April 17, 2025 • 48 mins
Sure, basketball is a group sport and there’s no “i” in team, but as MJ once pointed out, “there’s an ‘i’ in win!” As fans, we fill the rafters and cheer for our best player to take on and outperform the opponents’ best player to get our team over the hump on the pathway to a W. In today’s episode, we break down the most titillating individual player rivalries of the 2000s. You won’t wanna miss it.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You played with Dirk when you're right.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Play with him two years and you feel this rivalry
different when you play with the MAVs or the Spurs,
like the Texas ribbery is different. I remember doing warm up.
He's playing like fake one on one against everybody.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
He caused me. He's like, sir, come here, matcha.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
He posts me up on it on like the mid
the mid posted the free throw line, you know where
Dirk always got his ISO at. He's like, I did
this to your father, I did this to your brother.
I'm doing it to you and shoot his little one
leg dirt fade every game he did it, and it's
kind of dope. I just remember being there, like Dirk
had a huge one of the funniest best teammates ever had.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Man, that's that's dope. That's a dope experience and also
a dream man, when you really think about it from
that perspective, you know what I mean, Like that, that dude,
this absolute legend. But you explain the matchup, you flame
the dominance of the Spurs. Man, we are back. We
(01:00):
are in a new era. Man. I know we hung
out in the nineties and I felt like we could
be there all day. Man, but we got to move on.
We are in the two thousands. This week, what up Dot?
Speaker 3 (01:10):
What up? Baby's going on?
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I mean, another week another highlight? Man, That's what it
seemed like, Seth crossover. What's going on?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Bro? I was crying, you send me the message, Seth Crossover.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
I got the permission from Jamal Man. He said you
could use it, man, He said, you out here, you
deserve it.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Out there trying to end the season the right way,
having some fun, getting up and down.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
So another week, another house of highlights. Feel me?
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Hey man, whatever keeps the lights? So man, that's what
I said. Everybody gonna start guarding you different. You know,
you out here showing the handle for shows.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Sometimes you got to remind them. It's like we're about
to do tonight.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Hey man, perfect segue, man. You know we got a
fun one today. We're gonna talk about the greatest rivalries
of two thousands, and we're not talking about teams. We
talking about individual matchups that bump. So before we even
kick things off, I want to just set the stage
with a trip down memory lane. The NBA in the
two thousands was defined by the dominant dynasties like the Lakers,
(02:06):
the Spurs, the rids of superstars like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Lebron,
James Man, just a dominant transition from big men to
perimeter play. And that era was just super fun.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, it was good, good teams up and down the league,
some movement, obviously with Lebron moving around Kobe, you know.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
What, Kobe is his whole career.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
But this is, like you said, this is the era
of a lot of good two guards wings and then
obviously the big man matching up. So we got a
lot of good stuff to talk about with these robberies.
So when we talk about the two thousands of robbery,
do you we agree with me here? This era is
kind of where you had the middle ground of you
know today, a lot of players are cool off the floor.
(02:48):
So that's why you got like the Kadi and Bron,
where if they playing the nineties they might hate each other. Well,
off the floor, they got so much in common they
can they the only two people that can really relate
to who they are, So they friends off the floor
or somewhat, you know what I'm saying, So they don't
hate each other when they go in the game.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
They compete at a high level, but it's not over
the top.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
I want to like blend the nineties and the rivalries
coming into two thousands because I think the Lebron when
Lebron and d Wade joined forces, they were supposed to
be have some type of rivalry for the career, right,
and when they joined forces, I was like that kind
of changed the landscape.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
It might have been the death of the rivalry.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Yeah, was it? That's what I wanted to get at.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I do think that the death of the rivalry because
how it happened, right, It's a difference of KG saying
I want to go to Boston firstus all, Like if
he signed with Boston, I think it would have been
kind of like, oh, but he got traded there and
you could you could pick your trade destination, but you
still got to give up whatever it is. They had
(03:47):
to fix that team. But for Lebron to go sign
with a quote unquote competitor.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Which we thought a lot of people were don't see
the match up for seven eight more years, you thought, Yeah,
you thought Bron had to go through d Wade and
d had to go through Bron to win the ship
every year. Yeah, and at that position, like Sims the
exact same position, but there were two of the top
wings in the league, and when they joined forces, that
kind of eliminated the opponent.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
On d Wade's podcast, he mentioned he watched Kobe go
back to back after they got Gasol, and he called
Bron and said, Hey, what are you gonna do? I
might go to Chicago and he said, nah, we're gonna
go together and let's go get Chris Bosh. Kobe was
that guy like nobody. Bron couldn't argue it. The way
he couldn't argue it. It was that come like that
(04:31):
obvious number one, no matter how bron fans want to
look at it.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
So you're saying they they did all that the VAT code.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
That's what he said, basically in his own words. And
I was shocked because I couldn't believe it. I thought
they just did it just off of like, all right,
this is the cool thing to do. But he said,
if they didn't do that, he saw that got soul
and Kobe were going to win many all. They said
Kobe was gonna go get eight. That's how they felt. Man.
(05:00):
I think, man, now that's a hypothetical because obviously what
happened happened, but that's what drove them to team up.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Yeah, I can dig it. I did it.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Let's just jump right into it, man. And this one's
a heated debate, right because it happened in the same era,
So we actually can talk about this, right, Kobe Bryant
versed him dun They both have five rings, right. Both
of their teams were very successful in the two thousands. Now,
one player stay was was was considerably the number one
(05:34):
option majority of the time that he was there. Not
saying that Kobe, you know, it alters a little bit
because Shaq was there. But you know, when you think
about win percentage, you think about the time when Shaq
left and how the Lakers weren't on the winning side
as much. His stats were crazy.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
No, they felt they they stumped, they felt they.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Stunk, like he had to do a lot for that team. Right.
And and the Spurs, you can different consistently. I think
they were in the playoffs probably eighteen seasons.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
It was different iterations of the team revolving around Tim Duncan.
You had the old squad, like you said, then the
young guys with Tony Parker come in and Genobi and
all them younger guys come in and they they don't
miss a beat.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
From a stat perspective, the Lakers and Spurs won eight
titles in the two thousands.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Dominance, that's dominance dominant and the matt big playoff matchups like, yeah,
one of us is winning the chip this year.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
So if you had to choose, I feel like everybody
chooses Kobe off of like optics not me.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Okay, tell me more me Tim Duncan man, Tim Duncan
giving it.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
He's solid.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Like I said, when you put him on the team,
you're winning point bank player. When you're making the playoffs
at minimum and you got a chance to contend. We
saw now he I mean he had great, great system,
great coaching that went. Like his teams were stacked acting
like you know what I'm saying, Tony Parker really good,
you know, be really good around them, decent role players.
(07:14):
But we saw when when Kobe led teams, it wasn't
guarantee every year. He had to have some he had
to have good talent around him. He had to have
another all NBA guy around him to really compete.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
At that level. So I'm an I'm a Tim Duncan guy.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Bro, I'm not mad I'm not mad at it. It's
very controversial. I mean, because everybody loves being God God
bless his soul, you know what I mean. But Tim Duncan.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Literally just it's on record, it's on record how much
of a winner he was and how much of winning
he contributed to.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
It's just hard to like match up in.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
That, and I think he sacrificed stats. Yes, and Flair.
It's like him and Kobe a great rivalry top because
it's contrast and styles. Kobe in La Flair obviously he
wanted he electric highlights. I mean, it's just fun telling
the TV's fun to watch him play. Tim Duncan, Nah,
(08:14):
he's slow, not getting up and down, throwing in the post,
big fundamental, Like you don't really love watching him play,
but you know you're gonna have.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
To see him.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
It's gonna be a long night.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
It's gonna be a long night.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Gonna be a long night.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Man. The edge goes to Tim Duncan in that matchup.
I agree with you on that all right. Lebron versus
Paul Pierce. Now, obviously Bron had the tough end of
the stick because he had to guard, he had to
go up against the Big Three a few years before
he went on to Miami to finally get them A
thought of there, but Paul Pierce. How good?
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Was Paul Pierce a monster?
Speaker 2 (08:50):
And like literally Paul Pierce, well I think of Paul
Pierce is the ultimate closer man. Ultimately, when you got
Way on your team, you feel like if the game
closer it he gonna hit the big shot. You get
into a spot and him and Bron, like Bron had
to reach his level because as far as learning how
to close games. To be honest, like, Paul Pierce is
(09:10):
one of the few guys in the league when they
matched up, he genuinely felt like he was better than Bron.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
And he was saying all the time he didn't care.
Like when we think about guys, he is a good
example of that would come into a regular season and
say that, hey, I'm better than Lebron James. He genuinely
thought that, Like no matter how you felt, he genuinely
thought that, and he was inside all he could pose.
He could shoot the three. He athletic, sneaky athletic, but
(09:40):
like Paul could do it all. I mean, Shaq gave
him the nickname of Truth for a reason. Obviously. You know,
Lebron's more. You know, think about twenty two year old Lebron,
twenty year old Lebron, twenty one year old Lebron marketable,
putting up the numbers. You know, he ran Bron see
some teams though, he's seen the Detroit, he's seen the Bostons.
You know, he had to go through the ringer before
(10:02):
he actually, you know, got a chance to taste the champagne.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
He was like the big brother. He was like the
big brother kindly. I came in.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
I'm walking up on the Bron with my crew. It
was a little who's the outre? I mean, keep it
the bugs. It's better crew than Bron's, and we're gonna
punk you into until you level up.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
I'm a little older than you, and I'm more confident
in where I'm at as far as something to prove. Yeah,
I mean the matter special regular season and playoffs. Everybody
was locked in.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Because you knew what you was gonna get. And then
when Paul one one, what could you tell him? What
could you truly tell him? And he beat the lakers
of all teams, you know what I mean, So you
gotta respect it back home people in la Hey. Paul Pierce,
he from Inglewood. That's how crazy that is. He bled
the Celtics literally and figuratively. Like to that point, man,
(10:54):
like you gotta respect it. He really was.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Bron.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
It's an old school Robberie. Bron had to go through
Paul to get away. He wanted and he ultimately did.
