January 24, 2019 • 26 mins
It's the Best of the Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker! Chris and Rob debate whether or not James Harden recent string of 30-point games is proof that The Beard is best player in the NBA right now. The Odd Couple crew reveals some of the worst 'To Excess' moments of their lives in the latest edition of Shop Talk. And, 2x NBA champion Lamar Odom stops by to discuss his return to basketball, why Steph Curry's greatness is actually hurting the NBA, and much more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
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 Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
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(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of The Odd
Couple with Chris Brush and Rod Harker. All I'm gonna
do is sit back and like, just sit back, and
I want to hear you pontificate about James Harden because
I tried to tell y'all about a month ago or
six weeks ago. Wait, wait, wait, First of all, it
(00:44):
wasn't that long ago. It was like two weeks ago.
Rob Gee, it's been longer than three weeks. About a
month Undisputed it under Yeah, when we hosted Undisputed, Yeah,
that was a holiday saying James Harden was the best player.
But that was a Monday we filled in. Yeah. Right now,
you you keep couching it. I'm not couching the two
really put bass in your voice, stick out your chest
(01:07):
out saying look right now, look my chest is out.
It was three weeks is it? Is it? Oh man,
that's hurting. My chest is out at my babies to
hit the bench press, Chester is out. That's your chest out.
It's a bird chest like no James Harden And I
said it three weeks ago when you first said he
was the best player in the world right now, and
(01:30):
I said it two weeks ago when you doubled down
on it, and I'll say it today. He is magnificent.
I think he should already have two MVP Awards. I
thought he should have won in twenty fifteen, and I
voted for him in twenty fifteen, the first year that
Steph Curry won the MVP Awards, I got men. Of
(01:51):
course I voted for him last year and he won it.
He's going to win it this year. Should be his third,
but will be a second. You bet me. The bron
James was gonna win the Yeah, he too many games. No, No,
I mean I'm realistic. Some people who would I'm realistic?
(02:12):
Unlike who who are you talking about? Parker? You got
one guy in the eye. That's why we're the odd couple.
You have one guy that thinks with your heart and
I think with my head. Is that it is yes,
I wanted Patrick Mahomes. You know this. I've defended Patrick
Mahomes all year and I knew he couldn't win a
big game. I've been telling you all year. And you
(02:33):
know you didn't know it, an't you. But in your heart,
you right, your head was telling you, I know what,
Jody Reid cannot win the big one? What did I
call at Mahomes is too young? Right? Yes, I know it,
but your heart said no, I cannot go with Tom No,
because I saw the game before it happened, and I
(02:54):
knew he was gonna throw that third pick and it
would all be over what third pick. There was no
third pick. There was a pick. It was all size
it was. There was no third pick. I saw it
with my old eyes. It was all sides that degated it.
If you had gone with your head over your heart,
(03:16):
you would have picked the Patriots and I got you
and your record and the pigs can pick off wouldn't
be Look at you, you're holding onto that. It was
all season. Thanks, Thanks, It was a one segment thing,
Thanks quad, because I mean, Chris is crazy with this thing.
(03:37):
And here's the other one. I'm telling you right here,
right now, mister Chris Bouchard, NBA aficionado, an expert and
whatever insider and anything else you want to claim. After
all these years, it comes in my titles. Okay, other
people claim that, and you're telling me. I'm telling you
that even if Lebron was playing, Harden is still the
(04:01):
best player in the league. He is. Stop with the Lebron.
He's not the best player. He's an not right now,
he's not And when hardened, Harden wouldn't be doing this
on the Warriors. No, but he's He didn't even have
anybody else, which is even a better. First of all,
he doesn't have Chris Paul who else got hurt? Gordon
(04:22):
was out like eleven games. He's back now, Clint Capella
is out. Capella got hurt, and they're fifteen and six.
It's not like he's piling up numbers and they're six
and fifteen. During his thirty point his twenty one game,
thirty or more points. I'm impressed by that. I always
(04:42):
I always say you could score a lot of points,
but if you're losing, it doesn't really matter because they're
all a lot of times they're garbage point. But I'll
say this though, now you wouldn't be claiming he's the
best in the world. But even if they were, say
six and fifteen, you would it would still be impressive.
Were hard he's doing twenty one straight games or thirty
(05:03):
points a Moore has not been done. Kareem had a streak,
rob G. It hasn't been done since the ABA NBA
merger in seventy six, But Kareem had a streak, rob G.
Check out what Kareem streaks. Some people are looking up
past Kareem. Then you have to go back to Wilt Chambers.
They were on Twitter right now going merger. What are
you talking about all? I'm just saying, yeah, but it
(05:27):
would still be impressive if he was scoring. He's you know,
he's averaged over his last five games fifty two points.
I don't care. If he'd lost every game, that would
be impressive. That would be fifty two point two points,
nine point six rebounds, four point two assists, and two
point six steals. And most of his buckets last night,
(05:47):
every single basket was unassisted. You know how hard that
that's almost impossible, almost impossible. And overall it was his
fifth fifty point game of the season, right and just
a seventeenth time he scored forty or more more and
then again. His thirty point streak is now at twenty one. Look,
(06:09):
I mean he's he's the best player in the league.
