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🏀 Burnt Bridges

🏀 Burnt Bridges

January 18, 2023

What is good BTP family? Hope everyone had a fun and safe Tuesday night. Slower night in the NBA yesterday as we only had four games after an action-packed MLK Day slate. With that being said, the NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching and things are set to heat up FAST! We will closely be monitoring every player and team that is looking to make a move within these next couple weeks.

Today we have an awesome story about how coach Andy Reid saved the Kansas City Chiefs, John Wall's latest outburst as he calls out the Rockets, and a fascinating investment story for you guys centered around this NFL superstar!

Happy Humpday!

THE SAVIOR

How Andy Reid Turned the Chiefs into a Model Franchise

When you think of the Kansas City Chiefs, your first thought is probably Patrick Mahomes, and that’s completely fair. Mahomes is about to become a two-time MVP and is arguably the most talented quarterback in the league, but without coach Andy Reid, it's not hyperbole to say the Chiefs' AFC dominance would have never happened.

When Andy Reid joined the Chiefs in 2013 after a successful 14-year run in Philadelphia, the organization was a shell of what it is today. The 2012 Chiefs finished with a league-worst 2-14 record and lost nine games by at least 15 points. Their first lead of the season didn’t occur until the 10th week, and for as bad as they were on the field, things were equally troublesome behind the scenes. Andy Reid changed all of that.

Reid repaired the toxic and contentious relationship between the front office and coaching staff with his calmness and confidence while immediately repairing the Chiefs’ culture and locker room by focusing on “the little things” like being on time for meetings and dressing appropriately. Reid was also diligent about bringing in the right kind of players for the culture and getting rid of the wrong kind, even if they were supremely talented, like Marcus Peters.

Reid has always been an advocate of young quarterbacks, having been an assistant coach on the Packers when they traded for Brett Farve and head coach when the Eagles drafted Donovan McNabb. While John Dorsey and Brett Veach were the minds who identified Mahomes, they did so knowing Reid trusted them and wouldn’t be afraid to give a young kid a shot. Since Mahomes took over as the starter in 2018, the Chiefs have appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one of them, they are the favorites to win it again this year, and haven’t missed an AFC Championship game. That right there is the Andy Reid effect.

BURNT BRIDGES

John Wall Exposes & Calls Out the Houston Rockets

John Wall must have forgotten that Festivus and the Airing of Grievances was last month because he let it all out in his latest interview. While speaking with Tidal Sports, Wall touched on everything from his miserable time in Houston to a scorching hot take about LeBron’s 2016-17 Cavs.

What happened in Houston? John Wall was traded to the Rockets in December 2020 for Russell Westbrook and a 2023 protected first-round pick. At the time, Houston was still trying to contend, and they were hoping to salvage their relationship with James Harden by shipping out Russ. It didn’t work, and two months later, Harden was gone, and the Rockets, who owed OKC draft picks in 2024-2026, decided to tear it down ASAP.

Wall was well aware of what the team was doing, even if they didn’t come out and announce their new franchise direction. Wall said: “My first year in Houston, we were tanking. We lost 20 in a row. We were trying to lose on purpose.” The following season, Rockets management was even more overt with their plans and wanted Wall to sit out some games and play just 10-15 minutes in the games he did play. Wall wasn’t about to go along with this plan, but without a mutually acceptable alternative, Wall opted to sit out the year and was eventually bought out.

But what about LeBron? Wall’s hottest take of the interview, by far, was that his Wizards team would’ve “beat the s**t out [of] Bron.” He goes on to assert that the Wizards were the one team the Cavs didn’t want to face while describing how well their squad matched up to theirs. But the wildest part is that this isn't the first time Wall has said this. During the 2017-18 season, Wall went on “The Jump,” and proclaimed that he believed those Cavs intentionally got the No. 2 seed to avoid the Wizards in the second round.

SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Odell Beckham Jr Invests in Two Sports Leagues

Odell Beckham Jr. may have missed this season due to injury, but he’s not missing the pickleball wave. OBJ recently joined Al Tylis’ group of investors and became the newest big-name athlete to own a Major League Pickleball team, joining the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Tom Brady. OBJ, also following in James’ footsteps, invested in a $200M Mexican soccer club called Club Necaxa.

Ok, What’s Pickleball? Pickleball is sort of like if tennis, ping-pong, and badminton had a baby. Its origins can be traced back to a 1976 tournament held in the South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington, and in recent years has become one of the fastest-growing sports in America.

But, Professional Pickleball? Yep, it’s a real thing. Pickleball first went pro in 2019 with the creation of the Association of Pickleball Professionals and Professional Pickleball Association, but it was further legitimized in 2021 by the creation of Major League Pickleball.

What’s Next? In 2023, MLP plans to expand to 16 teams, including OBJ's Washington DC club. MLP will host six tournaments in 2023, with a total prize pool of over $2M. If it continues to build an audience, we can expect an increase in both teams and prize money and a nice ROI for the club owners, who reportedly paid up to $3M for their team.