The 3rd Down Conversation
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The 3rd Down Conversation
Defining Superstars & Why Luka's Lakers Move Changes Everything
What truly makes an NBA player a superstar? Could it be their all-NBA selections, MVP candidacy, or perhaps their ability to influence the game on both ends of the court? Join me as I challenge conventional wisdom by narrowing down what defines the top-tier talents in the league today. I propose that only ten players hold this elite status, categorizing them into "old guards" like LeBron, Steph, and KD, and the "face of the league" contenders like Giannis, Jokic, Tatum, Luka, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Shai, in particular, is making waves as the potential new face of the NBA, with his on-court prowess and off-court charisma shining brightly.
We also tackle the seismic shift in the NBA landscape with Luka Dončić's stunning trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Speaker 2:All right, let's jump into the show the difference in how a lot of normal people define superstar and how players in the nba define superstar are two totally different things. The fans say there's like 40 superstars. No, they say there's like five. Superstar is I'm here, we win. So if you define it as that, who would you say is a superstar? Jokic Superstar? Okay, giannis.
Speaker 1:Superstar, embiid Superstar.
Speaker 2:Luka.
Speaker 1:Superstar.
Speaker 2:LeBron James. So, lebron, obviously we don't know, because it's your fan, but Welcome in.
Speaker 1:Welcome in to the Third Down Conversation, your place for sports and entertainment. I am your host, d-turnip Seed and, on today's episode, superstar star. What's the difference? Surely there's not 20 superstars in the league, right? Well, I'm going to break that down and, like always, I keep it real, I keep it authentic and I put it in proper context. Let's jump in.
Speaker 1:So I posted on Instagram a reel about Kobe. The comments were insane. People were at each other's throats. It quickly became a Kobe versus LeBron debate and I I'm here for that. I'm here for it, but as I'm reading the comments, I'm realizing people will say anything to downplay my guy.
Speaker 1:A handful of comments said that Phil Jackson taught Kobe how to win. The coach's job is to teach players how to play the game the right way, aka how to win. I don't understand how that's a slight towards Kobe, but hey, if that's what you want to use, that's a bold strategy. A few other comments said that Shaq taught Kobe how to win, which is crazy, because Shaq didn't win until Kobe became Kobe. So how could he have taught Kobe how to win? It's like when you learn in math your teacher knows how to do the equation and they teach you the equation. But Shaq didn't have the answer to the test to win a championship. But the comment that really caught my attention in the reel I stated Kobe didn't need to join other superstars and so many people were like, yes, he did. He had Paul Gasol, lamar Odom, metal, royal Peace, andrew Bynum, and as I read the comments of people saying these same names, these same players, I'm realizing that most people don't know what makes a player in the NBA a superstar, because there's no way you can think Paul Gasol, lamar Odom, metta Roepies or Andrew Bynum are superstars All good players, but they're not superstars.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to explain what makes a player in the NBA a superstar, and no, this won't be some random opinion that I have. I will be combining how sports media defines a superstar and how NBA players define a superstar, and I think most will agree with my criteria. So, in my opinion, a superstar is a player that is a perennial all NBA selection, perennial MVP candidate, a player that affects the game offensively and defensively and his team is a threat to make the conference finals. To be considered a superstar, a player must check at least three of those four criterias. A player must check at least three of those four criterias.
Speaker 1:Currently, there's probably 10 superstars in the league and I'm going to list these 10 players in tiers. Now, the first tier I'm going to call the old heads, the old guards. However, either one works that's LeBron, either one works, that's LeBron, steph KD them guys are aging out. The next tier I will call the face of the league. That's Giannis Joker, tatum, luka, sga and that last tier I call it Unicorn, and that's AD and Embiid. However, embiid almost didn't make it for me. Yes, I understand he has a MVP. Yes, he's been in all NBA selection multiple times. However, he's only been to one conference finals. He's never made an NBA finals and he's missed 400 games during his career. That's almost equivalent to five seasons. And your best ability is availability. He's just not available enough. I mean, look at the Sixers this season and he's not playing. But he somehow was able to play in the Olympics. But hey, I guess that's not. I guess that's not either here nor there. Let me circle back to the face of the league, tier SGA is the next face of the league. I'll say it again SGA is the next face of the league. What about Joker? My guy wants to race horses. He ain't trying to be the face Giannis. If Giannis was going to be the face of the league, it would have happened after he won the championship.
Speaker 1:Tatum For some reason Tatum doesn't get the respect. Look what happened in the Olympics. Luka, it could be Luka, but I think his durability is a real question, like a real question. But SGA total package he's 26. He's averaged 30 the last two seasons. He's currently averaging 30 again. His team finished with the number one overall seed in the West. His team is currently number one in the West. His game is complete. He can shoot the three, has a hella nice mid-range game and can finish at the rim. He finished inside the top 10 of the defensive player of the year voting, so he can hold his own on defense. He has the mindset and attitude and will give you buckets and then make an Instagram post boasting about how he gave you buckets. Dude is a killer and off the court he's got the fashion, the style, the swagger. He's this generation's Allen Iverson. Sga the next face of the league.
Speaker 1:I had to just put that out there. I had to put that out there. But there are some notable names missing from my list Ant-Man, ja Devin Booker, kyrie Jamal Murray. Are these guys superstars or are they just stars? I hope you guys enjoyed that first segment and if if you haven't had a chance, go ahead and hit that like button. Go ahead and hit that subscribe button and a five-star review will sure help a brother out. Remember, shows will drop every Tuesday and follow me on socials at the Third Down Conversation. Now let's continue the show and jump into segment number two.
