Chris and Rob tell us why Jayson Tatum is right when he says that the Boston Celtics aren’t a real ‘Super Team’ and share their thoughts on this Shannon Sharpe-Shaquille O’Neal beef in this week’s edition of Shop Talk. Plus, Boston Globe national NBA writer Gary Washburn swings by to discuss the Celtics’ inexplicable Game 2 loss at home to the Cleveland Cavalier, why Tatum has been struggling (by his standards) in this postseason and much more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
to catch us live every weekday from seven pm to
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Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let's get this, punnies, you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
It is The Odd Couple Hour number two on a
funky Flashback Friday. We want you to keep it locked
here for the next two hours. You won't be sorry.
We got Gary Washburn covers the Boston Celtics and the
entire NBA. He's the national NBA writer for the Boston Globe,
so great day to have him on. We, of course,
are live from the tire right dot Com studios. Tire
(00:55):
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and Rob the way that Boston.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Celtics should be is a little more consistent.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Now I get that they're not gonna necessarily win every
playoff game. Because you do jump out to a huge,
great start doesn't mean anything.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I've seen teams.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
I saw Lebron's Calves at times jump out to great
starts in the playoffs. This is his first go round
with the Calves and still lose in the conference finals, and.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
So yeah, it doesn't matter where.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
I remember, we saw the Celtics when they won their
last championship in two thousand and eight. They went seven
games in each of the first two rounds and then
six in the conference finals against Detroit.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
I remember when it looks like they're gonna lose to
the Hawks the first round. I mean, it was it
was nip and tuck. Anybody who thinks that they knew
for sure that they were advancing, Oh, I remember.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
I mean they blasted them in game seven. But you're right,
I mean they it was up in the air, and
so you know, you can't necessarily make a judgment. Sometimes
things do play out the way they look, but other times,
you know, a team will still be fine despite a
few bad bumps in the road here in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
Two.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah, absolutely, we both think the Celtics still are the
best team in the East and will win the East
and I think most people feel that way, Robed. But
last night they got us shellacked at home, and that's
what makes it so devastating is that it was at home.
They've lost home court advantage. They're the one seed, Cleveland's
the four seed, and the Cavs went in there and
(02:50):
beat them one to eighteen to ninety four, and.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
The Celtics were thirteen and a half point favors last Yeah,
I mean, rob.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
That was the biggest let's see, the biggest loss in
terms of points, margin of victory or margin of.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Defeat, right by a team that was favored that much?
Is that right? But his nineteen ninety one, Yeah, I
mean thirteen and a half and you lose by twenty
what twenty four? Yeah, you lose back? I mean yeah,
what does some turnaround that swing that is? Yeah? Yeah? Yeah,
yeah twenty was it twenty? Yeah? Twenty four points?
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Remember, we don't know anyway, we were a journalist.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Anyway.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Jason Tatum spoke after the game. Was it ticked off
in his mind? I think he was being fairly matter
of fact.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
But here's what he said.
Speaker 6 (03:43):
The narrative desperate he might see on TV, the idea
that we have a super Team twofold, Right, we didn't
have to Coach of the Year, we didn't have MVP,
we only had two All Stars. So stay we're a
super team, but you know we didn't get rewarded like
we are.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
I don't know what that is. I don't know what
that is.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Well, I try to decipher. I don't think Rob that
he's talking about super team in the vein of the
Miami Heat with Lebron, Wade and Bosh, the Golden State
War and Durant, Right, would you agree to you? Do
you think he's talking about that or not. I think
(04:30):
he's talking about talking about.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Us, But the super team is not. They're really good.
They won Look at all the games they won, I
mean like like.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Right, And I think that's what he said.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
I think he's saying there's this notion out there that
we're world beaters and we're just gonna run through everybody,
and that's why he brought up the you know, we
didn't have the Coach of the Year. Now, some of
that might be kind of a jab Rob at the media.
We won sixty four games, we don't have a Coach
of the Year. We don't have anybody winning any of
these awards, you know, could be a slight little you know,
(05:02):
what are y'all doing? But here's my grand takeaway from this, Rod.
That's not what I want to hear from my best player.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
I don't want to hear.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
I don't mind that he's not distraught and up in
arms because we lost the game. Okay, keep your composure, fine,
but Rob, I don't need to hear him talking about
essentially we're not as good as everybody says we are. Now,
maybe he's being a bit sarcastic and you know, having fun.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I don't know, but I just don't think that's the
right thing to say. Now.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
They'll probably come out in game three in roll, but
I don't think that's the right thing to say that
we're really not all that y'all been saying we are.
But so again, I think he's probably playing around with
the media, like, well, what what is it?
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Are we really this good?
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Are we supposed to twenty points or whatever? That's but
that's not really it's.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Said the commentary you want to hear.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
Yeah, I just to me, it's dude, we got our
bus kicked tonight.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
We're gonna clean this up. We're better than this.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
We we're gonna go and do it, you know what
I mean, Chris, That's that's all people want take responsibility
of the loss, right, we didn't do what we were
supposed to do.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
We did.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
We couldn't make a basket to save our lives or
the three point eight for thirty five or whatever it was.
We were better than this. We had a terrible shooting
night and nothing went down for us, and we can
regroup and we'll be we'll do better. We're one of
the best three point shooting teams. I believe in my teammates.
I believe that we'll you know what I mean, Chris
play play better the next game. And we had a
(06:49):
bad day at the office. But it's not This doesn't
derail us from where we're trying to go. That's that
I got that.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I mean it's almost like he and game the media
a little too much, just not necessarily. Yeah, he engaged in, well,
you know, y'all think we ain't gonna lose a game like.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
That whole thing.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Oh we lost, So now y'all think about dude, that's
not it right, you lost the game.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
He was in trying to kind of defend that we're human.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
It happens, and we get it. It happens, right.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Sometimes you're misshot, sometimes you're having off night. That's kind
of essentially I think his mindset. But he went overboard
in talking about, hey.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
It happens. I mean, we we ain't all that anyway.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I mean, that's what ye right, we didn't have you know,
an MVP or even a top five MVP candidate. You know,
we're we're I mean, we're struggling, like the rest of
these things.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
We're vanilla ice cream. What do you want, strawberry?
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Here's one of the And you know, I've talked about
this all year with the Celtics that one of the
things that bothers me is I think they are over
reliance on the three point shot. And they can certainly
score in other ways. You know, they've got got you know,
Porzingers who's out right now, but he can post, and
(08:15):
you know, they can play in the mid range and
you know, things like that. But and you saw this
last night, Rob. One of the things that does bother
me with the Celtics, in addition to them attempting so
many threes, is that when they're threes aren't falling that
(08:37):
obviously when you shoot the most threes in the league
when essentially half of your shots are three point attempts.
