June 6, 2023 • 33 mins
Arnie Spanier and Aaron Torres debate if LeBron would really leave Los Angeles to go play in Dallas with Kyrie Irving. Arnie tries to name 20 NBA players better than Jimmy Butler. And the Progressive play of the night!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
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Speaker 2 (00:23):
If you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Oh that is us. Good evening, everybody, Aaron Torres, Arni
Spanier As we're broadcasting live from the tierrach dot com
studios tyrerec dot com. We'll help you get there. Unmatched selection, fast,
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tierrack dot com. The Way tire buying should be the
(00:53):
bonus hour of the show. Torres and Spaniards sitting in
for the guys Jason Smith and his best friend Mike Harmon.
We're two minutes away. We'll start getting into Games three
and four. We'll put behind this what happened in the
first two games. More on that, Kyrie lebron I guess
bogus wishful story. We'll get to that too. Toris, you're
(01:13):
gonna give me an update on what's going on with
the PAC twelve. I told you I had a real rumor.
And who's gonna replace Shannon Sharp with a skip? I
got to get to that. Also, I didn't pay off
on the tea's there? Can I real quick? Can I
just bring up one thing that's really not sports related?
Speaker 4 (01:31):
I mean you can what I mean, they can cut
your mic in the back. They might have to, but
you can try.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Gig Srpa, Gigi Shrpa. You don't know who that guy is.
I don't know who the guy is. Oh, stop it.
I just want to say this guy you want to
talk about a hero?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (01:48):
I know this story.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yeah. He was taking a private client up Mount Everest
when he noticed that somebody was dying just five hundred
meters from the summit. He goes, oh, I'll just run
over there. I'll wrap him up in a sleeping bag,
I'll give him oxygen, I'll tie him to my back,
and then I'll hike six hours down the mountain and
save the guy's life. Because usually when something goes wrong
(02:10):
and you're up there, they just let you die. You
know that, right, there's people up there that matter of fact,
they use dead people as mile markers, as like, hey,
here's the guy that's dead with the green shoes on
and stuff like that. This guy would have easily died
up there, and he carries him on his back six hours.
Is that any bucket list thing for you to do
is to climb up Mount Everest? Is that something you
(02:30):
want to do Torres or what?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
So?
Speaker 4 (02:32):
At one point I thought it was, and till that
story came out. No, But but part of it is
it's become so commercialized where it's like you've seen the
videos and the stories if you haven't, I know, Real
Sports on HBO did a thing about it, really, but
it's like, you know, there's a very finite amount of time,
a couple short a small window when you can actually
(02:54):
make the track, and there's literally now thousands upon thousands
upon thousand people that try to do it. It's big business,
by the way, and so uh so, yeah, like like
I'm not saying it's not an accomplishment if you've done it.
I'm sure we probably have somebody listening that has done it,
but I just bring.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Out our listeners. But yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
I mean, but the point is a lot more people
than you think have actually done it because it has
become a very commercial thing to do. Uh, the country
of Nepal makes a lot of money off of it.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Really. Oh yeah, Tom, I saw there was a bunch
of people waiting to go up the next thing. There's
like about two or three hundred of them or something.
You know.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Well, and that's why kind of to your point, you know,
if if you don't make it, they just kind of
push you aside. And that's the other thing too, is
these shirpas. I mean they're putting their lives on the
line to help a you know, an orthodontist from Milwaukee
fulfill his dream. And that is a big story over there,
is like like the locals hate it because you know,
(03:54):
they they have these you know these frankly they're mostly men,
I assume, but you know, the local men are p
their lives on the line. These people aren't qualified. And
then to my point, it's become big business. And from
my understanding, like the country of Nepal, basically if you
apply for a license to do it, they're not gonna
turn you down because you got to pay thousands of
dollars to do.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Really, gosh, I didn't even know that. Yeah, no, you
your miss the hiker up there. Now, I'll look at you.
Speaker 5 (04:18):
Listen. I've watched a lot of hiking movies.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
I thought you were just gonna laugh at the story
and move on.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
No, I saw the story. I saw the story first
of all. That guy is a is a hero. There's
zeroed out about it.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
To carry a guy down six hours down, I couldn't
even walk down myself. But I couldn't even roll down
the hill by myself.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Can you wonder why your basketball league's ready to get
but you should, honestly, I know when when we get
off air, you'll probably be wired for a little bit.
You won't be able to go to bed, do some
googling it. It is huge business there the locals. I
think it's kind of a you know, a gif take
right is. I think the locals kind of understand the
commerce that it brings in, the money that it brings in.
(04:58):
But it also drives people crazy because, like I said,
it's now thousands of people, most of them frankly, aren't
you know, physically capable of actually doing it. To your point,
A lot of people don't make it out alive. So
it is a real thing. It's a real thing.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Well, if any of our listeners did text it or
tweet in. I'm kind of curious now to see if
anybody's ever attempted it and got up and down the summit,
So we'll see if anybody tweets on in on that one.
All right, we got a lot to talk about, obviously
the game. But first, you know, we had Mark Medina
on earlier today. Does him coming on change your mind
(05:32):
anything about the Kyrie Lebron rumor about going to Dallas.
You know, everybody's just kind of just shrugging that off.
If anything, you think that Kyrie wants to go to
Los Angeles. I think that's more of a long shot
that actually Lebron going out to Dallas. But everybody seems
to be shrugging it off, like it's just zero possibility
of that happening.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Right by the way to the last conversation, I did
a quick Google search. Twenty eighteen, two hundred and ninety
people die on Mount Everest and a third of them.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
Were local shurpass in one year, in one year.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, two hundred ninety people total.
I'm sorry told yeah, obviously, yeah, I apologize.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
That is it? That is wow, bad under on my part.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Yeah, but uh, but about a third this was in
twenty eighteen, ninety four have been surpassed. By comparison, just
thirteen Americans, a leading nationality of climbers, have died on
the mountain. During the first real second.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
I think I'm gonna have to pass on that one.
Then you know what I'm saying, You're.
Speaker 5 (06:31):
Gonna go to the grave without that one.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's like certain I'm at the point
now where there's like certain things I'm just over and
like I've I've surpassed that point in my life. Like
I'm just never gonna take a tequilo shot again. I
just have no interest in doing it. It makes me sick.
I'm not gonna feel with the same way, yeah, the
same way I have zero interest in ever riding a
roller coaster again. Now, maybe listen if I have a
(06:54):
kid or something.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
And then like Tom Brady, what's going on?
Speaker 4 (06:57):
You know, I didn't see that story until you threw
it on the rundown with thirty seven thousand other stories,
But I did see that.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Yeah, I'm just said at that point, that's so funny.
All right. Anyway back to Kyrie and Lebron, where do
you sit on that now that word three hours. Actually
the report came out much earlier today, So now that
you've had the whole day to resonate over the whole thing.
Is it just more of what a wishful thinking for Kyrie?
Why did they put it out? You think it's because
maybe Lebron wants to have a little leverage with the Lakers.
(07:27):
I don't know. I thought maybe you could have like
a twenty percent chance of actually Lebron thinking about it
if they would reward him with drafting Bronny. But that's
the reason I could see him wanting to do it. Plus,
it would be a pretty good three, I think Kyrie, Lebron,
and Luca. I don't know how you'd work out that trade,
but if those three played together, I'd make them the
(07:48):
favorite to win the championship. With those three, that's for.
Speaker 5 (07:50):
Sure, you'd make them the favorite to win the championship.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Oh? Absolutely, Oh you don't think that's a good three
right there? What are you kidding me? I don't know
if there'd be anybody better than that.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Yeah, I just go back to what we just saw
at the Phoenix Suns, and Kyrie doesn't even really play
that much so that that's part of it too. By
the way, Kyrie, what is the stat I think he's
won one playoff series since he I think maybe two
playoff series total since he left Lebron.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
So let's call spadas bade here.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
So with Kyrie and Lebron or with Kyrie, I think
this was a coordinated effort by Lebron and Kyrie. My
belief is that, first of all, it's clearly want to
play together. I don't think it's a coincidence that Kyrie
just so happens to keep showing up at events at
Crypto dot com Arena, including Game four of the Western
Conference Finals, and I think they want this to happen.
