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Arizona 0:01:10.840 --> 0:01:14.039 one eight eight seven seven seven or visit c CpG 0:01:14.240 --> 0:01:16.600 dot org slash chat Connecticut one hundred gambler or visit 0:01:16.640 --> 0:01:19.360 fandel dot com slash rg in Colorado, Indiana, Jersey, and 0:01:19.400 --> 0:01:21.760 Virginia eight seven seven seven seven zero stop in Louisiana. 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:23.520 Wanted hundred two seven O seven one one seven for 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:25.560 confidential health in Michigan on eight seven seven h O 0:01:25.640 --> 0:01:27.440 P E n Y or text h O P E 0:01:27.560 --> 0:01:29.200 n Y for six seven three six nine in New York, 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:33.200 tennessee redline eight nine Tennessee visit one eight hundred gamble 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:44.480 dot in West Virginia. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to 0:01:44.520 --> 0:01:47.600 the Trademond Green Show. As you notice, is season two 0:01:47.800 --> 0:01:51.440 and I am honored to have this next guest as 0:01:51.480 --> 0:01:56.240 our first guest of season two. Um a brother of mine, 0:01:56.280 --> 0:02:00.440 of a mentor of mine who needs no introduction. He 0:02:00.520 --> 0:02:03.800 actually has a memoir coming out January seventeenth. To make 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:07.880 sure you go preorder that and check that out as 0:02:08.000 --> 0:02:11.679 I am extremely excited. It is called Straight Shooter, That 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:16.240 No More Mercy Podcast with Stephen A. Smith. First take 0:02:16.480 --> 0:02:20.160 host co host, I say, the Starter show. However you 0:02:20.160 --> 0:02:23.400 would like to refer to him, you do yourself, but 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:25.600 I'm honored to have this next guest. Thank you for 0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:27.960 coming on the show. My brother Stephen A. Smith was 0:02:28.000 --> 0:02:30.240 going on, what's up big time? How you doing, man? 0:02:30.280 --> 0:02:34.800 How's everything? I'm fantastic. How about you? I'm doing great man. 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:36.799 I want to applaud you, man, because you know, you've 0:02:36.800 --> 0:02:39.600 always been a great brother. I mean, usually you got 0:02:39.639 --> 0:02:42.120 cats like Lebron with the shop of the show. They 0:02:42.200 --> 0:02:44.440 run for somebody like me. They don't want me on, 0:02:44.880 --> 0:02:47.800 you know, but but Draymond broke me on. You know. Now, 0:02:47.840 --> 0:02:51.160 I'm just playing. What's going on? Man? What's up? Man? 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:53.640 Nothing much? It's funny that you say that. I was 0:02:53.720 --> 0:02:56.919 just gonna say, I'm nervous as hell for this interview. 0:02:56.960 --> 0:03:00.320 I've probably done more preparing for this interview than I have. 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:03.760 And I and and and the reason being, I think 0:03:04.880 --> 0:03:08.960 you respect greatness and when when someone is great at something, 0:03:09.120 --> 0:03:11.799 you you only want to bring your best to that. 0:03:11.919 --> 0:03:16.239 And so I understand and and appreciate you as as 0:03:16.280 --> 0:03:20.040 the goat. And and when I say the goat, it's 0:03:20.160 --> 0:03:24.079 it's it's from a different perspective than most people will 0:03:24.120 --> 0:03:25.519 look at it. I think when you when you think 0:03:25.560 --> 0:03:27.959 of sports media, you're right up there at the top 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:31.480 of anybody. But I personally think you have created a 0:03:31.600 --> 0:03:34.520 lane for your that that only you live in. And 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:37.160 I think, you know, I've watched other people try to 0:03:37.280 --> 0:03:40.440 come in that lane, and to me it honestly, it 0:03:40.520 --> 0:03:43.440 doesn't look as genuine. But when I say the goat, 0:03:43.840 --> 0:03:47.560 I look at someone who's who's went about staying true 0:03:47.600 --> 0:03:51.520 to themselves