Greatest Handles of the 2010’s Featuring Austin Rivers

What does it mean to have a “handle” on a situation? It means you’re in absolute and steady control, despite any pressure that is applied. It means you understand what is required to advance, and you’re effective enough to convert on your progress. It means you have flow. Today, we’re gonna unpack the improvisational brilliance of maestros who played the blue notes of the scales. We’re excited to have a guest who has been flowin’ since the Mix Tape Era: Austin Rivers himself. Tap in to find out who indeed had the Greatest Handles of the 2010’s.

Special thanks to Scott Rochelle and the NBRPA

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Listen, Mike's the goat. Mike, Mike is the absolute goat. Okay,
and I couldn't do anything with him, Let's make that clear.
But if I got him on a nice show, I
would have hit him with the meanest right to left
he's ever seen in his life. Hey, I got it
to him. Hey, I gave him to him twice in
one possession. He gave him a little nibble and then
came back and he fell for it again. You told me,
if I didn't hit him on my step through cross,

(00:22):
he would have been lost on what you're talking about?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Welcome back to another episode of Greatest of Their Era?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
What Up?

Speaker 4 (00:32):
Doc?

Speaker 3 (00:33):
What up?

Speaker 5 (00:34):
Tray? Another episode? Let's get into it.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
What's upas, what's going on?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
What's going on? Y'all? Hear a voice, y'all? Hear a voice, Manna.
We're gonna get you a proper intro. Man, you know
what I mean. We're gonna big you up, big you up.
Pauls if need be all right, here we go. All right,
let's set the stage. Greatest of Their Era is thrilled
to welcome former NBA guard turned NBA analysts and host
of the Off Guard podcast to the show. With eleven
year career playing for teams like the Clippers, Rockets, and Timberwolves,

(01:01):
and now bringing his insider perspective to the mic on
Off Guard with Austin Rivers. He's got stories, takes, and
unique lens on the game. Son of coaching legend Doc Rivers,
former Duke's standout, and a guy who's been in the
trenches of the NBA. Austin, Welcome to the show.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
That was a hell of an intro, man. I gotta
say that was part of the family. So you get
a little special season and getting.

Speaker 5 (01:25):
The red for the good intros every time we have
a guest down here.

Speaker 3 (01:29):
I got to hire you, brother.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
When I walk in the room, just have you just
with the microphone in the background, just people, because I
know my stats.

Speaker 3 (01:36):
The way you just rattle those off. I like that, sir.

Speaker 5 (01:40):
We got a good put. We got a good episode
of today. Man, we get into it. I know Austin
had a tight handle himself, you know from back in
the day in high school when he went crazy with
the what was it, the Ball's Life Highlight.

Speaker 3 (01:53):
Take Bos's Life.

Speaker 5 (01:56):
Yeah, yeah, so we had to get you on here
when we talk about the Yeah, we had to talk
about the best handles of twenty tens.

Speaker 3 (02:03):
Oo, how many do we get?

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Oh man, we're gonna go. We're gonna go through all
these people that you faced, you know what I mean,
you give your individual opinion. But then also we got
some fun segments, man, where we got to go top
five where you have to you know, rank, and then
we also have born in the wrong era later on
down the line where you get to pick who would
actually thrive in this current era. So you know, this

(02:29):
is this is where we set the stage. I'm gonna
go through the criteria. In order for you to be
considered a goat of handles in this particular era, you
have to have dribbling, precision, change of direction, ball security,
speed with the ball, creativity and moves, court vision, and
effectiveness against defense aka separation. So the first player we

(02:51):
actually want to talk about is Kyrie Irving. How good
is Kyrie Irving as one of the goats of twenty
tens ball handling?

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Ah? Man, he's the greatest of all time in any era.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
Okay, I think he's number one all time to ever
touch a basketball man, And I don't even think it's
I don't even think it's close. And I say that
due to the fact of his he does things that
are like really unnatural with the ball.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
He has this ability to.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Be able to dribble from high to low to when
he splits picks or like it's by you, he like
knows how to pat it down there like two times
quickly to where like a defender can't reach.

Speaker 3 (03:31):
There's not a movie can't make.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
He doesn't not have a counter because he can finish
at the rim with both hands. He can go either way,
and that's hard to guard not knowing what he wants
to do or what he's going to do. He's just
he's quick, but he's shifty, and he has it on
a string and say yo yo. And he's one of
the first guys I've ever seen do moves at full speed,

(03:56):
like running down the court, you know, not being able
to changed stride and still hit somebody with a you know,
double crosser behind the back. You remember that movie had
a pop Beverly in half court, like where you just
snatched Like people don't do moves like that, you know
what I mean. Like he's that's one of the best putters
in the league. He thought to do something like that,
Like he's just different with that.

Speaker 5 (04:15):
The two things about Kai and his handles, like his
hands and like four arms are so strong. So like
he it's been situations like I've guarded him in practice
or in games, but like he'll he throw the ball
out in front of you and it's like you feel
like you can take it, it's so close, and then
the last second he just grabs it real quick, pulls
it away. That type of thing where he's so confident

(04:35):
in his handle, Like he he'll go through any He'll
put in type space in the middle of the paint
around four or five people and just pity padded all
the way to the rim, you know what I'm saying.
So that's one thing and another thing with Kay is
he not he not like predetermined his moves like some
you know, some players like get in to the game,
they know what moved they want to go to in
a situation, like he's really reading the defense and kind

(04:55):
of just it's it's not like it's not predicated on
what he wants to do.

Speaker 3 (04:59):
It's just random. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
Yeah, he has no idea what he's going to do.
I think most of the time he just makes a movement,
is able to make a counter out of it where
a lot of guys are drill work handle. There's a
difference between like drill work handle and like natural handle,
and he's definitely got natural ability.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
Now you mentioned uh, you know, actually seeing for the
first time as far as like unranked and all that
other stuff and having it. You know, did he possess
those handles early on from there or you think.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
It was okay, no, he had it then That's what
people were shocked by because everybody's like, who is this dude?
So that can't happen, you know, I'm another it's not
really a story. But so like four weeks later, we
were at Disney and I don't know if you remember
the Milkhouse they had for the big tournaments for the Showcase,
which used to be the biggest tournament back then.

Speaker 3 (05:51):
Disney Showcase.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
They had the courts in the back and then they
had the main court that they convert instead of having
two courts that have it won like the one large court.
That's why the main stage game was so my game,
we played Houston Hoops. I went against some you know,
some guys you would know of No, I'm sorry, Georgia Starrs.
I went against like KCP and after that game, Kyrie

(06:13):
played against Ohio Red that was like Jared Sellinger. They
had the best AU team in the country where it
was like Aaron Kraft. All those guys played on one
team and it was like the whole Ohio state team
that went there played on that team. And this dude
played with his Saint Pat's High school. He was playing
with the Saint Pat's High school just entered the tournament.

(06:35):
They had penny jerseys, reversible jerseys. I'll never forget seeing
this dude play. And I remember thinking because his name
started to blow up right after that camp.

Speaker 3 (06:47):
So three weeks later when we had Disney, people kind
of came.

Speaker 1 (06:49):
They put him on that main stage court bro like
right after they definitely made that change, and he had
someone had thrown it to him and he had caught
it and someone's gonna try to jam him up, see
if he's going to travel. He just caught it in
one slide, dropped it through the guy's legs and then
went around him and just kept pushing. And I remember thinking, like, Damn,
this dude is like really natural with his ability to

(07:09):
just make counters like that. In the fly, I only
tell the story just to proves point of just how
he does, no idea what he's gonna do. Uh, and
he just just makes just adjustments to whatever the defense
is doing.

Speaker 5 (07:22):
You know that, Remember the us A clip when he
was young on That's that's one of the nastiest ball
handleing clips I've ever seen pass.

