June 25, 2025 • 58 mins
Legendary sports journalist Stephen A. Smith visits Club Shay Shay to chop it up with Shannon about everything going on in the sports world. Both have experience working with Skip Bayless, so Stephen A. and Shannon share stories from their respective experiences working with Skip at "First Take" and "Undisputed". Stephen A. also dives into the importance of HBCUs, Jayson Tatum being better than Luka Dončić, Devin Booker's "Mamba Mentality" being stronger than Jimmy Butler's, and the real GOAT of the NBA. Is it LeBron James or Michael Jordan?
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thank you for coming back.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Part two is underway, Mayweather.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
I would say the same about Jordan, but that's the difference.
I'm glad that you heard that. What I'm talking about,
that's what I'm saying, you know, because Jordan will make
you look like you're less than what you're all like
before Scott Lebron fos Scott and Lebron will beat you,
I know he but MJ would make you look.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Like less than what you all.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I know Scott Scotty, I know Scott is on the
don't call list and don't invite what's transpired and everything
you know, but that even.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Scott is fault.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Scotty was wrong. Scotty was wrong.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Oh yeats. But no, no, no, no, no no. Let me
tell you how it started. Okay, you know it started
in the Last Dance. Because the Last Dance was supposed
to be about Jordan's last dance. Why are you putting
Scotty Pippen in there for an event that you.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Weren't even on the team. Let the journalist in me
correct you.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
The Last Dance was about the last season for the
Chicago Okay, the last season. Yes, So what happened is
is that they all on their way out, so you're
telling different stories about them and their careers with the
Bulls while they're fading into the twilight. Yeah, so that
kind of stuff does make it relevant.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
But you know you're gonna make Scotty look bad.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Well, Scotty deserved to look back.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
But you don't have to tell it. There are a
lot of times.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Stephen a A wait a minute, now, it ain't like
he said, yo, man, this is the woman he was
messing with his something.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
No, he said, yo, you passed up this contract. You
wanted more money.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Damn, that's public information. You Ryan Stork, don't sign this
deal because if you sign this deal, you can't come
back to me because I'm not gonna renegotiate your deal.
I mean, damn, Michael Jordan's gone. You want to be
that dude, and then you're gonna sit up there and
refuse to enter the game because of Tony Kokach. I mean,
that happened in front of millions of people watching it did.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Come on, man, tell the story.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Why not? It's part of the story.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
But let me ask you.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
You tell walking around me, excuse me, excuse me. Jordan
was still around. He was coming to visit the team
Scottie people wearing the sneakers, kicking his feet up. Look
at the bottom of the soles of the shooter. Jordan,
come on back, come.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
On back, all that other stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Hell, yo, Jordan, wasn't there that You didn't say nothing
about that. By the way, where did you play? Did
you play different?
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Did you play in Baltimore? Yes? So we shouldn't talk
about that.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Yeah, we should talk. We should talk. Well, So whatever
having to Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
We need to be we need to get that, we
need to be that.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Keep that quiet. But here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
It's a part of your story.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Just the way I look at it, I'm not gonna
tell an event that I wasn't a part of. So
anything that happened in Baltimore from two thousand and two
thousand and one, if I tell it in my story,
I can tell it in my story because I was
there when Ray went through what he went.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Through in Atlanta. I was there.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I was picking him up from the courthouse. He was
living with me in my basement. So if I want
to tell my story, that I should be able to include.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
But that's a far that's a far different angle. The
man was accused of a crime. It was off the field.
Is very personal and even though you were involved, that's
his personal business. There's nothing about Scotty Pippen turning down
a contract for Scotty Pippen refusing to enter.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
A playoff game, that's personal.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
No, but he's saying the light But he said when
Scotty was talking about having the back surgery and he
wanted a contract, and Jordan said he's being selfish. Even
though I might agree with, I ain't saying nobody's gonna
be selfish because I want everybody get as much money
as they came, right, So I'm not gonna say that.
But I'm just saying. I'm not saying George. I just
think that Scotty was surprised that Jordan took the stance
(03:40):
that he took and said what he says.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
That's fair.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
But I will tell you this, Jordan wasn't only the
start to show he was also an executive.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
We all know that that's number one.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
He has an important component to bring up number two.
And more importantly, you gotta remember that was in the
aftermath of him turning down the contract and being bitter
about it. I'm sorry taking the money rather being a
bit about it, right, and so you took the money
that Jordan and Ryan Stoff essentially advised you not to take.
You ended up being bitter about it, and that was
(04:11):
willing to let the team suffer because you got to
remember where it's personal for Jordan. If you're a tight end,
which you were and your quarterback, you say it, yo, bro,
don't take this money because you're gonna be bitter about
the country. He doesn't listen to you. He takes the
money anyway, then he's bitter about it later on and
(04:32):
refuse to step on the field with you.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Leaves you out there hanging by yourself. You don't have
something to say. Whoa you mean to tell me? Jordan
and went all them jambs, you'll buy himself.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
No, no, no, no, no, no, no no no, I'm talking about this.
At the time, he complaint.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Oh I know.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Just at the time he complaint. At the time he
was complaining about Scotty being selfish. He was on the
court without him, But he was like, come on, you're
leaving me out here because of the decision I told
you not to make, but you didn't listen and you
made it anymore.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
But I think you will agree that hurts Scotty more
than anything to hear Jordan's say that.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Okay, fair enough. Are we sure that that's all that's
hurting guy?
Speaker 1 (05:09):
No, there's some other things that's going on behind this.
There you go. There's never just I didn't say what,
and I ain't gonna say what.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I just asked you a relatively rhetorical question that I
know you know the answer to. I think it's safe
to say that we all know this other thing, Scotty
is a little enough said about it?
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Yes, okay, okay? You? And what is it with you?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Like every time you say something, you say my sources
say this right, and it seem like players go out
of their way to try to refute what you said
on there.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Well, first of all, when your voice is potent and
it's gonna go viral, right, and it's gonna resonate, and
they think it's gonna compromise their brand, that's what they're
gonna do. I understand that. I remember I tell you
a story one time I had a coach go up
in front of reporters. Stephen A's wrong, he don't know
(06:05):
what the hell he's talking about. I can't believe they
even let him report on the team. Blah blah blah
blah blah, and then walk by me and winked because
he did it because he didn't want people to know
he was the one who gave me the story. I've
been a journalist for thirty years. I got sources all
over the sports world, right, every single segment of every
(06:28):
single show, I get text messages. It's a player, it's
a coach, it's an executive, it's a player, person of the director.
In my case, sometimes it's owners, cause I know quite
a few, right, Okay, And so I have sources all
over the place. Does that mean I'm always right? Absolutely not.
What happens though, is I never said I was. I
(06:49):
said this is what I was told. And when you
make that judgment call, what do you make in a
judgment call about I ain't making a call about your
personal life. I ain't making a call about something ultra
indacive or whatever. You know. The other day when I
made the news about Lonzo, I'm like this, they said, Yo,
stephen A. They said, sometimes it's like it's hard for
(07:11):
him to stand to stand up from the position in
the chair. All right, I'd heard the same thing on
several occasions. Well, two years ago, you missed forty two games.
Do the injury. The next season, missed the entire season.
This season is coming up, the team announced, think about this.
The team announced the June that he would be available.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Before the new year. Think about that.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
So I'm going like this, you gonna literally sit pool
side and hop up and down in a chair from
a seating position when you done missed forty eight percent
of your games and just your fourth or fifth year
your career. Brother, you clearly are not healthy. Okay, you
want to get literal with it. Maybe I shouldn't have said,
oh whatever, that's what they but you ain't exactly. So
(07:59):
I'm like, that's what you want to refuse. And I
like Lonzo, not none against them, but having done against
his daddy, whatever the case may be. But I would
say to you, go back to the days when I've
covered I was a beat writer for The Filthy in
seventy six ers, and I'm covering Alan and Iverson and beyond.
I've been a journalist for thirty years. I was a
beat writer for ten. I was a general sports columnist
for another seven and eight. I've been around and so
(08:22):
there's been plenty of times when people have refuted what
I've said and then years later come to find out
I was telling the truth all along. You go ahead
and you denied that. I remember one time I had
a player. I'm in Saint Thomas is where my family's from.
And if you go to Saint Thomas's a spot called
Red Hook, and Red Hook is where you're going. You
take the boat from Saint Thomas to Saint John's. It's
(08:43):
only a fifteen minute boat rocke and I'm literally docking
away from Red Hook, going into the ocean. I get
a call up one out and it's saying I'm lying.
I'm like, what the hell are you?
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Kid?
Speaker 3 (08:53):
You already told them you leaving.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
It's hurting my brand.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
And you realize how a life of cats are thinking.
They're thinking about their social media following. They're thinking about
the connections that they have, They're thinking about how that's
gonna be parlayed in a monetary value for themselves down
the line, and how I could be compromised. And so
when you see these denials, let's say, you say, all right,
it makes sense, I got it. I leave it alone.
But my attitude is I'm not giving you a death sentence,
(09:21):
and I'm not talking about your personal business, right, I'm
talking about relatively obvious stuff. Calm the hell down and
stop making it bigger than what it is, right, and
you'll be fine.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
The conversation that I saw, I saw a little bit
of it about were Steph Curry, I think gonna Gilbert
Arenas Agent Zeros podcast saying he's the greatest point guard.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
You agreed or disagree.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
I agreed, but I was mistaken. And the reason why
I say I was mistaken is because what I wanted
to elaborate on is when you're talking about a typical,
quintessential point guard, you're talking about a facilitator, right, Magic
Johnson's greatest ef Yeah, there's no question.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
I I was talking about was impact from the position,
and to me, Steph Curry's marksmanship, combined with his ability.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
To move without the ball, puts.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
A defense's head on a swivel. And as a result
of that, because of the panic he creates because of
his extraordinary marksmanship, you have to pay rapt attention to him.
You can't afford to Billy pay attention to anybody else,
And that, to me is a similar impact to Magic
Johnson's ability to get to the basket, throw no look passes,
(10:32):
and especially Magic Johnson in the open court in the
fast break. But if you put Magic Johnson in a
half court setting, he backs you down, he throws the
ball to Kareem abdu Jabal. Open court is worthy as
Byron Scott's Cooper. You know what I'm saying, this stuff
like that, pick your poison. I was talking about impact.
I wasn't talking about a quintessential facilitator. That's the point guard.
(10:53):
Steph Curry is clearly not that.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Because that's what I'm saying. I don't really look I
look at Steph as a two right. I understand that
all these got new age guys, Dame Lillard, Steph Current,
all these guys are two guards masquerading.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
They just they're not the point guard.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
I'm looking at point guard like Magic John, Stockton, Jason Kidd,
Mark Jackson. When I think point guard, that's what I'm thinking.
I got you.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
We agree, we agree, we agree. I mean, listen, Magic
Johnson is so phenomenal. And Michael Jordan has been arguing
on me about this forever because Magic John's the greatest
in his eyes as well, so you know what I'm
saying is one of those changing that dudes changing any
changing Michael George's mind. You ain't got no snowball chance
in Heliporia. But but but but he's right, and and
and Eddie Johnson does NBA radio, He's absolutely right. He
(11:36):
was talking about a mad Dog Russo and his story,
and he was talking about he was absolutely right. We
know that as a pure pass that Magic Johnson is
the greatest facilitator the game has ever seen. But I'm
saying as an impact, you could talk about Steph Curry
being the two guard, but I would tell you he
has the ball in the hands enough the offense runs
through him, and the impact his marksmanship creates creates just
(12:00):
as much habit as Magic Johnson situated. And that's all
I was trying to say, which is why, even though
if you're taught them brought a prototypical point guard, you
would pick others before him. If you're talking about impact,
it's him and Magic Johnson.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Yeah, oh we're doing, no question, there's no denying that.
Exactly when you look at Lebron. Let's take Lebron and
you you were covering the NBA when Lebron got in yep,
I said, Lebron is overachieved because no matter what you
thought he might be, ain't nowhere in hell you thought
he would be this good Steven Day.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
No, I didn't. That's why I got him number two.
Old times. Lebron James is one of the greatest ever.
Do it and listen, we're gonna miss him. When he's going.
I can sit up there and I can have my
basketball decisions as Michael Jordan one him two. But I
gotta tell you, man, I got so much love and
respect for Lebron, and a lot of people they misconstrume.
(12:57):
You know what I mean by that when I say
I got love for a brother that I barely know,
because it's not like I talk to him every day
or whatever. Even though we accord you to one another
in the whole nine, I'm saying, I appreciate who you
are and what you've meant. Yes to our community, to basketball,
to young men, particularly young black men everywhere, the students
(13:18):
phenomenal man, and and to be a guy that was
on the cover of Sports Illustrated and the only blemish
in his entire career is that I'm taking my talents
to South Beach. That is literally the only staying yeah
on his career.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
And he raised money for the boys, and I mean
it's ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
A businessman, extraordinary actor, he did a great job and everything.
Think I'm joking when I put the tick of him
great actor, great because because you know we so sensitive,
Lebron Jays actually had a ticker creator for first take
great actor, great business man. So be there for you.
