May 14, 2021 • 28 mins
Chris and Rob discuss if the Los Angeles Lakers would be better off facing the Los Angeles Clippers in Round 1 as opposed to heading to the play-in and facing a team like the Phoenix Suns or Utah Jazz, and debate which Hall of Fame career they'd rather have: Kobe Bryant's or Tim Duncan's. Plus, Chris unveils the top 5 preps-to-pros in NBA history in this week's edition of Broussard's Fab Five.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
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(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Cup Off with Chris Brush and Rod Harker. I'm gonna
just throw this out to you and see what your
opinion is. If the Lakers finish with the sixth seed,
which is possible, they would meet the LA Clippers most
(00:43):
likely in the first round. If they finish in the
seventh seed, then they have to play in Let's say
it's Golden State in the first game. Even if you
lose that, then you've got the winner of Memphis San Antonio. Okay,
neither one of them is scaring. You are a world beater.
And if you get through those two games, rob or
(01:05):
you know, if you get through Golden State and the
play and you get through it, you would face either
Phoenix or Utah in the first round. Now I'm gonna
tell you, if I'm the Lakers, I'd much rather play
Phoenix or Utah in the first round than the Clippers.
(01:26):
But the problem is, you don't just start off with
Phoenix or Utah. You start off with the play in.
So here's the question to you, Rob Parker, would you,
if you're the Lakers, would you rather be in the
play in and potentially have an easier first round opponent
in Utah or Phoenix, or would you rather finish six
(01:48):
and have a an absolute fight on your hands just
to get out of the first round against the La Clippers.
I'm gonna go with the Clippers that I'd rather play.
And it's not so much just it's that I think
the Lakers can beat the Clippers. That's not it. It's
that the one game scenario or Steph getting hot or
(02:12):
or a d aggravating his groin or something and you're
not at full strength. You know, if you're playing a series, Chris,
four out of seven, you can lose a game. You're
not gonna win every game, and you could survive that
later on in the series. But if if one of
those guys tweaks an ankle, lebron or the groin flares
up and Steph catches fire and you lose I just
(02:36):
think that there's way more there's a bigger chance of
you getting upset when you playing. We talk about it
all the time, and I notice is a single elimination.
But it's like if Michael Jordan played in single elimination Chris,
there's a good chance he's not six and old, that
somebody beats him, or he misses a big shot, or
somebody makes a great shot at the buzzer. You can lose.
(03:00):
You can play great and still lose. In a one
game scenario, the best team usually wins four out of seven.
And if you got to play the Clippers, here's my
only thing, you might want to get them if you
have a chance, and if everybody's okay, to get them
now rather than later when maybe somebody's nicked up, or
(03:23):
if you're you know, or they're not completely healthy, or
you lose somebody in the course of the playoffs. I
still would take my chances in a seven game series
compared to a one game and then another one game.
I just I think that's too dangerous, and I think
the Lakers would rather play a series, even though it's
a tough series. It's a really good question because you
(03:47):
agree with me that the Clippers would be tougher than Phoenix. Right, Okay, um,
but you know, like you said, you gotta go through
the Clippers at some point and want to get out
of the way, right if you if you finish sixth,
you do get a week off, and obviously you wouldn't
be off, but they would get a week to practice,
(04:08):
right and to get back in the flow as much
as you can in practice. Whereas if you play in
the play in, you're right, I mean the player starts
I think Tuesday, so you're you're right in the thick
of it in the play in no break and then
you survive that, and now you got the Clippers without
real time to prepare or rest or anything like that.
(04:30):
So I am with you, Rob, I'm with you in
just that anything can happen in one game. As you said,
we see it all the time in the NCUBA tournament,
and somebody can beat you in one game. We see
it all the time in the NBA. Rob, Right, the
Lakers just beat Denver without Lebron and a d It happens.
(04:52):
And as you said, we don't have the day dream
to think about Steph Kirry being able to catch fire.
Number one obviously he's played great. But number two robed
earlier this season when the Warriors beat the Lakers. Remember
the Warriors were down fourteen points and they rallied because
(05:14):
Steph got hot and there are a few other players
actually got hot too, but they rallied from a double
digit fourth quarter deficit to beat the Lakers. And that
was the first time rob in two hundred ninety two total.
Well at that point, that was the first time Lebron
(05:37):
had ever lost a home game in which his team
had a double digit lead enter in the fourth quarter. Wow.
So he knows as well as anybody that Steph can
get hot and then next thing, you know, you you lose,
and then the same thing. Look that Memphis doesn't have
a step but they got a job. Moran san Antonio's
(05:59):
got a very good coach and Greg Popovich. You know it.
Just and to your point two, what if a D
tweaks the growing which a D is known to you
know what I'm saying, Come on, a D has had
all types of little there's no serious first quarter of
game one. You you might be in trouble, right, or
(06:21):
if Lebron tweaks the ankle, So yeah, I'm with you,
even though it's a tougher road and you gotta play
the Clippers. I would still rather be in that situation
than have a playing It's just as simple as that.
And look, and I think you even feel this way, Rob,
I do think the Clippers are the one team in
(06:43):
the West that could beat the Lakers, even if the
Lakers are whole. Now I would if the Lakers are
fine and Lebron and a d are playing, I think
I'm going with them, especially if they meet later in
the playoffs. But they could lose. The Clippers could beat them. Uh.
