Greetings, my Pete's and welcome to the All Things Basketball Podcast with your boy GD.
In this episode, I'll be doing the NBA postseason awards recap.
I'll go through all the awards that were won.
I'll give you my opinions.
You know how I do it.
So we'll do that.
Also some other news, coaching news, Frank Vogel out.
And as Mike Bouton-Holzer, we'll talk about that.
Steve Clippert, he goes upstairs for the Hornets and they hire Charles Lee.
We'll talk about that as well.
Pat Bev gets suspended.
Drey Mon.
Oh, I got some heat for Drey Mon.
And also Shaquille O'Neal.
I got to take him to task too.
So a lot more.
So we'll get into it.
Just sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
Okay, guys.
It's your boy GD.
Once again, back with the All Things Basketball with GD Podcast.
And we got a packed show today, guys.
I'm going to do the postseason awards.
I'm going to recap all the awards that were won.
We'll talk about that.
Also some coaching news in the NBA.
We'll touch on that.
Pat Bev, he gets suspended for his antics.
We'll talk about that.
Drey Mon.
Oh, Drey Mon.
Oh, you came for my nicks.
I'm coming for you.
So we'll deal with that.
Shaquille O'Neal kind of puts his foot in his mouth.
We'll talk about that as well.
And other news also.
And of course, I got a little heat for Stephen A. as well.
So we'll talk about all of that right about now.
So we're going to start with the NBA postseason awards.
All the hardware that's been given out.
So I will go around and we'll talk about each one.
Let's start with the first award given, the most improved player.
This one I thought was a fader complete.
Tyrese Maxi for the Philadelphia 76ers.
He had a fantastic year, guys.
Career highs and points, assists, rebounds, and even steals.
And he didn't mind you playing only over two more minutes than he normally plays.
So I mean, he really stepped this game up and he had a fantastic year.
So definitely kudos to the young man.
It looks like he's part of that foundation over there with the sixers.
They need to do the wise thing, lock him in because this kid's got star written all over
him.
And he won it over the likes of Kobe White for the Chicago Bulls and Alperin Zingun.
I gave you my spiel about Zingun.
I thought you could have considered Dante Divenchenzo, then they had some backdoor
rule than whatever the case was.
But nonetheless, none of them were getting it over Maxi.
So I'm just talking to kind of big up my guys.
That Maxi well deserved props to him.
Six man of the year.
This one I was kind of shocked, but I like, OK, fine.
Nas Reed for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He had career highs and points and rebounds.
He played at 81 games, guys.
He came off the bench and 67 of them.
So you know, he qualifies.
So I have no issue with that.
It's just my thing is, I think Bobby Portas gets overlooked.
It happened last year and then it happens this year again.
He's one of the most valuable six man coming off the bench, especially given like that
a guy like Giannis Tocumpo, you know, you have to kind of manage his injuries.
So you bring in a guy like Portas and he's able to kind of fill the role.
I wouldn't say totally fill it, but he's able to do a definitely a good job filling
in for Giannis.
So I just think he gets robbed in that regard because also to Malik Monk, he came in second.
So and Malik Monk, he had a fine year coming off the bench.
I'll grant you that, but I just think Portas kind of gets overlooked.
That's, that's all I'll say to that.
But congratulations to Nasri.
He gets it and he's balling right now for his Minnesota Timberwolves.
So props to him.
Clutch play of the year.
I didn't really go into that because the numbers kind of bears itself out when everything
is set and done.
And it goes to Steph Curry.
Why?
Because he was first in clutch points, first in clutch field goals made and first in clutch
three pointers.
So when it's like that, who can argue the numbers are the numbers.
So Steph Curry of the gold state warriors, he walks away with that award and he gets
it over the likes of a DeMar DeRosin and also a shy Gilchis Alexander as well.
So Steph Curry, one more trophy to add on the mantle for him.
Culture the year.
Again, this was one I saw a mile away.
Mark Dagenote in the terrific job he's doing with Oklahoma City Thunder, one of the youngest
teams to ever finish first in their conference.
So that just tells you the kind of job he's done.
So he wins the award and rightfully so over the likes of a DeMar Mosley.
I think any other year, DeMar Mosley might have got it.
