WEBVTT - A Clippers Joint 0:00:00.960 --> 0:00:05.480 Boom. If you thought four hours a day, minutes a 0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:09.239 week was enough, think again. He's the last remnants of 0:00:09.280 --> 0:00:12.920 the old republic, a sole fashion of fairness. He treats 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:15.800 crackheads in the ghetto Cutter the same as the rich 0:00:15.880 --> 0:00:19.880 pill poppers in the penthouse the clearing House of Hot 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:23.639 takes break free for something special. The Fifth Hour with 0:00:23.800 --> 0:00:30.680 Ben Maller starts right now in the air everywhere. Yes, 0:00:30.800 --> 0:00:34.600 another weekend is upon us, and that means the weekend 0:00:34.680 --> 0:00:41.360 cannot start until you hear the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller. Because, 0:00:41.479 --> 0:00:43.800 as we like to say, four hours are not enough. 0:00:43.880 --> 0:00:47.240 We do this eight days a week, eight days a week. 0:00:47.280 --> 0:00:50.520 This is a spinoff of the Overnight Show. You knew 0:00:50.520 --> 0:00:52.760 that already, right, and we thank you. Although I am 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:55.400 told by some that they listen to this podcast and 0:00:55.480 --> 0:00:58.280 not the radio show, which is mildly offensive. Which is 0:00:58.320 --> 0:01:01.279 mildly offensive. And you can get this podcast, as you've 0:01:01.280 --> 0:01:04.560 already found out, anywhere anywhere you get podcast. It's part 0:01:04.600 --> 0:01:07.200 of the I Heart podcast network. But it's available on 0:01:07.400 --> 0:01:11.080 all of the platforms. And if you want to send 0:01:11.160 --> 0:01:14.320 a Hello to me, you can contact me on all 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:18.559 the social media channels at Ben Maller at Ben Maller 0:01:18.680 --> 0:01:22.800 on Twitter, Instagram, Ben Maller on Fox Facebook, Ben Maller Show. 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:25.920 And if you're a super duper p one in the 0:01:25.959 --> 0:01:30.080 Mallard militia, you can reach out to me on cameo 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:35.920 and get a personalized video message. And birthdays, weddings, bar 0:01:36.040 --> 0:01:39.240 mitzvah's or you just want a positive note, any of 0:01:39.240 --> 0:01:40.880 those things. You can reach me on cameo dot com. 0:01:40.920 --> 0:01:43.640 It's not free, but it's not that much. Just search 0:01:43.720 --> 0:01:48.200 my name cameo dot com and Ben Maller. And so 0:01:48.440 --> 0:01:52.200 this is an interview podcast. An interview podcast, and you 0:01:52.200 --> 0:01:54.480 know what that means. That means not a lot of 0:01:54.520 --> 0:01:56.800 me B s ng I welcome and this is a 0:01:56.880 --> 0:02:00.680 return engagement to the Fifth Hour pod cast. One of 0:02:00.680 --> 0:02:04.800 my old grizzled radio veterans, Uh the man who has 0:02:04.840 --> 0:02:06.880 been in the sports talk radio wars. Actually did a 0:02:06.920 --> 0:02:09.160 show with this guy in my early days in the 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:12.440 radio business, but I've known him way before that. He's 0:02:12.440 --> 0:02:16.560 done political talk radio, he's done a lot of sports talk. 0:02:16.600 --> 0:02:19.720 He's been in Philly and Los Angeles and other cities 0:02:19.760 --> 0:02:24.240 around the country working in the radio industry. He hosted 0:02:24.400 --> 0:02:29.720 Clipper postgame coverage and pregame coverage for years. And he also, 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:32.080 as I said, did some political radio at big talk 0:02:32.160 --> 0:02:36.919 stations like kf I and k ABC in Los Angeles, 0:02:37.760 --> 0:02:40.160 and so welcome in. Well, we'll give it up here 0:02:40.200 --> 0:02:43.880 for Lee Klein and Lee I want to start here. 0:02:45.000 --> 0:02:48.600 We're gonna go down and do some confrontations with athletes 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:50.839 and players here kind of a theme of the podcast. 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:54.040 And why don't we start with Hall of Fame coach 0:02:54.560 --> 0:02:59.680 Bill Fitch. And it was at a Clipper media game 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:04.200 events years and years ago. We were all playing basketball. 