April 22, 2019 • 30 mins
It's the Best of the Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker! Chris and Rob react to the breaking news that Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton is being sued for sexual battery, and explain why the Lakers should consider temporarily cutting ties with Magic Johnson until they get their front office in order. Plus, 2x NBA champion Bill Laimbeer stops by to explain why he thinks that LeBron James - and not Michael Jordan - is the Greatest of All-Time.
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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 Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching f
(00:20):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Couple with Chris Brusso and Rod Harker is a three
time w NBA Championship coach, two time NBA champion of
course with the Detroit Pistons, the Original Bad Boys, and
now he's the head coach of the w NBA's Las
(00:41):
Vegas Aces. Bill Lambier, Bill, what's happening? Welcome to the
Odd Couple. That's us. We are odd, Bill like you?
Come on, We're like you and Isaiah Bad Couple? Okay, well, Bill,
we was it Saturday? The nets in the Philadelphia seventy
(01:06):
six has had a little francas. Uh, they spilled into
the stands. You know back in your day that that
would have just been maybe a common exactly don't have
been anything. Do you think that the NBA is a
little too soft? I know they obviously want to stop
the fighting and stuff with good reason. But do you
think there should be more of a happy medium between
(01:27):
the physicality of your day and the finesse of today
or you think they've got it right where it is
right now. That's a tough call. Yeah, they've legislated over
the years to try to open the court up because
the players are bigger, faster, stronger, and the court remains
the same. So tweed a movement is something that's pretty
big to the NBA, and you know you gotta let that,
(01:48):
let that go, I guess a little bit, but you
know falls just the file just to today's world. Everybody
gets to upset about the little things. But you can't
even look at a guy like if you I can
look at the guys a team, Well, they're trying to
take twenty out of it also. But you know, sometimes
you gotta let the players be to play. It's an
(02:08):
emotional game. You got let do their things sometimes and
that's what makes fun for the fans. Bill what about
the ratings came out after the first few games or whatever,
and actually the first round has been good. There a
few upsets and whatnot. The Nets and the Clippers came
back from thirty one and stuff like that, but yet
the ratings were down twenty six percent. It is it
(02:30):
all Lebron James not being in the playoffs? Is it? Like? Uh,
maybe people are tired of knowing that the Warriors gonna win.
There's a chance to go to the finals five years
in a row. What do you put your finger on
that people tuned out so far in the NBA playoffs
on television back of big name stars. Probably is one
(02:50):
of them. You know, you get Lebron, Okay, he's not
in the playoffs this year, but you know the rest
of them, they're not. There's no household names anymore. There
are no teams that have like you know, everybody's known
by their first name or one one Moniker, So resturd
to you know, attach yourself because you know the player
movement back and forth mother teams. That takes away a
(03:11):
sense of identity for some of the teams. People are
always comparing these Warriors, who are going for their fourth
title in five years, third straight, to the Showtime era
Lakers or the Jordan Bulls. You guys obviously were in
that era and one two straight beat all those teams
could win three straight I know the game is so
(03:34):
different nowadays, but can you how do you can you
even compare like your best teams to like what you
guys would do or how you would play against the Warriors. Well,
every team, every player thinks their generation is better than
the next one or the one after that. That reality
says that's not true. Um. Players are bigger, faster, stronger,
(03:56):
these two eighty five and six foot eight and runs
like the win that jumps out of the jim. Um.
So the game has changed more three balls uh more?
You know we were all more intricate, uh plays and
and mid range jump shots and and posts. Uh So
you know it's changed as it changed for the better.
(04:16):
That's what the fans are along. We are going to
tell you. It's the eye couple were joined by three
time w NBA championship coach, two time NBA champion as
a player, Bill Lambier. So, Bill, tell me about this
new gig with the Las Vegas Aces and the w
NBA has the league. Where's the league gone? I mean,
you had a lot of success in Detroit with the
Shock winning championships, but it has a w NBA grown progressed. Uh,
(04:44):
the game gotten different or better or is it still
around the same. Uh, it's it's it's treaty dramatically when
it first started out weight back winning everythings. But you know,
now as the game has matured in the twenty three
twenty four seasons, Now, um, the players are really good. Uh.
(05:05):
You know they grew up playing AU basketball at eleven
years old thinking that they want to play professional basketball
in the United States and both the NBA, so you
know they've they've honed their craft over the course of time.
They're they're quality players. Are league last year really took
a pretty good jump recognition wise. All of our ratings
were up across the board from TV and revenue and
(05:29):
the whole package, because the quality of play and the
competitiveness of play right now is second to nine that's
ever been. Bill, Am I wrong when I say, like,
when I look at the w NBA and like the
attendance issues or whatever, I'm always still I blame women
only because you're more women than men. And I don't
know how many women are really going or are taking
(05:51):
their boyfriends or their husbands or the significant others. Do
women supported enough of the WNBA or my missus missing
the boat here? And they support it very well. We're
not going to be like the men. This is not
going to happen. You're not going to sell out. You know,
eighteen thousand seat arenas our arena size in Las Vegas.
(06:12):
Right now, we chucked down a little bit. We're at
eighty five hundred, which is a quality arena for our product,
and you know, it's a great environment and it just
it works. You get in the big cabinets arenas. Everybody's
going away from that pretty much now there's a couple
off remaining, but everybody else is in, you know, right
size arena and it's a lot of fun. It's a
(06:33):
difference between the men the women's game. From a fan perspective.
We're more fun and a lot less expensive, and so
they enjoy it. You know, we're not for everybody, but
at the same time, we're growing pretty substantially. Build in
the future. Obviously you're all in on the aces, But
do you have any desire to coach in the NBA?
(06:55):
I did way back when, Unfortunately I didn't get my
opportunity as a head coach, the coach of the system
for a couple of years. But I'm gonna be sixty
two next month. And that's a lot of work in
the NBA. Lot of days very well, I get to
that point, but I enjoy doing what I'm doing, and
I don't think I can gear it up and crank
it up for the grind of the men's league anymore.
