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June 12, 2024 39 mins

Chris and Rob remember the life of Jerry West by discussing whether he was a better player or an executive, tell us if we can expect Kyrie Irving to bounce back in Game 4 against the Boston Celtics and take a trip out to Shekel City for Rob’s nightly bets. Plus, former NBA guard and head coach Vinny Del Negro swings by to discuss his appearance in the upcoming American Century Championship golf tournament, what West means to the sport of basketball, his expectations for the NBA Finals moving forward and much more!

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
to check us out live every weekday from seven pm
to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Find your local station for The Odd Couple.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
At Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching f s R.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
Let's give this you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 4 (00:31):
Oh yeah, it is The Odd Couple.

Speaker 5 (00:43):
I'm Chris Bruce Hard alongside my partner Rob Parker, and we're.

Speaker 4 (00:49):
Coming to you live from the tire rack.

Speaker 5 (00:52):
Dot Com studio d dot com lot.

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We'll help you get there.

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They've got an unmatched election, fast free shipping, free roll
hazard protection, and more than ten thousand recommended installers. Tire
right dot com com is the way a tire buying
should be. In this right here, The Odd Couple is
the way sports talk radio should be. Vinnie Del Negro, Wow,

(01:22):
NBA guard, former NBA head coach, will join us at
the Bottle. Is gonna be hour, and that'll be fun.
I like Vinnie a lot.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
And it'll be good to talk.

Speaker 5 (01:33):
That's got to be racist, Vinnie the Negro. I think
that's what Vinnie the Black.

Speaker 4 (01:39):
Dell is dell of though in Italian of the of
Vinnie of Black. Maybe I don't know if there the.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Talk on what I stopped by there is that? What
that's I'm just saying.

Speaker 5 (01:53):
Of the taco delta del taco del taco.

Speaker 4 (01:58):
All right, But anyway, Rob Parker has made himself know
what's up?

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Man?

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Well, we're matching today. We wear in the same shirt.

Speaker 4 (02:05):
Oh yeah, mine is Michigan. Okay, yellow color?

Speaker 2 (02:12):
I got white? Yes?

Speaker 4 (02:14):
Is yours?

Speaker 2 (02:14):
Say?

Speaker 4 (02:15):
Is yours a team or a school or anything? Okay?

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Playing?

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Southern Connecticut doesn't have a Jordan uh sponsors.

Speaker 6 (02:23):
Sorry, Michigan does fill a grade school division two?

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Michael, what is it called again?

Speaker 6 (02:29):
Southern Texas, Southern Agricultural Center, State univers.

Speaker 7 (02:35):
I like it.

Speaker 5 (02:36):
I just wonder why you always say Columbia instead of
Southern Connecticut.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Talk about Columbia and I talk about Southern Chris. What
do you talk about the most recent or or or
the or the or the one that's further back?

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Which one do you talk about?

Speaker 4 (02:50):
I'm only I only have an undergraduate.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
D oh, you only have an underground.

Speaker 5 (02:54):
So I would say I would think most people. Now
I might be wrong, but I would think. But most
people say they're undergraduate, like where they went to college.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
I don't think they do that.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
First, if you've had another if you're going somewhere else,
if you are a lawyer or whatever, you might go backwards.
You know what I mean, Right, I'm sure I'm just guessing.

Speaker 5 (03:16):
I mean the bottom line. You can say any of them,
you know, yeah, really.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
But I think you go backwards.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
You don't go I went to Southern Connecticut and then
I went to Columbia.

Speaker 8 (03:25):
Go.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
I have my masters from Columbia, and I did my
undergrad at Southern Connectic.

Speaker 4 (03:28):
Right, that's right.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
I'm not bragging.

Speaker 5 (03:30):
I'm just saying, well, it might be a little humble
brag up in there. I mean it is in the
intro of the show, so it doesn't mention Colombia.

Speaker 4 (03:42):
No Ivy League though, who wrote that I did? Yeah?
Of course, all right. The eye couple of crews in
full effect. The super producer Rob.

Speaker 5 (03:52):
G is in the house only the ones in two's
bracing us with his presence once again. DJ Alex, tightshirt,
Akail Alex, how are you, buddy?

Speaker 4 (04:01):
You're good? Rob Parker.

Speaker 8 (04:02):
You know, anytime I get to talk with you and
we could do some little hackey stack back and forth.

Speaker 4 (04:06):
I love it, Rob, not tower of trivia tonight. So
worship win You're perfect.

Speaker 5 (04:13):
The worship Wednesday on the updates, that's right.

Speaker 4 (04:19):
The loquations when mister Brian.

Speaker 5 (04:21):
Filing and to show Brianzaga patel in for Elijah Sabuna,
who's off this week?

