WEBVTT - EPISODE 13: On all things Ja Morant and so much more ... 0:00:03.400 --> 0:00:07.040 Welcome to this league, uncut in the world of twenty 0:00:07.040 --> 0:00:10.680 four hour NBA news, Just do you lose Chris Hanes, 0:00:10.920 --> 0:00:17.320 It's time, Mark Stein, It's show time. Shakalaka Chris Hanes 0:00:17.560 --> 0:00:21.880 and Mark Stein. This link, uncutt is underway and then fire. 0:00:22.400 --> 0:00:26.840 This should be a good one. It will be a 0:00:26.920 --> 0:00:29.360 good one, even though we're a day late. And the 0:00:29.400 --> 0:00:32.600 fact that we are at day late is totally completely 0:00:35.479 --> 0:00:39.400 my fault. Chris Haynes is the one with the crazy 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:45.440 travel schedule. He's the one who has at least one 0:00:45.600 --> 0:00:48.480 midweek game that needs to go to often too. He's 0:00:48.479 --> 0:00:50.680 on planes all week long. I am not, but it 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:54.440 is me. Mark Stein put this one on me. Sunday 0:00:54.760 --> 0:01:00.280 I covered Sons MAVs in Dallas, which started early lean 0:01:00.400 --> 0:01:04.679 really was one of the best regular season showcases of 0:01:04.720 --> 0:01:08.760 the season, just a great really, as good as a 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:13.280 regular season game can be. And from there I bolted 0:01:13.400 --> 0:01:16.760 very quickly to the airport to make a west coast trip. 0:01:17.840 --> 0:01:21.520 Sources say I may or may not be in the 0:01:21.600 --> 0:01:28.320 desert right now at the most idyllic tennis setting in 0:01:28.360 --> 0:01:33.319 the world known as Indian wells Sources cannot confirm that, 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:37.080 but it may be true. So between all that travel Sunday, 0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:40.080 I was not I. It was me. I was not 0:01:40.200 --> 0:01:44.720 able to get pinned down long enough for us to 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:47.000 record this, so we moved it back one day. But 0:01:47.080 --> 0:01:50.600 of course no shortage of stuff to get into. And 0:01:50.680 --> 0:01:53.480 I think it's safe to say we can only start 0:01:53.720 --> 0:01:57.240 in one place with where things are in this league. 0:01:57.240 --> 0:02:02.360 The John Morant situation in Men this absolutely shocking. It 0:02:02.440 --> 0:02:05.880 was just last week that we had a very explosive 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:11.520 investigative report from the Washington Post citing various police reports 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:17.760 about alleged incidents involving Morant and some people close to him, 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:23.840 and that naturally created quite a stir after the incident 0:02:23.880 --> 0:02:29.119 in late January where members of the Indiana Pacers traveling 0:02:29.200 --> 0:02:33.920 party alleged that they also felt threatened by some of 0:02:33.960 --> 0:02:37.799 the people who were close to Jaw. And after all 0:02:37.840 --> 0:02:43.400 of those things, early Saturday morning hours, the Grizzlies lose 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:48.600 in Denver. It is Jaw on his own social media channel, 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:55.880 live streaming on Instagram, Jah live streaming himself with what 0:02:56.040 --> 0:02:59.520 appeared to be a gun. You know, absolute shockwaves all 0:02:59.560 --> 0:03:03.280 around the league. You know, obviously he is on this 0:03:03.919 --> 0:03:07.120 minimum two game leave of absence from the Grizzlies, but 0:03:07.360 --> 0:03:09.680 you know, one suspects he's going to be away from 0:03:09.680 --> 0:03:14.360 the team for a longer period. Man. You know, I've 0:03:14.360 --> 0:03:17.839 seen different people weigh in on this and the commentary 0:03:17.919 --> 0:03:23.280 behind it, and I get it. I understand, am I. 0:03:23.280 --> 0:03:25.920 I'm not surprised by any of it. I'm really not. 0:03:26.800 --> 0:03:30.119 You know that probably sounds bad to say I'm not, 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:37.640 but um, John, Like, I'm not trying to lecture joh 0:03:37.680 --> 0:03:41.400 at this point because everybody's doing it. But he knows 0:03:41.440 --> 0:03:43.720 he