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May 16, 2024 37 mins

Chris and Rob discuss why it is that American-born NBA players feel empowered to publicly (and relentlessly) trash foreign-born NBA players and debate whether the NFL was out of line for publicly condemning Harrison Butker’s comments promoting traditional Catholic beliefs. Plus, former NBA veteran and FOX Sports Radio NBA analyst Kerry Kittles swings by to discuss why he believes Jalen Brunson has eclipsed Kevin Durant in the NBA’s hierarchy, how Nikola Jokic compares to other great centers of the past and much more!

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusa and Ron Harker.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
All right, Rob, let's get to this here, because you
have a strong take. You feel like yesterday you talked
about you felt like there was a lot of disrespect
out there for Nikola Jokic, and now you're extending it
to where you feel like there's a lot of disrespect
of international players in general. Brent, rob G, there have

(00:53):
been a few statements made by American players and ex
players recently. Can you kind of run down a few
things so just to give the audience some context.

Speaker 4 (01:02):
Absolutely so.

Speaker 5 (01:03):
I think it all started, at least to my knowledge,
publicly a couple of years ago when James Harden was
in the thick of the MVP race with the Houston
Rockets and he was going head to head with Giannis
out of the gumbo and you're loo tall.

Speaker 4 (01:15):
Thank you.

Speaker 5 (01:16):
You recall that James Harden was not feeling the idea
of the Greek freak being named the MVP over him.
Here's that viral comment from James Harden back in the day.

Speaker 6 (01:27):
When it's all said and done, you know, they'll appreciate
it more, you know. But I wish I could just run,
run in with seven feet and run and just dump
like that. Takes no skill at all. I got to
actually learn how to play basketball and how to have skill,
you know. I take that in the day.

Speaker 3 (01:43):
I don't know if that was based on Janni's being
you know, international player, you know what I mean it was.

Speaker 4 (01:50):
I think it was based on his style of play
and Harden that's fair.

Speaker 5 (01:53):
Okay, well but let me let me hear you defend
this next one though, Chris, because it's goalie gets worse
from there.

Speaker 4 (01:59):
I know they've been this is so I'm not I'm
just saying that.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
Particular sure, So uh that one that one that, yeah,
it does, and only.

Speaker 4 (02:09):
From this standpoint, and we'll go forward.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
I don't want to get too bogged down, but I
think it's easier for these ex players to rip on
people who are not from here, like like to just
rip on them where they don't do that to play
from the United States.

Speaker 4 (02:23):
That's that's all about.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Would you have said that when he said something like
that about Shot Nope.

Speaker 4 (02:27):
Check, he wouldn't. He wouldn't do that as much.

Speaker 3 (02:32):
As Giannis as far as there you go, there you go, Chris,
and nobody would say that.

Speaker 4 (02:36):
About Shot about that's fair. Go ahead, right, So we
flashed forward up to last year.

Speaker 5 (02:41):
You had Kendrick Perkins famously say that Yogis not only
was the statatting, but he was only getting m v
P love because he was white. We're gonna choose not
to play that one because that was a little bit
too off color.

Speaker 4 (02:51):
Was that in America?

Speaker 1 (02:56):
I mean, I don't know, Well, there aren't any white
guys from America, all right, the MVP, that's the problem.

Speaker 5 (03:02):
But Gilbert Arenas has taken the toys from Kendrick Perkins,
and he's been really going heavy on Nikolay Jokic, including
a couple of weeks ago where he suggested that Joker
would be the worst MVP the NBA has ever seen.

Speaker 4 (03:15):
Listen that serious.

Speaker 7 (03:18):
Now, I do understand when they say this about the Jokic.
Jokic is probably, statistically when it comes to overall game,
the worst MVP winner.

Speaker 8 (03:33):
He's the worst MVP winner the last forty years. Why
you say that when you're talking about MVP the guys
outside of first and second place, their teams was first
and second place.

Speaker 4 (03:45):
The people who won the MVP, their teams was first
and second.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
Okay, I will say, and I'm not trying to again
defend Gilbert Arenas, but I want is he if he's
saying worse in terms of your seeding because before it's
true that Yoka's first two championships, I'm sorry MVPs, they

(04:12):
didn't win fifty games, and it's rare for a player
to win the MVP without fifty wins. One of them
was the strike short or the pandemic shortened season, so
that kind of thrown out. But the other one was
not fifty wins. And one of his first two MVPs
was as a sixth seed. He's talking about No, this
was before Yokish won it. No, but he's talking about

(04:34):
this one, Chris, but rob My point. Arenas's comment was
made before Yokis was naming. Nobody was saying it was.
It was in the if he's going to be. But
I'm just telling him what I'm just saying. He in
that quote that we just heard, he referenced the seating
of the past, and he referenced the the fifty wins.

