The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour 2: Stan Van Gundy Is In-Studio

Episode Date: November 26, 2024

We're the last people you'd want to hear from on the Kendrick-Drake beef, but we do know a little something about mustard. Then, it's time for Against the Spread, Billy's Bryson Watch, and the Bucket of Death. Plus, Stan Van Gundy is down here in Miami and stops by the studio to discuss stories from all across the NBA with the crew. After sharing his thoughts on TNT keeping the production rights to Inside the NBA, Stan gives his opinions on the Dwyane Wade statue, the surprising Golden State Warriors, Joel Embiid and the mess in Philadelphia, why the Bucks got off to a slow start, LeBron's unprecedented career, and why he knows the Erik Spoelstra timeout gaffe will haunt Spo for the rest of his life. Also, who cracked open the Donald Trump door? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. This is the Dan Lebatard Show with the StuGuts Podcast. This episode of the Dan Lebatard Show with StuGuts is presented by Smirnoff. We do game days. Please drink responsibly. by Smirnoff. We do game days. Please drink responsibly, the Smirnoff Company, New York, New York. I'm going to say that per square foot, if you are somebody anywhere who consumes pop culture and you want your Kendrick Lamar Drake information, this room right here per square foot is the last place in

the on you would go to but if i were an author like greg cody and uh... stood out and i were writing comedic fiction like the fairly brothers of the cohen brothers what i would write is losing a raft rap beef fine losing a rap beef. Fine. Hmm. My time! That is a fine.

I'm gonna pay it too. Hmm. Did someone miss me? Wink? Yeah, I don't know. It's a good question, because I don't have any cash. You still don't know how to turn that off

and he doesn't have cash. He owns six dollars now. I do. Put it on my tab. Greg, Greg. I know. My bad. I mean.

We just, in fairness to me. He just turned it on. You don't deserve fairness right now, Greg. We know. Greg. My bad. I mean, Greg. We just, in fairness to me- He just turned it on. You don't deserve fairness right now, Greg. We just came off a break. I was doing things whirling dervish. I'm doing things during the break. It's gonna happen again.

Greg, it's gonna happen again because you don't know how to turn your phone down or off. It's gonna happen again. No, I just turned it off for her you know but but uh... i happen to be very busy during that break you know there's a lot of my move in and shake and you know there's a lot of loose and uh... there's just stuff going on what i was saying is if i was writing fiction on how to lose a rap beef most

obviously overtly in some realm that's subjective. Once you've called in lawyers to sue your record company because you think that the numbers on the beef that that escalated to not like us where he accuses you of pedophilia and harboring pedophiles and and having them on the payroll and you go to your lawyers because you're saying those sales couldn't have been that good you can't write something funnier than that for losing a rap beef you could sue your publishers I mean double dip Spotify juices numbers what what a funny thing to have happen though like how Kendrick Lamar has to find that hysterical, right?

Not just parlaying that into the halftime Super Bowl show or the number one hit, but also to have Drake whimpering I'm gonna talk to my lawyers. You've sold too well. That's unbelievable. Once a beef and again, we are not the people to ask but once it escalates to attorneys Dan, the beef is over. That's it. There is no more beef I mean, I don't know who is advising him who we consider his counsel But I mean you cannot lose a beef more Historically than he has and he is now inventing ways to lose it more I couldn't have made that up like honestly if you're that's something Adam McKay and Mike sure would write let's do against the spread please that's right it's time for and it's brought to you by our friends at draft

Kings stay tuned because you're here all about DraftKings and all it has to offer throughout the show. DraftKings, the crown is yours. Stay tuned. No, I'll do it. I think it's good. They're good. They're happy with it. Roy, what do you got?

All right, we got Canucks Bruins tonight. Despite winning back-to-back games on the new coach Joe Sacco, the Bruins have failed to cover the puck line in nine straight games and the Canucks on the semigame road winning streak that streak will continue Go with the Canucks who are one and a half gold dogs today on the road Jim Montgomery wasn't out of work long. He got hired right away by the St. Louis Blues real quick about that I'm gonna go with I've got a big ACC isn't that bad, SEC isn't that good agenda. We've got four inter-conference matchups between the ACC and SEC this weekend.

The ACC actually has a chance to be better than 500 against the SEC if things break their way. So I'm naturally going to the biggest spread of the weekend of these matchups. Look, last year, Georgia Tech, Georgia, that was a one score game. Not many people remember that. I think Georgia Tech's better than people think.

