August 2, 2023 • 41 mins
Ryan talks with Rockets play-by-play announcer Craig Ackerman about the first Rockets championship and the 22 game win streak, as well as reviewing Jabari Smith Jr.'s and Amen Thompson's Summer League performances.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
How's everybody doing.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I want to welcome you into a very very special
episode of NBA Rookie Life with Ryan Hollins, and this
one is I know, I keep telling y'all every episode
is a fun one, but this is a fun one
because I have somebody who's spent twenty nine or so
years will debatable, we'll get into that years in the
Rockets organization.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
He has worked his way and his ranks up.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
He was doing the part time radio, then he was
full time radio, then it's.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Part time TV.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
And we have come in together and this man is
the one, the only, the voice of the Rockets, the
great crag Cocker man, Craig.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
What's going on? What's up?
Speaker 4 (00:44):
I don't know about all that. I appreciate it, but
it's nice to be with you. And frankly, I guess
I could have just as easily just driven over to
your house.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
We could have done this in the same room together.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You could have you know, when I had Jabbari on,
Jabbari's junior was playing, well, we'll talk about him a
little later on this.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Oh Jabari. Actually, I was like, dude, we can do
a remote.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
He was like, no, I want to come out like
he drove over here after practice. Oh okay, and we
did it in person, shout out.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
And I don't know I live much. I'm assuming I
live much closer to you than Jabbari does. We live
like three miles from one another or something like that.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
So and then isn't it so weird? Like we ride home,
we do everything together. Now that there's no time I
don't even see you, and like there's I feel like
logically we should be hanging out and doing stuff, but
there's a weird like I'm going to see him a
whole lot.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
We do spend a lot of time with one another,
but you're busy podcasting and hooping.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I'm kind of busy doing whatever it is that I
do in the summers as well.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
But but yeah, hey, you know what, what about three
more months we'll be right back at it again.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
So I'm looking forward to all.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Right, Craig, So before we say anything, you got to
let me know this, Like, you know, however many days,
how many years and three quarters?
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So you don't get.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Credit for a full get like what happened. I know
players miss games. I think people don't give us broadcasters
credit because we grind, we travel, we go through a
lot man. You listen, the team wins a championship, we
get rings to Craig, so talk to me about this
this game allegedly that is not on the slate for you.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Well, okay, So, I mean a lot of people in
our profession are able to keep track of how many
games they've worked, and honestly, I have. I got to
be honest, I really have no clue. It's been a lot,
but I just don't know how money. And so the
joke whenever that comes up with me is that it's
something and something in three quarters games, because there actually
(02:39):
was a game that I didn't complete. No, actually, you know,
I maybe rob in my first full time season doing
radio for the Rockets. So this was two thousand and eight,
two thousand and nine ers somewhere in that area. I
had the two gentlemen who preceded me, the legends of
Rockets radio, g Peterson and Jim Fully had their night
where at Toyota Center where they honored them for their careers,
(03:01):
and part of that was them coming in and one
last time having a chance to call a game together,
which I thought was really cool. And so you know,
they had their halftime ceremony in which they were honored
in front of the crowd, and then they came in
and worked the fourth quarter together. I think we might
have been playing Denver that night, but I can't remember,
And so I kind of stepped aside in the fourth
(03:22):
quarter and let them do their things. So again my
joke is whether I've called I don't know, fifteen hundred,
eighteen hundred, ten thousand, I don't know how many games,
but it's always that number in three quarters. And there
you go, because I sat out a quarter, let Gin
and Jim do their thing one more time.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
That was a big of you, Craig, Hey, I got
a show.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Listen, make no mistake, Okay, if we give a big
shout out to the big Bull Clyde or any of
the I am stepping all the way aside.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Okay, there's no there's no question.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
There's no shout out to Clyde.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
By the way, Man just saw Clyde.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
He's doing a great job as commissioner over there at
the Big Three.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
You know, people don't understand, man.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
We go through some ups and downs, like we had
to avoid COVID with the players. As broadcasters, you know,
we get stuck on a couple of flights you know
that are crazy.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
We go through a lot with these guys.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Now it's not the same grind as being a player,
but I have a respect for this that crack man.
Have you had some little ups and downs, you know,
as you know when the call of duty, because you
know what rains leading snow man, We worked through it.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
I'll just leave it at this unless there are unforeseen
extreme circumstances. I am like the postman. I'm going to
deliver and rain, sleep, shine or snow. Let me just
leave it at that.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
We don't want to talk about any tryumph, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Situations, not at all, Not at all. It's a running
it's a running joke amongst us. But uh no, no,
I ref from that.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
So all right, stay tuned.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
You're gonna find out how long it takes Craig Ackerman
to prepare for an NBA game coming up next. I
don't know if you'll believe this, Stay tuned.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
I'll say this about you, Craig.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
What I love about you that I get to see
and I say this are You'll be easily the most
hardest working partner teammate I've had. You prepare like a maniac,
like you're it's amazing to me how overqualified you are.
Like the fans don't know. Let's say there's a game,
there's information, right, you probably get in a fourth, a fifth,
(05:42):
a tenth of the information that you know on these
guys to actually put out. So you know, I'll go
pound for pound with you. I don't know if you
notice it. I'll test you every once in a while
and say how about this? How about and you've got
something you know just about for everything?
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Man? What talk to me about?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
I guess the preparation going into calling a rocket game
or going in what do you do just give the
people for or some kids maybe watching us to say, hey, man,
I want to go into broadcasting.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
What is this like? Man? They just call the game? Man?
Anybody can do that?
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Yeah, you know, I think you're going to go into broadcasting,
especially play by play broadcasting. I think you have to
also be and love might be too strong of a word,
but you have to appreciate the am.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
No it is love. Love is right on. I'm sorry,
Craig for this job. Love is just as much a
part of it.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
You have to enjoy and or love the preparation part
of it. I think because I think the more prepared
that you are, the better off your show is because,
as you mentioned, things do occasionally pop up that you
need to sort of reference. Now, there are things that
you miss and you make some mistakes on. But yeah,
I mean I prepare, I prepare like crazy, and you're right,
you ultimately end up using very little of it.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
When you say prepare like crazy, what is prepare like crazy?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
What is like a day of preparation or a week
or whatever preparation look like for you?
Speaker 4 (07:00):
When you play a team for the first time, obviously
you have to rebuild your spotting boards.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
I minor what's a spotting board? I don't know what
a spotting What is a spotting board?
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Spotting board is basically what play by play people use
to the information where you have the players listed and
statistics and so forth. And everybody's spotting board honestly is different.
No one uses the same thing might happen to be electronic.
I use word documents, and I have everything on my
(07:29):
laptop and so I always have that in front of me,
and so I can able to kind of scroll up
and down as I need to. A lot of people
print them out, some people handwrite them. It varies I mean, again,
everybody's spotting board is different, but that's how you basically
access your information quickly and again to each his own,
because everybody accesses information a different way, and ultimately, over
(07:50):
time and experience, you find different ways to use your
spotting boards that are best suited to you. But that
has all the various information that you need. Sort of
equate it to if you were in school and your
professor said, okay, look we're going to have an exam,
but you're going to have an opportunity to write down
anything and everything that you want to on a sheet
(08:11):
of paper and bring that exam into class with you
to use in reference while you're ultimately taking that exam,
And so it's kind of an open book test, right.
So your test is the game, because no two games
are alike, and so you never know what's going to
be happening next.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
And so you have your spoting board in front of
you to reference information.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
And on that again you have players' names and obviously
the how tall they are, where they're from, where they
were drafted, all the statistics and background information. I also
have career numbers and so forth, and then obviously I
do that for both teams, and so it takes a
little bit longer the first time around when you play
teams because you have to rebuild their boards as rosters change.
(08:51):
And then ultimately I take a bit of a dive
into some advance and leg numbers to kind of get
an idea. I call it my own personal scouting report.
You know, teams tendencies and so forth. You know, you know,
is this a good offensive rebounding team? Do they shoot well?
Do they prefer above the break threes, quarter threes and
so forth, And so that way, you're just kind of,
(09:11):
you know, you're just kind of prepared for the game,
and you understand who your team is because you follow
them all the time. But you're also perhaps also more
importantly aware of who the opponent team is, and so
you can speak intelligently on them as well.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
How long does it take you to build these boards.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
The first time we play a team?
Speaker 4 (09:30):
I might start the night before, and I mean it
probably takes a good I don't know, six to eight
hours the first time around, and then probably half that,
probably half that each subsequent time. And so and then
obviously once if teams make moves around the trade deadline,
and then you play them.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
You got to readjust things. But yeah, I put a
good amount of work into my preparation.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
So for you kids at home you're hearing this, it's
taken It's taken eight four to eight hours to build
a board. And this is for a man who's experience,
who's been in this field, in this cry for twenty
nine or so years doing this, and.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
I still miss things. I hate being unprepared.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
But even with all that said, there are still some
things that you're just you're just missing. Whenever I do
miss something, it drives me crazy. I will it, man,
I don't.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
I don't. I don't like making mistakes like that, but
they're unavoidable.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Okay, Craig, enough of the fun stuff. I'm sure people
would love to hear me and you rant. But let's
get to the stuff that we would like to talk about.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
And you know what Craig was.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
You know, it's kind of fun for me right now,
and I know you're probably like getting weirded out about it.
