April 28, 2025 • 17 mins
Pistons legend and world champion Rick Mahorn joins the show to react to the Pistons' controversial Game 4 loss to the Knicks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Been looking forward to this for a long time.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
My friend Rick Mahorn does a great job with the
Pistons radio broadcast and on NBA Radio as well. Has
done it for Big ten and done it for Westwood
One as well. An eighteen year veteran, now joins us
here on Exus and Bros. How are you, my friend?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I'm good? Oil can what's gone on?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I'm doing all right. We're a lot of gel in
the hair, folks. It looks oily, thus the oil can
I get it?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
No, No, you look good man. I just like you know,
people don't know the little names I would give you
when we were on the road. It was you know,
it's always good. It was great friendship, and it's always
going to be great friendship. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I missed those times, and I appreciate that very much.
You and I used to do a TV a radio
show together on a weekly basis, and I remember somebody
saying to me one time, they.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Go, man, you're so lucky you got Rick Mhorne as
a friend.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I said, Rix Verhorn has more friends than I'll ever
know growing up and playing in college and playing in
the pros. I can't say that, you know, I'm his friend.
But he is mine, that's for sure. And I've always
respected you.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
You are my friend, man, I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
If you didn't have my number, I probably wouldn't wouldn't
be my friend.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
That's a good point. That's a good point. Well, I
hope you and your family are well.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Tell me before we get into the ending of yesterday,
I'd like to know that the challenges of overcoming a
three to one deficit for for basketball players at the NBA.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
You know, I don't think in my career I ever
been down three one. It's either been down one game
or you know, we or we even But you know,
it's kind of rough, especially when you have a young
team like the Pistons, because you kind of take it
emotionally a little harder because it's like we're not getting
a fair chance. Why because we're young. Why because you
(01:54):
know we're not you know, we're not aggressive enough. We
had to deal with that with the Boston Celtic and
also the Lakers once we finally got to the mountaintop
and winning the championship. But I tell you, man, at
my first time in the playoffs, man, it was like
a whirlwind affair. In fact, we lost it as when
(02:15):
I played. We lost to the Celtics the first time
I went there, and I'll tell you right now, that
was one physical game back then, you know how it was.
It was like, okay, last man's standing. But this is
when I was with the Bullets before I got traded
to Detroit.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
You were on my favorite Pistons team of all time.
But it was the nineteen eighty seventeen I would argue
that was as good as any other Piston team out there,
just unfortunate circumstances. You had a bad back, you were injured,
the phantom call Lambier against Kareem Abdul Jabbar. That still
pisses me off to this day. Those are tough things.
(02:52):
Those are tough things to overcome. But you guys were
able to do that collectively. How were you able to
do that? How did you come together and say, you
know what, we can't let one game beat us another time,
or we can't let one year ruin the following year.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Well, the thing was, you know, Lambier, you know, very
vocal in not locker room and very direct, and said
that next time we need to have home court advantage,
especially when we lost to the Celtics in seven, and
back then it was like okay, and then when we
got to the finals and it was like we got
to have the best record. And each year that we
(03:29):
came in, we came in with a purpose. But I
think our practices really helped us as well. Chuck Dailey,
you know, used to put that we start off the practice.
He said, let's play free minutes. And I'll tell you
our practices were more fierce than the games. So that
with that being said, we came back the next year,
(03:50):
had the home court advantage all the way through the playoffs,
and that eighty seven, we still we had to play
against seven people, not only to start in five for
the Lakers, but you know, also the referees, and that's
where you go. You never want the referees to have
something where they'll make a mistake. And that's what I
(04:11):
saw yesterday where they make a mistake and they let
you go through the physical part of it all through
the game. But then at the end it's like, okay,
well we ain't gonna call that because we ain't call
the other physical play that was there earlier. But that's
wrong on them. And then why are you going to say, well,
we made a mistake. You can't go back and play
(04:31):
those three second roles.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Right. That's a good point.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
And when I say eighty seven, I mean eighty seven
team at eighty eight Championship losing to the Lakers in
seven games. Rick Mahrn, who was an All NBA second
team defensive player at one point in his career, joining
us here on Exis and Bros. You said, I was
listening to the broadcast at the beginning, you said turnovers.