Speaker 1:As I was searching the net for my superstar criteria, I came across a really good definition of what makes an NBA player a star. It states that a star is someone who gets good individual stats, it's a high level contributor to the team and it's someone who good-to-great skill set, with maybe one or two elite skills, but would generally be a second, maybe third option for a championship team. And I can think of a handful of players who fit that definition Kyrie, dame, jamal Murray. Those guys have had superstar moments, especially Kyrie and Jamal Murray, but they're not superstars. They possess an elite skill. Kyrie is the best ball handler in the league. Dame and Jamal Murray are two of the toughest shot makers in the league, but in Cleveland Kyrie was a second option. Currently Dame is a second option, jamal Murray second option. Again. These players are great. They are so talented. They're just not superstars. Ant Edwards and Ja, those're just not superstars. Ant Edwards and Jaw those guys are French superstars For Ant-Man, I just need to see more.
Speaker 1:Last year, phenomenal season, got the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since KG. But I gotta see him do it again. But I gotta see him do it again and, if he can do it again, superstar. As for jaw, jaw was well on his way until he got in all that trouble on IG. If jaw can get the grizzlies back to where they were when everyone was like, oh yeah, that guy's, he's got necks and he can reclaim his superstar status, because only the old heads are grandfathered in as far as superstars. Everyone else I listed well, you got to earn it each year. Each year, you got to earn that superstar status Because you can be a superstar for several years. However, that status can get removed if your play dips.
Speaker 1:If you guys are enjoying the show, please remember to like, subscribe and follow. If there's a certain topic you want me to talk about, drop it in the comments. Remember, this podcast can be found on all podcast platforms, as well as Twitter, instagram and YouTube at the Third Down Conversation. Now let's finish the show.
Speaker 1:The Mavs trade Luka to the Lakers. Wow, I mean, that's that shouldn happen. We're talking about a 25-year-old superstar in the league, a guy that's going to win MVPs, a guy that's going to get back to the finals. He was just there last season and the Mavs trade him. That's just unheard of. But I think it's a lot of layers to why Luka got traded. I think it's so much more that we don't know like so much more that we don't know.
Speaker 1:But first let's look at the trade. Dalek sends, dallas sends Luca to the Lakers and they receive AD in one first round pick. Now that sounds like a robbery. Like how does Dallas only get AD in one first round pick? Now, to be fair, most of the time when a superstar player gets traded, the team receives a lot of draft picks, usually first round, a couple pick swaps and a lot of like role type players. Usually they don't receive a superstar in return. So if you look at it from that standpoint, it looks like a good trade. But when you think about Mikael Bridges going for five first round picks or Rudy Gobert going for all those first round picks, you got to get like a boatload for Luka right? Most people believe Rob Pelinka got over on the Mavs GM and it kind of does look that way.
Speaker 1:There's no way. I'm just taking AD and one first round pick. I want everything. I want it all In the immediate future. This looks good for Dallas.
Speaker 1:You still have Kyrie who can run the show. He averages about 25 points. You got AD. He's around 25 points, contributes on the offense and defensive end should be a contender in the west for the next two to three years. After that they're gonna be in some trouble and I think around year three that's where you receive the Lakers ascend because Luka is a problem. I mean, he averages 30 in the playoffs. The only other player that can say that is MJ. Luka is a problem, and now he's in LA where free agents want to go. The Lakers are set up for the future. The next layer of this is is it really true that LeBron had no clue, because supposedly he was surprised? And if that's true, then what the Lakers just told LeBron and the NBA world, then what the Lakers just told LeBron and the NBA world, is that LeBron doesn't have the power anymore. They have literally snatched the power back from LeBron, which in LeBron's career that's never happened. I've watched several sports shows, read several articles.
Speaker 1:They all believe this is a good trade for the Lakers now we can all see that currently, right now, that team is not built to win. I'm sure the Lakers will make more moves, but those moves will be about building around Luka, not around LeBron. And I think, secretly, mainstream media, nba execs they love the fact that the Lakers have taken the power from LeBron. Lebron has been one of the most powerful players to ever play the game of basketball. You gotta know, people didn't like that, and now it appears that that moment where they can take the power back is occurring. Another element of this is the business side of things. It's no secret, nba viewership has been down and they just signed this mega TV deal.
Speaker 1:D-wade said something very interesting about this whole Luka trade to the Lakers. He stated that it's amazing from a business standpoint. Luka is an international star, so him being on the Lakers should help viewership across the world, places like Europe, spain. When I read his comments, I started to think to myself. The Lakers always seem to get some superstar in an odd way. I mean, look how they got Magic Johnson. That team went 47-35 and somehow got the first overall pick. To pick Magic Johnson. They always somehow end up with a superstar in the most random way. It's a little odd Conspiracy. Maybe a little odd conspiracy, maybe a little bit, maybe a little bit.
Speaker 1:But hey, lucas is on the Lakers and I'm still in shock. I'm still in shock, but those are my thoughts. I would love to hear you guys thoughts how how do you define a superstar? What's the difference between a superstar and a star? Can you believe Luka got traded to the Lakers? Do you believe Luka and Braun will work? Hey, let me know in the comments. All right, peeps, this has been the Third Down Conversation. Jesus loves you and I'm out. Hey, I know you.