can't behave that, you know, he can't behave this 0:03:43.760 --> 0:03:47.760 way at the face of a franchise with a signature 0:03:47.760 --> 0:03:51.080 shoe that just recently came out. You know, he's arguably 0:03:51.120 --> 0:03:55.160 one of one of the top young stars we have 0:03:55.320 --> 0:03:59.600 this league, you know, just with the fan base. My daughter, 0:04:00.480 --> 0:04:04.120 my daughter Journey, my youngest daughter, she's eleven. John Morant 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:06.880 is her favorite player. And I was covering the Grizzlies 0:04:08.320 --> 0:04:12.760 Timberwool's playoff series last last year and I was standing 0:04:12.760 --> 0:04:17.599 in the same hotel with the Grizzlies and she really 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:20.120 wanted a picture with ya, and just so happened we 0:04:20.120 --> 0:04:21.920 were in the lobby at the same time, going in 0:04:22.000 --> 0:04:25.200 the elevator around the same time, I asked ya if 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:27.960 you can take a picture, and he did. She loves 0:04:28.000 --> 0:04:31.560 that picture she has in her room, and so I've 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:37.479 been I've had to explain to her the significance of 0:04:37.520 --> 0:04:41.800 this because she's asking me, like, what's going on, And 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:45.960 so it's a conversation to be half for sure. But 0:04:46.120 --> 0:04:50.400 I'll say this time, I don't know what he's going through, 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:54.760 but I can somewhat relate. When you come from not 0:04:54.880 --> 0:04:58.400 having a lot of money to having money all of 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:04.320 a sudden, having succe as having somewhat of notoriety, it 0:05:04.440 --> 0:05:10.000 can be a challenging trajectory if you're not truly prepared 0:05:10.600 --> 0:05:13.920 and much and just on a mature level, if you're 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:16.039 not much, you know, if you're not mature enough to 0:05:16.120 --> 0:05:21.640 handle what's about to come at you. So I remember, 0:05:21.720 --> 0:05:24.000 you know, Stein, You know, I got married when I 0:05:24.080 --> 0:05:30.560 was twenty one, So it's approaching what twenty years so 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:34.479 far hasn't been the easiest, for sure, definitely hasn't been 0:05:35.000 --> 0:05:38.960 hasn't been easy at all. But I remember, Stein, when 0:05:40.360 --> 0:05:44.640 my career started to take off, and when my career 0:05:44.680 --> 0:05:46.320 started to take off, you know, when your career started 0:05:46.320 --> 0:05:49.520 to take off. You start. You know, there's there's people 0:05:49.520 --> 0:05:55.440 that's praising you. There, there's there you know. They want pictures, 0:05:55.640 --> 0:05:59.440 they want autographs, they want your attention, they want your advice. 0:06:00.480 --> 0:06:03.520 And so I remember when this started happening, you know, 0:06:03.560 --> 0:06:07.720 out the blue, and I remember I would go home 0:06:07.839 --> 0:06:10.560 sometimes and I'm just gonna be blunt, styt it would 0:06:10.560 --> 0:06:12.320 be it would be some shit. I just wouldn't take 0:06:12.320 --> 0:06:14.360 it anymore at the house, you know what I'm saying, Like, 0:06:14.760 --> 0:06:17.279 you know, some shit that I would tolerate at the 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:20.320 house before, I just wasn't don't take it anymore because 0:06:20.360 --> 0:06:22.360 that I'm Chris b hangs now you know what I'm 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:24.640 saying about taking this ship though, both you know, so 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:28.480 it got to a point where, you know, it was 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:31.200 a rocky period for for a few years. I'm not 0:06:31.200 --> 0:06:34.440 gonna lie, but I'm only saying that to say that 0:06:35.480 --> 0:06:40.520 I understand how it is to all of a sudden, 0:06:41.400 --> 0:06:45.520 you know, you're trying to handle this new notoriety or 0:06:45.560 --> 0:06:48.919 this new somewhat power that you have with this influence 0:06:48.960 --> 0:06:51.360 that you have, and you're trying not to let it 