1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Dave Turcotte Spoke w/Team Canada (Basketball) of the 2024 Paris Olympics - July 3rd, 2024

Episode Date: July 4, 2024

Dave Turcotte Spoke w/Team Canada (Basketball) of the 2024 Paris Olympics - July 3rd, 2024Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

You're listening to One-on-One with D.P. Sponsored by Mary Ellen's Food for the Soul on 93-7 The Ticket and the Ticketfm.com. Great start to the hour one-on-one. Again, July 3rd. We appreciate you hanging out with us. Thanks to Kelsey Payne of the Supernova's joining us as well. Just it's every vibe. She gives every good vibe.

That's a great addition to the Federation champions. And well done. Let's switch. switch the sports a little bit and go to the one and only Dave Turk guy. Turk, what's happening, brother? Hey, great to be back. It's been a spectacular week. Happy Canada Day a few days ago, Fourth of July tomorrow.

Lots of great celebrations for family on both sides of the border going on right now. Are you going to be north of the border for the fourth? You're going to be home? What are you going to be doing? I'm back here now for the fourth. So I was in Canada for the first, did my thing up there, and then now down here for the fourth. So talk to me about the trip home, please. Give me the reasons why and then what happened while you.

Yeah, it was great. It was fantastic. So I got a text last week from Rowan Barrett, who is the president of basketball Canada, does day-to-day operations. He is the father of RJ Barrett, great kid that I just met personally for the first time. And he says, hey, Turk, we got to get all these Olympians together. We know we have a great team this year. But we got to build that culture, build that culture of winning in that family.

We got to reconnect everybody and get everybody in here and get everybody. get us all working together and kind of support each other, which is exactly what he did. And on literally four or five days notice, myself and a buddy of mine, Howard Kelsey, that's also an alumni from an Olympic team alumni, basically called the, of the four, I think it was, there were 52 actual men's Olympic team members since 1976. Three of them have passed away, so like 49 showed up. on like no notice and basketball candidate was great. Rowan was great. Phenomenal staff, you know, with Rowan Barrett and his team,

got all these alumni in. And then they connected us with the player. So what was fantastic was we have all the old school Olympians that have been there before, done that hanging there. But we all know this is the greatest team we've had in history. So it's so fun for us is to meet these young players. You know, me, Jamal Murray, R.J. Barrett, Kelly Olenick, Shea Gilgis Alexander, you know, just a lot of great kids. Melvin Ejan was there. I mean, all the big names that you know that are going to be in the Olympics that are

Canadians and the NBA are there. And every Canadian that can play pretty much is showing up. So it was a great union of new players, new team that we're all celebrating and supporting our greatest players in the history of the country with the old school guys being there, cheer them on, make those introductions and share experiences and just make that connection. And it really was fantastic. So it was a fun, fun, all basketball all day, you know, two or three days where, you know, we were at what they call the Ovo Center, which is the Raptors practice facility, but beautiful facility with coach and the players watching, you know, watching Dylan Brooks and Shea do their individual workouts and the staff and then other players doing individual workouts and therapy and then afternoon practice full court with the team. And it really was a fantastic experience. And so, you know, if you're a basketball junkie like me, it was, you know, pretty.

pretty much what heaven looks like. So it was awesome. Yeah, don't bury the lead. Did you get up and down? Oh, I got up and down. I was ready to go. I kept telling you know, I was going like, coach. You know, our, you know, our team Canada's coach just got the job with the Brooklyn Nets, right?

So. And I kept saying, coach, I'm ready. I kept trying to sub into the drill. And he was like, no, no, no, dog. It's okay. You're okay. I can see Turk running up and down the sideline as they go back and forth. I kept trying to get.

I had the fake shorts on. I was like one of those guys you see trying to run out of the soccer field in the World Cup. I was that guy. It was like, security. And I'm like, you guys are only shooting 54% from three. I got that. Let's go. Let me in, man.

