The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - The Big Suey: The Process Off (feat. Nick Wright)

Episode Date: May 8, 2025

It's not only time for the first ever Process Off, but it's also time to determine the new Meadowlark Pope with Wild Willy's All The Smoke update. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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for that. In fact, the only difference seems to be this imaging. I have been tempted in restaurants just walking past tables to grab somebody's fries if they're just there. That hasn't happened to you guys? I've done it. And now, here's the marching man to nowhere, fat face, and the habitual liar.

This episode is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings, the crown is yours. Holy shit, this is happening all at once. Tugatz is coming into the room with the best Nick's feeling there's been in 25 years. Hello. This is very exciting. And Nick Wright is here, and we've

got something to spring on him out of nowhere, based on the last hour of the show. I'm going to explain it to both of you at the same time, because you're getting here. It's a process off, uh... you've already one congratulations you've won the debate the debates fear of television radio you can make a good argument congratulations you're better than steven a smith not much of an accomplishment way to go big right

way to go with this is not what you're making fun of steven a smith because you're coming for his crown because i don't know i haven't i haven't done a steven A. Smith in quite some time. But I understand, listen, I know, Dan, you know what gets engagement. You're like, oh, media beef. People love it.

But what's the process of? All right, so just hear me out for a second, because there's a lot we got to do in 20 minutes here, OK? You have rivalries with Mina and Pablo. You think you're better than them, but you're not. Just hear me out for a second, because there's a lot we gotta do in 20 minutes here, okay? You have rivalries with Mina and Pablo. You think you're better than them, you are not yet better than them. But we are challenging you right now,

we are challenging you to a process off off of last night's game, okay? Instead of debate television, we want to study the process, not the result, okay? We don't want, the result is what the result is. The process off is you, me, us, and Stugats arguing who had the better process last night. Amin, start the bidding. Well there's an interesting thing that happened.

So I was talking to Tony a second ago and we were talking about, hey in life, when you want to say this is a really easy task, how do people describe it Tony it's a layup it's a layup it's a layup and unfortunately for the Boston Celtics they don't see it that way they see that the three-pointer is basically just supposed to do and therein lies a problem you see here when you have bricks bricks are bad not good layups that's good, right? So the process of getting to the good means eschewing the bad. That's not the right answer.

Hold on, I'm not done yet. So specifically, what ends up happening is, any good process has to be cognizant of the context in with it exists Meaning if this thing isn't working We have to be able to balance the diet with things that might work and then come back. I mean I mean, let me let me I mean is saying the Celtics need to change the Celtics need to change everything they're doing They're gonna get it. They're to keep shooting 25% from three.

They didn't say that either, but thank you. Amin just used $3 words to be like, shoot closer to the basket. It's a brilliant argument. No one's ever heard of it. Can I tell you, listen, the Knicks won the process because they started their process a full year ago and they have different goals in mind.

The Celtics tried to build a team, their process was to build a team to win a championship. The Knicks tried to build a team to beat the Boston Celtics. And just like we saw last year, when the defending champ in round two ran up against a team that was built with one specific purpose in mind,

how can we beat that team? And then they lost the first two games at home and then they ended up losing the series. We are seeing a Knicks team whose process started with an OG and an OB trade, then a McHale-Bridge's trade, then breaking up the Villanova core before they even got to play together for the Carl Anthony Towns trade.

Not because it gives them necessarily the best chance to win the trade, not because it gives them necessarily the best chance to win the championship, but because it gives them the best chance to be able to guard and defend and beat the Boston Celtics. So their process started way earlier and their process was different. So it wasn't about where people took shots last night, it was about how they constructed their rosters.