0:03:04.280 --> 0:03:06.680 Bill Fitch, the Hall of Fame coach, was coaching us. 0:03:07.160 --> 0:03:10.440 You can verify many of the stories that I have 0:03:10.639 --> 0:03:13.200 told on the radio over the years about random people 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:17.640 and Bill Fitch, hall of Fame basketball coach. He coached 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:20.840 the Boston Celtics, the Houston Rockets, but at the end 0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:26.000 of his career he coached the Clippers. And Bill Fitch 0:03:26.520 --> 0:03:29.960 was the coach of a media basketball game that we 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:33.600 both played in. And do you remember what Bill Fitch 0:03:33.680 --> 0:03:38.960 said about me? Who can never forget that? Hey? It 0:03:39.120 --> 0:03:44.000 was an Irvine at the University of California, Irvine at 0:03:44.040 --> 0:03:47.560 their gym, and Norm Peters was there along with you 0:03:47.640 --> 0:03:52.080 and I and Bill Fitch. You were so out of 0:03:52.120 --> 0:03:55.280 breath at this moment of time. Your face was beat red, 0:03:55.720 --> 0:03:59.680 sweat pouring profusely out of every single pore of your body. 0:04:00.320 --> 0:04:03.480 Blew the whistle. You were standing next to him. I 0:04:03.560 --> 0:04:05.960 was standing next to you, and Norma was on the 0:04:06.000 --> 0:04:09.040 other side. And Bill Fitch looked at you and he said, 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:13.720 and I quote, you are the worst basketball player I 0:04:13.800 --> 0:04:18.880 have ever seen in my life. That is a ringy endorsement. 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:22.480 And uh, and I got tak you. Now. I loved 0:04:22.480 --> 0:04:27.160 Bill Fitch. Bill Fitch was awesome. Uh. And he's still around, 0:04:27.200 --> 0:04:29.920 he's in his eighties here, But that that was the 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:33.960 greatest endorsement I had ever gotten leave from someone in 0:04:34.040 --> 0:04:37.239 sports of my athletic powers. There, And you gotta remember 0:04:37.240 --> 0:04:39.440 this was when I this was before I lost the weight. 0:04:39.560 --> 0:04:44.320 I was huffing and puffing. And as you said, I 0:04:44.680 --> 0:04:47.760 I've always been a prolific sweater. I've had the ability 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:51.440 to sweat. Uh. And keep in mind the other problem 0:04:51.440 --> 0:04:53.800 there is that we were we were covering l a 0:04:53.880 --> 0:04:57.240 Clipper training camp at the Brent Events Center as I 0:04:57.240 --> 0:05:00.440 don't know if it's still called that, but in Irvine Uh, 0:05:00.480 --> 0:05:03.640 and so Bill Fitch and we we I don't think 0:05:03.680 --> 0:05:06.240 any of us anticipated that we were gonna be asked 0:05:06.240 --> 0:05:09.320 to play in a media basketball clinic with Bill Fitch 0:05:09.400 --> 0:05:11.880 is the coach and all that. It just kind of happened, 0:05:11.880 --> 0:05:14.120 as I remember, and I don't remember them saying, hey, 0:05:14.400 --> 0:05:17.000 we're gonna be playing basketball at the end of the 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:20.520 open of training camp. I don't recall that. Uh, and 0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:23.200 it happened. And I also like to point out Lee 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:26.240 that you know, well, I was the worst of the worst. 0:05:27.160 --> 0:05:30.520 I believe Bill Fitch also pointed something out that you 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:33.159 were You were not great either, and that the other 0:05:33.240 --> 0:05:36.680 media people who were playing that day, we're all a 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:40.120 bunch of slubs pretty much. Yes, yeah, I would agree, 0:05:40.160 --> 0:05:42.600 But keep in mind something and this is for the audience, 0:05:42.680 --> 0:05:47.360 not for you. The basketball team. The Clippers had about 0:05:47.400 --> 0:05:50.479 twenty guys, because this is training camp before the cuts came, 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:54.600 they were watching this and most likely as horrible as 0:05:54.640 --> 0:05:58.040 the Clippers were every year in those years, they probably 0:05:58.080 --> 