January 12, 2021 • 49 mins
Basketball has been popular in Europe for decades, and over the years, many of Europe's best have gone on to flex their skills alongside the world's best in the NBA. In this episode, Megan and C.J. celebrate the best of the European NBA players with comedian Zach Pugh (What Things are What Things podcast).
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Greatest, a production of I Heart Radio.
All Right, welcome to another episode of the Greatest. I'm
one of your hosts, c J Toldanna. I'm joined here
by my co host and my wife, Megan Gaily. Honey,
(00:22):
I'm doing good. Okay, Well, I actually like you were
forced to say no, no, no the way I offered
it up. I'm actually not doing good. Um, but how
are you? We're yeah, um, it's it's been a long week,
long weekend. We had a we had a fun weekend
of watching football. Though, fun weekend of watching football. And
(00:45):
I mean one of the reasons why, I mean, we're
gonna have Zach on our guests coming up at some point.
But what a perfect time to have him. One of
the biggest Browns fans we know, also very very funny
comedian ran a show out here in Holland Park in
Los Ange What's called Rod Stewart, and also hosts a
podcast called What Things Are What with another friend, James
(01:05):
Auston Johnson. So, without further ado, let's bring him on.
Zach pew Hello, Hi, Zach. Congrats. Oh don't know, I
am being nice. I thought you said congrats. Oh sorry,
I just woke up from a nap. I meant it
to be nice. I mean it is hard. The Cults
lost and and the Bronze one. And I'm so, so
(01:27):
so happy for the Browns, and I'm happy for the Ravens,
and I guess I'm happy for whatever other Fox one. Um,
but you know there is still some sadness happening in
my veins? Um, Zach, what does what does a day
after Brown's playoff when feel like? Um? I mean, I
still don't think I've accepted that it's real. Um, you know,
(01:50):
not a whole lot different because you know, I accept
the reality that things will go poorly eventually. This has
to end. Um, nothing nothing gold can stay but enjoying. Um,
sorry to cut you off. How old were you the
last victory playoff victory was so I would have been
three years old. Okay, yeah, so you don't remember that.
(02:13):
I'm guessing no memory at all. So this is your
first one, first one. I barely remember the last time
they were in the playoffs. So mostly most of my life,
the majority of my life has been the Browns not
making the playoffs. When was it that the kind of character,
the trait that the Browns suck When did that start.
Was that in the nineties or was it even earlier.
I think it's when they came back because they were
(02:35):
good in the nineties. They were good before I was born. Um,
and then they came back and we're just never good
and watched. I do have to acknowledge that is the
cult's fault, because, yes, the Baltimore Colts left Baltimore and
(02:57):
came to Indianapolis because of the own I don't think
like the governor did anything, um. And then and then
the NFL was like, well, that's not fair. And so
then they took the Browns from Cleveland and gave them
to Baltimore and that is the Ravens that you know now.
And then the Browns had no team, so yeah, and
(03:17):
then those Ravens won multiple Super Bowls with Art uh yeah. Yeah.
But don't carry that, Megan, Don't carry that guilt. You
know when your Colts fandom, that's not on you. I
wasn't even alive yet, but I know. But like whenever
it's brought up, I do have to be like the
Domino did start with the Colts leeve in Baltimore. So
like it is, I do love the Browns and I
(03:41):
love Browns fans and c J and I both really
love Cleveland, and I think some of that is like
guilt love on my behalf too. Yeah, we've been to
the Ringer. Yeah, I mean, but yesterday's game wasn't I mean,
Megan and keeps saying it was like Angels in the outfield,
which is kind of perfect. It's just from the get
go seemed scripted or just like you guys won, but
(04:03):
also comically yeah, unbelievable. I mean the opening play, uh,
the whole first quarter just last didn't really celebrate, but
it was very funny to watch the Browns, uh be good,
not just like get By, they were good. There's no
better team to watch losing that fashion than the Steelers,
(04:25):
I think too. Like people were like, yeah, but what
about the Patriots. It's like, I I hate the Steelers
more than the Patriots. That's just my own personal I
hate Seelers fans more than I hate Patriots fans. Um,
So to me, there it's the that felt really really
really nice. Yeah, yeah, they showed that. The end. Big
(04:47):
Bend had the tears coming down his face as he
sat on the bench thinking about what he's gonna do
for the rest of his life, the value to society anymore,
he cried. It was very strange, like again, just added
to the theatrics of it all. There's like so many
screenshots in like footage of of Juju just staring into
the distance like everyone's gonna blame him, and yeah, big
(05:10):
Ben kind of just sitting there, I think, contemplating his career,
if he's going to come back, and was this the
last game? Like is his historic career? You know, he
is a bad person, but like historic career ending by
losing the Browns in that fashion, it was poetic to
you know, possibly and Big Ben's career after him beating
(05:30):
us twenty six times or whatever. Um, And yeah, I
don't need another victory for another two or three decades.
I'll be fine. I can live off of this for
a long time now. If what if it was like
he was gonna retire and then that game was like
so bad that now he comes back and is good
next year, Like would you would do you think you
(05:51):
would feel less good about it? No? Not, The Browns
are good now. It's not even a thing of like,
oh no, I have to worry about another team being good.
It's like, well, we're good. We're good now, so the
other teams can be good. That's fine. I think people
were some people, I mean maybe not Browns fans were
calling for Baker to be replaced. It's maybe yeah, I
mean maybe some Browns fans said that, but they probably
(06:14):
aren't real Browns fans. But now he is like they
were calling him the the second chosen one. We want
more commercials now, I'm like, give the wat Family subway
commercials to Baker, Geico Baker like I want. I want
him in every I want him to host the s
piece like I want to. I want Baker to be
shoved down our throats actually, because it's just that would
(06:37):
be really fun. I want Baker to replace Alan personally,
that'd be great. I think I think he has a personality.
And the that's the thing is like we're calling him
Manzel two point now. I think I said that last
night and it was just like, no, I mean, this
is this is Manzel if this is what everyone wanted
Manziel to be, just a good, little like white boy
(06:58):
who is very likable and good in small and mobile
and solid. How do you think Johnny watched the game
last night? Where do you think he was un was
blacked out halftime Johnny Um okay um. Today's topic is
something I think you guys are very very excited about.
(07:21):
I'm excited too. You know. It's funny because like when
we're picking these we do try and like have something
going on that equates to it, and this one I
was like, oh God, this doesn't really like equate to anything,
but we're doing greatest European NBA players, And I actually
think maybe it does because America's really really really fucked
(07:43):
right now, so looking to Europe is actually like pretty
exciting to be like, and a lot of these players
came from really fucked up countries. Um not you you
read some of like the origins stories and you're like,
whoa boy? Um, So it is sort of a global
topic when we are looking for help globally, let's use
(08:05):
our platform to appreciate other countries than our own, right. Absolutely,
I think this is a political podcast bringing everybody together.
Exactly you you suggested is what it was. There a
reason why you were sort of like, oh, let's do this.
I mean, this is a great This is a really
fun topic. I feel like I've we've done at parties before. Yeah,
I mean I think it's just like there's never been
more cool European dudes in the NBA than there are now.
(08:27):
And you know, I love the NBA and my favorite
players are mostly just love the European dudes who are
kind of uh, no emotion, just working their way to
the game the best they can, much like I play basketball,
which I think is what I really relate to. Yeah,
I think any of the best of these comedy writer,
comedian performer games we play in could be compared to
(08:49):
the style of play is like European. Yes, it's like
you're not athletic, but you are obsessed with the game
and the craft and whatever, so like you're you're crafty
as they would say, Yeah, probably. Yeah, the haircuts are similar,
absolutely Yeah, bad facial hair. Okay, So that's our guest.
Would you like to lead us off of your number
(09:10):
three greatest European NBA player of all time? Yes, my
number three, and this guy very very well could be
number one by the end. He just hasn't been the
lead long enough. But Nicole Yokich is my number three
at the moment. Uh. That guy plays basketball the way
that I try to play basketball. Uh, works himself in
(09:31):
the shape as the season goes along, which I really
relate to. I think that's very cool. Um just moving
at his own speed. You know on your list he's
been in the league. This is his third year. No,
it's probably five or six, nimber six. Okay, maybe I'm
getting confused. No, it's okay. I mean, yeah, he You
look at him, and that is not a body of
(09:53):
any athlete. I mean maybe more some now, but still
it's still an odd shape. Shoulders are oddly high in Yeah.
You see him run and it's really goofy. I mean again,
like I think the overall arc type of these guys
is goofy white guy. And you look at this guy
and that is he is the definition. But like like
(10:14):
all these guys, Crafty is a big man, but can
shoot threes, can pass. Yeah. Just recently he lost weight
and we were talking and we don't know if it
was because of COVID or not, but I think he's
better because of it, like I think he I think,
and he probably lost weight because he decided to skip
that third sub. So yr Kich is great. Nuggets. The
(10:35):
Nuggets in general are Yeah, I don't know what. I
think they have a chance. The West is just so
stacked that I think something has to happen, like a
team has to I mean, I guess this is the
time for that to happen, like a team needs to
get everyone needs to get COVID. And then they're just like, well,
you can wish that. I'm not wishing, but you know
they're there are a very good team, and especially after
(10:55):
last year, Um, very your Kich was instrumental. And yeah, him, Murray,
Gerry Harriet, all those guys, um yeah, exciting, exciting team
and he is um yeah he. I feel like his
game is inspired by one of my picks. But um yeah, sorry,
I was thinking of Luca. Their names are truly so
confusing to me, Like I it's so they're all so
(11:16):
similar and I can't do it. Um okay, so I'm
gonna go next. I'll warn you guys, I picked all
people that are no longer playing. I just was like,
I don't like, I'm not gonna say any examples, but
there's definitely current players that could be on this. But
I wanted to go a little old school and leave
(11:38):
the current players to continue to build their resume and
then we can re revisit this topic in ten years
with them um, so my number three pick is Tony
Parker and um he has you know, all the stats
to to back it up. Four NBA titles, he was
a finals m v P, a storied career with the Spurs,
(11:59):
which is one of the most incredible sports franchises, not
just MBA. I mean it leads that team still in assists,
is second, in minutes played, third, in field goals, total
points scored is fourth. I put him on this list
because he is a true American success story because he
(12:21):
married a famous actress and there is nothing more American
than than doing that when you are an athlete. I mean,
he transcended sports, like on the cover of People in
a List Star. He was an A List, she was
an A List, and they like made each other more famous.