And that's what we're seeing. And that's what is going to work. That's not perimeter defense. Boston misses more shots. You missed 75 of those shots. They're all uncontested. Why do we keep score? I swear to God, man. In Dan's perfect sports world, wins and losses don't matter. Run and point differential matters, but actually he doesn't want run and point differential. He wants expected run. 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, no, no, no, got a lot of look man this is simple Nick six plus feet away last night I listen to me a defender six plus feet away Al Horford 0 for 8 Derrick White 5

for 15 Peyton Pritchard 3 for 10 Jason Tatum 0 for 2 they're a good shooting team they're not gonna keep shooting 25% on uncontested threes. Well luckily, luckily for the New York Knicks that the games that played count and one of those and this is why I don't dismiss but I don't pray at the altar of these numbers the way you seem to. One of those uncontested threes was by Jason Tatum in the corner up seven with seven minutes left when Jalen Brunson is the closest defender and he's laying on the ground and Tatum's like well three's worth more than two I'm gonna shoot this as opposed to go into the hoop that's bad basketball so that part of a means argument was correct my argument was just the more all-encompassing one.

Your argument is it should be about what the score should have been rather than what it actually was. Mr. LeBattard, your rebuttal. I thought I wasn't supposed to speak. I thought he was having the process with you guys. Well, he was arguing with you. Look, Dan, here's the issue.

Hold on, I'm sorry. As soon as you announced, you gotta do a process off. In my mind, I was thinking, does Nick disagree with what I'm about to say here? Because I kind of think Nick is gonna be on my side, and the person who's arguing your point is just you! And maybe Joe Missoula, who doesn't know what the hell he's doing, by the way,

maybe Joe Missoula might back you up. But nobody- Can I say something about Missoula. Please do so listen. I Missoula is obviously a good coach the Fowling of Mitchell Robinson with two minutes and 45 seconds left in a quarter when your team has two team fouls is So much worse than anything Mark Dagonal did two days ago that he got dragged for. Preach. The forcing your team when they are not in the bonus, the Knicks are not in the bonus or close in the bonus, into the bonus and getting no benefit out of it aside from the

fact that you're going to get one offensive possession without Mitchell Robinson on the court, that is bad process. They found him twice, Nick, twice. They found him twice, he got zero free throws out of it, and it wasn't like, well, there's eight minutes left in the quarter, so now we're gonna get six minutes of him off the court. But the other problem with this is,

and I think this is pretty obvious, and this is what is, to me, frustrating about the Celtics at times. Their strategy is most sound if one were to believe that they are not typically the more talented, better, more well put together roster. Like adding this much variance and having it to be where you could find yourself down 0 to

when the Knicks haven't even played that well that made sense when the 2017 Houston Rockets were trying to compete with the KD Steph Warriors because it's like they are better than us. We need to shake the snow globe. That shouldn't be how the Celtics feel. And that part is odd to me. They are riverboat gamblers, Dan, and they're betting it all every single possession. And at some point you have to kind of adjust, not because I'm abandoning my philosophies, but because I need to mitigate risk on every possession as we

have a lead as we have discussion and as the game gets shorter and shorter the more they issue well do that three dollar word again this to mitigating risk the more of the day invite the variance that nick is talking about which is this single sideways a good team will make us pay for it. Okay, I'm gonna go to both of you as basketball experts and answer this question for me. Couldn't say that to Pablo Ramina,

tell you that much right now. I'm just saying, basketball experts. That's such a son of a bitch. Just saying, go ahead as you were. Surprised he calls you that, to be honest. Is Joe Mazzullo a good coach? Yes. Yes because good comes in a lot of different shades. Is he going to make a change that Jalen Brown is being quoted as saying they're not going to make a change we're just going to make our

shots? Like are you you guys are saying he's going to make changes and I'm asking you are you sure I don't think it's about Missoula making the change I think it's about Jason Tatum and making the decision in real time you can't guard me I'm going to the basket and I and it is not nothing to me that at the end of yesterday's game you know what Jason Tatum did went to the basket and now one worked one didn't and so I Again, I don't think I disagree with you Dan as much as maybe it it seems that I do and that I do understand The idea behind the math being so overwhelming that in the long run This is a sound strategy strategy but it is a mean said Riverboat gambler and you guys know I am I don't know a semi professional poker player I play a

lot of poker for real stakes. How much on Riverboats? And there are different. Answer his question how much much on river boats? Well, river boats, you know, Kansas City, Missouri, when I was growing up, you could only gamble on, can I tell a quick story? I'll tell it anyway. They made a law, they were like, hey, we need people to traverse the gorgeous Missouri River, so we need to make gambling legal on the river. So you go on these riverboat cruises and you could gamble and then they were like, you know, that river's kind of dangerous.

