April 17, 2026 • 43 mins
FRIDAY HR 4 Orlando Magic Legend Nick Anderson instudio as the Magic face the Hornets tonight in the play-in tournament. Hanging with Nick Anderson!! Wrestler Niles Cruz instudio ahead of his match vs OnixTheOne1 at Leesburg Bikefest.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:12):
Oh hey, this is cool. Hell yeah, it's cool. We
got Nick Anderson in the studio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
But man, I mean up not only NBA Superstar, but
but I just said royalty.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
When when I got my.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Season tickets, Uh, Nick Anderson was this was way back
eighty nine, right eighty nine.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I got my season tickets.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
The first draft pick was Nick Anderson, and Nick I
was so those first sever Reggie.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Theas, Oh my god, like Catman.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
The Catman, Jerry Reynolds.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
This is two different generations of Orlando Magic fans. So
he's here when the team gets here, you represent When
I jumped on onto the Orlando Magic, and I was like,
that's my guy, A fighting out of line, that team,
that college that was one of the best college teams
of all time.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
You was was you, Kenny Battle, Ken Gillis, Liberty, Steve Barto.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Oh I love that the run that you guys went
in the tournament. So then when you came to the
Orlando Magic, I was like, hell yeah, so absolutely.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
When you were drafted that year, Nick Anderson, and you
were going to this new team, Orlando Magic, and let's
be honest, might have looked a little corny at first,
right the Magic and How did you do Orlando?
Speaker 1 (01:24):
You know, Disney and all that.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
How were you Cause you come from Chicago, that's a
tough city, said Michael Jordan.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
And then you're going to Orlando where you be honest? Now?
Were you be honest with you?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
You know?
Speaker 5 (01:37):
A whole lot played into it. And then I have
to say this.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
You know, my senior year in high school, our senior
trip was to to Disney World, Okay, and my mom
and dad couldn't afford for us to go on, for
me to go on that senior trip. Yeah, and you know,
God working in mysterious ways, I ended up here anyway. Yeah,
you know my senior trip Orlando. Yeah, and I've been
(02:03):
a part of Orlando since then.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
And Orlando loves you. You are Orlando Royalty. People are
taking pictures with you out here.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And that's why I asked you if you still live here,
because even possibly if you went into it, lived into
another city, you wouldn't be recognized as much in another city,
but here everybody knows.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Do you like that? It seems that it seems like
you like it.
Speaker 5 (02:24):
This is my home. I'm from Chicago, but this is
my home.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You know, everything the seed has been planned here. My
keys grew up here, they still in school here. I'm
not going anywhere.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
So those first years were the Orlando magic, like it
was all new to me. So maybe it's just it
was it was just the way I was liking it.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
But it was like.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
That struggle to make it and to prove that you
guys were something. Were those years you didn't have that
many wins, but still it was eighteen wins eighteen wins?
But did you enjoy that first? You enjoyed it because
I did to think of this, you know, you know,
I was just happy to be in in the NBA. Yeah,
you know, I didn't care where I was at. You know,
(03:08):
I got drafted. I was here to to to play
ball and get better as a as a as a person,
as a player. And Orlando gave me that opportunity because
they could have chose anybody out of that draft. Yeah,
I was the one they chose. So I'm forever grateful
and thankful for that opportunity. And you were great from
(03:28):
jump from the I mean from first game it was
like you could tell you were.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Going to be a starter. Who is it that did
any of the guys take you under their wing?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Because in my mind, I thought maybe Scott Skyles and
and Reggie Thie is my two favorites. I thought they
were kind of helping you out. Is that accurate or
is that just in my head?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
The guy that took me under his wing and showed
me how to be a professional on the court and
off the court, that was Sydney Green.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Oh my, I forgot about it.
Speaker 6 (03:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Oh he was great.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah he was a even know he was a big
man six nine, sixteen power all forward. But the way
that he respected the game, yeah, on the court and
off the court.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
I was and still to this day forever thankful and
grateful because he showed me the ins and out.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
And this is just my It seemed like there was
one guy there that didn't fit. He was like that big,
goofy white guy kite somebody.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Well Greg is still here, h.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
And Greg is a you know, Greg was an NBA
champion with the Boston Celtics. And Greg is doing really
big things here in Orlando for.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Many many years.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
He's a big real estate developer. He's still around here
doing big things. And I just we had a Retired
Players Association meeting a few weeks ago.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
I'll get a chance to see Greg on different occasions.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
And then of course you were there during the Shock
years and like sty tell me, tell me what was
that like?
Speaker 5 (05:01):
Well, it was special in my opinion.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I played with two of the best young superstars that
had the opportunity to step.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
On NBA floor.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
And we have these conversations all the time about Penny Hardaway.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
What if he would never get hurt? Right?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I tell young people, y'all just don't understand how talented
this young man was. At six foot seven and a
half six eight point guard, athletic, can do it.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
All, passed the ball.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
And I have to say is Penny Hardaway was that
little brother that I always wanted to have.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah he was easy to love too, man, Like you
seem like a great guy?
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Uh yeah, man, and the big fellow speak for herself.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah, you know, he made the game not only easy
for me, but easier for a lot of the guys
being out there on the floor with him because him
being so dominant, his his his presence was felt all
the time.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
With Scott's I was just grumpy all the time.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
Yeah, that was that's Scotty, my man. You know, he
played hard.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
He was Yeah, only six foot one, but he was
six foot one of of hell, Yeah, that's what he was.
Speaker 5 (06:15):
He didn't back down from nobody.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Yeah, and who's who is the gotcha? His name escaping
right now.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
But he now he's a big coach and he played
for US hit three point shots. Really great, little blonde guy.
He's not a big coach. I can't believe. I can't
remember you're talking about Kerr said.
Speaker 5 (06:32):
A lot of people don't know that Steve Kerr play
here in Orlando.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Oh I remember that. Yeah, he was only here for
a second.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
He was only here for a second. But Steve Kurry.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I played with Steve Kerry, and uh, you know, uh,
Steve Kurr wanted to do big things. He won championships
with uh San Antonio obviously with the Bulls, and and
look what he's done with at the Helm of Golden State.
So amazing, right he was. I played against stephen College.
Steve was an Arizona Wildcat.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
So Nick Anderson, you stripped the ball from Michael Jordan, Dude.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
I mean that's do you play that every night before
you go to bat to watch that beautiful things? Think
of this.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I'm glad that happened, but I always tell people, uh,
would they look at it different if it was against
somebody else?
Speaker 1 (07:20):
And in my opinion, Michael Jordan's Michael Jordan.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
And I say this with all due respect, Michael Jordan
is the best basketball player that I ever played against.
And I can't speak for you know, guys who came
from before that. And I say this, well all due respect,
because I played this, Larry Birry, Magic Johnson, you know,
Clyde Drexler, and go on and on, Reggie Miller. But
my opinion, he's the best basketball player I ever played against.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Who did you.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Hate playing it? Because you just said Reggie Miller And
I hated Reggie anytime I would go to those games.
And oh, man, Reggie Miller, because that's son of the gun,
would hit a three.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
But he didn't hit up under your your skiing with
the antics. And I look at a kid in the
in the league today that, uh, he annoys everybody does
his antics.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
And that's Dylan Brooks who plays for the Sons.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
I mean the stuff that he does and sometimes you know,
you would think we'll say it's borderline, but just the
fact that he gets under your skin.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
And that was Reggie Miller.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
And there was plenty of times I just want to
drop the ball and say, bro, let's get it.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
It was almost like professional wrestlings.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
When he came in, You're like, oh, there's the bad
guy that we're all gonna hate. When did you start
the run up? The things that you would do right
before the game would start? And and Nick Anderson like
that was that was like so much a fun part
of who thought? I mean that you my god, Remember,
I would look forward to were you doing that? Nick
anders is gonna do the big run up?
Speaker 4 (08:48):
To explain saying this is that after that era, after
the era of NBA that we're talking about, after the
era of Orlando Magic history that we're talking about, this
guy lost complete interest in the league.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
When when when.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
You Honestly, when you left, I was like, well, that's
the last of the guys. I like, I was so mad,
and so I did be Honestly, I wasn't gonna tell
him that Angel, but I was like, you know what,
screw it.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
I was walking because you're doing deep cuts of Orgo
Magic history. But he was there. He's the man.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
We're in a playing game today. We're gonna talk about that.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
That that run was you know, uh, I would tap
up everybody.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Yeah yeah, and then I take off my run.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
I mean I wrapped up everybody at the score table,
and uh, it was just let him know here I come.
Speaker 7 (09:33):
Yeah, that's what you do when the room and.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
It made you the most beloved guy on the Orlando Magic,
which which all right, So Angel wants to talk about
the play.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
We don't understand the place at what everyone else to
participated question and.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
It's my show, I'll interview.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
I'm sorry, Sorry, we're fighting over you.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Okay, We to be honest with you. We don't understand
the play in game thing.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
All I know is if they win tonight, Ryan's gonna
win two thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
But you know everybody talks about uh uh you know,
how did you come to play Charlotte?
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Our record? We were one game better than Charlotte.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Yeah, even though they had our number this this season.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Uh, this is for the eighth spot.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
When we played Philly, if we won that game, we
would have been playing for the seventh spot. Unfortunately it happened.