But it just it felt so it's just like beautiful
(12:44):
and perfect and they're not together anymore, and we don't
even need them to be It's like, you're retired, she's
doing high ironic acid commercials and we actually don't need
you guys to be together, but thank you for giving
us that time when you work together, because it's really
fun to watch. Now it really feels like they're not
together anymore because it's not the tooth oud, it's not
(13:06):
the two thousands anymore. Like that, well he was unfaithful
standing yes, the specifics in the NBA, like but yeah,
I don't know. I mean, yeah, but the Spurs and
Eva Longoria kind of ended. Well, I guess they want
a couple um in the in the mid but they're
(13:28):
the tens. But like, yeah, the Tony Parker is I
can't decide if he's annoying or cool. Well, he can
be both. I mean that's what being French is, honestly,
Like he is very like he is hot. He's very hot.
Like he No, I think he's like classically good looking
(13:50):
and when you see just his face, you're like, but
then you're like, oh, he's also tall. Anne has a
French accent, Like that's really cool. Um, you're not gonna
marry the Longory at the peak of her career if
you're not hot. C J. Like, she really truly had
her pick and she picked Parker and I'm I'm I'm
(14:13):
just to see it. We're being is it nationalists at all? No,
we just said we purpose the topic by saying America
is bad, and we like I have been to France.
I have had weird. French police officers do fucked up things.
To me, they're a fucked up country to very racist,
(14:34):
very very very racist country. Um, but they're less sucked
up than we are in this current moment. And we
can talk shit about French people for sure, like they're
the least off limits of really and like they talk
about them. Well, no, they kind of have like an
air of people in France talk about Parisians and I
(14:55):
don't even know if Tony Parker's Parisian, but it's we
they're they're gonna be okay, Just making sure, just making sure,
I mean, yeah, let me know if you're yeah, and yeah,
speaking of Spurs, they are like the greatest EuroLeague team
in history. Probably smoke a whole pack of cigarettes about
(15:15):
So I'm my My issue, and this has happened on
several episodes, is that I tend to pick my favorite
instead of the greatest. But that's okay, just making sure
that's okay, I mean, because I forgot, and again because
the archetype, schlubby white guy J honest is is a
European player and he is on track to be the greatest,
(15:35):
but I don't want to put him on this list.
This isn't like Janice almost transcends that. But why why
don't you think he belongs on the list, Well, because
I just love some of these other places European, because
schlubby white guys, this is their time to shine. Janice
is gonna be on ninety other of our episodes. But
be honest, is definitely um, let's see, so he's like
(15:57):
too cool to be on this list. Yeah, he's just
like yeah, I don't know. Um, okay, I'm gonna say,
let's say Debt left shrimp. Oh yeah, okay, I was
gonna have to pick him, and I was like, oh,
I'm gonna get in trouble, Okay, take it away, thank you.
I just think he he was just like he looks
(16:18):
like he looked when I first saw him. He looked
like a mechanic. Um and at the time I think
he was when I first sort of started paying attention
to him, he was on the Sonics and just didn't
look athletic. But was just this I don't even want
to say he was just a shooter. I mean he was.
He was incredible for the Sonics, playing the finals for them.
Also for your beloved Pacers. Megan was an integral part
(16:40):
of that team. Yeah, he played for them the years
I was born, so we are we are linked together.
I mean, what's fun about him? He looks like he
is from Indiana, Like when he was on the Pacers,
it was like hometown boy. I'm sure the Pacers fans
that were like, oh, hell yeah, I love this blonde
area looking motherfucker. You know, like he really fit the
(17:01):
demo there. Yeah, he was just like kind of the
guy uh in the nineties in terms of the European
players Nye with the introduction to it all for me
also very very funny. Um Parks and the Wreck, I
think a couple of cameos Um for Debt left Shrimp.
So again just um, he checks all the boxes for me.
Great player. But also it was a great sort of
(17:22):
reference in in Parks and Rex. So a great name
to Yeah, shrimp, I mean it sounds like you're trying
to say shrimp um, and it's his name is also
so different than the rest of the like that lip
shrimp he had just like immediately pops in your brain.
He feels like one of the earlier like European success stories.
(17:45):
Do I have that correct? Okay, A Trailblazer. Yeah, and
maybe we needed a German to come early. You know,
like that almost feels like something that America was like,
Oh we've heard of them, we beat them into World Wars. Yeah,
come on over that lift, let's begin to heal. Yeah, yeah, unity, Okay, yeah, alright,
that's my pick. All right, let's take a break and
(18:06):
we'll be back with our number two picks. And we
are back. We're all going to go around and give
our number two picks. I think we had a great
round of Wow, I'm the only person that picked up
not white man. Okay, Um, so Zach, you give us
your number two pick. Okay, my number two pick. Um,
(18:29):
I mean, all time European player, truly one of the
best statistically and just by vibes. But dark Nwitsky yeah
he is also my number two. So um we can
we can tag team this one. You give us, you
give us your reasons. I mean, once again, just like
a schlubby, big white guy who was never really in
(18:50):
great shape, relying on a jump shot so that he
didn't really have to work that hard doing anything else. Again,
really relate to it. He gave me a really great
moment my life by beating in the Miami Heat and
the finals when I was in the heat of my
uh lebron to stain for abandoning our city, UM, which
I since forgiven him for. But at the time, Dirk
no Whitsky was pretty high up on my list. That
(19:11):
was so sweet. It was such a sweet victory. Yeah,
you were so happy for him. Love. Dirk seems just
like a fun guy in the locker room, just a
cool guy to hang out. Also German, pretty cool. Yeah.
I I love that he was with the MAVs his
entire career. That's like, you know, special. We don't see
that anymore. It was really emotional his final games. Like
(19:36):
him and Mark Cuban truly have a love for each other.
I I if they kissed on the lips, I would
maybe hang it in our house somewhere like it he
s hang a picture of Mark Cuban in our house. Okay,
I'm just saying if they were kissing. I'm saying, if
they were kissing on the lips, it was the only
place we would be hanging is your office. So if
(19:57):
you say no, UM, fifteen playoff appearances, an NBA title,
and an NBA m v P the gold standard of
of what European players are. I don't find him to
be that schlubby. I find him to be sort of
like awkward looking. But I almost think that's just really
(20:18):
tall white people. Does that make sense, Yeah, yeah, really
bad facial hair. Yeah, there's just not like a swagger
to them. They're just like a little bit more lurchy feeling,
you know. I mean that's what's tough. Lurch exists as
a character before any of these European players came to
the US, and so you just you know, it's like, oh,
(20:42):
we know what you look like, and and that is
is difficult for him. But like he I've seen him
in like a suit and he can clean up, Okay, yeah,
I mean and I also just I loved about him
is that he is has a reputation for partying. Like yeah,
I feel like when I first started looking at NBA
stuff on on the internet, there was always just these
(21:04):
like leaked pictures of him and Steve Nash just like
trashed in gross ugly polos at the bar, and they
just did not The thing is like those pictures would
come out and would not ruin the reputation whatsoever. No,
I have something pulled up right now, and it's it's
saying he became came to be known as do you
(21:24):
know what this is? It's Deutche di dire Gros, so
he it's not a nickname, you know. No, Dirk Diggler,
I think is what a lot of I mean, like
unofficially a lot of his nicknames. Yeah, like Dirk Diggler.
I feel like Big Dirk. Now maybe I'm making that
one up. Some called him Big Dirk at some point.
(21:49):
Another thing you just want to note his like trainer.
And I think this kind of became a story in
the last few years, have been playing it. I think
it's also in a documentary. His trainer is like a
very unorthodox kind end of shooting coach um. So it
kind of felt kind of like rock like a boxer,
Like they took like a very much like a boxer
strategy to his training coming into the NBA. And I
(22:11):
think his trainer did it for free, if I'm remembering
it correctly, which I'm sure Dirk ended up just like
giving a millions of dollars at some point's career. But
just like that legend is so fucking cool. Yeah, I'm
actually looking at his basketball reference right now. To see
what the nicknames were dirty Dirty Dirk, honestly, um tall
(22:33):
baller from the G and German Race car. I mean, listen,
I trust basketball Reference, but I'm not calling a man
a German race car. I'm gonna email them and see
who's approving these, because that's that's unacceptable. That's supposed to
be the site that is no frills, just fast. We
(22:57):
can't be No one's nicknames should be German race are Um. Okay,
c J. So he was my number two pick, and
I'm really because I'm not inclined to There's like everyone
else that I would pick is still currently playing or
Tony Ko coach, and I just don't really care about him. Okay, okay, okay,
(23:19):
I mean yeah, I'm just good on him, alright, So
I'll pick and honestly, this is tow. I wrote down
a bunch of names. I'm so I'm sort of ordering
as we go. I'm just gonna go, I'm gonna this
is the episode where I have a bunch of honorable mentions.
But so I'm gonna go uh Pow and Mark Gasol. Okay,
(23:41):
I mean, just yeah, brothers one like that's that's not rare,
but it's always a fun thing. But for both of
them to be NBA champions, and again, I think Pow
has always been pretty looked, pretty athletic. But we're talking
now with Mark Chubby for most of his career, only
just recently slimmed down I released. I mean like there
(24:01):
was some really I came to know him from watching
a lot of the Grizzlies, like playoff games, because the
thing about Mark is like, he's always been good, but
rarely did you get to watch him on nationally televised
games because they just didn't play Grizzlies games. Um, and
so it can't come playoff time. You're always like, why
is Mark Gasol killing all these people? Uh? And he
jumps half an inch off the ground every time. Um.