Speaker 4 (04:59):
Did he or not? Fifty seven games this year? This year?
Nobody but the first two he did.

Speaker 3 (05:04):
I'm just saying, I'm not trying to defend him, because
Jokic is nasty. He is a phenomenal player. All I'm
trying to say is was Gilbert. I don't know if
he was saying he's the worst MVP as far as
he's just not as good of a player as the
rest of them, or if he was one of the
few to win it as a sixty. The only other

(05:27):
six seed I know in the last since nineteen eighty
and writers have been voting to win the MVP eighty
one nineteen eighty one was Russell Westbrook when he did
it with a triple double. That's the only other sixth
seed that I can recall winning the MVP.

Speaker 4 (05:42):
So I'm just saying it's possible. He meant that, but
go ahead, that is possible.

Speaker 5 (05:47):
He also said earlier this week that if we take
away the assists. Then Yogic's numbers are not that great,
but last one and this is probably the most prevalent
because it's been going on all week. If you've been
watching Inside the NBA, Draymond Green's been filling in an
admirable job, but he can't seem to stop taking shots
at Rudy Gobert.

Speaker 4 (06:05):
Here's one of the things he said, this series ain't
coming back to Minnesota.

Speaker 9 (06:08):
Number one.

Speaker 8 (06:09):
The big Frenchman is sitting on that podium speaking his
native language. We need to do this. You you you
need to get a stop. It ain't we Carl Anthony
Townbs is actually doing a pretty good.

Speaker 4 (06:20):
Job when he's o joker. It's you, my man, that's
getting cooked.

Speaker 8 (06:24):
So it's no we.

Speaker 3 (06:25):
Now, yes, you do need help from the other guys,
but on some of those help can't help you.

Speaker 4 (06:30):
Like you just got to get a stop. It's been worse.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
It's just every every circumstance he has a chance to
get a dig in. That's where Chris, where you're too
close to it, Like you can't be honest because Rudy
Gobert wins Defensive Player of the Year, is that you
also have won and you want to win, So I
think every dig and it doesn't mean he can't criticize him,
but I do think he's taking it too far anyway.

(06:55):
I don't want to be too long winded, Chris. I
do believe that players in the NBA, former players in
the NBA feel that they but they feel like they
can rip on the European players because they're not gonna
push back. They're not going to be confrontational. They would
not do this to other black players in the league.

(07:17):
That's just my gut feeling that they would have never
American Yeah, black American players that they would Johanness, what
is is gonna do?

Speaker 4 (07:25):
That's just not his makeup.

Speaker 1 (07:26):
Chris the joker shack says to his face, you're not
gonna you didn't deserve the MVP.

Speaker 4 (07:34):
He wouldn't do that if it.

Speaker 1 (07:35):
Was some other I just don't believe it in my heart,
and I don't have any proof, but I don't believe
that they would call these guys out. And I do
believe there's a and they better get ready because winby Chris,
as you know, is the next hotness and he ain't
from the United States. But I do think that there's
a wave of anti foreign players that is going on

(07:58):
because they're winning the awards and they're playing at a
high level, and I.

Speaker 4 (08:02):
Think it's I think it's disgraceful.

Speaker 1 (08:04):
I think they should understand how hard it is to
play this game and don't try to beat down people
who are excelling at it.

Speaker 3 (08:11):
They're doing great stuff, that's all. I don't disagree with
what you've said. And I think there is some jealousy
because these dudes are Let's just face it, guys, right now,
the best players in the world are not from America
playing the CW overall, if you want to go fifty deep,
you want to go twenty five deep, you wanna go

(08:32):
fifty deep, you wanna go one hundred deep. Sure, we
got the best, you know, the majority of the better players,
but the absolute elite level, the top five.

Speaker 4 (08:43):
We got Carry Kittles on the show What's that Hour today?

Speaker 3 (08:48):
Yeah, and Carry and I were texting earlier in the
day and he sent me, I can find it. He
sent me his top six players, and I'm his top
six players right now in the NBA here it is Joker,
Luca and man mb Shaye Gyiannis. Six are international, right

(09:12):
and and and then the next group is saying his
rounding out his top ten. Rob Lebron, Durant Curry and
Jason Tatum Lebron Durant Curry are gonna be retiring in
a few so where and you said Wimby, Wimby is
gonna be list I mean Wimby.

