[Leigh Ellis] asked Kevin Durant, who is currently 6th all-time in scoring, if he thinks he could catch Kareem and end up 2nd. (He did the math to show him what he needs)
Love this type of content
A locker room interview where the player speaks, by choice, uninterrupted for like 45+ seconds. Good stuff.
Just a couple guys who love the game
Yeah you can tell KD recognises that, that’s why he’s so engaged
Yeah interviews like this make you understand what kind of stuff players want to talk about rather than “well he hates reporters.” I’m pretty sure if after every game you are asked the same boilerplate questions or loaded questions designed to get a rise then you are going to hate reporters. But that doesn’t mean these guys don’t want to talk about the game. Get the right questions and clearly they will talk quite happily.
I just started watching football and omg its so much worse there. The reporters ask some of the stupidest and often intentionally antagonistic shit
I was sort of impressed at first because it seemed like overall reporters were more willing to dive into details, but i think it was just because i was new to watching.
“Coach, can you tell me why you lost?”
The Starters are good. They need more air time with players. I think players like them and the Starters are able to genuinely connect with them. We need more media like them.
You mean no dunks?
Yes and the Basketball Jones.
Yes and that summer where they were The Free Agents
You’ll get more questions about whether they lost the game or the opponent won it and you will like it.
Spot on - you rarely get this sort of just off the cuff moment
Leigh Ellis is an ELITE basketball journalist, bro is a psycho (no dunks guys know)
Like is he fucking back? Can he just come back?
He did a reunion show two weeks ago with the boys and it was so good
Oh shit, glad I saw this. Had stopped listening for awhile. Its just not quite the same without him.
It is a timeless episode too. Talked all about Leigh’s life the last few years. Didn’t really talk about the daily games that week much so it can be listened to whenever.
It was a shame he left but he basically did the coolest thing he could traveling the world, so I’d say good for him
Dude thank you I’m going to listen to that. Watched them weekly in elementary school and then would throw them on when I worked in a kitchen
I wouldn’t say he’s an elite journalist, but is a great basketball presenter/entertainer
his IG page is pretty cool too. he posts all the different basketball courts he visits around the world
Great journalism Leigh. U made everybody in your sphere happier today which adds to your legacy.
Very solid indeed.
My fantasy football name is from Leigh Ellis’ bit about the Kate scale of shows. The amount of times I just say ‘giirrrrrlllllsssss’ or just miss hearing The Basketball Jones from The Score is a bunch. But hey, Katers Gonna Kate.
It’s because it’s unique and actually engaged Durant.
You mean “Talk a little about this matchup with the Hornets” doesn’t pique his interest
The Gaht Damn made me crack up. Lmao
Such a nice smile from him
Yeah, I don’t care about their personal lives. I don’t care about how much money they make. I like when they are just talking about basketball and that’s it. And really, KD is just such a basketball nerd that you can have these types of engaging conversations with him.
i’ve come full circle with KD. being from austin, when he went to seattle i knew i was gonna ride with him. when he left okc the way he did i turned on him with my fandom.
now i’m a huge fan. he’s a pure hooper through and through.
It’s so good, could tell KD enjoyed it and appreciated something different
Leigh Ellis one of the goats. Real ball appreciator
KD is a legit stat nerd,
Leigh Ellis is the man. Miss him on No Dunks!
And the Starters
The starters was incredible, what a throwback
Catch them over at No Dunks
No way!! Didn’t know the gang was still going
Still making classics. Every single day.
Celebrating 20 years this season
They review reality TV shows every once in a while too
They are still around, No Dunks is their new name now.
And The Basketball Jones
The guy started his broadcasting career as a soccer intern at TheScore. So happy he worked his way to basketball, it’s his true love.
He also knows his tennis.
Do you remember when they did the Leigh Ellis introduction podcast at The Basketball Jones?
First question Skeets asked if the accent was fake and Leigh said yes. Then he did a Chinese accent and it was one of funniest things I’ve ever heard. I was on the bus home while listening and couldn’t stop laughing. Good times, and I’m just happy they’ve kept it going all these years.
“I talk like a Chinese man”
In tears when I listened to it lol
Isn’t he also knowledgeable in cricket
Yea, but I’d rate his cricket knowledge below his Basketball and Tennis.
One of my OGs over here. Basketball Jones was the best thing they did.
I cant believe that I used to actually watch an entire show every weekday on nbatv. Miss those guys.
