August 3, 2024 • 31 mins
Chris and Rob tell us why they had a problem with Steve Kerr benching Jayson Tatum altogether in Team USA’s blowout win over Serbia, debate whether or not Patrick Mahomes is doing the right thing by consistently taking less-than-market value contracts from the Kansas city Chiefs and explain why Kevin Durant being regarded as the greatest player in USA Basketball history is a meaningless title.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
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Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusha and Ron Harker.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Jordan Love got his money, didn't he match? Yeah? What
four years to twelve or something like that. I thought
than that. I think he robbed it. What are the
numbers on these to twenty? He got to twenty? I
think he matched Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow? Is that correct?
That is correct for Jordan.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Right?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
But it was two twenty and two it got to
twelve correct? Correct? Yes? Yes?
Speaker 1 (00:58):
So now with those guys getting that much in salary.
Patrick Mahomes, the best quarterback in the league, is no
longer in the top ten highest paid quarterbacks per year.
And he was asked by a friend of the show,
Jared Bell, longtime NFL USA Today.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yes, and he asked Mahomes if he was.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Fell underpaid and here's what Mahomes said, not necessarily. I
think we do a great job of managing my money
to be able to pay me a lot of money
and keep a good team around me.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I know we've kind of restructured.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
It a couple of times and got the cash flow
up in certain spots and in certain years.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
It's about having a good dialogue and.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Good communication with the front office with ownership.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
We've done that here.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
We've been able to allow me to be a highly
paid guy while at the same time build a great.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Team around me and Rob.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
What he's talking about is because his deal is ten years.
We talked about this on First Things First today. Because
his deal is ten years, they can move his money
all over the place, and if he wants like meaning
they can give him more money, which they have done,
and if he wanted to he could.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Demand more money. Obviously they got to pay him more.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
But from twenty twenty three, and this is according to
Mike Florio rop of course Pro Football Talk, from twenty
twenty three to twenty twenty six, Patrick Mahons will get
more money than edy quarterback. He's gonna get two hundred
ten point six million. Lamar Jackson will get two hundred
and eight, Deshaun Watson will get one eighty four, Joe
(02:51):
Burrow won eighty one, and if he gets all his money, Daniel.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Jones with one sixty.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
So Mahomes is getting his money because of the way
that contract is set up.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
So I got no issue with what Mahomes is doing.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
I actually think he's got his priority straight. He's clearly
making a ton of money. Even if you just say, okay,
he's only getting you know, the number that's on the
books is forty five million a year. He's he's still
wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. It's a capped league, so
you do have to, you know, if you lose players,
(03:29):
if your quarterback or certain other players are making so much.
And I would like if he if the cost of
you know, he's willing to give up a little money
to keep some better players and have more chances of
winning the super Bowl, and he's still filthy rich.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
I actually think that's smart.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
I'd rather make forty five million a year, have five
or six rings super Bowls because I'm trying to be
the greatest ever. If I'm him, then make fifty five
million a year, maybe have three Supers and So I
got no issue with what Patrick Mahons do.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
I have an issue with what you just said. And
here's the problem I have is.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
That you naturally correlate that winning rings is because he
takes less money. That's not why he wins. It's his talent.
It has nothing to do with ye but you can't.
He's lost plays, he's.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Still great, But that doesn't mean you're gonna do that every.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Russ in spite of that, because he's a great player.
It has nothing to do with how much money he
makes or if he was making fifty.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Is it million? Yeah, but they're paying guys.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Who aren't even as talent as him way more money. Chris,
you must just acknowledge. And you know this a lot
of people. This is not Rob Bapedia, This is not
me talking.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
It was the.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Worst contract anybody could have ever signed who had the
leverage that Patrick Mahomes signed. It was sixteen million guaranteed
on a half a billion dollar contract. Hear what I said, No.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
I'm just out over the In the next fourty years,
he's gonna have more money than any quarterbacks.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
When he signed the deal, he had the ultimate leverage
of a guy who was a young quarterback who had
won a Super Bowl in an MVP. He should have
set the standard for the rest of the quarterbacks and
for the rest of the league. Instead, he took a
piss poor deal that now they have to kind of
finagle and and throw smoking mirrors and tell you, well,
(05:26):
still he's gonna if all this work, he's still.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Gonna get his meal.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
All I know is ten other guys, eleven guys make
more money than him.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
And if he's the best quarterback in.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
The league and he keeps winning, he should be the
highest paid.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
It's not a It's just Tom Brady wasn't always the
highest just has some tombra said he except he retired
with the as the person who had made more money
than any player in the NFL didn't.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Do justice for it. So he got Maybe he has
a forty three and thirty.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Six million, I think, and so if he would have
been better off four hundred mill played for fifty years.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Of course he made more.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Money than anybody. Nobody played that long. Chrisal Longeviarty thing.
When it talks about money, the bottom line is Patrick
Mahomes took a terrible deal and he should be the
highest paid quarterback.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
That ten l len change every year.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
That that that's not about who's the best. I'm just
talking about. But you keep saying that, oh, he'd rather
take five million or ten million less and win more
Super Bowls.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
It doesn't go hand in hand, is what I'm saying.
And but what my point.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
What you know, what does go hand in hand, or
or can can go hand in hand, is if you
if the quarterback takes less money, there's more money to
go get better players, and that increases your chances of winning.
But I mean, if you, if you are the type
to say, I gotta get as absolutely as much as
(06:52):
I'm worth my teammates, so the quality of my team
be darned.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
That's fine, that's your right. But if he's he's like, man,
I got money galore.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
My children's childrens will be filthy rich and their children
as well. And I'm still making I'm making tons of money,
and I got a better chance of winning every year.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
I got no issue with that.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Did you see Matthew Stafford didn't come into practice until
they restructured his deal. That dude has all the money
he's made, and they won a super Bowl. They paid him,
they gave him a ridiculous contract even then, and that
dude told them I'm not coming unless you restructure and
fix my deal.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
He not coming in and guess what they did. They
fixed it.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
And my only point, Chris and you that the way
you look at it is fine if that's you and
that's Patrick Mahomes, But that doesn't mean he didn't take
a bad deal. And if you talk to most agents
in the business and most executives and just on, forget
about feelings and what you want to do. But whether
or not it was a good deal he got, he got.
