NBA Conference Finals Trash Talk, WNBA Veterans Showing Out, and Preparing to Say Goodbye to Inside the NBA

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
What's up, everybody?

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Welcome to another episode of the three on three pot.
I'm Chris Williamson, joined alongside Scharen Nicole and Tarika Foster Brasby,
And man, did we have a weak Charie and Tea
Like what the Tea Wolves did to the Denver Nuggets?
I got today, Lord have mercy Jokic.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Now you can play with his horses.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
Their home on the ranging. God bless the.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Right enjoying life. How about the Erica Handby though she's
coming with some of.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
The proof two kids wear goodness kids.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
And she is showing out.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
And then, of course it might look it looks like
we're at the end of inside the NBA's time as
we know it.

Speaker 4 (00:59):
Right currently, they're in my prayers. We're not doing that
on this show, Chris. I'm not claiming that. I don't
I don't care what deal happened. I don't care who
bought out who. I'm just believing God because I cannot.
I cannot imagine. I cannot imagine an NBA.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
Season without those guys. Sorry, isn't it crazy? I can't
imagine it?

Speaker 5 (01:18):
Can I quickly just give a shout out to all
the graduates that are listening. Were my HBCU shirt today
because this week there are quite a few institutions that
are graduating. Just this past week, there were quite a
few institutions that are graduating. And I want these graduating
seniors to know that there is life after student loans.

(01:39):
So congratulations, Hold on a minute. That hit me, That
hit me right spirit.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
A little bit right, and hit your spirit a little bit.
I received that and.

Speaker 4 (01:49):
I've been out of college, but I'm not going to
tell you how loan, but I had to receive that.

Speaker 3 (01:52):
There is life. I promise there is life after student life.

Speaker 5 (01:56):
So congratulations to all of the class of twenty twenty
before we wish you the very best, and I just
wanted to get that out early.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Absolutely love it. I love that Tarika. You know you
always come prepared, always dropping some sermon. Were about to
drop this ad break though, before we dive into NBA
Western Conference, the Eastern Conference Finals. Y'all, the Minnesota Timberwolves
down twenty in Game seven, the defending champs against the

(02:28):
MVP Nika Jokic, and then they walk them down in
their own building, the most the largest comeback and a
game seven in NBA history. They you know, there was
a time where I thought the Denver Nuggets had taken

(02:51):
the soul of Minnesota right after they went up three
to two, but the t Wolves, they got the last word.
That's when the greatest performances I've ever seen from a team.
I know we like to say that a lot, but
in this case, it fits. It's not hyperbole to do
that is sensational. And the fact that it came on

(03:14):
the anniversary of the Minnesota Timberwolves reaching the Conference finals
in two thousand and four with Kevin Garnett.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yo, they gonna make movies about it.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
And what's even crazier, y'all, is Anthony Edwards shot terribly
from the field. He didn't even have a vintage Anthony
Edwards performance. It was Carled Anthony Towns, who gets a
lot of shit right for how he talks, you know,
his play sometimes Rudy, when Rudy Gobert, when Rudy Gobert
made that that fade away.

Speaker 4 (03:48):
Finally, Chris is still there, He's he's still watching the
game right now.

Speaker 1 (03:53):
I am showed turned to his left fade away against Jokic.

Speaker 3 (03:59):
It was all new.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
And the fact that he acted like, yeah, he knew
it was going in the whole time. That's what That's
what floors be the most because we know he ain't
got no sense making that shot nine times out of ten.
But yeah, I can't say enough of how poised this
group was and the fact that they had the best

(04:20):
matchup to go up, go up against the Nuggets with
their size, their length, their athleticism. And now they are
in the Western Conference Finals taking on Luca and Kyrie.
Y'all know the trash talk between Luca and and is
gonna be on fire history. Listen, I got Lo're gonna
be complaining to the rest you thought he was bad,

(04:43):
he gets okay.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
See, gonna be a bad scene. It really bad scene.
And I'm riding with Anthony Edwards.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
Okay, so I'm not even.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
Gonna front you, Chris, I'm riding with Anthony Edwards.

Speaker 5 (04:55):
Like everything about this guy in this postseason has gen
when turned me into a fan. I have respect for
a player that shows up, but I got a whole
level of respect for a player that talks shit and
then show up like that's my kind of guy, you know,

(05:15):
And there's just no answer for him. And no, I
don't think if you're well, I know you were watching
a game. But for those listening, if you watch the game, yeah,
you'll see Anthony Edwards only had sixteen points, right, I
think he had sixteen points, eight boards, and seven assists.

Speaker 1 (05:33):
I think.

Speaker 5 (05:34):
But end of the day, that fourth quarter is where
you could really see in his young years his leadership,
because he's really started to motivate and play up as
they were beginning to take that lead. And once Rudy
Gobert gave them that lead, it was rap for that
at that point. And so I trust that Anthony Edwards

(05:56):
and his teammates and nas.

Speaker 3 (05:59):
Reed can we have.

Speaker 5 (06:01):
Ed like, oh my god, like he earned that sixth
Player of the Year award and you could see it
in this game.

Speaker 3 (06:08):
And as much madness as I.

Speaker 5 (06:10):
Give Rudy Gobert, Rudy Gobert did what needed to be
done in Game seven. And so I say all that
to say, if that team showed up like that and
they didn't have their best player play as their best player,
I am sold that they can go toe to toe
with Dallas. They are the number three seed in the

(06:31):
Western Conference, right, so it's not like they're the underdogs,
although it feels as if they're the underdogs going into
this because of their youth, because of their inexperience at
this level. And what's really funny is in the press conference,
you know, Karl Anthony Towns was talking about how, you know,
I've been playing here for nine years or whatever. Anthony
Edwards is like, man, f them nine years. But I

(06:53):
talk like, that is the energy that this team brings.
And that is why I feel that they can make
it to the conference. They can make it to the finals,
like I think this could go. They've already proven that
they can win on the road. And the only thing
that I that I would say that gives that keeps
Dallas in it is the fact that we still have

(07:15):
yet to see Kyrie be Kyrie Like throughout this entire postseason,
we ain't seeing Kyrie really be Kyrie Like. We've seen
him kind of glide through the playoffs a bit.

Speaker 3 (07:25):
I believe he had like two nine point performances.

Speaker 5 (07:28):
He gave you a couple of twenty point performances, but
we ain't seen Kyrie take over a game and be like, bro,
I got this, Like, if that Kyrie shows up, that's
a scary man to face, right, But for the most part,
I really believe that this Minnesota team is hungry and
that they're on a mission and showing that they can
win on the.

Speaker 3 (07:48):
Road in a very hostile Game seven.

Speaker 5 (07:53):
I don't think there's more and more that I need
to see from them to make me believe that they
can get it done.

Speaker 4 (07:58):
I'm totally aligne Toika. I think, come. I just I
don't see the Timberwolves losing. I really don't. And beyond
even the Western Conference Finals that that also, for me,
really stands for the championship with And I say this
because you talked about leadership, and to your point, it's
one thing for a player like Anthony Evers to come

(08:19):
in and drop thirty forty points. But what I'm most
impressed with by a twenty two year old is his
level of poise, whether they're up or down, whether he's got.

Speaker 3 (08:27):
Six or twenty six.

Speaker 4 (08:29):
And that invigorates the vets that have been there that
haven't been to the big Dance as we'd like to
call it, as well as as the young guys, because
it says, hey, we can do this. So I think
it's the infusion of confidence that makes not only him
so special, but this team and they're young.

