1
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,360
Speaker 1: We look back at the two game sevens, both won

2
00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:07,880
Speaker 1: by the road team, to bring a close to Round two.

3
00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,480
Speaker 1: We assess who has the best shot to win the championship.

4
00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:15,480
Speaker 1: Now that we are guaranteed to get a sixth new

5
00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,920
Speaker 1: champion in the past six seasons, and we will sign

6
00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:24,120
Speaker 1: off with a trademark one of a kind update from

7
00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,800
Speaker 1: the world of rec League basketball, as only Chris Haynes

8
00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:30,639
Speaker 1: can deliver all that's next here on a new edition

9
00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:35,360
Speaker 1: of This League Uncut. Welcome to This League Uncut. In

10
00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,680
Speaker 1: rule of twenty four hour NBA News. This's you love,

11
00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:41,040
Speaker 1: Chris Haynes.

12
00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:43,240
Speaker 2: It's so time, works.

13
00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:50,920
Speaker 1: Time, It's so time. This League Uncut is underway and

14
00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:51,640
Speaker 1: on fire.

15
00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,520
Speaker 3: This should be a good one.

16
00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:05,360
Speaker 1: Hey everyone, welcome in to a new episode This League Uncut.

17
00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:12,760
Speaker 1: Conference Finals edition of This League Uncut. Mark Stein here

18
00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:17,119
Speaker 1: with Chris Haynes. It's Monday evening as we record this.

19
00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,280
Speaker 1: There are no games on the NBA schedule on this

20
00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:25,119
Speaker 1: Monday night. As we get ready to officially move into

21
00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,800
Speaker 1: the Conference final round, the second round is over. Not

22
00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:34,160
Speaker 1: gonna lie to you. There have been a few hurdles

23
00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:38,319
Speaker 1: to clear for Chris and I today on the Technological

24
00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:46,600
Speaker 1: side to get this episode recorded to the exacting specifications

25
00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:51,800
Speaker 1: of producer Ryan. But finally, I think the conditions we

26
00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:56,080
Speaker 1: hope fingers crossed will allow that to happen. Chris Haynes.

27
00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,160
Speaker 1: Great to connect with you. I can actually see you.

28
00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:03,200
Speaker 1: It looks Sonny and inviting there behind you in the

29
00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:08,280
Speaker 1: Atlanta Sky Conference finals. Man, we are down to the

30
00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:08,959
Speaker 1: final four.

31
00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,880
Speaker 3: Are I'm ready? But let me just put a small

32
00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:19,239
Speaker 3: disclaimer out there. I don't want to I just don't

33
00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,600
Speaker 3: want you going overboard with saying we're done with our

34
00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,840
Speaker 3: technical issues here because I am I'm in Atlanta and

35
00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,000
Speaker 3: I'm staying with my As of right now, I'm staying

36
00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,280
Speaker 3: at the house that we brought from my daughters who

37
00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,440
Speaker 3: are going to college. And my daughters should just graduate

38
00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:37,400
Speaker 3: this weekend. But you know how college kids are. You

39
00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,720
Speaker 3: give them money to pay bills, and so apparently one

40
00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:42,720
Speaker 3: of the bills that they didn't pay was the Wi

41
00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:44,880
Speaker 3: Fi bills. So there's no Wi Fi in the house.

42
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:49,200
Speaker 3: And so I am actually on the campus of Clark University.

43
00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,160
Speaker 3: Outside I'm near the library. I'm trying to soak up

44
00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,120
Speaker 3: some of their Wi Fi to do this pod. And

45
00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:58,720
Speaker 3: the reason I say Stein and Ryan. The reason I

46
00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,799
Speaker 3: say it, I'm putting a small disclaimer out there about

47
00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:06,840
Speaker 3: our technical issues, is that I see a campus police

48
00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:14,239
Speaker 3: policeman about seven about sixty yards away from me, walk

49
00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:19,520
Speaker 3: walking this way. So again, school is out, there's nobody

50
00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:21,080
Speaker 3: on campus. That's why I could do it right here

51
00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:26,000
Speaker 3: because it's quiet. So I think, once this policeman gets it,

52
00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,120
Speaker 3: comes near me, I'm going to find out if I

53
00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,320
Speaker 3: permitted to be here or not. But you know what,

54
00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,639
Speaker 3: We're going to record it live live. Whatever he says

55
00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:37,600
Speaker 3: to me or does it say, will have it recorded

56
00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:39,680
Speaker 3: and documented. So he shows about a.

57
00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:41,760
Speaker 1: Year and a half old. Now we're closing in on

58
00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,360
Speaker 1: a year and a half. There have been no arrests

59
00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,120
Speaker 1: in the history of this league, uncut.

60
00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:47,560
Speaker 3: We want to kiss that way.

61
00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,400
Speaker 1: To this point, no arrests. Our record is clean. Let's

62
00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,760
Speaker 1: see if we can keep it that way. I mean,

63
00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,480
Speaker 1: you were at, as you said, your daughter's graduates this

64
00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,960
Speaker 1: weekend at Clark University. Only Chris Haynes of this league

65
00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,880
Speaker 1: uncut could run into the world famous Rich Paul at

66
00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:10,520
Speaker 1: his daughter's college graduation.

67
00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:12,800
Speaker 3: Yeah.

68
00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,080
Speaker 1: Can we start there and then we'll work our way

69
00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,120
Speaker 1: through these these conference finals matchups.

70
00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:23,920
Speaker 3: Yeah, So I'm at my daughter graduated from Clark, Atlanta, HBCU.

71
00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:26,920
Speaker 1: Proud congratulations, First and foremost.

72
00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,240
Speaker 3: I'm proud of her. She did her thing. Name is justice.

73
00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,800
Speaker 3: So the graduation was here Saturday, and we all know,

74
00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:37,080
Speaker 3: like for those who graduated high school in twenty twenty,

75
00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,120
Speaker 3: most of them did not get to experience a graduation

76
00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,040
Speaker 3: because everything was shut down. So my daughter didn't didn't

77
00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,440
Speaker 3: have a graduation. So the graduation here Saturday, I was

78
00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:49,520
Speaker 3: very much looking forward to it for many reasons for

79
00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,680
Speaker 3: her in that class of twenty twenty is that this

80
00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,240
Speaker 3: is going to be the first time being able to graduate. Well,

81
00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:58,920
Speaker 3: there was going to be a small dilemma up ahead

82
00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,680
Speaker 3: because the graduation here at Clark is at the football field,

83
00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,359
Speaker 3: and there was a thirty percent chance of rain, and

84
00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:11,359
Speaker 3: so I was hoping and praying that the rain would

85
00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,200
Speaker 3: just mess up the whole thing, because that just would

86
00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:18,000
Speaker 3: have been fucked up for the whole class having to

87
00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,040
Speaker 3: have to go through this again. It sprinkled a little bit,

88
00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,800
Speaker 3: you know, we had our ponchos on, but it stopped

89
00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,760
Speaker 3: and so the graduation went on. And so to get

90
00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:32,320
Speaker 3: back to Rich Paulston. So after the graduation, a kid

91
00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,039
Speaker 3: comes up to me. I say, a kid, you know

92
00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,520
Speaker 3: he's in college. You just graduated, so I can graduate.

93
00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:40,160
Speaker 3: You know, I can graduate him on graduating, he said, man,

94
00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:42,880
Speaker 3: you Chris Hanes. Chris Hanes Man, nice to meet you.

95
00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:45,640
Speaker 3: He asked for a picture. I gave a picture. He said, man,

96
00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,120
Speaker 3: this is just a cool day. I'm graduating, I get

97
00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,080
Speaker 3: to meet you, and I just met Rich Paul. I'm like,

98
00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,000
Speaker 3: you just met Rich Paul. I'm like what. So I

99
00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:58,120
Speaker 3: called Rich and he said, yeah, my daughter's graduating too.

100
00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,599
Speaker 3: I'm like where, because I thought his daughter graduated from Spelman,

101
00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:07,440
Speaker 3: which is all all women's college connected to Clark. He said, no,

102
00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:12,200
Speaker 3: she graduated from Clark. So I got in touch with Rich.

103
00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,560
Speaker 3: He invited He was having a graduation party for his

104
00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:19,000
Speaker 3: daughter that night, so he invited my wife and my

105
00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,160
Speaker 3: daughter to the party. So I brought them to the party.

106
00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,120
Speaker 3: And you know, me and Rich hung out watch upstairs

107
00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:28,599
Speaker 3: watching the MAVs OKC game, and my wife and my

108
00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,680
Speaker 3: daughter they were down their party and getting their party on.

109
00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:33,640
Speaker 3: So it was a cool. It was a cool weekend. Man.

110
00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:36,599
Speaker 3: I'm glad everything worked out for the high school twenty

111
00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:40,719
Speaker 3: twenty class, finally being able to have a real formal graduation.

112
00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:45,800
Speaker 1: Huge congrats first of all again to Justice Haynes. I

113
00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:49,320
Speaker 1: cannot believe your daughter is already through college. I feel

114
00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:52,200
Speaker 1: like she just got there, and you have another daughter

115
00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:56,039
Speaker 1: who's not far away next college graduation. So I don't

116
00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:58,000
Speaker 1: know what we are so damn old. I don't know

117
00:06:58,000 --> 00:06:59,160
Speaker 1: what the hell happened to us.

118
00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:01,919
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, it's one of those things Styn where

119
00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,520
Speaker 3: I remember I had my daughters. I was twenty and

120
00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:06,640
Speaker 3: twenty one when I had them, and you know, people

121
00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,280
Speaker 3: look down on you when you have kids that young,

122
00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:11,440
Speaker 3: and you know, so we had you know, I had to,

123
00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:14,280
Speaker 3: you know, even though it was married, got married young.

124
00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:16,320
Speaker 3: You know, people look down you're having kids that young.

125
00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:19,800
Speaker 3: But I just I just remember, like when I started

126
00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,320
Speaker 3: getting becoming thirty seven and thirty eight and forty one.

127
00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:27,200
Speaker 3: Now I started seeing people having kids at thirty seven

128
00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:31,680
Speaker 3: thirty eight, and my kids are leaving going to college

129
00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,600
Speaker 3: at that age. I'm like, who's looking dumb? Now? Who's

130
00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:36,200
Speaker 3: who's being looked down upon?

131
00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:36,560
Speaker 1: Now?

132
00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:39,360
Speaker 3: Yes? Me, because now I'm gonna have I'm gonna have

133
00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:43,400
Speaker 3: empty nesters in my early forties. Meanwhile, you're just starting

134
00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:47,160
Speaker 3: and you're damn near forty. So who's looking down upon now?

135
00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,280
Speaker 3: I'm playing, y'all, I'm playing. I'm playing my looking.

136
00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:50,920
Speaker 1: First of all, I think you still have two kids

137
00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:55,400
Speaker 1: at home. Second, I do, I do? I do? I

138
00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:00,160
Speaker 1: just we are dreading the empty nester situation over here.

139
00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,000
Speaker 1: I'm telling you that right now we have Our oldest

140
00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:05,040
Speaker 1: is already out of the house, and our youngest is

141
00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:07,680
Speaker 1: entering his senior year of high school soon. So we

142
00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:12,840
Speaker 1: are struggling. We want no part of the empty nest scenario.