So the boat probably shouldn't have to leave the dock. And they're like, okay, but still, you can only gamble on the boat. And then they were like, well, you know what? Since the boat doesn't leave the dock, what if we built giant hotels and then dredged the river to where one little tiny droplet of water touched the hotel? Can we call that a riverboat?

And they were like, yes. And because of that, Kansas City's got six casinos. And because of water, touch the hotel. Can we call that a river boat? And they were like, yes. And because of that, can't see he's got six casinos and because of that, I'm me. But that's not the, so yes, I've gambled on a river boat. But when you are playing high leverage poker, the math is the same hand one to when you're at the final table. But your risk tolerance changes greatly if you're smart.

And if you recognize, okay, in this spot, I can get all my chips in and I'm a 60-40 favorite, that actually is something you don't want to do if you believe you're the best player at the table. You can say, I will find a better spot. Yes, in the long run, this is profitable. But here in this moment, I'm going to fall because I actually don't want to give you the inferior player a 40% chance of beating me. And that's where the Celtics allowing, I think an inferior Knicks team to play the variance game is a mistake. It might not be a mistake if they were in the finals against Oklahoma City.

If they're like, they're better than us. So we need to add this. They shouldn't need that en route to the final. We've never seen a team miss this many threes in two games, and there's a randomness approaching in basketball that's going to change some of these gulfs between talent big if if you could if your coach poorly if you don't make the changes uh... at it is a c shift time in the nba players and play and we're right now watching with boston in new york that boston is saying we've gotten better at this surgical thing barkley feared that this is what the Warriors would be out on the perimeter

just shoot 53s and the game's gonna be ruined. That team's here. It won the championship and what I'm saying to you guys is if that team believes in what it is, not Tatum. Tatum doesn't have a moment as big as Brunson's last one in Detroit. Like Tatum doesn't have a moment yet big as Brunson's last one in Detroit. Like, Tatum doesn't have a moment yet, and this team is built for him to never need it. Because they've surgically made a 7-3 guy that can play 40 feet away from the basket, and when he's healthy and they take their threes, they're going to club just about everyone except now, Oklahoma City. They're not going to change the way they play. This is getting way too intense.

This is getting way too intense. Way too intense intense way. I'm just thinking about processed meat That's all I can think of is you guys talk about the process Nick What's the first thing you think of when I say processed meat? Yeah, what's your favorite? Oh, I don't know Probably like sandwich ham like deli meat Yeah, maybe a hot pocket. Oh, you're talking about that? Just anything, process could be anything. I mean, there's a lot of good process. Neat. You trust it.

This is where I'm not good on this show because I'm not whimsically funny like you. Pablo would be. Mina would not answer this question. Can I also tell you something just by the, I mean, you'll know this. What is it? Is it the transitive property that if A is greater than B

and B is greater than C, then A is greater than C? Yes. Is that transitive property? Yes, it is. Okay, by Dan's transitive property that he said, I'm better than Stephen A. Smith, but Pablo Torre is better than me. Therefore, by that property,

Pablo Torre is better than Stephen A., by that property, Pablo Torre is better than Stephen A. Smith, and maybe this will help maybe quell whatever potential feud that Dan's trying to stoke between me and Stephen A. I am here to say, Pablo Torre is not better than Stephen A. Smith. Flatly. I'll take that to the bank.