Speaker 4 (04:30):
All right? Rob sad day?

Speaker 5 (04:32):
Uh in NBA circles Jerry West the logo passed away
at age eighty six.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
What a what a run, Chris eighty six years old
and he was still getting around, still working man.

Speaker 5 (04:45):
He was looked great, seriously, like you said, moving around.
I mean just he really was in good shape. That
was a blessing at eighty six, no doubt, no doubt.

Speaker 4 (04:58):
And Rob I knew him.

Speaker 5 (04:59):
I knew Jerry pretty well covering the league for about
thirty years, got to know him. He was one of
my favorite people in the NBA to talk to. Loved
he loved talking about, you know, what's going on around
the league and all that stuff. Rob, I think you can.
I mean, as far as if these things exist, you

(05:22):
probably could call him like a basketball genius. He was
phenomenal as a player. Uh, I say by just about
everybody's standards unless they completely dismiss you know, the older era.
He's a top twenty player of all time. As I
said earlier, the logo of the whole league. And then

(05:46):
Rob when he stopped playing, he became arguably the greatest
executive in the history of the league.

Speaker 4 (05:54):
I would say so.

Speaker 5 (05:56):
He helped put together the showtime Lakers, Magic, Kareem Worthy,
Jamal Wilkes. I mean, they had some great players Byron Scott,
and then he compelled Shack. I guess along with the

(06:18):
Sunshine and Beaches of LA. He compelled Shaq to come
to the Lakers as a free agent, drafted Kobe, Rob
and Kobe. Of course, Kobe did not and you notice
he didn't come out of high school like Lebron, you know,
I mean, he was ballyhooed and touted, but Lebron was
like a sure fire, this guy is gonna be historically great,

(06:42):
no brainer, number one pick. Kobe was the thirteenth pick,
the thirteenth pick, and Jerry West saw something in him
that a lot of other people didn't see, and he
bamboozled the Charlotte Hornets and Rob got Kobe Bryant.

Speaker 4 (07:04):
And the rest is history.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
I remember, Chris.

Speaker 4 (07:08):
I did I swear to you.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
I was on a pre draft TV debate.

Speaker 1 (07:16):
This is a long time when Kobe was I think
it was he was in Yeah, when this was on
Sports Channel in New York. Chris, this is how far
back this goes. And the one guy who I was
set up to debate against was the biggest. He was
all about Kobe and he just it was a debate
I had to struggle with because.

Speaker 4 (07:37):
Who you remember who the guy was.

Speaker 2 (07:39):
I can't remember who the guy was, but.

Speaker 4 (07:40):
He he he was Kobe was.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
Going to be that guy.

Speaker 1 (07:45):
I mean without any hesitation, And all I was saying was, yeah,
there's a chance that he could be that. If he
was all that, he'd be the first overall pick the
way you know, like that kind of stuff. The way
you're talking about him, I think you're over the top.
You know, he's a kid I learned, blah blah blah.
I'm not saying he won't be a great player, but
I think you're way off, you know what I mean,

(08:06):
Like right right, And this dude, I still to this
day because I remember struggling with that debate with him, and.

Speaker 2 (08:13):
He was right. I was like, yeah, forty years about that. Yeah,
it's like thirty years ago.

Speaker 5 (08:20):
But yeah, Rob, So here's what I mean, do you
have did you know Jerry well.

Speaker 1 (08:26):
At all or a little just a little bit, you
know what I mean. I talked to him a few times, Chris,
but nothing to say like yo, Rob, what's up?

Speaker 4 (08:33):
What's up?

Speaker 7 (08:33):
Right?

Speaker 6 (08:33):
Right?

Speaker 7 (08:34):
Right?

Speaker 2 (08:34):
I don't have that kind of a relationship with him.

Speaker 7 (08:36):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (08:37):
And from Afar, you know the stuff that always, you know,
was how nervous he was to watch games, always like this,
like like like.

Speaker 4 (08:46):
Like a legend. That was part of his legend.

Speaker 5 (08:49):
I mean, he would not be able to write when
he was gm of the Lakers. He would like leave
this the arena or gonna walk around or drive around
or something that that's how much anxiety the games costed
or you know, brought about in him.

Speaker 4 (09:06):
And yeah, that is a part of his legend.

Speaker 5 (09:08):
Rob, Is that that that's how he was as an executive.
Here's what I want to throw out at you. And
and you might not even have a definitive answer. I
don't know that I do. But just as a discussion,
was he a better because Rob, he's in the Hall
of Fame as a a player, and a coach I'm sorry,

(09:30):
a player and an executive. And he will be inducted again.
He will be inducted again as a contributor. He's in
as a player and executive.