It's no be there when you bring about saying, I said,
can we get it out the way, because I want
to make sure he knows I recognize all.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
The greatness about him. Let's in the movie train Wreck.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Did you see what he did?
Speaker 1 (14:02):
He was great?
Speaker 3 (14:03):
He was great. He did a great job you know
with Amy Schuma believe. I mean, he was fantastic. You know,
I got it. But the point is is that the
dude is phenomenal on a multitude of levels. And when
he has done for us as black people in this
nation in terms of his business acumen, his commitment to excellence.
(14:23):
You know, this brother takes care of his body. He's
always in shape. I mean I looked at He's the
reason that I got mad at Anthony Davis last year
because I'm looking at Anthony Davis. You know this brother
vouched for you, right, you know this brother has his
name on the line for you, right. I know you.
I know you got him the ring in the bubble,
but you understand that. Don't stop there?
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Right?
Speaker 3 (14:44):
How is he in better shape than you? How is
he more focused and dedicated than you? Could you take
your ass over his house and and mimic his workout,
use his trainer, use his nutritionness, do something, and you
unders saying saying, I'm like, it's like, come on now,
look man, I'm the star. First day he tell you
(15:07):
some shinshaw, I'm gonna do some more pushups.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Bro, That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
I'm gonna change my diet even more. I ain't gonna
let you down, bro, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
I'm not gonna bet there ain't.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Got shitning and Ron RC sitting across from me with
him with his fittingess facility in Louisiana and all of
this other stuff, And I'm gonna roll around with a
belly and looking all shit. Oh no, no, no, it
ain't going down like that. It ain't going down like that.
I'm gonna be in shape, bro. I've been getting the shape,
but I already lost some pounds.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
I really doing my body fat and half.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
I did all that. But what I'm I'll never be
the black Hawk, but you are. I ain't trying to
do that. But you ain't gonna look at me and
go like this. Damn he needed to get the jim.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
He ain't in shape.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
I ain't gonna do that. I ain't gonna do Hama
bringer that you got Molly sitting in the middle and
stuff like that. You sitting across from me. I'm like,
and I'm looking Chebvy now, I ain't going down like that.
And I'm looking at Anthony Davis like, ain't there's nothing
inside of you that said, you know, I need to
be in shape. You're gonna drop forty one game.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
And eleven and next. Come on, bro, come on bro.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
You know it's like you looking at Lebron and I
literally almost went on the air. It was like, you know, Lebron, I'm.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Sorry I felt that bad for you because.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
I'm like, in his twentieth year in the league, he's
in better shape, and he the best player, and he
actually don't want to be He actually wishes you were
in better shape. He actually wishes you were the better player,
which you are where you bring your a game, but
it's sporadic because of a lack of dedication. In my opinion,
(16:45):
I don't know that, but I'm like, would you think
that if you were Lebron, Like, wait a minute, with
some missing, you ain't doing.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Sun right, Bro, I'm almost ten years more in the
league with more wear and tear.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Come on, man, come on, man, and you in l A.
And you know this because you've been out here, live
out here now a different flavor. You know you got
to be disciplined to be out here. You can't you
you can't easily locate the distract I mean they are
easy to find. Distractions.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Well, that's the thing with discipline. It requires you to
do your best with no one. You think, no one
is watched. There you go, there you go.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
When I'm in l A, Bro, I don't come outside
until I finish my work out. Other than the first take,
I don't come outside until I finish my workout because
I know once I get outside there's gonna be a
while before I get back. I'm just not gonna gonna
be because I'm just I'm just not gonna want I'm
just not you know what I'm saying. You know.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
That's right. We're gonna be We're gonna be in the
gym together, in gym with that.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I'm not listen you want you want to meme that
people will be laughing at me for the next two
decades have me in the gym with sharing and shop.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Come on, man, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
That's like, that's like the rocks that the next to
Snoop Dog. We ain't doing that. We are the snoopids
my dog. You know you know I love you, baby,
You know I love you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Come on now, I ain't doing that.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
I'm not getting in the gym with you.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
You won't work out, huh, just won't work out.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
I'm gonna work out every listen, I work out. You
know what I might do that I might I'm gonna
wait a few months, though, I'm gonna wait a few months.
I'm not gonna do that just yet, okay, Dame, Yeah,
man and James Harden situation, Yes, hir, Dame is you
know he looks he saw James Harden get.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Fined one hundred thousand for calling Darryl Mourray a liar.
He's like, I ain't trying to, you know, lose any
of my money. So what's what's your take on those situations?
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Well, when I think about Dame, it's more sensitive to
me because Dame could have demanded out several occasions and
he never did. And it's Portland. It ain't like he
didn't demand out of La on my end, right, he
didn't demand out a poor right, okay.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
And he was never gonna get anybody to come a.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
It's never gonna get so now that he's been there
a decade and he's like, it's time look out for
the brother now. Now, should he have handled it a
tab bit differently in terms of all right, I shouldn't
have said, just Miami, try to work behind the scenes to.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Get this done.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Maybe he shouldn't have done that, right, But the bottom
line is he's given Portland everything he's had, right, and
you know, you moving in a different direction, you drop
your number. The third overall pick is your school, Henderson,
play your position, Come on, y'all, get it done, you know.
And so that's how I feel. I support Dame on that.
James Hard is a different animal, and I like James
(19:42):
but James gotta be more accountable. You got everything you want.
They gave you everything but a Pacify and a BIB
in Houston. Whatever you wanted they gave you. You did everything. Money,
helicopter rods, massad, therapists, masseuse, hang out, the strip club,
whenever you want everything, You want to Vegas, whatever you
want me. They gave you everything, and Daryl Morey took
(20:02):
care of you to the point where Mike d'antonia didn't
even show negative plays a James Harden when James Harden
was in the film room, showed about everybody else wouldn't
even show home in the film room. This is me
covering the NBA. I'm telling you what I know. Then
you force your way out. You want to go to
Philly because you want to go with Darryl Moore. You
want to follow him there, but they say no, So
you want to go to Brooklyn. They tell you no. Initially,
you show up the camp out of shape. You make
(20:24):
it very very clear that you ain't trying to do
anything because you're trying to get the hell out of town.
So they ultimately trade you to Brooklyn. You get in Brooklyn,
you force your way out of it because you want
to go with Darryl Morey and Philly, which is where
you wanted to go all along. Now, although we can't
absolve Daryl Morey, if you lied to the man you
lied to, that ain't nobody giving, ain't nobody blaming. That's right,
(20:48):
you know, if you told him that, you owe him
that correct fit period. But why is anybody gonna be
sympathetic to James Harden with what James Harden has done
on three separate ocasions and now you're doing it a
fourth And you gotta remember when he was in Houston.
I want Dwight Howard. I don't want Dwight Howard. I
(21:09):
want Carmelo Anthony. Don't want Carmelo Anthony. I want CP three.
I don't want CP three. I want Russ. I don't
want Russ. And now one single championship to show for it.
It ain't like you are champion making these demands. You
getting paid. You're a show stopper, we get it, but
you have no championships to show for any of your efforts.
(21:33):
At some point in time, somebody got to be willing
to say to you, yo, can you give me a
little bit more? Oh, by the way, don't get me started.
Will close out games in the playoffs. We just saw
what you did in the Game seven nine points three
for eleven shooting and a Game seven close out game
against Boston. You had him for Game six, you were
up three to two on your home turf in Philadelphia,
(21:54):
and look what happened. Those are the kind of things
that I'm talking about. And so when something like that happens, man,
I can't support that. Right. I can like him and
be cool with him, but I can't support those decisions
that he's can't do it.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
What's Katy's legacy going to be?
Speaker 3 (22:12):
What's Kevin Durant's legacy gonna.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Because I think Stephen a. He was up three to
one on the Golden State Warriors. He's up three to
one on a seventy three win team, lose Game five,
lose Game six, lose Game seven, and in games five
and six and seven of games five and six, he
shot the ball terrible.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Yeah, I will tell you this. I think that Kevin
Durant is one of the greatest players that I've ever seen.
But when I saw how things materialized in Brooklyn and
then he went to Phoenix and got bounced out in
the second round of Denver. What I said was, I
(22:58):
can't put him above Lebron. I used to look at
him and his offensive arsenal and think that, But what
I realize is that I'm not showing enough respect and
appreciation to the leadership that Lebron has exerted and exhibited.
Lebron has been the face of every franchise he's been on,
(23:21):
even though d Wade was that leader in Miami. And
when you look at Lebron, what he had to deal
with Kyrie, you know, what he had to deal with
when he arrived in LA what he had to deal
with with all evitriol aimed in his direction in Miami
and stuff like that. Mental toughness, ultimately leadership, accountability. You know,
(23:45):
of course his he is in Cleveland. Of course, when
you look at all of these things, he showed an
ability to deal with things Kevin Durant did not right.
Kevin Durant is a phenomenal player, a good brother, really
authentic in a lot of ways. I got a lot
of love for him. He is a two time champion,
the two time NBA Finals MVP. We can't tell I
don't care that he's playing with the Golden State Warriors.
(24:06):
He averaged thirty five. He was the MVP. He balled out,
you know, he showed his greatness. But the problem that
I would tell you that was really put on display
in Brooklyn. He needed to be a leader.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
But he doesn't want that.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
He's already told you that. And that's the difference. Lebron
wants it. Lebron wants to be the leader. Lebron accepts it.
You know. You know, Kyrie is Kyrie, and you know
I'm not here to I'm not gonna throw no shade.
Me and Kyrie have had our issues. That stuff has
been resolved. But the point is is that at the
end of the day, Kyrie that is somebody that Kevin Durant,
(24:45):
if he were that leader, had to reel in r
by simply saying, man.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Bump all this. We try to win the chip.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Kyrie doesn't hurt his ankle against Milwaukee in the playoffs,
Brooklyn might have won it all right, because I think
they win that series against Milwaukee, and I think they
could have beaten in Phoenix. I mean, it's just that
simple to me. And so when I'm looking at it
from that perspective, I'm just saying to myself, You, Kevin Durant,
it's about living and let living and I'll do my job. Naw.
It's about making sure that the ultimate job is to
(25:17):
try to win the chip and letting nothing stand in
the way of that. If you're on a football field,
Ray Lewis might have been the leader.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
You ain't gonna be quiet.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
If you see cats blowing your opportunity to win the
Super Bowl championship, You're gonna be like yo. And I
remember when Isaiah Thomas, the great Isaiah Thomas, two time
Champion Hall of Famale Isaiah Thomas was arguing with me
one time about Kyrie and I said to him it
was over the back seat thing, and I said, I'm
gonna end this conversation right now, Zeke by one simple question.
(25:50):
If a member of the Detroit Pistons that was such
an integral part of your championship hopes took that position,
what would you have done? Isaiah started laughing. He said,
as a team, we would have snatched his ass up.
We had sat him down, tied him up, and we
had ejected the shitting To myself, he said, now you
might have been mad at us.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
You might have been mad at us right, but we
would have done it.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
I said, I rest my case. All I'm saying is
that at the end of the day, were trying to
win and anything that gets in a way of that
is secondary right to that actually being the priority. It's
all I'm saying. And I think Kevin Durant should have
had that attitude, and I don't think he did.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
You look at the West, the Nuggets won the championships.
I like nicolea Yokich. I think he's one of the
two best players in all of basketball. You got Phoenix
this is a year book and Katie together, Bradley Bill joined.
You got the Warriors CP three. What's gonna be his
role in that situation? The Lakers if Anthony Davis is healthy,
I like that. They they have depth. Austin Reeves I
(26:52):
like him.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
I like him.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
What's how's the West gonna shake it?
Speaker 3 (26:57):
First of all, we always root for the Lakers because
they have something to color for. I mean, you know,
if you ask me, do I want to go to
San Francisco or La is l a all day every
day twice with Sundays, so so just for my own
personal preferences, it's always La La Miami is my dream scenario.
That's why I was so miserable doing COVID, because the
one time I wanted to get my dreams.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
In the bub, I was so depressed.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
I was so depressed.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
But I'll tell you this, I.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Don't believe in Anthony Davis in terms of his availability.
I'm not talking about his skill set. I'm not talking
about whether he cares or not. I'm talking about injury prone, sporadic.
There's something going on with him where instead of talking
about me getting in the gym, you need to be
jogging in him to get in the gym, because it's
just up and down. It's like it's like it's like
(27:49):
this brother sat up there, ate healthy meal one day,
and then the the bag of skittles the next, and
it's the plumbing.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
You know what I'm saying. I don't understand it, and I.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Can't have faith in it. I think they'll make the playoffs.
I think they'll be formidable. I dismissed the Clippers because
I just don't believe that Kawhi Lennard will ever be healthy.
I just don't believe that. Well.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Paul George is miss damn.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
There's much time I agree with you that's totally totally true, Troy.
I remember, I just show the numbers recently. I think
Paul George misses about thirty eight percent of his game
and Kahi is that forty eight percent. So I think
it's around that Paul George talking about he gonna play
bully ball and all that stuff. We'll see you, unserd.
I'm saying, especially even talking to him and Devin book
was going back and forth. I got to see that,
right because I know Devin book is coming that dude
(28:31):
de Book. Devin Booker is real and I'm talking about
his mentality. He ain't scared of nothing. He's coming for you.
