Gil's Arena - The Thunder's DOMINANT Game 2 Win DERAILS Gil's Arena!!

Episode Date: June 9, 2025

Gil's Arena Breaks Down Games 1 & 2 Of The NBA Finals as Gilbert Arenas & The Gil's Arena Crew return to the Arena & recap an exciting weekend of NBA Finals action. They kick things off by celebrating Tyrese Haliburton's insane buzzer beater in Game 1 that sparked a viral moment with Gil switching teams mid-shot and debate if the Indiana Pacers deserved to win that game after the Thunder choked away a late game lead. They follow up that discussion with a break down of Game 2 where Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Alex Caruso & The Thunder dominated and showed the NBA world this is the team they should expect throughout the rest of the Finals. The Gil's Arena Crew also gives their biggest takeaways on the series so far and discuss what the Pacers need to do to stay in this series as Pascal Siakam should look to take over. Finally, they give their reaction to the NBA's blunder with leaving the Larry O'Brien off the court in this NBA Finals and debate if the league needs to do more to market their championship. Next, they move away from the NBA Finals to examine action going on across the league like Victor Wembanyama using an unconventional training method this summer by studying with Shaolin Monks to focus on his mind and body. Finally, they react to LeBron James' comments over his lack of bag on the Mind The Game Podcast and give their thoughts on a turbulent season ahead for the Phoenix Suns as they hired Jordan Ott as their next head coach. Please give us a like and subscribe!!! Gil's Arena Crew - Gilbert Arenas, Josiah Johnson, Sheryl Swoopes, Brandon Jennings & Kenyon Martin Sign up for Underdog Fantasy HERE with promo code GIL and get up to $1000 in Bonus Credits and A FREE Pick: https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-gi... Right now https://Blinds.com is giving our listeners an exclusive $50 off when you spend $500 or more. Just use code ARENA at checkout. Limited time offer. Rules and restrictions apply. Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/jkz7rlm8 #CashAppPod *Referral Reward Disclaimer: As a Cash App partner, we may earn a commission when you sign up for a Cash App account. Use our code for 10% off your next SeatGeek order https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/ARENA10 Sponsored by SeatGeek. Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount Join the Playback chat to interact with Gil and Josiah https://www.playback.tv/gilbertarenas SUBSCRIBE:    / @gilsarena   Join the Underdog discord for access to exclusive giveaways and promos!   / discord   0:00:00 2 Min Countdown 0:01:58 Show Start 0:04:55 Coco Gauff's Upset At The French Open 0:08:18 Wemby Training With Shaolin Monks 0:30:36 LeBron Reacts To Having No Bag 0:49:13 NBA Finals Game 1 Reaction 1:07:09 Thunder Dominate Game 2 1:58:57 Should Haliburton Be More Aggressive? 2:04:42 The NBA Finals Court SUCKS!! 2:10:59 Happy Birthday Allen Iverson!! 2:27:02 MostlyFans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Gills Arena presenting my underdog. Whoa, whoa! Whoa, whoa! That was a spirited one. Another glorious day here in the arena. What's up? How everybody feeling? Monday.

Streaming all weekend. No days off. All right. Paintballing. Ouch. Taking shots off the back. Ouch. No ditty. No ditty. Take your shots off the back.

No diddy. But this is Gills Arena presented by Underdog. As always we got the legend Gilbert Arenas here with us. We got the distinguished gentleman from Oak Cliff, former number one pick Kenya Martin back in the arena with us. number one pick Kenya Martin. And represented tough crowd tough crowd University and the gills Arena group chat. We got Mr. B Brandogenic here with us.

This I see in the group chat. So so y'all so you really like came on his turf and had a paintball fight with him. Paintball gunfight like y'all really let on his turf. Yeah, we didn't know that was part of the game. We just found out after we... So they let you see that, see... So like...

I'm glad y'all invited me, because y'all would have told me where it was. I'd be like, I'm not fucking playing at his house. That's a fucking advantage. Yeah, like we didn't even know. They just was like, yo, we gonna play Call of Duty and then whoever loses got to go upstairs and good luck. Whoever loses got to go upstairs and good luck. Yeah, yo, we gonna play Call of Duty, and then whoever loses gotta go upstairs, and good luck, so. Whoever loses gotta go upstairs, and good luck.

Yeah, nah, we not. Nobody told him ass up, face down. I don't know where you at. I don't know. He has an advantage. He knew where he was going from the beginning. Before y'all said he knew where he was gonna be hiding, but that's like somebody coming to my house, Right, right. Like somebody breaking your house.

You know where to go, where you going. No, not a chance, no. Not on his own turf. Caroline like, all right, yeah. Three, two, go. Last but not least on this couch, a woman who needs no introduction, four time WNBA champion of the world.

We're representing Tough Crowd as well. We got Cheryl Swoop back in the arena. Swoop Swoop. Swoop Swoop. Swoop Swoop. Swoop Swoop. Oh, see. I just came up with it on the spot.

You like that? That's good. We have to do that every time. How you doing Cheryl? You're welcome. How am I doing? I'm wonderful. Do you want to know why?

Why are you wonderful? Because I'm back here. Oh, we'll see. In Cocoa Golf One. Ready to get in trouble, huh? Always. I know when I come on this show, I know what it means. There's going to be some spirited basketball discussion,

elevated. No, in Cocoa Golf One. Okay. She did. What about her opponent? Dry hating. She didn't beat me. I beat myself. Cool. 72 errors. Cool. We'll play better then. Cool. It all goes down the same way. Just take the L. Right? Unforce, force, whatever you decide, whatever you want to say it happened, right? Guess

what? It don't change that L. So, cool. You are still a loser. Cool. Take that L. Right? Yeah, that was disappointing. Just take it. That's all? Yeah. So she didn't force her to make those errors? No, some of them would be unforced. No, you know, if you watch certain matches, some of them

would be really unforced. Like you just hit the ball into the net. Yeah. So what is she saying? She's trash? No, she's not saying that, but she just... She had some unforced errors. I get it. I'm just saying, but I've watched. She's really good.

What is unforced? Like when you use, it's just saying, but I've watched, she was really good. What is unforced? Like when you, it's an easy shot, right? Like a double fault or something. That's an unforced error, I'm just saying. Or you trying to just simple. But she was like, it was Wendy. You hit the bitch into the net. I didn't make you run, so backhanded,

and no shit, like there was just a regular serve and violin, you didn't hit the bitch into the net. Like that's not good. So like fast, regular, but you missed the dunk. or you hit it out of bounds right you hit it long windy for you is windy for Coco too though so it's right anyway well congratulations absolutely I'm not making an excuse for I'm just saying that's what do what they try to that's what they are but now shut ass whoop hold that 72 of them so do better better. So, hmm. Shit.

She was ranked number one, wasn't she? I mean, was. Was. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Yeah, yeah. But for all the fans out there, we still got two viewing options for you. Our traditional version, mobile vertical version.

Pick whichever one you want to watch. Just make sure you support the show. Here's what's cracking in the arena today. The Thunder bounced back from Hallie and the Pacers home court theft in game one to even the series in game two. What adjustments does Indiana need to make to stay competitive in this series is one one. But it feels like the Thunder got all the momentum. But we're going back to Indy. We'll see what's cracking.

So LeBron addressed all the critics that say he has no bag. But is he spitting or tripping? And Allen Iverson celebrated his 50th birthday this weekend. So we got to give the answer his flowers. But before we get into all that, as always, the show is brought to you by underdog. Go ahead, download the Appu's promo code, Gil. Get up to $1,000 of bonus cash plus a special pick up. As for tonight, there is no finals game, but we got some WNBA action

and Gil has some picks up in his partner pack on the underdog app. Let's take a look if we can. You got Kelsey Plumb higher 2.5 three-pointers man easy. Dierica Hamby higher 14.5 points and Kayla Thornton higher 5.5 rebounds if you use this partner pack you can win nearly four times your bread. Cheryl how you feeling about Gil's partner pack? Easy? mmm yeah that's easy. Easy work. Thanks. Shout out to the Valkyries, they're looking real good out here.

Smack the A's, shout out to Natalie and Kassie, went to UCLA together. That's the homie. Yeah, they, ooh. Yeah. Yeah, they whooped them real good. Kayla Thornton may be like one of the most underrated players in the WNBA.

So, 5.5 rebounds, that's easy. Kelsey Plumb, that's easy. D'Erica should be easy, but let's see. That's the only one I got a small question mark beside. We asked the chat if they're riding or fading with your picks, Gil. 66% of the chat is riding with these picks. Yeah.

They believe in you. If you believe in Gil as well, go to Underdog. Use his partner pack. If you don't have Underdog, download that. Use promo code Gil. Get up to $1,000 of bonus cash plus a special pick them. And if you can't watch the show live with us on YouTube, we have audio versions available on Apple, Spotify, wherever

you get your podcast from. All right. So we're going to start this one with a little Wembee talk. Victor Wembeeyama was in the midst of winning Defensive Player of the Year, likely making an all-NBA team before his sophomore season was cut short by a blood clot in his shoulder. Wimby is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of next season, but the Spurs big man is spending a portion of his offseason getting his mind right by going on a quest for enlightenment. Let's

take a look. You see it, these images recently emerged of Wimby rocking a shave head while embarking on a 10 day Shaolin Temple retreat in Jiangsu, China. Retreat includes meditative silence, learning kung fu routines, practicing deep breathing exercises, and dining in silence. So 21 years old, Wimby has showed maturity

far beyond his age. And embrace being more than just a hooper. Dining in silence, don't say nothing. Godzilla! Godzilla! That's gonna always be... That's just gonna always... No, it's just gonna always be funny when there's a black man in China. It's just funny.

It's always gonna be funny when there's a black man in China. Just that tall, it just... You know, from when he was a little... So what do y'all think about Wimby spending his off-season training with Shaolin Monks? You rolling with it? Yeah, that's what he chose to do, man. If you feel he's making himself better mentally, physically, spiritually, then...

I don't know, Wimby. You can't question somebody that's doing something for themselves, right? Yeah. So shout out to him, man, for trying something different that he hasn't before, or I don't know if he has. We don't know, but cool. Would you do a 10-day retreat with Shaolin Lim Monks? Why not?

You would? Yeah, why not? Okay, I got great news for you, Kenya Underdog. Actually decided to shr front the bill. We're gonna send you to China. You will spend 10 days in meditative silence. You gotta run that up with the missus. Fuck what y'all signed me up for.

Y'all gotta talk to her. Wait, we are bringing her to? You gotta sign, you gotta talk to her. Y'all gotta spend 10 days in jail. You gotta explain that to the talk to her. Y'all gotta spend 10 days and tell her I can't say one word. You gotta explain that to the seven year old. Right, daddy going where and I can't talk to him, I can't see him FaceTime, no, we ain't even.

They say cash can come too. Okay, hold it. You can't talk. How long you think you'd be able to last in meditative silence? Who him? Oh, I thought he was doing it right now. Who him? Oh, y'all thought he was doing it right now. Who him?

Oh, that shit's impossible. Two, three, five minutes? Yes, two, three, five. I thought you were going to say two, three, five days. No, there's no Netflix, no nothing. Minute. Oh, I can't, I can't sit here. You can watch it.

You can't suddenly watch Netflix? You can watch it. I can sit there for hours and not say nothing. But I gotta do something. I just gotta have something to do. Don't put me in a hole. No, no, no, no, no. I don't wanna enter the dragon.

Wow. Sherry, what do you think about Wimby taking time in his off season, only 21 years old, obviously looking to bounce back from that season ending blood clotting in his shoulder, training with Shaolin monks in the heart of China. Big trouble in big China. I mean, you know, to each his own.

Why are you laughing? Do you think that would be something you would be able to do? No. It's okay. I like, I'm not knocking it, but it's, you know, it's not, it's not for me. I enjoy the quiet.

Like, I really, I, you know. I enjoy the quiet, but I don't have to do that to enjoy it. I understand, but could you? You don't think you could? No. A couple of days? A couple of days, yeah. What do you do? Just sit there? No, they pray and they say they...

Yeah, for a couple of days, yeah. Give you light. This is 10 days, you said? Somebody's talking, it ain't just... No. Oh. Are they talking to the confu? Oh, I mean, as mean, somebody's talking. It ain't just the confu. I mean, as long as there's movement. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All that.

Yeah. Yeah. All those moves. And then the voice comes in. And then the voice comes in. What are you doing? And the voice comes in and says, finish it. No, I couldn't.

That's all what I do. Do it, do it, the guts. But Mr. Bigs, in all sincerity, you see Wimby out here doing this. Wimby, a different type of dude, plays chess. I said his goal is to be the best human being possible. When you see him taking these steps, obviously, focus on the physical but also the mental side of the game. Yeah, and I think where the world is right now is social media.

I don't see nothing wrong with him taking some time off from the world just to get your mental right and get ready for the next season and things like that. So like Kenny said, I like it. It's about growth and it's about spiritually and things like that. So, real family, man, at 21. What does the thing of Aaron Rodgers just be a couple years

ago? At 21, that's what's impressive. Because he's young. Like the Hire a Walker joint? Yeah, that's what's impressive. Oh, he went to, oh no. Because he's young. Like the Hiawatha joint. Yeah, that's, yeah, that's, I know Sebastian probably would know, but yeah. Sebastian honestly would know.

No, I don't have to do it. But yeah, so. 21 years ago. Yeah, no, it's things of that nature, right? Sat in silence. Some people go hiking. Some people, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's to improve, you know, his

himself, the game, you know, his profession. Right, understanding discipline for the most part. Especially at that age, cause I know most of his peers, 98% of his peers, they not at the They look for the day parties. Yeah is they not at the Day party, yeah, they not at the temple, right? Oh, they had a temple Not that one this comes with them spending dollars Somewhere at the shake club, That's amazing discipline for that age. So, Kenny, like you mentioned, 2023 Aaron Rodgers went on a four-day, four-night darkness retreat.

Yeah, yeah, so much shit like that. There are people spending time in a dark, silent room with no light, sound, or distractions, allowing for self-reflection and contemplation. Yeah, that's what solitary confinement is in prison. Yeah, that is another way. That is another type of darkness. Yeah, and that seems solitary confinement is in prison. Yeah, another way. That is another type of darkened boundary. And that seems to go way left. Absolutely, every time.

Yeah. I'm going to be worse when you let me out. Right? Yeah, that would. I'd talk to some niggas that's been in there. Yeah. Yeah, they're going to be, I'm going to be worse when you let me out this bitch,

because you've been had me in here for three weeks. Yeah. Feed me through a slot like an animal. Yeah. All right, but let a slot like an animal. Yeah. All right, but let's shift this over to Spurs. Spurs have a solid core, Wimby De'Aaron Fox, Rick of the Year, Safon Castle, Devin Vassel to name a few along with the second and 14 picks in a loaded 2025 draft. There are reports they could be in

the market for another superstar with names like KD and Giannis being mentioned as potential options. The KD rumors are starting to pick up a lot of steam. But even without that, what's the spur ceiling with the healthy Wimby next season? Wimby in his third year, obviously second season cut short. Is Chris Paul a free agent? Yes.

I would like if without Chris Paul, it's still going with where it's going to be, but I would like Chris Paul another, like, because he's a facilitator, man, and it makes his job easier learning the game and being having somebody like that voice there. If you can add a Kevin Durant to that phrase, then having Chris Paul really doesn't matter. I'm just saying, man, you can get anybody to fill that role because you have that voice and that person there with KD. Nah, but Wimby is going to be him, man. He's a superstar in the making.

Everything is there lined up on the floor, off the floor. So fashion, from his game to to things he's doing now. Yeah. Spurs also have some wiggle room with the salary cap and they got like a hundred forty three million dollars committed. Damn. That's not but they got a lot to play with. They can go do whatever they want. I'm not saying me. For sure. They got a lot of capital to go play with. Were they in the playing game? No they weren't. They just missed it? No, they weren't. Not in the playoffs. They're not.