0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:54.640 get the best of you to where it won't affect 0:06:55.320 --> 0:06:59.240 your everyday life. And and I think that's where gis 0:06:59.320 --> 0:07:02.680 at right now, where he's trying to I think that's 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:04.520 where he has to come to terms what he has 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:10.360 to get a sense and get a feel for, you know, 0:07:10.400 --> 0:07:12.440 what it's like being in the lime, like like this 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:14.520 twenty four to seven, being a face, one of the 0:07:14.560 --> 0:07:17.720 faces young faces of the league, face of the franchise, 0:07:18.280 --> 0:07:20.920 and potentially a face of a shoe brand, which he 0:07:21.000 --> 0:07:24.160 just got his own signature, Nike Shoe. And so he 0:07:24.240 --> 0:07:26.800 has to he needs the right people in his corner 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:30.760 that's going to keep him, help him, because ultimately it's 0:07:30.800 --> 0:07:33.480 all up to him. But it will help if there's 0:07:33.520 --> 0:07:35.960 people in this corner that's kind of telling them, hey, 0:07:36.400 --> 0:07:39.480 we need to be moving a different way. But it's 0:07:39.480 --> 0:07:41.800 on him, right He's got to choose those people. He's 0:07:41.800 --> 0:07:44.240 got to make sure that it's the right people at 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:46.080 this quarter. I don't I'm with you. I don't want 0:07:46.080 --> 0:07:49.520 to sit here and lecture him either, because everyone is 0:07:50.040 --> 0:07:53.400 doing that and frankly, there are people far more qualified 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:57.320 to do it than me. But you know, I wrote 0:07:57.360 --> 0:08:01.280 this Monday morning, and I'm not trying to be hyperbolic. 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:05.640 I do believe it when John Morant has such a 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:09.880 ceiling as a player that when the Grizzlies, remember in 0:08:09.920 --> 0:08:12.120 the twenty nineteen lottery, they were supposed to have the 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:16.119 eighth pick based on odds, they leapt up to number two. 0:08:16.920 --> 0:08:18.840 And at the time it happened, you know, they had 0:08:18.880 --> 0:08:21.680 just traded Mark Gassol away, they knew they were going 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:25.480 to trade Mike Conley away. Grit and grind was over. 0:08:26.080 --> 0:08:29.119 And this is one of the league's smallest markets. They're 0:08:29.200 --> 0:08:33.760 never known for getting free agents. Moving up in that 0:08:33.800 --> 0:08:37.240 lottery from eight to two to be able to draft 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:41.000 John Morant was seen by many people around the league 0:08:41.040 --> 0:08:47.720 as a franchise saving moment because Morant has the ceiling 0:08:48.360 --> 0:08:50.880 to be that good. I mean, you said it. Jerry 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:53.760 Brewer wrote this in the Washington Post, and a great 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:56.640 point that I wish I had thought of, because I'm 0:08:56.679 --> 0:09:00.280 constantly talking about how it's all these foreign guys who 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:04.319 are at the forefront of the MVP chase, Jannie, Yoki, 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:09.280 Luca and Bead when we're looking for young American stars, 0:09:09.320 --> 0:09:13.600 the next generation, not your Durant, your Curries, your Lebron's. 0:09:13.600 --> 0:09:17.600 When we're looking at the young American set. You know, 0:09:17.760 --> 0:09:20.640 John Morant is one of those guys who has the 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:26.000 ability to be an MVP. That's how talented and electric 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:32.040 this guy is. And now though he has to focus 0:09:32.120 --> 0:09:34.480 on saving himself again, I'm not trying to I don't 0:09:34.520 --> 0:09:37.280 want to be preachy. I'm not trying to overstate things 0:09:37.280 --> 0:09:40.400 and be hyperbolic. But I don't think it's an exaggeration. 