So I definitely respect that. And we're gonna see what
Bill and kd do together as well. Phoenix, to me,
should be the favorites. You look at Denver, uh, They're
obviously formidable and you got that cohesive missile. I would
tell you a rematch between Denver and Phoenix and all
likelihood the conference finals as opposed to the divisional playoff
(28:52):
round semifinals. Rather, we'll see that, but that's what comes
to my mind. I don't expect much from Dallas, even
though Anthony Edward is on the rise. I don't expect
much from Minnesota. I don't expect much from Minnesota. I
think that was to me they don't have the person out.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Do you think do you think Minnesota should not run
the team through Anthony itwars as opposed to Cat Yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Agree, I agree totally. I think that Anthony Edwards is
one of those dudes. He's one of those dudes. He's
coming and I feel that way. But I definitely think
that when you look at the two teams, I would
look at Phoenix and Denver, and then I would look
at the Lakers and Clippers on it outside on a
come up, right, That's how I view the West.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
You didn't mention the Grizzlies, obviously the Josh situation. Hopefully,
I think they're ap Pepho mentioned they're they're appealing his
twenty five game suspension. So I'm under the assumption that
it's gonna stick. Let's just say, for for this argument,
it's going to say it's gonna stick. You've been outspoken
yet I've been very outspoken, and I don't know Jah,
(29:51):
but if I could sit down, I just think he
was I just thought he was moving in a direction
that wasn't conducing to accomplish what he really really wanted
to come. That's been an outstanding basketball player, be a
brand the job, brand being one of the faces.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Of the NBA.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
I agree with you, What if there's some advice you
could give him. I don't know how well you know
it's dad.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
I don't. I don't. I've met him both at once.
John's a great player. Jo's phenomenal. And I think that
Jah is gonna come back with a vengeance. You know,
I really really believe he's gonna come back with a vengeance.
He's gonna recavoc. And I love the acquisition of Marcus Smart.
I got Boston, by the way, as my favorite overall.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Really, yes, I do wow.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
I think porzingis at seven to three with the ability
to step away from the basket and shoot, combined with
Tatum and Brown still keeping Al Horford okay and Robert
Williams in the mix with a Derek with a Derek White,
with a Malcolm Brogdon the rain and sixth Man of
the Year. I think when you look at their depth,
the athleticism and perimeter shooting, their ability to defend the
(30:54):
fact that Missoula has a year under his belt coach
and the team. I think all of those things bowled
well for boys, and they've been knocking on the door
long enough. You Jalen Brown, you just signed three hundred
million dollars, you damn well better show up. And if
you and if you Jason Tatum, who's in line for
about three hundred and sixty million, you damn well better
show up. And so I'm gonna assume that they will.
But I think Mark is smart. Losing him it'll be
(31:17):
felt to some degree, but I definitely think it's gonna
help Memphis immensely, right, And I think that, you know.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
And I think that, and you get Steven Adams back Clark, and.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
People don't realize Adams and Clark being gone. Lakers don't
beat them like that. If Adams and Clark are healthy,
that just doesn't happen, because Adams and Clark are no joke.
And so I take that into consideration as well. Having
said all of that, I'm not sure. And they're shooting collectively, right, Okay,
So that concerns me. I think they're sporadic defensively, that
(31:47):
concerns me. I think they're coaching concerns me to some degree.
So I look at Memphis. But in terms of my
advice to Joe, it's this, man, some people you gotta
leave behind. And I don't mean cut 'em off like
you don't know 'em, right, I don't mean cut 'em
off like you can't be with them. But I'll give
(32:08):
you a perfect example. I got brothers that I grew
up with in Queens, New York. Half of them are
dead cause, you know, the drug game was real prevalent then,
and I was blessed that I was never a part
of it, but most of my friends were. And you know,
I got a couple of I got a couple of
brothers that you know, did some time, and I'll always
(32:34):
look out for them. I'll always have love for them. Shannon,
they can't hang with me. No, they can't hang with me.
You're not coming to work with me. You're not coming
to a game with me. That's not happening. And I
see you neighborhood. What stuff? How you doing? You need
me for anything? What's so? What you need? I can
help you. I'm more happy to do that. So I'm
not told by ostracizing you. But the NBA is your business.
(32:58):
What happened with John Court him about sixty million hours,
sixty million ounce You ain't getting that back. No matter
how much money you get, you ain't getting that back.
And so for me, you know, with his dad, Look,
I'm a father, you're a father. Here's the deal. I
know you can't tell your son literally tell him what
(33:19):
to do. He's a grown up, right, but certain things
he don't need to be doing it right in front
of you. Correct you the grown up, you dad, and
you are not supposed to be trying to live the
life he liveing. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Y'all made it and you're gonna make it even more.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
And so it's not to cast dispersions, assault them, denigrate
them in any way. Who wouldn't root for jama Ren?
Who ain't rooting for him to succeed? I don't know
anybody that they root.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
I know I'm rooting for him.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
I know you're rooting for them. But how are we
helping you? If we see you doing stuff that we
know could potentially lead to your downfall and we say nothing,
are we really trying to help you? If we say nothing, No,
we're not trying to help you. And that's why we
say something, because we want you to correct the errors
so you could rise and prosper and live your life.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
I don't know what you feel about this, but I
said this at the time the seventy fifth anniversary. I
said Anthony Davis shouldn't have made it over Dwhite Howard.
Stan Van Gundy said, you can't make a case to
say is Anthony Davis' career has been better than Dwhite Howard.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
What's your take on that.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
I kind of agree. Anthony Davis was a prolific scorer,
but at the end of the day, he wasn't relevant
until he arrived to the Lakers with Lebron correct Dwight
Howard was a three time Defensive Player of the Year,
extraordinary shot blocker and e racer. Was never the offensive
player that Anthony Davis no us, but certainly was just
(34:52):
as impactful, yes, and more successful because he was on
the squad that Anthony Davis won a championship with as
a reserve, which means he's got a ring too, right,
And so you offset that and now look at their careers.
Even though the talent that is Anthony Davis I consider
to be better than the White Howard, right, the impact
(35:17):
of your career is not greater than that of the
right Howard.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
The White Howard took the team to the NBA Finals. Yes,
he did in his prime. He's one of the five
best players in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Absolutely, absolutely, So I can't disagree with that. I can't.
I can say Anthony Davis is a better talent, yes,
but it also highlights what you must not be doing
because a lesser talent, that is the White Howard, was
more impactful than you were.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Right players under twenty five, you got Luca JT, Trey Young, Zion,
Anthony edwardths You know what, Zion, because you've been very
I've been very outspoken Steven that you know, I'm a
nutritional guy. Guy, I'm in the body and I said,
he just do me. I said, y'all a chief, Oh Shaddy,
you don't know what's going on.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
I say, bro, the man is three hundred plus.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
I can tell he's not eating the way he should
in order to burgers. But you know you you know
in New Orleans eating gumbo and you say and jambalah everything.
So what joa. How do we get how do we
get Zion to understand? Because I think the greatest person
(36:22):
that he needs to sit down and have an hour
long conversation with is Charles Barkley.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
He's a more athletic Charles Barkley.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
I just gotta be honest. I don't think he cares enough. Wow,
I don't think he cares enough. I'm not saying he
doesn't care. I'm not talking about Karen. I'm talking about
that fire that it's the end all beyond, because I
believe he's in a market he don't want to be said.
(36:53):
I believe if he was in New York or someplace
where he really really wanted to be, we see a
more dedicated zion to his physicality. And the point is
is that I don't know that to be sure. But
you can't walk around as big as he is. No,
and tell me you dedicated, right, You can't. You can't
(37:15):
because even when you're when you're restricted in terms of
your mobility, you know what you'll do. You'll eat less
and you'll eat better because you'll fear bloating, you'll fear
blowing up and not being ready when called upon. Once
you here, that hasn't been the case.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
Because if you eating bad while you're active in running
up and down.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
The court, what the hell you think you're gonna eat
when you can't run up and down the court, that's right.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
So now the thirty pound that you took off because
you was healthy and athletic and running up and down
the court, you better.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
Put fifty back home, exactly. And that's exactly how I feel.
And because of that, again, I love Zion's game. I
believe he's a potential superstar in this league. He's something
to behold. But I think it's they had a question
his commitment to his conditioning, right, And if you're questioning
somebody's commissions, you know, commitment to conditioning, you're questioning whether
(38:08):
or not they care. And that's really what it comes
down to, right.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
We've talked about players under twenty five, Luca, Jason Tatum,
Trey Young, Zion, Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Chake, Gil, just D Fox,
or Jordan Poole. I'm gona give you one guy of
all those guys I mentioned, who you taking.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
A lot of people would say Luca, I'm gonna say
Jason Tatum. Jason Tatum sixty nine, Jase s to shoot
the three. I saw Jason Tatum drop forty six in
a close out playoff Game six in Milwaukee. I saw
Jason Tatum handle his business in the game seven. I've
seen a young Jason Tatum, who ain't even twenty seven
(38:47):
years of age yet be a primary option on a
team that's going to five conference championship games of championship
series in an NBA Finals. I just look at him
and I say, and not only that, we just talked
about conditioning. There have been times when we looked at
Luker and we've said he ain't in shape. He's getting
(39:10):
in shape right his season progresses. We look at Jason
Tatum from day one and say he's in shape right.
That matters to me. I would go with Jason Tatum.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
Andre Igodald says, the player with the mentality is closest
to Kobe Bryant is Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
You agree with that.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
Closest to Kobe Bryant is Jimmy Butler. As far as mentality,
you could say that I would beg to differ who
you like. Devin Booker. Jimmy Butler works. But the difference
between Jimmy Butler and Devin Booker is Jimmy Butler doesn't
(39:51):
care that much about offense until the postseason. Arride right,
Kobe cared about it all the time, be honest, and
Devin Booker cares about it all the time. Right, They
coming out looking for their shot from opening tip off.
Jimmy Butler, sometimes you literally feel like you got to
throw something at him just.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
To make him shoot the basketball. Right he does.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
It's not a priority for him. And that is why
I would say no on that Kobe comparison.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
Not much as known about Steven H's private life. Yep,
you like myself, are very very private.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Yep. How have you been able to maintain that level
of privacy?
Speaker 3 (40:29):
Number one, I'm quick to sell somebody to mind that
damn business, you know. And that's a kind way of
putting it. And I will cancel a woman in a
heartbeat that talks about my business. She utters my name?
What publicly about us? She gone, I wouldn't have us.
(40:52):
I don't care. I don't care. You know why, because
I want you to know who my woman is when
she's missus Smith. I'm talking about publicly, right, I'm not
talking about you know, shann ain't gonna Shannon go meet
my girl. You know, Jamie's Matt. I'm not talking about that.
I'm talking about announcing that you see us and people
(41:13):
talk oh no, let them talk. You better not talk.
I will cancel you quick and.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
She can't, so she can't post none on I g.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
Never I would. She wouldn't. She wouldn't make it to
my crib. I'm telling you, I'm not joking. She wouldn't
make it to my crib. She can live five minutes away,
she'd be going by five five minutes. I don't play
that because here's the thing. I'm in the public eye.
Let me tell you what to test what I detest.
And I've never done this to another man. It makes
me cringe when this happens to a man. I can't
(41:45):
get over how these stars be messing with somebody and
then you with somebody else. But that's who you used
to mess with. Nah, yeah, no, nothing. I mean, who's
talking about? It could be an ex. I be like,
what you're talking about? That's a friend, Steve. You's messed
with who, ain't you? That's what I don't know what
you're talking ain't none of your business. I'm not doing that.
(42:07):
You know, when she missus Smith, you'll know who she is.
Until that time, I might have messed with her, I
might not have messed with her. You'll never know. I
don't do that. And I can't stand when we see
people out here like sharing their information and you know
it's on Instagram and Twitter. We've grown ass men and women.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
When did everybody?
Speaker 3 (42:28):
When did your business become everybody else's business?
Speaker 1 (42:31):
I don't vibe with that.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
I have no patience with that. And anybody who knows me,
and I mean anybody who knows me.
Speaker 1 (42:40):
They'll tell you right now.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
I live in LA, five minutes from where we are.
They wouldn't make it to my crib being my woman.
If I saw something on social media that was initiated
by them about me, they out. I wouldn't hesitate. I
have been that way my entire adult life and I
was never changed in that rega. I could be getting
ready to getting married, wedding called off.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
So it was all the way game with me. So
it was all the way game with me. It was
always your It.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Was always says once you got into the public eye,
was to be private.
Speaker 3 (43:12):
Absolutely, it's not everybody's business.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
It's not Righty's business. Look, I know people business.
Speaker 3 (43:18):
You see me.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
I'm on TV. I'm a professional journalist.
Speaker 3 (43:21):
I challenge anybody to talk about stephen A talking about
their personal private business.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
Now, if you're.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
Walking on public and putting everything on display and all
of that, all.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
Right, that's fine, you know what I'm saying. I just
talked about Megan good to find that stuff the other day. Okay,
I get it.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
You're sings annilate that I mess.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
She's been fine for you, you know what I mean.