And also Chris Finch too has done a fine job as well, given what he's had to deal with
in Minnesota.
Member Carl Anthony Towns.
He missed some time down the stretch.
So I thought that could have hindered their chances, but he kept the ship going in the
right direction, guys.
So they were only a game off from first place.
I mean, when it's like that, you got to give the coach's credit there.
So Chris Finch finishes third in that regard.
So Mike Dagenote wins the award again, rightfully so the bang up job he's done this year.
Most of the year, I didn't really talk about that one guys, but it goes to Brad Stevens
of the Boston Celtics.
And you know, the reason why, of course, he made the trade for Chris Dapporzenges and
also drew holiday.
And then also too, he had the mind to lock in a guy like Jaylen Brown, lock him in full
time.
So with all of that, he gets the award and this one is more of his peers that votes for
this.
So, you know, you can say what you want, but I guess this award has more credence to it
if you want to think of it that way.
And he gets it over the likes of Sam Presti for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who I think
is more of a cumulative job that he's done over there as opposed to what he's done this
year because he already had home grin in the fold already.
He has all these guys.
Only trade he really made was for Gorton Hayward.
So I think it's more cumulative than anything, but Sam Presti and over the likes of a 10
tonnally for the Minnesota Timberwolves and even with him, that's to me, that's more
cumulative than anything else.
But in fourth, Leon Rose for the New York Knicks, I think he should have been higher.
I can tell you that because look at what he's had to deal with as far as Knicks go, all
the injuries, all the trades that he made, shuffling the guys in and out.
So I think Rose could have been higher should he've gotten it over Brad Stevens.
That probably not, but I thought he should have been closer in the race.
Let me just say that.
So Brad Stevens gets the executive of the year and kudos to him.
Hustle award, I even know about this one.
The hustle war goes to Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls.
And they even have stats to back it up guys.
He's number one in deflection and loose balls receive.
And he's also seventh and charges drawn.
So you know, he's analytic guys, they got numbers for everything.
What can you do?
So he ends up getting the award.
This award has been around eight years guys, eight years.
I don't know why I'm just talking about it now, but and then of that, those eight years
Marcus smart of the boss when well, when he was with the Boston Celtics won it three times.
So I'm like, wow.
And then he's also the second bull to win this award, the other being daddy is young.
So Alex Caruso gets it over the likes of Scotty Barnes and the rookie for Colton State Warriors,
Brandon Pazimski.
So Alex Caruso gets the hustle award kudos to him.
The other year, this one, I told you guys, you know, I was speaking out of term when
I say Victor Wimbayama is the rightful person to get this award for the San Antonio Spurs.
And guys, he's the first unanimous winner since Carl Anthony towns in the 2015 16 season.
So Victor Wimbayama definitely in the rarefied air sort of good category for him.
And also to he's the second rookie to lead the league in blocks, the other being minute
bowl minute bowl.
Remember that name guys, seven foot six out of Africa.
Yes, minute bowl.
And also he's the first French player to win this award.
First French player.
Wow.
And he is the 18th.
First overall pick to win this award.
So when you're the overall guy, your chances are pretty good of you winning this award.
If you, you know, play to your expectations.
And he gets it over the likes of Chet Holmgren.
I actually went back and forth with somebody on social media saying that Chet Holmgren got
robbed.
I don't know what planning you're on to think that, but and then also he got it over the
likes of Brandon Miller for the Charlotte Hornets and Holmgren for the Oklahoma City
Thunder.
So there you go.
Progressive Wimby for getting the award defensive player of the year.
This one I called as well guys, Rudy Goldbear of the youth.
Not that you talked to us.
He's with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And he's the anchor of the top defense in the league.
He is again, I gave you the numbers.
He's the top player in defensive rating and defensive wind shares and he turns the blocks.
He finished six in the league and also to the fact that he, he's a four time winner
guys.
So you're talking about only two other people wanted that many times.
The Ken, the Ken Bay Mutombo and Ben Wallace.
So you're talking about and those two guys are in the Hall of Fame.
So you know, a lot of people like to take shots at Rudy Goldbear.
Oh, by the way, they had that players poll and he's one of the least liked players.
I don't understand why the guy just comes.
