1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: Wait that ass up in the morning Breakfast Club. Yeah morning, 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: everybody's DJ Envy Angela Yee, Charlemagne the guy. We are 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: to Breakfast Club. We got a special guests in the 4 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: building to the room, stephen A. Smith. What's up, y'all? 5 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: How y'all doing? How I'm good, bro, I'm good. It's 6 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: been crazy. I've been busy as hell and the nbac's 7 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: is about to jump off too, So it's been crazy. 8 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: But I'm here. I wasn't missing this. Your book is 9 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: available for pre orders. Great shooting. Yeah man, it's gone well. 10 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:29,639 Speaker 1: And thank you because you was one of the people 11 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: that inspired me as well a lot of people both 12 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: for y'all. I mean, I'm proud of y'all with y'all 13 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: books and what y'all have done. But I tell you, um, 14 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: it was a long time coming. I really didn't want 15 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: to do it. Um people have been They would have 16 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: been asking me since ESPN let me go in two 17 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: thousand and nine to write a book, and I didn't 18 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: want to. I didn't want to because I always said 19 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: if I wrote a book, you know, I got to 20 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: be straight up about you know, just my life and 21 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:53,239 Speaker 1: kind of the things, the kind of things I had 22 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: to go through on a personal level. And then my 23 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: mother got rest us. So before she passed away in 24 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen, she had always made me prom us, don't 25 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: ever write a book until I pass away, because she 26 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: knew that I was going to talk about, you know, 27 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: some of the relationships that I had grown up with 28 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: Pops and others in my family and stuff like that, 29 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: and she knew I was gonna do that, and she 30 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: did not want me to do that while she was alive. 31 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: She said, you go and do it. I'm just asking 32 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: you for one favor, don't do it until I pass away. 33 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: So I had waited all of those years that then 34 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: even after I wasn't gonna do it, and then my 35 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: sisters reminded me, Hey, go ahead and do it. Go ahead, 36 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: guy got folded. They said, it's time. Why now, because 37 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 1: you've always been like a private person personally. Yeah, I 38 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 1: still am, I believe it or not. I still am. 39 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 1: But there's a lot to tell. There's a lot to 40 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: tell in terms of the path that I had to 41 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: travel to get to where I am. And so you 42 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: tell some of those stories and you try to be inspirational, 43 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: as y'all have done. With y'all book and whatever. You know, 44 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: you tell people. You know, you don't tell them every 45 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: single little nugget about your life, but you tell a lot, 46 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: and you tell a lot with the golden mina of 47 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: being constructive and being inspirational and just trying to let 48 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: people know, Look, you ain't the only person have been 49 00:01:57,880 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: through stuff. It's a whole bunch of us have been 50 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: through stuff. And we walked through that terrain and we 51 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: carried ourselves on through and we, through the grace of 52 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: God and a lot of help from a lot of people, 53 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: we were able to pull it off. So you can't too. 54 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: And that's basically what you're doing. You're being You're trying 55 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: to be as motivational and inspirational as you possibly can. 56 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: But in the same breath, in order to do that, 57 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: you got to be real. And so I just said, Hey, 58 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna do it. Did you know what you 59 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: wanted to do as a kid? You know what I 60 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: always I grew up idolizing Howard Cosell and be primarily 61 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: because of Muhammad Ali and his relationship with Muhammad Ali 62 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 1: and then Brian Gumble, because I saw him doing everything. 63 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: You know, it was like it was the Today's Show. 64 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 1: It was he used to do NFL on ABC and 65 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: the Olymics. He did everything, and so I grew up 66 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: idolizing them, and I had fantasized about that. But I 67 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 1: also I always fantasized about being a criminal lawyer. And 68 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: this is before I mean I literally did. But you know, 69 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: I'm I'm in the I'm in I'm in the fourth grade, 70 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: and I'm getting left back because I got on undiagnosed 71 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: dyslexa dyslexa, and I'm saying, hey, you know what, ain't 72 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: away I'm going to law school. I'm thinking, like, hell no, 73 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: ain't doing that. But I mean I grew up watching 74 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: Perry Mason and Mad Logging This four, Law and Order, 75 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: all of those crime shows that anything that had the 76 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: courtroom in it I fantasized about. So I always said, 77 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 1: you put me in a court, ain't nowhere in hell 78 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: you're gonna convince me. I'm gonna lose out on convincing 79 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: twelve jurors to see my way. And I always believe that. 80 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: But then the journalism came and all of a sudden 81 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: it just blew up unexpectedly because even though later earlier 82 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: on in my life. I didn't have that confidence. Later 83 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: on I did. And when I had that confidence, I 84 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: was ready to do it. But then this journalism took 85 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: off and I was like, you know, I'm doing quite well. 86 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: Let me stick with this. How'd you overcome to Dyslexiao, 87 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: because you're one of the most articulate people speaking on 88 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: television today. My older sister, Linda, she was a teacher 89 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: back the day my sister Carmen as a teacher. Now 90 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: my sister Abbey Gills and the education system as a superintendent. 