March 9, 2023 • 38 mins
Jason Smith and Mike Harmon discuss discuss Joe Boeheim goes out in the weirdest way possible after 47 years as men's basketball coach at Syracuse. Woody Johnson, Robert Saleh, Joe Douglas, and Aaron Rodgers all have something in common, and Ric Bucher - Longtime NBA Insider and FS1 Personality joins the guys!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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After a night off of me just getting absolutely blind
drunk thinking about Aaron Rodgers to the Jets, did you
really that's great, dude. I don't need to be blind
drunk to be excited that. I'm just excited about that, naturally. Uh.
The meeting that happened yesterday somewhere here in Los Angeles
(01:07):
out in Malibu, players are tweeting about it today. Tyler
Conklin Jets tight end said, Hey, bringing a Super Bowl
to New York would bring you legendary come from the
dark to the lightness all that. A Yeah, Rogers and
the Jets, Rogers the Jets. But you know what my
favorite part of this was is that because it's gotten
(01:28):
to the pike and I don't know that this made it,
not that it made it real, but it made it
such a big deal. Is all the pop rozzi photos
of Woody Johnson and Robert Sali leaving the restaurant where
they supposedly had the meeting with Aaron Rodgers, Like they
look like celebrities that got caught coming out of a
club going here's Leo leaving, you know, club X at
(01:49):
four thirty am. And you know they're they're not looking
at the camera. They got the long coats on, and
Woody Johnson's got his Jets head on, he's not looking down.
And Robert Salo looks like is he the rock? What
does he do with? Should you not be at this club?
I just love that the paparazzi led just so much
gravitas and just seriousness of the story. Dude, paparazzi are
out stalking Aaron Rodgers, Man, this is happening. This is
(02:12):
the real thing. And look it's jet skis coming out
of this, not Steelers, not Dolphins, not Cowboys, it's Jetskys
coming out. You've got Jets getting photos taken by the paparazzi.
We have made it, Mike Harmon, this is a big deal.
You've gone next level. And look Aaron Rodgers, love him,
hate him. Curiosity would be the word to describe him,
(02:33):
because it transcends sports at this point, given all the
givens related to pharmacological considerations and the conversations of what
he's had and what he's taken the darkness retreat. I
mean that transcended the sporting world, late night talk show hosts,
morning roundtables, and of course all of us in sports
(02:54):
television radio. So you add the Jets to it. So,
and I made this joke yesterday and I like to
throw out to you, Uh, Jason, is uh the curiosity
of what that part of the what the conversation is
related to how the Johnson's got their money and what
Aaron's stances are, yeah, on pharmacology, uh, and and whether
(03:17):
he could go play for the Jets based on a
philosophical difference right there. I'll hang up an answer and
let you respond. Why would you bring that up? Because
you know that something Aaron Rodger's gonna think about. Well,
he's a smart guy just like me, and because I'm
a deep thinker, I bring that up. That becomes part
of it, not just hey, I'll have the fish. Well. See,
(03:39):
now you've taken my completely superficial paparazzi taking pictures of
Robert Salomwoody Johnson, and you turned into a deep conversation. Yo,
shut up, Yo, shut up. I could I could go
each way. I work on many levels. I'm like a
damn onion. Whatever you need to do, just keep paying
appealing layers back. But let's go back to the surface.
You're like Shrek. You've got layers like an union has legs.
(04:01):
But I mean, the paparazzi thing is just fantastic because
ye're kind of a waste of pictures. No, it's well,
but I mean it was Nora ad Man, it was
Santa Claus. Where's he at? Oh he's over the Midwest twa.
Where's that jets playing? TMZ has real celebrities of stock,
they're real net bounds. You can't not take when jets
paying people to show up where they were he paid
(04:23):
the Listen, how do you think they know where you are?
Paparazzi are not taking pictures of unserious things and people
they were were with York. I'm not saying they charge
a lot of money for those pictures. You know in
the New York Post. Hey, because you guys are out
in Malibu, right yep? Anybody coming in Nah, just like
a guy in a jets at Hey, that could be
(04:45):
our owner. What if we gave you like fifty bucks. Yeah,
I'll snap a couple of photos and send him Mandia.
That's great, And I'm willing to go even further to
tell you Aaron Rodgers wasn't even there. I'm saying what
Bieber was here, were attending, they were meeting with it
the whole time. Do people think Rogers is here? Do
we have a guy that looked like him? You don't
think the paparazzi would have gotten Rogers coming in our
There's pictures of Aaron Rodgers from paparazzi before. There's a
(05:05):
picture of him before he's the dinner, yeah, picture before
the dinner. Yeah, But how do you know he sat
with them. Oh, well that I don't know. Maybe they
just had a guy. They were just there to stop him.
They just hey, we flew in. We figured we'd uh
spuy in on you. No, no, it'll be more like this. Listen,
Is it okay if we sit at a table that's
next to your table, not at your table, just next
you're like, there's a wait there's a there's an aisle
(05:26):
for the waiter or waitress to walk down, and we
just at the table just one table over from you,
and we take the picture creatively that makes it look
like we're at the same table. Does that work? Is
this gonna go on for weeks? And it makes you death? Britt,
It's so great. Every day he wakes up going do
I really want to be a jet? What's the answer?
Let me look in the mirror. We look at the mirror.
(05:47):
The answer hasn't been yes. Yeah, on, Aaron, give me
that answer. He looks in the mirror. Come on, Aaron,
give me that answer. Give me answer on this plane?
At what point did they just kidnap him? Come on, Aaron,
all right, answer me, answer yourself. Look at me to
make an You want a dark home, It's called MetLife stadium.
Let's go. I promise we'll build you your own dark room,
(06:08):
and I don't mean for photography. I'll building your own
in stadium retreat. You can have whatever you need, all
the aromatherapy, all the movies, whatever you need to make
you comfortable. We'll let you lock yourself away. We'll have
a meal service that will pop by. And again it's
it's for comedy and show purposes only. Whatever your path is,
(06:29):
your path is. But at this point, the more thirsty
and desperate you look as the jets um in the listen, dud, dude,
better when the paparazzi has taking pictures you, You're not
thirsty and desperate. You're a star, man, You're a star.
It's not This is not about a matter of how
you spin out. Come on when you're a star. If
(06:49):
you're Aaron Rodgers, look at these, you just don't man
departed a plan, begging, wishing, wanting a home to Aaron Rodgers.
Woody Johnson's worth a few billion dollars. So there is that.
I mean the Robert Salah is you know, he looks
like a movie star. So there, so it looks fine.
Why why does wood he Johnson dress like like he's
Larry David, like, well, he's about as old as Larry.
(07:10):
Did you know maybe he could seal the deal. He's
a big Jets fan. All the players saying, hey, we
should have gone and we would have been able to
get Aaron Rodgers. Should have put us on the plane. Right.
You had all the young guys, Wilson and saw Sauce
name showing up in places that make no sense. Again,
going back to the I want millions of dollars to
just say things? Uh? Is the the idea that you
(07:31):
know Larry David's right out here in Hollywood, get get
him over there. Hey, wood he did the Jets kill
Carl Woody Wood, he did the Jets kill Carl. Answer
me my question, what have you guys finished the new
season of Curb? Can we offer Aaron a roll? Please? Well,
he was asked. He did give a two word answer
when he was asked, hey, are you guys getting Aaron Rodgers? No, No,
(07:51):
Woody Johnson, and he's his two words were blank. You know,
his two words were we'll see. So those are the
answers after that. We'll see, we'll see. Maybe we'll say
today that's as good as Beeheim. Every day Aaron Rodgers
has to wake us stop. I've heard you to see you.
Just stop being so negative with me, man, do you're
just bringing me down? Uh? Because every day Aaron Rodgers
(08:13):
has to decide, am I any closer to wanting to
be a jet? Do I want to be a Jet? More? Today? Hey,
I know you're asking me for updates Robert and he's
texting Robert Saligo him. Yesterday I was twenty three percent
sure I wanted to be a jet. Today I'm twenty
six and a half percent sure I want to be
a jet? Who's texting of more? Jason? The Jets are
Pat McAfee. Dear, come back to me, see you on
(08:37):
Tuesday unless I don't blank you. Hey, here's the other consideration, right,
what's the Mallory Eden's angle and all this? She's a
million she's a millionaires? Right? Billionaires? Billionaires? Yeah, he's not
playing for the Bucks, dedicad, He's not playing for the Bucks.
I'm sorry, he's not playing for the Bucks. Not happening,
not happening. But the Bucks wear green, the packers wear green.
(08:58):
She can keep her green wardrobe were green for the Jets.