Took his lumps. But that game, that Bron Game six
in Boston, one for the ages.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yes, absolutely so. If we had to choose who you
gott in this.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Matchup le Bron James, Lebron James James. But I ain't
one of those who gonna disrespect Paul.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, no, no, this is all mutual. This is mutual respect.
Part man, we ain't here we're putting up arguments. But
that's why we talked about Paul Pierce from a positive standpoint.
But then we also see where it took for Lebron
to get to where wherever he.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Was ball be getting on ESPN and wherever he had Fox,
wherever ye on this in the studio and making these
crazy takes about who he was as a player. He
ain't looked exaggerated, but we he ain't far off.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Yeah, the younges need to know.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
So before becoming teammates. We talked about this in Miami.
They were fears competitors, like often going head to head.
Let's talk about Lebron Jamesbers d Wade drafted the same year.
D Wade got it cracking a little early, you know
what I'm saying. Rip Beady in the playoffs, has some
big games. Won a chip first two thousand and six
(12:16):
with Shack, you know what I'm saying, Finals MVP just
Flash became flash, you know what I mean. That's a
whole another dway that a lot of people don't talk about.
The flash Arrow was crazy, the Olympic ball head d way.
You know, he got some, he got some some some
some individual claims, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
This is your classic drafted in the same draft. We're
always going to be kind of compared to each other
throughout our whole career. Like we came in at the
same time. Obviously d Wade a little older, but Bron
the prodigy, you know what I'm saying. So, and this
robbably was dope too because d Wade won a chip
right kind of like right away. It was the second
(12:57):
third year in the league, Yep. D Wade came Man finals, MVP,
got him a championship, and even though Brown everybody knew
Brown was a better player, he needed something that d
Wade already had.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, I mean, I just it's a big
one if there. I mean, I know, we give Kevin
Durant a lot of problems about joining the Warriors, but
like I kind of wish that that Miami team like
never was assembled, just just for the marketing of the
game and where it would be now, like how many
(13:28):
players stay with their teams, you know what I.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Mean, a whole different lead. It would be a whole.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Different league, you know what I mean, Like it made
it comfortable, like, oh, we actually could do that. That's
what it did. That's all it did. Oh we could
do that. Okay, I didn't think it was possible.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Brown walked through the fire for all of us.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Man just freed it up. Man, you want to go
play with Yahomie. Okay, yeah, go ahead, right, no problem
in the championship, that's it, whatever it takes. And he
wanted to get our Cleveland go go live somewhere else, Man,
you want to live in Miami, Man, not a bad
place to go.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Underrated thing about it.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
I mean, who you can't blame somebody from trying to
go to Miami instead of living Cleveland his whole life.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Yeah, That's what I was always my argument.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
I'm like, maybe just wanted to get out of Cleveland
living in there his whole life.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Maybe just want to go to Miami.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Wanted to go to Miami. All right, kgs Verst Tim Duncan.
This is a very barber like barbershop, very on the street,
very where every social media every year. Kevin Gardner Verst
Tim Duncan.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Hood, the hood versus the suburbs.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Some people still think KG is the better player than
Tim Duncan. I watched KG get his uh you know,
his MVP and O four, and they had some good matchups.
Man boy, Duncan man just did not be in for him, bro,
Like he didn't entertain the trash talk. You know, there's
an article where Kate they said KG said some nasty
(14:57):
things to him. He never reacted. He just kicked his
ass on the court man.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
So KG just stopped.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
It got to a point where he just stopped talking
to Tim like he ain't get he ain't And it
ain't working, and it worked it and KG that's he
brought it, That's how he got going. But I'm like,
I ain't even he like, I ain't even gonna talk
to Tim no more. That's what level of respect you
have for him.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
That matchup was so serious that it was literally who's
the best power for it? Yeah? Po a decade like
in respectful Listen, you got Zach Randolph in that area.
You got Chris Weber in that araa, you got Rashie
Wallace in that era. You got so many different power
forwards that were really, really good that didn't hold the
(15:38):
candle to the sun on this one. Like literally just
one and two. Who really are the better of these two?
Speaker 3 (15:46):
I mean, I'm rolling with Tim Duncans.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
I'm rolling with Tim Duncan too, and I love it in.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
A fair fight because KG never had the team, you know,
I want to Mono and Monter.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
KG had.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
His skill His skill set was just that was just
as good as Tim's on the officer end. Maybe gets
spread it out and shoot a little bit further. Defensively,
they're both with all defense, some of the best defenders
to ever do it right. Tim was in San Antonio
and KG was kind of stuck in Minnesota with a
(16:18):
team that could never compete, So it wasn't a fair
fight to me. But I'm rolling with Tim still just
because there's longevity. You're never missing the playoffs, no matter what.
I think you can flip teams. I think Tim he
raised the level a little bit.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Yeah, absolutely, this one right here, another one. This is
a battle Alan. Obviously we got to see them match
up in the two thousand and one finals. Iverson didn't
have a very I guess balanced team to match up
against the Lakers. You know, Tombo, George Lynch, Roger Vale,
(16:54):
you know what I mean, Eric Snow. The list goes on,
Tom McCollough on those squad's, Like, he didn't really have
the team to take on. But like when those two
matched up, they had a like it was literally like
a gold cool Vegita match up. It was a Ryu
versus Ken. They respected each other so much, man, it
(17:15):
was really good to me.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
It seemed like a David and Golive type thing, kind
of like Ail smaller, not in LA, not the not
as good as a team, but he was fighting his
ass off man that two thousand and one finals. I've
never been happier them seeing him get that game one.
I was hype in the Create Me Too.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
I was anti Lakers man, so you know, I was
hating man. I really wanted they all to actually flaming
and pull it off the impossible of what felt like
the impossible.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
And it's easier to have a like because the East
Coast West Cot they only match up twice a year
in the regular season and if you're lucky, you get
a finals matchup. But you it's easier to have a
rivalry when you when you're both in the same conference
and you see each other four times a year.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, to you,
I think about this, Iverson was handed the keys, Kobe
came off the bench. So there's like a different trajectory
in that thing. Like, you know, Kobe started the All
Star Game, Iverson was in the All Star Game, but him, Like,
it's just different different dynamics, the Sneaker wars, the Rebox
versus the Adidas like, and then they got into the
Rebox Nikes thing. And then you know, like obviously Ai
(18:25):
had got moved around a few times, got to the
West and played in Denver, and you know, did his
thing and then he was finally done and.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Kobe had the streets. Yeah, Ai had the streets Kobe.
People view Kobe as a cornball a little bit.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
The crazy thing about it, as we tease Jason Tatum,
they have similar trajectories.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Bro who Kobe?
Speaker 1 (18:46):
And you know what I mean? Like as far as
like most people didn't, a lot of young people, I
don't think they realized that people are like Kobe corny,
like they're damn call him the police like he was
coming around. They just really wasn't rocking with Bro like that,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Of rolling with you on that, I see where you're
coming from, you.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Know what I'm saying. So like, even though he was
a good player, great player for good great player, his
the optics of it, he hadn't hanged out with nobody
like that's that stuff wasn't cool Bro. I want to
say his post retirement made him cooler.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
His last couple of years, when he started messing with everybody,
shopping up, giving advice, his old image changed.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
They changed it made it more like, oh, he actually
is cool, he not up tight, he's not doing all
this other things, because yeah, they was not rocking with Bro.
At all. It's pretty rapping. He tried it all.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
His on teammates didn't rock with him like Shaq was.
Shaq was the league catalyst of rock with bro. He
coined on the court, We're gonna get it done, but
off the floor, I can't rock crazy.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
That sound like hearing it out loud, Like yo, people
really didn't you know if I tweeted.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
That all right down, be like, oh you hate no coke?
Like I was there, I remember it. You got to
be a certain age to really know. And Ai was
the opposite from day one.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
Everybody from the.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Jump, always tattoos, bad boy, always getting in trouble. Like
we love the rebel. We lean towards the rebel.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Yeah, like the Jah, the Jih. Today's age, the kids
love them. Everybody rock with them.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Everybody rocks with them. Hey, that's a good com too,
a good modern day. Tatum and Jah, Tatum and John,
I ain't.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
See you look at us.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
We're getting somewhere with all right. We got another powerful
(20:53):
a matchup, a Battle of Texas. The Mavericks were Spurs
matched up often Dirk no Waists and Tim Duncans, two
players that only played for one team in their career.
I mean, we almost got Tim Duncan in Orlando, but
that's a whole nother story, you know, Dirk no whiskey
and I still think about the twenty eleven championship run,
one of the greatest individual runs in NBA history, and
(21:17):
then we just spoke upon Tim Duncan in the last matchup.
But like when you think about Dirk, did you you
played with Dirk one year, right.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Two years?
Speaker 2 (21:25):
I played with them two years, and you feel this
rivalry different when you play with the MAVs or the Spurs,
like the Texas rivalry.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
It is different.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
I remember, so I remember I got there my I
think it was my first year signing with the MAVs.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
So we played them.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
We go down to San Antonio and they're like, we
ain't want a game in San Antonio in like twenty
two games or something games.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I don't have a rivalry with them. That's a perfect explanation.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
But I mean it's the end of the Dirks.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
I mean, Dirk and he contributed to this loser streak
of lot, but it's the end of the run Tim.
I think Tim just just left. So I said, you
feel the robbery, Like, oh, this means this means a
little bit more. I remember Carlo Thomas, this means a
little bit more because we we can't we can't win here,
so we're going there. We finally get a win. It's
the end of the year. We I mean, we don't
(22:19):
we're not making the playoffs, but we celebrated that win
like it was like it was like it meant some.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
So that rivalry was Tim and Dirk. I'm saying both.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Dirk ended up getting the ship, which which meant a
lot to his legacy and him matched up with Tim,
but it's just something different about that Texas that Texas matchup.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Now being a teammate with Dirk the Whiskey, obviously you
watched him as a kid, you know what I mean,
before you actually became his teammate and understand the magnitude
of this is a Hall of Famer and having this
guy on the teammate. What is something that most people
wouldn't know about Dirk.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
I mean it's it said a little bit, but I
don't think it's hit home like it's supposed to. Dirk
is one of the funniest teammates I ever had in
my in my career, like hilarious, like you see he rate.
