June 13, 2019 • 50 mins
Doug Gottlieb broadcasts LIVE from the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and brings the latest on the inevitable Anthony Davis trade between the Pelicans and Lakers. Also, NBA Agent and former Chicago Bull B.J. Armstrong joins the show on why Michael Jordan is an appropriate comparison for Kawhi Leonard! Also, Rich Lerner of the Golf Channel stops by to break down the opening round of the U.S. Open!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
from three to six pm Eastern Time, that's twelve to
three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio by your local station
for the Doug Gottlieb Show at Fox Sports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the I Heart
Radio app by searching fs R. This is the best
(00:21):
of the Doug got Leave Show on Fox Sports Radio.
The leader on day one is a lot like the
person you see going out to check what the noises
on the trash in the trash in a in a
murder movie, right in a core movie. They're not going
to be around for the last scene. Very occasionally they are,
(00:45):
but for the most part, you know, brooks Kepta leading
tip to finish is a little bit different than somebody
named Piercy, but nonetheless he's getting the adulation. He's in
the clubhouse at four under par and we are here
live um and and obviously look because it's on Fox
and Fox Sports one, it gives us a great chance
(01:05):
to come out see the grounds. Buyer got a chance
to play during preview day. But because it's pebble, which
I mean, it's as picturesque as any course anywhere in
the world and will be more importantly because it's pebble.
And nineteen years ago, in this very same tournament, Tiger
Woods lapped the field and in a nucla luche Way
(01:27):
announced his presence with authority. It's really cool to see nine.
Think about that nineteen years later, what is the outside
of the New England Patriots? And even New Patriots in
two thousand weren't what they are now. It wasn't until
two thousand three, right two wow, now actually two thousand two.
(01:48):
But nineteen years later and I don't know if he's
gonna win. I have no idea, but the idea that
take just completely take out the injuries, the misogyny, the downfall,
to take out all the other parts of the story
and just say, hey, nineteen years after a guy wins
(02:10):
the US Open, dominates at laps the field. Nineteen years later,
he's still a favorite. Like that in and of itself,
if you take out the other parts, is remarkable, absolutely remarkable,
and so like, look are we here to see if
if Ricky Fowler, who has just taken the lead at
five under through fifteen as he's birdied the last two holes.
(02:34):
Can Ricky finally win a major? Obviously when the Players
Championship going back two years ago, Yeah, that would be
an amazing story. Really, a super popular golfer who we've
had on, who we followed. Yeah, that that would be cool.
But the story this week is about Tiger Woods and
the idea that nineteen years later, after having one at
(02:58):
Augusta and gotten to is fifteen fifteen Major Kenn he
gets sixteen in a place that nineteen years ago he
was as dominant as any athlete has been in any
championship competition. Ever, what's old is new again? Right? Short
shorts back in the mullet, back in Ricky Fowler's sporting
(03:20):
the mullet. All right, tight clothing has been in for
a while, but now you add in the short shorts.
So I like, look, smoking on airplanes is never gonna
come back. There's some other things that are never gonna
come back, but Tiger Woods is kind of like that,
kind of like that style. My dad used to have
this belief, don't throw out your clothes. It's always gonna
come back in style again. And I give you Tiger Woods.
(03:41):
My late father somewhere up above is smiling. All right,
Let's get to the the the sports story of the
day outside of the US Open, and that's that. That's
that we're still waiting for this to be consummated. And
the more you hear it, the more you feel it,
the more it it seems like it's going to be done.
(04:02):
And that's Anthony Davis. It feels like it's going to
be a Laker. And the only question is can the
Lakers get away with not giving up Kyle Kuzma. They're
gonna have to give up a Lonzo Ball there from
re number two overall pick, who I do believe has
more value, has more value then uh than the public
would lead you believe, and a Brandon Ingram who is
(04:26):
the only player on the Lakers roster that wasn't drafted
by when Rob Polinka was in charge or signed when
Rob Polinko was in charge, and then likely the number
four overall pick. And the more you feel, the more
you hear, the more you sense all the combining factors
that the Knicks aren't seriously involved. And now it's the Celtics.
(04:48):
But Anthony Davison and through his agent Rich Paul, has
said he ain't coming back to the Celtics. You can
trade for him, but we're not having that conversation. Kyrie
seems to have moved on and feels like he's going
to be a Brooklyn Net. Could there be a last
second Hail Mary, Sure, but time is actually on the
side of the Lakers because this deal has to be
(05:09):
done before the draft is completed, because then the number
four overall pick has a limited value if it's not
drafted for a specific team, doesn't mean it can't wait
until Draft Day, which is next Thursday. Can hear on
Fox Sports Radio. We've got a great show, Christopers Starr,
Jason McIntyre, Rick Buker. They'll cover the entire first round.
But that's the deadline, and deadlines bring deals. And the
(05:32):
more you hear it, the more you feel it, the
more you sense that it will end up that The
only question is the only question is in a game
of Chicken, can the Lakers hold on to Kyle Kuzman.
And if they can, then, as I told you before,
I it was a it was a felt like a
(05:53):
kitchen sink type of offer that Magic Johnson must have
had out there and something do I think they offered
as much as was was broadcast. Probably not, But I
do think there was an amount of desperation from the
Lakers side at that point in time where you could
have had a better deal than you could have now,
because now New Orleans rolled the dice change management, and
(06:17):
had the Celtics felt like they were one Anthony Davis
away and had Kyrie irving, they would have been more
focused on going for it. They're still gonna go for it,
but it's not as good a deal, right the Knicks,
what do they actually have to offer the Clippers that
they don't want to They don't want to trade, they
want to acquire. They feel like they're getting Kawhi Leonard.
(06:40):
There aren't other teams in desperation mode. And because the
timing and the lack of contract and the fact that
Anthony Davis has put out there this is where he
wants to go. He ain't resigning, even though Paul George
did resign and maybe Kawai letter does. Times on the
side of the Lakers here, they can't wait to see
New Orleans, can't wait to see if Kauai resigns that
(07:01):
that generates more interest. So I think it will be done.
I don't think it'll be done e O b end
of business. But the sooner it's done, the more New
Orleans can do their due diligence if they want that
draft pick, wouldn't be surprised as something else has thrown
in and Josh Hard or some other player or whatever.
But Kyle Kuzma is a starter. Kyle Kuzma fits alongside
(07:23):
Lebron James. Kyle Kuzma can make shots, can stretch the defense,
and even though he's not a particularly good defensive player,
he is a starter. And just the Lakers would would
end up being so bereft of surrounding talent that I
don't think the plan would work nearly as well if
they included Kuzma into the deal, and I think they
(07:44):
feel that way to boot. Be sure to catch live
editions of the Doug Dot Leaps Show week days in
noon eastern three pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
the I Heart Radio app. Interesting um that Jay Williams
has come out and said that Kevin Durant was misdiagnosed
before Game five, which is essentially what I told you.
(08:06):
A couple of surgeons, and especially one notable surgeon, essentially
said to me, which is they thought they they had
to be pushed by the hope that it wasn't an achilles.
And it's really hard to tell if there is a
slight tear of an achilles when looking at the m
R I. But if you go by what Kevin Durant
originally said and his initial reaction and your evaluation, there
(08:30):
should have been a sense that that Achilles was partially torn,
that the one one point to be made. And we
don't know if this was related to Kevin Durant, and
as people is, if the thing was torn, it actually
didn't matter that it ruptured. Unless it's the very slightest
of tears, it doesn't repair itself. That's not the way
that tendon, any tendon, but specifically that tendon works generally
(08:54):
jibby and large. Surgery is the option, the only option,
and you're still out nine months, whether it fully ruptures
as it as it did on Monday night or not.
Zachlow on a podcast with Howard Beck on the Third
Team being involved in the Anthony Davis trade youngish good
players available for number four. The first name I thought
(09:17):
of the zak Low was Zach Levine, because I think
the Bulls might do that. I mean, think about what
the Pelicans would be throwing out there if they had
Zach Levine, Drew Holiday, Alonzo Ball, and all U c
l A backcourt right. Uh and and to like U
(09:38):
c l A mal contents like Drew Holiday hated his
time at u c l A because he didn't get
to play the point, Zach zach Levine hated his time
in u c l A because he didn't get to
play the point, didn't start, wasn't a shotmaker either. Alonzo
Ball had a great run at at U c l A,
but Zach Levine with those two others along with Alonzo Ball, Uh,
(10:01):
maybe Reeves Nelson could play the four Reeves Nelson. We
gotta Reeve Nelson from the Peanut Gallery. That's that's a
great line. By the way. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Doug dot Leap Show week days in
noon eastern three pm Pacific. A guy who's won a
couple of NBA titles. He's also an NBA agent with
the Wasserman Group. You know Derrick Rose, JaVale McGee, Manuel Moody,
(10:21):
A Josh Jackson, and you can hear him on the
Pure Hoops podcast. He's b J Armstrong kind of have
to spend some time this year on the Doug Gotlin
Show on Fox Sports Radio b J. How are you, Uh, Doug,
I'm doing great and thank you for having me as
a year. Uh take me back to when you were
playing in the NBA finals. Of course this was this
(10:43):
was early on in the championship runs. You know of
the bulls and I thought the first championship run that
was there's like three different uh, three different kind of eras, right,
like people remember early on Paxson hitting the threes than
you hitting the threes, than Steve Kerr hitting the threes.
When you watch the NBA Finals, what are you? What? What?
What comes to your mind in terms of your own history. Well,
(11:07):
the thing is that you when you have an opportunity
to play in the NBA Finals is one how lucky
you have and you're sharing that moment. You know, you
dream of that moment as a as a youngster, and
you know of whether you're in your backyard or playing
you know, on the playground, you always dream of having
those moments. You have a chance to compete for a
(11:29):
championship and to actually go out there and do it
is just really a dream come true. So every time
I you know watch this. I you know, not only
skill and hard work and all those things player play
a factor, but you have to have luck, and you
have to have your health and being at the right
place at the right time. And and for me is
being able when I was playing. Uh is to be
(11:50):
able to play with players who are playing in their
prime years to actually play that game at that level.
And uh so, uh it was great times and uh
is really a dream come true from a for a
young kid from de Trade, Michigan and just love playing basketball. Uh.
What did you think of Kevin Rant's decision to come
back and play in Game five but before the injury?