Speaker 3 (07:31):
I just wanted to whoever passed it to clank that.
I'm hot. They always kind of he paid it.

Speaker 1 (07:37):
He passed the air Gordon and he shot it back around.
I'm gonna shop and call him out.

Speaker 6 (07:41):
He got it.

Speaker 1 (07:42):
You gotta you gotta finish that. If I'm him, I'm
not even passing the ball. If I if I crossed
over Kobe Bryant, James Hard and Kevin Durant Westbrook at
one play, I get a free pass to not pass
to nobody.

Speaker 3 (07:53):
Yeah, I get to launch that. Yeah, that clip's crazy.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
Well, I mean that's a that's a strong case right
there for you. I mean, you know, Austin claims he
has to go early on, so we'll we'll have some
more conversations his next player. I don't think he gets
a lot of credit for his ball handling. Steph Curryry,
you know what I mean. You know he's known more
for his offensive offensive game, but just not as the
underrated part of him creating separation and getting it shot off.

(08:22):
Steph has an underrated handle, Seth, Can you tell us
a little bit more about that.

Speaker 5 (08:25):
Steph always had that type of handle growing up. A
lot of people say, oh, he really improved his ball
handling once he got to the league and started playing
more point guard. But when he was young, like middle school,
high school, he had handled. He wasn't afraid to do
anything on the floor. And I think, like his creativity
and all that, it's like his feeldsince leads to his
ball handling. Obviously got stronger as he got older, so
he could take contact while dribbling the ball, but.

Speaker 3 (08:48):
Just he could always handle it.

Speaker 5 (08:49):
And part of his handle is like his passes, so
like he'll pick it up on one hand, right hand,
left hand, throw it behind his back, sling it across
the gym, sometimes out of bounds unfortunately, but he uh,
I mean, I think that's I think your passes on
like how quick you pick the ball up is part
of your handle. Like he go blah blah blah blah, pity,
pat behind his back, behind his back, and go right
to a jump shot super quick. That's that stuff like,

(09:11):
it's harder. It's harder to do than most people who
don't who think, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, he You know, Steph doesn't get enough credit because
he has another skill that's more prominent. So when we
talk about the best handles of all time, when you
think of Jamal Crawford, you think of handles. When you
think of a kyrie, you think of handles. When you
think of Steph, you think of his jump shot. So
that just happens to overshadow what his ability is. And

(09:38):
then people try to make excuses, you know, and be like,
you know, oh, well you don't have a crazy handle.
He's just hard to guard because you have to press
up on him so much because of a shot that
it's easy for him to go by anybody. But when
you watch his clips, the way he's able to uh,
first off, he has it on a string, I mean,
he's His ability to shoot off the dribble is something
I've never seen before. Ever, It's never been done before.

(09:59):
I mean no, he's ever shot the ball up to
dribble like him ever in the history of the sport.
You don't even get to that placement without having it
on a string, because mind you, he's always handling it,
putting it in the right spot for him to shoot
it off a pocket somewhere. So shifty man, I mean
there's video clips of him absolutely, you know, just shifting
me in the wrong direction. And he's very underrated in

(10:21):
the handle he's in the conversation for me, I think
STEP's the top five handle of all time as well,
you know. And I'm not going to give my list
out because we will say that for the end, but
Steph's definitely I'll say that much at least is definitely
in there for me. I think he, like you said,
you know, Seth, and he gets overshadowed a lot of

(10:42):
times just kind of due to the ability of him
being able to shoot so well.

Speaker 3 (10:46):
But his handle is lethal, man.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
People also do understand STEP's not quick, so it's like
he's not like super quick.

Speaker 3 (10:52):
He's just he's shifty and he's calculated.

Speaker 1 (10:55):
He's very tactical with his handles. Here's a tactical hand
It's very like his handles so tight man, Like Kyrie
can get wide with it sometimes, Steph is bin bing.

Speaker 3 (11:07):
It's so tight he is.

Speaker 1 (11:08):
That's why he doesn't get ripped a lot, like he's
so in this box. He's another guy that can play
with the ball in front of him or behind him,
and uh, he's he's up there for me.

Speaker 5 (11:20):
We talk about Kyrie handle that. I mean that that
one Kyrie highlight trade. What's the what's the highlight you
think of? You thinks Steph handle.

Speaker 3 (11:28):
Man?

Speaker 2 (11:28):
Probably Clippers against the Clippers. Yeah, that one always comes
to mind, just because it was just such a one
point to another point to another point, like bouncing around
the court.

Speaker 3 (11:40):
This is so crazy. Dribbled back.

Speaker 1 (11:42):
Yeah, I don't understand why to this day, Chris felt,
I don't understand what the move is such a such.

Speaker 5 (11:48):
A random No, we're talking about we're talking about different
There's two of them. The Chris is the behind the
behind the back dribble through our team and shot the three.
Yeah that one, yeah, Chris is. I mean that's like
a double behind the bag. It's good handle.

Speaker 3 (12:02):
But that man did did the breakdancing move. He touched
the earth.

Speaker 5 (12:07):
Yeah, I mean that's going and that's that's that's one
of the career highlights. That's going when in the hall,
that's gonna go on and that's gonna go on the
highlight tape.

Speaker 3 (12:15):
When NFT is around.

Speaker 1 (12:16):
That would have been an n FFT that would have
been Yeah, that would have been a collectible.

Speaker 3 (12:21):
Chin quick and to the point. All right, next guy,
we got.

Speaker 2 (12:26):
My goat Jamal Crawford, J Cross.

Speaker 3 (12:29):
I knew we could have a lesson about JC.

Speaker 5 (12:31):
Yeah, when you got a nickname that goes with the
handle you up there, Yeah, I mean you played.

Speaker 3 (12:35):
With him, right, yeah, three years.

Speaker 2 (12:39):
So the idea that Jamal can walk backwards while dribbling,
you know, just kind of just turned into a highlight.
He plays with so much freedom you you like to think,
you know what I mean. Like we we mentioned before
you joined Austin about you know, your high your high
school highlight, big stape, right, and the freedom you get
to be as the best player at the particular time

(13:02):
of your career. And then when you get to the
NBA you become you fit in what said system that
you have to be. You don't really be out there
just doing what you really can. I feel like Jamal Crawford,
no matter what team he's been on, he's been playing
the same style of basketball since the jump. Like no
coaches come in there and just said, hey, you need
to calm this down. This is just what he does.

(13:23):
And he brings the streak to the NBA. So and
he's getting a bucket with it too, you know what
I mean, Like the Wes Matthews highlight. I mean, like
you know what I mean, Like it's just so many
where it's let's go to talk.

Speaker 5 (13:40):
About I saw West two days ago too, my guy.

Speaker 2 (13:45):
South, the West Man. But those are some of the
sickest highlights that I've seen. And he still has that
like it's on a string man and it's and it's
passed down, you know, to his son, who also has
a sick handle as well. But you know, just the
idea of it, Like you know, obviously, Kyrie is a
special talent and if he's not one, he's one beat.

(14:06):
But Jamal, I just look at just from a perspective
of still doing it and just having you know, for
his height and the plays that he has, he has
so many highlights that I just can't even really think of.
When I think of Kyrie, I'm thinking more of his
his finishing at the rim more than I think of
crossover sometimes, just because the way the difficulty Kyrie just

(14:28):
makes it just like, all right, I'm gonna get to
the basket and now i'mna have fun with this. I
could have made this an easier layup, but you know,
but when you also can put him in both both archetypes.
So Jamal Crawford is just something special to me, like
because just just being able to toy with a defender
at thirty nine years old, especially that last season where
he was able to drop fifty. It's just like what
like most people are scared to make a mistake during

(14:51):
that time of their career.

