WEBVTT - Bonus Episode pt. 2 0:00:01.960 --> 0:00:05.640 The Dream Team Tapes Season two. Kobe Lebron and the 0:00:05.680 --> 0:00:10.360 Redeem Team is a production of Diversion Podcasts in association 0:00:10.440 --> 0:00:26.960 with I Heart Radio Diversion Podcasts. The players selected for 0:00:27.040 --> 0:00:29.520 the honor of representing the United States in the two 0:00:29.560 --> 0:00:36.560 thousand and eight Beijing Olympic Games are Kobe Bryant. We 0:00:36.680 --> 0:00:38.280 look forward to this for a while, you know it 0:00:38.360 --> 0:00:40.320 to be in this position out here, we don't represent 0:00:40.320 --> 0:00:47.440 our kuns especial special Lebron James. We look for an 0:00:47.440 --> 0:00:49.560 opportunity of weekend on a flam and being the best 0:00:49.560 --> 0:00:51.640 in the world. I guess the Redeem Team is because 0:00:51.680 --> 0:00:54.760 it is right. We're the best team in the world. 0:00:54.800 --> 0:00:56.680 We're the best team in the world. Where we put 0:00:56.760 --> 0:01:00.560 Basketball America, Basketball wheels beat, Which is that time? All? 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:23.160 Welcome to Kobe, Lebron and the Redeem Team. This is 0:01:23.160 --> 0:01:26.399 the second part of a discussion that j Adandhie and 0:01:26.440 --> 0:01:30.000 I had with two notable hoops chroniclers, Jeff Van Gundi 0:01:30.319 --> 0:01:32.840 and Zach Low. We pick it up with j A 0:01:32.959 --> 0:01:38.440 talking about the season's crazy compacted NBA schedule. I want 0:01:38.440 --> 0:01:40.759 to go back, Zach. You talked about how the league 0:01:41.560 --> 0:01:43.320 or just how crazy it's going to be this year 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:48.040 with the turnaround from finishing the finals to basically going 0:01:48.080 --> 0:01:51.440 ahead right over to Tokyo for for the Olympics. One 0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:55.080 of the reasons that they did go for the the 0:01:55.120 --> 0:01:57.320 schedule is the way it is this year is because 0:01:57.760 --> 0:02:00.280 they wanted to finish in time and they had to 0:02:00.320 --> 0:02:02.520 pack all these games in time to do the Olympics. 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:06.560 But we've seen the price that's being paid and all 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:10.600 these injuries and um, you could argue diminished quality of 0:02:10.760 --> 0:02:14.320 play as well. And Zack, I'm wondering the reporting and 0:02:14.400 --> 0:02:16.960 I know these type of things come up. What this 0:02:17.040 --> 0:02:20.960 means long term for the future, and are there any 0:02:21.000 --> 0:02:25.280 serious discussions about shortening the number of games. Obviously there 0:02:25.280 --> 0:02:27.959 would have to be a huge financial concessions to do so, 0:02:28.480 --> 0:02:30.480 but is it's starting to reach the point where the 0:02:30.560 --> 0:02:34.480 concerns about um, the physical toll being taken on bodies 0:02:35.000 --> 0:02:38.360 and improving the quality of the product would be worth 0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:41.960 it to make that financial sacrifice. I feel like that's 0:02:42.000 --> 0:02:44.920 been a semi serious discussion for ten years, but it 0:02:45.000 --> 0:02:47.280 never actually gets serious. Like I feel like we've had 0:02:47.280 --> 0:02:50.280 the same just like Oh, Adam Silver is like, you know, 0:02:50.400 --> 0:02:52.680 result he's open to it. You know, we're just going 0:02:52.720 --> 0:02:55.040 everything's on the table in the league office, and it's 0:02:55.080 --> 0:02:56.959 like and then all the money, the money, the money, 0:02:57.040 --> 0:02:58.359 the money and the money, and so we just sort 0:02:58.360 --> 0:03:01.000 of keep running the boulder up the same hill and 0:03:01.040 --> 0:03:05.200 nothing is gonna ever happen. I I still think I 0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:08.520 think it's a discussion worth having, and and there has 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:11.639 to be some financial modeling that can show that scarcity 0:03:11.880 --> 0:03:14.079 would have some sort of power. Maybe you can increase 0:03:14.080 --> 0:03:17.320 ticket prices, maybe viewership increases if there are fewer games. 