So George Blah asking on the radio broadcast keys to
(04:57):
the game, the first thing you talk about turnovers. And
as much as I love Kid Cunningham, I think he's
a phenomenal player. The triple double, he had seven turns.
Too many turnovers for this team. How do you fix that?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Well, it's spacing. It's also ball movement, and a lot
of times you can get hypnotized with, you know, some
isolation plays and you get hypnotizing, you know, like, okay,
it's no ball movement because guys are waiting for to
see if let's say New York comes to double team,
then you make the pass. But in you know, in basketball,
(05:35):
you just got to have ball movement and spacing and
a lot of times don't get me wrong, Kada, you
said it. Kada is a phenomenal player. He's going to
be an all NBA player, the way that he plays,
in his height advantage and the way that But it's
the fact that you know Isaiah. I remember when Matt
you were here. I remember when Isaiah got drafted here
(05:56):
in Detroit. And he said in the Sports Illustrated article,
I mean when people used to read papers and magazines
and stuff you could pull up. Isaiah said, I could
score fifty points, but is that going to help me
win a championship? And you looked at our team that
we had when we won a championship, nobody was over
(06:16):
twenty points. Everybody was like teen you know what, I
call it teenagers because we all we all contributed offensively.
Where we fed the hot man. If it's Vinnie coming
off the bench, if it's Buddha coming off the bench,
if it's Joe, he got the ball. Isaiah. You know,
we said the beasts whoever was that, it was their turn.
(06:37):
And each storyline, when you go to a playoff game,
it's a new storyline. So you look at it. New
York has the same two culprits with with Brunson and
also Kyle Anthony Towns, and you know they're scoring a
lot of points, but it's the others like Heart had
a good, you know, good game, making some threes. So
(06:59):
that's why every every time it's a storyline when when
teams play, especially in a seven game series.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
So the Hardaway, the controversy surrounding Tim Hardaway is legitimate.
When people tell me they've been playing this way, they've
been letting it go. My argument was each team had
what seventeen personal files. It's not like the whistle was
swallowed all game, so they've been letting them play. But
there are certain times and when the league comes out
(07:27):
and says it should have been a foul, there's something
to be said for that. You're right, there's nothing you
can do about it now and it doesn't do us
any good. But the legitimacy of bitching about it at
the time is there. What did you see on that
play and how convinced were you that, yes, indeed, that
was a fall and he should be shooting three free throws.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Well, they call it every other time, And the fact
of the matter is, if you're in that corner and
you could unless you go to the replay, which I'm
glad they do have that where but it does take
a lot of time in the game and I look
at it and I go like, that was a file
and you know, but then again you can go back
and watch the game and say that was a file too.
(08:11):
That was the files that they used to call. Now
the referees is starting to let the guys set the
tone of what the game is going to be about.
And that's why New York came out that you know,
in that first half, I was like, boy, they came
out on a mission. And when you can, when you
can come out on a mission, that's the things that
you have to look at and say, wow, you didn't
(08:32):
call it then, but you call it now in that
second half. But now when you go into the final stages,
because referees are going to make mistakes too, they're human beings.
But when you're playing, when you're playing eight against five,
that's it's kind of you know, it's an uphill battle,
but it's an uphill battle where you don't want to
be in that position anyway because you turn the ball over.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Earlier, you said that for a while, not only as
a coach, but you said it as a player, and
you've said it as a broadcast, right, I've listened to her.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
You said, you've got to be the aggressor.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
I thought the Trip was the aggressor in the first
two games, and I thought both teams were pretty aggressive yesterday.
What gives you reason that they can actually get another
home game out of this series and win Game five
tomorrow night.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Well, the belief that they won a game. You know,
they got a game up in New York. And the
fact of the matter is you got to look at
the scores. If you add up all the scores, I
think it's only about what a ten point difference in
all the combined scores, and you go, wow, it's the parody,
is there? I think when I look at it, I
think when the Pistons won that game, Durren was awesome.
(09:42):
I mean, he was being himself, even though I think
he had seventeen rebounds yesterday, but it was this offensive
weaponry that he needed, like second chance opportunities. Those are
the things that you know, those are the hustle points,
and hustle points are going to win in a playoff series.