0:09:42.559 --> 0:09:46.520 You know, he that was that was job on his 0:09:46.559 --> 0:09:51.520 own Instagram. So like he did this, this, this most 0:09:51.559 --> 0:09:55.560 recent incident over the weekend, he took you know, he 0:09:55.600 --> 0:09:58.560 took responsibility for it with a Maya kulpa which was 0:09:58.600 --> 0:10:01.959 strong and wrecked. But you know, he's got to want 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:05.360 to fix this more than anyone. Now, the Grizzlies, you know, 0:10:05.480 --> 0:10:09.400 I don't know that they've been as stern as they 0:10:09.400 --> 0:10:11.959 should be in trying to help him to this point. 0:10:12.000 --> 0:10:14.880 Presumably that will change now because this is all out 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:18.480 in the open. You know, has the League done it's part? 0:10:18.720 --> 0:10:21.040 You know, I think there are still so many questions 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:24.280 and so many things we don't know. But Jah has 0:10:24.320 --> 0:10:28.080 to be the number one guy fixing this, and I 0:10:28.120 --> 0:10:30.880 hope he does because it's not just your daughter. This 0:10:30.880 --> 0:10:33.520 guy has a lot of fans around the league. He 0:10:33.679 --> 0:10:37.320 is one of the most enjoyable players to watch, and 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:40.800 you know, nobody wants to be talking about this kind 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:44.520 of stuff. Nobody. So there are a couple of elements 0:10:44.520 --> 0:10:48.599 that the NBA and I know law enforcement in Colorado 0:10:48.880 --> 0:10:53.040 what they're trying to investigate or look into. You know, 0:10:53.080 --> 0:10:54.920 this was done on the road. This is at a 0:10:54.960 --> 0:11:01.840 club in Denver, I believe, and so there's question of okay, 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:06.200 did he personally bring the pistol in himself, and then 0:11:06.520 --> 0:11:10.760 being on the road, there's a question asked to well, 0:11:10.800 --> 0:11:14.600 did he have the pistol on the team plane? And 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:17.080 I think I have to look at somebody sent me 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:21.480 the by laws believe of the CBA and the rules 0:11:21.520 --> 0:11:24.280 and of of how you can carry and what you 0:11:24.559 --> 0:11:27.839 what you can and cannot carry on the on the 0:11:27.960 --> 0:11:33.000 team flight, and I think that is in violation if 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:35.760 he was to have that on a flight. So there's 0:11:35.760 --> 0:11:38.480 a couple of little elements right there that that they're 0:11:38.520 --> 0:11:41.120 trying to get answers to. And and so I don't 0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:42.720 know that. You know, the Grizzlies put out a statement 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:45.839 saying at least two games he sat out the game 0:11:45.840 --> 0:11:48.679 it's the Clippers in which they lost, the Clippers came 0:11:48.720 --> 0:11:52.840 back in one believes down by sixteen, and so you know, 0:11:52.920 --> 0:11:55.000 we don't know. So it's it's what is it being called. 0:11:55.000 --> 0:11:59.960 It's being officially called, uh, indefinitely, I believe, Yeah, it's 0:12:00.200 --> 0:12:02.800 it's it's not I mean, you know, it's a suspension, 0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:05.280 but nobody's using the word suspension. I mean it, you know, 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:08.840 really yeah, I mean that the Grizzlies have made it 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:12.600 sound like that this is a personal leave for John Morant. 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:16.760 You know, they're not using the word suspension. So you know, 0:12:16.800 --> 0:12:20.120 we'll we'll have to see how much longer this lasts. 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:22.680 I don't think anybody expects this to only be a 0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:25.600 two game app sence. The one, you know, the CBA 0:12:25.679 --> 0:12:29.000 element is something that we do know because that that's 0:12:29.000 --> 0:12:34.319 happened before with the Gilbert Arenas Javaris Crittenen thing in Washington. 