May 11, 2024 • 36 mins
Chris and Rob debate whether the NBA got it right by choosing not to suspend Jamal Murray for throwing a heating pad at an official, discuss Byron Scott’s assertion that the Los Angeles Lakers should consider hiring LeBron James as the player-coach since they let him run everything else within the organization and share their thoughts on this wild sports media beef between James Jones and Austin Rivers and the narrative that NBA players could play in the NFL.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Bruso and Ron Parker.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
But Rob, let's stay there, and good news for the
Denver Nuggets. Jamal Murray will not be suspended. He will
be fined one hundred thousand dollars for throwing a heating
pad onto the court. I guess he was throwing it
at an official, but it landed on the court in
(00:52):
the middle of the painted area. No players stepped on it, fortunately,
but a couple came close. Rob the fan of me,
is glad that he's not suspended. I mean, I just
if Denver's gonna go down, I want him to go down,
you know.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
At full force if they can.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
You hate to see any series or game determined by
a player in availability, whether it's injury or suspension, whatever
it is. But I in this case, Rob to me
This is so egregious that if I'm the community, I
don't even care what the what the rule says. You
(01:36):
cannot throw something onto the court while players are playing,
and I would have suspended him for a game.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I just don't know how you don't.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I hate to say it because it's unfortunate, but I
don't know how you don't suspend somebody for that.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Well.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I just think you have to go by what you
have and your bylaws and your rules. You can't make
up rules as you go along if that's not because
if that's just a technical for doing that during the
regular thing, it has to be a technical. Now if
he does that in the regular season and he's just
going to be assessed a technical foul, then it's the
(02:13):
same thing. You can't go, oh, well, you can't do
that in a playoff game? Well, which one is it?
So now, because if they go back and re look
at this and decide that if somebody throws anything on
the court and it's going to be an automatic ejection
from the game and a suspension, then you can live
with that. But if I'm the players union and they
tried to suspend them, they wouldn't The league wouldn't have
(02:36):
a leg to stand on because there's no precedent for it.
There's no history of doing that. And I get it
what you're saying, but they've already they've made it to
where it's a misdemeanor and not a felony.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
That's the way it's written.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
What is it?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Because I know that's what the referee said, But there's
also been some reporting that they don't really have a
for that. Is that correct, ro because it's like, you
just don't antiicimp right exactly the rules of guys throwing
things in the crowd off the court but not on
Is that like right that?
Speaker 6 (03:13):
Yeah, there was no explicit rule as far as I
can tell that regulates objects being thrown by players onto
the court, because I don't think they ever anticipated this
situation ever occurring. I mean, I got like, yeah, But
the way that the official described the situation in the
post game, his feeling was if something was thrown on
(03:37):
the court, it would be an automatic technical because you're
interrupting the flow of the game. If it was thrown maliciously,
like I'm aiming this throw at Anthony Edwards, then that
would be an ejection. But official, yes, then it would
be an ejection. But because they said they could not
determine what his intention was, that they would not be
(04:00):
to eject him.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
And that's yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I mean that shows which I understand that they didn't
want to eject him or suspend him because you know,
it's a huge game. Denver has very little chance you
would think of winning without him, and they don't want
that to mar a series.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
I get that sentiment.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
But see what I mean, if you're gonna let player
rock and like we said, I'm going off of the
understanding that there is no cut and dried rule, that
it's just put then why.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
Would you Why do you think the NBA is is
doing this?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Because I think they want they don't want to suspend him,
and I think they're saying they're going, almost like a loophole, Well,
we can't determine his intention, and so they they really
believe that it don't matter what they really they don't
I don't think they want to suspend him.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
See here's my here's where I disagree with you. When
the rule with the knicks in the heat, that was okay,
but no, but I'm just saying, but the rule was
if you leave the bench you're gonna be suspended.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
The Knicks lost that series, they lost seven players.
Speaker 6 (05:11):
But.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
I don't even think they should have suspended. And I
think you go more by the spirit than they should
have suspended.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
They should have suspended.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
I remember that, Chris, and they should have suspended all
those players for one game instead of they took away
the Knicks.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
That was for both games, so many guys, it should
have been one game.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
You lose that game, you know what I mean, and
then you play game seven a full strength like they to.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You shouldn't have businessman, you ain't like down on the
whole other that was yeah, but that was David Stern.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
That's a whole different regime.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
I Robhram was right, Salon, you're not dangerous.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
That well, never say that. I'll never hear you say that.
That all.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
It's the first time ever.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
No, but a player could have easily stepped on that thing, slid,
maybe pulled a growing hamstring, turned an ankle, a knee injury.
I mean, and regardless of that rock, I don't think
that's any less ridiculous than a player just getting up
off the bench and walking on to the court and
playing like as a sixth player on the floor, Like, what.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
How in the world, What in the.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
World entered Jamal Murray's mind to think that he could
throw a heating pad at an official onto the court.
That's like lunacy. Nah, I get it, but I just
it doesn't to me.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
It didn't feel like they had a leg to stand
on it, because I believe if they really believe that
Jamal Murray got off.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
You think they believe what do you think they believe?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
I think that they don't have a precedent to do that.
I just don't think that if it hit it, pres
not to do it.
Speaker 7 (06:57):
If it hit the official he threw it and he
got up and threw it in his or threw it
right at his feet, Chris, then you got a different Uh,
you got a different take on it.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I just don't think that they can honestly look at
that and go, oh, yeah, you gotta get him out
of the game. He's not gonna play, because I don't
believe that. I don't believe that they're not doing it
just because I get the money part, and I brought
it up to Ephraim and and the NBA doesn't want sweeps,
you know that, Chris. They don't make money off of sweeps,
(07:30):
so that's not what they want for the league. I
just think in this case, they did the only thing
they could do. How is the only thing they could do?
Speaker 3 (07:38):
The Players Association would need to chill because you put
players in danger. No, I mean, you can't take one
player over ten. Yeah, they were out on the court.
We're in danger.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
But you also have to make sure that this is
what has been policy and done.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
There hasn't been a policy.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
You ever seen something like that?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You're telling me that nobody ever threw a ball through
something that I can't recall it, you don't remember it,
but it doesn't mean it didn't happen there.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
I haven't seen anything as egregious as that like that
that And again, I mean, I can't say I'm happy
about it, because it just leaves a bad taste in
my mouth that you don't suspend somebody for something like that.
But the competitive spirit, you know, I'm glad he's able
(08:26):
to play, just because it gives themver their best chance.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
But I rob I mean, that's.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
One of those egregious things to me that it's just
like there has to be a significant punishment and one
hundred thousand dollars there's really no amount. I don't care
if it's five hundred thousand to a player. It's just
not that big of a deal. But you know, well
he will be there and they will have their best
shot at the end of the day. Rob, he was
frustrated and so they have to shoo from the field.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Yeah, he's being hounded like crazy. He wasn't that. He
wasn't frustrated against the Lakers, and he wasn't shooting a
good percentage either.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
But they all up in his grill like there's a
reason they shooting poorly.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Rob.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
These dudes are so warming them. But we'll see, you know,
we'll see if they come back in Game three.
Speaker 5 (09:16):
Mike Malone have to figure something out.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
All he's a good coach, but their coaches are limited
to like, I mean, I don't see I'm looking at that.
