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July 7, 2025 32 mins

Rob and Kelvin explain why they had no issue whatsoever with Clayton Kershaw getting a special Commissioner's exemption for the upcoming MLB All-Star Game, Plus, NBCSports.com lead NBA writer Kurt Helin swings by to discuss Bradley Beal's impending exit from the Phoenix Suns, why the Denver Nuggets and the Houston Rockets are the clear winners of the NBA offseason thus far, how DeAndre Ayton fits with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Mike Brown hire in New York, and much more!

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcasts. Be sure
to check us out live every weekday from four to
seven pm Pacific seven to ten pm Eastern on Fox
Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd Couple
on Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us every day
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
Our number three on this.

Speaker 4 (00:31):
Magic City Monday here on the Odd Couple, Fox Sports Radio.
And right after the show, our podcasts will be going up.
Rob g is putting it together as we speak. And
if you missed any of today's show, be sure to
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Speaker 3 (00:53):
You know why Kelvin Why cuz we'll wipe it and again.

Speaker 4 (00:58):
Just search Odd Couple wherever you get your podcast and
you'll find today's show and the best version posted right
after we get off the air. Don't forget Kirk Healing
is coming up uh in about twenty eight minutes. He
of course from nbcsports dot com lead NBA writer. And

(01:18):
don't forget we have last call. Oh yeah, in case
you weren't able to get in earlier. Last call here
on the couple, Rob G, can you tell us a
little news?

Speaker 3 (01:29):
Uh set up this news about the dog earball start game.
And that's right. And Clayton Kershew, that's right.

Speaker 5 (01:39):
The MLB All Star Game rosters are officially out last week.
We had the starters. Now over the weekend, the reserves
are out as well. And one name that kind of
raised some eyebrows with his inclusion, what's Clayton Kershaw. Now,
obviously he had that three thousand strikeout performance over the weekend.
Believe on Thursday after Thursday that it happened. And the

(02:02):
reason why it was surprising is he was not voted
in by the fans, he was not voted in by
the players, he was not voted in by the media. Instead,
he received a special commissioners selection. It's only the third
time in MLB history that has happened. The other two
took place in actually the same year twenty twenty two,

(02:25):
when Rob Manfred allowed Albert Poohols and Miguel Carbrera to
both get into the All Star Game. He's doing the
same again this year for Clayton Kershaw. And Clayton had
some thoughts on it earlier today. Take a listen.

Speaker 6 (02:36):
Everything that encompasses to get to go to an All
Star Game and get to be around that. I get
to take my family and I'll never pass up that opportunity.
So a tremendous honor super thankful to get to go.
And you know, regardless of the situation or how I
maybe snuck into the All Star Game, it's pretty cool
to get to be able to go.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
He's snuck, all right, and guess what, I'm alright with it.
All you guys, always says Rob Parker, the negative.

Speaker 4 (03:03):
He is the old guy punching at the cloud, traditionalist.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
He never wants to do anything outside the box.

Speaker 7 (03:10):
Bravo, Rob Manford, Bravo major League Baseball, Bravo. This isn't
some broken down pitcher right who didn't do anything this
year and you're just giving him another Not everybody gets
a special exemption. You know what the other two guys
that they did is for both are going in the
Hall of Fame.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
CLAYT. Kirkshaw's going in the Hall of Fame.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
You know what he did this year, like a week ago,
last week something.

Speaker 8 (03:36):
Only nineteen other people have done right.

Speaker 4 (03:39):
Only twenty pitchers in the history of baseball now have
struck out three thousand or more batters and Clayton Kershaw's won.
Only four left handers have done it even a smaller group.

Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (03:51):
And if you want to take this guy and celebrate
him at the All Star Game when everybody and Baseball
America will be watching, right, this is your time to shine.
This is what an All Star Game is supposed to be.
I'm cool with it. Kelvin, I have no issues. It
wasn't like Klayt Kursher didn't do anything specially he's broken

(04:13):
down picture and he's about to retire. No, they don't
do this for everybody. These are only exemptions right for
Hall love fame bound players. This is on part with
what they've done with Pulhos and what they did with Caberra.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
I have no problem with it because of a key
couple of things. Number one, you just mentioned it. I
love the scarcity. I love that they don't do it time.
They don't do this every year. It doesn't get boring.
It isn't taken away from another guy spout all the time.
Three years they've done this twenty twenty two and this
year for three guys that any single person is going