He came over to America and he was around number
of black dudes and that's kind of how he learned
to talk. Like you know, he was in locker rooms
and that's just lingo.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Dude. It's hilarious. And he used to every game we
used to.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
So he had you in the league, and you have
warm up routines, like you do the same thing from
when you get to their rena to tip off like
lift weights.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
You shoot the same shots you have.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Some people have look weird funny routines or superstitions that
they got. They got shoot the ball over the backboard
or whatever it is. So it's like a second third
game and Dirk he like doing warm up. He's playing
like fake one on one against everybody. He calls me,
He's like, sir, come here, matcha. He posts me up
on it on like the mid the mid posted the
(23:55):
free throw line, you know where Dirk always got his
ISO at. He's like, yeah, I did this. See your father,
I did it, see your brother. I'm doing it to
you and shout have little one leg dirt fade. Every
game he did it, and it's kind of dope. I mean,
I just remember being there. Like I said, Dirk had
a huge one of the funniest best teammates ever had.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Man, that's that's dope. That's a dope experience and also
a dread man when you really think about it from
that perspective. You know, I like that dude, this absolute legend.
But you explain the matchup, you explain the dominance of
the Spurs. Tim Duncan. We love that nugget you shared
with us, but we're gonna go with the Spurs and
(24:36):
Tim Duncan.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Man dirt my guy man underrated, but you said it.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Yeah, absolutely bad. Move it right along. Oh, this is
a good way. Vince Carter bus tax, this one is
your guy, I would say, Vince Carter my guy. I wasn't.
I wasn't too much of a Mac guy. But his
game was so pretty, Like he had to HESI pull obviously,
he had to swag the legs leeve when he got
to Orlando. He just made it deep and cooler. In
Houston just was a whole different thing. But like I remember,
(25:04):
I don't know if you knew this, because I think
your dad was their teammate at the time, so maybe
you were old enough to know that they were cousins.
But I remember finding out real time, like they didn't
initially know that.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Everybody found out. That's how it was back then.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
We Yeah, it was like everybody they kind of got
announced to the world like, oh, we're cousins while they
were on the team. Yeah, so that was that was
That was kind of like a funny thing. But I
feel like, yeah, Tax is my guy. I'm it's teamac
over everybody when it comes to these debates, right, But
I feel like Vince, Yeah, Vince kind of raised me too.
Like we were when I was young and me and
(25:40):
Steff running around the gym. Vince was always there, I'm saying,
playing with us, letting get this help, letting us come
in this workout, shoot competitions with him and all that.
So I got a special infinity for Vince too.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Yeah, I mean I felt like Vince was so like
amazing aero wise, right, just the plays he made game winners,
whether it was dunks Alius one, some of the crazy
one of the greatest dunkers of all time in my opinion.
But when you think about Tracy McGrady, like he was
(26:15):
just a superstar. He was just so much cooler to events,
no better Vinscuit Dune better. But like T Mac, T
Mac had you questioning Kobe like he did for he
had question Kobe, like who better, Like there was you know,
obviously Kobe had the rings, but like swag wise approach,
(26:36):
like just you know people was like, and he had
a better shoot all that it was. They both signed
to DAS at the time, Like it was just so
much going on. You just really just was like and
then when he was hooping for the Magic he let
the league in scoring he the thirteen points, like he
just had just so much I swear because I didn't
(26:57):
really start putting respect on Kobe ninety he scored eighty one,
We scored eighty one. I was like, you got it, bro,
You're video you are you are OD Like I was
not rocking with him for a minute because I just
felt like he was fake Jordan to me. But the
team ac Vince Carter Ribery is special because they're family members.
But like I just feel like Vis Carter was able
(27:18):
to play a little bit longer, able to adjust his self,
you know, to the game. He played twenty two seasons respectfully,
and he had but done Like T Max is very
micro size. It's probably like a good six to eight seasons.
That's just just kind of like combined, and they still
look cooler than twenty two.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Yeah, those two they're like developments players kind of lines
to a certain point too, because they both came in.
They both came in the league super athletic, right, You
didn't think of him as like all around scores with
the j But once they got four or five years
in the league, they both had knockdown jump shots, can
shoot off the dribble, yep, like they had it all
(27:58):
with the athleticism that that was out of this world.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
So those and.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Those regular season matches. I remember the first matchup when
Vincent t Mac matched up for the first time after
he left and went to Orlando, and the media try
to play it up like Vince was mad he left him,
and they tried to you know what I'm saying, rile
up the audience.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
And I was great marketing, great marketing for the game.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Yeah, it ain't really hit like that to me.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Yeah, I mean again, you you had a closer LANs
than that, So I mean, I think it's different from
outside looking in. I'm I'm you know, at this time,
I'm nineteen years old, you know, what I mean. I'm
looking at it like, oh, we're bud like it cool.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
I wasn't buying it, but yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Was looking at it a different way. I'm looking at
it like oh, okay, let's see what is going on,
and like Mac, just baby, just you know.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
It was crazy. You think we talked about this in
a previous pot but.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
The fact that t Max felt like he had to
leave Toronto to get his own team instead of staying
together in the era we're in today where you do
the opposite, it's still crazy to me, like those two
could have stayed together, playing the two three beside each
other for years and been a contender.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
That was the thing that was the right to passage.
You either your own man or you not. So it's
interesting how it goes of, like you know, Big Three's
and all this other stuff, and how guys sign or
or have to go through those passages. It sucks that
how T Max's career went at the end, that sacrifice
(29:33):
that he chose himself over potentially being considered one of
the greatest raptors of all time staying with his cousin.
Maybe Ben stays in Toronto. If t Max stays, you
know what I'm saying, like a lot of those things change,
but you definitely that was the narrative. Can you get
it done on your own?
Speaker 2 (29:54):
I'm never gonna be, but I leave my league. The
whole thing switt, I'll go on to a different team.
The mentality switches. This mine, this is my team.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Now I meet you on the same level, exactly, Lebron.
Can we talk about the Finals that never happened?
Speaker 3 (30:11):
I say, the one that never was?
Speaker 1 (30:12):
They had the puppets, they had everything, you know what
I mean, and Lebron and them couldn't beat Orlando Dwight
Howard and then got to the finals.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
This one mixed the march for me because they never
matched up when it matters most the regular season matchups
with epic, must see TV, big time games, whether it's
in La Miami. Yeah, man, yeah, really strapped up the legend.
They all star game picture with them too special. But
(30:44):
I got to see it in the finals, man, I
got to or they can't live up to the to
these other ones.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
But that one should have should have been it, And
I think it would help the debates now if it
was on that, you know what I mean. Like we
feel like Kobe Bryant is like disrespected, but it's like
they ain't really bumped like that, like a couple of
Christmas matchups, like, but it was.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
We needed to see, like the Jordan being magic we
talked about earlier. Sometimes you got to go through him
on the biggest stage to give it.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
I need some closure on this one, man. I don't
have it.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Yeah, I mean that's the one. But that's why I
can't even lay it. As crazy as it is, it's
hard to go to him. He never went through Kobe.
Kobe got there. He was waked on you.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Hey, we got to talk about this too before we
get off this one. You know, you know the epic
All Star Game pick with Bron guarded Kobe and you
got Drake in the front.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Did he did he ruin the pick?
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Did ruin the pick? I don't think it wasn't purpose,
but he definitely ruined the pick.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Oh No, he ain't doing no purpose. But he was
killing him for that.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
I mean, he was just in the mold.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I mean, I think it might make it better. It
might make it because the jacket is hardy.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
I think if somebody caught it from another angle right.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
Where he's like he taking up too much of the frame.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Yeah, he just taking too much of the frame. They
remind me of the Drakemond three joint, but that one
hard because it's right the Olympic. But I'm not mad
at Drake for like being like in the because if
we sit in court like we did, yeah, like, you're
gonna get into the mood of that like you in it.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
So I pay that bread to be course, and I'm
I feel like I'm part of the game as long
as I cross the line.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
And of course I'm part of the game.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Yeah. Well, I mean, you know, people want to get
hot at that, but I mean make more money and
get that building too.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
So I just had to bring that up. We're gonna
take a quick break when we get back.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
We're gonna talk about my guy t Mac matched up
with Kobe and whatever rivalry stacks up.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
T Mac versus. We might have to throw that clipping there, man,
remember the one where he makes Kobe touch the earth
and then gets mad. It's the it's the Lakers Magic matchup.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
I'm blanking on that.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
They throw it like so so Mac Kenny boom and
Kobe fall right, uh huh? And Kobe and and Max
scores so he like gets his little Kobe's like like
give it back, you know what I'm saying. So he
ends up getting it back right, and Kobe bang like
he takes baseline bangs and slaps glass so hard, so hard, right,
(33:32):
such a you gotta after sometime this week. You gotta
rewatch that. I mean, But that one was the matchup
because it was like, oh.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Like that's like that old school park, like, oh he scored,
give me I need the rock right now.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
I need it, Yes, I need it.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
But that's all the matchups like they were out. They
were playing like nobody was in the gym. Yeah, you
know what I'm saying. Nobody else is getting the rock
that game. Yeah, that's how they work. It's I don't
know if the quality is. They might have it on
NBA TV really like an HD, but that matchup was
really good and that's where people felt that one year
(34:09):
that Mac was better than Kobe one year.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
That's what make them wing match up special, like this
is ones it ain't no. Sometimes when you get the
point guards or the post players like I'm bigger than
year so that you can do or I'm quicker, I'm
more skilled, And then the point guards were playing pick
and roll.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
I'm really playing against the big most of the time.
You ain't.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
This ain't one on one, but the wings were playing
ones and who scored the most buckets.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
And that's it. It was really a lot of iceoo ball, dude,
and that one of one of the one of the
best matchups. I mean, I would I would love to
to to hear Doc's perspective from that game, you know
what I'm saying, because he was founching that game, and
really what the mentality was during that time, because it's
like it was just it was so intense at that time. Man,
Like I really like, yeah, getting t Like that's how
(35:00):
I was. I was just like, man, I was such
a Kobe hater. Dang.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
I mean, listen, I asked Doc all the time about
t Max Young t Mac coaching, because, like I said,
that's my guy.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
Doc.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
He always said he he could have been one of
the best. He got like the injuries, obviously, but he
got even before the injuries, he had so much untapped potential,
like he was neck and Necker Cole. I don't care
what anybody says. He just he ain't get all the
way there even before the injuries, all Right, we got.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
One more Carmelo Anthony first, Lebron, this is one of
the ones. This is the one.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
This is the one of the ones, same draft, same position.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
Carmelo should have been Rookie of the year.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
Carmelo came in and made the playoffs right away, but
Brown got the Rookie of the year. They had like
right out the gate. They had a debate who should
have wont Does that change?
