The Joy Taylor Show Defines NBA Superstars and Discusses the Warriors Title

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to What Up Happy Saturday. Welcome to the
Joy Taylor's Show. Thanks for joining us hanging out. Great
show with LaVar Arrington and the Fellas, t J. Hushman,
Zata Plexico, Burrs up on Game. Thanks for the shout
out LaVar Rock in the Pittsburgh gear today hit a

(00:25):
Permanni Brother's shirt on Permantes is the go to for
all of the behind the scenes Pittsburgh stuff. Whenever there's
a big game in town. I've had it. It's good.
I had the Isn't it like cole slaw on a
thing sandwich? Yeah? So it's They're famous for putting the
cole slaw and the fries on the sandwich like it. Yeah,
pretty much. You put fries on everything in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh

(00:46):
salad is a is a salad with fries on it.
Potatoes are heavily in the big, big, big rotating feature
in Pittsburgh cuisine. Um that in a side of cigarettes,
right's lats, let's lot of smokes being smokes in Pittsburgh.
I was in Pittsburgh last weekend. Actually I was in
the fourth one too. Um for my sister's fiftieth birthday.

(01:10):
We surprised her and she's a big crier, so it
was it was lots of tears. But um, but oh man,
my computer's gonna die. That sucks. Plug that in um
fun show today back in studio Channing Fry, the road
Trip and Pod. Obviously, NBA veteran will join us. Marcus Thompson.
He's a writer for The Athletic. He wrote the Stuff

(01:32):
Curry book, he wrote the k D Book. I have
a feeling this next week is going to be very
full of Kevin Durant takes. I think everyone wants to
kind of give the Warriors their proper do on Friday,
and as we move into the NBA off season, there's
gonna be a lot of conversations about Kevin Durants and

(01:57):
the nets and and all that. And I really want
to get into with Marcus Thompson, who is an amazing
writer and knows all about the nuances of that situation.
In Charlotte Wilder, Fox sports host, podcast host and writer.
She was at the game, the Game six in Boston
Thursday nights as the Warriors closed it out. So we
have a fun show today. We'll talk a lot, obviously

(02:18):
about the NBA Finals Celtics and Warriors, Steph's legacy, the
Warriors legacy, the Warriors dynasty, Warriors haters, Draymond Green, what
do the Celtics do I? And a little bit about
the Lakers as well, because we gotta be authentic, you know,
we gotta gotta get the Lakers in here somewhere. Um.
But that was an amazing, amazing UH Finals to me,

(02:39):
I really enjoyed it. I think there's a lot of
broad takeaways from the NBA postseason this year and the
NBA Finals. Starting with the NBA postseason, I I went
in saying something that actually ended up being true, which
is that we really didn't have a great team this year.
We didn't have a team that his head and shoulders

(03:00):
by everyone else. Obviously, even Phoenix had a lot of
questions about them, even though they were the best team
in the league, and obviously they didn't make it as
far as we thought they would being the best team
in the league. So it was it was a year
of parody, which you usually don't see in the NBA
because it is such a star driven league. Generally you're
going to have a team like the Warriors with Katie

(03:23):
or a really really strong Lebron team or Dynasty in
the Spurs or the Miami Heat, Like it's just there's
usually a team at the beginning of the season you're like, Yeah,
they're gonna be in the finals, Like, no matter what happens,
they're gonna be in the finals, pending everyone gets injured.
They didn't really feel that way this year. There was
a legitimate argument you could make for a lot of
teams to be in the NBA Finals, and I enjoyed

(03:49):
that aspect of it, and so did viewers. The viewership
was up. Ratings were up for the NBA postseason significantly. Um,
no matter what anyone tells you, a lot of people
were watching the NBA postseas in this year. And I
think that's a good thing, considering that the Lakers and
Lebron are not in the postseason, and that obviously sucks
for Lakers fans, and you know, it was a really
rough season for them, But I think it's good that

(04:11):
the NBA was as fun this postseason as it was
without its face of the league and Lebron James. I
think that's saying a lot now to get to the finals.
I kept hearing something from a lot of casual NBA
fans about the finals, and I was happy to correct them,
as I am, you know, qualified to do when someone

(04:34):
says something that's incorrect. And I happened at the facts
and a lot of people were talking about, well, like,
you know, the NBA, it's just all about stars, like
you already know who's winning, blah blah blah blah. It's
all offense and three point shooting. And I was like, actually,
that's not true. That's not true. Those finals. It's very
much about defense, it's very much about coaching, it's very
much about depth, it's very much about role players. And

(04:55):
these are two teams that have drafted and developed their
players and were very patient and made significance and smart
moves through trades to build really deep, strong teams. That's
not true what you're saying. And I loved that about
this particular finals. Now, it's always very difficult for me

(05:18):
as a Heat fan. I can be honest, it was.
It's rough to watch Boston. I just I can't outit.
But I really do like their players, and I think
that Emai Udoga did an incredible job this year. He
deserves all the flowers. There's no shame in losing to
a dynasty, and I think that they're gonna be good
for a really long time if they make some moves

(05:39):
which will discuss a little bit later to show up
the offensive side of the ball. But that being said,
I thought we got an opportunity to watch a really
interesting um full finals with great storylines, great play, and

(06:00):
in the ends, the team with a massive amount more
experience than the Celtics in the Warriors, and one of
the greatest players that we've ever seen touch of basketball
and Steph Curry. They lost in six. I thought it
was gonna go seven slash. I was really hoping it
would go seven so that we would get a game seven.
But I also was not surprised that the Warriors won

(06:22):
in six. I thought it would be Jayson Tatum's night.
I thought he was due. He was great in an
elimination games throughout the postseason, but it didn't end up
being that way, and they kind of beat themselves. I mean,
Jayson Tatum had a hundred turnover A hundred turnovers during
the NBA postseason. That's a lot they had. I believe
twenty two turnovers in this game. Did the Celtics, Yeah,

(06:45):
they gave it what gave the ball away twenty two times.
That's not that's not gonna get it done against the
team like the Warriors, who is not going to beat themselves,
and it is going to take advantage of mistakes that
you make. So overall, I feel like it it played
out the way that it should have. Boston did not
have as much experience as the Warriors, was not able
to capitalize when the Warriors were struggling throughout games and

(07:08):
take advantage of the momentum. They need a little bit
more on the offensive side of the ball. They need
a pure shooter. They need somebody who maybe is a
bit of a defensive liability, but can get guaranteed buckets.
And I think they are a smart front office and
well run and they will they will make a move
like that. They're going to be competitive and be at
the top of the East for a very long time

(07:29):
if they keep that core together of Jalen Brown, Jason
Sadum and Marcus Smart, which I think they'll do. But
Thursday night, to me, was really all about Steph Curry,
and that was enjoyable because I'm a huge step fan.
I think he has I think he suffers from his

(07:52):
own greatness and his own style in a way that
step has inarguably transformed the game. I mean, he has
made it into a three point shooting league, and he's
inspired a generation of young players to fashion their their
games after him. And because he feels somewhat relatable in

(08:13):
the way that he plays basketball, I think he's a
victim of that. Because basketball is something that we can
all go play, right, Like we can go to the
sporting good store and buy a basketball and go down
to a local court and get some shots up. None
of us are like going and buying pads and tackling

(08:33):
each other in an open field. There is this sense
of respect for the game of football, where like most
people don't get the disillusioned into thinking that they could
go out and play football like they just they have
at least enough humility to admit that they're not capable
of doing that. But basketball is different because you go
to the y, you know, you got another fitness you

(08:54):
got out of the court, whatever you played in high school,
you can get some shots up. You people could convince
themselves that they if they just tried a little harder,
they worked out a little bit more in high school,
or if they didn't have that injury. If their coach,
you know, just put them in that's that you know,
playoff game and they could have been an NBA player
two and they could probably do what Steph Curry does.
Here's here's a big, big, big announcement. There's no way

(09:18):
you could do that. And if you're curious, look at
the massive humans that he's playing against and then imagine
yourself trying to get a shot up from the NBA
three point line consistently and putting it in the basket
the way that Steph Curry does. He is almost a
victim of his the inspiration that he creates, and I

(09:38):
think in a lot of ways that is what's caused.
I don't see it's it's been disrespect, but it's been
a long time coming for him to be put in
those conversations with Lebron, with m J and Magic and
Kobe and Kareem and and and those names that we
hold up on those Mount Rushmore's of not just all

(10:01):
time great players and players that have transformed the game,
but just superstars that are are recognizable and transcendence for
the sport. And I thought that was a big thing
for Steph Curry On Thursday Night, which is low key
why I was rooting for the Warriors, because he deserved that.
In this Warriors dynasty, which yes they are a dynasty,

(10:23):
now deserve that and we will talk about a lot
about that today, and of course about the Celtics and
uh the pain that I'm sure they are still feeling
at this moment. But speaking of the superstars, there aren't
that many superstars in the NBA, and we will discuss
that next on The Joy Taylor Show. Welcome back to

