Mark Willard & Ephraim Salaam Talk LeBron James In Control, Team USA Hot Takes, Klay Thompson's Big Decision, and More!!

Mark Willard and Ephraim Salaam discuss LeBron James and why they believe the narrative that he is not in control of the Lakers is a bunch of lies. Mark and Ephraim also talk shop on what went down with Klay Thompson's decision to not only leave the Warriors, but also spurn the Lakers to go to Dallas. Plus, the guys talk more on some Team USA hot takes, Bronny James Summer League load management, and much more!!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
You know Team USA is already practicing, and my worst
nightmares have already been realized. We're gonna put that for
just a second over here to the side, and the
first thing I'm gonna do on this Sunday night, July seventh,
is welcome back to my patna A from Salam.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
It's been a couple of weeks. How are we doing tonight,
of Mary? I'm good man. How you doing. I'm fantastic.
I hope you're refreshed and ready.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
I think we got like, uh, seven weeks till football
or something like that.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Eight weeks, maybe got to carry for eight weeks.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Come on, man, put it on your back and and
uh and keep on trucking. I'm gonna start off tonight
with a question that I know there's an answer to.
I don't even need to ask you if there's an answer.
I know there's an answer. What's that thing that your
parents once upon a time told you they knew all along,
the thing that you thought you were hiding from them,

(01:01):
And then when you become an adult, they're like, oh, yeah,
we knew, we knew you were lying, or we knew
you were doing that all along.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
What was that thing for you?

Speaker 1 (01:10):
Oh my god, come on, right, one thing? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:16):
How many do you want to pick from?

Speaker 1 (01:18):
I mean, we could go categories, but I'll just give
an easy one. I used to be an habitual cookie sneaker. Okay,
a cookie sneaker, a cookie sneaker, and I just thought
I just knew. I just knew that no one would
know these cookies. W wasn't missing, nobody knew, nobody knew.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Mama always knows exactly what's in that kitchen.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
I mean, hell, I'm not a mom. I know what's
in my kitchen. As an adult, you look and be like,
oh my god, how stupid? Was exactly because my kids
are now stupid and they are doing this thing, and
I'm just like I can hear them in the kitchen,
and they tried, they try to do it while we're
still up. That's how dumb I are. At least I

(02:09):
waited till everybody went to sleep.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
I was a big baseball fan. I used to hide
a transistor radio underneath my pillow and listen to late
night baseball games. And I was dumb enough to think
mom and dad didn't know. You want to talk about
what food? I would sneak. My mom is one of
these also, that's like you can't open up a new
this until that's already gone.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
So everything like we kept track of everything.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
And you know how young boys are, like they just
eat constantly, none eat in the NonStop. And so whenever
I got the hey mom, can I have a snack,
and she'd be like, don't ruin your dinner. We're having
dinner in thirty five minutes. And you know what a
little boys think, and a little boy's thinking, thirty five minutes,

(03:00):
eat two meals.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
By the birthday will be here before thirty five minutes
is up.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
I used to go in there and sneak out whatever
kind of meat was in the fridge, lunch meat, didn't matter,
just start grab it and go. And my dad loved
to film things. He was kind of a videographer of sorts.
And one time he set up a camera on a
tripod and he was testing out a new camera and
it was just sitting by itself across the room. Everybody
thought it was off, but it was on. And then

(03:27):
when he reviewed it later, there's me two three times
leading right up to dinner, running over to the fridge,
grabbing meat and then running running out of the kitchen
just in case somebody would see me sneaking like turkey
breast or ham or salami or something like that. The
parents know, they always know, all right, So why am

(03:51):
I asking this? My Gotti from its twenty twenty four,
I feel like in the age of technology, people have
gotten pretty slick in terms of the process of how
things are going on. So I think it's high time
that we the parents explain to Lebron his family and

(04:16):
his team, no matter which team it is in any
given year, it's time for us to explain to him
that we know. We know that he's running the team.
We know that he's making the moves. He's been doing
this for twenty years, two decades now. Why this is

(04:36):
my only question? Why does everybody still feel the need
to hide it? Why are they making the Lakers go
through this Charelle. We think he's a phenomenal young player,
and that's exactly who we wanted the whole time.

Speaker 1 (04:50):
We never even love. Why are we doing this?

Speaker 3 (04:54):
Why just say it? It's fine. We all know we've
been getting used to this for two decades. Now, just
say it.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
Pick the dude, because it's Lebron's son, and that's cool.

Speaker 3 (05:08):
So we did it. Why can't we say that What
would happen if we just said.

Speaker 1 (05:12):
That, I think you know, you know what, I honestly
I would feel bad. As a fan, I would feel
better about that. Thank you. I would be like, straight up,
I get it, Okay, I get it right, cool boom,

(05:37):
I get it. But everybody wants to give the illusion
of being taken serious. That's what it is. So as
a GM, as an owner, you want to give the
illusion of being taken serious. So you don't readily admit
when you're doing something that may not benefit your team,

(05:59):
but just because like the fact that when they gave
Kobe his last deal that wasn't to benefit the team all.
It made the team impossible to have a winning team,
but it was for Kobe, and they were like, wait, man,
thank you. Five championships, thank you. Take this with you, right,

(06:20):
So look, it is what it is. You know, Kobe
didn't say, hey, I'm gonna give some of his money
back so we can put a competing team. He didn't
say that he wanted his money, so he got his money.
So look, I don't even fault the Lakers for that.

(06:42):
I didn't. I mean, how could you. I'm a Kobe fan,
I'm a Kobe guy, So I get it. I get
the respect of it. Coming from a sport where there
is no loyalty, I understand that. Right. Well, day, San
Francisco didn't want Jerry Rice anymore. Huh right, Like it's

(07:06):
it's like, wait, what the Dallas Cowboys didn't want Emmitt
Smith anymore? Right? Oh?

Speaker 4 (07:11):
Wow?

Speaker 1 (07:13):
Right, the New England Patriots didn't want Tom Brady anymore.
So I'm okay with it. Re sign him for two years,
bring his son in. His son is not overly talented,
but hopefully he can develop into something. But yeah, you

(07:33):
said a couple of years ago, you want to you
wanted to, you know, play with your son. Yep, we
want you still here in the franchise. So we'll draft
your son with our fifty fifth pick in the draft.
There's only fifty eight picks in the draft. So and

(07:53):
for all and for all those out there screaming, bloody murder,
settled down.

Speaker 2 (08:00):
Yeah, no, bloody murdered. That's kind of what I'm even
getting at. Like the silly thing is the charade. You know,
I don't know if you were watching the draft live.
I don't know how many people watch the secondft right, Well, no,
it's a terrible draft and nobody's heard of anybody, and
so there's just absolutely a complete disconnect. I mean, yeah, absolutely,

(08:24):
And the second round was even funnier. It felt like
a soap opera. It was on in the middle of
the day, in the middle of the week. I'm like,
I don't even know what's going on here. Only reason
I'm seeing it is because I host a show during
those hours and it's on in the studio in the background.
I'm like, my god, this is the oddest sporting event
I've ever seen in my life. And there's only one

(08:45):
war room. Only one time did we go to the
war room. I'll let you guess which team it was.
And the build up as we go fifty two, fifty three,
and what there they are. There's Pulinky's on the phone.
I don't know who he's talking because here's the real
Nobody else is.

Speaker 1 (09:03):
Calling that young man. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (09:06):
Was that Lebron on the other line? I don't know,
was it his other son? I have no clue what's
going on. And then after the fifty fourth pick has made,
they go back to the war room. He hangs up
the phone and eight people stand up and start clapping
as if they just pulled one over on everybody when

(09:27):
nobody else even considered picking the young man, and Bob
Myers is on TV reporting that Clutch Sports is calling
all the other teams and telling them do not pick
Bronnie James, which was also a charade because nobody else
wanted to pick Bronnie James. None of this is to

(09:47):
make fun of Bronnie James. It's to make fun of
the charade. I don't understand it. I truly come from
a space right now. I don't get why we have
to do this. I don't understand why Lebron still needs
to answer questions the way that he does now.

Speaker 3 (10:04):
Just look at people and go because I'm Lebron.

Speaker 1 (10:08):
That's why.

Speaker 2 (10:10):
I like, That's how it sat with people when he
did the decision. Everyone's like, who's this guy? Well, that's Lebron,
that's who. So just that's why I'm I'm Lebron and
we're doing this. Like I it's odd, but I'd accept
that more than more than the ridiculous quotes that are

(10:30):
coming out now on the daily as we follow this
kid in a way that I actually find very uncomfortable
for his own success.

Speaker 1 (10:42):
Look, man, the man has earned it. Okay, he's got
more points than anybody. He's got four championship, brought a
championship to the Lakers. So yeah, I'm his son is
a prospect like everybody else from uh thirty eight to

(11:03):
fifty eight, they're all prospects. If Yannis can have his brother,
his brother on an NBA team with him and his
brother with the night his own Nike deal, then yeah,
I think Lebron James has earned the right to have

(11:26):
the Lakers use their fifty fifth pick on his son,
who's a prospect. So I don't get what the man
somebody else could have had that? Who? What what are
we talking about? Yeah? Where the where? Yeah, only fifty
eight players got draft. Only fifty eight players are coming

(11:47):
in to the NBA on the draft, and I would
guess that probably two thirds of those guys won't you know,
play enough to to make a difference. It's this year. Oh,
I think your number is low. But yeah, I'm with you.
I mean, there's no big Oh, I can't believe Yeah, whatever,

(12:10):
trust me. If I'm if I have a chance to
get come on, you want to talk about fatherhood. It's
at its finest. Yeah, who's not doing that? That's the
other thing. Everybody if they had the opportunity to.

Speaker 2 (12:25):
Nepotism, it's I know, people get so outraged, Oh, nepotism.
And I'm like, I mean, I'm sorry, who's running the Lakers?

Speaker 1 (12:39):
Who's running the Lakers?

Speaker 2 (12:41):
From the Lakers? The name sounds familiar to me. The
whole thing like nepotism. People are outraged by it. But
you know, like I know, when my son last summer
wanted his first job, you know who picked up the

(13:02):
phone first?

Speaker 3 (13:03):
I did, of.

Speaker 2 (13:03):
Course, not him, and and and you can criticize that,
but like, that's that's life, that's relationships. You'll leverage the
things that are presented to you. I've got no issues
with the Lebron effort.

Speaker 1 (13:16):
People just understand.

Speaker 2 (13:18):
I don't understand why we have to act like this
isn't what it is.

Speaker 1 (13:23):
Let me drop this one and then we can go
to break. People don't understand generational wealth. Most people understand
generational wealth as a single person earning an obscene amount
to change the social and economic background of their of
set family, Which is correct. That is one aspect of it.

(13:46):
The other and most important aspect of it is is
to now set set family members up to continue to
earn at a high clip for generations to come. That

(14:06):
is generational wealth. One player making one hundred two hundred
three undred million dollars is not enough for generational wealth.
But what you can do is now walk your child
to third base and tell them you got to get
home on your own. Because let's be real people. That's

(14:28):
how most companies, most agencies, most studios are run. They
don't make their kids work in the mailroom and live
in a shoe box apartment and miss meals so they
can learn what the struggle is like. Trust me, Lebron

(14:54):
James has struggled enough for this entire family.

Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah, okay, So coming up next, I want to actually
interview you since I haven't had a chance to chat
with you now in three weeks, and a lot has
happened with your favorite basketball team in that time. And
it's not just Brownie James going in the second round.
They got brand new head coach, and so I need

(15:24):
to ask how you are feeling and your perception of
everything that has taken place. Coming up next, we're broadcasting
live from the ti rak dot com studios.

Speaker 3 (15:35):
Ty rack dot com will help you get there an.

Speaker 2 (15:37):
Unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free road azerd protection and
over ten thousand recommended installers. Ty rack dot com the
way tire buying should be. That's e from Salama, Mark Willard.

Speaker 3 (15:47):
Good evening. This is Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 5 (15:49):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search f s
are to listen live?