(08:41):
And so I think this was an effort by Lebron
to kind of let the Lakers know, Hey, there's other
people that want me, there's interest in me, and if
you guys aren't getting serious about putting together a championship
team around me, then I'm willing to look at other options.
I would continue that conversation by basically saying that I
think it's also worth considering. I think he has a
(09:02):
championship caliber roster around him right now. I know it
sounds crazy. They just got swept by the Nuggets. But
as I said, second best team or excuse me, best
team in the regular season after the NBA trade deadline.
It's also worth noting I think it's important Mart mcteede
brought this up. Yeah, because of the hole that they
dug themselves early in the season. They had to play
(09:24):
basically playoff games all February, March and April. Whereas if
you can space it out, if your every game isn't
a high leverage game, you're a little healthier going into
the playoffs, You're a little fresher going into the playoffs,
and then I just don't think you know what happens.
I mean, I think it's easy to sit here and
say the Nuggets, if they win the championship, it's a
budding dynasty and blah blah blah. And how many times
have we said stuff like that about young teams. So
(09:45):
that is a very long winning way of me saying
I think that Lebron and Kyrie probably worked together to
get that story out. I do think they want to
play together. I don't believe it will be in Dallas though.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Now Mark also told us about what Kareem had the
same about when Kareem we retired. Lebron brought up the
retirement ward after Denver swept him four games to nothing,
just out of curiosity. When do you think Lebron will retire?
And I don't mean year wise. When will we retire
when he could no longer dominate the scoring when he
does get up there in age, when he starts playing
(10:18):
for losing teams, when he starts averaging like twelve points
a game like Michael did, what will he retire? What
do you think he's gonna say? Is enough is enough?
I think when he starts losing the scoring, he'll start
saying enough.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
You know, Yeah, it's a great question. Actually, what do
you what do you think so so say that again?
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I think it's I Look, he could maybe when he
plays on a bunch of losing teams he'll say enough,
But if he's still playing at a high level, I
don't think that would bother him as much. I think
once he loses his scoring ability and he starts averaging
less than like twenty a game, or you know, it
starts going down, I think that's what we'll start considering
retirement when he can no longer have those those big nights,
(10:57):
you know.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
Yeah, I think two things stand. At one, he is
going to stay until Bronnie gets the league. And then
what I'm curious about. I know it's easy to sit
here and say, oh, I'm staying and I'm playing with
my son. If like the Utah Jazz draft Bronni, he's
really going to Utah to play his final year with,
you know, with his son.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
I wouldn't think.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
So That's what I mean.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
So that's why whoever drafts him has to do it
on the on the know that Lebron probably comes with
a package deal.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
You know, well, he claims he's going wherever some goes.
I don't know that I believe that though, and so
that element of it. And then I think once you
get past playing with Bronni, I just think it's a
what level are you competing at? And I don't think
Lebron has it in his ego to be like a
role player like I think once he's And I know
(11:48):
you could argue Anthony Davis had better moments in the playoffs,
for sure, I'm not gonna argue that, But it was
still Lebron Game four against the Nuggets when they needed
somebody to step up that he played his best, and
so I think when he's not really the kind of
the quote unquote star of the team, I can't see
him being like a you know, a fifth guy facilitator,
(12:13):
playing with whoever whatever young star it is at that time.
Speaker 5 (12:16):
I think he's gotta be the center.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
You know, if he was playing like and I'll give
you an example like Clay Thompson right now, I think
he might retire next year. I agree, you know, coming
back from what two years missing, Obviously Clay's lost the
you know, more than just a step. Clay is barely
a number two if you even considered him a number two.
Maybe Draymond's the number two. I think if if that
(12:39):
was Lebron in that situation, I think he'd be gone.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
You know, I agree, I agree, And that's my point
is that I you know, physically, I mean, listen, he
can't do it every single night. He can't put a
team on his back like he did in twenty eighteen,
you know, against the Celtics in that Eastern Conference finals.
He's still got a lot left in the tank, all
things considered, with age and everything. But you know, I
think what is clear that he's not the star, the
(13:03):
focal point and then also God willing, I hope there
aren't major injuries, right, because that was what took down
Kobe at the end, which was just two or three
major injuries back to back, and he wasn't the same player.
So I hope it's not injuries. I hope it's just age,
but that would be my assumption.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
All Right, we'll come back, we'll start looking at Games
three and four. How that's gonna play. We gotta get
to a little football also, so plenty to get to.
Aaron Torres, Arnie Spanier in for the guys, Jason Smith
and his best friend Mike Harmon right here on Fox
Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
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 iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Good eything everyone, Aaron Torres, Arnie Spanier in for the guys,
Jason Smith and his best friend Mike Carmon. All right,
before we get the Games three and four, breaking news
news which I should have gotten to, like two hours ago.
Six time pro bowler NFL running back Lashawn McCoy is
(14:09):
emerging as the early possible contender to succeed shann and
Sharp as Skip Bayles's debate partner on Undisputed. So I
guess they're gonna bring in the former running back to
have an extended audition with Bayless. One Sharp takes his
contract buyout from Fox Sports. So was Shawn McCoy. I
(14:32):
know he said a couple of controversial things a couple
months ago about something I remember off the top of
my head. So I'm curious to see how they're going
to gel. Really thought I was going to get the job.
But that's what I was gonna say.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
The real breaking news here is that Arnie Spanner yesterday
said that the rumor was that it was going to
be skipping Arnie.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
It was I thought it was.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
And so you're either a liar or you have really
bad sources or bad source catfish. You got catfishing, you
got an email from an Jerian prince, You're gonna be
with Skip?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
All that? I don't I don't want to say anything.
But somebody at Fox told me to keep my phone
near me for the phone call. Oh. I think it
was justin our producer today. He told me to keep
the phone near me. Yes, I don't know if he
meant that I was going to get the job, but
he told me to keep the phone near me.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
So, by the way, Yeah, speaking of random sports media stories,
I'm just seeing this headline right now. Kendrick Perkins believes
ESPN should do a better job of promoting Nikola Jokic.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Yeah I saw that. Yeah, huh huh.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
I could have sworn Perk was the guy that said
it was racist to vote Jokic for MVP.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
He was.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Now he will say that he didn't say that, but
he did. He certainly implied it.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Now, how are you supposed to promote him?
Speaker 6 (15:45):
Though?
Speaker 3 (15:45):
You know, it's just like Will Ferrell in the movie
where you know you're doing you're wrestling a bear or
something like that. How exactly are you supposed to promote
him a little bit more? That's what I don't understand.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
Well, i'll tell you.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
You know, this conversation that we've had, I remember having
it with you about show. Heyo, Tom is, I don't
know how you get a guy. See, here's the thing
is that some guy like it's not just that he's good.
Here's the problem is the person has to want want
to be willing to be out there right Lebron Katie
(16:16):
you know these guys are out there. You know Katie's
active on social media that Jokich, I believe doesn't even
have social media. Every time you try to bait him
into a controversial quote, he defers. You know, tried to
bait him into conversation about the MVP, just kept saying
how great Joe el Embiid was. So that's the problem
is is that there are some guys that I just
(16:37):
don't know, like want to be promoted. Like Tim Duncan
was obviously the cliche perfect example, like one of the
most gifted basketball players ever, but he just didn't want
anything that had to do with something that wasn't related
to him.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Not to be the face of the NBA. You can
still be the face of the team. Would not be
in the face of the NBA, though.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
But he is the face of the team, is he not?