(08:00):
He took a horrible deal, and the Chiefs took advantage
of his kindness. Nobody's saying he has to ask for
a gazillion dollars and leave nothing for anybody else. But
there ain't no way three super Bowls in he should
be the eleventh highest paid quarterback in the league.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
It just me if it's such a bad deal, then
why from twenty twenty three to twenty twenty six is
he gonna make more money than any quarterback?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
I don't know why is he the eleventh highest pay
I mean that that might be, that might be the
smoke in the mirrors. It ain't no smokes like, so,
I'm just telling you.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
I'm looking at this chart and from twenty twenty three
to twenty twenty six, according to Mike Flourio, he's going
to make more money than any other quarterback because they
can adjust his money every year.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
So with justin now and give him more money.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
What they clearly have, he's gonna get to Hugiad ten million,
Andrew Bridge, Lamar and Shawn and Burrow and he works it.
Speaker 4 (08:59):
He worked in the run off and said they could
do whatever they want. He said they could kick the
can down the road. He says, it's it's it's it's
nonsense that they make it like, oh, we can't do this,
we can't do that. They can do whatever they want
to do if the Chiefs want to make it right
and adjust other people's money to make sure that their
(09:20):
quarterback is by far he's.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
The best guy in the league.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
He's going to be the more highest paid and we're
gonna do whatever he takes to do that. They could
do that. That's all I'm saying, Chris, you could do
whatever you want. If you're telling me that they could
adjust Patrick Mahomes contract, they could adjust anybody else's contract
on the team as well, to make sure that Patrick
gets his money.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
That's all.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
No, they can He should be not only the highest
paid player in the NFL, he should be the highest
paid player.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
In American sports.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
But I think he's got his priorities in order. He's
still making tons of money. He he's still going to
make more than any other quarterback from twenty twenty three
to twenty twenty six, and he's got a better chance
of winning Super Bowls. He as great as he is,
you still need great teammates. You still They got the greatest,
(10:17):
arguably the best defensive player in the league in Chris Jones.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
He got paid.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
They got arguably the best tight en for that. But
he got paid, and Travis Kelce.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Tyree Hill had the bounce to us left, Sneid left,
Honey Badger left.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
And they replaced him with good players. And so I'm
just saying, I need just lost it. And I'm speaking
from experience. I've been in a good situation and I've
unfortunately my career, I've always been in good situations, but
I've been When I was at ESPN, I could have
(10:51):
went somewhere else for more money, but I was happy
and content with where I was, and I stated he
being a made less Can.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
I say this though?
Speaker 1 (11:02):
And I was great, and and like, I don't think
the happiest people are the ones they gotta chase every
last dollar and fred over every last dollar.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
I didn't say that. I didn't say I'm just telling you.
I mean, that's what you sound like, though, I just
don't believe in that you should be. That's their responsibility
to front office to figure out the money. That's not
your responsibility. It's nonsense to put that burden on yourself.
What are the other people paying? Feels is a burden
that he has to do with the willfully have they?
(11:31):
Let have they lowered the ticket prices in Kansas City
on the eighteen dollar beers or the twenty two dollar
pizzas because Patrick Mahomes took less as the fans there
at the Chiefs fans if they got a break because
Patrick Mahomes took less money, did tickets keep going up?
Go look at the ownership and the money they're putting
in the bank. It's the same, not taking less money.
(11:53):
It's a cap lead no, but that doesn't mean anything.
So it's off cap, but it's a cap. They can
still do what they want.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
I'm not. This is not me.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
I'm talking to people who have worked in the NFL
front offices. They say it's a con that they can
do whatever they want, and they give you, Yeah, there,
you can keep pushing the money down the line.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
But if I'm an owner of a team, I'm not
pushing all that money down the line all the time.
Sometimes I will, but sometimes I won't. They got they
gonna do their business too. I mean, that's why the
Dallas Cowboys are in a mess right now. They got
three guys they need to sign. They haven't signed one
of them yet. So if it was an uncapped league
(12:37):
like baseball, sure, but this ain't. Patrick Mahomes, like I said,
if Florio's correct, he's still gonna get more money than
any quarterback from twenty twenty three to twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
So I'm supposed to be shedding tears for him, and
then he's on his way to.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Be in the goat and then they use it, and
then they're using Patrick Mahomes as as the poster boy
for welfare in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Really, how's that working out?
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Every pointer back that signs is getting more money than
they're using them.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
But they didn't work in Steven Jones is telling everybody
to Radio un Dallas, Oh Dad and CD Land, why.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Don't you take look at what Patrick Mahomes did. You
should give us a hometown discount.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
The Cowboys are the highest working franchise in sports history
asking for a discount.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Imagine that and using Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
As a as a poster boy on why they should
take less money than the market value?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
PA, did it work?
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Did it work with the Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence? Did
it work with the Packers?
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Now?
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Hold on? Did it work with the Packers?
Speaker 4 (13:37):
In?
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Jordan Love? Did it work with the Bengals and Joe
brad Ain't nobody getting less because of Patrick Mahomes? But
the old still us?
Speaker 4 (13:45):
But they're using him. But they used it all they wanted.
They want to hear that that Patrick Mahomes is the post.
They need to retire that line.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Everybody in their mama getting paid so that I don't
know what you're talking about. With that, they can say
it all they want. Man, you just say no, this
ain't Patrick Mahomes. Let's move on and give me my
fifty five million a year. That's what's going down.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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Speaker 6 (14:23):
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
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We talked to coaches, we talked to players, We tell
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Speaker 3 (14:40):
You download it, you listen to it. I think you
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Speaker 6 (14:44):
Listen to All Ball with Doug Gottlieb on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Coach k was talking I think it was today, and
he said this rob about Kevin Durant.
Speaker 7 (15:01):
Well, I think he is because of longevity and accomplishment.
It's unique. But the amount of points he scored, he
scored a lot more than anyone else, and Jim and
when he did them, when he scored in Istanbul in
twenty ten, he averaged thirty three points a game in
(15:22):
the medal round. Obviously in London he was part of
the huge team that we have with Lebron and Kobe,
and in twenty sixteen in Rio, he was by far
our best scorer, and really, what our team to the
gold medal?
