Craig Slams Pablo Torre Over LeBron James Helicopter Investigation

Craig Carton (0:04)

Pablo Torre just said that NBA owners have contacted him about LeBron James flying in a Phenatix helicopter, and he's looking into it.

Chris McMonigle (0:13)

Really?

Craig Carton (0:14)

So NBA owners are concerned that a non-NBA owner has a separate licensing deal with LeBron James for Phenatix, and part of that deal is unlimited use of the Phenatix helicopter, which does not violate any NBA rule because Michael Rubin is no longer an owner of the 76ers.

NBA owners are so concerned about it, they didn't call Adam Silverup and asked the commissioner to look into it. They called Pablo Torre up? Come on, man.

Chris McMonigle (0:46)

They called Colombo. He's going to get to the bottom of it.

Craig Carton (0:48)

There's nothing to get to the bottom of.

It's out in the open. He has an endorsement deal with Phenatix.

You're allowed to do that. It might be a bad look that every time you're done practicing in Philadelphia, you're getting on a helicopter flying back to New York City. But let me ask you a question. He also has to do with Polymarket. If Polymarket was providing him a helicopter and flying him back to New York after every practice, would that be objectionable?

Chris McMonigle (1:17)

I don't know.

Craig Carton (1:17)

Probably not.

Chris McMonigle (1:18)

Probably not. Or maybe yes. It's the former owner of the 76ers.

Craig Carton (1:22)

But the key word there is former.

Chris McMonigle (1:24)

I'm with you.

SPEAKER_3 (1:24)

Right.

Brian Baldinger (1:25)

He doesn't own a single percentage of the Sixers anymore.

Chris McMonigle (1:27)

He sold it because of the Fanatics, I would assume.

SPEAKER_3 (1:29)

That's it.

Craig Carton (1:30)

He sold it because Fanatics went into the gambling business. Yeah. And he can't do both.

SPEAKER_3 (1:33)

Right.

Craig Carton (1:34)

Right. So he divested. He sold his shares to David Adelman in Philadelphia. And he's no longer a principal or minority owner, are there?

Chris McMonigle (1:43)

Maybe you can answer me this.

Craig Carton (1:44)

But why would owners call Pablo Torre up?

That's the part of the story that's not believable. Because he... Hey, Pablo, do me a favor. Investigate the Sixers.

Chris McMonigle (1:53)

He shakes the bush.

Craig Carton (1:54)

Wouldn't you call the commissioner?

SPEAKER_3 (1:57)

Hey, commission.

Craig Carton (1:57)

They might have. I need you to take a look at this. The NBA has investigators on their payroll.

Chris McMonigle (2:03)

No, but they may have, and they've said it's clear.

SPEAKER_3 (2:05)

That's so self-serving. I can't stand that.

Chris McMonigle (2:07)

They're going to Pablo Torre to, like, you know, shake the bushes and see if he can get public outcry.

Craig Carton (2:12)

But again, there's nothing being hidden here.

Chris McMonigle (2:15)

I hear you, but...

Craig Carton (2:16)

He has to do with tops and fanatics. He has to do with max on tops, right? For trading cards and collectibles and things like that. Michael Rubin, for transparency, one of my best friends, does not own the Sixers.

He can do whatever the hell he wants.

Chris McMonigle (2:30)

I get it.

Craig Carton (2:31)

Right?

Chris McMonigle (2:32)

I would think.

Craig Carton (2:33)

So what is there to investigate? The Sixers aren't providing him the helicopter and somehow violating, you know, the salary cap or any of that stuff.

Chris McMonigle (2:43)

No.

Craig Carton (2:44)

An independent business guy is providing him a helicopter as part of his endorsement deal.

Chris McMonigle (2:50)

I get it.

SPEAKER_5 (2:51)

Like, you may not like it.

Chris McMonigle (2:52)

I'm asking why they hired Torre because...

Craig Carton (2:54)

I think it's self-serving for him to suggest that owners reach out to him.

Chris McMonigle (2:57)

Okay. That's fair.

Craig Carton (2:59)

Hard for me to believe that.

Chris McMonigle (3:00)

Oh, okay.

Craig Carton (3:01)

Hard for me to believe that James Dolan called Pablo Torre and said, do me a favor.

Chris McMonigle (3:10)

How does that even sound?

Craig Carton (3:12)

You think like Pat Riley's koi, Pat, do me a favor, Pablo. No. It's just so self-serving. Oh, thank God, Pablo Torre is investigating something that's wide out in the open. No one's hiding it. It says fanatics on the helicopter.

The real story should be, why does LeBron hate Philadelphia so much already?

Chris McMonigle (3:37)

Well, the question is, was that, like, when did he sign that contract and what was it for? You know, like, do you think fanatics...

Craig Carton (3:44)

He gets paid more by fanatics, I think, than the Sixers pay him. Right.

Chris McMonigle (3:47)

But I can say, Polymarket pays him double. Do you think fanatics was under the impression that when he asked for the rights to the helicopter, that he intended to use it daily, to go back and forth to practice? Or was it kind of like, okay, whenever he might need it, once in a while? Like, now it's like, that's his ride every day. That's his commute to work.