June 4, 2025 • 43 mins
NBA writer Vincent Goodwill breaks down the Knicks' decision to fire Tom Thibodeau and discusses potential suitors for the new job opening. NHL insider John Buccigross shares why he believes Don Cherry and Barry Melrose deserve to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame and breaks down why the pressure is mounting for the Oilers ahead of the Stanley Cup Final rematch. Lakers analyst and 7x NBA Champion Robert Horry reveals why Gregg Popovich only yelled at him one time, and shares what Kobe's tough-love leadership was like.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You are listening to the Dan Patrick Show on Fox
Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
We bring in Vincenzo Goodwill Junior, the third Young Who's
Sports Senior NBA writer, host of the Good Word podcast,
and Yon Who's sports Ball Don't Lie Sirius XM NBA
host as well. He'll be covering the NBA Finals. All right,
here's your question. Tom Thibodeaux was fired because dot dot.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
The New York Knicks wanted to fire.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
I think we try to make things a lot more complicated.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Than they are.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
If you make the Eastern Conference Finals in a year
where nobody expected you to get out of the second round,
regardless of the circumstances, and you take out the defending
champions in a decisive six game series, and that's not
enough for you to keep your job, that meant that
nothing was going to enable you to keep your job.
You can talk about the Knicks roster and how top
(00:56):
heavy they are there second Apron team, and I think
that is something Dan that we.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Don't talk about as much.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
When you look at the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks,
some of those teams are in those second Aprons, those
very sumitive, investment heavy.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
You know, parts of the CBA. The expectations are championship.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
And even if the roster doesn't look like a championship,
the investment of the money says we expect you to
deliver a championship. Now, maybe Tom Thibodeau took this team
as far as it can go.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
If you need a more innovative offensive mind.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
You know, there was a lot of chemistry issues that
looked like between Carl Anthony Townsend Jalen Brunson.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
But I asked you, Dan, when was the last time.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
You've seen an NBA champion that had defensive issues at
the point of attack with the point guard.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
And at the reun with the center, and you won
a championship.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I don't know if God himself could have worked the
magic that Tom Thibodeaux was asked to work in these playoffs.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
So you're saying, then they overachieved with Tom Thibodeau not
underachieved in these playoffs.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Yes, absolute, I don't look at or I would say
this to the fans. Did you know that Landry Shamman
and Delon Wright were actually in the NBA when Tom
Thibodeau threw them out there?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Now you can say Tips.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Didn't develop his bench and everything else and depth in
today's game wins. When you look at Oklahoma City Thunder,
you look at the Indiana Pacers, the two teams playing
in the NBA Finals, you are absolutely correct. But when
you build a team that says the Keel Bridges, we're
going to pay five first round picks for you, and
then we bring in ognob before that, and then on
the evil training camp we traded for Carl Anthony Towns.
(02:34):
You don't have the space to develop a bench. And
I know Tiff should have developed a bench better, but
I can't think of a coach beam fired because of
supplementary players. Now, if you tell me that Jalen brought
to the Carl Towns of the Keil Bridges went into
a reading individually with Jim Dolan and said, we know
what you're thinking.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Maybe this isn't the guy that help us move forward. Okay, fine,
because this is a totally.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Different team than the team tips to Gover all those
years ago. It's a much more talented, offensively based team.
And maybe that's the reason. But either way, that's what Dan.
We won't find out. This punk's of Tony Field will
never come out of his shadow. And I'm talking about
Leon Road. We never see that man, I will be
bald headed or we never see Leon Rose in public again.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
And let me tell you all, I got a good
hairline still. See.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I think that if you make a move, you fire
a coach or hire a coach, you should get in
front of the media. You got the media capital of
the world, New York City. You made the move. If
I'm a fan, I would like to at least have
answers what was it that we didn't get and what
are you bringing in? Now? He might show up if
they bring in Michael Malone, take a victory lap, and
(03:44):
then maybe they don't ask questions about Tom Thibodeau. But
you got to get in front of the media here, right, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Absolutely, And I'm surprised that Nick fans, well, for one,
Nick fans don't like the media.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Nobody likes the big bad media.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
So when the media says, hey, there's a need for
public accountability, you know, you can look.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
At that a lot of different spheres of our world today.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Nobody likes the media when and got that accountability is necessary.
But let me say to this point, even if you
go hiring Michael Malone, what is the difference between Michael
Malone and Tom Thibodeau. Wasn't Michael Malone fired in a
large part because of his inability to work with the
front office to develop young players. Isn't that one of
(04:28):
the complaints about Tom Thibodeau. Don't they come from the
same New York sort of tree, the tree of NBA coaches.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I feel like they're kind of similar.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Do you think they know who they're hiring?
Speaker 3 (04:41):
No, I don't think they know who they're hiring.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
I think and I don't necessarily know if you have
to know who you're hiring. I don't think this is
the case of when the Pistons fired Brig Carlisle in
two thousand and three, they knew they had Larry Brown
in their back pocket and they want to win the
championship the next season to validate it.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
I don't think this is that. I think they they
are walking in this with a relatively open mind.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
You see the list of guys, even some coaches who
are feeling in the contract.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
They oh Tom Fibodeau thirty million dollars. I will say this,
and I'm gonna go back to firing of tips.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
When you fire a coach for thirty million dollars left
on this deal, and you're willing to eat that.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
It's not just the owner, because I've.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Heard three hours before, Hey it's Tom thibberdo say, And
someone told me, two people told me inside that building,
close to that building, they said, not unless Dolan wants to.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
So I don't think it was Jim Dolan.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
I don't think it was just the players in those
closed door means. I think they had long made this decision,
and I don't think they had necessarily a list of
who they had in front of them aposed Donaldist. I
think I don't think it's gonna be Jay Ryden. I
feel it's gonna be back gunned do or anything like that.
I think it's the New York Vicks being the New
York Nicks.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
What about Danny Hurley?
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Have you seen Danny Hurley on the sideline?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I know, I know my job is just to ask
the question. I didn't want to ask a question and
give an answer, So you.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Don't want to you don't want to lead the witness.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
No, No, it's it's something that's unique in this business.
Doesn't happen very often where the host just asked the question,
doesn't ask answer and then to ask, so what about
Danny Hurley.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
I don't know if Danny Hurriley has the sort of temperament.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
An eighty two game season, the scrutiny of the New
York media, and then the NBA playoffs. You are at
the point now where reaching the conference finals is the floor.
But it's like that there was the girl always dated
and when we first met, she said, the bar is
the floor.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
You don't have to do much. I have to who
the bar is a lot higher now for them and
how they had to move. So you have to be
careful about what type of coach you.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Bring in because there's the scrutiny, because it's the dollar impactor,
because it's worldwide. Who was maybe Rick Brunson, you know
Leon Rose. It's all these different factions inside the building.
And again I ask you what championship coach the coach
Carl defending the round and Jalen Brunston and being an
out right so they get a factor on defense at
(07:11):
the point of a touch. I don't and Jalen Brunson
at six peaks zero PM. There's so much of a
team's offense. If you're talking about a Knicks players not
sure what their role is he has so much of
a disproportionate value on the offense being run. I don't
think they talk about that. He's like James Harten, He's
like Luca Naunton and guys around that have a hard
(07:32):
time playing. So I don't even offensively. You have the
philosophy for.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
The skame to build a championship team.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Talking to Vincent Goodwill, yeaho's sports senior NBA writer, I
did laugh. At the end of the year, after they
get eliminated, people now start pointing out that Karl Anthony
Towns can't play defense, And I'm thinking, did anybody watch
him prior to getting to New York. He doesn't play defense.
I don't know if he tries. That'd be even sadder
(08:04):
if he was. If he was actually trying to play defense,
I'd rather just go with and I'll use my energy
on the offensive end.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Well, you guys played Princess seventeen days coming in Princes
one of Prince's favorite musicians.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Well she leave with the bongos. That's what Karl Anthony
Towns when.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
He's playing defense, he's just back too upside the head
and this you know why I did that?
Speaker 3 (08:28):
And you're right.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
We saw Carl Towns with Rudy go there in Minnesota.
They surrounded him with defensive players. Athony Edwards is a
dog on defense. Jay mc damis is a dog on defense.
You have to surround him with players at all different
levels that sort of mitigate what he does because he's
not going to change.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
He's ten years there.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
He's a wildly efficient offensive player, a wildly talented offensive player.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
But also Jalen Brunson.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Had a grand total DAN of five assists the Karl
Anthony Towns in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Something is not working with the mix with those two.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
ProAb played his best when Brunson was on the bench,
and then when Brunson's on the bench, Probab gets you
a file though.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
All right, NBA Finals, tell me how long? Yeah, that's happening,
rumor has it? Do you think the Knicks make the
announcement of the next head coach during the NBA Finals.
I don't know. David Stern was always had a problem.
Don't take away from the finals. But I don't know
if you know this commissioner cares or the Knicks care.
(09:34):
But will they hire their head coach by the end
of the NBA Finals.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
I'm not sure if you know, Emperor Stern is much
more than authoritarian figure than Adam.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Silber, who's a little bit more on the diplomatic side. Right.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Yeah, if you're assuming that the NBA Finals go longer
than five games, but the NBA Finals stretch out for
like two weeks, I had to pack like seventy five
finals work the problems and stuff to carry here. But
to answer your question, Dan, seriously, I wouldn't be surprised
if the Knicks. I don't think the Knicks care. You
don't think I don't think James Dolan cares. And if
(10:10):
we say Leon Rose are don't have to be a
time with anything, nobody publicly or maybe even privately when
these states come out. But I think if they find
their guy, if their guys out there and he's not
coaching in this series, and I don't think that he is,
I mean, you go ahead and you make the announce,
you get it out and whatever Adam.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Silk says, they don't care. The league.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
They gonna tell you this, the Knicks get a thing
with the league's offense. The league offense doesn't even have
to go with the Black owners. They should against the
leader are gonna expire.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
I don't okay, how do the Pacers win the series?
