Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara - Lakers Getting Hot, Opening Up the Mailbag, USC Women’s BBall Coach Lindsay Gottlieb joins

Episode Date: March 6, 2025

On the latest edition of Throwbacks, Jerry starts talking himself into a possible Aaron Rodgers-New York Giants partnership and the guys discuss how they would have felt if a Hard Knocks style show followed them around at USC or on the set of Entourage.  Plus, USC Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb joins to talk about the joy of coaching Juju Watkins, which courtside celebrities would cause her to feel starstruck and what the primary ingredient is to building a winning team.   New episodes of Throwbacks drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed on YouTube and following on all podcast platforms. Also, make sure you’re locked in on social @ThrowbacksShow on all platforms for highlight moments, bonus content, and to engage with the guys & the Throwbacks community. (http://throwbacksshow.com/)      A big thank you to our sponsor:    Wendy’s    Go to Wendy's® and taste the difference in a hamburger.   https://m-wendys.app.link/hamburger25   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You have one of the greats now and who will be for the next 10 to 15 years, Juju Watkins. What was recruiting her like? So she just said, can you talk at this time, this day? And I was like, eight and a half months pregnant. So I'm like waddling around my neighbor and she's coming. And I swear that like at that moment my water could have broken. Welcome to another episode of Throwbacks. Don't forget to throw us a follow at throwback show or email us feedback at throwback show. We're going to read some of your emails later on in the show.

But coming up in the next block, we got a really, really good guest. Couldn't help our boy Matt, getting one of his fellow Trojans on. Who's joining us today, man? Lindsay Gottlieb, our women's head basketball coach. By the way, women 26 and two, they just whooped on UCLA at the Poly Pavilion last week. Most likely will be a number one seed in the NCAA tournament.

And Lindsay's awesome. I've known her for a couple of years when she got the job at USC. Crazy, kind of interesting background. She, I mean, we coached for the Cavs for a year. So was in the NBA, has won everywhere she's gone and coaches hands down the biggest superstar in women's basketball,

probably outside of Caitlin Clark at the moment, and Juju Watkins, who, Jerry, I've seen play a couple times in person, and she's a beast. And she's unbelievable. You'll be the best person to ask, right? And I know football and basketball are not necessarily one for one comparable because there's just so many more players with football.

But do you feel any like 03 vibes for this ladies team? They got the superstar, they're kicking ass, they're gonna be, all eyes are gonna be on them in the tournament, like they're being watched at a level and scrutinized at a level that, you know, starting to get some uncharted air. It really, it eerily reminds me of it. Because when you go back to our day,

prior to Pete Carroll coming, who Pete Carroll's first year was my first year, so we had one bad year and then we just went off. Carson's last year, we just won 11 games and that was kind of the start of that epic dynasty run. And in that run, we became, it was a little different because back then the Lakers, I think Shaq had just left. So the Lakers kind of were, they had the three P

and then they had a couple couple bad years there Dodgers work great. The Kings weren't great. UCLA football. I mean, just we were we were the team of LA there were no NFL teams at the moment. And so we just the buzz was so big and everybody came out to see us the celebs the stars that I mean, just everybody and it became normal and it became, that's just who we were. And we rode with it, Pete loved it, embraced it, and it just was a part of our thing.

Football isn't there yet, at least it is. It hasn't been there for a while. There's no other sport at USC that's having a bigger impact on LA than USC women's basketball at the moment. And that's because their coach is great and make no mistake, that's because they have the number one star in college hoops in Juju Watkins.

