What’s Wright - Best Of - First Things First's near cancelation to Emmy nomination, Wemby's MVP push, Luka's wild disrespect

Summary of What’s Wright - Best Of - First Things First's near cancelation to Emmy nomination, Wemby's MVP push, Luka's wild disrespect

by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

56m•March 28, 2026
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Overview of What’s Wright — Best Of

This episode is a "best of" compilation from Nick Wright’s What’s Wright, covering three core threads: the backstory and meaning behind First Things First’s near-cancellation and Emmy nomination; a deep, contrarian breakdown of Victor Wembanyama’s MVP case; and a hot take on Luka Dončić’s recent scoring feats and perceived disrespect in MVP conversations. Nick mixes show history and behind‑the‑scenes anecdotes with sports analysis, weighing tradition (how awards are decided) against emergent narratives (Wembanyama’s defensive dominance).

First Things First: near-cancelation → Emmy nomination

  • Background
    • Show launched Labor Day 2017 with Nick Wright, Chris Canty, and Jenna Wolfe.
    • Early growth despite a difficult timeslot (6:30–9:30am ET), hitting surprising viewership milestones.
  • Key disruptions and turning points
    • Oct 2018: Chris Canty leaves the show; rotating co-host model follows for a long stretch.
    • COVID era: remote production, uncertainty about the show’s future; Nick was told cancellation was possible and even considered relocating his family to LA.
    • 2021–2022: Brandon Marshall joined briefly; ultimately didn’t renew. Kevin Wilds (KW) and Chris Broussard (Brew) became core pieces.
    • Aug 2022: Nick successfully advocated for Chris Broussard as the permanent co-host — a decision he views as decisive for the show’s identity and quality.
  • Outcome and meaning
    • First Things First received a nomination for Outstanding Sports Studio Show (Emmy) — a major validation for Nick and his team against established ESPN/TBS brands.
    • Nick’s central lesson: if you genuinely feel ownership and know the right course, be willing to stake a position rather than always deferring. He credits the show’s turnaround to consistent collaboration and a stable core (Nick, KW, Broussard, Greg Jennings, Coach Mangini, and longtime producers Dustin Waite and Steven Hubbard).

Victor Wembanyama’s MVP push — Nick’s analysis

  • Wembanyama’s case (as framed by Victor himself): defense is undervalued; his team dominance vs OKC; offensive impact is more than scoring.
  • Nick’s counterpoints
    • Historical award precedent: MVP voting has overwhelmingly favored offensive impact — offensive/overall impact trumps defense in MVP considerations. The NBA separates MVP and Defensive Player of the Year rather than having an “offensive POY.”
    • Individual defensive impact is real and may be unprecedented with Wembanyama, but historically a single player influences offense more reliably than defense.
    • He cautions against giving credit for offensive production a player hasn’t yet demonstrated at an elite level. Wembanyama’s box (roughly 24 PPG, 11 RPG, 3 APG) is outstanding but not yet among the league’s top-10 offensive players by Nick’s eye test.
    • Increasing a player’s offensive workload often reduces defensive effectiveness (examples: Kawhi Leonard pre/post offensive usage). So hypothetical “what if Wemby took 30 shots” scenarios shouldn’t simply grant MVP credit without evidence they’d yield both elite offense and the same elite defense.
  • Where Nick would vote (current snapshot)
      1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
      1. Luka Dončić
      1. Victor Wembanyama
      1. Nikola Jokić
      1. Cade Cunningham (with caveats about eligibility)
    • Nick emphasizes he’s open to being proven wrong but resists the forward‑fast‑forwarding narrative that assigns accomplishments Wembanyama hasn’t yet produced.

Luka, Jokic, and the duo conversation

  • Jokic & Murray as a duo
    • Nick: When both are at peak, they rival the best contemporary duos, but historically they lack the permanence because Jamal Murray isn’t consistently elite enough to place them among the all-time great duos (which usually pair two all-time legends).
  • Jokić’s MVP standing
    • Still elite and in the MVP conversation; historic track record (three MVPs) gives him durable respect, making voters somewhat numb to his dominance.
  • Luka Dončić: the “wild disrespect”
    • Luka recently averaged 40 PPG over a six-game road trip — a feat not accomplished since Michael Jordan in 1986.
    • Historically, players averaging 33+ on a 50-win team tend to finish very high in MVP voting (Wilt, Kareem, Jordan, Embiid). Luka previously averaged ~34 on a 50-win team and finished a distant third (very few first-place votes), which Nick argues is an under-recognition of Luka’s offensive dominance.
    • Nick posits Luka is being undervalued by voters despite statistical equivalence to historical MVP-winning seasons.
  • Takeaway on MVP narratives
    • Nick presses that award voting has patterns and biases; while defense can be transformative for teams, MVP voting has long favored scorers/playmakers with demonstrated offensive dominance.

Notable quotes and insights

  • “If you feel ownership over something… be willing to put some stakes to it.” — Nick on advocating for the right co-host.
  • “Defense is as important as offense for championships, but historically MVP has favored offense.” — core analytical tension across the Wembanyama/Luka debate.
  • On Wembanyama: “I’m not comfortable giving credit for things he hasn’t done yet.” — skepticism about projecting future offensive output into current MVP ballots.

Main takeaways

  • First Things First’s Emmy nod is the product of long-term struggle, lineup changes, COVID uncertainty, and a critical decision to commit to Chris Broussard — Nick frames it as vindication for staking a claim.
  • Wembanyama is an extraordinary defensive force and an evolving offensive talent, but MVP voters historically reward demonstrated offensive impact; Nick remains cautious about awarding MVP based largely on defensive dominance or hypothetical offense.
  • Luka’s recent scoring milestone is historically significant; Nick believes Luka suffers from a systemic undervaluing by MVP voters despite elite offensive production on winning teams.
  • Award voting patterns matter — narratives, historical precedent, and demonstrable offensive output heavily influence MVP outcomes.

Who’s on this episode

  • Host: Nick Wright (What’s Wright / First Things First)
  • Frequent contributors mentioned: Chris Broussard, Kevin Wilds (KW), Greg Jennings, Coach Mangini
  • Guests referenced in anecdotes: Chris Canty, Brandon Marshall
  • Producers/behind-the-scenes: Dustin Waite (Dusty), Steven Hubbard, Sam Pepper, Matt Katanek

Recommended listen highlights (by topic)

  • First Things First origin and near-cancellation → Emmy nomination — for media/industry listeners who want behind-the-scenes show development.
  • Wembanyama MVP debate — for NBA fans tracking MVP narratives and how defense is valued.
  • Luka’s road-trip scoring + Jokic/Murray duo assessment — for those interested in historical MVP precedent and duo legacies.

This episode blends media inside-baseball with rigorous (and sometimes contrarian) sports analysis — useful for listeners who want both the story behind the show and a deeper framing of contemporary MVP debates.