July 5, 2025 • 41 mins
In Hour 4 of The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon, Arnie Spanier and Aaron Torres continue to fill in on this special Independence Day edition. The guys open the hour by discussing how LeBron James continues to dominate the spotlight, making it difficult for the NBA’s rising young stars to get the recognition they deserve. Then, they turn their attention to NBA Summer League and share their expectations for No. 31 overall draft pick, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg. Plus, the guys reflect on Yankees legend Lou Gehrig’s iconic Fourth of July speech. All that and more in Hour 4 of The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmen podcast. Be sure to catch us
live every weeknight from ten pm to two am Eastern
seven to eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find
your local station for The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every night on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
This is the best of the Jason Smith Show with
Mike Harmon on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Oh that is us, That is us. Good evening, everybody.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Aaron Torres, Arnie Span, You're in for the guys tonight
Jason Smith and his best friend Mike Harmon right here
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
The bonus hour of the show.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
You want to be part of the show, real simple,
Aaron underscore Torres at Twitter.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
I'm its Thinking Genius one.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Like Corey said, maybe Torres can sove an age old riddle?
Why does Thinking Genius refer to our four as the
bonus hour when Jason and Mike always do a four
hour show. Well, I don't do a four hour show.
I do a three hour show. So my fourth hour
is the bonus hour?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
What do they call it?
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Man?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
What are they just well fourth hour?
Speaker 5 (01:17):
They all seused to be a three hour show too.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Oh I didn't know that.
Speaker 6 (01:21):
Yeah, back, wow, look at that back when I started
now eight years ago in a day. Because it's on
the East coast, it's uh, I guess it's July fifth, but.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yes, today was Aaron Torres's anniversary at Fox Sports Radio. HM,
so congratulations to you. I didn't think you'd make it
this long to be Do.
Speaker 6 (01:39):
You want to talk Gordon Hayward signing with the Celtics?
That was the big topic July fourth, twenty eighteen, I mean,
are twenty seventeen. I remember I was like nervous all day,
like what are we gonna to And you know, Mike,
Mike Harmon did a great job of just sending over
you know, hey, these are the eight nine stories that
we might talk about, and it's like I got pages
of notes.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
Like oh, this like quirky Wimbledon story.
Speaker 6 (02:03):
Of whatever, and I'm like, oh, you know, you know,
first that first show, you know you're over prepared, and
then probably like an hour before he went on air,
Gordon Hayward signed with the Celtics, and uh kind of
blew up the rundown. But it gave us something to
talk about, and uh, it's been smooth sale ever since then.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Which co host that you've worked with has taught you
the most?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Has really?
Speaker 4 (02:23):
You know, said, Wow, this guy is fantastic. I could
learn from him. Probably somebody that went to University of Arizona.
I'm guessing that lives in Vermont.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
But you you could.
Speaker 6 (02:33):
You said about him, you said, the coast that's taught
me the least.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Yeah, Oh wow, Wow, you're so mean. I try to
be so nice to you, and this is what I got.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Mean Mike. Even Mary says you're so mean to me.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
Mike caught me fat on air two days No, I.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Just said you.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
I just said, it looks like you're a little bloated,
and it looks like you've been eating salt sandwiches.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
Yes, that was the exact quote for paid him.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
You ever had a salt sandwich? I'm sure you have.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
No, I don't think I've ever had a just a
salt sandwich.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
No, that doesn't that's not on your menu.
Speaker 6 (03:09):
No, I'm trying to eat healthier. I'm about to be forty,
so I gotta.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Get out of here.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
How did you get so old?
Speaker 5 (03:14):
I know that's how it works. This is also the
youngest that I'll ever be right now, I gotta take advantage.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
All right, we got a lot to get to.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Like I said, we did start off by talking about
the Nathan's Hot Dog.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I think people are kind of burnt out about it.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
I thought people be excited this year. Joey just up
returning from a two year hiatus. I thought like, oh yeah,
it was great to see Joey and he wanted and
blew away the competition. I think people are getting a
little burnt out about this and something has to be done,
something new.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Maybe they'll put Steven A. Smith on the broadcast.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, something has got to be newer. Is this the
best it's going to be?
Speaker 1 (03:51):
In?
Speaker 3 (03:52):
We'll just do it every year? What do you think erin? Yeah?
Speaker 6 (03:56):
I mean personally, and I know I'm not supposed to
say this, but the event just doesn't do anything for
me because I find it disgusting. But I mean, you know,
it's what we talked about last hour is it's almost
like the you know, the old Yukon women's basketball that
was the thing, Like, is Yukon bad for women's basketball
(04:16):
because they went too much? And I will say it
just it does feel like, you know, Joey Chestnut has
kind of taken the suspense out of the hot dog
eating contest. So, like I said last hour, I said,
I don't know if it's a Tyreek Hill. We got
to have them, uh, you know, eat against an animal
or what we have to do. You know, Tyreek Hill.
(04:37):
Obviously once upon a time raced to Cheetah. I don't
know if we have to do something like that, but uh, there's.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
People that race the horse too, a race horse really yeah,
wide receipt. I can't remember who it is off it No, No,
many years, yeah, yeah, many many many moons ago.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I cant way.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
I haven't even asked you. Did you have a good
July fourth? Did you do anything? I don't mean to
cut cut into the conversation.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
No, No, mine was good. Do a whole heck of
a lot. You know, family is in town. But uh,
just kind of chilled. I ate two hot dogs after
the hot dog get he comes rrect. Thought you were tired. Yes,
I'm like I can down two of them. That's not
a problem.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
It's like you know when you I don't know, I
can't think of a good analogy.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Yeah, a little spicy mustard a little sour kraut. Yeah,
relish on that. So there you go. Okay, finish that
thing off, all right. I want to get to Lebron
and the Lakers, my friend. Do let me ask you
this before we get to Lebron's coming back and all that.
What did you make of him in the Cavalier facility?
I know he says he works out there every summer.
And what do you think about the hat? What do
(05:39):
you want to play golf? That said welcome home? Was
he trying to send the message or is he just
playing games on social media?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
What do you think is going on?
Speaker 6 (05:48):
Listen, everything Lebron does is tactical and by design. Yes,
I agree, yes, and so I don't think any of
this is by accident. By the way, I was filling
in for Plank last week and we talked about the
the quote unquote leaked Instagram video from dinner where he said, Oh, Savannah,
who's his wife, wants me to retire after this year.
(06:09):
It's like, right, Oh, someone just so happened to be
recording at that exact moment and posted it and no
one realized it. Okay, cool, Lebron whatever. So yeah, no,
I mean Listen. I don't think it's by accident. I
do think he wants to go to Cleveland. Listen, he
has always gone to It's it's amazing to me because
(06:31):
he's always blown up every situation that he's had. You know,
he puts so much pressure on whatever organization he's in
to win, win, win, win win, and then you get
to a point where they've they've given up all their
draft capital, all their young assets, all their this, all
there that, and all of a sudden he looks up
and he can't win. And so listen, I think Cleveland
(06:53):
right now is probably closer to an NBA finals, especially
given the fact that they're in this East, which is
kind of a mess right now with all the injuries.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
So I don't know. I don't think it's accidental.
Speaker 6 (07:06):
I maybe he's worked out at the Cleveland facility every offseason.
He's never posted about it when he's been on the
Lakers until this.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Oh, I had no idea he worked out that the
facility every summer.
Speaker 6 (07:17):
What I think is the more interesting question is would
Cleveland actually want him, because again, you know, you just
don't know what they would have to give up. I mean,
I've seen some Jared Allen stuff. I've seen some Darius
Garland stuff, but you know you're gonna have to give
up a lot for a forty one year old Lebron.
I just I think this is what I would say,
(07:38):
is this. I think this is the first time in
his life. I don't think he's really wanted in a
lot of places, which is kind of crazy to think about.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
No, do you think I was gonna say, do you
think waker fans if you took a poll, what percentage
would want him back?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
What percentage would want him gone?
Speaker 6 (07:56):
I think the percentage that would not want him back
is signific figantly bigger than I think the average fan
would realize, like, oh wow.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
I think it's like seventy five to eighty percent. Because
here's the other thing too.
Speaker 6 (08:06):
You got to remember they have Luca now right, Like
it'd be one thing if you still you know, if
you had Anthony Davis, he's on the other side of thirty.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
He can't stay healthy.
Speaker 6 (08:15):
You have a twenty five year old just now entering
his prime right in Luka Doncic, and so I think
everybody's just ready to build around him and be as
it may. And I think the other thing too, and
it goes back to what we talked about earlier. But
you know, Lebron signs that or I guess you would
say he agreed, he opted into the contract, and he
(08:38):
immediately is like, well, you know, I want to build
a championship team. And it's like, Lebron, we're not trading
future draft picks to get some dude that you want
it Like this ain't five years ago, man, Like this
ain't what it was, and.
Speaker 5 (08:54):
Yeah it is now.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
The Lakers had fifty wins last year, but so did
Denver and the Clippers, min Soda and the Warriors had
forty eight, as well as Memphis. So even though the
Lakers were the three seed, they could have easily been
the eight seed. They were always separated by two games.
My question is this Lakers won fifty games. Tough question
because the Lakers are gonna trade. If they trade Lebron,
(09:16):
they're gonna get obviously something in return. How many games
do the Lakers win without Lebron on the team for
next year? They won fifty this year, how many do
they win next year with no Lebron?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
And let's say one piece to the puzzle.
Speaker 6 (09:30):
Do you think do you think they would take assuming
Lucas relatively healthy, do you think they would take a
significant step back?
Speaker 4 (09:38):
I mean you mean like five hundred Is that what
you're saying?
Speaker 6 (09:41):
Like, I still think they're a playoff team with a
core led by Luca, don't you.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yes, absolutely, absolutely not.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
I don't know if they win fifty games, but I
have to see what piece they get back in a
Lebron trade. Probably nothing great or anything like that.
Speaker 6 (09:54):
You know the other thing I was gonna say, and
I wanted to bring this up to you. I might
be the minority. You might think I'm crazy for saying this.
I think the league kind of needs Lebron to move on.
Like I was watching the playoffs this year. Obviously the
Lakers get eliminated early. And I know when we were
just talking about Joey Chestnutt doesn't really have a personality,
and I understand Shaye doesn't have a personality, and Jalen
(10:15):
Bronson really doesn't say much. But it just feels like
there are a lot of great young stars in this
sport and they are just completely overshadowed by Lebron when
Lebron does listen to us. Right now, we're talking about
Lebron wearing a hat Lebron working out And by the way,
I'm not saying that you picked the wrong topics or
we picked the wrong that's the right thing to talk about.
