Chris and Rob discuss if teams like the Lakers and Nets can still win the title if one of their star players isn't healthy (ie. James Harden and LeBron James), explain why LaMelo Ball has missed too many games to win Rookie of the Year, and tell us if Father Time has finally caught up to LeBron. Plus, author and podcast host Yaron Weitzman swings by to discuss his latest article on the NBA's behind-the-scenes kingmaker.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
to check us out live every weekday from seven pm
to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd Couple
at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live
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(00:25):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. It is the I Couple.
I am Chris. Here is Robert coming to you live
from the Fox Sports Radio studios. And at the bottom
of the hour we will be joined by Roon Whitesmith.
I don't know if I said his name correctly, but
(00:48):
Uron Whitzman. Maybe it's Yarn. He's an author and the host.
This is an interested name. It's a cool name. He's
the host of the Whitesman Can't Jump podcast. Rob g
you got a problem with that? Where's that? Come on?
Where's the racist? Come on? You know? Rob? I got
(01:13):
it for you. Thank you? Come on? All right? So
I got a very low bar for racist drops and
then that still didn't clear it, uh, Rob j or
Rob Parker, Rob p Um I say that earlier. I
don't think the Nets can win the championship without James
Harden I think they need his facilitating and all of that. Um,
(01:38):
I think they even have trouble winning the East without Harden.
But he should be back. I mean, but I don't know,
you know, are they are they just taking their time
being overly cautious with the hamstring. We know he came
back earlier and tweaked it again and had to sit out,
So I don't know, but I assume Rob, he'll be back.
(02:01):
You know, Kevin Durance now played several games in a
row and seems like he's fine. Although they've they've lost
those three straight games. But what do you Does it
concern you, Rob that they're seven and eight with Kyrie
and KD which is baffling that they're seven and eight
with those two guys. No, they haven't played there was no, No,
(02:23):
I'm not I'm not like overly concerned because I just
think it's different when you get to the playoffs compared
to you don't play every day, you don't have back
to backs, you play a different style of game. I
just think I just think sometimes the playoffs are different
from the regular season. So I just like their firepower.
I think they're gonna have plenty to play. I like
the way that the other guys fit in with the
(02:45):
different superstars even when they were out. I like the
squad the way it's put together. Obviously without them it's
a tougher road. I wouldn't just write them off totally
because there's a lot of teams missing other people and plays,
and we don't know their situations. So I can't totally
write off kywe and and and and kd uh just
(03:08):
because of hard and I don't know who they're facing.
I don't know what their situation is. I don't you
know what I mean. So I mean, yeah, but that's
what I'm saying. If if embad is out and I'm
just saying they got, they got. Uh. The road is
easier if you have hardened. That's all I say. I
think the road is easier. I'll say I think the
(03:32):
point you're making though, is interesting. I'm gonna put a
little twist on it. And going out west looking at
the Lakers, the thing about them and and Lebron. I
was talking to somebody to day close to Lebron and
they say, look, he's gonna I mean, his ankle's gonna
buys him a little bit to the rest of the season.
(03:53):
Like playoffs all that, like, it's really not going to
be fine and heal up and be one hundred recent
until he can rest it in the off season. And um,
the thing is this, rob if he if Lebron James
can come back and play every playoff game, say he's
(04:13):
eighty five to and a d Anthony Davis. Now this
might be a big if Anthony Davis gets back to
what he was last year. The thing is when I
look at the West, Robin, yes, they got very good
teams out there, But dude, does Denver terrify you? No?
But it's not about being terrified. Chris. I get what
(04:35):
you're saying. I'm just saying, but I just I haven't
I hear you. I hear the point about sure Lebron
and them one last year, those two together, you should
automatically assume that they're going to win. No, I'm not
saying that. No, I'm just saying, who's a world beater
in the West. Nobody's a world beater. But I just
haven't seen that from the Lakers. I've seen Lebron come
(04:57):
back from injury and not play well two years ago.
I mean, I just don't think it's an automatic and
that I don't think it's an automatic that he wanted
to miraculously be okay and go through everybody or after
playing a playing game or whatever it is, you know,
like wherever they wind up. I mean, he's not playing
the next two games, so they could drop and wherever
(05:19):
they are, and then being you know, on the road
the whole time, and the house talked about it. I
just think there's a lot of obstacles and then some
of the other players who just weren't there last year
and didn't win a championship last year. So I think
there's an uphill battle. And I think if a team
has any kind of like here's a wound in Lebron,
(05:41):
if if there's ever a chance Chris to knock him
off and to beat him, you know what I mean,
Like here he is, he's vulnerable. No if he yeah,
he's got to be close to full health, close, not
at full health, but close. But my point is just
that I'm gonna tell you straight up, if Ron is
playing like he played, he can play all seven games.
(06:05):
I'm picking them over Denver if they meet in the
first round because Denver's second best players Michael Porter Junior,
who's twenty two years old. Okay, so let me ask
you this. Okay, if if Lebron and then were to lose,
I'm say he's fine, He's played all seven to Denver
and that's what would that? What would that signify to you?
(06:26):
It be a lot? I mean I don't know it'd
be a lost. No, but I'd have to see how
it happens. No, but I'm saying Lebron's healthy, but they lose,
they just lose. Would you? Would you? Would you probably
think about a defensive I mean that it was you know,
the prolonged time off and not you know, being able
to play, or if they wouldn't be the beginning of
the end. Do you know what I mean? Him? And
(06:46):
ask Davis? Do you see what I'm saying? Like I
want to know all the circumstances, like maybe if a
D doesn't play well, and like if Lebron balls and
a D is just horrible, then you know this. But
to get to your question, I know what you're saying. Yeah,
I'm just a D and Lebron play well and they
(07:06):
just lose. Yeah, I mean I think we're already seen
the beginning, like the age is affecting Lebron. This would
that would be another sign, a strong sign that it's
a new day. That's what I'm asking on. That's what
I'm saying that I think that's obvious. Like and I
(07:29):
think at thirty six years old, I think six seven
years ago he would have been back from this injury.
And you know what I'm saying. So, yeah, I think older,
the body is just different. Right. Remember, Lebron has played
He's nineteenth on the all times games played list regular season,
and he's first rob on the all time playoff games
(07:51):
played list. And he's playing three on three Olympic teams.
So he's got a ton of wear and tear on
his body. So yeah, I mean I think for other
time is on his tail. I don't think he's caught
up with him, but he's right there on his tail
for sure. All right, let's switch, but stay in the NBA. Rob. Look,
(08:14):
we got to give him props. LaMelo ball Rob. It's
the truth. He is the flat out truth. Uh. He
is a bad boy. And he looks like like Michael
Jordan got him a star. It looks like And last
(08:37):
night LaMelo put up twenty three points, six assists, seven
rebounds and the win over the Pistons and the drumbeat
from a lot of people, a lot of fans Melo, right,
Melo LaMelo should be the rookie of the year. Before
(08:58):
I answer the question, I'm gonna that you answered first, Rod,
but I will say this, he is the best rookie,
but the best rookie that's not what the award is.
I think that's where people get lost. And you could
see his talent. I don't think there's any doubt about it,
but to miss thirty percent of the season is a
big chunk of the season and had he played, Chris
(09:20):
probably would have won. But it would be different if
there's no other rookie who's playing well. And I think
that's the other issue with Edwards right from Anthony Anthony
Everwards from Minnesota who has a highest scoring average and
traditionally the guy with the highest scoring average rookie wise
(09:42):
usually wins. I mean they don't look at most other things. Chris,
it usually is and Mellow can't catch him. He has
such an advantage to Melo can't There's not enough time
to catch him, so it would be strange that that
would be overturned. I don't know. People will were beating
the drum for Lebron last year. Fans right, and all
(10:03):
the talk he didn't win, So I don't I don't
know your voter. I will, you know, step back and
let you talk about it, because you do have a vote.
