WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: NBA Finals preview + LOTS of around-the-league chatter

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule of twenty

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<v Speaker 1>four hour NBA News. This's you, Chris Hanes. It's time,

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<v Speaker 1>Mark Stein. It's so time. This League Uncut is underway

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<v Speaker 1>and on fire.

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<v Speaker 2>This should be a good one. Everyone. Welcome in to

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<v Speaker 2>a brand new and overdue, brand new edition of this

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<v Speaker 2>League Uncut. Mark Stein here with his old friend Chris Haynes.

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<v Speaker 2>It was not by design, but we got separated for

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<v Speaker 2>a week and change, Chris says, I'm sure you guys

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<v Speaker 2>are all aware by now. He was in Atlanta for

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<v Speaker 2>the whole Western Conference finals doing an alt cast for

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<v Speaker 2>TNT with Adam Lefko and Vince Carter and Bomani Jones

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<v Speaker 2>and man, we don't go this long without talking. But

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<v Speaker 2>we didn't connect really for I don't know, six seven, eight,

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<v Speaker 2>nine days because I was in London. It's a long story.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't even know, Chris Haynes. If you know the

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<v Speaker 2>whole story, I can run you through it if you

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<v Speaker 2>want all of the background. But it's good to be

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<v Speaker 2>with you again, my friend.

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<v Speaker 3>But yeah, I mean, I think you owe it to

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<v Speaker 3>me and you owe it to the listeners to run

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<v Speaker 3>it back.

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<v Speaker 2>So here's what happened. Okay, I have two sons, as

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<v Speaker 2>you know, one is out of high school and one

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<v Speaker 2>is nearing the end of high school. And my younger son,

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<v Speaker 2>like me, a die hard Manchester City fan. So we

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<v Speaker 2>had the opportunity to sneak over to England to see

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<v Speaker 2>the FA Cup Final and All Manchester FA Cup Final.

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<v Speaker 2>The less I say about the actual game will probably

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<v Speaker 2>be the healthier for me to help me get through

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<v Speaker 2>the rest of this podcast. But the point was, Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>this opportunity arises in the midst of the Western Conference

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<v Speaker 2>Finals that feature the team in the city where I live,

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<v Speaker 2>in Dallas, But there was no way I was gonna

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<v Speaker 2>pass up the chance to go to London for a

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<v Speaker 2>few days with my son Aaron see this game. We

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<v Speaker 2>actually got to go to Wembley Stadium two days in

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<v Speaker 2>a row because we saw the All Manchester FA Cup

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<v Speaker 2>Final and the Lead Southampton Championship playoff final to decide

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<v Speaker 2>which of those two teams goes up to the Premier

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<v Speaker 2>League and which has to return to the Championship for

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<v Speaker 2>another whole grueling season in the second division of English soccer.

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<v Speaker 2>So my thinking was, Mavericks Wolves, this thing is going

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<v Speaker 2>at least six, very well could go seven. We're gonna

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<v Speaker 2>sneak to England. We're gonna watch these two soccer games.

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<v Speaker 2>We're gonna have a few more days in London after

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<v Speaker 2>that incredible father and son trip, but we'll be back.

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<v Speaker 2>I'll get back on the night of game five. I'll

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<v Speaker 2>cover Game six in game seven if necessary, in person,

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<v Speaker 2>and I won't miss all that much. And I was

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<v Speaker 2>still here when Game one happened. I did not go

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<v Speaker 2>to Minneapolis, but I covered Game one from home. Dallas

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<v Speaker 2>wins Game one in Minneapolis, land in London, MAVs go

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<v Speaker 2>up two oh, hold on a second, and then the

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<v Speaker 2>MAVs go up three to oh, and I'm just like,

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<v Speaker 2>this is unbelievable. How are the MAVs gonna sweep this thing?

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<v Speaker 2>We actually did look into should we abort the rest

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<v Speaker 2>of the trip and come back. We explored it, and

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<v Speaker 2>then I was like, no, you know what, No, the

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<v Speaker 2>MAVs are up three to zero if they sweep this thing. Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm gonna miss the sweep, but they're gonna be in

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<v Speaker 2>the finals. I'm gonna see the whole finals. We're not changing.

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<v Speaker 2>And it ended up going five, not six. We got

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<v Speaker 2>back in the country just a few hours before Game five.

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<v Speaker 2>Thought I was going to be covering a Game six

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<v Speaker 2>in Dallas. There was no Game six in Dallas. All right.

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<v Speaker 2>Now you have the very long winded and complicated and

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<v Speaker 2>probably TMI explanation why it was so hard to get

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<v Speaker 2>a hold of me for a few days. But I

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<v Speaker 2>know you were busy, man, that Atlanta thing. You looked

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<v Speaker 2>like you had a lot going on. Shooting contest with

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<v Speaker 2>Vince Carter, interviews with Rich Paul, and all kinds of

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<v Speaker 2>NBA luminaries and guests. It looked like you were busy.

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<v Speaker 3>We had fun.

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<v Speaker 2>How was your Western Conference Finals in Atlanta?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, we had fun. It was a nice you know,

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<v Speaker 3>change of pace of an assignment for me. I would

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<v Speaker 3>have been that. You know, they moved me from what

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<v Speaker 3>they asked if I wanted to if I was interested

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<v Speaker 3>in doing this atcast for the Western Conference Finals and

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<v Speaker 3>I was on the Eastern Conference Finals, I was going

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<v Speaker 3>to cover that for the for the company, and so yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>I agreed to do it. And then you know, they

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<v Speaker 3>asked if I bring some guests on as well, So

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<v Speaker 3>you know, Dame was my first guess for Game one,

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<v Speaker 3>which Paul was Game two. I had Jordi Fernandez, the

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<v Speaker 3>new NETS coach, for Game three, and I had Desmond

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<v Speaker 3>Bane for Game three as well. Game four. Who did

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<v Speaker 3>I have Game four? Excuse me? I had Jordy Fernande's

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<v Speaker 3>Game four. I had desim Band game three, and then

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<v Speaker 3>I had Nicholas Patun for Game five and that was it.

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<v Speaker 2>That was it.

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<v Speaker 3>STN.

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<v Speaker 2>That's a good run. Did any of those NBA heavyweights

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<v Speaker 2>say they would come on this league? Uncut?

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<v Speaker 3>We've had all them on except now.

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<v Speaker 2>We had Batomb for sure.

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<v Speaker 3>But was on Wetune. We had Dame games come on.

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<v Speaker 2>But Tom came on last year to do the Victor women,

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<v Speaker 2>y'am in a preview. But we have not had Desmond Bane.

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<v Speaker 2>We have not had we have not had Jordi Fernandez.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, okay, well Jordi, Yeah, that was probably Jeordie's first,

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<v Speaker 3>you know National TV in the interview right there. So

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<v Speaker 3>you can't count hill.

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<v Speaker 2>We have not had Rich Paul on this podcast. You

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<v Speaker 2>gotta make we got to make that happen.

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<v Speaker 1>Huh.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, I think I would have remembered if Rich Paul

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<v Speaker 2>was on this podcast.

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<v Speaker 3>Okay, I thought we had Rich and you're right with

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<v Speaker 3>with debt with des I've had DEAs on my pod,

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<v Speaker 3>the pod before this one that I had before, four

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<v Speaker 3>different times.

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<v Speaker 2>So that's I see. I got posting up posted posting

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<v Speaker 2>up with Yes, you don't have a post up game.

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<v Speaker 3>Posting a post up game. Impeccable footwork in the post. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>that pod is posted down now. So yeah, but no,

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<v Speaker 3>it was fun. It was fun.

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<v Speaker 2>I had I had a posting up with three point

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<v Speaker 2>gunner Chris Haynes.

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<v Speaker 3>Had a really good time. Man, it was funny staring.

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<v Speaker 3>So you know, all of us, most of us except

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<v Speaker 3>for Bomani, we're all salaried employees. So bo was the

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<v Speaker 3>only one that was getting paid by the game. So

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<v Speaker 3>he was hoping that the series extend, you know, extended.

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<v Speaker 3>And I've been there for two weeks because I got

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<v Speaker 3>there like four days before the cast because my daughter graduated.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, the last two pods we did were in Atlanta

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<v Speaker 2>before I left.

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<v Speaker 3>So I've been there for a while, and so I

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<v Speaker 3>was trying to get home as soon as possible before

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<v Speaker 3>the final start. If I get home late, like say,

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<v Speaker 3>this series ends early this week, then I come home.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm home for about a day or two before the finals.

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<v Speaker 3>You married people. You people that's in in long healthy relationships. Y'all,

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<v Speaker 3>y'all know your significant other is not going to tolerate that,

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<v Speaker 3>or at least you're going to hear about just coming

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<v Speaker 3>in and out. You've already been going for two weeks,

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<v Speaker 3>then you come home for a little bit, and then

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<v Speaker 3>you back out. So I was hoping to get back

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<v Speaker 3>kind of early. And plus, my wife's birthday was Saturday,

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<v Speaker 3>which is yesterday, and Stein, we'll get an NBA talk. Stein.

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<v Speaker 3>She pulled a fast one on us this year. She

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<v Speaker 3>pulled a fast one on us. And what I mean

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<v Speaker 3>by that is for her birthday present, which was yesterday.

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<v Speaker 3>For her birthday present, she wanted everybody in the house

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<v Speaker 3>to clean the house. So she assigned cleaning assignments for

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<v Speaker 3>everybody in the house. I had the closet, I had

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<v Speaker 3>to wash the clothes, I had to fold the clothes.

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<v Speaker 3>I had to fix some electrical issues in the house.

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<v Speaker 3>And there's nothing about me that's electric, that's electrical or electrician.

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<v Speaker 3>That's just not me.

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<v Speaker 2>And how many of your four daughters were home?

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<v Speaker 3>Everybody's home, everybody's own, Stein, I would very much rather

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<v Speaker 3>to spend a ton of money on gifts a big

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<v Speaker 3>birthday bash than to be at home cleaning up and

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<v Speaker 3>doing chores. Oh, it was the worst birthday experience ever.

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<v Speaker 3>She pulled a fast woman. Oh, but I'm done. That's

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<v Speaker 3>what I've been doing over these last few weeks. I'm

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<v Speaker 3>pretty sure people want to hear basketball now, Star.

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<v Speaker 2>I think the reason we can get away with that

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<v Speaker 2>off the court extended intro is because if things go

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<v Speaker 2>to plan, this will be just the first of multiple

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<v Speaker 2>preview pods to get you set for the twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 2>four NBA Finals, a matchup that I don't think many

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<v Speaker 2>predicted coming into the season, and even at the start

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<v Speaker 2>of the playoffs to suggest that the Dallas Mavericks would

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<v Speaker 2>come through the gauntlet that is the Western Conference. Not

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of people, I know we're touting the Mavericks

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<v Speaker 2>as finals material, but here we are. It's the Mavericks.