143
00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:16,280
Speaker 3: So yeah, but yeah, I don't. I don't want to say,

144
00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:17,920
Speaker 3: cause my daughters might be listening. I don't want to

145
00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:22,320
Speaker 3: say I'm desperately looking, desperately looking forward to empty nest

146
00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:25,760
Speaker 3: and ship, if that's a word. But uh, you know,

147
00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:27,680
Speaker 3: it'd be cool to walk around the house the way

148
00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,960
Speaker 3: you want to. It would be cool to just get

149
00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,960
Speaker 3: up and leave, you know, as a couple, whenever you

150
00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,560
Speaker 3: want to, you know what I'm saying, Like, come on, Stan,

151
00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:37,199
Speaker 3: So my daughters, I got.

152
00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:39,280
Speaker 1: When you get dropped off in the parking lot and

153
00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,640
Speaker 1: you have to walk home, there's only one person waiting

154
00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:45,040
Speaker 1: at home you get back, instead of three or four.

155
00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,920
Speaker 3: Well, that's the down side because at least my kids

156
00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:50,000
Speaker 3: will try to convince the wife to pull over on

157
00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:53,240
Speaker 3: the side to pick me up. Yeah, so there is

158
00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:55,920
Speaker 3: some downside to it. But yeah, I have a thirteen

159
00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,360
Speaker 3: year old and a fifteen year old left at the

160
00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:03,000
Speaker 3: house and so be in my mid forties when I'm

161
00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:04,280
Speaker 3: fully an empty nester.

162
00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:11,440
Speaker 1: Were there any Lakers coaching candidates at that party? Nah?

163
00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:15,280
Speaker 3: No Lakers, but nah, yeah. I mean, listen, you know,

164
00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,000
Speaker 3: we talked a little bit about the candidates out there.

165
00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,040
Speaker 3: What I can say is that, you know, I was

166
00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:27,040
Speaker 3: told that Lebron isn't pushing for any candidate out there.

167
00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:31,360
Speaker 3: He's not pushing for JJ Reddick. This is the Lakers organization.

168
00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:33,920
Speaker 3: They are doing their coaching search, and they're doing the

169
00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:36,959
Speaker 3: due diligence, and they're keeping it in house. When I

170
00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,040
Speaker 3: meet in the house, I'm talking about the front office

171
00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:43,400
Speaker 3: and ownership group. So from what I've told, Lebron, James

172
00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:50,120
Speaker 3: isn't spearheading anything. But with that being said, I think

173
00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:52,480
Speaker 3: it's still we're still a little bit of ways away

174
00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,120
Speaker 3: from them completing the process. And I have an update.

175
00:09:56,200 --> 00:10:00,360
Speaker 3: The police officer just walked by me. You look, he

176
00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,600
Speaker 3: looked over and gave me a head nod and went

177
00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:06,280
Speaker 3: about his business. So I think I'm okay to be here.

178
00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,679
Speaker 3: You know, Stein Stein, you know what listen first all

179
00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,240
Speaker 3: day it has se let me tell you right now,

180
00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:16,280
Speaker 3: this would have been a disaster of a day in

181
00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:21,840
Speaker 3: black history. If Chris Haynes, an African American, got arrested

182
00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:25,400
Speaker 3: on a on an HBU campus. I'll tell you that

183
00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:27,480
Speaker 3: right now, that that would have been history right there.

184
00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:30,680
Speaker 3: And to make it if I cannot be safe on

185
00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:33,920
Speaker 3: a black college campus, if I myself Chris Haynes gets

186
00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:40,040
Speaker 3: arrested on an HBU campus, HBCU campus, excuse me? So, uh,

187
00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:42,080
Speaker 3: everything's going well so far.

188
00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:43,960
Speaker 1: Let's be honest. I don't think there was any real

189
00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:47,640
Speaker 1: threat of you being arrested, but I do. I did

190
00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:50,720
Speaker 1: wonder if he was gonna say no, you cannot shout

191
00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:51,760
Speaker 1: your podcast here.

192
00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:57,360
Speaker 3: And what I would have done is I would have

193
00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:00,680
Speaker 3: walked around and still try to stay in a vicinity

194
00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,600
Speaker 3: of the campus because again I'm using their WiFi. So

195
00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:07,080
Speaker 3: thank you Clark Atlanta. You're helping this pod get through.

196
00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,440
Speaker 3: So style, let's get through before we get caltof Let's

197
00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:10,240
Speaker 3: get to the meat.

198
00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,960
Speaker 1: And bones, Let's get to the playself, because look, the

199
00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:18,880
Speaker 1: conference finals are set now Minnesota, Dallas, Boston and Indiana

200
00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:22,960
Speaker 1: in the Larry Bird Bowl. And we had two game

201
00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:27,640
Speaker 1: sevens on Sunday night. The road team won both.

202
00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:28,520
Speaker 3: Yeah.

203
00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,520
Speaker 1: I've been writing on my sub stack really all season

204
00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:37,400
Speaker 1: about how home court advantage just keeps dwindling and dwindling

205
00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:40,680
Speaker 1: teams at home. This year the winning percentage was way

206
00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:45,160
Speaker 1: down to like five forty, which is, you know, not

207
00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:49,400
Speaker 1: that high over five hundred, just in the three point era.

208
00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:56,000
Speaker 1: Home court advantage continues to get eaten away at and

209
00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:03,360
Speaker 1: after Sunday, after Indiana, the Pasiis Pacers team we've seen

210
00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,439
Speaker 1: since the ABA Days, after the Pacers go to Madison

211
00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,760
Speaker 1: Square Garden and win a Game seven, and after the

212
00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:16,400
Speaker 1: Timberwolves go to Denver and win on the Nuggets floor,

213
00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,959
Speaker 1: on the defending champions floor for the third time in

214
00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:26,080
Speaker 1: this series. Road teams are now eight and four in

215
00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,800
Speaker 1: game sevens over the last four seasons, and that's since

216
00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:34,240
Speaker 1: we got out of the bubble. In the bubble, everything

217
00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:37,720
Speaker 1: was neutral sight. We were both there. There was a

218
00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,200
Speaker 1: home team and there was an away team. But really

219
00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,720
Speaker 1: they're playing on the same court every single time. So

220
00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,600
Speaker 1: since the bubble twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two, twenty

221
00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:52,360
Speaker 1: twenty three, twenty twenty four, road teams are now eight

222
00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:55,760
Speaker 1: and four in the last twelve game sevens, which is

223
00:12:55,840 --> 00:13:00,560
Speaker 1: just ridiculous that we've seen that kind of turnaround. But

224
00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:04,400
Speaker 1: I mean, you tell me that you know that Game

225
00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:09,760
Speaker 1: seven was as wild a roller coaster ride as you

226
00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:15,400
Speaker 1: can have a perfect summation of the series, and you know,

227
00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:18,640
Speaker 1: just tell me what was it like for you watching

228
00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:24,079
Speaker 1: in Atlanta as the defending champs were knocked out earlier

229
00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:25,560
Speaker 1: than I think anyone expected.

230
00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,520
Speaker 3: I was surprised Denver being at home having a twenty

231
00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:37,160
Speaker 3: point league championship team. You just think that they know

232
00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,160
Speaker 3: how to get it done. But ultimately, if you look

233
00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:44,320
Speaker 3: at the box score of the Denver Nuggets, you will

234
00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:48,600
Speaker 3: see and notice for quite some time, especially you know,

235
00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:51,800
Speaker 3: once it got later in the playoffs, they're playing with

236
00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:56,480
Speaker 3: about five and a half guys. They they just don't

237
00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:59,760
Speaker 3: have the depth to keep up. If you look at Minnesota,

238
00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:05,800
Speaker 3: they got depth, and this team defensively on the perimeter

239
00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:10,920
Speaker 3: and in the interior, they're tough. They are tough. They

240
00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,959
Speaker 3: got the sixth Man of the Year recipient coming off

241
00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:17,120
Speaker 3: the bench, being productive, not only doing it scoring the

242
00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:21,080
Speaker 3: scoring column, awesome night, awesome, not only doing in the

243
00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:25,400
Speaker 3: scoring column, but deficively against the Joker as well. That's

244
00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:28,560
Speaker 3: a tough team, Minnesota Hounds. You you see, you saw

245
00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:33,960
Speaker 3: the way when Anthony Edwards got on Jamal Murray, hounding

246
00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:38,240
Speaker 3: on full court like they are. They are tough, man, Mike,

247
00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:40,960
Speaker 3: like the whole like I don't want to leave anybody out,

248
00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:44,480
Speaker 3: that whole Minnesota Timberwooth squad. They're phenomenal. And so the

249
00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:46,240
Speaker 3: way they were able to come back on the road

250
00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,960
Speaker 3: take Game seven, that was mighty impressive. But if you're

251
00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,880
Speaker 3: the Denver Nuggets, if you're looking at ways to improve

252
00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,920
Speaker 3: next season, definitely you have to say that they're going

253
00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,200
Speaker 3: to try to show up that bench, no question.

254
00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:02,640
Speaker 1: And look, the Tim Conley Bowl as I've been calling it,

255
00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:06,200
Speaker 1: we call it that because Tim Connley was the architect

256
00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:13,120
Speaker 1: of the Denver Nuggets. He left for the lucrative opportunity

257
00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:18,920
Speaker 1: to take over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He immediately traded a

258
00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:24,040
Speaker 1: Ton for Rudy Gobert. The Nuggets won the championship in

259
00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:29,520
Speaker 1: Connolly's first season after leaving Denver, and not only did

260
00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:34,520
Speaker 1: they surrender a ton of assets to trade for Rudy Gobert,

261
00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:37,120
Speaker 1: but then they signed Nas Red as well. So a

262
00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:40,320
Speaker 1: lot of people were looking at the Wolves like they

263
00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:44,720
Speaker 1: have three centers in today's small ball NBA, what are

264
00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:50,800
Speaker 1: they doing going so jumbo size? And now in year two,

265
00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:55,040
Speaker 1: for Tim Connolly, it is the Timberwolves who take out

266
00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:59,760
Speaker 1: the defending champs. It is the Timberwolves who found a

267
00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:05,680
Speaker 1: way to make important use of Karl, Anthony Towns and

268
00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:10,760
Speaker 1: Rudy Gobert and Nasreed in a critical Game seven in Denver,

269
00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:20,200
Speaker 1: all in support of Anthony Edwards and nobody's laughing at

270
00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,960
Speaker 1: the Minnesota Timberwolves anymore. For the first time in twenty years,

271
00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:27,240
Speaker 1: they are back in the conference finals. And I feel

272
00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,520
Speaker 1: like we've talked about it on this podcast a ton.

273
00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:36,760
Speaker 1: How the Wolves in the previous thirty four seasons of

274
00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:41,040
Speaker 1: the team's existence, only once in the two thousand and

275
00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,560
Speaker 1: four playoffs did the Wolves even win a series. They

276
00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,560
Speaker 1: won two rounds in two thousand and four to make

277
00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,960
Speaker 1: the conference finals with KG and Sam Cassel and your

278
00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:56,920
Speaker 1: hero Latrell's free Will. That team before this, Wolve's team

279
00:16:56,960 --> 00:17:00,160
Speaker 1: was the only Wolves team that has ever won a playoff.

280
00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,880
Speaker 1: They won two rounds and that's it. In thirty four years.