0:06:00.800 were looking at us and saying, this is the only 0:06:00.920 --> 0:06:05.800 team we can beat all season. I just want to 0:06:05.839 --> 0:06:09.480 point out I told this to Coach Fitch later on. 0:06:09.880 --> 0:06:11.440 You know, he was only with the Clippers for a 0:06:11.480 --> 0:06:14.600 few years and uh and I loved it. The team sucked, 0:06:14.640 --> 0:06:17.280 but he was fun, as we said. But he coached 0:06:17.440 --> 0:06:21.440 the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship, and he had 0:06:21.560 --> 0:06:26.520 Larry Bird, he had McHale and Parish uh And and 0:06:26.600 --> 0:06:30.120 corn and Cornbread Maxwell was was also Cedric Maxwell was 0:06:30.160 --> 0:06:32.560 on that team as well. So people think of that 0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:36.160 great Celtics team in the nineteen eighties, most people think 0:06:36.320 --> 0:06:39.600 of Casey Jones as the coach of those great Celtic 0:06:39.640 --> 0:06:42.599 teams in the eighties. But the first championship, that Group 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:47.880 one was under the tutelage of Bill Fitch with Red 0:06:47.960 --> 0:06:50.600 Arbach as the executive and the owner of that So 0:06:50.680 --> 0:06:53.800 I my my statement, and I told Fitch this is 0:06:53.880 --> 0:06:57.120 that the greatest player you coached was was either Larry 0:06:57.160 --> 0:07:01.520 Bird with the Celtics or he was with Houston and 0:07:01.680 --> 0:07:03.960 they got to the finals and lost with he had 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:06.160 Elijah one. So it was one of those two. But 0:07:06.200 --> 0:07:10.240 the worst player there is no debate. There is no debate, Lee, 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:12.080 and you heard it, and that's why I wanted to 0:07:12.240 --> 0:07:13.360 One of the reasons I want to have you on 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:17.640 the podcast again is because Bill Fitch confirmed all those 0:07:17.920 --> 0:07:21.400 he coached in the NBA from nineteen seventy to nine. 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:26.680 And the guy coached all over the place. And uh on, 0:07:26.840 --> 0:07:29.520 I'm the worst player. I'm the worst player least. So 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:32.320 I take that as a badge of honor, a feather 0:07:32.400 --> 0:07:35.840 in my cap. I certainly do. And he and it's 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:38.080 not just that he goched some bad teams with the nets. Also, 0:07:38.120 --> 0:07:39.960 remember he went to New Jersey before he went to 0:07:40.000 --> 0:07:43.440 the Clippers, and they were they were pretty lousy there also, 0:07:43.480 --> 0:07:47.360 as I remember it. Also, can I add this two 0:07:47.400 --> 0:07:51.080 quick things, One of all of the teams and the 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:53.640 players that he coached in his long career, that's why 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:56.320 he's in the NBA Hall of Fame. That actually the 0:07:56.440 --> 0:08:01.400 college also, but if he had a gigantic list of 0:08:01.520 --> 0:08:04.960 every ballplayer we ever coached, you are last on that 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:08.240 list and Larry Birds on the top. So you truly 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:10.720 are on the same list. Yeah, because you're you know, 0:08:10.800 --> 0:08:12.640 and you you taught me this years ago, Lea that 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:15.680 you remember the very top and the very bottom. The 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:18.120 middle kind of get lost, right, it gets lost. Like 0:08:18.320 --> 0:08:21.280 it's the same concept in sports. You want to either 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:23.840 be a championship contender or you want to be the 0:08:23.880 --> 0:08:25.559 worst team. You don't want to be like the five 0:08:25.640 --> 0:08:30.440 hundred team. You don't want to be because nobody no seriously, right, 0:08:30.520 --> 0:08:33.920 I mean, who remembers average? Who remembers that I just 0:08:33.960 --> 0:08:37.000 looked by the way I cheated here, Bill Fitch his 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:41.720 first year in the NBA with the Cavaliers in nineteen seventy. 