So let's pass my time. What's the difference in just
(07:18):
coaching women versus men? Obviously, I mean, they're obviously both
skilled in some of the same ways, but I think
there's probably big differences too. Maybe the athleticism, dunking, whatever.
What's the difference in coaching the two you think, remember
besides the fact I can't go in the locker room
when I want to, the athleticism of the man. Yeah,
(07:40):
they can make a mistake and come right back and
make up for that mistake with their athleticism and makes
some great play. The women are much more fundamental. Uh.
They's on five basketball game where the men are, you know,
two on two or one on one A lot. We
play five on five, both offensively and defensively. So that's
that's one of the big differences. And I guess the
(08:03):
best difference between the NBA and I mean, the woman
listens soon guys to Uh, they want to be coached.
They want to learn, they want to grow, they want
the sport to grow. Uh, and they care about the league.
That's about just the money, right. Hey, there was one
other story I want to ask you about. Russell Westbrook
(08:23):
was kind of being criticized for the way he deals
with the media. Is some columnists in uh in Oklahoma City?
You mean need to try to act you guys. Yes,
I know who I ask. Well, that's why I want
to ask. That's why I want to ask you. And
even Steve Kerr said, you know, you gotta you gotta
know how to deal with the media. And this is
(08:43):
my point, Bill, as you the way maybe you dealt
with the media when you are a younger player, compared
to how you deal with it now, do you do
you have you got a better understanding of what we do?
And uh or no no not even after is no
no no right now, as a representative of management, I
(09:05):
have to tolerate you guys. Come on, Bill, I was
about myself. I wasn't about self promotion uff like that.
So the hardest part about some of the of the
media factor. Then I sue, it's to say that you
guys never change stripes. Um, you ask some of the
dumbest questions, right, but you never know what answer you're
gonna get. Well, y'all, sometimes play good get good answers,
(09:30):
you know, and you try to say here's you try
to paint the narratives and get the player to respond
to your narratives instead of asking them a question, and
it tells the question players say to answer it. Bill
used to say, it is h that wasn't a question,
like when people were making a statement to him my right,
Bill would exactly, I would say, what what's what's the question? No?
(09:52):
And I think that that's fair if a player says
that to you because you haven't asked a question. To
ask a question, I think you have to ask a question,
not make a statement and look for him to endorse
it or not. Because that's what you guys know that
happens all the time. Oh yeah, yeah, no doubt. But
I'm gonna throw this out. You're one of the few
people that can say you you beat Michael Jordan. I mean,
(10:14):
you guys had your way with him for a few years.
How many times? Over and over? Yeah? But pretty yeah,
over and over here now and obviously you have great
respect for him and know he's a great player, but
he is viewed now as the undisputed goat, like I'm
just the greatest player time. Come on, well by by
(10:35):
the most of the media, like you when you hear that,
what's your thoughts? Your own personal opinion, that's mine, But
we're joined by a lot of people. All right, who
do you got? What's your who do you have and
what do you think of? You know of Jordan kind
of being that that guy that consensus almost right now, No,
I don't think Lebron James every day the way wow.
(10:57):
Now why because he came in the league involving his
teammates from the start at eighteen years old. He understood
how to play team basketball, both offensively and defensively from
day one. M Jordan had to learn that. That's why
they were called Michael Jordan the Jordanaires. He never got
his teammates involved like Lebron. Dude at an early age.
(11:18):
Now you know he would if you go by number
of championships. Okay, Michael Jordan's got more championships, but no
one has single handily done with Lebron's junge. I mean
he's he's had some bad teams and got him the finals,
so I think he and Puss. He's six eight two
eighty five, runs like the wind and jumps out at you.
I mean, what if he was in our in our generation,
(11:40):
he would have been by far the greatest thing year
for someone your entire in the whole world. Bacon strong
and that good and that's smart. That's one of the things.
He's smart when he came in at eighteen and do
what to do. Some thing's never changed. Those pistons will
never give. That's not point, guys, not called George. It's
(12:01):
a good Bill. We appreciate it. And good luck on
your new gig. Right, he will be watching the new
coach of the Las Vegas Aces, and we're gonna check
you guys out. Bill, good luck. Be sure to catch
live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Brussar then
Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. All Right,
(12:22):
you tuned into The Eye Couple Chris Brussar and Rob
park and we have got some breaking news, breaking news
from Fox Sports. Yeah, it's interesting story after what had
been an interesting time with Luke Walton with the Lakers
than him being released and hired by Sacramento. Now he's
(12:44):
being sued for sexually assaulting a woman who claims he
forced himself on her in his hotel room. In legal
documents obtained by TMZ, Kelly Tenant claims that in May
twenty seventeen, she went to his hotel in Santa Monica
to discuss a book she was writing. Says the two
business relationship going back several years, and Walton invited her
back up to the room and then well forcibly, uh, well,
(13:06):
let's just say he was aggressive with her before eventually
relenting and letting her up from the bed. All right, Ralph,
Why Ralph is breaking news? Yes, thank you man. This
is uh, this is huge news if it's true. Yeah,
this even if it's nice. I mean, he's being accused
of it. So it's always a tough big news. Yes,
(13:27):
it's always one of those tough things because you get
into a situation. Obviously they have paperwork on it. So
she filed claim and with the police, and now she's right,
she's suing him and whatnot. Um, this will be interesting
to see how it plays out. He just got hired
up in Sacramento. I'm sure they're not too crazy about
the news. They got a new coach, right, I mean,
(13:49):
and again, a man is innocent guilty, so nobody's saying
that he's guilty. We don't know, we weren't there. We
can't get into all that. But this is a pub record,
so that's why you can discuss it. It's public record.
It's just unbelievable. I mean, considering all that has gone
on with the Lakers, considering all that's gone on with Luke,
(14:12):
I mean all year long, his job, you know, it's
rumored to to be you know, up like he's gonna
get fired. Ultimately he does part with the organization, accepts
another job. He's a hot young coach. I mean that
you saw that by how quickly he got another job.