Let me in. But they were good sports about it, though. There was a lot of that kind of quad and I want to be trash talking. But every single one of us alumni know, like, these guys are legit. These are the real deal. These players are elite. And in the players in particular, Shay Gilgerson, particular, Jamal, Dylan Brooks, the guy that spoke,

guys that spoke with me personally, were all really gracious and awesome human beings. It was a lot of fun. Turk, it's got to be just emotionally wrecking to see what Canada basketball has become, right? That, I mean, you're a pioneer, you're officially the old head in this thing now. And, right, but to watch who, like these great Canadian basketball players stand on the shoulders of Dave Turcott. and the work that you and Leo Routin's and company, you know, Danny T. Maher, what you guys have done,

it doesn't happen the way it's happening now if you're not there to leave the way. Well, I appreciate you saying that, and there's a lot of great other players that no one's ever heard of that are a big part of that too, bigger, much more significant players than me. I mean, Steve, I think Steve Nash is the most influential Canadian, more than any other player, more than Vince Carter,

more than the Raptors. I mean, like Steve really was the first one to pave the way for Canadians to realize. And really, like, there's a path forward. And more importantly, and this is the more important thing for Canadian basketball players, was after Steve Nash, all these assistant coaches around the country that wanted to be second assistant being promoted to first assistant, realized, hey, there's Canadians that can ball and I can find some talent. So in my era, it was, who's this Canadian that's coming here to show up, my McDonald's All-American or my all-state player,

that's the guy that I recruited. And now Steve turned it on his head and really open the floodgates for coaches recruiting and finding talent and giving Canadians opportunities to play. And then people realizing, holy crap, you know, because you can think about it, after Steve, it was like there were no Canadians. Then there's Steve Nash when he comes out in the draft. And then all of a sudden, 2010 and beyond, there's Canadians in the lottery for the NBA, like almost every single year.

And not just like, like, you know, Anthony Bennett, number one, Andrew Wiggins, number one, you know, and then a lot of other picks. And so it's really been, it's been a great process, honored to be a part of it, honored to represent my country for 12 years on the national team. And it was the greatest sports joy of my life in terms of my life as an athlete. And it really is. It is so fun, DP, to see how it's evolving now to where Canadians realize. you know, like I told you, I think one of the other shows, basketball is now more than hockey, the number one participation of sport in Canada.

So watch out. You know, we got 40 million people up there, and there's 10 million of them trying to ball out every single day. So we're going to bring some players. What you just said is kind of rattling, that it's a basketball country now, right? That Canada has done the thing, right? That this is where this is,

and reaching higher levels of success that if some of the greatest players in the world are Canadian basketball players, that's a different conversation than we've ever had in the history of basketball. It's crazy. Like, for example, even before maybe our conversations, not a lot of people knew

Shea Gilgis Alexander MVP can that he's Canadian. Oh, Lugent's Dort on his team. You know, our kind of, the Canadian version of Drew Holiday, both and I by the way that was one of my favorite conversations with Lugut's doorts I said you're that guy man when you walk on the court and you see like oh no not that mother effort guarding me this is going to be a long painful day you know but you see all these great kids and players where people don't even know they're Canadian because what happens is you do your high school thing you establish yourself as an elite player you do that one year Mount

Vernon wherever to get scouted and the next thing you know like Jamal Murray all these guys hey, one year at Kentucky, one and done, or you know, you get to the American thing, and then you're funneled right up to the NBA like most of these young kids are now. So the pipeline's been built, and that's a beautiful thing. And I'm just so happy for these kids and the kids that follow that they're getting great opportunities to go out there and represent our country. There's nothing like it, DP, nothing like it. Well, I mean, to hear the excitement in your voice, and it's made me kind of poke around

and go down the rabbit hole of what the history was and who the, the players are that are on this year's roster. And, you know, the fact that, again, a reminder that for you to find Canadian Olympic team uniforms would be a difficult task to do and that this group will be actually celebrated. It will be a part, like a side note, this will be a feature and a thing that folks pay attention to. 100%. And I'll tell you something. And that's what, you know, Billy Winnington, who has more championships than I think any can. He's got three, right? Three championships with the Bulls played, of course, with the great Michael Jordan teams. And, you know, talking to Billy this weekend, you know, and here we are. And we're obviously friends and

brothers and all of us are, right? You go to an Olympics together. You're pretty much, it's a different experience. Not only is it that that whole marketing machine productization of the industry of basketball in Canada hasn't begun. It's about to begin. And it's beginning because of the power of the players, right? Like, what's a cooler jersey? I mean, you know, Shea, OKC, awesome. That's great. Have that. But if you're a Shay fan, you're going to want them both. Right. You're going to have the Shea Gilgis Canada. And I guarantee if you're an OKC fan, you'll wear that jersey while he's playing, you know, that'll be a fun thing. But, but even Billy said, like, you know, Billy Winnington, like I said, greatest championship team probably ever in that three-year span with the Bulls,

there's nothing like it. The Olympics is his own thing. It's the same reason Lino Messy, right? you know what? I'm out there. I'm retiring from Major League Soccer, but you know what, I'm going to play for Argentina if I can, right? And it is different. That's one thing I think where Canadians, you know, there's no such thing is, well, you know, I'll squeeze it in if I can. It's not, this isn't Summer League. This is like, you know, you can be a great player in a great city in an NBA city, right? And when you win for your city, it's like for Shea to win a champion for OKC, he'll be remembered by all of the basketball fans in OKC forever, right? You win a medal for Canada in basketball.