I'm sorry Lebron right now, No, he's the best player
in the league the Lebron Sorry KD. Here here's the problem, Rob,
I'm shocked at you because you go, you even go
to the extreme of saying if you get to the
super Bowl or the finals and lose, it doesn't matter.
(06:34):
Yet here you are praising the guy. We're not there yet.
You're not there yet. I'm talking about this year. We're
not at the playoffs. I gotta look at what he's
done this season. He's what I'm talking about season and
this is that does not mean he's the best player,
but this is on the heels of what this is
on the heels an MVP one back to back MV
(07:00):
Was he ever the best player in the world? Um? No,
all right, but you don't have the numbers the best
player in the world when he won MVP. No, okay,
then don't give me. But this is different. I'm talking
about Sun has been the best play in the world.
Even if you think he's not Now, he had a
one eight to ten years stretch where he was the
(07:20):
best player in the world. But look, but he only
won four MVPs during that But the numbers and what
he's been doing people haven't done in in eons and
one of the lists it was just Kobe and Michael.
I mean, when you start to look at the people,
the people that he's matching or all time greats, that's
what you gotta give him, because he's not matching like somebody.
(07:43):
We don't know. I can't remember the exact thing when
when when it was like, no, it hadn't been done
in thirty years since something or since since the merger, right, yeah,
and only Kobe and Michael Kobe Wright had done it.
I mean, that's incredible. No rob nobody, and he's winning
without help. Nobody is debating that what he's doing is sensational.
(08:05):
What I am saying is that you do not become
the mythical because it's mythical. You do not become the
mythical best player in the world in the regular season.
You just don't. You become the mythical best player in
the world in the postseason. That's you. That's you, that's
(08:26):
your your standard May and June be especially especially when
you have struggled in the in the most intense and
the biggest moments in the playoffs, so without your career,
So when Lebron melted down, Okay, by your logic, when
Lebron melted down to Dallas, he couldn't have been the
best player in the world, right because because he sucked,
(08:48):
he had happed terrible way off moments. But yeah, I
mean you, I'm fine if you say that. Okay, I
just want you to be consistent, because I'm consistently every morning.
You kill Marv Levy for never winning a Super Bowl.
Here you are here. You are giving a guy the
(09:08):
best title in the best player in the world title
based on games. And that's why I say, right now
up to this point. Now, if he goes to the
playoffs saying I pull it back, well, and I I'm
gonna say to you this, Rob, he doesn't. In my book,
he doesn't have to get to the finals and win
(09:30):
the West to be the best player in the world.
He just has to win it's game six, When it's
Game seven and the series is on the line, be
at your best. You might even not shoot fifty percent
that game. You might be off, but be at your best.
He only took ten shots against San Antonio Game six.
(09:51):
He didn't bring it. I want to see him bring it.
And you know if he damaged, if he's doing this
in the playoffs, then I can give him that title.
So with the game on the line, uh, he can't
pass the ball to like George Hill or something. With
the game on the life, George Hill is wide open
under the bas yes, he can rob Parker. And I
(10:13):
know where you were, you would have been better off
the pass to Betty Hill. George Hills in NBA, What
do you say? What do you always say? There isn't
an NBA uniform. George Hills in an NBA uniform. He's
an accomplished player and he should be able to hit
a layup people. He wasn't open because he got fouled.
All right, what do you say? And don't and don't
(10:35):
turn this into a Chris Bruce Hard is down on
James Harden. James Hard, that's what he is. Man. James
Harden is the man, and as it is right now,
he is definitely getting I want you to fall in
line and goose step with me right down the street
in Houston. Just be in lockstep with me. He is
(10:55):
the best player in the NBA right now. So I
guess by your logic period Eastern Conference player of the
Month is the best player in the East the West.
I didn't say that. That's not what I'm saying. Nope,
not at all. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Odd Couple with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays
(11:16):
at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the iHeart Radio app. This next guest, we
are really excited about having him on. He's a two
time NBA champion. He really became one of the most
beloved Lakers during his time playing with them and winning
(11:37):
championships with them. And he was darn near Ben Simmons
before Ben Simmons. And I'm talking about Lamar odom and
being from queens like yours. Truly, you already know queens
in the house. What's up, Lamar? What's up? Bro? How
are you doing doing? Great? Man? How are you? I've
never been done in my life, Bro, that's crazy to hear. Man.
(12:00):
That's great, dear. Now you're down in Manila right in
the Philippines. Yeah, the place where Muhammad a lad right Manila.
I think he beat he beat Frasier. That was their
third fight down here. I thought that's what they made.
The envelopes, right, the Manila envelopes. You I think you
might know, Rob Lamar don't feel don't feel any obligation
(12:23):
to laugh at Rob's bad jokes, So you don't have
to do that. But so you're you're making a comeback.
You you you use that term comeback. So you're playing
for a Philippine team that's gonna be playing in an
international tournament in Dubai. Is that correct? That's correct. I
came to um, I'm gonna go to Dubai. Whatever I
(12:45):
got less than the tank, I'm gonna leave it out there. Okay,
And you're thirty nine thirty nine years old? So what
do you want this to lead to? What are you hoping?
