WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.200 Welcome in to the newest edition of the Justin 00:00:02.200 --> 00:00:04.679 Time Sports Podcast. I am your owner and host, 00:00:04.820 --> 00:00:07.459 Justin Jackson. And this week, it'll be a basketball 00:00:07.459 --> 00:00:09.560 show. We'll be discussing the NBA Conference 00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:11.939 Finals, along with some historic stuff happening 00:00:11.939 --> 00:00:15.080 in the NBA, along with the WNBA returning and 00:00:15.080 --> 00:00:18.420 opening weekend. Now, of course, you can follow 00:00:18.420 --> 00:00:21.399 the social media handle at JTimeSports. I repeat, 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:24.559 at JTimeSports. Follow your breaking news, updates, 00:00:24.760 --> 00:00:28.719 and coverage. And, of course... As always, don't 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:30.219 forget to sit back and get ready to learn something. 00:00:58.070 --> 00:01:17.359 We'll be right back. Louisiana till I die is 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:19.299 where I'm from, I can't replace it. Some people 00:01:19.299 --> 00:01:21.260 minds are obtuse, but I like to be adjacent. 00:01:21.659 --> 00:01:23.939 Giving my opinion like I'm Nick Wright or I'm 00:01:23.939 --> 00:01:26.340 Jason. ESPN better watch out cause I'm coming 00:01:26.340 --> 00:01:28.739 for the spaceship. We even tweeting on Twitter, 00:01:28.780 --> 00:01:30.859 you can meet us in the spaces. Highlight clips 00:01:30.859 --> 00:01:33.319 of sports news, yeah, you gotta embrace it. We 00:01:33.319 --> 00:01:35.620 never had it easy, we just came from the pavement. 00:01:35.819 --> 00:01:37.879 I might be controversial, but I like to make 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:40.719 my statement. This is just a ton of sports, come 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:45.060 and get your weekly takes. His opinion from the 00:01:45.060 --> 00:01:47.379 heart, he can never show you fake. He can never 00:01:47.379 --> 00:01:49.859 show you fake. He can never show you fake. If 00:01:49.859 --> 00:01:51.959 you winning or you losing, he gonna tell it to 00:01:51.959 --> 00:01:53.920 you straight. He gonna tell it to you. He gonna 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:55.500 tell it to you. He gonna tell it to you. This 00:01:55.500 --> 00:01:57.859 is Just In Time Sports. Come and get your whoopie 00:01:57.859 --> 00:02:00.620 taste. Come and get it. He gonna tell it to you 00:02:00.620 --> 00:02:09.259 straight. To you straight. Welcome into the show. 00:02:10.219 --> 00:02:12.900 It's going to be a rather quick or a more quick 00:02:12.900 --> 00:02:15.580 show of what's going to do purely basketball 00:02:15.580 --> 00:02:18.120 today. Not a whole lot of football going on. 00:02:18.259 --> 00:02:20.800 No need for you guys to really keep all super 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:26.300 informed about that. But if there any if there 00:02:26.300 --> 00:02:30.719 any is sorry, any major football stuff coming 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:35.639 on or coming out whenever as the show continues. 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:38.939 We will definitely get on that and be reacting 00:02:38.939 --> 00:02:42.099 to it live, recording this a little right before 00:02:42.099 --> 00:02:44.219 we record the JTS After Dark episodes, literally 00:02:44.219 --> 00:02:47.060 right before. So I'm going to go from this pod, 00:02:47.139 --> 00:02:49.840 the audio pod, right into the JTS After Dark 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:53.939 episode that you can find on the IMS Productions 00:02:53.939 --> 00:02:58.139 YouTube situation, which will be, of course, 00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:01.199 put in the link tree for you guys to be able 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:06.030 to easily access that as well. Our conference 00:03:06.030 --> 00:03:08.349 finals in the NBA have been set. I'm recording 00:03:08.349 --> 00:03:09.770 this on Monday night. You'll hear this Tuesday 00:03:09.770 --> 00:03:12.310 morning. Excuse if I sound a little weird. I'm 00:03:12.310 --> 00:03:14.789 a tad bit nasally. Feeling a tad bit under the 00:03:14.789 --> 00:03:17.490 weather. But in turn, the conference finals, 00:03:17.629 --> 00:03:19.569 I definitely want to put a show out for you guys. 00:03:20.069 --> 00:03:21.610 I was going to do it last night to come out this 00:03:21.610 --> 00:03:24.430 morning, but I fell asleep. That could hit me 00:03:24.430 --> 00:03:28.289 kind of hard. And so I am doing it tonight to 00:03:28.289 --> 00:03:29.569 put out tomorrow morning so you guys will have 00:03:29.569 --> 00:03:31.750 it before the conference finals. Anyway. Enough 00:03:31.750 --> 00:03:33.370 of the behind the scenes stuff. We have the three 00:03:33.370 --> 00:03:35.729 seed Knicks against the four seed Pacers. And 00:03:35.729 --> 00:03:38.129 we have the one seed Oklahoma City versus the 00:03:38.129 --> 00:03:42.310 six seed Timberwolves. Now, it's kind of debating 00:03:42.310 --> 00:03:44.509 how I want to attack this show. If I wanted to 00:03:44.509 --> 00:03:47.650 go break down analysis and then go back to how 00:03:47.650 --> 00:03:51.289 this is historic or do history first and then 00:03:51.289 --> 00:03:53.629 get into the fun stuff. Let's go to the fun stuff 00:03:53.629 --> 00:03:56.469 first. So in the East, we have the Knicks versus 00:03:56.469 --> 00:04:00.900 the Pacers. Welcome back to 1990s. And it's kind 00:04:00.900 --> 00:04:02.580 of dope. It's a dope moment all around because 00:04:02.580 --> 00:04:05.039 Kevin Harlan's on the call, who's a known Knicks 00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:07.699 person. And then Reggie Miller is on the call 00:04:07.699 --> 00:04:10.120 for TNT. It's TNT's last playoff series in the 00:04:10.120 --> 00:04:13.099 modern era. And Reggie Miller will be able to 00:04:13.099 --> 00:04:16.560 do Knicks and Pacers. That's about as storybook 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:18.720 as you can get it. A rivalry that made Reggie 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:22.879 Miller famous. The Knicks versus the Hicks. A 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:28.180 rivalry that... Big City versus Small Town. I 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:30.279 mean, the Indiana Pacers and the Knicks were 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:36.740 like the NBA fans rivalry of the 90s. So the 00:04:36.740 --> 00:04:39.860 world was Magic versus Bird in the 80s. I'm sure 00:04:39.860 --> 00:04:43.720 a Pacers fan. By the time the 90s hit, Jordan 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:46.899 is running the league with the Bulls. And so 00:04:46.899 --> 00:04:50.279 what became interesting in the second half of 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:52.279 the 90s was, especially when Jordan retired, 00:04:52.300 --> 00:04:54.379 was who's going to take over the East? It became 00:04:54.379 --> 00:04:56.360 a battle between the Knicks and the Pacers. Hicks 00:04:56.360 --> 00:04:58.259 versus Knicks. I think winning time, Reggie Miller. 00:04:59.660 --> 00:05:02.660 And that kind of became the rivalry in the NBA. 00:05:04.500 --> 00:05:08.439 So much so that multiple specials have been made. 00:05:09.100 --> 00:05:12.639 Beefs were made. Spike Lee refers to Indiana 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:17.300 as the birthplace of the Klansmen. It is a pure 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:21.639 basketball fan rivalry. Knicks and Pacers. It 00:05:21.639 --> 00:05:24.060 was almost like the NBA's darling Knicks. And 00:05:24.060 --> 00:05:26.120 the team, nobody wants to win the Pacers. And 00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:27.360 now they're squaring out again for the chance 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:29.540 of the finals. Honestly, it's very similar to 00:05:29.540 --> 00:05:32.279 the 90s. There's no kingpin in these. And we'll 00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:39.939 get to that in a second. This series, both teams 00:05:39.939 --> 00:05:43.920 took advantage of situations of injuries. Neither 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:45.879 one of these teams were paid to be picked. When 00:05:45.879 --> 00:05:47.759 the brackets come out, it was supposed to be 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:50.300 one in two season needs, Boston and Cleveland. 