August 15, 2025 • 13 mins
Role players deserve more credit for saving NBA superstars in critical moments, as these supporting cast members have preserved and elevated the legacies of basketball's greatest players.
• Supporting cast members (anyone outside the top two players) have repeatedly saved superstars at crucial moments
• JR Smith's defensive intervention made LeBron's famous 2016 Finals block on Iguodala possible
• Ray Allen's corner three in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals saved LeBron's legacy after he scored 16 points in the fourth quarter
• Ron Artest's clutch three in Game 7 of the 2010 Finals preserved Kobe Bryant's championship against Boston
• Derek Fisher's .4 second shot against the Spurs in 2004 kept the Lakers' playoff hopes alive
• Robert Horry's game-winner against the Kings in the 2002 playoffs prevented a devastating 3-1 deficit
• John Paxson's three-pointer in the 1993 Finals preserved Jordan's perfect Finals record and prevented a Game 7
Please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and tell anyone who's anyone about the show as we continue to explore these fascinating NBA discussions.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's up everybody?
It's your favorite show'sfavorite show Get a Bucket.
I'm your host, trey, and, asusual, I hope you're all having
a wonderful, wonderful day Now.
Today we're going to talk aboutsaving NBA stars, but before we
do that, please make sure tohit that like and subscribe
button.
Comment, tell anyone who'sanyone about the show, trying to
get the ratings up a little bit.
You know, just a little bit.
But, like I said, we're going totalk about saving NBA stars
(00:22):
because, believe it or not, Ithink a lot of times we actually
don't give enough credit to therole players.
Role players for me, is anyoneoutside of the top two.
A big three, like the third ofthe big three, can actually, in
fact, count as a role player.
All right, just saying so,let's give off a couple of
(00:43):
examples of when stars areshaved by their role plays.
Now, as y'all can see, herewe're going to 2016.
Now, yes, I know some of y'allare thinking Kyrie Irving.
He saved him, right, he savedBraun.
Hey, bro, that shot over StephCurry.
(01:03):
That jump was tough and I hateit because you know what I'm
saying.
I'm a Steph Curry fan, but I'malso a Kyrie Irving fan.
He went to Duke.
You know what I'm saying.
I'm a Duke fan.
Roof, roof, right.
I hear that that's actually notwhat I'm talking about.
I'm actually talking about theJR Smith intervention, like when
he intervened and got in theway of Andre Iguodala.
(01:26):
Andre Iguodala has the pumpfake that allows for the LeBron
James saving block.
So we talk about that block,but we don't ever really talk
about JR Smith.
So I just wanted to make sure Igave my flowers to JR Smith.
Tip of the cap for you, buddy,because you helped LeBron make
(01:46):
can make that block, if not, Idon't know.
Braun gister, uber athletic itwas a little far out though, so
I'm just saying you got to givelove, but that's an example.
That's one example of your, ofyour supporting cast saving your
stars.
All right, that's one example.
Um, I hear you hear y'all,actually, y'all don't like that
one.
Y'all don't like that one.
All right, that's cool, that'scool.
(02:08):
How about when we go to 2013?
We're going to go 2013.
Spurs versus Heat, spurs versusHeat Y'all see this, y'all see
this right.
Keep in mind, that was gameseven that I talked about.
On the last one, right, spursversus Heat.
Yeah, this is game six that Iwant to harp on just a little
(02:28):
bit.
Let's zoom in right here, rightthere, now.
As y'all can see, this is aclose game 103-100.
Get in just a little bit more.
There, it is right there103-100,.
Ladies and gentlemen, this was agood one, because Ray Allen has
been stated and I guess somepeople say that Ray Allen saved
(02:55):
LeBron James' career or legacy,however you want to classify it
right, ray Allen and Chris Boshsaved the Miami Heat.
That is a factual statement,because if Chris Bosh does not
get the rebound from LeBronJames' missed three, we're not
talking about what Bron did inthe fourth.
I'm just talking aboutliterally what occurred right
now.