Speaker 6 (16:01):
Hey, it's Ben, host of the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller.
Would mean a lot to have you join us on
our weekly auditory journey dressed. What in God's name is
the Fifth Hour? I'll tell you it's a spin off
of it. Ben Maler show a cult hit overnights on FSR.
Why should you listen? Picture if you will a world
will We chat with captains of industry in media, sports
and more every week explore some amazing facts about human

(16:25):
nature and more. Listen to The Fifth Hour with Ben
Maller on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you
get your podcasts.

Speaker 3 (16:31):
All right, good evening to all you peoples.

Speaker 2 (16:35):
It is Mark Willard and e from Salam Live Tiraq
dot com studios. All right, we'll circle back to Brownie
and Lebron because we touched on a lot there a
few minutes ago. But let me get your initial broad
reaction to JJ Reddick as the new head coach of

(16:57):
the Lakers.

Speaker 1 (16:58):
I'm not thrilled about it, Okay. I just would have
preferred someone with a little bit more experience. You know.
The big thing for me is respect from a coach.
I've talked about it for years. We've talked about it.
It's easy to lose a locker room, but just having

(17:22):
the respect of a coach when a timeout is called
or when a game plan is put in. You know,
it's important for guys, veterans, rookie guys, young guys, you
know mid you know, video career guys. It's important for

(17:42):
everybody to buy in, to be on the same page.
That's why you see teams like Miami constantly every year
make playoff pushes and play well. The Celtics the last
few years have really tapped into that. No matter how
young their coaches are or whatever, they all have captivated
the locker room. So I wasn't a fan of his

(18:07):
press conference and cussing and doing all of that. To me,
I know he's trying to be cool and trying to
be hip and locked in. And I don't need that
from my head, coach, I really don't. I don't need
him to be cool. I don't need him to be
you know, and and tune with what's what's happening that look,

(18:33):
I don't need all that, bro. What I need you
to be able to do is down the stretch, put
the team in the best position possible. That's all I want.
Know what type of lineups to put on the floor,
and have time and in game adjustments. That's it. You

(18:54):
don't have to be quippy and witty and we don't
need we don't need any of that. And I just
don't know how many guys in that locker room are like,
oh jj reddick, Yeah, Okay.

Speaker 2 (19:11):
So the obvious next question, even though some will feel
the answers obvious, I wonder what your answer would be,
Why do you think the Lakers hired him?

Speaker 1 (19:19):
I think the Lakers hired him because he's good friends
with Lebron. They knew he would take the job. The
ego has a lot to do with it, and so
when you're publicly slapped in the face. Then the next

(19:40):
date you're going to take is the one that you
know is going to say, Yes, that's just how it goes. Like,
You're not going to be slapped multiple times by multiple people, Okay,
And I think it put it in a position for

(20:01):
they went after who they wanted. They didn't Dan Hurley,
he didn't want you. So not having egg or being
slapped twice became bigger than who the next coach was
in my opinion.

Speaker 2 (20:21):
Yeah, what is your reaction not just to the result
of the search, but the public nature of every step
of the way.

Speaker 1 (20:31):
Oh well, it's just it comes with the brand, you know,
I think, Yeah, it just it is what it is
like it you know, it's the Lakers. Man, they always
make a big remember Magic was on that coach, you know,
AD's own way whise on. Like, it's just part of
the brand of the Lakers. Everybody wants to play there,

(20:55):
everybody wants to be a part of organization. But things
have changed. Is not what it used to be?

Speaker 3 (21:00):
Apparently not Dan Hurley.

Speaker 1 (21:01):
No.

Speaker 2 (21:02):
But my point is is it's not just Okay, there's
a drum beat. There was with Shaq, there was with
Dwight Howard. I get that, but players are different than
coaches number one and number two, not just a buzz.
Of course there's a buzz, it's the Laker brand. But
what essentially turned into a social media battle between WOJ

(21:23):
and Shams over like who was right?

Speaker 3 (21:27):
And now the.

Speaker 2 (21:29):
Reporting wasn't just like Lakers are interested in Dan Hurley,
Lakers are interviewing Dan Hurley, Lakers are offering Dan Hurley X.
It became like Lakers are on Dan's couch right now.

Speaker 1 (21:43):
Now Dan went to the kitchen.

Speaker 3 (21:45):
Now Dan's back, he's talking.

Speaker 1 (21:47):
To them, Like, what on.

Speaker 2 (21:49):
Earth that I didn't understand? You're talking about buzz and
the Lakers. There's no avoiding that I'm talking about what
appears to be absurd leaks.

Speaker 1 (22:00):
Uh yeah, I think there. You know, it's not an
organization that can keep things under wrapped very very good
at all. A lot of sources out there who are
tapped into the know of the team, and you know it,

(22:20):
take our show for instance, right, like, if we're talking
about something in the production meeting off air, then there's
one guy who is the source of all sources that
people can tap into, all right, and that's one Stephen
sourced Sega.

Speaker 7 (22:42):
Well after that good evening to you a lot, gentlemen.
Uh you guys kind of referenced that when ESPN had
the second round of the NBA Draft, including the Lakers
selection of Brownie James, ESPN drew under nine hundred thousand
viewers for that round, so basically zero point nine while
WNBA got one point nine million for ESPN. Last weekend

(23:05):
when it was Caitlin Clark against Diana Tarassi and US
Men's Soccer with its very pedestrian three games in Copa
America averaged over three million viewers. And as far as
the summer leagues, and no they're not in Vegas yet,
but there are summer league games as of this weekend
in the Bay Area, Bronnie James did not play for
the Lakers and Golden State one for what it's worth,

(23:27):
ninety two to sixty eight. Warriors were up twenty in
the first half. They had won their opener in San
Francisco yesterday one toh five sixty six against Miami. Yesterday,
the Lakers had lost to Sacramento as Bronni James scored
four points two of nine shooting from the floor in
his twenty two minutes. Lakers first rounder Dalton connect had
twelve points yesterday, three of twelve shooting. He was three

(23:50):
of thirteen from the floor in this game and twelve
points in the WNBA. Connecticut, now seventeen and four, defeated Atlanta.
Las Vegas beat a Dallas team that's now five and seventeen.
Seattle fourteen and seven, got a home win over Chicago,
though Angel Reese recorded her thirteenth straight double double seventeen
points and fourteen rebounds. Greece men's basketball qualified for this

(24:14):
month's Olympics, beeding Croatia today to finish a qualifying tournament
at home. Spain won at home in its final against
the Bahamas, Brazil and Puerto Rico each one to advance.
Those four winners today get the last four spots in
Paris for later this month. US men's Olympic basketball team
already together and practicing in Las Vegas, and by the way,

(24:34):
there will be a Wednesday exhibition from Vegas on FS
one against Canada. The Copa America semifinals start on Tuesday
night on FS one Argentina's against Canada in New Jersey
and then Wednesday night Columbia Uruguay in Charlotte. The Euro
Soccer semi start Tuesday on Fox TV Spain versus France,

(24:55):
then Wednesday on Fox England versus Netherlands in England. Today
at Wimbledon, Cocoa Gaul lost her fourth rounder against fellow
American Emma Navarro sixty four to sixty three. And the
Chicago Street Rays going on in the rain for NASCAR
right now, at least they are up to about the
halfway point. Finally, after all the cautions and stoppages, Christopher

(25:16):
Bell in the lead. Ty Gibbs is running second to
Major League Baseball, bottom of the six. The Yankee Stadium
Yanks scoreless against Boston. The Brave shutout Philadelphia six nothing
today earlier win for the Guardians at home, having a
great season five to four over the Giants. Cleveland's home
record thirty and eleven. The cub shut out the Angels

(25:36):
five nothing, just three hits for the Halos. Texas will
be hosting the All Star Game in a week and
a half. Rangers beat the Rays thirteen to two, and
by the way, the All Star Game complete rosters are out.
Thirty two first timers are listed. The reserves and pitchers
even were named already on a previous day, the starters
came out and guys. Davis Thompson is the winner of

(25:58):
the PGA's John Deere Classic in Illinois by four strokes
at twenty eight under par a tournament record. It's his
first tour title in sixty three starts on the tour.
Thompson is from the University of Georgia. The victory gets
him into the next three majors, so who're be making
his Master's debut next April. As the winner, he gets
about one point four million dollars. By the way, the

(26:20):
next live golf event next weekend in Spain, and yes,
they get four mil for any and every tournament winner.
The British Opens in a week and a half. Today,
Stanford's Michael Thorne Bjorsen, ranked number one on the tour's
university rankings, tied for second place. There were two spots
from today's tournament that would go to guys, sending them

(26:40):
into the upcoming Open Championship. Well, the winner got one
of them, but the other spot in the upcoming British Open.
See it was a three way tie per second goes
to the one higher in the world golf rankings, so
it's not the college guy. It's ct PAN who's going.
And there was another collegiate tied for second today, a
junior at Florida State, Luke Clinton. He became the first

(27:01):
amateur since nineteen fifty eight to finish top ten in
consecutive PGA sanctioned tournaments. Boy, that's a lot of money
for him in two weeks time. You would say, well,
those finishes the last two weeks would have been worth
over eight hundred thousand dollars if he had only been
a pro golfer.

Speaker 1 (27:18):
Oh, goss back to you.

Speaker 3 (27:21):
That's so golf of them.

Speaker 2 (27:23):
Yes, everything that you just said, Like the sport of
golf is so interesting, like it sort of plays winners outs,
You know what I mean by this, Like the wors
Your shot is the harder, the next one is the better.

Speaker 3 (27:37):
Your shot is the easier, the next.

Speaker 2 (27:39):
One is so Steve, when you just mentioned that three
way tie, and it goes to the player who's the best,
like it.

Speaker 1 (27:45):
Should go the other way around.

Speaker 2 (27:48):
Give it to the guy who needs it, right, not
the guy who's already high in the world rankings and
already has a bunch of money.

Speaker 7 (27:54):
Yeah, So we had two out of the three where
college golfers, and they are not going to the British Open.
On top of that, of course amateurs cannot collect from this.

Speaker 3 (28:03):
Or they don't get any money.

Speaker 2 (28:05):
Well, if they got an experience, how about you go
to Live next year. Then go to Live next year
and everything will be fine. All right, Steve, great great stuff,
as always appreciate it. We'll talk to you in an hour.
Mark willard E from Salam Live in the tairaq dot
com studios.

Speaker 3 (28:23):
Hey, I got more Lakers questions? How about this one?

Speaker 1 (28:26):
Uh? Do you buy that Ronnie James has knee swelling today?
Oh my god, No, it's too much. Man. Look I
don't know what it is, whether I buy it or not.
I think it's not a good look. I think he
should be out there playing as much basketball this summer

(28:49):
as possible. This is the only way for him he'll
be comfortable and locked into what He's not playing against
any NBA talent right now, so he should really be
out there killing.

Speaker 2 (29:08):
And we've only I'm not going to be small sample
sized Steve over here, and I don't mean Steve de Seger,
but one game, so only one game.

Speaker 1 (29:19):
But he was not, as you said, killing it no, Look,
he should be like, look, okay, Boom got the jitters
out out there in the Lakers uniform. You know, had
a good drive, had a nice little move on a jumper.
But now it's about consistency. It's about you know, working
on your defense. It's about getting yourself ready to go

(29:42):
to training camp and to actually make a roster and
fight for it. So yeah, I want to play. Yeah,
my knee's fine. All right, there's things come on, man
Nie swelling.

Speaker 2 (29:56):
Nice swelling after what was it two for nine, missed
both of his free.

Speaker 1 (30:00):
Throws miss twenty minutes or someone, yeah, miss both.

Speaker 2 (30:04):
Of his three point attempts, got cooked on defense a
couple of times, tripped when someone gave him a little
shimmy set crossover again. And this that we're doing right
now from is the part about this story that I
actually hate the most, and I wish it wasn't gonna

(30:24):
come out sounding like I know it sounds, but the
bottom line is is going to sound like people are
taking shots at Bronnie James and not wanting him to
succeed and all the hater raid stuff, And I've got.