I think Georgia's worse than people think. And that's a lot of points. 20 points for a team that's gonna try to keep possession and win within the margins. I'm gonna back the rambling wreck here. Plus 20 against the Sprats. The Sprats. Billy bring us home.

Some people are saying that this is a show me game. Some people are saying this is the biggest game of his career. Some people are saying things may happen. Not I though. I'm gonna take. What things may happen Billy is how you concluded that big dismount.

Things may, some people, let me think about this. You said that it's due for a concussion. It is a contract rare. Never said that. It's a contract rare with Trap Kings. Yeah. Some people are saying things may happen is what you decided to sell this with.

We learned a lesson yesterday that you need to be careful with what you say and what other people are saying. So I was trying to be careful with this one. Let it be stated, no one is on a better gambling bed than Billy right now. He is as hot as hot could be. I think you were three and oh last night, right?

Three and oh last night. I've been loose big board bets brought to you by 33 and 16 on the season. Wow. I mean. But this doesn't count towards that. This is an emotional bet, friends. I'll admit that on the front end. I'm going to take the Dolphins plus three and a half

this Thursday against the Packers. I can't stop smiling. Things need to be shown, and I think things will be shown indeed. Tyreek Hill has gone to the internet and asked, where are all the internet cops now? Where are you now as all the charges get dropped and everybody, and the police officers?

I'm sorry Not the charges the police officer didn't show up to court in order to do whatever it is needs to be done in order To follow anything internet cops were the actual cops Tyreek Hill we did make a big deal about all of that When they were losing and now they've won three games in a row and Tyreek Hill has his quarterback back And now he is on the internet saying taunting the internet, where are all the internet cops? Tyree Kill was enjoying all of that stardom he was getting. It doesn't often go to the people who aren't the quarterbacks, man.

These Kelseys are unusual. So Tyree Kill left Kansas City and got all the fame away from the homes and Kelsey got to enjoy it, but also got to enjoy being at the top of the sport where it felt like everybody was talking about that team all the time you go on a month-long losing streak in that sport people forget about you man it happens fast especially when you're starting quarterback is injured you're not doing anything yeah no he's right he might not even get a thousand yards receiving which in the 18 is 17 game NFL is tough you don't have to be on bad form or anything.

All you need is a bye week and Stugats forgets that you're MVP like you did with Josh Allen. We're going to go to the bucket of death here in a second but Billy why don't you give us an update on your Bryson watch. You ended the show yesterday a bit obsessed by everything that you were watching. Bryson DeChambeau hit the ball over his house trying to get a hole in one behind his house. What's the latest update? So yesterday was day 14 on Bryson Watch.

Today is day 15. I mean, I, spoiler alert, if you don't want to hear what, well, I guess I told you to say 15. So you know he didn't do it yesterday, but we've run into an interesting conundrum with Bryson here. He has people who are copycatting him and those people are hitting the ball over their house and making it in the hole in their backyard. So they are now have been rid of this purgatory that Bryson has put himself in. Also I found out there's a certain

golf simulator that if you own, you now have the ability to hit the ball over Bryson's house in said golf simulator, like it's become a hole. This is really catching on. Now, here's the conundrum that Bryson is in. Bryson, because he's hitting so many balls, he's now blocking the hole with other balls. So when he's hitting the ball over his house, he's having them bump into other balls, which are preventing the ball from going into the hole.

So it's gonna be interesting to see how this plays out, because he's gonna have to get it done. My prediction is if he gets it done, he's gonna have to get it done early in a day, because he's putting them so close to the cup that he's bounced them off Of other balls which may have be preventing it from actually ever ending for him Now if he hits a ball and that ball is close to the cup and that ball goes into the cup But he's already hit that ball. So he's got one close a scattered green question. Does that count?

Well clear the course is someone gonna clear the glue? He should clear the green, but apparently he's not doing that. It's gonna be interesting today to see how we adjust to yesterday's developments of bouncing balls off of each other, because you should be able to clear the green, I would think. For the pass. But also, and I'm no golf aficionado,

I mean I do watch Bryson hit balls over his house on TikTok, so I know a lot about golf. This is what I think occurs, I think if you hit a golf ball, if I'm golfing with Stu Gotz, Stu Gotz puts the ball within two feet of the cup. I then hit it and it goes in. It's a hole in one for Stu Gotz

because he didn't take a second stroke. Not sure how that would actually work. Personal record book? I mean, I'm taking that putt anyway. It doesn't matter, right? I'm just picking up the ball. I'm not putting that out. It's two feet away.

