The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

00:00:00
Speaker 1: You are listening to the Dan Patrick Show on Fox Sports Radio.

00:00:04
Speaker 2: For my birthday a week from this Friday, Rectech is giving away a grill. You can go to rectech dot com search the Dan Patrick Show for details. We will give that grill away. By the way, one of the grills is fired up today because we're making pizza. We got the pizza insert so I said to Dylan, how about a pizza Wednesday? And he went out and got some dough, some ingredients. So in between like commercial breaks, he's out there whipping up some pizzas. So we have hot honey, suprisoda. Is that salami? It's yeah, basically okay, pepperoni and onion. It's salami's spicy brother pesto, rugula brasute and sausage and rugott. How did I do?

00:00:53
Speaker 3: You kind of nailed that? Actually all right after the initial soapersada hump, you got it killed, dreath.

00:00:59
Speaker 2: I thought we were saying we were having hot honey super salad, and I go, why are we having super salad? And then you go, no, it's pronounced differently.

00:01:09
Speaker 3: Although salad pizza well no, no Greek salad pizza no no, and no pineapple on there no not No, I'm out on that, but salad pizza.

00:01:19
Speaker 2: Yeah, who has it better than we do?

00:01:22
Speaker 4: Nobody?

00:01:23
Speaker 2: Alright, Trouble Sleeping introducing z Kliner, or you could listen to the toodcast revolutionary recliner designed by Flexity.

00:01:35
Speaker 5: I'm just not going to comment on that.

00:01:36
Speaker 2: It's three minutes and twenty one seconds in. Dang, I was gonna take the over.

00:01:41
Speaker 5: That was unprovoked. You just started up.

00:01:43
Speaker 2: I know, I know, Pistons handled the Cavaliers, Thunder over the Lakers. This is I'll start with the Lakers and the Thunder because you had Shay Gilgis, Alexander held under twenty points, he had seven turnovers. Okay, now we have a recipe for maybe we can steal one.

00:02:00
Speaker 5: Here.

00:02:01
Speaker 2: You got okc's second best player, Jayalen Williams, who is not playing, and maybe you get some magic here. Austin Reeves didn't play well, Lebron played well. They still they miss Luca. It's hard to threaten OKC without Luca out there. And Lebron even lamented that that, hey, we got a guy who scores thirty points who's not out there. Luke Canard's a nice role player. They just don't have the weapons and OKC is deep. They are really you know, they got guys who are coming off the bench. Might be the tenth or eleventh guy on their bench, they might be the fifth or a sixth player for another team. But they're very deep, and they showed it last night. They kind of went through the motions. This is one of those where SGA didn't play well, Lebron played well, and you still lose by twenty. Like that's the scary part of this. But do I think they can win a game here? Yes? I do, maybe two. I don't think they'll be swept, yes, Marph.

00:03:00
Speaker 6: The Thunder last night they kind of looked like the Steph Curry Spurs Spurs Warriors in their prime, whereas like, man, we're trying to hold them off as long as we can, and what if we take the ball out of Steph Curry's hands? But guess what, Klay Thompson goes off, Leandro Barbosa goes off, Andrea Iguidala goes off.

00:03:15
Speaker 5: That's how deep this Thunder team is. You don't know.

00:03:17
Speaker 6: Jared McCain, who's the ninth or tenth guy, came off. It hit four to three pointers for them, last night.

00:03:22
Speaker 2: I know it's one of those where you go, wait, who's this guy, who's that guy?

00:03:26
Speaker 5: Former sixer?

00:03:27
Speaker 2: Yeah, then you're going, okay, I had that's where I saw him. Yeah, okay, yeah, paul.

00:03:33
Speaker 7: There was a point in the third quarter where it felt like the Lakers could cut it to four, and there was a replay that went against them, and then instantly was eleven and it felt like that was their shot and they were in striking distance and it never got closer.

00:03:45
Speaker 2: Dylan, what's the poll question for the first hour of the program.

00:03:48
Speaker 3: All right, we got a couple, Dan. This one's from Paulie. Which underdog would you have advancing the Cavaliers, seventy six ers, Lakers, or Timberwolves, all dogs in their respective series.

00:03:59
Speaker 2: Well, I don't know why Minnesota doesn't get more love, more verbal bouquets. They've been to the Western Conference Finals back to back years. So it's not a fluke that they're here, and it's not a fluke that they won Game one against San Antonio. Because the Spurs have minimal playoff experience. You got Rudy Gobert, you got Anthony Edwards, Julius Randall. They do have experience here, and that's what's kind of surprising. It's you would think San Antonio would be the underdog even though they had a better record, they had a better regular season, but the fact that maybe it's just you say Timberwolves, and maybe that doesn't strike fear, but they've gone to the Western Conference Finals back to back years, so I would say them.

00:04:48
Speaker 5: You know, the.

00:04:49
Speaker 2: Cleveland Detroit series, that could be a seven game series. Although James Harden looked old last night. Now he is old, but he looked old. And for some reason, they had him bringing the ball up and uh Osar Thompson was guarding him and who he was all over James Harden And this what I don't understand. How about you let somebody else bring the ball up because I don't want James Harden expending all that energy just getting the ball to have court at seven turnovers and he looked old. And Detroit you know that that was a great all around team performance. But Kate Cunningham, you know, he's kind of the right handed version of Jalen Brunson. It feels like like he's just coming after he's going to continue to score. I mean, they're different players. But because Cunningham was leading the NBA and assists before he got hurt. Uh so, but to see him this is what I love. You see great players be great at this time of the year, because that's really we focus on that, uh bottom line sports society. What did you do in the playoffs? What'd you do? You know, winning a championship, not winning a championship the year you won your MVP. Those are the kind of things Anthony Edwards. We didn't know if he was going to play or when he was going to play. Off the bench eighteen points. You love seeing that, Caid Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, what he did, Like, that's what you want. You know, SGA will be great in this series. But it was almost one of those where he thought, uh, don't need to tonight. Yes, Marvin and in.

