The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Rockets Guard Eric Gordon On Playing Without Fans, What He Is Up To, NBA Starting in December

Episode Date: April 14, 2020

is the Matt Thomas show. Two o'clock, sports talk 790, the final hour. The Matt Thomas show gets underway with a visit with our good friend. A man who is one of the great three-point shooters in the NBA, and I miss saying EG 4-3, 4-3, 4-3. Right now I'm just saying EG, just relaxing in his home. Eric Gordon on the Matt Thomas show. E.G., what's a good word today?

Man, nothing much, man. It's another day in paradise doing the same old thing. See, you're laughing. That makes me sad. What the hell are – seriously, do not lie to the audience. What have you been doing? I mean, obviously, you're working out staying in shape. But what's the rest of an Eric Gordon day?

The rest of my day is, you know, watching some movies, playing video games a little bit with my brother. And just being around the house, man. This is, you know, different times. And, you know, it's just – you can't – can't really do much. And I try to avoid, you know, I'm just been staying around the house and avoiding running around on the streets.

Could you have played in an NBA 2K contest, or are you good enough to do that? No, I don't even play NBA 2K, man. And plus, I mean, I just can't play. I'd rather play like a Call of Duty or something like that. I never was really into 2K. Yeah, I tried to do the play-by-play of an NBA 2K game. And it worked for a while, but everybody's numbers had changed. So, like, Dwight Howard was wearing, like, 67 for the Lakers,

and it kind of threw my game off a little bit. So I don't know what number you'd be. But what about this horse thing? Are you watching it on ESPN the last couple days? No, I didn't, but I did care about it. You know, man, we just need this stuff to get back to reality, man. We do. We just need that.

That's all that really matters at this point is. you know, when can we get this thing back into reality? Hey, Eric, if ESPN calls you for something, just tell them you're very busy. Just make some crap up. I don't care what it is. Just say no. Don't do any of it. It's not worth it.

It makes a bad program. Right. Right. I'm just been chilling, man. I ain't been doing nothing too much to stay in, staying away, and hopefully, you know, things can turn around and get back with the season or whatnot. Let me ask you this. Who are you talking to?

I mean, are you getting updates? not want to know? Are you staring at Twitter, calling your friends, calling labor people? How are you kind of keeping up to date on what the league's thinking about? Oh, we're definitely getting updates. You know, as you can see, you know, they always talk about, you know, how the players might do their payment plans or whatnot. But it's really hard to say, man. You know, everybody's for sure optimistic, but I don't think you can, I don't think you can really 100% say that we're going to have a season or whatnot. You just, don't know yet until, you know, times get better, you know, because, you know, people, you know,

from, you know, our government and the higher-ups in NBA from Adamson, I guarantee they have some kind of, you know, they know what's going on as it day to day in this world and, you know, and us players and whatnot, you know, we're just hoping that we're just optimistic and hopefully things can, you know, resume back to play here in the near future. Eric Gord with us from the Houston Rockets on Sports Talk 790. I got to answer, you asked this question, when's the last time you played a game in front of no fans? I'm going to assume that it had to been maybe some AAU days in a gym. It's been a long time, right?

Oh, for sure. You know, all the thing I can think of is, you know, maybe a scrimmage in high school before the season gets started, maybe having a couple people inside of an AAU game. but other than that, man, I can't remember. Like in college, when there was a game, there was a game. It was packed out. So, you know, it's been a very long time. So that would be, and definitely in the NBA, that would be so unusual.

I mean, so unusual. Yeah, it's really, really bizarre to think about it. But again, to get you guys back on the floor as I think it's the most important thing. You grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. I mean, one of the big basketball states. How crazy was it? Look, you're a rock star now in the NBA, but, Was it crazy being a high school star in Indiana knowing how important that sport is of that state?

It is because still to this day, they never forget their Mr. basketball or any top player that came out of Indiana. Any other Indiana player could tell you that that's played an NBA or any other high level. They will always be remembered. It was just great growing up in Indianapolis where, I mean, let me tell you this, when I was in high school, everybody that was in our county, that was our rival, had an NBA player. Like every game I was running into a, I got to play an NBA, whether it was George Hill or Jeff taking Courtney Lee or Gordon Hayward at Brownsburg or Lawrence North where they had Mike Connolly and Greg Golden.

So it was just every game you had an NBA, potential NBA star in high school. that you were going against. So who was the youngest player you ever went against that you can remember that you now play against now? Is there anybody like maybe in fifth or sixth grade, maybe junior high, high school? How far back can you go back with somebody that you played with in the league?

Well, Romeo Lankford played on my AAU team and now he's with the Celtics. But me to actually play him and be around him and one is R.J. Hunter. He played, you know, he was with the Rockets for a short period of time, and then he was with the Celtics for a short period of time. Him, Yogi Farrell. Oh, yeah.

Who else? Well, hell, you're college. Oh, yeah, that's a good group. What about my producer, Joe George, is telling me that you and Derek Rose would get after back in the day. Tell me about those matchups. Oh, yeah, me and him really, you. used to get after each other in high school because we definitely wanted to show who was the best guard in the country.

