The Ringer NBA Show - The Return of the Culture Warriors? | The Answer

Episode Date: October 22, 2021

Chris and Seerat discuss the ongoing Ben Simmons saga and touch on the return of Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors (0:25). Then, Logan Murdock joins for a deep dive into the Warriors as they talk through Draymond Green’s role on the team, how the team has changed since 2016, how Jordan Poole continues to develop, and more (18:31)! Hosts: Chris Ryan and Seerat Sohi Guest: Logan Murdock Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Production Assistant: Isaiah Blakely Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listen up all you New York fans. Veteran New York sports talk host, John Dostrompsky gives his unique take on all the big stories in the Big Apple and beyond, including guest conversations, gambling picks, and reactions from you, the listener. Check out New York, New York with John Dostromsky on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, and welcome to The Ringer NBA show. It's The Answer. I'm Chris Ryan. I'm joined, as always, by Sirot Sohi. What's up, Syriot? Chris, how's it going? Anything new in your universe? Four more years. four more years four more years I'm all back in this fence

well of course you thank you Chris I appreciate that yes thank you thank you Syriot's family had a political victory this week her dad is now mayor of Edmonton shout out to you Syri for all of your campaigning what West Wing character

do you think you were most channeling during these last couple of months like who like who is the most like they didn't I don't I feel like the West Wing characters now that like I've seen some political campaigns, they're not real people. First of all, they were never real people. But they're like campaigns are so full of anxiety and like really splintered decision making

at the time that you don't know what's going to happen. They were too calm. Yeah. On the West Wing? Yeah. Campaigns? I guess like I was writing. So, you know, I guess one of the speechwriters.

You were like a speechwriter. Another. I love Charles Dickens. So, you know, yeah. Another occupation that's full of anxiety and splintered decision making is the NBA front office. We're going to talk a little bit about the latest chapter of this. Thank you.

Ben Simmons's saga. And then we'll talk a little bit about Warriors Clippers from last night because here. Talked with Logan Murdoch about his Draymond Green feature from earlier in the week on the ringer and the state of the Warriors in general, which seems quite good. The Warriors are back in our lives. I'm happy about it. It's like 2016 again. Yeah.

22. Let's talk. Kanye dropped an album. Frank Ocean dropped the album. It was a good time. It was a good time. Let's talk Philly because that's where I am right now. I'm on the streets doing the reporting.

I'm doing the shoe leather journalism. I'm doing the work. Yesterday, let's just update everybody. Yesterday, Darryl Morey went on 97.5 sports talk radio, gave an interview, said everybody should, quote, buckle up because the Ben Simmons saga could last as long as four years. He basically said that the Sixers will not be trading Ben Simmons for a series of role players, that the only way that they would trade Benzimins is to get a difference

maker in return. And this was the money quote, I thought. I would ask the question to Sixers fans, would you rather eliminate what people perceive to be a distraction? I don't. Or would you rather have worse playoff odds, worse chance to win a title? I'm focused on winning a title. That's Darrell Moray's Sixers president. That's very Darrell to say that. You know, that it just comes down to odds, that it comes down to your chances

at advancing in the playoffs of winning a championship. And he's always been pretty steadfast that with Ben and Joelle and the team that they've assembled around those guys, that this is a really, really, really good team. You know, you can detect a certain amount of, like,

exhaustion, I think, from people about this story. Or maybe, like, now it's starting to get kind of messy. you know, we have every day, it seems like there's a new wrinkle. Ben Simmons showed up, I believe, on Thursday with lower back stiffness. Today he did come to the facility, did meet with Doc Rivers and some of the medical staff, and then addressed the team or spoke with the team, and said he was mentally not prepared to rejoin the team yet. Personally, I'm all back in on this story. I've like come through the other side and now I am reborn and I can't get enough of it.

Chris, as somebody who was in Philly at the time, did you go old school? Did you listen live? I didn't. Did you turn the radio frequency to 97.5? I didn't. I, you know, I've been watching a lot of, like, terrestrial television with my mom. We're not really streaming a lot of shows. We're just spending a lot of time kind of flipping between HGTV, baseball playoffs, NBA games. So I just feel like I've got my full of advertising, my fill of advertising since I've been back. So I, I just kind of listened to the clips. I didn't, I didn't go and listen to the lot of. pure sports talk right into the jugular with all the attendant car dealership and personal injury attorney advertisements that come with it. But I just feel like this story has now got really... He could use a personal injury attorney. I really could. But... In Simmons, sorry. Simmons. Well, Simmons's good, too. I'm just fascinated by this again. Now, I mean, like, first of all, like the Sixers won their first game pretty handily. I didn't think that they played especially great, but it was entertaining enough when it might say more about

the Pelicans than it does about the Sixers. Did you get a chance to watch that game? I didn't, no. Well, let me just tell you, Furcan Korkma's just erasing the entire legacy of Ben Simmons with just a heat check second half. But, you know, I think that the reason why I'm so into this now is like it's kind of a fascinating, live, evolving piece of theater about who has leverage and who has power and who makes decisions in an NBA franchise where we kind of, I've obviously entered into this era where we think that players have a lot more control over their careers and their destinies.

And Darry is one of those few executives that I don't think is constantly looking over his shoulder and checking his job security. So you've got these two forces kind of going at each other with Rich Paul kind of in the background and Ben Simmons' agent. I don't know. Are you tired of this story? No.

Yes. No, no, no, not even a little bit. Yeah, Daryl did something really interesting yesterday. And I feel like this is kind of, it's still in the theme of like, I feel like we've been looking at this throughout the summer as a situation in which nobody's leverage is really changing and everyone's doing a bunch of stuff. And this feels like the ultimate Hail Mary and the thing that is so interesting to me is that I have no idea who is bluffing or not at all. all because what Daryl did yesterday just so, like, plays so well into like the cliche conception of who he is that you can believe that he would actually hold on to Ben Simmons for four years and consider that it wouldn't be a distraction and not really like care about the fact.

Like he just, this is one of, I don't know that it's something that he is super gungho about. I feel like he does believe in chemistry to some extent. but he's also famously said many times, I know many times, but a handful of times, you know, for him like, okay,

chemistry might exist, but maybe chemistry is also a three-game winning streak. And I think there's, there's like a bad habit sometimes in the modern NBA of not necessarily, there's a belief, I think,

that's implicit that if you can't quantify something, it doesn't exist. And I feel like that's kind of, it's something that, Mori has historically done with his teams that have been exceptionally talented, but then fallen apart against, you know, one specific team that we're going to talk about later that seems to be better than the sum of its parts and always seems to come together in, in the face of adversity, whereas the other lets an 0 for 11, three-point stretch go to over 19 and then

0-27, and we're supposed to pretend that it's just probability, but I don't believe in cosmic coincidences. So, you know, I just, I wonder if he actually believes this because it is right on the line of like a thing that he would believe. But the other thing that's so interesting to me and why I don't, I don't, at this point in the, in the saga, I don't want to say that I admire anything that anybody is doing. But it is interesting that he is now the first person to be willing to challenge the notion of the well will just get too poisoned if you allow a situation like this to carry on

if you don't give in to the fact that the player is demanding a trade and honestly we haven't really been in this situation before at least in like the closest thing I can think of is Vince Carter and the Raptors and you know I don't I feel like a lot of that blame went on to Vince because of the way he pushed himself out And you can see that with Ben as well. Like he is being similarly antagonizing,

similarly just, you know, doing the most so he can find his way out. I don't know, man. Who backs down first? Here's the thing that's also extra funny about this whole situation. Is Darry telling people to get ready for a possible four-year saga

with this thing of Ben Simmons showing up in like neck braces, like a character on the Sopranos to the facility? I'm ready. We'll be doing the end. answer in 2025. Guess what fan base is intimately familiar with patience. Sixers fans. Because they were told to have to have patience while the process worked itself out so that they could get Ben Simmons and Joelle Embed and so that then they could be title contenders and now they have to wait

four years to get a good trick for one of these players. The four years that we're talking about would be pretty much the entirety of Joe Al-Anbid's contract with the Sixers. And he would like, the theater of the absurd that's happening right now transcends almost anything that you can tweet about. It's just so funny. It's so ironic. It's so stupid. I really don't know how it's going to end.