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:44.959 There's a guy that has one of the great nicknames 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:49.800 as a name. Bingo Smith played for the Cavaliers that year, 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:54.280 the great Bingo Smith. There were so many great names 0:08:54.320 --> 0:08:57.240 in the seventy yet the greatest of all time world 0:08:57.240 --> 0:09:01.640 be free, but Bingoes the seventy he was in Philadelphia 0:09:01.679 --> 0:09:04.280 seventies six, or he played with the San Diego Clippers 0:09:04.320 --> 0:09:07.440 even before they moved to Los Angeles. But keep in mind, 0:09:07.520 --> 0:09:10.720 Dingo could be the first name above you on that list, 0:09:11.600 --> 0:09:15.880 that's right. He might be just slightly slightly above other Well, 0:09:16.120 --> 0:09:20.040 this was not a great nickname. But the the Clippers, 0:09:20.120 --> 0:09:23.000 you remember there when they were in Buffalo, the Buffalo Braves, 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:26.760 Bob McAdoo, right, was their big star. Do you remember 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:30.640 the time I was doing radio locally in l A. 0:09:30.720 --> 0:09:32.880 We had Bob mcado I don't think you were with me. 0:09:32.920 --> 0:09:35.320 That day we had Bob McAdoo on. He was an 0:09:35.360 --> 0:09:38.200 assistant for the Miami Heat and and I was, you know, 0:09:38.280 --> 0:09:41.400 regaling him with stories about the Clippers because he he 0:09:41.520 --> 0:09:44.640 was at that time the clip He led every offensive category, 0:09:44.679 --> 0:09:48.080 not anymore for the Clippers because of the Buffalo Braves connection. 0:09:48.679 --> 0:09:53.120 And he wanted nothing to do with the Clippers, Bob McAdoo, 0:09:53.240 --> 0:09:56.679 and he just wanted he wanted to distance himself like 0:09:56.760 --> 0:09:59.800 he was going away from hot lava as as I 0:09:59.840 --> 0:10:03.599 were call. Uh, But I want to move on and 0:10:04.160 --> 0:10:07.160 another great you know story since we're going back, and 0:10:07.600 --> 0:10:09.959 this is the theme of this podcast is like locker 0:10:10.040 --> 0:10:13.960 room confrontations. Alright, I want to stop you for a second. 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:16.240 I want to bring something up quick and then you 0:10:16.240 --> 0:10:19.680 can bring up your next thing. Do you remember when 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:23.559 you and Dave Smith were doing the show together and 0:10:23.679 --> 0:10:28.160 you called a hotel and I believe he was a ballplayer, 0:10:28.200 --> 0:10:31.240 baseball player for the Houston Astros when they were in 0:10:31.320 --> 0:10:36.160 the National League. And if the name escapes me, but 0:10:36.679 --> 0:10:38.920 I got knocked on the door, I'll be right back. 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:42.080 Do you remember what I'm speaking of? Yeah? Not only 0:10:42.080 --> 0:10:44.480 do I remember that, that's one of the great all time. 0:10:44.520 --> 0:10:47.120 One of the reasons I hate interviews and I you know, 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:49.200 I don't do interviews on the show is because of 0:10:49.240 --> 0:10:54.240 this I have PTSD. You are referring to a baseball 0:10:54.240 --> 0:10:57.200 player for the Astros in he played with a bunch 0:10:57.200 --> 0:11:02.440 of different teams, Derek Bell. Remember Derek Bell. Yeah, Derek, 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:05.520 Derek Bell. And this is in the you know, most 0:11:05.559 --> 0:11:07.319 of these stories are like in the nineties, but Derek 0:11:07.360 --> 0:11:09.120 Bell was playing for the Astros. They had the Killer 0:11:09.160 --> 0:11:12.360 Bees going on and they were gonna play the Dodgers, 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:15.120 as I remember it, and we were doing a midday show. 0:11:16.040 --> 0:11:18.480 And I also remember the other thing I remember about 0:11:18.520 --> 0:11:22.040 that is we were on remote at a car rental 0:11:22.120 --> 0:11:26.160 place by L A x Um and I forget which one, 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:28.880 but there I remember trying to do the show and 0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:32.200 every like two minutes a plane was flying