(10:45):
the Joy Taylor Show. The Dollar Shave Club six Blade
razor brings noticeably smooth shaves with six stainless steel blades,
were four swift hair removal and a lubicrating strip that
keeps things smooth. Dollar Shave Club braisers are sold at
Dollar Shave Club dot com or in stores. Thanks for

(11:06):
hanging out with us today, fun show. Today we'll talk
to Marcus Thompson. He writes for The Athletic and also
wrote the Steph Curry book Golden and k D. Kevin
Durant's relentless Pursuit to be the Greatest Katie is going
to be the topic of a lot of conversations this

(11:28):
week on all of these shows because we are now
officially in the NBA off season, which is one of
my favorite off seasons. UM. I do obviously love the
NBA season, and I love the NBA Finals, but the
NBA particularly is a very special kind of league that
really has a lot of storylines and drama, and because

(11:50):
it has so much movement and it's so star driven,
there's a lot that goes on in the off season,
in particularly in the free agency period, which is very interesting.
And what the Nets do, what the Sixers do, what
the Jazz do, with the Knicks do with the Heat do,
what Boston does? Uh, there are a lot of teams

(12:12):
that couldn't see some significant movement in the NBA off
season this year, and for that matter, the Lakers because
obviously there's a lot of talk about Russell Westbrook and
what's gonna happen there. Um is Bradley be all gonna move.
A lot going on, um, and the bread crumbs from
social media will be very significant, as they always are.

(12:33):
So that that is that is the warning and reminder
to anyone who is UH following what's going on in
the NBA off season. Anything that goes on social media matters.
If you're in the same city, going to the same restaurant.
You are planning on teaming up together and trying to
make a run at the championship. That's just how it
goes in the NBA off season. But we will talk

(12:56):
to Channing Fry at the bottom of the hour ab
out the finals and some of those offseason moves of
the road trip and pod. Obviously NBA veteran, but I
teased before the break the superstars that we have in
the NBA, So Colin and I talked a lot about
this on the Herd this week in three weekdays on
FS one and Fox Sports Radio, and the idea of

(13:20):
a superstar and what that really what that really means?
How many of them are there? Nick Rights, first things first,
on us one has Club Superstar, and he has it
has quite a few guys in there. There's I think
twelve total. He ejected Anthony Davis this year and added
Jason Tatum. Obviously, Jayson Satum did not have the finals

(13:43):
that we all expected and so his you know status,
I guess, as far as a star superstar is is
in question right now, not just for Nick's Club Superstar,
I think overall around, you know, NBA fans, you know,
can you be a superstar? Are if you have a
performance like that throughout the postseason. And look, he wasn't terrible.

(14:03):
It's not like they were winning in spite of him.
But you know, you gotta step up in big moments
and put the team on your back. And he didn't
really do that, and he did not play dem in basketball.
He turn the ball over a ton, as of the
Celtics in general. But when when you're talking about a superstar,
I think you have to in order to decide how
many of them are there. I think you have to
define the criteria of a superstar. To me, it's someone

(14:27):
who is one of the first names that comes to
mind when you walk up to someone on the street
and ask them to name an NBA player. Let us
go up to some random person, I don't know if
they're an NBA fan or not, if they ever watch
basketball at all, who's an NBA player? Of course they're
gonna say Lebron James. Depending on what part of the
country they are, you're gonna say, honest, Kevin Durant is

(14:47):
certainly one of those names. Steph Curry is certainly one
of those names. After that, I feel like you kind
of get into the NBA fans definitely, and of superstar.
I'm talking about guys who are the face of the league,
who have the commercials, who have the movies, who have

(15:10):
the merchandise, who are just massively influential, not just to
the NBA but to the world of sports. That to
me is a is a true superstar. But I can
also embrace the idea of an NBA superstar within, you know,
within the confines of the sport and its fans. And

(15:31):
you know it's a very convoluted, you know, nuanced, very opinionated,
um subjective conversation. But Steph Curry to me put himself
in a different realm with that win, and particularly with
the NBA Finals m v P. Now he doesn't want
to talk about it. He doesn't want to give that
any any extra legs. We have the sound of him

(15:53):
being asked about winning the Finals m v P after
the after the game. It was one of the first
questions he was asking. I think actually might of the
first question he was asked, um in the press conference.
Here is Steph Curry, Steph, what does just this mean
to you? To finally be a Finals MVP. Everything forget
that we chance why are you starting with that question?
We have four championships. Um. He obviously went on and

(16:16):
and talk some more about it, but you know, he
didn't want to talk about that at first, which I
totally understand. He's he's a team guy through and through,
But that was the first question asked for a reason.
It is significant to win the finals m v P.
I think that the finals MVP is actually in many
ways bigger than the regular season m v P. And

(16:38):
Steph winning that's especially them closing Boston out in six
was it wasn't It was a very big jewel in
his legacy crown in the n b A. And that
was a question about him when he performs in these finals,
is he the best player on the team. Obviously, when
Kevin Durant was there, he won two finals MVP it

(17:00):
at all won the other finals MVP when they won
their first championship, So who who is the best player?
Is Steph really that kind of superstar? And he he
closed the door on that. And when you look at
his career UM four titles, two regular season m v P,

(17:20):
two scoring titles and a finals MVP, Will Chamberlain, Kareem
and Michael are the only other players in league history
to match or exceed those three benchmarks. So if you're
questioning whether he's really as good as he is or
if he should be in that Mount Rushmore conversation, and
I know they're only before in the Mount Rushmore, he's

(17:41):
gonna hurt some feelings, but he's got to be in
the top ten of the best players of all time.
If that's the company that you're in, Will Chamberlain, Kareem
Abdul Jabbar, Michael Jordan's is the greatest shooter ever, that's
not arguable, and he has as many championships as Lebron

(18:03):
and Shack and is only one shy of Kobe Bryant
and Tim Duncan, and you might get another one like this.
Core is gonna stay together. Golden State is willing to
pay far into the luxury tax, which which is their
right to do, which is something else we're gonna talk
about today because that's the next that's the next. Like

(18:24):
on the hater check mark, it was like, oh, well
they only won one and then okay, well they want one,
but they want two more. But it was with Kevin Durant,
and now that they've won this one post Kevin Durant.
Now it's that they're spending too much money, so we'll
get into that later. I have all kinds of thoughts
on that. Um, it's just it's there's a hater checklist
with everything, and like you just kind of have to

(18:45):
keep going down it to to get to a point
where there's nothing else that anyone can say. I don't
know what else you can say about Steph Curry. But
now it's gone on to the Warriors, and and how
if they're really a dynasty and you know, is it
right that they, you know, just have a rich owner
that can page the luxury tax and all. This is
a bunch a bunch of whining which I cannot stand.
But we'll talk about that a little bit later in

(19:05):
the show, and maybe with Channing Fry because I think
it's absurd. But Steph Curry is one of one of
the all time greats, and there's nothing else that you
can poke holes in when it comes to his legacy.
I don't care that he's not an elite defender. He
was actually great defensively in these finals, as was the
entire team, which is which is what I loved about

(19:27):
watching these finals, that it was it felt very old school.
It was very physical, it was very chippy. Boston fans
certainly certainly played their role in the story of these finals. Proudly. Actually,
I shouldn't say proudly, because I do feel like Boston
fans were like a wee bit whiny about the public
reaction to how they were treating Draymond, Like, is Boston guys,

(19:49):
this is kind of your thing, Like, just own up
to it. I'm gonna ask Charlotte about that, because that
that was very unbosted, like, like, just just own it.
Just own that. It's like a hard place to play,
and you guys are kind of nasty, but you can't
be vulgar and then whine that people are saying that
you're vulgar, like I am not. I've I've used curse

(20:11):
words quite a bit, like not on air obviously because
I like my job, but like throughout the day, I'm
not shy on the vulgarities, so it's not offending me.
But if someone was like, geez, joy, you curse a lot,
I would be like, yeah, I don saying like I do.
If I'm sorry that it offends you, probably shouldn't hang

(20:31):
out with me, because that's like not not changing, and
that's how I talk. So but I'm not gonna like
be mad that someone says that about me. That's an
accurate statement. It is. You know what's funny, Colin doesn't
think that I curse a lot. Colin made it like
one of his uh New Year's resolutions, to curse less,
which he really doesn't curse a lot either, but he

(20:51):
made it a resolution and he asked me like if
I was going to do it, and I was like, no,
I don't. I mean, I don't care. Did I do that.
I'm not, that's not something is just and changing about myself.
And he did not. He's like, well, you don't even curse.
I was like, that's awesome. You think I'm so wholesome. Great. Um, Actually,
I don't know if that's great, because then you might
set someone up for disappointing to disappoint them. I think