281
00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,240
Speaker 1: And now in year thirty five, in Tim Conley's second

282
00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:12,000
Speaker 1: year with Chris Finch, former guest on this show, at

283
00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,679
Speaker 1: the All Star weekend in Indianapolis, Chris Finch unable to

284
00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:19,440
Speaker 1: even fully coach his team because Mike Conley, the nicest

285
00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:22,679
Speaker 1: guy in NBA history, ran into him and knocked him

286
00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:25,920
Speaker 1: down and left him with a knee injury so serious

287
00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,240
Speaker 1: that it needed surgery. And Chris Finch had to coach

288
00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:33,399
Speaker 1: this whole series behind the bench with Mike and Nori

289
00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:38,800
Speaker 1: standing in his place. And obviously this was a big

290
00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,560
Speaker 1: series for Finch going up against the Nuggets. He had

291
00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:46,199
Speaker 1: previously worked on Michael Malone's staff, he had worked with

292
00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:48,960
Speaker 1: Jokic before, and now he wants to coach against this

293
00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:53,080
Speaker 1: team and have the chance to coach Minnesota to a

294
00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:55,720
Speaker 1: victory in the series, and his ability to do so

295
00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:59,119
Speaker 1: was compromised. But the Wolves, they overcame all of that.

296
00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:03,240
Speaker 1: They get it done. They win three times on Denver's court,

297
00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:07,040
Speaker 1: They win a home game by forty zillion points. Just

298
00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:11,080
Speaker 1: a weird series, a crazy series, and it ended up

299
00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:13,560
Speaker 1: being a series for the Ages and a lot of

300
00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:18,440
Speaker 1: people were looking forward to this matchup and the chaos

301
00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:22,520
Speaker 1: that it could provide. And it did, and now Minnesota

302
00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:26,439
Speaker 1: is going to play Dallas in the Western Conference Finals

303
00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,479
Speaker 1: because the Mavericks ultimately were able to take out the

304
00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:34,000
Speaker 1: Thunder in six games. The Mavericks did not have Maxi

305
00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,760
Speaker 1: Kliba for any of that series. There was a lot

306
00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:40,040
Speaker 1: of concern in Dallas about would they be able to

307
00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:44,639
Speaker 1: win that series without their best front court defender, one

308
00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:49,120
Speaker 1: of the most important members of the Mavericks small ball approach.

309
00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,800
Speaker 1: When they want to go small and have success, it's

310
00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,080
Speaker 1: often with Kliba at the five. They didn't have that

311
00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:59,000
Speaker 1: option in this series. But the Mavericks ultimately find a

312
00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:03,600
Speaker 1: way and now were going to have Wolves MAVs at

313
00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:09,200
Speaker 1: Edwards against Luka Doncic. They're the two headliners in this series,

314
00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,000
Speaker 1: even though there are a lot of stars in this series.

315
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:15,240
Speaker 1: But let me ask you, Chris Haynes, the Nuggets were

316
00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:17,879
Speaker 1: my favorite to win it all again. Is defending champions?

317
00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:23,199
Speaker 1: Are the Wolves the new title favorites by virtue of

318
00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:28,840
Speaker 1: taking out Denver? Are the Wolves or the Celtics who

319
00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:32,640
Speaker 1: should be regarded as the favorite to win it all.

320
00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:36,119
Speaker 3: From here, the Wolves are the favorites in the West.

321
00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,440
Speaker 3: How about that answer star? How about that?

322
00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:45,480
Speaker 1: No, So that's you. That's Chris Haynes of Clark University

323
00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,520
Speaker 1: saying that the Boston Celtics are favored to win it all.

324
00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:49,680
Speaker 1: That's really what you're saying.

325
00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,600
Speaker 3: I think you still have to give the slide airs

326
00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:56,160
Speaker 3: to Boston, but I don't feel confident in that selection

327
00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,720
Speaker 3: at all because the way Minnesota is playing and again defensively, man,

328
00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:04,439
Speaker 3: they they're a torture chamber. And I'm looking forward to

329
00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:08,720
Speaker 3: seeing you mentioned Luca and Anthony Edwards. I'm looking forward

330
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:14,800
Speaker 3: to seeing Jay McDaniels chase around, whether it's Luca or Kyrie.

331
00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,000
Speaker 1: Again, says he's starting on Kyrie. So I guess that.

332
00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:21,879
Speaker 3: Means, okay, I want to see that. That's what I

333
00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:26,439
Speaker 3: want to see. This is elite perimeter offensive scores, and

334
00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:32,480
Speaker 3: these are elite perimeter defensive stars, so I want I

335
00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,560
Speaker 3: want to see that. Like I'm I'm looking forward to

336
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,439
Speaker 3: that class. I'm looking forward to the Western Conference finals

337
00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:40,159
Speaker 3: and Stein, let me say this, let me take this

338
00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,000
Speaker 3: a whole other area, Brian, you could jump in as well.

339
00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:48,280
Speaker 3: Listen all this talk about how America has lost this

340
00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:52,600
Speaker 3: grip on this great sport we call basketball. Well, let's

341
00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:54,639
Speaker 3: look to see who the final four teams are and

342
00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,560
Speaker 3: who they're headlined by. Yes, we still have Luca. We

343
00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:02,080
Speaker 3: still got Luca international player in an Superstar NBA Superstar.

344
00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,880
Speaker 3: But we got Anthony Edwards leading away in Minnesota, Indiana,

345
00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,359
Speaker 3: we got Tyre's Halliburton and in Boston we got Jason

346
00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:13,600
Speaker 3: Tatum and Jalen Brown. So they haven't They've made loosen

347
00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:15,679
Speaker 3: the grip a little bit, but they haven't given the

348
00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:20,040
Speaker 3: game away. And I think right now, and I think, Star,

349
00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:22,440
Speaker 3: you had a we talked off air at one point.

350
00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:25,399
Speaker 3: I think, see if you have this this nugget handy

351
00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,200
Speaker 3: on top of your head, But what is the m

352
00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:32,240
Speaker 3: So I believe Stephen Curry was the last person to

353
00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:36,480
Speaker 3: win MVP and win the championship in that same season.

354
00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:37,760
Speaker 3: Am I correct with that? Star?

355
00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:49,760
Speaker 1: Okay? So here's what happened over the weekend. A picture

356
00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:53,359
Speaker 1: from the past made its way to me and it

357
00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,879
Speaker 1: was a great memory. It was a black and white

358
00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:02,040
Speaker 1: picture of me interviewing Stephen Curry at the Warriors old

359
00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:08,320
Speaker 1: practice facility in Oakland, a much younger and slimmer version

360
00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:12,960
Speaker 1: of me nine years ago. It was from the first

361
00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:19,760
Speaker 1: championship of the Stephan Curry era twenty fourteen fifteen, and

362
00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:24,439
Speaker 1: Stephan Curry won the MVP award that season, and then

363
00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:25,959
Speaker 1: it was brought to my attention that you know what,

364
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,040
Speaker 1: that was the last season in the NBA because of

365
00:22:29,119 --> 00:22:33,640
Speaker 1: Denver's loss on Sunday Night, that was the last season

366
00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:38,719
Speaker 1: in the NBA that the MVP of the regular season

367
00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,159
Speaker 1: went on to win the championship. Stephan Curry did that

368
00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,280
Speaker 1: with the Warriors in twenty fifteen, but starting in twenty sixteen,

369
00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:50,800
Speaker 1: steph won MVP again, but the Warriors, of course, could

370
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:52,800
Speaker 1: not hold a three to one lead in the finals,

371
00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:56,960
Speaker 1: lost to Cleveland in twenty sixteen. In the finals. Twenty seventeen,

372
00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:01,159
Speaker 1: Russell Westbrook was the MVP in Oklahoma City. Obviously no

373
00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:06,280
Speaker 1: title for the Thunder. Twenty eighteen, Houston's James Harden wins

374
00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:13,240
Speaker 1: the MVP. Warriors win the championship twenty nineteen, first of

375
00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:18,600
Speaker 1: two MVPs for Gianna Sante Tokunpo, Nikola Jokicic and Denver

376
00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:21,760
Speaker 1: wins three of the next four MVPs. There's also a

377
00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:25,360
Speaker 1: Joe l embiid MVP in there in Philadelphia, but none

378
00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:31,160
Speaker 1: of those teams win, so not since twenty fifteen has

379
00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:37,159
Speaker 1: a regular season MVP won the championship. But also because

380
00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:42,000
Speaker 1: of that list, when we work through it, you remember

381
00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:46,280
Speaker 1: why that storyline you referenced comes up, because since James

382
00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:49,440
Speaker 1: Harden won the MVP Award in twenty eighteen, there has

383
00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:53,240
Speaker 1: not been an American player who has won the highest

384
00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:58,480
Speaker 1: individual honor in the league. Starting in twenty nineteen, Giannis

385
00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,640
Speaker 1: has won two MVPs, and b Is won one, Jokic

386
00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:05,720
Speaker 1: has won three, and Luka Doncic, who has the Mavericks

387
00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:09,400
Speaker 1: in the final four now he's expected to win an

388
00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:13,800
Speaker 1: MVP Award in the near future. He's definitely considered an

389
00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:17,960
Speaker 1: MVP candidate. But you're absolutely right. The other three teams

390
00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:23,720
Speaker 1: in the final four all led by an American star.

391
00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:30,000
Speaker 1: Jason Tatum trying to win his first ring, Tyrese Halliburton

392
00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:38,040
Speaker 1: unexpectedly in the conference finals seeking his first ring, and

393
00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:44,520
Speaker 1: Aunt Edwards undeniably the face of the franchise in Minnesota.

394
00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:47,600
Speaker 1: He's got a good bit of help, as we've been discussing,

395
00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,479
Speaker 1: but Anthony Edwards is the clear cut star of that

396
00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:56,160
Speaker 1: team going for his first ring. So yes, a lot

397
00:24:56,160 --> 00:25:01,520
Speaker 1: of newness in this final four. And look the Celtics,

398
00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:06,080
Speaker 1: to me, they would be the favorite, but they don't

399
00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:10,679
Speaker 1: have Christops Porzingis yet. Christops Porzingis has been formally ruled

400
00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:14,600
Speaker 1: out of Game one of the Indiana Series. The signals

401
00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,360
Speaker 1: are that we will see him play in this series eventually,

402
00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:22,680
Speaker 1: but it's not clear cut if we will. So it's

403
00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:28,360
Speaker 1: a very valid question do the Wolves deserve title favorite status?

404
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:32,800
Speaker 1: Having taken out the reigning champions, the defending champions from Denver,

405
00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:37,560
Speaker 1: and a healthier team Mike Conley has. You know, he's

406
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:39,720
Speaker 1: dealing with a calf injury, but Conley's been able to

407
00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:43,920
Speaker 1: play through it here in the last few games. So yeah,

408
00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,159
Speaker 1: I would say I think the Wolves probably do deserve

409
00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:52,480
Speaker 1: favorite status, but I'm sure you would not be alone

410
00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:54,080
Speaker 1: in saying it's the Celtics.