over our 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:35.000 head to land at L A x and, uh, a 0:11:35.080 --> 0:11:38.480 lot of ambient noise there that that was like a 0:11:38.559 --> 0:11:41.440 degree of difficulty. But we had Derek Bell on and 0:11:41.480 --> 0:11:43.480 this was you know, a guy that had some big 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:46.600 years in Houston, was a key part of that Astro 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:48.200 teams was pretty good and so we had him on 0:11:48.280 --> 0:11:51.320 and you know, he was nice enough and then like 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:53.800 he I guess somebody knocked on his door in the 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:58.000 hotel and he's like, hey, I'll be right back, and 0:11:58.040 --> 0:12:01.040 so we're like, okay, um, he put the phone down 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:05.199 and then he never came back. He just I guess 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:07.880 there was some ut. Yeah, but but the beauty was 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:11.520 you kept holding on. You went through a commercial break, 0:12:11.840 --> 0:12:14.160 you kept on holding on, and come back from a 0:12:14.200 --> 0:12:18.960 commercial break, you're still holding on for him. Yeah, exactly. 0:12:19.400 --> 0:12:22.600 Uh and and as I know, that's the technique I usually, 0:12:22.600 --> 0:12:25.160 as you know in the Overnight show, when someone falls asleep, 0:12:25.160 --> 0:12:27.480 I do the Derek Bell. I just keep going back 0:12:27.520 --> 0:12:29.679 to them. I go back to them to see what 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:32.960 they're they're doing that, you know, that's my my mantra there. 0:12:33.960 --> 0:12:36.160 But yeah, that was one of the all time That 0:12:36.240 --> 0:12:37.679 was the only all time greats. And speaking, one of 0:12:37.679 --> 0:12:41.040 the all time greats. This guy's also a Hall of Famer. 0:12:41.040 --> 0:12:43.160 It's a basketball Hall of Famer play by play guy, 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:48.119 Ralph Lawlor. And you were there. You were a witness 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:51.560 to one of the funniest things that has happened in 0:12:51.679 --> 0:12:54.520 my life. You can verify I'm not making this up. 0:12:55.000 --> 0:13:00.440 In fact, you kept this story alive for over twenty years, 0:13:00.480 --> 0:13:04.000 you kept this story alively. I am referring to the 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:08.280 nineteen NBA draft. So we're going over twenty years back 0:13:08.320 --> 0:13:13.240 in the way back machine. And before you go any further, people, 0:13:13.760 --> 0:13:17.600 every word is going to be absolutely true. Not only 0:13:17.600 --> 0:13:21.160 am I going to verify it beforehand, I don't have 0:13:21.240 --> 0:13:24.640 to verify it when it's over whatever, Ben says, I 0:13:24.720 --> 0:13:28.599 guarantee you it's gonna be truth. And you know you 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:32.280 gotta keep it clean, don't you. Well, no, I don't know. 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:35.319 We're on the podcast. We have different regulations here on 0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:37.480 the podcast, but I think for Ralph, maybe we should 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:41.720 keep it clean. Maybe for Ralph's sake, he's retired. He's 0:13:41.760 --> 0:13:45.040 retired now. But be sure to catch live editions of 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:47.640 The Ben Maller Show weekdays at two a m. Eastern 0:13:47.679 --> 0:13:51.280 eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I 0:13:51.400 --> 0:13:54.439 Heart Radio app. So and the great thing, My favorite part, 0:13:54.440 --> 0:13:55.959 I'm gonna tell a story and say my favorite part 0:13:56.040 --> 0:13:58.840 is I have the reputation lee of being like the 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:01.800 Clippers kabana away right, Like I'm in the tank for 0:14:01.840 --> 0:14:04.200 the Clippers and all that stuff, and I do like 0:14:04.280 --> 0:14:06.320 the Clippers and I want them to win but you know, 0:14:06.400 --> 0:14:08.640 I liked when they when they do something wrong, I 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:12.520 pointed out, and I I like to highlight that as well. 0:14:12.559 --> 0:14:14.360 I don't run away from that kind of stuff. When 0:14:14.360 --> 0:14:17.120 they for example, when they choked against the Denver Nuggets. 