1 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: Welcome back to another edition to all the smoke, My guy, 2 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,479 Speaker 1: my brother, We're back. We're back here again. We got 3 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: a very special guest, someone very close to myself, a mentor, 4 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: someone we look up to, someone we are a fan of. 5 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: Rachel Nichols. No one's looking up to me. We still 6 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: find a way to ye. We put you on a pedestal. 7 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: Absolutely all right, we're going to do serious business year. 8 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: But before we start it is we're taping this on 9 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: Steven Jack's birthday. Right, so here you go, right, something 10 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: in the way of shape. I know it's a little 11 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: something something. Thank you so much. I'm just saying, well, 12 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: I only give alcohol for gifts. There are people in 13 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: my life who are sober and then I get to 14 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:53,639 Speaker 1: find like a pet rock or something. This is all 15 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: I know. Thank you so much, though, Thank you? How 16 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: come with gifts? How does it feel being old? Uh? 17 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: It feels great to be thank you old? Look good 18 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 1: and especially what we've all been through as a country, 19 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,279 Speaker 1: as friends and families last year to be here and happy. 20 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: So something we're celebrating you today. So Rachel with Jack 21 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 1: saying that what is one thing you took from It's 22 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: funny we talk all the time, like we should be grateful, 23 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: we're also fortunate all that stuff. I don't think that 24 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: landed with me enough before. And I can say that 25 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: I would have argued with you before I get it. 26 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: I would. I don't think it landed with me quite 27 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: enough to just appreciate all the ship that goes right 28 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: every day, because there's so much that goes wrong, and 29 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: it's so easy to get caught up in that and 30 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: this isn't fair, and this has happened to me, and 31 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: there's important stuff that we have to channel that into. 32 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: But that's kind of the point. That's the important ship, 33 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: like the big injustices the big things and the little 34 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: day to day things. I have done a much better 35 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: job after this year of just not sweating that as 36 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: much and being able to if they're little things that 37 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: come into my mind and life, have them be the 38 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: good stuff. You know, here we go, Rachel, tell us 39 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: about you. Let's start tell us about your upbringing. The 40 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 1: conversations than me and you've never had so tell us 41 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: about your upbringing and we're on a hot seat today. Well, 42 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: I think this is one of the things I love 43 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: about the show. Not to even cut you off, but 44 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: it's just like Rachel. We know each other, we conversated, 45 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: we text, we work together. But like when we do 46 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: stuff like this, you get to learn your friends more. Yes, 47 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: and I think that it is dope. Well, you guys know, 48 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,959 Speaker 1: I grew up outside watched in d C, which gave 49 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: me a very tortured sports existence because a Bullets fan. 50 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 1: And let me explain to you it has been right, 51 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: I would say. Now, so they played in an arena 52 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: and landover Maryland. They had a different name than the 53 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: team has now. They play in a different state than now, 54 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: owned by a different person. So when people say to 55 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: me like, oh, wouldn't be a team are you attached to? 56 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 1: I'm kind of attached to a team. It doesn't exist anymore. 57 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: The franchise still exists, and it's very sad because that 58 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: franchise has not been in a even conference finals in 59 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: forty years. So it has been a long desert. And 60 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: people who are fans of teams that don't do so 61 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: well with sometimes like, man, you're always ragging on our team. 62 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: So I'm like, is the pain I know experience? This pain? 63 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: The football team that was really great when I was 64 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: a kid, Right, they won three championships I think in 65 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: like fifteen years when I was growing up. So it 66 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: really gave me that love of sports that was kind 67 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: of bounced out by the fact that I was a sad, 68 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: frustrated little girl Bullets fan that were these Bullets T 69 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: shirts that people would laugh at me for. But the 70 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: important thing is it was enough for me to know, like, 71 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: this is what I want to do. And I just 72 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: always felt like I don't want to be in an office, 73 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: and there were so many paths in sports for women 74 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: that are available now that frankly just were. So this 75 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: was kind of the way to have a job in 76 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: sports for me, and it tapped into some things that 77 00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: I'm kind of okay at and I was able to 78 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 1: sort of just pursue that and say, Okay, this is 79 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: what I want to do. But that's where it all 80 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: came from, is growing up in d C and just 81 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: the mix there is pretty awesome high school basketball there. 82 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: Talk to us about your journey because it wasn't easy. 83 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: You got pushed back. Some people didn't consider sports journalism serious. 84 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: So talk to us about that in the pushback and 85 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 1: what you had to overcome to not only be a 86 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: woman but taking your what you want to do serious 87 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 1: as well. Well. When I went to college, I had 88 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: great journals and professors at Northwestern. Again, not the best 89 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: sports teams. I I apparently can only go to places 90 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: where there's a lot of struggle, But um, the journalism 91 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: programs great. And to their credit because they were trying 92 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: to help me, they were really trying to steer me 93 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: into covering news. They're like, you, you're so smart, You're 94 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: such a nice girl. You don't want to work in sports. 95 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 1: This this won't you know. It's the toy department. That's 96 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: what people used to call it in newspapers, and toy department. 97 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 1: That was the thing. And I was just sort of like, no, 98 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: this is actually what I want to do. And part 99 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: of the deal in Northwestern is you have an internship 100 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: program that the schools attached too, and you you have 101 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,359 Speaker 1: to do it. It's for credit. And I wanted to 102 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: do it in sports, and I had to like go 103 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: present to the board of the college and everything about 104 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: why the program, about why I wanted to do it, 105 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 1: and they've never done it before, but they finally let 106 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: me do it, and that led to my first job. 107 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: And my first job was covering the university of Miami 108 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: football team back in the nineties when it was the 109 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: and I graduate from college early. I was twenty one. 110 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 1: Ray Lewis was a fifth year senior for that team, 111 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 1: and that team was out of control, both both good 112 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 1: ways and tough ways. Ray Lewis's roommate was murdered and 113 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: ray came home and found him. I mean, there are 114 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 1: a bunch of ship went down that year, and it 115 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: was the education of a lifetime of preparing me for 116 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: the rest of my life in this career. But it 117 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: was awesome. And if I hadn't kind of convinced them 118 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: to let me do it in the first place, I 119 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 1: never would have gotten that job because that was the 120 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: place I inter talk about your first time on television. 121 00:05:57,600 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: Oh man, I was terrible. I'm still not very good. 122 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,480 Speaker 1: That's the problem is that I'm the things I'm good 123 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,159 Speaker 1: at is not what I'm you know, like when I 124 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: grew up. I don't know about you guys. Like the 125 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: women on TV. They were tall and blonde, largely and 126 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: kind of very polished and that whole vibe, and that's 127 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: just not my up. You guys are on TV with me. 128 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: I'm if we make a mistake on the air. What 129 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: do I was the first thing I do. I talk 130 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: about it in the air. I talk the producers crazy. 131 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: They're like, you don't have to say every time we 132 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 1: mess up. But to me, I rather be this like 133 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: rolling mess in front of everyone then try to like 134 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: I'm just you know. And when I started out on TV, 135 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: I just tried to be that glossy thing. I'm just 136 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:37,840 Speaker 1: not that person. So it took me a while to 137 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: figure out. And Stuart Scott was actually great with me 138 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: when I was kind of trying to feel my way 139 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: because I think for the beginning for him, a lot 140 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 1: of people wanted him to be something he wasn't, and 141 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: he just kept saying to me, He's like, you could 142 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: be great at being you, you were only gonna be 143 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 1: like sixty or sev being someone else. And it sounds obvious, 144 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: but it's hard when everybody looks an X like the other, 145 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: like a cooks and cutter You've mentioned before. Craig Sager 146 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: was someone you just mentioned, Stewart Scott, rest in peace. 147 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: Who were some of the people you looked up to 148 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: in this space Because in your in sports, there wasn't 149 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: very many women for me, so I grew up in 150 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: thet n DC area. The Washington Post, great newspaper. I 151 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 1: think I read that book All the President's Men, like 152 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: forty fifty times. It was very embarrassing that I could 153 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: recite it. I wanted to work for the Washington Post. 154 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: And part of that, too, was because Tony Cornheiser a 155 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: woman named Christine Brennan who now is with USA Today 156 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 1: and there's a lot of television on CNN and some 157 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 1: other places where for the Washington Post, and she was 158 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: the first female, like full time beat writer of an 159 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: NFL team. She covered the Washington football team, and she 160 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: was the first woman to do it full time. But 161 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: I was a kid reading that and I didn't know 162 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: she was the first person to do it full time. 163 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: I just knew. I opened the newspaper and I read 164 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: about the team I liked, and there was a woman 165 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: who wrote about it. So I just assumed I could 166 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: do that because I saw it. And it wasn't until 167 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: much leader that people kept saying to me, like, come on, 168 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: you can't really do that, and it was too late 169 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: because I had already seen her do it, and that 170 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 1: made such an impression on me. Once later I found 171 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: out kind of have that dynamic plays when your kid 172 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: you don't understand it, but it's why I think now 173 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: you know, we use representation as we almost overuse it 174 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: sometimes as losses meaning but if you can't fucking see 175 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: anybody doing what you're doing is very hard to get there, 176 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: and you can see people doing it, it just changes 177 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: the whole equation. So she did that for me, beautiful. 178 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: You haven't had second doubts what this the last five 179 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 1: minutes is. And she was in your career, you think so, 180 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, yeah, sure. I mean there's times where 181 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 1: I sit there and whether it's like the practical stuff 182 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: if it's two in the morning and you're exhausted and 183 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: you've done X or Y and it didn't go the 184 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,079 Speaker 1: way you wanted to and you're like, why why am 185 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: I giving up all the stuff in my life? I mean, 186 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: I've missed weddings and miss family stuff, I miss whatever. 187 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: There's times where I screw up and you're just sitting 188 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: there like, okay, really, like that came out of my mouth? Why? Um? 189 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 1: But I know it's the thing I love like I 190 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,559 Speaker 1: know I love it. I still love it all the time, 191 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: and that's what keeps me feeling like I'm doing the 192 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 1: right thing, you know, that's right, join ESPN and O 193 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: four kind of worked your way around different sports, landed 194 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: with NBA coverage towards the end, and kind of hit 195 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: the ground running in that space. Talk to us about 196 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,319 Speaker 1: that journey and kind of finding your path on you know, 197 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 1: the stage of ESPN presence. Yeah. So I started out 198 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: basically covering what people let me cover, right. So one 199 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,440 Speaker 1: of my early imagined college football, one of my early 200 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,439 Speaker 1: jobs was covering hockey. I like hockey, but it wasn't 201 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: like my dream to be doing hockey, but that's what 202 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: was available, and that's you know, I told you guys, 203 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: I wanted to work for the Lashing Post. There's a 204 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 1: job that opened up in the Washington Poast covering the 205 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 1: hockey beat. And I have been in this this experience 206 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: where the newspaper I was working because the stork in 207 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:48,199 Speaker 1: newspapers in Florida. The Florida Panthers go to the NHL 208 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 1: the Stanley Cup Finals in just their third year of existence, 209 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 1: and they didn't have a ton of infrastructure in the 210 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:56,720 Speaker 1: media there to cover hockey because it was a brand 211 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:58,079 Speaker 1: new team, right, and all of a sudden, there was 212 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 1: all this interest and all this stuff up. And I 213 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 1: grew up in the Northeast and so I knew a 214 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,079 Speaker 1: lot about hockey. So my old sports letter, who was 215 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: a great guy, was just like, yeah, I'm throwing you 216 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: on with the other hockey people. And I had a 217 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: person in the media, not who worked with me, but 218 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: who worked in the media down there, who turned to 219 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 1: me like, I don't know early in the Stanley Cup 220 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: finals game and says, Rachel, why does the coach pull 221 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 1: all the starters? Why is he pulling all the starters 222 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:23,319 Speaker 1: three minutes in? And I had to explain that they 223 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: have line changes in hockey, and the new guys come 224 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,439 Speaker 1: over the boards every couple of minutes. That's how hockey works. 