He comes to play.
You still want to get on them for when COVID hit and he was touching the mics.
Okay, that happened like four years ago.
We're still holding that over his head.
I mean, come on.
And then also in that players poll, Tom Tibbado was the least.
The players, the players that they least wanted to play for Tom Tibbado.
And I love big perk Kendrick Perkins.
Just, he said the league is soft because nobody wants to be coached hard.
And I agree with him there.
So, so much for the players poll.
It was other stuff on there, but those two things stuck out for me.
But in any event, Rudy Goldbear gets it and it's well deserved.
It's over Victor Wimbayama, who he finished second.
It was kind of a, yeah, it was, I would say it was a close second, but he got substantial
votes and then bam out of Bayou and third.
So kudos to Ruby, Rudy Goldbear.
I actually, I'll touch on him in a minute.
I have news items on him.
I'll talk about that.
The MVP award, the one that always seems to draw the most controversy, the most talked
about award and rightfully so.
So this year it goes to the Joker, Nikolai Yokic of the Denver Nuggets.
He is the ninth player guys to win three or more MVPs in the league.
And I'll give you those names.
Kareem with the most with six.
Michael Jordan and Bill Russell has five a piece.
Will Chamberlain and LeBron James each have four.
And then you have three players that have three of these awards.
Now it'll be four with the Joker, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone.
So you're talking about Hall of Famers that has won this prestigious award many times.
So that's the company that Nikolai Yokic is in.
And he gets it over the likes of Aluka Donkage, who came in third and shy, Gilgis Alexander,
who came in second.
Person who I thought should have won it but did not.
So but I was listening to TNT and Charles Barkley said you could give it to five guys
and not got too much of an argument.
The other two he mentioned was Jalen Brunson and the fourth player he mentioned.
Was Jason Tatum that he mentioned?
I think so.
Anyway, so he said you could give it to a number of guys and you wouldn't have had too
much of argument.
Shaquille O'Neal.
He voiced his disapproval right there on the show.
He thought Shaq Yokic is Alexander should have got it.
He said that he empathized with him because he's been a guy who's been robbed of the
award and so on and so forth.
And then he didn't just leave it there guys.
You know, on TNT after the ward is announced, they usually interview the person who got
the award.
So in comes Nikolai Yokic who they talked to after the ward and then Shaquille O'Neal,
you know, he starts with I love you, but I thought it should have went to Jalen Gilgis
Alexander.
So that to me, you didn't have to go there.
You didn't have to go there.
To me, it was stepping on the young man's moment when you do it that way Shaq.
So I got to charge you for that Shaq.
And there's so much so that the guys on Nightcap, well, I should say the guys, but on Nightcap
Wednesday night, it was of course, on Shannon Sharp, Chad O'Joseko and Gil Gilbert Arenas
joint joins on Wednesday nights to talk about NBA sort of stuff and all that.
And on there, they talked about Nikolai Yokic getting the award and the subject of Shaquille
O'Neal came up and Shannon Sharp pretty much said he could have had multiple MVPs if he
had worked harder, if he, you know, applied himself to the craft, which is a mission that
Shaquille O'Neal has made on many occasions, including in that sit down he had with Kobe
Bryant, you know, that special where they kind of cleared the air, their differences.
So this is not something that Shannon Sharp got out of the clear blue sky.
Shaq has admitted it himself.
And the next night on Nightcap, he, I guess Shaquille O'Neal goes on social media or wherever
he goes, and he makes his statement saying basically to kind of ridicule Shannon Sharp
for making that statement.
Shannon Sharp only said that because you admitted it.
So he's just reiterating a point that you made Shaq.
So I thought it was kind of wrong for you to go there.
But I think, I think underneath that was they were actually talking about his ex-wife that
she wrote this book, I guess, and in it she talked about their relationship, how she loved
them, wasn't in love with him.
And they, you know, so, Ankh and Otjo Senkel was talking about that subject on the show.
So I think it was more because of that and not because of what he said the night before
about Shaquille O'Neal and his abilities.
So, you know, Shaq went after him, said he's not considered the top and it's a nine and
so forth.
Here's the problem, Shaq.
You were the first pick overall in your sport.
Shannon Sharp was the seventh round pick in his draft.