Speaker 3 (15:38):
All right?
Speaker 1 (15:38):
So he was asked, is Kevin Durant the greatest men's
basketball player in Olympic history? And so he said yes
because of his longevity. What are your thoughts on that round,
Coach k quickly let me tell you, I'm sorry. Quickly,
Kevin Durant's career average in the Olympics drop nineteen point seven.
(16:00):
I guess becauld say twenty points now? He dropped the
twenty three, Michael Jordan's second at sixteen, Charles Brocley third
at fifteen point four.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
Coach, can't hate to rain on your parade, but that
plus two dollars in ninety cents will get you on
the subway in New York. I'm sorry, really, Coach k oh,
my god, Kevin Durant is the greatest USA basketball player ever.
(16:32):
He which twenty points against nobody against mostly nobody's has
been never was is. It doesn't rait Chris. The Olympics basketball.
They've been just saying they had been going for their
fifth gold medal in the bar or whatever it is.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
It doesn't rad Nobody cares about it.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
From the standpoint, it doesn't make you better in the
eyes of the basketball world. It's still a out the NBA.
Carmelo Anthony had four medals, right, three.
Speaker 8 (17:04):
Goalscorer, and Chris three goals and a bronze and that
didn't that didn't help him get a job in the
NBA for two seasons or a year and a half.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
It didn't move the needle. Nobody was like, oh my god,
he's like unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
On international play, how in the world don't we have
a Carmelo Anthony on the roster. No, And it said,
that's fine. You go there, you do your thing, Chris.
But it doesn't give you any juice. I'm sorry. The
international play. The team that they've beaten, that's why nobody
makes a big deal about Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley
(17:41):
had beaten teams by forty five points with that dream team. Chris,
that's not competition. If you told me and you painted
a scenario that Canada was out equal, I'm just giving
you a team, Chris. Canada was out equal and Kevin
Durant showed up and busted the shops of Canada. And
(18:01):
you could name some of the great Canadian players and
was like, my god, did you see what KD did
against A B and C and and how they the
one the gold medal? That was incredible. It's just doesn't rate.
People don't have that kind of memories about it. And
I'm not taking anything away from he's out there to play.
He's doing what he does. He's one of the best
(18:23):
scores we've ever seen, hands down. All I'm saying is
it just doesn't It doesn't move the needle to make
people think any more of Kevin Durant other than what
he's done in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
That's my biggest point. I agree, I agree.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Rob G and I were talking earlier and the question
was does Kevin Durant being I'm fine with if you
want to. I mean the way coach k said it,
Rob was very innocuous because of his longevity.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Right, That's what he plew. So you played the longest
of course you gonna have.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
He ain't better than Michael Jordan, I'm sorry in the Olympics.
Jordan led in college. So now, Rob, if you want
to say, if people want to compare now and say, well, hey,
the international game, the players are way better, you can't
compare it to ninety two and ninety six when we
were destroying teams.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
That's fair.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
But Michael Jordan played in college. He was a college
kid or right out of college, but still college aged
after his junior year, playing against grown men, so it
was equivalent. I mean, I'm not here to argue I
don't care to your point where I don't care that
(19:40):
Michael Jordane's the greatest you know, Olympic basketball player ever,
or Charles Barkley or Lebron or Dbrant whoever, who cares?
Speaker 4 (19:50):
You know, when we care, Rob, when we lose, that's
joy time that you that's when we care.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
That's when there's a story.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Chris, I always say, wake me up when they lose,
and then we got a story and a conversation to have, right.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
But we expect them to win. We expect Kevin.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Durant to score points against these of course, I think
I could go out there and get four points. I
mean really, I mean seriously though, with that squad. Hey,
you know I scored against Nancy Lieberman. So I'm just saying, no,
I'm joking about me. But Rob, and here's what I'm
my point.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
We only care if they lose because in two thousand
and eight, people might object and say, well, hold on,
we care about the redeem team with Lebron and Kobe
and Chris Paul and d Wade. And you know why
we care because we had lost four years earlier. We
(20:47):
had to redeem ourselves. So we care about them. But
the reason we care about them is because they lost.
But four years before. We care about ninety two because
we have had lost in eighty eight with the college
kids and it was time to send the big boys over.
And so Rob, come on, I mean, and again, this
(21:11):
is taking nothing from kd because he is a phenomenal
player and has been phenomenal in the Olympics. But Rob,
when you've got a team full of absolute superstars and
they don't know who to put, they can't put the
defensive attention on anybody because Kobe's out there or Lebron's out.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Who do you not calling it right?
Speaker 1 (21:37):
I'm sorry, but it ain't that for these guys.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
At their level. This, Rob, this, I bet you.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
The Olympic games for Kevin Durant are the easiest adult
basketball he's ever played, the easiest adult basketball.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
He's ever played. And that's not to belittle the competition.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
It's just to say, look at his teammates, Look at
his teammates, and this is a great catch and shoot guy,
it's a great jump shooter. I mean, my goodness. All
they gotta do is it is jumpers against one man
or wide open. So I'm with you. This does nothing
(22:24):
to move him up. I don't know where he is exactly.
I got Kevin Durant in the twentieth range. I don't know,
somewhere between eighteen, seventeen, sixteen and twenty two.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Maybe I don't know exactly, but I don't think. I
don't care.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
If he averages twenty three in these Olympics and we
win goal, it's not gonna move him up one spot
in my rankings.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
I'm with you. It just doesn't. It doesn't rate. It
just doesn't.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
The only time this is a story, Chris, is when
it goes sideways.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
If they do what we expect them to do in
these it just doesn't move anybody.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Yeah, okay, you're supposed to win.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Kevin Durant against those against who you can't even name
who he went against. Most of the time, you don't
know who these guys are. They don't play at his level.
It's a step down. He's playing Cyo and the only
difference is Chris that they speak another language.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
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Speaker 1 (23:33):
One of the huge stories Rob coming out of the
game was that Jason Tatum, who has been a first
team All NBA player the last three years, the only
American on the All NBA team this year, was benched.