(24:24):
And so just like a very European game. And now
you know, he won one with the Raptors and then
he slimmed down and he's now on the Lakers and them.
It's been really fun watching sort of. It's great that
we went from JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, who are
just like kind of high flowers, really tall blocking to
now Mark Gasol, who I think Lebron is just loving
(24:45):
playing with because it's like he's a type of player
who you are like running and all of a sudden
the balls in your hands somehow. And Mark Gasol is
just a passer, a great shooter and great like crafty
post player. Um pals the same thing. Both NBA champions,
and so I think they're they're probably both all of
famers and and yeah, I really really love them. I'm
very attractive to slim down m Marc Gasol. I'm happy
(25:08):
he's in Los Angeles. And um, I keep hearing you
guys talk about like, oh, classic European. What do you
think like the tenants of European players is besides schlubby
and white like the playing style, Zack, you want to
take this side of my thoughts, Yeah, I mean I
think it's a it's a technical aspect. It's like a yeah,
(25:28):
a commitment to their craft, which is a very European thing.
You know, you do one thing and you do it
very very well, and you perfect all of the motions
of it to make up for your lack of athletic ability.
That's the thing too, because yeah, I think in the
eighties and nineties and whatever, a lot of I feel
like it was a lot of abuse of of white
white dudes getting dunked on um, and I mean yeah,
(25:51):
rightful abuse maybe. Um. So, like you know a lot
of the popular NBA players were athletic black men, and
I think it kind of got like a lot of
the uh, these little white guys were like, how am
I gonna get in this league? And like a lot
of them, you see their like soccer backgrounds and so
just like very calculated footwork. Um, big men who are
(26:13):
like I need to learn how to shoot, I need
to learn how to pass. And I'm not so I'll
use an example of because I'm not gonna pick him,
but he's an honorable mention Manu Genobli, who he's not
the inventor of the euro step, but I think he
should be credited, and I think it's widely credited as
like the guy who brought it over to the NBA,
and like Manu Genobli for like he ruined ruined title
(26:38):
chances for Lebron and for Kobe and Shack because of
just like one move. Yeah, one move. I mean he
grabbed that bat out of the air that one time.
I mean, honestly, yeah, the bad is he actually, I
he's in my number two slot because the bat I
love that story. Um, are there any ugly too? He's ugly,
(27:00):
I find him. I find him to be like striking. Actually, yeah,
are there any short European players? Like? And by short,
I mean like six three and under? I mean, okay, hunk,
I think he's under six three. Um. I feel like
there's a lot of guys now in the league who
(27:22):
are bogged on, bogged on uh rale Nato if I
guess debt lift Shrimp doesn't feel that tall. But it
feels like in the early days you really could only
like stand out by being like freakishly tall. Like it
was like, oh, we're going to Europe if there's a
(27:44):
seven footer, and like that's how you could make it
over here. And now it seems like that has opened
up a little bit. I mean Rick Smith's was like
a freak you know, like you shouldn't be that tall
in your head, shouldn't be that long. Yes, yeah, I
really think the NBA sort of made a lot of
these guys, Like the popularity of the of the n
(28:06):
B in the nineties and it being televised just like
made some of these like that's why, that's why there's
more like foreign players because they like obsessed over the
NBA and like kind of early on we're like, here's
what I need to do to get in get into
the league. Yes, I think I know here. Number one
is going to be Oh yeah, I mean he's he's
your favorite. Um okay, so let's take a break and
(28:28):
then we'll be back with our number one picks. Ok.
We were trying to do it at the same time. Um,
I well what I thought it would be like a
(28:48):
fun Now I really enjoyed it, but it's just so embarrassing.
This is the thing. We have nothing. C J and
I are doing so were January. We're on a diet.
All we do is work and look at each other
and we just I don't know what to do. We
just like need Mark before we had a meltdown on
the We just like needs stuff. It's just really fucking hard.
(29:12):
We can't go anywhere, see anybody. It's just the Colts
are done. It's just hard. Okay, quick aside, the NBA
season is falling apart, and it is hard. Like I
already wasn't planning on watching that much NBA basketball just
because I'm like, the Lakers are really good. They're gonna
(29:33):
catch up and like, I'll watch the playoffs and yes,
so I'm like, what do we turn to for entertainment now?
And I you know, the Browns game last night was fun,
and the Colts game on Saturday was fun, but yeah,
it's tough. Sports was our escape, and it seems a
little like the NBA was supposed to be doing it
right and they're not doing it right. Right now, the
National Championship College National Championship is playing right now, and
(29:54):
I turned it on and I was like, okay, this
is you know, how State is big ten. I gotta
group a big ten teams, um, And but even like
watching it, and then they cut away to like Alabama
fans like celebrating, and I was like, I can't. That's
like genuinely triggering to me right now. Like these men,
I cannot watch them be happy with masks down around
(30:16):
their fucking like. I was like, I have to turn
this off. Like I can't even watch pieces of ship
smile because I'm so triggered by the brewing civil war
that's happening in our country. Like like they showed these
two dudes and I was like, I know they gave
money to the fucking rioters or they were there, like
I think the no fly list thing, they're so pissed
(30:38):
because they all wanted to fly to the fucking college
football National Championship. Okay um, so I will go with
my number one. We tell all of our guests that
you close this out, you're a big finale headliner. Okay um.
So I mine is Paucasol And I did not chime
in when you said him because minus for like true
(31:03):
um heart felt like he wasn't really even some I
always knew he was good and he was on those
Leakers teams, so he was like famous. Um he was
on the team that beat the Pacers in the finals,
which actually that like I didn't really watch any of it.
My family was in Europe, okay um, which is a
beat beat unintentionally we just were and so it didn't
(31:25):
really like hurt me. We we were never gonna beat
them whatever. Since Kobe's death and watching POW with Vanessa
and the Bryant children and him being married and having
his own child, like I would give my life for
pou Ga Salt, like I I genuinely think it's more
(31:47):
important for him to be on this earth than any other.
Like retired NBA player at this point, like and I
know that that's like so it's like, oh, he's doing
this for like this one family only, Like there's probably
people that are doing but I'm sure he has a foundation.
It is so beautiful and it is so incredible and
(32:08):
it seems like it comes from a place of such
selflessness and true brotherhood and love that every time I
see anything, it like brings so much emotion to me
because I just I can't even imagine a friend in
my life doing that. Like I'm sure, I'm sure there,
(32:29):
but like you see him having these tea parties and
and child a middle name in Vanessa being the godmother,
and he is like there and for every photo we're seeing,
I think there's ten instances where he's there and we're
not seeing it. And it's just so incredible and I
think it really speaks to like the best in sports
(32:51):
and the best in like what being a teammate is.
And he is the greatest person but that Europe has
ever sent us, and so to me, that is why
he is the greatest European player. Well an emotional answer, Yeah,
very emotional, and like that's also I'm sure our fans
(33:12):
are our listeners. It's just January now, is like I'm
gonna like counting down the weeks to dread of like
the anniversary of Kobe um and so yeah, but like
I will add a funny story about Pal. I don't
know if you guys ever saw that Kevin Durant offseason
documentary that was on HBO like maybe eight years ago.
But come on, you almost pulled that off and acted
(33:36):
like you care. You were very close. Um. But there
is a great scene where he was deciding where he
was going to go after the Lakers and okay, see
was like one of the top teams to land him.
And Kevin Durant during a footlocker commercial, gets a call,
uh from Pau Gasol. You don't hear Poal at all,
but Kevin Durant hangs with the phone and goes, He's
(33:58):
going to Chicago. He said he needs a city with
like theater and opera and ship culture the culture. And
so that's what's great, is like he is a man
of art, of arts and culture. Um. And yeah, like
if you look at his Instagram, it's always like pictures
of him at the orchestra and stuff like that, and
it's it's just a it's a fun personality. Yeah, I
think we all love and it's okay if someone only
(34:20):
loves football or basketball, but like when an athlete, when
sports is like one percentage of their life, I think
that is really amazing to see in their retirement because
then you don't worry about them. You're not like, oh,
they're gonna freak out, They're gonna you know, fall into
addiction or kill themselves or any of the really terrible
(34:43):
things that can happen to a person when they feel
like they don't have purpose. And he's someone that it
feels like retirement set him free to be the best
version of himself. And his name is so fun, pau Gasol,
like he was destined to be famous. I feel like
when that how Bizarre song came out, there was a
(35:05):
lot of pau Gasol. Was anyone else doing out? I
don't know, Maybe it was just me, maybe it was
someone else in my life, but like you can really
do a lot with it because then like his brother,
it's like Mark Gasolt just didn't have the ring, but
like Paw, your name is Paw. That's incredible, that's incredible. Well,
(35:26):
now I got to change my pick based on the
parody song I came up with, I'm just kidding, um, alright,
I'm just trying to give I don't I don't really
like Honestly, when I was looking through this, like the list,
it's like, none of these European players like really have
meant that much in my life. Like Rick Smith's you know,
(35:47):
he's my honorable mention just because I think he has
an incredible nickname, the Dunking Dutchman. He also looks like
he was from Indiana. Um, and he remember that that
playoff rum when he shaved his head. It's like, oh,
we should have told him not to do that. That
is true commitment and their head, I know. But it's like, okay, honey,
like al I almost called him Al Davis, um, but
(36:12):
you know what I mean, Like Rick, you can't pull
it off in the way Reggie can, you know. Um.
But he did it, and he knew he looked ugly
and he loved it. Like he he just was always
like fun and smiling and so like he has such
a soft place in my heart. But the rest of
these guys, they meant nothing to me growing up, Like
I just didn't really care. I didn't really care about them.
(36:32):
But Pal, I like truly love and would give an
organ to like if he needs it. I'm number one
on the list. I'm oh negative, so I can give stop.
I'm just saying like, I'm here if he needs it.