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Does that change Lebron's trajectory of Mello would have won
Rookie the Year?
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Absolutely, yeah, absolutely, like to be a goat or like
across eras to be a goal.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
I just think the respect on I think the respect
on Mellow.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
It has just been too that's too much. It was
too much.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
You got too much for the league, high school player
in the country first the best freshman, like he literally
was national title. So it's one and two, well one
in three because Darko went to Is it so crazy
the height that was going?
Speaker 3 (36:34):
It was crazy?
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Like Mellow came in, like you say, went to Syracuse,
won to ship right away, came to the league, elevated
his team, made the playoffs this first year. It was like, oh,
Mellow impacts winning. Then then you see the narrative change man.
Mellow impacts winning here, a winner here, a winner out
the gate as his career goes along. Because he can't
(36:55):
make a run, get to the finals, winning championship, all
of a sudden, he don't impact winning.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
They about it, man, Yeah, it's tough.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Man. That's a real tough one right there when you
really think about it. Because he wins Rookie of the Year,
he goes on whatever rampant. Like think about if he
joined the Miami Heat. Like how we talk about him.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
His narrative and his image is completely different. Like I said,
just about joining forces with somebody else. He took another
path and he I respect it. He confident in who
he was. So, by the way, shout out to the
newest Hall of Fame member. Mellow just got announced he
he getting inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.
But this is this is this Robbie is special too
(37:37):
because this is another one that they matched up. They
guard each other all game. Yeah, and it's ones.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Not for real, Like I think about that all the time.
I'm like, man, these dudes end up being teammates later
in their career.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
But like.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
How cold Carmelo was, Like for one the NBA. He
got new jerseys for these two for the franchises. See
how crazy that was, Like the launch, Like the Chams
used to wear orange and blue, they had all this stuff.
The Nuggets had the skyline with the blue jerseys. They
changed the whole franchise for these two dudes. We got
(38:18):
the baby blue with the yellow like Mellow going to
Jordan's Lebron going to Nike. They got the wine and
gold like Lebron got the commercial. They both got the
marketing is is the budget is insane for both of
these dudes, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
And that game's kind of contrasted too. You know, Bron,
I'm a past first guy. I like to get my
teammates of all melo like I'm a score, I'm putting
the ball on.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
Lebron was marketing as a point guard when we first
came out. That's the crazy thing about it. They were
saying Bron was gonna be a six to eight point
and I was like, Okay, he might. And that's honestly
swear to guy.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
He was.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
I thought he was gonna break Oscar Robertson's triple season,
like like like if if it was any player to
do it. I'm like, yeah, I thought so.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
He rebound all his things and that was like a
topic of conversation with Brian average triple double.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Yeah yeah, that was a big one. That big about it.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
It never ever did it.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
This and this Ribberley similar to the next we're gonna
talk about Chris Paul Darren woll was which is also
in the Mount Rushmore Ribberies. It became even more special
when they teamed up with Team USA. To me, when
they when they got on the team, put on the
same jersey and played together because their styles contrasted like Mellow.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
That was the best version of Mellow we've seen, you
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Just going out there scoring, knocking down shots and Brian
facilitating to him a lot of the times.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
It was just good to see.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
Yeah, No, I mean Team USA gave us a lot
of dream teammates scenarios, especially players in their prime and
getting to see him like really cook, you know what
I mean, because that was our first what if before
they actually start teaming up and doing all. You know
what I'm saying, I was okay with just that. The
(40:08):
All Star Game and the Olympics was I was just
fine with one of those kids that on two K
and Live you would trade.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
I would trade put them on the same I wouldn't
like stacked the deck.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Imagine a penny.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
I would trade my whole team for for Mellow, like I.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Couldn't imagine a penny with George I would. I would
be bored with the game, bro, It'd be too good.
I don't even want that.
Speaker 3 (40:31):
You know what I was ethical with it now? I would.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
I would have to make a semi realistic trade, like
it would be Bron and Mellow and nobody else.
Speaker 1 (40:39):
You gotta that's when your GM skills come in. Man,
you just got the team stacked. Man, I like not
to Chris Paul and Darren Williams. We talked about them
with the other show. Again heated robbery amongst each other,
but we looked up the stacks the matchup and close.
It's kind of similar to Kobe Lebron thing because they
never actually got a chance to compete in the playoffs.
(41:00):
Very popular regular season matchup.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
Yeah, same draft again, So who's the who should have
been the higher pick? One of those one of those
typics of conversations.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Ye, all right, we're gonna take a break when we
come back, we're gonna share our top five individual rivals.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
All right, my five.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
We're gonna start it out. Number five Kobe versus Ai.
And that, like that rivalry is just that finals matchup.
To me, we talked about off the floor stuff, but
that finals match up was the pinnacle.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
Of that one.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
Number four, the Battle of Texas, Dirk versus Tim Duncan.
Number four, Number three Lebron and Paul Pierce, which I
mean great playoff matchups.
Speaker 3 (42:06):
Number two.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
I had cpn Darren just because their whole career is
a line. Even that that's a robbery to me because
even when they not playing each other, I will go
check stats, check stuff throughout the year who's playing better
than the other, because I ain't really know which one
was better. I mean, I was a CP guy, but
I want't I want to stand on it, you know.
(42:28):
So it was I was even like I said, that
robbery was about who who is the better player, not
really who won the individual matchups and when they faced
off and number one Bron and Carmelo Anthony number one
best robbery of the two thousands.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
Hey man, I like it. I like it. We share it.
We share one in a similar line. So, okay, I
like this my number five. I got Kobe burst TMAC Okay,
number four iverson Kobe, number three, Kobe versus Tim Duncan
because that's a you know, five rings thing, and then
(43:10):
we got KG first Tim Duncan just like Battle the
Greatest Power Forward and then lastly Mellow and Bron.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
From what I've seen from your listens a lot of
playoff matchups Battle for Championships.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Yeah, yeah, I think I think it had the match
up where it mattered for me, just because although you
meant like I mean, it was very marketed and very
storyline driven and regular season, I still needed to have
that definitive answer, like you know what I'm saying, who
actually came up on top after those matchups, because when
(43:44):
they faced off, you had to live with that after
they beat you and you go on those matchups where
you like, if I actually whoever wins this game, they
go on and win the ring.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Yeah, and that's one of the things, like I beat you,
I'm going into the summer, like every time I walk
in the gym, I.
Speaker 3 (44:01):
See your face for the rest of it.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
But you know, it stopped you from actually achieving your
goal exactly and that's the interesting ones.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
Yeah, I'm coming back a different player, so you have
to see me again for another three more years.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
You got me now, but I'm back.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
Yeah, absolutely, definitely. All right. One of our favorite topics
of the part Born in the Wrong Era? Which matchup
would you like to see in this current era? If
you could pick any of the matchups that we discussed.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
Today, The mine is the Kobe Bran. I need to
see it, man, the Kobe Bran. I wish they were
a little more closer in age to where we could
settle some of these debates because a lot of I mean,
people gonna stand on Kobe is. It's right on Brian
Hills as far as individual player. And if Kobe wasn't
(44:56):
or on the other side, if Kobe wasn't in LA,
would he be Kobe?
Speaker 3 (44:59):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
So I just need to see that those two matchup
at the biggest stage in the playoffs, in the finals,
and I'm just sick to my stomach.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
We never got to see it.
Speaker 1 (45:12):
I would like to see Tracy McGrady versus Kobe Bryant
in the social media era because the campaign would be
so strong. The campaign for t mac would be so strong,
the popularity would be there. You know, I would be
interested to see who's all in for Kobe. At that
(45:33):
particular time.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
Those two they were they were chasing stats, especially in
the early two thousands, mid two thousand, it would.
Speaker 1 (45:41):
Be Mark McGuire saving me social home run race in facts.
Speaker 2 (45:44):
They coming in trying to drop forty to fifty. Kobe,
I'm trying to score eighty one, like it, It's more
than just about winning this game.
Speaker 3 (45:52):
I'm trying.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
Yeah, Like I will watch seven games. I watched fifty
games of that just because I just know the futrue
respect they have for each other. And like you know,
like T Max post game, it's footwork, it's the three ball,
the explosiveness. Him and Kobe were dunking like crazy posters
here like every slam magazine they was in front of something.
(46:14):
They had the best jerseys, you know what I mean.
The Lakers had the white Hollywood Nights. They had the
blue joints, the Minnesota Minnesota Lakers joints. You know, the
stars like pinstripes, like Mac had it bro Mac ball
so hard that people stopped talking about penny number one.
(46:34):
I love what we're doing right now. And he was
telling some great stories. I can't wait to bring up
more topics to get more stories out of you and
also have more guests on to talk about these stories.
But man, thank you listeners for tuning in. We encourage
all feedback for the podcast. Make sure you messages dot
where can they find.
Speaker 3 (46:52):
You at s Doc Curry sdot Curry.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
Man, I just got my big update. I'm at Trey
at t R a Y. I'm feel like a man
right now on Instagram. I'm the only trade on Instagram,
So that's pretty cool. So you guys can follow me
at Trey now and make sure that you listen to Go.
Tell a friend of streaming on all streaming platform's greatest
of their era.
Speaker 3 (47:13):
Go Go.
Speaker 1 (47:22):
This has been a Unanimous Media original. Go was produced
by iHeart Podcasts and Unanimous Media. It was hosted by
me Travon Edwards and step Kirk. Executive produced by Stephen
Curry and Eric Kate. Co executive producer Klenna Maria Cutting.