Did not play a moment. And here's what Steve Kurse
(23:54):
said about it, the head coach.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
It's tough, but Jason handled it really well. I talked
to him today before the game that it may play
out this way, just with Kevin coming back and the
lineups that I wanted to get to. But that'll change.
You know, Jason's gonna play. Every game is gonna be
different based on matchups. He's a total pro. He's you know,
first team All NBA three years in a row. I
(24:17):
felt like an idiot not playing him. But you know,
a forty minute game, you can't play more than ten,
You really can't. And you know, so I just I
think he's He's an amazing guy, great player, and handled
it beautifully, and you know he'll be back out their next.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Game, poppy Cock boulder Dash. Sorry, Steve Kerr, it was
a blowout. He couldn't play a few minutes to get
up off the bench.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
The last time Jason Tatum didn't get into a game,
a basketball game, Chris, was when he didn't play in
a game he was playing little late.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
I can't imagine he's ever not played a minute.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
It was when he was in little league. He didn't
play any basketball minutes. That's the only time in a
basketball game. Yes, come on, Steve Kerr, stop and I
understand forty minutes ten players. There was a blowout once
Kevin Durant did his thing and got them where they
wanted to go, Chris, what would have been the worst
thing in the world to put him out there for
(25:15):
a few minutes if he explained it before, Fine, there's
no reason that you don't empty the bench Serbia. Really, Chris,
you were but worried about Oh, gotta keep those guys in.
I got my rotation. I gotta keep it set against Serbia.
I don't want them to come back I'm sorry, you
know what, And I'm sure Jason Tatum is not gonna
(25:37):
say anything and he's just gonna go along with the
Chris you know what I mean, but that I'm sorry,
and we get it.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
I'm not saying.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
He expects to play twenty five minutes and he's pissed
that he didn't start, and we get this.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
There's nothing but it's a roster full of great player.
And it's not even that he's not as good.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
I mean, he's better, clearly better than Drew Holliday, Bam
out of euse what I'm sayre Chris. So it's not
about and that's what he has to realize so he
doesn't get down on himself. Rob. It's not about who's
the best player. I think he's better than Devin Booker too.
It's about the fit.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
And I hear you. Here's what I say, though, I do.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Think Steve Kerk going to Jason before the game and saying, look,
we got Kevin Durant coming back. We're obviously gonna get
him some minutes. This team Serbia is big, so we're
gonna play all three of our centers and their guard
or in it.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
So we're gonna play the guards, you.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Might not play to night at all, And I think,
and I just still doesn't make it better, or I
shouldn't say it doesn't makes it better. It does make
it better. It doesn't make it you know, you still
want to play. But I think Rob a coach going
to you before the game and saying that does soften
(26:58):
the blow a little bit versus if you're just blindside.
You think you're the seventh man on the team and
you're blindsided by not playing at all.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
And then I think Rob, I.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Wonder if Kerr felt like, do I put him in
with four minutes left, we're up twenty five, whatever it was.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Does he does that? Is that disrespectful? Does he feel bad?
You know?
Speaker 1 (27:25):
If I put him in in garbage time and all that?
I mean maybe not because Rob, the point different point
differential does matter in these early rounds, like how how
big the margin of victory is. But I think it's
going to like going forward is really how it's going
to impact Jason Tatum, Like Kurr is saying he's gonna
(27:48):
play in their next game, which is Wednesday against South
Sudan because South Sudan is more athletic and Tatum's a
better matchup for them, and all that last time he
played they only won by a point, but he played
sixteen minutes. If he only plays rob three or four minutes,
now you're gonna Tatum's gonna be like, Yo, what's going on.
(28:10):
He won't say it publicly, as you said, but that's
when he's gonna really be bothered. If he plays fifteen minutes,
twelve minutes, twenty minutes, whatever it might be. I think
he'll be fine and understand, Yo, that was just a
matchup situation.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
KD was coming back. I get it.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
So I just think how they handle it going forward
is gonna be a big part of this too.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
I just think that you also, like you talked about
putting him in the last four minutes, I think for
a guy who's coming off like the high of his
NBA career finally broke through after all that, the conversation
naturally is one of embarrassment for him, whether he says
it or not. His family, friends, people, Oh, they didn't
(28:57):
even put you. How could they disrespect you like that?
Like I I think if you're Steve Kerr, you have
to understand there is a part of that Chris. And
if you went to if you went to Tatum and said, hey,
I know we only got four minutes left here. If
you want to go in, I'll put you in, Chris.
And if he says, if you don't, I respect that
as well.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
I'm gonna give you.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
It's your it's your call. And let him say, coach,
let me just go out and get a few minutes.
I want to get out and get out there. You
do you know what I mean? Chris like no, yeah, yeah.
That's the way that it could have been handled. And
and and Steve Kirk could have said, you know what,
I offered him a chance to go out there, and
he wasn't uh you know, he wasn't trying to uh
make that happen or whatever. He just you know, felt
(29:39):
like it was so late in the game and he
hadn't he wasn't ready to do or whatever it is.
And people would have been like, oh, he had a
chance to go, but he just didn't want to play.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
It would have softened it.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
It am I right, rather than rather than it today,
He's right a pinata for no reason.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Right, it's a bad look.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
And I think too, is this your stature in the game?
Like we said, he's coming off winning the championship. He's
first team All NBA the last three years.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
He's in his.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Prime, like he's starting his prime, if you will. And
so for him it is a big deal. Whereas Tyree's Halliburton, Rob,
he's over there, he's young, he's smiling, he's laughing, he's having.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Fun, and I get it.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Tyre's Halliburton is not even in his prime yet. He's
just happy to be on the squad, right, And so
there's a difference in how they handled it. But again, publicly,
Tatum was good.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
He has to be.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
He cannot make us think Rob, even if he doesn't
play against South Sudan, you can't say anything publicly. Now
you could be ticked off privately, but in public, this
is about winning a championship or a gold medal. It's
not about any individual, all right. And I maybe Rob
(30:55):
being behind two legends like Lebron and KD softens it
a bit for him, But you know, it was a
tough I would have liked to have seen him get
in get in. It's not like he didn't play well
during the exhibition games, and it was unfortunate that, you know,
he didn't get in.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
But we'll see.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
I mean, if it rob if he's bench going forward,
you know, and doesn't play much, then it's gonna really
be a problem.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
It will be a problem.