00:06:30
Speaker 6: The playoffs Check usually calls them the others. You got those guys like Duncan Robinson, our boy from the Heat. He had a big game last night. You're always going to need that man he's still in the league, or who is that guy that comes up big in the playoff series.

00:06:43
Speaker 2: The Cavs tied the game, they came back from what were they down eighteen or something, and so five minutes to go, Caid Cunningham comes back in the game, delivers three straight possessions with perfect passes for six points, and you know they're they're starting to crumble a little bit. And then he comes back in and they go on cruise to the victory. All right, what other poll question are you thinking about here? Dyl?

00:07:11
Speaker 3: This is from Todd Lebron. Blaming the loss on Luca's absence and lack of scoring is a very understandable and reasonable point or a bad sign dot dot dot excuses already after game one.

00:07:22
Speaker 2: Well, I think he's reminding everybody of you know, Lebron, ten years ago, you know, would would be approaching this differently. Now it's he's forty one and he can't do it alone. And he's reminding people of, hey, if we have Luca, then maybe we can make this a series. Reminding them and maybe Luca is going to be able to play. I mean, I mean he's telling factually, he's telling you the truth. If they had Luca, they have a chance to win this series. They just don't have him. Maybe you get at him when they go back to Los Angeles. Dave McManamon, who will join us later on. He'll have an update on that. I'm sure, yes, Marvin.

00:08:08
Speaker 6: Wait, so the NBA scoring leader has an effect on a series. That's crazy.

00:08:12
Speaker 2: I didn't look at it as Lebron as needs an excuse. I think he was just reminding people of we got to the second round. We weren't supposed to beat Houston. We got to the second round. I'm out here on an island just reminding you we don't have Luca and if we do get now, I know there's going to be people who parts this and say, Michael Jordan never would have made an excuse like that. Do you think that happens in Lebron's life, no matter what happens, like if he drops the mail when he's you know, bringing in, you know, Jordan never would have dropped them in. Now he's not good at Parallel park Well, Michael pretty good part of Paler Parker. Yes, Paulin, I don't know if it's.

00:08:58
Speaker 7: Fair to say Lebron made up an excuse for the loss. He was asked about the Lakers offensive struggles last night and he said, well, the offensive struggles, we have a guy whoever's thirty seven a game? Thirty five this year.

00:09:10
Speaker 4: What are you asking?

00:09:11
Speaker 7: Yeah, and he was making the point that it's obvious what the struggles are. It's not like they didn't actually play that bad offensively over the course of the game. They just don't have their main guy.

00:09:21
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, I didn't view it as an excuse, But then I don't see Lebron through the lens that people do who don't like him, or they're just waiting for him to say something.

00:09:31
Speaker 3: Yes, Dilney, I mean I think you can still call it an excuse, but like a valid one. Is that fair?

00:09:39
Speaker 2: Well, then it becomes a fact. Is it's not an excuse, is it? It's just, hey, that these are the fact you're going against one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.

00:09:48
Speaker 3: I mean, I've made a lot of excuses that were true, at least to me.

00:09:53
Speaker 2: Once again, I'm not gonna, you know, dive down into semantics here of what Lebron is saying, how he's saying it is an excuse.

00:10:00
Speaker 4: Is it?

00:10:01
Speaker 2: I think he just reminding people we don't have Luca, not that they needed to be reminded, but I think he's pointing out, hey, this is a great team defending champs and we're holding on for dear life. And by the way, we don't have the leading score.

00:10:17
Speaker 3: Jordan would have won with that Luca he did he.

00:10:21
Speaker 2: Never played with Luca.

00:10:23
Speaker 3: That's true argument over my choice.

00:10:27
Speaker 2: Uh okay, I.

00:10:29
Speaker 7: Love our take on this topic.

00:10:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, worst take.

00:10:34
Speaker 5: Boy.

00:10:34
Speaker 2: Did you see where Austin Rivers fired back at Draymond Green. After Draymond Green fired at Austin Rivers, we got to see if Austin Rivers will ever join us again because I don't want to get him in trouble again. But I didn't have to say much when I talked about what Draymond's comments were about how he was used by Steve Kerr. But then Draymond makes it personal and Austin Rivers was never making it personal. Like he even complimented Draymond Green. But Austin River it's a four minute clip. I appreciate Austin Rivers mentioning the Dan Patrick Show, so I'd listened to the whole thing after I heard that, I'm like, okay, he complimented, give us credit. Ben Stiller did reach out, apparently on social media after some of the Dan Nettes or our poll question. Some of the audience called him out for not going to the next game, and I said, I don't have any problem with it. The only problem I have is when he's walking up the steps and he's going to the photographers Nixon six. Meanwhile his wife is having her handheld by somebody to help her get up the steps. That was the only problem I had. He'll be there tonight front Row. Yes, Dylan.

00:11:45
Speaker 3: My real issue with that was that it's really Nixon four, non Nixon six.

00:11:50
Speaker 2: Oh okay, according to Rob in the back, okay, I was going to say Nixon three the way they played, if they could, they would Yeah, yeah, Paul.

00:11:58
Speaker 7: So the guys in back tweeted out the segment it's about Ben Stiller and the met Gala, And minutes after we tweeted it out, he responded saying, bring it. I know who I am. Like he's not afraid of the criticism anyway.