I got it your stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
But you don't hear me talking about people's private business.
I don't do it. I don't and I never ever will.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
I read where your daughters don't like when people come
up to you and ask for autographs when they're in
your presence.
Speaker 3 (43:56):
Oh my lord, us man. Do they have a social
media presence a little bit, But I try to monitor it,
and you know, I leave that to their mom. But
I will tell you this for me, Oh my god,
being a dad for daughters, it's the greatest blessing and
(44:20):
the worst curse. Because the blessing is, you didn't know
what love is until they You thought you knew what
love was and then they came along. The curses, you
didn't know what love is until they came along. So
you're never at piece. You're always worried, worried about everything.
(44:41):
Worry about everything, and they did daddy's you know, daughters.
So they like me from the standpoint like, first of all,
I'm not that special, I'm just dad. What is so
big about you? I mean, please, why all you do
is talk on television?
Speaker 1 (44:55):
I mean you cares our lord?
Speaker 3 (44:57):
O caay if we hurry up?
Speaker 1 (44:58):
Please?
Speaker 3 (44:59):
What do they want?
Speaker 1 (45:00):
Yo? Want to grab four?
Speaker 3 (45:02):
But then they get attitude cause it's like they're taking
our time, hurry up, like literally, and it's like and
I knew. I knew from the time my daughters was
like seven, eight years old. I came home and I
had to do I had to get to Dallas. I
was supposed to go from La straight to Dallas. I
(45:24):
literally flew home on the Red Eye just to take
them to school and to give them a hug and
a kiss. And I took them to school. They were
all happy and bouncing around and all that stuff. And
the child from school and I said, Okay, Daddy gotta go.
They're like what And I was like this, I probably
(45:46):
they gotta go to work right in Dallas. And the
teachers like just go, just go right, and I get
on get on the road. I'm going to the airport.
And I called all the schools speak to and they like,
could you call back later? They don't want to talk
to you. And I'm like, this is seventy eight years old,
(46:08):
and it's like and I knew then my life's over.
It belongs to them. They run my life. So I
squeeze in things for me, right, But they're the generals.
That's how it goes.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Do your kids watch your kids? Are?
Speaker 2 (46:23):
They are at the age now they understand what you're fourteen? Yeah,
so they understand.
Speaker 1 (46:27):
What you do. Yes, they know who they know who
dead is.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
That's right, that's right. And they see me lied on
a lot because a lot of times I've been accused
of saying something or doing something and they know better.
Or I was accused of being someplace like that and
you was with us, you know. But it's like, it
is what it is. They understand it. And I tell
them it's about tough skin. You can't overreact to everything.
You out to understand. When you're in the public eye,
people gonna lie you all the time. They're gonna invade
(46:52):
your privacy, they're gonna instigate stuff. They're willing, they're looking
to provoke a reaction. And I can't give it to
them because if I do, then I take debate and
it can jeopardize what I'm trying to build. And so
you explain those things to them and you hope that
they understand.
Speaker 2 (47:06):
What advice would you give a young journalist, because you know,
the newspaper business is not what it was when you
got into it. Everybody gets there, you know, because it's
so instantaneous now stephen A, you got social media. So
now ain't nobody just sitting there watching the six o'clock news,
and ain't nobody just just reading the newspaper.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
So what advice would you give young journalists?
Speaker 3 (47:27):
First of all, understand that everything feeds off of information.
You've got to be about the business of acquiring intel
and information because that means you have something to talk about,
you have something to write about, you have something to
express opinions about, whether it be via radio, television, podcast, newspaper, magazines,
(47:48):
dot com, whatever, whatever content is. King content will never
go anywhere.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
How people are receiving.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
That content is what has changed. Linear television was once here.
Now it's dissipating before our very eyes. There's some people
that are projecting within the next decade, YouTube will be
more popular than some of the networks, right, if not already,
and so you have to take that into consideration. That's
point number one. Point number two is that you're trying
to build something, build a brand. Know who you are,
(48:17):
know what you stand for, Recognize what gravitates folks towards
you and what doesn't. And that's how you go about
the business of building something. Number three, Master your business.
You gotta know what you're talking about. You gotta know
what you wanna do. A lot of people want to podcast, Well,
do you know what comes with the podcast? It ain't
just a microphone and a camera. There's a production team
(48:37):
that get that's behind the scenes. There's a sales and
marketing angle. There's a sales angle that comes with it,
a marketing angle that comes with it, a technological angle
that comes with it. There's people operating these cameras, you know,
you know, these microphones, making sure the audio is right.
Except how much is that gonna cost? Okay? What level
of course comes with it?
Speaker 1 (48:56):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (48:56):
One of the things that I would give advice to
a lot of students want to come up no matter
what major you take, minor in business, because everything comes
down to business. Now you've got to be about the
business of knowing what your business entails. That way, you
know how to do business. You know what you're negotiating,
you have an idea what it entails. You know when
you've made mistakes and how to pick up on that.
(49:18):
I started my own podcast months ago. I've made a
lot of mistakes. Why because I never had a podcast before.
I had to learn through osmosis. But I put myself
through that fire initially on purpose. So when it grew,
as it's been growing that I'm in a position to
now make the proper decisions because I use that, you know,
that infancy period to really learn and gain knowledge about
(49:41):
the industry. How much is going to cost, what my
losses and my profits look like, et cetera, et ce.
All of those things the things that you have to
know because the business itself that used to exist is
no longer now they're looking for you to bring your.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
Business to them.
Speaker 3 (49:57):
Shannon shap you own your own podcast club, sh over
a million followers doing your thing. Proud of you, my brother,
Keep doing your thing, no doubt. You gotta keep doing that.
You own and operate your business, and there's people around
you that's working for you, So you're gonna be attracted
because you're bringing a business to a potential network.
Speaker 1 (50:16):
To buy to least two et cetera, et cetera. They
don't want to.
Speaker 3 (50:20):
Just employ people anymore. They don't want to deal with
that overhead. They don't want to deal with the expenses
that come with the overhead.
Speaker 1 (50:26):
They want you to deal with that now.
Speaker 3 (50:29):
J McAfee, the deal he just signed with he has.
You got so many people hating on him. Shut up,
all of y'all. Shut up.
Speaker 1 (50:35):
The man had his own business.
Speaker 3 (50:37):
He spent years developing his own business, betting on himself,
just like you bet on yourself, Just like I'm betting
on myself. I just started betting on myself because I
was hindered contractually and I had a lot of obstacles
to overcome in my career before I could get to
this point. Although this was always the vision, I had
to start late. This is what comes with it. When
you know those things. You become a business. And as
(50:59):
Jay's he would say, I'm not a business man. I'm
a business man, and that's what people want to see.
Speaker 2 (51:05):
I'm gonna get you out of here on this one.
Yet we both work with Skip. You work with him,
I think a little longer than I have, and we
both have given him credit for opening up his platform
and allowing us to be who we are, and we
could grow our own platforms, become as you mentioned earlier
businesses of myself. What's for the people? I don't know
(51:26):
how many people have heard, and I'm gonna follow up
after you Skip, what's he really like? Because I think
the thing is, if you've never met him, you just
see him on television, you say, Okay, that's chemming.
Speaker 1 (51:36):
Who he is.
Speaker 3 (51:37):
Skip's a different beast. I don't. I don't know if
you can just describe him in one simple way you can,
you can't. This dude's definition of advice is ding mountain
dwe This dude was in the sixties and in the seventies,
running anywhere for five to eight miles a day, eating
the same meals for breakfast, lunch, at dinner, introducing himself
(52:00):
to his now wife and their first date. You will
never be more important than my job. Get over that
from now or don't bother. I mean, that's his definition
of turning her on. I guess, so I'm I'm just like,
that's he's a different animal, you know, and there are
highs and lows that come with him. Correct, he knows
(52:22):
that there's highs and lows that come with me. There's
highs and lows that come with you and everybody am
and that's the way it goes. But you know, I'm
a man first, and it's about a core decency of appreciation.
The reality is is that no matter how problematic, and
he can be problematic at times, no matter how problematic
(52:45):
he can be, the reality is is that I wouldn't
be where I am today if he didn't give me
that opportunity on first take. And so for me to
be where I am and to know that it's spring
it's springboards off of something that he was directly involved
in making happen. For me to insult him in any
(53:07):
ways just disrespectful, It's wrong and it's something that I
would never do. Now. That don't mean I can't.
Speaker 1 (53:13):
Disagree with him absolutely.
Speaker 3 (53:15):
That doesn't mean that I can't feel that he's wrong.
And anybody like a Jamie hard with yourself and others
who know me have gotten to know me in your case,
you know I would tell him he's wrong to his face.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
Right, he knows where I stand.
Speaker 3 (53:29):
But it doesn't take away my love and appreciation for
him and the fact that he will always be a
brother from another mother to me.
Speaker 2 (53:37):
Yes, So I've always made that clear with everybody. Yeah,
it's not often that someone can give you that opportunity.
And I've said this several times. For me, I cannot
let six months ruin six and a half good years,
because sometimes people are willing to throw everything away for
one mistake, for one bad comment or one something like that.
(53:58):
And even though that would that's all we were supposed
to get. My sister tells me this all the time,
says Shannon, this was all we're supposed to get. About
five months four months ago, I had Tabitha Brown sitting right.
I've interviewed her before. She's fantastic stephen A. She had
no idea this was going on. So we wrapped the
interview and I'm gonna end it on this one and
I'm taking.
Speaker 1 (54:18):
Off my microphone. She says, is the mix off?
Speaker 2 (54:21):
I said, well, I'm taking my mic off, you can
take yours off. We took our mics off and she
leans in close to me. She said, I had a
dream last night. God told me it's gonna be okay,
and for you to go ahead and do what you
need to do, she says, it's gonna be different, but
you need to go on your own now. God told
me that, she said. Now you do what you want
(54:43):
to do with it. But God just she says, And
when I get dreams like this and I'm ever in
the person's presence, it's my duty to tell them A
month later. Yeah, yeah, And I'm like, and when she's
telling me to steven A, you see how you looking
at me, I'm looking at.
Speaker 1 (55:01):
Her now you know what's going on? She said, God
told me this last night. And it's funny that I'm
sitting here doing this interview. Did this interview with you?
And I needed to tell you this.
Speaker 2 (55:12):
Once she told me that I was at peace because
I'm racking my brain. I'm like, what did I do?
Did I say something that I offend somebody? I mean,
I just I think I'm doing a great job.
Speaker 1 (55:22):
She said, be at peace with it.
Speaker 3 (55:24):
Yeah, and that's what I told you.
Speaker 1 (55:26):
You did.
Speaker 3 (55:26):
That's what I told you because the reality of the
situation is is that you know, I'm not going to apologize. Listen,
I got a lot of friends over there, all right.
We all know that I know a lot of people,
but that don't mean that what happened to you was fair,
plain and simple. Okay, that ain't the end of the world, no,
but it is what it is. Yeah, So you know,
to me, it was just important for us in this
(55:50):
industry to stand up and say, yo, he's one of us.
You can't get him go out like this, And that
was it for me. It was like it was just
that simple. You go wherever you want. You wanna come
first take, fine, you want to go somewhere else, fine,
because I got my crew here first take, And I'm
not trying to get rid of anybody saying because I'm
not gonna do this forever. And when it's my time
to cost, my time to go right and it's time
(56:11):
for somebody else to step up. But as long as
I'm here, my attitude is gonna be. Listen, the people
that have been a treasure and attribute to this industry
are the people that I'm going to do all that
I can to remind folks this is what they do.
I don't want to be one of those dudes that
I got these platforms first take, and I got my
podcasts and I'm doing the NBA countdown and I got
(56:33):
more stuff coming down the line and everything like that,
And all I'm talking about is what I'm doing. I
asked my job to highlight where everybody else is doing.
Speaker 2 (56:43):
You you wanted to few stephen A because I know
a lot of people that have could have opportunity.
Speaker 1 (56:48):
To help somebody, but they want to be the only
ninja with money.
Speaker 3 (56:52):
Nah. I don't want that. And I told you this,
and I tell the audience that I told you this.
I said you might be a first take for one year,
you might be a first take for years to come.
It's my responsibility, and I'm dead serious, it's a heart attack.
It's my responsibility to make sure that you are more
successful with me than you were before you arrived.
Speaker 1 (57:13):
That's what you told me.
Speaker 3 (57:14):
That's my responsibility, and I'm gonna make sure it happens.
Come hell of higher water. We ain't going down, brother,
We only don't you know that the way it's gonna know,
that's just the way.
Speaker 1 (57:25):
It's gonna go. Man coming HBCUs the takeover.
Speaker 3 (57:32):
I ain't trying to lose. I'm never about that. Anybody
knows me an't about that. I don't mean no disrespect
to nobody.
Speaker 2 (57:40):
Y'all heard it, But I got here as good as
it gets. Right here Steven A Smell, Monday, September four.
Speaker 4 (57:49):
No death, all my life, running, all my life, sacrifice, hustle,
Want a slice?
Speaker 1 (58:01):
Got the brows? Why? All my life?
Speaker 4 (58:03):
I've been grinding all my life, all my life, been grinding.