I really don't think he's going to trade Ben Simmons for Karis Levert and two picks. I, you know, I'm on the record. I would be fine with CJ McCollum at this point. know if that's like really what what like is being offered the sixers play the nets tonight it's kind of like an amazing moment where it's the first week of the NBA season and two marquee franchises and the league are going to go up against each other on national television and one's going to have their star players sitting out because of he wants to be traded and another's got their star players sitting out because he refused to get vaccinated it's like kind of a shit show

honestly it's kind of an embarrassment but it is what it is and i've just decided to turn into the spin. Yeah, it's, it's, it really is a shit show. And I know, I don't know, both these situations make me really curious what happens next because like, I think it could, I mean, there are, there are long term implications for, you know, player power probably in this as well. Like, if Simmons actually, like, after all of this gets exactly what he wants, like, I don't know. I just don't know what that means for the future. Um, yeah, it's going to be, it's already, it's already really interesting and I just wonder what it means for like the Sixers locker room. Like I really wonder how much longer they can actually withstand this and like the notion of it not being a

distraction can last, especially if they do start losing some games. Like if we look at the nets right now, they really, I felt like they really missed Kyrie in their home opener. I feel like they could they could have used a surefire shooter. They could have used an extra score, somebody to, you know, Hardin worked really well as a table setter for them when Kyrie was in the game. And then Hardin now kind of has to play like a more of a scoring role. And it kind of, I mean, against a really good team,

I mean, they'll be fine throughout the regular season, but they're going to miss them against really good teams. And man, I don't know. Like if the Sixers start losing some games, I think it could get really ugly. Because like, I think you can probably, if the Sixers get out on a winning streak, I think they can like kind of coalesce

around the idea of like, oh, well, like, you know, we don't need Ben. Like, let's say they get a big win tonight, right? Yeah. I think that can be a force that actually maybe even unites them against him. It feels like they are already pretty, like, annoyed about him. Joe Ellen Bede, I don't care about that comma man, or I don't care about that man.

For what it's worth, based on what he said next about Ben doing whatever he wants, I think it was the latter. But it's, you know, as a writer, it's delicious to me when a comment actually matters. Yeah, I don't know. I think it could get really interesting for Philly. And I think it actually probably will come down to like how they do on the court. Because if they start winning some games, then like you can probably hold out for a while.

So here's the one thing that is different between Brooklyn and Philly. I would point out. I feel like Brooklyn's done a good job being like we've put a lid on the Kyrie thing. Like Kyrie may or may not go on IG Live or whatever. But for the most part, Steve Nash is like, have said what I've got to say about this. This sort of situation is now out of our hands. And we've made our, like, this is how we're going to move forward.

Sixers have not done that. They have not been like, Ben Simmons is going to be away from the team. He'll continue to be paid. Who cares? He signed a contract. You know, like we're going to work on an exit strategy or a reentrance strategy. We're going to do that in private. In the meantime, don't ask Joel about this every five minutes.

Don't ask Doc about this every five minutes. Don't ask Daryl to be on your radio show, et cetera. they haven't done. How do you think that actually worked out? Do you think that, like, do you think that the, that they just, like, shot their shot and asked, like, hey, like, let's see if we can get Daryl. And he was like, yeah, why not?

I think Daryl probably was like, I'm sure, I'm sure that there is like a kind of internal, for as much as he's like, there's no pressure, there's no distraction. Sure, there's like an internal desire to comment. Ultimately, the buck's going to stop with Daryl, if not Josh Harris, if he's not going to talk. I mean, it's going to be Daryl who's already a pretty media friendly person. So he's probably going to be like, I would like to explain our position. Their position is changing every day, though, because

one day it's like Ben's there with a phone in his pocket. The next day he's getting tossed out for not doing a defensive drill. The next day he shows up and he says he has back problems and then the next day he says he's not mentally ready to play. All of those things could be true, but you're allowing this to be a soap opera rather than be like, this was a distraction earlier in the season. Kyrie gets vaccinated. He can rejoin the team. That's it. I don't know what like the steps that need to be, like, followed for Ben Simmons to either rejoin the team or for Daryl to all of a sudden conjure an All-Star return for Ben Simmons. It's just we're kind of like, I can't wait to find out. I'll put it that way. I can't wait to find out. Why do you think he, just before, I'm just really

curious about the medium. Why do you think he chose this medium to, you know, communicate? Speak directly to the fans. Speak directly to the, to the, to the, to the, to the lunch, Bail fans who are still like filling the rafters there, you know, like, he's going to the base. It's like, there's only like, you know, there's like 95 people on Twitter who were like, I really care about this. Like, if you're driving in your car and you're coming home from work and you're like, am I going to see Ben Simmons on Friday? I don't actually know if that person exists. But I think that it's like, it's, it's an easy way just to get out to the Philadelphia sports fan, especially the very engaged one. And then I'll get aggregated into high heaven.

I mean, he could have gone on Bill's pod, but like, I could have. You could have. have, Daryl. You could have. You could have. You could have helped us out a little bit. Can we talk for a second about Steph? Absolutely. Yes. Definitely the thing that made me most excited to have basketball back in my life this week was watching the two Warriors games. What about you? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I feel like I've been trying to like just relive the Steph, like, crescendo moment from five years ago for pretty much since then. There is just absolutely nothing, like watching him beat the Clippers of all teams. Like there is like the warrior's sense of inevitability no longer exist

unless Steph is playing against the Clippers. That was a really fun game. Just like in vintage Steph in the fourth quarter. Like the first half he's like struggling a little bit. Terence Matt is bothering him. He goes, you know, he's sitting on the bench. He's got a towel on his head. I'm like, yes.

Like this is just like the energy that this is what I've been missing. Like you kind of feel, feel what's coming. And it comes. Like just like it was, It was just like, it was vintage stuff and it was a lot of fun. Do you think, do you feel like there are still, I feel like there are still teams like from like the early Warriors days of being doubted that like they just don't want to lose to. Like is he still mad that Chris Paul kicked him off the court? I feel like there's there's some residual stuff going on there.

Yeah. I mean, I think that that's a team that's been to the top end of the bottom of the mountain. They, you know, and like I think that they have a lot of a lot of debts they want to pay. There's a lot of red in their ledger to use of marvelism. Like it's like they, and you know, whether it's like the clippers kind of dancing on their grave last year

or whatever. Like I think that they very quickly, especially after Steph's performance last night, have become, you know, maybe not like the Goliaths that they were in their glory days in 2016 or whatever, but more like, they're must see TV.

You know, I don't think anybody's going to take the night off against the Warriors. I think fans are going to be filling the stadium to watch Steph on the road. It's still like a really amazing piece of entertainment to watch. And it's just been awesome to watch them this week, even though a little bit challenging being on the East Coast. It's been, it's been really, really entertaining. So I want to get into your interview with Logan. What did you guys talk about? We talked about his piece.

We talked about the Warriors in general this year. We went pretty long on them because I think we're both fascinated by them. We talked about Jordan Poole, obviously. We had a nice, you know, if you stick it out until the end, Logan got to have one of his personal, like maybe a high water mark moment in his life that he talks to us about. So it was fun. That's great. All right. Well, we're going to get into Syrit's talk with Logan about the Warriors.

We'll be back next week talking more NBA. Thanks for listening to the Rear NBA show. Thank you, Chris. And so I'm obviously obsessed with the Warriors this season. They probably have some of the most intriguing questions going into the season, pretty much just considering how high their ceiling is. And we also, with the return of the Warriors, have back the most interesting experiment, or at least like the most transparent experiment in teamwork in the NBA.

and I was reminded of that when Logan Murdoch wrote his great feature at the ringer.com on Draymond Green. And just how much he has grown, how much he has learned from the last two seasons, what losing has been like and how he can maybe be a mentor for these young warriors who are trying to take some of the championships shine to get this team to the next level. Logan, how are we feeling about the Warriors? I only've seen one game, and I don't want to drink the Kool-Aid, but if you said they were championship contenders, I'm not going to say no, after one game, after one game of playing basketball.

