1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Evric Gray (former UNLV basketball player): April 29th, 10am

Episode Date: April 29, 2022

Evric and Erick Strickland talk about being great athletes and loving baseballNBA Playoffs, which matchup is the most interesting?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's time to go one-on-one with D.P. Coming at you live from the couple Chevrolet GMC Studios. Here is your host, Derek Pearson, presented by Beatrice Bakery on 93-7-the-ticket and the ticketfm.com. Yeah, it's Friday. Lots going on, NBA playoffs, NFL draft day two coming up. Weather's not participate. There should have been some Husker baseball series here.

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Sartor-Hamination hotline 402, 464, 560s. 6-8-5 if you want to join in and on the Honda-Lincoln hotline. We have a dude. Rico, as we prepare ourselves for this hour of radio, let's hit this man's music. Here's a guy that gives them more depth at UNLV, Everett Gray. He brings nine points off the bench for Coach Tarkhanian.

In less than 20 minutes of playing a game. Here he'll have a chance. Oh, as he goes up for the bench. the dunk, Miller takes a piece of the arm. Two, two on Miller now. Team foul number five. Here's another basketball player with a baseball background. He was a third round pick of the Astros,

and 87 was Everett Gray. Let's bring him in, former running rebel, and I love the fact that we get to have the conversation today. Eric Strickland in studio, Eric Gray on the phone line, And as Nancy just pointed out, you got a dude that had the baseball background, a high-level basketball background, was an all-state wide receiver. There are very few three-sport elite dudes, and I got two of them at the same time. Ever Gray, how are you doing, brother?

I am good. What's up, Strick? What's going on? Always a pleasure, my friend. Yeah, it's funny, right? So through all this time, there aren't many. any of you. You guys are unicorns. I mean,

the thing I really, it's trick, I don't know about baseball. I wish it was more about playing baseball. And I don't know where it went left with baseball. Go ahead, go ahead, finish that, finish that, finish that. Yeah, my first sport was baseball. Because I was a

strict, I didn't, I went from 5-7 to 6'5 in one summer, so I was looking for something else to do. I wasn't going to a basketball player because I was a little dude. So baseball was my first sport. And I grew those engines over one summer and then, you know, I had to do other sports. But I'm really disappointed in an African-American baseball player.

I wish it was more. I mean, I wish it was more playing. Yeah, I ever, I think, I think sometimes it's, it becomes a, the stigma of, of the way it's been presented in in media it doesn't come across as glamorous so to speak it doesn't come across as you know sexy so to speak so so a lot of us don't really get involved and and it's sad and then in the inner cities you know there's there's really hasn't been a lot of quality type of programs or even fields right i mean there a lot of them are playing. I mean, just imagine like in the inner cities of some of those places that are not

well kept. And then, you know, they have gopher holes in them and you're in the outfield. You're trying to feel. I mean, I personally would look at that as a situation that makes you better, right? You've got all these tricky hops. You would become so good at fielding the ball, both in the infield and the outfield that it becomes easy when you get on the surfaces that you're going to be able to play on at other levels, right? That's the way in my mind thinks. But yeah, you're right. I just think it wasn't sexy, but go ahead.

No, it was, I was a little spoiled. I mean, I had, we was an inner city team, but we had nice fields. I actually had to, I can admit that. Our fields were pretty nice, Tric. And growing up, they put some time and effort into our fields and our facilities where I grew up in, in Central LA. That's blessed. There was a lot of kids, a lot of kids playing baseball back there.

And then when you, I remember this one, I'm like, dude, one year they made it a team that was blue. I'm like, you guys know where we live at. You know, we can't wear a blue uniform. Right, right. I grew up in the blood neighborhood, so we was like, oh, we ain't going to be, we're not going to be that. Make us the A, you know, something really, you know. Yeah, off color, right. you know, right.

So, but, you know, I just, I miss baseball. I mean, I get it as a little expensive, but it's not as, you know, not expensive in, say, hockey or something like that, but I really wish more of us will play baseball, because it's a great sport. I know. I agree. The other thing, strict, the other thing, too, professionally, too,

baseball, you got to go to minor leagues and work three way up. NBA, you, you know, football is pretty easy. NBA, if you don't make it, you in a G&G, league and you can either get a call up or whatever like that. Much easier get to the bag than baseball. Facts. And one of the other parts of it, too, man, is for me is that I personally think that baseball is one of the most skilled sports.

