Speaker 1: All the latest from the Olympics, with Team USA off
Speaker 1: to a two and oh start. Also will reflect on
Speaker 1: Gordon Hayward's sudden retirement and the chapter he forever holds
Speaker 1: in Chris Haynes' career. And we've even got some Paul
Speaker 1: George talk, Paul George and Chris Haynes on the Fresno
Speaker 1: State campus together. All of that is next on this
Speaker 1: edition of This League Uncut.
Speaker 2: Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule of twenty
Speaker 2: four hour NBA news, this news you'll Chris Haynes, it's
Speaker 2: go time, work's time, it's some time. This League Uncut
Speaker 2: is underway, in on fire. This should be a good one.
Speaker 1: Hey everyone, it's been a minute. We are back together,
Speaker 1: all three of us back together. Chris Haynes, Mark Stein here,
Speaker 1: Producer Ryan is here. We have not done a pod.
Speaker 1: We had to deal with summer league. We did the
Speaker 1: pod with modest buzzellis from the Chicago Bulls, but then
Speaker 1: Chris and I had pretty divergent summer league schedules. But
Speaker 1: we are reconnected here ready to go. In the midst
Speaker 1: of the Olympics, still have NBA business to discuss. Cleveland
Speaker 1: Cavaliers just extending Jared Allen, Gordon Hayward announces his retirement.
Speaker 1: As I said, Olympics fully underway. But Chris Haynes, it's
Speaker 1: just your pictures cutting in and out for some reason.
Speaker 1: Must be some bad wi fi. But it's good to
Speaker 1: see you, good to be with you.
Speaker 3: It's good to be what you started as well. I
Speaker 3: wish we could be together in a physical but I
Speaker 3: know you're in Dallas and I'm here in Chicago at
Speaker 3: the National Association of Black Journalist convention that I attend
Speaker 3: every year.
Speaker 1: So getting ready to host the second most anticipated panel
Speaker 1: of the week.
Speaker 3: What was the first?
Speaker 1: I don't remember, but I'm really I'm really intriguing. How
Speaker 1: I really hope somebody posts the video from the art
Speaker 1: of the live shot that you'll be hosting.
Speaker 3: Oh, thanks for the shutout start. Yes, that's the pedal
Speaker 3: will be on tomorrow, which will be at Friday after
Speaker 3: the live shot. The art of the live shot. I'm
Speaker 3: looking for you ready, I am ready start. It should
Speaker 3: be really good. It was. It was a hit last year,
Speaker 3: so we're bringing it back. But tonight I'm hosting the
Speaker 3: tt Space Space Tournament. I don't play space. I don't
Speaker 3: know how to play. But I'm hosting it.
Speaker 1: But what does that mean hosting? What is hosting? What
Speaker 1: is what is involved in?
Speaker 3: Basically just getting things in order, explaining the rules to
Speaker 3: everybody location. No TT did all that. I just have
Speaker 3: to show up. So just explaining the rules and tell
Speaker 3: them the prizes, what they win and all that. Just
Speaker 3: keeping everybody engaged throughout throughout. So it's cool.
Speaker 1: Is it fancy dress?
Speaker 3: No, I would dress down. It's fancy dress all day today,
Speaker 3: but I would dress down today. Sorry. When I when
Speaker 3: I landed here in Chicago, I landed here around noon
Speaker 3: yesterday and it was tough trying to get to my hotel.
Speaker 3: I was like, why is everything barricaded? What is going
Speaker 3: on around here? Who is in town? I could not
Speaker 3: get to my whole That was not for you, it
Speaker 3: was It was not for me. This was something from
Speaker 3: much bigger than me. But I just had the toughest
Speaker 3: time getting to my hotel. Could you guess why that
Speaker 3: was the case? Star?
Speaker 1: I can, But I thought we were talking the Olympics, Okay, Ryan,
Speaker 1: Ryan had a strict menu of questions. He wants to
Speaker 1: know why y'ael embiid it didn't.
Speaker 3: Play in the second game, okay.
Speaker 1: By Jason Tatum didn't play in the first game. Now,
Speaker 1: obviously I'm being facetious because to me, those are just
Speaker 1: manufactured stories that look, the United States has these two wins.
Speaker 1: They're playing really well as a team. It is the
Speaker 1: way of the NBA to try to find the drama
Speaker 1: and focus on the guys who aren't playing. But I mean,
Speaker 1: this team is under the most absolute win or bus
Speaker 1: pressure that there is in basketball. They are not allowed
Speaker 1: to lose a single game. They played five exhibitions, didn't
Speaker 1: have durant for any of them, almost lost to South Sudan,
Speaker 1: almost lost to Germany. But just two games into this
Speaker 1: Olympic run, this thing is really coming together and they
Speaker 1: are gelling looking like a team, and everybody seems to
Speaker 1: be putting the team first. And if the United States
Speaker 1: does all that and plays defense like we're seeing, they're
Speaker 1: going to win the gold medal. And that's the way
Speaker 1: that Steve Kerr and everybody associated with this thing, that's
Speaker 1: how they really avoid criticism. They have to win, and
Speaker 1: two games into the run they are doing what they're
Speaker 1: supposed to be doing.