But the Clippers aren't world beaters either, right, there's really
(07:05):
no world beater in the West. Phoenix not scary. Tell
me if you disagree. Phoenix not scary, Utah not scary.
Not saying that they're good. Denver, especially without Jamal Murray,
not scary. Portland not scary. The Clippers they're good, you
can you. I mean, they're tough. They could get to
the finals, but they've never done it. They still have
(07:27):
their issues at the end of games. Paul George has
his problems here and there in the playoffs. So it's
not like they're you know, the Brooklyn Nets with all
this firepower or Golden State. You know what, I think,
I think you. I think you're that that's a fair conversation.
If the Lakers will hold and have been playing and whatever,
(07:50):
I just think again, but you wouldn't give them a
chance to God and say, I would give M a chance.
But I just don't think that they would be just
I just think the Lakers are just too many things
have to be right, Like, you're just hard to it's
hard to have to play that way. And then some
of the new guys from a year ago, this isn't
(08:10):
exactly the same team. I'm just not so sure, you
know what I mean. I'm not m Drummond's never played
in any big games in his life, right, never, Yeah,
but he's I mean, if they're counting on drums, no,
I know, I know. I mean, you don't want to
count on him. But I'm just saying, Chris so so
I don't know about that. UM. I will say this,
(08:31):
Rob and you, you and I both like Brooklyn when
they're healthy, and people might be saying, well, hold up,
You're you're saying the Lakers need you know, they're guys
to get back. Hold what about Brooklyn? James Harden is
playing tonight and I'm sorry, not tonight he played the
yeah Kyrie'. They're playing tomorrow night. The Big three will
(08:52):
be together. But here's the difference rob the Nets Big three.
If you notice, when Harden comes back from extended injury,
he seems fine, when when Kad comes back he seems fine.
It's because of the style of play they are. They
are guys that are great shooters, including Kyrie, and they
can catch and shoot, so it's easier for them to
just fit in. Because they they can catch and shoot,
(09:14):
they don't have to dominate the ball, whereas Lebron and
a D aren't great shooters. They can get hot and
be streaky, but they're not great shooters. And with Lebron
this isn't an insult because it's it's his greatness, but
he everything changes when you drop Lebron in there. Everybody's
(09:34):
role is different because he's has the ball in his
hands or he's in a certain position on the floor,
so nothing was as it was when he's gone, so
it takes a little longer to adjust and to be honest,
similar with a D two, because he's a guy that
you know, he can't just catch and shoot, he's gonna
put it on the floor. He's gonna have to have
(09:55):
the ball in his hands a good amount to really
be as effective too. So I think that's why the
Lakers do need a little more time to mesh than
the nets do. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Odd Couple with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays
at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
(10:19):
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sportspod pushing the
same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire
gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,
accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book,
and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and
(10:39):
listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Are you ready?
You can pick the heat like lepron We're going big.
It's go town, It's Brusard's Fab five. All right, you
(11:03):
should all know that tomorrow the great Kobe Bryant, the
great Tim Duncan, the great Kevin Garnett will be enshrined
into the Basketball Hall of Fame, obviously deserving all of them.
And people are saying, and I can't disagree, it is
(11:27):
the greatest Hall of Fame class in basketball history. All
three champions, all three MVPs, all three to some degree iconic.
So two of those guys, Kobe and Kevin Garnett, of course,
came straight out of high school. So that got a
(11:48):
brother to thinking, who are the five most fabulous players
to play professional basketball and go straight from high school
to either the NBA or the ABA. Here we go,
number five, all right, Dwight Howard. Yes, this one might
(12:14):
shock a few folks, especially you young cats who've only
seen him with the Lakers and the Sixers, and your
Donnis Haslem pointing his finger all up in his face
with no fear. But Dwight Howard jess edges Tracy McGrady
as the fifth best player to ever go preps the pros.
(12:35):
And here's why Tracy McGrady, for all his greatness, never
won a playoff series. Meanwhile, Dwight Howard was recking shop
earlier in his career. He beat lebron in the playoffs
and neither of them had a perennial All Star teammate.
Neither of them he got to. He led the Orlando
(12:56):
Magic to the finals by himself. They had good, good
role playing teammates, Richard Lewis he do turger glue skip
to my lou that he had a few some good teammates,
but he was the only star and he led him
to the finals for a five year stint. Dwight Howard
was always in the MVP conversation. In fact, four times
(13:19):
he finished in the top five of MVP voting. I
know he's a shell of himself now he's a role player,
he's a goon kind and all that. But Dwight Howard
was a bad boy in his prime. Number four Kevin Gardnett,
one time MVP, twelve time All Defensive. He did it
(13:40):
on both ends. And people now they think of him
as a Boston Celtic, and I understand that he won
his championship with the Celtics. He was more in the
know in the public eye as a Celtic because they
were a great team. But he was great with Minnesota too,
and Kevin Gardinett was one of the early precursors of
(14:03):
the perimeter oriented big men. He wasn't drk Navitski, He
wasn't obviously Kevin Durant. He wasn't a pure perimeter player,
but he wasn't a pure inside player either. He was
that early seven footer who also could step out, hit
the midrange, jumper, had athleticism, could run the floor. We
(14:25):
hadn't seen much of that before KG. He's one of
those early ones, and he obviously is an all time
great player. Number three Moses Malone, and I know you
were wondering who in the world is ahead of Gardnett
House Gardnette. Four. Moses Malone was bad period, y'all don't remember.