(21:14):
that went through. But he doesn't think that I curse,
which I think it's funny. That means I'm a professional.
I guess we'll talk Channing Fry in just a few minutes,
but let's get to what's trending with Ralph Irvan and
we have the hundred second US open. The third round
is going on, but none of the leaders are on
the course yet. Keep that in perspective. The leaders uh

(21:36):
Pil hit the course starting in the next ten fifteen minutes,
but really the the people at the top of leaderboard
not for another hour plus uh Colin Morrikalachol Dobin sitting
at top the leaderboard five under par. The l t
off at three five eastern time, you'll have the defending
champion John rom Rory mcelroyd both a shot back l
t off at three thirty four and three eastern respect

(22:00):
to belie. So again, the action really to start soon
at the country club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Nami Osaka with
drawing from the coming tournament at Wimbledon citing lingering achilles
issue that in addition to the fact that this year's
tournament will not feature any World ranking points due to
the ongoing conflict with Russia in Ukraine. Tonight they'll be

(22:21):
Game two of the Stanley Cup Final, Colorado Avalanche hosting
the Tampa Bay Lightning. Colorado. With that one zero series lead,
the puck will drop at eight eastern. One game on
the field right now. In Major League Baseball, Atlanta and
the Cubs they are scoreless in the bottom of the
first inning. Coming up at the top of the hour.
The Yankees will be at Toronto. A little bit later

(22:41):
this afternoon, Philadelphia will be at Washington. Bryce Harper, though
I'm not going to play a blister on his left
hand that flared up and got infected overnight. That's always fun. Uh.
It'll be a second straight game that he will sit
out for the Phillies. But we'll keep an eye on everything.
As we sent it back, It's Joey Taylor on Fox
Sports Radio. Thank you Ralph Irwin for that update. Let's

(23:04):
go out to our guests, Channing Fry, co host of
the Road Tripping Pod, and be a veteran NBA Twitter
Live with my girl Taylor. Yes, the one and only one,
Taylor Rooks. Joy to work with her. Man, She's the best.
She is the absolute best. She is the greatest. We
don't deserve her. Uh. And you're a big wine guy.

(23:25):
I didn't know that. Actually I was. I was doing
some scouting on your social media. Big wine guy. Yeah,
big wine guy. So right after I retired, my wife
was like, dude, you need something to like, you know,
get you going outside of basketball. She was like you
could do anything you want. So, um you know, I
live in Oregon, which is a big time wine country,
and uh, you know, it just became a passion and

(23:47):
I felt like I could. Uh. You have a good
group of friends and partners that I work with, and
we are, you know, trying to move the culture and
make some good juice at the same time. I'm I'm
a big wine person. I was in that months ago,
two months ago. I love that. I was just the
last week. Last week's Sunday was the best. It's the best.
It's it's heaven exactly. Ex um So, Napa very close

(24:12):
to San Francisco, easy transition there. Um So, I've I've
said a lot of things this morning so far about
the finals and my thoughts on it. But what was
your prediction before the finals? And were you surprised that
it ended in six? No? I had Golden State in five. Yeah,
and everyone thought I was crazy, But you know, looking

(24:34):
at what Golden State was, looking at it, you always
got to look at like Golden State's ability to be
in shape, right, as much as they run and move
and cut, they had to be in shape. And then
you saw, you know, Draymond started revving it up at
the end of the season. Same with Clay Uh. They
were battle tested in the first couple of rounds. They
pretty much saw everything that anyone was gonna throw at them. Um.

(24:57):
And for me, the guy that was really the guy
I think that put the I don't want to sit
the nail on the coffrom but already just did was Wiggins.
And I felt like his defense made the biggest difference
in in the series. I thought his defense, uh was
absolutely phenomenal. Um. He didn't make very many mistakes. You

(25:19):
didn't see him jumping for pump fakes. I mean his
ability to stay in front of tate him and make
him take tough contested too was was ridiculous because with
Golden State can't get out in transition. It's almost impossible
to stop. I don't care how good your defense is.
They just got too many weapons. Um. And then on
the other end, with all the switching, if you really

(25:39):
look at Wiggins was getting buckets to like Al Horford,
Derek White, but his aggression was there. We always saw
his talents right, and everyone's like, well, even myself was like,
man doesn't even love basketball. But as he's gotten an
opportunity to be special on a really special team. You've
seen that. That's just his demeanor, right whether they're up
ten or down twenty, he got the same look on

(26:01):
his face. And what I saw to him when the
lights are brightest was extremely impressive. So I've been tough
on him in the past, but you know, uh, you know,
the All Star thing. You know, you can't say anything
about that because my man was bawling in the finals,
and you know, hopefully we could see him grow. Moy
still a young guy, which is even crazier. Yeah, Andrew
Wiggins was unbelievable, and I was really happy for him.

(26:24):
I enjoyed watching him have that success in the finals
because I like when guys get into good cultures. I'm
big culture person, and I think that it's I think
it's a good example. Although there's a lot of haters
were Golden State, I think Golden State does the does
business better than anyone else in the league. And I
think that showed with Andrew Wiggins that he could be

(26:45):
in the right situation, the right fit, a place that
allows him to be him and doesn't force you know,
uh square pay ground hole and lets him thrive and
and so speak to that, like, how often do you
see throughout the lead you get these situations where they
take a player high and then they have the expectations
of him to be something that he's not because and

(27:07):
that kind of sets them up for failure throughout their
career because it's very obvious the talent that Andrew Wiggins has,
he just wasn't in the right situation, and they were
forcing him to try and be a kind of player
and leader and personality that he is clearly not well.
I was watching h I think it was The knuckle Heads.
I was watching podcast. Maybe it's the one with Joe
Siah Johnson. I watched a lot of Let's Do a
Lot and Tracy Right and and Joe's a man too,

(27:30):
and and Tracy Grady made a great point that Wiggins
is Andre Guadala, right, And so Wiggins never had any
pressure to have to be the man right And some
nights he was gonna get ten shots. Some nights he's
gonna get sixteen if he was aggressive. So it's all
up to him. Also, when you're playing with a guy

(27:50):
like Draymond Green and Steph Curry and Clay and Steve Kirk,
you're allowed to make mistakes, right, but you have to
learn from them those mistakes. And if you look like,
look at all the eyes on Golden Stage team. So
I played with Gary Payton a second. Draymond was drafted,
Clay is drafted, Steph was drafted. Jordan Poole, I'm pretty
sure was drafted there and they didn't even really play.

(28:12):
Kamana Or and James Wisel was hurt. But look at
and then uh I call him Balenciaga, right, but Belizia
right called my man Bealenciaga. Look. So when you're in
the in the NBA Finals, when you can go and
get a tenth or eleventh guy and he can give
you big minutes, that's crazy. Right. When Emildoka looked down

(28:33):
on his bench, he realistically had seven, maybe six guys
he could look to. That's hard because there's only so
many defenses you can give. There's only so many looks.
Jayson Tatum is playing the most minutes. You can't ask
Jayson Tatum at this point, with his physical stature, in
his age to be able to go up against Draymond

(28:55):
all defense, Clay all defense, Willigans all defense, Gary Payton,
who's an elite defender, right, Steph who who defended his
butt off? Not even talking about Wiggins, right yet, all
these guys he has to go again, so it's five
on one and that guy has to play forty five minutes.
So he was gonna wear down. And not to talk
too much, but in game one, right, Jason Tatum had

(29:19):
an awful game and their team won, but he had
thirteen assist. The next game, he had a very good
shooting game and they got blown out. So what does
he think about Game three? And that was something that
really I think got his rhythm off because he couldn't
just be, Oh, I'm just gonna outscore you and create
for my team. Jayson Tatum. He had to know every

(29:40):
scouting report versus every defender, and then when he got tired,
he turned the ball over. You saw a lot of
those turnovers the last game, Game six, where he got
double team Ji Draymond and just kind of flung it.
He looks exhausted, poor guy, but he is going to
be a stud the next coup of years. Uh, the
East is gonna be a beast. We're talking to need
fire on the Joy Taylor Show, Fox Sports Radio. What

(30:02):
does Boston need to do? You mentioned that Emma didn't
have that many, uh, that many guys. When he looks
down his bench, what would you tweak with Boston this offseason?
So for me, I gotta I think number one is
Rob Williams health. I think he is an absolute stud
right and I think if he had two ft or
two knees that actually worked, it would be different. Because

(30:25):
the only way to beat Golden State is to attack
the rim ferociously. I don't even know if that's the word,
but I just made it up as parocious, ambitious, parociously.
But so for me, when he was out the game,
I don't know if you go and watch those games.
The minute Rob came out the game, Golden State said, man,

(30:45):
it was like Black Friday at Walmart. People were taking
anything they wanted to take get into the rack. They
were shooting. There was no no type of you know
problem on defense. To me, you bolster your bench. I thought,
if you can have a couple more guys that they
don't need to be crazy good, they need to be veterans,
skill guys that can catch the ball off a devil team,