Speaker 3: I mean that's the case every year, Starle we expect
Speaker 3: the men Son is, I've never covered an Olympics before, never,
Speaker 3: so I probably probably Los Angeles will be my first
Speaker 3: one in four years. Stan, is it appropriate as an
Speaker 3: American to say our team when you're talking about Team USA?
Speaker 3: How do we?
Speaker 4: You know?
Speaker 1: I don't think we should in our jobs? I mean,
Speaker 1: I really don't. I know. I think I think in
Speaker 1: one of the games, Dwayne Wade say said it, but
Speaker 1: he actually yeah, he played on the team, so it's
Speaker 1: harder for him. But no, I mean I think I
Speaker 1: think we realistically should be removed to at least that degree.
Speaker 3: Okay, So with that being said, they're expected to go
Speaker 3: out there and win every game. That's always been the case.
Speaker 3: Even though the world has caught up, we still believe
Speaker 3: that overall we have the best talent pound for pound.
Speaker 3: We might not have the best player per se, but
Speaker 3: just from top to bottom, we still believe that the
Speaker 3: United States is keen. So yes, they are expected to
Speaker 3: go out there and win, and they're going to be
Speaker 3: criticized with the loss. They're even going to be criticized
Speaker 3: with a narrow win. You know, you expect our team
Speaker 3: to go out there and dominate. And this is a
Speaker 3: really good team, really good team. They're very deep, they
Speaker 3: have shooters, they have defensive wings, they got they got
Speaker 3: a little bit of everything on this team.
Speaker 1: So it was expectations are so high. This roster is
Speaker 1: so good. I covered the twenty nineteen World Cup in China,
Speaker 1: that roster was nowhere close to this team. Same with
Speaker 1: last Summer's World Cup. When they in China, they finished
Speaker 1: in seventh. Last Summer's team finished fourth. Those teams weren't
Speaker 1: close roster wise to what we see on this team.
Speaker 1: This team is absolutely loaded, so deep that Tatum has
Speaker 1: a dnp CD, Halliburton has a dnp CD, and Embiid
Speaker 1: has a dnp CD. It's that deep. And that's but
Speaker 1: that's the thing. This is one of those rare times
Speaker 1: that USA basketball can say we really brought our best
Speaker 1: and by bringing this strong of a team, and when
Speaker 1: everyone's dialed in, as long as they maintain it, they're
Speaker 1: they're not gonna lose. They're they're just they're not gonna lose.
Speaker 3: I'm gonna say this time before the Olympics started, well
Speaker 3: even before the preliminary games, if I was thinking about
Speaker 3: the roster and everybody is not going to play, But
Speaker 3: if I had to pick. I knew Tyree would be
Speaker 3: a guy that would not play. I knew that I did,
Speaker 3: it didn't It doesn't matter like what he was doing
Speaker 3: in practice. Just knowing his game and knowing the talent
Speaker 3: that they have, I figured Tyres was not going to
Speaker 3: play a few games. I did not anticipate MB and
Speaker 3: I did not anticipate Tatum being two guys that would
Speaker 3: fall in that category. Maybe a Dereck White, but again
Speaker 3: the team USA, they they felt like they need him
Speaker 3: for defensive purposes. And I thought maybe Derek White because
Speaker 3: he was a last minute at But no, I did
Speaker 3: not see Tatum and MB And again, you know that
Speaker 3: Steve Kurr took a lot of criticism for not playing
Speaker 3: Jason Tatum that first game. They still won bleed by
Speaker 3: twenty six. I guess I get the Chris. I don't know,
Speaker 3: like it's hard to It's hard for me to criticize
Speaker 3: Curve for winning in that fashion. Now, could they have
Speaker 3: one still with Tatum out there? Yeah, I think you can.
Speaker 3: You know, then there's the question of does a head
Speaker 3: coach have a have a responsibility to make sure he
Speaker 3: plays and upholds the confidence of a player who just
Speaker 3: came off of a championship.
Speaker 4: You know, I.
Speaker 3: I don't think that says Steve Curr's mind. I think
Speaker 3: his mind is just having the best line up out
Speaker 3: there that's going to win.
Speaker 1: And in his mind, it's only one thing win, win
Speaker 1: by any means necessary. And if people think, oh, it
Speaker 1: must have been really uncomfortable for him to not play
Speaker 1: Tatum or to sit and be I promise you, far
Speaker 1: more uncomfortable is the thought of losing. Because again, the
Speaker 1: pressure with this, like there was pressure last summer in
Speaker 1: the World Cup, and there was certainly criticism that the
Speaker 1: US only finished fourth. But in the American basketball culture,
Speaker 1: we put the Olympics on a much higher pedestal than
Speaker 1: the World Cup. And that's why they have such a
Speaker 1: good roster. That's why so many guys wanted to play.
Speaker 1: But it really is you.
Speaker 3: Don't think Paris. You don't think Paris had anything to
Speaker 3: do with it.
