OverDrive - Feschuk on Antetokounmpo's sweepstakes with the Raptors, Gilgeous-Alexander's huge notoriety and the RBC Canadian Open headlines

Episode Date: June 3, 2025

Toronto Star Sports Writer Dave Feschuk joined OverDrive to discuss the RBC Canadian Open field at TPC Toronto, Giannis Antetokounmpo's sweepstakes with the Raptors and the possibility of playing on the team, Masai Ujiri's connection in the deal, Tom Thibodeau's dismissal with the Knicks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's acclaim in the NBA and more.

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Some restrictions and exclusions may apply. See participating stores for details. Look, man, I consider you Mr. 64. Congratulations. No asterisk required. We've sorted out the math. stores for details look at i i consider you mister sixty four congratulations thanks no asterisk required we've we've sorted out the math it was painful listening to you guys sort of the math yesterday but i i i did not incredible wasn't that it would fast who was it it was carlo and you could see is had if you could actually

see smoke coming out of his ears corrects oh yeah you're right to his hamster was uh... are a p but what you guys. His grade nine math was coming into play, man. Well, you guys were doing that math. I was doing the more important math. I was looking up Jeff O'Neill's birthday. I realized you and the Tiger, both 49, both coming up on Champions Tour eligibility. Wow.

How about a little Q School run? Let's get you on on Champions Tour eligibility. Wow. How about a little Q-School run? Let's get you on the Champions Tour. It's crazy you say that because all the way up, I was like watching Tiger and I'm like, I've got like 12 goals, like around Christmas time. Cause I was thinking in my head like this fantasy world where me and Tiger were like dominating. But Tiger went one way and i kinda went the other and it was just

it was two different stories man so i think that you guys are connecting the champions is a it's how you can play together yellow and brown ears uh... good to see if that's uh... i'm guessing you probably are you gonna make uh... run up to the rbc canadian open this year and i wheat debate this every year. I'm curious how you would answer this. If you're running the tournament, it's your golf Canada, PGA Tour, whatever,

I give you the option of Rory McIlroy winning or pick a Canadian. Which would you choose? Pick a Canadian. You're picking a Canadian? Yeah a Canadian. Yeah. I mean, Rory's wanted enough. I mean, yeah. He's and you know why he keeps coming back here because he's out at O'Dogg's course today on a sponsors event. Oh yeah. I'm sure the price to get Rory out of bed and onto a private jet and out to the Weston Golf Club is not cheap. I had a guy called out there last night and I'm like just to let you know I have to

come by in the morning to grab a few clubs I had re-gripped and they're like you're not coming here like this place is legit shut down everywhere. Yeah really? I walked in the pro shop and grabbed it myself when no one was there because like when Rory's showing up he shuts down the whole thing. That's crazy because he was was at Oakmont yesterday. I believe so. He's at the US Open playing, preparing for Oakmont. Today he flies in, he's at Weston. He may not see Osprey Valley until he gets there on Thursday. He had the caddy out surveying the grounds at TPC Toronto.

And he'll play the Pro Amp tomorrow. So he'll play one of the nines tomorrow. But I wouldn't be shocked if the second nine that he doesn't play It's sight on scene. He just sees it for the first time. That's what he's done in the past. He's done that Yeah, he's done that in the past and shows up and wins. That is a joke man. That's how good this cat is That like there's a part of me like the Patriot in me wants a Canadian obviously now I will say with Taylor winning two years ago. That was big. It was triumphant. It's happened now We don't have to do the first time since 1964. Hey Rory is such a big star

It's almost like Rory and a Canadian winning are on par. I actually think it is Yeah, I think you know if you're macro if you're this tournament, they've never played at Osprey Valley You want you like he keeps saying I'm coming back every single year. I'll always come back if you win You're definitely coming back. Yes. Right. And there's something about going up there and finding McElroy and it's amazing to see Connors and Hughes and Taylor and Pendrith

and all these incredible Canadians that are going to be in the hunt. And I wouldn't be surprised if any of those guys won it. And it would be an incredible story. But the idea of having a ticket and showing up and saying, I was there to see the McElroy RBC Canadian Open like there's something about history and what he represents he's almost larger than the game. Oh yes no he's by far the biggest celebrity on

