August 12, 2026 • 40 mins
Robert Guerra and Ephraim Salaam filling in for Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington lay Westbrooks career to bed by stating the greatness of LeBron has overcome the true legacy left behind him! Arash Markazi - Founder & CEO of 'The Sporting Tribune' joins the guys to talk all things ball and the recent Lakers sale. Plus, since its Mentee Night at Magic City... we celebrate "One's Gotta Go" special edition!!!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcasts. Be sure
to check us out live every weekday from four to
seven pm Pacific seven to ten pm Eastern on Fox
Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd Couple
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Speaker 2 (00:20):
Get this part. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
It is The Odd Couple Hour number two on a
worship Wednesday with me Rob g from Salam sitting in
for Rob Parker and kelvin Washington. I've been told through
the grapevine that men TNA Night at Magic City is
about an hour to an hour and a half away.
Get your dollar bills ready, guys, cause it's gonna be
(00:48):
a movie in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Are we live streaming from there? Are we? Are? They?
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Hey?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
They have the cameras set up to what we can
be a part of it.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
I'm told that they can't put cameras in the facility,
but that sources close to the situation have said that
if things go well and they go the way that
we hope they're gonna go, later this evening that an
Odd Couple Jersey will be hung in the rafters at
Magic City. What we are the James Harden of sports talking.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Oh hey yeah, all right, so that means it free
wings and uh and lap dances for anybody affiliated with
the Eyes, I guess.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
So just walk in and show them like a business cards.
I'm like, hey, I'm part of the team.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Way to go. They decided to do it on worship Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yeah, well, well what are they worshiping? Is what I
want to know? Hey Almighty, that's right, that's right. It
is the couple again. One's gotta go at the forty
five mark. All related to Mentna night. Okay, got some
thoughts on that bottom of the hour. Rosh Marcazi, founder
CEO Sporting Tribune Big News in Los Angeles. Of course
(01:53):
he works here in LA, but that LA Times, ESPN
Sports Illustrated. He covers the LA sports scene like a book.
So we got some thoughts on that one. In the meantime,
I want you to check out the YouTube channel. You
can watch this live on YouTube right now. Just search
Odd Couple FSR on YouTube, hit the subscribe button. After
you've done that, tap the thuns up icon and coming away,
(02:14):
let us know who you agree with and who you
don't go check out our YouTube channel and watch us
live right now. Just search out a couple FSR and subscribe.
In the meantime, in between the West and Russell Westbrook thoughts,
but DJ Alex Tyshirt on the wheels of deal, Tom Crady,
any YouTube is any odd mob weighing in on some
of Ephraim's ridiculous defense of athletes blowing all their money.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
Gosh, if I read the Ephim ones, he might not
come back as a co host. I can take it, man, you,
I can take it. Okay, Well, some of these are fun.
Let's start with King B nineteen says Breeze taken.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
No, yeah, oh man, he's hot on the streets.
Speaker 6 (02:54):
That one sucks.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Man. It's only been two months, so don't worry. Maybe
I'm sorry for you. I'm sorry, apologize. This one's great.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
This one's from Drake is not a trick, and he says,
why is Robbie always pocket watching?
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Because I'm broke?
Speaker 6 (03:09):
Well crazy.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
If you say that's a choice, I will speak.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Chair and say anything is a choice. Did you say
you're jumped down off the chair?
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Jump down off this chair?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
People don't people don't understand just how big this chair
is or how small he is in the chair. But
someone who's close to the show and who has evidence
of that, oh.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Gosh, uh just posted.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Something where you know, little man is swinging in his
big boy chair, like, how as a full grown adult,
can you put your feet on the seat of a chair?
You need fitting in?
Speaker 4 (03:56):
We need He said that alex is Elijah, can we
get we have the camera right there, can we put
another one right there and watch his feet swing?
Speaker 3 (04:04):
It's just I looked over it. You see my legs
are spread out because I have to unfold these things,
and he's sitting there talking to me, swinging back and
forth with his legs up on the lip with a chair.
I was like, this is this, This can't be real.
I'll leave you with one more. This one's funny. So
there was some back and forth in the chat. And
if you guys aren't live on YouTube, just go search
Odd couple with Rob Parker and kelvin Washington. We're live
(04:26):
every single day on there. You can see our beautiful
face right and the taking brief face for right now.
This one's funny. So there's been people going back and
forth and this guy, Damian G forty four said Bruh,
you're arguing with a commercial break video.
Speaker 6 (04:38):
You're a smart guy.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
There are people who argue with the commercial breakfroth. They
do because during the commercial break it'll be like old
snippets from the show where other shows. Yeah, and they're
arguing with that. Well it happens, Yeah, it happens.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
All Right. It's our job, man, that is our job.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Well, you know who doesn't have a job anymore, But
this one's my choice.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
All right.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
He didn't get fired. He didn't get fired on his
day off. UCLA legend. Russell Westbrook has officially announced his
retirement from the NBA. Clap it up one time for
Russ for the Brody And when I saw the news
come across the ticker, of course, got lost a lot
of the Laker news.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Of course.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
My first thought when I read it was, it's a
shame what's happened to Russell Westbrook and the discourse surrounding
Russell Westbrook? Because I am a Laker fan. You're a
Laker fan. We lived through the Russell Westbrook experience, yes
we did. It was not fun. It was very difficult.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
It really very uncomfortable.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
It tested your patients in a lot of ways. That
I totally agree with you. However, I maintain that the
reason why Russell Westbrook, especially in the last four or
five years or so, has become a punchline to a
lot of people an NBA Twitter is because specifically he
(06:04):
played with Lebron James. And it's not Lebron's fault. Specifically,
it's not anything that he did or didn't do publicly
or maybe even privately that I know about. It is
that Lebron James has a sea of siccophants, both on television, radio, podcast,
(06:27):
print media, what have you, that are very quick to
give him the credit when things go great, and even
quicker to blame somebody else when they don't. Okay, And
because Russell Westbrook and his style of play is very loud.
When he makes a bad play or he misses a shot,
(06:48):
it is also very loud. He does not just miss
a shot softly off the front of the rim. He
will hit the side of the backboard right. He will
not just turn the ball over in the flow of
the action. He will turn it over with about forty
five seconds left in a two point game.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Right.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Because he plays the first forty seven minutes just as
hard as he plays the last minute, and sometimes that's great.
Sometimes it is absolutely horrible. But because he played with
Lebron James, and because he played with the Lakers, and
because that tenure ended so spectacularly, the last few years
(07:31):
of Russell Westbrook's NBA career has been people taking pot
shots at him, people poking fun at him, Anonymous scouts,
gms and coaches calling the Miami Heat and saying, if
you want to win, you do not bring this guy
to your franchise.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
And because of.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
That, people have completely forgotten that Russell Westbrook right now,
amongst all time NBA point guards is first in points,
first in rebounds, first in triple doubles, fourth and assists.
He and Lebron James only two players the only two
in the history of the NBA to have twenty five
(08:12):
thousand points and ten thousand assists. People forget again because
of the way things spiraled out of control here in
La Now, from twenty sixteen to twenty twenty one, he
averaged twenty six, ten and ten and made the triple
double a normal occurrence on a Tuesday night. His net
rating was plus six point seven. So for all the
(08:34):
crap people gave him about running around like a chicken
with his head cut off. His teams were demonstrably better
when he was on the court doing his thing than
when he wasn't. He only played sixty five games with
the Washington Wizards, and yet he has shattered their franchise
record for triple doubles. He had thirty eight of them
(08:56):
in sixty five games.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
So while he may not be Lebron James, he may
not be Kobe Bryant. Michael Jordan Russell Westbrook is a
damn good NBA player, or was a damn good NBA player.