(14:45):
He went straight to the ABA. He played his first
pro year and the ABA with the Utah Stars and
average straight out of high school almost nineteen points and
thirteen rebounds. I'm sorry, fourteen rebounds right out of high
school nineteen and fourteen. He's putting on him. And then
(15:05):
he goes to the NBA, immediately becomes one of the
best players in the league, wins three MVP awards, and
then wins this championship with Doctor j nineteen eighty three.
Six is one of the best teams of all time
and Moses Malone one of the greatest rebounders, particularly on
the offensive end of all time. Two years he averaged
(15:25):
seven offensive rebounds a game. That's ridiculous. Number two the
late great Kobe Bryant and Kobe is gonna have like
a huge display if you haven't read about it in
the Hall of Fame, and deservedly so. Kobe Bryant an
icon period. I mean Kobe, and not because he died
(15:50):
prematurely in that helicopter crash. If he was still alive
and doing great things, you know, in venture capitalism and
you know he won an Oscar for his film all
that stuff, he still would be an icon because of
what he did on the basketball court, a killer instinct
like very few others have had. One of the greatest
(16:13):
scores we've ever seen. Dropped eighty one points in a game.
Are in a competitive game. It wasn't like Will when
they were feeding him, just trying to get him to
score and all that. Kobe Bryant was phenomenal. We all
know of five championships, two times finals MVP, also a
league MVP, and also got after it on the defensive end.
(16:36):
Twelve time All d number one, Lebron James. All right,
Lebron the only one, the only of all the great players.
And I mentioned Moses Malone. Yes he stepped in right away,
but he was in the ABA and half of the
other best, half of the best players in the world.
We're in the NBA at that time, So not taking
(16:58):
anything away from Moses, but it was a little different.
Lebron is the only prep to pros guy to step
right into the NBA and begin doing damage from day one.
And you might remember Rob in the Summer League. I
don't even know if he I think he played a
couple games in the Summer League, but preseason he really
(17:21):
wasn't that impressive and you heard overhyped. Is he really
gonna be that good? And his first NBA game, the
New York Times sends me all the way out to Sacramento,
California to see Lebron James his first game and what
is he doing against a Sacramento team that at that
(17:43):
time was great And Lebron gives them twenty five points,
nine rebounds and six assists in his first I'm sorry,
nine assists and six rebounds plus four steals and only
two turnovers in his first NBA game. I called Larry
(18:04):
Bird the next day interviewed him for a story for
The New York Times, and Larry Bird said, if this
guy isn't a definite Hall of Famer within the next
five years, something has gone drastically wrong. He said, Lebron
James was the only player he ever saw who could
(18:24):
have gone straight to the NBA after his junior year
of high school. Junior year and Lebron averaged twenty one points,
six assists and five and a half rebounds his rookie
year straight out of high school. Four championships, four Finals, Finals, MVPs,
(18:44):
four MVPs, and in the debate, George's the goat, but
Lebron's made it a conversation with many. He is the
greatest prep surprose player of all time. Fox Sports Radio
has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch
all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com
(19:06):
and within the iHeart Radio app. Search f SR to
listen live. All right, but here's what I want to
ask you, rob Um. We got, as I mentioned, a
great class, the greatest class ever going into the NBA
or Basketball Hall of Fame. Kobe Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett,
Tim Duncan. Of those three, whose career would you rather
(19:29):
have had? If you could be one of those have
one of their careers, I would take Tim Duncan's career.
I think Tim Duncan's career was nearly flawless. And Tim
Duncan because I think he was flawless, I really do.
I don't. I don't know what he didn't do, right.
(19:50):
I don't remember him losing a game because he did something. Uh,
you know he shot one for eighteen or something of that. Ilk.
You know he wasn't in the game when that rebound came. Uh,
that was Papa, bitch. You didn't have him in the game.
That was right, That was the game. Also that Kawhi
(20:10):
Leonard as a rookie. Chris was a rookie year or
second year. I think he might have been his rookie year.
He missed a free throw which would have put him
up by four, and and and Ray Allen's three wouldn't
have beat them. Do you remember that? I mean that
was like part of the whole thing that went down.
All I'm saying is Tim Duncan, if they win that
one championship, he would have been six and old like
(20:33):
Michael Jordan. No, I'm just I'm if they can't, you can't,
let me. Let me. Let me put it in my
perspective is that it wasn't like they got blown out
four games to none. They had a chance to win
that championship. They did, they didn't win it. All I'm
saying is he was five and one. He played, He
did everything he was supposed to do. I don't know
(20:54):
what else he could have done. He played a long time.
He was a really good player for a long time.
And I know he didn't say much. People kind of
poo pooed him because he's just a guy from the
Islands who wear sandals and shorts, and you know, wasn't
a part of the basketball, you know, American basketball bravado
(21:14):
Chris and all that. He just won't. That's not who
he is. And he's quiet and just did his job,
workman like. And he had a great career. I mean,
my god, to continue to win and think it wasn't
like he had a good team for two or three
years and you win two in a row or three
in a row because you had a nice squad. They
won five over eighteen years. You know what I mean, Like,
(21:37):
they were always good. They made the playoffs every year,
and then they won five championships without ever back to back.