00:05:50.459 --> 00:05:52.600 Neither one made it. Cleveland suffered a bevy 00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:54.860 of injuries. At one point, they didn't have three 00:05:54.860 --> 00:05:58.399 of their five starters in the game. Donovan Mitchell 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:00.779 was on one leg for the vast majority of the playoffs. 00:06:01.379 --> 00:06:03.879 And it caught up with Cleveland ultimately. But 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:06.000 give credit to the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers, 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:09.120 over the last 40 -some -odd games of the season, 00:06:09.220 --> 00:06:12.379 were a 60 -win team, pace -wise. The problem 00:06:12.379 --> 00:06:14.800 with the Pacers was they started off either right 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:18.680 at or right below .500 for, like, the first 28, 00:06:18.740 --> 00:06:20.699 30 games of the season. They were, like, 14 and 00:06:20.699 --> 00:06:22.980 16 at one point. And then they rip off like a 00:06:22.980 --> 00:06:27.740 56 to 60 win pace the rest of the season and 00:06:27.740 --> 00:06:30.600 play just as well, if not better than Boston's, 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:32.319 your Cleveland's, your New York's. They just 00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:34.240 started off so bad, people kind of forgot about 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:35.839 them. And they're the Pacers. They don't get 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:38.180 a lot of national love. The best player is Tyree 00:06:38.180 --> 00:06:39.680 Tyler -Burton, the guy with the funky shot who 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:42.160 didn't play in the Olympics. Like, they don't, 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:44.339 you know, Rick Carlisle was the guy who presided 00:06:44.339 --> 00:06:46.579 over the team that got rid of Luka and Porzingis 00:06:46.579 --> 00:06:50.540 and Brunson, one of which who's seen the title. 00:06:51.069 --> 00:06:52.569 one of which who's seen Clutch Player of the 00:06:52.569 --> 00:06:54.610 Year, and one of which who's seen the finals. 00:06:56.149 --> 00:07:00.089 So, you know, this situation where Carlisle is 00:07:00.089 --> 00:07:03.470 getting my national respect, they got rid of 00:07:03.470 --> 00:07:06.250 Buddy Heald for Siakam. Like, you know, the Pacers 00:07:06.250 --> 00:07:08.310 don't get a lot of national love, right? That's 00:07:08.310 --> 00:07:10.350 the downside of being in Indianapolis, Indiana. 00:07:12.470 --> 00:07:15.149 The Knicks, however, or the Pacers, rather, continue. 00:07:16.620 --> 00:07:18.139 They were a really good basketball team over 00:07:18.139 --> 00:07:20.120 the second half of the year. This team, pretty 00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:22.680 much the exact roster, was in the conference 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:25.959 finals last season. So this team is used to being 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:27.759 together. They're used to playing playoff basketball. 00:07:28.100 --> 00:07:30.360 They understand how it works. Tyrese Halliburton 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:31.740 is one of the more clutch players in the NBA, 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:34.759 especially in big moments in the playoffs. And 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:37.319 they have earned the right to be here. Yes, would 00:07:37.319 --> 00:07:39.879 Cleveland have given them a better fight or maybe 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:42.920 even taken them out had they been healthy? Sure. 00:07:43.399 --> 00:07:45.870 But they weren't. Ask the Warriors how health 00:07:45.870 --> 00:07:48.250 decides playoffs. The Warriors' dynasty is built 00:07:48.250 --> 00:07:49.930 on the fact that they didn't play starting point 00:07:49.930 --> 00:07:54.430 guard in the 2015 playoffs. And in 2016, they 00:07:54.430 --> 00:07:56.110 had a Draymond Green suspension, and they had 00:07:56.110 --> 00:07:58.910 a Kevin Dupran, and so on and so forth. But the 00:07:58.910 --> 00:08:01.290 Warriors' dynasty began on the cornerstone of 00:08:01.290 --> 00:08:03.769 players being injured. The NBA has an 82 -game 00:08:03.769 --> 00:08:08.069 season with a more than likely 18 -20 game playoff 00:08:08.069 --> 00:08:11.009 run. If you're lucky, you can go 24 -25 games. 00:08:11.050 --> 00:08:12.889 If you're unlucky, you can play 100 games in 00:08:12.889 --> 00:08:18.759 a season. So a war of attrition is half the war. 00:08:19.220 --> 00:08:21.120 And speaking of war of attrition, the Knicks. 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:23.519 So the Knicks, I think, were going to beat the 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:26.560 Boston Celtics anyway. I truly believe that. 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:29.879 I believe the series goes Knicks and six regardless 00:08:29.879 --> 00:08:34.659 kind of thing. But it was greatly boosted by 00:08:34.659 --> 00:08:36.559 the unfortunate Achilles tear of Jason Tatum. 00:08:36.679 --> 00:08:39.080 Now, in the game, Jason Tatum tore his Achilles. 00:08:39.159 --> 00:08:42.509 The game was over. the Knicks up like 13 points 00:08:42.509 --> 00:08:43.850 or something like that with three minutes left 00:08:43.850 --> 00:08:47.110 Boston was not going to win that game anyway 00:08:47.110 --> 00:08:51.909 but and then or sorry not but but and then in 00:08:51.909 --> 00:08:55.889 game five Boston blows the Knicks out so I don't 00:08:55.889 --> 00:08:58.549 think Tatum was going to blow them out less you 00:08:58.549 --> 00:08:59.590 know I'm saying like I don't think Tatum's gonna 00:08:59.590 --> 00:09:02.590 be around the Knicks one they're in game six 00:09:02.590 --> 00:09:06.210 I out the Knicks play with a reckless I play 00:09:06.210 --> 00:09:10.309 with a controlled fury, controlled fire, a sense 00:09:10.309 --> 00:09:13.029 of we have to win this game because we cannot 00:09:13.029 --> 00:09:16.389 go back to that building for game seven. Things 00:09:16.389 --> 00:09:21.029 happen. A lot of NBA players say that damn leprechaun. 00:09:21.250 --> 00:09:27.029 Like, things happen in that building. So, because 00:09:27.029 --> 00:09:29.870 of which, they play with an aggressiveness and 00:09:29.870 --> 00:09:31.909 a level of urgency that I think Boston couldn't 00:09:31.909 --> 00:09:36.009 have matched even with Tatum. and therefore the 00:09:36.009 --> 00:09:37.490 Knicks were always going to win in six. So that 00:09:37.490 --> 00:09:39.070 starts with the East. Again, Knicks, Pacers, 00:09:39.129 --> 00:09:41.509 bring back the 1990s. You're going to have Spike 00:09:41.509 --> 00:09:43.210 Lee, Korsak. You're going to have Reggie Miller 00:09:43.210 --> 00:09:47.250 on the call. You're going to have the team from 00:09:47.250 --> 00:09:50.250 French Lick. Not quite, but it feels that way. 00:09:50.350 --> 00:09:54.110 The Hicks from French Lick, Danny and the Pacers, 00:09:54.129 --> 00:09:57.750 and then the big city Slickers, who most franchises 00:09:57.750 --> 00:10:00.250 around the NBA laugh at the fact that the NBA 00:10:00.250 --> 00:10:02.070 media has loved the Knicks and they don't ever 00:10:02.070 --> 00:10:06.490 win anything. And then out west, we have the 00:10:06.490 --> 00:10:09.610 expected one seed Oklahoma City Thunder and the 00:10:09.610 --> 00:10:11.610 Shockers of the Timberwolves, the sixth seed. 00:10:11.789 --> 00:10:14.629 The T -Wolves have beaten LeBron James, Luka, 00:10:14.789 --> 00:10:18.370 and the Lakers. They have also beaten Jimmy Butler 00:10:18.370 --> 00:10:19.990 and the Warriors. And I say Jimmy Butler and 00:10:19.990 --> 00:10:21.889 the Warriors because Steph Curry, similar to 00:10:21.889 --> 00:10:26.210 what the Pacers got with Andrew Luck to the Cavs, 00:10:26.250 --> 00:10:29.129 the Timberwolves played the Warriors without 00:10:29.129 --> 00:10:30.850 Steph Curry the last three games of the series. 