I'm not trying to slight Bron.
He doesn't get that rebound anddoes not pass it out to Ray
(03:17):
Allen, and Ray Allen does nothit that corner three.
All we're going to hear aboutis oh, braun missed the final
shot.
He's not a closer Now, keep inmind, lebron James hit 16 points
in that fourth quarter.
Buddy was hooping, he got a fewbuckets, but because he missed
yeah, we would have been talkingabout Braun a little bit
(03:37):
differently Now, like the casualfans would have been talking
about Buddy.
Oh, da-da-da-da-da-da, he's gotto do that in third.
You got to do that in third,you got to give your tip of the
cap.
You got to tip your cap to him.
Man, that's 16 points.
In the fourth, like I don'tknow what to tell you.
Like it's tough.
Yeah, you missed the three, allright, cool, whatever.
But because they made that shotthat allowed that game to be
won by the Heat to then force itto game seven so that way they
(04:00):
could win the championship.
So imagine if Braun loses andlet's say, the rest of Braun's
career goes the exact same youwin three championships.
Goat conversation's done.
It's a little bit differentconversation, I will admit.
So, again, that's anotherexample of stars saving stars.
(04:23):
I'm not talking about the stats, okay, because if you want to
look at the stats, yes, you seeLeBron James, you see Ray Allen,
right, all right, there's abig-ass gap between the two 25
points to 10, 11 points, 11rebounds to 2.
7 rebounds to 2,.
Rounding up Okay, 2.3 steals to.1.
Like we know, there's a notabledifference, all right, but
(04:44):
still you can acknowledge thatthey were saved.
Okay, fine, y'all not likingthat because y'all saying I
didn't use two bronze?
All right, cool, fine.
How about we go here?
My Lakers, my Lakers, y'alldon't think we were
saved.
We went to a game seven.
(05:05):
Ladies and gentlemen, a gameseven.
Y'all see that thing, y'all seeit right there.
It was a tough nail biter, likewe almost lost.
Kobe actually didn't score thebest, at least he wasn't the
most efficient that day.
But again he showed up in otherareas.
But you know who helped out,ron Artest.
(05:26):
Like he hit the final three forus in the game seven.
He hit that clutch three for usin that game seven versus that
Celtics squad.
Yes, he certainly did.
Now imagine, if he don't and welose again to the Celtics?
Yeah, we lost in six and thenwe would have lost in
seven.
All right, cool, I hear thatthat's twice.
(05:49):
That's a big-ass difference.
I'm sorry, like we can't talkabout Kobe the same.
It's twice.
That's a big ass difference.
I'm sorry, like we can't talkabout Kobe the same.
It's a little bit different.
It's a little bit different.
Like, yeah, that's a littletough Cause.
Now you only got onechampionship from Shaq.
People can say you lucky, youhad a good team around you Again
(06:12):
supporting Cass, helping stars.
But all right, cool.
I hear you you say that RonArtest isn't a I said, third
option.
But all right, cool, he's not agood option for supporting cast
.
Fine, how abouthere?
2004.
(06:34):
Lakers again, by the way,lakers again, spurs.
Y'all remember this, I know,y'all know this.
I know y'all know this becausethis joint was tough.
Game five Derek Fisher .4seconds left Bruh.
Look at this score right here.
(06:56):
Y'all see that, I know y'allsee that that .4
shot was insane.
And keep in mind too, ladiesand gentlemen, let's start from
game one.
They win game one, and game two, the Spurs are up 2-0.
Then we win game three, in goodfashion, by the way, in good
(07:17):
fashion, you know what I'msaying.
Then we win game four solid.
If we lose game five, that's abig difference, because this
went six.
That means we would have had tohave gone seven, which it was
possible that we win still.
That changes the like, thatchanges
the series tremendously.
(07:38):
So, again, stars saving star.
I mean supporting cast savingstars because, again, if we lose
here, no title, no, well, Iguess we didn't win the title
that season either, but still wedon't get to the no title.
