February 12, 2025 • 48 mins
On a Wednesday edition of The Best Of The Doug Gottlieb Show: Doug explains why he owes Dallas Mavs GM Nico Harrison an apology.
In this week's version of The Midway, Doug and the crew share the most intriguing storyline in sports now that we are in the post-Super Bowl part of the year.
Doug discusses what will be on Kevin Durant's playing tombstone. Doug welcomes NBA Insider Marc Stein onto the show to discuss Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic and the other major headlines around the NBA.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
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(00:24):
the tyrag dot com studios. Tyrack dot com. What you
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Com sway tire buying should be doo doo, dude, do
do do do? I hope you're having an absolutely spectacular day.
Oh no, you're two card your two con. I know
(00:45):
there's snow and ice in most of the Midwest. It's
all moving to the Northeast where it's going to be,
and we got snow here in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It's
a beautiful white wonderland, white wonderland.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I wanted to.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Start the show off with a bit of an apology,
and I also think that Dallas Maverick fans as well
as most NBA fans need to catch their breath on
the Nico Collins hate moments. And here's why. So again
(01:23):
yesterday we said to start the show, like, how do
you not take the Nico Harrison what sorry, Nico Harrison,
the Nico Harrison hate. Yesterday we said, how do you
not take him to market? Right? If you're going to
trade Luka doncik, how do you not take it to market?
I can't just sell it early without getting the highest
price possible. And again, I still believe they did not
(01:46):
get enough enough probably one you know, and again and
I and what you'll say is, well, you know you
have to do contract for contract, player for player, Okay,
you know, Dalton connect, Austin Reeves, whatever, one of those
obvious sassteries a higher value. But you do feel like
there should have been a pound of flash. Here's what
(02:08):
people are missing. And it wasn't until I talked to
some people and read some of these things that apparently
Nico Harrison had called the Milwaukee Bucks next about Giannis.
Many people believe this could be the last year for
Giannis and Milwaukee. He'd called the Minnesota Temperleves and asked
about Anthony Edwards, and neither neither wanted to trade for
(02:32):
Luca Dunjik neither. So this is a lot like uh,
this is I mean, the Bucks are interesting because the
Bucks famously traded for the backcourt mate of Steph Curry
going back years and years, years and years ago, and
(02:56):
I thought it was fascinating that at that time. You know,
at the time, if you go back and look at
Steph Curry's career and you're like, wait a second. His
second contract was four years, I think forty four million
dollars and you're like, wait a second, So why was
it so low? It wasn't a max The second contract
(03:17):
was not a max deal. Why because remember he had
lots of injuries, and there were people who just didn't
think you could be elite with Steph Curry because physically
his body wouldn't stand up. Monte Ellis was traded for
Andrew Boget. That changed along with Steve Kirb being their
head coach. That changed the Warriors forever. But what I
(03:39):
told people and I know to be true and it's
come out as fact, was the Warriors wanted Andrew Boget.
They knew they needed a center and they told the
Bucks you could have Montalis or Steph Curry, you pick,
and they chose Montalis. Which again it's not just the
(04:00):
Bucks choosing poorly, it's the Warriors not valuing Steph Curry
above that of Montalis. These are real things that happen.
So when we go back and we say, hey, the
Dallas Mavericks undervalued Luka doncik. You may be right, But
now when I think of it, it appears obvious that
(04:22):
Nico Harrison said, Okay, if I'm going to trade one
of the top five players in the NBA, well then
I got to get a top five player back. And
he viewed Anthony Davis as a top five player, as
with Anthony Edwards, as with Giannis and Tennecopo. The only
guy he didn't call was probably Philadelphia, because are you
(04:43):
really going to trade for Joel Embiid. You might have
gotten it, but Joel Embiid, I mean, he's the only
one hurt more than all those guys combined. And if
you want draft picks, the two teams with draft picks
are San Antonio. I mean, they're not trading Victor Webbin
Yama for Luca Nordon, those Traffics and Oklahoma City. They're
all in the same division, Like, that's not happening. Who
(05:05):
else are you gonna call? Who else are you gonna
ask for? So the point is that it's it's fair.
If you think this was the worst trade ever, you
might be right. I would have held on to Luca.
I do think there's a way in which you could
have from here until the end of the season tweaked him.
(05:26):
You could have you could have met with him, which
I'm sure they did. You could have had stories out
there about your frustrations about his weight, your concerns about
signing to a three hundred fifty million dollars contract, and
then had this bidding sweepstakes in the off season. Could
have done all those things. But for whatever reason, they
chose to do it. Now, Okay, I disagree with that,
But I don't know the day to day of dealing
with Luca, and neither do you. But everywhere you go
(05:48):
now in Dallas, happened at SMU at their basketball game
last night where Nico Harrison was in attendance, happens at
all the Maverick games, Fire and Nico, Fire and Nico.
The fact is that if Luca was viewed as he
is being portrayed by the Lakers and by Mavericks fans.
Then why wouldn't Milwaukee make that make that deal. Why
(06:09):
would the Timberwolves make that deal? Or did they think
the Mavericks probably know a little bit more about this guy.
He's probably a colossal pain in the torus, and he
won't stay in shape, and he loves the drink beer
in the off season. He loves the drink wine in
the off season, and he wants a three hundred fifty
million dollars contract and they don't want to give it to him.
(06:31):
And Nico said, I'm only going to trade him for
a top five player. And oh yeah, by the way,
we can make fun of Anthony Davis being injured, and
of course he's injured again. But Anthony Davis is an
incredible player, and he is a top five player. Maybe
that's my biggest takeaway from this trade is the massive
undervaluing is that that sounds like a terrible English sentence,
(06:53):
but whatever, we have massively undervalued that of Anthony Davis.
Or maybe we're just super cautious because he seemed to
always be heard and now he's heard of yet. But
I'll offer up at maya Copa. I thought he just
traded him to Rob Polinka because they're boys going back
to the Kobe days, and didn't call anybody else. Apparently
he did his due diligence and called those two other
(07:14):
teams with two other superstars, the only two other places
you could have sent him and gotten a top five
ish player in return, And they said no. The Laker
said yes, and now he's a Laker. And now he's
a Laker. Because I spent the morning thinking about teams.
Could you do the Clippers? Like no, I mean again,
(07:34):
between Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard, Like those two guys
are a mass unit of injuries. That's not happening. You know,
Golden State, You're not gonna get Steph Curry back in return?
Like that's that doesn't Steph Curry doesn't make the Mavericks better,
makes some fun, but not better. Hey and Kyrie on
the same team. We'll go around the NBA and tell
(07:56):
me somebody who is an elite player, a top five,
top ten player who you would trade for, and the
answers would be Embiid when he's healthy, Jannis ant Man,
Anthony Davis, I'm Kevin Durant, No, too old, right, You're
(08:17):
not going to trade a twenty five year old star
for a thirty five year old star. That's not happening either.
So I actually think he did his due diligence. Still
probably didn't get enough, but again we don't know the market.
At the end of the day, Polinka does come out
looking great. But also Polinka probably knew because they all
talk to each other like, he's only coming to me
(08:38):
because he has I'm gonna make him negotiate against himself.
So was his If the plan was to trade Luca,
that's what he wanted to do, and he only wanted
to do it to get a top five player return.
He accomplished that goal. Did he get enough in my opinion, No,
but some of that is probably the timing by which
he did it. And I look around the country and
(09:01):
I see all these fire Nico and all the continued
discussions of it. And I love Luca, but if you said, hey,
Luca is not in quality shape, no one's going to
disagree with you. Luca doesn't play defense, no one's going
to disagree with you. And if Nico Harrison is a
complete clown and doesn't know what he's doing, why they
(09:22):
reached the NBA Finals last year, and a lot of
it was on the moves that he had made. Gafford
lively the Kyrie trade. When they made the Kyrie trade,
they're like, I don't know they re signed Kyrie. Now. Yes,
Mark Cuban was running the team at the time, but
Nic Nico didn't just get the job five days ago.
(09:45):
Not what happened. And if you're going to be critical
of Nico, that's fine. You probably also if the Bucks
don't win a championship, be critical of the Bucks. If
they lose Giannis, and if the Timberwolves still don't get
to even get to the Western Conference Finals or don't
win the NBA Championship, need to be critical of as well.
Just like when Steph Curry wasn't traded to the Bucks,
(10:05):
you got a dollar, be critical of the Bucks for
not trading for him instead taking Monte Ellis and for
the Warriors for making him available via trade. Right, there's
the mental gymnastics for you.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
This is the best of the Done dot Leap Show
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
What about you, Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio. Coming
to you from the tyrack dot Com students, tyrec dot com.
Well we get there unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free
road as protection or ten thousand recommended dollars tyrat dot
com sway tire buying should be. We got a great
second out of the show. Daniel Jeremiah moved the sticks
is going to join us. Uh. We got the press
(10:49):
upcoming as well. Travis Kelce talking about his future. Yikes
when you watch that game filmdikes, diikes, yikes. It's his time,
it's his day. Uh. But we do this every Wednesday,
So Wednesday is middle of the day, middle the week.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
This is generally middle of most people's day, especially on
the West coast, right one o'clock. And it's always been
middle of our show because we have the third hour,
which is the podcast only are which you can download
wherever you a download podcast. Just sipe in Doug Gottlid.
We call it the Midway.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
It is time.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
He's not getting the middle with here.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
It's time for the middle the Midway.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Midway topic. Jase, do what you.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Got, Doug. I kind of need to do some house
queen in. Can we do some house queen first?
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Do you have any house queen in music? Sam? All right,
So I want to shout out to Steve Wosden. Steve
Wosden is a listener to the show. I appreciate every
single listener we have, and Steve, I'm not blaming you
for this, but he types in Twitter yesterday at Dan
Byer on Fox Dan, you mentioned on air that you
(12:08):
thought you too put out pop to see what people
would actually buy. In chapter twenty five of Bono's book forty,
he talks about that album. So I just want to
correct things and do some house queening because I know
people can't listen every day and they drop in and
Dougle refer to this theory of mine without any reference.
So I came up with a theory. It wasn't Dan
(12:30):
and it was it was Youtubo's album Zuropa. My theory
is this that the NFL is in Zuropa mode. You
two came off of Joshua Tree and octug Baby, two
albums that didn't sound anything alike, and they made tons
of money and were exceptionally popular and the best rock
band in the country and the world, and then they
(12:51):
decided to put zu Ropa out, which is categorically critically
considered their worst album. It was like they just punted
on an album to see what their audience would buy.