That's all it is right there, but he's part owner
there with her and you all of that stuff. But
does he want to be apart from her? Where are
they in their relationship? All these inquiry I do this
kind of goes along with the are the Lakers back?
Let's see companion Mike did this? Yes can Bill? Can
(09:18):
billionairesses live and take planes from Milwaukee to New York
on a regular basis? Yeah, I'm gonna say yes they could.
I'm gonna sat application you don't want to deal with.
I want to be in Mili. I want to go
to bus games only part twice. I gotta go set twice.
You know. That's how we're gonna find out. Backs are
(09:39):
gonna wind up telling us. Uh listen, listen, it was it. Yeah,
it's gonna happen or whatever the name of the bear. Look,
the paparazzi tells you what's gonna happen. Paparazzi. Paparazzi doesn't
go out and shoot losers. They only go out and
shoot winners. And you know what, the Jets are winners,
and that's why the Jets are gonna get them. It's real,
it's happening. It was happening. It would have already happened. No,
(10:02):
that's how bad the Jets are that this guy can't
even tell no, no, no, no. It's it's listen like
you guys are stalking him and he still won't give
you a man, here's the conversation. Okay, at some point
you gotta just no, no, no, no no, because it's
bite this up and return to the conversation. That's not
a phrase, the conversation. The conversation is this, Hey, so
I might be giving up a lot of money to
(10:23):
join you. Yeah, how can we figure that out? Well?
What about nil money? I'm a professional, right right, right? Um,
you know what, let's figure that out. Let, let's figure
that situation. Okay, okay, we'd also want to give up
too much in draft picks because we want to be
able to keep them to get you right, right right, Okay,
let's figure it out. No, look, I'm sure Aaron Rodgers
is trying to either sell himself or be sold on
(10:43):
the fact that it's the Jets or nobody. How are
they not convincing him. They've had week weeks already. He
was in the dark for a couple of days. He
probably been a week and a half since it don't
tell me people weren't already having conversation. I know, the
nonsensical tampering, and nobody could pause sably have exchange messages
or phone calls. Of course they have, But now he's
(11:04):
got to realize, like it's real. Before it was just
in fantasyland. It sounded good in theory, but now it's oh, well, okay,
I guess Hey, Aaron, we could go get Lamar Jackson,
or we could get Tannehill. What do you want to do? Yeah. No,
It's like when you go to buy a car and
it sounds great and you test drive and sounds awesome.
You can't wait to drive it off the lot and
it's great, and like, all right's great. I want this car?
(11:24):
You sure? Yes? I want this car. I want this car.
I want this car. All right, great, you're sure you
want it? Yes? I love it everything about it. I
love the bucket seating, I love the power I love
I love the sunroof or them sorry it's moonroof now,
because sunroof doesn't sound great. Moonroof sounds great. It's got everything.
I want, power locks, everything all. I got so much
room in the trunk, everything else. Oh, it's great. Okay,
sign right here, here's the price, and then you start
(11:46):
shaking a little bit in your hands, like, uh oh
do I really want? I mean, you gotta be convinced.
The Jets aren't an easy cell. They should be easier
because I thought they were great. They're a really good
team that's just a quarterback away from the super Bowl.
But but if that was the case, Jason, but Aaron
Rodgers would have already signed. But I listen, I'm gonna
give you that before I give you the real reason why,
(12:06):
because I understand that it's gonna be a bit of
convincing him. But what does Aaron Rodgers love more than
anything else to relax? He loves people talking about him,
and he loves being able to dial up the conversation
and pushing it. It wouldn't be interesting if Aaron Rodgers
just said yes, oh yeah, sure, yeah, let's figure out
the trade. Now, let's let it go for a few days.
I mean, I'm sicking tighter. I had to share that
(12:29):
bleep and the news cycle with Derek Carr last week,
who can't even carry my job. Yeah you dodged that, now,
we did, We did very lucky. But yeah, but no,
now I want this to be about me for a
few days, So I'm gonna wait. Now I'm gonna hold
back on this. Hey, I mean well, I knew I
want to be a Jet. I want to go, but
now I gotta make it seem like it like I
don't want to because I like people talking about me,
(12:49):
and I like people wondering when they wake up on
Tuesday morning. Am I gonna get news for me? Am
I gonna there're gonna be something for me on Pat McAfee.
Am I gonna be there? He loves all of that. Yeah,
he loves the roma. He just wants it to be
more about him for a while. All these things can
be true about Aaron Rodgers. No ul certainly can, as
well as the Jets not getting their man and screwing
this up. Yeaptain Carson Wentz, that would be part of
(13:12):
the Jets storm Captain. That would be Captain Carson Wentz.
Captain Wentz. Yeah, no good happen happens unless that's the
title of the new Fallout Boy or Pete Wentz's new
solo album. Captain Wentz and the rest of It's not happening.
That's Captain Underpan, not Twitter and Out about a Fresca
Mike and Swollen down. The Jason Smith Show with my
(13:32):
best friend Mike Harman. Coming up next, Rick Buker stops
by Fox Sports One NBA Insider. When will John Morant play?
Are the Lakers really back? Keep it right here for
that and more, This is Fox Sports Radio. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show with
Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app. This
(13:55):
song always fools me. I always think it's gonna be
footloose at the very beginning with the intend No no,
it's modern love. No, I got it. Fox Sports Radio.
The Jason Smith Show with My bas friend Mike Harmon's
all about the reverb lot from the ti iraq dot
Com studios, and boy do we have a lot of
NBA to get to. Zion Williamson may not play the
(14:16):
rest of the season, John Morant not being charged, going
to be away from the team for the next four
games at least, and the Lakers may or may not
be for real. I'm telling you our TV show are
the Lakers for real? It's a half hour show. The
first segment is a highlight of the game that night.
The second segment is man on the Street interroviews aft
(14:36):
of the game, where you're just asking, are the Lakers back?
Are the Lakers back? Yes they're back? Yeah, or no
they're not. And then the fourth segment. The third segment
is the two host debating if the Lakers are back,
and then the four segments. We say goodbye, We'll see
you tomorrow. That's a show. Well, we say goodbye after
playing a game of No Your box Score. That's a show,
No Your buck Score. I like that. I think I
think that's that's a half hour show every night. Boom.
(14:59):
I mean definitely. Only in the nineties it would have
been a show, but now it's dead. But now it's
like we could do that streaming on any number of
platforms and get yeah hits. And I mean plenty of
folks would be happy to just chime in of what
we were wearing that night. Now much they hate us, yeah,
so I mean it works. Hate watching is a real thing.
The Lakers are Back would be the show of the
(15:20):
question mark the first segment because you need to have
debate Frostburg. That has to be debated. No, that's a
very short show. There's got to be debate, and the
first segments the highlight of the game to let everybody
judge for themselves. Oh, this is what it is. In
the beginning of this show, you show the highlight and
you let people, people at home judge for yourselves. Are
(15:40):
the Lakers back? And then you yes or no? Right,
text yes to this number, text not to this number.
We'll let you know at the end of the show
what the results are. Second segment is the man on
the street where you just ask a bunch of fans
are the Lakers back? And that's like six minutes. Then
you go to break. You come back for the third segment,
and the third segment is the two hosts debating ether
or not the Lakers are back, and then you come back.
(16:02):
In the fourth segment, they give you the results of
the poll. Hey, most fans feel the Lakers are either
back or not back. And then we say we'll see
you for the next show. You can't run it every night,
but like a couple nights a week after Laker games.
Sure you run it naturally. People will love It's Lebron
and a d Oh, it's awesome. That's a hit show.
Anybody that says no, though, gets the Chris Farley fake coffee.
Look what you shut up? No, you can't intimidate people
(16:27):
to be oh you want to bet. No, you gotta
let them. You have to let them give their answers,
or you have to just plant people who are gonna
say the Lakers are not. Don't want liars on the show?
Did you stand out there? Man on the street? Hey
the Lakers back? Or what this? This is a father
Greeter starting duc Man in the street? Are the Lakers?
Is he still alive? Don the fellow? Oh he could
host it? Is he? That'd be pretty good. He already
(16:50):
the people that say, now what do you mean? You know?
And then the baby powder comes out? Okay, all right, okay, good,
he could do it. He could be man and in
the street Are the Lakers back? Let's go to the question.