Speaker 3 (08:46):
So it's interesting.

Speaker 4 (08:47):
We always have this conversation around veterans and you know,
young the young guys, and you know, hey, they're too
you know, they don't have the experience. I think the
Timberwolves are defying that ideal just a bit. And it's
really really fun to say. I did not think that
at this point in time I'd be seeing their praises
and the way that I am.

Speaker 3 (09:04):
But they're only going to get better.

Speaker 4 (09:06):
And so when you get to a point where Carl
Anthony Towns is now playing like the Karl Anthony Towns
that we've expected over the years that haven't necessarily seen
Rudy Gobert stepping up in different ways, I'm really interested
to see how Dallas is going to match up with them.

Speaker 3 (09:20):
A confident Timberwolves.

Speaker 4 (09:21):
I think part of the reason why they haven't gotten
to where they've wanted to over the years is a
confidence thing. AE gives them that confident edge that who's
going to quiet them? Who on Dallas is going to
shut him up? And I'm not talking about his game,
his mouth. Who's going to shut him up? Because his
mouth is the engine that makes this team move just
as much as his game is. So if you don't

(09:42):
have somebody that can legitimately frustrate him. I don't see
Dallas winning. I think it's going to be a competitive series.
I'm looking forward to it, but no one has been
able to get this dude to shut up and dribble.
And if you cannot do that, you're going to lose
to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Speaker 3 (09:58):
Period.

Speaker 1 (10:00):
One hundred percent. One hundred percent. That Tiky.

Speaker 2 (10:03):
You talked about how he talks to ship and backs
it up, But what makes it so much more, uh badass,
is that he talks your ship when they're down in
this series or when they're losing, like.

Speaker 1 (10:16):
He was talking to Jamal after they got beat Okay,
all right, keep that. I like that energy. Get that energy.

Speaker 3 (10:21):
Can you remind me of Chris? He reminded me of
me at the space table.

Speaker 5 (10:25):
I ain't got nothing in my hand, but you know
what you're gonna think, I'm about to run to back.

Speaker 3 (10:31):
You're good, I'm running to Boston. That is Anthony Edwards.

Speaker 5 (10:35):
He bro if your twenty two year old sel can
play spades, see me at All Star.

Speaker 1 (10:42):
A live stream that joint. You know what I'm saying.
I need I need that.

Speaker 3 (10:46):
That's the perfect partner.

Speaker 2 (10:48):
It really is It really is another great facet of
this team. Though Jada McDaniels. We know about his incredible defense,
but he poured in twenty three in that game. They
just have so many weapons, right, And I think what
we're not looking at is Mike Conley, the point guard
who has been a savvy veteran Exactly. You need that

(11:08):
in a day and age and in both the NBA
and WNBA where it's like, oh it's positionless. No, you
need a traditional point guard. And we're seeing the benefits
of that right now. Speaking of point guards, Tyrese Halliburton,
is he cooking? In Game seven? Man was talking shit

(11:31):
to some courtside fan. I don't know why they did that.
Give me memories of Spike and Reggie going at it
to make matters wor Tyrese wore a Regi Miller choke
shirt neighborhood.

Speaker 4 (11:45):
That sent me to the moon. I was on Blue
Origin with those people on Sunday. I went to the
moon when I saw that. I love Petty. I love
the introduction of Petty into the playoffs. It's the best
thing ever.

Speaker 1 (11:56):
Yes, yeah, because it's real.

Speaker 2 (11:58):
Because we're humans, right, we are going to feel some
type of way or we want to you know, you know,
pour salt on the wound, like I'm all for that.
But all seriousness, the Pacers shot their asses off in games.
So I know the Knicks were depleted and Jalen Brunton
fractured his hand right in the third quarter, but shooting
sixty seven point one percent from the field, and in

(12:20):
Game seven and in the garden right with Spike Lee
in the house, I know Reggie Miller was yah, y'all
saw he posted some Uh this was the moment that
the series changed when Josh Hart went over to him
when the Knicks won a game and he's like, yeah,
they shouted fu Reggie, And he's like, that was a

(12:41):
moment while you're done messed up. And I just love
the fact that he also, you know, egged on the
Knicks fans as well. But yeah, the Pacers, I don't
know what they're going to be able to do against
the Celtics because they've had up and down times or
consistency issues when it comes to their defense. We're not
worried about their offense, it's the defense. Can they lock

(13:03):
in for six or seven games because we know what
Boston brings. They've been far and away the best team
in the league this season, and I know KP. Christaps
Porzingis might be available. We're not sure, but even without him,
I think Boston will win the series in six because

(13:25):
they like to trick off some games here or there.
But it's going to be entertaining because you have two
of the best offenses in the league and they get
up and down. TJ McConnell is a gnat right to
play against just so annoyed.

Speaker 5 (13:41):
Well, I can tell you that I have it on
good authority that the goal is to not play poor
Zingis in the conference finals.

Speaker 3 (13:49):
Now, yeah, I can't. You know.

Speaker 5 (13:52):
My sources, very good sources, tell me that the idea
is to have him sit out as long as possible
because they'd rather have him for the finals. So if
they can get some early leads and cap a couple
of games early and they get the vibe that he's good,
then they will try to keep him out as much
as possible. So that's just the reporter update that I

(14:14):
got over over the weekend, that that's the goal to
try to keep him keep him sidelined as much as
possible because they'd rather have him healthy for the finals.

Speaker 4 (14:21):
I think the goal to for the Celtics needs to
be to take care of business five games.

Speaker 3 (14:26):
Don't play with people. They've been low key.

Speaker 4 (14:28):
They've been playing with people this entire playoff, and to me,
I think it's prime time for them to prove that
they are the best team in the league. And when
you tiptoe in with the Cavaliers and you know, we
don't have time for that. So I think five games,
I would not play around with this Indiana Pacers team.

Speaker 3 (14:46):
If anything else.

Speaker 4 (14:47):
We saw what they just did with the Knicks, so
I would say, take care of them right away and
don't play around. I think this is going to be
a great challenge for the Celtics, arguably the best challenge
they've had so far in this playoffs. But it's important
to that they close them out early and then on
Indiana side they used to You know, I'm excited to
see them, but I also I'm excited to see them
play a team that's.

Speaker 3 (15:07):
At more, that's more at full strength.

Speaker 4 (15:09):
Obviously Prazinias is out, we know that, but this is,
to me, is their biggest challenge by far. They've been
playing a lot, you know, the teams they've played have
been hampered by injury, so it's not an excuse, but
it is reasonable to think that this is an opportunity
for them to really showcase.

Speaker 3 (15:21):
All right, now, how are.

Speaker 4 (15:23):
They gonna come out against a team that doesn't have
ten people on the bench because everybody's hurt.

Speaker 3 (15:29):
And I'm just throwing it out there.

Speaker 4 (15:30):
It's not to take away from how great they've been playing,
but I also think this is an opportunity for the
Pacers to prove themselves. I still have the Celtics, obviously,
but I do not think the Celtics need to play
around here, get it done in five and go about
your business.

Speaker 3 (15:44):
Yeah, you're right, Cherie.

Speaker 5 (15:45):
And I think it's also interesting too, Like you know
how you usually try to look at the season series
to say, okay, well.

Speaker 3 (15:50):
This is what happened. But when these two teams faced.

Speaker 5 (15:52):
Each other during the regular season, like they were never
really who they are.

Speaker 3 (15:56):
They were never really who they were.