Speaker 5 (14:52):
You know, you have to see the signature moved behind
the back.

Speaker 2 (14:55):
That's a whole nother thing that I even mentioned.

Speaker 5 (14:57):
He'll do it from in the paint to lay it
up to going into a jump shot. That thing I
think about two k on that that click the thumbstick
down and you get the jama or ooh.

Speaker 2 (15:08):
Now, Austin, he's your teammate for three seasons. What did
you see in practice that you just was like, yo,
this is this is crazy.

Speaker 1 (15:17):
Nothing he was Jamal was off on practice that he
never Jamal about practice. He used to come in there
and do minimal, the most minimal work you could possibly do.
He was not a Jamal wanted to play pick up.
That's all that's wanted to do, and that's how he
plays in the game. So him going to like a workout,
he'll get some spots. You know, he'll do spots for

(15:39):
like thirty minutes after practicing. He gone, like, that's about
what you Jamal at getting the weight room. He used
to tell me all times. They always know all that's
how the weight room man still can't guard me. He
always like jokes around stuff like that because the weight room,
you know, for some players is not dependent on, you know,
their success, so that's kind of Jamal was harder to
guard because he was so lean and skinny. When they're

(15:59):
like tiny like that, you can't body them because if
you bump them, they get foult. He's he's like some
of the skinny guys are really hard to guard because
you can't touch him. And Jamal used to get through
picks and he was so elusive. He's hard to get
a hold of him. He's like this skinny player wearing
his baggy clothes. He wore like a very he had.
He's a complete opposite of Steph. He has he has

(16:20):
a wide dribble, so yeah, you know everything's out here where.
Like Steph is very more tactical, Jamal is wild and
creative and you don't really know what he's gonna do.
Uh when he's pushing at you full speeder, like what
is he about to try?

Speaker 3 (16:34):
You know what I mean? Because you know he was
gonna try to do something crazy.

Speaker 1 (16:37):
He is like the best and one styled basketball player
that ever probably played in the NBA in terms of
success wise three times obviously six minut a year, that's.

Speaker 3 (16:46):
A lot of it.

Speaker 1 (16:47):
Due to his unpredictability and how he how he played,
Jamal was something special thing.

Speaker 3 (16:51):
You know.

Speaker 5 (16:51):
The old heads are probably like, uh oh, and he
wouldn't he wouldn't be able to do all that dancing
with the handshack him. But it'll probably be hard to
handshack him, like you're saying, he's so hopping around.

Speaker 2 (17:01):
With the same move.

Speaker 3 (17:04):
I just like I would have went out there and
gave listen, Mike's the goat. Mike.

Speaker 1 (17:11):
Mike is the absolute goat, Okay, and I couldn't do
anything with him, Let's make that clear. But if I
got him on an iso, I would have hit him
with the meanest right to left he's ever seen.

Speaker 3 (17:20):
In his life.

Speaker 1 (17:22):
Hey, I got it to him. Hey, I gave him
to him twice in one possession. He gave him a
little nibble and then came back and he fell for
it again. You're telling me if I didn't hit him
on my step through cross, he would have been lost.

Speaker 3 (17:32):
On what you're talking about.

Speaker 1 (17:33):
Jamal would have destroyed In any era, good is good,
that's and it goes both ways.

Speaker 3 (17:38):
I hate when people do that.

Speaker 1 (17:39):
They're like Jamal or Michael Magic Johnson couldn't play in
this era.

Speaker 3 (17:42):
Yes he could.

Speaker 1 (17:43):
Magic the ones the ones are the ones can always
play Magic Stockton. People try to do that with Stockton,
you know what I mean. I just saw uh reed
Shepherd go top five in the draft. You know what
I'm saying, Like brother John Stockton complain Today's NBA man,
y'all trip it, you know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (17:58):
Like guys are guys are tripping with this stuff?

Speaker 1 (18:01):
So, uh yeah, Jamal is cold bro wild, wild dribble.

Speaker 3 (18:06):
I don't think, you know, we'll rank him.

Speaker 1 (18:08):
I don't think he's over Kyrie for me, and I
would tell that to Jamal. I think Jamal is up
there as one of the ghosts of the Handles for sure,
because he has a golded move. He had moves that
no one's ever done before, Like he did moves that
no one ever tried.

Speaker 2 (18:22):
And see, and that's that's the case I got because
I'm just thinking about signature moves too, Like if you
got to that point, obviously in another era, we were
probably talking about God, sham God. All right, we're gonna
take a quick break and when we come back, you're
gonna get ready to talk about James harden Right and
how effective he was with the step back.

Speaker 4 (18:40):
Yep, the MVP season of James harden Right.

Speaker 2 (18:58):
You faced him, Seth, you face them. How how deceptive
is James? You know what I mean? Just trying to defend.

Speaker 5 (19:05):
Him, James not He's not dancing around a lot like
he's his handle, Like you're talking about why his is tight?
He got the tw tw twin cross twin in one spot,
it'll hit you with some crazy footwork like what it's
a good question for us, like what what road is
like the footwork playing the handle? Because his I think
his huge foot work makes his handle look better than

(19:27):
I mean I'm saying, I mean, as tight as all
get out. But he ain't doing nothing too special.

Speaker 1 (19:31):
It's just's he's uh, he's one of those guys who
has a handle that's always leaning forward. So he's always
like got that one foot in front, and he's always
threatening to go by you. Where like a Jamal is
going side to side and trying to cross you. It's more,
you know, James is trying to use his couple of
step step step to either go back with shoot the

(19:52):
three or go forward go by you. James ain't trying
to dance come back, step step back, you know what
I mean.

Speaker 3 (19:57):
He'll do it sometimes, but he usually try to.

Speaker 1 (19:59):
I mean, listen, he got probably one of the nastiest
pullbacks in the history on My Dog Wessy Man.

Speaker 3 (20:05):
I hate that clip.

Speaker 1 (20:07):
I was on the Clippers at that time, unfortunately, but
I got to play with James two for three years,
and he.

Speaker 3 (20:13):
Didn't have a lot of wasted movement.

Speaker 1 (20:15):
He did have wasted dribbles, if that makes sense, because
he would sometimes dribbler in place for ten seconds. But
he's in the same place. He just leaning forward, getting
ready to threaten.

Speaker 3 (20:23):
To go by you.

Speaker 1 (20:25):
So and he was so strong, bro, James is like
people don't realize, like James is like a legit two forty.
Like he's a big boy, you know what I mean,
Like that's a big band like coming at you and
it's all upper body too. So when he came, like
when he would drive into you and bump you like
you moving, you know what I mean, that step back
wasn't just all him, Like he's pushing that body weight
on you and then pulling back while that body pushes

(20:46):
you off of him. Could never get a hand on him.
And then he obviously mastered the foul band. He was
one of the original mastering of the foul I mean
they had to change rules. We was in the playoffs
for Utah and Rubio was shadowing behind him like he
was trying to dance.

Speaker 3 (20:58):
Upon him on the club, behind his back.

Speaker 1 (21:01):
Behind his back because they couldn't They couldn't figure out
a way to guard him or guarded out touching him,
like he was that unguardable.

Speaker 3 (21:07):
We have thirty six that year man in a modern
day era.

Speaker 2 (21:10):
Yeah, it was like Jordan numbers, you know they were
the graphic was showing up with him and Jordan. That's
how crazy that was.

Speaker 1 (21:17):
Like, bro, we listen. It was it was fun to watch.
It wasn't fun always to play with. You know, I
love my dog, James, my dog. But you know I
was in that quarter hungry. Sometimes I was over there,
just just waiting on day's end, bro, just like swing man. Uh,
but he was, he was. He's up there too. James
is another one that gets lost. I think people overshadow
him with the scoring. People are talking about scoring and
not his handle. But his handle was like that in

(21:37):
his prime. People forget how explosive he was too.