So it was constant. They were constantly winning and building
up to the next thing. I would take his career
over over anybody. He was a phenomenal He was phenomenal there.
I mean Tim Duncan, He's known, he's regarded as the
(21:58):
greatest power forward ever. Obviously, if you want to debate
whether or not he was really a power forward, that's fine,
but he's regarded as the greatest power forward of all time.
I I feel that way. If we're gonna label him
a power forward, I would say he's the greatest. But
I would rather have Kobe's career. Kobe, they both won
(22:21):
five championships. The reason I said you can't say Duncan
would be six and old is because them losing that
championship to the Heat is really what motivated them to
go get that sixth one. I mean, Rob, you remember
all year all they wanted to do was get back
to the finals against the Heat. Now get back to
the finals against Philadelphia or Boston or somebody else in
(22:45):
the East. They wanted Miami because they felt like they
gave away a championship and that they should have felt
that way. I mean, they had that thing wrapped up.
You remember they brought out were you down there Miami
for that was they pulled out the ropes, pulled out
the ropes, and people streamed out of the Miami and
(23:09):
they were banging on the door trying to get back
in when Ray Allen hit that shot right right for overtime.
But um no, I would rather have Kobe's. Kobe was
a part of There have only been three three peats
since Bill Russell, so you could say three three peats
(23:30):
in modern basketball. Kobe was one of them. With Shot.
Kobe was on a team, so he was a part
of a dynasty, and I think Duncan was. You Duncan
doesn't fit your criteria of dynasty. But Duncan never went
back to back. Kobe went three straight and then back
to back again. Kobe and Shot. Kobe was a part
(23:52):
of one of the greatest teams of all time. Kobe
has the eighty one point game, Kobe uh bottom line,
Rob Kobe's iconic and Kobe's Kobe it has more. He
touched the people more, and not just because he died prematurely.
As I said earlier, he just touched the people more
(24:16):
he I mean, people they just love Kobe. Some hate him,
but they loved I mean, he drew people in, He
touched people. He inspired people way more than Tim Duncan,
and he will be remembered way more than Tim Duncan.
(24:40):
And so that's why I say I would go with Kobe.
You're right, Duncan wasn't in the quote unquote in crowd
Kobe glad to like I mean, and I'm not talking
about you know, because he didn't hang with you know,
Lebron and Chris Paul and all those guys, but I
mean he was like he was just a ca cultural phenomenon. Yeah,
(25:03):
but this is Duncan wasn't. And they both had tremendous
individual careers. I'd rather have been Kobe's career. Yeah, But
the only thing is Tim Duncan was never robbing and
and Kobe was Shack. He wasn't Batman that last championship. No,
I'm talking about and they went seven years without winning one.
I'm talking about Kobe those three in a row. Shack
(25:25):
was the most dominant player in the NBA. And I'm
not saying Shaq. I mean, Kobe was a bomb or,
he was a hanger on, but Shack was the best player.
Just he was. He was the most And I'm just
saying Tim Duncan, Tim Duncan, uh was that team? Um
not the last championship, all right, all right, but still
(25:47):
those three, those are the three and they made the
playoffs every year. He didn't have any of those downturns
that Kobe had. He didn't have a moment where he
quit on his team. Ever, there's a lot of stuff
I'm just saying, I would take Tim Duncan. I know
he's not flashy, I know he's not in the in crowd.
I know all that. But if you're just talking about
your basketball career and you stripped back all the other
(26:11):
Kobe wanting to be Michael Jordan and talk like him
and walk like him and all that other stuff and
having to come up with a nickname and having to
go get a tattoo and all this other stuff. Tim
Duncan didn't do any of that. He just plat he
just played ball. Well. But here's the thing, Rob and
(26:32):
this you you said this before and other you know contexts.
Duncan went seven years without getting to the finals seven
years and I mean by that last championship he won,
he averaged fifteen points that year. He was still you know,
a great like Cog. I mean they were really a team,
(26:55):
but you know he wasn't like Lee carrying that team
like he had earlier. Yeah, but then we didn't get
power was really good. But Tony Parker got the finals MVP.
If Jerry West didn't hook up Kobe with Pau Gasol,
I don't know if Kobe would ever want another championship. Yeah,
but that's like saying if if Dunk, if San Antonio
(27:17):
hadn't gotten my new Janobli. No, but Kobe Tony Parker
late in the first because what I always Kobe wanted
to up his stats. He wanted he wanted shot out
of the way. He felt he would never get his
but he never felt like he would get his full
recognition as long as Shock. If Shack stayed on the
team the entire time as Kobe, I don't know if
(27:38):
you would look at Kobe the same way and Shock
what didn't get to you know, didn't go overweight and
he still played and was dominant, and say they want
a few more championships. I don't. I don't know if
you would look at Kobe the same way. I think,
like I said, for me, it boils down to and
I said earlier, all three of these guys going in
right Connick, you know, and they're not cultry. Duncan is
(28:01):
not a cultural icon. Kg is closer to one, but
not really. Kobe is one. And for me, because of that,
they all had tremendous careers. Kobe and Duncan were the
two best. They were better than Garnett. But I would
say I would rather have Kobe's career. It's certainly you
can argue Duncan was a better player, but I'd rather
(28:22):
have Kobe's career largely robbed because of the just the impact,
the love, the notoriety that he had, and Duncan didn't
want it. Duncan didn't seek it. He's not that kind
of guy, right, And that's fair. So it wasn't like
he tried to get it and couldn't, but Kobe just
got it.