(10:37):
Lebron is still the biggest story. But it's like, I
don't think you can win a championship if he's your
best player. He sucks the oxygen out of the room.
And it's hard. It's it's hard to like highlight these
new young stars when you still have this guy around. Like,
you know, J Martin and I talk about it all
the time, but I go back to this past year.
(10:59):
How many times were the Lakers on national TV? And yes,
I'm sure part of it was because of Lebron, but
it's like, or because they're the Lakers, excuse me not,
and it had nothing to do with them having a
Lebron But it's like, you know, J mar and I
were on the Saturday between the AFC NFC Championship game
and the Super Bowl, and that was the first Saturday
(11:20):
without football forever, first weekend.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Without football forever.
Speaker 6 (11:24):
Okay, And I only bring it up because the game
they had on TV was Lakers Warriors, and it's like,
at some point this league has to get off of
Steph and Lebron right right, right, And I just I
don't know. I know I'm rambling, but I think the
NBA would be in a better because I just think
there's a lot of negativity around him. I know I'm
going a long Let me ask you this.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
When he does or if he does leave the Lakers,
do they retire number twenty three?
Speaker 6 (11:52):
We talked about this earlier. I thought it was a
great topic about the statue. Listen, it feels like I'm
being a hater. I don't think they should. We talked.
By the way, somebody brought up a great point in
the comments, which is, think about the fact that we
talked about and were right about Lebron is not a
(12:12):
top five all time Laker, but he's a top five
all time NBA player.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
Isn't that kind of funny?
Speaker 4 (12:18):
Right? It's crazy. That's why I said, did they retire
his number? Or do they put a banner in for him?
Do they have a statue for him?
Speaker 5 (12:26):
I was gonna ask you do you think he should
get a statue? I shared my thoughts.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Do you think he should not get a statue? As
you mentioned earlier, is not one of the top five
all time Lakers of all time, So forget about that.
Maybe they retire his number. I don't think i'd get
too upset with that. I mean, like I said, he's
one of the top two best players in the history
of the game.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
So maybe you show him a little respect.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
That way he did win you an NBA championship, or
you put a banner in the rafters for him, something
like that.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
What do you think?
Speaker 5 (12:55):
Yeah, I just, you know, hate to brag. I thought
I brought up a great point, though.
Speaker 6 (12:59):
I mean, you go through guys that have had impact
on this organization as Lakers. I mean not he's not
a top five all time Laker, but if you're talking
about actual impact, like we were talking about earlier, Robert
or has had more impactful moments that led to championships
than Lebron did. Derek Fisher did you know? James Worthy did,
(13:24):
Byron Scott did. And you know, I'm not being sarcastic
when I say this, you know more about the eighties
Lakers than I do. Was a little bit before my time,
but I watched the early and mid two thousands. Paw
Gasol had more of an impact like and I think
you could actually say like as an actual Laker like
I think there's no doubt you could argue Pawgosol had
a more impactful career.
Speaker 5 (13:43):
So I don't know what they will do. Probably they
they wont I.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Think he's gone.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
I don't think he's gonna play for the Lakers this year.
I think they'll get rid of him before the year starts.
But when Cleveland, I think he'll be gone.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
I don't know, man, I just I don't. If you're Cleveland,
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
I don't think he's wanted in Los Angeles anymore. I
think the Laker fans, as you mentioned, has turned on him.
I think if you took Au Pollard, be seventy thirty,
we want Lebron traded. And you're talking about the second
best player, maybe in the history of the game, maybe
the best player, if you think he's better than Michael Jordan.
There is a negative stereotype with him. I don't know
if it's because of stuff like we see in the
social media where he wears a hat that says welcome back,
(14:25):
or post pictures of him in Cleveland, and always, you know,
doing the little subtle digs like that. But there's a
reason why Laker fans want him gone. I really can't
quite put my finger on it. You know.
Speaker 5 (14:36):
Let me ask you a question.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
Do you think if the Calves come back as constituted,
so the team that they basically had, or the Calves
minus two or three key pieces?
Speaker 5 (14:47):
But with Lebron, let's just say.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Not give you two or three. I mean, don't take it.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
I mean you have to match salary though, that's the thing.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
But I brought this up earlier. You could pull shenatigans.
The new owners of the Lakers, the Walter Group, they
know how to pull Shenet against like they did with
the Dodgers. They can figure something out when it comes
to salary. They you can't just destroy a team and
decimate them for Lebron.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
You can't do that.
Speaker 6 (15:11):
By the way, one other last Laker slash Lebron question.
Does DeAndre Aen actually move the needle for you at all?
And let me just say this really quick, JMR and
I joke all the time about you know, this past
year with the Lakers, it was like they.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
Got Luca, they are the favorites.
Speaker 6 (15:27):
And it's like, h they don't really play defense and
they don't have a rim protector and their best player,
you know their two best players is an out of shape,
you know player in his prime and a forty year
old that is very much out of his prime.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
So like I have heard a lot of I have
heard a lot of.
Speaker 6 (15:45):
Aggressive DeAndre Ayton takes this week where it's like, oh yeah,
I mean, well, now look at him down and it's
like we all watch the same DeAndre Ayton right right
right kind of.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
If he stays, if he stays healthy, I believe he's
more of a plus to the hindrance. If he's th Jasky,
the Lakers are a desperate way to get a center.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Let's be honest, Yes, but he needed somebody like.
Speaker 5 (16:08):
That to your point earlier.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
If if the Lakers They're gonna obviously add some stuff.
But if this is the core of their team in
Lebron stays, are they significantly closer to Okay, see Denver,
whoever else you can? Like? Like, if they had DeAndre
Ayton last year, I still think they lose to the
Minnesota Timberwolves.
Speaker 5 (16:26):
In Round one.
Speaker 6 (16:27):
I'm not in five, but I think it would have
been in Round one. And I don't think this really
gets them any closer to Denver or Okay.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
So well, they can't get Yannis because you got to
make a trade to get jan It's not like Jannis
is a free agent. But if Lebron wasn't gonna be around,
I'd love to get Jannis on the Lakers, you know
what I mean? Sure, see if they could work that out.
And what's gonna happen to Dame Lollard? Where's he going
to end up? Is it gonna be Golden State?
Speaker 3 (16:52):
I mean, who knows? Is it Boston? What's he gonna do?
Speaker 6 (16:54):
I'm a little confused on this. So you're signing him,
and you're paying him, and you're letting him rehab on
your dime for a year from now basically, So basically
it's like you're signing him to get him for twenty
twenty six, twenty twenty sex.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
Yeah, but you don't have to give him any real
money because that's all coming from the Bucks from Milwaukee. Okay,
So you're getting him on like the bargain basement money
there is what you're doing.
Speaker 6 (17:21):
Yeah, I don't The Warriors does not make any sense
to me, small guard. He's already they're already old enough
that one would not make sense to me.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Who retires first, Steph Curry or Lebron.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Who's gonna recall it quits.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
First good question. I think Lebron. I mean, I think
Lebron's it won't be the same year.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
I promise you that that's not gonna What about.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Kad You think KD moves the needle anymore?
Speaker 3 (17:48):
No, I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Yeah, I think he's another guy, another guy to bring
in to try to win the championship. I'm not sure
that it's going to make a difference down there in Houston.
They're obviously better. I just don't think it's going to
have and he's just another guy chasing a ring, now,
you know.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Okay, So let me ask you this.
Speaker 6 (18:03):
Uh, the Houston Rockets were what the three seed this year?
Speaker 5 (18:07):
The two seats, two seed?
Speaker 3 (18:09):
They were the two seeds.
Speaker 6 (18:10):
Do you think like like Lakers with DeAndre a in
and no major changes, but they do bring back Lebron
or the Rockets with Kevin Durant, which.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
Probably the Rockets with Kevin Durant.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
I mean, they had a better record to begin with anyway,
but nobody's better than Oklahoma City. They're still the best
team in the conferences in the league.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
I mean, they did just win the championship, so can't
say that they're not.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
And the and the Eastern Conference is pretty much already done.
You just think it's uh, it's the Nicks in Cleveland.
That's it, I hope. So Indiana's done, they you know,
with the injury the hollow Burton. The Celtics are done
with their injury to Tatum. So there's nobody who left.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
It's Cleveland and the Knicks.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
Are We gonna talk about Mike Brown before the end
of the show.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
I gotta yeah, you know what, I want to come back.
We'll talk a little bit about that. We'll touch on
that a little bit. That's coming up next. Aaron Torres,
Arnady Span you're in for the guys, Jason Smith, his best,
Fred Mike Harmon right here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (19:15):
Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller.
Would mean a lot to have you join us on
our weekly auditory journey. You're asking, what in God's name
is the Fifth Hour? I'll tell you it's a spin
off of it. Ben Mather Show, a cult hit overnights
on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture If you Will?
A world will? We chat with captains of industry in media,
sports and more every week explore some amazing facts about
(19:38):
human nature and more. Listen to the Fifth Hour with
Ben Maller on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever
you get your podcast.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Good evening, everyone, Aeron Torres, Arnie Span, You're in for
the guy inside, Jason Smith AND's best Fred Mike Harmon.
By the way, Next week in Vegas, the Cooper Flag
debut in the Summer League. I know you like to
go to some of the NBA Summer Got there in Vegas?
You have any plans of going or what not?
Speaker 5 (20:03):
This year? To start? What starts his Friday?
Speaker 4 (20:05):
It starts, Yeah, no, it starts tomorrow. But they don't play. Yeah,
they don't play until the tenth I believe.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
Oh I think the Vegas one doesn't start till yeah,
probably the tenth. Yeah, they do, like the Utah one
or San Francisco or whatever.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
I saw, like Ace Bailey debuts in his hot seconds.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
So I'm dying to see Cooper Flag. I want to
see what he's gonna do. Any expectations or what.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
Yeah, I think he's gonna be really good, you know,
I think.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Oh, gee, wait to go out on the limb there,
really good.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
I think he'll be. I think he'll do. I think
he'll be a solid and now I think he'll be
really good.
Speaker 6 (20:39):
I just think that he's just so different than the
normal prospect because he's not a guy that just goes
out and gets forty.
Speaker 8 (20:46):
You know.