and yet creating a lane like you have. 0:03:52.200 --> 0:03:57.160 And I think my first question would be, um, how, 0:03:57.240 --> 0:04:00.520 how how did you and coming into this business, and 0:04:00.640 --> 0:04:03.000 especially coming in in the nineties, when you came in, 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:07.640 how how was it almost impossible or hard, I would say, 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:10.800 to stay true to yourself and extending to the greatness 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:13.480 that you have. Oh, no question, it was very, very 0:04:13.480 --> 0:04:15.800 difficult to see. What happened is that there was no 0:04:15.960 --> 0:04:20.240 social media, so there was no Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok 0:04:20.360 --> 0:04:24.360 or anything like that. To be a person that would 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:29.240 ultimately have a license to express your opinions, you had 0:04:29.279 --> 0:04:33.840 to work through a mind field. In in media, you 0:04:33.880 --> 0:04:36.960 had to write, you had to report, you had to 0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:40.800 break stories, you had to cultivate contacts and resources, and 0:04:40.839 --> 0:04:42.800 then after you did all of that, you had to 0:04:42.880 --> 0:04:46.640 hope and pray that there were bosses, editors, et cetera 0:04:47.600 --> 0:04:51.159 that was supportive enough to want to elevate you. One 0:04:51.160 --> 0:04:53.320 of the things that I told people all the time 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:56.640 is that you know a legend like Mike will Bond, 0:04:56.720 --> 0:04:59.599 the true legend in our business, who've been around for many, 0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:04.200 many years along with various others. The reason why Mike 0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:06.600 Wilbon was such a legend as because Mike will Bon 0:05:06.760 --> 0:05:09.160 was one of the first to ever get an opportunity 0:05:09.200 --> 0:05:12.120 to express his opinion. You know, guys like the late 0:05:12.200 --> 0:05:15.359 Ralph Wiley, God rest his soul, and others had you know, 0:05:15.480 --> 0:05:19.200 relate Brian Burwell who was a friend for USA today. 0:05:19.279 --> 0:05:22.080 They were pioneers because they were put in a position 0:05:22.080 --> 0:05:24.479 where they got a license to express their opinion. In 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:29.479 two thousand and three, Dre I became a general sports columnist. 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:32.520 Columnists is the highest title that you can have because 0:05:32.560 --> 0:05:35.479 it's the license to give your opinion, not just report. 0:05:36.360 --> 0:05:40.880 I was the twenty first African American in American history 0:05:41.480 --> 0:05:44.280 to get that time. That means there was only That 0:05:44.320 --> 0:05:47.160 means there was only twenty before me. Now you can 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:49.200 look at it and say, wow, that's a great accomplishment. 0:05:49.720 --> 0:05:52.920 But there's a negative to that. That means in two 0:05:52.960 --> 0:05:55.679 thousand and three, as recently as two thousand and three, 0:05:56.120 --> 0:06:01.680 throughout American history, American never saw a fit but twenty 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:04.919 other black people to be to have a license to 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:09.680 express their opinion. So understanding that I always wanted to 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:12.960 express myself, which is why when guys like you and 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:16.440 others came along later and took full advantage of the 0:06:16.520 --> 0:06:19.680 ability to express yourself, I was like, hold up, hold on, 0:06:19.760 --> 0:06:22.200 hold up, I think I got a problem with it. 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:24.760 This is what I wanted. I want you to express 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:26.720 the stuff. I want you to have that freedom. I 0:06:26.760 --> 0:06:30.839 don't want you to feel because you couldn't control the message. 