WEBVTT - EPISODE 8: Jamal Crawford Joins The Show! 0:00:03.440 --> 0:00:06.720 Welcome to this league. I'm cutting in the world of 0:00:06.760 --> 0:00:10.680 twenty four NBA News. Just dude, you lose. Chris Haines, 0:00:10.920 --> 0:00:17.320 did go time, Mark Stein, diet show Time, Chris Haines 0:00:17.560 --> 0:00:21.880 and march Stein. This liague uncutting is underway and on fire. 0:00:22.400 --> 0:00:27.000 This should be a good one. Yes, indeed on fire 0:00:27.160 --> 0:00:30.280 tonight with this episode we got mann Stein. We got 0:00:30.400 --> 0:00:33.239 a special guest today. I mean I hit him up 0:00:33.320 --> 0:00:37.000 last minute. I hit him up because he he was 0:00:37.040 --> 0:00:41.639 just bestowed upon a great honor, a great i'll call 0:00:41.680 --> 0:00:45.720 a legendary honor, and I want to get his um. 0:00:45.760 --> 0:00:47.920 I just wanted to hear his thoughts on what it's 0:00:48.000 --> 0:00:50.840 like to be in this role that he's gonna take 0:00:50.920 --> 0:00:55.000 up on an All Star weekend Salt Lake City. It's 0:00:55.080 --> 0:00:58.880 our guy, our guy. I look, man, this my first 0:00:58.960 --> 0:01:01.200 year cover in the league. He was in the locker room, 0:01:01.240 --> 0:01:05.120 the Portland Trail Blasser's locker room, so he was I 0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:06.880 was a rookie. He was a van at that time, 0:01:06.920 --> 0:01:10.280 and now he's a rookie in his role that he's in. 0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:12.880 You're not wearing the big suits no more, though you 0:01:12.959 --> 0:01:23.959 got Taylor and nobody the other then Jay Crossover himself, 0:01:24.080 --> 0:01:27.560 Jamal Crawford, who is now a colleague of us in 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:30.800 the media side and the colleague of mine with TNT 0:01:31.360 --> 0:01:35.200 Jamal Crawford, and he just congratulations, brother, you will be 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:39.040 a judge for the Slam Dunk Contest this coming up weekend. 0:01:39.080 --> 0:01:43.200 Man Chris starn I couldn't believe when I was asked 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:46.080 to be a judge because I can barely dunk. I 0:01:46.160 --> 0:01:47.880 may have ten dunks in my career. I said, y'all, 0:01:47.880 --> 0:01:50.840 sure you want me to judges contest, but I may 0:01:50.880 --> 0:01:53.440 give a fresh perspective because those guys, they can all 0:01:53.600 --> 0:01:56.560 all the other judges can do every dunk imaginable. So 0:01:56.800 --> 0:02:00.200 you know, I'm being awesome the stuff over since I'm excited. Well, 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:02.480 you are a student of the game, an unquestioned student 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:04.160 of the game, so I'm sure that's why you are 0:02:04.200 --> 0:02:07.920 doing it. But it's funny, Chris said, legendary honor. It's 0:02:08.000 --> 0:02:11.040 also a legendary burden. Now, I have only judged one 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:13.320 dunk contest in my life. It was a G League 0:02:13.360 --> 0:02:17.440 dunk contest at this showcase. But you know, on your 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:20.399 last on the Tuesday night TNT show, you and Shat 0:02:20.560 --> 0:02:22.120 kind of got into a little bit because Shack was 0:02:22.160 --> 0:02:25.600 saying miss dunks, he automatically grades down. While I think 0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:28.160 I was from the Shack school. I graded these guys 0:02:28.560 --> 0:02:32.520 so hard and people were booing me. I was like 0:02:32.560 --> 0:02:35.120 the most hated judge in the history. And this was only, 0:02:35.440 --> 0:02:37.640 you know, the G League Showcase. So all eyes are 0:02:37.680 --> 0:02:41.000 gonna be on you. Are you ready for this? You 0:02:41.040 --> 0:02:44.400 know what? It took some some arm twisting, but my son, 0:02:44.600 --> 0:02:48.000 my twelve year old son JJ and my son Eric, 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:49.880 they were like, Dad, you gotta do this. So I said, 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:52.799 you're right, this is legendary. I've seen so many dunk contests, 0:02:52.800 --> 0:02:55.799 from the Dominique Jordan to the Vince car in two 0:02:55.800 --> 0:02:58.040 thousand doing the Windmills to the Elbow in the Rim, 