0:14:17.120 --> 0:14:19.360 We we both were going back and forth. I wasn't 0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:21.680 on We'll get to I mean, I was on social media, 0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:24.920 but I was texting you as the implosion was happening 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:27.600 with the Clippers. We were we were going back and forth. 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:30.440 And for those that didn't hear, the Lee actually hosted, 0:14:30.480 --> 0:14:33.600 you hosted postgame Clipper Talk, so you were around thee. 0:14:34.480 --> 0:14:38.600 I worked with Ralph for for uh six seasons, uh, 0:14:38.640 --> 0:14:42.320 in addition to my regular sports show. UH. And what 0:14:42.440 --> 0:14:45.400 you're about to tell is one of the top three 0:14:45.400 --> 0:14:48.560 of all time. Get told properly, So go ahead and 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:51.920 tell me. Now you're putting pressure on me. So Ralph is, 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:56.160 Ralph is a Hall of Fame broadcaster. He, as we said, retired, 0:14:56.200 --> 0:14:59.120 he's I think he was in Florida now. But my 0:14:59.120 --> 0:15:02.560 my computer of like mind. As Ralph would say, you know, Bengo, 0:15:02.920 --> 0:15:07.400 holy smokes, I fasten your seats. So the nine draft 0:15:08.440 --> 0:15:11.640 was perceived to not be a great draft. The idea 0:15:11.840 --> 0:15:14.920 was it was not a great draft, and the Clippers 0:15:15.480 --> 0:15:18.440 went out into left field and picked a guy from 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:22.840 the University of the Pacific, which most of your great 0:15:22.840 --> 0:15:25.720 players don't come from the University of the Pacific, which 0:15:25.760 --> 0:15:28.280 is in I think Stockton, California. So there was a 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:32.320 center named Michael Michael Oldawad Candy was the guy's name, 0:15:32.360 --> 0:15:35.800 and it was the debate was like between Olaad Candy, 0:15:36.080 --> 0:15:39.280 Mike Baby I think was the other guys. I I 0:15:39.600 --> 0:15:42.040 kind of flashback, So there was the debate who the draft, 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:46.080 and of course the Clippers in this era drafted the 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:49.600 wrong guy, Michael Wacandy. But at the time I was 0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:53.760 doing the midday show, and I'll never forget I went 0:15:53.800 --> 0:15:58.480 to the l A Convention Center they were building Staples Center. 0:15:58.920 --> 0:16:01.280 They were building Staples Center. They had a GALLA news 0:16:01.360 --> 0:16:05.600 conference to welcome Michael Ilawa Candy to the Clippers, and 0:16:05.720 --> 0:16:08.120 he made all these bold statements about how he was, 0:16:08.200 --> 0:16:10.680 you know, because Shock was the star for the Lakers 0:16:10.760 --> 0:16:12.960 and there you know, it's a two center town now 0:16:12.960 --> 0:16:16.360 with Candy Man and all that. So and then I 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:18.840 watched him play like the first exhibition game, and I 0:16:18.920 --> 0:16:21.800 knew this guy was as stiff. I knew this guy 0:16:22.040 --> 0:16:24.280 was a dog with fleas, you know, and I and 0:16:24.280 --> 0:16:26.400 and very rarely, I think we can both agree on 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:29.680 this lead. When you see someone the first impression, you're 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:32.560 very rarely that far off, you know, like if you think, 0:16:32.720 --> 0:16:35.360 you know, very few times has someone come out and 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:37.520 can't play and then all of a sudden turn out 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:40.720 to be great. It happens, but it's very rare that 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:44.920 it happened. Usually your first impression is your correct impression. 