00:12:09
Speaker 2: But I think there's a commercial with Jalen Brunson, who who says I know who I am. And I don't know if Ben Stiller was quoting Jalen Brunson, but I saw that yesterday and I heard, you know, when Brunson said I know who I am. And then that match with ben Stiller had to say, but I'm sure ben Stiller will be. Now, how do the Knick fans treat him tonight like they do? They boo that he shows up and didn't show up for Game one? Yes, Mart, No, I.

00:12:42
Speaker 5: Think they treat him the same.

00:12:44
Speaker 6: I think they show him more support because also a lot of those people they're all New Yorkers and the Met gala is a part of the fabric of New York life.

00:12:51
Speaker 2: Anyway, Oh, I say what, you didn't use fabric myself? Bloop? Yes, Dylan.

00:12:58
Speaker 3: If they lose Game two, though, are they gonna be like go back to the metal?

00:13:01
Speaker 4: Ben?

00:13:01
Speaker 2: Come on, Should the Mets have a Mets gala? No where everybody shows up very you know, fashion friendly. A Mets gala.

00:13:18
Speaker 3: Or wearing garbage bags would be wow.

00:13:20
Speaker 2: Okay, No, I told you you know what's going to happen. The Mets second half of the season are going to be crazy great, and then they're going to raise your hopes and then it'll be a crashing fall.

00:13:31
Speaker 7: Yes, Paul ben Stiller was ahead of this. Right after the Knicks one the other night. He tweeted out, I guess I have to go to the Met ball again. On Wednesday. Okay, don't mess with a streak.

00:13:40
Speaker 2: Okay, he gets it showing a sense of humor there, funny guy. But we did invite him on. But did we get a response. We did not get a response. We used to in the past when we've invited him on. But he did respond and then liked some of our social media things yesterday.

00:13:59
Speaker 3: Yes deal, would you go to the mac Alladan if invited one time just to kind of see what it's all about.

00:14:05
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, but I would not know you know, what to wear, how to dress when you go to that, I'll help you. Well, guys can get by with not crazy things. It's the women who have crazy outfits there.

00:14:22
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's they all I learned yesterday in my mcaller research. They all all that people attending and outfits have to be pre approved by Anna Windtor so she gets like the final look, which is actually makes it even crazy when you see some of the outfits where she's like, yeah, that's good.

00:14:37
Speaker 2: But you're not allowed to have garlic or onions in any of the dishes to prevent bad breath.

00:14:42
Speaker 3: That's good for you.

00:14:44
Speaker 2: No brushetta because it's messy. No parsley or chibes because they get stuck in your teeth. Spouses are seated at different tables from one another, phones are banned, and you can greet a win tour for a maximum of twenty seconds. Yes, what is that all about? It?

00:15:07
Speaker 7: That harkens back to like certain celebrities a host when you're going there show, you can't look them right in the eye or don't engage them if you see them in the hall or in the elevator.

00:15:14
Speaker 5: I just we're all human beings.

00:15:15
Speaker 3: I hate when I hear those stories.

00:15:17
Speaker 4: Thank you, Todd, welcome.

00:15:18
Speaker 7: Yes, well, I actually like the twenty second rules. Quick small talk? How are you good to see you? What are you wearing?

00:15:23
Speaker 2: I ice to meet you.

00:15:24
Speaker 5: Let's go.

00:15:24
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:15:25
Speaker 1: Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

00:15:35
Speaker 2: Hey is Covino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio Now.

00:15:38
Speaker 8: In addition to hearing us live weekdays from five to seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, We're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for the show.

00:15:47
Speaker 3: Yup, that's right.

00:15:48
Speaker 8: You can now watch Covino and Rich live on YouTube every day.

00:15:52
Speaker 2: All you gotta do.

00:15:52
Speaker 8: Search Covino and rich FSR on YouTube again, go to YouTube search Covino and rich FSR. Check us out on YouTube, Subscribe, hit that thumbs up icon, comment away.

00:16:05
Speaker 2: He's Tim Legler ESPN NBA analyst. He'll be on the call tonight. It's game two Sixers and the Knicks at the Garden tip off seven Eastern on the mother Ship. How you feeling deep?

00:16:18
Speaker 5: What's up? How are you man? Good to be with you?

00:16:20
Speaker 2: Everything's good? How should Nick fans be feeling after Game one.

00:16:25
Speaker 5: Right now?

00:16:26
Speaker 9: Not just because of Game one, but because of the way they closed out the Atlanta series. Nobody in the league is playing better than the Knicks. Of all the teams left in the playoffs, this is the team right now that is the most dominant on both ends of the floor. So they should be feeling very, very confident. Look, Philadelphia is probably gonna give them their best punch tonight. I expected the Knicks to win that game rather handily, just because you know, Philly went seven with Boston. They that's their you know, their nemesis that continually knocks them out of the playoffs. They overcame a three to one deficit. You turn around forty eight hours later less than that, and you're playing the Knicks in the garden who've been sitting there waiting on you. So I kind of figured that I didn't think it'd be as bad as it was. I think now you find out what kind of series this is going to be. Tonight, Philadelphi's gonna punch back. But as I said, the Knicks are in the best offensive rhythm they've been in all season, and they are now combining that with a very physical, energized defense. And this is what it looks like when you get a team playing their absolute best basketball.

00:17:26
Speaker 2: But what changed? They were down two to one to the Hawks and then what clicked? What was different from then on to where we are now.

00:17:37
Speaker 9: For me, the biggest change was mid series, and Mike Brown's alluded to.

00:17:41
Speaker 5: This, they had to unlock their offense.