(04:49):
first battle Hall of Famer in there we go. And
so I have no problem in it when it's that rare,
when it's that special, when it's that unique. Also why
I don't have a problem with it, because one thing
Baseball does and they did it to fault for years
in my opinion, was they were they were all about
ghost Everything was about Mickey Mannle and Ted Williams and
and they, and they too much when it was like, yo,

(05:11):
what about some young guys doing it now? And now
I think they've got a good balance of honoring the past,
honoring the the current, and honoring the Clinton Kershaw's where
he's current, but he's gonna be one of those guys
who was the best of a generation and they're taking
care of that. So I like that Baseball has found
a great median of honoring the young guys rich history,
but they honor their history.

Speaker 8 (05:33):
So they're not gonna They're not gonna turn this down.

Speaker 1 (05:35):
And Baseball's All Star Game truly like the It is
a fan experience and where they honor it's all about
the guys, and they have multiple they do multiple different things.
You know, they'll do the best of each franchise, the
four best for each franchise. They'll do this, They'll pair
an old guy with a new guy for the photo
op and like they're good.

Speaker 3 (05:54):
At that, dad pitch to a to a. I mean
like like those are some great.

Speaker 8 (06:00):
And so they master that.

Speaker 1 (06:01):
So to me, Clayton Kershaw is universally respected, universally agreed
that he's one of the best, if not the best,
of his era, his generation generation. And so to me,
honoring that guy, I don't have a problem with it.
If Steph Curry in a couple of years.

Speaker 3 (06:14):
No, I'm sorry, did I say that, Robgie?

Speaker 8 (06:18):
I pushed it too far.

Speaker 1 (06:19):
I did a Dodger and Steph Curry, we were almost
open your mouth.

Speaker 4 (06:23):
We were good until you just threw out why you
gotta throw all Steph Curry?

Speaker 1 (06:26):
Because I was gonna say Lebron and you would have
said no too. You might have gave it to Lebron though.

Speaker 3 (06:30):
All right, But but you know what, I'm not the
negative nelly in the room.

Speaker 8 (06:34):
It's Rob g Robgi is a low key negative nelly.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
By the way, Yes you are.

Speaker 8 (06:38):
You hid it well, but you kind of you.

Speaker 3 (06:40):
Are a low key you're just loud, so you always
think I'm negative.

Speaker 5 (06:44):
I'm usually optimistic. And then I met Rob Parker. Know
what seems to be the way to do?

Speaker 8 (06:49):
Yeah, you've been negative, Nelly the less since I've known you.

Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (06:52):
So I'm not gonna have a big problem with it,
but I have a problem with it. What is this
saying the problem you have? It's twofold number one. This
is an exhibition. It doesn't really count. So the idea
of a guy being on an All Star team shouldn't
be that big of a deal, right because it doesn't really
matter in the grass scheme of things. Here's the problem, though,

(07:15):
the idea of an All Star Game is, if you
talk to fans, it's not even about rewarding who's having
the best season. It's I just want to see the
stars out there. I don't care if you guys talked
about Juansota last hour, if Juan Soto had a terrible start,
he is one of the best players in baseball no
matter what. I want to see him out there, right. So,

(07:36):
if the fans decided I don't really want to see
Clayton kersher out there, he wasn't voted in. Why is
it that Rob Manfred took it upon himself to say,
you know what, I'm gonna put him out there whether
you want him or not. If that was going to
be the case, then I don't need the other fourteen
whatever or eighteen first time or that they have this year,
because half of them, unless you're a big baseball fan

(07:59):
of MA, doesn't know.

Speaker 3 (08:01):
Right.

Speaker 5 (08:01):
So that's number one. Number two, And this is probably
the biggest reason. If this was we knew definitively Clayton
Kershaw's final season, then sure like it's a going away present,
really doesn't impact anything. Let's give him his his flowers.
What if he plays next years? What if he plays
the year after? He can play next year? Is he
gonna be exempted?

Speaker 3 (08:23):
No, he's not.

Speaker 4 (08:23):
What's the point of doing it? No, because you don't
know that, but you don't want to guess. And then
next year, say he has an injury or something. And
then and Rob g here's the only reason why. I
hear your point about the fans and all that, But
here's the difference. He just broke the record. I'm not broken.
Just joined the three thousand strikeout club, do you know

(08:44):
what I mean? So that gives you a platform to
give him his flowers on that stage. Clayton Kershaw the
twentieth pitcher in the history of baseball to get three
thousand strikeouts. It doesn't happen every day. It's in the
case right now where a lot of people say, we
might not even see another.

