The Big Ticket with Kevin Garnett

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
From the King of sports Books comes the Key sports
podcast Unleashed, presented by bet MGM. Here's your host, Jerry
Ferrara and Olivia Harlan Decker. Welcome to Unleashed, where Today

(00:32):
Thursday is the ever Sports Equinox, which means all four
of the major sports leagues have games today. There's so
much to bet, so little time. Jerry, are you a
bit overwhelmed with the Sports Equinox? You know, I am.
Typically I'm well prepared for this, but I think it's because,
like usually, the Giants are almost out of it already,

(00:54):
and you know, I'm not really as excited about them.
I'm excited about the Knicks, but no, I'm um, there's
too much going on. The Yankees are in the plant.
It's catching me off guard. I'm not fully prepared. But
oh what a wonderful time to be alive. Oh what
a wonderful time of year. And the NBA obviously started
on Tuesday night, and we've got a pretty cool guy

(01:15):
to break it down today, Kevin Garnett. The big ticket
is here and Jerry, last week I tea s the
end of the show with that I knew the story
and the guy who named him the big tickets. Are
you ready to hear it? Are you going to give
that to the audience and me right now, because yes,
I've been waiting for this. Yeah. So, my dad Kevin
Harlan to play by play announcer and he kind of

(01:35):
got his big break in the industry being the Timberwolves
play by play announcer when he was like twenty nine
something like that. He was super young and I'm sorry,
and KG was a rookie and their names are both Kevin,
and they were both young guys. Obviously KG much younger,

(01:55):
and they kind of became quick friends and have a
lot of history together, and I'll kind of bring that
up when KG gets on here. But you know, the
Wolves were so bad, and my dad was young and
at all this energy and was kind of crazy. And
if you YouTube Kevin Harlm Timberwolves, you will hear the
funniest play by play calls. It's rich. But yeah, one

(02:16):
night he just names in the big ticket and it
has stuck ever since. And my dad laughs, He's like,
I never thought in a million years that one would
catch on, Like it was just kind of pulled it
out one night. And what a great nickname though, right,
it's a great nickname, and it really does suit him
because he played in the place where before he came
there in Minnesota, attendance was not record setting, but the minute,

(02:39):
you know, he came on the scene, that arena was
filling up. It did feel like a big ticket. And
then when he goes on throughout his career, you know,
all the playoff games with the Celtics and that style
and battles with the Lakers. Any game that Kevin Garnett
was involved in, it was in fact a big ticket,
great nickname. I mean, I just love that. And yeah,
my dad talks about when he was a teenager obviously

(03:00):
he went straight to the league, that the team brought
some of his friends, like on the charter, playing with
them on the buses, let him travel with them to
make the transition easier because he was a kid. And
even said one night that they brought McDonald's on the
plane after a game for him one night. You know,
he's just he's a teenager. He just wanted to McDonald's.
So totally unique situation. Obviously, there have been few guys

(03:22):
as successful to go right out of high school into
the NBA. And I'm curious now if he thinks that
should still be a thing. Now the world is so
different than when he was a rookie, and there are
so many different paths going pro and that's a few
skip college, which we've seen that now, So it's it's
a it's a totally different time in the NBA, and

(03:43):
I'm very curious what he thinks about this generation. Yeah,
you know, I just remember too, come when he came
into the league being excited because you know, something I
never really thought about was high school players coming in,
you know, and then obviously being a big New York
fan and the Knicks were good during this time period
when KG was a rookie coming in and stuff like that.

(04:04):
But then when he got to play with Marbury, which
every Knicks fan in New York fan was gonna root
for Marbury no matter where he went. So that's kind
of one of the greatest like almost like unanswerable questions,
like what would have happened if those two could have
really worked it out, because they were starting to get
that pick and roll going, you know, players now years
later after the facts say that that pick and roll

(04:27):
was starting to get scary. So but yeah, I love KG.
Very excited to talk to him, and he's like a
great actor, nizing one of my favorite movies Uncut Gems, which, yeah,
and he's great in the movies, So I want to
talk to him about some of that stuff too. No,
I know, industry man. Now you guys are in the
same industry. You can pick his brain on that. But no,
this is great. What were your takeaways though from Tuesday

(04:49):
night opening NBA? Look, it's it's so easy to overreact.
It's a lot of fun to overreact because we have
nothing to react to other than you know, these everyone's
game one from it really is scary. If I'm a
Laker fan, I'm not jumping the gun yet. I know
their playoff odds are kind of decreasing and that's becoming

(05:10):
a popular bet. But it really Anthony Davis looked great.
So if you're gonna focus on something positive, you gotta
focus on the fact that A d looks great, he
looks fit, He's got to stay healthy. So but I
do think it's a play in tight situation for them
and they got to just survive and get there. So
very worried. From a Lake fan, I'm a Warrior fan,

(05:30):
it's like, just make it through the season. Healthy, and
you'll be fine. It's to me, it's gonna be like
a whole hum Warriors year. Make it through the year healthy,
developed the younger guys further, and just get ready for
your run because they look great. Warriors look great. You're
so right, especially after the Draymond Pool punch and the
video leak and all the drama that we were talking

(05:50):
about just last week, and the team looks great. I I,
like everyone else was watching. Okay, Draymond and Pool are
going to be like, buddy, buddy, are they going to
try to make a point that all is well? And
I think that was underwhelming. We didn't get any confirmation
that all was well, and they played together fine an
eleven man rotation. I like this with the Warriors. Steve
Carr was mentioning that they're really deep this year and

(06:11):
he wants to go deep in the bag and he did,
and then obviously Steph Curry thirty three points. He was fantastic.
The Lakers, let's elaborate on that because I was following
the story of who's the starting lineup and one of
their preseason games, Westbrook came off the bench and then
he hurt his hamstring and he blamed it on coming
off the bench. He said, my whole career I started,

(06:33):
I didn't even know what to do with my body
to how to stay warm. And he was pretty vocal
that he didn't like that experimental lineup change from new
coach Darvin Ham. Darvin Ham said he's not sure what
group he'll consistently start moving forward, so it's interesting. At
halftime of that game, Charles Barkley was very candid that

(06:54):
he thinks Russell needs to move, he needs a change
of sceneries, not happy Lakers don't need them. He's kind
of lost his mojo, his exuberance, and since they're not
a championship contender, you know, let's just move on. Let's
let's get him out of here. So I'm curious your
thoughts on that and how the Lakers are going to
probably ultimately blow this thing up, Like I would not

(07:15):
be surprised if they tried to trade a D by
trade deadline and get rid of Lebron obviously the summer. Yeah,
it's so complicated because I do love Russell Westbrook the
way he's played the game. I think that that's always
what you want out of one of your best players.
I would have even said years ago, someone would maybe
you would have a hard time transitioning to a different role,

(07:37):
would be Russ because he's just played the same way
and he's been very one of the most successful players
doing it on a personal level. So they get him
the change, it's gonna be hard. It never quite fit.
Even when that acquisition happened. I wondered, okay, because him
and Lebron sort of do the same things. They need
the ball to be effective, and I'm sorry, if you

(07:58):
have to give the ball to someone, gonna give it
to Lebron James to have eight percent of the time,
So it's always a question mark. Yeah, maybe new scenery
helps him change with the role he might have to
be faced with. I do think, you know, his presence
on the young team could be good. I don't know,
but he just wants to win, So I don't know
what You're gonna send them to the Detroit so he could,

(08:19):
you know, what's gonna help usher in the young guys.
I don't know if that works. But if I'm the Lakers,
to me, I don't know. They know. I'm just a
fan talking here. There's only one out, and I really
do think it's to trade a d and it's probably
not this year, and you can't trade Lebron this year.
But I mean, god, if I really was thinking about
this in context to even like the Russell Wilson trade,

(08:40):
and we'll talk about that later if you want, But
if you are the New Orleans Pelicans, I cannot think
of a team that's been better position maybe since the
Celtics fleeced the Nets with like no offense. I don't
we're talking about KG, but you know they got all
the all Brooklyn's picks for you know, years and years,
and they ended up turning into Tatum and Brown. You know, well,

(09:01):
part of that was the Sixers deal. The Pelicans they
have the Lakers picks and like a swap, like they
are so set up people wanted David Griffin's job like
a year ago. I can't think of a team that's
better set up for the future than the Pelicans other
than that name that I think needs to change. It
just shows you the NBA is so exciting because year
to year can have a quick change, where I feel

(09:22):
like in football it takes a touch longer, you know.
Here I say that, and now the Jets are like
actually doing well and I mean, there are clearly teams
who can have almost a one year turnaround. You could
argue Jets has been two years in the making, But
I don't know. I feel like the n b A
is give him next year. You only need a couple
of guys, and you only need a couple of stars.
Well yeah, and with those with those one and two

(09:45):
picks coming in this year, you know, I'm not saying
that that's going to end up being the Laker pick,
but if you're the Pelicans, you know you might be
one Anthony Davis injury away from that Laker pick lottery odds.
Just being he's like, having a swing at the top
two picks would be insane. If you have Zion Ingram McCollum,

(10:06):
you know, herb Jones and that young Core, it would
be insane. So gosh, the Pelican wasn't just can't think
of a situation working out better then the situation has
for the Pelicans. You mentioned the Celtics. No, we're gonna
talk about the Pelicans today. Sorry, Yeah, no, I'm glad
you brought him up because it's the start of the
season and we talked about parody so much this season