Like Ken said, they're healthy for sure. They're selling this high, playoffs for sure. You got a bunch of young talent in there. You know, if you can get KD, though, yeah. Yeah, Spurs were 34-48 last season, finished 13th in the West, but built upon the previous season. I think they won 22 games the year before. 34 and 48

Yeah, that's the only reason yeah, he missed a lot of time I Think they've been I mean they won 38 34 34 We feel like you get some was a 48 get some in a playing game So playing game all we would have needed was 39 wins. Mavs were 39 and 40. Another five wins. Another five wins. Yeah. They're getting there for sure. Yeah.

We feel like this is a playoff team. And they get a top three pick? Number two and number 14. Two and 14. Two and four, they can package that or keep it. Keep it, go get some pizza. So this is, like I said, another game. Next year, Deon Fox is going to be.

He has another year with him. They got another year to play together. I forgot. You know what? I take that back. They don't year with him. They got another year to play together. I forgot, you know what? I take that back. They don't eat Chris Paul. Okay. Sorry. Yeah, they got Castle and Fox. In all season. In all season. They got Wimby back healthy Harrison Barnes. What is this? Is he a free agent? Vasco. Cool. Devin Vassell. So theyll. So they got it. So the thing about it now, like I explained, in the draft now, the way the land,

the way NIL has laid the landscape of it out, you can go get a guy that's ready to play right now. You can go get you a 25-year-old, 24-year-old. Mm-mm. So you can. No, those are the ones that stand in college. But you know what I'm saying? It's something that's gonna be, can't stay no more. But that's what I'm saying.

You didn't tap that shit. No, this is last year. No, I think it already ended a year ago. We only had a 27 year old on our team. But that's on y'all team. But they've been, yeah. But all of them probably ain't tapped his eligibility yet.

There's some dudes that have been tapped the eligibility already. They're 27, they probably. They ain't got no more, that's what I'm saying. They ain't gonna get one of them have been paid for this eligibility yet, there's some dudes that have been tapped the eligibility already, they ain't got no more. That's what I'm saying. They gonna get one of them dudes that's ready to play right now. That's what like, we got a 27 year old.

Certain dudes gonna stay absolutely, but you gonna get somebody that's ready to play right now where you won't miss a beat. That's learn fast, able to pick up more different systems because he's been in fucking five different systems for the last five years. He didn't have to learn on the different coaches and he ready to play right now So or the beauty of being having the second and 14th pick or you can package the motherfuckers up But there's no I don't even know if there's any we go get your Kevin Durant

There's no juniors that's in the top what 20 right now in that pre-drive. Let me see the mock drafts Like they pick 89 no nobody them to pick 89 last year. Yeah, that's a lot of freshmen. Like a junior sitting back, because the junior can get 4 or 5 million now. I dig it. Some of them, not all of them. Yeah. Some of them. I've seen them play. Motherfuckers average is 8. I'm 3 million.

Niggas like, I'll take you over a freshman. Like, fuck. Good. They will take you over a freshman. That's a lot of money. That's why a lot of freshmen get the fuck out of college. They're like, man. 23, 23. Looking at CBS mock draft, the first junior or senior,

it's not like the 15th, 16th pick. Which is cool. Yeah. But they got 14. But yeah, they didn't get young, they didn't get a, with that 14 pick, yeah. Yeah, they can do both, or they can trade, or they can package them up and trade them

and go get you. They could be like Houston. They can be like Houston and make a big jump. Yeah, go get you an easy money sniper. But it all matters about. Or do you even need that superstar? Just some more savvy vets on that. To make the playoffs, I think just a healthy Wimby,

a healthy Wimby in his third year, I think they can make the playoffs. A healthy Wimby makes a big difference. Absolutely makes a big difference. They make the playoffs for sure. You got Kevin Durant, you got an efficient player like that to that frame where he doesn't, like so you can add him and it doesn't change

what you do off him. It doesn't affect the pieces around him because he's so efficient, right? So it's, you just add him and plug in place. Kevin Durant, healthy deer and fox. Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm saying. Yeah, to any So it's just add him and plug in place. He's like the perfect fit too. Anybody. Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm saying. Yeah, to any team.

To any team, he's the perfect. That's a scary squad. Yeah, like you know you're gonna get that 27. But KD? Yeah, he's the perfect any basketball team. Cause he's gonna go out there and go 11 for 15 and it's just. And it looked good too.

So like we mentioned, Wimby last season, front runner to win defensive player of the year before injury. Obviously has to hit that 65 game minimum to be eligible. We feel like if Wimby plays 65 or more games next season, he's a lock to win defensive player of the year. He was a lock to winning this year, right? OK.

But defense getting better, I guess. His defense is getting better. Because he's getting older. Now he out there learning some kung fu shit to all my So by you the game is so long It's gonna be a salon all the way down for him man cuz he's played a lot of basketball up at this point It's slowing down for him So he they've been doing it the right way and there's gonna put more on his plate offensively gonna put more on his Responsibility defensively so so I want to talk about, because we talk a lot about the game slowing down,

but for all of y'all. Take a moment, as a rookie, basketball players said he won as a rookie. That's how great his defense was for his peers. You'd be like, yeah, you won that one, dog. And then sophomore year, he's leading, so you already can tell just the defense aside, he's gonna be a monster.

Yeah, because he can get to his reaction time and he can get the shots that can't nobody get to. But their wingspan and his reaction time and understanding the game. So I just It's like me figuring college basketball out by my senior year, right? I come I wish motherfucker will come in there like anywhere now around this motherfucker like y'all looking for me Like people search so you when you get this in that this is the biggest thing

They searching for him because he's a problem out there man you get around that rim you looking for him he changes the way teams attack the rim the way the offensive play like he affects all of that because he's able to cover so much ground and he's so active so not yeah so something for all y'all on the couch can you talked about the game slowing down as the season go but what does that really mean for you? Just seeing things easier, understanding better, understanding how to kind of manipulate the game? All of that you said. All of that you said, dissecting the play before it happens.

Right? Knowing movements and certain actions and seeing it beforehand. And you disrupting it before it happens. And like getting the steal, like they trying to throw a flare. You were seeing a guy going to set the screen. Instead of you calling the flare out, you go for the steel. It's shit like that, right?

Where you start understanding guys' tendencies that you've played against multiple times. So it's that, like him playing against Joel and beat again. Like Joel won't, like, it's shit like that. Well, okay, he done his move, he gonna pump fake. I went for it last time. So I know now he's gonna move this way, I can cut him off and I can still get to his shot so it's little things

like that that you pick up along the way that slows down for you cuz you're working here you're doing headlights are you out there motherfucker you going for every pump thing you want to be you you gonna do you doing you jumping around your movements is all that so people take advantage of that so now that won't be a part of it so sure about And Sherri, how about yourself? When do you feel like the game slowed down for you? Was it college? Obviously, you were a little bit older when you got to WNBA,

but. I don't think it was college. I think for me, it probably was not at the end of my career, but halfway. And not just on the defensive end, to Kenyon's point, I think for me it was more offensively also. Because when you're a rookie and you're younger, like you just going.

You have no fear, you trying to get to the basket every opportunity. And for me when the game started slowing down, like even though my body was like, you can't do some of the things you used to do when you were younger, in my mind I was like, yeah, you can girl, just go try it.

But you understand that what you're able to do as you get older and the game starts slowing down, you have to be able to, you know, instead of attacking every time, you got to pull up jumpers and just your mentality, like your mindset is very different when the game slows down to you and you see it from a lot of God bless you,

you see it from a lot of different perspectives instead of just one, which is, I'm just trying to get to the basket and score every time. Nigga, how about yourself? Winning that game finally slowed down for you, felt like you were unstoppable. Probably 2000, probably 2006, seven. Like right before I was getting,

right before I got injured, I remember my high school coach hit me and said, it looks like you're starting to get bored out there and you're about to start doing some extra stuff on your shot. Right? You know, like you can tell like a player who's figured it out, right? Just the basics became so easy. They start doing pump fake, pump fake, pump fake, 360, wait to two people.

Like when they start doing that, they challenge themselves. I can score on you, but I'm gonna wait for the double to come, then I'm gonna do the same move. Right, so, you know, when you start watching, you know, when you get to a certain level, you done seen the same person 12 to 16 times. Right, so you start to understand the mannerisms. same person 12 to 16 times.

So you started to understand the manner in which you started looking at the, you know, the what's-her-name sheet, the scouting report. You don't know he likes to go left, he likes to go left. The first time you seen he likes to go left, you didn't understand it. He then blew past you, asked three games doing the same move. Then eventually start picking up on people's habits, understanding like, all right, I done seen this play a thousand times, right? They started off, they're going to fake throw it this way, and then they're coming back,

back door. So instead of you running with your man, you just stay right here. All right, I got that still. So you know, over time, understanding the game, understanding the nuances, understanding the refs, right? And understand how to adjust your game to how different refs ref. Instead of cussing their asses out each day,

because they don't fuck that they start understanding their pattern. OK, he like 80s basketball. He likes fast basketball. He likes fast pace. He likes close games. So you start understanding once you start understanding all of it. He doesn't like me. Yeah, he doesn't like me. He does not like me. No! Yeah.

So you don't get your emotions into the game because you understand all of the elements of you become a master of the game itself. So Wimby averaged 3.8 blocks per game last season led the league was the most since Alonzo Mourning averaged 3.9 blocks per game back in 1999. So we asked the chat two polls a cast member most likely to go on a Shaolin retreat. Kenya led the pack with 39% of the chat vote followed by Mr. B with 38%, Gil you got 15%, Cheryl gave you 6%,

but I think it's because you said you're not really about that Shaolin monk retreat life. I like to just get in my closet and pray and fast. That's my... Okay. And sage. I dig it. Yeah, sage.

Sage. Yeah, so it was a play like, I think it was old 3D Wade in them rookie year, Brown in them rookie year, and it was a play like, I think it was old 3D Wade and them rookie year, Brown and them rookie year. And it was a play for game. They ran a pitch back. It was a double score. I'm supposed to be guarding the double over on the left side of the court.

And they ain't running to play for a dude coming off the double. D Wade took it out, he was getting the hand back. And I went and grabbed this shit out the air for game. Grabbed his shit off the backboard, and I'm like, why wouldn't you guard, like, I saw this before, man, like, they not running that play for him over there, man. So that's the shit Wimby gonna be, like,

he's just gonna be disrupting shit. So we asked the chat, is Wimby a lock for defensive player of the year next season? If he meets the game minimum, 80% of the chat says yes. There should be 100 I'm sorry chat but Chat's fucking up to that. The fact that he did come in he came in first. First last year.

And got hurt. First this year. Literally if he's not in the game and he don't have 65 I don't see how he doesn't win it moving forward for the next 10 years. Damn. You're gonna have to just be like, yo, hey, listen, let's just vote against this nigga. Yeah, let's just vote against him because, at this point, this doesn't even make sense.

Like, you win defense a player of the year eight, nine, 10 times straight because he's gonna have the blocks, he's gonna have the rebounds, he's gonna deflect shit. Like, I mean, it's just the game itself. We will see if he has the bald head or if he grows some hair back after his 10-day retreat. But let's keep this moving. We'd like to thank Cash App for sponsoring today's podcast.

Download the Cash App today and use promo code ARENAS to let them know we sent you. Making money moves should be easy and that's why there's Cash App. It's fast, safe, and honestly just way more personalized than other apps out there. No extra hoops to jump through, no extra stress. All the tools are right there to help you cash in. Plus, sending money with Cash App actually feels safe. They look out for you. If something seems sketchy or they see you might be sending money to a potential scammer,

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Just download Cash App and sign up. Use our exclusive referral code arenas in your profile. Send $5 to a friend within 14 days, and you'll get $10 dropped right into your account terms apply that's money that's cash out all right so part two of the mind the game podcast interview with Luca Donchik dropped on Sunday with Slovenian Jesus talking all things hoop with Bron and Steve Nash that's his name not mine that's the nickname they gave him that's a great nickname Slovenian Jesus Jesus. The Jesus of Slovenia. The trio discussed

American Hooper's fascination with having a bag and LeBron offered these thoughts on the subject while addressing everyone who says that he doesn't have one. The game is one on making fundamental plays, not your bag, right? I know they don't talk about that in Europe when you're growing up. I know. I've heard the thing since I came to the NBA. And when I was growing up, it wasn't talked about it. Like my, the least amount of dribbles to get where you need to get to was when I grew up. Efficiency.

Michael Jordan wasn't out there dribbling a thousand times to get to the spot. He'd get to a spot and raise. Isaiah Thomas is greater than the handle Isaiah Thomas had. Isaiah get to a spot and raise, you know? Isaiah Thomas is great as a handle Isaiah Thomas had. Isaiah get to a spot and raise, you know? All these guys that I grew up, Grant Hill get to a spot, I'm bigger than you. Straight line.

Big Dog Robinson, you know, I'm bigger than you. Allen Houston, you know, all these great players, you know, that I grew up watching and admiring. Penny Hardaway, yes, they could dribble to basketball, but it's no, Tracy McGrady, even as great as Tracy's handle was, it was, I'm bigger than you, I'm going to get to the spot and the least amount of dribbles, Kevin Garnett. You know, it's-

Good footwork, get up over the top. Just good footwork, get over the top. If I'm bigger than you and I get you on my shoulder, I get you on my hip, I'm going to use my size. You know, I see it all the time. It's like, you know, I'll be on social media, like, LeBron has no bag. It's like, I'm sitting over here with him.

What is that? LeBron has no bag, and I'm sitting like, I have 50 billion points. Right, leading scorer all time in the NBA, no bag. Just like... Not quite 50 billion, Bron, but we get where you were trying to say. So, as mentioned, LeBron holds the NBA career

regular season playoff records for most points. Average 27 points per game through his 22 seasons in the league, which is eighth all time. So we heard King James Dawson on the subject, but now I need to hear from our expert panel. Mr. B, we'll start with you. You had a very elaborate bag in your heyday. Does LeBron have a bag?

Does he have a bag? Does he have a bag? I just think what he said is true. Like, he just gets to where he got to get to. So that's his bag. You know, I'm going to get to, I'm going to make the game as easy as I can. And I think that's why he has over 50,000 points because he got to his-

50 billion. 50 billion points. It's because he got to his bag. And he got to the things that work for him. So it might not be flashy, it might not be all over the place, but his bag works for him and for what he's able to be great at. McCain, I'm going to ask you, our defensive expert here on the show,

does LeBron have a bag? It's just to his point, he does what he does. It doesn't need to be 17 dribbles to go take this step back. Like, it doesn't need to be 17 dribbles to go take this step back like it doesn't have to be so to his point like yes good enough to get where he needs to get to and get the job done so I'm gonna say yeah I agree with him and he doesn't shit overrated bro like I agree with me it is really overrated like a lot of dudes that do all that shit shoot low percentages.

Dude that dribblin' that motherfucker a lot shoot low percentages, dog. Just look at history. If you dribblin' the shit out of him, you gon' shoot low percentage. Just what it is. So, but so yeah, you don't, doesn't need it. And he's an all time leading scorer in regular season

basketball playoff basketball, so The ball go through the basket that's all that fucking matter So you don't need a Birkin bag you can have put them in the room grocery bag Point a to point B. All that matter. Damn what the bag look like. You agree with that, Senator May?

I do. I agree with everything LeBron said. I think social media has a lot to do with players today. That they do stuff that they don't really have to do. Like, you can make one move and get by your defender, and because you beat your defender instead of taking a shot, you're going to sit there and dribble, dribble, or pull it back out because you want to show that you got a bag.

Like, what LeBron does is very efficient. It gets the job done. I love me a nice Birkin, by the way, but you ain't got to have one. You know, you can get the fake one. It looks real from a distance. It looks real. The zippers are a little janky, but nonetheless, it still gets the job done. Ain't nobody gonna question it coming from you.

You can care if it ain't nobody gonna question it. Just not. Ain't nobody gonna question it. I've been watching a lot of Chinese TikToks and they gonna ain't nobody gonna wish. Just not. Ain't nobody know. I've been watching a lot of Chinese TikToks and they've been breaking down how the bags are made. Or we can get it to you from much lower. No tariffs. We got the same shit over here. No tariffs.