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusha and Ron Harker.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Jordan Love got his money, didn't he match? Yeah? What
four years to twelve or something like that. I thought
than that. I think he robbed it. What are the
numbers on these to twenty? He got to twenty? I
think he matched Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow? Is that correct?
That is correct for Jordan.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Right?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
But it was two twenty and two it got to
twelve correct? Correct? Yes? Yes?
Speaker 1 (00:58):
So now with those guys getting that much in salary.
Patrick Mahomes, the best quarterback in the league, is no
longer in the top ten highest paid quarterbacks per year.
And he was asked by a friend of the show,
Jared Bell, longtime NFL USA Today.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yes, and he asked Mahomes if he was.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Fell underpaid and here's what Mahomes said, not necessarily. I
think we do a great job of managing my money
to be able to pay me a lot of money
and keep a good team around me.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I know we've kind of restructured.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
It a couple of times and got the cash flow
up in certain spots and in certain years.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
It's about having a good dialogue and.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Good communication with the front office with ownership.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
We've done that here.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
We've been able to allow me to be a highly
paid guy while at the same time build a great.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Team around me and Rob.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
What he's talking about is because his deal is ten years.
We talked about this on First Things First today. Because
his deal is ten years, they can move his money
all over the place, and if he wants like meaning
they can give him more money, which they have done,
and if he wanted to he could.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Demand more money. Obviously they got to pay him more.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
But from twenty twenty three, and this is according to
Mike Florio rop of course Pro Football Talk, from twenty
twenty three to twenty twenty six, Patrick Mahons will get
more money than edy quarterback. He's gonna get two hundred
ten point six million. Lamar Jackson will get two hundred
and eight, Deshaun Watson will get one eighty four, Joe
(02:51):
Burrow won eighty one, and if he gets all his money, Daniel.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Jones with one sixty.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
So Mahomes is getting his money because of the way
that contract is set up.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
So I got no issue with what Mahomes is doing.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
I actually think he's got his priority straight. He's clearly
making a ton of money. Even if you just say, okay,
he's only getting you know, the number that's on the
books is forty five million a year. He's he's still
wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. It's a capped league, so
you do have to, you know, if you lose players,
(03:29):
if your quarterback or certain other players are making so much.
And I would like if he if the cost of
you know, he's willing to give up a little money
to keep some better players and have more chances of
winning the super Bowl, and he's still filthy rich.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
I actually think that's smart.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
I'd rather make forty five million a year, have five
or six rings super Bowls because I'm trying to be
the greatest ever. If I'm him, then make fifty five
million a year, maybe have three Supers and So I
got no issue with what Patrick Mahons do.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
I have an issue with what you just said. And
here's the problem I have is.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
That you naturally correlate that winning rings is because he
takes less money. That's not why he wins. It's his talent.
It has nothing to do with ye but you can't.
He's lost plays, he's.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Still great, But that doesn't mean you're gonna do that every.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Russ in spite of that, because he's a great player.
It has nothing to do with how much money he
makes or if he was making fifty.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Is it million? Yeah, but they're paying guys.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Who aren't even as talent as him way more money. Chris,
you must just acknowledge. And you know this a lot
of people. This is not Rob Bapedia, This is not
me talking.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
It was the.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Worst contract anybody could have ever signed who had the
leverage that Patrick Mahomes signed. It was sixteen million guaranteed
on a half a billion dollar contract. Hear what I said, No.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
I'm just out over the In the next fourty years,
he's gonna have more money than any quarterbacks.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
When he signed the deal, he had the ultimate leverage
of a guy who was a young quarterback who had
won a Super Bowl in an MVP. He should have
set the standard for the rest of the quarterbacks and
for the rest of the league. Instead, he took a
piss poor deal that now they have to kind of
finagle and and throw smoking mirrors and tell you, well,
(05:26):
still he's gonna if all this work, he's still.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Gonna get his meal.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
All I know is ten other guys, eleven guys make
more money than him.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
And if he's the best quarterback in.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
The league and he keeps winning, he should be the
highest paid.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
It's not a It's just Tom Brady wasn't always the
highest just has some tombra said he except he retired
with the as the person who had made more money
than any player in the NFL didn't.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Do justice for it. So he got Maybe he has
a forty three and thirty.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Six million, I think, and so if he would have
been better off four hundred mill played for fifty years.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Of course he made more.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Money than anybody. Nobody played that long. Chrisal Longeviarty thing.
When it talks about money, the bottom line is Patrick
Mahomes took a terrible deal and he should be the
highest paid quarterback.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
That ten l len change every year.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
That that that's not about who's the best. I'm just
talking about. But you keep saying that, oh, he'd rather
take five million or ten million less and win more
Super Bowls.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
It doesn't go hand in hand, is what I'm saying.
And but what my point.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
What you know, what does go hand in hand, or
or can can go hand in hand, is if you
if the quarterback takes less money, there's more money to
go get better players, and that increases your chances of winning.
But I mean, if you, if you are the type
to say, I gotta get as absolutely as much as
(06:52):
I'm worth my teammates, so the quality of my team
be darned.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
That's fine, that's your right. But if he's he's like, man,
I got money galore.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
My children's childrens will be filthy rich and their children
as well. And I'm still making I'm making tons of money,
and I got a better chance of winning every year.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
I got no issue with that.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Did you see Matthew Stafford didn't come into practice until
they restructured his deal. That dude has all the money
he's made, and they won a super Bowl. They paid him,
they gave him a ridiculous contract even then, and that
dude told them I'm not coming unless you restructure and
fix my deal.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
He not coming in and guess what they did. They
fixed it.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
And my only point, Chris and you that the way
you look at it is fine if that's you and
that's Patrick Mahomes, But that doesn't mean he didn't take
a bad deal. And if you talk to most agents
in the business and most executives and just on, forget
about feelings and what you want to do. But whether
or not it was a good deal he got, he got.