They were almost like it was like a litmus test
and how bad they could be and their people would
still show up to buy it. And I think that
(13:11):
is what the NFL is in their product is as
worse is the worse that it's been since I've been alive,
and people are still showing up in droves. We saw
one hundred and twenty nine million people I guess tuned
into the super Bowl. So I always think this is
funny because the NFL is not motivated to improve their
product because their cash and checks and one hundred and
(13:34):
twenty nine people are watching their products, So what's the
incentive on making a better product. So we're going to
continue to be in Zuropa next season as well.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
I listen again, I'm going to continue to credit you.
I know, Dan Lescolet why I've mentioned that the thing
is bad, that the product is bad, like you have, Dan,
But the whole Zeroupa thing, the first person I've heard
it termed that way is you. I'm giving you pull credit.
I'm gonna give you full credit.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
I have a follow up on that though, I actually
have because Jason has been on this campaign this Zeropa campaign,
you know, since the start of the falls, the start
of the NFL season. What specifically, Jason and Doug, when
you guys watch these games, you're like, is it too
much offense?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Is it too much defense?
Speaker 5 (14:19):
I know, you say, like they're not getting enough practice
time because of you know, because of.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Union, you know, rights and stuff.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
What is it specifically that you're like, Man, this is
not this is the worst product I've seen out of
the NFL in recent memory.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
I'm glad you asked, Yeah, thank you. I'm glad to
tell you this, to explain, there is no metric that
sums up my feeling about this. In other words, you
can't tell me that there were more points scored, or
less points scored, or more field goals scored. It's an
eye test. It is. We all sit on our couch
and we watch an entire NFL game and we leave
(14:53):
filling unfulfilled. So what I'm not saying it's a specific
thing that's wrong. It's sloppy, it is unentertaining, it's it's
a mess for the most part. So I'm gonna say
that maybe the most innocent of explanations is because they
they went into arbitration or collectively bargained less practice. That's
(15:15):
the least I guess that's the most innocent excuse. The
more nefarious reason that you see online on Reddit pages
is that all of this started to happen when legalized
gambling started, and that this compromised product is the product
of referees, assistant coaches, and players being in on some
(15:37):
kind of a bet. Hmmm. Interesting.
Speaker 5 (15:43):
I don't know if I was left fulfilled by that answer,
but I think it's a good answer.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Yeah, can we get to the midway topic?
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I like that. I like that little little appetizer there,
though I was apartef I want to know what what
storyline since the super Bowl's over the NFL, we could
put it to bed. I want to know what storyline
you are most looking forward to following now, so it
could be an NFL story. I guess a postseason NFL story,
(16:11):
but I'm talking more along the lines of other sports,
other narratives that you're like, I'm real excited to start
following that since I don't have NFL to watch.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Uh huh. I mean, hopefully my team starts to winning
basketball games, is gonna get healthy? That'd be cool, that'd
be a great storyline see national stories that I want
to follow. I mean, I think the Luca thing is awesome,
Like what now? And for me, I I'm like Jay Stu, right,
(16:49):
like I search for the opposite of BS. I try
and state the opposite of BS. Kind of rooting for
the Mavericks, right, kind of rooting for the Mavericks. Just
you know, you get so many fans who think they
know and I generally agree, Like I'm I'm with Mark Stein,
like I think Luca is the best player in the
NBA when he's healthy and when he's in shape, I
(17:12):
know he has the sports that said kind of root
for the Mavericks. You know, when everybody's like, oh what
are you doing? Then Anthony Davis is really awesome. I mean,
that's the the whole secret to the Lakers' ability to
be successful last year. Lebron's still amazing, but he didn't
play any defense anymore, and there are just games in
which he doesn't have it. And everybody's gonna have games
(17:34):
in in your forties you don't have it. Anthony Davis,
He's been really good. So I'm the obviously the Luca
Lakers ad Mavericks. That thing I'm super involved.
Speaker 5 (17:47):
We both expect, or we all expect both teams to
be playoff teams. Correct, what is the realistic expectation? I
guess maybe this is a little bit of contradictory statement,
but if you're a Laker fan, what's a realistic expectation
for the playoffs?
Speaker 1 (18:02):
To Where is there a realistic Laker fan exactly?
Speaker 5 (18:05):
That's why I was like, it's kind of a oxymoron there,
But like, what Western Conference Finals?
Speaker 1 (18:11):
I don't think they're better. I just don't. I don't
think they're better. I think they're fun. They really score, yeah,
but they can't guard anybody like Lebron and Blade defense
and the three best offensive players that have are like
not defensive players. And in the NBA playoffs, that's what
becomes a map.
Speaker 6 (18:32):
What about the MAVs, they're better right now with Anthony?
Speaker 1 (18:37):
I mean they're really defensively. Yeah, they don't have a
point guard, so that's their flaw, which which because Kyrie
is the score, he's not a point guard.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Is he he still out right? Or is he is
he back?
Speaker 1 (18:47):
I mean, I personally want to see Oklahoma City. I'd
like to see them get to the finals. I don't
know if they're ready, it's their time. But just just
that that element of it is really fun.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Will either okay See or the Calves make it to
the finals?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
I don't know. Great question to the two teams are
the best records right now?
Speaker 1 (19:11):
That's a great question. Obviously doesn't work that way.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
I was hyping up the Calves from the get go.
Speaker 5 (19:15):
Guys, Really, I remember I said if it was Lakers
Calves and then uh Bronnie could uh play in the
game against the Calves.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (19:24):
I have a Cleveland thing because he did grow up
partially in Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Sure, but I don't know.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Bronni Is makes an appearance every once in a while.
He wouldn't factor into there. He wouldn't factor in their
playoff Plansy.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
What other storylines? I mean the Dodgers. I mean the
Dodgers look better than ever. I'm sure that's what Jay
Stuw's fired about. Like I think Kurshaw was their fifth
best starter. Yeah, jasetu, Where does the Dodgers in terms
of this national storylines? You're interested in? Where's that rank?
(20:00):
How they've won a World Series?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Finally, No, No, I think I think the Dodgers are
definitely a story I'm looking forward to tracking. But the
one thing that I think is first and foremost, and
it's probably like one through five, is what happens to
women's college basketball, because you know, we've seen women's college
basketball on the NCAA level get zero buzz so far.
(20:22):
Juju what's her face? Watkins was supposed to be better
than Kaitlyn Clark talent wise, she was supposed to take
the torch from Kaitlyn Clark, and I see almost no
buzz about her.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Page Becker, who is I guess struggled in big games,
you know, Smidsham.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
And so what's going to happen with the w NBA
season Because we keep we keep hearing that Kaitlin Clark,
like I guess, raised the interest level in women's basketball.
She was given that right. I would say that's wrong.
I would say that she's raised the level and interest
in herself. People tune in for her, people sell out
(21:01):
arenas for her. I don't know if she's necessarily raised
the boats for everybody. So I'm I'm interested to see
how that plays out over the next six months.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
Did anyone catch that uh, that unrivaled uh? I just
got some highlights, but like this one on one part
of the unrival tournament.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Yeah, I watched some of the highlights.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
There were some some good highlights I enjoyed.
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Yeah, but like they had fans there, but not all
the seats were filled, so and it wasn't.
Speaker 6 (21:26):
Even like it was probably in the whole season of
unrivaled a couple hundred people at most.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Yeah, man, are you really gonna watch women's three on
three basketball?
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
I was one on one during during real basketball season.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Yeah, it was. It was interesting. I just I was
caught some of the highlights, but the money grab.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
To Jason's point, though, I think that the interest in
Kaitlyn Clark will continue. I think that ratings will continue
to be higher than they were, you know, two years
ago before she entered the league, just because she's playing
against these teams and people will tune in. But yeah, like, listen,
the number one team women's college basketball is UCLA and
not even probably not many people on the street know that,
(22:05):
because they're led by a very, very steady center named
Lauren Betts, and they're just wiping the floor with everyone
and they're undefeated, and there's a very good chance they
could go undefeated and win the national championship, and I
don't know if it'll create any kind of buzz.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
They're really really good. Yeah, and then I'm.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
Sure you're right. I think Kerry closes the head coach's name.
She's she's great.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
But there's a problem though.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
You go to these games at Pauly Pavilion and there's
no there's not a lot of fans showing up for
the number one team. And that was the thing that
Iowa fans kind of got people excited across the country
because they would pack Carver Hawk I Arena to watch
these games.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Watch her brick.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Records, midwestrass for women's volleyball, Midwest.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Straws absolutely Nebraska wrestling, mid.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
West Straws for women's basketball. Midwest is is different. It
doesn't work and doesn't work on the coach.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
I just think, though, when you have the number one
team and you don't know how long that's gonna last.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Numb one volleyball team. I m one volleyball team.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
I couldn't tell you. Monci's the volleyball expert here.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
I'm just saying women's volleyball at Penn State and at
Nebraska is a huge thing, right, Number one volleyball team
the country was that UCLA men's whatever it's and the
men's team at USA is unbelievable to watch. Those guys
are a freak athletes. Not nobody cares well.
Speaker 5 (23:20):
Though basketball is still considered in even women's basketball revenue
revenue sport and volleyball not in LA, but in some
programs it is.
Speaker 6 (23:29):
But you're wondering why UCLA does not garner more people
coming to their games. It's because we're in LA and
there's so many other things to go to that it's
last on people's priority to see.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
That with their numero understand, and you know what they're
they're happy to have that conversation with you at the bar.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Women on talking about UL women's basketball.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Ok I got I got okay, I got one.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
I'm actually there's so many things about the NBA that
are very exciting now that football is over, and I
love the NBA, so I'm looking forward to Jimmy Butler
and the Warriors. Steph Curry had a little bit of
a slump, but in the last four or five games
he's kind of like filling himself again. And if you
watch I just watched them play the Bucks. I believe
(24:11):
maybe I'm wrong, but like when Steph is on the bench,
they now have a scorer.
Speaker 8 (24:15):
And like the problem was every time Steph went to
the bench, the Warriors couldn't keep up. Now Jimmy Butler
stays in the game, who is not a three point shooter,
they don't need that. I'm really curious to see how
the Warriors end the season with Jimmy Butler because I'm
a big Jimmy fan. But I I think maybe like
they can make a little bit of a run.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Not that they're gonna win.