No tariffs. No tariffs. Get it to you seven days. That's why my shit stuck. They charge $40,000 and we can make it to $1800. They said not the front door. They want it at the front door, we're selling it at the back door. Yes. So, Gere, you hear what LeBron's saying about the whole bag talk.

It seems like a more modern thing that's been added, but American Hooper's fascination, quote, unquote, having a bag. No, listen, he doesn't have a bag. LeBron does not have a bag. Brian does not have a bag. No. No great has a bag. Did Kareem have a bag? Like, you know what a bag is?

OK, so this era says bag. Our era, a Sports Center player. He's the oohs and ahs guy. He's just there to try to get somebody to say ooh, ah, you know the, was it the dollar move, ten cent finish, that nigga, that's that's the bag today. Where you have some trainer who wasn't good or decent as a player, learned a bunch of moves and he's giving it to these kids and these kids is coming down we're gonna do this, we're gonna pop pop, we're gonna do the step back,

we're gonna hold it, we're gonna fake fake, we're gonna do the step back, we're gonna hold it, we're gonna fake fake, we're gonna do the spin. All of that. But you can't make this shit. If you are good, you're not wasting your time doing that because it's just easier. Like if I'm fast, my dribble is not ah ah because I'm gonna use my speed.

So the faster you are, the less dribbling you have because you just, I don't need to sit here and try to cross you, I'm just gonna go by you. If I can jump over you, I don't need no other, I don't need to sit here and do this, it's just, what's happening? Meet me at the rim. So the more efficient players have less

because they don't need all the extra stuff to try to get you to shift left and right and move back to back. The slower you are, the athletic you are, you need more attributes in your game to move people left and right. You need all that. So like Luca needs, he needs to move you a little bit,

little bit more versus Fox The check currently exploited right now what you saying that no great has a bag yes Well, I thought Steph does that other than him like this Kyrie He has a bag. He has a bag. Yeah, Kyrie has a bag. Kyrie has a bag. We're talking about Kyrie got a bag. Kyrie has a bag.

The Kareem Magic Mike Bird. Yeah, Duncan. Them dudes. Like them dudes. Carmelo. Them dudes he's speaking of. Like, Don Stockton. AI have a bag?

AI didn't, no. Did AI have a bag? No. We were giving AI flowers later in the show, but he didn't have a bag. He didn't need a bag, right? He had, listen, he had that crossover when he first came in and then right and then from there all he used was speed and shifting as most of his dribbles was one two shot come around

shot crab dribble shot like he was dipping dive like he wasn't asking you just faster it was faster than everybody. But yeah, it's... Yeah, no, but everybody that he named, yeah, real simple, straight to it. One, two, dribble, pull up. One, dribble, pull up. One, yeah, get you off your feet. It's real simple work.

Some dudes like Big Dog, no dribbles. Right, it's all footwork, right? Footwork pump fact. That is what trainers focus on today. Yeah. Trainers for... Dribble, dribble, dri, no dribbles. Right, it's all footwork, right? That is what trainers focus on today. Yeah. Trainers for. Dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble. That's how we grew up. Because they're focusing on the highlight move

that made it to the real, right? That this kid is gonna get excited about. Like, if I train you, and we're saying, all right, one, two, dribble, pull up. One, two, dribble, pull up. This is what we're gonna perfect. To them, that's boring. You're a boring trainer.

They need to come in here, touch a cone, grab a cone, throw the cone at me, grab it back, throw it around my head, shoot a shot on the one leg. You got to do all that shit for these stupid motherfuckers. Yeah. Hey, man, this shit ain't working in the game. It's dumb. That shit don't work.

It ain't very realistic. Yo, this what I'm saying. It ain't very realistic. Yo, I used to go watch KJ. That shit ain't working in the game. Yes, dog. That shit don't work. It ain't very realistic. Yo, this what I... It ain't very realistic. I used to go watch KJ. That shit ain't happening. They do they little warm up, layup package. I like, listen dog, KJ ain't gotta do all that, man. Hey, he get up there,

he gonna do one thing with that motherfucking breath. Yeah. He know what to do with it once he get up there. He not jumping around trying to go out, no, he finna go up there motherfucking good luck. His guard, and that's the problem with the trainers sometimes, your guard teaching guard shit to very athletic guys.

So you're making these very athletic guys play smaller than they're supposed to. So instead of like Ayanna's using his length and his his steps You got you got six nine and doing a little shit like this and then coming in and cuffing it and then by the time The norm next time they unravel all this seven one wingspan Like facts as simple as we can put this you guys Carmelo Anthony did all this shit and didn't want to fucking dribble it. So all footwork.

One dribble, two is, and he could dribble it motherfucker and didn't want to. Mello could dribble the shit out the ball. But didn't want to. If he had to, great. But it's all footwork. He want to get you leaning. So it's, you ain't got to dribble it if you don't got to do it believe you don't everybody everybody has a different bag like their bag is very different from everybody else like you know I mean when you hear a name like Kyrie Irving we

would say Kyrie has a very deep bag maybe the deepest bag in the league right now but it's functional right so he needs but I'm trying to get somewhere you need like handset they need this extra shit in there because there's Giants on the court yeah they gotta be so they need this extra shit in there because there's giants on the court. Yeah, they gotta be. So they need. But even the layup package, Rob, but I need to do this. I just can't shoot jump shots all day, like, because people like, I gotta be able to get. To pump fake, yeah, I gotta spin, I gotta show you here, I gotta throw it this way,

that, that, they need that to their game. Like all them finishes and shit that Steph and Kyrie both have, man, them floaters and throwing that bitch where the big can't get it, like that's. They need it. They need it, because big can't get it, like that's... They need it. They need it, because they can't go in that motherfucking, and Anthony Elwood's that bitch, and like, he don't have that.

Like, it's... Yeah. So is this... Like, even with Brandon, with Brandon, Brandon could go in that motherfucking, but he was sneaky going in that motherfucking, dunk that bitch, like, every now and then. So, he had it, but you know, if he got to the rim,

like, the possibility going to dunk that bitch. Trying to hurry up. Yeah, you know what I got to the rim like the possibility gonna duck that bitch Trying to hurry up Versus guys like a Paul George KD who also have very deep bags and abilities obviously It all depends on what you're considering a bag like when you say, you know, LeBron doesn't have a bag compared to who, right? Because what happens is when we're trying to compare somebody, that's when someone say he's, they use these words, he's more skilled than him.

Like that is an attribute, like that makes you better because you're more skilled than me, doesn't mean you're better than me. What is it putting the ball in the bucket good? Yeah, that's the ultimate goal. Putting the ball in the bucket is the ultimate skill. You're judging who's good off of how it looks. So his ten points look good, but he has 40. But that's just boring. So you're gonna take the ten looking good. Good. Over the 40.

Ah! Finger roll, nigga, you got 10. When you say having a bag is bad for the game? Yes. Because it's getting away from like, because when I came up, it was about fundamentals. You always heard the great players had great footwork, this and that. But I feel like they put so much on having a bag,

and it's getting away from how to really play basketball. Like, it's N1. N1 had a bag. That's I go look at the little kids. The biggest one. Yeah. It's a lot of dribbling. Kids play. Everybody's got to do what they did in AM1.

Yeah. Cause like, Kawhi Leonard, like. A lot of bad shots. He don't really have a bag like that. Who? Kawhi Leonard, but he gets to. Listen, to be great at anything. More than effective.

But it's good. You have to perfect the fundamentals first. Right, simple movement, you gotta understand simple movement. So someone like Kyrie, someone like Steph, someone like Harden who has a bag, their fundamental is crazy first. Then they can add to it, right, the slower they get.

Like Steph Curry fundamentals of shooting, get. Like, like Steph Curry, fundamentals of shooting, coming off screens, his footwork, his foot placement is what he's perfected. Now all this delusional stuff to get this 6'9 dude off me to get my shot off, that's what you're considering the bag. You guys have the bag, don't have Steph's fundamentals. You're looking at the finishing result, not the beginning of the bag. Like the bag has to be structured for you to hold all this extra shit in it. So treat it just like that.

Like I have a bag, everything I put in it, this shit can't be plastic or it's paper and the bottom is wet. Double bag it. Yeah, you gotta, you know, like James Harden, right? James Harden, ha, ha, haen But it's off. It's all foot He's this is all the delusional part of it like I'm just fucking with you and then step back. You know, I mean Most definitely so you talk about somebody like Steph Steph obviously gets a lot of credit for his ability to shoot long-range game

But he finishes at the cup. I would say just as well stuff Oh, yeah His ability to get to the bucket finish at the cup. And for guys that aren't necessarily dunking everything or doing all that stuff. Like I think people look at Kobe and say he has the ultimate bag. It was the fundamentals he had first. Right, his fundamentals was perfect.

You know what I mean? Like his movements was already solid from youth. Right, if you look at the young Kobe, he wasn't doing the same thing that he was doing when he was older. Once he started realizing perfecting the simple parts of basketball, understanding angles, understanding, all right, he likes to jump on a pump fake, so I'm gonna come and if I pump fake here, what is this movement like? What does the human behavior do

right here? Right, I'm right-handed. Okay, if he jumps, how do I get this movement like? What does the human behavior do right here? Right, I'm right handed. Okay, if he jumps, how do I get to shut off? I can go under or I can spin back. And that's where that comes in. And then he'll spin, right? And then if I spin, he gets back, and then I can spin back with the fade, right? That's techniques.

So at what point do players stop focusing on all that extra stuff that they do with trainers and get back to doing more of the fundamental stuff? Only NBA players should be adding to their bag. There shouldn't be youth with bags. OK. But even from an entertainment? You're not because, one, you're not young enough, you're not old enough to understand

all the fundamentals of basketball. Right, you don't understand, like you said, you started like, at the end of our, like, you know, we're still learning the game, right? We're still learning nuances of the game right so if you got a deep bag you know you're 15 16 17 18 what is your fundamentals look like you didn't even have enough times to implement all your fundamentals because while you're a pro you're still working on those now you look we look at

pros right now and say yeah he has bad has bad fundamentals. He can't even. Like all these moves you're trying to do, you don't even have the structure to be sound on none of them. You're just using the athleticism to get away with it. And then by the time you start getting older and you don't have athleticism, you never created the fundamentals.

The, like DeRozan. All the, DeR the the roses bag is unreal But he understood it early that I'm super athletic. I'm gonna lose at some point. So let me work on my footwork. Yeah, yeah so you don't know if he's lost his ability to jump or not because For the last eight nine years has been low-level Movement yeah, cuz the game is you feel different for men and women? Like your daughter. Do you think your daughter needs to have, like,

a deep bag to play at the next level? No, it's fundamentals. More fundamentals than... More fundamentals, yeah. The structure of just basketball itself. Like, to everybody, though though, like men can get away with just being athletic, right? I don't know if that works in a W.

Because sometimes, you know, when, you know, you're learning your fundamentals so great that you see an unstructured athlete coming in, you're gonna expose all her weaknesses and make her look bad. Right, if someone is just super athletic, don't know the game, okay, she's gonna overrun, they're gonna be pump faking, let me get around,

come off the pick and roll, she's gonna go under. Like, you know what I mean? When you're structurally sound and understand the concept of basketball, it's harder to beat with just straight athleticism. You know, and in the NBA, I mean, you motherfuckers jump 46 inches off the ground, you, they don't really give a fuck.

They're like, yeah, we gonna draft you. Because they can hide it. Yep. So we asked the chat, does LeBron have a bag? 60% of the chat said yes, LeBron does have a bag. Nearly 4,000 votes. Refreshing to see. All right well let's shift this over. NBA finals tipped off Thursday. Top seed at Thunder taking on the heavily unfavored underdog Pacers.

OKC was in control for most of game one. Looked like they were gonna cruise to an easy win with SGA leading the way with 38 points. So OKC led by 15 points with nine minutes remaining in the game and by nine with three minutes to go. But the Pacers mounted another playoff comeback, setting the stage for Halley to add another legendary moment to his post-season resume. Let's take a look.

So Thunder were up one under 20 seconds ago in the game. SGA had a chance to put him up three missed the fadeaway. Paster's got the rebound opted not to call a timeout got the ball into Halleys hand. Halleys then proceeded to hit this 21-footer over Kason Wallace for game. It was the Pacers only lead of the game. They say that daddy could come back to the game. Let me get on that court. They went from ball hitter Blackman to ball hitter Blackman. Kept him away from the court. Made him holster his hally towel. Those are the only lead of the game. They had 25 turnovers in that game. We're still able to come through and get the win.

Biggest fourth quarter rally since the Mavs did it against the Heat to win game two back in 2011. Rick Carlisle also coaching that team. So for his clutch performances throughout the playoffs, Halle has been nicknamed the moment. So we were watching the game on playback, and let's just say Gil was ready for the moment. Or what?

They said his daddy come back to the games! They said his daddy can come back to the games. They said it's daddy can come back. So girls we noticed you had a Thunder Jersey on mid-highly game winner were able to flip into the Pacers jersey. Very impressive. I mean when I'm going for both teams, when I'm going for both teams I gotta be on deck baby. I got Pacers and OKC. I told you I'm winning the championship this year. I'm going to a parade, so you know what I mean? So your head was coming out of the jersey with 0.5 seconds remaining on the clock.

So you got it in just under the wire. A ball was still in the net. Both hit a game winner. A game winning jersey flip. I can't see your face right now. I told the Oklahoma City fans I better not accept this boy. Bad luck, man, I'm telling you.

The mush. The mush, fucking mush. I don't like kids in here when I'm shooting. Yo, I better not crack. Telling you, hey, put him in the bathroom. The mush. Can't look at this. Yo, bad luck.

So first, let's just talk about that play. When you see that play, like we said, Pacers often not to call timeout, push the tempo, got the ball in the halyards. They don't suppose to call timeout right there. Just go. No, I mean, yeah. Go ahead.

Right there, it's in the Pacers' best interest to just go, because OKC can't set up their defense. They can't put their bigs back in the game. So now it's chaotic basketball, which plays the Halle style. And the moment was theirs, right? The momentum shifted, and you want to seize it. And that's the reason that you wouldn't call a time out.

Your best player, your best finisher, Mr. Clutch, has the ball. So what are you going to do? Call a timeout, take it out of his hands to then try to get it back in his hands. Get Luke Dort on him? No, right. Hell no.

The George or Chamber. So yeah, it was obvious. No matter if he made or missed, it was a smart decision. And they so programmed, the boy coming over there to set a pick and roll, he did not call you. Get the fuck out the way. Lee Smith run over to go set a pick and roll. He not call you over there, man, move.

Like, situations like that, like you creating, he needs space. You running over there, crowding his man's space. They didn't call a timeout for a reason. The ball is in his hand, let him go to work. But hell of a play. Yeah, shout out to Rick Carlara for not calling a timeout right there and trusting his point guard.

Because those are the situations that he do live for. So like you guys said, shout out to Rick Carlara, though. So how he- Coaching matters. Coaching doesn't matter? Coach, game one showed he did something that I didn't know, I don't want to call him stupid, I didn't know he was that dumb to fall for. And he fell for it, so weird. No, I called it out at the eight minute mark.

You know, I noticed like, wait, hold on. Why you don't have any bigs in? Like, why are you going small? Cuz you're going small to match their small, they're bigger than you. OB is the, now he's the most athletic person on the, he's already the most athletic, but there's only two people that can actually challenge

his shot if he decides to go for the left. Now you got to see Ockham down there, then Ben, like they're, your guys, they're, they hustle and they do all that, but they're not athletic to get a fucking rebound. Right, you know what I mean? They gonna pull, they're gonna be feisty,

but they're not gonna get upping that air. And the fact that you don't have your bigs and didn't even make sense to me. And I'm sitting there like, yeah, what is he doing? I wouldn't be playing small. I won 80 something games with my bigs. 80. 80 fucking.

80 games through the finals. 80 wins, god damn it, with this group. I'm not gonna take them out for them. I'm matching, that's what they're good at 40 something wins for them doing this Oh Coaching matters, bro every minute every second every every out of every time out Out of every half you got to make adjustments. You got a things you gotta do, say, keep your guys engaged and recall I did

extra job at that game one. Oklahoma City bounce, yeah. And we're gonna get to game two in a second. But they were, hey, they put their separate position to win at the end, man. That's all you can do on the road in a tough environment, so. Hey, shout out to them in game one, man.