Speaker 6 (20:46):
It's like he again, is a great defender, he's a
great playmaker and so but I think that's the right
team for him. I mean, I think, you know, listen,
I still stand by. I'll just be real. I think
the lottery was rigged. But wow, independent of that, I
think that it is a good landing spot for him
because he's not a guy that just is going to
(21:07):
take over games offensively, and that's obviously not a place
where he'll have to do that.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
I expect him to average eighteen to twenty points a game.
I think he's going to be something like we have
never seen in a long long time. I hope, I
hope he can carry the team a little bit, but
I'm not sure it's going to help him down there,
we'll see how good they're gonna be.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
I expect the world from him.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
I mean, I think that this kid is going to
be great, and I'll be curious to see how many
points he's going to be able to put up in
how many shots he's going to be able to get
his first year, if he's going to, you know, take
it easy a little bit, you know, back off a
little bit until he feels the game or what's gonna happen.
But I just love this kid. I'm dying to see
(21:52):
him play. I can't wait till he plays in the
Summer League. I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
Now, I think, and I think it'll be fun when
you know, again, it's hard because the MAVs probably aren't
going to have their real roster at any point this
year with Kyrie Irving. But I will say, you know,
we were just talking about, you know, Katie with the Rockets.
If Lebron stays with the Lakers, like how many contenders
are there really and where do they all stack up.
It's like, again, I know Kyrie is not going to
(22:18):
be back this year realistically, at least not anytime early,
but like, if that team is healthy and again You're
asking Kyrie off a major injury, plus Anthony Davis to
stay healthy.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
That team is in the conversation.
Speaker 6 (22:31):
I mean Kyrie healthy, Anthony Davis healthy, Daniel Gafford, Cooper fly.
That's a really good team again on the rare instance
when all their parts are healthy.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
You asked me what I thought about Mike Brown being
the head coach of the New York Knicks.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Isn't it crazy?
Speaker 4 (22:46):
All that build up to, like what the Knicks are
going to do, and they want to get permission now
this team and this coach, and they get denied here.
I think they were denied five times, unbelievable by five
different teams out there. They finally hire a coach, they
get Mike Brown, and.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Then everything stops. It's like, okay, they got a coach now.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
I said, it's not really that big of a deal
because the Knicks were still the second favorite to go
to win the East without a coach.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Seriously, so how much.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
Of a differences are really going to make? I think
Mike Brown's going to be a good coach. I think
he'll do is just as good as a job as Thibodeau did.
Look no disrespect to Thibodeau and the back to back
fifty win seasons are tremendous. Should have been in the
NBA Finals this year. But I like Mike Brown nothing.
He won't move the needles or anything like that, you know,
(23:40):
even though he learned under Steve Kerr. Also, he's not
Steve Kerr or Phil Jackson.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
But I think he's gonna be good. I think it
was a good higher for the Knicks.
Speaker 6 (23:49):
Yeah, I mean it's not a bad like, it's not
a bad hire, but it's just I don't know, man.
I guess it's weird because we've I think you and
I talked about this last week. But like when they
fired Tips, I was cool with it because I assumed
that there was an obvious you know, that there was
a plan.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
We're gonna go get Mike Malone.
Speaker 6 (24:10):
I thought they were gonna go get Dan Hurley to
be perfectly honest, or you know whoever, Jay Wright, and
I guess my only issue is that there was clearly
no plan.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
But I also don't think that Mike Brown.
Speaker 6 (24:21):
I do think there's like a little bit of revisionist
history on Mike Brown is. Like I think maybe it's
because there's so many Knicks fans and they want it
to work. But people, you know, oh, Mike Brown did
Mike Brown made the finals. Mike Brown made the finals?
What at this point eighteen years ago? Like, come on,
it was two thousand and seven, that's eighteen years ago. Like,
(24:42):
can we chill out with Mike Brown made the finals. Oh,
he's got to this much win percentage, just like yeah,
it's because he coached Lebron for four years when they
were winning fifty to sixty games every year. It's you know,
it's just it's just frustrating.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
You brought you brought up Danny Hurley's name. Sure, do
you think Danny Hurley would have taken the job had
he known it was going to be Luka on the team,
that Lebron was going to be his way forced out
and that was going to be new owners.
Speaker 6 (25:08):
So my personal opinion, and I truly believe this, is
that Dan Hurley was never taking the job.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
I've said it from.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
The Jason was a money grave thing for him.
Speaker 6 (25:18):
No, it was, it was twofold. It was a money
grab for him. His deal wasn't getting done the way
that he wanted. And I believe and this goes back
to the Lebron stuff with the Lakers. I think the
Lakers were getting real pushback that they were very clearly
going to give the job to JJ Redick, And I
go back to that moment in time, people could say,
what are you talking about, and it's like, you got
(25:38):
to remember the Lakers were about to draft Bronni, Lebron's son.
They fired Darvin Ham after the opening round of the playoffs.
JJ Redick was asked about the job before the NBA Finals.
He said, I'll address my future after the finals. Well,
if you don't already have the job, there's nothing to address.
And so I think the Lakers were getting real push
(26:00):
they were getting real negative pushback of like, so you
fired this guy two months ago, you clearly are just
gonna hire Lebron's buddy was zero experience, and so I
think it was a scenario where both parties benefited by
going through the interview process. But I don't I don't
believe that he was ever seriously a candidate, and because
(26:22):
of it, I I don't I don't think he was
ever taking the job. But I don't think he was
ever taking the job because I don't think he was
ever a serious candidate.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
It's too bapis I think he'd given real consideration now
he should.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
How do you know it was going to be Luca
and no Lebron out there?
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Right?
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (26:35):
I mean listen, you know, I listen. I love Dan Hurley.
I'm a Yukon guy. If you have a chance to
coach Luca in his prime, if you have aspirations to
coach in the NBA, it's harder to find a scenario
better than taking Luca in the heart of his prime.
Speaker 5 (26:53):
But I mean that happened.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
No, it didn't happen, But I thought it was gonna
be close. I I gave it a little bit more
credence than you did, to be honest.
Speaker 6 (26:59):
Well, the other thing too, and again, you know Hurley
always talks about, you know, we recruit family, you know,
kind of like what Derek Shelby was saying, we recruit
families with this, with that, And it's like, so you're
gonna come to LA to deal with Lebron and Bronny
and I. And that's the other thing is like, I
I don't think the job remember this was pre Luca, obviously,
I don't think the job was that desirable. For that reason,
(27:21):
you have a forty one, forty years you know, soon
to be forty year old Lebron at the time. Right,
you have to draft his son, you have to coach
his son as if he's a real NBA player, even
though none of we all know.
Speaker 5 (27:32):
That he isn't. And I that's why I think it
was always gonna be Reddick. Yah.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
I think it was done once. Is Redick in trouble
with the new owners. Now with new owners, they're I mean,
you're paying a lot of money for the team. You're
gonna want to hire the coach that you want.
Speaker 5 (27:45):
And he was handpicked by Lebron.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
So it's like if, if, what, Whether you're right that
Lebron isn't there by the end of the by the
start of the season or not, we'll find out. But
he's Lebron's guy, there's no And here's the other thing.
Don't forget he threw Luca under the bus after the
season ended. Remember that, Oh, we need to get in
championship shape.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (28:06):
Wow, So it had nothing to do with you playing
the starters the entire second half. It had nothing to
do with you not playing Jackson Hayes Like, it's just like,
I think that's an interesting byproduct of that whole situation
with the Lakers is if Lebron were to leave, JJ
was his guy. I don't think he's Mark Walter's guy
to your pointer, whoever's going to be in charge going forward?
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Oh, I agree with your one hundred percent. Aaron Torres,
Orny Spaniard. We're in for the guys tonight. Let's get
a final check of what's happening out there. We check
it with Steve the saga one final time.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
What's going on? The saga?
Speaker 5 (28:39):
Hello again?
Speaker 9 (28:40):
And you guys are correct that the NBA Vegas Summer
League doesn't start till next week. WNBA was off tonight.
Caitlin Clark will miss a fifth straight game Saturday with
the groin, Andrew with.
Speaker 5 (28:50):
By the WNBA, by the way, not playing.
Speaker 6 (28:52):
I mean, I feel like I said this earlier, like
why was there no National TV baseball game today? Like
Dodgers Astro should have been on national TV. But then also, WNBA,
it's not MLB network.
Speaker 9 (29:04):
You're talking about something that people.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Have Fox, ESPN. Yeah, exactly so, and it's the same
with the WNBA. Everybody's at home. You know, I was
looking for something to watch before I came in in
studio here.
Speaker 5 (29:14):
So whatever, I.
Speaker 9 (29:15):
Agree to all that in the day I become mission commissioner.
Not only everybody's playing every holiday Memorial Day, July fourth,
but absolutely there's wall to wall TV baseball.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
You know what everybody's watching now is the Savannah Bananas.
Speaker 9 (29:28):
That's correct, they'll be on again this weekend.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Did they saw at football stadiums like eighty thousand football?
Speaker 3 (29:34):
They saw that?
Speaker 9 (29:35):
Well, the Clemson Stateium when they're there at Angel Stadium
served for baseball.
Speaker 6 (29:39):
Back to your point on MLB, because I heard this
day it's like, well, everyone's outside for the holiday. It's like,
first of all, people are home by ten pm. But
now like this is gonna sound like first world situation,
but it's like TV's are so cheap. I know a
lot of people that have TVs on their deck, TVs
on their patio, Like I was obviously not hosting for
(29:59):
Fourth of July.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
But you're outside, even not tied to one room.
Speaker 6 (30:03):
A yeah, now you have a TV setup while everybody's
outside barbecue.
Speaker 9 (30:07):
And by the watch live games on the phone, which
of course great carrying around.
Speaker 6 (30:11):
Yeah, and I what you said wal to wall Baseball,
I said it earlier today on my my Twitter feed,
I was like NBA or NFL owns Thanksgiving. Christmas Day
obviously is now split between. But it's like college football.
Speaker 9 (30:27):
Already.
Speaker 6 (30:27):
Yeah, but July fourth America America's pastime.
Speaker 9 (30:31):
Baseball apple pie?
Speaker 5 (30:32):
Yes, why are they not games on Walt Wall when
you're commissioner, Steve to sing.
Speaker 9 (30:36):
And also the Sunday night baseball ratings have been quite good,
like the best in years this year.
Speaker 5 (30:41):
This would have been in just punting on that book.