The executive producers at iHeart Podcasts are Sean Titon and
Jason Hinklish. This series was produced by Derek Jennings and
(47:44):
Peter Cutcher. Co producer Kurt Reddy, original music by Jesse Woodard,
Special thanks to Stephen Curry and Will Pearson. GOT is
a production of unanimous media iHeart Podcasts. For more podcasts
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeart Radio Apple Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. Mm hmm
You played with Dirk when you're right.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Play with him two years and you feel this rivalry
different when you play with the MAVs or the Spurs,
like the Texas ribbery is different. I remember doing warm up.
He's playing like fake one on one against everybody.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
He caused me. He's like, sir, come here, matcha.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
He posts me up on it on like the mid
the mid posted the free throw line, you know where
Dirk always got his ISO at. He's like, I did
this to your father, I did this to your brother.
I'm doing it to you and shoot his little one
leg dirt fade every game he did it, and it's
kind of dope. I just remember being there, like Dirk
had a huge one of the funniest best teammates ever had.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Man, that's that's dope. That's a dope experience and also
a dream man, when you really think about it from
that perspective, you know what I mean, Like that, that dude,
this absolute legend. But you explain the matchup, you flame
the dominance of the Spurs. Man, we are back. We
(01:00):
are in a new era. Man. I know we hung
out in the nineties and I felt like we could
be there all day. Man, but we got to move on.
We are in the two thousands. This week, what up Dot?
Speaker 3 (01:10):
What up? Baby's going on?
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I mean, another week another highlight? Man, That's what it
seemed like, Seth crossover. What's going on?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Bro? I was crying, you send me the message, Seth Crossover.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
I got the permission from Jamal Man. He said you
could use it, man, He said, you out here, you
deserve it.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Out there trying to end the season the right way,
having some fun, getting up and down.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
So another week, another house of highlights. Feel me?
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Hey man, whatever keeps the lights? So man, that's what
I said. Everybody gonna start guarding you different. You know,
you out here showing the handle for shows.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Sometimes you got to remind them. It's like we're about
to do tonight.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Hey man, perfect segue, man. You know we got a
fun one today. We're gonna talk about the greatest rivalries
of two thousands, and we're not talking about teams. We
talking about individual matchups that bump. So before we even
kick things off, I want to just set the stage
with a trip down memory lane. The NBA in the
two thousands was defined by the dominant dynasties like the Lakers,
(02:06):
the Spurs, the rids of superstars like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Lebron,
James Man, just a dominant transition from big men to
perimeter play. And that era was just super fun.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, it was good, good teams up and down the league,
some movement, obviously with Lebron moving around Kobe, you know.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
What, Kobe is his whole career.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
But this is, like you said, this is the era
of a lot of good two guards wings and then
obviously the big man matching up. So we got a
lot of good stuff to talk about with these robberies.
So when we talk about the two thousands of robbery,
do you we agree with me here? This era is
kind of where you had the middle ground of you
know today, a lot of players are cool off the floor.
(02:48):
So that's why you got like the Kadi and Bron,
where if they playing the nineties they might hate each other. Well,
off the floor, they got so much in common they
can they the only two people that can really relate
to who they are, So they friends off the floor
or somewhat, you know what I'm saying, So they don't
hate each other when they go in the game.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
They compete at a high level, but it's not over
the top.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
I want to like blend the nineties and the rivalries
coming into two thousands because I think the Lebron when
Lebron and d Wade joined forces, they were supposed to
be have some type of rivalry for the career, right,
and when they joined forces, I was like that kind
of changed the landscape.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
It might have been the death of the rivalry.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Yeah, was it? That's what I wanted to get at.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I do think that the death of the rivalry because
how it happened, right, It's a difference of KG saying
I want to go to Boston firstus all, Like if
he signed with Boston, I think it would have been
kind of like, oh, but he got traded there and
you could you could pick your trade destination, but you
still got to give up whatever it is. They had
(03:47):
to fix that team. But for Lebron to go sign
with a quote unquote competitor.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Which we thought a lot of people were don't see
the match up for seven eight more years, you thought, Yeah,
you thought Bron had to go through d Wade and
d had to go through Bron to win the ship
every year. Yeah, and at that position, like Sims the
exact same position, but there were two of the top
wings in the league, and when they joined forces, that
kind of eliminated the opponent.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
On d Wade's podcast, he mentioned he watched Kobe go
back to back after they got Gasol, and he called
Bron and said, Hey, what are you gonna do? I
might go to Chicago and he said, nah, we're gonna
go together and let's go get Chris Bosh. Kobe was
that guy like nobody. Bron couldn't argue it. The way
he couldn't argue it. It was that come like that
(04:31):
obvious number one, no matter how bron fans want to
look at it.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
So you're saying they they did all that the VAT code.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
That's what he said, basically in his own words. And
I was shocked because I couldn't believe it. I thought
they just did it just off of like, all right,
this is the cool thing to do. But he said,
if they didn't do that, he saw that got soul
and Kobe were going to win many all. They said
Kobe was gonna go get eight. That's how they felt. Man.
(05:00):
I think, man, now that's a hypothetical because obviously what
happened happened, but that's what drove them to team up.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Yeah, I can dig it. I did it.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Let's just jump right into it, man. And this one's
a heated debate, right because it happened in the same era,
So we actually can talk about this, right, Kobe Bryant
versed him dun They both have five rings, right. Both
of their teams were very successful in the two thousands. Now,
one player stay was was was considerably the number one
(05:34):
option majority of the time that he was there. Not
saying that Kobe, you know, it alters a little bit
because Shaq was there. But you know, when you think
about win percentage, you think about the time when Shaq
left and how the Lakers weren't on the winning side
as much. His stats were crazy.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
No, they felt they they stumped, they felt they.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Stunk, like he had to do a lot for that team. Right.
And and the Spurs, you can different consistently. I think
they were in the playoffs probably eighteen seasons.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
It was different iterations of the team revolving around Tim Duncan.
You had the old squad, like you said, then the
young guys with Tony Parker come in and Genobi and
all them younger guys come in and they they don't
miss a beat.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
From a stat perspective, the Lakers and Spurs won eight
titles in the two thousands.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Dominance, that's dominance dominant and the matt big playoff matchups like, yeah,
one of us is winning the chip this year.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
So if you had to choose, I feel like everybody
chooses Kobe off of like optics not me.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Okay, tell me more me Tim Duncan man, Tim Duncan
giving it.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
He's solid.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Like I said, when you put him on the team,
you're winning point bank player. When you're making the playoffs
at minimum and you got a chance to contend. We
saw now he I mean he had great, great system,
great coaching that went. Like his teams were stacked acting
like you know what I'm saying, Tony Parker really good,
you know, be really good around them, decent role players.
(07:14):
But we saw when when Kobe led teams, it wasn't
guarantee every year. He had to have some he had
to have good talent around him. He had to have
another all NBA guy around him to really compete.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
At that level. So I'm an I'm a Tim Duncan guy.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Bro, I'm not mad I'm not mad at it. It's
very controversial. I mean, because everybody loves being God God
bless his soul, you know what I mean. But Tim Duncan.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Literally just it's on record, it's on record how much
of a winner he was and how much of winning
he contributed to.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
It's just hard to like match up in.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
That, and I think he sacrificed stats. Yes, and Flair.
It's like him and Kobe a great rivalry top because
it's contrast and styles. Kobe in La Flair obviously he
wanted he electric highlights. I mean, it's just fun telling
the TV's fun to watch him play. Tim Duncan, Nah,
(08:14):
he's slow, not getting up and down, throwing in the post,
big fundamental, Like you don't really love watching him play,
but you know you're gonna have.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
To see him.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
It's gonna be a long night.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
It's gonna be a long night.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Gonna be a long night.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Man. The edge goes to Tim Duncan in that matchup.
I agree with you on that all right. Lebron versus
Paul Pierce. Now, obviously Bron had the tough end of
the stick because he had to guard, he had to
go up against the Big Three a few years before
he went on to Miami to finally get them A
thought of there, but Paul Pierce. How good?
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Was Paul Pierce a monster?
Speaker 2 (08:50):
And like literally Paul Pierce, well I think of Paul
Pierce is the ultimate closer man. Ultimately, when you got
Way on your team, you feel like if the game
closer it he gonna hit the big shot. You get
into a spot and him and Bron, like Bron had
to reach his level because as far as learning how
to close games. To be honest, like, Paul Pierce is
(09:10):
one of the few guys in the league when they
matched up, he genuinely felt like he was better than Bron.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
And he was saying all the time he didn't care.
Like when we think about guys, he is a good
example of that would come into a regular season and
say that, hey, I'm better than Lebron James. He genuinely
thought that, Like no matter how you felt, he genuinely
thought that, and he was inside all he could pose.
He could shoot the three. He athletic, sneaky athletic, but
(09:40):
like Paul could do it all. I mean, Shaq gave
him the nickname of Truth for a reason. Obviously. You know,
Lebron's more. You know, think about twenty two year old Lebron,
twenty year old Lebron, twenty one year old Lebron marketable,
putting up the numbers. You know, he ran Bron see
some teams though, he's seen the Detroit, he's seen the Bostons.
You know, he had to go through the ringer before
(10:02):
he actually, you know, got a chance to taste the champagne.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
He was like the big brother. He was like the
big brother kindly. I came in.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
I'm walking up on the Bron with my crew. It
was a little who's the outre? I mean, keep it
the bugs. It's better crew than Bron's, and we're gonna
punk you into until you level up.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
I'm a little older than you, and I'm more confident
in where I'm at as far as something to prove. Yeah,
I mean the matter special regular season and playoffs. Everybody
was locked in.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Because you knew what you was gonna get. And then
when Paul one one, what could you tell him? What
could you truly tell him? And he beat the lakers
of all teams, you know what I mean, So you
gotta respect it back home people in la Hey. Paul Pierce,
he from Inglewood. That's how crazy that is. He bled
the Celtics literally and figuratively. Like to that point, man,
(10:54):
like you gotta respect it. He really was.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Bron.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
It's an old school Robberie. Bron had to go through
Paul to get away. He wanted and he ultimately did.
Took his lumps. But that game, that Bron Game six
in Boston, one for the ages.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yes, absolutely so. If we had to choose who you
gott in this.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Matchup le Bron James, Lebron James James. But I ain't
one of those who gonna disrespect Paul.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, no, no, this is all mutual. This is mutual respect.