Not make it a series? Win the series, Lockshake, you'.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Just Alexander up like that movie with Damon Wayne's DNA
on the hofense like that.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
No, I think offense is the key here in the
mom League, we say when get the NBA, violence is
about defense to stop at the other team.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
You're not going to stop the Oklahoma City double. You're
not gonna stop Shay giving us.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Alexander from being fouled at least baiting direction to believe
they can stile, you have to press the pace. Yris
Holliburger is, by bark the most important player in this series.
The one mistake that Anthony Illis made with the one
development in his game is that you got to see
what he gave up the ball. He knew exactly where
he was because he was not moving about it. That
(11:26):
lea of Okahma City's defense to keep an eye the
arms on him.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Hyris Halliburton has a STEVEE.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Lash kind of quality where he can be at different
points on the floor where you have to accompany him
for different players.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
If he can get this Oklahoma City defense mixed up
and twitch it up with me. Actually I'm not saying it,
then maybe you have a better chance.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Remember the different Nuggets Nakoli Jokis and he took this
team that in the games they get blown out in
the game seven, but the games that they want, they
shot the ball extremely well.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
And they played all this basketball down the stretch.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
We've seen the Indiana Pacers have come back victories against
Cleveland and against the lew York Blicks where they the
five the odds and came back and played flaws basketball
in the last two minutes after hanging around.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
From being down twenty of being doul ten with him.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
The case may be and Rick Carlock is a wizard
of a coach, so why it doesn't seem likely that.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Is the path.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
Hyris Halliverton has to be a monster in this series.
The Pacers have to shoot what they shot against the Knicks.
We go over thirty nine percent, which is I hurt.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
You win the number. They have to shoot well into
the forties and you have to win the crunch time man,
and even then I don't know for sure if they
win the series.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
And to go back to the Knicks. For this question,
what do you think about Rick Bettino coaching the Knicks.
Speaker 5 (12:45):
You are jumping back to the way back with see
I mean, is he bringing Billy Donovan back with him?
Is he bringing you know, Patrick Ewing and those eighty
nine kicks when they chatter your path for That's a
great question.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
I don't know if Jeff Van Gundy is being answered.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
I don't know if Rick Potato, who is what he
gotta be worth seventy six, seventy seven years old, if
he had the stamina to do that, and the words
of Rick Patato and the press conference maybe twenty five
years ago, Patrick Dewey.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
A welcome through that. Do Charl's Oakley and walk him
through that door, you know, Charls Hopie Willie walking through.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
That he's not allowed to walk through. Yeah, he literally
can't walk through that door. They won't let him walk
through that door. I was watching that thirty for thirty
on the Pacers and the Knicks with Reggie Miller and
John Starks, and you saw some of those scores, like
the Pacers would get seventy eight points. It was almost
(13:40):
like first team to ninety points would win win those games.
But it was it was exciting and intense. It wasn't
necessarily great basketball, but it was like so physical and
that I don't know, did the commissioner have this light
go off and say aesthetic, this isn't a this isn't
(14:02):
good bounsketball because Cleveland, I remember Mike Fritello and pat
Riley with the Knicks. They love that physicality with that.
But I don't know, was there an edict that said,
we have to make this more open and let these
great athletes be great athletes again.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
Well remember specifically go back to nineteen ninety five where
Reggie does the eight points and nine and a half
seconds in the scores for where they were. The next year,
the NBA moved the three point line up from twenty
three to nine to maybe twenty two to six for
the next two seasons, and then they moved the line
back again.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
To pre scoring. So that was one of those things.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
And then the Detroit Pistons the forty eight minutes of
hell team and was holding teens under seventy points. And
then the next year you got to see the handshake
and removed them national and two MVPs for seven seconds
of less genix sons, And that's where you start to
see sort of the evolution of the game.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Michael Jordan finds a way to here all.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
Ills and Michael George the fact don't manage what's going on.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
That's why thirty points. Then it looks a lot different
than thirty points. Give me the numbers. So there they say,
such on such a better right hob I say, wow.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
How would Steve Nash be in today's game?
Speaker 4 (15:17):
If Steve Nasri realized that he had the green like
to shoot more? And I think it as opposed to
being an eighteen and thirteen guy or a sixteen and
twelve guy, if he turned into like a twenty three,
twenty two and eleven guy, Steve Nash might have a
championship ring or two in his jewelry case.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
I think he would be.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
I think the point guards with previous eras when you
talk about the Steve Nashes, the Jason kids, of course, you.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Know the Isaiahs and magics.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Those guys would be so much better in today's game,
not because of shooting, but because the room isn't flocked.
They're getting to the lane and getting layups all day
because you have to guard from thirty feet out and
you don't have one big run at the rin blood
alone read.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah. I remember coaches would tell me that they had
to yell at Steve Nash to shoot. Imagine you have
to tell somebody to shoot because he didn't shoot enough.
And they said, you know, now you're hurting us that
you're not shooting enough. And he was a ninety fifty
forty guy. I think before we even thought what a
(16:18):
ninety to fifty forty guy was, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
It was.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
He was amazingly efficient and sometimes when you take more
volume of shots, the efficiency goes on. Some people are
so married to, you know, whatever the numbers are that
they you know, they don't worry about winning the game.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
To worry about winning the statistic battle.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
I don't think Steve Nash was like I think Steve
Blast was a hard those competitor. And when you have
Sean Mary and Marice Startamar and those guys who needed
to be fed at the ball, you get more into
a passive point of view. But it makes a better
offense if you wind up getting it up the court
and you're trying to get libs and you're driving the
score as opposed to driving the pass. Slewer or later
(16:57):
the defense catches up to that and they play you
for the pass as.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
The playing for what would Barkley be like today?
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Illegal? Because who's garden him Dan?
Speaker 6 (17:08):
Who's guarding a six foot six, lightning quick athletic three four.
Remember Charles played a lot of three in his latter
days in Philly, where he played with Rick Mohran and
Mike Jaminski, and he almost won.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
MVP in nineteen ninety playing a small forward.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
If you gave Charles Barkley and open the floor, you said,
Charles Barkley, the three point shot is a shot that
we have to take. Then if you play up on it,
me drives to the basket. If you posts up the
floor spread, you can't double them. If you tell them, Charles,
we need fifty for you to night, that's what you got.
The only hope is that, Hey, Charles, you got to
play deep besk you get it to a stand and
you rotate.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
That's the only question.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
As Charles has told me many times, as long as
Larry Bird's in the league, I won't be the worst
defensive guy.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Wow Burn, Hey, look there's a play near and deer
to a lot of Detroit talks that Larry Bird was
a pretty damn good defensive player. So I'll take a
little umbridge on that.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Well, sometimes, you know, you look at Lebron and I
could say five greatest plays of his career. One is
going to be the chase down block on Egodala. I
can talk about Michael Jordan's five greatest plays, Uh, the
steal against Karl Malone that's set up the game winning
shot that won, you know, the game in Utah which
we thought was his final game. And then Larry Bird
(18:26):
with a steel against the Piston. So great players making
great plays, but making great plays at both ends of
the floor.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
Well, remember that Utah Jazz game six with Chicago was
on a Sunday, and I know it wasn't the reference,
but the mailman don't deliver.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
On Okay, all right, all right, no, no, no, that's
something that Fritzy would have said. He would have said that,
and I always said time you're better than that.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Well I am. I am a detroiter.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
And Karl Malone knocked Isaiah Thomas's head wide open with
forty somethings stitches because the catch sports John Stockton and
the aftermath of the Dream Team stuff.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Well, I don't really have a whole lot of love problem.
I say, like that.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Good to talk to you again. Thank you, Vincent always Dan,
that's Vincent Goodwill. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports
talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows
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Search FSR to listen live.
Speaker 7 (19:26):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together We're
Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
You could catch us.
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Weekdays from five to seven pm Eastern two to four
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(19:54):
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Speaker 2 (19:56):
I mean that says something, right. So check us out.
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Speaker 2 (20:23):
I mentioned this to start the show, that John Butchagras,
who was I was a teammate of at the Mothership,
calling for Don Cherry and Barry Melrose to be elected
to the Hockey Hall of Fame when we found out
that Barry was diagnosed with Parkinson's I said that on
the show that let's wave whatever you need to wave,
(20:44):
you know, put him in while he could still be
able to go and enjoy the moment with his family.
Have a speech there. I didn't realize Don Cherry was
not in the Hockey Hall of Fame and he was
Hockey certainly Hockey Night in Canada. But Johnny butcher gross
my hockey guy joining us now. But good to talk
to you. Thank you for us saying what you said.
(21:05):
Obviously it has more weight when you say it in
the hockey community. But what would be the hold up
to put both of these men in the Hockey Hall
of fame.
Speaker 8 (21:16):
Well, just adding a sentence to the criteria, Dan, right now,
the criteria there's a category for sports writers and for
play by play guys, and that's it.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
And that was my point.
Speaker 8 (21:26):
You can change this with eleven words or less play
by play or analyst, whatever word you want to use.
And obviously Don Cherry and Barry Melrose for thirty years
were the biggest names in their countries in terms of broadcasters.
You know, Don Cherry was certainly John Madden, he was
(21:47):
in that kind of a level. And Barry I get
emails all the time. I grew up with the game
in America with Barry Melrose, and both of them went
from junior hockey to professional hockey, to coaching to broadcasting,
literally gave their life to the game and to the sports.
And it seems just an easy sentence to get people
like that, or even great hosts like Aron McLain from
Hockey Night in Canada and all the ones they have
(22:09):
up there. And eventually, as as the careers of somebody's
American analysts and broadcasters, you know Adie Olschuk and and
you know Ray Ferraro, there's there's no place for them.
And it seems like an easy ad. Yeah, I just
think contributions to the game. Other sports have that pro
football hands contributions to the game, and maybe you could
put it under that umbrella.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
But I agree, how is Berry going?
Speaker 8 (22:34):
You know, you don't get better from Parkinson's, Dan, You know,
thankfully some people are curative cancer, but you don't get
cured of als or Parkinson's or dementia. So he's living
in Oxford, Ohio. That's where he met his wife, Cindy,
when he turned pro and played for the Cincinnati Stingers.
She was a cheerleader on the team. She grew up
in Oxford, rural Oxford, where Miami University is located, and
(22:58):
they decided to move there from Florida to there where
they had been living, to get some support. Her family
is still there. It's difficult, But Barry's watching the games.