You're my friend. You give it to me. It's a big hole, you're my friend, you give it to me. I mean, give me. It's a big hole in your logic, is that he's already claiming it was a hole in one. I'm pretty sure if your ball gets hit and then goes in, you don't have a stroke, so it still counts as a hole in one.

Stan Van Gundy's gonna be here shortly, joining us in studio. Gonna leave the Grim Reaper. I want you to stay around so that Stan Van Gundy also has to participate in a delayed bucket of death as we Go around the room here You're right Greg. Take it easy here. Let's take it easy. It's the Reaper. I mean you were trying like how is this thing always here? When I'm here also, I was indignant. I fully guaranteed the Texans winning that game. Did you fully guaranteed?

I'm concerned about Greg right now. So let let's uh let's take a second here. You predicted the Texans would win that game. I was very cocky when I pulled the Texans helmet out. I was like well at least I don't have to worry about it this week and I even laughed at Roy. I tried to warn you. I did. Stupid sport. Nothing good in that bucket. I have pulled from that bucket twice this season. Why are we doing it today? Because you're here. Oh, twice that many? Yes, he's avoided it all season because we've done it later in the week. Let's go ahead and have the Reaper wander around here and we'll also do it with Stan. Let's get this Reaper out of the way. All of us hate this. Let's do this as quickly as possible, please. I think the Reaper was told to leave and now, okay, so here we go Reaper, we're back on.

I'm sorry Reaper, I don't mean to boss you around. Stan Van Gundy is here, he'll be in with us shortly. Reminder, this is one of two weeks where there are no buys because of Thanksgiving, no buy weeks. That's right. We gorge on football in a couple of days. This is the biggest mail-it-in week that there is in the entire year for work people, right? This is the entire...

This is your every day. All right, I got the Seahawks against the Jets. The Jets are a two and a half point dog at home. Jets off a bye. Whole world falling apart for the Jets. Yep. Seahawks are two and a half point favorite at the Jets. The home and the home of the five and the boys. I'm gonna throw this one back, I don't want to record that game.

Wow, Mike. The bye week scared me and that bye week went so well for the Jets. Alright, the Buccaneers. Oh wow, I like it Baker. At Panthers. We'll take it! Six point favorites. Upgrade. Okay, so that's the analysis right there. Yes, Baker! Upgrade. He's got the goods. One of the great arguments that Mike Ryan ever had with Stan Van Gundy. He was right.

Billy, what do you got? I have a conundrum. I have the Packers. Oh wow. Wow, it's a win-win though, Billy. You gotta put it back. The script writers. The Packers are a three and a half point favorite

against Wale. And I just picked the Dolphins. Dolphins hate you. Dolphin fans are mad at you this week because that thing that voice said. Nice hedge. I'm putting it in. I can't. Wow, they're getting mad.

I know the Dolphins. The Dolphins are going to win, and Tua's going to come out of that game more healthy than he's ever been. It's crazy. So he's putting it back. I talked to Raiders. This is a bad move.

Wow. 13-point underdog. Oh my god. Ouch. Anyone else love the Raiders there? Plus 13. The Raiders beat them last time. I just have to get within the spread, right?

No. No. Oh. We changed the rules this year? Nope. What'd you get, Roy? I got the New York Giants. Throw it back, Roy.

You're off. Yeah. Plus four. Mommy DeVito looked good. Thanksgiving Day at Cowboys plus four. He didn't look good. Physically, he's a very handsome man. I got the Cincinnati Bengals now.

Three point favorite at home against the Steelers. All right, thank you. That's a weird game. Wow. Oh really? Yeah. Oh no, we're still in my window 20. We're keeping Stan Van Gundy waiting with this nonsense.

This thing needs to move fast. I got the bears. Right. The bears are a big underdog against the Lions. I'm gonna put that back and I'm keeping the Giants Adult human being he's looking at this this he's got important places to be he's got things to do If you remember so got said the Lions have to lose soon. Yeah, they need a loss the Bengals That's a weird spread mine very weird against the Steelers, huh? They need it. I think the Steelers

I guess I'm like the Steelers needed to weird. What's weird about that? I mean the Bengals are below 500 steelers one of the best team in the league Everyone believes the Bengals are actually as good as the Steelers everyone thinks that No, that's a good line. Yeah Division Road game It's a division game and it's a division road game. Rummaging! That's rummaging, just pick the name. I love a good rummage.

