The following podcast contains explicit language.

Hi, this is Josh Levine, and this is Slate's sports podcast Hang Up and Listen for the week of February 21st, 2017.

On this week's show, we'll talk about the Sacramento King's decision to trade to Marcus Cousins and what time is the right time to part ways with a franchise player.

We'll also discuss the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles, a football team that's betting the future of sports is having fans call the plays on a smartphone app.

And we'll be joined by LaVar Ball, the father of three young basketball

stars, including soon-to-be NBA lottery pick Lonzo Ball. He'll tell us about his parenting

and hoops philosophies and his conviction that his oldest son is better than Steph Curry right now.

Joining me in Washington, D.C. is Stefan Fatsis, author of the book's Word Freak and A Few

Seconds of Panic, Who is Better Than Steph Curry right now at Scrabble.

Hello, Stefan. Hi, Josh.

Mike Peska's off this week, but I'm very pleased to welcome in my former Slate colleague and

current ESPN NBA writer, Kevin Arniewicz, who's with us on the phone

from L.A. Hey, Kevin. How you doing? Doing great. It's been a while. It has. Former Slate

colleague and current ESPN NBA writer could be so many people. I was holding people in suspense for about a second there. Could it be Ramona Shelburne? Could it be? It could have been so many people. But it's Kevin Arnivitz. It's great to have you, Kevin. In our bonus segment for Slate Plus members, we will talk about Kevin's story last year on the coming out of NBA ref

Billy Kennedy and why almost four years after Jason Collins appeared on the cover of Sports

Illustrated. There are no active gay male athletes in any of the four major professional

sports in North America. To hear that conversation and to get bonus segments on this and other

Slate Podcasts every week, join Slate Plus. It costs $49 a year. And you can sign up at slate.com

slash hangup plus. All right. Let's start with the Kings and with cousins. And after a desultory, I would describe it, NBA All-Star

weekend. Desultory? Desultory? What do you think, Kevin? I think it's desultory, is it not?

I like, this is my first question out of the box here. I love that I invited you this week.

Thank you for breaking the tie in my favor. So everyone perked up on Sunday night with the news that the Kings had traded.

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