Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Danny Parkins talks NBA & Bears

Episode Date: February 18, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris were joined by FS1 host Danny Parkins to discuss the NBA landscape and whether the Bears should pursue Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby on the trade market.

I could do Stephen A's job, guys. It's not that hard. Danny Parkins. QB1 party. All are invited. Host of Fox Sports 1's first thing first. Coming in number six, though, the team that should be the favorites in the NFC North, though, the odds makers say they're the third best team.

My Chicago Bears. Why can't the Chicago Bears be the best offense in football? The Bears, plenty of reason to doubt them. Caleb Williams? No. Former host of 670 the score before he abandoned us. That's the Caleb Williams. It's custom, baby.

Jersey number one is going to the Raptors. You guys made it seem like a Chicago Bears fans. We had our guy, Danny Parkis, all these guys. Danny Parkins on 1043, the score. Wait just a minute. Did I see Danny Parkins on not just the expanded hour of first things first? Why, yes, I did. He was talking to Tyler Reddick.

He is hosting all three hours of Firstings First this week from 2 to 5 on Fox Sports 1. He is at Danny Parkins on X. and he joins us on Twitch.tv.tv. slash the score Chicago via our circus sports Illinois hotline. Download the circus sports app today. Yeah, Danny, I saw you talking to Tyler Reddick about the Daytona 500. NASCAR Danny was revving up.

Yeah, listen, you know, not even pretending to be a huge NASCAR guy, but I am a huge story guy. Tyler Reddick's story is incredible. You know, it's one thing, you know, listen, having Michael Jordan as your boss is one thing. Like, that's pretty cool. So we talked to him about that and what he talks to Mike about. And so that was cool for me for sure. But, you know, his two kids and his eight-month-old was sick and had a tumor growing on his kidney that was leading to heart failure.

And he had to have, like, emergency surgery a couple of months. months ago, but they get the tumor out, they get the kidney out, the heart starts functioning normally, he starts developing normally, and in the lead up to the Daytona 500, he crawled for the first time. So his kid was like crawling up and pulling himself up on the Daytona trophy. I thought it was a beautiful story and it was a really cool moment. So, you know, am I a big autosport guy? No, but I love a good human interest story, so it was great. But that's how you get hooked. There are a ton of storylines, and the Michael Jordan connection to this is pretty significant

because we were talking about it yesterday, Mark Grotty, Danny, that that may have been the happiest MJ has looked since when exactly after that win at Daytona. I thought it was pretty funny that he like intentionally recreated the trophy hugging photo. Like he knows what he said. He said it was he felt like he had won a championship. I have a hard time believing that's 100% true, but he's obviously a crazy. crazy person. So, you know, like, whatever, whatever it is, right? Like, when his when his fishing team does well, when he wins a couple of grand at the grove off somebody, like the guy, the guy

loves competition. And so I guess the LeBron Jordan debate is now settled. You know, Jordan got a trophy in another sport. So I guess, I guess it's now over. I mean, that's a good point. I'm curious, Danny, like, do you cry when football season ends? Because I feel like that is your one true passion, and I know we're talking good human interest stories and everything else, but come on, Dan, and we know what you're here for. You know, you know why you're here. Yeah, well, I'm here to raise my kids and, you know, be a good husband. No, um, listen. That too, that too. I, I love the NFL. I think it's the best product in sport by far. Um, but we do a lot of NFL off season stuff here at FS1. We get to take vacations in the

off season. I'm going to the Bahamas coming up in a few days. So, you know, I, it's funny. I love the NFL, but our work schedule during the NFL is so insane that by the time the playoffs come around, I'm like, man, when does NFL end? And then we do, you know, we'll do combine and draft and free agency and, you know, all sorts of NFL things that it never, it never really ends. But I'm a huge NBA guy, Marshall. I wrote a book on coaching and management structure and basketball. These playoffs should be amazing, especially the Western Conference. So, you know, NBA, Tiger Woods teasing the Masters. I'm a huge golf fan. So when football season ends, I actually get to take vacation and get to play golf and don't have to stay up crazy late every night. So,

watching games. So, you know, it's, it's seasons. Danny, who's your favorite? Who's your favorite in the NBA? I'm just curious since you're, you know, basketball guy. Who's your favorite? I mean, I think the Thunder, like Thunder versus the field, I think is actually like a fair bet. Really? Even with the emergence of Wimbanyama and some other things going on and not full health for Oklahoma City. Yeah, well, I think Oklahoma City will get healthy. And I know that the Spurs are four and one against the Thunder this year. But a lot of that was without Jalen Williams, who I still do think is the Thunder's second best player.