I mean, that would be awesome. What a great show
that would be. We get him, and we gets Ven
Gooley and a way we go to the great rich
Cause and yeah, and then you and I are there
(17:11):
to scream at people. We get the man on the
street interviews, particularly if we can find folks outside of
watering goals later in the evening, what do you mean
are they back? And look at the arts back? The
Lakers are the greatest, man did you see them? Put
them in the rafting buddy who says, no, ultimate brawl
right right right right there? Oh Phil Jackson was in
(17:32):
the building. Did you see him? No? No, I like
that idea, but not everybody but one fan. Everybody. They're
gonna come on, everybody got you know, you gotta make
people anticipating that maybe this is the one but at
least one time. In your Man on the Street interviews,
someone who says no, they're not back gets like something
dumped on them, like it's doubled there, like paint or
(17:55):
a bunch of glitter or something. Now you do it,
just do it once or somebody here. Yeah, sure you
can do that. Why not nobody's wearing that crap? Any
great show, that Frank show that's coming in. Yeah, he said, no,
you get Syracuse gear. And then and then every show
ends the same way. Join us on our next episode
where we debate are the Lakers back? We'll see you
(18:17):
next time, and then have your pet spader neuter but
by for now, and then I run into the audience
and bite everybody. That's every ship Welcome, Welcome to Today's
Welcome to the latest edition of Are the Lakers Back Today?
But no question mark? Because they are mad? Be great?
Just think if you put that show on, not like
(18:37):
on up against one of the debate shows, but like
one that's on them out of business? Come on, No,
but here's the thing. I want the rest of Fox's
line up to thrive and survive. Who was talking about
far you put it on a little bit earlier when
it's up against stuff like Pioneer Woman and like reruns
of UM Resulting Niles or here's the question could we
(18:58):
beat Young Sheldon? No, no, the Juggernaut. Do you want
to put it on in the early morning when it's
up against reruns of snow Piercer on TNT? You know
that's what that's what you want to do right there,
that's what you want. That's in a sweet spot. Right now,
I'm gonna watch are the Lake Are the Lakers Back?
With the question mark? The Lakers are back? We talked
(19:19):
about we're moving the question mark. Jason, Oh, maybe that's
the whole thing. John, No, No, not okay, no, no, no, no, no.
That that's the thing is that every episode ends with
whatever the people think. If the people think the Lakers
are back, we actually see the question mark change to
an exclamation point and balloons come down. But if not,
(19:40):
we still up sixty four percent of Lakers fans after
the loss. An I think the Lakers are not back,
the question mark stays, well, I'm not putting my name
on that. See well, I left that show, but it
was so successful when he made millions of dollars. Why
because they wouldn't say the Lakers were definitively back. They
may tried to make me wear a corporate shirt that
had a question got it. I'm not the damn riddler. Man,
(20:02):
I'm not the riddler. Did you see a d drop
thirty and grabbed twenty two? Your damn right, we're back.
He did it with a broken nose. Man, look at that.
He was bleeding profusely. You made him bleed his own blood. Yeah,
but Frostburg didn't. Jason and Harmon sell that show for
like twenty million dollars, and you didn't get a cut
of it because I wouldn't admit the Lakers might not
be back. I wanted, man, I'm not selling out. I
(20:26):
wanted no part of that. I'm not asking you to
put on a red blue shot and go fight with security.
I mean, I want to take it. You there, Oh
my goodness, the Jason Smith throw on Mike Carmon Live
the tirect dot Com Studios. You know, a little bit
of a different take. We're gonna do something really interesting
(20:46):
coming up in about a half hour with the Today's
I didn't want to say retirement. I didn't know what
it is with Jim Beheim, who's been my coach for
forty seven years. You know, I walked into Syracuse as
a freshman in nineteen eighty eight and thirty five years
and now you know, his era is over. And it
ended awkwardly and ended weirdly, and it ended with him
being combative with the media, and it was just sad
(21:08):
that this is how it was going to end for him. Well,
as you've always called him your monster, it ended like
a lot of monster movie. Yeah, the hell just happened.
So to get to get to that point. But first
coming up in about a half hour, we're gonna wind.
We're gonna play you back the interview Beeheim did with
us right around both of our birthdays. Because Jim Beheim
and I are born a day apart so we're gonna
(21:29):
play that coming up in about a half hour. It
just to show you a different side of him, Jim Jim,
Chim Jim. He's not always the surly, krusty guy who's
in a great mood having fun with us. So we're
gonna have that coming up in about a half hour.
But joining us now on the hotline for all the
latest news in the NBA. Fox Sports won NBA Insider Extraordinary.
You can fall him on Twitter at Rick Buker. Check
(21:50):
out his on the Ball podcast. Rick Buker joining us
today for the first time in a month since the
Knicks lost their last game. It's been a full month,
Rebuker of a month weekly visits by you since the
Knicks lost their last game. And here you are with
us again tonight. Thank you for coming on. It's how
I set It's how I set my calendar. Oh good, everybody,
(22:16):
So what do you think of our idea? It's a
show called the Lakers are Back with a question mark
and because everybody sees it, and that's the daily debate,
right and the first segment of the show is the
highlight of the game. The second segment is Man on
the Street interviews, of fans saying they're either back or
they're not. The third segment is the two hosts debating
whether or not the Lakers are back, and the fourth
(22:36):
segment is we show our online poll results from fans
who think the Lakers are back or not. And that's
a show. Yeah. I think you could do that pretty
much every day from day one of the season. There
we go, there we go, we call it, you're good,
we call it disputed. No, no, no, but the Lakers
are back with a question mark. That's a show. I
you have to call it disputed, call it life in La.
(23:01):
It's uh yeah, no, I you know it's it's for
whatever reason. And it's funny because even with Lebron out
of the picture, it's still we're talking about a team
that is tied for ninth that is trying to scrape
into the play in that I don't know if they
(23:24):
get to the playoffs, and if they do, you know,
there's a lot of talk get mc noise now. I
got people saying who who could beat the Lakers if
Lebron comes back? And my answer, my short answer is
just about anybody? Um so I but you know, for
whatever reason, it's the Lakers it's it's it's Anthony Davis.
(23:44):
It's the new pieces they are. They do have a
soap opera element and this is a long way from
winning time, but it still feels like it's the same story.
I mean, look at what Anthony Davis is doing. It
it's you. We've we've wanted to see this Anthony Davis forever, forever,
(24:12):
And now that they're in this place where this Anthony
Davis gets them, you know, scrapes them into the play in,
maybe gets them to the playoffs, it's um, I'll take it,
but like I would have rather have seen this Anthony
(24:34):
Davis when it would mean a little bit, a little
more than than than this. And it's just we're they're
trying to stay relevant at this point. And here's the
other part, Like if you look at the West and
they can continue this way and they're they're a feel
good story, there's a very there's still a possibility. I
think they're I think there's I would be very surprised
(24:55):
if Oklahoma City rejoins the Fray, and so I would
say that the Lakers are a certainty be in the plan.
But you know, if they lose, don't get out of
the play in. All the moves that they made to
get this roster together now impacts their free agency over
(25:19):
the summer in a big way. So if you're feeling good, like, hey,
you give him a full season of these Lakers, that's
going to be a different story. Then okay, they might
be able to keep this roster together. But if you're
thinking like, hey, we're going to have this roster and
then we're gonna add pieces or whatever, now this is
kind of who you are going forward as a result,
(25:40):
and we'll see whether it pays off this season. All
they needed to do is make him bleed his own blood.
So I'll ask the question that I have to Jason
on Monday, he took yesterday off in morning because the
Knicks lost to Charlotte. Yeah, I just was so beside
himself with that no LaMelo ball and you'll lose that
game and everything and goes to sud Nobody had him
(26:01):
ranks to the Charlotte Hornets. Nobody loses tired after don't
like we have a two games to none lead in
our best to seventh series against the Celtics. We needed
a night off there. Man. I don't even need to
ask the question. Jason had him as top five. What
say you top five? What NBA top five most disappointing performances? Listen,
(26:28):
if you did, if you did, if you did an
NBA power ranking right now, NBA power rank is right now,
this moment in time. The Knicks are a top five team,
right now, this moment in time, right now power rank,
Nicks are a top five team. You can say it's
three more times or five time. Okay, let me ask you,
(26:55):
Let me ask you. Who are you taking? Okay, hangel,
hang on, okay, hang on, hang on? Who are you taking?
If the Knicks are power to right, power fight, Bucks, Celtics, Sixers, Nuggets,
Who are you taking over the Knicks? R that after
those four teams? Bucks, Celtics, Sixers, Nuggets, who are you
(27:16):
taking over the Knicks? Right now? The Cavaliers, You're not Memphis,
You're not Sacramento. You're not what's the next one? Lakers?
The Lakers are back? Baby? Did you include the Suns? Well?
Katie had a layup line less nafoo tonight, So now
kind of waiting the see in the last in the
(27:39):
last thirty second? Oh, okay, okay, wait a minute, anak
in sore Phoenix is out. Okay, wait, wait, so what
you're saying is then the Knicks would be six because
you would take the Suns at That's fine, you want
to take the Suns ahead. The Knicks are six in
the Rick Buker Power rankings. Okay, I don't think that's
(27:59):
not far off. Actually, the one of the teams that
I really like right now that the record doesn't look great,
But um, the Minnesota Timberwolves, I think are are coming together.