225 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: But there was just such a sort of okay, that's 226 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: not there. So at the end of that summer the 227 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:36,679 Speaker 1: hockey beat opened up at the Washington Post. I had 228 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 1: done a little bit stuff that was by accident. It 229 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 1: wasn't even what I was supposed to do with because 230 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: the team the year before I went far and I 231 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 1: got the job. So I did that, and then I 232 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: covered baseball when they wanted me to cover baseball, and 233 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: they covered golf when they wanted me to cover golf 234 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: and a couple of tennis or I covered whatever. What 235 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: I really love was football and basketball, and so the 236 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: more I could try to get in that space I 237 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:57,319 Speaker 1: wanted to. I like sports where people hit each other, 238 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:00,199 Speaker 1: so I thought that was covery football and with basketball 239 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: for me, just that there's not a bunch of crap 240 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: in between you and the game. Right, So I'm watching 241 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: you guys. You are right in front of me, you 242 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: are four ft in front of me. You are doing 243 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 1: your thing without equipment all over your face. I can 244 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:15,679 Speaker 1: see you. I can see sort of the like everything 245 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: about that drive to the hoop. You experience it in 246 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: a different way than you do some of these sports 247 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: where they're more separation. And the more time I covered 248 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 1: the n b A that drew me in both from 249 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 1: an athletic point of view of where like I could 250 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: fucking see Michael Jordan's do what he was doing, but 251 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: also just personality wise, is like you can get to 252 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 1: know you guys, is real people better? And that was 253 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: one thing that I don't know, maybe this is a 254 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: different perspective coming in as a woman, right, is that 255 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: I felt like I could connect with all of you 256 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: guys in a way that could make you full people 257 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:50,199 Speaker 1: and that I could then turn around and present you 258 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 1: as a full person. And I don't know you guys, 259 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: tell me I covered both of you different times. If 260 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:57,079 Speaker 1: I did that for you, but but and if I 261 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: was able to to do it accurately. But that was 262 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 1: my hope. I mean, I remember, you gave me clarity. 263 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 1: You help me get clarity on a lot of everything. 264 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 1: Every time we spoke, I was able to get clarity. 265 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: And then I think it was it was times where 266 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 1: I wasn't even the person you was supposed to talk to. 267 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: But at times things were misunderstood about Man, you still 268 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: give me opportunity to clear it up. So that's one 269 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: reason why we always had a good relationship. So once 270 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 1: you get into this ESPN space, you worked on what 271 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: they gave you. But how did you end up in basketball? 272 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 1: I really love the game, so I was always pitching 273 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 1: a lot of ideas and a lot of things, and 274 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: ESPNS changed a lot over the years. Right, we've had 275 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: the basketball contract for a while, but there have been 276 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 1: periods where we did a lot on opening Day and 277 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: then didn't do a lot till Christmas. Right, and they 278 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: did a lot of Christmas and then didn't do as 279 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: much to the playoffs. It wasn't a three six five, right, 280 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,439 Speaker 1: And I would kind of be filling in those spaces 281 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 1: as being like, what how about we do this? How 282 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: about we do that again? I think one of the 283 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:54,440 Speaker 1: things I tell people who want to get started in 284 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: my job, and I'm sure you guys are the same way, 285 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 1: like a lot of it, is to just fucking work 286 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,959 Speaker 1: harder than everybody. You have to be the last person 287 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 1: in the room. And if you do that, it's not 288 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: a guarantee that you're going to do great, but you're 289 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 1: probably not going to do great without it. So I 290 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 1: was constantly willing to be like I'll take that trip, 291 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 1: I'll go, I'll stay an extra day is fine, I'll 292 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: do you know that kind of thing. And that kind 293 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:16,679 Speaker 1: of helped me in the space, and it helped me 294 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 1: not only you know, sort of move around and move 295 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:21,439 Speaker 1: up at ESPN, but it helped me. I think again 296 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: with you guys, with the with the league, people need 297 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 1: to see it, right, And I think after a while, 298 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:27,839 Speaker 1: especially someone like me who doesn't look like someone who 299 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: would naturally be covering the NBA for like twelve reasons, right, well, 300 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 1: you show up every day, and that is something I 301 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 1: think this league does better. The guys in this league 302 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 1: do better than anyone else. They legit reward work and 303 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:41,559 Speaker 1: that if you bring come to the table and you're 304 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 1: a worker, and you show that like you you actually 305 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 1: are invested, that matters. And that's frankly not true in 306 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:49,959 Speaker 1: every sport, and it's not true with every business or 307 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:51,839 Speaker 1: every group of people, but it matters in the NBA. 308 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:54,679 Speaker 1: So that helped me too. Who did you enjoy working 309 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: with had beside me? Who did you enjoy working with 310 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 1: and have a barn with besides of me? Again, well, 311 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: it's funny, you know. We started the show and I 312 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: had been pitching doing a daily NBA show, and again 313 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: ESPN just wasn't the three sixty five basketball coverage until 314 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: maybe the last five or six years. But um, we 315 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 1: had a great show NBA Tonight that was mostly in season, 316 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: mostly driven around highlights at like you know, one in 317 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: the morning, and for me, there was room to add 318 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: in a daily afternoon kind of this a year round sport, 319 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 1: man Like it's it's a year round kind of conversations 320 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 1: and themes and stories and ideas. And I kept pitching 321 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: this idea and my elevator pitch for the show when 322 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: I was still was sort of at Turner and trying 323 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: to figure out do I reap with Turner? Do I 324 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: come back to ESPN? Was Hey, what if we had 325 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 1: a basketball show that was the afternoon just sitting around 326 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: with your friends talking about who but one of your 327 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: friends was Tracy McGrady. And that's like how I kept 328 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 1: pitching them because for me, I didn't want it to 329 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: feel like a television show, because it's kind of what 330 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: I said at the beginning about me on TV. I 331 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 1: don't think I can really run like a television show, 332 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 1: very like formal, kind a PowerPoint presentation. Way, I'm not 333 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 1: that girl. So for me, I was like, what if 334 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: we just sat around talking like we talk? And that 335 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 1: was kind of the start of it. So t Mac 336 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: for me, was the one where he had retired kind 337 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: of in the space that we were trying to do this, 338 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 1: and I felt like, next to Kobe, he was the 339 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: guy so many of today's players, and I wasn't sure 340 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: that some of the people outside basketball understood that the 341 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: way I did, and I just kept saying like, no, no, 342 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: he's the guy. And some of the people who were 343 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: who were doing. I mean, they're awesome. They said yes, 344 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 1: they gave they gave us the show, they said yes 345 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: to Tea Max. So there wasn't obviously not that much 346 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 1: convincing because they did it, but there was a little 347 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: bit of like, oh, well, how is he on TV? 348 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:44,640 Speaker 1: And I just kept saying like, I don't know, we 349 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: haven't we haven't tested him that much. But we don't 350 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 1: need to. I said, we can teach him how to 351 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: be on TV, I can't teach him to be a 352 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: Hall of Famer. And that's kind of them, right, that's 353 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: the attitude we've had with everyone, and that it's completely true, 354 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: Like you have been one of my favorite people work with, Matt, 355 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: you know how I feel about you, because for me, 356 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: the guys on that show and the women on that show, 357 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: it's kind of like a basketball team. You need the 358 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 1: Hall of Famers, but you also need the guys. Guys, 359 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: you need the people with this perspective or that perspective, 360 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 1: you know. So I just kind of think that we've 361 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: been so lucky getting a lot of those people on. 362 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 1: And look, sometimes now you're off doing your own thing, 363 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 1: which is amazing. Don't take him too far away from 364 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: me for too long. I'm just he's behind. I can't 365 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: take the grantity, but I trust me, I know. But 366 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 1: it's great because you know, people come through, then they 367 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: cycle out for a little bit, then they come back 368 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:39,160 Speaker 1: and it just keeps. It's like you're friend. It's like 369 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: sitting around top of basketball with your friends, a great conversation. Well, congratulations, 370 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: you just hit the five year mark in this past February, 371 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: So congratulations on that. What is it like for you now, 372 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 1: because you know, you started off in journalism and then 373 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 1: you're like a real celebrity in this space because basketball 374 00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 1: has grown through much, don't lie, Rachel. I always see 375 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 1: how my comments how much people love you. But I 376 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 1: used to tell her the same thing. She's just being modest. 377 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 1: I just had the same thing to blow up. Man, 378 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:12,400 Speaker 1: I love Rachel. Rachel got on today. Man, we love 379 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: look at the hair, Rachel. I was showing you that 380 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:17,400 Speaker 1: the whole time. But it was that too. On top 381 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 1: of the and the fact that obviously your parents is 382 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: easy on the eyes, but the fact that in the 383 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: other reason why you have our trust to is because 384 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 1: you know what you're talking about. So it's you're a 385 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,719 Speaker 1: double edged sword. From that standpoint, but what has that 386 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: been like without being modest? Like now you're recognized wherever 387 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: you go now because you're on TV so much and 388 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: you know what you're talking about. Well, the answer to 389 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 1: all of that is, I'm just old. So if you're around, 390 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,159 Speaker 1: must be good. She's still here. I haven't doing it 391 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 1: for a long time, like that is that is a 392 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:45,320 Speaker 1: big part of it. I was super like I went 393 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 1: to Northwestern, as I said, so I was in Chicago, 394 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: in Chicago when Michael Jordan played for the Bulls like that, 395 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 1: that's the thing. And then I can keep going back 396 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: to that or you know, I cover that was you know, 397 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:58,160 Speaker 1: Scotty Pippin's on our show sometimes now I met Scottie 398 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 1: Pippen because I was a little during of this, even 399 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:02,480 Speaker 1: smaller than I am now, As hard as that is 400 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:07,199 Speaker 1: to believe, short human in the Bulls locker room nervously 401 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 1: trying to get up the guts to ask him a 402 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: question at nineteen when I was like stringing for newspaper 403 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: trying to like, you know whatever. So I've been around 404 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:17,400 Speaker 1: a long enough time that yeah, I think it's good. 405 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 1: I've earned that trust with people, and you know, how 406 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:22,720 Speaker 1: many basketball games do I probably watch you year, like 407 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: two hundred, Like how many you know you do that enough? 408 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: People get that you have. Like we're talking before you 409 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:30,720 Speaker 1: on the work, right, you do all the ship, so 410 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: we'll speak on what kind of homework you almost have 411 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 1: to do. You said you're a fan of it, about 412 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:37,440 Speaker 1: the same time I'm a fan, but I get tired 413 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: of watching that ship, you know what I mean. But 414 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: you're on TV every single day with like a daytime 415 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 1: basketball talk shown. There's nothing like it. So how much preparation? 416 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 1: How much time does that take? Because obviously you're a wife, 417 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 1: you're a mother, but then you have such a demanding job. 418 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 1: You were telling us before you've started your schedule heading 419 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 1: all the way through the Olympics, Like your schedule in 420 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:57,600 Speaker 1: the next five months is crazy, So talk to us 421 00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,679 Speaker 1: about how much preparation at time it takes to do 422 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: what you're doing. Yeah. Well, first of all, I'm so lucky. Right, 423 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: if my family wasn't set up and if everyone involved 424 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 1: in my family, including my little twins, my husband, you 425 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 1: couldn't do it without that, right, So that's the first thing. 426 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: I could not do this job if it was not 427 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,120 Speaker 1: set up so that I could this weekend I'm going 428 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: to Brooklyn Nets game in Brooklyn. Like, you know, I 429 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:19,960 Speaker 1: got children. You need to eat someone. We got to 430 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,880 Speaker 1: feed them. So I'm very very grateful. I'm very lucky 431 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,880 Speaker 1: about that. And then yeah, it's just kind of constantly 432 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,479 Speaker 1: being open to having that drift into your day. So 433 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: whether it's ham, I drive to work, I'm listening to 434 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: someone's basketball podcast, I listen to all of smoke. I'm 435 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 1: listening to, you know, sort of the conversation that's going on. 436 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:41,440 Speaker 1: I'm at work, I'm listening to a bunch of different 437 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:43,440 Speaker 1: things and different people. You know. At night, I'm watching 438 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: at least two or three games, kind of have on 439 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,160 Speaker 1: and see what's going on. I read a lot. And 440 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 1: part of it is just so that not only can 441 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:52,800 Speaker 1: I do the show opens that we do and some 442 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:54,280 Speaker 1: of the stuff we do, but I want to be 443 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:56,640 Speaker 1: able to be there for you guys, Like when you're 444 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: talking about something, I don't want you to have to 445 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:01,639 Speaker 1: feel that there isn't a safety net of oh if 446 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:03,640 Speaker 1: I said this wrong guy's name, like which, she'll be there. 