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:21.200 But this season, you know, everyone wants to connect the 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:23.880 trend line of you know, the compressed schedule to an 0:03:23.919 --> 0:03:25.680 increase in injuries. I mean, the league will tell you 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:28.200 there is no increase in injuries, but you also see 0:03:28.280 --> 0:03:30.640 teams just holding guys out of games, you know, holding 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:33.200 guys out of back to backs, trying to stop guys 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:35.200 from playing four and five and through you know, three 0:03:35.240 --> 0:03:37.640 and four, whatever it is. So this season has been 0:03:37.680 --> 0:03:40.040 tough and it just we've just Donovan Mitchell just got 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:42.920 hurt right before we came on this podcast. Thankfully, it 0:03:42.960 --> 0:03:45.360 doesn't seem to be more than an ankle sprain, maybe 0:03:45.360 --> 0:03:48.600 a severe ankle sprain, but yeah, I think this discussion 0:03:48.640 --> 0:03:51.360 is going to keep going. And I if you put 0:03:51.400 --> 0:03:53.560 a gun to my head, I think in twenty years 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:55.280 or fifteen years, the NBA is not going to be 0:03:55.280 --> 0:03:58.520 playing eighty two games. I just, I just but maybe 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:01.480 I'm naive. I don't know. For me the answers, I 0:04:01.520 --> 0:04:03.640 don't care what the question is. In pro sports, the 0:04:03.680 --> 0:04:08.600 answer is money. So like if they're asked, if the 0:04:08.680 --> 0:04:10.680 owners are asked, or the players are asked, or the 0:04:10.760 --> 0:04:15.600 league is asked to take one less dollar, it's not happening. 0:04:15.720 --> 0:04:19.360 And um, that's just how it is. It's it's you know, 0:04:20.120 --> 0:04:23.559 at the end of the day. Um, And I agree 0:04:23.560 --> 0:04:28.520 with Zach, like this schedule is insane this year. It's 0:04:29.120 --> 0:04:35.240 it when you can't physically practice. You don't have any days. Um, 0:04:35.880 --> 0:04:39.080 the they call protocols or whatever they call it, but 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:41.839 the rules of testing. You you land at two am, 0:04:41.880 --> 0:04:45.320 you have to be back to test at ten. You know, uh, 0:04:46.040 --> 0:04:48.560 you know we were talking about sleep doctors, you know, 0:04:48.760 --> 0:04:51.280 three years ago. Now no one cares about sleep because 0:04:51.360 --> 0:04:55.039 of money, and so the whole, the whole thing. It's 0:04:55.080 --> 0:05:00.400 been one miserable experience this year. It really had all 0:05:00.440 --> 0:05:03.440 in the name of money. And the problem going forward 0:05:03.520 --> 0:05:06.679 is next year is going to be impacted too, because 0:05:06.720 --> 0:05:09.680 it's gonna be a shorter off season, Like they're gonna 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:12.440 have to start at the right time, and only after 0:05:12.600 --> 0:05:15.200 next season are they going to be able to get 0:05:15.240 --> 0:05:21.320 back into a normal rhythm of draft Summer League September, 0:05:21.600 --> 0:05:25.680 you know, starting October and play a normal lady two 0:05:25.720 --> 0:05:29.840 game schedules. So um, I feel for these players, you know, 0:05:30.279 --> 0:05:36.320 and I am the biggest anti load management. Play every 0:05:36.360 --> 0:05:40.200 game you're healthy to play. But this year, I completely 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:45.120 understand why teams are doing what they're doing. Now. Some 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:49.760 players and teams overdo it and they just don't like playing. 0:05:50.040 --> 0:05:53.360 I've never seen more personal days ever taken an NBA. 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:56.760 I don't know what's happening, but like, there was never 0:05:56.839 --> 0:06:01.120 a personal day taken like in my time coaching in 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:04.640 the NBA, Like not like maybe it would be called 0:06:04.680 --> 0:06:07.719 personal day if a guy missed for the birth of 0:06:07.760 --> 0:06:10.839 his child. But now like we had guys who would 0:06:10.839 --> 0:06:12.440 go to the birth of their child on the same 0:06:12.560 --> 0:06:16.359 day and come back and play. Now that doesn't happen. 