No Dunks on Youtube. Still daily
Honestly my sports following has pretty much been subdued to shitposting on reddit. Just will always have a soft spot for those guys while in school and watching with my dad every day (7 pm-ish?) at the peak of my interest. Good to know they still work together though
RIP the Starters, was a fantastic show
No Dunks kicks ass even to this day
I can’t believe how long it took them to reach 100k subs on Youtube. It’s such a no bs podcast, just a bunch of guys that love bball - maybe not edgy and sensationalist enough for the masses. My favorite podcast by far.
they’d be at triple or quadruple that if they never sold the rights to their content and channels to their employers through the years. No Dunks really started building from scratch starting in like 2020. but they’ve been going for 20 years
On the other hand, they probably wouldn’t exist anymore if they never made bank selling the rights to their content back in 2013.
It was great that they were able to work for way less independently then at the score, but there wasn’t nearly the money in YouTube/Podcasts back then, and they all were starting families/kids. The money + access + cache of working for the league via NBATV was surely way too much to pass up. Even at “just” 6 years, I’m sure they don’t regret the decision.
These guys are incredibly consistent. True OGs of the basketball podcast world
Literally! The first daily NBA podcast
Friends
Mmmmm Leigh Leigh
Leiiigh Leeiiiigghh!
Heyyyy Yooooo
He was on an episode recently and it was like he never left!
I didn’t realize he was back in NBA circles. Apparently he works for ESPN Australia. Nice one Leigh!
Not just the man, but the International Man of Mystery.
BEST BASKETBALL PODCAST IN THE GAME BAR NONE.
Man Kareem averaged 78(!!!) games played over 20 seasons, the fact that KD with his injury history is even in the same ballpark is unreal.
Kareem also had 3 years of college and came into the NBA age 22, KD came in at age 19
Yeah, currently we’re at 20 years of Kareem vs 19 (and counting) years of KD. KD missed the entirety of 2019-20 and then big portions of 14-15, 20-21, and 22-23. Like KD said it probably isn’t possible but he will likely finish at #3 over Malone or #4 over Kobe at worst
I think KD loves the game so much and the type of guy to play until he can’t anymore and even on a way smaller role so i think he finishes 3rd easy
It really comes down to how many seasons he has left. He might become a massive liability on defense as he ages, but with his scoring style I could see him easily dropping 12+ in limited minutes to close out his career
Idk if it’s possible for a 7’ ft PF to be a massive liability on defense, you can’t teach length
age brings mobility issues. All the height in the world doesn’t matter if people are flying past you and you lose the ability to get up high
Definitely is, he will lose lateral quickness, quicker guys will switch him on the perimeter and cook him. Or fhese new big guards will just body him, he’s not exactly a unit.
He’s clearly not worried about “legacy” with any given franchise and doesn’t have a wife and kids to worry about uprooting. Feels like he can bounce around the league as an offensive hired gun for a least another 5 years barring catastrophic injuries.
Imagine him on a bench somewhere taking the MLE at like 41⁄42 as a 6th man just rolling out against bench mobs and dropping a casual 16-24 with half-assed defense but knowing the other team isn’t going to outpace the points with him on the floor.
Always thought it would be cool to see a former superstar like Lebron or KD to take a step back to a bench role and win 6MOY late in their career.
Ray Allen is the closest thing
15 mins off the bench of 45+ y/o KD for a vet min who says no
Go ‘til you can’t go no more
And his playstyle honestly can age super well even when he loses his driving ability he can play like Nuggets MPJ and still contribute if he wants to do that
KD averages 65 games per season and 27 points per game. If he can do that for 4 more years and play until he’s 42 like Kareem, he’ll pass Kareem. If he can do a fifth 65-game season, he only needs to average 20 the whole time.
Yeah but who says Kareem would’ve been good at 19? Did he even do anything in college?
IDK my dad says he doesn’t work hard enough on defense
The hell I don’t! LISTEN, KID! I’ve been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA
He’s out there busting his buns every night! Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes.
Looked for his records and it’s like he never even played in college. Guy must have been certified bum. At the time, Lew Alcindor was the consensus best college player, Kareem wasn’t even in the conversation.
college champ at the time was lew alcindor /s
Wonder what ever happened to him. Probably the greatest college player of all time
I heard he lost 2 games in college, what a bum / S
Wasn’t even good enough to make varsity his freshman year..
I looked it up, and KD scored 903 more points than Kareem did, comparing freshman years.
Clearly Kareem wasn’t ready for the league.
I know it’s a lil silly but the Lakers were absolutely loaded all through the 80s. So Kareem didn’t get to score as much as if he were on some regular team. Playing on such great teams took a load off and let his career last longer though so go figure.