(10:27):
in the NFL, which is really fun, especially for people
who talk about it like we do in the NBA.
From a betting angle, this is the most wide open
the odds have ever been. And Tuesday night didn't really
change anything. The Celtics and Warriors. They both win. They're
still the favorite side edge to the Celtics. That plus
five hundred when I checked this morning, plus six hundred
Warriors and the longest that's the longest odds for a

(10:49):
favorite in thirty five years, thirty five years. Jerry, like,
the favorites are five to one, six to one. And
also it's the first time since two thousand nine that
preseason favorites it doesn't have Katie or Lebron on the roster.
Like that blow your mind. A lot of things have
blown my mind this year. That tells me, though. One

(11:10):
thing with basketball is we might be getting a touch
of the parody the NFL has, like just a touch.
I mean, NBA is always gonna be top heavy and
superstar driven for sure, but now that we're seeing the
I don't there's no more like super teams. But now
we're seeing players want to pair up to give themselves
the best chance. There's more of that going on. Yeah,

(11:30):
we're getting a little bit of parity, but it's elite parody.
Every team now is going to have. If you're not
sort of in the tanking, you know, blow it up phase,
you're gonna have like two great players. So it's great.
I mean, there's so many that I don't know, if
you pay attention much to John Ewing's Twitter account, you
fire today that six or Celtics game, because I know

(11:53):
a lot of people were talking about, you know, this
might be the Sixers year, and Beid's gotten a lot
of m v P hype. He definitely did some pads
that some stat padding in that end of that game,
which was already over. I don't know what you saw
from that game. I can tell you my takeaway is
and thin one game we know, but having fun with it.
It's almost like that the Dooka situation as bad as

(12:16):
it was, Like it seems like the players are rising
though totally and not sort of being like free like
you know, Dylon Brown sticking up for Marcus Smart waving
a finger at and bead and and Marcus Smart not
carrying that flopping routine like he didn't go even further
with it, Like it just showed a lot of point
or maybe that's just a team we went to the

(12:36):
finals that they had such a great chance. But that's
what I got from. I mean, the Sixers are gonna
win a lot of games, but I think I think
there's a move that has to happen with the Sixers
to really be one of those finals teams. Well, this
was definitely a mismatch, right, I mean, the Celtics without
their center, who that's gonna be months Robert Williams the
third So now they're small, they're fast, that's the way

(12:59):
they're playing in they have to use that to their advantage,
which they did on Tuesday night, and it did not
work out for the SEVENTI is especially defensively when you
look at like James Harden, he's worthless on defense. And
they outscored the seventy two in fast break points, so
that that kind of tells you the game, right And
then of course the stars Jalen Brown Jason Tatum combined

(13:20):
for seventy they each got thirty five points. That's that's wild.
With those two star wing players, you can do a
lot of damage in this league. And I like the
Celtics to win the East and I'm kind of sticking
with that. Yeah, I do too. And when those two
unbelievable wings Tatum and Brown out on the offensive end,
but then they played defense. They do at a very

(13:43):
very high level, and to boot their third player one
defensive player of the year. So I just think they're
set up so nice. I'm envious of the way they're
set up. Obviously the coaching situation. I'm happy, you know
that Missoula got you know, you guys first and he's
on the board. I think it's gonna wark. I mean,
it's a hard team not to have success with, so

(14:06):
but this is a good opportunity for sure for him.
I think they're gonna win. Yeah, they're the team in
the East. To me, still, that's the team to beat.
And like you said, it's it's a good fire lit now,
you know, for this team. And they give him the
game ball. They did the you know, a water the
water bottle shower, I want to say a gatorade shower
for you know, to visualize what the players did with
Joe Missoula after the game. But you get it. They

(14:27):
clearly are hyped for their coach and that means a
lot too. So like kind of same thing that you
see with the Warriors and the Celtics, I feel like,
is they're cool with sharing the love, Like obviously we
have major scorers, but not all teams would so casually
share the love, like when I mentioned the Warriors went

(14:48):
in eleven deep and on Tuesday night and and uh,
Celtics really seem like all for one, one for all.
And I don't know, is it so lame to just say,
like that's our finals, Like it's that's so chalk, But
after what we saw an opening week, it seems to
really solidify why Vegas has them as the favorites. Yeah, yes,

(15:08):
chalk is not always great for a for a podcast conversation,
but there's a reason why we call that. So yeah,
your Pelicans, that's your pick. Oh my Pelican I just
what a what a like just a masterpiece of how
things working out in your favor and just so well pointed.
I just wish, because I'm talking as a Knicks fans,

(15:29):
like we could have just got that kind of break
for that. I was gonna say, your Pelicans are kind
of the team you're going to be rooting for and
keeping us informed on throughout the NBA season. But it's
another bird. Your Seahawks that are in a three way
tie top the NFC West at three and three. You're right,
tell me you're holding this ticket. Can they actually pull

(15:50):
it off? You've been calling this one. I get they
are a Tray Lance non injury away from I think
they might even win that game against the Niners if
Trey Lance doesn't go out now. And look, this is
not knock on Trey Lance. I just think he's a
young quarterback who needs time to figure it out. I
hate that he got injured. Injuries are the worst part

(16:10):
of any sport. That being said, I think if he
stays in that game, Seahawks had a good chance of winning.
The Seahawks are getting better each in every week. Go
look at their their numbers, go look at whatever analytics
you want to. Look at. Their defense not so good,
but the offense is moving the ball, genio is getting better.
They still have weapons everywhere. And I'm just again, I

(16:30):
don't feel confident about the Rams. I definitely don't feel
confident about the Cardinals. Uh, the Niners. I guess I
still feel confident. They've lost so many players on defense
that I'm whole. I'm loving this ticket. It's not gonna happen.
But what a fun I told everyone, this will be
your fun lottery ticket for the year, and everything I
said is holding up on that. I mean that just

(16:52):
it's so crazy that we were sitting here laughing at you.
Can you believe that we laughed at you? But the
NCS is just a dumpster fire. And hey, look for
the forty niners sake, if there is a time to
have injuries, it's now. When those starters come back, I
think they're scary. I think tip to tail they're an
elite team. So Kyle Shanahan has to get creative. He's
getting creative to score. He cannot rely on that defense.

(17:16):
And I mean, there's there's a lot to like about
San Francisco when they come back, But for your sake,
I hope the Seahawks can can stay at top. What
makes Seattle even more interesting is that they hold Denver's
first and second round picks for the next two years,
which look Denver's look, it's very high pick. So at
what point does Denver to say, you know, Russ, let's

(17:37):
shut this down, get healthy, and we're going to figure
it out this offseason because this is ugly. Well, I
don't think they can look depending on what his health
actually is. Right Like, if you have some kind of
injury that's not going to get better without real time
off for surgery, you know Russ is gonna do whatever
he has to do in the offseason to get healthy.
So you know he's gonna take care of it. But
when you don't have those draft picks, you're not in

(18:00):
the business of shutting anything down. You're in the business
of going forward and doing whatever you can to win.
Um one of the worst situations to be Now, look,
there's still very much in the thick of things. It's
not like their seasons over. They're they're winning ugly games
when they have to. The a f C West certainly
is not the juggernaut that we thought they would be.

(18:22):
And we could talk about your Chiefs for three weeks
in a row now absolutely looking horrendous when you think
about what the Chiefs should look like, you know, and
I know they stole one of those games. I think
I think horrendous is a good word for the Chiefs,
the team that we're expecting the role losing to the Cults,
top three team in the league, I mean, okay, last

(18:43):
interception have them as a top three team in the
league right now, you wouldn't say the top three teams
in the NFL are Billy Buffalo in Kansas City. I
have Kansas top five I could make again, we're going
off of what we've seen so far. I have other
teams that I've liked the look of things way more
than I like what the Chiefs are doing, like the

(19:03):
Dallas Cowboys, who are about to get Dak Prescott back
and have an elite defense that's for real. Say what
you want about Minnesota. I like the Vikings weapons way
more than I like the Chiefs weapons. Now. Defensively, yeah,
you got me there, but I just look, I'm sure
they'll get it together and figure it out. But we're
seeing the post Tyree kill offense, and yeah, Kelsey is

(19:26):
amazing and can carry you with four touchdowns. But I
don't know. I got three weeks now where it has
not looked good to me, he said, like you've gotten
burned in fantasy. Who who was on your fantasy team
this week? I don't want to discuss fan I'm one
in five and two leagues, Like it's it's over for me.