Speaker 1 (09:01):
Pat And to add to that, Rob g so you
have your tie in, you say why is irrelevant, I'll
tell you why it's relevant.

Speaker 8 (09:09):
He just got the three thousand, Marcus. Rob stated.

Speaker 1 (09:11):
Also, his team is the current reigning World Series champ.
So it's not as if, again he's been on a
terrible team for ten years, nobody's talked about it, hadn't
thought about him.

Speaker 8 (09:21):
He just won.

Speaker 1 (09:22):
His team just won a World Series, and he just
threw for three thousand yards.

Speaker 8 (09:26):
And I and what makes that important?

Speaker 1 (09:28):
Three thousand striking, three thousand strikeouts, And what makes that
important is baseball more than any of the sport cares
about his numbers.

Speaker 4 (09:34):
The numbers are that that's the difference between why people
don't have an issue with NFL players with the juice
and baseball is different because the number numbers mad. The
numbers are so revered, right, and people follow around.

Speaker 1 (09:50):
And so he just did something remarkable, three thousand strikeouts,
his team's a World Series champ. And I don't know
this to be true, but I wouldn't shock me if
this is his last year, you know, just because that's
probably what base and I think they got an inkling.
You know, maybe they talk to some agents and you know,

(10:10):
but it just wouldn't make sense. And so to me,
I have no problem if you tell me they've done
it three times for those three guys, three Hall of famers,
a guy who just threw three thousand strikeouts, a guy
who is currently a World Series champ. I have no
problem with it. And you just mentioned something else. Half
the players we won't know. Everybody know Clinton Kershaw or everybody.

Speaker 5 (10:33):
Everybody, everybody, here's the problem, everybody. The last guy or
one of the last guys to get the three thousand
strikeouts was Justin Verlander, Right, Why didn't they do that
for him? He's not retired yet, neither is Clayton Kershaw. No,
Justin Verlander's forty two. He's been terrible now basically for
two and a half season because he's been dealing with injury.

Speaker 9 (10:51):
One.

Speaker 8 (10:51):
Justin Verlander was amazing, is he Clayton?

Speaker 5 (10:54):
You could argue he was better than Clinton con because
of his postseason success.

Speaker 3 (10:59):
Yeah, but Clay Ray is two one.

Speaker 5 (11:03):
That's fine. He's Payton Manning is Payon Manning versus Tom Brady.
What is people gonna view Paynon Manning as a better quarterback?
I would, but not everybody.

Speaker 8 (11:11):
He was a better talent.

Speaker 4 (11:13):
But the difference is this again, the reason you do
it this year? What did he just do last week?

Speaker 5 (11:20):
So why didn't they do that twenty twenty three? Why
didn't I do it for him?

Speaker 8 (11:25):
I'll tell you why.

Speaker 3 (11:27):
I'll tell you.

Speaker 8 (11:27):
I'm gonna tell you what's camera came put the radio
mich I'll tell you why.

Speaker 3 (11:33):
Rob g It's easy.

Speaker 8 (11:36):
He was, what are you doing? Shut up? Let me cook.
It's easy. He was with the Houston Trashtros.

Speaker 1 (11:45):
And they didn't want the controversy. Oh that's a world
series and they didn't really win it, and that they
want to just keep silent, keep it moving.

Speaker 8 (11:53):
They got their title. We know it was cheating. We
all know what's going on.

Speaker 1 (11:56):
People got wires on the chest, people banging on the
a on the trash cans like their bongos. Man.

Speaker 8 (12:03):
So that's why Rob Gi. They were like let's just
keep this moment going. Congratulations for you three thousand and
move on.

Speaker 5 (12:10):
That's why you just run into a really sticky situation
moving forward. When you start making special exemptions, it naturally
shows favoritism to certain guys. And I'm not saying Clayon
Kershawe isn't one of those guys who deserves it. But
now you gotta have a hard line somewhere between guys
who will deserve it and guys who won't. And it's
just again, if he was retiring for sure this year,

(12:32):
it's a different conversation. But if he plays two three
more years, then it just looks awkward.

Speaker 8 (12:36):
Tell him not to pitch with the Astros, Tell me
better retire.