You're play by play, You're the guy telling me, You're
the guy talking to me, setting things up, doing things.
I'm asking you the question. Man, You're the analyst right now,
You're the you're the guy right now, so we're kind
of flipping rolls.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
I admit, Craig, I'm having fun because you're.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
So you're such a great leader and you got to
sit back and you know you're taking the shots.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Man, taking a bit of a you know, I'll admit
I'm a little bit of a control freak, but I'll
roll with it.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
And it's and it's a great thing.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
And and I do like because for those who don't
know me and Craig will have gone through a game
and he did a great job.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
And you know, a team was in this.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Spot of this spot, and we put out so much
information and try to educate the fans and have fun
and grow in chemistry. And it's not just Crag being good.
Craig's worried about me. So while Craig's doing all this
preparational and stuff, he's trying to make sure that I'm
the best or he'll be kind enough to allow me
to have certain moments within the game and it'll be
after the game he'd be like, oh, man, I forgot
to mention that.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
He hit four.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Straight three he's three games that go on this same
spot and said something building and over Craig, you are great.
How of you?
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Who cares? You know?
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I don't think anybody's you know, gonna worry about it,
but you know the attention to detail, and I do
challenge you on the only point. I think love is
absolutely a part of it, because there's so much preparation.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
If you don't love basketball, you're not going to get through.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
If you don't enjoy it, and it shows in a
broadcast and for you the fans can hear it. But
I think the fun part for me is like I know,
I love this game, and man, you mess you well
because there will be moments in the game for those
who can't see there. I've literally seen Craig and we've
both done it, get up and throw like a fist
pumped in air, jump out of his seat, you know,
(12:09):
for a big play or an exciting moment, like you
love the game, and I don't think that's anything that
you detach from. So even though we're not in practice,
we're not putting up those points.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
We're along for.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
The ride and their journey in the grind. But I
think that love that you have for the game shows too.
So let's get let's get to the fun stuff as
I said, the NBA Rookie Life Film Room, and we're
gonna have some fun with you, Craig. We'll get we'll
dive into the past, and we'll dive.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Into the future.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
So this first clip is something that you had a
chance to witness and it's the rockets very first championship.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
Here's shut off, Mighty bra.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
I want to know kind of the thoughts, the feelings,
the emotions, the story for the city, behind the scene,
what did this mean for Houston basketball? What was going
on here?
Speaker 1 (13:04):
And like, Craig, where were you? Man?
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Was this a young Craig full had a hair shout out,
shout out c j Ackerman.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Man, I just see you in so much, so much, CJ.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
And you maybe not the ponytail, but I see.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
You just kind of free spirited. Man.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
I was.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
I was twenty years old in nineteen ninety four. I
was hanging out with all my buddies and as we
watched every single one of these games, and so we were.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Hanging out his house and yeah, it was it was.
It was awesome.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
I had not started working for the organization yet. I
actually started interning for the Rockets the very following season.
My first year as an interest ninety four ninety five,
so this was ninety three, what ninety three ninety four,
And first of all, this series with against the next
was incredible and yeah, I was just hanging on my
buddies and I mean it was It was so much fun.
And then ultimately when the game ended, and you know,
(13:56):
I got to give a lot of credit when the
city of Houston, when the professional teams would won championships,
This place is has done it right. We've seen it
recently with the Astros winning a couple of World Series,
but going back to the May nineteen nineties when the
Rockets did at that time, the place to be and
the place to go, the hangout spot was basically the
West tim or Richmond area of town. And I mean,
(14:18):
I don't know how many people were down there, tens
of thousands of people were hanging out and just I
mean that's where the whole city converged on and people
were on feet, they were in their car as traffic
was hardly moving.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Everybody was hugging and given high fives and yeah, it was,
it was. It was awesome.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Now, when you joined the team, was there a feeling
like a let me not mess this up?
Speaker 5 (14:39):
You know, like, how was it.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
I was an intern, so I knew I wouldn't move.
I just didn't want to mess anything up for me. Yeah,
So I mean I think the Rockets won this, and
then I ended up getting an internship with the team
starting in October of nineteen ninety fours. It was just
a couple of months after this title against New York,
(15:01):
and for me personally, it was it was first you
got to kind of go back a little bit in
terms of where I was when I was younger and
what I wanted to do for a living. You know,
I did play baseball, and I played baseball in college,
and I ultimately wanted to be a professional baseball player.
But then when I realized that ultimately that was never
going to happen, I started thinking about getting into medicine,
(15:22):
you know, either people medicine or veterinary medicine.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
And then.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Advanced chemistry and calculus was just way too much for
me to deal with. So I thought, well, I love sports,
I love the talk, and so I decided to kind
of give this try to the whole media thing, try
and then just have an opportunity to to to be
given that chance and to be part of an organization
that was on top of the world and was the
(15:48):
toast of the town at that time.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Was just awesome. It was awesome and it's still frankly now,
almost thirty years later, it's still surreal that I'm in
this position.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Do you feel like almost spoiled?
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Like some people have to start out and the team's
not too good? Is it like, like do you feel
kind of like spoiled in like yo, like I saw
I came in and the team was at the peak
at I mean World Champs. Is there like a feeling
kind of like yo, like that doesn't happen. That's not normal,
you know, And how like hooked were you because of that?
And you know, looking back at it now today?
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Oh no, I mean the Rockets of the nineteen nineties
or why I became a Rockets fan and be an
NBA fan. I graduated high school nineteen ninety two, and
so I mean, this is what drew me to the sport.
Loved the Rockets, loved the NBA at the time, watched
all the games, listen to them on the radio back
in the day, and then again to have an opportunity
(16:44):
just to kind of have it.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Oh no, you see Murph. Does Murph have his trailers
there with it? I think Murph is there, if I'm
not mistaken. Shout out to the great Cavin Murphy. He
trails the trailer watching it, watching Greg. He gives a
hug here, and I think he has his trailers there
in the thing.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Watch what's right now? Right? I'm sorry? Greg?
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Oh, he does? He does have a spatias with him?
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Yea, he must, you know, I don't know if he was,
you know, he has his marching thunder band. Maybe they
were in attendance and part of the halftime show or
postgame festivities.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
I can't remember. But yeah, Calvin Murphy Rockets, legend, love
and birth.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
But but yeah, I mean that's and then again just
to have an opportunity to step in and have obviously
an extremely small role as an intern at the time,
and then for them to win it again my first
year there is an intern was was super special. And
then again over the course of time when I eventually
finished up school and got hired to work in the
(17:40):
office and then produced games, and then started doing stuff
with the w NBA with the Houston Comments and we
had an Arena Football League team at the time, and
then ultimately doing some Rockets radio stuff and then full
time play by play and then now on the TV.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
It's been, uh, it's been quite the It's been quite the.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
Journey I've spent I've spent well over half my life
on capacity working.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
For the Houston Rockets.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
What a blessing man, Now, Craig, this next clip I
want to go through. You were part of another special
part of Houston history. Now wasn't a championship, but for
you particularly, you were a part of this and this
was really cool. And we're talking back in two thousand
and eight. You know what I'm talking about that twenty
two game win streak. It's still talked about today in
Houston history. What do you remember most about this win streak?
(18:25):
What was going on?
Speaker 1 (18:26):
And why was this special for the city.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Why did it catch everybody off guard that the team
just ran off twenty two in a row man? What
do you remember about this and how did this change
and affect things in this city?
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Give me the stories?
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Great, Well, A couple of things stand out.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
There was a Steve Novak shot which kept the streak going,
and they believe that was against Sacramento. And then half
of the streak was accomplished. Oh boy, I'm trying to remember.
It was either without Yao or without team act. One
of those guys was out and they were still able
to rattle off that mount of wins without their two
best players at the time. And then I I and
(19:03):
I know, I remember, and when the streak ended, I
believe it was was Kobe and the Lakers were in town,
the game was on national TV, A lot of hoop.
Was an awesome game. But yeah, I mean, you know,
it was one of the longest streaks in NBA history,
and again they were missing one of the two best
players for about half of it. I think it was
Yao who was actually out for about half of that.
But yeah, it was just it was a It was
(19:24):
a lot of fun. These things don't come around very often,
and the Rockets ultimately put out a pretty pretty sweet
documentary about it. If it's ot there somewhere, if you have,
if you have a chance to check it out, it's
it's really cool talking about the streak.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
And yeah, it was just yeah, yeah, yeah. There was
Yao sitting out, so he was the guy that was out,
and it was just, yeah, it was it was fun.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
It was fun, and I remember they'd shout out to
the Kimbay he hadn't kind of played well, or he
was older, he was kind of on the punt. I
remember him coming in and having major minutes.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
It was like, hey, the Kembay's back. You know he's playing. Well,
what did this do for like this city?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Like what did you see the changes in kind of
of like we know it and you know, for me playing,
you start playing, or you're part of a winning organization,
or you you get hot, like people just get behind you.
You know it is it is a pleasant surprise. What
type of changes did you see happening around the team?