So this could go to New York. He it's not
something that they haven't done earlier in the year and
(10:05):
also in this playoff period. But hey, you can go
down there. It's on New York. The pressure guns on
New York because they have to protect home and make
sure that they don't go into a game six in
a game seven because this is a very physical series.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
You know what it's like to be the best in
the world. What's the common denominator for champions in basketball?
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Any team? What do you think the common denominator.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Is is taking care of your role, dedicating yourself. See,
everybody in life has a role. In your in your house,
my house, we all have a role. And also in basketball,
you have a role. If you're going to be this defender,
then be the defender. If you're going to be the score,
be the score. But everybody accepts accept their roles and
(10:55):
they make sure that they do the things that you
can be the best player on being in your role
position to take care of business because if everybody takes
care of their role, and that goes from the coach
to everybody on the court, that's what you have to do.
Take care of your role and execute what you do good.
And also in your weaknesses, you make sure you don't
(11:17):
want those Those are the turnovers.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
I've said this for a long time. It's hard to impress.
I mean, you played eighteen years in the league. You
were taught by one of the best big men of
all time, West Unsold. I don't think it's nearly enough credit,
right him and Elvin Hayes together.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
When you see what JB.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Bickerstaff has done and how he's helped this team, why
would you want to play for him? If you could
turn the clock back and play for a coach like that,
what kind of traits does he have that makes you go, man,
I'd like to play for him.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Why?
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Honesty? Honesty and making sure that you're prepared. Chuck Daily.
When I first got to Detroit, Chuck Daly took to
everybody to the side, said, you know what, this is
your role, Ricky. You gotta play defense, you got to rebound,
and you got to set the tone. And I said, well,
well I start. He said, yeah, that's all you have
(12:12):
to do. And accepting your role as a professional player. Look,
we all came out of college. I was all American,
but you know, Division two all Americans, but I'm all
American coming in averaging twenty eight points and you know
x amount of rebounds, But when you come into this league,
it's other people that have their roles. And JB. Bickerstaff
(12:33):
has done a great job of making sure these guys
are responsible for their roles and having veteran leadership like
Tobias Harrison and Beasley and also Tim Hardaway Junior, and
then you're getting Dennis Shrewder who's also a veteran. You
got these young guys and Hollands and Kate Cunningham and
Isaiah Stewart. You have these guys who are really young
(12:56):
and you know, don't know their way through the league
just yet, trying to establish themselves. These are the things
that those veterans help you. Lika Wes Huntel did and
teach me like understanding what my role was in this NBA.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Yeah, he was so good last thing. How much do
you think they miss Eziah Stewart?
Speaker 3 (13:17):
You know, I think they missed him a lot because
you know, they got Mitchell Robinson and also ye, they
got Karl Anthony Towns and they come out there with
that huge lineup and you go, Okay, now how do
I counteract against that. Tobias Hairs is great because he
knows his role and understands that he's going to have
Cat because Cat's outside. But Cat made some unbelievable shots
(13:38):
flat yesterday. You go like well, you go like, well,
damn that one behind the basket. I was like, did
he make that? And then you go okay. Then he
comes down and makes the three and you go wow.
You know, the momentum ship has changed. But that's where
you know, you try to match up inside. That's why
I said during is so when the Pistons won that
(14:00):
first game out there in New York, Durren was so aggressive.
You would get offensive rebound, they'd go up and yam
it in their face. And that's what you have to do.
Try to establish that inside presence and not rely so
much on Kade. But actually, I mean, hey, I just
see the Pistons going there, forcing the game six, bringing
(14:21):
it back home.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
One of the many things I respect about you is
you let players come to you. You're not going to
go to them and tell them what they should be
doing and all that. That's a coach's job. You've been
a head coach, you know what it's like so and
you've been a player. But how often do players ever
at least tap you on the shoulder and say, hey,
you know, have you noticed anything. Do you get any
of that from whether it be this team or teams
(14:43):
in the past, since you've been broadcasting at all.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Well, you know what, you always take someone under your wing,
and you know, I have a good relationship with Isaiah
Stewart because you know, you know, you look at it.