Speaker 3 (30:39):
None of that in my heart.

Speaker 2 (30:41):
What I had all along was a curiosity about whether
or not this was the best thing for Bronnie. The
weirdest part about this story is that Lebron for two years.

Speaker 3 (30:54):
Has been talking about playing with.

Speaker 2 (30:56):
His son, but I never really heard his son talk
about playing with his dad number one, number two, And
I know he's addressed it here and there, but he
never expressed that as a dream. And he couldn't because
it's like, you got to earn your way supposedly.

Speaker 3 (31:13):
Into the NBA.

Speaker 2 (31:15):
But if a kid is not ready, is it best
for him? I know he gets a four year guaranteed contract.
Is that what's best for his development? Or was this
just what's best for Lebron's dream? And after watching him
play one time, that's an even bigger question than it

(31:36):
already was.

Speaker 1 (31:37):
I mean, would have been best for his career? Let's
take college off the table, all right, Like if he
would have gone back to college and went to a
real program, not a school, but a program, I think
it would have helped with his development in terms of
a player. Would it have helped his chances of getting draft?

(32:00):
I'm not quite sure, because he may have found himself
having to be there for two more years opposed to
just one more. Now he's a pro, he's in the league.
Is this best for him? Would have been best for
him is for him to go to Miami. That's what
it would have been best for him, because Miami develops

(32:22):
young talent. They have a knack for taking guys who
are undrafted late round draft picks and developing them into
actual basketball players who can contribute. Golden State. Another stop
that would have been best for him, maybe the Sacramento Kings.

(32:44):
Like there are different spots that would have been best,
are better for him to develop as a player, the
Lakers not being one of them, because the Lakers really
don't develop young talent. There's some one officer and stuff
in there, but for a large part, all of the

(33:05):
Lakers young talent became All Stars for other teams. Julius Randall,
ingram A, Lonzo Ball, like Josh Hart. The list goes
on and on and on, Evita Zubat, all of the

(33:27):
the Lakers had all of these young players, they did
not develop them because they want to win. Now, the
Lakers don't strike me as an organization that brings in
young talent and develops them and gets them ready to play. Yeah,
and it's my team, So I know. I know this.

Speaker 2 (33:48):
The biggest question I have about all of this, the
biggest question of all I haven't even asked yet, because
there's a hole in the whole theory that's being created, which.

Speaker 1 (34:00):
I want to ask. Coming up next.

Speaker 2 (34:02):
Also top of the hour, I got a hot take
about Team USA and Olympic basketball, So we'll get to
all of that with Ipram Salam.

Speaker 1 (34:10):
I'm Mark Weather. This is Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 5 (34:12):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live all.

Speaker 2 (34:24):
Right with Efram Salam, Markweather Live tyrack dot com studios. Yeah,
coming up in ten minutes. I got something to say
about Team USA that I freely admit is maybe a
little off, maybe a little off putting, maybe a little unpopular,
but it's how I feel, so I have to say it.
We'll do that coming up here at six Pacific in

(34:47):
nine Eastern. But do you know what question I still
have about Lebron and Bronni is this, Well, Okay, they're
gonna make history, they're gonna play together, and then the
Lakers are like, we're gonna spend the year in.

Speaker 1 (35:04):
The G League? Well, which is it?

Speaker 2 (35:10):
It's as if they're guaranteeing something that they're also not
guaranteeing is going to happen. And I would forecast the
likelihood of them doing it in a way that feels
even a little bit purposeful or organic.

Speaker 3 (35:31):
Is very low.

Speaker 2 (35:34):
So the likelihood is, how does Bronny get onto the
Laker roster?

Speaker 3 (35:39):
Okay?

Speaker 2 (35:40):
Imagine that? Now, how does he get into the game? Okay,
imagine that? Now? Is it only during garbage time? Okay,
let's imagine that. Are we actually going to get what
I think is being pitched to us, which is this
cool thing of a father and a son playing in

(36:00):
the same jersey on the same team that's trying to
win a basketball game. In other words, how do they
do this without it being a clear sideshow.

Speaker 1 (36:18):
Well, I'll tell you this. What we've seen in the
NBA is every team, at some point they're going to
put people in a basketball game that we've never seen before. Yeah,

(36:39):
the Lakers. I'm a Laker fan, and they were putting
people in the game and I was like, who is
that and where did he come from? Yeah, it's the
nature of the game in terms of health. So there'll

(37:01):
be times where he's called up from the G League
team and he'll be on the active roster and he'll
get a chance to play. Will he play meaningful minutes?
Probably not, But he'll get a chance to play, just

(37:21):
like every year since the D League, G League, since
that whole thing has was created.

Speaker 2 (37:30):
Well, you're not wrong, However, you're making it sound like
all the G leaguers always come up, Oh no, no
for a year, right, And what happens in most NBA
games when the G leaguers are inserted, usually the future
Hall of famers are watching, usually, of course. So again,

(37:53):
I still I'm failing to see how in the next
year or two, if he plays that long. I'm failing
to see at least the likelihood of this happening in
such a way where it actually is supposed to happen,
you know what I mean. It's not like, here's the
comparison I feel. Remember when Strahan broke the sack record, Yes, okay,

(38:19):
did you feel like that was organic?

Speaker 1 (38:23):
Okay?

Speaker 2 (38:23):
So Brett Favre takes a step to his right and
falls over. Michael breathes on him, and he's got the
sack record and the whole world went, well, you did
that on purpose, and it doesn't feel as good.

Speaker 3 (38:36):
Same thing is probably gonna happen here, so it's like.

Speaker 2 (38:40):
Oh, what a moment, Well not really, not really, Like
Niagara Falls is not as beautiful as Yosemite Falls.

Speaker 1 (38:52):
One of them's real and the other one we made.

Speaker 2 (38:57):
So that's all I'm getting at. That's all I'm getting at.
This is gonna be a man made, feel good moment.

Speaker 1 (39:06):
That's all.

Speaker 2 (39:06):
As long as long as as long as you're cool
with that, then we're cool with that.

Speaker 1 (39:10):
I mean, what what what is the option? Of course
we have to be cool with it. It's gonna be
what it's gonna be. Man, it's something that's never happened.
Lebron James seems to specialize in doing things that have
never been done before, So why not this one? And
to be honest, why not this one? Yeah? Man? Thousand points?

(39:33):
No one will ever ever score that many points?

Speaker 3 (39:40):
Right, No, it's it's not offensive.

Speaker 2 (39:43):
I just want it to be presented as it made
My whole point this hour.

Speaker 3 (39:49):
Present this as what it.

Speaker 1 (39:50):
Is, as what it is. Right, It's not being presented
as what it is.

Speaker 2 (39:54):
It's being presented as the basketball version of Ken Griffy
and Ken Griffy Jr.

Speaker 1 (40:00):
Right, And it is flatly not that. No I mean
at all. I mean, in no way, shape or form,
could le Bronni eclipse his father in terms of talent
and abilities. It's just not. I mean, Lebron's a one
of one, So it just it is what it is,

(40:22):
all right. Coming up next, I got something to say
about Team USA that.

Speaker 3 (40:27):
You might not like. It's around the corner.

Speaker 2 (40:31):
Yeah, rolland live on a Sunday night broadcasting live from
the ti rag dot com studios.

Speaker 3 (40:38):
Tyreck dot com will help you get there.

Speaker 2 (40:40):
Unmatched selection, fast, free shipping, free road hazard protection at
over ten thousand recommended installers. Tyreck dot com the way
tire buying should be.

Speaker 1 (40:51):
Let me read you.

Speaker 2 (40:53):
This tweet and you'll know exactly where I'm going to
go next. This this is, this is exactly what I
was talking about two months ago on my show in
the Bay Area. I got ripped for this. I have
no problem with that. That comes with the territory. But

(41:17):
here's the headline from NBC Sports locally in the Bay Area.
Quote Steph Curry addressed a bloody hand injury. He appeared
to sustain during today's Team USA scrimmage. Now, I haven't
even read what Steph said. My bet is, ah, bloody hand.

(41:41):
I'm a tough guy. We're fine, I'm a professional. Everybody relaxed,
and my answer will be now, I am not going
to relax. Here's my take a from and I'm sorry
if this sounds unpatriotic.

Speaker 3 (42:00):
I hate it with a capital H when the.

Speaker 2 (42:05):
Best players on my favorite team play for TMUSA. Can't
stand it. Sorry, can't stand it. You know where I
want those guys in July. Bubble wrapped Barca loungers, swimming pools, whatever,

(42:25):
golf courses, all good. That's where I like to see
my favorite players in the offseason.

Speaker 3 (42:34):
I know it's not realistic.

Speaker 2 (42:36):
I know that they've got all of their career goals
and it is probably one of the few things that
he doesn't have on his resume that he wants on there.
And so this is not a criticism. This is simply
me explaining an emotion to you. I can't stand it
that Steph Curry, in his now late thirties or at

(43:00):
least past thirty five, can't stand it that as he
finally gets a summer away from playoff basketball that he
is now using that to go play for Team USA,
And I just hope that all of the bones and
the ligaments are all attached when they get on the
other side of France.

Speaker 1 (43:19):
Look, I get it, I understand that. And when Lebron
and ad were like, we're going, I was like, oh,
But on the flip side of that, I want the
best players to go because we know how close the

(43:40):
world is in terms of talent, and we know what
happens if we don't send our best over there. If
we send guys who are showing up to not play
defense or to you know, score a bunch of points

(44:03):
with no party in France, right like, then we're going
through be in trouble. Yes, So I want the best
that we have to offer, because the best at the
NBA has to offer. The top twenty I would say
ten of them, maybe even more, are playing for their

(44:25):
respective countries, which isn't the United States. So yeah, it
would be nice for them to be you know, hanging out,
just working out, enjoying some sun, banana, bolton, whatever it
is that they want to do in the off season.

(44:48):
But the realization of we need them to play is
more prevalent than ever right now.

Speaker 2 (44:58):
Yeah, I don't disagree with that. Here here's the question
i'd ask you. Let's say, let's go back to when
the Lakers came out of the play in tournament and
they were facing the Denver Nuggets and it was game
one of the playoffs. What matters to you more game

(45:22):
one of their first round series.

Speaker 1 (45:27):
Or the gold medal? Uh? The game one? I mean,
it's just you know.

Speaker 2 (45:33):
Well, there you go, well, there you go, and a
like again, I don't want this to be some sort
of conversation about about patriotism because your country and however
you're feeling at a divisive political time and all all
of these things that go into this, to me, doesn't

(45:54):
really have a whole lot to do with the Olympic Games.

Speaker 1 (45:59):
That's sport. I think it's wonderful. Will I watch? Yes?
Will I be on the edge of my seat?

Speaker 3 (46:04):
Not really? Like, let's be real. What you're saying is correct.

Speaker 2 (46:10):
We have reached a time where America is not guaranteed
gold in basketball. You've got to bring your best and
if they don't, and if they end up with the
bronze medal, I will get over it.

Speaker 1 (46:22):
In three two one scene that makes sense.

Speaker 2 (46:31):
Sorry, sorry if I'm sorry if somebody doesn't like that,
But I get old reality of it.

Speaker 1 (46:36):
That's the reality, man, That is the reality of the
situation where if we don't win gold, you will be like, man,
they tripping. Man, I can't believe they went over there
and did that. Man, who can't wait till the season start.

Speaker 3 (46:48):
Right, I can't believe they did that?

Speaker 1 (46:52):
Now, what do you want for dinner? Right? Yeah? I mean,
it's be embarrassing, It'll be sure, seriously embarrassing, But embarrassing
stuff happens in sports all.

Speaker 3 (47:03):
The time, all the time, you know what I mean
all the time.

Speaker 2 (47:07):
Like there'll be an NFL team that's one in fourteen
and then they'll beat somebody who's like trying to go
to the playoffs, and like that's embarrassing.