91 00:03:55,680 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 1: But Linda was a teacher. And Linda literally taught me 92 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: how to read and write and and one of my 93 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: best friends growing up, his name was Ronnie Is. His 94 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: big brother, Tiver was also brilliant. So whenever I was 95 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: over his house, Tiver was a brilliant dude, and he 96 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: would teach me how to read. And then I come 97 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: home to Linda, and Linda would sit me down four 98 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: or five days she said, we're gonna overcome this, and 99 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 1: you know, she would teach me how to read it right. 100 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 1: And then in the seventh grade, I had a teacher 101 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 1: that told my mother during the parent teachers night, he 102 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: said he ain't stupid, not at all. She said, he's 103 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 1: not focused. He drifts, He doesn't focus and concentrate on 104 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 1: things that bore him. But when he's when he's interested 105 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: in something, he's locked in and he don't miss anything 106 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: when he's like that, fine what he's interested in And 107 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: watch what you had? Watch many times? Do you argue 108 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: with your sisters like how was your house growing up? 109 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 1: Because you like to argue. But here's the deal, here's 110 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,600 Speaker 1: the reason why. Because I wasn't allowed to growing up. 111 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 1: I got four older sisters. Bro shut the hell up. 112 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: Then that's that's on the regular. So you know, you 113 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 1: got four women. And it's like, I remember the scariest 114 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: moment in my adult life because it's related to your question. 115 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: I had to go on the View right after the 116 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: Tiger stuff came out, and I was like, cool, Soto, 117 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: problem is, Peter, let me go. It was you know, 118 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 1: I had gotten the Fox Sports radio. They asked me 119 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: to come on the View. I said fine, and I 120 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: walked in the studio and it's Barbara Walters there. It's 121 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 1: Barbara Walters, Joy, Joey Bayhard and Elizabeth Hasselback all this 122 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: back in those days, okay, And I walked in. You 123 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:34,039 Speaker 1: got these four women on the set. That's cool. But 124 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: the audience was like stadium seeing and it looked like 125 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 1: they right on top of you, right, And I was 126 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 1: the only man in the entire studio, right, There wasn't 127 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: a male in sight. That I was the only spec 128 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: of testosterone. It was it was like, I said, oh, 129 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: how did you hear the hell about that? But the 130 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:55,720 Speaker 1: end then they was asking me about Tiger and I 131 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: was like, well, you know, I'm trying to what are 132 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: you saying I got myself into you know? To me? 133 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 1: And it was like but then I remember I grew 134 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: up around this. I grew up around this. I knew 135 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: how to handle it. And if it wasn't for my upbringing, 136 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 1: what my fault oldest sisters and my mother. There's five 137 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 1: women telling me what to do. You shut the hell 138 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: up when we tell you to shut the hell up. 139 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 1: The subject in that position too, because I feel like 140 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: a lot of times as women, especially in sports, you 141 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 1: see a lot of women who might be the only woman, 142 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: yeah in the room, And so I love the reverse 143 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: when that happened. We don't, we don't. It's scary. It's 144 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: scary as scary as hell. I mean to this day. 145 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: That is the scariest moment in my career because you 146 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 1: gotta remember typing out of some stuff now and I'm like, 147 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: I'm walking in this studio. I'm like, there's nothing I 148 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:46,799 Speaker 1: can say. I mean, I got to figure out a way. 149 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: And they were just looking at me like you even 150 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: uttered the room syllable We're gonna be on you. And 151 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 1: I was like, that's interesting, especially with like the Ema 152 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: Joker stuff happening now and seeing Shacks say, I don't 153 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: want to weigh in and criticize this because I've been 154 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: through the things that I've been through, So you don't 155 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: want to be a hypocrite. Well, you don't want to 156 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:04,480 Speaker 1: be a hypocrite. But in the same breath, if you're 157 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 1: sitting in that chair and all of y'all can relate 158 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: to this with the great show y'all have been doing 159 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: for years, you gotta call it like you see it. 160 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 1: And what we gotta do is we gotta be careful. 161 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: You can talk about an incident without talking about the person. 162 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: And this is what listen. You know how many people 163 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: disagree with me every day. I have no issue with 164 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: you attacking what I say or what situation I've addressed. 165 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: That's entirely different than attacking me. I can. I can compartmentalize. 