Speaker 8 (24:36):
I'm not saying that or even make it to the finals,
but I think they can make a little bit of
a run, which maybe a month ago I wouldn't be
saying that.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
I wouldn't have been saying that.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
By the way, guys, by the way, to bring it
back to women's college basketball, USC and LA playing tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
No big game, Jason the.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
Galen Center, number six, hosting number one, because Mike I
will be.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Watching the women actually draw decently well because you know,
but nobody in reality, nobody.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I just wanted to mention that they will finally back.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
You had to mention that, and then everybody's like, oh, okay,
I'll be tuning in for that for sure. Hey, thanks
appreciate it. Okay, So where was shud Or Sanders play?
Mm hmm right, yeah, like what's the actual evaal of
Shudor Sanders. I think that's fascinating.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Yeah it is. You don't think so, No, I said
it is. It is interesting.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
I thought I thought there was it is.
Speaker 5 (25:34):
Yeah, No, I was saying it is. It is exclamation point,
not it is question mark.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Just I I just didn't know where the emphasis on the.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
Yeah, no, it is, it is interesting. You always you know,
guy like Jayden Daniels has immediate success and well you
should still know that should do until we see him play.
But my I was thinking just since this morning about
this topic. I was thinking just specifically NFL storylines, and
I follow the NFC North very closely, you know, I
come a pack, and I think that division is incredibly
(26:03):
interesting and fascinating. You know, it's like take a crystal ball,
you know, one of those little or those magic eight balls.
Just shake it and see what answer you get every
time for each team, Like I think maybe outside of the.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Bears, each of those teams could win the division.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
And Doug, we are you making a point about this
either earlier this week or last week that like a
lot of those teams feasted on a bad division in
those crossover games. Yeah, so it's like, are they gonna
all take a step back? I mean, I think the
lines will probably take a step back. Who's going to
make it to the playoffs? The NFC North, to me
is that eight ball. You shake it up, you get
a different team each time.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
See where Sam Darnold goes and what happens to Detroit
with the new coordinators, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation yet catch all of our shows at Fox
sports Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
I'm gonna make the cognitive decision to let you guys
behind the curtain a little bit of Here' Stug Gottlieb
show here on Fox Sports Radio. So I do this
show from two places. If you watch us, by the way,
if you're listening to us, great. If you want to
watch us, check out our YouTube channel and you can
check out videos and interviews and other things. Just type
(27:12):
in Fox Sports Radio on YouTube. Check out our our
YouTube channel. Right. So what you'll see is sometimes in
the background like, this is my sports basement. I got
TV's up and I got to you know, all the things,
and right on Green Bay. And then at times we'll
do it from my basketball office and that's when we
have the Green Bay stuff in the background or whatever.
The squeaking that you hear, yes it is Vince Lombardy,
(27:33):
my dog. And I don't know why he chooses to
do this, but I, you know, again, effort to not
be distracted doing the radio show. I come down here,
he comes down here, and I don't know, Sam, are
you a dog guy? Do you have a dog.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
Yeah, yeah, I am a dog guy, and yes, yes,
I love dogs. And I heard that during the break
and I was like, oh, he's a.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
No And it's always an inopportunity moment. So he has
my guy. So Vince Barty, we call him Barty, is
eight months old and he has I don't know, I
think it's like ten toys and a bunch of them
are animals, like stuffed animals. Right. So he has duck,
he has that's lama that you're hearing. He has chicken,
(28:17):
he has a raccoon, he has squirrel, he has fox. Yeah,
well it might be an outpacka I gotta see. If
you're watching our YouTube channel, you can see it. It
is a sad looking outpacker or whatever. But what's interesting
about it is, even though they all have squeakers in him,
(28:37):
he only does the squeaker thing with with the with
the lama. When he has duck. He carries duck around
and then he'll take duck onto like a chair and
chew on duck and it actually makes like a duck
called type of sound with chicken. Chickens bigger and he
just kind of flops around and almost like hugs chicken.
And then he likes to lay in chew on squirrel.
(28:59):
And it's an interesting thing. So don't blame me or
blame Bartie, Blame Lama. Okay, Lama is the cause of
these problems.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
That's adorable, Doug.
Speaker 5 (29:10):
And it's like he's everyone follows a routine every day,
or most people do, or a rhythm, and it's like
he wants to squeak that lama when you're on the
air and he follow you around, yes, you know, in a.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Couple hours from now, he won't do it.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
And it's like it's it's like when you wake up,
you got to make your coffee everyone has routine. He's like,
I got to squeak between the hours of such and such.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Yes, yes, and again it's because I'm coaching basketball the
whole rest of the day, right, so this is a
little bit of our time together. He'll go out and
play in the snow for an hour hour forty five minutes,
come in with clumps of snow. But it inevitably when
I'm doing the show from here, he finds Lama and
make sure that Lama gets a little radio time here
(29:50):
at Fox Sports Radio. Okay, Kevin Duran scored his thirty
thousandth point last night in the NBA and took him
six less games than Lebron James. You know, we can
talk about the three point shot or whatever. Obviously part
of the reason that you're like, wait, why did it
take him fewer games when he's older than when Lebron
(30:11):
did it? Lebron came right out of high school. Plus
k do you remember he missed I think it was
fifty one games one year, and they missed it with
the with the thunder. He missed the entire season when
he towards Kill's ten in with the Golden State Warriors,
and then he went to the Brooklyn Nets and didn't
play for a year, So that's why in terms of
year span it taken him longer, but games actually shorter
than lebron. So when we everybody said, like, what do
(30:35):
you put on your tombstone? What do you put in
your tombstone? By the way, quick shout out to whoever
came up with the remember the tombstone pizzas?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Hell, yeah, I love tombstone, right.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
And they used to have that ad campaign, what do
you put on your tombstone? It's like Pepperoni?
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Was it? What do you want on your tombstone?
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Is it? What do you want?
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Your potential a week close, we got the idea.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Yeah, all right, everybody said, yeah.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
I go supreme first one when you're done. Really yeah,
I love supreme pizzas. I love supreme frozen pizzas.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
Man, I can't do I kid. We got a company
called epic out here that makes great frozen pizzas. And
I don't know if people I didn't know this until
moving to Wisconsin, but apparently the frozen pizza on the
grill outside in the summer is the thing. Yeah, and
you also do it in the winter when you're like
ice fishing. You get the little thing and then you
cook your frozen pizza out there. I still do it now.
I do it in my flat top.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
You can use like a green Egg too, People do that.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
Yeah, the green Egg did not make the trip. My
green Egg, all right, Peter, my green Egg anyway. So
what's interesting when you obviously, when you die, you have
your tombstone. So in your sports tombstone. Actually, let me
ask you this, Jay stew on your radio tombstone. When
(31:50):
you hang that, when you turn off the put down
the headset. You've been doing this twenty five years and
you're done. I've been doing this, you know, from Jim
rum Show to my show to every show in between.
What do you want them to say about you?
Speaker 2 (32:05):
I want to steal from what Monsey Bolonnios once said
about me. If I find this to be a compliment,
I'm difficult to please. If you do please me, then
you are. You've done. You've done a pretty good job
on radio. And I also want this on a tombstone.
Don't know if this has to do with radio or
just in general.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Big tombstone.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
I spent my life searching for the opposite of BS.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
So that's not the truth. It's just the opposite of BS.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Whatever, the opposite of BS is I'm searching for.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Okay, Monsey, what do you want on your tum your
your radio tombstone. You're you're the youngest of the group,
so you're going to die, and you're a woman, so
you're going to die a lot longer. We're talking about
your your radio tombstone. What do you want to say?
Speaker 6 (32:46):
Yeah, you're putting me on the spot on a question
that I didn't know you were going to ask me.
So in reality, I have no idea what I would
want on my tombstone.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
But I have no idea what I would want on
my tombstone.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
That's it period hashtag.
Speaker 9 (32:59):
Come on, man, you guys put me on the spoty,
I really well listen if you're if if, if you stop,
we're gonna have to We're gonna have to design your
own tombstone.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
This is the thing.
Speaker 5 (33:12):
You don't think too hard. You think just like, what
do you want? People remember me by it? In the business.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Yeah there we cool check with a great life. Yeah
there we go.
Speaker 5 (33:22):
Yeah, quotation market.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
She was a cool chick with a great laugh there, Yeah, yeah,
cool chick, great laugh. Yeah, Sam, I mean you are
talking about we're all kind of concerned that this may
be a lengthy statement on the tombstone. Okay, here you may,
but but Sammy, what do you want on your sports rate?
Speaker 5 (33:46):
It came to me instantly on this so with the
with being a technical producer on the drops, I just
wanted to say, the quickest draw in.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
The west, the quickest draw in the west.
Speaker 5 (33:56):
Get those drops out. Pause, I said, pause, pause, quickest drop.
Quill's drawn a west. Well, the quick is dropping the west.
Whatever you want it. It's kind of a Western two
h On.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Kevin Durant's tombstone, I would say, uh, there's never been
a never been a bucket. He couldn't get nice, never
been a bucket gat Like I think Kevin Rant's an
unbelievable scorer. I mean some people would say, like the
George Gervin Iceman, the difference was and full disclosure, I
(34:31):
never saw the Iceban play live like this is all
from my dad, but the Iceban wasn't known as a
winning player. I think Kevin Rant. What happens oftentimes is
we say one of the greatest, if not the greatest,
modern day score is we're not saying he's a winner.
I think Kevin Rant did have you the reputation of
being an all time great scorer, not a winner. And
obviously Golden State changed that should have changed that, but
(34:53):
it didn't for so many people because he joined the Warriors. Well,
let's recommend Mark Stein because he's been covered and basketball
as as long as I have, and he joins us here.
Of course, you can read his sub stack anytime you want.