His career lasting so long and his consistent availability as a player is entirely down to him, not being a part of showtime.
Kareem practiced martial arts, was a keen practitioner of yoga and lived a very healthy lifestyle.
But he still cranked out an average of 200+ TS Added ‘81-‘86 (after a transcendental ‘79-‘80 MVP season). It’s really then that his efficient scoring at volume “dropped off”.
4 years of college, one of which was on the freshman team. He averaged 33 and 22 for the freshman team and they walloped the varsity team in an exhibition game.
That freshman year is what prompted the NCAA to ban dunking.
KD was about 71 games on average (one 27 games year with the jones fracture) for about 12 years
and then you get that first big injury and it just piles on from there
Tatum 😢
pls, my heart can’t take it. he’s only 27 and was one of the biggest iron men in the league before last szn, need him to stay healthy for the next decade+
Yeah, the injuries are just brutal to the scoring totals. He totalled 12962 points over the 7 seasons before his injury and only has 8796 points (and counting, for this season) in the 7 seasons after that, including his injured season in ‘20.
One of the first guys to really embrace core and flexibility work. Did yoga, worked out with Bruce Lee etc. All really helped with longevity.
It’s pretty simple really. KD averages 27. Kareem averaged 24.
3 multiplied by a lot of games is a lot
Plus Kareem starting at age 22.
It could be a dramatic statement, but I don’t think there’s ever been a superstar in this league who loves hooping as much as KD. Like just genuinely loves it.
I fully expect him to have people at his crib when he’s 47 years old and just be hooping in the driveway for hours. Then he’s gonna go inside and watch a hotly contested MAC women’s college basketball game. Then argue with the haters about basketball on his burners.
He just loves ball. One of my favorite players ever.
Pretty cool considering there are a lot of guys in the league who are just doing a job and it shows
I agree and will say the same about Leigh and his work. Leigh just loves all things NBA and basketball. His pickup project is incredible!
Him, kyrie and harden seem to actually love the sport itself as opposed to just the celebrity aspect.
It’s interesting because that’s 100% true, but all three guys have also been part of teams that collapsed under oppressively bad vibes. Not just when they were together in Brooklyn either.
Can we get some armchair analysis on why this is to distract me from the real world?
Because history and perception is based on the results.
Winning cures everything. If KD’s foot was a few inches back, they beat the bucks, they then beat the surprising Suns, the Kyrie stuff doesn’t matter, the KD in his feelings doesn’t matter, the harden drama doesn’t matter.
It wouldn’t have lasted forever of course, but that trio winning a title, in NYC, would have entirely changed the narrative to being winners, rather than the implosion.
I mean you can have deep passion for a sport and still be a bad locker room presence.
I’d say DeMar is there too
He seems really thin skinned on social media, but this was a really fun, refreshing side of him. I enjoyed his answer a lot, it honestly pretty dramatically shifted my perception of him overall.
He’s not thin skinned, he’s a damn troll lol. Also one of my fav players I think
This reminds me of this exchange from Zodiac.
Paul Avery: So Robert, what are your hobbies? Robert Graysmith: Well, I like to read. Paul Avery: Uh-huh. Robert Graysmith: Uh, I enjoy books. Paul Avery: Those are the same things
Paul Avery: So Robert, what are your hobbies?
Robert Graysmith: Well, I like to read.
Paul Avery: Uh-huh.
Robert Graysmith: Uh, I enjoy books.
Paul Avery: Those are the same things
I’ve yet to meet a troll that isn’t incredibly insecure.
I don’t think he’s thin-skinned. I think he just craves conflict and loves to talk shit and has no filter and a lack of self-control verbally.
Tony Kornheiser was talking about this on his radio show with himself. About why he doesn’t use media. He was saying how he would be getting into it with idiots and can’t control himself not to.
He’s from DC. Tony is from Brooklyn. East Coast people from the city just built different when it comes to mixing it up. My dad was from Brooklyn too and he couldn’t be the type to ever “walk away” or ignore shit.
Folks from certain places are just not able to stop themselves from mixing it up and craving to get into it.
I don’t think his feelings ever really get hurt. He just wants to get into it and lives for conflict.
You described him being thin-skinned.
It’s weird he does come across as thin skinned but that he even bothers to chat shit online like a regular guy is endearing in a way
His podcast episode with JJ Redick is amazing because of this. Probably one of the best episodes of Old Man and the Three.
I find a lot of things about KD annoying, but him just straight up loving basketball to no end is so sweet.