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Well, I mean this was sort of in that that
transition phase a little bit.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
And obviously the Rockets had their glory days in the
nineteen nineties with the keem Olajuwan as the as the
centerpiece and then transition to Steve Francis and Katina Mobley,
and this was sort of a new era and a
new group of players, and this is sort of, I
think where the city really sort of embraced this team.
(20:40):
And look, everybody loves winners, right, and everybody loves lining
up behind teams that win, and everybody just got caught
behind this because again it's it's very difficult to win
ten games in a rown, let alone twenty plus and
so forth in this league.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
And so yeah, it's just it just energize. It just
entergized the whole city.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
I mean, it was.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
It was one of the more exciting things in regards
to the Rockets since those mid nineteen ninety years, the
championship years, which ultimately culminated unfortunately with that loss in
the Western Conference Finals to the Utah Jazz. But it
was it was probably the most memorable moment for the
organization since the heydays in the nineteen nineties.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Stay tuned, We're going to find out what Craig Ackerman
thinks about that huge shot that Jabbar Smith Junior hit
during Summer League ice cold man. Okay, now we blasted
to the past, but let's get to some of this
future stuff. Man, there is a bright future ahead for
(21:48):
Houston basketball, Craig. Men, you've been talking about this for
a long time, but I think via Summer League, everybody
is starting to see it. In buy in and the Rockets,
I want to say, we're the toast of the town
when it came to the NBA Summer League talk to
me about this shot right here that just set off,
set off Summer League, got the huge bars, game out,
everybody going for one one did a surprise you too?
Speaker 1 (22:09):
What happens here on this play?
Speaker 2 (22:11):
And what is special about it from Jabbari.
Speaker 5 (22:15):
Throws one up in the air. Smith pot it for
the win gods and improbable Summer League opening victory for
the Houston Rockets.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Wow, run a pass?
Speaker 4 (22:36):
Well he this seems to be a thing for him
right now. Look, look, look, we gotta be honest. He
had a bit of an up and down rookie season. Now,
the second half is of rookie season was fantastic. The
first one there was there was he there was a
lot of roller coaster riding for him. But second half
of the season he was terrific. But hit a huge,
tough turnaround shot. I believe it was the forced overtime
(22:58):
in Indiana. Hit a game winner were at home as well, obviously,
I mean with a super quick catch, high release and
make this has become apparently becoming a thing with him
where you know, game on the line. One shot needed
Jabari Smith, you know big shot Jabari, right, I mean
he's made several of these already in his very brief career.
(23:21):
This was a great Summer League game. I mean, there
was a lot of hype surrounding this game with a
men Thompson and Scoot Henderson in this game, but unfortunately
both guys ended up getting hurt and we're unable to
finish the game and never ultimately didn't continue on to
the rest of the Summer League. But this was a
fantastic game, huge crowd in the building there. Obviously the
(23:41):
Spurs and Victor Weman Yama were coming up next, but
this was this is this was probably this might this
is one of the two or three best games in
the Summer League, and Jabbari, who struggled in the first half,
just dominated the game in the second half, culminating here
with this game winner his buddy Torry Easton with a
(24:02):
perfect over the top A lot of inbounds passed right there,
the quick catch and release, the heave and the make
and yeah, that was that was a lot of fun
that that passed to Tory Eason. Got to give them
a lot of credit and one other thing. Leading up
to that possession, everybody, including myself, thought this game was over.
(24:24):
But Jabari got back on defense and blocked a shot
at the rim which ultimately set up this possession for
the Rockets and everything. This is the clip that everybody's
seen and they show. But what people also have to
remember is that he also made a defensive play too,
which was very encouraging. He never gave up on the
play nor the game, and it set up for his
eroics here.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Yeah. Correct, Some people say that it's some of the league.
It ain't real ross, it ain't this.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
It doesn't really work. You know, let's not overblow the
things that we're seeing. But I'm asking you, how can
something like this translate into the regular season? And have
you seen guys kind of play well and summer league
and then seeing a carryover situation like that.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (25:04):
Mean, I think generally speaking, the sentiment of okay, what
happens in the summer league is relatively irrelevant to what's
going to happen in the regular season. I mean, I agree,
generally speaking, But for a team like the Rockets, for example,
who have over the last three years combined, have had
the worst record of the league, and they're in a
rebuilding process and they're trying to get back to where
(25:25):
they were and have a new coaching staff, have now
added some veteran players over the course of free agency
to a very young and talented corps to have the
kind of Summer League that this group had under those circumstances. Really,
I think what's important about that is it sets the
tone for training camp that there is a new staff,
(25:47):
there are new expectations on this team and on these players.
They are going to be better. They are expected to
be better. There's going to be more pressure on these
players to be more consistant at both ends of the floor.
All the wise, they're not going to be getting the
same amount of minutes they had been getting over the
course of the last three years, and so something like this,
(26:09):
this game the Rockets run to the championship final in
the Summer League. Really, I think the important thing is
it sets the tone for what should be a pretty
spirited and pretty competitive training camp and season for these
guys as they tried to take the next step.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
All right, in this next slip, I want to stay
on Jabari a little bit. What's the biggest difference. And
I know it's Summer League, but I feel like we
can see we can see differences Craig within Jabari's game
now versus kind of where he finished this season, and like,
do you feel like this is e leape that even
just you're seeing him the way he's performing, And he
went off here he dropped thirty eight points, and I
(26:45):
think he kind of put the league on notice. And
you mentioned something which is absolutely instrumental. It's a new
coaching staff this year, So why would it be valuable
for Jabari to kind of make his presence known here
in summer League. It's I don't think the young Rockets
are approaching Summer League as normal teams. I mean, go oh,
let the young guys get up shots, go figure it out.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
We are who we are.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I think this is an organization young guys trying to
play for minutes here. So what do you see here
from Jabari and what does it mean? And why was
this valuable for him?
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (27:14):
I I don't think people understand the amount of pressure
that's on these young guys when they come into the league. Obviously,
the level of expectations are even higher for those who
were drafted at the top of the draft like Jabari was.
But last year as a nineteen year old kid, I
guess would be when the season first started in your
nineteen years of age, and you're playing against accomplished men
who are professionals and have been.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
So for a very long time. In many cases, it
is confidence probably was real.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Imagine after some struggles in the season was relatively low.
I know he's got an incredible support structure, especially with
his dad having played in the league and all the
support that he continues to give him. But then as
he started to taste some success as the season went along,
his confidence really grew. And I think what we saw
(27:59):
here again after a subpar first half, as he just
kind of got locked in and as you saw over
the next six quarters of his time in the Summer
League that he was his confidence level was sky high.
Speaker 5 (28:11):
Crowd want Smith to get going. Hits another three twenty
five seconds to go. Jabari Smith will have the highest
scoring game in Summer League right now as he gets
an and one situation thirty seven and counting for Jabari Smith.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
He was dominant, just flat out dominant. Looked like his
handles improved, which is good. You know, he's still so young.
I know he's put on some additional strengthen weight. Obviously
that's a process as these guys continue to get older.
But I think the important thing is that his confidence
is sky high. He has all of the physical tools
(28:47):
and gifts to be a great player in this league.
But when you add that to confidence, which I think
again he was just pulling up take a tough shot, turnarounds.
It couldn't guard him. They knew he couldn't guard him. Again,
I think he's I think that that votes very wall
for him taking a significantly forward in the second season
(29:10):
this year.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
First thing, like you said, his confidence to his physicality,
he's finishing much better. You notice when you see a
guy land, he's not falling over after these shots, are
looking to the referees going I got foult. He's finishing
through and forward with contact. And lastly, the handle, which
is important because Jabari is not like a center. He's
not a stiff. You know, he's going to have to
(29:32):
handle the ball, and he has improved upon that. And
hopefully in front of coach em Udoka and everybody are
going to give him more opportunities.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
But he'll come in ready for his role.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
And and one other things, it looked.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
Like the coaching staff for the Rockets in the summer
league gave him a lot of opportunities to initiate offense.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Yes, so something new. Yeah, No, you're right about that.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
You're right about that, and he and he and he
excelled in that. All right, next, guy here Man. We
got to talk about the guy. I know, we kind
of we kind of skipped over, I know, so young.
We still had to talk about him. But amen, Thompson
thoughts impressions. First, look, I mean I think I was
just googly on watching these guys play, Craig because it's like, whoa, Okay,
(30:12):
this is this is different. But what were your first
thoughts of watching the Amen Thompson here man?
Speaker 1 (30:19):
And who is he as a player?
Speaker 3 (30:20):
He's impressive.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
Now for our first impression other men, Thompson at the
Rockies uniform is brief unfortunately because of the injury, but man,
what a first impression that was. Again for a summer
league game, this was like, this was a big time
matchup going your opposite of Scoot Henderson and the Blazers.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
So you're talking about the guy was taken rip before
you in the draft. This is the matchup we want
to see right here.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Then Thompson against Scoot Henderson.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
Two top four picks, right, A lot of hoop loss
arounded that for a summer league game. This was a
big time atmosphere. Hat tip as well as Scoot Henderson
looks like he's gonna have a really good career as well.