So we we are playing Charlotte and they're wondering why
Charlotte had to come here because we are one game
better than Charlotte.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
So we get the home home.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Let me ask you about this in regards to the
playing tournament, because this is obviously started after your running
the NBA. What just in general, do you think it's
better for the NBA that they're doing this or is
it kind of just getting extra games.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
In Well, I think it's you know, me being an
old school guy. You know, sometimes you don't want to change,
you don't, you know, if you like your shirt Aron
this way, You're want.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
To that's what you know.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
But I think you have to change with the times
and what's going on.
Speaker 5 (11:20):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
But if you personally, if I if it was me,
you know, I like the old way eight the top
eight teams right, the playoffs and that was it. But
it's good for the game. Is good for the game.
You know, the game has changed, It has evolved in
a whole lot of ways. You you know, could you
(11:42):
imagine Shack at his side shooting threes?
Speaker 5 (11:46):
Nobody want to see you in this in today's age?
Speaker 1 (11:50):
What your numbers would be?
Speaker 6 (11:53):
You do?
Speaker 1 (11:53):
You'd be average at thirty and the check would be
a whole lot nicer.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Speaking about the check that tournament that they do now
the end season tournament thing.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
What are your thoughts on that? I like it.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
You know, it.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Keeps everybody on the toes is competitive, and that's what
it's all about, being competitive.
Speaker 5 (12:15):
I tell young men and women.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
When you at this level and you only have to
play basketball two hours of day, so you know and
you get you get all these benefits and you know
the the endorsements, how.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Could you not want to be a part of that? Well? Sure, yeah,
you know.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Hey, when when you see the young players, now, are
there any any don't matter what you're doing, Like I
do it with people that are young in radio.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Like back in my day.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Do you do you see the young players and you're like, man,
I can't believe they are doing this.
Speaker 5 (12:49):
This is not the way I do. I must say
that I do like what kind of thing. You know, Defense?
You know, I'm a defensive guy.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
I like defense, Yeah, you know, And it irks me
when you know guys that don't play defense, because defense
is totally effort.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
You know, if you put.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Forth to effort, and that's what anything you put for
the effort, you can do it. Listen to this saying
you guys can can can can probably tell someone else's
don't expect results for the work you didn't put in.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Right, why not Nick Anderson here with us. Let's say
that seems like we should go to you now right, We're.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Gonna go around the board. The joke doesn't question for
for Nick Anderson. Nick Anderson, it's so good to talk
to you.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Man.
Speaker 8 (13:43):
I You're a big like inspiration for as a child.
You know, like, I'm not like the biggest basketball fan
in the world. I was a big fan of NBA
jam always pic Nick Anderson, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
But I was.
Speaker 8 (13:57):
I was wondering because when when you did the ball
for Michael Jordan, you had you had a very famous
quote where you said, you know, number forty five doesn't
explode like twenty three.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Did you look at that out of context? What was
the thing? Because that much funny though? Okay, I was.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
I was asked about forty five, and you know, we
know that when mj came back, he only played a
half a season and he wore number forty five, and
they asked about that, and I said, well, forty five
is not twenty three, and twenty three played a full
season of hell, that's what he gave you. Forty eight
(14:37):
We scored forty eight minutes of hell.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yeah, but they said.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
The old Nick Anderson said forty five is not like
forty three, and he can't do this.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
You meant it as a compliment, and they turn it around.
I had to run with it.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
It was already out there, and I didn't deny that
I said it because I did.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
But they turned and we know how Michael Jordan did.
He get pissed off that he thought you said.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
He came back with the next game with number twenty
three to show you whatever.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Right now, I get this.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Not only he did that, we ended up winning the series.
I remember in Chicago the Bulls. We're the only team
to beat the Bulls in a in the series.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Yeah, And the rumor is is that you might have
had a hand in the night that the jersey got stolen.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
I would never forget that. I'll never forget that. Our
ball guy at the time who led everything, Victor Pelt,
He was the guy who put out all the uniforms
and everything. And they get to the arena that night
(15:44):
and the MJ. Jersey wasn't dead. You know, you would think, okay,
he's got to put it out, but it wasn't him
to come to find out it was a security guard
who had Key's.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Okay, I got asked this.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Okay, so you get all the you know, obviously we
all remember, we all remember you stealing the ball from
Michael Dry But then I just remembered it had to
be Can you get a lot of you know, a
positive for that. But then we you got blamed for
missing one free throw one time. It was you know,
it wasn't fair because like, oh, they lost the whole
game because Nick Anderson missed the free throw.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
It was it was against the it was in the
in the finals.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Yeah, and people must forget that we were leading Houston
by twenty five points.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
So a lot of things went wrong. I lost my point.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
It wasn't just missing a free throw. But but they
came down on you. But how did that that have
that feel? It's oh, it's okay because you know, mentally,
you know, you would think about it, But it's okay.
It's part of the game. Yeah, you know, you win some,
you lose some. But you know what I.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Can take from that that been in that situation, I
had the opportunity to be there.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Yeah, well, it does it make you feel good that
here we are so many years later, and the first
thing we all thought aught about was the Michael Jordan Steel.
I had to go back in my memory to go, oh, yeah,
there was that time he missed the fleet throw and.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Everybody was remember the time we were dunking on fools
in this I done contest.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
I tell young guys, especially.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Men you know in in the sport. Hey, man, they're
gonna be PiZZ and valleys.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
That's just the way it is.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
You know, something's gonna go your way and you go say,
how did that happen? Right, it wasn't supposed to end
like that. And then there's gonna be ways and you
go say, how did that happen? He wasn't supposed to end?
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Can you stick around for another summer? Man?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Okay, all right, we got Nick Anderson here with us
to so nice for you to sup.
Speaker 7 (17:44):
When we come back, can other people ask question? Can
other people have a conversation?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Well, they called us an interview, and I do the
first part and then you guys here the second part.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
So yes, when we come back, Savannah has a question
and have a question. They know.
Speaker 7 (18:01):
You don't know what I knew about.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Here's what happened.
Speaker 7 (18:04):
So we came in, I walked in the hall and
somebody said, Nick Anderson's in the hall.
Speaker 9 (18:08):
Right.
Speaker 7 (18:08):
I don't watch basketball religiously, but I know about basketball.
Speaker 5 (18:11):
So as I walked.
Speaker 7 (18:12):
In there, like my brain immediately went back to when
I first came to Orlando, and I was like, whoa.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Nick Anderson. And then I looked and.
Speaker 7 (18:21):
I saw you, and I was like, whoa, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Now, where did you come from?
Speaker 7 (18:26):
So I lived in South Carolina, but I've lived in
Florida most of my life now. But when I first
came and I was jobless and like trying to get
a radio job and all that kind of stuff, I
remember like the magic that was just the heyday, right, Like,
so I remember being like, whoa, maybe one day Nick
Anderson will come in here, or like maybe one day
and who's the guy that always comes? No, no, no,
(18:51):
he and he's great and we love him. But but also,
gotta take a break.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Have a question for Nick when we come back. Okay,
hold on, we gotta got a break. You're listening to
the Master.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
Of the Morning, Pannah.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
He just told the story we can't say on the radio.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Damn.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
That was a good story.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
That was oh man, because of the people that involved.
Speaker 7 (19:36):
You wanted to hear it.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Angel, Yeah, I'll tell you. I'll tell you later.
Speaker 8 (19:39):
Your limitations has not passed that true?
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Yeah, Nick Anderson, I mean, NBA.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Tell it's good rough because the magic reps that are
in the corner are freaking out.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
I started telling I started telling a story and I
realized halfway through the story I said too much in
front of ladies.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
I apologize ladies like, oh my god, we're never bringing
Nick Bucket here. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 7 (20:00):
But he little known fact and this is one true.
When I met Russ, he told me, and this is
true and no uncertain terms, that he could play for
the Orlando Magic. If that's what he focused on.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Let me tell you. May tell Nick you can hear this.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
We were on the radio and I met this guy
called the shot Doctor, Buzz Brayman, and Buzz Brayman exactly,
and Buzz Brayman I would go there every day and
he would.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Be like, Russ, you could do it, you could do it.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
You could And then after I would do this shot
doctor thing with him. This this new young guy came
in Shaquille O'Neill, and Shaq was working with Buzz Brayman
and then Charles Barkley was his buddy too, And I'm
around these guys and I got Buzz Brayman, tell me, Russ,
if you just put your mind to it, you could
do it.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
So I went on the radio and said it. And
of course they'll never forget. But I was.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
I was an athlete and if I figured I really focused,
I could. But I was a short Uh you know
if that's six foot tall. But I'm like, well, Scott
Skyles can do it.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
I can do it. Yea, Yeah, you're for quick feet.
So did you did you did you work with Buzz Braymon?
Did you know?
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (21:09):
I know Buzz Brayman. He's a Philly guy.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Uh when the Magic first came to Orlando, Uh, headed
by Pat Williams, and you know John Gabriel and Maddie.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
GOOKI is all them. Those were those was Philly people.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
They worked for the Sixers and uh, you know, thank
God for Pat Williams.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
That was my man.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
He was good, Oh man, Pat Williams. Uh just a
wonderful person. There's not enough things that I can say
about him.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
And you still live here in Orlando, so you you
must love it.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Yeah, you know, Uh, being a Chicago kid and growing
up in Chicago. If you know anything about Chicago, it
ain't the the coolest, especially where I grew up at
You know, I don't I don't want to go back.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
I'll go back and visit and ride through at a
one hundred min was an hour.