And you saw it. I mean, we saw at the UCLA game the other night, like the celebs that were there, like it's ridiculous. Like it's, and this is where women's basketball's at, which is pretty exciting. And Lindsay is right in the thick of all of that coaching. One of the best teams in college, our college basketball. I do have something I would like to discuss with you. It's sports related, but it's also going to lead into, I guess, parenting to a degree, although I don't know how relatable it is. So, uh, first of all, our Nixon Lakers battling tonight. It's going to be awesome. Wow. Have things changed. I tried so hard

breaking down that trade for the Mavericks being like, no, I still like their team. Now with the Kyrie injuries, like this is, I don't even know. I just, I have a few Mavs fans in my life and like, do I send flowers? I wanna send something. I loved, I was a Mavs fan when Luca was there cause I love Luca, I love Kyrie. And they got a great fan base, great fan base. They have a great fan base, I've been to a game and down, like it's just fun, like it's a fun team to root for,

like it's an easy team to root for. I rooted for them when they had Dirk, like I used to love watching them play and now it's like, you lose Luca and now you lose Kyrie man. But now here's why it's worse to me than anything I wouldn't could expect it because if the Mavs managed to stay healthy maybe they wouldn't have been a championship contending team who knows they would have been good and fun to watch though.

So they would have AD and all that. So now they lose AD and then Kyrie for the year but the kick in the balls is the fact that the Lakers have figured it out this early they were already figuring it out before Luca like they were rolling and You know now that they they're a two seed Matt they're tied It's you see they're ahead of the Nuggets and they have the third best home record in the league They're the whole three and they're 520 on the road. Oh, they're ridiculous. The whole first week of the trade, and we talked about it, was how are they going to fit? How's LeBron going to, like, how is this? There's too many ball handlers,

blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And credit JJ Reddick. Like, JJ's, like, people question that higher because, oh, it's LeBron's boy and I've known JJ forever. Like, JJ's podcast partner. Yeah. Yeah. Like, JJ could arguably be coach of the year for what he's been able to do with this team. Now he's got superstars, I get it. But like for what he's been able to do. And I people look, I love the I love basketball, I watch these teams, I, people need to start to worry about the Lakers in the playoffs. I just I decide size I, I, the size size clearly may, it may, yo, Kiche, they're going to run into

some problems and that's going to happen. But JJ is obviously a mastermind of, of just figuring it out. They have stars everywhere. They have great role players. Maybe they don't need a tree. Maybe they don't. And LeBron's turned into a two way player again. He's like awesome on the ID. And everybody said, oh, they're not going to be able to play defense. Well, like wrong. LeBron's playing great defense. Austin Reed.

I mean, they're not great one on one defenders. But I don't know. I'm with you, man. It's exciting again to finally have. Because the Lakers the last handful of years, they've been in like they've just underachieved AD and LeBron just the play-in tournament and they barely limp into the playoff and maybe they win one I know we want it for we want it the COVID year the bubble year but it's just been disappointing

now it's like we're the two seed we're not gonna catch okay see but we're gonna be a two or three seed in the in the in the playoffs let me ask you this before we move on to my parental dilemma that I have. I got to imagine though, it is an advantage to have a coach that is so recently retired that he's played against what 85% of the NBA players right now. He played a loop. That's what I mean. Like that's got, that's gotta be an advantage. I don't know. I just made it makes comment

And I know you can say good look you go watch film you can get to know the players the other way I just look at that has to be if the guy with the former player wants to coach and has that analytical part of his Brain. Yep, and he just played against these guys. That's gotta be a well I think the thing that separates JJ is he said he's I mean The X's and O's in the way his, cause you heard it on the podcast, it was just like, wow. Cause he's so, he's a basketball IQ as high as anybody, right?

Like LeBron, they can just see the game, talk the game, figure it out. And some people were just born to be coaches. I think JJ was that. I mean, clearly he didn't have to get into coaching. He was making a shit ton of money with the pod, doing calling games, like living a pretty stress-free life.