0:06:16.400 --> 0:06:19.120 So there's a lot more personal days too, and they're 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:21.160 not you know, you don't know what what the personal 0:06:21.600 --> 0:06:24.279 issues are. Well, and to the point of this podcast, 0:06:24.360 --> 0:06:28.320 can you imagine making the NBA Finals, Like, all right, 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:31.000 we won the championship. Yes, I gotta get out of 0:06:31.000 --> 0:06:34.599 plane to Japan right now because my international team meets. 0:06:34.600 --> 0:06:36.719 I mean it's gonna be and then I get back 0:06:36.760 --> 0:06:39.039 from the Olympics. It's like, oh my god, training camp 0:06:39.080 --> 0:06:43.680 starts in three three weeks. No, it will happen. Whoever 0:06:43.760 --> 0:06:46.320 wins the finals, if they decided to take people from 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:50.880 that last round, will at most have twenty four hours. 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:53.720 I would say, I think we can all agree that, 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:57.080 Um it's you know, Jeff alluded to it in the 0:06:57.120 --> 0:07:01.280 beginning that it's really different coaching national team Chuck Daily. 0:07:01.360 --> 0:07:03.920 Let's face it, I love check Chuck the great late 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:07.040 Chuck Daily, but coaching a dream team a little bit 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:11.120 of a vacation, it got harder. Mike Sachowski had to 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:15.480 Mike make some changes. So I wondered, Jeff and both 0:07:15.520 --> 0:07:17.520 you and Zach can reflect on this back when they 0:07:17.560 --> 0:07:21.840 were choosing a coach, and this was maybe this wasn't 0:07:21.880 --> 0:07:25.160 interesting to anybody else, but a couple of people mentioned 0:07:25.240 --> 0:07:28.240 right away that it was more natural to get a 0:07:28.360 --> 0:07:33.160 college coach to coach that team, and back then it 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:35.640 was either gonna be Stowski or Pop we're talking about 0:07:35.640 --> 0:07:38.640 two thousand five. This is that it was more natural 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:43.040 to get a college coach because the pro coach would 0:07:43.120 --> 0:07:49.920 bring too much recrimination. Hey, something happened invariably he called 0:07:49.960 --> 0:07:52.200 one of the guys that's gonna be playing a punk 0:07:52.400 --> 0:08:00.480 or something happened between there. Yeah, god man. Yeah. So 0:08:00.800 --> 0:08:04.240 I found that interesting because it was the exact opposite 0:08:04.240 --> 0:08:07.080 when it first started, this idea of pros and international play, 0:08:07.120 --> 0:08:09.560 which was, oh my god, they're not gonna listen to 0:08:09.560 --> 0:08:14.040 a college guy. So bringing it to Pop it could 0:08:14.080 --> 0:08:17.440 have just been specific to Pop because he's said, let's 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:20.280 just say a strong personality. But it was a little 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:24.520 bit counterintuitive to many people when Mike Schofsky got picked 0:08:24.680 --> 0:08:29.280 over uh, Gregg Popovich. So any thoughts on that, does 0:08:29.360 --> 0:08:35.120 Zach or or Jeff Well, I would say that, um, 0:08:35.160 --> 0:08:37.360 you couldn't go wrong. I always say when you get 0:08:37.360 --> 0:08:39.880 into these debates of who do you want who would 0:08:39.920 --> 0:08:43.319 you start a team with, Like you can go first, 0:08:43.360 --> 0:08:46.000 I'll go second. I'll be fine with whoever else it is. 0:08:46.240 --> 0:08:49.400 It's the same with that coaching. Uh, decision. I think, 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:54.160 you know, think about the greatness of Mike Shavski, that 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:59.120 Jerry Colangelo would even consider a college coach to do that, 0:08:59.720 --> 0:09:03.720 and then think about the greatness of Great Popovich to 0:09:03.840 --> 0:09:08.360 be bypassed for that long um for a national team honor, 0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:12.440 to coach the team, be such a great representative of 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:18.320 the NBA through winning and his comportment and his you know, 0:09:18.520 --> 0:09:22.280 all the things