0:12:35.240 --> 0:12:39.080 Um that you know if you have it. Basically, the 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:42.840 CB eight says that if if there is a if 0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:46.160 there is a firearm on team, on team premises or 0:12:46.200 --> 0:12:47.840 on a team plan or anything like that, like, that's 0:12:47.840 --> 0:12:53.319 an automatic fifty game suspension. So that's why I think, 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:56.200 as you alluded to, the league is trying to ascertain 0:12:57.480 --> 0:13:01.400 you know, where was the gun before the Instagram video 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:08.079 and all other manner of questions tied to that. It's 0:13:08.080 --> 0:13:11.000 just yeah, I mean, this is just again nothing that 0:13:11.080 --> 0:13:14.720 any of us really wanted to be discussing. And yeah, 0:13:14.760 --> 0:13:17.520 I mean, I'm I don't even know how to artfully 0:13:19.160 --> 0:13:21.280 I don't even know how to where to artfully take 0:13:21.320 --> 0:13:23.599 it after that. I mean, look, at the end of 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:25.960 the day, it's it's all to job. Like we said, 0:13:26.120 --> 0:13:29.640 it's it's all as job. It's not it's not about 0:13:29.760 --> 0:13:32.680 his The people he's around, they're part of it. They're 0:13:32.720 --> 0:13:36.720 a part of it. But even then that's ultimately Jab's 0:13:36.720 --> 0:13:40.040 decision on what he's going to do moving forward, how 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:42.160 he's going to move the people is going to have 0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:45.040 in this corner. And you know, even with the reports 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:47.360 that have been coming out over the last few months 0:13:47.480 --> 0:13:51.440 or whenever, it's it's still problematic, Like it's still even 0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:54.360 if he's exonerated from these things, these stories coming out, 0:13:54.840 --> 0:13:58.840 getting into these type of situations, it's still problematic. So look, man, 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:01.840 I covered, like I believe I had his first sit 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:06.679 down interview when he when he um declared for the 0:14:06.760 --> 0:14:10.559 NBA draft. I flew this was this was the night 0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:15.040 that Damian Lillard hit that crazy three over Paul George. 0:14:15.480 --> 0:14:17.880 It was that night when they when he eliminated O 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:22.760 kase I took a red eye. The game ended like 0:14:22.880 --> 0:14:26.920 at ten thirty. My flight was like at twelve fifteen, 0:14:27.120 --> 0:14:30.720 twelve thirty. I took a red eye to Florida. I 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:34.160 forgot the city in Florida. That job was training that 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:37.680 but I took a red eye to Florida for a 0:14:37.800 --> 0:14:42.160 morning sit down interview from the pot the former podcast 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:45.080 I had, and um, he was great. And I remember 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:47.440 talking to him and I asked him, I said, what's 0:14:47.440 --> 0:14:50.360 he What is your natural position in the NBA? And 0:14:50.400 --> 0:14:53.280 he said point guard And I said, okay, point guard. 0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:57.360 He said no, no, point God. I'm like, oh oh, 0:14:57.400 --> 0:14:59.760 I remember I remember him telling me that his dad 0:14:59.840 --> 0:15:01.960 was they they they were all laughing. I was just 0:15:02.000 --> 0:15:05.680 shocked at somebody who wasn't even drafted yet was I 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:09.640 was speaking at high of himself. But he's definitely lived 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:12.760 up to the building. And I hope you know he's 0:15:13.040 --> 0:15:15.760 an amazing talent. Man. I love this pops his uncle. Man, 0:15:16.360 --> 0:15:19.480 they got they got real good people, ma, So I'll 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:28.080 pull