Speaker 3 (12:40):
He would have been better hang it up this year.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
If he hadn't pitched with the Astros, Justin Erlander might
have been honored.

Speaker 8 (12:46):
Might heavy on the mic though. By the way, Kershaw's
shoot is a given.

Speaker 4 (12:51):
All right, eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox shooting
eight seven seven nine nine six sixty three sixty.

Speaker 8 (12:59):
Now do you have a problem.

Speaker 4 (13:00):
Major League Baseball made a blunder by allowing CLAYT Kershaw
to be an All Star. He's not having not he's
undefeated this year with four and oh yeah, but he
hasn't pitched enough to be on an All Star team.
But do you have a problem? Rob G has a
big problem with this. Kelvin and I for once or
an agreement.

Speaker 8 (13:17):
I'm cool, I'm all uncomfortable about this.

Speaker 4 (13:20):
Heavy once in a while, So we agree. We want
to hear from you eight seven, seven ninety nine on Fox.

Speaker 3 (13:25):
I think it's a nice touch by baseball, Rob G.

Speaker 4 (13:28):
It is eight seven seven nine nine six sixty three
sixty nine. It is the couple right here on Fox
Sports Radio. And you know what you need to do?
Stick and stay.

Speaker 6 (13:41):
If you think Rob Parker's gone soft for allowing this
in the US event unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (13:45):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 8 (13:57):
Hey what's up everybody?

Speaker 10 (13:58):
It's me three time Pro Bowl Arrington and I couldn't
be more excited to announce a podcast called Up on Game?

Speaker 3 (14:05):
What is up on Game?

Speaker 10 (14:06):
You ass along with my fellow pro bowler TJ. Huschman,
Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right, Plexico Birds.
You can only name a show with that type of talent.

Speaker 9 (14:17):
On it.

Speaker 10 (14:18):
Up on Game We're going to be sharing our real
life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on
Game with me lebar Arrington, TJ. Huschman, Zada and Plexico
Birds on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcast from.

Speaker 8 (14:38):
Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (14:39):
I cover Rod Parker, Kevin Washington on the Magic City Monday,
Kurt Healing on the Way nbcsports dot com Lead NBA
writer will talk with him in just a little bit,
aching ease stiff back joints not cooperating. Some days your
body's just like nah.

Speaker 3 (14:57):
Well you might get hitting the knee with the ball.

Speaker 8 (14:59):
That's true.

Speaker 1 (15:00):
You did get here with it be trying to get
money from the Dodgers for life, and on those days,
luckily there's a leave with just one pill to leave
provides up to twelve hours of pay release so you
can keep moving.

Speaker 8 (15:10):
Use as directed. Click Kershaw.

Speaker 1 (15:13):
Rob Manfred, Commissioner of MLB, named him a ceremonial All
Stars that happened three times. The other two were both
guys in twenty twenty two, Miguel Cabrera and albur Pool hosts.

Speaker 8 (15:24):
It makes sense. You and I don't disagree on this.
We say it makes sense.

Speaker 3 (15:27):
It's fun.

Speaker 8 (15:27):
You know.

Speaker 4 (15:28):
Is that they didn't do it last year. You know
they like, this is not an every year thing.

Speaker 1 (15:32):
That's to me was the key part. This was every
year the uniqueness is gone. In my opinion, this is
me only when it's the best of the best of
the best of the best, first ballot Hall of Famers
and Miguel Carberra Kershaw and also again albur Pool hosts.
So we're okay with a Robb g was giving us pushback.
He didn't necessarily feel it. Eight seven, seven ninety nine
on Fox who we got.

Speaker 4 (15:51):
Let's go Andre in Massachusetts. You're on the couple of
Fox Sports Radio. What's up, Dray?

Speaker 11 (15:58):
How are you doing that?

Speaker 12 (15:59):
Thanks?

Speaker 11 (15:59):
Taking all listen on this one. I am going to
push back. I do have an issue with it. You know,
these guys, they're all time great players, first baut Hall
of Famers, but it's got to be on the marriage.
I'm not for the Lifetime Achievement award in the procession
in the coronation. Yes, you've had a great career. You
mean a lot to the game. But if you're an

(16:20):
All Star, then show me you're an All Star, you know,
and not just to have you out there because it's
a good moment. You have to be very careful. I
go back to this. This is where the NBA has
gone a foul, and it's just become a runaway train
with everything. We're looking for a storyline, we're looking for
a narrative. So the NBA awards, particularly the Hall of Fame,
they don't mean anything. And Baseball's on the other side

(16:42):
of the spectrum. The Baseball Hall of Fame means something
because they actually maintain that standard. So I know it's
one's a Hall of Fame, one's an All Star Game.
But it's along the same line. So I'm against it. Kershaw,
you haven't been out there, you know, So this year
you're not an All Star. You come back, you find
some lightning in a bottle, You have a great first
of the season than you can be.