0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:02.160 to the Kobe Bryants to Jared Riders and Zach Levine 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:04.919 Eric Gordon showdown. So I've seen so many, and I'm 0:03:05.000 --> 0:03:07.320 excited about being apartment for sure. I'm not I don't 0:03:07.320 --> 0:03:08.960 know if I'd be as hard on the on the 0:03:08.960 --> 0:03:13.239 talent as you were Stein, but I'm definitely excited. Now, Jamal, 0:03:13.480 --> 0:03:16.239 let's take me through this process right now. Man. So 0:03:16.480 --> 0:03:18.880 as we record right now, this is Wednesday night, the 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:23.280 Slam Dunk Contest is Saturday. What is your preparation for 0:03:23.360 --> 0:03:25.400 an event like this? What are you gonna be doing 0:03:25.520 --> 0:03:28.440 to get yourself geared up and to prepare? And I 0:03:28.480 --> 0:03:30.040 want to know about like, how are you going to 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:33.600 evaluate when it's time? Yeah, I'm I'm going back and 0:03:33.639 --> 0:03:36.600 watch some old videos obviously, and just see things that 0:03:37.040 --> 0:03:39.240 I may have missed, certain dumps, you know, because you 0:03:39.240 --> 0:03:41.840 want you want originality, you want stuff that's fresh, right, 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:43.560 So you want to give these guys to reward them 0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:45.880 for that. I don't want to get away all the secrets, 0:03:45.880 --> 0:03:48.440 but it may be something that comes a little different 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:50.200 that I think the fans may like as far as 0:03:50.200 --> 0:03:52.200 how the judgment's going and how things are kind of 0:03:52.240 --> 0:03:54.480 looked at. So that should be something to look out for. 0:03:54.720 --> 0:03:57.320 But you know, I'm not gonna be like Stein and Shock. 0:03:57.400 --> 0:03:59.040 They're from the old school. I'm from the old school, 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:00.720 but I got a new school labor as well, So 0:04:01.160 --> 0:04:03.440 I will mix the two together and hopefully as Dumbo 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:07.520 part comes out right. Oh look, I have serious respect 0:04:07.720 --> 0:04:10.480 for anyone who enters the contest at this point because 0:04:10.520 --> 0:04:14.840 it is it is a thankless job. Everybody wants it 0:04:14.880 --> 0:04:18.800 to be as good as Aaron Gordon versus Zach Lavine 0:04:19.360 --> 0:04:21.960 or some of the old school battles like you mentioned. 0:04:22.000 --> 0:04:25.560 Mean at my my my freshman year in high school 0:04:26.040 --> 0:04:28.960 was the year the NBA brought the Slam Dunk Contest 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:33.000 back nineteen eighty four, Larry Nance, Doctor Jay. Like at 0:04:33.040 --> 0:04:38.440 my school, there was nothing bigger than All Stars Saturday 0:04:38.560 --> 0:04:41.440 and the Dunk Contest. It was the number for my 0:04:41.520 --> 0:04:44.320 group of friends. It was the number one night of 0:04:44.360 --> 0:04:49.080 the school year. And but at this point, we've i mean, 0:04:49.120 --> 0:04:51.000 we haven't away seen every time. I mean, it's I 0:04:51.640 --> 0:04:54.080 I feel for these guys because they're like, we want 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:58.000 them to do things that are humanly impossible. Yes, they 0:04:58.000 --> 0:04:59.800 have to jump over like they have to bring out 0:05:00.240 --> 0:05:04.920 a mock fake uh empire state building, their space, need 0:05:04.960 --> 0:05:06.680 to jump over that for us to be like, oh 0:05:06.800 --> 0:05:09.600 that was nice, right, Like we've seen so much stuff 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:12.280 and it's it's it's gonna be a challenge for all 0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:14.080 of them. But I'm gonna tip my hat to him, 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:16.960 and hopefully you know, I'm not can't give any ideas 0:05:17.000 --> 0:05:20.599 now I'm gonna judge, but I'm hopefully inspired him in 0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:23.240 some ways and hopefully you know, Harold minor and Carl Blow. 0:05:23.520 --> 0:05:26.000 You saw Carl Blows coming out, so it should be especial. 