(12:12):
What as as a for a player and as an agent,
what did you think? Well? You know the thing, Doug is,
you know, being a player, working as an executive now
working as an agent, you know, I look all these kids,
and I always see the person behind the uniform. And uh,
(12:34):
I've had to make those decisions as a player myself.
UM meeting when you have injuries whether players should or
shouldn't come back. The one thing I will say about
you know now that we know what actually happened and
transpired throughout this process, is that there is an institutional
knowledge that is gained by playing in the NBA of
(12:57):
working in the NBA, and that is something that you
can't this credit, and that is something that has to
be taken into account. Is that playing and jam that experience?
You know, my biggest question to Kevin would be the followers,
(13:17):
what did he have the game? But what was he
trying to prove? I'm sorry, what was he trying to prove?
And who was he trying to prove? This too? But
this is always that's kind of always been his thing
though b J, right, which is like I get it,
I get it, I get it. The only reason, the
only reason to go to Golden State, or his reason
(13:39):
to go to Golden State was He's like, look, I
think I'm the best player, and the only way to
show the world in the best player is to play
against Lebron James in the finals. And he got that
opportunity and twice he had the better team and in
many ways he was the better man. He was the
two time finals MVP, and even then he didn't feel
like people really bought into him being the best player
on Earth until he went on this incredib will run
(14:00):
before he got hurt and then he gets hurt, People like, yeah,
well he might be better without him, they're not. Um,
so like this is kind of it actually fits into
who he is, isn't it that he wants to And
that could be true, But you know, but the bigger
question is as an ex player, in me, as an
ex player that I was very fortunate to play as
(14:22):
then next and you know, being around the game, how
do you not play for a month and then in
the NBA finals, especially with a lower extremity injury, right? Um?
And I remember Doug and I'm sure there and I'm
sure you had an opinion as well when I went
(14:44):
through the same scenario with the Derrick Rose and he
came back from an injury, and there were so many
opinions out there, But the truth of the matter is
is that it's not just the physical return. There is
an emotional return psychologically and mentally. You don't know where
these kids heads are when they sustained an injury. You know,
(15:10):
you just don't know. And I don't think there is
a right or wrong answer. But the one thing that
I always tried when I went with this that scenario
in that situation with Derek was you know what you
just have to be true to yourself but respect the game.
Like you don't return from that type of injury with
no conditioning because there was nothing he could physically do.
(15:32):
It's not like he could run and get on a
bike and and maintain his conditioning to come back and
play in the NBA Finals. So again, I get it.
I think his heart was in the right place. I think,
you know what, I admire players who want to play right.
I admire who he is and what he's achieved. But
(15:52):
at some point you know that there's nothing really you
can do to bypass the things that you have to
do to prepare to play in that game. That's why
you go to training camp for But I've tried to
be Jeff tried to explain to people, and this is
this is kind of support your point on Derrick Rose. Uh,
(16:13):
you know, representing him when he's with the Bulls is
like people don't understand, Like it's one thing to come
back and play a basketball game. It's the other thing
to come back and play an NBA game. Then to
play a playoff game. The level of intensity is you're
you're literally going from zero to a hundred. It's it's
like pulling on It's like it's like merging on a
freeway where there's no ramp up in speed and and
you're on the auto Bahn all of a a suddenly, all
(16:35):
of a sudden, Right that that's what it is. You know.
The one difference is he had played in the playoffs.
But yes, I I completely understand that. Do you think, like, look,
I think that the doctors had to at least suspect
this was a it was a possibility that was there
was a terror in there, and as I've been told,
if there's a tear in there, you're gonna have to
(16:57):
have it fixed. Anyway, Do you think there's anyway that
he knew that this was in fact a potential risk
and he still went headlong into the wind. Well, I think, again,
annoying what I know and working with players, I have
to believe that Kevin was made aware of everything that
(17:20):
was with going on with his body, and you know,
and I have the good fortune of knowing Kevin and
his family so right, um and and and weighing the risks,
so I have to give him the ultimate respect. In
the end, I don't think there's anyone that could force
a kid espressing who's achieved and knows his body better
(17:42):
than anyone else without him having the information available. Right,
It's like you can make recommendations, but ultimately it's his call,
it's his decision. And you know, Kevin is he knows
his body and knows what he's capable of doing. And
you know, and I just go back to examples. I
remember when Michael Jordan got hurt when he broke his
(18:05):
foot and against the Doctors Wishes and the franchise the Bulls.
Again he went out and played and he gave us
probably one of the greatest performances and memory. In the
playoffs against the Celtics, he goes out three points and
does these think so again it's it's so hard done.
(18:27):
But again I want to give the respect to Kevin
because I feel bad for the person because this is
a decision that maybe, you know what, who knows how
he's gonna feel fifteen or twenty years from now. But
I want to respect him because we all feel bad,
you know, matter no matter what, when the kid gets
hurt and the kid has to sustains then injury like this,
(18:47):
I mean, you know, thank goodness, with all of the
technology that we have, we know he'll have an opportunity
to come back and play again and play the game
at the highest level. And so I just want to
get him their respect and the time he needs and
and hopefully has a speedy recovery and gets back on
the court, because you know, the game misses him, and
he's done so much for the game, and uh, you know,
(19:10):
he's given us so much. Now it's to give back
to him. B g armstarring joining us here Doug Gotli
show Fox Sports Tradio. I've heard people compare Kauai to
m J, and I think their logic is, like m J,
he wins at both at both ends. He's unafraid to
guard the other team's best player that uh you know, obviously,
(19:32):
the big hands, the unbelievable mid range game, the desire
to take and make the big shots at the end
of games. I just don't see it because Jordan was
a guard who made himself into a great post player,
made himself into a great perimeter shooter, whereas it's kind
of the opposite with Kauai, who was a big guy
who's made himself into more of a guard. Nonetheless, they
(19:54):
they're both incredible. They both like to go right right,
and they both performed well at the high level. You
were there, like no one can give a better representation
of what it was like to compete with Michael Jordan's
than people like you. Do. You see the comparison, you know, Doug,
I I'm always very leary if you will, to start
(20:18):
comparing players, especially in different eras you no. I I
had a chance to see a young Michael Jordan's as
a college kid, collegiate kid, and I think, like many,
no one knew that he was that explosive as an
offensive player. You can say the same about Kawhi Leonard. Defensively,
(20:40):
Kauahi Leonard affects the game, not only to the man
he's guarding, So he affects the game because he has
the ability that all great defenders have. He has ability
to recover this young man that we're seeing right now.
Kauai is really playing the game in an all time
time and the thing that's amazing about him is that
(21:03):
defensively his game was far superior than his offensive game.
And what he's doing, Doug, is he's affecting every phase
of the game and then it's affecting the bottom line.
This is the first time, Doug, that I've seen a
great defensive team like the Warriors have to compromise their
defense to just deal with one player. Yeah, and Doug,
(21:27):
he's really that good. He's technically speaking, when I watched
him play, Doug, he's really that good. He's a great
offensive player, not only now on the perimeter, which he's
shooting the three ball. You could argue that he's shooting
the three ball better than Jordan's. But he's strong enough
to play from the post. He has huge hands, he
(21:48):
can play, you know, wherever you need to put him
on the floor, and he's fearless. Now has he done
it to the same level and length of time with
Jordan's No, But Doug, what he's doing this year with
the team that he has, and and we know he's
not a hundred percent healthy, let's not to get that done.
It's not like he came here and he's playing with
(22:12):
you know, another Hall of Fame type talent. What he's done,
Doug has caught the notice of everyone in this league
and anyone who's playing the game. I don't care what
error that young man now affects the entire game. He's
just not just a great offensive player. He's just not
just a great perimeter player. He's just not just a
defensive This young man makes the right play. He takes
(22:35):
on the double team, he rebounds the ball, he guards
your your best perimeter player, he guards Draymond Green. He
does it all. I don't know what position he is,
but I know he is strong enough, he's athletic enough,
and he's skilled enough to play in any era. And
he's gonna cause some problems because physically he's something to
(22:56):
deal with. And I definitely see the comparisons because this
impact the game right now. He's one of those players
that have an impact throughout the minutes that a game
is being played and you have to do something with it.
You can't just guard him with one player. So I
definitely see the comparisons and understand it because technically speaking,
does he's playing the game. It's as high as anyone
(23:19):
I've seen play, uh, since I've been in this league.
You know it's interesting, is uh? This NBA Finals in
some levels does remind me of your championship run with
the Bulls Jordan's third championship. When you guys beat the
Suns people people, I think people don't remember you guys
went out won the first two on the road came home,
(23:39):
it was back to three to you. You lost two
of three at home and then on the last second
shot end up beating the Suns. On the road. You
won all three road games. And I've talked to other
former Bulls they were like, yeah, it's like the least
discussed part about our championship teams were we always won
on the road. Why was it easier for you guys
(24:00):
to win on the road than other championship teams. Well,
when you're on the when you're playing in the Championship
you know, when you're playing in the Championship Series, the
hardest place to play is at home. You know. I
I expected, just because of my experience of playing in
the Championship uh Series, I expected the Toronto Raptors to
(24:22):
lose Game five, not because they weren't going to be prepared,
but because of you have to deal with this. When
you walk into the arena in a close out game,
all of the fans and the whole arena is there
to celebrate. So when you walk into the arena, there's
balloons in the sailing, there's confetti, you see the champagne
(24:43):
sitting there on the outside of the locker room. And
you forget that the other team is seeing the same
thing that you're seeing. And that was the first time
that the Raptors on the other than Kauai and in Green,
understand how much that is you have to overcome that.
So we were better on the road because we didn't
(25:04):
have to deal with that. You didn't have to deal
with feeding, the arrangements for your family, you didn't have
to deal with, you know, trafficking detours because you know
police are rerouting, you know, just for for all the
things that you have to deal with when you have
a close out game, and it's just easier to get
on the bus, go to the game and be ready
to play. You can eliminate all of the distractions. So
(25:27):
I expect this team to be much more focused. I
expect the team Tonin to come out with a different energy.