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<v Speaker 2>They have dispatched the fifty one win LA Clippers, the

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<v Speaker 2>fifty seven win Oklahoma City Thunder, the fifty six win

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<v Speaker 2>Minnesota Timberwolves. The Mavericks beat all those teams, didn't need

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<v Speaker 2>to go seven in any of the first three rounds.

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<v Speaker 2>But now they've got to deal with the mighty Boston

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<v Speaker 2>Celtics sixty four and eighteen the team of the regular season.

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<v Speaker 2>The Celtics really did assemble one of the most impressive

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<v Speaker 2>regular season resumes we've ever seen. But as I'm sure

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<v Speaker 2>you guys talked about on that ALT cast, I didn't

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<v Speaker 2>see any of the ALT cast, but I'm guessing this

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<v Speaker 2>had to have come up once twice three times for Boston.

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<v Speaker 2>It's all riding on the finals. How they will be

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<v Speaker 2>judged this season will depend on what happens in this series.

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<v Speaker 2>So look, I think Vegas has the Celtics as pretty

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<v Speaker 2>clear favorites. I think the NBA consensus would have the

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<v Speaker 2>Celtics going into this series's favorites. But I want to

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<v Speaker 2>hear it from Chris Haynes. I picked Mavericks and six

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<v Speaker 2>in an upset. What does the Chris Haynes Crystal ball say,

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<v Speaker 2>who is going to win the twenty twenty three to

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<v Speaker 2>twenty four NBA Championship.

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<v Speaker 3>If you would have asked me this question a week ago,

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<v Speaker 3>a few weeks ago, I'm definitely leaning towards the Boston Seltis.

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<v Speaker 3>It's not even leaning towards I'm picking the Boston Celtics,

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<v Speaker 3>probably picking them in five, six, not seven. But you

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<v Speaker 3>asked me today and my answer is I just don't know,

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<v Speaker 3>Stein I don't know, But that just shows how much

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<v Speaker 3>Dallas has convinced me over this past week. Again, remember,

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<v Speaker 3>look at what, look at what and Kyrie had to

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<v Speaker 3>go up against leading up to getting to the NBA Finals.

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<v Speaker 3>They had to deal with some tough DEFENSI of US

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<v Speaker 3>defensive matchups, Lou Dork, physical guys, somebody who's strong, who's

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<v Speaker 3>not going to just allow you to get to where

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<v Speaker 3>you want. Luca Kai still got with it where they wanted.

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<v Speaker 3>Minnesota Anthony Edwards, Jade mcdaims no problem. And then their

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<v Speaker 3>role players are stepping up, and it's strange. It's weird

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<v Speaker 3>to see Tim hardaway out of the rotation.

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<v Speaker 2>Completely out of the rotation.

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<v Speaker 3>Completely out of it, and yet they still got guys

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<v Speaker 3>coming in stepping up. Darrin Jones Junior is hitting those

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<v Speaker 3>corner threes. PJ. Washington. Then they got the live threat.

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<v Speaker 3>I can't call it, I really can't. I don't want.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't mean this kind of sliver out of answering

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<v Speaker 3>your question. But that's just how impressed I've come away

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<v Speaker 3>with with the Dallas matters of this last week and

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<v Speaker 3>a half.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, because that had to be, like you said, a

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<v Speaker 2>new experience for you that you were not. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>first and second round, you're always on the road. You're

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<v Speaker 2>in these arenas, you're having your gourmet burgers, your clandestine

0:13:14.520 --> 0:13:19.480
<v Speaker 2>gourmet burgers at MSG. But in the conference finals you're

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<v Speaker 2>in Atlanta. You didn't go to Minnesota or Dallas even once.

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<v Speaker 2>But you're also watching these games with three colleagues. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>you're probably dialed into the games in some ways. You

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<v Speaker 2>can watch the games more closely, just taking it in

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<v Speaker 2>that way as opposed to being in the arena and

0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:42.960
<v Speaker 2>having reporting duties and worried about where you need to

0:13:42.960 --> 0:13:46.719
<v Speaker 2>be for a live shot or where you've got to

0:13:46.760 --> 0:13:49.600
<v Speaker 2>go to get some intel for your notebook. You could

0:13:49.640 --> 0:13:53.000
<v Speaker 2>really just sit back and watch these games. So sitting

0:13:53.040 --> 0:13:57.800
<v Speaker 2>there with Vince Carter to watch that whole Wolves MAVs series,

0:13:57.920 --> 0:14:01.840
<v Speaker 2>like it sounds like you have a new appreciation for

0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:04.120
<v Speaker 2>these MAVs. Who I have to say, I've been saying it.

0:14:05.800 --> 0:14:08.200
<v Speaker 2>I've been saying it for weeks now, but like what

0:14:08.280 --> 0:14:11.880
<v Speaker 2>the Mavericks have done since the trade deadline to change

0:14:11.920 --> 0:14:17.480
<v Speaker 2>their identity completely, this statement will only hold up if

0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:20.360
<v Speaker 2>they actually go on to win it all. But we've

0:14:20.480 --> 0:14:23.680
<v Speaker 2>never seen a second half surge like this what this

0:14:23.800 --> 0:14:30.440
<v Speaker 2>team has done after making two trades on deadline day.

0:14:30.480 --> 0:14:33.720
<v Speaker 2>The MAVs were only twenty eight and twenty three on

0:14:33.840 --> 0:14:36.600
<v Speaker 2>the morning of the trade deadline, and they make these

0:14:36.680 --> 0:14:41.920
<v Speaker 2>moves and they've transformed themselves into a completely different team

0:14:42.160 --> 0:14:47.920
<v Speaker 2>that to support Luka and Kyrie, who your friend stan

0:14:48.040 --> 0:14:52.400
<v Speaker 2>Van Gundi continues to label the most talented offensive backcourt

0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:55.560
<v Speaker 2>that this game has ever seen. In support of that,

0:14:55.680 --> 0:14:58.560
<v Speaker 2>Dallas now has this elite defense and for much of

0:14:58.560 --> 0:15:00.680
<v Speaker 2>the year they had a bottom ten d and now

0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:03.960
<v Speaker 2>since the deadline, they have an elite defense. And you

0:15:04.200 --> 0:15:08.200
<v Speaker 2>just don't often see in the NBA. You don't see

0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:12.560
<v Speaker 2>it come together this quickly after a trade. It's very rare.

0:15:12.640 --> 0:15:15.160
<v Speaker 2>So take me back to the altcast and like, what

0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:17.800
<v Speaker 2>is Vince Carter telling you when he's watching this team?

0:15:18.040 --> 0:15:21.080
<v Speaker 2>The way the mas are flying around and it's crazy.

0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:25.800
<v Speaker 2>The Wolves won three times in Denver, which was insane,

0:15:26.120 --> 0:15:29.280
<v Speaker 2>and then the Mavericks turn around and they win three

0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:33.880
<v Speaker 2>times in Minneapolis in the space of nine days. Craziness.

0:15:34.000 --> 0:15:38.400
<v Speaker 3>Craziness, Yeah, I mean, it was cool, you know, just

0:15:38.440 --> 0:15:42.360
<v Speaker 3>being able to talk the game with the Hall of famer.

0:15:42.400 --> 0:15:44.120
<v Speaker 3>Who's going to be ducked into the Hall of Fame

0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:46.720
<v Speaker 3>this summer shot off to Vince Carter. Vince will be

0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:49.840
<v Speaker 3>joining us pretty soon at some point too, Styn.

0:15:49.920 --> 0:15:51.600
<v Speaker 2>So yeah, I was going to say, we need that

0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:53.160
<v Speaker 2>we have not had Vince on this show.

0:15:53.680 --> 0:15:57.360
<v Speaker 3>He'll be coming on. So you know, it was really cool.

0:15:57.400 --> 0:16:01.400
<v Speaker 3>I mean, one thing, I think Hilmy, including everybody on

0:16:01.440 --> 0:16:03.600
<v Speaker 3>the panel, and not just everybody on our panel, but

0:16:03.720 --> 0:16:08.200
<v Speaker 3>I think probably the basketball masses of fans, well, you know,

0:16:08.360 --> 0:16:11.640
<v Speaker 3>just frustrated with Karl Anthony Towns is up and down.

0:16:11.760 --> 0:16:15.960
<v Speaker 3>Play just was never consistent. It was it was almost

0:16:16.040 --> 0:16:22.680
<v Speaker 3>as if he didn't understand what was the best way

0:16:22.800 --> 0:16:27.280
<v Speaker 3>to attack, because he kind of went about attacking in

0:16:27.440 --> 0:16:31.240
<v Speaker 3>different ways in different games. And you know, sort of

0:16:31.320 --> 0:16:33.440
<v Speaker 3>like when you're when you're a go to score or

0:16:33.480 --> 0:16:36.160
<v Speaker 3>you're a primary scorer, you know, you have the nuts

0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:40.120
<v Speaker 3>and bolts of how you're able to produce and be

0:16:40.200 --> 0:16:42.760
<v Speaker 3>productive scoring the basketball. It just seemed like he was

0:16:42.800 --> 0:16:45.640
<v Speaker 3>just all over the place and she could never find

0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:49.880
<v Speaker 3>any consistency, and so you know, there was frustration with

0:16:49.960 --> 0:16:53.800
<v Speaker 3>him and his play, which made it tough. It started

0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:56.160
<v Speaker 3>before I finished my thought, before I want to add this,

0:16:56.200 --> 0:16:59.240
<v Speaker 3>I forgot Game two. Also, a guest that I brought

0:16:59.280 --> 0:17:03.000
<v Speaker 3>on an all cast is Grant Williams, and so he

0:17:03.200 --> 0:17:05.600
<v Speaker 3>has some you know, he has his ties to the

0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:08.520
<v Speaker 3>Boston Celtics and has his ties with the Dallas Mavericks.