411
00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, And like I said, I don't feel great about that,

412
00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:01,040
Speaker 3: but I'm going to have to go with the Celtics

413
00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:03,439
Speaker 3: right now. And again, you know, when Chris STAPs return,

414
00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,280
Speaker 3: how would he affect their continuity? You know, how long

415
00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,040
Speaker 3: would it take him to get back into form? Maybe

416
00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:11,840
Speaker 3: that would be in it could be in advance for

417
00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:15,720
Speaker 3: a team like Minnesota, if Minnesota was to advance, but

418
00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:19,440
Speaker 3: it's going to be you know, the Mavericks, they're a

419
00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,840
Speaker 3: formidable opponent, so you know, you want to give them

420
00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:25,960
Speaker 3: some respect and give props to Jason Kidd. What Nico

421
00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,840
Speaker 3: did at the trade deadline was phenomenal, picking up Lively

422
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:32,679
Speaker 3: in the draft like he really should have. You know,

423
00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:35,280
Speaker 3: I didn't. I didn't look to see where he fell

424
00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:38,320
Speaker 3: at as far as Executive of the Year pecking order.

425
00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:40,639
Speaker 3: But you know, I say he was fifth.

426
00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,480
Speaker 1: Producer heaed me up on that, but I'm sure he

427
00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:46,639
Speaker 1: was fifth, man. I mean, it was a stacked field

428
00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:49,879
Speaker 1: and Brad Stevens I think was a worthy winner. And

429
00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:53,399
Speaker 1: of course Executive of the Year that's an award that

430
00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:57,600
Speaker 1: is voted on by the executives themselves. The media has

431
00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:00,879
Speaker 1: nothing to do with that voting. I mean, it was

432
00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:04,480
Speaker 1: a very competitive race in the EOI field this year.

433
00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:07,800
Speaker 1: I think Producer Ryan can confirm for us the.

434
00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,879
Speaker 4: Order of the top five that is correct, with Brad

435
00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:15,080
Speaker 4: Stevens winning the award, followed by Sam Presty in second,

436
00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:18,960
Speaker 4: Tim Connolly of Minnesota, and third Leon Rose with the

437
00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,960
Speaker 4: New York Nison fourth and Nico Harrison with the Mavericks

438
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:22,760
Speaker 4: coming in fifth.

439
00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:25,600
Speaker 3: That's solid.

440
00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:29,880
Speaker 1: But look what you're saying. There can be no dispute.

441
00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,159
Speaker 1: And obviously I live in Dallas and I have to

442
00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:37,760
Speaker 1: put my hand up and say I certainly voiced my

443
00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:42,560
Speaker 1: share of skepticism about how the Kyrie Irving trade would work.

444
00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:46,159
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, you were allowed. You were allowed, don allowed.

445
00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:48,320
Speaker 1: You can see it when you look at this team

446
00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:54,440
Speaker 1: how much respect Kyrie has from his teammates. You saw

447
00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:59,479
Speaker 1: the hug that Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving shared after

448
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:04,480
Speaker 1: they beat Oklahoma City in Game six. These guys love

449
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:09,480
Speaker 1: playing together. They have formed a very dangerous duo, and

450
00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:14,679
Speaker 1: Kyrie Irving has played defense in Dallas and has provided

451
00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:18,560
Speaker 1: leadership in Dallas. Like again, I'll put my hand up

452
00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:21,840
Speaker 1: and say I didn't expect it, and I don't know

453
00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:25,040
Speaker 1: that many people did project him to have the kind

454
00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:29,240
Speaker 1: of impact. Obviously, the back half of last season after

455
00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:32,840
Speaker 1: the trade went as poorly as it possibly could. But

456
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:39,080
Speaker 1: this season, these guys have been tremendous together and the

457
00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:43,320
Speaker 1: acquisitions at the trade deadline the Mavericks have completely changed

458
00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:46,880
Speaker 1: their identity. I've been around this team in this franchise

459
00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:51,080
Speaker 1: for more than a quarter century, and in all that time,

460
00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:57,520
Speaker 1: the Mavericks have always been known as offense first. They

461
00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:59,440
Speaker 1: had a good defensive team. When they won it All

462
00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,040
Speaker 1: in twenty e one, Evan Tyson Chandler gave them a

463
00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:05,280
Speaker 1: rim presence they had never had before. But they were

464
00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:10,760
Speaker 1: still known first and foremost for the offense that flowed

465
00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:15,400
Speaker 1: from Dirk Noavisky. And that's really what this team has

466
00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:21,040
Speaker 1: been known for since I've lived here. But this Dallas

467
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:25,160
Speaker 1: team plays defense first, and PJ Washington same thing. I'll

468
00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:28,520
Speaker 1: put my hand up and tip my hat to PJ. Washington.

469
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:31,960
Speaker 1: I did not think he was going to have the

470
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:36,240
Speaker 1: impact that he's had. I certainly questioned if the Mavericks

471
00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:38,360
Speaker 1: gave up too much to get him, because remember it

472
00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:43,920
Speaker 1: cost Dallas a top two protected pick to add PJ. Washington.

473
00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:46,320
Speaker 1: They had to get They had to make a trade

474
00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:49,120
Speaker 1: with the Thunder to get a first rounder to acquire

475
00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:53,120
Speaker 1: Daniel Gafford. They traded the only first round pick they

476
00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,680
Speaker 1: had available to trade to get PJ. Washington. And PJ.

477
00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:01,000
Speaker 1: Washington never played defense in Charlotte like we're seeing now

478
00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:06,200
Speaker 1: in Dallas. But in Dallas, Derek Lively, PJ. Washington, Daniel Gafford,

479
00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:09,560
Speaker 1: and most of all, Kyrie Irving. All these players that

480
00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:13,840
Speaker 1: Nico Harrison has brought in are making a significant impact.

481
00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:18,760
Speaker 1: And Jason Kidd, who I have been consistent in saying

482
00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:21,240
Speaker 1: for years he didn't get the credit he should have

483
00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:23,960
Speaker 1: gotten his first year in Dallas when this team went

484
00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:27,360
Speaker 1: to the Conference finals, and now the Dallas Mavericks are

485
00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:30,440
Speaker 1: in the Conference Finals again. Jason Kidd has been in

486
00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:35,280
Speaker 1: Dallas for three seasons as head coach, two fifty win seasons,

487
00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:39,840
Speaker 1: two trips to the Conference finals, and a franchise that

488
00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:45,280
Speaker 1: has had Dick Mata, John McLeod, Don Nelson, Rick Carlyle

489
00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:49,920
Speaker 1: some really celebrated coaches, and Jason Kidd is the only

490
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,800
Speaker 1: coach on that list to take a team to the

491
00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:57,080
Speaker 1: conference finals twice. So there are a lot of happy

492
00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:02,920
Speaker 1: headlines and positive storylines and good mojo bubbling in Dallas

493
00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:07,600
Speaker 1: as well. And now they're gonna clash with the Wolves,

494
00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:11,880
Speaker 1: who are having probably the best season in franchise history.

495
00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:13,680
Speaker 1: I know you might fight me on that one because

496
00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,920
Speaker 1: you're a spree well guy. And that twenty fourteen went

497
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:20,280
Speaker 1: to the Conference finals with Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassel

498
00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:25,400
Speaker 1: and Spree. But this Wolves team, they led the West

499
00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:30,680
Speaker 1: for one hundred something days in the regular season, They've

500
00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:34,520
Speaker 1: taken out the defending champions, and they have a real

501
00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:37,080
Speaker 1: chance to go to the NBA Finals for the first

502
00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:42,520
Speaker 1: time in franchise history. So epic. This Wolves MAVs series

503
00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:45,320
Speaker 1: is going to be an epic clash and there's a

504
00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:49,600
Speaker 1: lot on the line for two teams that are tantalizingly close.

505
00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:54,880
Speaker 1: A finals birth must feel tantalizingly close for both of

506
00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:56,240
Speaker 1: these teams.

507
00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:59,640
Speaker 3: Now let's get over to the East, because it was

508
00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:04,560
Speaker 3: a game set Well, will you consider it epic? Well,

509
00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,840
Speaker 3: I guess, you know, getting it to that point. I

510
00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:10,880
Speaker 3: think it was epic getting it to a game seven.

511
00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:13,640
Speaker 3: But let's let's jump on the Knicks and Pacers because

512
00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:15,560
Speaker 3: that was a very interesting series as well.

513
00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:20,160
Speaker 1: I think I think we owe some love to the Pacers.

514
00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:23,719
Speaker 1: You know, they didn't lose the first two games at

515
00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:25,680
Speaker 1: home like Denver did, but they went into a two

516
00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:28,760
Speaker 1: zero hole. When you lose the first two games of

517
00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:33,560
Speaker 1: a seven game series, history says you're more than likely

518
00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:36,680
Speaker 1: going to lose the series. So incredible props to the

519
00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:41,200
Speaker 1: Pacers to Okay, Games one and two were at Madison

520
00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:44,840
Speaker 1: Square Garden. Fine, but still again to fall behind two

521
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:48,840
Speaker 1: zero is a daunting deficit. They were able to win

522
00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:52,120
Speaker 1: four out of five against the Knicks, win a game

523
00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:55,960
Speaker 1: seven at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks clearly should have

524
00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,640
Speaker 1: flown in Chris Haynes their good luck charm. They were

525
00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,160
Speaker 1: four know in the playoffs when Chris Haynes worked the

526
00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:06,280
Speaker 1: sidelines when he was in Atlanta Sunday, he was not

527
00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:08,200
Speaker 1: at Madison Square Gardens Sunday.

528
00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:11,760
Speaker 3: I was not. You saw what happened, yep, I was not.

529
00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:15,880
Speaker 3: I got I gotta you know. I established some really

530
00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:20,160
Speaker 3: cool friends out there, and as far as Nick staffers,

531
00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:24,520
Speaker 3: Knick security workers, and they were texting me during the game, said, bro,

532
00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:27,040
Speaker 3: we needed you. Can you get down here? I said, no,

533
00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:29,920
Speaker 3: I'm sorry, I'm in Atlanta. You're on your own. You know,

534
00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:32,320
Speaker 3: you know you got at some point you gotta take

535
00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:35,160
Speaker 3: the some point you gotta take the training wheels off.

536
00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:38,320
Speaker 3: But it was a that was a really phenomenal game.

537
00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:41,480
Speaker 3: And start I just want to say, man, I am

538
00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:45,360
Speaker 3: let me see here. I am so devoted to this

539
00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:48,240
Speaker 3: podcast that I don't know, I don't know when the

540
00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:50,440
Speaker 3: last time you've been to Atlanta. But Atlanta has a

541
00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:53,720
Speaker 3: lot of trees, A lot of trees, which means a

542
00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:58,360
Speaker 3: lot of mosquitos. So I'm getting bit like hell around here,

543
00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:01,320
Speaker 3: trying to just keep my composer and do this pot.

544
00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:04,320
Speaker 3: So now I'm actually moving, so if you hear me walking,

545
00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:06,920
Speaker 3: I have to leave that area. So I'm gonna go

546
00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:10,960
Speaker 3: try to find another spot whereas less mosquitoes and ants.

547
00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:13,319
Speaker 3: But I'm doing my best to try to be here

548
00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:16,359
Speaker 3: for you guys. So what I was saying was, uh,

549
00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:19,680
Speaker 3: the Pacers to be able to get Game seven in

550
00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:23,480
Speaker 3: New York, because I believe each team to that point,

551
00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,000
Speaker 3: every team won at home. But am I right to

552
00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:28,080
Speaker 3: that to that point.

553
00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:29,800
Speaker 1: Team?