But I also know that the Warriors, because they are
a championship caliber team, that they will be prepared for
this moment as well. They don't want to lose and
watch another team have to celebrate on their on their
home court, So I think it will be a well
(25:47):
played game. Um I expect the Warriors to to really
leave it out there on the floor, and they are
the defending champions, and I think tonight should be a
treat for all of us basketball famis last thing, um,
I gotta ask you. The final shot of that ninety
three finals, John Packson hits you guys are both you
(26:08):
guys are both on the floor at the same time. Right,
Baul goes to Scottie Pippen, who passed a horce grant,
and instead of going up for a contested lamp, he
kicks it out to John Paxson, who knocks down to
three with three point nine seconds remaining. If you go
back and watch the YouTube, you basically did a steph
Curry right. You knew it was going in before it
went in the opposite side of the court. Now, I
(26:30):
did you trip? Did you fall down and celebrate? What?
What were you doing? Well, you know, it was like
you know, every now and then, you know, a coach
or designer play and look when you're playing, the coach
design to play and you hope that it works. I
just can't believe that he was open. It was like,
you know, he was like, hey, guys, we're all gonna
(26:52):
come down and play, and then Michael, we're gonna get
the shot and we're gonna get the proper space, and Michael,
you do what you need to do to give us
a chance to win this game. And we're gonna win it,
either with you making the shot or you know, going
in the overtime. And it was it was the weirdest thing,
(27:13):
like everything just went according to how he was drawing
up on the board and I just was like everything
was perfect, and I just fell over. If you watch it,
I just fell over. It's the funniest thing. And I
don't know why I did it. And John Paxton and
I we laugh about it from time to time. But
it was one of those moments like I just couldn't
believe it worked. It was like, and uh, you know,
(27:36):
think goodness, John hit the shot. It was a great
moment for us. But it was one of those things
where you draw something up and it actually worked, and
I just didn't believe it and and I just kind
of if you see it, I just kind of like
roll over and and I knew it was going in.
I don't know what I was doing. Who cares balling
in the basket. It was absolute perfection. B J. Thanks
so much for joining us here it with your insight
(27:57):
and all your memories. Appreciate me, our guest in Fox
Sport trade you so thank you for having me to
appreciate it. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk
lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at
Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the I Heart
Radio app search f s R to listen live and
now say This was calling Cowherd earlier today, discussing the
(28:21):
idea that Kevin Durant was tricked into playing in Game five.
If Katie comes back and they overcome a three one deficit,
it changes his legacy forever. He is in the Lebron pantheon.
Like like there was a reward for this move. This
was not leading three to one. I don't think Katie
comes back leading three to one. I don't. I wouldn't
(28:42):
have advised it trailing three to one. Risk is your
re injure it. Reward is Nobody can ever say you're
not needed in Golden State. There's a lot of coddling
of NBA players. I think it's patronizing. They're grown ups,
they're smart guys. They know their brand, they know the risk.
Don't don't insinuate Kevin Durant can't figure out the risk.
Kevin Durant smart, he knew the risk. And Kevin Duran's
(29:04):
got a hundred million dollar net worth. He's made six
or seven massive Silicon Valley investments. Kevin doesn't need the
money Kevin set for the rest of his life. But
the reality is it's called risk and reward. There was
a huge reward for Kevin Durant here playing massive Well.
I just think, and you can download the All Ball podcast,
which is available iTunes wherever you download podcast. I just think,
(29:27):
like we look logically, so the same medical staff which
would not clear Clay Thompson to play in game four
with a pulled hamstring, suddenly then in game five, you know,
in spite of the fact that they're all doctors and
they signed a hippocratic coat that you know, to do
the right thing by their patients, now that they're gonna
rush Kevin Durant back. That that defies logic. Um. I
(29:52):
do think that there had to be some form of
awareness of the possibility of a tear having existed. It
also the likelihood that if a tear previously existed, you're
gonna have to get it fixed anyway. That thing's gonna blow.
It's gonna blow anyway. All right, and so you're gonna
need a new tire. Do you do you ride that
(30:13):
tire till it blows out? Or do you get it
fixed in the in the off season you get it
flipped out for new radio. And obviously Kevin Durant knew
some form of the risks. He had his own people there.
It was green lit, and his bodily body ultimately succumbed. Um.
We get too much emotion wrapped up and we we
(30:34):
always think the worst of people. Do I think that
he was misdiagnosed. I don't know what the actual diagnosis was.
I know what we were told, but often what we
were told is not the reality. I'm sure they thought
it was just a calf with there's a possibility of
something going on the Achilles. But if something's going on
the Achilles, it doesn't really matter. Kids, It doesn't fix
(30:54):
itself on his own. That's not the way the Tendon works.
Sure to catch live editions of the Doug dot Leap
Show week days in noon eastern three pm Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app Doug
Got Lip Show Fox Sports Radio Live here at Pebble
Beach side of the U S o. But you can
see on Fox Sports one quickly to Dan Buyer, Dan,
(31:17):
what happen with Tiger on the first hole? A par
of the par for first hole for Tiger Woods just
came up in inch short of a birdie to start
to his opening round. So Tiger Woods even par through
one as rs playing competitors Jordan Spith and Justin rose
brooks Kepta birdied one. He is one under par through two,
(31:39):
four back of the lead pled by Ricky followers Andrew
Shoffley and Louise and and and there's a collective and
we're here in the media tend and there's a collective
side of right because he just missed what would have
been an amazing birdie put But there was that same
kind of reaction on the same hole when Phil Mickelson
missed a one footer. I mean that that was one
(32:03):
of those like in any any any Saturday group in America,
you know, unless it's eighteen hole and you know you
pressed a bunch of holes and it's your it's your buddy,
like no, no, no no, put that out, like everybody else
has picked that thing up and mrs the mrs the
putt Uh. Maybe he should have worked at Nance's house
(32:24):
on his is putting a little bit bit more, which
of course is off. What what what holds that off?
The sixties? I don't know. Your guests would probably no.
But he's got he's got a he's got a house
on one of these holes. It's a replica of the
part three seven toll in Jimmy's backyard, Yes, where Billy
Horstell made a hole in one for some net jets hours.
As the sport of golf continues to touch the common man, baby,
(32:50):
he hasn't plaque? Does any of aces that have been
made on that hole? Does? There's a rock? Dan? I
have to compliment you, very golf announcer ish. When Doug
asked you for the tiger up that you said, will
you made a part the first? Just come into a whisper.
Somebody said to me last week I was telling them
about my schedule. I'm all over the place, and they said, wow,
you must have a hard job. I said, well, let's
(33:12):
break it down. I sit in the box, I look
at a television Thursday through Sunday and I say, let's
go to seventeen to nine out of four, seven, twelve, fourteen.
I'm a glorified being going down, sir, I will be.
I'll be calling actually Dug at the Sunrise Senior Center
in Hallendale, Florida. And then you and I both have
(33:34):
relatives down in Hallendale. Rich Lena's calling this, He's calling
the being out of night. I'm going out there. Um. Uh,
this all always happens though, right because Uh, because I
want to talk golf and you want to talk who
give it? Like we got a game that's hours away,
but you were you were. I'll tie it to the
guys in the set, Bradon and Frank and David. No.
(33:55):
I like to steer it towards basketball whenever I get
the chance. It's a plan. Who My two boys play basketball,
and I love the game and I love listening to you. Um,
I'll tie it to golf. I think in the bigger
sports landscape tonight, what we have as Tiger against Steph
right into prime time, and you know Steph's going to
(34:16):
win that battle in terms of number of eyeballs. But
if golf's going to ever have a chance to compete
in prime time against an enormous Game six, it would
be with Tiger playing at Pebble Beach. Uh. I was fascinated.
We do a lot of press conferences on ours show.
Uh what I saw and felt last night after the
(34:37):
Durant injury, after Golden State came back to win that game,
and I thought it was an incredibly gutsy performance. Was
as fraught with emotion and a collective f you from
the players, to us in the media and to the
Twitter sphere. Like I I felt it, there was genuine
(34:57):
anger uh and and uh and in almost like a
Shakespearean tragedy, Durant has to blow out his achilles and
threatened his whole career in order to somehow be embraced
and and be loved. I love the guy because I
think he's I think he's one of the all time
(35:19):
just straight ballers, right I I compared him to Creem
Abdul Jabbar from from from two or three different aspects.
One he got he has an unblockable shot like the
sky hook, like his pull up shot seven foot two
guards right seven with two guards like like but Kareem's
Uh sky hook was basically you had to hope you
hope you missed. Secondly, Uh, both kind of intellectually superior
(35:41):
in many ways to people who are asking them questions,
and so they struggle to relate to the common man.
And also a little bit of being seven footer, you know,
is and you know, I think Durant's only listed as
six nine. You know, Bill Walton was never listed as
seven foot because seven footers were all always kind of
gawked at, but a little bit uncome tble in their
own skin, right and and and there's the last thing.
(36:06):
Cream a duels of bar has never brought up as
the greatest of all time. He's a six time MVP,
all time leading scores, six time champion, and and the
same and I don't think I don't know if he
yearns for the respect that Kevin Durant does. But Kevin Durant,
in a similar way, up until this year, wasn't discussed,
I think enough as the best player currently in the
in the NBA. Until he went on that run, you
would probably know better. I think he's one of the
(36:28):
ten greatest offensive players in the history. And I also
I also think, uh Steph Curry's under rated and underappreciate
it and has a chance. I think it's remote, but
he has chance over these next two games, if it
gets to a game seven, to change that narrative in
a really big way. I would say, that's just uh
and you understand this, and we see it in golf.
(36:50):
Athletes are much more sensitive than the public would believe.
We see it with Durant, I see it in our sport,
and nowadays. I think what they have to deal with
is that with Twitter, with social media, there is a
referendum every damn minute on what they wear, how they played,
(37:11):
what they say, you know some of them. I think
that's some of that. I also think that most, not
all of these guys, but most of these guys, it
really isn't as much about the money as as it
is on Twitter. You know, about the money to be
critiqued in every aspect, But the reaction from some other
(37:35):
players and former players and media people about why you
shouldn't have played is because of longevity and his contract
that's on Well, we get so far afield of like, look,
he's rich, he's going to be rich, that doesn't matter.
He's going to right right, And I think that's the
reality of it is those guys in the really don't
like they actually do love the glory they he did,
(37:57):
he understood you can get. Plus he's a basketball player.