I think the Mike Connelly moved quietly. They're figuring some
things out him coming over from Utah. He knows how
to keep Rudy Gobert involved. They're making he knows how
(28:20):
to get Anthony Edwards going. They're playing more Kyle Anderson,
so they're playing smarter basketball. Um, you know, I can't.
I look, the Knicks have been on one and I
have been skeptical of them, largely because they're the Knicks,
and I historically what they've been and how Tom Thibodeaux
(28:43):
generally coaches, and I, you know, just looking at their
lack of creativity offensive. I mean, it's it's I will
say this, it's very impressive that they're doing what they're doing.
And I and I made a comparison of them to
two years ago, and I will say this is a
this is a better team than that team, for sure.
(29:06):
But I'm still like, I'll put it to you, I'll
ask you this, um, because they're playing it's fair to
say they're they're they're playing close to their their max?
Is that is that fair to say? Or they're they're
playing at a very high level. Who is it that
(29:26):
elevates their game in the postseason to take them the
next step? Because it's gonna be like the playoffs. Everybody
takes a step up. That's the requirement and that's where like,
is Dalen Brunsen going to go to another level? I don't.
I don't think that's realistic to ask that. Um, So,
(29:48):
who is it that's going to make that turn? That's
that's what I don't see. And that's why, in spite
of what has been a really good and surprisingly good
regular season, I still sound like a skeptic because I
just I don't know how they meet the what is
(30:09):
a playoff expectation, which is you're playing at this level.
Now you got to go to another level if you
want to advance around or two and maybe there's somebody
that I'm missing, So tell me and enlighten me. Who
do you think that player could be? Willi's Reid? You
never know? Ye Hey, lastly, Rick quickly obviously, Look, the
(30:35):
Jah Morran story has been a really big deal the
last few days, and we get the announcement today he's
going to be away from the team for four more games.
They're not calling it a suspension. Adam Silver is not
weigh in, which I think is weak. And I don't
get how he backs away from things so often. How
do you think this winds up getting resolved? As the
John Moran story goes, Well, the fact that he's not
(30:57):
facing a legal I mean that that that loomed large
and um, and now there's some question of whether he
has some sort of of issues, um, you know, a
drinking issue that that's kind of been floated out there. Um.
(31:19):
And if that's the case, then you know it's a
matter of can he get help? Can he get treatment?
Is that an explanation for the behavior that I mean?
And that just not knowing, But that would make a
lot of sense to me because while this looks really bad, Um,
it's not the John morant, It's it's a it's a
(31:41):
it's a very extreme departure from who I've seen John
Morant b in a variety of ways, both as a
teammate and with fans, uh and representing the city of Memphis,
And so that would explain a lot. And if and
(32:01):
if that is what it's going to take for him
to get back on the beam, then I think that
the number of games that he misses is really irrelevant.
It's really a matter of can he get back to
can can he solve his problem in order to be
able to continue his life and continue to be a
great player. You know, the the NBA is vested in him.
(32:24):
They don't they don't want to see John Morant fail
because he's potentially, you know, one of the future faces,
but certainly one of the future stars of this league.
And um, they have no interest in just burying the
kid and moving on, like they want to see him
(32:47):
return to his best self. So I don't know how
many I don't know how many games it's going to take.
In spite of where they are in the standings. I
feel like this has been a like a major disruption
or hiccup to this season. And and I say that
and at the same time, I'm like, you know what
if if this has to be sacrificed in order for
(33:09):
Jaw to get back on the beam, then I think
that's a small price to pay for what could be
a very bright future for a kid. And I and
you know a lot of people are like, you don't
make excuses for him. He did this, he did that. Look,
it's one thing if you um and and don't. I
don't know what happened with the kid. You know, when
when it's violence towards somebody else, um, then that's a
(33:34):
whole different category. If we're talking about what really sparked
all of this, which was you know, messing around, you know, brandishing,
not even brandishing, but just showing a gun while he
was he was dancing, that's just utter stupidity. It's one
day if he's pointing it at somebody, If he's using
(33:55):
it like that's it. I see that as a different category.
And certainly getting into an altercation with a kid that's
in a different category. But again, I've seen people who
you know, when inebriated or who have drinking problems, like
they do a lot of stuff that is out of character.
(34:16):
And I'm going to I'm going to hope that that
is the issue here because it means the possibility that
we can see the true character of John Morant once again.
You can follow on Twitter at Rick Buker, That is
at Rick Buker. Check out the On the Ball podcast
as well. Rick is always buddy, appreciate your time, great stuff.
My friend Kelly who bred junior, YO, You're the best, Rick.
(34:42):
Thanks Rick. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern,
seven pm Pacific, Fox Sports Radio The Jason Smith Show
with My best friend Mike Harman live from the tirerac
dot Com studios. Well and at night. That is quickly
be coming about NBA injuries. Kevin Durant injures his ankle
(35:03):
in a pregame slip and fall. He's got an MRI.
Luca don Chich thigh says is not good after he
left tonight's game early. He's got an MRI coming. And
now we get the news about Zion Williamson, who was
quote not close to returning from an injury that's kept
him sidelined since early January. Hey, the season started, the
(35:25):
Pelicans were great there at the top of the West
and now here they are trying to stay in the plane. Look,
it's why I said I couldn't pick the Pelicans because
I just I'm never convinced he's going to be healthy.
And that's the thing. Now, it's like, this isn't like
a hot take thing with Zion Williamson. This isn't like, oh,
but I just feel sad for the guy because he's
(35:45):
someone that should be and should have been, the new
Shaquille O'Neal, And now he's someone that you can't count on.
You can't get The Pelicans can't count on him. It's
whatever he plays, he plays. We have to build a
team around not having him and just having him as
a bonus because he obviously his body is not cut
out for the rigors of an NBA season. He can't
(36:08):
play in more than thirty some odd games without getting hurt.
These are all soft tissue lower body injuries that he
just can't avoid. He's been hurt every year since he
was a senior in high school. I mean, this is
a big deal. And the outcome of this is not
he's going to be done playing tomorrow. It's not. Well,
the Pelicans are gonna trade him it's not no, none
(36:28):
of that. The outcome is it's simple and it's said,
but it's just this is kind of what Zion's gonna
be for the rest of his big contract with the Pelicans,
which maybe why he signed it because I I'm gonna
stay and hey, this is what I'm gonna do. But
every year it's gonna be maybe this is the year
he stays healthy and instead, all right, well he's hurt
after twenty games, twenty five games, thirty games in the
middle of the season, that's kind of what it's going
(36:50):
to be, and through the end of his big contract.
That's how it's gonna go. And then at the end,
is he still in the league? I don't know. I mean,
if you're hurt all these years, I don't know if
you're still in the league in a couple of year.
If you can't stay healthy like this, certainly there'll be
no more big contracts and he's gonna be someone that
I don't know, but that's how it's gonna go for
him for the next couple of years. No, it's tough.
I hope during this time they've at least found some
(37:11):
root cause or you chalk it up to whatever you've
been doing training wise, exercise, stretching whatever, like stretching. Remember
when we were kids, You're stretched at the start of
a practice, just like three minutes. Yeah, yeah, let's go,
come on, let's go, let's go. I was always told
I had the flexibility of a rock later on, So
(37:32):
we got that with Zion of wishing and hoping that
you could see one of these big name one name
guy right like Madonna, Share Shakira and go on down, Rihanna,
go on down the line. And I wasn't trying to
slight anybody. I could do that all day, Prince Beyonce, Sting, etc.
But it's the idea that we've all been kind of
cheated out of what could have been a great run.
(37:54):
And you look at what the Pelicans were building to
start the season Ingram left his left the game tonight.
The Luca thing was kind of interesting because he was
trying to signal hand need to come out. Coaching staff
ignored him for multiple possessions. It was really kind of odd.
But I can't do that with Zion because we can't
get him by the court. No, I'm feeling really bad.
I got it. Yeah, no, no, really, I gotta come on,
(38:16):
you gotta take me out of the gamemately, like he's
had a thigh strain, he said, since the All Star Break,
coming out of the All Star Break, since like the
second game, that's been bugging him a little bit. And
he had a thing where he just saw him wins
and he's pointing and trying to get the coach's attention.
They just flat out ignore him. Balls in play, keep
going laid down like a soccer player. Man twitter it
(38:37):
out about a Fresca. Mike gets small and dull design.
It's just how it's gonna go. It's just it's just sad.