00:10:32.699 --> 00:10:35.059 Will the Timberwolves have won anyway? Possibly. 00:10:35.259 --> 00:10:36.980 But Steph Curry was giving them fits. He was 00:10:36.980 --> 00:10:39.440 blowing their defensive assignments apart. And 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:42.899 even games that were close, you know, late without 00:10:42.899 --> 00:10:45.759 Steph. Just imagine that Steph on the floor. 00:10:45.940 --> 00:10:48.759 Those games go differently just for spacing purposes. 00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:51.120 And that best player has to guard Steph instead 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:52.620 of getting Jimmy. And it just kind of trickles 00:10:52.620 --> 00:10:55.649 all the way down. But kudos to the Timberwolves. 00:10:55.710 --> 00:10:58.009 They played their game. They played an aggressive, 00:10:58.070 --> 00:11:00.590 vertical game. They played a very physical game. 00:11:00.830 --> 00:11:04.009 And so kudos to them for constantly battling 00:11:04.009 --> 00:11:07.710 at any and all times, especially these legends. 00:11:07.889 --> 00:11:10.870 Ant has now knocked off Kevin Durant. He's now 00:11:10.870 --> 00:11:13.750 knocked off Devin Bucker. He's knocked off LeBron 00:11:13.750 --> 00:11:20.659 and Luka and Steph and Jimmy and Dre. Impressive 00:11:20.659 --> 00:11:23.100 collection to him. I saw a graphic ESPN made 00:11:23.100 --> 00:11:24.659 where he's collecting legends like Infinity Stones. 00:11:25.860 --> 00:11:29.840 Impressive path for him so far. But now he faces 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:31.399 his toughest test, and that's the one seed Thunder. 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:33.639 They were the one seed for a reason. They're 00:11:33.639 --> 00:11:36.440 the only top two seed left. So it's like in the 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:38.360 NCAA tournament, they track the ones and the 00:11:38.360 --> 00:11:41.379 twos, how many of the expected players still 00:11:41.379 --> 00:11:43.820 left. There's one top two seed left. Now in the 00:11:43.820 --> 00:11:45.639 West, interesting enough, nobody picked Houston. 00:11:45.899 --> 00:11:48.019 People thought it'd be one, two, one, three. 00:11:49.820 --> 00:11:52.700 Cavs, Celtics, OKC, Lakers for the conference 00:11:52.700 --> 00:11:55.340 finals. Instead, it was none of those things. 00:11:55.399 --> 00:11:58.620 Oklahoma City are there as well. They also benefited 00:11:58.620 --> 00:12:00.740 from injury. Now, would Oklahoma City have won 00:12:00.740 --> 00:12:03.779 game seven anyway? Probably. They came out again 00:12:03.779 --> 00:12:06.039 with that level of desperation that New York 00:12:06.039 --> 00:12:09.820 had in game six. Like, if we keep it close, Jokic 00:12:09.820 --> 00:12:11.340 is going to beat us. I mean, that's kind of what 00:12:11.340 --> 00:12:13.639 the mindset was. We have to blow them away because 00:12:13.639 --> 00:12:15.480 this game is a five -point game with six minutes 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:18.620 left. Jokic is going to beat us. And Oklahoma 00:12:18.620 --> 00:12:21.820 City played basketball how I wish more teams 00:12:21.820 --> 00:12:25.100 in the playoffs did. Excuse me. But it's only 00:12:25.100 --> 00:12:28.879 beneficial if you are able to have the depth 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:33.259 if needed to play this way. How they played, 00:12:33.299 --> 00:12:35.840 Jokic was incredibly physical. But we can go 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:38.679 10 deep. So if a guy picks up a couple of fouls, 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:41.220 the next guy comes in. And then the next guy. 00:12:41.340 --> 00:12:42.799 And then the next guy. We're going to continue 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:45.059 to rotate bodies. And the refs are going to call 00:12:45.059 --> 00:12:47.320 them all. Jokic probably should have shot 30, 00:12:47.340 --> 00:12:50.139 45 free throws. 30, 35 free throws, easy. Whatever 00:12:50.139 --> 00:12:52.200 his number was, should have doubled it easily. 00:12:52.620 --> 00:12:54.919 He was getting bumped, pulled, grabbed, slapped 00:12:54.919 --> 00:12:59.500 over, yanked, dug under. They were doing anything 00:12:59.500 --> 00:13:01.919 they could to keep him from either getting the 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:04.379 ball or getting into position. And it worked. 00:13:04.440 --> 00:13:07.379 The ref eventually started to let him play, and 00:13:07.379 --> 00:13:10.720 the Thunder ran the Nuggets off the floor. However, 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:12.759 in this series, you enter Michael Porter Jr. 00:13:13.220 --> 00:13:15.799 with the left shoulder. He was supposed to take 00:13:15.799 --> 00:13:18.519 46 weeks. He said, screw that, I'm playing. You 00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:21.700 get a Jamal Murray sickness, and you get a Aaron 00:13:21.700 --> 00:13:24.799 Gordon grade two hamstring that he played through 00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:26.840 game seven with. I don't know how he would have 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:30.179 played in game one of the next series, just from 00:13:30.179 --> 00:13:32.879 a physical standpoint. However, he played in 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:34.820 game seven. Actually, he played pretty decent 00:13:34.820 --> 00:13:36.860 all things considered. He played great all things 00:13:36.860 --> 00:13:38.799 considered. But if you don't know about the hamstring, 00:13:38.860 --> 00:13:41.080 he played pretty decent. It just wasn't his level 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:43.440 that he would have been playing with up until 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:48.539 that. point but absolutely great series between 00:13:48.539 --> 00:13:50.860 Oklahoma City and Thunder and the Denver Nuggets 00:13:50.860 --> 00:13:53.539 that is my favorite series so far that is series 00:13:53.539 --> 00:13:57.080 I watched every single dribble of because I was 00:13:57.080 --> 00:13:59.399 glued to the TV I rearranged schedules to get 00:13:59.399 --> 00:14:01.159 to Oklahoma City Denver that was a hell of a 00:14:01.159 --> 00:14:05.399 series between the two MVP favorites which congrats 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:07.259 to Shea it hasn't been announced yet but congrats 00:14:07.259 --> 00:14:10.789 to Shea for winning it Again, a little bit of 00:14:10.789 --> 00:14:13.370 suspiciousness that the NFL held the announcement 00:14:13.370 --> 00:14:15.570 after those two played. I would have loved for 00:14:15.570 --> 00:14:17.929 Shane to get it before game seven and make Jokic 00:14:17.929 --> 00:14:20.789 watch it and kind of just gauge Jokic's reaction 00:14:20.789 --> 00:14:23.889 to not being league MVP while being across from 00:14:23.889 --> 00:14:28.210 the guy who is league MVP. So that is going to 00:14:28.210 --> 00:14:29.409 be interesting. I think they actually announced 00:14:29.409 --> 00:14:30.929 it before. I think they're actually going to 00:14:30.929 --> 00:14:32.950 announce it before one of the Timberwolves games, 00:14:33.129 --> 00:14:36.179 in which case Ant's going to see it. And although 00:14:36.179 --> 00:14:38.700 Ant has nothing to do with the MVP race at all, 00:14:38.860 --> 00:14:41.779 he knows that's the next guy. And so that'll 00:14:41.779 --> 00:14:44.779 be interesting how if Ant takes it up a notch 00:14:44.779 --> 00:14:52.419 trying to get SGA the release MVP. But I come 00:14:52.419 --> 00:14:55.779 on here contrite. I come to this podcast today 00:14:55.779 --> 00:15:01.049 talking about a take I had. I'm a man of my takes. 