That's what it's up. So, Hallie, 13 for 15 on go ahead or game time shots the last two minutes in the regular season playoffs combined. Also tied with Reggie Miller for second in the league with five go ahead or game time shots in the playoffs since 1997. So I want to take a look at some real quick.

We got this graphic. So this is just a sample of what the Pacers have been able to do this postseason. They were down in all four of these games, won all four of these games. So I'm just curious, how does this keep happening against this Pacer squad? Don't teams know by now not to take your foot off the gas? And this is obviously a reaction to game one, we'll get to game two in a moment where the foot was not taking off.

But if you've seen this team do this countless times throughout the postseason, you got to lead. Combination of them continuously playing their style of basketball, not deviating. They play fast, so there's more possessions in the game. They're allowing more possessions in the game. Most of the time, they're not turning the ball over. They're just going to course, man. Like they don't, the other team is playing not to lose. They get a lead and they plan not to lose in the last two minutes of the game and instead

of just continue to play what got them the lead, they capitalize on it. Yeah. I think it's more about what the Pacers are doing versus what the other teams aren't doing. Do you know what I mean? When you have that lead. Because the Pacers, they're just going to play. Regardless of what the score is, what it looks like,

whether they're having a bad game or not, they don't even really look at the score and say, oh, well, we don't lose this game. I think they're so a bad game or not, they don't even really look at the score and say, oh, well, we don't lose this game. I think they're so confident that they feel like, regardless of playing at home on the road, what the score is, that they're always in the game and they always have a chance to come back and play and win. And we've seen it.

Yeah, Paisley's the type of team, you don't have sportsmanship, you remember that sportsmanship bullshit when you were up by, yeah, you don't do that. Like Remember that sportsmanship bullshit when you were up by, yeah, you don't do that. Like this is a group that makes you regret all your decisions you ever made, right? Because you are by 20, what ends up happening is you start subbing people that you wouldn't put in a game,

thinking, oh, you can get a little break, and then they still playing basketball, right? So this is one of the teams, man, when you're up 20 you you gotta say man fuck them Right start my fourth quarter off. I'm starting off with my starting five Just get it to 35. Yeah, because you know I'm subbing and then they done caught that bitch to 12 and by the time I got my subs back in then now we got a Basketball game. So this is the type of team where you just gotta keep your foot on they throat.

You gotta bury them. Let Carlisle tap them out. Yeah, you gotta bury them. So when we were coming up, being down by 20 minutes you were getting blown out. In the league nowadays. Because they stupid. But even 30 now we've seen.

Because they stupid. I'm just saying. I mean it depends on the team. What's the comfortable margin though where it's like all right we got. How stupid is the team? Or the coach. What's the comfortable margin though, where it's like, all right, we got it. How stupid is the team? Or the coach.

Or the coach. Right, if you have 35 and your next seven shot is fade away threes and quick threes, yeah, they coming back. Yes. 21 points worth of shots. Or five straight possession to shoot threes, absolutely. Absolutely.

Mix a couple turnovers in and out, try to behind the back, off the fucking road, shit, you didn't do this bitch to me. Fast, you got the ball. He start doing shit like this. Slipped out of his hands. Coach catch the ball and shit, just. Dumb fouls.

Yeah. You know what, time out. Yes. So let's get back to Halle real quick. I said 13 for 15 on go ahead or game time shots this season. Have four of the, or five of the, excuse me, in the past two post-seasons. Second most all time since 1997.

Hasn't had particularly good games in either one of these finals. But what does Halle's ability to consistently deliver in clutch moments say about him as a player? That he stays engaged with the game no matter what it is. No matter if he's not being aggressive or people feel like he's not that aggressive early. If you give him a chance to try to go win the game or they have a chance to come back, you know, you're not going to even be able to tell, you know, what he did in the first couple of three quarters. But he just stays poised, and he just keeps doing what he's supposed to be doing. That's one of the reasons why you can't write him off.

Because if they get a chance to come back, you know who the ball is going to. And it could look like that in game one. So a question for the couch. For sure, you're a four-time WNBA champion, so it's going to be a little different for yourself. But would you you're a four-time WNBA champion, so it's gonna be a little different for yourself. But would you rather have a memorable moment in an NBA finals you wound up losing?

Think about like the AI stepover, things like that. Maybe this highly game winner, based on how this series pans out. Sorry, I know what you were gonna say. Or would you rather win a title that no one really remembers? Like Toronto? Wait, a title that no one really remembers?

Like Toronto? Give me a title all no one really remembers like Toronto remember that like they are over tyloo we were we remember that Toronto one just off the side that he made the Eastern Conference fun that is the conference final shot bum bum said that was me that makes you remember give me a great play about that give me a great play in the final you remember. Listen, give me a title that you have put on. Give one play that you remember to happen in the finals. Katie came down.

I don't know. I'm three out. But as you could have said one, I would have been like, I don't know. Somebody getting hurt? Yeah, I didn't want to say that. But yeah. The most memorable was Katie in the tunnel

before the game hit now. Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, hit. Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. That's it. Like, I don't remember.

Nobody remembers. Like, unless you're in Toronto, for the most part, the fuck do you remember from that finals? Like, Drake? You would rather have a memorable moment and you lost than to win a title that nobody remembers. No, no, no. I didn't say that. But you got AI stepping over title. We no, no, I didn't say that. But you got AI stepping over title,

we will remember that. I didn't say that. When they win a ring, they should remember that. Who was I when I won a championship though? Who was I on that championship team? Like, I like to ask, what player was I? Was I top five? No, it doesn't matter.

You still don't get rings. Or was I just young? You still got rings. That matters. A very integral part of a championship team. I mean, you could be either or. No, no, no, no. You still don't get a ring.

That step over, obviously, you remember me. If I'm the dude on the bench that I got a ring, but I'm out of the league the next year, I don't want that responsibility. Wow. Right. I don't want that responsibility. Please give me the moment at least, huh?

Right. Right. I don't want that one. Not saying that would happen to Nick Young. Yeah, yeah. Okay, that did happen to Nick Young. I scored 35 in the finals. Who gives a fuck?

35 and 11, can you? Who gives a fuck? I do. I said, damn, 35 and 11? Yeah. I'll take the chip. So you just took seven and seven in the... I'll take the ring.

I'll take the ring. I'm just take seven and seven and a chip over 35 and 11. And I went three for 23. So if it was Jeff Tick, you'll take the ring? Yeah. If it was Jeff Tick, you'll take the ring? But you also have 35 and 11. Yeah, I'll take the ring. What did you take?

I mean, it just depends if I'm playing, if I'm not. But if I ain't playing, if I'm not. But if I'm, if I ain't playing, Give me the moment. Nah, hell no. But you're not playing. If I'm not playing, I'm just sitting there. Uh huh.

Nah. If I'm able to, but if I'm able to get out there and have a moment like that and hit a shot. And you lost? Always, always. I won that one, but then we lost the series. No, no, no. With the moment I won that one, but then we lost With the moment I won that game, but we lost the series Everyone's gonna remember a moment

No one's gonna remember all the champions. Well, guess what I can go get that motherfucking ring and show They don't remember them for a ring. You remember the ring? Yeah. My little league. Sure? I know. For that. You know how to lead them to victory. I can name team champions.

OK. Team champions. And you won't know not nail one of them on who team they played for when they won it. I don't want to be them. OK. We should do a segment Did He Win a Chip? We're just gonna throw names out there.

Daddy, you play basketball. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,

hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,, you know, I was on the team back in the 80s. Yeah. All right. Well, let's get in the game. I was the man. He showed up. They love that.

We're gonna move on to game two in a moment. But before we do, we'd like to thank blinds.com for sponsoring today's podcast. The folks at blinds.com believe that ordering custom window treatments online doesn't have to mean sacrificing on style, selection, or service. They're disrupting the status quo, no more waiting around all day for an in-home designer just to get an overpriced quote, build a quote online in minutes, or get expert advice on your schedule. Either way, you can still enjoy the convenience of a professional measure and installation services.

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Hell, this shit. Shout out blinds.com. You can come, hey, shoot all the commercials you want. This motherfuckers. Right here. Yeah, we can do it. For everybody who watches the show with Janky Blinds, go to blinds.com, use promo code RIN, you get it. For everybody who watches the show with Janky Blinds, go to blinds.com.

Use promo code RIT and you get $50 off. There's a lot of Janky Blinds. You seen it, the Janky Blind. Yeah, I guess so. Not sufficiently blocking sunlight. Why me? Shit me. But let's get to game two.

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If I heard more, shout out blinds.com. So let's talk about game two. Blinds.com? Oh my God. The Thunder were 16-2. You gotta close the plug, do shit. Send them over there. We can use it all.

Shit. Bring them all. God bless you, Arena. Thunder were 16-2 following a loss this season, including 4-0 in the playoffs. Haven't lost back-to-back games at home this season. Meanwhile, Pacers were looking to improve to 8-0 in games 1 and 2 this postseason with their last five wins in those games all coming on the road.

So Thunder jumped out to a big lead again in this one, but this time they refused to trick it off. Let's take a look at the highlights. So Chet Holmgren was active in the group chat, bounced back in this game. After finishing with just six points in game one Chet had nine of his 15 points in the first quarter of game two. So the Thunder led by six after the first frame. We see, oh, maybe not. Doing on both sides of the ball. Chet likes Jamaican food for all those who are curious.

Hit this through, he likes Jamaican food. He said that in the article, I'm just saying. You can't question his blackness. So Thunder led by six after the first frame, but exploded in the second quarter. Going on 19-2 run to take a 23-point lead at one point while outscoring the Pacers 33-21 in the second frame. So Thunder big three of SGA, Chet and Jalen Williams scored or assisted on 50 of OKC's 59 points in the first half.

Thunder up 18 after the first two quarters. Thanks in large part to plays like that from the MVP, SGA. Going to the cup, SGA only made one three in this game. I know. What? Oh, you see him Gil. You see the championship experience

that the 30 year old vet, Alex Caruso, brings to the table. I'm not playing this game, I'm talking about, yeah, I needed two, I was going 1.5 on the threes. So SGA, the real MVP MVP kept cooking in the second half. 34 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and four steals. Efficient 11 for 21 from the field, 11 for 12 from the line, with all but one of his buckets coming in the paint or for mid-range.

Nine straight, 30-point game at home this playoffs, which tied an NBA record for a single postseason with Wilt in his franchise record 12-30 point game this postseason. So Jalen Williams added 19-5-5. Alex Caruso brought his championship experience in this one, scoring 20 points in 27 minutes off the bench. And Aaron Wiggins was big off the bench as well, knocking down five of his eight three-point attempts, finished with 18 in the game.

So both Caruso and Wiggins,scored every Pacers starter in the game. Halley had five points entering the fourth quarter, scored 12 in the fourth to finish with 17.6 assists. Indiana had seven players scoring double figures but none of them eclipsed the 20-point mark. Miles Turner had 16-4 and 4. Pascal Siakam added 15 and 7 boards but was 3 of 11 from the field. Aaron Nees Smith had 14 points he knocked out four of his a threes and Ben Mather and TJ McConnell combined for 25 points off the bench. Thunder's League was never in serious doubt in the second half Cruz to a 16-point win so OKC improves a 5-0 in games following a

loss this postseason 17 and 2 overall including the regular season 18 and 2 if you can include the NBA title, NBA Cup title game, which doesn't technically count as a game, but it does to us, because we are real hoopers. We're also fans of small market basketball. Thunder are 30 and two overall against the Eastern Conference this season.

Hey, where do you get the clips from that you're showing on the highlights? Are you making them yourselves? Yeah, we have an expert team. No, or is it somebody else's clips? We do it ourselves? We do it ourselves. Oh, then you can put it full screen then.

We will discuss that after the show. No, because they're complaining that it was little. The chat complains about everything. No, it is little. Complaining about it's little? No, it didn't. If it'sains about everything. No, it is little. They're fucking up in the back. Complaining about it's little, no, it didn't. If it's off of somebody else's page, then yeah. But if we did our own clips, we're fine.

We have a master production tape deal. Works tirelessly through churning the midnight oil. So what we were talking about earlier, right, about having a bag and dudes that's like athletic doing things and like certain situations, right? The Chet block on Obie Toppin. Obie Toppin is more athletic than most people on this planet.

I put myself in that category. I was limited in certain finishes and all that shit. There was no way I would have saw Chet there and tried to one hand, one scoop, lay up him. Like I'm not gonna do that. You got that shit put out of bound. I'm jumping through his fucking chest. I'm trying to dunk on him if I'm ob-topping. That's the difference in the mentality like you being able to do

certain things and not using your gifts that you have in certain situations. Like okay you didn't work on this left hand, same hand, same finish it but that's not to play for. Go through, jump through his fucking chest because I'm athletic enough to finish him. Like jump through his fucking chest. He off balance. He don't weigh nothing. He gonna, he already had to sit out because of that hip,

tailbone, whatever he had. Go hit that motherfucker again. He gonna hit that bitch again with me. Mm-hmm. Because I'm trying to jump to your fucking chest. So Southunder, game one, trick off a 15.4th quarter lead. No. Game two did not have that problem. But Mr. B, what were your biggest takeaways from game two

of the NBA final? OKC just wanted it more. I feel like Indiana, they wasn't as aggressive as they were in the first game. But, you know, when you're on the road, you know, the best thing, you know, you want is to at least get one game. So, I mean, I think in Indiana's favor, they still did what they were supposed to do on the road. So going back home, you know, they have home court advantage. But their defense is the reason why they are number one, defense and the NBA and, you, SGA they just couldn't keep him out the way. You know, he's really showing why he's the MVP and

you know, he's been playing like it. So, yeah, SGA had 34 points a game, like I mentioned, all but one of his shots was either in the paint or from mid-range, hit one three in the game, they took five attempts. But just got to it, got to getting buckets, really appreciate SGA too, moments never too big for him, always keeps an even kill. Now they gotta, now Rick Carlisle gotta do some coaching on where they going, how to, you ain't gonna stop him but you gotta try to slow him down.

Shays in the rhythm now. Yeah, but Oklahoma, like Brandon was saying, man, Indiana was playing with house money. Oklahoma City could not afford not to come out and put that type of performance on the board. They needed that. It wasn't in question by anyone who watched them play all season, how they were gonna look in game two.

Yeah, Indiana after a certain while, you can just tell like, okay, we, all right, it is what it is. Because Oklahoma City turned the temperature up on the defensive end, man. So, it wasn't that, the day and a half, it was the turnovers that he did in game one. But the way, it's just the way it looked.

Yeah, how Dort had him all out there as the violation backcourt. It was just he was out of it was out of sync. Yeah, they pushed the offense further. They made them start the offense further out. So it's that but they're going on the road and. It's going they thought it was allowed in their home arena. It's going to be even louder in Indiana. So, gonna be some good basketball being played

game three and four. But yeah, shout out to Oklahoma City for bouncing back though. Sure, what were your biggest takeaways from the Thunder evening the series and game two? Much more spirited effort defensively. For sure, but I agree with Brandon. I mean, OKC couldn't afford to go to Indiana down 0-2. And SGA was not going to let them lose.

I thought Caruso played really well, just shooting the ball the way he did. I thought it was a total team effort from OKC. But I know Shay won MVP. But I still don't feel like people really give him the respect that he truly deserves for being the player that he is. That's just my opinion. No, I just thought, okay, see,

just refused to lose the game yesterday. And Indiana did what they were supposed to do. They stole one on the road. And see what happens in game three. So we talked about Pacer still in that game one. They led for all of 0 point three seconds of that game. Very, very kind of slow boring game to watch till the fourth quarter intensity picked up found themselves similar situations.

Is that intensity picked up? For the Pacers. In game one. In game one. I remember we were on playback. I told you the Pacers about to come back. You doubted me. No, I said I didn't care.