Speaker 5 (15:58):
First of all, I think the first couple of games
they played each other before Siaka was on the team,
and he's a huge difference then. And the I know
there was one matchup where Indiana lost by like fifty points,
but that was a game without Tyreese Halliburton. I mean,
it was just there was something then when Bosses, when
Indiana won, they didn't have Porzingis, which they don't have
Porzingis now, So it was not like there hasn't been

(16:20):
a time where we can look at both of these
teams and say, Okay, we've seen what a true matchup
of this could actually look like. So this is really
gonna be the first. And that's one of the reasons
why I'm not sold that I'm ready to just put
Indiana out. I know one of the biggest takeaways that
you can go from each other when they did see
each other.

Speaker 3 (16:39):
And granted I'm well aware regular season in this one thing.

Speaker 5 (16:42):
Post playoffs are another, but it was the shooting that
made all the difference in the world. So to me,
whoever wins this series is going to be the team
that can play the best defense, who can shut it down,
who can make sure the other team doesn't get off
the shots that they get off, who can make sure
that the other team can't take those three range, those
three point ranges and shoot fifty percent from the field. Like,

(17:04):
that's what you need to work on, That's what you
need to do. Now, who was gonna do that I
really don't know because Indiana is inconsistent. They can shoot
twenty one game and then fifteen for sixteen.

Speaker 3 (17:16):
From three, you know what I mean? In the next man,
I don't know what team gonna show up.

Speaker 5 (17:21):
And then as it relates to the Celtics, yeah, on paper,
they're absolutely dominant.

Speaker 3 (17:25):
But I still ain't seen Jason Tatum. Where you Where
you at? Bro Jason? Let me try to find them.

Speaker 1 (17:31):
Hold on, listen, hey, Jack, Jason's not here.

Speaker 3 (17:37):
I love Hey, Hey, hey, y'all seen Jason? Where is
he at? Jason? He ain't down either.

Speaker 5 (17:42):
Hold down to the Facebook. See if I called my homie,
I don't seen Jason. So that's what I'm saying, Like.

Speaker 1 (17:50):
What we're gonna do? Who were gonna? Who we go?

Speaker 5 (17:52):
And this isn't the first time that we've seen this
in the postseason, because I can distinctly recall against the
against the Sixers in twenty twenty.

Speaker 3 (18:01):
Three, Jason ain't show up there neither. So where is like?
Where are you at? Jason? You'll be in my aid
during the postseason and that's when they need you most.

Speaker 5 (18:09):
So really, I feel like we want to say, hey,
this is overwhelmingly going to be Boston. But I recall
people saying that it was overwhelmingly going to be the
nixt to and look at.

Speaker 3 (18:19):
Where we are, so maybe let's just let the games
play out.

Speaker 2 (18:24):
To be fair though, hold up to be fair though.
Did show up in that fourth quarter of Game six
last year?

Speaker 1 (18:29):
He did? He was terrible, trash. But I know what
you're saying. I know what you're saying.

Speaker 3 (18:32):
You just said one game, Chris.

Speaker 5 (18:34):
I know we're talking about a series and consistency.

Speaker 3 (18:38):
Game six last year we had, he did something good.

Speaker 1 (18:43):
I'm just I'm just trying to make sure people understand.

Speaker 5 (18:47):
Now you talk to you know how, you know how
your mama be talking to grown folks and you didn't
a correct her and she looked at you.

Speaker 3 (18:52):
That's me looking at Chris right now. Correctly.

Speaker 1 (18:55):
It was a good.

Speaker 3 (18:55):
Try though, sustained good try.

Speaker 1 (19:00):
M Chris, just give it a little nwance.

Speaker 3 (19:03):
I love Jason. This is this is this is our outcry.

Speaker 5 (19:06):
We love him. We want to see him do what
we know he can do.

Speaker 3 (19:10):
On a three as period.

Speaker 5 (19:12):
If Jason Tatum walks through that door in the garden.

Speaker 3 (19:16):
This is the I mean, Indiana, It's been a good run.

Speaker 2 (19:21):
Yeah, around boy, go back to watch it. Kaitlyn Clark
and the fever period. That's the Jason All right, so you.

Speaker 5 (19:32):
Did it again, Patty Police, go ahead.

Speaker 3 (19:37):
I love it all so easy.

Speaker 1 (19:39):
It was so easy, Okay.

Speaker 2 (19:41):
I got Boston in six, right for the Eastern Conference,
and then for the Tea Wolves, I have them. I'm
gonna say, I'm gonna say seven. What about you?

Speaker 1 (19:52):
You know what?

Speaker 4 (19:54):
Based on what I saw in this Denver series, I
gotta give it to Minnesota in six. I think if
they're they're going to continue to play the way that
they've been playing and the way that we saw them
annihilate Denver early on in that series speaks a lot
to me to the potential of what they can do
to the Mavericks. Kyrie is always potentially a problem as
well as as well as Luca, but like Terrika said,

(20:17):
we have to see some consistency from him, and I
do think if he plays this game Minnesota, we will
have a tough time containing him. And when Kyrie is going,
the whole team goes with him. We can talk about
Luca all we want to, and again an exceptional leader,
but in a different way, Kyrie turns the tides for
that team, and if he catches fire, I definitely could
see the possibility of game seven. But just based on

(20:39):
what I've seen so far, I really think that the
Timberwolves can get this done in six games. When you
are coming off a win like that against the defending champs,
where you're down by twenty points on their floor, you
come back and you beat them, that is a level
of momentum that you can take into another series and
completely just have your way. So obviously expecting Anthony Edwards

(21:02):
to not have another sixteen point game, it happens to everybody,
but I don't foresee that happening in this series. And
I just think that the overall they're the better team
when they're clicking on all cylinders. I don't think there's
an answer for all the weapons they have. I do think, though,
that this is going to be a competitive series. I
don't necessarily think we're going to see a bunch of blowouts.
I think both of these teams are very hungry in
a different way. I think Denver came out way too

(21:23):
comfortable and that's what kind of caused them to be
down early in that series. But I think these are
two very hungry teams. Also for a lot of people,
nobody expected them, either of them, to get this far.
So when you have that underdog chip on your shoulder
and you're going at it, I think it's gonna be
way more competitive, which I'm looking forward to.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
I'm sick of tean teams.

Speaker 4 (21:41):
Okay, the game is, you won by thirty last night
and then two days later it went into overtime, Like no,
just play competitive basketball all the way through. And I
think this series is gonna give us an opportunity to
see that.

Speaker 3 (21:53):
Yeah, I'm with you, sure, we accept.

Speaker 5 (21:55):
I'm gonna go a little bit further where I do
think that this series will go seven. I think Luca
gonna get you one. I think Kyrie gonna get you one.
But I don't think Kyrie gonna get you one from points.
He's gonna get it for you through facilitation and defense.

Speaker 1 (22:08):
Right.

Speaker 3 (22:09):
Yeah, he knows how to make those.

Speaker 5 (22:10):
Really sweets move entry passes, he knows how to find
players when they're open. In some way, he's gonna it's
gonna be him, maybe not from the scoreboard, but certainly
him being impactful as a player and as a as
a veteran to get you one. And then I think
Minnesota's gonna drop one just because of their youth and inexperience,
and as much as that has as much as I

(22:33):
have tried to keep that out of the conversation, because
they've proven that they know how to get above that.
And with your point about about Mike Conley, I made
this point on a different show last week that you
need a veteran guy like that who can keep your
temperament together, who can remind you being a leader on
the floor and just understanding as a point guard what
needs to happen and how to facilitate the offense. So yes,

(22:55):
I think at some point their youth and inexperience will
lose them one. But they've got the best player was
the second best player to me after Kyrie on the
floor in this series and Anthony Edwards. So I do
think that Minnesota will win this series, but I think
it will go seven. And they have home court advantage
in this series, which is something that they didn't have
against against Denver, So that's gonna play that's certainly going

(23:19):
to play a role for them. I believe, Oh oh forgot,
I forgot the Eastern Conference had a series.