I texted Cydey Melrose yesterday and said, can you get
me a Berry prediction for the for the finals? And
of course, in true Barry fashion, every year it was
somebody in six. He never said five, never said seven.
So Barry's got the oilers in six, Dan, what do
(23:20):
you have? I have the oilers in seven? Thinking, I'm
sure they're thinking, we fell to this team three to
oh last year and almost won four games in a row.
We're better this year. We have home ice this year.
We're gonna get off to a better start this year.
We're gonna treat one game one tonight like game seven,
because you want to play ahead. You don't want to
be down oh one to Pedro Martinez.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
If you have a.
Speaker 8 (23:42):
Chance, you want to be up one to oh. And
they're probably they're the underdog by a smidch, but they
have the greatest player of their generation. They have another
great Hall of Famer to be in Leon Dreisidle. They
have a little more depth. The Zach Hyman injury hurts,
but overall they're so good on home ice. They have
the best player. And as we know Dan, when their
backs are kind of up against a cliff, up against
(24:04):
an ocean, and an army never fights harder than when
their backs up against a cliff or an ocean. This
team is gonna get in the cap hell fast. They
have no young players coming. It's almost a do or
die year. Dry Settle gets a five million dollar raise.
Bouchard gets a five million dollar raise. Next year, McDavid's
gonna need about an eight million dollar raise after next
(24:24):
year he's a UFA. This will be the summer of
his extension. So they sense that, I think, And that's
why even though Florida is the best complete team, and
maybe they're constructed as the perfect team and maybe they're
gonna win, but I just don't think from a they
don't quite have that desperation that that Edmonton has. You
can't manufacture then. But also you're carrying the country too.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
I mean, it's a long long time and I don't
think we can overstate the pressure that goes with carring.
Not everybody's rooting for Edmonton, I'm sure, as in other
provinces which you want Canada to bring home the Cup.
Speaker 8 (25:02):
The last time they won it, Barry Melrose was the
other coach to bring it back to Barring nineteen ninety three.
So you're right, that's a good point. It's been thirty
two years, and you're right, it's not quite Toronto or
Montreal doing it because obviously the big metropolitan areas that
they're from, and you maybe feel it more like the
Cubs Red Sox ending their droughts. But still I think
Canada would come together McDavid scored the overtime winner in
(25:23):
the Four Nations Otherwise it would have been an amazing
year for USA Hockey. World Junior just won the World
Championship for the first time really, so that was a
big moment for McDavid to win that. That was his
first best on best, so he hasn't won a trophy,
a team trophy before that. So since he was like sixteen,
the guy, you know, it's just going back to junior
for the eerie otters, so it's time for him to win.
(25:46):
You look at every great iconic NHL player, Dan, I
looked at the top twenty scores last night. Only three
don't have a cup.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
You know.
Speaker 8 (25:53):
Marcel Dion, great player. You guys are all great players,
but not quite that iconic player. Joe Thornton, Adam Oates,
all the others they got it, doesn't It's not there's
no or any Banks in the NHL, you know, No
Dan Marino, they get it. But he's twenty eight, about
to turn twenty nine, and it's only going to get harder,
like I said at Edmonton, So there is a bit
of a fun sports story desperation to it for me.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Yeah, that's I was going to bring that up that
in the NBA and other sports, certainly quarterbacks, when are
you gonna win your title? You get to a certain
point like Luka Doncik he's there. Yeah, Joker was there,
he won a title. Giannis was there, he won a title.
Embiid got an MVP. He's not going to win a title.
Jason Tatum won a title. Once you win the title,
(26:35):
then we move on to the next guy. It's like, right,
Colin Montgomery, you know, the best player to never win
a major. Yeah, you know, we keep waiting for these guys.
And I wondered with you know, everybody says Connor McDavid's
best player in the world. Well, the best players in
the world win championships.
Speaker 8 (26:52):
Exactly, and he might go down as the greatest healent
ever and so that again, it just doesn't happen in
the sport. There were six teams for then there were twelve,
then there were sixteen. So people got around, they got
their championship. But for him to be the greatest player
in his sport, the most talented, that would be something.
So it's something to keep.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
An eye on.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
John Butcher Graz ESPN Hockey play by play and host
a sports center anchor. You've been there since what ninety six?
Speaker 8 (27:18):
Yeah, October twenty eighth, nineteen ninety six. We did one
sports center together. I know you don't remember it, but
I do. It was a six o'clock sports center. I
was probably nervous doing three sports centers in my life.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
My first, which.
Speaker 8 (27:30):
Was was Stuart Scott Grammy Night, nineteen ninety seven. I'll
never forget it. So my love of music, it's kind
of cool with fall. It fell on that date and
I did a six o'clock with you, and I can't
even think of the third time.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I was nervous, but that was a big deal to me.
I've told this story. You were there playing basketball with us, yes,
when we had these SportsCenter anchors, ESPN News anchors, and
we're all playing in a place called the Canton, Connecticut,
the YMCA, and these guys were trying to get me
to go out forever and play, and I said, nope, nope,
(28:01):
I didn't you know, if you let me run up
and down and sweat a little bit, I don't want
somebody picking me up full court. So what happens, Yep,
Stuart Scott picks me up full court to start the
game mm hmm. And it didn't go well after that,
because then it got worse.
Speaker 8 (28:18):
It did. It got really cleared. I remember this like
it was yesterday. I'm like thirty one years old. I
just got there week. We played our pickup. I had
Steve Berthume. I was smart.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
I knew who to guard.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
I'm going to check berth you.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Say, allowed him, my little friend.
Speaker 8 (28:35):
And so we cleared the court and then you and
Stuart proceeded to play one on one. It is the
most violent one on one situation I've ever seen on.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
A basketball court.
Speaker 8 (28:45):
It was Stuart wanted it more than you, Dan. He
did obviously, he was bodying me forearm and then I
finally it was I talked to Jason Jackson about this occasion.
He laughs because he said, people don't believe me when
I tell that story. And I said to Stuart, I
looked him right in the eye, and I said, where
do you want me to bleep and score on you?
(29:07):
I'm dribbling with my left hand, and I was so
I like, God, this is the last thing I wanted
to do, exactly be competitive with all of the other
co anchors there and turn an ankle. Then you can't golf.
That was my reason why I retire. I don't want
to turn an ankle and not be able to golf.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Well, Stuart undercut me, yes, and I ended up going
to the emergency room for a chip vertebrae. I still
had to do Sports Center that night. Yes, always and
by never apologize never never. It was a flagrant too.
I can't believe how competitive we were. Man, that's like
(29:45):
a different person. I'm just not that person anymore. It's
it was sad. It was sad. It was I was like,
what am I doing? I'm better than this? What are
we doing? I'm going against Chuck Garfine, I mean, what
am I doing? I'm better than this? Right, I'm better
than Yeah, take Dave ressin to his last I'm gonna
lock up Repson. I am rever. Great to talk to you, John.
(30:09):
I hope you're doing well. I hope you have a
great series. Shut out Morango.
Speaker 8 (30:13):
My buddy goodie watching high school basketball teammate, loves Dan Patrick.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Thank you, Bud.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan
Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
WAP let's bring back Robert or let's see if that
connection is a little bit better. All right. Your reaction
when you heard that the Knicks had fired Tom Thibodeau, I.
Speaker 9 (30:37):
Was shocked because if you look at what Tom Thibodeau has.
Speaker 10 (30:40):
Done for that team, getting him back to the Eastern
Conference finals, having a lot of things that are go
on with that team, and for them to fire him
with such a man up to get into the East compuse,
I was just shocked because if you really think about it,
and if you look at the rossa of the Knicks,
they overachieved me.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
You know they were over achieved.
Speaker 9 (31:01):
They got a lot of guys that role players playing
very well in Thibodeau's systems, So I think that's one
of the things you have to look at. And sometimes
people get confused. So we just beat the NBA champions, Yeah,
you beat them, but you still got other teams that
can play and the paces. Let's be honest, they've coached
very well and they playing better than anybody.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
So I think they should have ran it back.
Speaker 9 (31:24):
But it's gonna be hard to find someone to come
in and and and step in his shoes.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
Though, do you have to like your head coach.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
I've never liked any of my head coach No.
Speaker 9 (31:37):
Actually, you know, it's so weird that a lot of
people think you have to like your head coaches. I said,
as long as the coach is doing a good job,
I don't think you have to like him. But I
think that has to have some type of respect there.
And if they player, if the coach doesn't respect the players,
I don't think the players are gonna respect the coach.
And I think with this day and age, the way
players and coaches communicate, you know, you should step up
(31:59):
and and have that opportunity to say, yo, coach, I don't
you know, this is how I feel about certain situations.
And I don't know anything about any of those players
that they had. I don't know if anybody has the
you know, the man, I won't say the balls to
step in and say, yo, tip, you know we're playing
too many minutes of this and if tims will listening.
But I think most of the time I make all
(32:20):
that fall on the assistant coaches, because assistant coaches are
the ones that need to step in and grab the
head coach by the ear and make them listen to them.
Because the assistant coaches are closer to the players than
the coaches to the players.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
Did you like Phil Johnson?
Speaker 9 (32:34):
I love Phil Jackson, I loved I actually loved all
my coaches love. I love Rudy first, then Pop and
Field was second.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
But Pop likes to yell.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (32:43):
Yeah, So here's a funny story about Pop never yelled
at me. He yelled at me once and everybody looked
at him. He was like, oh, I Don'm not supposed
to yell at Rober Okay, I.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Forgot Why is he not allowed to yell at you?
Speaker 9 (32:56):
For some odd reason, there was a rumor going around
that you cannot yell at me. You yell at me,
you lose me, which is not true because you got
to think about my high coach was a yeller. Sanderson
was definitely a yeller. And so I'm like, I don't
mind yelling. I might tune you out, but you can
yell at me.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
You never wanted to fight a coach though.
Speaker 9 (33:16):
No, you know that's my that's my former college teammates.
Free well, I never did anything like that, you know.
You know, here's the thing about you know, in coaches,
I think I've always been and ever get into it.
