messages from uh words. So to answer your question, really.

SPEAKER_01 20:38

So to answer your question really, I think it was um I knew I knew that there was a good chance that Jalen Brown was gonna get moved because it seemed like Boston really had their eyes. I mean, they even threw in uh uh Jalen Brown for for Milwaukee, possibly, so they can get Giannis.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

Well, he was he was really I think that that's uh I think the fact that he got thrown into those talks uh was what made him uh want to leave.

SPEAKER_01 21:09

So yeah, it would just be that because um I just think that Boston had a solid player and Jalen Brown, and it's one of those things that you don't do. I mean, it's not necessarily like the whole Nico Harrison getting rid of Luka Doncic type of trade, but uh this is a guy that is uh a rising star in the NBA and he is solid, and you know he's gonna give you 25 to 30 points a night. Uh he was just you know, he he basically took over the reins uh in place of Jason Tatum because of the uh you know due to the injury. It's still Jason Tatum's team, but he was uh the perfect robin to his Batman.

SPEAKER_00 21:46

Now so that's the move that uh for you. Is there a player that's available that you would like New York to get?

SPEAKER_01 21:57

Um Yeah, well, we kind of mentioned it. Ready to uh DeMar DeRosen. And what about I do like and I do like the Andre Drummond uh pickup what about uh uh the center um Jonas?

SPEAKER_00 22:12

What's his name? Because I I I think we we need one more big man, yeah, to be honest with you. Uh and and Andre Drummond, but I I think we need a third big man. Um, and if we get a big man and uh NBA players available, and uh Damar DeRozan, I I think that'd be perfect.

SPEAKER_01 22:42

Yeah, yeah, I'm I'm totally on board with that. Um Jalen Duran is still available. I don't know how I don't know how he'd be he'd be a good fit. Uh obviously LeBron, I don't want LeBron. There's Jalen Duren.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

Um it's just I think it's Jonas Dredko is the center's name.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

Definitely don't want James, definitely don't want James Harden.

SPEAKER_00 23:07

Minnesota traded Nas Reed to Charlotte, but I would have loved to have him on the squad. To replace Mitch. Maybe play him and uh Kat on the floor at the same time. That would be nice.

SPEAKER_01 23:27

Yeah, but as of right now, it seems like it's slim pickets because there's already uh moves already being made. I mean, Karis LeVer was just traded recently.

SPEAKER_00 23:40

It's gonna be interesting, and you know uh KD's gonna want to get out of Houston, right?

SPEAKER_01 23:45

Oh, and Chris Middleton's uh signed with the Washington Wizards.

SPEAKER_00 23:49

Oh, wow, yay! Yeah Kobe Kobe White went to Charlotte. That's interesting. Uh we just mentioned they got Isaiah Stewart, they also got Nas Reed. That could be something different there. Uh Young Ball Club, there they look like they're trying to build something there. Um this is what Tim Hardaway Jr.

SPEAKER_01 24:08

went to Miami, also. He went to Miami, yeah. The Detroit Pistons are trading Karis LeVert and two second-round picks to Milwaukee for Tori and Prince and Gary Harris.

SPEAKER_00 24:19

Yeah, I'm not none of these moves again scare me.

SPEAKER_01 24:24

No, they don't. And if anything, this is this I'm just hearing former Brooklyn Nets fan uh Brooklyn Nets players here. Karis Levert, Tori and Prince, Jared Allen.

SPEAKER_00 24:34

How'd you feel about uh our boy going to Brooklyn? Uh Julius Randle.

SPEAKER_01 24:41

Man, that must fuck. I mean, I know that he likes playing in New York, just he's gonna be playing for the other team now. And uh, you know, uh Minnesota try to work it out. That's another thing, too. Like Minnesota, you know, they they still got Anthony Edwards, who is a solid, solid player. And you're basically essentially taking pieces away from him when you guys were this close to, you know, you you guys went deep into the playoffs these last couple years. You know, you unfortunately had the injury to Dante Civinzo, and you know, Julius Randle was still, you know, a a good number two because that's what he is ultimately. Julius Randle, even when he was a Knicks, we always knew him as a number two. And I think that he was a good number two to Anthony Edwards number one, and now you're taking the pieces away from him. And it makes me wonder if Anthony Edwards is gonna want out of Minnesota in the near future because it doesn't seem like they're put they're they seem to they they seem to put the right pieces around him in order to get to that next hump.