Speaker 8 (17:02):
It's just an All Star game.

Speaker 1 (17:03):
It's an exhibition and you're honoring, showcasing the best of
your sport, the guys who have done it for so long,
for so great.

Speaker 4 (17:11):
Andre he did just have a magical moment in Major
League Baseball this year. It's not like without the three
thousand strikeouts. I'm with you, Drey, Is that fair without that?

Speaker 11 (17:23):
No, you have him out there. All I'm saying is
I get your points. It's not really gonna hurt anything.
But it's a slippery slope. And that's where the NBA started,
and now it's a participation in the award.

Speaker 8 (17:36):
Now we don't want Hey Andre by humbug?

Speaker 3 (17:39):
All right, Andre?

Speaker 8 (17:40):
Right now from Andre.

Speaker 4 (17:42):
Brady in Windsor, Canada, right across from Detroit.

Speaker 1 (17:45):
Oh yeah, had a lot of fun out there. Don
Cherry still going on, Brady, you're in the couple of Fox.

Speaker 11 (17:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 12 (17:51):
Yeah, Well I just had a birthday yesterday.

Speaker 3 (17:55):
Happy birthday, Hold on you seventy nine to Okay?

Speaker 11 (18:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 12 (18:01):
Well, and I think that Clayton Kersher should be on
the All Star Game. He's only the first lefty the
the man three thousand strikeouts and he's the fifth ballot
Hall of Famer, probably the best picture of the well
held this generation. So yeah, I think he has an

(18:22):
exhibition game. So yeah. You always want to see the
very very best of the very very best. So yeah,
I'm off for I'm off for Kershaw being in the
All par Game.

Speaker 4 (18:33):
Hey Brady, Brady, hold on, hold on. I want to
ask you a question. Brady used to listen to my
show in Detroit. Which show did you listen to? Brady? Uh,
the Sports Night with Parker the Man or the original
odd Couple? How far back do you go?

Speaker 12 (18:48):
Right back to the original, right back to the original
og couple?

Speaker 3 (18:52):
You and Mark Wilson, No, no, no, me and Mike
Stone for.

Speaker 12 (18:55):
The Mike Stone yeah, and then me and you yeah, yeah,
the year yeah, when that spacial debut as matter of fact,
thirty one years ago today, and you know it's still longer.
It's sill Zepper was part of the b I m
now but yeah, and then you and you and Stony

(19:16):
who's on WD, who's on W ninety seven won the
ticket over there. Now he retired, but he still goes
on there the sub for people when they're when they're
on vacation, When you and Mark Wilson the couple, that's.

Speaker 8 (19:32):
Right right now.

Speaker 4 (19:33):
Man shout out to breaking Brady's seventy two Happy birthday.

Speaker 3 (19:37):
Thanks, Yeah, no doubt. But he's been I know he's
been a listener for a long time. So he remembers
me and Stony that was nineteen ninety four.

Speaker 1 (19:45):
Yeah, shout out to him, Hey listening, still listening to you,
seventy two years old.

Speaker 4 (19:49):
I used to go there was a clothing store over there,
back in the day when I and Windsor and windsor
freeds of Windsor and I has to go get my
suits and all that for TV. And the money was
our money was like three times. Yeah, those were the
good old days, rob g. You would drive across you know,
the bridge there, or go through the tunnel and be

(20:10):
in Canada in ten minutes.

Speaker 8 (20:11):
I got caught up once at the bridge.

Speaker 3 (20:13):
I'm sure you did. Backe.

Speaker 8 (20:15):
My cousin had uh some we did.

Speaker 1 (20:17):
No, just had a massive thing of uh Rossi. It
was like a like a liquor, like a wine, like
a Martini Rossi. It's like a big, huge jug. It's
like literally a jug of liquor. And they're like, you
got any you know, drugs, alcohol or anything. He said, no,
really no, And they said and you know they just

(20:38):
randomly picky, they go all right, Uh they didn't randomly.

Speaker 8 (20:42):
I'll give it.