(19:46):
But no, seriously, that Raider game they stay stole that
game and they it was it was my homes and
Kelsey the whole way. So I don't I don't feel
good about the Chiefs. I don't know how I got
to them. But oh Denver, I don't know if they
unless the injury is really bad with Ross or something
going on. I saw some grumblings on Twitter about like

(20:07):
a Giants may try to trade for Jerry Judy. Why
on Earth with Denver trade Jerry Judy. That's just a
bad Twitter rumor. Yeah, I love it because I'm a
Giant fan. Something else. I know. Last week I was
kind of hard on Russell Wilson, and I I still
am because I heard on Richard Sherman's podcast that Marshall
Clinch said he can't even get in touch with his

(20:29):
former QUB and they want a Super Bowl together and
he would think that they'd be boys, but apparently no
teammates have direct access to Russ that they have to
go through like an assistant. And add that to the
long list of weird stories about this guy. Yeah, I'm
sure we'll have one of these a week, But yeah,
that one's certainly strange. But no, I think if you're Denver,

(20:50):
you're not in shutdown mode you're in, like, how do
we just get healthy or maybe make one more move
to get one of these seven playoff spots, because then
anything can happen. Russ can get hot. So they do
have weapons, right, Okay, NFC North, the Packers weren't were
man they dropped another one. The Jets walked into Lambeau
and shocked them, shocked me, shocked everyone. Now it's the

(21:10):
Vikings at five and one on top of the division.
They were minus or they are minus Packers plus two forty.
And I don't know if you saw in the postgame
press conference after the London game where they lost to
the Giants, your Giants. A player was saying in the
locker room afterwards that we really have to be concerned
if we lose next week to the Jets, and Aaron

(21:31):
Rodgers was like, why are we talking about next week?
Why are we talking about what happens if we lose
next week? And it was kind of a drama. And
I thought after Aaron's comment, oh, they are winning, and
they're winning big, like he is embarrassed. He was mad.
He's probably gotten the locker room all riled up. He
heard that comment. He didn't like hearing that comment, this
is going to be a good Packers win and oh

(21:52):
my god, just insult to injury. As Sauce Gardner puts
the cheese on his head, not unlike I did last week,
a reverse a reverse reverse breeze, Hall does a Lambeau leap.
I mean, and these are young players, like, oh, that's
balls going into Lambeau Field, like the mecca in the
NFL and doing that, I mean, that kind of made

(22:15):
the arms, the hair on my arms stand up. Okay,
I'm gonna give you some bad news and then good news.
You're ready about your Packers. Uh. Look, I don't believe
in bullets bolton board material, but saying like if you
lose to the Jets, we have problems tells me that
whoever said that, I'm not quite sure, has not been
watching the Jets the entire year. Because if you watch
the Jets, the Jets, and I've been fighting against the

(22:37):
Jets being good the entire year and I no longer
can do it. They are good. They are loaded. They
hit on the draft. Now, of course, it's easy to
hit on the draft when you have like a million
top ted picks. You should hit on those. But those
guys are good right away. So the fact that you
said if we lose to the Jets, we got problems
or whatever the quote was, tells me you haven't really

(22:58):
watched the Jets at all, and maybe that's not your
job to watch a team that you play in week five.
So I think that fired them up. And you said shocking,
you want to know what the issue is. I don't
think the Packers look shocked. At no point to me
did they look like they thought they were the better
team from the moment that game started. The Jets from

(23:19):
first play the last play were significantly better. Now that's
the bad news. The good news is they're chasing the Vikings,
who are five and one, And I pulled up some schedules,
and I do see a path for you to somehow
stay with it in this division. Well, here's what the
Vikings got. Okay, Cardinals at Commanders, those could easily be

(23:42):
two wins. Then they go Bills, Cowboys, Hats Jet, the
frisky Jets at Lions, give him that one, the Giants,
who are no longer an easy victory, and then at
the Packers they still got one more. And then at
the Bears, fine Vikings some hard games. The Packers Commanders

(24:03):
should get them right back on track this week. Then
they go at the Bills, but then it opens up
a little bit. Lions Cowboys, that's a rough one. Titans
Eagles at Bears Rams on the Monday night Miami for
Christmas Day. What a wonderful time. They get to go
to Miami for Christmas Day. That's lovely. I could have
a better place to go for Christmas Day. I think

(24:26):
that they could. I think in that schedule I just mentioned,
there's four wins and then there's like three swing games.
So if they could pull out some of those swing games,
they could still have a showdown in week seventeen in
Green Bay versus the Vikings for the division. There is
a path, but it's not an easy one. It is
not an easy one. Yeah, okay, let me tell you

(24:46):
the bad news. The Packers have only scored a hundred
seven points, which is the lowest in any six games
stretch in Aaron Rodgers career. So that's the bad news. Uh,
he has no deep bat us he's on the deep
ball and zero touchdowns. I was going into the Jets
weekend so until last weekend. And also Matt Laflour traditionally

(25:09):
does really bad when he plays a friendly meaning the
guy standing on the other sideline is a buddy. And
Robert Sala was the best man in Matt Lafleur's wedding,
and obviously his brother is on the jet staff. So
that was a that was a really rough one, insult
to injury. And I'm very concerned and disappointed in the

(25:31):
Packers roster. Honestly, every everyone's saying though, oh, we have
no deep all threats, we have no receivers, we have
a horrible receiving corps, blah blah's and oh my gosh,
here we are. We're acting all surprised that Aaron has
no one to throw too, and so it's kind of
it's kind of disappointing. And I know that fans at
Lambau were doing and they're doing this team off the

(25:51):
field because they're mad at the front office if they
lose to the Commanders, which I don't think that's going
to happen. I'm not trying to stove play if they
lose the Commanders, I thought Aaron Rodgers, I'm like, you'll
get me out. I'm out. I'm having to get me
out of here. Please please like take take someone what
do you gotta do take some money back and call
San Francisco asked for nineteen first round picks or whatever,

(26:14):
like blow it, get me, get me out. I'm using
my safe word, Kevin Hardy. Pineapples, pineapples, pineapples, get me out. Okay.
So obviously a big topic this week was Robert Craft's wedding,
which is amazing, and Meek Mill was there, and obviously
Robert Craft was big on getting him out of jail
and all that. And the only reason I bring that
up is because Meek Mill had himself a great weekend

(26:36):
because he was at the Eagles game and Darius Slay
gave the game winning ball to him too, So I
was just laughing. I love when sports and pop culture
like intersect. But obviously Eagles six and no stellar defensive
performance re interceptions. I mean, Eagles are so legit, like
there's not a weakness on that team. Yeah, like we

(26:57):
we mentioned it earlier, that eight and a half win
total easily the lock of the year. They crushed it
with the draft and yeah, it's just I mean, even
like their co Siria just screaming, what f you? That's
game like totally fits the Philly blueprint of what they
want to do there. Yeah, as a team that is
in their division, and I've watched them closely. We haven't

(27:19):
even played them yet though, but I'm scared now. The
only thing you can hope for is maybe they're just
peaking too soon, and maybe it'll even out as we
get more film on them. But you look around, there's
just weapons everywhere. That defense is nasty. It's the only good.
They consistently are the highest scoring part of my fantasy
lineup each and every week. So the NFC East, this

(27:39):
is the year of opposites. We're living in the upside down.
The NFC East is great. We talked about the Pelicans
for six minutes on the podcast Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers.
We should rethink them as quarterbacks. We're in the twilight
zone part of and then obviously everyone else is talking
about this, but the robber Craft wedding and Tom Brady's
there all so without Giselle, I'm just pointing out, I hate,

(28:02):
I hate to watch this. What everyone is Tom Brady
is there, he misses walk through on Friday for a
Sunday game and they lose, and everyone is saying, what Tom,
what are you doing, and you know, he's yelling at
his offensive line. And if I'm one of those linemen
just working my ass off and I was at Friday's
walk through, even if you're the goat, I'm like, bro,

(28:23):
don't don't yell at me like that, you know what
I mean? Like Tom already misses Wednesdays and now he
missed this Friday walk through. It's just why did Tom
come back this year? Like it's been nothing. But I'm
such a smart ass. If I was one of those
offensive linemen while he's yelling at me, I would have
said right when he's done and be like, hey, Tom,
did you have chicken, steak or fish at the wedding?
Just curious wondering what did you eat? Like that's how

(28:46):
I would get out. I actually argued for Brady in
the off season when he took some personal time and he,
you know, sashate in on late for whatever practice, Like
I was all for it. He's earned it, he could
do it. But out we're talking about as fans Olivia
and people talk about sports on the podcast, that we

(29:06):
don't want to go to a wedding like on a
Sunday during football or even really that weekend in football season.
Could you imagine if you were playing in the game
and you went so I don't believe like Bolton Boar material.
I really don't think that the Steelers are like Brady
went to the wedding, let's get them. I don't think
it was that. But again, I know the Steelers are

(29:27):
not good. They're riddled with injuries, big rookie quarterback, all
of that stuff. But it's Mike Tomlin. Like I always say,
like that's I'm never underestimating any Mike Tomlin team. I'm
just not. So that's that one might come back to
hurt them. That really might come back to hurt them. Yeah,
and they're in a bad division. They lead the NFC

(29:48):
South right now while they're tired with the Falcons. Undefeated
against the spread Falcons. Oh my god, how rich. But yeah,
Buccaneers have the Panthers on the road this weekend. They're
an eleven point favorite. You gotta think that's a slam dunk.
But I kind of think they're they're falling apart there.
I had the Bucks in the ten point I was

(30:10):
undefeated in ten point teasers this year until that Steelers game.
I had the Bucks were minus ten and a half.
I tease them down to basically pick them, and yeah,
they ruined my undefeated ten point teaser streak as well
anytime point favorites again, which is ironic. Coming up next, Darry,
We've got to get to the big ticket. I was

(30:41):
just gonna say, I'm a nickname guy, so Olivia, I
don't know your nickname. Uh, Jerry, I'll know your name,
but I do you know, I do know you're known
as Turtle, So I was like turtle on the Hello, Hey, yeah,
let's do it, like so, yeah, I'm a it's fair
of yours browse. You actually go further back with me.

