But as one of the saltiest of sports observers out there, I can’t help pointing out how bad the NBA’s been lately.  

Just don’t confuse the league’s latest gimmick as some kind of competitive savior for the slog that is this season’s 72-game slate. The NBA’s new wrinkle is supposed to make the regular-season more intriguing by giving more teams the chance to play meaningful basketball for longer and earn official inclusion into the postseason.

We saw even more blowouts Sunday.

Tim Reynolds of the AP deserves all the credit for bringing the malaise to our attention since he pointed how truly putrid the play was this past weekend.

That’s because we’re currently in the dog days of the NBA schedule.

If we’re being real here, the March 25th trade deadline—that turned out to be almost as poppin’ as Paul Pierce getting a Friday night cut—is the only thing that’s felt fresh and fun around the Association in weeks, if not months. 

about as appetizing as a Los Angeles bagel to a New Yorker. Sure, it’s edible. But it really sucks subjecting yourself to something so inferior when you’re used to the best.

The NBA has been pretty blah lately and I can’t be the only one out there moaning and groaning about it.

Having allowed himself a rare moment to reflect, Roddy gets back to business. There are more hit records to make.

Anyone who spends time with Roddy will tell you some variation of the same thing: “He’s wise beyond his years.” It’s reached the point where people often forget he’s still in his early 20s, and several times in our conversation, he stops to clarify, “You’ve got to understand, I’m still young and I’m still figuring shit out.” You can tell it’s a disclaimer he has to tell people constantly.

As many of his peers fall over themselves chasing viral fame, Roddy stands as an example of how much success can come if you swing the other direction.

Freestyling every song, he has the ability to record several hits in a night and quickly stack up a massive catalog. But he holds back and carefully chooses when he’ll step out and actually share that music with the world.

Influenced by melodic Atlanta rappers like Young Thug and Future, he’s a gifted hitmaker whose music naturally lends itself to radio and streaming. But he also appeals to hip-hop purists who can appreciate the vivid storytelling and wordplay in a song like “Prayers to the Trap God,” where he describes in detail what it’s like to be in the middle of a federal sweep.

One thing is clear about Roddy at this particular moment. He has greatness on his mind. While filming a segment of Complex’s new series GOAT Talk, I ask who he thinks the greatest musician of all time is, and he responds, “Me.”

“Anybody will tell you, if I don't feel like doing something, I'm not doing it,” he tells me later.

So after dropping a multi-platinum album and two of the biggest songs of the year, he dipped.

The next morning, fans pass around recordings of the stream, labeling the audio as a preview of “Roddy Ricch’s next single.” As he explains it, though, that would be an outdated way of viewing things. These aren’t snippets of new singles, he says. They’re original recordings he plays on Instagram Live, allowing him to share what’s on his mind with fans.

“I never liked none of you hoes,” stretching out the final vowel for emphasis.

“I ain’t never been no internet n***a,” Roddy Ricch says.

The Rise and Rebellion of Roddy Ricch