Stan, that's what he's doing. He's keeping you waiting. Every second he rummages keeps Stan out there not talking to us. Bryce Young? I'm tempted. Carolina? We're going to do this for 24 minutes while Stan watches this, just waiting. That's how we're going to do this?

I'll throw it back. I don't want Carolina. Rummage for a minute. Why is Stan on the couch? Oh, shit. Well, he's supposed to be in here, but there's no seat're gonna do this. I'll throw it back. I don't want to go. They're rummaging for a minute. Why are you standing on the... Oh, shoot. Well, he's supposed to be in here, but there's no seat for him in here. Here, here, tell him, Steph, come take my seat.

No, you stay here. I know what you're trying to do. You're not fooling anybody. Yeah. You're not tricking anybody, Cody. I got the Carolina Panthers again. Oh, no. That's impossible.

No. There's nothing but Carolina Panther helmets in there. I got the lion. What? That's a great one. All right, Panther helmets in there! I got the lion. WHAT?! That's a great one. Alright, over to my dad. Oh, look at this guy. He's keeping it re-bring. Go ahead, Cody.

Look at this guy, lions. What a fix. Yep. The head of the show gets the lion. Ten point favorite. I haven't lost this year. I've done it every week and haven't lost. Dressed up for fun. Yeah.

Eagles! Yeah! Eagles are at the Ravens. Nice. Plus three. I'll give you Carolina. I want a new one. Really? I don't bet against L. Jack. He's a low bow.

The low bow. Seahawks? Yeah, you'll take it. You're keeping it. That's fine. Seahawks. They're at the Jets. Two and a half point favorites. Geno Smith revenge game. Yeah. Mike threw that back. Stan Van Gundy next.

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and expires 168 hours after issuance. One single use boost per customer that only applies to winnings. See sportsbook.draftkings.com slash promos for additional terms and responsible gaming resources. Don LeBretard! You don't remember the idea for a home run call? I was probably like, that kinda thing! Something? Okay, no. The home run call was, that kinda swing, that kinda thing!

Stugats! Oh. That's a good call. Thank you. One call was, that kind of swing, that kind of thing. Stugatz. Oh. That's a good call. Thank you. And plus, it doesn't matter who's hitting it. You're not tailing it to a particular name. You know, all that jazz.

You don't got to do that. Oh, that would be a great call. Up, up, and away. That kind of swing, that kind of thing. This is the Don LeBattar Show with the Stugats. Stugats doesn't often give up his chair. What's Stugats doing back there hiding there? Only royalty gets to sit in the Stugats chair on his big day selling his book. Well royalty is here, Dan.

It's Stan Van Gundy. I mean, come on. All right. So Stan is here. Did you, what did you contribute to the book? Would you read us a live audio passage on whatever it is you... What was your experience with the Stugats personal record book? I just remember being interviewed for it, but I don't know where it is in the book,

so I can't... I just saw the book, so I haven't had time. But I will say this, Stan. I followed Pat Riley as the coach of the Heat, and that wasn't nearly as much pressure as sitting in Stu Gottz's seat right now. Yes, I mean, big shoes to fill right there. Can we find for Stan wherever it is his passage is to see if we can get a live audio rendition here of Stan Van Gundy?

Do you remember what you allegedly wrote? Because it doesn't sound like you wrote for it either. It sounds like you were interviewed for something that was written for this book well doesn't qualify as authorship exactly no exactly and Stu gots was you know clearly wrote every word in the book but yeah did have people conducting interviews for him hmm then he incorporated everything so I'm sure he knows exactly where it is no I don't Stanzyk would know though I mean so we can go ahead and find out this really is

the unbelievable great are you not offended as an author that he's getting away with uh... with the book that he hasn't actually written that he's just given others to write well wait a minute i think let's go one step further i'm not even sure he's read it he has i was forced to read it stay on audio book yeah right here but we don't have proof that he's completed that assignment he says he completed the audio book assignment but none of us you know he said it but hasn't read it

i was talking with stan before he came on the air and i don't want to betray any conferences here and i am just interested in everything that's happened with the inside the nba the greatest studio show any of us have ever seen in sports enduring because i don't know if I have the business of this right, but it seems to me, and all of the machinations around that show, that that would have been the hottest free agent property possible if they had gone out on the market as I would have imagined that Charles Barkley would have

liked to have done, because I don't think Charles Barkley wanted to have anything to do with ESPN, from talking to him personally. So the idea that they now get to produce a thing that ESPN has to air but don't govern it, that was gonna be you once upon a time on one of these halftime studio shows, but it got nuked by David Stern, didn't it? Yeah, David and I were close friends and yeah, he didn't think I belonged on there. But you know with the inside thing, I mean,