So he was somebody, everybody counted out.
But because of his work ethic and the way he applied himself, he worked to become a
whole-of-the-fame player.
Shaq, you're wrong for that.
You're wrong to go at demand for that for something you've admitted to time and time
again.
So I think it was a byproduct of them talking about his ex-wife more than what he said on
the Wednesday show with Otjo and Marina's there.
That's my opinion.
I could be wrong on that.
We'll see.
So I just had to call out Shaq for that bit of business there.
So with that said, let us move on.
A couple of more here and then we'll move on to other news.
Criminal justice champion, this one they named after Karim Abdul-Jabbar.
And this one goes to Carl Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And this is for his work that he does off the court, his advocacy for voting rights,
for the incarcerated and also prison criminal justice reform.
Sorry.
And actually he had a hand in a bill going forth in the state of Minnesota where the
incarcerated got their voting rights restored.
So big ups to him for that.
He also provided funding for director Ava D. Vernay.
She did a docufilm on reading banned books for young people.
So he funded that as well.
So he's done a number of things.
He has his foundation and so forth.
So he's doing a lot of work guys in the community and in the state of Minnesota.
So big ups to Carl Anthony Towns for getting the social justice champion award.
And then also, and he won it over the likes of CJ McCollum, Bam Outta Bayou, Russell Westbrook,
and then a guy, Lindy Waters III.
He's with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
And then the last one, teammate of the year.
They named this one after Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes.
And this goes to Mike Connolly of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
So Minnesota here getting a lot of hardware in the postseason.
So Mike Connolly is one of these guys that if you're a teammate of his, you love him.
He's a guy that will go to bat for you.
He's a guy that's welcoming in the locker room.
He's one of those type of guys.
He's such a great guy on the court.
The man doesn't even have a technical foul in his career.
That's even referees talk about how great a guy he is.
So you know, referees don't really talk about players much.
They talk about him.
So Mike Connolly, teammate of the year, no surprise.
And kudos to him.
All right, guys.
So that is the postseason awards.
Let me get to these, this other bit of news that I have here.
We'll start with coaching.
The Phoenix Suns.
So the owner over there, Matt Ishby, he's one of those guys.
He seemed like he's a guy who's got his hands and everything.
So I guess he wasn't happy with Frank Vogel and what he did in his first season.
So he's out after one season.
Frank Vogel out as coach of the Phoenix Suns.
Mind you, bear this in mind, they finished 49 and 33, 6 in the West.
They did get swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs.
But you got to take it to mind this.
The big three that they have, Bradley Beale, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, they missed
a combined 50 gains.
50 gains combined, they missed.
So I mean, you got to give Frank Vogel some grace here and not let him go after one season.
I don't get that.
But it is what it is.
So Frank Vogel is out as the coach and comes Mike Bouton-Hoser, a Arizona native, by the
way.
Mike Bouton-Hoser, a two-time coach of the year.
He's won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks.
He's been 17 years as an assistant coach for under the great Greg Popovich with San Antonio.
His overall record, 484 wins, 317 losses.
That gives him a win percentage over 60%.
He spent five years with Atlanta, five years with Milwaukee.
And he's getting guys a contract five years over $50 million.
So talking about some big money here for Mike Bouton-Hoser.
So we'll see what happens there.
I guess you're going to have to figure out this big three that you have.
Do you split that up?
Do you?
I don't know.
I guess they're going to stay packed with the big three that they have and build around
them.
So we'll see what happens.
But Mike Bouton-Hoser is a guy who demands his team to play defense, to play smart.
So it'll be an interesting fit here, that's for sure.
So Mike Bouton-Hoser in as the Phoenix Suns coach.
Then we head to Charlotte.
The Charlotte Hornets, Steve Clifford, he resigns and moves to the front office.
So he goes upstairs, guys.
His total seven seasons with Charlotte, whether it be with the Bobcats or the Hornets, he
has a 244 and 330 record.
He's only had two seasons where he was over 500 guys.
And then last year, they finished 21 and 61, not good at all, towards the bottom in that
division, in that conference, rather.
So in comes Charles Lee, a long-time assistant.
He's been an assistant 10 years with the likes of the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, and
just last year with the Boston Celtics.