554
00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:32,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, So I mean to get that game. And obviously,

555
00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:34,680
Speaker 3: you know, first of all, I want to praise the

556
00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:38,200
Speaker 3: Pacers because the Pacers have been They've been overlooked in

557
00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:40,080
Speaker 3: this series even though they are part they were a

558
00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:43,319
Speaker 3: participant in the series. I don't think enough people were

559
00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:47,200
Speaker 3: talking about them. They showed perseverance to get to call

560
00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:50,359
Speaker 3: call out credit. He really has a hold of that

561
00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:55,439
Speaker 3: of that roster. Tyre's Halliburton being around him for those

562
00:34:55,520 --> 00:35:00,000
Speaker 3: two weeks, I've I've learned how much of a leader

563
00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:06,120
Speaker 3: he truly is from that team being around Miles Turner,

564
00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:08,719
Speaker 3: another great leader on that team. You know, these are

565
00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:12,040
Speaker 3: young guys who are who are trying to pave their way.

566
00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:14,319
Speaker 3: But it was a really that's a really good roster,

567
00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:17,840
Speaker 3: really good squad. TJ McConnell, Oh my goodness, TJ was

568
00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:20,080
Speaker 3: just lights out phenomenal off the bench.

569
00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:21,960
Speaker 1: Whoa I could just throw if I could just throw

570
00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:23,520
Speaker 1: in one thing real quick, and then I'll pitch it

571
00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:24,640
Speaker 1: back to you because I know you want to talk

572
00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,720
Speaker 1: about the Knicks. But it's interesting. You know, mid season

573
00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,480
Speaker 1: trades rarely lead to championships. There have only been a

574
00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:34,320
Speaker 1: couple instances. There was the Clyde Drexler trade to Houston

575
00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:36,960
Speaker 1: in ninety five. There was Rashid Wallace to Detroit.

576
00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:37,480
Speaker 3: You know.

577
00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:41,200
Speaker 1: Four that was Marc Gasol to Toronto in twenty nineteen.

578
00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:44,600
Speaker 1: But it's not often that in mid season trade leads

579
00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:48,360
Speaker 1: to a championship. But two teams in these conference finals

580
00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:51,919
Speaker 1: made major in season trades, the Mavericks with their moves

581
00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:55,480
Speaker 1: to get PJ. Washington and Daniel Gafford, and the Pacers.

582
00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:59,560
Speaker 1: We don't talk much about the Pascal seasonsco trade. How

583
00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:02,640
Speaker 1: well that move is working out for the Pacers. So

584
00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:04,319
Speaker 1: that's something to keep an eye to see if either

585
00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:07,760
Speaker 1: Dallas or Indiana can get to the finals, and maybe

586
00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:11,840
Speaker 1: we can see another mid season trade lead to a title.

587
00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:14,800
Speaker 1: But please take it back now on the Pacers and Knicks.

588
00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:18,719
Speaker 3: No, just the phenomenal season what they've been able to

589
00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:22,839
Speaker 3: accomplish to this point. You know, many people didn't see

590
00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:25,920
Speaker 3: it coming, but no, there they're definitely a worthy opponent.

591
00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:30,280
Speaker 3: So you know, I you know, good luck in Boston.

592
00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:33,520
Speaker 3: That's what I would say, good luck in Boston. I

593
00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:38,279
Speaker 3: don't you know, obviously, I feel like Boston is the

594
00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:41,520
Speaker 3: far better team. But when you got a team like

595
00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:44,799
Speaker 3: Indiana who runs the ball, I'm talking like I'm in

596
00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:48,920
Speaker 3: a football analyst. But they run the ball, they're quick

597
00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,120
Speaker 3: with it. You know, they pick up the pace on

598
00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:54,440
Speaker 3: makes some misses, so that's a change of the change

599
00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:57,560
Speaker 3: of pace. So you know, we'll see, maybe they can

600
00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:00,800
Speaker 3: make things interesting. But there's no doubt guy that the

601
00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:02,919
Speaker 3: Boss himself, that's going to be their favors for sure.

602
00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:16,360
Speaker 3: Now for the next time, Battle of Attrition. Battle of Attrition,

603
00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:21,680
Speaker 3: it was tough watching, you know, bodies just fall down

604
00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:26,080
Speaker 3: and unable to play even you know, you had guys

605
00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:30,000
Speaker 3: get hobbled towards the end of the series, like Josh Hart.

606
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:34,160
Speaker 3: You know, Jalen Brunson was dealing with his share of injuries.

607
00:37:35,239 --> 00:37:37,960
Speaker 3: Julius Randall couldn't be there. You know, you have to

608
00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:44,240
Speaker 3: remember the knicks. We're playing with one starter and four reserves.

609
00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:48,279
Speaker 3: You know, as good as Josh Hart and Dante are,

610
00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:52,920
Speaker 3: you know, those are reserves, you know, compared to the

611
00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:55,520
Speaker 3: the you know that wasn't the starting unit that that

612
00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:59,960
Speaker 3: TIPS would usually go to. So they fought. They fought.

613
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:04,240
Speaker 3: Guys stepped up. Dante showed his worth, Josh Hart showed

614
00:38:04,239 --> 00:38:08,080
Speaker 3: his worth and his value. Man Herten Is it hard

615
00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:12,680
Speaker 3: and Stein or Hartenstein? Which which way have we decided? Hartenstein,

616
00:38:13,239 --> 00:38:15,480
Speaker 3: hertenstein Stein?

617
00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:16,720
Speaker 1: You have to say Stein.

618
00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:20,000
Speaker 3: I don't know if I could get that, Sylla brown Heart.

619
00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:22,560
Speaker 3: Let's do it again. Say it again one time, Hearten

620
00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:27,880
Speaker 3: Herten Stein stein Stein.

621
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,520
Speaker 1: Instead of instead of the way I say my name Stein,

622
00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:35,400
Speaker 1: Just to think of an s h before Yeah, stein Stein.

623
00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:39,759
Speaker 3: Okay, let's see if that sticks. He played phenomenally man

624
00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:43,040
Speaker 3: like they tips. One thing I can say about this,

625
00:38:43,239 --> 00:38:45,680
Speaker 3: I know all the all. Tips gets a lot of

626
00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:50,400
Speaker 3: criticism from people saying he overworks his players, he logs

627
00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:54,040
Speaker 3: them too many minutes. But I'm I talked to guys

628
00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:57,400
Speaker 3: in that locker room, man, they're all for Tipsy. They

629
00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:00,440
Speaker 3: got his back. They really support their head coach, and

630
00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:02,960
Speaker 3: Tims are really Tim's a funny dude, man. I know

631
00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:05,080
Speaker 3: a lot of people don't get to see it. I've

632
00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:08,400
Speaker 3: gotten to learn a lot being around Tims this season

633
00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:10,839
Speaker 3: and in this playoff run and just being in those

634
00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:13,600
Speaker 3: meetings where you know they are the coaches, they're a

635
00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:15,600
Speaker 3: lot more looser, you know what I'm talking about Stein

636
00:39:15,719 --> 00:39:19,560
Speaker 3: Like they'll they'll let you have it. And uh, Timms

637
00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:22,320
Speaker 3: is uh a, he's a real cool guy. Man. Always

638
00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:25,200
Speaker 3: showed me respect man. And you know, no matter if

639
00:39:25,239 --> 00:39:28,560
Speaker 3: they were losing, losing big, you know, during the game

640
00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:30,520
Speaker 3: and halftime, you know, you usually go up to the

641
00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:32,800
Speaker 3: losing coach to try to get some few words. He

642
00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:38,400
Speaker 3: was always accommodating. So, uh, class organization by the Knicks,

643
00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:44,040
Speaker 3: strict organization, but class class or class organization, man, they

644
00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:47,000
Speaker 3: treated they treated me well. So uh you know, and

645
00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:49,319
Speaker 3: Jaylen Brust is geting Jayleen Brust, you know he went

646
00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:52,200
Speaker 3: through you know, he got that fractured left left hand

647
00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:56,680
Speaker 3: in in game seven, so that was tough, and that

648
00:39:56,880 --> 00:40:00,400
Speaker 3: was just that was basically the end for the Knicks.

649
00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:03,320
Speaker 3: But you know, remember he got had that foot injury.

650
00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:06,640
Speaker 3: I believe it was game two, and we didn't know

651
00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:10,239
Speaker 3: his status moving forward. I was told after game two

652
00:40:10,719 --> 00:40:12,960
Speaker 3: that he went and got an MRI on that foot,

653
00:40:13,719 --> 00:40:17,520
Speaker 3: and it was relief, just relief they thought it was

654
00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:19,560
Speaker 3: they thought it might have been a tear, but it

655
00:40:19,680 --> 00:40:21,840
Speaker 3: was relief that it wasn't. But it was just a

656
00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:24,480
Speaker 3: matter of pain tolerance from there. So he was not

657
00:40:24,560 --> 00:40:27,120
Speaker 3: one hundred percent with that foot injury, but he's still

658
00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:30,399
Speaker 3: he still played effectively, he still was dominating. And then

659
00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:32,480
Speaker 3: to have to go out like that in game seven,

660
00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:35,040
Speaker 3: it was a battle of attrition and they just they

661
00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:35,839
Speaker 3: lost that war.

662
00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:39,520
Speaker 1: That was ridiculous. I mean, look, by the end of

663
00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:44,200
Speaker 1: game seven on Sunday, of the sixth highest paid Knicks,

664
00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:49,719
Speaker 1: only one was available to play, and that was Josh Hart,

665
00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:52,880
Speaker 1: who was playing through an abdominal strain that he clearly

666
00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:55,839
Speaker 1: shouldn't have been trying to play through. I mean, their whole,

667
00:40:56,760 --> 00:41:00,360
Speaker 1: the whole top end of their rotation some sort of

668
00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:06,080
Speaker 1: injury and so I know, yeah, and he tried any

669
00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:09,000
Speaker 1: game you know, lasted less than five minutes, and yeah,

670
00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:12,640
Speaker 1: it was a sad ending any way, you look at it.

671
00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:17,279
Speaker 1: For the Knicks, who I mean, this has been you know,

672
00:41:17,440 --> 00:41:21,320
Speaker 1: outside of insanity, and that was a very brief interlude.

673
00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:25,400
Speaker 1: I think this was the happiest, most upbeat season at

674
00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:29,080
Speaker 1: your new favorite arena, Madison Square Garden, since the twentieth century.

675
00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:33,160
Speaker 1: I mean, it has been many, many years of suffering

676
00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:37,200
Speaker 1: and negativity and they just went on this magical ride

677
00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:39,520
Speaker 1: in spite of all the injuries. But eventually it just

678
00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:44,160
Speaker 1: they could no longer cope. They were just too banged

679
00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:50,040
Speaker 1: up to deal with a team that plays at the

680
00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:52,959
Speaker 1: pace Indiana does. And we'll see, now can that pace?

681
00:41:53,480 --> 00:41:55,760
Speaker 1: You know, we're gonna see the two best offensive teams

682
00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:59,320
Speaker 1: in the league play in this East Finals. What kinds

683
00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:03,239
Speaker 1: of problem can the Pacers pose for the Celtics. I

684
00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:05,920
Speaker 1: know people will say, oh, Boston's had it so easy

685
00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:09,320
Speaker 1: to get to this point, playing the Heat with no

686
00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:12,200
Speaker 1: Jimmy Butler and all the injuries Miami was dealing with,

687
00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:16,000
Speaker 1: and then playing the Cavaliers when they had to go

688
00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:19,760
Speaker 1: that whole series pretty much without Jared Allen and didn't

689
00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:23,680
Speaker 1: have Donovan Mitchell at the end, so Boston hasn't been tested.