And now he's the head coach of Lakers. He's great on first take occasionally. The biggest thing in coaching, and we see it in all sports, and I've been a part of this, is in football, it was always, you see a lot of these coaches that just stick around forever because people are kind of afraid to like change the norm and adapt. And you have coaches who have their boys and like they just it's like, like I've been around

good coach. I've been around real shitty coaches at the highest level. And it's, it's sometimes you want to just see like, gosh, I wish maybe a former player could come in because they see the game different or a younger guy. That's why like McVeigh was so great just because they're so like, they're changing the game. They're adapting, they're figuring out and that's what I see happening with the Lakers and JJ. And that's what you don't see with a lot of these NBA coaches that are just like they've been around a long time and like, but at some point, you need to be able to adapt to today's game or adapt to this

generation of player, whether it's just personality based, like you got to be able to, you know, deal with these players on a personal level on a level that, you know, you know, like you look at like Papa bitch and I know pops down the hell, but you look at some of these older guys, it's just like, it's hard to deal with 19 year old kids. You know what I mean? So I just think JJ's hit it. He's obviously played with all these guys, as you said, played against all of them and it's paying off man. He's been terrific. Yeah. I just think it's going to be really interesting. And I love that we have a coach on today,

because if you look what went on in college football with, like, Michael Vick, and, like, guys that you never even really knew wanted to coach, took a job. And then by all accounts, I guess JJ has always wanted to coach. I don't know. But the podcast and the commentating seemed like, oh, wow, he's so good at this and it's a natural fit. Do we now see a run on this? Like, oh, look who just retired. Do you want a job? Do we see a run on that? It's interesting. We're going to see more. And you look at, but you look at basketball, it didn't, it didn't really work out for Steve Nash. Jason kids, Jason kids been great. You know, he's coached for a long time, but you're seeing it,

you're seeing it more in football Vic, Des Deshaun Jackson, Eddie George, obviously Coach Prime. I know I think Ray Lewis threw his hat in the ring for something, Ed Reed. Like you're gonna see a lot, I'm probably missing guys, you're gonna see a lot more. And I think it's going to be, especially if some of these guys just have a little bit of success.

Cause all it takes is a little bit, cause a lot of these schools, I mean, I'm around this game. I like, they love the fact that a coach played at the highest level and can kind of relate to these players. So it's going to be curious to see over the next five to 10 years, how many former athletes are coaching at the professional ranks. All right. We're going to do the mailbag later.

After we talked to coach, this would have been my mailbag question to you. What's up? What's up with the other man? So all of you listening out there too, feel free to tweet at us with your responses if you have a heads up for me because I think I know what to do. I'm not quite sure. So when we were at the Super Bowl doing the live show from the Fanatics carpet, you know, I got an email from my agent saying, hey, we have this offer for you. And right away, I saw Nick's game. I'm like, OK, what do we got?

What is this? Like, hell yeah. Basically, Crocs is doing this collab with Monsters, Inc. and Pixar like they always do. They've done it with cars and all those movies. And they want you to wear some of the Crocs to courtside at the Knicks game. And I was super into it.

And I thought, oh, wow, this would be really cool. My son, who's not even six yet, monsters, ain't loves Crocs. We can make a father son trip out of it. This will be like once in a lifetime. Great. So it all happens. I take my five year old, we stay in the city. We walk to MSG. We go through that whole crazy VIP experience. And now he's sitting courtside with me for the whole and he Matt loves loves it. He loves basketball He every day he wakes up. He says did the Knicks win? Tell me about the game all this stuff. He's in on basketball I love it, and he's only been the one other game before this we went to a Cavs game And we we were lucky we sat in someone else's suite by the way. These are this is not on my dime

So I'm not balling like this Here's the question and you've been you must have been through this with Cole and you're gonna go through this with your with your other Three children courtside and the sweep. That's not real life. I did not grow up that way and every seat in Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden and Yes, I'm a lot of these cool opportunities I don't know if that's gonna last forever number one Maybe if throwbacks continues to grow who knows if I pop up on TV, but number two I Want them to know that this is sacred. This is special. This is not how it goes

So what do I do here? He's too young to explain it to I told him a million times When we like we were sitting course, I'd whisper to him. This isn't real life Let me ask you a question though if and this is more about us as parents if The Knicks call you up and say hey Jerry we are you know this we have this collab whatever the same situation same situation But it's not courtside, but it's still free tickets But it's not courtside, but it's still free tickets. Something tells me that you, Jerry Farrar, say, well, shit, man, I'm not going to take my kid to this if I'm sitting 15 rows up like center court. That's my dilemma with this because one, you look at it two ways and I can get into Cole,

but you look at it two ways. It's like you've built that relationship with the Knicks. That's your baby. You love it. They take care of you. You could probably sit in a suite for any cabs. You get taken care of by the sports there for what you've been able to do in your life. I love sport.