You know this leads to in terms of playing ball
somewhere else? I don't know. You know, my grandmother to say,
if you want to make God last, tell me your plans,
you know, so who knows what this will lead to? Okay? Okay,
(13:06):
but how much do you mis three? You thinking I'm
definitely playing a big I'm definitely playing a Big three
this ship as well. Okay, do do you think that
there's a chance you could get back in the NBA
and some role or you're seeing a lot of players
playing a lot older, you know, longer than ever before
and with all the training and all the other stuff
that goes on. Is there possibility of that? There is?
(13:29):
I can definitely amazing NBA and probably like, uh, fulfill
a dream green role or any NBA than do you
I mentioned at the top of you know the Hour
that you kind of played like Ben Simmons before Ben Simmons.
Do you think that's an app comparison? Um? I think, um,
(13:54):
without the athleticism maybe I think maybe the Q and
U of course our size, our ballhem and passion ability. Um,
I hope to think that was maybe a better shooter.
But Ben Simmons was Yeah, yeah, you were definitely ten
times way more athletics than me. Right, So what do
(14:16):
you I mean you obviously played with the Lakers among
other teams, Lebron is there. Everybody's excited. What do you
make of them? Like, what do you think the future
holds for the Lakers with Lebron? There? Well? With with
Lebron there I think the future is great. Um. Of course,
if you will add Anthony Davis or Kawhile Lennard, I
(14:36):
think that puts us right in the mix to win
the championship. I think, um At and Lebron to this
team puts us right now. Um Um it's the I
couple Chris Bruce a Rod Parker. We are joined by
two time NBA champion Lamar Oldham. So so, Lamar, you
like this NBA where you got super teams, people stacking
(14:57):
up on teams in order so that the same teams
go to the finals every year, or just about you
like this NBA? Well, I like the NBA that they're
trying to put the best teams together. Of course, as
a player, I already wanted to be on the best
team as possible. Um. For the competition, you know, they
gotta they gotta step up each other. Gamacheta, Lamar. Where
(15:18):
one of the hot topics is always the goat, Uh,
it's usually Lebron and Jordan. People are debating where do
you stand on the go Who do you think is
the best player of all time? I mean, well, Michael
Jordan is the best player of all time. Um, I
think because of his basketball impacting of courses off the impact,
(15:39):
I don't think they'll never be reached again. So I
would say Michael Jordan, and then uh, Kobe Bryant and
Lebron James right under right underneath that, so you were both.
Brian is a strong second, I think, okay, because a
lot of a lot of players do say that because
of Is it because of the passion and the uh
(16:02):
A thirst for trying to win? Is that what the
will to win? Is that what it is about Kobe
and his will to win becomes contagious um. You know,
obviously it's will to be the best definitely becomes contagious
um in every aspect of the word. And I give credit.
I'll get Kobe to credit. I give Kobe the credit
(16:24):
for me winning the sixth Man of the Year ward
because that's not a role that I accepted, and after
talks with him kind of like I kind of was
able to settle win and accept that role and come
to man at that role. The stories out there, the
reputation of Kobe is that he was hard to play with,
(16:44):
Not that guys didn't like him, but just he was
so hard driving and would would be so tough on teammates.
Was that the case that and then you just had
to get on board and follow him, or you know,
was he challenging guys all the time and is that
the way he led and made you better? Yeah, at
ten in the morning, you could ask stops to Williard
trips before the ball was even host In the end,
(17:06):
he was getting elbow to his chest about Kobe bryant
Um and that type of mentality kind of like drifted
off onto all of us. Really to be the best
at opposition, on the best at whatever role we had
on that team. We wanted to be the best at it.
What do you make of James harden and his stretch?
I mean he's doing this without other players, Chris Paul's hurd,
(17:29):
I mean he is bawling out. I say he's the
best player in the NBA right now. Where are you
on harden Um? You know, it's so crazy about James Harden.
Me and him had a running um that didn't go
too well a couple of years ago. But right now
he's definitely the best left handed player I've seen in
a long time, and definitely one of the best scorers
(17:53):
in the NBA. His games, I'm definitely watching for his games.
He has sixty one last night at the guard at
the garden, and the method and the method. I think
the last person to do that was was my man
Kobe at sixty yet two. I think that, yeah, when
he's doing an NBA trying to catch Will Tindo that
all these great players incredible and I'm proud of it
(18:16):
because the left hand to player doing it, Lamar, Do
you like I mean, the three point shooting is more
than half their shots or threes at least the last
month or so. Do you like this? There are those
that some that feel you might have to look at
making some changes in the near future so that the
(18:38):
game doesn't become basically completely three pointers and dunks or layups.
What do you feel about it? I mean, I like it.
I think Um. I think scratch greatness has hurt UM
has hurt them the fundamentals of basketball. Speaking on when
(18:58):
Um there's a fast break, people are like looking to
pull for three us instead of getting the laft. But
I think that's they're caught up in STEP's greatness. Let me,
I don't want anyone to Um mistake my words his greatness,
like he's great at three point shot off the dribble.
Um Stin still probably the best ever, right right, especially
(19:23):
off the dribble. But I think his greatness has probably
hurt the fundamental No, it does. Yeah, kind of like
people have talked about that with Jordan. You know, everybody
wants to do what Jordan did and that hurt. You know,
guys were just looking at his athleticism not as fundamentals.
And I think you're right. It's very similar with Steps.