447 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:05,680 Speaker 1: She'll she'll kind of set it up so smooth so 448 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:08,160 Speaker 1: it's not a problem later or anything like that. There's 449 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:09,880 Speaker 1: like a little course correct we need to do along 450 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 1: the way in a discussion. I'm the one who's going 451 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 1: to be able to have that answer, So I had 452 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: to do my homework, and I kind of feel like 453 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 1: that's that's why I get to have a seat at 454 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: that table. I don't want a championship like you guys, 455 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 1: So I am played that play basketball, So my value 456 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,880 Speaker 1: has to come from doing all that work a team 457 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:34,399 Speaker 1: at one time in your life. Again, this is what 458 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:38,399 Speaker 1: you see here is the result of a gross spurt good. 459 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 1: I was never I put soccer growing up because it's 460 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: low to the ground. What's it like being able to 461 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 1: see former players you work with and kind of their 462 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 1: growth in progress? Obviously said you know Tea Mac you 463 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:52,400 Speaker 1: had him as an infant When it comes to reporting, 464 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: Paul Pierce has grown, Perk has turned into a star, 465 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 1: and you see me and Jack start at the beginning 466 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 1: and kind of grow. What does that like? Because obviously 467 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:03,120 Speaker 1: we all look up to you and got a chance 468 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: to work with you, So what's that like? It's killer 469 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: like we don't have people on the show I don't 470 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:13,600 Speaker 1: like so first and first almost say that way, but 471 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: I mean, we're not going to right, because it's not 472 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 1: gonna be a good conversation. It's not because I have 473 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 1: oh my god, there's such decision making power. It's more 474 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:21,639 Speaker 1: just like everyone knows that be crappy, right, everyone we 475 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:24,200 Speaker 1: have on the show or people I'm legit really fond 476 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: of and want to see get better and try to 477 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: hopefully support to get better and put you in good 478 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:31,920 Speaker 1: positions so when it happens your sites, right, how many 479 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 1: players career started on the jump though, that's a couple 480 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: of you. Also, I'm a little bit of a stalker 481 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: when it comes to that ship guys I know would 482 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: be a good fit for us, like in the last 483 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: month or two of whatever, the end of what they've 484 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 1: already said is going to be the end of their career. 485 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 1: I mean I have followed Vince Carter personally around more 486 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: arenas where he's like, Rachel, I know, and I'm like, 487 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 1: I know, but just want to remind you'll be good, 488 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: You'll be you'll be coming on with us after this. 489 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: And it was he used to come on with us, 490 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 1: you remember to come out of this sometimes in the 491 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,920 Speaker 1: playoffs when his teams didn't make it, and I would 492 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: just be like, all right, well you know what's happening 493 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: when you retire, but you get nervous. Maybe they'll go 494 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: somewhere else, maybe they'll do something else. So it's just 495 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: it's a I call it light stalking. It's it's a 496 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:18,200 Speaker 1: light stalking. It's not tampering. McGrady was drawn in because 497 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:21,560 Speaker 1: of your knowledge of the game and couldn't turn you down. 498 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 1: How did that feel hearing it again? Te Maxim light stalking. 499 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 1: His wife helped me out with that, like it's it's good. 500 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: I think there have been guys who have come in 501 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: and I don't know if T Mac was like this. 502 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:35,440 Speaker 1: I mean again, guys have covered. I think it helps, right, 503 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:38,840 Speaker 1: So y'all dealt with me when you were playing. So 504 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 1: I think it helps that you feel tracy. You just 505 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 1: feel like you know me. So it's not like a 506 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:45,439 Speaker 1: big sell or anything. But I think there's still like 507 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:48,400 Speaker 1: a little bit of and this is earned by the way, 508 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 1: why is she talking when I'm the one who played right? 509 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:52,679 Speaker 1: I think there's a little bit of that with with 510 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:56,119 Speaker 1: not anyone in particular, but with some just overall. And 511 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: you gotta you gotta again, it's like everything else, you 512 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:01,960 Speaker 1: gotta earn it. And I can see sometimes when that 513 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:03,880 Speaker 1: flip comes for some of the guys when they're newer 514 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:07,959 Speaker 1: on the show, she knows she's talking about. Okay, you know, 515 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: that's the one that feels good to answer that question, 516 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: whether it was a MAC or with anyone else, that 517 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:20,000 Speaker 1: feels good because you're the opinion of you guys really 518 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 1: matters to me. If you all think that we know 519 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:23,919 Speaker 1: the game and we know we're talking about on the 520 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:27,119 Speaker 1: show like that, that matters. And I think one of 521 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: the great early things about the show. And you mentioned 522 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: our five years and it's been awesome, and honestly, we 523 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 1: had a six month try out with the show. So 524 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 1: the fact that it turned into five years pretty killer. 525 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:37,520 Speaker 1: You know, it went from a half hour to an 526 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 1: hour and went from just in the season to year round, 527 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,199 Speaker 1: like all that stuff made it feel really good. What 528 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:44,639 Speaker 1: meant more to me? And you guys worked with the 529 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:46,920 Speaker 1: great Gina and so you know, and she can vouch 530 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 1: for this. Um when we had guys around the league 531 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 1: say I watch that every day. That's the show where 532 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:59,200 Speaker 1: I have you know, coaches, head coaches who will text 533 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,400 Speaker 1: me during discussion or during the show. Yeah, and it's 534 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: it's not usually to say that was wrong in a 535 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:06,880 Speaker 1: nice way. It's usually to chime in and be like, oh, 536 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:08,959 Speaker 1: you should tell them such as true, well you're right 537 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 1: about that or whatever, And that feels that to me 538 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 1: is kind of more important frankly than any rating or 539 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: anything else. Sort of feels like, well, just if I'm 540 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:19,880 Speaker 1: doing right by you guys, then that means that we're 541 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 1: doing it right absolutely. You know, take us back to 542 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:27,200 Speaker 1: last year, um, going into the bubble and really kind 543 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:31,160 Speaker 1: of being the voice of everything that went on there. 544 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: You know, Jack is leading the biggest, you know, demonstration 545 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:39,639 Speaker 1: in the history of our country. The NBA decides to play, 546 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:43,120 Speaker 1: you get thrown in the bubble and you're kind of 547 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: the sole person kind of keeping us in touch on 548 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: what were the going on in there. Yeah, we were 549 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:50,159 Speaker 1: the only daily show in the bubble. Um. It was 550 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,680 Speaker 1: all the challenges you'd expect because you're a limited number 551 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 1: of people who could even do stuff. So we're sitting around, 552 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:56,720 Speaker 1: We got how many cameras you got pointed at you 553 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: right now to do this show? This fine endeavor one, two, three, 554 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: four or five six is or nothing out there? We 555 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:05,119 Speaker 1: have like one producer with one camera, you know, and 556 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,280 Speaker 1: then helped by a second producer with a second camera. 557 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 1: With these what these producers did, we had two or 558 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 1: three in the bubble at a time, depending that people 559 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 1: came in and out. I can't even speak to the 560 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: acrobatics they had to do for us to put on 561 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: a television show. So just to get to that was 562 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 1: crazy because again it's just a limited number of people 563 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 1: the NBA wanted in there, which I get considering every 564 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: one person extra person is one more risk. And then 565 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 1: to try to be in this crazy environment where we're 566 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:35,359 Speaker 1: living in the same place as the players, which is 567 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: kind of nuts, and trying to sort of keep the 568 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 1: right boundaries in terms of COVID and all of you 569 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: have to be six feet away from people, but you 570 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:45,159 Speaker 1: have a conversation with a guy after a game, You 571 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,479 Speaker 1: want to talk to him, right, So can you do 572 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: that from eight feet away? Can you? You don't want 573 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:53,880 Speaker 1: to shout this ship. So like trying to like stay 574 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:56,359 Speaker 1: within the rules but also do our job was kind 575 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:58,680 Speaker 1: of a whole thing, and it just it was It 576 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 1: was crazy. And then of course because it was such 577 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 1: an unusual situation with coronavirus and everything going on in 578 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: the country leading up to this huge election. I mean, 579 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:09,800 Speaker 1: you kind of couldn't have a crazier confluence of events. 580 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:12,639 Speaker 1: And I always say about you guys that that the 581 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 1: NBA and the w n b A as a whole 582 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 1: are I mean, correct me if I'm wrong. These are 583 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 1: the the most visible African American men and women in 584 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 1: this country, right and therefore unfairly at times there is 585 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,679 Speaker 1: a responsibility and a mantle of having to answer for 586 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:31,680 Speaker 1: stuff that, like, I mean, we say it all the time, 587 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:34,920 Speaker 1: people being oppressed should not have to answer for that oppression. 588 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:39,160 Speaker 1: It is insane the way that mechanic works. But if 589 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,160 Speaker 1: you don't talk about it, who else is stuff we're 590 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: talking about? So it's a catch way two and it 591 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 1: put all this weight on these men and women in 592 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:50,120 Speaker 1: these two bubbles. And they did it. I mean, they 593 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 1: kept the conversation where it should be. When it was 594 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,359 Speaker 1: time to stop, they stopped where it was time to start. 595 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:58,639 Speaker 1: Because they had people's attention. They started and they managed 596 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 1: a lot of really calm, plex, nuanced stuff in a 597 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: way that frankly, like I was so proud every day 598 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 1: to be associated with this group of people because it 599 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,959 Speaker 1: was hard. Yes, take us back to when the Milwaukee 600 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,639 Speaker 1: Bucks decided to sit out a game. Well, it was 601 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,680 Speaker 1: so interesting to me that sort of how it happened, 602 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:19,680 Speaker 1: because there was this idea when it first happened, like, oh, 603 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: they planned this, what do they want? Didn't planet? And 604 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:24,679 Speaker 1: then by the way, I shouldn't have had to a planet. 605 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 1: It was real. There was a legit and the moment 606 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:31,679 Speaker 1: reaction to Okay, we found our breaking point. This is 607 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: too much. It is too much, and I'm going to 608 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:37,680 Speaker 1: sit down in my place and not be moved because 609 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,439 Speaker 1: it is too much. And I think getting people to 610 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 1: understand that and getting to understand then in the forty 611 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 1: eight hours that followed, like people kept saying, well, what 612 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 1: do they want to start playing again? It's not about 613 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 1: that what we want. By the way, it's like people 614 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:54,640 Speaker 1: stop killing people in the street. I don't think that's 615 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 1: happening in the next two days unfortunately. But like I 616 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:01,080 Speaker 1: think there was a there was a you'll misunderstanding at 617 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:05,000 Speaker 1: the beginning of kind of how it happened that Domino, 618 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 1: and even within the bubble, there was some back and 619 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,640 Speaker 1: forth between some of the players. Right, Look, you had 620 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 1: another team that was warming up on the court at 621 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 1: the time, and they had some feelings, right, they were 622 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:19,440 Speaker 1: just sort of like why tell us about this because 623 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 1: now we look like we don't support Jacob Blake and 624 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 1: his family or that like we at least could have 625 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,000 Speaker 1: done this as a united front or whatever. And I 626 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:28,879 Speaker 1: think over time, you know, over those twenty four or 627 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: forty hours, it came to be an understanding of like, Okay, 628 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:33,920 Speaker 1: this wasn't planned and we excluded you. It's just like 629 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,200 Speaker 1: in that moment, would not open the door and walk 630 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:38,719 Speaker 1: out out of it. Um. There are other players who 631 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 1: felt like they were kind of put in a position 632 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: like once the books don't play, nobody can really play right. 633 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:44,840 Speaker 1: You can't sit there and be like, oh, we're going 634 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: to go out and play because you're not being supportive. 