And here's why. You remember that back in those days, man, we used to literally play with a, whatever ball we could, rocks. We play with rocks. rocks and sticks and or tennis balls and little little pieces of wood. You know, whatever, we didn't have bats and stuff like that. So we would get out in the neighborhood and the little, little cul-de-sacs, and we would get after it all day.

And so you're right. I mean, baseball was the sport of fun. I think I loved it, but it just for the way that I've been seeing it and what I've been hearing is, like you said, I mean, like you were saying, it's the root. the root is a grind. And when you start hearing about it in the media and the perception of it, you become like it's the beer drinker, fat stomach, it's not sexy. You know, it's the beer drinking sport where the fat boy can play.

And, you know, you want to be the sexy one that the honeies are looking at. You want to be able to do that. And I think that's a misconception personally because I think baseball makes the biggest bag long term all the way around. Oh, for sure. Oh, for sure. They make a lot of money. They play more games, but they make a lot of money, and it's guaranteed. You know, their money is guaranteed, too.

So hopefully we can get more participation from African Americans to play baseball because I really like watching baseball. D.P., I was down in San Diego. One caught a game against Atlanta last week, two weeks ago. I'm sorry, with my daughter. It was great to spend some time with her just watch a baseball game. and it was a and they and in alana have some some color on their team and it was cool to see that too so hopefully they can bring it hopefully we can get some more kids participating

ev i want to ask as we as we get into the NBA playoffs in depth when now the matchups really start to look interesting and to do this thing people want to talk about the state of the NBA where the NBA is the game softer is the game more skilled is the game easier to watch, more difficult to watch. You and Strick both played in an era where the grind was real, right? The level of players, like when you played with Jordan, played against him, Strict played against him. What's the state of the game to you?

I'll ask you two old heads. Is the game more skilled? Is it softer, faster, faster, stronger? What is it? Strict. I don't know, Strick. I think you got a chuckle out. this when the playoffs all in a sudden the league let them play a little bit.

Ah, you hit it. You hit it right on the head. And KD. did not like that. Facts. He didn't like that. Now, some of the old heads talk about how soft it is, but the NBA let them play a little bit, and Katie did not like it.

And it was the physical part of it. He did not like, and that's why he struggled. He couldn't move like he normally do. So I was all for it. I was like, who? And, you know, and, and Strick, you know, whenever you do a Scott Foster game, he's the worst referee ever.

Oh, my gosh. And I swear, I swear he got negative pictures of whoever in India, because he was part of that 10-Den-he thing. Right. He was part of it. But he kept his job. How?

But the football, I have no clue. I will like to find out because the era I was coming, I was doing my 10 days, and during that time, Strict, they were in the CBAs and going up and down as referee, so I used to travel with these dudes. Monty McCutcheon, you know, Scott Fasher, Ed Maloy, all those guys.

And it's weird. Whenever I see a Scott Forcer again, it's going to be some, I can't talk. Some messing it. It's going to be some stuff. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, bad call, a phantom reach or something like that. Yeah, facts.

Right, but they let them play. They were a little physical. Katie didn't like being played physical. and, you know, Boston was really, they got sides because, you know, Katie and Jason Tatum and the Brown kid all the same size. But they was into him, made him uncomfortable, and I kind of like it. They changed it a little bit. Is it more skilled D.P.?

Yes, it's more skilled now, but if you're allowed to be a little bit physical, I like it. I like it a lot when they're being physical. Then you guys, you got to plan B. Some of these guys don't have plan B, because there used to be moving with, like, space and pace, and knowing and touching them, and it was kind of refreshing. And I actually watched the first round strict because they let them be physical. Me too.

Me too. I think what you're saying is hit it right on the nail head as to the way that it's even kind of sparked my interest again. But I will say that, yes, I think what you're saying, space and pace has made it more skillful because you're able to play a lot more. It provides for guys like James Harden to do all of that Pat Pat Pat Pat and all that stuff. But I'm up in you. You're not Pat Patton.