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
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
(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Cup Off with Chris Brush and Rod Harker. I'm gonna
just throw this out to you and see what your
opinion is. If the Lakers finish with the sixth seed,
which is possible, they would meet the LA Clippers most
(00:43):
likely in the first round. If they finish in the
seventh seed, then they have to play in Let's say
it's Golden State in the first game. Even if you
lose that, then you've got the winner of Memphis San Antonio. Okay,
neither one of them is scaring. You are a world beater.
And if you get through those two games, rob or
(01:05):
you know, if you get through Golden State and the
play and you get through it, you would face either
Phoenix or Utah in the first round. Now I'm gonna
tell you, if I'm the Lakers, I'd much rather play
Phoenix or Utah in the first round than the Clippers.
(01:26):
But the problem is, you don't just start off with
Phoenix or Utah. You start off with the play in.
So here's the question to you, Rob Parker, would you,
if you're the Lakers, would you rather be in the
play in and potentially have an easier first round opponent
in Utah or Phoenix, or would you rather finish six
(01:48):
and have a an absolute fight on your hands just
to get out of the first round against the La Clippers.
I'm gonna go with the Clippers that I'd rather play.
And it's not so much just it's that I think
the Lakers can beat the Clippers. That's not it. It's
that the one game scenario or Steph getting hot or
(02:12):
or a d aggravating his groin or something and you're
not at full strength. You know, if you're playing a series, Chris,
four out of seven, you can lose a game. You're
not gonna win every game, and you could survive that
later on in the series. But if if one of
those guys tweaks an ankle, lebron or the groin flares
up and Steph catches fire and you lose I just
(02:36):
think that there's way more there's a bigger chance of
you getting upset when you playing. We talk about it
all the time, and I notice is a single elimination.
But it's like if Michael Jordan played in single elimination Chris,
there's a good chance he's not six and old, that
somebody beats him, or he misses a big shot, or
somebody makes a great shot at the buzzer. You can lose.
(03:00):
You can play great and still lose. In a one
game scenario, the best team usually wins four out of seven.
And if you got to play the Clippers, here's my
only thing, you might want to get them if you
have a chance, and if everybody's okay, to get them
now rather than later when maybe somebody's nicked up, or
(03:23):
if you're you know, or they're not completely healthy, or
you lose somebody in the course of the playoffs. I
still would take my chances in a seven game series
compared to a one game and then another one game.
I just I think that's too dangerous, and I think
the Lakers would rather play a series, even though it's
a tough series. It's a really good question because you
(03:47):
agree with me that the Clippers would be tougher than Phoenix. Right, Okay, um,
but you know, like you said, you gotta go through
the Clippers at some point and want to get out
of the way, right if you if you finish sixth,
you do get a week off, and obviously you wouldn't
be off, but they would get a week to practice,
(04:08):
right and to get back in the flow as much
as you can in practice. Whereas if you play in
the play in, you're right, I mean the player starts
I think Tuesday, so you're you're right in the thick
of it in the play in no break and then
you survive that, and now you got the Clippers without
real time to prepare or rest or anything like that.
(04:30):
So I am with you, Rob, I'm with you in
just that anything can happen in one game. As you said,
we see it all the time in the NCUBA tournament,
and somebody can beat you in one game. We see
it all the time in the NBA. Rob, Right, the
Lakers just beat Denver without Lebron and a d It happens.
(04:52):
And as you said, we don't have the day dream
to think about Steph Kirry being able to catch fire.
Number one obviously he's played great. But number two robed
earlier this season when the Warriors beat the Lakers. Remember
the Warriors were down fourteen points and they rallied because
(05:14):
Steph got hot and there are a few other players
actually got hot too, but they rallied from a double
digit fourth quarter deficit to beat the Lakers. And that
was the first time rob in two hundred ninety two total.
Well at that point, that was the first time Lebron
(05:37):
had ever lost a home game in which his team
had a double digit lead enter in the fourth quarter. Wow.
So he knows as well as anybody that Steph can
get hot and then next thing, you know, you you lose,
and then the same thing. Look that Memphis doesn't have
a step but they got a job. Moran san Antonio's
(05:59):
got a very good coach and Greg Popovich. You know it.
Just and to your point two, what if a D
tweaks the growing which a D is known to you
know what I'm saying, Come on, a D has had
all types of little there's no serious first quarter of
game one. You you might be in trouble, right, or
(06:21):
if Lebron tweaks the ankle, So yeah, I'm with you,
even though it's a tougher road and you gotta play
the Clippers. I would still rather be in that situation
than have a playing It's just as simple as that.
And look, and I think you even feel this way, Rob,
I do think the Clippers are the one team in
(06:43):
the West that could beat the Lakers, even if the
Lakers are whole. Now I would if the Lakers are
fine and Lebron and a d are playing, I think
I'm going with them, especially if they meet later in
the playoffs. But they could lose. The Clippers could beat them. Uh.
But the Clippers aren't world beaters either, right, there's really
(07:05):
no world beater in the West. Phoenix not scary. Tell
me if you disagree. Phoenix not scary, Utah not scary.