number one, Charles was under contract. So they decided to hang on to him, which was a great decision. It is the best show going. And I'm really happy for the people at TNT, because obviously that's a great show. And they retain, you know, the right to do the show their way. But on top of that, a lot of people at TNT keep their jobs. So it was great news for the people at our network. I'm pretty sure that Ernie Johnson, if you heard him on South Beach Sessions and the brotherhood that those people have, like I'm just guessing that Charles is staying there

and keeping things as is just because he's so close to Ernie and doesn't want to do it with anybody else and Ernie weirdly I would say well maybe not weirdly I don't know what the family situation there is in terms of how many years he's been working with all of these people he really cares about but it feels to me like they stayed exactly put in the whole thing stayed together and it stayed together around Ernie more than Charles. Yeah, that I don't know, but certainly that group is very, very close, love working together, care a lot about each other, and the show has just been immensely successful. And as you know, I think everybody was very concerned about what would happen to that

show in this new broadcast deal with the NBA. This is a different subject, Sam, but I have three words for you and I want your reaction. Dwyane Wade's statue. Go. You know, like to me, I sort of, I listened to what Dwyane said and I like the fact that he really focused on the honor of having a statue there and not on, you know, is it the greatest likeness or anything else? I think he really took it as an honor and didn't want anything to take away from that honor. And so I have refrained from laughing about it,

commenting on it, because there it is, yeah. You can't look at it and not laugh. You can't even look it in the face. You can't even look it in the face. I cannot, but I'm not going to laugh, because Dwayne Wade made my entire career. I heard it in your answer. I heard it. It was such a gentle answer. Everybody on the internet was laughing

at that statue and here you are still carrying water for Dwyane Wade. No, listen, I mean, the guy made my entire career. I mean, I go home to my house every night and I open the door, nice house, say, thank you, Dwyane Wade. It's a big door. It's a big door of a big house because doing way big for a lot of the economy idea where stan you should commission a better-looking statue because he made your career

yeah i first of all it would be a lot worse and i tried greg cody bring in his a game for the last ninety minutes after chris and i gave him the motivation all speedy people who've been and what is uh... what have you found surprising about the early part of the nba season and do you believe i don't believe anybody will believe that the calves can actually knock off the celtics until six or seven games after it happened yet i agree with that i think the celtics are still

the team to be uh... in not only in the East, but in the league. I just don't think anybody's as good as they are. I mean, you got to remember, I mean, they were 14 and three before Porzingis came back last night. You know, and he's a huge piece for them. So fully healthy. I don't think there's any doubt they're the best. A lot has surprised me, though.

I've been really surprised by Golden State. Golden State and Cleveland probably the two most pleasant surprises. I thought Golden State ceiling would be to get the ninth or tenth spot and be in the play-in and they have looked outstanding on both ends of the court. I mean they're a top ten offensive and defensive team after losing Klay Thompson and you know they've just played great basketball. Stan, what do you make of what's going on in Philadelphia with Joel Embiid? What do you make of that entire situation? I mean I just think the guys hurt. Look, I mean his body clearly struggles to keep up with the demands of playing 82 game NBA seasons. And I think it's unfortunate because at his best, he's the most physically imposing player in the NBA

and the guy that you really can't do anything with one-on-one, but he's just never healthy, and that franchise has been built around him, and they haven't been able to get past the second round of the playoffs, and now they go out and bring in Paul George, and there's all this optimism, but Paul George is another guy who's hurt all the time, and so, you know, one of the things I've said many times

is, you know, when guys, when you go out and sign guys who are or extend guys who are always hurt and then they get hurt, that's not bad luck. That's not, you can't look, ah, we're having such bad luck. No, no, you're getting exactly what you should have expected when you put that roster together. What you're hoping for is that you get something out of the ordinary and those guys stay healthy and if they were all healthy those two guys and Maxie then they'd have a chance to contend in the East and it's still early maybe they'll get to that point we'll see. You have them overcoming what it is that

they presently have to overcome ten games under 500 or whatever it was the last time I looked with no end in sight to how much time these guys are gonna have to miss? Well that's the problem. How much time are they going to miss? The good thing in the East is Milwaukee is sitting a game below 500 and 8 and 9 and they're in the sixth spot in the East which is a guaranteed playoff spot. So you know you don't have a ton of ground to make up to get back It's just a matter of how much time they're gonna have together. I look talent wise. They're good I mean, I really thought they and