Speaker 1: I guess, But you know, that's actually one of the
Speaker 1: challenges of this thing that probably hasn't been talked about enough.
Speaker 1: The US team is staying in Paris, but these games
Speaker 1: are in Lelle, like two hours away, and you understand
Speaker 1: why the team wants to be in Paris. They want
Speaker 1: to be able to go to the other Olympic events
Speaker 1: and look the basket. It's been a long time that
Speaker 1: the basketball team hasn't been able to stay in the
Speaker 1: village because they want ultimate privacy, so they're always in
Speaker 1: a hotel some where. But they want as much as
Speaker 1: they can to get the Olympic experience. And we're seeing
Speaker 1: guys on this team show up at all kinds of
Speaker 1: different Olympic events, so you understand that. But it is,
Speaker 1: you know, they got a two hour ride each way
Speaker 1: on game days, so it is it is a bit
Speaker 1: of a logistical challenge. I don't know how much they're
Speaker 1: really seeing of, you know, Paris. When you say it
Speaker 1: like that, you know the glamor, I don't. I don't
Speaker 1: know how glamorous Paris is right now in the midst
Speaker 1: of the Olympics and all the chaos that's there. But yeah,
Speaker 1: this team is the thing that And you know, I've
Speaker 1: I've covered three Olympics in the past and I've done
Speaker 1: three World Cup runs and what always happens with the
Speaker 1: United States. They have the highest ceiling of any team
Speaker 1: by far because of the talent and they can they
Speaker 1: tend to play better. The later it is, the more
Speaker 1: they're together, the more time they have to actually gel
Speaker 1: and funk like a team. And I think that's what's
Speaker 1: been so impressive about these first two games. It's already happening,
Speaker 1: and the other contenders, your Canada's, your Serbia's, your Australia's,
Speaker 1: your Germany's. Of course, the host France, they did not
Speaker 1: want to see this this quickly, as dialed. As bad
Speaker 1: as the US looked in the exhibition game against South
Speaker 1: Sudan in London, and then basically a week and change later,
Speaker 1: as good as they've looked in the opener against Serbia,
Speaker 1: the rematch with South Sudan, as devastating as they look
Speaker 1: when they go to the bench. I mean, it's just ridiculous.
Speaker 1: When you're bringing in Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Bam out
Speaker 1: of Bio, You're bringing these guys off the bench. I
Speaker 1: mean it really it's not fair. But the US ain't
Speaker 1: going to apologize because when they lose, they get hammered.
Speaker 1: So if they can keep playing like this and keep
Speaker 1: winning like this and keep oozing the team basketball that
Speaker 1: we're seeing, yeah, they're going to revel in every.
Speaker 3: Second and rightfully so, and so that you know, that's
Speaker 3: why this is so entertaining because as you mentioned, the
Speaker 3: talent load is so it's it's extremely well put together.
Speaker 3: I'm just saying that Grant Hill did a really good
Speaker 3: job constructing this team, selling all these guys on the
Speaker 3: vision for this team, and so they've all bodied and
Speaker 3: they're getting better. This is their time where they're getting better.
Speaker 3: And that's that's why it's going to be a you know,
Speaker 3: it's gonna be tough for the opposition for sure.
Speaker 1: I mean, you notate um so well. I always do
Speaker 1: this to you. I really shouldn't do it, and I apologize,
Speaker 1: but now I'm gonna do it again to step into
Speaker 1: his head? How do you He handled it with a
Speaker 1: lot of class. He hasn't said one cross word about it.
Speaker 1: Obviously started the next game, so he really didn't fuel
Speaker 1: I mean, he did not a drop of fuel to
Speaker 1: this supposed controversy of not playing in the first game.
Speaker 1: Just tell me what you maybe not instead of you
Speaker 1: know what, instead of me trying to ask you to
Speaker 1: step into his head, just just tell me what you
Speaker 1: think of how Tatum handled not playing in that first game.
Speaker 3: Okay, before I addressed that question. I want to ask
Speaker 3: you something, Stein about something you said about Steve Kerr.
Speaker 3: You said, Steve is not worried about anything but winning
Speaker 3: because if he loses, it all comes down on him.
Speaker 3: And he did everything in his power in that first
Speaker 3: game to just put the team in the best position
Speaker 3: to win. Okay, Stein, if that's the case, why did
Speaker 3: Tatum start game two?
Speaker 1: Because the US with Kerr at the head of the snake, obviously,
Speaker 1: but I think as the coaching staff, they thought South
Speaker 1: Sudan with a team full of wings, length, speed, the
Speaker 1: way that South Sudan plays is so much different compared
Speaker 1: to a Serbia team, which, yes they have some guards
Speaker 1: you have to worry about, but Serbia, you are worried
Speaker 1: about Jokic inside and you're gonna use all three of
Speaker 1: your centers to the max against Jokic. I think Kerr
Speaker 1: felt like for the South Sudan matchup, Tatum was not
Speaker 1: only going to play, but have a prominent role. And Embiid,
Speaker 1: who all of us on the outside thought, was promised
Speaker 1: this starting spot to get him to commit to the
Speaker 1: United States. Remember, Embiid could have played for his native Cameroon,
Speaker 1: or he could have played for France or he could
Speaker 1: have played for the United States. The thinking going into
Speaker 1: the Olympics was the United States surely promised embid a
Speaker 1: starting spot, and Kerk can't pull him from the starting
Speaker 1: lineup because that's how they got his commitment to play
Speaker 1: for the United States. But then in Game two, Embiid
Speaker 1: is the only guy on the team who didn't play
Speaker 1: at all. So I think curR is showing that he's
Speaker 1: going to do what he and the coaching staff think
Speaker 1: is the right move, no matter whose feelings it hurts.