He is arguably between the third and the sixth greatest
point guard whoever lived. He is a first ballot, no
(09:20):
doubt about it, rock solid Hall of Famer. But again,
playing in Los Angeles playing with Lebron James didn't go
very well. He became a punchline, and I think that
is wildly disrespectful and it's unfortunate that a player of
his caliber is going to ride off into the sunset
(09:43):
with his tailtup between his legs. Now number one, he's
not his tails not tuck between his legs. The way
he's talked about it is okay, that's a like he
would have to took his own tail.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Sure you get what I'm saying that don't do that
because we don't want to be disparaging to him and
how he feels about his retirement. I will say this,
styles make fights. Now, you would think a prolific score
of the ball and rebounding and the cysts can fit
anywhere on the planet Earth. You were right about the
(10:20):
about what you said about him playing the exact same
way tip off all the way to the last two
minutes of the game. You're also right about his passion
for the game. The one problem I had, and it
was a glaring problem for me when he came to
the Lakers, it was understanding the flow and the moment
(10:48):
of the game right, largely having to do with basketball
IQ right. If you're in the middle of a run
to get back in a game, it would behoove you
not to go on a one on four fast break
by yourself. Yes, and without the explosiveness that you used
(11:14):
to have. Shoot into the air and shoot a layup
at the bottom of the rim. The team gets the ball,
come down and score stops the run, stops the momentum.
We saw that multiple times. We saw him not shoot
a high clip of threes. Right, But I think only
(11:34):
one time in his career he shot over thirty five
percent from three. Right. That's not good for a guard
in today's NBA. The problem I'm having is his plus
or minus. The last five six years of his career,
he averaged a minus per game.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
He was alight on terrible teams.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
What I'm saying is an individual can be on a
terrible team and still be in the positive when it
comes to the outcome. My thing is as great as
he was, he never evolved. And what I mean by
that is, you know, you can't play the same way
(12:17):
you played at twenty seven at thirty seven. You can't
play the same way you played at twenty one at
thirty one. There has to be evolution in your game
and mentally, if you still think you're twenty two and
that's how you're attacking the game, it can't end good. Right.
(12:42):
That was the problem. I never questioned his heart, a
hearty played. I question the timing of some of the decisions, right,
The ability to see the game and feel the flow
of it. The point guards, the great point guards, do
(13:03):
not just do what you do. That was my biggest thing.
Don't just come in and just be you as the
point guard. You need to see, Okay, who's hot, who's not?
Where can we do this? Where can we take advantage
of that?
Speaker 4 (13:20):
And then he hasn't got a shot in a few minutes.
I gotta get him in it. It was none of that.
It was Boom Russ hundred miles an hour, and it
didn't work with the lineup that the Lakers had. It
was actually it had the opposite effecture. It did up
being a huge net negative, huge.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Net negative, and as a Laker fan, we got to
experience it firsthand. Now I've always been a Westbrook fan
until that year and a half, and I was like,
oh my goodness, what is happening. He has to be
able to see the flow of the game like everyone
else is seeing. He's a point guard. It justin Lebron
(14:05):
wanted him. They wanted him, Lebron a d They wanted him.
They got him. Remember what the trade could have been.
It was supposed to be the Buddy Hill and and
and Turner from uh Indianapolis right from the Pacers. Imagine
those two pieces with Lebron. It would have been a
(14:27):
lot different because now you've got a real shooter. Bottomp shooter,
and he got a big who can shoot and who
can who can play center now and let Anthony Davis
go to the fore. That's what we gave up for
Westbrook because Lebron wanted him and then they wanted to
get rid of him and Rob Polinka and Jenny Buss
as they should. Was like, no, this is what you
(14:49):
asked for, So you guys figured.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
It's not going to dig deeper into this hole to
try to.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
They never figured it out and it ended terribly. And
I feel bad for Westbrook because, like I said, I'm
a Westbrooks. I thought he was amazing. I just would
have loved for his game to just evolve a little
bit more and understand you can't play the same way
on every single team you go to. And I believe
he played on seven teams.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Yeah, he might have played on four in the last
four years.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Right. And this brings me to another point that I
want to talk to you about that we could talk
about after the break. Never before have we seen all
time great players play for so many different franchises. To me,
that's troubling. Now. The new Apron, the second Apron is new,
(15:39):
it's brand new. It's been around for two years now,
and so that's not the reason we're seeing these players
play so many different and these are all times he's
a first ballot Hall of Famers playing on five, six,
seven teams. It makes no sense you would take somebody
who's a Erniman, right, who plays on a million different teams,
(16:04):
but not first ballot Hall of Famers. Teams are reluctant
to get rid of first ball players are reluctant to
leave teams. Not anymore.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
All right, we'll dive deeper into that. Coming up next.
It is the Odd Couple with me Rob g from
Salam sitting in for Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington ros
Markazi at the bottom of the hour. This is Fox
Sports Radio.
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Speaker 3 (16:41):
St gats here.
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I have a podcast empire. It continues to grow, and
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Those are just some of the things that you could
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Speaker 3 (17:43):
It is the Odd Couple.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Fox Sports Radio Warship Wednesday of Rosch Mark car is
coming up in five minutes. One's got to go in
about twenty minutes. It's me Rob g from Salam sitting
in for Rob Parker kelvin Washington. We ended last segment
talking about Russell Westbrook and his unceremonious exit from the NBA.
And one thing you mentioned is he basically played for
a new team every year of his career. There towards
(18:04):
the end, and before we get to a Ross Marquis,
I want to ask you this very quickly. Can you
be a Hall of Famer first ballot, rock solid guy
like Russell Westbrook when you were a journeyman for the
last quarter of your NBA career.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
I think the answer, the conventional answer is yes, because
the numbers are the numbers. But the sentiment and the
reality is we're not used to seeing all time greats
be on maybe one, two, three teams. But when you
start to get to five, six, seven, you start thinking like, Okay, well,
(18:44):
what's what's happening? What's missing here? Westbrook's not the only
person think about this, think about this, and this is
the this is this is the thing that I think
about all the time. So that OKAC team KD, James Harden, Westbrook, YEP,
(19:05):
a trio that you can build a franchise around. For
a trio of MVP two decades right, similar to Golden State,
right in terms of talent better than that. But they
built around those guys, and no matter what, those guys
were going to be the focal point until Clay two
(19:27):
years ago, you know, got dealt, but it was Draymond
Steph and Clay. That was our nucleus and everything else,
and they paid them. They all got paid top dollar.
Everybody was making over one hundred million dollars and so
on and so forth. When you look at this trio,
Westbrook's played on seven teams, Kd's played on five teams.
(19:51):
James Harden's what five six teams? So you ask yourself, Okay,
all of them have been MVP, all of them, tremendous
records and scoring and rebounding, all of these things. Sixteams
for Harden. Think about that. These are I'm talking about
(20:12):
prolific scores, prolific basketball players, all.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Of them likely first ballot Hall of famers.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
The thing that I think is missing there with this
scenario the leadership quality across the board for three across
the board. Think about that, across the board. When have
they won being the leader of a team?
Speaker 4 (20:39):
Never?
Speaker 3 (20:41):
That's the problem. So what are you doing? You're constantly
chasing to find a team with a leader that you
can You don't have to be. You don't have to
be that, you don't have to be that. This is
really think about that. When was the only time Kevin
de rent one Golden State, who is the leader, Steph Curry. Actually,
(21:06):
I would say Draymond Green with he doesn't matter if
any iteration wasn't.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
It wasn't him. Yes, long star wasn't in him, right.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Right, James Harden everywhere he's gone, he's been.
Speaker 4 (21:17):
The leader, and they always flame out of the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
He's been in the league seventeen years, He's made the league,
He's made the playoffs seventeen times. I remember watching the
playoffs this year and him at the Cavaliers, and the
announcer was like, and congratulations to James Harden for seventeen
years straight up the playoffs. And I was like, that
is not a flex. That's not a flex. You mean
(21:40):
you've had seventeen shots and you've never won a championship.
Every single year you've been in the league, you've made
the playoffs and played in one finals, and.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
He was the sixth man on that finals team.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
That's I would be going crazy. League MVP, led the
league scoring for multiple years. You mean to tell me
with all of that, you've only played in the finals
one time in seventeen years. That can't be a flex. Now, look, longevity, career,
all of that, congratulations. I know how hard it is
(22:19):
to play ten or more years in a league. Sure,
But when we start talking about the greats, right and
KD got two, he pulled the cord, jumped off the
plane and landed in Golden State.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
Well, he was the best player on those He was
the best player.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Why was he the best player?
Speaker 4 (22:41):
Because he didn't have to lead anybody. He could just
be the best player. And Steph allowed it to happen.