New York were the two teams that had rosters that could best challenge Boston. I didn't see this coming out of Cleveland I thought they'd be good Orlando's good Miami and Milwaukee will be teams that nobody wants to play in the first round of the playoffs But I thought the only teams that could contend with Boston were New York and and Philly and all of a sudden New York doesn't guard anybody and Philly doesn't have anybody healthy Do you understand why Milwaukee stinks? Well in Philly doesn't have anybody healthy. Do you understand why Milwaukee stinks? Well, they looked early in the year, I thought they looked really old and slow, older than

they actually are and slow. But they don't have Middleton and that's a key piece. He was fantastic in the playoffs last year in that series against Indiana. They get him at full strength. But again, he's played 88 games in the last two years. So him being hurt is not a big rarity. But if they get him back with Lillard and Giannis, then they've got a chance to be really, really good.

They put shooting around those guys and you would think Lillard's gonna play better than he is right now. I mean, he's at a career low 32% from three Why would you think he's played? He's gonna play better Well, it's been a it's pretty good sample And he wasn't in shape last season and he was allegedly in shape this season it hasn't fit the way I don't know like I thought those were two perfect pieces to have near each other But his efficiencies haven't been efficient. No. No yeah but last year he wasn't efficient either but he was at

35% from three on high volume. I don't think he's gonna stay at 32. I don't know if he'll be up around 40% but he's gonna be better. They're starting to get into more two-man game stuff with he and Giannis. Why they haven't done more of that early in the year, I'm not really sure. I'll be interested to see tonight if they get to more of it because it seems to me over the last three or four games when I've seen it, when they get to that action, it's pretty darn hard to guard. Guys, we need to make him laugh. This has been too serious so far. I'm sorry that I

was distracted. I was looking at chapter 32, Zen and the Art of Superstar Reliance here. I was finally told not by Stugatz. He didn't know what chapter it was. That's my favorite one. What do you mean? They had to look it up for me. I'm asking in the back room, what is the chapter Stanzin? Stugatz has no idea what you've written about. We had to text Stanzic. I haven't gotten that far in the audiobook. It's chapter 32. Who wrote this? Dude, he said without irony, how does Stan not know what he wrote for my book? I mean, I'm a bit insulted. You don't know what you wrote in your book. Why would you be offended that I don't remember what you wrote?

I'm allowed to. You're Stan. I'm Stugatz. I mean... I just don't understand what I'm reading here. When I read chapter 32 and I'm told this is the Stan chapter this first paragraph Stan or Stu gots like what what is this you using so it is writing a rebuttal to my opinion that you know Steve Kerr and Phil Jackson are overrated coaches that's all so his first paragraph is the

fact that anyone considered Phil Jackson the greatest NBA coach of all time is laughable it is laughable I tell you Phil Jackson coach Michael Jordan Scottie Pippen Horne grant Grant, and then Dennis Rodman. Eight titles later, he goes to LA and coaches Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal and racks up five more. The winning was not following him. I can assure you of that.

He was following the winning. I don't think that was Stan. That was not me. No, that was Stu Gott. Stan was the rebuttal to that. Yes, that was not me for sure. I was shocked when I read it. I mean. What is, where is the rebuttal? 197, 197? Okay, that would be a good thing to know 197 is the rebuttal from Stan

Would you care to read any of this Stan? Oh, here it is Stan Van Gundy a 13 year NBA head coach who led the Orlando Magic to the NBA finals in 2009 He is 30th all-time and wins by an NBA head coach his career winning percentage is 15th Which puts him ahead of Brad Stevens Don Nelson Larry Brown Mike D'Antoni and Red Holtzman. Congratulations Some credentials there you want to read here? You're welcome your your rebuttal there Stan a little piece of it for the audio version of the book that we are selling today Trying to make a New York Times bestseller. Okay I have heard this argument for years that X coach only wins because he or she has

great talent. My first thought is, well, duh. No coach wins without great talent. I understand that Phil Jackson had Jordan and Pippen and O'Neal and Bryant. Name me the championship team that didn't have great talent. Popovich had Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Janobli. The Heat won back-to-back titles with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosch. The 80s Lakers won with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and James Worthy. The 80s Celtics won with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale,