And uh man, this is just uh shocking, shocking, and
(14:38):
uh nothing nothing surprises me anymore. I'm one of these
old guys. We've been around for a long time, Chris,
and glad when you finally admitted, you know, I don't
I shouldn't get a senior discount. How dare that chicken?
It's your first, all right, but on this story at
least once a week. But I'm saying here, we've seen
(14:58):
these stories like just keep coming no matter what has happened.
Guys getting into a situation before the domestic violence, people
lost their jobs, whatever, and they just doesn't stop. It
doesn't like like it never happened, Chris, do you know
what I mean? Yeah, And she's claiming what May twenty seventeen,
so that obviously if that's a recent time, that's two
(15:22):
years almost two years ago. See, he was coaching the
Lakers at that time. Well they were out of the playoffs,
so they weren't. Yeah, I mean, yeah, he was the
Lakers coach. Wow, you just uh, it's it's it's just
something you gotta what you in a situation like this,
at least my tax take is right. You just hope
(15:44):
that justice is say that. You hope the truth comes out.
And a lot of times the problem with these situations
are very tough. Because he said, she said right, and
you don't have a third this never, Chris, sounds like
it's a total He said, she's no third person in
the room to be That's that's why you need like
a witness. But most things don't happen in front of witnesses.
(16:04):
They don't, right, So it's one of those tough spots,
That's all, and that's how you have to deal with it.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussar and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific. The Los Angeles Lakers, of course,
out of the playoffs, still continue to make news, and
(16:27):
a lot of it is because of their dysfunctional ways.
I'm sorry, Rob Ge, big time Laker fan, that you
are so one of your favorites in mine. Magic Johnson,
It's called on TMZ this weekend, I guess ye talking
(16:47):
about how he's basically still involved with the Lakers. Quinn,
let's hear it. Everybody know, I love the Lakers, and
so I'm always helping right like right now, I'm I'll
still help them. You know. I love my team, I
love my franchise, and I love the city. So you
have to do things sometime on your own terms, no
matter what other people think. See and I'm that guy.
(17:10):
But but I'm still helping him. It's almost like I've
never left. I'm still talking to him every day, sir.
You've been missed La my whole life. I'm gonna help
him get the Lakers back, right, you can believe that,
all right, let me let me let me first say this,
rob let me before you go on. I just can't.
I'm beside myself. Let me just say this. None of us,
(17:31):
I think I can speak for you. None of us expected.
I mean, Magic is mister Laker, right, no doubt. The
way and and the Lakers help make him obviously who
he is, so we didn't expect him to all of
a sudden cut ties with the Lakers, not like he
(17:51):
has in front of the place right right, he is
the greatest Laker, with all due respect to Kobe. It's Magic,
So we get that. But this is going too far.
It just is. From the standpoint of Magic, if if, if,
if you're taking calls every day and you're still talking
to him and you say you want to help the
(18:14):
why'd you, Quinn, why'd you walk away? And in the
way the way which you didn't right, you made yourself
the story was a total distraction to the end of
the season. To compound what what uh will hurt the franchise.
From the standpoint Chris that they look at the front
officers and disarray. Magic walked away didn't even tell the
(18:37):
owner right, just said I'm out of here, So all
of a sudden, Magic's gonna call me and tell me
that I should go to the front off to join
that front office and that team. When he walked away hisself,
it doesn't make any sense whatsoever. That's why it's a
bad look for Magic. It's a bad look for the
(18:57):
for the other franchise, it's bad. No, how are you?
Here's the thing. The Magic is gonna be recruiting. Like
you said, who's listening to Magic? Recruit them? When he
walked away the way he did. Now, if you want
to use Magic, I don't even know if I should
say to close, but you know, you recruit the free agent.
(19:20):
Maybe he talks to Lebron. Maybe the front office talks
to him. Whoever your head coach is going to be
talks to him. You've got it all but signed, sealed
and delivered. Then hey, would you like to talk to Magic?
We gotta Magic call you and Magic talk to the
guy about what it's like to be a Laker, what
(19:41):
it's like in La how you can help run the
city and the soul, and and so forth, bringing him
in as a closer, kind of like Jerry West did
with Kevin Durant when he went to Golden State. I
can get that, but Magic should not be involved in
the recruiting process, sess No. And then if one of
(20:01):
the free agents asked him about Rob Polinka gonna go, well,
you know that guy has some reputation and he's a backstabber,
and he's like, oh yeah, but you should come to
the Lakers anyway. I mean, what, how does that work?
Because nobody sort of nobody saw Magic's forty five minute
press conference what he left. Seriously, to your point, Rob,
it just makes the Lakers look that much more dysfunction. Yes,
(20:26):
it makes no sense. And this is on the heels
of a report in the La Times. I believe it
was Friday talking about how according to the report and
I have heard it myself as well talking to different
people close to the Lakers, they're not going to replace Magic.
(20:46):
Rob Polinka is going to run the front office and
the scuttle. But we'll see if it happens. But if
they're not bringing in somebody above Rob or even next
to Rob, the Schuttle buddies that it is going to
be Kurt Rambis. Here we go, Mom and pop Central, Chris,
(21:06):
what do we keep talking about? Everybody's connected everybody's interwoven.
Everybody's a part of the Lakers. You better bring some
new people in. Everybody doesn't have to be with the Lakers.
Everybody doesn't have to have a history with the Lakers.
Stop it. You gotta sometimes go and get other people
to change things, Chris, to do things differently. That's good business.
(21:31):
It can't be ancestral, right, they have we get what
you mean? No, you know what I mean? I know
they have. They are blowing this, They are blowing this.
They should have once Magic walked away. And as much
as we love Magic, we all knew Magic's an owner,
not a president, right right. He's the face of the franchise.