00:15:01.190 --> 00:15:03.289 I enjoy my takes. My takes usually are backed 00:15:03.289 --> 00:15:06.470 up with fact. They're not often feeling. They're 00:15:06.470 --> 00:15:10.250 not conjecture. They're not innuendo. They're 00:15:10.250 --> 00:15:13.309 usually based in fact with my personal spin on 00:15:13.309 --> 00:15:16.590 them. That's the way a take works. A good take 00:15:16.590 --> 00:15:19.690 from a credible source. People have a history 00:15:19.690 --> 00:15:22.909 or they have a reason and then they say their 00:15:22.909 --> 00:15:25.909 take on what they predict will happen. And then 00:15:25.909 --> 00:15:28.009 go on from there. And I bring that up because 00:15:28.009 --> 00:15:30.870 last week on this very podcast, I came in and 00:15:30.870 --> 00:15:34.750 said, hey, Denver is going to win the title based 00:15:34.750 --> 00:15:37.889 on history, based on how it's worked for all 00:15:37.889 --> 00:15:42.409 of history after 1979. But if you include the 00:15:42.409 --> 00:15:45.570 60s, except for those weird time in the 70s, 00:15:45.570 --> 00:15:49.350 this is how it works. The best player in the 00:15:49.350 --> 00:15:53.480 world. two top 10 or three top 25s win the title. 00:15:53.620 --> 00:15:55.980 That has been the case every single year since 00:15:55.980 --> 00:16:00.259 1979 and every single year since 1960 minus the 00:16:00.259 --> 00:16:06.000 weird 1970s. Boston and Denver both qualified 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:10.460 left. Two teams left, Boston and Denver. The 00:16:10.460 --> 00:16:13.120 minute Tatum blows his Achilles, Boston's disqualified. 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:15.879 They left Denver. Now, if Gordon pulled up his 00:16:15.879 --> 00:16:18.299 hamstring, I know that's pretty much it, but... 00:16:18.809 --> 00:16:21.570 I go to this because this is going to be a historic 00:16:21.570 --> 00:16:24.230 finals. This is going to be a historic champion. 00:16:24.330 --> 00:16:27.029 For the first time, we have so many A, first 00:16:27.029 --> 00:16:30.990 -time champions, but B, we have so many champions 00:16:30.990 --> 00:16:33.330 that don't fit the standard mold. For instance, 00:16:33.570 --> 00:16:35.610 who's the next best player? It's Jalen Brunson. 00:16:35.750 --> 00:16:41.629 Is he the best player in the league? No. Is he 00:16:41.629 --> 00:16:44.250 a top 10 player in the league? Probably not. 00:16:45.370 --> 00:16:48.840 So that means the best players in the... 11 to 00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:51.200 25 range. That means you have to have two other 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:54.419 players in that range to qualify. Cat and OG 00:16:54.419 --> 00:16:57.460 Ananobi don't fit. They're out of the history. 00:16:57.960 --> 00:17:00.159 Pacers, the best player is Tyrese Halliburton. 00:17:00.220 --> 00:17:04.059 Okay, he's again in that 11 to 25 range. That 00:17:04.059 --> 00:17:05.579 means two other players have to be in that range. 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:10.099 Miles Turner and Benedict Matherin don't fit 00:17:10.099 --> 00:17:14.970 in that category. Great. Oklahoma City Thunder. 00:17:15.150 --> 00:17:17.609 Shane is going to be MVP. You can argue he's 00:17:17.609 --> 00:17:20.190 the best player. Okay, you're wrong. It's Jokic, 00:17:20.190 --> 00:17:25.089 but you can make the argument. Cool. Who is his 00:17:25.089 --> 00:17:27.109 second best player? It's either J -Dub or Chet. 00:17:27.529 --> 00:17:30.009 I wouldn't say either one of those guys are top 00:17:30.009 --> 00:17:33.730 25. Well, J -Dub might be. Neither are top 10. 00:17:34.109 --> 00:17:39.390 J -Dub might be top 25. Chet is not. So that 00:17:39.390 --> 00:17:41.069 rules them out of the historic thing. And then 00:17:41.069 --> 00:17:43.829 Minnesota, it's probably top 10. It's top 10. 00:17:44.269 --> 00:17:46.390 But then nobody else on the team is. Julius Randall 00:17:46.390 --> 00:17:49.789 and Rudy Gobert. So for the first time since 00:17:49.789 --> 00:17:52.309 the weird 70s, we're going to have a champion 00:17:52.309 --> 00:17:55.589 that does not fit the historic mold that we've 00:17:55.589 --> 00:17:59.450 established since 1970. For instance, I will 00:17:59.450 --> 00:18:02.930 go through the list of champions since the 1970s. 00:18:05.289 --> 00:18:07.750 Remember, this is effectively called the lost 00:18:07.750 --> 00:18:10.809 years in the NBA. This is where the phrase, the 00:18:10.809 --> 00:18:13.730 traveling cocaine circus, and the league became 00:18:13.730 --> 00:18:19.910 too hood. All of this started in the 70s. The 00:18:19.910 --> 00:18:21.829 Lakers, with the final MVP being Willis Reed. 00:18:21.930 --> 00:18:24.369 Willis Reed is most notably known for being a 00:18:24.369 --> 00:18:27.950 Knick. Oh, no, I'm sorry. The Knicks win with 00:18:27.950 --> 00:18:31.950 Willis Reed being the player. Man, this 1970s 00:18:31.950 --> 00:18:38.660 Lakers. Not a great team. Now, 1971 has Luau 00:18:38.660 --> 00:18:41.559 Sendor. Luau Sendor became Kareem Abdul -Jabbar. 00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:43.119 He has a case for being the best player in the 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:45.859 league. The next year, the Lakers win again. 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:49.720 I'm sorry, the Lakers win their first title with 00:18:49.720 --> 00:18:52.380 Wilt Chamberlain. They actually show this in 00:18:52.380 --> 00:18:57.380 winning time. Jerry finally wins, and Jerry West 00:18:57.380 --> 00:19:01.319 finally wins, and it's like he's just lost. Like 00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:03.400 he lost nine times. He even got the final repeat 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:06.299 in 69. He lost nine times, a lot of it to Boston. 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:08.359 I mean, he finally went in 72. He's an older 00:19:08.359 --> 00:19:11.680 man. He just, like, doesn't care. The Knicks 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:18.339 win again in 1973, again with Willis Reed being 00:19:18.339 --> 00:19:25.720 the MVP. Boston wins their 12th title with John 00:19:25.720 --> 00:19:28.240 Havlicek. Golden State wins their first with 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:31.640 Rick Barry. Boston wins again with JoJo White. 00:19:33.009 --> 00:19:36.549 Portland wins with Bill Walton. Outside case 00:19:36.549 --> 00:19:38.529 at Bucking History, Bill Walton might have been 00:19:38.529 --> 00:19:39.730 the best player on the planet when he won that 00:19:39.730 --> 00:19:42.630 title. He was a sixth man, I believe. Washington 00:19:42.630 --> 00:19:45.690 Bullets win with Wes Unsell. Then Seattle Supersonics 00:19:45.690 --> 00:19:48.289 win with Dennis Johnson. And then the 1980s start 00:19:48.289 --> 00:19:50.609 with Magic Johnson winning. And then we get to 00:19:50.609 --> 00:19:55.970 modern history. Okay. I say that because that 00:19:55.970 --> 00:19:58.750 is an area of history that no one cares about. 