Speaker 3 (23:28):
But get it together over there. It is just more excitement.
But on in the East, I keep it simple. I
think Celtics and six.

Speaker 1 (23:36):
All right, Celtics in six, they.

Speaker 4 (23:37):
Better do it in five. Are you gonna You're gonna
see Indiana and seven. I'm telling you right now, don't
play against me, don't play with.

Speaker 3 (23:45):
These people with them. But I do.

Speaker 5 (23:47):
I will also add to your point Scherie that I
don't think that it's gonna be any blowouts. I think
after what Indiana had to endure against the Knicks and
how they have to step up against the Knicks, they
will play a competitive basketball game. But I just in
my I am just hoping Jason Tatum shows up and
if he does Celticiency.

Speaker 2 (24:04):
He will, he will show up. He's a duke. He's
a Duchye. I love duke. Okay, I love duke. All right,
y'all looking at me like I'm praid. What is going on?
I stand on that. What's going on?

Speaker 1 (24:15):
Yeah? Run, that's your energy. I say that.

Speaker 2 (24:20):
Hey, look, before y'all jump me, let's take a short
break and then we're gonna get into some some WNBA
talk because they have started off extremely well.

Speaker 5 (24:31):
WNBA season really started off with a bang, and when
I say with a bang, I quite literally mean with
a bang because these teams came to play. One thing
that I realized this season I was just talking about
this on X last night, is that I feel like
these players or these games in general, have been way

(24:52):
more physical this year than they were in twenty twenty three.
I mean, girls are playing bullyball right now. They doing everything,
and literally it is not just our rookies who are
coming in and really trying to establish themselves, but the
veterans are like, baby, please remember why you are here

(25:14):
and who you have to go against. Irique on Goombu
Wilet finishes the game with thirty five and just bangs it.
Asia Wilson opening day thirty point performance leading the Aces
to a win over the Phoenix Mercury, and Djena Caringsons said,
y'all might not have remembered me last year as the
runner up for six Women of the Year, but this

(25:35):
year I am a starter and I am not coming
to play with y'all. So of course here you have
the Connecticut son on an early three to zho start.
Alyssa Thomas was just named the Eastern Conference Player of
the Week. Like these women are bawling So as you
look over the first week. Oh and I must not
forget we have already had a double overtime performance between

(25:57):
the Seattle Storm and the Minnesota Lynx. So what I'm
talking about to the wire, They are going.

Speaker 3 (26:02):
To the wire. And it's only been week one.

Speaker 5 (26:04):
So as we look over the first week of play,
rookie or vet, just what player or what team has
stood out to you?

Speaker 2 (26:12):
Chris, I'm gonna say Kate Martin has looked really good
in the one game she played in right against the Sparks,
and how she just played her role, didn't try to
do much, was active on defense, made a huge three
in the corner to give them some cushion. And that's

(26:33):
the perfect player that you want to have if you're
Becky Hammond and somebody that's going to follow the mode.
I'm gonna Leasha Clark because you don't need her to
score twenty points. That's not expected out of her. You
just need her to do all the little things. Facilitate rebound.
There was a big rebound she had right when agent
missed it. She really impressed me. But can we talk

(26:56):
about Cameron Brink and Rakia Jackson. Cam over here wanted
to smoke from Asia Wilson like she's a man.

Speaker 1 (27:05):
She used that height to advantage.

Speaker 2 (27:07):
And she knows how to use her height, right, some
people they're six foot five, whatever, you do, know how
to use it. She does, Yeah, and she's coming for everybody.
She still needs to work on the foul issues, right,
being foul prone, and some of that calls maybe a
little ticky tacky, But I love the way she's come out.
She's going to be a star, and I think the
kay is stuck considered greatly, like she's gonna end up

(27:27):
winning Defensive Player of the Year sooner rather than later.
With what we've seen so far in Rakia Jackson, we've
been trying to tell people instant pro so smooth. She's
showing off her range, hidding the threes, ability to attack,
then defensively, the way she gets deflections. She and Cameron
Brink are the futures, and I know we saw them

(27:50):
at the Dodgers game the other night throwing out the
first pitch. I'm really looking forward to what the Sparks
are going to do. They probably are not going to
be at the top of the group, right, but they're
gonna be fun to watch because.

Speaker 5 (28:03):
In there can you just throw in there that Lasiah
clarityon also got their first triple double of your career
and Kei and Nurse like baby the moment they said
the team in Canada kids.

Speaker 3 (28:13):
Said, let me show you.

Speaker 1 (28:15):
Keia Nurse Lasa Clarity. They are not playing around.

Speaker 2 (28:19):
Yeah, it's like a different switch specifically for Key and
Nurse right shooting these threes, you can just see the
confidence Uzi and I know they have different issues with
some of their guards, but yeah, they've impressed me. Do
Wanna Bonner come on fifth all time scoring record passing?

Speaker 1 (28:41):
What should I do this? Should I do this? To Rika?

Speaker 5 (28:43):
I mean, listen, she was she was coming up on
team Charles, but not Charles back in the league, So
now she got a little bit more work to do
and get this number four spot.

Speaker 3 (28:54):
But sure the Wanna said thirty five, where right hanger?

Speaker 2 (28:59):
Please, I'm one of the strongest wide hangers cooking cooking.
So those those are the players in short that have
really stood out to me. And of course you got
to throw it out Angel Reese who's been really good
on the boards as well, And and we knew that
was going to translate. It's more about her jump shot
and you know, making sure that she becomes more effective

(29:21):
and efficient. But I love the way she's competed against,
you know, the bigs with Dallas, with Tiare McCowan and
Calonnie Brown. That's not easy whatsoever. And she is showing
that passion that she had in the college basketball regular
season for years to come.

Speaker 1 (29:35):
Right.

Speaker 2 (29:36):
So those are the people that have really stood out
to me. What about what about you, Shari who you
got your guys.

Speaker 4 (29:41):
Home because you stole everything that I wanted to say
so long, basically took everything. I'm just gonna unhook my
mic right now because there's no point in me talking.
Let me try to conjure up something different so that
I'm not doubling down. And Johnny two times in what
Chris just said, the Sparks go without saying. I do

(30:02):
think Derek Ahaby has been She's been playing well as well.
I love her game, I love her versatility, and I
think once everything continue, as everything continued to come together
with the Sparks, they are going to be a team
to be reckoned with. I do want to shout out
the sky, and not necessarily just because of all that
Angel Reese is doing, but Teresa Weatherspoon. She's reinvigorating this
franchise and to have her as a head coach, her

(30:25):
level of veteran type leadership, I think it's translating so
well to this team. There's a level of energy. I mean,
I watch you know, the clips when they want you know,
even in the locker room when they won their first
first game, and you know, watching Angel and to your point, Chris,
it isn't about necessarily her offense, about put She's finding
a way to score. She to get into the free
throw line quite a bit. It's the rebounding, but it's
also just how she plays the game. She runs the

(30:47):
floor like a gazelle. It is the most one of
the most beautiful things I've ever seen to see Angel
rees run the floor. She plays hard and that attitude
of hers, the Hey, no matter if I've got two
points or twenty, I'm gonna play hard. I'm gonna make
sure that I'm clapping up my teammates. I'm gonna be
energetic for them. And then everything she's doing off the
court too. She was just on stage with magn thee Stallion,

(31:07):
like she's everywhere glow.