635 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 1: So I think there were some other players that felt 636 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 1: like kind of okay, and that tapped into to a 637 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 1: moment in the bubble where guys have been there long 638 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:56,479 Speaker 1: enough where you just get I mean, I know, I 639 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 1: get it. I hear all the criticism, oh millionaires sitting 640 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: in a fancy Hope hell in Florida, whatever. It is 641 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,280 Speaker 1: hard when you cannot leave less than one square mile 642 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 1: of land, like I would walk, you walk in a circle, 643 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 1: walk back in a circle. If you're a runner. You're 644 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: literally running in a half semi circle. You're allowed to 645 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:14,719 Speaker 1: run in and then back. You'd have to do like 646 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 1: twenty or thirty of those just to get a run in. Like, 647 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:19,959 Speaker 1: you cannot leave the same four walls. It is not 648 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: your home. You're not with your family, and you know, 649 00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 1: you guys have Paul georgia On, I thought what he 650 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: said in the middle of the bubble about just sort 651 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 1: of that mental health aspect of normally you can take 652 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 1: a step away from the game and just you know, 653 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:36,320 Speaker 1: kids crawl all over you for two hours and like 654 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: watch a stupid movie or do whatever. There's just none 655 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: of that. So whatever was happening on the court is 656 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: of your existence and then everything going on outside in 657 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 1: the outside world. And I think those two things kind 658 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 1: of conspired in that moment for the stoppage, and it 659 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 1: just took a minute for everyone to kind of get 660 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 1: their breath. But I also think there was a lot 661 00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 1: accomplished with that was sort of that refocus on voting 662 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: and sort of even in Wisconsin, the focus on the 663 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 1: laws about policing and sort of what people were allowed 664 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:05,959 Speaker 1: to do, and there was legislation that was already in 665 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 1: the state government that just wasn't getting moved along, and 666 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 1: the players helped shin to line on that. I just 667 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:13,080 Speaker 1: I don't think you can look at that as anything 668 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: but a triumphant moment for the league and the players 669 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:20,240 Speaker 1: in terms of again, crazy fucking situation and rising to 670 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 1: the occasion in a way that that you know, it 671 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 1: wouldn't be fair to expect, but it's pretty awesome that 672 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 1: And that was one thing, you know, Jack and I 673 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 1: went back and forth on because we literally stood and 674 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: know that are we not at the ten times we 675 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 1: can agree with each other, but we didn't agree from 676 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 1: a standpoint of He thought that they shouldn't play, they 677 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 1: should set out and make their protests, and I thought 678 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 1: the opposite. I thought there was no they're gonna there's 679 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 1: no bigger way to get their message out then to 680 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 1: have that NBA logo behind everyone the bush have you 681 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 1: guys has either one change or shifted the position and 682 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: talked about and we talked about it on the show, 683 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 1: and we kind of we we came into an understanding 684 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 1: and I understand his point of view. He understood my 685 00:30:57,120 --> 00:30:58,720 Speaker 1: point of view, you know, I mean, but my thing was, 686 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:01,040 Speaker 1: just like you're gonna hear Lebron. You're gonna hear the 687 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 1: big names, but do you hear the George Hills? Do 688 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 1: you hear Ducks? Please? Do you hear you know, some 689 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 1: of the people that aren't superstars but still had amazing 690 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: things to say. And like I said, individually we're very famous, 691 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 1: but together we're you know, our voice travels around the world, 692 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 1: and I would be naive to say that it didn't 693 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,400 Speaker 1: make a difference. It made a huge difference, you know, 694 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: But me being so into it, it was hard for 695 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:26,040 Speaker 1: me to see that for our head, you know what 696 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: I mean. But everyone played their part because your ship 697 00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: was needed. Like I said, you say you move that 698 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: you people meet in the middle ground, Well there's got 699 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: to be people moving that middle ground to one side 700 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:36,960 Speaker 1: or the other. So if you're not moving the middle 701 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: ground to one side and the other, than the middles 702 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 1: further on the the other side. I do think one 703 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 1: thing that we saw the beginning of with through the 704 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: vote vote vote stuff from the players for the second 705 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:49,560 Speaker 1: half of the bubble that I hope continues as we 706 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 1: go through because there's another election that's coming just months away. 707 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 1: All that stuff is the messaging getting out that it's 708 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 1: not just voting for president, and you and I talked 709 00:31:57,720 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: about this on the air Off the air a bunch. 710 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:04,200 Speaker 1: Most of what affects our lives local, right, It's who's 711 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:08,120 Speaker 1: running the school board, who's running the police force, what 712 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: resources are going where, where the food is coming to? 713 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 1: Who like all of that stuff? What what businesses are 714 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 1: zoned for what part of town? Because there's been all 715 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:19,360 Speaker 1: kinds of you know, as you know, all kinds of redistricting, 716 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:21,840 Speaker 1: all kinds of Oh no, that's so this kind of zone, 717 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 1: that kind of zone. I wonder what neighborhood do you 718 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 1: put those zones in. It's just such a crazy, random, 719 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 1: so random. And I think some of the the players 720 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 1: messaging on that, because I heard players talking about it, 721 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 1: is the first time I've heard sort of at a 722 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: national level, people that all the all these kids and 723 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:42,960 Speaker 1: communities look up to talking about that. And I think 724 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 1: that's a real You've got to see it and hear 725 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 1: it to believe it. You've personally been someone who has 726 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:50,160 Speaker 1: kind of stepped out on a lamb, considering, you know, 727 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:53,360 Speaker 1: your platform of ESPN, but talked about other issues outside 728 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:55,880 Speaker 1: of sports, and obviously we're talking about social justice now, 729 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 1: but you know, having friends of the program. Carrie and 730 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:01,720 Speaker 1: Jamie were very outspoke, can you know, and and sometimes 731 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: ran into some trouble. You've been on right there as well, 732 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: and talking about stuff outside of sports, but affects us 733 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 1: as players still in our communities and who we can 734 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 1: you know where we came from? So where did that 735 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:15,360 Speaker 1: courage come from? Because, like I said, ESPN hasn't always 736 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: been as lenient as they are now, and I think 737 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:20,600 Speaker 1: you've kind of helped change that narrative. Well, it's two things, right, 738 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 1: and we all know the older you get, the more 739 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:24,320 Speaker 1: you're just comfortable with who you are and what you think, right, 740 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:27,200 Speaker 1: So there's some of that. I also, really, in my 741 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 1: heart believe that a lot of these issues are not political. 742 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 1: I understand that there are people who want to make 743 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 1: them political, but a lot of this stuff is human 744 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,480 Speaker 1: rights issues and that should be okay to talk about. 745 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:39,560 Speaker 1: It's not about one side or the other. We can 746 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:42,120 Speaker 1: differ politically and how we want to solve these problems. 747 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 1: It can't be political to just acknowledge that these fucking 748 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:49,280 Speaker 1: problems exist. So since I think that is the case, 749 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 1: I don't feel like I'm stepping out politically. I feel 750 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: I am talking about things that are just real and 751 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 1: then we can argue over the politics of how to 752 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:02,120 Speaker 1: fix them. Um. There's an interesting interview with Barack Obama 753 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:04,520 Speaker 1: after Donald Trump was elected, and I think it was 754 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get this wrong. It was the New York Times, 755 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:07,719 Speaker 1: it was a New Yorker, it was someone it was 756 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:12,840 Speaker 1: it was Brock's Obama's first big interview after Hillary Clinton 757 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:16,400 Speaker 1: lost and turning over the White House to Donald Trump. 758 00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:19,440 Speaker 1: And he said, the thing that frustrates me the most 759 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:23,600 Speaker 1: is it used to be like, hey, global warming is happening, 760 00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:25,719 Speaker 1: or the environment. You know, we got to address this, 761 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 1: and there was a lot of fighting over the e 762 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 1: p A and like how we would solve the problem 763 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 1: that they were small and all these cities, and then 764 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:35,360 Speaker 1: like our air and water was getting polluted and it 765 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 1: was poisoning children, and that we had like nuclear reactor 766 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 1: pollution and all that. There's a lot of argument over 767 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:42,759 Speaker 1: how to fix that. There was an argument about the 768 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:45,120 Speaker 1: fact it needed to be fixed, and he pointed out 769 00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:47,439 Speaker 1: that now there's an argument about whether it the problem 770 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:50,359 Speaker 1: even exists at all. So for me, like that has 771 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: been something that I don't feel like I'm stepping out 772 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:55,840 Speaker 1: on a limb too much because to me, I actually 773 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,239 Speaker 1: believe it is not political. And then some of it 774 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:00,600 Speaker 1: comes to of you sit there and you play it 775 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:03,840 Speaker 1: out and then like great. I have this sentence in 776 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:06,320 Speaker 1: my head always of like, Okay, what's the newspaper headline 777 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:10,360 Speaker 1: if I get suspended Rachel Nichols suspended from ESPN four 778 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:15,160 Speaker 1: And then it's like okay, I'm okay, right. So I 779 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:17,840 Speaker 1: really came out hard when the NBA was considered. I 780 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:20,920 Speaker 1: had its All Star game schedule for Charlotte, and there 781 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 1: were some laws passed in Charlotte that I just felt 782 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 1: were serious civil rights issues. I mean, this was lunch counters. 783 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,239 Speaker 1: I know that there was again politics. There was a 784 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:32,680 Speaker 1: side of the issue that tried to dubbed it the 785 00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 1: bathroom bill or the bathroom law that was not the 786 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:37,319 Speaker 1: heart of the law. The heart of the law was 787 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:42,439 Speaker 1: that businesses, including restaurants, including hotels, hospitality, could turn someone 788 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:44,759 Speaker 1: away for being gay. And they were going to hold 789 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:48,200 Speaker 1: an All Star game with an openly gay president of 790 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:50,680 Speaker 1: a team the Golden State Warriors, who was the reigning 791 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:53,440 Speaker 1: dynasty at the time, who could have come to town 792 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 1: and been told I'm sorry you can't stay at the 793 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:59,719 Speaker 1: team hotel because we have this law. Now, like that's 794 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:02,440 Speaker 1: not okay. And I remember it was kind of early 795 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:05,280 Speaker 1: in the jump and talking to one of the executi producer, 796 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,359 Speaker 1: Kevin Wild's, who worked with us on the show then, 797 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:12,279 Speaker 1: and he was so great at being supportive, and I 798 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:13,960 Speaker 1: just kind of felt like, Okay, I'm gonna really go 799 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:16,799 Speaker 1: out here, and if someone calls me and says, I'm sorry, 800 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:19,200 Speaker 1: I'm taking you off the air for a week, I'm 801 00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 1: okay with that headline, you know what I mean. And 802 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:23,120 Speaker 1: that's kind of where for the right reason. I mean, 803 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:26,360 Speaker 1: we were just together. We broke because it came across 804 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:28,200 Speaker 1: the wire as we were working the All start the 805 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:30,600 Speaker 1: MLB deciding to move the All Star Game out of Atlanta, 806 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:34,400 Speaker 1: you know. And I think it's great that that that 807 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:37,239 Speaker 1: sports is kind of because it's it's it's always a 808 00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:39,959 Speaker 1: touchy subject and people are scared to talk about human 809 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:41,719 Speaker 1: rights by the end of the the day racism, you know 810 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 1: what I mean. So it's always very touching. Like you said, 811 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:45,880 Speaker 1: they'll turn it into political talk, but at the end 812 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:48,520 Speaker 1: of the day, it's basic human rights, you know. And 813 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,880 Speaker 1: I think it's beautiful that you're starting to see, especially MLB, 814 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:54,680 Speaker 1: that's America's past time. You know what I mean for 815 00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:56,279 Speaker 1: them to take a step and say, hey, you know 816 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:59,279 Speaker 1: what you're doing in Georgia's not right, We're gonna move 817 00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:02,000 Speaker 1: our business. To me, it's just like I kind of 818 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:03,960 Speaker 1: feel like a change of amongst us. I thought that 819 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:06,120 Speaker 1: the MLB, MLB did that. You and I were talking 820 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:09,080 Speaker 1: before the show, that Delta is doing it. Um, these 821 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,719 Speaker 1: are not businesses, as you say, that are so traditionally 822 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:14,040 Speaker 1: in support of some of the stuff that the NBA, 823 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:16,879 Speaker 1: let's say, or even the NFL players are have been 824 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:20,560 Speaker 1: in support of. And they really stepped out there and 825 00:37:20,560 --> 00:37:22,560 Speaker 1: did it. And it is fascinating to me again. And 826 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:26,040 Speaker 1: you know, look, voting laws are more political by their nature, 827 00:37:26,239 --> 00:37:30,720 Speaker 1: but isn't I mean, it's crazy to me that people 828 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:33,719 Speaker 1: who in one hand are waving an American flag are 829 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:37,239 Speaker 1: trying to limit what makes America America, which is democracy. 830 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:40,279 Speaker 1: It's just sort of how how do we get here? 831 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:43,000 Speaker 1: And it's a shame that we have to use the 832 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:45,840 Speaker 1: word courageous when talking about someone coming out against that 833 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,880 Speaker 1: limitation of democracy. But I guess it is now and 834 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:51,319 Speaker 1: I'm I'm psyched that that we're seeing people do it 835 00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 1: do it. How do you see the progression of sports 836 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 1: journalism when it pertains to women compared to where you 837 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:01,960 Speaker 1: first came in. So definitely, the couple generations before me 838 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:05,719 Speaker 1: were the ones that had like the really shitty time. 839 00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:09,000 Speaker 1: And I mean, there's a story about a woman who 840 00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:11,960 Speaker 1: was the bright baseball be writer for a long time 841 00:38:12,239 --> 00:38:15,640 Speaker 1: and she's amazing and worked her ass off, and baseball 842 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:18,319 Speaker 1: is a tough place to be breaking into and we're 843 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:21,040 Speaker 1: talking thirty or forty years ago, and one of the 844 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:23,360 Speaker 1: players kept saying, she's like a little rat in the 845 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:25,879 Speaker 1: locker room, and then they sent her a fucking rat 846 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:29,840 Speaker 1: in a box to open. Like there's all the stories 847 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:33,239 Speaker 1: about you know, guys inappropriate doing things, saying things in 848 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:36,440 Speaker 1: locker rooms, all that ship. So the women before me 849 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:38,120 Speaker 1: had to deal with the brunt of that. By the 850 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:40,600 Speaker 1: time I came in, it was not that bad. It 851 00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:42,560 Speaker 1: was certainly not as good as it is now, which 852 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:45,560 Speaker 1: is you know, it's it's nice that we're seeing progress. Um, 853 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:48,880 Speaker 1: I don't think we had women hosting sports shows in 854 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:50,319 Speaker 1: the same way we do now. I mean I have 855 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:52,799 Speaker 1: to go back and look, I don't wanna if someone 856 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 1: was doing it. I don't want to give light on 857 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:57,440 Speaker 1: their legacy, but in general it was not the thing 858 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:00,120 Speaker 1: that we saw. So being able to make that progress 859 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:02,120 Speaker 1: feels good. I think now the line is and I 860 00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:04,400 Speaker 1: think it's the same thing with race. I see my 861 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:09,439 Speaker 1: friends deal with is the criticisms aren't overtly about race 862 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:13,439 Speaker 1: or gender, but you know that the standards different, right, 863 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:16,800 Speaker 1: you know that, like they're picking it the black guys, 864 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:19,080 Speaker 1: they're picking it the women. They're especially picking up women, 865 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:21,680 Speaker 1: picking at women of color in a way that they 866 00:39:21,719 --> 00:39:24,279 Speaker 1: just aren't doing with some of the people that they 867 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:26,839 Speaker 1: are quote more used to or more comfortable with. And 868 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 1: I think that's kind of the next hurdle because in 869 00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:33,000 Speaker 1: some ways that's more insidious, it's harder to fight against. 