(31:05):
I don't know if you know this. So my dad's
Kevin Harlan, so back in yeah, uh, you were playing
in Puerto Rico for like an Olympic qualifier and I
was five years old and my dad said, you were
in the pool and we were in the pool and
you were throwing me up in the air, like playing
with me, And he said, you couldn't have been any

(31:26):
any nicer to me. And I probably thought you were
the tallest person I've ever seen and probably still are.
Your dad made me babysit you for like thirty seven,
the bathroom was something and yeah, you got the krind
and the only thing that would get you. I apologize.
That's pretty good. And then yeah, I was working for

(31:47):
the Hawks a couple of years back, and it had
to have been your final year and I stopped shoot
around to tell you that story and say hi again.
But um, I've got to tell you. So my dad
was obviously they're your rookie year and just think the
world of you. You all have crossed paths later at
Turner and then NBA two. K. I know you do together,
but he says, one of the things that meant the

(32:07):
most to him that you did is surprised him at
his going away party with the Timberwolves. I don't know
if you remember doing that, but that meant a lot
to him. Kay, Holland Is is one of the rare
people that I call family. I don't know if y'all
even know this, but him and he and m him
and Trent Tucker used to do the Timberwolves games and
he's the one that actually gave me the big team

(32:30):
you want to, actually gave me that. And I thought
he was hide on herbs or drunk at the time
when he made it. It wasn't like the best, but
when he explained on what it meant, I was like, Okay,
I can feel that. I can feel that. Bet Kevin Harden,
Kevin Holland has always had the greatest energy to do

(32:50):
sports and he's always he should have been a he
should have been a musician, the way he can freestyle
and just think of it right or he's so witty
and I look at people like Kaha and Stewart Scott
asked like trends sitters of that category and and it
just remember I remember him telling me that you went

(33:12):
into network or something in Orlando, that you have to
have backed the big job, and how exciting you was
and that you had grown up and you had got graduate.
We had like a full grown conversation almost like I
was just like, you know, congrats to you and all that. So, man,
it's great to see you. It's great to see where
you are, and man, the journey that's really nice. Feel

(33:36):
like super deep old Yeah yeah, do you may like turtle,
but remember you go further back with me, but I
actually want to start with your rookie year because my
my dad was then telling me, he said, you know
how rare. It was coming into the league teenager, and
that the Timberwolves try to make you as comfortable as possible,
and they try to make the transition easy by letting

(33:57):
you bring some friends along on the charter. And I
think one time getting you McDonald's like, what do you
remember about that first year? Oh man, My first year
was probably the most memorable because it was of one
of one. Everything that I was doing they had never
let players do up until that point. I was young.
I couldn't. I had like a circle. Uh well, I

(34:20):
put like I say, a box. I'll say I put
myself in the but I was in like a box
of just certain stuff that I can only do. And
it felt like that when I was actually out of
town and the you know, the team gets ready to
go somewhere and watch the game. They go to like
a strip club or something. I wasn't able to get
into the strip club because they served alcohol or they

(34:40):
need to go to a bar. So the continuity of
me being with teammates kind of went out the window
very quick. So Kevin McKale was like, well, we do
team functions, but when the guys go be guys, you know,
you need your friends so maybe you can bring a
couple of your friends. Now. I was like, huh, And
it actually helped. It helped to have people around you

(35:01):
that actually knows you and you know, kind of knows
your habits. My friends quickly saw and had to experience
the NBA life, you know themselves. When we had to
get up and catch buses. They had to be on
those buses. Uh uh. When we had to leave cities
and they had to be on the first and second bus,
they had to be on the second bus. They had
to see it in certain seats on the plane. It

(35:21):
was it was like they fought the team. After the
second road trip, they couldn't get them to go. It's
actually you know, it was too It was so work
And I was like, yeah, yeah, weapon in my life,
you know, but I think the timber was for that man.
It helped, It helped. It helped the transition a little
more to be a little more simple, not easy, because

(35:43):
you still have to travel, but you still have to perform,
you still have to prepare. It's still a structure still,
you know. But that then there's basketball, so you know,
you get it and this is what you want to do. Um.
So it was like we were seeing every city in
this best form that we can see it, and we
took advantage of it. We would all go to see
some of the monumental stuff that probably I wouldn't have
done if I couldn't get into some of those bars

(36:05):
and stuff. But it help, it helped, It helped grow me.
Is the point I'm getting that I actually think that's
a better version than Entourage was, because that's a lot
what Entourage was like bringing your friends along and experiencing that.
Has anyone ever approached you, and look, we obviously know
you have like a bigger acting career than I do
at this point, as everyone ever approached you about, you know,
dramatizing that on screen. That would be a great even

(36:27):
like a one year like just thinking about because I'm
always fascinated with, you know, pro athletes in the amount
of when you talk about road trips, we the fans
don't know what you're packing, where you're sleeping, what you're eating,
We don't know. We just know you guys are there
when the game shows up. So I'm always interested in
how that part of being a professional athlete works. That's

(36:47):
a great would be great as a shell, you know,
you know, how Hollywood is funny if finnicky, it's about
you know who who whoo who you're able to put
that in front of and who believes in that vision.
And then too, everything gets rated by Probably Entourage can
to be better than Entourage, and Entourage just kind of
the bar too, if I'm being frank, But yeah, I

(37:08):
would say something like that where it would definitely make
for great TV bothers of something, But then an Entourage,
you know what I'm saying. Entourage is like, uh, in
depth kind of It was insight for the first time
to see how you know actors and you know people
that are in film when they have a crew and
how they do it. It's very similar in the in

(37:28):
the sports world. You know, everybody's sports world. You got homies,
you got you got you got functions, you gotta go
to your boys, gotta kind of act a certain way
in those functions. You know, you get embarrassed. It's a bunch.
So I actually connected with Entourage, like Entourage was speaking
to me like what the are they in here? What?
Hold on? I'm not having some of those same episodes.

(37:50):
Hold on, Oh my god, Turtle was actually bugging over
here is are and so it really was talking to me, Yeah,
something like that. I haven't been as about that, but
that would be like never be, that would be heaven TV.
If I if I'm being we got to talk about
that because I just I just saw the whole season.

(38:11):
Just imagine like nineteen year old kids having to catch
like a team bus to a plane to an arena
like that. That's a show to me that I would
watch that in a minute the way you just laid
it out. Listen a lot of the episodes. A lot
of episodes wasn't even during the games. You know, the
games is the easiest part of the NBA. If I'm
being frank, practice and you're prepared, it's the other twenty

(38:33):
twenty hours you got of time to yourself to find sleep,
to find you know, social time to to get rest,
and it's it's just a ship show. If I'm being frank,
it's it's it's it's an absolute ship show. But you
figured out, you know, you're living and learn you want
to actually make your mistakes when you're younger. I never
I'm not a trouble maker. I didn't really get into

(38:53):
a lot of trouble. I didn't really one one of
these kids that was going to you know, go out
and get caught drunk or be drink driving or you
know some other joints. But I wrote with a deep
crew from the hood, you know, things funny. But you know,
I was huge on being the bigger person, especially when
we went out. I was big on creating my own

(39:15):
abeyance and creating my own space to be able to
create um. So it wasn't you know, even though you
have run ins with other people and other selebts and
stuff like that, always group of cool head. Always make
sure my my crew kept a cool head. And uh,
we knew while we were out it wasn't just you know,
out just to be out. Sometimes we knew what we
was going to be out. It was gonna have fun.
Just how long we will be out there wet. So

(39:37):
you know, it sounds good and it sounds like it's perfect,
but now you know you have episodes in which it
doesn't all like that. But yeah, we're fortunate. Yeah, I mean,
it's got to be a lot for a teenager to handle.
So with that being said, do you think the NBA
should allow players coming out of high school? My my
philosophy on that is that if you're able to make
an NBA team, just like if you're able to uh

(40:00):
cash for a role and make that role and be
able to be that than yeah, you should have the
opportunity to chase that dream or be able to perform
or be able to uh at least get a crack
at the job. If it's if it's in your heart,
or if it's something that you you know you want
to do. I'm all four kids coming out of high school.
I actually think it's better if you ask me you

(40:20):
you you you you. You learn so much in these
ranks of basketball and I and I didn't get to
go collegian I didn't go to collegian route. But collegian
routes comes with a bunch of additives too, and it
has a bunch of great purposes and where players have
went four years of school and gotten better that way.
I'm more on hand learning, Like if you show me

(40:42):
something one or two times, I can remember it. I
can see how I do certain stuff. And you know,
I see a lot of kids come from college create
a lot of bad habits for themselves. And not to say,
you know, to whose his own obviously, but for me,
I created habits within the league. In the league habits,
I learned how to be a professional from professionals. I
learned how to carry myself in a certain way because

(41:05):
of the lifestyle and stuff that I was being embedded to.
And it was teaching me how to be with a
bunch of professionals around me, speaking professional, use a certain
uh language, not so much slang. You're gonna start to
actually endure something that yourself. So I'd like to think
that come into the league actually helped me be a
better professional. I was already a worker. I was already

(41:25):
a person who would get down and get gritting and
worked really hard. I didn't care about how long I
had to work. I come from a working background. I
come from a working family. My mom was a solid
so you know, I had examples. So a lot of
it was just for me just downloading understand these plays
you got like a playbook. A playbook in the league
is about this thick and you gotta know it, and
you gotta know where you' pupposed to be at, and

(41:46):
if you've got to play another position, you gotta know that.
So it just it was a bunch of downloading the particulars.
When it came to the game. That was kind of
the biggest obstacles for me, plus to travel. Everybody struggles
with the travel back to backs and then being n
injury and just playing. But no, it was basketball, so
I didn't care what it was. I'll play in the
middle of of Late Minnatonka Frozen Lake if I had too.