Sometimes they say he's a hothead, and I said, man,
you got to same characteristics I got, and they'll label you,
you know, as one of these guys that don't want
to play basketball. You're out there to hurt people. So
(15:08):
you know, if you ask me, I'm gonna tell you,
you know what I see from from Afar, But also
I'm gonna tell you what my experiences was because I
remember we Unsell pulling me over and telling me, look, Ricky,
you can't do this. Ricky, you can't do that. You
have to, you know, set the tone in a different way,
and you know, emotionally as we see, you can't. You
(15:31):
just can't be so emotional because as soon as you
do that, players from other teams they put that on
their scouting reports. So just just kind of piss them
off and you don't have to worry about them.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
No more.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
So don't give him your money. And that's what Aunzelle
told me. Don't give them your money. That's money for
your kids and your family, and that's money if you
want to go out and have dinner. Because now, I
mean back then it was only twenty five and fifty
dollars for a technical but now it's like twenty five
hundred and I'm sitting there going but they're making so
much money, so it's kind of you know, I ain't
(16:06):
gonna go spend no. Twenty five hundred on no meal
unless I'm bringing my whole damn family. But it's something
that we're the players. You know, they see me and
then they'll come up and talk or you know, they'll
call me uncle, they call to say old school or whatever,
you know. And hey, if they asked me for my opinion,
I'm a damn sure give it to him.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
You should and people should be listening, that's for sure.
We'll be listening throughout the rest of the playoffs, as
we always do with you and Mark Champion. I really
enjoyed the broadcast yesterday. Did a hell of a job
as usual, and your Keys to Victory we're dead on
as always. Thanks for making this the best part of
the show. Have a great day, my friend. I appreciate time.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Man. It's all hey, look, you call me anytime, Matt.
You know I'll do it for you.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
I appreciate it. Thanks, buddy, Thank you. Weake a visit.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
You also got you also got to tell the people
what I used to do.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Yeah, I know, I know, folks when I broadcas asked
when I broadcast, I have a picture of my family.
One day, I come back from doing an interview. I
come back the picture of my family. Every single face
was a different one. George Blaha's face was on the
face of one of my sons. I had a hard
(17:15):
time getting through the beginning of the broadcast because I
was laughing at all these different pictures of my kids
and my wife and a different face on those. It
was one of the best pranks of all time, for sure,
and I wish there were more like that. I wish
there were more like that because I'd like to be
around you more often. But it's an honor to talk
to you today, my friend. It's always good to visit.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Thank you, buddy.
Been looking forward to this for a long time.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
My friend Rick Mahorn does a great job with the
Pistons radio broadcast and on NBA Radio as well. Has
done it for Big ten and done it for Westwood
One as well. An eighteen year veteran, now joins us
here on Exus and Bros. How are you, my friend?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I'm good? Oil can what's gone on?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I'm doing all right. We're a lot of gel in
the hair, folks. It looks oily, thus the oil can
I get it?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
No, No, you look good man. I just like you know,
people don't know the little names I would give you
when we were on the road. It was you know,
it's always good. It was great friendship, and it's always
going to be great friendship. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I missed those times, and I appreciate that very much.
You and I used to do a TV a radio
show together on a weekly basis, and I remember somebody
saying to me one time, they.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Go, man, you're so lucky you got Rick Mhorne as
a friend.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I said, Rix Verhorn has more friends than I'll ever
know growing up and playing in college and playing in
the pros. I can't say that, you know, I'm his friend.
But he is mine, that's for sure. And I've always
respected you.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
You are my friend, man, I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
If you didn't have my number, I probably wouldn't wouldn't
be my friend.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
That's a good point. That's a good point. Well, I
hope you and your family are well.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Tell me before we get into the ending of yesterday,
I'd like to know that the challenges of overcoming a
three to one deficit for for basketball players at the NBA.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
You know, I don't think in my career I ever
been down three one. It's either been down one game
or you know, we or we even But you know,
it's kind of rough, especially when you have a young
team like the Pistons, because you kind of take it
emotionally a little harder because it's like we're not getting
a fair chance. Why because we're young. Why because you
(01:54):
know we're not you know, we're not aggressive enough. We
had to deal with that with the Boston Celtic and
also the Lakers once we finally got to the mountaintop
and winning the championship. But I tell you, man, at
my first time in the playoffs, man, it was like
a whirlwind affair. In fact, we lost it as when
(02:15):
I played. We lost to the Celtics the first time
I went there, and I'll tell you right now, that
was one physical game back then, you know how it was.