Almost they take ninety shots a game in the regular season,
forty two in the of them are threes, so they're
almost at fifty to fifty. And so when you take
that many threes and you're off, which is gonna happen,
(08:59):
that's just the nature of jump shooting, then you're gonna
have a tough day at the office.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
But I think what makes it even worse, Rob.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
And what compounds it is that when they miss threes,
they it's like they go into a funk. It's like
their execution suffers, their defensive effort suffers, they're just like
out of it because their shots aren't falling, and it's
like they feel sorry for themselves, or they mope, or
(09:30):
they get in adulgrums or whatever it may be.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
And that can't happen, Rob, That cannot happen.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
And the interesting thing with Boston Robb is every one,
every single one.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Of their playoff victories.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
This season, then they're five and two in the playoffs,
every single one of them has been a blowout, every
single one, and they're not gonna run to the NBA
a championship by blowing everybody out. And so when they
get in a tough game, when they get into a
(10:08):
game like the Knicks.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Play like that's not my stream.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
They meet, Yeah, and it comes down to one or
two possessions or one or two plays at the end
of the game, it's gonna be interesting to see how
they fare. And we know their best player has struggled
in the clutch, Jason Tatum. But it's gonna be interesting,
That's what really And yes, that.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Was Yeah, it wasn't the tight kid. They just got
got blown out. Yeah that was that.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
I mean, it's all it does, Chris, and and it's
just one game, and it doesn't matter if you lose
by one or by twenty or what you lost, Okay,
but it just gives people more and more reason to
question them because it seems like games that they should
be able to win or expected to win, sometimes they
(10:57):
just don't and you can't figure it out, like like
they're too good out of you know what I mean,
Like like if they went on this was in Boston,
this was a game, like I said, the Vegas gave
people thirteen and a half points, you know, Chris for
a reason, you know, like, really they really believe, oh no,
that this they're not gonna be able to do anything
(11:18):
with this team in Boston like that, that is the
thinking behind it.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
And you think Vegas just giving away points right right.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Well, Rob, they're fourteen and fourteen at home in the
playoffs the last three years.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Yeah, there you go, and those are those moments, Chris,
are for a good team, right, There's just no reason
you're supposed to be five hundred on the road, right
and dominate at home. That's the formula. You're not gonna
win on the games on the road. We all know that.
I don't care how good you are, it's hard to
win on the road.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Yep, you're absolutely right.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
And so so you're really hurting yourselves, right because you're
you really playing like you don't have any home court
advantage and that it's gonna be big going forward for them.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
So, Chris, did you want to know?
Speaker 1 (12:04):
I think they'll win the East, and I think they'll
likely get me. I want to see who they end
up matching up with. But I don't see them winning
the championship. I'm not saying it's impossible, because again, it.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Just doesn't take it great right now. Yeah, I know.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
But but yeah, did you cover I'm trying to do
your time frame. Did you have a cover games at
the old Boston Garden?
Speaker 3 (12:26):
No?
Speaker 4 (12:27):
No, okay, because that was that's after you Yeah, TV,
when you got Chris that place that that was a small,
intimate fourteen thousand cramped rats everywhere.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
It was dumb. Could you see rats? No?
Speaker 4 (12:40):
But the story that I always remember was it just
felt I think I saw a mouse there.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
I never saw a rat.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
But but once they did the shellacking on the parquet floor,
you know, to put down like the Chris and and
they so they did it overnight, came back the next morning,
rats were stuck to the floor. You never heard that
from running you know, run night. Do you know that's
what That's what they said. They came up. One of
the Boston writers told me. You know, they came back
the next morning after putting down the shellac and they
(13:08):
stuck everywhere.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Well, I know that.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
You know, there's stories obviously about the visiting locker room
being freezing. I think right was it was that the
word freezing in the visiting locker room. And then the
waters the showers was just cold water, like no hot water.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
And it was me, but it was.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
But that and the old Chicago Stadium, you know, did
you I didn't I.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Cover games at the Chicago State. I cover games though
at the Spectrum Form with the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Wasn't that great?
Speaker 1 (13:44):
No, I mean, and you know better than me, But
I know of those two which were legendary arenas. And
then you throw in Chicago and Boston, like you said,
those places were, with all due respect, dumps.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
They were.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
They were that no other way to look at I'm
dead serious, Like the like the Great Western Form, Chris
looked beautiful on the outside, Oh not a great place inside? No, No,
Boston wasn't. Chicago wasn't Nope, nope. And I'm trying to
compare it to nowadays. Oh god, I mean, really any
of the old arenas.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
And at that time, at least when I start covering
the league, there were some new arenas. Cleveland had a
new arenas, Minnesota had the New Arena, and so you know,
you were seeing these state of the art buildings and
then you're going to these old you know, I mean,
you know, the La Coliseum where the Clippers played. You know,
that wasn't so anything to write home about, all right,
(14:39):
It's the Odd Couple. Chris and Robb eight seven, seven
ninety nine on Fox. Your thoughts about the Celtics? Are
you concerned? Are you think it's just nothing?
Speaker 3 (14:48):
You know?
Speaker 1 (14:48):
To take seriously, brush it off. They'll be fine. What
are your thoughts on the Celtics? Eight seven seven ninety
nine on Fox Chris and robbed the Oka.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR
to listen live.
Speaker 7 (15:10):
Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called All Ball.
We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's
more about the stories about what made these people love
their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way.
We talked to coaches, we talked to players, We tell
you stories. You download it, you listen to it.
Speaker 8 (15:29):
I think you like it.
Speaker 7 (15:30):
Listen to All Ball with Doug Gottlieb on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
All right, it's the A couple of Christmas.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Are Rob Parker on a funky Flashback Friday. As we
bring you into the weekend, we got Gary Washburn, Boston
Globe National NBA writer joining us at the bottom of
the hour, and then a fun shop talk Shannon Sharp
and Shack Beefin. We'll get into that, but first your
(16:02):
thoughts if you want to weigh in on the Boston
Celtics eight seven, seven.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Ninety nine on Fox and Rob Caitlyn Clark.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
We we've talked at nauseum about what will the impact
be that she has on the WNBA. Will she have
the impact that everybody's assuming she will have, or will
she kind of fade away like a lot of the
great players have in the WNBA who were wonderful college
players but weren't able to.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Really put the WNBO on the map, so to speak.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
Well, Rob in her first preseason game in Indiana, so
her first home preseason game.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
She is at the Knicks Pacers game.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
By the way, they showed her on TV ROB for
a preseason game on a Thursday night, thirteen thousand fans.
Now here's the perspective, and it was at the Pace Arena.
Last year the fever, the Indiana Fever.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
The WNBA team.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Averaged four thousand fans per game last year, so that
is significant. That is an absolute boost to say the least.
So so far, Robin, we haven't even started the real season,
but so far, the Caitlin Clark effect is in full effect.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
I think she's just as I said to you before,
she's the Hallam globe trotter.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
She will attract people.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
I don't think that there's even any issue about that
of people who want to see her who didn't get
to see her during the college if they come to
you know what I mean, she comes to that town
or whatever. Yeah, it's the rest of the league that
we're talking about, her team.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
And the game she plays in.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
For at least in the beginning, Chris, people are gonna
want to see what can she do? She putting up
the logo threes you know what I mean? All that
they will be in and there's no there's a there
will be tickets. It's the second time around, the third
time around.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Like the initial yes, well that that wants you like
you said initially, of course, and then she will have
to play really well. Like I was just talking with
Alex doing a break about it, and.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Als was talking about the w NBA. Yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
We I think Rob he was kind of saying if
she's dominant, that.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Could hurt because people will be like, well, what's the competition.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
I'm like, no, I think the best thing for her
for the w they want to see a ball up well,
be if she is dominant. If she if she averages
twenty four and nine assists as a rookie, and the
Indiana Fever are good, like they need her to be dominant, Rob,
And I think if she is, you're right, I mean,
(19:01):
but that's all you can ask for is that people.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Go to her games.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
And if people really go to her games, and then
you know she's playing really well, and then in the
playoffs they want to see her play, that will spread
out to the other game, other teams, It'll spread out,
and Rob, it might put again in college, You've got
(19:27):
players now because of her to some degree, to a
large degree, like Becker's page, Becker's in at Yukon Juju
Watkins at USC, that people are gonna be watching for
and so then when they enter the league, like she
could have a whole trickle down effect where yeah, it
(19:48):
starts with just people going to the Fever games, but
then it spreads out because I think, I mean, obviously
the NBA was in pretty good shape when Michael Jordan
joined it. But when he joined it, that didn't have
an impact on the Sacramento Kings ticket sales.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
But eventually, because.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
People fell in love with him and he was so
great and he brought so many casual fans, it does
trickle down to everybody else.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
I think that's what they're hoping with the w n
b A.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
I'm my thing would be just curious of the preseason
game or whatever, what was the attendance around the rest
of the league.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
If people are well again, I mean, I don't even
know how you expect. I don't. I'm hurt that to
have an effect on the rest of the league.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
But the rest of the other game. There was another
preseason game that day five, which is which is what
the league right, Which is what the league is right.