Steph was unanimous MVP two times, no one time. Excuse me, unanimous.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
He allowed KD to come to it. He was like, hey, man,
that's what I'm talking about. Because he was the best
offensively on that team, didn't make him the leader, right,
James Harden, for the majority of the teams he's been on,
he's been the best offensively. Doesn't make you the leader, Westbrook,
(23:16):
doesn't make you the leader. So what do you weigh
when you talk about greatness? Is the leadership gene? Is
a leadership quality? Part of that? Say what you want
about Lebron James any teams he's been on, he's been
the leader. Any team came to the Lakers, was the leader.
(23:38):
Went back to the Cavaliers, leader, went to Miami. D
Wade said, hey, bro, it's your team. Take it. It'll
be interesting to see what Philadelphia has to you know
what that looks like.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Yeah, that's probably gonna be one of their biggest problems,
if not their biggest problem.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
And that's why it's compelling, that's why it's a must
see TV because now we're looking to see, Okay, you
have an alpha male. Obviously, Lebron James is an alpha male.
He comes to a team and ownership starts to maneuver
in and and and they bring starts clients, right, whatever
that is this next iteration of Lebron's career these next
(24:17):
two years, it's it's it's a it's going to look
a little bit different for him. How does he adjust
to that? But going back to those that that trio,
that that's a dynamic thing. Even another player who you know,
could have been phenomenal, could have been great, Paul George, right,
tremendous talent numbers all that, it's gonna be Hall of Famer.
(24:39):
But when it comes to the leadership gene in terms
of taking the onus of that franchise, putting it on
your back and carrying it across the line for a championship,
that to me, is Rarefy there. That to me is
is first ballot. That to me is is everything when
it comes to all time great players.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
Well, speaking of all time great players, A Rosch Markazi,
founder and CEO of the Sporting Tribune. He covered a
lot of Russell Westbrook's career, both of course UCLA, recently
with the Lakers. A Ross joins us. Right now, Rosh,
how are you.
Speaker 8 (25:15):
I'm great, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
Of course, of course we just finished the last twenty
five minutes. So talking about the retirement of Russell Westbrook
and the way he limped to the finish line, we'll say,
is that meag first ballot Hall of Famer statistically one
of the single greatest players who ever lived. But the
last few years he's become something of a punching bag
in NBA circles. What do you attribute that to in
(25:38):
your opinion?
Speaker 8 (25:39):
Yeah, listen, I mean the role that he had with
the Thunder that he shines so brightly in. I mean
that certainly was not the case, you know when he
kind of bounced around towards the end, you know, with
the Washington and the Lakers and the Clippers and the
Nuggets and the Kings and all that. I mean, just
you know that happens. It's unfortunate. But you know, when
great players retire after the Hall of Fame careers, and
(26:02):
you know, long Hall of Fame careers, you know, I
think in time, we remember them for what they were
great for. We remember them for their great moments in
terms of you know, when they won the Most Valuable
Player and they averaged a triple double like over the
course of the season, which we never thought was possible.
So listen, I totally get that. In the here and now,
(26:23):
was kind of thinking about the last couple of years
of Russell, But I will I like to think of
him at the height of his career, and I think
in time, when he goes into the Hall of Fame,
that's how he will be leaving up to buy.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
Let's talk about the big news they broke today. Westbrook
is one of them, but the other is the sale
of the Lakers again for twelve point five billion dollars
with a B with a B. Now, Rob, we were
talking about it earlier that this deal was proposed on
(26:58):
Sunday seventy two hours ago, and that was the timeline
that Bob Iger and Kushner had to accept this deal.
What is the process the due process of sales of
these franchises. I thought it had to be held under
a vote and it was a certain amount of time
(27:18):
and owners had the weigh in. Could you tell us
anything about the minutia of a deal like this getting
done so fast?
Speaker 8 (27:25):
Yeah, you know. So this has not been approved by
the league, but it will be approved by the league.
And the reason that it will be approved by the
league is that Kushner and Bob Iger were already the
process of being one of the candidates to purchase the
expansion team in Las Vegas. And I think sort of
one of the dual stories that came from this is
that the number of groups that want to buy that
(27:47):
expansion team in Vegas, they that price tag is north
of you know, seven billion dollars going once it got
to nine, perhaps ten. Then it got to a point where,
you know, two guys from Los Angeles thinking, well, you know,
Mark Walter is like in a tough spout right now,
and I know that he just bought the Lakers for
ten billion. You know, maybe he'd be willing to part
(28:09):
ways with it for a twelve point five And so
the timeline is this, I mean and again, if we
just go off of the timeline from the previous sale
of the Lakers from the Bucks family to Mark Walter.
You know that was agreed to in June, it was
approved by the league in October, and then it became
(28:29):
officially official in terms of the transaction going down in November.
So that means so that's sort of like the timeline.
So if you want to say, you know how it
aligns here, you know it's not official. But again, Bob Ayger,
j Josh Christner, they will be approved. The sale will
be approved in short time.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Ross, Mark Ali Sporting Tribune here with the odd couple. Ross,
I'll follow you on X so I see a lot
of you. You've be tweeting all da about the situation,
and one of the things that you've suggested on your
social media accounts is it's been reported that Mark Walter
never looked to sell the Lakers. He just got an
offer he couldn't refuse. Now you spun that ford that, well,
the Dodgers aren't for sale, But given what kind of
(29:09):
offer we just got, would I not then consider a
massive offer for the Dodger Do you think that is
if you had to put a percentage amount the percentage
chance that Mark Walter would consider selling the Dodgers now
given what he just got for the Lakers.
Speaker 8 (29:23):
Yeah, I mean, here's the tough thing, because if we
had talked last night and he said, what's the percentage
chance that Mark Walter was zero Lakers, I would say zero.
So I mean what it is, it's now greater than zero,
that's for sure. Now, I mean the one thing that
I basically suggested, and I'm not going out on a
limb here. I mean, obviously everything is not okay, or
it's not as okay as it was.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
A year ago.
Speaker 8 (29:45):
There's no way Mark Walter purchases the Lakers with the
goal of flipping it. And again, yes, he did make
a profit, but that's not why he bought the Dodgers.
It's not why he bought the Lakers. And certainly when
you talk about flipping a profit, it's not hurts the
trouble when you're a multi multi billionaire to do something
like this where you only have the team for nine months.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
So the suggestion is.
Speaker 8 (30:09):
Really obviously, with the federal investigation and all the things
like that, if someone were to put a proposal together
and say, hey, listen.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
You got twelve point five.
Speaker 8 (30:20):
How about another twelve I'll take the Dodgers off your hands.
Like obviously he's going to consider it. I'm not saying
it's going to happen. But like I said, if you
had asked me last night, what are the chances Mark
Walter would sell the Lakers, it was zero. It happened.
There's no way the percentage chance he would sell the
Dodgers is zero. There is a number attached to what
(30:40):
he would be willing to part with that team for.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
Everybody has a price. Yeah, okay, so the Lakers are
being sold, the deal will go through. Where does this
leave Laker fans? Where does this leave the franchise? Do
we know the direction that Bob Iger wants to go
with a historic franchise like the Lakers? Because I'm concerned,
I'm a Laker fan. Rob is concerned, very concerned. We
(31:04):
have no idea. At least with Mark Watters, we knew
that he would spare no expense to build up the team,
the coaching staff, all the things you need to be champions.
Now we are kind of in the dark and have
no idea. What can what type of light can you
shit on that for us?
Speaker 8 (31:20):
Arash It's such a great point because there was a
proof of concept locally in Los Angeles with the Dodgers,
and so when this when the deal happened a year ago,
so many Laker fans were excited, like Mark Walter and
the deep pockets he has, you know, they're going to
take over this team. And really the unique thing is
over the past year the Dodgers or organization has come
(31:40):
to really take over the Lakers. There's a lot of
people who have dual roles with that team. And how
that's going to be like gun SPA over the next
few months, that'll be intriguing. We don't know what Bob
Biger and Josh Krishner are like as like a professional
sports organization. What are they going to do. They've never
(32:00):
owned a team before, so I'm not saying that they're
not going to be successful. Mark Waltz didn't own a
team prior to purchasing the Dodgers. But there is a
learning curve in place. So I do think in terms
of people expecting big changes coming in the next couple
of months, I do think they're gonna take this next season,
this upcoming season as sort of like a wait and
see approach. Like, let's see how Genie does in her role,
(32:23):
Let's see what JJ does, Let's see like how these
guys do. But at the end of the day, and
I brought this up when Mark Cubans sold the Mavericks
and he was under the impression that he would still
be able to call the shots. Billionaires don't spend billions
to have the old folks who have been with the
team continue to run the team. At some point in time,
(32:44):
whether it's next year or sooner, Bob Eiger and Josh
Kushner will start bringing in their own people to do
things the way that they like it. I'm not saying
it's gonna happen tomorrow or next week, but it will
happen at some point soon.