No, well, I guess we didn't winthe title that season either,
(07:59):
but still we don't get to thefinals though.
Like, that's tough and we had a.
We had a.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is what itis.
We don't have to talk about it.
Let's I hear you, though.
We ain't win, all right, so weain't get saved.
How about 2002?
Although that really was stilla tremendous shot, by the way,
d-fish.
But 2002, y'all see it.
(08:20):
Burst of Kings.
Y'all know what I'm talkingabout.
Y'all know what I'm talkingabout.
Man, big shot, bob Robert Ory.
Game four,burst of Kings.
Ladies and gentlemen, this oneright here, tremendous.
Now, look at this.
Lakers win.
(08:41):
You know what I'm saying.
We won, so it's tied at gametwo.
Then they go up 2-1.
We neededthat game four.
If we're down 3-1, do you knowhow tough that is to come back
Like it's doable, saving our ass, because, again, 2-2 versus 3-1
(09:05):
.
That's a big difference.
Because then look at this theywin the very next game, nail
biter.
But if they're up 3-1, they'vewon the very next game.
Like bro, come on now.
We had to get that one.
I was going to say where did mygame 6 go?
There we go, bro, come on now.
So, yeah, we had to get thatone.
Like, like we, I'm gonna saythat.
That, that where my game six go, there we go.
(09:26):
So we had to win the next two,which, again, it's possible that
we could have won two in a row.
Those were gonnabe nail biters.
So again, ladies and gentlemen,supporting cast shaving stars
all right, but cool.
And we won the championshipthat year, by the way, just to
be clear.
But all right, cool, fine,y'all don't like that one, or at
(09:49):
least y'all feel like that'sonly one Cool.
How about this one?
Did I get the rightyear?
Yeah, 1993.
The Bulls versus the Sun.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, thiswas a good one.
But let's keep in mind this wasgame six.
All right.
Nba finals Okay, all themarbles.
(10:12):
You scroll to game six righthere.
Y'all see that one-pointvictory by the Chicago Bulls.
It was close.
Y'all seethe record 4-2.
That means, if the Suns winthis game, we're looking at
basketball a little differently.
We can't talk about Jordanbeing undefeated in the finals
(10:33):
as much because there's a chancethey lose to the Suns.
Or we can't say Jordan neverwent game seven in the finals.
That's over and done with thatperfection that Jordan has, or
the perceived perfection thatJordan has gets chipped away,
and people are already trying tochip away at that thing.
So again, the fact that he likewhat if Jordan went five and
(10:57):
one, charles Barkleygets a ring.
We're changing a lot ofbasketball.
Right now.
Shaq can't say shit to Charlesat all about stuff.
Again, we're changing a lotabout basketball.
But John Paxson hits a finalthree in game six and that
(11:18):
closes it out for him.
That wins the championship.
Yeah, jordan made the pass.
Paxson had to knock that thingdown.
If he don't, we go game seven.
Game seven, who knows whathappened.
We expect Jordan to win.
But again, we expect Jordan towin because, well, he never went
to game seven.
So that is partof the allure.
(11:40):
So again, ladies and gentlemen,again, stars saving stars.
That's a real thing and I'vegiven a couple of examples,
whether we're talking aboutoffensive or defensive, stars
saving stars.
But that does conclude the endof the episode.
But I'm curious, before we go,what did y'all think?
(12:02):
One about the episode Two,about the episode two, about the
examples that I gave.
Do y'all agree or disagreeabout stars saving stars?
I mean about supporting castsaving stars.
I've said third option can beviewed as supporting cast.
Hence Ron Artest's name wasgiven.
Like I've used multipleexamples to show that stars were
(12:23):
saved, again, legacies weresaved, whether we want to admit
it or not.
That doesn't mean that thestars needed saving because they
didn't do their job.
They did their job.
But it's a team game.
Everybody need help.
I thought so at least.
But again, I'm curious whaty'all think.