166 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: And if you're sitting in that chair, you know I 167 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: told shout, bro, you can avoid it all you want 168 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: to T and T coming up, Bro, season get ready 169 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: to start, You're gonna have to avoid it. You're gonna 170 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 1: have to talk about it at some point. I definitely 171 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: told them that. And so for me, you're dan right. 172 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: I touched on it, but I touched on it from 173 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: a different angle. There's no excuse for him to find 174 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: himself in that position that he was in. But my position, 175 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: religiously was it's none of our business. There's no reason 176 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 1: on earth that you can justify to me why the 177 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: Boston Celtics had that press conference while we're having this discussion. 178 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: That was an h R matter. I've been covering sports 179 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: formas thirty years. I'm telling you every year the stories 180 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: like this. Every year you don't see it being discussed. 181 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: You hear about the Can't getting fired, and you hear 182 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 1: rumors as to why, but you don't know it's not 183 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: validated by the organization. And then you know, I took 184 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: it a step further and I mentioned this blackness only 185 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: from this perspective, you kept him, you retained him, You 186 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: didn't fire him. That means no one has the right 187 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: to come and get him. You suspended him, but it 188 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: was indefinite. You said, I'm gonna suspend you for a year, 189 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: but then after the year, we're gonna we're gonna look 190 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: into it. I mean, that's bs all right. You probably 191 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: docked half his pay, because that's what my source has 192 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: told me. You docked half his pay, And I'm like, 193 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 1: so he doesn't he can't work, he can't go elsewhere. 194 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: You docked half his pay, his futures up in arms, 195 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: and you publicize his personal business because the press release, 196 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:10,079 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm sorry. The report said consensual relationship. Now 197 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: you might have violate the organizational policy and all that, 198 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: but it said so essentially, all of this has happened 199 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: because of a consensual relationship. Now we don't know her status, 200 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: and even if we did, we can't say because you know, 201 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: they haven't revealed that information. You know, you can get 202 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: sued for stuff like that. But here's what I know 203 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: about him. He ain't married, and it was a consensual relationship. 204 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: According to y'all. You think, do you think we'll ever 205 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: get the full story. Hell yeah, you can't. Not just 206 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: that you can't do what you did with this man, 207 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 1: and there's not going to be an uproar at some point. 208 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: And I said it, and then people was getting on 209 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: me about that. I said, I know plenty of white 210 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: dudes that's that, that's screwing around in the office in sports. 211 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: This stuff wasn't public so I know at least three 212 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: dudes personally that got fired because of it. It was 213 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: never publicized. We heard about it, but it was never publicized. 214 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: And guess why, because they're working for another team now, 215 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:10,319 Speaker 1: not in that capacity that they were. It might have 216 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: been on the lower level, but they still are employed 217 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 1: in the same and with the same brand. Because why 218 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: it wasn't publicized or put out on front streat like 219 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 1: they say something that sure, he's not married, that's right, 220 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: that's right. Allegedly one of the women are. Why are 221 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: they attacking him so much for the rest if it's 222 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:35,679 Speaker 1: an organizational policy, why the woman's name is Listen, we 223 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: totally agree. I'm not gonna sit up here in front 224 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: and act like we disagree. What I'm saying is in 225 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: the interest of making sure that all our eyes I 226 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 1: dieded in teas across and we don't have folks coming 227 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: at us talking about why, why why are we trying 228 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: to make somebody else the victim. All I'm saying is 229 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: it's always private. We've never heard the details you heard. 230 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,679 Speaker 1: They got fired. You could speculate as to why, but 231 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: because it's not known, another team has no problem bringing 232 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: you on board and employing you because that's never been confirmed. 233 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: By having the press conference, you confirmed the stuff that 234 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 1: was put out there about him. You said nothing about her, 235 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 1: And I'm not saying to put her on front street. 236 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: I'm saying he shouldn't have been talked about. Let him 237 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 1: go or keep him, but keep the matter in house. 238 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: They didn't do that because they wanted to suspend him 239 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: and make an example of him. And it could have been, 240 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 1: you know, enforced by somebody else. But the bottom line 241 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: is it was wrong. Do you think because he was black? Well, 242 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 1: I think that part to me. I'm not gonna go 243 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 1: that far, but I will say this, I haven't seen 244 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 1: it happen to any white boys. I'm gonna tell it 245 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: like that. I haven't seen it, and I said it. 246 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: I said it on National TOUGHIC. I ain't see anybody, 247 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: and everybody. Everybody backed up because they know I've covered 248 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 1: this league and I've covered professional sports for a quarter century. 