(42:09):
But um, yeah, you know, when you love something you
don't you don't really care. I think the kids should
have an opportunity to be able to come out of
high school at Theayble too simply playing. So I want
to fast forward too far because we're talking about the
nineteen year old version. But last year, you know, seventy anniversary,
seventy players on the court, pretty remarkable to say. I'm
watching it with my buddies and we're like looking at

(42:30):
all you and obviously we're just like wow, what And
then we're starting to think, like, who do you think
wants to like lace him up the worst right now
and just go at it. And I feel like I'm
just watching and look at your guys faces. You were
definitely like top three of like oh KG. I just
feel like he's just always ready. He's just always ready
if he needs, like He's just always ready. You know what, man,
it wasn't even that I was in a bliss and

(42:51):
I got caught just being like in the awe of it,
and I kind of just sat back and just kind
of took a deep breath and just woo side. It
was kind of surreal. And when we all got like
a confined ruining, the story start going. And then he
comes to come, he comes to chatter, and then well
and the Jackets get to come into off and you know,

(43:11):
I did you like this? Good? Jordan's coming here? Shut
everybody up because he's not. Damn everybody in the room
and young, middle and old, like, it's just it was.
The fraternity is a real fraternity, and uh it was.
I'm blessed to be part of it. And yeah, listen,
you're very matter of fact. You're one accurate when it

(43:34):
comes to the get know. Sometimes when I'm in New
York and I'm walking past west Forth or I'm like
near Court or something, I'm looking there, I'll stop and
I'll just gaze into the cage a little bit and
let me keep going. I got something i gotta do.
But yeah, listen, i think I'm gonna always have a
competitive spirit in me. Man. Let's just part of my
makeup and part of me loving to see uh yeah

(43:56):
while I'm at because young boys think they're nice, you know,
young kids. I think thettle moves and all that. The
other day, not the other day, but probably like two
thousand seventeen on somewhere in Minnesota, was braining. The little
cue was outside shoes and I stopped at to stop
sign kind of you know, plus the the neighborhood. So
I stopped. Let the car runner jumped out and uh,
I said, let me get a shot and said, oh

(44:18):
my god. I said check. He says, yeah, check. I
checked him up. I kept out in the car. I
let him get a shot off. He mission when I
checked it back up and went around, boom, keep working
on your game, and ran right to the car. Just
took up, you know, I said, you know, just yeah, yeah,

(44:38):
you know, you gotta get None of his friends believe
that story when he told that, So now he has proof. Listen,
I had to. I had to check the street and
see what street I was on, just so I can
double back on this block. Check on his game, see
how he's doing his game, and see how it's going. Yeah,
you already. K what was the player that was easiest

(44:59):
to get in their head? And who was the player
who was hardest to get in their head? Uh? Player
easiest to get in their heads? I can't say the easiest,
but someone who was ready to talk and laugh like, um, yeah,
Zach Randolph was always ready to talk trash. He was already.
He was always ready to bear fight and J Blanche

(45:22):
just get out of d C. He was. He didn't start,
but man, he was. He He was a talker. He
loved the because the talk actually encourages it and boost
you know what I'm saying. Timmy D, by far, Timmy
D was probably the hardest to be able to uh.
I call him antis. You know, when you're talking trash.
Sometimes to talk trash and just naturally come and just

(45:44):
you know, the bumping of of playing and talking, you
know all this. But a lot of times the trash
talking wasn't even trash talking was for myself. It was
for me talking to myself and just in my own
zone and trying to get myself going and might do right. Um,
you know, and then you know someone you know intervenes
or comes in between that, then you know that's interaction

(46:06):
but you know, every night it was different. You know,
if I'm being honest, some some nights you wouldn't even
have conversation that you know you play or be doing
on the talking um. But you know, when when when
I'm probably at my best or whatever, I'm probably the
hurt and not as um physical as I want to
be or as one hundred as I want to be

(46:28):
a lot of times when I'm when when when I'm
in a groove, it's because I was lacking something and
it made me focus on something. The times where I
had a bunch of energy and I was feeling great
in all this if some of the worst nights I
shot the ball, I was just super super gas, couldn't
focus whatever it was. But I never I've always found myself.
Then when I'm kind of like, uh, I don't even know,

(46:49):
when I'm kind of like handicapped a little bit, like
don't don't one of my knees is hurt on my
ankles really messed up or something that I know I
wouldn't have talked I would. I would. I would really
really being my head and I would really talk out loud,
And that's where you know it would be crossed on yeah,
you're talking trash out even really on my head, just
talking to myself, trying to get myself going. But yeah,
that's that's a that's a great question. But yeah, TD

(47:12):
and Tim Duncan and she was she would actually talk
back to me, you know what I'm saying. But he
was a whole another storm, So I wouldn't always want
to start that, you know what I'm saying. High level.
She was always high level and a lot of people
that know, man, he had a lot of different moves
that he only used one or two and that was
his arrogance. I'm not bringing a hood shot out on you,
but what you can't even block and anymore. But it

(47:35):
was always fun to play him. It was always fun
to uh being that interaction with him. Sometimes Timmy would
just let you talk the whole night, when't say two words.
He wouldn't give you the energy. And there's something I
see a laugh at you and make you feel like
you know, dirt and you know, really piss you off
a little more. So Yeah, I thought while I just
I just I just I started using that energy, uh

(47:56):
and and in other places. So but yeah, talking that's
just fun. That's a fun part of the game. It's fun,
but I try to tell like I obviously I'm a
big Knicks fan. I go to a lot of the
games when I can, and I watched the fan make
a mistake, Like there's just some players that I don't
know how you feel about. When the fans start chatter
and I think it was a Knicks thunder game, like
Hida Russ hid to Russell Westbrook and Knicks her up

(48:18):
by like twelve. Nicks weren't very good. Russ was kind
of having a rough game. As one fan starts john
with Russ and Russ starts talking back. I'm like, don't
do it, because you're only gonna fire this dude up.
And sure enough, Russ finished with forty eighteen and twelve
and they won by twelve points. And I'm just like,
that's a bad fan mistake. There's some players just gotta know,
like if he's having a bad game, just be quiet,

(48:40):
let that continue, don't don't say anything to him. Bad
mistake by fans, we call that. Waking the Dog is
a famous clip out of a guy named m J
and Vancouver. You can look this up. It's already MJ
and Vancouver, Vancouver Grizzlies expansion team, you know, don't have
a good record, or that being the Bulls by twenty

(49:02):
five going into the fourth quarter. The fans are up
there cheering on things, free yogurt, free donuts. It's all this,
you know what I'm saying, And um, then why am
I gonna blank on Derricks? And I can't I'm going
blank on uh anyway, that's anyway. He's at the end
of the bench and he's talking trash to MJ. But
a lot of people don't know is that he was

(49:23):
just in Minnesota two weeks before that talking trash to MJ.
He had fifteen points in the first quarter. Man, he
came out cold and then m he just got to
start talking trash to MJ. MJ locked his ass up
and he didn't get another point out, didn't play no more,
ripped them head three straight uh ten second calls, couldn't
get the ball over like it was embarrassed. Dereck Martin,

(49:46):
Derek mar I don't know why I couldn't believe remember that,
But I'm saying this to say that he goes to Vancouver,
gets the trash talking to m J. MJ goes to
twenty one in the quarter comes back beats Man Cooper.
They cut them in and but it's it's a sad story.
The moral of the story is that when you actually

(50:07):
it's certain players that can actually take the trash talking
and go to another level and what we call waking
the dog. And Russell Russell Westbrook has that actually button
in that next level in him that he can go
and take a game over like that. And what fans
don't know is that first all fans, talking trash is

(50:29):
part of the game. I don't know where y'all come from,
but you know, if you ever go to a court
in New York, or you go to a court in Chicago,
even if you go to a court in South Carolina,
you know it's gonna be people they are watching and
they're gonna have something to say they got who they watching,
and it just goes like that. And uh, I always
said that you can choose to actually verbally talk back

(50:50):
or you can choose to ignore it. You know. The
first thing in talking trash that you gotta be able
to back it up, because you know, trash talking can
go left too, you know, but for the most part
of it being trash talk, it does encourage and it
can actually bring a second or take a player to
another level. And men and women too. This ain't just

(51:10):
God just women. Kennice Parker, Cheryl Swoops, these are these
are already documented as women that you've been trash talking.
Uh and these women go to another level when it
comes to performance. So you have to trash talking. It's
great for that and that's why he's there. And it's
nothing like shutting a fan up. Man. Ain't nothing like

(51:30):
shutting the fan up or shutting in the arena. Yeah, umster,
you got real quiet. Mster, you got real quiet on
the way out out the door. And it was a
long train ride home. I can remember his face. I
can remember the fans face if I and if I
saw him tomorrow, I'd say you should have never opened
up your mouth to Russell Westmin he was like two
for twelve. Just let him sleep walk. Maybe as dinner