0:06:30.880 --> 0:06:34.120 Back then, you had to hope and pray that you 0:06:34.160 --> 0:06:37.920 could cultivate a relationship with somebody well enough to express 0:06:37.920 --> 0:06:41.159 so they could express themselves on your behalf. You don't 0:06:41.160 --> 0:06:43.320 have to do that today, And I'd like to believe 0:06:43.360 --> 0:06:46.760 I had something to do with helping that happen. I 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:51.440 definitely think so. Um. You know I, over the course 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:53.920 of the years you've been want to welcome to banter 0:06:54.120 --> 0:06:57.240 You've you've been you know, the candor, that's something that 0:06:57.279 --> 0:06:59.640 you've always welcome. Where where do you think that comes 0:06:59.640 --> 0:07:02.360 from the that come from growing up in New York 0:07:02.560 --> 0:07:05.680 um or or does that just come from you know, 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:08.920 your makeup and your building media. It's a combination of both. 0:07:08.960 --> 0:07:11.440 I'm from the streets of New York City, bro Um. 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:13.960 You know, on my best day, I can never ball 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:16.840 like you. You know, step as an idol, you know, 0:07:16.960 --> 0:07:19.960 Lebron and somebody I bodolize. I'm an m J dude 0:07:20.000 --> 0:07:23.320 all day every day, you know. I mean, the list 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:25.960 goes on and on. But you know, you talk in 0:07:26.080 --> 0:07:29.240 sports and you gotta remember and I often tell people 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:30.840 this when it comes to the world, when it comes 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:34.239 to the world of sports, everybody thinks they're an expert. 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:38.040 That's what people don't realize. See what news and politics 0:07:38.040 --> 0:07:41.040 and stuff like that. We're deferential to people because you 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:43.760 might know things about policy that I might not know, 0:07:44.320 --> 0:07:48.040 you know, legislation, all this stuff we don't know. That's 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:50.640 the fear that people haven't getting involved because you don't 0:07:50.640 --> 0:07:53.040 want to open your mouth and be completely ignorant, because 0:07:53.040 --> 0:07:55.640 you know, you don't know what's going on the Capitol Hill, 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:59.200 right But in sports, nobody can tell you anything. If 0:07:59.240 --> 0:08:00.840 you're sort of dude play and he shot through for 0:08:00.920 --> 0:08:04.080 twenty then he shot through with twenty and so so 0:08:04.160 --> 0:08:07.640 so so to me, my aspiration was always to be 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:12.200 a commentator slash columnist. The reason why is because I 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:15.360 knew that the news was the news. Okay, here it is. 0:08:15.760 --> 0:08:19.520 And then if you had enough, if you cultivated enough sources, alright, 0:08:19.600 --> 0:08:22.400 fine you could you could put that out to everybody. 0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:24.600 But people want to know how you feel in the world, 0:08:24.600 --> 0:08:26.880 in the world of sports because they want to They 0:08:26.880 --> 0:08:29.040 want one or two things. They want to know that 0:08:29.080 --> 0:08:32.280 you agree with them, and if you don't agree with them, 0:08:32.280 --> 0:08:36.319 they want to know why so they can argue with you. 0:08:36.880 --> 0:08:40.880 You play your four time champion and you have people 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:42.880 that will come to you and literally try to tell 0:08:42.960 --> 0:08:45.559 you what's going on with the go to State Warriors, 0:08:45.720 --> 0:08:47.360 even if you're the want of the lock rom and 0:08:47.440 --> 0:08:49.520 you don't want to stays and all of this stuff 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:52.800 