690
00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:26,560
Speaker 1: And I know that's being presented as some sort of

691
00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:31,160
Speaker 1: huge disadvantage that could potentially hurt the Celtics, but look,

692
00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:36,040
Speaker 1: the Celtics are especially now, especially with no Denver in

693
00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:40,360
Speaker 1: the field. The Celtics are playing with win or bust,

694
00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:45,600
Speaker 1: championship or bust expectations, anything less than a title, and

695
00:42:45,719 --> 00:42:49,960
Speaker 1: the Celtics are going to be hugely criticized excoriated for

696
00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:53,279
Speaker 1: whatever happened. So they're not going to apologize one bit.

697
00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:56,800
Speaker 1: They love having it as easy as possible just to

698
00:42:56,920 --> 00:43:01,000
Speaker 1: get to this round because they've had no porzingis and

699
00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:06,399
Speaker 1: they have really no escape from criticism if things don't

700
00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:10,120
Speaker 1: work out, because the only thing missing from this Boston

701
00:43:10,280 --> 00:43:13,640
Speaker 1: run six trips to the conference finals in the past

702
00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:16,880
Speaker 1: eight seasons, the only thing missing is winning at all.

703
00:43:17,200 --> 00:43:20,400
Speaker 1: They have to win it all to hush the skeptics

704
00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:24,040
Speaker 1: and the doubters, and we'll see now if the Celtics can.

705
00:43:24,239 --> 00:43:28,759
Speaker 1: They're playing an Indiana team with very limited playoff experience

706
00:43:28,840 --> 00:43:31,920
Speaker 1: as a group, and so the Celtics will be favored

707
00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:34,480
Speaker 1: to get to the finals, even if they don't have

708
00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:39,080
Speaker 1: Porzingis until the finals. But I mean there is It's

709
00:43:39,120 --> 00:43:45,239
Speaker 1: a tremendous opportunity for Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown and co.

710
00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:49,600
Speaker 1: I mean, this is you know, we all thought, maybe

711
00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:51,360
Speaker 1: not all of us, but I think lots of us

712
00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:54,360
Speaker 1: thought we were gonna get a Celtics Nuggets NBA Finals,

713
00:43:54,440 --> 00:43:59,480
Speaker 1: And now that can't happen. It's wide open. We're gonna

714
00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:04,320
Speaker 1: get that sixth new champion in a span of six seasons.

715
00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:06,960
Speaker 1: I've been writing about this all season, thinking about it

716
00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:11,280
Speaker 1: all season. Are we gonna get yet another championship newcomer?

717
00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:17,880
Speaker 1: And we are six different champions in a six season span.

718
00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:22,320
Speaker 1: That has not happened since the nineteen seventy four to

719
00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:26,600
Speaker 1: seventy five season through seventy nine eighty, right when little

720
00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:31,719
Speaker 1: Mark Stein was becoming an NBA addict. That's the timeframe

721
00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:34,560
Speaker 1: when I really started falling in love with this league.

722
00:44:35,160 --> 00:44:37,879
Speaker 1: And it was right before Larry and Magic came into

723
00:44:37,920 --> 00:44:40,160
Speaker 1: the league and everything changed, and all of a sudden,

724
00:44:40,760 --> 00:44:43,759
Speaker 1: the Lakers and the Celtics dominated, and then the Pistons

725
00:44:43,840 --> 00:44:46,759
Speaker 1: came in, and then the Michael Jordan Bulls. So right

726
00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:50,399
Speaker 1: before that it was just nineteen seventy four to seventy five.

727
00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:54,919
Speaker 1: The Warriors won it all nineteen seventy five seventy six.

728
00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:59,839
Speaker 1: The Celtics got one more title in the Haletchek era

729
00:45:00,239 --> 00:45:04,080
Speaker 1: seventy six seventy seven. It was the Blazers and their

730
00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:08,719
Speaker 1: breakthrough championship with Bill Walton and Doctor Jack seventy seven

731
00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:11,080
Speaker 1: to seventy eight and seventy eight seventy nine we had

732
00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:15,359
Speaker 1: two straight installments of Bullet Sonics. The Bullets won one

733
00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:19,080
Speaker 1: and then the Sonics won one, and then seventy nine

734
00:45:19,080 --> 00:45:22,920
Speaker 1: to eighty, Magic as a rookie leads the Lakers to

735
00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:26,480
Speaker 1: the championship. Of course, Magic playing in that Game six

736
00:45:26,600 --> 00:45:31,080
Speaker 1: decider starting at center, one of the greatest finals performances

737
00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:37,440
Speaker 1: ever with Kareem Abdul Jabbar out injured, and then it

738
00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:42,000
Speaker 1: was again everything changed, with the Lakers Celtics rivalry dominating

739
00:45:42,560 --> 00:45:44,759
Speaker 1: the rest of the eighties. The Sixers did sneak one

740
00:45:44,840 --> 00:45:48,319
Speaker 1: title in there when Moses Malone teamed up with Julius Serving,

741
00:45:48,400 --> 00:45:51,279
Speaker 1: but it was a decade dominated by the Lakers and

742
00:45:51,320 --> 00:45:54,239
Speaker 1: the Celtics, and then again Pistons Bowls and on and

743
00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:57,480
Speaker 1: on and on so we are now back in that

744
00:45:57,719 --> 00:46:01,640
Speaker 1: zone where it's up for grabs, where parody reigns. I

745
00:46:01,719 --> 00:46:05,480
Speaker 1: don't know if it's lasting NFL style parody. I think

746
00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:08,600
Speaker 1: we'll need more time to get firm answers on that.

747
00:46:08,840 --> 00:46:13,520
Speaker 1: But anything can happen from here, and the proof will

748
00:46:13,560 --> 00:46:18,040
Speaker 1: be when the Western Conference Finals begin in Atlanta with

749
00:46:18,239 --> 00:46:25,080
Speaker 1: Chris Haynes on an ALT cast of all things with

750
00:46:25,239 --> 00:46:31,160
Speaker 1: Adam Lefko and Vince Carter. Anything can happen, Anything is possible.

751
00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:35,480
Speaker 3: Yes, everybody alt cast will be will be doing a

752
00:46:35,600 --> 00:46:41,080
Speaker 3: live think of the Manning cast. So every game for

753
00:46:41,160 --> 00:46:43,720
Speaker 3: the Western Conference Finals, we will be on True TV,

754
00:46:44,280 --> 00:46:48,040
Speaker 3: and each game will have a special guest, and I'm

755
00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:51,880
Speaker 3: the booker, so we'll have we'll have some stars on

756
00:46:52,040 --> 00:46:55,000
Speaker 3: each game. We'll have some head coaches on each game.

757
00:46:55,120 --> 00:46:59,319
Speaker 3: So please, if you're looking for an alternative broadcast, turn

758
00:46:59,360 --> 00:47:01,520
Speaker 3: a channel over to True TV. We will still have

759
00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:05,640
Speaker 3: the traditional TNT broadcast with Kevin Harlem, Reggie Miller, and

760
00:47:05,719 --> 00:47:08,440
Speaker 3: I believe stan Van Gundy is joining the crew for

761
00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:11,880
Speaker 3: the Western Conference Finals. We'll still have them over at TNT.

762
00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:23,280
Speaker 3: Before we leave, Stein and Ryan, I have a confession

763
00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:28,160
Speaker 3: and I need I need your input. I have a

764
00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:31,680
Speaker 3: little story to tell. I'm not proud of it. I

765
00:47:31,880 --> 00:47:36,719
Speaker 3: tried to remove myself somewhat, but still I was still

766
00:47:36,800 --> 00:47:39,880
Speaker 3: associated with it, which makes it a little bit ugly.

767
00:47:40,560 --> 00:47:42,960
Speaker 3: So I'm gonna tell you guys a story and for

768
00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:46,440
Speaker 3: our listeners, feel free away in on social media as well.

769
00:47:47,239 --> 00:47:51,239
Speaker 3: This has everything to do with the championship we won

770
00:47:51,320 --> 00:47:58,880
Speaker 3: in the Filipino League last season. So little controversy, little controversy.

771
00:47:59,760 --> 00:48:03,280
Speaker 3: Let me explain what happened. So in this Filipino League,

772
00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:07,160
Speaker 3: you know, everybody pays. It's eighty five hours to play

773
00:48:07,200 --> 00:48:10,239
Speaker 3: in the league, and so they set it up where

774
00:48:11,680 --> 00:48:14,680
Speaker 3: the starters have to play the full twelve minutes, the

775
00:48:14,760 --> 00:48:19,000
Speaker 3: reserves play the full second quarter of twelve minutes. Third

776
00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:21,800
Speaker 3: quarter is half and half, so six minutes each, and

777
00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:26,399
Speaker 3: then fourth quarter open subs. All right, I laid down

778
00:48:26,680 --> 00:48:32,400
Speaker 3: the foundation. We had a player who was given to

779
00:48:32,520 --> 00:48:35,759
Speaker 3: us last minute. He's about eighteen or nineteen years old,

780
00:48:37,080 --> 00:48:41,640
Speaker 3: and he's, oh, I don't want me, No, how can

781
00:48:41,719 --> 00:48:45,680
Speaker 3: I say this? He's no, he's just not that good,

782
00:48:45,880 --> 00:48:47,840
Speaker 3: not good at all, not good all. I mean, you know,

783
00:48:47,920 --> 00:48:49,640
Speaker 3: he hadn't scored well.

784
00:48:49,719 --> 00:48:51,960
Speaker 1: Developing prospect in your system.

785
00:48:53,239 --> 00:48:57,320
Speaker 3: Okay, that's a nice way to put it. So he

786
00:48:57,520 --> 00:49:00,800
Speaker 3: did not score at all the entire season. We played

787
00:49:00,920 --> 00:49:05,560
Speaker 3: eight games. And remember, as a reserve, if you play

788
00:49:05,640 --> 00:49:08,879
Speaker 3: the full second quarter and half of the third, you're

789
00:49:09,000 --> 00:49:13,200
Speaker 3: guaranteed to play eighteen minutes at minimum a game. So

790
00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:17,000
Speaker 3: for eighteen minutes a game for eight games, he failed,

791
00:49:17,040 --> 00:49:22,200
Speaker 3: the score failed, the score sot still developing prospects. Sure,

792
00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:26,399
Speaker 3: whatever you say. Now we get to the pluck we get.

793
00:49:26,440 --> 00:49:29,680
Speaker 3: We made. We made it to the final four, and

794
00:49:29,880 --> 00:49:34,160
Speaker 3: my team had enough and they were like, listen, Chris,

795
00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:38,320
Speaker 3: it's gonna be tough winning with this guy because he

796
00:49:38,480 --> 00:49:40,680
Speaker 3: has to play eighteen minutes and every time he gets

797
00:49:40,719 --> 00:49:42,799
Speaker 3: in the game for that second quarter, that third quarter,

798
00:49:43,160 --> 00:49:45,719
Speaker 3: the team's going to run and it puts us in

799
00:49:45,800 --> 00:49:50,520
Speaker 3: a hole. He can't play, And I'm like, god, this

800
00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:54,040
Speaker 3: saint he paid, Like, there's nothing I can do. You

801
00:49:54,239 --> 00:49:56,480
Speaker 3: know what I'm saying, It's nothing. I can't do anything.