Speaker 1 (47:17):
All right, who we got next week? You know? I mean,
that's I don't know.

Speaker 2 (47:22):
So I wondered, especially with a couple of Lakers and
one of them not being so young.

Speaker 1 (47:31):
And the other one I was very brittle.

Speaker 2 (47:34):
Right, Like, I wondered how you felt about it, because
quite frankly, ever since I've never ever and.

Speaker 3 (47:41):
He wasn't even on a team that I knew much
about her that I followed or anything like that.

Speaker 2 (47:48):
But ever since Paul George had leg bones going opposite
direction in the FOBA tournament, I'm like, I'm out. I'm
out on the best players on the team. I root
for playing like I get it. Put the USA on
your chest. I bet it feels amazing. And I bet

(48:10):
if you win a gold medal you'll cry. And I
want that for you, but not as much as I
want you to play in the playoffs next year.

Speaker 1 (48:20):
That's just me. I'm just being real. Yeah, and and
and it's okay, just so you know more, it's okay
to feel like that, all right, But I need us
to show up and show out at these Olympics. I
hope so, because it's you know, it's getting real scary

(48:44):
when you're MVP voting the top three. None of them
have a US peport. They do not wear Rookie of
the Rookie of the Year also doesn't have a US passport.
They have work VISUS. So uh yeah, it's a little like,

(49:09):
come on, guys, let's re establish our dominance in something.

Speaker 2 (49:15):
Well actually, so let me rewinding back up a little bit.
If they don't win gold, is it actually embarrassing, Yes,
very much.

Speaker 3 (49:25):
Why why. I mean, the world has shown that they're
right there.

Speaker 1 (49:30):
Yeah, but they're not there. Right there is not there, Okay,
right there is not there.

Speaker 3 (49:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (49:38):
So yeah, that that that's a huge embarrassment. I mean
it's happened before. Yes, it has happened before multiple times.
And uh it Kobe Bryant, well right right, it was.

Speaker 3 (49:57):
It was gonna happen again if they didn't all follow
him too.

Speaker 1 (50:00):
Yeah. Yeah, that's why I don't like when young guys
go over there and they got all the talent and
a lot of energy, and they don't they don't keep
their eyes on the prize. Right. A lot of distractions, right,
A lot of world literally worldly distractions at the Olympics,

(50:24):
and it's just you know, getting caught up in the
pageantry of the Olympics and watching your other American athletes
perform and all of that. You know, it's intoxicating, and
you sometimes figure, oh, we're the best in the world.
We can go out here and just show up and
it's just gonna go our way, and the world is like,
we can't wait to get our hands on them. You know,

(50:45):
it's gonna be interesting. As Steve said it in the
update last hour. The US and Canada's friendly on Wednesday
and exhibition that's going to be in just interesting because
most people don't know that the NBA players stars like

(51:09):
you know, number what was it, number three and MVP
voting number two and MVP voting Shay Gilders Alexander is Canadian. Yep, right,
He's leading their team and it's a bunch of NBA
players on that Canadian team. So it's gonna be Uh,
that's a fun friendly. I guess you can say.

Speaker 2 (51:30):
Uh, Andrew Wiggins disallowed from playing hmm, Yeah, Warriors blocked.

Speaker 1 (51:40):
Him from playing. Wow mm hmm.

Speaker 2 (51:45):
I mean that's pretty easy thing to to unpack, though,
don't you think? Yes, And it's kind of it actually,
I think it proves my point.

Speaker 1 (51:55):
It proves my point, which.

Speaker 2 (51:57):
Which is you're blocking Andrew from playing not because you're
worried about him getting hurt, but because you're worried about
him getting hurt. And here's what I mean by that.
You're not worried about him missing games for the Warriors.
You are currently dangling him in every single trade proposal

(52:18):
that is possible right now, and all of that, like
literally the future of the organization, based on some reports,
could be hanging in the balance if this guy were
to get hurt. Well, couldn't I argue the exact same
thing about Steph Curry?

Speaker 1 (52:39):
No, why not?

Speaker 2 (52:40):
Because he's the future of the Warriors organization for the
next two years hanging in the balance, yea, with every
ankle turned.

Speaker 1 (52:48):
Yeah, but there's no loss in value. Right. They don't
want Andrew Wiggins to play because if he gets hurt,
he's no longer valuable to them. I don't know how
valuable he is now, but well, he may not have
value for them, but someone may think he's valuable enough

(53:10):
to propose a trade or accept the trade. That's the
whole point. Steph's not going anywhere. There's no no, no
worry of Steph Curry getting hurt, and now it just
implodes anything you had moving forward in terms of a
trade or anything like that.

Speaker 3 (53:29):
Well, no it doesn't.

Speaker 2 (53:30):
It doesn't break down a trade, but it could break
down your season.

Speaker 1 (53:33):
Yeah, but that's the point he's going to be.

Speaker 2 (53:35):
The point of the trade is any trade The point
is like, right, DeMar DeRozan's on the Kings because they're like,
that will make us better and we're going to try
to win this year.

Speaker 1 (53:47):
That was a good move by them, you think so.
I'd love to hear more about that.

Speaker 2 (53:51):
By the way, like the uh, the recalibration of the
Western Conference. Uh, let's take a look at that, plus
a surprise comment made at Kawhi Leonard with the Team
USA group. We'll get to all of that coming up
next with E from Salama, Mark Willard.

Speaker 1 (54:06):
This is Fox Sports Radio. You could say it again.

Speaker 2 (54:09):
That's right, we're LIVINTHETI Rank dot Com Studios. That's E
from Salam. I'm Mark Willard. What about those free agent signings?
What are they good for?

Speaker 1 (54:21):
You? Tell me?

Speaker 2 (54:22):
Give me your rundown to the Western Conference after the
moves that we have seen. Klay Thompson goes to the
Dallas Mavericks, DeMar DeRozan goes to the Sacramento Kings, Paul
George leaves the Los Angeles Clippers.

Speaker 3 (54:43):
I could go on and on.

Speaker 1 (54:44):
How do you see it? I think I think Dallas
got better. I think where Clay is now in his career,
I think that's the perfect fit for him. It gives them,
you know, some real shooting ability at the wing for

(55:08):
the driving kick. They got two guys who are gonna
drive and kick. He's gonna have more wide open looks
than it than he's had the last few years. I
think that's a great signing. I think, uh DeRozan to
the Kings is good. It gives them a mid range
specialist and some toughness, a little bit of edge there,

(55:32):
uh with their with their core nucleus. I just think
it just it gives them you know, you would want
that from Sabonis, but he's not that type of player. Uh.
It just it makes them a tougher guard. Now with

(55:53):
Malik and Dearon Foxbonis and now the mid range, the
mid range of sass and DeMar DeRozan. I think that's
that they've gotten better. De Chante Murray goes to the Pelicans.

Speaker 2 (56:11):
We've got kind of a dot dot dot on Brandon
Ingram for right now mentioned that the Clippers lost George,
the Nuggets lost k c p Oklahoma City got Hartenstein.
I don't know what else, Yeah, what else stands out
to you up at the top.

Speaker 3 (56:30):
Well, the lack of.

Speaker 1 (56:32):
Any movement from the Lakers stands out at the top
for me, you know, going.

Speaker 3 (56:38):
To me, they picked up picked up Browny James.

Speaker 1 (56:41):
Going after See, we're trying to have a real conversation
right here.

Speaker 2 (56:43):
You want to come on, man, I had I don't
know what.

Speaker 1 (56:48):
You're doing.

Speaker 3 (56:49):
Go ahead, go ahead, I know.

Speaker 1 (56:50):
What you're doing.

Speaker 2 (56:53):
Well, what was your take on? And these are just reports?
But I gotta think because Klay Thompson, For people who
don't live in LA and you don't know, there's this
thing called hashtag future Laker, and Laker fans like to
affix it to every good player who's ever walked the

(57:13):
green Earth.

Speaker 3 (57:14):
But Klay Thompson, with his.

Speaker 2 (57:16):
Bloodlines and his dad being one of the broadcasters and
growing up idolizing Kobe Bryant, he has sort of been
one of those guys that always felt like it would
fit and the only thing that was getting in the
way was, Dude, that guy's gonna live and die and
start and finish as a warrior because that's the way

(57:37):
he saw it. I know that that family saw it
that way. And then when things went south over the
last eighteen months, all of a sudden, the possibility became
real and we get to this point and he turns
down more money to not wear that jersey. That had

(57:58):
to feel some kind of way A little bit.

Speaker 1 (58:02):
Yeah, it did. I think him playing for the Warriors
and and that rivalry between you know, Lebron and him,
I think that, uh, that weigh that heavy on the

(58:24):
decision do you want to go join the guy? Are
essentially play against him still, and he chose to play
against him, you know, And when you look at it,
you look at the two superstars for for Dallas, I
mean they're in better shape than two superstars for the Lakers. Uh,

(58:50):
Dallas just played in the NBA Finals, right, the Lakers
were put out in the first round. You're he's trying
to go get another ring. He wants desperately to get
another ring before Steph and Dre can get another ring. Right.

(59:10):
He wants to show the organization, which I get and
I understand, and I'm not mad at that at all.
So you know, I gotta imagine.

Speaker 2 (59:30):
And I do think Michael was quoted as saying maybe
it was more my dream than his, and that hit
on a couple of levels because and I don't know,
if you know Michael, you know he kicks around in
Los Angeles media circles.

Speaker 1 (59:46):
Michael and I host this show three years.

Speaker 2 (59:48):
I know the man very very well. Considered him a
very good friend, and he is just an absolutely tremendous
human being. It's a great individual. And when he set
out loud, you know, maybe it was more my dream
than his.

Speaker 1 (01:00:05):
As a father to a son, I was like, y'all
see the irony, right?

Speaker 2 (01:00:11):
Did everybody catch that in in Lakerland? Did you catch
the dad say maybe it was more my dream than his.
Did anyone else make the connection? Please tell me you did?
Please Please tell me you did. You caught it right?

(01:00:35):
It didn't go I know you're a smart man. I
know it didn't get by you. Come on, of course,
Oh goodness, all right, we'll get back to Clay.

Speaker 1 (01:00:47):
We'll get back to Clay.

Speaker 3 (01:00:50):
Know there's some more.

Speaker 2 (01:00:51):
There's some larger questions there just about Clay, not not
the Lakers side of it.

Speaker 1 (01:00:56):
But you do your sound, and I get it uncomfortable
at the lack.

Speaker 2 (01:01:03):
Of movement and improvement with the Lakers. It does right now,
and it's early. There's still things developing. Free agency is
only one week old, but a lot of the movement
happens and it feels a little bit like a Dallas
Cowboys offseason so far.

Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
Look, I think this free agency was was good for
the League. Okay, I love movement. I love teams not

(01:01:46):
standing back. I love Paul George, Like, look, I got
to get out of here, right yep. I mean when
you look at our team and we normally don't have
cap space here on our show because we keep, we

(01:02:07):
consistently keep you know, maxing. So it's called the supermax. Right,
It's called we keep giving one of our team members
a Supermax. And that is one Stephen S de Seger.

Speaker 7 (01:02:24):
You could not keep straight face.

Speaker 1 (01:02:26):
No, no, this is it's almost getting cruel, to be
honest with you.

Speaker 3 (01:02:30):
It's it's it's approaching it.

Speaker 1 (01:02:32):
I hope you know I'm aware of that. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:02:35):
By the way, as you talk about Lebron and the Lakers,
let's not forget that he showed what a team player
he is this weekend by only taking fifty one million
dollars a year instead of the fifty two max.

Speaker 1 (01:02:49):
I thought that was huge because you know, that keeps.

Speaker 7 (01:02:51):
Him under the second. I mean, who who's more of
a team player, who from day one has had the
organization more in mind than Lebron James. Okay, maybe there's
somebody they really really thought about it. By the way,
Brownie James did not play at the Summer League game
today in the Bay Area, Golden State ninety to sixty eight.