Speaker 10 (22:01):
It's different once you've removed from it. When you go back,
it's a totally Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
I took my kids, my kids up there because they
always want to see where I grew up and.
Speaker 5 (22:10):
Were they shocked? Yeah, you know, they were like how
it looks like now?
Speaker 3 (22:16):
It wasn't as bad as when I grew up, but
it looked like a war zone. Wowow see the things
that I went through and do growing up in Chicago,
the gangs, the drugs and things like that. And I'm
thankful and grateful with the grace of God. He had
his hand on me. And I'm sitting here with you guys.
Speaker 7 (22:33):
So so okay, here's my question. First, your nails are amazing.
That is a class act right there. I don't know
if you looked at his nails right there, completely buffed
and manicured, amazing.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
It's a lot of self care in there.
Speaker 7 (22:46):
But like I was, saying in the break, you know,
like when I first came to Orlando, it was during
your era, and so like it's amazing to share space
with you. But coming from where you came from, right,
And I was telling you how I grew up in
this a town too, Like what do you think is
different about you that led you to get out of that?
You know, to get out of that and make yourself
(23:09):
so great? Because I listened to a lot of motivational tapes.
I don't think there are videos, but I don't think
I've ever heard one from you. So what is your
mindset that is different from let's say everyone else you
grew up around and played basketball around that made you
who you are today.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
Well, it's a lot that goes into it.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
Reasons why you know, my dad and two of the
main reasons I still think about my two older brothers
was in different games worm in Chicago, and my two
older brothers used to fight each other like they never
seen each other before in their lives.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
So that's part of it.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
I watched my high school teammate who was shot and
keeled at.
Speaker 5 (23:54):
Seventeen, even number one player in the nation.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
That's why, wow, number twenty five, if you guys ever
have the opportunity to go and watch thirty for thirty
BEINGI okay, that was my high school teammate. And I
say this, the main reason that motivated me to do
something for myself was my mom. My mom is eighty
(24:17):
years old today and my mom. I watched my mom
raise four kids. You know, in Chicago when the lights
were off, when you had to find heat, I had
to find food.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
My mom found a way.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
And my mom is only five foot one at that
and she probably weighs one hundred pounds, but her skin
is tough, like allogate.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
That's just just just.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
A tough individual. And I used to tell my mom
all the time that I was gonna buy a big
house in a in a pretty car. When when I
made it and I did just that.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
That's awesome. Does she live here? My mom has been
with me.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
My mom the day I got drafted in nineteen eighty nine,
and it's twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
My mother has never worked again. That's awesome. That's so good.
That's so good.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Did you get one of your rookie cards in the
I still have all all that stuff.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
I have a rookie cardtoo.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Yeah, I have my rookie jersey. There's no other rookie jersey.
And back then our jerseys were made by McGregor. I
still have my rookie jerseys to this day. It fits
like a dive in suit.
Speaker 10 (25:37):
A question for so Nick Anderson, The question is Michael Jordan,
Kobe Bryant.
Speaker 5 (25:46):
Michael Jordan's there.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
You won't even let me ft it.
Speaker 5 (25:51):
No matter what, no matter what.
Speaker 10 (25:53):
Best in time, best to play against, would not ever
change any of that order.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Not at all, which you add anybody?
Speaker 5 (26:01):
Uh shack, Well, let's look at it.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
The three that you named, you can eat.
Speaker 10 (26:08):
If that's a heated three right there. I mean you
could take people, even take Kobe out and just you
Michael and Lebron.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Well, everybody say, you know, I had a younger generation
telling about Lebron and half of them, ninety five percent
of them never seen Michael Jordan's exactly.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
So go watch some my Michael Jordan taal and uh
and then come back to me.
Speaker 10 (26:29):
But like one of my older brothers, is a full Lebron.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Angel. Question for Nick.
Speaker 4 (26:36):
Nick ators one of the things I'm curious about because
one of the beautiful things about that era of the
Orlando Magic was the team chemistry and how how you
guys evolved and came together and you guys were right
there at the brink of that.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
How how is it that like?
Speaker 4 (26:53):
And I'm not trying to take a shot at the
guys right now, but it seems like like it's an
intangible and it's hard to get that. And when you
get that, you can see you can recognize that the
teams that have it and the teams that don't. And
right now our guys seemed not to be firing off
on all cylinders.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
How hard is that?
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Let me tell you what we did as that group
that when we went to the NBA Final, as you know,
we were sixty and twenty two for the regular season,
we were thirty nine and two at home.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
We only lost two games that entire year.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
What we did during the season, not sometimes, this was
all the time. If we would land in Phoenix, Arizona,
or wherever we all used to meet in the lobby,
we're going to dinner, were going to game, got together
as a unit.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
I'll never forget. We played in Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
And we created so much chaos about doing this. We
as a team went to the Mall of America and
could you imagine Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O'Neill at the
height of their and then Scott who seemed and they
asked us, they really asked us to leave them all
(28:07):
because of it was just too much. We even did
that in Indiana. We did that on a regular basis.
We would go out and hang out even when we
were here in Orlando. Uh, after practices and days off,
we would go over to Shack's house and and and
he had jet skis. We would hang out and and
and do all that. We did all that together on
(28:30):
a regular basis.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
So that kind of chemistry.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Does it just happen or there's got to be a
guy on the team that makes it better.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
If we had a guy on our team that made
it happen. And I say this all the time about him,
he's he's he's an assistant coach for the Clippers right now.
Speaker 5 (28:46):
That was Brian Shaw. Bryan Shall used to he was.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
He's one of the guys. I remember he was there.
But it's not like he wasn't a standout, but.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
He was get this brant and I know he he
got this from the group that he played with. Brian
Shaw as a young player was on the Celtics with
Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, uh and all them. Dennis Johnson,
so you know, he brought that to us. And Brian
(29:18):
Shaw was a key along with Horace Grant, you know,
with his experience with the Bulls and winning championships. So
we had that real veteran leadership in our locker room.
And and we didn't we didn't when when somebody got
on one of us, we didn't take it as a
personal attack. It was constructive criticism. Hey man, we need you.
(29:43):
We don't need you to be falling off the deep
end and and and getting all all the whack.
Speaker 5 (29:48):
So we had guys like that.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
And then we had a veteran assistant coach on our
staff who played at the highest level when he was
a young guy.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
There was Tree Rollins. Oh my god, yeah we have that.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
That's so when there when they're drafting guys, now, do
they think about that kind of thing, like the the
about the chemistry, like listen, this game might not you know.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Of course, of course, you know, uh, one bad apple
could make a whole bunch.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
So yeah, yeah, I don't care.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
How good you are when you an a hole.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Ryan question for Nick Ander somebody who wants to remind
you tickets are available for tonight's game, right, Yeah, I gotta.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Get out there, gotta get out to the Kiss Center.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
You gotta get out of this is this is crucial
from in so many ways. This is game This is
game seven in my eyes of the NBA Championship.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
So we need all the support.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Everybody coming with your gear on and uh we we
want we go on to the next round. I gotta
say that. Yeah, And I'm saying that, what's.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
A good opportunity to scream at La mellow Ball.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Yeah, I'm saying that with a lot of confidence. I
think we have the guys that can get it done.
I believe in them, and uh, I'm going to be
there to root them on. So get your playoff ticket and.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Ryan, you hope they win because you'll win too.
Speaker 5 (31:14):
As my good friend too said, get your popcorn.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Baby.
Speaker 8 (31:18):
Let me ask you this though, because you're talking about like,
you know, there's a guy there that builds cohesiveness, and
I think any team needs that guy and he's not there.
And I think a big thing of that is social
media making everybody super individualistic. But my question is for
you back in the day you didn't have social media.
I didn't know what Nick Anderson thought about anything other
than basketball. Right, So who back in the day could
be You could be a teammate who would have got
(31:39):
their social media taken away because they would have they
would have gone off too hard.
Speaker 5 (31:43):
Wow, that's a good question.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Well, you know, that's a great question. Social media is everybody?
It changed changed the game. Yeah, it's changed the game.
Everybody uh wants to be something that they're really not,
so to speak.
Speaker 5 (32:05):
When you know, you get all these these influences on social.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Media and and and people think everything they do or
say that's real.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
It's not.
Speaker 5 (32:18):
One thing you have to say.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
We have to do is stay grounded and know what is,
what is and what isn't. But some people have had
the perception that, oh this really happens. Man, are you delusional?
The astronaut just came from the moon. You know, you
(32:42):
can't go there. You might think you can, but you
can't go there. So my dad, before he passed away,
he used to always tell me stay grounded. And I say,
why why stay grounded? He said, if you fall, you
ain't got too far much. What they take Skyle's uh
social media Scottie Scotts.