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Yeah? Yeah, but they have to do a better I
guess Perkins is saying of making him the face of
the team.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
And what I'm saying is you can try, but if
the guy has no interest in that role, it makes
it harder, you know what I'm saying, Like, like Tim
Duncan won the same number of titles in the same
era as Kobe Bryant. Yet I think like when you
think of that era, you just I think you think
more of Kobe than Tim Duncan. But part of it
was because Tim Duncan wasn't out there. And it's not
(17:24):
a knock on the late Kobe Bryant. I mean he's
allowed to earn a living and do commercials and put
himself out there and be in movies and do whatever.
But that just wasn't what Tim Duncan wanted, and so
I think that's what would make it hard for the NBA. Now,
some of these other younger guys. John Morant certainly likes
the camera. Unfortunately it's always on social media doing dumb things.
But you know, Yanna seems very comfortable being a face
(17:47):
of the league. I just don't know that Jokic is
necessarily that guy.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Yeah, unfortunately because with two time MVP and really could
have been a third. What do you think is gonna
happen now in Games three and four? First of all,
are you back into the series. Are you like, I'm
all in, this is gonna be good, It's going to
be close, or do you feel like Dev's still gonna
run away with it?
Speaker 4 (18:09):
I do think yesterday changed some things, because, you know,
one I thought it was interesting. You know, I heard
Mike Malone say this, and we talked about Mike Malone
last night when I was filling in for playing, but
he said, he said, guys, I told you after Game
one that I didn't think we played our best basketball.
And so you really have two games where the coaching
staff doesn't believe they play their A game. I don't
believe they played their A game. You're going back to
(18:30):
Miami and the cliche, but I think there's something to it.
Is a series doesn't start until the home team has
lost a game, right, well, the home team has lost
a team that hadn't lost at home all playoffs long.
So I think this is a series. Can I convince
myself that Miami is going to win three out of
the next five. I don't know that I can convince
myself that, but I don't think it's out of the
(18:52):
question that they win the series. And I would have
said that thirty six hours ago before the start of
game game two last night.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
You know, I don't like the neutral sports fan that
has no dog in the fight here, or saying, oh,
I'm pulling for Miami. I love this underdog story. It's
it's one of the best underdog stories I've ever seen
in my life. I know Nick Wright at Fox was like,
this is perhaps one of the biggest underdog stories in
the history of professional sports. I don't know, I'm not
(19:23):
feeling it like that. Maybe I'm on the outside looking
in or or whatever it is. I just feel like
maybe they were a little bit better they were an
eight seed, But I just don't have this lovable, warm,
fuzzy feeling like this is like the best story I've
ever seen in my life. Eron, you know what I mean,
just not getting that.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
This is one I'm with you on. Is it's an
interesting run. But like I mean, they made the finals
a couple of years ago, they were shot away from
making the finals last year. I don't get what the
big deal is, Like not what the big deal is.
I think it's a cool story, right, I don't think
you can this one of the great surprise runs in
(20:02):
the history just because you're a lower seeded team, Like
look at the Lakers. The Lakers made the Western Conference finals.
If they had made the finals, can you consider it
a shocker when they have one of the two or
three greatest players of all time and another Hall of Famer. No,
just because there are a seven seed doesn't make it
a stunner in the Lakers case, And just because the
heater and eight seed, I don't think it makes that
a stunner either.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Is that bad for the NBA now or pretty much
the regular season now is completely meaningless. You don't have
to be a one seed to two seed. You you
don't need a home court advantage to go far in
the playoffs. You just have to steal one game. That
can't be good for the NBA right now.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
I mean that goes without saying.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
I mean we've talked about that for years, and this
is something I've been critical of the NBA on and
it's unfortunate because the playoffs have been awesome and fun
to watch, it entertaining this year. But it's tough when
you basically acknowledge your fan to your fans that hey,
these eighty two games don't really matter, We're just trying
to get into the playoffs whatever. This has been a
(21:02):
criticism of mine of the league, and I think it
also just speaks to you know, I don't know, I
think it's it's bad for the League. I know that
they're doing the midseason tournament. They're trying to figure out
ways to get players engaged. By the way, this is
part of the Jimmy Butler conversation from earlier. I said,
part of the conversation about what makes Jimmy Butler an
elite player is that we have been conditioned to believe
(21:24):
that all that matters is in the playoffs, and few
players are better in the playoffs than Jimmy Butler. I
don't care that, with due respect, Lowry markinin hurry.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Is sixteen points in the regular season and does a
lot better in the playoffs too. So I actually got
two of them in the finals there.
Speaker 5 (21:41):
Yeah your point.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
Yeah, Jamal Murray, I think is still to a degree
coming back from injury. They're probably easing him in. And
I'll say this too, like it's tough because I'm anti
load management, but I do think there's a fine line,
like I don't know that you know, like even jokicch
even whoever, you honest, a younger guy, like any two
games is a lot of wear and tear on the
(22:04):
body when when you are judged by championship. So it's
tough because I do think it can go far too
far the other way. Uh, but I also I don't know.
It's it's a slippery slope and it's tough to determine. Okay,
sometimes a guy just needs a night off to kind
of get healthy and get right.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
But then where does it go too far? With low management?
Speaker 3 (22:22):
You know? But what you mentioned a little manager. But
there was two names that I didn't put on my
list of twenty better than Jimmy Butler. I'm surprised you
didn't say anything the two names Kawhi Leonard and Paul
George did I Did I admit them or they should
not be on that list.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
So it's funny I talked to the guys in the
back about Kawhi Leonard because your standard was won a championship, right,
better pure player than Jimmy Butler. I think Kawhi Leonard
is definitely a better peer player than he's just not
never on the court. Well, but he wanted to, you know,
took Toronto and won it. So you know that that
Fitz youer criteria, Well, it's your Robert Rory point. Robert
(22:55):
Ory helped people win championships twenty years ago as well.
I mean, but Fitzer criteria Ery Toronto. What he wanted
hit some big shots there obviously, and what.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Has he done in the playoffs since?
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Well, so are you saying you would not? What?
Speaker 4 (23:07):
Uh not? Not this iteration of Kawhi Leonard. I think
Kawhi Leonard, when he's healthy, is one of the three
most maybe probably two or three most talented players on
the planet. I mean, listen, he almost single handedly beat
the Suns in game one of that that and he did.
Excuse me, he's basically single handedly beat the Sons in
game one of that opening round series. He just can't
stay healthy. You feel bad in George, Yeah, take them
(23:31):
they leave him. I not over Jimmy Butler. I think
he's a very good player. It's no disrespect, you know.
I just don't think he's I want to take him
over Jimmy Butler. What has he done in the playoffs?
Speaker 3 (23:40):
You got Jimmy Butler high on that pedestal, do.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
You not or what I think? Part of it?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
I keep going back to the media and not us,
But a lot of people in the media have have
told us that everything that you do in the playoffs matters,
and so it's hard for me to get like Donovan
Mitchell's an incredibly.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I was just gonna break himup. I'm surprised you laughed
at that when I brought up Donovan Mitchell.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
I mean, his team couldn't even make another first round
of the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
He's a damn good player, great.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
Talent, great talent.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
But you know, you know there are other guys, By
the way, if we're talking about just the best pure
basketball talents, if you're starting a team, you could argue
when Binyama should be ahead of Jimmy Butler before he's
ever played an NBA game. You can argue argue Paul Bancaro,
who had an unbelievable rookie season. But if we're talking
about what Jimmy Butler does, the uniqueness of what he does,
(24:31):
A very good player in the regular season that becomes
superman in the postseason. That's a very unique thing. And
it's proven now time and time and time again. Three
of the last four playoffs he's carried his team to
at least the Eastern Conference Finals.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
By the way, what's gonna happen with John Moran? What
are you hearing on the latest on that?