(51:51):
plans after this, who knows, Just let it go. Yeah,
let me ask you a question, man, when the Knicks
gonna get that right? Well, you know, someone just released
like all the Knicks starting point guard since like oh eight,
and this is like no disrespect, but it's like there
hasn't been a point guard there. I think it's like
Charlie Ward Chris Child's era. So I think now that

(52:12):
we have a true a true true PG, someone who
could set the offense up, make big shots in the
fourth Derrick Rose. I shouldn't disclude that Derrick Rose two
years ago, even though he wasn't starting, Derrick Rose was
running that team when they were the four seed in
the East. So what happened to Kimball? What did kimber
walking worked there? Man? I just think that's that's knees.
I think I just think he physically wasn't there. You know,

(52:34):
I think if he was physically there, I just think
physically the knees weren't there. At least that's what every
Knick fan believes. I was hyped when he got Kimba Walker.
He's a New York guy too, you know I was.
I was hyped when we got Kimba. I wouldn't see
the Knicks have a great team like the Knicks. They
haven't played on Christmas in a long time. They haven't.
They haven't had they haven't had New York buzzes since

(52:56):
like Mellow, you know what I'm saying, Like, we need
the Knicks to have a great team for the NBA. Say,
you know, I really believe that these these monumental franchises
actually run some of the sports. Like can you imagine
if the Cowboys or if the Yankees was trashed, or
if the Ransaus was trashed? No, like, come on, man,
like certain teams, we we as fans, we actually expect

(53:20):
certain teams to have great team. I hate to say that,
I'm glad Brooklyn has a beautiful team, but man, if
that same team was was a Nick team, we thought
it was gonna be We did a lot of Nick
fans thought it was Durant Kyrie were coming to New York.
But anybody, anybody coming over the Dolan They nobody dealing

(53:40):
with Dolan that they did that joint to I wasn
gonna ask you, like helping me what sticks out to you?
I mean, I don't even know if you know you
even ever imagine yourself playing for the Knicks or just whatever.
And I know that you know, the Knicks throughout the
nineties and early two thousands were okay, had the finals
appearance in duncan wipe the floor them. But why do

(54:00):
you think they just haven't been there? You know, I
no longer believe the big free agent is coming to
New York until I see it, I don't. I just
don't think the Knicks stat is Brooklyn's a whole different story.
But you know it's even going on before the Charles
Oakley incident. That wasn't a good thing for yet, Like
you know, that wasn't cool for nothing, you know, and uh,

(54:21):
anybody knows. Oh no, he's he's he's Knicks all day
in his blood, you know what, it's in his heart,
and that was just unfortunate. But yeah, I don't know, man.
I mean, I like Julius Randall. Yeah, but then you
know he goes and shoes the crowd or do something.
I don't know, man, I don't. I don't even know, man.
I just think that y'all are one player away. You

(54:41):
just need that one. I think it's you, k I
think it's you. I think I think at least your
mentality listening. But man, if any superstar could come to
New York could just be or fourth of what he
thinks he can be, he's going to be on top
of the world. Because when you run New York, man,

(55:03):
you run it all. You know, Like if you're cracking
in New York. You're cracking the majority place, and not
just in America. I'm talking about universal man. You know,
if you can do it in New York, Man, you
can do it in a lot of places. Real ship,
I want to take it back to your Celtics days.
You brought it up, you bleed green. Um. A story
I've always wanted clarity on this so great, it's kind

(55:23):
of probably grown a bit with some time is from
the O eight season. After a February game against the
Lakers at Staples, Doc Rivers takes a hundred dollar bills
from every player and puts it underneath the ceiling tile.
You gotta walk me through that one. Has that story grown? Um,
it wasn't oh eight, it was it was we went

(55:43):
into oh eight, we go home conference finals m oh nine,
the Lakers winning, and then meet back up with the Lakers.
Oh tim, But when we started off the year, we
didn't start off with the greatest start. Came out you know,
whatever have or whoever. And um, we play the Lakers
in l A and Doc comes in. He says, I

(56:04):
want everybody to give me a hundred dollars why looking
like looking at people looking around, God damnit, pull out
a hundred dollars. Everybody dock on the coffee this morning,
like you know, verybody's pulling out. Johnny Joe, who's the
equipment manage, goes around. He's grabbing all of it. So
as he's grabbing it, you see that it's starting to accumulate.

(56:27):
It's like maybe thirty people in this room. You know,
with with coaches, players, you got I mean this thing,
you got fifteen players right, then you got uh seven
eight coaches, then you got you know, your minions video guys,
you know, to help everybody around trainers. So altogether, like
thirty people, he gets a hundred dollars from every person here.

(56:48):
Some of the guys like, so you know, we're putting
up money. Long story short, He gets it, so we
see it's about like this. So like takes a chair,
takes the ceiling and removes the ceiling. So you know,
look at this before a game by the way too,
like what are you doing? Puts the money. He puts
it up there, and then he puts the ceiling back,
comes down. He gets out the chair. We're coming back

(57:10):
to get that money. So good, that's so great. We look,
he says, we're coming back to get that money, I said,
I'll be looking on doct it didn't even know. They
didn't even know, Like what if they don't go to
the fund? Right? Wait, we are in the Staples Center,
like what So I'm thinking thinking, like, man, Yoe, I

(57:31):
need to start pushing this ceiling back seeing what's up here.
Idiots like this putting money up here, thinking that it's
gonna be here. So I was like, I was up
poin him, like this man got tripping, and he was like,
if you don't believe, get out, because we're coming back
here and we're gonna be back here and we're gonna

(57:52):
beat this team for the championship. We're gonna get our
second ring. Get here. Kind of okay, we're here, you know.
And he said it real mark with the keening, like
with his chest like really like I have a dream,
like you know, and you felt it. And we beat
the Lakers. We left, and so they were surely we
started getting better and better. Playoffs coming open up, and

(58:15):
we get better and better, comfaence find and better, and
next thing you know, we're in the finals. The first
day we have shoot around, we get back the first
thing he did, we get in here and he's like, look,
he pulled the money. It had wells, it had bullet
he had like like somebody had been giving off the money.
We was like, we're gonna wein this now. Listen, listen.

(58:45):
I was all in when he said we. When I
saw the money there, I believe. I believe right and
then and they're like, you know what. Unfortunately we went
seven games and came up short and didn't win. But
Doc Rivers was a different level of confidence. He was
a stimulator and he knew how to play the mind
games to get you not only not only locked into

(59:08):
what he was talking about, but to be able to
see his visions what he was talking about. Truly, truly
one one of the best coaches I've had in my life.
On in h He's stick in l a for one
second before we let you go, because I read this
story a while ago and it has like quotes from you,
but wasn't able to like tell Mike, is this real coming?
Like you wanted to play with Kobe before you went

(59:30):
to Boston? Is that a real story? Uh? That wrong? No,
that's a real story. Before I made a decision, I
had to before I made a decision to leave Minnesota,
I wanted to actually understand like my whole play, like
one of my options, what's real, what's not real. And
then it got to a point where I had three

(59:52):
places and it was Phoenix l A in Boston, and
I had called Steve Nash, and Steve Nash had obviously
talked to Sarver who was the head of Phoenix, and
he was just telling me about all this reconfiguring and yeah,
things are not gonna be like this, and I'm gonna
need you to do this and pay cuts and all
this stuff. And once a lot a ton like just

(01:00:15):
coming in Like I didn't even like what the hell,
So I was like, oh, that's a lot to start.
So I kind of crossed them off, and then um,
it was down to Boston in l A. And um,
I wanted to talk to Code and I think he
was in China at the time doing like something for
Nike or his tour or something, and uh, you know,
I had to make some decisions, so you know, I
just put a couple of cars into it and just

(01:00:37):
you know, gave me respects to you know, he's on
his schedule. And then I talked to Chauncey and t
Loup Toronto, Loup, who was personal friends of mine, and
they just had been two different teams that had a
little more seasoning about movement of players and just you know,
gave me some some of their trials and tribulations about
their travels in the league and how things went. And

(01:00:58):
then with that, as we did that, Ray gets traded
to Boston on on Draft night, and that changed a lot. Like,
you know, I wanted to come play with Cob obviously
because we were friends, real friends, and then but I
couldn't actually get in contact with him and it was
just taking so long to be able to have a
conversation with him. I had to make a decision, you know.

(01:01:19):
I know Ray, I knew Paul, and I knew what
their work ethics was like. And I was sitting up
and think, like, am I going to get two better
players than this, especially at the guard forward position, Like like, oh, like, man,
you know, to get something other than that. I don't
know if I could get them both. So I looked
at the Boston opportunity is probably my best opportunity just
playing with other grades that was that could just make

(01:01:41):
me better. And then not even understanding that they had
guys like t A, they had Kinder Perkins, they had
a young Ray Gean Rondo, they had young uh, big
baby that they got from the draft and Leon Poe
and just good pieces that actually you can actually grow
into it to be there for the following years. So
looked at it like it was a bigger and probably

(01:02:02):
longevity play with Boston, and I had to make the decision.
But yeah, I wanted to play with Code and Uh,
I think we played the first time we played each
other after I had got to Boston. I think it
was either Christmas or something. And he's like, man, why
you called me? And I was like, man, that ship
you kind of see my face. I'm like this on
the feet through line. They don't want to hear that ship.