Flatly. Flatly. Flatly. What bank are you bringing that to? I mean, what? Better at what? At sitting next to know I mean what what better at what? sitting next to Seelist celebrities at Nick's game. Maybe no no credit credible journalist stuff Nick. It's the thing that you will never have

No, you know this you know this Credible journalists have been looking down at you your entire career. You know this yeah have been looking down at you your entire career. You know this. Yeah. You know what? I agree. And then, and I, they have been publicly looking down at me and privately envious. And so yeah, I agree. They, the, the, you're, no, you're right. Who, who's more likely to win a pee body? Pablo. Who's more likely to not give a shit about it? The other people involved in the conversation. I mean, who wants to be a credible journalist? Honestly, in this day and age. So, I mean, I do think there's, listen, I think there is a big golf.

I think there's real value in, I don't think anybody wants people to think they make things up or that they are a charlatan, right? But nobody in the people involved in this conversation, nobody thinks that. So it's like, Hey, do I have credibility that people actually believe I'm telling the truth? Once you get to that over that curb, then it is, do I want, you know, someone who writes for the Atlantic to be like, hey, do you want to write a guest piece? And some folks care about that, and other folks are honest. So just to clarify here, you're saying,

Stephen A. Smith greater than Pablo, and by Dan's admission, you greater than Stephen A. Smith, if so facto, you're better than Pablo. I'm saying it, but I'm saying it. Dan says that, I did not admit that. I think all that I think all I can say is Stephen A is the greatest of all time. I'm just trying to Say he's been dethroned. I'm trying to figure out the transit of properties here No, we're not allowed to talk about the transit of property in Florida clearly by Dan's logic if you combine my

Logic and Dan's logic. Yes, but that as you know, I mean, is not actually all the transit property works. Um, the, what I know it's Stephen A's at the top of the mountain. I disagree. You're better than he is. Well, that's so okay. Even if you think that's correct, even if that's true and I appreciate the compliment, he's still at the top of the mountain. Like even if, even if you think there's what's. Even if you think there's a store out there, if you're like, man, I found this website

that sells stuff, it's cheaper, faster, smarter than everything. It's the greatest thing I've ever seen. Amazon's still at the top of the mountain. That part, one is an opinion, the other is fact. But I put Pablo and Mina above both of you. Like just, you think that- Well, you're wrong. Yeah, okay.

But I put them both above you. But I mean, what? Hold on, real quick. They're just better than you at this. Incredible journalists? They're better than you at this. They're better than you at this. Okay, okay.

I like to apologize every- Listen, Mina has a pitch I don't have. Mina can do actual, like I grinded the tape and here's what I saw. So she is certainly better than me at that specific thing. There is no doubt about it. I'm yet to find something that I actually think Pablo is better than me at.

Even the stuff he does that I haven't done since I was trying to get A's on term papers, I'm quite convinced. Give me 72 hours to prep and I'd be better at that. Like no, no, no, no, no, no. That I won't abide. I won't abide that. By the way, I like Pablo.

But we got to, you know, he started that podcast he did with me. He was like, the last time I saw you, do you remember what you said to me? And I was like, no. And he was like, you said that I was, meaning Pablo, you know, the second smartest person in sports media. And he seemed really bothered. And he was like, you don't remember that? I'm like, not only do I not remember that,

I don't think I would have said that. And he's like, oh, because you wouldn't have said, you know, been that arrogant? I'm like, no, because I don't think I would have said that and he's like, oh because you wouldn't have said, you know Been that arrogant. I'm like no because I don't think I could ever have you above three as long as me and Bumani exist Like you're you're you're you're fighting for the bronze and if I'm being honest, I'd have Mina in in there well before again Listen fun podcast. Good luck at the Peabody award Give me a break. Thank you, Nick. Appreciate it.

You've got a hard out. Good talking to you. What just happened? See you guys. Bye. Folks, listen up. If you run anything online these days, a podcast, a merch store, whatever it is, you're basically forced to wear 12 hats marketing.

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Don Lebatard. The boy is captain sloppy. Stugats. Is this chum bucket? This is the Don Lebatardar Show with the StuGuts. I haven't gotten yet some of the stuff that I want to get to because StuGuts was late arriving. How bad was that traffic?