Mark Stein joins this plus he cos a podcast called
This League un Cut with fellow insider Chris Haynes. You
(35:14):
can find it where you find your podcast. Uh, Kevin
Durant's sport basketball tombstone should read what.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Look man he is. I think what you said first
as a you know the oversimplification, and you know where
I live, and you know whose career. You know, I
probably covered Dirk Noviski's career closer than any player I've
ever covered, And you know, the oversimplification of it always
was Evan Durant is Dirk Noavisky within sane athleticism. I
(35:48):
mean you could imagine, you know, if Dirk had some
of the stuff that that Kevin Durant have. Kevin Durant
took it to another level. And that's he's not a
winning fight. He's not a winning player. Like people really
think that. I covered those two finals that the Warriors
won with him. I mean, he was the difference.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
Listening, Steiny, I agree with you. I do think though
that when people like when people label you as a
score in basketball, oftentimes, what that's tell what the the
under current is they' not a winner, right, not a
winning player. He just wants to score. Right, that was
George Gerfin, that was. There's other guys like that, right
(36:33):
that was I think Look, Dominique Wilkins.
Speaker 4 (36:37):
People people used to say that about Dominique, which I
think was very unfair to Dominique Wilkins because you know
what Dominique wilkins biggest problem was they ran into Boston
Celtics every year, Like that was his problem. Like yeah,
but you know, I look, you know, Kevin Durant is
not gonna you know, win assist titles or you know,
(36:59):
here's an art thing. I mean, and I still, you know,
I've obviously covered Durant a lot. I still remember the
game as a Brooklyn net when he decided one night
that he was going to soull court press Luca. I
don't know that I've ever seen anyone guard Luca as
impressively as Kevin Durant did that night. Like he has
(37:20):
a ridiculous array of basketball gifts. And I just think, like,
because people because he brawls with fans on Twitter, is
that what is detracting from his legacy? It should not. Man,
this guy is he is one of you know, I
don't have my top ten rankings up. He's one of
the fifteen best players we've ever seen, you know, whatever
(37:42):
the rankings are. You know, I need more time than
to just do it off the cup on a radio show.
But come on, and this guy is sensational.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
I would I listen. I agree with you. On the NBAFI,
I thought he went you know again, I don't know
Kevin Durant well enough to go like, hey, is this
what really happened? But I believe that the obviously, and
he's talked about a little bit. The reason for leaving
Oklahoma City was when they played the Warriors and they
lost after having the three games to one lead. He
was basically playing you know, one on two every time
(38:13):
he got the ball, and he wanted the space to
show he was the best player in the world. And
then you get to two NBA finals against Lebron James,
and he was better than Lebron in the finals they
guard each other. He was better in the second half
of all those games. And I think he thought the
world would wrap their arms around him and say you're
now the best player in basketball, and it didn't happen,
(38:33):
and it probably turned him forever bidder.
Speaker 4 (38:37):
I mean, look, I try not to get in, Kevin said,
because he'll you know, if you try to read him
and you read it wrong, he's going to come out
and say you've read me wrong. So like, I don't
want to act like I know his precise thinking. But
to me, I think he joined the Warriors for the
same reason he left the Warriors. At both of those
(38:58):
times in his life. He really wanted to try something
different and try something new, and that is his personality,
you know, you know, you know, unlike Jerk navisk He
who wanted to spend one you know, he wanted to
spend his whole career in one place with one team.
So Kevin Durant didn't have that approach. He wanted to
try something different. We've seen him do it multiple times,
(39:21):
and a big reason why he didn't just get traded
last week is because he doesn't want to leave the
Phoenix Suns. He wanted to be in Phoenix. He wanted
to make this work and isn't ready to go and
turn down the chance to go back to the Warriors
a second time. But like, you know, look, everybody has
(39:42):
their own opinion. Everybody's entitled to their own opinion. But
I would just say, you know, there's probably too much
focus on you know, Twitter beefs with fans or whatever,
instead of looking at like what the player does. I mean,
he just went the number?
Speaker 3 (39:59):
What eight?
Speaker 4 (39:59):
Is it scoring? I mean he's one of them, only
eight guys to hit thirty thousand points. And yeah, to
just say he's a score is not enough. It's just
not enough.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Stug Gottlieb show Here on Fox Sports Radio, Mark Stein
joins us, and uh, if you if you want to
read about the NBA, just he's a longtime NBA reporter
and insider. He publishes a substack called the Steinline. Check
it out. It's phenomenal. Okay, when did you know about
the Luca deal?
Speaker 4 (40:30):
Same time as everybody?
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Wise?
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Is it possible, like you're mister Maverick.
Speaker 4 (40:35):
Because well, what I would tell you is, these are
not the same Dallas Mavericks as they once were. There's
been a lot of change, and you know they really
did keep it. I mean, you know that Lebron James
and Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic didn't know either, right.
If Luka Doncic doesn't know, I'm not going to know.
I mean, you know, Luka Doncic did not know he
(40:57):
was getting traded until, you know, twenty odd minutes before
it came out. They you know, this was Nico Harrison's show,
and Nico Harrison and Rob Palinka and the respective owners.
I mean, that's as far as the circle got until
the night of the trade. And I know nobody wants
(41:18):
to believe that, because when anything of note happens anymore,
everybody wants to launch into seventeen conspiracy theories about this
is what really happens. But I mean, look, I'm reporting
on this every day. I'm learning new things every day.
I'm going to keep reporting on it every day, and
who knows, in two weeks, in a month, in six months,
maybe I'll have new information that I didn't have and
(41:41):
I'll come back on and tell you, you know, I was wrong.
I didn't know this. I didn't know that. But based
on everything that I have been told and that I
have been able to confirm in the eleven twelve days
since this happened, is it was kept that closely in
that small of a circle. Again, Luka Doncic, the principles
in this trade did not know until shortly before the
(42:04):
news broke.
Speaker 1 (42:06):
So what about the calls to Milwaukee and Minnesota? Are
those accurately?
Speaker 4 (42:12):
Those have been look those have been reported by other reporters.
I have not independently confirmed those, and I cannot tell you.
I cannot say that I know for sure that they
happened based on everything I've been told about this. The
Lakers were here on January seventh. I saw the Lakers.
(42:33):
I saw Rob Blinka hours after the first meeting between
he and Nico Harrison to start talking about this trade.
And obviously nobody knew that night except the two of them.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
You know.
Speaker 4 (42:46):
So to me knowing what I do know now is
and I think this is coming. You know, Rich Paul
has said it. I've reported extensively on it. I've written
three long stories about this trade already, and like I said,
I'm gonna keep reporting and writing Nico Harrison has wanted
Ad in Dallas pretty much since he got to Dallas,
(43:06):
and so knowing that Ad was such a prime target
to me, like the Milwaukee and Minnesota talk', that's where
it doesn't add up because it's not just that. I mean,
he wanted to negotiate with the Lakers and negotiate with
Rob Palinka because of their relationship. That was one place
(43:27):
he was sure that it would stay quiet, But it
was also hugely driven by the fact that Ad is
the centerpiece he wanted back in a Luca Dontis trade.
So the hard part for me to believe on the
Milwaukee and Minnesota stuff is if they contacted those teams,
how did that not leak sooner? Because that's where you
(43:48):
would have leaks. If the Dallas Mavericks are contract contacting
team A, team B, Team C. That's how stuff gets
around once you start contacting more teams. But again, you
know those are not my reports, and you know, if
I can independently confirm them, I will say that I've
heard the same, But to this point I haven't.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
I do think, and obviously Nico Harrison probably agrees with
me that of all the things that have gone undervalued.
It's Anthony Davis is an unbelievable player. Like he's not Luca,
but he's a dominant player. The downside to Anthony Davis
is he's somebody who all many of the criticisms of
(44:35):
Luca in terms of taking care of his body and
always being injured. You could say about Anthony Davis up
until the last year and a half or so, and
then oh yeah, by the way, now he's hurt already.
Speaker 4 (44:47):
That's one of the elements that has made this thing
so wild because I was there Saturday when they played Houston,
and I'm telling you, and you know, I've been in
Dallas nearly thirty years now. I've watched a lot of
Mavericks basketball. He was a two way menace in that
first half against Houston, the likes of which the Mavericks
have never seen. I mean, he, especially in the first quarter,
(45:10):
I think is the best I have ever seen in play.
I mean he literally touched every inch of the floor
and did every single thing that a basketball player can
do on the court. I mean, stop blocking, skying above
the rim for rebounds, all handling, three pointer, dirt, one
legged fade away. There is nothing in basketball that Anthony
(45:32):
Davis did not do in the first half. I mean,
he has it all when he's at his peak, he
literally has it all. But like you said, I mean,
he showed up with his own injury history, and to
immediately sustain an injury was just I mean, I feel
for him because he didn't make this trade. He had
nothing to do with instigating this trade. He's come to Dallas,
(45:54):
he's tried to say all the right things and played
spectacularly in his debut, and to suffer an injury set
back like he already has and we still don't even
know the severity of it, it's a it's a very
rough situation for him.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
Stug Gottlip Show here on Fox Sports Radio. That's the
voice of Mark Stein. Okay, So I've heard people say
even if the Mavericks win NBA Championship, it still won't
be enough, Like what do we do? Come on? Like
how long that? Look?
Speaker 4 (46:27):
I don't I don't fully buy that. Like obviously, if
this team went on a playoff run, I mean, you
know how a city gets behind a team making a
playoff run. And I find it hard to believe that
bav fans, especially after everything they they've been through wouldn't
go nuts for a team that was making that kind
of run. But look, for some, I'm living here, I'm
(46:50):
telling you I genuinely believe that for some because again,
we also have to factor in the Luca side of
the equation. So the Mavericks the Mavericks, it's not just Luca,
it's not just winning a championship without Luca. Luca would
have to fail to get the Mavericks off the hook
because you assume he's gonna go to LA and win
multiple championships. The Lakers have a new ten year runway
(47:16):
that they did not have two weeks ago today, like
they the Lakers have a future that they couldn't have
dreamed of two weeks ago today because of this guy.
And you know I have watched him obviously from very
close range. You can level any criticism you want about
his fitness, his diet, his conditioning, his compartment with referees,
(47:39):
whatever you want. I do not care, and I personally
do not want to hear it. At his worst, unfittest, angriest,
whatever you want to say. Luka Doncic never wakes up
as anything worse than the third best player in the world,
and at twenty five years old, when he didn't want
(47:59):
to train, when he didn't want to be here. You
cannot trade that player. And the Lakers know how lucky
they are, but they are. They are pinching themselves every
hour of every day because again, for whatever flaws you
want to lift you, you put up with all of
them for a talent like he is. You know, he's
(48:23):
a beyond special talent.
Speaker 1 (48:26):
Stany are the best man. Love your work on substack again.