I hope for better things, but this is kind of
what it is. Coming up next, a different look at
Jim Beheim. This is Fox Sports Radio.
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two am Eastern seven to eleven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Fox Sports
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(00:24):
Sports Radio. Greetings, Welcome inside our three of The Jason
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tirerac dot com the way tire buying should be. Well.
After a night off of me just getting absolutely blind
drunk thinking about Aaron Rodgers to the Jets, did you
really that's great, dude. I don't need to be blind
drunk to be excited that. I'm just excited about that, naturally. Uh.
The meeting that happened yesterday somewhere here in Los Angeles
(01:07):
out in Malibu, players are tweeting about it today. Tyler
Conklin Jets tight end said, Hey, bringing a Super Bowl
to New York would bring you legendary come from the
dark to the lightness all that. A Yeah, Rogers and
the Jets, Rogers the Jets. But you know what my
favorite part of this was is that because it's gotten
(01:28):
to the pike and I don't know that this made it,
not that it made it real, but it made it
such a big deal. Is all the pop rozzi photos
of Woody Johnson and Robert Sali leaving the restaurant where
they supposedly had the meeting with Aaron Rodgers, Like they
look like celebrities that got caught coming out of a
club going here's Leo leaving, you know, club X at
(01:49):
four thirty am. And you know they're they're not looking
at the camera. They got the long coats on, and
Woody Johnson's got his Jets head on, he's not looking down.
And Robert Salo looks like is he the rock? What
does he do with? Should you not be at this club?
I just love that the paparazzi led just so much
gravitas and just seriousness of the story. Dude, paparazzi are
out stalking Aaron Rodgers, Man, this is happening. This is
(02:12):
the real thing. And look it's jet skis coming out
of this, not Steelers, not Dolphins, not Cowboys, it's Jetskys
coming out. You've got Jets getting photos taken by the paparazzi.
We have made it, Mike Harmon, this is a big deal.
You've gone next level. And look Aaron Rodgers, love him,
hate him. Curiosity would be the word to describe him,
(02:33):
because it transcends sports at this point, given all the
givens related to pharmacological considerations and the conversations of what
he's had and what he's taken the darkness retreat. I
mean that transcended the sporting world, late night talk show hosts,
morning roundtables, and of course all of us in sports
(02:54):
television radio. So you add the Jets to it. So,
and I made this joke yesterday and I like to
throw out to you, Uh, Jason, is uh the curiosity
of what that part of the what the conversation is
related to how the Johnson's got their money and what
Aaron's stances are, yeah, on pharmacology, uh, and and whether
(03:17):
he could go play for the Jets based on a
philosophical difference right there. I'll hang up an answer and
let you respond. Why would you bring that up? Because
you know that something Aaron Rodger's gonna think about. Well,
he's a smart guy just like me, and because I'm
a deep thinker, I bring that up. That becomes part
of it, not just hey, I'll have the fish. Well. See,
(03:39):
now you've taken my completely superficial paparazzi taking pictures of
Robert Salomwoody Johnson, and you turned into a deep conversation. Yo,
shut up, Yo, shut up. I could I could go
each way. I work on many levels. I'm like a
damn onion. Whatever you need to do, just keep paying
appealing layers back. But let's go back to the surface.
You're like Shrek. You've got layers like an union has legs.
(04:01):
But I mean, the paparazzi thing is just fantastic because
ye're kind of a waste of pictures. No, it's well,
but I mean it was Nora ad Man, it was
Santa Claus. Where's he at? Oh he's over the Midwest twa.
Where's that jets playing? TMZ has real celebrities of stock,
they're real net bounds. You can't not take when jets
paying people to show up where they were he paid
(04:23):
the Listen, how do you think they know where you are?
Paparazzi are not taking pictures of unserious things and people
they were were with York. I'm not saying they charge
a lot of money for those pictures. You know in
the New York Post. Hey, because you guys are out
in Malibu, right yep? Anybody coming in Nah, just like
a guy in a jets at Hey, that could be
(04:45):
our owner. What if we gave you like fifty bucks. Yeah,
I'll snap a couple of photos and send him Mandia.
That's great, And I'm willing to go even further to
tell you Aaron Rodgers wasn't even there. I'm saying what
Bieber was here, were attending, they were meeting with it
the whole time. Do people think Rogers is here? Do
we have a guy that looked like him? You don't
think the paparazzi would have gotten Rogers coming in our
There's pictures of Aaron Rodgers from paparazzi before. There's a
(05:05):
picture of him before he's the dinner, yeah, picture before
the dinner. Yeah, But how do you know he sat
with them. Oh, well that I don't know. Maybe they
just had a guy. They were just there to stop him.
They just hey, we flew in. We figured we'd uh
spuy in on you. No, no, it'll be more like this. Listen,
Is it okay if we sit at a table that's
next to your table, not at your table, just next
you're like, there's a wait there's a there's an aisle
(05:26):
for the waiter or waitress to walk down, and we
just at the table just one table over from you,
and we take the picture creatively that makes it look
like we're at the same table. Does that work? Is
this gonna go on for weeks? And it makes you death? Britt,
It's so great. Every day he wakes up going do
I really want to be a jet? What's the answer?
Let me look in the mirror. We look at the mirror.
(05:47):
The answer hasn't been yes. Yeah, on, Aaron, give me
that answer. He looks in the mirror. Come on, Aaron,
give me that answer. Give me answer on this plane?
At what point did they just kidnap him? Come on, Aaron,
all right, answer me, answer yourself. Look at me to
make an You want a dark home, It's called MetLife stadium.
Let's go. I promise we'll build you your own dark room,
(06:08):
and I don't mean for photography. I'll building your own
in stadium retreat. You can have whatever you need, all
the aromatherapy, all the movies, whatever you need to make
you comfortable. We'll let you lock yourself away. We'll have
a meal service that will pop by. And again it's
it's for comedy and show purposes only. Whatever your path is,
(06:29):
your path is. But at this point, the more thirsty
and desperate you look as the jets um in the listen, dud, dude,
better when the paparazzi has taking pictures you, You're not
thirsty and desperate. You're a star, man, You're a star.
It's not This is not about a matter of how
you spin out. Come on when you're a star. If
(06:49):
you're Aaron Rodgers, look at these, you just don't man
departed a plan, begging, wishing, wanting a home to Aaron Rodgers.
Woody Johnson's worth a few billion dollars. So there is that.
I mean the Robert Salah is you know, he looks
like a movie star. So there, so it looks fine.
Why why does wood he Johnson dress like like he's
Larry David, like, well, he's about as old as Larry.
(07:10):
Did you know maybe he could seal the deal. He's
a big Jets fan. All the players saying, hey, we
should have gone and we would have been able to
get Aaron Rodgers. Should have put us on the plane. Right.
You had all the young guys, Wilson and saw Sauce
name showing up in places that make no sense. Again,
going back to the I want millions of dollars to
just say things? Uh? Is the the idea that you
(07:31):
know Larry David's right out here in Hollywood, get get
him over there. Hey, wood he did the Jets kill
Carl Woody Wood, he did the Jets kill Carl. Answer
me my question, what have you guys finished the new
season of Curb? Can we offer Aaron a roll? Please? Well,
he was asked. He did give a two word answer
when he was asked, hey, are you guys getting Aaron Rodgers? No, No,
(07:51):
Woody Johnson, and he's his two words were blank. You know,
his two words were we'll see. So those are the
answers after that. We'll see, we'll see. Maybe we'll say
today that's as good as Beeheim. Every day Aaron Rodgers
has to wake us stop. I've heard you to see you.
Just stop being so negative with me, man, do you're
just bringing me down? Uh? Because every day Aaron Rodgers
(08:13):
has to decide, am I any closer to wanting to
be a jet? Do I want to be a Jet? More? Today? Hey,
I know you're asking me for updates Robert and he's
texting Robert Saligo him. Yesterday I was twenty three percent
sure I wanted to be a jet. Today I'm twenty
six and a half percent sure I want to be
a jet? Who's texting of more? Jason? The Jets are
Pat McAfee. Dear, come back to me, see you on
(08:37):
Tuesday unless I don't blank you. Hey, here's the other consideration, right,
what's the Mallory Eden's angle and all this? She's a
million she's a millionaires? Right? Billionaires? Billionaires? Yeah, he's not
playing for the Bucks, dedicad, He's not playing for the Bucks.
I'm sorry, he's not playing for the Bucks. Not happening,
not happening. But the Bucks wear green, the packers wear green.
(08:58):
She can keep her green wardrobe were green for the Jets.
That's all it is right there, but he's part owner
there with her and you all of that stuff. But
does he want to be apart from her? Where are
they in their relationship? All these inquiry I do this
kind of goes along with the are the Lakers back?