But Amen Thompson and also his brother, these are impressive
young men. They're very poised, they're very mature, very cerebral.
(31:10):
Like I Elemit, I didn't watch a single second of
overtime elite basketball, right, not a single second, so I
had no idea who he was versus the competition they
were playing. But you're talking about physical gifts, this young
man is blessed beyond belief. Great size six seven, good frame,
(31:34):
terrific court vision, high basketball IQ, outstanding defender, everything that
you heard about him for people who know what the
during when it comes to evaluating draft prospects. You saw
this in that one game with Amn Thompson. The poison
which he played with the ability to playmate was so impressive.
(31:54):
I am super excited about a men Thompson.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
Thompson getting Ryan rupair at half court, no stick back,
but Thompson's there to put it in and draw the foul.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
I just think that he and his brother, it's just
they seem to have a terrific foundation that I think
will ultimately lead to a lot of success for both.
Speaker 3 (32:15):
His brother was very good for Detroit as well over
the course of the summer League.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
I agree with you, Craig. I like, first off, physically,
he's not going to be outmatched. I think there are
moments where like he's raw, but he's so fast he
can make up for plays. He's also defensive minded, which
means all else fails. If you can defend, you can
kind of find your way on to the court. But
I think as he refines these skills, he's so quick
to kind of like he just kind of can make
(32:41):
things happen. He can make up for mistakes, he can
close up ground, and I think as he just gets
a little more fundamentally sound like it is really scary,
but he just got tools and a lot of times
in Craig, you know what you see it and maybe
chime in on this. I feel like some of the
rookies who aren't physically there, their skill set doesn't take
into effect until their physicality gets there. And I think
(33:04):
with Amen, physically he's there, so he's going to have
a curve.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
By adjusting the NBA basketball, but it won't be the same.
I can't finish in the rim, I'm getting knocked around,
or I'm just getting out. Physical there's going to be
things mentally he'll have to catch up too by playing
in the NBA, but physically it won't be like, oh,
he's just getting shoved around under there.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
Yeah, yeah, I think, I mean a lot can be
said the same, very similar for Cam Whitmore, who's a
manchild who just turned nineteen himself, right, I mean, he
already has an NBA body and doesn't necessary he doesn't
need to grow into it. And yes, obviously men Thompson,
the will knock on him was will he ultimately ever
be a reliable shooter? And we'll find out obviously as
(33:46):
that goes along. But apparently he, much like a lot
of the young players who are already on the rockets,
have incredible work ethic and love being in the gym
and will continue to work and try to refine and
get better with their respective weaknesses, continue to work on
their strengths. But yeah, I think he's been again, He's
just he's been very impressive and I wish we would
(34:06):
have seen more of him over the course of the
Summer League. But to have the potentially has as a
jumbo size playmaking guard. Yeah, you can see her with
the top of defenses and things like that. That's that's
a luxury right there. I mean, what amazing finish that was. Again,
it was only one game, but it was a very
(34:26):
impressive game and there's a lot of stuff to love
about this young man.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Well, before I get you out of here, Craig, last question,
shout outs coach Stephen Silenced for an amazing job he
did developing these young guys and taking taking the lumps
with them. It ain't easy when you got young guys, man,
because everything is a first when every first time on
the road, first time here, that is always tough.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
There have been some lumps.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Yeah, there's lumps.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
There's lumps, and look I listen dealing with myself at
that age, I couldn't imagine. You know what coach sids,
you know how to go through with those young guys.
But shout out to coach Steven and you know, I
know a lot to have a success up to in Detroit.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
What are you expecting from coach u Doka Man? How
excited are you?
Speaker 2 (35:01):
Talked about him a little bit already and what can
we glean from what we've seen in Summer League and
kind of just the tone that he's going to set
here with these young guys as we kind of forecast
into this season.
Speaker 4 (35:14):
Yeah, I think it's kind of First of all, I
think got coach Sullivan did a terrific job with the
Summer League team, so hat tipped to him as well.
But I think without even having coach to game yet,
because obviously he was just watching, I think there absolutely
has been a new tone set by him and his staff.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
Right, You're going to have to compete. Nothing is going
to be given.
Speaker 4 (35:36):
You've got to be better at the defensive end of
the floor of the Rockets pretty much been the worst
defensive team in the league the previous three years.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
If you're going to play, if you're going to get.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
Minutes, if you're going to be part of this rotation,
you've got to be a better all around player than
you have been. And again, having guys like Van Fleet
and Brooks and Jeff Green, some veteran guys have been
there done that to kind of really set that tone.
In addition to the coaching staff, and again the pressure
(36:07):
that's going to be put on the players internally to improve.
I think when you talk about culture and tone being said,
I think that that message has already been sort of
delivered loud and clear without this group having even officially
hadn't gotten together for a full practice, which won't happen
until the start of training camp.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
So I think they're already off on the right foot.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
I think like if Email Yudoka wasn't the most coveted
coach on the market this past offseason, he was certainly
on the extreme shortlist, and the Rockets were able to
get that done quickly, A plus coaching higher there. I
know he's happy to be here, They're very happy to
have him, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing
what he and his staff can do with this group
(36:48):
moving forward.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Craig Man, I appreciate that I could I could be
happier to see it, and I think it is that time,
you know, you go from developing to saying, hey, guys,
we're going to come out and win and compete. There's
no and promise, and I think that's huge and I
just love the additions. But I can see a rugged,
a physical, a tough, a winning culture. Okay, Van Fleet
Championship right hit huge shots in the championship, Dylan Brooks
(37:13):
and one of the more developing, competing, aggressive, physical teams
over there in Memphis that was doing a lot of
winning in the Western Conference Jeff Green, former Rocket champion.
So you know, you're starting to see this culture, these
additions being built there. So I'm excited going into the
season with Craig Man. I can't thank you enough for
coming on, man.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Thanks for having me. I appreciate it was fun.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
Oh absolutely, Man, Listen, you're kind of tied down to
doing this thing again with me, Okay, so I'll be
you know, don't get too far away now.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
I'm not tied down. I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
It'll be fun, okay.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
And what's going to be more fun about is the team.
This is going to be a better team. Sees it again.
How much better we'll find out. That's still very much
to be determined. But they're going to be better. They're
going to be making strides. You're going to be taking
steps in the right directions. And I think with this
combination of players this season and the new coaching staff,
I think this will be one of the more interesting
(38:08):
groups to follow in the league this season and I'm again,
I am very much looking forward to it. I mean,
I know it's the middle of July. I frankly wished
it was the start of October already so we could
get back at it.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
But it'll be here before we know it, and I
look forward to it and going another round with you,
my man.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
So oh.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
By the way, also, Vanessa wanted to make sure that
she got a shout out on.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
This as well, So shout out Vanessa. Man, shut up, Vanessa.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
But no, I'm looking forward to getting back to it,
getting the crew back together and having another season and
should be fun.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Should be fun.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
And Craig, I do want to say this to you.
In the NBA, it was a journeyman, played for nine
different organizations in ten years. And on the broadcast side,
I've been a bit of a journeyman. I think I
worked at just about every single network. Some ESPN deportees, okay,
so I'm more proud of work, okay, But I will say.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
You're you're Spanish, is you can you can get by
with you Spanish, right.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Get by, get by just enough to get just enough
to order some to get by.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
That's more. That's better than me.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
But I will say Craig behind the scenes. You are thorough,
You're a real man, You're consistent, You're an amazing person.
Like forget all the broadcast stuff, like I appreciate you, dude,
Like you know, I tell you this all the time,
but I want people to know that ain't ain't a
lot of people that are the real deal out of
the places, but you are, Craig.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
So thanks, love and appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Man.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
You're a huge part of the organization.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
And for those who don't know, I was, I'm the rookie, Craig,
I'm the the young rookie asking my veteran a lot
of questions.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Craig's always has my back. So I appreciate your brother.
Speaker 4 (39:43):
You know that anytime, anytime, I appreciate you having me on.
Looking forward to another season. Best of luck to you
the rest of the summer as well in Big Three competition.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
Oh oh, appreciate it man. We'll get We'll get some
of those stories the next time. Craig, where can we
support you?
Speaker 2 (39:56):
Obviously with Rockets basketball and in any causes you're behind,
Where can we follow you? I know you don't care
about this stuff, or I'm gonna force you into it.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Uh, you just.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
I mean, I'm I'm on Twitter. I'm on Twitter c
A Underscore Rockets, so you can check me out there
if you'd like.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
But yeah, I just I love what I do. I
love being a part of this league. And uh and again,
I just can't wait for this this next season to
get underway. It should be fun.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
All right, brother, we'll talk to man. I'll be asking
for one of those rides, all right, I see it, man. Guys,
thank you again for tuning in to NBA Rookie Life
for Ryan Holland's really cool stuff there from Craig Ackerman
obviously seeing from a broadcast and play by play perspective,
that's what me and my guy do all year long.
So for me, this was a fun episode. But first off,
we can't do any of this without you, guys, So
(40:43):
go ahead, and she would have liked should have follow, subscribe,
spread the word, show some love and if there's something
that you really like, let us know that you like
that about the podcast or something we can do better.