He wants to play basketball, and somehow that becomes a
bad thing because you're supposed to manage your brand. And
this starts how we discussed Zion Williams, and the same
people that are Kevin Ranch should have played the same
people said Zion Williamson should have shut it down because
his shoe blew up when he's at Duke or he's
a basketball player, Go play basketball, and if you do
(38:17):
it well enough, you'll get paid so much money you
won't be able to spend it. Rich Lerner joining us,
All right, let's let's talk golf. Let's let's talk golf. Um,
I do think this is fascinating. I sat down and
even if you take out all of the other stuff
of Tiger, okay, the ups, the downs, the personal trials,
the professional trials, just the idea that here we are,
(38:37):
nineteen years later from when he laughed to the field
at the very same end, whether or not he should
be a favorite, he is one of the favorites to
win the thing that in and of itself taking out
that stuff, then you add in the injuries, and so
many people thought that he was done because of his body,
and then you know the chipping yips, he's had everything
(38:58):
kind of go wrong. Uh, it's remarkable, But should he
be should he be a favorite? Considering where his game
is right now? I he won the Masters, he won
the Tour Championship. This isn't just based on on reputation
or what he did here at Pebble Beach nineteen years ago.
He's one of the five six seven best players in
the world according to the rankings. Uh still the greatest
(39:21):
iron player in the game. Knows this golf course inside
and out, Potts Poana Greens, probably better than anybody. Um. Look, uh,
I thought two years ago May when he was pulled
over the side of the road in the middle of
the night in South Florida, I thought it was going
to end and badly for Tiger. I thought the first
(39:44):
line of the bio was going, you know, it was
going to be uh Tiger Woods, Um, you know, fill
in the blank there. And it wasn't pretty. Um. So
the fact that he's back and and playing at a
very high level, I think is remarkable and I think
it's good for all of us. Like he had a
gift for the game right and he was the most entertaining,
mind blowing, consistently mind blowing performer I've ever seen, certainly
(40:08):
in this sport, but maybe in any sport. And so
given where we were two years ago, that he's back,
maybe on the train in Nicholasville, I don't know. That's
still a big ask Um happy that he's back. For sure.
Look when he won here nineteen years ago by fifteen
shots with a triple bogeye with a triple bogey and
there's kept going, kept is getting his talk about him
(40:30):
in a second. The gap between best in the world
and everyone else was never wider in this sport and
maybe any other sport than it was on that week
here at Pebble Beach. Uh, tiger was on the shores
of the Monterey Peninsula. Everybody else was in a damn
rowboat near Australia. It was that nuts. Uh. Two decades
a long time, and uh, you know, he's got a
(40:54):
chance to to write another chapter. You mentioned brooks Kepka.
He's now two under through three, Sally burn the first
and just burning the third. And there was there, you know,
there was some reaction where I guess there's four four
Fox promos and he wasn't in one of them. So
so somehow, somehow that was like a slap of the
face to brush Kepka. This is, by reputation a little
(41:17):
bit more of a shot maker's golf course than one
that you can just crush the way he did at
Bethpage Black. Um. But this is a guy that's been
dominating majors over the last two years. What are your
thoughts on Brooks heading into this tournament. Um, he's crushing
people right now. It's been a lot of nice guys
in this sport who have gone on runs. Uh, pretty faces,
(41:39):
they do nice commercials. We haven't had anybody come along
with some attitude, with a little bit of Kauai Leonard. Uh,
kind of quiet, rootless that that sort of a guy. Um.
And and Kepka is is that guy right now? I've
seen him work out. Uh, he's an animal. There's there's
a story that is sort of because the stuff of
(42:00):
legend and golf. You'll like this. Before the final round
of the US Open last year, I got pretty much
all morning to sit around. He likes to go to
the gym. He goes to the gym to get a workout.
It's teeing off at whatever two in the afternoon, trying
to win the US Open. A buddies with him and
challenges him to bench to fifteen times. He gets at
(42:23):
fourteen and a half needs help on the last rep. Like, dude,
what are you doing? I asked him. I said, what
are you doing? You're not afraid of blowing out a muscle,
son injuring yourself tired, You're playing a fine He looks me, says, dude,
I'm just walking around a golf course for five hours.
It's not that big a deal that that. That's his men,
(42:44):
that's his mentality. He shows up at the big ones,
he wins. Then he goes to the Maldives with Jenna
and he posts a few on Instagram, and then he
comes back and wins again. Then he'll go to the Bahamas.
Then I'll go somewhere else. You look, he's a little misunderstood.
He's got a little bit of I think he's mature.
(43:04):
But he's got his boys. He won his first US Open.
He loaded up the private plane. They went to Vegas.
Then they went to l a rooftop party. Little Wayne like,
he get, were you there? He gets Brooks gets after it.
But when but when he gets after but when it's
time uh to get down to business. He takes care
(43:26):
of business. He was not the best player growing up
junior golf, a lot of second place Trophy's not the
guy you're looking at now. He was kind of skinny.
He came to it late. He took sort of a
of a different route to start him. He went to
the minor leagues of Europe. He played all over the world,
places like Kenya, Kazakhstan, and he just kind of, uh,
he learned to be comfortable and uncomfortable situations. Then he
(43:49):
started lifting training and he kind of found this confidence
a little bit later than most guys. And here he
is at twenty nine. He's about to do something if
he wins the third straight US Open, then hadn't been
done since the Silent movie era. Meanwhile, he's wearing a
hat that we said it was like that hat in Caddyshack.
I should get a free bowl of soup with that
Nike he had that that that he has um. Lastly
(44:11):
atop the leaderboard is is Ricky Fowler. I know Ricky
obviously a little bit the Oklahoma state connection, and he
is probably tops on the list of most talented guys
on the tour. Agreed to not win a major. He
does have a player's championship under his belt, and he
came out looking great. When looking great, I'm not talking
about the ullet. I'm talking about how he's playing. Um,
(44:32):
is that a mullet. I think it's the it's the
Mike Gundey mullet quite John Daly. No, it's not there yet.
It's not there. It's a little stringy too, but it
it qualifies as a mulay. Do you know anybody who
had a mullet? Who who's dying to go back to
the mullet? I don't know, no, but it has. It
has made its appearances more in football a little bit. Gunde,
(44:53):
but Gunny didn't have a mullet back when mullets were big.
He was clean cut. Now he's now he's got the mulay. Um.
What has limited what has kept Ricky from from a
good question? I think it will happen. I always bet
on talent, you know. It just hasn't been able to close.
There's no one part of his game that is is incredible.
(45:16):
He's really good in in just about every area, but
he's not dominant in any one particular skill set. Uh.
What's interesting to me about Ricky Fowler is that you know,
he came out with like a business plan eight nine
years ago. He was shrewd uh and charisma, A little
bit of color will give you a shortcut to start him,
I think. But he knows and we know that if
(45:39):
you don't back it up at some point in any
sport with the real deal, with some championships, with with
with some wins that really means something, then it doesn't last.
And Ricky's at that point. We've seen him. He's in
more television commercials for golf than any other player. He
is a force in the world of business. And by
the way, I always love this. Only in sports could
(46:00):
a thirty year old guy who's probably approaching a nine
figure net worth with homes all over the place, private
jets be be labeled an underachiever, right, right, Like if
you have if you have one of your boys, like
a surgeon, right and he's like thirty and he was
just listed top ten surgeons in the world and he's
flying privee, he's got a beautiful girlfriend. You say, hey,
he's kno getting out of the park. But in sports,
(46:21):
it's like everybody's a Jewish mother, right, Like you're a disappointment.
You haven't what you're You're a major disappointment, Ricky. Al Right,
I mean so Ricky, Ricky sort of falls into that
that category where it's like he hasn't done enough, and well,
that's how they're judged. They're paid well and they're asked
to perform at the highest level. I do think Ricky, uh,
(46:44):
we'll get his major and it could happen this week.
Johnny Miller was on our set the other night and
he said, quote, Pebble Beach loves Californians. Fowler grew up Marietta,
between San Diego and Los Angeles, California kids shoftly grew
up in San Diego. He's the top of the leaderboard California.
It so and entire Woods happened to grow up in
Phil Kelson in California as well. All right to last
(47:08):
who wins tonight in Oakland. They're not closing down Oracle
with a loss. Some way they find a way. Steph
and Clay, they need, they need, they need, they need
they Iggy hasn't been Iggy. They need Iggy And I
love Iggdala. I actually think he's a Hall of Famer.
I don't know, it's just a conversation for him to day.
(47:30):
I don't I don't know. We'll argue that I don't know.
I mean, listen, he he I mean, I'm making no
he has uh you know they call it competitive greatness?
Are you great when greatness is called upon? Like he's
Game six against the Rockets. He hadn't made five threes
in over five years in the NBA, and he makes
it in game six, Right, But there's a reason that
(47:51):
he was left open against the needs that he's left open.
He needs to make some shots and I double figures.
I think Livingston eats to dial up Livingston of a
couple of years ago. Um. By the way, Livingston looks
like the bass player in a funk band, like Brothers
Johnson doesn't. He's been league. What a great story. Do
you know? He came in the league as a point guard,
(48:13):
supposed to go to dude, He's made thirteen threes in
his entire career. He talked about doing what you do. Well,
you know we're talking about I was talking. I was
giving Buyer some golf advice, which I should never do.
But he said he had a nine when he played
out here on eighteen his part five, And I said
I said, he said, well, I hit I hit my
you know my driver. You know, I just didn't even
(48:33):
put one in the water. I was stuck in the
rough without. My point was like, I got a buddy,
Dave Revson who works for the Big ten network, and
he'll just like, hey, why not just bring out the
seven iron three times? You get there in three shots.
It doesn't matter, right, do what you do well? You
have the seven is the seven iron. So that's what
John Livingson does, right. He can't shoot three, so he
(48:54):
doesn't seven from seven. Unbelievable, that unbelievable. But Quinston, I
think I think the Raptors win tonight. I just I don't.
I don't think it would be amazing. I think win
a title, then skate. Yeah, but then you would tell
you like, look, I came in title, You're welcome. That's
what my message wouldnme. But he would not would not
(49:19):
totally convinced easy human being right, like kind of open.
I think it's it's a little like remember Darth Vader.
At the end, there was still a human being in there,
but it was mostly machine. The punisher. That's what I
called Brooks kept good. The one thing he would not
be able to say upon leaving Toronto is that I
want to go play for a winner. The only thing
he'll be able to say is I want to go home. Yes,
But but in fairness to to those guys, egoes, he's
(49:41):
in San Antonio, they won, he's in Toronto, they win.