0:05:26.720 --> 0:05:30.760 That's right now, Jamal. Also, for those who don't know, uh, 0:05:30.800 --> 0:05:34.400 there are four participants in this year's Slam Dunk Contest 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:37.719 Jericho Sounds from the Knicks, Matt mcclough who just signed 0:05:38.200 --> 0:05:40.320 with the Sixers but he was in the G League, 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:44.840 Trey Murphy the third New Orleans, and Kenyan Martin Junior 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:49.560 with Houston. Now, since these names have surface, there's been 0:05:49.600 --> 0:05:52.320 a lot, you know, there's been some what's the word 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:56.920 I should use, uh, people saying that they're not interesting 0:05:57.040 --> 0:05:59.400 in watching these guys play because it's not watching these 0:05:59.440 --> 0:06:02.120 guys before I should say, because it's not the big names. 0:06:03.360 --> 0:06:06.360 Have you been able to see some of these parts? Well, 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:08.279 first of all, I'm to be honest with you, of 0:06:08.440 --> 0:06:13.120 all the four guys, I saw some dunks from Trey 0:06:13.160 --> 0:06:15.680 Murphy and of course Kei Martin he's been dunking ever 0:06:15.720 --> 0:06:18.120 since he got in the league. But that's that's only 0:06:18.160 --> 0:06:20.600 two I'm really familiar with as far as like knowing 0:06:20.680 --> 0:06:23.040 what they're capable of doing. Like, have you seen enough 0:06:23.040 --> 0:06:25.440 of these four guys to know what they're capable of 0:06:25.480 --> 0:06:28.880 doing this. Decided, Yes, I've seen not all four. I've 0:06:28.880 --> 0:06:31.880 seen actually I believe three of the four and I 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:33.840 haven't seen I'm gonna say who it is, but there's 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:38.240 one I haven't seen as much, and talking to some people, 0:06:38.240 --> 0:06:40.600 he could be an early favorite. You know, so I 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:42.400 know you, I know what you're talking about, but go ahead, 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:45.200 up in his bag. So I'm excited about this because, 0:06:45.920 --> 0:06:49.160 like Shack said yesterday, and like signing a little to 0:06:49.320 --> 0:06:52.440 Saturday Nights everything, that's when you make your name. That's 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:55.240 when people who don't know much about you learn about you. 0:06:55.279 --> 0:06:58.680 They learn your story. Maybe remember Kenny Skywalker. More people 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:01.040 start and Deep Brown pucked up his shoes and more 0:07:01.080 --> 0:07:03.560 people start their story and their journey after those. Aaron 0:07:03.680 --> 0:07:06.080 Stansbury in Indiana, we wouldn't have even have known him 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:08.039 as an NBA player in those days, but he was 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:11.000 a dunk contest fixture. Was it the Statue of Liberty 0:07:11.000 --> 0:07:12.360 with dunk? Did he have? He had one of those, 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:15.560 one of those dunks that were ye time. So he 0:07:15.720 --> 0:07:17.800 always learned about those guys and even the guys that 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:20.280 don't necessarily want it. You learned when Doug West was 0:07:20.280 --> 0:07:22.920 in it before and guys like that. So I'm excited 0:07:22.920 --> 0:07:26.000 about it. Like I said, it's an unbelievable honor. Unbelievable 0:07:26.160 --> 0:07:28.600 you ever judge, if you ever judged the dunk contest 0:07:28.640 --> 0:07:32.240 at any at any level. No, Stein, I actually reft. 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:34.360 I think my lashing the league, I reft to practice. 0:07:34.400 --> 0:07:36.280 I wanted to kill those guys. They were complaining so much. 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:39.840 I said, I'm never doing as kids. Yeah, I'm in 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:41.640 the hot seat. I'm in the hot seat now, that's 0:07:41.640 --> 0:07:46.800 for sure. So you you mentioned earlier, you're gonna be 0:07:46.840 --> 0:07:51.360 a little mixture of new school old school what you're judging. 