Speaker 4 (09:30):
Next year might be top five.

Speaker 3 (09:32):
I think he'll definitely be top ten, And so I
would I agree with you, Rob. I do think, Look,
they better not mess up and think these international dudes
aren't as tough, because you know, they just are soft
spoken and they're in a different country and they might rite,
they might not want to come out.

Speaker 4 (09:53):
Here and just act the fool.

Speaker 3 (09:58):
But don't think that some of these dudes can't knock
you out, just like an American could knock you out. Secondly,
and I think the more important point, Rob is it's
probably some jealousy because they are they are taking over,
and like you know, we have felt like this is

(10:19):
our game, Black Americans, this is our game. And now
you see the best player in the world is a
slow white dude that can't jump, and he's the best
player in the world.

Speaker 4 (10:31):
By a nice margin.

Speaker 3 (10:33):
And then you got Luca, who's kind of a slow
white dude who can't jump, and he might be the
second best player in the world. So I think there
I think there's some jealousy there, Rob, I think there is.
So I don't disagree. All right, Uh, you know what
we need to do? Play better. Let's let's play better
at the younger ages and and really learn the skills

(10:54):
as Harden was referring to skills, because that's what yoki
Ja Luka have.

Speaker 2 (10:58):
Be sure to catch Liva of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern
four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 10 (11:09):
Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben
Maller along with my trustee sidekick David Gascon. Would mean
a lot to have you join us on our weekly
auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the
Fifth Hour. I'll tell you it's a spin off of it.
Ben Mather Show, a cult hit overnights on FSR. Why
should you listen? Picture if you will a world will.
We chat with captains of industry in media, sports, and

(11:32):
more every week explore some amazing facts about human nature
and more.

Speaker 9 (11:36):
Listen to the.

Speaker 10 (11:37):
Fifth Hour with Ben Maller on the iHeartRadio app, Apple
podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

Speaker 3 (11:41):
Harrison Butker, the tremendous kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs,
gave a speech recent.

Speaker 4 (11:49):
Was it this past weekend?

Speaker 3 (11:50):
I guess at Benedicton College in Kansas. Is a Catholic school,
Catholic college in Kansas?

Speaker 4 (11:57):
What is it?

Speaker 3 (11:58):
What was the name of that Ben addicted? Been addicting
or been adicting, been adicting. I don't know the correct pronunciation,
but it's been Addicting College, a private Catholic liberal arts
school in Kansas, and it's.

Speaker 4 (12:14):
Become very controversial.

Speaker 3 (12:18):
He addressed things like LGBTQ, abortion, Joe Biden, President Joe Biden,
and women being homemakers. Here's a brief and he's being
criticized for it by a lot of people. Here is
a snippet on what he said at been Adictine College.

Speaker 11 (12:39):
For the ladies present today, Congratulations on an amazing accomplishment.

Speaker 4 (12:44):
You should be proud of all that you have achieved.

Speaker 11 (12:46):
To this point in your young lives. I want to
speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you,
the women who have had the most diabolical lives told
to you. How many of you are sitting here now
about to cross this stage, and are thinking about all
the promotions and titles you are going to get in
your career. Some of you may go on to lead
successful careers in the world, but I would venture to

(13:06):
guess that the majority of you are most excited about
your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.
I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would
be the first to say that her life truly started
when she began living her vocation as a wife and
as a mother. I'm on this stage today and able
to be the man I am because I have a
wife who leans into her vocation. I'm beyond blessed with

(13:31):
the many talents God has given me. But it cannot
be overstated that all of my success is made possible
because a girl I met in band class back in
middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife,
and embrace one of the most important titles of all holemaker.

Speaker 4 (13:50):
All right, Rob. The NFL.

Speaker 3 (13:54):
Release the statement saying that here's from Jonathan being NFL's
senior vice president and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. He
released his statement saying Harrison Bucker gave a speech in
his personal capacity. His views are not those of the
NFL as an organization. The NFL is stepfast in our

(14:15):
commitment to inclusion, which only.

Speaker 4 (14:17):
Makes our league stronger.