Speaker 4 (32:58):
His name is A Rosmark. He found her CEO the
Sporting Tribune doing some great work covering all the LA
sports teams all the way out to Vegas and a y.
It's a great gig if you can get it. A Roch,
thank you so much for swinging by man. Really appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
Appreciate you.
Speaker 8 (33:10):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Rob Parker and kelvin Washington, weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
Oh my god, we need Jesus in this room right now.
It is the Odd Couple on a Warship Wednesday with
me Rob g from Salam sitting in for Rob Parker
kelvin Washington. Want to let you know that baseball season
in full swing. There's no better place to be than Calshi,
America's number one prediction market platform. Trade every baseball game
on Calshi. Download the Calshi app and use code odd
(33:43):
to get at to five hundred bucks in bonus credits
when you trade twenty five dollars.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
That's got the chills right there.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
Oh my gosh, you thought Rob Parker.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
Was a dirty old man.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
Let me tell you he from.
Speaker 9 (33:52):
Salam I was a child. Just Fyoh this was yesterday
all right again. It is in TNA night at Magic City.
That's why the guys are not here. They're out throwing singles.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
Oh and because of that, we have a ones Gotta
Go version of.
Speaker 6 (34:13):
Even number.
Speaker 5 (34:14):
Figure it out, you know, as me filling in for
both producer and executive producer, I almost want to bail
on this segment and just do story time.
Speaker 9 (34:22):
With the.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Worship Wednesday. They're not whip like that.
Speaker 6 (34:27):
After that story, I just heard of.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Magic City Monday. Yes, Worship Wednesday.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
I'm sure you heard more, but at the moment, I'm
currently worshiping a twenty one year olds.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
What that guy was a lunatic, he was a demon.
He was a demon.
Speaker 6 (34:41):
He needed Jesus.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
He needed a lot of stories. We need a lot
of stuff.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
Well, if you're new to this, this is called One's
Gotta Go. The Great Kelvin Washington brought this over from
whoever how many shows he had before, like Rob Parker,
and the thought of this is for MENTI Night. We
want to bring you this elusive experience of trying to
be at mens Night with Rob Parker from Afar. So
my question to all of you and this One's gotta go.
We're gonna keep it on the strip club theme, Okay,
going to these events, these illustrious lady dancers, the best
(35:08):
dancers in all the land. Breeding.
Speaker 6 (35:09):
I know you're an active strip cub member memberships everywhere.
We're gonna need you wired.
Speaker 4 (35:14):
You know, if it's Brillian's for we because we are
all going to the.
Speaker 5 (35:19):
Strip now that makes sense well, one's gotta go. Mens
Nights Strip Club Edition. These are the five and one
of these have to go.
Speaker 6 (35:27):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (35:28):
The first one is the cover charge, pay to get
into the spot. The second one back row seats aka
Creeper's anonymous.
Speaker 4 (35:36):
What we call that where you're not actually tipping anything,
you're just watching.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
You're just watching, contemplating the.
Speaker 6 (35:42):
Crime a little weird.
Speaker 5 (35:44):
Number three making it rain. You know, ROBJ likes the
pocket watch, so that's one for there. Number four the
champagne room, which is different from the MVP room. A
lot of that sound in there. And then the fifth one,
this one we're gonna just call the kitchen. Okay, they
got the food, but Fay sometimes ephrams a lot more
lustrous than us. So those are the five ones gotta go.
(36:07):
Let's start with our Guestphram Salon. Uh.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
The kitchen has to go for me. Really, I don't
make it a habit of eating where there's exposed body parts. Wow,
open open stuff, really and food to me, this is
not good. I'm good. I don't want to eat hot
wings or chicken wings.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
Isn't what they're famous for.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
They are. They are famous for their lemon pepper wings.
Lemon Piper never had them. Really, it's just unsanitary. It
does eat where there's open.
Speaker 5 (36:45):
Really, so then I should say naked sushi night with
ephrams off the table.
Speaker 6 (36:50):
Take that one off, all right? Bring what you got
the back row creepers.
Speaker 4 (36:54):
That needs to go.
Speaker 6 (36:55):
Yeah, that's that needs to go. Everything else is.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
You want to feel safe when you're in there partaking?
Speaker 6 (36:59):
Correct? Of course?
Speaker 4 (37:00):
Okay, there is something real awkward about a guy just
sitting there rubbing his jean thighs and having no intention
of spending it.
Speaker 6 (37:06):
Hey, you leave Rob Parker.
Speaker 4 (37:07):
Love Okay, Like the ball shorts guy.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
Yeah, oh my goodness, I've seen Rob Parker work. Oh
you've seen this before that?
Speaker 5 (37:13):
Oh okay, of course, spearmint rhino bre he is an
active memory a super yearly membership.
Speaker 6 (37:19):
Wait, so what's more weird, tear away pants or the shorts?
What do you think is more weirdess.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
The same material?
Speaker 3 (37:25):
Right? Yes, any both of them are weird because if
you have sweatpants on, sir, you are certifiable.
Speaker 6 (37:33):
So if he has sweatpants on and eating the food, there, no.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
This man needs to be detained.
Speaker 4 (37:39):
Ro people are going to think that because I'm cheap
I'm gonna say the cover charge. I think that's important
because it kind of weeds out all the bad. Like,
if you're willing to pay forty dollars to get in there,
you're going to spend a lot more money. So I
feel like that has to stay. The one that has
to go, though, is making it rain you pocket watch,
because if you're gonna spend one hundred dollars but just
(37:59):
go to the v P room, you're only doing it
to make yourself feel good in front of the other dudes.
The other dudes don't care about the money you're spending. No,
that's not that's my topic. Okay, sorry, I'm getting rid
of the making a rain Alex.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
Yes, can we now comment on your I'm saying, first
of all, you're not tipping for the guys, you're tipping
for the girls. Now, a girl may be up there
performing not your type, not just be but she's given
a hell of performance. You tip right now, the effort
you take to the back to the champagne room, you
get a private dance, and so on and so forth.
(38:33):
But you're there as a patron. You are participating in
the women who are entertaining, right, That's what the ring. Look,
all I'm saying is I may or may not created
a storm.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
In an establishment a hurricane e back in the day.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
Right, But what I'm that that's part of that. And
it wasn't for the guys. It was because I appreciate
the one.
Speaker 5 (39:00):
You know what I'm thinking, Ephroom, You got to write
a sitcom for like a strip club or something and
make this like a suspense. Oh that's a good old
you know what I'm gonna go with. What the champagne room.
You want to know?
Speaker 3 (39:12):
Why? Why?
Speaker 5 (39:14):
I think it's somewhere we should not have for all
these illustrious people, the like private private room, Like we
don't need all that. Okay, there's called motels, there's hotels,
there's rooms other places, Like, what are we doing a
secret room inside of the place.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
It's a little weird to me, a secret secret room.
Speaker 6 (39:29):
It's a little weird to me.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Well, sometimes you need privacy.
Speaker 6 (39:31):
We got plenty of privacy.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Sometimes you want to talk and the music to Sometimes
you want to get to the cinnamon.
Speaker 6 (39:38):
Well, Cinnamon's got a lot to learn.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
Come to the stage. Guy's good. Put your heads together.
The four for one.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
Special going on? Guy, I think your favorite lady the
vip room three for one.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
Do forget. Let's tip the ladies. They're working hard.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
How much money is Rob Parker's mainting out of Mint.
Speaker 6 (39:52):
I'm gonna say EASi a grand I'm.
