Tag: All The Smoke Podcast

WATCH: Keyshawn Johnson explains why Lamar Jackson should be the face of NFL

Keyshawn Johnson explains why Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson should be the face of NFL

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is a two-time AP MVP that marches to the beat of his own drum and that approach likely cost the Louisville star off the field opportuntiies. Jackson chose to not have the typical agency represent him during contract negotiations with Baltimore, instead partnering with his mother on some of his biggest life decisions.

Jackson reportedly has endorsement deals with Nike, Dunkin’ Donuts, Visa, T-Mobile, Lyft, Cheerios, BodyArmor SuperDrink, and Monster Energy, but the Ravens star still isn’t the face of the NFL. During a recent sit-down with the All The Smoke podcast, former No. 1 overall pick, and analyst, Keyshawn Johnson says the Ravens quarterback deserves an NBA-style marketing push.

“Lamar Jackson should get the opportunities… If you really wanted to make it work, I can make it work in a heartbeat.”

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Jackson, the 2023 NFL MVP, threw for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns and ran for 821 yards and five scores. He helped the Baltimore Ravens (13-4) finish with the best record in the league and led them to a playoff win over Houston.

Jackson received 45 of 50 votes for AP first-team All-Pro.

The reigning MVP has spent the entire summer working to connect with his receivers on deep balls. Jackson slimmed down to play lighter, and 2024 will be about dispelling all the doubters and notions that he’s not Super Bowl caliber.

Jayson Tatum recalls ‘Welcome to NBA’ moments against LeBron James

Jayson Tatum told the guys from Showtime’s All The Smoke podcast about his nerves playing LeBron James in his first-ever NBA game.

Except for the rarest of the rare, most NBA players have a ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moments where they realize that the game they are playing may be similar to one they played before, but it’s completely different at the exact same time. For Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum, his NBA baptism came at the hands of LeBron James, in Tatum’s first-ever NBA game at the start of the 2017-18 season.

Tatum told the story of his nerves going into the game during an appearance on Showtime’s ‘All The Smoke’ podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, which included Tatum shaking after LeBron James ran past him prior to tip-off.

“I ain’t get no sleep the night before the game, cause it was Kyrie’s first game coming back to Cleveland, we got a new team, it’s all this hype,” Tatum recalled. “I don’t think I’m nervous, we going through warm-ups and the Cavs aren’t on the court yet.I’m laying it up playing it cool. Then they come on the court and LeBron is the last one to come out and I see him run past me and I’m like ‘damn.’ I just start getting nervous, I start shaking. The first shot I ever took in a game, I set a screen for Ky, I slipped it, Ky gave me a slow pass and I thought I was wide open to get my first bucket and calm down. Then I don’t know where Bron came from and then he sent my shot into the fifth row. I didn’t score until the second half.”

Tatum has definitely learned a lot rather quickly since that first meeting. Later that season, he dunked on LeBron in a Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, although LeBron and the Cavs would eventually come out with the win.

Tatum and LeBron also had one of the more enjoyable duels this season back in February, which ended in LeBron giving Tatum a new nickname, ‘The Problem.”

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