Speaker 5 (21:39):
Another one like this handle into his pickup, like the
handle he's setting up like you say, he setting out
what he's doing and you pick up right into a
thirty foot step back, which is tough.

Speaker 2 (21:49):
Yeah, yeah, uh, this player, you also play with him
Austin Chris Paul.

Speaker 3 (21:55):
That's what I say. I knew he had to be
in this list.

Speaker 2 (21:57):
He's definitely on this list. You know, mostnsider hum to
point god, uh, you know. But in I've seen him
a little bit more risk taking in New Orleans than
later on in his career. He was more safe and
then a little bit more score more as he got
down the line because he knew his his spots and

(22:17):
where to go. But like New Orleans, it was a
little bit all right. I can, I can play around
and have a little flash in my game a little
bit more.

Speaker 3 (22:24):
He definitely did. It's a good point.

Speaker 5 (22:26):
P the best in and out I've ever seen, like
just big in and out going. But what's the what
I what's the scout report on on CP When you're
trying to guard him. We got to make him go left,
go left. He's trying to get right right. You only
go right right.

Speaker 3 (22:43):
Can't shoot, can't shoot going left.

Speaker 5 (22:46):
But his handle, his handle is so good and his
footwarre he all he every team in the league, every
player is trying to send him left. He always find
a way to get back right.

Speaker 1 (22:55):
You gonna find And I say you can't shoot left,
you can, But it's not it's not what he wants
to do.

Speaker 3 (22:59):
He don't want to, and he don't he don't want to.
He wants to.

Speaker 1 (23:01):
Everything has to be leaning right, even like the way
he likes to finish. Obviously it was going right. People
try to. It took forever for people to pick that
up though, Like it wentn't until he was like in
year ten of the Clippers. For people like I think
he's like, he's don't let him go right.

Speaker 3 (23:15):
I'm like bro. Yeah, it's a good point though. Uh.
He he was more loose with it in New Orleans.

Speaker 1 (23:24):
He has clips like full you know, fast break, putting
the ball through his legs, doing a spin move like
some Rod Strickland type, like unorthodox handle moves, like he
really like experimented in the game with the Clippers. He
was all pick and roll. He used to pick and
roll to score. He used to pick and roll to manipulate.
And the only ISO plays he had was on the
elbow when he catches it and he just kind of
has that face up game and wants to shoot the

(23:44):
MIDI and New Orleans they used to give him a
top of the key I so and he's out there
just breaking people down, you know what I mean. So
he was like, I don't know what that was. I
think he used to him and like Darren Williams had
a thing. Remember Darren Williams was another dude and one
of the nastiest wide cross was ever early will that
was like an early nemesis of his before like obviously
Chris Age like wine uh with his game, but Darren

(24:07):
for a moment there was like the one dude that
could could get him in the game sometimes you know, yeah, yeah, oh.

Speaker 2 (24:14):
Yeah, no that that that matchup record is lopsided. We
had we we did a previous episode on rivalries, and
they never matched up in the playoffs, so it's hard
to kind of say when it counted. But you know,
everybody that was back when people were riding with one player,
and you know, obviously I think we were steal in
that that that fan age, you know what I mean.
You guys were going to the NBA at that time,

(24:36):
getting ready to you know, join your respective team, so
you had a chance to actually choose who you were
rolling with during that during that campaign. Also, we didn't
mention the one move that CP does, which is like
the spin fake pass, the fake pass or he gets
you know where he does it and he's like snatches it.

Speaker 5 (24:54):
Oh yeah, like coming off the pick, he end up
pocket and he's like faking like he's gonna throw the Yeah,
that's filthy.

Speaker 2 (25:01):
That that that's why, that's why he really in this
conversation for sure, because again the innovative part, because that's
that's kind of generational right there, because a lot of
new guards use it. But it created enough room since
he's such a smaller guard, they don't do it right, No,
they don't. They don't quick.

Speaker 3 (25:19):
They don't do it. They do too quick.

Speaker 1 (25:20):
They come off, they just smack their hands so they
don't have time to He has it with such a
cadence and pace to it that he's able to fool
you like he's actually passing the ball. Some guys do it.
So I did it one game. You know, it's crazy.
I did that same when we put when I was
on the rockets, I came off a pick and I
did the spind They didn't go nowhere. And then I remember,
I remember I passed it to him and I go

(25:41):
to the time.

Speaker 3 (25:42):
I was like, man, you ain't going for that. He's like, also,
we know you ain't gonna pass.

Speaker 2 (25:45):
That's all right.

Speaker 3 (25:47):
I was like, to get it. I can't. Yeah, they
know you know you got you just got the ball.
Finally they shoot this. I was like, that makes sense.
They knew I wasn't passing a capella.

Speaker 2 (26:02):
Definitely keep uh. This next player man nickname, but his
his uh, his reputation trans transitioned into the NBA Kimba
Walker CARDI.

Speaker 5 (26:14):
Hack you know what I mean, real handle and he
would like talking about like small. He would get so
low to the ground like on his snatch backs and
his cross his knee he would like touch the ground,
so he used to wear his knee pass.

Speaker 2 (26:28):
Similar to her GP rider, you know what I mean,
like a motorcycle, you know, you just going like all
the way to the floor. The way he was able
to make them cut, I thought it was very impressive
playing them heavy as Jordan's to be honest and still
be able to move how he did.

Speaker 5 (26:41):
But uh, those crossing, the snap backs and split like
they hurt. That's probably why he That's probably why his career,
Like he had the knee problems because he's he was
so shifty or snatching the torque on those knees.

Speaker 3 (26:53):
Could not be healthy.

Speaker 1 (26:54):
Man, that went a mirrortage where he like dropped him
was probably my favorite one.

Speaker 3 (26:58):
His favorite move obviously the yukon it.

Speaker 1 (27:00):
But he had a couple of the NBA man where
he he's up there, he's another guy.

Speaker 3 (27:05):
Man this he's a fallen soldier. You know.

Speaker 1 (27:07):
We got a lot of those guys that like their names,
just don't carry on with weight.

Speaker 3 (27:12):
And yeah, that's that's why you guys have this show.
That's what's beauty.

Speaker 1 (27:15):
Beautiful by the y'all get to give flowers to guys
like like Kemba Walker's kimball was an absolute problem, Like
he was nasty, absolutely all.

Speaker 2 (27:24):
Right, d Row.

Speaker 5 (27:26):
Now did d Row? Did d ros have handled or
was it speed athleticism? The d Rows double crossover when
you come down, pop up and just yeah, yeah, blow by,
you know what I mean? Like he got some you know,
I mean every NBA gr got something, you know what
I mean?

Speaker 2 (27:43):
These players, these next players that we talked about are
all debatable.

Speaker 3 (27:48):
Is tough.

Speaker 1 (27:50):
I will he does have a low handle though, you know,
I mean he has crosses, uh, and then you obviously
times that by his just out of body athleticism.

Speaker 3 (28:00):
Yep. He was just too hard to guard, especially in transition.

Speaker 1 (28:04):
So you got to take that into account because he's
able to dribble the ball at full speed. This guy
was running up the court like he was sprinting, but
able to control a handle to the point where like
he gave Lebron Wade, guys who were known for running
up and down the court fast.

Speaker 3 (28:17):
You know, Lebron chased down blocks. Wade was nicknamed the Flash.

Speaker 1 (28:20):
He playing them in the heat, just dribbling through them,
punching on them, you know.

Speaker 3 (28:23):
I mean, like, remember he has that one where he
finishes in between them.

Speaker 1 (28:26):
This is like in the playoffs and people are just like, Yo,
this dude is fearless. So yeah, I would definitely put him,
you know, up there a different type of handle. I
don't think he has as a bag as some of
these other names we named, but he definitely has a
sharp handle with his athleticism.