And I'm just saying I agree.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
But don't you.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Think if she's if she's let's say at your point,
she don't other teams don't sell more than they did
last year, but the fever blow up, don't you think
if she's really good, that that's going to impact eventually
the rest of the league.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
I'm not sure. I'm really not.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
I mean, she did ask about about but I want
to see after people have seen her in person once
or twice.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Is it okay if you don't get tired of seeing
a great play. I'm just saying.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
I mean, people wanted to keep seeing Lebron, they want
to keep seeing Michael.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
I just and I get it.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
She's not I'm not saying she's that, but she is
fun to watch. She's not just piling up points. That's
not what's fun to watch.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
I have to believe it just for me to think
that she's going to sell out every single one of
her games for the next thirteen do you know what
I mean?
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I don't know that that's even. I mean, certainly they
can hold more near arena. I don't know if they
put tarp on the top or not know.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
That, but that sounds like about right, Chris NBA arenas
aren't that big, right or they No, they're bigger there?
Speaker 1 (21:43):
They hold rough eighteen? I mean, yeah, anywhere from eighteen
or over twenty. You know, average is browady in nineteen twenty.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
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 1 (22:02):
It's our next guest, Friend of the show. Friend of
ours personally does a fantastic job covering the NBA for
the Boston Globe, one of the best in the business.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Our man, Gary Wasshburn, Gary Brother.
Speaker 9 (22:16):
What's up, guys doing good minute?
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (22:19):
Yeah, yeah, I'm stop avoiding us, you know what I mean,
come on on the show once in a while.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
I gotta go here, Gary, Rob.
Speaker 9 (22:28):
I mean, you know, man, I'm just I'm so happy
for you guys. Man Chrissy's doing great things.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Thank you, man, man, thank you.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Yes, yeah, Gary, I gotta say this And I laughed.
I think I feel like on your behalf when I
don't know what it was two months ago, maybe when
Lebron was talking like he was upset that he didn't
win the Unana's MVP and I know who didn't vote
for me?
Speaker 3 (22:54):
And I'm outing like I'm like everybody.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Know, everybody know? Like did you laugh chuckle at that?
Like what is what is going on? Like Lebron think
he got some secret that nobody knows.
Speaker 9 (23:06):
Yeah, yeah, it's kind of funny. And I've seen Lebron obviously.
I mean it's ten years ago, eleven years ago. Now.
So I've seen him, interviewed him several times, seen him
in a couple of the theres several times over the years.
We've really never talked about it. He knows the situation,
so it's not like he's confronted me and said, you
know the thing. He's been first class with me, so,
(23:27):
you know, it was kind of funny to hear him
say that Boston, Boston with Boston and you know, I'm hoping,
you know, some of the things that could have come
out that people couldn't believe, and you know, nobody really
asked me, so it hits that tailor they don't believe anyway,
Like it's honestly voting how I wanted to vote. You know,
they had nothing against Lebron.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
But I had a great year that year. There's no
doubt you.
Speaker 9 (23:51):
Had a great year. The Knicks went to the second
round and won the Atlantic Division. You know, so we
can go over that. But yeah, that's kind of that
was my that was my option. But yeah, I thought
it was funny. You know, we'll see what happens to
the documentary.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
If you're gonna be in there, there will be a
slander on you.
Speaker 9 (24:11):
I won't be like the Bill Belichick with the Patriots.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Right right, right, let's start.
Speaker 9 (24:17):
My mama won't be mad at them like that.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Let's get to the Celtics gear and I read your
column off last night's game.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
I mean, Gary, they exasperate me.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
And I still think they're the best team in the
East and they'll win the East. But and I'm not
I get it kind of what Jason Tatum was saying,
You're not gonna win every or you you know, you
don't always win every game in the playoffs Miami. We
know they lost game two at home. Oh my, I
even thought, wow, what is going on? And of course
they routed them the next three games. So I'm not
(24:49):
saying they're not gonna win this series or the East.
But why do they have nights like this? They're not
up and down, because generally they're up, but but sometimes
they have these clunkers, particularly at home in the playoffs,
where they don't play well and maybe even played terribly.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
Why do you think that is we're a team of
that caliber?
Speaker 9 (25:12):
Because I haven't been able to figure it out, because
it's not even like it's been like this for years.
It's not Joe Miszoula. It's not. They They're fifteen and
fifteen their last thirty on playoff games. I don't know
why they can't accept prosperity, Like it's always got to
be hard for them. And honestly, like last night, Cleveland
(25:34):
played better. I mean, they were going to be a
tough team to beat with the way they played that,
I felt like the selfish could have competed harder. That's
a game that a great team or a very good
team wins. In a close game, you know, because it's
a game too. Teams are going to make adjustments. Teams
are going to play better, they're going to get more
(25:55):
comfortable in the environment, they're going to understand what they're facing.
So we all the Cavaliers were gonna come out and
play and start swinging. And the Celtics jumped out to
a fourteen to five lead and then thought, oh we
got these dudes, We got these chumps. And then Cleveland
came back with a twenty five to seven run and
it was like they were never the same. It was like, oh,
(26:16):
you guys are gonna actually try to win this game.
I don't understand that this is the NBA. These guys
are pro Donovan Mitchell is one of the top ten
players in the league. Right that dude's going anybody, So, like,
I don't understand, how come you don't think they're gonna
try hard? And that's the justifying thing about this team
(26:37):
that people don't have as much confidence and then as
other championship caliber teams because they're capable of this.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
I was gonna ask you in Boston, do they like
this team? Are they? You know what I mean? Like
it feels like, okay, the talented they win all these games.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
You feel good about it if you're a Celtics fan,
But there's just something in the back of your head
that makes you not want to fully embrace them because
there's something missing.
Speaker 9 (27:06):
Rob They're like that shady friend you have. You like
the guys they just can't trust right, like me, he's
gonna box it up, Like they lighten this team. They
feel like it's the best team since the eighteen. They
feel they feel they get all these good feelings. Sixty
(27:26):
four and eighteen had lost two in a row all year,
and so the minute you get that full trust, they
break your heart. They end up they end up you know,
take it, steal in your car or you twenty dollars
short in your while. It's something that they do that
you just say, damn it. Like, so they don't trust
this team as much as they probably should. So now
(27:49):
Game three in Cleveland, work team is gonna show up
the championship caliber team or the team that we saw
in Game two? Something fans would like to think and
be the championship team. But we really don't know. The
fans and the people covering him, like me, I have
no idea what to expect tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe, NBA Writers joining the I coble
Jason Tatum. Look, I'm gonna give him credit because I
think it's I'll take away last night. But his defense,
his rebounding, he's leading the team in assists, He's been
great in those areas, but his shooting has been off
throughout the playoffs. What do you think is going on
with him? Is he frustrated by that? And how do
(28:30):
you think he's gonna turn it around?
Speaker 9 (28:32):
I think he's pressing. And I also think Jason wants
to be that three level score. He wants to be
that three point shirt. He wants to be that guy
that can just pull up from twenty five and be
like bam and when that shots got going down, sometimes
it messes with his head and he keeps trying to
get himself going from three, and that way he ignores
(28:52):
some of the aspects of his game, ignores the mid range,
ignores the drive to the basket, get to the free
throw line. So sometimes Jason can fall in love with
the three because he's just trying to get himself going.
And sometimes you just got to say, it's not my
night from long range. I'm gonna get to the rim,
I'm gonna hit the min range, or I'm gonna set
up my teammates. I'm gonna pick up twelve thirteen assists.
