The Dan Le Batard Show

"NERD ALERT!"

Amin joins the show and compares the Jaylen Brown trade directly to the Luka Doncic trade, but he also does his best to explain why Boston did it. Then, we watch some videos of Greg Cote's celebrations during the United States' victory last night. Is this the best team the United States has ever had?

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"IT'S ALWAYS F*** BOSTON. PAT RILEY RUNS THIS SHOW."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. THE CELTICS TRADED JAYLEN BROWN TO THE PHILADELPHIA 76ERS FOR PAUL GEORGE AND 2 PICKS. HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA. PAUL GEORGE. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. THE CELTICS. HA! F*** BOSTON, FOREVER.

Today's cast: Dan, Zaslow, Greg, Roy, Chris, Jeremy, and Mike.

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Edi Patterson has spent a lifetime collecting weirdos.

Before unleashing Judy Gemstone into the world - one of the funniest characters of all-time - Edi explains to Dan how she grew up impersonating the unforgettable characters who filled her childhood home in Texas and realized early on that making people laugh was her life's calling. Edi also shares how six months in a hotel while creating “The Righteous Gemstones” nearly drove her mad and why the best comedy only happens when you stop being self-conscious and simply "let it rip". Edi is currently performing in her one-woman stage show called, “Playgirl”.

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Mike Ryan Ruiz is joined by former USMNT player Heath Pearce to react and breakdown the USMNT's round of 32 World Cup matchup with Bosnia and Herzegovina. They also take a look around what has been an incredible World Cup to recap what has gone down and what is yet to come.

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LeBron James didn't just become the most famous athlete on Earth — he became one of its most careful, and occasionally most explosive, political voices. In the most contentious episode of our LeBron series, Dan, Amin and Izzy trace the moments that turned a basketball player into a lightning rod:

The Trayvon Martin hoodie photo — and Dan's own take on it at the time, warts and all. The killing of Tamir Rice, and the "I Can't Breathe" shirt that, in the moment, didn't include his name. The ESPYs speech. The White House years, plural. The Bubble. And the legacy that's still being argued over, for better or worse.

With firsthand memories from Jemele Hill and Cari Champion, plus a LeBron teammate history conveniently forgot.

Homework for this episode:

• "Reaction to tragic killing shows growth of LeBron" (The Miami Herald, 2012)

• "Kevin Durant x LeBron James x Cari Champion" (Uninterrupted, 2018)

• "Trump Attacked Black Athletes — and Paid for It in the End" (The Atlantic, 2020)

• "LeBron James Doesn’t Talk About Politics Anymore" (New York, 2022)

Encouraged homework for next week's season finale:

• "There's Always This Year" by Hanif Abdurraqib (2025)

More from "The Step Back":

• Episode 1: The Chosen One (feat. Sonny Vaccaro)

• Episode 2: The Decision (feat. Jim Gray)

• Episode 3: I'm Coming Home (feat. Iman Shumpert)

• Episode 4: LeBron Inc. (feat. Pablo Torre)

• Don't miss an episode — subscribe here

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"I'm going to the movie with the old lady..."

JuJu is 1% Mexico and ready for a big World Cup run, has a suggestion for movie-theater candy, and has a Top 5 TV Shows To Watch Right Now.

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"The key is always under the mat."

Jess settles some of the biggest show debates from throughout the week about donuts, forks and knives, Robin, and musical instruments before revealing she may have been part of a cyber-bullying campaign. Plus, the crew drums up enthusiasm for tonight's biggest American soccer game in... an indeterminate amount of time.

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"That's a fact, Jack."

Dan dry humps Jeremy. Then, because he loves us almost as much as he loves himself, Greg expands his Top 60 catchphrase list to a Top 70 and explains the perfect bacon. Also, we finally learn who dropped the donut in the commissary, and Dan CRUSHES the NBA media for avoiding discussing the punishment Kawhi Leonard should receive.

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"Folk Boston."

The Marlins just wrapped up the best month in franchise history. How? Plus, we have the potential for a truly EPIC World Cup match that includes condoms full of urine, and the crew breaks down the definition of "Sicilian Pizza." Also, Mike and Jeremy are continuing their war with the Boston Media after new accusations have been levied against them.

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"Have you been paying attention for the last 35 minutes?"

Dan and Zaslow have finally reached a conclusion: The Miami Heat are the best option for LeBron James, the Miami Heat will pursue LeBron James, and LeBron will choose the Miami Heat. Dan, Zaslow, Greg, and the Shipping Container explain why the odds are potentially in Miami's favor. Plus, we empty the file on the greatest free agent signing of all-time for the Florida Panthers, Sergei Bobrovsky, as the Panthers move on from Bob.

Today's cast: Dan, Zaslow, Greg, Roy, Chris, Jeremy, Mike, and Tony.

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