I guess you want to see man, show us some love, man,
but none of us love you guys, Appreciate you, and
I see you next week.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Eight h
How's everybody doing.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I want to welcome you into a very very special
episode of NBA Rookie Life with Ryan Hollins, and this
one is I know, I keep telling y'all every episode
is a fun one, but this is a fun one
because I have somebody who's spent twenty nine or so
years will debatable, we'll get into that years in the
Rockets organization.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
He has worked his way and his ranks up.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
He was doing the part time radio, then he was
full time radio, then it's.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Part time TV.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
And we have come in together and this man is
the one, the only, the voice of the Rockets, the
great crag Cocker man, Craig.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
What's going on? What's up?
Speaker 4 (00:44):
I don't know about all that. I appreciate it, but
it's nice to be with you. And frankly, I guess
I could have just as easily just driven over to
your house.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
We could have done this in the same room together.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You could have you know, when I had Jabbari on,
Jabbari's junior was playing, well, we'll talk about him a
little later on this.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Oh Jabari. Actually, I was like, dude, we can do
a remote.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
He was like, no, I want to come out like
he drove over here after practice. Oh okay, and we
did it in person, shout out.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
And I don't know I live much. I'm assuming I
live much closer to you than Jabbari does. We live
like three miles from one another or something like that.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
So and then isn't it so weird? Like we ride home,
we do everything together. Now that there's no time I
don't even see you, and like there's I feel like
logically we should be hanging out and doing stuff, but
there's a weird like I'm going to see him a
whole lot.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
We do spend a lot of time with one another,
but you're busy podcasting and hooping.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I'm kind of busy doing whatever it is that I
do in the summers as well.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
But but yeah, hey, you know what, what about three
more months we'll be right back at it again.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
So I'm looking forward to all.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Right, Craig, So before we say anything, you got to
let me know this, Like, you know, however many days,
how many years and three quarters?
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So you don't get.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Credit for a full get like what happened. I know
players miss games. I think people don't give us broadcasters
credit because we grind, we travel, we go through a
lot man. You listen, the team wins a championship, we
get rings to Craig, so talk to me about this
this game allegedly that is not on the slate for you.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Well, okay, So, I mean a lot of people in
our profession are able to keep track of how many
games they've worked, and honestly, I have. I got to
be honest, I really have no clue. It's been a lot,
but I just don't know how money. And so the
joke whenever that comes up with me is that it's
something and something in three quarters games, because there actually
(02:39):
was a game that I didn't complete. No, actually, you know,
I maybe rob in my first full time season doing
radio for the Rockets. So this was two thousand and eight,
two thousand and nine ers somewhere in that area. I
had the two gentlemen who preceded me, the legends of
Rockets radio, g Peterson and Jim Fully had their night
where at Toyota Center where they honored them for their careers,
(03:01):
and part of that was them coming in and one
last time having a chance to call a game together,
which I thought was really cool. And so you know,
they had their halftime ceremony in which they were honored
in front of the crowd, and then they came in
and worked the fourth quarter together. I think we might
have been playing Denver that night, but I can't remember,
And so I kind of stepped aside in the fourth
(03:22):
quarter and let them do their things. So again my
joke is whether I've called I don't know, fifteen hundred,
eighteen hundred, ten thousand, I don't know how many games,
but it's always that number in three quarters. And there
you go, because I sat out a quarter, let Gin
and Jim do their thing one more time.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
That was a big of you, Craig, Hey, I got
a show.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Listen, make no mistake, Okay, if we give a big
shout out to the big Bull Clyde or any of
the I am stepping all the way aside.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Okay, there's no there's no question.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
There's no shout out to Clyde.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
By the way, Man just saw Clyde.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
He's doing a great job as commissioner over there at
the Big Three.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
You know, people don't understand, man.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
We go through some ups and downs, like we had
to avoid COVID with the players. As broadcasters, you know,
we get stuck on a couple of flights you know
that are crazy.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
We go through a lot with these guys.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Now it's not the same grind as being a player,
but I have a respect for this that crack man.
Have you had some little ups and downs, you know,
as you know when the call of duty, because you
know what rains leading snow man, We worked through it.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
I'll just leave it at this unless there are unforeseen
extreme circumstances. I am like the postman. I'm going to
deliver and rain, sleep, shine or snow. Let me just
leave it at that.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
We don't want to talk about any tryumph, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Situations, not at all, Not at all. It's a running
it's a running joke amongst us. But uh no, no,
I ref from that.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
So all right, stay tuned.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
You're gonna find out how long it takes Craig Ackerman
to prepare for an NBA game coming up next. I
don't know if you'll believe this, Stay tuned.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
I'll say this about you, Craig.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
What I love about you that I get to see
and I say this are You'll be easily the most
hardest working partner teammate I've had. You prepare like a maniac,
like you're it's amazing to me how overqualified you are.
Like the fans don't know. Let's say there's a game,
there's information, right, you probably get in a fourth, a fifth,
(05:42):
a tenth of the information that you know on these
guys to actually put out. So you know, I'll go
pound for pound with you. I don't know if you
notice it. I'll test you every once in a while
and say how about this? How about and you've got
something you know just about for everything?
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Man? What talk to me about?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
I guess the preparation going into calling a rocket game
or going in what do you do just give the
people for or some kids maybe watching us to say, hey, man,
I want to go into broadcasting.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
What is this like? Man? They just call the game? Man?
Anybody can do that?
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Yeah, you know, I think you're going to go into broadcasting,
especially play by play broadcasting. I think you have to
also be and love might be too strong of a word,
but you have to appreciate the am.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
No it is love. Love is right on. I'm sorry,
Craig for this job. Love is just as much a
part of it.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
You have to enjoy and or love the preparation part
of it. I think because I think the more prepared
that you are, the better off your show is because,
as you mentioned, things do occasionally pop up that you
need to sort of reference. Now, there are things that
you miss and you make some mistakes on. But yeah,
I mean I prepare, I prepare like crazy, and you're right,
you ultimately end up using very little of it.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
When you say prepare like crazy, what is prepare like crazy?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
What is like a day of preparation or a week
or whatever preparation look like for you?
Speaker 4 (07:00):
When you play a team for the first time, obviously
you have to rebuild your spotting boards.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
I minor what's a spotting board? I don't know what
a spotting What is a spotting board?
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Spotting board is basically what play by play people use
to the information where you have the players listed and
statistics and so forth. And everybody's spotting board honestly is different.
No one uses the same thing might happen to be electronic.
I use word documents, and I have everything on my
(07:29):
laptop and so I always have that in front of me,
and so I can able to kind of scroll up
and down as I need to. A lot of people
print them out, some people handwrite them. It varies I mean, again,
everybody's spotting board is different, but that's how you basically
access your information quickly and again to each his own,
because everybody accesses information a different way, and ultimately, over
(07:50):
time and experience, you find different ways to use your
spotting boards that are best suited to you. But that
has all the various information that you need. Sort of
equate it to if you were in school and your
professor said, okay, look we're going to have an exam,
but you're going to have an opportunity to write down
anything and everything that you want to on a sheet
(08:11):
of paper and bring that exam into class with you
to use in reference while you're ultimately taking that exam,
And so it's kind of an open book test, right.
So your test is the game, because no two games
are alike, and so you never know what's going to
be happening next.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
And so you have your spoting board in front of
you to reference information.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
And on that again you have players' names and obviously
the how tall they are, where they're from, where they
were drafted, all the statistics and background information. I also
have career numbers and so forth, and then obviously I
do that for both teams, and so it takes a
little bit longer the first time around when you play
teams because you have to rebuild their boards as rosters change.
(08:51):
And then ultimately I take a bit of a dive
into some advance and leg numbers to kind of get
an idea. I call it my own personal scouting report.
You know, teams tendencies and so forth. You know, you know,
is this a good offensive rebounding team? Do they shoot well?
Do they prefer above the break threes, quarter threes and
so forth, And so that way, you're just kind of,
(09:11):
you know, you're just kind of prepared for the game,
and you understand who your team is because you follow
them all the time. But you're also perhaps also more
importantly aware of who the opponent team is, and so
you can speak intelligently on them as well.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
How long does it take you to build these boards.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
The first time we play a team?
Speaker 4 (09:30):
I might start the night before, and I mean it
probably takes a good I don't know, six to eight
hours the first time around, and then probably half that,
probably half that each subsequent time. And so and then
obviously once if teams make moves around the trade deadline,
and then you play them.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
You got to readjust things. But yeah, I put a
good amount of work into my preparation.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
So for you kids at home you're hearing this, it's
taken It's taken eight four to eight hours to build
a board. And this is for a man who's experience,
who's been in this field, in this cry for twenty
nine or so years doing this, and.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
I still miss things. I hate being unprepared.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
But even with all that said, there are still some
things that you're just you're just missing. Whenever I do
miss something, it drives me crazy. I will it, man,
I don't.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
I don't. I don't like making mistakes like that, but
they're unavoidable.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Okay, Craig, enough of the fun stuff. I'm sure people
would love to hear me and you rant. But let's
get to the stuff that we would like to talk about.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
And you know what Craig was.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
You know, it's kind of fun for me right now,
and I know you're probably like getting weirded out about it.