Speaker 4 (09:41):
Yeah, I mean it. He's in once.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
He's fame.

Speaker 4 (09:47):
But that's how they do it. And so the point
I want to ask you is.

Speaker 5 (09:54):
Or he's in twice, I guess a contributor and a player.
This year they're putt him in as a contributor for
some reason. But do you think he was a better
player or executive?

Speaker 1 (10:09):
I think this is easy, and I think it's as
an executive. And the only reason I say that is Chris.
You know, he did a lot obviously as a player,
but he lost a lot as a player as well. Yep,
And I think he won as an executive. And his
hands or fingerprints are all over.

Speaker 2 (10:31):
It wasn't like he was there for the ride. You
just talked about it.

Speaker 1 (10:34):
He flees the Charlotte, you know, he got checked to come,
you know, like he made real moves. He got Kawhi
right to go to to go to the Clippers, right,
he was with the Clippers. So when I look at him,
I think of all the great moves and stuff. That's
not to take anything away from him, Chris, because he

(10:56):
went to nine finals.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
The only problem is he's one and eight in those finals.

Speaker 1 (11:03):
So so right, he never won an MVP for all
the stuff that he did, finals, yes, and and whatnot.
So I'm not belittling his playing career because he was
a tremendous player. But when you when you look at
people and you think about it, winning factors in and
it does define you. I always talk about Marv Levy, Chris,

(11:24):
and he's not a Marv Levy, but I always talk
about as great as Marv Levy was and what he
did in Buffalo. It's just hard to get people to
wrap their arms fully around you because he didn't win. Now,
Jerry did win as a player once, but as an executive,
what he win eight times?

Speaker 4 (11:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (11:41):
Eight?

Speaker 4 (11:42):
I mean and if you.

Speaker 5 (11:43):
I mean he left the Lakers after the first Kobe
Shaq championship, so so he doesn't get credit.

Speaker 4 (11:51):
But but yeah, they basically were his team, you know
what I mean? Even give him credit for those and
add it'd be ten you know.

Speaker 2 (11:59):
So when you don't.

Speaker 1 (12:00):
Get stuff like that, Chris, I don't know how you
can look at him he might be uh the greatest
executive in the history of the NBA.

Speaker 4 (12:09):
He probably is. He probably is. I mean so I
think Rob, who who?

Speaker 9 (12:14):
Who?

Speaker 5 (12:14):
Would you you argue against him pat Riley?

Speaker 4 (12:19):
But Riley.

Speaker 5 (12:21):
Has it I don't. He just hasn't brought the stars.
I mean, obviously the Big three Heatles went there, but
they left after they broke up after four years, and
now they're known for having, you know, good players, but
not great players. Riley went down Rob and coached the
team that won the first championship. I mean, Riley's there.

(12:43):
I don't want to be little Riley's tenure either, but
you probably gotta go with Wes.

Speaker 4 (12:47):
I'm I'm gonna give him some props as a player, though, Rob, because.

Speaker 5 (12:51):
Understandably, Rob, a lot of the younger people don't know
how great he was as a player, and I get that.
I mean, his last season was like, you know, nineteen
seventy four or something like that.

Speaker 4 (13:04):
He played during the sixties for the most.

Speaker 5 (13:06):
Part, but people don't understand how great he was.

Speaker 7 (13:12):
Rob.

Speaker 5 (13:12):
I've got him as the third best shooting guard ever,
behind of course Jordan and Kobe. He averaged twenty seven
points and six point seven assists for his career and
then gave you six rebounds a game as well. He
is the all time leader in finals points. And you

(13:37):
could say, well he went to ten or nine. Well,
Lebron's been to ten and he still doesn't have as
many points as Jerry West does.

Speaker 4 (13:45):
Jerry West is eighth all time in points per game
with twenty seven.

Speaker 5 (13:51):
He'll probably end up hire some of the guys ahead
of him. Your Joe lmbiid Luka, Doncic may stay up there, Durant.

Speaker 4 (14:01):
We'll see if he stays up there Lebron.

Speaker 5 (14:04):
You know, Rob, is they keep playing, their career average
might come down just because they're only like decimal, like
tens of a point ahead of it. So, but he's
an eighth right now, ahead of right ahead, one spot
ahead of Alan iverson.

Speaker 7 (14:19):
Rob.

Speaker 5 (14:19):
He is the all time leading scorer in finals games
of twenty five or more points, thirty points and forty points,
and obviously that includes Michael Jordan.

Speaker 4 (14:36):
And so you're right.

Speaker 5 (14:39):
He only won one championship out of nine trips to
the finals and never won an MVP that wasn't air Rob,
where basically they only gave the MVP the biggs.

Speaker 4 (14:49):
It was Russell or will you know what I mean by.