Let's see companion Mike did this? Yes can Bill? Can
(09:18):
billionairesses live and take planes from Milwaukee to New York
on a regular basis? Yeah, I'm gonna say yes they could.
I'm gonna sat application you don't want to deal with.
I want to be in Mili. I want to go
to bus games only part twice. I gotta go set twice.
You know. That's how we're gonna find out. Backs are
(09:39):
gonna wind up telling us. Uh listen, listen, it was it. Yeah,
it's gonna happen or whatever the name of the bear. Look,
the paparazzi tells you what's gonna happen. Paparazzi. Paparazzi doesn't
go out and shoot losers. They only go out and
shoot winners. And you know what, the Jets are winners,
and that's why the Jets are gonna get them. It's real,
it's happening. It was happening. It would have already happened. No,
(10:02):
that's how bad the Jets are that this guy can't
even tell no, no, no, no. It's it's listen like
you guys are stalking him and he still won't give
you a man, here's the conversation. Okay, at some point
you gotta just no, no, no, no no, because it's
bite this up and return to the conversation. That's not
a phrase, the conversation. The conversation is this, Hey, so
I might be giving up a lot of money to
(10:23):
join you. Yeah, how can we figure that out? Well?
What about nil money? I'm a professional, right right, right? Um,
you know what, let's figure that out. Let, let's figure
that situation. Okay, okay, we'd also want to give up
too much in draft picks because we want to be
able to keep them to get you right, right right, Okay,
let's figure it out. No, look, I'm sure Aaron Rodgers
is trying to either sell himself or be sold on
(10:43):
the fact that it's the Jets or nobody. How are
they not convincing him. They've had week weeks already. He
was in the dark for a couple of days. He
probably been a week and a half since it don't
tell me people weren't already having conversation. I know, the
nonsensical tampering, and nobody could pause sably have exchange messages
or phone calls. Of course they have, But now he's
(11:04):
got to realize, like it's real. Before it was just
in fantasyland. It sounded good in theory, but now it's oh, well, okay,
I guess Hey, Aaron, we could go get Lamar Jackson,
or we could get Tannehill. What do you want to do? Yeah. No,
It's like when you go to buy a car and
it sounds great and you test drive and sounds awesome.
You can't wait to drive it off the lot and
it's great, and like, all right's great. I want this car?
(11:24):
You sure? Yes? I want this car. I want this car.
I want this car. All right, great, you're sure you
want it? Yes? I love it everything about it. I
love the bucket seating, I love the power I love
I love the sunroof or them sorry it's moonroof now,
because sunroof doesn't sound great. Moonroof sounds great. It's got everything.
I want, power locks, everything all. I got so much
room in the trunk, everything else. Oh, it's great. Okay,
sign right here, here's the price, and then you start
(11:46):
shaking a little bit in your hands, like, uh oh
do I really want? I mean, you gotta be convinced.
The Jets aren't an easy cell. They should be easier
because I thought they were great. They're a really good
team that's just a quarterback away from the super Bowl.
But but if that was the case, Jason, but Aaron
Rodgers would have already signed. But I listen, I'm gonna
give you that before I give you the real reason why,
(12:06):
because I understand that it's gonna be a bit of
convincing him. But what does Aaron Rodgers love more than
anything else to relax? He loves people talking about him,
and he loves being able to dial up the conversation
and pushing it. It wouldn't be interesting if Aaron Rodgers
just said yes, oh yeah, sure, yeah, let's figure out
the trade. Now, let's let it go for a few days.
I mean, I'm sicking tighter. I had to share that
(12:29):
bleep and the news cycle with Derek Carr last week,
who can't even carry my job. Yeah you dodged that, now,
we did, We did very lucky. But yeah, but no,
now I want this to be about me for a
few days, So I'm gonna wait. Now I'm gonna hold
back on this. Hey, I mean well, I knew I
want to be a Jet. I want to go, but
now I gotta make it seem like it like I
don't want to because I like people talking about me,
(12:49):
and I like people wondering when they wake up on
Tuesday morning. Am I gonna get news for me? Am
I gonna there're gonna be something for me on Pat McAfee.
Am I gonna be there? He loves all of that. Yeah,
he loves the roma. He just wants it to be
more about him for a while. All these things can
be true about Aaron Rodgers. No ul certainly can, as
well as the Jets not getting their man and screwing
this up. Yeaptain Carson Wentz, that would be part of
(13:12):
the Jets storm Captain. That would be Captain Carson Wentz.
Captain Wentz. Yeah, no good happen happens unless that's the
title of the new Fallout Boy or Pete Wentz's new
solo album. Captain Wentz and the rest of It's not happening.
That's Captain Underpan, not Twitter and Out about a Fresca
Mike and Swollen down. The Jason Smith Show with my
(13:32):
best friend Mike Harman. Coming up next, Rick Buker stops
by Fox Sports One NBA Insider. When will John Morant play?
Are the Lakers really back? Keep it right here for
that and more, This is Fox Sports Radio. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show with
Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app. This
(13:55):
song always fools me. I always think it's gonna be
footloose at the very beginning with the intend No no,
it's modern love. No, I got it. Fox Sports Radio.
The Jason Smith Show with My bas friend Mike Harmon's
all about the reverb lot from the ti iraq dot
Com studios, and boy do we have a lot of
NBA to get to. Zion Williamson may not play the
(14:16):
rest of the season, John Morant not being charged, going
to be away from the team for the next four
games at least, and the Lakers may or may not
be for real. I'm telling you our TV show are
the Lakers for real? It's a half hour show. The
first segment is a highlight of the game that night.
The second segment is man on the Street interroviews aft
(14:36):
of the game, where you're just asking, are the Lakers back?
Are the Lakers back? Yes they're back? Yeah, or no
they're not. And then the fourth segment. The third segment
is the two host debating if the Lakers are back,
and then the four segments. We say goodbye, We'll see
you tomorrow. That's a show. Well, we say goodbye after
playing a game of No Your box Score. That's a show,
No Your buck Score. I like that. I think I
think that's that's a half hour show every night. Boom.
(14:59):
I mean definitely. Only in the nineties it would have
been a show, but now it's dead. But now it's
like we could do that streaming on any number of
platforms and get yeah hits. And I mean plenty of
folks would be happy to just chime in of what
we were wearing that night. Now much they hate us, yeah,
so I mean it works. Hate watching is a real thing.
The Lakers are Back would be the show of the
(15:20):
question mark the first segment because you need to have
debate Frostburg. That has to be debated. No, that's a
very short show. There's got to be debate, and the
first segments the highlight of the game to let everybody
judge for themselves. Oh, this is what it is. In
the beginning of this show, you show the highlight and
you let people, people at home judge for yourselves. Are
(15:40):
the Lakers back? And then you yes or no? Right,
text yes to this number, text not to this number.
We'll let you know at the end of the show
what the results are. Second segment is the man on
the street where you just ask a bunch of fans
are the Lakers back? And that's like six minutes. Then
you go to break. You come back for the third segment,
and the third segment is the two hosts debating ether
or not the Lakers are back, and then you come back.
(16:02):
In the fourth segment, they give you the results of
the poll. Hey, most fans feel the Lakers are either
back or not back. And then we say we'll see
you for the next show. You can't run it every night,
but like a couple nights a week after Laker games.
Sure you run it naturally. People will love It's Lebron
and a d Oh, it's awesome. That's a hit show.
Anybody that says no, though, gets the Chris Farley fake coffee.
Look what you shut up? No, you can't intimidate people
(16:27):
to be oh you want to bet. No, you gotta
let them. You have to let them give their answers,
or you have to just plant people who are gonna
say the Lakers are not. Don't want liars on the show?
Did you stand out there? Man on the street? Hey
the Lakers back? Or what this? This is a father
Greeter starting duc Man in the street? Are the Lakers?
Is he still alive? Don the fellow? Oh he could
host it? Is he? That'd be pretty good. He already
(16:50):
the people that say, now what do you mean? You know?
And then the baby powder comes out? Okay, all right, okay, good,
he could do it. He could be man and in
the street Are the Lakers back? Let's go to the question.