(21:54):
You know, you're not bringing him in to do the
day to day work of a president. So it was
a blessing in disguise that he walked away the way
he did. You should have from that moment forward been
looking at a front office that could really bring the
Lakers back into or into the twenty first century, one
(22:17):
that had the infrastructure of the teams today and hacked
the team across the hall, the LA Clippers. You should
have went for Jerry West. You should be talking to
Messiah Ujerry in Toronto, maybe Sam Presty in Oklahoma City.
I mean, at least try for RC Buford and San Antonio.
You're the Lakers. You're the Lakers. You're supposed to be
(22:37):
able to try for anybody. What what what Michael Winger
who was gonna get interviewed by Minnesota but he turned
it down. He's the assistant GM with the or the
Gem with the Clippers. You could have went to him somebody.
I mean, but you could have built it differently and
(22:57):
still hired Tyler, a coach that were ace to Lebron.
But get a front office that works independently. But no,
this time and Pop Central to use your turn it is.
It really is a way to look bad. What don't
we hear? When LaMarcus Augers met with the Lakers, they
had no plan. That thing was, this is La Hollywood.
(23:21):
Just come on out. Look at all these banners and
championship we have and what about the future with moving forward?
They had no plan. They offered them sunshine instead of
a basketball plan. That ain't gonna cut it for a
lot of gods who are trying to win. No, it's
looking bad. It is looking bad for the La Lakers.
(23:42):
And again as much as we love Magic and as
much as we believe he could should be connected to
the Lakers. He should not be talking to him every day.
Why just step away? I don't get it. Should not
be consulted team, the Lakers or basketball stuff. The Nicks
(24:03):
do the same thing. I know they're not Magic Johnson,
but Larry Johnson, Latrell Spreewell. Now you know they bring
the players out and they connected, yeah, to the team,
John Starks and all that, But they're not talking to
Larry Johnson about personnel moves. Absolutely, what what college games
are he going to? And and scouting? You know what
(24:25):
I mean? That just there as ambassadors, former players who
people recognize and like and admire. And I get all
that Latross people will help them get to the championship.
People will never forget that Reggie Miller calling, uh the
Bucks and the Pistons Game four. You think the Pacers
(24:45):
are running personnel moves by Reggie Miller. No, he's the
best pacer ever. No. And I'm gonna be honest, same
thing for Kobe. Thing for Kobe I'll tell you one,
no way, no, how would be a Misnell. Look if well,
here's my point, if Kobe I do think Kobe has
(25:06):
the goods if he wanted to commit to it to
be a good president. He's very intelligent, he's a work
he's a work has a great work ethic, he's a grinder.
He understands the new technology, and I mean, he's into
all that. But I think he would be a great
president if he wanted to do it. But you're not
(25:26):
gonna sit You're not gonna have it both ways. Not
none of the responsibility, none of the commitment, none of
the blood on your hands for the bad moves, and
you sit behind and you have puppet strings and tell
us what to do. No, we love you. You'll be
connected to it, you'll be our our other mister Laker.
But you're not gonna consult. You're not gonna tell us
(25:50):
how to run our basketball team. Here's why I say
no to Kobe. From this standpoint, the Lakers shouldn't be
a place that you're breaking in and getting people. This
is one of the biggest organizations in sports with an
unbelievable history right and their story. This is not where
you break in and learn how to be a general.
(26:11):
I'm sorry, even if it's Kobe Bryant. If Kobe wants
to go to Orlando or whatever and get started there
and get some experience, and they bring him back. Chris
or is a backseat to a general managers. He shows
them the rope for a couple of years and then
Kobe takes over. Maybe I'm there. This franchise can't afford
to break in and unproven talent as a GM. They
(26:34):
have the worst record in the NBA to six years,
tied with the Knicks. Haven't made the playoffs since Moby
Dick was a guppy. No, no way, no how all right,
maybe if she's listening, Genie, why bus swallow your pride
(26:55):
and called Jerry West, called Jerry West. It's it's call him,
swallow the pride. I know Lebron would love to have him.
In fact, Lebron called Jerry West. Two called Genie, say
you want Jerry. They need to bring in mister West.
(27:16):
Jerry West is eighty years old. Stop it with the
old men. Stop he's a consultant for a reason. He's eighty.
Bring him in in as a consult Okay, I'm eating
the consulting or old president. I could make him presidents
a day to day an eighty year old. Stop it
he's active. No, I'm fine with that. I'm just saying,
(27:37):
day we got Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are running
for president. They're seventy seven. Jerry's I believe if you
can run the nation, you can run the freaking Lakers.
And you think running the Lakers is more taxing than
running America? Yes, and number two stop a number two?
(27:58):
Wake me when those guys the name president? All right, wait, wait,
how is Trump? He's up there seventy seventy seventies, not
eighty thold. Come on, Chris, you're fifty. Trump told me
twenty years old. Fifty is different than I mean, they
need to do. This is getting bad. I just went
(28:20):
to the start blowing it. They should have had by
the end of this month. They should have their front office,
but not by the end of this month, but by
the end of May. Have your front office and your
coach in place, and then you can regret. It'd be
(28:42):
great if you do it by the end of this month,
and then you can go out. So what's the story.
Get some free agents? We did? We hear the tyrone
lose having some issues with the front office, right, I mean,
we're at the game. I'm being the scuttle But he's
just questioning, right, who's running thing? What's going on? Right?
That's what we heard. Do I want to step into that?
(29:05):
I mean, it's it's just they're blowing it. They're blowing it,
like like one of my favorite moments in sports when
Angelo Dundee told Thomas told sugar Ray Leonard when he
was losing the Tommy Hearns and their first fight, you're
blowing the kid. You're blowing it. You're blowing it, And
(29:25):
Sugaray went out there and knocked. Turns out all right?
Is it time for the Lakers to cut all ties
with Magic Johnson? Rob Gee, we're not saying cut all ties? Yes,
temporarily Magic, should you just having be Magic and basket
me running the basketball operations? No, we need him to
(29:46):
step back for a while because he quit on the team.