Uh, three hours. I mean, pretty bad. Almost, I could fly to Phoenix. Roy's still not here. I know. Yeah. Which is interesting because I called Roy, I was a half hour behind Roy, and yet somehow I got here before Roy, but the express lane opened at the exact right time for me.

Well, traffic made it so that we've been a failure as a regional little thing that cares about its hockey team in not addressing in any meaningful way that the defending champions in hockey are in trouble. Well, they are in trouble. Series hasn't started yet. They are in trouble. Hockey is a funny weird sport. It's hard to win and the teams at the top are really good.

We haven't gotten to it because Roy's in traffic. That's right. Yeah. Chris, where are you on this? Oh, this is happening now. Okay, forgiveness here. I need to ask an apology of the audience. I, I, I.

What? What? What's that? Oh, wow. It's our new segment. Is that entirely to smoke? Is this a new segment? Are we using this to compete with all the smoke?

We're using this to compete with everyone who's reporting on the Papal Selection. Dan, it's our very own Vatican expert, Billy Gill. All the smoke, entirety of the smoke, certainly some of the smoke. Billy Gill coming in on a day off. There has to be a pope by now, right? Delivering the news. He wouldn't be here unless there was, I would imagine, because this segment, which was off

to a rip-roaring start Yesterday to compete with all the things all the smoke is doing even though all the smoke is a partner If this you know what's funny Dan is We thought it was a wild Willy Wednesday feature, but guess what because we haven't had a pope selected The show must go on and so it will spill over to a Thursday and maybe perhaps even a Friday And we'll keep going until a pope has been selected unless we have an update here from one of the one and only Billy Gill. I've got a question.

Why is Billy in a neck brace? Well this was from yesterday. Yep. A couple of things happened yesterday including and this was Sam Morell was a professional comedian. I'm sorry. Has no one informed you what happened yesterday Tony? No Dan. I have a four month old kid. Tony are you sorry, has no one informed you what happened yesterday, Tony? No, Dan.

I have a four month old kid. Tony, are you kidding? So you don't know what happened yesterday? Okay, this is what happened yesterday. So this happened on our show that's getting cocky. Billy Gill, who is very funny, admittedly very funny. I'm not, I will not. Man, Billy is the most popular member of the show

with the people who really know what funny is. You guys wanna know about the Pope or not? Yes, in a second, hold on a second. Just give me a second. We're giving you your flowers, just relax. Yeah, just please, we don't need anything from you right now. Dan, I've been on hold on the Zoom for 18 minutes, Dan.

When I'm elected Pope of Metalarc, things are gonna change, Dan. Wait to see. Wait a minute. Okay, so you have been waiting. The Pope of Metalarc. So, wait. I love that title.

David Sampson, you know, there's a job opening at Metalarc, and David Sampson wants to be the Pope of Metalarc, I love that title David Samson, you know, there's a job opening at metal arc and David Samson wants to be the Pope of metal arc and we cannot allow him to be the Pope of metal arc I think you have that power dan. No. Well Yeah, dan, we're running out of people to blame for not having the power. You know what? I understand it seems to be at the moment. Yes, but in matters of business, uh, you guys may have noticed I'm in over my head Wait to have noticed I'm in over my head wait to see

The situation I have is skippers leaving and Samson wants the job He wants to be the pope of metal arc and he's the only one I'll be Pope You want to be the pope of metal arc? You want to handle the money? I can't have wanna do it? I'll be Pope. You wanna be the Pope of Metalark? You wanna handle the money? I can't have him do it, he'll fire me. Handle the money, I'm in. Yeah, that's the problem! That's why Skipper was here in the first place!