tour right now that Tiger is not on tour and so yeah for sure you have to you have to respect that but look a Canadian winning it I think is also you know it's a very patriotic moment in our country's history right like I think people could get behind that pretty easily. Yes they definitely could. Are you buying the Yanis and the Raptors doing a little dance thing like where do you stand on this? I mean look it's no secret that Masai Ujiri has coveted Yanis for a long time. Right. Like he cleared the decks a handful of years ago you know of salary cap space to try and get a bright and didn't get you leave my milwaukee at that particular moment

yannis is going to leave milwaukee at some point others some people walk you say it's not going to be this year why why does he want to leave period faster police he's just he said it out loud more than once in a bunch of interviews but he's not going to be there forever it's a very small town right this is a guy with all the money in the world and a big family and big ambitions and big curiosity you know he's a man of the world he's a global citizen so the idea that he wouldn't

want to live in a slightly bigger place than sleepy little Milwaukee not that there's anything wrong with Milwaukee it's not out of the realm of possible sounds like something I would say. Hazel piggyback off of that that. That's brutal. Nobody cares about anything in Milwaukee. I mean they do have old Milwaukee beer there. Which is, you know. Do they? Is that actually where it's from or is that just a clever name? No I think there is a beer brewery there and Jeffrey Dahmer was there.

Oh, there you want to be known for. Do you think he has a sign as you're driving into town? I hope not. No kidding. They call him the Brewers for a reason, right? Yeah, like Miller's from there, like there's a bunch of great... and Bob Euker, the great Bob Euker. Milwaukee's a great place. We're not here to blast Milwaukee.

But whether or not it's going to happen this year, I mean, that's the big question, right? Do you think everything would be on the table, Scotty Barnes included? Like, why would... I said that yesterday that's the big question right? Do you think everything would be on the table, Scotty Barnes included? Like if, like why would I said that yesterday? How could it not be? Like I like we all love Scotty but like Giannis is 30. I wouldn't put him on the table for Kevin Durant. That's a different story. I would not do that. Maybe a couple years ago. Yeah a couple years ago. Sure but Durant's he's older, he's eight. I don't, Durant I don't know where his

headspace is at either man. I don't know if he really cares that much anymore Yonis he's just getting older. Yeah, he I guess I just I guess what I'm saying is I don't know if you can drive the bus I it's a separate conversation, but Yonis is 30 in his prime He's still one of the five best players in the game Scotty Barnes is a poor man's Yonis, right? Gerardo should get the rich man's Yonis. Yes, Yonis exactly And I understand that Yonis may not want to come here without help of course but that's where miss i would really have to go to work if you bring him in you better make sure some of these kids you developing the ones you don't

trade form actually pop better make sure a manual quickly can play point the way that you've been planning on him playing the last year and a half any better keep hurdle happy and healthy it like they're gonna have a little i have to play a lot of basketball absolutely his thing late and score and all that kind of stuff i mean that's why we're going to it what do you think about miss i in this part of the recruiting apparently this relationship with the honest

and miss i itself is like him massaging this part of the organization in in being involved with potentially honest is that a factor in him still being around period with what's happened in other organizations around MLSC? Yeah, the presidents are being picked off, aren't they? Yes. Don't think Masai Ujiri hasn't noticed that, right?

But it's an intriguing aspect to the idea that Masai might try and make a big swing this offseason because you could make a case he'd be doing it for his job because like his deal runs through next season, period. That's the end of it. You would think a guy of that stature who's had that many outside offers over the years would want clarity on his situation going into the coming season. He wouldn't want to be a lame duck. And I don't think Edward Rodgers was thrilled with signing him in the beginning. Well he wasn't. No,

so he must have thought he might have been the first to go. Exactly. So the idea that Rodgers was not happy about the signing in the beginning and Larry Tanabom ended up doing an end-around, used the technicality in the NBA rulebook to sign Masai against Rodgers wishes essentially and against his legal objections because Larry Tanban was the governor of the team and the governor had the right to do it even though he was not the majority shareholder. For all those reasons, yeah, you have to believe that his days will be numbered unless Messiah can pull... They win....Kawaii 2.0. Well, and this is where the timing is actually fascinating because miss i in a way

may want it to be kicked down the canton next year so we can say well he's not available now but i know you also be available next year you need me to get up yeah the better make sure stick around because if he's available now and he doesn't get you on this how was miss i can stick around yet i guess that's the thing if this is becoming a reality were mlsc

is moving off presidents and keith peles gonna have more power is gonna be g m right into the president i might be different with the rafters because they may look at it and say bobby webster you're out miss i you can stay i don't know they made decided change the way it looks is at one point was i was the g m right that's not the case with shanahan or Bill Manning in the past. Very different jobs.