SPEAKER_00 25:41

Well, they might be bracing for that. I mean, I don't know what his his contract looks like. I I know he had he signed an extension not too long ago.

SPEAKER_01 25:50

Um, really mean anything these days.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

Uh it doesn't. And then uh the with the apron, so he is playing under a five-year 242 million extension that he signed uh before the 24-25 season. So he's got three, he's got 48 and 26, 27, 52, 27, 28, and 28, 29, 55. They gotta try to assemble something and salvage this season, but really build towards 27-28 because I don't know how good the combination of him and ball is gonna be right now.

SPEAKER_01 26:31

The West doesn't really scare me. It seems like next year it's gonna be San Antonio and OKC again.

SPEAKER_00 26:37

Like it's the like the the I mean Denver is still Denver's still Denver.

SPEAKER_01 26:42

Denver's still Denver. That's good. That's that's a good point. But you know, I I'm just talking about how the landscape of what the West looks like, and that doesn't really scare me too much. Who do you think going into this next season is gonna be the biggest threat to the to the Knicks on the East?

SPEAKER_00 26:59

Uh I I I would say Philly. I mean, if if Philly can figure out the backup center situation and maybe get a a defensive-minded forward in there to play alongside Maxie. And they need like a Dennis Rodman type of player in their starting five, right? I really like their other rookie. Uh, what's his name? He played against Brunson. Uh Edgecomb. Edgecomb. I really like VJ Edgecomb. So I think Edgecombe, Maxie, and Brown, you got something there. But you need like you need some attitude, you need some rebounding, you need some defense, you need like an OG type of bridges type of guy in Philly in that starting five. And again, the backup center situation, and you need some points off the bench. Um I don't know what the financials look like for the Sixers. Right. Uh, because Brown is being paid a healthy salary, but Philly has a nice opportunity. Only because they have Maxie and they have Brown together, and they have uh a young VJ Edgecomb.

SPEAKER_01 28:21

They got VH, uh also they got Anthony Simmons, and they just signed uh Dean Wade from the Cavaliers.

SPEAKER_00 28:27

Yeah, but again, I those are I I don't think those guys are gonna be real. I Brown was 28, 28, Huck Porti, too. Let's not forget Porty. Oh, yeah, Hawk Porti went over there again. There's a yeah. Congratulations, dude. You got some money for an 101 year one. You want me to say, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:49

Now, um, the last time that we were on the on the show, Mitchell Robinson hadn't become a Boston Celtic yet. No. So I'm I'm I'm hearing a mirror when it comes to Knicks fans, I'm hearing a myriad of different feelings. I know people are mad that he's an op now, and this, that, and the third. Me, I'm more along the lines where like the and again, this this goes to the effect of the of the New York Knicks winning the championship, where like I would have liked to have kept Mitch, but I knew we were probably eventually not going to re-sign him. And he goes to Boston, as we mentioned before. Like, we would have preferred if he didn't go there. But because of the championship, does it soften any of it at all? Like, the like because me, I'm kind of just blase about it. Like, I think I would feel a little bit more different. Like, if we had not won the finals, and then afterwards he goes to a heated rival at the Celtics, then I would feel a little bit more you know apoplectic about it. But I don't know. I just uh like I don't like it, but I'm not I'm not letting it ruin my day either. It's like it's not killing me as if it was in any other next season when we lose a solid player or a homegrown player.