(12:44):
So definitely, please let meknow in the comments section
below Do y'all agree or disagreewith the examples I gave.
But I mean, ladies andgentlemen, that does conclude
the end of the episode.
So definitely, please make sureto continue to like, subscribe,
comment and tell anyone who'sanyone
about the show.
My name is Trey.
I'm the host of Get A Bucket.
Hope you Tell anyone who'sanyone about the show.
My name is Trey.
I'm the host of Get a Bucket.
I hope you all are having agood one.
(13:05):
Thank you all for listening.
Take care.
What's up everybody?
It's your favorite show'sfavorite show Get a Bucket.
I'm your host, trey, and, asusual, I hope you're all having
a wonderful, wonderful day Now.
Today we're going to talk aboutsaving NBA stars, but before we
do that, please make sure tohit that like and subscribe
button.
Comment, tell anyone who'sanyone about the show, trying to
get the ratings up a little bit.
You know, just a little bit.
But, like I said, we're going totalk about saving NBA stars
(00:22):
because, believe it or not, Ithink a lot of times we actually
don't give enough credit to therole players.
Role players for me, is anyoneoutside of the top two.
A big three, like the third ofthe big three, can actually, in
fact, count as a role player.
All right, just saying so,let's give off a couple of
(00:43):
examples of when stars areshaved by their role plays.
Now, as y'all can see, herewe're going to 2016.
Now, yes, I know some of y'allare thinking Kyrie Irving.
He saved him, right, he savedBraun.
Hey, bro, that shot over StephCurry.
(01:03):
That jump was tough and I hateit because you know what I'm
saying.
I'm a Steph Curry fan, but I'malso a Kyrie Irving fan.
He went to Duke.
You know what I'm saying.
I'm a Duke fan.
Roof, roof, right.
I hear that that's actually notwhat I'm talking about.
I'm actually talking about theJR Smith intervention, like when
he intervened and got in theway of Andre Iguodala.
(01:26):
Andre Iguodala has the pumpfake that allows for the LeBron
James saving block.
So we talk about that block,but we don't ever really talk
about JR Smith.
So I just wanted to make sure Igave my flowers to JR Smith.
Tip of the cap for you, buddy,because you helped LeBron make
(01:46):
can make that block, if not, Idon't know.
Braun gister, uber athletic itwas a little far out though, so
I'm just saying you got to givelove, but that's an example.
That's one example of your, ofyour supporting cast saving your
stars.
All right, that's one example.
Um, I hear you hear y'all,actually, y'all don't like that
one.
Y'all don't like that one.
All right, that's cool, that'scool.
(02:08):
How about when we go to 2013?
We're going to go 2013.
Spurs versus Heat, spurs versusHeat Y'all see this, y'all see
this right.
Keep in mind, that was gameseven that I talked about.
On the last one, right, spursversus Heat.
Yeah, this is game six that Iwant to harp on just a little
(02:28):
bit.
Let's zoom in right here, rightthere, now.
As y'all can see, this is aclose game 103-100.
Get in just a little bit more.
There, it is right there103-100,.
Ladies and gentlemen, this was agood one, because Ray Allen has
been stated and I guess somepeople say that Ray Allen saved
(02:55):
LeBron James' career or legacy,however you want to classify it
right, ray Allen and Chris Boshsaved the Miami Heat.
That is a factual statement,because if Chris Bosh does not
get the rebound from LeBronJames' missed three, we're not
talking about what Bron did inthe fourth.
I'm just talking aboutliterally what occurred right
now.
I'm not trying to slight Bron.
He doesn't get that rebound anddoes not pass it out to Ray
(03:17):
Allen, and Ray Allen does nothit that corner three.
All we're going to hear aboutis oh, braun missed the final
shot.
He's not a closer Now, keep inmind, lebron James hit 16 points
in that fourth quarter.
Buddy was hooping, he got a fewbuckets, but because he missed
yeah, we would have been talkingabout Braun a little bit
(03:37):
differently Now, like the casualfans would have been talking
about Buddy.