(29:14):
You know, I'm gonna have a triple double, even though
I might go seven for seventeen. I'm gonna get ten
assists and ten boards. Like that's the way he's got
to think. And he's been a better all around player,
like you said, on defense, he's been a better rebounder,
So it's not like he's a one dimensional player. But
I think sometimes he wants to be that pure prolific
(29:35):
score and the shots just don't go down, and I
don't even think he knows why, you know, but he
still tries to get himself going.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Gary, I feel like, and look, I'm not trying to
cape for Emailu Doka at all because you know, he
made his own bed.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
But literally, I feel like that.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Day, I feel like under him, their identity and I
know they had Marcus Smart Robert Williams the third so
maybe that was a big part of it too, but
you know, their identity was tougher. They were more hard
nosed and and and you.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
Know, had a tough reputation.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
I feel like under Missoula they are a finesse team.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
They scare nobody.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
They're pretty and cute and all that, But how I
don't know about them in a street fight because we
have you know, they blow teams out, But how are
they gonna play when it's close?
Speaker 3 (30:29):
And I think I feel like, if they don't win the.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
East, Missoula like I think should be fired or at
least considered fired. Firing him and maybe even if they
don't win the finals, I don't know about that. But
is he is there any heat under his seat at all?
In Boston?
Speaker 9 (30:48):
I don't think there's heat for a firing. I think
there's heat. There's pressure on him to get this done
because of the talent and because of the window. I mean,
you've got to look at the East. You see it,
New York is the best team in the East, not
outside of Boston, and they got like eight dudes out,
but they still play off right right. Milwaukee's out, Miami's out,
(31:10):
Philadelphia's out. So the East is you got a yellow
brick road to the finals that you just do what
you're supposed to do. So there's a lot of pressure
on Missoulu to get out of this series. It's this
is one of those series that it was like Miami,
like Joe, you can't lose this series. You know that,
Like you cannot lose in the Eastern Semis to the
Cleveland Cavaliers.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
But does anybody really think they're going to lose to
the Cavaliers. I mean, I just.
Speaker 9 (31:34):
Think I just think with the way they performed in
Game two, I don't think you think they'll do that
three more times. But your certainty of closing a team
out and winning a couple of tough road games, it
just is a little shake it. You're a little bit
uncertain about, Okay, can they just close this out? Can
they win to in Cleveland and bring it back and
(31:54):
close it out in five they have the talent, they
are capable. They do that against Miami when they lose
by twenty four points on their home floor. You just wonder.
And I don't know why, Chris, they don't always play
hard for you, for Missoula. I don't know why they
like playing for you and I don't so I don't
know why they don't always have it one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Yeah, all right, that's our Washburn Boston Globe. Great stuff, brother.
Speaker 9 (32:22):
Way, thanks guys, appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Yep yep.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Later, Shop talks next a couple of Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
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 1 (32:40):
Chris a Rob from the Tirerag dot com studios, It's
time for shop talk.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
Been a bump shop you know that? Ain't nobody you
were talking about?
Speaker 5 (32:47):
Whoever?
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Whatever? Whatever you want to in the boss.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Wait, it's shop.
Speaker 8 (32:52):
Talking, that's right, It is shop talk here in the
Akaba Fox Sports Rada se when we talk about something
happened outside of the world is sports. This week's topic
comes to us from the world of television because they're
retired athletes, but they're now known as TV folks first
and foremost believably no right, none other than ESPN Shannon
Sharp front of the show and TNT's Shaquille O'Neal, another
(33:14):
friend of the show. They are beefing right now hard,
and it all goes back to Shaq's viral moment on
the inside the NBA where he told Joker to his
face that SGA should have won the MVP and not him.
Shannon responded to that on ESPN the following day, saying
that Shaq's comments read a little bit of jealousy because
you know he Shack's the most dominant ever, only got
(33:36):
one MVP Yo kich canjub over a phone book got
three of them.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Well, things reached.
Speaker 8 (33:41):
The boiling point on Friday when Shaq Diesel for whatever reason,
decided to drop the disc track.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
We didn't know we needed. Take a listen, man, your.
Speaker 5 (33:50):
Way beneath me. Your whole demeanor is fake. That's a
new wrapp of beef. F you're soft before you get flying.
You rather tweet me how was in three different cars
when you wasn't. All I see is done a sign.
They come in at three d making hot ain't nowhere
around my dere You are not in my file. You
are like a pee with you him calling me rocky
(34:11):
the way I read read I get to the green bag.
I don't mean a law more chest flying foreign driving
testifying don Torah.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
I will say this rap, Shock can rap. I'm not
saying these. You know you ever heard Snickings or whatever
that was?
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Yeah, I mean his album, you know, he was the
only and look, I get why he went platinum. Some
of it was, you know, like you said, he had
a ton of guests deaf Jeff, but he also and
he had great beats on that for that time. But
he also Shock is like above you know, he's like
just transcendent because he's so big and everything. But he
(34:51):
actually is a good rapper too. He's not like a
chunk change rapper. You know, I think he actually can
can flow. But anyway, what are your thoughts on this?
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Right I?
Speaker 1 (35:02):
You know, I look, I do think there is a
part of Shaq that is like feels rightfully like he
should have more than one MVP and he is historically
better than Nikola Jokic.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
And so he should. He's he you know, and we
talked about it yesterday. He and Kobe did cancel each
other out. Now that's why he doesn't have his you
know more MVPs. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
I just think this is just part of the issue
when we talk about it all the time about players
becoming an analyst and then talking about other players, and
there's just a lot of stuff there that you know
if you played, not that you don't have the insight,
but you can't look at other people honestly and look
at what they're doing during their time.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
I'm better than him and.
Speaker 4 (35:58):
I got screwed or whatever it is, or or Paul
Pierce who had a rivalry were Lebron during his career.
Who doesn't have Lebron in his top one?
Speaker 3 (36:06):
Now he does. I think he's even recently saying Lebron's
probably to go.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
But you get my point though, is but I don't
think that's all athletes, and I.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
Don't think that.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
I think he's just like a lot of people thought
SG should have one, not not most, but there's others
that think not the people who had to.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Vote, he won overwhelmingly from the basketball I mean.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
But what fifteen people voted for it first first ballots
or to be for the MVP SJA. So I'm just saying, like,
it's not like if you say SG, I think Luca
was the MVP.
Speaker 3 (36:41):
That doesn't mean I'm I'm belittling what Jokic did.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
I didn't say you were, But I'm just saying I
just I just think that sometimes when you're involved, Chris,
when you're not involved, I think you have just easier
chance of being more honest or giving an honest opinion.
It doesn't mean that you can't give an honest opinion
even if you're involved, but I think sometimes that factor's
(37:05):
in is that you look at a situation. But let's
hear from the other guys. I don't want to monopolize it.
I'm just gonna say that.
Speaker 8 (37:13):
Shout out to uh, Kendrick and Drake for spawning what
is now like the fourth different celebrity feud we've had
going on. Well, we had Steven a versus Jason with
like that was actually before that.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
That one was a good one too.
Speaker 8 (37:26):
I mean, you know, you got the game and Rick
Ross going at it, Alex and Monse going at it.
So there's just so many good beefs in America right now.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
Yeah, it is interesting all of these beefs. There's more.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
You missed one. Isn't there another one out there? I
don't know, but yeah it. I'll be honest, I'm glad
Kendrick and Drake is over. That was starting to get dark.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
That was starting.