Speaker 4 (24:50):
I think we talked about a little bit last night.
I have no fundamental issue with a half a season,
do you.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Yeah. I think that's very obsessive, to be honest with you.
But if that's what they're going to give him, I
thought it was gonna be like twenty five, twenty to
twenty five games, but you're you're here like forty forty one.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
Right, something like that.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
I mean, my whole thing is and we can talk
about this after the SEGA if you want to, Like,
I get that no law was broken, but the code
of conduct was broken in Denver, the league's code of conduct,
I should say. And the other thing is it's a
second offense. It's and it's a bad look for the league.
I think this is an important point. I had somebody
bring this up to me. The NBA is currently in
(25:32):
a media rights negotiation, right Adam silvest to go look
at Turner in the eye and ESPN and the eye
and anybody else is trying to negotiate and say like
that can't be one of the faces of your of
your operation. And if he is, you got to get
him in line really quick because it's just it's just
a bad look. And I understand Second Amendment this and
blah blah blah, it doesn't stop you from you know,
(25:55):
if your boss tells you not to do something, you
don't do it. You know, And and and the second
time especially, I felt like he was kind of flaunting
the first punishment. And so I don't blame Adam Silverphy's upset.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
We're gonna We're gonna come back. We'll get the pigs.
That's covering up next right here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
Hey, it's me Rob Parker.
Speaker 6 (26:25):
Check out my weekly MLB podcast, Inside the Parker for
twenty two minutes of piping hot baseball talk, featuring the
biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe
in analytics or the I test, We've got all the
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sofa favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob
(26:48):
Parker on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
All right, good evening, everyone, are in Torrez, Arnie span
your final segment of this show. Sitting in for the guys,
Jason Smith and his best friend Mike Carmen. By the way, tomorrow,
we're making the Saga work. So it's me and the
Saga filling in for the guys, and we're gonna make
the Saga do updates. Also here he left so you
can't hear the tough about time. He did a little bit.
Speaker 5 (27:17):
Give out the rest of his phone number.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
By the way, Oh no, we should four seven. Yeah, yeah,
my Chicago. I still have a Chicago number. Let's get
to the Progressive play of the day.
Speaker 7 (27:33):
The Golden Knights Kelvin Clock Scalley Cup Final, Game two
is over. The SmackDown the Florida Panthers. The Panthers skate off, trailing.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
The Golden Knights. Radio network Progressive is making things even easier.
They'll help you budle your home and car insurance together
so you can save on both. Learn more Progressive dot Com.
I'm or one eight hundred Progressive. Now there's a video
making the rounds tour as you saw this. It's a sportscaster,
Samantha Rivera from CBS in Miami. She's doing a live
(28:14):
shot in Las Vegas after the Game two of the
Stanley Cup and she's talking on the air live when
a Las Vegas fan tries to jump into the frame
into the picture, and she takes out her right hand
and just stiffs arm him like two or three times, saying,
(28:34):
you're not getting on TV. And I kept them off TV.
I thought that was great. That's just too much. It's unbelievable,
you know it is.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
And she actually responded on Twitter. I found her account. Yeah,
she said, this is her exact quote. Listen, I don't
give a D word. I think I can say that
on air, but just in case I can, I don't
give a D word what team you're rooting for. Get
the hell out of my face when I'm working, and
respect that I'm here to do my Yes, excited to
get back home to some classy Panthers fans for a
(29:04):
Game three.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
I love it. I love it. And she was really
giving the stiff farm, was she not? She wasn't gonna
let him in the picture.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
You know, that's like when the guy is trying to
take you down as as a ball carrier in football,
and you just keep pushing, pushing, pushing downfield, and all
of a sudden you're ten yards downfield. No, she gave
this guy a good and he deserved it.
Speaker 5 (29:26):
By the way. I mean, let the woman do her job.
But yeah, she that was.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
Better than Earl Campbell giving this.
Speaker 5 (29:32):
That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
Man, geez, they say the running back position is dead,
I'm not sure hand hurt the ball.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
She's gonna get you eight yards.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Yeah, I loved it all right. Games three and four.
Which way you look at, Miami's at home, Denver's the
two and a half point favorite, so it's you know,
not quite a pick them, but slight favorite for the
Denver Nuggets. I see Denver taking game three and four.
I've been on the Denver bandwagon from day one. I'm
not gonna change now. If this comes back to too
(30:02):
we're gonna have quite a series. But I think Denver
is the better team. I'm gonna go with Denver both games.
Speaker 5 (30:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
I think Mike Malone's message got through after last night
we were on air. I was filling in for Plank
the other day and and you know, the message right
after the game was this isn't good enough.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
This is the NBA Finals.
Speaker 4 (30:18):
So I think having you know, the the extra day
to really let that soak in and marinate, I think
that's advantaged Denver in Game three I'm not ready to
call game four for Denver yet, though I thought Miami
showed a lot of resilience yesterday. But I also think
it's kind of word doing on and we talked about
it as well. Is a couple of things. Is one
(30:39):
really outside the first five minutes of the game, and
the last probably like like Denver was the better team
for a good chunk of that game yesterday. And then
on top of that, Jokic scored a lot but was
limited in playmaking ability. I assume they're gonna want to
get him much more involved early in getting other people involved.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
Now, Games three is on Wednesday, Game four is on Friday,
and then they don't play on the weekend. No Saturday,
no Sunday game. They don't play Game five until Monday.
I was a little surprised about that. Usually we get
a weekend game, though we had How could you pass
up a whole weekend? You know?
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Yeah, I think that, you know, among the many things
that we have to complain about with Adam Silver, that's
probably another blunder on his part. So that it's Wednesday,
Friday and no Sunday.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
No, No, it's Wednesday, Friday, no game Saturday, no game Sunday.
They'll play Game five on Monday, game six on Thursday,
and if there's a Game seven, that will be on
the following Sunday. So it will take us six days
to play two games and a week to play three games.
So that's crazy, you know. Yeah, you're dragging it out there,
(31:48):
Gotta have the game seven on a Sunday though, you know. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
I also thought during the conference finals, and like earlier
in the playoffs, they played too much like it was
every other night, where I thought for sure there were
years past where there was more of a between games.
So the schedule feels like it's been weird, but yet
to not have a game on Sunday, that feels very,
very very strange to me. That you could have done Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday,
Saturday or Sunday, and then you get a Thursday and
(32:12):
a Saturday or a Sunday. Maybe they have metrics that
say that people are more likely to watch during the
week when they're at home as opposed to on the weekend,
But I always remember there being a game on that
second Sunday night once the final start.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
Are you taking anybody in the Stanley Cup? Vegas already
up two games nothing, so I assume you're jumping on
that bandwagon, right.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
Yeah, I probably gotta go Vegas. I mean they're up
to Oh by the way, I'll be in Vegas on Thursday.
Game three will be going on, so I might have
to find a watch party somewhere. I might have to
grab my Night's jersey and enjoy myself.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
Oh, if you get you gotta watch it at the pool, right.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
You know they're not going to the stadium swim. It's
it's off it's too far off the store. It's a
great spot. I've been there. It's what I'm talking about, right, Yeah,
stadium swim, it's at Circa. It's a great spot.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
That's it. Yes, it's just.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
A twenty minute drive off the strip. And you know
when I'm in town, you know, tours doesn't venture too
far off the strip.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
Yeah, that place looks like it's rocking. We gotta thanks, yeah,
thank you very much. Tanks the justin Frosburg of course,
our producer out there, Iowa Sam our technical director, the
Seger of course on the updates. Remember me and the
Sager back tomorrow. I'll tell you about that. Uh of course, Uh,
thanks a lot. To Smith and Harmon for letting us
(33:18):
fill in. We appreciate that. Coming up next big Ben
Mallor Did I get that right? Is he coming up next?