249 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: And I went on national television and I said, I 250 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: know plenty of white boys that's been doing their thing 251 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: in the office. Nobody said anything we didn't know, and 252 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: they and everybody backed up because they know I'm telling 253 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 1: the truth. It's just the truth, and it's it's jacked 254 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: up to that. Listen, he ain't perfect, and whatever he 255 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:12,680 Speaker 1: had coming to him, if the organization they had courts 256 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: to fire now because I heard that he obviously violated 257 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: the organization of policy. And then plus he lied initially 258 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: won approach. So now you got cause you got him 259 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: debt the rights. Okay, you can't defend him. If they 260 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 1: wanted to let them go, they could let them go, 261 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 1: but then let him go. Don't hold them and keep 262 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:30,960 Speaker 1: him from working and keep him from going someplace else 263 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:34,680 Speaker 1: to work. You have ruined this man's career because of 264 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: a consensual relationship. Ain't nothing right about that man. And then, 265 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: to me, that's the point that everybody's missing. To your point, 266 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: that's that's a great point. Clearly, they're protecting some one 267 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: person in this situation which absolutely him. It's just like, 268 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:49,679 Speaker 1: go golify him, play much right, that's right, throw him 269 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:51,679 Speaker 1: out to pasture, and and and black man. We know 270 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: about that all too well. So people are gonna sit 271 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 1: up there and say, Steve and A's trying to make 272 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:57,599 Speaker 1: it a race issue. Actually know you made it a 273 00:12:57,679 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: race issue by how you elected to handle this. All 274 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: I said was I said, fire him or keep him. 275 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: But you don't do this because you've never done it 276 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: to anybody else. So why is the first example of 277 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 1: black man? I got a problem with that. What do 278 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:12,960 Speaker 1: you think about Matt barnes comments? Because I wondered from 279 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: an og journalism perspective looking at the new media and 280 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: they called it. What do you think his comments? He'll 281 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: never work again. He thinks if they listen, if the 282 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: full he might be right. He might be right about that, 283 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,719 Speaker 1: he's not wrong. And I think that in Matt Barnes case, 284 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,199 Speaker 1: who's a good brother, by the way, he's real good brother. 285 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,679 Speaker 1: I think with him. Here's the issue. I think he 286 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: felt uncomfortable with the ledge he went out on. It 287 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:40,679 Speaker 1: wasn't so much the story itself, but the things he 288 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 1: said initially. And sometimes you find yourself in that situation 289 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 1: where you might know all the facts, but you went 290 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: too far out. It's saying what you said and you 291 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:51,719 Speaker 1: got a backtrack, and people are thinking that you're backtracking 292 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: totally because you went out too far. I didn't go 293 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,680 Speaker 1: out too far. I said exactly what I meant. I 294 00:13:57,760 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 1: said it a week and a half ago. Damn it, 295 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:02,679 Speaker 1: I'm saying the same thing now because I know that 296 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: the story is going is gonna percolate, it's going to 297 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: develop even more. We're gonna hear more details coming out 298 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: of it, and I'll be front. I mean, listen, I'm 299 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: not gonna front with you and act like we didn't 300 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: hear what's going on and we don't know. I mean, 301 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 1: there's a lot of details that I know that I 302 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 1: cannot say because for legal issues and what have you, 303 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 1: you just can't do that. But trust me when I 304 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 1: tell you, it comes from a place of knowledge. I 305 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: know what the hell I'm talking about, and I know 306 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: how screwed over he's gotten in all this. He ain't innocent, 307 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: and if he got fired, he would have deserved it, period. 308 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: But you didn't have to do that. Him getting fired 309 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: is one thing you publicize in his business like. That 310 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: is an entirely different matter altogether. He'd have lost his 311 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: job with the Boss and Celtics. If you handled it 312 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,400 Speaker 1: correctly in this instance, you might have ended his career 313 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: as a head coach and as a rookie head coach. 314 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: He did what the president of basketball operations couldn't do 315 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,240 Speaker 1: in seven years. He took these brothers to the NBA 316 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 1: finals in year one, year one and this and this 317 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: is the other part that y'all got to know about it. 318 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: He's making about three million, three three to three and 319 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 1: a half million dollars. Had he had another successful season 320 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 1: and I'm not talking finals, he could have got them 321 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: to the conference finals whatever. He's in a position next 322 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: summer to negotiate a contract that's paying him at least 323 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: triple at least nine million today's NBA company at least 324 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 1: nine to ten million dollars. That's to go on rate 325 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 1: for a lot of these brothers are right. So now 326 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 1: you've squashed that because what leveraging position does he have. 327 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: He can't come