And the next thing you know, after our junior years, we was like, man, we got to stop being competitors and be teammates. And, yeah, for that summer, I mean, it was one of the most fun summers I ever had in my whole basketball career. I mean, we traveled around the country with six or seven guys, had these, and we played, we hooped in T-shirts and these, in these we had these white shirts and we just went around a country just destroying people so it was just a bunch of good times

being him had a lot of we've been close and we're still close to this day and it was just fun times how's he occupying his time right now same way you are oh it got to be got to be you know we got to be very cautious for sure

because you know you never know what they say here in a month or two you know let's they say oh you guys got to start working out together quarantine workout start working out together and you got to be you got to be healthy well you know there's been a lot of different things out there about how the league resumes whether you keep the you keep you guys in the same city or you all run to Vegas now there's a part of me that's selfish about Vegas but part of the fun of Vegas EG as you know is getting out and getting around a little bit it sounds like the Vegas plan would be basically arena to hotel back

the arena. I mean, have you mentally prepared for that being a possibility? Hey, man, that would limit all distractions. I think that would be good for the league. And then you, and then without fans, as much as we want to have the fans there, if there were not the fans there, you get to see real dynamics on, you know, how players operate and how teams operate and you would just focus in on what teams, on what we're doing. So, I mean, I think that'll be good. That'll be a really good plan for us. But as long as we get back on the floor and finish the season out, that's what really matters.

And you never know, man, this could be, that could be our only option. So it's funny because you're the first player I've heard. It's been kind of optimistic about it. That's kind of cool that you'd bring that up. I never thought of it that way because I don't know if you know this, EG, but I do like to go to a casino once in a while. I don't know if I'd be able to behave myself for like three months in Vegas. if I couldn't go to a place to throw the dice a little bit. Well, I don't know.

You know, I'm just saying if they ever said, hey, you know, we're going to resume the season. We're going to resume it in Vegas and resume it at a location, one location. I bet you will still see a different Vegas. There might not be everything going on, you know. Yeah. It could be, but it might or it might not. But, you know what is?

Vegas would still be a different. That's true. I still think that what you're saying and a lot of other players in the league are saying is you just don't want this thing to end the way that it's, you know, you want to crown a champion. You don't go through training camp. You don't play 75% of your games

for it to just be stopped. Somebody's got to be crowned a champion. And I think that's overriding sentiment with you and your players. Would you guys agree on that? Yeah, there has to be a champion. And, you know, it's just so close. I mean, the average team probably had, what, 16, 17 games left and it was just getting so close to where the excitement really happens.

And then this happens. But safety is first, but we definitely got to figure out how to find a way to get the crown somebody. All right. Last thing I've left for I let you run. I've always been a proponent of December start date to crowning a champion in August. I just think y'all play some great basketball. And because football and college football dominate. those first two months that it kind of gets lost in the shuffle.

Any thought one way or the other about a December start around Christmas and then crown that champion around Labor Day? Or do you kind of want to keep things where it is with the calendar? No, I think I would like for it to change. I really would. I think I really do like that to have that season start in December, like on Christmas, late December, and end in early August or maybe even late July. I like that better.

I mean, it does suck because it'll, the only thing that sucks is it'll go into the summer. But at the end of the day, man, you know, you still get the same result. You still get a lot of free time. But I think we should start in December. That would be really well. That will do everyone well. I think so. I think it'll make the league a lot more popular, you know, when that Christmas started it gets.

It's kind of like the unofficial start of the season. You talking to any of your teammates? So what's everybody hanging out and doing? Are y'all zoom in or anything like that or just kind of just texting and talking that way? Yeah, they have this on a couple Zoom. Yeah, we've got together a few times, but, you know, same-o, same-o. We're just all waiting for this get over and hopefully get back to playing. But everybody's doing the same thing, you know, trying to figure out ways to stay in shape

and, you know, also be healthy at the same time during this time. So everybody's doing the same thing, just laying low and chilling. Does Mike Dantoni know how to use his Zoom? Oh, I see. He's pretty savvy now. He's pretty savvy. So I'm pretty sure he for sure knows how to. Man, his crossword game must be uber strong right now.

Would you agree? Oh, no question. You know he's finding every puzzle in the newspaper or whatnot every day. So he's finding something different. I know. Hey, stay safe. my friend. I miss our role with you all on the road. I want to get you guys playing some games again.

Go get that championship and we look forward to seeing you play some games in the next too distant future. Thanks for taking a few minutes of your time for me today. Oh yeah. Appreciate it. Thanks for having me. All right. It's Eric Gordon. Houston Rockets with us here on the Sports Talk 790. 2.13 is our time. Mike Dan Tony, the greatest puzzle solver in the NBA. They should come as zero surprise at any of you. back with a very, very awkward eating contest. Rules on that.

Plus your thoughts about what Eric had to say. How do you fix spring training or the baseball games that may go extra innings if they indeed go to Arizona and or Florida exclusively? Anything is fair game. 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-790.