Speaker 5 (33:27):
It would Ben Maller. I can see him from here.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
Gotta guy. Didn't know that guy takes so much vacation days.
So stick around for Big Ben, remember the Sager, and
I back tomorrow for the guys right here on 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 Foxsports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every night on the
iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
If you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Oh that is us. Good evening, everybody, Aaron Torres, Arni
Spanier As we're broadcasting live from the tierrach dot com
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(00:53):
bonus hour of the show. Torres and Spaniards sitting in
for the guys Jason Smith and his best friend Mike Harmon.
We're two minutes away. We'll start getting into Games three
and four. We'll put behind this what happened in the
first two games. More on that, Kyrie lebron I guess
bogus wishful story. We'll get to that too. Toris, you're
(01:13):
gonna give me an update on what's going on with
the PAC twelve. I told you I had a real rumor.
And who's gonna replace Shannon Sharp with a skip? I
got to get to that. Also, I didn't pay off
on the tea's there? Can I real quick? Can I
just bring up one thing that's really not sports related?
Speaker 4 (01:31):
I mean you can what I mean, they can cut
your mic in the back. They might have to, but
you can try.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Gig Srpa, Gigi Shrpa. You don't know who that guy is.
I don't know who the guy is. Oh, stop it.
I just want to say this guy you want to
talk about a hero?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (01:48):
I know this story.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yeah. He was taking a private client up Mount Everest
when he noticed that somebody was dying just five hundred
meters from the summit. He goes, oh, I'll just run
over there. I'll wrap him up in a sleeping bag,
I'll give him oxygen, I'll tie him to my back,
and then I'll hike six hours down the mountain and
save the guy's life. Because usually when something goes wrong
(02:10):
and you're up there, they just let you die. You
know that, right, there's people up there that matter of fact,
they use dead people as mile markers, as like, hey,
here's the guy that's dead with the green shoes on
and stuff like that. This guy would have easily died
up there, and he carries him on his back six hours.
Is that any bucket list thing for you to do
is to climb up Mount Everest? Is that something you
(02:30):
want to do Torres or what?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
So?
Speaker 4 (02:32):
At one point I thought it was, and till that
story came out. No, But but part of it is
it's become so commercialized where it's like you've seen the
videos and the stories if you haven't, I know, Real
Sports on HBO did a thing about it, really, but
it's like, you know, there's a very finite amount of time,
a couple short a small window when you can actually
(02:54):
make the track, and there's literally now thousands upon thousands
upon thousand people that try to do it. It's big business,
by the way, and so uh so, yeah, like like
I'm not saying it's not an accomplishment if you've done it.
I'm sure we probably have somebody listening that has done it,
but I just bring.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Out our listeners. But yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
I mean, but the point is a lot more people
than you think have actually done it because it has
become a very commercial thing to do. Uh, the country
of Nepal makes a lot of money off of it.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Really. Oh yeah, Tom, I saw there was a bunch
of people waiting to go up the next thing. There's
like about two or three hundred of them or something.
You know.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Well, and that's why kind of to your point, you know,
if if you don't make it, they just kind of
push you aside. And that's the other thing too, is
these shirpas. I mean they're putting their lives on the
line to help a you know, an orthodontist from Milwaukee
fulfill his dream. And that is a big story over there,
is like like the locals hate it because you know,
(03:54):
they they have these you know these frankly they're mostly men,
I assume, but you know, the local men are p
their lives on the line. These people aren't qualified. And
then to my point, it's become big business. And from
my understanding, like the country of Nepal, basically if you
apply for a license to do it, they're not gonna
turn you down because you got to pay thousands of
dollars to do.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Really, gosh, I didn't even know that. Yeah, no, you
your miss the hiker up there. Now, I'll look at you.
Speaker 5 (04:18):
Listen. I've watched a lot of hiking movies.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
I thought you were just gonna laugh at the story
and move on.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
No, I saw the story. I saw the story first
of all. That guy is a is a hero. There's
zeroed out about it.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
To carry a guy down six hours down, I couldn't
even walk down myself. But I couldn't even roll down
the hill by myself.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Can you wonder why your basketball league's ready to get
but you should, honestly, I know when when we get
off air, you'll probably be wired for a little bit.
You won't be able to go to bed, do some
googling it. It is huge business there the locals. I
think it's kind of a you know, a gif take
right is. I think the locals kind of understand the
commerce that it brings in, the money that it brings in.
(04:58):
But it also drives people crazy because, like I said,
it's now thousands of people, most of them frankly, aren't
you know, physically capable of actually doing it. To your point,
A lot of people don't make it out alive. So
it is a real thing. It's a real thing.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Well, if any of our listeners did text it or
tweet in. I'm kind of curious now to see if
anybody's ever attempted it and got up and down the summit,
So we'll see if anybody tweets on in on that one.
All right, we got a lot to talk about, obviously
the game. But first, you know, we had Mark Medina
on earlier today. Does him coming on change your mind
(05:32):
anything about the Kyrie Lebron rumor about going to Dallas.
You know, everybody's just kind of just shrugging that off.
If anything, you think that Kyrie wants to go to
Los Angeles. I think that's more of a long shot
that actually Lebron going out to Dallas. But everybody seems
to be shrugging it off, like it's just zero possibility
of that happening.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Right by the way to the last conversation, I did
a quick Google search. Twenty eighteen, two hundred and ninety
people die on Mount Everest and a third of them.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
Were local shurpass in one year, in one year.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, two hundred ninety people total.
I'm sorry told yeah, obviously, yeah, I apologize.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
That is it? That is wow, bad under on my part.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Yeah, but uh, but about a third this was in
twenty eighteen, ninety four have been surpassed. By comparison, just
thirteen Americans, a leading nationality of climbers, have died on
the mountain. During the first real second.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
I think I'm gonna have to pass on that one.
Then you know what I'm saying, You're.
Speaker 5 (06:31):
Gonna go to the grave without that one.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's like certain I'm at the point
now where there's like certain things I'm just over and
like I've I've surpassed that point in my life. Like
I'm just never gonna take a tequilo shot again. I
just have no interest in doing it. It makes me sick.
I'm not gonna feel with the same way, yeah, the
same way I have zero interest in ever riding a
roller coaster again. Now, maybe listen if I have a
(06:54):
kid or something.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
And then like Tom Brady, what's going on?
Speaker 4 (06:57):
You know, I didn't see that story until you threw
it on the rundown with thirty seven thousand other stories,
But I did see that.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Yeah, I'm just said at that point, that's so funny.
All right. Anyway back to Kyrie and Lebron, where do
you sit on that now that word three hours. Actually
the report came out much earlier today, So now that
you've had the whole day to resonate over the whole thing.
Is it just more of what a wishful thinking for Kyrie?
Why did they put it out? You think it's because
maybe Lebron wants to have a little leverage with the Lakers.
(07:27):
I don't know. I thought maybe you could have like
a twenty percent chance of actually Lebron thinking about it
if they would reward him with drafting Bronny. But that's
the reason I could see him wanting to do it. Plus,
it would be a pretty good three, I think Kyrie, Lebron,
and Luca. I don't know how you'd work out that trade,
but if those three played together, I'd make them the
(07:48):
favorite to win the championship. With those three, that's for.
Speaker 5 (07:50):
Sure, you'd make them the favorite to win the championship.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Oh? Absolutely, Oh you don't think that's a good three
right there? What are you kidding me? I don't know
if there'd be anybody better than that.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Yeah, I just go back to what we just saw
at the Phoenix Suns, and Kyrie doesn't even really play
that much so that that's part of it too. By
the way, Kyrie, what is the stat I think he's
won one playoff series since he I think maybe two
playoff series total since he left Lebron.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
So let's call spadas bade here.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
So with Kyrie and Lebron or with Kyrie, I think
this was a coordinated effort by Lebron and Kyrie. My
belief is that, first of all, it's clearly want to
play together. I don't think it's a coincidence that Kyrie
just so happens to keep showing up at events at
Crypto dot com Arena, including Game four of the Western
Conference Finals, and I think they want this to happen.