SPEAKER_00 29:53

I mean, it doesn't bother me because essentially what Mitchell Robinson is a defensive anchor and a stopper um who can't stay healthy at all. Uh and he can't make free throws, and he doesn't have much of an offensive game other than the lob.

unknown 30:12

Right.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

Um believe it or not, I was actually more upset uh for lack of a better term that Obi Toppin left before Mitchell Robinson.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

Yeah, Obi was an energy guy, could uh change the trajectory of the game. I I saw a lot of games where they use they they would inject Obi into the lineup to uh get the team faster, moving them up and down the court more. I was more upset when we traded quickly, but I'm not it doesn't bother me that Mitchell left. He got paid, we were not gonna pay him. We need to figure out a situation where Kat takes a little bit less money to stay here. Uh, because I think the main objective is keeping our starting five intact. Yeah. Now I did not like because it it the it got some steam this week about LeBron in New York, LeBron in New York, LeBron in New York, and I got tired of hearing it because it didn't make sense to me because he would first and and Rich Paul was like, Yeah, Jalen Brunson would have to call him and tell him everything is okay and that he could come. No, it's not that type of situation if you're coming to New York. First of all, you're taking a veteran minimum, which LeBron said he was okay with uh taking, and you're coming off the bench, and it's not your team. So if you're okay with those things, then by all means come and you could be the facilitator in the second unit. We don't have to burn out cat. Cat can play less minutes, and he could play with us starting five. Uh that's what LeBron could provide for a team. Uh specifically, the Knicks, that's how we would utilize him. He would come off the bench, he would play with the second unit, he would facilitate, he would get his shots when they were there. Uh, and he would get his minutes, and he would build on his because he's only playing to get all these records. That that's really what he's doing. And if he could get a ring, he could get a ring.

SPEAKER_01 32:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:06

Um, for the the best move for him is to uh really just go back to Cleveland because that's and ultimately, ultimately, I think that's what's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_01 32:19

I think ultimately, um LeBron is gonna look at the East, and he saw that the Cleveland Cavaliers, with what they had, were able to get to the Eastern Conference Finals, even though they got swept. Um, and it's also just the you know the storylines. The storylines would be great. Like the hometown hero finally comes back for one final hurrah.

SPEAKER_00 32:39

Yeah, and and I think that's that's where he should retire. I mean, yeah, right now he's played in three different ball clubs. And if when you're going to the Hall of Fame, are you gonna be a Lakers, a Cav, or Heat? Like, what are you gonna be?

SPEAKER_01 32:54

Yeah, and it's amazing how the Lakers really bent over backwards to do a lot of things for LeBron, only for him to say, All right, guys, I'm out.

SPEAKER_00 33:02

And he legit waited till his son's contract was uh fully guaranteed before he informed him that he was not coming back. So, I mean, it is what it is. Whatever I got my feelings about the guy, I don't really want to bash him as much as I do on a normally daily basis, but uh those are the parameters I would have put on him coming to New York. I would have literally sat him down and told him, hey, understand you're a role player now, you're coming off the bench, and this is Jalen's team.

SPEAKER_01 33:33

And by the way, we're not trading for Bronny now or in the future, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 33:40

Exactly. So let me ask you let's move on from the Knicks, let's talk about the World Cup, which has been pretty exciting. Thankfully, we have the World Cup in between the two months the Knicks gave us, which was the ultimate high, that we could continue to visit and go back on. Um, haven't been able to watch the Mets, haven't been able to watch the Yankees, but you have been able to watch some of these matches. Uh, how'd you feel about Team USA being eliminated? How'd you feel about Columbia being eliminated? And what has been the favorite match that you've seen so far?