(31:07):
attack and create for other people. Derek White struggled, Payton
Pritchard struggled at times um and then you know you're
like you're bringing like Al Horford back in. He shot
his butt off, but like Al Horford as old as
I am, right, so you gotta give him a chance
to be good right in their roles. So again, finding
another couple of wingmen, because the Eastern Conference in the

(31:30):
NBA right now is all about guys between six eight
and six ten that can do three things. You gotta
be able to dribble, make an open jumper, and create
for your other team, and then obviously defense. So if
you can get another one or two of those guys,
I think they're gonna be perfectly fine. Channing, where do
you put Steph Curry? I know it's like it's like
an all time is whatever, blah blah. But he's in

(31:53):
a rare air now with this championship and with that
finals MVP. So well, how do you context your what
Steph Curry is to uh to the game? So I'll
say this. I think I was when Claiga hurt and
Draymond was out. I made a comment and I said, hey,
this is really what Steph's legacy is about. This to me,

(32:14):
that season without those two guys, I wanted to see
what Steph would do, and they made it to the
play and they lost. But that's fine. That's fine. I
thought that in my world solidified Steph Curry the top ten,
this Championship, this finals, MVP. He was already on that
mount rushmore of amazing players because in today's game, and

(32:37):
we could all say this, there's only one, maybe two
guys that can actually win like that it with with
no other All Stars. With no other I would say
elite players and zero players could do it at his height.
The only players that are doing it without other All
Stars are Luca, who's six nine point guard in and

(33:00):
uh and in your kitch right, who's playing right? Those
are the only two dudes. But think about Steph and
what he does for your team. He makes everyone better
because it's not only his conditioning, his commitment to defensive
end this year, and his ability to make shots to
attack the rack. So Steph Curry is top ten to me.
I think he's been that way for the last two years.

(33:22):
I think this team of Steph, Clay and Draymond needs
more respect. I think, you know, as much as people
hate and Draymond, I think you gotta respect him for
being the Teammate of the Year because you know what
he didn't. It's so hard when you miss a bunch
of shots and then you keep shooting, but you know

(33:45):
that's the right shot for your team and you're unfazed.
His energy was there, his passion for the game was there,
his coach ability when it comes to like coaching his teammates,
and then you look at how engaged they were with
each other, right. I always look at little things like
when somebody makes mistakes, do they just do they like
put their head down or do they high five? Like

(34:06):
what do they do? You look at Golden State when
they made mistakes, they corrected each other with a look.
That type of chemistry is hard to be. It's impossible
to be, as we're showing. And Clay is one of
my top five all time favorite players to watch play
the game of basketball, and so I couldn't feel any
better for him. Um and my u of a guy,
Steve Kerr and uh Andre Wodollar there just give me

(34:30):
Steve Kirk. Goodness gracious, he's running out of fingers for
championship rings. So you know you always gotta shout out
my guys. Yeah there, I'm I love watching Golden State.
I love how they do business. Um, I'm a Heat fan,
but I'm also a fan of people that do things
the right way and they're just They're unbelievable to watch them.
I'm happy for them. Thanks for dumping out with us. Channing.
Follow Channing on social media at Channing Fry, check out

(34:53):
the Road Tripping Pod, and he does a great job
during the season with NBA Twitter Live with My Girl Taylor.
Thanks for joining us, Channing, have a great weekend. Yeah,
thank you, thank you. That's Channing Fry, NBA vets. Also,
before we go, we'd like to welcome our newest affiliate
to the all new Fox Sports that's Columbus, Ohio, home

(35:14):
of the Columbus Clippers baseball team and affiliate of the
Cleveland Guardians. Thank you to their general manager Brian Didko
and their program director John Crenshaw for bringing in The
Joy Taylor Show every Saturday from two pm Eastern to
four pm Eastern. So, Hello Columbus, Ohio. Hope you're having
a great weekend. Thanks for hanging out with us. We'll
be back on The Joy Taylor Show and Fox Sports Radio.

(35:34):
I'm George rice Stir, host of The Rice ster or
Wrong Hodcast. This is the intersection where sports, business, society,
and pop culture meet the truth Absolute fire Home, Monday's
Wednesdays and Friday's Facts on Only make sure you check
your feelings at the door, because no bys is allowed.
We keep it one hundred. This is where real conversations happen.

(35:59):
Listen to the Rights Are Wrong podcast on the I
Heart Radio appe Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.
Welcome back Joy Taylor Show, Fox Sports Radio. We'll talk
to Marcus Thompson, writer of the k D book steph
Book Rights for the Athletic and has lots of insight

(36:22):
into this Golden State dynasty, which it definitely is. So
now everyone is uh is turning to the Golden State
Wars and so much money on their team. It's not fair.
They do just have so much money. We don't have
as much money as them, so we can't be as
good as them because we don't have as much money.

(36:43):
That's the new thing. Um. I can't take it seriously.
But there are plenty of people who are now complaining
about this, because we gotta find something complained about. Nobody
can just be great. It's always gotta be something and
they are spending a lot of money. The Warriors are
paying their years a hundred and seventy six million, but
they are a repeat luxury tax offenders, so they will

(37:05):
owe over a hundred and seventy million in tax payments.
So that's a total of three hundred and forty six million.
The Clippers where the NBA's second most expensive team, not surprising,
Bombers also very wealthy, and they came in around two
hundred and fifty million, And only the Clippers and Nets,
Lakers and Bucks spent even half as much as the
Warriors did the season. And everyone is a it's really

(37:28):
mad about that. They're they're upset. That's Golden States has
a quote unquote competitive spending advantage. Now, I would like
to remind everyone because when these narratives start to get
to spin in, everyone forgets the reality of the situation.
This is not true. Golden States drafted Steph Curry, they

(37:51):
drafted Clay Thompson. Neither one of them were number one
overall bicks or two or three or four or five
or six. Step was seven, Clay was eleven, and Jaymond
Green was a second round pick. They drafted Jordan Pool.
They picked up Andrew Wiggins when nobody else wanted him,
along with some other role players that they have as well.

(38:11):
They are a very well run team. They are in
a city where there's a lot of money, and yes,
their owner is wealthy. Most owners are very wealthy. That's
why they own professional teams. That's why. That's how that works.
That's why you and I don't own professional teams, and
they do because they're wealthy. And not only are they wealthy,
they're not cheap. They're willing to spend on their players
and that has translated to winning because professional sports is

(38:34):
a business. These are not volunteers. I have no problem
with the way the Golden State does business. I think
it should be applauded that they have an owner that's
willing to keep their core guys that they drafted together.
Sorry that your team is run by a cheap owner
who doesn't know what they're doing. MS Brakes, I don't

(38:58):
know what else to say. Golden State. It does an
amazing job. They have a great culture. They have an
all time great coach and Steve Kerr. They have one
before Kevin Durrant. They won a championship, then they won
two with Katie and then they have one another one.
They are absolutely a dynasty. They've done all of that
with the same core group of players, the same coach.
What are you guys complaining about? This is exactly what

(39:20):
you want. You want homegrown teams, right. You don't like
the transition, you don't like players asking out, you don't
like diva players, right, None of that goes on in
Golden State. They're an absolute team. As Channey just mentioned,
they don't even have to speak to each other when
there's mistakes made. They just look at each other. They've
got that like ten ten year relationship stuff. Yeah, does

(39:42):
give him a look. I mean, I don't know what
you guys are complaining about. Make up your mind. You
hate and superstars? Leave night hate with superstars? Stay? What
do you want? I can't do it. They do everything
right and it has rewarded them with four championships. They
have four championships and eight trips. That is incredible. Should

(40:06):
be nothing but applauded. You guys find some way to
complain about it. Complain good bye. Complain they expect too
much money. We don't have many of them. Yeah, they
mayn't have money because their fans are in the seats
because they win a lot. That's how that works. We'll
talk to Marcus Thompson on the other side. Joy Taylor
Show on Fox Sports Radio. Thanks for hanging out with this.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in

(40:26):
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports
Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app
search f s R to listen live. Welcome back, Joy
Taylor Show, Fox Sports Radio. Welcome to Fox Sports nine,
Swanny Columbus, Ohio or newest affiliate. Thanks for joining us.