Speaker 3 (14:20):
There's petitions, at least one trying to get Harrison Bucker
fired from the NFL. He's got one hundred thousand plus signatures.
I think that's ridiculous. That's his views. He was speaking
at a Catholic university. I haven't heard the whole speech,
but what we just listened to and other parts, those

(14:42):
are Catholic beliefs. If he can't go to a Catholic
school and say, what are traditional Catholic beliefs that have
been held for two thousand plus years or two thousand years?

Speaker 4 (15:01):
What? What? What's the what? What's wrong with?

Speaker 3 (15:04):
I wouldn't expect somebody to go to an LGBT event
and say something that was not in line with their beliefs.

Speaker 4 (15:13):
So I don't.

Speaker 12 (15:14):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (15:14):
I don't have any issue with.

Speaker 3 (15:16):
What he said and what we just heard as I
don't didn't hear the whole thing, But no, I said,
I didn't hear the old thing, this thing, I don't know.

Speaker 4 (15:26):
I don't know. He just played. I don't know that's
the piece that that the NFL wanted the piece. Then, well,
and there's some stuff they said. There was some homophobic
stuff for whatever.

Speaker 1 (15:37):
I didn't hear the whole thing too, but I'm from
from what I read there were other things in the
speech that people had.

Speaker 3 (15:43):
Traditional Catholic beliefs. Well, let me don't support l g B,
t Q lifestyles. That's the traditional Catholic belief Okay, let
me let me say so. If he's saying that at
a Catholic university, then that's that's Catholic.

Speaker 4 (15:59):
Okay. Here are we saying Catholics can't play in the NFL.
Catholics can't raise.

Speaker 1 (16:05):
Chris, here's the issue I think you have a you
have a problem with the NFL issue in a statement?

Speaker 4 (16:10):
Correct? Is that what you're issuing? No, No, they can say.
In fact, I say no, let me say something that
you ask me statement.

Speaker 3 (16:17):
I actually think that the statement is good when it
says the NFL is committed.

Speaker 12 (16:23):
To inclusion, but that inclusion includes Catholics who feel the
way that Harrison Butker do. It includes Christians and Muslims
and Orthodox Jews who believe similar things to Harrison Bucker, and.

Speaker 4 (16:41):
It includes lgbt Q people.

Speaker 3 (16:44):
We are in a pluralistic society where so many people
have different viewpoints, different lifestyles, different beliefs, and we are
going to have to learn how to respect one another
and let them have their views.

Speaker 4 (17:02):
And some people say they want tolerance, but what they really.

Speaker 3 (17:07):
Want is applause and some I'm not applauding certain things and.

Speaker 4 (17:15):
No, no, let me let me finish based on my faith.

Speaker 3 (17:18):
I am not going to applaud certain lifestyles now, and
some people are not going to applaud my beliefs and
my lifestyle. And I can live with that. And you
should be not you personally, but the person on the
other side. You should be able to live with it too.

Speaker 6 (17:36):
We have to.

Speaker 3 (17:36):
Coexist, respect one another and all that, but we have
to accept that some of us are gonna have different beliefs,
different different views of what's right and wrong, and we're
just gonna have to figure out how to live together.

Speaker 1 (17:49):
Here's the only issue I have is that he doesn't
just represent himself even in that circumstance. In public, he
wears a uniform that says Kansas City Chiefs. He Also,
Chris is a is a working member of the NFL.
And it's never about morality and anything. It's it's financial.

(18:11):
That's why they'll distance himself against Kyrie. They'll distance himself
against this guy. Uh when when David I'm just saying,
when David Stern wouldn't allow Allen Iverson to put out
that rap album with all the profanity and homophobic stuff
and all the stuff that went in there, he wasn't
a morality thing about whether he cares or not.

Speaker 4 (18:34):
He didn't want the league to be hurt financially.

Speaker 1 (18:37):
That's the only reason that these leagues come out and
distance themselves or at least put out a statement because
they want to include.

Speaker 4 (18:46):
Let let they want to and people talk about.

Speaker 1 (18:49):
They want everybody is what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (18:53):
They don't, but they do.

Speaker 1 (18:55):
They do not want to alienate anybody. And I'll give
you a perfect example. And you guys look it up,
Anita brian When people talk about what do they call
this Nowaday, when you get.

Speaker 4 (19:07):
Put out, I wonder what is it called, Chris?

Speaker 3 (19:09):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (19:09):
Well, yeah, when you get canceled, the cancel culture, people
think that this is something new.

Speaker 4 (19:16):
Go look up Anita Briant who was the biggest.