he brings, and to still be honored 0:09:22.320 --> 0:09:28.720 and humbled two assumed that role. Uh when Mike Shachofski, 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:31.640 you know, stepped down. So you know what what it 0:09:32.000 --> 0:09:35.120 shows me is that since let's start with the from 0:09:35.160 --> 0:09:38.760 the dream team, you know, Chuck Daily, I mean, we've 0:09:38.800 --> 0:09:41.920 had these incredible coaches. I think the one that gets 0:09:41.920 --> 0:09:45.040 overlooked as much as any is Rudy tom Janovic and 0:09:45.040 --> 0:09:47.199 and the and the job he did in the World 0:09:47.240 --> 0:09:50.319 Cup when he had no NBA players, and then the Olympics. 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:54.800 I mean, we have just been with amazing, amazing national 0:09:54.840 --> 0:09:59.319 team coaches. It's the interesting thing about the pop is um. 0:09:59.400 --> 0:10:02.000 You know, obviously there's gonna be NBA players on Team USA, 0:10:02.440 --> 0:10:05.000 but the more NBA coaches there are on the staff, 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:07.240 and the more NBA trainers there are on the staff 0:10:07.280 --> 0:10:09.600 and health people, you said, and this is very relevant 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:11.640 for the Redeemed Team. From at least the players side, 0:10:11.800 --> 0:10:14.120 you start to hear the grumbling from other people around 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:16.480 the NBA who aren't there, being like, well are they 0:10:16.840 --> 0:10:19.360 are those guys getting a competitive advantage? Like they're getting 0:10:19.360 --> 0:10:21.400 to know the star players are getting cushy with the 0:10:21.440 --> 0:10:23.200 best plot that guy is gonna be a free agent 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:25.600 in two years? Is this gonna matter? And people start 0:10:25.640 --> 0:10:28.600 connecting dots, even if the dots aren't really there, they're 0:10:28.600 --> 0:10:30.480 just kind of hazy little spots. But you know, the 0:10:31.480 --> 0:10:34.240 sort of mythology of the Redeemed team leading to the heatles. 0:10:34.280 --> 0:10:36.199 I think that the heat players will tell you that's 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:39.840 been a little overblown, but it's never gonna go away. Hey, look, 0:10:40.360 --> 0:10:43.400 if I somehow end up in the NBA and I'm 0:10:43.400 --> 0:10:47.000 in Japan this year, you can bet my ass is 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:49.320 gonna be well, I don't know what your word is 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:53.040 cozy enough to all the star players, like you're gonna 0:10:53.080 --> 0:10:56.439 take advantage of every advantage that you have in competition, 0:10:56.640 --> 0:11:00.440 every legal advantage. And you know, people said the same 0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:04.080 thing about Mike Trochowski. Did he have a uh uh 0:11:04.320 --> 0:11:08.920 an innate recruiting advantage because he coached these national teams. 0:11:08.920 --> 0:11:12.480 Well maybe he did, but I don't begrudge that. You're 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:15.719 gonna take advantage of anything you have. So and you're 0:11:15.760 --> 0:11:19.000 gonna take Mason Plumbly on Team USA every damn time, 0:11:19.120 --> 0:11:22.480 no matter what. Hey, You're gonna do what you gotta do. 0:11:22.679 --> 0:11:25.640 And I guess what if Curry's on the national team 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:27.160 and he was I don't know, is he a free 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:31.480 agent coming up? Not that potentially after next season, but 0:11:31.520 --> 0:11:35.600 he's he's extension eligible. Now, Okay, guess what if James 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:38.320 Barrego was on the staff because he was, you know, 0:11:38.360 --> 0:11:41.920 Pop's assistant at one time, He's gonna be sucking up 0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:43.920 to Steph Curry like, no, get out, that's just how 0:11:43.960 --> 0:11:46.720 it works. Come home, come back to Charlotte, your hotel, 0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:50.520 already done everything in the Bay Area. Come on, man. Yeah, 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:53.080 if you were with pat Riley staff in the nineties, 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:55.680 when he certainly would have been under consideration for a 0:11:55.720 --> 0:11:58.320 Team USA, why why did pat Riley He's one of 0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:02.600 the great coaches that did not coached the men's national team. 