Speaker 8 (37:52):
I mean anytime your response track is I promise I'm
not a pedophile. That's probably a good times.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Why are you laughing at No.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
It's just I'm just saying. It's an example of it
being dark. But you're right, I mean, it's That's what
I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Come on, y'all, this is ridiculous. All right, we got
an hour left of the OC couple. You know what
to do. Keep it locked
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
to catch us live every weekday from seven pm to
ten pm Eastern four to seven pm 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 (00:24):
Let's get this, punnies, you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
It is The Odd Couple Hour number two on a
funky Flashback Friday. We want you to keep it locked
here for the next two hours. You won't be sorry.
We got Gary Washburn covers the Boston Celtics and the
entire NBA. He's the national NBA writer for the Boston Globe,
so great day to have him on. We, of course,
are live from the tire right dot Com studios. Tire
(00:55):
right dot com will help you get there. They've got
an unmatched selection fast free ship I mean free row,
has a protection and more than ten thousand recommended installers.
Tire rack dot Com is the way tire bind should be,
and Rob the way that Boston.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Celtics should be is a little more consistent.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Now I get that they're not gonna necessarily win every
playoff game. Because you do jump out to a huge,
great start doesn't mean anything.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I've seen teams.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
I saw Lebron's Calves at times jump out to great
starts in the playoffs. This is his first go round
with the Calves and still lose in the conference finals, and.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
So yeah, it doesn't matter where.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
I remember, we saw the Celtics when they won their
last championship in two thousand and eight. They went seven
games in each of the first two rounds and then
six in the conference finals against Detroit.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
I remember when it looks like they're gonna lose to
the Hawks the first round. I mean, it was it
was nip and tuck. Anybody who thinks that they knew
for sure that they were advancing, Oh, I remember.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
I mean they blasted them in game seven. But you're right,
I mean they it was up in the air, and
so you know, you can't necessarily make a judgment. Sometimes
things do play out the way they look, but other times,
you know, a team will still be fine despite a
few bad bumps in the road here in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
Two.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah, absolutely, we both think the Celtics still are the
best team in the East and will win the East
and I think most people feel that way, Robed. But
last night they got us shellacked at home, and that's
what makes it so devastating is that it was at home.
They've lost home court advantage. They're the one seed, Cleveland's
the four seed, and the Cavs went in there and
(02:50):
beat them one to eighteen to ninety four, and.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
The Celtics were thirteen and a half point favors last Yeah,
I mean, rob.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
That was the biggest let's see, the biggest loss in
terms of points, margin of victory or margin of.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Defeat, right by a team that was favored that much?
Is that right? But his nineteen ninety one, Yeah, I
mean thirteen and a half and you lose by twenty
what twenty four? Yeah, you lose back? I mean yeah,
what does some turnaround that swing that is? Yeah? Yeah? Yeah,
yeah twenty was it twenty? Yeah? Twenty four points?
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Remember, we don't know anyway, we were a journalist.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Anyway.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Jason Tatum spoke after the game. Was it ticked off
in his mind? I think he was being fairly matter
of fact.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
But here's what he said.
Speaker 6 (03:43):
The narrative desperate he might see on TV, the idea
that we have a super Team twofold, Right, we didn't
have to Coach of the Year, we didn't have MVP,
we only had two All Stars. So stay we're a
super team, but you know we didn't get rewarded like
we are.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
I don't know what that is. I don't know what
that is.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Well, I try to decipher. I don't think Rob that
he's talking about super team in the vein of the
Miami Heat with Lebron, Wade and Bosh, the Golden State
War and Durant, Right, would you agree to you? Do
you think he's talking about that or not. I think
(04:30):
he's talking about talking about.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Us, But the super team is not. They're really good.
They won Look at all the games they won, I
mean like like.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Right, And I think that's what he said.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
I think he's saying there's this notion out there that
we're world beaters and we're just gonna run through everybody,
and that's why he brought up the you know, we
didn't have the Coach of the Year. Now, some of
that might be kind of a jab Rob at the media.
We won sixty four games, we don't have a Coach
of the Year. We don't have anybody winning any of
these awards, you know, could be a slight little you know,
(05:02):
what are y'all doing? But here's my grand takeaway from this, Rod.
That's not what I want to hear from my best player.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
I don't want to hear.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
I don't mind that he's not distraught and up in
arms because we lost the game. Okay, keep your composure, fine,
but Rob, I don't need to hear him talking about
essentially we're not as good as everybody says we are. Now,
maybe he's being a bit sarcastic and you know, having fun.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I don't know, but I just don't think that's the
right thing to say. Now.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
They'll probably come out in game three in roll, but
I don't think that's the right thing to say that
we're really not all that y'all been saying we are.
But so again, I think he's probably playing around with
the media, like, well, what what is it?
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Are we really this good?
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Are we supposed to twenty points or whatever? That's but
that's not really it's.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Said the commentary you want to hear.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
Yeah, I just to me, it's dude, we got our
bus kicked tonight.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
We're gonna clean this up. We're better than this.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
We we're gonna go and do it, you know what
I mean, Chris, That's that's all people want take responsibility
of the loss, right, we didn't do what we were
supposed to do.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
We did.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
We couldn't make a basket to save our lives or
the three point eight for thirty five or whatever it was.
We were better than this. We had a terrible shooting
night and nothing went down for us, and we can
regroup and we'll be we'll do better. We're one of
the best three point shooting teams. I believe in my teammates.
I believe that we'll you know what I mean, Chris
play play better the next game. And we had a
(06:49):
bad day at the office. But it's not This doesn't
derail us from where we're trying to go. That's that
I got that.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I mean it's almost like he and game the media
a little too much, just not necessarily. Yeah, he engaged in, well,
you know, y'all think we ain't gonna lose a game like.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
That whole thing.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Oh we lost, So now y'all think about dude, that's
not it right, you lost the game.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
He was in trying to kind of defend that we're human.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
It happens, and we get it. It happens, right.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Sometimes you're misshot, sometimes you're having off night. That's kind
of essentially I think his mindset. But he went overboard
in talking about, hey.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
It happens. I mean, we we ain't all that anyway.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I mean, that's what ye right, we didn't have you know,
an MVP or even a top five MVP candidate. You know,
we're we're I mean, we're struggling, like the rest of
these things.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
We're vanilla ice cream. What do you want, strawberry?
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Here's one of the And you know, I've talked about
this all year with the Celtics that one of the
things that bothers me is I think they are over
reliance on the three point shot. And they can certainly
score in other ways. You know, they've got got you know,
Porzingers who's out right now, but he can post, and
(08:15):
you know, they can play in the mid range and
you know, things like that. But and you saw this
last night, Rob. One of the things that does bother
me with the Celtics, in addition to them attempting so
many threes, is that when they're threes aren't falling that
(08:37):
obviously when you shoot the most threes in the league
when essentially half of your shots are three point attempts.
Almost they take ninety shots a game in the regular season,
forty two in the of them are threes, so they're
almost at fifty to fifty. And so when you take
that many threes and you're off, which is gonna happen,
(08:59):
that's just the nature of jump shooting, then you're gonna
have a tough day at the office.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
But I think what makes it even worse, Rob.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
And what compounds it is that when they miss threes,
they it's like they go into a funk. It's like
their execution suffers, their defensive effort suffers, they're just like
out of it because their shots aren't falling, and it's
like they feel sorry for themselves, or they mope, or
(09:30):
they get in adulgrums or whatever it may be.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
And that can't happen, Rob, That cannot happen.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
And the interesting thing with Boston Robb is every one,
every single one.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Of their playoff victories.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
This season, then they're five and two in the playoffs,
every single one of them has been a blowout, every
single one, and they're not gonna run to the NBA
a championship by blowing everybody out. And so when they
get in a tough game, when they get into a
(10:08):
game like the Knicks.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Play like that's not my stream.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
They meet, Yeah, and it comes down to one or
two possessions or one or two plays at the end
of the game, it's gonna be interesting to see how
they fare. And we know their best player has struggled
in the clutch, Jason Tatum. But it's gonna be interesting,
That's what really And yes, that.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Was Yeah, it wasn't the tight kid. They just got
got blown out. Yeah that was that.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
I mean, it's all it does, Chris, and and it's
just one game, and it doesn't matter if you lose
by one or by twenty or what you lost, Okay,
but it just gives people more and more reason to
question them because it seems like games that they should
be able to win or expected to win, sometimes they
(10:57):
just don't and you can't figure it out, like like
they're too good out of you know what I mean,
Like like if they went on this was in Boston,
this was a game, like I said, the Vegas gave
people thirteen and a half points, you know, Chris for
a reason, you know, like, really they really believe, oh no,
that this they're not gonna be able to do anything
(11:18):
with this team in Boston like that, that is the
thinking behind it.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
And you think Vegas just giving away points right right.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Well, Rob, they're fourteen and fourteen at home in the
playoffs the last three years.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Yeah, there you go, and those are those moments, Chris,
are for a good team, right, There's just no reason
you're supposed to be five hundred on the road, right
and dominate at home. That's the formula. You're not gonna
win on the games on the road. We all know that.