Part man, we ain't here we're putting up arguments. But
that's why we talked about Paul Pierce from a positive standpoint.
But then we also see where it took for Lebron
to get to where wherever he.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Was ball be getting on ESPN and wherever he had Fox,
wherever ye on this in the studio and making these
crazy takes about who he was as a player. He
ain't looked exaggerated, but we he ain't far off.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Yeah, the younges need to know.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
So before becoming teammates. We talked about this in Miami.
They were fears competitors, like often going head to head.
Let's talk about Lebron Jamesbers d Wade drafted the same year.
D Wade got it cracking a little early, you know
what I'm saying. Rip Beady in the playoffs, has some
big games. Won a chip first two thousand and six
(12:16):
with Shack, you know what I'm saying, Finals MVP just
Flash became flash, you know what I mean. That's a
whole another dway that a lot of people don't talk about.
The flash Arrow was crazy, the Olympic ball head d way.
You know, he got some, he got some some some
some individual claims, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
This is your classic drafted in the same draft. We're
always going to be kind of compared to each other
throughout our whole career. Like we came in at the
same time. Obviously d Wade a little older, but Bron
the prodigy, you know what I'm saying. So, and this
robbably was dope too because d Wade won a chip
right kind of like right away. It was the second
(12:57):
third year in the league, Yep. D Wade came Man finals, MVP,
got him a championship, and even though Brown everybody knew
Brown was a better player, he needed something that d
Wade already had.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, I mean, I just it's a big
one if there. I mean, I know, we give Kevin
Durant a lot of problems about joining the Warriors, but
like I kind of wish that that Miami team like
never was assembled, just just for the marketing of the
game and where it would be now, like how many
(13:28):
players stay with their teams, you know what I.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Mean, a whole different lead. It would be a whole.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Different league, you know what I mean, Like it made
it comfortable, like, oh, we actually could do that. That's
what it did. That's all it did. Oh we could
do that. Okay, I didn't think it was possible.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Brown walked through the fire for all of us.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Man just freed it up. Man, you want to go
play with Yahomie. Okay, yeah, go ahead, right, no problem
in the championship, that's it, whatever it takes. And he
wanted to get our Cleveland go go live somewhere else, Man,
you want to live in Miami, Man, not a bad
place to go.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Underrated thing about it.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
I mean, who you can't blame somebody from trying to
go to Miami instead of living Cleveland his whole life.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Yeah, That's what I was always my argument.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
I'm like, maybe just wanted to get out of Cleveland
living in there his whole life.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Maybe just want to go to Miami.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Wanted to go to Miami. All right, kgs Verst Tim Duncan.
This is a very barber like barbershop, very on the street,
very where every social media every year. Kevin Gardner Verst
Tim Duncan.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Hood, the hood versus the suburbs.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Some people still think KG is the better player than
Tim Duncan. I watched KG get his uh you know,
his MVP and O four, and they had some good matchups.
Man boy, Duncan man just did not be in for him, bro,
Like he didn't entertain the trash talk. You know, there's
an article where Kate they said KG said some nasty
(14:57):
things to him. He never reacted. He just kicked his
ass on the court man.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
So KG just stopped.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
It got to a point where he just stopped talking
to Tim like he ain't get he ain't And it
ain't working, and it worked it and KG that's he
brought it, That's how he got going. But I'm like,
I ain't even he like, I ain't even gonna talk
to Tim no more. That's what level of respect you
have for him.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
That matchup was so serious that it was literally who's
the best power for it? Yeah? Po a decade like
in respectful Listen, you got Zach Randolph in that area.
You got Chris Weber in that araa, you got Rashie
Wallace in that era. You got so many different power
forwards that were really, really good that didn't hold the
(15:38):
candle to the sun on this one. Like literally just
one and two. Who really are the better of these two?
Speaker 3 (15:46):
I mean, I'm rolling with Tim Duncans.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
I'm rolling with Tim Duncan too, and I love it in.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
A fair fight because KG never had the team, you know,
I want to Mono and Monter.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
KG had.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
His skill His skill set was just that was just
as good as Tim's on the officer end. Maybe gets
spread it out and shoot a little bit further. Defensively,
they're both with all defense, some of the best defenders
to ever do it right. Tim was in San Antonio
and KG was kind of stuck in Minnesota with a
(16:18):
team that could never compete, So it wasn't a fair
fight to me. But I'm rolling with Tim still just
because there's longevity. You're never missing the playoffs, no matter what.
I think you can flip teams. I think Tim he
raised the level a little bit.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Yeah, absolutely, this one right here, another one. This is
a battle Alan. Obviously we got to see them match
up in the two thousand and one finals. Iverson didn't
have a very I guess balanced team to match up
against the Lakers. You know, Tombo, George Lynch, Roger Vale,
(16:54):
you know what I mean, Eric Snow. The list goes on,
Tom McCollough on those squad's, Like, he didn't really have
the team to take on. But like when those two
matched up, they had a like it was literally like
a gold cool Vegita match up. It was a Ryu
versus Ken. They respected each other so much, man, it
(17:15):
was really good to me.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
It seemed like a David and Golive type thing, kind
of like Ail smaller, not in LA, not the not
as good as a team, but he was fighting his
ass off man that two thousand and one finals. I've
never been happier them seeing him get that game one.
I was hype in the Create Me Too.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
I was anti Lakers man, so you know, I was
hating man. I really wanted they all to actually flaming
and pull it off the impossible of what felt like
the impossible.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
And it's easier to have a like because the East
Coast West Cot they only match up twice a year
in the regular season and if you're lucky, you get
a finals matchup. But you it's easier to have a
rivalry when you when you're both in the same conference
and you see each other four times a year.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, to you,
I think about this, Iverson was handed the keys, Kobe
came off the bench. So there's like a different trajectory
in that thing. Like, you know, Kobe started the All
Star Game, Iverson was in the All Star Game, but him, Like,
it's just different different dynamics, the Sneaker wars, the Rebox
versus the Adidas like, and then they got into the
Rebox Nikes thing. And then you know, like obviously Ai
(18:25):
had got moved around a few times, got to the
West and played in Denver, and you know, did his
thing and then he was finally done and.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Kobe had the streets. Yeah, Ai had the streets Kobe.
People view Kobe as a cornball a little bit.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
The crazy thing about it, as we tease Jason Tatum,
they have similar trajectories.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Bro who Kobe?
Speaker 1 (18:46):
And you know what I mean? Like as far as
like most people didn't, a lot of young people, I
don't think they realized that people are like Kobe corny,
like they're damn call him the police like he was
coming around. They just really wasn't rocking with Bro like that,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Of rolling with you on that, I see where you're
coming from, you.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Know what I'm saying. So like, even though he was
a good player, great player for good great player, his
the optics of it, he hadn't hanged out with nobody
like that's that stuff wasn't cool Bro. I want to
say his post retirement made him cooler.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
His last couple of years, when he started messing with everybody,
shopping up, giving advice, his old image changed.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
They changed it made it more like, oh, he actually
is cool, he not up tight, he's not doing all
this other things, because yeah, they was not rocking with Bro.
At all. It's pretty rapping. He tried it all.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
His on teammates didn't rock with him like Shaq was.
Shaq was the league catalyst of rock with bro. He
coined on the court, We're gonna get it done, but
off the floor, I can't rock crazy.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
That sound like hearing it out loud, Like yo, people
really didn't you know if I tweeted.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
That all right down, be like, oh you hate no coke?
Like I was there, I remember it. You got to
be a certain age to really know. And Ai was
the opposite from day one.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
Everybody from the.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Jump, always tattoos, bad boy, always getting in trouble. Like
we love the rebel. We lean towards the rebel.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Yeah, like the Jah, the Jih. Today's age, the kids
love them. Everybody rock with them.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Everybody rocks with them. Hey, that's a good com too,
a good modern day. Tatum and Jah, Tatum and John,
I ain't.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
See you look at us.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
We're getting somewhere with all right. We got another powerful
(20:53):
a matchup, a Battle of Texas. The Mavericks were Spurs
matched up often Dirk no Waists and Tim Duncans, two
players that only played for one team in their career.
I mean, we almost got Tim Duncan in Orlando, but
that's a whole nother story, you know, Dirk no whiskey
and I still think about the twenty eleven championship run,
one of the greatest individual runs in NBA history, and
(21:17):
then we just spoke upon Tim Duncan in the last matchup.
But like when you think about Dirk, did you you
played with Dirk one year, right.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Two years?
Speaker 2 (21:25):
I played with them two years, and you feel this
rivalry different when you play with the MAVs or the Spurs,
like the Texas rivalry.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
It is different.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
I remember, so I remember I got there my I
think it was my first year signing with the MAVs.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
So we played them.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
We go down to San Antonio and they're like, we
ain't want a game in San Antonio in like twenty
two games or something games.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I don't have a rivalry with them. That's a perfect explanation.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
But I mean it's the end of the Dirks.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
I mean, Dirk and he contributed to this loser streak
of lot, but it's the end of the run Tim.
I think Tim just just left. So I said, you
feel the robbery, Like, oh, this means this means a
little bit more. I remember Carlo Thomas, this means a
little bit more because we we can't we can't win here,
so we're going there. We finally get a win. It's
the end of the year. We I mean, we don't
(22:19):
we're not making the playoffs, but we celebrated that win
like it was like it was like it meant some.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
So that rivalry was Tim and Dirk. I'm saying both.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Dirk ended up getting the ship, which which meant a
lot to his legacy and him matched up with Tim,
but it's just something different about that Texas that Texas matchup.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Now being a teammate with Dirk the Whiskey, obviously you
watched him as a kid, you know what I mean,
before you actually became his teammate and understand the magnitude
of this is a Hall of Famer and having this
guy on the teammate. What is something that most people
wouldn't know about Dirk.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
I mean it's it said a little bit, but I
don't think it's hit home like it's supposed to. Dirk
is one of the funniest teammates I ever had in
my in my career, like hilarious, like you see he rate.
