Give Me the Ball | Episode 14: "ARE YOUTUBE HOOPERS ACTUALLY PROS?"

In this episode, DJ and Yo open the show by talking about their recent experiences playing basketball at the Y and in open gyms — and how different the game feels when you're not playing organized basketball anymore.

From there, they get into a bigger question: what actually makes someone a professional basketball player?

DJ and Yo debate the gap between regular hoopers, high-level amateurs, NBA players, and the growing world of basketball YouTubers. Could some of these YouTube hoopers actually compete with professional players? And just how big is the difference between being really good at basketball and being an actual pro?

Then things get even more interesting when they dive into Shaquille O'Neal and today's NBA big men. DJ and Yo debate how Shaq would match up against today's centers, including players like Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokić, and Joel Embiid.

They also talk about the development of young NBA players, the pressure that comes with huge contracts, and what it really means when a player goes from being a promising prospect to getting paid like a franchise player.

And, as always, the conversation takes a few turns that probably weren't on the original game plan.

Lace up. Let's get into it.

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Give Me the Ball | Episode 13: "THE LOWRY-SAURUS REX"

In this episode, DJ and Yo open the show by reading through listener responses to their questions of the week.

Question 1: "Should a player who is caught flopping have to publicly apologize? If so, why?"

Question 2: "Is a players legacy more affected by 'ring chasing' or by never leaving a bad situation?"

The takes come in hot.

From there, they break down the Toronto Raptors' new Kyle Lowry dinosaur statue — and let's just say Lowry isn't the first legend to get immortalized in a way nobody asked for. DJ and Yo run through some of the most infamous statue disasters in sports history and debate where this one lands on the scale.

Next up, Allen Iverson's recent top-5-players-of-all-time list has the internet in shambles, and DJ and Yo weigh in on who they'd swap in, who got snubbed, and whether AI just did it for the reactions.

They also dig into the new deals for Keyonte George and Ausar Thompson, breaking down what the money means for both guys' futures and whether the teams got it right.

They close it out with DJ putting Yo through a pop quiz on the NBA bubble — and it goes...somewhat smoothly.

Lace up. Let's get into it.

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Give Me the Ball | Episode 12: "But He Has More Rings!"

In this episode, DJ and Yo dive headfirst into the Clippers scandal rocking the league. They quickly jump into the franchise's disrespect toward Chris Paul and his legacy. The two don't hold back on how the organization has handled the situation.

From there, the conversation shifts to Kawhi Leonard's role in it all — and Yo and DJ debate whether Kawhi is walking away from this way too clean while everyone else takes the heat.

Next, the guys get into Kyrie Irving's future in Dallas, weighing what's next for him and whether the fit still makes sense long-term. That leads into a bigger conversation about mentorship around the league, as DJ and Yo break down the roles Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Kyle Lowry are playing for their respective teams — and yeah, they had to bring up the fact that Lowry's got more rings than CP3 and Russ combined...

They keep the hot takes coming with a segment on players they believe have officially fallen off, before hyping up Mac McClung's absurd G-League domination and what it says about his game.

They close things out looking ahead — breaking down why the NBA's upcoming season might be the most exciting one yet.

Lace up. Let's get into it.

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📸 Instagram → @givemetheball.podcast
🎵 TikTok → @givemetheball.podcast
▶️ YouTube → @GiveMetheBall.Podcast