(08:41):
And so I think this was an effort by Lebron
to kind of let the Lakers know, Hey, there's other
people that want me, there's interest in me, and if
you guys aren't getting serious about putting together a championship
team around me, then I'm willing to look at other options.
I would continue that conversation by basically saying that I
think it's also worth considering. I think he has a
(09:02):
championship caliber roster around him right now. I know it
sounds crazy. They just got swept by the Nuggets. But
as I said, second best team or excuse me, best
team in the regular season after the NBA trade deadline.
It's also worth noting I think it's important Mart mcteede
brought this up. Yeah, because of the hole that they
dug themselves early in the season. They had to play
(09:24):
basically playoff games all February, March and April. Whereas if
you can space it out, if your every game isn't
a high leverage game, you're a little healthier going into
the playoffs, You're a little fresher going into the playoffs,
and then I just don't think you know what happens.
I mean, I think it's easy to sit here and
say the Nuggets, if they win the championship, it's a
budding dynasty and blah blah blah. And how many times
have we said stuff like that about young teams. So
(09:45):
that is a very long winning way of me saying
I think that Lebron and Kyrie probably worked together to
get that story out. I do think they want to
play together. I don't believe it will be in Dallas though.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Now Mark also told us about what Kareem had the
same about when Kareem we retired. Lebron brought up the
retirement ward after Denver swept him four games to nothing,
just out of curiosity. When do you think Lebron will retire?
And I don't mean year wise. When will we retire
when he could no longer dominate the scoring when he
does get up there in age, when he starts playing
(10:18):
for losing teams, when he starts averaging like twelve points
a game like Michael did, what will he retire? What
do you think he's gonna say? Is enough is enough?
I think when he starts losing the scoring, he'll start
saying enough.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
You know, Yeah, it's a great question. Actually, what do
you what do you think so so say that again?
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I think it's I Look, he could maybe when he
plays on a bunch of losing teams he'll say enough,
But if he's still playing at a high level, I
don't think that would bother him as much. I think
once he loses his scoring ability and he starts averaging
less than like twenty a game, or you know, it
starts going down, I think that's what we'll start considering
retirement when he can no longer have those those big nights,
(10:57):
you know.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
Yeah, I think two things stand. At one, he is
going to stay until Bronnie gets the league. And then
what I'm curious about. I know it's easy to sit
here and say, oh, I'm staying and I'm playing with
my son. If like the Utah Jazz draft Bronni, he's
really going to Utah to play his final year with,
you know, with his son.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
I wouldn't think.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
So That's what I mean.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
So that's why whoever drafts him has to do it
on the on the know that Lebron probably comes with
a package deal.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
You know, well, he claims he's going wherever some goes.
I don't know that I believe that though, and so
that element of it. And then I think once you
get past playing with Bronni, I just think it's a
what level are you competing at? And I don't think
Lebron has it in his ego to be like a
role player like I think once he's And I know
(11:48):
you could argue Anthony Davis had better moments in the playoffs,
for sure, I'm not gonna argue that, But it was
still Lebron Game four against the Nuggets when they needed
somebody to step up that he played his best, and
so I think when he's not really the kind of
the quote unquote star of the team, I can't see
him being like a you know, a fifth guy facilitator,
(12:13):
playing with whoever whatever young star it is at that time.
Speaker 5 (12:16):
I think he's gotta be the center.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
You know, if he was playing like and I'll give
you an example like Clay Thompson right now, I think
he might retire next year. I agree, you know, coming
back from what two years missing, Obviously Clay's lost the
you know, more than just a step. Clay is barely
a number two if you even considered him a number two.
Maybe Draymond's the number two. I think if if that
(12:39):
was Lebron in that situation, I think he'd be gone.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
You know, I agree, I agree, And that's my point
is that I you know, physically, I mean, listen, he
can't do it every single night. He can't put a
team on his back like he did in twenty eighteen,
you know, against the Celtics in that Eastern Conference finals.
He's still got a lot left in the tank, all
things considered, with age and everything. But you know, I
think what is clear that he's not the star, the
(13:03):
focal point and then also God willing, I hope there
aren't major injuries, right, because that was what took down
Kobe at the end, which was just two or three
major injuries back to back, and he wasn't the same player.
So I hope it's not injuries. I hope it's just age,
but that would be my assumption.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
All Right, we'll come back, we'll start looking at Games
three and four. How that's gonna play. We gotta get
to a little football also, so plenty to get to.
Aaron Torres, Arnie Spanier in for the guys, Jason Smith
and his best friend Mike Harmon right here on Fox
Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
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 iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Good eything everyone, Aaron Torres, Arnie Spanier in for the guys,
Jason Smith and his best friend Mike Carmon. All right,
before we get the Games three and four, breaking news
news which I should have gotten to, like two hours ago.
Six time pro bowler NFL running back Lashawn McCoy is
(14:09):
emerging as the early possible contender to succeed shann and
Sharp as Skip Bayles's debate partner on Undisputed. So I
guess they're gonna bring in the former running back to
have an extended audition with Bayless. One Sharp takes his
contract buyout from Fox Sports. So was Shawn McCoy. I
(14:32):
know he said a couple of controversial things a couple
months ago about something I remember off the top of
my head. So I'm curious to see how they're going
to gel. Really thought I was going to get the job.
But that's what I was gonna say.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
The real breaking news here is that Arnie Spanner yesterday
said that the rumor was that it was going to
be skipping Arnie.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
It was I thought it was.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
And so you're either a liar or you have really
bad sources or bad source catfish. You got catfishing, you
got an email from an Jerian prince, You're gonna be
with Skip?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
All that? I don't I don't want to say anything.
But somebody at Fox told me to keep my phone
near me for the phone call. Oh. I think it
was justin our producer today. He told me to keep
the phone near me. Yes, I don't know if he
meant that I was going to get the job, but
he told me to keep the phone near me.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
So, by the way, Yeah, speaking of random sports media stories,
I'm just seeing this headline right now. Kendrick Perkins believes
ESPN should do a better job of promoting Nikola Jokic.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Yeah I saw that. Yeah, huh huh.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
I could have sworn Perk was the guy that said
it was racist to vote Jokic for MVP.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
He was.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Now he will say that he didn't say that, but
he did. He certainly implied it.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Now, how are you supposed to promote him?
Speaker 6 (15:45):
Though?
Speaker 3 (15:45):
You know, it's just like Will Ferrell in the movie
where you know you're doing you're wrestling a bear or
something like that. How exactly are you supposed to promote
him a little bit more? That's what I don't understand.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
Well, i'll tell you.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
You know, this conversation that we've had, I remember having
it with you about show. Heyo, Tom is, I don't
know how you get a guy. See, here's the thing
is that some guy like it's not just that he's good.
Here's the problem is the person has to want want
to be willing to be out there right Lebron Katie
(16:16):
you know these guys are out there. You know Katie's
active on social media that Jokich, I believe doesn't even
have social media. Every time you try to bait him
into a controversial quote, he defers. You know, tried to
bait him into conversation about the MVP, just kept saying
how great Joe el Embiid was. So that's the problem
is is that there are some guys that I just
(16:37):
don't know, like want to be promoted. Like Tim Duncan
was obviously the cliche perfect example, like one of the
most gifted basketball players ever, but he just didn't want
anything that had to do with something that wasn't related
to him.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Not to be the face of the NBA. You can
still be the face of the team. Would not be
in the face of the NBA, though.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
But he is the face of the team, is he not?