They're giving him a four-year deal, guys.
So he's got some longevity in that regard.
And he's going to have to figure it out with the likes of Lamello Ball, who, guys, I've
mentioned, you know, his injury history hasn't been good.
A young player in Brandon Miller, a young big man in Mark Williams, and then you have
to figure out, too, what you're going to do with the Miles Bridges, who's an unrestricted
free agent.
So a lot to figure out over there with the Hornets.
And we'll see if Charles Lee is up to the task, and he's got major work ahead of him.
So we'll see what happens there.
All right.
Let us move on.
Next to coaching news that I had to mention, Patrick Beverly, Patrick Beverly suspended
four games, guys, for throwing a ball at a fan.
He did that towards the end of the series there that they had with the Indiana Pacers
and playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
And then also an appropriate interaction with a reporter, a reporter for CNN, blank
and on the name.
But yeah, his interaction with her, not good.
He pretty much blew her off and stopped answering questions that she had posed to him.
And then also along with that, he is banned from making personal appearances on ESPN.
Because if you guys remember, he used to show up on shows like First Take and then Get Up.
He'll show up there as well.
That's not happening, guys.
So Patrick Beverly, again, I say, I'm not even sure if he's in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform
for next year.
That's what I'm thinking there is in that regard.
I don't know if they'll bring him back.
Does he come back in some capacity?
Who knows?
But if he does, he's got to sit the first four games because of that suspension.
So that's your Patrick Beverly news.
Dreymon Green.
Oh, I've been itching to talk about this one, guys.
On his podcast, remember, guys, he has a lot of free time on his hands due to his Golden
State Warriors not making the playoffs.
They got knocked out in the play-in.
So he's got a lot of time on his hands.
So of course, he gets behind a mic like I'm doing, and he just talks about the playoffs,
something that he's not a part of.
Let me make that clear.
So he's taken the time, these past couple of episodes, to talk about the next.
First he says he questions if Jalen Brunson can take them to the promised land, take them
all the way to a NBA finals and so forth.
All right.
So he questions that.
But he's balling.
The man is balling right now.
And he's mentioned that.
So I'll cut that loose.
But this is what I can't cut loose.
The fact that he picked the 76ers over the Knicks and agreeing with Paul Reed when he
said the Knicks are the easier route to go through as opposed to Paul said, then the
numbers bear that out fine.
But it wasn't easy for them because they're now packing up and going to Cancun.
So it's so much for being easy.
But in any events, so he picked the 76ers.
So you already know he has no regard for the New York Knicks whatsoever.
And he's been like that in the past.
He's made those sly remarks about the Knicks in the past.
So now he brings on this Nick fan.
I'm not sure who it is.
I wish I'd delve into it further.
But he nonetheless, he brings on this diehard Nick fan on this show.
And he tells that fan that the Knicks run right now is a fluke.
He says it's reminiscent of the 2021-22 Atlanta Hawks, where they had the great show and then
the next few latest they haven't done much.
And he also equated it to the 2018-19 Blazers that made a run to the conference finals with
the likes of a Dame Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and not much else.
And he said it'll be like that.
And then Stephen A. Smith, he goes and says he wasn't happy with what Dreymon said, but
he has a right to say it because of his championship pedigree and winning the four championships
and so forth.
Let me start with Dreymon first.
Dreymon, and I mentioned this when I was talking about the wrap-up of the Warriors season.
Dreymon, you know why you have a lot of time on your hands?
And he basically said on this podcast, I have nothing else to do.
You want to know why you have nothing else to do, Dreymon?
You want to know why?
Because you let your team down this year when you laid hands on Rudy Gobert putting him
in the headlock, when you swung around and hit Joseph Nerkick, thus getting suspended
indefinitely.
So Dreymon, those 25 games, and not to mention the one game where you went at it with a referee,
over a call, and you couldn't let it go.
You had to keep going, keep going, and you got yourself ejected from that game.
Thankfully, they won the game, but Dreymon, you should be the last one talking right now.
You should be easy with your thing.
But no, you got to go up there.
And I actually agree with the guy he had on the Nick fan who said, Nick's for clicks.
And that's what it is.