and Robert Parrish. Red Arback was probably the first NBA coach to gain acclaim. And besides Bill Russell and Bob Cousy, he had several other Hall of Famers. Great players are a necessity for winning championships. Everyone knows this, even Stu Gotz. That's not a rebuttal, that's an agreement with Stu Gotz. I thought this was supposed to be a rebuttal. No, no, no. Stu Gotz said that these guys weren't great coaches. Yes, right. Listen, you don't win without great talent, but that doesn't negate the fact that these guys have been

successful coaches because some people don't win with great talent. I'm just saying with Phil, Stan, eventually someone was going to coach Michael Jordan, the greatest player that's ever lived to six consecutive NBA titles, and it just so happened that it was Phil Jackson. Yeah, I thought Phil was a hell of a coach. I don't know. From years being on the other bench and stuff, yes he had great talent and certainly I think this is true probably in every sport. The players scare you more than the opposing coaches.

I mean it was Jordan that you were worried about but I thought Phil was a great coach. His teams were prepared prepared game plans were great they were sound and you only get that here phil jackson was a great coach you only get there on tuesday all you know you only need my expertise so that i thought that i was a little opinion well i can't believe is was still gots affair but stand when you say

some guys have great talent but don't win do you have any coach in mind in particular? Please name them Stan would never do that. He represents the code of coach. No, no, no, no, no, no I would say it's happening with Doc Rivers right now and you didn't do it when I asked you I thought that quite honestly in 2005 I thought we should have won it here in Miami Himself. Oh nice. Yeah, but Dwayne got hurt. I'm just saying, I thought we had the best team in the league and should have won it in 2005. And I don't know that we should have won it in Orlando in 2009, but

we were certainly good enough to win it in 2009. Can you reveal exactly how hurt Dwayne was there? He was taking shots before, he had an injury that would make it very difficult for him to play the type of game that he was playing at that time. Listen, I don't, all I ever did as coach is if they said a guy could play, that was it. He was playing and you know, I'd take Dwayne Wade at 50% over most guys at,

you're gonna keep putting that statue up. Well, that's the face that he made when he hurt himself. Look, he's screaming. He's clearly screaming there because he's hurt his leg. It's been 20 years. You can use injury as an excuse. I hated playing for Stan Van Gundy so much. He was always screaming at me.

It was a pain and a suffering. I've been paying him and his brother. I know you had nothing to do with your brother. I don't know why I gave him that. How long has it passed before you're allowed to use injuries an excuse you know i i is we still should have one that we should have won game seven here i thought we were the best team in the league that's you know you had enough but i hate culture it when i asked you that question i wasn't setting you up i

didn't know no i know you were so but but that's the you know that's the one actually uh... i have in mind i was going to text you recently and I didn't know what the response would be to it because I was arguing with Stugatsen and a bunch of others here, Billy included, that the way that that game ended against Eric Spolstra, against the Pistons, where he made the timeout call, the mistake that you never make, I was telling them, I believe that the way that person cares about that sport, that that decision will haunt him for the rest of his life, where it's gonna be something that he remembers when he is 90 years old

because of how that person cares. Billy did not agree with me. He's like, it's game 11 of the regular season. What's the context? What are my falsehoods? What are my falsehoods? We said he'll remember it. It will not haunt him.

He's won multiple NBA titles. It might bother him. He won't forget it But he should get over it. It's a regular season game in what will be a long season I feel like the debate was will he tell his grandkids about it when he's rocking with that? No, if Dan is interviewing him on his deathbed, is he going to remember it? I'm going from my deathbed to his deathbed I'm like Eric you still remember that one right and he'm like, Eric, you still remember that one, right? And he's like, oh yeah, Dan, that one really hurt. Hey, listen, I know Eric well enough,

and I think most coaches are the same. You remember the failures far more than you remember the successes. And so I would say that one will haunt him. Yeah, he's still got the championships and four other trips to the finals and all of that. And hopefully he knows how much he's accomplished in the league and has some pride in it. But yeah, that one's not going away. You know, that's just who he is and who most

coaches are. He will remember. I will say, yes, the word haunt is probably accurate. Do you reach out to him in that situation or you know better? I know I did reach out to him. I could see the pain in him at his press conference. I felt for him. I actually did the same thing in a college game, but I was, I actually did the same thing in a college game, but I was you know That's why these guys who get their first head coaching jobs in the NBA Amaze me because I was able to make those mistakes I made that mistake at Castleton State College in Vermont still haunts you Still haunts me. No one remembers it, but it still haunts me

