Ep. 20 Why NBA Legend Mark West Says Today’s Players Couldn’t Handle His Era

What really separates old-school NBA toughness from today’s finesse-driven game? On this fire episode of The Hood Report, former NBA center Mark West pulls up for a raw, no-fluff conversation on what it meant to survive — and thrive — in the most physical era of pro basketball. From going toe-to-toe with MJ in the 1993 Finals to why Charles Barkley was the ultimate teammate and why Shaq wasn’t the best big man? It’s all on the table.

Mark drops real talk on today’s NBA, why analytics can’t measure heart, and what makes true greatness. We dive into player evolution, the future of KD, and behind-the-scenes beefs that shaped the league’s DNA. Oh, and when it comes to NIL deals and college ball? Mark’s not holding back. This one’s for the culture — and the real hoop fans.


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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
ReVibe, do it.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
But underneath of you can But.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
What up though?

Speaker 4 (00:24):
And Welcome to the Hood Report, the spot where culture
meets competition and where we spit real ship sports is
for sure our focus, while culture guides and drives our discussions.
In the end, our focus is to ensure that our
guests and our audience is informed and entertained. And with

(00:47):
that said, today tonight, we have a special guest joining
us that we're going to introduce to you.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (00:56):
Our guest today is former NBA player Mark West. I'm
a center best known for his greedy defense, elite shot blocking,
and efishing scoring around the rim. A seventeen year NBA veteran,
West played for several teams, most notably the Phoenix Suns
You're in the Hometown, where he helped lead the squad

(01:17):
to the nineteen ninety three NBA Finals along with Barkley
Versus Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Over his career, he
earned a reputation as one of the league's toughest big men,
finishing with the career field goal percentage of fifty eight
point six, which to date is still the third highest
in NBA history. Off the court, Mark transitioned to an

(01:41):
executive leadership, serving as vice president of player Programs and
later assistant general manager and assistant coach for the Sons.
He remains active in community development, mentoring athletes, and advocating
for educational acts success. And graduate of Old Dominion University,

(02:03):
Mark is also a successful businessman, speaker, and mentor whose
impact stretches well beyond the Hartwood while still being involved
with the Sons currently as the Charities Ambassadors. So with that,
let's welcome on mister Mark West.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Thank you, mister West for coming.

Speaker 4 (02:27):
For having Yeah, man, it ain't it's not that often
that Detroit gets treated so well when we get inned
with a guest of of of your your nature.

Speaker 3 (02:35):
So we're hey, we're proud and to have you here.
Appreciate it absolutely.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Coming up with it.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
But hey, but I'm gonna tell you. I'm gonna tell you, yeah,
oh yeah, you did.

Speaker 4 (02:44):
That's right, play ground hill, right. But what I'm gonna
tell you is Mark, when you step in the arena,
the motherfucking gloves off, baby, So everybody hit.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
It again, got good hands, bro.

Speaker 4 (02:59):
Speak all right, I'm gonna kick it off with the
first question being we want to talk a little bit
of current events. We got some current events has happening
in your old sport. So we're at the pinnacle of
the NBA season and right now we have the Patiers
who just last night took the al against the Oklahoma
City Thunder. Hey providers your insight on yesterday's game, and

(03:23):
then what do you think happens from here into the end?

Speaker 3 (03:26):
Are we done in six? Do we go to seven?

Speaker 1 (03:27):
We want to hear from you, from God. I still
think it's gonna be a good series. I'm sure all
of y'all sat there and thought there ain't nowhere to
hell the Pacers gonna come back in this game once,
you know before they did come back within two points.
So I still the Pacers got hard, man, they played,
they played tough or whatever. The best player didn't have

(03:48):
a great game. If he has any sort of a
good game, then it's may maybe a different outcome. But
with that said, uh, I think Oklahoma City is the
best team you know of the of the two left
in the series. I think they're gonna close it out
whether there's six or seven. The truth be told, they
don't give a damn. They just want that ring bro.

(04:10):
You know, yeah, you know, and they know they got
two of the three games at home, so it's I
think it's gonna be a I think that's gonna be
almost impossible. He'll for for the Pacers to climb. I
really do think I think they ain't gonna make a
good showing. Now, don't get me wrong, I think.

Speaker 4 (04:27):
I think the tough year of the climb to the
climb is way anybody else who wants to Spider Martin,
what do you have to say about the your you're
the counterpoint to that.

Speaker 5 (04:34):
I'm always I'm gonnays find of that, you know, but
I'm I will say this, I really think Indiana is
gonna come back, and it's gonna come back and gonna
win game six. Now, I do think they need Hollyburn
to come back and play, and hopefully at an MRI
right today that he'd be able to come back and play,
because he can't play no worse than he played yesterday.

(04:55):
The one positive I would say for Indiana to me,
in my opinion, as bad as they play, they had
twenty three turnovers, their their best player didn't perform. Williams
had forty SGA had thirty one or whatever, and at
a certain point in the fourth quarter.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
They were only down by two points. So I'm exactly
now I read this thing.

Speaker 5 (05:18):
I read this think the coach messed up by bringing
holler burn back in letting them finish the fourth quarter
when he had a hot hand in TJ. He said
this left him in the game because he was all
the energy and every day had everything going for him,
and that's when they came back. So I just think
it was a bad coach and moved Get just say boy,
but not playing oh boy the fourth quarter. But and

(05:39):
I do think got still got a chance to win
this series.

Speaker 1 (05:42):
I believe that that's a big part of it. Yeah
for sure. But those turnovers and crucial time and and
and not cutting time. Come on, man, you can't have
that that that coach ain't out there on that floor
with them turnovers when you crossed back across court or
showing you the ball and you don't go to the ball,
you just wait for the ball and somebody.

Speaker 3 (05:59):
Just comes to still come on, Yeah, yeah, I think
it's over.

Speaker 1 (06:03):
I think it's over the old heads like hit us
upside the head on the park doing something dumb crap
like absolutely.

Speaker 3 (06:12):
To make the same turnover ten times I agree with you.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
What you got said, I said, it's over them. Stars
came to them, stars came to play last night. The
role players didn't do nothing last night at home for
okay see, but the stars came.

Speaker 3 (06:26):
Wiggins and was hitting. Yeah, players play.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
He's talking, he was there, he was stilling, he was
stealing balls. He had full steel pack on the game
last night.

Speaker 3 (06:50):
Everybody else played played very well, very well. It's over you.
Go ahead and what you got you want, you want
to hit that one quick.

Speaker 6 (06:59):
I agree with tweeting. I'd say them in the uh,
Indiana done bro. Even if you get Halibert back, he
ain't gonna be one hundred percent because there's no way
that calf injury gonna heal within forty eight hours, right,
So he ain't gonna be one hundred percent. And to
me anyway, he ain't did nothing serious and he can't

(07:19):
create his own shot, right. He's an exciting player when
he gets everybody involved. I just think Indiana's done it.
I don't understand Carlisle yesterday. I agree with with Martin.
They should have let McConnell play instead of instead of
letting Halibert in the game yesterday. I feel like, okay
see covering it can go up to seven. I think

(07:41):
they get blown out at the crib. The mar only thing,
my only thing is I just hope, I hope, okay see,
don't play to try to win it at the crib.

Speaker 3 (07:56):
Right, all right, real quick, que I'll say something that
we got to move on.

Speaker 7 (08:02):
Well, well, I called seven games and to watch the
series go to where it is has just been phenomenal.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
Uh when you've called it to be seven games.

Speaker 7 (08:12):
So I'm I'm pretty much sticking with, you know what
I believe with the seven games. I believe that Indiana
will find a way to hold a home court and
win that game, but it would be insurmountable. On the
last game, it's gonna be too much for them, and uh,
you know, you know, okay see, we'll win.

Speaker 3 (08:28):
And that's you know, that's what I believe.

Speaker 4 (08:30):
I'm gonna say. I'll say this is the closing out. Obviously,
I'm going with Indiana. So I was with from the beginning.
I think Indiana's I don't see them losing three games
in a row, so I think they're tied up. And
then it goes back to game seven and Game seven,
anything can happen. So that's what I would say, is
that they have a fighting chance in game seven because
it's an inexperienced team at that level and this magnitude

(08:50):
versus you gotta say that because you probably it's probably
both don't matter.