It's the eye couple. We are joined by two time
(19:45):
NBA champion Lamar Oldham. I'm and Lamar so, so do
you have a kind and let let me, let me,
let me, let me refreshing that answer. Steps is definitely
one of the best fundamental players ever. His great his
greatness like the hyping kid that's never going to be
(20:05):
able to shoot like that, right because everybody thinks that
they can do it, and everybody wants to do it.
Everybody's chucking up threes. All the kids see it and
they love it. I mean, I get it. I'm with you,
so so just just map out your plan here. Uh
So the big three is that like a done deal
or or or No, it's not my combine that I
(20:27):
have to go to um and perform and then hopefully
get picked up by a chamce. So okay, okay, um,
I want to go quickly to the Warriors you mentioned
steph Uh can anybody be I mean, I don't know
if you've seen them yet with DeMarcus Cousins, but they
look they already were virtually unstoppable. And then you add
in Cousins, who seems to be fitting in really well,
(20:49):
running the floor, uh, doing the things he does. How
do you think can they be beaten? Now? So well,
any team could be beaten, but you're gonna have to
have a really um, a really discipline offensive team, and
they're gonna have to have a really really good defensive
(21:10):
schemes because I don't think you'll be able to play
them one way throughout the whole game or throughout the
whole series. You're gonna have to have defensive schemes for
all the different looks that they give you. That damn
that makes sense. That makes sense, all right? Lamar hey,
best of luck, man man everything, and we're glad that
you're doing well, you know, and things are moving in
the right direction. You can get back to playing basketball
(21:32):
what you love. Yeah, God is on my side bro.
All right, man, you're right about that. Stay strong. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple with
Chris Brussar and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern
four pm Pacific. Ain't Nobody's never been a bomb shop?
You know that? Ain't nobody? Isn't it? You talk about
whoever it whatever, whatever you want to in the bow.
(21:56):
It's shop talk, yes, sir, the shop Talk. We do
this every single Thursday at eight forty five pm Eastern,
where we take a segment to talk about a trending
story of the week, something outside of the world of sports,
because we have interests outside of the hardwood. Yeah. Now,
one story that came up this week courtesy of USA Today,
(22:18):
An Hathaway, big time movie star, revealed in an interview
that while she was the filming a movie with Matthew
McConaughey late last year, they got so drunk off rum
with him and his wife that she decided to give
up drinking for the next eighteen years. Why don't you
pick eighteen up? All things like eighteen years? Wow? I
think because she has a young child and she decided
(22:38):
I'm gonna wait. You know, the kid gets out of
college exactly. So here's the question, May Matt doesn't have
to be with drinking, But have you ever done anything
to excess that you decided afterwards, I'm never doing that again.
That's the question. I don't know is excess. But when
I was seventh grade, why would you drink? You remember two?
(22:59):
You used to be big chew used to do that? No, no,
but I'm gonna tell you a story. But remember baseball
players always had to chew in their and a friend
of mine was had some big league chew, remember that,
And he gave me something. I didn't know how to
chew it, so I shoot it like I like I
(23:23):
was eating it like it was freaking liquorice. You get sick.
I got sick, and I've never had the desire to
do it or chew or anything again. Because ABC had
a show about this, wasn't it called to chew? No,
I'm sorry, kau kau I even Kauhi didn't think that
was funny. I'm sorry, min Is. I know you know
(23:47):
I'm a teetot and all that, but there was a
time I used to go to weddings and and drink
too much. I'm not lying. So I had three friends wedding,
close friends. I was carried out of all three of
those weddings. Wow, carried out. Carried out, I'm not kidding you,
like carried out because we would we would go right
(24:10):
up to the bar, which was you know it free,
and give the bartender a forty dollars tip and just
say make commic, just keep them coming. And we would
staying there. And and there were three close friends who
I grew up with, you know, and and they literally
had to carry me home. Wow. And I once I
(24:31):
left like a four hundred dollars a camera at the
wedding because I was just so out of it. I didn't.
So I don't do that anymore when I go to weddings.
I don't over drink just because you stop. Yeah. I
don't drink like that anymore. I once in a while
I have a drink, but I don't. I have alcohol
at home, hardly drink. Wow. Yeah, Wow, that's a lessons Yes, okay,
(24:56):
I won't go into detail. Mine is similar to to
Rob's Escapade. But but in my young life, I shall
say that I did not realize. I thought, oh, if
you can't taste the alcohol in it, it's probably not
that strong. Why yeah, um, so, so let's just say
I will never have an Amaretto sour again in my life. Wow,
And if I ever have. And there were a combination
(25:18):
of things. But again, if if you taste it, if
you can't taste it, it's not it's not doing anything right. So,
deb was it a double digits? Just tell me it
was a double digits? Yeah? No, no, And it wasn't
shots either, it was it was frozen or it was
well drinks too. And let's just say it was three
for one of the well and two for one of
the frozens. And I had a couple of rounds of
(25:40):
each of those. Okay, yeah, but but again I waited
one hundred and you know, five pounds a time, so
that will not be happening again. Alex, what about Alex?
All right now, he likes my story, so I'll go
quick here. So when I was a little bit younger
in college, I did mushrooms for the first actual shrooms.
And so the trip was so bad that I actually
(26:03):
got lost from the group I was with and it
was ten minutes away from my house where I lived.
From where I was doing it, it took me two
and a half hours to get home in the middle
of the night. I'm glad nobody picked me up, nobody stuck.