(01:02:23):
And he's like, man, what were you calling? I was like, man, stop,
you got you saw my message? Your bodyguard, your security
they told you. I know they didn't. It was a
chain of man, man, hold on. He wanted to have
the conversation right there. I was. I was like, hey,
this it's over, man. Yeah, when you want, yes, I
did you know. I ain't gonna tell me what I'm wanted.

(01:02:44):
I tried. I chased you do what you want me
to do? What means should come to I mean, selfishly,
as a fan, I would have loved to have watched
you guys play. But then the flip side to that
is watching you to play against each other absolutely, like
I think that's you know, he gets how It's like,
I don't even know if fans were ready for, like,
oh my god, KG and Kobe are gonna play together,

(01:03:05):
because that wasn't really happening like that back then. But
then you go and you p you know, I just
think it was a great those finals. Like to me,
that was such an influential time. That's some high level
basketball for me as a fan watching. You know, back then, man,
you was you were so prone to wanting to do things.
You one of the things that happen as they were happening,

(01:03:25):
and we were all growing at the same time. I
met covid uh where he was right before he came
out and excuse me ninety six in Philly when he
came and saw me play against the seventy six is
our last game, and we had a conversation and we
was friends ever since. So we both were coming from

(01:03:45):
the high school ranks of wanting to be the next
and having all this you know this, this desire, in
this passion of in this vision. Like we sat, we talked.
I think one time we both messed our ankles up
and we had to get treatment in the same little whirlpool.
And this is when they played in the forum and
we had a deep conversation there. And he was similar

(01:04:06):
to Pete he he he and I connected like how
p and I connect. You know, how he would approach
some things. Some people might look at him like he
was kind of odd. I didn't see none of that.
Actually was was very parallel with how he looked at
some things. Um he was. He was a more of
a less trusting person than that than I was. I
was a little more trusting of teammates. Cod with a

(01:04:29):
little more um in tune with his own game and
what he thought he brought to the game. Just having
a big personality and being able to have a crazy
work ethic and and have a crazier vision for himself.
You know, to shoot three straight air balls in a
major game. It's not only balls, he but it's it

(01:04:51):
says something about how you see yourself. And then to
fail and to be criticized and people come at you like, man,
you're the reason we're losing it, did it is? You
ain't passing it? And he just stayed, of course, to
what he thought and what he saw for himself. So
you know, it was we always saw each other in
the summers, you know, the U c l A, the

(01:05:11):
l m U runs were never less than uh magical.
Um the times in which we actually interacted was it
was always just as magical. And uh any time I
was there for his first All Star Game, when we
when he started in New York, and it was the
first and last time I saw him nervous, And every

(01:05:32):
time I saw him, I would always bring it up.
And then you know how nervous it was in New York.
He was all nervous, Mike knowing I was nervous, but
I was on some funk that we're gonna go out
here were the young bulls, we next, all these old
heads they for to come off. They feel just gonna
be All League. Now. I was on that, and I
was definitely, Hey, look I'm coming from you. Look for me.

(01:05:53):
When we get out here, I'm throwing it. Don't be shocked,
I'm throwing it in the first I think first second
fast break we had. It came to me and I
think I looked down and dribbled and I threw it
and he win got it. It was the pastor God.
He caught that mom of a two hand. He caught
that ship two hands, and that was kind of That
was kind of me and cold Man. It was always
locked in. We've always had a vision. It was always tenacious.

(01:06:16):
We always played hard, and we always wanted to win.
I can always respect thing for that. You know what
I'm saying. It's crazy that bro don't even feel like
you know what I'm saying. No, that that that still
won't feel the whole thing will feel real. You know,
there's another kind of amazing connection, right like your m
v P in two thousand four, you played all a

(01:06:38):
D two. I think the last player to win m
v P and play all a D two with Kobe.
You know, so you got It's only a five year period,
but I don't think anyone in between you and Kobe's
MVP also played a D two. I think there was
a few seven Dirt played, like seventy eight something like that.
But and that's something I don't think we'll ever see
another m v P playing all a D two Load

(01:07:00):
Manager and all that. Like certainly understanding like the physical
aspects of it. I don't know. I just how do
you look at that, like with your career, Like could
you have benefited at all? Sure physically, but like mentally
it's like, all right, KG, you're gonna play seventy this year.
We're gonna get when you have seventy from you, we're
gonna rush your body. You get paid for eighty two.
They pay you for eighty two. They pay you for
ten extibition games to pay you for the playoffs. Don't

(01:07:23):
pay you to play seventy. They pay you to play
eighty two. You understand it. Then let's saying something about
you on both sides of the ball. You know what
kind of stammering you gotta be. You know what kind
of the shape you gotta be. You know it's gotta
be in your heart to play ady two. You know,
fucking trainer, Sit me down, shut your grass up, be
the trainer, take the ankles and move. Have this equipment

(01:07:44):
out here. Bro, let me go out here and be great.
Let me show you I can work through this. It
says a lot man, where you can actually perform and
you're not at or you're not at your best. Or
you're not physically at your best, but mentally I thought
that I was just a show and just as strong
as anybody in this league to be able to prepare
myself and to play against anybody. I don't care what

(01:08:07):
it was. If I had if I could walk, I
was good. And you know, I just we just carried
it different, you know what I'm saying, Like these kids
now look at it different. You know, we just carried
that whole thing different. You know, to play eighty two games,
I think in a stamer like fifteen years, I missed
like four games or something, and I think two of
those is I was sick, one I got suspended, and

(01:08:28):
another I don't even remember. But to play any two
games just to say something about your stamming and who
you were as a player. And that's on both sides
of the ball. Ain't talking about taking a break going down.
I'm talking about guarding the other team's best player and
then going down here being the best player on your
team scoring the ball. Yeah. That's yeah, that's swag within itself.
That's enough set. That's to drop the mic. You ain't

(01:08:48):
even gotta talk on that. That's talking for itself. Film.
I've got to ask before we let you go, how
tall are you really? Because but you gotta be sating.
He ain't gonna say. He's not gonna say, listen, my
shoes off, socks one as in all, I am six

(01:09:12):
eleven and a half not seven ft. Yeah, and I'm
but you can't keep blind about this. I think it's
widely accepted that you are seven ft. He's not seven ft.
I'm with KG on this one, Olivia. He's not said,
that's a six eleven and a half her, thank you.
And when they go and when you go to physicals,

(01:09:33):
I think they make you take your shoes off and
you shrink as you get older. You shrink as you
get you might six and three quarters. So last thing
I gotta ask you. Your Celtics squad is a favorite
twin at all? They look great. What did you learn
about them from watching them this week or maybe some

(01:09:54):
competition they may face. Listen, Um, I had a big
question mark with the with the sell just because I
didn't know how they were going to react to or
respond to, you know, all the stuff that's been going
on with the latest with the head coach and just
you know, just being a huge distraction or the potential
of something being a huge distraction. UM watching them play

(01:10:16):
last night, they looked like they were playing I want
to say angry, but they looked like they had a
chip on their shoulder. I actually thought this year, with
what the seventies sixers did with a lot of movement
and additions to their team, actually got better on paper.
But when I watched last night the ball stuff, you know,
they went to and beat a lot, They went to

(01:10:38):
James Harden a lot. James hard went to one man
basketball as Austin kind of like ten to twelve seconds
with the with the shot clock, and I didn't feel
like they got enough possessions. I watched the I watched
the Celtics have not only uh a rapid pace, but
then I'm I'm watching their death. I'm watching Brocken come
off the bench. I'm watching the different combinations of what

(01:11:01):
it can be when Rob Williams comes back. And yeah,
I didn't take it, and I didn't like, you need
to see something first, and yeah I took I took
the seventy sixers out of that. I don't think they're
playing fast enough or I don't think they're paces where
I think it needs to be to be able to
play in this league. But I'm not a coach. I
don't suit up and get it ready every night for this.
I'm just observation and just seeing what I see. But

(01:11:23):
I didn't see the young Maxie, who I love Terrris
Maxie for the Sixers. When I see them up and down,
he's a problem that he's a problem for every team.
And last night he was just it was just basic.
He he didn't really and and he didn't really have
an influence on the game like I know of him
to be. And yeah, I was a bit shocked. So, um,

(01:11:44):
I didn't know that the Celticists were gonna come off
with that chip on their shoulder like that. They was
playing angry and then they get seventy points from your superstars,
like yeah, that made me. That made me not only apologize,
but I had to put them on my top four
after seeing that, because uh, you know, on paper, everybody
is good until you have to play. So yeah, but

(01:12:05):
the Celtics look like they're determined, and I hope that
they continue to play with that determination, and I hope
that determination carries them back to the finals to get
to get a rematch. Man we have so much more.
We'd like to ask you, but we gotta let you go.
But yeah, really great of you to share your time.
Thank you, it's all good man, Uh, Jerry Olivia. I
want to say congratulations man. You know, shout to always

(01:12:28):
we always got to show them some love. Yes, shout
to my dog him over there and everybody. But congratulations
on your joint. Man. Let me know you ever need
something from me. Man, we jump back on here and
talk it up, and we gotta get you on my
joint KG certified when you guys get a chance, all right, Yes,
and you're gonna get a call about the nineteen year
old entourage of you. Uh, that should be a show