I mentioned you in the column that I wrote for
dead Spin about this because I've said you said it
on the air a number of times, and you're one
of these guys who count. Playing availability is a part
(10:26):
of winning an award for that season. It just it
just is. I don't remember it was Kyrie might have
been Chris. And here's a perfect example. Kyrie was was
uh played eleven games at Duke and was the first
overall pick off of his talent. He didn't win Basketball
Player of the Year, right, See what I'm saying, even
(10:48):
though he's the best player and he's gonna be the
number one pick. Do you see what? So that that
that's the that's the part that doesn't when people are talking, well,
but he is the best book, No, Kyrie was the
best player in college basketball that year, Chris, That's why
he went first, But he wasn't the college basketball player
of the year. He didn't play. I'm with you, Rob,
(11:09):
and you're right. We just got our ballots today. Um,
and I'm actually surprised. I don't know if any if
I've heard any voters or any writers, reporters, you know,
NBA guys come out and say that LaMelo should be it. Yeah,
it's like you said, it's a lot of fans, but no,
he's right, and I Anthony first of all, you said it,
(11:31):
Anthony Edwards is averaging more points. LaMelo's been great, But
LaMelo didn't start for the first half of the season.
He's averaging sixteen points. Are slightly below sixteen points a game.
Edwards is averaging eighteen and a half points and Edwards
half holes in his game right now. I like LaMelo's
(11:52):
game better. But to your point, it's about being available
and Edwards I think it's played every game. He's played
sixty five games and he's played well too. So I
am with you. Um, I think Edwards should be Rookie
of the Year. He will get my vote. Um, LaMelo's
(12:14):
been tremendous. I'm excited about him. He's got flair, rob
Nobody's got out. Still a great player early on him
from what we've seen. But let's not it's not a
popularity contest. It's not who's gonna have a better career
long term. That's not what the award is, Chris. That
that's what people are looking at, saying he's gonna be
(12:35):
the star long down the road, and so we should
give him the MVP. It doesn't normally work like that,
That's all. And I'm gonna say this too, right, because
you brought up the availability, and I know with LaMelo
he was legitimately hurt and rob there are some guys,
whether they're teams, some guys teams would have held him
out or the player himself, you know what I mean,
would have been like, oh, you know, let me just
(12:57):
sit out the rest of the year or whatever. I
figured Lamello might be back once he's able, because you know,
Michael Jordan understands that mentality. Right. Remember Jordan fought his
second year to come back and play. The Bulls didn't
want him to play because they didn't want to make
the playoffs. They wanted a better draft pick, and he
fought him to get back on the court and play,
(13:18):
and they didn't want to play. Chris, right, I don't
want a guy that's twenty one freaking years I want
to play. Yeah, Like what like that's that's that's why
I love me. That's why I love Zion Chris at
college when he decided to come back when he was healthy,
like like like to me, that's what that would be,
like what you don't want to play? And I think
(13:39):
college is a little different because I'm just saying he
had the draft coming. But but I'm not gonna argue
you on that point. But Rob, when I vote, I mean,
it's gonna be an interesting year voting things like All
NBA teams and stuff. I am gonna take availability into
more consideration than I ever have to. I think it right,
(14:00):
because it's becomes such and I get if a guy's hurt,
he's hurt. I'm not gonna I mean, you'll be penalized
because you weren't there for half the season. I can't
put you on first team All NBA. But I'm just
saying a guy that is sitting out random games, Kyrie,
I don't know. I'm gonna have to look at my
you know, where I put Kyrie on the All NBA
teams and stuff. Because we have got to get back
(14:24):
to valuing the regular season. We just have to. And
you're like, you say it all the time, Rob, It's
for the fans, and at the end of the day,
the fans pay the freight. And so you can't we
can't have guys just sitting out, you know, a game
a week and just wanting to play all the time
in the playoffs. So but yeah, I'm with you. We
(14:44):
agree on that Anthony Edwards should be Rookie of the
Year over LaMelo. But let's see what the listeners think.
Eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox eight seven seven
nine nine six sixty three sixty nine. Should LaMelo ball
missing in a large chunk of the season eliminate him
from being Rookie of the Year. It is your turn
(15:07):
away in with Chris and Rob The E Couple Fox
Sports Radio. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Odd Couple with Chris Broussar then Rob Parker weekdays at
seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
and the iHeartRadio app. All right, it's The I Couple,
Chris and Rob Company live from the Fox Sports Radio studios.
We got your own Whitesman, author of the host of
(15:30):
the podcast Whitesman Can't Jump. He'll be joining us in
about eight minutes. But first we're gonna take your calls.
Eight seven, seven ninety nine on Fox is your Rookie
of the Year, LaMelo balls he's missed about twenty games?
Would you still vote? You man? Rob? And I say,
that's just too much of the season to miss to
(15:51):
be Rookie the Year. I think he missed what twenty
one exactly? Chris? Now, look, Patrick Ewing was Rookie of
the Year on fifty games. He played fifty out of
eighty two. That's like the record. But I don't know.
I'd have to look back. Was there another, you know,
legitimate candidate that there was nobody there? Right right? That
(16:14):
would be different? All right? Nick in Syracuse, you're on
the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio. What's up? Nickos
at it again? Boy? I tell you, Chris Rosary, I
want you to run the tape back from christ Seve
when he took one of your ten vacations throughout the year,
when he was the ground Salaam and he said he
clouded LaMelo that day because he had zero points in
(16:36):
his first NBA game. And I told him run the
tape back, Rob running back, I said, I said, I know,
I'm from talked about him going scoreless in his debut.
That's all I told you, grounding Rob. No. I didn't
say that he once couldn't play. I just said that
was amazing that a guy would go scoreless in his
(16:57):
first game or whatever. I forgot Rob West, We got
on pave Rob running back. It was the biggest bust.
Come on, it sounds like you need to call back
on trash talking Tuesday, Yes and trash I got. All
I want to say is you know you sound like
(17:18):
you know you were going to Washington Nationals games, I
mean Syracuse Nationals game. What was the name of that
team up there? I think it was the Nationals when
they had the NBA team, when they had the Syracuse
had an NBA team at one time. I think it
was the Syracuse Nationals Nationals. I think it was. All right,
Marty in Kentucky, you're in the odd couple of Fox
Sports Radio. What's up, fellas? How are you doing this Wednesday? Mary? Hey, Marty,
(17:44):
I got a quick question for you. At your workplace,
you have to be vaccinated. I know you're working like
around a lot of people or whatnot. Right, we can
be vaccinated. Um, you know, I'm I'm more of a
fan of the Messenger, RNA vaccines. Chris said that he
(18:04):
took the Johnson and Johnson. I was actually curious if
your wife, being a doctor, she suggested you take the
Johnson and Johnson over the Messenger, RNA types, the Fiser
and the Maderna. No she took. She took. I'm not
sure which one of those she took, but it was
one of those. I was the only I'm the only
one in the family that took the Johnson. I had
(18:26):
the choice, but I just took it because it was
one shot, you know. And this was Dy had the issues.
But the name, the name Johnson, and Johnson a brother
was probably it was the black people out that I'm
a believer in the Maderna, the Messenger, RNA, and the Fiser.
(18:47):
I was just curious technology. But well, I'm curious, Rob.
You know. Brian Finley broke some news earlier that I
had heard before. He said that it was a rumor
that you saved your literal league cup and I heard
that too, and I also did it still fit? Wow?
(19:08):
Well that must have been the time I wasn't listening
to you, didn't you had walked away? But he didn't
say that, right, Wow? And it does fit. Wow, Ok,
all right, really really I'll hear LaMelo. I'm not gonna
get employee of the month if by miss eleven twelve days.