00:20:00.390 --> 00:20:04.440 Not a singular soul. No one cares that Lew Alcindor 00:20:04.440 --> 00:20:07.779 won. Okay, people care about that title. You 00:20:07.779 --> 00:20:09.740 almost got to tell Nick fans they won in the 00:20:09.740 --> 00:20:13.420 70s. No one cares. It is the lost time in NBA 00:20:13.420 --> 00:20:17.420 history. That time is so forgotten about. That's 00:20:17.420 --> 00:20:19.140 when the finals were on tape delay. That's when, 00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:21.440 like, the game would happen on Tuesday. You would 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:23.339 read the box score in the papers Wednesday morning, 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:25.279 know who won, and then the game would come on 00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:27.500 the night on TV. If you're lucky. It might be 00:20:27.500 --> 00:20:29.880 two nights. If they had, like, you know, Elvis 00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:31.319 special was on or something. You know what I'm 00:20:31.319 --> 00:20:34.680 saying? It was a time of cocaine circus. The 00:20:34.680 --> 00:20:36.759 finals on tape delay. It was the era of history 00:20:36.759 --> 00:20:39.359 no one cares about. People like blanked it out 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:41.380 of their memories. It doesn't exist for the vast 00:20:41.380 --> 00:20:44.359 majority of people. Well, NBA, you have a ratings 00:20:44.359 --> 00:20:47.900 problem. You're not going to have your seventh 00:20:47.900 --> 00:20:50.700 different champion in seven years for the first 00:20:50.700 --> 00:20:53.359 time in history. Even those weird 70s had a couple 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:55.160 repeats. The Knicks won and the Lakers won twice. 00:20:56.680 --> 00:20:59.599 You have a ratings problem. People care about 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:01.400 dynasties. Do I think you should rig the league 00:21:01.400 --> 00:21:03.619 for people to win? No. Do I think parody is good 00:21:03.619 --> 00:21:07.299 in the NBA? Hell no. I think dynastic teams are. 00:21:07.619 --> 00:21:10.339 The ratings were its highest of recent when LeBron 00:21:10.339 --> 00:21:11.920 was in the finals every year playing the Warriors. 00:21:12.279 --> 00:21:14.539 And everybody knew in August it's going to be 00:21:14.539 --> 00:21:17.420 LeBron versus the Warriors. And in June, everybody 00:21:17.420 --> 00:21:19.180 tuned in to watch LeBron versus the Warriors. 00:21:19.380 --> 00:21:24.700 And you knew it in August. So now, you have a 00:21:24.700 --> 00:21:26.900 nightmare scenario staring you in the face every 00:21:26.900 --> 00:21:29.240 year in the NBA. The Pacers can very well beat 00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:32.799 the Knicks. OKC can very well beat the Timberwolves. 00:21:34.059 --> 00:21:37.160 So you're going to tell me the Indianapolis team 00:21:37.160 --> 00:21:40.480 and the Oklahoma City team could be the NBA Finals? 00:21:41.460 --> 00:21:44.720 Both of them are in the Midwest. Oklahoma City 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:46.799 is in Oklahoma. Straight up from that is Indiana. 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:49.880 Like this is like the Mississippi River Series. 00:21:50.460 --> 00:21:54.420 Like this could be a disaster for the NBA ratings 00:21:54.420 --> 00:21:59.970 wise. Minnesota is like your big city left in 00:21:59.970 --> 00:22:02.869 the West. And, of course, the saving grace for 00:22:02.869 --> 00:22:05.509 the NBA is the Knicks make it. The Knicks make 00:22:05.509 --> 00:22:07.730 it, then all bets are off. It doesn't matter 00:22:07.730 --> 00:22:10.029 who gets in, Oklahoma City or Timberwolves, because 00:22:10.029 --> 00:22:12.930 the national media will run up and down New York 00:22:12.930 --> 00:22:16.869 for the sole purpose of, you know, it's New York. 00:22:19.430 --> 00:22:22.890 So they're going to run up and down to get as 00:22:22.890 --> 00:22:25.569 many people to watch as possible because, again, 00:22:25.690 --> 00:22:28.269 it's New York. So New York's saving grace. But 00:22:28.269 --> 00:22:30.549 this is an interesting spot for the NBA. You 00:22:30.549 --> 00:22:34.470 preach parity, but you want multiple big cities 00:22:34.470 --> 00:22:37.009 to win. You don't want little cities running 00:22:37.009 --> 00:22:39.049 around everywhere. The only thing worse for the 00:22:39.049 --> 00:22:41.529 NBA would be if New Orleans won. And honestly, 00:22:41.609 --> 00:22:42.829 New Orleans is a better city than Oklahoma City. 00:22:44.130 --> 00:22:46.549 Just going to be honest. So you're staring at 00:22:46.549 --> 00:22:50.529 a nightmare scenario ratings -wise. If you are 00:22:50.529 --> 00:22:54.490 the NBA, potentially with, say, Indianapolis 00:22:54.490 --> 00:22:57.329 and Oklahoma City being your NBA final cities. 00:22:57.470 --> 00:22:59.009 That'd be like the NBA. That'd be like the NFL 00:22:59.009 --> 00:23:04.049 sticking a Super Bowl in, like, Green Bay. Historic, 00:23:04.049 --> 00:23:08.650 sure, but let's not be crazy here. Or sticking 00:23:08.650 --> 00:23:12.150 a Super Bowl in, like, if St. Louis still had 00:23:12.150 --> 00:23:16.170 their team. And it's like, no, there's better 00:23:16.170 --> 00:23:18.859 financial decisions. That's kind of what this 00:23:18.859 --> 00:23:21.519 is. There's better financial decisions available 00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:25.720 to the NBA than Indianapolis and Oklahoma City. 00:23:26.119 --> 00:23:27.740 That's all I'm going to say. That's all I'm saying. 00:23:27.779 --> 00:23:29.619 I'm not saying conspiracy. I know conspiracy 00:23:29.619 --> 00:23:31.240 is very popular in the NBA, and I'm about to 00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:35.180 actually speak on one. But what I am saying is 00:23:35.180 --> 00:23:37.339 that there's better scenarios for the NBA, and 00:23:37.339 --> 00:23:41.539 if I were them, I would get back into the dynastic 00:23:41.539 --> 00:23:44.339 business instead of the parody business, however 00:23:44.339 --> 00:23:48.579 that may be seen. The ratings were up in the 00:23:48.579 --> 00:23:52.440 70s and 80s. Who won all the titles in the 80s? 00:23:52.579 --> 00:23:54.940 Magic and Bird with Spriggan and Isaiah Thomas. 00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:57.740 The ratings were through the roof in the 90s. 00:23:57.740 --> 00:24:01.579 Who won all the titles in the 90s? Jordan. Spriggan 00:24:01.579 --> 00:24:04.779 and Hakeem Olajuwon. The ratings dips after Jordan 00:24:04.779 --> 00:24:07.240 retires. Who won the titles? The Spurs. Small 00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:09.839 market. No one can. When did the ratings spike 00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:13.180 again? Shaq and Kobe. Ratings fall off again. 00:24:13.400 --> 00:24:17.859 When did they spike again? When Kobe wins again 00:24:17.859 --> 00:24:20.839 in L .A., ratings fall off again. When do they 00:24:20.839 --> 00:24:24.859 spike again? When LeBron and Steph begin their 00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:28.940 streaks. It's just the way it is. Dynasty is 00:24:28.940 --> 00:24:32.019 selling the NBA. Not in football, but in basketball. 00:24:32.180 --> 00:24:34.960 People at a certain point tune in to watch you 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:38.059 or tune in to watch you fail. That's it. It works 00:24:38.059 --> 00:24:40.420 in boxing. It works in basketball. Again, not 00:24:40.420 --> 00:24:42.519 so much in football. Apparently in the NFL, it's 00:24:42.519 --> 00:24:44.680 great. Pairing in college football is amazing. 00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:46.380 You want to keep as many areas of the country 00:24:46.380 --> 00:24:49.380 involved as possible. It is awful for basketball. 00:24:51.819 --> 00:24:55.059 The ratings dipped in the tournament after UConn 00:24:55.059 --> 00:24:58.000 lost. People want to see UConn fail. Once they 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:00.660 fail, I have no reason to watch. They pick back 00:25:00.660 --> 00:25:04.160 up a game for the Final Four, but still. Oh, 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:06.619 and then the draft lottery controversy is continuing 00:25:06.619 --> 00:25:09.680 to roar. Shaq didn't help. Today, Shaq goes. 00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:11.819 David Stern pulls him aside when he met him and 00:25:11.819 --> 00:25:13.039 said, you want to play in the hot or the cold? 00:25:13.740 --> 00:25:16.680 Shaq said, the hot in Orlando ends up with the 00:25:16.680 --> 00:25:20.500 first pick. It's been rigged, and I went through 00:25:20.500 --> 00:25:23.460 it quickly. Shaq to Orlando. Chris Wilber to 00:25:23.460 --> 00:25:27.200 Orlando. Chris traded for Penny Hardaway. LeBron 00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:31.119 to Cleveland. Mad to the Lakers. I don't think 00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:32.700 the lottery was installed then, but Patrick Ewing, 00:25:32.740 --> 00:25:35.599 of course. LeBron to Cleveland. They're going 00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:38.640 to Chicago. Anthony Davis and Zion to New Orleans, 00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:41.740 and the latest being Cooper Flagg to Dallas. 