802
00:49:56,880 --> 00:50:00,160
Speaker 3: It was like, Chris, he can't play, and so they're

803
00:50:00,200 --> 00:50:03,000
Speaker 3: coming up with all type of ideas and stuff. I'm like, guys,

804
00:50:03,320 --> 00:50:07,160
Speaker 3: we can't do that. So anyways, a week before the

805
00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:12,960
Speaker 3: Final four, the kid lets us know, hey, I'm going

806
00:50:13,000 --> 00:50:15,239
Speaker 3: on a field trip, a graduation field trip. So he's

807
00:50:15,239 --> 00:50:17,279
Speaker 3: still in high school. It's eighteen. He said, I'm going

808
00:50:17,320 --> 00:50:19,560
Speaker 3: on a graduation field trip, so I won't make the

809
00:50:20,440 --> 00:50:23,000
Speaker 3: last two games, which is on the last day. The

810
00:50:23,080 --> 00:50:24,799
Speaker 3: final four is on last day. You win the first

811
00:50:24,840 --> 00:50:28,600
Speaker 3: one you play in two hours in the championship. Everybody's ecstatic.

812
00:50:29,400 --> 00:50:33,160
Speaker 3: Everybody's ecstatic. He won't be there. Great and everybody's ecstatic.

813
00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:38,319
Speaker 3: So what happens the night before the champ the final four?

814
00:50:39,360 --> 00:50:43,440
Speaker 3: He sends everybody a text saying, hey, my field trip

815
00:50:43,560 --> 00:50:47,560
Speaker 3: was canceled. I will be there. So everybody is back

816
00:50:47,640 --> 00:50:51,480
Speaker 3: to square one and pissed. Stein pissed. So they was like,

817
00:50:51,640 --> 00:50:54,680
Speaker 3: so they're talking amongst themselves and they made it up

818
00:50:54,719 --> 00:50:57,640
Speaker 3: in their mind that they're going to tell him, listen,

819
00:50:59,120 --> 00:51:05,000
Speaker 3: you have to fake it in injury, faking injury, fakeing injury,

820
00:51:06,840 --> 00:51:10,040
Speaker 3: because we've been game playing without you this whole time,

821
00:51:10,080 --> 00:51:11,640
Speaker 3: because you thought you were gonna be at the field

822
00:51:11,680 --> 00:51:14,480
Speaker 3: trip and now you're saying you're com up, like you're

823
00:51:14,480 --> 00:51:18,040
Speaker 3: gonna mess up the chemistry we have. And so my

824
00:51:18,160 --> 00:51:20,880
Speaker 3: wife was on me about Chris, you stay out of that.

825
00:51:21,480 --> 00:51:23,960
Speaker 3: You're a public figure. You can't be involved in that.

826
00:51:24,040 --> 00:51:28,520
Speaker 3: You're showing a bad morale and you know, bad humanity.

827
00:51:28,800 --> 00:51:31,040
Speaker 3: This kid is eighteen years old. You shouldn't be a

828
00:51:31,120 --> 00:51:33,879
Speaker 3: part of that. So I told the guys that listen, guys,

829
00:51:35,120 --> 00:51:41,760
Speaker 3: I'm gonna turn I'm gonna turn my head. I listen.

830
00:51:42,160 --> 00:51:47,160
Speaker 3: I don't want no parts of it. So anyways, the team,

831
00:51:47,200 --> 00:51:53,920
Speaker 3: as you on this podcast, I want no part of it. Anyways,

832
00:51:54,000 --> 00:51:55,560
Speaker 3: they go and talk to him and have a talk

833
00:51:55,600 --> 00:52:01,239
Speaker 3: with him, and he agreed to fake an ankling where

834
00:52:01,280 --> 00:52:03,800
Speaker 3: he didn't play in the first game. We won the

835
00:52:03,840 --> 00:52:06,640
Speaker 3: first game, we made it to the championship, and he

836
00:52:06,760 --> 00:52:10,239
Speaker 3: played minimum. He played very little in the championship game

837
00:52:11,160 --> 00:52:13,759
Speaker 3: because he had an injury, so he was able to

838
00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:17,920
Speaker 3: play very little. We won the championship. So today I

839
00:52:18,080 --> 00:52:23,000
Speaker 3: tell you all this. So today the teams you're usually

840
00:52:23,000 --> 00:52:26,080
Speaker 3: supposed to switch teams up each season, but they're allowing

841
00:52:26,160 --> 00:52:29,360
Speaker 3: us to keep our team because we won the championship.

842
00:52:30,239 --> 00:52:34,239
Speaker 3: But we kept our team except for one player that

843
00:52:34,360 --> 00:52:37,880
Speaker 3: you guys can guess that one player. So we're in

844
00:52:38,000 --> 00:52:41,520
Speaker 3: a group chat with the commissioner of the league. And

845
00:52:41,680 --> 00:52:43,799
Speaker 3: when that player found out that he was the only

846
00:52:43,880 --> 00:52:47,920
Speaker 3: one excluded from this new team. He let loose in

847
00:52:48,120 --> 00:52:51,480
Speaker 3: that chat with the commissioner saying, this is fucked up.

848
00:52:52,280 --> 00:52:54,799
Speaker 3: I'm the only one y'all left off, and I faked

849
00:52:54,840 --> 00:52:57,759
Speaker 3: the injury to help us win the championship last year.

850
00:52:58,080 --> 00:53:00,480
Speaker 2: This is fucked up, and he removed himself of the group.

851
00:53:04,960 --> 00:53:08,480
Speaker 2: So not a commissioner questioning us y'all really did this?

852
00:53:09,000 --> 00:53:09,520
Speaker 4: What what.

853
00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:15,680
Speaker 3: He tainted? Our former teammate tainted our championship. He went

854
00:53:15,760 --> 00:53:19,360
Speaker 3: along with their plan and then just dropped the bomb

855
00:53:19,480 --> 00:53:21,359
Speaker 3: today because he got mad because he was the only

856
00:53:21,400 --> 00:53:24,720
Speaker 3: one left off of our team going into next season.

857
00:53:24,920 --> 00:53:29,920
Speaker 3: So my question is, Ryan is Stein? I know I

858
00:53:30,080 --> 00:53:32,439
Speaker 3: know our team out of pocket, and I know even

859
00:53:32,480 --> 00:53:37,040
Speaker 3: though I didn't contribute to convincing him to sit out

860
00:53:37,400 --> 00:53:39,960
Speaker 3: or the faken injury, I knew what was going on.

861
00:53:41,200 --> 00:53:43,200
Speaker 3: So you know I was complicit. I knew what was

862
00:53:43,600 --> 00:53:46,279
Speaker 3: going on. So should I be mad at the kid

863
00:53:46,840 --> 00:53:50,960
Speaker 3: for just blasting that out, you know, being mad? Or

864
00:53:51,600 --> 00:53:53,680
Speaker 3: just take it on the sind and understand, like you

865
00:53:53,800 --> 00:53:55,439
Speaker 3: know you did wrong.

866
00:53:55,520 --> 00:54:01,000
Speaker 4: Anyway, Stein, I'm gonna jump in on this one here. Okay, Chris,

867
00:54:01,880 --> 00:54:05,640
Speaker 4: have you ever in your life watched a good mob movie.

868
00:54:06,560 --> 00:54:10,840
Speaker 4: I gotta know you cannot leave any loose ends. You

869
00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:14,200
Speaker 4: left a loose end. You could not exclude him from

870
00:54:14,320 --> 00:54:17,759
Speaker 4: the team knowing that he had the inside scoop on

871
00:54:17,920 --> 00:54:20,480
Speaker 4: how you won your first title. That's on you. You

872
00:54:20,880 --> 00:54:23,400
Speaker 4: gotta keep him on the roster and keep him happy.

873
00:54:23,880 --> 00:54:27,000
Speaker 4: Otherwise you're leaving a loose end out there and he's

874
00:54:27,040 --> 00:54:30,239
Speaker 4: going straight to the authority. So no, you can't blame him.

875
00:54:30,320 --> 00:54:33,000
Speaker 4: You gotta blame yourself for leaving that out there hanging.

876
00:54:35,160 --> 00:54:37,640
Speaker 1: Against you. I mean, I'm sure people in your league

877
00:54:37,680 --> 00:54:45,080
Speaker 1: are listening to this pod. What if they revoke your championship?

878
00:54:45,120 --> 00:54:46,040
Speaker 1: What if they take it away?

879
00:54:47,080 --> 00:54:51,640
Speaker 3: You know, what if they if they do, I know,

880
00:54:51,760 --> 00:54:55,839
Speaker 3: we won fair and square. You know at a certain point. Listen,

881
00:54:55,880 --> 00:55:02,400
Speaker 3: I mean it, we were fair and square. Listen, in

882
00:55:02,520 --> 00:55:05,320
Speaker 3: real life style. In real life, they don't You're not

883
00:55:05,520 --> 00:55:09,120
Speaker 3: forced to play. Everybody in real life, the players that's

884
00:55:09,120 --> 00:55:13,840
Speaker 3: supposed to be playing play you earn minutes, so you know,

885
00:55:14,520 --> 00:55:16,600
Speaker 3: if anything teaching them a lesson and how the real

886
00:55:16,680 --> 00:55:19,799
Speaker 3: world is and how real competition is, everybody don't get

887
00:55:19,840 --> 00:55:23,120
Speaker 3: to play. But I get you, I understand. So Ryan,

888
00:55:23,360 --> 00:55:25,680
Speaker 3: Ryan's coming from a mod perspective. Basically, we should have

889
00:55:25,760 --> 00:55:30,799
Speaker 3: murdered the kid, is what you're saying. That's what you're saying. Right.

890
00:55:31,960 --> 00:55:34,399
Speaker 4: What I'm saying is you you you had to keep

891
00:55:34,480 --> 00:55:36,600
Speaker 4: him on the payroll to keep him happy.

892
00:55:37,840 --> 00:55:39,960
Speaker 3: I'm telling you my teammates probably would have killed them

893
00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:43,200
Speaker 3: if we played another season together. It was pretty bad,

894
00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:47,840
Speaker 3: pretty bad. So yes, I'm not proud of it, but

895
00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:52,560
Speaker 3: you know, we got that far, and my teammates were adamant.

896
00:55:53,960 --> 00:55:58,880
Speaker 3: Even though I didn't tell them the faking injury, I

897
00:55:58,960 --> 00:56:02,440
Speaker 3: knew what was going on. So not one, not one

898
00:56:02,480 --> 00:56:04,640
Speaker 3: of my proudest moments. But listen, this is listen. This

899
00:56:04,800 --> 00:56:08,160
Speaker 3: league uncut, This can be this league, NBA league could

900
00:56:08,200 --> 00:56:11,200
Speaker 3: be the Philipino League doesn't matter. This league uncut. And

901
00:56:11,280 --> 00:56:13,680
Speaker 3: I wanted to share with my listeners what's going on.

902
00:56:14,239 --> 00:56:16,440
Speaker 3: And so you can call me out, call me out.

903
00:56:16,520 --> 00:56:19,520
Speaker 3: I understand, I understand, but you know, it's competition, man,

904
00:56:19,560 --> 00:56:22,759
Speaker 3: We're trying to win. Come on the best of play.

905
00:56:22,960 --> 00:56:26,160
Speaker 3: But it's not my league, so gotta buy by the rules.