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:04.840 Do you know why that dated? Why they did not 0:12:04.920 --> 0:12:08.920 have him? I mean they had Chuck Daily, so you know, um, 0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:12.960 and I think if if I'm just guessing here, but 0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:18.360 I would think, um, back then, Um, it wasn't the 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:22.560 commissioner pretty much in charge of picking who the coach 0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:26.079 it was, it was Stern And I guess, yeah, Roth Thorne, 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:29.160 we had a little bit of like some animosity going on. 0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:32.679 I think that would be one And I think second 0:12:32.760 --> 0:12:36.240 Day might worry that, which I think was unfounded that 0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:39.240 he he would work the players too hard. You know, 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:43.840 he wouldn't be out golfing with them. Um, you know so, uh, 0:12:44.160 --> 0:12:46.880 but I think it was probably you know, they had 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:50.959 other great options obviously, Chuck Daily, Man, what a great coach. Yeah, 0:12:51.000 --> 0:12:54.440 it's still one of the great lines ever. Is his 0:12:54.559 --> 0:12:57.560 job as a coach is to coach, is to land 0:12:57.559 --> 0:13:00.400 the plane through turbulence. You know, that's his job. And 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:03.680 like like he was great, But I think the animosity 0:13:03.840 --> 0:13:07.680 was real. You forget, Rod Thorne used to work out 0:13:07.760 --> 0:13:10.880 in our weight room at the next Like, think about this, 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:14.360 the head of discipline used to because he lived right 0:13:14.400 --> 0:13:16.920 next to our very close to our practice facility. Back then, 0:13:17.320 --> 0:13:19.280 he had a key to our work. You know, like 0:13:19.640 --> 0:13:23.840 you know, these weren't like spacious or spectacular workout rooms. Either. 0:13:23.920 --> 0:13:26.400 This is like you know, early nineties, he used to 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:30.800 work out there and then when Riley came in, Uh, 0:13:31.280 --> 0:13:35.520 that was closed off, right, So no more team Nick, 0:13:35.840 --> 0:13:38.360 we're all in it together. We weren't in it together. 0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:40.560 And so there was some you know, there was a 0:13:40.559 --> 0:13:45.480 little bit of uh, let's just say animosity um that 0:13:45.559 --> 0:13:50.079 continued on through that next decade. Um. So it was 0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:52.959 real and and you know, I know they think they 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:56.760 were objective, but you know, in some cases we thought 0:13:57.520 --> 0:14:00.160 they may be lacked objectivity. Well that was a and 0:14:00.200 --> 0:14:04.040 so Chuck Daily, Chuck Daily got the job, even though 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:07.360 he coached the most hated team, the most hated team 0:14:07.360 --> 0:14:11.080 of that era. And only Chuck could have waited his 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:15.959 way through that maelstrom of hatred toward you know, Isaiah 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:19.400 and Ricky mchorne and Lamb Beer and those guys. It's 0:14:19.440 --> 0:14:22.240 one of the great machiavelli and if we can put 0:14:22.280 --> 0:14:24.800 it on that one of the great feats political feats 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:28.760 of of all time. And then skirt the issue of 0:14:28.840 --> 0:14:31.280 Isaiah not being on the team also, but this is 0:14:31.320 --> 0:14:34.280 completely old news. Go ahead, Yeah, you were gonna say something, Jack, 0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:36.880 I was just gonna say that that