870 00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:36,920 Speaker 1: Like if I've had times where earlier in my career, 871 00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:39,160 Speaker 1: I've had people say you can't go to the postgame 872 00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:41,239 Speaker 1: locker room, you can't go to the press conference, And 873 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:43,600 Speaker 1: I will say to that security guard, well, here's my credential. 874 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:45,360 Speaker 1: You know I always have. I always have to have, 875 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:46,920 Speaker 1: Like even now, I always have to be the one 876 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:49,880 Speaker 1: to have my credential. It's not enough that I'm running 877 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:52,319 Speaker 1: around how my credential here I am, and I've had 878 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:54,200 Speaker 1: more than one had guys say to me one time 879 00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:56,160 Speaker 1: in the hallway, oh, I'm sorry, honey, the anthem singer 880 00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:58,799 Speaker 1: can't be back here or even like people, you know, 881 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:01,120 Speaker 1: show them a credential with the Amy Span or before 882 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:04,040 Speaker 1: that with the Washington Post and say, um, I look 883 00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:05,440 Speaker 1: at you. You You can't go where the boys are, but 884 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:07,719 Speaker 1: boys are changing in there, and you're just like, that's 885 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:10,520 Speaker 1: not how this is set up. So that stuff is 886 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:13,440 Speaker 1: in some ways easier to deal with and battle against 887 00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:15,160 Speaker 1: because you just get the right person in the right 888 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:17,480 Speaker 1: place and you just deal with it. Right. It's the 889 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:20,320 Speaker 1: more sort of the little chipping away. And you mentioned 890 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:23,759 Speaker 1: Carrier Jamal earlier. Jamal is a great example all kinds 891 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:27,520 Speaker 1: of criticisms of her that weren't overtly about her being 892 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:31,279 Speaker 1: a woman or overtly about race. But come on, we 893 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:34,280 Speaker 1: know why they're picking on her. Kamala Harris and the debate. 894 00:40:34,560 --> 00:40:39,360 Speaker 1: She's shrill, she's making faces. That's all the cold for. 895 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:42,080 Speaker 1: We don't want a black woman out there, and that 896 00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:45,480 Speaker 1: I think that's the thing that the women in my 897 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:47,960 Speaker 1: industry are sort of now that that's a level we're 898 00:40:47,960 --> 00:40:51,359 Speaker 1: fighting against but that's true for everyone. You know. How 899 00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:54,759 Speaker 1: do you feel being in a spotlight and being an 900 00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:57,440 Speaker 1: example for young women that want to be in this space, 901 00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:00,520 Speaker 1: How do you feel like being the standard in the blueprint? Well, 902 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:03,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I hope that I can be a good 903 00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:05,759 Speaker 1: example when I'm you know, every day when I'm out there, 904 00:41:08,200 --> 00:41:10,160 Speaker 1: there's so many that that's kind of the second half 905 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:12,560 Speaker 1: of that sentence is there's so there's We're lucky, there's 906 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:15,120 Speaker 1: so many women just at U sbm but even across 907 00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:17,560 Speaker 1: the board, Um, so I don't. No one has to 908 00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:19,960 Speaker 1: carry that weight on their own, and that is that 909 00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:22,000 Speaker 1: is a relief. And as they say, different from the 910 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:24,040 Speaker 1: women who were maybe a generation before me, where a 911 00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:26,640 Speaker 1: lot of them they were not the only one in 912 00:41:26,680 --> 00:41:28,360 Speaker 1: the room. Sometimes they were the only woman in the 913 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:30,799 Speaker 1: room all the time. And now I'm still the only 914 00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:33,239 Speaker 1: woman in the room sometimes, but it's not all the time, 915 00:41:33,280 --> 00:41:36,920 Speaker 1: and that makes a huge difference. But I hope that 916 00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:39,680 Speaker 1: I can show people and young women that they have 917 00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:42,240 Speaker 1: the room to succeed, but also the room to screw 918 00:41:42,320 --> 00:41:45,920 Speaker 1: up again. It's why every time on the jump when 919 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:48,440 Speaker 1: we do stupid ship, I'll be like, oh God, this 920 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:50,759 Speaker 1: fell apart, and that's not the video that's supposed to run. Now, 921 00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:52,799 Speaker 1: I should have said that, I said, this is what 922 00:41:52,800 --> 00:41:55,720 Speaker 1: I've meant to say, or whatever, because I do think 923 00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:58,360 Speaker 1: when you are a minority in this space, whether it 924 00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:00,560 Speaker 1: is race or gender or whatever it is, you feel 925 00:42:00,600 --> 00:42:02,960 Speaker 1: like you have to be perfect, right, And there's that pressure. 926 00:42:02,960 --> 00:42:05,160 Speaker 1: I need to be perfect because you're representing everyone and 927 00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:07,919 Speaker 1: if you mess it up. I remember really clearly when 928 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:11,279 Speaker 1: I was covering more NFL for ESPN. I was the 929 00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:14,400 Speaker 1: reporter on site at some football game and the guy's 930 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:17,360 Speaker 1: NFL Live or Countdown or whoever it was. We're talking 931 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:22,399 Speaker 1: and Michael Irvin kept talking about al Gore, al Gore, 932 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:24,799 Speaker 1: al Gore, al Gore, and it just didn't I was like, no, 933 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:27,920 Speaker 1: Frank or Frank Gore's who he was talking about. But 934 00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:30,759 Speaker 1: he just kept slipping and saying the wrong name. And 935 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:35,239 Speaker 1: it was fun. It was funny, It was fine, It 936 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:39,279 Speaker 1: was totally fine. If I I do remember though, being 937 00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:41,760 Speaker 1: listening with my FB waiting for my turn to talk, 938 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:45,680 Speaker 1: and thinking if I said that, I would be probably done. 939 00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:47,680 Speaker 1: I was still young enough and new enough that, like, 940 00:42:47,800 --> 00:42:49,840 Speaker 1: you know whatever, So you do feel that pressure of 941 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:52,799 Speaker 1: I have to be perfect, and I am so far 942 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:55,399 Speaker 1: from perfect that I hope that that kind of gives 943 00:42:55,400 --> 00:42:58,360 Speaker 1: a little people some room. And also, like I do 944 00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:01,160 Speaker 1: impress upon young women all the time and young men 945 00:43:01,239 --> 00:43:02,880 Speaker 1: people who come to me for advice, like you just 946 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:05,120 Speaker 1: gotta do the work. It's not going to just be 947 00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:08,560 Speaker 1: there for you. What's what's the chances of Michael Irvine 948 00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:13,719 Speaker 1: saying al Gore, do you get the connection? I do? 949 00:43:13,719 --> 00:43:19,640 Speaker 1: Do you not? The show? What are your thoughts on 950 00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:24,040 Speaker 1: this current NBA season? Obviously the pandemic hit last year, 951 00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:27,200 Speaker 1: we go into a bubble, you experienced that short offseason, 952 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:32,120 Speaker 1: late start All Star Game, Like, what is your thought 953 00:43:32,239 --> 00:43:34,440 Speaker 1: just on covering the basketball for long enough time just 954 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:36,719 Speaker 1: to kind of see where the NBA is right now? Well, 955 00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:39,319 Speaker 1: there's so much stuff going on right now. That's historic, right, 956 00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:41,680 Speaker 1: quote unquote. We never had a seasonally, we never had 957 00:43:41,680 --> 00:43:43,520 Speaker 1: a bubble like this. We never had a SEMNY two 958 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:45,400 Speaker 1: games season before. I don't know what's going to look 959 00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:47,320 Speaker 1: like in the playoffs. You know, we never had COVID 960 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:57,080 Speaker 1: test before pandemic, So exactly the content I've been paying attention, 961 00:43:57,080 --> 00:43:58,480 Speaker 1: by the way, when you guys have been given these 962 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:00,720 Speaker 1: stats and I just want to point out Stacks winning 963 00:44:00,800 --> 00:44:06,560 Speaker 1: so undefeated, baby, Um, surprising with that nose. I'm surprised anything. 964 00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:12,000 Speaker 1: A couple of creatips of them. You can get that 965 00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:16,640 Speaker 1: basket all over anything. So that's I mean, that feels 966 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:19,200 Speaker 1: special right to be doing something that's never happened before. 967 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:22,120 Speaker 1: But I'm also and we've talked about this a little bit, Um, 968 00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:25,920 Speaker 1: I want Stacks take So every day I say out 969 00:44:25,960 --> 00:44:28,080 Speaker 1: of my mouth at some point during the show these days, 970 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:30,640 Speaker 1: is hey, that's a new NBA record, or that's a 971 00:44:30,719 --> 00:44:33,840 Speaker 1: rookie record, or that's such and such record we have 972 00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:37,520 Speaker 1: had because of a lot of just different conspiring events 973 00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:40,160 Speaker 1: like this huge scoring inflation over the last couple of years, 974 00:44:40,520 --> 00:44:44,279 Speaker 1: to the point where look, whatever day this errors, and 975 00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:46,480 Speaker 1: you guys look it up on your stats. Just excuse 976 00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:48,800 Speaker 1: me if this is changed by one point to oh degrees. 977 00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:52,480 Speaker 1: But as I sit here, Um, nine of the top 978 00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:56,480 Speaker 1: ten like highest producing, most efficient offenses have been offenses 979 00:44:56,600 --> 00:44:59,280 Speaker 1: in the last two years in the history of the NBA. 980 00:44:59,520 --> 00:45:02,440 Speaker 1: Does that that we've had suddenly like the second coming 981 00:45:02,480 --> 00:45:05,279 Speaker 1: of the best NBA players ever in this last two seasons. No, 982 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:07,440 Speaker 1: it just means the teams that aren't playing defense the 983 00:45:07,440 --> 00:45:09,920 Speaker 1: same way. The rules are different, the pandemic changes everything. 984 00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:11,920 Speaker 1: You don't have practiced time, so therefore you can't like 985 00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:14,960 Speaker 1: play solid defense all that ship. So part of what 986 00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:18,040 Speaker 1: I'm trying to navigate right now in this unprecedented season 987 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:20,560 Speaker 1: is how do I talk about this right because we 988 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:22,680 Speaker 1: talked about, oh, this guy, I don't know if there's 989 00:45:22,680 --> 00:45:25,799 Speaker 1: Anthony Edwards who had a record the other night where 990 00:45:26,040 --> 00:45:28,200 Speaker 1: more points as a rookie than anyone but Lebron and 991 00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:30,480 Speaker 1: k D. And I'm like, well, does that mean that 992 00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:32,920 Speaker 1: he's in the Lebron and k D conversation or doesn't 993 00:45:33,040 --> 00:45:35,560 Speaker 1: just mean that there's more points available right now, I 994 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:37,919 Speaker 1: don't have to talk about that a little bit take 995 00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:40,520 Speaker 1: on it. I would say he has the upside to 996 00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:43,600 Speaker 1: be in that conversation. He's headed in that direction. That's 997 00:45:43,600 --> 00:45:45,040 Speaker 1: all I could say. I wouldn't put him in there, 998 00:45:45,080 --> 00:45:47,960 Speaker 1: but overall with inflated numbers, because when we talked to 999 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:49,640 Speaker 1: Web the other day and he didn't say it, but 1000 00:45:49,880 --> 00:45:52,440 Speaker 1: Web would kill in this area, you know. But you've 1001 00:45:52,440 --> 00:45:55,239 Speaker 1: got the players now saying the game is softer. Yeah yeah, 1002 00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:58,880 Speaker 1: So so when we say it, we've being disrespectful. We 1003 00:45:58,880 --> 00:46:00,880 Speaker 1: hate but when the players did it is actually playing 1004 00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:03,200 Speaker 1: say the game it's all you know, they agree with it, 1005 00:46:03,239 --> 00:46:05,239 Speaker 1: but the game is definitely this is a scoring game 1006 00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:09,400 Speaker 1: now point blank. I mean, would you agree with scoring 1007 00:46:09,480 --> 00:46:11,600 Speaker 1: is would continue to help the game grow? Well? I 1008 00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:14,279 Speaker 1: do think that like the people it brought his kids 1009 00:46:14,440 --> 00:46:17,560 Speaker 1: brings kids in. I have, like we're the twin club. 1010 00:46:17,560 --> 00:46:19,200 Speaker 1: You'd see Webb on the other day. He's in the 1011 00:46:19,239 --> 00:46:21,400 Speaker 1: twin clubs. So you know, you are a twin in 1012 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:26,160 Speaker 1: so many ways. I am great. Um. If not biologically 1013 00:46:26,239 --> 00:46:30,480 Speaker 1: then you know in spirit. Um. But it's funny. I 1014 00:46:30,520 --> 00:46:33,080 Speaker 1: have young twins. We moved here when they were like 1015 00:46:33,160 --> 00:46:35,120 Speaker 1: four and a half and it was in the height 1016 00:46:35,320 --> 00:46:39,920 Speaker 1: of Warriors Mania, and you know, their mommy had the 1017 00:46:39,960 --> 00:46:42,040 Speaker 1: games on at night all the time, and we had 1018 00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:45,080 Speaker 1: West Coast timing, right, so we had Steph Carey and whatever. 1019 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:49,080 Speaker 1: And my kids fell in love with Steph at five 1020 00:46:49,160 --> 00:46:52,400 Speaker 1: years old, these two little girls like and Clay and 1021 00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:54,800 Speaker 1: the whole nine and and my daughter would say, oh, 1022 00:46:54,960 --> 00:46:57,360 Speaker 1: Steph's just like me. He's small, and I would say, no, 1023 00:46:57,440 --> 00:47:03,880 Speaker 1: you're four. He's actually six ft two. But her she 1024 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:06,080 Speaker 1: felt like that. My other, my other, my other daughter 1025 00:47:06,320 --> 00:47:09,480 Speaker 1: loves Draymond. She just thinks he's the best, and she 1026 00:47:09,520 --> 00:47:11,160 Speaker 1: wants to play win on her basketball team. She wants 1027 00:47:11,160 --> 00:47:14,080 Speaker 1: to play defense like Draymond and all of that. And 1028 00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:16,919 Speaker 1: I watched that team bring them in in a way. 1029 00:47:16,960 --> 00:47:19,680 Speaker 1: If they had maybe been little kids in the arrow 1030 00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:27,360 Speaker 1: where I was covering you, I'm not sure Pacers Spurs game, 1031 00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:30,560 Speaker 1: they would have like really attached to the end in 1032 00:47:30,600 --> 00:47:32,719 Speaker 1: that same way. So I do think it helps. I've 1033 00:47:32,760 --> 00:47:34,320 Speaker 1: watched it happen in my own house. I don't know 1034 00:47:34,360 --> 00:47:36,640 Speaker 1: how your twins are all that same thing. I mean, 1035 00:47:36,680 --> 00:47:38,279 Speaker 1: I think, like I said, I think it comes to 1036 00:47:38,280 --> 00:47:39,799 Speaker 1: a point. And if you even talk about it from 1037 00:47:39,800 --> 00:47:42,360 Speaker 1: like what we do, I would much rather talk about 1038 00:47:42,600 --> 00:47:45,040 Speaker 1: highlights scoring than a defense. You know what I mean? 1039 00:47:45,120 --> 00:47:46,840 Speaker 1: Because I mean because I know that's what as a 1040 00:47:46,920 --> 00:47:49,160 Speaker 1: purest I would when mine talking about. But I know 1041 00:47:49,200 --> 00:47:51,919 Speaker 1: that the crowd of our fans want to see three 1042 00:47:51,920 --> 00:47:53,719 Speaker 1: point They want to see Step shooting from half, Dame 1043 00:47:53,719 --> 00:47:55,759 Speaker 1: shooting from half. They want to see Lebron Dunky like, 1044 00:47:55,800 --> 00:47:57,160 Speaker 1: that's what they want to see. They don't want to 1045 00:47:57,160 --> 00:47:59,560 Speaker 1: see that old school battle. I mean, when Damee pulls up, 1046 00:48:00,120 --> 00:48:06,920 Speaker 1: it's great. There's no arguing about that. You know exactly 1047 00:48:08,480 --> 00:48:12,920 Speaker 1: who has impressed you most team and players? Uh, you 1048 00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:15,040 Speaker 1: know what I'm impressed by. I'm this a little cop 1049 00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:17,120 Speaker 1: out answer, but it's just the truth. Like the under 1050 00:48:17,160 --> 00:48:20,200 Speaker 1: twenty five crowd in the NBA right now are so 1051 00:48:20,320 --> 00:48:23,759 Speaker 1: fucking together, like the donatonvisions of the world and like 1052 00:48:23,880 --> 00:48:28,080 Speaker 1: all that stuff, like self possessed and like understanding the game. 1053 00:48:28,160 --> 00:48:29,800 Speaker 1: And I don't even mean basketball, I mean like the 1054 00:48:29,840 --> 00:48:33,120 Speaker 1: big game better than certainly I did at that age. 1055 00:48:33,160 --> 00:48:35,920 Speaker 1: But I think even the future the past generations did 1056 00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:37,480 Speaker 1: and they have the benefit, right, They've grown up with 1057 00:48:37,520 --> 00:48:41,600 Speaker 1: social media, they've grown up with like kind of perspective, 1058 00:48:41,719 --> 00:48:45,840 Speaker 1: they've grown up with more new ideas like at them earlier, 1059 00:48:45,880 --> 00:48:48,120 Speaker 1: so they've been able to internalize that ship. But like 1060 00:48:48,960 --> 00:48:52,680 Speaker 1: I've I've been constantly kind of surprised that, like, wait, 1061 00:48:52,719 --> 00:48:55,560 Speaker 1: this kid's twenty three, like this kid is twenty four, 1062 00:48:55,880 --> 00:48:58,480 Speaker 1: and just sort of the possession self possession and sort 1063 00:48:58,480 --> 00:49:01,960 Speaker 1: of the way that they have been able to both try. 1064 00:49:01,960 --> 00:49:03,399 Speaker 1: It's still a lot of these guys are still trying 1065 00:49:03,400 --> 00:49:05,480 Speaker 1: to make their name in the game, but not afraid 1066 00:49:05,520 --> 00:49:08,640 Speaker 1: to put themselves their brand there. You know, everything on 1067 00:49:08,680 --> 00:49:11,400 Speaker 1: the line for what's important. And that's kind of really 1068 00:49:12,400 --> 00:49:14,600 Speaker 1: that that's stuck with me. I think it's a different 1069 00:49:14,640 --> 00:49:16,560 Speaker 1: way from when we came in. I mean, even what 1070 00:49:16,719 --> 00:49:20,239 Speaker 1: the conversations that happened, Like the business of basketball was 1071 00:49:20,440 --> 00:49:23,560 Speaker 1: never even across thought when we first came in. It's chains, 1072 00:49:23,600 --> 00:49:26,960 Speaker 1: it's cars, it's women, it's this system material things. But 1073 00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:29,400 Speaker 1: now the whole narrative of change, it's what are you 1074 00:49:29,440 --> 00:49:31,400 Speaker 1: investing in? Are you in bitcoin? Are you in this 1075 00:49:31,520 --> 00:49:34,200 Speaker 1: and you and that? What social justice issue are you 1076 00:49:34,239 --> 00:49:37,440 Speaker 1: standing behind? And like you said, guys aren't afraid to 1077 00:49:37,480 --> 00:49:39,520 Speaker 1: put there because I mean back when we say that's 1078 00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:41,640 Speaker 1: brand suicide, you know what I mean? You stay. If 1079 00:49:41,719 --> 00:49:43,520 Speaker 1: Jack stands up for what he stood up for for 1080 00:49:43,560 --> 00:49:46,200 Speaker 1: Georgie back in the day, who knows what would have happened, 1081 00:49:46,600 --> 00:49:48,720 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So it's just a different time. Obviously, 1082 00:49:48,800 --> 00:49:51,600 Speaker 1: Well the money has changed, right, so you're not as 1083 00:49:51,640 --> 00:49:54,799 Speaker 1: dependent on the NBA specific paycheck in the same way 1084 00:49:54,840 --> 00:49:56,760 Speaker 1: you've gotten the money you've already made in your career, 1085 00:49:56,840 --> 00:49:59,080 Speaker 1: which is more earlier, So you can risk a little 1086 00:49:59,080 --> 00:50:03,279 Speaker 1: more earlier your brand paycheck from your shoes, from your sponsors, 1087 00:50:03,280 --> 00:50:05,920 Speaker 1: stuff like that. Is different and bigger, so you can 1088 00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:09,480 Speaker 1: step out, and brands and sponsors have changed because they 1089 00:50:09,520 --> 00:50:12,439 Speaker 1: now have to answer to a more educated consumer base 1090 00:50:12,719 --> 00:50:15,880 Speaker 1: that cares about this stuff. I love the guys that Nike. 1091 00:50:16,440 --> 00:50:18,560 Speaker 1: I don't know if they would have stood behind Calin 1092 00:50:18,640 --> 00:50:21,560 Speaker 1: Kaepernick twenty years ago, but they knew when they did 1093 00:50:21,560 --> 00:50:23,840 Speaker 1: it in the last few years. Not only was it 1094 00:50:24,040 --> 00:50:25,839 Speaker 1: in terms of the belief system of the people who 1095 00:50:25,920 --> 00:50:29,200 Speaker 1: worked there, it was also a good business decision. So 1096 00:50:29,400 --> 00:50:34,160 Speaker 1: that all has changed a little bit too. So I 1097 00:50:34,200 --> 00:50:36,280 Speaker 1: had a question for you guys about basketball. I mentioned 1098 00:50:36,280 --> 00:50:38,200 Speaker 1: this to you the other day. If I'm stepping out, 1099 00:50:38,200 --> 00:50:42,200 Speaker 1: we're talking about it. But I've been like super trying 1100 00:50:42,239 --> 00:50:44,919 Speaker 1: to figure this out. So we've been talking about James 1101 00:50:44,960 --> 00:50:48,320 Speaker 1: Harden right and quote forcing his way out of Houston. 