Speaker 9 (30:44):
You know, theoretically they're getting back to talking that they
haven't actually said a follow goodbye because MLB hasn't signed
up anybody else to take over the games that ESPN.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
Nobody else wanted it exactly, not.
Speaker 5 (30:56):
At that price.
Speaker 9 (30:57):
They didn't back down because they thought, my goodness, why
are we paying this so much? When Roku is paying
for Sunday mornings this much or Apple on Friday nights
that much? And so ESPN you can't again, when I
would be a commissioner, you can't say no to a
widespread network like that for your sport. Because the NHL
disappeared in most parts of the country when they got
(31:20):
off that channel. Well, Wimbledon will continue for the weekend,
and Carlos Alcarez is still alive. He advanced to the
fourth round today, as did number five Taylor Fritz of
the US women's number one Arena Sablenca one. A reminder,
US men's soccer plays the Gold Cup Finals Sunday against
Mexico on Fox TV from Houston at the FIFA Club
World Cup Quarterfinals. Saturday's matchups include Paris and German against
(31:43):
Bayern Munich. Tonight in Philadelphia, Chelsea was a two to
one winner over Brazil's Palmierras on an own goal late,
and Fox has the Women's Euros Germany shut out Poland
too nothing today. This Championships tournament started Wednesday Saturday on
Fox TV at the Women's Euros England against France. To baseball,
Houston won eighteen to one in LA for the Dodgers
(32:04):
biggest blowout loss ever at Dodgers Stadium. But they just
left the pitchers that you've never heard under way in
there and therefore eighteen to one and relief. Noah Davis,
for example, allowed ten runs in the six. Kansas City's
Vinnie Pasquentino with two homer six RBIs in a nine
to three win at Arizona. A's beat the Giants eleven
to two in Sacramento. The loss to Justin Verlander o
(32:26):
and six Detroit st Cleveland to an eight straight loss
two to one. Baltimore won three to two at Atlanta
behind Charlie Morton. White Sox at Colorado all weekend. I'll pause,
Well you say I'm not going three to two? The
White Sox were winners tonight, losing pitcher Antonio Senzatela is
three and twelve. Yankees have lost five straight, beaten by
(32:47):
the Mets six five today, Cubs eleven three over Saint Louis.
Eight home runs for the Cubs at Wrigley today a
franchise record in fact, all told, in the majors, there
were forty eight home runs today, the second most on
any single July the fourth Wow. Two of those long
balls from Seattle's cal Rawley in a six nothing win
against Pittsburgh. Cal Rawley has thirty five home runs this season.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Back to you, all.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Right, thank you, Steve, Have a good night.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
My friend will see you tomorrow. You're gonna work tomorrow?
Speaker 1 (33:16):
What sir?
Speaker 5 (33:17):
All right?
Speaker 3 (33:17):
I knew I scheduled yourself. It sounds like you did.
Speaker 4 (33:20):
Yeah, I will see you tomorrow. Let's get to some Twitter.
This is what you said, Aaron Jason b diving rights,
Bob Manford and MLB could own July fourth, But why
would you want to do that when you could have
the dog diving? It was literally what was on and
the hot dog eating contest. Because I have the world problems,
I understand, but frustrating.
Speaker 6 (33:41):
So because somebody said they were like because somebody tweeted
at me, because I tweeted out like why is mlbnine?
Somebody is like, no one's in front of the TV
July fourth, And I'm like, I guarantee what and oh,
Baseball's on Nashable and I go, I guarantee whatever game
they put on would do it better rating than the
dog Olympics that were on.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
So they had Wimbledon on, where people watching Wimbledon at all?
Speaker 3 (34:04):
I think I'm decent.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
I just know. Seventh, I was sitting at home.
Speaker 6 (34:10):
I got home from what I was doing today seven
thirty eastern The Dog Dogs Jumping into Water was on
ESPN and ESPN two had some like documentary series about
Alabama football, and it's like, right, I knew they had.
Can we just can we get that Dodgers Astros game on.
And I'm not saying it because I live in LA,
but yeah, give us that.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
I mean, not even one game. You thought they'd have
at least one game. They everything was on MLB or
Apple TV or something like that.
Speaker 6 (34:39):
Yeah, and that was the other people like, well it's MLB,
they have games on MLBtv.
Speaker 5 (34:43):
Well guess what. I don't have MLBtv. So does mean
no good?
Speaker 3 (34:47):
You don't have MLB TV.
Speaker 6 (34:48):
You know, I cut back the cable package for the summer.
I regret it. I'll get well, you know, once we
get a get closer to football, when I need red zone,
I'll ramp back up.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
So, yeah, you gotta every day you have to have
red zone.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
It's impossible.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
Yeah, you can't watch football without the red zone.
Speaker 5 (35:03):
There's no king else. Crazy huh.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
All right, we'll come back. We'll wrap things up.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
One final segment to go before we took it over
to Chris Plank. That's coming up next right here on
Fox Sports or Radio.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Everybody Hates Me?
Speaker 4 (35:22):
Tarees Why everybody's Plank's mad at me because I was
texting him earlier today, going, hey, did you hear our interview?
You better use a cut or two. He goes, I'm
taking a nap and I just kept and I just
kept I just kept tweeting him, and he goes, oh,
I could see you disregarded my part of I'm taking
(35:42):
a nap and I just kept tweeting him. So he's
and Mary's mad at me. Mary, Yeah, because I complimented
her or something.
Speaker 5 (35:51):
He's a damn line. He's lying really bad.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
I just said, I go, you're going to club Bounce afterwards?
Speaker 3 (36:00):
Never in my life. Yeah, because cub Bounce.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
I just asked her if she was going, and she's
got all that club it's for plus size women.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
But I didn't mean she was plus size. I meant
something else.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
Oh, I could agree there.
Speaker 5 (36:19):
It is Mary Mackett, if it makes you feel better.
Speaker 6 (36:22):
Literally last episode, he's like, yeah, Tours, you've really put
on some weight since the that since I started working
with you.
Speaker 5 (36:29):
Like, if I put on weight.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
What are you?
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Dude?
Speaker 4 (36:31):
I look good?
Speaker 3 (36:32):
I look good.
Speaker 7 (36:33):
I I It took everything in me to restrain myself
from asking him out you.
Speaker 5 (36:38):
Should have cursed him out.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
I was being nice, barely, barely. This This is the
best I can do, all right. I want to get
to a couple of things before we do get out
of here. Uh sixty sixty eight? Try eighty six years ago?
Speaker 5 (36:50):
Yeah, eighty six years ago, wa wasting radio?
Speaker 4 (36:52):
When I was hosting radio July fourth, Right, July fourth,
nineteen thirty nine, one of the most famous speeches in
all of Major League Baseball was on that date.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Here it is right now, by Lou Garrick.
Speaker 8 (37:08):
For the past two weeks, you've been reading about a
bad break today. I consider myself the luckiest man on
the face of the earth. That i might have been
(37:28):
given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot
to live for, thank you.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
How many still resonates to this day?
Speaker 3 (37:37):
Does it matter what aeron?
Speaker 5 (37:38):
Absolutely? How many years ago do you say?
Speaker 4 (37:40):
It was eighty six years ago today and we.
Speaker 5 (37:42):
Still haven't found a cure for lu Gerrig's disease?
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Kind of se Nope, nope, we have not.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Eighty six years ago, July fourth, nineteen thirty nine, and
he never did play again after that after that speech.
Speaker 5 (37:53):
Now died shortly thereafter. I believe right.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Right, right, So sad. I'm very sad.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
So I just figure had to play that because it
was on this day, so many, so many.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
Years ago, years old. Wow.
Speaker 4 (38:07):
Usually we don't talk about the ninth best player in
the w NBA or just be the ninth best player
in her position. What did you think of that when
you saw Caitlyn Clark and I heard people trying to
make excuses, Well, they only did the top four and
after the top four, blah blah blah.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
The whole thing is ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (38:28):
I still can't believe the hatred and the vitriol toward
Caate and Clark. It's it's mind boggling, to be honest
with you.
Speaker 6 (38:39):
It is what I find interesting. We talked about it
with Dan Byer yesterday. Sophie Cunningham just by literally being
nice to Caitlin Clark is now the second most popular player.
Speaker 8 (38:49):
I know.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
That's awesome. I love that.
Speaker 6 (38:52):
It's like all it took was somebody just being like, oh,
she's kind of cool, I'm gonna have her back, like
and you know, like I'm not trying to do like
the guy girl thing.
Speaker 5 (39:00):
But you know, we all know, like you know, Michael.
Speaker 6 (39:03):
Jordan had Charles Oakley, and you know Steph has Draymond
and it's like no one, like literally, no one stood
up for her for eighteen months, not a coach, not
a teammate, not the league.
Speaker 5 (39:19):
It's a disaster. By the way, did you see Kaylyn
Clark call out the commissioner the other night by name?
Did you see that?
Speaker 4 (39:24):
No?
Speaker 3 (39:24):
I did not see that.
Speaker 5 (39:25):
So I'll try to make this as quick as I
can't go.
Speaker 6 (39:28):
They have something called like the WNBA Cup or the
Commissioner's Cup or something like that. It's like the n
season tournament for them. Indiana won it.
Speaker 5 (39:35):
They were doing a live stream from the locker room afterward,
and apparently they make more money somehow from winning this
event than they do their whole salary combined or something.
And Kayln Clark was just like, how do we make
more money from this than the whole season?
Speaker 6 (39:52):
And she literally goes Kathy. The commissioner's name is Kathy Engelberg. Kathy,
can you help us out or Kathy do something? And
I was like, I think Kayler Clark just called out
the commissioner. Like I think Kayler Clark is bigger than
the commissioner. I think she's she's trying to get the
commissioner booted.
Speaker 4 (40:08):
But that's I'm a little sick and tired of the
whole Can we get more money?
Speaker 5 (40:13):
All right?
Speaker 4 (40:13):
For a league that's lost millions over the last twenty
five years.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Enough is enough?
Speaker 5 (40:18):
Oh and you know what else?
Speaker 6 (40:19):
We don't need another meme of uh Cooper flag salary
compared to the first pick.
Speaker 5 (40:26):
Yes, because one league makes money and one league doesn't.
That is why one makes all.