to you and negotiate a deal that's 328 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: gonna get him a raise next year. You've stripped him 329 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: of everything because of a consensual relationship. I don't know 330 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: if it was personal. I know that it was handled 331 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: in a way that I don't think enough people are 332 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: breaking attention to. It's an HR matter, y'all. It's an 333 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: HR matter. If it happened with one of y'all, if 334 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: it happened with me, if it happened to anybody, it's 335 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: none of our business. Man, it's an internal matter. Now, 336 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: if it's not, if it's not consensual, and you're talking 337 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 1: about something else, sexual assault, rape, something like, that's a 338 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: different matter. You're breaking the laws. But if it's legal 339 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 1: and consensual, it's none of our business. That's why we 340 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: got to have another conversation about the power of self control. 341 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: Brothers got to learn discipline. Like, there's certain situations you 342 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 1: just shouldn't put yourself into, and that's one of them. 343 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: That's right, Which is why I say if they fired him, 344 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 1: I wouldn't have said the word you put yourself in 345 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 1: that position? What are you doing? What are you doing? 346 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:36,239 Speaker 1: You you're you're a rookie head coach. You just got there, okay, 347 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 1: and you find yourself in this position. There's no excuse. Now, listen, 348 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: from the beginning of the time, men have had problem 349 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: resisting women I mean, I mean from Adam and Eve 350 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: for crying out lot, it's very very predictable. That's a 351 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: little bit happ like what she's like. I mean, I 352 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: would like hopefully Stevens people get exercise something that they 353 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 1: can then straight. But I mean, listen, there's no question 354 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: about it. And especially and as black man, we gotta 355 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:15,119 Speaker 1: understand this. Yeah, times, times are what they are, and 356 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 1: we believe progress has been made, but we also recognize 357 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 1: that there's a long way to go, and so the 358 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: rules are still different for us than it is for 359 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 1: white men. Is call it what it is. You gotta 360 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: know that and your responsibility to yourself and your community 361 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 1: and and folks on the come up that idolize you 362 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: because of the position that you're in. You know, you 363 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:41,399 Speaker 1: gotta be careful, though, you gotta be careful. Look at 364 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,239 Speaker 1: a position. I mean, come on, man, come on, man, 365 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,400 Speaker 1: you you think you think that if I haven't had 366 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 1: opportunities to get with folks in the industry and whatever, 367 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 1: you ain't playing that game. You know they ain't worth 368 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: my check, then they're not worth what I built to 369 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 1: try and accomplish for myself. I'm not going that route. 370 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: That's just me they'll send people that somebody like, yes, 371 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 1: and they had, and they had and they have to listen. 372 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: You can't put you can't put it past anybody. Because 373 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:08,920 Speaker 1: you got people and they listen, They're gonna come at 374 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: you in a variety of ways. I've been in situations 375 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: where I've been proposition covering the NBA Playoffs, NBA Finals, 376 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: and I'm not saying this is exactly what happened, but 377 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: I wondered who said them because the women were a 378 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: little bit too aggress I'm like, like, I don't think 379 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:26,440 Speaker 1: I look like Godzilla, but I ain't that damn attractive. Now. 380 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:28,200 Speaker 1: This is a little bit too aggressive here. I mean, 381 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:30,720 Speaker 1: why they acting like they got to get with me something? 382 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 1: Something's fishy about that. You know what I'm saying. I 383 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: didn't know. But you have that suspicion and that and 384 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 1: that and that success, that intuition. You gotta you gotta 385 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 1: get it self, protect them. You gotta be like, you know, 386 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:44,679 Speaker 1: this is just a little too good to be true. 387 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying, ain't right about this, you know, 388 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 1: I mean you know what I mean, Me me, me, 389 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:53,920 Speaker 1: you know, me meeting a honey or whatever. Ain't fun 390 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,200 Speaker 1: all right that you know that happens with all of us. 391 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: But you know, three women coming up to me at 392 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 1: the same time. I say, you know, thank you, but 393 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:03,960 Speaker 1: no thank you, and they still come in. They don't 394 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 1: want to take no for an answer. They're trying to 395 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: find out what hotel I mean, in what hotel room 396 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: I mean rather because we were in the lobby of 397 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: the hotel. It's happened in Dallas years ago during the 398 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: finals between Dallas and the Miami Heat. And I'm sitting 399 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 1: there like this is too good to hell. These women, 400 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:29,639 Speaker 1: these women want me like this. Hell, no, I'm not. 401 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm a confident I'm a confident brother, but 402 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: damn no, I'm not falling for that. No past now, yeah, 403 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,480 Speaker 1: no mercy. Yes, so this is more in the field 404 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 1: of politics. Yes, well, it's not limited to just politics. 