It's a bad look. And tell Magic to go to
Dodger Stadium and hang out there. I know, tell him
to hang out there. He does better there. Even though
they haven't won a World Series in thirty one year.
Is either
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 Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching f
(00:20):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Couple with Chris Brusso and Rod Harker is a three
time w NBA Championship coach, two time NBA champion of
course with the Detroit Pistons, the Original Bad Boys, and
now he's the head coach of the w NBA's Las
(00:41):
Vegas Aces. Bill Lambier, Bill, what's happening? Welcome to the
Odd Couple. That's us. We are odd, Bill like you?
Come on, We're like you and Isaiah Bad Couple? Okay, well, Bill,
we was it Saturday? The nets in the Philadelphia seventy
(01:06):
six has had a little francas. Uh, they spilled into
the stands. You know back in your day that that
would have just been maybe a common exactly don't have
been anything. Do you think that the NBA is a
little too soft? I know they obviously want to stop
the fighting and stuff with good reason. But do you
think there should be more of a happy medium between
(01:27):
the physicality of your day and the finesse of today
or you think they've got it right where it is
right now. That's a tough call. Yeah, they've legislated over
the years to try to open the court up because
the players are bigger, faster, stronger, and the court remains
the same. So tweed a movement is something that's pretty
big to the NBA, and you know you gotta let that,
(01:48):
let that go, I guess a little bit, but you
know falls just the file just to today's world. Everybody
gets to upset about the little things. But you can't
even look at a guy like if you I can
look at the guys a team, Well, they're trying to
take twenty out of it also. But you know, sometimes
you gotta let the players be to play. It's an
(02:08):
emotional game. You got let do their things sometimes and
that's what makes fun for the fans. Bill what about
the ratings came out after the first few games or whatever,
and actually the first round has been good. There a
few upsets and whatnot. The Nets and the Clippers came
back from thirty one and stuff like that, but yet
the ratings were down twenty six percent. It is it
(02:30):
all Lebron James not being in the playoffs? Is it? Like? Uh,
maybe people are tired of knowing that the Warriors gonna win.
There's a chance to go to the finals five years
in a row. What do you put your finger on
that people tuned out so far in the NBA playoffs
on television back of big name stars. Probably is one
(02:50):
of them. You know, you get Lebron, Okay, he's not
in the playoffs this year, but you know the rest
of them, they're not. There's no household names anymore. There
are no teams that have like you know, everybody's known
by their first name or one one Moniker, So resturd
to you know, attach yourself because you know the player
movement back and forth mother teams. That takes away a
(03:11):
sense of identity for some of the teams. People are
always comparing these Warriors, who are going for their fourth
title in five years, third straight, to the Showtime era
Lakers or the Jordan Bulls. You guys obviously were in
that era and one two straight beat all those teams
could win three straight I know the game is so
(03:34):
different nowadays, but can you how do you can you
even compare like your best teams to like what you
guys would do or how you would play against the Warriors. Well,
every team, every player thinks their generation is better than
the next one or the one after that. That reality
says that's not true. Um. Players are bigger, faster, stronger,
(03:56):
these two eighty five and six foot eight and runs
like the win that jumps out of the jim. Um.
So the game has changed more three balls uh more?
You know we were all more intricate, uh plays and
and mid range jump shots and and posts. Uh So
you know it's changed as it changed for the better.
(04:16):
That's what the fans are along. We are going to
tell you. It's the eye couple were joined by three
time w NBA championship coach, two time NBA champion as
a player, Bill Lambier. So, Bill, tell me about this
new gig with the Las Vegas Aces and the w
NBA has the league. Where's the league gone? I mean,
you had a lot of success in Detroit with the
Shock winning championships, but it has a w NBA grown progressed. Uh,
(04:44):
the game gotten different or better or is it still
around the same. Uh, it's it's it's treaty dramatically when
it first started out weight back winning everythings. But you know,
now as the game has matured in the twenty three
twenty four seasons, Now, um, the players are really good. Uh.
(05:05):
You know they grew up playing AU basketball at eleven
years old thinking that they want to play professional basketball
in the United States and both the NBA, so you
know they've they've honed their craft over the course of time.
They're they're quality players. Are league last year really took
a pretty good jump recognition wise. All of our ratings
were up across the board from TV and revenue and
(05:29):
the whole package, because the quality of play and the
competitiveness of play right now is second to nine that's
ever been. Bill, Am I wrong when I say, like,
when I look at the w NBA and like the
attendance issues or whatever, I'm always still I blame women
only because you're more women than men. And I don't
know how many women are really going or are taking
(05:51):
their boyfriends or their husbands or the significant others. Do
women supported enough of the WNBA or my missus missing
the boat here? And they support it very well. We're
not going to be like the men. This is not
going to happen. You're not going to sell out. You know,
eighteen thousand seat arenas our arena size in Las Vegas.
(06:12):
Right now, we chucked down a little bit. We're at
eighty five hundred, which is a quality arena for our product,
and you know, it's a great environment and it just
it works. You get in the big cabinets arenas. Everybody's
going away from that pretty much now there's a couple
off remaining, but everybody else is in, you know, right
size arena and it's a lot of fun. It's a
(06:33):
difference between the men the women's game. From a fan perspective.
We're more fun and a lot less expensive, and so
they enjoy it. You know, we're not for everybody, but
at the same time, we're growing pretty substantially. Build in
the future. Obviously you're all in on the aces, But
do you have any desire to coach in the NBA?
(06:55):
I did way back when, Unfortunately I didn't get my
opportunity as a head coach, the coach of the system
for a couple of years. But I'm gonna be sixty
two next month. And that's a lot of work in
the NBA. Lot of days very well, I get to
that point, but I enjoy doing what I'm doing, and
I don't think I can gear it up and crank
it up for the grind of the men's league anymore.
So let's pass my time. What's the difference in just
(07:18):
coaching women versus men? Obviously, I mean, they're obviously both
skilled in some of the same ways, but I think
there's probably big differences too. Maybe the athleticism, dunking, whatever.