Speaker 3 (08:56):
I don't get games. I know I saw you smiling.

Speaker 4 (09:02):
I know I saw you smiling when Mark said he
had them to remember Mark, Mike picked feelings at the beginning.

Speaker 8 (09:07):
Of the year.

Speaker 9 (09:07):
So heart my pick Phoenix, move on.

Speaker 3 (09:22):
Next shot of the question.

Speaker 7 (09:23):
Okay, uh, a very very popular question amongst the amongst
the old heads.

Speaker 8 (09:31):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (09:33):
Okay, okay, okay, my bet, my bet. You're still actively involved,
uh with the Phoenix Sun. So we we we're looking
for a beat from the street from you, you know, uh,
you know, we got a trade coming up with with
with Kevin Durant. You know, it's three teams involved. You know,
out of the three teams involved, what what what team
that he wants to go to?

Speaker 3 (09:52):
What do you think is gonna be the best fit
for him?

Speaker 1 (09:55):
Well, I'll go with like I said, I go with there,
like I said, I went with the at the beginning
of the year.

Speaker 3 (10:00):
I'm staying with the Sons of my heart the Sons,
but I'm gonna go. They'll give a play check too.

Speaker 1 (10:06):
So so let me let if I go with the
Sons and it's good for him, I think he wants
to be back in Texas where he played you know,
college ball at I think he wants to be in
a better Nothing about san Antonio. I'm not child.

Speaker 3 (10:19):
Barkley is not going down.

Speaker 1 (10:23):
But Antonio ain't. Houston leave it and I leave at that.

Speaker 4 (10:28):
Okay, let's be a good question, Mark, So do you
and you and bark we talk about san Antonio off
private when you'll talk together.

Speaker 1 (10:34):
You know, you don't want to say jokingly, you know
what I mean, But.

Speaker 3 (10:38):
He's just joking, you know.

Speaker 1 (10:43):
But uh, I think I think for for the Sons,
the best deal would come from Houston. Houston has the most,
you know, they have most because what we're gonna get,
what we're gonna get from san Antonio, you know what
I mean, they don't want to do, but we can
get from Houston as far as players, young players, you

(11:04):
know what I mean, We can get that twin like.

Speaker 3 (11:08):
You know, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (11:11):
We get what kid, yeah, yeah, I mean, we get
we get one of those kids and I know they're
not They're not gonna give up to go And I
don't think you know, if you get and we need
a probably maybe maybe they get bad fleet, you know
what I mean?

Speaker 3 (11:31):
Yeah, give him.

Speaker 1 (11:33):
I gotta give up something, gonna give up something. But
you know, right for Oatmeal, you you got to give
us another time. So yeah, you got you gotta give
us something. So I just believe that Houston is the
best fit for not only Kevin, but for the Sons

(11:55):
to get something in return and which we can move
forward and and and and and and have a chance
of becoming a contender because we got to get younger,
we have to get athletic, and we're losing one of
the best scores in an NBA history at six eleven.
So you can't go you can't go to San Antonio
and get two guards who are great players. Castle another kid,

(12:18):
Bastle whatever his name is, the great players. But okay,
we now we're gonna play small ball in the Western Conference.

Speaker 4 (12:26):
Come on, man, Yeah, and probably probably not a great recipe.
Who wants to time me on our Jimmy, you have
a phoenix got these days? What did you got to
say about it?

Speaker 6 (12:37):
I feel like Houston is the best fit for KD absolutely,
But what shocked me is that he don't want to
go to New York. Well, he new York is interested,
but I mean he wants New York, but New York
don't want no person KDE because so.

Speaker 3 (12:55):
That that that can't give him too much, Yeah, give
up too much.

Speaker 6 (13:00):
Feel like the best fit for him right now would
be Houston because they have they have the most to offer,
you know, as far as who Son's gonna get, you
know what I mean, Yeah.

Speaker 7 (13:12):
Jimmy, I think, uh, New York is still wheeling off
the picks they gave up for Michale Bridges. You know,
they every every time that they still they still talk
about that all the time. So they have to give
up more for KD. I think, yeah, they might. That
might send them over the top. The reason why I
like I'm going to Houston, I think it gives Phoenix
the best, uh gives the best trade back and you know,

(13:35):
most stuff for it because you know they're trying to
you know, get their team together. I think that gives
the best for that. But I think for KD and
me and Ry we touched on this earlier. The coach,
I think the coach for KD is gonna maximize KD,
and we might see old KD the k You know
what I'm saying.

Speaker 6 (13:52):
What we need to see because to me, KD. KD
is a phenomenal score. He's a phenomenal player. He's he's
a walking Hall of Famer, right, but he doesn't he
doesn't make everybody better.

Speaker 3 (14:04):
One never, I mean that was never his role, right, leader.

Speaker 8 (14:12):
Right, he's got he's got a phenomenal leader.

Speaker 6 (14:14):
So I think the coast of Houston might be able to,
like you said, Q, bring some out of him, to
get the old KD back, you know, play a little
defense and slide his motherfucking feet every now.

Speaker 1 (14:25):
And I think he could. What he can do is
around KD with a ship to more talent than we could, right,
and young athletic talent and a and and and their
center is just dynamic. I mean, a young kid they
have a center is a dynamic center. So KD he's
not gonna I mean he's older now, he used to
be a very good defensive player. He's not that guy anymore. Yeah,

(14:50):
but when you surround him with that talent they got down.

Speaker 2 (14:53):
There, Oh yeah, I think he should. I want to
think he should go to the Spurs. They got Victor
and Fox uh in the Spurs, but they don't have
he ain't got it?

Speaker 3 (15:06):
But give up? Yeah, what do you what are you
gonna think?

Speaker 1 (15:09):
I mean, you got to send Castle and give ain't
give it. You ain't giving them.

Speaker 3 (15:14):
But I think that's his bet and you got to
get but you don't have another.

Speaker 1 (15:19):
You gotta have another. If the Sun's trade him and
don't get some side and a size guy who can score.

Speaker 3 (15:26):
Come on, man, and not only not only not only are.

Speaker 1 (15:29):
We gonna struggle, but we're gonna struggle and not have
another a good draft pick the following year.

Speaker 3 (15:34):
That that is, You're gonna probably struggle anyway.

Speaker 10 (15:41):
I'd rather I want to struggle with no looking like
I had a chance at least, like you said when
the year started, and I know I ain't alone in this.

Speaker 1 (15:52):
Y'all thought were the contender.

Speaker 3 (15:54):
Yeah with that trio, Yeah, with that trio.

Speaker 8 (16:01):
They need to figure out a way to get rid
of bills asked to. They need to package him up and.

Speaker 1 (16:08):
He will trade contract.

Speaker 3 (16:10):
He will be gone. Watch this off season.

Speaker 4 (16:13):
I guarantee you he's gonna be gone. They're gonna find work,
got a way to move him, gonna be it's gonna.

Speaker 8 (16:18):
Cost them hard.

Speaker 4 (16:21):
All right, let's uh we beat this one up. Hey,
good good responses, and good luck to the Suns. I
know you still get a check there, Mark, So I
know you're gonna you're gonna keep it on the Sun's side.

Speaker 3 (16:33):
I would say, alright, more today's question.

Speaker 5 (16:39):
Mark, you got it all all right now, so Mark
for you, This for you man. So this is a
poperlic question these days, your era against this current era.
What do you think, how how they compare.

Speaker 1 (16:55):
I think it's I think it's a it's kind of
a crazy question. And in the sense that you grew
up in the era that you grow up in. For instance,
my era was like physical is all get out, you
know what I mean. You go to the you know,
like I said, back at the park rule usual game point.
The mold heads ain't gonna let you like just let
somebody lay the ball up. You're going, You're going, You're

(17:16):
going to the asphalt brouh and that that that that
went to the game on the courts, on the pro courts,
on the college courts or whatever. But and today they're
shooting threes and they got the you know what they
would call hot dog, and when I was playing them
doing do it like as everyday play now you know,
stream the leg behind the back and all that. But

(17:38):
I think it's it's a matter of if those kids
grew up in our era, they would have learned our
style of basketball. If we were playing in there, we'd
learn their style of basketball. So you you're gonna survive.
People say, oh, he couldn't play. Yeah, yeah, you could game.
You have a passion for the game, and you played
how the game is being taught right then and there.