Not saying that they're good. Denver, especially without Jamal Murray,
not scary. Portland not scary. The Clippers they're good, you
can you. I mean, they're tough. They could get to
the finals, but they've never done it. They still have
(07:27):
their issues at the end of games. Paul George has
his problems here and there in the playoffs. So it's
not like they're you know, the Brooklyn Nets with all
this firepower or Golden State. You know what, I think,
I think you. I think you're that that's a fair conversation.
If the Lakers will hold and have been playing and whatever,
(07:50):
I just think again, but you wouldn't give them a
chance to God and say, I would give M a chance.
But I just don't think that they would be just
I just think the Lakers are just too many things
have to be right, Like, you're just hard to it's
hard to have to play that way. And then some
of the new guys from a year ago, this isn't
(08:10):
exactly the same team. I'm just not so sure, you
know what I mean. I'm not m Drummond's never played
in any big games in his life, right, never, Yeah,
but he's I mean, if they're counting on drums, no,
I know, I know. I mean, you don't want to
count on him. But I'm just saying, Chris so so
I don't know about that. UM. I will say this,
(08:31):
Rob and you, you and I both like Brooklyn when
they're healthy, and people might be saying, well, hold up,
You're you're saying the Lakers need you know, they're guys
to get back. Hold what about Brooklyn? James Harden is
playing tonight and I'm sorry, not tonight he played the
yeah Kyrie'. They're playing tomorrow night. The Big three will
(08:52):
be together. But here's the difference rob the Nets Big three.
If you notice, when Harden comes back from extended injury,
he seems fine, when when Kad comes back he seems fine.
It's because of the style of play they are. They
are guys that are great shooters, including Kyrie, and they
can catch and shoot, so it's easier for them to
just fit in. Because they they can catch and shoot,
(09:14):
they don't have to dominate the ball, whereas Lebron and
a D aren't great shooters. They can get hot and
be streaky, but they're not great shooters. And with Lebron
this isn't an insult because it's it's his greatness, but
he everything changes when you drop Lebron in there. Everybody's
(09:34):
role is different because he's has the ball in his
hands or he's in a certain position on the floor,
so nothing was as it was when he's gone, so
it takes a little longer to adjust and to be honest,
similar with a D two, because he's a guy that
you know, he can't just catch and shoot, he's gonna
put it on the floor. He's gonna have to have
(09:55):
the ball in his hands a good amount to really
be as effective too. So I think that's why the
Lakers do need a little more time to mesh than
the nets do. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Odd Couple with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays
at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
(10:19):
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sportspod pushing the
same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire
gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,
accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book,
and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and
(10:39):
listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Are you ready?
You can pick the heat like lepron We're going big.
It's go town, It's Brusard's Fab five. All right, you
(11:03):
should all know that tomorrow the great Kobe Bryant, the
great Tim Duncan, the great Kevin Garnett will be enshrined
into the Basketball Hall of Fame, obviously deserving all of them.
And people are saying, and I can't disagree, it is
(11:27):
the greatest Hall of Fame class in basketball history. All
three champions, all three MVPs, all three to some degree iconic.
So two of those guys, Kobe and Kevin Garnett, of course,
came straight out of high school. So that got a
(11:48):
brother to thinking, who are the five most fabulous players
to play professional basketball and go straight from high school
to either the NBA or the ABA. Here we go,
number five, all right, Dwight Howard. Yes, this one might
(12:14):
shock a few folks, especially you young cats who've only
seen him with the Lakers and the Sixers, and your
Donnis Haslem pointing his finger all up in his face
with no fear. But Dwight Howard jess edges Tracy McGrady
as the fifth best player to ever go preps the pros.
(12:35):
And here's why Tracy McGrady, for all his greatness, never
won a playoff series. Meanwhile, Dwight Howard was recking shop
earlier in his career. He beat lebron in the playoffs
and neither of them had a perennial All Star teammate.
Neither of them he got to. He led the Orlando
(12:56):
Magic to the finals by himself. They had good, good
role playing teammates, Richard Lewis he do turger glue skip
to my lou that he had a few some good teammates,
but he was the only star and he led him
to the finals for a five year stint. Dwight Howard
was always in the MVP conversation. In fact, four times
(13:19):
he finished in the top five of MVP voting. I
know he's a shell of himself now he's a role player,
he's a goon kind and all that. But Dwight Howard
was a bad boy in his prime. Number four Kevin Gardnett,
one time MVP, twelve time All Defensive. He did it
(13:40):
on both ends. And people now they think of him
as a Boston Celtic, and I understand that he won
his championship with the Celtics. He was more in the
know in the public eye as a Celtic because they
were a great team. But he was great with Minnesota too,
and Kevin Gardinett was one of the early precursors of
(14:03):
the perimeter oriented big men. He wasn't drk Navitski, He
wasn't obviously Kevin Durant. He wasn't a pure perimeter player,
but he wasn't a pure inside player either. He was
that early seven footer who also could step out, hit
the midrange, jumper, had athleticism, could run the floor. We
(14:25):
hadn't seen much of that before KG. He's one of
those early ones, and he obviously is an all time
great player. Number three Moses Malone, and I know you
were wondering who in the world is ahead of Gardnett
House Gardnette. Four. Moses Malone was bad period, y'all don't remember.