Speaker 5 (31:09):
Yeah, literally, she don't never glow really make the stallion say,
oh geay, I got a game tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (31:14):
Like I love that about her. She's literally showing everybody again.

Speaker 3 (31:17):
Not only the marketability of black women, but that she
can literally do it all.

Speaker 4 (31:21):
So I'm excited about the excitement that's building around the Sky. Obviously,
they have a ways to go, but I think overall
this is a team that we can we really need
to kind of keep our eye on. They're a little
bit of a sleeper, but I think that midway through
the season we'll see them beat some of the top
teams because I think they're just that good. But I
think they're just that well coached. I love Ty Young
being back with the Sky organization again. I think that

(31:42):
connection is so important. And so whoever facilitated let's say GM, maybe,
I guess just this coaching staff in Chicago.

Speaker 3 (31:51):
Job well done.

Speaker 4 (31:53):
I'm very excited to finally see Camilla Cardoso whenever she
gets back in the lineup, that's another piece we're missing. Like,
once she's back in Hello, it's gonna be tough for
a lot of teams. So I have my eyes set
on the Sky. I think the Sparks look great. I'll
just add this point. I think it's always great when
a player understands their role, when they're not trying to
come in and overextend and be beyond what they are.

(32:13):
And I think that's what makes Cameron Breaking, Rakia Jackson,
and Cape Martin so special. They're totally okay with being
role players right now, and because they don't have that
heavy Cape on their back, there's a level of ease
that they can come in and just play basketball and
not feel like they have to do this, I have
to do this. It's like, Hey, what does the team
need for me? What can I give them right away?
And I think that makes a huge difference as a

(32:34):
rookie when you can come in and you don't have
that type of pressure. Obviously you have to perform, but
feeling like you have to overextend obviously put you in
a position where you can make more mistakes. So I
love the poison that they're playing with. I love their
just playing their role and goodness halfway through All Start,
All Star Weekend, everybody watch out. But the Sparks and
the Sky are my two faves right now. Obviously the
Aces are the Aces They're gonna everybody loves them.

Speaker 3 (32:56):
How do you not love them.

Speaker 4 (32:57):
And to me, I could see them winning and winning it.
I'm just gonna they look that good to me.

Speaker 3 (33:02):
I'm actually gonna disagree just a little bit.

Speaker 5 (33:06):
I'm gonna disagree just a little bit, only because I
think that there are times where their offense kind of
looks a little disjointed, and I think that is because
they don't have Chelsea Gray.

Speaker 1 (33:16):
Don't get me.

Speaker 3 (33:17):
Wrong, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plumb.

Speaker 5 (33:20):
I mean they are scoring lights out, they really, I
mean they they have had a stellar start, but even
coach Hammond has said herself that there are times where
they could be a bit more organized, there are times
where they could communicate a little bit better on the floor,
and I think that is just because they don't have
their all star to point God and Chelsea Gray. So

(33:40):
when she comes back, and as of now, there is
no timetable for her return that I have heard. However,
when she comes back from that foot injury, I think
that is when.

Speaker 3 (33:52):
They will really start to like then, can you imagine,
know Terrika, who's beating them? When she's.

Speaker 5 (33:59):
To that point, now's the time for you to take
advantage of the aces if you can, because once they
get Chelsea Gray back, it's gonna be even harder and
even more difficult to get some dubs on this team.
But now's the time where teams have to take advantage.
And a few teams were close. Phoenix was close, but
you ain't stopped in Asia when she dropping thirty on,

(34:19):
you're not doing it right. And so there have been
a few a few teams that have been closed that
have played them to the wire. But you just gotta
you gotta know when to capitalize and that will come.
It's early, right, all of these teams are facing the
same thing as it relates to it's early in the season.
You have game time more than you have practice time.

(34:40):
So even the little kinks that you need to work out,
you don't get an opportunity to work those out when
you don't have an opportunity to practice. I say the
same thing about Indiana. Indiana is looking better and better
each game, but because their schedule doesn't really do them
any favors, they don't have time to practice to work
out the little things that can help put them over

(35:00):
the edge and over the top. They played the hell
out of Connecticut on Monday night, which was vastly different
than how they played Connecticut on opening Night. Now, Connecticut
is still the better team, and honestly, I think Connecticut
looks better now than they did in twenty twenty three.
And that's saying something because that team went to the
semi finals with Bree Jones back, with Dee Carrington being
up and playing up the way she is, with Ty

(35:22):
Harris literally being able to be in everything.

Speaker 3 (35:25):
Like, this team looks good this.

Speaker 5 (35:28):
Year and so they still as a veteran team, have
things they need to work on in kings they need
to get out. But again, it's hard when you don't
have practice time, right, So there's that, and I think
about what you mentioned with Cameron Brink. Did we even
mention deer Cahnby, Like did we even talk about like

(35:48):
how ridiculous she's averaging twenty four and a half points
a dream right now?

Speaker 3 (35:54):
Like what are we doing?

Speaker 5 (35:55):
So with it just being quite literally one week into
the season, I think that the way. And granted for
New fans, they're still the Commissioner's Cup that's gonna happen
in June, so they're gonna be playing for the equivalent
of an n season tournament, although the w NBA had
at first.

Speaker 3 (36:13):
And then there's also the Olympic break.

Speaker 5 (36:16):
So there's like this season is one of those seasons
where we have more games now, but the way that
the game is gonna be, the games are going to
be compacted. There's more back to backs this year. Like,
you're really gonna have to see these players is endurance.
You're really gonna have to see these players jail and
jail fans, you know what I mean, And and and

(36:38):
and that's that is a difficult thing for a team
like a Chicago, like a uh An, Indiana, like a
like a young team that's still putting their pieces together,
even a Seattle. Seattle, my god, yes, Like they are
a team where you can see that they're they're getting it,
and they're pushing it and and the players are quite

(37:01):
literally individually superstars, right, But putting them together in the
amount of time that you have it's tough.

Speaker 3 (37:09):
So it takes a while.

Speaker 5 (37:11):
But I think overall, like this was a great opening
week for the season. We already saw New York sellout
more tickets than they did in the finals last season.
We've already seen Connecticut had a home opener sellout, which
is something they hadn't had since quite literally the beginning
of their franchise in two thousand and three, We're like,

(37:31):
we're already seeing I've seen Angel and Camilla in NBA
Finals commercials, the CarMax right in the Crown on We're
already I absolutely love the Carmex commercial with Angel, Sabrina
and Sue. So we are literally seeing these women everywhere,
which is much deserved.

Speaker 3 (37:51):
It's about time.

Speaker 5 (37:52):
But if this is any indication of what the rest
of the season is going to be, like, this is
gonna be a very fun.

Speaker 3 (37:57):
Season, y'all.

Speaker 4 (37:58):
Tarika, to your point, I do want to add about
the whole kind of adjustment period, not that many practices.
I think, you know, as we talk about the teams
that are doing well and have a lot of potential,
I do think we got to clean it up to
a degree. And I'll point to the Connecticut Indiana game.
There were some sloppy points in that game where I'm

(38:19):
just like, what are y'all doing?

Speaker 5 (38:23):
Yeah, stop turning it over, Stop throwing it over the air.

Speaker 3 (38:26):
You're shooting airballs. What are you doing?