00:17:45
Speaker 9: And to me, when their offense was unlocked, it that's what's kind of energized their defense.

00:17:49
Speaker 5: And how do they unlock their offense?

00:17:51
Speaker 9: They sort of changed the way they were utilizing Karl Anthony Towns and where he was catching the ball and including him as more of a guy that they could go to early in the offense and he could use his passing a little bit more. And it wasn't just the assist numbers, like it's easy to say that if a guy gets more assisted, oh you know, they ran the ball through him a little bit more. No, Like, if you watch them, it was obvious they're like, hey, listen, Carl Anthony Towns likes to catch the ball at the top of the key and the elbows anyway, and he's being guarded by a smaller guy in a congu who's an undersized center. So Carl Anthony Towns has all these passing windows available to him and if that's where he wants the ball, and he's gonna feel more included and we're not gonna worry about it shot attempts because it wasn't like he was shooting more as his scoring numbers weren't up. It was his inclusion and utilizing him from that spot to start to like really.

00:18:40
Speaker 5: Run their offense and pick them apart.

00:18:42
Speaker 9: And it unlocked things for Ojananobi and Michale Bridges and that's how they finished off that series. And then their defense just was was, I said, more up on their toes because things were going better on the other end, and it's led to this.

00:18:55
Speaker 5: I give Mike Brown credit.

00:18:56
Speaker 9: Some guys are so married to how they want to coach offensively, where guys should be, they know what's best all the time.

00:19:03
Speaker 5: It takes, you know, a guy that's.

00:19:05
Speaker 9: Willing to really look at his team mid series and say, you know what, we need to adjust something. Here they did it. It unlocked everything and here we go. Man four straight games and particularly these last two. You know, it's it's almost perfect basketball that they're playing right now, and it's going to see what Philadelphia could do.

00:19:23
Speaker 5: To disrupt it.

00:19:25
Speaker 2: When it comes to a home court advantage, you know the Garden used to rock. It's still rocking now. But you know we would single out Boston Garden, Madison Square Garden. But what makes a true home court advantage? How does that affect you as a player a visiting player.

00:19:42
Speaker 9: I think a big part of it is Number one, you know, they're just they're ready at the tip and most of most of the arenas you're talking about now, and then you know teams that they are good teams that were the fan base things.

00:19:53
Speaker 5: They really have a shot.

00:19:54
Speaker 9: That's typically the case in the playoffs, but it is the lack of the peaks and valleys throughout the game, you know what I mean, And that's staying with your team when there is a ten to two run the other way, and and staying in it understanding like just the pulse of the game, and when they need a little more from you as a crowd. For me, I know, watching a game on television if you're not in the building, I don't think there's any arena that pops off like the Garden.

00:20:21
Speaker 5: When the Knicks are good and the Garden is.

00:20:22
Speaker 9: Rocking like nothing else quite looks like that visually and in your city courts. I look, there are other great environments in this league, Okay, see is incredible right now, even Detroit like the environment that they have right now going on. It's so loud, so thunderous. So there are other arenas that you know, can match what the Knicks crowd is bringing to the table. But I think right now this fan base senses the path is there. It's been laid like this is their year to get back to the finals.

00:20:54
Speaker 2: And last year, last year, the path was there too. They got rid of the Celtic's tasting tae them gets hurt and all they had to do is get past the Pacers, and everybody thought foregone conclusion. That's why if I'm a Knicks fan, I'm like, okay, easy, one game, this is probably going six or seven. You know, we've got to slug it out here. You know, we're not gonna win this in three. So I think having a sense of reality would help.

00:21:21
Speaker 5: Yeah, well, I think that.

00:21:23
Speaker 9: Listen, Northeast Corridor cities New York, Philly, Boston similar in this in this regard, right, So when when their teams playing well like the Knicks are right now, it's like, there's no way we can anybody can stop us. And if they lose a couple of games in a row, like they did in the Atlanta series, it's like, oh my, here we go, and you're talking about off season personnel changes already you're down two to one in a series.

00:21:44
Speaker 5: That's just kind of how those cities work.

00:21:46
Speaker 9: It's why, that's why there's just such great passionate you know, fan base. It's not always the easiest places to play as as an athlete, but when when things are going well, there's nothing quite like it, like that support that you're going to get. And I just think the way that everybody's sort of looking at the landscape in the East.

00:22:03
Speaker 5: The Celtics are no longer there.

00:22:05
Speaker 9: You didn't have to deal with the Pacers, who were in the finals last year because of the injury to Halli Burton, you know, Tatum even missing most of the year changed the Celtics regular season and they weren't able to get it done at the end. You've got a Detroit Pistons team that's a sixty win team and elite defensive team. But I think, you know, the New York Knicks feel like, hey, you know, we took care of them a year ago. Now I know the Pistons beat them up this year in a regular season, So that'll be an interesting matchup if we get there. A lot of basketball to be played. But right now, I'm telling you, the Knicks are so confident. Everybody in their starting lineup is playing well. They're getting great contributions X factor type stuff from their bench. Seems like Mike Brown's pushing all the right buttons right now. It's just this incredible momentum surge for the New York Knicks right now, and somebody's got to try to slow this down. Philadelphia's got to try to make something happen to.

00:22:53
Speaker 2: Night seventy six ers knicks at the garden on the Mothership at seven Eastern watching the Lakers land. There's only so much Lebron can do. The fact he's doing as much as he's doing at his age is remarkable. And then I know people are probably going to look at his comment where it sounded like an excuse when he says, well, we don't have Lucas. It's a fact and he was asked about it, so it's not like he said, oh, we lost Hey, keep in mind, I don't have Luca out there. We're gonna probably turn it. So you know, it's against it's anti Lebron because he's making excuses there. What do you expect out of this series?