those hard feelings 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:40.360 followed pat Riley down to Miami and the infamous Juwan 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:43.600 Howard case when they signed Juwan Howard and then the 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:48.120 league avoided that free agent contract because they said that 0:14:48.240 --> 0:14:51.680 they had underestimated the amount of solder cast space they had, 0:14:51.840 --> 0:14:53.960 and then pat Riley on a conference call came up 0:14:53.960 --> 0:14:56.320 with the all time classify. He says, the only thing 0:14:56.320 --> 0:14:59.520 we underestimated was the extent of the league's animus towards us. 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:02.200 Never forget that one. We're gonna take a break for 0:15:02.240 --> 0:15:04.600 a minute, and we'll be right back with Kobe Lebron 0:15:04.800 --> 0:15:13.080 and the redeem team. We'll close on this note a 0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:16.480 little bit more serious note as we head toward and 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:20.320 look forward to to the Tokyo Games, and we we've 0:15:20.320 --> 0:15:24.600 seen social justice and speaking out on on on the 0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:27.880 racial issues in our country interwoven with the n B 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:31.240 A for the bubble certainly throughout the bubble with Black 0:15:31.240 --> 0:15:34.880 Lives Matter on the court throughout the current season. And 0:15:36.520 --> 0:15:39.560 it's interesting to think that there could be the potential 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:42.160 for something if you team, sayd Win, were to win, 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:46.320 would there be some type of statement made during during 0:15:46.320 --> 0:15:49.880 the playing of the national anthem for example. Um, and 0:15:51.760 --> 0:15:54.160 it's it's it's a very delicate road in Jeff, again, 0:15:54.200 --> 0:15:57.920 given your experience with teams, a coaching internationally and the 0:15:57.960 --> 0:16:01.240 time you've spent around the NBA, and I'm wondering if 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:03.200 all so you can speak to your brother has been 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:06.760 very outspoken Stan Van Gundy on these issues currently the 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:10.040 coach of the New Orleans Pelicans. How do you think 0:16:10.120 --> 0:16:12.560 that would be navigated? We we've seen the outspokenness of 0:16:12.560 --> 0:16:14.800 these players, We've seen how much it matters to them, 0:16:15.560 --> 0:16:19.120 and what do you think would how would that play 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:22.640 out given the international environment that you're familiar with from 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:25.640 coaching Tmosa as well. Yeah, first of all, I think 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:33.240 I'm so proud of stand and those other coaches, Gregg Popovich, 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:39.360 Steve Kerr, many others. Right, they were way before. But 0:16:39.560 --> 0:16:42.400 this this wasn't a Johnny come lately this year. This 0:16:42.520 --> 0:16:48.600 has been ongoing. UM and so um. People can have 0:16:48.640 --> 0:16:51.760 their own opinions. You know, you read the Twitter. I'm 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:54.840 not a Twitter guy, but like Stan has some supporters, 0:16:54.840 --> 0:16:57.240 some people come at him hard, but I love that 0:16:57.280 --> 0:17:01.080 he's unafraid of taking a stand. Same with the other coaches. 