Like Selena Gomez his friend that she's not friends with anymore,
I'm here, alright, Pal, you heard her. Thanks for listening
(36:55):
to podcast. Pal alright, um, so okay, I don't want
to take anyone off the board, so I'll just say
my my number one pick rt Vida sabonis Um. I
think and I think it's it's not talked about, maybe
one of the greatest what ifs in NBA history, because
the thing is, though he played a good number of
(37:17):
years in the n b A and like was all
rookie team playing in some huge series playoff series against
the Lakers in the early two thousand's, one of the
greatest passing big men of all time. Is like, again
we were talking about Chlubby White dudes, he is that.
But the thing is, so he was drafted by the Blazers,
(37:38):
didn't come over to the NBA for another nine years,
and we've we've seen that with like Rubio and some
of these other guys but like it's he was straight
up dominating in in Europe. He played for the Soviet team.
There's a documentary, a great documentary called The Other Dream
Team when he's playing on the Soviet team they got
the bronze. But he was like cut. He was huge,
(38:00):
but just like fast, like moved like a guard. And
it's like if he if he had played at that
in the prime of his career in the NBA, I
really feel like he would have been like top fifteen
in the nineties. He did win a gold medal in
eight with the Soviet um and then played for Lithuania,
(38:20):
which is like where he was from after I think
the breakup of the Soviet Union. But watches highlights, they're crazy.
I mean, he obviously has a soft place in my
heart because his son is the Pacers best player right
now and a starter in the East for And he's
good and he's hot, and he seems fun and he
(38:41):
had a giant head. Well of course he has a
giant head, honey, but like he just um, yeah, I
love I love Sibonis and c J and I got
famously into a fight too over a Sibonis waiting in
line for an entire quarter when in when at a
Indianapolis or Indiana Pacers home game for his shirt, they
were selling out, so I had to get it, and
(39:04):
I felt abandoned, and I did leave her for a
very long time, you know. And I my point was,
you can't just leave a hot white woman at an
NBA game and expect her to be back in Indiana
where she's all right, I'm looking around. People could be
making calls for me to move closer. People get married
in the court NBA corner time in Indiana. Yeah, they
(39:27):
meet and get married, I'm saying. Anyways, al right, So
our Vitus Simonis, Yeah, just incredible. Yeah, Like I think
he would have been like a top one NBA player
of all time had he come over during his prime.
That's it. Yeah, absolutely all right, bring us home, Zach.
Could he have got number one? Pick? I mean, listen,
picking number one is coming from my heart. There was
(39:48):
no other European player who was going to be number
one for me. And uh that is Cleveland Cavalier's legend
number one all time. I watched Zidernasgaskis play so much
basketball on so many bad Calves teams, just like on
Tyrone Hill. As you're starting Ricky Davis doing what Ricky
(40:12):
Davis does out there, and then we get those Lebron years,
we get Lebron in Big Z together. Lebron loves big Z,
which is how you know he's a good Yeah. That
is the mark of someone's character usually is how much
Lebron loves them in relation to how talented they actually are. Um, yeah,
I mean z stats you look at them, nothing special.
(40:35):
He Uh, I think he averaged he averaged over fifteen
a game one time, maybe twice, Okay, he had he
had four seasons where he covered around fifteen or sixteen. Uh.
He played on that terrible two thousand seven NBA Finals
Calves team where they got swept by the Spurs. But
he's all we had. He was the second best player
(40:57):
on those Calves teams for the entire first run of
Lebron and uh still lives in Cleveland. Oh right, you
saw him in the airport. That was That was like
a one of my favorite NBA sightings. And he's like
he's like still like in great shape. He looks like
the count like he truly is a very interesting He
(41:19):
looks like grow, he looks like so many different puppets
and cartoon characters that it's actually shocking that he didn't
move to Los Angeles and try and pursue a career
as Dracula. Why is he not in a John Wick movie?
You know? Yeah? Yeah, I mean he is. What's going
on in Lithuania? Like really, I don't I know nothing
(41:42):
about it outside of I think basketball. Maybe there's been
like a person on fiance. But is he a top
ten Cleveland sports legend? I mean he might be, honestly,
I mean for sure in my lifetime by Calves specifically,
not even close. And the thing this is how beloved
(42:05):
he is he When Lebron went to the Heat, he
I think not the first year, right, it was the
second year that he brought Z to the Heat. Yeah,
I think, okay, well then that would have been that
would have been the first. So when Lebron went to
the Heat, he brought Z with him. They didn't win
that one unfortunately, But then I think Ze then went
(42:25):
back to the Calves Is that correct? No, he retired,
but he think he went back to coach or he
was like something happened where he went back and was
with your and Lebron famously tried to undercover secretly go
to I'm guessing Gundarena at the time or whatever it
was at the time, to go to big Z's Jersey retirement.
(42:45):
They weren't playing the heat like Lebron flew in for
big Z's retirement like that, that's awesome. Like there was
like he was trying to hide in a press box
and they found him. He could have got torn apart,
but he went there. That's how much he loved dig
Z went their first friend um c J. Before we
get to your honorable mentions, do you guys like it,
(43:06):
Like do you feel like they're more European when they
don't attend American colleges, because that's happening more and more,
like people are coming over sixteen seventeen, but like a
lot of these the guy that got drafted this year
and they like cut to his family and they were
just all sitting very solemnly around the table. I was like,
(43:26):
now this feels no, no, I think it was the
guy in the thunder Oh yeah, And it was all
just like they were also at the table and it
almost as if it was like this is all part
of the plan, you know, very solemn. All looked like
they've seen some ship like it is. It's got to
(43:48):
be so insane to move to this country at twenty
years old, twenty one the culture shock, and then you're
rich and you're like famous. Now it's I mean, I
think we've seen the bad things that can have. Like
I think Chris Stops is is. I don't know. I
(44:09):
don't know if he I don't know if he's a
bad person. I don't know if he is a product
of what I just described as being insane culture shock.
But yeah, he's not on my list. I recently un
followed him. I had to. I had to show him
I don't support him anymore. Yeah, and and also too,
it's like and I was just reading about this too.
(44:30):
I think a lot of the expectations with some of
these foreign players who come from you know, some like
war torn countries and their neighbors, like they are expected
to provide for their family and even sometimes their neighborhood.
And there was a story I just read it because um,
Joannice just came out with a shoe and it's like
it's themed after a taxi because I guess in his
rookie year he was sending his money via Western Union
(44:54):
to his family back in Greece and he sent all
of it that he didn't have money for a cab
and he had a walk back to the arena. Um.
But yeah, just like some of these players, they make
it the league, and it was just like, yeah, now
it's my responsibility to provide for my family. And yeah,
I don't even know why I brought that story, but uh, yeah,
(45:15):
a lot of these guys overcome so much to come
over to the league and and it's nice to see
some of them succeed. Um, do you have some honorable mentions? Yeah,
I was just gonna say Draws in Petrovich. Unfortunately, his
his career was was cut shorty in a car accident.
Andre Carolinko a K forty seven. Um, and I think
that might be at Nick Patum. I don't know, And
(45:38):
I think that's all I wrote down, But yeah, those guys,
shout out to them. Any any honorable mention, Zach anyone else?
Uh yeah, you know, I think um NBA jam Legend,
Bloody Diva, um, foresty out. There's there's a guy who
really just floated his way through a long career. Who
(46:00):
is Who's the guy who's really really tall and kind
of funny looking that's like so sweet and nice. That's
playing right now. Um for like like Shack loves him.
He looks if he needs an Oregon, he can have
one too. I love him. He's so funny. Where's he from?
(46:22):
Great question? Yeah I don't know. I don't want to
get it wrong. Okay, I'll look it up. I think
he's from also the former Soviet Union. He's friends but yeah, yeah, okay,
he's friends with Luca and uh they have their little crew. Um,
I love I mean, I think I have to mention
use of Nurkics just because he has the greatest discovery
story of any NBA player probably in history, is that
(46:45):
use of Nurkis father is a four plus pound police
officer in Serbia and there was a news story where
he beat up nine men by himself, and a European
scout saw the story and called him and all he
said was, do you have a son to pay basketball?
(47:06):
Hundred pounds? Like? I mean, assuming he's very tall, like guys, okay,
how like to be mobile even at seven four pounds
is truly incredible And that scout deserves a race because
that is he really went out on a limb and
it surely worked, really worked. He's Dame Lillard's godfather too, like,
(47:29):
so very upstanding, great teammate to be your star players godfather.
So man, Yeah, so many great European players out there. Um,
we love them all. Yeah alright, Megan, any any closing thoughts? Oh,
stay safe, wear a mask. Check out Zach's podcast. Where
(47:51):
can they find that podcast? Um? What things are? What
Things is on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and everywhere else
that you listen to. Awesome podcast. Man, can't wait till
basketball comes back? Can't wait till you know, I can't
wait till comedy comes back again. That's the thing that
we would be. You go to a show and have
a drink and watch your friends or perform. Miss that. Yeah,
(48:13):
comedy is back for some people and they are bad
people and I fucking hate them. Um. So yeah, that's
about it was, Zach, where can we find you? What
are your social handles? You know? I am I'm Onstagram
at Pew Zackman on Twitter at Zach Pew. That's pretty
much it. Yeah, great, all right now Matt CJ Toldano
(48:35):
and everything, and Megan, I'm at Megan Gaily on Twitter. Zach.
We can edit this out if you say no, can
I tell our listeners what your parents own? Um? Yeah,
I mean I think you can. I mean people get
mad about it, but um, I just think it's really
Oh yeah, I guess it's like a controversial company. Um,
(48:56):
Zach's parents on a Chick fil A and that's really
fucking cool. Um. I wish I wish they didn't hate
gay people. For sure. I wish they didn't hate gay people.
Don't know, Zach's parents don't hate gay people. They just
love little chicken nuggets and you know what, so do
I great mac and cheese too, So open your heart
to gay people. Chick fil A, Please, it's about time.
(49:17):
I wonder if maybe, I wonder if maybe the terrorist
attack on the Capitol will will change Chick fil A's
stance on a quality. Maybe we'll see. Okay, Well, people
listeners posted thank you guys so much for listening. I
hope this brought some joy into your into your lives
(49:38):
this week. Thank You by the Greatest is a production
of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio,
visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to the Greatest, a production of I Heart Radio.