1102 00:50:49,360 --> 00:50:52,000 Speaker 1: What do you guys think is the right move for 1103 00:50:52,080 --> 00:50:56,680 Speaker 1: players who are in a system where they get drafted right, 1104 00:50:56,719 --> 00:50:59,160 Speaker 1: because the way America, this is not the NBA. American 1105 00:50:59,200 --> 00:51:01,840 Speaker 1: professional sports work this way, right, they work this way overseas. 1106 00:51:01,880 --> 00:51:03,920 Speaker 1: Two you get drafted, it's a it's a monopoly, and 1107 00:51:03,960 --> 00:51:05,479 Speaker 1: they get to tell you where they go. You don't, 1108 00:51:05,520 --> 00:51:07,239 Speaker 1: you know, just go and sale. I'd like to live 1109 00:51:07,239 --> 00:51:11,520 Speaker 1: in Chicago. Um, you're under these contracts where they literally 1110 00:51:11,600 --> 00:51:13,440 Speaker 1: use the words in front offices like oh, we have 1111 00:51:13,520 --> 00:51:16,000 Speaker 1: control of that player's contract or we are control that 1112 00:51:16,040 --> 00:51:18,239 Speaker 1: player for X number of years or that kind of thing, 1113 00:51:18,760 --> 00:51:22,280 Speaker 1: And it's written into the system that you sign a contract, 1114 00:51:22,280 --> 00:51:24,960 Speaker 1: but the other side signs too for X number of 1115 00:51:25,040 --> 00:51:27,480 Speaker 1: years and then they can turn around within a certain 1116 00:51:27,560 --> 00:51:30,560 Speaker 1: number of months and trade you. Your kids don't go 1117 00:51:30,600 --> 00:51:33,400 Speaker 1: to that school anymore, like they shift your life, and 1118 00:51:33,440 --> 00:51:36,440 Speaker 1: that mechanism is not set up for players. And I 1119 00:51:36,520 --> 00:51:39,480 Speaker 1: don't actually know the answer because there can't be an 1120 00:51:39,560 --> 00:51:41,839 Speaker 1: m b A if everybody can just pick where they 1121 00:51:41,880 --> 00:51:44,239 Speaker 1: start out to go, because frankly, like there's a lot 1122 00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:49,920 Speaker 1: of like Jack, you probably would have picked the pacers, right, 1123 00:51:50,200 --> 00:51:53,400 Speaker 1: but but it turned out you know, like ha been 1124 00:51:53,400 --> 00:51:56,640 Speaker 1: a Hall of Nights every night, but you had great 1125 00:51:56,680 --> 00:51:58,560 Speaker 1: success there, you know what I mean, Like we can't 1126 00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:01,960 Speaker 1: we can't just sort of I get why the system 1127 00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:04,879 Speaker 1: isn't set up to just have everybody all the time, 1128 00:52:05,280 --> 00:52:08,000 Speaker 1: But what do you do because you have a thing 1129 00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:10,920 Speaker 1: this year And this came from our discussion about James Harden. 1130 00:52:11,280 --> 00:52:13,319 Speaker 1: We've been talking about like, Okay, is he gonna get 1131 00:52:13,360 --> 00:52:16,000 Speaker 1: quote penalized by m VP voters because of what happened 1132 00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:18,960 Speaker 1: in Houston at the beginning of the year. And I 1133 00:52:19,040 --> 00:52:20,640 Speaker 1: just don't know what a player is supposed to do. 1134 00:52:20,760 --> 00:52:22,279 Speaker 1: What are you going to think of players should do? 1135 00:52:22,560 --> 00:52:27,080 Speaker 1: Young Milcle. I think for the most part, James did 1136 00:52:27,120 --> 00:52:29,319 Speaker 1: what I don't think he could do. And because like 1137 00:52:29,360 --> 00:52:33,000 Speaker 1: when teams feel like you have no more value, they 1138 00:52:33,040 --> 00:52:36,279 Speaker 1: put you at the end of the bench. They demean you. 1139 00:52:36,640 --> 00:52:38,239 Speaker 1: It might not be in the media, but they have 1140 00:52:38,320 --> 00:52:40,960 Speaker 1: their little own fraternity of owners and managers, but they 1141 00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:44,160 Speaker 1: talk behind closed doors and if they both agree that 1142 00:52:44,200 --> 00:52:46,400 Speaker 1: you not in any good no more, they'll put you 1143 00:52:46,440 --> 00:52:47,560 Speaker 1: at the end of the bench like they try to 1144 00:52:47,560 --> 00:52:50,480 Speaker 1: do mellow. So my, my whole thing with James, I 1145 00:52:50,520 --> 00:52:51,919 Speaker 1: just felt like, you know, when you have a black 1146 00:52:51,920 --> 00:52:54,239 Speaker 1: coach like stave Side was getting a shot help him 1147 00:52:54,280 --> 00:52:57,120 Speaker 1: look good. But at the same time, I understand James 1148 00:52:57,160 --> 00:52:59,759 Speaker 1: too wanted to win and if they're not gonna move 1149 00:52:59,840 --> 00:53:01,719 Speaker 1: him him, then he has to force his way out 1150 00:53:01,840 --> 00:53:03,600 Speaker 1: because the same way he can force his way out, 1151 00:53:03,640 --> 00:53:05,279 Speaker 1: they can make him look bad to force him to 1152 00:53:05,280 --> 00:53:08,680 Speaker 1: stay there. So it's a tough situation, but the same 1153 00:53:08,680 --> 00:53:10,400 Speaker 1: way the teams can make you look bad, you should 1154 00:53:10,400 --> 00:53:11,879 Speaker 1: be able to way to make you a littself look 1155 00:53:11,880 --> 00:53:13,880 Speaker 1: good and speak on getting yourself out of there. But 1156 00:53:13,920 --> 00:53:15,919 Speaker 1: how do you do that without getting a label? Because 1157 00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:18,000 Speaker 1: that's what we're talking about, Like it is James wrong 1158 00:53:18,160 --> 00:53:21,799 Speaker 1: for wanting to get out? He's not wrong. But it's 1159 00:53:21,800 --> 00:53:24,040 Speaker 1: gonna be opinions either way, because you're gonna have fans 1160 00:53:24,040 --> 00:53:26,239 Speaker 1: that say, we've been loyal to this whole time. But 1161 00:53:26,239 --> 00:53:28,040 Speaker 1: then it's gonna be it's gonna be players like us 1162 00:53:28,040 --> 00:53:29,719 Speaker 1: that understand how you want to win. He don't want 1163 00:53:29,719 --> 00:53:32,080 Speaker 1: to finish his career like Charles Barkley. He want to 1164 00:53:32,080 --> 00:53:33,839 Speaker 1: be in a position to win the championship. So we 1165 00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:37,080 Speaker 1: understand it, but it's always the fans that's in their 1166 00:53:37,080 --> 00:53:38,799 Speaker 1: feelings that's been like, well, you should stay with us, 1167 00:53:38,840 --> 00:53:41,879 Speaker 1: you owe us this, and really he don't owe you anything. Well, then, 1168 00:53:41,920 --> 00:53:44,120 Speaker 1: but then we're asking too. I mean, because to me, 1169 00:53:44,160 --> 00:53:47,359 Speaker 1: if we're talking about basketball with Lebron getting hurt and 1170 00:53:47,360 --> 00:53:50,200 Speaker 1: and be getting hurt hardened to me, if it's not Joker, 1171 00:53:50,280 --> 00:53:52,239 Speaker 1: it's hardened to win m VP. But we were talking 1172 00:53:52,239 --> 00:53:55,120 Speaker 1: about what will some some voters hold it against hardened 1173 00:53:55,480 --> 00:53:58,600 Speaker 1: his issues he had getting out of Houston. I wouldn't. 1174 00:53:58,640 --> 00:54:01,160 Speaker 1: I wouldn't say that because how do how does that 1175 00:54:01,200 --> 00:54:03,839 Speaker 1: affect what he's doing on the court. He went there 1176 00:54:03,920 --> 00:54:07,680 Speaker 1: and immensely immediately made an impact. He's playing basketball, and 1177 00:54:07,719 --> 00:54:10,880 Speaker 1: to me, and I have to go against you'all, I 1178 00:54:10,880 --> 00:54:13,440 Speaker 1: would say he is the m v P, him and Kyrie, 1179 00:54:13,480 --> 00:54:15,400 Speaker 1: I would give him co MVP because what they've been 1180 00:54:15,440 --> 00:54:17,920 Speaker 1: able to do immediately. Most teams, when you bring in 1181 00:54:18,000 --> 00:54:20,600 Speaker 1: stars like that, it takes a year or two. Then 1182 00:54:21,239 --> 00:54:23,880 Speaker 1: then it even happens where one of the stars have 1183 00:54:23,960 --> 00:54:26,080 Speaker 1: to go because they didn't work out, you know. So 1184 00:54:26,200 --> 00:54:27,920 Speaker 1: the way they've been able to jail and bring all 1185 00:54:27,960 --> 00:54:30,600 Speaker 1: this together, you gotta give all the credit to James 1186 00:54:30,640 --> 00:54:33,040 Speaker 1: bro you have to. And I don't think him getting 1187 00:54:33,160 --> 00:54:35,000 Speaker 1: asking to leave should be a knock on anything he's 1188 00:54:35,040 --> 00:54:38,319 Speaker 1: able to do this season. I agree. I thought Harden 1189 00:54:38,480 --> 00:54:40,520 Speaker 1: was you know, to me, he's definitely worked his way 1190 00:54:40,560 --> 00:54:42,360 Speaker 1: to the top of the m v P conversation. But 1191 00:54:42,400 --> 00:54:44,600 Speaker 1: to me it's not. It's like, yes, I think in 1192 00:54:44,680 --> 00:54:46,680 Speaker 1: that m VP conversation, By the way, it's gonna keep going. 1193 00:54:46,680 --> 00:54:48,160 Speaker 1: And I'm still have a third of the season and 1194 00:54:48,160 --> 00:54:49,920 Speaker 1: I always say that, Like, how am I supposed to 1195 00:54:50,000 --> 00:54:52,680 Speaker 1: make a decision? Now, asked me a month ago. I 1196 00:54:52,719 --> 00:54:54,960 Speaker 1: didn't know Lebron was gonna get hurt. I didn't know 1197 00:54:54,960 --> 00:54:56,879 Speaker 1: when b was gonna get hurt. So like, how would 1198 00:54:56,880 --> 00:54:58,160 Speaker 1: I have like if I come out and said this 1199 00:54:58,160 --> 00:54:59,719 Speaker 1: is what I'm voting for, Like I would have looked 1200 00:54:59,719 --> 00:55:01,719 Speaker 1: a because I wouldn't have known that him, joyl and 1201 00:55:01,760 --> 00:55:03,640 Speaker 1: Bee was gonna end up you know, hurt or whatever. 1202 00:55:04,280 --> 00:55:05,920 Speaker 1: So I'm not making an m v P case for 1203 00:55:05,960 --> 00:55:08,680 Speaker 1: anyone at the moment, but it has brought up to 1204 00:55:08,840 --> 00:55:11,360 Speaker 1: me sort of one of these new frontiers of discussion 1205 00:55:11,440 --> 00:55:13,719 Speaker 1: with the m b A of what do we owe 1206 00:55:13,800 --> 00:55:16,200 Speaker 1: each other in terms of these contracts? What are the 1207 00:55:16,239 --> 00:55:18,880 Speaker 1: players like, what what vehicles do they have? Like I 1208 00:55:18,920 --> 00:55:21,200 Speaker 1: think player empowerment as an expression has been a little 1209 00:55:21,200 --> 00:55:24,520 Speaker 1: overused at this point, but like where is the line 1210 00:55:24,560 --> 00:55:27,680 Speaker 1: and what is fair? But also creates a functioning MBA 1211 00:55:27,760 --> 00:55:30,239 Speaker 1: because it is the business that everybody makes money off 1212 00:55:30,280 --> 00:55:32,160 Speaker 1: of it. If the league collapse, that would be a 1213 00:55:32,160 --> 00:55:35,200 Speaker 1: problem too. So it's kind of figuring out where the 1214 00:55:35,560 --> 00:55:38,279 Speaker 1: ground is and James situation. No matter which side of 1215 00:55:38,320 --> 00:55:40,759 Speaker 1: the argument you fall on whether somebody comes out in 1216 00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:43,520 Speaker 1: this final third, and Nikolaok is on fire and he's 1217 00:55:43,560 --> 00:55:46,200 Speaker 1: clearly the m v P doesn't really matter to this conversation. 1218 00:55:46,239 --> 00:55:49,200 Speaker 1: I just more mean, like, it's interesting to me because 1219 00:55:49,200 --> 00:55:51,839 Speaker 1: it's sort of the one place where we've accepted free 1220 00:55:51,840 --> 00:55:53,839 Speaker 1: agency and moving around in a way we didn't used 1221 00:55:53,840 --> 00:55:55,840 Speaker 1: to in the league, and like that idea of loyalty 1222 00:55:55,920 --> 00:55:59,080 Speaker 1: kind of doesn't isn't used to shame players anymore, which 1223 00:55:59,080 --> 00:56:01,600 Speaker 1: is really what it was for. And sometimes but that 1224 00:56:01,640 --> 00:56:03,920 Speaker 1: one frontier is something where I don't know what the 1225 00:56:03,920 --> 00:56:05,880 Speaker 1: answer is and I'm kind of curious. The question is 1226 00:56:05,920 --> 00:56:10,799 Speaker 1: brought up being a voter yourself, and we've discussed this 1227 00:56:10,840 --> 00:56:14,600 Speaker 1: on the show as well, what is it gonna take 1228 00:56:14,640 --> 00:56:17,200 Speaker 1: to see the whole instead of just being a regular 1229 00:56:17,200 --> 00:56:20,120 Speaker 1: season m v P, just a whole body m VP. 1230 00:56:20,440 --> 00:56:22,759 Speaker 1: Because yeah, obviously Janice is back to back and he 1231 00:56:22,840 --> 00:56:24,960 Speaker 1: struggled in the playoffs, that hasn't been able to get 1232 00:56:25,040 --> 00:56:28,240 Speaker 1: his team to that next level. When I picture m VPS, 1233 00:56:28,280 --> 00:56:29,520 Speaker 1: I'm picturing at the end of the game, it's a 1234 00:56:29,560 --> 00:56:31,120 Speaker 1: guy you can go to to get your team a win, 1235 00:56:31,440 --> 00:56:33,399 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So there's obviously and I'm 1236 00:56:33,440 --> 00:56:35,000 Speaker 1: not the only one that things like that, but you 1237 00:56:35,000 --> 00:56:38,000 Speaker 1: know you as a voter, you know, Matt, we understand that. 1238 00:56:38,040 --> 00:56:40,120 Speaker 1: But it's the regular season. What would it take or 1239 00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:43,440 Speaker 1: why doesn't it look at the whole entire season? So 1240 00:56:43,480 --> 00:56:45,040 Speaker 1: that might of my big things over the years of 1241 00:56:45,080 --> 00:56:46,880 Speaker 1: the show, and the poor guys in the NBA office 1242 00:56:46,880 --> 00:56:50,279 Speaker 1: have heard this for me way too often. Um award reform, right, 1243 00:56:50,320 --> 00:56:52,200 Speaker 1: That's what I keep saying. We need some reward reform 1244 00:56:52,360 --> 00:56:55,720 Speaker 1: because the NBA has not made any kind of major 1245 00:56:55,840 --> 00:56:58,920 Speaker 1: change to its awards in so many years, and every 1246 00:56:58,960 --> 00:57:01,760 Speaker 1: other American pro sports league, the major ones, have all 1247 00:57:01,840 --> 00:57:04,399 Speaker 1: since then. So the NBA, which is usually so far 1248 00:57:04,440 --> 00:57:07,400 Speaker 1: ahead of the other league's just isn't in this category. 1249 00:57:07,440 --> 00:57:08,960 Speaker 1: And I get the tradition and all of that, and 1250 00:57:08,960 --> 00:57:11,439 Speaker 1: then when you make a change that affects the value 1251 00:57:11,520 --> 00:57:13,719 Speaker 1: quote unquote of other people's m vps or things in 1252 00:57:13,760 --> 00:57:16,080 Speaker 1: the past, But I just think the league has been 1253 00:57:16,080 --> 00:57:18,280 Speaker 1: so great about if something isn't right, like, let's not 1254 00:57:18,320 --> 00:57:20,800 Speaker 1: worry about how it looks, let's just fix it. And 1255 00:57:20,880 --> 00:57:24,680 Speaker 1: something that's not right to me is like most Valuable 1256 00:57:24,680 --> 00:57:27,680 Speaker 1: Player is not what we're really awarding right now? What 1257 00:57:27,760 --> 00:57:31,360 Speaker 1: we're really awarding is who's had the best statistical regular season. 1258 00:57:31,840 --> 00:57:34,760 Speaker 1: That's how that award has been sort of litigated and 1259 00:57:34,840 --> 00:57:36,960 Speaker 1: voted on. And partly that's the director we get from 1260 00:57:36,960 --> 00:57:39,720 Speaker 1: the NBA. It's only regular season. Here's the stats. It's 1261 00:57:39,760 --> 00:57:41,960 Speaker 1: partly what stats are available to us. Right. It used 1262 00:57:41,960 --> 00:57:44,400 Speaker 1: to be just kind of basic stats and offense and defense. 1263 00:57:44,760 --> 00:57:48,240 Speaker 1: Now we've got like hardcore offensive stats. We have a 1264 00:57:48,320 --> 00:57:51,280 Speaker 1: less defensive stats. We've got no stats for leadership. We 1265 00:57:51,400 --> 00:57:53,160 Speaker 1: got no stats for what someone says in the huddle 1266 00:57:53,240 --> 00:57:55,400 Speaker 1: or the judgment someone makes in like a key moment 1267 00:57:55,480 --> 00:57:58,160 Speaker 1: or decision. We've got clutch stats, but those don't always 1268 00:57:58,160 --> 00:58:02,320 Speaker 1: tell the whole story or anything. So because those statistics 1269 00:58:02,320 --> 00:58:05,160 Speaker 1: have taken on a greater part of how people analyze 1270 00:58:05,160 --> 00:58:07,240 Speaker 1: the game, and because the voters are being told it's 1271 00:58:07,320 --> 00:58:09,840 Speaker 1: only regular season, the m v P at the moment 1272 00:58:09,920 --> 00:58:12,200 Speaker 1: is who had the best statistical regular season. That is 1273 00:58:12,240 --> 00:58:14,440 Speaker 1: what we would call it. It's clunky, but that is 1274 00:58:14,440 --> 00:58:16,760 Speaker 1: what it actually is. I'd like to see the m 1275 00:58:16,840 --> 00:58:19,680 Speaker 1: v P before the m v P, who's a most 1276 00:58:19,720 --> 00:58:22,480 Speaker 1: valuable guy on this team in this league? We don't 1277 00:58:22,480 --> 00:58:25,480 Speaker 1: know who it is. Every heere and and sometimes it's debatable, 1278 00:58:25,520 --> 00:58:27,280 Speaker 1: like there was a point where it looked like Katie 1279 00:58:27,320 --> 00:58:29,120 Speaker 1: was going to rest that away from Laan, right, and 1280 00:58:29,120 --> 00:58:31,040 Speaker 1: then it gets hurt like like that can be a 1281 00:58:31,080 --> 00:58:33,520 Speaker 1: really interesting discussion. It's not always the same guy all 1282 00:58:33,520 --> 00:58:35,280 Speaker 1: the time, right, I mean there's a time where Kobe 1283 00:58:35,280 --> 00:58:38,200 Speaker 1: and like like You've had these changing in the guard moments. 1284 00:58:38,200 --> 00:58:40,360 Speaker 1: That could be fascinating if we gave an award for this, 1285 00:58:40,800 --> 00:58:43,160 Speaker 1: and it would also identify it's that I think Bill 1286 00:58:43,160 --> 00:58:45,560 Speaker 1: Simmons made made the point like the Aliens came down 1287 00:58:45,560 --> 00:58:47,400 Speaker 1: and you had to win one basketball game and pick 1288 00:58:47,440 --> 00:58:50,760 Speaker 1: one guy to lead your team the probably exactly we 1289 00:58:50,800 --> 00:58:52,520 Speaker 1: all we all know who it is. Well, I mean, 1290 00:58:52,600 --> 00:58:55,520 Speaker 1: originally that guy in space jam was Michael Jordan's mich 1291 00:58:55,680 --> 00:59:00,320 Speaker 1: Jordan should have one more MVPs. Like, I just think 1292 00:59:00,360 --> 00:59:03,360 Speaker 1: that that that high test or whatever you wanna call it, 1293 00:59:03,400 --> 00:59:06,080 Speaker 1: who is legit the most valuable guy in the league. 1294 00:59:06,440 --> 00:59:08,680 Speaker 1: The problem is the awards aren't set up right, and 1295 00:59:08,720 --> 00:59:10,720 Speaker 1: so it puts voters like me in kind of a 1296 00:59:10,720 --> 00:59:13,160 Speaker 1: crabby position. I know who the best guy in the 1297 00:59:13,200 --> 00:59:15,480 Speaker 1: league is, but I look at his numbers and during 1298 00:59:15,520 --> 00:59:18,000 Speaker 1: the regular season for reasons that could be that, as 1299 00:59:18,040 --> 00:59:20,520 Speaker 1: some of these guys age, it's not smart for them 1300 00:59:20,560 --> 00:59:22,560 Speaker 1: to go all out in the regular season. They would 1301 00:59:22,600 --> 00:59:24,960 Speaker 1: be doing their team a disservice if they chase stats 1302 00:59:24,960 --> 00:59:29,120 Speaker 1: in the regular season. But because of that, they're penalized 1303 00:59:29,160 --> 00:59:31,080 Speaker 1: and voting, and even me, as a voter, I have 1304 00:59:31,200 --> 00:59:33,800 Speaker 1: to say, Okay, well, like that's not what I'm being 1305 00:59:33,840 --> 00:59:37,040 Speaker 1: asked to vote on. So I just I would love 1306 00:59:37,120 --> 00:59:40,040 Speaker 1: to see us as an NBA lee. As a league, 1307 00:59:40,440 --> 00:59:43,479 Speaker 1: follow what the NFL does, follow what the Major League 1308 00:59:43,480 --> 00:59:46,320 Speaker 1: Baseball does. They give award the NHL, they give awards 1309 00:59:46,320 --> 00:59:49,200 Speaker 1: for scoring. They give awards for like best offensive player 1310 00:59:49,360 --> 00:59:51,680 Speaker 1: or best season or something like that. And it differs 1311 00:59:51,680 --> 00:59:54,360 Speaker 1: in every league. But you know the difference. And there 1312 00:59:54,360 --> 00:59:56,640 Speaker 1: are so many years where a guy like Janice could 1313 00:59:56,640 --> 01:00:00,400 Speaker 1: have won best season but someone else until he proved 1314 01:00:00,440 --> 01:00:01,720 Speaker 1: that he could be the guy to lead his team 1315 01:00:01,720 --> 01:00:05,440 Speaker 1: to a championship. It's hard to being v paying you're 1316 01:00:05,440 --> 01:00:09,480 Speaker 1: shooting a ball from the free throw line. Fam. He 1317 01:00:09,600 --> 01:00:11,880 Speaker 1: doesn't love being he doesn't He wants to win. He 1318 01:00:12,280 --> 01:00:14,800 Speaker 1: knows the bigger goal for him as the champion, get 1319 01:00:14,800 --> 01:00:16,680 Speaker 1: his team over the hump, right, Steven, know what you 1320 01:00:16,720 --> 01:00:19,040 Speaker 1: think yeah, but you can't be shooting the balls. It's 1321 01:00:19,080 --> 01:00:24,040 Speaker 1: free throw line. Fam. It's just hard for me to say, 1322 01:00:24,040 --> 01:00:26,080 Speaker 1: you're the best player in the league and you're shooting 1323 01:00:26,120 --> 01:00:30,640 Speaker 1: oxygen from the line. We asked Kobe at what he said, 1324 01:00:31,000 --> 01:00:35,120 Speaker 1: I've never done it with my left hands. Come on, man, 1325 01:00:35,200 --> 01:00:39,800 Speaker 1: all right, um, you've been apart along the ride for 1326 01:00:39,960 --> 01:00:44,640 Speaker 1: Lebron's journey from the beginning, high school too, where he's 1327 01:00:44,640 --> 01:00:47,600 Speaker 1: at just putting this past championship, the highs, the lows. 1328 01:00:48,040 --> 01:00:51,200 Speaker 1: What have you seen the most as maturity goes on 1329 01:00:51,480 --> 01:00:54,000 Speaker 1: and off the court. What's cool? First of all, to 1330 01:00:54,080 --> 01:00:57,360 Speaker 1: have a front row seat to someone's life. From I 1331 01:00:57,400 --> 01:00:59,280 Speaker 1: met Lebron when he was a senior in high school. 