Speaker 1 (20:43):
I'll let them slide because then, you know, we used
to go over all the time. They didn't always pull
brothers over, like they really didn't care. All right, you're
going to spend some money in our country. Go ahead, man,
they made us pull over. Yeah, just go take that
left over there.

Speaker 3 (20:54):
And then and then that is that is the issue.

Speaker 4 (20:56):
Like if they were to do that and they were profiling,
every car coming from Detroit would be stopped.

Speaker 1 (21:02):
You know what I mean, it's because Troy. They would
be like, yeah, they couldn't do it. They're like, we
didniter National Guard. We're stopping all of them. No, it
was just a good time. Music cafe was a spot
out there right next to Don Cherry. What a time
to be alive. Roger he was he was a little baby.
And Alex you were really you missed out?

Speaker 3 (21:25):
What are you sorry? Were you sorry?

Speaker 8 (21:28):
Was it sorry?

Speaker 3 (21:29):
Yeah, let's brave. You're about twenty one kilometers away from
getting beat up. Guy. Hey, hey, but Canadian used to
say people in the world, we just called bacon here.

Speaker 8 (21:38):
Eh yeah, we just got a baby. We just called
you know, like, you don't disrespectnading. What I call.

Speaker 3 (21:45):
Canadian bacon is ham.

Speaker 1 (21:46):
I don't even know right making a round one, it's
like round bacon or something too. Yeah, anyway, shout to him,
Shout to all the folks and Windsor and uh and
Alex's favorite guy in Toronto, Drake. All right on the way,
we got Kurt healing and uh talk some NBA with
him NBC Sports dot com right now, it's ilo gonna
get you settle with trending.

Speaker 13 (22:06):
Next time you go up there, can you grab me
some Tim Horton's coffee please?

Speaker 8 (22:10):
That was the spot. Tim Hortonet was the spot.

Speaker 3 (22:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 13 (22:13):
He used to be a hockey player for the Maple
Leafs and he struck it rich big time after he retired,
he big time?

Speaker 3 (22:19):
Did hevywhere it's like dunkin don't?

Speaker 8 (22:22):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (22:22):
Yeah, I didn't even that was so normal back home
that I didn't realize that was like a novelty, like
it was only in that area.

Speaker 13 (22:29):
By the way, Freeds of Windsor, are they still open?
Still going strong?

Speaker 3 (22:32):
Baby?

Speaker 13 (22:33):
Two hundred and ninety nine bucks for a suit, a shirt,
a tie, belt, socks and shoes and not starting at two.

Speaker 3 (22:42):
Ninety And I still know the names of the owners.
They were so good to me in those days.

Speaker 13 (22:47):
Could they be Freeds?

Speaker 3 (22:49):
Ari know the names? And Dan freeds. Yeah and Dan
know the name.

Speaker 13 (22:56):
I smell an endorsement deal now, no, no.

Speaker 3 (22:58):
And I used to always we would do their live reads.

Speaker 4 (23:01):
For their commercials, and then at the very end, I'd
always turn to my partner Mark Wilson. I'd say hey Mark,
and he'd say, hey, Rob, go get free.

Speaker 3 (23:12):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (23:12):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington weekdays at seven pm Eastern,
four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 8 (23:23):
All right, I well, thank you so much. Have a
great day, buddy.

Speaker 1 (23:26):
It is The Odd Couple, Rob Parker Kelvin Washington on
a Magic City Monday. And for over forty years, tire
Rack has been helping customers find the right tires for how,
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(23:48):
Our guests. Now, Kurt Healing, NBCs nbcsports dot Com lead
NBA writer Basketball Talk on X give him a follow, Kurt.

Speaker 8 (23:57):
What's up man, Kurt?

Speaker 3 (23:58):
How are you you.

Speaker 12 (24:00):
Know, I'm good.

Speaker 9 (24:01):
It's starting to slow down. I'm actually, you know, I'm
getting to take a breath, which didn't happen for a
while with the finals, in the draft and to start
a free agency.

Speaker 3 (24:09):
I will say this before we get to the NBA stuff.

Speaker 4 (24:12):
The story about maybe NBC getting baseball back that got
me juiced up.

Speaker 3 (24:17):
I'm like, wow, that was some interesting stuff at NBC
there love it.

Speaker 9 (24:22):
Yeah, it's going to be interesting, I will say, you know, obviously,
I'm when they want to make billion dollar purchases and negotiations,
they bring me in. A basketball writer thinks, yeah.