All Right, welcome to another episode of the Greatest. I'm
one of your hosts, c J Toldanna. I'm joined here
by my co host and my wife, Megan Gaily. Honey,
(00:22):
I'm doing good. Okay, Well, I actually like you were
forced to say no, no, no the way I offered
it up. I'm actually not doing good. Um, but how
are you? We're yeah, um, it's it's been a long week,
long weekend. We had a we had a fun weekend
of watching football. Though, fun weekend of watching football. And
(00:45):
I mean one of the reasons why, I mean, we're
gonna have Zach on our guests coming up at some point.
But what a perfect time to have him. One of
the biggest Browns fans we know, also very very funny
comedian ran a show out here in Holland Park in
Los Ange What's called Rod Stewart, and also hosts a
podcast called What Things Are What with another friend, James
(01:05):
Auston Johnson. So, without further ado, let's bring him on.
Zach pew Hello, Hi, Zach. Congrats. Oh don't know, I
am being nice. I thought you said congrats. Oh sorry,
I just woke up from a nap. I meant it
to be nice. I mean it is hard. The Cults
lost and and the Bronze one. And I'm so, so
(01:27):
so happy for the Browns, and I'm happy for the Ravens,
and I guess I'm happy for whatever other Fox one. Um,
but you know there is still some sadness happening in
my veins? Um, Zach, what does what does a day
after Brown's playoff when feel like? Um? I mean, I
still don't think I've accepted that it's real. Um, you know,
(01:50):
not a whole lot different because you know, I accept
the reality that things will go poorly eventually. This has
to end. Um, nothing nothing gold can stay but enjoying. Um,
sorry to cut you off. How old were you the
last victory playoff victory was so I would have been
three years old. Okay, yeah, so you don't remember that.
(02:13):
I'm guessing no memory at all. So this is your
first one, first one. I barely remember the last time
they were in the playoffs. So mostly most of my life,
the majority of my life has been the Browns not
making the playoffs. When was it that the kind of character,
the trait that the Browns suck When did that start.
Was that in the nineties or was it even earlier.
I think it's when they came back because they were
(02:35):
good in the nineties. They were good before I was born. Um,
and then they came back and we're just never good
and watched. I do have to acknowledge that is the
cult's fault, because, yes, the Baltimore Colts left Baltimore and
(02:57):
came to Indianapolis because of the own I don't think
like the governor did anything, um. And then and then
the NFL was like, well, that's not fair. And so
then they took the Browns from Cleveland and gave them
to Baltimore and that is the Ravens that you know now.
And then the Browns had no team, so yeah, and
(03:17):
then those Ravens won multiple Super Bowls with Art uh yeah. Yeah.
But don't carry that, Megan, Don't carry that guilt. You
know when your Colts fandom, that's not on you. I
wasn't even alive yet, but I know. But like whenever
it's brought up, I do have to be like the
Domino did start with the Colts leeve in Baltimore. So
like it is, I do love the Browns and I
(03:41):
love Browns fans and c J and I both really
love Cleveland, and I think some of that is like
guilt love on my behalf too. Yeah, we've been to
the Ringer. Yeah, I mean, but yesterday's game wasn't I mean,
Megan and keeps saying it was like Angels in the outfield,
which is kind of perfect. It's just from the get
go seemed scripted or just like you guys won, but
(04:03):
also comically yeah, unbelievable. I mean the opening play, uh,
the whole first quarter just last didn't really celebrate, but
it was very funny to watch the Browns, uh be good,
not just like get By, they were good. There's no
better team to watch losing that fashion than the Steelers,
(04:25):
I think too. Like people were like, yeah, but what
about the Patriots. It's like, I I hate the Steelers
more than the Patriots. That's just my own personal I
hate Seelers fans more than I hate Patriots fans. Um,
So to me, there it's the that felt really really
really nice. Yeah, yeah, they showed that. The end. Big
(04:47):
Bend had the tears coming down his face as he
sat on the bench thinking about what he's gonna do
for the rest of his life, the value to society anymore,
he cried. It was very strange, like again, just added
to the theatrics of it all. There's like so many
screenshots in like footage of of Juju just staring into
the distance like everyone's gonna blame him, and yeah, big
(05:10):
Ben kind of just sitting there, I think, contemplating his career,
if he's going to come back, and was this the
last game? Like is his historic career? You know, he
is a bad person, but like historic career ending by
losing the Browns in that fashion, it was poetic to
you know, possibly and Big Ben's career after him beating
(05:30):
us twenty six times or whatever. Um, And yeah, I
don't need another victory for another two or three decades.
I'll be fine. I can live off of this for
a long time now. If what if it was like
he was gonna retire and then that game was like
so bad that now he comes back and is good
next year, Like would you would do you think you
(05:51):
would feel less good about it? No? Not, The Browns
are good now. It's not even a thing of like,
oh no, I have to worry about another team being good.
It's like, well, we're good. We're good now, so the
other teams can be good. That's fine. I think people
were some people, I mean maybe not Browns fans were
calling for Baker to be replaced. It's maybe yeah, I
mean maybe some Browns fans said that, but they probably
(06:14):
aren't real Browns fans. But now he is like they
were calling him the the second chosen one. We want
more commercials now, I'm like, give the wat Family subway
commercials to Baker, Geico Baker like I want. I want
him in every I want him to host the s
piece like I want to. I want Baker to be
shoved down our throats actually, because it's just that would
(06:37):
be really fun. I want Baker to replace Alan personally,
that'd be great. I think I think he has a personality.
And the that's the thing is like we're calling him
Manzel two point now. I think I said that last
night and it was just like, no, I mean, this
is this is Manzel if this is what everyone wanted
Manziel to be, just a good, little like white boy
(06:58):
who is very likable and good in small and mobile
and solid. How do you think Johnny watched the game
last night? Where do you think he was un was
blacked out halftime Johnny Um okay um. Today's topic is
something I think you guys are very very excited about.
(07:21):
I'm excited too. You know. It's funny because like when
we're picking these we do try and like have something
going on that equates to it, and this one I
was like, oh God, this doesn't really like equate to anything,
but we're doing greatest European NBA players, And I actually
think maybe it does because America's really really really fucked
(07:43):
right now, so looking to Europe is actually like pretty
exciting to be like, and a lot of these players
came from really fucked up countries. Um not you you
read some of like the origins stories and you're like,
whoa boy? Um, So it is sort of a global
topic when we are looking for help globally, let's use
(08:05):
our platform to appreciate other countries than our own, right. Absolutely,
I think this is a political podcast bringing everybody together.
Exactly you you suggested is what it was. There a
reason why you were sort of like, oh, let's do this.
I mean, this is a great This is a really
fun topic. I feel like I've we've done at parties before. Yeah,
I mean I think it's just like there's never been
more cool European dudes in the NBA than there are now.
(08:27):
And you know, I love the NBA and my favorite
players are mostly just love the European dudes who are
kind of uh, no emotion, just working their way to
the game the best they can, much like I play basketball,
which I think is what I really relate to. Yeah,
I think any of the best of these comedy writer,
comedian performer games we play in could be compared to
(08:49):
the style of play is like European. Yes, it's like
you're not athletic, but you are obsessed with the game
and the craft and whatever, so like you're you're crafty
as they would say, Yeah, probably. Yeah, the haircuts are similar,
absolutely Yeah, bad facial hair. Okay, So that's our guest.
Would you like to lead us off of your number
(09:10):
three greatest European NBA player of all time? Yes, my
number three, and this guy very very well could be
number one by the end. He just hasn't been the
lead long enough. But Nicole Yokich is my number three
at the moment. Uh. That guy plays basketball the way
that I try to play basketball. Uh, works himself in
(09:31):
the shape as the season goes along, which I really
relate to. I think that's very cool. Um just moving
at his own speed. You know on your list he's
been in the league. This is his third year. No,
it's probably five or six, nimber six. Okay, maybe I'm
getting confused. No, it's okay. I mean, yeah, he You
look at him, and that is not a body of
(09:53):
any athlete. I mean maybe more some now, but still
it's still an odd shape. Shoulders are oddly high in Yeah.
You see him run and it's really goofy. I mean again,
like I think the overall arc type of these guys
is goofy white guy. And you look at this guy
and that is he is the definition. But like like
(10:14):
all these guys, Crafty is a big man, but can
shoot threes, can pass. Yeah. Just recently he lost weight
and we were talking and we don't know if it
was because of COVID or not, but I think he's
better because of it, like I think he I think,
and he probably lost weight because he decided to skip
that third sub. So yr Kich is great. Nuggets. The
(10:35):
Nuggets in general are Yeah, I don't know what. I
think they have a chance. The West is just so
stacked that I think something has to happen, like a
team has to I mean, I guess this is the
time for that to happen, like a team needs to
get everyone needs to get COVID. And then they're just like, well,
you can wish that. I'm not wishing, but you know
they're there are a very good team, and especially after
(10:55):
last year, Um, very your Kich was instrumental. And yeah, him, Murray,
Gerry Harriet, all those guys, um yeah, exciting, exciting team
and he is um yeah he. I feel like his
game is inspired by one of my picks. But um yeah, sorry,
I was thinking of Luca. Their names are truly so
confusing to me, Like I it's so they're all so
(11:16):
similar and I can't do it. Um okay, so I'm
gonna go next. I'll warn you guys, I picked all
people that are no longer playing. I just was like,
I don't like, I'm not gonna say any examples, but
there's definitely current players that could be on this. But
I wanted to go a little old school and leave
(11:38):
the current players to continue to build their resume and
then we can re revisit this topic in ten years
with them um, so my number three pick is Tony
Parker and um he has you know, all the stats
to to back it up. Four NBA titles, he was
a finals m v P, a storied career with the Spurs,
(11:59):
which is one of the most incredible sports franchises, not
just MBA. I mean it leads that team still in assists,
is second, in minutes played, third, in field goals, total
points scored is fourth. I put him on this list
because he is a true American success story because he
(12:21):
married a famous actress and there is nothing more American
than than doing that when you are an athlete. I mean,
he transcended sports, like on the cover of People in
a List Star. He was an A List, she was
an A List, and they like made each other more famous.