Why can't you win with the Clippers? True? Right? All right?
Who wins out here on Sunday? McIlroy, he keeps it going.
I thought they, I thought, I thought Johnny Miller. This
course loves Californians, it loves Northern Irishman because McDowell one
here in. How's that learn from the channel? Thanks so much.
(50:07):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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Search f s R to listen live.
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
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(00:21):
of the Doug got Leave Show on Fox Sports Radio.
The leader on day one is a lot like the
person you see going out to check what the noises
on the trash in the trash in a in a
murder movie, right in a core movie. They're not going
to be around for the last scene. Very occasionally they are,
(00:45):
but for the most part, you know, brooks Kepta leading
tip to finish is a little bit different than somebody
named Piercy, but nonetheless he's getting the adulation. He's in
the clubhouse at four under par and we are here
live um and and obviously look because it's on Fox
and Fox Sports one, it gives us a great chance
(01:05):
to come out see the grounds. Buyer got a chance
to play during preview day. But because it's pebble, which
I mean, it's as picturesque as any course anywhere in
the world and will be more importantly because it's pebble.
And nineteen years ago, in this very same tournament, Tiger
Woods lapped the field and in a nucla luche Way
(01:27):
announced his presence with authority. It's really cool to see nine.
Think about that nineteen years later, what is the outside
of the New England Patriots? And even New Patriots in
two thousand weren't what they are now. It wasn't until
two thousand three, right two wow, now actually two thousand two.
(01:48):
But nineteen years later and I don't know if he's
gonna win. I have no idea, but the idea that
take just completely take out the injuries, the misogyny, the downfall,
to take out all the other parts of the story
and just say, hey, nineteen years after a guy wins
(02:10):
the US Open, dominates at laps the field. Nineteen years later,
he's still a favorite. Like that in and of itself,
if you take out the other parts, is remarkable, absolutely remarkable,
and so like, look are we here to see if
if Ricky Fowler, who has just taken the lead at
five under through fifteen as he's birdied the last two holes.
(02:34):
Can Ricky finally win a major? Obviously when the Players
Championship going back two years ago, Yeah, that would be
an amazing story. Really, a super popular golfer who we've
had on, who we followed. Yeah, that that would be cool.
But the story this week is about Tiger Woods and
the idea that nineteen years later, after having one at
(02:58):
Augusta and gotten to is fifteen fifteen Major Kenn he
gets sixteen in a place that nineteen years ago he
was as dominant as any athlete has been in any
championship competition. Ever, what's old is new again? Right? Short
shorts back in the mullet, back in Ricky Fowler's sporting
(03:20):
the mullet. All right, tight clothing has been in for
a while, but now you add in the short shorts.
So I like, look, smoking on airplanes is never gonna
come back. There's some other things that are never gonna
come back, but Tiger Woods is kind of like that,
kind of like that style. My dad used to have
this belief, don't throw out your clothes. It's always gonna
come back in style again. And I give you Tiger Woods.
(03:41):
My late father somewhere up above is smiling. All right,
Let's get to the the the sports story of the
day outside of the US Open, and that's that. That's
that we're still waiting for this to be consummated. And
the more you hear it, the more you feel it,
the more it it seems like it's going to be done.
(04:02):
And that's Anthony Davis. It feels like it's going to
be a Laker. And the only question is can the
Lakers get away with not giving up Kyle Kuzma. They're
gonna have to give up a Lonzo Ball there from
re number two overall pick, who I do believe has
more value, has more value then uh than the public
would lead you believe, and a Brandon Ingram who is
(04:26):
the only player on the Lakers roster that wasn't drafted
by when Rob Polinka was in charge or signed when
Rob Polinko was in charge, and then likely the number
four overall pick. And the more you feel, the more
you hear, the more you sense all the combining factors
that the Knicks aren't seriously involved. And now it's the Celtics.
(04:48):
But Anthony Davison and through his agent Rich Paul, has
said he ain't coming back to the Celtics. You can
trade for him, but we're not having that conversation. Kyrie
seems to have moved on and feels like he's going
to be a Brooklyn Net. Could there be a last
second Hail Mary, Sure, but time is actually on the
side of the Lakers because this deal has to be
(05:09):
done before the draft is completed, because then the number
four overall pick has a limited value if it's not
drafted for a specific team, doesn't mean it can't wait
until Draft Day, which is next Thursday. Can hear on
Fox Sports Radio. We've got a great show, Christopers Starr,
Jason McIntyre, Rick Buker. They'll cover the entire first round.
But that's the deadline, and deadlines bring deals. And the
(05:32):
more you hear it, the more you feel it, the
more you sense that it will end up that The
only question is the only question is in a game
of Chicken, can the Lakers hold on to Kyle Kuzman.
And if they can, then, as I told you before,
I it was a it was a felt like a
(05:53):
kitchen sink type of offer that Magic Johnson must have
had out there and something do I think they offered
as much as was was broadcast. Probably not, But I
do think there was an amount of desperation from the
Lakers side at that point in time where you could
have had a better deal than you could have now,
because now New Orleans rolled the dice change management, and
(06:17):
had the Celtics felt like they were one Anthony Davis
away and had Kyrie irving, they would have been more
focused on going for it. They're still gonna go for it,
but it's not as good a deal, right the Knicks,
what do they actually have to offer the Clippers that
they don't want to They don't want to trade, they
want to acquire. They feel like they're getting Kawhi Leonard.
(06:40):
There aren't other teams in desperation mode. And because the
timing and the lack of contract and the fact that
Anthony Davis has put out there this is where he
wants to go. He ain't resigning, even though Paul George
did resign and maybe Kawai letter does. Times on the
side of the Lakers here, they can't wait to see
New Orleans, can't wait to see if Kauai resigns that
(07:01):
that generates more interest. So I think it will be done.
I don't think it'll be done e O b end
of business. But the sooner it's done, the more New
Orleans can do their due diligence if they want that
draft pick, wouldn't be surprised as something else has thrown
in and Josh Hard or some other player or whatever.
But Kyle Kuzma is a starter. Kyle Kuzma fits alongside
(07:23):
Lebron James. Kyle Kuzma can make shots, can stretch the defense,
and even though he's not a particularly good defensive player,
he is a starter. And just the Lakers would would
end up being so bereft of surrounding talent that I
don't think the plan would work nearly as well if
they included Kuzma into the deal, and I think they
(07:44):
feel that way to boot. Be sure to catch live
editions of the Doug Dot Leaps Show week days in
noon eastern three pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
the I Heart Radio app. Interesting um that Jay Williams
has come out and said that Kevin Durant was misdiagnosed
before Game five, which is essentially what I told you.
(08:06):
A couple of surgeons, and especially one notable surgeon, essentially
said to me, which is they thought they they had
to be pushed by the hope that it wasn't an achilles.
And it's really hard to tell if there is a
slight tear of an achilles when looking at the m
R I. But if you go by what Kevin Durant
originally said and his initial reaction and your evaluation, there
(08:30):
should have been a sense that that Achilles was partially torn,
that the one one point to be made. And we
don't know if this was related to Kevin Durant, and
as people is, if the thing was torn, it actually
didn't matter that it ruptured. Unless it's the very slightest
of tears, it doesn't repair itself. That's not the way
that tendon, any tendon, but specifically that tendon works generally
(08:54):
jibby and large. Surgery is the option, the only option,
and you're still out nine months, whether it fully ruptures
as it as it did on Monday night or not.
Zachlow on a podcast with Howard Beck on the Third
Team being involved in the Anthony Davis trade youngish good
players available for number four. The first name I thought
(09:17):
of the zak Low was Zach Levine, because I think
the Bulls might do that. I mean, think about what
the Pelicans would be throwing out there if they had
Zach Levine, Drew Holiday, Alonzo Ball, and all U c
l A backcourt right. Uh and and to like U
(09:38):
c l A mal contents like Drew Holiday hated his
time at u c l A because he didn't get
to play the point, Zach zach Levine hated his time
in u c l A because he didn't get to
play the point, didn't start, wasn't a shotmaker either. Alonzo
Ball had a great run at at U c l A,
but Zach Levine with those two others along with Alonzo Ball, Uh,
(10:01):
maybe Reeves Nelson could play the four Reeves Nelson. We
gotta Reeve Nelson from the Peanut Gallery. That's that's a
great line. By the way. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Doug dot Leap Show week days in
noon eastern three pm Pacific. A guy who's won a
couple of NBA titles. He's also an NBA agent with
the Wasserman Group. You know Derrick Rose, JaVale McGee, Manuel Moody,
(10:21):
A Josh Jackson, and you can hear him on the
Pure Hoops podcast. He's b J Armstrong kind of have
to spend some time this year on the Doug Gotlin
Show on Fox Sports Radio b J. How are you, Uh, Doug,
I'm doing great and thank you for having me as
a year. Uh take me back to when you were
playing in the NBA finals. Of course this was this
(10:43):
was early on in the championship runs. You know of
the bulls and I thought the first championship run that
was there's like three different uh, three different kind of eras, right,
like people remember early on Paxson hitting the threes than
you hitting the threes, than Steve Kerr hitting the threes.
When you watch the NBA Finals, what are you? What? What?
What comes to your mind in terms of your own history. Well,
(11:07):
the thing is that you when you have an opportunity
to play in the NBA Finals is one how lucky
you have and you're sharing that moment. You know, you
dream of that moment as a as a youngster, and
you know of whether you're in your backyard or playing
you know, on the playground, you always dream of having
those moments. You have a chance to compete for a
(11:29):
championship and to actually go out there and do it
is just really a dream come true. So every time
I you know watch this. I you know, not only
skill and hard work and all those things player play
a factor, but you have to have luck, and you
have to have your health and being at the right
place at the right time. And and for me is
being able when I was playing. Uh is to be
(11:50):
able to play with players who are playing in their
prime years to actually play that game at that level.
And uh so, uh it was great times and uh
is really a dream come true from a for a
young kid from de Trade, Michigan and just love playing basketball. Uh.
What did you think of Kevin Rant's decision to come
back and play in Game five but before the injury?
(12:12):
What as as a for a player and as an agent,
what did you think? Well? You know the thing, Doug is,
you know, being a player, working as an executive now
working as an agent, you know, I look all these kids,
and I always see the person behind the uniform. And uh,
(12:34):
I've had to make those decisions as a player myself.