(40:47):
The Dollar Shave Club six Blade Razor brings noticeably smooth
shaves with six stainless steel blades for swift hair removal
and a lubricating strip that keeps things smooth. Dollar Shave
Club razors are sold at Dollar Shave Club dot com
or in doors. It is officially summer here in Los Angeles.
We've had a couple of weird weeks, but it's nice

(41:08):
out now. Um let's go talk to Marcus Thompson, writer
for The Athletic, writes bars for The Athletic, also the
author of Golden Katie and Dynasty's Welcome Marcus. Thanks for
joining us today. I can't think of a better way
to spend a Saturday and call chatting with me about

(41:32):
the Warriors. Well, thanks for coming on, um let me
before I let's talk with what I was just talking about. Actually,
I don't you. You probably didn't hear me ranting, but
um I I hate this narrative that Golden State is
just buying their team. I can't keep up with this

(41:52):
hater lifestyle. I know it's a lifestyle people enjoy it.
I happen to be busy with stuff to do, so
I don't. I can't ventured down that rabbit hole. But
like you know, they check out something off the box
and then the haters like, wait this, and it's actually
not just randoms like it seems to be a conversation
that's going on around the league that it's unfair that

(42:14):
Golden State is paying so much in luxury tax. And
I actually think they shouldn't have to pay luxury tax
at all. I think if you continue to pay players
that you drafted, you should not have to pay a
luxury tax. You should not have to be punished for
keeping the players that you drafted in house. I think
that's nuts. I don't even agree with that, But what
do you make of that narrative that now now Golden State,

(42:34):
they're just so wealthy that they're just buying their championships. Man,
this is a This is a great sign for the
state of the Warriors. When when when they got to
just start coming up with stuff to hate, you got
to be doing pretty well. And I don't I don't know.
I grew up in the hood. I'm poor. So the
idea that people hate on you for being rich, I

(42:55):
never heard that before. It sounds like it sounds like
life goals to be I want somebody to say, I
just thought life that means that means I could. But
I don't know how. You watch Steph play Draymond dudes
who've been together for ten years and think this is
about money, right, Or watch Andrew Wiggins become a player
who he had never been his career and say, oh,

(43:16):
this is a matter of price. Now. It does say
something that they can afford to keep all that stuff.
And most teams after they lost Kevin Durant probably would
have used that as an opportunity to cut salary and rebuild.
But all they did was pay for what they built organically.
And these duds, man, these dudes came out the mud Davidson,

(43:37):
Washington State, Michigan State in the second round. Pick right,
the only number one pick on the rosters Andrew Wiggins,
and it took him, you know, eight years to get
to this point. The number twenty pick is Jordan Poole
because I Looney was the number thirty pick. I mean,
this is all These are all dudes who came from
from relative obscurity in basketball and made themselves. So I

(44:00):
don't know how that's paying if you build these dudes
yourself and what like. They went out and got a
bunch of free agents again. They did that one time
with Katie and how is it? Yeah, I find it fascinating.
I don't you know. I I get fans, you know,
buying into narratives and carrying them around. You know. I
was talking to, you know, some some fringe NBA fans

(44:21):
over the past couple of weeks and they're complaining about
the finals and they're like, you know, all these stars
and everybody just spends a bunch of money and there's
no defense. And I was like, you're not really following
basketball fare closely, like that's that's not what's happening, particularly
in the finals. I understand why you would you know,
You've got things going on your life. You've got children
and stuff going on, so you're not, you know, in
it every day like I am. But I'm just you know,

(44:42):
you know, I'm gonna change it for You're gonna help
you at the water cooler. That's not what's happening in
this particular finals. Um, but it's the media and like
front offices and stuff when they get into those conversations
that bothers me, Like, you know, damn well, you would
love to have an owner that would spend the extra money.
You would love to be able to be so good
at drafting that you could get all of those players

(45:03):
that you just mentioned from all of those places that
you just mentioned. So I just don't like the whining
like be better, how about that? How about you're not
that good? That's what I think. I think you're just
not that good. And then right when t don't spend
we complain about that, like you know, you ain't spending
any money, But I like your I'm going with your parents,
like be better quick, crying right, break bread, spend your

(45:25):
own money, find your own just drafts, draft because because
it's the idea that they it's the money thing that
bothers me, Like, this is not a team that just
went out and spent the most money on all these
free agents and plucked them from other teams. You could
have drafted Steph Curry. You could have drafted Clay Thompson.
You could have drafted Jordan Poole, you could have drafted
Draymond Green. But the reality is if you did draft,

(45:47):
they probably wouldn't be as good with your team because
you're not good as developing players. I mean, that's the
bottom line right there, right if you if you somehow
got them, would you would you do with them? What?
What the Warriors spoiler? We know you won't. We know
you won't because because Andrew Wiggins was somewhere else, okay,
as the number one overall pick and now he is
a champion when everybody else had a opportunity to get

(46:09):
Andrew Wiggins. Everyone thought Andrew Wiggins was a trade piece
absolutely nobody wanted, and they thought that contract was crazy
and only a through fresh as a claimed to do
stuff like this, you know, like Miami Heat, this is
what they do. Well. Yeah, but that's why Marcus, that's
why I like Golden States so much, because I am

(46:30):
a Heat fan, and I like organizations that actually do
things the right way. And then when isn't that the
whole point all I hear all the time about from
NBA fans is how all these guys are divas. Now
none of them really care about the game. Nobody plays defense.
They missed the old school. Uh, it's not about coaching anymore.

(46:53):
You don't even need depth. You just need two stars
and make all the money. None of that happens in
this finals. None of that was true, none of it.
And you you just look at guys like Covon Looney.
You know it was a few years ago because Iron
Looney that he was a free agent and he did
his his his market was so empty he came back

(47:14):
for a way or price to what the Warriors thought.
And if you go back to the start of the season,
I mean they picked up Gary Page the second off
the trash heap, like everybody was trying to get him.
They literally cut him to save a couple hundred thousands,
and nobody picked him up off the waiver wire, and
they got him for less money than if they would
have kept them on their previous deal. So like this

(47:34):
is about finding talent, understanding how you operate and how
you win, knowing what it takes to win and finding
players who fit that from all levels, free agency, draft,
g league, second round picks, all of it. That that's
what a good organization does. And we saw that even Boston,
like credit Boston, they do the same. Look at that team,

(47:55):
that team is draft picks, that team. You know, nobody
knew Grant Williams was this good or he could be
this you know important. And even though they didn't find
Derek White that they found a value in him like
san Antonio built them. But like players like that like
you're not. That's what good franchises do. You draft well,
you put good pieces around it. You go with guys

(48:16):
like Al horfor who everybody thought was watched right, and
you make you make it fit and you put together
a team. I think that's the greatest part about these finals.
It was two teams going at each other. And and
if you don't like basketball, I can see why it's
not a building. You're talking to. Marcus Thompson, writing for
The Athletic and author of Golden k D and Dynasty's

(48:38):
um So where do you put stuff? Curry? Now? I
am a huge stuff Curry fan. I didn't need him
to win the finals MVP to change my opinion about it.
But I I Loki was rooting for him to get it,
and Loki was rooting for the Warriors because I wanted that.
I wanted to be able to at least shut that conversation.
Uh from you know the credit about this Golden State dynasty,

(49:02):
which it is a dynasty. They won a championship, change
the Ada k D one two championships, and I've won
again without k D with the same core and the
same coach. I don't know how people are defining dynasties
these days. Sounds like one to me. But where do
you put Steph Curry in, you know, in the scope
of the history of the NBA. I don't know, Mount Rushmore,
Top ten, whatever it is you do. I think it's

(49:22):
very difficult to make those lists. But Steph Curry is
up there and whatever those lists are. To me, yeah,
I think he already was. But like this to me
is like confirmation for the people who are on the fense. Uh,
he's a top ten player. I think he's the best
point guard in the game, especially because we value the
modern game more. I just here's what I like here's

(49:45):
what I do and don't like about this conversation. I
feel like we can have this conversation as long as
it's from a place of like, wigh greatness and not
about dinner grading greatness, right, you know, And it's like
there's no point. I mean, we can all pick our
top fifteen and they will be different. But I hate
this conversation because it gets into these dudes were trash

(50:08):
back then and easy to trash. Now it's like, now
all of these dudes are legends. Man, we will be
talking at twenty years there will be a new point
guard who's really good, and we'll be cleaning too how
great Steph Curry was in the same way were cleaning
to how great Larry Bird was. Right so to me,
because you know, I got recently bias and I grew
up watching it, of course I'm gonna put him in there.