that they're they're not asking on you're asking. They're literally 0:08:52.880 --> 0:08:56.120 telling you, not that being this is what's going on, 0:08:56.360 --> 0:08:59.440 and they have no clue. And so for me, I've 0:08:59.559 --> 0:09:03.119 offered it. I knew that I was never that way. 0:09:03.480 --> 0:09:07.080 I always brought it myself, and being a guy that 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:12.040 was an instigator and a provocateur of of dialogue. I'm 0:09:12.080 --> 0:09:15.920 the guy that got you talking about what needed to 0:09:16.000 --> 0:09:19.120 be talked about, as opposed to people who wanted to 0:09:19.160 --> 0:09:23.280 create narratives to escape what really needed to be talked about. 0:09:23.679 --> 0:09:25.559 That's what I've always proud of myself to doing, and 0:09:25.600 --> 0:09:28.560 I've been that way since I was young. I think 0:09:28.600 --> 0:09:31.720 that's incredible because I think over the years, Um, one 0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:36.080 thing that I've watched with you um on TV is 0:09:36.400 --> 0:09:40.439 when you've brought other athletes like myself on and in 0:09:40.800 --> 0:09:45.160 a Kendrick Perkers, Matt bons Um, Patrick Beverly as of 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:49.040 recent JJ Reddit You you don't. You don't go on 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:52.840 and claim to know more about the game of basketball 0:09:52.840 --> 0:09:56.760 than JJ Reddick or uh sit there and and try 0:09:56.840 --> 0:10:00.839 to discuss an X and no with Patrick Beverley. You 0:10:01.120 --> 0:10:04.280 don't do that. I've almost watched you take a back 0:10:04.400 --> 0:10:08.199 seat on television to those guys when they come to basketball, 0:10:08.280 --> 0:10:11.760 now never shying away from the dialogue and the debate 0:10:11.880 --> 0:10:15.679 and your point of view, but yet not quite arguing 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:19.079 the xs and ohs of it. And and I've seen 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:23.160 that on TV UM with with quite a few guys 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:26.600 and it and it doesn't make sense to me. Why 0:10:26.679 --> 0:10:30.160 has that been your approach, um, and and going about 0:10:30.200 --> 0:10:34.199 it in your career because it's the right thing to do. Um. 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:36.840 The fact that the matter is on far too many occasions, 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:40.880 athletes are not appreciated to the greatness that exists within y'all. 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:45.360 I'm talking about mentally, UM, the hard work, dedication, and 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:49.880 the knowledge that comes with doing what y'all do. It's 0:10:49.960 --> 0:10:55.720 stupid to want to refree y'all from doing from expressing that. 0:10:55.720 --> 0:11:00.920 That's number one. Number two is respect. You know, JJ 0:11:01.040 --> 0:11:02.760 Reddit comes on the air and there's a lot of 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:05.079 athletes that have come on the air and they expected 0:11:05.080 --> 0:11:08.360 a confrontation, and I'm like, the confrontation is real, but 0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:12.560 not volatile. I want you to know I'm challenging a 0:11:12.679 --> 0:11:16.640 specific point you're making, but that doesn't mean i'm challenging you. 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:19.840 I know that you know more than I do. I'm 0:11:19.880 --> 0:11:23.200 just challenging this point that we're debating about because that's 0:11:23.200 --> 0:11:26.640 what it's about. Number Three, I'm coming from a place 0:11:27.120 --> 0:11:32.360 of journalistic integrity because that's my foundation, right, So I'll 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:36.200 tell an athlete, you know, the difference between me and 0:11:36.240 --> 0:11:38.360 I'm just you know, it's it's what I know, just 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:40.160 based on what I see, not that I've ever had 0:11:40.160 --> 0:11:43.000 this conversation with my