0:07:52.920 --> 0:07:55.760 You can't come in save. You can't come in Sawve 0:07:56.200 --> 0:07:58.400 because people know you to be in a nice guy. 0:07:58.760 --> 0:08:01.720 I'm in guys, but when it comes to basketball or 0:08:01.720 --> 0:08:03.960 anything related with that, I take it serious. Now I'm 0:08:03.960 --> 0:08:06.160 not coming in, but I'm not coming in with the 0:08:06.200 --> 0:08:08.360 iron fifty either. It's gonna be somewhere in the middle. 0:08:08.680 --> 0:08:10.800 But it all depends. The dunk can be something like yo, 0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:13.040 I know how difficult that is as well, so it 0:08:13.160 --> 0:08:15.680 mail get a higher score. But my question is gonna 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:18.760 be if somebody misses eight dunks a lot. Nate Robertson. Yeah, 0:08:19.280 --> 0:08:21.240 am I gonna give him that that that love on 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:22.960 that knife dunker. I'm gonna say, you know what, we've 0:08:22.960 --> 0:08:26.000 seen it eight times you should have made at this point. Yeah, 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:29.120 those are the dunks that like, it's a fifty dunk, 0:08:29.480 --> 0:08:32.200 but it took you five, six, seven attempts to get 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:35.560 to it. And then everybody knows the dunk you're trying 0:08:35.640 --> 0:08:38.880 to execute already, you know what I mean, Like, there's 0:08:38.920 --> 0:08:42.720 no there's nothing to Yeah, there's nothing to the imagination 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:44.600 at that point. So that's that's what I was like, 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:48.040 And that's that's what And I wish that all judges, 0:08:48.320 --> 0:08:50.240 and I guess that's the unique thing about it. I 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:52.720 wish all judges could be on the same page and 0:08:52.960 --> 0:08:56.760 judge that way. Like if you if all you guys say, okay, 0:08:56.920 --> 0:09:00.600 we're going to duck points for missing or four ducks 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:04.480 in the road before before you start exactly, you know, 0:09:04.800 --> 0:09:07.079 everybody be on the same page. But I don't think 0:09:07.080 --> 0:09:09.520 it's gonna be like that. But yeah, and then Jamal, 0:09:09.720 --> 0:09:11.920 are you going so you just knowing? I know you 0:09:11.920 --> 0:09:15.280 don't know everything right now, but some of these dunks, 0:09:15.360 --> 0:09:19.560 you really have to look at the replay before you, Yeah, 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:22.760 to see everything they did right, Yeah, and I man 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:25.880 missed something, so you're absolutely right. I'm gonna look at 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:28.120 the replay. But I'm telling you I'm gonna be I'm 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:34.720 gonna be firm but fair. I'na be firm over Shack 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:38.600 slash Steine. I feel like Stein's leading towards Shack on it. Yeah, 0:09:38.640 --> 0:09:41.040 I mean, I'm like, I don't. It's not often that 0:09:41.080 --> 0:09:43.080 I agree with the big man, but on this one, Like, 0:09:43.120 --> 0:09:45.480 to me, if you the minute you miss one dunk, 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:49.440 like you've lost me. And it's pretty ironic for someone 0:09:49.520 --> 0:09:51.960 five nine to say that, who couldn't dunk without a ladder? 0:09:52.000 --> 0:09:54.720 But I mean, I'm sorry, Like, if you try to dunk, 0:09:54.840 --> 0:09:58.360 I expect you to make it right. I agree, I 0:09:58.400 --> 0:10:02.920 agree so them all. There's again, there's been a lot 0:10:02.960 --> 0:10:06.120 of pushback on the dunk contest, people saying, man, maybe 0:10:06.160 --> 0:10:09.800 they should go through a hiatus because the big players, 0:10:10.000 --> 0:10:13.240 the big stars, aren't participating. And these are guys that 0:10:13.720 --> 0:10:17.920 most you know, most NBA fans probably wouldn't know about. 0:10:18.320 --> 0:10:20.960 What's your taking? When did you start seeing the trend? 