You're play by play, You're the guy telling me, You're
the guy talking to me, setting things up, doing things.
I'm asking you the question. Man, You're the analyst right now,
You're the you're the guy right now, so we're kind
of flipping rolls.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
I admit, Craig, I'm having fun because you're.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
So you're such a great leader and you got to
sit back and you know you're taking the shots.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Man, taking a bit of a you know, I'll admit
I'm a little bit of a control freak, but I'll
roll with it.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
And it's and it's a great thing.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
And and I do like because for those who don't
know me and Craig will have gone through a game
and he did a great job.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
And you know, a team was in this.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Spot of this spot, and we put out so much
information and try to educate the fans and have fun
and grow in chemistry. And it's not just Crag being good.
Craig's worried about me. So while Craig's doing all this
preparational and stuff, he's trying to make sure that I'm
the best or he'll be kind enough to allow me
to have certain moments within the game and it'll be
after the game he'd be like, oh, man, I forgot
to mention that.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
He hit four.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Straight three he's three games that go on this same
spot and said something building and over Craig, you are great.
How of you?
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Who cares? You know?
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I don't think anybody's you know, gonna worry about it,
but you know the attention to detail, and I do
challenge you on the only point. I think love is
absolutely a part of it, because there's so much preparation.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
If you don't love basketball, you're not going to get through.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
If you don't enjoy it, and it shows in a
broadcast and for you the fans can hear it. But
I think the fun part for me is like I know,
I love this game, and man, you mess you well
because there will be moments in the game for those
who can't see there. I've literally seen Craig and we've
both done it, get up and throw like a fist
pumped in air, jump out of his seat, you know,
(12:09):
for a big play or an exciting moment, like you
love the game, and I don't think that's anything that
you detach from. So even though we're not in practice,
we're not putting up those points.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
We're along for.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
The ride and their journey in the grind. But I
think that love that you have for the game shows too.
So let's get let's get to the fun stuff as
I said, the NBA Rookie Life Film Room, and we're
gonna have some fun with you, Craig. We'll get we'll
dive into the past, and we'll dive.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Into the future.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
So this first clip is something that you had a
chance to witness and it's the rockets very first championship.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
Here's shut off, Mighty bra.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
I want to know kind of the thoughts, the feelings,
the emotions, the story for the city, behind the scene,
what did this mean for Houston basketball? What was going
on here?
Speaker 1 (13:04):
And like, Craig, where were you? Man?
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Was this a young Craig full had a hair shout out,
shout out c j Ackerman.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Man, I just see you in so much, so much, CJ.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
And you maybe not the ponytail, but I see.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
You just kind of free spirited. Man.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
I was.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
I was twenty years old in nineteen ninety four. I
was hanging out with all my buddies and as we
watched every single one of these games, and so we were.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Hanging out his house and yeah, it was it was.
It was awesome.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
I had not started working for the organization yet. I
actually started interning for the Rockets the very following season.
My first year as an interest ninety four ninety five,
so this was ninety three, what ninety three ninety four,
And first of all, this series with against the next
was incredible and yeah, I was just hanging on my
buddies and I mean it was It was so much fun.
And then ultimately when the game ended, and you know,
(13:56):
I got to give a lot of credit when the
city of Houston, when the professional teams would won championships,
This place is has done it right. We've seen it
recently with the Astros winning a couple of World Series,
but going back to the May nineteen nineties when the
Rockets did at that time, the place to be and
the place to go, the hangout spot was basically the
West tim or Richmond area of town. And I mean,
(14:18):
I don't know how many people were down there, tens
of thousands of people were hanging out and just I
mean that's where the whole city converged on and people
were on feet, they were in their car as traffic
was hardly moving.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Everybody was hugging and given high fives and yeah, it was,
it was. It was awesome.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Now, when you joined the team, was there a feeling
like a let me not mess this up?
Speaker 5 (14:39):
You know, like, how was it.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
I was an intern, so I knew I wouldn't move.
I just didn't want to mess anything up for me. Yeah,
So I mean I think the Rockets won this, and
then I ended up getting an internship with the team
starting in October of nineteen ninety fours. It was just
a couple of months after this title against New York,
(15:01):
and for me personally, it was it was first you
got to kind of go back a little bit in
terms of where I was when I was younger and
what I wanted to do for a living. You know,
I did play baseball, and I played baseball in college,
and I ultimately wanted to be a professional baseball player.
But then when I realized that ultimately that was never
going to happen, I started thinking about getting into medicine,
(15:22):
you know, either people medicine or veterinary medicine.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
And then.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Advanced chemistry and calculus was just way too much for
me to deal with. So I thought, well, I love sports,
I love the talk, and so I decided to kind
of give this try to the whole media thing, try
and then just have an opportunity to to to be
given that chance and to be part of an organization
that was on top of the world and was the
(15:48):
toast of the town at that time.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Was just awesome. It was awesome and it's still frankly now,
almost thirty years later, it's still surreal that I'm in
this position.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Do you feel like almost spoiled?
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Like some people have to start out and the team's
not too good? Is it like, like do you feel
kind of like spoiled in like yo, like I saw
I came in and the team was at the peak
at I mean World Champs. Is there like a feeling
kind of like yo, like that doesn't happen. That's not normal,
you know, And how like hooked were you because of that?
And you know, looking back at it now today?
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Oh no, I mean the Rockets of the nineteen nineties
or why I became a Rockets fan and be an
NBA fan. I graduated high school nineteen ninety two, and
so I mean, this is what drew me to the sport.
Loved the Rockets, loved the NBA at the time, watched
all the games, listen to them on the radio back
in the day, and then again to have an opportunity
(16:44):
just to kind of have it.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Oh no, you see Murph. Does Murph have his trailers
there with it? I think Murph is there, if I'm
not mistaken. Shout out to the great Cavin Murphy. He
trails the trailer watching it, watching Greg. He gives a
hug here, and I think he has his trailers there
in the thing.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Watch what's right now? Right? I'm sorry? Greg?
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Oh, he does? He does have a spatias with him?
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Yea, he must, you know, I don't know if he was,
you know, he has his marching thunder band. Maybe they
were in attendance and part of the halftime show or
postgame festivities.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
I can't remember. But yeah, Calvin Murphy Rockets, legend, love
and birth.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
But but yeah, I mean that's and then again just
to have an opportunity to step in and have obviously
an extremely small role as an intern at the time,
and then for them to win it again my first
year there is an intern was was super special. And
then again over the course of time when I eventually
finished up school and got hired to work in the
(17:40):
office and then produced games, and then started doing stuff
with the w NBA with the Houston Comments and we
had an Arena Football League team at the time, and
then ultimately doing some Rockets radio stuff and then full
time play by play and then now on the TV.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
It's been, uh, it's been quite the It's been quite the.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
Journey I've spent I've spent well over half my life
on capacity working.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
For the Houston Rockets.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
What a blessing man, Now, Craig, this next clip I
want to go through. You were part of another special
part of Houston history. Now wasn't a championship, but for
you particularly, you were a part of this and this
was really cool. And we're talking back in two thousand
and eight. You know what I'm talking about that twenty
two game win streak. It's still talked about today in
Houston history. What do you remember most about this win streak?
(18:25):
What was going on?
Speaker 1 (18:26):
And why was this special for the city.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Why did it catch everybody off guard that the team
just ran off twenty two in a row man? What
do you remember about this and how did this change
and affect things in this city?
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Give me the stories?
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Great, Well, A couple of things stand out.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
There was a Steve Novak shot which kept the streak going,
and they believe that was against Sacramento. And then half
of the streak was accomplished. Oh boy, I'm trying to remember.
It was either without Yao or without team act. One
of those guys was out and they were still able
to rattle off that mount of wins without their two
best players at the time. And then I I and
(19:03):
I know, I remember, and when the streak ended, I
believe it was was Kobe and the Lakers were in town,
the game was on national TV, A lot of hoop.
Was an awesome game. But yeah, I mean, you know,
it was one of the longest streaks in NBA history,
and again they were missing one of the two best
players for about half of it. I think it was
Yao who was actually out for about half of that.
But yeah, it was just it was a It was
(19:24):
a lot of fun. These things don't come around very often,
and the Rockets ultimately put out a pretty pretty sweet
documentary about it. If it's ot there somewhere, if you have,
if you have a chance to check it out, it's
it's really cool talking about the streak.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
And yeah, it was just yeah, yeah, yeah. There was
Yao sitting out, so he was the guy that was out,
and it was just, yeah, it was it was fun.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
It was fun, and I remember they'd shout out to
the Kimbay he hadn't kind of played well, or he
was older, he was kind of on the punt. I
remember him coming in and having major minutes.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
It was like, hey, the Kembay's back. You know he's playing. Well,
what did this do for like this city?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Like what did you see the changes in kind of
of like we know it and you know, for me playing,
you start playing, or you're part of a winning organization,
or you you get hot, like people just get behind you.
You know it is it is a pleasant surprise. What
type of changes did you see happening around the team?