And I think that they're playing with their food a little bit now that they realize that they, you know, they're not going to set the wins record because they've already, the Thunder have already matched last year's loss total, but if you go by point differential, it's the third best point differential in the last 50 years. First is last year's Oklahoma City Thunder, second are the 96 Bulls, and then third are this year's Thunder.

So I still think the Thunder are clearly the best team. The Spurs are so fun and so interesting, but they are so young. Are they going to really go from no playoff experience, to winning four consecutive rounds in the playoffs, like led by a 20-year-old with Dylan Harper coming up behind at 19 and 20. Like, it just, I love Vassell, Castle, Deerrin Fox, Wemby. Like, it's a very exciting team.

I think the Western Conference Finals are going to be like the NFC title game in the NFL where like whoever wins the West wins the title. I don't think anyone out of the East can put up much of a fight this year, though my pick is the Cavs, but Boston's a. great story. Detroit's a great story. But I still think that I would make it basically even money thunder versus the field and probably take the thunder. Fun fact about Danny Marshall. And this was after Thunder and Bulls opener number one, not the one that you and I were at, but the one the year before that. I remember that one too. And Danny was, we were all there and Danny said this on one of

the shows immediately afterward. And I agreed with you because it was such a leap at that point to the realized product that was SGA. Danny was like the first person saying SGA MVP. He was like you could make the argument that SGA was MVP worthy that season. And I agreed with you. I don't know if you were called that part. I forgot. I forgot we watched that game together, Leila, but I do reference that game all the time.

Yeah, the opener two years ago. I was like, oh. Well, I was just like, listen, I, I'm not going to say I thought he was for a shoe into be MVP, but I remember distinctly thinking like, oh, like, he can get anywhere he wants on the basketball court at any time. Like he's like he's like the movement in the ease in which he got to his spots and all of that was just like very apparent that he had taken a leap. And he's a spectacular athlete with spectacular length. And, you know, the ball was in his hands so much.

I was like, yeah, that's the type of guy who can be an MVP of a league. And so, yeah, that I do consider that one of my better calls. A lot of people, a lot of people liked the Thunder last year. But yeah, I've picked him now. This will be my third year in a row picking them, and I think I'm going to go two for three. Well, and like, before we get to a football topic, that I do want to get your thoughts on the Caleb and Max Crosby discussion

if you've heard about it or just what your thoughts are on Max. Oh, it's leading our show today at first things first. I've heard about it. Okay, so just right before that, though, there was something about the way that SGA was using his body in the lane, just so really efficiently in that game that I feel like you just knew in that moment he had unlocked who he was going to be as a professional. Yeah, because it's not like the Bulls were like a lockdown defensive team, but like it was just, you know, again, like getting to a spot when you want to, anytime you want to, you know, that Kobe was able to do that.

Obviously, Mike was able to do that. And I'm not saying that he is necessarily ever going to reach like those guys's levels in terms of legend status. But he's pretty freaking ridiculous. Like in terms of a, I mean, he was a top 15 defensive player in the sport last year. and he was a league leader in points per game, and they won what, 67, 68 games, and they won a championship. It was an all-time guard season in NBA history

when you factor in all defensive ranks, points per game leader, 65 plus wins, and a championship led by a guard who won MVP. It's a very, I think it's literally him and Michael Jordan that have done that. So he's a very, very impressive player. I get why everyone has, you know, he's the type of guy also kind of like Kobe, who he might never be regarded as the best player in the league, but we'll win a bunch of titles because, like, Yokic is the best player in the league and then he might pass that baton to Wembe and SGA might