906
00:56:27,400 --> 00:56:28,920
Speaker 3: So my championship as an asterisk.

907
00:56:29,920 --> 00:56:35,919
Speaker 1: Yeah, because again, you're you came on here and said

908
00:56:35,960 --> 00:56:39,839
Speaker 1: you're the GM, You're the coach, You're everything. And now

909
00:56:39,880 --> 00:56:49,800
Speaker 1: you're like, I wasn't involved, like Lebron.

910
00:56:49,520 --> 00:56:51,400
Speaker 3: Say, hey, man, I don't. I don't get involved with

911
00:56:51,480 --> 00:56:58,399
Speaker 3: that stuff. Man, that's what that's all there. But yeah,

912
00:56:59,120 --> 00:57:02,560
Speaker 3: there you go. I'm sorry everybody. I'll do better. I'm growing,

913
00:57:02,680 --> 00:57:03,200
Speaker 3: I'm learning.

914
00:57:04,080 --> 00:57:08,600
Speaker 4: So now going forward with this new season, he's not

915
00:57:08,760 --> 00:57:11,319
Speaker 4: on the team. So now that problem has been eliminated

916
00:57:11,400 --> 00:57:12,080
Speaker 4: going forward.

917
00:57:12,160 --> 00:57:15,960
Speaker 3: Correct, it has been eliminated. Yes, the commissioner got on

918
00:57:16,080 --> 00:57:18,280
Speaker 3: us about y'all can't be doing that. That's wrong, that's

919
00:57:18,320 --> 00:57:21,240
Speaker 3: not fair, and so you know we're not getting our

920
00:57:21,320 --> 00:57:24,040
Speaker 3: championship or move or anything like that. But I was like, wow,

921
00:57:24,800 --> 00:57:27,840
Speaker 3: he went and just put that out there and just

922
00:57:28,200 --> 00:57:28,800
Speaker 3: blasted it.

923
00:57:28,960 --> 00:57:31,480
Speaker 4: I'm like, man, hey, you know what, you might have

924
00:57:31,560 --> 00:57:34,080
Speaker 4: actually found the perfect solution. I may have to take

925
00:57:34,160 --> 00:57:37,360
Speaker 4: that back. You're going to keep the title, and now

926
00:57:37,440 --> 00:57:40,320
Speaker 4: he's not on the team going forward, But you also

927
00:57:40,440 --> 00:57:42,840
Speaker 4: no longer have to hide a secret because now the

928
00:57:42,880 --> 00:57:47,800
Speaker 4: commissioners about it. So you committed the crime. Everyone knows

929
00:57:47,880 --> 00:57:50,240
Speaker 4: you did, and you're getting away with it again.

930
00:57:50,240 --> 00:57:50,919
Speaker 3: And now you can.

931
00:57:50,840 --> 00:57:54,160
Speaker 1: Defend your title when when someone on the team you

932
00:57:54,240 --> 00:57:56,840
Speaker 1: guys beat in the final here's this podcast. Nobody's going

933
00:57:56,920 --> 00:58:02,720
Speaker 1: to say, hey, wait a minute's.

934
00:58:00,280 --> 00:58:04,840
Speaker 3: No work campion. I mean if I was the other team,

935
00:58:05,400 --> 00:58:07,880
Speaker 3: I wouldn't go about it like that. You gotta you gotta,

936
00:58:08,120 --> 00:58:10,200
Speaker 3: you gotta. I want to beat you. I don't care

937
00:58:10,240 --> 00:58:14,960
Speaker 3: about no you playing your you know, MVP trophies with

938
00:58:15,080 --> 00:58:15,560
Speaker 3: you this time?

939
00:58:15,640 --> 00:58:16,200
Speaker 1: What happened?

940
00:58:16,520 --> 00:58:18,560
Speaker 3: No, I mean they all stacked up at the house.

941
00:58:18,880 --> 00:58:22,720
Speaker 3: They're all two MVPs, two championships and so but no,

942
00:58:22,800 --> 00:58:25,920
Speaker 3: I wouldn't be like that. I think that's a week competitor,

943
00:58:26,360 --> 00:58:29,640
Speaker 3: you know, if you act like that. But no, he's

944
00:58:29,680 --> 00:58:32,920
Speaker 3: not on the team moving forward. But I will say

945
00:58:33,000 --> 00:58:37,520
Speaker 3: this is that you know that rule is tough man,

946
00:58:37,600 --> 00:58:39,920
Speaker 3: if you have if you have a guy that or

947
00:58:39,920 --> 00:58:43,800
Speaker 3: a girl that's not ready to play, and just remember

948
00:58:43,920 --> 00:58:48,240
Speaker 3: they're going to play eighteen minutes minimum. That's a lot

949
00:58:48,320 --> 00:58:52,720
Speaker 3: of time. Eighteen minutes minimum, all of the second quarter,

950
00:58:52,760 --> 00:58:54,640
Speaker 3: which is twelve minutes, and then half of the third.

951
00:58:55,280 --> 00:58:59,040
Speaker 3: So that's eighteen minutes where the other team correct and

952
00:58:59,120 --> 00:59:01,160
Speaker 3: the problem is right. And this is sign this The

953
00:59:01,240 --> 00:59:05,360
Speaker 3: other part is through out there, we always had ten guys.

954
00:59:05,480 --> 00:59:09,120
Speaker 3: It's a full roster with ten guys. Most teams they

955
00:59:09,160 --> 00:59:12,040
Speaker 3: will only show up with like seven guys, so which

956
00:59:12,120 --> 00:59:15,080
Speaker 3: that meant that they can always keep like three of

957
00:59:15,160 --> 00:59:18,880
Speaker 3: their best players on the floor at all times. Meanwhile,

958
00:59:19,000 --> 00:59:22,240
Speaker 3: we had to come in with our five reserves who

959
00:59:22,400 --> 00:59:26,960
Speaker 3: aren't the best, and so they're playing eighteen minutes minimum.

960
00:59:27,880 --> 00:59:29,920
Speaker 3: So that was the problem we had. It's like, man,

961
00:59:30,000 --> 00:59:32,920
Speaker 3: we got a full ten and we got guys that

962
00:59:33,600 --> 00:59:36,520
Speaker 3: just can't play. Meanwhile, these other teams are only showing

963
00:59:36,680 --> 00:59:38,960
Speaker 3: and I don't know, listen, I don't know what they're doing.

964
00:59:39,360 --> 00:59:42,040
Speaker 3: They could be telling because they everybody has a ten

965
00:59:42,120 --> 00:59:45,280
Speaker 3: man roster, but there's like four teams that's showing up

966
00:59:45,320 --> 00:59:48,280
Speaker 3: with seven or eight, So they could be telling their teammates, hey,

967
00:59:48,360 --> 00:59:51,160
Speaker 3: don't show up, you know, let us seven or eight.

968
00:59:51,560 --> 00:59:52,720
Speaker 3: Just that you.

969
00:59:53,120 --> 00:59:54,920
Speaker 1: All I know is that you are the most candid

970
00:59:55,000 --> 00:59:58,040
Speaker 1: GM in basketball history. You are putting it all out there.

971
00:59:58,840 --> 00:59:59,680
Speaker 1: It is all out in the.

972
00:59:59,720 --> 01:00:06,520
Speaker 3: Street, all right. Listen. He put it out the other day,

973
01:00:07,040 --> 01:00:10,960
Speaker 3: So I figured it'll circulate around the league anyways, and

974
01:00:11,440 --> 01:00:13,680
Speaker 3: if anything, this will just help it circulate. Oh well,

975
01:00:14,640 --> 01:00:19,240
Speaker 3: what's done is done. Barry Bombs is the whole run leader.

976
01:00:20,000 --> 01:00:23,480
Speaker 1: That league is a movie, and that is going to

977
01:00:23,600 --> 01:00:27,720
Speaker 1: do it for this edition of this League Uncut. And

978
01:00:27,880 --> 01:00:30,320
Speaker 1: just to make a little correction, I can't remember exactly

979
01:00:30,400 --> 01:00:32,440
Speaker 1: how I said it way back at the beginning of

980
01:00:32,520 --> 01:00:36,600
Speaker 1: this podcast, but there are no NBA games tonight as

981
01:00:36,640 --> 01:00:39,000
Speaker 1: we get ready for the start of the Conference Finals

982
01:00:39,040 --> 01:00:43,760
Speaker 1: Tuesday night with Boston Indiana Game one, but the WNBA

983
01:00:44,320 --> 01:00:48,520
Speaker 1: is in operation on this Monday night, and as we've

984
01:00:48,560 --> 01:00:54,320
Speaker 1: been recording this podcast, I've had the sun Fever game

985
01:00:54,400 --> 01:00:56,720
Speaker 1: on the whole time. It's late in the third quarter now,

986
01:00:56,800 --> 01:01:00,160
Speaker 1: but really scary in the first half, Caitlin Clark a

987
01:01:00,400 --> 01:01:05,640
Speaker 1: very nasty looking ankle twist that initially took her out

988
01:01:05,640 --> 01:01:08,160
Speaker 1: of the game, but she was able to come back

989
01:01:08,240 --> 01:01:11,600
Speaker 1: for this second half and she's able to play on it.

990
01:01:11,800 --> 01:01:16,040
Speaker 1: So a real injury scare in the WNBA tonight, but

991
01:01:16,480 --> 01:01:21,040
Speaker 1: disaster averted. Caitlin Clark is back playing with Indiana in

992
01:01:21,120 --> 01:01:25,120
Speaker 1: this home game against Connecticut and tomorrow night, Tuesday night,

993
01:01:25,440 --> 01:01:29,000
Speaker 1: the Conference Finals do start Boston playing host to Indiana.

994
01:01:29,480 --> 01:01:32,560
Speaker 1: Minnesota plays host to Dallas in Game one of the

995
01:01:32,640 --> 01:01:36,600
Speaker 1: Western Conference Finals on Wednesday night. Look for Chris Haynes

996
01:01:37,080 --> 01:01:40,360
Speaker 1: on the True TV alt cast in the West Finals

997
01:01:40,440 --> 01:01:44,600
Speaker 1: on Wednesday Night with Adam Lefko and Vinsanity, Vince Carter

998
01:01:44,720 --> 01:01:48,120
Speaker 1: and hopefully some of those guests that Chris Haynes is

999
01:01:48,200 --> 01:01:50,919
Speaker 1: lining up. Hopefully one or two of those guests makes

1000
01:01:50,920 --> 01:01:53,080
Speaker 1: its way onto this podcast. I'm going to work on

1001
01:01:53,240 --> 01:01:56,280
Speaker 1: him on that when we're off air. That will do

1002
01:01:56,400 --> 01:02:00,400
Speaker 1: it for this edition, a very lengthy and all over

1003
01:02:00,520 --> 01:02:05,640
Speaker 1: the place edition of This League uncut Chris and producer

1004
01:02:05,720 --> 01:02:08,600
Speaker 1: Ryan and me will be back together again with you

1005
01:02:09,400 --> 01:02:15,720
Speaker 1: very very soon. Thanks everyone for listening, and that'll do

1006
01:02:15,800 --> 01:02:19,840
Speaker 1: it for us. See you next time. This League Uncutter

1007
01:02:19,920 --> 01:02:27,840
Speaker 1: is an iHeartRadio production Chris Haynes and Mark Stein