That's it. And we're recording this before their second game tonight on Thursday, where they play the clippers and could get waxed at home. But from what I've seen, really, really good basketball team. You wrote a feature about Draymond Green this week. and so the reason I wanted to have you on is because I feel like the Warriors have just like never really actually gone away ever since their 2015 run like we've always kind of just gotten like a taste of them and for me personally I think for a lot of people who are fans of basketball fans of sports in general like we have been craving that feeling pretty much since 2016 when Kevin Durant signed with team. And now, now those warriors, the Steph, potentially Clay, Dray, Draymond, Andre

Guadalas back. You're missing one name. You're missing one name, Cyrid. Who am I missing? Jordan Poole. Jordan Poole wasn't on those teams, though. He wasn't, but his spirit was. But go ahead.

You know what? Yeah, he is like an ultimate. He is basically just like a warrior for life. Yeah, we'll talk about Jordan Poole. I've been trying to, like, as a sports fan capture that moment, recapture that moment. Like, I was like, I would sit there last year when Curry had like 40-point games and like pretend I was in 2016 again.

And there were a lot of things that I missed about this team. But your piece made me realize that the thing that I might have missed even more than like the Curry explosions was just like this like magical alchemy that they had. This yin and yang of like, you know, Steph and Clay. easygoing demeanor with with Draymond's brashness and then Iguidala kind of being like the balancing force they just had a perfect medley of personalities that coalesced despite having their differences and it was really beautiful to watch because that is essentially like what a team is and your your piece reminded me of just how special that was so before we get into that Logan like

why did you want to talk about Draymond or, you know, talk to Draymond in this particular moment? Well, I just would like to say that, you know, some stories you just get a lot of luck on. And I think Draymond, I pitched a story to the Warriors and to my editors in July right after the finals. I was like, Warriors are coming back. Who do I want to write about on the Warriors? And it was always Draymond Green because, you know, I covered them. And it was somebody that I always wanted to write about because he always just seemed like the most interesting person in that group.

And so I just wanted, honestly, I just pitched the story as being like, I just want to write about Jermon Green because that's, he seems like one of the most interesting players in the league. And, you know, it was probably ambitious. But I hadn't read any profiles on Jermon Green that I, like, that was defining. So I just wanted to write something and get as much as I could and know as much as I could about him. And then after I pitched it, he put out chips, his first episode of Chips with Kevin Durant. And, you know, I think it was a change of emotions of like, hey, man, damn, he asked Kevin all the questions I wanted to ask Kevin about the relationship. And I'm sure we'll get that at the second.

But then it was just like these things started happening. And the intuition I had in the beginning of the – when I pitched it was kind of coming to fruition. Like he is this interesting dude. He is this guy that has to be the center of attention in a lot of ways for that team to be successful. And so, and then he starts talking his first press conference back. And I'm like, oh, okay, bet. And so it wound up just working out. But it initially came just I wanted to write about Jermon because he's just always interesting.

And I never had the place to write about Jermon during my whole time. So I just was like, this is the time to do it. And there we go. What did you feel like wasn't captured in like the early Dremont canon that you wanted to get out there? At first it started is like, Draymond is, and we'll get to this, his personality as a whole,

but Dremont is a guy that has to remind people about how good he is. I don't know if he'd admit that, but that's something that he does consistently. And I wanted to get why. I always want to get the why in storytelling. And the reason why I just wanted to see, is this something in childhood or is it something that happened to him where he has to remind this pivotal moment? But no, honestly, he is the embodiment of Saginaw. And Saginaw is a forgotten city.

And he was a forgotten high school player that had to prove to a lot of people that he was worthy of being considered one of the best. There's a story I was talking to. It didn't actually make the piece about I was talking to Julian Taylor, one of his. his assistants and his assistant coaches at Saginaw. And he was talking about this game against Manning Harris. The only basketball nerds who know Manning Harris is from Michigan, but he was playing for a high school called Detroit Redford. And he was this hot shot recruit and nobody know who Jarmond was, despite him being smart

and kind of the same kind of player he is now. No one knew who he was. And it was a Christmas tournament and he had a double, double, just one of those Jermon games we already always know where he doesn't really do anything spectacular. He just takes over the game. And that's when people knew about Draymond. And now he's in this part of his career where it's kind of waning down. There's a new crop of defenders. And he's starting to say, oh, I'm the best defensive player ever. I am this. I am that. He's having to remind people of that because, you know, whether it's his play is falling off or just anything, he has, he needs to show people that he is

worthy of being paid attention to. And I just wanted to explore that. But it just came into something different as it evolved. Yeah, that's so interesting. Like he, even now, like, after, you know, becoming Dremont Green, who is literally like, Dramon Green is an archetype. There are, you know, front offices chasing players like Dremont Green. He's like a utility superstar. He's had an insane amount of coverage. People know who he is. He's won a ton of awards. He's a champion. But even now, like, he still feels the need to advocate for himself. And, like, a big part of your piece was just, like, that idea. Like, you were very, I thought it was interesting that you were very clear about, like, how this came together. Just the fact that, like, he did want to talk. Like, he felt like

there were things that he wanted to get off his chest. And it's just, like, it's something that I'm really curious about, like, within the Warriors locker room, like, just how, how does that, like, historically, we have seen different ways that it impacts them, but, like, that, you know, that type of stuff, like, there was, like, the KD thing, you know, just, like the conversations that they had about Bob Myers and Steve Kerr. Like, how do you feel like that impacts a locker room now? I don't think it impacts the locker room too much, not because it's not a monumental moment in their history. It's kind of just the evolution of... It's just the evolution of the relationship with Draymond.

Like, we can, on the surface, it looks like a situation that could break the team. But you got to understand this is the same group that was with him in the 2016 finals when he got suspended. And this is also the same Draymond that, for a large part of the time, when he's not interested, and I think I put that in the piece, he, he doesn't play well. And they had to go through the highs and lows of him, not for lack of a better term, given a fuck. about the season. They had to deal with that. Then they constantly had to deal with that. And then on Zremont's side, he's constantly had to deal with,

hey, man, why do you, and this is something internally, but like, why do you guys feel the need to, you guys know who I am? Why do you guys always feel the need to walk on eggshells? I am who I am. Just let me be me, and I've always been great at being me, and this is the reason why we've become champions. And so it's that tug and pull from both sides that's always happened.

and this is just the latest, uh, it's just, this is just the latest, uh, iteration of that, I think it's not, it's not,

it's the norm. If, it has to, it has to happen for this whole thing to work. Yeah, it sounds like there's more of a comfort level with that dynamic. Like they have all kind of been through it enough with Ramon. It was interesting like some of the quotes in,

in, in, in, in the article just like, you know, when you asked Steve Kerr about, about it, like he was just kind of like, well,

that's Draymond and like, he seems like he's at peace with the fact that every once in a while, like he's going to hear about what, what he has to say, either in print or on TNT or something else. Yeah, it's funny because I talked to Steve right after the chips episode drop. And it was interesting because, you know, I was asking him in the context of, hey, man, can I get you for his story? Can I just get you?

Can I lock some time down in the next week? And he was like, you want to talk today? It was one of those things. So he, it was one of those interviews where, you know, he was right in the thick of, of the, you know, the outcry of that video. And remember, you got to understand he was, he had just got done winning a gold medal with Jermont as an assistant coach and Kevin. They had just won it. And he, and then this drops. So he didn't want to talk about the interview per se, but you could tell that like, yo, I just want to give context to when that that date was, you know, he was writing a third.

throes of his emotions about that interview, just like Bob Myers was, just like a lot of people within the organization were. And he still said, yo, Dremont is loyal as hell. He's the most loyal guy I've ever met. And this is Dremont. And so that was one of the first indications of, oh, okay, well, this is something to keep an eye on. You've got to understand that this is the norm. As long as this group is together, then this is the things that are going to have to just be accepted and you're going to have to go through. It's big, oh, that's Dremond energy. Yeah, so how do you think that that is kind of, like, how do you think that he is now transitioning, like,

into this role where he, like you said, like he didn't really feel like doing much when he wasn't winning, which I thought was such an interesting insight about Dremont. And I think it's true for a lot of really competitive NBA players that are, like, Dremont, that are smart, that are, like, you know, really engaged with, like, the next thing that they can solve. Like, Draymond, it just feels like treats basketball like it's a chess match.