Speaker 1 (19:20):
Endorser of Tropicana orange juice, okay, the biggest. She was
a star on all the commercials of Tropicana Orange juice.
Chris was about Anita Brian. She went to some anti
gay rally or whatever this is in the seventies and
Tropicana fired her. And you say, is that farewell, that's
what gets her belief or whatever trumpic Canna's statement was

(19:43):
very simple.

Speaker 4 (19:44):
We are here to sell orange juice to everybody.

Speaker 1 (19:48):
Fuzzy Zella made fried chicken and collar green jokes about
Tiger Woods.

Speaker 4 (19:54):
He's just joking around. What's the big deal. Guess what.

Speaker 1 (19:58):
K marta wh who was his sponsor, said thank you, no,
thank you, and they fired him because they're not trying
to alien there talking about saying versus two thousand, I'm
talking about No, I'm talking about.

Speaker 4 (20:16):
Can talk? Can I talk? I'm just saying, all right,
I'm trying to can I talk.

Speaker 1 (20:21):
My point is that it's about financial It ain't about morality.

Speaker 4 (20:24):
These guys, these.

Speaker 1 (20:25):
Owners and these people in the league, they're not It's
not about morality or upholding quick.

Speaker 4 (20:32):
Financially. So you're just gonna cowt out to the belief you.

Speaker 1 (20:36):
Work, Chris, if I work at Fox Sports Radio, okay,
and if I get up the same way that there's
certain things you would not say on the air or
get on a soapbox and talk about how you're against
homo of homosexuality. That's not the platform that we're doing.
Would you do that on the show?

Speaker 4 (20:57):
He wasn't about university. I'm talking. You don't have to
ask you can you can listen to the show with
me every night.

Speaker 13 (21:06):
I'm told you know, I haven't said that, right because
that that's not the place of what we're doing, and that's.

Speaker 4 (21:11):
Not what fu he was radio show, he was right.

Speaker 3 (21:15):
Hold on, just that the NFL said he made a
speech in his personal capacity and he was at a Catholic.

Speaker 4 (21:23):
Okay, that's all I'm saying. It's fine, he was at
a cavy Why didn't they already too private? Why did
they put out a statement?

Speaker 13 (21:29):
If it's private, it doesn't well, I'm wondering because it's financial.

Speaker 1 (21:33):
They do not want to alienate people, Chris, That's the
only point I'm trying to get through.

Speaker 3 (21:37):
That's fine, that's fine, But I wonder why they didn't
release a statement on Aaron Rodgers suggesting that Jimmy Kimmel
was tied in with a pedophile Jeffrey EPs.

Speaker 4 (21:49):
Did that have a bottom line with that? Was that
with that alienate people from going the NFL games? That
might not okay?

Speaker 3 (21:55):
No, that why Aaron Rodgers promoting an a drug that's
illegal in the.

Speaker 4 (22:01):
United States, ayahuasca? What about that?

Speaker 3 (22:04):
Would that could that have a bottom line or people
saying I don't want this guy's promoting drug use.

Speaker 4 (22:08):
I don't want my kids, you know, following him that
that could have something on the bottom line board.

Speaker 3 (22:16):
Now he Aaron Rodgers denied it, but seeing it said
people said he he said.

Speaker 4 (22:22):
Sandy Hook never existed.

Speaker 3 (22:24):
I mean, it ain't really statements about any of this stuff,
his anti vaxstance.

Speaker 4 (22:29):
I'm just saying, like, you know, and that look, I
said their statement.

Speaker 3 (22:33):
I like that they want inclusion, but that inclusion in
diversity includes people will have a religious faith that doesn't
agree with certain lifestyles that are now being promoted in America.
Donald the truth, and we should have just as much
right to be here in America and live our lives

(22:56):
as anyone else.

Speaker 4 (22:59):
Nobody said, you don't. Look they want to fire Harrison
Bucker they're clearly saying he can't. Chris, he's not gonna
get fired on There are a hundred thousand people out there, Rob.

Speaker 3 (23:09):
Who won him fire Chris? Probably there's three hundred and
thirty million people.

Speaker 4 (23:13):
So I'm just saying. I'm just saying that you're sitting
here saying that he can live his life.

Speaker 13 (23:19):
Yes, he should be able to live his life and
work work for the Kansas Would you would you agree
that when you represent Trevor Bauer is not in baseball?

Speaker 4 (23:29):
For what reason? Chris? Are you comparing this Trevor Bow.
I'm just asking you why. I'm not even entertained why.