I think they're aware how much I love it and appreciate it. And I get, yeah. And I'm this and you love it. So like, and I think that's why Nick's, I think people take care of you because you're a genuine fan and I'm in the same position, I think with LA sports and like, like I can make a call and probably sit in a suite at any game and I'm not boasting I just probably can do that. And that's, that's, that's a great, it's great to be able

to do that. Now, I can't I gotta be honest with you if the Lakers text me and say, Hey, dude, we got two tickets that are like, lower bowl 20 rows up. You want to take your five year old. I'm just not sure how I'm going to. And that's my, and that's because I have been so lucky to like be able to sit. You know what I mean? So like, that's why I asked tickets knob.

We're taking your ticket. We're, yeah. I mean, we're taking a little bit, a little bit. So rather watch it at home than be. It's hard for you as a dad. Like, you're not going to sit. You're not going to go fly to New York if they take care of you, put you up and sit 20 rows up with your boy.

You're just not going to do it. Well, here's what I say. I wouldn't do it with him now at five years old because I need to figure out how much he loves it. But I want to keep exposing them because I think it's helped. I think him going to two games in a month. It's great. Yes.

Has helped him like really enjoy basketball and he's playing now. I feel like if it was like a year or two and that offer came through and he and I knew like he loved basketball. Yes, I would do it. But I'm what I'm asking is like, no, I know it's like should I just like I? Not wait for these opportunities where I get these elaborate invites No, I don't by the way We go to Guardians games here in Cleveland all the time and go into a game with a five-year-old in general is hard

Okay, it's not like that's easy It's different when if it's like my 16 year old nephew who would sit anywhere and I would go sit with him I just worry those are his only two experiences and It's different when if it's like my 16 year old nephew who would sit anywhere and I would go sit with him uh, I just worry those are his only two experiences and Like my fear is what if we go sit 20 rows back and he's like dad Why are we all the way back here if that happens? That's my biggest fear these kids. I mean the same thing i'm with col And you know again very similar like taking him to stuff you get you get you get behind the scenes He gets go in the locker room. Like you just you just get shit. That's cool They're like, holy shit, like let's go like I want to bring my son and he experienced and then it's like hey dad

Why aren't we doing this or why aren't we in the suite or hey? Are we gonna meet Kobe again this time like no, no, no, no, we're like we're sitting at the second bowl All right, I'm gonna get you some popcorn. You're gonna shut up I'm gonna watch the game right and he became you know He had a relationship with the Clippers at the time and all that. It's like, he just became numb to going to games. I mean, to every game.

And so like, yeah, and he's seen it. So it's like, hey, bud, like, it's funny. I will say this, it kind of goes through phases just like in anything. You have your toddler phase, you're all about the parents, right? They wanna be around you. And then you go into middle school

and then they become kind of assholes and they go through puberty and they don't wanna be around mom and dad anymore. They had their friends over, like there's that phase. And then you kind of come back and then it's high school and then they become even worse. And then it comes back full again. And now it's like the other day

when we went to the Lakers Mavs game, we ended up sitting in a suite. But Cole, Cole's like, yeah, let's go to the game. I could have bought any ticket in the house. He just wanted to be in the arena, which is pretty cool. You know, and I wasn't about to spend a thousand dollars to sit in the nosebleeds per ticket to see that game. So is that what they were running for that Luka game?

Thousand that ticket for the the top section was seven or $800. Damn. The lower bowl was two or three grand or something like just for that game. So I'm with you. I think it's a balance. I think it's...

Dude, you and I grew up the same way. I grew up, I went to one, I would go to one, maybe a Dodgers game, maybe one at the top. We would go to Disneyland maybe once a year and I grew up 20 minutes from it. We would go to maybe Lakers Showtime, kind of late 80s, early 90s, maybe, like maybe. And that was to get into the door just to sit at the top.