Speaker 2 (14:53):
At that time? And it's hard?

Speaker 5 (14:55):
Oh yeah, great, I mean taking nothing away from them. Yeah,
Oscar Robertson, uh never won an m v P. Elgin Baylor,
who was awesome, never won an m v P. Oscar
may have Oscar did he.

Speaker 4 (15:10):
Win an m v P. He did win one. He
won one, but that was it. And so.

Speaker 5 (15:19):
Jerry West, I think was a phenomenal player, and a
lot of people Rob, let's just keep it, you know,
we keep it real on this show. A lot of
people will look back. They do look back and say,
this white guy, he's a guard. I mean, how good
could he really have been? Because you hear that about
Jordan Rob. Oh, he played against Mark Price, he played

(15:42):
against Craig e Low.

Speaker 4 (15:43):
You know, I mean, what do they account?

Speaker 2 (15:48):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 5 (15:49):
Oh, isn't Austin Reeves doing doing work in the NBA today?

Speaker 9 (15:54):
Rob?

Speaker 4 (15:54):
Isn't Alex Caruso hood? I mean, come on with Kevin
pretty good.

Speaker 1 (16:00):
Time, jump over a phone book and he's the best
player in the league.

Speaker 5 (16:04):
Where you go, and that's what like hopefully a Jokich
a Luka Rob will get people to realize, Yeah, there
actually have been some really good white players, and Jerry
West is right there at the top with any of
the players, and he was phenomenal and he will be
missed by the NBA. Rob, I mean he's in the discussion, Rob,

(16:28):
I mean he didn't win the most obviously, but just
as far as what he did as a player and
an executive and to use the Hall of Fame's word,
a contributor, he's right up there for mister NBA. He's
right up there with anybody else. So Jerry West will
be missed, no doubt about it. Eight seven, seven ninety
nine On Fox Your thoughts on Jerry West?

Speaker 4 (16:50):
We threw out is he a better player or executive?

Speaker 5 (16:53):
But if you just want to comment on him, go
right ahead eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox.

Speaker 3 (16:58):
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
iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 9 (17:09):
Hey, we're Covino and Rich Fox Sports Radio every day
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Speaker 8 (17:18):
And that's why we have a brand new podcast called
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our two hour show. We never get to everything, honestly,
because this guy is over promising things we never have
time for.

Speaker 4 (17:31):
Yeah, you blubber lit lame in me.

Speaker 9 (17:32):
Well you know what it's called over promise. You should
be good at it because you've been over promising women
for years.

Speaker 8 (17:36):
Well, it's a Cavino and Rich after show, and we
want you to be a part of it. We're gonna
be talking sports, of course, but we're also gonna talk
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Speaker 9 (17:50):
Well, if you don't get enough Covino and Rich, make
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the way, so maybe we'll go at it even a
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Speaker 8 (18:00):
There you go, over Promising. Remember you could see it
on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen to over Promised
with Cadino and Rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts
or wherever you get your podcasts.

Speaker 5 (18:13):
All right, it is the Odd Couple live from the
tire Rack dot Com studios. If you're tired of feeling
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(18:35):
dot Com. All right, eight seven seven ninety nine. On Fox,
you'll turn away in on the Great Late Great now.

Speaker 4 (18:44):
Jerry West?

Speaker 2 (18:46):
All right, Chris, let's kick it off with Kevin in Tacoma.
You're on the Odd Couple of Fox Sportuito.

Speaker 7 (18:52):
What's up keV?

Speaker 10 (18:54):
Hey, how are you guys doing today?

Speaker 4 (18:56):
We are great?

Speaker 10 (18:56):
How are you awesome? Thank you so much for taking
my call. One of the things I wanted your opinion
on was is one championship enough for somebody who's been
to the finals as many times as Jerry West and
as great as he was, He's definitely an all time great.
Is one finals enough for everything he went through our
championship in the finals enough? Just want to hear your opinion.

Speaker 7 (19:17):
Thanks, guys.

Speaker 4 (19:19):
Well, what I would say?

Speaker 2 (19:20):
One? You know what I mean?

Speaker 4 (19:22):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (19:22):
God, it's interesting because he lost a lot to. I
mean almost a lot of his losses were to the Celtics.
I think six times in the finals, Robby lost Bill
Russell and the Celtics, and the games in a lot
of those series it was seven games and they were close.

Speaker 4 (19:42):
It was a couple points.

Speaker 5 (19:43):
And same with Wilt Chamberlain and no one could get
past Russell and no Celtics.

Speaker 4 (19:49):
I'm not making an excuse for.