Speaker 4 (39:54):
Saying zero dollars. I think that's why he brought them
all so they can pay.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
Oh wow,
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcasts. Be sure
to check us out live every weekday from four to
seven pm Pacific seven to ten pm Eastern on Fox
Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd Couple
on Fox Sports Radio dot Com, or stream us every
day on the iHeartRadio by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Get this part. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
It is The Odd Couple Hour number two on a
worship Wednesday with me Rob g from Salam sitting in
for Rob Parker and kelvin Washington. I've been told through
the grapevine that men TNA Night at Magic City is
about an hour to an hour and a half away.
Get your dollar bills ready, guys, cause it's gonna be
(00:48):
a movie in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Are we live streaming from there? Are we? Are? They?
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Hey?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
They have the cameras set up to what we can
be a part of it.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
I'm told that they can't put cameras in the facility,
but that sources close to the situation have said that
if things go well and they go the way that
we hope they're gonna go, later this evening that an
Odd Couple Jersey will be hung in the rafters at
Magic City. What we are the James Harden of sports talking.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Oh hey yeah, all right, so that means it free
wings and uh and lap dances for anybody affiliated with
the Eyes, I guess.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
So just walk in and show them like a business cards.
I'm like, hey, I'm part of the team.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Way to go. They decided to do it on worship Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yeah, well, well what are they worshiping? Is what I
want to know? Hey Almighty, that's right, that's right. It
is the couple again. One's gotta go at the forty
five mark. All related to Mentna night. Okay, got some
thoughts on that bottom of the hour. Rosh Marcazi, founder
CEO Sporting Tribune Big News in Los Angeles. Of course
(01:53):
he works here in LA, but that LA Times, ESPN
Sports Illustrated. He covers the LA sports scene like a book.
So we got some thoughts on that one. In the meantime,
I want you to check out the YouTube channel. You
can watch this live on YouTube right now. Just search
Odd Couple FSR on YouTube, hit the subscribe button. After
you've done that, tap the thuns up icon and coming away,
(02:14):
let us know who you agree with and who you
don't go check out our YouTube channel and watch us
live right now. Just search out a couple FSR and subscribe.
In the meantime, in between the West and Russell Westbrook thoughts,
but DJ Alex Tyshirt on the wheels of deal, Tom Crady,
any YouTube is any odd mob weighing in on some
of Ephraim's ridiculous defense of athletes blowing all their money.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
Gosh, if I read the Ephim ones, he might not
come back as a co host. I can take it, man, you,
I can take it. Okay, Well, some of these are fun.
Let's start with King B nineteen says Breeze taken.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
No, yeah, oh man, he's hot on the streets.
Speaker 6 (02:54):
That one sucks.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Man. It's only been two months, so don't worry. Maybe
I'm sorry for you. I'm sorry, apologize. This one's great.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
This one's from Drake is not a trick, and he says,
why is Robbie always pocket watching?
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Because I'm broke?
Speaker 6 (03:09):
Well crazy.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
If you say that's a choice, I will speak.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Chair and say anything is a choice. Did you say
you're jumped down off the chair?
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Jump down off this chair?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
People don't people don't understand just how big this chair
is or how small he is in the chair. But
someone who's close to the show and who has evidence
of that, oh.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Gosh, uh just posted.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Something where you know, little man is swinging in his
big boy chair, like, how as a full grown adult,
can you put your feet on the seat of a chair?
You need fitting in?
Speaker 4 (03:56):
We need He said that alex is Elijah, can we
get we have the camera right there, can we put
another one right there and watch his feet swing?
Speaker 3 (04:04):
It's just I looked over it. You see my legs
are spread out because I have to unfold these things,
and he's sitting there talking to me, swinging back and
forth with his legs up on the lip with a chair.
I was like, this is this, This can't be real.
I'll leave you with one more. This one's funny. So
there was some back and forth in the chat. And
if you guys aren't live on YouTube, just go search
Odd couple with Rob Parker and kelvin Washington. We're live
(04:26):
every single day on there. You can see our beautiful
face right and the taking brief face for right now.
This one's funny. So there's been people going back and
forth and this guy, Damian G forty four said Bruh,
you're arguing with a commercial break video.
Speaker 6 (04:38):
You're a smart guy.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
There are people who argue with the commercial breakfroth. They
do because during the commercial break it'll be like old
snippets from the show where other shows. Yeah, and they're
arguing with that. Well it happens, Yeah, it happens.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
All Right. It's our job, man, that is our job.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Well, you know who doesn't have a job anymore, But
this one's my choice.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
All right.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
He didn't get fired. He didn't get fired on his
day off. UCLA legend. Russell Westbrook has officially announced his
retirement from the NBA. Clap it up one time for
Russ for the Brody And when I saw the news
come across the ticker, of course, got lost a lot
of the Laker news.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Of course.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
My first thought when I read it was, it's a
shame what's happened to Russell Westbrook and the discourse surrounding
Russell Westbrook? Because I am a Laker fan. You're a
Laker fan. We lived through the Russell Westbrook experience, yes
we did. It was not fun. It was very difficult.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
It really very uncomfortable.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
It tested your patients in a lot of ways. That
I totally agree with you. However, I maintain that the
reason why Russell Westbrook, especially in the last four or
five years or so, has become a punchline to a
lot of people an NBA Twitter is because specifically he
(06:04):
played with Lebron James. And it's not Lebron's fault. Specifically,
it's not anything that he did or didn't do publicly
or maybe even privately that I know about. It is
that Lebron James has a sea of siccophants, both on television, radio, podcast,
(06:27):
print media, what have you, that are very quick to
give him the credit when things go great, and even
quicker to blame somebody else when they don't. Okay, And
because Russell Westbrook and his style of play is very loud.
When he makes a bad play or he misses a shot,
(06:48):
it is also very loud. He does not just miss
a shot softly off the front of the rim. He
will hit the side of the backboard right. He will
not just turn the ball over in the flow of
the action. He will turn it over with about forty
five seconds left in a two point game.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Right.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Because he plays the first forty seven minutes just as
hard as he plays the last minute, and sometimes that's great.
Sometimes it is absolutely horrible. But because he played with
Lebron James, and because he played with the Lakers, and
because that tenure ended so spectacularly, the last few years
(07:31):
of Russell Westbrook's NBA career has been people taking pot
shots at him, people poking fun at him, Anonymous scouts,
gms and coaches calling the Miami Heat and saying, if
you want to win, you do not bring this guy
to your franchise.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
And because of.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
That, people have completely forgotten that Russell Westbrook right now,
amongst all time NBA point guards is first in points,
first in rebounds, first in triple doubles, fourth and assists.
He and Lebron James only two players the only two
in the history of the NBA to have twenty five
(08:12):
thousand points and ten thousand assists. People forget again because
of the way things spiraled out of control here in
La Now, from twenty sixteen to twenty twenty one, he
averaged twenty six, ten and ten and made the triple
double a normal occurrence on a Tuesday night. His net
rating was plus six point seven. So for all the
(08:34):
crap people gave him about running around like a chicken
with his head cut off. His teams were demonstrably better
when he was on the court doing his thing than
when he wasn't. He only played sixty five games with
the Washington Wizards, and yet he has shattered their franchise
record for triple doubles. He had thirty eight of them
(08:56):
in sixty five games.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
So while he may not be Lebron James, he may
not be Kobe Bryant. Michael Jordan Russell Westbrook is a
damn good NBA player, or was a damn good NBA player.
He is arguably between the third and the sixth greatest
point guard whoever lived. He is a first ballot, no
(09:20):
doubt about it, rock solid Hall of Famer. But again,
playing in Los Angeles playing with Lebron James didn't go
very well. He became a punchline, and I think that
is wildly disrespectful and it's unfortunate that a player of
his caliber is going to ride off into the sunset
(09:43):
with his tailtup between his legs. Now number one, he's
not his tails not tuck between his legs. The way
he's talked about it is okay, that's a like he
would have to took his own tail.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Sure you get what I'm saying that don't do that
because we don't want to be disparaging to him and
how he feels about his retirement. I will say this,
styles make fights. Now, you would think a prolific score
of the ball and rebounding and the cysts can fit
anywhere on the planet Earth. You were right about the
(10:20):
about what you said about him playing the exact same
way tip off all the way to the last two
minutes of the game. You're also right about his passion
for the game. The one problem I had, and it
was a glaring problem for me when he came to
the Lakers, it was understanding the flow and the moment
(10:48):
of the game right, largely having to do with basketball
IQ right. If you're in the middle of a run
to get back in a game, it would behoove you
not to go on a one on four fast break
by yourself. Yes, and without the explosiveness that you used
(11:14):
to have. Shoot into the air and shoot a layup
at the bottom of the rim. The team gets the ball,
come down and score stops the run, stops the momentum.