Very different jobs and different roles. Like he is the architect of the team. Shanahan always tried to pretend as if he wasn't in on everything or push that. They would have known his role behind the scenes. But I would think if Yannis is available, and we know that the next month, he's up for grabs, you got to put forth the best price Yanis is gonna have a say in that clearly where he's going to go This is where like because we can talk about why the Raptors would want it Why would Yanis want it? You know like you mentioned he's a man of like international prestige and he's Greek and there's a massive Greek community Yeah, and that I think is a big part of it, and he's always kind of had this affinity

I think for the city, but New York's pretty cool, too Yeah, and the Knicks are better than the I don't think the Knicks have enough to get them. No? No, I don't think they've got the passers- While they fired Tibbs today, I mean they're looking for a new coach. I mean maybe they go get who? The thing that- Putinholzer and they bring the band back together in New York. Danny Hurley maybe? Yeah. Out of Yukon? Yeah. I mean that's been the hot rumor. Who knows? But-

Don't you think though if you're trading for Giannis, want him to play with Barnes you don't ideal ideally noodles you're right you can't have like you're giving up a King's ransom to get him and then now you've got to go and get players to play with them like it don't you think you try and you know it's futures or players you know players that are around the periphery now I know it easier said than done, but it should be Yannis and Barnes and somebody else, you know, that, that because now Yannis shows up, that might attract other free agents or other players that go, I'll go to Toronto for a year and try this out with this guy. Like to me, that's you go and get him.

Now you might be a destination for players. Even it's a one year deal. I'll go play with this guy. Don't you think that's what you know Masai should be aiming for ideally the question is can it be can it work in year one I'm not convinced it can't because like when Kawhi came up that team was stacked like they had Lowry the rest of the league wasn't aware of you know Norman Powell and Van Vliet and Siaka but those guys were ready they had a Baca little did we know they were going to go out and get Marc Gasol, which

was the perfect piece. Danny Green came with them. That team was ready the second Kawhi arrived to be a very good team and then post-trade deadline, they were a championship team. I don't see how that happens with Giannis joining this team, even if you keep Scotty Barnes. Even if you get rid of picks and kids and you got to move money around and you know Barrett's gonna have to go on other pieces I just I don't know how you replicate what we

saw in 2019. It's a tougher sell they're not ready-made. No exactly. So many question marks like to your point right quickly barely played enough last year to know what he really is. Brandon Ingram hasn't played to know what he is and we all know he's been injury prone. You know, we know Jacoby Walter, young guy, what is he? Would you have to give him up, or could you ride with him? Obviously, you know, R.J. Barrett is a possibility for being thrown into the trade,

but could he stay behind and be a scorer for you? I don't know, you're right. It's way more question marks about this team and the kind of blockbuster deal you'd have to pull off to to make it happen. But to the point we're all sort of started with it's like What other option does Messiah Jerry have in a lot of right? You could you could ride with this team and all those question marks or you could ride with those question marks plus Yonis Plus Yonis make which maybe makes some of those question marks go away because he's just that good big time I mean you put him on this team, they're obviously a playoff team immediately. Oh, for sure. And then possibly

moving up the significantly. Dave Festjock in studio. When Tim LaWicki arrived, you could tell them the the mandate was like, think big, go big, find superstars, bring them in here. Giannis would represent that clearly with the Raptors. I'm curious if you if you get the impression Keith Pelly is pushing a similar mandate or is he put like his Laiwiki was like superstars you know we need brand ambassadors and winning would be great like he wanted to win and they did win with Toronto FC they won the Raptors they eventually won. What does your read on Pelly you know now that he's about what 15 16 months on the job his kind of infatuation with superstars like Yanis might represent also like maybe some possible free

