WEBVTT - The Difference Between Chet Holmgren and Kevin Durant

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<v Speaker 1>This is the final of a three part interview that

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<v Speaker 1>I did with Jerry West at Summer Leak. He was

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<v Speaker 1>kind enough to give me two hours of his time

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<v Speaker 1>and pretty much nothing was off limits. In the final segment, though,

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<v Speaker 1>he gives a very candid opinion about some of the

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<v Speaker 1>rookies and second year players that were at Summer League

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<v Speaker 1>that I wanted to know, really his thoughts on. I

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<v Speaker 1>was peppering him with questions on the sidelines next to

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<v Speaker 1>him at a game, and I was like, you know what,

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<v Speaker 1>I think people would want to know what he has

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<v Speaker 1>to say about Pollo and Jabbari and Jade Nivey and

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<v Speaker 1>all these kids. So I figured I would ask him

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<v Speaker 1>and get his evaluation on the record, so that when

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<v Speaker 1>we find out who these players really are, we'll either

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<v Speaker 1>have receipts or the receipts will be old takes. As before,

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<v Speaker 1>the quick caveat is that the audio is not great

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<v Speaker 1>because of the nature at Summer League, things are very

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<v Speaker 1>hard to achieve the same level of success, with quiet

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<v Speaker 1>rooms being impossible to find. There were no quiet places

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<v Speaker 1>to sit down. We sat we set a Starbucks. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>we did at a convention hall inside of a hotel

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<v Speaker 1>inside of the strip of Las Vegas, so the audio

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<v Speaker 1>has a lot of background noise. We've worked really, really

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<v Speaker 1>hard to minimize it. I thought there was going to

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<v Speaker 1>be impossible. If you have a pair of headphones, I

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<v Speaker 1>would suggest you use those and not put it on

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<v Speaker 1>the speaker of your laptop or phone. As this interview before,

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<v Speaker 1>like I have said, has been edited for time and

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<v Speaker 1>for clarity. But let's get into it. I think Jerry

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<v Speaker 1>West is the best talent evaluator in the game, full stop.

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<v Speaker 1>I think the record of it is obvious. You've seen

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<v Speaker 1>multiple trades go down, You've seen trains get kai bashed,

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<v Speaker 1>You've seen picks happen that turned out to be some

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<v Speaker 1>of the best in history, right like the Kobe Bryant

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<v Speaker 1>pick that was traded from Charlotte. Pretty good one, I'd say.

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<v Speaker 1>I wanted to get his thoughts. It's most specifically on

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<v Speaker 1>Chet Holmgren, probably the most polarizing player in this year's draft.

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<v Speaker 1>A lot of people very high on think he can

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<v Speaker 1>be a unicorn. A lot of people think that he

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<v Speaker 1>could be brittle and break down. I want to know

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<v Speaker 1>how his game translates to the NBA and the way

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<v Speaker 1>that he broke down Chet, who he said, by the way,

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<v Speaker 1>was his favorite player in the draft, which was stunning,

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<v Speaker 1>was fantastic. I also thought him breaking down the difference

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<v Speaker 1>between Kevin Durant and Chet was also really good. I

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<v Speaker 1>asked him whether they were the same. His opinion, not

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<v Speaker 1>at all. Find out why, Well, he is unique.

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<v Speaker 2>You don't see a player of that size that can

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<v Speaker 2>do the things he can do.

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<v Speaker 3>He's a tough queen and he's going to get bigger

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<v Speaker 3>and scars work here. But his knowledge of the game

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<v Speaker 3>when his.

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<v Speaker 2>Skill level was it's surprising when he sees Hione that

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<v Speaker 2>but big in terms of hide and you look at

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<v Speaker 2>his bond and say, oh my god. You know, this

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<v Speaker 2>looked like some kid who's, you know, twelve years old,

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<v Speaker 2>who's grown six inch in one summer.

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<v Speaker 3>And he's a tough kid. But he's gonna be really, really.

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<v Speaker 2>Good, and he's a player that's gonna make every players better.

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<v Speaker 3>He's gonna block a lot of shots.

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<v Speaker 2>So he just didn't stand there where people just drive

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<v Speaker 2>to the basket, and he moves and he's active. He's

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<v Speaker 2>gonna go from side to side. But he's probably was

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<v Speaker 2>my favorite player the god because I just see that

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<v Speaker 2>people gonna like to watch him play. They're gonna watch

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<v Speaker 2>him get better and you're gonna watch, okay, see get

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<v Speaker 2>better with him there. So he's again I don't I

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<v Speaker 2>don't know the kid at all, but he's he's fun

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<v Speaker 2>to watch.