I don't care how good you are, it's hard to
win on the road.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Yep, you're absolutely right.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
And so so you're really hurting yourselves, right because you're
you really playing like you don't have any home court
advantage and that it's gonna be big going forward for them.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
So, Chris, did you want to know?
Speaker 1 (12:04):
I think they'll win the East, and I think they'll
likely get me. I want to see who they end
up matching up with. But I don't see them winning
the championship. I'm not saying it's impossible, because again, it.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Just doesn't take it great right now. Yeah, I know.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
But but yeah, did you cover I'm trying to do
your time frame. Did you have a cover games at
the old Boston Garden?
Speaker 3 (12:26):
No?
Speaker 4 (12:27):
No, okay, because that was that's after you Yeah, TV,
when you got Chris that place that that was a small,
intimate fourteen thousand cramped rats everywhere.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
It was dumb. Could you see rats? No?
Speaker 4 (12:40):
But the story that I always remember was it just
felt I think I saw a mouse there.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
I never saw a rat.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
But but once they did the shellacking on the parquet floor,
you know, to put down like the Chris and and
they so they did it overnight, came back the next morning,
rats were stuck to the floor. You never heard that
from running you know, run night. Do you know that's
what That's what they said. They came up. One of
the Boston writers told me. You know, they came back
the next morning after putting down the shellac and they
(13:08):
stuck everywhere.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Well, I know that.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
You know, there's stories obviously about the visiting locker room
being freezing. I think right was it was that the
word freezing in the visiting locker room. And then the
waters the showers was just cold water, like no hot water.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
And it was me, but it was.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
But that and the old Chicago Stadium, you know, did
you I didn't I.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Cover games at the Chicago State. I cover games though
at the Spectrum Form with the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Wasn't that great?
Speaker 1 (13:44):
No, I mean, and you know better than me, But
I know of those two which were legendary arenas. And
then you throw in Chicago and Boston, like you said,
those places were, with all due respect, dumps.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
They were.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
They were that no other way to look at I'm
dead serious, Like the like the Great Western Form, Chris
looked beautiful on the outside, Oh not a great place inside? No, No,
Boston wasn't. Chicago wasn't Nope, nope. And I'm trying to
compare it to nowadays. Oh god, I mean, really any
of the old arenas.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
And at that time, at least when I start covering
the league, there were some new arenas. Cleveland had a
new arenas, Minnesota had the New Arena, and so you know,
you were seeing these state of the art buildings and
then you're going to these old you know, I mean,
you know, the La Coliseum where the Clippers played. You know,
that wasn't so anything to write home about, all right,
(14:39):
It's the Odd Couple. Chris and Robb eight seven, seven
ninety nine on Fox. Your thoughts about the Celtics? Are
you concerned? Are you think it's just nothing?
Speaker 3 (14:48):
You know?
Speaker 1 (14:48):
To take seriously, brush it off. They'll be fine. What
are your thoughts on the Celtics? Eight seven seven ninety
nine on Fox Chris and robbed the Oka.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation yet. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports
Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR
to listen live.
Speaker 7 (15:10):
Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called All Ball.
We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's
more about the stories about what made these people love
their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way.
We talked to coaches, we talked to players, We tell
you stories. You download it, you listen to it.
Speaker 8 (15:29):
I think you like it.
Speaker 7 (15:30):
Listen to All Ball with Doug Gottlieb on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
All right, it's the A couple of Christmas.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Are Rob Parker on a funky Flashback Friday. As we
bring you into the weekend, we got Gary Washburn, Boston
Globe National NBA writer joining us at the bottom of
the hour, and then a fun shop talk Shannon Sharp
and Shack Beefin. We'll get into that, but first your
(16:02):
thoughts if you want to weigh in on the Boston
Celtics eight seven, seven.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Ninety nine on Fox and Rob Caitlyn Clark.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
We we've talked at nauseum about what will the impact
be that she has on the WNBA. Will she have
the impact that everybody's assuming she will have, or will
she kind of fade away like a lot of the
great players have in the WNBA who were wonderful college
players but weren't able to.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Really put the WNBO on the map, so to speak.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
Well, Rob in her first preseason game in Indiana, so
her first home preseason game.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
She is at the Knicks Pacers game.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
By the way, they showed her on TV ROB for
a preseason game on a Thursday night, thirteen thousand fans.
Now here's the perspective, and it was at the Pace Arena.
Last year the fever, the Indiana Fever.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
The WNBA team.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Averaged four thousand fans per game last year, so that
is significant. That is an absolute boost to say the least.
So so far, Robin, we haven't even started the real season,
but so far, the Caitlin Clark effect is in full effect.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
I think she's just as I said to you before,
she's the Hallam globe trotter.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
She will attract people.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
I don't think that there's even any issue about that
of people who want to see her who didn't get
to see her during the college if they come to
you know what I mean, she comes to that town
or whatever. Yeah, it's the rest of the league that
we're talking about, her team.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
And the game she plays in.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
For at least in the beginning, Chris, people are gonna
want to see what can she do? She putting up
the logo threes you know what I mean? All that
they will be in and there's no there's a there
will be tickets. It's the second time around, the third
time around.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Like the initial yes, well that that wants you like
you said initially, of course, and then she will have
to play really well. Like I was just talking with
Alex doing a break about it, and.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Als was talking about the w NBA. Yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
We I think Rob he was kind of saying if
she's dominant, that.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Could hurt because people will be like, well, what's the competition.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
I'm like, no, I think the best thing for her
for the w they want to see a ball up well,
be if she is dominant. If she if she averages
twenty four and nine assists as a rookie, and the
Indiana Fever are good, like they need her to be dominant, Rob,
And I think if she is, you're right, I mean,
(19:01):
but that's all you can ask for is that people.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Go to her games.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
And if people really go to her games, and then
you know she's playing really well, and then in the
playoffs they want to see her play, that will spread
out to the other game, other teams, It'll spread out,
and Rob, it might put again in college, You've got
(19:27):
players now because of her to some degree, to a
large degree, like Becker's page, Becker's in at Yukon Juju
Watkins at USC, that people are gonna be watching for
and so then when they enter the league, like she
could have a whole trickle down effect where yeah, it
(19:48):
starts with just people going to the Fever games, but
then it spreads out because I think, I mean, obviously
the NBA was in pretty good shape when Michael Jordan
joined it. But when he joined it, that didn't have
an impact on the Sacramento Kings ticket sales.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
But eventually, because.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
People fell in love with him and he was so
great and he brought so many casual fans, it does
trickle down to everybody else.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
I think that's what they're hoping with the w n
b A.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
I'm my thing would be just curious of the preseason
game or whatever, what was the attendance around the rest
of the league.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
If people are well again, I mean, I don't even
know how you expect. I don't. I'm hurt that to
have an effect on the rest of the league.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
But the rest of the other game. There was another
preseason game that day five, which is which is what
the league right, Which is what the league is right.