Speaker 4 (40:33):
We gotta wrap things up. I want to thank you
for show. First of all, great show, real quick. Thanks
to Mary doing a great job. Share our producer Ian
was in for the first half that people didn't think
I knew that. Thanks to the Sager. Thanks to Jason
and Mike for letting this fill in. Thanks to you
Torres always appreciated. Chris Plank coming up next. He'll probably
(40:55):
be a little cranky. That's next here on Fox Sports Radio.
Thanks for listening to the best of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmen podcast. Be sure to catch us
live every weeknight from ten pm to two am Eastern
seven to eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find
your local station for The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every night on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
This is the best of the Jason Smith Show with
Mike Harmon on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Oh that is us, That is us. Good evening, everybody.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Aaron Torres, Arnie Span, You're in for the guys tonight
Jason Smith and his best friend Mike Harmon right here
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
The bonus hour of the show.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
You want to be part of the show, real simple,
Aaron underscore Torres at Twitter.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
I'm its Thinking Genius one.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Like Corey said, maybe Torres can sove an age old riddle?
Why does Thinking Genius refer to our four as the
bonus hour when Jason and Mike always do a four
hour show. Well, I don't do a four hour show.
I do a three hour show. So my fourth hour
is the bonus hour?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
What do they call it?
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Man?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
What are they just well fourth hour?
Speaker 5 (01:17):
They all seused to be a three hour show too.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Oh I didn't know that.
Speaker 6 (01:21):
Yeah, back, wow, look at that back when I started
now eight years ago in a day. Because it's on
the East coast, it's uh, I guess it's July fifth, but.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yes, today was Aaron Torres's anniversary at Fox Sports Radio. HM,
so congratulations to you. I didn't think you'd make it
this long to be Do.
Speaker 6 (01:39):
You want to talk Gordon Hayward signing with the Celtics?
That was the big topic July fourth, twenty eighteen, I mean,
are twenty seventeen. I remember I was like nervous all day,
like what are we gonna to And you know, Mike,
Mike Harmon did a great job of just sending over
you know, hey, these are the eight nine stories that
we might talk about, and it's like I got pages
of notes.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
Like oh, this like quirky Wimbledon story.
Speaker 6 (02:03):
Of whatever, and I'm like, oh, you know, you know,
first that first show, you know you're over prepared, and
then probably like an hour before he went on air,
Gordon Hayward signed with the Celtics, and uh kind of
blew up the rundown. But it gave us something to
talk about, and uh, it's been smooth sale ever since then.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Which co host that you've worked with has taught you
the most?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Has really?
Speaker 4 (02:23):
You know, said, Wow, this guy is fantastic. I could
learn from him. Probably somebody that went to University of Arizona.
I'm guessing that lives in Vermont.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
But you you could.
Speaker 6 (02:33):
You said about him, you said, the coast that's taught
me the least.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Yeah, Oh wow, Wow, you're so mean. I try to
be so nice to you, and this is what I got.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Mean Mike. Even Mary says you're so mean to me.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
Mike caught me fat on air two days No, I.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Just said you.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
I just said, it looks like you're a little bloated,
and it looks like you've been eating salt sandwiches.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
Yes, that was the exact quote for paid him.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
You ever had a salt sandwich? I'm sure you have.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
No, I don't think I've ever had a just a
salt sandwich.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
No, that doesn't that's not on your menu.
Speaker 6 (03:09):
No, I'm trying to eat healthier. I'm about to be forty,
so I gotta.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Get out of here.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
How did you get so old?
Speaker 5 (03:14):
I know that's how it works. This is also the
youngest that I'll ever be right now, I gotta take advantage.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
All right, we got a lot to get to.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Like I said, we did start off by talking about
the Nathan's Hot Dog.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I think people are kind of burnt out about it.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
I thought people be excited this year. Joey just up
returning from a two year hiatus. I thought like, oh yeah,
it was great to see Joey and he wanted and
blew away the competition. I think people are getting a
little burnt out about this and something has to be done,
something new.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Maybe they'll put Steven A. Smith on the broadcast.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, something has got to be newer. Is this the
best it's going to be?
Speaker 1 (03:51):
In?
Speaker 3 (03:52):
We'll just do it every year? What do you think erin? Yeah?
Speaker 6 (03:56):
I mean personally, and I know I'm not supposed to
say this, but the event just doesn't do anything for
me because I find it disgusting. But I mean, you know,
it's what we talked about last hour is it's almost
like the you know, the old Yukon women's basketball that
was the thing, Like, is Yukon bad for women's basketball
(04:16):
because they went too much? And I will say it
just it does feel like, you know, Joey Chestnut has
kind of taken the suspense out of the hot dog
eating contest. So, like I said last hour, I said,
I don't know if it's a Tyreek Hill. We got
to have them, uh, you know, eat against an animal
or what we have to do. You know, Tyreek Hill.
(04:37):
Obviously once upon a time raced to Cheetah. I don't
know if we have to do something like that, but uh, there's.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
People that race the horse too, a race horse really yeah,
wide receipt. I can't remember who it is off it No, No,
many years, yeah, yeah, many many many moons ago.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I cant way.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
I haven't even asked you. Did you have a good
July fourth? Did you do anything? I don't mean to
cut cut into the conversation.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
No, No, mine was good. Do a whole heck of
a lot. You know, family is in town. But uh,
just kind of chilled. I ate two hot dogs after
the hot dog get he comes rrect. Thought you were tired. Yes,
I'm like I can down two of them. That's not
a problem.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
It's like you know when you I don't know, I
can't think of a good analogy.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Yeah, a little spicy mustard a little sour kraut. Yeah,
relish on that. So there you go. Okay, finish that
thing off, all right. I want to get to Lebron
and the Lakers, my friend. Do let me ask you
this before we get to Lebron's coming back and all that.
What did you make of him in the Cavalier facility?
I know he says he works out there every summer.
And what do you think about the hat? What do
(05:39):
you want to play golf? That said welcome home? Was
he trying to send the message or is he just
playing games on social media?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
What do you think is going on?
Speaker 6 (05:48):
Listen, everything Lebron does is tactical and by design. Yes,
I agree, yes, and so I don't think any of
this is by accident. By the way, I was filling
in for Plank last week and we talked about the
the quote unquote leaked Instagram video from dinner where he said, Oh, Savannah,
who's his wife, wants me to retire after this year.
(06:09):
It's like, right, Oh, someone just so happened to be
recording at that exact moment and posted it and no
one realized it. Okay, cool, Lebron whatever. So yeah, no,
I mean Listen. I don't think it's by accident. I
do think he wants to go to Cleveland. Listen, he
has always gone to It's it's amazing to me because
(06:31):
he's always blown up every situation that he's had. You know,
he puts so much pressure on whatever organization he's in
to win, win, win, win win, and then you get
to a point where they've they've given up all their
draft capital, all their young assets, all their this, all
there that, and all of a sudden he looks up
and he can't win. And so listen, I think Cleveland
(06:53):
right now is probably closer to an NBA finals, especially
given the fact that they're in this East, which is
kind of a mess right now with all the injuries.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
So I don't know. I don't think it's accidental.
Speaker 6 (07:06):
I maybe he's worked out at the Cleveland facility every offseason.
He's never posted about it when he's been on the
Lakers until this.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Oh, I had no idea he worked out that the
facility every summer.
Speaker 6 (07:17):
What I think is the more interesting question is would
Cleveland actually want him, because again, you know, you just
don't know what they would have to give up. I mean,
I've seen some Jared Allen stuff. I've seen some Darius
Garland stuff, but you know you're gonna have to give
up a lot for a forty one year old Lebron.
I just I think this is what I would say,
(07:38):
is this. I think this is the first time in
his life. I don't think he's really wanted in a
lot of places, which is kind of crazy to think about.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
No, do you think I was gonna say, do you
think waker fans if you took a poll, what percentage
would want him back?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
What percentage would want him gone?
Speaker 6 (07:56):
I think the percentage that would not want him back
is signific figantly bigger than I think the average fan
would realize, like, oh wow.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
I think it's like seventy five to eighty percent. Because
here's the other thing too.
Speaker 6 (08:06):
You got to remember they have Luca now right, Like
it'd be one thing if you still you know, if
you had Anthony Davis, he's on the other side of thirty.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
He can't stay healthy.
Speaker 6 (08:15):
You have a twenty five year old just now entering
his prime right in Luka Doncic, and so I think
everybody's just ready to build around him and be as
it may. And I think the other thing too, and
it goes back to what we talked about earlier. But
you know, Lebron signs that or I guess you would
say he agreed, he opted into the contract, and he
(08:38):
immediately is like, well, you know, I want to build
a championship team. And it's like, Lebron, we're not trading
future draft picks to get some dude that you want
it Like this ain't five years ago, man, Like this
ain't what it was, and.
Speaker 5 (08:54):
Yeah it is now.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
The Lakers had fifty wins last year, but so did
Denver and the Clippers, min Soda and the Warriors had
forty eight, as well as Memphis. So even though the
Lakers were the three seed, they could have easily been
the eight seed. They were always separated by two games.
My question is this Lakers won fifty games. Tough question
because the Lakers are gonna trade. If they trade Lebron,
(09:16):
they're gonna get obviously something in return. How many games
do the Lakers win without Lebron on the team for
next year? They won fifty this year, how many do
they win next year with no Lebron?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
And let's say one piece to the puzzle.
Speaker 6 (09:30):
Do you think do you think they would take assuming
Lucas relatively healthy, do you think they would take a
significant step back?
Speaker 4 (09:38):
I mean you mean like five hundred Is that what
you're saying?
Speaker 6 (09:41):
Like, I still think they're a playoff team with a
core led by Luca, don't you.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yes, absolutely, absolutely not.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
I don't know if they win fifty games, but I
have to see what piece they get back in a
Lebron trade. Probably nothing great or anything like that.
Speaker 6 (09:54):
You know the other thing I was gonna say, and
I wanted to bring this up to you. I might
be the minority. You might think I'm crazy for saying this.
I think the league kind of needs Lebron to move on.
Like I was watching the playoffs this year. Obviously the
Lakers get eliminated early. And I know when we were
just talking about Joey Chestnutt doesn't really have a personality,
and I understand Shaye doesn't have a personality, and Jalen
(10:15):
Bronson really doesn't say much. But it just feels like
there are a lot of great young stars in this
sport and they are just completely overshadowed by Lebron when
Lebron does listen to us. Right now, we're talking about
Lebron wearing a hat Lebron working out And by the way,
I'm not saying that you picked the wrong topics or
we picked the wrong that's the right thing to talk about.