(17:58):
You want to survive, you know what I mean. You
got some guys gonna be iconic. They gonna it doesn't matter.
You're gonna tell me Shot couldn't play now. As big
as he was athletics, he was right, you know hey,
so if you grew up, he couldn't play this era.

Speaker 4 (18:12):
So if you grew up in an era, bark, would
you be handling the ball and driven out of I wouldn't.

Speaker 1 (18:16):
But I'd have a hell of a mid range because
now the bigs, if you can't shoot threes, you better
have a damn mid range.

Speaker 3 (18:24):
Yeah, exactly, I would be doing that.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
You can believe that it, kay, You just you know,
be a bully and get your rebounds and set picks
and knock somebody to the you know, to the poor right.

Speaker 4 (18:36):
But so what do you think about analytics on top
of that as a part of the current area, what
do you think about analytics basketball?

Speaker 1 (18:42):
I actually I actually enjoyed the analytics and knowing the
numbers and knowing the percentages. I think it helps you
to get more focused on what you have to concentrate on.
If a guy is shooting a certain field goal percentage, well,
if we can hold him be shooting forty one from three,
can we get him down to thirty nine? For my
guy shooting thirty nine, can we bump him up so

(19:02):
that now he's more affected from that from that, from
that that field you.

Speaker 3 (19:06):
Know what I mean?

Speaker 1 (19:06):
How fast can I get uh into the penalty like
when I was playing there at the end or not
to pay? But after I got out that was a
big thing with Shack. He get in the game, the
next thing you know, his his team is shooting freaking
penalty penalty shots after four minutes in the game, you
know what I mean? So nobody can touch any of
the other players now because you just do like this,

(19:27):
it ain't going to the side. They got two three,
They got two shots, So it affects the defense. So
knowing all this extra information helps you with your strategy
as far as the coaches preparing for the game, your
players and how they attack.

Speaker 3 (19:40):
The game, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (19:42):
So I love the analytics, you know, as far as
far as it pertains to preparing for the game and
getting ready for the game and playing the game. And
now they have the analytics as far as like you
guys are talking about betting on the game, which I
don't know a lot about that.

Speaker 3 (19:56):
But as far as I'm related to the no um
of threes, the number of threes that.

Speaker 1 (20:02):
Are shot in every game, well, you know, it's it's
a it's a it's a copycat leg as they said, right,
And once Golden State won with that because everybody said
they were gonna lose, you know what I mean, when
they jacking all the threes, and then they lost a
few games, Oh jack them too many threes and blah
blah blah blah, and they won however many championships. Now

(20:23):
everybody's jacket up three, and now you have to adjust
the defense for that too. You know what I mean,
you have to adjust they are. You're going to make
them drive to the to the basket. You know, if
you're a three point shooter. Now, but if you think
about it, if you really think about it, the greatest
players and that and that includes Steph Curry, they mastered

(20:43):
the mid range, them fulls to mid range shots. I mean,
their percentage from the mid range is freaking ridiculous.

Speaker 3 (20:50):
So they know that.

Speaker 1 (20:51):
So it's just another tool for them to say, like, well, hey,
you come out here and you guard me. Now I
can take you to the mid range. Do my step back.

Speaker 8 (20:59):
And but.

Speaker 7 (21:03):
Don't be in an old head sometimes watching these big
guys get rebounds and two feet from the rim and
keep throwing it back out.

Speaker 3 (21:11):
They ain't no. Sometimes something.

Speaker 1 (21:16):
Right on that, yeah, because two three times in a
row they'd do it. Mark Man, I was the old school,
and I'll be like, can I get a shot? And
then you want to go get a shot? Get off
as I got off the passing.

Speaker 5 (21:32):
Nothing these days though, these days though, it's not a
lot of true centers.

Speaker 3 (21:36):
Though it ain't. No, it's only a couple of true
centers to lead right now.

Speaker 1 (21:40):
Right, Well, well, I would I don't know if I
agree with that one hundred per I would say they
have evolved because now, to me, the way the game
is being played, you become a basketball player first, so
meaning that you can rebound the ball, you can put
it on the floor a little bit, you can play
some defense. You know, you can do all these things.

(22:01):
And then you become a positional player. If you're a great,
spectacular ball handler who can pass it, you become a
point guard or whatever. You can a good shooter or whatever,
you become a shooting guard or whatever. But if you're
power forward and power forwards and small forwards. Now, if
they can't do a little bit of all that, you
know what I mean, their life in the league ain't
gonna be so long. You got to be able to

(22:22):
do a little bit of all that, and now the
centers are going to be that the m v P
three times in the row. He could do a little
bit of all of that, you know what I mean, Yo,
Gyness can do a little bit of all that, and
he got m v P before he can learn to
shoot the damn ball.

Speaker 3 (22:38):
And like, you know the truth, yeah he still you
know what I mean, But but he's an.

Speaker 1 (22:49):
All around player, he could put it right. So that
that to me is the is the way the league
is going now. So you know, these kids are are
this big guys are starting to put it on the floor,
starting the rebounds, starting to pass or whatever. You're becoming
complete basketball players versus just like what you call a

(23:10):
positional player. The positional players could do a little bit
of everything, if that makes sense.

Speaker 3 (23:15):
All these all these all these these kids, these coaches,
these coaches not.

Speaker 2 (23:21):
Teaching basic fundamentals of basketball nowadays.

Speaker 3 (23:25):
Not the United States. Hey yeah, maybe in the United States,
but they're not. They're not not the United States. They
do that.

Speaker 4 (23:31):
They do that if you read our information on they
actually do that internationally, and they put them through basketball
camps and basketball academies and call them where they'll take them,
and they won't even be shooting or playing basketball, right.

Speaker 1 (23:45):
That's part, that's part of their advanced fundamentally, that's part
of the evolution that the United States is gonna have
to catch up with that. Yes, you cannot. Just you're
gonna have to put these big kids in it, and
they're going to learn how to handle the ball, pass
the ball. The guards are gonna have to learn how
to go in and get some rema to play some defense,
do all these different things and have post moves. That

(24:05):
is that that's the evolution of the game.

Speaker 4 (24:07):
Because because the United States AAU has got to get
the fundamental and the growth of players where they just
want to take the balls and you know, coaches are
there just to win so they can get sponsorships and
all that kind of stuff.

Speaker 1 (24:19):
So you taking away from this because you're going to
end up with a guy with shocks athleticism but with
ki stills, and that's gonna get crazy.

Speaker 8 (24:29):
That's that's women yelling at right now.

Speaker 2 (24:32):
Ye just imagine he was three twenty five, right, Just
put weight on him, get a little bit more weight.

Speaker 3 (24:40):
All right, Let's let's move on to the next question.
Go ahead ahead, do.

Speaker 8 (24:43):
What you got?

Speaker 3 (24:44):
All right?

Speaker 2 (24:44):
All right, Mark, I got college teams now within the
s C double A rules are in college. How do
you feel about the n I L pant being paid
these players?

Speaker 1 (24:55):
I like the inn I L because I was broke
as the damn joking of So a little change in
your pocket don't hurt.

Speaker 3 (25:03):
That never hurts.

Speaker 1 (25:04):
Yeah, room and board, but you know you got to
go to a movie. You you sol right, so I really,
I really like the fact that they're getting paid. I
was I wish, I wish it was a little more regulated,
you know, so that uh it wasn't because because now
the big school the small markets have no change, right,
you know what I mean. You go to Kentucky, you

(25:25):
you know, you a big market, you'll get the money.
You go to Cans or whatever. But you go like
where I owe the minion, but you're gonna you know
what I mean, they have no chance of getting a
certain caliber player because of the way the market is.
So let's say if you've limited it to between fifty
thousand to five hundred thousand, you know what I mean.
You know, I don't know, I know regulated, but I

(25:47):
think you have to find a way to regulate it.
And even if you didn't, even if you didn't have
it where they can only get it cash so much
while they're in school. The rest of it has to
go through like some kind of savings account or or
or whatever for ten years down the road to five
years down the road after you get out of school.