1332 01:01:00,200 --> 01:01:02,200 Speaker 1: We could be talking about someone who's a plumber if 1333 01:01:02,240 --> 01:01:04,160 Speaker 1: I met someone when they were a senior in high school, 1334 01:01:04,200 --> 01:01:06,200 Speaker 1: and then all the way through age thirty six, had 1335 01:01:06,240 --> 01:01:08,320 Speaker 1: this front row seat and being able to be there 1336 01:01:08,360 --> 01:01:10,240 Speaker 1: when they did the thing they were doing and watch 1337 01:01:10,320 --> 01:01:12,640 Speaker 1: them as they had kids or a family or like 1338 01:01:12,680 --> 01:01:15,000 Speaker 1: sort of had a social justice sort of figuring out 1339 01:01:15,000 --> 01:01:16,880 Speaker 1: how they could could do that, you know, grew in 1340 01:01:16,960 --> 01:01:19,120 Speaker 1: terms of he started goddamn school, Like, I mean, the 1341 01:01:19,160 --> 01:01:21,840 Speaker 1: whole thing that could be anyone, it would have been 1342 01:01:21,840 --> 01:01:23,760 Speaker 1: a fascinating thing. And the fact that it was someone 1343 01:01:23,800 --> 01:01:28,520 Speaker 1: who has done all this stuff this is has been 1344 01:01:28,640 --> 01:01:30,400 Speaker 1: that has been a cool thing for me. And I 1345 01:01:30,440 --> 01:01:33,560 Speaker 1: did start in Chicago of watching Michael Wilbon do that 1346 01:01:33,560 --> 01:01:36,560 Speaker 1: with Michael Thordan, right, and kind of tagging along to 1347 01:01:36,720 --> 01:01:38,080 Speaker 1: a lot of the stuff. And then you know, I 1348 01:01:38,120 --> 01:01:39,960 Speaker 1: happened to work in Washington, d C. When Jordan came 1349 01:01:40,000 --> 01:01:42,120 Speaker 1: to Washington, d C. And Michael Bon was obviously working 1350 01:01:42,120 --> 01:01:44,520 Speaker 1: with me then so again got to tag along to 1351 01:01:44,600 --> 01:01:46,800 Speaker 1: a lot of sort of that experience watching someone else 1352 01:01:46,880 --> 01:01:48,880 Speaker 1: do it, having that front row seat and getting to 1353 01:01:48,920 --> 01:01:51,280 Speaker 1: have done that with Lebron and then in turn as 1354 01:01:51,320 --> 01:01:53,600 Speaker 1: the younger guys come in, starting to have that with 1355 01:01:53,640 --> 01:01:56,800 Speaker 1: them too, has been really cool. I mean, as someone 1356 01:01:56,880 --> 01:01:59,520 Speaker 1: whose job it is to sort of interpret what I 1357 01:01:59,560 --> 01:02:02,720 Speaker 1: see and kind of create these stories, you can't ask 1358 01:02:02,760 --> 01:02:05,680 Speaker 1: for anything more than that. It's been pretty awesome. Thoughts 1359 01:02:05,720 --> 01:02:07,600 Speaker 1: on how the league and Adam self has how that the 1360 01:02:07,560 --> 01:02:10,480 Speaker 1: the NASH has passed events. I mean, look, I don't 1361 01:02:10,480 --> 01:02:14,280 Speaker 1: think you can argue like it's been an overall huge success, right, 1362 01:02:14,400 --> 01:02:16,800 Speaker 1: The fact that they got a league playing and they 1363 01:02:16,800 --> 01:02:19,840 Speaker 1: were able to navigate through a global pandemic and keep 1364 01:02:19,880 --> 01:02:22,800 Speaker 1: everyone safe and nobody has had, you know, knock on 1365 01:02:22,880 --> 01:02:24,960 Speaker 1: every surface near me because we're not out of this yet, 1366 01:02:25,320 --> 01:02:27,400 Speaker 1: but no one has had serious health problems while you 1367 01:02:27,440 --> 01:02:30,080 Speaker 1: are trying to move people around the country in groups 1368 01:02:30,120 --> 01:02:32,760 Speaker 1: and a contact sport where everyone speats all over each other. 1369 01:02:33,120 --> 01:02:35,919 Speaker 1: There's no easy thing. Have there been little things along 1370 01:02:35,960 --> 01:02:38,400 Speaker 1: the way that they may have wanted to do better? 1371 01:02:38,680 --> 01:02:41,240 Speaker 1: You know now that the hindsight they would tell you that, 1372 01:02:41,960 --> 01:02:44,360 Speaker 1: so so sure, but you know, it's kind of like 1373 01:02:44,400 --> 01:02:47,720 Speaker 1: I say, like, no one's perfect people. You just got 1374 01:02:47,720 --> 01:02:49,360 Speaker 1: to do the best you can. And I think they've 1375 01:02:49,400 --> 01:02:53,080 Speaker 1: made really good choices all at the time. Thoughts on 1376 01:02:53,240 --> 01:02:55,760 Speaker 1: the play in format because I absolutely love it. I 1377 01:02:55,800 --> 01:02:57,480 Speaker 1: love it too, I know a lot of people don't. 1378 01:02:58,000 --> 01:02:59,480 Speaker 1: I think it's awesome. It was really fun in the 1379 01:02:59,480 --> 01:03:02,240 Speaker 1: bubble and it just gives everybody a little bit more 1380 01:03:02,240 --> 01:03:04,200 Speaker 1: skin in the game. But in a way that doesn't 1381 01:03:04,240 --> 01:03:06,280 Speaker 1: feel like it's going to mess with the integrity of 1382 01:03:06,320 --> 01:03:08,840 Speaker 1: who wins, Like I don't think it's going to make 1383 01:03:08,880 --> 01:03:10,640 Speaker 1: it the plan tournament is going to have no effect 1384 01:03:10,680 --> 01:03:12,720 Speaker 1: on who wins the NBA title. I don't think whoever 1385 01:03:12,760 --> 01:03:14,520 Speaker 1: makes it into the playoff game is gonna win. We've 1386 01:03:14,560 --> 01:03:16,800 Speaker 1: never had an eight seed win a title before. Came 1387 01:03:16,800 --> 01:03:20,600 Speaker 1: close a little bit with Patrick Ewing, but never didn't happen. Um, 1388 01:03:20,720 --> 01:03:23,280 Speaker 1: And I certainly don't think a play in team is 1389 01:03:23,320 --> 01:03:25,080 Speaker 1: my guests. I mean, who knows someone's now going to 1390 01:03:25,200 --> 01:03:27,680 Speaker 1: do it? And does show this clip I'm looking at 1391 01:03:27,680 --> 01:03:31,000 Speaker 1: the I'm sorry, I doubt you who I don't even know, 1392 01:03:31,120 --> 01:03:32,760 Speaker 1: and I don't even know what team this is, but 1393 01:03:32,840 --> 01:03:35,040 Speaker 1: clearly I doubted you, and you can use that as motivation. 1394 01:03:35,080 --> 01:03:36,720 Speaker 1: I mean, if the Lakers slide, you know what a 1395 01:03:36,800 --> 01:03:38,880 Speaker 1: d and braun if they happen to slide, like to me, 1396 01:03:39,000 --> 01:03:41,200 Speaker 1: if they slide and get into a plain situation, as 1397 01:03:41,240 --> 01:03:42,760 Speaker 1: long as they're healthy, I still think they're the best 1398 01:03:42,800 --> 01:03:45,560 Speaker 1: team in the Western you know, outside of them, No, 1399 01:03:45,680 --> 01:03:47,400 Speaker 1: I think I think that's true. But that's the case 1400 01:03:47,480 --> 01:03:50,400 Speaker 1: of the plan in I just don't think the Plan 1401 01:03:50,560 --> 01:03:52,360 Speaker 1: is going to have a team that doesn't deserve it. 1402 01:03:53,120 --> 01:03:54,840 Speaker 1: I guess that's what I should say, because like in 1403 01:03:54,840 --> 01:03:58,200 Speaker 1: a single elimination thing, um, in that first game or 1404 01:03:58,200 --> 01:04:00,560 Speaker 1: two of the actual plan tournament, anyone can win. But 1405 01:04:00,840 --> 01:04:03,480 Speaker 1: that team then have to go into the playoffs. Right 1406 01:04:03,560 --> 01:04:05,600 Speaker 1: then you have to go into seven games series. So 1407 01:04:05,640 --> 01:04:07,400 Speaker 1: I just don't think you're going to get some outlier 1408 01:04:07,400 --> 01:04:10,160 Speaker 1: team that shouldn't be there win. So I I should, 1409 01:04:10,840 --> 01:04:12,800 Speaker 1: that's a good point. I should. I should have seen 1410 01:04:12,800 --> 01:04:16,480 Speaker 1: I messed up. I should. I got you, you got me? 1411 01:04:17,840 --> 01:04:20,600 Speaker 1: Um but but but yeah, I just think that it's 1412 01:04:20,600 --> 01:04:22,560 Speaker 1: it's only fun. Do you How do you feel about Jack? 1413 01:04:25,200 --> 01:04:28,120 Speaker 1: I just feel like it's an interestant twist, you know. 1414 01:04:28,200 --> 01:04:30,480 Speaker 1: I like the old school way you are. You gotta 1415 01:04:30,520 --> 01:04:32,400 Speaker 1: earn your way in. I don't like all this other ship. 1416 01:04:32,880 --> 01:04:35,560 Speaker 1: You know, top eight everybody else go home, get on 1417 01:04:35,560 --> 01:04:39,240 Speaker 1: that boat early one to three cancoom and uh, you know, 1418 01:04:39,520 --> 01:04:42,480 Speaker 1: everybody else that earned it get in there. I like 1419 01:04:42,560 --> 01:04:44,640 Speaker 1: it because I think it starts that the energy for 1420 01:04:44,680 --> 01:04:47,280 Speaker 1: the playoffs a little bit sooner. And it's a cool format. 1421 01:04:47,360 --> 01:04:49,880 Speaker 1: You know, seven plays eight or yeah, seven place eight 1422 01:04:49,880 --> 01:04:52,640 Speaker 1: and seven. The winner gets seven and then eight the 1423 01:04:53,240 --> 01:04:56,560 Speaker 1: winner the loser. The loser of the seven eight battle 1424 01:04:56,640 --> 01:05:00,440 Speaker 1: plays the winner and that's yeah, so and yeah, I 1425 01:05:00,440 --> 01:05:03,280 Speaker 1: just think it's great energy. I just think it gives 1426 01:05:03,320 --> 01:05:05,320 Speaker 1: the playoffs a jump star And like you said, something different. 1427 01:05:05,320 --> 01:05:07,480 Speaker 1: I mean I get tradition, but like we said, I mean, 1428 01:05:07,480 --> 01:05:09,600 Speaker 1: we're just a different time now, so why not try 1429 01:05:09,640 --> 01:05:12,120 Speaker 1: something different. I think something that they did that worked 1430 01:05:12,120 --> 01:05:15,040 Speaker 1: well in the bubble. Yeah, they're continuing. I ain't even 1431 01:05:15,120 --> 01:05:20,680 Speaker 1: to fight for the eight seed. Don't get them excited. 1432 01:05:21,200 --> 01:05:23,840 Speaker 1: I'm already here what I got to play. And by 1433 01:05:23,880 --> 01:05:26,400 Speaker 1: the way, the Raptors right this year, it depends on 1434 01:05:26,440 --> 01:05:28,520 Speaker 1: who you are. We've been sorry all you are. Rachel 1435 01:05:28,520 --> 01:05:33,200 Speaker 1: took a land in this eight spot. We don't deserve it. 1436 01:05:36,960 --> 01:05:39,040 Speaker 1: The Raptors this year at the trade deadline. This is 1437 01:05:39,040 --> 01:05:41,200 Speaker 1: a team that is two years removed from winning a title, 1438 01:05:41,640 --> 01:05:44,520 Speaker 1: playing in a state they don't even live in, like 1439 01:05:44,600 --> 01:05:47,200 Speaker 1: not even front of their fans, all this stuff, and 1440 01:05:47,240 --> 01:05:49,320 Speaker 1: they basically decided, you know what, we're going to try 1441 01:05:49,360 --> 01:05:51,320 Speaker 1: to keep our core, but we're not going to like 1442 01:05:51,520 --> 01:05:53,919 Speaker 1: go all out to win a playing game. We don't 1443 01:05:53,960 --> 01:05:56,000 Speaker 1: have to. Our fans don't expect that. They're not going 1444 01:05:56,040 --> 01:05:58,120 Speaker 1: to be happy with, oh, we want to play a 1445 01:05:58,120 --> 01:06:01,520 Speaker 1: game two years ago. So for teams like that, for 1446 01:06:01,560 --> 01:06:04,120 Speaker 1: teams like the Warriors, I get draymm being like I'm 1447 01:06:04,120 --> 01:06:05,840 Speaker 1: not excited, but you know what we had Darren Fox 1448 01:06:05,840 --> 01:06:07,919 Speaker 1: on the show the other day, he'd like to play, 1449 01:06:08,600 --> 01:06:10,200 Speaker 1: you know, and I get that too. That's a good 1450 01:06:10,200 --> 01:06:12,080 Speaker 1: experience for him. But even if you wouldn't be exciting, 1451 01:06:12,080 --> 01:06:14,080 Speaker 1: even though Draymond like a side when the ball goes 1452 01:06:14,160 --> 01:06:15,320 Speaker 1: up for you and the ball goes of him, and 1453 01:06:15,360 --> 01:06:17,320 Speaker 1: you guys are gonna play your asses. True, so, but 1454 01:06:17,400 --> 01:06:20,360 Speaker 1: I like moground playing for championships not a playing game. 1455 01:06:20,480 --> 01:06:22,880 Speaker 1: But I still get it. Who do you have in 1456 01:06:22,880 --> 01:06:27,280 Speaker 1: the finals? I don't predict. But here's why I swear 1457 01:06:27,280 --> 01:06:29,200 Speaker 1: it's not just a cop out. Here's what I love 1458 01:06:29,320 --> 01:06:31,480 Speaker 1: about sports and what really got me when you guys 1459 01:06:31,480 --> 01:06:33,680 Speaker 1: are asking at the very beginning about why you know 1460 01:06:33,720 --> 01:06:37,200 Speaker 1: how I grew up to do this is I love 1461 01:06:37,240 --> 01:06:39,840 Speaker 1: superhero movies, right, I love comic book movies. I love 1462 01:06:39,840 --> 01:06:42,800 Speaker 1: the whole thing. I'm unusually excited to a point where 1463 01:06:42,840 --> 01:06:45,520 Speaker 1: people are concerned about me about Star Wars movies or 1464 01:06:45,560 --> 01:06:48,320 Speaker 1: things like that. But I do know in the end 1465 01:06:48,360 --> 01:06:50,920 Speaker 1: who's gonna win. I sit down an adventurous movie, you 1466 01:06:50,920 --> 01:06:53,680 Speaker 1: know who's winning the fucking Avengers. You know. I sit 1467 01:06:53,720 --> 01:06:55,640 Speaker 1: down in Star Wars movie, I know which side is 1468 01:06:55,680 --> 01:06:59,440 Speaker 1: gonna win. When I go to a basketball game. I 1469 01:06:59,440 --> 01:07:01,440 Speaker 1: don't know who Spider Man is and I don't know 1470 01:07:01,480 --> 01:07:03,240 Speaker 1: who the villain is. I gotta wait till the end 1471 01:07:03,280 --> 01:07:04,920 Speaker 1: to find out who the winner is, who the guy 1472 01:07:04,960 --> 01:07:07,720 Speaker 1: I'm supposed to be rooting for is. That is so 1473 01:07:07,880 --> 01:07:10,800 Speaker 1: essential to me about why I love this game, that 1474 01:07:11,120 --> 01:07:14,000 Speaker 1: I fight so hard. We don't do a ton of 1475 01:07:14,000 --> 01:07:16,200 Speaker 1: picks on our show, as you guys both know. We 1476 01:07:16,360 --> 01:07:18,880 Speaker 1: do some because the players like it, but like I 1477 01:07:18,920 --> 01:07:22,240 Speaker 1: don't like. I am hoping to be surprised by who 1478 01:07:22,320 --> 01:07:23,920 Speaker 1: was in the finals this year because that will make 1479 01:07:23,920 --> 01:07:27,040 Speaker 1: it so much more. She's got Superman versus Captain exact 1480 01:07:29,080 --> 01:07:33,040 Speaker 1: Captain America. You recently did an interview with Wan to 1481 01:07:33,080 --> 01:07:36,680 Speaker 1: Skanell Anderson, and he was just in awe with the 1482 01:07:36,800 --> 01:07:39,640 Speaker 1: fact that he got interviewed by you. It wasn't it 1483 01:07:39,720 --> 01:07:45,240 Speaker 1: was a press question, was right question. It was like 1484 01:07:45,360 --> 01:07:47,920 Speaker 1: when you hear younger players and newer players. I mean, 1485 01:07:47,960 --> 01:07:49,600 Speaker 1: I think obviously it goes back to what we're saying 1486 01:07:49,600 --> 01:07:51,320 Speaker 1: at the beginning, like it's a sign of respect, Like 1487 01:07:51,480 --> 01:07:54,600 Speaker 1: people look respect you and look up at But how 1488 01:07:54,640 --> 01:07:57,000 Speaker 1: does that make you feel without being all modest Well, 1489 01:07:57,120 --> 01:08:00,320 Speaker 1: I mean, look again, it's I'm sorde of that. Here's 1490 01:08:00,960 --> 01:08:02,440 Speaker 1: the thing it makes me feel that it is not 1491 01:08:02,600 --> 01:08:05,040 Speaker 1: modesty because it's me saying, hey, I did this. Is 1492 01:08:05,240 --> 01:08:07,920 Speaker 1: that it makes me feel like the work right, That's 1493 01:08:07,920 --> 01:08:09,800 Speaker 1: what it makes me feel like. It doesn't mean oh, man, 1494 01:08:09,880 --> 01:08:11,880 Speaker 1: I know everything, or oh I'm a big deal with 1495 01:08:11,960 --> 01:08:13,919 Speaker 1: these guys, because that goes away. And you know, you guys, 1496 01:08:14,560 --> 01:08:16,400 Speaker 1: you're not gonna take no credit from from me being 1497 01:08:16,439 --> 01:08:18,840 Speaker 1: where well, yeah for you being No, I'm not taking 1498 01:08:18,880 --> 01:08:20,800 Speaker 1: any credit for you. You've done this all yourself. Yeah, 1499 01:08:20,840 --> 01:08:24,799 Speaker 1: but you My first opportunity was with you, my first opportunity, 1500 01:08:24,840 --> 01:08:26,280 Speaker 1: and I knew how good you could be, and I 1501 01:08:26,360 --> 01:08:29,080 Speaker 1: knew who you were as a person, and I give 1502 01:08:29,080 --> 01:08:30,920 Speaker 1: you credit for it. I love what you used to 1503 01:08:30,960 --> 01:08:33,439 Speaker 1: wear though your flannels, with your gold chains hanging out. 1504 01:08:33,800 --> 01:08:35,880 Speaker 1: I was weak. I was weak. It was weeks. Sometimes 1505 01:08:36,479 --> 01:08:38,120 Speaker 1: I came back with the SUSI I got tiddy. I 1506 01:08:38,200 --> 01:08:39,799 Speaker 1: talked about me, so I came back with the suits. 1507 01:08:41,240 --> 01:08:43,400 Speaker 1: I used to see. I was like one of my homeboys. 1508 01:08:43,400 --> 01:08:45,160 Speaker 1: That might even my brother, you know, Jack's on this 1509 01:08:45,240 --> 01:08:47,479 Speaker 1: new ESPN show with like a boyz in the hood. 1510 01:08:47,520 --> 01:08:53,960 Speaker 1: Flannels goes back to what we wanted to show to 1511 01:08:54,040 --> 01:08:59,759 Speaker 1: be at the front. Was h chill who you you great? 1512 01:09:00,240 --> 01:09:05,799 Speaker 1: To you that you're definitely good at that changing speeds 1513 01:09:05,840 --> 01:09:08,479 Speaker 1: a little bit. You had an amazing sit down with 1514 01:09:08,680 --> 01:09:11,840 Speaker 1: Mac and Kobe at the Mamba Academy. Made me cry, 1515 01:09:11,960 --> 01:09:14,760 Speaker 1: that's last. It's okay talk to us just about what 1516 01:09:14,880 --> 01:09:17,080 Speaker 1: that interview on what you took from them, because their 1517 01:09:17,120 --> 01:09:20,280 Speaker 1: journeys were very similar coming up together. How special was 1518 01:09:20,320 --> 01:09:22,080 Speaker 1: that interview for you? Yeah? I meant allowed to me 1519 01:09:22,280 --> 01:09:25,759 Speaker 1: because I had covered the thick of them competing against 1520 01:09:25,800 --> 01:09:27,800 Speaker 1: each other, so I knew what that really. I knew 1521 01:09:27,920 --> 01:09:30,160 Speaker 1: all the nuance of that relationship and what it was 1522 01:09:30,240 --> 01:09:32,280 Speaker 1: and how tight they had been at the beginning, and 1523 01:09:32,360 --> 01:09:34,640 Speaker 1: then how they had some separation, not because anyone did 1524 01:09:34,680 --> 01:09:36,600 Speaker 1: anything wrong and there was no beef, but just like 1525 01:09:36,760 --> 01:09:39,800 Speaker 1: as competitors and you grow apart and everything. And I 1526 01:09:39,920 --> 01:09:43,200 Speaker 1: knew too from covering them both or haven't been friendly 1527 01:09:43,360 --> 01:09:46,439 Speaker 1: and working with them both post career, that they weren't 1528 01:09:46,479 --> 01:09:49,759 Speaker 1: really in touch in that close way. They were good again, 1529 01:09:49,800 --> 01:09:51,720 Speaker 1: they were totally good with each other. I don't even 1530 01:09:51,960 --> 01:09:54,280 Speaker 1: given or implying anything else, but they just you know, life, 1531 01:09:54,400 --> 01:09:58,040 Speaker 1: life is afraid and I knew I could see in 1532 01:09:58,120 --> 01:10:00,280 Speaker 1: the moment, the minute we brought them back to together, 1533 01:10:00,800 --> 01:10:03,120 Speaker 1: just that all that energy was like just like that 1534 01:10:03,360 --> 01:10:05,200 Speaker 1: when they were like twenty years old, and it was 1535 01:10:05,320 --> 01:10:09,120 Speaker 1: just everything. And then what was pretty awesome after that 1536 01:10:09,400 --> 01:10:11,640 Speaker 1: was seeing in the year that followed, unfortunately that's all 1537 01:10:11,680 --> 01:10:13,240 Speaker 1: we had. It was it was really less than a 1538 01:10:13,320 --> 01:10:17,920 Speaker 1: year before he died, but that they really got close again. 1539 01:10:18,280 --> 01:10:20,320 Speaker 1: And I think it was having that that sort of moment, 1540 01:10:20,400 --> 01:10:23,000 Speaker 1: a reason to be together, to have a two hour conversation, 1541 01:10:23,120 --> 01:10:25,600 Speaker 1: and then from that it became like, oh, hey, my 1542 01:10:25,680 --> 01:10:28,320 Speaker 1: kids in this au jury right your kids saying out 1543 01:10:28,320 --> 01:10:30,200 Speaker 1: at the eighth Churaman. They're rooting for each other's kids 1544 01:10:30,240 --> 01:10:34,160 Speaker 1: and games and ship and talking. And that felt, especially 1545 01:10:34,760 --> 01:10:36,880 Speaker 1: now knowing what we know about the time that Kobe 1546 01:10:36,920 --> 01:10:39,600 Speaker 1: had left, like that felt really nice to me that 1547 01:10:39,760 --> 01:10:43,800 Speaker 1: in some tiny way, like just that circumstance helped bring 1548 01:10:43,880 --> 01:10:45,720 Speaker 1: them again, like not because there was any beat, but 1549 01:10:45,800 --> 01:10:48,560 Speaker 1: just back together into each other's circle again in a 1550 01:10:48,640 --> 01:10:52,400 Speaker 1: way that I think was really special. Um and Kobe 1551 01:10:52,520 --> 01:10:56,800 Speaker 1: for me and I've talked about this. Um I was 1552 01:10:56,960 --> 01:11:00,720 Speaker 1: starting out when Kobe was starting out, and it was 1553 01:11:01,080 --> 01:11:04,800 Speaker 1: hard sometimes people just you know, I'm very short, I'm 1554 01:11:05,000 --> 01:11:09,360 Speaker 1: very girl, I'm by all the stuff um and didn't 1555 01:11:09,479 --> 01:11:11,320 Speaker 1: want to talk to me about stuff, didn't want him around, 1556 01:11:11,320 --> 01:11:13,599 Speaker 1: didn't take me seriously, you know, all the stuff. That's 1557 01:11:13,640 --> 01:11:15,840 Speaker 1: just it's just harder. It's harder when you're starting. It's 1558 01:11:15,840 --> 01:11:17,600 Speaker 1: hard to get people to trust you. One of the 1559 01:11:17,680 --> 01:11:20,040 Speaker 1: early teams I covered the code, the captain of the 1560 01:11:20,120 --> 01:11:22,600 Speaker 1: team and the general manager of the team would not 1561 01:11:22,640 --> 01:11:24,439 Speaker 1: answer a single question of mine. They would just say 1562 01:11:24,479 --> 01:11:27,600 Speaker 1: next question because they I was the first woman to 1563 01:11:27,680 --> 01:11:30,360 Speaker 1: cover them. They did not want a woman be writer, 1564 01:11:30,600 --> 01:11:32,960 Speaker 1: and they thought if they just didn't give me information 1565 01:11:33,080 --> 01:11:35,080 Speaker 1: or access that I would just fail and not do 1566 01:11:35,160 --> 01:11:37,160 Speaker 1: well and then shockingly, there'll be a man next time. 1567 01:11:37,240 --> 01:11:40,400 Speaker 1: So that that was some of the early stuff you 1568 01:11:40,479 --> 01:11:41,800 Speaker 1: have to deal with her I had to deal with. 1569 01:11:42,640 --> 01:11:46,160 Speaker 1: And Kobe's rookie year, and you guys know this from 1570 01:11:46,200 --> 01:11:50,160 Speaker 1: knowing him. It was not a picnic. You know, there 1571 01:11:50,200 --> 01:11:52,240 Speaker 1: were a lot of people who did not want him there. 