We saw that multiple times. We saw him not shoot
a high clip of threes. Right, But I think only
(11:34):
one time in his career he shot over thirty five
percent from three. Right. That's not good for a guard
in today's NBA. The problem I'm having is his plus
or minus. The last five six years of his career,
he averaged a minus per game.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
He was alight on terrible teams.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
What I'm saying is an individual can be on a
terrible team and still be in the positive when it
comes to the outcome. My thing is as great as
he was, he never evolved. And what I mean by
that is, you know, you can't play the same way
(12:17):
you played at twenty seven at thirty seven. You can't
play the same way you played at twenty one at
thirty one. There has to be evolution in your game
and mentally, if you still think you're twenty two and
that's how you're attacking the game, it can't end good. Right.
(12:42):
That was the problem. I never questioned his heart, a
hearty played. I question the timing of some of the decisions, right,
The ability to see the game and feel the flow
of it. The point guards, the great point guards, do
(13:03):
not just do what you do. That was my biggest thing.
Don't just come in and just be you as the
point guard. You need to see, Okay, who's hot, who's not?
Where can we do this? Where can we take advantage
of that?
Speaker 4 (13:20):
And then he hasn't got a shot in a few minutes.
I gotta get him in it. It was none of that.
It was Boom Russ hundred miles an hour, and it
didn't work with the lineup that the Lakers had. It
was actually it had the opposite effecture. It did up
being a huge net negative, huge.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Net negative, and as a Laker fan, we got to
experience it firsthand. Now I've always been a Westbrook fan
until that year and a half, and I was like,
oh my goodness, what is happening. He has to be
able to see the flow of the game like everyone
else is seeing. He's a point guard. It justin Lebron
(14:05):
wanted him. They wanted him, Lebron a d They wanted him.
They got him. Remember what the trade could have been.
It was supposed to be the Buddy Hill and and
and Turner from uh Indianapolis right from the Pacers. Imagine
those two pieces with Lebron. It would have been a
(14:27):
lot different because now you've got a real shooter. Bottomp shooter,
and he got a big who can shoot and who
can who can play center now and let Anthony Davis
go to the fore. That's what we gave up for
Westbrook because Lebron wanted him and then they wanted to
get rid of him and Rob Polinka and Jenny Buss
as they should. Was like, no, this is what you
(14:49):
asked for, So you guys figured.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
It's not going to dig deeper into this hole to
try to.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
They never figured it out and it ended terribly. And
I feel bad for Westbrook because, like I said, I'm
a Westbrooks. I thought he was amazing. I just would
have loved for his game to just evolve a little
bit more and understand you can't play the same way
on every single team you go to. And I believe
he played on seven teams.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Yeah, he might have played on four in the last
four years.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Right. And this brings me to another point that I
want to talk to you about that we could talk
about after the break. Never before have we seen all
time great players play for so many different franchises. To me,
that's troubling. Now. The new Apron, the second Apron is new,
(15:39):
it's brand new. It's been around for two years now,
and so that's not the reason we're seeing these players
play so many different and these are all times he's
a first ballot Hall of Famers playing on five, six,
seven teams. It makes no sense you would take somebody
who's a Erniman, right, who plays on a million different teams,
(16:04):
but not first ballot Hall of Famers. Teams are reluctant
to get rid of first ball players are reluctant to
leave teams. Not anymore.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
All right, we'll dive deeper into that. Coming up next.
It is the Odd Couple with me Rob g from
Salam sitting in for Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington ros
Markazi at the bottom of the hour. This is Fox
Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
St gats here.
Speaker 7 (16:42):
I have a podcast empire. It continues to grow, and
I have brought it here to I Parker. I'm also
doing a live radio show from three to five pm
Eastern because my wife wanted to kick me out of
the house. It's called Stegatzi Company Live which is available
on podcast form right when the show finishes every single day.
(17:02):
Some of the biggest names in sports, a lot of phone.
Speaker 8 (17:05):
Calls, I love you guys, your show, It's one of
my favorites.
Speaker 7 (17:08):
A lot of interact shit guys not taking themselves too seriously.
Those are just some of the things that you could
expect from Stu Gottson Company and ste Gotson Company Live.
So listen to Steve Gotson Company Live and our original podcast.
Please subscribe, rate and review Steve Gotson Company and God
Bless Football. Taylor's livelihood depends on it. You do it
(17:30):
today and you can check all of those out on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
It is the Odd Couple.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Fox Sports Radio Warship Wednesday of Rosch Mark car is
coming up in five minutes. One's got to go in
about twenty minutes. It's me Rob g from Salam sitting
in for Rob Parker kelvin Washington. We ended last segment
talking about Russell Westbrook and his unceremonious exit from the NBA.
And one thing you mentioned is he basically played for
a new team every year of his career. There towards
(18:04):
the end, and before we get to a Ross Marquis,
I want to ask you this very quickly. Can you
be a Hall of Famer first ballot, rock solid guy
like Russell Westbrook when you were a journeyman for the
last quarter of your NBA career.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
I think the answer, the conventional answer is yes, because
the numbers are the numbers. But the sentiment and the
reality is we're not used to seeing all time greats
be on maybe one, two, three teams. But when you
start to get to five, six, seven, you start thinking like, Okay, well,
(18:44):
what's what's happening? What's missing here? Westbrook's not the only
person think about this, think about this, and this is
the this is this is the thing that I think
about all the time. So that OKAC team KD, James Harden, Westbrook, YEP,
(19:05):
a trio that you can build a franchise around. For
a trio of MVP two decades right, similar to Golden State,
right in terms of talent better than that. But they
built around those guys, and no matter what, those guys
were going to be the focal point until Clay two
(19:27):
years ago, you know, got dealt, but it was Draymond
Steph and Clay. That was our nucleus and everything else,
and they paid them. They all got paid top dollar.
Everybody was making over one hundred million dollars and so
on and so forth. When you look at this trio,
Westbrook's played on seven teams, Kd's played on five teams.
(19:51):
James Harden's what five six teams? So you ask yourself, Okay,
all of them have been MVP, all of them, tremendous
records and scoring and rebounding, all of these things. Sixteams
for Harden. Think about that. These are I'm talking about
(20:12):
prolific scores, prolific basketball players, all.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Of them likely first ballot Hall of famers.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
The thing that I think is missing there with this
scenario the leadership quality across the board for three across
the board. Think about that, across the board. When have
they won being the leader of a team?
Speaker 4 (20:39):
Never?
Speaker 3 (20:41):
That's the problem. So what are you doing? You're constantly
chasing to find a team with a leader that you
can You don't have to be. You don't have to
be that, you don't have to be that. This is
really think about that. When was the only time Kevin
de rent one Golden State, who is the leader, Steph Curry. Actually,
(21:06):
I would say Draymond Green with he doesn't matter if
any iteration wasn't.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
It wasn't him. Yes, long star wasn't in him, right.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Right, James Harden everywhere he's gone, he's been.
Speaker 4 (21:17):
The leader, and they always flame out of the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
He's been in the league seventeen years, He's made the league,
He's made the playoffs seventeen times. I remember watching the
playoffs this year and him at the Cavaliers, and the
announcer was like, and congratulations to James Harden for seventeen
years straight up the playoffs. And I was like, that
is not a flex. That's not a flex. You mean
(21:40):
you've had seventeen shots and you've never won a championship.
Every single year you've been in the league, you've made
the playoffs and played in one finals, and.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
He was the sixth man on that finals team.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
That's I would be going crazy. League MVP, led the
league scoring for multiple years. You mean to tell me
with all of that, you've only played in the finals
one time in seventeen years. That can't be a flex. Now, look, longevity, career,
all of that, congratulations. I know how hard it is
(22:19):
to play ten or more years in a league. Sure,
But when we start talking about the greats, right and
KD got two, he pulled the cord, jumped off the
plane and landed in Golden State.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
Well, he was the best player on those He was
the best player.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Why was he the best player?
Speaker 4 (22:41):
Because he didn't have to lead anybody. He could just
be the best player. And Steph allowed it to happen.