contemporaries, so I'm not throwing anybody 0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:46.160 under the bus or anything like that. But you have 0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:48.880 people who think they know and they want to show 0:11:48.920 --> 0:11:52.280 the world they know what you know when God's come 0:11:52.320 --> 0:11:55.400 on first Take or they talked to me. One of 0:11:55.400 --> 0:11:58.400 the reasons I could be so hardcore in my opinions 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:02.280 is because I'm saying, you have every opportunity to talk 0:12:02.280 --> 0:12:04.640 to me, dre who don't have who can't get ahold 0:12:04.640 --> 0:12:07.640 of my number if they wanted, who can't you can't 0:12:07.640 --> 0:12:09.240 feel to reach me, if they want to reach me, 0:12:09.320 --> 0:12:12.320 It's ridiculous. So so my point is that if you 0:12:12.440 --> 0:12:15.480 know how to reach me, and you know I'm gonna listen, 0:12:16.160 --> 0:12:17.840 it ain't my fault. If you don't want to talk, 0:12:18.160 --> 0:12:20.680 that's your problem. But if you do want to talk, 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:23.960 here's what I'm gonna do. I'm not gonna challenge your 0:12:24.000 --> 0:12:26.439 information as much as I'm going to challenge whether or 0:12:26.480 --> 0:12:28.920 not you're telling us everything we need to know. So 0:12:29.000 --> 0:12:31.200 if J. J. Read It comes on the air, or 0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:33.839 Patrick Beverley comes on the air, somebody, I'm like, wait, wait, 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:36.679 wait a minute, now, you know. And that's to me saying, oh, 0:12:36.840 --> 0:12:39.400 you know more than you're saying, or you got more 0:12:39.440 --> 0:12:41.760 to say that you actually saying. Give it to me. 0:12:42.160 --> 0:12:46.439 It's my job to bring the best out of them, 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:50.240 not to make them look foolish. And that's what I 0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:52.319 don't try to do that. I don't try to outdo 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:54.280 them or be right. I believe I have an opinion 0:12:54.280 --> 0:12:56.320 that's better. Sure, I'm gonna bring it, there's no doubt 0:12:56.360 --> 0:12:58.920 about that. But at the end of the day, you know, 0:12:59.000 --> 0:13:02.360 and that's why JJ Reddick was a colleague that's now 0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:05.199 become a friend. And the list goes on and on 0:13:05.400 --> 0:13:08.679 for football players and basketball players. Because I want First 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:11.120 Take to be that kind of conduit. I want casts 0:13:11.120 --> 0:13:13.880 to know, oh the door, the door is open. Here 0:13:13.920 --> 0:13:15.839 you go, you wanna sit, you wanna sit across from me. 0:13:16.240 --> 0:13:19.840 You got sent to say, let's go. And that's what 0:13:19.920 --> 0:13:23.240 it's all about. And hopefully, you know, a lot of thankfully, 0:13:23.320 --> 0:13:25.280 rather a lot of them have gotten that message. Of 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:27.400 not all of them that have come on First Take. 0:13:27.679 --> 0:13:30.320 I haven't had one single problem with anybody that has 0:13:30.360 --> 0:13:33.120 ever come on First Take or sat down and have 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:35.720 been interviewed by me, because that is a message that 0:13:35.760 --> 0:13:38.480 I make sure that they received that is coming from 0:13:38.520 --> 0:13:41.000 a place of respect. I might be challenging this point, 0:13:41.240 --> 0:13:45.080 but I'm not challenging you. Is it different? I think 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:48.200 that's incredible and it actually leads into my next question. So, 0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:52.080 my wife is an actress, and as she's continued to 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:54.640 go deeper and deeper into a craft, I've watched her 0:13:54.720 --> 0:13:57.640 like drop into these moments to like, you know, just 0:13:57.640 --> 0:14:00.080 get into these certain mind