00:23:37
Speaker 5: I mean, look, he's listen.

00:23:38
Speaker 9: You can't deny the fact that you're talking about the best defensive team in the NBA.

00:23:42
Speaker 5: And then you know, it's an argument that San Antonio is right there. Detroit is a great defense.

00:23:46
Speaker 9: So but to me, Oklahoma City is the best defense in the league because the number of guys that they have on the perimeter with elite lateral speed, strength. They've just got more of those guys than anybody and they've also got chet Holmgrin back there as well. It's so difficult to operate your offense against them because it's so difficult to crack the outer shell and beat your guy, whether it's picking roll or one on one and get by them.

00:24:09
Speaker 5: Because they're so good defensively.

00:24:11
Speaker 9: So to take a guy like Luka Doncic that's that big, that strong, that good offensively, the best probably in the league at being able to collapse defenses and take.

00:24:21
Speaker 5: Him out of the series. It's not an excuse. It is a reason. This is one of the best offensive players in the game.

00:24:28
Speaker 9: And now you don't have him, you don't have an in rhythm Austin Reeves, you know, so you know, credit to him. He made it back. He's not close to being at peak form. Austin Reeves is a major difference maker. He's got a handle, he's got strength, he draws fouls. He's really important in this series if the Lakers want to have a chance. Austin Reeves really struggled last night because he's only played a couple of games since he came back from a very long layoff. It's a lot to ask to be thrust into this environment and expect him to be at his best. So, yeah, I was watching the AAOS thing and you kind of did you kind of empathize with Lebron.

00:25:00
Speaker 5: I mean, Lebron couldn't played much better than he did.

00:25:02
Speaker 9: If you take him and Ruey Hatcha Mura take their shooting percentages out of the mix, the rest of their team shot twenty nine percent. You just can't get it done. You've got to make your share of threes. You cannot turn the ball over the way they did against that team, and they just didn't play a clean enough game. The bad news for the Lakers actually is I thought Oklahoma City was like a seven out of their ten.

00:25:20
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's about what I would rate them. There's a lot more there for them.

00:25:24
Speaker 9: It was almost like they could have been had last night if Austin Reeves was like more capable to give them a big night, and they weren't able to do it. Oklahoma City, I think it's just going to get stronger as the series goes on. Without Luka Doncic. I think this is gonna be very difficult for the Lakers.

00:25:39
Speaker 2: What is like to play against somebody who's seven to six, Well, I never.

00:25:46
Speaker 5: Yeah, I guess did I play against seven six?

00:25:47
Speaker 9: Yeah, I guess Sean Bradley, I played with a seven to seven. And I can tell you this, like neither one of those guys looked like what Vicker Webberyama looks.

00:25:58
Speaker 2: Like if you play those guys Arizona.

00:26:01
Speaker 5: Right, George meressoons seven to seven.

00:26:03
Speaker 9: And I remember the first time I had laid eyes on Jerry Marasion when I joined the team, and it was at Bouey State University where we were running like pickup games before the season. And I actually this is a true story. I was over getting like gatorade like out of the cooler, the old style coolers, you know, I used to press the little button where we were getting gatorade, and and and I'm telling you, a massive shadow approached me from from behind and it kind of blocked out everything in front of me. And I turned around and your your eyes were like basically in his like solar plexus, like that's what you're looking at, and you kind of just look up at this guy and it's it's it's really jolting because you know, obviously tall sc guy ever played in the league, but you know he wasn't out in the perimeter jumping out on a switch and like staying with a guard and then tracking them all the.

00:26:49
Speaker 5: Way to the rim.

00:26:50
Speaker 9: If you brought the action right to George at the rim, you were gonna have a problem scoring. But if you gonna ask him to move around laterally a little bit, there's a good chance he was gonna get off balance and not get there in time. That's not the case here. The league's never seen anything like this defensively. The length we've seen, We've never seen the length combined with this level of athleticism and agility. It's just it's just and so for me, I've seen it. Sack Qurtz, I have called games with women Yama. I don't know what that would feel like to try to drive to the rim on a half court defense with Wemban Yama's anywhere on the floor. It's just a totally different approach mentally to what you think you can do well.

00:27:24
Speaker 2: And I saw Anthony Edwards take a jumper over Wemban Yama and I was like, oh my god, Like, you know, Joker had a fade away shot over Wemby, But you know, you're seeing Edwards, who's what six', three going up against a guy who you know is seven to four and with, that you know the you know what.

00:27:45
Speaker 9: Was amazing about that, Shot dan was you know that play you're talking. About he iowed him and one on one and he sort of tried to get him to back, up but he backed up a little. Bit but it wasn't like Women yama fell all the way back to the. Paint he only backed up a little. Bit so when he went up to contest that, shot telling you right, now there's no Way Anthony edwards saw the basket because Of Whemen yama has. Reached there's no way you can stay with your shot all the way to see the rim with that. Length so and he didn't hit anything but net that. WAY i thought the same thing you. DID i don't know how that shot went in because there's no way his vision was. Clear good to talk to, You. Legs we'll be listening. Tonight thank, You. Bud you got.

00:28:22
Speaker 8: It.

00:28:22
Speaker 2: Damn That's Tim LEGLER ESPN nba analyst who said that he could beat me in a three point shooting contest left, handed many many years, ago and he was serious about. It it's probably still serious about, it is that Right? Legs you you said you were very serious that that. AFTERNOON i, WAS i.