You either got to be downhill, one or two move in and out at the basket because there's someone coming. And they're not coming to do just to block your shot. They come in, if they block it, they come in to take your head off too. So you don't got time to be trying to figure. out all the stuff you're going to do, you got to figure out who's coming, where they coming from, where the next play is, is it to go up? Do I need to lean into this one to create a good body contact to get balanced so that I don't fall into the stanchion somewhere? Or do I need to make

that pass out to the wing or to the corner based on where the rotation man's coming from? So we're more cerebral, I think, and we have more, I think, more fundamentally sound principle to the way that we played. Because we didn't feel we had to do all of that. It's one, two moves. We didn't have to dribble 20 times to get where we needed to get to. I'm saying two moves to here. I'm in mid-range. If you don't get here to challenge me, I'm with a hezzi and I'm by you classic.

That's kind of the way my thoughts was, right? And now they're doing all these extra other stuff. stuff. So that's what it changed it for me. Well, the thing is that some of these guys had to adjust to the referee too, and they had no clue. I mean, like those Boston guys, man, I like Boston Strict because they got a bunch of two-way guys. And, you know, and Strict, you always got to have one crazy dude on the team.

Every team that starts winning, they got a crazy dude. So Markets Mark is my guy. I love Markets Mark and my guy. Yeah, me too. My guy is a two-way kid. Jason Tatum. And the thing is that Boston just drafted the right dude. dudes, and M.A. is doing a great job.

He out-coached. Majorly. Majorly. Major. Steve Nash. No adjustments. Steve Nash, he totally out-coached him. Totally.

And it was sad, but hopefully Steve learned from that. Hopefully he'll get better from that. But I like it. I like the Memphis and Minnesota series, because my boy, Pat Deb, you never know what he's going to do. He's hilarious, but he's hilarious. but he'll be seen these one crazy guy. And I like that when it goes seven.

That's what Strick just said. I like that one. Yep. Yeah, Strick was all over that one. I'll ask, of this next group of series that are in play. Phoenix, Dallas, Miami, Philly, Milwaukee, Boston, and then Golden State, and whoever. Which one jumps out at you is the most interesting?

I like the Milwaukee Boston one. that's the one I'm not going to miss the game, you know, and just the matchups and see how the adjustments, you know, just like when we just talked about, Steve didn't make any adjustment strict, right? He just was like, all right, you know what you're doing. We've got the better player. And it doesn't work that way in the playoffs. Every possession is tough.

Yeah. You've got to pay attention to every possession. So this next series with Boston and Milwaukee, that's the one I'm looking for, D.P., the matchups, and they're going to put. paid him on. They're going to put brown on them or maybe Horford on him. The thing is that the kid that was hurt. Williams is that his last thing? I think he's going to guard

Janice a little bit, too. They go through a bunch of bodies at Yonis. I'm not having Chris Middleton hurt with his side. He's going to hurt a little bit. But it's going to be, I think it's going to go six and seven strike. It's going to be a great series. Markets Mark might get into it with Holiday. And I love Holiday, too. You're the L.A. kid. And people don't realize.

always said as D.P. He's Bob 6, 5, 6.6. Yeah. He's a hard one to three. Yeah. He's a top defender too. So, and, you know, and the crazy uncle at the barbecue,

if he plays well, Bobby Porton, he's another crazy. And if he comes down and making three and spreading the floor, there'll be an interesting series for Boston, but I can't wait for that series. Stric, which one intrigues you the most between those? Miami Phil.

Milwaukee, Boston, Phoenix, Dallas. We're cut from the same cloth. I mean, that's the one too for me. Boston was the most intriguing. And it reminded me, it was very reminiscent of the team that we had back when it was me, Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker, Eric, Eric Williams, Vitali Potapenko, Tony Batee. And so, like, Tony Bette, to me, was like Tice. or even Williams Jr.

or Williams III. He was like that. Shoot, Eric Williams was like the guy, the roughneck guy that, you know, hey, you mess with him, it's on and popping. I'm like Marcus Smart. Antoine and Paul was like, you know, Brown and, but listen, we got in your jock strap.

Like, we, look, everybody picked us to be last in the division that year, and we got in you, and we ended up with a second best record in the year. He's third, well, third as far as the seating. But that's the toughness and the grit and the roughness. My problem was I was worried that they wouldn't be able to keep them together, Brown and Tatum, that they wouldn't understand and learn how to work off of each other, that there would be that new wave mentality that some of these young guys have.