Speaker 5 (33:03):
Didn't need no social media.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
Nick Anderson, thank you so much for taking time. It's
just all these rememberies of these great games just came
back to me. And really, while you were there is
when I loved it. So thank you so much. And tonight,
get the tickets for tonight. We gotta win tonight. Uh
and uh, and we appreciate you coming in.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Well, I think I gotta thank you guys and everybody
in Orlando for giving me an opportunity. They gave me
opportunity from day one, and they giving me an opportunity today.
And I'm forever grateful and thankful. Don't never think you know.
Everybody say well, you'll never smile.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
Trust me.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Inside of me is so much joy. We appreciate you
coming in for sure. All Right, we take a little break.
Don't go anywhere. You're listening to the Manxess the Morning.
Welcome to the Monsters Mornings. We're Rady on one on
four point one. I seen live on iHeartRadio. Remember, tickets
(34:02):
are available for the Monster Brew Bus where we've sold
out one bus. We're working on the second one. If
you want to get your tickets, go to Real Radio
dot FM. Slash Brew. That's Real Radio dot FM slash Brew.
Welcome back.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
What was up? I'm Russ with.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Savannah and angel Ryan and Angelique all here today. And
we've got a guest that's here that is going to
be going up against Onyx the One next Friday at
the Leesburg Bike Fest. It's a free show. One bring
a Niles Cruise is here now. I got to tell
you when I was doing the the the top ten
contenders here in Central Florida of independent wrestlers, there was
(34:39):
one wrestler that got all of the I would say,
all the votes, got all of the It seems to
have a huge, you know, following, and it is It
is Niles Cruz who is here today. It's going to
turn into micro on for me. There you are, angel
if you don't mind, Niles, how.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
You doing today?
Speaker 2 (34:58):
When I when I was in research here in central
Florida and you got to talk really close to the microphone,
get the mic close to your face. There, you have
a you have a large following.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
Why do you think that is? How long have you
been wrestling?
Speaker 9 (35:13):
So I started training for wrestling around the pandemic time,
and I never went to a scheduled school per se
pay five than for twelve weeks here.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
It just was not working out in the budget.
Speaker 9 (35:24):
So to be honest, I jumped around various schools and
that made it really hard to even break into the indies.
So Apollo Senior Tna Legend got a hold of me
started helping me out, brushing my skills up. So I've
been working on the indies almost a year and a
half already.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
That's it, only a year and a half, not a
year and a half already.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
So I put I put like the top ten up
on my social media and I'm like, who do you
want to see Onyx the one give a title shot too?
And it was a lot of people that our audience knows,
like Blake Banks and Poppy d and Max Danzigger.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
But you had probably over one hundred.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
People say, oh no, you need to give Niles Cruz
a shot. And that's the only reason I knew about
you is because because so many people were pulling for you.
Are these like family members that are helping you. You
got friends like Lego. How is it that you have
so many followers here locally?
Speaker 1 (36:17):
I have a tremendous support team.
Speaker 9 (36:18):
In some people's stories, I'm the hero and other people's stories.
I'm the villain. Yeah, I'm just having a great time
doing what I love. So however that jumps up on
people's social media, and however they want to interact, they
will interact. As you can see, there's wrestlers on there
from WW and from AEW commenting to get me over,
but there's also regular.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
People as well. I did, so it looks like I'm.
Speaker 9 (36:42):
I'm a big deal in everybody's story. Okay, I'm the
hero or the villain. And that goes for Onyx too.
I'm a real big deal in Onyx's story. He seems
like he's my new biggest fan. He's posting videos talking crap,
working out.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Yeah, yeah, he's strong. Yeah he is freaking strong. He
is strong for sure.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
And uh, and I don't know, I know when I
spoke with you, I don't even know if you knew
much about the show or about the MWO or anything
like that.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
But here here's the deal.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
I used to wrestle, and I love independent wrestlers, and
I want to help make some independent wrestlers get to
that next level. Right, So that's why if you've got
the MWO title, you know, you get a lot of
attention a nationwide with us, and and I want to
see some you know, some of you guys actually make
it to that next level, which I'm sure you'd like
to make it to.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Onyx the one is the champion. Now he's got a
he's got a manager, uh as well?
Speaker 1 (37:36):
Tun A ten. Have you seen tun of ten? I've
seen in ten? Okay, all right, so you've seen two two?
Who's the star?
Speaker 9 (37:43):
Is it Onyx or is it tun To Tim? Because
I see Tuna Tim trying to take Onyx's spot, and
I see Onyx too oblivious with his hairstyle routine to
tune a Tim, and Tuna Tim, I think is working
on a heel turn.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
I think tun To ten might be better with me.
Oh whoa, I like the pitch. This is a turn?
All fair? Your observations is.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
You if you could steal Tuna Tim from Onyx to one,
you'd be okay with that.
Speaker 9 (38:16):
I don't have to steal Tune of ten when Tuna
Tim might not even be Onyx's real manager to begin with.
I think Tuna Tim has his eyes on the mw
A Men's Championship.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
Look who's here? Tune of ten? Come turn happier.
Speaker 11 (38:35):
I swear, I swear for the guns and the drains
and hard media.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Baby tun of.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Tim Niles Cruz says that you know he wouldn't mind
you managing him and help take him to the next label.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
Allegation is that there's some connection there already if.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
You're willing to drop Onyx the one. What what are
your your thoughts on that tune of Tim?
Speaker 11 (38:53):
First of all, two to Tim and his wrestling school
has no flops whatsoever. So I like Nles Cruise is
a great for Tuna Tim to work with because Cruse
cruise ships tune to Tim's in the ocean. With cruise ships,
we could do the Niles Cruise Cruise.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Okay, there's a lot.
Speaker 11 (39:09):
Of things going on, but first of all, you're very
very new and look you look Duram Noinles Cruise. H Well,
Tunor Tim is also new in the game, obviously very flash.
You made a big name for myself and I'm gonna
have to see.
Speaker 9 (39:23):
Because how many people were new in the game, John Cena,
Randi Er and brock Lessner And when they hit those strides,
they hit those strides big. When you got guys like
Niles Cruse and guys like Onyx the One.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
You can separate all of the.
Speaker 9 (39:42):
Parody independent professional wrestlers, the cosplay wrestlers out there, if
you will, because when it's cruise and honest, you're gonna
see a real show. And we may want to beat
the crap out of each other, but it's gonna be
a real dang show. We're not here to keep pushing
this agenda of cosplay wrestlers that don't work out, that
don't care about their wardrobe, that don't care about and
(40:04):
you know.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
What, you're a cosplay manager, Tuna, Tim, I wouldn't mind.
I wouldn't mind if you worked with me. I don't
want you to. Oh, I was just bringing it up.
Speaker 9 (40:13):
But what I'm seeing is you're trying to see the
way Onyx the One trains. You're picking that up. You're
taking notes for yourself. Your promos are real good. Right,
have you been practicing? Why you're trying to take Onyx
a spot?
Speaker 1 (40:27):
Because I just came.
Speaker 9 (40:28):
Up over here, but it looks like you were working
with Onyx regardless, So I think something fishy is going on.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Tune of Tim in there with the fishy thing.
Speaker 11 (40:37):
Let me let me tell you, first of all, fish
punts of my things off cruise.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
You come up with some so I don't know what
to do. First of all, are tight?
Speaker 11 (40:46):
Are tight like a clam shell baby closed on each other.
And I'm now listen, when the clam opens up, there's
the pearl, and the pearl is ONX the one for right.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Sure down in the deep deep't okay to present the
world the pearl. That's one of them?
Speaker 9 (41:11):
This isn't This is no Paul Bearer undertaking relationship.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Is it.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
All right? Listen? Niles Cruz.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
Uh. You obviously having a huge following. I mean, I imagine
a lot of them are come out to see you
next Friday. Uh, next Friday. You have a shot at
the MW title. If you win, here's what you win.
You're able to come in and promote any independent show
you have going on and actually gets you into other
because I'm working with the people from a l W,
(41:39):
I'm working with people from actually working with some people
from TNA, now working with some people from other organizations.
And as the MWO champion, they know you'll promote them,
so you get to get on these shows. So it's
a big deal to be the MW champion. Uh, you'll
be going up against Onyx next week.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
With two to ten.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
Uh, So are you feeling Are you feeling good?
Speaker 9 (42:00):
I'm feeling great, whether it was Onyx or the next person.
I realized something during this prep what in the beginning,
I was fueled by my own ego, my own desire
to get better than Onyx. At first, I was wondering,
why could a man like that have a championship? And
I've been working this hard and I've never once tasted gold.
And then something just hit. I stopped caring. I stopped
(42:23):
caring about Onyx. I stopped caring about the people. I
stopped caring about the fans. I stopped caring about all
of that white noise. So let me ask you, Onyx.
You're built like a machine. You act like a robot.
Does a machine like yourself ever experience fear?
Speaker 1 (42:40):
I had to dead the fears. I had to get
all the way over there to get here, Onyx.
Speaker 9 (42:47):
It doesn't matter if it's you and I, or if
they're throwing a third person in, or if two to
tim wants to turn his back on you, then I'm
gonna give it my all. And sometimes you're just gonna
have to watch out because it's gonna come way too
quick for you.
Speaker 1 (43:01):
Brother.
Speaker 2 (43:03):
Well, there you go, okay, Well, we look forward to
seeing you next Friday. Nile's congratulations on having so much
success so far, and we'll see you next Friday. You
all right, you got it, all right, don't go anywhere
when we come time for the King of Denmark right
home to make his daily proclamation.