Long time NBA reporter and insider Mark Steiney publish is
a substack. It's called the Steinline. I encourage you to
UH to read it, download it, and uh and share
it with your friends. Stanny, thanks so much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (48:41):
Thanks Coach, Talk to
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
three to five Eastern twelve two Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for The Doug Gottlieb Show at
Box sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR Booming Up America.
Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio coming to you from
(00:24):
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get there, unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free road has
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Com sway tire buying should be doo doo, dude, do
do do do? I hope you're having an absolutely spectacular day.
Oh no, you're two card your two con. I know
(00:45):
there's snow and ice in most of the Midwest. It's
all moving to the Northeast where it's going to be,
and we got snow here in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It's
a beautiful white wonderland, white wonderland.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I wanted to.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Start the show off with a bit of an apology,
and I also think that Dallas Maverick fans as well
as most NBA fans need to catch their breath on
the Nico Collins hate moments. And here's why. So again
(01:23):
yesterday we said to start the show, like, how do
you not take the Nico Harrison what sorry, Nico Harrison,
the Nico Harrison hate. Yesterday we said, how do you
not take him to market? Right? If you're going to
trade Luka doncik, how do you not take it to market?
I can't just sell it early without getting the highest
price possible. And again, I still believe they did not
(01:46):
get enough enough probably one you know, and again and
I and what you'll say is, well, you know you
have to do contract for contract, player for player, Okay,
you know, Dalton connect, Austin Reeves, whatever, one of those
obvious sassteries a higher value. But you do feel like
there should have been a pound of flash. Here's what
(02:08):
people are missing. And it wasn't until I talked to
some people and read some of these things that apparently
Nico Harrison had called the Milwaukee Bucks next about Giannis.
Many people believe this could be the last year for
Giannis and Milwaukee. He'd called the Minnesota Temperleves and asked
about Anthony Edwards, and neither neither wanted to trade for
(02:32):
Luca Dunjik neither. So this is a lot like uh,
this is I mean, the Bucks are interesting because the
Bucks famously traded for the backcourt mate of Steph Curry
going back years and years, years and years ago, and
(02:56):
I thought it was fascinating that at that time. You know,
at the time, if you go back and look at
Steph Curry's career and you're like, wait a second. His
second contract was four years, I think forty four million
dollars and you're like, wait a second, So why was
it so low? It wasn't a max The second contract
(03:17):
was not a max deal. Why because remember he had
lots of injuries, and there were people who just didn't
think you could be elite with Steph Curry because physically
his body wouldn't stand up. Monte Ellis was traded for
Andrew Boget. That changed along with Steve Kirb being their
head coach. That changed the Warriors forever. But what I
(03:39):
told people and I know to be true and it's
come out as fact, was the Warriors wanted Andrew Boget.
They knew they needed a center and they told the
Bucks you could have Montalis or Steph Curry, you pick,
and they chose Montalis. Which again it's not just the
(04:00):
Bucks choosing poorly, it's the Warriors not valuing Steph Curry
above that of Montalis. These are real things that happen.
So when we go back and we say, hey, the
Dallas Mavericks undervalued Luka doncik. You may be right, But
now when I think of it, it appears obvious that
(04:22):
Nico Harrison said, Okay, if I'm going to trade one
of the top five players in the NBA, well then
I got to get a top five player back. And
he viewed Anthony Davis as a top five player, as
with Anthony Edwards, as with Giannis and Tennecopo. The only
guy he didn't call was probably Philadelphia, because are you
(04:43):
really going to trade for Joel Embiid. You might have
gotten it, but Joel Embiid, I mean, he's the only
one hurt more than all those guys combined. And if
you want draft picks, the two teams with draft picks
are San Antonio. I mean, they're not trading Victor Webbin
Yama for Luca Nordon, those Traffics and Oklahoma City. They're
all in the same division, Like, that's not happening. Who
(05:05):
else are you gonna call? Who else are you gonna
ask for? So the point is that it's it's fair.
If you think this was the worst trade ever, you
might be right. I would have held on to Luca.
I do think there's a way in which you could
have from here until the end of the season tweaked him.
(05:26):
You could have you could have met with him, which
I'm sure they did. You could have had stories out
there about your frustrations about his weight, your concerns about
signing to a three hundred fifty million dollars contract, and
then had this bidding sweepstakes in the off season. Could
have done all those things. But for whatever reason, they
chose to do it. Now, Okay, I disagree with that,
But I don't know the day to day of dealing
with Luca, and neither do you. But everywhere you go
(05:48):
now in Dallas, happened at SMU at their basketball game
last night where Nico Harrison was in attendance, happens at
all the Maverick games, Fire and Nico, Fire and Nico.
The fact is that if Luca was viewed as he
is being portrayed by the Lakers and by Mavericks fans.
Then why wouldn't Milwaukee make that make that deal. Why
(06:09):
would the Timberwolves make that deal? Or did they think
the Mavericks probably know a little bit more about this guy.
He's probably a colossal pain in the torus, and he
won't stay in shape, and he loves the drink beer
in the off season. He loves the drink wine in
the off season, and he wants a three hundred fifty
million dollars contract and they don't want to give it to him.
(06:31):
And Nico said, I'm only going to trade him for
a top five player. And oh yeah, by the way,
we can make fun of Anthony Davis being injured, and
of course he's injured again. But Anthony Davis is an
incredible player, and he is a top five player. Maybe
that's my biggest takeaway from this trade is the massive
undervaluing is that that sounds like a terrible English sentence,
(06:53):
but whatever, we have massively undervalued that of Anthony Davis.
Or maybe we're just super cautious because he seemed to
always be heard and now he's heard of yet. But
I'll offer up at maya Copa. I thought he just
traded him to Rob Polinka because they're boys going back
to the Kobe days, and didn't call anybody else. Apparently
he did his due diligence and called those two other
(07:14):
teams with two other superstars, the only two other places
you could have sent him and gotten a top five
ish player in return, And they said no. The Laker
said yes, and now he's a Laker. And now he's
a Laker. Because I spent the morning thinking about teams.
Could you do the Clippers? Like no, I mean again,
(07:34):
between Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard, Like those two guys
are a mass unit of injuries. That's not happening. You know,
Golden State, You're not gonna get Steph Curry back in return?
Like that's that doesn't Steph Curry doesn't make the Mavericks better,
makes some fun, but not better. Hey and Kyrie on
the same team. We'll go around the NBA and tell
(07:56):
me somebody who is an elite player, a top five,
top ten player who you would trade for, and the
answers would be Embiid when he's healthy, Jannis ant Man,
Anthony Davis, I'm Kevin Durant, No, too old, right, You're
(08:17):
not going to trade a twenty five year old star
for a thirty five year old star. That's not happening either.
So I actually think he did his due diligence. Still
probably didn't get enough, but again we don't know the market.
At the end of the day, Polinka does come out
looking great. But also Polinka probably knew because they all
talk to each other like, he's only coming to me
(08:38):
because he has I'm gonna make him negotiate against himself.
So was his If the plan was to trade Luca,
that's what he wanted to do, and he only wanted
to do it to get a top five player return.
He accomplished that goal. Did he get enough in my opinion, No,
but some of that is probably the timing by which
he did it. And I look around the country and
(09:01):
I see all these fire Nico and all the continued
discussions of it. And I love Luca, but if you said, hey,
Luca is not in quality shape, no one's going to
disagree with you. Luca doesn't play defense, no one's going
to disagree with you. And if Nico Harrison is a
complete clown and doesn't know what he's doing, why they
(09:22):
reached the NBA Finals last year, and a lot of
it was on the moves that he had made. Gafford
lively the Kyrie trade. When they made the Kyrie trade,
they're like, I don't know they re signed Kyrie. Now. Yes,
Mark Cuban was running the team at the time, but
Nic Nico didn't just get the job five days ago.
(09:45):
Not what happened. And if you're going to be critical
of Nico, that's fine. You probably also if the Bucks
don't win a championship, be critical of the Bucks. If
they lose Giannis, and if the Timberwolves still don't get
to even get to the Western Conference Finals or don't
win the NBA Championship, need to be critical of as well.
Just like when Steph Curry wasn't traded to the Bucks,
(10:05):
you got a dollar, be critical of the Bucks for
not trading for him instead taking Monte Ellis and for
the Warriors for making him available via trade. Right, there's
the mental gymnastics for you.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
This is the best of the Done dot Leap Show
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
What about you, Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio. Coming
to you from the tyrack dot Com students, tyrec dot com.
Well we get there unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free
road as protection or ten thousand recommended dollars tyrat dot
com sway tire buying should be. We got a great
second out of the show. Daniel Jeremiah moved the sticks
is going to join us. Uh. We got the press
(10:49):
upcoming as well. Travis Kelce talking about his future. Yikes
when you watch that game filmdikes, diikes, yikes. It's his time,
it's his day. Uh. But we do this every Wednesday,
So Wednesday is middle of the day, middle the week.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
This is generally middle of most people's day, especially on
the West coast, right one o'clock. And it's always been
middle of our show because we have the third hour,
which is the podcast only are which you can download
wherever you a download podcast. Just sipe in Doug Gottlid.
We call it the Midway.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
It is time.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
He's not getting the middle with here.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
It's time for the middle the Midway.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Midway topic. Jase, do what you.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Got, Doug. I kind of need to do some house
queen in. Can we do some house queen first?
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Do you have any house queen in music? Sam? All right,
So I want to shout out to Steve Wosden. Steve
Wosden is a listener to the show. I appreciate every
single listener we have, and Steve, I'm not blaming you
for this, but he types in Twitter yesterday at Dan
Byer on Fox Dan, you mentioned on air that you
(12:08):
thought you too put out pop to see what people
would actually buy. In chapter twenty five of Bono's book forty,
he talks about that album. So I just want to
correct things and do some house queening because I know
people can't listen every day and they drop in and
Dougle refer to this theory of mine without any reference.
So I came up with a theory. It wasn't Dan
(12:30):
and it was it was Youtubo's album Zuropa. My theory
is this that the NFL is in Zuropa mode. You
two came off of Joshua Tree and octug Baby, two
albums that didn't sound anything alike, and they made tons
of money and were exceptionally popular and the best rock
band in the country and the world, and then they
(12:51):
decided to put zu Ropa out, which is categorically critically
considered their worst album. It was like they just punted
on an album to see what their audience would buy.