What's the difference in coaching the two you think, remember
besides the fact I can't go in the locker room
when I want to, the athleticism of the man. Yeah,
(07:40):
they can make a mistake and come right back and
make up for that mistake with their athleticism and makes
some great play. The women are much more fundamental. Uh.
They's on five basketball game where the men are, you know,
two on two or one on one A lot. We
play five on five, both offensively and defensively. So that's
that's one of the big differences. And I guess the
(08:03):
best difference between the NBA and I mean, the woman
listens soon guys to Uh, they want to be coached.
They want to learn, they want to grow, they want
the sport to grow. Uh, and they care about the league.
That's about just the money, right. Hey, there was one
other story I want to ask you about. Russell Westbrook
(08:23):
was kind of being criticized for the way he deals
with the media. Is some columnists in uh in Oklahoma City?
You mean need to try to act you guys. Yes,
I know who I ask. Well, that's why I want
to ask. That's why I want to ask you. And
even Steve Kerr said, you know, you gotta you gotta
know how to deal with the media. And this is
(08:43):
my point, Bill, as you the way maybe you dealt
with the media when you are a younger player, compared
to how you deal with it now, do you do
you have you got a better understanding of what we do?
And uh or no no not even after is no
no no right now, as a representative of management, I
(09:05):
have to tolerate you guys. Come on, Bill, I was
about myself. I wasn't about self promotion uff like that.
So the hardest part about some of the of the
media factor. Then I sue, it's to say that you
guys never change stripes. Um, you ask some of the
dumbest questions, right, but you never know what answer you're
gonna get. Well, y'all, sometimes play good get good answers,
(09:30):
you know, and you try to say here's you try
to paint the narratives and get the player to respond
to your narratives instead of asking them a question, and
it tells the question players say to answer it. Bill
used to say, it is h that wasn't a question,
like when people were making a statement to him my right,
Bill would exactly, I would say, what what's what's the question? No?
(09:52):
And I think that that's fair if a player says
that to you because you haven't asked a question. To
ask a question, I think you have to ask a question,
not make a statement and look for him to endorse
it or not. Because that's what you guys know that
happens all the time. Oh yeah, yeah, no doubt. But
I'm gonna throw this out. You're one of the few
people that can say you you beat Michael Jordan. I mean,
(10:14):
you guys had your way with him for a few years.
How many times? Over and over? Yeah? But pretty yeah,
over and over here now and obviously you have great
respect for him and know he's a great player, but
he is viewed now as the undisputed goat, like I'm
just the greatest player time. Come on, well by by
(10:35):
the most of the media, like you when you hear that,
what's your thoughts? Your own personal opinion, that's mine, But
we're joined by a lot of people. All right, who
do you got? What's your who do you have and
what do you think of? You know of Jordan kind
of being that that guy that consensus almost right now, No,
I don't think Lebron James every day the way wow.
(10:57):
Now why because he came in the league involving his
teammates from the start at eighteen years old. He understood
how to play team basketball, both offensively and defensively from
day one. M Jordan had to learn that. That's why
they were called Michael Jordan the Jordanaires. He never got
his teammates involved like Lebron. Dude at an early age.
(11:18):
Now you know he would if you go by number
of championships. Okay, Michael Jordan's got more championships, but no
one has single handily done with Lebron's junge. I mean
he's he's had some bad teams and got him the finals,
so I think he and Puss. He's six eight two
eighty five, runs like the wind and jumps out at you.
I mean, what if he was in our in our generation,
(11:40):
he would have been by far the greatest thing year
for someone your entire in the whole world. Bacon strong
and that good and that's smart. That's one of the things.
He's smart when he came in at eighteen and do
what to do. Some thing's never changed. Those pistons will
never give. That's not point, guys, not called George. It's
(12:01):
a good Bill. We appreciate it. And good luck on
your new gig. Right, he will be watching the new
coach of the Las Vegas Aces, and we're gonna check
you guys out. Bill, good luck. Be sure to catch
live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Brussar then
Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. All Right,
(12:22):
you tuned into The Eye Couple Chris Brussar and Rob
park and we have got some breaking news, breaking news
from Fox Sports. Yeah, it's interesting story after what had
been an interesting time with Luke Walton with the Lakers
than him being released and hired by Sacramento. Now he's
(12:44):
being sued for sexually assaulting a woman who claims he
forced himself on her in his hotel room. In legal
documents obtained by TMZ, Kelly Tenant claims that in May
twenty seventeen, she went to his hotel in Santa Monica
to discuss a book she was writing. Says the two
business relationship going back several years, and Walton invited her
back up to the room and then well forcibly, uh, well,
(13:06):
let's just say he was aggressive with her before eventually
relenting and letting her up from the bed. All right, Ralph,
Why Ralph is breaking news? Yes, thank you man. This
is uh, this is huge news if it's true. Yeah,
this even if it's nice. I mean, he's being accused
of it. So it's always a tough big news. Yes,
(13:27):
it's always one of those tough things because you get
into a situation. Obviously they have paperwork on it. So
she filed claim and with the police, and now she's right,
she's suing him and whatnot. Um, this will be interesting
to see how it plays out. He just got hired
up in Sacramento. I'm sure they're not too crazy about
the news. They got a new coach, right, I mean,
(13:49):
and again, a man is innocent guilty, so nobody's saying
that he's guilty. We don't know, we weren't there. We
can't get into all that. But this is a pub record,
so that's why you can discuss it. It's public record.
It's just unbelievable. I mean, considering all that has gone
on with the Lakers, considering all that's gone on with Luke,
(14:12):
I mean all year long, his job, you know, it's
rumored to to be you know, up like he's gonna
get fired. Ultimately he does part with the organization, accepts
another job. He's a hot young coach. I mean that
you saw that by how quickly he got another job.