Speaker 3: So you're saying that Tatum starting in game two had
Speaker 3: absolutely nothing to do with the criticism that Tatum received
Speaker 3: and Curve received.
Speaker 1: Are you saying I can't say nothing. I mean, you know,
Speaker 1: was it secretly a factor and none of them have
Speaker 1: acknowledged it? I mean that surely seems possible.
Speaker 3: But okay, well let me get back to you. I'll
Speaker 3: get back to your initial question. I think you know,
Speaker 3: knowing Tatum, I definitely think he's a one of the
Speaker 3: most serious competitors I've covered this league. Definitely, I'm pretty
Speaker 3: sure a looted them, but he handled it. He knew
Speaker 3: he had to handle it with professionalism. He knew if
Speaker 3: he said anything negative, if the situation will escalate even further.
Speaker 3: So he avoided that. And No, I definitely think it
Speaker 3: bothered him to a certain extent. I haven't talked to him,
Speaker 3: so this is not coming from him. I just just
Speaker 3: knowing how he is, knowing the competitor that he is. Yet,
Speaker 3: definitely I think it bothered him.
Speaker 1: So based on the way you asked me the question,
Speaker 1: are you saying that you do think that the criticism
Speaker 1: is the reason Tatum started that game?
Speaker 3: Listen, I can. I can buy into your premise line
Speaker 3: that you believe that because of the personnel of Saddan
Speaker 3: that they needed him more so in that game for
Speaker 3: the length and everything, I get it. But go from
Speaker 3: a d M p CD to starting, that's a big jump.
Speaker 3: I understand d M d M p CD to end
Speaker 3: the rotation.
Speaker 1: Well, I think one thing is another factor here is
Speaker 1: that Durant played so well off the bench and clicked
Speaker 1: so well with Aunt Edwards that Kerr wanted to leave
Speaker 1: both of them on that second unit, and that made
Speaker 1: it easier to put Tatum in the starting lineup. Well,
Speaker 1: and if America could see, and if America could have
Speaker 1: seen the look on your face as I was going
Speaker 1: through that, they would know that you agree with you.
Speaker 3: I do not buy it because you know what, Kevin
Speaker 3: Durant is going to kill on most nights, you know
Speaker 3: what I mean? Like, are we determined that Tatum's playing
Speaker 3: time based off if kd is killing? He's going to kill?
Speaker 1: Yeah, but I think he's even more devastating the way
Speaker 1: they're using him. They're bringing him in as a second
Speaker 1: unit guy, and he is just destroying these poor guy
Speaker 1: these these poor opponents.
Speaker 3: Okay, are they bringing them in as a second unit
Speaker 3: guy because that's the best role or because he's coming
Speaker 3: off of that injury.
Speaker 1: I mean, it probably is more injury related, but the
Speaker 1: way it's working out, so it's the way it's working out.
Speaker 3: He will.
Speaker 1: Do you think Duran? Look, we anything is possible against
Speaker 1: Puerto Rico, But do you think they will use Durant
Speaker 1: the same way against Puerto Rico?
Speaker 3: I think they will, Yeah, because they can. I mean
Speaker 3: the chances of them losing regardless is it's very slim.
Speaker 3: But my whole thing is with the Tatum thing, like no,
Speaker 3: like we're not it's not predicated on Durant killing or not.
Speaker 3: If it is then Tatum's not going to play much
Speaker 3: because Durant is going to kill the I think what
Speaker 3: people were upset about was that the fact that, again
Speaker 3: I understand Currs thinking, but I just challenged you a
Speaker 3: little bit because you made it come. He made it
Speaker 3: sound as if Steve Curze is doing what it takes
Speaker 3: to win. He's doing you know, he's going to win.
Speaker 3: He doesn't care about Okay, if he didn't care, then
Speaker 3: I don't think Tatum will be in the starting lineup
Speaker 3: the next day. I think he might be a rotation.