Speaker 1 (23:36):
Because Trevor breaking he was beating up a woman, but
he didn't go to jail and there were no charges
on him.

Speaker 4 (23:42):
Chris, he's not playing. You know why. I got a
lot of nerves because, dude, my point is at a captain.

Speaker 1 (23:49):
My point is that an organization doesn't want a guy
like that on their franchise because he represents them.

Speaker 4 (23:56):
Even though there were no formal charges, everything was dropped.
That's my I'm not even entertaining that.

Speaker 3 (24:02):
My point of what Trevor Bauer was doing, it's not
that's not it's not. What Trevor Bauer is doing is
not comparable to a man giving a speech. Now again,
I have not heard the entire speech. I'm going off
the snippet we heard. I'm going off the reports that
he spoke out against abortion. Catholicism is against abortion. I'm

(24:27):
going off of that, and I'm saying if he should
have a right to go to a Catholic school where
that's what they believe, and address those beliefs. In other words, otherwise,
we can't have people go to church and and follow
the Bible. We can have Muslims go to temple and

(24:47):
follow the the the Koran. We can have Jews go
to synagogue and follow the Torah.

Speaker 1 (24:55):
Nah.

Speaker 3 (24:56):
Pluralism don't tolerance. Don't go one way. Tolerism is both ways.
I don't expect you to applaud me. Don't expect me
to applaud you, but I will tolerate you, and you
should tolerate me.

Speaker 2 (25:09):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search fs R
to listen live.

Speaker 3 (25:20):
Our next guest is Carrie Kittle's former NBA veteran. He's
controversials Radio NBA and.

Speaker 4 (25:27):
Carry what's up?

Speaker 9 (25:29):
What's going on?

Speaker 4 (25:31):
Carry you here? You're coming on here with controversial stuff.

Speaker 1 (25:34):
Chris gave some tease that said you were gonna blow
the socks off for the of NBA Sports News.

Speaker 4 (25:41):
You got no Rob is gonna agree with me, Carrie.
You want to say it? Carry out? No, I want
to hear you carry out of his mouth. Let's let's
get let's record this. Are we recording this? All right?
Let's go.

Speaker 9 (25:55):
So let me preface this by saying, you know, I
have a former team teammate, Harvin Williams, and he always
calls me up with some hot takes and we have
some real heated debates on current players and the NBA
things like that, and so we're always discussing top five
top ten players, and the discussion came up about top
five and top ten and I was just saying, listen,
when you're putting Jen and Bruston in the top ten,

(26:17):
he goes, WHOA, whoa top ten. I'm like, yeah, I
think he's a top ten player in the NBA. So
we went through our list and the debate came up
basically between Jen and Brunston and Kevin Durant, and I
was like, listen, if you're looking at what we've seeing
right now and how this young man is playing. Forget
about Kevin Durant's pass, which is incredible, right we know

(26:38):
he's an incredible player. You know he's a great player
and what he's accomplished. But right now Brunson and how
he controls the game, and I know he has the
ball in his hands a lot. I just thinking how
he impacts the game that he's probably a more valuable
player than you would you would take over Kevin Durant
right now.

Speaker 4 (26:56):
Even though you said he is better than Kevin Durant
right now, I'm.

Speaker 9 (27:03):
Saying it's debatable. I'm not saying that.

Speaker 2 (27:05):
It's not a where are you on?

Speaker 4 (27:07):
Wait a minute, you on the fence? Is he or
isn't he carry? Is he better than Kevin Durant? Yes?

Speaker 5 (27:13):
Or no?

Speaker 9 (27:14):
He's not better?

Speaker 4 (27:15):
All right, then then what are we talking about? What
are we talking about?

Speaker 9 (27:19):
I would say this, there are so many aspects of
his game that's better.

Speaker 1 (27:23):
Than No, no, no, that's not the question. We asked
you one question. Is he better than Kevin Durant right
here now?

Speaker 9 (27:29):
Yes? Or no. It's debatable.

Speaker 4 (27:34):
That's not the answer. That's not the answer. Better yes
or not?

Speaker 9 (27:39):
Debate?

Speaker 4 (27:42):
What what did KD do to you in Brooklyn? What
am I missing?

Speaker 9 (27:50):
It's not that.

Speaker 14 (27:51):
It's just that when you look at what Burt is
doing right now and how consistent he is. He's so
consistent every game he consoles offense almost every possession, So
you know how valuable it is, you know how hard
that is.