Speaker 3 (01:03:11):
The final.

Speaker 7 (01:03:11):
Golden State had ripped Miami and their opener in San
Francisco yesterday. Summer League games begin in San Francisco and
Sacramento yesterday, and the brief Salt Lake City Summer League
will be Monday through Wednesday this week. The Las Vegas
Summer League goes from July twelfth to twenty second, with
all thirty NBA teams. Each club will play at least

(01:03:32):
five games there. In the WNBA, all four games are
now final. Phoenix Is won at LA eighty four to
seventy eight. Seattle got a home win over Chicago, although
Angel Reese had her thirteenth straight double double. Las Vegas
sent Dallas to another loss, and Connecticut seventeen and four
defeated Atlanta. The WNBA is off tomorrow, which is one

(01:03:53):
game on Tuesday. As for the NASCAR, it is finally over.
On the rainy streets of Chicago. They have called the
race didn't get all seventy five laps, but in fifty
eight laps, Alex Bowman is the winner. Tyler Reddick finished second.
Ty Gibbs was third at Wimbledon. Coco Golf lost her
fourth rounder against fellow America and the Emma Navarro six

(01:04:13):
four to sixty three. American Madison Keys had to retire
from her match due to injury. Tied five all in
the third set. Number one Egis Fiontek lost on the
grass court in three sets. Yesterday, Davis Thompson took the
PGA's John Deer Classic in Illinois by four strokes at
twenty eight under par a tournament record. The Sunday Night
ballgame has two outs. Bottom of the ninth. Kenlee Jansen

(01:04:36):
on the mound for Boston going for the save. He's
facing Aaron Judges. The Yankees are getting shut out tonight.
It's Boston three to nothing with the advantage with three
late solo homers, one in the seventh by rafae Old Devers,
one in the eighth, and then one in the ninth
by Devers, who was named an All Star today. In fact,
we got all the All Stars named today pretty much

(01:04:57):
except for the injury replacements of course. Mookie bats for example,
of the Dodgers, has a broken hand after being hit
by a pitch. Recently, he was named an All Star
for the eighth straight year. There are six Dodgers on
the NL roster. Freddie Freeman was named for an eighth
year in his career. Philadelphia has the most seven All Stars.
The All Star Games on Fox TV from Texas a

(01:05:18):
week from Tuesday. Thirty two players are now first time
All Stars, including ten National League pitchers. Pittsburgh rookie Paul
Skeins will be an All Star. Baltimore was a six
to three winner at Oakland, the win to Grayson Rodriguez,
who's eleven and three. Toronto in ten innings, won five
to four at Seattle Milwaukee Blitz the Dodgers nine to

(01:05:39):
two in La and Arizona. Was a nine to one
winner at San Diego. It's now final at Yankee Stadium,
Boston three nothing and Guys Grease's men's basketball team qualified
for this month's Olympics, being in Croatia eighty to sixty nine.
There were four tournaments wrapping up at various spots on
the globe today, and those four winners in those four
finals get the last four spots in Paris for the

(01:06:01):
tourney later this month. At the Summer Games, eight teams
had already qualified, including the US US men's basketball currently
in Vegas practicing, has a first exhibition there on FS
one Wednesday against Canada. Then the Americans from Abu Dhabi
will be on FS one in games against Australia and
Serbia as we lead up to the actual Olympic Games

(01:06:23):
in France late this month. As for who's going, not
just Greece, and by the way, yes, Giannis Antenakumpo is
now an Olympian. He was in tears on the bench
at the end of this game. He had twenty three
points in twenty eight minutes as they beat Croatia. And
by the way, Croatia had one stellar performance after another
this week from Iviza Zubats of the Clippers. He had

(01:06:46):
nineteen points twelve rebounds today. Yesterday in the semis of
that tournament, Greece had eliminated Slovenia. So Luka Donsich is
not going to the Olympics. They got blown out yesterday
and Danciic had ten turnovers. Ain't want at home, going
four and oh for the week, beating the Bahamas eighty
six seventy eight. DeAndre Ayden in defeat had seventeen points,

(01:07:07):
fourteen rebounds. Brazil and Puerto Rico each advance back to you.

Speaker 2 (01:07:12):
As it turns out, Steve Jannis was actually crying on
the bench because he had watched that Warrior Laker Summer
League game and andy he viewed. He watched all thirty
four to three point attempts from the Lakers, and and
that was his reaction. Sixty eight did they play forty

(01:07:33):
eight minutes?

Speaker 1 (01:07:34):
Listen, listen, go ahead. Are Jannis's brothers on the Olympic
team with him? I was gonna ask the same question,
not the one that I know.

Speaker 7 (01:07:43):
I believe you know. It's grease. So they all have
names exactly that long. But I thought there was one,
not the who is it? Tanasas? Not him, He's not there.

Speaker 2 (01:07:54):
If there are other brothers on the Olympic team, that
would actually be even funnier, amazing. He's like, you get
to play for the box, you get to play for
your country.

Speaker 1 (01:08:03):
Well, I mean one of the one of the championship
with the Lakers. They all three have NBA championships.

Speaker 7 (01:08:10):
So also on the Grease team veteran from the University
of Florida and Nick Koalathus fourteen points, eleven assists, only
one turnover today, tremendous By the way, Buddy healed, Yes,
this close to going to the Olympics. He was on
that Bahamas team with Michael Thompson as assistant coach. By
the way, Buddy healed in another good game nineteen points.

Speaker 1 (01:08:31):
But he and.

Speaker 7 (01:08:32):
DeAndre Ayton are not going Bahamas.

Speaker 1 (01:08:34):
What's that close? And what is my Warrior fan reaction
to Buddy.

Speaker 2 (01:08:40):
Heel to thank goodness, play Warrior basketball next year instead?

Speaker 7 (01:08:46):
And this is all official, right The new league year
opened yesterday. Yeah, those reported signings and deals and everything
we've heard about official news.

Speaker 1 (01:08:54):
The first six team trade in NBA.

Speaker 7 (01:08:57):
History, right with the Dallas and by the way, with
the lebron fifty one million dollars salary also now official.
The new salary caps about one hundred and forty million
per team. So there's fifty one of it right there.

Speaker 1 (01:09:09):
There you go, there you go, more than a more
than a third of the cap.

Speaker 7 (01:09:13):
Perfect, But he cares about the franchise. Did I not
say that at the beginning of this.

Speaker 1 (01:09:20):
He should have gave money back just because they drafted
his son.

Speaker 2 (01:09:25):
Like right, he should have to at least pay for
Browny's contract.

Speaker 7 (01:09:29):
Stracted his son counts against the cap. That's a regular
roster spot, a regular contract. So the son's getting two mil.
He only gave back one mill.

Speaker 2 (01:09:37):
Oh so actually he didn't give money back. He found
a way to get more. That's that's incredible.

Speaker 7 (01:09:45):
Because if there's one thing Brittany needed, it was money.

Speaker 1 (01:09:50):
Why are you gasping so much? You're doing a lot
of gasping this segment because it's my team, all right,
and things aren't going the way they should go.

Speaker 3 (01:10:01):
Did you watch you sounded like you watched that summer
league game.

Speaker 1 (01:10:04):
I did watch it, you did? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:10:06):
Do you know who the leading score was for the Lakers?

Speaker 1 (01:10:10):
No? I don't know any of those people, you know.

Speaker 7 (01:10:12):
Except for the two draft choices. No, we've never heard
of any of them.

Speaker 1 (01:10:16):
Yeah. Well, actually one of the draft choices was the
leading scorer. Yeah, I think that A Dalton thought that
was a great pick.

Speaker 7 (01:10:25):
He was three three of thirteen today, three of two
off shooting.

Speaker 1 (01:10:28):
Yes, that's okay, he gonna be all right.

Speaker 3 (01:10:30):
But he lit it up with with twelve points.

Speaker 7 (01:10:34):
And he actually made a three pointer in this game.

Speaker 3 (01:10:36):
He made one.

Speaker 1 (01:10:37):
Yeah, you guys are team double team and me not.
I'm just saying I mean, I thought I thought we were.
See you've changed desk, miss I missed a couple of days,
and now now with the.

Speaker 7 (01:10:51):
Team goes four of thirty four from three point range.
That is the definition of news.

Speaker 1 (01:10:56):
Steve sometimes connects to yourself.

Speaker 3 (01:10:59):
Connect with one of three, which was lighting it up.

Speaker 2 (01:11:02):
I mean the team shot eleven point eight percent from
beyond the arc.

Speaker 1 (01:11:07):
Half all you want now, I'll see you how to
play in next year?

Speaker 7 (01:11:12):
If they really want to be like the winners, like
the Celtics, it would have been more like forty four
three pointed tests.

Speaker 2 (01:11:18):
That's amazing trash talk. Can you imagine Kobe doing that?

Speaker 1 (01:11:21):
Almost? See you in the play in turnament the play
in that's right, see you in the season tournament? Exactly?

Speaker 7 (01:11:28):
Are they going to unveil the in season tournament banner
for opening day next year?

Speaker 1 (01:11:33):
Yeah? Good question there, Good question there.

Speaker 7 (01:11:37):
That was pretty much the beginning of the end, wasn't it.
That was the high point of the season.

Speaker 1 (01:11:42):
Right next to the old Copper divisionship. It's to be
all right, fast neutral party here. It doesn't sound very
neutral to me.

Speaker 7 (01:11:54):
Well, you know I would say that contract yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:12:03):
What happens when you when you give a guy all
the money and a no trade clause. Only one in
the business.

Speaker 2 (01:12:10):
Oh, very good, very good. Well, it was fun for
at least two of us. So we're in the tyrack
dot com studios. I do have Klay Thompson questions and
this has nothing to do with the Lakers, but i'd
love to you said, good fit.

Speaker 3 (01:12:25):
Let's let's talk that out a little bit.

Speaker 2 (01:12:27):
Coming up next and then top of the hour, let's
let's have some more fun at our own expense with
the Major League Baseball All Star rosters. Uh, that's also
coming up. Mark Willardy from salam Fox Sports Radio. Oh,
that's what Clay's looking for. He's gonna pay it back,
not pay it forward. We're live in the Tirack dot

(01:12:51):
com studios. This is an appropriate jam. Uh, the big payback.
All right, you're Klay Thompson Ephraim, and here's what was
on the table. If you believe all the reports going
back as far as a year ago, a year ago,

(01:13:11):
or at least a basketball year ago, Clay was offered
two years and forty eight million dollars to continue to
be a Golden State Warrior. As things approached free agency,
he can still talk to the Warriors. I think he's
offered something more in the neighborhood of two years than

(01:13:34):
thirty five to forty million dollars, but is also largely
told for the most part, actually, we're just gonna need
you to wait because now we miss the playoffs and
we got a bunch of stuff we're working on. Okay, then,
if we believe all reports, Dallas three years fifty million dollars,

(01:13:57):
Lakers four years eighty million dollars, did Clay make the
right choice?

Speaker 1 (01:14:08):
I think for him he did. I think he went
to the team that he felt had the opportunity to
get the next championships. Uh and if he happens to
go through, I don't know, team in the West that
he may have may not have paid played with who
no longer wanted him. I think that's added bonus. No

(01:14:34):
longer wanted him offered him seven per year. I get it,
and you're right, and you're right, But but you know,
they re upped on Draymond, they re upped on Wiggins

(01:14:55):
ago two years ago, right, so he just feels like
odd man out. I get it. Well, remember he was
one of the Splash brothers.

Speaker 2 (01:15:03):
Well, yeah, so I struggle with this. You've been in
pro athlete negotiations. So you helped me on this because
I do I struggle with this because I sort of
see where both sides are coming from. And just to
give sort of a quick backgrounder for those who aren't
real tapped in on the story, you know you could
look at this very easily through separate lenses. The Warriors

(01:15:27):
look at a five year max contract that paid him
forty three million dollars a year, and this is how
the five years went. Okay missed with injury, but they
knew that at the time, followed by missed with injury,
followed by was only healthy enough to play half the games,

(01:15:47):
but won a championship.