He came over to America and he was around number
of black dudes and that's kind of how he learned
to talk. Like you know, he was in locker rooms
and that's just lingo.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Dude. It's hilarious. And he used to every game we
used to.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
So he had you in the league, and you have
warm up routines, like you do the same thing from
when you get to their rena to tip off like
lift weights.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
You shoot the same shots you have.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Some people have look weird funny routines or superstitions that
they got. They got shoot the ball over the backboard
or whatever it is. So it's like a second third
game and Dirk he like doing warm up. He's playing
like fake one on one against everybody. He calls me,
He's like, sir, come here, matcha. He posts me up
on it on like the mid the mid posted the
(23:55):
free throw line, you know where Dirk always got his
ISO at. He's like, yeah, I did this. See your father,
I did it, see your brother. I'm doing it to
you and shout have little one leg dirt fade. Every
game he did it, and it's kind of dope. I mean,
I just remember being there. Like I said, Dirk had
a huge one of the funniest best teammates ever had.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Man, that's that's dope. That's a dope experience and also
a dread man when you really think about it from
that perspective. You know, I like that dude, this absolute legend.
But you explain the matchup, you explain the dominance of
the Spurs. Tim Duncan. We love that nugget you shared
with us, but we're gonna go with the Spurs and
(24:36):
Tim Duncan.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Man dirt my guy man underrated, but you said it.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Yeah, absolutely bad. Move it right along. Oh, this is
a good way. Vince Carter bus tax, this one is
your guy, I would say, Vince Carter my guy. I wasn't.
I wasn't too much of a Mac guy. But his
game was so pretty, Like he had to HESI pull obviously,
he had to swag the legs leeve when he got
to Orlando. He just made it deep and cooler. In
Houston just was a whole different thing. But like I remember,
(25:04):
I don't know if you knew this, because I think
your dad was their teammate at the time, so maybe
you were old enough to know that they were cousins.
But I remember finding out real time, like they didn't
initially know that.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Everybody found out. That's how it was back then.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
We Yeah, it was like everybody they kind of got
announced to the world like, oh, we're cousins while they
were on the team. Yeah, so that was that was
That was kind of like a funny thing. But I
feel like, yeah, Tax is my guy. I'm it's teamac
over everybody when it comes to these debates, right, But
I feel like Vince, Yeah, Vince kind of raised me too.
Like we were when I was young and me and
(25:40):
Steff running around the gym. Vince was always there, I'm saying,
playing with us, letting get this help, letting us come
in this workout, shoot competitions with him and all that.
So I got a special infinity for Vince too.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Yeah, I mean I felt like Vince was so like
amazing aero wise, right, just the plays he made game winners,
whether it was dunks Alius one, some of the crazy
one of the greatest dunkers of all time in my opinion.
But when you think about Tracy McGrady, like he was
(26:15):
just a superstar. He was just so much cooler to events,
no better Vinscuit Dune better. But like T Mac, T
Mac had you questioning Kobe like he did for he
had question Kobe, like who better, Like there was you know,
obviously Kobe had the rings, but like swag wise approach,
(26:36):
like just you know people was like, and he had
a better shoot all that it was. They both signed
to DAS at the time, Like it was just so
much going on. You just really just was like and
then when he was hooping for the Magic he let
the league in scoring he the thirteen points, like he
just had just so much I swear because I didn't
(26:57):
really start putting respect on Kobe ninety he scored eighty one,
We scored eighty one. I was like, you got it, bro,
You're video you are you are OD Like I was
not rocking with him for a minute because I just
felt like he was fake Jordan to me. But the
team ac Vince Carter Ribery is special because they're family members.
But like I just feel like Vis Carter was able
(27:18):
to play a little bit longer, able to adjust his self,
you know, to the game. He played twenty two seasons respectfully,
and he had but done Like T Max is very
micro size. It's probably like a good six to eight seasons.
That's just just kind of like combined, and they still
look cooler than twenty two.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Yeah, those two they're like developments players kind of lines
to a certain point too, because they both came in.
They both came in the league super athletic, right, You
didn't think of him as like all around scores with
the j But once they got four or five years
in the league, they both had knockdown jump shots, can
shoot off the dribble, yep, like they had it all
(27:58):
with the athleticism that that was out of this world.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
So those and.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Those regular season matches. I remember the first matchup when
Vincent t Mac matched up for the first time after
he left and went to Orlando, and the media try
to play it up like Vince was mad he left him,
and they tried to you know what I'm saying, rile
up the audience.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
And I was great marketing, great marketing for the game.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Yeah, it ain't really hit like that to me.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Yeah, I mean again, you you had a closer LANs
than that, So I mean, I think it's different from
outside looking in. I'm I'm you know, at this time,
I'm nineteen years old, you know, what I mean. I'm
looking at it like, oh, we're bud like it cool.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
I wasn't buying it, but yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Was looking at it a different way. I'm looking at
it like oh, okay, let's see what is going on,
and like Mac, just baby, just you know.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
It was crazy. You think we talked about this in
a previous pot but.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
The fact that t Max felt like he had to
leave Toronto to get his own team instead of staying
together in the era we're in today where you do
the opposite, it's still crazy to me, like those two
could have stayed together, playing the two three beside each
other for years and been a contender.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
That was the thing that was the right to passage.
You either your own man or you not. So it's
interesting how it goes of, like you know, Big Three's
and all this other stuff, and how guys sign or
or have to go through those passages. It sucks that
how T Max's career went at the end, that sacrifice
(29:33):
that he chose himself over potentially being considered one of
the greatest raptors of all time staying with his cousin.
Maybe Ben stays in Toronto. If t Max stays, you
know what I'm saying, like a lot of those things change,
but you definitely that was the narrative. Can you get
it done on your own?
Speaker 2 (29:54):
I'm never gonna be, but I leave my league. The
whole thing switt, I'll go on to a different team.
The mentality switches. This mine, this is my team.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Now I meet you on the same level, exactly, Lebron.
Can we talk about the Finals that never happened?
Speaker 3 (30:11):
I say, the one that never was?
Speaker 1 (30:12):
They had the puppets, they had everything, you know what
I mean, and Lebron and them couldn't beat Orlando Dwight
Howard and then got to the finals.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
This one mixed the march for me because they never
matched up when it matters most the regular season matchups
with epic, must see TV, big time games, whether it's
in La Miami. Yeah, man, yeah, really strapped up the legend.
They all star game picture with them too special. But
(30:44):
I got to see it in the finals, man, I
got to or they can't live up to the to
these other ones.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
But that one should have should have been it, And
I think it would help the debates now if it
was on that, you know what I mean. Like we
feel like Kobe Bryant is like disrespected, but it's like
they ain't really bumped like that, like a couple of
Christmas matchups, like, but it was.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
We needed to see, like the Jordan being magic we
talked about earlier. Sometimes you got to go through him
on the biggest stage to give it.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
I need some closure on this one, man. I don't
have it.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Yeah, I mean that's the one. But that's why I
can't even lay it. As crazy as it is, it's
hard to go to him. He never went through Kobe.
Kobe got there. He was waked on you.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Hey, we got to talk about this too before we
get off this one. You know, you know the epic
All Star Game pick with Bron guarded Kobe and you
got Drake in the front.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Did he did he ruin the pick?
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Did ruin the pick? I don't think it wasn't purpose,
but he definitely ruined the pick.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Oh No, he ain't doing no purpose. But he was
killing him for that.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
I mean, he was just in the mold.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I mean, I think it might make it better. It
might make it because the jacket is hardy.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
I think if somebody caught it from another angle right.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
Where he's like he taking up too much of the frame.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Yeah, he just taking too much of the frame. They
remind me of the Drakemond three joint, but that one
hard because it's right the Olympic. But I'm not mad
at Drake for like being like in the because if
we sit in court like we did, yeah, like, you're
gonna get into the mood of that like you in it.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
So I pay that bread to be course, and I'm
I feel like I'm part of the game as long
as I cross the line.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
And of course I'm part of the game.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Yeah. Well, I mean, you know, people want to get
hot at that, but I mean make more money and
get that building too.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
So I just had to bring that up. We're gonna
take a quick break when we get back.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
We're gonna talk about my guy t Mac matched up
with Kobe and whatever rivalry stacks up.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
T Mac versus. We might have to throw that clipping there, man,
remember the one where he makes Kobe touch the earth
and then gets mad. It's the it's the Lakers Magic matchup.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
I'm blanking on that.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
They throw it like so so Mac Kenny boom and
Kobe fall right, uh huh? And Kobe and and Max
scores so he like gets his little Kobe's like like
give it back, you know what I'm saying. So he
ends up getting it back right, and Kobe bang like
he takes baseline bangs and slaps glass so hard, so hard, right,
(33:32):
such a you gotta after sometime this week. You gotta
rewatch that. I mean, But that one was the matchup
because it was like, oh.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Like that's like that old school park, like, oh he scored,
give me I need the rock right now.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
I need it, Yes, I need it.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
But that's all the matchups like they were out. They
were playing like nobody was in the gym. Yeah, you
know what I'm saying. Nobody else is getting the rock
that game. Yeah, that's how they work. It's I don't
know if the quality is. They might have it on
NBA TV really like an HD, but that matchup was
really good and that's where people felt that one year
(34:09):
that Mac was better than Kobe one year.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
That's what make them wing match up special, like this
is ones it ain't no. Sometimes when you get the
point guards or the post players like I'm bigger than
year so that you can do or I'm quicker, I'm
more skilled, And then the point guards were playing pick
and roll.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
I'm really playing against the big most of the time.
You ain't.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
This ain't one on one, but the wings were playing
ones and who scored the most buckets.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
And that's it. It was really a lot of iceoo ball, dude,
and that one of one of the one of the
best matchups. I mean, I would I would love to
to to hear Doc's perspective from that game, you know
what I'm saying, because he was founching that game, and
really what the mentality was during that time, because it's
like it was just it was so intense at that time. Man,
Like I really like, yeah, getting t Like that's how
(35:00):
I was. I was just like, man, I was such
a Kobe hater. Dang.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
I mean, listen, I asked Doc all the time about
t Max Young t Mac coaching, because, like I said,
that's my guy.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
Doc.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
He always said he he could have been one of
the best. He got like the injuries, obviously, but he
got even before the injuries, he had so much untapped potential,
like he was neck and Necker Cole. I don't care
what anybody says. He just he ain't get all the
way there even before the injuries, all Right, we got.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
One more Carmelo Anthony first, Lebron, this is one of
the ones. This is the one.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
This is the one of the ones, same draft, same position.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
Carmelo should have been Rookie of the year.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
Carmelo came in and made the playoffs right away, but
Brown got the Rookie of the year. They had like
right out the gate. They had a debate who should
have wont Does that change?