I don't know what their answer is. I'm not a
head coach. But it's not just oh, just make some adjustment.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Man.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
These dudes are a lot longer and quicker than them.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
They're a lot faster, and they're tenacious.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
And Afra made a good point about if they did
that at altitude, what they gonna do at regular.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
You know, Sea level. Fox Sports Radio has the best
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Speaker 8 (09:57):
Hey, this is Tom Berducci from Fox Sports, MLB Network
and Sports Illustrated.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
And I'm Joe Madden, and we're going to be around
to talk a little bit about managerial decisions and what
may have occurred to the dugout maybe in the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 8 (10:09):
It's the Book of Joe podcasts. I can't wait for this, Joe.
We're going to dive into what goes on in the
dugout and behind the scenes in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Cars, wind, whatever else we want to talk about.
Speaker 8 (10:18):
Yeah, well, there are no boundaries, right. Listen to the
Book of Joe podcast on the iHeartRadio app, on Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Obviously, the Los Angeles Lakers have fired their coach, Darvin
Ham and it came up. I don't know if it
was a caller or how we got into it, but
why don't they just make Lebron the player coach?
Speaker 4 (10:40):
And I don't think that's possible today. I think there's
too many that has been done over. You know, it
used to be. It used to be commonplace to something.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
You know it was it was commonplace enough where it
wasn't that big of a deal in the sixties and seventies.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Quick when you hear that player coach, the first one
you think of Bill rethink of Bill Russell.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Yeah, yeah, I think but yeah, Bill Russell, he he
also won the championship, if not to doing as a
player coach.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
I always think of Joe Tory because I grew up,
you know, as a Mets fan in New York and.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
He was Chris, I didn't even know it happened. Yeah,
Joe Tory.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Joe Tory was a player coach who was like his
last year as a player, they made him the manager.
Frank Robinson, Chris, did you know that with the.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
With like I said, I didn't. I didn't. I wasn't
even thinking of any baseball Ye.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
Those are the only two that I remember in baseball,
those two.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
But anyway, rob none other than friend of the Show,
NBA champion as a player, part of the Showtime Lakers.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Uh and and the way it was copy in the
Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
He's look with all the respect to Michael Cooper, would
you agree with.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I'm saying the way it's
going on.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
I'm sure when Coop got in, he didn't think to himself,
how am I not?
Speaker 3 (12:06):
At No, he's better than Michael Cooper, there's no question.
And Cooper's good at what he did, but Virons Scott was.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Better and a former Coach of the Year. Yeah, Byron Scott.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
So he's you know, he's done it all in this
league for the most part, and so Byron, believe it
or not, said this on Undisputed today, would skip Bayless.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
My recommendation the next Laker coaching.
Speaker 9 (12:34):
Out of the eight or nine names that I've heard,
his name wasn't on there is make Lebron the coach.
I got nothing but love and respectful Lebron.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
I love him.
Speaker 9 (12:42):
I think he's one of the greatest players that ever
played this game. But it's obvious to me at least
that he's making a lot of decisions just going on
in this organization, no doubt, from a coaching standpoint.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
To a player standpoint.
Speaker 9 (12:53):
So if you're going to allow him to make those decisions,
sit on the bench and make those decisions as well.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Be the head coach. JJ ready you mean player coach
player head coach? Yeah, well it's Bills Wilkins. Rob, what
are your thoughts?
Speaker 5 (13:10):
Yeah? I did not hear the clip originally, Chris on
the show.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
You know what I mean because I asked Robbie about context,
and that makes sense. Byron Scott was a coach. He's
seen what has happened, right with all the coaches with Lebron.
That was a coach talking out of frustration about Oh
that's That's what I took from it.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Chris, No, I gotta be honest, it did kind of
he he tried to hide it, but he did just
make like, can we hear it again? Because I agree
with you it. See there's a little something in there
that was like, why.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
Don't you just be the coach?
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Did right? You got everybody run out of town or whatever?
Speaker 3 (13:48):
And we might be wrong, but go ahead, Rob, you
play it just one more time.
Speaker 9 (13:53):
My recommendation the next Laker coaching out of the eight
or nine names that I've heard, his name was NONI
is make Lebron the coach. I got nothing but love
and respect for Lebron.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
I love him.
Speaker 9 (14:04):
I think he's one of the greatest players I've ever
played this game. But it's obvious to me at least
that he's making a lot of decisions just going on
in this organization, no doubt, from a coaching standpoint.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
To a player standpoint.
Speaker 9 (14:15):
So if you're going to allow him to make those decisions,
sit on the bench and make those decisions as well,
be the head coach, JJ Reddy, you mean player coach
player head coach?
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Yeah, well, Bill Wilkins, I felt like there was we
could be wrong, Rob, but I tend to agree with you.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Yeah, And I'm not mad at him, you know, I'm
just saying there's a there's a degree of frustration in that.
You know, every time they lose, you know, somebody's got
to lose their job no matter what. So what if
Darvinham won the end season tournament?
Speaker 5 (14:49):
So what if Frank Vogel won a championship?
Speaker 2 (14:52):
So what?
Speaker 5 (14:52):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Like that, that's that's what it seems to be, like,
it doesn't make any sense. I'm just curious, Chris. I'm
kind of with you that times have changed so much.
I'm not so sure a guy can do both. It
was a times were simpler back then, like when they had.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
That's that's an understatement, am I right?
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Like just that's an understand you know what, you know
what I mean, Yeah, it's just gosh, it's not even
they used to be Chris, there used to be a
head coach and two coaches.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
They got nine coaches now and sitting on the bench.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
More than that, right, Yeah, you got five on the bench,
five behind the bench.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
You got it. I mean, it's ridiculous.
Speaker 10 (15:32):
There used to be two coaches one coach, yes, and
that was it. I just like, like, like, it's just
so much going on. And Chris, we used to watch
practice and shoot around and you know what I mean, Like,
my god, like like seriously, so I don't know if
a player, even if Lebron's ilk could do it.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
I'm just not sure that that it's doable.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
I count forty guys in the history of the NBA
that were player coaches. It was, like I said, it
was commonplace in the fifties, sixties, and seventies. Yes, here's
some of the names. You might be surprised as some
of these ants. Bob Pettitt not just one year, but
still Slater Martin, who you know, I think he dunk
(16:22):
from the free throw line, I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
I might be mixing him up with somebody else.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Red Holtzman for a year Milwaukee Hawks, Alex Hannam, who's
a legendary coach, one year with the Saint Louis Hawks
as a player coach, Dick McGuire with.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
The Pistons, Drive for two years, wow or one year?
I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Dave Cowens. I think Cowens was the last one. And
he did it in the seventy eight seventy nine season. Now, Rob,
that was the year before Larry Bird went. So Cowens
is the last player coach ever. And Robed that team
was the Lay didn't. They were a little older, but
(17:03):
still Lay didn't with Hall of famers and they won
twenty seven games.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
And here's something else we just need to throw.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Darl Shay's Bob Coozy, Bill Russell, Dave de Busher quickly.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
I'm gonna throw the Lenny Wilkins, Richie Garrett, Lenny Wilkins.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
So a lot of these guys were you know, household
names that were player coaches.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
And here here's why Lebron can't be a player coach.