So like what's the next thing that he can discover? It feels like he needs to be engaged in that way. And I think that like we've seen, I think Rajan Rondo is a player like that. Like I think that's part of the reason that we see playoff Rondo. Even Igwadala on some level is a player like that. And I'm kind of, I'm kind of curious to see how he'll progress this season when they're definitely like they have ambitions on winning. but they also need to focus on development. And he's also being asked to be a part of that.

When you're in your piece, like you talked about, like there was a time, like, you know, when they first had that season after KD and he was like just with a bunch of young guys, like he really wasn't engaged in it. Like he wasn't about it. Yeah. It's funny because I think Jarmond is the biggest barometer

for what this team is doing and where they're at because when you talk about the Warriors relationship with the young players, they by and large didn't give a fuck about young players, but they didn't, they weren't as invested in young players during their run as they are now. That's as a consequence you see a Jordan Bell not pan out, right? Or you see a Patrick McCaw not work out because a lot of those guys need nourishment that the warriors just weren't able to provide during that time. Because when you're looking, when you're striving for titles, you don't got time to develop anybody.

And you're starting to see now, I think the 2019, 2020 season is kind of like the second episode, the second season of the wire, right? Where it's the one where it's not really that flashy, but when all the pieces are kind of put in place for the rest of the show. And where, you know, Steph is hurt and Clay is hurt. Draymond's out on his own, but Draymond has to figure it out and figure himself out because he no longer. has Sean Livyson, Andre Guadala, and David West to tell him, hey, bro, you shouldn't have went that far. Or he doesn't have, like, he doesn't even have Steph for a lot of that year in Clay. So he has to figure out how to both be a leader and also know how to be a leader because he could just have that buffer of Andre Godala and Sean Livingston and all these guys. So because he was all alone, it taught him how to, it taught him how to develop, help you develop young guys and by extension of

Warriors have had to had that identity crisis too of how do we become a development a developmental team too because you have to be it you have to develop into a champion and I think that's been lost in the rings there but you have to develop into that and they're trying and the warriors are trying to get their next act or their second act or their last act and they have to do that by developing young people and draymond was a barometer of it yeah it's like they've like they've definitely invested more in that like they hired a jama melalela from from the raptors and they've just like you know the amount of young players that they have like it is going to be really interesting to me to see though like how do you actually in practice do that like have you gotten any insight into like how they're going to balance that out at all i think they i think that they're learning on the fly just as much as we are right because the only barometer i mean the only like i think barometer this working is the spurs, right, to have that second act around Duncan, but we didn't

really get to see the losing seasons when that happened. But they're trying to figure out their own way with that because they're trying to get a guy like Wiseman into the fold who has an abundance of potential, but he has to figure out how to be a champion on the fly. And like, the thing with Wiseman and who was coached by the coach you referenced, by and large, he is a guy that is trying to figure that out. And everything that I've seen from Wiseman is that presses on him. That presses on him the pressure to win, not in a bad way necessarily, but he's so involved that he wants to impress everybody

because he not only hasn't played in the NBA much, but he hasn't played in high school or college. So this is his coming out thing. And you could see he's really hard at himself about if he misses a shot or two. He's like, damn, you know, he's so hard. himself because he's seen all he's not only fighting the trying to get a title he's fighting the perception that he's a bust and he's seen that lamello ball is out there he's seen that anthony a erwas is balling but that's

the guy they have to bring along to get into that championship fabric and that's going to take a while and they're going to have to be accept that when you were when you were reporting the piece after you talked to wise man I remember we talked and you said like oh that that dude just going to be like just fine like why did you think that uh one because I think he's in a really good system of an organization, and two, he wants it. You know, he's not giving up. The reason why he's, he's frustrated is not because he wants to give up. It's because, no, he wants to live up to what everyone's saying and what also he thinks of himself. I think he

thinks he's one of the best rookies in this class. And honestly, on paper, if, you know, if he had more of a college career, you can make the argument that, yo, he's perfectly fit for this warrior's roster. He's just raw right now. The only thing is he's fighting against time with Steph and Clay and all these people who are getting older. But I think he's going to be okay because, one, he says all the right things. And two, everybody I've spoken to says he has all the right habits. He wants it. So, you know, I think that he's going to be okay.

It's going to take time. Now, the thing is, are they going to be, the warrior is going to have enough infrastructure to be patient with him. And so we'll see what happens with that. Yeah. And I think the other end of that is like, are they going to have enough minutes for him? And if they don't, like, is he going to be able to be patient when he's putting all this pressure on himself? It's really interesting, like, to me that this team is now. It's got, you know, you've got Wiseman and you've got Kaminga who are both like, you know, they're both like blue chip prospects coming out of, coming out of high school, right? Like they're like your blue chippers, bootchippers.

Like everybody knew who they were from the time that, like, I don't even know how young, right? I think for Kamiga, I think it was like the time that he was 14 years old. And like they're with this team full of guys that are like, you know, full of players that were underestimated, second round picks. Like guys who like scrapped from like for 10-day contracts and like found their ways onto like NBA rotations. Like I've how have you seen like that dynamic like into? mingle together. I haven't been around Kaminga as much yet,

so I can't really speak for how that process is working with him just yet, just because he's so new to the team. But with Wiseman, I think it's one of those things where he kind of, I wouldn't say got beat into him, but he saw it first hand how kind of hard this was. And I think the biggest

help with all of this is that the Warriors have young guys, but they also have great vets. You talk about I think they have one of the best staffs and great OGs on their team. They have Andre Guadala who helps out with, you know, with that, with Dremont, right? Who helps out with Draymond, right? Who helps out with Dremont, but it can also help out with Juan and Jordan Poole, right? And you also have Sean Liveston, who's on the staff and who actually travels with the team to some most road trips.

He's a guy that is in that sweet spot that we see where he's out of the league. but the players in the league have played against him. He's not too far removed from the game to where he could still give up game. He was only three years ago he was on the last Warriors finals run. Then you have Leandro Barbosa, who when they were in L.A., I saw he was actually doing shooting drills with Kameniga and just like really just talking big shit. It was a great thing. It was a great visual to watch.

But they have a great staff. And I think because of their staff in the way that their team is presented, now is it a championship roster? No, but is it a great roster of mixed? with younger guys and older guys, yes. And I think that's going to ultimately get them if they stay healthy into title contention. Maybe not this season, but in the seasons to come.

So that kind of like, I guess like that difference there between in expectation is like what's really interesting to me. Because I think it was just a couple of days ago. Like, you know, Dremont talking about like, you know, the playoffs better not be like the only expectations. I'm just really curious to see like what becomes of these guys like, in February because like right now so there's like there's like a million different variables with this team like you have wise men comminga and moody um you don't really know how they're going to

develop this season um and you have like even rotation players that are really young and you have clay's health which is probably like the biggest question mark um and like i don't know i'm just curious like let's say i think so i personally have been kind of like buying into like the warriors inevitability right um i think i'm just like way back in 2016 i'm feeling Like 22 again. Have you succumbed to the propaganda? I helped create the propaganda. Like I'm feeling the machine.

I'm very much, I am such an entrenched part of it that like, you know, there are times that I don't even feel is. I don't want to like, I want you to ask your question. But I think the Warriors inevitability is because of one, their talent on the floor, but also everything around them. Like their media staff always wants to get, you know this. They always want to give you a story. they always want to be in the new cycle, whereas other teams, as we both have kind of talked about on the side, are closed off. And an era where the NBA seems like sometimes, or most times it just doesn't want to be covered,

they're a team that is so accessible. So, like, you know, us, if we need a story, we're going to go, where by and large, where people are going to help us the most. And the warriors are so accommodating. So I think they are accommodating. Their product is just caught up with how great they've been accommodating and actually want to be, want to sell themselves in a way that I don't think the league as a whole wants to sell itself. Yeah, I completely agree.