I mean, that would be awesome. What a great show
that would be. We get him, and we gets Ven
Gooley and a way we go to the great rich
Cause and yeah, and then you and I are there
(17:11):
to scream at people. We get the man on the
street interviews, particularly if we can find folks outside of
watering goals later in the evening, what do you mean
are they back? And look at the arts back? The
Lakers are the greatest, man did you see them? Put
them in the rafting buddy who says, no, ultimate brawl
right right right right there? Oh Phil Jackson was in
(17:32):
the building. Did you see him? No? No, I like
that idea, but not everybody but one fan. Everybody. They're
gonna come on, everybody got you know, you gotta make
people anticipating that maybe this is the one but at
least one time. In your Man on the Street interviews,
someone who says no, they're not back gets like something
dumped on them, like it's doubled there, like paint or
(17:55):
a bunch of glitter or something. Now you do it,
just do it once or somebody here. Yeah, sure you
can do that. Why not nobody's wearing that crap? Any
great show, that Frank show that's coming in. Yeah, he said, no,
you get Syracuse gear. And then and then every show
ends the same way. Join us on our next episode
where we debate are the Lakers back? We'll see you
(18:17):
next time, and then have your pet spader neuter but
by for now, and then I run into the audience
and bite everybody. That's every ship Welcome, Welcome to Today's
Welcome to the latest edition of Are the Lakers Back Today?
But no question mark? Because they are mad? Be great?
Just think if you put that show on, not like
(18:37):
on up against one of the debate shows, but like
one that's on them out of business? Come on, No,
but here's the thing. I want the rest of Fox's
line up to thrive and survive. Who was talking about
far you put it on a little bit earlier when
it's up against stuff like Pioneer Woman and like reruns
of UM Resulting Niles or here's the question could we
(18:58):
beat Young Sheldon? No, no, the Juggernaut. Do you want
to put it on in the early morning when it's
up against reruns of snow Piercer on TNT? You know
that's what that's what you want to do right there,
that's what you want. That's in a sweet spot. Right now,
I'm gonna watch are the Lake Are the Lakers Back?
With the question mark? The Lakers are back? We talked
(19:19):
about we're moving the question mark. Jason, Oh, maybe that's
the whole thing. John, No, No, not okay, no, no, no, no, no.
That that's the thing is that every episode ends with
whatever the people think. If the people think the Lakers
are back, we actually see the question mark change to
an exclamation point and balloons come down. But if not,
(19:40):
we still up sixty four percent of Lakers fans after
the loss. An I think the Lakers are not back,
the question mark stays, well, I'm not putting my name
on that. See well, I left that show, but it
was so successful when he made millions of dollars. Why
because they wouldn't say the Lakers were definitively back. They
may tried to make me wear a corporate shirt that
had a question got it. I'm not the damn riddler. Man,
(20:02):
I'm not the riddler. Did you see a d drop
thirty and grabbed twenty two? Your damn right, we're back.
He did it with a broken nose. Man, look at that.
He was bleeding profusely. You made him bleed his own blood. Yeah,
but Frostburg didn't. Jason and Harmon sell that show for
like twenty million dollars, and you didn't get a cut
of it because I wouldn't admit the Lakers might not
be back. I wanted, man, I'm not selling out. I
(20:26):
wanted no part of that. I'm not asking you to
put on a red blue shot and go fight with security.
I mean, I want to take it. You there, Oh
my goodness, the Jason Smith throw on Mike Carmon Live
the tirect dot Com Studios. You know, a little bit
of a different take. We're gonna do something really interesting
(20:46):
coming up in about a half hour with the Today's
I didn't want to say retirement. I didn't know what
it is with Jim Beheim, who's been my coach for
forty seven years. You know, I walked into Syracuse as
a freshman in nineteen eighty eight and thirty five years
and now you know, his era is over. And it
ended awkwardly and ended weirdly, and it ended with him
being combative with the media, and it was just sad
(21:08):
that this is how it was going to end for him. Well,
as you've always called him your monster, it ended like
a lot of monster movie. Yeah, the hell just happened.
So to get to get to that point. But first
coming up in about a half hour, we're gonna wind.
We're gonna play you back the interview Beeheim did with
us right around both of our birthdays. Because Jim Beheim
and I are born a day apart so we're gonna
(21:29):
play that coming up in about a half hour. It
just to show you a different side of him, Jim Jim,
Chim Jim. He's not always the surly, krusty guy who's
in a great mood having fun with us. So we're
gonna have that coming up in about a half hour.
But joining us now on the hotline for all the
latest news in the NBA. Fox Sports won NBA Insider Extraordinary.
You can fall him on Twitter at Rick Buker. Check
(21:50):
out his on the Ball podcast. Rick Buker joining us
today for the first time in a month since the
Knicks lost their last game. It's been a full month,
Rebuker of a month weekly visits by you since the
Knicks lost their last game. And here you are with
us again tonight. Thank you for coming on. It's how
I set It's how I set my calendar. Oh good, everybody,
(22:16):
So what do you think of our idea? It's a
show called the Lakers are Back with a question mark
and because everybody sees it, and that's the daily debate,
right and the first segment of the show is the
highlight of the game. The second segment is Man on
the Street interviews, of fans saying they're either back or
they're not. The third segment is the two hosts debating
whether or not the Lakers are back, and the fourth
(22:36):
segment is we show our online poll results from fans
who think the Lakers are back or not. And that's
a show. Yeah. I think you could do that pretty
much every day from day one of the season. There
we go, there we go, we call it, you're good,
we call it disputed. No, no, no, but the Lakers
are back with a question mark. That's a show. I
you have to call it disputed, call it life in La.
(23:01):
It's uh yeah, no, I you know it's it's for
whatever reason. And it's funny because even with Lebron out
of the picture, it's still we're talking about a team
that is tied for ninth that is trying to scrape
into the play in that I don't know if they
(23:24):
get to the playoffs, and if they do, you know,
there's a lot of talk get mc noise now. I
got people saying who who could beat the Lakers if
Lebron comes back? And my answer, my short answer is
just about anybody? Um so I but you know, for
whatever reason, it's the Lakers it's it's it's Anthony Davis.
(23:44):
It's the new pieces they are. They do have a
soap opera element and this is a long way from
winning time, but it still feels like it's the same story.
I mean, look at what Anthony Davis is doing. It
it's you. We've we've wanted to see this Anthony Davis forever, forever,
(24:12):
And now that they're in this place where this Anthony
Davis gets them, you know, scrapes them into the play in,
maybe gets them to the playoffs, it's um, I'll take it,
but like I would have rather have seen this Anthony
(24:34):
Davis when it would mean a little bit, a little
more than than than this. And it's just we're they're
trying to stay relevant at this point. And here's the
other part, Like if you look at the West and
they can continue this way and they're they're a feel
good story, there's a very there's still a possibility. I
think they're I think there's I would be very surprised
(24:55):
if Oklahoma City rejoins the Fray, and so I would
say that the Lakers are a certainty be in the plan.
But you know, if they lose, don't get out of
the play in. All the moves that they made to
get this roster together now impacts their free agency over
(25:19):
the summer in a big way. So if you're feeling good, like, hey,
you give him a full season of these Lakers, that's
going to be a different story. Then okay, they might
be able to keep this roster together. But if you're
thinking like, hey, we're going to have this roster and
then we're gonna add pieces or whatever, now this is
kind of who you are going forward as a result,
(25:40):
and we'll see whether it pays off this season. All
they needed to do is make him bleed his own blood.
So I'll ask the question that I have to Jason
on Monday, he took yesterday off in morning because the
Knicks lost to Charlotte. Yeah, I just was so beside
himself with that no LaMelo ball and you'll lose that
game and everything and goes to sud Nobody had him
(26:01):
ranks to the Charlotte Hornets. Nobody loses tired after don't
like we have a two games to none lead in
our best to seventh series against the Celtics. We needed
a night off there. Man. I don't even need to
ask the question. Jason had him as top five. What
say you top five? What NBA top five most disappointing performances? Listen,
(26:28):
if you did, if you did, if you did an
NBA power ranking right now, NBA power rank is right now,
this moment in time. The Knicks are a top five team,
right now, this moment in time, right now power rank,
Nicks are a top five team. You can say it's
three more times or five time. Okay, let me ask you,
(26:55):
Let me ask you. Who are you taking? Okay, hangel,
hang on, okay, hang on, hang on? Who are you taking?
If the Knicks are power to right, power fight, Bucks, Celtics, Sixers, Nuggets,
Who are you taking over the Knicks? R that after
those four teams? Bucks, Celtics, Sixers, Nuggets, who are you
(27:16):
taking over the Knicks? Right now? The Cavaliers, You're not Memphis,
You're not Sacramento. You're not what's the next one? Lakers?
The Lakers are back? Baby? Did you include the Suns? Well?
Katie had a layup line less nafoo tonight, So now
kind of waiting the see in the last in the
(27:39):
last thirty second? Oh, okay, okay, wait a minute, anak
in sore Phoenix is out. Okay, wait, wait, so what
you're saying is then the Knicks would be six because
you would take the Suns at That's fine, you want
to take the Suns ahead. The Knicks are six in
the Rick Buker Power rankings. Okay, I don't think that's
(27:59):
not far off. Actually, the one of the teams that
I really like right now that the record doesn't look great,
But um, the Minnesota Timberwolves, I think are are coming together.
