Yanis scoring 25 points, 12 rebounds.

Here's Dave McMenamin asking LeBron after the game about matching up against Yanis.

Is there any satisfaction in having success against the honest?

You're now 16 and five.

Your teams were 16 and five in your career against him, and he's 10 years younger than you, and he's the back to back M v P.

Yet you know you're still able to find success.

No e, I think you know me.

I think all you guys know me has never been about individual.

Um, you know, it's all about the team's success.

That's all that matters is that I could care less about that.

I just try to play well and have our team wins verse.

Any opponent.

Um, Andi, that's what it's all about.

So I will say later in that same press conference, one of the other reporters said right, But you did say when Yonas beat you out for M v.

P.

You were quote pissed off, so there has to be something there.

I mean, you, coach LeBron for a long time in Miami.

Do you buy him?

Downplaying the rivalry talk.

It's not a rivalry, right?

I think there were two loosey goosey with the word rivalry these days when we were growing up, a rivalry was magic and Bird Dr.

Just let that shit come on, what we're talking about.

That's not a rivalry yet.

And so, you know, LeBron is competing against history.

So when he didn't get M v p, it was Maura thinking historically, what I didn't get, it wasn't about John is beating him or anything like that.

So, again, I think LeBron is looking at he's, I think he's being honest.

I'm looking at it from a legacy standpoint.

I'm not looking at it as an individual competition, and it's not right now.

Although Yannis is one of the great players in our league, he hasn't done enough to make this a rivalry and it doesn't become a rivalry really to me until you get in the finals, really, and you start at least each other.

At least it would happen finals or something, but not have to be a finals and so they gotta beat each other up in the finals.

A couple of times before we start talking rivalry.

LeBron is here from one thing, and that's championships plain and simple.

You know what I mean?

I think individual matchups or more for younger players chasing that throne.

You know, when Brown was coming up chasing Cope, that was a big deal.

And whether he admits it or not, it was.

But LeBron is here for one reason.

He could care less about who he's playing.

The goal is to win, continued to improve and be healthy for the final, so he could care less about this.

I agree with him, no doubt about No, it's fascinating.

And look, when LeBron versus Steph that felt like a rivalry, right?

Five years meeting?

Yeah, that's a rivalry.

Four years meeting, the fun like all of that.

I mean, that just felt, But here's the crazy part.

We're talking about a 36 year old man.

That's right.

People were chasing him.

He's not.

Hey, hey.

Has nothing to prove with individual matchups at this point in his career.

Yeah, does youngest have a rival right now, Um, that first or second round playoff?

Hey, Hey, look, you know, I can't say that.

Bars don't keep it is really far e a follow up.

Alright, guys, I want to switch gears because we've got to talk about what's going on in Utah.

The Jazz have won a league best seven straight games after beating the Pelicans last night.

1 29 1 18.

Utah now tied for second place out West, just a half game behind the Lakers.

So Matt is the MBA are the Casuals is producer Danny says, sleeping on the Utah Jazz?

I don't think so.

I think that the league knows that this is a very solid team, similar being built toe how San Antonio was built with just a solid coaching foundation of solid organization and players.

You can pull in and pull out.

What I'm interested in watching is what Shaq said.

The Donovan Mitchell last night and some people took it negative.

The competitors me took it as a challenge.

Like Donovan Mitchell is gonna be on a mission the rest of the season.

The rest of league better look out.

I think they're gonna He's gonna continue his great play, but I think in order for them to advance to the playoffs, they need one more one more consistent 20 to 25 point score to match up with Mitchell.

But I think Mitchell is gonna be on a on a tear now.

Yeah, and I think what we're seeing is the first time this is a healthy Utah jazz team.

They got all their bullets right now.

And you know that the addition of Mike Conley that we didn't really get to see you get going, Bogdanovich all of these guys now and you know, Denver is looking a little shaky, and Utah filled that slot quick.

And so, you know, in the West, it could move fast.

So it's gonna be interesting to see how Denver responds in this season.

But I'm telling you what you got bona fide superstar Donovan Mitchell and the fact that they signed Rudy Gobert and they solidified that do all.

I think that really built ah, lot of camaraderie and confidence in the overall team and knowing that we're moving forward with these guys and everybody else filling your role shot after Quin Snyder, he's been doing a great job.

Like I said, he's the one culture I think is a great coach, and I wanna hang out with my e Coolest.

He was an assistant coach with the Lakers when we played when I played for the Lakers.

Great guy, great guy.

And look, there's teams, all sorts of teams.

They're gonna tweak right around before the trade deadline.

Maybe the top contenders, like the Lakers or the Clippers would do that, too.

But it's teams like the Jazz teams like the Nuggets that I'm watching to see.

Do they wanna add that next piece?

Right?

Is Bradley.

Beal becomes available.

What would that look like on a couple of those kinds of So yeah, 100?

Yeah, absolutely.

So that's another one to watch.

Two is teams are sending a team like the Jazz that win seven straight, and suddenly the front office starts thinking, All right, we got something that they could actually challenge for a title.

If we just tweak and there we go Health health.

All right.

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