Speaker 5 (19:50):
You, but that was really it, and most of his
career didn't have a big you know, Wilt came later
and they did win one championship. They played about were
years healthy together. Only got one ring though with that.
But rob I will say this, if he were playing
the day and obviously he got some scrutiny back then,

(20:12):
but he would he would really be heavily criticized for
as great as he is. We're seeing it with Jason
Tatum right now.

Speaker 1 (20:21):
Lose that many times, yeah, he would really be he
wouldn't be called mister clutch.

Speaker 5 (20:26):
No, just today, I mean, it's a different, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (20:30):
Not to lose that many times. Sewan and Sacramento, you're
on the couple of Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (20:35):
What's up, Sean?

Speaker 11 (20:37):
Yeah, go from another mother, my brothers behind and boy,
Rob G the Genius and international TV superstar, my Man,
Alex ds a tyster. Whatever baby, how you doing? Oh man,
it's a true moors of weather when we blessed with
your presidence. But real quick, man, I'm I'm with Ron Man.
He six titles as an executive. I mean, I think

(21:00):
it's the same well they can apologize. Yeah, eight titles
as an executive. That's unheard of. But I also want
to say this man, he was one of the first
and I didn't get to see him you know myself,
but he was one of the first guys I've ever
seen on tape who was a truth killer. Granted he
didn't always steal the deal, but his competitive nature, I mean,
that's kind of stuff that jordan'be guys like that are

(21:22):
made of. And I think the bigger question fellas. I mean,
when you look at the resume, gold medalist, Finals, MVP
and a loss, regular season MVP title, everything you can
name up, he's accomplished as an executive and the player.
Is he the greatest basketball figure of all time when
you consider all of his accomplishments compared to guys like
Jordan who fumbled the bags an executive, magic who was

(21:45):
a terrible coach and a bad executive. Is Jerry West
possibly the most underappreciated basketball figure.

Speaker 4 (21:51):
In the greatest That's what I was saying.

Speaker 5 (21:53):
I mean, if you had to name a mister NBA,
obviously he is not the goat player, but rob I
mean everything into consideration, coach, executive, player, and he's right
there in the discussion. He's right there in the no doubt.
I mean, you look at pat Riley. He wasn't half.

(22:15):
I mean, I just keep it red. He wasn't half
the player Jerry West West. Neither was Phil Jackson. Neither
was Greg Papovich. You I don't even think played in
the NBA, you know, So.

Speaker 2 (22:26):
I don't think he's playing.

Speaker 4 (22:27):
Yeah, I'm pretty positive.

Speaker 5 (22:29):
I'm like christ I was just covering myself like the case,
you know.

Speaker 4 (22:34):
But but yeah, I mean.

Speaker 2 (22:36):
If he did, the ball had laces on it. I
just don't believe that.

Speaker 5 (22:41):
There's We've talked about it round like great players haven't
always been great executives or coaches, and so I mean,
who it.

Speaker 1 (22:50):
Was I always talk about I think Joe Dumar's first
black player, Chris to Wine.

Speaker 5 (23:00):
As a player, as a great executive, yep, never coach.
Now he works in the league. You can put him
in the discussion. I don't think I put him ahead
of West, but.

Speaker 2 (23:09):
You can put him. But you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (23:10):
Yeah, two titles and a championship and the first black player,
right former player to do it.

Speaker 2 (23:16):
So he has a feather in his cap.

Speaker 4 (23:19):
Yep, yep, no doubt about that. All right. Vinnie Del
Negro will join us in a moment.

Speaker 3 (23:23):
But first, Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk
lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at
Foxsports Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search
FSR to listen live.

Speaker 5 (23:37):
Our next guest, former NBA guard and NBA head coach Man.
It's good to have Vinnie del Negro on. Vinnie Man.
Good to talk with you.

Speaker 7 (23:48):
What's going on, guys? How you doing?

Speaker 4 (23:50):
We are good, man, We are good.

Speaker 9 (23:52):
Now.

Speaker 5 (23:52):
Let look, we want to get to some basketball with you,
of course, but let's get your your you're promoting you're
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(24:14):
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And beautiful Lake Tyhoe between NBC Sports and John Miller
and Gary Quinn what they do with NBC Sports and
then Jonathan Thomas and his staff of the American Century

(24:39):
and all the volunteers and all the greens keepers and
the staffs and everyone in Tahoe, you know that support
this event. You know when I started in this event
twenty five thirty years ago, I've been playing it in
a long time. I'm kind of the older statesman. There
was about twenty five hundred fans. I think last year
there was over seventy seventy thousand fans. I mean, it

(25:01):
is a big event. Concerts, everything that they do are
just unbelievable and fantastic, first class. So it's a fun time.
They do amazing job and just looking forward to seeing
a lot of my old buddies and kind of it's
competitive golf. A lot of good players and we enjoy
the competition.