I mean, just the fact that we're able to have like these in-depth conversations about like Draymond's attitude and, you know, how it coalesces with a team, like, you know, how, you know, Steph Curry helps balance him out. How, like, a guy like Andre Aguadala, like, Igwadala, is such a good example to me of the type of leader that, like, I think if he played for a different franchise that wasn't as open with media and was maybe like a different person that was a little bit more quiet. Like, we would have no idea just how much value he has brought to the team. And he's one guy where I feel like it's kind of big that they brought him back before. It's huge. It's, yeah. Tim Kawakami at the athletic. He interviewed Kerr after they won the gold medal.

And he said, and Kerr on Igodala said, I think when we lost him, we lost a big. peace of our soul. And we knew that when we lost him. And then he talks about, he talks about how, like, trading Iguadala ended up being the right move because it brought back Kaminga and Wiggins, which man, like, retired that

man's jersey. Like, the, the non-box score value of Big Godola. And it got Andre Godala paid. It got him paid. I think everyone in that situation is like, you know what? Like, it sucks that we had to break up for a little while, but, you know, we're coming back better than

Right up. Anyway, so he talks about how he thinks it was a good trade. And then he's like, but there's no way of getting around the fact that for the last two years, we've been wayward in many ways. Do you feel like you saw that? Yeah, being around them. Because I just want to know from like somebody who like, you know, was there because I feel like the things that a guy like Igwadala brings to a team are just so specific. I mean, Andre is one of like the most. fascinating players I've ever covered ever in life.

And it's a, okay, so it's a, it's weird to say, like, while Adra Godala was not in the building, his influence loomed large over the warriors during the 2019-20 season and beyond, honestly, like ever since he left, he never really left the Bay. Like his folks were, his wife and his kid both went to school and lived in the Bay area. When he was getting money from Memphis, he never reported. was in the East Bay, chilling, even spotted out all the time. He was work, like, and so he was still in the fabric of the Warriors, but him not being in the locker room really, really hurt.

And that goes back to Draymond where there's no buffer, right? Draymond is the only one there. And he can't really relate to being a leader. And so there's no buffer. And so when Andre was there, you know, he's one of the guys that know, is he superstar? No. But he can, he has Steve Kerr's ear, but he also has the ear of the young guys. He also has the respect of the young guys.

I remember when, I remember when Jordan Bell had, I did the, the famous Mike Brown incident where the famous hotel incident in Memphis. And I remember talking to, you know, just trying to get a reactionary piece. It was, it was, just trying to see, like, what the OGs thought about Jordan. and because usually you can get the barometer of how the team is going by to OGs. And, you know, Andre was one of the first people to defend Jordan Bell, just blindly defend him. And was he defending him? I don't know the reason. I don't know the reason why he defended, but I can guess.

It was like kind of like kind of an innocuous. Like, I can't remember what it was. He bought something on Mike Brown's tab. I don't know what it was. just I forget. I didn't get reporting to know enough to know where it was. We bought something on Mike Brown's tab at the hotel. And honestly,

it was not just that, just for more context on that Jordan belt thing. It was not, it was more context to that. They had had trouble with Jordan throughout the season. And that was a game that a lot of the players played. It was just one of the first times they did it on a coach, so it got bad. But like, it was just one of those things where it was like the straw

that broke the camel's back with Jordan, right? So one of the OGs could have just thrown Jordan under the bus. No, he's a kid that's been fucking up this season and we would have to call but Andre was like no and the reason why is because he didn't want um in-house shit to get out for one and two he wanted to show that he had the young guys back and that's something that that's that's always been something in his fabric and he can also talk to um you know relate to Steve Kerr because he was a Bulls fan and he all and Steve Kerr and and Andre loved billions in succession that's something that they watch together so that's they can

all he can bond on both sides. And that's why he was so important because he can speak, he can speak both languages. And so he's the great unifier on that team and he wasn't there. Andre is also like, it's, it's interesting that he's like that too because he's also like very realistic about what the NBA is.

Yeah. And, you know, just like, I remember reading his book. And I can't remember if this was in his book or somewhere else. But like, you know, he talks about just the idea of like, you know, every rookie is like,

essentially somebody who could replace you. And that's an attitude that's like, you know, always been fairly prevalent within NBA locker rooms. Like the notion of mentorship is actually like rare than I think people realize it is because like if you're, you know, a rotation piece on a team, like why are you going to help the guy that they're grooming to replace you so that they don't have to pay you, right? Like that, you know, like the teams try to replenish their own talent with first round picks all the time.

So, you know, the thing that's interesting to me about the Warriors is like, A, they have Andre who was like that. But even Draymond, like, has kind of never really, while like being, you know, always like advocating for himself and like clearly having this feeling that like he is not being valued appropriately. Like he is also never really been that worried about being replaced. Like, you know, he like the biggest thing is he recruited Kevin Durant. But he's also, you know, Not in, not with like the, maybe, I don't know what I want to call it, like the tact or the EQ that Iguodala would use. But like he has been a mentor to, uh, to a lot of young players on the, on the team as well. So I don't know. It's just like always been really interesting to me that he hasn't necessarily worried about that. I think that's a more of an, that's also an organizational thing. Because I always think of like if Jermann was on another team that was a lot more dysfunctional,

would he just try to go get his because that's what the environment, um, suggested that he'd do to be successful because here's the thing, man, Jermont's a survivor. No matter where he's gone through, he's just survived and just flourished in that in a way where we didn't think he would. But he's also been in great situations. You know, especially he's been coached by Tom Mizzow, has been coached by Steve Kerr,

has been in a good organization. So the organization, at least outwardly, has made these players secure enough to the point in their roles to where they can be, where they can be secure enough to help other guys out. and also has helped that no one has been able to replace Dremont, right?

Like there was always there was always a thing in the Bay Area about the next Dremont, right? First it was Jordan Bell, then I think Pascal got the, got that mantle. So it's basically anybody that Dremond is in orbit with or takes under his wing that say three and three or four is the next Dremont. He's grooming the next one. But there was something interesting that between Dremont and I think that Andre, Sarah's the same philosophy. It's something that Pete Myers told Draymond, and that's in the story when he was a rookie, he says, you get paid to get the next guy paid. You're going to get your bread.

And as long as you do the right things, you're going to get your bread. And one of those right things is mentoring young guys so that they can get paid. And you will always be around. And that philosophy has been there for the Warriors. They have taken care of Draymond financially. That's just point blank. And maybe when his stats haven't suggested so, they have paid him. And so he is secure enough to where he can do that.

That's why when you take care of everybody and everybody eats and put them in a healthy environment, they will more than happy, more than happily pick up the next man. And I think that's what's happened with those Warriors team. And you're seeing that with Andre and Dr. Maugh. That's such a good point. I feel like that's something that all of us really like fell in love with about this team was that they actually operated like a team. And like they did these things that just were selfless.

and altruistic in a way that, you know, it's not that common to see in an NBA franchise. But like it's, what does that look like for them in 2021 now? Because like there is, I feel like a sense of like the kumbaya days are over, but you are right in that like, they have now kept their promises as well.