0:10:20.960 --> 0:10:23.559 Because you were playing, when you saw the trend of 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:29.320 stars participating to non stars participate, and do you think 0:10:29.880 --> 0:10:33.520 the dunk contest can be rejuvenated. I think for these 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:37.000 guys and everybody coming afterwards. I feel like this is 0:10:37.080 --> 0:10:40.640 opportunity because people are already going into it, like Yellow 0:10:40.720 --> 0:10:43.520 Dunk Contest. It is missing some stars, it's missing a 0:10:43.559 --> 0:10:45.679 little bit of that flavor. This is an opportunity to 0:10:45.679 --> 0:10:47.719 bring it back. I felt like it was heading that way, 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:49.560 and then you had guys like Zach Lavin and Eric 0:10:49.600 --> 0:10:52.840 Gordon have that classic showdown where people are interested in 0:10:52.840 --> 0:10:55.600 the dunk contests again. You know, the opportunity for these guys. 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:57.679 So I'm looking at it going into it positively, Like 0:10:57.720 --> 0:10:59.840 you know what, you guys have an opportunity to bring 0:10:59.840 --> 0:11:02.360 this back because it's kind of been frowned upon a 0:11:02.400 --> 0:11:03.880 little bit for a while as soon as the stars 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:07.839 stopped being in Like imagine Lebron and Kobe and these 0:11:07.880 --> 0:11:09.800 guys at their peak, the peak of their power is 0:11:09.800 --> 0:11:12.640 getting these dunk contests, and that that right there alone 0:11:13.200 --> 0:11:15.480 brings a whole nother fan base. It kind of brings 0:11:15.480 --> 0:11:17.720 the world to watch it. So you know, we don't 0:11:17.760 --> 0:11:19.440 have that right now at the moment, so we have 0:11:19.440 --> 0:11:22.280 to do it. Collectively. I mean, you understand the player 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:24.679 mentality much better than we ever will, so you know, 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:27.720 just give me your honest take here. I always thought 0:11:27.880 --> 0:11:31.199 there are so many sponsors in this league. If somebody 0:11:31.360 --> 0:11:35.160 put a real a million dollars winner, take off to 0:11:35.480 --> 0:11:38.440 whatever the number is. But just if somebody put a 0:11:38.559 --> 0:11:42.959 crazy number for the dunk contest, would not work. Maybe 0:11:42.960 --> 0:11:46.880 not for Lebron, but wouldn't wouldn't not get stars to 0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:50.280 do it if it was just a seven figure prize. 0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:53.280 I totally agree. But now the way the money's going, 0:11:53.600 --> 0:11:57.760 I don't even know. If a million will say ten million, 0:11:57.800 --> 0:12:01.160 ten million dollars, everybody out there. I mean, you'll have 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:04.080 everybody out there at that point. If you go five 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:07.040 ten million dollars for dunk contests, you have guys who 0:12:07.080 --> 0:12:08.800 ain't dunk in years coming out of retirement and try 0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:11.800 and get that. I think that's what needs to happen. 0:12:11.840 --> 0:12:13.600 I think you're absolutely right. They have to kind of 0:12:13.720 --> 0:12:15.640 up it, and if we get sponsors in it and 0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:19.640 then the dunk contest to be at its peak. How 0:12:19.679 --> 0:12:23.520 many times did you participate in the three point contests? None? 0:12:23.559 --> 0:12:26.719 I actually got invited that right, Yeah? None, I got 0:12:26.720 --> 0:12:30.080 invited one time, and I actually got invited for the 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:33.480 Skills Challenge as well. But I said, if I make 0:12:33.480 --> 0:12:36.079 an All Star game, I'll do everything. But I would 0:12:36.080 --> 0:12:37.840 have gotten dunk contest. I can't even dunk. I had 0:12:37.840 --> 0:12:40.640 two dunks and pulled up lane. But I wanted to go. 0:12:40.880 --> 0:12:42.480 I want to have a reason to go, you know, 0:12:42.600 --> 0:12:44.679 and not just go to do the other stuff. So 0:12:45.000 --> 0:12:48.040 this is my first off ever. Are you so you've 0:12:48.080 --> 0:12:49.920 never been to an All Star Weekend ever? I always 0:12:49.920 --> 0:12:52.079 promised myself I would never go just a party, so 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:56.120 this is my first one. Wow, I didn't know that, Joe. 0:12:56.600 --> 0:12:59.120 How is it being on the media side of the fence. 