Speaker 4 (38:28):
So, with the same energy that we're all excited about
where the league obviously is headed in Worth, the season
is going what we believe the season is going to
look like I will just stress I do. I am
excited to see things tighten up a bit, and I
know teams are working the kinks out, but I think
it's important to note, especially because we've got more games
that are going to be naturally broadcast. All eyes are watching.

(38:49):
We understand basketball, so we understand that kinks have to
be worked out. But for those fans that just popped
on here for whatever reason or another, who may not
understand that, how do we keep their eyes? So I'm
hoping to see the game cleaned up just a bit
more as we move forward, because I just think it
makes for a cleaner and more fun experience. But I

(39:09):
am excited about the energy obviously that's around the league.
The physicality is really fun to see it get it
getting chippy out there too.

Speaker 2 (39:17):
Andy, Why they keep trying to lie in Boston, Why
they keep trying to lead in Boston?

Speaker 4 (39:21):
Let me because she's because she's letting them do it
and out and here we go again. She also needs
more touches, but don't get me started on that. We're
trying to move forward, but if she doesn't touch the basketball,
they're not going to win. I don't I don't think
I don't see them winning a lot of games. I'm
so sorry to say the whole the high, the high.
If y'all notice, no.

Speaker 5 (39:41):
Shade because Kaitlyn Clark's playing better, but I'm gonna go
ahead and go there.

Speaker 3 (39:44):
I don't care. You can tweet me, call me, DM me.

Speaker 4 (39:47):
The reality is she struggles being a facilitator in situations
where she doesn't get aid. Meaning if you notice in
that game against Connecticut, the high high ball screen came
every time because that's the only way she can evade
a defender.

Speaker 3 (40:01):
It's no shade, it's the reality. I think it was
a great adjustment by the fever.

Speaker 4 (40:04):
But utilize that opportunity to do some more pick and
roll opportunities for Leah Boston. The layup that she missed
at the end of the game, she could, you know,
that's another you do that another game she makes it,
but her swiping through and going to the basket, these
are opportunities that Caitlyn Clark's shooting ability opens up for her.
But I do I am not a fan of taking
away the facilitating your offense from Aliyah. I think it's

(40:25):
a mistake and I'm sorry to tell everybody I think
an inside, inside, outside game assist Kaitlyn Clark and the
other guards that they.

Speaker 3 (40:31):
Have, because they they got some strong guards on the Fever.

Speaker 4 (40:33):
Let's just keep it a buck like Taylor, but like
she before she got there, they was still a turn
up on the guard on the guard side. So Aliah
Boston needs to touch the ball more. She does, and
that's a problem. And I think when you can't get
into a rhythm, yeah, people are gonna try you. It
might be some some women in the league who still
thinks she they might think she a little soft. Why
not try her. She's already frustrated because she ain't touching

(40:54):
the ball. Let's just keep it a buck. She needs
to get more opportunities to touch the basketball she can.
It's very difficult to get into a rhythm when you
don't have the ball in your hands. So I would
hope if we talk about an adjustment, just a singular
adjustment for one team. I have my X rays glasses
on Indiana Fever. You have to get the ball to
Aliah Boston more or you will not win basketball games, period.

(41:19):
She should be looking way better than she looks right now,
and it's not just her fault.

Speaker 3 (41:24):
She's not getting the ball. Yeah, I do think Elia
needs to get the ball.

Speaker 5 (41:29):
It's okay that rant was well deserved because Aliah does
need to.

Speaker 3 (41:33):
Get the ball more.

Speaker 5 (41:35):
And I'm also going to look at Christie's sides, not
because I think people need to call for her job.
I think folks out there calling for her job are nuts.
It's her second year in coaching this team, and she,
like you know, players have pressure.

Speaker 3 (41:49):
Coaches have pressures, absolutely, especially when you get a high
profile player.

Speaker 5 (41:54):
It is difficult trying to adjust to coaching a new
team and getting them to settle into your style. It
becomes even more difficult when you bring high name, high
profile players that put additional pressure on your and you've
got to And I believe christ Christie Side is a
strong coach. She every time I've had an interaction with her,
she seems very focused on what she needs to do.

Speaker 3 (42:16):
The team seems to believe in her. Give her an
opportunity to coach her team.

Speaker 5 (42:20):
To be calling for somebody's job three days, three games
into the season is nuts to me as a second
year head coach. Everybody ain't Stephanie White. Everybody not gonna
get the kind of team that Stephanie White has as
a second year coach. So people relax, everybody, chill, chill
and doing your research before you start criticizing and coming

(42:41):
up with these research basketball.

Speaker 3 (42:44):
He's getting to know the game. That's it. That's it.

Speaker 5 (42:48):
But you know what, let's talk about research because some
folks ain't really did they research on a collective bargaining
agreement before they start wanting to launch investigations.

Speaker 4 (42:59):
My god, today, what a transition that was that hit
me sustained.

Speaker 5 (43:08):
We'll be back, We'll be back to talk more about
that good old CDA and what may need to read it. So,
of course, you know, folks can't just play ball and
get paid because the CBA says that the only way
you're supposed to get paid for just playing ball is

(43:31):
through whatever contract you have with the team. So of course,
teams get sponsorships, endorsements and other things to help compensate
or players, shall I say, get sponsorships, endorsements, in other
ways to compensate your salary. So the city of Las
Vegas decided that, hey, you know.

Speaker 3 (43:49):
What will be cool. It would be cool to give.

Speaker 5 (43:52):
The Ladies of the Aces a sponsorship for all of
that they do to help bring more eyes, attention, and
tourism to the city of Las Vegas. When you come
to see a Las Vegas Aces game, that means you
also enjoy our hotels, eat at our restaurants, fly in
through our airports.

Speaker 3 (44:10):
So you're bringing eyes and attention.

Speaker 5 (44:12):
And it helps when you're a winning team because that
means more people like to come and see you and
celebrate you. And so the city of Las Vegas they
sponsored each and every player on the Las Vegas Aces.

Speaker 4 (44:26):
With a sponsor who they bought every every player play player, okay,
go ahead.

Speaker 5 (44:33):
Player, Each and everyone, all twelve on the roster god
have now received one hundred thousand dollars sponsorship from the
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. And so what they
ended up doing was going through each player's agent in
order to secure these sponsorships. Because this collective bargaining agreement

(44:56):
has a clause that discusses bonus pain and bonus payments
are basically the way you know, to break this down
very quickly where teams can try to get things to
happen to supplement the pay for these additional players. And
it's a way to circumvent the salary cap in the CBA,
so it is a violation. So the way that Las

(45:18):
Vegas decided to make sure that they did not put
the team in any jeopardy of being in violation was
they did not discuss per the article and per the
comments of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. There
was an article written by Calli Lawson Freeman who works
for the Las Vegas Review Journal, and she spoke to
them and she said this is what they told her,

(45:40):
that they did not speak to the team. It was
confirmed that they did not speak to the team, that
this went strictly through each individual players agent. However, once
the news was announced in very fun cool way on
social media, the WNBA then decided to launch an investigation
into the one hundred thousand dollar sponsorships to ensure that

(46:02):
no violations of the CBA were broken. Now, of course
this has caused an uproar because I mean, hello, these
women want to get paid. There is also an uproar
because in the video that was released, one of the
commissioners of the of the of the Convention Authority use
the term all you have to do is just play.

(46:23):
He also said all you have to do is just
play and rep the City of Las Vegas with realistically
saying rep the city of Las Vegas.

Speaker 3 (46:31):
It's part of the ambassadorship.