Speaker 9 (28:05):
And he's still scoring thirty points, He's still he's still
making couch buckets late in the game, he's still making
all of his teammates better. You can't even really look
at that rosters. So you know, diminish right now. So
I mean, yes, look at what he's doing. He's I was,
and it's every night he has well, he had a.

Speaker 3 (28:23):
Few and now I'll give I'll give him a little
little grace because of the injury.

Speaker 4 (28:28):
But he had a few bad nights in this series. Now,
some of it was injury. But and here's the thing here,
I make the argument for Durant.

Speaker 3 (28:36):
Kevin Durant gave gave you know, average, twenty seven points
this year. He averaged on fifty two shooting. He is
far more radition of a score than Jalen Brunt.

Speaker 9 (28:50):
Really, like, if he's that much, didn't was forty eight percent.
It's not like he shot forty three or forty four percent.
But yet, yeah, more efficient score. I give you that
go ahead.

Speaker 3 (29:00):
Also, Jalen, with all due respect, is doing his damage
in the East.

Speaker 4 (29:08):
In the West, he wouldn't even be playing right now.
They would be done. They probably they might have been
in the play in and they would have got Yes,
the Knicks.

Speaker 9 (29:19):
In the West.

Speaker 4 (29:20):
If the Knicks were in the West, they would be
done right now. That web, well, he's done, yes, But
I'm just saying I d was in the.

Speaker 3 (29:36):
Okay, Minnesota would would whip the next And here's the
thing too, jays And and Jalen's great. Look, I don't
think he's a top ten player carry, but I did
have him. I'm an official voter on my second team
All NBA, so technically I guess that's top ten, right,
So I'll get you drops.

Speaker 4 (29:54):
I had Duran on there too. He's not like hit.

Speaker 3 (29:59):
The Hale offense is based around him. Now, it's still
don't make it easy.

Speaker 4 (30:05):
I give you that. He's still got a score.

Speaker 3 (30:07):
He's still got to pass but having the ball in
his hands so much. No other player on that team
right now is a consistent scorer other than Jalen, So
all of that kind of feeds into the huge numbers
and stuff.

Speaker 4 (30:21):
I don't want to belittle him because we're not trying
to break. Yeah, he's not better than Durant, that's all
I'm saying.

Speaker 9 (30:29):
Okay, okay.

Speaker 4 (30:33):
I told there were people who wait for them. We
also talked to everybody.

Speaker 9 (30:40):
Everybody has opinions. Everybody has opinions.

Speaker 1 (30:43):
Carry we also we also talked about the European players,
and you know, you get the feeling that there's some
jealousy amongst the NBA players towards them every chance they
get to kind of bash some of these guys, especially
the joker.

Speaker 4 (31:02):
I had to feel that.

Speaker 1 (31:03):
I talked to Chris and there were analysts Nick Wright
and Gilbert Arenas and people and even shocks at it
to his face. Basically, we're waiting for him after they
fell down oh two, to be able to say, see,
I told you he isn't that good. If they would
have lost this series, and of course he's turned things around.
Do you feel like there's some jealousy towards the European
players from the American Black players or American players, No,

(31:28):
I don't think so.

Speaker 9 (31:30):
I think that those two elite players, you know, Luca
and the Joker, I think have really separated themselves as
being in that elite category. So you know, listen, talent
is talent. Whether the guys are born in the Islands
like Tim Duncan, whether they're born in Nigeria like a
chem O Lodge Curne, doesn't matter. You know, you come

(31:50):
over in the NBA and you gotta lace them up.
You have to go out there and improve yourself. And
these guys from Europe right now and how they're prepared
themselves for today's more modern game. They're ready to go,
and they're really efficient players, the versatile players. They're controlling
the game on both ends. And so I think you
have to get those guys credit. And so I don't.

(32:12):
I don't really see current players hating on him too much,
to be honest.

Speaker 1 (32:15):
Well, Gilbert Arena said he's the worst MVP in forty years.

Speaker 9 (32:20):
That's not hate the Joker.

Speaker 1 (32:23):
Yes, that's what Gilbert Arenas said, the worst MVP in
forty years.

Speaker 9 (32:28):
Carry I don't know what game he's watching.

Speaker 4 (32:31):
Okay, well let me ask him. You go ahead, he's the.

Speaker 9 (32:36):
Most dominant player in today's game. What are you talking about?

Speaker 4 (32:39):
Bye bye a good distance, Carrie.