(50:30):
He stopped it. I'm watching this live like this is incredible.
I'm watching teams do everything they can to stop him,
and this dude somehow still gets thirty and he's six
ft two right like I'm I'm watching literally, he changed
the game of basketball. And we have all of these
teams and franchises trying to figure out how did the
throne this dude and the only guy who could say

(50:52):
they beat him it's Kevin is Uh Lebron James right like,
like nobody there's not the list of people who say
they one up Seth Curry. It's very small. So to me,
that's elite, elite, elite level, you know. So to me, like,
I'll probably put him over Magic because the way he
I don't know, that's a tough car and grew up

(51:12):
on magic. That's tough. That's tough. I don't know. Now,
my thirteen year old voices coming in like, hold on,
I don't know. Well, I mean I like you, I
like your theory of it's and I agree with you.
It's hard to make those lists because then you start
measuring greatness and you start diminishing greatness by by putting

(51:33):
guys in or out. I just think in general, when
we have those conversations about Lebron James and Magic Johnson
and Larry Bird and Kareem abdul Jabar and Wilt Chamberlain,
Steph Curry's in that conversation too now, and and it
should just just keep it flowing, just keep it tongue
moving and make sure stuff Curry's name is there because
it deserves to be. Now that being said, I have
a theory on Steff Curry. Now you wrote the book,

(51:54):
so let me. I'm gonna float to by you. Um.
I think that obviously Steff Curry greatest, greatest shooter of
all time, and he has in arguably transformed the game
of basketball. I mean, you see younger players taking these shots.
You see different body types developing into shooters. Now you
have to guard the three point line differently. All of

(52:15):
that is a result of Steph Curry's brilliance at the
three point shoot a three point shot now, because basketball
is a sport that any of us can go get
a ball and go down to the court and shoot
around potentially put it in the basket from wherever Steph
Curry shoots from. There is this kind of idea that, like,

(52:35):
you know, maybe if I worked out a little bit
more in high school, or if I hadn't twisted my
ankle that one time, or if I didn't have that
bad coach, or like maybe I supplied myself, I could
maybe be like as good as Steph Curry. There's this idea,
like you mentioned he's six to like, he just looks
more relatable. He's not you know Duncan in people's face
like Lebron are doing the chase down block and you know,
he's not Robert Williams out here. Just just he's not shock.

(52:58):
You know, there's just some guys that you just can't
late to physically. But stuff is like just he's like
just small enough that people think they're strong as him
and they think they could do what he does, whereas
like a football nobody thinks they can play football. Like
there's there's a realistic, you know, humility with most people
that they're not going to go out there and do
what you know, Marshawn Lynch does so because of Steff's relatability,

(53:19):
I think that has led to some disrespect for how
good he truly is, how strong he truly is, and
how hard it is what he does. What do you think?
I think you are one thousand percent right? Thank you?
Actually think it helps and it hurts him. It's the

(53:40):
reason he is so beloved because he does feel like
you could run him running to him at Chipotle right
and be like, hey, yo, he was I was moving
that I was with that dude in line right, Like
he just looked like a dudes who could sit right
in line. Uh, and he doesn't feel so intimidating. But
also like if you've ever shot a basketball and you've
made it, if he's ever thrown a sock into a hamper,

(54:02):
if you've ever caught up some trash and throw it
in the bin, then you feel with Steph Curry seals
right like you can like you can do that. I
don't know what it feels like to be six times
forward through there. I don't know that, but I'm taking
a thirty footer and that jug went in and I
don't took a lap around the court because I hit
it right. So in that moment I could kind of
relate to him. But I absolutely think a big part

(54:23):
of this is it don't feel good to get dumb
about this dude. Like if Lebron is killing you, it
makes sense, man, he is. He is six foot nine
to see it rug like a deer. Okay, you took
your cap, like look at him, he's a monster. But
jet Cook. But this dude from Davison like like just
six to life skied Christian dude, like he's out here

(54:45):
killing you and shipping in and laughing like. I don't
think that sits well with a lot of people. I
think they first off, I think people look and they say,
well I could do that, right he you know that
ain't that great? I can do that? Or they think,
well all you have to do to him and just
kind of bullying. But after twelve years, I think we're

(55:05):
started to get to Okay, it's a little bit harder.
He's run through a lot of people. A lot of
people have tried. It's like, okay, this due to the JIT,
But I fundamentally believe you are right that you look
at him and be like this, like what can you
imagine him as a kid going to the park? Oh yeah, yeah?
And and um, I mean I think in general, I

(55:25):
think NBA players get a lot of disrespect for how
actually actually how strong and tough they are. I mean
it's a contact sport and they don't wear pads, and
you like, if if Robert Williams said a screen on
the average person, they would be decapitated. Like I site,
if if Russell Westbrook chose to put his hands on you, whoever,

(55:48):
you are out there thinking you're tough for the Russell Westbrook,
I can tell you unequivocally. He could dismember you with
his bear hands. He is. You don't have the win
to keep up with that he is, you know, regular
fights last thirty. If everybody exhausted, like Russell West is
so big and so strong, he could literally pop, like
if he just could just move, remove your head from

(56:09):
your body. Like I'm not exaggerating how strong these professional
athletes are, but they just don't get the respect because
it's the Ambia. That's my little rant about that, But
that also applies to Sef Curry. Sef Curry is a
very strong man. It's very very far. That's three point
time is extremely far, and he puts it in there
at incredible speeds. It's he's very strong. Like, just just

(56:29):
take my word on that. Um, okay, lastly before I
get you out of here, Marcus Thompson, I'm sure you
know this, but now that everyone has celebrated the Warriors,
next week is all going to be about Katie making
a mistake leaving the Warriors like that, I can predict
my business. I'm telling you that's coming. Um what do
you think about that exit? Now? How does that look?

(56:52):
Especially considering the Nets are the only team that got
swept in this postseason. It's not like he doesn't have
anybody there. What are you make up? What's going on
with Katie? And and how does the next couple of
years look for him. I actually don't think much has
changed with Katie. Like I think this is about the
Warriors validate themselves. I think Katie is already validated. I mean,

(57:15):
he got two finals MVPs. All the talk was about
how he was the best player of the team. I
think when he left, it was like, you know, now
you gotta win a championship away from the Warriors like that,
like he has to, He's got to lead a team
to a championship. I think that was true when he left.
I think it's still true. I don't think anything has changed.

(57:35):
I think Kevin Durant plays basketball to win a championship
and be the best, Like that's when he's about winning
the championship. That's why he went to the Warriors. So
I think it's the same. But you know us, we're
gonna we're gonna turn this into something something. So I
am I am looking forward to Katie popping back, but
I think it's I think it's maybe maybe there's maybe

(57:58):
that drives from the point more. In the end, if
Kevin Durant wins the championship with Brooklyn, he will have
the exact thing he left for. He will have gun it.
And I think in the end, that's what it was,
That's what it is, That's what it will be. Uh.
And I don't I don't know how much we will
understand that as a as a group of media. We

(58:18):
will spend the summer making this about a bunch of drama, right,
this is what we do. But I just don't think
it's changed much. And maybe it makes him wanted a
little bit more, But I don't know how fey you
wanted more than k D. Like it's just KD. Right,
So I mean this was about like Draymond Green and
Steph Curry and Clay Thompson proven that they didn't need
Kevin Durant, But everybody already knows who Kevin Durant is.

(58:41):
I think, yeah, I think I think there's a little
more out of pressure on Katie now that they won
the championship without him, And I do think I agree
with you it was about them winning without him, But
I don't I don't subscribe to the idea that they
didn't need him. They absolutely needed him. It was the
best player on both of those teams and they won
two championships. Do you not need the best players? I
mean they didn't need him. Um. I mean I think

(59:02):
his legacy is set regardless of not going to change.
I actually shouldn't say that. If he wins a championship
with Brooklyn, it would change my opinions so slightly. But
he's not any less great if he doesn't. Um, Katie
is one of my favorite players of all time. I
I love watching him play basketball. Um, well, thank you
so much for joining us, Marcus. This was great. I
would love to have you on again. Check out his

(59:23):
work on the athletic and also his books Golden Katie
and Dynasties. Follow him on social media. Um does great work,
Uh covering the league. Thank you so much for joining us, Marcus,
absolutely anything best tweeter a lot. Appreciate that. That that's
Marcus Thompson. Uh yeah, I mean there's there's a lot

(59:47):
of unpacked there. But uh, what wh who? Actually what
do we do with Katie? Actually? What is what is
Katie's legacy going to be? If he doesn't win another championship?
Will discuss that next on the Joy Taylor Show, I'm
having a vegetable case ada right now. My favorite. I'll

(01:00:08):
be honest. I love case idias. I do too, absolutely
love them. But like with like cheese, just cheese. I
could do a plane cheese casadilla not my favorite either,
but like you do it. Yeah, cheese is fine. You
know where you get the vegetables. It's not really a
vegetable to actually your fruit, but you dip it in guacamole.
That's where you get your vitamins from. Yeah, I mean,
am I in case first? Uh? You know, nutritions value,

(01:00:32):
nucriational value, which is why this one is. You know,
I'm confusing me because it's supposed to be good for you.
There's like broccoli in it. Okay, all right? Sam and
I were talking about the Taco Bell case idias earlier
and how we both very much enjoy those. I have
eaten a lot of Taco Bell over the years, being

(01:00:52):
from Iowa and Taco Bell being from southern California. I
don't feel bad about eating Taco Bell in this state.
Oh it's like a it's like a native you know.
There there's you know, there's so many good Mexican restaurants
in Los Angeles, so I don't. But they have like
this special sauce at Taco Bell. It's just so gay.
Their hot sauce is very good. Yeah, they put something smokey,
aoli or something in there. Autum my uh my. Taco