No man, you know, I'm the greatest guy ever. Man,
everybody loves me. Man, help the teammate. I think about this.
I sacrificed more than any player in the world for
(33:36):
his team to win. Even in college. I let Spree
and James do that thing, and I got to you know,
I got to the Rockets. I let Dream do his
thing and get to Lakes Covi. Shat do you a
thing I sacrificed for you, guys, because at the end
of the day, it's about winning.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
It's about winning.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
How many plays were run specifically for you in your career.
Speaker 9 (33:54):
I only had plays run for me when I was
with the Rockets once I got to know you know,
I think it was one time when I was in
the Lakers uniform I had plays ran from that was
when I set a record for most threes made corsectly
in the game and I was hot, so he rans
some plays for me then and I was ran by
I think Dale Harris was the coach then maybe, yeah,
(34:15):
that's the only time in the last time. You know,
Pop never ran plays for me, even when I was
hot in two thousand and five in that finals, he
didn't run.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Place with me.
Speaker 9 (34:23):
Then I'm like hey, because I'm you know, I'm the
other sacrifice man. You know, the most important thing is winning,
and I never cared about my stats. It's about getting
that dub.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
How upset was a team When David Robinson won the
league MVP, he.
Speaker 9 (34:36):
Was beyond upset, you know. And it's weird because Dream
is not a big talker. And when he said that's
my trophy, you know, back then, and he came out
and pulled out some moves on David Robinson I've never
seen before.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
It was amazing, that Dream shake.
Speaker 9 (34:52):
You know, you think about the footwork and his ability
to get guys to be in a popcorn machine and
get them off their feet. He was just fantastic. You know,
one of the greatest players I ever played with.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Didn't he smack uh Vernon? Maxwell? Did he smack Vernon?
Speaker 9 (35:09):
Do you know that happened a year before I got out? Okay,
you know, I'm that calm that comes in and calms
everybody down so there's no smacking of people.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Then would Kobe be able to play? And obviously with
the talent, but you know, he was kind of a
bully like you had, like Michael Jordan, like you got
to keep up with me. Would that work in today's
NBA with these players.
Speaker 9 (35:32):
I think it would because you think about if you
come to a team and this is how it's done,
you kind of fall into that mold and the culture.
You know, you might have a couple of guys that
might not fall in line, but if you winning, you
know that's the bottom line, you know, And you think
about you look at all the cultures that you have
that are created on each team. You think about the
(35:53):
OKAC culture, how they're like, oh, we're gonna have each
other's back regardless. You think about the Indiana's culture we're
gonna play team nobody's bigger than the ABC A D.
And you think about the culture in New York or
so this is it is on these six guys are
going to play and that's it. I think you become
you adapt to it. And I think a lot of guys,
when you come into organization that let you be a
little bit more free, that's when you're not able to
(36:14):
adapt because this is all you know. You have blinders
on and say, oh, this is we didn't do this here,
we didn't do this there. So I think they'd be fine,
especially when you're Kobe, you know he's a leader. He's
gonna make you, you know, follow follow tosa. I think
he'd been fine.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
You think he could have could have gotten a hundred
points in again.
Speaker 9 (36:30):
No, No, I think eighty one was just stretching on
a hundred points because it gets to a point where
you know, you gotta miss some shocks and guys get jealous,
like yo, man, I know you scoring them, but let
me get some love too.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
But I don't.
Speaker 9 (36:43):
I don't think he would have been if it went
into overtime. He probably could have.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Yeah, but you don't want to interrupt his flow. If
you if he's got like seventy something, you don't go, hey,
come on, how about I get a shot or something?
Speaker 3 (36:56):
What?
Speaker 9 (36:58):
No, but after a while, you think, if I'm the coach,
that's the historical thing that's about to happen.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Right, it ain't happening on my watch.
Speaker 9 (37:05):
We're gonna triple team him as soon as he You're
gonna have some guy face guard him, don't let him
cat So you you know, thinking nobody ever wants to
have a historical mark like that selling them because you
can in a trivia question, who was the head coach?
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Yeah, allow Kobe Bryant to have one hundred points.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
So yeah, Robert or a Lakers analyst for Spectrum Sportsnet,
seven time NBA champ, all right, what would you do
if you're the Lakers in the off season. What's the
one thing that has to happen.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
They?
Speaker 9 (37:36):
Of course, they gotta get some size. I think that's
the biggest key that I gotta get some size. And
then they gotta get you know, some people behind that
bench to grab JJ and say, Yo, this ain't working.
And I think a lot of times we look at
the head coach and we blame him for some things,
and we blame the players the teams, but I blame
I always blame the assistant coaches because assistant coaches need
(37:57):
to have the coaches here and they see things that
the head coach don't see sometimes and like, Yo, this
ain't working. We needn't need to do this and that.
And I think that's the main key. You know, I
love the coaching staff that they have, but it's JJ
willing to, you know, listen to his staff and trust
his staff, because sometimes when you come in as a
new coach, you say, oh it's God, I got to
do it my way. I gotta do it this way
(38:18):
because I'm the head coach.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
I need to do this.
Speaker 9 (38:19):
And I think sometimes it takes a village, you know,
instead of you know, a guy saying, Oh, I need
to do this way because my head is on the line.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Yeah, but how should Luca take that? Hey, you're fat,
you're overweight. And people now say this openly as opposed
to maybe somebody said it to him privately. And I
don't know him, but I don't know. I don't know
what would motivate him because it feels like people are
embarrassing him by saying this.
Speaker 9 (38:49):
Yeah, and it's so weird that people talk about his weight,
but yet he's still giving people thirty points. I don't
I tell people I don't care about his weight. You
need to get him in a gym, teach him how
to play defense.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
You know.
Speaker 9 (39:02):
That's the thing, because you can give someone forty points,
but if you're giving up thirty five on the other end,
those forty points don't mean anything.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Wait, you think that you could make Luca a good
defensive player.
Speaker 9 (39:13):
Yes, you can, you know, because it's about wanting to.
You know, He's never had to because he's always had
people behind him. Near racist mistakes you think about now,
there was no ad, no center, nobody, racist mistakes in
LA he getting blown by, you know.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
They getting layups. Yeah.
Speaker 9 (39:29):
You know, if you if you watch stretches of games
where Luca's just stayed in front because he's a big body.
He the defenders that I mean, the offenser puayers are
bouncing off him. Just stay in front, and I think
that is the key. And I think also he needs
to want to play defense because so many times he
saves his energy for the offensive end. I tell people
(39:50):
all that if you can move your feet and get
past and blow by people, that means you have some
fast twitch muscles. You can move pretty fast, so there's
no reason you cannot play better defense. On the other
it's just you just gotta want to.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
And I don't think.
Speaker 9 (40:03):
I think a lot of times he doesn't want to.
He rather just point.
Speaker 3 (40:07):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
That means that you think Karl Anthony Towns could be
an inadequate defender.
Speaker 9 (40:13):
I think with Carl, you know, people always talk about
lucas in shape. You know, if you look at car
and I think he could get in better shape. You know,
he's very top heavy, and I think he could get
in better shape and he can, you know, even though
he has some big dogs anywhere, it's like what size
twenty one shoe? But I think he can move his
feet because if you watch him offensive, he can move fast.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
You just gotta want to.
Speaker 9 (40:35):
And Carl Anthon's problem is his problem is he does
a lot of silly files.
Speaker 3 (40:39):
Yeah, and he had and he you.
Speaker 9 (40:41):
Know, when he sets the screen, he's he puts his
hip out and things like that. He just has to
learn how to curtail those files and be more streamlined
with his movements and just be smarter. So I think
he'll be fine defensively.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Okay, she's style, Yeah, like they lead with defense.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (41:01):
Do you believe the defense still wins championships in the NBA?
Speaker 3 (41:05):
Of course?
Speaker 9 (41:06):
And the thing why if OKC wins this is gonna
you know Negate all those people who go out and like, oh,
threes are the way to win. That's not Shake Gives's game.
He will do it three every nine and then. But
it's about getting buckets, and Shake Gibbs knows how to
get buckets. That's either from the mid range or from
the free throw out. But on the flip side of
you think about what Hartenstein and Caruso and to me,
(41:28):
one of the best defensive players in the game. Lou
Dork are doing for that team is amazing. And and
if you go back at the history of the NBA,
even you go back to the Splash Brothers and the
way they shot threes, they were top five defensively, and
so people sometimes forget, like, oh, they get mesmerized by
the offense.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
But these teams are also good defensively.
Speaker 9 (41:48):
And they can lock you down, you know, the Jalen Williams,
they're very good.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
And if you look at this.
Speaker 9 (41:54):
Team, there's usually somebody on the team that's, you know,
bad defensively.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
There's no one. Okay, see it's bad defensively.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
What are the posters behind you over your right shoulder?
Speaker 9 (42:07):
Those are posters of I had a guy that did
He did a painting of every championship I have. And
what it is is it's a moment from each game.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
I kind of I so, I kind of it's kind
of old my eyes.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
To me, I thought it was other players you played against.
Those are those are all you? Okay?
Speaker 9 (42:34):
It's two Rockets, three Lakers, and two Spurs, And it's
like it's a three point shot and each one has
a part of I can walk over there, let you
see him if you like.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
But so if you can, I know you've got time
constraints here. So all right.
Speaker 9 (42:51):
Yeah, so it's kind of I got a guy named
Opie Otis Dad. I've been known for like since I
got in the NBA. So it's just like Knicks Finals,
Orlando's Finals, Pacers Finals of course, Sixers, New Jersey Pistons,
and in Cleveland, and each one has like the most
(43:14):
famous shot I made against Lakers. He does this thing
called ghosting where you can put like a little ghosting
thing in it.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
So it's just me, Hey, you earned it. I like
you lost track of one of the matchups there. You've
won so many championships, like oh, New Jersey, Yeah that
was New Jersey.
Speaker 9 (43:36):
You always forget about the people you sweep, Like you
know that team that had Penny and Shock.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
I forget the name of that team.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
Wow. Great to talk to you again. It's always Robert.
Speaker 3 (43:46):
Great to talk to YouTube.