And uh man, this is just uh shocking, shocking, and
(14:38):
uh nothing nothing surprises me anymore. I'm one of these
old guys. We've been around for a long time, Chris,
and glad when you finally admitted, you know, I don't
I shouldn't get a senior discount. How dare that chicken?
It's your first, all right, but on this story at
least once a week. But I'm saying here, we've seen
(14:58):
these stories like just keep coming no matter what has happened.
Guys getting into a situation before the domestic violence, people
lost their jobs, whatever, and they just doesn't stop. It
doesn't like like it never happened, Chris, do you know
what I mean? Yeah, And she's claiming what May twenty seventeen,
so that obviously if that's a recent time, that's two
(15:22):
years almost two years ago. See, he was coaching the
Lakers at that time. Well they were out of the playoffs,
so they weren't. Yeah, I mean, yeah, he was the
Lakers coach. Wow, you just uh, it's it's it's just
something you gotta what you in a situation like this,
at least my tax take is right. You just hope
(15:44):
that justice is say that. You hope the truth comes out.
And a lot of times the problem with these situations
are very tough. Because he said, she said right, and
you don't have a third this never, Chris, sounds like
it's a total He said, she's no third person in
the room to be That's that's why you need like
a witness. But most things don't happen in front of witnesses.
(16:04):
They don't, right, So it's one of those tough spots,
That's all, and that's how you have to deal with it.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussar and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific. The Los Angeles Lakers, of course,
out of the playoffs, still continue to make news, and
(16:27):
a lot of it is because of their dysfunctional ways.
I'm sorry, Rob Ge, big time Laker fan, that you
are so one of your favorites in mine. Magic Johnson,
It's called on TMZ this weekend, I guess ye talking
(16:47):
about how he's basically still involved with the Lakers. Quinn,
let's hear it. Everybody know, I love the Lakers, and
so I'm always helping right like right now, I'm I'll
still help them. You know. I love my team, I
love my franchise, and I love the city. So you
have to do things sometime on your own terms, no
matter what other people think. See and I'm that guy.
(17:10):
But but I'm still helping him. It's almost like I've
never left. I'm still talking to him every day, sir.
You've been missed La my whole life. I'm gonna help
him get the Lakers back, right, you can believe that,
all right, let me let me let me first say this,
rob let me before you go on. I just can't.
I'm beside myself. Let me just say this. None of us,
(17:31):
I think I can speak for you. None of us expected.
I mean, Magic is mister Laker, right, no doubt. The
way and and the Lakers help make him obviously who
he is, so we didn't expect him to all of
a sudden cut ties with the Lakers, not like he
(17:51):
has in front of the place right right, he is
the greatest Laker, with all due respect to Kobe. It's Magic,
So we get that. But this is going too far.
It just is. From the standpoint of Magic, if if, if,
if you're taking calls every day and you're still talking
to him and you say you want to help the
(18:14):
why'd you, Quinn, why'd you walk away? And in the
way the way which you didn't right, you made yourself
the story was a total distraction to the end of
the season. To compound what what uh will hurt the franchise.
From the standpoint Chris that they look at the front
officers and disarray. Magic walked away didn't even tell the
(18:37):
owner right, just said I'm out of here, So all
of a sudden, Magic's gonna call me and tell me
that I should go to the front off to join
that front office and that team. When he walked away hisself,
it doesn't make any sense whatsoever. That's why it's a
bad look for Magic. It's a bad look for the
(18:57):
for the other franchise, it's bad. No, how are you?
Here's the thing. The Magic is gonna be recruiting. Like
you said, who's listening to Magic? Recruit them? When he
walked away the way he did. Now, if you want
to use Magic, I don't even know if I should
say to close, but you know, you recruit the free agent.
(19:20):
Maybe he talks to Lebron. Maybe the front office talks
to him. Whoever your head coach is going to be
talks to him. You've got it all but signed, sealed
and delivered. Then hey, would you like to talk to Magic?
We gotta Magic call you and Magic talk to the
guy about what it's like to be a Laker, what
(19:41):
it's like in La how you can help run the
city and the soul, and and so forth, bringing him
in as a closer, kind of like Jerry West did
with Kevin Durant when he went to Golden State. I
can get that, but Magic should not be involved in
the recruiting process, sess No. And then if one of
(20:01):
the free agents asked him about Rob Polinka gonna go, well,
you know that guy has some reputation and he's a backstabber,
and he's like, oh yeah, but you should come to
the Lakers anyway. I mean, what, how does that work?
Because nobody sort of nobody saw Magic's forty five minute
press conference what he left. Seriously, to your point, Rob,
it just makes the Lakers look that much more dysfunction. Yes,
(20:26):
it makes no sense. And this is on the heels
of a report in the La Times. I believe it
was Friday talking about how according to the report and
I have heard it myself as well talking to different
people close to the Lakers, they're not going to replace Magic.
(20:46):
Rob Polinka is going to run the front office and
the scuttle. But we'll see if it happens. But if
they're not bringing in somebody above Rob or even next
to Rob, the Schuttle buddies that it is going to
be Kurt Rambis. Here we go, Mom and pop Central, Chris,
(21:06):
what do we keep talking about? Everybody's connected everybody's interwoven.
Everybody's a part of the Lakers. You better bring some
new people in. Everybody doesn't have to be with the Lakers.
Everybody doesn't have to have a history with the Lakers.
Stop it. You gotta sometimes go and get other people
to change things, Chris, to do things differently. That's good business.
(21:31):
It can't be ancestral, right, they have we get what
you mean? No, you know what I mean? I know
they have. They are blowing this, They are blowing this.
They should have once Magic walked away. And as much
as we love Magic, we all knew Magic's an owner,
not a president, right right. He's the face of the franchise.
(21:54):
You know, you're not bringing him in to do the
day to day work of a president. So it was
a blessing in disguise that he walked away the way
he did. You should have from that moment forward been
looking at a front office that could really bring the
Lakers back into or into the twenty first century, one
(22:17):
that had the infrastructure of the teams today and hacked
the team across the hall, the LA Clippers. You should
have went for Jerry West. You should be talking to
Messiah Ujerry in Toronto, maybe Sam Presty in Oklahoma City.