(19:29):
I think LaMelo probably hits the best player out of
all the rookies. But you got to give it to
Edwards because LaMelo's performance is not enough better, Yes, to
overcome those all those miss games. Absolutely, pretty much, that simple. Absolutely,
that's a great and it's right like our athletes should
(19:50):
they they don't have to show up for work. And
again he was hurt, so it's not no, but he
wasn't advantaging. But still you gotta play the games if
you're gonna get it, get rewarded. Exactly. Andrea and Massachusetts,
you're on the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio. What's
up going on, guys, Like what we've seen from Lamello,
(20:11):
he had some Pete heritage like passes. Yeah, he is
return but the rookie of the year is clearly Anthony Edwards.
Timberwolves have won four the last five games. They're being
competitive to conclude the season. He's averaging what eighteen a game,
couple rebounds, a couple of assists. You know, he has
the personality, the swagger, to build himself up. So if
LaMelo hadn't been out, I think he'd be the clear
(20:33):
cut favorite favorite, you know. But it's not as though,
you know, this class is the void of talent. We
also have James Wiseman, you know, who's been out. You know,
who will make noise going forward what we've seen. You know,
I think he's definitely silenced many of the doubters, myself
among them, in terms of his viability and credibility going forward.
You know, he has star potential. But this year it's
(20:55):
about the ant man, you know, and you know, him
getting the Rookie of the Year and getting that respect
that he deserves for it. And I'll tell you what,
and this isn't why you win Rookie of the Year.
But Anthony Edwards has had some tremendous dunks. You know,
he is. He is a guy. I think he'll probably
become a star rob. I don't know if he'll be
a guy that can lead a team to you know
what I mean, maybe, but I definitely think he can
(21:17):
be a star in the league in the future. Yeah,
I mean, he's played well. He should be Rookie of
the Year. We'll see Chris, But you know a lot
of stuff with popularity, But I think there's a difference
between the writers who covered the game. And we saw
that with the Lebron because there was a buzz out
there for Lebron right right, and it was a it
was a landslide Chris the other way. So that tells
(21:40):
you that the buzz you're hearing from people isn't necessarily
what we're hearing from the people who actually cover who
have votes. You have a vote, You've already spoken, he's
missed a game for you. Fox Sports Radio has the
best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of
our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com and than
the iHeart Radio app. Search f SR to listen live. Hey,
(22:04):
it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller
along with my trustee sidekick David Gascon. Would mean a
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(22:27):
some amazing facts about a human nature and more. Let's
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All right, we are coming to you live from the
Fox Sports Radio Studios. Our next guest. He is the
author and host of the Whitesman Can't Jump podcast, Your
own Whitesman. Welcome to the Acts Happening. Thanks guys. I
(22:50):
don't know how I follow the Jockstap thing, but i'my. Yeah, man,
we love title of your podcast. That's really good man,
I like that. Yes, that's good, thank you. Yes. Now,
you wrote a great article for The Ringer a few
weeks ago and it was called the NBA's GM Kingmaker.
(23:13):
And it's interesting because he talks about a guy Mike forty,
and he is from He's British correct, Uh, yeah, I
believe the English of British. I get confused to those.
But yes he was. He was yeah overseas right and
he right, Chelsea Premier soccer guy. Yes, so he's an
executive in professional soccer overseas and yet now he is
(23:38):
he started a business where he is essentially a go
to guy for these owners and teams when they're looking
to fill front office and coaching positions. Is that correct?
And go ahead and just kind of, you know, bring us,
just explain to us what he does in the NBA
and kind of how he became a guy from soccer
(24:01):
in another country becomes this kingmakers as you call it him. Yeah,
so he's a headhunter, right, it's sort of this thing.
And you know, so I spoke to a lot of
and thanks for having me on all the nice words
of the article. So I spoke to a lot of
people about sort of this role I've been hearing about him,
and his name sort of pops up in different searches.
The four so far, those the Brooklyn Nets and Sean Marks,
(24:22):
and then a few years past and then there was
the day the Griffin search in New Orleans, Tommy Shephard
in Washington, and and Monty McNair in Sacramento. Right, and
you can see it's probably having more and more. And
what I put in the article is that you know
that only sound that might sound like a few three
or four, but you think about there's only thirty teams,
and how many people want these jobs, and he's someone
(24:44):
who's in touch with all these owners, and basically what
happened is he had made a consulting firm and he
was doing consulting and consulting this weird thaying where I'm
kind of a cynic and I think it's sort of
a racket because it's a lot of common sense people
telling you how to build, you know, how to make
a cohesive office environment and all the buzzwords that the
three of us will probably laugh at. We don't have
real jobs like that, right, and kind of crazy, but
(25:07):
there is, I guess something to it an office environment
and so many of the professional sports owners. The sports
business seems to confound so many of the owners, and
we've seen this in so many different examples where they're
really good in every other thing they do, and then
they come into sports and just whether it's the competition,
the microscope on it, a mix of all of it,
(25:28):
they just they just really really struggle. The Kings are
a great example. They're beating a Dvay. Malcolm Gladwell featured
him in one of his books talking about how smart
and innovative he was, and I think the Kings would
be an example of a team that people would not
exactly describe as cutting edge. So anyway, this guy, So,
this guy breaks in and teams sort of owners become
friendly with him, and they like him, and they speak
(25:49):
a similar language, which is something that you hear. You know.
That trade pops up and eventually he gets friendly with RCBU,
fur to a connection with who likes Overseas soccer and
RCBU for some the NBA people and sort of before
you know it, he's the guy that even the League office,
like I had the becrun the DVA told me that,
you know, when they were looking to replace the Vladidibach
(26:09):
as their general manager, they reached out to the league
office to kind of figure out who's the best, and
Adam Silver or he's Adam Silver. I believe the quote
was the highest levels of the League office. UM sent
back Mike Forward as the guy that talked to So
he's sort of in right, and what it means is interesting.
But he's this guy again kingmaker and owners all. He
has the own ears of the owners and because of that,
(26:29):
now all these executives want to be part, want him
to know who they are too. But but here's my
issue with that, And I get it. I'm not knocking
him and his ability, but how how why does his net?
How diverse is his net? Who does he know? And
who is he? Who is he recommending? Do you know
what I mean? I would love to know how diverse
(26:50):
that net is, and I'd have an issue with it
if the only people he's recommending look like him. Well
you addressed too, I do, right, So right, the diverse
we can use the lowercase be in the capital be
even to right. There are two parts of it, so one, yeah,
there is an issue. It does seem like in terms
of he's um, a lot of Rockets tides right, clearly,
(27:11):
and there's other reasons for this, But a lot of
Monty McNair or Gerson Rosas, who's a former Rockets executive
who is now the Timberwolves, which was not a search
that Ford did. Ford he did, but he was part
of pretty much every other search. A lot of Rockets
candidates pop up often. Um, yeah, there's definitely there's two
concerns to run. One is that, yeah, how why a
net is he casting just in terms of everyone for
(27:33):
all types of people? And the other one is what
in a few people brought this up to me as
I was reporting the article, is in terms of with
him and with other search firms. Are they interested do
they care about some of these efforts to promote diversity
in front offices which and I say capital be diversity
right um. In terms of the way where this will
(27:53):
become a problem, recently, we've seen a lot of talk
about this where the influx of analytics and sort of
the NBA class experience has become this thing that we
don't value as much as you have in NBA key
run models and a lot of these things are overcorrecting
and that sort of the problem. And he you know
when I when I asked him about that, he was
it was one of the only times in the conversation
he was thrown off. I don't know how much that
(28:15):
was something that was on his radar before in terms
of trying to probably not I bet you, I bet you.
You shocked him a little bit, like like to even
throw that out there a question because some people just
it's they don't even And I say, when I say,
they don't realize it. People are recommending people they know
or people they are around, and they don't even think
twice about it, do you know what I mean? Like, yeah,
(28:38):
it's not malicious, correct, He was not being maliciously. You know,
he was not being racist and saying well the specific right,
he was not thinking people can't run NBA front offices, right,
that was not what was happening exactly. But it's like,
but I know that this guy, and I'm friendly, right,
yea more, you know what I mean? And it's that
that and I gotta be honest your own, Like, I
don't really like it because first of all, he's from England, Like,
(29:02):
how is he the best guy to find He's in England,
he's from England and he runs, he was in soccer.