(10:37):
Lebron is still the biggest story. But it's like, I
don't think you can win a championship if he's your
best player. He sucks the oxygen out of the room.
And it's hard. It's it's hard to like highlight these
new young stars when you still have this guy around. Like,
you know, J Martin and I talk about it all
the time, but I go back to this past year.
(10:59):
How many times were the Lakers on national TV? And yes,
I'm sure part of it was because of Lebron, but
it's like, or because they're the Lakers, excuse me not,
and it had nothing to do with them having a
Lebron But it's like, you know, J mar and I
were on the Saturday between the AFC NFC Championship game
and the Super Bowl, and that was the first Saturday
(11:20):
without football forever, first weekend.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Without football forever.
Speaker 6 (11:24):
Okay, And I only bring it up because the game
they had on TV was Lakers Warriors, and it's like,
at some point this league has to get off of
Steph and Lebron right right, right, And I just I
don't know. I know I'm rambling, but I think the
NBA would be in a better because I just think
there's a lot of negativity around him. I know I'm
going a long Let me ask you this.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
When he does or if he does leave the Lakers,
do they retire number twenty three?
Speaker 6 (11:52):
We talked about this earlier. I thought it was a
great topic about the statue. Listen, it feels like I'm
being a hater. I don't think they should. We talked.
By the way, somebody brought up a great point in
the comments, which is, think about the fact that we
talked about and were right about Lebron is not a
(12:12):
top five all time Laker, but he's a top five
all time NBA player.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
Isn't that kind of funny?
Speaker 4 (12:18):
Right? It's crazy. That's why I said, did they retire
his number? Or do they put a banner in for him?
Do they have a statue for him?
Speaker 5 (12:26):
I was gonna ask you do you think he should
get a statue? I shared my thoughts.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Do you think he should not get a statue? As
you mentioned earlier, is not one of the top five
all time Lakers of all time, So forget about that.
Maybe they retire his number. I don't think i'd get
too upset with that. I mean, like I said, he's
one of the top two best players in the history
of the game.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
So maybe you show him a little respect.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
That way he did win you an NBA championship, or
you put a banner in the rafters for him, something
like that.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
What do you think?
Speaker 5 (12:55):
Yeah, I just, you know, hate to brag. I thought
I brought up a great point, though.
Speaker 6 (12:59):
I mean, you go through guys that have had impact
on this organization as Lakers. I mean not he's not
a top five all time Laker, but if you're talking
about actual impact, like we were talking about earlier, Robert
or has had more impactful moments that led to championships
than Lebron did. Derek Fisher did you know? James Worthy did,
(13:24):
Byron Scott did. And you know, I'm not being sarcastic
when I say this, you know more about the eighties
Lakers than I do. Was a little bit before my time,
but I watched the early and mid two thousands. Paw
Gasol had more of an impact like and I think
you could actually say like as an actual Laker like
I think there's no doubt you could argue Pawgosol had
a more impactful career.
Speaker 5 (13:43):
So I don't know what they will do. Probably they
they wont I.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Think he's gone.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
I don't think he's gonna play for the Lakers this year.
I think they'll get rid of him before the year starts.
But when Cleveland, I think he'll be gone.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
I don't know, man, I just I don't. If you're Cleveland,
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
I don't think he's wanted in Los Angeles anymore. I
think the Laker fans, as you mentioned, has turned on him.
I think if you took Au Pollard, be seventy thirty,
we want Lebron traded. And you're talking about the second
best player, maybe in the history of the game, maybe
the best player, if you think he's better than Michael Jordan.
There is a negative stereotype with him. I don't know
if it's because of stuff like we see in the
social media where he wears a hat that says welcome back,
(14:25):
or post pictures of him in Cleveland, and always, you know,
doing the little subtle digs like that. But there's a
reason why Laker fans want him gone. I really can't
quite put my finger on it. You know.
Speaker 5 (14:36):
Let me ask you a question.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
Do you think if the Calves come back as constituted,
so the team that they basically had, or the Calves
minus two or three key pieces?
Speaker 5 (14:47):
But with Lebron, let's just say.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Not give you two or three. I mean, don't take it.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
I mean you have to match salary though, that's the thing.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
But I brought this up earlier. You could pull shenatigans.
The new owners of the Lakers, the Walter Group, they
know how to pull Shenet against like they did with
the Dodgers. They can figure something out when it comes
to salary. They you can't just destroy a team and
decimate them for Lebron.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
You can't do that.
Speaker 6 (15:11):
By the way, one other last Laker slash Lebron question.
Does DeAndre Aen actually move the needle for you at all?
And let me just say this really quick, JMR and
I joke all the time about you know, this past
year with the Lakers, it was like they.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
Got Luca, they are the favorites.
Speaker 6 (15:27):
And it's like, h they don't really play defense and
they don't have a rim protector and their best player,
you know their two best players is an out of shape,
you know player in his prime and a forty year
old that is very much out of his prime.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
So like I have heard a lot of I have
heard a lot of.
Speaker 6 (15:45):
Aggressive DeAndre Ayton takes this week where it's like, oh yeah,
I mean, well, now look at him down and it's
like we all watch the same DeAndre Ayton right right
right kind of.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
If he stays, if he stays healthy, I believe he's
more of a plus to the hindrance. If he's th Jasky,
the Lakers are a desperate way to get a center.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Let's be honest, Yes, but he needed somebody like.
Speaker 5 (16:08):
That to your point earlier.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
If if the Lakers They're gonna obviously add some stuff.
But if this is the core of their team in
Lebron stays, are they significantly closer to Okay, see Denver,
whoever else you can? Like? Like, if they had DeAndre
Ayton last year, I still think they lose to the
Minnesota Timberwolves.
Speaker 5 (16:26):
In Round one.
Speaker 6 (16:27):
I'm not in five, but I think it would have
been in Round one. And I don't think this really
gets them any closer to Denver or Okay.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
So well, they can't get Yannis because you got to
make a trade to get jan It's not like Jannis
is a free agent. But if Lebron wasn't gonna be around,
I'd love to get Jannis on the Lakers, you know
what I mean? Sure, see if they could work that out.
And what's gonna happen to Dame Lollard? Where's he going
to end up? Is it gonna be Golden State?
Speaker 3 (16:52):
I mean, who knows? Is it Boston? What's he gonna do?
Speaker 6 (16:54):
I'm a little confused on this. So you're signing him,
and you're paying him, and you're letting him rehab on
your dime for a year from now basically, So basically
it's like you're signing him to get him for twenty
twenty six, twenty twenty sex.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
Yeah, but you don't have to give him any real
money because that's all coming from the Bucks from Milwaukee. Okay,
So you're getting him on like the bargain basement money
there is what you're doing.
Speaker 6 (17:21):
Yeah, I don't The Warriors does not make any sense
to me, small guard. He's already they're already old enough
that one would not make sense to me.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Who retires first, Steph Curry or Lebron.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Who's gonna recall it quits.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
First good question. I think Lebron. I mean, I think
Lebron's it won't be the same year.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
I promise you that that's not gonna What about.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Kad You think KD moves the needle anymore?
Speaker 3 (17:48):
No, I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Yeah, I think he's another guy, another guy to bring
in to try to win the championship. I'm not sure
that it's going to make a difference down there in Houston.
They're obviously better. I just don't think it's going to
have and he's just another guy chasing a ring, now,
you know.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Okay, So let me ask you this.
Speaker 6 (18:03):
Uh, the Houston Rockets were what the three seed this year?
Speaker 5 (18:07):
The two seats, two seed?
Speaker 3 (18:09):
They were the two seeds.
Speaker 6 (18:10):
Do you think like like Lakers with DeAndre a in
and no major changes, but they do bring back Lebron
or the Rockets with Kevin Durant, which.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
Probably the Rockets with Kevin Durant.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
I mean, they had a better record to begin with anyway,
but nobody's better than Oklahoma City. They're still the best
team in the conferences in the league.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
I mean, they did just win the championship, so can't
say that they're not.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
And the and the Eastern Conference is pretty much already done.
You just think it's uh, it's the Nicks in Cleveland.
That's it, I hope. So Indiana's done, they you know,
with the injury the hollow Burton. The Celtics are done
with their injury to Tatum. So there's nobody who left.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
It's Cleveland and the Knicks.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
Are We gonna talk about Mike Brown before the end
of the show.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
I gotta yeah, you know what, I want to come back.
We'll talk a little bit about that. We'll touch on
that a little bit. That's coming up next. Aaron Torres,
Arnady Span you're in for the guys, Jason Smith, his best,
Fred Mike Harmon right here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (19:15):
Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller.
Would mean a lot to have you join us on
our weekly auditory journey. You're asking, what in God's name
is the Fifth Hour? I'll tell you it's a spin
off of it. Ben Mather Show, a cult hit overnights
on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture If you Will?
A world will? We chat with captains of industry in media,
sports and more every week explore some amazing facts about
(19:38):
human nature and more. Listen to the Fifth Hour with
Ben Maller on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever
you get your podcast.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Good evening, everyone, Aeron Torres, Arnie Span, You're in for
the guy inside, Jason Smith AND's best Fred Mike Harmon.
By the way, Next week in Vegas, the Cooper Flag
debut in the Summer League. I know you like to
go to some of the NBA Summer Got there in Vegas?
You have any plans of going or what not?
Speaker 5 (20:03):
This year? To start? What starts his Friday?
Speaker 4 (20:05):
It starts, Yeah, no, it starts tomorrow. But they don't play. Yeah,
they don't play until the tenth I believe.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
Oh I think the Vegas one doesn't start till yeah,
probably the tenth. Yeah, they do, like the Utah one
or San Francisco or whatever.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
I saw, like Ace Bailey debuts in his hot seconds.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
So I'm dying to see Cooper Flag. I want to
see what he's gonna do. Any expectations or what.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
Yeah, I think he's gonna be really good, you know,
I think.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Oh, gee, wait to go out on the limb there,
really good.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
I think he'll be. I think he'll do. I think
he'll be a solid and now I think he'll be
really good.
Speaker 6 (20:39):
I just think that he's just so different than the
normal prospect because he's not a guy that just goes
out and gets forty.
Speaker 8 (20:46):
You know.
Speaker 6 (20:46):
It's like he again, is a great defender, he's a
great playmaker and so but I think that's the right
team for him. I mean, I think, you know, listen,
I still stand by. I'll just be real. I think
the lottery was rigged. But wow, independent of that, I
think that it is a good landing spot for him
because he's not a guy that just is going to
(21:07):
take over games offensively, and that's obviously not a place
where he'll have to do that.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
I expect him to average eighteen to twenty points a game.