But it just it felt so it's just like beautiful
(12:44):
and perfect and they're not together anymore, and we don't
even need them to be It's like, you're retired, she's
doing high ironic acid commercials and we actually don't need
you guys to be together, but thank you for giving
us that time when you work together, because it's really
fun to watch. Now it really feels like they're not
together anymore because it's not the tooth oud, it's not
(13:06):
the two thousands anymore. Like that, well he was unfaithful
standing yes, the specifics in the NBA, like but yeah,
I don't know. I mean, yeah, but the Spurs and
Eva Longoria kind of ended. Well, I guess they want
a couple um in the in the mid but they're
(13:28):
the tens. But like, yeah, the Tony Parker is I
can't decide if he's annoying or cool. Well, he can
be both. I mean that's what being French is, honestly,
Like he is very like he is hot. He's very hot.
Like he No, I think he's like classically good looking
(13:50):
and when you see just his face, you're like, but
then you're like, oh, he's also tall. Anne has a
French accent, Like that's really cool. Um, you're not gonna
marry the Longory at the peak of her career if
you're not hot. C J. Like, she really truly had
her pick and she picked Parker and I'm I'm I'm
(14:13):
just to see it. We're being is it nationalists at all? No,
we just said we purpose the topic by saying America
is bad, and we like I have been to France.
I have had weird. French police officers do fucked up things.
To me, they're a fucked up country to very racist,
(14:34):
very very very racist country. Um, but they're less sucked
up than we are in this current moment. And we
can talk shit about French people for sure, like they're
the least off limits of really and like they talk
about them. Well, no, they kind of have like an
air of people in France talk about Parisians and I
(14:55):
don't even know if Tony Parker's Parisian, but it's we
they're they're gonna be okay, Just making sure, just making sure,
I mean, yeah, let me know if you're yeah, and yeah,
speaking of Spurs, they are like the greatest EuroLeague team
in history. Probably smoke a whole pack of cigarettes about
(15:15):
So I'm my My issue, and this has happened on
several episodes, is that I tend to pick my favorite
instead of the greatest. But that's okay, just making sure
that's okay, I mean, because I forgot, and again because
the archetype, schlubby white guy J honest is is a
European player and he is on track to be the greatest,
(15:35):
but I don't want to put him on this list.
This isn't like Janice almost transcends that. But why why
don't you think he belongs on the list, Well, because
I just love some of these other places European, because
schlubby white guys, this is their time to shine. Janice
is gonna be on ninety other of our episodes. But
be honest, is definitely um, let's see, so he's like
(15:57):
too cool to be on this list. Yeah, he's just
like yeah, I don't know. Um, okay, I'm gonna say,
let's say Debt left shrimp. Oh yeah, okay, I was
gonna have to pick him, and I was like, oh,
I'm gonna get in trouble, Okay, take it away, thank you.
I just think he he was just like he looks
(16:18):
like he looked when I first saw him. He looked
like a mechanic. Um and at the time I think
he was when I first sort of started paying attention
to him, he was on the Sonics and just didn't
look athletic. But was just this I don't even want
to say he was just a shooter. I mean he was.
He was incredible for the Sonics, playing the finals for them.
Also for your beloved Pacers. Megan was an integral part
(16:40):
of that team. Yeah, he played for them the years
I was born, so we are we are linked together.
I mean, what's fun about him? He looks like he
is from Indiana, Like when he was on the Pacers,
it was like hometown boy. I'm sure the Pacers fans
that were like, oh, hell yeah, I love this blonde
area looking motherfucker. You know, like he really fit the
(17:01):
demo there. Yeah, he was just like kind of the
guy uh in the nineties in terms of the European
players Nye with the introduction to it all for me
also very very funny. Um Parks and the Wreck, I
think a couple of cameos Um for Debt left Shrimp.
So again just um, he checks all the boxes for me.
Great player. But also it was a great sort of
(17:22):
reference in in Parks and Rex. So a great name
to Yeah, shrimp, I mean it sounds like you're trying
to say shrimp um, and it's his name is also
so different than the rest of the like that lip
shrimp he had just like immediately pops in your brain.
He feels like one of the earlier like European success stories.
(17:45):
Do I have that correct? Okay, A Trailblazer. Yeah, and
maybe we needed a German to come early. You know,
like that almost feels like something that America was like,
Oh we've heard of them, we beat them into World Wars. Yeah,
come on over that lift, let's begin to heal. Yeah, yeah, unity, Okay, yeah, alright,
that's my pick. All right, let's take a break and
(18:06):
we'll be back with our number two picks. And we
are back. We're all going to go around and give
our number two picks. I think we had a great
round of Wow, I'm the only person that picked up
not white man. Okay, Um, so Zach, you give us
your number two pick. Okay, my number two pick. Um,
(18:29):
I mean, all time European player, truly one of the
best statistically and just by vibes. But dark Nwitsky yeah
he is also my number two. So um we can
we can tag team this one. You give us, you
give us your reasons. I mean, once again, just like
a schlubby, big white guy who was never really in
(18:50):
great shape, relying on a jump shot so that he
didn't really have to work that hard doing anything else. Again,
really relate to it. He gave me a really great
moment my life by beating in the Miami Heat and
the finals when I was in the heat of my
uh lebron to stain for abandoning our city, UM, which
I since forgiven him for. But at the time, Dirk
no Whitsky was pretty high up on my list. That
(19:11):
was so sweet. It was such a sweet victory. Yeah,
you were so happy for him. Love. Dirk seems just
like a fun guy in the locker room, just a
cool guy to hang out. Also German, pretty cool. Yeah.
I I love that he was with the MAVs his
entire career. That's like, you know, special. We don't see
that anymore. It was really emotional his final games. Like
(19:36):
him and Mark Cuban truly have a love for each other.
I I if they kissed on the lips, I would
maybe hang it in our house somewhere like it he
s hang a picture of Mark Cuban in our house. Okay,
I'm just saying if they were kissing. I'm saying, if
they were kissing on the lips, it was the only
place we would be hanging is your office. So if
(19:57):
you say no, UM, fifteen playoff appearances, an NBA title,
and an NBA m v P the gold standard of
of what European players are. I don't find him to
be that schlubby. I find him to be sort of
like awkward looking. But I almost think that's just really
(20:18):
tall white people. Does that make sense, Yeah, yeah, really
bad facial hair. Yeah, there's just not like a swagger
to them. They're just like a little bit more lurchy feeling,
you know. I mean that's what's tough. Lurch exists as
a character before any of these European players came to
the US, and so you just you know, it's like, oh,
(20:42):
we know what you look like, and and that is
is difficult for him. But like he I've seen him
in like a suit and he can clean up, Okay, yeah,
I mean and I also just I loved about him
is that he is has a reputation for partying. Like yeah,
I feel like when I first started looking at NBA
stuff on on the internet, there was always just these
(21:04):
like leaked pictures of him and Steve Nash just like
trashed in gross ugly polos at the bar, and they
just did not The thing is like those pictures would
come out and would not ruin the reputation whatsoever. No,
I have something pulled up right now, and it's it's
saying he became came to be known as do you
(21:24):
know what this is? It's Deutche di dire Gros, so
he it's not a nickname, you know. No, Dirk Diggler,
I think is what a lot of I mean, like
unofficially a lot of his nicknames. Yeah, like Dirk Diggler.
I feel like Big Dirk. Now maybe I'm making that
one up. Some called him Big Dirk at some point.
(21:49):
Another thing you just want to note his like trainer.
And I think this kind of became a story in
the last few years, have been playing it. I think
it's also in a documentary. His trainer is like a
very unorthodox kind end of shooting coach um. So it
kind of felt kind of like rock like a boxer,
Like they took like a very much like a boxer
strategy to his training coming into the NBA. And I
(22:11):
think his trainer did it for free, if I'm remembering
it correctly, which I'm sure Dirk ended up just like
giving a millions of dollars at some point's career. But
just like that legend is so fucking cool. Yeah, I'm
actually looking at his basketball reference right now. To see
what the nicknames were dirty Dirty Dirk, honestly, um tall
(22:33):
baller from the G and German Race car. I mean, listen,
I trust basketball Reference, but I'm not calling a man
a German race car. I'm gonna email them and see
who's approving these, because that's that's unacceptable. That's supposed to
be the site that is no frills, just fast. We
(22:57):
can't be No one's nicknames should be German race are Um. Okay,
c J. So he was my number two pick, and
I'm really because I'm not inclined to There's like everyone
else that I would pick is still currently playing or
Tony Ko coach, and I just don't really care about him. Okay, okay, okay,
(23:19):
I mean yeah, I'm just good on him, alright, So
I'll pick and honestly, this is tow. I wrote down
a bunch of names. I'm so I'm sort of ordering
as we go. I'm just gonna go, I'm gonna this
is the episode where I have a bunch of honorable mentions.
But so I'm gonna go uh Pow and Mark Gasol. Okay,
(23:41):
I mean, just yeah, brothers one like that's that's not rare,
but it's always a fun thing. But for both of
them to be NBA champions, and again, I think Pow
has always been pretty looked, pretty athletic. But we're talking
now with Mark Chubby for most of his career, only
just recently slimmed down I released. I mean like there
(24:01):
was some really I came to know him from watching
a lot of the Grizzlies, like playoff games, because the
thing about Mark is like, he's always been good, but
rarely did you get to watch him on nationally televised
games because they just didn't play Grizzlies games. Um, and
so it can't come playoff time. You're always like, why
is Mark Gasol killing all these people? Uh? And he
jumps half an inch off the ground every time. Um.
(24:24):
And so just like a very European game. And now
you know, he won one with the Raptors and then
he slimmed down and he's now on the Lakers and them.