I mean, at least try for RC Buford and San Antonio.
You're the Lakers. You're the Lakers. You're supposed to be
(22:37):
able to try for anybody. What what what Michael Winger
who was gonna get interviewed by Minnesota but he turned
it down. He's the assistant GM with the or the
Gem with the Clippers. You could have went to him somebody.
I mean, but you could have built it differently and
(22:57):
still hired Tyler, a coach that were ace to Lebron.
But get a front office that works independently. But no,
this time and Pop Central to use your turn it is.
It really is a way to look bad. What don't
we hear? When LaMarcus Augers met with the Lakers, they
had no plan. That thing was, this is La Hollywood.
(23:21):
Just come on out. Look at all these banners and
championship we have and what about the future with moving forward?
They had no plan. They offered them sunshine instead of
a basketball plan. That ain't gonna cut it for a
lot of gods who are trying to win. No, it's
looking bad. It is looking bad for the La Lakers.
(23:42):
And again as much as we love Magic and as
much as we believe he could should be connected to
the Lakers. He should not be talking to him every day.
Why just step away? I don't get it. Should not
be consulted team, the Lakers or basketball stuff. The Nicks
(24:03):
do the same thing. I know they're not Magic Johnson,
but Larry Johnson, Latrell Spreewell. Now you know they bring
the players out and they connected, yeah, to the team,
John Starks and all that, But they're not talking to
Larry Johnson about personnel moves. Absolutely, what what college games
are he going to? And and scouting? You know what
(24:25):
I mean? That just there as ambassadors, former players who
people recognize and like and admire. And I get all
that Latross people will help them get to the championship.
People will never forget that Reggie Miller calling, uh the
Bucks and the Pistons Game four. You think the Pacers
(24:45):
are running personnel moves by Reggie Miller. No, he's the
best pacer ever. No. And I'm gonna be honest, same
thing for Kobe. Thing for Kobe I'll tell you one,
no way, no, how would be a Misnell. Look if well,
here's my point, if Kobe I do think Kobe has
(25:06):
the goods if he wanted to commit to it to
be a good president. He's very intelligent, he's a work
he's a work has a great work ethic, he's a grinder.
He understands the new technology, and I mean, he's into
all that. But I think he would be a great
president if he wanted to do it. But you're not
(25:26):
gonna sit You're not gonna have it both ways. Not
none of the responsibility, none of the commitment, none of
the blood on your hands for the bad moves, and
you sit behind and you have puppet strings and tell
us what to do. No, we love you. You'll be
connected to it, you'll be our our other mister Laker.
But you're not gonna consult. You're not gonna tell us
(25:50):
how to run our basketball team. Here's why I say
no to Kobe. From this standpoint, the Lakers shouldn't be
a place that you're breaking in and getting people. This
is one of the biggest organizations in sports with an
unbelievable history right and their story. This is not where
you break in and learn how to be a general.
(26:11):
I'm sorry, even if it's Kobe Bryant. If Kobe wants
to go to Orlando or whatever and get started there
and get some experience, and they bring him back. Chris
or is a backseat to a general managers. He shows
them the rope for a couple of years and then
Kobe takes over. Maybe I'm there. This franchise can't afford
to break in and unproven talent as a GM. They
(26:34):
have the worst record in the NBA to six years,
tied with the Knicks. Haven't made the playoffs since Moby
Dick was a guppy. No, no way, no how all right,
maybe if she's listening, Genie, why bus swallow your pride
(26:55):
and called Jerry West, called Jerry West. It's it's call him,
swallow the pride. I know Lebron would love to have him.
In fact, Lebron called Jerry West. Two called Genie, say
you want Jerry. They need to bring in mister West.
(27:16):
Jerry West is eighty years old. Stop it with the
old men. Stop he's a consultant for a reason. He's eighty.
Bring him in in as a consult Okay, I'm eating
the consulting or old president. I could make him presidents
a day to day an eighty year old. Stop it
he's active. No, I'm fine with that. I'm just saying,
(27:37):
day we got Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are running
for president. They're seventy seven. Jerry's I believe if you
can run the nation, you can run the freaking Lakers.
And you think running the Lakers is more taxing than
running America? Yes, and number two stop a number two?
(27:58):
Wake me when those guys the name president? All right, wait, wait,
how is Trump? He's up there seventy seventy seventies, not
eighty thold. Come on, Chris, you're fifty. Trump told me
twenty years old. Fifty is different than I mean, they
need to do. This is getting bad. I just went
(28:20):
to the start blowing it. They should have had by
the end of this month. They should have their front office,
but not by the end of this month, but by
the end of May. Have your front office and your
coach in place, and then you can regret. It'd be
(28:42):
great if you do it by the end of this month,
and then you can go out. So what's the story.
Get some free agents? We did? We hear the tyrone
lose having some issues with the front office, right, I mean,
we're at the game. I'm being the scuttle But he's
just questioning, right, who's running thing? What's going on? Right?
That's what we heard. Do I want to step into that?
(29:05):
I mean, it's it's just they're blowing it. They're blowing it,
like like one of my favorite moments in sports when
Angelo Dundee told Thomas told sugar Ray Leonard when he
was losing the Tommy Hearns and their first fight, you're
blowing the kid. You're blowing it. You're blowing it, And
(29:25):
Sugaray went out there and knocked. Turns out all right?
Is it time for the Lakers to cut all ties
with Magic Johnson? Rob Gee, we're not saying cut all ties? Yes,
temporarily Magic, should you just having be Magic and basket
me running the basketball operations? No, we need him to
(29:46):
step back for a while because he quit on the team.
It's a bad look. And tell Magic to go to
Dodger Stadium and hang out there. I know, tell him
to hang out there. He does better there. Even though
they haven't won a World Series in thirty one year.
Is either
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