them for him to get this team together. Let's 0:15:28.080 --> 0:15:32.200 try to move this back to basketball, because, as I said, 0:15:32.320 --> 0:15:37.480 my Sunday started with the very very early and mom 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:41.040 the American Air Life Center. But it was I am 0:15:41.080 --> 0:15:43.920 not a morning person, leaving. Leaving for a game at 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:47.080 nine am is always going to be a struggle for me. 0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:54.359 But man, was it worth it. Absolute fantastic Mattinee Sons, MAVs, 0:15:55.720 --> 0:15:59.520 Durant and Booker go for seventy three. Of course, everybody 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:02.880 saw the fireworks at the end when Luca don Chich 0:16:03.000 --> 0:16:05.280 missed the short shot in the lane that could have 0:16:05.320 --> 0:16:08.560 tied things up. He and Booker ended up going nose 0:16:08.640 --> 0:16:15.000 to nose. There was a lot there, but I think 0:16:15.000 --> 0:16:17.520 the main thing you come away with is this Sun's 0:16:17.600 --> 0:16:22.440 team in its infancy, infancy in the Durant era, looking 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:30.680 awfully dangerous already early in this incarnation, despite concerns about 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:35.600 their bench and maybe not having enough depth beyond the 0:16:35.720 --> 0:16:38.280 four guys they've stacked up in that starting lineup with 0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:43.360 Katie joining Booker and Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton. This 0:16:43.440 --> 0:16:46.840 was a rare occasion, Chris Haynes, where you were forced 0:16:46.880 --> 0:16:48.960 to watch on television and I was at the big. 0:16:49.280 --> 0:16:51.360 I was at the Big showdown. What did you What 0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:53.880 do you make of the Sun so far with Katie? 0:16:54.840 --> 0:16:58.720 I mean, Katie's fitting He's fitting in exactly how I 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:00.320 thought he was going to fit in. Man is one 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:02.920 of the most efficient scores we have. He can do it. 0:17:03.040 --> 0:17:05.800 You know, he just blends in and Kyd says that, 0:17:06.040 --> 0:17:09.160 you know, I can play in any system, any coach. 0:17:09.840 --> 0:17:12.240 I mean, he's showing it. He's not even like he's 0:17:12.240 --> 0:17:14.480 not even going out there shooting a whole bunch of shots. 0:17:14.520 --> 0:17:18.640 He's scoring, getting twenty and thirty really just really efficiently Man, 0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:22.120 And I'm not I can't say I'm impressed. It's just 0:17:22.200 --> 0:17:25.159 what I expected. But you know, they still have to 0:17:25.200 --> 0:17:27.720 get there rid him. Chris Paul is still trying to 0:17:28.080 --> 0:17:31.400 like he offensively, like he's still trying to find where 0:17:31.440 --> 0:17:33.600 he fits in in that but he's still running the show. 0:17:34.119 --> 0:17:36.840 I'm getting a high number of assists. But you know, 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:38.960 that was a really good game, definitely. You know, I 0:17:38.960 --> 0:17:44.960 think everybody obviously talking about Luca and Devin Booker little 0:17:45.359 --> 0:17:48.520 skirmish there at the end, and you know, hopefully we'll 0:17:48.960 --> 0:17:51.720 see those those two teams messed up in the playoffs. 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:55.320 Again because there was already history before and now you 0:17:55.400 --> 0:17:58.200 add in that Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irvan dynamic to that, 0:17:58.359 --> 0:18:01.520 so that's going to be even more compelled. But again, 0:18:01.800 --> 0:18:04.320 I've said it. I said it before Kevin Durant stepped 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:06.920 foot on the floor for the Phoenix Suns, I said, 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:10.280 barred injuries, I still think Phoenix is the team to beat. 0:18:10.760 --> 0:18:15.080 And Stine real quick, let me let me talk about 0:18:15.160 --> 0:18:20.240 this team real quick. We'll get back to Phoenix. The Clippers. Stein, So, 0:18:20.320 --> 0:18:23.840 they had lost. You know, that was a team just 0:18:23.880 --> 0:18:26.800 a couple of weeks ago, was looking like a real 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:31.760 NBA Championship continuing team. They were starting to find find 0:18:31.760 --> 0:18:35.760 they grew and they lost five in a row and 0:18:35.840 --> 0:18:40.000 they just won. So we're recording this. What is this Tuesday? 