0:17:08.760 --> 0:17:11.640
<v Speaker 3>He came on and he was he was basically saying

0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:14.639
<v Speaker 3>the Mavericks are going to to win the series and

0:17:14.680 --> 0:17:18.960
<v Speaker 3>get to the championship. He had nothing but glowing remarks

0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:21.879
<v Speaker 3>for the Dallas Mavericks. And you know, he even talked

0:17:22.000 --> 0:17:24.000
<v Speaker 3>a little bit about you know how people say he

0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:27.280
<v Speaker 3>talks too much. He said, well, I'm a competitive That's

0:17:27.280 --> 0:17:29.760
<v Speaker 3>what I do, you know, alluding to the reports out

0:17:29.800 --> 0:17:32.720
<v Speaker 3>there that that kind of him talking all the time

0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:35.840
<v Speaker 3>kind of drove him out of Dallas. And you know,

0:17:35.920 --> 0:17:39.040
<v Speaker 3>but he had nothing but growing remarks but Luca and

0:17:39.160 --> 0:17:43.080
<v Speaker 3>especially Kyrie. He had so many, so many good things

0:17:43.080 --> 0:17:45.560
<v Speaker 3>to say about Kyrie, and he said it was a

0:17:45.600 --> 0:17:48.600
<v Speaker 3>great trade. He was able to go back home, Dallas

0:17:48.680 --> 0:17:51.200
<v Speaker 3>was able to get what they wanted. And he said

0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:54.600
<v Speaker 3>he's pulling for him. It's kind of a tough situation

0:17:54.720 --> 0:17:57.359
<v Speaker 3>for him being that he was on both of those teams,

0:17:57.359 --> 0:17:59.520
<v Speaker 3>and now both of those teams are in the NBA Finals,

0:17:59.640 --> 0:18:03.080
<v Speaker 3>so he was on But Minnesota, I think, you know,

0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:06.600
<v Speaker 3>you can look at it, producer Tim. He's a die

0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:09.320
<v Speaker 3>hard Minnesota Timberwalls fan, so you I think most of

0:18:09.359 --> 0:18:11.440
<v Speaker 3>their fans are looking at it like, hey, we got

0:18:11.480 --> 0:18:13.960
<v Speaker 3>to this point, we should be happy now that it's

0:18:13.960 --> 0:18:17.000
<v Speaker 3>something you can we can build upon. I get all that,

0:18:17.359 --> 0:18:24.160
<v Speaker 3>I understand all that, but I don't necessarily like that

0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:27.680
<v Speaker 3>train of thought, you know, because there's clearly things that

0:18:28.119 --> 0:18:31.240
<v Speaker 3>need to be worked on with that team, and Kat

0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:36.439
<v Speaker 3>has to he has to improve, he has to step

0:18:36.520 --> 0:18:39.720
<v Speaker 3>up and be a force, a consistent force. I like

0:18:39.760 --> 0:18:42.439
<v Speaker 3>the fact that they came together, you know, the report

0:18:42.480 --> 0:18:47.040
<v Speaker 3>that they came together and refused to do a the

0:18:47.160 --> 0:18:52.200
<v Speaker 3>TNT postgame interview with Inside the NBA because Draymond Green

0:18:52.400 --> 0:18:57.000
<v Speaker 3>was critical of Rudy Goberle and Cat. But you got

0:18:57.040 --> 0:18:59.000
<v Speaker 3>to produce him a court at the end of the day.

0:18:59.040 --> 0:18:59.959
<v Speaker 3>That's that's what really mean.

0:19:01.640 --> 0:19:05.199
<v Speaker 2>So because you had Grant Williams on that early in

0:19:05.240 --> 0:19:08.360
<v Speaker 2>the series, again, I couldn't see any of this from

0:19:08.440 --> 0:19:10.959
<v Speaker 2>far away London, I guess it was too soon at

0:19:10.960 --> 0:19:13.399
<v Speaker 2>that point to put the question to him, who would

0:19:13.400 --> 0:19:16.800
<v Speaker 2>he pick in a series Dallas versus Boston or did

0:19:16.840 --> 0:19:17.760
<v Speaker 2>you guys? Did you guys?

0:19:17.760 --> 0:19:21.640
<v Speaker 3>Actually, we couldn't do that. We couldn't do that because

0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:23.439
<v Speaker 3>I think I picked Minnesota. Matter of fact, I did

0:19:23.520 --> 0:19:25.960
<v Speaker 3>pick Minnesota win the series. That's not even going to

0:19:26.000 --> 0:19:29.760
<v Speaker 3>be a question. That's just that's even in my mind

0:19:29.880 --> 0:19:33.280
<v Speaker 3>because I'm still even though Dallas was the first game,

0:19:33.440 --> 0:19:36.480
<v Speaker 3>I'm still like, Okay, then Saul's going to figure this

0:19:36.520 --> 0:19:39.119
<v Speaker 3>thing out. So though, that wasn't even a question in

0:19:39.160 --> 0:19:42.639
<v Speaker 3>my mind. But yeah, yeah, I would have been curious

0:19:43.040 --> 0:19:46.320
<v Speaker 3>the way he was talking so glorially of Dallas. I

0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:48.359
<v Speaker 3>think he would have said, Dallas, well.

0:19:48.240 --> 0:19:51.040
<v Speaker 2>Look, the MAVs really do have so many things going

0:19:51.040 --> 0:19:53.679
<v Speaker 2>for them. Derek Jones Junior has become I mean, he

0:19:53.880 --> 0:19:59.160
<v Speaker 2>was basically the last guy signed, wasn't signed until August fifteenth,

0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:03.840
<v Speaker 2>man on the ross. He's become an incredible defender. Derek Lively.

0:20:04.240 --> 0:20:06.760
<v Speaker 2>Everybody remembers the way the MAVs tanked at the end

0:20:06.800 --> 0:20:10.240
<v Speaker 2>of last season, when it became apparent that the best

0:20:10.280 --> 0:20:13.440
<v Speaker 2>they could do was the playing tournament. Lost the last

0:20:13.480 --> 0:20:17.240
<v Speaker 2>two games, fell into the lottery, made a Draft night

0:20:17.280 --> 0:20:21.239
<v Speaker 2>trade with Oklahoma City. And remember first, you know, the

0:20:21.280 --> 0:20:24.480
<v Speaker 2>MAVs have benefited from a lot of moves that didn't

0:20:24.920 --> 0:20:28.400
<v Speaker 2>come to fruition in recent years, and among them, they

0:20:28.440 --> 0:20:33.199
<v Speaker 2>had very serious talks going into the draft a year ago.

0:20:34.400 --> 0:20:38.480
<v Speaker 2>They wanted Atlanta's Clint Capella. The teams were very deep

0:20:38.520 --> 0:20:43.600
<v Speaker 2>in discussions. The talks ultimately broke down because Atlanta wanted

0:20:43.640 --> 0:20:48.440
<v Speaker 2>to send number fifteen and Capella to Dallas, but they

0:20:48.480 --> 0:20:51.639
<v Speaker 2>wanted not only the number ten pick, they wanted Josh

0:20:51.640 --> 0:20:54.240
<v Speaker 2>Green as well. The MAVs thought that was too much

0:20:54.280 --> 0:20:56.960
<v Speaker 2>to give up for Capella, so the MAVs did a

0:20:57.040 --> 0:21:02.560
<v Speaker 2>deal instead with Oklahoma City, where the Thunder took on

0:21:04.359 --> 0:21:08.720
<v Speaker 2>the contract of Davis Berton's. The teams traded the number

0:21:08.760 --> 0:21:13.399
<v Speaker 2>ten and number twelve pick. Cason Wallace ends up with

0:21:13.440 --> 0:21:19.040
<v Speaker 2>the Thunder, but Derek Lively ends up a Maverick, and

0:21:19.080 --> 0:21:23.160
<v Speaker 2>then at the trade deadline, the Thunder helped the Mavericks. Again,

0:21:23.240 --> 0:21:25.840
<v Speaker 2>it was costly for Dallas. We can't forget that it

0:21:26.040 --> 0:21:33.440
<v Speaker 2>was costly. Dallas had to surrender swap rights to its

0:21:33.480 --> 0:21:37.520
<v Speaker 2>twenty twenty eight first rounder. Oklahoma City now controls the

0:21:37.560 --> 0:21:41.280
<v Speaker 2>mavericks twenty twenty eight first rounder, but that deal gave

0:21:41.440 --> 0:21:45.119
<v Speaker 2>Dallas an extra first round pick in this June's draft.

0:21:45.480 --> 0:21:49.680
<v Speaker 2>Dallas used that to acquire Daniel Gafford from Washington, the

0:21:49.720 --> 0:21:52.680
<v Speaker 2>only other tradable first round pick that the Mavericks had.

0:21:52.920 --> 0:21:55.720
<v Speaker 2>They use that to get PJ. Washington in the Grant

0:21:55.760 --> 0:21:59.240
<v Speaker 2>Williams trade that you've referred to. Grant Williams, Yes, gets

0:21:59.280 --> 0:22:03.520
<v Speaker 2>to go home to Charlotte, but PJ. Washington, who had

0:22:03.600 --> 0:22:08.000
<v Speaker 2>never played in a playoff game, he goes to Dallas

0:22:08.480 --> 0:22:13.119
<v Speaker 2>and is now a cult hero because of the pos

0:22:13.200 --> 0:22:16.800
<v Speaker 2>he struck standing and facing the Clippers bench with his

0:22:16.920 --> 0:22:20.560
<v Speaker 2>arms folded. He's had some major moments in these playoffs.

0:22:20.880 --> 0:22:24.320
<v Speaker 2>So it's Lively, it's Gafford, it's Derek Jones Junior, it's

0:22:24.320 --> 0:22:30.600
<v Speaker 2>PJ Washington. Maxi Kleba was out for almost two full

0:22:30.680 --> 0:22:34.480
<v Speaker 2>rounds after a really hard fall in the clinching game

0:22:34.600 --> 0:22:37.720
<v Speaker 2>of the Clippers series. But now he's back, and so

0:22:38.119 --> 0:22:42.560
<v Speaker 2>the Mavericks have all these defensive minded players who are

0:22:42.600 --> 0:22:47.840
<v Speaker 2>making incredible contributions on that end in support of Luca

0:22:47.880 --> 0:22:52.880
<v Speaker 2>and Kyrie, who their first few months together as teammates.

0:22:52.920 --> 0:22:55.879
<v Speaker 2>Everybody remembers it did not go well only five and

0:22:55.960 --> 0:23:00.680
<v Speaker 2>eleven with both of those guys in uniforms, and sixteen

0:23:00.720 --> 0:23:03.760
<v Speaker 2>eighteen months later, you've got stan Van Gundy and Reggie

0:23:03.800 --> 0:23:10.200
<v Speaker 2>Miller talking about how much offensive damage these two can

0:23:10.280 --> 0:23:13.560
<v Speaker 2>reak as a doubles team. So, yeah, the MAVs have

0:23:13.760 --> 0:23:17.600
<v Speaker 2>tons and tons and tons going for them now. But

0:23:17.680 --> 0:23:22.720
<v Speaker 2>this again, this Boston team, this Boston team has really

0:23:22.760 --> 0:23:25.520
<v Speaker 2>been the team of the season. I know you've spent

0:23:25.640 --> 0:23:29.879
<v Speaker 2>a fair bit of time around them. Jason Tatum's going

0:23:29.960 --> 0:23:32.240
<v Speaker 2>to be texting you when he hears something on this pod.