Yeah. And there is a power in that. Well, I think it's funny. Like they, you know, they, this is not to say they didn't strive and do whatever other super teams, to do, right? They just got an abundance of talent. They went out, they dipped their toe. They tried, they got Kevin Durant on the team. They, they were a part of the super team thing, too, in this,

in this era where there's these makeshift teams. You know, we see this in, you know, in Los Angeles. We see this in Miami. We've seen this all over where we're just going to make a team and we're just going to figure it out. But it was interesting. Steph in the story said that, you know, we could have gone out like the heat. We could have gone out like these teams. of infrastructure. I don't know if that was a digger. I don't know. Step is pretty like very calculated in what he says. But like it's true. You know, a lot of these teams have kind of just in this new era of player empowerment have just kind of made these makeshift superstar teams. And the Warriors are one of those rare teams that have blended both

where you have superstars, but also you take care of your guys as a team. You know, you still have that spurs mantra of like, hey, we're going to we're going to go out, but we're going to go out, like a team and you see this season, it's a lot more joy, man. There's not even, there's a lot more joy around the Warriors staff in a way that it just wasn't in past years when they were striving for it's, it seems like a rejuvenation. I don't know what that leads to, but there's, it just seems like a whole different vibe in Warriorsland right now. Yeah, I almost like wonder if it's just the fact that there are variables that they can control, um, in order to get better. Because like there is this they're one of the most interesting teams in the league and I'm so looking forward to just like spending the regular season tracking them because there's so many different ways that they can make progress with different players player development just chemistry that they can develop um you know like I'm sure they're they're passing in the first game against the Lakers is already looking like not quite vintage but like they had moments you know that like reminded you how fun it was you know what's funny that was like one of their most sloppy the sloppiest one of the sloppiest games I've ever seen them play was that first one but

but they still looked, they still were, by and large, in tune. It was because of a drop pass. It wasn't because they didn't make the right pass in a lot of times. But it was, it was interesting. So I say that to say that they have a real ceiling with their offense. Not a ceiling, they have a high ceiling for their offense that they haven't even gotten to. Yeah, yeah. I feel like Steph was having, like, one of those just like, I'm going to throw the ball, like, four

feet overhead by accident type of games in that, in that first half. But, yeah, like, they do have a lot of different things that they could improve on, like a lot of incremental things that could help them. And I don't know. Like I think when you're in that position, like it's just a little bit more empowering. Like do you feel like they're just happy to be like trying to build something again? Definitely. I think that because by and large at their core, they're like the especially with the Bayer,

they're these hometown heroes. Like when they were 2014-15 warriors, it was really just like, man, that's crazy. Our neighborhood homies are just like are winning at a high level. You kind of have that community back. Now, it was like for the Bay Area, them going to, on this, getting Kevin Durant was like the Bay Area resident moving down to L.A., right? Where it's like, okay, we've reached this another level of stardom, but we're from the Bay. Now it feels like, you know, that that homie that moved to L.A.

moved back up when Kevin Lennel, we moved back up to the Bay. And it's like, you know, like I'm just bribing right now. It just seems like a real low-key, lower-key thing. And that's no distance to anybody. but it just seems it's different because there's not as much pressure now to win. You don't think so? At least they don't feel it as much because they're by and large saying we don't need to win a title this year. And I think that this is very much a development year.

Now, in their minds, I think they're playing with house money. At least that's how they feel, right? Because every time I, like I tried to prod, obviously to make the story. But when I was talking to Steph, we talked for about 15 minutes. And I did try to get him on like, yo, man, this championship or bust type shit. And he was like, no, no, it's not. That's what we're playing for. But I don't think that it's, I don't, he never gave.

Now, Steph always speaks in code, but he never gave the inclination that it was championship or bust this year. And Draymond is said by after the first game, we have a long way to go. But I do think that they're in love with that process because that's where they came from. It's just they want to, they came from building something and they want to build another. other thing. Yeah. Yeah. Steph's, uh, Steph's, uh, Steph's close are really interesting. Um, what he said about like, you know, how that core, um, the core that they now have, if they're healthy, had never been beaten. And then like you, I think like, what, how,

how was that interaction in real life? Like, did you have to say like, hey, what about 2016? So when we talk, um, you know, he was saying that stuff. And you know, when you're talking to somebody, I mean, you know, me and you have had a lot of conversations. You're one of my, one of my best friends. And we've had a lot of conversations. And I know there's been times where I'm talking out my ass and you're like, in your mind, you're like, huh? And then I correct myself a little too much, but I'm not going to like,

but like it's cool. I like seeing it. So I'm just like, I'm not going to make you pull back on it. Exactly. So that was the vibe I got with Steph is like there was this awkward silence. And then he said, I will take, I will take 2016 out. And I tried to convey that in the story. Yeah.

I think I put, I forgot what I put in there, but there was like an awkward. pause and then he says I will take 2016 out. But don't you, real quick side don't, don't you just love teams who just say, like the Celtics, you can respect teams are just like outright, just lie when they just say like,

just say how good they are. You know, this, like, Doc Rivers, like this team has never lost when they were fully healthy. And it's like, you know, okay. All right. All right, all right, doc. But I get it. I love when teams like, oh, with this core, I feel like I can beat the world.

I love that about guys. And you saw that with, with Steph on that in that quote. Yeah, I mean, it's just like it's really interesting. Like, it feel like they have always just bought into their own sense of how good they were. Like, they feel like if they were healthy, they would have won that series. And maybe that's why they don't necessarily feel like it's interesting. I wonder if they feel like they have something to prove because they didn't win

and because there was like this narrative around, you know, that team that beat the, beat the cabs. like, you know, no Kyrie, no Kevin Love. And like, nowadays, everybody tries to add an asterisk to everything, right? I'm not saying any of that stuff applies. I'm just, I wonder how, like, they engage with that. Well, I think what's lost in the Warriors, you know, there's the championships, there's the, you know, this togetherness, there's this, there's just this, all this stuff that you've just great teamwork. But what we lose in this is that the Warriors are probably the most egotistical team of all time. And what I mean by that in a good way, it's healthy ego.

But they are one of those people. Like, if you look in that Toronto series, when they lost the series, the two games they won, you were in a building for that series. Both of them were in Toronto. Those were like some g-shit. Both of those games were just like some, okay, like they pulled this out of their ass. They had no reason.

Those are some championship wins, right? And so at least they could, if they lost the series, they could hang their hat on, hey, bro, a game five, we always. over, we over, uh, we overcame a Kauai just flurry and just came with the title on the line and like, yo, bro, yeah. And we also scared the shit out of them in game six. We probably could have, if it was a game seven and step hits that shot, we could have won that. There, you could hear that error of like, nah, bro, like fundamentally we are better than you. Then every team that you have put against us, we are fundamentally better than them at our peak. And you can't talk shit to us. And that's where you

get the context behind the quote of when Jremont says, only person that can talk shit to me is LeBron. And on the surface, it's a wild quote. It's a wild-ass quote. But what he's saying is, it's like, hey, bro, my team, none of y'all can fuck with my team, except for me, LeBron is the only one that can even say anything about accomplishments when it comes to my team. And you get that collective egotistical, maniacal shit from the warriors from time to time.

but you got to like really look at it. You got to really look at it because they're so nice and they're so great to be around but like yeah, you have to. That's where you get the Steph Shimmy. That's where you get the yo.

Like we're just, it's some Bay Area shit because you know how we have this elitism in the Bay Area that we're obviously we're kind and hippies but we're also kind of better than you too. And that's what the Warriors are right now.

Fars. I don't think that this team is going to be able to, if they actually start playing really well at any point, I think they're going to have a really hard time if they have to pull back. Oh, yeah, for sure. I mean, it's just like the, it's just like the 70-3. Even the idea that this isn't a championship season for them,

that's, I just don't buy that. That does not pass me as a smell test. I think also, it's not like they're not going to strive for it. I see this team is like one of those, if they get hot at the right time and just get the right seed, like they could go to the finals. I don't think that they can win the finals by any stretch. I think that the Nets are better than them in the Eastern Conference. I think that the Milwaukee Bucks are better than them, I don't think.

But I really get, though, 2010 Sun's vibes. I really love this. And it was just like really, and there's two players on those old sons teams in the organization. And you see just the vibe, just how they are, things like that. You saw that opening night where they were just so, while they were made a lot of sloppy, mistakes. They were just so in tuned and they made all the right plays down the stretch to where like it wasn't that surprising that they won the game. I was telling you before the game, I think the Warriors are going to win this game. Just for the simple fact of just how their

chemistry is so early on, it's just great. And if they just get the right seed, man, you never know. You never know. Well, if I'm them, I'm looking at the West, I'm saying, well, they just had that game against the Lakers, which I mean, it doesn't, it doesn't have any. We'll get into that, though. We'll get into that in a second. It doesn't have any bearing on like the, the Western Conference, like playoffs or anything like that. Like both teams, I think are going to look significantly different by the time that rolls around. But like the Lakers have a lot of questions.