Sports Bang is back! Alright, let's move on to the Pope. Nope, not gonna do it yet. Billy was waiting 18 minutes and I'm sorry about that. It's because a lot of things are happening at the same time including Samson wants to be the Pope of Metal Art We can't have that I'm running a progressive company What's more progressive than a Jewish Pope He's got you there

So we've got this stinky pope segment. I'm Jewish. Yeah, we should put you in charge of this too. Oh, me too. We've got an update. We've got an update on the pope, but I want to get to what Billy Gill did to you yesterday. To me? Listen to me.

I'm listening. No, this Billy Gill yesterday tells Sam Morrell, a professional comedian, that he's not funny. As he's getting kicked out of the room, Sam Morrell is like, who's that guy? And you know what Billy says on his way out of the room? Because Billy's funny? Tony.

And so now the comedy world has seized onto our show in that corner of the room, and Tony thinks he's funnier than comedy That's what he left in his wake yesterday on you Dan the comedy world wants to kill Tony That's exactly right different show though Billy is here to give us a pope update. I'm sorry you were waiting 18 minutes. It was a failure on my part Thank you. Give us the update Hey, Dan, welcome to All the Smoke.

My name is Billy Gill. We have no new pope yet. Back to you. Thanks Billy. Thank you Billy. I appreciate the update. Finally we get to Stugat and things can stop getting in our way

because I have failed today and I am sorry on behalf of... to dot and things can stop getting in our way because uh... i have failed today and i am sorry on behalf of uh... you didn't fail today i was late to the show today it's on the okay okay so that look but that this is been that forced to got is very far away nothing is going to make him age more than him having to continue to make that drive and this traffic. South Florida is under cars and water. We were never built for this size. Our Bejeweled Dumpster was just this little tiny thing in a spring break town that we covered in drug money, made a little brown, and now it pretends to be an international global city. It's a dumpster, poorly constructed,

and too many of the New Yorkers and San Francisco people who have tons and tons of money and wanna have guns and not taxes have flooded our infrastructure in a way that has sewage in the ocean. Our buildings falling down and dropping into the sea. And we only have one lane on the highway. I mean, everyone is flowing into one lane that the highway. I mean, it's everyone is flowing

into one lane that takes you to I-95. We weren't built for this and Stugatz can no longer drive three hours to and from every day in traffic. But he has done so today, gloriously, because this has to be the best the Knicks have felt in 25 years. Does anyone dispute this? I mean, you're here to give us historical perspective, but when it comes to fandom, that's the thing Stugatz has always been. And he didn't give up on this team, but it hasn't been, like, you can only get beaten down for so many decades of Carmelo's our best player

before something like this is something that just stirs open something that hasn't been there for 25 years So Stu got the show started in 2005. Yeah, okay So I'm gonna try and recount all the positive things. Okay have happened right? Yep 2005 Let's see nothing good 2006 Nothing good 2007

Nothing good 2008 you guys hired Mike D'Antoni. Yeah, right 2009 not good, but playing a fun style 2010 you sign a Maurice Stoudemire Yeah, he takes the picture outside of Madison Square Garden What a first month and the first month was amazing. Yeah, right. I got that right and then 2010 moving into 2011 the rumors about Carmelo Anthony starting all of a sudden wait a second yeah end of the season we're gonna have Carmelo and this great Knicks team that's up and coming but Jim Dolan gets a little antsy says we got to

do the deal now we can't wait so he trades all the young guys Raymond Felton Timothy Mozgov, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, who was a big star by the way, they loved him there. And he gets Carmelo, now was that happiness for you or did you have a little pessimism at that point? Somehow he made that miserable, because he gave up all the young talent

that he had to get Carmelo where he simply just had to wait till the end of the season and Carmelo was coming to the next. All he had to do was wait, but the next season starts and it's 11-12 and it's Carmelo and Amaris out of my way and it's not working quite well, right? Right? It's not working well and the guys are like well Mike D'Antoni I don't know if I fit his system because I want to hold and jab step and Mike D'Antoni wants the ball moving and all that stuff and then Carm Carmelo gets hurt. And then there's a guy that comes in. He's like a 10 day guy.