0:23:32.320 --> 0:23:36.480
<v Speaker 2>He doesn't like talk to me about the Celtics. I've

0:23:36.480 --> 0:23:38.399
<v Speaker 2>gone on and on and on about the MAVs. We

0:23:38.440 --> 0:23:41.760
<v Speaker 2>shouldn't slight them because they they obviously have a lot

0:23:41.760 --> 0:23:42.560
<v Speaker 2>going for them too.

0:23:42.800 --> 0:23:47.879
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, Championship of bus that's the only result. Anything else

0:23:48.119 --> 0:23:49.480
<v Speaker 3>will be considered a failure.

0:23:49.720 --> 0:23:52.360
<v Speaker 2>And how's that pressure? What will that pressure do to them?

0:23:52.359 --> 0:23:56.800
<v Speaker 2>Because I guess I can't put all my trust in

0:23:56.840 --> 0:23:59.040
<v Speaker 2>this team yet. Something is holding me back.

0:24:00.119 --> 0:24:03.199
<v Speaker 3>With Jalen Brown a few weeks ago about that, and

0:24:03.240 --> 0:24:07.479
<v Speaker 3>he said for us to still have doubts or for

0:24:07.560 --> 0:24:11.160
<v Speaker 3>people to still be skeptical on if we can win

0:24:11.240 --> 0:24:15.640
<v Speaker 3>the whole thing. He said, that's a valid reaction. He said,

0:24:15.720 --> 0:24:19.600
<v Speaker 3>we haven't done it yet, and the only thing on

0:24:19.680 --> 0:24:24.359
<v Speaker 3>people's minds are how they've come up short or how

0:24:24.440 --> 0:24:28.959
<v Speaker 3>they've lost games, whether it be turnovers, bad shots, selection. So,

0:24:29.000 --> 0:24:31.720
<v Speaker 3>he said he understands that way of thinking when people

0:24:31.760 --> 0:24:34.520
<v Speaker 3>are talking about if the selfish can win the whole

0:24:34.600 --> 0:24:38.920
<v Speaker 3>damn thing. He said, but this is a new team,

0:24:39.160 --> 0:24:43.199
<v Speaker 3>completely different team. He said. He believes they're a better team.

0:24:43.600 --> 0:24:47.240
<v Speaker 3>And he said, so only time will tell. But they

0:24:47.840 --> 0:24:50.600
<v Speaker 3>really do feel like this is it start. They feel

0:24:50.640 --> 0:24:54.240
<v Speaker 3>like this is it. They're well prepared, they're well equipped.

0:24:54.880 --> 0:24:58.360
<v Speaker 3>They've been to the they've been to the mountaintop. They

0:24:58.400 --> 0:25:00.960
<v Speaker 3>haven't got over the hunt, but they've been there. They

0:25:01.040 --> 0:25:03.080
<v Speaker 3>haven't won the whole thing. So they feel like they're

0:25:03.280 --> 0:25:08.520
<v Speaker 3>prime for this opportunity. So that's what they're sayding up

0:25:08.560 --> 0:25:10.960
<v Speaker 3>in the locker room like they already. But I will

0:25:11.000 --> 0:25:13.720
<v Speaker 3>tell you right now, it's going to come. There's more

0:25:13.760 --> 0:25:16.760
<v Speaker 3>pressure on the Boston Celtics than the Dallas matters.

0:25:17.280 --> 0:25:19.919
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and that's the thing. How will they actually handle

0:25:19.960 --> 0:25:24.800
<v Speaker 2>that on this stage? Because the Celtics have been under

0:25:24.800 --> 0:25:28.639
<v Speaker 2>the microscope throughout these Eastern Conference playoffs. They went twelve

0:25:28.680 --> 0:25:31.920
<v Speaker 2>and two, but the two times they lost to Miami

0:25:31.960 --> 0:25:35.080
<v Speaker 2>and Indiana. And the Miami loss, I mean, the heat

0:25:35.119 --> 0:25:38.359
<v Speaker 2>shooting that night was from another galaxy. They were so

0:25:39.280 --> 0:25:43.439
<v Speaker 2>scalding hot that night. But you know they also lost

0:25:43.560 --> 0:25:47.480
<v Speaker 2>a game to the Calves, and you know the Calves

0:25:47.520 --> 0:25:50.439
<v Speaker 2>were not at full strength in that series. But the

0:25:50.480 --> 0:25:55.400
<v Speaker 2>way this is gone when the Celtics win, it's the

0:25:55.440 --> 0:25:58.560
<v Speaker 2>East is too easy. The teams they're playing are too

0:25:58.640 --> 0:26:02.159
<v Speaker 2>banged up. They're not being tested and that's going to

0:26:02.240 --> 0:26:06.080
<v Speaker 2>hurt them in the finals, when undoubtedly they will be tested.

0:26:06.680 --> 0:26:10.000
<v Speaker 2>But then on the two occasions that the Celtics lost

0:26:10.040 --> 0:26:13.360
<v Speaker 2>in the playoffs, it unleashes all the criticism. I told

0:26:13.400 --> 0:26:15.720
<v Speaker 2>you so, I told you these guys weren't ready. I

0:26:15.880 --> 0:26:21.000
<v Speaker 2>told you that they're going to falter at the final hurdle.

0:26:21.760 --> 0:26:24.280
<v Speaker 2>And they're getting Porzingis back. I think that's pretty clear.

0:26:24.320 --> 0:26:27.560
<v Speaker 2>So they're going to be pretty close to full strength.

0:26:27.560 --> 0:26:30.440
<v Speaker 2>Porzingis is obviously going to have to work through some rest,

0:26:30.520 --> 0:26:35.040
<v Speaker 2>but we'll see. Well, I mean, they are unlike the Timberwolves.

0:26:35.080 --> 0:26:38.960
<v Speaker 2>The Timberwolves had the best defense in the league all season,

0:26:40.760 --> 0:26:44.040
<v Speaker 2>and I don't think there was any dispute about that statistically,

0:26:44.640 --> 0:26:47.280
<v Speaker 2>but when it came to matching up with the Mavericks,

0:26:48.200 --> 0:26:51.879
<v Speaker 2>the Wolves did not have the kind of options on

0:26:51.920 --> 0:26:55.400
<v Speaker 2>the perimeter that Boston has. The Celtics will be able

0:26:55.400 --> 0:26:58.720
<v Speaker 2>to throw Drew Holliday and Derek White for starters, and

0:26:58.760 --> 0:27:02.080
<v Speaker 2>then Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum will also be I'm

0:27:02.119 --> 0:27:05.680
<v Speaker 2>sure getting turns on Luca and Kyrie, So the Celtics

0:27:05.680 --> 0:27:10.000
<v Speaker 2>would appear to have many more perimeter defensive options to

0:27:10.160 --> 0:27:13.880
<v Speaker 2>counter the two great Dallas guards. I mean it should be.

0:27:15.280 --> 0:27:17.920
<v Speaker 2>I mean this should be. It should be a fantastic finals, honestly.

0:27:18.840 --> 0:27:21.440
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, the Clippers felt that way as well. They felt

0:27:21.440 --> 0:27:24.920
<v Speaker 3>they had a lot of defensive players on the perimeter.

0:27:25.240 --> 0:27:26.200
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you're right to.

0:27:26.119 --> 0:27:30.280
<v Speaker 3>Slow them down. It hasn't happened, so I don't envision

0:27:30.320 --> 0:27:32.840
<v Speaker 3>it happening. I think for the Mavericks, if they are

0:27:32.880 --> 0:27:36.160
<v Speaker 3>to win, it's going to take a collective It's gonna

0:27:36.200 --> 0:27:38.439
<v Speaker 3>take guys stepping up doing what they've been doing to

0:27:38.480 --> 0:27:41.399
<v Speaker 3>get to this point. But I'm very, very excited. I

0:27:41.400 --> 0:27:48.040
<v Speaker 3>don't know how a Celtics MAVs matchup. I don't know.

0:27:48.320 --> 0:27:50.480
<v Speaker 3>You think this is going to be a ratings like Blockbuster.

0:27:50.520 --> 0:27:51.280
<v Speaker 3>How do you think is gonna be?

0:27:51.520 --> 0:27:54.159
<v Speaker 2>I do, but I do, And the reason why is

0:27:54.960 --> 0:28:00.439
<v Speaker 2>I think obviously there is huge interest in the Luca

0:28:00.520 --> 0:28:04.879
<v Speaker 2>and Kyrie duo. I mean, these are two undeniable marquee

0:28:04.880 --> 0:28:07.960
<v Speaker 2>stars and that is obviously one of the advantages the

0:28:08.000 --> 0:28:10.920
<v Speaker 2>MAVs are going to have in the series. With apologies

0:28:10.960 --> 0:28:15.840
<v Speaker 2>to mister Tatum, to mister Brown and the resurgent Kyrie irving,

0:28:16.520 --> 0:28:19.360
<v Speaker 2>Luka Doncic is the best player in this series. He's

0:28:19.400 --> 0:28:23.760
<v Speaker 2>a global superstar, and I think Luca alone is a draw.

0:28:23.840 --> 0:28:27.360
<v Speaker 2>And then the Celtics, as one of the marquee franchises

0:28:27.400 --> 0:28:34.600
<v Speaker 2>in the league from a massive Eastern Conference market chasing

0:28:35.760 --> 0:28:41.760
<v Speaker 2>the elusive eighteenth championship. The Celtics have such a huge

0:28:41.800 --> 0:28:45.480
<v Speaker 2>following that I do think, yes, the ratings because of

0:28:45.560 --> 0:28:49.360
<v Speaker 2>those combining factors are going to be pretty damn strong.

0:28:50.200 --> 0:28:52.040
<v Speaker 3>I'm looking forward to it, but.

0:28:52.040 --> 0:28:54.480
<v Speaker 2>If I have my facts right, it looks like I

0:28:54.600 --> 0:28:59.200
<v Speaker 2>will not be in person in attendance for one or

0:28:59.240 --> 0:29:02.120
<v Speaker 2>two in Boss and you're the same, right, like we

0:29:02.160 --> 0:29:05.719
<v Speaker 2>will both be in person in the flesh picking up

0:29:05.760 --> 0:29:08.880
<v Speaker 2>these finals with Game three in Dallas. You and I

0:29:08.920 --> 0:29:12.040
<v Speaker 2>together again first time? Is that the first time we'll

0:29:12.080 --> 0:29:13.480
<v Speaker 2>be in the same arena since.