Speaker 3 (26:05):
Yeah, I think, well, I think we've gone from money
stream to the next.

Speaker 4 (26:08):
Where before there was no pay Now a lot of
these guys are making more money through the n L
I N I L deal than they are when they
go in as a rookie into the league.

Speaker 3 (26:19):
Because got a.

Speaker 1 (26:20):
Million dollars in NIL money and when you come out
here you will make five hundred thousand, which is still
a lot of money, but in a million, you know, right, Yeah,
I think I think they they opened the gates, the
floodgates and whatever, but now they have to kind of
find a way to reel it back because it's just
a little crazy. And like I said, the small market

(26:41):
schools have no shot. The HBCUs really have no shots, right.

Speaker 6 (26:46):
You gotta be a phenomenal player to even get considered
for the ni L money.

Speaker 1 (26:50):
Yeah. Yeah, And if you're a phenomenal player right now,
I mean it was hard to keep keep the brothers
going to HBCUs now, but I'm a good player now,
they ain't got no damn shot. Yeah, my parents are
gonna be like, oh, yeah, I want to. I would to.
I went to Hampton, but hell, they gonna give you
two million dollars.

Speaker 3 (27:05):
To go to Kansas to the money. Going to get
that money.

Speaker 1 (27:10):
That's that's that's real.

Speaker 4 (27:11):
But that makes you know you, Hey, Mark you can
pack up all your ODU ship and it ain't never
coming back.

Speaker 1 (27:21):
I told you I had no fairweather, bro, I'm going
with them.

Speaker 3 (27:25):
Hey back back that shu up do something because I
want to see the smaller schools come back.

Speaker 4 (27:31):
So so speaking to that real quick. And while we're
on the topic of college and college basketball. You went
to you as you said, Hey, tell us little bit
about your college experience.

Speaker 1 (27:41):
That was great. I mean we went to the n
C A A twice, went to the n I E
T twice. I mean I played, you know, I had
had great teammates and the experience was was unbelievable. If
I had to do it all over again, I do
it all again. That's where I met my wife at
the university. So yeah, I definitely do it again. And uh,
the reason why I did go there.

Speaker 3 (28:02):
You know you got the money the East Coast the money.
That's why you went in.

Speaker 1 (28:06):
And everybody at that time you you know you you
play high school basketball. The dream is to get into
the to the A C C. Right draft, Dad is
the dream.

Speaker 3 (28:18):
They slipped some money mark away. I know you there.
I don't I don't put you on the spot, but
they slipped you some money or whatever you got.

Speaker 1 (28:25):
You know, I'm gonna tell you. I'll tell you how
you made money. I'm gonna tell you how you made
money in college. Because once you once you were in,
then you'd have they'd have recruits come in, you know,
so they have to pay. They give you money to
take the recruits up. So instead of taking them to
the steakhouse, I'm taking to the dad and take him back,

(28:46):
take them, take him back to the hotel and go
to the go to the restaurant there and put.

Speaker 3 (28:52):
It on the room charge.

Speaker 4 (28:55):
Look, hey, they were like, damn, we look at analytics.
Nobody Mark takes out he ever signed with us, Right.

Speaker 1 (29:08):
It was a great experience. And like I said, I
didn't go to I didn't go to ub A because
Ralph was the you know, top college player in the
country and he ended up signing there, and I'm like, well,
I'm gonna go somewhere I can start and play, you
know what I mean. I was recruited by Maryland, but
but Williams was a Maryland and that was that that
wasn't gonna happen. So and then my my I had

(29:29):
an older brother who was just going to school there
just to go. I had never heard of the school,
and you know, you know, me and my brother are
like two twisted fingers, so he's you know, Eventually I
was like, I'll go, I'll go there. I know I'm
gonna start there.

Speaker 3 (29:42):
So if you didn't, but I'll tell you who who
the best player ever came out of the O D.

Speaker 8 (29:52):
That's West.

Speaker 1 (29:57):
I'm one of the best ones. Okay, Wards, it may
be the most successful because they want a championship in
Portland when he came out and played, okay, and then
we had like Kenny Gallison, he was there ken baseball play.
He played at Golden State. Players that come out and
you know, come out that that university. You know, you know,

(30:19):
you know, we're pretty good at that time. When I played,
they had no football teams for basketball? Was king you
got Jersey retired there?

Speaker 3 (30:27):
Right?

Speaker 1 (30:27):
Huh oh yeah, come.

Speaker 3 (30:32):
Mark. I was about to say baseball the best player
from OU. I thought, check the check the player.

Speaker 1 (30:42):
No question about that question. Hey, since you're wearing a.

Speaker 3 (30:45):
Hood report hat, Hey we go we love best player
out you right here on the hood report, man. Mark
was the next question right, all right, Hey, it's about
to get juicy. Now it's about to get real.

Speaker 5 (30:59):
We go, baby, Now another day Magic was on first
take and Steven A gave his top five point guards
of all time. Okay, now I want to hear your
top five point guards of all time. But before you
get started, I want to make sure that you know
that it's three Detroit boys on here.

Speaker 3 (31:18):
Okay, okay, and I know I know him. You're good,
You're good. Okay.

Speaker 1 (31:25):
I would say my top five Magic first, Okay, Johnson Okay,
all right? Oh Man west Isaiah Thomas, I'm Robinson, okay.
Oh I'm gonna go with Alan because IM gonna have
a Virginia boy.

Speaker 3 (31:45):
Here we are guard.

Speaker 1 (31:50):
The argument was gonna be Curry, Here we are.

Speaker 3 (31:52):
I got Curry.

Speaker 1 (31:54):
Are you Curry Westbrook or Jason Kidds one of the you?

Speaker 8 (32:00):
You say Westbrook?

Speaker 1 (32:02):
West Brook the triple double machine.

Speaker 3 (32:04):
Stop? I got carried on this. Come on, man, I
gotta carry.

Speaker 8 (32:13):
Make the top five on my list, not mine.

Speaker 3 (32:17):
I like Westbrook when he got fired for me.

Speaker 1 (32:22):
Westbrook might be the best defensive player on.

Speaker 3 (32:24):
All of them.

Speaker 8 (32:28):
Listen double, but he can't play. No, he can't shoot,
no jumper. He had no jumper.

Speaker 1 (32:39):
Magic can't have a jumper.

Speaker 8 (32:40):
What are you talking about didn't need no jump.

Speaker 1 (32:43):
He didn't need a jumper. He had a triple. But
I couldn't shoot the ball, couldn't shoot the gun.

Speaker 5 (32:50):
But at the point guard though, at the point guard,
he didn't. I mean to me, you don't have to
be the best shoot at the point guard.

Speaker 3 (32:59):
That's what makes and my number one.

Speaker 8 (33:02):
He's my number one, number one, he's my number one
to and he can't shoot.

Speaker 1 (33:07):
Your argument, he can't shoot. How he's your number one. Yeah,
that's a good point shoot. And you're talking to tell
me that he ain't a point guard. I'm just not
a We argue two sides of the argument.

Speaker 3 (33:19):
Man, I'm not.

Speaker 8 (33:23):
I'm not a Westbrook fan.

Speaker 1 (33:25):
Okay, who I get that? That that's that's that's fair.

Speaker 8 (33:27):
I'm not a fan.

Speaker 1 (33:29):
Ain't none of that, said John Stockman.

Speaker 3 (33:31):
So we I mean.

Speaker 1 (33:33):
Right, right?

Speaker 7 (33:36):
I said?

Speaker 4 (33:36):
I said John. Look, I don't give a who on
the podcast. If I make a statement, I'm gonna stick
to it. John stock was one of the greatest players.

Speaker 8 (33:47):
Better was he better than Steve?

Speaker 1 (33:49):
Yes, doctor Stevens, I'll give you that.

Speaker 3 (33:58):
Come on, But.

Speaker 1 (34:01):
Steve was m v P on the Sun. So you
think I'm arguing against that.

Speaker 3 (34:05):
Yeah, yeah, Steve, he is a better all around to me,
better off with the player.