Speaker 3 (32:42):
If they win this championship, Rob says he's putting him
in his top ten all time. Yokic, I'm not ready
to go there. I think he's in route to top ten.
I think he's, you know, top you know in that
fifteen is ranged right now. But where would you put
him in the top ten if he wins championship?

Speaker 9 (33:01):
No, it's it's premature right now. I think he's definitely,
he's definitely trying to become the best player in this
modern era since Lebron.

Speaker 8 (33:11):
Right.

Speaker 9 (33:11):
I think he's he's he's grabbing the throne right now.
And Giannis obviously he's he's taken over from Giannis. So
I mean, but to put him in the top ten
of all time, No, that's that's very premature.

Speaker 4 (33:23):
Here's my day the most carry go ahead.

Speaker 1 (33:26):
Three out of four MVPs, he the first MVP Rob
g helped me with the year since nineteen eighty four?
Is that the year since nineteen eighty four to win
an MVP with no all star teammates, no first Team
NBA teammates, nothing like nobody's done.

Speaker 3 (33:45):
He's also the only MVP to ever win a championship
without an All Star Star teammate ever carried.

Speaker 4 (33:54):
So when you look at the three out of four,
it would be back to back.

Speaker 1 (33:57):
I'm saying, obviously he has to win back to back championships, right,
and then to be down O two after losing this,
and if they were to come back from this whole
thing and win, I look at everything and put that together,
that's an unbelievable stretch, especially when you give him a
couple of things that nobody's ever done. And Chris just
said it. To win a championship with no All Star teammates,

(34:19):
I mean, that's incredible, no.

Speaker 9 (34:21):
No question about it. I think it just speaks to
how much how dominant he is and and and how
he's listening. What is he doing the Rudy Gobert right now,
he's supposed to be yes, and he's absolutely destroying him
and reminds me of what kind of what SHA did.

Speaker 3 (34:38):
Right right, Carrie, let me ask you this. You mentioned
shocking you guys, Fay shock in the finals. I think
there's some pain if you're in the picture. You know
the picture I'm talking, he's dunking on like four next
Terrry said I would stay out of that one.

Speaker 4 (34:53):
I didn't want to. I didn't want to wind up
in the gift shop. Chris right right.

Speaker 3 (34:57):
But look, I'm not even asking you to say who's better,
because obviously Shack.

Speaker 4 (35:01):
Right now is ranked ahead of me.

Speaker 3 (35:02):
But how that matchup, Man, that would be so intriguing
to see Shaq and Jokic go at it. I just
think each one of them would get theirs and neither
be able to stop the other.

Speaker 9 (35:14):
I would agree. I would agree with that. And and
the Joker having the guard shock physicality around the basket,
is he going to be in foul trouble? Probably? He plays,
he plays whenever he wants to play. He's never in
foul trouble because this physicality. So I think you're right.
I think both guys would get their numbers. It would

(35:36):
be an interesting matchup obviously, And in today's game, I
think you give the advantage to the Joker because of
how he stretches the floor and Shaq having to come
out and guard guys guard him in particular at the
three point line. I mean that was we didn't have
to see that with shock much at all in his career,
so that that would be a total difference maker. But
I mean, come on, it was to kill him nerve

(35:56):
on the basket. I mean he dominated for fifteen years
straight where there was no competition around the basket, So
it would have been a fun match up, to.

Speaker 4 (36:05):
Be honest with you carry last thing.

Speaker 1 (36:06):
When you the joker of forty points and no turnovers,
what does that say about him? I mean he's the
point right the point center handling the basketball.

Speaker 9 (36:17):
We haven't seen anything like it. I think to be
able to initiate your offense through your center sometimes at
the three point line, doesn't matter. He brings the ball
up the court sometimes and for him to make those
reads deliver the ball work for those guys at the
right moment, whether it's a love pass across the court,
three pointer, you know, he just finds guys and then

(36:40):
he's scoring so efficiently with either hands around the back
he makes threes. I just think it's what we're watching
right now is a superstar in the making, I mean
mega star in today's game. Whether guys want to give
him credit for it or not, current players or former players,
he's just an unbelievable as.

Speaker 3 (37:00):
Telling Norry Kittle's great stuff.

Speaker 4 (37:03):
Man, we appreciate you.

Speaker 1 (37:04):
I just got a text from my boss. Our show
has been canceled after that hot take from you.

Speaker 4 (37:08):
Thank you, Carrol. Alright man, later, all right later go
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