They were almost like it was like a litmus test
and how bad they could be and their people would
still show up to buy it. And I think that
(13:11):
is what the NFL is in their product is as
worse is the worse that it's been since I've been alive,
and people are still showing up in droves. We saw
one hundred and twenty nine million people I guess tuned
into the super Bowl. So I always think this is
funny because the NFL is not motivated to improve their
product because their cash and checks and one hundred and
(13:34):
twenty nine people are watching their products, So what's the
incentive on making a better product. So we're going to
continue to be in Zuropa next season as well.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
I listen again, I'm going to continue to credit you.
I know, Dan Lescolet why I've mentioned that the thing
is bad, that the product is bad, like you have, Dan,
But the whole Zeroupa thing, the first person I've heard
it termed that way is you. I'm giving you pull credit.
I'm gonna give you full credit.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
I have a follow up on that though, I actually
have because Jason has been on this campaign this Zeropa campaign,
you know, since the start of the falls, the start
of the NFL season. What specifically, Jason and Doug, when
you guys watch these games, you're like, is it too
much offense?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Is it too much defense?
Speaker 5 (14:19):
I know, you say, like they're not getting enough practice
time because of you know, because of.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Union, you know, rights and stuff.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
What is it specifically that you're like, Man, this is
not this is the worst product I've seen out of
the NFL in recent memory.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
I'm glad you asked, Yeah, thank you. I'm glad to
tell you this, to explain, there is no metric that
sums up my feeling about this. In other words, you
can't tell me that there were more points scored, or
less points scored, or more field goals scored. It's an
eye test. It is. We all sit on our couch
and we watch an entire NFL game and we leave
(14:53):
filling unfulfilled. So what I'm not saying it's a specific
thing that's wrong. It's sloppy, it is unentertaining, it's it's
a mess for the most part. So I'm gonna say
that maybe the most innocent of explanations is because they
they went into arbitration or collectively bargained less practice. That's
(15:15):
the least I guess that's the most innocent excuse. The
more nefarious reason that you see online on Reddit pages
is that all of this started to happen when legalized
gambling started, and that this compromised product is the product
of referees, assistant coaches, and players being in on some
(15:37):
kind of a bet. Hmmm. Interesting.
Speaker 5 (15:43):
I don't know if I was left fulfilled by that answer,
but I think it's a good answer.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Yeah, can we get to the midway topic?
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I like that. I like that little little appetizer there,
though I was apartef I want to know what what
storyline since the super Bowl's over the NFL, we could
put it to bed. I want to know what storyline
you are most looking forward to following now, so it
could be an NFL story. I guess a postseason NFL story,
(16:11):
but I'm talking more along the lines of other sports,
other narratives that you're like, I'm real excited to start
following that since I don't have NFL to watch.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Uh huh. I mean, hopefully my team starts to winning
basketball games, is gonna get healthy? That'd be cool, that'd
be a great storyline see national stories that I want
to follow. I mean, I think the Luca thing is awesome,
Like what now? And for me, I I'm like Jay Stu, right,
(16:49):
like I search for the opposite of BS. I try
and state the opposite of BS. Kind of rooting for
the Mavericks, right, kind of rooting for the Mavericks. Just
you know, you get so many fans who think they
know and I generally agree, Like I'm I'm with Mark Stein,
like I think Luca is the best player in the
NBA when he's healthy and when he's in shape, I
(17:12):
know he has the sports that said kind of root
for the Mavericks. You know, when everybody's like, oh what
are you doing? Then Anthony Davis is really awesome. I mean,
that's the the whole secret to the Lakers' ability to
be successful last year. Lebron's still amazing, but he didn't
play any defense anymore, and there are just games in
which he doesn't have it. And everybody's gonna have games
(17:34):
in in your forties you don't have it. Anthony Davis,
He's been really good. So I'm the obviously the Luca
Lakers ad Mavericks. That thing I'm super involved.
Speaker 5 (17:47):
We both expect, or we all expect both teams to
be playoff teams. Correct, what is the realistic expectation? I
guess maybe this is a little bit of contradictory statement,
but if you're a Laker fan, what's a realistic expectation
for the playoffs?
Speaker 1 (18:02):
To Where is there a realistic Laker fan exactly?
Speaker 5 (18:05):
That's why I was like, it's kind of a oxymoron there,
But like, what Western Conference Finals?
Speaker 1 (18:11):
I don't think they're better. I just don't. I don't
think they're better. I think they're fun. They really score, yeah,
but they can't guard anybody like Lebron and Blade defense
and the three best offensive players that have are like
not defensive players. And in the NBA playoffs, that's what
becomes a map.
Speaker 6 (18:32):
What about the MAVs, they're better right now with Anthony?
Speaker 1 (18:37):
I mean they're really defensively. Yeah, they don't have a
point guard, so that's their flaw, which which because Kyrie
is the score, he's not a point guard.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Is he he still out right? Or is he is
he back?
Speaker 1 (18:47):
I mean, I personally want to see Oklahoma City. I'd
like to see them get to the finals. I don't
know if they're ready, it's their time. But just just
that that element of it is really fun.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Will either okay See or the Calves make it to
the finals?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
I don't know. Great question to the two teams are
the best records right now?
Speaker 1 (19:11):
That's a great question. Obviously doesn't work that way.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
I was hyping up the Calves from the get go.
Speaker 5 (19:15):
Guys, Really, I remember I said if it was Lakers
Calves and then uh Bronnie could uh play in the
game against the Calves.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (19:24):
I have a Cleveland thing because he did grow up
partially in Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Sure, but I don't know.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Bronni Is makes an appearance every once in a while.
He wouldn't factor into there. He wouldn't factor in their
playoff Plansy.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
What other storylines? I mean the Dodgers. I mean the
Dodgers look better than ever. I'm sure that's what Jay
Stuw's fired about. Like I think Kurshaw was their fifth
best starter. Yeah, jasetu, Where does the Dodgers in terms
of this national storylines? You're interested in? Where's that rank?
(20:00):
How they've won a World Series?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Finally, No, No, I think I think the Dodgers are
definitely a story I'm looking forward to tracking. But the
one thing that I think is first and foremost, and
it's probably like one through five, is what happens to
women's college basketball, because you know, we've seen women's college
basketball on the NCAA level get zero buzz so far.
(20:22):
Juju what's her face? Watkins was supposed to be better
than Kaitlyn Clark talent wise, she was supposed to take
the torch from Kaitlyn Clark, and I see almost no
buzz about her.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Page Becker, who is I guess struggled in big games,
you know, Smidsham.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
And so what's going to happen with the w NBA
season Because we keep we keep hearing that Kaitlin Clark,
like I guess, raised the interest level in women's basketball.
She was given that right. I would say that's wrong.
I would say that she's raised the level and interest
in herself. People tune in for her, people sell out
(21:01):
arenas for her. I don't know if she's necessarily raised
the boats for everybody. So I'm I'm interested to see
how that plays out over the next six months.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
Did anyone catch that uh, that unrivaled uh? I just
got some highlights, but like this one on one part
of the unrival tournament.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Yeah, I watched some of the highlights.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
There were some some good highlights I enjoyed.
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Yeah, but like they had fans there, but not all
the seats were filled, so and it wasn't.
Speaker 6 (21:26):
Even like it was probably in the whole season of
unrivaled a couple hundred people at most.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Yeah, man, are you really gonna watch women's three on
three basketball?
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
I was one on one during during real basketball season.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Yeah, it was. It was interesting. I just I was
caught some of the highlights, but the money grab.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
To Jason's point, though, I think that the interest in
Kaitlyn Clark will continue. I think that ratings will continue
to be higher than they were, you know, two years
ago before she entered the league, just because she's playing
against these teams and people will tune in. But yeah, like, listen,
the number one team women's college basketball is UCLA and
not even probably not many people on the street know that,
(22:05):
because they're led by a very, very steady center named
Lauren Betts, and they're just wiping the floor with everyone
and they're undefeated, and there's a very good chance they
could go undefeated and win the national championship, and I
don't know if it'll create any kind of buzz.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
They're really really good. Yeah, and then I'm.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
Sure you're right. I think Kerry closes the head coach's name.
She's she's great.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
But there's a problem though.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
You go to these games at Pauly Pavilion and there's
no there's not a lot of fans showing up for
the number one team. And that was the thing that
Iowa fans kind of got people excited across the country
because they would pack Carver Hawk I Arena to watch
these games.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Watch her brick.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Records, midwestrass for women's volleyball, Midwest.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Straws absolutely Nebraska wrestling, mid.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
West Straws for women's basketball. Midwest is is different. It
doesn't work and doesn't work on the coach.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
I just think, though, when you have the number one
team and you don't know how long that's gonna last.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Numb one volleyball team. I m one volleyball team.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
I couldn't tell you. Monci's the volleyball expert here.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
I'm just saying women's volleyball at Penn State and at
Nebraska is a huge thing, right, Number one volleyball team
the country was that UCLA men's whatever it's and the
men's team at USA is unbelievable to watch. Those guys
are a freak athletes. Not nobody cares well.
Speaker 5 (23:20):
Though basketball is still considered in even women's basketball revenue
revenue sport and volleyball not in LA, but in some
programs it is.
Speaker 6 (23:29):
But you're wondering why UCLA does not garner more people
coming to their games. It's because we're in LA and
there's so many other things to go to that it's
last on people's priority to see.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
That with their numero understand, and you know what they're
they're happy to have that conversation with you at the bar.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Women on talking about UL women's basketball.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Ok I got I got okay, I got one.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
I'm actually there's so many things about the NBA that
are very exciting now that football is over, and I
love the NBA, so I'm looking forward to Jimmy Butler
and the Warriors. Steph Curry had a little bit of
a slump, but in the last four or five games
he's kind of like filling himself again. And if you
watch I just watched them play the Bucks. I believe
(24:11):
maybe I'm wrong, but like when Steph is on the bench,
they now have a scorer.
Speaker 8 (24:15):
And like the problem was every time Steph went to
the bench, the Warriors couldn't keep up. Now Jimmy Butler
stays in the game, who is not a three point shooter,
they don't need that. I'm really curious to see how
the Warriors end the season with Jimmy Butler because I'm
a big Jimmy fan. But I I think maybe like
they can make a little bit of a run.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Not that they're gonna win.