(14:45):
He went straight to the ABA. He played his first
pro year and the ABA with the Utah Stars and
average straight out of high school almost nineteen points and
thirteen rebounds. I'm sorry, fourteen rebounds right out of high
school nineteen and fourteen. He's putting on him. And then
(15:05):
he goes to the NBA, immediately becomes one of the
best players in the league, wins three MVP awards, and
then wins this championship with Doctor j nineteen eighty three.
Six is one of the best teams of all time
and Moses Malone one of the greatest rebounders, particularly on
the offensive end of all time. Two years he averaged
(15:25):
seven offensive rebounds a game. That's ridiculous. Number two the
late great Kobe Bryant and Kobe is gonna have like
a huge display if you haven't read about it in
the Hall of Fame, and deservedly so. Kobe Bryant an
icon period. I mean Kobe, and not because he died
(15:50):
prematurely in that helicopter crash. If he was still alive
and doing great things, you know, in venture capitalism and
you know he won an Oscar for his film all
that stuff, he still would be an icon because of
what he did on the basketball court, a killer instinct
like very few others have had. One of the greatest
(16:13):
scores we've ever seen. Dropped eighty one points in a game.
Are in a competitive game. It wasn't like Will when
they were feeding him, just trying to get him to
score and all that. Kobe Bryant was phenomenal. We all
know of five championships, two times finals MVP, also a
league MVP, and also got after it on the defensive end.
(16:36):
Twelve time All d number one, Lebron James. All right,
Lebron the only one, the only of all the great players.
And I mentioned Moses Malone. Yes he stepped in right away,
but he was in the ABA and half of the
other best, half of the best players in the world.
We're in the NBA at that time, So not taking
(16:58):
anything away from Moses, but it was a little different.
Lebron is the only prep to pros guy to step
right into the NBA and begin doing damage from day one.
And you might remember Rob in the Summer League. I
don't even know if he I think he played a
couple games in the Summer League, but preseason he really
(17:21):
wasn't that impressive and you heard overhyped. Is he really
gonna be that good? And his first NBA game, the
New York Times sends me all the way out to Sacramento,
California to see Lebron James his first game and what
is he doing against a Sacramento team that at that
(17:43):
time was great And Lebron gives them twenty five points,
nine rebounds and six assists in his first I'm sorry,
nine assists and six rebounds plus four steals and only
two turnovers in his first NBA game. I called Larry
(18:04):
Bird the next day interviewed him for a story for
The New York Times, and Larry Bird said, if this
guy isn't a definite Hall of Famer within the next
five years, something has gone drastically wrong. He said, Lebron
James was the only player he ever saw who could
(18:24):
have gone straight to the NBA after his junior year
of high school. Junior year and Lebron averaged twenty one points,
six assists and five and a half rebounds his rookie
year straight out of high school. Four championships, four Finals, Finals, MVPs,
(18:44):
four MVPs, and in the debate, George's the goat, but
Lebron's made it a conversation with many. He is the
greatest prep surprose player of all time. Fox Sports Radio
has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch
all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com
(19:06):
and within the iHeart Radio app. Search f SR to
listen live. All right, but here's what I want to
ask you, rob Um. We got, as I mentioned, a
great class, the greatest class ever going into the NBA
or Basketball Hall of Fame. Kobe Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett,
Tim Duncan. Of those three, whose career would you rather
(19:29):
have had? If you could be one of those have
one of their careers, I would take Tim Duncan's career.
I think Tim Duncan's career was nearly flawless. And Tim
Duncan because I think he was flawless, I really do.
I don't. I don't know what he didn't do, right.
(19:50):
I don't remember him losing a game because he did something. Uh,
you know he shot one for eighteen or something of that. Ilk.
You know he wasn't in the game when that rebound came. Uh,
that was Papa, bitch. You didn't have him in the game.
That was right, That was the game. Also that Kawhi
(20:10):
Leonard as a rookie. Chris was a rookie year or
second year. I think he might have been his rookie year.
He missed a free throw which would have put him
up by four, and and and Ray Allen's three wouldn't
have beat them. Do you remember that? I mean that
was like part of the whole thing that went down.
All I'm saying is Tim Duncan, if they win that
one championship, he would have been six and old like
(20:33):
Michael Jordan. No, I'm just I'm if they can't, you can't,
let me. Let me. Let me put it in my
perspective is that it wasn't like they got blown out
four games to none. They had a chance to win
that championship. They did, they didn't win it. All I'm
saying is he was five and one. He played, He
did everything he was supposed to do. I don't know
(20:54):
what else he could have done. He played a long time.
He was a really good player for a long time.
And I know he didn't say much. People kind of
poo pooed him because he's just a guy from the
Islands who wear sandals and shorts, and you know, wasn't
a part of the basketball, you know, American basketball bravado
(21:14):
Chris and all that. He just won't. That's not who
he is. And he's quiet and just did his job,
workman like. And he had a great career. I mean,
my god, to continue to win and think it wasn't
like he had a good team for two or three
years and you win two in a row or three
in a row because you had a nice squad. They
won five over eighteen years. You know what I mean, Like,
(21:37):
they were always good. They made the playoffs every year,
and then they won five championships without ever back to back.
So it was constant. They were constantly winning and building
up to the next thing. I would take his career
over over anybody. He was a phenomenal He was phenomenal there.