Like he sounds like he has fun watching middle school hoops when he’s 75
Man this is actual good content. KD is a real efficiency stats nerd himself. I remember him getting some shit back in the day for not taking worthless end of 2d quarter heaves to not mess up his true shooting.
He ended up waiting really close to the buzzer for plausible deniability to not totally blue ball everyone, I watched him make one that didn’t count
That’s why scoring rate and scoring efficiency are not the be all end all. Player impact goes far beyond that.
People look back at guys like Westbrook and really think he was overrated, when he was collapsing the defense by getting to the rim at will.
worthless
If they ever go in, which they do, they aren’t worthless. People took those without hesitation until LeBron and KD started that shit, it’s nothing to defend. I’m glad the NBA took steps to correct that behavior.
But also the league shouldn’t have had to. Especially when you’re a superstar, you should lead by example and take those shots. You get paid 50m a year, do everything you can to help your team win
It’s still a good change, but it shouldn’t have been necessary
I think it is necessary if your 3p% affects how much you’re paid and future contracts, and the overall perception of your value as a player. With front offices leaning more and more on analytics, it’s just smart for players to think that way. The league made the right move here based on the current conditions in the NBA, to me.
I get role players fighting for contracts not doing it to some extent (FOs and coaches definitely looked at heaves when evaluating players still)
Steph has shot heaves every single opportunity triple teamed at half his entire career and he’s been the highest paid player in the league for like a decade.
Superstars who are getting maxed either way have no excuse
Jokic has been heaving it his whole career, it’s hurt his 3pt % a bit but he doesn’t care.
Yeah and some of his most famous plays are the two that went in last season. I definitely respect him for shooting those
People took those without hesitation until LeBron and KD started that shit, it’s nothing to defend.
Lmao do not lump LeBron in with KD in this conversation.
KD has only attempted NINE heaves in his entire career and it’s been almost an entire decade since he’s tried one. 2017-18 is the last time he tried even one.
LeBron has taken 37. Still less than you’d expect? Definitely. But not even the same conversation as KD. For comparison, Kobe took 54 (never more than 6 in a season). T-Mac took 29. CP3 took 45. Paul Pierce took 25. LeBron is right in line with all the other top guards and wings of his era and before. KD is the outlier, not LeBron and KD.
KD is a great ambassador of the game, wish he had a better reputation
No way he’s averaging 25 for 270 more games right?
Realistically it’s 5 or 6 years, rather than the minimum of 4. So probably not
I don’t think it’s the amount of years but amount of games played in that time. He played an average of 68.5 games per season the last 2 years but only an average of 51 for the 2 years before that.
I think he can easily average 25 per year the rest of his career. So it really just comes down to how many more games he plays cause I think he plays atleast another 4 years.
Chances are, he won’t just stop as he gets closer. He’ll want to play another year over retire if he knows he would be able to pass him.
I think if he can keep his average for three more seasons at ~55 games a year, then another two of 18ppg he can get close. Not exact on the math but should be ballpark
That’s asking a lot but his game should age fine. He’s not relying on his athleticism to get buckets.
He’s 6651 away from Kareem right now
Another 3 years of 25ppg at ~55 games leaves him 2526 away 2 years of 18ppg at ~55 games leaves him 546 short still
He’d need a final kind of sad 43-year-old year at 10ppg for 55ish games to get there - it seems unlikely sadly
Can’t he make up the 546 this year?
If he plays the rest of this season (36 games left on the Rockets’ schedule) with his current average, that would be 954 points.
Why not I’ve never seen a better walking bucket
KD sitting in the corner could get 15 a game for 10 more years for sure
ray allen on the heat style
He has excellent reputation outside of these dumb internet forums. Only dimwits are mad about him winning 2 chips in GS.
Maybe due to being a football fan (soccer), but when a player has leverage, it’s logical that they would want to go to the best situation possible. Everyone wants to go to Madrid or Barca if they get the chance. It isn’t quite the same in the NBA, the closest comparison is the Lakers, but the Lakers only really have that pull when they’re good.
I completely understand people hating on joining the team that just beat you and making a “super team”. I also understand that from the player perspective that putting yourself in a position to win titles might never happen again. Many greats never win anything
In just my lifetime, Shaq came to play with Kobe, Boston Celtics came together for a championship, LeBron went to Miami, and then to Cleveland when Kyrie was there, and then brought AD to Lakers. I think it is wild to hate anyone for furthering their career. Some people have that misguided mentality that they will be rewarded by history for some loyalty? Noone cares about that. You end up like Chuck - great but never won it all.