That's not what you said. You said you care very deeply. You're a fan of NBA basketball. What I took from game two is the same thing I took from game one. One team is just more dominant. It looked dominant. Yeah, Pacers stole game one. They stole it. That's exactly what happened.

They stole it from underneath their palms But if you looked at the game they didn't That wasn't the Pacers Pacers couldn't press They couldn't dribble the ball. They couldn't get in the offense, right? It just looked like one team was just playing bully basketball on offense and defense. Pacers didn't feel comfortable doing nothing.

They were playing bully basketball. They got out rebounded by like 22. Okay, let me get to that. It looked horrible. They couldn't do nothing. They couldn't, they couldn't move, right? They couldn't run their offense worth of shit. And for some reason, the coach decided

he's not gonna play his bigs together, nor is he gonna play his bigs at all. Right? It's like, we've been good, just leave the door open and we're gonna turn our backs to all of our money. And what ended up happening is, the relentless Pacers just started playing basketball. Oh shit, we, nobody, okay, we can get the offensive rebound,

we're gonna throw it as a three. We're gonna get the rebounds. So now you have guys who never got offensive rebounds getting four or five of them joints. Right, Miles don't go down there, dawg. You don't go down there to get rebounds, man. He don't get defensive rebounds, let alone offensive rebounds offensive rebounds but if shit but there's no big down there fuck it let's hey this is fun down here right so you you you you gave that you literally let them steal that game

and what changed in game two is all okay we won't do that again we're gonna play our big somebody's gonna be down there, offense and defensive rebound. And those guys who got a bunch of offensive rebounds, they didn't even go down there. They didn't even waste their time down there. So you just secured your lead this game. But for the most part, like,

we're not watching Indiana basketball. Because Indiana basketball is, believe it or not, Halle doing what Halle does. If I'm Indiana pace, if I'm OKC, my whole game plan is keep Halle under 20 points. Yeah, they try to keep him out of the paint. Because I don't think he knows that when he's 21 points and above, they're to keep him out of the paint. If I'm gonna, because I don't think he knows that when he's 21 points and above,

they're like 25 and three. I appreciate you know that. I appreciate you know that. Like, you niggas is that good. And 20 and under, you niggas is below 50% as a team. So you coming out of the, you coming into the game, sitting here trying to get 10 assists the percentage goes towards being under 50 percent as a group you do the more aggressive you are

offensively and heightened because you're such a great passer when you're scoring and they're like oh shit we got to stop stop this guy like you are the most clutch guy who don't take a lot of shots. Yeah, like that would irritate me. Like that means your shot is that fucking good. You're passing the ball to people who don't. Yeah. He's going to be more aggressive, but they need they trying to get a win. They don't. They're going to get going out to get game three. I might be he's going to be more aggressive. But the thing about this team in Oklahoma City, which a lot of teams don't have,

they have multiple wing defenders. Elite wing defenders that they can throw at him, which is tiresome. And it's so at no given time that when he's on the floor, that one of them guys are not going to be on the floor. From Wiggins, Caruso, Dort. in time that when he's on the floor that one of them guys are not going to be on the floor from Wiggins, Caruso, Dort. Yeah so one of them guys is just what it is and you can play Jalen Williams on him he's taller bigger so it's tall task but he needs to be more aggressive at the rim getting to put pressure at the rim getting two feet in the paint. Like he vies his game on how often he touches the paint.

So he needs to do that. And it's, you gotta force a few. You gotta jump into a few people, you gotta force a few at the rim. I'm trying to figure out like, even OKC starting lineup, that's not your starting lineup, dog. Like, you're bringing Hardenstein up the, for what?

To do what? Like you're giving them an advantage by taking one of your, they don't have nobody for your big to big. Not at all. Like who the fuck is guarding your, Hardenstein catches it, throws it, shit. Who do they have on that team that's even capable of doing anything with that?

Right. Nobody, but you're taking one out to play a guard to match them? Chet can guard any of those guards. They still gotta try to finish the layup. He has seven fucking five with a wingspan. Go zone, fucking afraid. Go fucking zone. He can sit back there and he can sit back there.

You got three point line, he had the free throw line. He can still damn near block that shot. But you're going smaller. You just. Playing into you. You just playing right into the. Imagine, imagine. Imagine. He gonna do it again into the... Imagine, imagine, imagine... He gonna do it again, cause they gonna play faster at home, so...

Yeah. He gonna do it again. I would have loved for the Spurs to took out... But don't think that OKC having all those different guys guard Halle and then... Cause this is not like the New York series, right? Like, Siaka, he's not really... You know what I'm saying, he's not really giving them nothing, so... I think it's a little bit easier for OKC

to guard Halle this series because you don't really have that support like he like because like even if highly is aggressive You know like you know that take them out of their flow kind of like or Elizabeth more hectic. No because Yes, they made him start the offense higher. Absolutely But if like I said, but they have multiple guys like Caruso garden fucking Pascal Siakam when he not on highly when he when he's not when Dort is not on him he's on Siakam so they're not missing out on that so it's gonna be as tough right, but they got a Gotta figure something out To get they got a figure they got to run the ball got to move more some guys to happen you got to put him

In different situations like you got to catch Halle on the move, coming out the corner, going into a pick and roll. Cause that half court, him setting up in half court trying to run shit, they forcing that shit so far out. To your point, you got a back court violation, right? Cause he said, during one of the time I was all listening to the game, he was telling my attorney that he gonna start the offense.

I was like, I'm gonna back up some. That's what they want you to do. Cause he wants to run into it. So therefore you got to get him coming off that the Rip Hamilton and all them cuts and AI cut to get him on the move and let him go downhill and then he create at the basket stuff like that but trying to set up in a half court they gonna make it tough but they play faster at home. He doesn't turn the ball over normally and that just. Halliburton is like, has he got to the free throw line at all? No, they've been keeping him off the line.

They are finally making a few jump shots. It's so funny how they did not attempt the free throw game. Yeah. Like as great as a point guard he is when you pick up full court, can't dribble. It's weird that some of these guys can't dribble the ball. They don't have a bag. Yeah, like, it's just- Like, even basic-

Just basic. You need to be able to get the mother fucker off of you, you play that position god damn it, so you need that bag. Like even- You say you gotta get to it all the time. Like even like somebody like Luca, you pick him up full to get the mother fucker off you. You play that position goddamn it. So you need that bag. You say you gotta get to it all the time. I even like somebody like Luca, you pick him up full court. He'll fuck around and turn that ball over. He gonna turn his back to you. Yeah.

Like, look at old Matthew Johnson. I'm gonna turn my back to you. I'm gonna back you down in court. And we gonna. He don't know how to break. Like you don't have the just simple basketball because everything's been so. Jason Kidd.

Yeah, Jason. Jason Kidd. People don't understand. No. I said he didn't have a bag. Hell no. He just walked right at you. He just went right at you. Pew, pew, pew, pew, pew, like, yo, God damn.

Right, right. Fast ones. Oh, he's crossover in and out. Yep. Run at full speed at you, in and out, crossover, crossover, in and out, however you want it. It's gonna be one of the two or two of them. Like, good luck.

He's throwing that motherfucker,uckin' Lucius Harris. Hey, man, bring this bitch up, man. Point guards are also different, too, in our area, because these point guards, they're not getting guarded by, you know, other guards. Like, they're getting guarded by other, like, other bigger defenders now. So with Haile, it's not like he's, you know...

He doesn't need to, but, yeah. Like, you know, back then, like, when we'd come up, we were guarding each other, so you had to have, you know, you know, you're going against a guy that's 6'5", 6'7", guarding you 94 feet. I mean, it's gonna be tougher getting that ball up to court. Especially if you don't have a foot speed advantage. Yeah.

Like, if you don't have a foot speed advantage, which, like, in this situation, it don't seem like he does, it, it is. It's gonna be tough. Like the only thing that's- He ain't running at you. What saves him is he has that shifty, he has that shifty movement, that irky jerk, and then he can bounce and shoot.

Yeah. Right, so he don't, because he doesn't need to set up on his shot, kind of helps him a little bit, get it off. And it's weird that he can do that because the shot is so awkward. Yeah. It's weird that he can go that because the shot is so awkward. It's weird that he can go straight into it without.

So it's a lot of hard work. A lot of perfecting that shot and getting it off the bounce. We look at this under 17-2 following a loss. Obviously 30-2 against the Eastern Conference this season. 80 wins entering this NBA Finals. Did you say 30-2? 30-2 against the Eastern Conference this season. I thought you said it before and I wasn't, yeah.

Yeah. Who else did they lose to, shit? Okay, just making sure. Just making sure people know. And y'all lost to who? Indiana. Huh? Indiana. Huh? Indiana.

So what'd they say? So, but question for the count, is the Thunder team we saw in game two the one we should expect to see for the rest of this series? We saw the same team in game one. Are we gonna see the same lineup in the second half that played the whole game this year? This was the name. As I said, I just think the coach just over was overthinking what he, I think that's what's happening here.

That you have this guy over there that got all this tricky shit and you trying to out trick him too. Like, you know what I mean? And now realizing that tricky shit that he's thinking about is making you think. And that was the thing. You're like, you know, if he's sitting there, that he's thinking about is making you think and that was a thing You're like, you know, he's sitting there now. He's overthinking just yo

You're number one for the last two years for a reason you have this record over the East for a reason Just go out there and play Your regular lineup They cannot guard it right? They can't guard shade. It can't guard no high low because you're too big Don't there's nothing you need to do to worry about them. Yeah, what people were praising you for, you deviated from. Yeah, you deviated from. Like you deviated from in the game one.

So people was praising you for not changing your lineup throughout, not doing the tibetot and these other things that he was, like you were sticking with your guns, right? That got you 68 wins and all of a sudden, to your point, it's like, hmm. We're gonna start you today. Me? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Right, NBA fun, you'll see. Yeah. You're like, oh, okay. I know we lost game one, but we didn't. It makes it like if Indiana would have went bigger in their lineup, if we're gonna change and go big, that makes sense. Yes.

To your line, you going small to their lineup, like, play against the Spurs and they wanna sub out David Robinson. Take David Robinson out. We over here looking like, all right. I know I would have been like, fuck thank you. Personally, they would have just fallen in my ass right there. You too? Two seven footers down.

Shit, I'm shooting 21% for the field. And the two motherfuckers back there. 21% for the field, and the two motherfuckers back there. Did anybody ask him why he did, like did the press ask him? They had, because their bigs first game, they didn't play no minutes together. Yeah, cause they got our rebound, they got our rebound about 20. Yup.

It was like 58- They had three people that had 10 rebounds on Indiana. Three, three had 10 rebounds. Cause I was wondering like how the fuck did they, they had 24, 25 turnover. Cause that's where I'm like, I know they turned the ball over, I went and looked at that first.

Then I scroll back, I was like, oh, they fucking out rebounded by fucking 24. I had mouse turner five and a half lower. Four and a half lower. Like he ain't gonna, them down there, he ain't gonna definitely get a rebound. He don't get defense rebound, let alone offense rebound. He gonna have about two.

Play free throw line or free throw line. He had like 11. That's crazy. He's so much effective. Yeah. If it ain't a dunk, he's playing from free throw line. This is what Yannis feels like. This is what Yannis feels like.

Watch him. No, that's just crazy though. He's skilled, but just listen. If it ain't a dunk, mouse, turn the play, free throw line or free throw. Yeah. It'd be somewhere effective. Motherfucker gang, he can have a roll.

Listen, that roll can be wide open to the basket. He gonna motherfucker stop. He want that bitch right in the pocket. So he's shooting. Anybody even look like they're gonna try. Anybody even look like they finna rotate in. Ain't no charge happen here, Jack. You know.

All right, well let's shift over. He had four, yes. He only had four. 15-4-4, I believe, guys. He had four, no offensive rebounds yesterday. So, Sherri, you're talking about SGA a little bit earlier. Let's give SGA some love. Ninth straight, 30-point game at home this postseason.

Also delivered his 11th game with 30 plus points, 5 plus assists tying LeBron and MJ for the most in a single postseason in NBA history and his 72 total points in the finals so far is the most for a player in their first two NBA Finals games. So after the game SGA pulled up a Sports Center with Scott Van Pelt, offered these thoughts on what it means to him to play in the finals. But I've tried to just tell myself like, like as much as you can just enjoy the process and enjoy the moment.

Are you? Absolutely. It's been amazing. It's been everything I dreamed it to be. It's been, like it's hard even putting into words and wrap my head around. It's been so fun. It's the best stage of basketball ever of all time. We get the opportunity to play in that and that's how I try to like view it. I try to view it as so many people die for this opportunity and I have my whole entire life and now I'm finally here. So just as much as I can enjoy it but keep that competitive fire. So SJ lead the league in scoring this season 32 points per game.

He's averaging 30.4 points per game in the playoffs. He scored 30 points, 30 plus points in nine of the last 10 games, 13 of the 18 games overall. Also impressive that, you know, games one and two were his 40th and 41st career playoff game. Michelle, I'll go to you first. Does SGA deserve more credit for how consistent he's been in this postseason? I mean, I said it earlier. I think so. What I love about him is he's very

like it's always about the team. He's quick to give his team credit. You know a lot of people never get that opportunity and what he said just enjoying the moment of playing in the finals and a lot of people never get a chance to do that. I just I know I know he's MVP I said it earlier I just I don't know I just don't feel like we're really talking about how good he is. And especially in the playoffs, I just, I think he's been very consistent. I think he's been obviously one of,

or not, if not the best player in the NBA right now. I think playing on the biggest stage will allow that, what you're saying, right? For more people to see him play, the more eyes are on him. Granted that it's small market teams playing, people still tune in to whatever degree, whether it's barbershop talk, whether it's just watching highlights, whether it's office talk around coffee, whatever it is, people are gonna start to talk about him because once you're playing on the biggest stage,

yeah, and you are considered that person, which in NBA he was this year, winning MVP. Yeah, it's bound to happen, that attention, that notoriety for his game, not just the clickbait stuff, the free throw merchant thing, this, that. Now, watch him play, right? Watch him really play the game of basketball and you'll understand how good he is. And I want to shout out Olin, man.

Not highlight, but try to highlight simply. I want to shout out Olin, man. He's been preaching Shade since Shade was out here with the Clipper, right? And I've seen Olin transform guys who couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time into real life college basketball players from young age and dead ass, man. Like real life basketball mind and correcting bad behaviors and not just collecting the check.

Shout out to Olin, man. He's worked with Shea consistently and the product is MVP, man. So shout out to Olin. So for those who don't know, Olin Simpliss, aka The Guard Whisper, training Shea. I like that. The Guard Whisper, that's a great nickname. Been working with Shea for a long time. We got a guard, we got a young guard, man.

Hey, look him up. Nice, nice, nice. You get it done. Yeah, shout out to Shay, man, for being consistent in his approach and enjoying the moment of playing in the finals. This was so. We talked about Shay all regular season,

but just the consistency. You know, he could pass on there for 35 and five, pretty much every single game. Didn't really waver too much. Obviously had the streak of 20 point games during the regular season that was snapped in this post season, but will continue next year. But Mr. B, when you just look at what SGA

has been able to do, playing on the biggest stage, biggest moment of his career and delivering, even in game one, the 38 piece averaging 36 points per game right now, which if that holds, he could be seventh all time for highest scoring average in NBA finals. I just love the consistency. Just like from last year, he didn't win MVP.

Everybody felt like he should have. Didn't come back with a chip on his shoulder. Win MVP, put the team on his back, he's in the finals. I always believe when you're grateful for the moments that you get, things come back 10 times for you. Being able to talk to his dad and how they were so, you know, they love Iverson You know just their passion for the game. So and even when he lost and you know, he wasn't playing well He always just stayed with it and he stayed consistent. So this is the reason why he's playing like that to me

Then we look at a guy like Jaylen Williams as well Obviously what he's been able to do being a solid second option. Obviously we had Chase Pops on this couch. Talked about it a little bit, just seeing the growth in his game, still young, still figuring it out. But do we see like we're developing, I don't want to compare him to MJ and Scottie,

but it seemed like a new age version of that with this squad. And do you see a world guild down the road, which we're talking about obviously with the CBA and the punishments for the second apron and all that good stuff, but this team seems like they genuinely like each other genuinely. It starts with the head of the snake. Yeah.