Speaker 3 (24:33):
What do you think? I think this would be a
good deal. But it was definitely interesting.

Speaker 8 (24:37):
All right.

Speaker 4 (24:38):
I want to ask you about kind of Newsy today,
just to Bradley beal idea. Is this going to happen
or they Is he going to accept the thirteen million
dollar to lose thirteen million dollars in order to leave
the Suns where he didn't want to be traded last
year and all this.

Speaker 3 (24:58):
It just sounds like a lot of money to give up.

Speaker 9 (25:01):
It is a lot, but I think he wants out
badly enough. And you know, it's the way the way
I keep looking at this, it's thirteen million out of
the one hundred and ten he's basically got left like
he's still he's still getting like ninety seven million out
of this post for whatever he makes with his new team.
So it's not going to you know, the kids aren't
going to starve. It is money. He hasn't left that

(25:24):
kind of stuff on the table before. But I think
they've just reached the point where he wants out and
in the summer right now he can land where he
wants to. I will tell you I've been told this
to Clippers, but we'll see what happens.

Speaker 4 (25:36):
Why why can't he just sit and say, just you know,
cut me or whatever. Do what happened with Damian Lillard.
I noticed some stipulation stuff, but say you know you
want me, you want me gone from here, figure it
out where you pay me my money and I'll and
release me.

Speaker 9 (25:52):
They look he would happily do that, but the way
because of it, because the let's call it, let's just
be franking about this, the poor cap management of sex
sons in the last few years, as they've built up
this roster or built in and now tearing it down.
They've already waved in stretched guys, and because of an
obscure provision kind of in that nobody really thought about

(26:14):
in the CBA, they can't. They can't do the wave
and stretch thing with him that was done with Lillard
because it takes him over this percentage line where they
can't do it. So he has to get up a
thirteen point eight million to get bought out just because
of previous mismanagement. He could tell them I'm not giving
up the money, but then they can't get rid of him.

Speaker 1 (26:34):
Kurt, we had a conversation about it earlier, and I
just said, you mentioned something for me. It's just buying
the freedom, you know, and I can go somewhere else.
You mentioned Clippers, maybe the Lakers, maybe the Bucks. Handful
of teams that he put out there he would be
interested in. So I definitely get that. I want to
switch gears a little bit. I want to go to
some just a couple of the teams right now that
have made some moves and I believe who are are
really really good, but then we're able to take that

(26:56):
next leap where they're true legit contenders. I look at
the Denver Nuggets, look at the Houston Rockets, those two
teams specifically in the West.

Speaker 8 (27:03):
What do you make of their moves they made? And
where do you got to rank them? Right now?

Speaker 9 (27:07):
It's funny. I just just spent time starting today, like
I've got to do some I want to do some
power rankings in the next week. And they said second
and third. I got Houston second, Denver third. I think
you could flip them. I guess. I guess you got
to keep okayc on top. They're pretty good. Yeah, but
first off, I with Houston bringing Look, they would have
won just bringing in Kevin Durant because we all watched

(27:29):
them in the playoffs in that first round loss to
Golden State Man and you're just like, they just need
somebody in the half court, right, They just need a
guy who can go get them a bucket in the
half court and settle them down. And Ben's defense is
a little bit that way. And there may not be
anybody better than Kevin Durant at that. But all the
other moves they've made around this Dori and Finney Smith
and stuff like, they've just made really smart signings all

(27:51):
all summer long. They look like a team poised like that,
and I think we kind of forget for people that
like Denver took OKAYC seven games, like pushed them hard,
and then they just went out guys and did exactly
what Michael Malone has been asking him to do for years, like, man,
I need some shooting, I need some veteran defense. Like
they just went and got the kind of guys he's

(28:12):
been wanting them to get. While Calvin Booth was telling
them he's hey, play the kids. They went out and
got those guys. Now they have a really nice bench,
and especially if Julian Strawther makes the leap look like
he was going to make during the playoffs, they surround
him with the guys they got in that suddenly they're
not gonna let Valancinis go. And that alone is just huge.

(28:32):
If you can get, if you can sit in your
kitch for twenty minutes a night and not fall apart,
how much better are they?

Speaker 1 (28:39):
Yeah, they're scary, Okay, I have to give it to them.
They they're back to that that version of themselves a
few years ago when they had a chance to win
a check.