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Well, I mean this was sort of in that that
transition phase a little bit.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
And obviously the Rockets had their glory days in the
nineteen nineties with the keem Olajuwan as the as the
centerpiece and then transition to Steve Francis and Katina Mobley,
and this was sort of a new era and a
new group of players, and this is sort of, I
think where the city really sort of embraced this team.
(20:40):
And look, everybody loves winners, right, and everybody loves lining
up behind teams that win, and everybody just got caught
behind this because again it's it's very difficult to win
ten games in a rown, let alone twenty plus and
so forth in this league.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
And so yeah, it's just it just energize. It just
entergized the whole city.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
I mean, it was.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
It was one of the more exciting things in regards
to the Rockets since those mid nineteen ninety years, the
championship years, which ultimately culminated unfortunately with that loss in
the Western Conference Finals to the Utah Jazz. But it
was it was probably the most memorable moment for the
organization since the heydays in the nineteen nineties.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Stay tuned, We're going to find out what Craig Ackerman
thinks about that huge shot that Jabbar Smith Junior hit
during Summer League ice cold man. Okay, now we blasted
to the past, but let's get to some of this
future stuff. Man, there is a bright future ahead for
(21:48):
Houston basketball, Craig. Men, you've been talking about this for
a long time, but I think via Summer League, everybody
is starting to see it. In buy in and the Rockets,
I want to say, we're the toast of the town
when it came to the NBA Summer League talk to
me about this shot right here that just set off,
set off Summer League, got the huge bars, game out,
everybody going for one one did a surprise you too?
Speaker 1 (22:09):
What happens here on this play?
Speaker 2 (22:11):
And what is special about it from Jabbari.
Speaker 5 (22:15):
Throws one up in the air. Smith pot it for
the win gods and improbable Summer League opening victory for
the Houston Rockets.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Wow, run a pass?
Speaker 4 (22:36):
Well he this seems to be a thing for him
right now. Look, look, look, we gotta be honest. He
had a bit of an up and down rookie season. Now,
the second half is of rookie season was fantastic. The
first one there was there was he there was a
lot of roller coaster riding for him. But second half
of the season he was terrific. But hit a huge,
tough turnaround shot. I believe it was the forced overtime
(22:58):
in Indiana. Hit a game winner were at home as well, obviously,
I mean with a super quick catch, high release and
make this has become apparently becoming a thing with him
where you know, game on the line. One shot needed
Jabari Smith, you know big shot Jabari, right, I mean
he's made several of these already in his very brief career.
(23:21):
This was a great Summer League game. I mean, there
was a lot of hype surrounding this game with a
men Thompson and Scoot Henderson in this game, but unfortunately
both guys ended up getting hurt and we're unable to
finish the game and never ultimately didn't continue on to
the rest of the Summer League. But this was a
fantastic game, huge crowd in the building there. Obviously the
(23:41):
Spurs and Victor Weman Yama were coming up next, but
this was this is this was probably this might this
is one of the two or three best games in
the Summer League, and Jabbari, who struggled in the first half,
just dominated the game in the second half, culminating here
with this game winner his buddy Torry Easton with a
(24:02):
perfect over the top A lot of inbounds passed right there,
the quick catch and release, the heave and the make
and yeah, that was that was a lot of fun
that that passed to Tory Eason. Got to give them
a lot of credit and one other thing. Leading up
to that possession, everybody, including myself, thought this game was over.
(24:24):
But Jabari got back on defense and blocked a shot
at the rim which ultimately set up this possession for
the Rockets and everything. This is the clip that everybody's
seen and they show. But what people also have to
remember is that he also made a defensive play too,
which was very encouraging. He never gave up on the
play nor the game, and it set up for his
eroics here.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Yeah. Correct, Some people say that it's some of the league.
It ain't real ross, it ain't this.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
It doesn't really work. You know, let's not overblow the
things that we're seeing. But I'm asking you, how can
something like this translate into the regular season? And have
you seen guys kind of play well and summer league
and then seeing a carryover situation like that.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (25:04):
Mean, I think generally speaking, the sentiment of okay, what
happens in the summer league is relatively irrelevant to what's
going to happen in the regular season. I mean, I agree,
generally speaking, But for a team like the Rockets, for example,
who have over the last three years combined, have had
the worst record of the league, and they're in a
rebuilding process and they're trying to get back to where
(25:25):
they were and have a new coaching staff, have now
added some veteran players over the course of free agency
to a very young and talented corps to have the
kind of Summer League that this group had under those circumstances. Really,
I think what's important about that is it sets the
tone for training camp that there is a new staff,
(25:47):
there are new expectations on this team and on these players.
They are going to be better. They are expected to
be better. There's going to be more pressure on these
players to be more consistant at both ends of the floor.
All the wise, they're not going to be getting the
same amount of minutes they had been getting over the
course of the last three years, and so something like this,
(26:09):
this game the Rockets run to the championship final in
the Summer League. Really, I think the important thing is
it sets the tone for what should be a pretty
spirited and pretty competitive training camp and season for these
guys as they tried to take the next step.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
All right, in this next slip, I want to stay
on Jabari a little bit. What's the biggest difference. And
I know it's Summer League, but I feel like we
can see we can see differences Craig within Jabari's game
now versus kind of where he finished this season, and like,
do you feel like this is e leape that even
just you're seeing him the way he's performing, And he
went off here he dropped thirty eight points, and I
(26:45):
think he kind of put the league on notice. And
you mentioned something which is absolutely instrumental. It's a new
coaching staff this year, So why would it be valuable
for Jabari to kind of make his presence known here
in summer League. It's I don't think the young Rockets
are approaching Summer League as normal teams. I mean, go oh,
let the young guys get up shots, go figure it out.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
We are who we are.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I think this is an organization young guys trying to
play for minutes here. So what do you see here
from Jabari and what does it mean? And why was
this valuable for him?
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (27:14):
I I don't think people understand the amount of pressure
that's on these young guys when they come into the league. Obviously,
the level of expectations are even higher for those who
were drafted at the top of the draft like Jabari was.
But last year as a nineteen year old kid, I
guess would be when the season first started in your
nineteen years of age, and you're playing against accomplished men
who are professionals and have been.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
So for a very long time. In many cases, it
is confidence probably was real.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Imagine after some struggles in the season was relatively low.
I know he's got an incredible support structure, especially with
his dad having played in the league and all the
support that he continues to give him. But then as
he started to taste some success as the season went along,
his confidence really grew. And I think what we saw
(27:59):
here again after a subpar first half, as he just
kind of got locked in and as you saw over
the next six quarters of his time in the Summer
League that he was his confidence level was sky high.
Speaker 5 (28:11):
Crowd want Smith to get going. Hits another three twenty
five seconds to go. Jabari Smith will have the highest
scoring game in Summer League right now as he gets
an and one situation thirty seven and counting for Jabari Smith.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
He was dominant, just flat out dominant. Looked like his
handles improved, which is good. You know, he's still so young.
I know he's put on some additional strengthen weight. Obviously
that's a process as these guys continue to get older.
But I think the important thing is that his confidence
is sky high. He has all of the physical tools
(28:47):
and gifts to be a great player in this league.
But when you add that to confidence, which I think
again he was just pulling up take a tough shot, turnarounds.
It couldn't guard him. They knew he couldn't guard him. Again,
I think he's I think that that votes very wall
for him taking a significantly forward in the second season
(29:10):
this year.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
First thing, like you said, his confidence to his physicality,
he's finishing much better. You notice when you see a
guy land, he's not falling over after these shots, are
looking to the referees going I got foult. He's finishing
through and forward with contact. And lastly, the handle, which
is important because Jabari is not like a center. He's
not a stiff. You know, he's going to have to
(29:32):
handle the ball, and he has improved upon that. And
hopefully in front of coach em Udoka and everybody are
going to give him more opportunities.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
But he'll come in ready for his role.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
And and one other things, it looked.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
Like the coaching staff for the Rockets in the summer
league gave him a lot of opportunities to initiate offense.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Yes, so something new. Yeah, No, you're right about that.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
You're right about that, and he and he and he
excelled in that. All right, next, guy here Man. We
got to talk about the guy. I know, we kind
of we kind of skipped over, I know, so young.
We still had to talk about him. But amen, Thompson
thoughts impressions. First, look, I mean I think I was
just googly on watching these guys play, Craig because it's like, whoa, Okay,
(30:12):
this is this is different. But what were your first
thoughts of watching the Amen Thompson here man?
Speaker 1 (30:19):
And who is he as a player?
Speaker 3 (30:20):
He's impressive.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
Now for our first impression other men, Thompson at the
Rockies uniform is brief unfortunately because of the injury, but man,
what a first impression that was. Again for a summer
league game, this was like, this was a big time
matchup going your opposite of Scoot Henderson and the Blazers.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
So you're talking about the guy was taken rip before
you in the draft. This is the matchup we want
to see right here.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Then Thompson against Scoot Henderson.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
Two top four picks, right, A lot of hoop loss
arounded that for a summer league game. This was a
big time atmosphere. Hat tip as well as Scoot Henderson
looks like he's gonna have a really good career as well.
But Amen Thompson and also his brother, these are impressive
young men. They're very poised, they're very mature, very cerebral.