405 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: It's it's politics, it's news as pop coaching entertainment is. Listen, 406 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:51,879 Speaker 1: each and every single one of you. I expect, I 407 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 1: hope expect to have y'all on as a guest. I mean, listen, 408 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 1: there's a lot of issues that I like to talk 409 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: about and what what what what's beautiful about the show? 410 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 1: This is the freedom that y'all have to tackle a 411 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: multitude of issues. Understand that I've been in sports my 412 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:08,719 Speaker 1: entire career. I never had that latitude. Now it seems 413 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,240 Speaker 1: that way at times, because we tackle issues on first 414 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: take that you wouldn't anticipate on sports television. But the 415 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,359 Speaker 1: reason for that is that some way, somehow it found 416 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:20,239 Speaker 1: its way into the sports landscape, so it gave us 417 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 1: a license to talk about issues. You can talk about 418 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:23,880 Speaker 1: Colin Captick, and all of a sudden you found yourself 419 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:27,199 Speaker 1: getting into politics because of then President Trump is how 420 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 1: he politicized and hijacked the narrative and all of this 421 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: other stuff. So you find yourself sifting into that area. 422 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 1: But for the most part, it's been sports, and I've 423 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: been confined to that. This is different. It's my podcast, 424 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 1: I own it. I'm in one hundred percent control of 425 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 1: the content for it. It's not associated with Disney and 426 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: ESPN in any way. And so for me, it's it's 427 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 1: just about talking about the issues that are percolating, the 428 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: people who matter, the difference makers, the kind of impact 429 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 1: they intend to have, and personalizing those conversations. I'm still 430 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 1: gonna give my monolaus. I'm still gonna get my closing remarks. 431 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: You're gonna always hear from me in terms of how 432 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 1: I feel on an issue on a case by case basis, 433 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,399 Speaker 1: but in the same breath that's gonna It's really about 434 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,800 Speaker 1: talking to the people that are influencers and difference makers, 435 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,199 Speaker 1: and more importantly, letting the audience know who to listen to. 436 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:16,919 Speaker 1: Like I'm not one of those people when it kind 437 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:18,919 Speaker 1: of politives. I got my own thoughts and opinions. But 438 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 1: I will be the first to say I don't know. 439 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: This is what I see and based on the evidence, 440 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:25,680 Speaker 1: this is what I deduce from. But you should talk 441 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: to this person and this person. You should listen to 442 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: this show and that show. I'm not somebody that's gonna 443 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:32,680 Speaker 1: look at it and say listen to me and don't 444 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:35,200 Speaker 1: listen to anybody else. No, I want you to listen 445 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:37,679 Speaker 1: to those other people because I listen to them. I 446 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: want to hear what y'all have to say, what your 447 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: thoughts are, what your opinions are, et cetera, et cetera. 448 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: And if we disagree, we disagree, and if we agree, 449 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: we that's that's even better. But it's all good. Okay. 450 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:50,400 Speaker 1: I saw saw good, I saw you the other day 451 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: and you said you weren't gonna be so hard on Kareem. Yes, 452 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: but I did. I'm trying. I'm trying. I'm trying to 453 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: move forward. I'm trying. I'm not trying to go to 454 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: the past. But when I saw Kareem's comments, what you 455 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 1: call them comical buffoon, I did wonder what you thought 456 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:04,959 Speaker 1: about that. I wouldn't call him. I wanted to call 457 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 1: Kyrie a buffoon at all. I'm not gonna question the 458 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 1: intelligence of a brother, although he has said some bizarre 459 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: things in the past, the world is flat and stuff 460 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:16,240 Speaker 1: like that. He said his uncle is gonna have a 461 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: conversation with you. I'm not his uncle. Well, well yeah 462 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 1: he did. Actually, Well, here's the deal. Kyrie's father is 463 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 1: from the Bronx, and so there's a couple of Cats 464 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:30,640 Speaker 1: and the Bronx that know me well. They he grew 465 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,880 Speaker 1: up with them, I've known them throughout my adult life. 466 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:36,919 Speaker 1: They've been mentors and friends and all of that other stuff. 467 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:40,479 Speaker 1: And so I laughed about it because they're my boys. 468 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:42,520 Speaker 1: I should Hell, I give you some of their names. 469 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 1: Rod Stricken, Gary Howard Harry Howard is a former executive 470 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:50,160 Speaker 1: sports as executive sports editor for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 471 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 1: at a time with sixteen hundred papers throughout the daily papers, 472 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 1: daily newspapers about this country where you only had about 473 00:22:57,119 --> 00:22:59,920 Speaker 1: two black sports editors. He was one of them. He's 474 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,199 Speaker 1: the former deputy sports editor and the Philadelphia Inquirer, and 475 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 1: he was the one that got me hired to the 476 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: Philadelphia Inquirer before I got into television and all of that. 477 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: So that's one of his boys, his dad's boys. You 478 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:14,040 Speaker 1: got Rod Strickland, who's godfather. You got Gary Howard, you 479 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 1: got his brother, Gary Howard's brother, Reggie Howard. I know 480 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 1: these brothers and so, and of course Kenny Smith from 481 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: T and T because he knows the men like family, 482 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:23,679 Speaker 1: and so you know, they all reached out to me 483 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 1: at one point in time or another. Stephen, hey Man, 484 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 1: you know, lay off whatever. And I said, Yo, fellas, 485 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: I said, y'all caught up in how I deliver and 486 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:34,679 Speaker 1: how I talk. You're not listening to my content. The 487 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: only thing I said about the brothers, you gotta show 488 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: up to work. You don't show up the work, you 489 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 1: don't get paid. You can talk all that stuff you 490 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 1: want all the time. I had a problem taking the vaccine. 