(08:00):
He took a horrible deal, and the Chiefs took advantage
of his kindness. Nobody's saying he has to ask for
a gazillion dollars and leave nothing for anybody else. But
there ain't no way three super Bowls in he should
be the eleventh highest paid quarterback in the league.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
It just me if it's such a bad deal, then
why from twenty twenty three to twenty twenty six is
he gonna make more money than any quarterback?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
I don't know why is he the eleventh highest pay
I mean that that might be, that might be the
smoke in the mirrors. It ain't no smokes like, so,
I'm just telling you.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
I'm looking at this chart and from twenty twenty three
to twenty twenty six, according to Mike Flourio, he's going
to make more money than any other quarterback because they
can adjust his money every year.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
So with justin now and give him more money.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
What they clearly have, he's gonna get to Hugiad ten million,
Andrew Bridge, Lamar and Shawn and Burrow and he works it.
Speaker 4 (08:59):
He worked in the run off and said they could
do whatever they want. He said they could kick the
can down the road. He says, it's it's it's it's
nonsense that they make it like, oh, we can't do this,
we can't do that. They can do whatever they want
to do if the Chiefs want to make it right
and adjust other people's money to make sure that their
(09:20):
quarterback is by far he's.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
The best guy in the league.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
He's going to be the more highest paid and we're
gonna do whatever he takes to do that. They could
do that. That's all I'm saying, Chris, you could do
whatever you want. If you're telling me that they could
adjust Patrick Mahomes contract, they could adjust anybody else's contract
on the team as well, to make sure that Patrick
gets his money.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
That's all.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
No, they can He should be not only the highest
paid player in the NFL, he should be the highest
paid player.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
In American sports.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
But I think he's got his priorities in order. He's
still making tons of money. He he's still going to
make more than any other quarterback from twenty twenty three
to twenty twenty six, and he's got a better chance
of winning Super Bowls. He as great as he is,
you still need great teammates. You still They got the greatest,
(10:17):
arguably the best defensive player in the league in Chris Jones.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
He got paid.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
They got arguably the best tight en for that. But
he got paid, and Travis Kelce.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Tyree Hill had the bounce to us left, Sneid left,
Honey Badger left.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
And they replaced him with good players. And so I'm
just saying, I need just lost it. And I'm speaking
from experience. I've been in a good situation and I've
unfortunately my career, I've always been in good situations, but
I've been When I was at ESPN, I could have
(10:51):
went somewhere else for more money, but I was happy
and content with where I was, and I stated he
being a made less Can.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
I say this though?
Speaker 1 (11:02):
And I was great, and and like, I don't think
the happiest people are the ones they gotta chase every
last dollar and fred over every last dollar.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
I didn't say that. I didn't say I'm just telling you.
I mean, that's what you sound like, though, I just
don't believe in that you should be. That's their responsibility
to front office to figure out the money. That's not
your responsibility. It's nonsense to put that burden on yourself.
What are the other people paying? Feels is a burden
that he has to do with the willfully have they?
(11:31):
Let have they lowered the ticket prices in Kansas City
on the eighteen dollar beers or the twenty two dollar
pizzas because Patrick Mahomes took less as the fans there
at the Chiefs fans if they got a break because
Patrick Mahomes took less money, did tickets keep going up?
Go look at the ownership and the money they're putting
in the bank. It's the same, not taking less money.
(11:53):
It's a cap lead no, but that doesn't mean anything.
So it's off cap, but it's a cap. They can
still do what they want.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
I'm not. This is not me.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
I'm talking to people who have worked in the NFL
front offices. They say it's a con that they can
do whatever they want, and they give you, Yeah, there,
you can keep pushing the money down the line.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
But if I'm an owner of a team, I'm not
pushing all that money down the line all the time.
Sometimes I will, but sometimes I won't. They got they
gonna do their business too. I mean, that's why the
Dallas Cowboys are in a mess right now. They got
three guys they need to sign. They haven't signed one
of them yet. So if it was an uncapped league
(12:37):
like baseball, sure, but this ain't. Patrick Mahomes, like I said,
if Florio's correct, he's still gonna get more money than
any quarterback from twenty twenty three to twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
So I'm supposed to be shedding tears for him, and
then he's on his way to.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Be in the goat and then they use it, and
then they're using Patrick Mahomes as as the poster boy
for welfare in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Really, how's that working out?
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Every pointer back that signs is getting more money than
they're using them.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
But they didn't work in Steven Jones is telling everybody
to Radio un Dallas, Oh Dad and CD Land, why.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Don't you take look at what Patrick Mahomes did. You
should give us a hometown discount.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
The Cowboys are the highest working franchise in sports history
asking for a discount.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Imagine that and using Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
As a as a poster boy on why they should
take less money than the market value?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
PA, did it work?
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Did it work with the Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence? Did
it work with the Packers?
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Now?
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Hold on? Did it work with the Packers?
Speaker 4 (13:37):
In?
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Jordan Love? Did it work with the Bengals and Joe
brad Ain't nobody getting less because of Patrick Mahomes? But
the old still us?
Speaker 4 (13:45):
But they're using him. But they used it all they wanted.
They want to hear that that Patrick Mahomes is the post.
They need to retire that line.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Everybody in their mama getting paid so that I don't
know what you're talking about. With that, they can say
it all they want. Man, you just say no, this
ain't Patrick Mahomes. Let's move on and give me my
fifty five million a year. That's what's going down.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
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listen live.
Speaker 6 (14:23):
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.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
You download it, you listen to it. I think you
like it.
Speaker 6 (14:44):
Listen to All Ball with Doug Gottlieb on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Coach k was talking I think it was today, and
he said this rob about Kevin Durant.
Speaker 7 (15:01):
Well, I think he is because of longevity and accomplishment.
It's unique. But the amount of points he scored, he
scored a lot more than anyone else, and Jim and
when he did them, when he scored in Istanbul in
twenty ten, he averaged thirty three points a game in
(15:22):
the medal round. Obviously in London he was part of
the huge team that we have with Lebron and Kobe,
and in twenty sixteen in Rio, he was by far
our best scorer, and really, what our team to the
gold medal?
Speaker 3 (15:38):
All right?