0:12:59.760 --> 0:13:02.080 I haven't seen you since you've kind of launched into 0:13:02.120 --> 0:13:05.880 all this stuff. All When I hear the name Jamal Crawford, 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:08.480 I think of two things. He loves blackberries as much 0:13:08.520 --> 0:13:10.080 as me. Even though I got to give him some 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:13.160 grief for finally giving him putting his aside, thank God, 0:13:13.600 --> 0:13:18.520 and he On Dirk Navitsky's final home game, Jamal Crawford 0:13:18.600 --> 0:13:22.360 sash add and threw up a fifty burger. In Dirk's 0:13:22.440 --> 0:13:25.240 last game, man eyes on me. I had to go 0:13:25.280 --> 0:13:27.400 out with a bang. The funny party is. I didn't 0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:29.280 know that was gonna be in Dirk's last game. That 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:39.040 was it was. It was believe. I remember having Chris 0:13:39.080 --> 0:13:43.360 come on back with us, Man, I didn't know you 0:13:43.440 --> 0:13:45.440 thought will be You thought it would be one persons 0:13:45.520 --> 0:13:47.760 last game. Both be all hey, I said, were all 0:13:47.800 --> 0:13:50.280 here for burp? They said, oh, we hed for dirt 0:13:50.400 --> 0:13:55.839 in you But no, it was unbelievable. I had ball boys, 0:13:55.840 --> 0:13:58.760 don't get the cameras in my phone out the locker room. 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:01.080 I just wanted to to take that in because the 0:14:01.240 --> 0:14:03.480 city that day was so electric. It was like they 0:14:03.520 --> 0:14:05.560 knew and they wanted to thank him, And it was 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:09.199 like even waking up for shoot around, the city was electric. 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:12.440 I'll never forget that. And to have that kind of 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:14.240 game and have Dirk win, I would have no other 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:17.320 way with him winning that particular game, but having that 0:14:17.400 --> 0:14:19.360 kind of imprint in the game and him mentioning me 0:14:19.400 --> 0:14:21.240 in the speech, and he gave me a jersey that night, 0:14:21.280 --> 0:14:24.240 like it was the perfect send off for both of us. 0:14:26.080 --> 0:14:27.840 What did he say to you after? Do you remember 0:14:30.320 --> 0:14:33.320 he said on the mic? He said, yeah, Jamal trying 0:14:33.320 --> 0:14:35.760 to steal my shoulder night like he tried to steal 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:37.200 my should to night and I kind of and the 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:39.120 fans star booing. I kind of grabbed a towel and 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:41.200 covering my face and laugh. It was all fun. It 0:14:41.280 --> 0:14:43.880 was it was really cool. And on the jersey put 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:47.160 to Jay Smooth, which is really cool. So he's he's 0:14:47.240 --> 0:14:49.440 unbelievable guy. He doesn't get talked about enough for being 0:14:49.480 --> 0:14:52.960 as great as he was as a player. So it's okay, though, 0:14:52.960 --> 0:14:54.720 if we call you a media member, now you're good 0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:59.400 with that? Uh media member? Forever slash forever Hooper. I 0:14:59.440 --> 0:15:01.440 think I'm so I'm wearing between, but I'm to ask 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:03.360 you a question. I'm gonna joining it. I love talking 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:05.920 the game. I was doing this anyway. It's amazing that 0:15:05.960 --> 0:15:07.960 I have this kind of platform now because I was 0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:10.720 just the same thing I've been doing forever. I feel 0:15:10.760 --> 0:15:12.560 like I can talk the game with anybody, and now 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:15.880 that I'm coaching kids, I find different ways to communicate it. 