Speaker 4 (43:47):
Man.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
I appreciate you
Speaker 2 (43:48):
Man, that's Robert ri
You are listening to the Dan Patrick Show on Fox
Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
We bring in Vincenzo Goodwill Junior, the third Young Who's
Sports Senior NBA writer, host of the Good Word podcast,
and Yon Who's sports Ball Don't Lie Sirius XM NBA
host as well. He'll be covering the NBA Finals. All right,
here's your question. Tom Thibodeaux was fired because dot dot.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
The New York Knicks wanted to fire.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
I think we try to make things a lot more complicated.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Than they are.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
If you make the Eastern Conference Finals in a year
where nobody expected you to get out of the second round,
regardless of the circumstances, and you take out the defending
champions in a decisive six game series, and that's not
enough for you to keep your job, that meant that
nothing was going to enable you to keep your job.
You can talk about the Knicks roster and how top
(00:56):
heavy they are there second Apron team, and I think
that is something Dan that we.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Don't talk about as much.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
When you look at the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks,
some of those teams are in those second Aprons, those
very sumitive, investment heavy.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
You know, parts of the CBA. The expectations are championship.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
And even if the roster doesn't look like a championship,
the investment of the money says we expect you to
deliver a championship. Now, maybe Tom Thibodeau took this team
as far as it can go.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
If you need a more innovative offensive mind.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
You know, there was a lot of chemistry issues that
looked like between Carl Anthony Townsend Jalen Brunson.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
But I asked you, Dan, when was the last time.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
You've seen an NBA champion that had defensive issues at
the point of attack with the point guard.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
And at the reun with the center, and you won
a championship.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I don't know if God himself could have worked the
magic that Tom Thibodeaux was asked to work in these playoffs.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
So you're saying, then they overachieved with Tom Thibodeau not
underachieved in these playoffs.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Yes, absolute, I don't look at or I would say
this to the fans. Did you know that Landry Shamman
and Delon Wright were actually in the NBA when Tom
Thibodeau threw them out there?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Now you can say Tips.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Didn't develop his bench and everything else and depth in
today's game wins. When you look at Oklahoma City Thunder,
you look at the Indiana Pacers, the two teams playing
in the NBA Finals, you are absolutely correct. But when
you build a team that says the Keel Bridges, we're
going to pay five first round picks for you, and
then we bring in ognob before that, and then on
the evil training camp we traded for Carl Anthony Towns.
(02:34):
You don't have the space to develop a bench. And
I know Tiff should have developed a bench better, but
I can't think of a coach beam fired because of
supplementary players. Now, if you tell me that Jalen brought
to the Carl Towns of the Keil Bridges went into
a reading individually with Jim Dolan and said, we know
what you're thinking.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Maybe this isn't the guy that help us move forward. Okay, fine,
because this is a totally.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Different team than the team tips to Gover all those
years ago. It's a much more talented, offensively based team.
And maybe that's the reason. But either way, that's what Dan.
We won't find out. This punk's of Tony Field will
never come out of his shadow. And I'm talking about
Leon Road. We never see that man, I will be
bald headed or we never see Leon Rose in public again.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
And let me tell you all, I got a good
hairline still. See.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I think that if you make a move, you fire
a coach or hire a coach, you should get in
front of the media. You got the media capital of
the world, New York City. You made the move. If
I'm a fan, I would like to at least have
answers what was it that we didn't get and what
are you bringing in? Now? He might show up if
they bring in Michael Malone, take a victory lap, and
(03:44):
then maybe they don't ask questions about Tom Thibodeau. But
you got to get in front of the media here, right, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Absolutely, And I'm surprised that Nick fans, well, for one,
Nick fans don't like the media.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Nobody likes the big bad media.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
So when the media says, hey, there's a need for
public accountability, you know, you can look.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
At that a lot of different spheres of our world today.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Nobody likes the media when and got that accountability is necessary.
But let me say to this point, even if you
go hiring Michael Malone, what is the difference between Michael
Malone and Tom Thibodeau. Wasn't Michael Malone fired in a
large part because of his inability to work with the
front office to develop young players. Isn't that one of
(04:28):
the complaints about Tom Thibodeau. Don't they come from the
same New York sort of tree, the tree of NBA coaches.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I feel like they're kind of similar.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Do you think they know who they're hiring?
Speaker 3 (04:41):
No, I don't think they know who they're hiring.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
I think and I don't necessarily know if you have
to know who you're hiring. I don't think this is
the case of when the Pistons fired Brig Carlisle in
two thousand and three, they knew they had Larry Brown
in their back pocket and they want to win the
championship the next season to validate it.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
I don't think this is that. I think they they
are walking in this with a relatively open mind.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
You see the list of guys, even some coaches who
are feeling in the contract.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
They oh Tom Fibodeau thirty million dollars. I will say this,
and I'm gonna go back to firing of tips.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
When you fire a coach for thirty million dollars left
on this deal, and you're willing to eat that.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
It's not just the owner, because I've.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Heard three hours before, Hey it's Tom thibberdo say, And
someone told me, two people told me inside that building,
close to that building, they said, not unless Dolan wants to.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
So I don't think it was Jim Dolan.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
I don't think it was just the players in those
closed door means. I think they had long made this decision,
and I don't think they had necessarily a list of
who they had in front of them aposed Donaldist. I
think I don't think it's gonna be Jay Ryden. I
feel it's gonna be back gunned do or anything like that.
I think it's the New York Vicks being the New
York Nicks.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
What about Danny Hurley?
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Have you seen Danny Hurley on the sideline?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I know, I know my job is just to ask
the question. I didn't want to ask a question and
give an answer, So you.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Don't want to you don't want to lead the witness.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
No, No, it's it's something that's unique in this business.
Doesn't happen very often where the host just asked the question,
doesn't ask answer and then to ask, so what about
Danny Hurley.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
I don't know if Danny Hurriley has the sort of temperament.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
An eighty two game season, the scrutiny of the New
York media, and then the NBA playoffs. You are at
the point now where reaching the conference finals is the floor.
But it's like that there was the girl always dated
and when we first met, she said, the bar is
the floor.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
You don't have to do much. I have to who
the bar is a lot higher now for them and
how they had to move. So you have to be
careful about what type of coach you.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Bring in because there's the scrutiny, because it's the dollar impactor,
because it's worldwide. Who was maybe Rick Brunson, you know
Leon Rose. It's all these different factions inside the building.
And again I ask you what championship coach the coach
Carl defending the round and Jalen Brunston and being an
out right so they get a factor on defense at
(07:11):
the point of a touch. I don't and Jalen Brunson
at six peaks zero PM. There's so much of a
team's offense. If you're talking about a Knicks players not
sure what their role is he has so much of
a disproportionate value on the offense being run. I don't
think they talk about that. He's like James Harten, He's
like Luca Naunton and guys around that have a hard
(07:32):
time playing. So I don't even offensively. You have the
philosophy for.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
The skame to build a championship team.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Talking to Vincent Goodwill, yeaho's sports senior NBA writer, I
did laugh. At the end of the year, after they
get eliminated, people now start pointing out that Karl Anthony
Towns can't play defense, And I'm thinking, did anybody watch
him prior to getting to New York. He doesn't play defense.
I don't know if he tries. That'd be even sadder
(08:04):
if he was. If he was actually trying to play defense,
I'd rather just go with and I'll use my energy
on the offensive end.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Well, you guys played Princess seventeen days coming in Princes
one of Prince's favorite musicians.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Well she leave with the bongos. That's what Karl Anthony
Towns when.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
He's playing defense, he's just back too upside the head
and this you know why I did that?
Speaker 3 (08:28):
And you're right.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
We saw Carl Towns with Rudy go there in Minnesota.
They surrounded him with defensive players. Athony Edwards is a
dog on defense. Jay mc damis is a dog on defense.
You have to surround him with players at all different
levels that sort of mitigate what he does because he's
not going to change.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
He's ten years there.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
He's a wildly efficient offensive player, a wildly talented offensive player.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
But also Jalen Brunson.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Had a grand total DAN of five assists the Karl
Anthony Towns in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Something is not working with the mix with those two.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
ProAb played his best when Brunson was on the bench,
and then when Brunson's on the bench, Probab gets you
a file though.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
All right, NBA Finals, tell me how long? Yeah, that's happening,
rumor has it? Do you think the Knicks make the
announcement of the next head coach during the NBA Finals.
I don't know. David Stern was always had a problem.
Don't take away from the finals. But I don't know
if you know this commissioner cares or the Knicks care.
(09:34):
But will they hire their head coach by the end
of the NBA Finals.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
I'm not sure if you know, Emperor Stern is much
more than authoritarian figure than Adam.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Silber, who's a little bit more on the diplomatic side. Right.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Yeah, if you're assuming that the NBA Finals go longer
than five games, but the NBA Finals stretch out for
like two weeks, I had to pack like seventy five
finals work the problems and stuff to carry here. But
to answer your question, Dan, seriously, I wouldn't be surprised
if the Knicks. I don't think the Knicks care. You
don't think I don't think James Dolan cares. And if
(10:10):
we say Leon Rose are don't have to be a
time with anything, nobody publicly or maybe even privately when
these states come out. But I think if they find
their guy, if their guys out there and he's not
coaching in this series, and I don't think that he is,
I mean, you go ahead and you make the announce,
you get it out and whatever Adam.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Silk says, they don't care. The league.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
They gonna tell you this, the Knicks get a thing
with the league's offense. The league offense doesn't even have
to go with the Black owners. They should against the
leader are gonna expire.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
I don't okay, how do the Pacers win the series?
Not make it a series? Win the series, Lockshake, you'.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Just Alexander up like that movie with Damon Wayne's DNA
on the hofense like that.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
No, I think offense is the key here in the
mom League, we say when get the NBA, violence is
about defense to stop at the other team.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
You're not going to stop the Oklahoma City double. You're
not gonna stop Shay giving us.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Alexander from being fouled at least baiting direction to believe
they can stile, you have to press the pace. Yris
Holliburger is, by bark the most important player in this series.