Speaker 8 (24:36):
I'm not saying that or even make it to the finals,
but I think they can make a little bit of
a run, which maybe a month ago I wouldn't be
saying that.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
I wouldn't have been saying that.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
By the way, guys, by the way, to bring it
back to women's college basketball, USC and LA playing tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
No big game, Jason the.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
Galen Center, number six, hosting number one, because Mike I
will be.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Watching the women actually draw decently well because you know,
but nobody in reality, nobody.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I just wanted to mention that they will finally back.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
You had to mention that, and then everybody's like, oh, okay,
I'll be tuning in for that for sure. Hey, thanks
appreciate it. Okay, So where was shud Or Sanders play?
Mm hmm right, yeah, like what's the actual evaal of
Shudor Sanders. I think that's fascinating.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Yeah it is. You don't think so, No, I said
it is. It is interesting.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
I thought I thought there was it is.
Speaker 5 (25:34):
Yeah, No, I was saying it is. It is exclamation point,
not it is question mark.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Just I I just didn't know where the emphasis on the.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
Yeah, no, it is, it is interesting. You always you know,
guy like Jayden Daniels has immediate success and well you
should still know that should do until we see him play.
But my I was thinking just since this morning about
this topic. I was thinking just specifically NFL storylines, and
I follow the NFC North very closely, you know, I
come a pack, and I think that division is incredibly
(26:03):
interesting and fascinating. You know, it's like take a crystal ball,
you know, one of those little or those magic eight balls.
Just shake it and see what answer you get every
time for each team, Like I think maybe outside of the.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Bears, each of those teams could win the division.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
And Doug, we are you making a point about this
either earlier this week or last week that like a
lot of those teams feasted on a bad division in
those crossover games. Yeah, so it's like, are they gonna
all take a step back? I mean, I think the
lines will probably take a step back. Who's going to
make it to the playoffs? The NFC North, to me
is that eight ball. You shake it up, you get
a different team each time.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
See where Sam Darnold goes and what happens to Detroit
with the new coordinators, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation yet catch all of our shows at Fox
sports Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
I'm gonna make the cognitive decision to let you guys
behind the curtain a little bit of Here' Stug Gottlieb
show here on Fox Sports Radio. So I do this
show from two places. If you watch us, by the way,
if you're listening to us, great. If you want to
watch us, check out our YouTube channel and you can
check out videos and interviews and other things. Just type
(27:12):
in Fox Sports Radio on YouTube. Check out our our
YouTube channel. Right. So what you'll see is sometimes in
the background like, this is my sports basement. I got
TV's up and I got to you know, all the things,
and right on Green Bay. And then at times we'll
do it from my basketball office and that's when we
have the Green Bay stuff in the background or whatever.
The squeaking that you hear, yes it is Vince Lombardy,
(27:33):
my dog. And I don't know why he chooses to
do this, but I, you know, again, effort to not
be distracted doing the radio show. I come down here,
he comes down here, and I don't know, Sam, are
you a dog guy? Do you have a dog.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
Yeah, yeah, I am a dog guy, and yes, yes,
I love dogs. And I heard that during the break
and I was like, oh, he's a.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
No And it's always an inopportunity moment. So he has
my guy. So Vince Barty, we call him Barty, is
eight months old and he has I don't know, I
think it's like ten toys and a bunch of them
are animals, like stuffed animals. Right. So he has duck,
he has that's lama that you're hearing. He has chicken,
(28:17):
he has a raccoon, he has squirrel, he has fox. Yeah,
well it might be an outpacka I gotta see. If
you're watching our YouTube channel, you can see it. It
is a sad looking outpacker or whatever. But what's interesting
about it is, even though they all have squeakers in him,
(28:37):
he only does the squeaker thing with with the with
the lama. When he has duck. He carries duck around
and then he'll take duck onto like a chair and
chew on duck and it actually makes like a duck
called type of sound with chicken. Chickens bigger and he
just kind of flops around and almost like hugs chicken.
And then he likes to lay in chew on squirrel.
(28:59):
And it's an interesting thing. So don't blame me or
blame Bartie, Blame Lama. Okay, Lama is the cause of
these problems.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
That's adorable, Doug.
Speaker 5 (29:10):
And it's like he's everyone follows a routine every day,
or most people do, or a rhythm, and it's like
he wants to squeak that lama when you're on the
air and he follow you around, yes, you know, in a.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Couple hours from now, he won't do it.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
And it's like it's it's like when you wake up,
you got to make your coffee everyone has routine. He's like,
I got to squeak between the hours of such and such.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Yes, yes, and again it's because I'm coaching basketball the
whole rest of the day, right, so this is a
little bit of our time together. He'll go out and
play in the snow for an hour hour forty five minutes,
come in with clumps of snow. But it inevitably when
I'm doing the show from here, he finds Lama and
make sure that Lama gets a little radio time here
(29:50):
at Fox Sports Radio. Okay, Kevin Duran scored his thirty
thousandth point last night in the NBA and took him
six less games than Lebron James. You know, we can
talk about the three point shot or whatever. Obviously part
of the reason that you're like, wait, why did it
take him fewer games when he's older than when Lebron
(30:11):
did it? Lebron came right out of high school. Plus
k do you remember he missed I think it was
fifty one games one year, and they missed it with
the with the thunder. He missed the entire season when
he towards Kill's ten in with the Golden State Warriors,
and then he went to the Brooklyn Nets and didn't
play for a year, So that's why in terms of
year span it taken him longer, but games actually shorter
than lebron. So when we everybody said, like, what do
(30:35):
you put on your tombstone? What do you put in
your tombstone? By the way, quick shout out to whoever
came up with the remember the tombstone pizzas?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Hell, yeah, I love tombstone, right.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
And they used to have that ad campaign, what do
you put on your tombstone? It's like Pepperoni?
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Was it? What do you want on your tombstone?
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Is it? What do you want?
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Your potential a week close, we got the idea.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Yeah, all right, everybody said, yeah.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
I go supreme first one when you're done. Really yeah,
I love supreme pizzas. I love supreme frozen pizzas.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
Man, I can't do I kid. We got a company
called epic out here that makes great frozen pizzas. And
I don't know if people I didn't know this until
moving to Wisconsin, but apparently the frozen pizza on the
grill outside in the summer is the thing. Yeah, and
you also do it in the winter when you're like
ice fishing. You get the little thing and then you
cook your frozen pizza out there. I still do it now.
I do it in my flat top.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
You can use like a green Egg too, People do that.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
Yeah, the green Egg did not make the trip. My
green Egg, all right, Peter, my green Egg anyway. So
what's interesting when you obviously, when you die, you have
your tombstone. So in your sports tombstone. Actually, let me
ask you this, Jay stew on your radio tombstone. When
(31:50):
you hang that, when you turn off the put down
the headset. You've been doing this twenty five years and
you're done. I've been doing this, you know, from Jim
rum Show to my show to every show in between.
What do you want them to say about you?
Speaker 2 (32:05):
I want to steal from what Monsey Bolonnios once said
about me. If I find this to be a compliment,
I'm difficult to please. If you do please me, then
you are. You've done. You've done a pretty good job
on radio. And I also want this on a tombstone.
Don't know if this has to do with radio or
just in general.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Big tombstone.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
I spent my life searching for the opposite of BS.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
So that's not the truth. It's just the opposite of BS.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Whatever, the opposite of BS is I'm searching for.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Okay, Monsey, what do you want on your tum your
your radio tombstone. You're you're the youngest of the group,
so you're going to die, and you're a woman, so
you're going to die a lot longer. We're talking about
your your radio tombstone. What do you want to say?
Speaker 6 (32:46):
Yeah, you're putting me on the spot on a question
that I didn't know you were going to ask me.
So in reality, I have no idea what I would
want on my tombstone.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
But I have no idea what I would want on
my tombstone.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
That's it period hashtag.
Speaker 9 (32:59):
Come on, man, you guys put me on the spoty,
I really well listen if you're if if, if you stop,
we're gonna have to We're gonna have to design your
own tombstone.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
This is the thing.
Speaker 5 (33:12):
You don't think too hard. You think just like, what
do you want? People remember me by it? In the business.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Yeah there we cool check with a great life. Yeah
there we go.
Speaker 5 (33:22):
Yeah, quotation market.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
She was a cool chick with a great laugh there, Yeah, yeah,
cool chick, great laugh. Yeah, Sam, I mean you are
talking about we're all kind of concerned that this may
be a lengthy statement on the tombstone. Okay, here you may,
but but Sammy, what do you want on your sports rate?
Speaker 5 (33:46):
It came to me instantly on this so with the
with being a technical producer on the drops, I just
wanted to say, the quickest draw in.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
The west, the quickest draw in the west.
Speaker 5 (33:56):
Get those drops out. Pause, I said, pause, pause, quickest drop.
Quill's drawn a west. Well, the quick is dropping the west.
Whatever you want it. It's kind of a Western two
h On.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Kevin Durant's tombstone, I would say, uh, there's never been
a never been a bucket. He couldn't get nice, never
been a bucket gat Like I think Kevin Rant's an
unbelievable scorer. I mean some people would say, like the
George Gervin Iceman, the difference was and full disclosure, I
(34:31):
never saw the Iceban play live like this is all
from my dad, but the Iceban wasn't known as a
winning player. I think Kevin Rant. What happens oftentimes is
we say one of the greatest, if not the greatest,
modern day score is we're not saying he's a winner.
I think Kevin Rant did have you the reputation of
being an all time great scorer, not a winner. And
obviously Golden State changed that should have changed that, but
(34:53):
it didn't for so many people because he joined the Warriors. Well,
let's recommend Mark Stein because he's been covered and basketball
as as long as I have, and he joins us here.
Of course, you can read his sub stack anytime you want.
Mark Stein joins this plus he cos a podcast called
This League un Cut with fellow insider Chris Haynes. You
(35:14):
can find it where you find your podcast. Uh, Kevin
Durant's sport basketball tombstone should read what.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Look man he is. I think what you said first
as a you know the oversimplification, and you know where
I live, and you know whose career. You know, I
probably covered Dirk Noviski's career closer than any player I've
ever covered, And you know, the oversimplification of it always
was Evan Durant is Dirk Noavisky within sane athleticism. I
(35:48):
mean you could imagine, you know, if Dirk had some
of the stuff that that Kevin Durant have. Kevin Durant
took it to another level. And that's he's not a
winning fight. He's not a winning player. Like people really
think that. I covered those two finals that the Warriors
won with him. I mean, he was the difference.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
Listening, Steiny, I agree with you. I do think though
that when people like when people label you as a
score in basketball, oftentimes, what that's tell what the the
under current is they' not a winner, right, not a
winning player. He just wants to score. Right, that was
George Gerfin, that was. There's other guys like that, right
(36:33):
that was I think Look, Dominique Wilkins.