491 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,680 Speaker 1: I don't have any problem with anybody who was quite 492 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 1: you know, apprehensive about taking the vaccine. I was talking 493 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,680 Speaker 1: about a different discussion. The different discussion is they all 494 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: live in Brooklyn because of you. You wanted them there 495 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:58,440 Speaker 1: and they all signed on. They said, Yo, we got 496 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: to go for the chip and ship. We can't do 497 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,920 Speaker 1: it unless we vaccinated because they're gonna get in our way. 498 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:07,400 Speaker 1: Everybody said, we down. But you oh, you know what, 499 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,479 Speaker 1: Jaylen Brown didn't take the vaccine. Well, Massachusetts didn't, had 500 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:13,120 Speaker 1: Porson didn't had that policy at place New York does. 501 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 1: It ain't fair. Andrew Wiggins Golden State, a hell city, 502 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 1: San Francisco had that policy. Andrew Wiggins didn't want to 503 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:21,920 Speaker 1: take the vaccine. They were like, yeah, man, we're trying 504 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 1: to win the chip, and that's what he did. I said, 505 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 1: that's what I was addressing. So you could talk about 506 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 1: putting something in your body and all that stuff, and 507 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,199 Speaker 1: I get it, and that's real, no question about it. 508 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: But at the end of the day, you're trying to 509 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:33,920 Speaker 1: win the chip or not. And then it didn't happen. 510 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 1: I said, look, that ain't the only time you missed work. 511 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 1: You've been missing games for years. It's eleven years. You've 512 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 1: never played more than sixty games in the season before 513 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: times in eleven years. So I pointed out that stuff 514 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:46,800 Speaker 1: and I said, you ain't gonna get paid. You can 515 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: book it. And so when people saw me on the air, 516 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:51,399 Speaker 1: they were like, Oh, you're trying not to get the 517 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,240 Speaker 1: brother paid. Once again, you don't pay attention to my career. 518 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:57,640 Speaker 1: I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. I didn't tell 519 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:00,119 Speaker 1: them not to pay them. I'm saying, this is what 520 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:02,400 Speaker 1: they're telling me. You ain't gonna get this money now. 521 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 1: And I had owners like, he ain't getting that money. 522 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,119 Speaker 1: And what happened the summer. He can't get that money. 523 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: He had to opt in and play the final year 524 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: of his deal because, as he admitted, there were not 525 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: but so many options. What have I been telling y'all 526 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,560 Speaker 1: all year? And so now we fast forward to this season, 527 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,919 Speaker 1: Bradley Bill got two hundred plus a million, Zach Levine 528 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 1: and Chicago got two hundred plus a million. I want 529 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,359 Speaker 1: Kyrie to get his money, but you are spectacular box 530 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:31,159 Speaker 1: office caliber talent that we deserve to see. His problem, 531 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:34,919 Speaker 1: in my opinion, is that we're beneath him. It's like 532 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:37,600 Speaker 1: he's so brilliant and he's such a savant that he 533 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:40,720 Speaker 1: sees things that none of us see, or damn it, 534 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 1: what we really want to see as you ball? Do 535 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 1: we really want to see as you playing forty one 536 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,919 Speaker 1: nights a year at Barclay Center at least? At least 537 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:51,239 Speaker 1: how about thirty okay getting a roll, put in more 538 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 1: than sixty games in the season and be the show 539 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:56,040 Speaker 1: stopper that you are. So you know, I'm not going 540 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: to disrespect him like Kareem did. I think that's unnecessary. 541 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:01,920 Speaker 1: But you gotta remember see Kareem's civil rights activists, his 542 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 1: brother's deepest hell. He's been around a long time. He's 543 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 1: one of the greatest who's ever lived. He's qualified to 544 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 1: say what he said. I wouldn't go that far, but 545 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:13,200 Speaker 1: I do think the frustration seeps him because you're looking 546 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: at him and you're saying, come on, bro, some of 547 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:16,920 Speaker 1: the things that you're saying, some of the positions that 548 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:20,920 Speaker 1: you're taking, you retweeting stuff about conspiracy theories and all 549 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: of this. I mean, it's the kind of stuff that 550 00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:26,639 Speaker 1: damages you. It damages the brand, and it makes you 551 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:28,880 Speaker 1: look bad, and somebody need to tell you. That's all 552 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: I would have said if I was Kareem as a 553 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: closer calling them names, But that's just me. Should to retire, 554 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:38,879 Speaker 1: I think so. I'm not sure because we don't know 555 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 1: all the details. I will tell you if I were him, 556 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:48,919 Speaker 1: I'm suing somebody, and I'm not usually that dude, but 557 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:52,880 Speaker 1: I'm suing somebody. For him to take the hit Sunday 558 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 1: in Buffalo. You get up, you stumble, you fall back down. 559 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 1: And for them to say was a back issue, it 560 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 1: was not a head issue. Understand what concussion protocols. You 561 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 1: usually take six to seven days. He had another game 562 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:13,359 Speaker 1: in four four days. Okay, you put his life in 563 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 1: danger because he's back out there now. To the In 564 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:20,439 Speaker 1: fairness to the Miami Dolphins, they swear we followed all 565 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 1: the necessary protocols. We did everything right. We stand by that. Well, 566 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 1: why the hell the independent doctor that you had, why 567 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,399 Speaker 1: did you release him? Why did he get dismissed? Because 568 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,640 Speaker 1: you didn't do everything right? And anybody with two odys 569 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 1: can see that brother who was in a world of trouble. 