0:18:40.040 --> 0:18:43.320 This is Monday, Monday night. They went one Sunday and 0:18:43.480 --> 0:18:46.080 beat Memphis. That did a Memphis team that didn't have 0:18:46.160 --> 0:18:50.160 Dealing Brooks or John Morant or god, what's the guy, 0:18:52.280 --> 0:18:55.200 Brandon Clark, Brandon Clark, Stephen app Yeah, so they came 0:18:55.240 --> 0:18:59.000 back and beat them. But so Stein, I was covering 0:18:59.040 --> 0:19:02.919 the last couple of Clipper games. Stein, so here I 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:08.800 am going to cover this Clipper game, and again all 0:19:08.840 --> 0:19:11.440 the buzz is that the Clippers have found their form. 0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:15.200 They're found, they're finally getting healthy, Kawhi Leonards getting back 0:19:15.200 --> 0:19:19.159 into shape, and they found their fact. They found their form, 0:19:19.760 --> 0:19:23.800 and so I'm looking forward to watching this team. So 0:19:23.840 --> 0:19:27.480 I cover one game they lost that game, cover another 0:19:27.520 --> 0:19:30.800 game they lost that game. So then I'm covering their 0:19:31.400 --> 0:19:35.000 the Clippers Warriors, and so we go to shoot around. 0:19:35.080 --> 0:19:37.080 For those who don't know shoot around, it's like a 0:19:37.080 --> 0:19:40.359 little mini practice session the morning of the game. So 0:19:40.400 --> 0:19:42.480 I go to Clippers shoot around. I talked to Russ 0:19:43.240 --> 0:19:46.280 and I talked to Nicholas Petune. And Petune is my guy. 0:19:46.320 --> 0:19:48.640 You know, I covered him back in the Portland days. 0:19:49.480 --> 0:19:53.000 So Petune tells me, don't talk to me. I'm like, 0:19:53.000 --> 0:19:55.600 what you mean, don't talk to you? Don't talk to me. 0:19:56.160 --> 0:19:58.960 Every game you've been to we've lost. I'm like, oh, 0:19:59.040 --> 0:20:02.120 you blame it on me, Like, oh okay, yeah, every 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:04.520 game you've been So we started like telling his teammates, yeah, 0:20:04.560 --> 0:20:07.840 every game we Chris has been too, we've lost. Get 0:20:07.840 --> 0:20:10.719 out of here. I'm like, all right, whatever, I leave 0:20:10.800 --> 0:20:15.200 him alone. So Stein the Warriors, like the Warriors start 0:20:15.240 --> 0:20:18.480 putting the pounding all the Clippers in the third quarter. 0:20:19.119 --> 0:20:21.560 It's just bad stop. And so you know, as a 0:20:21.600 --> 0:20:25.600 sideline reporter, I get to go behind the team's bitch 0:20:25.760 --> 0:20:27.960 and kind of listening in on, you know, what's being 0:20:28.080 --> 0:20:31.320 talked about, what's being said amongst the players and coaches, 0:20:31.920 --> 0:20:36.000 and so Warriors go this crazy rud Clippers call a 0:20:36.119 --> 0:20:38.879 time out. Warriors are up big in the third quarter. 0:20:39.720 --> 0:20:42.640 So I go by the go behind the Clippers locker room. 0:20:42.760 --> 0:20:45.879 I'm excuse me, I go behind the Clippers bench, and 0:20:46.000 --> 0:20:49.639 but Tuna just staring at me, staring at me, mad, 0:20:49.800 --> 0:20:53.480 just staring at me. And remember I'm right behind the bitch, 0:20:53.800 --> 0:20:56.399 and so I just start laughing. And so I'm like, 0:20:56.920 --> 0:20:59.720 I had to like stop myself because you know, all 0:20:59.760 --> 0:21:02.000 these where's a piss right now? You know what I'm saying, 0:21:02.160 --> 0:21:04.080 what just happened. So I had to kind of like 0:21:04.160 --> 0:21:07.679 turn my back compor Twitis mugging at me, staring at me, 0:21:08.000 --> 0:21:11.280 blaming me for what for what they did on the court. Man, 0:21:11.560 --> 0:21:15.160 But they got they gotta win in Memphis, and I 0:21:15.240 --> 0:21:17.399 wasn't there. I think I got another Clipper game in 0:21:17.440 --> 0:21:20.560 a few weeks. We'll see you not if I truly am, 0:21:21.040 --> 0:21:24.040 I am the Jinks. But that was tough right there. 