And his name is Jeremy Lin. Give me the joy of Lin Sanity. That's the moment. That's the most joyous I've been as a Nick fan over the course of this show, to be honest with you. Until last year. Last year was a pretty joyous moment for me. Right, so Lin Sanity happens.

And then they lose him in free. Well, he gets hurt and he doesn't play because he's 50%, 65%, he's never 100%, doesn't play in the playoffs. He ends up leaving in free agency. The next year Mike D'Antoni gets fired, Mike Woodson takes over and so then that year, is it 12-13 or 13-14, the Knicks are good again because they get Jason Kidd and they get Rashid Wallace and they get all these old people who like keep like metal world pieces on the team.

They have all these vets, they go to the playoffs, they win a round, remember? They dressed in black in Boston because it's a funeral and all that stuff. And then they play the Heat in the second round and then you say, oh, that's what really good looks like. And they get drummed in. And then it's bad again for perhaps maybe seven, eight years?

Seven or eight years, yeah. But then, then, Jalen Brunson, oh wait, first of all, let's start here. Then we get a new Knicks front office and they're going to games to scout out the competition. Everyone thinks they're looking at Donovan Mitchell, but really, they're looking at Jalen Brunson who agrees to come for $90 million

and everyone said, wow, he's a nice player, but that's a little bit overpaid. But when he starts playing at Sugats, this guy's pretty good. And the Knicks go to playoffs and they win a round. And then they play the Heat and they didn't realize Jimmy Butler's hobbled and they couldn't attack him.

And so then they lose that series. And then last year happens. That's the high point. I would say that's the high point. You left out Phil Jackson, by the way. Oh, you know, I just got a gloss over that. And him not wanting to coach our team. 13 rings.

So 10 days is what you guys are saying. Jeremy Lin, 10 days. 10 days a month of Amari Stoudemire and 10 days of Jeremy Lin. So, but this is, so this is 10 days of Jeremy Lin. This right now is the same feeling of being, it's higher you're saying? A new high water mark Dan.

Oh yeah this is higher Dan. We're up 2-0 on the Celtics, we haven't played a home game yet. I mean Saturday 3.30 the Mecca is going to be out of hand, I can't wait. Dan they might lose the next four games. But what I'm telling you right now, right now at this moment in history the Knicks went into Boston and beat him twice in Boston While everybody in the world said that the South is gonna rub them run their heads in right this point right now Like Sam Morell said the other day

He can look the junkies in the eye and tell them your first hide does not even compare to what's what I feel right now You know, it's the first time the Knicks have won two road games in which they were down 20 points back to back nights, they did it. It's the first time the Knicks have started five and 0 on the road in the playoffs. The Knicks are legit good and here's the funny thing. I was upset because last year,

I thought Donte Di Vicenzo and I thought, you know, Hartenstein. The foreigner, the foreigner. He's from Ohio., Hartenstein. I thought the foreigner, the foreigner. He's from Ohio. The Italian Delaware, wasn't it? I think Delaware, Ohio. That's a fight on me but I was upset with

those trades because I like the core of the team. The fans fell in love with that team in particular and so last year was a real high and I was upset to see those two guys go and they were replaced by Bridges and Carl Anthony Towns and I asked myself, which was ridiculous at the time, are the Knicks better today than they were yesterday? And the fact that I asked that question is absurd. Of course they're

better than they were when they had D Vicenzo and Hartenstein. Well, hold on though. Let's do some of the recent history here. But now there's pressure on the Knicks to win this series. They cannot collapse and lose this. Okay, so. Dan, I don't know if I like that. All right, no. So this is what is beautiful about the present scenario when I tell you what do I wanna feel during this series,

because I wanna get through this story. Basketball is about the stories, the storylines, and if the games meet the moments, you will see history written and made. You will live it. You will understand how to tell your grandkids Why Yanis only won one and they won't understand the way they don't understand when the elders starts talking about why 2k what a time This moment in Nick's history when I tell you what the fan base is presently doing feeling swelling in its heart Okay, is so desperate is presently doing, feeling, swelling in its heart, okay,