How is he the best guy to choose who's gonna run?
Who's gonna be a gem of an NBA team? You know?
And yeah, yeah, go ahead, no, okay, So it's interesting, right,
(29:23):
So I storry for cutting you off. It's an interesting question.
I don't disagree, right, I'll put my opinion. I don't
disagree the way I kind of look at it after
talking a bunch of people and even seeing what the
reactions were the article and all things like that. Um,
and but in the art, I don't know, you know this,
but just for people who haven't read the stories, not
be saying it's good or bad just right, that is
happening you just reported correct. So my thing is I
(29:45):
agree again, I'm a kind of a clinic. I find
a consulting thing to be a bit of a racket
that thread owners are so bad at this that if
somebody and he does, he does take this seriously, like
he takes the idea of stealing out a holistic front office, Yeah,
what makes good managers. And he doesn't get involved in
expos and stuff like that, right, and trying to build
his base and trying to do that stuff. And he
(30:07):
takes his role as this guy who's going to be
as a headhunter in the NBA and all those fields.
Do he takes that seriously. So as simply another executive
said to me one other search firms who teams. Teams
have been hiring search firms for a while a lot
of times it seemed like to them, like one guy
told me a story, one executive that he had a gyma.
He was interviewed for a job once and it consists
(30:27):
of a thirty minute cold call with somebody he didn't know,
and that was it. And basically the ideas it's almost
like the less you work, because the more you get
paid to hire your hourly rats if you if you
bang it out quickly, so he's doing more work than that.
And again, a lot of these owners are so bad
at this, and we've proven this, and they're going either
at asking media people or whatever it is or agents
(30:47):
or whoever that even if this is a bit of
a common sense and like what if he know different,
if he's taking it samiously, it might be a step
up from where we see a lot of these teams.
Let me ask you this because you mentioned a few
of its. Ay Sacermonie McNair and he's early in, but
he's when thirty five years old, I believe, real young
guy um New Orleans with David Griffin. And then there
(31:09):
was a third of Washington with Tommy Shepard and none
of those teams are doing well at all. Washington's gonna
sneak into the play in thanks to Russell Westbrooks run right,
But how much how much of that is you know,
are people's gonna look at that and be like hold on,
like you're you're recommended all these guys and it's not
(31:32):
working out, Like maybe it's too early for that, but
where do you see that going? I mean, that's got
to be a factor too. It's it's a fascinating question.
So again, what he would say, and I'm like, what
he would say is he doesn't make and I believe
this is true, right, he doesn't make the higher He
kind of brings the final list to the owners, um,
you know, final five, ten candidates, whatever it is. And
then I'm sure he has input into when the interviewed
(31:54):
process and all that. Right, he's not making the higher. Um.
That being said, you know, I'm fascionaybody. I even asked him, like,
do you follow the standings at all? And when I
talk to him, I mean all those teams sacrament Sacramentos
had a weird team and Soda so exactly, So I like,
you check the standings every day and he was like, yeah,
you can't help it from doing so. Um, you know
(32:15):
some of these things. I think the answer would be
I bring the guy here. It's not you know what
happens from there? Like if you it's an interesting point, right,
it's it's an interesting wind. Tug to hiring is down.
For example, teams owners will say, I want a guy.
What the most important thing to me is not leadership,
but the guy who's loop to the analytically inclined. I'm
just making that up right, That's what they'll say. And
(32:36):
then they hire somebody's analytically inclined and he'll get in there,
and then they'll say, well, he's not really leaving the
front office. And then responsibly will we picked the guy
that you wanted, who is you know, leadership wasn't the
main quality you wanted, so you staff in the front
office around him. So when I say he's thinking about
things in a more holistic way, that I believe is positive.
I do believe that. But yeah, no, that's certain point.
(32:56):
I do believe the results could speak to themselves and
be interesting to see whether people weather song stetions that
vacuum and it becomes a competitive business between multiple guys
like him, whether it doesn't matter because the owners have
just come to with him. And if you're from bringing
off every day you have the year, that's all that matters.
It'll be interesting to follow us. Great stuff you're own. Yes, yes,
(33:18):
we want to have you on. Good job Man, good article,
and uh, you know, keep up the great work. Check
him out on his podcast Weitzman Can't Jump. Good stuff Man.
Thank you, Thanks guys, I appreciate it. Yeah, MORDI Couple
coming your way. Fox Sports Radio. Be sure to catch
live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and
Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific
(33:42):
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app. It
is The Odd Couple wrapping up a worship Wednesday. We're
coming to you live from the Fox Sports Radio studios.
This changes the mood, it really does. All right, Rob,
I got one quite for you. We know that Lebron
James is out. We know that he's injured. Uh, he's
(34:08):
thirty six years old, in his eighteenth year. Do you
think that father time has caught up with Lebron James finally? Yes. Um,
it doesn't mean that he's gonna fall to the waystside
and can't play at all. But yeah, it's it's two injuries.
I mean, if they didn't win last year, Chris, I
(34:31):
think people would look at Lebron's tenure a little bit
differently just because he was hurt in two of the
three years. Nah. That's a good point, you know what
I'm saying. That's an interesting point. I mean that championship, Like,
if he doesn't win another championship. You know, he one,
he got four, but he won one in LA and
we we said, we both said, you go to the Lakers. No,
(34:53):
you gotta win, you gotta win, and he got it done.
But yeah, but I'm just saying from this the two injuries,
you know what I mean, Like, it's just well, no,
I hear you. Look, this is a guy that was
a flat out iron man, one of the best iron
men we've seen in the NBA in history, and yet
two of the last three years he's had serious injuries.
(35:16):
And the one year that he didn't, they got a
four month hiatus, right, And so yeah, I would not
say that Father Times caught him or caught up to him,
but he's on his tail. And I do think that
these injuries rib I think years ago he would have
(35:37):
been bounced back from him a lot quicker, and that
just you know, he's human and it happens everybody. As
you get older, it's just harder to recover. It takes
longer and for you to come back from certain injuries.
So in that respect, I do think that Father Time
is on his tail. It's a factor, his age is
(35:57):
a factor. But yet when he is able to play,
he plays at a very high level still. And my thing,
the reason I say Rob he hasn't fully caught up
to him is because I don't know. I can't think
of a guy that Father Time has caught in any
(36:19):
of the leagues who could still be an MVP and
win the championship, lead his team to the championship like
Tom Brady's old. I don't think Father Times caught him, clearly.
I mean, he was great last year. Aaron Rodgers is older.
I don't think Father Times caught him. You know, they're
getting older. Obviously it's gonna happen at some point. But
(36:41):
Lebron was right there in the MVP conversation before he
got hurt. The question is gonna be can he stay healthy? Yeah,
I guess it's about staying healthy and being there, being
able to play, you know, I think that's more about it.
I'm not gonna say he's not falling off the cliff
like he camp player, can't score, gonna you know, miss
(37:02):
a layup or something. You know what I mean. We're
not talking come down to Kenny stay healthy right right right,
and with a lot of guys, you know, I mean,
he hit Rob Kobe Bryant scored sixty points in his
last game, but he couldn't he wasn't gonna be able
to sustain health. And it was shots though, right, was
to get that right, Yeah, we like to leave that
(37:24):
out of the story when yeah, he had sixty his
last game, he did take fifty shots. Hello is this on? Hello?
Fifty shots? But it was appropriate. That was so appropriate, right,
But let's not making like he was a fishing Chris.
And he took twenty five shots and scored sixty points,
(37:47):
then he would be like you can see him, Rob,
Rob g is glaring at you, right, I know, he's like,
he's like, he took fifteen shots. Rib he hit all overim.