Speaker 5 (46:34):
If you read the article, you'll find out that it's
not just playing that there is a stipulation of showing
up to things that you have to you know, do
photo shoots, you have to do appearances, wear certain paraphernalia.
So it is no different to me than a Gatorade
or a Nike or any other sponsorship that someone requires
you to do.

Speaker 3 (46:54):
However, this is where we are, Shari girl, what we
gonna do about this situation here?

Speaker 4 (47:04):
I really hate when people waste time and resources. Why
are we doing this in the first place? It doesn't
make any sense. Now you all let Tarika have this.

Speaker 5 (47:15):
Eloquent monologue to break down exactly what happened, and we've
come to find that nothing happened.

Speaker 3 (47:24):
There's actually nothing wrong.

Speaker 5 (47:26):
So you mean to tell me that the WNBA has
a problem with money coming into these players That actually
doesn't have anything to do with the team itself, and
you yourself as a league aren't paying them enough money.
Do you want them to be poor? Is that what
we're saying? Do you want them to play broke? Is
that what we're saying. This is so triggering to me.

(47:48):
I can even see if the league was paying them
away so they can utilize to not have to go
over seas and play nine months out of the year.

Speaker 3 (47:55):
Then maybe you have an excuse. You should be happy.

Speaker 5 (47:58):
You should be happy a tourism bureaus said, you know what,
we're gonna help do what you can't.

Speaker 3 (48:03):
Here's some money for all the players.

Speaker 5 (48:04):
Instead you say, oh, we're gonna do an investigation to
try to take it away.

Speaker 4 (48:08):
Because I think that's what you're doing. This is a
complete waste of time. And mind you, where the WNBA
sits right now is in such a good place. Why
in the world would you want to stain the reputation
of the league in any way, especially as it relates
to the defending champions and do this?

Speaker 3 (48:23):
Why also would you make sure that you announced it
after they won a game, all of these.

Speaker 4 (48:27):
Kinds during the game, correcting me, which makes them even
more petty. And whoever is in that front office being
weird and being intentional about making sure that somehow, some
way these women don't get the money that they actually
do deserve. I don't like you. I don't know who
you are. I love the WNBA, I think it's great.

(48:49):
But whoever said, you know what this requires an investigation?

Speaker 3 (48:53):
I don't like you. I don't like you. This is
so absolutely ridiculous. Us.

Speaker 4 (49:01):
Let's focus on things that actually make sense, that actually
moved the league forward, and that actually require attention. And
actually that CBA, the Collective Bargaining Agreement, it needs some care.

Speaker 3 (49:12):
So you should be doing an investigation.

Speaker 1 (49:14):
On that, a.

Speaker 2 (49:17):
Lot of care and hold up they have it. We
talk about wasting time and resources. Where was this energy
for Skylar digg and Smith in the way she was
treated by the Phoenix Mercury.

Speaker 1 (49:27):
I ain't seen no.

Speaker 2 (49:28):
Investigation with that, No energy at all, no energy at all,
a black woman being shut out from her own facility.

Speaker 1 (49:34):
Right after all she gave to that organization.

Speaker 3 (49:38):
HM.

Speaker 2 (49:39):
And then Alicia Clark got on X and typed out,
should we do an investigation to Kathy about who gets
to have chartered flights and who doesn't?

Speaker 3 (49:49):
When I tell you, where is the petition?

Speaker 5 (49:53):
Somebody for create one because I'm assign it, because that's
also some b s.

Speaker 4 (49:58):
Don't you, Chris, I'm already out of don't you do it?
Move on right now? Move on, do not go to
these charter flights. I'm telling you right now, I'm gonna
have a time. Let's move on.

Speaker 5 (50:07):
We can't we charter flights already got me tripped out,
because that's a conversation for next week. And I'm gonna
tell you why it's a conversation for next week because
May twenty first is the day that the charter flights
are supposed to be presented to everyone. May twenty first
has approached. Everybody, ain't god charter flights. So we gonna

(50:28):
wait until this.

Speaker 3 (50:30):
Don't you do it? Wait, I gotta go. I can't
do this.

Speaker 1 (50:33):
But what I will.

Speaker 5 (50:34):
Say is this right? And I might get some pushback
for this, but it is what it is.

Speaker 3 (50:39):
Right.

Speaker 5 (50:40):
There's fair and there's unfair. And a lot of people
say life's not fair. Yeah they're right, Like life isn't fair.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
Now.

Speaker 5 (50:54):
I could see a situation when we talk about things
being equitable. We feel like, right now, things kind of
are equitable. Things are equitable because every city could have
done this right. There's no rule that says any city
could not have done this. But is it fair that

(51:15):
maybe a smaller market team won't have I mean, I
work in the Connecticut market.

Speaker 3 (51:19):
We are a smaller market.

Speaker 5 (51:22):
If the you know, the tribe doesn't do this for Connecticut,
it might not be fair, but it's not inequitable because
there's an opportunity for the city of Hartford in any
other place to step up and do this if they
wanted to. So I think anyone who wants to make
the argument about it might not be fair for smaller
market teams. No, I mean get your weight up, because

(51:50):
I mean there's a way to make things happen. And
I would be one to argue that Las Vegas ain't
really a large market.

Speaker 1 (51:56):
They just they're like Las.

Speaker 3 (52:00):
Vegas, ain't La Las Vegas, ain't New York.

Speaker 5 (52:03):
Correct that matter, Las Vegas ain't even Dallas because Dallas
is a large market. It's not Chicago. Chicago is not
a small market team. Chicago got a fan base. So
I say that to say, you know, I would consider
Las Vegas a small market team. And they're the defending champions.

(52:25):
They have good ownership, they have figured about minus Tom Brady,
and they have figured it out a way to compensate
for what they do being ambassadors to the city. Yes,
I think anyone making the argument that it's not fair.
It kind of might not be fair, but it ain't inequitable.

(52:46):
Everybody could have done it. Maybe now that you're seeing
how it's done, you jump on board to figure out
how your city or tourism or whatever can do it too.
But I ain't really trying to hear.

Speaker 3 (52:57):
Is it fair?

Speaker 1 (52:59):
Yeah, mister, it is what it is. It is.

Speaker 3 (53:04):
Agreed. Agreed.

Speaker 5 (53:07):
Yeah, And to the to the point, it ain't the
players that are saying that. Most all players I've seen
are very happy about this happening. It's again fans, people
in the media, folks who you're like, why don't want
these black women to get paid?

Speaker 3 (53:22):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (53:22):
I brought up black.

Speaker 5 (53:23):
Women, say song, why you don't want these black women
to get paid?

Speaker 3 (53:27):
Come on, I'm so triggered.

Speaker 2 (53:32):
You Gotrican American plus Kate and Megan.

Speaker 1 (53:37):
I'm rocking with them.

Speaker 4 (53:43):
What I'm what I'm not rocking with y'all is the
potential end of an era.

Speaker 1 (53:48):
Inside the NBA.

Speaker 5 (53:50):
So they say, Saints, I need y'all to pray. We're
talking about that in the jump ball be right back.

Speaker 3 (53:58):
What's going on? Family?

Speaker 4 (53:59):
Right here? Back on the three on three pod, and
I am in denial. Reportedly, the people say that NBC
they're trying to get the NBA broadcasting rights from TNT,
and we all know what's on TNT inside the NBA shack, Chuck, Ernie, Kenny.
I can imagine not seeing Kenny run up and trip

(54:19):
up those stairs on his way to the board.

Speaker 3 (54:22):
For me, as I mentioned you all, I am in denial.
I believe that a God's.