Speaker 1 (15:38):
So he was asked, is Kevin Durant the greatest men's
basketball player in Olympic history? And so he said yes
because of his longevity. What are your thoughts on that round,
Coach k quickly let me tell you, I'm sorry. Quickly,
Kevin Durant's career average in the Olympics drop nineteen point seven.
(16:00):
I guess becauld say twenty points now? He dropped the
twenty three, Michael Jordan's second at sixteen, Charles Brocley third
at fifteen point four.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
Coach, can't hate to rain on your parade, but that
plus two dollars in ninety cents will get you on
the subway in New York. I'm sorry, really, Coach k oh,
my god, Kevin Durant is the greatest USA basketball player ever.
(16:32):
He which twenty points against nobody against mostly nobody's has
been never was is. It doesn't rait Chris. The Olympics basketball.
They've been just saying they had been going for their
fifth gold medal in the bar or whatever it is.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
It doesn't rad Nobody cares about it.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
From the standpoint, it doesn't make you better in the
eyes of the basketball world. It's still a out the NBA.
Carmelo Anthony had four medals, right, three.
Speaker 8 (17:04):
Goalscorer, and Chris three goals and a bronze and that
didn't that didn't help him get a job in the
NBA for two seasons or a year and a half.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
It didn't move the needle. Nobody was like, oh my god,
he's like unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
On international play, how in the world don't we have
a Carmelo Anthony on the roster. No, And it said,
that's fine. You go there, you do your thing, Chris.
But it doesn't give you any juice. I'm sorry. The
international play. The team that they've beaten, that's why nobody
makes a big deal about Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley
(17:41):
had beaten teams by forty five points with that dream team. Chris,
that's not competition. If you told me and you painted
a scenario that Canada was out equal, I'm just giving
you a team, Chris. Canada was out equal and Kevin
Durant showed up and busted the shops of Canada. And
(18:01):
you could name some of the great Canadian players and
was like, my god, did you see what KD did
against A B and C and and how they the
one the gold medal? That was incredible. It's just doesn't rate.
People don't have that kind of memories about it. And
I'm not taking anything away from he's out there to play.
He's doing what he does. He's one of the best
(18:23):
scores we've ever seen, hands down. All I'm saying is
it just doesn't It doesn't move the needle to make
people think any more of Kevin Durant other than what
he's done in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
That's my biggest point. I agree, I agree.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Rob G and I were talking earlier and the question
was does Kevin Durant being I'm fine with if you
want to. I mean the way coach k said it,
Rob was very innocuous because of his longevity.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Right, That's what he plew. So you played the longest
of course you gonna have.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
He ain't better than Michael Jordan, I'm sorry in the Olympics.
Jordan led in college. So now, Rob, if you want
to say, if people want to compare now and say, well, hey,
the international game, the players are way better, you can't
compare it to ninety two and ninety six when we
were destroying teams.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
That's fair.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
But Michael Jordan played in college. He was a college
kid or right out of college, but still college aged
after his junior year, playing against grown men, so it
was equivalent. I mean, I'm not here to argue I
don't care to your point where I don't care that
(19:40):
Michael Jordane's the greatest you know, Olympic basketball player ever,
or Charles Barkley or Lebron or Dbrant whoever, who cares?
Speaker 4 (19:50):
You know, when we care, Rob, when we lose, that's
joy time that you that's when we care.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
That's when there's a story.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Chris, I always say, wake me up when they lose,
and then we got a story and a conversation to have, right.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
But we expect them to win. We expect Kevin.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Durant to score points against these of course, I think
I could go out there and get four points. I
mean really, I mean seriously though, with that squad. Hey,
you know I scored against Nancy Lieberman. So I'm just saying, no,
I'm joking about me. But Rob, and here's what I'm
my point.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
We only care if they lose because in two thousand
and eight, people might object and say, well, hold on,
we care about the redeem team with Lebron and Kobe
and Chris Paul and d Wade. And you know why
we care because we had lost four years earlier. We
(20:47):
had to redeem ourselves. So we care about them. But
the reason we care about them is because they lost.
But four years before. We care about ninety two because
we have had lost in eighty eight with the college
kids and it was time to send the big boys over.
And so Rob, come on, I mean, and again, this
(21:11):
is taking nothing from kd because he is a phenomenal
player and has been phenomenal in the Olympics. But Rob,
when you've got a team full of absolute superstars and
they don't know who to put, they can't put the
defensive attention on anybody because Kobe's out there or Lebron's out.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Who do you not calling it right?
Speaker 1 (21:37):
I'm sorry, but it ain't that for these guys.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
At their level. This, Rob, this, I bet you.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
The Olympic games for Kevin Durant are the easiest adult
basketball he's ever played, the easiest adult basketball.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
He's ever played. And that's not to belittle the competition.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
It's just to say, look at his teammates, Look at
his teammates, and this is a great catch and shoot guy,
it's a great jump shooter. I mean, my goodness. All
they gotta do is it is jumpers against one man
or wide open. So I'm with you. This does nothing
(22:24):
to move him up. I don't know where he is exactly.
I got Kevin Durant in the twentieth range. I don't know,
somewhere between eighteen, seventeen, sixteen and twenty two.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Maybe I don't know exactly, but I don't think. I
don't care.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
If he averages twenty three in these Olympics and we
win goal, it's not gonna move him up one spot
in my rankings.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
I'm with you. It just doesn't. It doesn't rate. It
just doesn't.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
The only time this is a story, Chris, is when
it goes sideways.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
If they do what we expect them to do in
these it just doesn't move anybody.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Yeah, okay, you're supposed to win.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Kevin Durant against those against who you can't even name
who he went against. Most of the time, you don't
know who these guys are. They don't play at his level.
It's a step down. He's playing Cyo and the only
difference is Chris that they speak another language.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
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Speaker 1 (23:33):
One of the huge stories Rob coming out of the
game was that Jason Tatum, who has been a first
team All NBA player the last three years, the only
American on the All NBA team this year, was benched.
Did not play a moment. And here's what Steve Kurse
(23:54):
said about it, the head coach.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
It's tough, but Jason handled it really well. I talked
to him today before the game that it may play
out this way, just with Kevin coming back and the
lineups that I wanted to get to. But that'll change.