Speaker 1 (01:15:50):
Followed by.

Speaker 2 (01:15:54):
Wobbly like played most of the games, played kind of
well sometimes, but was struggling with shot selection, and the
Warriors were a second round out. Followed by played almost
all the games, was largely consistent, but is not his
dynamic former self, not much of a player on defense,

(01:16:17):
could still shoot it on most nights, and a team
that missed the playoffs entirely. That's what the Warriors got
for a five year deal at forty three.

Speaker 1 (01:16:29):
Per Now, somehow Clay came.

Speaker 2 (01:16:35):
Out at that feeling disrespected, disrespect. Now, the reason he
feels disrespected is because of some of the things you mentioned.

Speaker 3 (01:16:47):
Draymond got a four year deal.

Speaker 2 (01:16:49):
The whole world's talking about maximizing Steph's window. Jordan Poole
got a contract, Andrew Wiggins got a contract. All of
those deals were four year years or longer. And Clay
did not get an offer like that. And so I

(01:17:10):
think the specter of Jordan Poole's contract and Jordan wanting
to start, and Clay was benched at times this year,
had a lot of closed door meetings with Steve Kerr,
but again was offered too and forty eight at the
beginning of the year, when you hear all of those
things sitting on a table, and the fact that both

(01:17:33):
sides in the end were kind of like, yeah, let's part.
I don't know who's got the right approach.

Speaker 1 (01:17:46):
Look, they had to they had to do it right now.
He should have taken the deal they offered him before
last year. That was his pride in the way for
what he had brought into the table the last three years.
That was a great deal and it would have kept
him with the team. He chose not to do it,

(01:18:07):
and then chose not to actually show up when they
needed him. I can't fault the organization for that. I can't,
And so it's sometimes you gotta move on. This is
one of those times. I know it hurts you were

(01:18:30):
somewhere wanted to be one of those guys that spent
your whole career in one place. All three of you
guys were probably gonna retire together and put the jerseys
in the rep. It was gonna be an unveiling of
three statues together. Well that's not gonna happen. So use it,

(01:18:54):
use it, get back in the lab and help propel
the Dallas Mavericks to a championship, and just hope that
you can beat the Golden State Warriors on the way
to the NBA Finals.

Speaker 2 (01:19:13):
Yeah, I get it, and I get the idea that
as an athlete sometimes you even have to sort of
like manufacture this whole like the world's against.

Speaker 1 (01:19:24):
Me and everything.

Speaker 2 (01:19:26):
But I would ask Clay that if I were sitting
in front of him, you want to get the Warriors
back for what exactly?

Speaker 1 (01:19:35):
What exactly was it that they did to you? Nothing?
Nothing gave him opportunity to retire a Warrior, and he
didn't take it.

Speaker 2 (01:19:45):
Yeah, so you know, and what the Warriors know now
that they didn't know when they offered him that is
that they didn't.

Speaker 1 (01:19:52):
Even make the playoffs and therefore you got to make changes. Right.

Speaker 2 (01:19:57):
We'll get into the All Star roster coming up next
on Fox It's Radio. We've been basketball heavy and we're
not done yet. We will get back to it, but
want to hop on over to the baseball diamond where
E from Salam, who is an accomplished coach, may have
a thing or two to say about the All Star
Game rosters that have been released as of today. First,

(01:20:21):
a reminder that we're broadcasting live from the tire rack
dot com studios tire rack dot com.

Speaker 1 (01:20:26):
We'll help you get.

Speaker 2 (01:20:27):
There an unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free roadazer protection
in over ten thousand recommended installers tyrac dot com.

Speaker 3 (01:20:34):
The way tire buying.

Speaker 2 (01:20:35):
Should be first, A question because I know around my
house and I have two sons and a daughter and
varying levels, varying sports, they're all into it. I do
know that my two sons come All Star Game time,
actually get very into it. And yes they like baseball
and they will sit down and watch a game, but

(01:20:56):
usually usually not from start to finish. But when we
get to things like home run Derby's and all.

Speaker 3 (01:21:03):
Of this, they're they're in.

Speaker 2 (01:21:05):
And I know your boys are kind of on their
way maybe out of baseball, but have been playing it
a lot. They're out, Like, where where are they like
the All Star Game when it gets here?

Speaker 3 (01:21:18):
Are they just like? Who cares?

Speaker 1 (01:21:19):
Never even watched one? Okay?

Speaker 3 (01:21:22):
All right?

Speaker 2 (01:21:23):
And where are you in terms of interest on the
forthcoming Major League Baseball?

Speaker 1 (01:21:29):
Are you've never watched one? Have do your interest?

Speaker 3 (01:21:35):
Do you like the NBA All Star Game?

Speaker 1 (01:21:38):
Unwatchable? Now? It's unwatchable? You used to love it, used
to love the whole weekend unwatchable now right.

Speaker 3 (01:21:45):
That's a correct answer, by the.

Speaker 1 (01:21:46):
Way, Oh it's the only answer.

Speaker 2 (01:21:51):
The one thing I sort of grapple with with the
Major League Baseball All Star Game, and I get it,
but the idea that every team has to at least
have one player, like, what is really at stake here?

(01:22:13):
Do you think that fans of the Royals are like,
I wasn't gonna watch, but we have a relief pitcher
who's on the team and he might get to face
three hitters.

Speaker 3 (01:22:31):
So come on, fam, gather around the old tube.

Speaker 2 (01:22:38):
Let's take a look at this thing, especially if said
Royals reliever or whatever is at the expense of a
player you've heard of and might actually because I will
tell you this, my sons who were into the All
Star Game couldn't really give a rip who plays for?

Speaker 1 (01:23:04):
Who?

Speaker 2 (01:23:05):
They want to see the big bad dudes taking big
bad swings, right yeah, all right, let me let me
let me throw this at you. I have a list
of the American League pitchers. Okay, the starting lineups have

(01:23:27):
been out for a little bit, but that obviously does
not include a pitcher. So I'm going to roll through
the names of the American League All Star pitching staff.
You tell me if you can guess what team that
player plays on?

Speaker 3 (01:23:49):
All right, you ready?

Speaker 1 (01:23:51):
I don't, I don't. I'm not gonna know this.

Speaker 2 (01:23:53):
You're not going to know any of them. Like if
I said, Aaron Judge, who does he play for?

Speaker 1 (01:23:59):
But Yankees?

Speaker 3 (01:24:00):
Okay?

Speaker 2 (01:24:01):
Like I could go through the that You got it,
and I bet you could do more. What if I
said to you, uh, Vlad Guerrero Junior, who's he played for?

Speaker 1 (01:24:19):
Really?

Speaker 2 (01:24:21):
Mm hmm, you don't even know who who Vlad Guerrero
Junior plays?

Speaker 3 (01:24:31):
For What about Jose.

Speaker 4 (01:24:34):
Altuve Astros Astros, that's right, that's right.

Speaker 1 (01:24:40):
What about one Soto one? Yeah, he plays for Come on, man,
he plays for the Yankees. What about your Don Alvarez?
Your Don Alvarez plays for Orioles. He plays with the Astro.

(01:25:09):
What about Adley Retchman? What super the star catcher, young player,
but the Red Sox? Okay, no, not at all? What
what if I what if I do some National League guys? Right?

Speaker 4 (01:25:28):
How about show hey o Tani hey man, the Dodgers?
What why you're over like you don't even okay, Dodger.
How about Fernando Tatis Junior.

Speaker 1 (01:25:41):
Padres? All right? How about Bryce Bryce Harper? Bryce Harper
is don't I know that? That's Phillies?

Speaker 3 (01:25:51):
Okay, okay. How about Christian.

Speaker 1 (01:25:54):
Yelicks, Christian Yelich, Yeah, the Brewers, that's correct.

Speaker 2 (01:26:03):
How about Jerrikson? Profar, Profar, profar.

Speaker 1 (01:26:09):
The Braves.

Speaker 2 (01:26:10):
No, come on, what about Trey Turner.

Speaker 1 (01:26:17):
Trey Turner. I know this one. That's the that's the
that's the Dodgers. It used to be, yeah, used to be.
What are you doing?

Speaker 2 (01:26:26):
He's on the Phillies. Now, all right, let's change the
game on the fly.

Speaker 1 (01:26:33):
I want you.

Speaker 3 (01:26:35):
I want you to keep the music going, keep the
music going.

Speaker 2 (01:26:38):
I want you to yell when I simply say a
name you've heard of, Okay, I don't care if you've don't.

Speaker 1 (01:26:47):
I don't care where they play. You say I heard
of him.

Speaker 2 (01:26:52):
As soon as I get to someone you've heard of.
All right, this is the American League pitching staff in
the All Star Game. All right, yes, all right, here
we go. Kirby Yates, Cole Reagan's, Mason Miller, Seth Lugoma.

Speaker 1 (01:27:19):
Clay Holmes, who Tanner Hawk, No, No, not Tanner Uh,
Taric Scooball.

Speaker 3 (01:27:34):
I don't even know if I'm saying that one, right.

Speaker 2 (01:27:36):
Uh Logan Gilbert Garrett Crochet Emmanual class A.

Speaker 1 (01:27:51):
Uh, Corbin Burns Corburn. I thought you're gonna say Corbyn Dallas. No,
that's from Element.

Speaker 3 (01:28:05):
That one went over my head.

Speaker 2 (01:28:08):
Tyler Anderson, Oh no, no, all right, that's the entire
American League pitching staff.

Speaker 1 (01:28:19):
Hey, that's okay, they are all right. We did it, y'all.
We did it. We did it.

Speaker 7 (01:28:30):
Hey, look mom, we made it.

Speaker 1 (01:28:31):
We did it. Man, we are in the building depressing.

Speaker 3 (01:28:35):
Have you heard of Paul Skeens? Have you heard that name?

Speaker 1 (01:28:38):
No?

Speaker 3 (01:28:39):
Okay, all right?

Speaker 1 (01:28:41):
The you know what's more depressing, what I'm not alone? Well,
and there's the point.

Speaker 3 (01:28:48):
There might be alone about Paul Skins.

Speaker 2 (01:28:50):
It's kind of like a yeah, like I mean he's
kind of he's a rookie, but he's kind of taken
the whole place by storm, like in a pretty significant way.

Speaker 1 (01:29:00):
Well not on radar.

Speaker 3 (01:29:03):
Have you heard of showta.

Speaker 1 (01:29:07):
Ohota? Yeah, not show hey, showta no show to I
have not.

Speaker 3 (01:29:19):
Okay, all right, So.

Speaker 2 (01:29:22):
There it is, ladies and gentlemen, your Major League Baseball
All Star rosters.

Speaker 1 (01:29:33):
The thing for the most part, So the thing about
the Major League Baseball in the All Star Games, it's
the only All Star game that's played on weekdays. So
that's correct. There's no All Star weekend where you you know,

(01:29:54):
it's like you want to talk about making it impossible
for your fans to travel to the location. Make it
it a you know, make it a weekend away, and
you know we're going to put it in the middle
of the work week.

Speaker 2 (01:30:08):
Well, I mean that's what the that's what the NBA
just did with its draft.

Speaker 1 (01:30:13):
Yeah, but the draft is that something you go to
and tell the NFL that well, no, no, no, you're confusing
things here.

Speaker 3 (01:30:21):
Wow, No, I'm not confusing anything. I understand. The NFL
is a bigger deal than anything in the world.

Speaker 1 (01:30:26):
We can't even talk about other sports and the NFL
at the same time, because true they're not.

Speaker 2 (01:30:32):
However, however, I'd argue drunk guy that travels to draft
if I said to him before the draft started, I'm
gonna put the over under on six and a half
players that you can name right now and tell me
what college they went to. I'm gonna put the over

(01:30:54):
under six and a half players that are about to
get drafted.