It's been really fun watching sort of. It's great that
we went from JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, who are
just like kind of high flowers, really tall blocking to
now Mark Gasol, who I think Lebron is just loving
(24:45):
playing with because it's like he's a type of player
who you are like running and all of a sudden
the balls in your hands somehow. And Mark Gasol is
just a passer, a great shooter and great like crafty
post player. Um pals the same thing. Both NBA champions,
and so I think they're they're probably both all of
famers and and yeah, I really really love them. I'm
very attractive to slim down m Marc Gasol. I'm happy
(25:08):
he's in Los Angeles. And um, I keep hearing you
guys talk about like, oh, classic European. What do you
think like the tenants of European players is besides schlubby
and white like the playing style, Zack, you want to
take this side of my thoughts, Yeah, I mean I
think it's a it's a technical aspect. It's like a yeah,
(25:28):
a commitment to their craft, which is a very European thing.
You know, you do one thing and you do it
very very well, and you perfect all of the motions
of it to make up for your lack of athletic ability.
That's the thing too, because yeah, I think in the
eighties and nineties and whatever, a lot of I feel
like it was a lot of abuse of of white
white dudes getting dunked on um, and I mean yeah,
(25:51):
rightful abuse maybe. Um. So, like you know a lot
of the popular NBA players were athletic black men, and
I think it kind of got like a lot of
the uh, these little white guys were like, how am
I gonna get in this league? And like a lot
of them, you see their like soccer backgrounds and so
just like very calculated footwork. Um, big men who are
(26:13):
like I need to learn how to shoot, I need
to learn how to pass. And I'm not so I'll
use an example of because I'm not gonna pick him,
but he's an honorable mention Manu Genobli, who he's not
the inventor of the euro step, but I think he
should be credited, and I think it's widely credited as
like the guy who brought it over to the NBA,
and like Manu Genobli for like he ruined ruined title
(26:38):
chances for Lebron and for Kobe and Shack because of
just like one move. Yeah, one move. I mean he
grabbed that bat out of the air that one time.
I mean, honestly, yeah, the bad is he actually, I
he's in my number two slot because the bat I
love that story. Um, are there any ugly too? He's ugly,
(27:00):
I find him. I find him to be like striking. Actually, yeah,
are there any short European players? Like? And by short,
I mean like six three and under? I mean, okay, hunk,
I think he's under six three. Um. I feel like
there's a lot of guys now in the league who
(27:22):
are bogged on, bogged on uh rale Nato if I
guess debt lift Shrimp doesn't feel that tall. But it
feels like in the early days you really could only
like stand out by being like freakishly tall. Like it
was like, oh, we're going to Europe if there's a
(27:44):
seven footer, and like that's how you could make it
over here. And now it seems like that has opened
up a little bit. I mean Rick Smith's was like
a freak you know, like you shouldn't be that tall
in your head, shouldn't be that long. Yes, yeah, I
really think the NBA sort of made a lot of
these guys, Like the popularity of the of the n
(28:06):
B in the nineties and it being televised just like
made some of these like that's why, that's why there's
more like foreign players because they like obsessed over the
NBA and like kind of early on we're like, here's
what I need to do to get in get into
the league. Yes, I think I know here. Number one
is going to be Oh yeah, I mean he's he's
your favorite. Um okay, so let's take a break and
(28:28):
then we'll be back with our number one picks. Ok.
We were trying to do it at the same time. Um,
I well what I thought it would be like a
(28:48):
fun Now I really enjoyed it, but it's just so embarrassing.
This is the thing. We have nothing. C J and
I are doing so were January. We're on a diet.
All we do is work and look at each other
and we just I don't know what to do. We
just like need Mark before we had a meltdown on
the We just like needs stuff. It's just really fucking hard.
(29:12):
We can't go anywhere, see anybody. It's just the Colts
are done. It's just hard. Okay, quick aside, the NBA
season is falling apart, and it is hard. Like I
already wasn't planning on watching that much NBA basketball just
because I'm like, the Lakers are really good. They're gonna
(29:33):
catch up and like, I'll watch the playoffs and yes,
so I'm like, what do we turn to for entertainment now?
And I you know, the Browns game last night was fun,
and the Colts game on Saturday was fun, but yeah,
it's tough. Sports was our escape, and it seems a
little like the NBA was supposed to be doing it
right and they're not doing it right. Right now, the
National Championship College National Championship is playing right now, and
(29:54):
I turned it on and I was like, okay, this
is you know, how State is big ten. I gotta
group a big ten teams, um, And but even like
watching it, and then they cut away to like Alabama
fans like celebrating, and I was like, I can't. That's
like genuinely triggering to me right now. Like these men,
I cannot watch them be happy with masks down around
(30:16):
their fucking like. I was like, I have to turn
this off. Like I can't even watch pieces of ship
smile because I'm so triggered by the brewing civil war
that's happening in our country. Like like they showed these
two dudes and I was like, I know they gave
money to the fucking rioters or they were there, like
I think the no fly list thing, they're so pissed
(30:38):
because they all wanted to fly to the fucking college
football National Championship. Okay um, so I will go with
my number one. We tell all of our guests that
you close this out, you're a big finale headliner. Okay um.
So I mine is Paucasol And I did not chime
in when you said him because minus for like true
(31:03):
um heart felt like he wasn't really even some I
always knew he was good and he was on those
Leakers teams, so he was like famous. Um he was
on the team that beat the Pacers in the finals,
which actually that like I didn't really watch any of it.
My family was in Europe, okay um, which is a
beat beat unintentionally we just were and so it didn't
(31:25):
really like hurt me. We we were never gonna beat
them whatever. Since Kobe's death and watching POW with Vanessa
and the Bryant children and him being married and having
his own child, like I would give my life for
pou Ga Salt, like I I genuinely think it's more
(31:47):
important for him to be on this earth than any other.
Like retired NBA player at this point, like and I
know that that's like so it's like, oh, he's doing
this for like this one family only, Like there's probably
people that are doing but I'm sure he has a foundation.
It is so beautiful and it is so incredible and
(32:08):
it seems like it comes from a place of such
selflessness and true brotherhood and love that every time I
see anything, it like brings so much emotion to me
because I just I can't even imagine a friend in
my life doing that. Like I'm sure, I'm sure there,
(32:29):
but like you see him having these tea parties and
and child a middle name in Vanessa being the godmother,
and he is like there and for every photo we're seeing,
I think there's ten instances where he's there and we're
not seeing it. And it's just so incredible and I
think it really speaks to like the best in sports
(32:51):
and the best in like what being a teammate is.
And he is the greatest person but that Europe has
ever sent us, and so to me, that is why
he is the greatest European player. Well an emotional answer, Yeah,
very emotional, and like that's also I'm sure our fans
(33:12):
are our listeners. It's just January now, is like I'm
gonna like counting down the weeks to dread of like
the anniversary of Kobe um and so yeah, but like
I will add a funny story about Pal. I don't
know if you guys ever saw that Kevin Durant offseason
documentary that was on HBO like maybe eight years ago.
But come on, you almost pulled that off and acted
(33:36):
like you care. You were very close. Um. But there
is a great scene where he was deciding where he
was going to go after the Lakers and okay, see
was like one of the top teams to land him.
And Kevin Durant during a footlocker commercial, gets a call,
uh from Pau Gasol. You don't hear Poal at all,
but Kevin Durant hangs with the phone and goes, He's
(33:58):
going to Chicago. He said he needs a city with
like theater and opera and ship culture the culture. And
so that's what's great, is like he is a man
of art, of arts and culture. Um. And yeah, like
if you look at his Instagram, it's always like pictures
of him at the orchestra and stuff like that, and
it's it's just a it's a fun personality. Yeah, I
think we all love and it's okay if someone only
(34:20):
loves football or basketball, but like when an athlete, when
sports is like one percentage of their life, I think
that is really amazing to see in their retirement because
then you don't worry about them. You're not like, oh,
they're gonna freak out, They're gonna you know, fall into
addiction or kill themselves or any of the really terrible
(34:43):
things that can happen to a person when they feel
like they don't have purpose. And he's someone that it
feels like retirement set him free to be the best
version of himself. And his name is so fun, pau Gasol,
like he was destined to be famous. I feel like
when that how Bizarre song came out, there was a
(35:05):
lot of pau Gasol. Was anyone else doing out? I
don't know, Maybe it was just me, maybe it was
someone else in my life, but like you can really
do a lot with it because then like his brother,
it's like Mark Gasolt just didn't have the ring, but
like Paw, your name is Paw. That's incredible, that's incredible. Well,
(35:26):
now I got to change my pick based on the
parody song I came up with, I'm just kidding, um, alright,
I'm just trying to give I don't I don't really
like Honestly, when I was looking through this, like the list,
it's like, none of these European players like really have
meant that much in my life. Like Rick Smith's you know,
(35:47):
he's my honorable mention just because I think he has
an incredible nickname, the Dunking Dutchman. He also looks like
he was from Indiana. Um, and he remember that that
playoff rum when he shaved his head. It's like, oh,
we should have told him not to do that. That
is true commitment and their head, I know. But it's like, okay, honey,
like al I almost called him Al Davis, um, but
(36:12):
you know what I mean, Like Rick, you can't pull
it off in the way Reggie can, you know. Um.
But he did it, and he knew he looked ugly
and he loved it. Like he he just was always
like fun and smiling and so like he has such
a soft place in my heart. But the rest of
these guys, they meant nothing to me growing up, Like
I just didn't really care. I didn't really care about them.
(36:32):
But Pal, I like truly love and would give an
organ to like if he needs it. I'm number one
on the list. I'm oh negative, so I can give stop.
I'm just saying like, I'm here if he needs it.