spaces that she need of 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:05.040 being for a particular scene or audition. And my question 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:10.600 to you is, in debate TV, um, is there ever 0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:16.760 a point where you personally feel attacked or disrespected? And 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:21.640 does it ever like, does it ever really get heated? Um? 0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:24.320 And in those conversations. So obviously we just had the 0:14:24.360 --> 0:14:27.840 discussion about you with other basketball players and about basketball, 0:14:27.880 --> 0:14:30.000 but that's not that's not all you debate about. You 0:14:30.000 --> 0:14:32.960 don't just debate with basketball players, and it's and it's 0:14:33.000 --> 0:14:36.200 definitely not just about basketball. Is there ever a point 0:14:36.320 --> 0:14:39.240 where it really gets heated? Because I've been watching some 0:14:39.280 --> 0:14:41.280 Debate TV in which we'll get into it about and 0:14:41.320 --> 0:14:44.760 to me, it looks like at times there could be 0:14:44.840 --> 0:14:48.640 some acting number one and at times it truly does 0:14:48.760 --> 0:14:51.920 get personal and really heated to where once those cameras 0:14:52.200 --> 0:14:54.680 go off, there may be some words exchanged. Well, I 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:57.040 would tell you this. I wouldn't go as far as 0:14:57.040 --> 0:15:01.040 saying when the camera went off, there's there's an exchange 0:15:01.040 --> 0:15:03.520 of words because I'm gonna say what I have to 0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:05.760 say on camera, since you wanted to say what you 0:15:05.840 --> 0:15:08.200 had to say on camera, I ain't gonna wait till 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:10.800 we get off the air. If you say something order air, 0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:12.960 all right, you want to bring it okay? Here I 0:15:13.000 --> 0:15:17.000 am UM for better or worse. UM. I would tell 0:15:17.040 --> 0:15:20.160 you that there have been instances Jay Williams and I 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:22.480 have gotten any heated discussions, but it's never a fact 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:24.760 that our relationship because we're pretty tight. I love my 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:27.480 brother and it's cool. Will Kin, who used to be 0:15:27.560 --> 0:15:30.440 on ESPN and is now on Fox News, we got 0:15:30.440 --> 0:15:32.680 in a lot of heated discussions where we were very 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:36.040 very serious about what we were saying, but it never 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:39.400 extended to off the air because I understood that he 0:15:39.440 --> 0:15:42.000 was different than me politically, political maker was different than 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:45.080 mind anyway, So I expect that those heated discussions. I 0:15:45.160 --> 0:15:49.080 remember the one time where things almost got this is 0:15:49.120 --> 0:15:53.560 the one time I almost almost lost it when t 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:57.320 O came on the air and said that Max seemed 0:15:57.320 --> 0:16:02.840 blacker than me. Now I I addressed it on the air, 0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:07.480 but we have almost got dicey. There's a lot of 0:16:07.520 --> 0:16:10.680 stuff that hasn't been involved with t O over the years, 0:16:11.480 --> 0:16:15.880 and it took everything in me not to go all in, 0:16:16.680 --> 0:16:20.320 not to really like like, you know, because let's be 0:16:20.520 --> 0:16:23.840 very very clear, I'm sorry if it offends anybody or 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:26.840 anything like that. When it comes to what I do 0:16:27.000 --> 0:16:30.520 for a living, which is television and debate and stuff 0:16:30.560 --> 0:16:32.680 like that, drowned gonna lie. I think I'm the best 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:35.480 on the planet. I just do. I just