Speaker 1 (01:30:58):
Yeah, but it's the spectacle of it. That's the thing
the NFL has created through marketing and through all of
you know, the things the NFL have really capitalized on
that no other sport does, especially baseball. Baseball doesn't even
market itself the right way. What are the players? Oh

(01:31:22):
and by the way, let's slap our All Star game
on two week days. My thing is why why, I
don't know, that's the crazy part about it. Why not
make it a baseball bonanza over the weekend? Make like
let's add they just don't It's just like, eh, well,

(01:31:44):
if you show up, you show up. It's cool.

Speaker 2 (01:31:47):
Well they get they get those three days pretty much themselves.
It's like the only thing happened.

Speaker 1 (01:31:51):
That's what I mean. Okay, I just you know, look,
I've actually been feeling like this a lot lately.

Speaker 2 (01:31:59):
Did you know that, like a day or two after
the NBA Draft was the NHL Draft.

Speaker 1 (01:32:04):
No, it was, well, but it was on a Friday.
At least it was on a No.

Speaker 3 (01:32:11):
But I don't mean this in a good way.

Speaker 2 (01:32:14):
They did all the drafting in something that started at
like three o'clock Pacific on a Friday. I'm like, nobody's
what's happening right now? Like it's three o'clock in the West,
it's dinner time in the East on a Friday night.

Speaker 1 (01:32:33):
I didn't know. I don't know. I don't know. No
one cares, no one watches.

Speaker 2 (01:32:37):
Remember that time that the College Football Playoff put its
semifinals on New Year's Eve at like seven o'clock, tried
to break up every marriage in America?

Speaker 1 (01:32:46):
Remember when they did that. Yeah, Yeah, this feels like that. Yeah,
it's just not when it comes to marketing, man, and
really just you know, getting eyes and and and all
of these things on your sport and celebrating the greatness
of the players. It just seems weird to do that

(01:33:10):
on a Monday and a Tuesday? Am I wrong? Am I?
Am I it?

Speaker 3 (01:33:19):
No, You're You're not wrong.

Speaker 2 (01:33:21):
I'm sure television executives somewhere could explain it.

Speaker 1 (01:33:27):
I mean, that's what drives this stuff. Of course, Yeah,
so someone could explain it.

Speaker 2 (01:33:33):
But I'm with you, like it feels to me like,
for instance, there's a Sunday Night baseball game that.

Speaker 1 (01:33:43):
You know happens every single week, and.

Speaker 2 (01:33:49):
You know, the Red Sox just beat the Yankees a
short time ago three to nothing Sunday night baseball.

Speaker 3 (01:33:55):
When you want your All Star game.

Speaker 1 (01:34:00):
Day Sunday evening, think how about the home run derby
on Saturday, All Star weekend, you know, followed by a
concert in the park. Right, there's too many good ideas.
I mean, how about listen, let's make it a thing. Right,
We're gonna turn the parking lot into an experience and

(01:34:26):
then have the home run derby and then we're going
to have a concert and then play the game on Sunday. Man,
that to me seems like that's an event I'd like
to travel with my family too. That I don't have
to take off work. Yeah, I just somehow to me.

Speaker 2 (01:34:51):
Again, Yeah, a television exact could tell us why, because
I mean what you're saying to me makes sense.

Speaker 1 (01:34:56):
Just this thing about that we're gonna grab the kids,
We're gonna gonna head out Friday after work, or you know,
take half a day off Friday. We're going out, We're
gonna go to whatever. Where is it this year? Where's
the All Star Game? This year? The All Star Game?
No one knows, exactly, No one knows exactly. No one knows,

(01:35:23):
no one knows. I would put it in Vegas every year.
That's not about it.

Speaker 3 (01:35:27):
I put it in.

Speaker 1 (01:35:27):
Vegas every single year. Oh it's a Globe Life Field.
Where is that?

Speaker 3 (01:35:32):
That's in Texas?

Speaker 1 (01:35:32):
Okay, yeah, it's in Texas. I put it in every year. Yeah,
put year. Yeah, I would have. I mean I would
do that with the NBA All Star Game that every
single year. Make it a thing. Yep, that's justly that's
what I do. But that's coming up next.

Speaker 2 (01:35:55):
It was probably the most surprising thing to come out
of Team USA practice, and this.

Speaker 3 (01:36:02):
Truly even for the biggest of NBA fans.

Speaker 2 (01:36:05):
We'll surprise the heck out of you, and that's coming
up next with you from Salama, Mark with It on
Fox Sports Radio all right Live Tyreck dot Com Studios,
Mark with a Y from Salama. Also shortly after the show,
podcast goes up. If you missed any of today's show,
be sure to check out the podcast.

Speaker 3 (01:36:22):
All I have to do is search Fox Sports Radio wherever.

Speaker 2 (01:36:26):
You get your podcasts, and be sure to follow, rate
and review the podcast.

Speaker 3 (01:36:31):
And again, all you have.

Speaker 2 (01:36:33):
To do is search Fox Sports Radio wherever you get
your podcasts. You see the show posted right after we
get off the air. But we're not done yet. Hey,
did you catch all the interviews today where they asked
Team USA, who's the funniest guy on the team?

Speaker 3 (01:36:46):
Did you see their answer?

Speaker 1 (01:36:47):
See it? What was the answer? Who do you think
it was? Let me see, A few.

Speaker 2 (01:36:55):
Guys had the exact same answers, So that took off
as like, well, that must be the answer, then.

Speaker 1 (01:37:01):
Kawhi kawhi Leonard. I guess why I could say that,
you know why? Why? No one expects him to be
funny and so that dry sense of humor like yeah right,

(01:37:30):
Like imagine him saying something funny and then laughing at
his own statement like that.

Speaker 2 (01:37:38):
Well, okay, but that's like funny in spite of himself,
not purposeful. Let's be real, that's people laughing at him.

Speaker 1 (01:37:49):
Not well, I mean, it depends, it's all part of it.
I guess. I guess that man.

Speaker 2 (01:37:58):
That man and I know you got guys, have you
know you've got some collegiate bloodliner in common here? That
man has got to have one of the strangest superstar
careers I've ever seen an athlete have.

Speaker 1 (01:38:12):
Yes, he has.

Speaker 2 (01:38:17):
Been a champion in multiple cities, in multiple countries as
a one, and I don't feel like anybody knows him
at all. Yeah, not even a little bit. I don't
think he cares that well, No, he clearly doesn't. I

(01:38:41):
have heard stories that he's one of the funniest trash
talkers ever. Have you heard about like the way like
when he drives and puts one in, he just goes
buckets And.

Speaker 1 (01:38:49):
That is funny, that's hilarious. But that's what I've heard.
I've heard buckets. I love that that. That's good buckets.

Speaker 2 (01:39:05):
It is right. It's an odd concoction. I still don't
know how to put my finger on it.

Speaker 1 (01:39:12):
He's unique to say the least. And you know, if
he could have stayed healthy, he had an opportunity to,
you know, go down as one of you know, the
best players ever to play. Body just wouldn't agree with him. Yep,

(01:39:35):
and it happens. It happens for some people. He still
managed to win, but you know, his body was just like, nah, Bro,
not this road, not this trip.

Speaker 2 (01:39:47):
It is interesting what the Clippers and I don't know
exactly what kind of decisions they had in all this,
but I do think it's interesting. As they try to
push forward.

Speaker 1 (01:40:00):
They're about to be some trash, right, like the new
Arena and all of this. And you know why the
Clippers have always been the Clippers. Why, like they can
never get over the hump. It's the Kobe curse. Have
you ever seen that clip where Kobe works out for
the Clippers coming out of high school. Yes, I mean

(01:40:22):
he didn't miss a shot, I mean he did everything.
And they said, this is probably one of the best
workouts we've ever seen. And Kobe was excited to go
play for the Clippers and they said He's like, wow,
I can't I would be honored to play here. Blah
blah blah. The whole thing and they said, oh no,
we can't draft you. We can't draft you because we

(01:40:49):
want to be taken serious here in LA and if
we draft a seventeen year old high school kid, no
one would take us serious. So he said, huh okay,
hmm all right, Well we know how that played out.
Mm hm.

Speaker 2 (01:41:07):
He also, though, about eleven years later, came within about
a centimeter from joining them as a free agent.

Speaker 1 (01:41:17):
That was never gonna happen. He was never going to
the Clippers. Are you saying that as a Laker fan?
Are you saying no? I'm seriously he would come, you would,
But that's like they thought they had him. That's like
being the face of Chanel and then flirting with the

(01:41:38):
being the face of coach. Wow, coach, I can't even say.
I can't even say coach because that's also a luxury brand.
Let's say, I don't know. I don't want to be
disparaging to a brand, but not coach. Not how about that? Right?

Speaker 5 (01:42:04):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:42:05):
You flirt with it, you, yeah, you know, we we'll
see you. Yeah, and then do you get palagosol? And
then everything happens right like it, That's just how it goes.
I thought you were going to say. I thought you
were going to say.

Speaker 2 (01:42:18):
I can't say coach because that is one of the
many nicknames that we use.

Speaker 1 (01:42:24):
For ste.

Speaker 3 (01:42:28):
There you go, Steven coach, some coach.

Speaker 1 (01:42:32):
I'm off Steve because of the verbal bashing that you
and the verbal fisticuffs you and Steve took part in
together against me last did you kind of asked for it?

Speaker 7 (01:42:46):
So we will get to the baseball news in a moment.
You guys are mentioning All Star games, so I looked
it up. It's I did not realize that the other
three major sports, all three had their All Star Games
all in the same month in February of this year,
and needless to say, the NHL All Star Game was
the lowest rated, well under two million viewers. The NBA

(01:43:07):
All Star Game got roughly five million viewers, and what's
left of the Pro Bowl for the NFL got under
six million viewers. Baseball just the home run Derby got
over six million viewers last year, and the All Star
Game itself seven million viewers. And the home run Derby
is well attended, which always surprises me because not everybody
can sit in the outfield seats. It's a home run derby,

(01:43:30):
that's where the ball is going. But tickets start at
two hundred and seventy five dollars for some of these
All Star events, like the Home Run Derby. It's kind
of stuff been to.

Speaker 2 (01:43:43):
I have been to a home run Derby and sat
behind the plate, but I don't think I had tickets.

Speaker 3 (01:43:50):
I think this was a credentialed experience.

Speaker 7 (01:43:53):
So you wouldn't have been able to keep a ball
than any no meeting.

Speaker 1 (01:43:56):
No no.

Speaker 2 (01:43:57):
And yeah, not a lot of foul balls in the
Home Run Derby. But also I can honestly say that
I remember almost none of it. Absolutely nothing stood out
that was memorable.