agents in the NHL next year like could you see him having some sort of a voice in hey the Leafs maybe you should keep some space in case that guy becomes available and you might want to sign him look I think Keith Peli is a big swing and hey, at least maybe you should keep some space in case that guy becomes available and you might want to sign him. Look, I think Keith Pelly's a big swing guy. I think he's a little bit like Tim Leigh-Wiki. He's not the force of nature that Leigh-Wiki was who kind of commanded headlines and everything he said

and it was a big, big presence around the MLSC headquarters and sort of just was a loud voice and a very authoritative voice. But you know, Pelly is a big idea guy with a lot of ambition and I think look he knows who he works for right like he's got he's got to carry out the marching orders of the ownership and if the marching orders of the ownership is we were not happy not winning you know what did he say about the Leafs they got to be on a pathway to a Stanley Cup I think there's a lot of this concerted people

around that ownership group when it comes to the Raptors. So What does that mean for Messiah? It means you got to make something happen here, you know The what you've done is not good enough In my estimation it's hard to imagine Edward Rogers rubber stamp an extension from a side jury with the team as it sits right now what do you rubber stamp one if he goes out and pulls off the blockbuster deal of the NBA summer and transforms this team into something a lot more exciting, that's something.

That seems like a pretty good pitch. It seems like a pretty good way to at least take your chances and roll the dice and hope they come out in your favor. Fast Chuck, do you think if SGA was American that he would have more sizzle? Because it seems like he's the Canadian guy, he's the MVP. If SGA was American, that he would have more sizzle, because it seems like he's the Canadian guy, he's the MVP, he's wheeled his team into the finals with somewhat ease.

Like how come it just doesn't, it's not poppin'? If he was American, would it be different? I think if he was more about me, if he was more about SGA, in the way that we've seen, you know, a lot of these kind of narcissistic sort of, you know, self-obsessed guys who've been, you know, complete assassins in the league have been about themselves. LeBron's always about LeBron and LeBron's legacy and he's not LeBron, don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing him, but you know, he's also a

very low-key superstar, right, who defers credit to his teammates and the first credit to everybody but himself more often than not and doesn't really You know kind of engage in the kind of NBA drama that we're used to right like he's not ever hear any nonsense out of him Yeah, he's not saying kind of crazy things about how he's then he's the man or it's his team or this is his league now or he's the face of the league. You never hear that of him. That's just who he is. He's a humble guy from Hamilton, man. He's not a guy that's going to do that. Don't expect it and it's not going to change. But to me, like, hey, man, I watch a lot of American ESPN and they're talking about him a lot of a doc don't get it wrong like they are talking about him a lot It's just it's just not like maybe Commanding headlines in the way the previous superstars on finals teams have had them

I think it's also the nature of that market in the states You know like Oklahoma City is I believe the smallest market in the league if not real close to it But I think it's actually the perfect finals for him to be the face of it because the plane the paces and haliburton clearly is a spied and he's playing great he's gonna get a lot of buzz but if they met the next it would have been all new york all the time down there i'd like it would have been all jalen brunson all about new york all about the

next all about the garden and now it's not because it's too small market teams without any championship you know pedigree or history it actually is a perfect platform I think for Shea to wrap up which something one of the great seasons we've ever seen. I mean at regular season MVP if he gets the finals MVP which I anticipate he will if they win championship he's 26 years old they've they've what are they 62 63 wins this year it's incredible and they have in've they've what are they have 62 63 wins this year? It's incredible I get and they have in law they swept in the first round Denver pushed them to seven They won game seven by like 30 and then they just won the last round in five

I wouldn't be shocked if they beat the Pacers in five or less like it's an all-time great season Yeah to be to be like minus 700 favorites in an NBA final crazy doesn't happen And he's the guy like he's the man on that team I guess some of those Kobe Shack teams were like minus 2000, you know, back in the early 2000s. And there have been other teams that have been heavy favorites. But yeah, it's kind of, and it's come on quick, right? Like this team has gone, they're the youngest team in the NBA.