Speaker 1 (34:14):
Steve, great point guards man. We can talk about somebody
with none of us will put him on the list.
But but Baron Davids is a Heli point.

Speaker 3 (34:23):
Guard, great point guard, and with Dunk was just didn't
have a lot enough career.

Speaker 8 (34:28):
But Dunk on your head, Yeah he was, he was, Yes,
it was.

Speaker 1 (34:34):
It was hard for me to keep Nate Archibald off.

Speaker 3 (34:36):
There was the real deal deal.

Speaker 4 (34:40):
Okay, So so you solid with your five? Then Mark,
you're slid with that five? Are you solid with that
five that I'm with?

Speaker 1 (34:48):
Because I and people could pick somebody in between that,
but all of mine are. Arguably, I can argue all day,
for all day.

Speaker 6 (34:58):
I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go mad Johnson number one
all day. Then I got z, I got Zeke at
number two. And if we want to say Steph is
a point guard or whatever you want to say, I'm
gonna put Steph in there as my number three, you
have to.

Speaker 8 (35:19):
Go. And then number four I gotta go with.

Speaker 1 (35:25):
A I.

Speaker 3 (35:30):
He got, he got drafted as the point guard. He's
got a point guard now.

Speaker 6 (35:34):
And then I'm gonna have to throw my man, Steve
Nash as my number fifth guy.

Speaker 3 (35:40):
Yeah yeah, sleeping sleep yeah yeah, yeah, it's hard to
argue with that.

Speaker 1 (35:47):
Steve got two m vps.

Speaker 8 (35:49):
No one.

Speaker 3 (35:53):
At the ball, give me Jason Kidd all day?

Speaker 1 (35:58):
Yeah, ta kid did Jake Kidd? Yes, Ja Kidd and
Westbrook defensive players, great point guards.

Speaker 3 (36:05):
Yes, it's an argument that we can, we can, we
can go back all.

Speaker 1 (36:08):
Day, and none of us are necessarily wrong. It's just
who we like.

Speaker 4 (36:13):
We like well Jimmy, Jimmy was kind of wrong with
his motherfucking list.

Speaker 3 (36:17):
But we got to move on. But we have the
next The next question, let me mind is about to
come out on the podcastle already we already did it boy,
next question.

Speaker 7 (36:29):
All right, all right, A big, a big debate that
we had going on here. Uh, mister west was about
our top five big men and uh you you being
a big.

Speaker 3 (36:39):
Dog yourself, here we go.

Speaker 1 (36:41):
That one your top five. I'll tell you that it
was hard for me because I thought about it.

Speaker 8 (36:47):
I can tell you is number one is career.

Speaker 4 (36:50):
Look, if you're gonna stand on this podcast, hold on,
if you go to the podcast, stay motherfucking line.

Speaker 3 (36:57):
Let him answer the question.

Speaker 1 (36:58):
You ain't no particular no particular order like one, two, three?
So Kareema the best ever? But uh and and I
actually went with six if that don't mind. Chamberlain minimal,
I went well, and you can tell me which one
one you want as honorable mentioned?

Speaker 3 (37:19):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (37:19):
Okay, World Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kareem, Moses Malone, Another, Virginia Boy,
the Dream and Shaq.

Speaker 3 (37:31):
Okay, I think I think you gotta be. I think
Moses got to be the honorble mentioned in that list.

Speaker 1 (37:37):
Let me ask you this, how many of them led
the league in rebounding? That did? Shack never left?

Speaker 3 (37:51):
Okay? Want to go rebind it a king?

Speaker 7 (37:53):
Did?

Speaker 11 (37:53):
A king led the league and rebounding at the back
the back m v P Yeah yeah most. I can't
argue that he can't know you that okay?

Speaker 3 (38:06):
So so who you putting?

Speaker 1 (38:08):
And they changed the rules because of him?

Speaker 3 (38:10):
Yeah? Who do you put your who honor mentioned in mark?
Come on, you argue that you got to step up
with me?

Speaker 1 (38:16):
It's shock? Whoa bro u can't be shot? I got
him on the list as one of the greatest centers. Yeah,
he were the only one on there didn't lead the
league in rebounded that center. Is he the biggest He
the biggest one on that because he talking on that,

(38:36):
that's fine, but you still gotta get a rebound. That's
true on offense most of the time. It's on defense
most of the time.

Speaker 3 (38:47):
Right, yes, yes, whatever, yes, come on, man, Shots.

Speaker 1 (38:54):
He lead the league in that.

Speaker 12 (38:56):
Yeah, he as a just you would kill Moses and no,
Shot was a lazy defender.

Speaker 3 (39:08):
Was more of offensive. He didn't focus on defense, right, And.

Speaker 1 (39:13):
I'm not saying he would get numbers he got. He
got numbers double A team was torturing them. Yeah, Shot,
you just think he gonna all of a sudden started
blocking Moses a shot.

Speaker 3 (39:26):
I had to put I had to put will Chamber
on there.

Speaker 2 (39:28):
He was playing against six five guys, six six.

Speaker 1 (39:31):
Come on against Kareem was blocking Kareem. Shot to best
guy who he was?

Speaker 3 (39:41):
Hey, what was on my what was on my list?
To uh Mark?

Speaker 1 (39:45):
You can't you can't deny Bill Bill Russell for a
career average twenty two rebounds a game.

Speaker 3 (39:52):
M hmm for his career.

Speaker 1 (39:55):
Can you even imagine money after twenty two rebounds a
game for their career?

Speaker 3 (39:59):
Everything? Yeah, he ain't got a lot of rings what
you and.

Speaker 1 (40:08):
He played in the era where some hotels he can't stand.

Speaker 3 (40:11):
That was rough, That's that's real.

Speaker 1 (40:16):
And like ship yes, Rose and he became the first
black coach in the league.

Speaker 8 (40:24):
What about Bill cott Wright?

Speaker 3 (40:26):
What already drink?

Speaker 1 (40:32):
Bill cott Wright is a great player, but he ain't
on this list. When you asked me, who are the
greatest of the greats, we're the greatest. But I think
that's what we gotta gotta remember you were asked him
who are the very best? The elite of the best
of the best. Right, That's what it comes down to.

(40:53):
So there's a lot of great We can go back
to point guard. We can be all day and say like, man,
did you see Steve Francis? You know, yeah, Strickland, all
these dudes, Bro, these dudes are the elite of the
best of.

Speaker 3 (41:07):
The best because they had to lock the longevity.

Speaker 1 (41:11):
To the yes, yes, jevity and consistency in tough time,
especially Bill Russell. And then like you said, mate, you
can't eat it at the restaurant, you can't stay in
the hotel.

Speaker 4 (41:26):
That's what it was crazy, all right, I'm moving on
to the to the next piece, the next question. We
asked for you Mark here is one of the big names,
and we talked about the moment that we were starting
and warming up. One of the big names that still
resonates in the game that you that was a teammate
of yours, Charles Barkley. Hey, tell us about your experience
playing with Charles Barklay.

Speaker 3 (41:46):
He was the best player I've ever played with.

Speaker 1 (41:50):
Obviously one of the best players if we if we
had a list of power forwards, he would be on
my list of power forwards. One of the played the game.

Speaker 3 (41:59):
But because he is, because he is, and and think.

Speaker 1 (42:05):
About think about his game, think about Magic, Think what
what made Magic great or not? One of the things
that's saved one of the things. That's not fair to
say what made him, but one of the things Magic
could get that freaking thing off the rim and push
it down the floor.

Speaker 3 (42:18):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 1 (42:19):
Charles Barkley did the same thing. He couldn't pass like Magic,
but that boy can go get a rebound off that
rim and everybody and come down that through the floor,
through everybody handling the ball and finish in the basket
or take a shot. Yes, he was he at six
I say six six. Listed that y'all say six dominated

(42:39):
the position, Okay, Minnie Knights and many Knights where they're
playing against Karl Malone, where he's playing Kevin McHale, did
freaking matter.

Speaker 3 (42:49):
Always besides every night?