Speaker 1: I think the proof is if he had bigger picture concerns,
Speaker 1: because one of the big criticisms that was levied after
Speaker 1: the first game was don't they understand that Lebron is
Speaker 1: thirty nine and Steph is thirty six and Durant is
Speaker 1: thirty five. These guys are not gonna be here at
Speaker 1: the next Olympics. They're pissing Tatum off. Tatum's never gonna
Speaker 1: play for Team USA again after this. So there are
Speaker 1: other things that they could theoretically be thinking about, and
Speaker 1: I think just what we're seeing is those thoughts are
Speaker 1: being pushed to the side. Feelings are all being pushed
Speaker 1: to the side, Steve Kurrz basically come out and said,
Speaker 1: these are forty minute games. I can only play ten
Speaker 1: guys per game. I'm gonna choose those ten best suited
Speaker 1: to the game plan. And again with the United States
Speaker 1: playing as well as it has early and already building
Speaker 1: up this head of steam, to me, these are all
Speaker 1: manufactured criticisms because they've come up with two very good
Speaker 1: game plans that delivered two very good performances. And that's
Speaker 1: all that this thing should really be judged on.
Speaker 3: That's it. That's it, stime. Listen, I don't personally do
Speaker 3: whatever it takes to win. If you feel like that
Speaker 3: is the best approach playing nineteen and excluding Tatum or
Speaker 3: excluding Tyres, Okay, but just stick with that, like say
Speaker 3: it what you make the decision, say it with your
Speaker 3: chest and stand by it. But when you start on
Speaker 3: the next day, the next game, that's like a was
Speaker 3: it the criticism that got to you? Because that's just
Speaker 3: that's a very significant leap up. Again, I understand going
Speaker 3: from not playing, now you're into the road, now you're
Speaker 3: in a rotation, but now you go from not playing
Speaker 3: to starting, and is that team I understand Sudan with
Speaker 3: all the wings. I know they probably you know, there's
Speaker 3: some fear instilled based off of what Sadan did in
Speaker 3: the preliminary So but you know the thing is, I
Speaker 3: think especially from Celtics fans, they're like, listen, Tatum is
Speaker 3: coming off of a championship. Is Tatum going to be
Speaker 3: the reason you lose? No, he's not. You're probably still
Speaker 3: going to win by twenty six. And that's their thought process. Again,
Speaker 3: I'm all for play whoever you want to play. Just
Speaker 3: stick by your word and don't fall victim or don't
Speaker 3: give in. I should say to external criticism, just stick
Speaker 3: with it, that's all. And I don't know that this decision.
Speaker 3: I don't know that this decision was all just basketball related.
Speaker 3: Producer Ryan Wayan, what do you think about the decision
Speaker 3: from dnp CD one game in the start line up
Speaker 3: the next game, even though it's a different team, different personnel.
Speaker 5: I am very much on the side of Chris Haynes here.
Speaker 5: I have a healthy, always I have a healthy level
Speaker 5: of skepticism that it just solely based off of matchups,
Speaker 5: goes from couldn't even find a minute to.
Speaker 4: Play in the rotation to the starter. I will say
Speaker 4: I do think that for.
Speaker 5: The most part, Steve Kerr and who he is as
Speaker 5: a person and all that he's accomplished, isn't one that
Speaker 5: is normally just going to give in, if you will,
Speaker 5: to just public pressures and comments.
Speaker 4: But it was such a stark change in just one
Speaker 4: game that I have saw.
Speaker 5: I have a little bit of skepticism that it is
Speaker 5: simply a basketball move.
Speaker 1: We're recording this way too close to Ryan Shift as
Speaker 1: a producer on the Herd, and that's why he's in there.
Speaker 1: He's in that mode, looking for the cry on, looking
Speaker 1: for the headline, looking for that topic, bar saucy conversation.
Speaker 3: Producer Ryan should feel disrespected right now. We always bring
Speaker 3: producer Ryan on to be the voice of reason. He's
Speaker 3: always in the middle. And for for Stein to just
Speaker 3: call you out and say always when when you said
Speaker 3: you're on.
Speaker 1: The side he knows I'm playing, Yeah, I.
Speaker 3: Would be very disrespect feel very disrespected.
Speaker 1: He's he's loving this all right, Well we will again.
Speaker 1: The United States is only two games into its Olympic campaign. Saturday,
Speaker 1: last group see game against Puerto Rico. The competition will
Speaker 1: get tougher in the knockout rounds. The knockout rounds start
Speaker 1: with the quarterfinals on Tuesday. But again with this, when
Speaker 1: the United States can bring this kind of roster to
Speaker 1: a tournament that is just so talent laden, if they
Speaker 1: lock in, play team ball and play serious defense, and
Speaker 1: that was really the problem in that first exhibition game
Speaker 1: against South Sudan. They were in London and they just
Speaker 1: had very little interest in playing defense that night.
Speaker 3: Yea.
Speaker 1: And for South Sudan, that game was their super Bowl.
Speaker 1: It was right before the Olympics. It was really their
Speaker 1: introduction to the world. This is a very young nation
Speaker 1: and it's filled with guys who have been in the NBA.
Speaker 1: But South Sudan the only country in the men's Olympic
Speaker 1: Basketball Tournament with no current NBA players. Carlic Jones, Wheny
Speaker 1: and Gabriel coach Royal Ivy, like all these guys are
Speaker 1: trying to make a name for themselves. JT. Thor Shayok,
Speaker 1: I mean, on and on and on. And look, they
Speaker 1: played even well in defeat in Tuesday's loss. They you know,
Speaker 1: they they won the second half. So they've been a
Speaker 1: tremendous story. Lou All Dang just you cannot get this
Speaker 1: man enough credit for what he has done to get
Speaker 1: this program going a country that isn't even fifteen years
Speaker 1: old and they are already a factor in world basketball.