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:47.600 So I saw him play an exhibition game. He was terrible. 0:16:48.000 --> 0:16:49.720 So I went on the show. I was doing the 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:53.960 midday show, and I took some shots at Michael Ilwa 0:16:54.080 --> 0:16:56.560 Candy and you know, another terrible draft by the Clippers. 0:16:56.560 --> 0:16:58.960 What were they thinking? Why they draft this guy? You know, 0:16:59.000 --> 0:17:02.200 that kind of stuff. And the Clippers later on they 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:04.320 played like that. In those days, they played like eight 0:17:04.400 --> 0:17:06.960 or nine exhibition games. They played a ton of them, 0:17:07.040 --> 0:17:10.000 and the Clippers were playing the Lakers. And this was 0:17:10.160 --> 0:17:12.359 obviously before Staples Center. It was in the bowels of 0:17:12.400 --> 0:17:15.879 the Fabulous Forum. And I had known Ralph. We have 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:18.040 been out of the games for years, and you were 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:22.800 with me, and Ralph approached me in one of the 0:17:23.119 --> 0:17:25.879 tunnels underneath the Forum, and I think it was right 0:17:25.920 --> 0:17:29.240 near the media room where they served that that beef 0:17:29.280 --> 0:17:35.320 with noodles. How small was that compared to the one 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:39.280 in Staples Center at the closet. Uh it was always 0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:41.960 meat on top of noodles or they had They also 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:46.040 had ravioli some number. It was lasagna with garlic breton. 0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:47.960 That was the two meals they served at the Forum 0:17:47.960 --> 0:17:50.240 in the media room that I remember that. And I 0:17:50.280 --> 0:17:54.000 also remember Jack would the great actor would come in there, 0:17:54.160 --> 0:17:56.639 Jack Nicholson and he would come in there and have coffee. 0:17:57.480 --> 0:18:00.000 Sometimes you become there. But anyway, so I'm getting off 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:04.240 the beaten track here. So Ralph approaches me, and he 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:07.240 was very upset. He was very defensive of Michael Obawa 0:18:07.320 --> 0:18:14.520 Condi the Center, and he said something that would follow 0:18:14.680 --> 0:18:19.200 him at least with us, Me, me Lee and Ralph 0:18:19.320 --> 0:18:21.880 for over the next twenty years. It was a very 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:29.960 uncomfortable wager that Ralph made. By the way, it still is, 0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:33.560 it's it's it's a cold case. It's not closed yet. 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:39.320 It's not no, it is not over. So Ralph was 0:18:39.400 --> 0:18:42.639 so convinced, and I love Ralph for this. He was 0:18:42.680 --> 0:18:45.359 so convinced that Oliwa Candy was gonna be amazing, that 0:18:45.440 --> 0:18:49.960 Oliwa candy was gonna be great. Uh that he said, 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:52.280 if as I remember it, he said, some of the 0:18:52.320 --> 0:18:54.959 effective OLIVERA Candy is not one of the top five 0:18:55.400 --> 0:18:58.320 centers and an all like an all star level player 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:01.200 within X number of years, forget how many was within 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:06.639 a couple of years that he would um go to 0:19:06.720 --> 0:19:10.520 center court at the at the at the at the 0:19:10.640 --> 0:19:14.159 sports arena or the forum, and he would pull my 0:19:14.240 --> 0:19:18.359 pants down and kiss my ass. I believe is that? 0:19:18.400 --> 0:19:20.200 Am I correct here? I believe that's what he said 0:19:20.280 --> 0:19:23.280 right that? Well he might have no, No, that's not 0:19:23.320 --> 0:19:25.919 what he said. You're keeping it clean. Allow me without 0:19:25.960 --> 0:19:29.280 going overboard. Okay, all right, you you give the lea 0:19:29.480 --> 0:19:34.639 version here. Okay. The bet was, the original bet was 0:19:35.119 --> 0:19:39.000 that if it didn't come true, he was betting you 