Speaker 3 (58:06):
All my life, sacrifice that will pay the price.
Speaker 4 (58:10):
Want to slice? Got to brow the wa all my life.
Speaker 3 (58:14):
I've been grinding all my life. That Pam, Pam
Thank you for coming back.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Part two is underway, Mayweather.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
I would say the same about Jordan, but that's the difference.
I'm glad that you heard that. What I'm talking about,
that's what I'm saying, you know, because Jordan will make
you look like you're less than what you're all like
before Scott Lebron fos Scott and Lebron will beat you,
I know he but MJ would make you look.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Like less than what you all.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I know Scott Scotty, I know Scott is on the
don't call list and don't invite what's transpired and everything
you know, but that even.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Scott is fault.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Scotty was wrong. Scotty was wrong.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Oh yeats. But no, no, no, no, no no. Let me
tell you how it started. Okay, you know it started
in the Last Dance. Because the Last Dance was supposed
to be about Jordan's last dance. Why are you putting
Scotty Pippen in there for an event that you.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Weren't even on the team. Let the journalist in me
correct you.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
The Last Dance was about the last season for the
Chicago Okay, the last season. Yes, So what happened is
is that they all on their way out, so you're
telling different stories about them and their careers with the
Bulls while they're fading into the twilight. Yeah, so that
kind of stuff does make it relevant.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
But you know you're gonna make Scotty look bad.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Well, Scotty deserved to look back.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
But you don't have to tell it. There are a
lot of times.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Stephen a A wait a minute, now, it ain't like
he said, yo, man, this is the woman he was
messing with his something.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
No, he said, yo, you passed up this contract. You
wanted more money.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Damn, that's public information. You Ryan Stork, don't sign this
deal because if you sign this deal, you can't come
back to me because I'm not gonna renegotiate your deal.
I mean, damn, Michael Jordan's gone. You want to be
that dude, and then you're gonna sit up there and
refuse to enter the game because of Tony Kokach. I mean,
that happened in front of millions of people watching it did.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Come on, man, tell the story.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Why not? It's part of the story.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
But let me ask you.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
You tell walking around me, excuse me, excuse me. Jordan
was still around. He was coming to visit the team
Scottie people wearing the sneakers, kicking his feet up. Look
at the bottom of the soles of the shooter. Jordan,
come on back, come.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
On back, all that other stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Hell, yo, Jordan, wasn't there that You didn't say nothing
about that. By the way, where did you play? Did
you play different?
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Did you play in Baltimore? Yes? So we shouldn't talk
about that.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Yeah, we should talk. We should talk. Well, So whatever
having to Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
We need to be we need to get that, we
need to be that.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Keep that quiet. But here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
It's a part of your story.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Just the way I look at it, I'm not gonna
tell an event that I wasn't a part of. So
anything that happened in Baltimore from two thousand and two
thousand and one, if I tell it in my story,
I can tell it in my story because I was
there when Ray went through what he went.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Through in Atlanta. I was there.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I was picking him up from the courthouse. He was
living with me in my basement. So if I want
to tell my story, that I should be able to include.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
But that's a far that's a far different angle. The
man was accused of a crime. It was off the field.
Is very personal and even though you were involved, that's
his personal business. There's nothing about Scotty Pippen turning down
a contract for Scotty Pippen refusing to enter.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
A playoff game, that's personal.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
No, but he's saying the light But he said when
Scotty was talking about having the back surgery and he
wanted a contract, and Jordan said he's being selfish. Even
though I might agree with, I ain't saying nobody's gonna
be selfish because I want everybody get as much money
as they came, right, So I'm not gonna say that.
But I'm just saying. I'm not saying George. I just
think that Scotty was surprised that Jordan took the stance
(03:40):
that he took and said what he says.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
That's fair.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
But I will tell you this, Jordan wasn't only the
start to show he was also an executive.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
We all know that that's number one.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
He has an important component to bring up number two.
And more importantly, you gotta remember that was in the
aftermath of him turning down the contract and being bitter
about it. I'm sorry taking the money rather being a
bit about it, right, and so you took the money
that Jordan and Ryan Stoff essentially advised you not to take.
You ended up being bitter about it, and that was
(04:11):
willing to let the team suffer because you got to
remember where it's personal for Jordan. If you're a tight end,
which you were and your quarterback, you say it, yo, bro,
don't take this money because you're gonna be bitter about
the country. He doesn't listen to you. He takes the
money anyway, then he's bitter about it later on and
(04:32):
refuse to step on the field with you.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Leaves you out there hanging by yourself. You don't have
something to say. Whoa you mean to tell me? Jordan
and went all them jambs, you'll buy himself.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
No, no, no, no, no, no, no no no, I'm talking about this.
At the time, he complaint.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Oh I know.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Just at the time he complaint. At the time he
was complaining about Scotty being selfish. He was on the
court without him, But he was like, come on, you're
leaving me out here because of the decision I told
you not to make, but you didn't listen and you
made it anymore.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
But I think you will agree that hurts Scotty more
than anything to hear Jordan's say that.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Okay, fair enough. Are we sure that that's all that's
hurting guy?
Speaker 1 (05:09):
No, there's some other things that's going on behind this.
There you go. There's never just I didn't say what,
and I ain't gonna say what.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I just asked you a relatively rhetorical question that I
know you know the answer to. I think it's safe
to say that we all know this other thing, Scotty
is a little enough said about it?
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Yes, okay, okay? You? And what is it with you?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Like every time you say something, you say my sources
say this right, and it seem like players go out
of their way to try to refute what you said
on there.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Well, first of all, when your voice is potent and
it's gonna go viral, right, and it's gonna resonate, and
they think it's gonna compromise their brand, that's what they're
gonna do. I understand that. I remember I tell you
a story one time I had a coach go up
in front of reporters. Stephen A's wrong, he don't know
(06:05):
what the hell he's talking about. I can't believe they
even let him report on the team. Blah blah blah
blah blah, and then walk by me and winked because
he did it because he didn't want people to know
he was the one who gave me the story. I've
been a journalist for thirty years. I got sources all
over the sports world, right, every single segment of every
(06:28):
single show, I get text messages. It's a player, it's
a coach, it's an executive, it's a player, person of the director.
In my case, sometimes it's owners, cause I know quite
a few, right, Okay, And so I have sources all
over the place. Does that mean I'm always right? Absolutely not.
What happens though, is I never said I was. I
(06:49):
said this is what I was told. And when you
make that judgment call, what do you make in a
judgment call about I ain't making a call about your
personal life. I ain't making a call about something ultra
indacive or whatever. You know. The other day when I
made the news about Lonzo, I'm like this, they said, Yo,
stephen A. They said, sometimes it's like it's hard for
(07:11):
him to stand to stand up from the position in
the chair. All right, I'd heard the same thing on
several occasions. Well, two years ago, you missed forty two games.
Do the injury. The next season, missed the entire season.
This season is coming up, the team announced, think about this.
The team announced the June that he would be available.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Before the new year. Think about that.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
So I'm going like this, you gonna literally sit pool
side and hop up and down in a chair from
a seating position when you done missed forty eight percent
of your games and just your fourth or fifth year
your career. Brother, you clearly are not healthy. Okay, you
want to get literal with it. Maybe I shouldn't have said,
oh whatever, that's what they but you ain't exactly. So
(07:59):
I'm like, that's what you want to refuse. And I
like Lonzo, not none against them, but having done against
his daddy, whatever the case may be. But I would
say to you, go back to the days when I've
covered I was a beat writer for The Filthy in
seventy six ers, and I'm covering Alan and Iverson and beyond.
I've been a journalist for thirty years. I was a
beat writer for ten. I was a general sports columnist
for another seven and eight. I've been around and so
(08:22):
there's been plenty of times when people have refuted what
I've said and then years later come to find out
I was telling the truth all along. You go ahead
and you denied that. I remember one time I had
a player. I'm in Saint Thomas is where my family's from.
And if you go to Saint Thomas's a spot called
Red Hook, and Red Hook is where you're going. You
take the boat from Saint Thomas to Saint John's. It's
(08:43):
only a fifteen minute boat rocke and I'm literally docking
away from Red Hook, going into the ocean. I get
a call up one out and it's saying I'm lying.
I'm like, what the hell are you?
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Kid?
Speaker 3 (08:53):
You already told them you leaving.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
It's hurting my brand.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
And you realize how a life of cats are thinking.
They're thinking about their social media following. They're thinking about
the connections that they have, They're thinking about how that's
gonna be parlayed in a monetary value for themselves down
the line, and how I could be compromised. And so
when you see these denials, let's say, you say, all right,
it makes sense, I got it. I leave it alone.
But my attitude is I'm not giving you a death sentence,
(09:21):
and I'm not talking about your personal business, right, I'm
talking about relatively obvious stuff. Calm the hell down and
stop making it bigger than what it is, right, and
you'll be fine.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
The conversation that I saw, I saw a little bit
of it about were Steph Curry, I think gonna Gilbert
Arenas Agent Zeros podcast saying he's the greatest point guard.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
You agreed or disagree.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
I agreed, but I was mistaken. And the reason why
I say I was mistaken is because what I wanted
to elaborate on is when you're talking about a typical,
quintessential point guard, you're talking about a facilitator, right, Magic
Johnson's greatest ef Yeah, there's no question.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
I I was talking about was impact from the position,
and to me, Steph Curry's marksmanship, combined with his ability.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
To move without the ball, puts.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
A defense's head on a swivel. And as a result
of that, because of the panic he creates because of
his extraordinary marksmanship, you have to pay rapt attention to him.
You can't afford to Billy pay attention to anybody else,
And that, to me is a similar impact to Magic
Johnson's ability to get to the basket, throw no look passes,
(10:32):
and especially Magic Johnson in the open court in the
fast break. But if you put Magic Johnson in a
half court setting, he backs you down, he throws the
ball to Kareem abdu Jabal. Open court is worthy as
Byron Scott's Cooper. You know what I'm saying, this stuff
like that, pick your poison. I was talking about impact.
I wasn't talking about a quintessential facilitator. That's the point guard.
(10:53):
Steph Curry is clearly not that.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Because that's what I'm saying. I don't really look I
look at Steph as a two right. I understand that
all these got new age guys, Dame Lillard, Steph Current,
all these guys are two guards masquerading.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
They just they're not the point guard.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
I'm looking at point guard like Magic John, Stockton, Jason Kidd,
Mark Jackson. When I think point guard, that's what I'm thinking.
I got you.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
We agree, we agree, we agree. I mean, listen, Magic
Johnson is so phenomenal. And Michael Jordan has been arguing
on me about this forever because Magic John's the greatest
in his eyes as well, so you know what I'm
saying is one of those changing that dudes changing any
changing Michael George's mind. You ain't got no snowball chance
in Heliporia. But but but but he's right, and and
and Eddie Johnson does NBA radio, He's absolutely right. He
(11:36):
was talking about a mad Dog Russo and his story,
and he was talking about he was absolutely right. We
know that as a pure pass that Magic Johnson is
the greatest facilitator the game has ever seen. But I'm
saying as an impact, you could talk about Steph Curry
being the two guard, but I would tell you he
has the ball in the hands enough the offense runs
through him, and the impact his marksmanship creates creates just
(12:00):
as much habit as Magic Johnson situated. And that's all
I was trying to say, which is why, even though
if you're taught them brought a prototypical point guard, you
would pick others before him. If you're talking about impact,
it's him and Magic Johnson.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Yeah, oh we're doing, no question, there's no denying that.
Exactly when you look at Lebron. Let's take Lebron and
you you were covering the NBA when Lebron got in yep,
I said, Lebron is overachieved because no matter what you
thought he might be, ain't nowhere in hell you thought
he would be this good Steven Day.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
No, I didn't. That's why I got him number two.
Old times. Lebron James is one of the greatest ever.
Do it and listen, we're gonna miss him. When he's going.
I can sit up there and I can have my
basketball decisions as Michael Jordan one him two. But I
gotta tell you, man, I got so much love and
respect for Lebron, and a lot of people they misconstrume.
(12:57):
You know what I mean by that when I say
I got love for a brother that I barely know,
because it's not like I talk to him every day
or whatever. Even though we accord you to one another
in the whole nine, I'm saying, I appreciate who you
are and what you've meant. Yes to our community, to basketball,
to young men, particularly young black men everywhere, the students
(13:18):
phenomenal man, and and to be a guy that was
on the cover of Sports Illustrated and the only blemish
in his entire career is that I'm taking my talents
to South Beach. That is literally the only staying yeah
on his career.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
And he raised money for the boys, and I mean
it's ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
A businessman, extraordinary actor, he did a great job and everything.
Think I'm joking when I put the tick of him
great actor, great because because you know we so sensitive,
Lebron Jays actually had a ticker creator for first take
great actor, great business man. So be there for you.
It's no be there when you bring about saying, I said,
can we get it out the way, because I want
to make sure he knows I recognize all.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
The greatness about him. Let's in the movie train Wreck.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Did you see what he did?
Speaker 1 (14:02):
He was great?