Oh, da-da-da-da-da-da, he's gotto do that in third.
You got to do that in third,you got to give your tip of the
cap.
You got to tip your cap to him.
Man, that's 16 points.
In the fourth, like I don'tknow what to tell you.
Like it's tough.
Yeah, you missed the three, allright, cool, whatever.
But because they made that shotthat allowed that game to be
won by the Heat to then force itto game seven so that way they
(04:00):
could win the championship.
So imagine if Braun loses andlet's say, the rest of Braun's
career goes the exact same youwin three championships.
Goat conversation's done.
It's a little bit differentconversation, I will admit.
So, again, that's anotherexample of stars saving stars.
(04:23):
I'm not talking about the stats, okay, because if you want to
look at the stats, yes, you seeLeBron James, you see Ray Allen,
right, all right, there's abig-ass gap between the two 25
points to 10, 11 points, 11rebounds to 2.
7 rebounds to 2,.
Rounding up Okay, 2.3 steals to.1.
Like we know, there's a notabledifference, all right, but
(04:44):
still you can acknowledge thatthey were saved.
Okay, fine, y'all not likingthat because y'all saying I
didn't use two bronze?
All right, cool, fine.
How about we go here?
My Lakers, my Lakers, y'alldon't think we were
saved.
We went to a game seven.
(05:05):
Ladies and gentlemen, a gameseven.
Y'all see that thing, y'all seeit right there.
It was a tough nail biter, likewe almost lost.
Kobe actually didn't score thebest, at least he wasn't the
most efficient that day.
But again he showed up in otherareas.
But you know who helped out,ron Artest.
(05:26):
Like he hit the final three forus in the game seven.
He hit that clutch three for usin that game seven versus that
Celtics squad.
Yes, he certainly did.
Now imagine, if he don't and welose again to the Celtics?
Yeah, we lost in six and thenwe would have lost in
seven.
All right, cool, I hear thatthat's twice.
(05:49):
That's a big-ass difference.
I'm sorry, like we can't talkabout Kobe the same.
It's twice.
That's a big ass difference.
I'm sorry, like we can't talkabout Kobe the same.
It's a little bit different.
It's a little bit different.
Like, yeah, that's a littletough Cause.
Now you only got onechampionship from Shaq.
People can say you lucky, youhad a good team around you Again
(06:12):
supporting Cass, helping stars.
But all right, cool.
I hear you you say that RonArtest isn't a I said, third
option.
But all right, cool, he's not agood option for supporting cast
.
Fine, how abouthere?
2004.
(06:34):
Lakers again, by the way,lakers again, spurs.
Y'all remember this, I know,y'all know this.
I know y'all know this becausethis joint was tough.
Game five Derek Fisher .4seconds left Bruh.
Look at this score right here.
(06:56):
Y'all see that, I know y'allsee that that .4
shot was insane.
And keep in mind too, ladiesand gentlemen, let's start from
game one.
They win game one, and game two, the Spurs are up 2-0.
Then we win game three, in goodfashion, by the way, in good
(07:17):
fashion, you know what I'msaying.
Then we win game four solid.
If we lose game five, that's abig difference, because this
went six.
That means we would have had tohave gone seven, which it was
possible that we win still.
That changes the like, thatchanges
the series tremendously.
(07:38):
So, again, stars saving star.
I mean supporting cast savingstars because, again, if we lose
here, no title, no, well, Iguess we didn't win the title
that season either, but still wedon't get to the no title.
No, well, I guess we didn't winthe title that season either,
(07:59):
but still we don't get to thefinals though.
Like, that's tough and we had a.
We had a.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is what itis.
We don't have to talk about it.
Let's I hear you, though.
We ain't win, all right, so weain't get saved.
How about 2002?
Although that really was stilla tremendous shot, by the way,
d-fish.
But 2002, y'all see it.
(08:20):
Burst of Kings.
Y'all know what I'm talkingabout.
Y'all know what I'm talkingabout.