0:29:13.680 --> 0:29:17.600
<v Speaker 3>The All Star YEP, Since All Star YEP. I always

0:29:17.720 --> 0:29:23.120
<v Speaker 3>like coming to Dallas, seeing how you control your territory,

0:29:23.120 --> 0:29:28.320
<v Speaker 3>and the territory that is American Airlines Arena. You know

0:29:28.480 --> 0:29:33.200
<v Speaker 3>every cracking cranny in that building, you know where everybody leaves,

0:29:33.240 --> 0:29:35.560
<v Speaker 3>you know where bodies are buried in that place.

0:29:35.600 --> 0:29:40.680
<v Speaker 2>So that's all true. It is all true, except the

0:29:40.720 --> 0:29:43.840
<v Speaker 2>finals is a different beast. I mean there are literally

0:29:44.680 --> 0:29:48.400
<v Speaker 2>literally thousands of reporters in the building. I mean it is,

0:29:48.920 --> 0:29:50.480
<v Speaker 2>It's a whole different ballgame.

0:29:50.960 --> 0:29:54.320
<v Speaker 3>Do you still get those damn near court side seats

0:29:54.440 --> 0:29:55.120
<v Speaker 3>for finals?

0:29:55.920 --> 0:29:58.320
<v Speaker 2>That is a great question. I'm a little bit afraid

0:29:58.360 --> 0:30:05.360
<v Speaker 2>to ask because I have been undoubtedly spoiled from the

0:30:05.400 --> 0:30:10.640
<v Speaker 2>moment the American Airline Center opened. The mavericks first season

0:30:10.680 --> 0:30:14.120
<v Speaker 2>in that building was two thousand and one, two thousand

0:30:14.120 --> 0:30:19.840
<v Speaker 2>and two. I have basically had the same seat for

0:30:21.000 --> 0:30:24.600
<v Speaker 2>twenty two to twenty three years, and in both the

0:30:24.680 --> 0:30:29.680
<v Speaker 2>two thousand and six and twenty eleven finals, the NBA

0:30:32.200 --> 0:30:35.440
<v Speaker 2>allowed me to keep that seat for Mavericks home games

0:30:35.440 --> 0:30:38.760
<v Speaker 2>in the finals, which meant a great deal to me.

0:30:39.320 --> 0:30:42.920
<v Speaker 2>But in both of those finals, I was still working

0:30:42.960 --> 0:30:48.560
<v Speaker 2>for ESPN, So you know, I missed Game three and

0:30:48.760 --> 0:30:53.320
<v Speaker 2>Game four in the Western Conference Finals because of my

0:30:53.400 --> 0:30:58.480
<v Speaker 2>little six day soccer getaway with my son. And my

0:30:58.560 --> 0:31:04.800
<v Speaker 2>sources say that at longtime NBA communications are Tim Frank

0:31:06.200 --> 0:31:12.080
<v Speaker 2>took my seat for those two games. So will I

0:31:12.120 --> 0:31:16.080
<v Speaker 2>Will I be able to reclaim that seat for a

0:31:16.120 --> 0:31:22.520
<v Speaker 2>Game three, four, and six of these NBA Finals. It's

0:31:22.560 --> 0:31:26.200
<v Speaker 2>definitely definitely what I'm thinking about every night when I

0:31:26.200 --> 0:31:27.720
<v Speaker 2>try to put the head down and get a few

0:31:27.720 --> 0:31:29.960
<v Speaker 2>hours of sleep. Am I going to be able to

0:31:30.000 --> 0:31:31.920
<v Speaker 2>hang on to that seat?

0:31:32.280 --> 0:31:34.520
<v Speaker 3>It's up in the air. But I will say, you know,

0:31:34.560 --> 0:31:37.400
<v Speaker 3>you might have been with ESPN before it just kind

0:31:37.400 --> 0:31:41.040
<v Speaker 3>of helped you keep that seat. But since then you've

0:31:41.040 --> 0:31:44.280
<v Speaker 3>become a Hall of Famer, So I think that comes

0:31:44.320 --> 0:31:48.680
<v Speaker 3>with some pretty cool perks, and I think one of

0:31:48.680 --> 0:31:53.400
<v Speaker 3>those perks should be you keeping your courtside seats. So

0:31:54.000 --> 0:31:56.040
<v Speaker 3>hopefully that works out for you.

0:31:55.240 --> 0:31:58.960
<v Speaker 2>You are a beautiful friend, and I hope, I hope

0:31:58.960 --> 0:32:02.320
<v Speaker 2>you prove correct. But I have to say. Brian McIntyre,

0:32:02.840 --> 0:32:05.080
<v Speaker 2>NBA pr Legend He was the one, I think in

0:32:05.400 --> 0:32:08.200
<v Speaker 2>six who decreed that I get to stay there for

0:32:09.280 --> 0:32:12.920
<v Speaker 2>the MAVs home games, and I think it was Tim

0:32:12.960 --> 0:32:16.920
<v Speaker 2>Frank's call in twenty eleven when the MAVs and Heat

0:32:16.960 --> 0:32:18.880
<v Speaker 2>hooked up again. You know, this is new territory for

0:32:18.920 --> 0:32:21.560
<v Speaker 2>the MAVs. The only two times that the MAVs have

0:32:21.680 --> 0:32:24.320
<v Speaker 2>been in the Finals, they opposed Miami. So this is

0:32:25.080 --> 0:32:30.080
<v Speaker 2>this is new ground to take on the storied Celtics.

0:32:31.640 --> 0:32:34.440
<v Speaker 2>We shall see. You'll be a rare turn of events.

0:32:34.520 --> 0:32:37.960
<v Speaker 2>If in Games three and four, like I'm sitting courtside

0:32:38.680 --> 0:32:41.200
<v Speaker 2>and Chris Haynes is farther away from the floor than me,

0:32:41.280 --> 0:32:43.080
<v Speaker 2>that would be an unexpected turn.

0:32:43.720 --> 0:32:46.880
<v Speaker 3>I'll send you a picture from my seat from there'll

0:32:46.920 --> 0:32:49.600
<v Speaker 3>be a picture of the roof of your head. I'm

0:32:49.600 --> 0:32:52.760
<v Speaker 3>pretty sure that'll be my banners point.

0:32:53.520 --> 0:32:56.520
<v Speaker 2>Something tells me you'll end up on the floor somehow.

0:32:56.200 --> 0:32:58.520
<v Speaker 3>After the game.

0:32:58.640 --> 0:33:15.920
<v Speaker 2>No pre game, pregame predayes. I don't want to do

0:33:16.160 --> 0:33:21.840
<v Speaker 2>all of our Mavericks Celtics discussion in this Sunday night

0:33:22.080 --> 0:33:26.440
<v Speaker 2>to publish Monday taping because we hope to have some

0:33:26.600 --> 0:33:30.320
<v Speaker 2>special guests before Thursday night's game one that we can

0:33:30.360 --> 0:33:34.960
<v Speaker 2>continue to preview these finals with So we will come back,

0:33:35.040 --> 0:33:38.360
<v Speaker 2>certainly to MAVs Celtics, which we'll be talking about, let's

0:33:38.400 --> 0:33:41.520
<v Speaker 2>face it, for the next week plus, we'll be talking

0:33:41.520 --> 0:33:44.200
<v Speaker 2>about that series a ton. I do want to take

0:33:44.240 --> 0:33:49.240
<v Speaker 2>it back to Atlanta. So again, I was on the

0:33:49.280 --> 0:33:51.479
<v Speaker 2>other side of the Atlantic and couldn't really keep up

0:33:51.520 --> 0:33:54.080
<v Speaker 2>with you. You will not be surprised to learn that

0:33:54.160 --> 0:33:58.520
<v Speaker 2>the altcast was not available on British television. So when

0:33:58.520 --> 0:34:02.800
<v Speaker 2>you had Rich Paul on any he surprises, any disclosures

0:34:03.360 --> 0:34:05.800
<v Speaker 2>anything interesting there? Did he tell you who the Lakers

0:34:05.840 --> 0:34:11.160
<v Speaker 2>next coach would be? Who's drafting Bronny? Where's Lebron going

0:34:11.160 --> 0:34:12.040
<v Speaker 2>in free agency?

0:34:12.920 --> 0:34:16.239
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, well that's one thing he did touch on. He

0:34:16.400 --> 0:34:19.880
<v Speaker 3>said Lebron is a free agent. And so when he

0:34:20.000 --> 0:34:23.080
<v Speaker 3>said that, Stott, there's a clip, you know, people can

0:34:23.160 --> 0:34:25.680
<v Speaker 3>find a clip of him saying that. He said it

0:34:25.719 --> 0:34:29.480
<v Speaker 3>like in passing, and he just continued on talking as

0:34:29.520 --> 0:34:32.520
<v Speaker 3>if that wasn't news. And so I'm tripping Stein. So

0:34:32.520 --> 0:34:34.600
<v Speaker 3>when he said he said, you know, Lebron's a free agent,

0:34:35.000 --> 0:34:36.960
<v Speaker 3>you know he's going to blah blah blah blah blah.

0:34:37.280 --> 0:34:40.239
<v Speaker 3>So as he continues on talking. You can see I

0:34:40.360 --> 0:34:43.560
<v Speaker 3>look down and I'm on my phone and I'm thinking,

0:34:43.719 --> 0:34:46.640
<v Speaker 3>I'm looking start. I'm like, did I miss Over the

0:34:46.719 --> 0:34:49.640
<v Speaker 3>last few days Lebron said he was opting out and

0:34:49.760 --> 0:34:52.120
<v Speaker 3>becoming a free Like, did I miss that part? So

0:34:52.200 --> 0:34:54.120
<v Speaker 3>I'm googling, like did I miss anything?

0:34:54.280 --> 0:34:54.320
<v Speaker 2>No?