Speaker 3 (14:03):
He was great. He did a great job you know
with Amy Schuma believe. I mean, he was fantastic. You know,
I got it. But the point is is that the
dude is phenomenal on a multitude of levels. And when
he has done for us as black people in this
nation in terms of his business acumen, his commitment to excellence.
(14:23):
You know, this brother takes care of his body. He's
always in shape. I mean I looked at He's the
reason that I got mad at Anthony Davis last year
because I'm looking at Anthony Davis. You know this brother
vouched for you, right, you know this brother has his
name on the line for you, right. I know you.
I know you got him the ring in the bubble,
but you understand that. Don't stop there?
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Right?
Speaker 3 (14:44):
How is he in better shape than you? How is
he more focused and dedicated than you? Could you take
your ass over his house and and mimic his workout,
use his trainer, use his nutritionness, do something, and you
unders saying saying, I'm like, it's like, come on now,
look man, I'm the star. First day he tell you
(15:07):
some shinshaw, I'm gonna do some more pushups.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Bro, That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
I'm gonna change my diet even more. I ain't gonna
let you down, bro, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
I'm not gonna bet there ain't.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Got shitning and Ron RC sitting across from me with
him with his fittingess facility in Louisiana and all of
this other stuff, And I'm gonna roll around with a
belly and looking all shit. Oh no, no, no, it
ain't going down like that. It ain't going down like that.
I'm gonna be in shape, bro. I've been getting the shape,
but I already lost some pounds.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
I really doing my body fat and half.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
I did all that. But what I'm I'll never be
the black Hawk, but you are. I ain't trying to
do that. But you ain't gonna look at me and
go like this. Damn he needed to get the jim.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
He ain't in shape.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
I ain't gonna do that. I ain't gonna do Hama
bringer that you got Molly sitting in the middle and
stuff like that. You sitting across from me. I'm like,
and I'm looking Chebvy now, I ain't going down like that.
And I'm looking at Anthony Davis like, ain't there's nothing
inside of you that said, you know, I need to
be in shape. You're gonna drop forty one game.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
And eleven and next. Come on, bro, come on bro.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
You know it's like you looking at Lebron and I
literally almost went on the air. It was like, you know, Lebron, I'm.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Sorry I felt that bad for you because.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
I'm like, in his twentieth year in the league, he's
in better shape, and he the best player, and he
actually don't want to be He actually wishes you were
in better shape. He actually wishes you were the better player,
which you are where you bring your a game, but
it's sporadic because of a lack of dedication. In my opinion,
(16:45):
I don't know that, but I'm like, would you think
that if you were Lebron, Like, wait a minute, with
some missing, you ain't doing.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Sun right, Bro, I'm almost ten years more in the
league with more wear and tear.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Come on, man, come on, man, and you in l A.
And you know this because you've been out here, live
out here now a different flavor. You know you got
to be disciplined to be out here. You can't you
you can't easily locate the distract I mean they are
easy to find. Distractions.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Well, that's the thing with discipline. It requires you to
do your best with no one. You think, no one
is watched. There you go, there you go.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
When I'm in l A, Bro, I don't come outside
until I finish my work out. Other than the first take,
I don't come outside until I finish my workout because
I know once I get outside there's gonna be a
while before I get back. I'm just not gonna gonna
be because I'm just I'm just not gonna want I'm
just not you know what I'm saying. You know.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
That's right. We're gonna be We're gonna be in the
gym together, in gym with that.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I'm not listen you want you want to meme that
people will be laughing at me for the next two
decades have me in the gym with sharing and shop.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Come on, man, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
That's like, that's like the rocks that the next to
Snoop Dog. We ain't doing that. We are the snoopids
my dog. You know you know I love you, baby,
You know I love you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Come on now, I ain't doing that.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
I'm not getting in the gym with you.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
You won't work out, huh, just won't work out.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
I'm gonna work out every listen, I work out. You
know what I might do that I might I'm gonna
wait a few months, though, I'm gonna wait a few months.
I'm not gonna do that just yet, okay, Dame, Yeah,
man and James Harden situation, Yes, hir, Dame is you
know he looks he saw James Harden get.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Fined one hundred thousand for calling Darryl Mourray a liar.
He's like, I ain't trying to, you know, lose any
of my money. So what's what's your take on those situations?
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Well, when I think about Dame, it's more sensitive to
me because Dame could have demanded out several occasions and
he never did. And it's Portland. It ain't like he
didn't demand out of La on my end, right, he
didn't demand out a poor right, okay.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
And he was never gonna get anybody to come a.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
It's never gonna get so now that he's been there
a decade and he's like, it's time look out for
the brother now. Now, should he have handled it a
tab bit differently in terms of all right, I shouldn't
have said, just Miami, try to work behind the scenes to.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Get this done.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Maybe he shouldn't have done that, right, But the bottom
line is he's given Portland everything he's had, right, and
you know, you moving in a different direction, you drop
your number. The third overall pick is your school, Henderson,
play your position, Come on, y'all, get it done, you know.
And so that's how I feel. I support Dame on that.
James Hard is a different animal, and I like James
(19:42):
but James gotta be more accountable. You got everything you want.
They gave you everything but a Pacify and a BIB
in Houston. Whatever you wanted they gave you. You did everything. Money,
helicopter rods, massad, therapists, masseuse, hang out, the strip club,
whenever you want everything, You want to Vegas, whatever you
want me. They gave you everything, and Daryl Morey took
(20:02):
care of you to the point where Mike d'antonia didn't
even show negative plays a James Harden when James Harden
was in the film room, showed about everybody else wouldn't
even show home in the film room. This is me
covering the NBA. I'm telling you what I know. Then
you force your way out. You want to go to
Philly because you want to go with Darryl Moore. You
want to follow him there, but they say no, So
you want to go to Brooklyn. They tell you no. Initially,
you show up the camp out of shape. You make
(20:24):
it very very clear that you ain't trying to do
anything because you're trying to get the hell out of town.
So they ultimately trade you to Brooklyn. You get in Brooklyn,
you force your way out of it because you want
to go with Darryl Morey and Philly, which is where
you wanted to go all along. Now, although we can't
absolve Daryl Morey, if you lied to the man you
lied to, that ain't nobody giving, ain't nobody blaming. That's right,
(20:48):
you know, if you told him that, you owe him
that correct fit period. But why is anybody gonna be
sympathetic to James Harden with what James Harden has done
on three separate ocasions and now you're doing it a
fourth And you gotta remember when he was in Houston.
I want Dwight Howard. I don't want Dwight Howard. I
(21:09):
want Carmelo Anthony. Don't want Carmelo Anthony. I want CP three.
I don't want CP three. I want Russ. I don't
want Russ. And now one single championship to show for it.
It ain't like you are champion making these demands. You
getting paid. You're a show stopper, we get it, but
you have no championships to show for any of your efforts.
(21:33):
At some point in time, somebody got to be willing
to say to you, yo, can you give me a
little bit more? Oh, by the way, don't get me started.
Will close out games in the playoffs. We just saw
what you did in the Game seven nine points three
for eleven shooting and a Game seven close out game
against Boston. You had him for Game six, you were
up three to two on your home turf in Philadelphia,
(21:54):
and look what happened. Those are the kind of things
that I'm talking about. And so when something like that happens, man,
I can't support that. Right. I can like him and
be cool with him, but I can't support those decisions
that he's can't do it.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
What's Katy's legacy going to be?
Speaker 3 (22:12):
What's Kevin Durant's legacy gonna.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Because I think Stephen a. He was up three to
one on the Golden State Warriors. He's up three to
one on a seventy three win team, lose Game five,
lose Game six, lose Game seven, and in games five
and six and seven of games five and six, he
shot the ball terrible.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Yeah, I will tell you this. I think that Kevin
Durant is one of the greatest players that I've ever seen.
But when I saw how things materialized in Brooklyn and
then he went to Phoenix and got bounced out in
the second round of Denver. What I said was, I
(22:58):
can't put him above Lebron. I used to look at
him and his offensive arsenal and think that, But what
I realize is that I'm not showing enough respect and
appreciation to the leadership that Lebron has exerted and exhibited.
Lebron has been the face of every franchise he's been on,
(23:21):
even though d Wade was that leader in Miami. And
when you look at Lebron, what he had to deal
with Kyrie, you know, what he had to deal with
when he arrived in LA what he had to deal
with with all evitriol aimed in his direction in Miami
and stuff like that. Mental toughness, ultimately leadership, accountability. You know,
(23:45):
of course his he is in Cleveland. Of course, when
you look at all of these things, he showed an
ability to deal with things Kevin Durant did not right.
Kevin Durant is a phenomenal player, a good brother, really
authentic in a lot of ways. I got a lot
of love for him. He is a two time champion,
the two time NBA Finals MVP. We can't tell I
don't care that he's playing with the Golden State Warriors.
(24:06):
He averaged thirty five. He was the MVP. He balled out,
you know, he showed his greatness. But the problem that
I would tell you that was really put on display
in Brooklyn. He needed to be a leader.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
But he doesn't want that.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
He's already told you that. And that's the difference. Lebron
wants it. Lebron wants to be the leader. Lebron accepts it.
You know. You know, Kyrie is Kyrie, and you know
I'm not here to I'm not gonna throw no shade.
Me and Kyrie have had our issues. That stuff has
been resolved. But the point is is that at the
end of the day, Kyrie that is somebody that Kevin Durant,
(24:45):
if he were that leader, had to reel in r
by simply saying, man.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Bump all this. We try to win the chip.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Kyrie doesn't hurt his ankle against Milwaukee in the playoffs,
Brooklyn might have won it all right, because I think
they win that series against Milwaukee, and I think they
could have beaten in Phoenix. I mean, it's just that
simple to me. And so when I'm looking at it
from that perspective, I'm just saying to myself, You, Kevin Durant,
it's about living and let living and I'll do my job. Naw.
It's about making sure that the ultimate job is to
(25:17):
try to win the chip and letting nothing stand in
the way of that. If you're on a football field,
Ray Lewis might have been the leader.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
You ain't gonna be quiet.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
If you see cats blowing your opportunity to win the
Super Bowl championship, You're gonna be like yo. And I
remember when Isaiah Thomas, the great Isaiah Thomas, two time
Champion Hall of Famale Isaiah Thomas was arguing with me
one time about Kyrie and I said to him it
was over the back seat thing, and I said, I'm
gonna end this conversation right now, Zeke by one simple question.
(25:50):
If a member of the Detroit Pistons that was such
an integral part of your championship hopes took that position,
what would you have done? Isaiah started laughing. He said,
as a team, we would have snatched his ass up.
We had sat him down, tied him up, and we
had ejected the shitting To myself, he said, now you
might have been mad at us.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
You might have been mad at us right, but we
would have done it.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
I said, I rest my case. All I'm saying is
that at the end of the day, were trying to
win and anything that gets in a way of that
is secondary right to that actually being the priority. It's
all I'm saying. And I think Kevin Durant should have
had that attitude, and I don't think he did.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
You look at the West, the Nuggets won the championships.
I like nicolea Yokich. I think he's one of the
two best players in all of basketball. You got Phoenix
this is a year book and Katie together, Bradley Bill joined.
You got the Warriors CP three. What's gonna be his
role in that situation? The Lakers if Anthony Davis is healthy,
I like that. They they have depth. Austin Reeves I
(26:52):
like him.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
I like him.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
What's how's the West gonna shake it?
Speaker 3 (26:57):
First of all, we always root for the Lakers because
they have something to color for. I mean, you know,
if you ask me, do I want to go to
San Francisco or La is l a all day every
day twice with Sundays, so so just for my own
personal preferences, it's always La La Miami is my dream scenario.
That's why I was so miserable doing COVID, because the
one time I wanted to get my dreams.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
In the bub, I was so depressed.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
I was so depressed.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
But I'll tell you this, I.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Don't believe in Anthony Davis in terms of his availability.
I'm not talking about his skill set. I'm not talking
about whether he cares or not. I'm talking about injury prone, sporadic.
There's something going on with him where instead of talking
about me getting in the gym, you need to be
jogging in him to get in the gym, because it's
just up and down. It's like it's like it's like
(27:49):
this brother sat up there, ate healthy meal one day,
and then the the bag of skittles the next, and
it's the plumbing.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
You know what I'm saying. I don't understand it, and I.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Can't have faith in it. I think they'll make the playoffs.
I think they'll be formidable. I dismissed the Clippers because
I just don't believe that Kawhi Lennard will ever be healthy.
I just don't believe that. Well.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Paul George is miss damn.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
There's much time I agree with you that's totally totally true, Troy.
I remember, I just show the numbers recently. I think
Paul George misses about thirty eight percent of his game
and Kahi is that forty eight percent. So I think
it's around that Paul George talking about he gonna play
bully ball and all that stuff. We'll see you, unserd.
I'm saying, especially even talking to him and Devin book
was going back and forth. I got to see that,
right because I know Devin book is coming that dude
(28:31):
de Book. Devin Booker is real and I'm talking about
his mentality. He ain't scared of nothing. He's coming for you.