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:44.359 that if what he said wasn't true, he would get 0:19:44.440 --> 0:19:47.920 down on his knees and give you a blank blank 0:19:49.800 --> 0:19:54.320 Okay okay. And then I said I wanted at half court, 0:19:54.680 --> 0:19:58.320 and he said it's fine with me. So to this day, 0:19:58.760 --> 0:20:02.200 Michael oh a hand over all of the years following 0:20:02.840 --> 0:20:05.720 then and I would go over to the scorer's table 0:20:05.880 --> 0:20:08.800 before a game when they were setting up for route 0:20:08.800 --> 0:20:11.760 to sit there on broadcast for the Clippers, and I 0:20:11.800 --> 0:20:14.960 would always say with then next to me, don't you 0:20:15.000 --> 0:20:18.320 owe him a bet right now? And his reply, over 0:20:18.400 --> 0:20:21.199 every year, the hundreds of times we did this was 0:20:22.560 --> 0:20:26.760 it isn't over yet. He's still playing. Yeah, that that 0:20:26.840 --> 0:20:29.719 was his reply. And then once he retired, ol Over 0:20:29.880 --> 0:20:33.679 Candy and he retired like, oh man, probably he stopped 0:20:33.680 --> 0:20:36.640 playing like ten twelve years something like that. From where 0:20:36.640 --> 0:20:39.399 we are right now, he said, he kept saying, well, 0:20:39.400 --> 0:20:44.240 he could come back, he might he might make he 0:20:44.320 --> 0:20:47.639 might make a comeback. There. I think the bet is 0:20:47.640 --> 0:20:51.679 now old. Kenny's about to turn forty six years Oh, 0:20:51.720 --> 0:20:54.640 I think he's forty five something like that right now. Yeah, 0:20:54.680 --> 0:20:57.200 there is no there is no comeback and there was 0:20:57.320 --> 0:21:01.040 no career. But is he called ace as I mentioned? 0:21:01.400 --> 0:21:11.520 And still yeah, Favor and olthough Candy average less than 0:21:11.560 --> 0:21:15.160 ten points in less than seven rebounds per game as 0:21:15.200 --> 0:21:17.600 the number one pick. Now I went back, do you 0:21:17.640 --> 0:21:20.840 remember who the Clippers? And I know doing the hindsight 0:21:20.960 --> 0:21:24.159 thing is always a dangerous deal, but who was in 0:21:24.200 --> 0:21:26.480 that draft that was not supposed to be a great draft. 0:21:26.880 --> 0:21:30.880 Who the Clippers passed over. They passed over everyone. There 0:21:30.920 --> 0:21:36.560 are at least three Hall of Fame players who would 0:21:36.640 --> 0:21:41.720 be considered among the top fifty of the last fifty 0:21:41.840 --> 0:21:44.840 years of the NBA who played and were in that 0:21:44.960 --> 0:21:48.120 draft that year that was Let me give you the names. 0:21:48.160 --> 0:21:54.440 Really this was Vince Carter, Vinceanity was was in that draft. 0:21:55.640 --> 0:21:59.480 How about Paul Pierce, the Celtics star who won a 0:21:59.640 --> 0:22:04.720 champ a Chip in Boston. And Dirk Novitsky who was 0:22:04.760 --> 0:22:06.680 not supposed to be good as I remember he was 0:22:06.720 --> 0:22:08.359 as stiff his first year, but he turned out to 0:22:08.400 --> 0:22:12.159 be pretty good, obviously with the marriage. So there are three. 0:22:12.240 --> 0:22:15.600 Those are three bona fide studs that were in that draft, 0:22:16.119 --> 0:22:18.719 and the Clippers took Michael Kandy. And the great thing 0:22:18.760 --> 0:22:21.480 about it is that they weren't even considering any of 0:22:21.480 --> 0:22:23.840 those guys. The other option was like Mike Bibby. They 0:22:23.840 --> 0:22:26.000 weren't even considering any of the players that actually turned 0:22:26.040 --> 0:22:29.840 out to be good. They passed on all those other players. Diana, 0:22:29.880 --> 0:22:35.160 who else was in that draft? Who? Okay, he went 0:22:35.240 --> 0:22:38.560 in the in the second round. The new head coach 0:22:38.600 --> 0:22:43.680 of the Clippers, Tyron Lou Oh, the Great Tylu. Yeah, 0:22:44.280 --> 0:22:46.159 well he's he's the guy that kawai Wan. He's a 0:22:46.280 --> 0:22:49.280 championship coach. Lee. Yeah, I don't know how much. I 0:22:49.320 --> 0:22:50.800 don't know how much he actually I don't know how 0:22:50.840 --> 0:22:54.280 much he actually coached. But yeah, there you go, the 0:22:54.320 --> 0:22:57.840 Great Tylu. Be sure to catch live editions of The 0:22:57.880 --> 0:23:02.000 Ben Maller Show weekdays at two am Stern Pacific on 0:23:02.119 --> 0:23:06.159 Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app. All right, 0:23:06.280 --> 0:23:09.920