You will be remembered by every basketball fan, every hockey fan, every curling fan, every chess fan, every citizen, every kid, every parent, every politician, every citizen in the whole country. 40 million people will know who you are, know why you won, and will celebrate your achievement. So it's so much bigger than a sports specific achievement, right? And that's why I think for Billy and others that have gone, and for me, it was like when you're out there, it is so emotional because it's different. You know, you're not just playing to win your league. You know, you're winning to say for a four-year period, we're going to be the greatest team in the history of the game. And our country flag is going to, that anthem's going to play. And that's a huge thing.

That there's nothing like that moment in the world. And I'm really excited for these kids to experience men and women. And we've got great women, too, as you know. But it's a phenomenal experience. We're talking to Dave Turk. I will throw a break when we come back. We'll get a little bit into the free agency and what's happened. But Turk, I'll say this so you understand.

I am your size and Harrison is a large. We would rock the Canadian basketball game. I'm going to put that out to Michael Bartlett right now, CEO Basketball Canada. Hook up some swag for my boys. That's it, man. We look good in red. Deep Turkot one-on-one. You're listening to One-on-One with DP,

sponsored by Mary Ellen's Food for the Soul, on 93-7 The Ticket and the Ticketfm.com. With Dave Turcott here on one-on-one, Turk, it's been a busy week in the league, bodies moving, talent moving. This is always the time of year where the league transitioned. And it seems like the really, Redirect is a statement of one who teams think they are, two, who players think they are.

And then three, what fans realize they are. Because if you're not making moves, your fans get upset. So the biggest move of free agency so far, in my mind, is the breaking up of the big three of Golden State. In your mind, what's the biggest free agent move so far in the league? Well, I agree. I am an enormous Clay fan. And, you know, I still say to this day, Clay Thompson had the highest basketball IQ game ever played in the history of the NBA.

43 points, six dribbles. Now, if you're a point guard or you're another team with a big two that needs a big three, that's like the best third score in the world, a guy that scores that many points and can light it up without having to have the ball, Right now, let's be clear. Clay is not Clay of six years ago. He, you know, he's had injuries. He's getting older. But I'll tell you what, for a guy with a quick catch and shoot release that can still hit a high performing, you know, with high percentage shot, that's got, that's no longer a primary score. So if you, you know, I'd love for him to come to Utah, play with Laurie Marketing him, for example, right? To have, can you imagine what it would be like to be your Clay Thompson's, your third option sitting there in the corner? Just, you know, just. waiting for that quick kickout, you know, and if you remember back in our days and we were going to get titles, I would take Clay now versus a Jeff Hornacek for Utah. Remember when they were doing their champion run with Stockton and the Malone? So Clay is, I think, at a higher level there.

He wouldn't come here, of course. But, but I, so I think that's a big one. And I think that for Golden State, and I know I'm pretty confident that they want to trade Andrew Wiggins as well. So Golden State is making moves. You know, and for the record, that's, you know, we, Wiggins was being held out of camp at Canada. Zach Edy was told also that he couldn't come play. We wanted him to play. We needed the size. And teams are making moves and getting ready for their rosters for next year.

And it's, it's reflecting our team in Canada. But, yeah, that's the big one. I'm curious, you know, Paul George, what's happening there? That's a big one. Yeah. I mean, but, I mean, I love what Dallas is looking at. Like, man, Clay on Dallas? Paul George Dallas, you know, any one of those two with the Lakers, I mean, the whole dynamic of the league changes with any one of those teams get that third guy.

Because I think, like, look at the Lakers with LeBron and AD because they don't have that third great outside threat, you know, or that dominant inside real player because AD is kind of a four and a half, not a five, right? but he's more of a three and a half four as opposed to the other. I think he'd rather be mid-range jumper. He'd rather compete with Kauai Leonard than Joel M.B., right? So, anyway, but I think it's going to be an exciting fun summer of trades. And I think, you know, I think what we see at the Olympies is going to impact that, too. Turk, it just struck me. I will be in Salt Lake City on Monday for the NBA.

There you go. I was just thinking about that. I was like, no, bro, I'll get to see you next week. Hang out next week and talk some more. Yes, that was the view to out. I was like, wait a minute, that's actually going to be a thing. Because the Summer League, especially the old Rocky Mountain Review, was Trade Central.