I'm just saying my life completely changed from that night.
I'm thankful for it, but I will never do that again.
That's what made you a vegan. I know that. See,
(26:25):
all of all vegetables are good for you, right right, right,
Odd couple
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
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 Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching f
(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of The Odd
Couple with Chris Brush and Rod Harker. All I'm gonna
do is sit back and like, just sit back, and
I want to hear you pontificate about James Harden because
I tried to tell y'all about a month ago or
six weeks ago. Wait, wait, wait, First of all, it
(00:44):
wasn't that long ago. It was like two weeks ago.
Rob Gee, it's been longer than three weeks. About a
month Undisputed it under Yeah, when we hosted Undisputed, Yeah,
that was a holiday saying James Harden was the best player.
But that was a Monday we filled in. Yeah. Right now,
you you keep couching it. I'm not couching the two
really put bass in your voice, stick out your chest
(01:07):
out saying look right now, look my chest is out.
It was three weeks is it? Is it? Oh man,
that's hurting. My chest is out at my babies to
hit the bench press, Chester is out. That's your chest out.
It's a bird chest like no James Harden And I
said it three weeks ago when you first said he
was the best player in the world right now, and
(01:30):
I said it two weeks ago when you doubled down
on it, and I'll say it today. He is magnificent.
I think he should already have two MVP Awards. I
thought he should have won in twenty fifteen, and I
voted for him in twenty fifteen, the first year that
Steph Curry won the MVP Awards, I got men. Of
(01:51):
course I voted for him last year and he won it.
He's going to win it this year. Should be his third,
but will be a second. You bet me. The bron
James was gonna win the Yeah, he too many games. No, No,
I mean I'm realistic. Some people who would I'm realistic?
(02:12):
Unlike who who are you talking about? Parker? You got
one guy in the eye. That's why we're the odd couple.
You have one guy that thinks with your heart and
I think with my head. Is that it is yes,
I wanted Patrick Mahomes. You know this. I've defended Patrick
Mahomes all year and I knew he couldn't win a
big game. I've been telling you all year. And you
(02:33):
know you didn't know it, an't you. But in your heart,
you right, your head was telling you, I know what,
Jody Reid cannot win the big one? What did I
call at Mahomes is too young? Right? Yes, I know it,
but your heart said no, I cannot go with Tom No,
because I saw the game before it happened, and I
(02:54):
knew he was gonna throw that third pick and it
would all be over what third pick. There was no
third pick. There was a pick. It was all size
it was. There was no third pick. I saw it
with my old eyes. It was all sides that degated it.
If you had gone with your head over your heart,
(03:16):
you would have picked the Patriots and I got you
and your record and the pigs can pick off wouldn't
be Look at you, you're holding onto that. It was
all season. Thanks, Thanks, It was a one segment thing,
Thanks quad, because I mean, Chris is crazy with this thing.
(03:37):
And here's the other one. I'm telling you right here,
right now, mister Chris Bouchard, NBA aficionado, an expert and
whatever insider and anything else you want to claim. After
all these years, it comes in my titles. Okay, other
people claim that, and you're telling me. I'm telling you
that even if Lebron was playing, Harden is still the
(04:01):
best player in the league. He is. Stop with the Lebron.
He's not the best player. He's an not right now,
he's not And when hardened, Harden wouldn't be doing this
on the Warriors. No, but he's He didn't even have
anybody else, which is even a better. First of all,
he doesn't have Chris Paul who else got hurt? Gordon
(04:22):
was out like eleven games. He's back now, Clint Capella
is out. Capella got hurt, and they're fifteen and six.
It's not like he's piling up numbers and they're six
and fifteen. During his thirty point his twenty one game,
thirty or more points. I'm impressed by that. I always
(04:42):
I always say you could score a lot of points,
but if you're losing, it doesn't really matter because they're
all a lot of times they're garbage point. But I'll
say this though, now you wouldn't be claiming he's the
best in the world. But even if they were, say
six and fifteen, you would it would still be impressive.
Were hard he's doing twenty one straight games or thirty
(05:03):
points a Moore has not been done. Kareem had a streak,
rob G. It hasn't been done since the ABA NBA
merger in seventy six, But Kareem had a streak, rob G.
Check out what Kareem streaks. Some people are looking up
past Kareem. Then you have to go back to Wilt Chambers.
They were on Twitter right now going merger. What are
you talking about all? I'm just saying, yeah, but it
(05:27):
would still be impressive if he was scoring. He's you know,
he's averaged over his last five games fifty two points.
I don't care. If he'd lost every game, that would
be impressive. That would be fifty two point two points,
nine point six rebounds, four point two assists, and two
point six steals. And most of his buckets last night,
(05:47):
every single basket was unassisted. You know how hard that
that's almost impossible, almost impossible. And overall it was his
fifth fifty point game of the season, right and just
a seventeenth time he scored forty or more more and
then again. His thirty point streak is now at twenty one. Look,
(06:09):
I mean he's he's the best player in the league.
I'm sorry Lebron right now, No, he's the best player
in the league the Lebron Sorry KD. Here here's the problem, Rob,
I'm shocked at you because you go, you even go
to the extreme of saying if you get to the
super Bowl or the finals and lose, it doesn't matter.
(06:34):
Yet here you are praising the guy. We're not there yet.