So the current NBA players can no longer Chris be
player coaches. After the salary cap was instituted in nineteen
eighty four eighty five, the NBA prohibited teams from employing
a player coach.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
So that's why.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
So it's not even possible now. But I just think
it's a fun conversation.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
I just want to make sure that people know that, right,
you can't do it.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
I'm gonna keep it real. I don't think it's possible today.
Sure you could do. I mean, let's say it wasn't
against the rule. Somebody could try, Rob. I think it
would be a disaster because there is so you said it.
What was film study like in the sixties, you know,
(18:13):
compared to today? I mean coaches after the game, they're
on the plane looking at film, breaking it down for
the film study the next day.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
Now you could.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
It is true that you could just have your crew, right,
you got your staff and they break down the.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
Film and then you leave the film session.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
But Rob, I would the coaches look at the film
before they show it to the team. You gotta know
what you want to emphasize and highlight. Is a player
really gonna do all that? Is a player gonna break
down a full half of basketball? To say the least? Rob,
(18:57):
when I was in film sessions in college. We would
go it would take us an hour to get through
six minutes of the game. Coaches just stop every there's
always a mich.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
Top right here, stop right here, stop right here.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
It's a player doing that. And then here's the other thing.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
And this is why, the real reason why I don't
think it's possible.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
What about the egos. Egos are bigger than ever.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I don't say that like we're worse than the previous generation,
but I mean because of the money, rob because of
the branding, because of the endorsements. If a player gets
in the way of my like he benches me, and
I'm upset, and now my endorsements are are falling off
(19:47):
or I'm in a contract year, I need to play
and put up numbers.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
And a teammate, a teammate is making sure.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
I thought I'm mad at the coach, but if a
teammate is doing it, I'm really ticked off.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
You see. The egos is too much.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Yeah, I just I think it would be very very difficult.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
But but Byron Scott, I got his sentiment. I really
did like like it ate as easy Byron Scott. We
remember Chris, Uh what happened with him with the nets.
I mean, they went to the championship twice, right, and
he didn't. He he got fired and he got fired
from there.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Yep, yep.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
I just think Rob, it's you said it. It was
such a simpler time the NBA. I mean, every like
you said they had two.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
Coaches, they had two coaches, Chris.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
And you know where they were after the games, the coaches,
they were at the hotel bar with the sports teams, Chris, that's.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
What they weren't breaking down film.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
I was on those uh uh, you know, I was
on those flights. They weren't private planes or whatever. They
were just your standard.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
And that was nearly a decade essentially a decade after.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
Oh yeah, when.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
I was flying commercial Chris with teams with the nets
and the knicks. You know, that was in the eighties,
you know what I mean, in the early nineties and
what the Pistons were the first team to have a private.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
I mean, and I'm gonna keep it real too, there's
some really good coaches out there, and they are really
I mean you look at look at Oklahoma City Mark
dagnag Coach of the Year. Rob that dude, I mean,
he's a big part of why that team is so good.
Tom Thibodeaux, He's a big part of why the New
(21:36):
York Knicks are doing what they're doing. You you you
know how some of these dudes are now they maybe
they're doing it a little more than they have to,
because some of these guys will get in at six am, Rob,
and leave it, you know, seven to eight pm.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
Me, they just don't want to be at home someone.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
Right, but they living on watching film. And you mean
to tell me you think a player who may want
to still kick it.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
Now.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Lebron's married, he's got kids, so he might be different.
But Rob, I'm sorry, I don't think the player is
trying to break down that type of stuff.
Speaker 4 (22:14):
No, they watch the film.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Lebron, I know, watches films, but he ain't watching film
like a coach.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
I don't believe.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
Yeah, I'd be surprised if that kind of effort was
put in because it just doesn't seem like the effort
that these guys put in with there, all of the
chrisse he talked about, all the assistant for the more
video people, right, yeah, the coach video coacher. Yeah, I mean,
it's incredible what they're looking at they don't have the
(22:42):
same feed that we watch on television. Is a different feed,
right to see different things and what you're looking for.
It's it's it's it's very intense, and it's very thorough.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
And rob It has rubbed some players the wrong way,
some teammates of Lebron the wrong way that he actually
has that type of power with the front office or
the coaching staff. Imagine if he is the coaching staff
or you know, the coach. It's just too I just
think in today's world where these players, even if I'm
(23:18):
not a star, I still am probably making some money away,
you know what I mean. I got things going on
that I'm benefiting from because of my position in the
game that a coach could keep me from getting if
he doesn't play me as much as I think he should.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Or whatever. So I just think it could lead to
a lot of.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
Turmoil.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
Players don't like you anymore.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
You know, they might not like the coach, but at
least they can bind with some of the teammates. The
coach is not out there with me playing, you know,
we can bind together against our coach to something. I mean, honestly,
if we all think the coach can't coach. We can
still bind together against him and try to win in
spite of him. Right, what if that coach is a teammate.
(24:11):
Now the team is with half the dudes are his boys.
They with him. The other half are like, man, this dude,
come on, man, I gotta get paid. I need to
make this All Star team so I can get the
Supermax or whatever it is.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
I need.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
I'm up for a contract after this. I need to impress.
I need to put up numbers. And you standing in
my way. I just think it would be there's all
types of land minds for a player coach, and I'm
actually glad it's not possible today that they It.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
Is against the rules.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Rob we were talking on Shop Talk about of beefs
Shannon versus Shack and Kendrick versus Drake and so on and
so forth, and I said, there's one out there that
I'm we're missing, and this was it, Austin Reed Rivers
versus James Jones. And it really was kind of at
(25:18):
least initially Austin rivers versus the entire NFL.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
But here's what Austin said to get himself in I
guess hot water.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
We got to get you outside of that football lane, man,
where the guaranteed contracts are, where the best athletes in
the world are.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
That's us.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
I can take thirty players right down in the NBA
and throw them in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
You cannot take thirty NFL players and put them in
the NBA. Whoa five on the court. Let's just let's
all relay. You get a break every play. I got
to just catch the ball and run north or south.
A't like.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
I mean, look, we talked about this, right, Austin overstated
and look they're in an argument or you know, just
excited kindversation. He probably didn't mean thirty literally, but it's
probably more like between five and ten. Rob that could
play in the NFL, like now that you could take
and put him in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
But that sparked.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Obviously NFL players didn't like it, and Rob g take
it from here because it has been back and forth
with several guys, but mostly James Jones, our own FS
one Fox Sports colleague.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
James Jones. Yeah, you've had Chris Packers.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
Chris Long, JJ Watt, Jeff Schwartz, the Weekend got here
all going, George Reiser got in involved in it. But
the one has been the most vocal has been FS
one's James Jones, former Packers wide receiver.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
So he first took really.
Speaker 6 (26:43):
Offense to it when the audio first came out and
he was saying some of the effect of Austin needs
to put more respect on our sport.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
It's not an easy game.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
If you would have came out there, you would have
quit immediately because you would have got broken.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Talked about soft.