It's where deals got done. People would go, they'd go have a cocktail. They'd sit and decide or you'd go to the back room at Salt Lake Community College, and they were always executives back there talking. The Paul George thing to fill. Really? Does that give them the three that makes Boston worry just a little? You know, if I thought Joel N. B. had any heart and courage at all, I'd say, yeah. Because no matter what, like, I'll give you a scenario for last year.

Last year's series with Joel M. B., if they lose, but he gets 45 and 18 in the fourth quarter and just misses Elassie. second shot to lose the game or plays great and just absolutely, you know, injured or not, just lays it all out there. But he mailed it in. And because of that, the problem with having someone like Joel NB, who is a supermax player that's a franchise player, that's an MVP candidate every single year, not be able to be a fourth quarter leader, means that there will be points in time in every single game in a seven game series where he's going to hold. At least that's what he's done so far. Okay. That doesn't mean play great. Like it's not like there are times when you're playing as hard as you can play and you're giving it all and you're laying it out there. And I would,

I would go back like back in the days of OKC when it was Westbrook Harden when they were young and they were laying it out there and you just rooted for those guys because they were playing so hard and trying to do so much to get a championship, right? But I don't feel that with Embed. So that's why I don't trust Philadelphia. I don't trust Embed. If he's the third leg on that three-legged stool, you're going to have a wobbly leg there. And I don't think you can go all the way without having three reliable guys that can drop numbers for you at any given time.

If I said to you that my greatest concern for Clay Thompson in Dallas is maybe the lack of coachability or leadability by the two guys that are going to have the ball in the fourth quarter for Dallas, that are they going to be willing to let Clay be willing to let Clay be Clay when they need him in critical moments.

Well, so here's what I will tell you about that. If you watch video, when any of you or your listeners are bored and you want to watch old videos of Luca Donzik when he's 16 years old balling out in Europe before he was drafted, I think Luca takes a lot of shots because it's easy for him to score and control a game. But I'll guarantee you, he would have loved to have someone like Clay that that ball goes out and it's a quick trigger. you watch. I just think that you put arsenals around someone like Luca. And this is,

the criticism of Luca in particular, even more than Kyrie, that Luca is so ball dominant, kind of like Hardin, right? So ball dominant that there's no flow and it doesn't happen. But Luca makes those passes where you've got to be ready and that ball will come out. And I think that having just lost and suffered through the pain of losing now, shocking everyone to get to the finals, but then quite frankly getting obliterated in the finals, knowing, like he just learned that lesson. There is no way. I'm getting a ring on my own. No way. Kyrie, during our last show that you and I worked together, we talked about that. He kind of elevated his status again, I think, as a player. He showed that he was unselfish. And I think the more

important thing is how they develop that flow, right? They don't need Clay to score 25 every single night. They do need him to get between 16 and 21. But they need him to get like higher percentage shots, nice clean looks. Like if you're getting clay, clean looks on the left side of the court, winger corner, right side of the court in the corner, it's lights out. And if you think of where Kyrie likes to play, they both drive right-handed to the middle. That ball's going to kick to right where Kay is going to want to hang out. And because now when you think about Garland, it's not Garland, it's lively and help me, DP. Who's the other big that Dallas picked up? Real athletic, jump out of the gym. Two great kids. Gafforders, yeah. That's right. Gafford.

Thank you for that. So now, think about that play now. You've got Clay in a corner or a wing. You're driving, pick, and roll. Here comes Gafford going to the ring. Who do you guard if you even blink? So I think that in the end, all those guys like to play. Like, I don't think Luke is a selfish player.

I don't think Kyrie's a selfish player. I think both of them have that natural star tendency to think, I'm just the best shot my team's going to get. But you put a multi-championship, Clay is going to walk in, there day one and there'll be rings on his fingers. He's the only one in that locker room other than Kyrie. They can say, I was a major part of a championship dynasty. I didn't just win one. I have a dynasty. He'll have the kind of respect in any locker room Clay Thompson goes to. They will love the fact that he's there and he will bring the cachet of a dynastic champion.

And I think he'll be great on either wherever he winds up. It's going to be an interesting summer. I got to tell you. All right, Turk, that'll be it for tonight. But I will see you next week, my friend. you better believe it. Happy, enjoy the holiday, everybody. Yeah, you know what we can do? We might be able to do a show together next week. How about that?

How about that? That would be great. All right, Turk. Take it easy until I see you, brother. Thanks, everybody. You too. That'll be it for one-on-one. The Don't Pot Hour.

Coming up next, DeMorne, Pearson, now here on 93-7, the ticket.