It was like, okay, last man's standing. But this is
when I was with the Bullets before I got traded
to Detroit.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
You were on my favorite Pistons team of all time.
But it was the nineteen eighty seventeen I would argue
that was as good as any other Piston team out there,
just unfortunate circumstances. You had a bad back, you were injured,
the phantom call Lambier against Kareem Abdul Jabbar. That still
pisses me off to this day. Those are tough things.
(02:52):
Those are tough things to overcome. But you guys were
able to do that collectively. How were you able to
do that? How did you come together and say, you
know what, we can't let one game beat us another time,
or we can't let one year ruin the following year.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Well, the thing was, you know, Lambier, you know, very
vocal in not locker room and very direct, and said
that next time we need to have home court advantage,
especially when we lost to the Celtics in seven, and
back then it was like okay, and then when we
got to the finals and it was like we got
to have the best record. And each year that we
(03:29):
came in, we came in with a purpose. But I
think our practices really helped us as well. Chuck Dailey,
you know, used to put that we start off the practice.
He said, let's play free minutes. And I'll tell you
our practices were more fierce than the games. So that
with that being said, we came back the next year,
(03:50):
had the home court advantage all the way through the playoffs,
and that eighty seven, we still we had to play
against seven people, not only to start in five for
the Lakers, but you know, also the referees, and that's
where you go. You never want the referees to have
something where they'll make a mistake. And that's what I
(04:11):
saw yesterday where they make a mistake and they let
you go through the physical part of it all through
the game. But then at the end it's like, okay,
well we ain't gonna call that because we ain't call
the other physical play that was there earlier. But that's
wrong on them. And then why are you going to say, well,
we made a mistake. You can't go back and play
(04:31):
those three second roles.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Right. That's a good point.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
And when I say eighty seven, I mean eighty seven
team at eighty eight Championship losing to the Lakers in
seven games. Rick Mahrn, who was an All NBA second
team defensive player at one point in his career, joining
us here on Exis and Bros. You said, I was
listening to the broadcast at the beginning, you said turnovers.
So George Blah asking on the radio broadcast keys to
(04:57):
the game, the first thing you talk about turnovers. And
as much as I love Kid Cunningham, I think he's
a phenomenal player. The triple double, he had seven turns.
Too many turnovers for this team. How do you fix that?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Well, it's spacing. It's also ball movement, and a lot
of times you can get hypnotized with, you know, some
isolation plays and you get hypnotizing, you know, like, okay,
it's no ball movement because guys are waiting for to
see if let's say New York comes to double team,
then you make the pass. But in you know, in basketball,
(05:35):
you just got to have ball movement and spacing and
a lot of times don't get me wrong, Kada, you
said it. Kada is a phenomenal player. He's going to
be an all NBA player, the way that he plays,
in his height advantage and the way that But it's
the fact that you know Isaiah. I remember when Matt
you were here. I remember when Isaiah got drafted here
(05:56):
in Detroit. And he said in the Sports Illustrated article,
I mean when people used to read papers and magazines
and stuff you could pull up. Isaiah said, I could
score fifty points, but is that going to help me
win a championship? And you looked at our team that
we had when we won a championship, nobody was over
(06:16):
twenty points. Everybody was like teen you know what, I
call it teenagers because we all we all contributed offensively.
Where we fed the hot man. If it's Vinnie coming
off the bench, if it's Buddha coming off the bench,
if it's Joe, he got the ball. Isaiah. You know,
we said the beasts whoever was that, it was their turn.
(06:37):
And each storyline, when you go to a playoff game,
it's a new storyline. So you look at it. New
York has the same two culprits with with Brunson and
also Kyle Anthony Towns, and you know they're scoring a
lot of points, but it's the others like Heart had
a good, you know, good game, making some threes. So
(06:59):
that's why every every time it's a storyline when when
teams play, especially in a seven game series.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
So the Hardaway, the controversy surrounding Tim Hardaway is legitimate.