I think he's going to be something like we have
never seen in a long long time. I hope, I
hope he can carry the team a little bit, but
I'm not sure it's going to help him down there,
we'll see how good they're gonna be.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
I expect the world from him.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
I mean, I think that this kid is going to
be great, and I'll be curious to see how many
points he's going to be able to put up in
how many shots he's going to be able to get
his first year, if he's going to, you know, take
it easy a little bit, you know, back off a
little bit until he feels the game or what's gonna happen.
But I just love this kid. I'm dying to see
(21:52):
him play. I can't wait till he plays in the
Summer League. I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
Now, I think, and I think it'll be fun when
you know, again, it's hard because the MAVs probably aren't
going to have their real roster at any point this
year with Kyrie Irving. But I will say, you know,
we were just talking about, you know, Katie with the Rockets.
If Lebron stays with the Lakers, like how many contenders
are there really and where do they all stack up.
It's like, again, I know Kyrie is not going to
(22:18):
be back this year realistically, at least not anytime early,
but like, if that team is healthy and again You're
asking Kyrie off a major injury, plus Anthony Davis to
stay healthy.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
That team is in the conversation.
Speaker 6 (22:31):
I mean Kyrie healthy, Anthony Davis healthy, Daniel Gafford, Cooper fly.
That's a really good team again on the rare instance
when all their parts are healthy.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
You asked me what I thought about Mike Brown being
the head coach of the New York Knicks.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Isn't it crazy?
Speaker 4 (22:46):
All that build up to, like what the Knicks are
going to do, and they want to get permission now
this team and this coach, and they get denied here.
I think they were denied five times, unbelievable by five
different teams out there. They finally hire a coach, they
get Mike Brown, and.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Then everything stops. It's like, okay, they got a coach now.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
I said, it's not really that big of a deal
because the Knicks were still the second favorite to go
to win the East without a coach.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Seriously, so how much.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
Of a differences are really going to make? I think
Mike Brown's going to be a good coach. I think
he'll do is just as good as a job as Thibodeau did.
Look no disrespect to Thibodeau and the back to back
fifty win seasons are tremendous. Should have been in the
NBA Finals this year. But I like Mike Brown nothing.
He won't move the needles or anything like that, you know,
(23:40):
even though he learned under Steve Kerr. Also, he's not
Steve Kerr or Phil Jackson.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
But I think he's gonna be good. I think it
was a good higher for the Knicks.
Speaker 6 (23:49):
Yeah, I mean it's not a bad like, it's not
a bad hire, but it's just I don't know, man.
I guess it's weird because we've I think you and
I talked about this last week. But like when they
fired Tips, I was cool with it because I assumed
that there was an obvious you know, that there was
a plan.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
We're gonna go get Mike Malone.
Speaker 6 (24:10):
I thought they were gonna go get Dan Hurley to
be perfectly honest, or you know whoever, Jay Wright, and
I guess my only issue is that there was clearly
no plan.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
But I also don't think that Mike Brown.
Speaker 6 (24:21):
I do think there's like a little bit of revisionist
history on Mike Brown is. Like I think maybe it's
because there's so many Knicks fans and they want it
to work. But people, you know, oh, Mike Brown did
Mike Brown made the finals. Mike Brown made the finals?
What at this point eighteen years ago? Like, come on,
it was two thousand and seven, that's eighteen years ago. Like,
(24:42):
can we chill out with Mike Brown made the finals. Oh,
he's got to this much win percentage, just like yeah,
it's because he coached Lebron for four years when they
were winning fifty to sixty games every year. It's you know,
it's just it's just frustrating.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
You brought you brought up Danny Hurley's name. Sure, do
you think Danny Hurley would have taken the job had
he known it was going to be Luka on the team,
that Lebron was going to be his way forced out
and that was going to be new owners.
Speaker 6 (25:08):
So my personal opinion, and I truly believe this, is
that Dan Hurley was never taking the job.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
I've said it from.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
The Jason was a money grave thing for him.
Speaker 6 (25:18):
No, it was, it was twofold. It was a money
grab for him. His deal wasn't getting done the way
that he wanted. And I believe and this goes back
to the Lebron stuff with the Lakers. I think the
Lakers were getting real pushback that they were very clearly
going to give the job to JJ Redick, And I
go back to that moment in time, people could say,
what are you talking about, and it's like, you got
(25:38):
to remember the Lakers were about to draft Bronni, Lebron's son.
They fired Darvin Ham after the opening round of the playoffs.
JJ Redick was asked about the job before the NBA Finals.
He said, I'll address my future after the finals. Well,
if you don't already have the job, there's nothing to address.
And so I think the Lakers were getting real push
(26:00):
they were getting real negative pushback of like, so you
fired this guy two months ago, you clearly are just
gonna hire Lebron's buddy was zero experience, and so I
think it was a scenario where both parties benefited by
going through the interview process. But I don't I don't
believe that he was ever seriously a candidate, and because
(26:22):
of it, I I don't I don't think he was
ever taking the job. But I don't think he was
ever taking the job because I don't think he was
ever a serious candidate.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
It's too bapis I think he'd given real consideration now
he should.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
How do you know it was going to be Luca
and no Lebron out there?
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Right?
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (26:35):
I mean listen, you know, I listen. I love Dan Hurley.
I'm a Yukon guy. If you have a chance to
coach Luca in his prime, if you have aspirations to
coach in the NBA, it's harder to find a scenario
better than taking Luca in the heart of his prime.
Speaker 5 (26:53):
But I mean that happened.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
No, it didn't happen, But I thought it was gonna
be close. I I gave it a little bit more
credence than you did, to be honest.
Speaker 6 (26:59):
Well, the other thing too, and again, you know Hurley
always talks about, you know, we recruit family, you know,
kind of like what Derek Shelby was saying, we recruit
families with this, with that, And it's like, so you're
gonna come to LA to deal with Lebron and Bronny
and I. And that's the other thing is like, I
I don't think the job remember this was pre Luca, obviously,
I don't think the job was that desirable. For that reason,
(27:21):
you have a forty one, forty years you know, soon
to be forty year old Lebron at the time. Right,
you have to draft his son, you have to coach
his son as if he's a real NBA player, even
though none of we all know.
Speaker 5 (27:32):
That he isn't. And I that's why I think it
was always gonna be Reddick. Yah.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
I think it was done once. Is Redick in trouble
with the new owners. Now with new owners, they're I mean,
you're paying a lot of money for the team. You're
gonna want to hire the coach that you want.
Speaker 5 (27:45):
And he was handpicked by Lebron.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
So it's like if, if, what, Whether you're right that
Lebron isn't there by the end of the by the
start of the season or not, we'll find out. But
he's Lebron's guy, there's no And here's the other thing.
Don't forget he threw Luca under the bus after the
season ended. Remember that, Oh, we need to get in
championship shape.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (28:06):
Wow, So it had nothing to do with you playing
the starters the entire second half. It had nothing to
do with you not playing Jackson Hayes Like, it's just like,
I think that's an interesting byproduct of that whole situation
with the Lakers is if Lebron were to leave, JJ
was his guy. I don't think he's Mark Walter's guy
to your pointer, whoever's going to be in charge going forward?
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Oh, I agree with your one hundred percent. Aaron Torres,
Orny Spaniard. We're in for the guys tonight. Let's get
a final check of what's happening out there. We check
it with Steve the saga one final time.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
What's going on? The saga?
Speaker 5 (28:39):
Hello again?
Speaker 9 (28:40):
And you guys are correct that the NBA Vegas Summer
League doesn't start till next week. WNBA was off tonight.
Caitlin Clark will miss a fifth straight game Saturday with
the groin, Andrew with.
Speaker 5 (28:50):
By the WNBA, by the way, not playing.
Speaker 6 (28:52):
I mean, I feel like I said this earlier, like
why was there no National TV baseball game today? Like
Dodgers Astro should have been on national TV. But then also, WNBA,
it's not MLB network.
Speaker 9 (29:04):
You're talking about something that people.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Have Fox, ESPN. Yeah, exactly so, and it's the same
with the WNBA. Everybody's at home. You know, I was
looking for something to watch before I came in in
studio here.
Speaker 5 (29:14):
So whatever, I.
Speaker 9 (29:15):
Agree to all that in the day I become mission commissioner.
Not only everybody's playing every holiday Memorial Day, July fourth,
but absolutely there's wall to wall TV baseball.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
You know what everybody's watching now is the Savannah Bananas.
Speaker 9 (29:28):
That's correct, they'll be on again this weekend.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Did they saw at football stadiums like eighty thousand football?
Speaker 3 (29:34):
They saw that?
Speaker 9 (29:35):
Well, the Clemson Stateium when they're there at Angel Stadium
served for baseball.
Speaker 6 (29:39):
Back to your point on MLB, because I heard this
day it's like, well, everyone's outside for the holiday. It's like,
first of all, people are home by ten pm. But
now like this is gonna sound like first world situation,
but it's like TV's are so cheap. I know a
lot of people that have TVs on their deck, TVs
on their patio, Like I was obviously not hosting for
(29:59):
Fourth of July.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
But you're outside, even not tied to one room.
Speaker 6 (30:03):
A yeah, now you have a TV setup while everybody's
outside barbecue.
Speaker 9 (30:07):
And by the watch live games on the phone, which
of course great carrying around.
Speaker 6 (30:11):
Yeah, and I what you said wal to wall Baseball,
I said it earlier today on my my Twitter feed,
I was like NBA or NFL owns Thanksgiving. Christmas Day
obviously is now split between. But it's like college football.
Speaker 9 (30:27):
Already.
Speaker 6 (30:27):
Yeah, but July fourth America America's pastime.
Speaker 9 (30:31):
Baseball apple pie?
Speaker 5 (30:32):
Yes, why are they not games on Walt Wall when
you're commissioner, Steve to sing.
Speaker 9 (30:36):
And also the Sunday night baseball ratings have been quite good,
like the best in years this year.
Speaker 5 (30:41):
This would have been in just punting on that book.
Speaker 9 (30:44):
You know, theoretically they're getting back to talking that they
haven't actually said a follow goodbye because MLB hasn't signed
up anybody else to take over the games that ESPN.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
Nobody else wanted it exactly, not.
Speaker 5 (30:56):
At that price.