Right, you're talking about Shea, very great player. Like he's a, like, I don't, player, like he's a, like, I don't, it's bad media takes that stops you from appreciating players in real time, right? And that's why sometimes, man, when you, as a journalist, you know, you have your funny takes, but when it comes to just the purity of the game, and you on a couch

or questioning how good someone is, I need to, we need to start saying, all right, you go out there and do it. Just you go out there and do it. Because if you saying, it's that easy to do something, you're making the public not appreciate what the person is doing. When Russell Westbrook was averaging a triple double

and then you added, oh, it's padding stats. The consumer of the information did not appreciate what he was doing. He becomes overrated. We don't care about it. You don't appreciate what he's doing. When you decided to say someone who's averaging 30 fucking three points a game is a free throw merchant that he's flopping around the game, when people look at him, they're like, oh,

he's just a flopper. Fuck all that. So this super talented guy is being overlooked because you put a fake tag on his ability because he knows how to get fouled. That's the problem with why he doesn't get appreciated for what he's doing. Absolutely. And that's the problem with the game. You got people, you know what I mean? You got people who can't do none of it, but you're questioning the ability of the person. Which is why.

So, now when the consumer's looking, they're looking at a professional say, ah, what he's doing, that's just, he's just flopping around. That ain't even basketball. This shit sucks now. That's how they treat the game. Now they don't respect the craft of it. So it's like, yeah, he's an MVP. I'm not watching that shit.

It defeats the purity of something. Because that's how they felt about James Harden. When he was making his runs. Yeah, even though your favorite player averaged more free throws. Oh, it didn't look the same. Yeah, because no one pointed it out for you to look at it any different. When someone pump fakes three times, what do you think they're trying to do?

Huh? Get a motherfucker to jump so they can flop into him. What do you think Reggie was throwing his leg out there for? To get the fucking foul, that's all of it. What do you think this was for? When Tim Duncan was playing like that and you do this and he swipes up. It's all part of flopping.

Genobly, with all of it. That's the game, that's the game itself. The greatest of the greatest sold the game, their skill. So when you have people that's watching it, discrediting it, that's the bad part about it. That's why you have people like us and me in real time. You hear shit and I don't allow, like, be certain places and people try to engage certain conversations with you.

I stopped the argument, stopped before we even started. Like, we're not finna have this conversation, bro. Like, it's just, nah, we're not finna. We don't want to jump ahead of ourselves when looking at this OKC team, but we have talked about that they are basically assembling what could be a dynasty, and obviously that starts with trying to win a championship this year, there's still ways to go.

When you look at a guy like Jalen Williams, all-star, all-NBA, all-D defense. He can only get better. But I'm saying he really embraced that role as a second option, this team seems to love each other. It doesn't seem like, I remember Perk telling the story about the KD Russ area James Harden six man in a year, but hard one in his own team

It seems like this squad can stay together and not kind of deal with some of the pitfalls that other teams have In terms of other guys wanting to have a bigger role No, no, no, no, that's Because the separation is so far from them that it's hard for Eagles is so far from them that it's hard for egos to play a part. There you can't manipulate it. You can't do who's better between Jalen Brown and Tatum. You can't do that.

Kobe is Kobe or Shaq's team. Who team is it? Dwayne Wade or LeBron James? There's no room for that because Shay and Jalen is so far from each other right now because of the age, because of that. One is so far from each other right now because of their age, because of that. One is young trying to figure his game out.

So it's hard to do that here. Right, so now you have Jalen that looks up to him and is like, yeah, I'm your wingman. You know what I mean? You know what I mean? So it's easier for them to build onto this because they all know their roles. Yeah.

If Shay goes out for extended period of time and then Jalen is holding the team on his back in a mother average about 31 Yeah, yeah when the captain come back, there's gonna be some of them But do you feel like that? The case start drawing a place You might want to remember who done held his team together goddammit That's when that shit happened. And not to coach Scottie Pippen.

Not to compare the two teams. You know what? I'm not going in. Fuck it. Fuck it. I'm not going in. It don't feel like that. That was some ego shit right there. Let somebody do that today. I'm not going in. Let somebody do that today. Yo, that's right. Let somebody do that shit today.

So the thing about like our era and you can tell like with Shea and like this era a lot of the guys, there's no, he's accessible to his teammates. The other guys superstars in his league, they weren't accessible to their teammates. It wasn't. It's what it is. That's what we were talking about the other day about getting better. Right, just going to work out together. They might do their work, but he's accessible. Right, so he's not, there's no separation in that part of it. So when it's that, it's easier for Jalen to accept where his game is and where he's

headed than questioning it right now, right? There's like, there's no like, when I got with J.K. J.K. first team all NBA, this, that, there. So I'd be a fool to be like, shit, yeah. I'm MVP caliber too, my second year. Like, no, it's like being fucking foolish, right? So it's that, right? You understand where you are and your ability.

You want to keep getting better and you want to keep helping this team win. But this already, to Gil's that, right? You understand where you are and your ability. You want to keep getting better and you want to keep helping his team win. But this already, to Gil's point, there's already been this separation of years of service, ability, averaging 30 points for the third year now, MVP now, it's signature shoe. So it's established that it's a pecking order,

but there's no, like I said, he's accessible. There's no separation in the personal part of it. Well, you'll know, trust me, when you'll know when the egos kick in is when the media starts pushing that narrative of whose team is this and who's better. That's, we're human. We read into it, right? The only thing that breaks teams up

is outside influences. Because there is a training camp, right? We practice every fucking day when we do practice. We play. So there is already a picking order. It's already been established. The only thing that makes teams question it is when someone else starts, hey man, I think you need to be getting more shots.

And you know what I mean? You start writing the paper, oh I know he's seen it. Like that ends up happening. I guarantee you, that whole OKC team got each other's number. Every, if there's 17 players, all 17, 16 of them got Shae's number. They all got his number, so they all can call him.

I can tell you this for damn sure. Oh God. So is that like, for the last, hey listen, I guarantee you, if we talk and we say, hey man, did you have every player's number on your team? Nigger fuck no. No, I'm telling you, hell no. Hell no.

That wasn't a thing, like there was a separation in team. I mean, we had the group chat, though. That was one thing. But does everybody's number in the group chat have a name assigned to it, or is it just an area code? No, it's a whole bunch of shit. I'm like, who the fuck is this talking right here? Yeah.

It's just numbers. And then whoever organists, yeah, they just put in what's on the plane leave, everything. Huh? Two. Two phones. One for the two, one for. They got the bat phone number. Put them with the holes. Yeah, they got the bat. J. Kidd had the real one. No? Wow.

Wow. This is a true story. I'm not gonna say who the name is. Everybody don't get your phone number. I'm not gonna say the name, but you'll know. I'm not even your teammate? No. You'll know just how this sounds. So one player called the main player. So option three or four, right? Call that said, hey, where's the charity at?

He said, how'd you get this number? And he was like, no, I'm asking for the charity. No, no, no. But how did you get this number? And then, oh, blah, blah, blah. I was like, all right, let me call you right back. Call the person. Damn near, you do this again, you're getting fired. And then call his teammate back. Yeah, so it's blah, blah, blah. It's over here. This is where we going Don't give my I try to do that to you guys how you get the first thing is how you get this number That's the crazy part Yes

Yeah, if you say who the director if I say who the two were you gonna be like You didn't have his number. I dig it. Hell no He didn't have his number. I dig it. Hell no. No. I can get this. Hell no. It ain't always what people think.

Champions. Like just because y'all play together, man. Just because y'all win together and y'all, it might seem like a certain thing when this two and a half hours y'all see guys. Nah, man. It ain't always that. Guys, listen, we going our own. I agree with that part. But we ain't got my phone number. Because we it ain't always that. Listen, we going our own fucking center.

I agree with that part. But we ain't got my phone number. We ain't hang out and all that. But you don't need my phone number. We had each other's phone number. If we don't have the same interest, where do you need my phone number for? Other than we work with, see, this is the thing.

Me and Rashad had this conversation on this very couch, right? There's coworkers and friends. And in every business, every coworker don't have each other's fucking phone number. That's true. You sitting, so I told them, listen, and most businesses, the most jobs,

they got an office or a cubicle. Or they working on some solo project with they, right? You're not interacting with your coworker unless it's a project, you're in a meeting, meetings on Wednesday. We all know in a meeting, meetings on Wednesday. We all know we got a board meeting on Wednesday. We show up on Wednesday, now you go back to your office, you go back to his cubicle, you go back to...

You got different walks of life, interests, whatever your preferences are, they got that. It's the same thing in NBA and other sports. It's the exact same thing. Just because we, certain Tom Brady might've had guys who won four or five Super Bowls with him. You ever been to Tom Brady's house? Like, I don't know where the fuck the Tom is.

Does he live in New England? Like, right? We ain't seen Tom, we ain't know Tom had a personality into the Super Bowl parade. They ain't seen Tom. We ain't know Tom had a personality into the Super Bowl parade. Like, they ain't seen this man. Right? It's just, that's just the nature of it. It's a separation. And unfortunately, that's just what it is, man.

I think because what ends up happening is we're around each other so much that when we're not, I don't want to talk to you. Or there's nothing we need to talk about. There's no... Yeah, I don't want to talk to you. There's nothing we need to talk about. There's no... Yeah, I don't want to look at you. You know what I mean? Like we're on the bus. We're eating.

Just because they have your number, it doesn't mean... No, I'm just saying, I'm trying to figure out what would we be calling each other for unless we go into the... Like, if we got each other's number, it's going to the strip club where we're trying to do some dumb shit together. Right? I'm not calling,

hey man, you know that play coach man today, can you teach me to like, what nigga? No, hell no. For him to be like, you stupid motherfucker. Game 37 in the second quarter. We came out of time out and you wanted me to set the pick this way and I set the step up. Like what did you mean when you said, like,

no, we're not, no. What about the power of friendship who? We don't have the same interest we're not hanging out I didn't hang out with none of my team. Yeah me neither Like think about it. Think about it. Yeah, they think about a young 18 year old right and you got the vet they Wanted but what I'm saying is, but you gotta think about it like that. Like you're only gonna chill with who you do things with. Like if you're a married couple,

you're not hanging with the young dude. That's fucking other relationship. Yeah, you're doing married. Yeah, you better be doing some marriage shit. Some double dating dinner type. That's true. An happy girlfriend or something. Yeah, other than that you ain't-

That ain't even the same strip club. The strip club crew got the strip club crew. They hang out with each other. Yeah, you know, that's that clip. You know, the party crew, you know, the workout crew, you know, the dinner crew, you know, to stay in the room guys get to the city. There are certain guys get to the city. They stand they fucking room. Yeah. All right. You got guys that they go in a room and read. read the Bible they whatever pray whatever they

meditate whatever they do watch movies whatever they want into the we don't see them into the shoot around bus and they catch in the first bus to the game We'll talk on the plane. Huh? We'll talk on the plane. Not even them. They don't even talk dudes on the plane. I mean, yeah. Cards, you playing cards. Like Antonio Daniels. That's it. I remember the first time I've ever seen him outside of an arena on the road. It was Indiana.

Indiana coming back from Louis Vuitton. Yeah. I'm not going to say, it was just put like this. It was different. he was going through some shit and he was coming in letting the snow yeah yeah yeah this shit is different we played three years together I'd never seen him on the road ever ever we you know we get there we sit in a lobby we'll sit in the lobby for hours. Hours. Never seen this man ever on the road outside the gym.

That man walked in. We all turned. What the fuck? If someone said he stays in his own hotel, we would have believed that. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Yeah, like they didn't like And these dudes make I've seen dudes making a lot of like of course the dude NBA players make a lot of money but I didn't see any dudes on the on the upper echelon of the contracts and Room sir, like never seeing my you go to a certain city. You like put you see him at dinner. You like

Fuck you got glass wine sitting in front of him, you like, you fucking drink too? Yeah, fuck you doing here. Yeah, I tell you. You doing here. Oh, we have teammates who, they don't ever do nothing, then they do do something, and then they play affected, then you gotta step in as teammates,

be like, hey, bro, nah, hey. You need to. Yeah, just stay, do what you, listen, this is not for you do what you've been doing We don't need to see you after motherfucking 10 o'clock. You need to be going out with us at all. No, we was We was a Denver man. We had to Hey, no No, didn't drink this much didn't do nothing when he was out But the fact that it was sleep pattern was fucked up. He played like shit.

We were like, nah, dog. Get your strip club. Have you ever heard, have you ever heard about like, afternoon strip club? You had, did you have players that did that? During the season? Like, like that was their thing.

You know, like we night, we night, we night strip club. I didn't, I never heard of day strip club. Like they, like from five to seven. So one of the teammates, like when I see- Before that, there's a lunch time. Yeah, before that, I'm about to say- I didn't know that.

It's three shifts. Oh, you know, we get in at three o'clock. You know how we get in, you know how we get in at three? Yeah, know it either. So what happened is one of the players told me about daytime and said, yo, those are easy cracks right there. That you waste your money at nighttime.

Y'all, you can take them. So we went like, they five o'clock, seven o'clock? I heard one of our teammates moaning in the booth. And I said his name. And I was like, bro, I didn didn't know you be at the strip club, bro. What? You could tell by the mom what team he was.

Like, I was like, no. It was the mom that let you be indicated. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What the hell? That sound like, OK. Not like that, not like that, not like that. Oh! Not like that.

Just the noises. How you know? How you know! Not like that. Just the noises. How you know? How you know he might have had that? Just the grunts, right? It's the same. You're making it worse, right? Right. Yeah.

What type of noises was he making on the court? No. You know the post. You know the post. Yeah. Yeah, you know the post up grunt. Unh, unh, unh. Everybody got a Rubik's Cube?

No. No, the post up grunt. No, it was the same. It was the same grunts. No. But I knew, and I was like, yo. And then I'm like. But you knew that mode.

Like, I'm like, yo, this is. I know that mode. Like, I had a different respect level of who you are as a man. Because we didn't think you was a man. Like, we didn't think you was a man. That kind of a man. Yeah, we didn't know you was a man. We didn't think you was a man. That kind of a man. Yeah, we didn't know you was that type of man. Like we was like faithful NBA players.

You was one of them. So you gave me that. I would have lost millions of dollars. Because I made you respectful of. No, no, just look at you. I would have lost millions of dollars because I would have put all my money. Ain't no way this man was capable of anything like this.

Yeah, because there's certain players. Listen, you know, I'll just, it's certain players around. So, so after you found that out, then he was able to have your phone number? Yeah, it was, it was cool. Like, like he was the alibi. He was the alibi. He was so good. He was the alibi.

He's the person. I'm with you, right? Yeah, he's that guy. I'm with you. Like he was like, that was that guy. Anytime you say you're with him, right? Yeah, he's that guy. I'm with you, like he was, like that was that guy. Anytime you say you're with him, everything good. You want it, yeah, you need it.

Yeah, they know his wife ain't about that shit. But I'm confused about how you knew the moan. That's the one. There's a moan and there's a cry. That is the most important part of the story. Like what is he doing on the floor?

Oh! Oh! We got one! Yeah, right? We got one! He knew that one. Oh, we got one! Here it comes!

Oh yeah! That's not great! Like, wait, hold on. Like damn! Wait, wait. What are those like, oh? Like you just don't like it. Wow.

Like wait, what are you doing in there, man? No. No. No. You know how you just,'t like it. Wow. What are you doing in there? No. No. Cheryl, you know how you just, you make noises. Like when you do certain things you make noises. Oh yeah, but you know, but. But the noises you make on the court when you play basketball. I had a teammate who sounded like this in punch.

Ah! Ah! Ah! He's in the middle of the fight and that was his punch sound. Ah! Ah! Ah! He's in the middle of the fight, and that was his punch sound. Ah! Ah! Ah! He's winning the fight, though. So, you know, he was winning the fight, but those was his sound. I need that fan. Oh, shit.