Speaker 2 (28:42):
Se if he goes back into like we did in
the previous episode, combo move, Okay, right, So because it
goes it's more favored into his athleticism than the actual move.
You get what I'm saying. So maybe he does a
quick expand, but the athleticism sells in the next part
of what's to come the same way, you know what
I mean, how.

Speaker 5 (29:03):
His move you gotta take his hand his move into
account with the finish. You gotta talk about the finish
when you talk about his move.

Speaker 2 (29:07):
Yeah, because it's because it's it's one it's one end,
like you know what I mean versus the other players
is like, oh, it's a move, and then you're still
talking about the move because it's so they might miss
the shot after That's that's the best crafts over type stuff.
But when you got the actual combo move player, it's
a finish, it's a dunk, it's a three, it's it's
a showmanship way that goes so much into it. And

(29:31):
you mentioned, like against that that Miami Heat team one
of the best defensive teams popularity wise, and he's just
making it look like they know nothing.

Speaker 3 (29:40):
Yeah it's changing direction. Yeah he was.

Speaker 5 (29:43):
He was playing a lot of East West and he'll
just turned turned up on you, like change the direction
was crazy. I was just posing the question like all
you talk about it, all right.

Speaker 2 (29:52):
The next player in the fall into this category as well, Rajion.

Speaker 3 (29:57):
Ron though, and this is a he had a yea.
He had the ball fakes, the handle was solid.

Speaker 5 (30:03):
But the move I think about with Rondo obviously got
the Rondo with the fake layup. But like when you
know Austin, I know you've seen a lot of Rondo
coming up with the Celtics, he comes down to transition,
like the fake behind the back and transition where he
keeps his dribble like.

Speaker 3 (30:20):
That move is.

Speaker 5 (30:21):
It's tough and full speed in the game to do,
like something I actually work on and some of my workouts,
but to do it in the game consistently.

Speaker 2 (30:28):
It is.

Speaker 3 (30:29):
That's special.

Speaker 1 (30:30):
Yeah, he's uh Rondo Ronou had a nice handle, man,
you know, I think he his obviously strong suit was
his IQ and the way he was able to pass
and rate the floor. You know, some of these guys
have better handles than you think. Rondo was just more
of a purposeful dribbler. Like Rondo wasn't gonna come down
to waist for dribbles on like an in and out cross.

(30:52):
He would just come down and either go right or left,
stronger than it's called to day. Like, he was very
purposeful whatever his move was. You know, that's kind of
how like you you alluded to her earlier. CP three
became in La, he became a little bit more purposeful
his dribble instead of a little bit more wild, a
little bit more out there trying to be centric and
make up moves and do all these different things.

Speaker 3 (31:11):
It changed.

Speaker 1 (31:12):
Rondo's always been like a point guard, you know what
I'm saying. Like, I'm not comparing him to Halliburton, two
different players, but like Halliburton's bag is not deep in
the in the sense of crossovers, but in purposeful dribbling
and like knowing how to run a team and coming
off picks and getting to where he needs to get to.
Like this guy gets it done, you know what I'm saying.
Like it's just you could call it whatever you want.

(31:33):
Might not be pretty, might not be whatever, but it's
it's it's it's effective. That's how Rondo was. And Rondo was,
to Seth's point, had the fakes on lock. He had
the one even full speed where he'd go like a
layout fake. Yeah, he had that one like Pat Beverley did,
like a very poor man's version of it later on,
you know, talking about you driving like fake Pat pATP
Beverly us to do it all the time, Like Rondo

(31:54):
was like the best I've ever seen do that. And
then his fakes were crazy. Man he had he was
such a freak athlete. To his hands, his i Q
his vision, y'all talking about vision. Man, this dude could
see the floor like nobody I've ever seen.

Speaker 5 (32:06):
He can believe all m He could pick the ball
up one hand off the dribble.

Speaker 3 (32:11):
Yeah, yeah, Rondo was special man, all right.

Speaker 2 (32:14):
Next player Brandon Jennings.

Speaker 3 (32:16):
Brandon Jennings, where you at? Where are you at? With
his handle Austin. I'm trying to.

Speaker 1 (32:26):
I like b I mean, bj cool man, Brandon had.
Brandon had handle. You know, he was quick. You know,
Brandon was quick, especially in his problem for pre pre injury,
Brandon was lightning.

Speaker 3 (32:36):
Yeah, so uh he had some good snatchbacks. See.

Speaker 1 (32:41):
For me, handle is also bigger than just like dribbling itself.
It's also like the ability of what you're able to do,
like determines how hard it Like, it's so hard to
got guys like Kai and Jamal and stuff.

Speaker 3 (32:53):
These guys can all shoot, man, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (32:55):
Like the guys can all a drop of a dime
anywhere in the court, especially Steph obviously when we talking
about range, picked the ball up in fire.

Speaker 3 (33:02):
So there's an ability there.

Speaker 1 (33:04):
Like Brandon, some of these other guys, it was easier
to guard because you wanted Brandon to drive to the basket,
you know what I mean. He wasn't the greatest finisher
and he wasn't a great shooter. He was a very streaky,
hot scorer who could get going. If he was going,
then he could be a handful.

Speaker 3 (33:19):
But he was quick.

Speaker 1 (33:20):
Had some his high school stuff's a little bit more silly.
It's a little bit more kind of like he was
one of the original mixtape guys. Like he's a guy
that I grew up watching mixtapes of I watched him
O J.

Speaker 3 (33:29):
Mayo. You know that was the two dude dudes I watched.
He He's up there.

Speaker 1 (33:33):
I have guys ahead of him, though, Like I have
guys on that I think could be on this list.

Speaker 2 (33:38):
Okay, another player, Tyrek Gavin.

Speaker 1 (33:40):
Okay, so like that, that's that's the name I would
put ahead of Tyreek. Tyreek had a nasty handle, long crossover,
nasty handle, nasty spin move, hesy left has he right,
had a mean in and out crossover, mean in and out,
and then he had that like fake twein. I had
the same one where like you can kind of go
through your legs that herky jerky style.

Speaker 3 (34:03):
Tyreek.

Speaker 1 (34:04):
Tyreek is He's up there for me in terms of
guys I've ever played with and had natural handles.

Speaker 5 (34:11):
Yeah, the spin for Tyreek was unstoppable. He said, he's
so like he set you up, but you feel like
you know he's spinning, but he's still getting to it right.

Speaker 3 (34:21):
So people forget Tyreek had like a seven foot wing span.

Speaker 1 (34:24):
I don't know if you've ever seen him walk his
his arms walk by like his knees. So when he dribbled,
he's actually just now he's playing. He's playing away, keep away.

Speaker 3 (34:34):
He's low.

Speaker 1 (34:34):
He come at you with like a move and you like,
I can't even reach down there and grab it, you
know what I mean. Sometimes guys who can dribble that low,
if you go a reachrick, you end up falling. Remember
that clip Joe Johnson hit Paul Pearson in and out
crossed and he like tried to grab it and just
fell in front of him, like like some of these
guys said another sneaky Yeah, Joe Johnson had a sneaky hand.

Speaker 3 (34:54):
Johnson, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (34:56):
Like especially guys for his size. You know that's that's
a big dude. I should call out like he's.

Speaker 5 (35:02):
He was kind of in that James round where he
would pat it in front of you.

Speaker 1 (35:05):
Like he would yeah, yeah, set up a hang dribble
he you know, set up something like that.

Speaker 3 (35:10):
But he was another guy that like he he had
handled too. I show Joe Flowers like that.

Speaker 5 (35:17):
Paul George, That's who the kids these days like, that's
what they say.

Speaker 2 (35:24):
He got a bag.