Speaker 4 (36:37):
People people used to say that about Dominique, which I
think was very unfair to Dominique Wilkins because you know
what Dominique wilkins biggest problem was they ran into Boston
Celtics every year, Like that was his problem. Like yeah,
but you know, I look, you know, Kevin Durant is
not gonna you know, win assist titles or you know,
(36:59):
here's an art thing. I mean, and I still, you know,
I've obviously covered Durant a lot. I still remember the
game as a Brooklyn net when he decided one night
that he was going to soull court press Luca. I
don't know that I've ever seen anyone guard Luca as
impressively as Kevin Durant did that night. Like he has
(37:20):
a ridiculous array of basketball gifts. And I just think, like,
because people because he brawls with fans on Twitter, is
that what is detracting from his legacy? It should not. Man,
this guy is he is one of you know, I
don't have my top ten rankings up. He's one of
the fifteen best players we've ever seen, you know, whatever
(37:42):
the rankings are. You know, I need more time than
to just do it off the cup on a radio show.
But come on, and this guy is sensational.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
I would I listen. I agree with you. On the NBAFI,
I thought he went you know again, I don't know
Kevin Durant well enough to go like, hey, is this
what really happened? But I believe that the obviously, and
he's talked about a little bit. The reason for leaving
Oklahoma City was when they played the Warriors and they
lost after having the three games to one lead. He
was basically playing you know, one on two every time
(38:13):
he got the ball, and he wanted the space to
show he was the best player in the world. And
then you get to two NBA finals against Lebron James,
and he was better than Lebron in the finals they
guard each other. He was better in the second half
of all those games. And I think he thought the
world would wrap their arms around him and say you're
now the best player in basketball, and it didn't happen,
(38:33):
and it probably turned him forever bidder.
Speaker 4 (38:37):
I mean, look, I try not to get in, Kevin said,
because he'll you know, if you try to read him
and you read it wrong, he's going to come out
and say you've read me wrong. So like, I don't
want to act like I know his precise thinking. But
to me, I think he joined the Warriors for the
same reason he left the Warriors. At both of those
(38:58):
times in his life. He really wanted to try something
different and try something new, and that is his personality,
you know, you know, you know, unlike Jerk navisk He
who wanted to spend one you know, he wanted to
spend his whole career in one place with one team.
So Kevin Durant didn't have that approach. He wanted to
try something different. We've seen him do it multiple times,
(39:21):
and a big reason why he didn't just get traded
last week is because he doesn't want to leave the
Phoenix Suns. He wanted to be in Phoenix. He wanted
to make this work and isn't ready to go and
turn down the chance to go back to the Warriors
a second time. But like, you know, look, everybody has
(39:42):
their own opinion. Everybody's entitled to their own opinion. But
I would just say, you know, there's probably too much
focus on you know, Twitter beefs with fans or whatever,
instead of looking at like what the player does. I mean,
he just went the number?
Speaker 3 (39:59):
What eight?
Speaker 4 (39:59):
Is it scoring? I mean he's one of them, only
eight guys to hit thirty thousand points. And yeah, to
just say he's a score is not enough. It's just
not enough.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Stug Gottlieb show Here on Fox Sports Radio, Mark Stein
joins us, and uh, if you if you want to
read about the NBA, just he's a longtime NBA reporter
and insider. He publishes a substack called the Steinline. Check
it out. It's phenomenal. Okay, when did you know about
the Luca deal?
Speaker 4 (40:30):
Same time as everybody?
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Wise?
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Is it possible, like you're mister Maverick.
Speaker 4 (40:35):
Because well, what I would tell you is, these are
not the same Dallas Mavericks as they once were. There's
been a lot of change, and you know they really
did keep it. I mean, you know that Lebron James
and Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic didn't know either, right.
If Luka Doncic doesn't know, I'm not going to know.
I mean, you know, Luka Doncic did not know he
(40:57):
was getting traded until, you know, twenty odd minutes before
it came out. They you know, this was Nico Harrison's show,
and Nico Harrison and Rob Palinka and the respective owners.
I mean, that's as far as the circle got until
the night of the trade. And I know nobody wants
(41:18):
to believe that, because when anything of note happens anymore,
everybody wants to launch into seventeen conspiracy theories about this
is what really happens. But I mean, look, I'm reporting
on this every day. I'm learning new things every day.
I'm going to keep reporting on it every day, and
who knows, in two weeks, in a month, in six months,
maybe I'll have new information that I didn't have and
(41:41):
I'll come back on and tell you, you know, I was wrong.
I didn't know this. I didn't know that. But based
on everything that I have been told and that I
have been able to confirm in the eleven twelve days
since this happened, is it was kept that closely in
that small of a circle. Again, Luka Doncic, the principles
in this trade did not know until shortly before the
(42:04):
news broke.
Speaker 1 (42:06):
So what about the calls to Milwaukee and Minnesota? Are
those accurately?
Speaker 4 (42:12):
Those have been look those have been reported by other reporters.
I have not independently confirmed those, and I cannot tell you.
I cannot say that I know for sure that they
happened based on everything I've been told about this. The
Lakers were here on January seventh. I saw the Lakers.
(42:33):
I saw Rob Blinka hours after the first meeting between
he and Nico Harrison to start talking about this trade.
And obviously nobody knew that night except the two of them.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
You know.
Speaker 4 (42:46):
So to me knowing what I do know now is
and I think this is coming. You know, Rich Paul
has said it. I've reported extensively on it. I've written
three long stories about this trade already, and like I said,
I'm gonna keep reporting and writing Nico Harrison has wanted
Ad in Dallas pretty much since he got to Dallas,
(43:06):
and so knowing that Ad was such a prime target
to me, like the Milwaukee and Minnesota talk', that's where
it doesn't add up because it's not just that. I mean,
he wanted to negotiate with the Lakers and negotiate with
Rob Palinka because of their relationship. That was one place
(43:27):
he was sure that it would stay quiet, But it
was also hugely driven by the fact that Ad is
the centerpiece he wanted back in a Luca Dontis trade.
So the hard part for me to believe on the
Milwaukee and Minnesota stuff is if they contacted those teams,
how did that not leak sooner? Because that's where you
(43:48):
would have leaks. If the Dallas Mavericks are contract contacting
team A, team B, Team C. That's how stuff gets
around once you start contacting more teams. But again, you
know those are not my reports, and you know, if
I can independently confirm them, I will say that I've
heard the same, But to this point I haven't.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
I do think, and obviously Nico Harrison probably agrees with
me that of all the things that have gone undervalued.
It's Anthony Davis is an unbelievable player. Like he's not Luca,
but he's a dominant player. The downside to Anthony Davis
is he's somebody who all many of the criticisms of
(44:35):
Luca in terms of taking care of his body and
always being injured. You could say about Anthony Davis up
until the last year and a half or so, and
then oh yeah, by the way, now he's hurt already.
Speaker 4 (44:47):
That's one of the elements that has made this thing
so wild because I was there Saturday when they played Houston,
and I'm telling you, and you know, I've been in
Dallas nearly thirty years now. I've watched a lot of
Mavericks basketball. He was a two way menace in that
first half against Houston, the likes of which the Mavericks
have never seen. I mean, he, especially in the first quarter,
(45:10):
I think is the best I have ever seen in play.
I mean he literally touched every inch of the floor
and did every single thing that a basketball player can
do on the court. I mean, stop blocking, skying above
the rim for rebounds, all handling, three pointer, dirt, one
legged fade away. There is nothing in basketball that Anthony
(45:32):
Davis did not do in the first half. I mean,
he has it all when he's at his peak, he
literally has it all. But like you said, I mean,
he showed up with his own injury history, and to
immediately sustain an injury was just I mean, I feel
for him because he didn't make this trade. He had
nothing to do with instigating this trade. He's come to Dallas,
(45:54):
he's tried to say all the right things and played
spectacularly in his debut, and to suffer an injury set
back like he already has and we still don't even
know the severity of it, it's a it's a very
rough situation for him.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
Stug Gottlip Show here on Fox Sports Radio. That's the
voice of Mark Stein. Okay, So I've heard people say
even if the Mavericks win NBA Championship, it still won't
be enough, Like what do we do? Come on? Like
how long that? Look?
Speaker 4 (46:27):
I don't I don't fully buy that. Like obviously, if
this team went on a playoff run, I mean, you
know how a city gets behind a team making a
playoff run. And I find it hard to believe that
bav fans, especially after everything they they've been through wouldn't
go nuts for a team that was making that kind
of run. But look, for some, I'm living here, I'm
(46:50):
telling you I genuinely believe that for some because again,
we also have to factor in the Luca side of
the equation. So the Mavericks the Mavericks, it's not just Luca,
it's not just winning a championship without Luca. Luca would
have to fail to get the Mavericks off the hook
because you assume he's gonna go to LA and win
multiple championships. The Lakers have a new ten year runway
(47:16):
that they did not have two weeks ago today, like
they the Lakers have a future that they couldn't have
dreamed of two weeks ago today because of this guy.
And you know I have watched him obviously from very
close range. You can level any criticism you want about
his fitness, his diet, his conditioning, his compartment with referees,
(47:39):
whatever you want. I do not care, and I personally
do not want to hear it. At his worst, unfittest, angriest,
whatever you want to say. Luka Doncic never wakes up
as anything worse than the third best player in the world,
and at twenty five years old, when he didn't want
(47:59):
to train, when he didn't want to be here. You
cannot trade that player. And the Lakers know how lucky
they are, but they are. They are pinching themselves every
hour of every day because again, for whatever flaws you
want to lift you, you put up with all of
them for a talent like he is. You know, he's
(48:23):
a beyond special talent.
Speaker 1 (48:26):
Stany are the best man. Love your work on substack again.
Long time NBA reporter and insider Mark Steiney publish is
a substack. It's called the Steinline. I encourage you to
UH to read it, download it, and uh and share
it with your friends. Stanny, thanks so much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (48:41):
Thanks Coach, Talk to
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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