UM meeting when you have injuries whether players should or
shouldn't come back. The one thing I will say about
you know now that we know what actually happened and
transpired throughout this process, is that there is an institutional
knowledge that is gained by playing in the NBA of
(12:57):
working in the NBA, and that is something that you
can't this credit, and that is something that has to
be taken into account. Is that playing and jam that experience?
You know, my biggest question to Kevin would be the followers,
(13:17):
what did he have the game? But what was he
trying to prove? I'm sorry, what was he trying to prove?
And who was he trying to prove? This too? But
this is always that's kind of always been his thing
though b J, right, which is like I get it,
I get it, I get it. The only reason, the
only reason to go to Golden State, or his reason
(13:39):
to go to Golden State was He's like, look, I
think I'm the best player, and the only way to
show the world in the best player is to play
against Lebron James in the finals. And he got that
opportunity and twice he had the better team and in
many ways he was the better man. He was the
two time finals MVP, and even then he didn't feel
like people really bought into him being the best player
on Earth until he went on this incredib will run
(14:00):
before he got hurt and then he gets hurt, People like, yeah,
well he might be better without him, they're not. Um,
so like this is kind of it actually fits into
who he is, isn't it that he wants to And
that could be true, But you know, but the bigger
question is as an ex player, in me, as an
ex player that I was very fortunate to play as
(14:22):
then next and you know, being around the game, how
do you not play for a month and then in
the NBA finals, especially with a lower extremity injury, right? Um?
And I remember Doug and I'm sure there and I'm
sure you had an opinion as well when I went
(14:44):
through the same scenario with the Derrick Rose and he
came back from an injury, and there were so many
opinions out there, But the truth of the matter is
is that it's not just the physical return. There is
an emotional return psychologically and mentally. You don't know where
these kids heads are when they sustained an injury. You know,
(15:10):
you just don't know. And I don't think there is
a right or wrong answer. But the one thing that
I always tried when I went with this that scenario
in that situation with Derek was you know what you
just have to be true to yourself but respect the game.
Like you don't return from that type of injury with
no conditioning because there was nothing he could physically do.
(15:32):
It's not like he could run and get on a
bike and and maintain his conditioning to come back and
play in the NBA Finals. So again, I get it.
I think his heart was in the right place. I think,
you know what, I admire players who want to play right.
I admire who he is and what he's achieved. But
(15:52):
at some point you know that there's nothing really you
can do to bypass the things that you have to
do to prepare to play in that game. That's why
you go to training camp for But I've tried to
be Jeff tried to explain to people, and this is
this is kind of support your point on Derrick Rose. Uh,
(16:13):
you know, representing him when he's with the Bulls is
like people don't understand, Like it's one thing to come
back and play a basketball game. It's the other thing
to come back and play an NBA game. Then to
play a playoff game. The level of intensity is you're
you're literally going from zero to a hundred. It's it's
like pulling on It's like it's like merging on a
freeway where there's no ramp up in speed and and
you're on the auto Bahn all of a a suddenly, all
(16:35):
of a sudden, Right that that's what it is. You know.
The one difference is he had played in the playoffs.
But yes, I I completely understand that. Do you think, like, look,
I think that the doctors had to at least suspect
this was a it was a possibility that was there
was a terror in there, and as I've been told,
if there's a tear in there, you're gonna have to
(16:57):
have it fixed. Anyway, Do you think there's anyway that
he knew that this was in fact a potential risk
and he still went headlong into the wind. Well, I think, again,
annoying what I know and working with players, I have
to believe that Kevin was made aware of everything that
(17:20):
was with going on with his body, and you know,
and I have the good fortune of knowing Kevin and
his family so right, um and and and weighing the risks,
so I have to give him the ultimate respect. In
the end, I don't think there's anyone that could force
a kid espressing who's achieved and knows his body better
(17:42):
than anyone else without him having the information available. Right,
It's like you can make recommendations, but ultimately it's his call,
it's his decision. And you know, Kevin is he knows
his body and knows what he's capable of doing. And
you know, and I just go back to examples. I
remember when Michael Jordan got hurt when he broke his
(18:05):
foot and against the Doctors Wishes and the franchise the Bulls.
Again he went out and played and he gave us
probably one of the greatest performances and memory. In the
playoffs against the Celtics, he goes out three points and
does these think so again it's it's so hard done.
(18:27):
But again I want to give the respect to Kevin
because I feel bad for the person because this is
a decision that maybe, you know what, who knows how
he's gonna feel fifteen or twenty years from now. But
I want to respect him because we all feel bad,
you know, matter no matter what, when the kid gets
hurt and the kid has to sustains then injury like this,
(18:47):
I mean, you know, thank goodness, with all of the
technology that we have, we know he'll have an opportunity
to come back and play again and play the game
at the highest level. And so I just want to
get him their respect and the time he needs and
and hopefully has a speedy recovery and gets back on
the court, because you know, the game misses him, and
he's done so much for the game, and uh, you know,
(19:10):
he's given us so much. Now it's to give back
to him. B g armstarring joining us here Doug Gotli
show Fox Sports Tradio. I've heard people compare Kauai to
m J, and I think their logic is, like m J,
he wins at both at both ends. He's unafraid to
guard the other team's best player that uh you know, obviously,
(19:32):
the big hands, the unbelievable mid range game, the desire
to take and make the big shots at the end
of games. I just don't see it because Jordan was
a guard who made himself into a great post player,
made himself into a great perimeter shooter, whereas it's kind
of the opposite with Kauai, who was a big guy
who's made himself into more of a guard. Nonetheless, they
(19:54):
they're both incredible. They both like to go right right,
and they both performed well at the high level. You
were there, like no one can give a better representation
of what it was like to compete with Michael Jordan's
than people like you. Do. You see the comparison, you know, Doug,
I I'm always very leary if you will, to start
(20:18):
comparing players, especially in different eras you no. I I
had a chance to see a young Michael Jordan's as
a college kid, collegiate kid, and I think, like many,
no one knew that he was that explosive as an
offensive player. You can say the same about Kawhi Leonard. Defensively,
(20:40):
Kauahi Leonard affects the game, not only to the man
he's guarding, So he affects the game because he has
the ability that all great defenders have. He has ability
to recover this young man that we're seeing right now.
Kauai is really playing the game in an all time
time and the thing that's amazing about him is that
(21:03):
defensively his game was far superior than his offensive game.
And what he's doing, Doug, is he's affecting every phase
of the game and then it's affecting the bottom line.
This is the first time, Doug, that I've seen a
great defensive team like the Warriors have to compromise their
defense to just deal with one player. Yeah, and Doug,
(21:27):
he's really that good. He's technically speaking, when I watched
him play, Doug, he's really that good. He's a great
offensive player, not only now on the perimeter, which he's
shooting the three ball. You could argue that he's shooting
the three ball better than Jordan's. But he's strong enough
to play from the post. He has huge hands, he
(21:48):
can play, you know, wherever you need to put him
on the floor, and he's fearless. Now has he done
it to the same level and length of time with
Jordan's No, But Doug, what he's doing this year with
the team that he has, and and we know he's
not a hundred percent healthy, let's not to get that done.
It's not like he came here and he's playing with
(22:12):
you know, another Hall of Fame type talent. What he's done,
Doug has caught the notice of everyone in this league
and anyone who's playing the game. I don't care what
error that young man now affects the entire game. He's
just not just a great offensive player. He's just not
just a great perimeter player. He's just not just a
defensive This young man makes the right play. He takes
(22:35):
on the double team, he rebounds the ball, he guards
your your best perimeter player, he guards Draymond Green. He
does it all. I don't know what position he is,
but I know he is strong enough, he's athletic enough,
and he's skilled enough to play in any era. And
he's gonna cause some problems because physically he's something to
(22:56):
deal with. And I definitely see the comparisons because this
impact the game right now. He's one of those players
that have an impact throughout the minutes that a game
is being played and you have to do something with it.
You can't just guard him with one player. So I
definitely see the comparisons and understand it because technically speaking,
does he's playing the game. It's as high as anyone
(23:19):
I've seen play, uh, since I've been in this league.
You know it's interesting, is uh? This NBA Finals in
some levels does remind me of your championship run with
the Bulls Jordan's third championship. When you guys beat the
Suns people people, I think people don't remember you guys
went out won the first two on the road came home,
(23:39):
it was back to three to you. You lost two
of three at home and then on the last second
shot end up beating the Suns. On the road. You
won all three road games. And I've talked to other
former Bulls they were like, yeah, it's like the least
discussed part about our championship teams were we always won
on the road. Why was it easier for you guys
(24:00):
to win on the road than other championship teams. Well,
when you're on the when you're playing in the Championship
you know, when you're playing in the Championship Series, the
hardest place to play is at home. You know. I
I expected, just because of my experience of playing in
the Championship uh Series, I expected the Toronto Raptors to
(24:22):
lose Game five, not because they weren't going to be prepared,
but because of you have to deal with this. When
you walk into the arena in a close out game,
all of the fans and the whole arena is there
to celebrate. So when you walk into the arena, there's
balloons in the sailing, there's confetti, you see the champagne
(24:43):
sitting there on the outside of the locker room. And
you forget that the other team is seeing the same
thing that you're seeing. And that was the first time
that the Raptors on the other than Kauai and in Green,
understand how much that is you have to overcome that.
So we were better on the road because we didn't
(25:04):
have to deal with that. You didn't have to deal
with feeding, the arrangements for your family, you didn't have
to deal with, you know, trafficking detours because you know
police are rerouting, you know, just for for all the
things that you have to deal with when you have
a close out game, and it's just easier to get
on the bus, go to the game and be ready
to play. You can eliminate all of the distractions. So
(25:27):
I expect this team to be much more focused. I
expect the team Tonin to come out with a different energy.
But I also know that the Warriors, because they are
a championship caliber team, that they will be prepared for
this moment as well. They don't want to lose and
watch another team have to celebrate on their on their
home court, So I think it will be a well
(25:47):
played game. Um I expect the Warriors to to really
leave it out there on the floor, and they are
the defending champions, and I think tonight should be a
treat for all of us basketball famis last thing, um,
I gotta ask you. The final shot of that ninety
three finals, John Packson hits you guys are both you
(26:08):
guys are both on the floor at the same time. Right,
Baul goes to Scottie Pippen, who passed a horce grant,
and instead of going up for a contested lamp, he
kicks it out to John Paxson, who knocks down to
three with three point nine seconds remaining. If you go
back and watch the YouTube, you basically did a steph
Curry right. You knew it was going in before it
went in the opposite side of the court. Now, I
(26:30):
did you trip? Did you fall down and celebrate? What?