(31:10):
Like I Elemit, I didn't watch a single second of
overtime elite basketball, right, not a single second, so I
had no idea who he was versus the competition they
were playing. But you're talking about physical gifts, this young
man is blessed beyond belief. Great size six seven, good frame,
(31:34):
terrific court vision, high basketball IQ, outstanding defender, everything that
you heard about him for people who know what the
during when it comes to evaluating draft prospects. You saw
this in that one game with Amn Thompson. The poison
which he played with the ability to playmate was so impressive.
(31:54):
I am super excited about a men Thompson.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
Thompson getting Ryan rupair at half court, no stick back,
but Thompson's there to put it in and draw the foul.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
I just think that he and his brother, it's just
they seem to have a terrific foundation that I think
will ultimately lead to a lot of success for both.
Speaker 3 (32:15):
His brother was very good for Detroit as well over
the course of the summer League.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
I agree with you, Craig. I like, first off, physically,
he's not going to be outmatched. I think there are
moments where like he's raw, but he's so fast he
can make up for plays. He's also defensive minded, which
means all else fails. If you can defend, you can
kind of find your way on to the court. But
I think as he refines these skills, he's so quick
to kind of like he just kind of can make
(32:41):
things happen. He can make up for mistakes, he can
close up ground, and I think as he just gets
a little more fundamentally sound like it is really scary,
but he just got tools and a lot of times
in Craig, you know what you see it and maybe
chime in on this. I feel like some of the
rookies who aren't physically there, their skill set doesn't take
into effect until their physicality gets there. And I think
(33:04):
with Amen, physically he's there, so he's going to have
a curve.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
By adjusting the NBA basketball, but it won't be the same.
I can't finish in the rim, I'm getting knocked around,
or I'm just getting out. Physical there's going to be
things mentally he'll have to catch up too by playing
in the NBA, but physically it won't be like, oh,
he's just getting shoved around under there.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
Yeah, yeah, I think, I mean a lot can be
said the same, very similar for Cam Whitmore, who's a
manchild who just turned nineteen himself, right, I mean, he
already has an NBA body and doesn't necessary he doesn't
need to grow into it. And yes, obviously men Thompson,
the will knock on him was will he ultimately ever
be a reliable shooter? And we'll find out obviously as
(33:46):
that goes along. But apparently he, much like a lot
of the young players who are already on the rockets,
have incredible work ethic and love being in the gym
and will continue to work and try to refine and
get better with their respective weaknesses, continue to work on
their strengths. But yeah, I think he's been again, He's
just he's been very impressive and I wish we would
(34:06):
have seen more of him over the course of the
Summer League. But to have the potentially has as a
jumbo size playmaking guard. Yeah, you can see her with
the top of defenses and things like that. That's that's
a luxury right there. I mean, what amazing finish that was. Again,
it was only one game, but it was a very
(34:26):
impressive game and there's a lot of stuff to love
about this young man.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Well, before I get you out of here, Craig, last question,
shout outs coach Stephen Silenced for an amazing job he
did developing these young guys and taking taking the lumps
with them. It ain't easy when you got young guys, man,
because everything is a first when every first time on
the road, first time here, that is always tough.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
There have been some lumps.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Yeah, there's lumps.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
There's lumps, and look I listen dealing with myself at
that age, I couldn't imagine. You know what coach sids,
you know how to go through with those young guys.
But shout out to coach Steven and you know, I
know a lot to have a success up to in Detroit.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
What are you expecting from coach u Doka Man? How
excited are you?
Speaker 2 (35:01):
Talked about him a little bit already and what can
we glean from what we've seen in Summer League and
kind of just the tone that he's going to set
here with these young guys as we kind of forecast
into this season.
Speaker 4 (35:14):
Yeah, I think it's kind of First of all, I
think got coach Sullivan did a terrific job with the
Summer League team, so hat tipped to him as well.
But I think without even having coach to game yet,
because obviously he was just watching, I think there absolutely
has been a new tone set by him and his staff.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
Right, You're going to have to compete. Nothing is going
to be given.
Speaker 4 (35:36):
You've got to be better at the defensive end of
the floor of the Rockets pretty much been the worst
defensive team in the league the previous three years.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
If you're going to play, if you're going to get.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
Minutes, if you're going to be part of this rotation,
you've got to be a better all around player than
you have been. And again, having guys like Van Fleet
and Brooks and Jeff Green, some veteran guys have been
there done that to kind of really set that tone.
In addition to the coaching staff, and again the pressure
(36:07):
that's going to be put on the players internally to improve.
I think when you talk about culture and tone being said,
I think that that message has already been sort of
delivered loud and clear without this group having even officially
hadn't gotten together for a full practice, which won't happen
until the start of training camp.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
So I think they're already off on the right foot.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
I think like if Email Yudoka wasn't the most coveted
coach on the market this past offseason, he was certainly
on the extreme shortlist, and the Rockets were able to
get that done quickly, A plus coaching higher there. I
know he's happy to be here, They're very happy to
have him, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing
what he and his staff can do with this group
(36:48):
moving forward.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Craig Man, I appreciate that I could I could be
happier to see it, and I think it is that time,
you know, you go from developing to saying, hey, guys,
we're going to come out and win and compete. There's
no and promise, and I think that's huge and I
just love the additions. But I can see a rugged,
a physical, a tough, a winning culture. Okay, Van Fleet
Championship right hit huge shots in the championship, Dylan Brooks
(37:13):
and one of the more developing, competing, aggressive, physical teams
over there in Memphis that was doing a lot of
winning in the Western Conference Jeff Green, former Rocket champion.
So you know, you're starting to see this culture, these
additions being built there. So I'm excited going into the
season with Craig Man. I can't thank you enough for
coming on, man.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Thanks for having me. I appreciate it was fun.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
Oh absolutely, Man, Listen, you're kind of tied down to
doing this thing again with me, Okay, so I'll be
you know, don't get too far away now.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
I'm not tied down. I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
It'll be fun, okay.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
And what's going to be more fun about is the team.
This is going to be a better team. Sees it again.
How much better we'll find out. That's still very much
to be determined. But they're going to be better. They're
going to be making strides. You're going to be taking
steps in the right directions. And I think with this
combination of players this season and the new coaching staff,
I think this will be one of the more interesting
(38:08):
groups to follow in the league this season and I'm again,
I am very much looking forward to it. I mean,
I know it's the middle of July. I frankly wished
it was the start of October already so we could
get back at it.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
But it'll be here before we know it, and I
look forward to it and going another round with you,
my man.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
So oh.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
By the way, also, Vanessa wanted to make sure that
she got a shout out on.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
This as well, So shout out Vanessa. Man, shut up, Vanessa.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
But no, I'm looking forward to getting back to it,
getting the crew back together and having another season and
should be fun.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Should be fun.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
And Craig, I do want to say this to you.
In the NBA, it was a journeyman, played for nine
different organizations in ten years. And on the broadcast side,
I've been a bit of a journeyman. I think I
worked at just about every single network. Some ESPN deportees, okay,
so I'm more proud of work, okay, But I will say.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
You're you're Spanish, is you can you can get by
with you Spanish, right.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Get by, get by just enough to get just enough
to order some to get by.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
That's more. That's better than me.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
But I will say Craig behind the scenes. You are thorough,
You're a real man, You're consistent, You're an amazing person.
Like forget all the broadcast stuff, like I appreciate you, dude,
Like you know, I tell you this all the time,
but I want people to know that ain't ain't a
lot of people that are the real deal out of
the places, but you are, Craig.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
So thanks, love and appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Man.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
You're a huge part of the organization.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
And for those who don't know, I was, I'm the rookie, Craig,
I'm the the young rookie asking my veteran a lot
of questions.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Craig's always has my back. So I appreciate your brother.
Speaker 4 (39:43):
You know that anytime, anytime, I appreciate you having me on.
Looking forward to another season. Best of luck to you
the rest of the summer as well in Big Three competition.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
Oh oh, appreciate it man. We'll get We'll get some
of those stories the next time. Craig, where can we
support you?
Speaker 2 (39:56):
Obviously with Rockets basketball and in any causes you're behind,
Where can we follow you? I know you don't care
about this stuff, or I'm gonna force you into it.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Uh, you just.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
I mean, I'm I'm on Twitter. I'm on Twitter c
A Underscore Rockets, so you can check me out there
if you'd like.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
But yeah, I just I love what I do. I
love being a part of this league. And uh and again,
I just can't wait for this this next season to
get underway. It should be fun.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
All right, brother, we'll talk to man. I'll be asking
for one of those rides, all right, I see it, man. Guys,
thank you again for tuning in to NBA Rookie Life
for Ryan Holland's really cool stuff there from Craig Ackerman
obviously seeing from a broadcast and play by play perspective,
that's what me and my guy do all year long.
So for me, this was a fun episode. But first off,
we can't do any of this without you, guys, So
(40:43):
go ahead, and she would have liked should have follow, subscribe,
spread the word, show some love and if there's something
that you really like, let us know that you like
that about the podcast or something we can do better.
I guess you want to see man, show us some love, man,
but none of us love you guys, Appreciate you, and
I see you next week.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Eight h
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