SPEAKER_01 34:17

So this is basically a tale of two cities with the USA one. Uh, I felt like, you know, it's crazy how everything with the conspiracy theories out there, you know, with the president and you know how he you know put his fingerprints all over this and it kind of affected the team. Same thing happened with game three. Um, but honestly, I just think I just think that USA was just really sloppy. I think from a pure soccer standpoint, from a pure port sports uh standpoint, they were just sloppy. I think they feel like once Belgium, because Belgium answered really quickly, like they wasted no time scoring that first goal. And then if they they already felt like they were behind the eight ball. You know, they were able to get away with uh, you know, the suspension and this down the third, feeling good about themselves, feel good about the chances is a nice story. And it's also you know, the 4th of July weekend, the 250th anniversary of this country, blah blah blah, yada, yada. And they just look sloppily, they just they they just they seem that they were fighting an uphill battle from the the the minute the clock started, and then afterwards when they score that that goal, they start to feel like they had a chance, only for it to be diminished within a matter of minutes, and they never look back on it. And then the egregious error from the goalie, one of the most egregious plays I've ever seen. And it's funny, you should see some of the memes that people actually compared him to Aaron Judge whenever he's in the playoffs. Um, but that that was just um that was just uh a devastating uh play, and just and and and and I guess they were so demoralized by the time that it was already into extra minutes, they allowed Belgium to score yet another goal. It was like that, that was like the nail in the coffin, and they and they were just ready to go, you know, vacation in Tijuana or or Cabo. Now for Colombia, uh, you know, I was devastated about it. Maybe not as much as I would usually be if it wasn't for the Knicks winning the championship that we mentioned before. But what I liked about what Columbia was able to do was they were able to go against the odds, they were going against some really formidable teams, and from a pure Colombian uh fan perspective, the unification was just a beautiful thing to see. And uh and I also give a lot of credit to Columbia because even though it was a tough match against Switzerland, it really literally came down to the wire. It came down to penalties. They got through regulation, they got through extra minutes, and it all ended up in penalty kicks, and they almost got away with it. They would they did they were about to pull it out by the skin of their teeth, but ultimately Switzerland got the upper hand, and now they're gonna face Argentina. And then you want to talk about other things. Uh you know, Messi, I don't know, man. He either he's he either the FIFA is scripted or Messi is really the Michael Jordan of of the sport of all time.

SPEAKER_00 37:06

The greatest of all time.

SPEAKER_01 37:08

Yeah. He's been able to come back and you know, basically destroy Egypt and their hopes and dreams of winning a championship of the World Cup. It's just amazing. The the comeback that he just was, you know, that he rallied around Argentina, even though I'm not the biggest fan of Argentina, but it was it was really a sight to see. And I would also say that Mexico was they've had some pretty solid games as well. I mean, they you gotta love the fact that they fight with a lot of fire and passion.

SPEAKER_00 37:35

Yeah, so for me, um I first of all, I I go for all the Latin American countries. Obviously, the Dominican Republic has never qualified for a World Cup. Um they have made some improvements in the last six years. There are some Dominican players that are playing in um uh Switzerland, I think it is. I think there's two players from Switzerland that are from the Dominican Republic. Um I was kind of hoping we would get a Columbia-Argentina match. Uh, I felt like that that would have been a better match for us. Um, today's game where it was uh Argentina and Egypt, I felt was like the best game of the tournament. Um there are some questionable things that happened in that game where a goal was reversed for uh Egypt. Yeah. Um there was a tripping on Mo Salah at the end, but it looked like to me that Egypt paid a solid 70 minutes, and then when Argentina got that first goal, uh they were scared. They really weren't as aggressive as before, and um they were waiting for that other shoe to drop. And then when Messi tied it, you knew it was just only a matter of time before Argentina would get the other go and and take it home. So today's game was super exciting to watch. A lot of the games have been uh USA. I had them going up to where they made it. Uh, I did not drink the Kool-Aid. There was a lot of people in uh at work and in social media stating that Knicks won a championship. This is the year USA's gonna win the World Cup. Uh I was like, you guys are being ridiculous. We first of all, they didn't play a serious squad yet. Uh FIFA extended this tournament to 48 teams. They did a decent job, um, and they played awesome in the first game. I don't know what yesterday was. Um they were favorites to win that game. Belgium is a uh a little bit older uh on the older side as far as the team goes. And USA looked like they were ready to just pack it up and go home and not continue this tournament. That's that's basically what what happened. And once Belgium got the first goal, it was it was game over. Um shocked that Brazil got eliminated, shocked that the Netherlands got eliminated, shocked uh on how Kate Kate Verde played. Portugal, not really. Uh, and and I feel like Spain is it has not played as well as they should. Um, that team is loaded with stars and not just stars, young stars at that. Um France is still in it. I I said France, Argentina, Spain. Um, I had Netherlands going a little further. But overall, some upsets, some exciting matches. Um, there are some stars left. The thing with the Paraguay Senator and Killing Mbappe is interesting the way the comments she's making, and she's not backing down from them. Um, and then uh I I think the story of the tournament so far has been uh uh Holland, the player from uh Norway.