00:25:41.900 --> 00:25:46.720 It happens. It is what it is. If the NBA is fine 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:48.960 with rigging that, they can rig the playoff system. 00:25:49.140 --> 00:25:50.240 That's all I'm going to say. But you need to 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:52.380 get more big cities involved. I say un -conference 00:25:52.380 --> 00:25:55.180 that MFA. Just play 1 through 16 for the playoffs, 00:25:55.319 --> 00:25:56.980 but you have to balance the schedule out. Who 00:25:56.980 --> 00:25:59.500 cares? But that's, to me, the best way to get 00:25:59.500 --> 00:26:01.279 more cities involved because what if that first 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:03.380 -round matchup is Oklahoma City, Indiana, and 00:26:03.380 --> 00:26:05.500 you get it out the way early? You know, I'm just 00:26:05.500 --> 00:26:07.480 thinking here, spitballing here, because again, 00:26:07.579 --> 00:26:10.079 the NBA is dangerously, they actually have more 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:11.759 parity than the 70s, and they're getting to the 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:13.720 point where people care about as much as the 00:26:13.720 --> 00:26:16.980 70s. It'll never be taped late again, but the 00:26:16.980 --> 00:26:20.019 apathy for the NBA is growing. And parity is 00:26:20.019 --> 00:26:24.019 not helping. Neither do these small cities. But 00:26:24.019 --> 00:26:26.720 up next, we will touch on the WNBA and what's 00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:49.789 happening there. Welcome back into the show and 00:26:49.789 --> 00:26:54.430 welcome back into the WNBA regular season. As 00:26:54.430 --> 00:26:56.289 it got started just last weekend, there's actually 00:26:56.289 --> 00:26:59.470 games going on now. Number one pick Paige Beckers 00:26:59.470 --> 00:27:05.269 is leading her Dallas Wings with her and Enrique 00:27:05.269 --> 00:27:08.029 Gumbawale's Dallas Wings against the Seattle 00:27:08.029 --> 00:27:13.170 Storm. Nneka Agumake and crew are in Seattle. 00:27:13.309 --> 00:27:17.690 I think Skylar Diggins is in Seattle. Yeah. And 00:27:17.690 --> 00:27:21.450 so they're actually playing right now. But the 00:27:21.450 --> 00:27:24.509 WNBA opened last week, and they had kind of showcase 00:27:24.509 --> 00:27:27.089 -level games. They had one of the league's best 00:27:27.089 --> 00:27:30.349 players. Many are trying to crown her the best 00:27:30.349 --> 00:27:33.450 player, Nafisa Collier, going up against Paige 00:27:33.450 --> 00:27:35.869 Beckers and her WNBA debut, her regular season 00:27:35.869 --> 00:27:42.009 WNBA debut, rather. You had... Atlanta played 00:27:42.009 --> 00:27:44.430 Connecticut. Again, a team with a veteran star, 00:27:44.670 --> 00:27:47.589 Brady Negrano, Ryan Howard, and that crew versus 00:27:47.589 --> 00:27:50.269 the Young Bucks in Connecticut, the Kiki area 00:27:50.269 --> 00:27:55.849 fans, and so on and so forth. And then, of course, 00:27:55.869 --> 00:27:59.130 you had the game everybody wants to see, the 00:27:59.130 --> 00:28:01.890 game that many people around the WNBA community, 00:28:02.109 --> 00:28:04.670 honestly, it's on Twitter. It's on my Twitter. 00:28:05.549 --> 00:28:07.890 and in my interactions, are kind of getting tired 00:28:07.890 --> 00:28:11.430 of, and that is Kalen Clark's Indiana Fever versus 00:28:11.430 --> 00:28:17.529 Chicago Skies and the Angel Reese. I think this 00:28:17.529 --> 00:28:22.250 rivalry would be more of a rivalry if the games 00:28:22.250 --> 00:28:27.869 were even. So, of course, when they came in, 00:28:27.990 --> 00:28:30.349 what was the first thing everybody said? Oh, 00:28:30.410 --> 00:28:35.450 it's going to be the W's Magic versus Bird. That's 00:28:35.450 --> 00:28:39.029 what saved the NBA. Magic versus Bird. People 00:28:39.029 --> 00:28:43.869 were painting it as, oh, it was two crazy talented 00:28:43.869 --> 00:28:46.069 players from the college game, and they came 00:28:46.069 --> 00:28:48.269 in at the same time, and they were the same size, 00:28:48.410 --> 00:28:51.009 and they went to two historic franchises. Bird 00:28:51.009 --> 00:28:52.730 went to the substitute. By the time he got to 00:28:52.730 --> 00:28:55.170 the team, he already won like 13 titles. Magic 00:28:55.170 --> 00:28:56.650 goes to the Lakers. By the time he gets to the 00:28:56.650 --> 00:28:58.910 team, he already won four or five titles. You 00:28:58.910 --> 00:29:01.470 get most of the titles between the two teams. 00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:06.579 East Coast, West Coast, and it was crazy. But 00:29:06.579 --> 00:29:11.180 the further history goes along, the more they 00:29:11.180 --> 00:29:15.380 tend to kind of paint over or minimize one part 00:29:15.380 --> 00:29:18.259 of the bird magic rivalry that made it what it 00:29:18.259 --> 00:29:24.339 was. One was black. One was white. One was... 00:29:24.339 --> 00:29:28.940 I mean, they were both mid -American kids. Magic 00:29:28.940 --> 00:29:31.869 was from East Lansing, Michigan. Larry Bird was 00:29:31.869 --> 00:29:34.970 the hick from French Lake, Indiana. They were 00:29:34.970 --> 00:29:38.029 both Midwestern kids. So what kind of help that 00:29:38.029 --> 00:29:43.569 is, neither both understood racism. Both knew 00:29:43.569 --> 00:29:49.589 it. Neither one lived in it heavily. So, of course, 00:29:49.609 --> 00:29:51.450 in their childhood, they came into the draft. 00:29:51.690 --> 00:29:53.630 Bird was covered under the magic. Bird was in 00:29:53.630 --> 00:29:56.190 his early 20s. Magic was like 19 to 20. Magic 00:29:56.190 --> 00:29:58.210 was like 19 to 20. When they got to the NBA. 00:30:00.970 --> 00:30:03.910 Both childhood, especially their teenage formative 00:30:03.910 --> 00:30:06.470 years, had they grown up in the South, would 00:30:06.470 --> 00:30:09.990 have been during Jim Crow. Jim Crow doesn't get 00:30:09.990 --> 00:30:13.930 outlawed early 70s, late 60s, somewhere in there. 00:30:16.549 --> 00:30:18.970 Yeah, like the 60s. So they would have had their 00:30:18.970 --> 00:30:21.049 early years in Jim Crow. And even when Jim Crow 00:30:21.049 --> 00:30:25.930 was canceled or was legally outlawed, you didn't 00:30:25.930 --> 00:30:30.089 have. It wasn't like they snapped their fingers 00:30:30.089 --> 00:30:31.869 and everything was perfectly kosher. Like, no, 00:30:31.910 --> 00:30:34.569 the people who didn't like and wanted to, you 00:30:34.569 --> 00:30:38.150 know, I'm trying to think of the word, but wanted 00:30:38.150 --> 00:30:41.289 to hold down, oppress black people before, wanted 00:30:41.289 --> 00:30:44.269 to do it after. People who had a beef with and 00:30:44.269 --> 00:30:47.690 who disliked white people before, disliked white 00:30:47.690 --> 00:30:51.170 people after. At no point with a stroke of a 00:30:51.170 --> 00:30:53.309 pen in the Supreme Court did racism disappear, 00:30:53.529 --> 00:30:58.339 right? It may have been more illegal. But it 00:30:58.339 --> 00:31:03.500 didn't go away overnight, right? But anyway, 00:31:03.660 --> 00:31:10.539 so that is what spearheaded Magic vs. Bird. Was, 00:31:10.539 --> 00:31:13.619 I'll be honest, racial tensions. High -level 00:31:13.619 --> 00:31:20.039 racial tensions. And that is what I've tried 00:31:20.039 --> 00:31:23.839 to avoid. And I really wanted WB Media outside 00:31:23.839 --> 00:31:27.180 of myself. I wanted high -level people. in the 00:31:27.180 --> 00:31:33.059 WNBA media space to go and try to quell the racial 00:31:33.059 --> 00:31:35.380 aspect of Caitlyn versus Angel. So when they 00:31:35.380 --> 00:31:37.900 went at it in college, and Angel does the you 00:31:37.900 --> 00:31:42.220 can't see me, whatever, Angel got that from Caitlyn, 00:31:42.279 --> 00:31:44.920 who hit it to an opponent a couple of rounds 00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:47.519 before. It was almost like turnabout is fair 00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:50.000 play. Oh, I can't see you, so Caitlyn, Angel 00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:55.190 does it back. That became a racial symbol. Caitlyn 00:31:55.190 --> 00:31:57.210 walks away. Angels point to the ring finger. 