0:34:54.760 --> 0:34:59.160
<v Speaker 3>I didn't, So I wait till Rich Finch's talking. Then

0:34:59.200 --> 0:35:02.319
<v Speaker 3>I interject say, hey, Rich, hold on, I'm just I

0:35:02.320 --> 0:35:05.600
<v Speaker 3>want to make clarify. I heard you say Lebron's a

0:35:05.600 --> 0:35:08.759
<v Speaker 3>free agent. So are you saying that he's going to

0:35:08.760 --> 0:35:12.879
<v Speaker 3>decline his player option? You know? Rich came back. You know, Chris,

0:35:12.920 --> 0:35:17.120
<v Speaker 3>you know, I don't negotiate on TV. Lebron will make

0:35:17.200 --> 0:35:20.319
<v Speaker 3>a decision when he's ready, blah blah blah. So he

0:35:20.400 --> 0:35:22.360
<v Speaker 3>kind of, you know, seemed like he kind of revealed

0:35:22.760 --> 0:35:25.719
<v Speaker 3>what they plan to do. It's basically, you know, we

0:35:26.080 --> 0:35:28.160
<v Speaker 3>knew he was going to pretty much opt out of

0:35:28.160 --> 0:35:31.160
<v Speaker 3>his contract and become a free agent from everything that

0:35:31.200 --> 0:35:34.000
<v Speaker 3>we all know. The belief is that Lebron James is

0:35:34.000 --> 0:35:36.000
<v Speaker 3>going to be signed on a multi year deal, so

0:35:36.040 --> 0:35:38.680
<v Speaker 3>it's not a but at the same time, becoming a

0:35:38.719 --> 0:35:42.000
<v Speaker 3>free agent does come with scare tactics. Does come with

0:35:42.680 --> 0:35:46.520
<v Speaker 3>some concerns, possibly especially when you got Brownie James out

0:35:46.520 --> 0:35:52.400
<v Speaker 3>there with his draft draft status unknown. Uh uh. You know,

0:35:52.520 --> 0:35:55.640
<v Speaker 3>Rich Paul came and he elaborated on because I did

0:35:55.680 --> 0:35:57.560
<v Speaker 3>an interview with Rich Paul. It was that the day

0:35:57.719 --> 0:36:00.759
<v Speaker 3>of I put a story out of my interview with

0:36:00.840 --> 0:36:05.880
<v Speaker 3>Rich Paul the morning of that same morning, and then

0:36:05.960 --> 0:36:08.440
<v Speaker 3>Rich Paul came on our All Cast that night. But

0:36:08.960 --> 0:36:12.520
<v Speaker 3>in the story, Rich Paul said he will not allow

0:36:12.719 --> 0:36:15.680
<v Speaker 3>Bronnie James to sign a two way contract, and so

0:36:15.920 --> 0:36:21.680
<v Speaker 3>that that part kind of blew up. Aggregators and whatever.

0:36:21.760 --> 0:36:24.080
<v Speaker 3>That kind of blew up, and people started taking it

0:36:24.680 --> 0:36:28.040
<v Speaker 3>taking taking it to mean that Rich Paul won't will

0:36:28.080 --> 0:36:31.200
<v Speaker 3>not allow Bronnie to play in the G League because

0:36:31.200 --> 0:36:33.799
<v Speaker 3>we all knowing two way contracts, you kind of play

0:36:33.880 --> 0:36:36.719
<v Speaker 3>half half your time in the NBA and the other

0:36:36.760 --> 0:36:40.279
<v Speaker 3>half of the G League. And so Rich Paul came

0:36:40.320 --> 0:36:44.040
<v Speaker 3>on our All Cast and elaborated on that, explaining, no,

0:36:44.200 --> 0:36:48.200
<v Speaker 3>he has nothing against Bronnie playing or spending time in

0:36:48.200 --> 0:36:52.440
<v Speaker 3>the G League, but rather his client be drafted, be

0:36:52.600 --> 0:36:56.200
<v Speaker 3>drafted or you know, you can even do a sign

0:36:56.280 --> 0:36:59.680
<v Speaker 3>an undrafted free agent contract, get three or four years

0:36:59.680 --> 0:37:02.960
<v Speaker 3>Gearant team, and that way that a team is invested

0:37:03.400 --> 0:37:07.360
<v Speaker 3>in the player, they're invested in seeing the player improve

0:37:08.120 --> 0:37:10.520
<v Speaker 3>over a year to year basis opposed to a two

0:37:10.560 --> 0:37:15.120
<v Speaker 3>way deal that can be that can be as early

0:37:15.120 --> 0:37:18.160
<v Speaker 3>as a one year deal. Then you cut your tie.

0:37:18.239 --> 0:37:20.279
<v Speaker 3>So that's what he's trying to do. He's trying to

0:37:20.320 --> 0:37:23.840
<v Speaker 3>get an investment from a team in Bronnie James. So

0:37:23.920 --> 0:37:25.719
<v Speaker 3>he touched on that, he touched on, he touched on

0:37:25.800 --> 0:37:28.920
<v Speaker 3>Lebron said, Lebron is going le Bron is not influenced.

0:37:28.920 --> 0:37:33.480
<v Speaker 3>He said, Lebron's not influencing the coaching the coaching process

0:37:33.520 --> 0:37:37.719
<v Speaker 3>of the Lakers, and he said Lebron's not involved when

0:37:37.800 --> 0:37:42.600
<v Speaker 3>it comes to JJ Reddick. Uh. He said, Lebron will

0:37:43.440 --> 0:37:47.399
<v Speaker 3>come to camp with whoever coach the Lakers shoes higher.

0:37:48.040 --> 0:37:50.319
<v Speaker 3>So in a nutshell, those are some of the things

0:37:50.320 --> 0:37:51.680
<v Speaker 3>he talked about on the Doll cast.

0:37:52.560 --> 0:37:55.919
<v Speaker 2>Well, since you mentioned the existence of a clip from

0:37:55.960 --> 0:37:57.960
<v Speaker 2>this exchange with Rich Paul, you know what, let's go

0:37:58.040 --> 0:38:02.040
<v Speaker 2>ahead and take a listen to that clip right now.

0:38:03.080 --> 0:38:05.759
<v Speaker 3>And you know, look, Lebron's a free agent. You have

0:38:05.800 --> 0:38:08.800
<v Speaker 3>to decide, and I got to focus on his business

0:38:08.840 --> 0:38:12.120
<v Speaker 3>and who should be focused on his business and let

0:38:12.120 --> 0:38:14.040
<v Speaker 3>the Lakers hire whoever they want to hire. And he's

0:38:14.080 --> 0:38:17.720
<v Speaker 3>always he's always showed up and played for whatever coach

0:38:17.800 --> 0:38:20.359
<v Speaker 3>is there. Hold Baba is gonna come hold, hold, hold

0:38:20.400 --> 0:38:23.400
<v Speaker 3>on real quick. You said something rich. You said, Lebron's

0:38:23.400 --> 0:38:27.000
<v Speaker 3>a free agent. So I take it Lebron's going to

0:38:27.000 --> 0:38:31.400
<v Speaker 3>decline that player option because you know, doing my business over,

0:38:34.040 --> 0:38:35.520
<v Speaker 3>I don't know what he's gonna do. It's gonna do

0:38:35.520 --> 0:38:37.759
<v Speaker 3>what we do every year. We're gonna we're gonna evaluate

0:38:37.920 --> 0:38:40.440
<v Speaker 3>the situation and we're gonna make the best decision.

0:38:41.560 --> 0:38:43.760
<v Speaker 2>I think when we listen to that, though, we're both

0:38:45.000 --> 0:38:51.760
<v Speaker 2>arriving at the same conclusion. Lebron declining his player option

0:38:51.880 --> 0:38:54.319
<v Speaker 2>to become a free agent sounds like that is the

0:38:54.600 --> 0:38:58.960
<v Speaker 2>likely option, but it's a decline to resign kind of situation.

0:38:59.080 --> 0:39:03.560
<v Speaker 2>We still both expect him to stay with the Lakers.

0:39:03.640 --> 0:39:07.440
<v Speaker 3>Yes, yeah, I'll be surprised if he's not the Lakers

0:39:07.560 --> 0:39:08.080
<v Speaker 3>next season.

0:39:08.680 --> 0:39:10.680
<v Speaker 2>I did catch just as I was getting back into

0:39:10.680 --> 0:39:13.840
<v Speaker 2>the country, you appeared on the Dan Patrick Show, and

0:39:13.880 --> 0:39:15.279
<v Speaker 2>I think you said the same.

0:39:17.520 --> 0:39:22.080
<v Speaker 3>And what I just said that that just now I

0:39:22.160 --> 0:39:24.960
<v Speaker 3>thought to myself, hold on, this is how you got

0:39:25.000 --> 0:39:26.319
<v Speaker 3>yourself in trouble last week.

0:39:29.160 --> 0:39:30.360
<v Speaker 2>That's what you said.

0:39:30.440 --> 0:39:33.160
<v Speaker 3>What was the quote it was? It was privately say

0:39:33.239 --> 0:39:36.280
<v Speaker 3>exact same way. I would be very surprised if JJ

0:39:36.400 --> 0:39:38.960
<v Speaker 3>Reddick is not the Lakers, sayd coach.

0:39:39.640 --> 0:39:42.319
<v Speaker 2>I still you're not alone there, man, you're not.

0:39:42.880 --> 0:39:47.399
<v Speaker 3>I still believe that. I'm not reporting they're hiring them

0:39:47.440 --> 0:39:50.480
<v Speaker 3>tomorrow or anything like that. They're still going through their process.

0:39:50.719 --> 0:39:52.799
<v Speaker 3>I believe that they're meeting with the candidate. Met with

0:39:52.840 --> 0:39:58.200
<v Speaker 3>the candidates face to face last week in La. So yeah,

0:39:58.520 --> 0:40:03.000
<v Speaker 3>but that's that's what I believe to be on the horizon.

0:40:03.920 --> 0:40:09.320
<v Speaker 2>And look, I think again, only the Lakers know their

0:40:09.440 --> 0:40:13.839
<v Speaker 2>precise plan. But around the league, we've been saying it

0:40:13.920 --> 0:40:16.920
<v Speaker 2>almost from the start. If you had to pinpoint a

0:40:17.000 --> 0:40:23.080
<v Speaker 2>favorite for the job, it would almost universally come back

0:40:23.920 --> 0:40:29.360
<v Speaker 2>as JJ Reddick. I do think Pelicans associate head coach

0:40:29.760 --> 0:40:35.319
<v Speaker 2>James Barrego is the other top candidate here. But as

0:40:35.360 --> 0:40:38.920
<v Speaker 2>I reported more than a week ago now, there's been

0:40:39.000 --> 0:40:44.799
<v Speaker 2>chattering coaching circles about what the assistant coaching lineup might

0:40:44.880 --> 0:40:49.319
<v Speaker 2>look like if JJ Reddick indeed gets the job, and

0:40:49.480 --> 0:40:52.800
<v Speaker 2>I don't know that they would be successful in finding

0:40:52.840 --> 0:40:56.400
<v Speaker 2>a way to hire James Barrego away from the Pelicans.

0:40:56.440 --> 0:41:00.560
<v Speaker 2>But I'm sure that if JJ Reddick is indeed the

0:41:00.640 --> 0:41:06.160
<v Speaker 2>Lakers choice to replace Darvin Ham, I'm sure they would

0:41:06.160 --> 0:41:10.719
<v Speaker 2>try to get James Brego on the staff, essentially as

0:41:10.800 --> 0:41:17.319
<v Speaker 2>his offensive coordinator. I wrote about a week ago that

0:41:18.080 --> 0:41:23.440
<v Speaker 2>Sam Cassell, currently a Boston Celtics assistant, also a candidate

0:41:23.760 --> 0:41:28.400
<v Speaker 2>who was interviewed for this Lakers opening. He's another assistant

0:41:28.840 --> 0:41:32.160
<v Speaker 2>who would interest LA if Reddick is indeed the choice.