Steph was unanimous MVP two times, no one time. Excuse me, unanimous.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
He allowed KD to come to it. He was like, hey, man,
that's what I'm talking about. Because he was the best
offensively on that team, didn't make him the leader, right,
James Harden, for the majority of the teams he's been on,
he's been the best offensively. Doesn't make you the leader, Westbrook,
(23:16):
doesn't make you the leader. So what do you weigh
when you talk about greatness? Is the leadership gene? Is
a leadership quality? Part of that? Say what you want
about Lebron James any teams he's been on, he's been
the leader. Any team came to the Lakers, was the leader.
(23:38):
Went back to the Cavaliers, leader, went to Miami. D
Wade said, hey, bro, it's your team. Take it. It'll
be interesting to see what Philadelphia has to you know
what that looks like.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Yeah, that's probably gonna be one of their biggest problems,
if not their biggest problem.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
And that's why it's compelling, that's why it's a must
see TV because now we're looking to see, Okay, you
have an alpha male. Obviously, Lebron James is an alpha male.
He comes to a team and ownership starts to maneuver
in and and and they bring starts clients, right, whatever
that is this next iteration of Lebron's career these next
(24:17):
two years, it's it's it's a it's going to look
a little bit different for him. How does he adjust
to that? But going back to those that that trio,
that that's a dynamic thing. Even another player who you know,
could have been phenomenal, could have been great, Paul George, right,
tremendous talent numbers all that, it's gonna be Hall of Famer.
(24:39):
But when it comes to the leadership gene in terms
of taking the onus of that franchise, putting it on
your back and carrying it across the line for a championship,
that to me, is Rarefy there. That to me is
is first ballot. That to me is is everything when
it comes to all time great players.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
Well, speaking of all time great players, A Rosch Markazi,
founder and CEO of the Sporting Tribune. He covered a
lot of Russell Westbrook's career, both of course UCLA, recently
with the Lakers. A Ross joins us. Right now, Rosh,
how are you.
Speaker 8 (25:15):
I'm great, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
Of course, of course we just finished the last twenty
five minutes. So talking about the retirement of Russell Westbrook
and the way he limped to the finish line, we'll say,
is that meag first ballot Hall of Famer statistically one
of the single greatest players who ever lived. But the
last few years he's become something of a punching bag
in NBA circles. What do you attribute that to in
(25:38):
your opinion?
Speaker 8 (25:39):
Yeah, listen, I mean the role that he had with
the Thunder that he shines so brightly in. I mean
that certainly was not the case, you know when he
kind of bounced around towards the end, you know, with
the Washington and the Lakers and the Clippers and the
Nuggets and the Kings and all that. I mean, just
you know that happens. It's unfortunate. But you know, when
great players retire after the Hall of Fame careers, and
(26:02):
you know, long Hall of Fame careers, you know, I
think in time, we remember them for what they were
great for. We remember them for their great moments in
terms of you know, when they won the Most Valuable
Player and they averaged a triple double like over the
course of the season, which we never thought was possible.
So listen, I totally get that. In the here and now,
(26:23):
was kind of thinking about the last couple of years
of Russell, But I will I like to think of
him at the height of his career, and I think
in time, when he goes into the Hall of Fame,
that's how he will be leaving up to buy.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
Let's talk about the big news they broke today. Westbrook
is one of them, but the other is the sale
of the Lakers again for twelve point five billion dollars
with a B with a B. Now, Rob, we were
talking about it earlier that this deal was proposed on
(26:58):
Sunday seventy two hours ago, and that was the timeline
that Bob Iger and Kushner had to accept this deal.
What is the process the due process of sales of
these franchises. I thought it had to be held under
a vote and it was a certain amount of time
(27:18):
and owners had the weigh in. Could you tell us
anything about the minutia of a deal like this getting
done so fast?
Speaker 8 (27:25):
Yeah, you know. So this has not been approved by
the league, but it will be approved by the league.
And the reason that it will be approved by the
league is that Kushner and Bob Iger were already the
process of being one of the candidates to purchase the
expansion team in Las Vegas. And I think sort of
one of the dual stories that came from this is
that the number of groups that want to buy that
(27:47):
expansion team in Vegas, they that price tag is north
of you know, seven billion dollars going once it got
to nine, perhaps ten. Then it got to a point where,
you know, two guys from Los Angeles thinking, well, you know,
Mark Walter is like in a tough spout right now,
and I know that he just bought the Lakers for
ten billion. You know, maybe he'd be willing to part
(28:09):
ways with it for a twelve point five And so
the timeline is this, I mean and again, if we
just go off of the timeline from the previous sale
of the Lakers from the Bucks family to Mark Walter.
You know that was agreed to in June, it was
approved by the league in October, and then it became
(28:29):
officially official in terms of the transaction going down in November.
So that means so that's sort of like the timeline.
So if you want to say, you know how it
aligns here, you know it's not official. But again, Bob Ayger,
j Josh Christner, they will be approved. The sale will
be approved in short time.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Ross, Mark Ali Sporting Tribune here with the odd couple. Ross,
I'll follow you on X so I see a lot
of you. You've be tweeting all da about the situation,
and one of the things that you've suggested on your
social media accounts is it's been reported that Mark Walter
never looked to sell the Lakers. He just got an
offer he couldn't refuse. Now you spun that ford that, well,
the Dodgers aren't for sale, But given what kind of
(29:09):
offer we just got, would I not then consider a
massive offer for the Dodger Do you think that is
if you had to put a percentage amount the percentage
chance that Mark Walter would consider selling the Dodgers now
given what he just got for the Lakers.
Speaker 8 (29:23):
Yeah, I mean, here's the tough thing, because if we
had talked last night and he said, what's the percentage
chance that Mark Walter was zero Lakers, I would say zero.
So I mean what it is, it's now greater than zero,
that's for sure. Now, I mean the one thing that
I basically suggested, and I'm not going out on a
limb here. I mean, obviously everything is not okay, or
it's not as okay as it was.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
A year ago.
Speaker 8 (29:45):
There's no way Mark Walter purchases the Lakers with the
goal of flipping it. And again, yes, he did make
a profit, but that's not why he bought the Dodgers.
It's not why he bought the Lakers. And certainly when
you talk about flipping a profit, it's not hurts the
trouble when you're a multi multi billionaire to do something
like this where you only have the team for nine months.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
So the suggestion is.
Speaker 8 (30:09):
Really obviously, with the federal investigation and all the things
like that, if someone were to put a proposal together
and say, hey, listen.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
You got twelve point five.
Speaker 8 (30:20):
How about another twelve I'll take the Dodgers off your hands.
Like obviously he's going to consider it. I'm not saying
it's going to happen. But like I said, if you
had asked me last night, what are the chances Mark
Walter would sell the Lakers, it was zero. It happened.
There's no way the percentage chance he would sell the
Dodgers is zero. There is a number attached to what
(30:40):
he would be willing to part with that team for.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
Everybody has a price. Yeah, okay, so the Lakers are
being sold, the deal will go through. Where does this
leave Laker fans? Where does this leave the franchise? Do
we know the direction that Bob Iger wants to go
with a historic franchise like the Lakers? Because I'm concerned,
I'm a Laker fan. Rob is concerned, very concerned. We
(31:04):
have no idea. At least with Mark Watters, we knew
that he would spare no expense to build up the team,
the coaching staff, all the things you need to be champions.
Now we are kind of in the dark and have
no idea. What can what type of light can you
shit on that for us?
Speaker 8 (31:20):
Arash It's such a great point because there was a
proof of concept locally in Los Angeles with the Dodgers,
and so when this when the deal happened a year ago,
so many Laker fans were excited, like Mark Walter and
the deep pockets he has, you know, they're going to
take over this team. And really the unique thing is
over the past year the Dodgers or organization has come
(31:40):
to really take over the Lakers. There's a lot of
people who have dual roles with that team. And how
that's going to be like gun SPA over the next
few months, that'll be intriguing. We don't know what Bob
Biger and Josh Krishner are like as like a professional
sports organization. What are they going to do. They've never
(32:00):
owned a team before, so I'm not saying that they're
not going to be successful. Mark Waltz didn't own a
team prior to purchasing the Dodgers. But there is a
learning curve in place. So I do think in terms
of people expecting big changes coming in the next couple
of months, I do think they're gonna take this next season,
this upcoming season as sort of like a wait and
see approach. Like, let's see how Genie does in her role,
(32:23):
Let's see what JJ does, Let's see like how these
guys do. But at the end of the day, and
I brought this up when Mark Cubans sold the Mavericks
and he was under the impression that he would still
be able to call the shots. Billionaires don't spend billions
to have the old folks who have been with the
team continue to run the team. At some point in time,
(32:44):
whether it's next year or sooner, Bob Eiger and Josh
Kushner will start bringing in their own people to do
things the way that they like it. I'm not saying
it's gonna happen tomorrow or next week, but it will
happen at some point soon.