When people tell me they've been playing this way, they've
been letting it go. My argument was each team had
what seventeen personal files. It's not like the whistle was
swallowed all game, so they've been letting them play. But
there are certain times and when the league comes out
(07:27):
and says it should have been a foul, there's something
to be said for that. You're right, there's nothing you
can do about it now and it doesn't do us
any good. But the legitimacy of bitching about it at
the time is there. What did you see on that
play and how convinced were you that, yes, indeed, that
was a fall and he should be shooting three free throws.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Well, they call it every other time, And the fact
of the matter is, if you're in that corner and
you could unless you go to the replay, which I'm
glad they do have that where but it does take
a lot of time in the game and I look
at it and I go like, that was a file
and you know, but then again you can go back
and watch the game and say that was a file too.
(08:11):
That was the files that they used to call. Now
the referees is starting to let the guys set the
tone of what the game is going to be about.
And that's why New York came out that you know,
in that first half, I was like, boy, they came
out on a mission. And when you can, when you
can come out on a mission, that's the things that
you have to look at and say, wow, you didn't
(08:32):
call it then, but you call it now in that
second half. But now when you go into the final stages,
because referees are going to make mistakes too, they're human beings.
But when you're playing, when you're playing eight against five,
that's it's kind of you know, it's an uphill battle,
but it's an uphill battle where you don't want to
be in that position anyway because you turn the ball over.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Earlier, you said that for a while, not only as
a coach, but you said it as a player, and
you've said it as a broadcast, right, I've listened to her.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
You said, you've got to be the aggressor.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
I thought the Trip was the aggressor in the first
two games, and I thought both teams were pretty aggressive yesterday.
What gives you reason that they can actually get another
home game out of this series and win Game five
tomorrow night.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Well, the belief that they won a game. You know,
they got a game up in New York. And the
fact of the matter is you got to look at
the scores. If you add up all the scores, I
think it's only about what a ten point difference in
all the combined scores, and you go, wow, it's the parody,
is there? I think when I look at it, I
think when the Pistons won that game, Durren was awesome.
(09:42):
I mean, he was being himself, even though I think
he had seventeen rebounds yesterday, but it was this offensive
weaponry that he needed, like second chance opportunities. Those are
the things that you know, those are the hustle points,
and hustle points are going to win in a playoff series.
So this could go to New York. He it's not
something that they haven't done earlier in the year and
(10:05):
also in this playoff period. But hey, you can go
down there. It's on New York. The pressure guns on
New York because they have to protect home and make
sure that they don't go into a game six in
a game seven because this is a very physical series.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
You know what it's like to be the best in
the world. What's the common denominator for champions in basketball?
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Any team? What do you think the common denominator.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Is is taking care of your role, dedicating yourself. See,
everybody in life has a role. In your in your house,
my house, we all have a role. And also in basketball,
you have a role. If you're going to be this defender,
then be the defender. If you're going to be the score,
be the score. But everybody accepts accept their roles and
(10:55):
they make sure that they do the things that you
can be the best player on being in your role
position to take care of business because if everybody takes
care of their role, and that goes from the coach
to everybody on the court, that's what you have to do.
Take care of your role and execute what you do good.
And also in your weaknesses, you make sure you don't
(11:17):
want those Those are the turnovers.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
I've said this for a long time. It's hard to impress.
I mean, you played eighteen years in the league. You
were taught by one of the best big men of
all time, West Unsold. I don't think it's nearly enough credit,
right him and Elvin Hayes together.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
When you see what JB.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Bickerstaff has done and how he's helped this team, why
would you want to play for him? If you could
turn the clock back and play for a coach like that,
what kind of traits does he have that makes you go, man,
I'd like to play for him.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Why?
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Honesty? Honesty and making sure that you're prepared. Chuck Daily.
When I first got to Detroit, Chuck Daly took to
everybody to the side, said, you know what, this is
your role, Ricky. You gotta play defense, you got to rebound,
and you got to set the tone. And I said, well,
well I start. He said, yeah, that's all you have
(12:12):
to do. And accepting your role as a professional player. Look,
we all came out of college. I was all American,
but you know, Division two all Americans, but I'm all
American coming in averaging twenty eight points and you know
x amount of rebounds, But when you come into this league,
it's other people that have their roles. And JB. Bickerstaff
(12:33):
has done a great job of making sure these guys
are responsible for their roles and having veteran leadership like
Tobias Harrison and Beasley and also Tim Hardaway Junior, and
then you're getting Dennis Shrewder who's also a veteran. You
got these young guys and Hollands and Kate Cunningham and
Isaiah Stewart. You have these guys who are really young
(12:56):
and you know, don't know their way through the league
just yet, trying to establish themselves. These are the things
that those veterans help you. Lika Wes Huntel did and
teach me like understanding what my role was in this NBA.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Yeah, he was so good last thing. How much do
you think they miss Eziah Stewart?