Speaker 6 (26:56):
NBA players are Austin Rivers responded is He didn't like
that to say, I never heard of you talking about
I barely made the NBA. But I was a lot
of repick, like what are you saying? Then, James Jones
felt like he dropped the hammer because he suggested that
Austin Rivers was a bust. He is suggest well saying
it Austin Rivers is a bus. You averaged nine points
(27:17):
a game too rebounds to assist only because your dad
where you were taking in a lot of Rako says,
I'm not going to go back and forth. You if
I was six four two hundred, maybe you should have
tried football. You might have had a better career. And
then Austin Rivers came over on the top rope and
today he said, I'm not talking about it anymore, but
if we want to talk numbers, let's talk about the
fifty seven million I made in my career and then
you made seventeen and I made more than that in
(27:40):
one season. So it's been going on all week. I
think this is the end of it. But that's the
gist of it, your thoughts, what you're thinking about. I
feel bad for people that this is what I mean.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
I just don't understand like people people need, I guess
feel like they need something to be worked up about.
So what if he thinks that there's and Chris, you
could have a conversation about it, But now you get
all personal. I don't understand that part of it. You
want to have a debate or have a conversation. When
you get in the name cut we we talk about
(28:18):
it's the lowest common denominator. When you get into name
calling and and all kinds of other situations, that's when
I turn off, Like if you want to have a debate,
and and if and if I'm if if Austin Rivers
laid out Chris, well, let me name a couple of
players who played basketball and not football in college and
they wind up being uh, pro football Hall of famers
(28:40):
or you know whatever it is, right and then and
then the other comeback is, well, what about like like
they could be an argument or conversation, but but to
go like gutter and and and foul right away, that's
when I tune out.
Speaker 5 (28:54):
I just I'm not interested in that stuff. And I
know a lot of people are into it.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
I talked about it before Lowest I'm a denominator, Chris,
and people are into that stuff.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
I'm just not and maybe I'm just too old. That
stuff doesn't do anything for me.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
No people are into it. It's entertaining for a lot
of people. And I agree, like debates are fine, back
and forth are fine, But even like I said, with
Kendrick and Drake, I mean, it just devolved into such
just dark name calling accusation.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Found that they are.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Right like a pedophile, like, right, you better have receipts
with that stuff.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
He need receipts for too, like.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
You know, and so yeah, I agree, and this, Look,
I get why NFL players were offended, because.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
It does.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
I mean, if it if somebody said, you know a
lot of these NFL guys could go to the NBA
and and play well, the NBA players would be offended.
You know, that's your profession. Man, You're one of only
a handful that got to that level, and you know
how hard it is, and you know how much harder
(30:15):
the NFL is physically, at least, you know, as far
as the collisions, the hits and stuff like that than
the NBA.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
So I get why they're.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Upset, But I think you make a good point that
you know, you want to just keep it on the
on the credentials, and I mean James called him a buck.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
He just went he went at his credentials, you know.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
And and I do think Robin fairness, if somebody just said,
I mean, you get upset with that with athletes that
jump jump into media because you're like, look, I know
what it took to get to where we're at and
be journalists. I don't have I don't have a problem
with in there.
Speaker 5 (30:54):
I don't have a problem with people being analysts.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
I'm talking about when they prop them up and act
like they're reporters or that.
Speaker 4 (31:01):
But that's similar.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
That's really no different an NFL player being upset because
Austin Rivers said, man, we could take thirty of these.
Speaker 5 (31:11):
Cats, but.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
At least he has some examples. That's all I'm saying
is like his is not that Antonio Gates is probably
Who's the other player we talked about earlier?
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Another one's played a little Jimmy Pepper's.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Yeah, like they most of them played in college both
sports football and basketball.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
So but still, I mean, I do think there.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Are NBA guys that could play in the NFL. I
think you could take some and you gave him a
training camp, maybe a year to get ready, and they
would be able to do it. But I also think
from it for NFL players, I don't think you could
just take I don't know if you could take hardly
(31:57):
any if any NFL players and they could play in
the NBA, like with a year of training or something
like that. But I do think they're NFL players that
had they chosen basketball instead of football when they went
to college, that I think there might be something that
could have made the NBA because rob, you know, I mean,
(32:18):
Deon Sanders was a fantastic basketball player as well.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
As baseball and football in high school.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
A lot of these dudes were high school basketball stars,
Greg Jennings, Rom Greg Jenny's on our show All the Time. Rob.
He got recruited by Michigan State to play basketball. So
like Greg was a great player in Michigan where they
got Hoopers, he from play basketball too.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
He from playing basketball in college.
Speaker 5 (32:43):
So doesn't mean that they were going to make it
to the NBA.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
A lot of guys but back then, Chris, a lot
of good athletes play multiple sports. It doesn't mean that
they were going to be And then for the most part,
people pick, you know, sports because they know what they're
really best in. It's funny, I told you you know,
or their size or whatever.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
You can look at what they think it's easier to
make it to the league. You know.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
I think I told the story before about David Justice
went to college as on a basket to play basketball,
and they random Chris, they were doing the drills and
all that.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
He just he didn't want to do them. And he
went and he saw the.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Baseball team over there playing and just decided to go
out for the.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
Team and drinking beer and the dugout, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
And and but he made it to the major league
because he a scout was at a game where he
hit two home runs out of the ballpark, Chris, and
that was it.
Speaker 5 (33:33):
That really is all he said.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
That's how they're fantastic athletes.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
And so you know a lot of them, could you know,
maybe play a different sport. But yeah, it's it's interesting
because beef is definitely in the air. I don't know
what's going on round. I mean, you and I have
a show based on beef, The Odd Couple, based on
(33:58):
debating and going out, and we don't go at it
like these.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
These dudes are like you know what I mean, and
it's so personal. I just don't like, isn't it, Chris.
Speaker 5 (34:07):
It just seemed like a real personal.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
Well opinion And I'm not gonna get on.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Let's not get we can get on a high horse
maybe individually, but look, we see two of our two journalists,
one of ours is a great friend of ours, Stephen A.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
And what I didn't like that with him and with
Black really, yeah, I don't like that either. I mean,
it got it got ugly.
Speaker 5 (34:29):
I didn't like that either.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Because I don't generally like, I don't see it as
my place to. I mean, get in beefs with other reports.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
If you have an issue to me, if you want
to have a conversation privately, or you want to yell
at each other on the phone for five minutes, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (34:48):
But the public part of it, I guess, is what
I have an issue with.
Speaker 3 (34:53):
Because at the end of the day, rib you're entertaining people,
You're just entertaining. And I don't mean like a in
a good way necessarily, right, people like, Yeah, it's like
people are and sometimes people are laughing at you. Sometimes
people think it's ridiculous, but it's entertaining, you know, and
(35:16):
so you know. But I think ultimately what I'm saying
is I do think they're I think it would be
easier for some of these NBA players, just a few,
to move to the NFL. I think of Anthony Edwards.
I think I think Lebron rob I think Lebron would
(35:38):
have been a Hall of Fame football player had he
chosen to go to the NFL because he was phenomenal
in high school. Ain't Ohio, Well, Ohio was a football
Ohio is not a basketball state. It's amazing that Lebron
came from Ohio because it's not like one of the
basketball hot.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Beds, but it is a football state.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
It is a hotbed football state, top probably seven in
the country as far as states and high school football.
And so for him to be dominant, and I know
the school he went to, they were dominant football school
and basketball, but more so football.