He hit three points and some free throws, right, all right,
it is the odd couple. Chris and Robs signing off,
(38:07):
wrapping up a worship Wednesday. Go to iTunes, Apple podcasts, SoundCloud, download, subscribe,
give us five stars and leave a nice comment and
keep it locked right here. The party is not over, folks.
Keep it right here on Fox Sports Radio for the
Jason Smith and Mike Harman Show. It's gonna be live
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
to check us out live every weekday from seven pm
to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd Couple
at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching f s R.
(00:25):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. It is the I Couple.
I am Chris. Here is Robert coming to you live
from the Fox Sports Radio studios. And at the bottom
of the hour we will be joined by Roon Whitesmith.
I don't know if I said his name correctly, but
(00:48):
Uron Whitzman. Maybe it's Yarn. He's an author and the host.
This is an interested name. It's a cool name. He's
the host of the Whitesman Can't Jump podcast. Rob g
you got a problem with that? Where's that? Come on?
Where's the racist? Come on? You know? Rob? I got
(01:13):
it for you. Thank you? Come on? All right? So
I got a very low bar for racist drops and
then that still didn't clear it, uh, Rob j or
Rob Parker, Rob p Um I say that earlier. I
don't think the Nets can win the championship without James
Harden I think they need his facilitating and all of that. Um,
(01:38):
I think they even have trouble winning the East without Harden.
But he should be back. I mean, but I don't know,
you know, are they are they just taking their time
being overly cautious with the hamstring. We know he came
back earlier and tweaked it again and had to sit out,
So I don't know, but I assume Rob, he'll be back.
(02:01):
You know, Kevin Durance now played several games in a
row and seems like he's fine. Although they've they've lost
those three straight games. But what do you Does it
concern you, Rob that they're seven and eight with Kyrie
and KD which is baffling that they're seven and eight
with those two guys. No, they haven't played there was no, No,
(02:23):
I'm not I'm not like overly concerned because I just
think it's different when you get to the playoffs compared
to you don't play every day, you don't have back
to backs, you play a different style of game. I
just think I just think sometimes the playoffs are different
from the regular season. So I just like their firepower.
I think they're gonna have plenty to play. I like
the way that the other guys fit in with the
(02:45):
different superstars even when they were out. I like the
squad the way it's put together. Obviously without them it's
a tougher road. I wouldn't just write them off totally
because there's a lot of teams missing other people and plays,
and we don't know their situations. So I can't totally
write off kywe and and and and kd uh just
(03:08):
because of hard and I don't know who they're facing.
I don't know what their situation is. I don't you
know what I mean. So I mean, yeah, but that's
what I'm saying. If if embad is out and I'm
just saying they got, they got. Uh. The road is
easier if you have hardened. That's all I say. I
think the road is easier. I'll say I think the
(03:32):
point you're making though, is interesting. I'm gonna put a
little twist on it. And going out west looking at
the Lakers, the thing about them and and Lebron. I
was talking to somebody to day close to Lebron and
they say, look, he's gonna I mean, his ankle's gonna
buys him a little bit to the rest of the season.
(03:53):
Like playoffs all that, like, it's really not going to
be fine and heal up and be one hundred recent
until he can rest it in the off season. And um,
the thing is this, rob if he if Lebron James
can come back and play every playoff game, say he's
(04:13):
eighty five to and a d Anthony Davis. Now this
might be a big if Anthony Davis gets back to
what he was last year. The thing is when I
look at the West, Robin, yes, they got very good
teams out there, But dude, does Denver terrify you? No?
But it's not about being terrified. Chris. I get what
(04:35):
you're saying. I'm just saying, but I just I haven't
I hear you. I hear the point about sure Lebron
and them one last year, those two together, you should
automatically assume that they're going to win. No, I'm not
saying that. No, I'm just saying, who's a world beater
in the West. Nobody's a world beater. But I just
haven't seen that from the Lakers. I've seen Lebron come
(04:57):
back from injury and not play well two years ago.
I mean, I just don't think it's an automatic and
that I don't think it's an automatic that he wanted
to miraculously be okay and go through everybody or after
playing a playing game or whatever it is, you know,
like wherever they wind up. I mean, he's not playing
the next two games, so they could drop and wherever
(05:19):
they are, and then being you know, on the road
the whole time, and the house talked about it. I
just think there's a lot of obstacles and then some
of the other players who just weren't there last year
and didn't win a championship last year. So I think
there's an uphill battle. And I think if a team
has any kind of like here's a wound in Lebron,
(05:41):
if if there's ever a chance Chris to knock him
off and to beat him, you know what I mean,
Like here he is, he's vulnerable. No if he yeah,
he's got to be close to full health, close, not
at full health, but close. But my point is just
that I'm gonna tell you straight up, if Ron is
playing like he played, he can play all seven games.
(06:05):
I'm picking them over Denver if they meet in the
first round because Denver's second best players Michael Porter Junior,
who's twenty two years old. Okay, so let me ask
you this. Okay, if if Lebron and then were to lose,
I'm say he's fine, He's played all seven to Denver
and that's what would that? What would that signify to you?
(06:26):
It be a lot? I mean I don't know it'd
be a lost. No, but I'd have to see how
it happens. No, but I'm saying Lebron's healthy, but they lose,
they just lose. Would you? Would you? Would you probably
think about a defensive I mean that it was you know,
the prolonged time off and not you know, being able
to play, or if they wouldn't be the beginning of
the end. Do you know what I mean? Him? And
(06:46):
ask Davis? Do you see what I'm saying? Like I
want to know all the circumstances, like maybe if a
D doesn't play well, and like if Lebron balls and
a D is just horrible, then you know this. But
to get to your question, I know what you're saying. Yeah,
I'm just a D and Lebron play well and they
(07:06):
just lose. Yeah, I mean I think we're already seen
the beginning, like the age is affecting Lebron. This would
that would be another sign, a strong sign that it's
a new day. That's what I'm asking on. That's what
I'm saying that I think that's obvious. Like and I
(07:29):
think at thirty six years old, I think six seven
years ago he would have been back from this injury.
And you know what I'm saying. So, yeah, I think older,
the body is just different. Right. Remember, Lebron has played
He's nineteenth on the all times games played list regular season,
and he's first rob on the all time playoff games
(07:51):
played list. And he's playing three on three Olympic teams.
So he's got a ton of wear and tear on
his body. So yeah, I mean I think for other
time is on his tail. I don't think he's caught
up with him, but he's right there on his tail
for sure. All right, let's switch, but stay in the NBA. Rob. Look,
(08:14):
we got to give him props. LaMelo ball Rob. It's
the truth. He is the flat out truth. Uh. He
is a bad boy. And he looks like like Michael
Jordan got him a star. It looks like And last
(08:37):
night LaMelo put up twenty three points, six assists, seven
rebounds and the win over the Pistons and the drumbeat
from a lot of people, a lot of fans Melo, right,
Melo LaMelo should be the rookie of the year. Before
(08:58):
I answer the question, I'm gonna that you answered first, Rod,
but I will say this, he is the best rookie,
but the best rookie that's not what the award is.
I think that's where people get lost. And you could
see his talent. I don't think there's any doubt about it,
but to miss thirty percent of the season is a
big chunk of the season and had he played, Chris
(09:20):
probably would have won. But it would be different if
there's no other rookie who's playing well. And I think
that's the other issue with Edwards right from Anthony Anthony
Everwards from Minnesota who has a highest scoring average and
traditionally the guy with the highest scoring average rookie wise
(09:42):
usually wins. I mean they don't look at most other things. Chris,
it usually is and Mellow can't catch him. He has
such an advantage to Melo can't There's not enough time
to catch him, so it would be strange that that
would be overturned. I don't know. People will were beating
the drum for Lebron last year. Fans right, and all
(10:03):
the talk he didn't win, So I don't I don't
know your voter. I will, you know, step back and
let you talk about it, because you do have a vote.