do. I 0:16:35.480 --> 0:16:39.240 I don't. I literally don't worry about a human being 0:16:39.560 --> 0:16:43.360 when it comes to debate. I just don't, especially on 0:16:43.400 --> 0:16:45.920 my platform. It's like, you got to be kidding me. 0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:49.560 And so when he walked into that lions then I 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:53.600 had to remember my humanity. I had to remember listen, 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:57.080 I'm a brother, this is a brother. I disagree with him, 0:16:57.120 --> 0:17:00.520 I don't like it, you know, etcetera, etcetera. And there 0:17:00.520 --> 0:17:03.840 are things that I could have brought up, but I 0:17:03.840 --> 0:17:06.320 couldn't bring myself to do it. But that was the 0:17:06.359 --> 0:17:10.720 closest that I had ever come to like getting medieval 0:17:11.240 --> 0:17:14.160 and and and there's a different element that was about 0:17:14.200 --> 0:17:17.840 to come out of me, but I stopped myself. That's 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:21.200 that's I think that self control, especially in what you do, 0:17:21.440 --> 0:17:24.560 like I think it it teeters that line right of 0:17:24.720 --> 0:17:28.399 like you know, like you said, I'm not quite disrespecting you, 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:30.960 but I'm gonna go at you. But the flip side 0:17:31.000 --> 0:17:33.879 that I think people don't realize this. There's another human 0:17:33.920 --> 0:17:37.359 being involved in and and that have actual feelings. And 0:17:37.359 --> 0:17:40.120 these are real people talking and you don't know how 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:43.600 they may feel. So although you you may be so 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:47.560 grounded and your emotions and how to control those emotions, 0:17:47.800 --> 0:17:50.720 how to stay in that space of debating and it's 0:17:50.800 --> 0:17:53.600 just that, but you know, you don't necessarily know how 0:17:53.680 --> 0:17:56.600 that other person may feel and how do you come 0:17:56.640 --> 0:17:59.879 back that person? Well, for me, you gotta remember for 0:18:00.119 --> 0:18:02.760 takes my show, I mean, mole Dy Karen works with me. 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:05.800 She does a phenomenal job. But I'm the start of the 0:18:05.760 --> 0:18:10.040 the show and now I'm the executive producer and everybody 0:18:09.600 --> 0:18:13.240 and thank you and everybody that's come on the show 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:17.040 been hand picked by me. And so what happens. Is 0:18:17.119 --> 0:18:20.320 what I do, dre is. I make sure I spoke 0:18:20.400 --> 0:18:24.240 to every single person on the show before they come on. 0:18:24.800 --> 0:18:26.639 This is what the show is, this is what it 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:29.919 needs to be. I'm gonna challenge you. I want you 0:18:29.960 --> 0:18:31.639 to challenge me and gonna make fun of each other 0:18:31.640 --> 0:18:33.200 and we go laugh. You don't have a good time, 0:18:33.480 --> 0:18:35.800 And I said, when shots to five, shots to five, 0:18:35.840 --> 0:18:38.000 it's all in fun. And you know, and when you 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:43.000 make sure that you you couch, you know, debates with 0:18:43.040 --> 0:18:45.520 that not on an every day Basically, I said, there's 0:18:45.520 --> 0:18:48.880 only one conversation with these folks. But they know, they 0:18:48.960 --> 0:18:51.000 know when I come on the air, listen, I've been blessed, 0:18:51.000 --> 0:18:53.320 I've been fortunate. I've been very successful in the ESPN. 0:18:53.880 --> 0:18:56.560 They know I'm trying to make them successful. They know, 0:18:56.840 --> 0:18:59.720 you know, j J knows I wanted him call a game. 0:19:00.280 --> 0:19:03.280 Richard Jefferson knows I wanted them calling games. You know, 0:19:03.359 --> 0:19:06.800 when Kimberlee mar and Ormanica mc nut beautiful females to 0:19:06.880 --> 0:19:09.000 do a phenomenal job for us, they know I want 0:19:09.040 --> 0:19:11.359 them doing what they do for the for the league. 