Speaker 3 (28:45):
What about DeAndre Aiden?

Speaker 9 (28:46):
Is he?

Speaker 4 (28:47):
I mean, I get it if you're the Lakers, cause
you feel like you know it didn't really cost us
a lot of money.

Speaker 3 (28:53):
But is he is he any good?

Speaker 8 (28:55):
Is he? Is he?

Speaker 3 (28:57):
Like it's been. It's disappointing to see where he's gone
on from the beginning.

Speaker 9 (29:02):
It is because look, I remember talking to Scouts when
he's coming out, and he has and we've seen flashes
of it. He has the potential to be just all
world good when he wants to be. It's just, you
know what, you guys are old enough. A lot of
the listeners out there, some of the younger people may
not get this reference of some of you will. This
is gonna be Andrew Bynham two point zero. This is

(29:24):
going to be when he's on. He is really good
and fits perfectly with what they want to do. And
Lebron is going to be on him, and Doncic is
going to be on him. But even with Chris Paul there,
it just never lasts right. And so we'll see what
they can get out of him. He's he was the
best fit for them of the players available, and they

(29:47):
got him at a very good price. Like part of
the problem with Aighton was he was making thirty five
million dollars and nobody wanted to touch it. Oh and
Ate and changed, you know, in the NBA, in the
monopoly money landscape that is the NBA.

Speaker 3 (30:00):
Thirty five million.

Speaker 9 (30:01):
Oh god, yeah, exactly, So just a little more than
you just just a little bit.

Speaker 3 (30:09):
Crazy.

Speaker 9 (30:10):
So yeah, so this is I mean, it's as good
a deal as the Lakers were going to get in
the short term, but I am not sure he's the
long term answer, and I don't think they probably think that. Look,
one of two things is going to happen. This is
going to actually work out. He's going to realize he's
on his last leg and you're going to get a
better version of eighton, a more consistent version of eighton
might be the better way to phrase that, because he's
going to realize what's going on and he likes the environment.

(30:33):
Or honestly, he's gone from the Lakers in the year
and he's probably getting a minimum contract somewhere.

Speaker 4 (30:39):
Let me ask you to no, uh, Mike Brown was
officially hired by the Knicks.

Speaker 3 (30:44):
Yeah, where are you on that?

Speaker 4 (30:46):
I just I'm not a I was I thought that
Tim should have been fired. I really did believe that
after they, you know, knock off the Celtics and then
lose Game one and two, especially that Game one, giving
up a fourteen point lead in all that, but Mike
Brown just didn't move me at all. I mean, I
know he's been around, he's had some success, been coaching
the year. I just help me explain or make me

(31:10):
feel better about this, because I just don't.

Speaker 3 (31:13):
I'm not a Mike Brown guy in this situation.

Speaker 9 (31:15):
Mike Brown is a good coach. I think the real
question for Knicks fans like yourself, it really comes down
to this is being different than Tom Thibodeau what they
ultimately needed, because I don't better subjective. He's just a
little different and maybe that's what the team needs because
I'm with you, Like, first off, I can't believe, Hey,

(31:36):
you made the finals, Conference finals for the first time. It's
twenty five years. Let's fire you, which just has like
James Dolan's fingerprints all over it, which is ugly. But
if you're going to do that, if you're going to
let go of a successful coach, then you better have
in your back pocket. Hey, this is the guy we're
going with, guy we believe, and this is what they didn't.
Then we're going to do a search. And I don't

(31:58):
know if they thought people just flocked to them or
if the Jason Kintson could really happen or whatever they thought.
It was incredibly confusing, so like it was just a
poorly planned out process. I didn't really I didn't really
get any of that. But I think he's good, and
I think that's ultimately the question is like, and just
having a different voice in the room be what they needed.

(32:18):
I'm not sure that it is, but in a down
East maybe that's enough.

Speaker 8 (32:23):
Yeah, I mean, we'll have to wait and see.

Speaker 1 (32:24):
Neither one of us were overly enjoyed, you know, enthused
by that pick, especially when you got eleven playoff games
four out of five times in a postseason and won
thirty you know, fifty plus a couple times in a
row and tips.

Speaker 8 (32:37):
So all right, we appreciate your curt as always.

Speaker 9 (32:39):
Thank you man, Thank you anytime.

Speaker 8 (32:42):
Guys.

Speaker 9 (32:42):
Take care,
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