Speaker 1 (43:21):
You're listening to the match of the morning.
Oh hey, this is cool. Hell yeah, it's cool. We
got Nick Anderson in the studio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
But man, I mean up not only NBA Superstar, but
but I just said royalty.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
When when I got my.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Season tickets, Uh, Nick Anderson was this was way back
eighty nine, right eighty nine.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I got my season tickets.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
The first draft pick was Nick Anderson, and Nick I
was so those first sever Reggie.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Theas, Oh my god, like Catman.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
The Catman, Jerry Reynolds.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
This is two different generations of Orlando Magic fans. So
he's here when the team gets here, you represent When
I jumped on onto the Orlando Magic, and I was like,
that's my guy, A fighting out of line, that team,
that college that was one of the best college teams
of all time.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
You was was you, Kenny Battle, Ken Gillis, Liberty, Steve Barto.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Oh I love that the run that you guys went
in the tournament. So then when you came to the
Orlando Magic, I was like, hell yeah, so absolutely.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
When you were drafted that year, Nick Anderson, and you
were going to this new team, Orlando Magic, and let's
be honest, might have looked a little corny at first,
right the Magic and How did you do Orlando?
Speaker 1 (01:24):
You know, Disney and all that.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
How were you Cause you come from Chicago, that's a
tough city, said Michael Jordan.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
And then you're going to Orlando where you be honest? Now?
Were you be honest with you?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
You know?
Speaker 5 (01:37):
A whole lot played into it. And then I have
to say this.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
You know, my senior year in high school, our senior
trip was to to Disney World, Okay, and my mom
and dad couldn't afford for us to go on, for
me to go on that senior trip. Yeah, and you know,
God working in mysterious ways, I ended up here anyway. Yeah,
you know my senior trip Orlando. Yeah, and I've been
(02:03):
a part of Orlando since then.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
And Orlando loves you. You are Orlando Royalty. People are
taking pictures with you out here.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And that's why I asked you if you still live here,
because even possibly if you went into it, lived into
another city, you wouldn't be recognized as much in another city,
but here everybody knows.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Do you like that? It seems that it seems like
you like it.
Speaker 5 (02:24):
This is my home. I'm from Chicago, but this is
my home.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You know, everything the seed has been planned here. My
keys grew up here, they still in school here. I'm
not going anywhere.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
So those first years were the Orlando magic, like it
was all new to me. So maybe it's just it
was it was just the way I was liking it.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
But it was like.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
That struggle to make it and to prove that you
guys were something. Were those years you didn't have that
many wins, but still it was eighteen wins eighteen wins?
But did you enjoy that first? You enjoyed it because
I did to think of this, you know, you know,
I was just happy to be in in the NBA. Yeah,
you know, I didn't care where I was at. You know,
(03:08):
I got drafted. I was here to to to play
ball and get better as a as a as a person,
as a player. And Orlando gave me that opportunity because
they could have chose anybody out of that draft. Yeah,
I was the one they chose. So I'm forever grateful
and thankful for that opportunity. And you were great from
(03:28):
jump from the I mean from first game it was
like you could tell you were.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Going to be a starter. Who is it that did
any of the guys take you under their wing?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Because in my mind, I thought maybe Scott Skyles and
and Reggie Thie is my two favorites. I thought they
were kind of helping you out. Is that accurate or
is that just in my head?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
The guy that took me under his wing and showed
me how to be a professional on the court and
off the court, that was Sydney Green.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Oh my, I forgot about it.
Speaker 6 (03:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Oh he was great.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah he was a even know he was a big
man six nine, sixteen power all forward. But the way
that he respected the game, yeah, on the court and
off the court.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
I was and still to this day forever thankful and
grateful because he showed me the ins and out.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
And this is just my It seemed like there was
one guy there that didn't fit. He was like that big,
goofy white guy kite somebody.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Well Greg is still here, h.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
And Greg is a you know, Greg was an NBA
champion with the Boston Celtics. And Greg is doing really
big things here in Orlando for.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Many many years.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
He's a big real estate developer. He's still around here
doing big things. And I just we had a Retired
Players Association meeting a few weeks ago.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
I'll get a chance to see Greg on different occasions.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
And then of course you were there during the Shock
years and like sty tell me, tell me what was
that like?
Speaker 5 (05:01):
Well, it was special in my opinion.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I played with two of the best young superstars that
had the opportunity to step.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
On NBA floor.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
And we have these conversations all the time about Penny Hardaway.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
What if he would never get hurt? Right?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I tell young people, y'all just don't understand how talented
this young man was. At six foot seven and a
half six eight point guard, athletic, can do it.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
All, passed the ball.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
And I have to say is Penny Hardaway was that
little brother that I always wanted to have.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah he was easy to love too, man, Like you
seem like a great guy?
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Uh yeah, man, and the big fellow speak for herself.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah, you know, he made the game not only easy
for me, but easier for a lot of the guys
being out there on the floor with him because him
being so dominant, his his his presence was felt all
the time.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
With Scott's I was just grumpy all the time.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
Yeah, that was that's Scotty, my man. You know, he
played hard.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
He was Yeah, only six foot one, but he was
six foot one of of hell, Yeah, that's what he was.
Speaker 5 (06:15):
He didn't back down from nobody.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Yeah, and who's who is the gotcha? His name escaping
right now.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
But he now he's a big coach and he played
for US hit three point shots. Really great, little blonde guy.
He's not a big coach. I can't believe. I can't
remember you're talking about Kerr said.
Speaker 5 (06:32):
A lot of people don't know that Steve Kerr play
here in Orlando.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Oh I remember that. Yeah, he was only here for
a second.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
He was only here for a second. But Steve Kurry.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I played with Steve Kerry, and uh, you know, uh,
Steve Kurr wanted to do big things. He won championships
with uh San Antonio obviously with the Bulls, and and
look what he's done with at the Helm of Golden State.
So amazing, right he was. I played against stephen College.
Steve was an Arizona Wildcat.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
So Nick Anderson, you stripped the ball from Michael Jordan, Dude.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
I mean that's do you play that every night before
you go to bat to watch that beautiful things? Think
of this.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I'm glad that happened, but I always tell people, uh,
would they look at it different if it was against
somebody else?
Speaker 1 (07:20):
And in my opinion, Michael Jordan's Michael Jordan.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
And I say this with all due respect, Michael Jordan
is the best basketball player that I ever played against.
And I can't speak for you know, guys who came
from before that. And I say this, well all due respect,
because I played this, Larry Birry, Magic Johnson, you know,
Clyde Drexler, and go on and on, Reggie Miller. But
my opinion, he's the best basketball player I ever played against.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Who did you.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Hate playing it? Because you just said Reggie Miller And
I hated Reggie anytime I would go to those games.
And oh, man, Reggie Miller, because that's son of the gun,
would hit a three.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
But he didn't hit up under your your skiing with
the antics. And I look at a kid in the
in the league today that, uh, he annoys everybody does
his antics.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
And that's Dylan Brooks who plays for the Sons.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
I mean the stuff that he does and sometimes you know,
you would think we'll say it's borderline, but just the
fact that he gets under your skin.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
And that was Reggie Miller.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
And there was plenty of times I just want to
drop the ball and say, bro, let's get it.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
It was almost like professional wrestlings.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
When he came in, You're like, oh, there's the bad
guy that we're all gonna hate. When did you start
the run up? The things that you would do right
before the game would start? And and Nick Anderson like
that was that was like so much a fun part
of who thought? I mean that you my god, Remember,
I would look forward to were you doing that? Nick
anders is gonna do the big run up?
Speaker 4 (08:48):
To explain saying this is that after that era, after
the era of NBA that we're talking about, after the
era of Orlando Magic history that we're talking about, this
guy lost complete interest in the league.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
When when when.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
You Honestly, when you left, I was like, well, that's
the last of the guys. I like, I was so mad,
and so I did be Honestly, I wasn't gonna tell
him that Angel, but I was like, you know what,
screw it.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
I was walking because you're doing deep cuts of Orgo
Magic history. But he was there. He's the man.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
We're in a playing game today. We're gonna talk about that.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
That that run was you know, uh, I would tap
up everybody.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Yeah yeah, and then I take off my run.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
I mean I wrapped up everybody at the score table,
and uh, it was just let him know here I come.
Speaker 7 (09:33):
Yeah, that's what you do when the room and.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
It made you the most beloved guy on the Orlando Magic,
which which all right, So Angel wants to talk about
the play.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
We don't understand the place at what everyone else to
participated question and.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
It's my show, I'll interview.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
I'm sorry, Sorry, we're fighting over you.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Okay, We to be honest with you. We don't understand
the play in game thing.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
All I know is if they win tonight, Ryan's gonna
win two thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
But you know everybody talks about uh uh you know,
how did you come to play Charlotte?
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Our record? We were one game better than Charlotte.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Yeah, even though they had our number this this season.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Uh, this is for the eighth spot.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
When we played Philly, if we won that game, we
would have been playing for the seventh spot. Unfortunately it happened.