The talk ill about the Knicks is involved these days.
You hear it on TNT, Shaquille O'Neal who has an axe to grind with the Knicks.
It seemed like more than Shaquille on this show, but he has an axe to grind with the
Knicks and he can't let it go.
So he'll pick against them.
Barkley, he was reckless with his mouth lately.
Talk about the only thing good about New York is the street meat.
He still has, he still saw because Nick kicked his butt in the playoffs many times.
So we could go there with that.
But my ire is steered towards Dreymon.
Dreymon, you let your team down.
That's why you have nothing else better to do.
Now you have your podcast.
You can sit up there and talk ill of the Knicks.
You could have been on the court if you behaved yourself and put your anger in check, but
no, you got your free time now to go after my Knicks and I got beef with you.
And oh, by the way, everyone wants to talk about the Knicks run being a fluke and even
the odd couple joined in on the nonsense saying that all it's a fugazi run because of all
the injuries that's taken place.
Take you honest for the Milwaukee box until lesser extent.
Dame Lillard.
Then he talked about also and be not being completely healthy.
Then he also talked about Jimmy Butler, him not being healthy.
And he had the nerve to say if he was healthy, he would not go off Boston and the Knicks,
his general manager and part owner Pat Riley had to take him to task saying, if you're
not on the court, shut your mouth and kudos to Riley for setting them straight like that.
But I say all that to say, nobody, nobody's talking about the Knicks injuries.
No one's talking about you're missing the all star guys, Julius Randall, who hasn't
who's missed half of the season.
Just about a little more than half of the season.
You're missing the all star and they're still doing these things.
You missed Mitchell, Mitchell Robinson, who missed three quarters of the season.
And then now he's out in the playoffs.
So they had to overcome two starters going down.
And then also remember to you started out with quitting Grimes, but you end up switching
over to defense and so so you had to deal with that and even Chinsle's been playing
great.
So, so all this the Knicks had to deal with, then they had two trades on the top of it that
you had to work into the mix.
OG Ananobi along with Preston Sature, you had to work those guys in and then both gone
by Donovitch.
Oh, by the way, he's out now.
So you're missing another guy and Alex Burks.
You had to work those guys in.
So I don't want to hear anybody talk about the injury bug helping the Knicks.
The Knicks are helping themselves because they're dealing with injuries.
So talk to me about that.
You can miss me with this nonsense, guys.
I have enough of it.
You want to try the Knicks for overachieving.
That's what they're doing.
They're overachieving with the roster that they have.
They should be getting credit instead of just nonsense about it's a fluke.
Wake up and smell the coffee.
That's all I'm going to say with that.
But everybody's quick to talk about everybody else's injuries, but the Nick injuries, we
don't talk about that nonsense, utter nonsense and a disgrace.
Anyway, so I'm going to leave it alone.
And Stephen A. Smith, let me before I end Stephen A. Smith.
I am so sick of you treating Draymond with kid gloves.
I am so sick of it.
Oh, I'm so disappointed in what he said, but he has a right.
Come on, man.
Get some kahunas, man.
Come on.
He's wrong for that and you should have mentioned the injuries that I'm talking about, the injuries
that the Knicks had to overcome.
But no, you want to cuddle up to Draymond.
Oh, and you've even seen it with the suspension.
Again he says, I don't want to say he has an anger issue because it pains.
No, he has an anger issue.
Let's be straight about that.
Come on.
That's the problem.
That's the problem with everybody giving Draymond a pass.
You're one of them.
And only let me talk about your Nick fandom.
We can go there, but we not.
But shout out to again to shows like Nick Fan TV, CP, The Franchise and those guys over
there for kicking the reel.
They had Kendrick Perkins on there and Kendrick Perkins was trying to apologize for Stephen
A. Oh, he's a real fan.
But you know, get cut up some slack and CP wasn't feeling that.
Let's just put it that way.
So any event.
So I'll save that.
Stephen A. Nick Fan talk for another day.
But you're wrong, Stephen A. You should have called out Draymond instead of soft shoeing
it.
If it was somebody else, if it was Russell Westbrook, you'd go hard at him.
If it was Kyrie Irving, you'd go hard at him.
Draymond gets a pass.
Miss me with that.