Speaker 4 (54:27):
Gonna work a miracle if this does happen, and we
are going to see our uncles still at that table somehow.
But the reality is it possibly will be different. And
with that said, I want to get you guys thoughts.
Terariic Io go to you first. And also, if inside
the nb A goes bye bye, who would you put
in the chairs?

Speaker 5 (54:47):
Now you know that's a very great, great question, Shari,
I too hope that inside the NBA sticks around because
I don't want to see Charles Barkley on another CNN
show Kill Run t y'all remember the saying in show,
because if you don't.

Speaker 3 (55:02):
That's purpose selective. Get it not memory. I don't ever
want to even think it never existed. In my mind,
it never happened.

Speaker 5 (55:12):
With that said, I do hope these guys continue to
be voices in the NBA space because they are so
fun to watch. However, if somebody has got to take
their spot on the New Show or whatever network it
is that they're on. I know a girl named Chari Nicole,

(55:34):
I know a guy named Chris Williamson, and I know
who run a podcast last show called The Three on
three Podcasts, and they would be willing and available to
take those spots. That's all I'm saying. That's all I mean.
I mean, that's throwing it out there, you know, And

(55:55):
I'm so serious.

Speaker 3 (55:56):
Me too, but I love that idea. Serious.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
You have to advocate for yourself. Do not be do
not be humble. Okay, you don't have been through way
too much as black people right in my own boy.

Speaker 5 (56:12):
Shaquille O'Neil saying on his on his Instagram the other day,
and now one hundred percent agree with it. I'm humble
enough to know I can be replaced, but I'm wise
enough to know ain't nobody like me?

Speaker 2 (56:22):
My goodness. That is a word, and I'm steal that word.
That is a word saying a lot. Sometimes it don't
make sense, but that one, right.

Speaker 4 (56:28):
I don't understand it all the time, but I love
that one. He's very smart, that's the thing.

Speaker 3 (56:33):
People.

Speaker 4 (56:33):
I sleep on shack people, and he's a marketing genius.

Speaker 3 (56:37):
But I digress.

Speaker 2 (56:38):
Sorry, Hey hey, yeah, I really you know, the the
idea of inside the NBA as we know it not
being around after next year would be so devastating because
they bring a brand of authenticity in chemistry that nobody,
nobody can match on television on linear networks like the

(57:03):
other platforms. Cool whatever, but it's just like you said,
you're watching your uncles where they say stupid shit, right,
and then they say hilarious shit, and then they actually
have sometimes really informed takes about the actual basketball game
that is being played, because we know they're not known
for their high level analysis. It's more so about everything

(57:26):
around it, in the humor that they bring and the
guests that they put on, right, music guests, rappers, singers,
you name, actors. So I really hope that we're able
to get some form of a package, even if it's
not the major one, perhaps the c C package, or
they're still able to have some games and maybe you know,

(57:48):
conference finals, because yeah, everything else is bland.

Speaker 4 (57:57):
Cool Colt Boyott, I'm with you, Chris.

Speaker 3 (58:02):
I wanted to add to that too.

Speaker 4 (58:03):
I mean, as we talk about just from a talent perspective,
how strong the show is and how culturally relevant is
it is, I'm sure the producers in us say, man,
their production team was a paradigm shift in sports coverage
that we had not seen prior to. So I have
to shout out all the producers on that show and

(58:25):
how they revolutionize the way not only we viewed sports,
but how it's covered and infusing comedy and just being
incredibly creative, not only with their talent but with the
sports stories that to me, beyond just you know, Ernie
and Shaq and Kenny and Charles, that was that's the
most charming piece to the show for me. And I

(58:46):
don't know if it's the producer and me that it
resonates with, but we've yet to see anything like it,
and we hadn't seen anything prior to. So if this
show sadly dissolves in some way, I hope that whatever
show comes behind it, it, whatever production crew, talent comes
behind it, they just take the baton and continue to
run with what's already been sown, because that's good rooted

(59:10):
content and execution. And if we see something in line
with that, I think that if there is a transition,
it'll be a lot more seamless and people won't feel
as much like.

Speaker 3 (59:20):
Oh my god, they're gone.

Speaker 4 (59:21):
It's like, oh, they've moved on, But we still got
the essence of what this, what this feels like, still here.

Speaker 3 (59:28):
So that's my hope. That makes tons of sense.

Speaker 5 (59:33):
Well, we got love for y'all at tn T and
love for the show inside the NBA. And if this
is the last we're gonna hear a barbecue chicken, then
I think, you know, I think it's time for us
to go fishing.

Speaker 1 (59:48):
Hold up, hold up, hold up, before we go, hold up,
hold up? You speaking about barbecue chicken?

Speaker 3 (59:53):
Fishing and come back.

Speaker 2 (59:56):
We're different, We different. You know, we got G fourteen.
What did Shack say?

Speaker 1 (01:00:01):
G fourteen classification or certification? Yeah, we got that. But
speaking about Shaq right and l s U greats, y'all.

Speaker 2 (01:00:09):
We couldn't get out of here before She'll now the
legendary Simone Augustus Simon coming back to l s U
to be an assistant coach under head coach kim Oki.
And if y'all know anything, Simone Augustus was l s
U basketball when she was in her heyday. We know

(01:00:31):
what she did with the links as well.

Speaker 3 (01:00:35):
Cherry, I think I already think I'm gonna agree, go ahead,
how many years?

Speaker 1 (01:00:42):
How many years? How many years?

Speaker 2 (01:00:43):
How many years, Serrika, because already know where you're going
to get two years too.

Speaker 5 (01:00:48):
I think I think Kim had a contract. I think
she extended her contract three years. I think she might
have extended it three years. If she extended it three years,
then it's three. But three years and.

Speaker 1 (01:00:58):
We're calling her coach coach.

Speaker 3 (01:01:00):
I'm aligned.

Speaker 4 (01:01:00):
I was gonna be petty and insert that when Chris
was talking, but I said.

Speaker 3 (01:01:03):
Let me not, let me just be chilled. But you
said it for me.

Speaker 4 (01:01:07):
Thanks this, and also help with recruiting because you're losing
people you need, you need some That was a that
was a genius move, a genius move to really save
the integrity of the program.

Speaker 5 (01:01:18):
In my Lidia head coach money moon and her Hall
of Fame year is coming.

Speaker 2 (01:01:24):
Who all day one of the codes hoopers you ever seen,
let it be known. And also we're gonna let you
all know that you need to follow us at the
three on three pod on x and at three on
three pod on Instagram. Make sure you download and subscribe
to podcast wherever you get it. If the iHeartRadio app,

(01:01:46):
you would appreciate that. Give us five stars, come and
let us know how we're doing. And then we also
got the Inflection Network on YouTube YouTube. So with that
being said, I don't know where that came from. That
that was just off.

Speaker 3 (01:02:01):
I love that.

Speaker 4 (01:02:02):
Great way to end the show, tradition. That's the loudest
I've ever seen Chris get since I've been on this show.

Speaker 3 (01:02:10):
That's incredible.

Speaker 1 (01:02:12):
Oh man, my wife gonna hate me because my singer
is terrible. But we hope y'all don't hate you know
this podcast. We know you don't. So for Tarika Sharie,
I'm Chris Williamson. We'll see you next time. We appreciate y'all.

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Shari Nycole

Terrika Foster-Brasby

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}NBA Conference Finals Trash Talk, WNBA Veterans Showing Out, and Preparing to Say Goodbye to Inside the NBA