So we we are playing Charlotte and they're wondering why
Charlotte had to come here because we are one game
better than Charlotte.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
So we get the home home.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Let me ask you about this in regards to the
playing tournament, because this is obviously started after your running
the NBA. What just in general, do you think it's
better for the NBA that they're doing this or is
it kind of just getting extra games.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
In Well, I think it's you know, me being an
old school guy. You know, sometimes you don't want to change,
you don't, you know, if you like your shirt Aron
this way, You're want.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
To that's what you know.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
But I think you have to change with the times
and what's going on.
Speaker 5 (11:20):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
But if you personally, if I if it was me,
you know, I like the old way eight the top
eight teams right, the playoffs and that was it. But
it's good for the game. Is good for the game.
You know, the game has changed, It has evolved in
a whole lot of ways. You you know, could you
(11:42):
imagine Shack at his side shooting threes?
Speaker 5 (11:46):
Nobody want to see you in this in today's age?
Speaker 1 (11:50):
What your numbers would be?
Speaker 6 (11:53):
You do?
Speaker 1 (11:53):
You'd be average at thirty and the check would be
a whole lot nicer.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Speaking about the check that tournament that they do now
the end season tournament thing.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
What are your thoughts on that? I like it.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
You know, it.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Keeps everybody on the toes is competitive, and that's what
it's all about, being competitive.
Speaker 5 (12:15):
I tell young men and women.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
When you at this level and you only have to
play basketball two hours of day, so you know and
you get you get all these benefits and you know
the the endorsements, how.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Could you not want to be a part of that? Well? Sure, yeah,
you know.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Hey, when when you see the young players, now, are
there any any don't matter what you're doing, Like I
do it with people that are young in radio.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Like back in my day.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Do you do you see the young players and you're like, man,
I can't believe they are doing this.
Speaker 5 (12:49):
This is not the way I do. I must say
that I do like what kind of thing. You know, Defense?
You know, I'm a defensive guy.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
I like defense, Yeah, you know, And it irks me
when you know guys that don't play defense, because defense
is totally effort.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
You know, if you put.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Forth to effort, and that's what anything you put for
the effort, you can do it. Listen to this saying
you guys can can can can probably tell someone else's
don't expect results for the work you didn't put in.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Right, why not Nick Anderson here with us. Let's say
that seems like we should go to you now right, We're.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Gonna go around the board. The joke doesn't question for
for Nick Anderson. Nick Anderson, it's so good to talk
to you.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Man.
Speaker 8 (13:43):
I You're a big like inspiration for as a child.
You know, like, I'm not like the biggest basketball fan
in the world. I was a big fan of NBA
jam always pic Nick Anderson, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
But I was.
Speaker 8 (13:57):
I was wondering because when when you did the ball
for Michael Jordan, you had you had a very famous
quote where you said, you know, number forty five doesn't
explode like twenty three.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Did you look at that out of context? What was
the thing? Because that much funny though? Okay, I was.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
I was asked about forty five, and you know, we
know that when mj came back, he only played a
half a season and he wore number forty five, and
they asked about that, and I said, well, forty five
is not twenty three, and twenty three played a full
season of hell, that's what he gave you. Forty eight
(14:37):
We scored forty eight minutes of hell.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yeah, but they said.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
The old Nick Anderson said forty five is not like
forty three, and he can't do this.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
You meant it as a compliment, and they turn it around.
I had to run with it.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
It was already out there, and I didn't deny that
I said it because I did.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
But they turned and we know how Michael Jordan did.
He get pissed off that he thought you said.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
He came back with the next game with number twenty
three to show you whatever.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Right now, I get this.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Not only he did that, we ended up winning the series.
I remember in Chicago the Bulls. We're the only team
to beat the Bulls in a in the series.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Yeah, And the rumor is is that you might have
had a hand in the night that the jersey got stolen.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
I would never forget that. I'll never forget that. Our
ball guy at the time who led everything, Victor Pelt,
He was the guy who put out all the uniforms
and everything. And they get to the arena that night
(15:44):
and the MJ. Jersey wasn't dead. You know, you would think, okay,
he's got to put it out, but it wasn't him
to come to find out it was a security guard
who had Key's.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Okay, I got asked this.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Okay, so you get all the you know, obviously we
all remember, we all remember you stealing the ball from
Michael Dry But then I just remembered it had to
be Can you get a lot of you know, a
positive for that. But then we you got blamed for
missing one free throw one time. It was you know,
it wasn't fair because like, oh, they lost the whole
game because Nick Anderson missed the free throw.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
It was it was against the it was in the
in the finals.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Yeah, and people must forget that we were leading Houston
by twenty five points.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
So a lot of things went wrong. I lost my point.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
It wasn't just missing a free throw. But but they
came down on you. But how did that that have
that feel? It's oh, it's okay because you know, mentally,
you know, you would think about it, But it's okay.
It's part of the game. Yeah, you know, you win some,
you lose some. But you know what I.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Can take from that that been in that situation, I
had the opportunity to be there.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Yeah, well, it does it make you feel good that
here we are so many years later, and the first
thing we all thought aught about was the Michael Jordan Steel.
I had to go back in my memory to go, oh, yeah,
there was that time he missed the fleet throw and.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Everybody was remember the time we were dunking on fools
in this I done contest.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
I tell young guys, especially.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Men you know in in the sport. Hey, man, they're
gonna be PiZZ and valleys.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
That's just the way it is.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
You know, something's gonna go your way and you go say,
how did that happen? Right, it wasn't supposed to end
like that. And then there's gonna be ways and you
go say, how did that happen? He wasn't supposed to end?
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Can you stick around for another summer? Man?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Okay, all right, we got Nick Anderson here with us
to so nice for you to sup.
Speaker 7 (17:44):
When we come back, can other people ask question? Can
other people have a conversation?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Well, they called us an interview, and I do the
first part and then you guys here the second part.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
So yes, when we come back, Savannah has a question
and have a question. They know.
Speaker 7 (18:01):
You don't know what I knew about.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Here's what happened.
Speaker 7 (18:04):
So we came in, I walked in the hall and
somebody said, Nick Anderson's in the hall.
Speaker 9 (18:08):
Right.
Speaker 7 (18:08):
I don't watch basketball religiously, but I know about basketball.
Speaker 5 (18:11):
So as I walked.
Speaker 7 (18:12):
In there, like my brain immediately went back to when
I first came to Orlando, and I was like, whoa.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Nick Anderson. And then I looked and.
Speaker 7 (18:21):
I saw you, and I was like, whoa, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Now, where did you come from?
Speaker 7 (18:26):
So I lived in South Carolina, but I've lived in
Florida most of my life now. But when I first
came and I was jobless and like trying to get
a radio job and all that kind of stuff, I
remember like the magic that was just the heyday, right, Like,
so I remember being like, whoa, maybe one day Nick
Anderson will come in here, or like maybe one day
and who's the guy that always comes? No, no, no,
(18:51):
he and he's great and we love him. But but also,
gotta take a break.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Have a question for Nick when we come back. Okay,
hold on, we gotta got a break. You're listening to
the Master.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
Of the Morning, Pannah.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
He just told the story we can't say on the radio.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Damn.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
That was a good story.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
That was oh man, because of the people that involved.
Speaker 7 (19:36):
You wanted to hear it.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Angel, Yeah, I'll tell you. I'll tell you later.
Speaker 8 (19:39):
Your limitations has not passed that true?
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Yeah, Nick Anderson, I mean, NBA.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Tell it's good rough because the magic reps that are
in the corner are freaking out.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
I started telling I started telling a story and I
realized halfway through the story I said too much in
front of ladies.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
I apologize ladies like, oh my god, we're never bringing
Nick Bucket here. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 7 (20:00):
But he little known fact and this is one true.
When I met Russ, he told me, and this is
true and no uncertain terms, that he could play for
the Orlando Magic. If that's what he focused on.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Let me tell you. May tell Nick you can hear this.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
We were on the radio and I met this guy
called the shot Doctor, Buzz Brayman, and Buzz Brayman exactly,
and Buzz Brayman I would go there every day and
he would.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Be like, Russ, you could do it, you could do it.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
You could And then after I would do this shot
doctor thing with him. This this new young guy came
in Shaquille O'Neill, and Shaq was working with Buzz Brayman
and then Charles Barkley was his buddy too, And I'm
around these guys and I got Buzz Brayman, tell me, Russ,
if you just put your mind to it, you could
do it.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
So I went on the radio and said it. And
of course they'll never forget. But I was.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
I was an athlete and if I figured I really focused,
I could. But I was a short Uh you know
if that's six foot tall. But I'm like, well, Scott
Skyles can do it.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
I can do it. Yea, Yeah, you're for quick feet.
So did you did you did you work with Buzz Braymon?
Did you know?
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (21:09):
I know Buzz Brayman. He's a Philly guy.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Uh when the Magic first came to Orlando, Uh, headed
by Pat Williams, and you know John Gabriel and Maddie.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
GOOKI is all them. Those were those was Philly people.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
They worked for the Sixers and uh, you know, thank
God for Pat Williams.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
That was my man.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
He was good, Oh man, Pat Williams. Uh just a
wonderful person. There's not enough things that I can say
about him.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
And you still live here in Orlando, so you you
must love it.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Yeah, you know, Uh, being a Chicago kid and growing
up in Chicago. If you know anything about Chicago, it
ain't the the coolest, especially where I grew up at
You know, I don't I don't want to go back.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
I'll go back and visit and ride through at a
one hundred min was an hour.