Speaker 1: It's just a tremendous story. In our remaining time, let's
Speaker 1: move a little bit closer to home, because, like I said,
Speaker 1: with the knockout round starting Tuesday, we still will have
Speaker 1: more than one chance to talk Olympic hoops. You tell
Speaker 1: me what was the standout story for you? Is it
Speaker 1: Jared Allen getting a big contract extension in Cleveland? Tias Jones,
Speaker 1: that's a great signing for Phoenix. Great and you were
Speaker 1: the you how many times on this pod have you
Speaker 1: been calling for the Suns.
Speaker 3: Yeah, great signing, great signing. If they finally listened, I
Speaker 3: mean the coaches staff, they've wanted a point guard for
Speaker 3: the longest. It was all always management that felt that
Speaker 3: they can do it out. So they finally come to
Speaker 3: terms with the fact that that position is very important today.
Speaker 1: Is stunning, though, truly stunning that I mean Tias Jones
Speaker 1: and Gary Trent for the.
Speaker 3: Minimum Yeah, yeah, yeah, did not did not see that
Speaker 3: coming at all. But the most surprising I'm going to
Speaker 3: go against the Greenstein and not pick any of those
Speaker 3: selections you mentioned, I'm going to go with the retirement
Speaker 3: of Gordon Hayward. Gordon Hayward.
Speaker 1: I was going to nominate him, but figured you would
Speaker 1: not even wait for my nomination, old friend. Maybe. Now,
Speaker 1: are you are you prepared to like tell us the
Speaker 1: whole what happened story? Twenty Ryan? Producer? Ryan? Are you
Speaker 1: do you know what we're talking about? Producer Ryan?
Speaker 5: I am gonna find out along with the audience. So
Speaker 5: I'm very much looking forward to this.
Speaker 1: You don't, Okay. So it's the summer of twenty seventeen,
Speaker 1: very early in free agency, and an ESPN reporter named
Speaker 1: Chris Haynes reported, Now, I'm forgetting part of it was
Speaker 1: that when he signed with Boston. Yeah, I couldn't remember
Speaker 1: which team. An ESPN reporter named Chris Haynes broke the
Speaker 1: news that Gordon Hayward was signing with the Boston Celtics.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he was leaving Utah at that time.
Speaker 1: And yet within the walls of the same company based
Speaker 1: in Bristol, Connecticut, came to report that there was no
Speaker 1: done deal.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Am I remembering this correctly?
Speaker 3: Nah? That was that was a real controversial moment. Probably
Speaker 3: it's more conscious it wasn't more controversial than what we
Speaker 3: dealt with here in ABJA in Chicago yesterday. But it
Speaker 3: was definitely controversial. But with that being said, Starn, you know,
Speaker 3: it was about a three to four hour window of
Speaker 3: like just social media. That's when social media was fun.
Speaker 3: It was fun. Social meid was so fun back in
Speaker 3: the day. But they are attacking like who who, Who's
Speaker 3: right is it? Is it Gordon Hayward's agent, is you
Speaker 3: know putting this out there, you know, giving this to
Speaker 3: reporters saying that Gordon Hayward hasn't made a decision. So
Speaker 3: about three or four hours, I'm just on the roticifiary.
Speaker 3: I am just getting cueued up on social media. They
Speaker 3: are ripping me the shreds. And then about four hours later,
Speaker 3: Gordon Hayward announces on the Player's Tribute, which I knew
Speaker 3: that that's the way he wanted to announce it, that
Speaker 3: he was going to Boston, so I will for and
Speaker 3: then then you know I had to At that time
Speaker 3: I found Ryan.
Speaker 1: You don't remember what happened after that? Ryan? I thought
Speaker 1: I thought you knew everything about us, producer.
Speaker 6: Ryan, I don't remember that specific Saga tweeted out, I
Speaker 6: do not remember, no, Chris Haynes, if my memory is correct,
Speaker 6: Remember my memory is not what it used to be.
Speaker 1: But if my memory is correct, Chris Haynes tweeted out
Speaker 1: a picture of Hulk Hogan his ear. What you say
Speaker 1: it now, as if to say, didn't I say this
Speaker 1: four hours ago? Yeah?
Speaker 3: I had that. I had that in the drafts. I
Speaker 3: had that picture in the drafts. I knew. I didn't
Speaker 3: know if I was gonna be able to use it
Speaker 3: that day, use it tomorrow the day after, but I
Speaker 3: knew I was gonna tweet that I had that in
Speaker 3: the drafts ready. So uh yeah, that was a very
Speaker 3: tumultuous time for me. And uh I would do I
Speaker 3: would do the same thing over again, the same way
Speaker 3: that I did it. But I will forever be tied
Speaker 3: to Gordon Hayward. So as he retires, I feel like
Speaker 3: a little piece of me has retired as well.