Speaker 9 (30:57):
They didn't back down because they thought, my goodness, why
are we paying this so much? When Roku is paying
for Sunday mornings this much or Apple on Friday nights
that much? And so ESPN you can't again, when I
would be a commissioner, you can't say no to a
widespread network like that for your sport. Because the NHL
disappeared in most parts of the country when they got
(31:20):
off that channel. Well, Wimbledon will continue for the weekend,
and Carlos Alcarez is still alive. He advanced to the
fourth round today, as did number five Taylor Fritz of
the US women's number one Arena Sablenca one. A reminder,
US men's soccer plays the Gold Cup Finals Sunday against
Mexico on Fox TV from Houston at the FIFA Club
World Cup Quarterfinals. Saturday's matchups include Paris and German against
(31:43):
Bayern Munich. Tonight in Philadelphia, Chelsea was a two to
one winner over Brazil's Palmierras on an own goal late,
and Fox has the Women's Euros Germany shut out Poland
too nothing today. This Championships tournament started Wednesday Saturday on
Fox TV at the Women's Euros England against France. To baseball,
Houston won eighteen to one in LA for the Dodgers
(32:04):
biggest blowout loss ever at Dodgers Stadium. But they just
left the pitchers that you've never heard under way in
there and therefore eighteen to one and relief. Noah Davis,
for example, allowed ten runs in the six. Kansas City's
Vinnie Pasquentino with two homer six RBIs in a nine
to three win at Arizona. A's beat the Giants eleven
to two in Sacramento. The loss to Justin Verlander o
(32:26):
and six Detroit st Cleveland to an eight straight loss
two to one. Baltimore won three to two at Atlanta
behind Charlie Morton. White Sox at Colorado all weekend. I'll pause,
Well you say I'm not going three to two? The
White Sox were winners tonight, losing pitcher Antonio Senzatela is
three and twelve. Yankees have lost five straight, beaten by
(32:47):
the Mets six five today, Cubs eleven three over Saint Louis.
Eight home runs for the Cubs at Wrigley today a
franchise record in fact, all told, in the majors, there
were forty eight home runs today, the second most on
any single July the fourth Wow. Two of those long
balls from Seattle's cal Rawley in a six nothing win
against Pittsburgh. Cal Rawley has thirty five home runs this season.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Back to you, all.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Right, thank you, Steve, Have a good night.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
My friend will see you tomorrow. You're gonna work tomorrow?
Speaker 1 (33:16):
What sir?
Speaker 5 (33:17):
All right?
Speaker 3 (33:17):
I knew I scheduled yourself. It sounds like you did.
Speaker 4 (33:20):
Yeah, I will see you tomorrow. Let's get to some Twitter.
This is what you said, Aaron Jason b diving rights,
Bob Manford and MLB could own July fourth, But why
would you want to do that when you could have
the dog diving? It was literally what was on and
the hot dog eating contest. Because I have the world problems,
I understand, but frustrating.
Speaker 6 (33:41):
So because somebody said they were like because somebody tweeted
at me, because I tweeted out like why is mlbnine?
Somebody is like, no one's in front of the TV
July fourth, And I'm like, I guarantee what and oh,
Baseball's on Nashable and I go, I guarantee whatever game
they put on would do it better rating than the
dog Olympics that were on.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
So they had Wimbledon on, where people watching Wimbledon at all?
Speaker 3 (34:04):
I think I'm decent.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
I just know. Seventh, I was sitting at home.
Speaker 6 (34:10):
I got home from what I was doing today seven
thirty eastern The Dog Dogs Jumping into Water was on
ESPN and ESPN two had some like documentary series about
Alabama football, and it's like, right, I knew they had.
Can we just can we get that Dodgers Astros game on.
And I'm not saying it because I live in LA,
but yeah, give us that.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
I mean, not even one game. You thought they'd have
at least one game. They everything was on MLB or
Apple TV or something like that.
Speaker 6 (34:39):
Yeah, and that was the other people like, well it's MLB,
they have games on MLBtv.
Speaker 5 (34:43):
Well guess what. I don't have MLBtv. So does mean
no good?
Speaker 3 (34:47):
You don't have MLB TV.
Speaker 6 (34:48):
You know, I cut back the cable package for the summer.
I regret it. I'll get well, you know, once we
get a get closer to football, when I need red zone,
I'll ramp back up.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
So, yeah, you gotta every day you have to have
red zone.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
It's impossible.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
Yeah, you can't watch football without the red zone.
Speaker 5 (35:03):
There's no king else. Crazy huh.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
All right, we'll come back. We'll wrap things up.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
One final segment to go before we took it over
to Chris Plank. That's coming up next right here on
Fox Sports or Radio.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Everybody Hates Me?
Speaker 4 (35:22):
Tarees Why everybody's Plank's mad at me because I was
texting him earlier today, going, hey, did you hear our interview?
You better use a cut or two. He goes, I'm
taking a nap and I just kept and I just
kept I just kept tweeting him, and he goes, oh,
I could see you disregarded my part of I'm taking
(35:42):
a nap and I just kept tweeting him. So he's
and Mary's mad at me. Mary, Yeah, because I complimented
her or something.
Speaker 5 (35:51):
He's a damn line. He's lying really bad.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
I just said, I go, you're going to club Bounce afterwards?
Speaker 3 (36:00):
Never in my life. Yeah, because cub Bounce.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
I just asked her if she was going, and she's
got all that club it's for plus size women.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
But I didn't mean she was plus size. I meant
something else.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
Oh, I could agree there.
Speaker 5 (36:19):
It is Mary Mackett, if it makes you feel better.
Speaker 6 (36:22):
Literally last episode, he's like, yeah, Tours, you've really put
on some weight since the that since I started working
with you.
Speaker 5 (36:29):
Like, if I put on weight.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
What are you?
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Dude?
Speaker 4 (36:31):
I look good?
Speaker 3 (36:32):
I look good.
Speaker 7 (36:33):
I I It took everything in me to restrain myself
from asking him out you.
Speaker 5 (36:38):
Should have cursed him out.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
I was being nice, barely, barely. This This is the
best I can do, all right. I want to get
to a couple of things before we do get out
of here. Uh sixty sixty eight? Try eighty six years ago?
Speaker 5 (36:50):
Yeah, eighty six years ago, wa wasting radio?
Speaker 4 (36:52):
When I was hosting radio July fourth, Right, July fourth,
nineteen thirty nine, one of the most famous speeches in
all of Major League Baseball was on that date.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Here it is right now, by Lou Garrick.
Speaker 8 (37:08):
For the past two weeks, you've been reading about a
bad break today. I consider myself the luckiest man on
the face of the earth. That i might have been
(37:28):
given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot
to live for, thank you.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
How many still resonates to this day?
Speaker 3 (37:37):
Does it matter what aeron?
Speaker 5 (37:38):
Absolutely? How many years ago do you say?
Speaker 4 (37:40):
It was eighty six years ago today and we.
Speaker 5 (37:42):
Still haven't found a cure for lu Gerrig's disease?
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Kind of se Nope, nope, we have not.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Eighty six years ago, July fourth, nineteen thirty nine, and
he never did play again after that after that speech.
Speaker 5 (37:53):
Now died shortly thereafter. I believe right.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Right, right, So sad. I'm very sad.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
So I just figure had to play that because it
was on this day, so many, so many.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
Years ago, years old. Wow.
Speaker 4 (38:07):
Usually we don't talk about the ninth best player in
the w NBA or just be the ninth best player
in her position. What did you think of that when
you saw Caitlyn Clark and I heard people trying to
make excuses, Well, they only did the top four and
after the top four, blah blah blah.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
The whole thing is ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (38:28):
I still can't believe the hatred and the vitriol toward
Caate and Clark. It's it's mind boggling, to be honest
with you.
Speaker 6 (38:39):
It is what I find interesting. We talked about it
with Dan Byer yesterday. Sophie Cunningham just by literally being
nice to Caitlin Clark is now the second most popular player.
Speaker 8 (38:49):
I know.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
That's awesome. I love that.
Speaker 6 (38:52):
It's like all it took was somebody just being like, oh,
she's kind of cool, I'm gonna have her back, like
and you know, like I'm not trying to do like
the guy girl thing.
Speaker 5 (39:00):
But you know, we all know, like you know, Michael.
Speaker 6 (39:03):
Jordan had Charles Oakley, and you know Steph has Draymond
and it's like no one, like literally, no one stood
up for her for eighteen months, not a coach, not
a teammate, not the league.
Speaker 5 (39:19):
It's a disaster. By the way, did you see Kaylyn
Clark call out the commissioner the other night by name?
Did you see that?
Speaker 4 (39:24):
No?
Speaker 3 (39:24):
I did not see that.
Speaker 5 (39:25):
So I'll try to make this as quick as I
can't go.
Speaker 6 (39:28):
They have something called like the WNBA Cup or the
Commissioner's Cup or something like that. It's like the n
season tournament for them. Indiana won it.
Speaker 5 (39:35):
They were doing a live stream from the locker room afterward,
and apparently they make more money somehow from winning this
event than they do their whole salary combined or something.
And Kayln Clark was just like, how do we make
more money from this than the whole season?
Speaker 6 (39:52):
And she literally goes Kathy. The commissioner's name is Kathy Engelberg. Kathy,
can you help us out or Kathy do something? And
I was like, I think Kayler Clark just called out
the commissioner. Like I think Kayler Clark is bigger than
the commissioner. I think she's she's trying to get the
commissioner booted.
Speaker 4 (40:08):
But that's I'm a little sick and tired of the
whole Can we get more money?
Speaker 5 (40:13):
All right?
Speaker 4 (40:13):
For a league that's lost millions over the last twenty
five years.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Enough is enough?
Speaker 5 (40:18):
Oh and you know what else?
Speaker 6 (40:19):
We don't need another meme of uh Cooper flag salary
compared to the first pick.
Speaker 5 (40:26):
Yes, because one league makes money and one league doesn't.
That is why one makes all.
Speaker 4 (40:33):
We gotta wrap things up. I want to thank you
for show. First of all, great show, real quick. Thanks
to Mary doing a great job. Share our producer Ian
was in for the first half that people didn't think
I knew that. Thanks to the Sager. Thanks to Jason
and Mike for letting this fill in. Thanks to you
Torres always appreciated. Chris Plank coming up next. He'll probably
(40:55):
be a little cranky. That's next here on Fox Sports Radio.
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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