I mentioned you in the column that I wrote for
dead Spin about this because I've said you said it
on the air a number of times, and you're one
of these guys who count. Playing availability is a part
(10:26):
of winning an award for that season. It just it
just is. I don't remember it was Kyrie might have
been Chris. And here's a perfect example. Kyrie was was
uh played eleven games at Duke and was the first
overall pick off of his talent. He didn't win Basketball
Player of the Year, right, See what I'm saying, even
(10:48):
though he's the best player and he's gonna be the
number one pick. Do you see what? So that that
that's the that's the part that doesn't when people are talking, well,
but he is the best book, No, Kyrie was the
best player in college basketball that year, Chris, That's why
he went first, But he wasn't the college basketball player
of the year. He didn't play. I'm with you, Rob,
(11:09):
and you're right. We just got our ballots today. Um,
and I'm actually surprised. I don't know if any if
I've heard any voters or any writers, reporters, you know,
NBA guys come out and say that LaMelo should be it. Yeah,
it's like you said, it's a lot of fans, but no,
he's right, and I Anthony first of all, you said it,
(11:31):
Anthony Edwards is averaging more points. LaMelo's been great, But
LaMelo didn't start for the first half of the season.
He's averaging sixteen points. Are slightly below sixteen points a game.
Edwards is averaging eighteen and a half points and Edwards
half holes in his game right now. I like LaMelo's
(11:52):
game better. But to your point, it's about being available
and Edwards I think it's played every game. He's played
sixty five games and he's played well too. So I
am with you. Um, I think Edwards should be Rookie
of the Year. He will get my vote. Um, LaMelo's
(12:14):
been tremendous. I'm excited about him. He's got flair, rob
Nobody's got out. Still a great player early on him
from what we've seen. But let's not it's not a
popularity contest. It's not who's gonna have a better career
long term. That's not what the award is, Chris. That
that's what people are looking at, saying he's gonna be
(12:35):
the star long down the road, and so we should
give him the MVP. It doesn't normally work like that,
That's all. And I'm gonna say this too, right, because
you brought up the availability, and I know with LaMelo
he was legitimately hurt and rob there are some guys,
whether they're teams, some guys teams would have held him
out or the player himself, you know what I mean,
would have been like, oh, you know, let me just
(12:57):
sit out the rest of the year or whatever. I
figured Lamello might be back once he's able, because you know,
Michael Jordan understands that mentality. Right. Remember Jordan fought his
second year to come back and play. The Bulls didn't
want him to play because they didn't want to make
the playoffs. They wanted a better draft pick, and he
fought him to get back on the court and play,
(13:18):
and they didn't want to play. Chris, right, I don't
want a guy that's twenty one freaking years I want
to play. Yeah, Like what like that's that's that's why
I love me. That's why I love Zion Chris at
college when he decided to come back when he was healthy,
like like like to me, that's what that would be,
like what you don't want to play? And I think
(13:39):
college is a little different because I'm just saying he
had the draft coming. But but I'm not gonna argue
you on that point. But Rob, when I vote, I mean,
it's gonna be an interesting year voting things like All
NBA teams and stuff. I am gonna take availability into
more consideration than I ever have to. I think it right,
(14:00):
because it's becomes such and I get if a guy's hurt,
he's hurt. I'm not gonna I mean, you'll be penalized
because you weren't there for half the season. I can't
put you on first team All NBA. But I'm just
saying a guy that is sitting out random games, Kyrie,
I don't know. I'm gonna have to look at my
you know, where I put Kyrie on the All NBA
teams and stuff. Because we have got to get back
(14:24):
to valuing the regular season. We just have to. And
you're like, you say it all the time, Rob, It's
for the fans, and at the end of the day,
the fans pay the freight. And so you can't we
can't have guys just sitting out, you know, a game
a week and just wanting to play all the time
in the playoffs. So but yeah, I'm with you. We
(14:44):
agree on that Anthony Edwards should be Rookie of the
Year over LaMelo. But let's see what the listeners think.
Eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox eight seven seven
nine nine six sixty three sixty nine. Should LaMelo ball
missing in a large chunk of the season eliminate him
from being Rookie of the Year. It is your turn
(15:07):
away in with Chris and Rob The E Couple Fox
Sports Radio. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Odd Couple with Chris Broussar then Rob Parker weekdays at
seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
and the iHeartRadio app. All right, it's The I Couple,
Chris and Rob Company live from the Fox Sports Radio studios.
We got your own Whitesman, author of the host of
(15:30):
the podcast Whitesman Can't Jump. He'll be joining us in
about eight minutes. But first we're gonna take your calls.
Eight seven, seven ninety nine on Fox is your Rookie
of the Year, LaMelo balls he's missed about twenty games?
Would you still vote? You man? Rob? And I say,
that's just too much of the season to miss to
(15:51):
be Rookie the Year. I think he missed what twenty
one exactly? Chris? Now, look, Patrick Ewing was Rookie of
the Year on fifty games. He played fifty out of
eighty two. That's like the record. But I don't know.
I'd have to look back. Was there another, you know,
legitimate candidate that there was nobody there? Right right? That
(16:14):
would be different? All right? Nick in Syracuse, you're on
the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio. What's up? Nickos
at it again? Boy? I tell you, Chris Rosary, I
want you to run the tape back from christ Seve
when he took one of your ten vacations throughout the year,
when he was the ground Salaam and he said he
clouded LaMelo that day because he had zero points in
(16:36):
his first NBA game. And I told him run the
tape back, Rob running back, I said, I said, I know,
I'm from talked about him going scoreless in his debut.
That's all I told you, grounding Rob. No. I didn't
say that he once couldn't play. I just said that
was amazing that a guy would go scoreless in his
(16:57):
first game or whatever. I forgot Rob West, We got
on pave Rob running back. It was the biggest bust.
Come on, it sounds like you need to call back
on trash talking Tuesday, Yes and trash I got. All
I want to say is you know you sound like
(17:18):
you know you were going to Washington Nationals games, I
mean Syracuse Nationals game. What was the name of that
team up there? I think it was the Nationals when
they had the NBA team, when they had the Syracuse
had an NBA team at one time. I think it
was the Syracuse Nationals Nationals. I think it was. All right,
Marty in Kentucky, you're in the odd couple of Fox
Sports Radio. What's up, fellas? How are you doing this Wednesday? Mary? Hey, Marty,
(17:44):
I got a quick question for you. At your workplace,
you have to be vaccinated. I know you're working like
around a lot of people or whatnot. Right, we can
be vaccinated. Um, you know, I'm I'm more of a
fan of the Messenger, RNA vaccines. Chris said that he
(18:04):
took the Johnson and Johnson. I was actually curious if
your wife, being a doctor, she suggested you take the
Johnson and Johnson over the Messenger, RNA types, the Fiser
and the Maderna. No she took. She took. I'm not
sure which one of those she took, but it was
one of those. I was the only I'm the only
one in the family that took the Johnson. I had
(18:26):
the choice, but I just took it because it was
one shot, you know. And this was Dy had the issues.
But the name, the name Johnson, and Johnson a brother
was probably it was the black people out that I'm
a believer in the Maderna, the Messenger, RNA, and the Fiser.
(18:47):
I was just curious technology. But well, I'm curious, Rob.
You know. Brian Finley broke some news earlier that I
had heard before. He said that it was a rumor
that you saved your literal league cup and I heard
that too, and I also did it still fit? Wow?
(19:08):
Well that must have been the time I wasn't listening
to you, didn't you had walked away? But he didn't
say that, right, Wow? And it does fit. Wow, Ok,
all right, really really I'll hear LaMelo. I'm not gonna
get employee of the month if by miss eleven twelve days.