00:31:57.349 --> 00:31:59.170 But Caitlyn and Angel have been going at it for 00:31:59.170 --> 00:32:01.769 years. That is not their first time bumping into 00:32:01.769 --> 00:32:07.029 each other. Because when Angel was at Maryland, 00:32:07.250 --> 00:32:09.690 Caitlyn was at Iowa. So that's not their first 00:32:09.690 --> 00:32:12.950 time crossing paths with each other. Angel beats 00:32:12.950 --> 00:32:15.130 her. It gets really racial on Twitter. A lot 00:32:15.130 --> 00:32:18.670 of Midwestern Caucasian people stepped up and 00:32:18.670 --> 00:32:23.720 attacked Angel for her actions. But at the time, 00:32:23.740 --> 00:32:26.519 they were two college players. But that also 00:32:26.519 --> 00:32:30.460 spikes women's college basketball's ratings overnight. 00:32:30.740 --> 00:32:33.619 Why? That was a racial component. You bring it 00:32:33.619 --> 00:32:35.839 to the WNBA, people go Magic Bird, Magic Bird, 00:32:35.900 --> 00:32:38.180 Magic Bird. I mean, yeah, Magic Bird, Magic Bird, 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:44.359 Magic Bird. Magic Bird is 70 % racial in what 00:32:44.359 --> 00:32:49.680 it was popular for. Middle America, let me be 00:32:49.680 --> 00:32:52.869 honest, Middle America. Racial America had the 00:32:52.869 --> 00:32:57.950 white hope in Larry Bird. The hoods, black America, 00:32:58.170 --> 00:33:03.630 pop culture had magic. Both. One was set shot. 00:33:03.869 --> 00:33:06.250 He did a couple of fancy passes, sure, but he 00:33:06.250 --> 00:33:10.089 was a set shooter. He was a white guy with a 00:33:10.089 --> 00:33:12.950 little bitty mustache, kind of Hitler stashy 00:33:12.950 --> 00:33:15.490 in hindsight, but a little bit of mustache, you 00:33:15.490 --> 00:33:19.420 know, high shorts. Look like your everyday white 00:33:19.420 --> 00:33:21.599 guy that you would pass in the mall. Just a little 00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:24.619 bit taller. And Magic was, he was Magic. He was 00:33:24.619 --> 00:33:26.460 Showtime. He was flashy. He wore the jewelry. 00:33:26.500 --> 00:33:27.680 He hung out with the rappers. He hung out with 00:33:27.680 --> 00:33:30.099 the football players. You know, he was, he was 00:33:30.099 --> 00:33:33.319 the superstar. He embodied a culture that white 00:33:33.319 --> 00:33:36.000 America didn't get. Larry Bird embodied a culture 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:38.299 that black America didn't get. I don't think 00:33:38.299 --> 00:33:40.380 either was intentional. That was just their personalities. 00:33:40.900 --> 00:33:45.259 And it worked. Caleb the Angel is not that. First 00:33:45.259 --> 00:33:48.049 of all, Kalen Clark is a better basketball player 00:33:48.049 --> 00:33:52.589 currently than Angel Reese. Kalen Clark is a 00:33:52.589 --> 00:33:54.990 better total player right now than Angel Reese. 00:33:55.049 --> 00:33:56.990 I think Angel's the better defender. I think 00:33:56.990 --> 00:33:58.730 Angel's the better rebounder. Kalen's a better 00:33:58.730 --> 00:34:02.150 scorer, passer, shooter. And currently, it looks 00:34:02.150 --> 00:34:07.309 like leader. And better ball handler. Okay? That's 00:34:07.309 --> 00:34:09.929 number one. Number two, neither one of these 00:34:09.929 --> 00:34:13.369 teams are title ready. Neither of them. Chicago 00:34:13.369 --> 00:34:17.489 is building. Indiana kick -started their build 00:34:17.489 --> 00:34:20.550 behind Kalen, but Chicago's building. They're 00:34:20.550 --> 00:34:24.690 not on the same level. It was 93 -58 for a reason, 00:34:24.750 --> 00:34:27.389 even despite the incident that happened. I don't 00:34:27.389 --> 00:34:31.170 touch on that before I move on. That game was 00:34:31.170 --> 00:34:32.710 a 13 -point game when the incident happened. 00:34:33.409 --> 00:34:38.309 They're not on the same level team -wise. I always 00:34:38.309 --> 00:34:40.070 think Magic was better than Bird, but Bird's 00:34:40.070 --> 00:34:41.989 team was a little bit better, so they kind of 00:34:41.989 --> 00:34:44.730 matched up in finals. I don't think that's the 00:34:44.730 --> 00:34:46.289 case with these two teams. I think Kaitlin's 00:34:46.289 --> 00:34:47.889 a better player, and she has a much better team. 00:34:49.329 --> 00:34:51.309 But let's get to the incident. Let's get to why 00:34:51.309 --> 00:34:54.309 this is a mainstream topic. So there's a play, 00:34:54.469 --> 00:34:57.250 third quarter, late third quarter, if I remember 00:34:57.250 --> 00:35:01.369 correctly. Third quarter for sure, though. Chicago 00:35:01.369 --> 00:35:03.690 has the ball. They rotate it down. It ends up 00:35:03.690 --> 00:35:05.429 in Angel Reese's hand. Somehow Indiana screws 00:35:05.429 --> 00:35:08.090 up the defensive rotation, and there is literally 00:35:08.090 --> 00:35:11.690 nobody on Angel Reese's side of the paint. Like, 00:35:11.690 --> 00:35:14.079 not like... close to her. There's not a fever 00:35:14.079 --> 00:35:16.599 player over there. So, Kaitlyn Clark's standing 00:35:16.599 --> 00:35:18.340 at the foul line, kind of watching the play. 00:35:18.719 --> 00:35:22.139 She turns, and Angel is about to do, like, the 00:35:22.139 --> 00:35:24.099 slowest gather layup, because there's nobody 00:35:24.099 --> 00:35:25.340 over there. Like, she's literally got just not 00:35:25.340 --> 00:35:27.559 missed a layup. So, she's taking her time. She's 00:35:27.559 --> 00:35:29.980 about to bounce it one time and lay it up, and 00:35:29.980 --> 00:35:35.400 Kaitlyn hacks her. She swipes down, goes across, 00:35:35.579 --> 00:35:37.199 because she, like she said, take fouls. Take 00:35:37.199 --> 00:35:40.840 fouls. Swipes down across the wrist. One hand 00:35:40.840 --> 00:35:43.500 on the wrist, one hand on the back, swipes and 00:35:43.500 --> 00:35:47.619 kind of gives a push with the left hand. Within 00:35:47.619 --> 00:35:53.860 seconds, Reese is up and charging. I mean, she's 00:35:53.860 --> 00:35:56.599 quoted as saying, you crazy as F. What the F 00:35:56.599 --> 00:35:59.280 is wrong with you? Kaylin walks away from the 00:35:59.280 --> 00:36:00.980 incident, kind of holding her hand out to her 00:36:00.980 --> 00:36:06.500 on the bench like, what, what? And what people 00:36:06.500 --> 00:36:09.139 are not noticing and what I'm. And the announcer, 00:36:09.280 --> 00:36:11.360 oh, it was the left -hand push that got reset. 00:36:11.559 --> 00:36:15.159 And Kalen ends up getting a flagrant. To me, 00:36:15.159 --> 00:36:17.099 it wasn't a – Angel called it a basketball play. 00:36:17.300 --> 00:36:18.840 Kalen said anybody that doesn't play basketball 00:36:18.840 --> 00:36:23.320 takes that foul. I think now the modern NBA, 00:36:23.559 --> 00:36:25.900 you try to block that. You don't try to hack 00:36:25.900 --> 00:36:28.320 that. Tonight, that's an easy wrap -up. Or you 00:36:28.320 --> 00:36:30.820 wrap up. You may not necessarily – because she 00:36:30.820 --> 00:36:35.519 kind of hacked and let her hit the floor. And 00:36:35.519 --> 00:36:37.949 with a little bit of a left -hand push. But what 00:36:37.949 --> 00:36:40.550 people are not noticing, and I haven't seen as 00:36:40.550 --> 00:36:43.170 much discourse on social media, Caitlyn says 00:36:43.170 --> 00:36:46.590 something to Angel. I don't know what it was, 00:36:46.730 --> 00:36:54.070 but Angel hits the floor and she's like, if I'm 00:36:54.070 --> 00:36:58.309 mad, excuse me, if I'm mad at your foul, I'm 00:36:58.309 --> 00:37:01.670 touching the ground, I'm getting up. If I'm mad 00:37:01.670 --> 00:37:04.349 at what you say, I have to let you say it first. 