And so but I've been there and when he did it and I watched that press conference, man, I could tell he was in in pain. What do you text? No, I just text, I saw your press conference, I feel for you. That's all I, that's all I said. What is he heart it? Um, no, he responded to it, but. Hey, that suggests that you and he are real and genuine friends because he doesn't want to hear from anybody after that like he wants to sink into a hole yeah listen I mean we all would at that at that point but it's just listen when you coach as many games as Eric's coached you're gonna have things like that maybe not exactly that but you're to have things like that. Maybe not exactly that, but you're going to have

things like that, that you would love to have back that are embarrassing, humbling, whatever you want to call it. It's just inevitable when you've coached as many games as he has. You have a good sense of history and perspective. Can you please, I know it's been 20 years and perhaps people are numb to the greatness, but we are living in a time of real sports mastery where some of the best to have ever done it are doing it. I was mentioning Shohei Otani yesterday, but LeBron James at his age playing this way, Stan, please put it in some sort of context to me because I've never seen a human being this age being able to do that in basketball. And we never will again. I mean it's just what he's done is incredible. I mean the closest thing we had to it I guess was Kareem playing into

his 40s but it was a different time and he was at a different position and he wasn't dominating at the end of his career. He was still good but he wasn't dominating at the end of his career. He was still good, but he wasn't dominating. We've never seen anything like LeBron he's just I Think still though the most amazing thing Dan you and I have talked about it the most amazing thing to me Is he's had this career? That is unsurpassed in the NBA. He's been in the limelight since he was in the eighth grade and What's the dirt you have on this guy? Where's the Stain on his reputation people go back to the decision when he came to Miami where he simply decided to leave one city

And come to another and then they'll talk about he bumped into Eric Spolster coming off at a timeout. That's what you've got for a guy who's been in the national spotlight for how many years? I mean 30 years? 25 years? It's crazy. Well he has been weaponized by the right on some stuff where they will point out that he was weak on China and whatnot but I don't even know if I want to open the door to you in politics right now. No, no, but those are political opinions, but I'm talking about like, you know, we don't have DUIs, we don't have him getting in a fight, we don't have him abusing women, we don't have any of those things that we've seen news of of others.

There's just none of this stuff going on he's he stayed married this whole time he's got you know kids that are all doing well I mean it's just that to me with what's out there for him and that everyone now you know he came of age when everyone's a reporter everyone and we got nothing on him. That to me is as amazing as anything else. The rules changing on Tiger Woods got him, right? The rules changing, the stuff we covered, it sank Tiger Woods.

What he's saying is true, that it's hard to fathom, but the idea, the degree of difficulty on what he's done off the court rivals what he's done on it. It does. And when you go to J.J. Barea as the biggest negative to say about LeBron, that's pretty extraordinary. And a TV show. A TV show and J.J. Barea are the big ones. I don't want to open the door to you on Trump, do I?

Listen, I mean, it's just that the thing that the only thing I'll say is, is I think what bothers me the most is that we have just gotten to the point where we don't care at all about experience, expertise, facts, things like that. I mean, you know, Pete Hegseth as the Secretary of Defense and they back it up by saying, well, he served two tours, you know, in Afghanistan and Iraq and, and, you know, I went to host we're gonna put you in charge basically pete had set really doesn't have any more experience than you do congrats i mean you know and then we're gonna have like the and then the scary one you know we're gonna have bobby junior there people forget vaccines eradicated

you know that's what history does none of us grew up with polio, measles, the mumps. You know why? Because it was eradicated by vaccines. Now, if we have an anti-vaccine guy, what are we gonna do? Bring all this stuff, the stuff is scary. It's not inconsequential. And it's sad in my mind that,

and we could go down his whole list of people, but those are the two to me that really make things scary. Who opened this door? Yeah, left it open. I didn't want to open the door. I'm glad I didn't. I'm just glad I did. You should have pushed back on your as qualified.

Stan, I'm not going to open this as I open the door. It's good you didn't. I was going to say, I think he did open the door. I don't think I just barged in. I didn't break down the door. He held the door open for you. Yes, he did open the door. I don't think I just like barged in. I didn't break down the door. He held the door open Yes, he did. I'm not gonna open that door for you.

I wouldn't open that door. There's no reason to have politics with sports. We have to shut up and dribble. Howdy folks, it's Mike making this podcast time Miller time. That's right. Miller Lite makes all the great times even better. Why? Dependability for one, great taste, less filling, you know exactly what you get, everybody's gonna be happy because they're gonna be drinking on a beer that tastes like beer. Can you imagine it? A taste that you know that you can depend on.

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