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Does that change Lebron's trajectory of Mello would have won
Rookie the Year?
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Absolutely, yeah, absolutely, like to be a goat or like
across eras to be a goal.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
I just think the respect on I think the respect
on Mellow.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
It has just been too that's too much. It was
too much.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
You got too much for the league, high school player
in the country first the best freshman, like he literally
was national title. So it's one and two, well one
in three because Darko went to Is it so crazy
the height that was going?
Speaker 3 (36:34):
It was crazy?
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Like Mellow came in, like you say, went to Syracuse,
won to ship right away, came to the league, elevated
his team, made the playoffs this first year. It was like, oh,
Mellow impacts winning. Then then you see the narrative change man.
Mellow impacts winning here, a winner here, a winner out
the gate as his career goes along. Because he can't
(36:55):
make a run, get to the finals, winning championship, all
of a sudden, he don't impact winning.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
They about it, man, Yeah, it's tough.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Man. That's a real tough one right there when you
really think about it. Because he wins Rookie of the Year,
he goes on whatever rampant. Like think about if he
joined the Miami Heat. Like how we talk about him.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
His narrative and his image is completely different. Like I said,
just about joining forces with somebody else. He took another
path and he I respect it. He confident in who
he was. So, by the way, shout out to the
newest Hall of Fame member. Mellow just got announced he
he getting inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.
But this is this is this Robbie is special too
(37:37):
because this is another one that they matched up. They
guard each other all game. Yeah, and it's ones.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Not for real, Like I think about that all the time.
I'm like, man, these dudes end up being teammates later
in their career.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
But like.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
How cold Carmelo was, Like for one the NBA. He
got new jerseys for these two for the franchises. See
how crazy that was, Like the launch, Like the Chams
used to wear orange and blue, they had all this stuff.
The Nuggets had the skyline with the blue jerseys. They
changed the whole franchise for these two dudes. We got
(38:18):
the baby blue with the yellow like Mellow going to
Jordan's Lebron going to Nike. They got the wine and
gold like Lebron got the commercial. They both got the
marketing is is the budget is insane for both of
these dudes, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
And that game's kind of contrasted too. You know, Bron,
I'm a past first guy. I like to get my
teammates of all melo like I'm a score, I'm putting
the ball on.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
Lebron was marketing as a point guard when we first
came out. That's the crazy thing about it. They were
saying Bron was gonna be a six to eight point
and I was like, Okay, he might. And that's honestly
swear to guy.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
He was.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
I thought he was gonna break Oscar Robertson's triple season,
like like like if if it was any player to
do it. I'm like, yeah, I thought so.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
He rebound all his things and that was like a
topic of conversation with Brian average triple double.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Yeah yeah, that was a big one. That big about it.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
It never ever did it.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
This and this Ribberley similar to the next we're gonna
talk about Chris Paul Darren woll was which is also
in the Mount Rushmore Ribberies. It became even more special
when they teamed up with Team USA. To me, when
they when they got on the team, put on the
same jersey and played together because their styles contrasted like Mellow.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
That was the best version of Mellow we've seen, you
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Just going out there scoring, knocking down shots and Brian
facilitating to him a lot of the times.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
It was just good to see.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
Yeah, No, I mean Team USA gave us a lot
of dream teammates scenarios, especially players in their prime and
getting to see him like really cook, you know what
I mean, because that was our first what if before
they actually start teaming up and doing all. You know
what I'm saying, I was okay with just that. The
(40:08):
All Star Game and the Olympics was I was just
fine with one of those kids that on two K
and Live you would trade.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
I would trade put them on the same I wouldn't
like stacked the deck.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Imagine a penny.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
I would trade my whole team for for Mellow, like I.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Couldn't imagine a penny with George I would. I would
be bored with the game, bro, It'd be too good.
I don't even want that.
Speaker 3 (40:31):
You know what I was ethical with it now? I would.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
I would have to make a semi realistic trade, like
it would be Bron and Mellow and nobody else.
Speaker 1 (40:39):
You gotta that's when your GM skills come in. Man,
you just got the team stacked. Man, I like not
to Chris Paul and Darren Williams. We talked about them
with the other show. Again heated robbery amongst each other,
but we looked up the stacks the matchup and close.
It's kind of similar to Kobe Lebron thing because they
never actually got a chance to compete in the playoffs.
(41:00):
Very popular regular season matchup.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
Yeah, same draft again, So who's the who should have
been the higher pick? One of those one of those
typics of conversations.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Ye, all right, we're gonna take a break when we
come back, we're gonna share our top five individual rivals.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
All right, my five.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
We're gonna start it out. Number five Kobe versus Ai.
And that, like that rivalry is just that finals matchup.
To me, we talked about off the floor stuff, but
that finals match up was the pinnacle.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
Of that one.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
Number four, the Battle of Texas, Dirk versus Tim Duncan.
Number four, Number three Lebron and Paul Pierce, which I
mean great playoff matchups.
Speaker 3 (42:06):
Number two.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
I had cpn Darren just because their whole career is
a line. Even that that's a robbery to me because
even when they not playing each other, I will go
check stats, check stuff throughout the year who's playing better
than the other, because I ain't really know which one
was better. I mean, I was a CP guy, but
I want't I want to stand on it, you know.
(42:28):
So it was I was even like I said, that
robbery was about who who is the better player, not
really who won the individual matchups and when they faced
off and number one Bron and Carmelo Anthony number one
best robbery of the two thousands.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
Hey man, I like it. I like it. We share it.
We share one in a similar line. So, okay, I
like this my number five. I got Kobe burst TMAC Okay,
number four iverson Kobe, number three, Kobe versus Tim Duncan
because that's a you know, five rings thing, and then
(43:10):
we got KG first Tim Duncan just like Battle the
Greatest Power Forward and then lastly Mellow and Bron.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
From what I've seen from your listens a lot of
playoff matchups Battle for Championships.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Yeah, yeah, I think I think it had the match
up where it mattered for me, just because although you
meant like I mean, it was very marketed and very
storyline driven and regular season, I still needed to have
that definitive answer, like you know what I'm saying, who
actually came up on top after those matchups, because when
(43:44):
they faced off, you had to live with that after
they beat you and you go on those matchups where
you like, if I actually whoever wins this game, they
go on and win the ring.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Yeah, and that's one of the things, like I beat you,
I'm going into the summer, like every time I walk
in the gym, I.
Speaker 3 (44:01):
See your face for the rest of it.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
But you know, it stopped you from actually achieving your
goal exactly and that's the interesting ones.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
Yeah, I'm coming back a different player, so you have
to see me again for another three more years.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
You got me now, but I'm back.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
Yeah, absolutely, definitely. All right. One of our favorite topics
of the part Born in the Wrong Era? Which matchup
would you like to see in this current era? If
you could pick any of the matchups that we discussed.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
Today, The mine is the Kobe Bran. I need to
see it, man, the Kobe Bran. I wish they were
a little more closer in age to where we could
settle some of these debates because a lot of I mean,
people gonna stand on Kobe is. It's right on Brian
Hills as far as individual player. And if Kobe wasn't
(44:56):
or on the other side, if Kobe wasn't in LA,
would he be Kobe?
Speaker 3 (44:59):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
So I just need to see that those two matchup
at the biggest stage in the playoffs, in the finals,
and I'm just sick to my stomach.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
We never got to see it.
Speaker 1 (45:12):
I would like to see Tracy McGrady versus Kobe Bryant
in the social media era because the campaign would be
so strong. The campaign for t mac would be so strong,
the popularity would be there. You know, I would be
interested to see who's all in for Kobe. At that
(45:33):
particular time.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
Those two they were they were chasing stats, especially in
the early two thousands, mid two thousand, it would.
Speaker 1 (45:41):
Be Mark McGuire saving me social home run race in facts.
Speaker 2 (45:44):
They coming in trying to drop forty to fifty. Kobe,
I'm trying to score eighty one, like it, It's more
than just about winning this game.
Speaker 3 (45:52):
I'm trying.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
Yeah, Like I will watch seven games. I watched fifty
games of that just because I just know the futrue
respect they have for each other. And like you know,
like T Max post game, it's footwork, it's the three ball,
the explosiveness. Him and Kobe were dunking like crazy posters
here like every slam magazine they was in front of something.
(46:14):
They had the best jerseys, you know what I mean.
The Lakers had the white Hollywood Nights. They had the
blue joints, the Minnesota Minnesota Lakers joints. You know, the
stars like pinstripes, like Mac had it bro Mac ball
so hard that people stopped talking about penny number one.
(46:34):
I love what we're doing right now. And he was
telling some great stories. I can't wait to bring up
more topics to get more stories out of you and
also have more guests on to talk about these stories.
But man, thank you listeners for tuning in. We encourage
all feedback for the podcast. Make sure you messages dot
where can they find.
Speaker 3 (46:52):
You at s Doc Curry sdot Curry.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
Man, I just got my big update. I'm at Trey
at t R a Y. I'm feel like a man
right now on Instagram. I'm the only trade on Instagram,
So that's pretty cool. So you guys can follow me
at Trey now and make sure that you listen to Go.
Tell a friend of streaming on all streaming platform's greatest
of their era.
Speaker 3 (47:13):
Go Go.
Speaker 1 (47:22):
This has been a Unanimous Media original. Go was produced
by iHeart Podcasts and Unanimous Media. It was hosted by
me Travon Edwards and step Kirk. Executive produced by Stephen
Curry and Eric Kate. Co executive producer Klenna Maria Cutting.
The executive producers at iHeart Podcasts are Sean Titon and
Jason Hinklish. This series was produced by Derek Jennings and
(47:44):
Peter Cutcher. Co producer Kurt Reddy, original music by Jesse Woodard,
Special thanks to Stephen Curry and Will Pearson. GOT is
a production of unanimous media iHeart Podcasts. For more podcasts
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeart Radio Apple Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. Mm hmm
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com