(19:29):
I think LaMelo probably hits the best player out of
all the rookies. But you got to give it to
Edwards because LaMelo's performance is not enough better, Yes, to
overcome those all those miss games. Absolutely, pretty much, that simple. Absolutely,
that's a great and it's right like our athletes should
(19:50):
they they don't have to show up for work. And
again he was hurt, so it's not no, but he
wasn't advantaging. But still you gotta play the games if
you're gonna get it, get rewarded. Exactly. Andrea and Massachusetts,
you're on the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio. What's
up going on, guys, Like what we've seen from Lamello,
(20:11):
he had some Pete heritage like passes. Yeah, he is
return but the rookie of the year is clearly Anthony Edwards.
Timberwolves have won four the last five games. They're being
competitive to conclude the season. He's averaging what eighteen a game,
couple rebounds, a couple of assists. You know, he has
the personality, the swagger, to build himself up. So if
LaMelo hadn't been out, I think he'd be the clear
(20:33):
cut favorite favorite, you know. But it's not as though,
you know, this class is the void of talent. We
also have James Wiseman, you know, who's been out. You know,
who will make noise going forward what we've seen. You know,
I think he's definitely silenced many of the doubters, myself
among them, in terms of his viability and credibility going forward.
You know, he has star potential. But this year it's
(20:55):
about the ant man, you know, and you know, him
getting the Rookie of the Year and getting that respect
that he deserves for it. And I'll tell you what,
and this isn't why you win Rookie of the Year.
But Anthony Edwards has had some tremendous dunks. You know,
he is. He is a guy. I think he'll probably
become a star rob. I don't know if he'll be
a guy that can lead a team to you know
what I mean, maybe, but I definitely think he can
(21:17):
be a star in the league in the future. Yeah,
I mean, he's played well. He should be Rookie of
the Year. We'll see Chris, But you know a lot
of stuff with popularity, But I think there's a difference
between the writers who covered the game. And we saw
that with the Lebron because there was a buzz out
there for Lebron right right, and it was a it
was a landslide Chris the other way. So that tells
(21:40):
you that the buzz you're hearing from people isn't necessarily
what we're hearing from the people who actually cover who
have votes. You have a vote, You've already spoken, he's
missed a game for you. Fox Sports Radio has the
best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of
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(22:04):
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(22:27):
some amazing facts about a human nature and more. Let's
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All right, we are coming to you live from the
Fox Sports Radio Studios. Our next guest. He is the
author and host of the Whitesman Can't Jump podcast, Your
own Whitesman. Welcome to the Acts Happening. Thanks guys. I
(22:50):
don't know how I follow the Jockstap thing, but i'my. Yeah, man,
we love title of your podcast. That's really good man,
I like that. Yes, that's good, thank you. Yes. Now,
you wrote a great article for The Ringer a few
weeks ago and it was called the NBA's GM Kingmaker.
(23:13):
And it's interesting because he talks about a guy Mike forty,
and he is from He's British correct, Uh, yeah, I
believe the English of British. I get confused to those.
But yes he was. He was yeah overseas right and
he right, Chelsea Premier soccer guy. Yes, so he's an
executive in professional soccer overseas and yet now he is
(23:38):
he started a business where he is essentially a go
to guy for these owners and teams when they're looking
to fill front office and coaching positions. Is that correct?
And go ahead and just kind of, you know, bring us,
just explain to us what he does in the NBA
and kind of how he became a guy from soccer
(24:01):
in another country becomes this kingmakers as you call it him. Yeah,
so he's a headhunter, right, it's sort of this thing.
And you know, so I spoke to a lot of
and thanks for having me on all the nice words
of the article. So I spoke to a lot of
people about sort of this role I've been hearing about him,
and his name sort of pops up in different searches.
The four so far, those the Brooklyn Nets and Sean Marks,
(24:22):
and then a few years past and then there was
the day the Griffin search in New Orleans, Tommy Shephard
in Washington, and and Monty McNair in Sacramento. Right, and
you can see it's probably having more and more. And
what I put in the article is that you know
that only sound that might sound like a few three
or four, but you think about there's only thirty teams,
and how many people want these jobs, and he's someone
(24:44):
who's in touch with all these owners, and basically what
happened is he had made a consulting firm and he
was doing consulting and consulting this weird thaying where I'm
kind of a cynic and I think it's sort of
a racket because it's a lot of common sense people
telling you how to build, you know, how to make
a cohesive office environment and all the buzzwords that the
three of us will probably laugh at. We don't have
real jobs like that, right, and kind of crazy, but
(25:07):
there is, I guess something to it an office environment
and so many of the professional sports owners. The sports
business seems to confound so many of the owners, and
we've seen this in so many different examples where they're
really good in every other thing they do, and then
they come into sports and just whether it's the competition,
the microscope on it, a mix of all of it,
(25:28):
they just they just really really struggle. The Kings are
a great example. They're beating a Dvay. Malcolm Gladwell featured
him in one of his books talking about how smart
and innovative he was, and I think the Kings would
be an example of a team that people would not
exactly describe as cutting edge. So anyway, this guy, So,
this guy breaks in and teams sort of owners become
friendly with him, and they like him, and they speak
(25:49):
a similar language, which is something that you hear. You know.
That trade pops up and eventually he gets friendly with RCBU,
fur to a connection with who likes Overseas soccer and
RCBU for some the NBA people and sort of before
you know it, he's the guy that even the League office,
like I had the becrun the DVA told me that,
you know, when they were looking to replace the Vladidibach
(26:09):
as their general manager, they reached out to the league
office to kind of figure out who's the best, and
Adam Silver or he's Adam Silver. I believe the quote
was the highest levels of the League office. UM sent
back Mike Forward as the guy that talked to So
he's sort of in right, and what it means is interesting.
But he's this guy again kingmaker and owners all. He
has the own ears of the owners and because of that,
(26:29):
now all these executives want to be part, want him
to know who they are too. But but here's my
issue with that, And I get it. I'm not knocking
him and his ability, but how how why does his net?
How diverse is his net? Who does he know? And
who is he? Who is he recommending? Do you know
what I mean? I would love to know how diverse
(26:50):
that net is, and I'd have an issue with it
if the only people he's recommending look like him. Well
you addressed too, I do, right, So right, the diverse
we can use the lowercase be in the capital be
even to right. There are two parts of it, so one, yeah,
there is an issue. It does seem like in terms
of he's um, a lot of Rockets tides right, clearly,
(27:11):
and there's other reasons for this, But a lot of
Monty McNair or Gerson Rosas, who's a former Rockets executive
who is now the Timberwolves, which was not a search
that Ford did. Ford he did, but he was part
of pretty much every other search. A lot of Rockets
candidates pop up often. Um, yeah, there's definitely there's two
concerns to run. One is that, yeah, how why a
net is he casting just in terms of everyone for
(27:33):
all types of people? And the other one is what
in a few people brought this up to me as
I was reporting the article, is in terms of with
him and with other search firms. Are they interested do
they care about some of these efforts to promote diversity
in front offices which and I say capital be diversity
right um. In terms of the way where this will
(27:53):
become a problem, recently, we've seen a lot of talk
about this where the influx of analytics and sort of
the NBA class experience has become this thing that we
don't value as much as you have in NBA key
run models and a lot of these things are overcorrecting
and that sort of the problem. And he you know
when I when I asked him about that, he was
it was one of the only times in the conversation
he was thrown off. I don't know how much that
(28:15):
was something that was on his radar before in terms
of trying to probably not I bet you, I bet you.
You shocked him a little bit, like like to even
throw that out there a question because some people just
it's they don't even And I say, when I say,
they don't realize it. People are recommending people they know
or people they are around, and they don't even think
twice about it, do you know what I mean? Like, yeah,
(28:38):
it's not malicious, correct, He was not being maliciously. You know,
he was not being racist and saying well the specific right,
he was not thinking people can't run NBA front offices, right,
that was not what was happening exactly. But it's like,
but I know that this guy, and I'm friendly, right,
yea more, you know what I mean? And it's that
that and I gotta be honest your own, Like, I
don't really like it because first of all, he's from England, Like,
(29:02):
how is he the best guy to find He's in England,
he's from England and he runs, he was in soccer.