What were you doing? Well, you know, it was like
you know, every now and then, you know, a coach
or designer play and look when you're playing, the coach
design to play and you hope that it works. I
just can't believe that he was open. It was like,
you know, he was like, hey, guys, we're all gonna
(26:52):
come down and play, and then Michael, we're gonna get
the shot and we're gonna get the proper space, and Michael,
you do what you need to do to give us
a chance to win this game. And we're gonna win it,
either with you making the shot or you know, going
in the overtime. And it was it was the weirdest thing,
(27:13):
like everything just went according to how he was drawing
up on the board and I just was like everything
was perfect, and I just fell over. If you watch it,
I just fell over. It's the funniest thing. And I
don't know why I did it. And John Paxton and
I we laugh about it from time to time. But
it was one of those moments like I just couldn't
believe it worked. It was like, and uh, you know,
(27:36):
think goodness, John hit the shot. It was a great
moment for us. But it was one of those things
where you draw something up and it actually worked, and
I just didn't believe it and and I just kind
of if you see it, I just kind of like
roll over and and I knew it was going in.
I don't know what I was doing. Who cares balling
in the basket. It was absolute perfection. B J. Thanks
so much for joining us here it with your insight
(27:57):
and all your memories. Appreciate me, our guest in Fox
Sport trade you so thank you for having me to
appreciate it. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk
lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at
Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the I Heart
Radio app search f s R to listen live and
now say This was calling Cowherd earlier today, discussing the
(28:21):
idea that Kevin Durant was tricked into playing in Game five.
If Katie comes back and they overcome a three one deficit,
it changes his legacy forever. He is in the Lebron pantheon.
Like like there was a reward for this move. This
was not leading three to one. I don't think Katie
comes back leading three to one. I don't. I wouldn't
(28:42):
have advised it trailing three to one. Risk is your
re injure it. Reward is Nobody can ever say you're
not needed in Golden State. There's a lot of coddling
of NBA players. I think it's patronizing. They're grown ups,
they're smart guys. They know their brand, they know the risk.
Don't don't insinuate Kevin Durant can't figure out the risk.
Kevin Durant smart, he knew the risk. And Kevin Duran's
(29:04):
got a hundred million dollar net worth. He's made six
or seven massive Silicon Valley investments. Kevin doesn't need the
money Kevin set for the rest of his life. But
the reality is it's called risk and reward. There was
a huge reward for Kevin Durant here playing massive Well.
I just think, and you can download the All Ball podcast,
which is available iTunes wherever you download podcast. I just think,
(29:27):
like we look logically, so the same medical staff which
would not clear Clay Thompson to play in game four
with a pulled hamstring, suddenly then in game five, you know,
in spite of the fact that they're all doctors and
they signed a hippocratic coat that you know, to do
the right thing by their patients, now that they're gonna
rush Kevin Durant back. That that defies logic. Um. I
(29:52):
do think that there had to be some form of
awareness of the possibility of a tear having existed. It
also the likelihood that if a tear previously existed, you're
gonna have to get it fixed anyway. That thing's gonna blow.
It's gonna blow anyway. All right, and so you're gonna
need a new tire. Do you do you ride that
(30:13):
tire till it blows out? Or do you get it
fixed in the in the off season you get it
flipped out for new radio. And obviously Kevin Durant knew
some form of the risks. He had his own people there.
It was green lit, and his bodily body ultimately succumbed. Um.
We get too much emotion wrapped up and we we
(30:34):
always think the worst of people. Do I think that
he was misdiagnosed. I don't know what the actual diagnosis was.
I know what we were told, but often what we
were told is not the reality. I'm sure they thought
it was just a calf with there's a possibility of
something going on the Achilles. But if something's going on
the Achilles, it doesn't really matter. Kids, It doesn't fix
(30:54):
itself on his own. That's not the way the Tendon works.
Sure to catch live editions of the Doug dot Leap
Show week days in noon eastern three pm Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app Doug
Got Lip Show Fox Sports Radio Live here at Pebble
Beach side of the U S o. But you can
see on Fox Sports one quickly to Dan Buyer, Dan,
(31:17):
what happen with Tiger on the first hole? A par
of the par for first hole for Tiger Woods just
came up in inch short of a birdie to start
to his opening round. So Tiger Woods even par through
one as rs playing competitors Jordan Spith and Justin rose
brooks Kepta birdied one. He is one under par through two,
(31:39):
four back of the lead pled by Ricky followers Andrew
Shoffley and Louise and and and there's a collective and
we're here in the media tend and there's a collective
side of right because he just missed what would have
been an amazing birdie put But there was that same
kind of reaction on the same hole when Phil Mickelson
missed a one footer. I mean that that was one
(32:03):
of those like in any any any Saturday group in America,
you know, unless it's eighteen hole and you know you
pressed a bunch of holes and it's your it's your buddy,
like no, no, no no, put that out, like everybody else
has picked that thing up and mrs the mrs the
putt Uh. Maybe he should have worked at Nance's house
(32:24):
on his is putting a little bit bit more, which
of course is off. What what what holds that off?
The sixties? I don't know. Your guests would probably no.
But he's got he's got a he's got a house
on one of these holes. It's a replica of the
part three seven toll in Jimmy's backyard, Yes, where Billy
Horstell made a hole in one for some net jets hours.
As the sport of golf continues to touch the common man, baby,
(32:50):
he hasn't plaque? Does any of aces that have been
made on that hole? Does? There's a rock? Dan? I
have to compliment you, very golf announcer ish. When Doug
asked you for the tiger up that you said, will
you made a part the first? Just come into a whisper.
Somebody said to me last week I was telling them
about my schedule. I'm all over the place, and they said, wow,
you must have a hard job. I said, well, let's
(33:12):
break it down. I sit in the box, I look
at a television Thursday through Sunday and I say, let's
go to seventeen to nine out of four, seven, twelve, fourteen.
I'm a glorified being going down, sir, I will be.
I'll be calling actually Dug at the Sunrise Senior Center
in Hallendale, Florida. And then you and I both have
(33:34):
relatives down in Hallendale. Rich Lena's calling this, He's calling
the being out of night. I'm going out there. Um. Uh,
this all always happens though, right because Uh, because I
want to talk golf and you want to talk who
give it? Like we got a game that's hours away,
but you were you were. I'll tie it to the
guys in the set, Bradon and Frank and David. No.
(33:55):
I like to steer it towards basketball whenever I get
the chance. It's a plan. Who My two boys play basketball,
and I love the game and I love listening to you. Um,
I'll tie it to golf. I think in the bigger
sports landscape tonight, what we have as Tiger against Steph
right into prime time, and you know Steph's going to
(34:16):
win that battle in terms of number of eyeballs. But
if golf's going to ever have a chance to compete
in prime time against an enormous Game six, it would
be with Tiger playing at Pebble Beach. Uh. I was fascinated.
We do a lot of press conferences on ours show.
Uh what I saw and felt last night after the
(34:37):
Durant injury, after Golden State came back to win that game,
and I thought it was an incredibly gutsy performance. Was
as fraught with emotion and a collective f you from
the players, to us in the media and to the
Twitter sphere. Like I I felt it, there was genuine
(34:57):
anger uh and and uh and in almost like a
Shakespearean tragedy, Durant has to blow out his achilles and
threatened his whole career in order to somehow be embraced
and and be loved. I love the guy because I
think he's I think he's one of the all time
(35:19):
just straight ballers, right I I compared him to Creem
Abdul Jabbar from from from two or three different aspects.
One he got he has an unblockable shot like the
sky hook, like his pull up shot seven foot two
guards right seven with two guards like like but Kareem's
Uh sky hook was basically you had to hope you
hope you missed. Secondly, Uh, both kind of intellectually superior
(35:41):
in many ways to people who are asking them questions,
and so they struggle to relate to the common man.
And also a little bit of being seven footer, you know,
is and you know, I think Durant's only listed as
six nine. You know, Bill Walton was never listed as
seven foot because seven footers were all always kind of
gawked at, but a little bit uncome tble in their
own skin, right and and and there's the last thing.
(36:06):
Cream a duels of bar has never brought up as
the greatest of all time. He's a six time MVP,
all time leading scores, six time champion, and and the
same and I don't think I don't know if he
yearns for the respect that Kevin Durant does. But Kevin Durant,
in a similar way, up until this year, wasn't discussed,
I think enough as the best player currently in the
in the NBA. Until he went on that run, you
would probably know better. I think he's one of the
(36:28):
ten greatest offensive players in the history. And I also
I also think, uh Steph Curry's under rated and underappreciate
it and has a chance. I think it's remote, but
he has chance over these next two games, if it
gets to a game seven, to change that narrative in
a really big way. I would say, that's just uh
and you understand this, and we see it in golf.
(36:50):
Athletes are much more sensitive than the public would believe.
We see it with Durant, I see it in our sport,
and nowadays. I think what they have to deal with
is that with Twitter, with social media, there is a
referendum every damn minute on what they wear, how they played,
(37:11):
what they say, you know some of them. I think
that's some of that. I also think that most, not
all of these guys, but most of these guys, it
really isn't as much about the money as as it
is on Twitter. You know, about the money to be
critiqued in every aspect, But the reaction from some other
(37:35):
players and former players and media people about why you
shouldn't have played is because of longevity and his contract
that's on Well, we get so far afield of like, look,
he's rich, he's going to be rich, that doesn't matter.
He's going to right right, And I think that's the
reality of it is those guys in the really don't
like they actually do love the glory they he did,
(37:57):
he understood you can get. Plus he's a basketball player.