You're not there yet. I'm talking about this year. We're
not at the playoffs. I gotta look at what he's
done this season. He's what I'm talking about season and
this is that does not mean he's the best player,
but this is on the heels of what this is
on the heels an MVP one back to back MV
(07:00):
Was he ever the best player in the world? Um? No,
all right, but you don't have the numbers the best
player in the world when he won MVP. No, okay,
then don't give me. But this is different. I'm talking
about Sun has been the best play in the world.
Even if you think he's not Now, he had a
one eight to ten years stretch where he was the
(07:20):
best player in the world. But look, but he only
won four MVPs during that But the numbers and what
he's been doing people haven't done in in eons and
one of the lists it was just Kobe and Michael.
I mean, when you start to look at the people,
the people that he's matching or all time greats, that's
what you gotta give him, because he's not matching like somebody.
(07:43):
We don't know. I can't remember the exact thing when
when when it was like, no, it hadn't been done
in thirty years since something or since since the merger, right, yeah,
and only Kobe and Michael Kobe Wright had done it.
I mean, that's incredible. No rob nobody, and he's winning
without help. Nobody is debating that what he's doing is sensational.
(08:05):
What I am saying is that you do not become
the mythical because it's mythical. You do not become the
mythical best player in the world in the regular season.
You just don't. You become the mythical best player in
the world in the postseason. That's you. That's you, that's
(08:26):
your your standard May and June be especially especially when
you have struggled in the in the most intense and
the biggest moments in the playoffs, so without your career,
So when Lebron melted down, Okay, by your logic, when
Lebron melted down to Dallas, he couldn't have been the
best player in the world, right because because he sucked,
(08:48):
he had happed terrible way off moments. But yeah, I
mean you, I'm fine if you say that. Okay, I
just want you to be consistent, because I'm consistently every morning.
You kill Marv Levy for never winning a Super Bowl.
Here you are here. You are giving a guy the
(09:08):
best title in the best player in the world title
based on games. And that's why I say, right now
up to this point. Now, if he goes to the
playoffs saying I pull it back, well, and I I'm
gonna say to you this, Rob, he doesn't. In my book,
he doesn't have to get to the finals and win
(09:30):
the West to be the best player in the world.
He just has to win it's game six, When it's
Game seven and the series is on the line, be
at your best. You might even not shoot fifty percent
that game. You might be off, but be at your best.
He only took ten shots against San Antonio Game six.
(09:51):
He didn't bring it. I want to see him bring it.
And you know if he damaged, if he's doing this
in the playoffs, then I can give him that title.
So with the game on the line, uh, he can't
pass the ball to like George Hill or something. With
the game on the life, George Hill is wide open
under the bas yes, he can rob Parker. And I
(10:13):
know where you were, you would have been better off
the pass to Betty Hill. George Hills in NBA, What
do you say? What do you always say? There isn't
an NBA uniform. George Hills in an NBA uniform. He's
an accomplished player and he should be able to hit
a layup people. He wasn't open because he got fouled.
All right, what do you say? And don't and don't
(10:35):
turn this into a Chris Bruce Hard is down on
James Harden. James Hard, that's what he is. Man. James
Harden is the man, and as it is right now,
he is definitely getting I want you to fall in
line and goose step with me right down the street
in Houston. Just be in lockstep with me. He is
(10:55):
the best player in the NBA right now. So I
guess by your logic period Eastern Conference player of the
Month is the best player in the East the West.
I didn't say that. That's not what I'm saying. Nope,
not at all. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Odd Couple with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays
(11:16):
at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the iHeart Radio app. This next guest, we
are really excited about having him on. He's a two
time NBA champion. He really became one of the most
beloved Lakers during his time playing with them and winning
(11:37):
championships with them. And he was darn near Ben Simmons
before Ben Simmons. And I'm talking about Lamar odom and
being from queens like yours. Truly, you already know queens
in the house. What's up, Lamar? What's up? Bro? How
are you doing doing? Great? Man? How are you? I've
never been done in my life, Bro, that's crazy to hear. Man.
(12:00):
That's great, dear. Now you're down in Manila right in
the Philippines. Yeah, the place where Muhammad a lad right Manila.
I think he beat he beat Frasier. That was their
third fight down here. I thought that's what they made.
The envelopes, right, the Manila envelopes. You I think you
might know, Rob Lamar don't feel don't feel any obligation
(12:23):
to laugh at Rob's bad jokes, So you don't have
to do that. But so you're you're making a comeback.
You you you use that term comeback. So you're playing
for a Philippine team that's gonna be playing in an
international tournament in Dubai. Is that correct? That's correct. I
came to um, I'm gonna go to Dubai. Whatever I
(12:45):
got less than the tank, I'm gonna leave it out there. Okay,
And you're thirty nine thirty nine years old? So what
do you want this to lead to? What are you hoping?
You know this leads to in terms of playing ball
somewhere else? I don't know. You know, my grandmother to say,
if you want to make God last, tell me your plans,
you know, so who knows what this will lead to? Okay? Okay,
(13:06):
but how much do you mis three? You thinking I'm
definitely playing a big I'm definitely playing a Big three
this ship as well. Okay, do do you think that
there's a chance you could get back in the NBA
and some role or you're seeing a lot of players
playing a lot older, you know, longer than ever before
and with all the training and all the other stuff
that goes on. Is there possibility of that? There is?