Speaker 3 (13:17):
You know, I think they missed him a lot because
you know, they got Mitchell Robinson and also ye, they
got Karl Anthony Towns and they come out there with
that huge lineup and you go, Okay, now how do
I counteract against that. Tobias Hairs is great because he
knows his role and understands that he's going to have
Cat because Cat's outside. But Cat made some unbelievable shots
(13:38):
flat yesterday. You go like well, you go like, well,
damn that one behind the basket. I was like, did
he make that? And then you go okay. Then he
comes down and makes the three and you go wow.
You know, the momentum ship has changed. But that's where
you know, you try to match up inside. That's why
I said during is so when the Pistons won that
(14:00):
first game out there in New York, Durren was so aggressive.
You would get offensive rebound, they'd go up and yam
it in their face. And that's what you have to do.
Try to establish that inside presence and not rely so
much on Kade. But actually, I mean, hey, I just
see the Pistons going there, forcing the game six, bringing
(14:21):
it back home.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
One of the many things I respect about you is
you let players come to you. You're not going to
go to them and tell them what they should be
doing and all that. That's a coach's job. You've been
a head coach, you know what it's like so and
you've been a player. But how often do players ever
at least tap you on the shoulder and say, hey,
you know, have you noticed anything. Do you get any
of that from whether it be this team or teams
(14:43):
in the past, since you've been broadcasting at all.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Well, you know what, you always take someone under your wing,
and you know, I have a good relationship with Isaiah
Stewart because you know, you know, you look at it.
Sometimes they say he's a hothead, and I said, man,
you got to same characteristics I got, and they'll label you,
you know, as one of these guys that don't want
to play basketball. You're out there to hurt people. So
(15:08):
you know, if you ask me, I'm gonna tell you,
you know what I see from from Afar, But also
I'm gonna tell you what my experiences was because I
remember we Unsell pulling me over and telling me, look, Ricky,
you can't do this. Ricky, you can't do that. You
have to, you know, set the tone in a different way,
and you know, emotionally as we see, you can't. You
(15:31):
just can't be so emotional because as soon as you
do that, players from other teams they put that on
their scouting reports. So just just kind of piss them
off and you don't have to worry about them.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
No more.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
So don't give him your money. And that's what Aunzelle
told me. Don't give them your money. That's money for
your kids and your family, and that's money if you
want to go out and have dinner. Because now, I
mean back then it was only twenty five and fifty
dollars for a technical but now it's like twenty five
hundred and I'm sitting there going but they're making so
much money, so it's kind of you know, I ain't
(16:06):
gonna go spend no. Twenty five hundred on no meal
unless I'm bringing my whole damn family. But it's something
that we're the players. You know, they see me and
then they'll come up and talk or you know, they'll
call me uncle, they call to say old school or whatever,
you know. And hey, if they asked me for my opinion,
I'm a damn sure give it to him.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
You should and people should be listening, that's for sure.
We'll be listening throughout the rest of the playoffs, as
we always do with you and Mark Champion. I really
enjoyed the broadcast yesterday. Did a hell of a job
as usual, and your Keys to Victory we're dead on
as always. Thanks for making this the best part of
the show. Have a great day, my friend. I appreciate time.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Man. It's all hey, look, you call me anytime, Matt.
You know I'll do it for you.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
I appreciate it. Thanks, buddy, Thank you. Weake a visit.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
You also got you also got to tell the people
what I used to do.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Yeah, I know, I know, folks when I broadcas asked
when I broadcast, I have a picture of my family.
One day, I come back from doing an interview. I
come back the picture of my family. Every single face
was a different one. George Blaha's face was on the
face of one of my sons. I had a hard
(17:15):
time getting through the beginning of the broadcast because I
was laughing at all these different pictures of my kids
and my wife and a different face on those. It
was one of the best pranks of all time, for sure,
and I wish there were more like that. I wish
there were more like that because I'd like to be
around you more often. But it's an honor to talk
to you today, my friend. It's always good to visit.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Thank you, buddy.
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