Speaker 5 (35:24):
That's what the kids saying. We're talking about bag. They
saying he got the best bag out there with the handle.

Speaker 3 (35:29):
They love this dude.

Speaker 2 (35:31):
They love Paul George and his game is pretty I do.
I do think the game is smooth. I do think
respectfully at six nine sixteen, being able to handle the
ball as smooth. I think that's why it gets a
little bit more of love than it does, because it's
kind of like not that other guys don't can't do it,

(35:53):
they just do other things. Yeah, and it makes it
you get way more credit for it. You get what
I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (36:00):
Yeah, he does have a smoothness to his game. Though
it's like some guys are herky jerky. He's not really
like that. He's not wide with this handle, he's not
tight with this handle. He's just very efficient. Uh, And
he's very smooth and how he scores, like it's always
like wherever he's going, he's supposed to be going there
on purpose. Like he he like backs down spin move.
He has that clip on hamiy Hawks where he gets
cut off but it throws it back. Then he does

(36:21):
another one throws it back at the I think it's
a Rico Hines. He has that like double behind and
people are just like, damn, this guy's game is so smooth.
To your point, he is six', nine he can really
score our links are our leagues flooded with?

Speaker 3 (36:33):
Wings?

Speaker 1 (36:33):
Now the two guards disappeared in THE, nba we only
have like two or three elite.

Speaker 3 (36:37):
Ones you.

Speaker 1 (36:38):
Have you Have Devin, booker you Have Donovan, mitchell and
you Have Anthony.

Speaker 3 (36:42):
Edwards outside of, that two guards.

Speaker 1 (36:45):
Don't really are a premium anymore because the point is
now the scoring. Guard so everybody has scoring point. Guard,
yeah So i'm, saying we have scoring point guards and
then we have. Wings so all these guys are coming
in the league want to Be Paul. George you know
What i'm, Saying like It's A's bailey's and, Uh Brandon.
Miller's you, know these guys look At Paul george BECAUSE
i know two Guards Kobe.

Speaker 3 (37:03):
Mike that era is.

Speaker 1 (37:04):
Gone Everybody's westbrook Or shay or you know iverson type.
Scores now we have all offensive But Darren fox And
Jamal marrier score first point.

Speaker 3 (37:12):
Guards you know What i'm, Saying, like.

Speaker 1 (37:13):
So you know this is it's all that's all we see,
Now so you don't see guys that have a handle
like that at his, size as much as you, KNOW
i might even want to admit. It you, Know Paul
george does have definitely a. Bag he's in there for,
sure especially with his.

Speaker 2 (37:27):
Size, yeah for his. Size all, right we're gonna take
a quick, break but when we come, back we're gonna
give our goat top.

Speaker 3 (37:32):
Five all, right.

Speaker 2 (37:52):
All, right we're, back. Man i'm excited to hear, this,
man because we've kind of been debating as we're going
through these, players And i'm really entering to Hear austin's
five and steps. Five but Since austin you're the, guest
we're gonna we're gonna start off.

Speaker 3 (38:06):
With, you, man all, right so top five in order started?

Speaker 5 (38:10):
Five, yes go five and?

Speaker 3 (38:11):
One oh going? Down, yep.

Speaker 1 (38:14):
All ready for, this. Yep i'm interested to see what
your guys are going back from. Five, Okay i'm gonna.
Go mmmm, Man i've been debating a couple of these
and it's two, thousands twenty ten's, right, yep, Correct, Okay

(38:39):
i'm gonna.

Speaker 3 (38:40):
Go Chris paul at.

Speaker 6 (38:43):
Five, okay all, Right i'm gonna Go iversent at. Four
THAT'S i.

Speaker 3 (38:57):
Retired we iverson he retired on the.

Speaker 1 (39:00):
Twelve oh so we can't count like early two. Thousands
it's not you gotta down back ten and.

Speaker 2 (39:05):
Above so twenty ten to twenty, Twenty.

Speaker 1 (39:07):
Okay, FINE i don't even know IF i Want Chris
paul in. There, okay if we're going, there we because Because,
chris because we're talking about The New. Orleans New orleans was,
ye he was like, Five like he was out there
Doing La.

Speaker 3 (39:21):
Clippers he was so. CALCULAR i like.

Speaker 2 (39:22):
The way you, thinking see you locked in.

Speaker 3 (39:24):
Talking about like crazy. HANDLES i gotta get, like you,
know it's.

Speaker 1 (39:28):
Crazy my list might have guys that weren't they didn't
have an ILLUSTRIOUS.

Speaker 3 (39:34):
I got a name that y'all might not like. Online
so five Three i'm going Is schmidt will probably be
number five for, me.

Speaker 2 (39:42):
Okay is, yeah okay.

Speaker 3 (39:45):
Crazy Jary williams didn't play in twenty.

Speaker 2 (39:48):
Ten yeah he, did he, did but he was it
was he, did but he wasn't the he wasn't the
same kind of Watch Darren williams he got he went
PLAYING i played WITH i.

Speaker 5 (39:57):
Played with him in twenty fourteen In, dallas In.

Speaker 2 (39:59):
Dallas who he went to that.

Speaker 3 (40:01):
That Wasn't, Utah. Darren you know What i'm.

Speaker 5 (40:03):
Saying i'm Going Ish smith, Five, okay all, right, Okay.

Speaker 3 (40:08):
I'm Going tyreek.

Speaker 1 (40:09):
Four, okay, Okay i'm Going jamal, Three step, Two kyrie.

Speaker 3 (40:16):
One that's.

Speaker 1 (40:17):
Fair AND i know people are gonna hear this list
is and not and be like It's. SMITH i don't
think y'all.

Speaker 3 (40:24):
Understand.

Speaker 1 (40:24):
Bro this had it on a string too and was
quick as. Hell so for people who like, this think, like,
Oh Kemba. Walker Kemba walker is a guy that was
as close to being on that. List for, ME i
WAS i was gonna Have, kim but. FIVE i went
With ish because that's his whole.

Speaker 3 (40:38):
Game he. Couldn't have you ever seen Is smith shoot
a jump? Shot? Can he can't shoot the rocket? Off
make your eyes? Water you still couldn't guard.

Speaker 1 (40:46):
HIM i used to struggle guarding him knowing he couldn't
shoot because his hand on how quick he. Was if
you backed, up he'd just make up the, space come
right at you full. Speed and he was so fasted
he was nasty with him behind the back double. Cross
he has a nasty. Handle so for what he might
lack and name. Recognition for people who play in THE
nba and no growing up like watching him At Wake

(41:07):
forest or watching playing against, Him like this whole game
is predicated on being quick and having a nasty.

Speaker 3 (41:11):
Handle So i'm gonna put him in.

Speaker 2 (41:14):
THERE i love. IT i KNOW i love that praise,
man because again you're showing actual, experience what you've actually,
faced you, know true face value of what he's capable,
of versus seeing a guy on the bench of a
Championship Denver nugge's team or seeing a journey man AND
i understanding why he sticks in this league and why
you know he's effective in the way he does and

(41:34):
he gets the minutes that he.

Speaker 3 (41:35):
Did, Yeah i'm going. Him tyreek, Him Tyreek Jamal Steph.
Kai it's a good.

Speaker 5 (41:42):
Name you turn on The league pass on A tuesday
night and he he making your favorite player look.

Speaker 3 (41:47):
Stupid.

Speaker 1 (41:48):
Yeah, hell he ainate somebody because people who used to
play with him coming in the game thinking he was
gonna do, nothing and he hit someone with a quick.

Speaker 5 (41:54):
Cross all, Right i'm gonna go with my. File let's
get into.

Speaker 3 (41:58):
It, yep five you got, It. Smith my five IS. Cj.