I mean Tim Duncan, He's known, he's regarded as the
(21:58):
greatest power forward ever. Obviously, if you want to debate
whether or not he was really a power forward, that's fine,
but he's regarded as the greatest power forward of all time.
I I feel that way. If we're gonna label him
a power forward, I would say he's the greatest. But
I would rather have Kobe's career. Kobe, they both won
(22:21):
five championships. The reason I said you can't say Duncan
would be six and old is because them losing that
championship to the Heat is really what motivated them to
go get that sixth one. I mean, Rob, you remember
all year all they wanted to do was get back
to the finals against the Heat. Now get back to
the finals against Philadelphia or Boston or somebody else in
(22:45):
the East. They wanted Miami because they felt like they
gave away a championship and that they should have felt
that way. I mean, they had that thing wrapped up.
You remember they brought out were you down there Miami
for that was they pulled out the ropes, pulled out
the ropes, and people streamed out of the Miami and
(23:09):
they were banging on the door trying to get back
in when Ray Allen hit that shot right right for overtime.
But um no, I would rather have Kobe's. Kobe was
a part of There have only been three three peats
since Bill Russell, so you could say three three peats
(23:30):
in modern basketball. Kobe was one of them. With Shot.
Kobe was on a team, so he was a part
of a dynasty, and I think Duncan was. You Duncan
doesn't fit your criteria of dynasty. But Duncan never went
back to back. Kobe went three straight and then back
to back again. Kobe and Shot. Kobe was a part
(23:52):
of one of the greatest teams of all time. Kobe
has the eighty one point game, Kobe uh bottom line,
Rob Kobe's iconic and Kobe's Kobe it has more. He
touched the people more, and not just because he died prematurely.
As I said earlier, he just touched the people more
(24:16):
he I mean, people they just love Kobe. Some hate him,
but they loved I mean, he drew people in, He
touched people. He inspired people way more than Tim Duncan,
and he will be remembered way more than Tim Duncan.
(24:40):
And so that's why I say I would go with Kobe.
You're right, Duncan wasn't in the quote unquote in crowd
Kobe glad to like I mean, and I'm not talking
about you know, because he didn't hang with you know,
Lebron and Chris Paul and all those guys, but I
mean he was like he was just a ca cultural phenomenon. Yeah,
(25:03):
but this is Duncan wasn't. And they both had tremendous
individual careers. I'd rather have been Kobe's career. Yeah, But
the only thing is Tim Duncan was never robbing and
and Kobe was Shack. He wasn't Batman that last championship. No,
I'm talking about and they went seven years without winning one.
I'm talking about Kobe those three in a row. Shack
(25:25):
was the most dominant player in the NBA. And I'm
not saying Shaq. I mean, Kobe was a bomb or,
he was a hanger on, but Shack was the best player.
Just he was. He was the most And I'm just
saying Tim Duncan, Tim Duncan, uh was that team? Um
not the last championship, all right, all right, but still
(25:47):
those three, those are the three and they made the
playoffs every year. He didn't have any of those downturns
that Kobe had. He didn't have a moment where he
quit on his team. Ever, there's a lot of stuff
I'm just saying, I would take Tim Duncan. I know
he's not flashy, I know he's not in the in crowd.
I know all that. But if you're just talking about
your basketball career and you stripped back all the other
(26:11):
Kobe wanting to be Michael Jordan and talk like him
and walk like him and all that other stuff and
having to come up with a nickname and having to
go get a tattoo and all this other stuff. Tim
Duncan didn't do any of that. He just plat he
just played ball. Well. But here's the thing, Rob and
(26:32):
this you you said this before and other you know contexts.
Duncan went seven years without getting to the finals seven
years and I mean by that last championship he won,
he averaged fifteen points that year. He was still you know,
a great like Cog. I mean they were really a team,
(26:55):
but you know he wasn't like Lee carrying that team
like he had earlier. Yeah, but then we didn't get
power was really good. But Tony Parker got the finals MVP.
If Jerry West didn't hook up Kobe with Pau Gasol,
I don't know if Kobe would ever want another championship. Yeah,
but that's like saying if if Dunk, if San Antonio
(27:17):
hadn't gotten my new Janobli. No, but Kobe Tony Parker
late in the first because what I always Kobe wanted
to up his stats. He wanted he wanted shot out
of the way. He felt he would never get his
but he never felt like he would get his full
recognition as long as Shock. If Shack stayed on the
team the entire time as Kobe, I don't know if
(27:38):
you would look at Kobe the same way and Shock
what didn't get to you know, didn't go overweight and
he still played and was dominant, and say they want
a few more championships. I don't. I don't know if
you would look at Kobe the same way. I think,
like I said, for me, it boils down to and
I said earlier, all three of these guys going in
right Connick, you know, and they're not cultry. Duncan is
(28:01):
not a cultural icon. Kg is closer to one, but
not really. Kobe is one. And for me, because of that,
they all had tremendous careers. Kobe and Duncan were the
two best. They were better than Garnett. But I would
say I would rather have Kobe's career. It's certainly you
can argue Duncan was a better player, but I'd rather
(28:22):
have Kobe's career largely robbed because of the just the impact,
the love, the notoriety that he had, and Duncan didn't
want it. Duncan didn't seek it. He's not that kind
of guy, right, And that's fair. So it wasn't like
he tried to get it and couldn't, but Kobe just
got it.
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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