never actually like hold the belt. But at the end of the day, he'll be the one who's like, oh yeah, but I also have four rings and two MVPs. And he could win MVP this year, by the way. I still think he could win this year if he plays enough games. He very well could. Okay, so we spend an hour talking about Caleb Williams and Max Crosby. What do you think? I mean, listen, I think that like the underlying thing about the whole thing is obviously how much Crosby likes and respects Caleb. And I don't know that Crosby is going to like pull the lever to demand the trade. But like he's been flirting with it for a while. And we know that Ryan Pohl's has traded a second round pick for

Vermont has sweat, and we know that the Bears have the 25th pick in the draft. So like, if Ryan Poles deems that there are only 22 players worthy of a first round grade, so that that's a, that's really a second round talent that you would get at 25, but you'd have to pay them like a first rounder. That makes it a lot easier to trade the 25th pick in the draft. So I think that there's a real chance that the Bears make that offer centered around that pick for Crosby, and I think Crosby would be open to come into Chicago. And obviously, be a huge financial investment in the position, but it's a huge need for the Bears. So, like, that's one.

But then, you know, Crosby and so many guys praising Caleb for how, you know, impressive and how impressed they were with him and Caleb saying, you know, that he wants to have the best offense. It's like, well, I've said this since the season ended. We should hold them to the standard of being the best offense in football next year. Like that, now that doesn't mean if they finished as the third best offense that they were disappointing. But like, if Ben Johnson is what I think he is as a coach and Caleb Williams is what I think he is as a talent and they bring back their entire offensive line or get better at

left tackle, we'll see. But at least 80% of the offensive line returns. And Burden, Udunze, Manungai, Loveland and Caleb are all 23 and under and they're all have continuity in this perfect modern offense. Like, I legitimately think if they're the seventh best offense in football next year, it's a disappointment. So, you know, I think that just the validation of his peers, Caleb's standards for himself, and then the dream of Crosby teaming up with the Bears to be the missing piece on Caleb's rookie deal. I just thought there were a lot of things that hung over that conversation. No, you're absolutely right. Top offense is the standard, should be the standard. And it was good to hear Caleb say it out loud. Yeah, like, and again, like it's, it, that's, there's a lot

a competition there, right? They think they can have the best offense in the league. Let's just think about it. The Rams think they could have the best offense in the league. The Niners think they can have the best offense in the league. The lions think they could have the best offense in the league. The Jaguars think they can have the best.

We'll throw the bears in there. The Bengals, the Cowboys. No, it's a wide open, not wide open, but there's a lot. There's a lot of teams that, like, their fans are saying the same thing. right now and who like for stretches of time this year, you know, like the Jags offense, the last eight games was better than the Bears

offense. The Bears need to do it more consistently. They need to start hotter. But if they can do it, how they played at the end of games for the full length of the games and they're so young. So there's a lot of teams that are vying for that title. But I do think given the coach, the quarterback and the age and the continuity up front, I do think it's in play. Now, Danny, you're right. And the other part is all of those teams are also judging themselves through the lens of being the best offense in the NFL. So it's the right, it's the right calibration point. Danny, this has been great.

We look forward to starting off the show with the Big Caleb and Max Crosby News. Yeah, yeah. Thanks for being flexible with the time for me today. I appreciate it. And I'm on vacation next week, but we'll pick it back up in March, including I'll tease a little, little announcement for the score listeners in March. All right. Well, enjoy your vacation, man.

You've earned it. Bahamas are fun. Sounds good. Thank you. Thanks, Danny. Happy vacation. That is Danny Parkins with a two-week wait for the big announcement. Call that a tease. A deep tease, in fact, is what we would call that. It is. It is absolutely. And in the meantime, Inhab talked to Markey Sports Network about the resignation of players association president Tony Clark. He also said something that I haven't heard anybody else say yet when it comes to the conversation around the 2027 season. So I want to bring that to you next.