Speaker 1: I don't know if I'm gonna go that far Gordon Hayward.
Speaker 1: This was a rough season obviously, had the mid season
Speaker 1: trade to Oklahoma City. It did not go in Oklahoma
Speaker 1: City the way he had hoped. He could not establish
Speaker 1: the role there that was expected and I have to
Speaker 1: admit I didn't think that that was the end. I
Speaker 1: did expect him to give it at least one more
Speaker 1: shot somewhere else. So I think it does classify as
Speaker 1: a bit of a thunderbolt. When we saw Gordon Hayward's
Speaker 1: announcement on social media. We're recording this on Thursday afternoon.
Speaker 1: On Thursday morning, Gordon Hayward announces that he is leaving
Speaker 1: the game.
Speaker 3: I think I saw a graphic on social media that
Speaker 3: now Paul George is the only player in the two
Speaker 3: thousand and ten NBA draft class that is playing. That
Speaker 3: is that's something else. That's John wall Is in that class,
Speaker 3: It's Marcus Cousins, there was some that's that was a
Speaker 3: pretty good class. So Paul George is a long person standing.
Speaker 1: And then you do the math and realize that Lebron
Speaker 1: James was drafted seven years before.
Speaker 3: No, I mean, when we think of two thousand and ten,
Speaker 3: stein like, that doesn't seem like if you just say
Speaker 3: it two thousand and ten, that doesn't seem that long ago.
Speaker 1: We just say that was that was right right around
Speaker 1: when you started, right.
Speaker 3: I started two thousand and ten, correct, I started because
Speaker 3: me and Paul George had classes together at Fresno State.
Speaker 3: Oh wow, yeah, before I didn't know that. Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 3: we had classes together.
Speaker 1: You've never told that.
Speaker 3: I told you that, stun and I did not.
Speaker 1: I know you guys went to Fresno State. I realize
Speaker 1: you guys actually had classes together.
Speaker 3: We played. I don't know if he remembers, but a
Speaker 3: few times we played. We have we have a rec
Speaker 3: center gym that's connected to the main basketball arena on
Speaker 3: the campus of Presno State, and guys will go in
Speaker 3: there and just play pick up. And one time I
Speaker 3: played because Paul he wasn't viewed to be this type
Speaker 3: of player, like there was no nobody envisioned him doing.
Speaker 3: He only average like fourteen points in frontal State. So
Speaker 3: we didn't see this at all. And so there was
Speaker 3: a couple of times I played some pick up with him.
Speaker 3: And at that time, I'm like twenty six, and so
Speaker 3: Paul's probably twenty twenty six and Paul's are twenty probably,
Speaker 3: and I wasn't giving him the business. I'm not going
Speaker 3: I'm not gonna go that far. But he just didn't
Speaker 3: impress me, Like he just didn't impress me. And so
Speaker 3: I knew he was going to the league at that time.
Speaker 3: My drafts had him as a first round pick. You know,
Speaker 3: he's six eight six ninees long, so you know, you see,
Speaker 3: he has all the he has all the tools, he
Speaker 3: has the physique. I just didn't see this and so nah,
Speaker 3: he definitely, he definitely took it to a next level
Speaker 3: once he got to the league.
Speaker 1: Can we get him on the pod and talk about
Speaker 1: some open gym.
Speaker 3: Run with He would not, he would not remember, But
Speaker 3: I just remember because I'm like, this guy, man he
Speaker 3: didn't do because I was like looking at him like
Speaker 3: he people saying he's a first round pick. I'm like,
Speaker 3: he averaged And this is the front of state that
Speaker 3: basketball team was bad like this is. This wasn't the
Speaker 3: Jerry Tarkanian days. The head coach back.
Speaker 1: Then was the name of Adams days.
Speaker 3: It wasn't. It wasn't iron Way yeah way. Well after
Speaker 3: the Ron Adams day, this was Steve Cleveland. He was
Speaker 3: the head coach and he used to be the head
Speaker 3: coach of BYU I believe as well, but they didn't.
Speaker 4: They didn't.
Speaker 3: They had a brother by the name of Greg Smith
Speaker 3: who went to my high school, Edison High School. He
Speaker 3: played he played in Houston Houston Rockets for he had
Speaker 3: a couple of team in the league, but the team
Speaker 3: was bad. The team was bad, and so no, I
Speaker 3: didn't have high expectations for him, but he definitely exceeded
Speaker 3: those for sure. But he will not remember playing. I
Speaker 3: doubt he remember. And I played. So I played against
Speaker 3: Fredo State when I played at Fresdent Pacific University the
Speaker 3: year before Paul got there. So I had just missed
Speaker 3: playing against him.
Speaker 1: And I'm guessing that was the number one game on
Speaker 1: the Pacific game.
Speaker 3: Yes it was, Yes, it was. I couldn't wait, stein,
Speaker 3: I couldn't wait to play, to step on that arena,
Speaker 3: to say mart Center, but play against Fresno State, Oh star,
Speaker 3: Oh you know what. My step line was a whop
Speaker 3: in two rebounds, zero points. I don't think I shot
Speaker 3: a shot in that game.