Speaker 10 (22:01):
It's different once you've removed from it. When you go back,
it's a totally Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
I took my kids, my kids up there because they
always want to see where I grew up and.
Speaker 5 (22:10):
Were they shocked? Yeah, you know, they were like how
it looks like now?
Speaker 3 (22:16):
It wasn't as bad as when I grew up, but
it looked like a war zone. Wowow see the things
that I went through and do growing up in Chicago,
the gangs, the drugs and things like that. And I'm
thankful and grateful with the grace of God. He had
his hand on me. And I'm sitting here with you guys.
Speaker 7 (22:33):
So so okay, here's my question. First, your nails are amazing.
That is a class act right there. I don't know
if you looked at his nails right there, completely buffed
and manicured, amazing.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
It's a lot of self care in there.
Speaker 7 (22:46):
But like I was, saying in the break, you know,
like when I first came to Orlando, it was during
your era, and so like it's amazing to share space
with you. But coming from where you came from, right,
And I was telling you how I grew up in
this a town too, Like what do you think is
different about you that led you to get out of that?
You know, to get out of that and make yourself
(23:09):
so great? Because I listened to a lot of motivational tapes.
I don't think there are videos, but I don't think
I've ever heard one from you. So what is your
mindset that is different from let's say everyone else you
grew up around and played basketball around that made you
who you are today.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
Well, it's a lot that goes into it.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
Reasons why you know, my dad and two of the
main reasons I still think about my two older brothers
was in different games worm in Chicago, and my two
older brothers used to fight each other like they never
seen each other before in their lives.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
So that's part of it.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
I watched my high school teammate who was shot and
keeled at.
Speaker 5 (23:54):
Seventeen, even number one player in the nation.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
That's why, wow, number twenty five, if you guys ever
have the opportunity to go and watch thirty for thirty
BEINGI okay, that was my high school teammate. And I
say this, the main reason that motivated me to do
something for myself was my mom. My mom is eighty
(24:17):
years old today and my mom. I watched my mom
raise four kids. You know, in Chicago when the lights
were off, when you had to find heat, I had
to find food.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
My mom found a way.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
And my mom is only five foot one at that
and she probably weighs one hundred pounds, but her skin
is tough, like allogate.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
That's just just just.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
A tough individual. And I used to tell my mom
all the time that I was gonna buy a big
house in a in a pretty car. When when I
made it and I did just that.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
That's awesome. Does she live here? My mom has been
with me.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
My mom the day I got drafted in nineteen eighty nine,
and it's twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
My mother has never worked again. That's awesome. That's so good.
That's so good.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Did you get one of your rookie cards in the
I still have all all that stuff.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
I have a rookie cardtoo.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Yeah, I have my rookie jersey. There's no other rookie jersey.
And back then our jerseys were made by McGregor. I
still have my rookie jerseys to this day. It fits
like a dive in suit.
Speaker 10 (25:37):
A question for so Nick Anderson, The question is Michael Jordan,
Kobe Bryant.
Speaker 5 (25:46):
Michael Jordan's there.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
You won't even let me ft it.
Speaker 5 (25:51):
No matter what, no matter what.
Speaker 10 (25:53):
Best in time, best to play against, would not ever
change any of that order.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Not at all, which you add anybody?
Speaker 5 (26:01):
Uh shack, Well, let's look at it.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
The three that you named, you can eat.
Speaker 10 (26:08):
If that's a heated three right there. I mean you
could take people, even take Kobe out and just you
Michael and Lebron.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Well, everybody say, you know, I had a younger generation
telling about Lebron and half of them, ninety five percent
of them never seen Michael Jordan's exactly.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
So go watch some my Michael Jordan taal and uh
and then come back to me.
Speaker 10 (26:29):
But like one of my older brothers, is a full Lebron.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Angel. Question for Nick.
Speaker 4 (26:36):
Nick ators one of the things I'm curious about because
one of the beautiful things about that era of the
Orlando Magic was the team chemistry and how how you
guys evolved and came together and you guys were right
there at the brink of that.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
How how is it that like?
Speaker 4 (26:53):
And I'm not trying to take a shot at the
guys right now, but it seems like like it's an
intangible and it's hard to get that. And when you
get that, you can see you can recognize that the
teams that have it and the teams that don't. And
right now our guys seemed not to be firing off
on all cylinders.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
How hard is that?
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Let me tell you what we did as that group
that when we went to the NBA Final, as you know,
we were sixty and twenty two for the regular season,
we were thirty nine and two at home.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
We only lost two games that entire year.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
What we did during the season, not sometimes, this was
all the time. If we would land in Phoenix, Arizona,
or wherever we all used to meet in the lobby,
we're going to dinner, were going to game, got together
as a unit.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
I'll never forget. We played in Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
And we created so much chaos about doing this. We
as a team went to the Mall of America and
could you imagine Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O'Neill at the
height of their and then Scott who seemed and they
asked us, they really asked us to leave them all
(28:07):
because of it was just too much. We even did
that in Indiana. We did that on a regular basis.
We would go out and hang out even when we
were here in Orlando. Uh, after practices and days off,
we would go over to Shack's house and and and
he had jet skis. We would hang out and and
and do all that. We did all that together on
(28:30):
a regular basis.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
So that kind of chemistry.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Does it just happen or there's got to be a
guy on the team that makes it better.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
If we had a guy on our team that made
it happen. And I say this all the time about him,
he's he's he's an assistant coach for the Clippers right now.
Speaker 5 (28:46):
That was Brian Shaw. Bryan Shall used to he was.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
He's one of the guys. I remember he was there.
But it's not like he wasn't a standout, but.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
He was get this brant and I know he he
got this from the group that he played with. Brian
Shaw as a young player was on the Celtics with
Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, uh and all them. Dennis Johnson,
so you know, he brought that to us. And Brian
(29:18):
Shaw was a key along with Horace Grant, you know,
with his experience with the Bulls and winning championships. So
we had that real veteran leadership in our locker room.
And and we didn't we didn't when when somebody got
on one of us, we didn't take it as a
personal attack. It was constructive criticism. Hey man, we need you.
(29:43):
We don't need you to be falling off the deep
end and and and getting all all the whack.
Speaker 5 (29:48):
So we had guys like that.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
And then we had a veteran assistant coach on our
staff who played at the highest level when he was
a young guy.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
There was Tree Rollins. Oh my god, yeah we have that.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
That's so when there when they're drafting guys, now, do
they think about that kind of thing, like the the
about the chemistry, like listen, this game might not you know.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Of course, of course, you know, uh, one bad apple
could make a whole bunch.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
So yeah, yeah, I don't care.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
How good you are when you an a hole.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Ryan question for Nick Ander somebody who wants to remind
you tickets are available for tonight's game, right, Yeah, I gotta.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Get out there, gotta get out to the Kiss Center.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
You gotta get out of this is this is crucial
from in so many ways. This is game This is
game seven in my eyes of the NBA Championship.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
So we need all the support.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Everybody coming with your gear on and uh we we
want we go on to the next round. I gotta
say that. Yeah, And I'm saying that, what's.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
A good opportunity to scream at La mellow Ball.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Yeah, I'm saying that with a lot of confidence. I
think we have the guys that can get it done.
I believe in them, and uh, I'm going to be
there to root them on. So get your playoff ticket and.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Ryan, you hope they win because you'll win too.
Speaker 5 (31:14):
As my good friend too said, get your popcorn.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Baby.
Speaker 8 (31:18):
Let me ask you this though, because you're talking about like,
you know, there's a guy there that builds cohesiveness, and
I think any team needs that guy and he's not there.
And I think a big thing of that is social
media making everybody super individualistic. But my question is for
you back in the day you didn't have social media.
I didn't know what Nick Anderson thought about anything other
than basketball. Right, So who back in the day could
be You could be a teammate who would have got
(31:39):
their social media taken away because they would have they
would have gone off too hard.
Speaker 5 (31:43):
Wow, that's a good question.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Well, you know, that's a great question. Social media is everybody?
It changed changed the game. Yeah, it's changed the game.
Everybody uh wants to be something that they're really not,
so to speak.
Speaker 5 (32:05):
When you know, you get all these these influences on social.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Media and and and people think everything they do or
say that's real.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
It's not.
Speaker 5 (32:18):
One thing you have to say.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
We have to do is stay grounded and know what is,
what is and what isn't. But some people have had
the perception that, oh this really happens. Man, are you delusional?
The astronaut just came from the moon. You know, you
(32:42):
can't go there. You might think you can, but you
can't go there. So my dad, before he passed away,
he used to always tell me stay grounded. And I say,
why why stay grounded? He said, if you fall, you
ain't got too far much. What they take Skyle's uh
social media Scottie Scotts.
Speaker 5 (33:03):
Didn't need no social media.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
Nick Anderson, thank you so much for taking time. It's
just all these rememberies of these great games just came
back to me. And really, while you were there is
when I loved it. So thank you so much. And tonight,
get the tickets for tonight. We gotta win tonight. Uh
and uh, and we appreciate you coming in.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Well, I think I gotta thank you guys and everybody
in Orlando for giving me an opportunity. They gave me
opportunity from day one, and they giving me an opportunity today.