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Yeah? Yeah, but they have to do a better I
guess Perkins is saying of making him the face of
the team.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
And what I'm saying is you can try, but if
the guy has no interest in that role, it makes
it harder, you know what I'm saying, Like, like Tim
Duncan won the same number of titles in the same
era as Kobe Bryant. Yet I think like when you
think of that era, you just I think you think
more of Kobe than Tim Duncan. But part of it
was because Tim Duncan wasn't out there. And it's not
(17:24):
a knock on the late Kobe Bryant. I mean he's
allowed to earn a living and do commercials and put
himself out there and be in movies and do whatever.
But that just wasn't what Tim Duncan wanted, and so
I think that's what would make it hard for the NBA. Now,
some of these other younger guys. John Morant certainly likes
the camera. Unfortunately it's always on social media doing dumb things.
But you know, Yanna seems very comfortable being a face
(17:47):
of the league. I just don't know that Jokic is
necessarily that guy.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Yeah, unfortunately because with two time MVP and really could
have been a third. What do you think is gonna
happen now in Games three and four? First of all,
are you back into the series. Are you like, I'm
all in, this is gonna be good, It's going to
be close, or do you feel like Dev's still gonna
run away with it?
Speaker 4 (18:09):
I do think yesterday changed some things, because, you know,
one I thought it was interesting. You know, I heard
Mike Malone say this, and we talked about Mike Malone
last night when I was filling in for playing, but
he said, he said, guys, I told you after Game
one that I didn't think we played our best basketball.
And so you really have two games where the coaching
staff doesn't believe they play their A game. I don't
believe they played their A game. You're going back to
(18:30):
Miami and the cliche, but I think there's something to it.
Is a series doesn't start until the home team has
lost a game, right, well, the home team has lost
a team that hadn't lost at home all playoffs long.
So I think this is a series. Can I convince
myself that Miami is going to win three out of
the next five. I don't know that I can convince
myself that, but I don't think it's out of the
(18:52):
question that they win the series. And I would have
said that thirty six hours ago before the start of
game game two last night.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
You know, I don't like the neutral sports fan that
has no dog in the fight here, or saying, oh,
I'm pulling for Miami. I love this underdog story. It's
it's one of the best underdog stories I've ever seen
in my life. I know Nick Wright at Fox was like,
this is perhaps one of the biggest underdog stories in
the history of professional sports. I don't know, I'm not
(19:23):
feeling it like that. Maybe I'm on the outside looking
in or or whatever it is. I just feel like
maybe they were a little bit better they were an
eight seed, But I just don't have this lovable, warm,
fuzzy feeling like this is like the best story I've
ever seen in my life. Eron, you know what I mean,
just not getting that.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
This is one I'm with you on. Is it's an
interesting run. But like I mean, they made the finals
a couple of years ago, they were shot away from
making the finals last year. I don't get what the
big deal is, Like not what the big deal is.
I think it's a cool story, right, I don't think
you can this one of the great surprise runs in
(20:02):
the history just because you're a lower seeded team, Like
look at the Lakers. The Lakers made the Western Conference finals.
If they had made the finals, can you consider it
a shocker when they have one of the two or
three greatest players of all time and another Hall of Famer. No,
just because there are a seven seed doesn't make it
a stunner in the Lakers case, And just because the
heater and eight seed, I don't think it makes that
a stunner either.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Is that bad for the NBA now or pretty much
the regular season now is completely meaningless. You don't have
to be a one seed to two seed. You you
don't need a home court advantage to go far in
the playoffs. You just have to steal one game. That
can't be good for the NBA right now.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
I mean that goes without saying.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
I mean we've talked about that for years, and this
is something I've been critical of the NBA on and
it's unfortunate because the playoffs have been awesome and fun
to watch, it entertaining this year. But it's tough when
you basically acknowledge your fan to your fans that hey,
these eighty two games don't really matter, We're just trying
to get into the playoffs whatever. This has been a
(21:02):
criticism of mine of the league, and I think it
also just speaks to you know, I don't know, I
think it's it's bad for the League. I know that
they're doing the midseason tournament. They're trying to figure out
ways to get players engaged. By the way, this is
part of the Jimmy Butler conversation from earlier. I said,
part of the conversation about what makes Jimmy Butler an
elite player is that we have been conditioned to believe
(21:24):
that all that matters is in the playoffs, and few
players are better in the playoffs than Jimmy Butler. I
don't care that, with due respect, Lowry markinin hurry.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Is sixteen points in the regular season and does a
lot better in the playoffs too. So I actually got
two of them in the finals there.
Speaker 5 (21:41):
Yeah your point.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
Yeah, Jamal Murray, I think is still to a degree
coming back from injury. They're probably easing him in. And
I'll say this too, like it's tough because I'm anti
load management, but I do think there's a fine line,
like I don't know that you know, like even jokicch
even whoever, you honest, a younger guy, like any two
games is a lot of wear and tear on the
(22:04):
body when when you are judged by championship. So it's
tough because I do think it can go far too
far the other way. Uh, but I also I don't know.
It's it's a slippery slope and it's tough to determine. Okay,
sometimes a guy just needs a night off to kind
of get healthy and get right.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
But then where does it go too far? With low management?
Speaker 3 (22:22):
You know? But what you mentioned a little manager. But
there was two names that I didn't put on my
list of twenty better than Jimmy Butler. I'm surprised you
didn't say anything the two names Kawhi Leonard and Paul
George did I Did I admit them or they should
not be on that list.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
So it's funny I talked to the guys in the
back about Kawhi Leonard because your standard was won a championship, right,
better pure player than Jimmy Butler. I think Kawhi Leonard
is definitely a better peer player than he's just not
never on the court. Well, but he wanted to, you know,
took Toronto and won it. So you know that that
Fitz youer criteria, Well, it's your Robert Rory point. Robert
(22:55):
Ory helped people win championships twenty years ago as well.
I mean, but Fitzer criteria Ery Toronto. What he wanted
hit some big shots there obviously, and what.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Has he done in the playoffs since?
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Well, so are you saying you would not? What?
Speaker 4 (23:07):
Uh not? Not this iteration of Kawhi Leonard. I think
Kawhi Leonard, when he's healthy, is one of the three
most maybe probably two or three most talented players on
the planet. I mean, listen, he almost single handedly beat
the Suns in game one of that that and he did.
Excuse me, he's basically single handedly beat the Sons in
game one of that opening round series. He just can't
stay healthy. You feel bad in George, Yeah, take them
(23:31):
they leave him. I not over Jimmy Butler. I think
he's a very good player. It's no disrespect, you know.
I just don't think he's I want to take him
over Jimmy Butler. What has he done in the playoffs?
Speaker 3 (23:40):
You got Jimmy Butler high on that pedestal, do.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
You not or what I think? Part of it?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
I keep going back to the media and not us,
But a lot of people in the media have have
told us that everything that you do in the playoffs matters,
and so it's hard for me to get like Donovan
Mitchell's an incredibly.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I was just gonna break himup. I'm surprised you laughed
at that when I brought up Donovan Mitchell.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
I mean, his team couldn't even make another first round
of the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
He's a damn good player, great.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
Talent, great talent.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
But you know, you know there are other guys, By
the way, if we're talking about just the best pure
basketball talents, if you're starting a team, you could argue
when Binyama should be ahead of Jimmy Butler before he's
ever played an NBA game. You can argue argue Paul Bancaro,
who had an unbelievable rookie season. But if we're talking
about what Jimmy Butler does, the uniqueness of what he does,
(24:31):
A very good player in the regular season that becomes
superman in the postseason. That's a very unique thing. And
it's proven now time and time and time again. Three
of the last four playoffs he's carried his team to
at least the Eastern Conference Finals.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
By the way, what's gonna happen with John Moran? What
are you hearing on the latest on that?
Speaker 4 (24:50):
I think we talked about a little bit last night.
I have no fundamental issue with a half a season,
do you.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Yeah. I think that's very obsessive, to be honest with you.