Speaker 1 (25:18):
Sounds like a good time, no doubt about it. Can
we get your thoughts on Jerry West, the passing of
an iconic figure in the NBA.

Speaker 7 (25:28):
Well, I'm so glad you know we're talking about this.
I mean, first, you know Bill Walton passing away. Bill
was just an amazing guy. Spent a lot of time
with him at Basketball Hall of Fame events, just was
with him a couple of years ago at the enshrinement.
Just an amazing man. Energy, always knew my father, my mother,
my sister's names. He'd always ask about him, and he

(25:50):
just was an amazing person. And then you know Jerry West.
You know, Jerry was is mister Basketball. I mean, you'd
be hard pressed to find anyone from a player to
an executive to the impact he's had on the game
with players, drafts, teams, championships, anything, Olympic gold medal, I mean,
the list is just beyond incredible. And having spent some

(26:13):
time with Jerry being around him, he was always so kind,
always so supportive as a player, and then when I
started coaching, had a dinner or two with them in LA.
He was just always a great guy, reaching out, but
he just always wanted to talk about anything other than himself.

(26:35):
He was always just like, you know, it's Jerry you know,
you're sitting there, It's Jerry West, and it's like, you know,
one of the greatest players, a person that gave me
an opportunity to play in the league. And the salaries
and people wanted to see Jerry West play. They wanted
to see Bill Russell play. They wanted to see Bill
walk play. They wanted to see Oscar Robertson in the greats,
and then it moved on to the Larry Birds and

(26:56):
Magic and the Michaels, and you know, those guys are just,
you know, just iconic, iconic players, and Jerry West is
at the top of that list with his career and
the way he treated people and the things he did
in basketball, not only on the court, but probably just
as important off the court, and always given his time
a wafer in basketball. He's you know, he's gonna be

(27:18):
inducted this year again for the third time in the
Basketball Hall of Fame. It's unheard of.

Speaker 4 (27:24):
Yeah, no, we echo your points, Vinny.

Speaker 5 (27:27):
We were just saying before you came on that if
you're talking about a mister NBA and you look at
all levels player, coach, executive. Yeah, I don't know that
you can put anybody ahead of Jerry West.

Speaker 2 (27:39):
Coaching good he was.

Speaker 1 (27:41):
He had a five eighty nine winning percentage as a coach,
Right didn't he do?

Speaker 3 (27:46):
Right?

Speaker 7 (27:46):
I mean plus Executive of the year, the trades he
made as that Olympic gold medalist, just his career overall,
I mean you could, I mean you could talk for
days about all the things he did. His thirty point
games is forty point games, MVP of the finals and
losing efforts. Fifty point games in the finals, the highest
average scoring average, and I don't care what era you
play in the Superstars figure it out. And he is

(28:09):
the logo for a reason and just a generous guy
with knowledge unsurpassed as far as I'm concerned in terms
of knowing the NBA inside and out. Going to be
truly missed, But we know he was struggling with his
health at the end for a while, and you know,
just just an icon and guy that will be remembered forever.

Speaker 4 (28:31):
Absolutely.

Speaker 5 (28:32):
Now, Vinnie, you mentioned your coaching career, and you know
you coached you know, two thousand and eight to twenty
thirteen or out of the five years you coached, you
made the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (28:45):
You know you and I've talked a lot about this.

Speaker 5 (28:47):
I thought you got a short end of the stick
a lot of times, didn't get some.

Speaker 4 (28:51):
Of the credit you deserve.

Speaker 5 (28:53):
But when you look now at the coaching landscape, Frank
Vogel champion fired, Tyl Lou was fired as a champion.
Nick Nurse fired as a champion. Are you looking? What
do you think from the outside looking in now? With botenholes,
I forgot him to get booed. That's four champions recently,

(29:13):
Vinnie who won championships recently?

Speaker 4 (29:16):
Who have been fired?

Speaker 5 (29:18):
When you look at today's coaching landscape in the NBA,
what are your thoughts?

Speaker 7 (29:22):
Well as you know as well as anybody, the landscape
continues to evolve and change, and the league is much
different now than it was five years ago, ten years ago,
obviously even before that. So you know, the salaries to
where the game is, the new TV contract, the superstar
players kind of playing together and trying to figure out
how they can build their brand and everything. And at

(29:44):
the end of the day, and we know this is
you better have great ownership, you better have great leadership
in the front office, and you better have a standard
of winning and a culture that players feel that and
the commitment to winning on a daily basis, And those
coach are winning championships, but they're still moving on to
other organizations. So it's just a difficult, difficult business. It's