SPEAKER_01 41:14

Right. All right, well we'll see because we're now in the semifinals, I believe.

SPEAKER_00 41:19

Yeah, there's this this the the the the these matches just get better as the tournament moves along because uh in the beginning where you see you know, like you see a a good team against a so-so mid-team in these tournaments, the deeper the tournament goes. Uh Croatia's a team that got eliminated that I thought would make it further. Um, the better the matches get. So I did you drink the Kool-Aid on USA? I wanted to ask you that before No, no, I did not.

SPEAKER_01 41:54

I did not. I uh I was rooting for them, obviously, you know, to make some kind of a run, but ultimately I think that the competitions that's going deeper into the into the finals and and all that stuff, there's a stronger. Like, I just feel like USA isn't just I'll I guess I'll just put it this way. I have seen USA be dominant before in past World Cups. That this didn't feel like this was anywhere near that kind of vibe.

SPEAKER_00 42:22

I mean, this is this was a much better team. Uh no, no, they they Polisic didn't play well against Belgium. He really did, he played well the first game, first half. Um, but he is a much better player than what he played in this tournament. And I feel like the USA is making strides, but they're still in that same gap as they've always been, you know. Um we'll see. We'll see how far, yeah, if they could close it in the next tournament, if they could get a little closer. I really was rooting for Mexico, man. I I really wanted Mexico to go as far as possible. I feel like that's a country that's been starving for a World Cup, and when they finally get one, it kind of would be like the Knicks winning a championship after 53 years for Mexico because they've never won one.

SPEAKER_01 43:21

Yeah, and you know, shout out to my Middle Eastern because I know quite a few people that were really heartbroken with what happened with Egypt.

SPEAKER_00 43:29

Yeah, they the Morocco's the only squad left now, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:33

Um, no, but I know I know actual Egyptians in my life that they were really excited about this.

SPEAKER_00 43:39

So do I, and Mo Salah is one of my favorite uh players. Yeah, it was a great game, and I thought Egypt had it in the bag. I'm telling you, a solid 70 minutes here purely dominating Argentina, outplaying them, outclassing them. Messi looked a little slow at times. Um, he looked a little tired.

unknown 43:59

Um

SPEAKER_00 44:00

Uh but I don't know, man. It's it's the will to win. And the goalie for Egypt played an awesome game. Awesome game. Um again, there was some weird uh stuff going on as far as the refing, but that's that's in every sport that happens in the NFL, that happens in uh and I know the finals. I know there's a theory that uh FIFA is uh Messi is FIFA's prince, and then they protect him, but the guy is just a sensational, and he's the best I've ever seen in my life, and probably the best that will ever do it. So uh he's he's this generation's Pele. I mean, I think he's sir he has surpassed him at this point. And if and if he does get a second cup, it would just put him in a in a special class of of uh uh soccer players. And he's already the GOAT in the sense where he's won every major championship. He's even won an MLS cup. I mean, not that's that that's anything to brag about, but he's won La Liga, you know, he's done it all.

SPEAKER_01 45:05

Um MLS with them, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 45:09

Yeah, and and to add a second cup to his legacy would would be tremendous. I'm gonna step out, use the restroom. I have to use the best restroom real quick. I I want to hear your thoughts on your New York Yankees. Okay, because uh up until two weeks ago, things were okay. Where do you think things went wrong?