Speaker 4 (36:14):
And he was great.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
So I think he went his speed, his size, he
is one I think would have been a
Speaker 4 (36:24):
Hall of Fame tight end or something like that.
Thanks for listening to the best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Bruso and Ron Parker.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
But Rob, let's stay there, and good news for the
Denver Nuggets. Jamal Murray will not be suspended. He will
be fined one hundred thousand dollars for throwing a heating
pad onto the court. I guess he was throwing it
at an official, but it landed on the court in
(00:52):
the middle of the painted area. No players stepped on it, fortunately,
but a couple came close. Rob the fan of me,
is glad that he's not suspended. I mean, I just
if Denver's gonna go down, I want him to go down,
you know.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
At full force if they can.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
You hate to see any series or game determined by
a player in availability, whether it's injury or suspension, whatever
it is. But I in this case, Rob to me
This is so egregious that if I'm the community, I
don't even care what the what the rule says. You
(01:36):
cannot throw something onto the court while players are playing,
and I would have suspended him for a game.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I just don't know how you don't.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I hate to say it because it's unfortunate, but I
don't know how you don't suspend somebody for that.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Well.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I just think you have to go by what you
have and your bylaws and your rules. You can't make
up rules as you go along if that's not because
if that's just a technical for doing that during the
regular thing, it has to be a technical. Now if
he does that in the regular season and he's just
going to be assessed a technical foul, then it's the
(02:13):
same thing. You can't go, oh, well, you can't do
that in a playoff game? Well, which one is it?
So now, because if they go back and re look
at this and decide that if somebody throws anything on
the court and it's going to be an automatic ejection
from the game and a suspension, then you can live
with that. But if I'm the players union and they
tried to suspend them, they wouldn't The league wouldn't have
(02:36):
a leg to stand on because there's no precedent for it.
There's no history of doing that. And I get it
what you're saying, but they've already they've made it to
where it's a misdemeanor and not a felony.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
That's the way it's written.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
What is it?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Because I know that's what the referee said, But there's
also been some reporting that they don't really have a
for that. Is that correct, ro because it's like, you
just don't antiicimp right exactly the rules of guys throwing
things in the crowd off the court but not on
Is that like right that?
Speaker 6 (03:13):
Yeah, there was no explicit rule as far as I
can tell that regulates objects being thrown by players onto
the court, because I don't think they ever anticipated this
situation ever occurring. I mean, I got like, yeah, But
the way that the official described the situation in the
post game, his feeling was if something was thrown on
(03:37):
the court, it would be an automatic technical because you're
interrupting the flow of the game. If it was thrown maliciously,
like I'm aiming this throw at Anthony Edwards, then that
would be an ejection. But official, yes, then it would
be an ejection. But because they said they could not
determine what his intention was, that they would not be
(04:00):
to eject him.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
And that's yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I mean that shows which I understand that they didn't
want to eject him or suspend him because you know,
it's a huge game. Denver has very little chance you
would think of winning without him, and they don't want
that to mar a series.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
I get that sentiment.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
But see what I mean, if you're gonna let player
rock and like we said, I'm going off of the
understanding that there is no cut and dried rule, that
it's just put then why.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
Would you Why do you think the NBA is is
doing this?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Because I think they want they don't want to suspend him,
and I think they're saying they're going, almost like a loophole, Well,
we can't determine his intention, and so they they really
believe that it don't matter what they really they don't
I don't think they want to suspend him.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
See here's my here's where I disagree with you. When
the rule with the knicks in the heat, that was okay,
but no, but I'm just saying, but the rule was
if you leave the bench you're gonna be suspended.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
The Knicks lost that series, they lost seven players.
Speaker 6 (05:11):
But.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
I don't even think they should have suspended. And I
think you go more by the spirit than they should
have suspended.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
They should have suspended.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
I remember that, Chris, and they should have suspended all
those players for one game instead of they took away
the Knicks.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
That was for both games, so many guys, it should
have been one game.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
You lose that game, you know what I mean, and
then you play game seven a full strength like they to.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You shouldn't have businessman, you ain't like down on the
whole other that was yeah, but that was David Stern.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
That's a whole different regime.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
I Robhram was right, Salon, you're not dangerous.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
That well, never say that. I'll never hear you say that.
That all.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
It's the first time ever.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
No, but a player could have easily stepped on that thing, slid,
maybe pulled a growing hamstring, turned an ankle, a knee injury.
I mean, and regardless of that rock, I don't think
that's any less ridiculous than a player just getting up
off the bench and walking on to the court and
playing like as a sixth player on the floor, Like, what.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
How in the world, What in the.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
World entered Jamal Murray's mind to think that he could
throw a heating pad at an official onto the court.
That's like lunacy. Nah, I get it, but I just
it doesn't to me.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
It didn't feel like they had a leg to stand
on it, because I believe if they really believe that
Jamal Murray got off.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
You think they believe what do you think they believe?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
I think that they don't have a precedent to do that.
I just don't think that if it hit it, pres
not to do it.
Speaker 7 (06:57):
If it hit the official he threw it and he
got up and threw it in his or threw it
right at his feet, Chris, then you got a different Uh,
you got a different take on it.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I just don't think that they can honestly look at
that and go, oh, yeah, you gotta get him out
of the game. He's not gonna play, because I don't
believe that. I don't believe that they're not doing it
just because I get the money part, and I brought
it up to Ephraim and and the NBA doesn't want sweeps,
you know that, Chris. They don't make money off of sweeps,
(07:30):
so that's not what they want for the league. I
just think in this case, they did the only thing
they could do. How is the only thing they could do?
Speaker 3 (07:38):
The Players Association would need to chill because you put
players in danger. No, I mean, you can't take one
player over ten. Yeah, they were out on the court.
We're in danger.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
But you also have to make sure that this is
what has been policy and done.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
There hasn't been a policy.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
You ever seen something like that?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You're telling me that nobody ever threw a ball through
something that I can't recall it, you don't remember it,
but it doesn't mean it didn't happen there.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
I haven't seen anything as egregious as that like that
that And again, I mean, I can't say I'm happy
about it, because it just leaves a bad taste in
my mouth that you don't suspend somebody for something like that.
But the competitive spirit, you know, I'm glad he's able
(08:26):
to play, just because it gives themver their best chance.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
But I rob I mean, that's.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
One of those egregious things to me that it's just
like there has to be a significant punishment and one
hundred thousand dollars there's really no amount. I don't care
if it's five hundred thousand to a player. It's just
not that big of a deal. But you know, well
he will be there and they will have their best
shot at the end of the day. Rob, he was
frustrated and so they have to shoo from the field.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Yeah, he's being hounded like crazy. He wasn't that. He
wasn't frustrated against the Lakers, and he wasn't shooting a
good percentage either.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
But they all up in his grill like there's a
reason they shooting poorly.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Rob.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
These dudes are so warming them. But we'll see, you know,
we'll see if they come back in Game three.
Speaker 5 (09:16):
Mike Malone have to figure something out.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
All he's a good coach, but their coaches are limited
to like, I mean, I don't see I'm looking at that.
I don't know what their answer is. I'm not a
head coach. But it's not just oh, just make some adjustment.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Man.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
These dudes are a lot longer and quicker than them.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
They're a lot faster, and they're tenacious.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
And Afra made a good point about if they did
that at altitude, what they gonna do at regular.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
You know, Sea level. Fox Sports Radio has the best
sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our
shows at Foxsports Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Search FSR to listen live.