Man, big shot, bob Robert Ory.
Game four,burst of Kings.
Ladies and gentlemen, this oneright here, tremendous.
Now, look at this.
Lakers win.
(08:41):
You know what I'm saying.
We won, so it's tied at gametwo.
Then they go up 2-1.
We neededthat game four.
If we're down 3-1, do you knowhow tough that is to come back
Like it's doable, saving our ass, because, again, 2-2 versus 3-1
(09:05):
.
That's a big difference.
Because then look at this theywin the very next game, nail
biter.
But if they're up 3-1, they'vewon the very next game.
Like bro, come on now.
We had to get that one.
I was going to say where did mygame 6 go?
There we go, bro, come on now.
So, yeah, we had to get thatone.
Like, like we, I'm gonna saythat.
That, that where my game six go, there we go.
(09:26):
So we had to win the next two,which, again, it's possible that
we could have won two in a row.
Those were gonnabe nail biters.
So again, ladies and gentlemen,supporting cast shaving stars
all right, but cool.
And we won the championshipthat year, by the way, just to
be clear.
But all right, cool, fine,y'all don't like that one, or at
(09:49):
least y'all feel like that'sonly one Cool.
How about this one?
Did I get the rightyear?
Yeah, 1993.
The Bulls versus the Sun.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, thiswas a good one.
But let's keep in mind this wasgame six.
All right.
Nba finals Okay, all themarbles.
(10:12):
You scroll to game six righthere.
Y'all see that one-pointvictory by the Chicago Bulls.
It was close.
Y'all seethe record 4-2.
That means, if the Suns winthis game, we're looking at
basketball a little differently.
We can't talk about Jordanbeing undefeated in the finals
(10:33):
as much because there's a chancethey lose to the Suns.
Or we can't say Jordan neverwent game seven in the finals.
That's over and done with thatperfection that Jordan has, or
the perceived perfection thatJordan has gets chipped away,
and people are already trying tochip away at that thing.
So again, the fact that he likewhat if Jordan went five and
(10:57):
one, charles Barkleygets a ring.
We're changing a lot ofbasketball.
Right now.
Shaq can't say shit to Charlesat all about stuff.
Again, we're changing a lotabout basketball.
But John Paxson hits a finalthree in game six and that
(11:18):
closes it out for him.
That wins the championship.
Yeah, jordan made the pass.
Paxson had to knock that thingdown.
If he don't, we go game seven.
Game seven, who knows whathappened.
We expect Jordan to win.
But again, we expect Jordan towin because, well, he never went
to game seven.
So that is partof the allure.
(11:40):
So again, ladies and gentlemen,again, stars saving stars.
That's a real thing and I'vegiven a couple of examples,
whether we're talking aboutoffensive or defensive, stars
saving stars.
But that does conclude the endof the episode.
But I'm curious, before we go,what did y'all think?
(12:02):
One about the episode Two,about the episode two, about the
examples that I gave.
Do y'all agree or disagreeabout stars saving stars?
I mean about supporting castsaving stars.
I've said third option can beviewed as supporting cast.
Hence Ron Artest's name wasgiven.
Like I've used multipleexamples to show that stars were
(12:23):
saved, again, legacies weresaved, whether we want to admit
it or not.
That doesn't mean that thestars needed saving because they
didn't do their job.
They did their job.
But it's a team game.
Everybody need help.
I thought so at least.
But again, I'm curious whaty'all think.
(12:44):
So definitely, please let meknow in the comments section
below Do y'all agree or disagreewith the examples I gave.
But I mean, ladies andgentlemen, that does conclude
the end of the episode.
So definitely, please make sureto continue to like, subscribe,
comment and tell anyone who'sanyone
about the show.
My name is Trey.
I'm the host of Get A Bucket.
Hope you Tell anyone who'sanyone about the show.
My name is Trey.
I'm the host of Get a Bucket.
I hope you all are having agood one.
(13:05):
Thank you all for listening.
Take care.
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