Right. They've kind of gone from being what if to we are very quickly. And they're here to stay, I think, too, for sure. And the NBA, don't you think the NBA needs it? Because the NBA, their viewership was down. I thought their product stunk this year. Like when you look at it, like you watch a lot of the games, load management, guys not trying, like it was just a, like there was bad storyline after bad storyline.

Like don't you think the NBA needs, you know, some positivity? Everyone pays attention in the finals because they actually try. Yeah. Where, you you know in the other games It's mail it in and hey, I'm not sure who's playing tonight Like I think the NBA really struggled this year from a viewership standpoint and people getting excited about the league Well, they got hit now part of it I think is again the brands and like where LeBron is in his career to rant all those guys F Yeah, Steph exactly like they came on down the stretch,

but Golden State didn't have a great start, and now you've got Oklahoma City and Indiana, yet if you're a pure basketball fan, it could be a great series, and you got young players and stars, and I don't think either of these teams are going anywhere. And like Seacom, Pasco Seacom is two weeks away from a second ring.

I know. think a prominent role it's incredible you know what these teams to art maybe are going anywhere but i'll say this if you're to get it back to the raptors like if you look at this eastern conference class it gives you a lot of hope that you're not that far away and look at the if

these teams can be winning like if the nicks can be that close you know it doesn't feel like it's that big a leap to go from sort of being a struggling tanking team to suddenly being in plaf contention and maybe knocking some of these teams off. These are not juggernauts. No, I think Tatum being injured though was a massive factor in the East, was it not? Big time, but he's done for next year probably too, and they may move off Jalen Brown, like they're up against it in Boston, and that's why I think you know the Knicks fired Tom Tibbito He gets five he lasts three or four years everywhere. He goes runs guys into the ground He doesn't he doesn't play his bench much and well

I love that haze like oh he just he got fired because he ran everybody into the ground isn't that a message that it needs More depth possibly yeah unless he just won't you although I don't think they had depth that wasn't being used But you know you get to game six of the Eastern Final. That's a great year for the Knicks Yeah on their history, but I think it's also kind of a backhanded shot at the Pacers, right? It's we lost we beat Boston thinking. Oh, how are we gonna pull this off? They beat them and you can't beat Indiana in a scenario like that. Yeah, that's why I think Tibbs Well, they blew that game or game one was crushing one and They should never lost that game. No, they had it argued. That's that's at least partially on the coach

Yes, that's that's about situational basketball and nursing at home, right? And they didn't do it and that pretty much was the story of the series. Yeah was you look back? Yeah, so look the whole thing about over playing guys. I mean, I don't buy that I mean, I think't buy that. I mean, I think, I think Tibbs probably does go a little farther than most, but Nick Nurse was very similar when he played like eight guys and then playoff run, maybe nine, maybe nine. You're trying to win. It's not, it's not about balance and minutes. It's about trying to

win. And so, um, the whole load management thing, it's, it's a huge discussion around the league. Load management isn't working, right? Like, preemptive rest is not working. Guys are still getting hurt. There's gotta be a better way. There's a lot of science guys on it right now trying to figure it out. There's been a book written that everybody's reading about how you gotta change the way you train.

You're not, you know, you can't just run up and down. You gotta do these specific exercises that protect your knees and protect your ankles and protect all these things that keep popping on these guys, the Achilles and so on. But, I mean, that's another debate. But yeah, like it wasn't a great year. Like you saw it.

You saw who led the US at the Olympics last summer. It was Steph and LeBron still. Yeah. And Joel Embiid in the middle of it all somehow. It was still their team. They still asserted their dominance only last summer. And so, you know, and Golden State, Steph was still really good this year until he got hurt, obviously, but if Golden State would have, if they had slightly different rules, like this new

second apron rule that limits your spending, I mean, Golden State would have spent to get Steph back in the finals. They couldn't do it, right? And they kind of had some injuries that kind of, you know, put the money they had spent into the wrong spot wrong spot so I'm yet it's a it's a problem for the league right now I think in some ways because the next stars have yet to emerge but the only way they can emerges is a is a is a stage like this they gotta play gotta give a platform and that starts on Thursday night OKC against the Indiana Pacers great seeing you Dave. Thanks for doing this buddy. We'll catch you up at the open. There he is. Dave

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