Like Selena Gomez his friend that she's not friends with anymore,
I'm here, alright, Pal, you heard her. Thanks for listening
(36:55):
to podcast. Pal alright, um, so okay, I don't want
to take anyone off the board, so I'll just say
my my number one pick rt Vida sabonis Um. I
think and I think it's it's not talked about, maybe
one of the greatest what ifs in NBA history, because
the thing is, though he played a good number of
(37:17):
years in the n b A and like was all
rookie team playing in some huge series playoff series against
the Lakers in the early two thousand's, one of the
greatest passing big men of all time. Is like, again
we were talking about Chlubby White dudes, he is that.
But the thing is, so he was drafted by the Blazers,
(37:38):
didn't come over to the NBA for another nine years,
and we've we've seen that with like Rubio and some
of these other guys but like it's he was straight
up dominating in in Europe. He played for the Soviet team.
There's a documentary, a great documentary called The Other Dream
Team when he's playing on the Soviet team they got
the bronze. But he was like cut. He was huge,
(38:00):
but just like fast, like moved like a guard. And
it's like if he if he had played at that
in the prime of his career in the NBA, I
really feel like he would have been like top fifteen
in the nineties. He did win a gold medal in
eight with the Soviet um and then played for Lithuania,
(38:20):
which is like where he was from after I think
the breakup of the Soviet Union. But watches highlights, they're crazy.
I mean, he obviously has a soft place in my
heart because his son is the Pacers best player right
now and a starter in the East for And he's
good and he's hot, and he seems fun and he
(38:41):
had a giant head. Well of course he has a
giant head, honey, but like he just um, yeah, I
love I love Sibonis and c J and I got
famously into a fight too over a Sibonis waiting in
line for an entire quarter when in when at a
Indianapolis or Indiana Pacers home game for his shirt, they
were selling out, so I had to get it, and
(39:04):
I felt abandoned, and I did leave her for a
very long time, you know. And I my point was,
you can't just leave a hot white woman at an
NBA game and expect her to be back in Indiana
where she's all right, I'm looking around. People could be
making calls for me to move closer. People get married
in the court NBA corner time in Indiana. Yeah, they
(39:27):
meet and get married, I'm saying. Anyways, al right, So
our Vitus Simonis, Yeah, just incredible. Yeah, Like I think
he would have been like a top one NBA player
of all time had he come over during his prime.
That's it. Yeah, absolutely all right, bring us home, Zach.
Could he have got number one? Pick? I mean, listen,
picking number one is coming from my heart. There was
(39:48):
no other European player who was going to be number
one for me. And uh that is Cleveland Cavalier's legend
number one all time. I watched Zidernasgaskis play so much
basketball on so many bad Calves teams, just like on
Tyrone Hill. As you're starting Ricky Davis doing what Ricky
(40:12):
Davis does out there, and then we get those Lebron years,
we get Lebron in Big Z together. Lebron loves big Z,
which is how you know he's a good Yeah. That
is the mark of someone's character usually is how much
Lebron loves them in relation to how talented they actually are. Um, yeah,
I mean z stats you look at them, nothing special.
(40:35):
He Uh, I think he averaged he averaged over fifteen
a game one time, maybe twice, Okay, he had he
had four seasons where he covered around fifteen or sixteen. Uh.
He played on that terrible two thousand seven NBA Finals
Calves team where they got swept by the Spurs. But
he's all we had. He was the second best player
(40:57):
on those Calves teams for the entire first run of
Lebron and uh still lives in Cleveland. Oh right, you
saw him in the airport. That was That was like
a one of my favorite NBA sightings. And he's like
he's like still like in great shape. He looks like
the count like he truly is a very interesting He
(41:19):
looks like grow, he looks like so many different puppets
and cartoon characters that it's actually shocking that he didn't
move to Los Angeles and try and pursue a career
as Dracula. Why is he not in a John Wick movie?
You know? Yeah? Yeah, I mean he is. What's going
on in Lithuania? Like really, I don't I know nothing
(41:42):
about it outside of I think basketball. Maybe there's been
like a person on fiance. But is he a top
ten Cleveland sports legend? I mean he might be, honestly,
I mean for sure in my lifetime by Calves specifically,
not even close. And the thing this is how beloved
(42:05):
he is he When Lebron went to the Heat, he
I think not the first year, right, it was the
second year that he brought Z to the Heat. Yeah,
I think, okay, well then that would have been that
would have been the first. So when Lebron went to
the Heat, he brought Z with him. They didn't win
that one unfortunately, But then I think Ze then went
(42:25):
back to the Calves Is that correct? No, he retired,
but he think he went back to coach or he
was like something happened where he went back and was
with your and Lebron famously tried to undercover secretly go
to I'm guessing Gundarena at the time or whatever it
was at the time, to go to big Z's Jersey retirement.
(42:45):
They weren't playing the heat like Lebron flew in for
big Z's retirement like that, that's awesome. Like there was
like he was trying to hide in a press box
and they found him. He could have got torn apart,
but he went there. That's how much he loved dig
Z went their first friend um c J. Before we
get to your honorable mentions, do you guys like it,
(43:06):
Like do you feel like they're more European when they
don't attend American colleges, because that's happening more and more,
like people are coming over sixteen seventeen, but like a
lot of these the guy that got drafted this year
and they like cut to his family and they were
just all sitting very solemnly around the table. I was like,
(43:26):
now this feels no, no, I think it was the
guy in the thunder Oh yeah, And it was all
just like they were also at the table and it
almost as if it was like this is all part
of the plan, you know, very solemn. All looked like
they've seen some ship like it is. It's got to
(43:48):
be so insane to move to this country at twenty
years old, twenty one the culture shock, and then you're
rich and you're like famous. Now it's I mean, I
think we've seen the bad things that can have. Like
I think Chris Stops is is. I don't know. I
(44:09):
don't know if he I don't know if he's a
bad person. I don't know if he is a product
of what I just described as being insane culture shock.
But yeah, he's not on my list. I recently un
followed him. I had to. I had to show him
I don't support him anymore. Yeah, and and also too,
it's like and I was just reading about this too.
(44:30):
I think a lot of the expectations with some of
these foreign players who come from you know, some like
war torn countries and their neighbors, like they are expected
to provide for their family and even sometimes their neighborhood.
And there was a story I just read it because um,
Joannice just came out with a shoe and it's like
it's themed after a taxi because I guess in his
rookie year he was sending his money via Western Union
(44:54):
to his family back in Greece and he sent all
of it that he didn't have money for a cab
and he had a walk back to the arena. Um.
But yeah, just like some of these players, they make
it the league, and it was just like, yeah, now
it's my responsibility to provide for my family. And yeah,
I don't even know why I brought that story, but uh, yeah,
(45:15):
a lot of these guys overcome so much to come
over to the league and and it's nice to see
some of them succeed. Um, do you have some honorable mentions? Yeah,
I was just gonna say Draws in Petrovich. Unfortunately, his
his career was was cut shorty in a car accident.
Andre Carolinko a K forty seven. Um, and I think
that might be at Nick Patum. I don't know, And
(45:38):
I think that's all I wrote down, But yeah, those guys,
shout out to them. Any any honorable mention, Zach anyone else?
Uh yeah, you know, I think um NBA jam Legend,
Bloody Diva, um, foresty out. There's there's a guy who
really just floated his way through a long career. Who
(46:00):
is Who's the guy who's really really tall and kind
of funny looking that's like so sweet and nice. That's
playing right now. Um for like like Shack loves him.
He looks if he needs an Oregon, he can have
one too. I love him. He's so funny. Where's he from?
(46:22):
Great question? Yeah I don't know. I don't want to
get it wrong. Okay, I'll look it up. I think
he's from also the former Soviet Union. He's friends but yeah, yeah, okay,
he's friends with Luca and uh they have their little crew. Um,
I love I mean, I think I have to mention
use of Nurkics just because he has the greatest discovery
story of any NBA player probably in history, is that
(46:45):
use of Nurkis father is a four plus pound police
officer in Serbia and there was a news story where
he beat up nine men by himself, and a European
scout saw the story and called him and all he
said was, do you have a son to pay basketball?
(47:06):
Hundred pounds? Like? I mean, assuming he's very tall, like guys, okay,
how like to be mobile even at seven four pounds
is truly incredible And that scout deserves a race because
that is he really went out on a limb and
it surely worked, really worked. He's Dame Lillard's godfather too, like,
(47:29):
so very upstanding, great teammate to be your star players godfather.
So man, Yeah, so many great European players out there. Um,
we love them all. Yeah alright, Megan, any any closing thoughts? Oh,
stay safe, wear a mask. Check out Zach's podcast. Where
(47:51):
can they find that podcast? Um? What things are? What
Things is on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and everywhere else
that you listen to. Awesome podcast. Man, can't wait till
basketball comes back? Can't wait till you know, I can't
wait till comedy comes back again. That's the thing that
we would be. You go to a show and have
a drink and watch your friends or perform. Miss that. Yeah,
(48:13):
comedy is back for some people and they are bad
people and I fucking hate them. Um. So yeah, that's
about it was, Zach, where can we find you? What
are your social handles? You know? I am I'm Onstagram
at Pew Zackman on Twitter at Zach Pew. That's pretty
much it. Yeah, great, all right now Matt CJ Toldano
(48:35):
and everything, and Megan, I'm at Megan Gaily on Twitter. Zach.
We can edit this out if you say no, can
I tell our listeners what your parents own? Um? Yeah,
I mean I think you can. I mean people get
mad about it, but um, I just think it's really
Oh yeah, I guess it's like a controversial company. Um,
(48:56):
Zach's parents on a Chick fil A and that's really
fucking cool. Um. I wish I wish they didn't hate
gay people. For sure. I wish they didn't hate gay people.
Don't know, Zach's parents don't hate gay people. They just
love little chicken nuggets and you know what, so do
I great mac and cheese too, So open your heart
to gay people. Chick fil A, Please, it's about time.
(49:17):
I wonder if maybe, I wonder if maybe the terrorist
attack on the Capitol will will change Chick fil A's
stance on a quality. Maybe we'll see. Okay, Well, people
listeners posted thank you guys so much for listening. I
hope this brought some joy into your into your lives
(49:38):
this week. Thank You by the Greatest is a production
of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio,
visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
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