The one mistake that Anthony Illis made with the one
development in his game is that you got to see
what he gave up the ball. He knew exactly where
he was because he was not moving about it. That
(11:26):
lea of Okahma City's defense to keep an eye the
arms on him.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Hyris Halliburton has a STEVEE.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Lash kind of quality where he can be at different
points on the floor where you have to accompany him
for different players.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
If he can get this Oklahoma City defense mixed up
and twitch it up with me. Actually I'm not saying it,
then maybe you have a better chance.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Remember the different Nuggets Nakoli Jokis and he took this
team that in the games they get blown out in
the game seven, but the games that they want, they
shot the ball extremely well.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
And they played all this basketball down the stretch.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
We've seen the Indiana Pacers have come back victories against
Cleveland and against the lew York Blicks where they the
five the odds and came back and played flaws basketball
in the last two minutes after hanging around.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
From being down twenty of being doul ten with him.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
The case may be and Rick Carlock is a wizard
of a coach, so why it doesn't seem likely that.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Is the path.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
Hyris Halliverton has to be a monster in this series.
The Pacers have to shoot what they shot against the Knicks.
We go over thirty nine percent, which is I hurt.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
You win the number. They have to shoot well into
the forties and you have to win the crunch time man,
and even then I don't know for sure if they
win the series.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
And to go back to the Knicks. For this question,
what do you think about Rick Bettino coaching the Knicks.
Speaker 5 (12:45):
You are jumping back to the way back with see
I mean, is he bringing Billy Donovan back with him?
Is he bringing you know, Patrick Ewing and those eighty
nine kicks when they chatter your path for That's a
great question.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
I don't know if Jeff Van Gundy is being answered.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
I don't know if Rick Potato, who is what he
gotta be worth seventy six, seventy seven years old, if
he had the stamina to do that, and the words
of Rick Patato and the press conference maybe twenty five
years ago, Patrick Dewey.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
A welcome through that. Do Charl's Oakley and walk him
through that door, you know, Charls Hopie Willie walking through.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
That he's not allowed to walk through. Yeah, he literally
can't walk through that door. They won't let him walk
through that door. I was watching that thirty for thirty
on the Pacers and the Knicks with Reggie Miller and
John Starks, and you saw some of those scores, like
the Pacers would get seventy eight points. It was almost
(13:40):
like first team to ninety points would win win those games.
But it was it was exciting and intense. It wasn't
necessarily great basketball, but it was like so physical and
that I don't know, did the commissioner have this light
go off and say aesthetic, this isn't a this isn't
(14:02):
good bounsketball because Cleveland, I remember Mike Fritello and pat
Riley with the Knicks. They love that physicality with that.
But I don't know, was there an edict that said,
we have to make this more open and let these
great athletes be great athletes again.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
Well remember specifically go back to nineteen ninety five where
Reggie does the eight points and nine and a half
seconds in the scores for where they were. The next year,
the NBA moved the three point line up from twenty
three to nine to maybe twenty two to six for
the next two seasons, and then they moved the line
back again.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
To pre scoring. So that was one of those things.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
And then the Detroit Pistons the forty eight minutes of
hell team and was holding teens under seventy points. And
then the next year you got to see the handshake
and removed them national and two MVPs for seven seconds
of less genix sons, And that's where you start to
see sort of the evolution of the game.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Michael Jordan finds a way to here all.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
Ills and Michael George the fact don't manage what's going on.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
That's why thirty points. Then it looks a lot different
than thirty points. Give me the numbers. So there they say,
such on such a better right hob I say, wow.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
How would Steve Nash be in today's game?
Speaker 4 (15:17):
If Steve Nasri realized that he had the green like
to shoot more? And I think it as opposed to
being an eighteen and thirteen guy or a sixteen and
twelve guy, if he turned into like a twenty three,
twenty two and eleven guy, Steve Nash might have a
championship ring or two in his jewelry case.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
I think he would be.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
I think the point guards with previous eras when you
talk about the Steve Nashes, the Jason kids, of course, you.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Know the Isaiahs and magics.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Those guys would be so much better in today's game,
not because of shooting, but because the room isn't flocked.
They're getting to the lane and getting layups all day
because you have to guard from thirty feet out and
you don't have one big run at the rin blood
alone read.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah. I remember coaches would tell me that they had
to yell at Steve Nash to shoot. Imagine you have
to tell somebody to shoot because he didn't shoot enough.
And they said, you know, now you're hurting us that
you're not shooting enough. And he was a ninety fifty
forty guy. I think before we even thought what a
(16:18):
ninety to fifty forty guy was, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
It was.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
He was amazingly efficient and sometimes when you take more
volume of shots, the efficiency goes on. Some people are
so married to, you know, whatever the numbers are that
they you know, they don't worry about winning the game.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
To worry about winning the statistic battle.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
I don't think Steve Nash was like I think Steve
Blast was a hard those competitor. And when you have
Sean Mary and Marice Startamar and those guys who needed
to be fed at the ball, you get more into
a passive point of view. But it makes a better
offense if you wind up getting it up the court
and you're trying to get libs and you're driving the
score as opposed to driving the pass. Slewer or later
(16:57):
the defense catches up to that and they play you
for the pass as.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
The playing for what would Barkley be like today?
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Illegal? Because who's garden him Dan?
Speaker 6 (17:08):
Who's guarding a six foot six, lightning quick athletic three four.
Remember Charles played a lot of three in his latter
days in Philly, where he played with Rick Mohran and
Mike Jaminski, and he almost won.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
MVP in nineteen ninety playing a small forward.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
If you gave Charles Barkley and open the floor, you said,
Charles Barkley, the three point shot is a shot that
we have to take. Then if you play up on it,
me drives to the basket. If you posts up the
floor spread, you can't double them. If you tell them, Charles,
we need fifty for you to night, that's what you got.
The only hope is that, Hey, Charles, you got to
play deep besk you get it to a stand and
you rotate.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
That's the only question.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
As Charles has told me many times, as long as
Larry Bird's in the league, I won't be the worst
defensive guy.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Wow Burn, Hey, look there's a play near and deer
to a lot of Detroit talks that Larry Bird was
a pretty damn good defensive player. So I'll take a
little umbridge on that.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Well, sometimes, you know, you look at Lebron and I
could say five greatest plays of his career. One is
going to be the chase down block on Egodala. I
can talk about Michael Jordan's five greatest plays, Uh, the
steal against Karl Malone that's set up the game winning
shot that won, you know, the game in Utah which
we thought was his final game. And then Larry Bird
(18:26):
with a steel against the Piston. So great players making
great plays, but making great plays at both ends of
the floor.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
Well, remember that Utah Jazz game six with Chicago was
on a Sunday, and I know it wasn't the reference,
but the mailman don't deliver.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
On Okay, all right, all right, no, no, no, that's
something that Fritzy would have said. He would have said that,
and I always said time you're better than that.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Well I am. I am a detroiter.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
And Karl Malone knocked Isaiah Thomas's head wide open with
forty somethings stitches because the catch sports John Stockton and
the aftermath of the Dream Team stuff.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Well, I don't really have a whole lot of love problem.
I say, like that.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Good to talk to you again. Thank you, Vincent always Dan,
that's Vincent Goodwill. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports
talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows
at Foxsports Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Search FSR to listen live.
Speaker 7 (19:26):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together We're
Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
You could catch us.
Speaker 7 (19:32):
Weekdays from five to seven pm Eastern two to four
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course the iHeartRadio app.
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich. We talk
about everything life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world.
We have a lot of fun talking about the stories
behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture,
stories that well other shows don't seem to have the
time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends
(19:54):
for the last twenty years and still work together.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
I mean that says something, right. So check us out.
Speaker 7 (19:58):
We like to get you involved, to take your phone calls,
chop it up. As they say, I'd say the most
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and if you miss any of the live show, just
search Covin on Rich wherever you get your podcasts, and
of course on social media that's Covino and Rich.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
I mentioned this to start the show, that John Butchagras,
who was I was a teammate of at the Mothership,
calling for Don Cherry and Barry Melrose to be elected
to the Hockey Hall of Fame when we found out
that Barry was diagnosed with Parkinson's I said that on
the show that let's wave whatever you need to wave,
(20:44):
you know, put him in while he could still be
able to go and enjoy the moment with his family.
Have a speech there. I didn't realize Don Cherry was
not in the Hockey Hall of Fame and he was
Hockey certainly Hockey Night in Canada. But Johnny butcher gross
my hockey guy joining us now. But good to talk
to you. Thank you for us saying what you said.
(21:05):
Obviously it has more weight when you say it in
the hockey community. But what would be the hold up
to put both of these men in the Hockey Hall
of fame.
Speaker 8 (21:16):
Well, just adding a sentence to the criteria, Dan, right now,
the criteria there's a category for sports writers and for
play by play guys, and that's it.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
And that was my point.
Speaker 8 (21:26):
You can change this with eleven words or less play
by play or analyst, whatever word you want to use.
And obviously Don Cherry and Barry Melrose for thirty years
were the biggest names in their countries in terms of broadcasters.
You know, Don Cherry was certainly John Madden, he was
(21:47):
in that kind of a level. And Barry I get
emails all the time. I grew up with the game
in America with Barry Melrose, and both of them went
from junior hockey to professional hockey, to coaching to broadcasting,
literally gave their life to the game and to the sports.
And it seems just an easy sentence to get people
like that, or even great hosts like Aron McLain from
Hockey Night in Canada and all the ones they have
(22:09):
up there. And eventually, as as the careers of somebody's
American analysts and broadcasters, you know Adie Olschuk and and
you know Ray Ferraro, there's there's no place for them.
And it seems like an easy ad. Yeah, I just
think contributions to the game. Other sports have that pro
football hands contributions to the game, and maybe you could
put it under that umbrella.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
But I agree, how is Berry going?
Speaker 8 (22:34):
You know, you don't get better from Parkinson's, Dan, You know,
thankfully some people are curative cancer, but you don't get
cured of als or Parkinson's or dementia. So he's living
in Oxford, Ohio. That's where he met his wife, Cindy,
when he turned pro and played for the Cincinnati Stingers.
She was a cheerleader on the team. She grew up
in Oxford, rural Oxford, where Miami University is located, and
(22:58):
they decided to move there from Florida to there where
they had been living, to get some support. Her family
is still there. It's difficult, But Barry's watching the games.