00:28:41
Speaker 9: WAS i was incredibly, serious particularly at that time in my. LIFE i don't quite shoot as much AS i used, to but i'd still Be, okay.

00:28:47
Speaker 2: Could you Beat Greg anthony left? Handed Uh, no that's AN nba.

00:28:54
Speaker 5: PLAYER i. CAN'T i.

00:28:55
Speaker 9: Can't you can't be disrespectful to a former colleague IN.

00:28:58
Speaker 2: Nba will come, ON i could shoot that Than Greg anthony.

00:29:01
Speaker 5: Could, NO i can't go with him up with Ga, no.

00:29:04
Speaker 2: Yeah, no we even. Laughed he was taking the little Like Avery johnson eighteen. Footers you, know, yeah you, HEY i, KNOW i know.

00:29:15
Speaker 9: THIS i used to shoot all the time BECAUSE i was coaching AND i was in a gym with my you, know my, guys my, son MY aau team THAT i coached for years on the under armored. Circuit SO i. WAS i was at a gym like two three times a. WEEK i was getting up still a couple hundred jumpers.

00:29:29
Speaker 5: All the way till about what ten years, AGO i THINK i.

00:29:32
Speaker 9: Stopped it's harder, now, man it's harder, now AND i STILL i still get myself ready for my basketball camp every summer SO i can SO i can wow the, kids like that's my. Goal to not walk in there as a guy that was a high level shooter and told up a bunch of bricks for your shooting. Demonstration that wouldn't go very well with my my. Camp SO i get myself ready for that. Week other than, that, MAN i don't spend a lot of time shooting.

00:29:55
Speaker 2: Anymore Reggie miller can still, shoot, Man.

00:29:58
Speaker 5: Oh, yeah, Yeah i'm. Sure i'm.

00:29:59
Speaker 2: Sure there's No and he's sixty like he's he.

00:30:02
Speaker 5: Has they gained one pounds. LATE i don't know how he pulled that off. EITHER i don't know how that's.

00:30:06
Speaker 2: Possible thank, You legs all, Right Dan.

00:30:09
Speaker 1: Jennlegler Fox Sports radio has the best sports talk lineup in the. Nation catch all of our shows At Foxsports radio dot com and within The iHeartRadio. App SEARCH fsr to listen. Live dave mcmanhamon was. There he witnessed the.

00:30:26
Speaker 2: Kind OF i don't, know average game for ok, see if you think about, it it just felt like this was more of a, yeah all, right we got a game, tonight nothing. SPECIAL sga didn't have a great game And lebron showed. Up but anything that you didn't expect happened last.

00:30:44
Speaker 4: NIGHT i think The.

00:30:46
Speaker 10: Lakers if you told them you'd HOLD sga to eighteen points with seven, turnovers you'd like to think that's a pretty ideal circumstance.

00:30:56
Speaker 4: To steal one on the.

00:30:57
Speaker 10: Road but when you shoot ten for thirty off as a, team And Austin reeve goes three through, sixteen and really after two and a half, quarters The thunder look like the team that beat the doors off you in the regular. SEASON i don't. KNOW i, mean they're going to have to find a way to turn the page and not have this seep into what happens On.

00:31:18
Speaker 2: Thursday i'm trying to figure this, out and you'll follow it closer THAN i. Will but Did boston have a different game plan when they're making their? Threes do The celtics or The lakers have a different game plan when you're? Not there's nice when you're just not going to make, Shots but these teams keep shooting these. Shots AND i just wonder how much adjustment happens in THE nba during games when this.

00:31:43
Speaker 10: Happens it's a great, question and certainly anyone who watched That Philly boston, GAME i, think had that thought come to.

00:31:51
Speaker 4: Mind i'll GIVE Jj reddick.

00:31:53
Speaker 10: CREDIT i don't think he's someone who just tries to pound his head into the wall doing the same. Thing he is someone who's shown whether it be with the, rotations whether it be his defense that's gotten better this year by throwing in some, zone by throwing in some two men on the ball, action.

00:32:10
Speaker 4: And obviously the offensive.

00:32:11
Speaker 10: Sets but at the end of the, day if your goal is to get into the paint and collapse the defense and spread out to an open, shooter you are a professional basketball player getting that. Shot and you, KNOW i, understand you, know at some point you got to change, things but you kind of trust the shots that you're generating in that. Sense and The lakers from The All Star break onward or a top ten three point shooting, team and so you, know obviously the one guy missing from that equation throughout these playoffs has Been, lukadacis who is their most lethal three point.

00:32:47
Speaker 2: Shooter AND i know it's going to be spun in a different, way But lebron was asked, about you, know you're not, scoring and he reminded the media, that, hey we don't Have luca, here it's probably going to be spun where he's making, excuses which isn't fair to. Him he didn't, say, hey we, lost but keep in, MIND i don't have any help out. Here so how did you take that answer From? Lebron, yeah and you're totally. Right you've been around it for.

00:33:16
Speaker 10: Forever you know that there'll be some who try to turn it into him complaining or, saying well it was.

00:33:22
Speaker 4: Me to, me it was just addressing.

00:33:24
Speaker 10: The obvious elephant in the room that, HEY i know it looked bad, tonight but we are playing the defending champs and we have the leading scorer in THE nba this season In Street Close, Still so if you're going to honestly assess what you, saw if you don't take those two pieces of context into, consideration then you're being a little disingenuous about your expectations for what the series could.

00:33:51
Speaker 2: Be what's the time? Frame any update On?

00:33:54
Speaker 10: Luca no, Update And i'm just QUOTING Jj reddick by sharing that with. You he has been on the court light, form, shooting not. Much movement hasn't progressed to one on, one hasn't even run to my. Knowledge but the thing about that is these things can change rather quickly once a hurdle is. Cleared he's about thirty five days since he suffered the, injury so we're talking about five.