(01:01:15):
Bell order was always the same. Remember what I would
get to drink? I think of feel like it's dr Pepper.
But I would get the three soft tacos preames every
time and I would eat all of them. No cheesy
gordita crunch. No, I'm not big. I'm not a big
crunchy taco person. Nope, don't need to crunch like the
roll it up, you know. And I'm big into sour cream, big,

(01:01:38):
big sour cream guy. Um, thank you. That's our talk
about orders everyone. It's a Joy Taylor Show, Fox Sports Radio.
Where's her Champs Boston? Not so much. Charlotte Wilder was there.
We will talk to her on the other side, but hers.
Here is Ralph Irvian with what's trending now. We are

(01:01:58):
into the third round of the US Open Championship. It's
the country club at Brookline and the leader as well.
They're getting close to Ti and off should be in
the next fifteen minutes or so. Colin Morricale Joel Domin
sitting a top the leaderboard at five under par. One
shot back as a group of four players that includes
John Rown, John rom the defending champion, and Rory McElroy

(01:02:19):
Wills Ala Torris two shots off the pace three through
six holes. Sam Burns is three through four. Scottie Scheffler,
the world's number one player, is three now through two holes.
He is even on his third round. Major League Baseball
action we have going on right now at Wrigley. Jason
Heyward and RBI double in the third ending the Cubs

(01:02:40):
now with a four nothing lead over Atlanta. Chicago has
scored in every at bat so far in this game. Meanwhile,
the bottom of the second inning the Yankees playing at
Toronto and it is scoreless there. In the bottom of
the second inning, top of the hour. Lots of action
hitting the field. San Francisco at Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay at Baltimore,
Kansas City at Oakland, Means at Seattle in the first

(01:03:02):
game of a doubleheader. Navy Osaka withdrawing from Wimbledon citing
lingering achilles issue. Doesn't help that the tournament has no
points in the world ranking system that due to the
ongoing conflict with Russia in Ukraine. And tonight it will
be game two of the Stanley Cup Final, Colorado hosting
Tampa Bay. The Avalanche were the one nothing. Seriously, the
bunk will drop in Denver at Eastern but for now

(01:03:25):
we sent it back. It's Joy Taylor on Fox Sports Radio.
Thank you, Ralph. Let's go out to Charlotte Wilder, Fox
Sports host. She was in the building four game six.
Is that correct, Charlotte, right, you were there? I sure was. Hey, Joy,
great to be on. Um, yeah, I was. I follow
you on Instagram, That's why I saw that I was

(01:03:47):
posting about it. I'm pretty excited. UM. Yeah are you?
Are you a native of Boston? Yes, I grew up
outside the city. UM, and so, you know, being being
able to cover Celtics Finals in you know, the town
I grew up in, Um, it was pretty surreal. So okay,

(01:04:08):
So then I can ask you about this because I like,
I'm a Heat fan. So Celtics and Heat, you know,
not no love lost between those two organizations or fan bases.
But I really do like this particular group of players.
You know, I can't get over the Celtics. Jersey's gonna
be honest with you. But I like these players. I
like Tatum, I really like Emay. I thought he's an
incredible job this year. Um. But there was like a

(01:04:30):
little bit of a narrative throughout the Finals from Celtics
fans that I found kind of interesting because obviously we
know that TD Garden is a hostile place. Boston Celtics
fans had their reputation for a reason, and there was
like this pushback that like Celtics fans are like everyone
every other fan base because they were given Daymond Green
a hard time. And I was like, hold on, like, no,

(01:04:52):
you're not, You're Boston, Like you just don't what are
we talking about here? Like you just own it. Like
if some I was saying earlier to the guys like
I I curse a lot, right not there obviously, but
like if someone was like, joy, you know you cars
a lot, I would be like, yeah, I do, Like
that's a there's a fair evaluation. I mean, are we mad?
Like that's a that's a fact. So I was a
little confused by that. Cold you can you explain the No,

(01:05:13):
sensitivity is not a word every would likes to use,
but I did feel like Boston fans were a little
bit sensitive about that. Yeah, so my read on Boston
fans joy And it's interesting that that was um some
of the pushback because I saw I saw it as
a as kind of owning it. Like the social media
posts that I saw from people in the area or

(01:05:33):
who I know involved were like, yeah, obviously, like it
was funny. There was the did you see the warriorst
coach or someone on the team involved with the team
who said he'd been flipped off seventeen times in one day?
And I quote tweeted it. I quote tweeted that, and
I was like, yeah, that's called driving to work in
Boston on a Tuesday. Like yeah. I was like, I'm like,

(01:05:55):
are you sure it's because you're a Worrior fan? Are
you sure it's just because you didn't like drive too slow?
Like come on, I think that there is you know,
New England has this gruffness to it that, um, you know,
I am very used to because I grew up there,
and I think Boston fans something. You know, I'll be

(01:06:17):
the first to admit how obnoxious we are. I mean,
we're insufferable. It's the worst. UM. I do think though,
that there is something really impressive about how they keep
showing up, Like you think that Boston hadn't won a
championship in fifty years, that place was rocking, UM, and
you know, it was sort of a Boston fifty years
in the sense that it's been twelve. But I think

(01:06:39):
the pushback. I think Boston fans really like sinking their
teeth into things. So like if someone says you guys
are awful, it's like, no, we're not like everybody else
that and it's like you become awful about the thing
people are saying you're awful about, Like nothing, there's nothing
that you can't combat, basically is sort of the vibe. Yeah,

(01:07:00):
I can see, I see that. I can read like
you just have to argue for the sake of arguing
because to me, like I feel like Heat fans are
are the opposite. The only thing we're sensitive about is
about leaving early, Like every fan basically is early when
they're losing every single one UM, and that's the only
thing that he fans are sensitive about. But like he
fans are axious, Like, yeah, of course we're obnoxious. Have

(01:07:23):
you ever been to Miami, like it's there's nothing not
loud about everything that Miami is. Right. Also, I think
all sports fans are obnoxious. I think that the nature
of being a sports fan is that you can be
pretty insufferable to everybody else, all the fans of other teams,
and then people who don't like sports at all are like,
what is wrong with you people? Let's say it's a

(01:07:43):
weird lifestyle. It is. I can admit, like it's it's
an odd thing to choose to do, but but we
love it. And and it was an amazing finals. I
really enjoyed it. I thought it was very old school.
There's a lot of defense, a lot of team, a
lot of coaching, a lot of depth, a lot of
you know, develops players really stepping up and having big moments.

(01:08:03):
What was your biggest takeaway from the Finals as a whole.
I think by the biggest takeaway, I totally agree with you.
I think it was kind of a you know update.
It was like what do they call that design style
where it's like, you know, antiques, but like then some
really new invalenttives, you know, that sort of That was
the vibe that I got with, Like with the Celtics

(01:08:26):
playing there. You know, I think that they sort of
fell off of their brand of amazing defense in the end.
But when they were on, they were on and um,
and then you've got stuff taking what a thirty two
and a half foot you know, three and it was
this element that like you didn't used to see in
the game because basically Steph Curry invented it. He brought

(01:08:46):
it there, um and it was just fun. Like I
think a lot of the Platts has been very erratic,
and you could say that the Celtics were pretty erratic
at times, and I mean that the Warriors in the
first the two games they lost too. But my big
takeaway is that I think the Celtics are you know,
it was an incredible run. Um. But when you watch

(01:09:08):
the Warriors, when you see someone like Steph and and
Draymond and Clay and they have this really, very real
ability to center their team, they're like, hey, we've been here.
And I didn't quite understand why everyone's harping on experience
in the beginning of this series, because I was like, look,
the Celtics have beat a lot of other teams with experience.

(01:09:28):
They swept Kevin Durant like this isn't necessarily a thing,
but in the finals, I think that I really saw
that deaf And and Raymond and Clay anchored that team
in a way that the Celtics didn't have. Like I
think they started spiraling mentally in the last two games
and there was no one there to like right the ship. Yeah,
that's that's that's what I feel like as well, what

(01:09:50):
do you think that the Celtics do this offseason? What
is the tweak that you would add to this team?
Because I think that Celtics are a great defensive team.
Is not arguing that, although as you mentioned, it kind
of fell part at the end, they are overall they
don't need another defender, Like to me, they need a
pure shooter. Yeah, yeah, I would say that. I mean,
you know, it's tough because I think it's hard to

(01:10:12):
say that and not sound like I don't have faith
in in Katum or in Brown. I think though, you know,
there are these moments where I just didn't see it
was everyone was scared to take a shot. At the end,
they were playing hot potato. They like nobody wanted to
be the guy who either made it or bricked it,
And like, I'm sorry, but that's what that's what this

(01:10:33):
league is. That's what the finals are like. You have
to you have to keep your confidence up and and
Tatum almost looked like he was playing a little scared
in the last game, although he did go to the
room more than in game five. But I think you're right.
I think that if it's not bringing someone on who
can do that, it's finding a way to break through
so that these guys that Tatum can have that you

(01:10:55):
know what, forty seven point game, Um, he can. He
can reach the levels that we've seen from him, but
do it in a way that Steph did it, which
is like, oh, they needed it and he saved them
then and then it was over. Do you know what
I mean? Does that make sense? Yeah? Yes, absolutely. We're
talking to Charlotte Wilder, host for Fox Sports and writer. Um.