(01:12:49):
and together. Then that's that's what I'm saying. We gotta
we gotta make that happen. And uh and yeah, I
look forward to what movie you're gonna pop up in
next as your IMDb continues to grow. So thank you
very much. Appreciate it, appreciate it. Man. Let me tell
your father I said, hello, man, thanks big ticket, take care,
I'll talk to you all later morning. Well, congratspeet. We

(01:13:31):
sure ms last week. I gotta say though, in your absence,
Darry did pretty good and I actually got a lot
of people on Twitter telling me they're winning with Jerry's picks.
So I don't know what do you have to say
for yourself, Mr Ferrara, I took pizza on the hot
seat now this week, but I do like him coming
in with Like I said that, he's a new guy,
new man, started a new chapter in his life. I

(01:13:51):
said it last time he was on. This is a
new chapter in this segment. So Pete, where's your mind
at going into this week? It's a tricky week. It's
a tricky week. So let's you got your ten units
as always? How you spreading them out this week? Yeah,
there's only one good reason or one good thing about
not being on the show last week. I had no
losing picks. So we're we're starting from scratch. Like you said,

(01:14:13):
married man, Um, this is a tricky week. There's some
I think we called it some shady lines a couple
of weeks ago. I see a lot of that this week.
Couple of backups and a couple of questionable lines. We'll
start with Thursday. So, like you said, as as always
we do our ten units. I have two unlike most weeks,
Where do you want to have two units on this
O g P for Thursday night football. So it's Saints

(01:14:35):
at Cards. I love the Cards here minus two and
a half. I was going back and forth on money line.
I think you take the value with the two and
a half points on the Saint side. Camar to score
in any time touchdown obviously focal point of their offense
still with Michael Thomas banged up, just a lot of
inconsistency around quarterback, so I like Camara twenty yards receiving
any any time touchdown and then return of DeAndre Hopkins,

(01:14:59):
uh the start of the Robbie Anderson era at receiver too,
with with Hollywood out, so I think this is a
new dynamic to the team. Obviously Tyler, Cliff Kingsbury, everybody
have been really struggling. I think this is that kind
of breath of energy that they've needed. So the four
of those things plus, like I said, two units on

(01:15:21):
that UM so a nice little pay day hundred sixty
five dollars plus plus your steak. So really like that tomorrow.
We're not getting too crazy, but I think really good
odds there. Yeah, I really you got to imagine they're
getting the red zone there at the very least throwing
fades to Hopkins. Right, even if he's not the big,
you know, vertical threat that he once was, coming back,
you gotta imagine that. I can't believe Kamara is only

(01:15:42):
over twenty receiving yards. That almost seems wrong. That's fantastic.
I know you're gonna hit one of these. I just
want to be around when you do, so I think
this one might be okay. So you got eight units left. Yeah,
so I'm going four and four on the last to
the first one. Titans minus two and a half against
the Olds. This line makes zero sense to me. That

(01:16:03):
kind of scares me a little bit. But seven point
win a couple of weeks ago. I think they played
on October two, um, and this was amidst the Titans
not looking great one and two at the time. I
think they've obviously turned the corner first place team. Now,
if Taylor plays, that's a big question mark. He's obviously
been banged up for a couple of weeks. I think
he's slated to play. He had twenty attempts for forty

(01:16:23):
two yards against this Titans defense a couple weeks ago.
He has not been himself. Uh, that team like I said,
all over the place, Matt Ryan last week threw something
like fifty eight or sixty times. There is never a
good recipe when you have probably the best running back
in the league and you're throwing sixty times. So if
that happens this week with Taylor in, I think this
could be a blowout. So Titans at home minus two

(01:16:45):
and a half four units and obviously minus one ten there.
I love that one. I do think Matt Ryan's over
under past attempt should always be less than his age.
I think if he starts throwing more past attempts than
his age, I think you are Although they did find something,
but I do I do like that. Okay, you got
four units left, and I think you're about to really
speak my language here. Yeah, So we talked about this.

(01:17:05):
I always, you know, every year, I go in and
kind of feel out the first three or four weeks
of the season where the lines are at. It's been
a really, really good year for the book. But there
are some fishy, fishy lines this week. So I've done
a three team teaser, um and near, accidentally, near, and
dear to your guy's hearts. So Giants, these are all
six point teasers. By the way, so Giants plus nine,

(01:17:27):
Packers plus one and a half and the Jets plus seven.
So Giants on the road in Jacksonville, who have not
been a good home team. The Giants are on fire.
This line didn't make sense to me as they were
plus three on the true line. I think they obviously
come come in and win out right. Brian Dabble has
been everything that every Giants fan I think is hoped for.
The team is overperforming probably in every dimension. Danny Done

(01:17:50):
is doing what he needs to do, take Juan somewhat
back to his healthy self, and then Jacksonville on the
other side. Weird team to me, I'd never know what
they're doing at run back with et Tiana Robinson. I
think they're still that in between team making strides with
Trevor Lawrence. But I see Giants coming in out right.
I could see this being a home game for them too,
with with a lot of travel and g Man fans.

(01:18:11):
The second one the Packers plus one and a half.
Another weird line at the Commanders. Taylor Heineke quarterback with
Carson went south four to six weeks. This actually might
be better for the Commanders Tannicky Um but Olivia's pack
are coming off too, pretty pretty crappy losses, so I
think they have to write the ship a little bit.

(01:18:31):
I think Bucks are in a similar sense, where um,
you gotta kind of get back to where you're supposed
to be. I think there are three and three right now,
so I think this is the start of it. Not
so good Washington Commander's team. So Olivia definitely uh Packers
win this game. And I protected myself at that extra
point there. And then the Jets at the Broncos, I

(01:18:53):
mean another week that the Broncos offense just looked awful.
I mean I saw a meme of Russell Wilson throwing
with his helmet upside down, where that's seemingly what it
looks like where he's just blindfolded when he's throwing the ball.
They're all over the place. And again Jet's another team
that are just in the right direction. They have the
favorite for offensive Rookie of the Year and the favorite

(01:19:15):
for defensive Rookie of the Year with Brees Hall sofce
Garden respect now, he is the favorite as of a
couple of days ago. So you've got to ride the
young guys. Zach Wilson's doing enough on that team, I
think too to keep them in a in a good
position obviously buying the bills. But um, they're doing enough.

(01:19:35):
I think you're going to see a lot more of
Garrett Wilson with Zach Wilson. That kind of connection will
continue to improve, like it did with lack of the
first couple of weeks. So this whole teaser together, for
those of you that don't know what a teaser is,
essentially we're just adding points to each respective team. So
I added six points in favor of each of those teams,
so they're protected a bit. So it's plus one forty,

(01:19:56):
so it's fifty to win once twenty. I really like
this one. Like I said, I can see all three
of these teams went out right, but you're protected by
a couple of points, so even if there is that
last minute upset, you're probably still covered. That's a good one.
I like that. I like that. Jerry, are you on
it with the Giants and Jets especially? Uh, you know,
I'm on it. I do like it, um, and even

(01:20:16):
like to his point about moving the packers, like even
crossing the zero line into that one and a half.
That's just extra protection really in case it's uh they lose.
If they do lose your bet that they're gonna lose
by one, I'm looking both New York teams and a
teaser that always scares me only but that's emotional stuff
for me. It has nothing to do with lines and
numbers with Pete is a lot better at than I am.

(01:20:37):
So I do, I do, And anytime you could, you're
essentially getting plus odds and you're getting six points, like
it's it's a no brainer. I would definitely follow that
one too. But I really still I love your your
parlay the most of all these. But I think you
have a really strong card right now. Absolutely, And we're
getting into a really fun time this week. So Thursday,

(01:20:59):
when this sports equinox, you have MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL
all on throughout the course of one day, which is crazy.
And then, similar to last, is it too much? Pete?
Is it too much? Jerry thinks it's too much if
you're in the bed MGM office and you have with
the near when you're with two screaming kids at seven

(01:21:20):
o'clock who both want food, they both want to eat
Apple Jack's for dinner. It's a problem. Yeah, yeah, that
makes sense. And but then Sunday, similar to last week,
you have Yanks, Giants, Jets all playing. I think that
Parlay would have hit for like one if you bet
on all three teams to win. Maybe that's a little
extra if you're a Yanks fan like me, like me
and Jerry, maybe you you sprink a little on there.

(01:21:42):
But it's gonna be an awesome weekend for sure. Well yeah, Pete,
it's great to have you back. We missed you. Uh
and I really do believe that this is started. Not
only did you start a new chapter of your life,
which is fantastic, I think you started a new chapter
on Unleashed this week. Well, I have a fan of
you two, and we got to get that Unleashed family
dinner on the book. So Pete, thanks again for joining us.

(01:22:04):
Congratulations my man, Thanks guys later later, Pete. M all right, Olivia,
I think that's gonna do it. One of my favorite shows.
I loved them all but back, we just got to
talk to Kevin Garnett. Uh yeah, I one of my

(01:22:27):
favorite interviews we've done. And welcome basketball back everybody. But
we're still we're still, we're still loving you. Football. We
still can't quit you, so thank you everybody for listening.
And uh yeah, good luck this weekend, everybody, good luck. Yeah, yeah,
it's gonna be great. Next week. We got Andre Reid.
We can ask him about his bills. What he thinks
they're sailing is this year, it's going to be a

(01:22:47):
good one next week, all right, take care everyone,

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