Speaker 8 (09:57):
Hey, this is Tom Berducci from Fox Sports, MLB Network
and Sports Illustrated.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
And I'm Joe Madden, and we're going to be around
to talk a little bit about managerial decisions and what
may have occurred to the dugout maybe in the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 8 (10:09):
It's the Book of Joe podcasts. I can't wait for this, Joe.
We're going to dive into what goes on in the
dugout and behind the scenes in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Cars, wind, whatever else we want to talk about.
Speaker 8 (10:18):
Yeah, well, there are no boundaries, right. Listen to the
Book of Joe podcast on the iHeartRadio app, on Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Obviously, the Los Angeles Lakers have fired their coach, Darvin
Ham and it came up. I don't know if it
was a caller or how we got into it, but
why don't they just make Lebron the player coach?
Speaker 4 (10:40):
And I don't think that's possible today. I think there's
too many that has been done over. You know, it
used to be. It used to be commonplace to something.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
You know it was it was commonplace enough where it
wasn't that big of a deal in the sixties and seventies.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Quick when you hear that player coach, the first one
you think of Bill rethink of Bill Russell.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Yeah, yeah, I think but yeah, Bill Russell, he he
also won the championship, if not to doing as a
player coach.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
I always think of Joe Tory because I grew up,
you know, as a Mets fan in New York and.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
He was Chris, I didn't even know it happened. Yeah,
Joe Tory.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Joe Tory was a player coach who was like his
last year as a player, they made him the manager.
Frank Robinson, Chris, did you know that with the.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
With like I said, I didn't. I didn't. I wasn't
even thinking of any baseball Ye.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
Those are the only two that I remember in baseball,
those two.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
But anyway, rob none other than friend of the Show,
NBA champion as a player, part of the Showtime Lakers.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Uh and and the way it was copy in the
Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
He's look with all the respect to Michael Cooper, would
you agree with.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I'm saying the way it's
going on.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
I'm sure when Coop got in, he didn't think to himself,
how am I not?
Speaker 3 (12:06):
At No, he's better than Michael Cooper, there's no question.
And Cooper's good at what he did, but Virons Scott was.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Better and a former Coach of the Year. Yeah, Byron Scott.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
So he's you know, he's done it all in this
league for the most part, and so Byron, believe it
or not, said this on Undisputed today, would skip Bayless.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
My recommendation the next Laker coaching.
Speaker 9 (12:34):
Out of the eight or nine names that I've heard,
his name wasn't on there is make Lebron the coach.
I got nothing but love and respectful Lebron.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
I love him.
Speaker 9 (12:42):
I think he's one of the greatest players that ever
played this game. But it's obvious to me at least
that he's making a lot of decisions just going on
in this organization, no doubt, from a coaching standpoint.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
To a player standpoint.
Speaker 9 (12:53):
So if you're going to allow him to make those decisions,
sit on the bench and make those decisions as well.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Be the head coach. JJ ready you mean player coach
player head coach? Yeah, well it's Bills Wilkins. Rob, what
are your thoughts?
Speaker 5 (13:10):
Yeah? I did not hear the clip originally, Chris on
the show.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
You know what I mean because I asked Robbie about context,
and that makes sense. Byron Scott was a coach. He's
seen what has happened, right with all the coaches with Lebron.
That was a coach talking out of frustration about Oh
that's That's what I took from it.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Chris, No, I gotta be honest, it did kind of
he he tried to hide it, but he did just
make like, can we hear it again? Because I agree
with you it. See there's a little something in there
that was like, why.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
Don't you just be the coach?
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Did right? You got everybody run out of town or whatever?
Speaker 3 (13:48):
And we might be wrong, but go ahead, Rob, you
play it just one more time.
Speaker 9 (13:53):
My recommendation the next Laker coaching out of the eight
or nine names that I've heard, his name was NONI
is make Lebron the coach. I got nothing but love
and respect for Lebron.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
I love him.
Speaker 9 (14:04):
I think he's one of the greatest players I've ever
played this game. But it's obvious to me at least
that he's making a lot of decisions just going on
in this organization, no doubt, from a coaching standpoint.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
To a player standpoint.
Speaker 9 (14:15):
So if you're going to allow him to make those decisions,
sit on the bench and make those decisions as well,
be the head coach, JJ Reddy, you mean player coach
player head coach?
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Yeah, well, Bill Wilkins, I felt like there was we
could be wrong, Rob, but I tend to agree with you.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Yeah, And I'm not mad at him, you know, I'm
just saying there's a there's a degree of frustration in that.
You know, every time they lose, you know, somebody's got
to lose their job no matter what. So what if
Darvinham won the end season tournament?
Speaker 5 (14:49):
So what if Frank Vogel won a championship?
Speaker 2 (14:52):
So what?
Speaker 5 (14:52):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Like that, that's that's what it seems to be, like,
it doesn't make any sense. I'm just curious, Chris. I'm
kind of with you that times have changed so much.
I'm not so sure a guy can do both. It
was a times were simpler back then, like when they had.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
That's that's an understatement, am I right?
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Like just that's an understand you know what, you know
what I mean, Yeah, it's just gosh, it's not even
they used to be Chris, there used to be a
head coach and two coaches.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
They got nine coaches now and sitting on the bench.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
More than that, right, Yeah, you got five on the bench,
five behind the bench.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
You got it. I mean, it's ridiculous.
Speaker 10 (15:32):
There used to be two coaches one coach, yes, and
that was it. I just like, like, like, it's just
so much going on. And Chris, we used to watch
practice and shoot around and you know what I mean, Like,
my god, like like seriously, so I don't know if
a player, even if Lebron's ilk could do it.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
I'm just not sure that that it's doable.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
I count forty guys in the history of the NBA
that were player coaches. It was, like I said, it
was commonplace in the fifties, sixties, and seventies. Yes, here's
some of the names. You might be surprised as some
of these ants. Bob Pettitt not just one year, but
still Slater Martin, who you know, I think he dunk
(16:22):
from the free throw line, I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
I might be mixing him up with somebody else.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Red Holtzman for a year Milwaukee Hawks, Alex Hannam, who's
a legendary coach, one year with the Saint Louis Hawks
as a player coach, Dick McGuire with.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
The Pistons, Drive for two years, wow or one year?
I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Dave Cowens. I think Cowens was the last one. And
he did it in the seventy eight seventy nine season. Now, Rob,
that was the year before Larry Bird went. So Cowens
is the last player coach ever. And Robed that team
was the Lay didn't. They were a little older, but
(17:03):
still Lay didn't with Hall of famers and they won
twenty seven games.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
And here's something else we just need to throw.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Darl Shay's Bob Coozy, Bill Russell, Dave de Busher quickly.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
I'm gonna throw the Lenny Wilkins, Richie Garrett, Lenny Wilkins.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
So a lot of these guys were you know, household
names that were player coaches.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
And here here's why Lebron can't be a player coach.