SPEAKER_01 45:35

Well, I think it's really telling when you have players like Jazz Chisholm and um Garrett Cole and a couple other people that were saying that we just don't have the focus right now. You know, they're like this is a team, especially even the the manager that takes pride in trying to put lipstick on a pig. Anytime it looks bad for the Yankees, they'll try to dress it up in any way PR that they can, and you know, talking about that this is just a slump, you know, we'll get out of it. I think we did some really good things. If the numbers are telling different, blah, blah, blah. But I feel like there's some kind of moral issue going on in that locker room right now where you have multiple guys admitting that they that they just don't have the focus right now, and it's bothering them and it's eating them. And that's a sign of weakness that I haven't seen from the Yankees in quite some time. And to me, that is a knock on Aaron Boone because he's been with the Yankees nine nine, 10 years now as the manager of the Yankees, and he's always been Mr. Positivity, always trying to spin the right move and so on and so forth. When he doesn't even know you have the answers for you, it seems like they have nowhere to go, nowhere to look. They don't have the answers. The fact that Judge has been gone for quite some time now doesn't help them out, and he's not coming back anytime soon. You have a lot of questions about Giancarlo Stanton. If we just ready to move on from him as a Yankee altogether because he can't even be a DH at this point in his career, always injured. Uh has been solid in the playoffs, except for the splot, the previous playoffs where they were just eliminated. Um, I think that Brian Cashman has a lot of work ahead of him. I think he's has his work cut out for him going into the trade deadline and into the playoffs and in the offseason. I think they have to really look at themselves and evaluate what's going on, what's working, what's not working, what can we do to better ourselves, who do we have to get, what do the analytics say, this, that, and the third. Uh, I just think that this is a time where the Yankees really have to look at themselves hard in the mirror and figure out where what can we do to get this back on track? Because this just seems like it is going sideways quickly. And uh, you know, I don't I don't know a single uh Yankee fan, excuse me. I don't know a single Yankee fan that is happy with the direction that this franchise is going. It doesn't matter if we're gonna be the best team in the ALE still after when it's all said and done, that we're still gonna make the playoffs, this and the third. This just doesn't look like a championship team. They're not hitting. And then also you have moments like the Minnesota Twins, who have historically been the punching bag of the New York Yankees, and they get embarrassed by them during Fourth of July weekend. So I just think that there's a lot as a as a player said it and as the manager said it, there's a lack of focus, and I don't think those guys are in it right now. There's some a moral uh there's something morally wrong in that locker room right now. And Aaron Aaron Boone, he just doesn't have the answers right now. I mean, again, this is a guy who's always Mr. Positivity, always tries to find a way to spin it in a nice PR way, but even he doesn't have the answers. So ultimately, I think that whether it's after the trade deadline or after this uh after the season is over, Brian Cashman has a lot of work to do. He has he certainly has his work cut out for him, and they need to uh fix that morale in that locker room right now because I feel like you're starting to see cracks in the foundation of uh uh uh of basically where this team is at right now.

SPEAKER_00 48:58

Now, there is something I want to ask you, right? Yeah, so there's a big rumor going around where the Mets are looking to trade Francisco Lindore, and uh today came out that the option to trade him to the Yankees is on the table. I didn't hear about that. Is that something? Yeah, it's I I don't think it's gonna happen. I don't think the Mets will trade him to the I don't think so either. Um it's a pre-mode position, and it's hard to get a great player in that spot. Um would is that something that would excite you as a Yankee fan?

SPEAKER_01 49:37

Absolutely. I think that Francisco Lindor is still a phenomenal player, and I think that he would add definitely a spark to the team and the kind of leadership and athleticism that they haven't been uh they haven't been focused on in quite some time. And I don't know if you take any stock into this, but if the rumors are true where they're even considering trading Lindor or whatever the case may be, doesn't that say more to that there's maybe more friction between him and Soto than we realize?

SPEAKER_00 50:05

No, I don't I don't think there is uh I think there's just uh fans speculating and fans wanting to move on from the Lindor conversation because there's also a rumor where there's a trade where he ends up going to the Padres and the Padres give us Tatis Jr. Uh I think those rumors and conversations need to stop. Um, there's there's no way you could replace Francisco Lindor. That's one. Two, um, this team has just got awful right now. You know, they they they had a great game yesterday against Atlanta. Today they were leading against the uh Royals, and now the score is 16-9 Kansas City. So, like, you can't, the pitching has been the issue. Again, David Stern is an awful general manager. The fact that Steve Cohen won't uh part ways with him is mind-boggling to me. And I'm still and I'm beginning to believe the theory that Cohen bought the team for the casino. Uh I'm beginning to believe the fact that he's not an actual Met fan. Um no, I'm I'm being I'm being I'm being 100% honest in this assessment because if not now, then when? He made a comment about Stearns' contract being five years, they're gonna go all the way along with it.