You don't know what sounds you make when you're doing certain things. Yeah, but I... You should. If I told him, this is how you sounded during a fight, he would want to fight me because he would be thinking I was making this shit up. So he in there, tell your friends about me. Oh my God. I don't even know how we got on this subject.

Let's keep this thing moving. I knew by the moment. Nobody did. That was crazy. No, the teams. Like, it was because we were saying these. This was a team that probably had everybody's phone number. But what was the moment that you heard when you were like,

oh, that's so and so? Uh. Uh. Uh. Uh. Uh. I was just supposed to be like, uh. Yo, is that you?

Yeah, bitch. Oh my God. That's what I'm saying. You know, like, you know, the motherfucker trying to little jumble. Now he probably know who I'm talking about. Oh shit. I definitely do. Oh my God.

Motherfucker got weird noises when they're trying to make moves, man. Yeah, I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know.

I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know who I'm talking about. Oh shit. Oh shit. I definitely do. Oh my God. Motherfucker got weird noises when they're trying to make moves, man. You said one name and it was right. No, I know where he is.

You didn't say like three names. You knew him. Niggas sound stupid when they're trying to do stuff. Oh my God. This is, uh. Yeah, yeah. Motherfucker don't change that moment. They getting their nicks up.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Moving on. Moving on. They don't think he hoopin'. There you go. There you go. There you go. There you go.

There you go. Hold it. Take a nap on it. Yeah. Nigger like we talk shit. Like, you know, change. All right. That's how you know.

That's great. Nuggets say stupid shit doing Let's be right on back to NBA finals discussion here But before we do make sure you download the underdog app use promo code you get him a thousand dollars of bonus cash plus a special Pickle and if you can tell somebody by their mom that means that you guys are good teammates Thank you. Let's let's delete that from memory ladies and gentlemen look right into the screen And they don't want the mother who don't go out never and you can't get in the league Let's talk about the Pacers side of things

Tyrese Halliburton hit the most important shot of game one, but only took 13 shots in that game 14 points 10 rebounds 6 assists in 39 minutes. Halle followed that up with another underwhelming performance in game 2 just 5 points in the first three quarters before dropping 12 in the fourth quarter. He only took 13 shots in game 2 as well. Pacers are 7-1 this postseason when Halle scores 20 or more points 6 and 4 when he's under 20 points so yeah so but we know how he needs to be my partner sent me that watching the show the power of friendship ladies and gentlemen okay we got investigative journalists far and near I could figure it out so we we know how he needs to be more aggressive somebody's watching the show that oh it's not

listen if somebody's watching the show that It's not, listen, there's somebody that's watching the show that's not an NBA, but that's just sent me. But could recognize that same. Oh no, just do Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob, what the description, everything that you're named just in the process of elimination. Oh wow. Very smart knowledge with NBA person that I'm speaking,

but yes. The power of friendship, ladies and gentlemen. Shit, M.G. So we talked about Halle 13 shots in both games, one and speaking, but yes. The power of friendship, ladies and gentlemen. Shit, M.G. So we talked about Howley, 13 shots in both games, one and two, but we talk about the Pacers being a much better team, at least how the numbers suggest, when he scores 20 or more points. Howley need to be more aggressive offensively

to put the Pacers team in the best position to succeed. There's the record says it. I mean, you said what in the postseason? Seven and one? Seven and one when he scores 20 or more points this postseason. For regular season, it's 20, 25 and 3, 26 and 3, when he scores over 20-plus points.

So, you know, that's how gifted he is. So, that's why I said he doesn't do his team a justice when he's not trying to be offensively aggressive. Right? And I think sometimes he probably over thinks how he get these guys involved when, as long as you're attacking a basket, everybody has to react.

That's how good you are. So when they react, that's when you get easier passes. But if you're going around just playing hot potato, it hurts the team. And this team is not, you know, they don't have a number one option. So he has to be aggressive early, especially in this series.

You know, okay, see, they have a lot of great defenders. But when he's more aggressive early, it will open up a lot of open buckets and open shots for a lot of other guys. So I do think he's going to have to be way more aggressive and make that an influence. Yes. The simple answer is yes. You gotta use them dudes aggression against him.

Right. He gotta start, he gotta use Lou Dort aggressive against him. Just in order to. Yeah, so. All of them for one, cuz they so hell bent on stopping him, you gotta figure out a way to get to the line, not shooting any free throws in game two, it's unacceptable.

All that five points going into the fourth quarter is unacceptable. So, yeah. They go as he goes. And I guess how do you balance being aggressive offensively but still making sure you're facilitating keeping your teammates involved, or does it just reach a point where it's like, yo.

No, to Gil's point, right? I'm the captain. You're putting pressure on the rim, they gotta react to it, right? If he's getting two feet in the paint, they gotta react to it. Then you still can be the facilitator that you need to be, but you being aggressive helps that.

So people think when they hear be aggressive, that it's all about, I have to shoot it. No, being aggressive is you making the defense react to what you're doing in order to get your teammates in, like that's just what it is. And a lot of guys to Gil's point, do their teammates a disservice because you're not aggressive when the ball is in your hand.

You don't have to shoot it. Go try to make a play. You never know what's going to come of that. You might get all the way to the rim. You might get to the rim, they step up. You got the lob. You got this pass. You got that pass.

And he's so capable of doing all those things, he got to get two feet in the paint. Like, what's the name of the team that's more consistently aggressive? TJ. Yeah. Like how TJ, like he's getting there, like hey I ain't got it, okay let me pull it out,

let me get back in there. Like that, because what's happening is you're making the defense collapse. Your weather's dripping all the way out on the baseline, keep going, it's just you making them react to something, you never know, you might get that corner three, the guy might think you finished your reverse layup, he come in, you got that pass, now they gotta react,

you get a swing, swing, top of the key three. Shit like that, that. Yeah. What's that Jake Hit film? Yeah. It's just certain guys probing. When he is offensively aggressive, the game is very different.

Like it looks different, like you can tell he's taking over the game. Right, it's like right now, it's like he's letting everybody do things then he comes in to save it too late But when he's playing the full game, it looks like he's dominating it. Yeah But it's just you can like he's doing both. Mm-hmm So we will see if he can pick up his offensive aggressiveness in game three No, but he nobody proved but the Knicks is the same way though. The Knicks throwing Josh Hart at him and an OB, the different defenders at him, it's the same thing.

But you can go out and have 30, 15 and no turnovers in that series. You can go out and have 30, 15 and no turnovers in this series as well. It is that simple. Right, you gotta be- Most turnovers he this series as well. It is that simple. You got to be- Most turnovers he done had. Like, yeah, because they- The stretch.

Yeah, but you can- Number one defense in the league. He is capable of doing it. He's capable. The series shifting back to Indiana for game three and four. We'll see if Halle can be more aggressive. Let's talk about something else going on in these NBA finals, something very concerning and troubling.

So following game one of the finals, there were a bunch of complaints about how basic the court looked. Absolutely no indication of the magnitude of this championship series. The league said they removed the Larry O'Brien trophy from the court in 2014 due to player safety concerns, but they've had no problem rolling out the custom graphics heavy courts

for the end season tournament. So NBA heard the criticism, responded by doing this to the court for game two. Let's take a look they Put a digital overlays of the championship trophy on the floor to start the game How long do they keep it at the 13 seconds? I believe like man every part of the first quarter's I need that logo on the floor, right?

It just makes it more official to me. Yeah, I don't think they should have that big-ass logo They had before but those two fighters people don't think they should have that big ass logo they had before, but those two finals, people don't play basketball in those spots, right? Well, a lot of people do. Well, that's true. I mean, dude. I feel about something.

There's typically no but shit. Y'all know what I mean. That's tacky. So they're projected overlays onto the court. Those lasted for a little bit before briefly switching to a finals logo overlay I think the finals logo is dope. I don't like the trophy. Yeah, the NBA final. Yeah, I think the NBA final Yeah, that's classic. Yes. I think it should be that yeah I mean this is like that's a staple to be able to have that because these have it on the baseline

He's having on it somewhere. It was so but having it out there I think right on by half court is 10 years from now. They throw this in a hardware classic. They're not even gonna notice it was a finals game. Right. And that's why it looked like just a regular season game. Bad part. They need the finals logo on the floor.

So for the sake of comparison, here's what the Thunder Court looked like for the NBA Cup this season. So. Yeah, and that one had a trophy. I think like, you know what I'm. I think it should have three trophies on the court. I believe it had three trophies on the court, one at half court and three at the long. That'd be dope if they played on those floors for the finals. It seems like that would. That's dope.

That would be. If you put all this energy into the end season tournament, which is more important? Finals or the end season tournament with which is more important So the player safety not an issue with these a heavily graphic elaborate courts three trophies on the court Yeah, and I feel like they said the Larry Brown it the Larry Bryant trophy in the middle So how about make the paint the trophy? Yes. I'm saying yeah No, just make the paint because it's the shape of the fucking thing as is. Right? But you guys agree that the NBA is lacking right now with their lack of finals representation.

Boy, that looks way better. They should play on those for the finals. Yes. And they should wear them, so you should, those court and they wear special uniforms for the NCAA tournament games as well. Yes they do. So let's go back like y'all doing all this advertising, spending all this money on jerseys and all for NCAA tournament. Let's do some new jerseys. Yeah because like we wanted to wear, I know we made it to the finals like I was

hell bent like we wearing them gray jerseys I don't give a fuck what nobody say. Like fans loved our gray jerseys when I was with the Nets like we wearing them. Like they were just white and blue now. Can you make some red ones? I was all over like this shit. Can y'all get these printed off in time? But yeah, you gotta do certain things man to make it stand out.

Cause it is the finals. I mean, it's the biggest, biggest moment in anybody. Hey, hey, hey. Hey. She was looking at you. Clips from- Go ahead girl. The same, they didn't do it last year either. So I was looking at Dallas versus Boston to see if it wasn't even there either. But I guess because this is such a small market, we nitpicking.

Yeah, they dropping the ball. Well, they're just gonna complain for a while now. Put Larry O'Brien back on the court. Because it's such a small market, we nicked it in there. They dropped it in the bottom. Well, they just had to complain for a while now, put Larry O'Brien back on the court. But the one they did have out there was ridiculous. It was digital overlays. No, I'm saying the one like, I guess before they had the big trophy on the floor as well.

You thought that was too much? Yeah, I think just the finals logo, NBA finals logo in the year, whatever it is, it's NBA finals 2025, stamp that shit on the floor. I think the problem is- What's wrong with that? Versus-

It's real simple, Steve. The old school where they didn't give a fuck. This school is like, all that sticker, I'm slipping on the sticker. That's what I'm saying. Maybe it's not what the people out there playing basketball with. Because they used to put it right by where, down by the dunker in that area, like on the baseline, it should be down north. But put it by half court, man.

That's sticking with everything. There should be something that says, this is different than normal. Because they give you the jersey and the finals joint, but most of the time you not, you looking at guys names on the back of their jersey when they playing, so you not really you looking at guys names on the back of their jersey when they playing. So you're not really, oh, that's a finals logo.

But I guess it stands out because, you know, it's these two teams and we just wondering like, yeah. That's right now, like you said, hardwood classic ain't nobody gonna know in the history. Guys look up 10 years from now and look up this game, it's not going. Will this be on hardwood classics? Do we feel it? I don't, it's not going. Will this be on Hardwood classics, do we feel?

I don't, it's not a classic. Game one, I think. History. Game one, yeah. Game one of the NBA finals, 2024, 2025 season would have to be. No, but there should be some stuff that just- Specifies a lot of typing, right?

Yeah, it's supposed to stand out. It's supposed to stand out like- In season, dude. In season, it stands out. It's supposed to stand out like in season two. In season two it stands out. Because I mean, King use, I mean as a player- It's still out the first season definitely. I mean as a player you don't notice it, right? Because there's just a hologram on it?

Yeah, you don't see it. You don't see it on the whole. Oh, okay, so- When it gets a little janky when dudes run over it or you know all that type of stuff, they obviously, technology hasn't advanced. But get all the- Or put it on the- On the side. On the side. that type of stuff, they obviously, technology hasn't advanced. But, get a little check in. Or put it on a

On the side. On the side. On the side, you know, red, score table, where you're coming in at. Yeah, you check in at that spot. Put that shit right there. Yeah, most of it. Like I know it says, I know it says,

where YouTube has they shit. I have work, right? At that one spot. No, no, no, no, YouTube TV goes, YouTube TV, YouTube TV, they're in this big space, finals. And then they used to have it on the little thing, that ticket thing on the on the little thing that

Ticker thing on the front. Yeah, fuck shit. I guess they waiting for somebody to pay for it Alright, well, let's keep this thing one word one last thing to cover So Allen Iverson celebrated his 50th birthday this weekend. So we got a show the answer some love. Yeah, he gets some smoke our bronze smoke and our brownie smoke together. So Ivers considered one of the most influential players in the history of basketball during his career AI was an MVP seven time all-MBA selection, four time scoring champ, three time steals leader, member of the 75th anniversary team. So what's AI's lasting legacy on the game? Ooh. All of that.

All of that. What is it, the brains? No. No, it's just what it is, man. To be you to, for guys that came into the NBA with a personality, that came into the NBA with a personality, he let you know that you didn't have to deviate from that. To be you unapologetically about it, whatever came with it, you accepted it and you are beloved by the city you play in for that.

And to go with how you play the game of basketball, it was a recipe for success and love from your peers, the fans. Yeah, so yeah, all of that, man. Now Chuck is, the people that don't know him, man, he's one of the best human beings I've been around, no matter what somebody in my interaction might have been, what, I'm here to debunk that special person. So yeah, 50 years is something special, man. I're gonna be around and still be the icon that he is, still loved and praised wherever he goes to this day. You did something right for a long time

that touched a lot of people. So shout out to Chuck, man. And when you guys were teammates, did you have his phone number? That's a good question. Great question to decide. I was one of few. Okay.

Yes, I was one of few. Did you feel like when you, that moment, when y'all exchanged numbers? I had his number before we were teammates. Oh, okay. See, I'm sure. Now, so this is when you become, so this is when you become, so this is when you become teammates.

Yeah. People that just now are knowing me or been around me, I've always been me. I've came into this being me and then deviate and those guys seem to gravitate towards one another, whether we play together or not. And just being off the floor, we gravitated towards one another

in a lot of different ways. But then we became teammates. Yeah, battling against him when I was with the Nets and all that stuff, great, but you know what I'm saying, but just becoming teammates and you see how you go about it. Yeah, no, dude's special, man. Like he is Chuck special in a lot of ways, man. Heard he used to take over Fridays.

He could really take just local eateries establishments, turn them into the nightclub. Oh yeah, we turned Dave and Buster's into a, yeah. Slyer. Yeah, Slyer. Some good drinking. He left Philly and came to Denver and we went from Fridays to Dave and Busses, man.

So now we, yeah, we playing pool and shuffleboard Dave and Busses and so they kicked us out every night. So Mr. B, AI one of your favorite players. From your perspective, what was AI's lasting legacy and contribution to the game? Culture. That. The reason why I have these tattoos, the reason why I wanted braids, like Kenyan said, he's always stayed true to himself to be that size

and to be able to do what he did on the court for all those many years playing hurt and just sticking through it. He means everything to me. And then to see somebody that I looked up to, being able to get to 50 years old is always a blessing, because you're still living, your legacy is still going,

you're still doing things outside of basketball. Yeah, man, I mean, you know, that is the culture. Like that is, when you say basketball, he's culture. Well, AI also a big fan of Tough Crowd, which I let you know, I saw him all-star weekend, he asked me about my jacket. Okay, yeah. I'm like, okay, I just want this one.

It won't fit, but you can have it. Because you asked. He said, what's up with that top crowd? For sure, how about yourself? Like when you look at a player like Allen Iverson and how he was able to change the game on and off the court, there was a lot of negativity kind of surrounding that, it seemed like from the square of media,

but the culture's always embraced and loved him. But what's AI's lasting legacy? 100%, I agree with Kenyon and Brandon. I mean, everything he did on the court, we all know. We saw it. We loved it. But for me, it was bigger than that. It was for the culture.