Speaker 4 (32:58):
His name is A Rosmark. He found her CEO the
Sporting Tribune doing some great work covering all the LA
sports teams all the way out to Vegas and a y.
It's a great gig if you can get it. A Roch,
thank you so much for swinging by man. Really appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
Appreciate you.
Speaker 8 (33:10):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Rob Parker and kelvin Washington, weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
Oh my god, we need Jesus in this room right now.
It is the Odd Couple on a Warship Wednesday with
me Rob g from Salam sitting in for Rob Parker
kelvin Washington. Want to let you know that baseball season
in full swing. There's no better place to be than Calshi,
America's number one prediction market platform. Trade every baseball game
on Calshi. Download the Calshi app and use code odd
(33:43):
to get at to five hundred bucks in bonus credits
when you trade twenty five dollars.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
That's got the chills right there.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
Oh my gosh, you thought Rob Parker.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
Was a dirty old man.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
Let me tell you he from.
Speaker 9 (33:52):
Salam I was a child. Just Fyoh this was yesterday
all right again. It is in TNA night at Magic City.
That's why the guys are not here. They're out throwing singles.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
Oh and because of that, we have a ones Gotta
Go version of.
Speaker 6 (34:13):
Even number.
Speaker 5 (34:14):
Figure it out, you know, as me filling in for
both producer and executive producer, I almost want to bail
on this segment and just do story time.
Speaker 9 (34:22):
With the.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Worship Wednesday. They're not whip like that.
Speaker 6 (34:27):
After that story, I just heard of.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Magic City Monday. Yes, Worship Wednesday.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
I'm sure you heard more, but at the moment, I'm
currently worshiping a twenty one year olds.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
What that guy was a lunatic, he was a demon.
He was a demon.
Speaker 6 (34:41):
He needed Jesus.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
He needed a lot of stories. We need a lot
of stuff.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
Well, if you're new to this, this is called One's
Gotta Go. The Great Kelvin Washington brought this over from
whoever how many shows he had before, like Rob Parker,
and the thought of this is for MENTI Night. We
want to bring you this elusive experience of trying to
be at mens Night with Rob Parker from Afar. So
my question to all of you and this One's gotta go.
We're gonna keep it on the strip club theme, Okay,
going to these events, these illustrious lady dancers, the best
(35:08):
dancers in all the land. Breeding.
Speaker 6 (35:09):
I know you're an active strip cub member memberships everywhere.
We're gonna need you wired.
Speaker 4 (35:14):
You know, if it's Brillian's for we because we are
all going to the.
Speaker 5 (35:19):
Strip now that makes sense well, one's gotta go. Mens
Nights Strip Club Edition. These are the five and one
of these have to go.
Speaker 6 (35:27):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (35:28):
The first one is the cover charge, pay to get
into the spot. The second one back row seats aka
Creeper's anonymous.
Speaker 4 (35:36):
What we call that where you're not actually tipping anything,
you're just watching.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
You're just watching, contemplating the.
Speaker 6 (35:42):
Crime a little weird.
Speaker 5 (35:44):
Number three making it rain. You know, ROBJ likes the
pocket watch, so that's one for there. Number four the
champagne room, which is different from the MVP room. A
lot of that sound in there. And then the fifth one,
this one we're gonna just call the kitchen. Okay, they
got the food, but Fay sometimes ephrams a lot more
lustrous than us. So those are the five ones gotta go.
(36:07):
Let's start with our Guestphram Salon. Uh.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
The kitchen has to go for me. Really, I don't
make it a habit of eating where there's exposed body parts. Wow,
open open stuff, really and food to me, this is
not good. I'm good. I don't want to eat hot
wings or chicken wings.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
Isn't what they're famous for.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
They are. They are famous for their lemon pepper wings.
Lemon Piper never had them. Really, it's just unsanitary. It
does eat where there's open.
Speaker 5 (36:45):
Really, so then I should say naked sushi night with
ephrams off the table.
Speaker 6 (36:50):
Take that one off, all right? Bring what you got
the back row creepers.
Speaker 4 (36:54):
That needs to go.
Speaker 6 (36:55):
Yeah, that's that needs to go. Everything else is.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
You want to feel safe when you're in there partaking?
Speaker 6 (36:59):
Correct? Of course?
Speaker 4 (37:00):
Okay, there is something real awkward about a guy just
sitting there rubbing his jean thighs and having no intention
of spending it.
Speaker 6 (37:06):
Hey, you leave Rob Parker.
Speaker 4 (37:07):
Love Okay, Like the ball shorts guy.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
Yeah, oh my goodness, I've seen Rob Parker work. Oh
you've seen this before that?
Speaker 5 (37:13):
Oh okay, of course, spearmint rhino bre he is an
active memory a super yearly membership.
Speaker 6 (37:19):
Wait, so what's more weird, tear away pants or the shorts?
What do you think is more weirdess.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
The same material?
Speaker 3 (37:25):
Right? Yes, any both of them are weird because if
you have sweatpants on, sir, you are certifiable.
Speaker 6 (37:33):
So if he has sweatpants on and eating the food, there, no.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
This man needs to be detained.
Speaker 4 (37:39):
Ro people are going to think that because I'm cheap
I'm gonna say the cover charge. I think that's important
because it kind of weeds out all the bad. Like,
if you're willing to pay forty dollars to get in there,
you're going to spend a lot more money. So I
feel like that has to stay. The one that has
to go, though, is making it rain you pocket watch,
because if you're gonna spend one hundred dollars but just
(37:59):
go to the v P room, you're only doing it
to make yourself feel good in front of the other dudes.
The other dudes don't care about the money you're spending. No,
that's not that's my topic. Okay, sorry, I'm getting rid
of the making a rain Alex.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
Yes, can we now comment on your I'm saying, first
of all, you're not tipping for the guys, you're tipping
for the girls. Now, a girl may be up there
performing not your type, not just be but she's given
a hell of performance. You tip right now, the effort
you take to the back to the champagne room, you
get a private dance, and so on and so forth.
(38:33):
But you're there as a patron. You are participating in
the women who are entertaining, right, That's what the ring. Look,
all I'm saying is I may or may not created
a storm.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
In an establishment a hurricane e back in the day.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
Right, But what I'm that that's part of that. And
it wasn't for the guys. It was because I appreciate
the one.
Speaker 5 (39:00):
You know what I'm thinking, Ephroom, You got to write
a sitcom for like a strip club or something and
make this like a suspense. Oh that's a good old
you know what I'm gonna go with. What the champagne room.
You want to know?
Speaker 3 (39:12):
Why? Why?
Speaker 5 (39:14):
I think it's somewhere we should not have for all
these illustrious people, the like private private room, Like we
don't need all that. Okay, there's called motels, there's hotels,
there's rooms other places, Like, what are we doing a
secret room inside of the place.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
It's a little weird to me, a secret secret room.
Speaker 6 (39:29):
It's a little weird to me.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Well, sometimes you need privacy.
Speaker 6 (39:31):
We got plenty of privacy.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Sometimes you want to talk and the music to Sometimes
you want to get to the cinnamon.
Speaker 6 (39:38):
Well, Cinnamon's got a lot to learn.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
Come to the stage. Guy's good. Put your heads together.
The four for one.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
Special going on? Guy, I think your favorite lady the
vip room three for one.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
Do forget. Let's tip the ladies. They're working hard.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
How much money is Rob Parker's mainting out of Mint.
Speaker 6 (39:52):
I'm gonna say EASi a grand I'm.
Speaker 4 (39:54):
Saying zero dollars. I think that's why he brought them
all so they can pay.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
Oh wow,
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Rob Parker
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Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com