I texted Cydey Melrose yesterday and said, can you get
me a Berry prediction for the for the finals? And
of course, in true Barry fashion, every year it was
somebody in six. He never said five, never said seven.
So Barry's got the oilers in six, Dan, what do
(23:20):
you have? I have the oilers in seven? Thinking, I'm
sure they're thinking, we fell to this team three to
oh last year and almost won four games in a row.
We're better this year. We have home ice this year.
We're gonna get off to a better start this year.
We're gonna treat one game one tonight like game seven,
because you want to play ahead. You don't want to
be down oh one to Pedro Martinez.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
If you have a.
Speaker 8 (23:42):
Chance, you want to be up one to oh. And
they're probably they're the underdog by a smidch, but they
have the greatest player of their generation. They have another
great Hall of Famer to be in Leon Dreisidle. They
have a little more depth. The Zach Hyman injury hurts,
but overall they're so good on home ice. They have
the best player. And as we know Dan, when their
backs are kind of up against a cliff, up against
(24:04):
an ocean, and an army never fights harder than when
their backs up against a cliff or an ocean. This
team is gonna get in the cap hell fast. They
have no young players coming. It's almost a do or
die year. Dry Settle gets a five million dollar raise.
Bouchard gets a five million dollar raise. Next year, McDavid's
gonna need about an eight million dollar raise after next
(24:24):
year he's a UFA. This will be the summer of
his extension. So they sense that, I think, And that's
why even though Florida is the best complete team, and
maybe they're constructed as the perfect team and maybe they're
gonna win, but I just don't think from a they
don't quite have that desperation that that Edmonton has. You
can't manufacture then. But also you're carrying the country too.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
I mean, it's a long long time and I don't
think we can overstate the pressure that goes with carring.
Not everybody's rooting for Edmonton, I'm sure, as in other
provinces which you want Canada to bring home the Cup.
Speaker 8 (25:02):
The last time they won it, Barry Melrose was the
other coach to bring it back to Barring nineteen ninety three.
So you're right, that's a good point. It's been thirty
two years, and you're right, it's not quite Toronto or
Montreal doing it because obviously the big metropolitan areas that
they're from, and you maybe feel it more like the
Cubs Red Sox ending their droughts. But still I think
Canada would come together McDavid scored the overtime winner in
(25:23):
the Four Nations Otherwise it would have been an amazing
year for USA Hockey. World Junior just won the World
Championship for the first time really, so that was a
big moment for McDavid to win that. That was his
first best on best, so he hasn't won a trophy,
a team trophy before that. So since he was like sixteen,
the guy, you know, it's just going back to junior
for the eerie otters, so it's time for him to win.
(25:46):
You look at every great iconic NHL player, Dan, I
looked at the top twenty scores last night. Only three
don't have a cup.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
You know.
Speaker 8 (25:53):
Marcel Dion, great player. You guys are all great players,
but not quite that iconic player. Joe Thornton, Adam Oates,
all the others they got it, doesn't It's not there's
no or any Banks in the NHL, you know, No
Dan Marino, they get it. But he's twenty eight, about
to turn twenty nine, and it's only going to get harder,
like I said at Edmonton, So there is a bit
of a fun sports story desperation to it for me.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Yeah, that's I was going to bring that up that
in the NBA and other sports, certainly quarterbacks, when are
you gonna win your title? You get to a certain
point like Luka Doncik he's there. Yeah, Joker was there,
he won a title. Giannis was there, he won a title.
Embiid got an MVP. He's not going to win a title.
Jason Tatum won a title. Once you win the title,
(26:35):
then we move on to the next guy. It's like, right,
Colin Montgomery, you know, the best player to never win
a major. Yeah, you know, we keep waiting for these guys.
And I wondered with you know, everybody says Connor McDavid's
best player in the world. Well, the best players in
the world win championships.
Speaker 8 (26:52):
Exactly, and he might go down as the greatest healent
ever and so that again, it just doesn't happen in
the sport. There were six teams for then there were twelve,
then there were sixteen. So people got around, they got
their championship. But for him to be the greatest player
in his sport, the most talented, that would be something.
So it's something to keep.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
An eye on.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
John Butcher Graz ESPN Hockey play by play and host
a sports center anchor. You've been there since what ninety six?
Speaker 8 (27:18):
Yeah, October twenty eighth, nineteen ninety six. We did one
sports center together. I know you don't remember it, but
I do. It was a six o'clock sports center. I
was probably nervous doing three sports centers in my life.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
My first, which.
Speaker 8 (27:30):
Was was Stuart Scott Grammy Night, nineteen ninety seven. I'll
never forget it. So my love of music, it's kind
of cool with fall. It fell on that date and
I did a six o'clock with you, and I can't
even think of the third time.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I was nervous, but that was a big deal to me.
I've told this story. You were there playing basketball with us, yes,
when we had these SportsCenter anchors, ESPN News anchors, and
we're all playing in a place called the Canton, Connecticut,
the YMCA, and these guys were trying to get me
to go out forever and play, and I said, nope, nope,
(28:01):
I didn't you know, if you let me run up
and down and sweat a little bit, I don't want
somebody picking me up full court. So what happens, Yep,
Stuart Scott picks me up full court to start the
game mm hmm. And it didn't go well after that,
because then it got worse.
Speaker 8 (28:18):
It did. It got really cleared. I remember this like
it was yesterday. I'm like thirty one years old. I
just got there week. We played our pickup. I had
Steve Berthume. I was smart.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
I knew who to guard.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
I'm going to check berth you.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Say, allowed him, my little friend.
Speaker 8 (28:35):
And so we cleared the court and then you and
Stuart proceeded to play one on one. It is the
most violent one on one situation I've ever seen on.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
A basketball court.
Speaker 8 (28:45):
It was Stuart wanted it more than you, Dan. He
did obviously, he was bodying me forearm and then I
finally it was I talked to Jason Jackson about this occasion.
He laughs because he said, people don't believe me when
I tell that story. And I said to Stuart, I
looked him right in the eye, and I said, where
do you want me to bleep and score on you?
(29:07):
I'm dribbling with my left hand, and I was so
I like, God, this is the last thing I wanted
to do, exactly be competitive with all of the other
co anchors there and turn an ankle. Then you can't golf.
That was my reason why I retire. I don't want
to turn an ankle and not be able to golf.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Well, Stuart undercut me, yes, and I ended up going
to the emergency room for a chip vertebrae. I still
had to do Sports Center that night. Yes, always and
by never apologize never never. It was a flagrant too.
I can't believe how competitive we were. Man, that's like
(29:45):
a different person. I'm just not that person anymore. It's
it was sad. It was sad. It was I was like,
what am I doing? I'm better than this? What are
we doing? I'm going against Chuck Garfine, I mean, what
am I doing? I'm better than this? Right, I'm better
than Yeah, take Dave ressin to his last I'm gonna
lock up Repson. I am rever. Great to talk to you, John.
(30:09):
I hope you're doing well. I hope you have a
great series. Shut out Morango.
Speaker 8 (30:13):
My buddy goodie watching high school basketball teammate, loves Dan Patrick.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Thank you, Bud.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan
Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
WAP let's bring back Robert or let's see if that
connection is a little bit better. All right. Your reaction
when you heard that the Knicks had fired Tom Thibodeau, I.
Speaker 9 (30:37):
Was shocked because if you look at what Tom Thibodeau has.
Speaker 10 (30:40):
Done for that team, getting him back to the Eastern
Conference finals, having a lot of things that are go
on with that team, and for them to fire him
with such a man up to get into the East compuse,
I was just shocked because if you really think about it,
and if you look at the rossa of the Knicks,
they overachieved me.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
You know they were over achieved.
Speaker 9 (31:01):
They got a lot of guys that role players playing
very well in Thibodeau's systems, So I think that's one
of the things you have to look at. And sometimes
people get confused. So we just beat the NBA champions, Yeah,
you beat them, but you still got other teams that
can play and the paces. Let's be honest, they've coached
very well and they playing better than anybody.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
So I think they should have ran it back.
Speaker 9 (31:24):
But it's gonna be hard to find someone to come
in and and and step in his shoes.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
Though, do you have to like your head coach.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
I've never liked any of my head coach No.
Speaker 9 (31:37):
Actually, you know, it's so weird that a lot of
people think you have to like your head coaches. I said,
as long as the coach is doing a good job,
I don't think you have to like him. But I
think that has to have some type of respect there.
And if they player, if the coach doesn't respect the players,
I don't think the players are gonna respect the coach.
And I think with this day and age, the way
players and coaches communicate, you know, you should step up
(31:59):
and and have that opportunity to say, yo, coach, I don't
you know, this is how I feel about certain situations.
And I don't know anything about any of those players
that they had. I don't know if anybody has the
you know, the man, I won't say the balls to
step in and say, yo, tip, you know we're playing
too many minutes of this and if tims will listening.
But I think most of the time I make all
(32:20):
that fall on the assistant coaches, because assistant coaches are
the ones that need to step in and grab the
head coach by the ear and make them listen to them.
Because the assistant coaches are closer to the players than
the coaches to the players.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
Did you like Phil Johnson?
Speaker 9 (32:34):
I love Phil Jackson, I loved I actually loved all
my coaches love. I love Rudy first, then Pop and
Field was second.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
But Pop likes to yell.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (32:43):
Yeah, So here's a funny story about Pop never yelled
at me. He yelled at me once and everybody looked
at him. He was like, oh, I Don'm not supposed
to yell at Rober Okay, I.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Forgot Why is he not allowed to yell at you?
Speaker 9 (32:56):
For some odd reason, there was a rumor going around
that you cannot yell at me. You yell at me,
you lose me, which is not true because you got
to think about my high coach was a yeller. Sanderson
was definitely a yeller. And so I'm like, I don't
mind yelling. I might tune you out, but you can
yell at me.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
You never wanted to fight a coach though.
Speaker 9 (33:16):
No, you know that's my that's my former college teammates.
Free well, I never did anything like that, you know.
You know, here's the thing about you know, in coaches,
I think I've always been and ever get into it.
No man, you know, I'm the greatest guy ever. Man,
everybody loves me. Man, help the teammate. I think about this.