Speaker 1 (42:51):
Ye? Yeah, so yeah, I mean, and and he's just
a great personality. And you know, if you're around him,
Jogi's funny whatever her and and and and he's generous
to the general public, you know what I mean, he'll hear.
One of the things that I remember, you know, them
saying about him when he went and played on the
on the Dream Team, the Olympic team, how everybody like

(43:13):
had security. He's like, hell with security, I'm going out
there to be with the folks, walk to him or whatever.
And he became basically I got an international sensation because
of that.

Speaker 4 (43:22):
They said he was the most popular guy. You know,
you had the masters that went to him, But as
things developed, they said that more people gravitating towards Barkley
than anybody else amongst the group that was there.

Speaker 1 (43:32):
Yeah, because he's an engaging person. You know, he going
you know, if you if you, if you, if you good,
don't get a twisted if you got to like mess
with him. Now, you're gonna have a issue get you Yeah. Yeah,
but but if you just you know whatever, he he is,
he's he's one of the best people I know.

Speaker 4 (43:50):
And nothing I will tell you about him that that
I would say that watching him is he was a
willing fucking rebounder.

Speaker 1 (43:57):
Wanted to rebound.

Speaker 3 (43:58):
Yeah, yeah, he was.

Speaker 6 (43:59):
He was.

Speaker 1 (43:59):
He was. Yeah, particularly particularly if you you got you
got it and got him riled up. Man, that motherfucker
was going. You know what I mean, you know he was.
He would get focused and get lasered in and when
that happened, yeah, it was.

Speaker 8 (44:18):
It was.

Speaker 3 (44:18):
That's real, that's real.

Speaker 1 (44:19):
Good.

Speaker 3 (44:20):
Thanks for that, Go ahead to the next things.

Speaker 2 (44:22):
Mark all Right was speaking of Barkley, along with kJ
Damn Marley, and Dumas, playing against the individual recognized as
the goat like some of us on this panel don't
think it is. But you know, but tess your expense
playing with Jordan's pipping in the bulls in the championship.

Speaker 1 (44:41):
Uh Man, painful that we didn't win, but it was,
it was. It was a great experience, you know, still
the finals, having a chance to win the you know,
we've always played basketball. You went into the greatest prize
and what I think is the greatest sport and and
at that time was to me and to this time
is the greatest time to be playing basketball with a

(45:04):
guy like Jordan's and and and uh you know Pippen
and those guys. For the Chicago Bulls, we we have Barkley.
We had the best record in the league that year.
You know, we had home court advantage. I mean, I
thought we were going to you know, pull it off.
Unfortunately for us, they had had the experience of being

(45:27):
there before. One of our best players, I think, I
think he was our second league scorer, et Cedric to
ballos Ye got hurt and couldn't play. You know, between
him and Dumas, they might have kind of offset Pippin's
effectiveness just to a certain degree or at least at
least match. But you know, like I think their experience

(45:48):
and and us missing Cedric made the difference in in
in the outcome of of the of the playoffs. We
couldn't win at home that hurt. We had had two
games here and we couldn't. We didn't win either one
and in the opening volley went to Chicago. We actually
want to in Chicago, to be honest, with them. But
by the time we got back here and you know,

(46:09):
and Paxson hit that infamous shot. Uh that kind of
broke our hearts, but it was it was great. Part
of part of the two was when when Charles, Charles
and and and Jordan were close. You know, I think
and both of them are great competitors. Don't get me
wrong when I say this, I mean they both want
to win.

Speaker 3 (46:27):
You know.

Speaker 1 (46:27):
It's one of them things where were friends, but should
we gonna go drinking and have jokes.

Speaker 3 (46:30):
I'm one of the want.

Speaker 1 (46:34):
I'm gonna be the friendly friend. And they got to
dub you know. When we're playing, Like I said, you
can see Charles get into that that moat, that that
that that that mode of getting riled up and say
we're like, oh hell yeah, here comes here come the pain.
And then you go a free though, and you see
Jordan go over there, like put his hand around and
sell them a little joking joke and see back down.

Speaker 3 (47:00):
Geordan might remember doing remember doing the series. We're watching it.

Speaker 4 (47:05):
That's one of the things we say it is that
why is Bartley laughing and ship with his motherfucker? Like
put him away from you remember that doing that?

Speaker 3 (47:12):
Series like come on, man, come on, and you know
what I mean.

Speaker 1 (47:17):
So you can see Jordan understood, he knew what we do. Like, okay,
y'all turn up that dial. This motherfucker about to go walk.
It's gonna get crazy in here, right, you know. And
we definitely saw that when was in Chicago in the
triple over time he took over we game, you know
what I mean, because that's what he had that he's

(47:39):
he's gifted like that. But yeah, so we could see
that happening from time to time, like uh, you know,
so between those those factors in my opinion, certainly, surely
my opinion, particularly not having CS, you know, yeah, as
a guy, a guy who could be highly productive that
you don't have to run a play for right, he's

(48:01):
still gonna get you whatever, fifteen to twenty points and whatever,
you know, and you ain't ran out one play for him.

Speaker 4 (48:10):
So quick questions while you're out there. George was a
notorious he's a big ship talking. Did George talking to
ship to you?

Speaker 3 (48:15):
Why while you got he.

Speaker 1 (48:16):
Never talked nothing to me, you know, saying I like whatever,
But he never I never caught any of that, you know,
so most of most most guys are smart enough not
to try to say something to get him riled up.

Speaker 3 (48:32):
Either.

Speaker 1 (48:32):
We ain't trying to do.

Speaker 3 (48:34):
We ain't trying to like, well, we got you.

Speaker 1 (48:38):
Sleeping when in the South say sleeping dogs live. You
know what I'm saying, Kick that motherfucker.

Speaker 3 (48:51):
So last question before on this, because you mentioned the teammate.

Speaker 4 (48:54):
Last thing before, we're going to the last last two
questions we have for you, Mark is okay, your teammates
are ballast blindfolded.

Speaker 3 (49:00):
He couldn't see what he was doing. That the motherfucker
A good question.

Speaker 1 (49:04):
He put on the blindfold. Through the blindfold, I'm thinking, yeah,
I'm not.

Speaker 3 (49:10):
Gonna look like.

Speaker 1 (49:13):
He never told me whether he could or not. Almost
impossible to have a dunk like that in case. Yeah,
that's all I'm gonna say. He came back with the trophy.

Speaker 3 (49:25):
Bro, he fooled somebody foolish. It's all about right. That
was that was different. That was different.

Speaker 1 (49:42):
Checked the box, Check the box, all right, next.

Speaker 3 (49:45):
Next question we got for here now.

Speaker 4 (49:46):
So we talked about your your best position players for
the center and the point guard.

Speaker 3 (49:51):
Okay, we talked a little.

Speaker 4 (49:53):
Bit about great players you played with, Okay, and played
against Now the next question is spinning off of that
is is give us your Mount Rushmore, regardless of position.
You're Mount Rushmore of the n b A.

Speaker 3 (50:08):
Here we go, Here we go.

Speaker 1 (50:10):
Yeah, yeah, y'all hated all the others. Should I say, Hey,
we gave, we.

Speaker 3 (50:17):
Gave opinions, We gave opinions.

Speaker 1 (50:19):
Mark, we have our Yeah, you know we just shoot
me like that, bro.

Speaker 8 (50:25):
Like that?

Speaker 1 (50:26):
Uh I go, Bill Russell, mhm Okay, Johnson, Larry Bird Okay,
Kareem Chamberlain, Oscar Robinson and Jerry West.

Speaker 4 (50:40):
Oh my god, you wanted all old school you put
you put Jordan on there, Put George George.

Speaker 3 (50:46):
If I left the Mount George, he put the Mount Rushmore.

Speaker 1 (50:50):
The definitely on there is definitely on the y.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
He went like like Tim, motherfuckers Mount Rushmore five my moun.

Speaker 8 (51:04):
For me, for me.

Speaker 1 (51:05):
They got Mount Rushmore. Now they to go get another
stone to put Martin Luther king up there.

Speaker 3 (51:09):
So yeah, like question Lebron, that good question.

Speaker 1 (51:17):
He ain't on the He ain't finished that. He get
on there yet.

Speaker 3 (51:20):
Okay, twenty years you can't yet. Hey, fast forward, like
I said, I can add to my Rushmore.