The Sons have now created questions for themselves by, you know, not extending DeAndre Aten. That made no sense. But they have, you know, they have now given themselves a vulnerability that they didn't have before. Denver isn't healthy. The clippers aren't healthy. And these guys have been there before. They have a ton of experience. I just, I just imagine.

and like with the way that they feel about themselves. And I know the way that they feel about a player like, like Russell Westbrook, for example. Like they have to be, they have to be looking at at this road and being like, man, like if a couple of things break right, like they got to be thinking about that. I'm going to be real with you, Siritt.

The warriors think of Russell Westbrook, historically speaking, as food. Every time they play against them, they love playing against him because they feel like as an organization, that he's going to, he's going to, Russell Westbrook, when he's on the floor, feels like the Warriors' best player in the Warriors' eyes.

Because their biggest strategy is to make him play against himself. They did that when he was in Houston. They did that to change the series when he was in OKC. And if they get the chance, they're going to try to do that with him with the Los Angeles Lakers. They're going to try to. So they don't care about LeBron and AD in that sense. They know that they're going to get those.

But if they can get in Russ's head and Mello's head, I mean, Yeah. I think that they, they love that matchup not only because it has been so effective for them, but it goes back to their arrogance. Like, it allows them to flex their intelligence and to say that, like, we are going to go to you into doing what we want you to do because you are predictable and we are not. And that makes us feel so good because, like, here's, we love winning,

but we really love winning and looking smart at the same time. I'm that's some Bay Area shit it's it's really psychologically these two teams perfectly encapsulate the two side the two regions in California you got the Southern California region which also has obviously one more better one more than Bay area right it's it's and doing it their way but it's star driven it's it's you know we're better than you without even trying even if they worked hard you give the illusion that you know this is just too easy And then you have the Bay Area up top, which is like intellectually just brilliant, right?

And not to say to L.A. isn't, but we try to like lean on that a lot more. We're going to just, yeah, you guys have all that success, but we're smart tree huggers. You know, we have that big thing and we're overlooked and you guys don't really know. But you kind of see that on these both sides of trying to win a championship or trying to win the West. And I'm not trying to make this a Warriors versus Lakers thing, but if they were to come together, you're going to have all these. I want it so bad. I want it so bad. I really do.

I don't care if it's in the first round to the second round. I don't care. But who would you root for? Who would I root for? It's funny. Okay, so we had this in the playing game. It was the first time I ever had to go through this internally.

Because growing up, we talked about this. I was a huge Laker fan. And when I was at the Staples Center for opening night, like, man, it was cool to be in Staples Center for that. Right? But I never had to live, like, live through both teams being good at the same time. But during the playing game last year, the Warriors, I was, they had the Oakland jersey. They was feeding into a lot of my, like, sensibilities in that.

And they were playing against the Lakers. And I kind of, I rooted for the Warriors more than I've ever rooting for the Warriors in my life. And I didn't, I was looking myself in the mirror and I was like, what the fuck is going on right now? What am I doing? This isn't, what? This isn't cool. But I don't know who I'm going to be rooting for. I think it's every time I see a Warriors Lakers team or a matchup,

I'm like I love things about both teams. And that's not even on the, that's not even on like the journalistic tip. It's like, yo, I love that glitz and glamour propaganda. But I also like, that's the Warriors represent the crib, you know. And so both things. And their propaganda is pretty enticing too. Very enticing. Very enticing.

So I don't know. It's, it's, I don't know. I don't, it's a great, that's why I wanted to go seven games, but I don't know who I'm rooting for, honestly. Well, we'll be, like, on the exact same page because this is the conflict that I go through every single time that LeBron plays stuff. Which is, like, just not a conflict that should be existing anymore, but, you know, LeBron's still LeBroning. And it's insane. Because they're so different. Yeah, and they are so different.

Yeah, yeah, they are. They do, they do foil each other really well. you so I feel like you're not as high on this team as I am I actually pick them to to go to the finals just because of what we yeah just because of what we talked about in the West I know that they have to have a lot of things break right for them the biggest question obviously being like the uncontrollable thing which is which is Clay Thompson right maybe put I will say like I'm maybe putting a little bit too stock too much stock into the idea that he'll be just fine but I just think like the the type of player that he is.

Yeah. The style of his play just kind of lends itself to the fact that he will be able to likely contribute when he's back. And they just have, they have so many variables that can break right and are in a position to break right. We didn't even, man, we didn't even talk about Jordan Poole. We have not even talked about Jordan Poole yet. We got time. We got time.

Yeah, there's always time for Jordan Poole. Well, let's take the, I mean, you have known, you've been in like, you, you, you constructed, you know, Jordan Poole Island, You know, like you were the first guy there. Yeah. You were building houses and everything, right? Like, so, like, take us through, like, the early Jordan Cool experience to now. I am going to send you a picture when we're done with this of me and Jordan meeting for the first time.

It's captured. And it's a picture of him looking totally different as a person. Matter of fact, do I have it? I'm not going to sell. But I'll send it to you afterwards. Anyway. So it's basically me going up to him. him in shaking his hand. And it looks like just the meeting of the minds together, right? And I remember

when Jordan was in Stockton, I remember covering him in Stockton when he was in his first G-League stint when he like, I'm going to be honest, he fucking sucked. He couldn't dribble. He couldn't play defense. He was tragic those first years. Anybody that's seen him knows that he was tragic. But he went, and I just remembered when I, when I constructed Jordan Pool Island, it was on this night. It was, I think it was a couple days before New Year's,

um, 2019. And he was just in this empty gym and he just really didn't lack confidence. And I remember talking to him after the, after the game was fucking freezing in Stockton. And I tried every journalistic tool to, to knock his, to get a quote about him not being confident.

I'm just like, yo, do you feel like not confident? Cause like you are in this time where, You play like shit this whole season, but you're here. But do you think that it? Are you going to be okay? And he was like, no, I'm good, bro.

Like, I'm really good, bro. And we're standing in this parking lot. We're both freezing. I'm trying to get a quote. And he's like, no, bro, I'm good. Like, I ain't tripping. I'm fine. I'm going to be a-a-a-a-a-a.

And every time I talk to him, whether he was really tripping or not on his success, he would never show it to anybody. And that's when I knew that, like, okay, he might be something. This dude might be something. And I think he was going to be like, I don't know, a border putting up all-star numbers this year? No, I did not. I wasn't expecting that.

But I was expecting him to be good. I always thought that he was going to be good. I was probably the only one in life that had bought stock than Jordan Pullman 2019. There's a lot more people on that bandwagon now, including myself. He is, uh, he's extremely feeling himself, which is like, I think a big reason why I was high on him, too, at the end of last season. and why I've continued to save... No, I'm piggybacking, yes, I am.

Look, like, he just, like, he had that experience, and I feel like he took it and was like, wait, I actually am the guy who can, like, make big plays and big games. I can hit huge threes and I can cross anybody over. Like, his lateral quickness on his crossovers is just incredible. Like, he can get in front of anybody. And I feel like he knows that at this point. To the point where, like, now at this point,

he's just, like, got to, like, start playing a little bit slower. But, you know, he'll get there. He's got a lot of progress that he will probably make. And that's, like, kind of what this team is. Like, a lot of people where I look at them and I'm like, well, yeah, you'd have to get from point A to B. But, like, the evidence kind of suggests that they will. I think that the thing with Jordan is he has just a crazy irrational confidence. I remember what time I was talking to.

Irrigance, perhaps. Arrogance. I was talking to Steve, Steve Kerr. I think it was right after that the G-League stint. And I was talking to Steve. We're in San Antonio. And I was just talking to him about, like, just talking to him about Jordan. And his complaint with Jordan was that he's too cool.

And what I mean by too cool is he has to be cool at all times and it affects his defense to where he's just like, you know, what am I supposed to do as a player? Like, he's, he, he's, he, he, he's the guy that, that practice all of his celebrations before he practiced his game. So, like, he already knows. He's watched all the Kobe film. He knows the, the, the, the faces to make. He knows the celebrations to do. And he knows how to stand up hella cool on defense. Now, his offense has taken off more.