0:41:32.400 --> 0:41:37.920
<v Speaker 2>Ditto for Jared Dudley, who's a prominent assistant coach with

0:41:38.040 --> 0:41:41.760
<v Speaker 2>the Mavericks. Our friend Dan Woiki of the La Times

0:41:42.120 --> 0:41:45.480
<v Speaker 2>says Scott Brooks, of course, formerly a head coach with

0:41:45.560 --> 0:41:49.760
<v Speaker 2>the Thunder and the Wizards and most recently a member

0:41:49.880 --> 0:41:54.000
<v Speaker 2>of Portland's coaching staff, that Scott Brooks would be another

0:41:54.120 --> 0:41:57.239
<v Speaker 2>name who would interest the Lakers. So it's interesting that

0:41:59.080 --> 0:42:04.120
<v Speaker 2>names for potential assistance to JJ Reddick have already been

0:42:04.160 --> 0:42:07.879
<v Speaker 2>circulating for more than a week now, and as we've

0:42:07.880 --> 0:42:12.239
<v Speaker 2>been talking on this podcast now for really throughout the

0:42:12.280 --> 0:42:17.719
<v Speaker 2>month of May since the Lakers job opened up. You know,

0:42:17.760 --> 0:42:20.560
<v Speaker 2>one of the interesting variables here with JJ Reddick if

0:42:20.560 --> 0:42:24.840
<v Speaker 2>he is indeed the choice. ESBN needs JJ Reddick to

0:42:25.000 --> 0:42:30.520
<v Speaker 2>complete the NBA Finals. This is year one post Jeff

0:42:30.560 --> 0:42:33.759
<v Speaker 2>Van Gundy and Mark Jackson next to the Hall of

0:42:33.760 --> 0:42:40.200
<v Speaker 2>Famer Mike Breen and Doc Rivers was hired to be

0:42:40.360 --> 0:42:43.399
<v Speaker 2>on the A team with Mike Breen and Doris Burke.

0:42:44.400 --> 0:42:48.960
<v Speaker 2>ESBN lost Doc Rivers to the Milwaukee Bucks in late January.

0:42:49.360 --> 0:42:53.919
<v Speaker 2>They promoted JJ Reddick to replace Doc Rivers, and they

0:42:54.040 --> 0:42:56.680
<v Speaker 2>need jj Reddick to complete the finals. It would be

0:42:56.800 --> 0:43:03.000
<v Speaker 2>major egg on ESPN's face to lose another member of

0:43:03.040 --> 0:43:07.040
<v Speaker 2>its A team before the finals are complete, but that

0:43:07.200 --> 0:43:12.920
<v Speaker 2>doesn't mean Look, the Lakers could still hire JJ Reddick

0:43:13.040 --> 0:43:16.160
<v Speaker 2>before the end of the Finals. We saw this in

0:43:16.239 --> 0:43:20.720
<v Speaker 2>twenty eleven. If you remember in twenty eleven, the Golden

0:43:20.760 --> 0:43:26.200
<v Speaker 2>State Warriors hired Mark Jackson during the NBA Finals, Mark

0:43:26.280 --> 0:43:30.200
<v Speaker 2>Jackson it was confirmed and announced that he was the Warriors'

0:43:30.280 --> 0:43:33.760
<v Speaker 2>choice to become their new head coach. That happened about

0:43:33.800 --> 0:43:38.440
<v Speaker 2>halfway through the twenty eleven Finals, in which Dallas defeated Miami,

0:43:39.239 --> 0:43:43.319
<v Speaker 2>and Mark Jackson still went on to announce games four, five,

0:43:43.360 --> 0:43:46.000
<v Speaker 2>and six, even though the world knew he would be

0:43:46.080 --> 0:43:48.640
<v Speaker 2>joining the Warriors after the finals, so I don't think

0:43:48.680 --> 0:43:53.720
<v Speaker 2>the Lakers have to wait until the finals are over.

0:43:54.640 --> 0:43:59.719
<v Speaker 2>But even if they did announce that JJ Reddick was

0:43:59.719 --> 0:44:02.200
<v Speaker 2>the choice, I think we will see. I think it

0:44:02.280 --> 0:44:04.880
<v Speaker 2>is pretty safe to assume that we will see JJ

0:44:05.000 --> 0:44:10.040
<v Speaker 2>Reddick announce these NBA finals from start to finish before

0:44:10.160 --> 0:44:15.320
<v Speaker 2>actually taking that job. If again, he is indeed the choice,

0:44:15.640 --> 0:44:21.600
<v Speaker 2>as so many people around the NBA, not just Chrispy Haynes, expect.

0:44:22.400 --> 0:44:27.239
<v Speaker 3>Thank you Star. Since we're on coaches, let's give a

0:44:27.239 --> 0:44:30.520
<v Speaker 3>shout out to Mike Brown. Got his extension worked out,

0:44:30.920 --> 0:44:35.760
<v Speaker 3>kind of went through a chaotic negotiating period.

0:44:36.080 --> 0:44:41.400
<v Speaker 2>And overdue extension for Mike Brown, the most successful coach

0:44:42.160 --> 0:44:45.920
<v Speaker 2>in King's history not named Rick Adaman. Mike Brown has

0:44:45.960 --> 0:44:50.120
<v Speaker 2>been there two years, They've won ninety games. Go look

0:44:50.200 --> 0:44:54.400
<v Speaker 2>up what's happened between Rick Adelman's tenure and Mike Brown's

0:44:54.440 --> 0:44:57.640
<v Speaker 2>tenure and ask yourself, should he or should he not

0:44:57.760 --> 0:45:01.320
<v Speaker 2>have been extended. He obviously deserved the deal he got.

0:45:01.440 --> 0:45:03.879
<v Speaker 3>For sure. I know there's not a lot out there

0:45:03.960 --> 0:45:08.279
<v Speaker 3>on what happened or what was going on behind the

0:45:08.320 --> 0:45:13.799
<v Speaker 3>scenes to where they negotiations were had and then they

0:45:13.840 --> 0:45:17.680
<v Speaker 3>were stalled and picked back up last minute. You remember,

0:45:17.719 --> 0:45:22.160
<v Speaker 3>so Mike Brown, he was on a four year deal

0:45:22.280 --> 0:45:24.680
<v Speaker 3>and the contract that he was on, it was a

0:45:24.719 --> 0:45:28.640
<v Speaker 3>contract that was less. He was being paid less than

0:45:28.719 --> 0:45:32.880
<v Speaker 3>Luke Walton, the previous coach, So you know there's a

0:45:32.960 --> 0:45:35.960
<v Speaker 3>problem there. But whatever, Mike Brown came in he accepted

0:45:36.000 --> 0:45:40.759
<v Speaker 3>that contract. Now, the fourth year of that contract, the

0:45:40.800 --> 0:45:46.200
<v Speaker 3>fourth year was a mutual option, which means the team

0:45:46.440 --> 0:45:50.920
<v Speaker 3>and the coach has to agree to pick up that

0:45:50.960 --> 0:45:54.600
<v Speaker 3>fourth year option. And so that was part of the contract.

0:45:54.960 --> 0:45:58.879
<v Speaker 3>And so as they were trying to negotiate and get

0:45:58.920 --> 0:46:03.960
<v Speaker 3>things done, it looked like it wasn't going to happen.

0:46:04.160 --> 0:46:08.960
<v Speaker 3>It looked like a deal was not going to transpire.

0:46:10.120 --> 0:46:16.160
<v Speaker 3>I was actually told that Mike Brown himself declined that

0:46:16.280 --> 0:46:20.759
<v Speaker 3>fourth year mutual option. So just by him doing it

0:46:20.880 --> 0:46:25.520
<v Speaker 3>himself meant that the twenty twenty four to twenty five

0:46:25.600 --> 0:46:29.799
<v Speaker 3>season was going to be his last because he declined

0:46:30.239 --> 0:46:34.240
<v Speaker 3>that fourth year option. And so now you have the situation. Okay,

0:46:34.320 --> 0:46:40.080
<v Speaker 3>Now a coach with the pedigree and the success of

0:46:40.200 --> 0:46:42.920
<v Speaker 3>Mike Brown was going to go into a season of

0:46:42.960 --> 0:46:46.480
<v Speaker 3>one year under his belt. That's not the ideal situation

0:46:46.680 --> 0:46:49.799
<v Speaker 3>for a franchise, you know, same with players. You know,

0:46:49.800 --> 0:46:52.200
<v Speaker 3>when you got to star players, not the ideal situation.

0:46:52.400 --> 0:46:56.359
<v Speaker 3>So whatever happened outside of that picked the negotiations back

0:46:56.440 --> 0:46:59.160
<v Speaker 3>up and they got a deal done about three years,

0:47:00.400 --> 0:47:04.719
<v Speaker 3>about three years close to ten million a season, so extension.

0:47:04.800 --> 0:47:07.680
<v Speaker 3>So I'm happy if Mike Brown glad it all worked

0:47:07.719 --> 0:47:12.000
<v Speaker 3>out and he's actually getting compensated for what he has

0:47:12.120 --> 0:47:15.760
<v Speaker 3>done for the city of Sacramento and the King's Organization.

0:47:17.000 --> 0:47:19.960
<v Speaker 2>And it's so amazing to think about what has happened

0:47:21.000 --> 0:47:26.640
<v Speaker 2>in the last year on the coaching carousel. Literally one year.