Speaker 5 (42:02):
McCully, yeah, yeah press slow, handle not slow like it's
a different type of hand like it's. Slow it's my
type of, Game like footwork is. Crazy he not super
quick with it now blowing, by he's, setting he's setting his.
Handle he's setting. It dribble up to get the media

(42:23):
or a jump shot like handle is. Crazy AND i
played a lot on one on one with him WHEN
i my year In portland was it.

Speaker 3 (42:30):
Was a tough.

Speaker 5 (42:30):
Cover number FOUR i, GOT i got. H i Got
kimbell number, four Man kimber number four for the reasons
we talked about. THREE i got J crossover Two steph
and number.

Speaker 3 (42:46):
One. KI i Saw. KAY i Saw kay coming To.

Speaker 5 (42:49):
Duke it's eighteen and the first pick up he was
dribbling through the whole, team like not passing. It i'm,
like this is not this dude handles different and it's. Natural.
Man So i'm still mesmerize By kay's.

Speaker 3 (43:03):
Handle you know what's funny about? That. SETH i remember
coming up to watch y'all.

Speaker 1 (43:07):
Practice this is right AFTER i, committed AND i remember
one of y'all's EARLY i went to Y'all's Midnight Madness.

Speaker 3 (43:14):
Yeah and count down the, craziness count down the.

Speaker 1 (43:18):
Craziness, Yeah and y'all had practice AND i remember asking
coach K i was, like, man how's. Kai that man
looked me dead in my eyes and, said this kid
is the most talented Freshman i've ever coached in my entire.
Career AND i was, like, damn you, know this guy's
Coach grant and all these, names like all these things
he's been. Around he goes he is one of the
most talented basketball. Players he goes in gifted skilled basketball

(43:41):
Players i've Ever and that was, then you, know six,
seven eight years, later you, know obviously this guy's now
going on to where people truly believe he's the most
skilled player to ever played in THE. Nba he might not,
be you, know under A rushmore or anything like. That you,
know obviously he was off the top seventy five, lists
WHICH i think was, political but he, uh he is

(44:01):
no doubt when we talk about overall, skill just even beyond,
handle left, hand right hand, floats mid, range post up,
game three point three point, offs to, catch three point,
offs to, dribble he has zero flaws in his.

Speaker 3 (44:13):
Game there's not one flaw In kyrie's. Game there's not.
One he's one of the most perfect players ever in
terms of skill.

Speaker 5 (44:20):
Set so it's a good Told AND i told a
story in the past about how K Leg kyrie getting
number one and nobody before what ever think about asking
coach k to wear number. One so he came in
and got number. ONE i think the year year after
you came in got zero. Zero this Ain't duke no.
More K kyle opened the.

Speaker 1 (44:41):
DOOR i always tell People kyle was the pilgrim that
went over the hill to see how Many indians were over.
There he opened the door, first like for freshmen to
to to kind of start moving that, way Because duke
didn't really do that. Before and once we Saw kye
do that's what after it just. Started every year is
one by one we started getting the top. Players just
boom boom. Boom and now Obviously shot got it on locked.

Speaker 5 (45:00):
TOO i, Said kai coming in there number, one you
came in the next zero wan an arm.

Speaker 3 (45:06):
Sleeve i'm, LIKE.

Speaker 4 (45:12):
I.

Speaker 1 (45:13):
TRIED i tried to press it even too. MUCH i remember,
PRACTICE i was wearing these orange. Kds coach kalve me
about to shout out to. Practice he, said you cannot
wear those no.

Speaker 3 (45:22):
More.

Speaker 1 (45:22):
MAN i was, like, oh, man, okay SO.

Speaker 3 (45:25):
I know NOW i know NOW i know where the boundaries.
ARE i was testing.

Speaker 1 (45:28):
Everything he let me get the arms sleeve off, though
SO i was, like all, right cool.

Speaker 2 (45:32):
Yeah shouts THE Youu trailblazers. Man all, right number, FIVE
i Got Paul. George at, FOUR i Got Kimba. Walker at,
THREE i Got steph at, TWO i Got Kyrie. Irving
and at ONE i Got Jamal.

Speaker 5 (45:49):
Crawford oh, wow j crossover over. KY i Got jamal's,
Election jamal's. Election here's here's the only Thing i'll. Say,
Right jamal has the wide, handle, Right steph has the tight.
Handle kemba has this. Handle this guy has. That kyrie
is like, finals he has them. All he's he's an infinity,
stone you know WHAT i. Mean like he got like
the he got the hand you know What i'm. Saying,

(46:09):
like there's he has all the, handles like he has
all of. Them nothing he can't do with the basketball
in terms of, Dribbling there's just there's nothing he can't
do with.

Speaker 3 (46:20):
It i've just.

Speaker 5 (46:22):
Wizardry that's HOW i. Feel BUT i, mean the good
sensus of the top three is stamp.

Speaker 3 (46:26):
Whatever.

Speaker 1 (46:27):
Yeah, yeah the top three is pretty much Stick, Jabal
stephan And.

Speaker 2 (46:31):
Kai, yeah there to, go there to go to that
era for. Sure just seats at the, table for, sure
and however you want to leave.

Speaker 3 (46:38):
It, yeah the other, two the other two are are rotating.

Speaker 1 (46:40):
DOOR i, MEAN i don't even WENT i try to
pick someone that people don't tend, to you know WHAT i.
Mean i'm trying to give somebody flowers for, guys because
there's some guys who had nasty handles that just you,
know didn't turn out to be great. Players it's had
a hell of a career and he played for like
twelve thirteen, years so his story is a little. Different
he actually is a really really good basketball. Player but
there's some guys only played like three four. Years, man

(47:01):
they were. Out BUT i remember being, like, damn he
had a, handle you know WHAT i? Mean like some
of these guys are, people. Forget the only thing separating
some of these guys from being the star is just an.
Opportunity Man Like nemhart was like whatever two years two years,
ago and he's like that was a focal point of
an offensive and it's gonna get offered one hundred and
fifty million this summer and next. Summer AND i, mean
like that's That's these dudes are all.

Speaker 2 (47:21):
Bad speaking of the players that benefit from different you,
know timings and things of that. Nature when we come,
back we're gonna do our born year wrong era. Secents
you don't want to miss, out all, right this is

(47:47):
our favorite. Segment dot you know how we do when
we get into this segment because obviously this is the.
Hypotheticals but, like Like austin mentioned earlier in the you
know in the in the pot that a lot of
guys if you the, one you the one in the other.
Era So i'm curious to see who you, Pick austin
that could actually get off in this, era in in

(48:09):
in twenty twenty five from the.

Speaker 5 (48:11):
Past, yeah this is tough when we do the we
always talking about the twenty. Ten it's so close to
this era like stuff to pick somebody that might be
better in today's.

Speaker 3 (48:20):
Era BUT i MEAN i like. IT i like. IT
i like The tyreek combo.

Speaker 2 (48:24):
MAN i was gonna Say tyreek Or kimba for me, man,
honestly just because you, know injuries kind of derailed them
and other off the court stuff that kind of clipped
them at the. Knees but like if they come in
and clean slate with with this with this open floor to,
Operate tyreek's gonna end up at the line a. Lot
he's gonna benefit a lot playing in twenty twenty.

Speaker 3 (48:45):
Five, YEAH i Like.

Speaker 5 (48:47):
Tyreek because if you give him a five out offense
like a because he kind of had to come. In
he played With he played With DeMarcus a couple of,
years and, yeah he had a he had a Like, senate,
like we give him that five out offense kind of
with the paces where that miles turn to life, Center
he's gonna be a better version of himself because.

Speaker 3 (49:02):
The floor is more. Open M.