SPEAKER_01 51:33

But sounds very Phil Jackson-like.

SPEAKER_00 51:36

Think about this, right? The Mets have played, I think, six or seven guys out of position, okay, constantly. You got you didn't bring back Pete Alonzo, right? Homegrown guy, and everybody keeps talking about it. Homegrown guy doesn't miss games, is guaranteed 30 to 35 home runs, 100 RBIs, pencil that in. A bat that could um protect Juan Soto, which you made a large investment in. Uh, again, the fan favorite. You bring him back, and it's 155 years, but you offer that similar deal to Carl Schrauber, who ends up resigning with Philadelphia. So why would you offer the money to Cal, but not Pete? Right? The other moves, okay, cool. And then you give me run prevention as the reasoning for moving on from some of those players. I get the McNeil moving off from McNeil. Whatever you want to say about Nemo, say it, you know, whatever. At the time, I was like, ah, maybe Simeon could be good defensively. He hasn't. Polanko has been injured most of the season, has played awful first base because he's not a good defender. Uh Bichette has played out of position, never played third base. Yeah, he hired him as a mercenary, essentially. Um, he has to live up to expectations. And guess what? He's not gonna opt out because he's not having the year that he wants. So that's another 44 million coming back next year. So you stripped the team of the soul, the fan favorites, and then you brought in a lot of mercenary guys, and defensively, you're atrocious. Um, you embarrassed your star player, Francisco Lindor, by stating that you will never name a team captain. Now, you think whether or not it's it's it would it would rub Soto's eagle the wrong way or whatever it may be. I think Soto would have been fine with Francisco being the captain. Excuse me. I think it was something that Francisco already had earned, and I think everybody else was on board with it. Even if you would have brought back Pete, Pete would also have been okay with Francisco being the guy because Francisco is a vocal leader and he has performed for you. Um but now all of a sudden, because you signed Soto, you think Soto's gonna have some side of some sort of perception or ego towards uh Lindor, which Soto could care less about any of those things, right? Um and then the pitching, right? Something that the Yankees have that the Mets don't is they've actually gone out there and gotten pitching. The Mets have nickeled and dimed the pitching. And if this guy was such a genius, then how come Milwaukee seems to be better off without him?

SPEAKER_01 54:47

That was gonna be one of my points as well, because they haven't missed a beat ever since Stearns left.

SPEAKER_00 54:55

If this guy's such a genius, why'd he give Frankie Montas the money instead of bringing back Severino? If this guy's such a genius, why'd he fire the entire coaching staff around Mendy?

SPEAKER_01 55:08

Before Mendy got the boot.

SPEAKER_00 55:10

Before Mendy got the boot.

SPEAKER_01 55:11

Yeah, which was the ultimate giveaway sign that Carlos Mendoza went on on an extremely short leash, and then they essentially had to wait for an embarrassing moment, like those six errors in one game to really really nail it in.

SPEAKER_00 55:26

If this guy's such a genius, then why didn't you fire Mendoza after the 12-game losing streak? That had an opportunity. Yeah, you had to be that was the moment in time where you could have tried to do something to turn around the season. If this guy's such a genius, then why is Andy Green my manager?

SPEAKER_01 55:49

Oh man. Well, I don't mean to switch gears here real quick, but I just wanted to say, because we're almost coming close to the end of the episode. Uh a big shout out to the New York Liberty for winning the cup. The governor's cup, yes. The governor's cup, yes.

SPEAKER_00 56:06

All right, I'm gonna say, I'm gonna end my soliloquy in this, right?

SPEAKER_01 56:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 56:14

Pete Alonzo returns to City Field on September 8th.

SPEAKER_01 56:18

Will you be in attendance?