He was all about the culture. Like him, love him, hate him. He was always, or he is who he is. We got inducted together in the Hall of Fame. And I remember his speech like it was. Like it was yesterday. Whatever. I don't know, like he got up there and we all had a certain amount of time

to get through our speech. And when the light came on, he basically was basically was like fuck the light I'm gonna keep going and he thanked every rapper possible because that's just who he is. That's important. Right like he he's always about the culture and I just got so much love and respect for what he did for the game then and what he continues to do for the game and for the culture today and what he continues to do for the game and for the culture today. So happy belated.

And then Gil, how about yourself? Just AI's lasting legacy. Also, just what impact did he have on your game? Being a kind of scoring combo guard, breaking the mold of what a... I mean, not the game itself, but just you didn't have to be polished to be a megastar.

AI is a megastar in your opinion. For someone, you know, just inner city kids just being black, having somebody with braids, tattoos, right? Unpolished from what we see that when you know, we seen what Michael Jordan was, what you're supposed to look like to get on that level, and then AI comes. Yeah, what you supposed, and he really just went in there and just been himself, and reached those same doors.

It made it easier for everybody but behind him. Right? I mean, you're just talking about iconic mogul. Like, I mean, going to all-star games, just watching him move like Jesus Christ. Just go with hammer shit. Right? I mean, it was just, it was very different. It was, it looked different. Right?

I mean, you have Shaquille O'Neal-Cobb and then him, and it was different. It was, it looked different. No, right. I mean, you, you have Shaquille O'Neal Cobb and then him and it was different. Like, it's like in the same room, he felt bigger. Yeah, I was about to say, so most people walk in, so I walk in the room, I'm 6'9". People look, like, oh, who the big motherfucker walk in, right? He's 6'1", and it's the same effect. When he walks in the room, everybody's gonna look, because the energy is that. Like I've seen, like, you know how you see both, like you see the supers like all start weekend, you got Shaq over there, you got 50 Cent over there,

and then A.I. come, and everybody's just like, oh, shit. That's Chuck. That's it, Chuck. It's like all the girls, like all the girls. Yeah, like all the girls. Yeah, like, you know. Yeah, because you're more amazed. Yeah, it was something just like different.

He's only that tall? Like, God damn. Was that humbling for you to see the work just literally gravitate towards A.I. away from you? I lost my work to just regular ass NBA player. So I should have. Definitely. My work wasn't, I wasn't looking at my work. Just regular ass movie.

They just took my work. What the fuck? This nigga don't drink. He's square. Square ass nigga. Look at that gil like square. This nigga don't drink. He's square. Square ass nigga. Oh, whatever. Look at that, look at that gil like a square. This nigga don't drink. He come down here, give me 50 shots, hollage.

No, no, no. Hey, watch out. Motherfucker sitting there, you motherfucking white, motherfucking 12 bottles of Don P come by that motherfucker, you like. Oh my God, Gil, you stupid. Don't, don't, people already like. Get your hand off of me.

Like, Gil. He slapping Gil. Hey, get your hand off of me. Yeah. Get your hand off of me. Get your hand off of me. Get your hand off of me. Get your hand off of me. Because you look at people different. Listen, if Kobe is in there, everybody is looking at Kobe like, oh, that's Kobe Bryant. AI walk-in, different. It was rockstar-ish. This is Michael Jordan, man. Yeah, it was rockstar-ish.

It was a dip. It was a different movement like Kobe is is like Kobe's. No, so I references when we were on the team because like it's like fucking being on the road with the Beatles. Yes. Mm hmm. Right. It is what it is like.

It was like I mean like roll with the Beatles bro. Like one is like one is like like okay you're here, but he's here. Like this is corporate America. This is corporate America. Like he's here, like it's cool. Like, I don't know why he's here. Right, but he here. Wow.

God. And that's, that's how that looked when you seen them both. And it was, it was weird. I mean, it was, one got them all called after him, the Iverson Mall, like this, it's different. We go and started playing in the big three thing, man. Listen, trust me. Looked up there motherfucking, hey, didn't play one game.

All up there bitches, three jerseys from Georgetown, every stop, all start, you looked up there, there was three jerseys from Georgetown. Every stop, all-star, you looked up there, there was three jerseys everywhere. He owned the number three? Yeah, hell, he's the number three. Oh, and he hated anybody who had it on. Yeah. Yeah.

So like any sports, baseball, when you see the number three, you think AI? Especially basketball. Other sports, not so much, but basketball. Right, yeah. That three is like seeing that 23, or 32. Yeah, it is 8 and 24. 8 and 24. Yeah, yeah. 8 and 24, 23, 3. Bill Russell 6. It's like, cause it's C. 11 was Isaiah Tom. Not even that. It's not, but it was ingrained. Just the Pistons jersey Jersey and that but that three

Yeah, yeah Like like a 30 when when you think 30 you got only 30 that's what I'm saying Yeah, that's just what it is 30 like Reggie 30 1 Reggie Miller Reggie Miller for who else come along Yeah, all right, but let's be real 30 before Steph. Nobody gave a fuck about 30. No, but that's what I'm saying I'm on my point. I mean he made that number cool. But throughout history, it's going to be like... When you see 30, you're going to only think stuff. For sure. But now that's when you're given our jersey in the Youth League, they want 8, 24, 30.

Like football, 7. Who you thinking? Michael Vick. Michael Vick, yeah. Or 21, Deon. Yeah, Deon. Deon Sanders, 21 for sure. Somebody said Elway?

Yeah. Not a chance. I don't know. I'm calling that. Not a chance. Them real football people. Real football. You talking because you know football. You say seven people who don't know football will say Michael Vick.

So you go around and ask the average person, name a famous football player that wore number seven. Go ask the chat. Ask the chat. You got a young chat. They ain't finna say John Elway. Then you know they're not going to say John Elway. John Elway went to Sanford and played in fucking Denver.

Wow, 96% of the chat has said John Elway. He lying. I'm fucking around. You're so full of shit. Who the hell is John Elway. He's lying. I'm fucking around. You're starting so full of shit. John Elway. Who the hell is John Elway? That is the chat's general response. Deadass.

But let's shift it back to AI. So who today reminds you of Iverson's game? When you look around the league right now, what player or players do you look at and say they got a game similar to AI? I'm gonna go SGA and I'm gonna go JAH. I know AI didn't have that jumping ability like JAH, but I would say those two right now.

SGA and JAH, can you, how about you, so we can look around the league right now? That's some good comps, both of them. Got long arms like both of them dudes. Yeah. Yeah, Jocelyn. Flashy. Yeah, Jocelyn.

Flashy like Jai, but yeah, get it done, score like Shay. So yeah, them two good ones. I'll go with that one as well. Do you feel like you have the effect on the culture, like AI? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, especially those kids. It's a difference.

Like it's kids. When he starts, if he starts winning. Us, it was adults. With Chuck, it was adults. With Jai, it was fucking kids. Yeah, everybody. But you say it's comparable. I mean, not at that level, but has the potential.

Not AI yet, not AI yet. If Jai starts winning, he gets to the finals, he does some shit like that. Get an MVP. He's gonna have to win the school. Yeah, he's gonna have to get up there. Okay, because it feels like scoring titles. When when if Josh starts winning he gets to the finals he doesn't like that You got white you got white and Dominican people in baseball throwing grenades See that's the that's the shift, right? Jive got to get them on his side. And that's what I'm saying.

You can't leave with these YNs. These YNs, listen, they... You need some O-Ns, okay. You said it. Women. Corporate America, Colb was married. So women didn't chase him. Bullshit.

Chuck was married. Bullshit. Women chased him. No, no, not in the club. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Sorry. If you put, if you had them both in there. 30 of them gonna be out. Like what I'm saying is if you had Colb table over there and you had Chuck table over there, them women gonna be over there. Oh 100%. Yeah they gonna be right there.

He gonna be bottled out. It's the aura, it's the swag. Yeah it's the swag. It's just how he, it's like you know. Colb you probably won't see him in there. He be like he's in there. It's just how he changed. It's like, you know, like, Kobe, you probably won't see him in there. He'd be like, he's in there. And this motherfucker just look up, he gone. Yep, I say,

everybody's now, you look over there motherfucker, he gone. Kobe in the building. Well, but they also just, they were just, they were just different. Yeah. Right? Different superstars.

Different type of superstars. As a female, you might look at Kobe and be like, I don't have a chance. I ain't got a chance. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you look over there and you see Kobe and be like, I don't have a chin. I ain't got a chin. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you look over there and you see Al and you like, You know what? I'm gonna holla at that nigga.

He might go for this pork. Yeah, they were just different. Kobe gonna have you in the gym. Okay. Hey, Kobe, what do you think about this pick and roll? I'm coming. Oh man, I'm trying to have a drink. Damn, you still on game three, dog?

Hey, who needs this gun when I got you? Hey, I... Who needs this gun when I got you to chase these rebounds? You're gonna have to watch the game film first. Hold on, what are you talking about? You got 1,500 shots up first. See if you really down with me. Yeah, you're trying to practice. If you really about this life. You're trying to practice. Come on. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, And all that now let's move to mostly fans Presented by our friends at underdog download the underdog app use promo code guilt up to a thousand dollars of bonus cash plus a special

Bicca special special pick. I got me fucking up Our first question is from underdog user Streef Said what player in the playoffs has surprised you the most in terms of their play, good or bad. Player in the playoffs that surprised you the most in terms of their play, either good or bad. That's still playing or not playing? Period. Period? It's just that playoffs, so we will.

I would say the inconsistency of Tyrese Halliburton play. But not disappointing, but just the inconsistency of it. To be in the finals. Got 32 and 15 games and then, yeah. Yeah, to be in the finals and he hasn't just been consistently dominant like team needing to be. Yeah, he's said as much himself. He said he struggled in both first half

of the two finals game. He knows he gotta do best. But we'll'll see. I'm gonna go with the same person being clutch in the finals when it counted. Yeah. So as it incurses that he's been being that great during the most important time of the game, because to be honest, that's where your, your grades perform. Those last two minutes of a game, those last seconds where they know how to slow the game down to be, and you have that gene in you, right?

So, you know, as inconsistent he is, the first, you know as as inconsistent he is the first you know 46 47 minutes He is damn near having one of the best runs in the last one minute. Mm-hmm Facts I'm gonna go That's been consistent playing. I'm gonna go TJ I just feel like the way TJ's come off the bench for the Pacers being able to keep the pace and

You know every time he's in the game, he's effective. So he's always getting in the lane. He's always doing his job So I'm gonna go with TJ. I just like the way he's been playing like just for you know When he comes in the game, and you know, he does his job ready to do it true sure. How about yourself? Did he say finals or playoff? He said what player in the playoffs that surprised you the most in terms of their play good or bad and that's why I asked the question I asked whether he's still playing or not playing because I don't remember yeah I don't remember good or bad so well I probably was disappointed in in Edwards the last. Okay. That's fair. I just thought he would show up and be better. That's not that one. No, that's a good one. That's fair.

That is... Yeah. That sounds like a playoff. That's who I go with. Okay. Finals. What's it going to be? Janestrap. Aaron Neesmith. See how we do that here? I knew exactly what he was talking about.

Aaron Neesmith. No mindset. Just to throw him out of that, how he's been in the playoff. Like usually, someone will have a good game and then you kind of don't like be shooting what?

Damn, you're 50% from the three. In this playoff, this year's playoff. In guarding 94 feet? If he was a free agent, this playoff run for him shooting 50% being in big games, he would make a lot of money just only averaging one point more than he did during regular season. Just how it looks now. All about the numbers, man.

Yep. Neesmith under contract for the 27th season. Mark Dagnall. Yeah, I'm not sure his name. Mark Dagnall. Yeah. Pfft. Really? Yeah.

It's like, Julie. Was he disappointed, Steve? No. Big surprise? No. Oh, you didn't surprise? He had not been good in the previous playoff season. Playoff season?

Oh, here it is. Yeah. He performed very well. Julie. He was hurt last year. The year before that, he wasn't good at the wealth? Steve would know. I knew you, yes, and Nick's would know.

Steve would know. Okay. Okay. Okay. Well, Julius Randall, former Nick, brings us to our next question from underdog user JDK23. He wants to know, would Gil take on the Nick's coaching job and what would you do to take them to the finals? You put your name in take on the Knicks coaching job, and what would you do to take them to the finals?

You put your name in half of the Wizards coaching job, not too long ago you had a resume typed up, reference. I didn't even have the right address. Pfft. Pfft. Shit. I sent that shit to my old house. That was the only thing I do down in DC.

Yeah, they turned the center of that. Let's figure that out. Can y'all drop that shit off at the Capitol? What I would do, let's say I don't get no big free agent, because I asked a bunch, I asked some players on there, like, who was Thibodeau in practice? Did he demand the same amount of energy in practice? And they said no, so I'm very surprised. That, which one makes sense, if I'm playing you 46 minutes, I shouldn't be practicing you that.

I would trust my team more in regular season, some of those roles guys, and I would do a better job of developing them throughout the season. Like, you know, I mean, if you couldn't shoot at the beginning of the season, if I need you to be, like, let's say OG, I will be working with OG all year long on his individual skills, like, you know, foot placement,

learning little moves here and there. on his individual skills, like foot placement, learning little moves here and there. It would be just, I would be working with these guys individually throughout the season. So that's six months, six months of individual work. So at the end of the season, you were a lot better than you were at the beginning. Right, it's weird to me, you couldn't dribble at the beginning of the season, you were a lot better than you were at the beginning. Right, it's weird to me, you couldn't dribble at the beginning of the season,

and you're practicing every day, and your ass can't dribble at the end of the season. That just seems weird. That's six months of fucking basketball. What else you been doing? Going through the motions, this team shit, we gonna practice, give brunch on the ball, we sit in the corner, catch it, shoot threes.

No, work on getting better during the season. That is, you can't, it is delusional in any job to think you can work half the year and be great at it. And when we're in sports, we think that we train in the summer developing our individual thing and then going to season and then we don't use it and we just go back to plan our position list.

Look, no, whatever you was working on work, that's all year. Yeah. Yeah. Right. It doesn't stop when you get in the season. Well, I, you know, I ain't gonna be joining the ball no more. Right. I'm gonna just be in this corner.

I'm gonna just shoot these corners. And then after practice every day, that's all you're getting the season like, well, I ain't gonna be drilling the ball no more. I'm gonna just be in this corner, I'm gonna just shoot these corners and then after practice every day, that's all you're doing and you ain't doing what you was trying to perfect. Now you gotta use the season to perfect it too. So I will be more like what our deficiencies are, what you work on the summer so we can keep implementing them.

So I can use you throughout the season. Like if you start the season off with two minutes a game I know I'm a good coach if I can you can guarantee me 12 like I trust you for 12 minutes now then I did my job if you playing two minutes and you stuck at two minutes and I fucked up because one I didn't put you in for me to trust you or give you enough confidence to really develop your play. I like that guy. We ain't gonna win shit, but I mean you.

We were almost hired until that. No, no, like me. We ain't gonna win. He was almost hired. You know what I'm saying is, my job as a coach, I'm more of how many of y'all wanna be max players? And whoever will raise your hand, that's who I'm gonna hold accountable to.

We gonna work like max players. Hopefully y'all all training like some max players will help the team. You know what I mean? You ass don't raise your hand, then I'm gonna treat you just how you. You all start, you're gonna be treated like all start. Max, I'm gonna treat you like a man.

I'm gonna hold you accountable, you, you all star, you're gonna be true like all star. Max, I'm gonna teach you like a man. I'm gonna hold you accountable, man. Max shows up at three. Mac gets treatment, Mac don't go to the club in Miami. At 11. Go to Wet Willie's. If you can't get no ass at Wet Willie's, then god damn it, something wrong with you. In your game, god damn it.

And on that note, great place for us to finish up. Appreciate everybody in the chat, as always. Appreciate everybody on this couch here. We're great to have you back in the Arena Swoop Swoops. I know, I was trying to see if the rest of the crew would get there, but we're gonna work on it. We'll workshop it. But this has been another episode of Gills Arena,

presented by Underdog. Whoa, whoa, we will see y'all tomorrow.