And I'm forever grateful and thankful. Don't never think you know.
Everybody say well, you'll never smile.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
Trust me.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Inside of me is so much joy. We appreciate you
coming in for sure. All Right, we take a little break.
Don't go anywhere. You're listening to the Manxess the Morning.
Welcome to the Monsters Mornings. We're Rady on one on
four point one. I seen live on iHeartRadio. Remember, tickets
(34:02):
are available for the Monster Brew Bus where we've sold
out one bus. We're working on the second one. If
you want to get your tickets, go to Real Radio
dot FM. Slash Brew. That's Real Radio dot FM slash Brew.
Welcome back.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
What was up? I'm Russ with.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Savannah and angel Ryan and Angelique all here today. And
we've got a guest that's here that is going to
be going up against Onyx the One next Friday at
the Leesburg Bike Fest. It's a free show. One bring
a Niles Cruise is here now. I got to tell
you when I was doing the the the top ten
contenders here in Central Florida of independent wrestlers, there was
(34:39):
one wrestler that got all of the I would say,
all the votes, got all of the It seems to
have a huge, you know, following, and it is It
is Niles Cruz who is here today. It's going to
turn into micro on for me. There you are, angel
if you don't mind, Niles, how.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
You doing today?
Speaker 2 (34:58):
When I when I was in research here in central
Florida and you got to talk really close to the microphone,
get the mic close to your face. There, you have
a you have a large following.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
Why do you think that is? How long have you
been wrestling?
Speaker 9 (35:13):
So I started training for wrestling around the pandemic time,
and I never went to a scheduled school per se
pay five than for twelve weeks here.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
It just was not working out in the budget.
Speaker 9 (35:24):
So to be honest, I jumped around various schools and
that made it really hard to even break into the indies.
So Apollo Senior Tna Legend got a hold of me
started helping me out, brushing my skills up. So I've
been working on the indies almost a year and a
half already.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
That's it, only a year and a half, not a
year and a half already.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
So I put I put like the top ten up
on my social media and I'm like, who do you
want to see Onyx the one give a title shot too?
And it was a lot of people that our audience knows,
like Blake Banks and Poppy d and Max Danzigger.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
But you had probably over one hundred.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
People say, oh no, you need to give Niles Cruz
a shot. And that's the only reason I knew about
you is because because so many people were pulling for you.
Are these like family members that are helping you. You
got friends like Lego. How is it that you have
so many followers here locally?
Speaker 1 (36:17):
I have a tremendous support team.
Speaker 9 (36:18):
In some people's stories, I'm the hero and other people's stories.
I'm the villain. Yeah, I'm just having a great time
doing what I love. So however that jumps up on
people's social media, and however they want to interact, they
will interact. As you can see, there's wrestlers on there
from WW and from AEW commenting to get me over,
but there's also regular.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
People as well. I did, so it looks like I'm.
Speaker 9 (36:42):
I'm a big deal in everybody's story. Okay, I'm the
hero or the villain. And that goes for Onyx too.
I'm a real big deal in Onyx's story. He seems
like he's my new biggest fan. He's posting videos talking crap,
working out.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Yeah, yeah, he's strong. Yeah he is freaking strong. He
is strong for sure.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
And uh, and I don't know, I know when I
spoke with you, I don't even know if you knew
much about the show or about the MWO or anything
like that.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
But here here's the deal.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
I used to wrestle, and I love independent wrestlers, and
I want to help make some independent wrestlers get to
that next level. Right, So that's why if you've got
the MWO title, you know, you get a lot of
attention a nationwide with us, and and I want to
see some you know, some of you guys actually make
it to that next level, which I'm sure you'd like
to make it to.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Onyx the one is the champion. Now he's got a
he's got a manager, uh as well?
Speaker 1 (37:36):
Tun A ten. Have you seen tun of ten? I've
seen in ten? Okay, all right, so you've seen two two?
Who's the star?
Speaker 9 (37:43):
Is it Onyx or is it tun To Tim? Because
I see Tuna Tim trying to take Onyx's spot, and
I see Onyx too oblivious with his hairstyle routine to
tune a Tim, and Tuna Tim, I think is working
on a heel turn.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
I think tun To ten might be better with me.
Oh whoa, I like the pitch. This is a turn?
All fair? Your observations is.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
You if you could steal Tuna Tim from Onyx to one,
you'd be okay with that.
Speaker 9 (38:16):
I don't have to steal Tune of ten when Tuna
Tim might not even be Onyx's real manager to begin with.
I think Tuna Tim has his eyes on the mw
A Men's Championship.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
Look who's here? Tune of ten? Come turn happier.
Speaker 11 (38:35):
I swear, I swear for the guns and the drains
and hard media.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Baby tun of.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Tim Niles Cruz says that you know he wouldn't mind
you managing him and help take him to the next label.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
Allegation is that there's some connection there already if.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
You're willing to drop Onyx the one. What what are
your your thoughts on that tune of Tim?
Speaker 11 (38:53):
First of all, two to Tim and his wrestling school
has no flops whatsoever. So I like Nles Cruise is
a great for Tuna Tim to work with because Cruse
cruise ships tune to Tim's in the ocean. With cruise ships,
we could do the Niles Cruise Cruise.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Okay, there's a lot.
Speaker 11 (39:09):
Of things going on, but first of all, you're very
very new and look you look Duram Noinles Cruise. H Well,
Tunor Tim is also new in the game, obviously very flash.
You made a big name for myself and I'm gonna
have to see.
Speaker 9 (39:23):
Because how many people were new in the game, John Cena,
Randi Er and brock Lessner And when they hit those strides,
they hit those strides big. When you got guys like
Niles Cruse and guys like Onyx the One.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
You can separate all of the.
Speaker 9 (39:42):
Parody independent professional wrestlers, the cosplay wrestlers out there, if
you will, because when it's cruise and honest, you're gonna
see a real show. And we may want to beat
the crap out of each other, but it's gonna be
a real dang show. We're not here to keep pushing
this agenda of cosplay wrestlers that don't work out, that
don't care about their wardrobe, that don't care about and
(40:04):
you know.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
What, you're a cosplay manager, Tuna, Tim, I wouldn't mind.
I wouldn't mind if you worked with me. I don't
want you to. Oh, I was just bringing it up.
Speaker 9 (40:13):
But what I'm seeing is you're trying to see the
way Onyx the One trains. You're picking that up. You're
taking notes for yourself. Your promos are real good. Right,
have you been practicing? Why you're trying to take Onyx
a spot?
Speaker 1 (40:27):
Because I just came.
Speaker 9 (40:28):
Up over here, but it looks like you were working
with Onyx regardless, So I think something fishy is going on.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Tune of Tim in there with the fishy thing.
Speaker 11 (40:37):
Let me let me tell you, first of all, fish
punts of my things off cruise.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
You come up with some so I don't know what
to do. First of all, are tight?
Speaker 11 (40:46):
Are tight like a clam shell baby closed on each other.
And I'm now listen, when the clam opens up, there's
the pearl, and the pearl is ONX the one for right.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Sure down in the deep deep't okay to present the
world the pearl. That's one of them?
Speaker 9 (41:11):
This isn't This is no Paul Bearer undertaking relationship.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Is it.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
All right? Listen? Niles Cruz.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
Uh. You obviously having a huge following. I mean, I imagine
a lot of them are come out to see you
next Friday. Uh, next Friday. You have a shot at
the MW title. If you win, here's what you win.
You're able to come in and promote any independent show
you have going on and actually gets you into other
because I'm working with the people from a l W,
(41:39):
I'm working with people from actually working with some people
from TNA, now working with some people from other organizations.
And as the MWO champion, they know you'll promote them,
so you get to get on these shows. So it's
a big deal to be the MW champion. Uh, you'll
be going up against Onyx next week.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
With two to ten.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
Uh, So are you feeling Are you feeling good?
Speaker 9 (42:00):
I'm feeling great, whether it was Onyx or the next person.
I realized something during this prep what in the beginning,
I was fueled by my own ego, my own desire
to get better than Onyx. At first, I was wondering,
why could a man like that have a championship? And
I've been working this hard and I've never once tasted gold.
And then something just hit. I stopped caring. I stopped
(42:23):
caring about Onyx. I stopped caring about the people. I
stopped caring about the fans. I stopped caring about all
of that white noise. So let me ask you, Onyx.
You're built like a machine. You act like a robot.
Does a machine like yourself ever experience fear?
Speaker 1 (42:40):
I had to dead the fears. I had to get
all the way over there to get here, Onyx.
Speaker 9 (42:47):
It doesn't matter if it's you and I, or if
they're throwing a third person in, or if two to
tim wants to turn his back on you, then I'm
gonna give it my all. And sometimes you're just gonna
have to watch out because it's gonna come way too
quick for you.
Speaker 1 (43:01):
Brother.
Speaker 2 (43:03):
Well, there you go, okay, Well, we look forward to
seeing you next Friday. Nile's congratulations on having so much
success so far, and we'll see you next Friday. You
all right, you got it, all right, don't go anywhere
when we come time for the King of Denmark right
home to make his daily proclamation.
Speaker 1 (43:21):
You're listening to the match of the morning.
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