00:34:25
Speaker 4: Weeks these things can take as many as six to eight.

00:34:29
Speaker 10: Weeks Sean serania reported the other day that sources told him he's being evaluated on a week to weeks, basis which would Mean game two's out of the. Picture but you could still theoretically have a shred of hope for games three and four back In Los, angeles but that remains to be.

00:34:47
Speaker 2: Seen talking To dave McManamon covers THE nba for The Mother's ship is okayse.

00:34:52
Speaker 10: BEATABLE i, mean if you watched last year's, playoffs you Saw denver pick them to, seven you Saw indiana take them to, Seven so certainly they. Are and right now When Jennen williams is out of the, lineup you would say that that's by their second or third best, player so they're more vulnerable.

00:35:11
Speaker 4: Now but then you watch the.

00:35:13
Speaker 10: Game last night and you see guys LIKE Aj, mitchell you see the Other Jalen, williams you See jared McCain come in and make. Plays you see the bench outscore The lakers bench thirty four to, fifteen and you're, like, man if they can do this on a night Where shay literally has his worst scoring game in two.

00:35:33
Speaker 4: Years they do seem like in a class of their own right.

00:35:38
Speaker 2: Now you hear athletes at the end of their careers, say, WELL i don't want to go out like, this but you can't decide what's going to happen By, OH i don't want to go out this. Way i'll come back next. Year there's no guarantee next year is better than this. Year but is there a scenario you see For lebron where this is how he wants to go out or this is how he will go.

00:36:02
Speaker 10: Out there was a time this year WHERE i really believed it was this last, season and it was Early, december after he had made his, comeback and he's doing things like scoring twelve points on the road in the fourth quarter Against philadelphia seventy six ers and afterwards waxing poetic about how much it meant to him to soak in the road crowd because that's a place he's always. Appreciated that kind of narrative coming from him changed around The All star, break AND i would be pretty shocked at this point if this was his last. Season his game is still, elite not what it was in his, prime but it's still all star. Caliber he has found a way to play winning basketball with this team that went sixteen to two with him taking a kind of a supporting role Through march in Early, april and if they make some adjustments to this, roster they should be right, there up with the top echelon of The Western. Conference so to, me it doesn't make sense because he still loves the game for him to walk away from the, game and quite, frankly it doesn't really make sense for him to look for another team to play. FOR i think The lakers offer him pretty much everything he'd want at this stage of his.

00:37:23
Speaker 2: Career does he ever talk and this is probably not the way to phrase, it but just patting his stats like he may not win another, title but the longevity that he's, showing like he's doing something that nobody has done at this. LEVEL i don't know how important those things. Are if you say you're not going to win another title in the next two, years but you're still going to be able to play and. Contribute how much does he care about the final numbers of his career.

00:37:55
Speaker 4: In the STAT i.

00:37:56
Speaker 10: Can tell you that he cares about is he has two assists To Bronnie james as far in his, career he wants to add to, that and he's had one assistants received From Bronnie.

00:38:07
Speaker 4: James like that's certainly accounting stat that he.

00:38:10
Speaker 10: Wants but it's about doing all the things he does to keep his body and mind sharp to still be doing the same thing he's been doing all these years later with the context of. Winning if there was not a chance to, CONTEND i really believe he would walk. Away he doesn't need, it but so long as that sliver of a window is, Open and, Truly i've been told by people within the organization when they were putting together that run in the second half of the, season he really. Believed he bought in on. Everything you saw the best version of Lebron. James if he can stay in that, mode why would you walk? Away because that's the type of stuff that's going to gnaw at you and eat at you when you're only have golf as you're out for years to, come and you'll think back that you, know, THERE i almost squeezed everything out of, that but there was a little bit more.

00:39:07
Speaker 4: Juice left to be.

00:39:08
Speaker 2: Squeezed explain to the audience that you had an opportunity to Ask lebron twenty three, questions questions you've never asked him.

00:39:18
Speaker 10: Before, Yeah so the idea was and AS i was talking to you briefly, BEFORE i thought this was going to be the last, year it was kind of feeling that way and kind of the same. DEAL i wanted to squeeze all the juice out of it as, well and SO i approached him after his season debut In, utah after he missed the first fourteen games With. SATIKA i was, Like i've been kind of thrown around this idea in my. HEAD i just loved to kind of empty the notebook of the stuff that EITHER i didn't ask you because it was kind of a one off throwaway, question like why does he wear the same quarters that every game that The nike he came out with in twenty twenty one and he doesn't wear the new warm. UPS i just always wanted to ask him that to like way more basketball, centric like what haves and and antagonators antagonistic players Like Lance stevenson And Dylan brooks.

00:40:18
Speaker 4: Meant to your.

00:40:19
Speaker 10: Career he, said let's try, it and so over the course of the season it would be mostly always a post game, window more often on the road because we're not trying to get home to our, families and you, know you can linger a little bit longer in the locker. Room and, yeah it's just kind of peppered him with these. Questions then to his, credit he played ball like there wasn't one of them that he, said, No i'm not going to answer, That and for the most, PART i think there was some insightful.

00:40:49
Speaker 2: Answers what surprised you the, MOST.

00:40:55
Speaker 10: I think that WHEN i asked him about guys THAT i know he Respects, Carmelo, Anthony Dwayne, Wade Richard, jefferson Guys tracy, McGrady his peers in the, game several of his teammates and that have gone on to broadcasting. Careers WHEN i was asking, him does he look to them as an example of how you fill your time in, Retirement he's.