(13:29):
I can definitely amazing NBA and probably like, uh, fulfill
a dream green role or any NBA than do you
I mentioned at the top of you know the Hour
that you kind of played like Ben Simmons before Ben Simmons.
Do you think that's an app comparison? Um? I think, um,
(13:54):
without the athleticism maybe I think maybe the Q and
U of course our size, our ballhem and passion ability. Um,
I hope to think that was maybe a better shooter.
But Ben Simmons was Yeah, yeah, you were definitely ten
times way more athletics than me. Right, So what do
(14:16):
you I mean you obviously played with the Lakers among
other teams, Lebron is there. Everybody's excited. What do you
make of them? Like, what do you think the future
holds for the Lakers with Lebron? There? Well? With with
Lebron there I think the future is great. Um. Of course,
if you will add Anthony Davis or Kawhile Lennard, I
(14:36):
think that puts us right in the mix to win
the championship. I think, um At and Lebron to this
team puts us right now. Um Um it's the I
couple Chris Bruce a Rod Parker. We are joined by
two time NBA champion Lamar Oldham. So so, Lamar, you
like this NBA where you got super teams, people stacking
(14:57):
up on teams in order so that the same teams
go to the finals every year, or just about you
like this NBA? Well, I like the NBA that they're
trying to put the best teams together. Of course, as
a player, I already wanted to be on the best
team as possible. Um. For the competition, you know, they
gotta they gotta step up each other. Gamacheta, Lamar. Where
(15:18):
one of the hot topics is always the goat, Uh,
it's usually Lebron and Jordan. People are debating where do
you stand on the go Who do you think is
the best player of all time? I mean, well, Michael
Jordan is the best player of all time. Um, I
think because of his basketball impacting of courses off the impact,
(15:39):
I don't think they'll never be reached again. So I
would say Michael Jordan, and then uh, Kobe Bryant and
Lebron James right under right underneath that, so you were both.
Brian is a strong second, I think, okay, because a
lot of a lot of players do say that because
of Is it because of the passion and the uh
(16:02):
A thirst for trying to win? Is that what the
will to win? Is that what it is about Kobe
and his will to win becomes contagious um. You know,
obviously it's will to be the best definitely becomes contagious
um in every aspect of the word. And I give credit.
I'll get Kobe to credit. I give Kobe the credit
(16:24):
for me winning the sixth Man of the Year ward
because that's not a role that I accepted, and after
talks with him kind of like I kind of was
able to settle win and accept that role and come
to man at that role. The stories out there, the
reputation of Kobe is that he was hard to play with,
(16:44):
Not that guys didn't like him, but just he was
so hard driving and would would be so tough on teammates.
Was that the case that and then you just had
to get on board and follow him, or you know,
was he challenging guys all the time and is that
the way he led and made you better? Yeah, at
ten in the morning, you could ask stops to Williard
trips before the ball was even host In the end,
(17:06):
he was getting elbow to his chest about Kobe bryant
Um and that type of mentality kind of like drifted
off onto all of us. Really to be the best
at opposition, on the best at whatever role we had
on that team. We wanted to be the best at it.
What do you make of James harden and his stretch?
I mean he's doing this without other players, Chris Paul's hurd,
(17:29):
I mean he is bawling out. I say he's the
best player in the NBA right now. Where are you
on harden Um? You know, it's so crazy about James Harden.
Me and him had a running um that didn't go
too well a couple of years ago. But right now
he's definitely the best left handed player I've seen in
a long time, and definitely one of the best scorers
(17:53):
in the NBA. His games, I'm definitely watching for his games.
He has sixty one last night at the guard at
the garden, and the method and the method. I think
the last person to do that was was my man
Kobe at sixty yet two. I think that, yeah, when
he's doing an NBA trying to catch Will Tindo that
all these great players incredible and I'm proud of it
(18:16):
because the left hand to player doing it, Lamar, Do
you like I mean, the three point shooting is more
than half their shots or threes at least the last
month or so. Do you like this? There are those
that some that feel you might have to look at
making some changes in the near future so that the
(18:38):
game doesn't become basically completely three pointers and dunks or layups.
What do you feel about it? I mean, I like it.
I think Um. I think scratch greatness has hurt UM
has hurt them the fundamentals of basketball. Speaking on when
(18:58):
Um there's a fast break, people are like looking to
pull for three us instead of getting the laft. But
I think that's they're caught up in STEP's greatness. Let me,
I don't want anyone to Um mistake my words his greatness,
like he's great at three point shot off the dribble.
Um Stin still probably the best ever, right right, especially
(19:23):
off the dribble. But I think his greatness has probably
hurt the fundamental No, it does. Yeah, kind of like
people have talked about that with Jordan. You know, everybody
wants to do what Jordan did and that hurt. You know,
guys were just looking at his athleticism not as fundamentals.
And I think you're right. It's very similar with Steps.
It's the eye couple. We are joined by two time
(19:45):
NBA champion Lamar Oldham. I'm and Lamar so, so do
you have a kind and let let me, let me,
let me, let me refreshing that answer. Steps is definitely
one of the best fundamental players ever. His great his
greatness like the hyping kid that's never going to be
(20:05):
able to shoot like that, right because everybody thinks that
they can do it, and everybody wants to do it.