All right, so I'm going to leave that alone, guys.
All right, let's move on to the next thing.
Rudy Gobert misses game two guys in the Denver, Minnesota series that's going on right now.
Of course, I'll give you a recap later.
And he missed it because his wife was giving birth to their first child.
And Gilbert Arena.
So of course, I got to mention him.
He takes him to task for missing that game.
He said, oh, the baby's going to be there.
The wife is going to be there.
You go out there and play.
Here's my thing with that.
If Rudy Gobert gets the OK from his teammates and from the front office to do so, go be
with your wife.
Go be with your family.
That's the way I see it.
Oh, what if it was the Finals?
Or it was the Super Bowl?
That's a decision he has to make between his team and his teammates.
If they're OK with it, I'm OK with it.
That's the way I see it.
For you Gilbert Arenas, who doesn't even know what the second round of the playoffs look
like, but that's a story for another day, you can miss me with that too.
So if the team is OK with it, his teammates are OK with it.
I'm good.
So we'll just leave it there.
But congratulations to the Go Bears for their first child.
It was a son.
So congrats to you guys.
Maybe a healthy, bouncing baby boy and all the best to you.
Giannis Ato Tecunpo, he turns down a shoe deal with Adidas because they didn't allow
him to bring his brother on for his own deal.
So his brother, Giannis, he said, you know what, Adidas, I'm good.
You can't put my brother on, I'll pass.
Then a lot of people want to criticize him for the way he has his brother on the team
and so forth, where he has the power to have him on there.
You know what?
And then, Barkley, he says, his brother's job is more secure than a Supreme Court justice,
which I think that's going a bit too far.
But here's what I will say.
My brother and I, if my brother was a star player because he was very good in his day
and I was marginal.
I think my brother would do the same thing that Giannis has done.
I think he would do similar because that's the kind of bond we have and he knows I would
look out for him in other ways and so forth.
So it's kind of Giannis paying it forward for his brother and I'm okay with that.
I'm okay with it.
You know, people want to say this and say that.
It's nepotism in the corporate field.
It's nepotism in other places.
So it's not okay for nepotism in basketball.
What are we doing here?
So if he's going hard for his brother like that, have at it.
I'm not going to charge you for that.
So I'll just leave it there.
That's my opinion.
And then the last thing, Glenn Big Baby Davis to face 40 months in jail guys.
Forget this.
Filing false claims to the NBA Health and Welfare Plan.
That's for foreign players.
And he's been convicted of healthcare fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to make false statements
and conspiracy to commit healthcare and wire fraud.
And he's part of 20 players who were caught up in the scheme.
Wow.
This is a bomb.
This is a bombshell guys.
And add to his 40 months in jail.
Three years of supervised release.
So after he gets out of prison, he's three years, he's got to be supervised while he's
out and he has to pay $80,000 in restitution.
Boy they came down hard on him for this one.
And he goes on, I think it was Instagram Live.
He kind of made light of it.
Oh, I could go to jail.
I could get swole now.
And somebody say you got to laugh to keep from crying.
But yeah, this is a big one guys.
And then the former players among them is Terrence Williams, Keon Dooling and Will Bynum.
That's amongst the 20.
So this is not good guys.
This is not good and this makes it look bad for other guys who's actually using the system
for good.
So he's made claims about procedures that he didn't get done, dental work that he didn't
get done.
So all of that.
And it was hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars that he defrauded from this benefit
plan here.
That's not good guys.
And shame on you big baby for having to go this route.
This is just bad.
So hopefully with his time there in jail, he can think about what he's done and pay a
step to society and come out with a different frame of mind than the one where he's just
joking about his situation and being serious about it.
So we hope the best for big baby.
Hope he learns from this.
This is not good at all.
So we'll see what happens.
All right guys, so that is it for this show.
And next time you hear from me guys, WNBA, the season's about to begin.
I'm going to give you my season preview and I got some other WNBA news to go along with
that.
So that'll be the next episode guys.
All right.
So on that note, I thank you for listening as always.
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Anyway, so I thank you for listening as always.
I appreciate your listenership guys.
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You want the real.
So I keep giving it to you.
All right.
On that note, I thank you for listening as always.
Juicers.