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:18.880 So I think everybody can kind of understand where I'm 0:15:18.920 --> 0:15:20.520 coming from and kind of get a point across. And 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:22.760 they're searing me for the first time. I didn't talk 0:15:22.760 --> 0:15:24.240 so much when I was playing. I try to let 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:27.160 my players are talking and go home. But now you know, 0:15:27.240 --> 0:15:30.120 I'm talking a lot and I'm enjoying it. A lot 0:15:30.120 --> 0:15:33.120 of people don't understand. For those that don't know Jamal Crawford, 0:15:33.400 --> 0:15:36.840 you can catch them on a Tuesday night NBA games 0:15:36.880 --> 0:15:40.400 on Inside the NBA with TNT crew if Adam Left, Coo, Chemist, 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:44.440 Parker Shot and Jamal Jamal. So tell me about the 0:15:44.520 --> 0:15:47.680 chemistry you guys are forming, because the show is getting 0:15:47.680 --> 0:15:49.800 better and better and I can see you. You know, 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:52.440 we talked, you know, early, only your first couple of hits, 0:15:52.440 --> 0:15:55.360 and you know, I was just telling you what I 0:15:55.520 --> 0:15:57.240 what I like seeing about you, and then I think 0:15:58.360 --> 0:16:00.720 you're bringing it to a just a whole new light. Man. 0:16:00.760 --> 0:16:05.000 I think people obviously respect your basketball nots, but one 0:16:05.040 --> 0:16:06.640 thing I think a lot of people didn't know was 0:16:06.680 --> 0:16:09.480 your personality. Like you had a personality. So can you 0:16:09.520 --> 0:16:12.080 just tell me about like how you've adjusted with that 0:16:12.200 --> 0:16:15.400 crew and what you guys are ultimately trying to do. Honestly, 0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:20.000 that was the biggest adjustment because, like you said that 0:16:20.000 --> 0:16:24.080 that particular show, it's basketball, but you want to laugh 0:16:24.120 --> 0:16:25.920 too while you're watching it, right, That's what we all watched, 0:16:26.000 --> 0:16:30.760 Chuck and Ernie and Shack and and Kenny. So I'm like, okay. 0:16:30.800 --> 0:16:32.280 The first show, I was like, okay, I'm a little 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:34.800 too stiff, like just talk like you're at home, like 0:16:34.920 --> 0:16:38.160 and I call it mixtape mall. That's my podcast, mall. 0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:41.640 And I'm just I did fat to make that adjustment. 0:16:42.080 --> 0:16:44.720 It was like, oh, okay, Like we know the basketball stuff, 0:16:44.720 --> 0:16:46.680 but now we're learning about who he is because he 0:16:46.720 --> 0:16:48.800 didn't talk much when he played. And it's just me 0:16:48.840 --> 0:16:52.200 every day. I'm not acting or anything, but in the back, 0:16:52.600 --> 0:16:55.160 you know, we're playing music. Me and Shack are having 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:56.840 a versus. He killed me last night, by the way, 0:16:56.880 --> 0:16:58.880 but we have first time, but we're having like a 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:02.040 versus and all those of the things that chemistry off 0:17:02.040 --> 0:17:04.240 the court, so to speak, you can start to see 0:17:04.240 --> 0:17:06.879 it on screen, and I think that's so important. Like 0:17:06.920 --> 0:17:09.480 I'm sitting next to Chemis Parker. Kennis Parker is like 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:11.560 one of the best players period, man or women. And 0:17:11.600 --> 0:17:13.360 I'm still such a fan of the game, Like, man, 0:17:13.359 --> 0:17:16.439 that's Kennis Parker and left Coo, who's a star in 0:17:16.520 --> 0:17:19.280 his own right right, and then shack Is speaks for itself. 0:17:19.359 --> 0:17:22.000 So it took me a second to kind of get 0:17:22.000 --> 0:17:23.840 over that part and say, yo, these are just friends, 0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:26.040 were talking hoop, and then that chemistry starts to flow 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:28.480 and everything you start seeing behind the scenes is now 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:31.880 coming out on the screen. Oh no, real quick versus. 