I'm the OG, I'm the guy, you know, type of thing. And being the same age that they wouldn't be able to. to work that out. They figured it out. And now I think they're tough. I think that's the series I'm most intrigued with. Reason being also because I hate that Millington went down. I think Milwaukee had an opportunity if Middleton, Middleton didn't go down.

With that, I think that poses a major problem. Interesting to see how far Booker can last in the other series. That'd be my, you know, one B. And Lucas playing at a different level. Lucas, Lucas, next leg, and Jalen Brunson is in his bag. He's chasing his money right now. You got it. You already got it.

Oh, shoot. Yo, I'm loving everything about the young fella. Lefty getting busy, getting money. And they got so much balance. And I think that Dunwitty pick up was huge for them. Can anybody in the West beat Golden State playing at the level that play? I don't know. that right now.

Go to state look good, bro. I look good. I mean, and Devin, if Devin is somewhat close to 100, I mean, I know he played last night where I was very surprised. By him, by him plan, I think it gave him a couple more days

strict to left a tammie. But that's the only one that can probably beat them is Phoenix, but they're 100%. And we all know that Chris is one push-off with his hamstring. He always has issues with his hamstring. And I'm not wishing.

that on that, but it is the track record. It is what it is. If he stays healthy, they stay healthy. That Easton, I mean, that Western Conference finals is going to be great. It's going to be a great matchup. And I think that if Devin is close to 100, they have a shot. This is why I wanted you two over here to get it because if basketball talk for me, you guys think about it, you process it differently than most of it. It's crazy. I'm telling you mean, ever cut from the same cloth, because that is the same thing

said on the block last night, I said the reason being that I love what Devin Booker is doing is because he's saying, I'm going to change the way that they're going to have to play us. They're going to have to make an adjustment. With me playing, they're going to have to make an adjustment. Even though he may not be able to give him what Devin Booker give him, he still gave him what, five for 12? Solid just hit a couple big shots, didn't have to handle it as much as he normally does off those, you know, them, them dribble handoff situations, DHPs.

So, so for me, he had the biggest sack, meaning when you look at Zion Williamson, and you look at, what's the other cat that didn't play? Oh, Ben Simmons, you look at those cats, softest cotton nail to me. Because, because he looked at this situation and said, my team needs me. He's sitting there watching. My team needs me. This can't go seven, you know, because then it's trouble, it's pressure. So let me go out here and give them something right now.

Give us the rest we need. It'll get about three, four days. That'll give me some more time. And then, boom, we might be able to do something. That's the same thing I just said, bro. So that's why I know we cut from the same clock. The other thing, too, D.P. Strict, the other thing, the matchup was going to say,

with Phoenix, it's tough for Steph Curry. Now, Steph's going to have to guard somebody. Facts. So now, because of Devin's back, that means Clay is usually a little protector when it comes to that. And now I know it's Jordan Polo plays a little bit, but he's not ready for what he about to see in the playoffs to go to the finals. So that means Steph might have to guard.

Steph might have to guard Chris Paul. That means somebody who has to guard Markell Bridges, the Bridges kid, or, what's that, Bridges. and that means you can't hide Steph, Seth, I think he's going to be an issue for that going forward but it's going to be, I want to see step guard another really good player

instead of hiding him all the time and that's the matchup problems that Motus thing will have. And, you know, Dremont tried to guard yoga, but he still average 30. He had 32 and 16 and, you know, and if

if they hit any shots, Everett, If they hit any shots, they win that game, bro. Yeah, and, you know, I don't think he can guard Aiden because Aiden's even bigger than Yokic, and he's going to, they're going to go old school and throw that ball right inside. They're going to throw some pick and roll and put Dreymont in a bad situation, and Chris is going to throw the ball up to Aden.

It's going to be a bunch of dunks. But I would like to see that match up because I want to see stuff like defense. Yeah, it's going to be good stuff. Listen, Ev, go do what you do, man. I appreciate you, Strick. I know you got somewhere to be. need to get you in that spot that you need to get to. So we will throw the break here.

I appreciate the two old school heads here on one-on-one. We'll be right back. Download your app by searching 93.7, the ticket in your app store. You're listening to one-on-one with DP on 937 the ticket and the ticketfm.com.