Speaker 1 (49:07):
This is tough just due to it's, closer trying to
force to pick a player that wasn't as successful in
that era WHO i think would actually be successful in this,
era you, know like you, know twenty tens or even behind,
that if you talk about someone from the past WHO
i think would be really good in today's, air just
due to the freedom of movement and how good he

(49:29):
was in the pick and, Roll like white chocol would
be nasty and hard to.

Speaker 3 (49:32):
Guard he was like one of those dudes that.

Speaker 1 (49:36):
You, Know i'm trying to think of someone who was
good at manipulating the pick and Roll he's one of
the best Passes i've ever played.

Speaker 3 (49:40):
With i've played with them and pick up when.

Speaker 1 (49:42):
He was fifty and he was cooking like you know
WHAT i, mean forty five years old out there just
diamond people. Up i'm, like, damn this dude coul probably
play in his air if he was quick and come
off a pick and, roll could.

Speaker 3 (49:51):
Shoot he, was you know What i'm.

Speaker 1 (49:53):
Saying like he his game wasn't really accepted in that,
Era like people didn't like all.

Speaker 3 (49:58):
That yeah he was, doing you know WHAT i, Mean
like they.

Speaker 1 (50:00):
Tried to take Away iverson's crossover right after, him you
know WHAT i, Mean like that type of stuff wasn't.

Speaker 3 (50:05):
Cool like IF i did a euro step in the,
eighties it would call.

Speaker 1 (50:07):
Travel so like a lot of these things weren't like
they labeled, him you know WHAT i. Mean and they
got rid of him For, bibby who was a lot more.
Tactical you, know he was coming off the, pick shot.
Off you, know they didn't like him coming up and
remember that THE gp lost. Him then he shot the
high archy floater like he was so. Nasty look What
garland does in today's, era you, know with his hand
on his freedom he's a guy that has a nasty

(50:28):
hand on today's, era LIKE i Pictured Jay will of
a similar, cloth so like being able to play with
the handle and can shoot the hell out the ball with.

Speaker 2 (50:35):
Vision white had black dudes wearing his. Jersey you know
WHAT i?

Speaker 1 (50:40):
Mean, yeah he was crazy cool white boy right. There
you know What i'm, Saying Like, White jason's a bad.
DUDE i probably Put jason up, there which is surprised.

Speaker 3 (50:48):
People Maybe i'm not mad at.

Speaker 1 (50:49):
It he struggled, defensively but so to half these guards we.
Have these guys don't play any damn. Defensive and if
people are, like, oh he couldn't, PLAY i MEAN i
Saw Ty jerome average like twelve this. Year Jay will
could like go out there and just quick he. Was
she could shoot in his. Vision this guy who's passing
the ball off his. Elbow you talking about, innovation and
like how these other guys had moves like j wielded.
Things you what have you ever seen someone do? That

(51:11):
and he did An All star game clean one try
bounce it off his, elbow pass right TO. Kg the
whole bench was like he remember he like had the
Whole All Star game on like lock everybody was, Like,
yo this dude just got stuffing.

Speaker 3 (51:22):
It you can't Even, YEAH i put jump and put white. Chocolate.

Speaker 2 (51:26):
Yeah. Absolutely, Man well, man this has been a fun. Episode.
Austin we got to get you back for another topic for. Sure,
man he was a great guess you. Did it's, dangerous absolutely.
Man you know we encourage feedback ratings for this. Podcast,
man where can they find? You social media wise and
plug you?

Speaker 3 (51:43):
Work The Off guard? Podcast?

Speaker 1 (51:46):
Man you can find it Anywhere, Apples, spotify just go
to the, ringer scroll. Down you'll see my beautiful face
right there front and. Center and then in terms Of,
instagram Just AUSTIN. J. Rivers just type In Austin rivers
On instagram or. Twitters maybe something will pop, up or
maybe somebody that's pretending to be me that is giving
me up giving you updates for. Something you, know These
twitter And instagram's up for work somebody out, THERE i don't.

(52:08):
Know that's where you can find Me AUSTIN. J rivers
On instagram And. Twitter but make sure you just check
out my. POD i don't even need the follow On
instagram and all that other. Stuff just come listen to the.
Pod that's ALL i really care about on the. Ringer,
MAN i appreciate you having me on the. Show this
is a, fun fun show to be. On, man let
me tell you just talking basketball knowledge with other you,
know hoop heads IS i think every hooper's ideal. Afternoon,

(52:33):
man it's like five o'clock. HERE i might have a
little wine after. This got my blood, flowing that's a
LITTLE i appreciate y'll having me.

Speaker 3 (52:39):
On this was.

Speaker 5 (52:40):
Dope, man appreciate you coming. On we're gonna bring you back.

Speaker 3 (52:43):
Anytime. Fellas, no we gotta find another topic for.

Speaker 5 (52:45):
You, many'll y'all know where to find me as dot
curry all. Over let me know who we forgot who
got some handles in the twenty ten that we did not?

Speaker 3 (52:53):
Mention get us out of, Here trey and you.

Speaker 2 (52:56):
Can find me At trey And Extra vaughan ON x
we out of, Here, Goat.

Speaker 7 (53:02):
GOAT i became a three AND d, guy BUT i
was really like a combo.

Speaker 3 (53:16):
GUARD i would he make three BECAUSE i was shooting like.

Speaker 1 (53:17):
Thirty, percent SO i got shoot like forty two.

Speaker 3 (53:20):
Percent BUT i was more of like a off. Guard
shout out the off, guard off. Guard uh kind of combo.

Speaker 1 (53:29):
DEFENDER i kind of became my role someone who is
capable of scoring stuff like, that but my handle got
mad overlooks in the.

Speaker 5 (53:36):
You would see it like you hit. It you would
score a couple of. Buckets then you was you can
like see your body language get. Losing, yeah it would
just GET i get a little comfortable out.

Speaker 3 (53:43):
THERE i started getting there a little. Sie i'm like
then people, like oh he has. THAT i didn't know
he could do. That i'm, LIKE i don't KNOW i
could do. This that's what happens.

Speaker 1 (53:50):
Though, MAN i go play pick up some of these
young dudes and they're, LIKE i didn't know you could
do all.

Speaker 3 (53:53):
That i'm, like.

Speaker 2 (53:54):
DAMN i mean that's the same thing With. Seth happened
a couple of clips this past season at yeah he
ain't from mind but brother Drops.

Speaker 5 (54:03):
Yeah yeah it from The Pacers. Shepherd oh be.

Speaker 3 (54:10):
Final he plays too.

Speaker 1 (54:11):
Hard he plays too, hard and he has low. Socks
you can't trust a man like. That he has love.

Speaker 2 (54:17):
Socks, Man, heyank thank you for that. INSIGHT i, mean but,
yeah absolutely your game changes when you you know you're
trying to play winning, basketball and you know if if
you're not that one or two options, man ball.

Speaker 3 (54:30):
Brother let's just trying to play my. Role, yeah get this,
check all, right, Bro let me get out of, here all,
right y'all.

Speaker 2 (54:38):
Y'all this has been A Unanimous media. Original go was
produced By iHeart podcasts And Unanimous. Media it was hosted
by Me Travan edwards And Steph. Kirk executive produced By
Stephen curry And Eric. Paton co executive Producer Klena Maria.
Cutting the executive producers At iHeart podcasts Are Sean titone

(55:00):
And Jason. English this series was produced By Derek jennings
And Peter. Kutt co Producer Kurt. Redman special shout out
To Scott rochelle and THE mbrpa for preserving our walking
libraries by granting access to their. Stories original music By Jesse.
Woodard special thanks To Stephen curry And Will. Pearson goat
is the production Of Unanimous media And iHeart. Podcasts for

(55:23):
more podcasts From, iHeartRadio visit The iHeartRadio, App Apple, podcasts
or wherever you get your. Podcasts