So I definitely respect that. And we're gonna see what
Bill and kd do together as well. Phoenix, to me,
should be the favorites. You look at Denver, uh, They're
obviously formidable and you got that cohesive missile. I would
tell you a rematch between Denver and Phoenix and all
likelihood the conference finals as opposed to the divisional playoff
(28:52):
round semifinals. Rather, we'll see that, but that's what comes
to my mind. I don't expect much from Dallas, even
though Anthony Edward is on the rise. I don't expect
much from Minnesota. I don't expect much from Minnesota. I
think that was to me they don't have the person out.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Do you think do you think Minnesota should not run
the team through Anthony itwars as opposed to Cat Yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Agree, I agree totally. I think that Anthony Edwards is
one of those dudes. He's one of those dudes. He's
coming and I feel that way. But I definitely think
that when you look at the two teams, I would
look at Phoenix and Denver, and then I would look
at the Lakers and Clippers on it outside on a
come up, right, That's how I view the West.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
You didn't mention the Grizzlies, obviously the Josh situation. Hopefully,
I think they're ap Pepho mentioned they're they're appealing his
twenty five game suspension. So I'm under the assumption that
it's gonna stick. Let's just say, for for this argument,
it's going to say it's gonna stick. You've been outspoken
yet I've been very outspoken, and I don't know Jah,
(29:51):
but if I could sit down, I just think he
was I just thought he was moving in a direction
that wasn't conducing to accomplish what he really really wanted
to come. That's been an outstanding basketball player, be a
brand the job, brand being one of the faces.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Of the NBA.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
I agree with you, What if there's some advice you
could give him. I don't know how well you know
it's dad.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
I don't. I don't. I've met him both at once.
John's a great player. Jo's phenomenal. And I think that
Jah is gonna come back with a vengeance. You know,
I really really believe he's gonna come back with a vengeance.
He's gonna recavoc. And I love the acquisition of Marcus Smart.
I got Boston, by the way, as my favorite overall.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Really, yes, I do wow.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
I think porzingis at seven to three with the ability
to step away from the basket and shoot, combined with
Tatum and Brown still keeping Al Horford okay and Robert
Williams in the mix with a Derek with a Derek White,
with a Malcolm Brogdon the rain and sixth Man of
the Year. I think when you look at their depth,
the athleticism and perimeter shooting, their ability to defend the
(30:54):
fact that Missoula has a year under his belt coach
and the team. I think all of those things bowled
well for boys, and they've been knocking on the door
long enough. You Jalen Brown, you just signed three hundred
million dollars, you damn well better show up. And if
you and if you Jason Tatum, who's in line for
about three hundred and sixty million, you damn well better
show up. And so I'm gonna assume that they will.
But I think Mark is smart. Losing him it'll be
(31:17):
felt to some degree, but I definitely think it's gonna
help Memphis immensely, right, And I think that, you know.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
And I think that, and you get Steven Adams back Clark, and.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
People don't realize Adams and Clark being gone. Lakers don't
beat them like that. If Adams and Clark are healthy,
that just doesn't happen, because Adams and Clark are no joke.
And so I take that into consideration as well. Having
said all of that, I'm not sure. And they're shooting collectively, right, Okay,
So that concerns me. I think they're sporadic defensively, that
(31:47):
concerns me. I think they're coaching concerns me to some degree.
So I look at Memphis. But in terms of my
advice to Joe, it's this, man, some people you gotta
leave behind. And I don't mean cut 'em off like
you don't know 'em, right, I don't mean cut 'em
off like you can't be with them. But I'll give
(32:08):
you a perfect example. I got brothers that I grew
up with in Queens, New York. Half of them are
dead cause, you know, the drug game was real prevalent then,
and I was blessed that I was never a part
of it, but most of my friends were. And you know,
I got a couple of I got a couple of
brothers that you know, did some time, and I'll always
(32:34):
look out for them. I'll always have love for them. Shannon,
they can't hang with me. No, they can't hang with me.
You're not coming to work with me. You're not coming
to a game with me. That's not happening. And I
see you neighborhood. What stuff? How you doing? You need
me for anything? What's so? What you need? I can
help you. I'm more happy to do that. So I'm
not told by ostracizing you. But the NBA is your business.
(32:58):
What happened with John Court him about sixty million hours,
sixty million ounce You ain't getting that back. No matter
how much money you get, you ain't getting that back.
And so for me, you know, with his dad, Look,
I'm a father, you're a father. Here's the deal. I
know you can't tell your son literally tell him what
(33:19):
to do. He's a grown up, right, but certain things
he don't need to be doing it right in front
of you. Correct you the grown up, you dad, and
you are not supposed to be trying to live the
life he liveing. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Y'all made it and you're gonna make it even more.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
And so it's not to cast dispersions, assault them, denigrate
them in any way. Who wouldn't root for jama Ren?
Who ain't rooting for him to succeed? I don't know
anybody that they root.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
I know I'm rooting for him.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
I know you're rooting for them. But how are we
helping you? If we see you doing stuff that we
know could potentially lead to your downfall and we say nothing,
are we really trying to help you? If we say nothing, No,
we're not trying to help you. And that's why we
say something, because we want you to correct the errors
so you could rise and prosper and live your life.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
I don't know what you feel about this, but I
said this at the time the seventy fifth anniversary. I
said Anthony Davis shouldn't have made it over Dwhite Howard.
Stan Van Gundy said, you can't make a case to
say is Anthony Davis' career has been better than Dwhite Howard.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
What's your take on that.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
I kind of agree. Anthony Davis was a prolific scorer,
but at the end of the day, he wasn't relevant
until he arrived to the Lakers with Lebron correct Dwight
Howard was a three time Defensive Player of the Year,
extraordinary shot blocker and e racer. Was never the offensive
player that Anthony Davis no us, but certainly was just
(34:52):
as impactful, yes, and more successful because he was on
the squad that Anthony Davis won a championship with as
a reserve, which means he's got a ring too, right,
And so you offset that and now look at their careers.
Even though the talent that is Anthony Davis I consider
to be better than the White Howard, right, the impact
(35:17):
of your career is not greater than that of the
right Howard.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
The White Howard took the team to the NBA Finals. Yes,
he did in his prime. He's one of the five
best players in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Absolutely, absolutely, So I can't disagree with that. I can't.
I can say Anthony Davis is a better talent, yes,
but it also highlights what you must not be doing
because a lesser talent, that is the White Howard, was
more impactful than you were.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Right players under twenty five, you got Luca JT, Trey Young, Zion,
Anthony edwardths You know what, Zion, because you've been very
I've been very outspoken Steven that you know, I'm a
nutritional guy. Guy, I'm in the body and I said,
he just do me. I said, y'all a chief, Oh Shaddy,
you don't know what's going on.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
I say, bro, the man is three hundred plus.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
I can tell he's not eating the way he should
in order to burgers. But you know you you know
in New Orleans eating gumbo and you say and jambalah everything.
So what joa. How do we get how do we
get Zion to understand? Because I think the greatest person
(36:22):
that he needs to sit down and have an hour
long conversation with is Charles Barkley.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
He's a more athletic Charles Barkley.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
I just gotta be honest. I don't think he cares enough. Wow,
I don't think he cares enough. I'm not saying he
doesn't care. I'm not talking about Karen. I'm talking about
that fire that it's the end all beyond, because I
believe he's in a market he don't want to be said.
(36:53):
I believe if he was in New York or someplace
where he really really wanted to be, we see a
more dedicated zion to his physicality. And the point is
is that I don't know that to be sure. But
you can't walk around as big as he is. No,
and tell me you dedicated, right, You can't. You can't
(37:15):
because even when you're when you're restricted in terms of
your mobility, you know what you'll do. You'll eat less
and you'll eat better because you'll fear bloating, you'll fear
blowing up and not being ready when called upon. Once
you here, that hasn't been the case.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
Because if you eating bad while you're active in running
up and down.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
The court, what the hell you think you're gonna eat
when you can't run up and down the court, that's right.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
So now the thirty pound that you took off because
you was healthy and athletic and running up and down
the court, you better.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
Put fifty back home, exactly. And that's exactly how I feel.
And because of that, again, I love Zion's game. I
believe he's a potential superstar in this league. He's something
to behold. But I think it's they had a question
his commitment to his conditioning, right, And if you're questioning
somebody's commissions, you know, commitment to conditioning, you're questioning whether
(38:08):
or not they care. And that's really what it comes
down to, right.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
We've talked about players under twenty five, Luca, Jason Tatum,
Trey Young, Zion, Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Chake, Gil, just D Fox,
or Jordan Poole. I'm gona give you one guy of
all those guys I mentioned, who you taking.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
A lot of people would say Luca, I'm gonna say
Jason Tatum. Jason Tatum sixty nine, Jase s to shoot
the three. I saw Jason Tatum drop forty six in
a close out playoff Game six in Milwaukee. I saw
Jason Tatum handle his business in the game seven. I've
seen a young Jason Tatum, who ain't even twenty seven
(38:47):
years of age yet be a primary option on a
team that's going to five conference championship games of championship
series in an NBA Finals. I just look at him
and I say, and not only that, we just talked
about conditioning. There have been times when we looked at
Luker and we've said he ain't in shape. He's getting
(39:10):
in shape right his season progresses. We look at Jason
Tatum from day one and say he's in shape right.
That matters to me. I would go with Jason Tatum.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
Andre Igodald says, the player with the mentality is closest
to Kobe Bryant is Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
You agree with that.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
Closest to Kobe Bryant is Jimmy Butler. As far as mentality,
you could say that I would beg to differ who
you like. Devin Booker. Jimmy Butler works. But the difference
between Jimmy Butler and Devin Booker is Jimmy Butler doesn't
(39:51):
care that much about offense until the postseason. Arride right,
Kobe cared about it all the time, be honest, and
Devin Booker cares about it all the time. Right, They
coming out looking for their shot from opening tip off.
Jimmy Butler, sometimes you literally feel like you got to
throw something at him just.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
To make him shoot the basketball. Right he does.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
It's not a priority for him. And that is why
I would say no on that Kobe comparison.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
Not much as known about Steven H's private life. Yep,
you like myself, are very very private.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Yep. How have you been able to maintain that level
of privacy?
Speaker 3 (40:29):
Number one, I'm quick to sell somebody to mind that
damn business, you know. And that's a kind way of
putting it. And I will cancel a woman in a
heartbeat that talks about my business. She utters my name?
What publicly about us? She gone, I wouldn't have us.
(40:52):
I don't care. I don't care. You know why, because
I want you to know who my woman is when
she's missus Smith. I'm talking about publicly, right, I'm not
talking about you know, shann ain't gonna Shannon go meet
my girl. You know, Jamie's Matt. I'm not talking about that.
I'm talking about announcing that you see us and people
(41:13):
talk oh no, let them talk. You better not talk.
I will cancel you quick and.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
She can't, so she can't post none on I g.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
Never I would. She wouldn't. She wouldn't make it to
my crib. I'm telling you, I'm not joking. She wouldn't
make it to my crib. She can live five minutes away,
she'd be going by five five minutes. I don't play
that because here's the thing. I'm in the public eye.
Let me tell you what to test what I detest.
And I've never done this to another man. It makes
me cringe when this happens to a man. I can't
(41:45):
get over how these stars be messing with somebody and
then you with somebody else. But that's who you used
to mess with. Nah, yeah, no, nothing. I mean, who's
talking about? It could be an ex. I be like,
what you're talking about? That's a friend, Steve. You's messed
with who, ain't you? That's what I don't know what
you're talking ain't none of your business. I'm not doing that.
(42:07):
You know, when she missus Smith, you'll know who she is.
Until that time, I might have messed with her, I
might not have messed with her. You'll never know. I
don't do that. And I can't stand when we see
people out here like sharing their information and you know
it's on Instagram and Twitter. We've grown ass men and women.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
When did everybody?
Speaker 3 (42:28):
When did your business become everybody else's business?
Speaker 1 (42:31):
I don't vibe with that.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
I have no patience with that. And anybody who knows me,
and I mean anybody who knows me.
Speaker 1 (42:40):
They'll tell you right now.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
I live in LA, five minutes from where we are.
They wouldn't make it to my crib being my woman.
If I saw something on social media that was initiated
by them about me, they out. I wouldn't hesitate. I
have been that way my entire adult life and I
was never changed in that rega. I could be getting
ready to getting married, wedding called off.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
So it was all the way game with me. So
it was all the way game with me. It was
always your It.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Was always says once you got into the public eye,
was to be private.
Speaker 3 (43:12):
Absolutely, it's not everybody's business.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
It's not Righty's business. Look, I know people business.
Speaker 3 (43:18):
You see me.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
I'm on TV. I'm a professional journalist.
Speaker 3 (43:21):
I challenge anybody to talk about stephen A talking about
their personal private business.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
Now, if you're.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
Walking on public and putting everything on display and all
of that, all.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
Right, that's fine, you know what I'm saying. I just
talked about Megan good to find that stuff the other day. Okay,
I get it.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
You're sings annilate that I mess.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
She's been fine for you, you know what I mean.
I got it your stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
But you don't hear me talking about people's private business.
I don't do it. I don't and I never ever will.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
I read where your daughters don't like when people come
up to you and ask for autographs when they're in
your presence.