1572 01:11:52,439 --> 01:11:54,920 Speaker 1: This kid from high school. I thought he could do 1573 01:11:55,000 --> 01:11:56,880 Speaker 1: everything that we turned out he could do. But at 1574 01:11:56,920 --> 01:11:59,000 Speaker 1: that point knew for sure he could do. There was 1575 01:11:59,000 --> 01:12:01,439 Speaker 1: a lot of resistance on an older Lakers team. There 1576 01:12:01,520 --> 01:12:03,800 Speaker 1: was stupid stuff like because Kobe was there and he 1577 01:12:03,840 --> 01:12:05,320 Speaker 1: was under twenty one, they couldn't have beer in the 1578 01:12:05,360 --> 01:12:07,479 Speaker 1: locker room anymore. I mean just like from the little 1579 01:12:07,520 --> 01:12:10,120 Speaker 1: to the big, you know, and he comes in like 1580 01:12:10,160 --> 01:12:11,760 Speaker 1: a bowl in the china shop. So all of that. 1581 01:12:12,439 --> 01:12:15,599 Speaker 1: So we really that rookie year. Um I came out 1582 01:12:15,680 --> 01:12:17,680 Speaker 1: to l A to do a story on him, and 1583 01:12:17,800 --> 01:12:19,640 Speaker 1: it started as an interview and we just ended up. 1584 01:12:19,680 --> 01:12:21,479 Speaker 1: I remember, like I can tell you exactly whe we 1585 01:12:21,560 --> 01:12:25,080 Speaker 1: were sitting on a bench, like you know, after long 1586 01:12:25,160 --> 01:12:26,960 Speaker 1: and it's like one of those time lapses were like 1587 01:12:27,439 --> 01:12:29,880 Speaker 1: the end of practice ends around you and then everybody 1588 01:12:29,920 --> 01:12:32,200 Speaker 1: slowly leaves and like the lights didn't actually go out, 1589 01:12:32,240 --> 01:12:34,640 Speaker 1: but that sort of felt like and just talking and 1590 01:12:34,720 --> 01:12:37,800 Speaker 1: talking about what it felt like to be the kid 1591 01:12:37,920 --> 01:12:41,000 Speaker 1: that nobody wanted there and kind of had that early 1592 01:12:41,520 --> 01:12:43,880 Speaker 1: bond of that and then kind of to watch what 1593 01:12:44,000 --> 01:12:48,160 Speaker 1: he became. And in my tiny, microscopically smaller way, what 1594 01:12:48,280 --> 01:12:50,599 Speaker 1: I got to become was something that that was very 1595 01:12:50,640 --> 01:12:54,120 Speaker 1: special throughout twenty years. Again a front row seat to 1596 01:12:54,240 --> 01:12:57,360 Speaker 1: his life and a bomb we had and conversations we'd have, 1597 01:12:57,640 --> 01:13:00,320 Speaker 1: and to be able to have had that moment with 1598 01:13:00,560 --> 01:13:04,280 Speaker 1: him and Mac so soon close to the end. It's 1599 01:13:04,320 --> 01:13:06,800 Speaker 1: not enough, It's never early enough, but it felt like 1600 01:13:06,880 --> 01:13:09,280 Speaker 1: a pretty good thing to have gotten in you and I. 1601 01:13:09,360 --> 01:13:11,840 Speaker 1: I mean that's when he passed. Obviously, the coverage we 1602 01:13:11,960 --> 01:13:15,759 Speaker 1: did on the jump was was NonStop and wasn't easy, 1603 01:13:15,920 --> 01:13:19,040 Speaker 1: but it was. I just found it was so cool 1604 01:13:19,160 --> 01:13:22,439 Speaker 1: to get everyone's different story of Kobe, you know, I mean, 1605 01:13:22,439 --> 01:13:25,920 Speaker 1: because everyone had this perception mamba asshole, this isn't that, 1606 01:13:26,080 --> 01:13:28,240 Speaker 1: but if he lets you in, you got to see 1607 01:13:28,240 --> 01:13:30,240 Speaker 1: how especially well so to be able to hear everyone 1608 01:13:30,320 --> 01:13:33,559 Speaker 1: share their different Kobe's story and how he affected him 1609 01:13:33,560 --> 01:13:37,439 Speaker 1: and realized how many people he affected. Obviously, I didn't 1610 01:13:37,479 --> 01:13:40,320 Speaker 1: want it to happen, and once it did happen, I mean, 1611 01:13:40,360 --> 01:13:42,280 Speaker 1: I guess you know the way you celebrate life was 1612 01:13:42,320 --> 01:13:44,439 Speaker 1: being able to hear all these amazing stories from you know, 1613 01:13:44,560 --> 01:13:49,240 Speaker 1: this amazing person. So that was a tough, tough, tough time, 1614 01:13:49,400 --> 01:13:52,639 Speaker 1: very tough times, tough journey and another example to people 1615 01:13:52,720 --> 01:13:54,799 Speaker 1: by the way that like you can grow and learners 1616 01:13:54,920 --> 01:13:58,200 Speaker 1: person like what you do in your life doesn't have 1617 01:13:58,280 --> 01:14:00,840 Speaker 1: to be the end of your story and be a 1618 01:14:00,920 --> 01:14:04,280 Speaker 1: better person afterward. And I think that's something that I 1619 01:14:04,320 --> 01:14:09,000 Speaker 1: would that, you know, talking about messages from like, no 1620 01:14:09,080 --> 01:14:11,680 Speaker 1: one's story ends. There's no there's no period at the end. 1621 01:14:11,720 --> 01:14:14,439 Speaker 1: I mean obviously death, but even then, you know Kobe 1622 01:14:14,520 --> 01:14:17,200 Speaker 1: has lived on since then. So you gotta keep going 1623 01:14:17,320 --> 01:14:20,559 Speaker 1: and keep getting better every day. You have the honor 1624 01:14:20,840 --> 01:14:25,640 Speaker 1: of telling Paul Pierce and Chris Bosh they were finalists 1625 01:14:25,760 --> 01:14:27,720 Speaker 1: for the NBA Hall of Fame. How was that? That 1626 01:14:27,800 --> 01:14:29,559 Speaker 1: was really fun. We did it first with Max when 1627 01:14:29,600 --> 01:14:32,720 Speaker 1: he had actually did a show from the Hall of 1628 01:14:32,800 --> 01:14:34,799 Speaker 1: Fame show from the Hall of Fame when he was inducted. 1629 01:14:34,920 --> 01:14:37,880 Speaker 1: But back then there wasn't like now, there's a little 1630 01:14:37,920 --> 01:14:39,400 Speaker 1: bit of a procedure where it's sort of like the 1631 01:14:39,439 --> 01:14:41,559 Speaker 1: finalist announced on this day and this day, and people 1632 01:14:41,800 --> 01:14:43,720 Speaker 1: even if they don't know what's coming on that day 1633 01:14:43,800 --> 01:14:46,120 Speaker 1: on that show, which Paul Pierce and Chris Bosh we 1634 01:14:46,200 --> 01:14:47,640 Speaker 1: got to tell on the show that day they had 1635 01:14:47,680 --> 01:14:49,200 Speaker 1: no idea. I had to have this whole plan with 1636 01:14:49,320 --> 01:14:51,880 Speaker 1: Chris's very kind wife, who was I was like, can 1637 01:14:51,920 --> 01:14:53,800 Speaker 1: you get him in front of a phone where he 1638 01:14:53,840 --> 01:14:56,000 Speaker 1: can face time at X time, but don't tell why? 1639 01:14:56,120 --> 01:14:58,080 Speaker 1: And here's you know, that kind of thing, um. But 1640 01:14:58,200 --> 01:15:00,920 Speaker 1: with Tacy, like there was no I mean, it was 1641 01:15:01,000 --> 01:15:03,400 Speaker 1: just completely He came in one day and it was 1642 01:15:03,520 --> 01:15:05,400 Speaker 1: he didn't even know he was eligible because they had 1643 01:15:05,439 --> 01:15:07,920 Speaker 1: changed the eligibility rules like within that year about the 1644 01:15:07,960 --> 01:15:10,320 Speaker 1: number of years you had to be off. So for him, 1645 01:15:10,360 --> 01:15:13,400 Speaker 1: it was just it was totally. It was emotional. It 1646 01:15:13,520 --> 01:15:15,519 Speaker 1: was emotional to being with that. A little less so 1647 01:15:15,680 --> 01:15:17,040 Speaker 1: with these guys because they kind of knew it was 1648 01:15:17,360 --> 01:15:19,400 Speaker 1: again not coming on that day, but knew it was coming. 1649 01:15:19,400 --> 01:15:22,400 Speaker 1: In general, it feels so special though, I mean, the 1650 01:15:22,479 --> 01:15:26,160 Speaker 1: Hall of Fame, it's a it's it's just sort of 1651 01:15:26,240 --> 01:15:28,679 Speaker 1: that thing and that that I don't lose that ever, 1652 01:15:28,960 --> 01:15:30,880 Speaker 1: Like what a big deal that is to guys. Every 1653 01:15:31,000 --> 01:15:34,479 Speaker 1: interview you do is obviously different. Who is your most 1654 01:15:34,560 --> 01:15:37,200 Speaker 1: memorable and why? I'm gonna give you like quick hit 1655 01:15:37,320 --> 01:15:40,280 Speaker 1: list of someone's and why, And I'm being a terrible person. 1656 01:15:40,320 --> 01:15:42,840 Speaker 1: I'm not picking just one, but whatever, al Right. I 1657 01:15:42,920 --> 01:15:45,960 Speaker 1: interviewed Tiger Woods in Turkey and an airplane hangar after 1658 01:15:46,080 --> 01:15:49,080 Speaker 1: he hit golf balls across a bridge in Istanbul that 1659 01:15:49,160 --> 01:15:53,080 Speaker 1: went from one continent to the other. That was weird, definitely, um, 1660 01:15:53,320 --> 01:16:00,599 Speaker 1: something I have never done again yep, yeah, a plane hangar, 1661 01:16:00,720 --> 01:16:06,320 Speaker 1: you can drop out of continent. Okay. And here's a 1662 01:16:06,320 --> 01:16:08,920 Speaker 1: guy who, by the way, who would show up at 1663 01:16:09,000 --> 01:16:12,640 Speaker 1: Orlando Magic games all the time. And yet when I 1664 01:16:12,760 --> 01:16:14,240 Speaker 1: was like, Hey, I really want to do this interview. 1665 01:16:14,320 --> 01:16:15,880 Speaker 1: We get a bunch of stuff going on in his life, 1666 01:16:15,920 --> 01:16:17,400 Speaker 1: a bunch to talk about. They were like, well, can 1667 01:16:17,439 --> 01:16:20,280 Speaker 1: you fly to Turkey? And I was like, okay, but 1668 01:16:20,439 --> 01:16:23,080 Speaker 1: I live really close to where he would Okay, there 1669 01:16:23,160 --> 01:16:26,360 Speaker 1: you go. Um. I got to interview Serena Williams a bit, 1670 01:16:26,520 --> 01:16:29,840 Speaker 1: especially early in her career, and having covered tennis at 1671 01:16:29,880 --> 01:16:32,120 Speaker 1: a time when Venus and Serena came on and then 1672 01:16:32,920 --> 01:16:35,240 Speaker 1: really getting into it and talking to them about everything 1673 01:16:35,320 --> 01:16:37,320 Speaker 1: that they fought through and faced is something that is 1674 01:16:37,320 --> 01:16:39,120 Speaker 1: always going to be super special to me. And those 1675 01:16:39,160 --> 01:16:41,439 Speaker 1: are interviews I'm gonna always really be so grateful to 1676 01:16:41,520 --> 01:16:45,679 Speaker 1: have gotten to do. And Um, in basketball, I grew 1677 01:16:45,760 --> 01:16:48,960 Speaker 1: up thinking Michael Jordan's was Michael fucking Jordan's And the 1678 01:16:49,080 --> 01:16:51,160 Speaker 1: fact that in college I got to like sit there 1679 01:16:51,240 --> 01:16:54,120 Speaker 1: behind a notebook and he occasionally spoke to me when 1680 01:16:54,120 --> 01:16:56,479 Speaker 1: I would be terrified. I didn't talk for like the 1681 01:16:56,520 --> 01:16:58,680 Speaker 1: first three or four practices that we covered, and you 1682 01:16:58,760 --> 01:17:00,320 Speaker 1: know how it is, you got this clot and media 1683 01:17:00,360 --> 01:17:03,240 Speaker 1: around you with their little stuff, and I was just 1684 01:17:03,320 --> 01:17:06,160 Speaker 1: trying to not be noticed and learn and do And 1685 01:17:06,280 --> 01:17:08,200 Speaker 1: by like the fourth time, he just like looked at 1686 01:17:08,240 --> 01:17:10,519 Speaker 1: me in the middle of a press comp of people 1687 01:17:10,640 --> 01:17:13,160 Speaker 1: and was like, what you don't speak? Do you not speak? 1688 01:17:13,560 --> 01:17:16,120 Speaker 1: And I was just like, oh, okay, and then ask 1689 01:17:16,200 --> 01:17:18,960 Speaker 1: my probably ridiculous question at that point because that was 1690 01:17:19,040 --> 01:17:21,640 Speaker 1: so nervous. So when the first time I got to 1691 01:17:21,720 --> 01:17:24,720 Speaker 1: do like a real formal, this is official sit down 1692 01:17:24,840 --> 01:17:28,040 Speaker 1: with Michael Jordan's, I was just I was like, Okay, 1693 01:17:28,160 --> 01:17:30,320 Speaker 1: I'm good, this is good, you know that sort of thing. 1694 01:17:30,439 --> 01:17:32,800 Speaker 1: So there's been those kind of moments along the way 1695 01:17:33,439 --> 01:17:35,920 Speaker 1: where I felt like I've gotten to at least get 1696 01:17:35,920 --> 01:17:38,280 Speaker 1: a little peek about these these people who have done 1697 01:17:38,360 --> 01:17:41,160 Speaker 1: extraordinary things, and that feels special to kind of add 1698 01:17:41,200 --> 01:17:43,000 Speaker 1: on to this. And this is not a normal quick hitter, 1699 01:17:43,080 --> 01:17:44,720 Speaker 1: But like I said, you enjoy what you're doing, So 1700 01:17:44,880 --> 01:17:48,519 Speaker 1: how cool is it? Like how do you keep the 1701 01:17:48,600 --> 01:17:50,880 Speaker 1: fan in you in Sometimes when you're getting to meet 1702 01:17:50,960 --> 01:17:52,960 Speaker 1: some of these legends or people, you really look up. 1703 01:17:55,240 --> 01:17:57,599 Speaker 1: But but that's because I think It's easier because I'm 1704 01:17:57,640 --> 01:18:00,719 Speaker 1: not really a fan, as I discussed that the basketball 1705 01:18:00,760 --> 01:18:02,960 Speaker 1: team I grew up being a fan of, Okay, so 1706 01:18:03,040 --> 01:18:05,840 Speaker 1: I would be biased thinking that like George Morrison and 1707 01:18:05,920 --> 01:18:08,080 Speaker 1: the New Bowl were special. Like I mean, I'm not 1708 01:18:08,760 --> 01:18:11,040 Speaker 1: anyone I am quote biased as a fan of is not. 1709 01:18:11,360 --> 01:18:14,639 Speaker 1: It would not bother anyone like I have complete bias 1710 01:18:14,680 --> 01:18:17,120 Speaker 1: about Allen Iverson, and anyone who's been around me knows 1711 01:18:17,200 --> 01:18:19,960 Speaker 1: I have no chill um. I grew up loving Georgetown 1712 01:18:20,000 --> 01:18:23,240 Speaker 1: basketball and everything that man has ever done. I don't 1713 01:18:23,240 --> 01:18:27,000 Speaker 1: care you cannot talk to me about He's perfect, as 1714 01:18:27,080 --> 01:18:28,760 Speaker 1: I introduced him on the show. All the time, he 1715 01:18:28,880 --> 01:18:33,400 Speaker 1: is our greatest living American. I think being open about 1716 01:18:33,439 --> 01:18:36,760 Speaker 1: those biases is fine. And then when I'm excited and 1717 01:18:36,960 --> 01:18:38,880 Speaker 1: let the fan out of me, it's normally of people 1718 01:18:38,920 --> 01:18:41,400 Speaker 1: who have done cool things like so I don't I 1719 01:18:41,439 --> 01:18:44,240 Speaker 1: feel like it's okay and it's never stopped me and 1720 01:18:44,600 --> 01:18:46,040 Speaker 1: you guys have both been on the other end of this. 1721 01:18:46,360 --> 01:18:50,280 Speaker 1: I don't think I asked soft questions. I wanted to 1722 01:18:50,320 --> 01:18:53,080 Speaker 1: ask the easy questions, you know, because I I feel 1723 01:18:53,160 --> 01:18:55,160 Speaker 1: like if I am a fan of what you do 1724 01:18:55,320 --> 01:18:57,400 Speaker 1: and respect you, I'm gonna have enough perspect for you 1725 01:18:57,560 --> 01:18:59,760 Speaker 1: to think that you don't want to ship and soft 1726 01:18:59,840 --> 01:19:04,479 Speaker 1: you around you. Let's be real. So your dream one 1727 01:19:04,560 --> 01:19:08,759 Speaker 1: on one interview? Who would it be? Steven Jackson life story? 1728 01:19:08,880 --> 01:19:15,880 Speaker 1: Oh wow, you show you ready for that? How many 1729 01:19:15,920 --> 01:19:18,439 Speaker 1: hours would we have to do? We do like sixty hours. 1730 01:19:18,920 --> 01:19:22,000 Speaker 1: We're gonna need some time right right, because guy's gonna 1731 01:19:22,040 --> 01:19:24,040 Speaker 1: be some crime. It's gonna be some laughing. It's gonna 1732 01:19:24,040 --> 01:19:26,400 Speaker 1: be it's gonna be some what the funk? Why did 1733 01:19:26,439 --> 01:19:28,840 Speaker 1: you do that? It's gonna be a whole bunch of that. 1734 01:19:29,080 --> 01:19:31,360 Speaker 1: It's gonna be a whole bunch of that. But don't 1735 01:19:31,360 --> 01:19:33,519 Speaker 1: you think he's like the most interesting person. He's been 1736 01:19:33,560 --> 01:19:35,840 Speaker 1: through so much, especially like his journey and then now 1737 01:19:35,960 --> 01:19:38,000 Speaker 1: post career, Like I said, for us to both be 1738 01:19:38,120 --> 01:19:42,200 Speaker 1: kind of reinventing ourselves for our second act um. I 1739 01:19:42,280 --> 01:19:43,960 Speaker 1: mean I tell him all the time, but that'd be 1740 01:19:44,000 --> 01:19:49,400 Speaker 1: a definitely one tell Jesse's story. I will be honor 1741 01:19:49,479 --> 01:19:52,759 Speaker 1: range if you can relive one sporting event you covered 1742 01:19:52,760 --> 01:19:56,080 Speaker 1: in the past. Which one would it be? And why? Oh? Man? 1743 01:19:56,439 --> 01:19:58,400 Speaker 1: I mean, you know the emotional part is, like you 1744 01:19:58,479 --> 01:20:02,400 Speaker 1: know the night Code had his last game and dropped sixty. 1745 01:20:03,080 --> 01:20:07,760 Speaker 1: The Warriors also one right they had at Memphis. We 1746 01:20:07,800 --> 01:20:09,720 Speaker 1: were in. Yeah, we didn't get to see Kobe's last game, 1747 01:20:09,800 --> 01:20:15,720 Speaker 1: and they smacked us right. So sorry to bring up 1748 01:20:15,760 --> 01:20:18,880 Speaker 1: a surject remember that they gave me the choice of 1749 01:20:18,920 --> 01:20:20,599 Speaker 1: being at either game. They were both on our air, 1750 01:20:20,640 --> 01:20:22,040 Speaker 1: by the way. One was on ESPN, one was on 1751 01:20:22,280 --> 01:20:24,679 Speaker 1: ESPN two I think or whatever. And I just looked. 1752 01:20:24,720 --> 01:20:26,920 Speaker 1: I was like, I'm one of the Kobe game. And 1753 01:20:27,560 --> 01:20:29,680 Speaker 1: and I think there was because the Warriors were so 1754 01:20:29,880 --> 01:20:31,800 Speaker 1: the story and Kobe, yes, he had been on this 1755 01:20:31,880 --> 01:20:33,800 Speaker 1: sort of retirement tour, and there was a little bit 1756 01:20:33,920 --> 01:20:35,720 Speaker 1: less of like, well, we've seen him, We've done all that. 1757 01:20:35,800 --> 01:20:38,599 Speaker 1: These waved goodbyes, waved you know, it's like Jerk Jeter, 1758 01:20:38,680 --> 01:20:40,479 Speaker 1: how many times can you like wave at the crowd? 1759 01:20:40,880 --> 01:20:42,040 Speaker 1: And I was just like, no, I'm going on the 1760 01:20:42,120 --> 01:20:46,400 Speaker 1: Kobe game. And it was as incredible as advertised, and 1761 01:20:46,600 --> 01:20:48,679 Speaker 1: I don't need to relive it because it's still fresh 1762 01:20:48,760 --> 01:20:50,400 Speaker 1: and like whatever, But I mean, how much would you 1763 01:20:50,439 --> 01:20:53,760 Speaker 1: love to see him out there energy? There's a little 1764 01:20:53,800 --> 01:20:56,000 Speaker 1: bit of that. I think I would like to see again. 1765 01:20:56,200 --> 01:21:00,519 Speaker 1: Five Dinner Guests, dead or alive. Oh Man, well, Alan 1766 01:21:00,520 --> 01:21:05,519 Speaker 1: Iverson clearly great. I don't know. I'm not good at 1767 01:21:05,560 --> 01:21:07,600 Speaker 1: this game. I mean I think I think some of 1768 01:21:07,640 --> 01:21:09,840 Speaker 1: the women would be from two hundred years ago. But 1769 01:21:10,200 --> 01:21:13,040 Speaker 1: who did their ship no matter who was telling them 1770 01:21:13,320 --> 01:21:15,599 Speaker 1: what they had to do. Those are largely who would 1771 01:21:15,600 --> 01:21:19,120 Speaker 1: make up my dinner guest list. And you know, it's 1772 01:21:19,160 --> 01:21:22,080 Speaker 1: still it's funny. We just had like women's and what 1773 01:21:22,160 --> 01:21:26,679 Speaker 1: are we calling it? Empowerment, Women's History Month, Women's Appreciation Month. 1774 01:21:27,000 --> 01:21:29,120 Speaker 1: I know how everyone feels about Black History Months too. 1775 01:21:29,120 --> 01:21:30,400 Speaker 1: It's just sort of like, oh, we get a month, 1776 01:21:30,479 --> 01:21:32,920 Speaker 1: thank you so much. What I would like is women 1777 01:21:32,960 --> 01:21:35,120 Speaker 1: not to be paid eighty cents on the dollar right 1778 01:21:35,120 --> 01:21:37,920 Speaker 1: across the country, and by the way, women of color 1779 01:21:38,000 --> 01:21:42,799 Speaker 1: significantly less so. The ones who sort of were able 1780 01:21:42,840 --> 01:21:45,599 Speaker 1: to go through those circumstances. I think those are those 1781 01:21:45,600 --> 01:21:47,960 Speaker 1: who I wanted my dinner table. And Neverson, because he's 1782 01:21:48,200 --> 01:21:50,280 Speaker 1: ever since, sorry, that's just gonna happen. He gets to 1783 01:21:50,320 --> 01:21:52,559 Speaker 1: see with a bunch of great women. If you can 1784 01:21:52,680 --> 01:21:55,439 Speaker 1: have one guest on all the smoke, who would it be? 1785 01:21:55,560 --> 01:21:57,200 Speaker 1: And why who do I want you guys to get 1786 01:21:57,200 --> 01:22:01,600 Speaker 1: into it with? Man, that's a good one. Um. I 1787 01:22:01,640 --> 01:22:04,680 Speaker 1: mean you've had everyone first of all, so I'd like 1788 01:22:04,800 --> 01:22:06,400 Speaker 1: you to I'd like you to get here with Michael 1789 01:22:06,479 --> 01:22:08,920 Speaker 1: with some cigars and that whiskey that we saw next 1790 01:22:09,000 --> 01:22:11,600 Speaker 1: to him, what was that? We feel whiskey bourbon? What? 1791 01:22:11,760 --> 01:22:14,400 Speaker 1: What was that? But but but the level of the 1792 01:22:14,560 --> 01:22:16,559 Speaker 1: level of the ship kept going and his eyes were 1793 01:22:16,640 --> 01:22:18,960 Speaker 1: changing colors in the process. He was killing it. I 1794 01:22:19,000 --> 01:22:21,640 Speaker 1: would I think we have to make that like a 1795 01:22:21,720 --> 01:22:26,000 Speaker 1: live show. So m J because he's a guy who 1796 01:22:26,120 --> 01:22:28,040 Speaker 1: again I covered him while he was playing both in 1797 01:22:28,160 --> 01:22:30,880 Speaker 1: Chicago and d C. And then I remember being in 1798 01:22:31,040 --> 01:22:34,679 Speaker 1: Charlotte for something when he had just started his ownership 1799 01:22:34,720 --> 01:22:37,360 Speaker 1: stant there and I was sitting in his office and 1800 01:22:37,439 --> 01:22:38,960 Speaker 1: we were just kind of shooting the ship and just 1801 01:22:39,000 --> 01:22:41,880 Speaker 1: start talking about old stuff, and of course, like at 1802 01:22:41,880 --> 01:22:43,479 Speaker 1: the end of it, I'm like Michael, like, why don't 1803 01:22:43,479 --> 01:22:45,920 Speaker 1: you come downstairs and come like beyond with us, like 1804 01:22:46,000 --> 01:22:48,080 Speaker 1: come beyond? And he just looks at me. He goes, 1805 01:22:48,120 --> 01:22:50,360 Speaker 1: I don't do that anymore, he said, because I don't 1806 01:22:50,439 --> 01:22:56,000 Speaker 1: have to. And I was like, oh, yeah, so he 1807 01:22:56,160 --> 01:22:59,160 Speaker 1: really does. He does, like one cigar fish Unado cover 1808 01:22:59,560 --> 01:23:01,920 Speaker 1: like every X number of years. I think he's talked 1809 01:23:01,920 --> 01:23:03,840 Speaker 1: to Bray Thompson in her place once or twice, but 1810 01:23:04,479 --> 01:23:06,880 Speaker 1: he has not done anything like this. I that is 1811 01:23:06,920 --> 01:23:10,679 Speaker 1: what I want to see. We can make someone send 1812 01:23:10,720 --> 01:23:14,720 Speaker 1: this clip to Mike. Rachel said, look, Gina parody so 1813 01:23:15,320 --> 01:23:21,720 Speaker 1: she can make anything. All your guests here has a 1814 01:23:21,760 --> 01:23:26,400 Speaker 1: lot of pressure. Gy. We got faith in you. I 1815 01:23:26,520 --> 01:23:28,400 Speaker 1: got no doubts. I am so grateful to you guys 1816 01:23:28,479 --> 01:23:32,519 Speaker 1: for the time. Thank you, thank you right here, so 1817 01:23:32,680 --> 01:23:36,400 Speaker 1: thank you. That's a rap. All the smoke special guests, 1818 01:23:36,520 --> 01:23:39,400 Speaker 1: Rachel Nichols, thank you for your time. And on Showtime 1819 01:23:39,439 --> 01:23:43,400 Speaker 1: Basketball YouTube in the I Heart platform Black Effects. We'll 1820 01:23:43,400 --> 01:23:58,080 Speaker 1: see you all next week. Walking like a fos. Wow, 1821 01:23:58,200 --> 01:24:00,559 Speaker 1: that's Spaniard archer Letta, which just be him. We title 1822 01:24:00,600 --> 01:24:04,560 Speaker 1: on the line against number one contender Sergio Pettis Vegetoria 1823 01:24:04,920 --> 01:24:07,160 Speaker 1: lat or m m A Live Friday May seven on 1824 01:24:07,360 --> 01:24:29,320 Speaker 1: Showtime where Warriors Rule h