05 Dec Joyless Ja Morant, Hair Dust, and the Case of the Cloned Dog: Michael Rapaport Breaks Down the NBA Chaos
Michael Rapaport is back with another fiery take from his podcast, “JOYLESS JA MORANT & SPORTS TALK”, and he’s not holding back on the biggest headlines shaking up the sports world. From a star player suddenly losing his “joy” to a legendary quarterback getting a little too eccentric, Rapaport tackles the controversies, the headaches, and the outright bizarre.
If you haven’t watched the full episode, check it out.
Here’s a breakdown of the hot takes and pressing issues discussed in the video:
According to Rapaport, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant seems to have caught the “Jimmy Butler disease” and has “lost his joy” playing in the NBA.
The Theory: Rapaport speculates that Morant’s recent unhappy demeanor is a page taken directly from the “brilliant playbook” of Jimmy Butler, suggesting it’s a tactic used by spoiled NBA stars to force a trade.
The History: Given Morant’s season-opening suspension and his history of off-court decisions and social media posts [00:41], Rapaport questions why Morant didn’t address his desire to leave Memphis in the offseason.
The Prediction: Don’t be surprised if an alert comes out soon from the big sports news breakers announcing a trade, after which Morant will likely become “joyful John Morant” again, much like Butler was after his move to Golden State.
NBA’s Contagious Controversies
The league has no shortage of drama this season, and Rapaport outlines two major problems the NBA is currently dealing with:
The Gambling Scandal: The ongoing betting and gambling accusations involving a Hall of Famer and friend of the show, Chanty Bilips (Chauncey Billups), Damon Jones, and others, which Rapaport refers to as “mobsters” in a humorous jab.
The Jaylen Brown Hair Dust: Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is “losing his hair in real time,” and Rapaport points out the bizarre on-court consequence: Jaylen Brown is “dusting up” his hair and inadvertently wiping “hair dust, hair butter, hair grease, a combination of all three” onto opposing players during drives to the basket. Rapaport advises Jaylen Brown to either shave his head or take a month off and get plugged up in Turkey.
The Frustration of the Modern Sports Fan
Outside of the on-court drama, Rapaport is deeply frustrated with the difficulty of simply watching the games:
The NBA Viewer Headache: He mentions that he and other personalities can’t seem to find where the NBA games are airing every night.
The ESPN/YouTube TV Dispute: The current contract beef between ESPN (owned by Disney) and YouTube TV has led to ESPN and ABC being taken off the YouTube TV package, which is “very, very, very concerning” for fans who rely on the channel for background noise and major sports coverage.
Tom Brady, The “Eccentric Sicko”
Just when everyone was starting to soften up on the NFL legend, Tom Brady makes a decision that brings back the hate.
Cloned Dog Confession: Brady admitted to cloning his dog two years ago, with the new dog recently arriving. Rapaport calls Brady a “weirdo” and a “sicko” for choosing to get a cloned dog rather than going to a shelter for a rescue.
Weirdo Status Confirmed: Rapaport concludes that to achieve Brady’s level of greatness and longevity, you must be “a little bit of a sicko,” and insists that Tom Brady is an “eccentric sicko” who must be accepted as such.
What’s your take? Are you buying the “Joyless Ja Morant” theory? And what should Jaylen Brown do about his hair dust? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to watch the full episode!