But if you see in the Warriors game, he's still doing that cool shit on defense to where he's like, you know, doing the shoulder things. And that almost cost to the, what do you mean the cool? What are the cool things on defense? Like, what do you mean by that? So, you know, when you stand in the corner, Carmelo's a great example. I think Carmelo is the best example of, like, you know, yeah, don't worry about the dude in the corner. I got him.

Don't even trip. And then the dude in the corner cuts and, like, he doesn't even see him. And he either gets a three-point or an easy layup. It's that cool defense, right? Yeah, and he's just, like, scratching his head after. Like, oh, what was that? Yeah. So there was a time, like, the fucking Jordan Poole did that, even as great as he is, did that in the home

opener where he's just like. Hella cool. And then Avery Bradley, who just came in for the first time in the fourth quarter, Cans of three on the other side because Jordan didn't remember to fucking run with his man. So that's what mean by too cool. But he is, his offensive game has just blossomed so well that it affords enough time to him and to improve his defense. Yeah. I mean, like just another sign of just, you know, the ceiling with him, I feel like it just gets higher and higher. just another thing that he can continue to work on. What do you think he can be? Like I've already...

What's his ceiling? I, oh, that's a good question. Could he be Bradley Bill? No, I actually don't think so. I feel like his ceiling is actually... Like, you know, I've been running my mouth about him, but, like, I feel like his ceiling is probably like, you know, like, two-time All-Star.

You know what I mean? Like, he's not, you know, like, he's not... If he makes an All-Star game, like, I don't think he's going to make them like that consistently in his career just because, like... The streets need a... Jordan Poole Logan Murdoch All-Star All-Star like

Behind the scenes or something. The streets need like the Logan Murdoch. You know you're from Canada. The Cabby presents. We need the Logan Murdoch presents for Jordan Pullett All-Star if he makes the All-Star team. I'm just saying, I'm gonna talk to Ray.

We need the streets need that. Make it happen. Make it happen. Before we head out, we haven't actually gone to talk in the last few days. Something really amazing happened to you at the Lakers. Honestly,

It honestly happened to us. It really just happened to us. Yeah, I feel like it happened to us. I feel like I felt it when you texted me. So I'm just one of preferences by saying that me and Siritt bonded because we didn't even know each other. I just want to give a backstory. We've always known each other, but we bonded after I did a story on Kid Cuddy on the site. And Kid Cuddy retweeted it.

and that by extension made Cirit find out that I was a Kid Cuddy fan and we became best friends shortly thereafter. Yeah, we both realized we were both like Kid Cuddy saved my life teenagers. Yeah, big, big. It's just a special thing that happens. Exactly. And so, you know, this is my first Lakers' Warriors, or Lakers home opener and the stars are out, where a little Wayne is there.

Adele was there. I saw Adele. She's amazing. Saw Rich Paul with Adele. And Justin Bieber's there. It's just Jack Nicholson ushers there. Everybody imaginable was there. But the one person, when I'm walking out, it was Kid Cuddy.

And I didn't even see, I didn't even know it was him at first, but I knew it was him. Because I walk in, I walk into out of the one of the tunnels, and I just see a head. And it's a very colorful head. like Dennis Rodman brand new dye head right and then there's a jersey underneath and I know that head from anywhere and it was and I'm like that's fucking Kid Cuddy I know that's Kid Cuddy but um you know like it was a commotion you have to wait for the right time on these things so I'm like mental note that kid Cuddy's here boom and so I walk up to my seat and then um and then I forget about like I kind of forget kid Cuddy's there and And then he comes up on, no, but I wanted to focus on my job. And I didn't want this to over, you know. And then so I get, so he goes on the jumbo tron. I don't think Justin's listening in minute 57.

You're fine. No, Justin will be all right. He knows. So he comes on the jumbo tron. And I'm like, oh shit. I got to get a picture of this because my homie, my dog, Siritt, is the only person on earth that's an equal Kid Cuddy fan as I am. So I send, I send Siritt the text like, oh, shit, he's, he's here.

And if you don't know Siritt, Searra doesn't text back. She just doesn't text back. She just not text back at all. She is a terrible text her. She is a terrible. You know, when she comes back out into the universe, she will hit you when it's time, right? And so I texted her about some other stuff, but I texted her about Kid Cuddy and I got an immediate text back. I didn't text her back at that point.

but when she texted back, it was like, she didn't say this, I don't think, but she was like, are you going to, basically I heard, are you going to go meet him? Are you going to go say hello? Because like,

that's what you're getting in the same building with him. You go, you go say hello. And so. I feel like I knew you were. I just like, I didn't ask you if you were, but I feel like I just knew that that was what's coming next.

I kind of like, I was just like, there's no way that he's going to be, like you're going to have this opportunity and not find a way to meet him. So on the other, So on the under end of that call, I'm like, that's what I heard, like telepathically. Just like, okay, she's probably telling me already, you better go fucking, like, this is the six degrees of separation that I need in my life right now.

It's basically what it is. And so. Well, it was like time for us to meet Kid Cuddy. Time for us to meet Cuddy. Like you literally just, yeah, you were with me. And so, you know, have time rolls around. And we both know this. I've done this plenty of times and met plenty of people with this way.

So I, you know, as media member, we have to share. strategically figure out ways to meet people. And so two minutes go by, two minute mark. I'm walking to the section where I have to walk down to potentially meet him, right? And I, but things have to go right. So I'm walking down and half time is here. And he's still, like, you know, most celebrities go to the, to the back room, like two minutes left. They're just such casuals, man. They don't care about that. The ball is not life for celebrities at at at Lager Games. But so I'm, I, he stays in his seat.

And so, um, I walk by. I see Rich Paul, see Gloria James. Say what's up to Chris, uh, to Rich Paul. Say what's up. Um, but then I use that and then I, Cuddy's right there. Kevin Hart walks by. It's like, it's just like, it's real, some real L.A. shit. And so I go over to Cuddy, boom.

And my personality, I'm just like, should I, either I'm going to like beat around the voice. go with it. This one, I was so nervous that I just went with it. I said, I didn't even say my name. I said, hey, man, you retweeted my work one time. I'm really a big fan. Dog, you got me through Berkeley. Hi, bruh, you got me through a lot, you got me through a really dark patch in my life. And you know what he said? You know what he said, Sirat? You know what he said, sir? He said, I told him that man on the moon got me through a very down place. And he said to me, that's why I made it. And then, and then I said, thank you so much.

And he said, what's your name? And I said, I'm Logan. And he said, hi, I'm Scott. And I shook his hand. And I didn't need more than that. And I walked off. That's also the name of his TED Talk. Yes.

I watched his TED Talk. His TED Talk has also got, watch Kid Cutty's Ted Talk. Our careers are sponsored by Kid Cutty's Ted Talk. Any ounce of serotonin in my brain. Yes, it was a very crazy time. And I also texted you that. Again, Syri does not text people back, even if you guys are engaged in conversation

that you think is going to last for a long time. But I told her that I met Cuddy, and we met him. And it was a great moment. So we had to share that on the pod. And I was saving that story specifically for Ciritt and her show, because she was the only, one, including Raja, who I love and respect, is the only one I can tell this story, too,

and only platform I can share this with. So, yeah, that's my, that's my Laker story. That's why I made it. Yeah. That's beautiful. That's beautiful. Like, what a perfect. And we had the same nails. We had the same nail color, too. We didn't acknowledge that, but we had the, he had the pink and orange vibes, too, and the red vibes. He did his whole nail. It did a couple. But it was great. It was phenomenal. It was great. Did you tell him, like, what the article was that he retweeted? Because he retweeted the one that he wrote about him.

Yeah, it was a lot of commotion. So I didn't really get into that part, but he knew that I wrote about him and that he retweeted him. It's fire. So, you know, it's pretty awesome. Yeah, that's, that feels like, that feels a great place, like a great place to sign off today. I'm going to

be thinking about that's why I made it for the rest of the day here. Logan, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Yo, shout out to Syrit, man. It's one of my favorite people in the world, dog. Read her shit. She's about to blossom at the ringer, bro. Gang, gang, gang.

Thank you, Logan, for joining us. Thank you, Chris Ryan. Thank you, Erica Cervantes and Isaiah Blakely for producing. And thank you guys for tuning in. Have a great weekend.