How is he the best guy to choose who's gonna run?
Who's gonna be a gem of an NBA team? You know?
And yeah, yeah, go ahead, no, okay, So it's interesting, right,
(29:23):
So I storry for cutting you off. It's an interesting question.
I don't disagree, right, I'll put my opinion. I don't
disagree the way I kind of look at it after
talking a bunch of people and even seeing what the
reactions were the article and all things like that. Um,
and but in the art, I don't know, you know this,
but just for people who haven't read the stories, not
be saying it's good or bad just right, that is
happening you just reported correct. So my thing is I
(29:45):
agree again, I'm a kind of a clinic. I find
a consulting thing to be a bit of a racket
that thread owners are so bad at this that if
somebody and he does, he does take this seriously, like
he takes the idea of stealing out a holistic front office, Yeah,
what makes good managers. And he doesn't get involved in
expos and stuff like that, right, and trying to build
his base and trying to do that stuff. And he
(30:07):
takes his role as this guy who's going to be
as a headhunter in the NBA and all those fields.
Do he takes that seriously. So as simply another executive
said to me one other search firms who teams. Teams
have been hiring search firms for a while a lot
of times it seemed like to them, like one guy
told me a story, one executive that he had a gyma.
He was interviewed for a job once and it consists
(30:27):
of a thirty minute cold call with somebody he didn't know,
and that was it. And basically the ideas it's almost
like the less you work, because the more you get
paid to hire your hourly rats if you if you
bang it out quickly, so he's doing more work than that.
And again, a lot of these owners are so bad
at this, and we've proven this, and they're going either
at asking media people or whatever it is or agents
(30:47):
or whoever that even if this is a bit of
a common sense and like what if he know different,
if he's taking it samiously, it might be a step
up from where we see a lot of these teams.
Let me ask you this because you mentioned a few
of its. Ay Sacermonie McNair and he's early in, but
he's when thirty five years old, I believe, real young
guy um New Orleans with David Griffin. And then there
(31:09):
was a third of Washington with Tommy Shepard and none
of those teams are doing well at all. Washington's gonna
sneak into the play in thanks to Russell Westbrooks run right,
But how much how much of that is you know,
are people's gonna look at that and be like hold on,
like you're you're recommended all these guys and it's not
(31:32):
working out, Like maybe it's too early for that, but
where do you see that going? I mean, that's got
to be a factor too. It's it's a fascinating question.
So again, what he would say, and I'm like, what
he would say is he doesn't make and I believe
this is true, right, he doesn't make the higher He
kind of brings the final list to the owners, um,
you know, final five, ten candidates, whatever it is. And
then I'm sure he has input into when the interviewed
(31:54):
process and all that. Right, he's not making the higher. Um.
That being said, you know, I'm fascionaybody. I even asked him, like,
do you follow the standings at all? And when I
talk to him, I mean all those teams sacrament Sacramentos
had a weird team and Soda so exactly, So I like,
you check the standings every day and he was like, yeah,
you can't help it from doing so. Um, you know
(32:15):
some of these things. I think the answer would be
I bring the guy here. It's not you know what
happens from there? Like if you it's an interesting point, right,
it's it's an interesting wind. Tug to hiring is down.
For example, teams owners will say, I want a guy.
What the most important thing to me is not leadership,
but the guy who's loop to the analytically inclined. I'm
just making that up right, That's what they'll say. And
(32:36):
then they hire somebody's analytically inclined and he'll get in there,
and then they'll say, well, he's not really leaving the
front office. And then responsibly will we picked the guy
that you wanted, who is you know, leadership wasn't the
main quality you wanted, so you staff in the front
office around him. So when I say he's thinking about
things in a more holistic way, that I believe is positive.
I do believe that. But yeah, no, that's certain point.
(32:56):
I do believe the results could speak to themselves and
be interesting to see whether people weather song stetions that
vacuum and it becomes a competitive business between multiple guys
like him, whether it doesn't matter because the owners have
just come to with him. And if you're from bringing
off every day you have the year, that's all that matters.
It'll be interesting to follow us. Great stuff you're own. Yes, yes,
(33:18):
we want to have you on. Good job Man, good article,
and uh, you know, keep up the great work. Check
him out on his podcast Weitzman Can't Jump. Good stuff Man.
Thank you, Thanks guys, I appreciate it. Yeah, MORDI Couple
coming your way. Fox Sports Radio. Be sure to catch
live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and
Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific
(33:42):
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app. It
is The Odd Couple wrapping up a worship Wednesday. We're
coming to you live from the Fox Sports Radio studios.
This changes the mood, it really does. All right, Rob,
I got one quite for you. We know that Lebron
James is out. We know that he's injured. Uh, he's
(34:08):
thirty six years old, in his eighteenth year. Do you
think that father time has caught up with Lebron James finally? Yes. Um,
it doesn't mean that he's gonna fall to the waystside
and can't play at all. But yeah, it's it's two injuries.
I mean, if they didn't win last year, Chris, I
(34:31):
think people would look at Lebron's tenure a little bit
differently just because he was hurt in two of the
three years. Nah. That's a good point, you know what
I'm saying. That's an interesting point. I mean that championship, Like,
if he doesn't win another championship. You know, he one,
he got four, but he won one in LA and
we we said, we both said, you go to the Lakers. No,
(34:53):
you gotta win, you gotta win, and he got it done.
But yeah, but I'm just saying from this the two injuries,
you know what I mean, Like, it's just well, no,
I hear you. Look, this is a guy that was
a flat out iron man, one of the best iron
men we've seen in the NBA in history, and yet
two of the last three years he's had serious injuries.
(35:16):
And the one year that he didn't, they got a
four month hiatus, right, And so yeah, I would not
say that Father Times caught him or caught up to him,
but he's on his tail. And I do think that
these injuries rib I think years ago he would have
(35:37):
been bounced back from him a lot quicker, and that
just you know, he's human and it happens everybody. As
you get older, it's just harder to recover. It takes
longer and for you to come back from certain injuries.
So in that respect, I do think that Father Time
is on his tail. It's a factor, his age is
(35:57):
a factor. But yet when he is able to play,
he plays at a very high level still. And my thing,
the reason I say Rob he hasn't fully caught up
to him is because I don't know. I can't think
of a guy that Father Time has caught in any
(36:19):
of the leagues who could still be an MVP and
win the championship, lead his team to the championship like
Tom Brady's old. I don't think Father Times caught him, clearly.
I mean, he was great last year. Aaron Rodgers is older.
I don't think Father Times caught him. You know, they're
getting older. Obviously it's gonna happen at some point. But
(36:41):
Lebron was right there in the MVP conversation before he
got hurt. The question is gonna be can he stay healthy? Yeah,
I guess it's about staying healthy and being there, being
able to play, you know, I think that's more about it.
I'm not gonna say he's not falling off the cliff
like he camp player, can't score, gonna you know, miss
(37:02):
a layup or something. You know what I mean. We're
not talking come down to Kenny stay healthy right right right,
and with a lot of guys, you know, I mean,
he hit Rob Kobe Bryant scored sixty points in his
last game, but he couldn't he wasn't gonna be able
to sustain health. And it was shots though, right, was
to get that right, Yeah, we like to leave that
(37:24):
out of the story when yeah, he had sixty his
last game, he did take fifty shots. Hello is this on? Hello?
Fifty shots? But it was appropriate. That was so appropriate, right,
But let's not making like he was a fishing Chris.
And he took twenty five shots and scored sixty points,
(37:47):
then he would be like you can see him, Rob,
Rob g is glaring at you, right, I know, he's like,
he's like, he took fifteen shots. Rib he hit all overim.
He hit three points and some free throws, right, all right,
it is the odd couple. Chris and Robs signing off,
(38:07):
wrapping up a worship Wednesday. Go to iTunes, Apple podcasts, SoundCloud, download, subscribe,
give us five stars and leave a nice comment and
keep it locked right here. The party is not over, folks.
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