Speaker 4 (51:30):
Answer my Rushmore five years from now he's retired, he's
on your rushmore okay.

Speaker 13 (51:37):
Looking in My question would be you who you? Who
would you take off? Who would I take off of you?
I don't remember about ten people. If you have fire,
I can remember. No, why is that one of them
that you would take off?

Speaker 4 (51:50):
I would take off your time, I would say, I
would say exactly I was say.

Speaker 3 (51:57):
I would say, Jerry West, probably not a time you.

Speaker 1 (52:02):
You ain't gonna have on your rushman. He was my
top point guard. Would I would have logo or the
league you're not gonna have on your rush rushan? Birds
of Birds a bad boy. But yeah, I'm sorry, Yeah,
I knew I would get some pushback with hey, what

(52:23):
is different about Jerry West and Bird?

Speaker 3 (52:26):
Are you trying to.

Speaker 1 (52:32):
Say that?

Speaker 3 (52:32):
Ain't no difference between? Could have been that, Melani A
little bit I thought about I got thrown out. I
thought diversity inclusion got thrown out. That's what you're trying
to do.

Speaker 1 (52:46):
I ain't with that dude up there in the White House.
I'm one of them brothers in painting the White House black.

Speaker 3 (52:54):
Hey, I'm down with that.

Speaker 1 (52:56):
Jerry West is the logo Larry Bird grateful. He is
He's at a time when the league, when the league
his his his playing against Magic accelerated the league beyond
what anybody could could have hoped for before that.

Speaker 3 (53:16):
The league.

Speaker 1 (53:18):
They saved the league, they did. I'll obtained that. I
think doctor j in his eraror saved the league. Magic
and Bird that, Yes, they took it to a whole
another level. Jordan took it to a whole another level.

Speaker 3 (53:37):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 1 (53:37):
Oscar Robinson, what he did for the players union and
and and the rights of players. Come on, man, that's unbelievable.

Speaker 8 (53:47):
So you.

Speaker 3 (53:49):
Part of that.

Speaker 1 (53:49):
You got to give those dudes their due. Yeah, the
league does not does not look like it is now,
particularly not on the floor but off the floor with
with the health insurance, the packages that we get for retirement.
Without those guys, man, I'm not gonna disrespect them brothers.

Speaker 4 (54:11):
Man, Come on, Jimmy, Jimmy had Jimmy had a good point.
You did have doctor Janu list.

Speaker 1 (54:19):
I didn't. I didn't.

Speaker 3 (54:21):
I didn't. That hurts me too, because j.

Speaker 8 (54:28):
Have a jail.

Speaker 1 (54:29):
That was my guy. If you grew up in if
you grew up in my era, doctor j was that guy.
Everybody wanted to see that dunks and whatever he.

Speaker 8 (54:37):
Was Mike before Mike. Yes, did he ever win a ring?
Did doctor.

Speaker 1 (54:47):
Running with Moses? I didn't have Moses alone on the
list either.

Speaker 3 (54:52):
One when he.

Speaker 1 (54:54):
I have a team on the list, Like we said,
with a lot of these lists and whatever, we can
argue with other guys on there.

Speaker 3 (55:02):
You know what I mean. And and and yeah, you
know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (55:07):
I mean you might not, that's your question, Martin. He
rocked that bitch and dunk on the Lakers beat the
Lakers for the championship.

Speaker 3 (55:14):
I know, I know, you know. I'm just I'm gonna
see Tweet's face. I don't want to pay attention. I
don't want to miss that.

Speaker 1 (55:22):
You know, you know, you know I ain't put on
there my boy, my homeboy on there. So it's hurt man.
There's there's a legendary for me. The legendary. Yeah, and
you can we had a list of small forwards, trust me,
Doctor Jay's on that for me. Wilkins Dominique Wilkins to

(55:42):
I don't put them on the Beau in college. So
I'm like, my life, you punched that thing out, Oh
my god, the shot block and then somebody come and
punch it on you like that. Okay, Yeah, don't try that, Shad.

Speaker 7 (56:10):
No, I was gonna say that even Charles Barkley saints
Michael Jordan for the advances in the game and how
it helped him even make money, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (56:20):
And he was playing at the.

Speaker 1 (56:21):
Same time as them, So you got to you gotta
get them their dude, that these dudes stepped up their game.

Speaker 8 (56:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (56:29):
And and I tell your brother who ain't on none
of my list right now, but Chris Paul when he
became president of the Players Union and got the older
guys insurance covered or as small black premiums may not help.
So many guys who have played this game and they're
still playing it. And these guys who are gonna do
finished playing this game that you can't even believe. So

(56:49):
to me are heroes. You know, they had another Those
brothers are another level.

Speaker 8 (56:54):
You know.

Speaker 1 (56:55):
They were gonna take the scrutiny of the ownership and
say like, no, we're no, we deserve better. I deserve better,
My colleagues deserve better, and we will we will shut
this ship down for them to get that.

Speaker 3 (57:09):
I'm glad.

Speaker 4 (57:10):
I'm glad Chris Paul stepped up on that because the
mother never stepped up in the big game.

Speaker 1 (57:16):
Only that guy.

Speaker 3 (57:17):
Man, that guy. I'm glad to set up on something
because the.

Speaker 14 (57:24):
Game keeping the real you just there on that brother. Man,
Come on, man, stuff up.

Speaker 1 (57:37):
You said, true, but the Hall of Fame.

Speaker 8 (57:43):
Ball fame, right, yeah, I agree.

Speaker 1 (57:47):
The.

Speaker 4 (57:50):
Opportunity and you know, and you know, the one that
I hold against Chris Paul the most is when they
were playing Golden State and when Katie went down, it
was blood in the water. You cannot that Houston team
cannot lose to that fucking gooes their team when Katie
went down.

Speaker 3 (58:06):
That's when that's when I hold against him. Get that one.
I can't.

Speaker 1 (58:12):
I can't argue that. So you're talking about what he
what he could have got as far as the rewards
playing in the team, But as an individual and a player,
come on, man, their brother's on another level because he
stepped up for everybody in the league when he got
him that insurance.

Speaker 3 (58:30):
You know what I mean? You know, but they as
I said, it's good.

Speaker 1 (58:40):
Insurance. Bro, I take that all day.

Speaker 8 (58:44):
He's a good dude. He a good dude. He's always
been a good guy.

Speaker 3 (58:48):
Yeah, man, but it's not.

Speaker 1 (58:53):
If you told me he fell short because a lack
of effort, they're not having. It was never lack of
So if it's a lack of effort, then you I'm
with you, a hunter, you know, to bro.

Speaker 5 (59:09):
The other guy, I would say, is that to me?
The only difference between him and like like like I'm
Isaiah and these were my guy. I like Isaiah time
my list is because Isaiah could take over game like
no other point guard me. I mean, it ain't nother
point guy, I see. Isaiah never been.

Speaker 1 (59:26):
He never been that kind of score like z Right,
it's only the only other guy that size close with
the Irish Irish right. I mean you're talking about the elite.
That's why he's on the list, the leader. There's not
a whole lot of people who have that ability. It's
just not Mark.

Speaker 3 (59:42):
I couldn't agree fucking more.

Speaker 4 (59:44):
That's true, man, Come on.

Speaker 3 (59:50):
So so moving on.

Speaker 4 (59:51):
So, as I said earlier in the introduction, is that
you were very successful at seventeen year career in the NBA,
but you were also very very success full off the floor.
So hey, please share with us and our listeners the
journey that that you took and how you were able
to try and make that transition and be successful post

(01:00:11):
your NBA career.

Speaker 1 (01:00:12):
It was It's really a lot of it is, you know.
I I don't I want to discredit that I put
in some work. I don't want to win up. But
a lot of it is just being blessed.

Speaker 8 (01:00:20):
Bro.

Speaker 1 (01:00:21):
You know, you get lucky, play hard, you do whatever.
People uh look at you and say, well, hey, this dude,
who I do, will put in the work and whatever.
I mean, even when I played for a few years,
I you know, I had my I was had my
broker's license. I worked as a stockbroker, you know what
I mean. I didn't want to and it wasn't It
wasn't so that I could have a job. It was

(01:00:41):
just so I could learn about managing my my own
money whatever. And when I when I got ready to
when I got traded. That's how where it started.