0:21:24.440 --> 0:21:28.159 I'm almost laughing right there behind their bench, you know, 0:21:28.200 --> 0:21:31.600 while they're just getting blown out. I hope you are 0:21:31.680 --> 0:21:34.440 the Jinks because I don't want the Jinks to be Russ. 0:21:35.080 --> 0:21:41.679 I find myself rooting for him, even though you know, 0:21:41.720 --> 0:21:43.159 I don't. I don't, I don't. I just feel like 0:21:43.200 --> 0:21:45.760 he's this is a guy who's headed to the Hall 0:21:45.800 --> 0:21:49.760 of Fame eventually. He's had an incredible career and I 0:21:49.760 --> 0:21:55.639 I just don't like seeing the punching bag that he 0:21:55.720 --> 0:22:01.080 had become during parts of his time with the Lakers, 0:22:01.680 --> 0:22:04.080 and I really wanted to see this Clipper thing work. 0:22:04.160 --> 0:22:07.240 But you know, when they during that oh and five start, 0:22:09.119 --> 0:22:13.439 a very trusted scout actually reached out to me and said, man, 0:22:13.920 --> 0:22:16.040 the Russ curse is real, And I'm like, hold on 0:22:16.080 --> 0:22:18.560 a second, the Clippers, there's always been the so called 0:22:18.560 --> 0:22:20.439 Clipper curse. First of all, there are no such thing 0:22:20.480 --> 0:22:23.320 as curses. Really, there are no we there. You know, 0:22:23.520 --> 0:22:25.879 we love to talk about curses in sports, but come on, 0:22:26.240 --> 0:22:28.720 we don't really believe in them, do we. But like 0:22:29.119 --> 0:22:33.480 this scout, who who one of my most trusted one 0:22:33.520 --> 0:22:35.560 of the most trusted set of eyes that I've I've 0:22:35.600 --> 0:22:38.119 come to, you know, I really respect the way he 0:22:38.160 --> 0:22:41.159 sees the game. And he said, yeah, man, I have 0:22:41.200 --> 0:22:43.600 a bad feeling that this is the Russ curse because 0:22:43.840 --> 0:22:46.880 Russ has not played poorly as a Clipper. I mean 0:22:46.960 --> 0:22:51.800 he's he's given them, he's given them better production in 0:22:51.840 --> 0:22:55.600 some ways than he was given the Lakers. But I 0:22:55.640 --> 0:22:58.000 just don't know if he fits right with the you know, 0:22:58.040 --> 0:23:01.119 they they made these they made re bold move, you know, 0:23:01.160 --> 0:23:04.120 pretty maybe bold's too strong, and they made three strong 0:23:04.240 --> 0:23:08.679 moves at the deadline to bring in Eric Gordon and 0:23:08.880 --> 0:23:12.680 Plumbly and Bones Highland, and then they you know, then 0:23:12.720 --> 0:23:14.800 they went for Russ. And it's just is it one 0:23:15.640 --> 0:23:19.360 move too many? I mean, they've just you're right, they 0:23:19.359 --> 0:23:23.359 were they heading into the trade deadline All Star period, 0:23:23.800 --> 0:23:26.040 they looked like they were on a great trajectory and 0:23:26.119 --> 0:23:30.600 now it has gone completely the other way. And yeah, 0:23:30.640 --> 0:23:34.159 the only win with Russ is against a very depleted 0:23:34.520 --> 0:23:39.440 and chaos ridden memberis team. So it is not looking good. 0:23:39.520 --> 0:23:42.040 And I don't have the answer. I'm just kind of 0:23:42.040 --> 0:23:50.960 watching the bar trying to make sense. And the last 0:23:51.000 --> 0:23:54.800 episode we did Steine. I talked about how we talked 0:23:54.800 --> 0:23:59.120 about how Russ Is still qualifies for the six Man 0:23:59.160 --> 0:24:04.080 a Year award. So it's funny. Start. So I don't 0:24:04.080 --> 0:24:06.720 know if I should say it, but I was saying. So. 0:24:07.800 --> 0:24:11.240 I talked to Russ before that game, that last game 0:24:11.280 --> 0:24:13.359 against the Wards that I covered, and I asked him, 0:24:13.400 --> 0:24:17.320 I said, hey, you know you are technically you still 0:24:17.359 --> 0:24:20.280 do qualify because you're not going You're going to play 0:24:20.320 --> 0:24:22.520 more games this season as a reserve than the starter, 0:24:22.840 --> 0:24:25.159 so you still qualify for that six Men the Year award. 0:24:25.359 --> 0:24:26.879 He was I was like, how do you feel about it? 0:24:26.920 --> 0:24:29.040 And I said this on T and T during the 0:24:29.160 --> 0:24:32.080 During the game, he was like, Chris, what's my model? 0:24:32.920 --> 0:24:35.560 Why not? He said, why not? He said? You know, 0:24:35.600 --> 0:24:38.359 he said, I busted East. I busted my ass to 0:24:38.560 --> 0:24:41.280 fit into a new role I wasn't accustomed to. And 0:24:41.720 --> 0:24:44.080