And I'm just saying I agree.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
But don't you.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Think if she's if she's let's say at your point,
she don't other teams don't sell more than they did
last year, but the fever blow up, don't you think
if she's really good, that that's going to impact eventually
the rest of the league.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
I'm not sure. I'm really not.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
I mean, she did ask about about but I want
to see after people have seen her in person once
or twice.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Is it okay if you don't get tired of seeing
a great play. I'm just saying.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
I mean, people wanted to keep seeing Lebron, they want
to keep seeing Michael.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
I just and I get it.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
She's not I'm not saying she's that, but she is
fun to watch. She's not just piling up points. That's
not what's fun to watch.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
I have to believe it just for me to think
that she's going to sell out every single one of
her games for the next thirteen do you know what
I mean?
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I don't know that that's even. I mean, certainly they
can hold more near arena. I don't know if they
put tarp on the top or not know.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
That, but that sounds like about right, Chris NBA arenas
aren't that big, right or they No, they're bigger there?
Speaker 1 (21:43):
They hold rough eighteen? I mean, yeah, anywhere from eighteen
or over twenty. You know, average is browady in nineteen twenty.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
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 1 (22:02):
It's our next guest, Friend of the show. Friend of
ours personally does a fantastic job covering the NBA for
the Boston Globe, one of the best in the business.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Our man, Gary Wasshburn, Gary Brother.
Speaker 9 (22:16):
What's up, guys doing good minute?
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (22:19):
Yeah, yeah, I'm stop avoiding us, you know what I mean,
come on on the show once in a while.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
I gotta go here, Gary, Rob.
Speaker 9 (22:28):
I mean, you know, man, I'm just I'm so happy
for you guys. Man Chrissy's doing great things.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Thank you, man, man, thank you.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Yes, yeah, Gary, I gotta say this And I laughed.
I think I feel like on your behalf when I
don't know what it was two months ago, maybe when
Lebron was talking like he was upset that he didn't
win the Unana's MVP and I know who didn't vote
for me?
Speaker 3 (22:54):
And I'm outing like I'm like everybody.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Know, everybody know? Like did you laugh chuckle at that?
Like what is what is going on? Like Lebron think
he got some secret that nobody knows.
Speaker 9 (23:06):
Yeah, yeah, it's kind of funny. And I've seen Lebron obviously.
I mean it's ten years ago, eleven years ago. Now.
So I've seen him, interviewed him several times, seen him
in a couple of the theres several times over the years.
We've really never talked about it. He knows the situation,
so it's not like he's confronted me and said, you
know the thing. He's been first class with me, so,
(23:27):
you know, it was kind of funny to hear him
say that Boston, Boston with Boston and you know, I'm hoping,
you know, some of the things that could have come
out that people couldn't believe, and you know, nobody really
asked me, so it hits that tailor they don't believe anyway,
Like it's honestly voting how I wanted to vote. You know,
they had nothing against Lebron.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
But I had a great year that year. There's no
doubt you.
Speaker 9 (23:51):
Had a great year. The Knicks went to the second
round and won the Atlantic Division. You know, so we
can go over that. But yeah, that's kind of that
was my that was my option. But yeah, I thought
it was funny. You know, we'll see what happens to
the documentary.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
If you're gonna be in there, there will be a
slander on you.
Speaker 9 (24:11):
I won't be like the Bill Belichick with the Patriots.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Right right, right, let's start.
Speaker 9 (24:17):
My mama won't be mad at them like that.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Let's get to the Celtics gear and I read your
column off last night's game.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
I mean, Gary, they exasperate me.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
And I still think they're the best team in the
East and they'll win the East. But and I'm not
I get it kind of what Jason Tatum was saying,
You're not gonna win every or you you know, you
don't always win every game in the playoffs Miami. We
know they lost game two at home. Oh my, I
even thought, wow, what is going on? And of course
they routed them the next three games. So I'm not
(24:49):
saying they're not gonna win this series or the East.
But why do they have nights like this? They're not
up and down, because generally they're up, but but sometimes
they have these clunkers, particularly at home in the playoffs,
where they don't play well and maybe even played terribly.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
Why do you think that is we're a team of
that caliber?
Speaker 9 (25:12):
Because I haven't been able to figure it out, because
it's not even like it's been like this for years.
It's not Joe Miszoula. It's not. They They're fifteen and
fifteen their last thirty on playoff games. I don't know
why they can't accept prosperity, Like it's always got to
be hard for them. And honestly, like last night, Cleveland
(25:34):
played better. I mean, they were going to be a
tough team to beat with the way they played that,
I felt like the selfish could have competed harder. That's
a game that a great team or a very good
team wins. In a close game, you know, because it's
a game too. Teams are going to make adjustments. Teams
are going to play better, they're going to get more
(25:55):
comfortable in the environment, they're going to understand what they're facing.
So we all the Cavaliers were gonna come out and
play and start swinging. And the Celtics jumped out to
a fourteen to five lead and then thought, oh we
got these dudes, We got these chumps. And then Cleveland
came back with a twenty five to seven run and
it was like they were never the same. It was like, oh,
(26:16):
you guys are gonna actually try to win this game.
I don't understand that this is the NBA. These guys
are pro Donovan Mitchell is one of the top ten
players in the league. Right that dude's going anybody, So, like,
I don't understand, how come you don't think they're gonna
try hard? And that's the justifying thing about this team
(26:37):
that people don't have as much confidence and then as
other championship caliber teams because they're capable of this.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
I was gonna ask you in Boston, do they like
this team? Are they? You know what I mean? Like
it feels like, okay, the talented they win all these games.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
You feel good about it if you're a Celtics fan,
But there's just something in the back of your head
that makes you not want to fully embrace them because
there's something missing.
Speaker 9 (27:06):
Rob They're like that shady friend you have. You like
the guys they just can't trust right, like me, he's
gonna box it up, Like they lighten this team. They
feel like it's the best team since the eighteen. They
feel they feel they get all these good feelings. Sixty
(27:26):
four and eighteen had lost two in a row all year,
and so the minute you get that full trust, they
break your heart. They end up they end up you know,
take it, steal in your car or you twenty dollars
short in your while. It's something that they do that
you just say, damn it. Like, so they don't trust
this team as much as they probably should. So now
(27:49):
Game three in Cleveland, work team is gonna show up
the championship caliber team or the team that we saw
in Game two? Something fans would like to think and
be the championship team. But we really don't know. The
fans and the people covering him, like me, I have
no idea what to expect tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe, NBA Writers joining the I coble
Jason Tatum. Look, I'm gonna give him credit because I
think it's I'll take away last night. But his defense,
his rebounding, he's leading the team in assists, He's been
great in those areas, but his shooting has been off
throughout the playoffs. What do you think is going on
with him? Is he frustrated by that? And how do
(28:30):
you think he's gonna turn it around?
Speaker 9 (28:32):
I think he's pressing. And I also think Jason wants
to be that three level score. He wants to be
that three point shirt. He wants to be that guy
that can just pull up from twenty five and be
like bam and when that shots got going down, sometimes
it messes with his head and he keeps trying to
get himself going from three, and that way he ignores
(28:52):
some of the aspects of his game, ignores the mid range,
ignores the drive to the basket, get to the free
throw line. So sometimes Jason can fall in love with
the three because he's just trying to get himself going.
And sometimes you just got to say, it's not my
night from long range. I'm gonna get to the rim,
I'm gonna hit the min range, or I'm gonna set
up my teammates. I'm gonna pick up twelve thirteen assists.