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:04.800 I do think with the national team, it's a little different. UM. 0:17:06.040 --> 0:17:10.479 I think I'd be surprised if any coach or player 0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:16.200 UM refrain from speaking about the issues that UM they 0:17:16.240 --> 0:17:21.080 believed in strongly, But if they took some stand UM 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:27.320 at the Olympic Games. UM, I would be surprised, UM, 0:17:27.480 --> 0:17:32.560 because I think you know, when you're playing for your team. UM. 0:17:32.600 --> 0:17:38.200 I think it's it's just different. So not that they 0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:41.600 don't have the right, not that USA Basketball would ask 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:44.200 them not to do something. I don't think they would, 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:48.000 they would do that, but I would be surprised if 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:51.600 the focus is off is on other things other than 0:17:52.080 --> 0:17:55.199 the Olympic Games and the spirit of the Olympics. But 0:17:55.280 --> 0:17:59.720 I'm very proud that our players and our coaches and 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:07.640 were importantly many of our owners are encouraging UM the 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:13.879 expressions of or the freedom of expression, to take stands 0:18:14.440 --> 0:18:19.639 and to even take criticism from others, you know. Like 0:18:19.760 --> 0:18:24.280 I really am impressed with the owners now and UM, 0:18:25.560 --> 0:18:29.400 I think there's a lot of conservative owners that are 0:18:29.480 --> 0:18:32.240 still allowing, you know, this freedom of expression. So, like 0:18:32.320 --> 0:18:36.400 I said, the bubble was great, I was even more 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:39.320 proud of the people that came before that and led 0:18:39.359 --> 0:18:43.480 the fight. UM. Even before the bubble. So yeah, it's 0:18:43.480 --> 0:18:45.760 it's been good and I'll be interested to see what 0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:48.320 happens with the national team, but I think the focus 0:18:48.359 --> 0:18:52.880 there will be just on the Olympics and the Olympic 0:18:52.960 --> 0:18:55.480 spirit in the competition. Zach, Where do you think the 0:18:55.480 --> 0:18:58.200 owners are at now? Jeff? Jeff brought that up, and 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:02.080 and we we have seen you know who they've donated 0:19:02.119 --> 0:19:05.200 to politically, and and uh, they might not be outspoken, 0:19:05.320 --> 0:19:07.720 but follow the money and you can see where where 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:12.000 their beliefs lie. Um. And yet there's this you know, 0:19:12.040 --> 0:19:14.320 the players are tugging them in a different direction. And 0:19:14.400 --> 0:19:16.920 so where do you think the ownership and the power 0:19:16.920 --> 0:19:19.560 structure of the league stands on these matters? To me, 0:19:19.760 --> 0:19:22.840 that's that's gonna be the most interesting moment, if it 0:19:22.880 --> 0:19:27.040 ever happens, is when a player who plays for a 0:19:27.080 --> 0:19:32.880 team who's governor is publicly on the other political side. Um, 0:19:32.960 --> 0:19:34.800 happened in the w n B A w n B 0:19:34.880 --> 0:19:37.520 A for sure, you know in Atlanta. Well, well they 0:19:38.280 --> 0:19:42.639 on the that's right, she's not there anymore. Will that 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:46.520 will will something like the Kelly Loffler thing ever happened 0:19:46.520 --> 0:19:48.640 in the NBA. I guess it happened with Donald Sterling, 0:19:48.680 --> 0:19:50.600 but that was a whole I mean, Donald Sterling brought 0:19:50.600 --> 0:19:52.719 that upon himself and and it reached the point of 0:19:52.760 --> 0:19:57.600 such disgustingness that it was sort of unavoidable. But I 0:19:57.920 --> 0:19:59.800 agree with the Jets as far as one of the 0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:02.639 ers are. I think they're just sort of you know, 0:20:03.800 --> 0:20:06.600 even even if I'm sure there are still some governors 0:20:06.600 --> 0:20:10.359 who would prefer that the players keep politics. I mean, 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:13.120 it's not even politics, it's basic human rights in decency, 0:20:13.119 --> 0:20:15.480 but we call it whatever you want. Would would would 0:20:15.600 --> 0:20:19.000 would prefer the players just focus on basketball and sports. 0:20:19.240 --> 0:20:22.920 But also no, on a pragmatic level, it's a losing 0:20:23.000 --> 0:20:25.760 battle for them to try to keep the players to 0:20:25.800 --> 0:20:27.960 focus just on sports and best all that they'll end 0:20:28.040 --> 0:20:30.920 up looking so bad anyway. But there are some I think, 0:20:30.960 --> 0:20:32.800 who are you know, Hey, it's it's there, right. I 0:20:32.880 --> 0:20:35.720 might disagree with it, but we're built on freedom expression 0:20:35.720 --> 0:20:37.440 of ideas. And then there are a lot who are 0:20:37.480 --> 0:20:40.399 fully supportive of everything that the players are talking about. 