So the current NBA players can no longer Chris be
player coaches. After the salary cap was instituted in nineteen
eighty four eighty five, the NBA prohibited teams from employing
a player coach.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
So that's why.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
So it's not even possible now. But I just think
it's a fun conversation.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
I just want to make sure that people know that, right,
you can't do it.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
I'm gonna keep it real. I don't think it's possible today.
Sure you could do. I mean, let's say it wasn't
against the rule. Somebody could try, Rob. I think it
would be a disaster because there is so you said it.
What was film study like in the sixties, you know,
(18:13):
compared to today? I mean coaches after the game, they're
on the plane looking at film, breaking it down for
the film study the next day.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
Now you could.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
It is true that you could just have your crew, right,
you got your staff and they break down the.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
Film and then you leave the film session.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
But Rob, I would the coaches look at the film
before they show it to the team. You gotta know
what you want to emphasize and highlight. Is a player
really gonna do all that? Is a player gonna break
down a full half of basketball? To say the least? Rob,
(18:57):
when I was in film sessions in college. We would
go it would take us an hour to get through
six minutes of the game. Coaches just stop every there's
always a mich.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
Top right here, stop right here, stop right here.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
It's a player doing that. And then here's the other thing.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
And this is why, the real reason why I don't
think it's possible.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
What about the egos. Egos are bigger than ever.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I don't say that like we're worse than the previous generation,
but I mean because of the money, rob because of
the branding, because of the endorsements. If a player gets
in the way of my like he benches me, and
I'm upset, and now my endorsements are are falling off
(19:47):
or I'm in a contract year, I need to play
and put up numbers.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
And a teammate, a teammate is making sure.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
I thought I'm mad at the coach, but if a
teammate is doing it, I'm really ticked off.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
You see. The egos is too much.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Yeah, I just I think it would be very very difficult.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
But but Byron Scott, I got his sentiment. I really
did like like it ate as easy Byron Scott. We
remember Chris, Uh what happened with him with the nets.
I mean, they went to the championship twice, right, and
he didn't. He he got fired and he got fired
from there.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Yep, yep.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
I just think Rob, it's you said it. It was
such a simpler time the NBA. I mean, every like
you said they had two.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
Coaches, they had two coaches, Chris.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
And you know where they were after the games, the coaches,
they were at the hotel bar with the sports teams, Chris, that's.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
What they weren't breaking down film.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
I was on those uh uh, you know, I was
on those flights. They weren't private planes or whatever. They
were just your standard.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
And that was nearly a decade essentially a decade after.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
Oh yeah, when.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
I was flying commercial Chris with teams with the nets
and the knicks. You know, that was in the eighties,
you know what I mean, in the early nineties and
what the Pistons were the first team to have a private.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
I mean, and I'm gonna keep it real too, there's
some really good coaches out there, and they are really
I mean you look at look at Oklahoma City Mark
dagnag Coach of the Year. Rob that dude, I mean,
he's a big part of why that team is so good.
Tom Thibodeaux, He's a big part of why the New
(21:36):
York Knicks are doing what they're doing. You you you
know how some of these dudes are now they maybe
they're doing it a little more than they have to,
because some of these guys will get in at six am, Rob,
and leave it, you know, seven to eight pm.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
Me, they just don't want to be at home someone.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
Right, but they living on watching film. And you mean
to tell me you think a player who may want
to still kick it.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
Now.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Lebron's married, he's got kids, so he might be different.
But Rob, I'm sorry, I don't think the player is
trying to break down that type of stuff.
Speaker 4 (22:14):
No, they watch the film.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Lebron, I know, watches films, but he ain't watching film
like a coach.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
I don't believe.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
Yeah, I'd be surprised if that kind of effort was
put in because it just doesn't seem like the effort
that these guys put in with there, all of the
chrisse he talked about, all the assistant for the more
video people, right, yeah, the coach video coacher. Yeah, I mean,
it's incredible what they're looking at they don't have the
(22:42):
same feed that we watch on television. Is a different feed,
right to see different things and what you're looking for.
It's it's it's it's very intense, and it's very thorough.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
And rob It has rubbed some players the wrong way,
some teammates of Lebron the wrong way that he actually
has that type of power with the front office or
the coaching staff. Imagine if he is the coaching staff
or you know, the coach. It's just too I just
think in today's world where these players, even if I'm
(23:18):
not a star, I still am probably making some money away,
you know what I mean. I got things going on
that I'm benefiting from because of my position in the
game that a coach could keep me from getting if
he doesn't play me as much as I think he should.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Or whatever. So I just think it could lead to
a lot of.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
Turmoil.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
Players don't like you anymore.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
You know, they might not like the coach, but at
least they can bind with some of the teammates. The
coach is not out there with me playing, you know,
we can bind together against our coach to something. I mean, honestly,
if we all think the coach can't coach. We can
still bind together against him and try to win in
spite of him. Right, what if that coach is a teammate.
(24:11):
Now the team is with half the dudes are his boys.
They with him. The other half are like, man, this dude,
come on, man, I gotta get paid. I need to
make this All Star team so I can get the
Supermax or whatever it is.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
I need.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
I'm up for a contract after this. I need to impress.
I need to put up numbers. And you standing in
my way. I just think it would be there's all
types of land minds for a player coach, and I'm
actually glad it's not possible today that they It.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
Is against the rules.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
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Speaker 3 (24:57):
Rob we were talking on Shop Talk about of beefs
Shannon versus Shack and Kendrick versus Drake and so on and
so forth, and I said, there's one out there that
I'm we're missing, and this was it, Austin Reed Rivers
versus James Jones. And it really was kind of at
(25:18):
least initially Austin rivers versus the entire NFL.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
But here's what Austin said to get himself in I
guess hot water.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
We got to get you outside of that football lane, man,
where the guaranteed contracts are, where the best athletes in
the world are.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
That's us.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
I can take thirty players right down in the NBA
and throw them in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
You cannot take thirty NFL players and put them in
the NBA. Whoa five on the court. Let's just let's
all relay. You get a break every play. I got
to just catch the ball and run north or south.
A't like.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
I mean, look, we talked about this, right, Austin overstated
and look they're in an argument or you know, just
excited kindversation. He probably didn't mean thirty literally, but it's
probably more like between five and ten. Rob that could
play in the NFL, like now that you could take
and put him in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
But that sparked.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Obviously NFL players didn't like it, and Rob g take
it from here because it has been back and forth
with several guys, but mostly James Jones, our own FS
one Fox Sports colleague.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
James Jones. Yeah, you've had Chris Packers.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
Chris Long, JJ Watt, Jeff Schwartz, the Weekend got here
all going, George Reiser got in involved in it. But
the one has been the most vocal has been FS
one's James Jones, former Packers wide receiver.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
So he first took really.
Speaker 6 (26:43):
Offense to it when the audio first came out and
he was saying some of the effect of Austin needs
to put more respect on our sport.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
It's not an easy game.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
If you would have came out there, you would have
quit immediately because you would have got broken.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Talked about soft.