Speaker 2: It was.
Speaker 3: I think I froze up Steyn. I think I froze
Speaker 3: up man. I was so pumped out crowd. No, I
Speaker 3: wasn't a big crowd, but I was the only person
Speaker 3: on my team from Fresno No. Two. It was two two,
Speaker 3: it was two two, maybe three two or three, but uh,
Speaker 3: I was so amped up and I think a little
Speaker 3: bit too amped up, a little bit too amped up,
Speaker 3: but uh, it happens. I tell you right now, you
Speaker 3: give me the opportunity. Now I'm shooting more than way
Speaker 3: more than zero shots that right now, way more we know.
Speaker 3: Thank you?
Speaker 1: Okay, all right, well this went way too fast, but
Speaker 1: we had this window to sneak an episode in before
Speaker 1: you host the TNT Spade because you're not playing in it.
Speaker 3: That's good. I'm not trying to lose money. But no,
Speaker 3: it's not that money is not involved. I'm just hosting,
Speaker 3: making sure I'm the point guard, make sure everybody's in
Speaker 3: their place, making sure everybody know how to rotate, because
Speaker 3: you win, you got to rotate to another table. This
Speaker 3: thing is six to nine. It's a three hour event.
Speaker 3: So I'm doing that.
Speaker 1: And then uh and on Friday morning, when this pod drops,
Speaker 1: you will be speaking on the panel. The art of
Speaker 1: the live.
Speaker 3: Shot, Yes, the art of the live shot will we
Speaker 3: give We'll have the room will be packed, and we'll
Speaker 3: give people who are aspiring silent reporters, aspiring aspiring editors,
Speaker 3: I mean field producers, will give them topics, uh sports
Speaker 3: top and we'll give them a few minutes to formulate
Speaker 3: a forty five second hit, and they're going to be
Speaker 3: on TV. We got big screens in the room, so
Speaker 3: they're actually going to be on TV. So they just
Speaker 3: like they're doing the sideline report, they have to formulate
Speaker 3: a forty five second bit. They do it, and then
Speaker 3: I'm one of the panel of judges where we'll critique
Speaker 3: them and tell them what they could have did better,
Speaker 3: how you know, it will judge how they looked on camera,
Speaker 3: if they looked away all that. It was really good.
Speaker 3: It's really so. It was a big hit last year,
Speaker 3: so I'm glad we're doing it again this summer.
Speaker 1: All right, Well, the next time we get together, we
Speaker 1: still have lots more to discuss. Of course, Lowry Marketing.
Speaker 1: On August sixth, which is Tuesday, he becomes eligible for
Speaker 1: a renegotiation and extension with Utah. The whole league dialed
Speaker 1: in to see what happens there. Of course, we've also
Speaker 1: covered this ground. If the extension happens all August seventh
Speaker 1: or later, Lowry Marketing cannot be traded until after the
Speaker 1: twenty twenty four to twenty five season. If UTAH wants
Speaker 1: to extend him but also keep him trade eligible this
Speaker 1: coming season. They have to have a signed deal Tuesday,
Speaker 1: and then market in would be eligible to be traded
Speaker 1: on the last day of trade season, trade deadline day
Speaker 1: on February sixth. Jared Allen he's got his three year
Speaker 1: extension with Cleveland worth more than ninety million, but the
Speaker 1: belief there is that that will be signed and announced
Speaker 1: before August sixth, and then that would make Allen trade eligible.
Speaker 1: Same principle. If for some reason that deal isn't signed
Speaker 1: and announced until August seventh, Jared Allen would not be
Speaker 1: trade eligible until after next season, but we should soon be.
Speaker 1: We should soon be hearing and seeing that formally announced
Speaker 1: by the CAZ. We've also got Brandon Ingram's trade future
Speaker 1: to discuss, and once we get past the Olympics, we
Speaker 1: can really start evaluating the East and the West and
Speaker 1: how the conferences look going into the new season once
Speaker 1: because really the bulk, the bulk of free agency is over.
Speaker 1: Although again, like we said, we just saw Tyas Jones
Speaker 1: go to the Suns unexpectedly, so there still might be
Speaker 1: a surprise or two or three. We'll be ready for
Speaker 1: those that's gonna do it for this edition of this league. Uncut.
Speaker 1: Great to be back with you, guys, Chris Haynes, producer Ryan.
Speaker 1: Great to be back with the both of you. Everyone. Remember,
Speaker 1: please follow us, rate the show, review the show, and
Speaker 1: we will be back with you. Why is Chris Haynes?
Speaker 1: Chris Haynes, He looks like he has something on his mind.
Speaker 1: He'll be one in the.
Speaker 3: Iron Get ready to iron my pants? Just get ready
Speaker 3: for the space turst Never mind me start all right.
Speaker 1: We will be back with you again, very very soon.
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening everybody, and that'll do it for us.
Speaker 2: See you next time.
Speaker 1: This League on Cutta is an iHeartRadio production Chris Haines
Speaker 1: and Mark Stein