SPEAKER_00 56:20

I said this once before. I think Mets fans need to pack the house. And everyone that goes could only wear an Alonzo Mets jersey or worse, an Alonzo Oreo jersey. And I think we need to cheer Pete Alonzo as much as possible. Look at the Mets right now, they're being scrappy, they're trying to 1610 in the bottom of the seventh. Um, Mets fans, we need to send a message to our owner. We need to tell him to wake the fuck up. Honestly, uh, David Stearns is not it. You know, hire a group to assess the status of your ball club, hire a group to uh come up with a list for you. Of and the dumbest thing you did was when you gave him the job, you got rid of the GM role. Well, if you would have had, and if David Stearns would have been a genius, he would have hired a GM. So he could have had a scapegoat in Mendoza and that GM.

SPEAKER_01 57:26

But no, he wanted all the titles, so whatever titles, and now he has the biggest target on his back.

SPEAKER_00 57:32

And you know what? He's making Cashman look like an absolute genius. That's what I'm gonna say. I wish Brian Cashman was my GM. And you know how much I don't like Brian Cashman.

SPEAKER_01 57:43

I know, I know, but in the you're thinking long term.

SPEAKER_00 57:48

I I'll I'll take it, man. In the playoffs every fucking year, with the money that Cohen's got, I think Cash could make some shit happen. He could really stretch it out. Yeah. And he values uh he values pitching. Yeah. Unlike uh David Stern.

SPEAKER_01 58:05

Yeah, well, buckle up Yankees and Mets fans, it's gonna be a long summer because I don't see this getting fixed anytime soon.

SPEAKER_00 58:14

I mean, when Judgy gets the Yankees gonna make the playoffs eventually, yeah, but the American League is awful. I you know Cashman already.

SPEAKER_01 58:23

I alluded to this already while you were in the bathroom. Like uh, you know, we've all right we've gone to the playoffs, whoop-de-doo, like the ultimate goal is to win the chip, and we we haven't got there, you know, especially when Brian Cashman put his own foot in his mouth when he was like, we want to win championships, not championship, plural. Yeah, you haven't even had and you didn't you haven't even gotten one yet since 2009.

SPEAKER_00 58:46

I mean, he does well historically at the trade line, that's one. Um Judgy. It doesn't always translate though. It doesn't. Judges hurt, it's a long disaster. It it's a long season. Ben Rice and uh Bellinger are struggling right now, they'll turn things around. Um I have faith that the Yankees will make the playoffs. The American League is awful, and they have an opportunity to make the World Series again. I I really I firmly believe that. Like it's gonna get really bad before it could turn around. They're gonna limp into the all-star break. Cashman's gonna make some moves, they're gonna go on a run, and then they'll get up, they'll get in the playoffs. They the key though is they have to win the division. So yeah. Well, that takes us to time. I want to thank all the listeners. You know, if you haven't done so, subscribe, like, share, hit us up, send us a DM, send us an email at the 2am crew at gmail. Uh, and give us your thoughts, your opinions, uh, or let us know what would you like us to cover in these this hour. Um that's it for me. Jason, do you have a uh excuse me?

SPEAKER_01 1:00:14

Yeah, I just want to say be on the lookout for uh October. I believe it's October, when the Signal Awards or the Latin Podcast Awards, where we officially have been nominated.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:25

Well, we've officially been nominated for the Latin Podcast Awards. We're also being considered for a signal award, and we're also being considered for a web 3 award. So we we we'll we'll see where uh we land on those two. So it's also a so in podcasting, iHeart Media is doing a lot of layoffs right now. Um, so if you're a podcaster, this is why you stay independent for as long as possible.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:55

So shout out to my boy Kyrie.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:59

Uh yeah. We'll see you guys next week on next Tuesday with a brand new episode of the 2 a.m. crew. Till then.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:08

Which I guarantee I still not I still will not be off of the high of the next championship.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:13

Neither will I. I think the Steel Steam is excited. I think you'll see me still watching highlights every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

unknown 1:01:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:24

Until then, everybody have a great night. We'll see you guys next week.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:28

Peace.