Imagine hating on a software engineer because they left Yahoo to work at Google.
At worst he’ll regress into a prime Kyle Korver on steroids. Still giving us 18 ppg getting easy jumpers on a good team
If only we could find who was responsible for tarnishing KD’s reputation
Leigh Ellis is the man!
I went to school with him, and he is the hardest working person I’ve ever met.
Should follow him on Instagram if you don’t already. @leighellis
He has a series where he goes around the world and plays basketball at a country’s famous court. It’s solid.
Nice try Leigh
I wish I had his career.
We went to a Sports Media College together. It was a 2 year program. He left after 1 because he got a job at TheScore.
He’s earned everything that has come to him. Worked his ass off, and is a fantastic analyst and reporter!
You are the definition of whatever the term is for antihater
Basketball passport is dope af
Some could say it’s very solid
Leigh Leigh!
They’ll never make me hate you Durant
I’m over hating him. I was so pissed when he signed with Golden State, but between foot on the line and the failed Suns experiment I feel like I got my laughs in and can appreciate him again
It comes and goes for me, but I kinda got over hating him in that toe on the line series where he tried to superman his way past the bucks by himself.
One of the purest and most ethical hoopers of all time. Love that guy.
Never have, never will.
Shout out to Leigh. Also KD giving a real answer
KD is a legendary troll but he’s also real af
My dad says Kareem doesn’t work hard enough on defense and lots of times he doesn’t run down the court. He doesn’t really try, except during the playoffs…
He’s out there busting his buns every night! Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes…
Airplane! I see you
He had fish for dinner
Ah yes I remember, I had lasagna
Love this
Finally, A Real basketball conversation between a player and a reporter
i’m sure i have the comment from like over a decade ago now, before all his injuries
my prediction was LeBron catches Kareem, and then KD does as well and passes LeBron
what I didn’t count on was
LeBron playing like 3-4 more high quality years after catching Kareem
KD just losing multiple seasons, because up until 2019, he had been an ironman
if he didn’t have all the injuries after the initial, he’s probably at like 37-8k right now anyways and on his way to break Kareems
Consensus back in 2011-2012 in realgm forums was that Kd would end up 1 and LeBron 2.
Remember a couple weeks ago when Giannis said he was going to become the leading scorer in the next 4-5 years and then when people ran the numbers, he’d have to score 56 a game, 82 games a season for the next 4 years to do that. Then there were people saying, “well, if he just decided to do that and not care about winning, he could definitely do it!”
It’s always funny to me when people forget he’s Nigerian lol. That’s just regular embellishment antics from my cousins lol.
Leigh is back baby!
The International Man of Mystery strikes again
Awesome answer and interaction
No major injuries and with his love for the game, he can reach 40k
There’s no way he’s hitting 40k. He’s 8264 points away. He’s scored 8796 points since leaving Golden State almost 7 years ago.
Remind me in 11 years when he’s still playing for the love of the game.
leigh is goated
Leigh is the man. He and KD are the same, only care about one thing: hoops.
I used to work with Leigh back when we were both in Toronto, and he was always a pleasure to work with because he truly loves the game and does his homework. He has zero ego and it makes players way more willing to open up.
Leigh Ellis is goat. Starters was the best show for the NBA. COME AT ME BRO
Still going strong sans Leigh with No Dunks every day!!
No dunks alumni with the great question.
I really do hope we get more of the in depth stuff like Amazon in the mainstream.
I hope a company funds Leigh’s docu series.
Leigh-Leigh!!!
Really good question. Really good answer… This might be my favorite locker room interview… I absolutely love that the guy had that question so well prepared in advance with the projected stats
Incredible that someone as good as KD still has to play another quarter of his existing career at this level to catch Kareem
Friendssss.
Nice to see Leigh back.
Hell yeah Leigh. Shoutout No Dunks/The Starters/Bball jones. Leigh’s got a dope page too. Travels the world to see different outdoor courts
A smoke session with KD talking about hoops, music, and watching basketball highlights would be dope as hell.
Never seen KD laugh and smile so genuinely before.
Its Leigh Ellis!
Damn, rare that interview is this entertaining. Not familiar with Leigh, but looks like I need to look into him according to the comments
Love KD. Love Leigh Ellis. This is great.
Shout out Mr Ellis!
Good bles Leigh, miss him on No Dunks
I love Leigh Ellis, miss listening to him on No dunks! His guest episode recently was a great watch!
Oh man - haven’t heard that accent in a while! Used to listen to the basketball jones probably a decade ago