Speaker 6 (26:56):
NBA players are Austin Rivers responded is He didn't like
that to say, I never heard of you talking about
I barely made the NBA. But I was a lot
of repick, like what are you saying? Then, James Jones
felt like he dropped the hammer because he suggested that
Austin Rivers was a bust. He is suggest well saying
it Austin Rivers is a bus. You averaged nine points
(27:17):
a game too rebounds to assist only because your dad
where you were taking in a lot of Rako says,
I'm not going to go back and forth. You if
I was six four two hundred, maybe you should have
tried football. You might have had a better career. And
then Austin Rivers came over on the top rope and
today he said, I'm not talking about it anymore, but
if we want to talk numbers, let's talk about the
fifty seven million I made in my career and then
you made seventeen and I made more than that in
(27:40):
one season. So it's been going on all week. I
think this is the end of it. But that's the
gist of it, your thoughts, what you're thinking about. I
feel bad for people that this is what I mean.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
I just don't understand like people people need, I guess
feel like they need something to be worked up about.
So what if he thinks that there's and Chris, you
could have a conversation about it, But now you get
all personal. I don't understand that part of it. You
want to have a debate or have a conversation. When
you get in the name cut we we talk about
(28:18):
it's the lowest common denominator. When you get into name
calling and and all kinds of other situations, that's when
I turn off, Like if you want to have a debate,
and and if and if I'm if if Austin Rivers
laid out Chris, well, let me name a couple of
players who played basketball and not football in college and
they wind up being uh, pro football Hall of famers
(28:40):
or you know whatever it is, right and then and
then the other comeback is, well, what about like like
they could be an argument or conversation, but but to
go like gutter and and and foul right away, that's
when I tune out.
Speaker 5 (28:54):
I just I'm not interested in that stuff. And I
know a lot of people are into it.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
I talked about it before Lowest I'm a denominator, Chris,
and people are into that stuff.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
I'm just not and maybe I'm just too old. That
stuff doesn't do anything for me.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
No people are into it. It's entertaining for a lot
of people. And I agree, like debates are fine, back
and forth are fine, But even like I said, with
Kendrick and Drake, I mean, it just devolved into such
just dark name calling accusation.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Found that they are.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Right like a pedophile, like, right, you better have receipts
with that stuff.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
He need receipts for too, like.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
You know, and so yeah, I agree, and this, Look,
I get why NFL players were offended, because.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
It does.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
I mean, if it if somebody said, you know a
lot of these NFL guys could go to the NBA
and and play well, the NBA players would be offended.
You know, that's your profession. Man, You're one of only
a handful that got to that level, and you know
how hard it is, and you know how much harder
(30:15):
the NFL is physically, at least, you know, as far
as the collisions, the hits and stuff like that than
the NBA.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
So I get why they're.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Upset, But I think you make a good point that
you know, you want to just keep it on the
on the credentials, and I mean James called him a buck.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
He just went he went at his credentials, you know.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
And and I do think Robin fairness, if somebody just said,
I mean, you get upset with that with athletes that
jump jump into media because you're like, look, I know
what it took to get to where we're at and
be journalists. I don't have I don't have a problem
with in there.
Speaker 5 (30:54):
I don't have a problem with people being analysts.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
I'm talking about when they prop them up and act
like they're reporters or that.
Speaker 4 (31:01):
But that's similar.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
That's really no different an NFL player being upset because
Austin Rivers said, man, we could take thirty of these.
Speaker 5 (31:11):
Cats, but.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
At least he has some examples. That's all I'm saying
is like his is not that Antonio Gates is probably
Who's the other player we talked about earlier?
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Another one's played a little Jimmy Pepper's.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Yeah, like they most of them played in college both
sports football and basketball.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
So but still, I mean, I do think there.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Are NBA guys that could play in the NFL. I
think you could take some and you gave him a
training camp, maybe a year to get ready, and they
would be able to do it. But I also think
from it for NFL players, I don't think you could
just take I don't know if you could take hardly
(31:57):
any if any NFL players and they could play in
the NBA, like with a year of training or something
like that. But I do think they're NFL players that
had they chosen basketball instead of football when they went
to college, that I think there might be something that
could have made the NBA because rob, you know, I mean,
(32:18):
Deon Sanders was a fantastic basketball player as well.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
As baseball and football in high school.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
A lot of these dudes were high school basketball stars,
Greg Jennings, Rom Greg Jenny's on our show All the Time. Rob.
He got recruited by Michigan State to play basketball. So
like Greg was a great player in Michigan where they
got Hoopers, he from play basketball too.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
He from playing basketball in college.
Speaker 5 (32:43):
So doesn't mean that they were going to make it
to the NBA.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
A lot of guys but back then, Chris, a lot
of good athletes play multiple sports. It doesn't mean that
they were going to be And then for the most part,
people pick, you know, sports because they know what they're
really best in. It's funny, I told you you know,
or their size or whatever.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
You can look at what they think it's easier to
make it to the league. You know.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
I think I told the story before about David Justice
went to college as on a basket to play basketball,
and they random Chris, they were doing the drills and
all that.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
He just he didn't want to do them. And he
went and he saw the.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Baseball team over there playing and just decided to go
out for the.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
Team and drinking beer and the dugout, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
And and but he made it to the major league
because he a scout was at a game where he
hit two home runs out of the ballpark, Chris, and
that was it.
Speaker 5 (33:33):
That really is all he said.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
That's how they're fantastic athletes.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
And so you know a lot of them, could you know,
maybe play a different sport. But yeah, it's it's interesting
because beef is definitely in the air. I don't know
what's going on round. I mean, you and I have
a show based on beef, The Odd Couple, based on
(33:58):
debating and going out, and we don't go at it
like these.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
These dudes are like you know what I mean, and
it's so personal. I just don't like, isn't it, Chris.
Speaker 5 (34:07):
It just seemed like a real personal.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
Well opinion And I'm not gonna get on.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Let's not get we can get on a high horse
maybe individually, but look, we see two of our two journalists,
one of ours is a great friend of ours, Stephen A.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
And what I didn't like that with him and with
Black really, yeah, I don't like that either. I mean,
it got it got ugly.
Speaker 5 (34:29):
I didn't like that either.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Because I don't generally like, I don't see it as
my place to. I mean, get in beefs with other reports.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
If you have an issue to me, if you want
to have a conversation privately, or you want to yell
at each other on the phone for five minutes, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (34:48):
But the public part of it, I guess, is what
I have an issue with.
Speaker 3 (34:53):
Because at the end of the day, rib you're entertaining people,
You're just entertaining. And I don't mean like a in
a good way necessarily, right, people like, Yeah, it's like
people are and sometimes people are laughing at you. Sometimes
people think it's ridiculous, but it's entertaining, you know, and
(35:16):
so you know. But I think ultimately what I'm saying
is I do think they're I think it would be
easier for some of these NBA players, just a few,
to move to the NFL. I think of Anthony Edwards.
I think I think Lebron rob I think Lebron would
(35:38):
have been a Hall of Fame football player had he
chosen to go to the NFL because he was phenomenal
in high school. Ain't Ohio, Well, Ohio was a football
Ohio is not a basketball state. It's amazing that Lebron
came from Ohio because it's not like one of the
basketball hot.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Beds, but it is a football state.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
It is a hotbed football state, top probably seven in
the country as far as states and high school football.
And so for him to be dominant, and I know
the school he went to, they were dominant football school
and basketball, but more so football.
Speaker 4 (36:14):
And he was great.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
So I think he went his speed, his size, he
is one I think would have been a
Speaker 4 (36:24):
Hall of Fame tight end or something like that.
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