Speaker 7 (01:44:10):
And one thing to point out about the host city,
it's not just a couple days event. They got stuff
at Texas Stadium from Friday through Tuesday. In addition to
like the NFL experience, where they have an expo for
the sport for the league. It's something in the town
at a convention center. That sort of thing is going
on every day. But like this Friday, they're having the

(01:44:30):
HBCU All Star Game at the Texas Rangers Stadium, and
then Saturday is the Futures Game, which is basically the
Minor League Prospects All Star Game and the Celebrity Softball Game,
and then the MLB Draft is Sunday it starts, and
then the Home Run Derby on Monday. The All Star
Game itself is on Fox TV a week from Tuesday
from Texas, and the complete All Star Game rosters came

(01:44:53):
out today. Thirty two players are now first time All Stars,
including ten of the NL pitchers, Pittsburgh rookie Pole Skimes
among them. Pitchers and reserves were revealed today for both teams.
Philadelphia has seven All Stars the most. Dodgers have six.
That includes Mookie Betts, an eighth straight All Stars selection,
although he is currently injured. The Dodgers lost at home

(01:45:15):
nine two to Milwaukee today all star Christian Yelich with
three hits, three RBIs, including a home run. The Brewers
are first place in the NL Central, five games over
Saint Louis Baltimore a six to three winner at Oakland
today the win to Grayson Rodriguez He's eleven and three.
The O's are first in the AL East, now three
games up on the Yankees, who lost at home shut
out in fact by rival Boston three nothing. The Yankees

(01:45:37):
have lost fifteen of their last twenty games. Tonight, they
had just four hits as a club. Rafael Devers, a
Boston All Star, had three hits, including solo homers in
the top of the seventh and the top of the ninth.
Atlanta shut out Philadelphia six nothing. All Star Raynaldo Lopez
seven and two got the win six scoreless innings six strikeouts.
For him, Lopez has an e array of one point

(01:45:59):
seven one. Minnesota on a solo homer bottom of the
ninth edge Houston three to two. Texas at home beat
Tampa Bay thirteen to two. NASCAR Street Race in the
Reign of Chicago went to Alex Bowman. Tonight's the winner,
snapping in eighty race victory. Drought Tyler Reddick finished second
at Wimbledon. Coco Goff lost her fourth rounder against fellow

(01:46:19):
American Emma Novarro. Davis Thompson won the PGA's John Deere
Classic in Illinois. Grease men's basketball qualified for this month's Olympics,
winning today, as did Spain and Brazil and Puerto Rico.
Those four get the last four spots in Paris in
the WNBA victories for Las Vegas and Connecticut. NFL rookies
report to training camp for Baltimore this Saturday. The report

(01:46:43):
dates for some other teams are the next week, including
some reporting on the sixteenth. This would be July seventh
right now, So we got a ways to go. For
most teams. The Hall of Fame Exhibition August first, it'll
have the Texans against the Bears. Every other team starts
the preseason at least a week after.

Speaker 3 (01:46:59):
That ANFL training camps.

Speaker 2 (01:47:05):
Would you if you were the Bears, would you play
Kaleer Williams in that game?

Speaker 1 (01:47:10):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:47:11):
You would?

Speaker 1 (01:47:12):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (01:47:13):
What did you say it?

Speaker 1 (01:47:14):
Like?

Speaker 2 (01:47:14):
It's like it's a ludicrous idea to not I would
in every game. Guys are barely playing in any preseason that.
Sean McVay would laugh at you in the other direction.

Speaker 1 (01:47:26):
Yeah, we're not doing that, man. We well, we need to.
We need to see what's going on.

Speaker 3 (01:47:31):
I understand.

Speaker 1 (01:47:32):
We don't want to be surprised opening day like whoa hey.

Speaker 2 (01:47:36):
Well, I mean, but that's kind of what I'm getting at.
What are you gonna do? What if you don't like
the preseason?

Speaker 1 (01:47:41):
What are you gonna do? Not play them? No? Look, man,
what you gotta understand in the NBA, I mean the
NFL is the more you play if you have talent,
the better you get. You don't get good just hanging

(01:48:02):
out like you have to be thrown in to the fire.

Speaker 7 (01:48:11):
Mark, he's just grateful there's not an Olympic football team
for his players to go to.

Speaker 1 (01:48:16):
Thank goodness.

Speaker 3 (01:48:16):
Can you imagine you imagine?

Speaker 2 (01:48:19):
Oh yeah, there's mahomes wants to play for America.

Speaker 7 (01:48:24):
McCaffrey's on the US team, Mccafrica.

Speaker 1 (01:48:28):
What don't we Can you imagine Olympic football? Anyway? Did
japan team beat the US? Was it under eighteen?

Speaker 7 (01:48:39):
I saw that headlined a couple of weeks ago.

Speaker 1 (01:48:41):
Yeah, routed blew them out though.

Speaker 7 (01:48:44):
Couldn't you see that with flag football?

Speaker 1 (01:48:46):
Right?

Speaker 7 (01:48:46):
Any host country can add a sport that someone like
Tyreek Hill is just going to be some sort of
ringer throwing their late right.

Speaker 1 (01:48:53):
Well, yeah, of course, but I look, hey man, I
saw what Japan did to the US under eighteen team.
I don't know world football, I don't know what it was,
but they detroyed seem Mark.

Speaker 7 (01:49:07):
He doesn't want the US embarrassed. We should send our
best basketball players to the Olympics.

Speaker 1 (01:49:12):
There it is there, it is in the best.

Speaker 2 (01:49:16):
You're gonna feel embarrassed as soon as Anthony Davis limps
off for the first time.

Speaker 1 (01:49:21):
You Steve, your update is over turn his microphone off.

Speaker 7 (01:49:29):
Okay, this was actually called him brittle. This was brought
up during the week a year ago because Jason Smith
Mets lost their closer at the World Baseball Classic. He
was so proud to play for his country and then
in celebration he heard himself coming off the mound.

Speaker 3 (01:49:48):
And he's been awful ever since.

Speaker 2 (01:49:50):
Correct, And what was the coolest actually the coolest thing
about baseball just poof went away, which was Diaz's entrance, uh,
celebration or whatever you want to call it.

Speaker 1 (01:50:03):
The music.

Speaker 2 (01:50:04):
The music people were on horses. There was all kinds
of good stuff happening. Nobody's doing that now because he
gives up three runs every time he goes out there.
So anyway, you know, there were six quarterbacks taken in
the first twelve picks. Not all of them are just gonna,
you know, go play them. Well, I get it. I

(01:50:29):
heard what you're saying.

Speaker 1 (01:50:29):
But the Bears have another one that's true. So that
is that is accurate. What will be we'll be waiting
on just what will we be waiting to see?

Speaker 3 (01:50:40):
How much would you play him.

Speaker 1 (01:50:42):
I play him a quarter, Okay, okay, oh yeah, yeah yeah,
let's let's see what we got. I mean, the way
you were talking, I was that maybe just playing the
whole game. No, no, we can't do that.

Speaker 3 (01:50:51):
We can't do that every every rep matter.

Speaker 1 (01:50:53):
I no, no, we we we you know. Let's well,
we'll play him, Okay, first first quarter. It's gonna be
a lot faster. What you got to realize is preseasons
is a lot faster than college and the regular season
is not even close, not even close, and in the
playoffs not even close to the speed of the regular season. Seriously,

(01:51:16):
like it. That's interesting, man. I was like, oh my goodness,
it's that's true. Ask anybody it's true. I mean, there's
so much on the line in the playoffs that.

Speaker 2 (01:51:29):
Makes it sound like no one is playing at speed
until until January.

Speaker 1 (01:51:35):
It almost. It may feel like that, but you don't
know because the urgency. Just think about it, in a
regular game and a two minute offense, how much faster
is that than the regular game flow? Right? So you
just use that equation and that's the heightened sense of Oh,

(01:51:59):
we gotta get the week, this has to happen now.
In the playoffs because it's winner go home, right, you
down by six, it's two minutes left in the game.
You got the ball. It's like, we have to do this.
Everybody get up to the line. Boom. Everything is faster
in the playoffs. Adjustments they have to be made now, right.

(01:52:25):
You gotta be able to make those adjustments at a
speed that you you like. It's no everybody has to
be on the same page. So the heightened sense and
the adrenaline and the energy is so much greater than
a regular season game because there is no next week, right,

(01:52:47):
So that drives the speed and the focus up higher.
Like you can come out in the NBA games, you know,
seven game series and just get walloped in the first
game and come back and win the series because you
know there's a tomorrow, right, there is no tomorrow. That's it.

(01:53:10):
I got you, I got you.

Speaker 2 (01:53:11):
We're live in thee Tireck dot Com Studios, Mark with
it E from Salam. Coming up next, I want to
read a new quote that I just read. This is
the first time I read it from Lebron James about
everything going on with his son. I want to read
it to you see what your reaction is we'll do
that coming up next on Fox Sports Radio. All right,
Tyreck dot com Studios. Let me read this to you

(01:53:33):
a little bit of a beefy quote, but let me
read this to you. And this is Lebron talking about
Brownie Mark with it he from Salam with you.

Speaker 3 (01:53:43):
Here's what Lebron said.

Speaker 2 (01:53:45):
Quote, just imagine if you were a kid, you were
born into a situation where your dad was super famous,
super wealthy, and you the kids still have the drive
to want to be able to accomplish things for yourself.

Speaker 3 (01:53:57):
I personally don't know if I would have been.

Speaker 2 (01:53:59):
Able to do that if the roles were reversed when
I was coming up, I had no choice. I had
to make it out for me, my mom, my family,
my hometown, my city. If Brody wants to stop right now,
never play basketball or just be a gamer or a chef,
he could have done that. People don't understand how hard
that is and the commitment for him to be coming

(01:54:22):
out of heart surgery less than a year ago, for
him to be able to be in the NBA. The kid,
he's special. End quote. What stands out to you there?

Speaker 1 (01:54:36):
I love that. I mean, that's okay, that's very poignant
as someone who's raising kids outside of the traumas that
I was, you know, born into. And I'm not talking
about physical abuse or anything like that, but a socioeconomic

(01:54:57):
environment that wasn't conn deducive to picking what you wanted
to do. Now, look, both my parents are educated. My
mother's as a doctor's degree in education. My father worked
twenty five twenty six years correctional offices in you know,

(01:55:24):
the prison system in California. And so I come from
very humbled upbringing. So I understand what he's talking about
in terms of the drive a kid who presumably has

(01:55:48):
everything he's ever wanted, the drive to do something impossible
in the shadow of one of the all time grew
great impossible figures. Yes, that drive alone is enough to
take over the world, because when you take the have

(01:56:14):
to out of motivation, very few people can continue to go.
Very few people can continue to push for greatness because
the desire isn't there, The cold, crying, hungry isn't there.

(01:56:43):
Brian James was a millionaire before he even left high school.
Right from his own on his own account, it was
a McDonald's All American, signed a big deal with a
gaming and he had his own Niow money, so he'd

(01:57:06):
already been on pace to have a comfortable life whether
he decided he wanted to continue to pursue the NBA,
but he did, he right, and that is impressive.

Speaker 2 (01:57:23):
He doesn't suffer from what John McEnroe wants called affluenza.

Speaker 1 (01:57:28):
A lot of people suffer from that.

Speaker 2 (01:57:30):
Right right, you know what the cynic would say, though,
And I hate to bring this up because well, no,
ninety five percent of that quote and everything you just said,
that's beautiful.

Speaker 1 (01:57:44):
It really is. That's beautiful.

Speaker 2 (01:57:46):
So if you're just focusing on the drive, I'm totally
with you. But this is the world in which we
live right now, where someone will get that last sentence
and when he says for him to be able to
be in the NBA, he's special, and the response will be, but.

Speaker 1 (01:58:04):
No, you're special.

Speaker 2 (01:58:06):
Right, Well, you only made the NBA because you forced
that to happen.

Speaker 1 (01:58:13):
Either way, it's up to him to see if he
can stick and stay.

Speaker 3 (01:58:17):
Yeah, the drive is the drive.

Speaker 1 (01:58:19):
The drive is the drive. The drive is the drive.
And nobody knows how hard this kid has worked. Remember
he did have a heart attack, Yes he did one
year ago.

Speaker 2 (01:58:29):
Like that's the worst part about this E is that
this kid is someone who I find very easy to
root for. I want him to be an actual NBA player,
I really do. And I watch him play yesterday and

(01:58:49):
I go, God, I how about another year of college? No,
I'm just that's what my eyes tell me. And I
hope I'm wrong.

Speaker 1 (01:59:04):
Yeah, but when you go through something as traumatic as
you know, heart attack and heart surgery and all of that,
there is no less wait and see. Yeah, I feel you.
Let's go right now. Let's go right now. There is
no wait and see and I and I'm okay with that,
Okay with it.

Speaker 2 (01:59:22):
There's not a lot of people that are going to
turn down seven figure contracts.

Speaker 3 (01:59:26):
Oh that's just the bottom line.

Speaker 2 (01:59:30):
I get it. I get it. Great to have you back, brother,
Thank you. Great to be all right, absolutely for E
from Salama, Mark Willard, stay right here, Plank and Spaniard
coming up next on Fox Sports Radio.