(30:07):
a great business. If you can get one of the
thirty jobs, you're very fortunate. But at the end of
the day, you know, it's very difficult unless you have
superstars on your team that want to be coached, want
to be pushed. You have to be able to coach
them hard. A lot of them want that, some don't,
we know, but at the end of the day, you

(30:27):
have to have a standard and a vision for them
where they feel they're in the biggest success position they
can be in. But you have to be able to
push those guys because everyone else then falls in line
much easier. And if you've talked to any Hall of
Fame coach or great coach that have been fortunate to
coach some of the great iconic players, that's the first
thing they talk about. You have to be able to

(30:49):
have your first your best player, your superstar guy has
to buy in because if you can't coach him hard.
The other guys are going to try to wiggle their
way out and do this and say that and whatever.
But if you're hard on that guy and he takes
it and you're fair, it's not about you know, you're
building trust, but you have to have the mindset every
day when a superstar makes a mistake, you have to

(31:12):
show them that in the film you have to work
on it. Guys buy into that. They want to be coached.
No one has all the answers. There's a million different
ways to figure out defenses and offenses and whatever. You
have to have a system that fits your team the best.
Let him buy into that. Build trust, but your superstar
guy's got to push the envelope with the head coach.
So there's no wasted practices, there's no wasted film sessions,

(31:34):
and everybody's on the same page saying the same thing
in the media. In the locker room, things stay private
and you pull in the same direction. And if you
can get that, you're a very fortunate coach. And not
very many guys can get that. We know the handful
of that habit, and they get it because they have
very high level support above them. That no one can

(31:54):
go anywhere to the coach and it's bath to get answers.

Speaker 1 (31:58):
Hey, he if any one last thing, We only have
about a minute. Who did you pick to win the
NBA Finals before it started? And are you surprised that
where we are with the Celtics up too oh going
into Game three to night?

Speaker 7 (32:11):
I mean not really. I mean the Celtics kind of
dominated the regular season in the Eastern Conference, not statistically.
You know, they got the two superstar guys, but they're deep,
they're strong. Obviously, now as you guys know, Porzingis's injury
is going to have an effect. He's played very well
in the first two wins. But Boston is deep enough.
With Al Horford experiencing guys off the bench, I think

(32:32):
they figure it out. I also think Dallas will make
some adjustments tonight. We know Kyrie's got to get going.
Daunchis is going to be more aggressive, but the other
guys have to play at a higher level and make
more shots to take things off. You know the Boston
is going to individually guard, They're going to be physical.
Boston hasn't even shot the ball well so far, and
they're up to zh If they shoot the ball well,

(32:53):
it's going to be tough for Dallas, but Dallas will
dictate Temple. The other guys on their roster will play
at a higher level at home with great energy. They
need to get off to a good start to get
Boston back on their keels, and we'll see how the
Porzingis absence affects them with some rim protection. And another
guy that's averaging I think about fifteen sixteen points and
has played well for them.

Speaker 4 (33:13):
All right, that's Vinnie del Negro. Vinny, great stuff. Thank you.

Speaker 5 (33:17):
Have fun at the American Century Championship. Look, you don't
have to win, but you better beat Charles Barkley.

Speaker 4 (33:24):
That's that's all I know.

Speaker 7 (33:26):
Well, it's good to talk to you guys. I appreciate it.
We'll talk soon, all right.

Speaker 4 (33:30):
Thanks man, good y. More couple coming away. Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 3 (33:34):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 5 (33:46):
All right, it's the Eye Couple, Chris and Rob Worship
Wednesday from the Tirerag dot com studio.

Speaker 4 (33:53):
It's time, y'all for Shekel City.

Speaker 3 (33:55):
Welcome to Shekel City for Ron parkers Daley Dicks against
the spread, Chris, I wanted tonight.

Speaker 1 (34:09):
I want to pick Dallas, but I'm not gonna do it.
I'm gonna have I'm gonna have Dallas win the game,
but but by like a point, you know what I mean. Like,
what's the spread, So it's two and a half. So
I'm gonna take Boston plus two and a half, Chris.
Dallas wins by one or two.

Speaker 4 (34:26):
You see, like a buzzer beater or something.

Speaker 2 (34:28):
Yeah, something close, but Dallas wins at the end. I
don't think.

Speaker 1 (34:33):
I don't think Boston's gonna get blown out. I just
think the upside is Tatum's gonna play better.

Speaker 2 (34:38):
He just he's gonna play better.

Speaker 5 (34:40):
You know what I will say, Rob, It'd be nice
if it's a good game, you know what I mean.
Like a lot of these series, they might be a
good series overall, but sometimes a lot of times the
individual games are blowouts.

Speaker 4 (34:51):
It's not as fun.

Speaker 2 (34:53):
So I got I got Boston plus two and a half.
I think Dallas wins the game, Chris.

