Best of NBA News Part 2: Rich Paul JOINS to talk all things Bron + Jaylen Brown & Joel Embiid STILL haven’t spoken?!

**Shannon Sharpe** (0:05)
We just popped up on the screen, guys.

**Chad Johnson** (0:07)
Hey.

**Shannon Sharpe** (0:08)
Who?

**Chad Johnson** (0:09)
He muted. Hey, Rich, Rich, you muted?

**Rich Paul** (0:11)
I'm unmuted.

**Chad Johnson** (0:13)
Hey, what's up, what's up, twins? What's good? Hey, I'm sitting here trying to educate, I'm trying to educate these two on my, on my excellency when it comes to talking basketball and where our Bron going. Like, I know you can't say it, but I know where he going. I'm trying to explain to them why he's going and why it makes the most sense.

**Rich Paul** (0:35)
You know better than me.

**Chad Johnson** (0:37)
Yeah, see what I told y'all. I told you.

**Shannon Sharpe** (0:41)
Rich, obviously, this has been something going on. When LeBron didn't have, LeBron was on the expiring contract. And you know there was going to be some decisions that had to be made. Is he going back? Is he going to retire? If he leaves, if and when he leaves and goes somewhere else, what's he looking for? Either the championship, either the place, is, you know, I got Savannah, and Zurich is enrolling. She got her volleyball going on. Savannah has her stuff. Bron is doing his thing. We got Bryson, Arizona. So as you sat down and talked to LeBron, what became abundantly and crystal clear to you what LeBron was looking for?

**Rich Paul** (1:19)
Oh, man, that's a good question. I mean, you know, I think all of y'all are former athletes. It's just uncharted waters, you know. It's just very seldom you get to year 24 And number one, you're still playing at such a high level.
And then number two, you know, you're still able to contribute and unlock things wherever you may end up. I think the clearest thing was that he wasn't staying in LA. That was probably the most clear thing.

**Shannon Sharpe** (1:57)
When did you realize that? When did you realize LeBron is not going back to the Lakers? When he finally told you like, okay, you can start shopping me elsewhere?

**Rich Paul** (2:05)
Yeah, you know, I think, you know, look, you guys know me for, the crazy thing is all of y'all know me for a long time. So I, there's nothing to, you know, I don't fake, but there's nothing to fake here.
It's, it was, yeah, just as simple as that, you know? And you know, all those decisions are tough.
Obviously, you play somewhere for a long time and, you know, you still want to play the game, but you understand your positioning and how you want to go about things. And so when he made that clear, that was the only clear thing that, that I had possession of. Everything else, you know, you just have to go to work and try to set the table as best as possible to allow him to understand what's in front of him. And he's, obviously you guys know Bron is extremely smart with all this stuff, so he has a, he has an understanding of what's there. But there are some things that you have to think about that we go through. And believe it or not, you know, I know just as much as you guys know, Rich Anson.

**Shannon Sharpe** (3:08)
Hey, hey, hey, Rich, hey, hey, hey, hey, what's up?

**Rich Paul** (3:12)
You know what, Joe, man, you got an issue, man.

**Shannon Sharpe** (3:16)
What we got an issue about?

**Rich Paul** (3:17)
I ain't seen you, I ain't heard from you. I used to hear from you all the time. What's going on, Joe? You know you're my guy. I come to Little Rock, don't hear nothing. Listen, where's Joe?

**Shannon Sharpe** (3:25)
Hey, hey, hey, it's, I keep up with you, man. I see you moving around doing your thing.

**Rich Paul** (3:31)
I'm proud of you, you know what I mean? You know, man, you had several conversations and you know, the uphill battle with it is and what you got to deal with. Someone in my position and now being in an executive role and what I've been able to build along with my colleagues and things like that. You know, we here, man, we're here to stay.
Yeah.

**Shannon Sharpe** (3:51)
Hey, hey, hey, I seen you whiteboard.

**Rich Paul** (3:53)
Yes, sir.

**Shannon Sharpe** (3:54)
I seen you whiteboard. I seen it. I want to know.

**Rich Paul** (3:57)
You saw one of my whiteboards.

**Shannon Sharpe** (3:59)
I saw one of you. Okay. One of your whiteboards. Do y'all got it narrowed down to about four or five teams or everybody kind of still wide open?