is so desperate to feel what Larry Johnson made them feel with that four-point play and not what Reggie Miller made them feel in those 12 seconds. The history of this franchise that is generational brings a story to boston that is new york in basketball never gets to play in the sphere where the celtics do

his historically the nicks are a laughingstock compared to the people who have dominated the last 25 years. 15 years ago when LeBron got here, I joked, singing, yelling, as soon as he got here, New York, welcome to another decade of irrelevance. A quarter century of Knicks fans have been muzzled down wanting to make the noise that they made when Larry Johnson hit that for in another century before why to k still gots comes in here and he says has pathetic leap ten days of jeremy lindsay

what i got me still remembers it fantastically oscary amari stout amir talk for him i talked about him as an mvp an mvp for three minutes carmelo anthony a very popular neck jaylen brunson just had a moment that jason tatum had not had to merely extinguished detroit jaylen brunson has gone from the heart of where heartenstein and heart and he's our real heart this guy jaylen brunson is better than anyone in the

fourth quarter and he's ours we We've got Reggie Miller now. Spike Lee has Reggie Miller now. This is the best clutch player in the league. You fell in love with all of the Villanova stuff that we make the commercials out of, but this is how you get to start them, kid. Can you beat Tatum in Madison Square Garden? Can you beat him? Well, he did it in Boston twice,

but can you do it at home at the Mecca? No, no, no. Yes, he did it in Boston twice and you knew he would. At the end of the game, he's gonna get the foul shots. He's gonna get the chance. Will Tatum? I don't know. We'll see.

Is it gonna be another fade away? We'll see. With your season on the line, Brunson goes back to the loudest New York and the most hopeful New York and the most hopeful New York filled with Knicks fans who give you confetti when Carmelo wins a playoff game Knicks fans who haven't seen a Knicks closeout playoff game since 1999 those fans Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan they've been shut up for

25 years they want so badly to howl outside of the arena and now jaylen brunson brings them home this is the places where these like the history stuff gets written and you remember forever i saw jaylen brunson become a star because i loved him when he had the hartenstein theme and then they broke it up and they bought cat and i don't like him and they bring bridges in it's five first-round picks But Brunson's my guy Brunson's the most beloved player right now In that Nick's history tell me I'm wrong I know you're a hundred percent right more beloved than Willis Reed

Than Patrick Ewing and I'll tell you right now Jason Hart is entering the top five He is Josh Hart Josh Artichie's we can make fans of love Josh Hart Jason Hart is entering the top five. He is. Josh Hart. Josh Hart, excuse me. Nick fans love Josh Hart. Jason Hart played for Syracuse. I know. Nick fans love Josh Hart. But right now Jalen Brunson, I would say if you ask Nick fans today in the prisoner of the moment, we're wrong

because it should be Ewing, it should be Willis Reed. But if you ask him today, Jalen Brunson is the greatest Nick of all time. Walt Frazier? No love for Walt Frazier? He should be there too. Bernard King as well. Bernard King's good.

Yeah, he might be the fifth best Nick player of all time. Loser! Loser! How about this? Did nothing but lose. How about this, Dugats? The most popular athlete in New York City right now. More than Judge.

More than Malik Neighbors? I don't know who the next is. Maybe Soto? Soto? Well, Soto, I don't know. He lost half the city. Don't worry, McConnell too. No, he's more than Malik neighbors would be I don't know who's the next maybe Soto Soto was Soto I don't know he lost No, he's more than judge Brunson's more than judge more than John Brunson is clearly Greater than greater sign greater than sign greater than sign and judge Are you saying Brunson is the most popular athlete in New York right now bar none? I agree bar none

Yes, there's there's not a single because judge here's the thing. Judge, judge has that kind of stinker of a world series that he's got to account for. Brunson still Brunson still hasn't failed in the play. They've lost but it wasn't his fault. It's never been Brunson's fault because he always shows up. So wait a second the comedy world is mad at me?