I think the Mike Connelly moved quietly. They're figuring some
things out him coming over from Utah. He knows how
to keep Rudy Gobert involved. They're making he knows how
(28:20):
to get Anthony Edwards going. They're playing more Kyle Anderson,
so they're playing smarter basketball. Um, you know, I can't.
I look, the Knicks have been on one and I
have been skeptical of them, largely because they're the Knicks,
and I historically what they've been and how Tom Thibodeaux
(28:43):
generally coaches, and I, you know, just looking at their
lack of creativity offensive. I mean, it's it's I will
say this, it's very impressive that they're doing what they're doing.
And I and I made a comparison of them to
two years ago, and I will say this is a
this is a better team than that team, for sure.
(29:06):
But I'm still like, I'll put it to you, I'll
ask you this, um, because they're playing it's fair to
say they're they're they're playing close to their their max?
Is that is that fair to say? Or they're they're
playing at a very high level. Who is it that
(29:26):
elevates their game in the postseason to take them the
next step? Because it's gonna be like the playoffs. Everybody
takes a step up. That's the requirement and that's where like,
is Dalen Brunsen going to go to another level? I don't.
I don't think that's realistic to ask that. Um, So,
(29:48):
who is it that's going to make that turn? That's
that's what I don't see. And that's why, in spite
of what has been a really good and surprisingly good
regular season, I still sound like a skeptic because I
just I don't know how they meet the what is
(30:09):
a playoff expectation, which is you're playing at this level.
Now you got to go to another level if you
want to advance around or two and maybe there's somebody
that I'm missing, So tell me and enlighten me. Who
do you think that player could be? Willi's Reid? You
never know? Ye Hey, lastly, Rick quickly obviously, Look, the
(30:35):
Jah Morran story has been a really big deal the
last few days, and we get the announcement today he's
going to be away from the team for four more games.
They're not calling it a suspension. Adam Silver is not
weigh in, which I think is weak. And I don't
get how he backs away from things so often. How
do you think this winds up getting resolved? As the
John Moran story goes, Well, the fact that he's not
(30:57):
facing a legal I mean that that that loomed large
and um, and now there's some question of whether he
has some sort of of issues, um, you know, a
drinking issue that that's kind of been floated out there. Um.
(31:19):
And if that's the case, then you know it's a
matter of can he get help? Can he get treatment?
Is that an explanation for the behavior that I mean?
And that just not knowing, But that would make a
lot of sense to me because while this looks really bad, Um,
it's not the John morant, It's it's a it's a
(31:41):
it's a very extreme departure from who I've seen John
Morant b in a variety of ways, both as a
teammate and with fans, uh and representing the city of Memphis,
And so that would explain a lot. And if and
(32:01):
if that is what it's going to take for him
to get back on the beam, then I think that
the number of games that he misses is really irrelevant.
It's really a matter of can he get back to
can can he solve his problem in order to be
able to continue his life and continue to be a
great player. You know, the the NBA is vested in him.
(32:24):
They don't they don't want to see John Morant fail
because he's potentially, you know, one of the future faces,
but certainly one of the future stars of this league.
And um, they have no interest in just burying the
kid and moving on, like they want to see him
(32:47):
return to his best self. So I don't know how
many I don't know how many games it's going to take.
In spite of where they are in the standings. I
feel like this has been a like a major disruption
or hiccup to this season. And and I say that
and at the same time, I'm like, you know what
if if this has to be sacrificed in order for
(33:09):
Jaw to get back on the beam, then I think
that's a small price to pay for what could be
a very bright future for a kid. And I and
you know a lot of people are like, you don't
make excuses for him. He did this, he did that. Look,
it's one thing if you um and and don't. I
don't know what happened with the kid. You know, when
when it's violence towards somebody else, um, then that's a
(33:34):
whole different category. If we're talking about what really sparked
all of this, which was you know, messing around, you know, brandishing,
not even brandishing, but just showing a gun while he
was he was dancing, that's just utter stupidity. It's one
day if he's pointing it at somebody, If he's using
(33:55):
it like that's it. I see that as a different category.
And certainly getting into an altercation with a kid that's
in a different category. But again, I've seen people who
you know, when inebriated or who have drinking problems, like
they do a lot of stuff that is out of character.
(34:16):
And I'm going to I'm going to hope that that
is the issue here because it means the possibility that
we can see the true character of John Morant once again.
You can follow on Twitter at Rick Buker, That is
at Rick Buker. Check out the On the Ball podcast
as well. Rick is always buddy, appreciate your time, great stuff.
My friend Kelly who bred junior, YO, You're the best, Rick.
(34:42):
Thanks Rick. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern,
seven pm Pacific, Fox Sports Radio The Jason Smith Show
with My best friend Mike Harman live from the tirerac
dot Com studios. Well and at night. That is quickly
be coming about NBA injuries. Kevin Durant injures his ankle
(35:03):
in a pregame slip and fall. He's got an MRI.
Luca don Chich thigh says is not good after he
left tonight's game early. He's got an MRI coming. And
now we get the news about Zion Williamson, who was
quote not close to returning from an injury that's kept
him sidelined since early January. Hey, the season started, the
(35:25):
Pelicans were great there at the top of the West
and now here they are trying to stay in the plane. Look,
it's why I said I couldn't pick the Pelicans because
I just I'm never convinced he's going to be healthy.
And that's the thing. Now, it's like, this isn't like
a hot take thing with Zion Williamson. This isn't like, oh,
but I just feel sad for the guy because he's
(35:45):
someone that should be and should have been, the new
Shaquille O'Neal, And now he's someone that you can't count on.
You can't get The Pelicans can't count on him. It's
whatever he plays, he plays. We have to build a
team around not having him and just having him as
a bonus because he obviously his body is not cut
out for the rigors of an NBA season. He can't
(36:08):
play in more than thirty some odd games without getting hurt.
These are all soft tissue lower body injuries that he
just can't avoid. He's been hurt every year since he
was a senior in high school. I mean, this is
a big deal. And the outcome of this is not
he's going to be done playing tomorrow. It's not. Well,
the Pelicans are gonna trade him it's not no, none
(36:28):
of that. The outcome is it's simple and it's said,
but it's just this is kind of what Zion's gonna
be for the rest of his big contract with the Pelicans,
which maybe why he signed it because I I'm gonna
stay and hey, this is what I'm gonna do. But
every year it's gonna be maybe this is the year
he stays healthy and instead, all right, well he's hurt
after twenty games, twenty five games, thirty games in the
middle of the season, that's kind of what it's going
(36:50):
to be, and through the end of his big contract.
That's how it's gonna go. And then at the end,
is he still in the league? I don't know. I mean,
if you're hurt all these years, I don't know if
you're still in the league in a couple of year.
If you can't stay healthy like this, certainly there'll be
no more big contracts and he's gonna be someone that
I don't know, but that's how it's gonna go for
him for the next couple of years. No, it's tough.
I hope during this time they've at least found some
(37:11):
root cause or you chalk it up to whatever you've
been doing training wise, exercise, stretching whatever, like stretching. Remember
when we were kids, You're stretched at the start of
a practice, just like three minutes. Yeah, yeah, let's go,
come on, let's go, let's go. I was always told
I had the flexibility of a rock later on, So
(37:32):
we got that with Zion of wishing and hoping that
you could see one of these big name one name
guy right like Madonna, Share Shakira and go on down, Rihanna,
go on down the line. And I wasn't trying to
slight anybody. I could do that all day, Prince Beyonce, Sting, etc.
But it's the idea that we've all been kind of
cheated out of what could have been a great run.
(37:54):
And you look at what the Pelicans were building to
start the season Ingram left his left the game tonight.
The Luca thing was kind of interesting because he was
trying to signal hand need to come out. Coaching staff
ignored him for multiple possessions. It was really kind of odd.
But I can't do that with Zion because we can't
get him by the court. No, I'm feeling really bad.
I got it. Yeah, no, no, really, I gotta come on,
(38:16):
you gotta take me out of the gamemately, like he's
had a thigh strain, he said, since the All Star Break,
coming out of the All Star Break, since like the
second game, that's been bugging him a little bit. And
he had a thing where he just saw him wins
and he's pointing and trying to get the coach's attention.
They just flat out ignore him. Balls in play, keep
going laid down like a soccer player. Man twitter it
(38:37):
out about a Fresca. Mike gets small and dull design.
It's just how it's gonna go. It's just it's just sad.
I hope for better things, but this is kind of
what it is. Coming up next, a different look at
Jim Beheim. This is Fox Sports Radio.
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Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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