Speaker 3 (43:56):
Oh my lord, us man. Do they have a social
media presence a little bit, But I try to monitor it,
and you know, I leave that to their mom. But
I will tell you this for me, Oh my god,
being a dad for daughters, it's the greatest blessing and
(44:20):
the worst curse. Because the blessing is, you didn't know
what love is until they You thought you knew what
love was and then they came along. The curses, you
didn't know what love is until they came along. So
you're never at piece. You're always worried, worried about everything.
(44:41):
Worry about everything, and they did daddy's you know, daughters.
So they like me from the standpoint like, first of all,
I'm not that special, I'm just dad. What is so
big about you? I mean, please, why all you do
is talk on television?
Speaker 1 (44:55):
I mean you cares our lord?
Speaker 3 (44:57):
O caay if we hurry up?
Speaker 1 (44:58):
Please?
Speaker 3 (44:59):
What do they want?
Speaker 1 (45:00):
Yo? Want to grab four?
Speaker 3 (45:02):
But then they get attitude cause it's like they're taking
our time, hurry up, like literally, and it's like and
I knew. I knew from the time my daughters was
like seven, eight years old. I came home and I
had to do I had to get to Dallas. I
was supposed to go from La straight to Dallas. I
(45:24):
literally flew home on the Red Eye just to take
them to school and to give them a hug and
a kiss. And I took them to school. They were
all happy and bouncing around and all that stuff. And
the child from school and I said, Okay, Daddy gotta go.
They're like what And I was like this, I probably
(45:46):
they gotta go to work right in Dallas. And the
teachers like just go, just go right, and I get
on get on the road. I'm going to the airport.
And I called all the schools speak to and they like,
could you call back later? They don't want to talk
to you. And I'm like, this is seventy eight years old,
(46:08):
and it's like and I knew then my life's over.
It belongs to them. They run my life. So I
squeeze in things for me, right, But they're the generals.
That's how it goes.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Do your kids watch your kids? Are?
Speaker 2 (46:23):
They are at the age now they understand what you're fourteen? Yeah,
so they understand.
Speaker 1 (46:27):
What you do. Yes, they know who they know who
dead is.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
That's right, that's right. And they see me lied on
a lot because a lot of times I've been accused
of saying something or doing something and they know better.
Or I was accused of being someplace like that and
you was with us, you know. But it's like, it
is what it is. They understand it. And I tell
them it's about tough skin. You can't overreact to everything.
You out to understand. When you're in the public eye,
people gonna lie you all the time. They're gonna invade
(46:52):
your privacy, they're gonna instigate stuff. They're willing, they're looking
to provoke a reaction. And I can't give it to
them because if I do, then I take debate and
it can jeopardize what I'm trying to build. And so
you explain those things to them and you hope that
they understand.
Speaker 2 (47:06):
What advice would you give a young journalist, because you know,
the newspaper business is not what it was when you
got into it. Everybody gets there, you know, because it's
so instantaneous now stephen A, you got social media. So
now ain't nobody just sitting there watching the six o'clock news,
and ain't nobody just just reading the newspaper.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
So what advice would you give young journalists?
Speaker 3 (47:27):
First of all, understand that everything feeds off of information.
You've got to be about the business of acquiring intel
and information because that means you have something to talk about,
you have something to write about, you have something to
express opinions about, whether it be via radio, television, podcast, newspaper, magazines,
(47:48):
dot com, whatever, whatever content is. King content will never
go anywhere.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
How people are receiving.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
That content is what has changed. Linear television was once here.
Now it's dissipating before our very eyes. There's some people
that are projecting within the next decade, YouTube will be
more popular than some of the networks, right, if not already,
and so you have to take that into consideration. That's
point number one. Point number two is that you're trying
to build something, build a brand. Know who you are,
(48:17):
know what you stand for, Recognize what gravitates folks towards
you and what doesn't. And that's how you go about
the business of building something. Number three, Master your business.
You gotta know what you're talking about. You gotta know
what you wanna do. A lot of people want to podcast, Well,
do you know what comes with the podcast? It ain't
just a microphone and a camera. There's a production team
(48:37):
that get that's behind the scenes. There's a sales and
marketing angle. There's a sales angle that comes with it,
a marketing angle that comes with it, a technological angle
that comes with it. There's people operating these cameras, you know,
you know, these microphones, making sure the audio is right.
Except how much is that gonna cost? Okay? What level
of course comes with it?
Speaker 1 (48:56):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (48:56):
One of the things that I would give advice to
a lot of students want to come up no matter
what major you take, minor in business, because everything comes
down to business. Now you've got to be about the
business of knowing what your business entails. That way, you
know how to do business. You know what you're negotiating,
you have an idea what it entails. You know when
you've made mistakes and how to pick up on that.
(49:18):
I started my own podcast months ago. I've made a
lot of mistakes. Why because I never had a podcast before.
I had to learn through osmosis. But I put myself
through that fire initially on purpose. So when it grew,
as it's been growing that I'm in a position to
now make the proper decisions because I use that, you know,
that infancy period to really learn and gain knowledge about
(49:41):
the industry. How much is going to cost, what my
losses and my profits look like, et cetera, et ce.
All of those things the things that you have to
know because the business itself that used to exist is
no longer now they're looking for you to bring your.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
Business to them.
Speaker 3 (49:57):
Shannon shap you own your own podcast club, sh over
a million followers doing your thing. Proud of you, my brother,
Keep doing your thing, no doubt. You gotta keep doing that.
You own and operate your business, and there's people around
you that's working for you, So you're gonna be attracted
because you're bringing a business to a potential network.
Speaker 1 (50:16):
To buy to least two et cetera, et cetera. They
don't want to.
Speaker 3 (50:20):
Just employ people anymore. They don't want to deal with
that overhead. They don't want to deal with the expenses
that come with the overhead.
Speaker 1 (50:26):
They want you to deal with that now.
Speaker 3 (50:29):
J McAfee, the deal he just signed with he has.
You got so many people hating on him. Shut up,
all of y'all. Shut up.
Speaker 1 (50:35):
The man had his own business.
Speaker 3 (50:37):
He spent years developing his own business, betting on himself,
just like you bet on yourself, Just like I'm betting
on myself. I just started betting on myself because I
was hindered contractually and I had a lot of obstacles
to overcome in my career before I could get to
this point. Although this was always the vision, I had
to start late. This is what comes with it. When
you know those things. You become a business. And as
(50:59):
Jay's he would say, I'm not a business man. I'm
a business man, and that's what people want to see.
Speaker 2 (51:05):
I'm gonna get you out of here on this one.
Yet we both work with Skip. You work with him,
I think a little longer than I have, and we
both have given him credit for opening up his platform
and allowing us to be who we are, and we
could grow our own platforms, become as you mentioned earlier
businesses of myself. What's for the people? I don't know
(51:26):
how many people have heard, and I'm gonna follow up
after you Skip, what's he really like? Because I think
the thing is, if you've never met him, you just
see him on television, you say, Okay, that's chemming.
Speaker 1 (51:36):
Who he is.
Speaker 3 (51:37):
Skip's a different beast. I don't. I don't know if
you can just describe him in one simple way you can,
you can't. This dude's definition of advice is ding mountain
dwe This dude was in the sixties and in the seventies,
running anywhere for five to eight miles a day, eating
the same meals for breakfast, lunch, at dinner, introducing himself
(52:00):
to his now wife and their first date. You will
never be more important than my job. Get over that
from now or don't bother. I mean, that's his definition
of turning her on. I guess, so I'm I'm just like,
that's he's a different animal, you know, and there are
highs and lows that come with him. Correct, he knows
(52:22):
that there's highs and lows that come with me. There's
highs and lows that come with you and everybody am
and that's the way it goes. But you know, I'm
a man first, and it's about a core decency of appreciation.
The reality is is that no matter how problematic, and
he can be problematic at times, no matter how problematic
(52:45):
he can be, the reality is is that I wouldn't
be where I am today if he didn't give me
that opportunity on first take. And so for me to
be where I am and to know that it's spring
it's springboards off of something that he was directly involved
in making happen. For me to insult him in any
(53:07):
ways just disrespectful, It's wrong and it's something that I
would never do. Now. That don't mean I can't.
Speaker 1 (53:13):
Disagree with him absolutely.
Speaker 3 (53:15):
That doesn't mean that I can't feel that he's wrong.
And anybody like a Jamie hard with yourself and others
who know me have gotten to know me in your case,
you know I would tell him he's wrong to his face.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
Right, he knows where I stand.
Speaker 3 (53:29):
But it doesn't take away my love and appreciation for
him and the fact that he will always be a
brother from another mother to me.
Speaker 2 (53:37):
Yes, So I've always made that clear with everybody. Yeah,
it's not often that someone can give you that opportunity.
And I've said this several times. For me, I cannot
let six months ruin six and a half good years,
because sometimes people are willing to throw everything away for
one mistake, for one bad comment or one something like that.
(53:58):
And even though that would that's all we were supposed
to get. My sister tells me this all the time,
says Shannon, this was all we're supposed to get. About
five months four months ago, I had Tabitha Brown sitting right.
I've interviewed her before. She's fantastic stephen A. She had
no idea this was going on. So we wrapped the
interview and I'm gonna end it on this one and
I'm taking.
Speaker 1 (54:18):
Off my microphone. She says, is the mix off?
Speaker 2 (54:21):
I said, well, I'm taking my mic off, you can
take yours off. We took our mics off and she
leans in close to me. She said, I had a
dream last night. God told me it's gonna be okay,
and for you to go ahead and do what you
need to do, she says, it's gonna be different, but
you need to go on your own now. God told
me that, she said. Now you do what you want
(54:43):
to do with it. But God just she says, And
when I get dreams like this and I'm ever in
the person's presence, it's my duty to tell them A
month later. Yeah, yeah, And I'm like, and when she's
telling me to steven A, you see how you looking
at me, I'm looking at.
Speaker 1 (55:01):
Her now you know what's going on? She said, God
told me this last night. And it's funny that I'm
sitting here doing this interview. Did this interview with you?
And I needed to tell you this.
Speaker 2 (55:12):
Once she told me that I was at peace because
I'm racking my brain. I'm like, what did I do?
Did I say something that I offend somebody? I mean,
I just I think I'm doing a great job.
Speaker 1 (55:22):
She said, be at peace with it.
Speaker 3 (55:24):
Yeah, and that's what I told you.
Speaker 1 (55:26):
You did.
Speaker 3 (55:26):
That's what I told you because the reality of the
situation is is that you know, I'm not going to apologize. Listen,
I got a lot of friends over there, all right.
We all know that I know a lot of people,
but that don't mean that what happened to you was fair,
plain and simple. Okay, that ain't the end of the world, no,
but it is what it is. Yeah, So you know,
to me, it was just important for us in this
(55:50):
industry to stand up and say, yo, he's one of us.
You can't get him go out like this, And that
was it for me. It was like it was just
that simple. You go wherever you want. You wanna come
first take, fine, you want to go somewhere else, fine,
because I got my crew here first take, And I'm
not trying to get rid of anybody saying because I'm
not gonna do this forever. And when it's my time
to cost, my time to go right and it's time
(56:11):
for somebody else to step up. But as long as
I'm here, my attitude is gonna be. Listen, the people
that have been a treasure and attribute to this industry
are the people that I'm going to do all that
I can to remind folks this is what they do.
I don't want to be one of those dudes that
I got these platforms first take, and I got my
podcasts and I'm doing the NBA countdown and I got
(56:33):
more stuff coming down the line and everything like that,
And all I'm talking about is what I'm doing. I
asked my job to highlight where everybody else is doing.
Speaker 2 (56:43):
You you wanted to few stephen A because I know
a lot of people that have could have opportunity.
Speaker 1 (56:48):
To help somebody, but they want to be the only
ninja with money.
Speaker 3 (56:52):
Nah. I don't want that. And I told you this,
and I tell the audience that I told you this.
I said you might be a first take for one year,
you might be a first take for years to come.
It's my responsibility, and I'm dead serious, it's a heart attack.
It's my responsibility to make sure that you are more
successful with me than you were before you arrived.
Speaker 1 (57:13):
That's what you told me.
Speaker 3 (57:14):
That's my responsibility, and I'm gonna make sure it happens.
Come hell of higher water. We ain't going down, brother,
We only don't you know that the way it's gonna know,
that's just the way.
Speaker 1 (57:25):
It's gonna go. Man coming HBCUs the takeover.
Speaker 3 (57:32):
I ain't trying to lose. I'm never about that. Anybody
knows me an't about that. I don't mean no disrespect
to nobody.
Speaker 2 (57:40):
Y'all heard it, But I got here as good as
it gets. Right here Steven A Smell, Monday, September four.
Speaker 4 (57:49):
No death, all my life, running, all my life, sacrifice, hustle,
Want a slice?
Speaker 1 (58:01):
Got the brows? Why? All my life?
Speaker 4 (58:03):
I've been grinding all my life, all my life, been grinding.
Speaker 3 (58:06):
All my life, sacrifice that will pay the price.
Speaker 4 (58:10):
Want to slice? Got to brow the wa all my life.
Speaker 3 (58:14):
I've been grinding all my life. That Pam, Pam
Host
Shannon Sharpe
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