Speaker 3 (01:00:51):
Really.

Speaker 1 (01:00:51):
I got traded from the Suns to Detroit. You know,
the owner of the team, Jerry Clangel, had called me
into the office and said, well, Mark, you know we're
making the steal blah blah blah and whatever. I'm like, Okay,
he just trying to like you know, do the soft
soft serve and whatever whatever, you know. But he said,
he said, when you're done playing, I would love for

(01:01:12):
you to come back here and work for the organization.
And I've okay, you know, just doing the soft shirt
or whatever. Sure enough, I think I played my last
year in one of the year before I retired, I played,
I think as in Atlanta. I'm not sure, but anyway,
I come back home. I'm sitting home. I get a
call said, Mark, you want to play another year. I'm like,

(01:01:34):
it depends on where he's like right here in Phoenix.
So they bring me downtown sign me so that I
can retire as a Phoenix son.

Speaker 3 (01:01:41):
Wow, that's classy. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:01:43):
So I retire as a Phoenix son. They let me
go doing the trade deadline and then hire me like
two weeks later as assistant GM. So that's that's where
a lot of it started. And I did that for years,
you know, and I had different duties, you know, scheduling, preseason, scouting,

(01:02:04):
you know, helping the interview for coaching, whatever it was.
And then uh, you know, we got new you know,
we got new manage and new ownership. You know, they
shifted everything around and and that ownership still kept me
in the organization. That's cool, kept me with like player
relations and whatever. That's when I really did a lot
of that. And and as time has gone on, and

(01:02:28):
I was like, Okay, well I don't I didn't really
want to feel like because I had kids, and you know,
I didn't really feel like one wanted to be on
the road all the damn time.

Speaker 3 (01:02:35):
No more.

Speaker 1 (01:02:35):
I got kidded being around my kids and help raise them.

Speaker 3 (01:02:39):
You know, you got a file.

Speaker 1 (01:02:41):
I'll go to every little high school basketball game or
little league games or whatever. And so then I became,
uh the guy who just did player relations, but I
didn't have to go on the road, you know. And
uh then we got another ownership, the current one, just

(01:03:02):
another ownership. And then James Jones came on and James
Jones wanted a whole other staff, just change everything around.
And that's when I went to purely out of operations
to the business side and went to charities, which I
really enjoyed doing the charities. Me and my wife did
a free camp on the south side of Phoenix. If
you're familiar with the city, the south side of the

(01:03:24):
you know, yeah, uh, challenged and under appreciate our underserved communities. There,
so we did a camp for thirty years, a free
camp for kids at the Salvation Wow and that was
to me, that was rewarding. And so with that said,

(01:03:44):
I also did the charities for the for the for
the Sons, and now I'm just an ambassador for the
for the Sons and their their foundation which is basically
their charities. And I enjoy that I don't have to
go in the office every day. I get to go
out and do a part of the community. And I
really enjoyed that.

Speaker 3 (01:04:05):
That's cool man, great great journey, great story.

Speaker 4 (01:04:08):
It's good to hear of owners actually Colangelo actually doing
what they said and then falling through with it and
uh and.

Speaker 3 (01:04:16):
Bring your board the organization. That was really cool stuff. Hey,
one report when you were the assistant GM, they.

Speaker 4 (01:04:25):
Said that at that time, before you left that role,
you set the blueprint for the three amigos y'all had
on your team last year.

Speaker 3 (01:04:32):
They said that you at that point said, hey, at
some point we can get Bradley Beal, we.

Speaker 1 (01:04:41):
Had, we had Joe Johnson. Yeah, yeah, that was but
that those are migos we should have kept together. That
was a basketball team.

Speaker 3 (01:04:58):
It sure was. Then spend that suspension and derailed that.
That well, that that's a sore spot for everybody in Phoenix.

Speaker 1 (01:05:08):
Mensioned to say he was gonna come to that next game.
You know, he won't show up there. That was that
was crap. You know, it is what it is.

Speaker 3 (01:05:18):
We can you know, yeah whatever.

Speaker 1 (01:05:21):
But part of that too was we end up moving
Joe Johnson, which should have never happened. We should have
we should have gave that check that that team another
shot at it.

Speaker 4 (01:05:32):
So yeah, I sold Joe, man, I tell you when
they when they moved him out, that's a mistake.

Speaker 3 (01:05:38):
Yeah, Joe Johnson was a real deal.

Speaker 1 (01:05:42):
That was one of those things where you know, we
were changing ownership and.

Speaker 3 (01:05:46):
You know, the new owner, you.

Speaker 1 (01:05:48):
Know, you know, all of them think they're basketball savants.
It's like this for a few years. Man, maybe maybe
you just listen to us and give us one more
year with this team.

Speaker 3 (01:05:57):
Shot, right, it is what it is.

Speaker 1 (01:05:59):
Yeah that that those were right there.

Speaker 4 (01:06:05):
Okay, all right, Well, I know I know somebody mentioned
that you were part of bringing threehome together. I thought,
I'm just yeah, I'm just saying, man, I report.

Speaker 3 (01:06:19):
You know, you know, I'd like to put the extra
Yeah yeah, yeah, five for I ain't.

Speaker 1 (01:06:30):
Hey, look you can't.

Speaker 15 (01:06:31):
You can't get ahead by just doing the standard, right
yeah we we We are one of those in this podcast,
I'm tweeting, tweeting good out, top five movies, Get ten,
five forget eight.

Speaker 3 (01:06:49):
The expectations, expectations about all about exceeding.

Speaker 4 (01:06:55):
Let me tell you, let me tell you, man, it's great,
great having on the podcast. We like to have an
opportunity to bring you back out. Maybe when you're stealing,
start playing, or when basketball rolls back around.

Speaker 1 (01:07:08):
I bother the movie they may you make the playoff.

Speaker 3 (01:07:11):
I'm gonna call you.

Speaker 1 (01:07:16):
Uh that what Okay?

Speaker 3 (01:07:18):
We waitt on that phone call. You have been waiting
a long time.

Speaker 4 (01:07:25):
When when they finished the season eight nine, call Jimmy,
oh no this this phone get repossessed.

Speaker 1 (01:07:33):
Yeah. Yeah, it's gonna be a tough season from my Steelers.
But I like, I'm with him, you rollant.

Speaker 3 (01:07:41):
I just I just hope the coach survives the season.

Speaker 1 (01:07:46):
You know they've been they've been talking about getting rid,
you know, yeah, nowhere they've been talking about him forever.

Speaker 3 (01:07:54):
Won't get get whatever?

Speaker 1 (01:07:57):
You never know, man, you got got the nixt to
the conference finals the next day.

Speaker 3 (01:08:02):
Yeah, that's the truth. They won't get rid of Timlin.

Speaker 4 (01:08:07):
But I think at some point Talland needs to probably
leave and go somewhere else and get a fresh start
with a new organization, be a new voice for a
new court set the Pete players. But you know, I
don't really like the way Pittsburgh put talent around him
as a as a coach. They take him for granted.

Speaker 1 (01:08:23):
If they let him go, he won't be on the
sideline long. I don't think if you if he wants
to coach, he won't be on the sideline long.

Speaker 3 (01:08:34):
That's the truth. He will. He will be snatched up
immediately real call wants to coach.

Speaker 4 (01:08:41):
Hey, But with great, great conversation here today, Mark has
been great chiming into your basketball wisdom and knowledge and
experience man, and getting the insight from you.

Speaker 3 (01:08:53):
So it's just been great.

Speaker 4 (01:08:54):
Like I said, you're a friend of the program forever.
And next time you don't have to bring motherfucker Jimmy,
you can come by yourself.

Speaker 3 (01:09:04):
It's great.

Speaker 4 (01:09:04):
It's great having you, Hey, our listeners. I know you
guys enjoyed it as much as we did. Appreciate you. Hey, tweeted,
what are we telling them when.

Speaker 3 (01:09:12):
We like the subscribe like.

Speaker 1 (01:09:17):
India, we love you.

Speaker 3 (01:09:19):
That's right,