00:37:05.050 --> 00:37:07.699 So she Files are on their way to the ground. 00:37:07.960 --> 00:37:09.699 Caitlyn is looking at Angel. You can see her 00:37:09.699 --> 00:37:11.579 mouth moving and her head up and down. She's 00:37:11.579 --> 00:37:16.539 saying something. Angel hits the floor, gathers 00:37:16.539 --> 00:37:19.000 herself, and then gets up. So I don't know what 00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:21.039 was said. I think that was the sticking point. 00:37:21.579 --> 00:37:24.460 Is that someone, is that Caitlyn said something 00:37:24.460 --> 00:37:27.820 to Angel that sent her haywire. Juxtaposed to 00:37:27.820 --> 00:37:31.480 the file sent her haywire. But of course, that 00:37:31.480 --> 00:37:34.139 just ramps up racial tension on social media. 00:37:35.279 --> 00:37:37.079 We've got people, we've got African -American 00:37:37.079 --> 00:37:39.079 people on Caitlyn's side, which, I mean, to me, 00:37:39.099 --> 00:37:42.260 there is no side here. It was a hard foul. There's 00:37:42.260 --> 00:37:43.920 no real sides here. If I had to pick a side, 00:37:44.019 --> 00:37:44.800 no, I'm not going to pick a side. There's no 00:37:44.800 --> 00:37:47.179 sides here. It was a hard foul. Two players got 00:37:47.179 --> 00:37:49.659 into it. Flagrant and text were assessed. Move 00:37:49.659 --> 00:37:51.719 on with your life, right? But, of course, the 00:37:51.719 --> 00:37:54.260 discourse started with RG3 speaking up to my 00:37:54.260 --> 00:37:56.719 own. Angels hates Caitlyn. There's legitimate 00:37:56.719 --> 00:38:00.510 hate in her heart. You can just see it. Ryan 00:38:00.510 --> 00:38:03.010 Clark responds to RU3 saying, basically, those 00:38:03.010 --> 00:38:05.190 people you're pandering to will never accept 00:38:05.190 --> 00:38:08.010 you. They've showed you time and time again that 00:38:08.010 --> 00:38:09.889 they'll never accept you. Your skin's not going 00:38:09.889 --> 00:38:14.409 to get any lighter, so on and so forth. To me, 00:38:14.429 --> 00:38:17.349 again, there's no sides here. I think it's wrong 00:38:17.349 --> 00:38:19.570 to claim there's hate on either side, Angel or 00:38:19.570 --> 00:38:22.230 Caitlyn. I think if Caitlyn has a beef with Angel, 00:38:22.309 --> 00:38:24.750 it's you beat me for a title. And if Angel has 00:38:24.750 --> 00:38:27.670 beef with Caitlyn, it is I did as much for the 00:38:27.670 --> 00:38:30.889 women's game as she did. and she has all the 00:38:30.889 --> 00:38:33.829 credit, and I don't. It's not a jealousy. It's 00:38:33.829 --> 00:38:36.929 a jealousy more than a hatred on both. Angel 00:38:36.929 --> 00:38:39.010 has the ring. Caitlyn has popularity. I think 00:38:39.010 --> 00:38:41.150 it's a jealousy on both sides. I don't think 00:38:41.150 --> 00:38:44.090 it's a hatred on either. I do think the rivalry 00:38:44.090 --> 00:38:46.949 is budding, though. I do think the rivalry is 00:38:46.949 --> 00:38:48.489 budding, and I think now it's between the players. 00:38:48.690 --> 00:38:51.530 At first, it was their fan bases. Now, I think 00:38:51.530 --> 00:38:53.070 the players are getting into it because Caitlyn 00:38:53.070 --> 00:38:55.369 fully saw it was Angel, and Angel fully saw it 00:38:55.369 --> 00:38:58.460 was Caitlyn, and I think that... the players 00:38:58.460 --> 00:39:00.719 now are kind of feeding into it a little bit. 00:39:01.880 --> 00:39:04.119 Juxtaposed to year one, or even in the college 00:39:04.119 --> 00:39:07.579 game, it was the fans. Now Angel said some things 00:39:07.579 --> 00:39:12.119 to where she definitely didn't help. Kaylin has 00:39:12.119 --> 00:39:15.119 too. Kaylin at first didn't say anything about 00:39:15.119 --> 00:39:16.880 any of the stuff that was happening to Angel. 00:39:17.500 --> 00:39:19.559 Kind of prompting Angel and Teaspoon and others 00:39:19.559 --> 00:39:21.739 to speak up on her behalf. She didn't step in 00:39:21.739 --> 00:39:25.820 in the offseason and spoke up. But, you know, 00:39:26.320 --> 00:39:29.400 So it's a lot happening in the W right now. But 00:39:29.400 --> 00:39:31.039 that is the main storyline. But I don't think 00:39:31.039 --> 00:39:33.400 they play again for a while. So it's kind of 00:39:33.400 --> 00:39:35.099 it will die down for a while. But of course, 00:39:35.099 --> 00:39:37.380 it will spike back up whenever they play again. 00:39:38.440 --> 00:39:40.039 But all in all, it was a great opening weekend. 00:39:40.559 --> 00:39:43.360 It showcased the opportunity the WNBA has. They 00:39:43.360 --> 00:39:45.539 are in desperate need to have a new commissioner 00:39:45.539 --> 00:39:47.679 and a new leadership force. They need people 00:39:47.679 --> 00:39:49.960 in there that are going to allow a new ownership 00:39:49.960 --> 00:39:53.019 in there that are going to think forward thinking 00:39:53.019 --> 00:39:55.840 and capitalize on what you have. Magic Bird is 00:39:55.840 --> 00:39:58.159 unsuccessful at the NBA if David Stern, which 00:39:58.159 --> 00:39:59.840 it wasn't David Stern at the time, it was Larry 00:39:59.840 --> 00:40:03.059 O 'Brien, I believe, does not capitalize on the 00:40:03.059 --> 00:40:04.880 fact you have Magic and Bird. Now, Stern is a 00:40:04.880 --> 00:40:08.300 commissioner by 85. But anyway, doesn't capitalize 00:40:08.300 --> 00:40:10.440 on the fact you have Magic and Bird. You have 00:40:10.440 --> 00:40:12.900 your lightning rod. Lightning rods are useless 00:40:12.900 --> 00:40:16.400 if it only strikes once. And especially if it's 00:40:16.400 --> 00:40:19.480 only deemed a one -sided situation, it's really 00:40:19.480 --> 00:40:21.139 useless because then people are going to think, 00:40:21.179 --> 00:40:22.579 oh, Caleb. Like right now, people think, hey, 00:40:22.579 --> 00:40:25.980 Caleb. And I've seen one tweet somewhere that 00:40:25.980 --> 00:40:28.460 either WNBA or the league is telling her to do 00:40:28.460 --> 00:40:30.380 this stuff or she has a hate in her heart that 00:40:30.380 --> 00:40:31.639 she needs to get out of. And it's like it's going 00:40:31.639 --> 00:40:34.000 to look bad on you at a certain point if you 00:40:34.000 --> 00:40:37.400 don't capitalize. So that is what I would do 00:40:37.400 --> 00:40:39.760 from WNBA. I try to figure out a way, rig it 00:40:39.760 --> 00:40:42.719 or not, to make those two teams really good and 00:40:42.719 --> 00:40:44.780 to make those two players the face of your league 00:40:44.780 --> 00:40:48.260 and that rivalry your main point. That's what 00:40:48.260 --> 00:40:55.599 I would do. And Asia Wilson. People have forgotten 00:40:55.599 --> 00:40:57.960 about Asia. Her shoe kind of re -sparked her 00:40:57.960 --> 00:41:01.199 interest. And Sabrina Nescu, who had one of the 00:41:01.199 --> 00:41:04.000 greatest women's shoes ever. Like, you have to 00:41:04.000 --> 00:41:06.320 capitalize on this moment. Your game is never 00:41:06.320 --> 00:41:08.260 more popular. Your tickets have never been higher. 00:41:08.460 --> 00:41:10.300 Your ticket sales have never been higher. Your 00:41:10.300 --> 00:41:12.119 attendance has never been higher. Your ratings 00:41:12.119 --> 00:41:14.360 have never been higher. You have to find a way, 00:41:14.460 --> 00:41:17.500 multiple ways, to make this sustain growth and 00:41:17.500 --> 00:41:21.199 success. But that is all I have for you today. 00:41:22.340 --> 00:41:24.300 Jumping right off the audio show into the video 00:41:24.300 --> 00:41:25.960 show. Hopefully you have the video show sooner 00:41:25.960 --> 00:41:28.519 rather than later. Getting all this same stuff 00:41:28.519 --> 00:41:31.400 from, of course, the perspective of Giant T -Mail 00:41:31.400 --> 00:41:33.880 as well. This is your host, Justin Jackson, signing 00:41:33.880 --> 00:41:34.079 out.