(29:14):
You know, I'm gonna have a triple double, even though
I might go seven for seventeen. I'm gonna get ten
assists and ten boards. Like that's the way he's got
to think. And he's been a better all around player,
like you said, on defense, he's been a better rebounder,
So it's not like he's a one dimensional player. But
I think sometimes he wants to be that pure prolific
(29:35):
score and the shots just don't go down, and I
don't even think he knows why, you know, but he
still tries to get himself going.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Gary, I feel like, and look, I'm not trying to
cape for Emailu Doka at all because you know, he
made his own bed.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
But literally, I feel like that.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Day, I feel like under him, their identity and I
know they had Marcus Smart Robert Williams the third so
maybe that was a big part of it too, but
you know, their identity was tougher. They were more hard
nosed and and and you.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
Know, had a tough reputation.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
I feel like under Missoula they are a finesse team.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
They scare nobody.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
They're pretty and cute and all that, But how I
don't know about them in a street fight because we
have you know, they blow teams out, But how are
they gonna play when it's close?
Speaker 3 (30:29):
And I think I feel like, if they don't win the.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
East, Missoula like I think should be fired or at
least considered fired. Firing him and maybe even if they
don't win the finals, I don't know about that. But
is he is there any heat under his seat at all?
In Boston?
Speaker 9 (30:48):
I don't think there's heat for a firing. I think
there's heat. There's pressure on him to get this done
because of the talent and because of the window. I mean,
you've got to look at the East. You see it,
New York is the best team in the East, not
outside of Boston, and they got like eight dudes out,
but they still play off right right. Milwaukee's out, Miami's out,
(31:10):
Philadelphia's out. So the East is you got a yellow
brick road to the finals that you just do what
you're supposed to do. So there's a lot of pressure
on Missoulu to get out of this series. It's this
is one of those series that it was like Miami,
like Joe, you can't lose this series. You know that,
Like you cannot lose in the Eastern Semis to the
Cleveland Cavaliers.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
But does anybody really think they're going to lose to
the Cavaliers. I mean, I just.
Speaker 9 (31:34):
Think I just think with the way they performed in
Game two, I don't think you think they'll do that
three more times. But your certainty of closing a team
out and winning a couple of tough road games, it
just is a little shake it. You're a little bit
uncertain about, Okay, can they just close this out? Can
they win to in Cleveland and bring it back and
(31:54):
close it out in five they have the talent, they
are capable. They do that against Miami when they lose
by twenty four points on their home floor. You just wonder.
And I don't know why, Chris, they don't always play
hard for you, for Missoula. I don't know why they
like playing for you and I don't so I don't
know why they don't always have it one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Yeah, all right, that's our Washburn Boston Globe. Great stuff, brother.
Speaker 9 (32:22):
Way, thanks guys, appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Yep yep.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Later, Shop talks next a couple of Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
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 1 (32:40):
Chris a Rob from the Tirerag dot com studios, It's
time for shop talk.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
Been a bump shop you know that? Ain't nobody you
were talking about?
Speaker 5 (32:47):
Whoever?
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Whatever? Whatever you want to in the boss.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Wait, it's shop.
Speaker 8 (32:52):
Talking, that's right, It is shop talk here in the
Akaba Fox Sports Rada se when we talk about something
happened outside of the world is sports. This week's topic
comes to us from the world of television because they're
retired athletes, but they're now known as TV folks first
and foremost believably no right, none other than ESPN Shannon
Sharp front of the show and TNT's Shaquille O'Neal, another
(33:14):
friend of the show. They are beefing right now hard,
and it all goes back to Shaq's viral moment on
the inside the NBA where he told Joker to his
face that SGA should have won the MVP and not him.
Shannon responded to that on ESPN the following day, saying
that Shaq's comments read a little bit of jealousy because
you know he Shack's the most dominant ever, only got
(33:36):
one MVP Yo kich canjub over a phone book got
three of them.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Well, things reached.
Speaker 8 (33:41):
The boiling point on Friday when Shaq Diesel for whatever reason,
decided to drop the disc track.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
We didn't know we needed. Take a listen, man, your.
Speaker 5 (33:50):
Way beneath me. Your whole demeanor is fake. That's a
new wrapp of beef. F you're soft before you get flying.
You rather tweet me how was in three different cars
when you wasn't. All I see is done a sign.
They come in at three d making hot ain't nowhere
around my dere You are not in my file. You
are like a pee with you him calling me rocky
(34:11):
the way I read read I get to the green bag.
I don't mean a law more chest flying foreign driving
testifying don Torah.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
I will say this rap, Shock can rap. I'm not
saying these. You know you ever heard Snickings or whatever
that was?
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Yeah, I mean his album, you know, he was the
only and look, I get why he went platinum. Some
of it was, you know, like you said, he had
a ton of guests deaf Jeff, but he also and
he had great beats on that for that time. But
he also Shock is like above you know, he's like
just transcendent because he's so big and everything. But he
(34:51):
actually is a good rapper too. He's not like a
chunk change rapper. You know, I think he actually can
can flow. But anyway, what are your thoughts on this?
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Right I?
Speaker 1 (35:02):
You know, I look, I do think there is a
part of Shaq that is like feels rightfully like he
should have more than one MVP and he is historically
better than Nikola Jokic.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
And so he should. He's he you know, and we
talked about it yesterday. He and Kobe did cancel each
other out. Now that's why he doesn't have his you
know more MVPs. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
I just think this is just part of the issue
when we talk about it all the time about players
becoming an analyst and then talking about other players, and
there's just a lot of stuff there that you know
if you played, not that you don't have the insight,
but you can't look at other people honestly and look
at what they're doing during their time.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
I'm better than him and.
Speaker 4 (35:58):
I got screwed or whatever it is, or or Paul
Pierce who had a rivalry were Lebron during his career.
Who doesn't have Lebron in his top one?
Speaker 3 (36:06):
Now he does. I think he's even recently saying Lebron's
probably to go.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
But you get my point though, is but I don't
think that's all athletes, and I.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
Don't think that.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
I think he's just like a lot of people thought
SG should have one, not not most, but there's others
that think not the people who had to.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Vote, he won overwhelmingly from the basketball I mean.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
But what fifteen people voted for it first first ballots
or to be for the MVP SJA. So I'm just saying, like,
it's not like if you say SG, I think Luca
was the MVP.
Speaker 3 (36:41):
That doesn't mean I'm I'm belittling what Jokic did.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
I didn't say you were, But I'm just saying I
just I just think that sometimes when you're involved, Chris,
when you're not involved, I think you have just easier
chance of being more honest or giving an honest opinion.
It doesn't mean that you can't give an honest opinion
even if you're involved, but I think sometimes that factor's
(37:05):
in is that you look at a situation. But let's
hear from the other guys. I don't want to monopolize it.
I'm just gonna say that.
Speaker 8 (37:13):
Shout out to uh, Kendrick and Drake for spawning what
is now like the fourth different celebrity feud we've had
going on. Well, we had Steven a versus Jason with
like that was actually before that.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
That one was a good one too.
Speaker 8 (37:26):
I mean, you know, you got the game and Rick
Ross going at it, Alex and Monse going at it.
So there's just so many good beefs in America right now.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
Yeah, it is interesting all of these beefs. There's more.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
You missed one. Isn't there another one out there? I
don't know, but yeah it. I'll be honest, I'm glad
Kendrick and Drake is over. That was starting to get dark.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
That was starting.
Speaker 8 (37:52):
I mean anytime your response track is I promise I'm
not a pedophile. That's probably a good times.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Why are you laughing at No.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
It's just I'm just saying. It's an example of it
being dark. But you're right, I mean, it's That's what
I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Come on, y'all, this is ridiculous. All right, we got
an hour left of the OC couple. You know what
to do. Keep it locked
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