He wants to play basketball, and somehow that becomes a
bad thing because you're supposed to manage your brand. And
this starts how we discussed Zion Williams, and the same
people that are Kevin Ranch should have played the same
people said Zion Williamson should have shut it down because
his shoe blew up when he's at Duke or he's
a basketball player, Go play basketball, and if you do
(38:17):
it well enough, you'll get paid so much money you
won't be able to spend it. Rich Lerner joining us,
All right, let's let's talk golf. Let's let's talk golf. Um,
I do think this is fascinating. I sat down and
even if you take out all of the other stuff
of Tiger, okay, the ups, the downs, the personal trials,
the professional trials, just the idea that here we are,
(38:37):
nineteen years later from when he laughed to the field
at the very same end, whether or not he should
be a favorite, he is one of the favorites to
win the thing that in and of itself taking out
that stuff, then you add in the injuries, and so
many people thought that he was done because of his body,
and then you know the chipping yips, he's had everything
(38:58):
kind of go wrong. Uh, it's remarkable, But should he
be should he be a favorite? Considering where his game
is right now? I he won the Masters, he won
the Tour Championship. This isn't just based on on reputation
or what he did here at Pebble Beach nineteen years ago.
He's one of the five six seven best players in
the world according to the rankings. Uh still the greatest
(39:21):
iron player in the game. Knows this golf course inside
and out, Potts Poana Greens, probably better than anybody. Um. Look, uh,
I thought two years ago May when he was pulled
over the side of the road in the middle of
the night in South Florida, I thought it was going
to end and badly for Tiger. I thought the first
(39:44):
line of the bio was going, you know, it was
going to be uh Tiger Woods, Um, you know, fill
in the blank there. And it wasn't pretty. Um. So
the fact that he's back and and playing at a
very high level, I think is remarkable and I think
it's good for all of us. Like he had a
gift for the game right and he was the most entertaining,
mind blowing, consistently mind blowing performer I've ever seen, certainly
(40:08):
in this sport, but maybe in any sport. And so
given where we were two years ago, that he's back,
maybe on the train in Nicholasville, I don't know. That's
still a big ask Um happy that he's back. For sure.
Look when he won here nineteen years ago by fifteen
shots with a triple bogeye with a triple bogey and
there's kept going, kept is getting his talk about him
(40:30):
in a second. The gap between best in the world
and everyone else was never wider in this sport and
maybe any other sport than it was on that week
here at Pebble Beach. Uh, tiger was on the shores
of the Monterey Peninsula. Everybody else was in a damn
rowboat near Australia. It was that nuts. Uh. Two decades
a long time, and uh, you know, he's got a
(40:54):
chance to to write another chapter. You mentioned brooks Kepka.
He's now two under through three, Sally burn the first
and just burning the third. And there was there, you know,
there was some reaction where I guess there's four four
Fox promos and he wasn't in one of them. So
so somehow, somehow that was like a slap of the
face to brush Kepka. This is, by reputation a little
(41:17):
bit more of a shot maker's golf course than one
that you can just crush the way he did at
Bethpage Black. Um. But this is a guy that's been
dominating majors over the last two years. What are your
thoughts on Brooks heading into this tournament. Um, he's crushing
people right now. It's been a lot of nice guys
in this sport who have gone on runs. Uh, pretty faces,
(41:39):
they do nice commercials. We haven't had anybody come along
with some attitude, with a little bit of Kauai Leonard. Uh,
kind of quiet, rootless that that sort of a guy. Um.
And and Kepka is is that guy right now? I've
seen him work out. Uh, he's an animal. There's there's
a story that is sort of because the stuff of
(42:00):
legend and golf. You'll like this. Before the final round
of the US Open last year, I got pretty much
all morning to sit around. He likes to go to
the gym. He goes to the gym to get a workout.
It's teeing off at whatever two in the afternoon, trying
to win the US Open. A buddies with him and
challenges him to bench to fifteen times. He gets at
(42:23):
fourteen and a half needs help on the last rep. Like, dude,
what are you doing? I asked him. I said, what
are you doing? You're not afraid of blowing out a muscle,
son injuring yourself tired, You're playing a fine He looks me, says, dude,
I'm just walking around a golf course for five hours.
It's not that big a deal that that. That's his men,
(42:44):
that's his mentality. He shows up at the big ones,
he wins. Then he goes to the Maldives with Jenna
and he posts a few on Instagram, and then he
comes back and wins again. Then he'll go to the Bahamas.
Then I'll go somewhere else. You look, he's a little misunderstood.
He's got a little bit of I think he's mature.
(43:04):
But he's got his boys. He won his first US Open.
He loaded up the private plane. They went to Vegas.
Then they went to l a rooftop party. Little Wayne like,
he get, were you there? He gets Brooks gets after it.
But when but when he gets after but when it's
time uh to get down to business. He takes care
(43:26):
of business. He was not the best player growing up
junior golf, a lot of second place Trophy's not the
guy you're looking at now. He was kind of skinny.
He came to it late. He took sort of a
of a different route to start him. He went to
the minor leagues of Europe. He played all over the world,
places like Kenya, Kazakhstan, and he just kind of, uh,
he learned to be comfortable and uncomfortable situations. Then he
(43:49):
started lifting training and he kind of found this confidence
a little bit later than most guys. And here he
is at twenty nine. He's about to do something if
he wins the third straight US Open, then hadn't been
done since the Silent movie era. Meanwhile, he's wearing a
hat that we said it was like that hat in Caddyshack.
I should get a free bowl of soup with that
Nike he had that that that he has um. Lastly
(44:11):
atop the leaderboard is is Ricky Fowler. I know Ricky
obviously a little bit the Oklahoma state connection, and he
is probably tops on the list of most talented guys
on the tour. Agreed to not win a major. He
does have a player's championship under his belt, and he
came out looking great. When looking great, I'm not talking
about the ullet. I'm talking about how he's playing. Um,
(44:32):
is that a mullet. I think it's the it's the
Mike Gundey mullet quite John Daly. No, it's not there yet.
It's not there. It's a little stringy too, but it
it qualifies as a mulay. Do you know anybody who
had a mullet? Who who's dying to go back to
the mullet? I don't know, no, but it has. It
has made its appearances more in football a little bit. Gunde,
(44:53):
but Gunny didn't have a mullet back when mullets were big.
He was clean cut. Now he's now he's got the mulay. Um.
What has limited what has kept Ricky from from a
good question? I think it will happen. I always bet
on talent, you know. It just hasn't been able to close.
There's no one part of his game that is is incredible.
(45:16):
He's really good in in just about every area, but
he's not dominant in any one particular skill set. Uh.
What's interesting to me about Ricky Fowler is that you know,
he came out with like a business plan eight nine
years ago. He was shrewd uh and charisma, A little
bit of color will give you a shortcut to start him,
I think. But he knows and we know that if
(45:39):
you don't back it up at some point in any
sport with the real deal, with some championships, with with
with some wins that really means something, then it doesn't last.
And Ricky's at that point. We've seen him. He's in
more television commercials for golf than any other player. He
is a force in the world of business. And by
the way, I always love this. Only in sports could
(46:00):
a thirty year old guy who's probably approaching a nine
figure net worth with homes all over the place, private
jets be be labeled an underachiever, right, right, Like if
you have if you have one of your boys, like
a surgeon, right and he's like thirty and he was
just listed top ten surgeons in the world and he's
flying privee, he's got a beautiful girlfriend. You say, hey,
he's kno getting out of the park. But in sports,
(46:21):
it's like everybody's a Jewish mother, right, Like you're a disappointment.
You haven't what you're You're a major disappointment, Ricky. Al Right,
I mean so Ricky, Ricky sort of falls into that
that category where it's like he hasn't done enough, and well,
that's how they're judged. They're paid well and they're asked
to perform at the highest level. I do think Ricky, uh,
(46:44):
we'll get his major and it could happen this week.
Johnny Miller was on our set the other night and
he said, quote, Pebble Beach loves Californians. Fowler grew up Marietta,
between San Diego and Los Angeles, California kids shoftly grew
up in San Diego. He's the top of the leaderboard California.
It so and entire Woods happened to grow up in
Phil Kelson in California as well. All right to last
(47:08):
who wins tonight in Oakland. They're not closing down Oracle
with a loss. Some way they find a way. Steph
and Clay, they need, they need, they need, they need
they Iggy hasn't been Iggy. They need Iggy And I
love Iggdala. I actually think he's a Hall of Famer.
I don't know, it's just a conversation for him to day.
(47:30):
I don't I don't know. We'll argue that I don't know.
I mean, listen, he he I mean, I'm making no
he has uh you know they call it competitive greatness?
Are you great when greatness is called upon? Like he's
Game six against the Rockets. He hadn't made five threes
in over five years in the NBA, and he makes
it in game six, Right, But there's a reason that
(47:51):
he was left open against the needs that he's left open.
He needs to make some shots and I double figures.
I think Livingston eats to dial up Livingston of a
couple of years ago. Um. By the way, Livingston looks
like the bass player in a funk band, like Brothers
Johnson doesn't. He's been league. What a great story. Do
you know? He came in the league as a point guard,
(48:13):
supposed to go to dude, He's made thirteen threes in
his entire career. He talked about doing what you do. Well,
you know we're talking about I was talking. I was
giving Buyer some golf advice, which I should never do.
But he said he had a nine when he played
out here on eighteen his part five, And I said
I said, he said, well, I hit I hit my
you know my driver. You know, I just didn't even
(48:33):
put one in the water. I was stuck in the
rough without. My point was like, I got a buddy,
Dave Revson who works for the Big ten network, and
he'll just like, hey, why not just bring out the
seven iron three times? You get there in three shots.
It doesn't matter, right, do what you do well? You
have the seven is the seven iron. So that's what
John Livingson does, right. He can't shoot three, so he
(48:54):
doesn't seven from seven. Unbelievable, that unbelievable. But Quinston, I
think I think the Raptors win tonight. I just I don't.
I don't think it would be amazing. I think win
a title, then skate. Yeah, but then you would tell
you like, look, I came in title, You're welcome. That's
what my message wouldnme. But he would not would not
(49:19):
totally convinced easy human being right, like kind of open.
I think it's it's a little like remember Darth Vader.
At the end, there was still a human being in there,
but it was mostly machine. The punisher. That's what I
called Brooks kept good. The one thing he would not
be able to say upon leaving Toronto is that I
want to go play for a winner. The only thing
he'll be able to say is I want to go home. Yes,
But but in fairness to to those guys, egoes, he's
(49:41):
in San Antonio, they won, he's in Toronto, they win.
Why can't you win with the Clippers? True? Right? All right?
Who wins out here on Sunday? McIlroy, he keeps it going.
I thought they, I thought, I thought Johnny Miller. This
course loves Californians, it loves Northern Irishman because McDowell one
here in. How's that learn from the channel? Thanks so much.
(50:07):
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