But if that's what they're going to give him, I
thought it was gonna be like twenty five, twenty to
twenty five games, but you're you're here like forty forty one.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
Right, something like that.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
I mean, my whole thing is and we can talk
about this after the SEGA if you want to, Like,
I get that no law was broken, but the code
of conduct was broken in Denver, the league's code of conduct,
I should say. And the other thing is it's a
second offense. It's and it's a bad look for the league.
I think this is an important point. I had somebody
bring this up to me. The NBA is currently in
(25:32):
a media rights negotiation, right Adam silvest to go look
at Turner in the eye and ESPN and the eye
and anybody else is trying to negotiate and say like
that can't be one of the faces of your of
your operation. And if he is, you got to get
him in line really quick because it's just it's just
a bad look. And I understand Second Amendment this and
blah blah blah, it doesn't stop you from you know,
(25:55):
if your boss tells you not to do something, you
don't do it. You know, And and and the second
time especially, I felt like he was kind of flaunting
the first punishment. And so I don't blame Adam Silverphy's upset.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
We're gonna We're gonna come back. We'll get the pigs.
That's covering up next right here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
Hey, it's me Rob Parker.
Speaker 6 (26:25):
Check out my weekly MLB podcast, Inside the Parker for
twenty two minutes of piping hot baseball talk, featuring the
biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe
in analytics or the I test, We've got all the
bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, So do your
sofa favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob
(26:48):
Parker on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
All right, good evening, everyone, are in Torrez, Arnie span
your final segment of this show. Sitting in for the guys,
Jason Smith and his best friend Mike Carmen. By the way, tomorrow,
we're making the Saga work. So it's me and the
Saga filling in for the guys, and we're gonna make
the Saga do updates. Also here he left so you
can't hear the tough about time. He did a little bit.
Speaker 5 (27:17):
Give out the rest of his phone number.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
By the way, Oh no, we should four seven. Yeah, yeah,
my Chicago. I still have a Chicago number. Let's get
to the Progressive play of the day.
Speaker 7 (27:33):
The Golden Knights Kelvin Clock Scalley Cup Final, Game two
is over. The SmackDown the Florida Panthers. The Panthers skate off, trailing.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
The Golden Knights. Radio network Progressive is making things even easier.
They'll help you budle your home and car insurance together
so you can save on both. Learn more Progressive dot Com.
I'm or one eight hundred Progressive. Now there's a video
making the rounds tour as you saw this. It's a sportscaster,
Samantha Rivera from CBS in Miami. She's doing a live
(28:14):
shot in Las Vegas after the Game two of the
Stanley Cup and she's talking on the air live when
a Las Vegas fan tries to jump into the frame
into the picture, and she takes out her right hand
and just stiffs arm him like two or three times, saying,
(28:34):
you're not getting on TV. And I kept them off TV.
I thought that was great. That's just too much. It's unbelievable,
you know it is.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
And she actually responded on Twitter. I found her account. Yeah,
she said, this is her exact quote. Listen, I don't
give a D word. I think I can say that
on air, but just in case I can, I don't
give a D word what team you're rooting for. Get
the hell out of my face when I'm working, and
respect that I'm here to do my Yes, excited to
get back home to some classy Panthers fans for a
(29:04):
Game three.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
I love it. I love it. And she was really
giving the stiff farm, was she not? She wasn't gonna
let him in the picture.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
You know, that's like when the guy is trying to
take you down as as a ball carrier in football,
and you just keep pushing, pushing, pushing downfield, and all
of a sudden you're ten yards downfield. No, she gave
this guy a good and he deserved it.
Speaker 5 (29:26):
By the way. I mean, let the woman do her job.
But yeah, she that was.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
Better than Earl Campbell giving this.
Speaker 5 (29:32):
That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
Man, geez, they say the running back position is dead,
I'm not sure hand hurt the ball.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
She's gonna get you eight yards.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Yeah, I loved it all right. Games three and four.
Which way you look at, Miami's at home, Denver's the
two and a half point favorite, so it's you know,
not quite a pick them, but slight favorite for the
Denver Nuggets. I see Denver taking game three and four.
I've been on the Denver bandwagon from day one. I'm
not gonna change now. If this comes back to too
(30:02):
we're gonna have quite a series. But I think Denver
is the better team. I'm gonna go with Denver both games.
Speaker 5 (30:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
I think Mike Malone's message got through after last night
we were on air. I was filling in for Plank
the other day and and you know, the message right
after the game was this isn't good enough.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
This is the NBA Finals.
Speaker 4 (30:18):
So I think having you know, the the extra day
to really let that soak in and marinate, I think
that's advantaged Denver in Game three I'm not ready to
call game four for Denver yet, though I thought Miami
showed a lot of resilience yesterday. But I also think
it's kind of word doing on and we talked about
it as well. Is a couple of things. Is one
(30:39):
really outside the first five minutes of the game, and
the last probably like like Denver was the better team
for a good chunk of that game yesterday. And then
on top of that, Jokic scored a lot but was
limited in playmaking ability. I assume they're gonna want to
get him much more involved early in getting other people involved.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
Now, Games three is on Wednesday, Game four is on Friday,
and then they don't play on the weekend. No Saturday,
no Sunday game. They don't play Game five until Monday.
I was a little surprised about that. Usually we get
a weekend game, though we had How could you pass
up a whole weekend? You know?
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Yeah, I think that, you know, among the many things
that we have to complain about with Adam Silver, that's
probably another blunder on his part. So that it's Wednesday,
Friday and no Sunday.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
No, No, it's Wednesday, Friday, no game Saturday, no game Sunday.
They'll play Game five on Monday, game six on Thursday,
and if there's a Game seven, that will be on
the following Sunday. So it will take us six days
to play two games and a week to play three games.
So that's crazy, you know. Yeah, you're dragging it out there,
(31:48):
Gotta have the game seven on a Sunday though, you know. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
I also thought during the conference finals, and like earlier
in the playoffs, they played too much like it was
every other night, where I thought for sure there were
years past where there was more of a between games.
So the schedule feels like it's been weird, but yet
to not have a game on Sunday, that feels very,
very very strange to me. That you could have done Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday,
Saturday or Sunday, and then you get a Thursday and
(32:12):
a Saturday or a Sunday. Maybe they have metrics that
say that people are more likely to watch during the
week when they're at home as opposed to on the weekend,
But I always remember there being a game on that
second Sunday night once the final start.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
Are you taking anybody in the Stanley Cup? Vegas already
up two games nothing, so I assume you're jumping on
that bandwagon, right.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
Yeah, I probably gotta go Vegas. I mean they're up
to Oh by the way, I'll be in Vegas on Thursday.
Game three will be going on, so I might have
to find a watch party somewhere. I might have to
grab my Night's jersey and enjoy myself.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
Oh, if you get you gotta watch it at the pool, right.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
You know they're not going to the stadium swim. It's
it's off it's too far off the store. It's a
great spot. I've been there. It's what I'm talking about, right, Yeah,
stadium swim, it's at Circa. It's a great spot.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
That's it. Yes, it's just.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
A twenty minute drive off the strip. And you know
when I'm in town, you know, tours doesn't venture too
far off the strip.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
Yeah, that place looks like it's rocking. We gotta thanks, yeah,
thank you very much. Tanks the justin Frosburg of course,
our producer out there, Iowa Sam our technical director, the
Seger of course on the updates. Remember me and the
Sager back tomorrow. I'll tell you about that. Uh of course, Uh,
thanks a lot. To Smith and Harmon for letting us
(33:18):
fill in. We appreciate that. Coming up next big Ben
Mallor Did I get that right? Is he coming up next?
Speaker 5 (33:27):
It would Ben Maller. I can see him from here.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
Gotta guy. Didn't know that guy takes so much vacation days.
So stick around for Big Ben, remember the Sager, and
I back tomorrow for the guys right here on Fox
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