Ryen Russillo joins Bill Simmons on his latest podcast to discuss the NBA’s must-see stars and ‘toughest’ playoff teams, then offer their hottest take . Simmons and Russillo agreed on the league’s two most watchable superstars, but once they were ranked third, they began to diverge.
“So here’s what’s interesting, you just met this guy in person, is Wemby your No. 3?” Simmons asked.
“Not yet, no,” Russillo responded.
“Who’s your number three?” Simmons asked.
“It’s ants,” Russillo replied.
“Oh okay. Prove it,” Simmons said.
“Look, I know I was terrible that night against Milwaukee. But his missed dunk in the free throw lane was probably one of my favorite highlights of the week,” Russillo said.
“I just, I don’t want to say it reminds me of someone, but he does kind of move like him. “Let’s not even say his name. “
“Uh…” Simmons responded.
Lucillo was careful to compare Anthony Edwards to Michael Jordan.
That’s not even fair to Ant or anyone else we’re talking about.
There’s just something about it, he’s getting better and better at passing the ball on those deep drives. Like, it didn’t just appear out of nowhere. You can see some clues. I do think those passes, we almost gave him too much credit because it was like, ‘Hey, these guys are stationed where they’re supposed to be. ‘
But sometimes when he catches a pass in the corner or in the breach, I’m like, ‘How did he get the ball there?’ ‘
So I think his physical attributes, like his athletic ability ranks in the top one percent and combine that with one of the best teams in the league this year, I’d have the Ants ranked third.
“I know you don’t want to mention him, and we don’t want to blame this on him,” Simmons responded. “Kobe reminds everyone most of Jordan. And, in some ways, he is really imitating Jordan and even imitating his shooting style.”
“So what do I say?” Lucillo added. “Like the rhythm, it’s also weird.”
Simmons said Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade reminded him of Jordan the most, but Edwards was a close second.
Like when we did “Creed” in Philadelphia, we did a live show, and there’s this scene in “Creed” when Downey is watching the second Balboa fight with Creed, and he’s standing in front of the TV and he starts All the punches and moves that mimic Creed are in it. You see the TV behind him and he’s doing it.
This is the level of Kobe and Jordan. I try to emulate a lot of what Jordan did. So he will be No.1.
Wade, I always thought he had some Jordan in him until his knees started to crumble into his second year in Miami. But if you watched him, especially in 2009, he had no one. But I think what he does is the closest thing to Jordan. Because he didn’t shoot three-pointers. I was just trying to get to the basket. He had a pull-up competition.
And then Edwards, sometimes you get a little bit of MJ déjà vu. Plus, he acts like a damn alpha. Like, ‘I’m the prettiest guy in the building.’ I’m the best athlete in the building. I’m not afraid of other teams at all. Don’t talk trash to me, I’ll get angry. “
There are just some elements to it.
Later, Russillo talked about Kawhi Leonard’s reaction when the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Clippers.
Yeah, and then after they beat the Clippers, you can take all these top teams and go, ‘Hey, how did it go? What’s the result? correct?
Because I think this win means a lot to them, just like the Clippers beat everybody two months in a row. But the strange thing is that the Clippers are old, and Kawhi downplayed it when asked about it.
I don’t know if it’s just Kawhi, he doesn’t want to talk to anyone, or if there’s an element of, ‘I’m going to let the ants mess with us, I’m going to let that guy mess with us, because he is who he is.’ I don’t mean that. malicious.
Another fun thing about All-Star Weekend is everyone can’t wait to show off their “fit,” and he’s wearing a hoodie and is like, “I don’t even care.”
Simmons and Russillo carefully compared Ant and Jordan, but when Russillo moved in that direction, Simmons supported him.Edwards has to win in the playoffs before we can really start comparing him to Jordan in any capacity, but vanity fair Recently, I was asked whether Ant Financial is the next spokesperson for the NBA. Edwards is having a blast.
We should be careful about citing Jordan’s name more than anyone else, but Simmons and Russillo aren’t exactly off the hook here.