0:20:40.680 --> 0:20:43.280 And I think, zactly the one thing I'll be interested in. 0:20:43.400 --> 0:20:46.080 You you said, um, you know, does it ever come 0:20:46.080 --> 0:20:49.080 to pushing a governor out or an owner out? I 0:20:49.200 --> 0:20:52.480 forget what the politically correct term is right now. But um, 0:20:52.960 --> 0:20:55.879 I think what I'm interested in does it ever become 0:20:56.040 --> 0:21:04.240 the deciding factor in a free agency like, um, you 0:21:04.280 --> 0:21:08.000 know I have Owner A and Owner B, and I say, 0:21:08.200 --> 0:21:12.199 you know, I picked Owner A even though he was 0:21:12.240 --> 0:21:16.280 offering less money because I couldn't go. I couldn't do 0:21:16.359 --> 0:21:18.760 this because, like you said, Jaf, I followed the money. 0:21:19.080 --> 0:21:22.680 He may not be outspoken, but it goes so counter 0:21:22.800 --> 0:21:27.800 to my beliefs that I just can't do it. I am. 0:21:27.840 --> 0:21:31.600 I'm very interested to see if that ever comes about, 0:21:31.760 --> 0:21:36.120 or if it just continues to be all about legacy 0:21:36.160 --> 0:21:38.679 and money. To me, it doesn't. It doesn't even have 0:21:38.760 --> 0:21:41.520 to come to to that or to forcing an owner out. 0:21:41.520 --> 0:21:43.320 I didn't even mean to apply that. I just meant that, 0:21:43.440 --> 0:21:45.720 like if you played, I mean just name a team 0:21:45.920 --> 0:21:48.760 you played for, the Orlando Magic, you could start a 0:21:48.800 --> 0:21:52.960 dialogue any time you wanted about the divorce family and 0:21:53.000 --> 0:21:55.280 what they stand for me any any at any game 0:21:55.400 --> 0:21:57.480 you wanted, you could just you could start that dialogue. 0:21:57.480 --> 0:22:00.960 I mean, it's just sitting there waiting to happen. And again, Jeff, 0:22:01.000 --> 0:22:05.080 I mean we even saw there were all these what 0:22:05.280 --> 0:22:08.879 the situation you talked about Will Will. I think we'll 0:22:08.920 --> 0:22:11.800 hear rumblings of that at some point. For sure, we're 0:22:11.840 --> 0:22:13.320 gonna take a break for a minute and we'll be 0:22:13.440 --> 0:22:25.159 right back with Kobe Lebron and the Radeem team. I 0:22:25.400 --> 0:22:27.919 just gotta ask all three of you one more question, 0:22:27.960 --> 0:22:32.080 because this morning, uh, I invariably get one of my friends. 0:22:32.119 --> 0:22:36.880 You know, I watched Portland's Denver game last night. They 0:22:36.920 --> 0:22:42.080 shot ninety two threes, they made seventeen of them. Why 0:22:42.160 --> 0:22:46.680 the hell am I watching? So the the effect of 0:22:46.720 --> 0:22:50.200 the Curry effect. I guess I'm just asking in general 0:22:51.040 --> 0:22:54.439 the state of the game, because everybody always asked me 0:22:54.440 --> 0:22:56.720 because I go back to I mean, people were thinking 0:22:56.760 --> 0:22:59.920 I was watching Dolf Shay's hit the overhead set shot. 0:23:00.119 --> 0:23:02.840 Actually I did see some of that, by the way, 0:23:03.400 --> 0:23:06.240 but I just yeah, you know, I used to see 0:23:06.240 --> 0:23:09.040 the Syracuse and NATS and a doubleheader at the at 0:23:09.080 --> 0:23:14.920 Convention Hall. Nevertheless, uh, I watched the skin. I keep 0:23:14.960 --> 0:23:21.879 saying the skill level of the players today is a joke. 0:23:22.400 --> 0:23:27.320 It is so high, but it doesn't always translate to 0:23:27.560 --> 0:23:32.439 something that traditional fans want to see, which is, you know, 0:23:32.600 --> 0:23:36.200 the the game. So just briefly, if you can all 0:23:36.240 --> 0:23:39.679 three of you the state of the game as you 0:23:39.920 --> 0:23:43.040 as you see it now and why it's still a 0:23:43.080 --> 0:23:45.840 great game, just to wait the argument one way or 0:23:45.840 --> 0:23:52.200 the other. Zack, I think the game is really fun. Um. 0:23:52.240 --> 0:23:55.119 I think the idea that NBA teams don't play defense 0:23:55.240 --> 0:23:58.159 is absolutely ridiculous. Playing defense in the NBA is really 0:23:58.200 --> 0:24:00.720 really hard right now with how how much ground you 0:24:00.760 --> 0:24:03.879 have to cover, let alone all the rule changes and 0:24:03.920 --> 0:24:06.159 emphasies that Jeff talked about before that are meant to 0:24:06.200 --> 0:24:09.800