570 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,880 Speaker 1: You put him back in the same game Sunday. Then 571 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,680 Speaker 1: you turned around, you played them Thursday, and everybody tells 572 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 1: you the second concussion is what's the most dangerous. The 573 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 1: first concussion does damage, but the second one is where 574 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 1: your life can really really be in danger. And in 575 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:53,399 Speaker 1: my opinion, he shouldn't be allowed to play the for 576 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:55,920 Speaker 1: the rest of the season, at the very least. At 577 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:59,639 Speaker 1: the very least, and considering concussions and how big these 578 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:02,880 Speaker 1: brothers are compared to him, the next hit, you don't 579 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 1: know what kind of damage that could do. I want 580 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:06,880 Speaker 1: to ask you this. You gotta go and I ask 581 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:08,639 Speaker 1: you this question a couple of years ago, and I 582 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,879 Speaker 1: wonder if your thoughts to change because I asked you 583 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: and it's all said and done. When we're talking about 584 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 1: just basketball, who will be well, who would this error 585 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: be remembered by? Curry or Lebron James? Who will go 586 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,240 Speaker 1: down as the guy for this error? Just basketball? Nothing else, 587 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: nothing outside of the court, nothing just on the court. 588 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:30,119 Speaker 1: For me, I can't separate that. I have to say Lebron. 589 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: But it's exactly because of what you don't want me 590 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 1: to touch on. See, when they talk about Lebron, you 591 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:40,960 Speaker 1: can't avoid talking about everything. When you talk about Curry, 592 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: you can't help but talk about only basketball. There's nothing 593 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: else that he gives you. Lebron gives you more because 594 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:50,000 Speaker 1: of the issues he's willing to tackle, his willingness to 595 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,719 Speaker 1: speak out, how he's been a target by some people 596 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 1: and what have you. Just basketball, Stephen ain't just only 597 00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: I think Listen Curry is a bad, bad brother. He's 598 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: the greatest shooter who ever lived, no doubt about it. 599 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,480 Speaker 1: But the onslaught has come lately, Lebron has been I'm 600 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 1: going with Lebron because Lebron came into the league with 601 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: that kind of fan fear delivered ultimately with four championships 602 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 1: and ten NBA Finals appearance straight. Yeah, but eight straight, 603 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 1: no question. I heard you say something on the show. 604 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 1: You said that you're talking about wild chambering and Bill Russell. 605 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: You say that that you can't give it to will 606 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: Over Bill because Bill titles. It's a good point. It's 607 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 1: a good point. It's a good point. I can't even 608 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,280 Speaker 1: front it's a good point. Jean Charlemagne, I can't deny 609 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: it because to me, Curry's my favorite player. But I 610 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 1: can test tell you as a guy that goes to 611 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:47,479 Speaker 1: the arenas man when when Lebron walks in, it's just 612 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,160 Speaker 1: a different field. It's a different As much as you 613 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: love Curry and as much as you love watching Golden State, 614 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:54,719 Speaker 1: and as entertaining as they are, and I think he's 615 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 1: the greatest you, who ever lived, greatest to you, the 616 00:29:56,840 --> 00:30:00,000 Speaker 1: god ever created. It's just that dude, right when Lebron 617 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 1: walks into a building, bro it's a different animal to encourage. 618 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 1: Repeat this year and gets will by the way, you know, 619 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 1: I picked him. I picked him to repeat. What do 620 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:12,240 Speaker 1: you think? Then he repeats fifth three? Yeah? Got him? Okay, 621 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 1: got him? Probably probably, especially if he doesn't beating him, 622 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 1: especially if he gonna be there. I think they're going 623 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: to playoffs though. I think they're gonna be all right 624 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: with Stephen A. Smith Straight Shooter. Pre order it now. 625 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 1: We appreciate you for joining us, appreciate you gonna come 626 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 1: up a little early next time. We got more comment man, 627 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:29,960 Speaker 1: I'm happy to you. Can I mentioned something before I 628 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 1: go back. HBCU Week at Disney at Disney World. I'll 629 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:37,320 Speaker 1: be there this Thursday and Friday. Um, we just celebrating 630 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 1: the Disney's involved with HBCU Week. In the last two 631 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 1: and a half years, we generate over twelve million dollars 632 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 1: in scholarships for over two thousand students. So they're gonna 633 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 1: be down at Disney World on Friday and First Takers 634 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 1: is airing. We're televising the show live from Disney World 635 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 1: on Friday for HBCU week, so check it out. Well, 636 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: there you have it, Stephen A. Smith. Appreciate you, bro, 637 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 1: Thank you this club. Good Morningst.