0:47:26.719 --> 0:47:30.480
<v Speaker 2>You and I are recording this on Sunday night. It

0:47:30.600 --> 0:47:36.000
<v Speaker 2>is June second, one year ago today, Mannie Williams was

0:47:36.040 --> 0:47:42.080
<v Speaker 2>officially named coach of the Detroit Pistons. And remember he

0:47:42.239 --> 0:47:47.759
<v Speaker 2>was ousted in Phoenix. He said no. Mannie Williams said

0:47:47.760 --> 0:47:50.879
<v Speaker 2>no to the Pistons more than once. The Pistons had

0:47:50.880 --> 0:47:55.279
<v Speaker 2>to make multiple runs to ultimately convince him to take

0:47:55.320 --> 0:47:58.439
<v Speaker 2>that job, and the Pistons gave Monnie Williams the six

0:47:58.560 --> 0:48:06.640
<v Speaker 2>year deal worth nearly eighty million. Revolutionary contract change the

0:48:06.680 --> 0:48:12.840
<v Speaker 2>coaching market, completely change the entire salary scale for NBA coaches,

0:48:12.880 --> 0:48:16.040
<v Speaker 2>and since then, I'm going to put Greg Popovich in

0:48:16.120 --> 0:48:21.080
<v Speaker 2>his deal aside, because Greg Popovich he operates on rules

0:48:21.080 --> 0:48:23.840
<v Speaker 2>that are he's on a planet unto himself when it

0:48:23.880 --> 0:48:26.240
<v Speaker 2>comes to coaches. Pop is going to coach the Spurs

0:48:26.640 --> 0:48:29.920
<v Speaker 2>until he decides he no longer wants to. But just

0:48:29.960 --> 0:48:31.799
<v Speaker 2>think about all the things that have happened in the

0:48:31.880 --> 0:48:36.800
<v Speaker 2>league coaching wise, since Mani Williams deal, Eric Spolster in Miami,

0:48:37.080 --> 0:48:40.840
<v Speaker 2>Steve Kerr and Golden State, they get mega deals. Jason

0:48:40.920 --> 0:48:43.879
<v Speaker 2>Kidd in Dallas got a sizeable raise and a two

0:48:43.960 --> 0:48:48.520
<v Speaker 2>year contract extension through twenty twenty six twenty seven, immediately

0:48:48.640 --> 0:48:52.160
<v Speaker 2>after the Mavericks won their first round series against the Clippers,

0:48:52.800 --> 0:48:56.000
<v Speaker 2>because the Lakers would have gone after Jason Kidd if

0:48:56.040 --> 0:48:59.120
<v Speaker 2>there was no extension in place. Then the Suns they

0:48:59.239 --> 0:49:02.680
<v Speaker 2>hire Mike bo Sudenholzer to a five year deal in

0:49:02.800 --> 0:49:07.280
<v Speaker 2>the ten million a season range. And that's after firing

0:49:07.360 --> 0:49:11.000
<v Speaker 2>Frank Vogel. Frank was just one year into his own

0:49:11.080 --> 0:49:14.600
<v Speaker 2>five year deal that was paying about six million annually.

0:49:14.719 --> 0:49:18.000
<v Speaker 2>So the Suns and their new owner Matt Ishpia, He's

0:49:18.040 --> 0:49:22.200
<v Speaker 2>going to be paying coaches with an s sixteen million

0:49:22.239 --> 0:49:26.560
<v Speaker 2>per season for the foreseeable future. Then this week, early

0:49:26.600 --> 0:49:29.560
<v Speaker 2>in the week, ty Lou finally gets his new deal

0:49:29.600 --> 0:49:33.600
<v Speaker 2>with the Clippers, five years, a reported seventy million. Mike

0:49:33.680 --> 0:49:37.560
<v Speaker 2>Brown he finally gets his deal in Sacramento on Friday night,

0:49:38.360 --> 0:49:43.840
<v Speaker 2>and Tom Thibodeau in New York. Everyone I talked to

0:49:44.760 --> 0:49:47.319
<v Speaker 2>says he will be next and that he's getting an

0:49:47.360 --> 0:49:51.839
<v Speaker 2>extension that will likely land in the ten million per

0:49:51.880 --> 0:49:58.760
<v Speaker 2>season range. So you've seen all these huge contracts signed

0:49:58.920 --> 0:50:03.359
<v Speaker 2>by coaches around the league since the Mani Williams deal

0:50:03.400 --> 0:50:07.600
<v Speaker 2>in Detroit. But here we are a year later, it

0:50:07.719 --> 0:50:13.320
<v Speaker 2>is not yet guaranteed that Mani Williams will be back

0:50:14.160 --> 0:50:18.160
<v Speaker 2>next season. Trajan Langdon is the Pistons new president of

0:50:18.200 --> 0:50:24.759
<v Speaker 2>basketball Operations. He officially took charge of the Pistons basketball

0:50:24.800 --> 0:50:30.520
<v Speaker 2>department on Friday. The Pistons immediately parted ways with GM

0:50:30.600 --> 0:50:35.960
<v Speaker 2>Troy Weaver. But now Langdon, I'm told he immediately will

0:50:36.000 --> 0:50:41.880
<v Speaker 2>begin an evaluation phase, and that includes assessing whether Mani

0:50:41.920 --> 0:50:46.640
<v Speaker 2>Williams will continue as coach. And remember again, Mani Williams

0:50:46.680 --> 0:50:51.120
<v Speaker 2>is only he only just completed year one of a

0:50:51.239 --> 0:50:55.280
<v Speaker 2>six year deal worth nearly eighty million, So it's crazy

0:50:55.320 --> 0:51:01.160
<v Speaker 2>that Mani Williams sparked this whole coaching salaries revolution. But

0:51:01.320 --> 0:51:04.880
<v Speaker 2>now we await official word to see if he will

0:51:05.400 --> 0:51:08.120
<v Speaker 2>be back on the sideline with the Pistons next season.

0:51:08.800 --> 0:51:13.280
<v Speaker 3>Stein on another episode, I would like to dive not today,

0:51:13.520 --> 0:51:16.400
<v Speaker 3>but I would like to dive into the reputation of

0:51:16.560 --> 0:51:20.680
<v Speaker 3>head coaches in the modern NBA, because you remember stin

0:51:21.440 --> 0:51:25.160
<v Speaker 3>If you are a head coach eighties, nineties, early two thousand,

0:51:25.360 --> 0:51:29.840
<v Speaker 3>if you got one championship, just one, you were regarded

0:51:30.200 --> 0:51:34.200
<v Speaker 3>very highly in the coaching profession, very highly. You know,

0:51:34.239 --> 0:51:36.120
<v Speaker 3>look at somebody like Rick Carla who got you know,

0:51:36.239 --> 0:51:39.360
<v Speaker 3>got a champion one championship in Dallas. I know he

0:51:39.480 --> 0:51:43.799
<v Speaker 3>was successful tenure with the Indiana Pacers as well, went

0:51:43.880 --> 0:51:47.080
<v Speaker 3>deep into the playoffs. But if you get a championship,

0:51:48.040 --> 0:51:52.680
<v Speaker 3>you're in a rare company and you you you can

0:51:52.760 --> 0:51:58.839
<v Speaker 3>pretty much have job security for an extended time. Now

0:51:58.880 --> 0:52:04.280
<v Speaker 3>we're seeing coaches get a championship fire the next season,

0:52:04.960 --> 0:52:08.600
<v Speaker 3>or a coach that has a championship only get one

0:52:08.680 --> 0:52:13.799
<v Speaker 3>season and there fired Botenholzer, Frank Vogel. It's like a

0:52:13.880 --> 0:52:17.719
<v Speaker 3>championship doesn't mean much anymore when it comes to head

0:52:17.760 --> 0:52:21.520
<v Speaker 3>coaches like I want to one episode, I want to

0:52:21.600 --> 0:52:24.000
<v Speaker 3>kind of break down when did the shift of this happen?

0:52:24.560 --> 0:52:28.280
<v Speaker 3>Or is this is this something that needs to continue

0:52:28.320 --> 0:52:33.000
<v Speaker 3>happening because I think you know, you know, we get

0:52:33.000 --> 0:52:35.920
<v Speaker 3>into it letter, but I just think the shift has changed.

0:52:47.520 --> 0:52:51.440
<v Speaker 2>We've been apart so long, we got so rusty, we

0:52:51.560 --> 0:52:53.160
<v Speaker 2>kind of lost track of the clock and went a

0:52:53.200 --> 0:52:56.080
<v Speaker 2>little bit too long here. So we will we will

0:52:56.120 --> 0:52:57.919
<v Speaker 2>get back into that, and I think you know we did.

0:52:58.400 --> 0:53:00.760
<v Speaker 2>We did touch on some of that with Van Gundy

0:53:00.800 --> 0:53:03.960
<v Speaker 2>when Stan joined us recently, and we talked about how

0:53:04.640 --> 0:53:07.880
<v Speaker 2>the blame factor that coaches have to deal with, you know,

0:53:07.920 --> 0:53:11.600
<v Speaker 2>that's like factored into where salaries have gone now that

0:53:12.360 --> 0:53:16.600
<v Speaker 2>coaches know more than ever that they will be the first, second,

0:53:16.640 --> 0:53:19.040
<v Speaker 2>and third ones to take the blame. I think you

0:53:19.120 --> 0:53:23.200
<v Speaker 2>aptly described it as the scapegoat clause, and we're definitely

0:53:23.239 --> 0:53:26.759
<v Speaker 2>seeing it. All right. That is going to do it

0:53:27.160 --> 0:53:31.600
<v Speaker 2>for this edition of this League uncut. As always, please

0:53:32.000 --> 0:53:35.440
<v Speaker 2>follow the show, rate the show, review the show. We

0:53:35.480 --> 0:53:40.000
<v Speaker 2>would love to get a five star review from you

0:53:40.080 --> 0:53:43.279
<v Speaker 2>if you see fit. That would be wonderful. And like

0:53:43.360 --> 0:53:46.279
<v Speaker 2>I said, Chris and I, we're both going to be

0:53:46.320 --> 0:53:50.560
<v Speaker 2>working the phones trying to bring in a guest or

0:53:50.680 --> 0:53:55.960
<v Speaker 2>two for another special episode or two before Thursday night's

0:53:56.440 --> 0:54:01.799
<v Speaker 2>Game one of the NBA Finals, Dallas at Boston. The

0:54:01.880 --> 0:54:05.000
<v Speaker 2>Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals for the third time,

0:54:05.800 --> 0:54:11.960
<v Speaker 2>seeking championship number two in franchise history. The Boston Celtics

0:54:12.080 --> 0:54:17.480
<v Speaker 2>going for championship number eighteen. Can they finally win one?

0:54:17.640 --> 0:54:21.879
<v Speaker 2>Stunning that since Larry Bird's retirement in nineteen ninety two,

0:54:21.960 --> 0:54:25.160
<v Speaker 2>the Celtics have only one at once at title in

0:54:25.239 --> 0:54:29.040
<v Speaker 2>two thousand and eight. Can they finally get number eighteen?

0:54:29.160 --> 0:54:34.800
<v Speaker 2>Can Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown win one together at last?

0:54:34.840 --> 0:54:39.240
<v Speaker 2>We will continue to preview the Finals all week leading

0:54:39.320 --> 0:54:44.200
<v Speaker 2>up to Thursday's series opener, and it won't be long.

0:54:44.520 --> 0:54:47.960
<v Speaker 2>Like we said before, Haynes and Stein are even in

0:54:48.080 --> 0:54:52.399
<v Speaker 2>the same building for Game three. Everyone, thanks so much

0:54:52.440 --> 0:54:55.239
<v Speaker 2>for listening. We'll be back with you very very soon,

0:54:57.680 --> 0:54:59.960
<v Speaker 2>and that'll do it for us. See you next time.

0:55:01.520 --> 0:55:03.640
<v Speaker 2>This league uncutters an iHeartRadio production

0:55:08.600 --> 0:55:10.320
<v Speaker 1>Chris Hanes and Mark Stein