(01:11:16):
You know, Colin and I were talking about this a
lot this week because Nick Wright, the first things first,
has his like Club Superstar, and he has about twelve
guys in it, and I think superstar It always obviously
depends on how you personally defined, and it's obviously very subjective,
but to me, a superstar is somebody who transcends the
sport right, like it's it's somebody that people talk about

(01:11:38):
and they don't even watch sports, like they just know
who he is. Obviously lebron Um, obviously a Steph Curry UM,
but like within the NBA, there were still some questions
about like how legit Steph Curry was. I think this
particular finals really cemented Steph as a whole, like winning

(01:11:59):
the final MVP, beating Boston in six and clearly being
the leader and the catalyst for what Golden State is UM.
I think that he shut the chapter on on those conversations.
I totally agree. I also didn't understand those conversations, but
you know, people go, oh, totally. But it was sort

(01:12:21):
of interesting to me whenever I would see people be like, well,
you know, stuffed in win m VP, so like you know,
and he has it and if it weren't for Durant,
and I'm like, how are you still qualifying all of
these things while talking about the game of basketball that
has changed so dramatically because of this one guy. Like
it was really interesting to me, and so I think
that this that was probably part of steps motivation, right,

(01:12:44):
Like he said he was the petty king after the
after the game and it's like, yeah, because if you
hear that and you're like, are you kidding me? Are
we not? Are you not seeing the same thing that
I'm living? Then to be able to really shut that
up that is hard to you. It is so hard
to win a championship, let alone four of them, and

(01:13:05):
in a time where everybody's kind of doubting you, you know,
the chatter about these warriors since twenty when they stuck,
it's like, well they're done. And and the ability to
summon that and deliver and prove everyone wrong. Like I
think of what you know, excuse another box and reference,
but um, what Tom Brady did with the Bucks, It's
like it's like the ultimate it. Nothing you can say

(01:13:29):
can do anything now because their actions have been so
fundamentally sound. Well yeah, I mean I I think the
next the next mark on the you know, the hater
list for not to not staff but like for now
is for Golden States that they spend all the money.
So now the conversation has flipped to everyone complaining about

(01:13:49):
how much money Golden State is spending, which I think
is insane. I don't even think that you have to
get it. I don't think you should be punished for
keeping a core group of guys that you drafted together.
I shouldn't you shouldn't have to pay a luxury tax
on guys that you drafted. I don't think so. I
also think that that's like the holy grail in sports, right,
is like being able to spend money on the players

(01:14:12):
you need. And I think it's funny that fans. I
think fans are so bizarre or even pundits in how
people say things, like, you know, either siding with the
owners and player or owner arguments or being like, well,
they're spending too much money, and I'm like, it's not
your money. Yeah, you know, I guess that maybe your
piss that, like your team isn't spending that money, but

(01:14:34):
then like tell your rich owner to spend the money,
you know what I mean. It's like instead of saying
they shouldn't spend the money, it's like, why isn't everybody
spilling spending the money? Yeah, I you were saying the
same thing. I'm like, be better, a draft better because
they drafted them. Do better in free agency? You could
have had Andrew Wiggins and stop complaining when people want
to spend money on things that are good and keep

(01:14:56):
good things together. It's just weird. It's a very I agree,
it's very weird. Like so um, I think I also
have Oh sorry, I just I have a bone to
pick with, you know, like the Red Sox being afraid
of the luxury text so they've trade movie bad. You know,
win a championship for eighty six years, and well that's
certainly worked out well for everybody, right right, like and exactly.
And so when your owner is cheap and they don't win,

(01:15:18):
you're mad about that. And now we're mad when owners
do spend money and they do. I don't get it.
I just I need to know what we're supposed to
be mad about. I have to keep tracking everyone's outrage
about something every day. I can't keep tracking. Um, thanks
so much for joining us. Make sure you follow Charlotte
on social media. Has justes a great job with us
at Fox Sports. Charlotte Wilder, enjoy your weekend. Thank you
so much for making time for us. Thanks so much
to it. You take care. Uh yeah, I can't. There's

(01:15:42):
just there's a lot of outrage. I don't I can't
keep up with all of it. I can't keep up
with all of it. Will Golden State repeats next on
The Joy Taylor Show. Welcome Back, Joy Taylor Show. Fox
Sports Radio, Steve Hartman, Jeff Schwartz coming up next. Thanks
to Charlotte Wilder, Channing Fry, and Marcus Thompson for joining

(01:16:02):
us today. If you miss any of the show, I
will be posting the podcast afterwards so you can check
that out. Good show today, fun stuff. And he really
enjoyed that NBA Finals. I was hoping for a Game seven.
I'm not gonna lie would got a nice Steven Game
seven tomorrow night. But Lass, the Golden State Warriors are

(01:16:22):
champions in six. Didn't did right in Boston's house, which
I'm sure Draymond Green enjoy enjoy to the to the utmost. Yeah, Draymond.
Draymond had himself quite the Finals. I I enjoyed Draymond
a lot. I like villains. I consider Draymond to be

(01:16:43):
like a jolly villain. He's not like a mean villain.
He's like good, you know, he's he's jolly. It's always
smiling and more. Bartley wins, so that makes it much
easier to do what he does because he is a
big part of why they're successful. He's the bouncer at
that club and he plays his role to the fullest.

(01:17:05):
He had a couple of games where you obviously struggled offensively,
but Draymond is not somebody that you look too necessarily
for offense when you have Steph Curry and Jordan Pool
and Clay Thompson on the floor. Um, but yeah, it was,
it was. It was a great finals. I enjoyed it.
I do think it will be interesting to see who's
favored moving forward into next season when we get there

(01:17:27):
and what they do the Golden State Warriors do. Obviously
they're planning on paying what they if they choose to extend.
Uh Andrew Wiggins, who we didn't talk about a whole
lot today outside of Channing Fry. But Andrew Wiggins had
an unbelievable finals, and kudos to him because everyone wrote
him off and he he stepped up in the biggest moments.

(01:17:47):
I'm happy for him. But Golden State could very well
be right back here next year. I mean, they're gonna
keep this cord together. The role guys stepped up. They
know what it takes now to win a championship. And
and I mean Clippers are gonna be back healthy. They're
gonna be interesting. I don't have any faith in Phoenix anymore.
We'll see what Dallas looks like. I still think they

(01:18:09):
might be a piece away. But this is gonna be
a very very interesting off season for the n b A.
I'm very interested, obviously, to see what the Heat do
they need to add another star, what Boston does to tweak,
the Sixers do with James Harden, Bradley Beal, Donovan Mitchell,
what do the Lakers do with Russell Westbrook. So we
are we're entering to that that fun period of the

(01:18:31):
of the NBA off season where all these moves are
gonna start being discussed and everyone's gonna start looking for
the whales that are available, and the moves that are
made gonna be very significant to who is competitive. Also
Kyrie Irving, for that matter, we talked about Katie. We
don't know what's going on with Kyrie Irving there because
his his contract and opted or are on the board
as well. I would not commit long term to Kyrie

(01:18:54):
Irving or James Harden, but there's only so many stars
to go around, so we will see how it goes. Um.
I'm excited for it though, and congrats the Golden State Warriors,
a significant championship in the history of the NBA solidified
them as a dynasty. Whatever your opinion is, I just

(01:19:15):
really don't care. They're a dynasty. They won with this
core group four times now. They are definitely a dynasty.
Same coach, same core It's very impressive and fun to watch. Um,
thanks for joining us today. Thanks for hanging out. Hope
you're enjoying your weekends. We'll be back on The Herd
Monday noon Eastern on FS one. If you missed the show,

(01:19:38):
posted podcast afterwards at Joy's Taylor Talks. Thanks to Ryan
and Iowa Sam for hanging out with me today. Enjoy
the weekends. Um, maybe some tacos. It's some taco talk today.
It's my it's my favorite food. Casey da talk. Yeah,
I'm not my favorite case idias today, vegetable case idias
don't recommend. I'm not a vegan. It just was just

(01:20:00):
what I had. Oh, it's broccol Broccolian case he is
is wrong. It's wrong, it doesn't belong. These things do
not belong together. Thanks for hanging out with us. Steve Hartman,
Jeff Schwartz coming up next. We'll cut you on the
Herd next week and next weekend here on Fox Sports
Radio for the Joy Taylor Show. Have a great weekend.

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Fox Sports Radio News

Host

Jonas Knox

Popular Podcasts

Dateline NBC

The Breakfast Club

Crime Junkie

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}The Joy Taylor Show Defines NBA Superstars and Discusses the Warriors Title