Everybody's chucking up threes. All the kids see it and
they love it. I mean, I get it. I'm with you,
so so just just map out your plan here. Uh
So the big three is that like a done deal
or or or No, it's not my combine that I
(20:27):
have to go to um and perform and then hopefully
get picked up by a chamce. So okay, okay, um,
I want to go quickly to the Warriors you mentioned
steph Uh can anybody be I mean, I don't know
if you've seen them yet with DeMarcus Cousins, but they
look they already were virtually unstoppable. And then you add
in Cousins, who seems to be fitting in really well,
(20:49):
running the floor, uh, doing the things he does. How
do you think can they be beaten? Now? So well,
any team could be beaten, but you're gonna have to
have a really um, a really discipline offensive team, and
they're gonna have to have a really really good defensive
(21:10):
schemes because I don't think you'll be able to play
them one way throughout the whole game or throughout the
whole series. You're gonna have to have defensive schemes for
all the different looks that they give you. That damn
that makes sense. That makes sense, all right? Lamar hey,
best of luck, man man everything, and we're glad that
you're doing well, you know, and things are moving in
the right direction. You can get back to playing basketball
(21:32):
what you love. Yeah, God is on my side bro.
All right, man, you're right about that. Stay strong. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple with
Chris Brussar and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern
four pm Pacific. Ain't Nobody's never been a bomb shop?
You know that? Ain't nobody? Isn't it? You talk about
whoever it whatever, whatever you want to in the bow.
(21:56):
It's shop talk, yes, sir, the shop Talk. We do
this every single Thursday at eight forty five pm Eastern,
where we take a segment to talk about a trending
story of the week, something outside of the world of sports,
because we have interests outside of the hardwood. Yeah. Now,
one story that came up this week courtesy of USA Today,
(22:18):
An Hathaway, big time movie star, revealed in an interview
that while she was the filming a movie with Matthew
McConaughey late last year, they got so drunk off rum
with him and his wife that she decided to give
up drinking for the next eighteen years. Why don't you
pick eighteen up? All things like eighteen years? Wow? I
think because she has a young child and she decided
(22:38):
I'm gonna wait. You know, the kid gets out of
college exactly. So here's the question, May Matt doesn't have
to be with drinking, But have you ever done anything
to excess that you decided afterwards, I'm never doing that again.
That's the question. I don't know is excess. But when
I was seventh grade, why would you drink? You remember two?
(22:59):
You used to be big chew used to do that? No, no,
but I'm gonna tell you a story. But remember baseball
players always had to chew in their and a friend
of mine was had some big league chew, remember that,
And he gave me something. I didn't know how to
chew it, so I shoot it like I like I
(23:23):
was eating it like it was freaking liquorice. You get sick.
I got sick, and I've never had the desire to
do it or chew or anything again. Because ABC had
a show about this, wasn't it called to chew? No,
I'm sorry, kau kau I even Kauhi didn't think that
was funny. I'm sorry, min Is. I know you know
(23:47):
I'm a teetot and all that, but there was a
time I used to go to weddings and and drink
too much. I'm not lying. So I had three friends wedding,
close friends. I was carried out of all three of
those weddings. Wow, carried out. Carried out, I'm not kidding you,
like carried out because we would we would go right
(24:10):
up to the bar, which was you know it free,
and give the bartender a forty dollars tip and just
say make commic, just keep them coming. And we would
staying there. And and there were three close friends who
I grew up with, you know, and and they literally
had to carry me home. Wow. And I once I
(24:31):
left like a four hundred dollars a camera at the
wedding because I was just so out of it. I didn't.
So I don't do that anymore when I go to weddings.
I don't over drink just because you stop. Yeah. I
don't drink like that anymore. I once in a while
I have a drink, but I don't. I have alcohol
at home, hardly drink. Wow. Yeah, Wow, that's a lessons Yes, okay,
(24:56):
I won't go into detail. Mine is similar to to
Rob's Escapade. But but in my young life, I shall
say that I did not realize. I thought, oh, if
you can't taste the alcohol in it, it's probably not
that strong. Why yeah, um, so, so let's just say
I will never have an Amaretto sour again in my life. Wow,
And if I ever have. And there were a combination
(25:18):
of things. But again, if if you taste it, if
you can't taste it, it's not it's not doing anything right. So,
deb was it a double digits? Just tell me it
was a double digits? Yeah? No, no, And it wasn't
shots either, it was it was frozen or it was
well drinks too. And let's just say it was three
for one of the well and two for one of
the frozens. And I had a couple of rounds of
(25:40):
each of those. Okay, yeah, but but again I waited
one hundred and you know, five pounds a time, so
that will not be happening again. Alex, what about Alex?
All right now, he likes my story, so I'll go
quick here. So when I was a little bit younger
in college, I did mushrooms for the first actual shrooms.
And so the trip was so bad that I actually
(26:03):
got lost from the group I was with and it
was ten minutes away from my house where I lived.
From where I was doing it, it took me two
and a half hours to get home in the middle
of the night. I'm glad nobody picked me up, nobody stuck.
I'm just saying my life completely changed from that night.
I'm thankful for it, but I will never do that again.
That's what made you a vegan. I know that. See,
(26:25):
all of all vegetables are good for you, right right, right,
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