I sacrificed more than any player in the world for
(33:36):
his team to win. Even in college. I let Spree
and James do that thing, and I got to you know,
I got to the Rockets. I let Dream do his
thing and get to Lakes Covi. Shat do you a
thing I sacrificed for you, guys, because at the end
of the day, it's about winning.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
It's about winning.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
How many plays were run specifically for you in your career.
Speaker 9 (33:54):
I only had plays run for me when I was
with the Rockets once I got to know you know,
I think it was one time when I was in
the Lakers uniform I had plays ran from that was
when I set a record for most threes made corsectly
in the game and I was hot, so he rans
some plays for me then and I was ran by
I think Dale Harris was the coach then maybe, yeah,
(34:15):
that's the only time in the last time. You know,
Pop never ran plays for me, even when I was
hot in two thousand and five in that finals, he
didn't run.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Place with me.
Speaker 9 (34:23):
Then I'm like hey, because I'm you know, I'm the
other sacrifice man. You know, the most important thing is winning,
and I never cared about my stats. It's about getting
that dub.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
How upset was a team When David Robinson won the
league MVP, he.
Speaker 9 (34:36):
Was beyond upset, you know. And it's weird because Dream
is not a big talker. And when he said that's
my trophy, you know, back then, and he came out
and pulled out some moves on David Robinson I've never
seen before.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
It was amazing, that Dream shake.
Speaker 9 (34:52):
You know, you think about the footwork and his ability
to get guys to be in a popcorn machine and
get them off their feet. He was just fantastic. You know,
one of the greatest players I ever played with.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Didn't he smack uh Vernon? Maxwell? Did he smack Vernon?
Speaker 9 (35:09):
Do you know that happened a year before I got out? Okay,
you know, I'm that calm that comes in and calms
everybody down so there's no smacking of people.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Then would Kobe be able to play? And obviously with
the talent, but you know, he was kind of a
bully like you had, like Michael Jordan, like you got
to keep up with me. Would that work in today's
NBA with these players.
Speaker 9 (35:32):
I think it would because you think about if you
come to a team and this is how it's done,
you kind of fall into that mold and the culture.
You know, you might have a couple of guys that
might not fall in line, but if you winning, you
know that's the bottom line, you know, And you think
about you look at all the cultures that you have
that are created on each team. You think about the
(35:53):
OKAC culture, how they're like, oh, we're gonna have each
other's back regardless. You think about the Indiana's culture we're
gonna play team nobody's bigger than the ABC A D.
And you think about the culture in New York or
so this is it is on these six guys are
going to play and that's it. I think you become
you adapt to it. And I think a lot of guys,
when you come into organization that let you be a
little bit more free, that's when you're not able to
(36:14):
adapt because this is all you know. You have blinders
on and say, oh, this is we didn't do this here,
we didn't do this there. So I think they'd be fine,
especially when you're Kobe, you know he's a leader. He's
gonna make you, you know, follow follow tosa. I think
he'd been fine.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
You think he could have could have gotten a hundred
points in again.
Speaker 9 (36:30):
No, No, I think eighty one was just stretching on
a hundred points because it gets to a point where
you know, you gotta miss some shocks and guys get jealous,
like yo, man, I know you scoring them, but let
me get some love too.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
But I don't.
Speaker 9 (36:43):
I don't think he would have been if it went
into overtime. He probably could have.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Yeah, but you don't want to interrupt his flow. If
you if he's got like seventy something, you don't go, hey,
come on, how about I get a shot or something?
Speaker 3 (36:56):
What?
Speaker 9 (36:58):
No, but after a while, you think, if I'm the coach,
that's the historical thing that's about to happen.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Right, it ain't happening on my watch.
Speaker 9 (37:05):
We're gonna triple team him as soon as he You're
gonna have some guy face guard him, don't let him
cat So you you know, thinking nobody ever wants to
have a historical mark like that selling them because you
can in a trivia question, who was the head coach?
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Yeah, allow Kobe Bryant to have one hundred points.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
So yeah, Robert or a Lakers analyst for Spectrum Sportsnet,
seven time NBA champ, all right, what would you do
if you're the Lakers in the off season. What's the
one thing that has to happen.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
They?
Speaker 9 (37:36):
Of course, they gotta get some size. I think that's
the biggest key that I gotta get some size. And
then they gotta get you know, some people behind that
bench to grab JJ and say, Yo, this ain't working.
And I think a lot of times we look at
the head coach and we blame him for some things,
and we blame the players the teams, but I blame
I always blame the assistant coaches because assistant coaches need
(37:57):
to have the coaches here and they see things that
the head coach don't see sometimes and like, Yo, this
ain't working. We needn't need to do this and that.
And I think that's the main key. You know, I
love the coaching staff that they have, but it's JJ
willing to, you know, listen to his staff and trust
his staff, because sometimes when you come in as a
new coach, you say, oh it's God, I got to
do it my way. I gotta do it this way
(38:18):
because I'm the head coach.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
I need to do this.
Speaker 9 (38:19):
And I think sometimes it takes a village, you know,
instead of you know, a guy saying, Oh, I need
to do this way because my head is on the line.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Yeah, but how should Luca take that? Hey, you're fat,
you're overweight. And people now say this openly as opposed
to maybe somebody said it to him privately. And I
don't know him, but I don't know. I don't know
what would motivate him because it feels like people are
embarrassing him by saying this.
Speaker 9 (38:49):
Yeah, and it's so weird that people talk about his weight,
but yet he's still giving people thirty points. I don't
I tell people I don't care about his weight. You
need to get him in a gym, teach him how
to play defense.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
You know.
Speaker 9 (39:02):
That's the thing, because you can give someone forty points,
but if you're giving up thirty five on the other end,
those forty points don't mean anything.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Wait, you think that you could make Luca a good
defensive player.
Speaker 9 (39:13):
Yes, you can, you know, because it's about wanting to.
You know, He's never had to because he's always had
people behind him. Near racist mistakes you think about now,
there was no ad, no center, nobody, racist mistakes in
LA he getting blown by, you know.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
They getting layups. Yeah.
Speaker 9 (39:29):
You know, if you if you watch stretches of games
where Luca's just stayed in front because he's a big body.
He the defenders that I mean, the offenser puayers are
bouncing off him. Just stay in front, and I think
that is the key. And I think also he needs
to want to play defense because so many times he
saves his energy for the offensive end. I tell people
(39:50):
all that if you can move your feet and get
past and blow by people, that means you have some
fast twitch muscles. You can move pretty fast, so there's
no reason you cannot play better defense. On the other
it's just you just gotta want to.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
And I don't think.
Speaker 9 (40:03):
I think a lot of times he doesn't want to.
He rather just point.
Speaker 3 (40:07):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
That means that you think Karl Anthony Towns could be
an inadequate defender.
Speaker 9 (40:13):
I think with Carl, you know, people always talk about
lucas in shape. You know, if you look at car
and I think he could get in better shape. You know,
he's very top heavy, and I think he could get
in better shape and he can, you know, even though
he has some big dogs anywhere, it's like what size
twenty one shoe? But I think he can move his
feet because if you watch him offensive, he can move fast.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
You just gotta want to.
Speaker 9 (40:35):
And Carl Anthon's problem is his problem is he does
a lot of silly files.
Speaker 3 (40:39):
Yeah, and he had and he you.
Speaker 9 (40:41):
Know, when he sets the screen, he's he puts his
hip out and things like that. He just has to
learn how to curtail those files and be more streamlined
with his movements and just be smarter. So I think
he'll be fine defensively.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Okay, she's style, Yeah, like they lead with defense.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (41:01):
Do you believe the defense still wins championships in the NBA?
Speaker 3 (41:05):
Of course?
Speaker 9 (41:06):
And the thing why if OKC wins this is gonna
you know Negate all those people who go out and like, oh,
threes are the way to win. That's not Shake Gives's game.
He will do it three every nine and then. But
it's about getting buckets, and Shake Gibbs knows how to
get buckets. That's either from the mid range or from
the free throw out. But on the flip side of
you think about what Hartenstein and Caruso and to me,
(41:28):
one of the best defensive players in the game. Lou
Dork are doing for that team is amazing. And and
if you go back at the history of the NBA,
even you go back to the Splash Brothers and the
way they shot threes, they were top five defensively, and
so people sometimes forget, like, oh, they get mesmerized by
the offense.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
But these teams are also good defensively.
Speaker 9 (41:48):
And they can lock you down, you know, the Jalen Williams,
they're very good.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
And if you look at this.
Speaker 9 (41:54):
Team, there's usually somebody on the team that's, you know,
bad defensively.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
There's no one. Okay, see it's bad defensively.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
What are the posters behind you over your right shoulder?
Speaker 9 (42:07):
Those are posters of I had a guy that did
He did a painting of every championship I have. And
what it is is it's a moment from each game.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
I kind of I so, I kind of it's kind
of old my eyes.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
To me, I thought it was other players you played against.
Those are those are all you? Okay?
Speaker 9 (42:34):
It's two Rockets, three Lakers, and two Spurs, And it's
like it's a three point shot and each one has
a part of I can walk over there, let you
see him if you like.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
But so if you can, I know you've got time
constraints here. So all right.
Speaker 9 (42:51):
Yeah, so it's kind of I got a guy named
Opie Otis Dad. I've been known for like since I
got in the NBA. So it's just like Knicks Finals,
Orlando's Finals, Pacers Finals of course, Sixers, New Jersey Pistons,
and in Cleveland, and each one has like the most
(43:14):
famous shot I made against Lakers. He does this thing
called ghosting where you can put like a little ghosting
thing in it.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
So it's just me, Hey, you earned it. I like
you lost track of one of the matchups there. You've
won so many championships, like oh, New Jersey, Yeah that
was New Jersey.
Speaker 9 (43:36):
You always forget about the people you sweep, Like you
know that team that had Penny and Shock.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
I forget the name of that team.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
Wow. Great to talk to you again. It's always Robert.
Speaker 3 (43:46):
Great to talk to YouTube.
Speaker 4 (43:47):
Man.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
I appreciate you
Speaker 2 (43:48):
Man, that's Robert ri
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