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<v Speaker 1>A lot of people have tried to compare him to

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<v Speaker 1>other players that are tall and skinny and can handle

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<v Speaker 1>the ball. You saw one up close. Uh, you helped

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<v Speaker 1>recruit one up close, slim reaper, Kevin Durantz. How do

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<v Speaker 1>those two players compare.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh, they're completely different, but you know, Kevin is thin looking,

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<v Speaker 2>but he's always been finn and Kevin's a generational start.

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<v Speaker 2>When I was around him in Golden State with the

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<v Speaker 2>thing of this amazing to me or just how he

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<v Speaker 2>how professional he is.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, he works on his game and you.

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<v Speaker 2>Really can't guard him unless he's the only player out

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<v Speaker 2>there with the substance.

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<v Speaker 3>He does everything he can defend, he can pass the ball,

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<v Speaker 3>block shots, he's not sells them.

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<v Speaker 2>And yet he still manages these incredible spoiling game in Brooklyn,

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<v Speaker 2>and they did him have all the players there together

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<v Speaker 2>with him just watching.

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<v Speaker 3>Him and knowing him.

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<v Speaker 2>But he's someone that I'm glad I got a chance

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<v Speaker 2>to interact with him.

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<v Speaker 3>But if there's a game on TV, I'm gonna watch

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<v Speaker 3>him play. If he doesn't, he looks so easy.

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<v Speaker 2>And the other one said always tall on this and

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<v Speaker 2>that it's got an incrediblest goal.

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<v Speaker 3>And let's say, I just love him as a person.

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<v Speaker 1>Also, coming off of a of a championship, if you

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<v Speaker 1>were still there with Golden State in the capacity that

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<v Speaker 1>you were before, did you do whatever it took to

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<v Speaker 1>go and get Kevin back on the team.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, you know, speculates about where he's going.

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<v Speaker 2>No, you know, I think the only people who look

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<v Speaker 2>at their rosters and you know where we going when

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<v Speaker 2>you have success, you played a player, Yeah, there's more

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<v Speaker 2>than one or two that are that much.

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<v Speaker 3>Better than that, too much better. And they have some really,

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<v Speaker 3>really terrific players, but they.

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<v Speaker 1>Would have to give up so much it would be almost.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I'm not even going to comment on it, because

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<v Speaker 2>they're really good and I had an opportunity to make

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<v Speaker 2>some great friends up there. Uniquely different ownership, and they've

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<v Speaker 2>done a remarkable job and really one trade and one

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<v Speaker 2>injury set them.

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<v Speaker 3>Up for a long time.

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<v Speaker 2>And yeah, you want to stay with if you look,

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<v Speaker 2>they've got three young kids that are that are the

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<v Speaker 2>Wiseman kid who is the second picker take to drap

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<v Speaker 2>him and played.

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<v Speaker 3>For two years. He's playing here in the summer.

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<v Speaker 2>The now.

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<v Speaker 3>You see great promise there. The Coamingia kid is really

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<v Speaker 3>really a great prospect. All the time.

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<v Speaker 2>He goes pretty fast and so he needs to slow

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<v Speaker 2>down a little bit, but he is he can really

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<v Speaker 2>guard for a young kid.

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<v Speaker 3>And then also knows the meaty kid he's he's going

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<v Speaker 3>he's a player.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>And so you look at those three players and all

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<v Speaker 2>of a sudden, you know, you see the older part

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<v Speaker 2>of the Steph Curry, but you see these young kids.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a nice curd and uh you know they lost

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<v Speaker 2>players that people probably would one painting attention to the

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<v Speaker 2>two of them, but they were very important to them.

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<v Speaker 3>The Border kid he signed somewhere else.

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<v Speaker 2>And when Gary Payton said that time had a great

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<v Speaker 2>job to them at thirty years of age, with all

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<v Speaker 2>these different teams, it shows.

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<v Speaker 3>You his determination. And I know his dad very well

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<v Speaker 3>and I know how proud he is that he's a

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<v Speaker 3>terrific little little player. But he doesn't play a little.

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<v Speaker 3>He plays really big