Speaker 1 (34:57):
I got My best bet is Seattle the Mariners minus
one and a half runs, Chris.

Speaker 2 (35:02):
They host the sorry Chicago White Sox.

Speaker 1 (35:05):
That game is up in Seattle, as I said, and
I'm gonna take the Yankees minus one and a half
in Kansas City again, Chris, last night ten to one
Judge with a home run Stanton just bludgeon in people
right now.

Speaker 4 (35:21):
They really are, man, they are. It's like incredible, right.
They don't want to they don't want to peak too soon.

Speaker 2 (35:26):
No, no, no, but they're playing great. So there we go.

Speaker 1 (35:29):
I got the Yankees minus one and a half runs,
Seattle Mariners minus one and a half runs, and I
think Dallas is gonna win. But I'm taking Boston plus
the two and a half Seattle. I mean, Dallas wins
a close game. Remember, Chris, I'm not telling you who
to bet on. I'm telling you who I bet on.

Speaker 4 (35:45):
All right, Rob quickly, Kyrie Irving big part of this.

Speaker 5 (35:49):
I mean, look, there's a lot of reasons the Dallas
Mavericks are down right now, but I would say the
biggest is that Kyrie just didn't playing up to his
ability and not even close, is not even close. He's
averaging fourteen points, rob On thirty five percent shooting. Now,
if you're a Kyrie or mass fan, you can take

(36:10):
heart in some of his past playoff performances, like if
you go back to the twenty sixteen twenty seventeen NBA Finals.
Of course, twenty sixteen Rob he was the robbin to
Lebron's batman in the greatest Finals come back ever, where
they overcame a three to one lead against the seventy
three win Warriors. He hit the biggest shot, the game

(36:30):
winner in Game seven, arguably the greatest shot in NBA history.
But in games one and two in both of those years,
right the twenty sixteen and the following year twenty seventeen,
when they lost to Golden State with KD Kyrie averaged
nineteen point eight points, which is still pretty good twenty
points on thirty seven percent shooting, But in games three

(36:52):
and four he went berserk thirty five and a half
points a game on fifty two percent shooting. So the hope,
if you're a MAVs fan Rob is that he duplicates
that and goes crazy tonight.

Speaker 1 (37:08):
Only problem is he just hasn't played well against Boston
and Chris. I hear that twenty six seventeen is a
long time ago. What scares me is that he hasn't
played well against the Celtics. And and I think that's
just the more recent data that I would look at
compared to what he did seven years ago.

Speaker 4 (37:29):
No, that's fair, that's fair.

Speaker 5 (37:31):
Yeah, it is fair, right, I mean, he's gonna it's
fair until he goes out.

Speaker 1 (37:34):
Tim, He's gonna play better because he can't open.

Speaker 2 (37:38):
He's gotta play better.

Speaker 4 (37:39):
Yeah, he needs to be great, Rob.

Speaker 5 (37:41):
And to your point, in his last five playoff games
against the Celtics, all right, he is averaging fourteen points
a game.

Speaker 4 (37:51):
This is Kyrie Irving.

Speaker 5 (37:52):
Rob fourteen points a game, thirty five percent shooting. Guess
what he's shooting from three point land in his last
five playoff games against.

Speaker 1 (38:02):
Himself thirteen percent. I'm just guessing, not that not that
far off.

Speaker 4 (38:05):
Ten percent? Wow, ten percent.

Speaker 5 (38:09):
And I know they have great perimeter defenders and they
have throughout, you know, these few years when Kyrie's been
meeting him in the playoffs. But you wonder, you gotta
wonder if some of that in his head too, Rob,
because he's just too good for that ten percent from
three and so yeah, tonight Kyrie has to be great.

(38:31):
Luca has not been phenomenal, but he's been very good.

Speaker 4 (38:35):
Robed.

Speaker 5 (38:36):
Luca's averaging thirty one ten and a half boards and
six assists on fifty one percent shooting, oh and three
steals a game.

Speaker 4 (38:44):
He hadn't been perfect, had a lot of turnover.

Speaker 1 (38:46):
I was gonna say, Chris, the turnovers negate some of
that eight little?

Speaker 5 (38:50):
I mean he had eight, lot he had one he had. Yeah,
he's only averaging like four and a half. I think
I'm not I'm not saying. That's why I say he
hadn't been perfect. But he's played well enough for him
to win. Oh, he just ain't getting help from his wingman.

Speaker 2 (39:05):
He needs another guy.

Speaker 1 (39:06):
And Boston is so well rounded and has so much depth,
and like you say, you can look at it. Tatum
has played poorly shooting wise, Chris, I'm talking about from
athletic offense

Speaker 4 (39:18):
Right, all right, A couple two hours left, locket
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