0:19:11.440 --> 0:19:13.879 Janell bomackay in the job and she's doing an NBA 0:19:13.920 --> 0:19:17.600 today phenomenal. You know, Matt Bond doing this thing. Kendrick Burkers. 0:19:17.640 --> 0:19:19.640 I know y'all had y'all issues all that stuff. They 0:19:19.680 --> 0:19:21.520 don't get me wrong, but that's my man. I love 0:19:21.600 --> 0:19:23.800 him and and I want him to do great three 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:25.560 just like I want you to do great things I 0:19:25.600 --> 0:19:28.760 want Molly to do. And when you have somebody that's 0:19:28.760 --> 0:19:31.840 in front of you that's in my position, that's not 0:19:31.920 --> 0:19:34.440 just rooting for you, but telling you and showing you 0:19:34.480 --> 0:19:37.000 I'm rooting for you and putting you in a position 0:19:37.040 --> 0:19:39.639 like you gotta remember there were times in the past, 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:42.639 on many occasions, whether it was with Skip Bayliss, who 0:19:42.680 --> 0:19:45.640 was with Max Kellerman or anybody else. Dre I could 0:19:45.680 --> 0:19:49.200 have touched on issues, but I left it to them 0:19:49.240 --> 0:19:53.159 because America needed to hear from them, not me on 0:19:53.280 --> 0:19:56.840 that particular issue. It's television, but you also got to 0:19:56.880 --> 0:19:59.080 think about the audience. You gotta think about who that 0:19:59.160 --> 0:20:02.000 audience is and what kind of message you want to 0:20:02.080 --> 0:20:05.640 send and who's best to send it, and so all 0:20:05.680 --> 0:20:09.520 of those decisions are made in real time. And when 0:20:09.560 --> 0:20:12.720 you have somebody that's the catalyst, like myself on first tape, 0:20:13.119 --> 0:20:16.199 that's letting you know, look, I'm gonna disagree with you 0:20:16.200 --> 0:20:19.439 our opinions and our phony. It's authentic. We're giving the 0:20:19.480 --> 0:20:23.000 audience what they want without giving them the vitriol, without 0:20:23.040 --> 0:20:25.680 giving them the animosity or the hatred or nothing like that. 0:20:25.760 --> 0:20:28.800 Patrick Beverley comes on, first, get up and first take heat, 0:20:28.840 --> 0:20:32.480 going off on CP three. Patrick Beverley, my man, like 0:20:32.560 --> 0:20:35.320 a little brothers. I love Patrick Beverley. No know him, no, 0:20:35.440 --> 0:20:38.879 his mother, no, everybody know for years. But I know 0:20:39.000 --> 0:20:41.840 he's not CDP three, and I know that you can't 0:20:41.880 --> 0:20:44.920 talk about CP three like he subscribe. You can't do 0:20:45.080 --> 0:20:47.680 that's just the whole fame. But what are you talking about? 0:20:47.800 --> 0:20:50.679 You know? So in other words, so I had to 0:20:50.720 --> 0:20:56.080 sit up there and challenge him on that without disrespecting him, 0:20:56.119 --> 0:20:59.720 because I understand part of it is their history together. 0:21:00.280 --> 0:21:04.240 It wasn't him just talking. They have animosity towards one another. 0:21:04.520 --> 0:21:07.200 You see what I'm saying, And that's the difference. It's 0:21:07.280 --> 0:21:09.600 understanding that, and then it's pulling them to the thought 0:21:09.960 --> 0:21:14.280 and saying, look, bro, you gotta future here. Don't waste 0:21:14.320 --> 0:21:20.280 your time being dominated by that issue. You can talk NBA, 0:21:20.920 --> 0:21:24.000 you don't have to talk CP three those are the 0:21:24.080 --> 0:21:26.399 kind of things you're helping them because I want him 0:21:26.440 --> 0:21:29.119 to be successful when it's playing careers old. So I 0:21:29.160 --> 0:21:31.760 think about that, and I just shared that knowledge because 0:21:32.040 --> 0:21:35.919 to me, that's my responsibility. I think that's why I 0:21:35.960 --> 0:21:39.480 can appreciate that. Um. Before I get into my next question, 0:21:39.520 --> 0:21:41.800 one thing I want to say is number one is 0:21:41.840 --> 0:21:45.480 just listening to you name all that list of people 0:21:45.520 --> 0:21:48.359 that you just named, and like all the careers that 0:21:48.520 --> 0:21:52.720 you've touched already, and quite frankly, I thought myself into 0:21:52.760 --> 0:21:56.399 that bucket. All the help and knowledge that you've given 0:21:56.440 --> 0:21:59.240 me over the course of these years, I appreciate and 0:21:59.280 --> 0:22:01.199