00:41:21
Speaker 2: Like F, No.

00:41:24
Speaker 4: He's, like it's not because there's anything.

00:41:26
Speaker 10: To do with them or, broadcasting JUST i just don't look at my life that, Way LIKE i have my own, journey AND i just found LIKE i think IF i was in his, SHOES i would probably look to my friends and my peers as they DID xx and, Next And i'm going to try to DO xx AND x as a way to kind of have what we all know to be a really awkward and difficult time of your. Life you, know athletes suffer, too deaths when they retire and when they. Expire that would be SOMETHING i would do to try to like maybe have a little bit of a head start on. It and he flatly rejected that he puts his mind through what they're going through at.

00:42:08
Speaker 4: ALL i thought that was pretty.

00:42:09
Speaker 2: Revealing when do you think not everybody turned on, him but when do you think there was THIS i don't know if it was fatigue that people had with him social. Media mike didn't go through social. Media so it just felt, like was there a time where this went from a feel good, story local kid without a, Dad, leeds you, know goes with The, cavaliers does everything they possibly, can and THEN i didn't know if it was when he went To miami that all of a sudden it's, like, oh, Okay michael never did. This you had to go you want to wear twenty? Three you want to Be Michael jordan has lebron ever or did you talk to him about being the villain or how did he become a.

00:42:55
Speaker 10: VILLAIN i actually didn't talk to him about that BECAUSE i feel like that's some that he kind of had exercise those demons in His miami, tenure AND i didn't start covering him day to day until twenty fourteen when he Left miami go To. CLEVELAND i could tell you from speaking to people within his kind of, orbit HIS q score plummeted from the, decision and that was something.

00:43:24
Speaker 4: That was the reason why he hired a.

00:43:28
Speaker 10: Political strategist to be his publicist for many years and tried to find a way to dig out from under that just, nastiness and he became the poster child of modern sports and you, know not enough athlete loyalty towards the markets they play. For mind, you on the other, SIDE i think if you walk away from his career and take the thirty thousand foot, view the best part of his athlete empowerment that he has been the kind OF i guess the main advocate for is that these organizations aren't going to care about. You you, Know Blake griffin's going to go through a major free agency presentation where they have him up on posters next to dignitaries OF us history for The clippers and the next thing he, knows he's traded to The Detroit. Pistons and so if that's going to happen to, you while you wield the, power you'd be the one kind of deciding that your own. Future AND i think that is incredible AND i think all power to.

00:44:37
Speaker 4: Him where we've seen some.

00:44:40
Speaker 10: Of the backlash that have led from that is too many players who want to follow that first part of that playbook but then not have the accountability on the back. END i, Mean Lebron, james every franchise he's ever played, for he's won a. Championship Four he's the only guy IN nba history to do, that to win a championship and at FINALS mvp on three differ.

00:45:00
Speaker 4: Franchises do you think deep?

00:45:02
Speaker 2: Down maybe not deep Down lebron thinks he's better Than Michael.

00:45:05
Speaker 4: Jordan so that was an interesting conversation we.

00:45:08
Speaker 10: Had AND i didn't want to talk about like goat because that there's no way to really determine. It BUT i wouldn't ask what parts of your game is better than his game and what parts of his game are.

00:45:21
Speaker 4: Better than your? Game and he admitted to, me OR i GUESS i don't. KNOW i don't know if he's trying to.

00:45:29
Speaker 10: Had a problem admitting, it but he Said michael's mid post, game his ability to get to his spot and arise his fade away and then to me the part that he wouldn't say it was, better but the punts he admired about his game was his will to. WIN i think that's What lebron was kind of knocked for for many, years just not having the quote unquote killer. INSTINCT i, mean from the Time i've covered, Him i've seen him make a handful of game winners in THE nba. Playoffs to, me that's a guy who can deal with the. Pressure saw him lead a three to one comeback against the seventy three win team in The Golden State. Wars, again impervious to, pressure and SO i don't know how accurate those knocks for him were on him at any, point but that is the reputation Of jordan that's in the ether that he'll probably never. Overcome AND i love that he spoke to me candidly about the fact that he's four and six in the finals and that's viewed as a knock on his. Career there are people who would if he lost in the first, round lost in the second, round didn't make the, playoffs they would not bring that up as much as him getting to THE Nba finals and.

00:46:44
Speaker 4: Losing, well then you say.

00:46:47
Speaker 2: They don't do that To Jerry. West, JERRY i think it was one to. Nine and your nickname is mister clutch and near the, Logo and, Look jerry was one of my favorite. Players but it feels like getting they are ten times to play for ten. Titles you have to give credit to. THAT i Know mike was, six and, OH i Know montana was four and, oh but Damn brady got. There even if you, Lose lebron got. THERE i, mean you can't win it if you don't get. There AND i always thought that that was a shame that it was viewed as a. Negative, well he can't win the big. One Jerry, west as great as he, was only won one.

00:47:24
Speaker 10: Title AND i, mean, yeah you're a golf, guy, right and he's becoming a golf. Lager like we look at all the second place finishes for guys like you, Know tiger And arnold and yeah.

00:47:36
Speaker 2: That's jack had nineteen second place.

00:47:38
Speaker 10: Finishes, there you, go, right that's something that should be celebrated the fact that you were playing On sunday with something to play. For lebron's been playing In june with something to play. FOR i don't think we'll see another player that to, me is as important of any stat.

00:47:56
Speaker 4: That he was able to kind of accomplish at this.

00:48:00
Speaker 2: Time thanks for spending. Time we appreciate. It thanks for the, Insights, dave you got it. Anytime dave McManaman