You know, Jason's gonna play. Every game is gonna be
different based on matchups. He's a total pro. He's you know,
first team All NBA three years in a row. I
(24:17):
felt like an idiot not playing him. But you know,
a forty minute game, you can't play more than ten,
You really can't. And you know, so I just I
think he's He's an amazing guy, great player, and handled
it beautifully, and you know he'll be back out their next.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Game, poppy Cock boulder Dash. Sorry, Steve Kerr, it was
a blowout. He couldn't play a few minutes to get
up off the bench.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
The last time Jason Tatum didn't get into a game,
a basketball game, Chris, was when he didn't play in
a game he was playing little late.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
I can't imagine he's ever not played a minute.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
It was when he was in little league. He didn't
play any basketball minutes. That's the only time in a
basketball game. Yes, come on, Steve Kerr, stop and I
understand forty minutes ten players. There was a blowout once
Kevin Durant did his thing and got them where they
wanted to go, Chris, what would have been the worst
thing in the world to put him out there for
(25:15):
a few minutes if he explained it before, Fine, there's
no reason that you don't empty the bench Serbia. Really, Chris,
you were but worried about Oh, gotta keep those guys in.
I got my rotation. I gotta keep it set against Serbia.
I don't want them to come back I'm sorry, you
know what, And I'm sure Jason Tatum is not gonna
(25:37):
say anything and he's just gonna go along with the
Chris you know what I mean, but that I'm sorry,
and we get it.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
I'm not saying.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
He expects to play twenty five minutes and he's pissed
that he didn't start, and we get this.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
There's nothing but it's a roster full of great player.
And it's not even that he's not as good.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
I mean, he's better, clearly better than Drew Holliday, Bam
out of euse what I'm sayre Chris. So it's not
about and that's what he has to realize so he
doesn't get down on himself. Rob. It's not about who's
the best player. I think he's better than Devin Booker too.
It's about the fit.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
And I hear you. Here's what I say, though, I do.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Think Steve Kerk going to Jason before the game and saying, look,
we got Kevin Durant coming back. We're obviously gonna get
him some minutes. This team Serbia is big, so we're
gonna play all three of our centers and their guard
or in it.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
So we're gonna play the guards, you.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Might not play to night at all, And I think,
and I just still doesn't make it better, or I
shouldn't say it doesn't makes it better. It does make
it better. It doesn't make it you know, you still
want to play. But I think Rob a coach going
to you before the game and saying that does soften
(26:58):
the blow a little bit versus if you're just blindside.
You think you're the seventh man on the team and
you're blindsided by not playing at all.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
And then I think Rob, I.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Wonder if Kerr felt like, do I put him in
with four minutes left, we're up twenty five, whatever it was.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Does he does that? Is that disrespectful? Does he feel bad?
You know?
Speaker 1 (27:25):
If I put him in in garbage time and all that?
I mean maybe not because Rob, the point different point
differential does matter in these early rounds, like how how
big the margin of victory is. But I think it's
going to like going forward is really how it's going
to impact Jason Tatum, Like Kurr is saying he's gonna
(27:48):
play in their next game, which is Wednesday against South
Sudan because South Sudan is more athletic and Tatum's a
better matchup for them, and all that last time he
played they only won by a point, but he played
sixteen minutes. If he only plays rob three or four minutes,
now you're gonna Tatum's gonna be like, Yo, what's going on.
(28:10):
He won't say it publicly, as you said, but that's
when he's gonna really be bothered. If he plays fifteen minutes,
twelve minutes, twenty minutes, whatever it might be. I think
he'll be fine and understand, Yo, that was just a
matchup situation.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
KD was coming back. I get it.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
So I just think how they handle it going forward
is gonna be a big part of this too.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
I just think that you also, like you talked about
putting him in the last four minutes, I think for
a guy who's coming off like the high of his
NBA career finally broke through after all that, the conversation
naturally is one of embarrassment for him, whether he says
it or not. His family, friends, people, Oh, they didn't
(28:57):
even put you. How could they disrespect you like that?
Like I I think if you're Steve Kerr, you have
to understand there is a part of that Chris. And
if you went to if you went to Tatum and said, hey,
I know we only got four minutes left here. If
you want to go in, I'll put you in, Chris.
And if he says, if you don't, I respect that
as well.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
I'm gonna give you.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
It's your it's your call. And let him say, coach,
let me just go out and get a few minutes.
I want to get out and get out there. You
do you know what I mean? Chris like no, yeah, yeah.
That's the way that it could have been handled. And
and and Steve Kirk could have said, you know what,
I offered him a chance to go out there, and
he wasn't uh you know, he wasn't trying to uh
make that happen or whatever. He just you know, felt
(29:39):
like it was so late in the game and he
hadn't he wasn't ready to do or whatever it is.
And people would have been like, oh, he had a
chance to go, but he just didn't want to play.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
It would have softened it.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
It am I right, rather than rather than it today,
He's right a pinata for no reason.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Right, it's a bad look.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
And I think too, is this your stature in the game?
Like we said, he's coming off winning the championship. He's
first team All NBA the last three years.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
He's in his.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Prime, like he's starting his prime, if you will. And
so for him it is a big deal. Whereas Tyree's Halliburton, Rob,
he's over there, he's young, he's smiling, he's laughing, he's having.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Fun, and I get it.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Tyre's Halliburton is not even in his prime yet. He's
just happy to be on the squad, right, And so
there's a difference in how they handled it. But again, publicly,
Tatum was good.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
He has to be.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
He cannot make us think Rob, even if he doesn't
play against South Sudan, you can't say anything publicly. Now
you could be ticked off privately, but in public, this
is about winning a championship or a gold medal. It's
not about any individual, all right. And I maybe Rob
(30:55):
being behind two legends like Lebron and KD softens it
a bit for him, But you know, it was a
tough I would have liked to have seen him get
in get in. It's not like he didn't play well
during the exhibition games, and it was unfortunate that, you know,
he didn't get in.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
But we'll see.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
I mean, if it rob if he's bench going forward,
you know, and doesn't play much, then it's gonna really
be a problem.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
It will be a problem.
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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