0:17:32.520 --> 0:17:35.720 You guys are freestyling. Oh no, no, we're playing music 0:17:35.800 --> 0:17:39.520 like we'll pick up okay, Like yes, it was nineties 0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:42.040 hip hop. So we're going and we have everybody's in 0:17:42.080 --> 0:17:44.280 the room judging, and it just it makes it a 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:47.919 free flowing type atmosphere. And that like now I'm like, oh, 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:49.399 that's your shack's my homie, you know what I mean, 0:17:49.400 --> 0:17:52.199 that's my friend versus and that shoul Quille O'Neill so 0:17:53.160 --> 0:17:57.359 much better with that chemistry. That's dope. So I gotta 0:17:57.400 --> 0:17:59.960 ask you a Tuesday night, there was an epic moment. 0:18:00.320 --> 0:18:04.320 What was the studio reaction when this happened? Kauai? You 0:18:04.400 --> 0:18:07.680 got the West the conference being so statned and a 0:18:07.840 --> 0:18:11.399 win can get you up in the standings dramatically, So 0:18:11.440 --> 0:18:13.600 why is it so important to get on a good 0:18:13.640 --> 0:18:17.879 rhythm these next couple of weeks? Like you said, the 0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:23.120 West records are so close together, so you know, any 0:18:23.119 --> 0:18:27.600 win matters, and we just gotta keep getting better ourselves. Though, Kawi, 0:18:27.600 --> 0:18:30.920 I appreciate your excitement. Man, thank you. Back to you guys. 0:18:33.280 --> 0:18:35.960 We knew Chris had that TNT blood because it was 0:18:36.000 --> 0:18:38.919 so dead painted, so funny. Everybody started cracking up laughing, 0:18:39.320 --> 0:18:41.240 and it was funny because Left was like, man, Chris 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:43.520 is such a pro because getting quire to be excited 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:47.120 about anything, it's something in itself. So it was really 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:48.880 good and it came off really good. We all start 0:18:48.960 --> 0:18:51.359 laughing for sure. Yeah, I didn't know. I didn't know 0:18:51.359 --> 0:18:54.520 anything about that. No, that was Kauai. That's a tough 0:18:54.560 --> 0:18:58.440 interview because his answers were so short. Yeah, you gotta 0:18:58.480 --> 0:19:02.800 have that next question, like right, but yeah, but Chris, 0:19:03.119 --> 0:19:05.240 Chris is taking pictures with cool I mean, he's interview 0:19:05.280 --> 0:19:07.680 with Kawhi. He's taking pictures with Kelly Rowland talking about 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:09.760 I know what y'all did on Valentine's Day. That's right, 0:19:09.800 --> 0:19:15.399 that's right, right, Don't don't disrespect ball, don't disrespect because 0:19:15.400 --> 0:19:17.320 I saw I waited. I let the whole dolls that 0:19:17.560 --> 0:19:20.639 Time's Day play out. I saw everybody posting pictures of 0:19:20.720 --> 0:19:23.919 the couples their relationship. I let it play out. I 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:27.119 had that Kelly Roland already in the in the bad 0:19:27.320 --> 0:19:31.320 and I wanna wait till the next morning him with that, Yeah, 0:19:31.320 --> 0:19:33.200 you knew everybody's putting all their best stuff out of 0:19:33.240 --> 0:19:36.200 that day. You said, yeah, I'm gonna have my Thanksgiving 0:19:36.240 --> 0:19:41.560 food the next day while y'all well. I was so 0:19:41.640 --> 0:19:43.600 excited when Chris told me we were gonna have you 0:19:43.640 --> 0:19:46.320 on because actually Tuesday night. And this is the highest 0:19:46.320 --> 0:19:49.960 compliment that you can pay to an analyst. And when 0:19:49.960 --> 0:19:52.280 a writer does it, like when a writer writes something 0:19:53.080 --> 0:19:55.280 that I would say, Man, I wish I wrote that. 0:19:55.280 --> 0:19:57.480 That's like the highest compliment you can pay to a writer. 0:19:57.720 --> 0:19:59.400 And now I'm gonna give it to you as an analyst. 0:19:59.440 --> 0:20:03.400 You said health is the best defense that the Phoenix 0:20:03.400 --> 0:20:05.199 Suns will see for the rest of the season. I 0:20:05.280 --> 0:20:07.440 was like, damn, I wish I said that on TV. 0:20:07.600 --> 0:20:12.000 That's good. So are you You are that confident that 0:20:12.080 --> 0:20:15.480 the new Phoenix Suns with Durant joining Devin Book or 0:20:15.560 --> 0:20:18.280 Chris Paul DeAndre Aiden, You're that confident that health is 0:20:18.320 --> 0:20:20.880 the only thing that can stop these guys. I need 0:20:20.880 --> 0:20:22.760 to be honest with you. First off, you're a legend 0:20:22.800 --> 0:20:24.560