Like I remember going to a Clippers game at the old LA Sports Arena and we were like nosebleeds and it was I think it was Clippers Lakers and like, that was just you looked forward to that. It was it was like Christmas is like I can't wait to go the game with my dad or my brother. And you just enjoyed the experience. So it's shit man. I took Cole on like frickin a private plane as extravaganza couple months ago. Yeah, you went on the arguably the greatest father son college

football trip ever. That was for me once in a lifetime. And it was so funny, because I think I told you, but we were in the plane. And he goes, he was like, dad, this is unbelievable. And you saw. He appreciated it. Again, I think you just appreciate it.

We always say it's not real life. It's not real life. Ages and phases, man. Like that they appreciate it when they're older when they're younger they're in it they don't know any better so you just look I just don't think you pass out you can't pass up opportunities though like if you get to experience because then you'll you'll regret it like you get to experience let me ask you a question when you're flying you're not flying are you flying you're just flying economy the whole crew are you going first class

where like when we went when him and I went to New York or now well you flying are you flying you're just flying economy the whole crew are you going first class where like when we went when him and i went to new york or no well you probably got flown by them i'm just saying in general because the first class is another thing like i like coles experienced first class before i was like bro we fly coach man we fly the ferrara's fly coach because number one i think my brie or like likes to be in the same row as both kids. That's easier when you have kids and you're just, you know, and they're so young. Yeah. Look, there's if there's ever two things I'm ridiculously like uptight about.

Yeah. Sorry. We all have a thing. It's sports tickets and like look for a long flights like first-class guys It's just awesome. You know what it is I know it's unaffordable and most of the world can't do it I get it and that's why I would ask anybody else too If you're getting this amazing invite to take your kids to a Knicks game court, you would take it

No matter who you buy the tickets or you couldn't so I was that's the discussion I was having with a friend He's like, you know, you got to just maybe take them to sit in those blades And I'm happy to do it. But what's bullshit? No, not doing it No, you're not you will never take your boys to the nosebleeds to Madison Square Garden I sat in the nosebleeds at the old Yankee Stadium and watched the white goodins no hitter and didn't leave Yeah, no one threw a new he's throwing a no hitter. It's like there's zero chance, bro There's zero chance Well, I'm not even sitting in the nose. I'm not gonna do that

I just got to balance it out. So when he's like 11 years old and I'm like, hey son I got good tickets to the whatever calves Nicks like if he's like courts If he says courtside and I'm gonna I'm gonna probably play I want people watching send us to the mailbag Send us a question give us give us An experience I'll add with your kid help us because it's it's definitely don't want sports spoiled. We don't want it Yeah, but shit that shit's great I got to another here's here's the Twitter argument of the week for me, right? Cuz you know, I only really tweet about the Knicks and I went on Ian Bagley's show, The Beat Reporter for the Knicks.

But he's not he's more than he he's the voice like journalistically for the next. And like you want to get real information. And I went on his show with someone with this other amazing content creator, Mill. And this one dude on tour was like, this guy, he ain't going to say anything controversial about the Knicks. He doesn't want to lose his tickets But first that he is wrong. No, he's not Matt By the way, who's the owner the Knicks don't know Dolan, yeah Yeah, he doesn't like he doesn't like anyone talking shit about his squad I criticize the Knicks all the time, but I don't do it in like the way fuck a team sucks

Well, no garbage like I don't do it like that. I walk the line. I don't do it in like a way who's fucking team sucks garbage like I don't do it like that I walk the line I walk the line I make actual points okay instead of at so I'm sorry I speak my mind not controlled by my what would you do if you lost your what would you be heartbroken if you lost your next connection like if they just if they just said hey Jerry sorry buddy we're just we don't have these tickets for you anymore Uh, uh, sad day the far our voice goes up. Um, you know what? I it would be sad and I would just say though. Wow, what a run

What a run I wasn't supposed to be there anyway, so What what a run but here's what people forget What a what a run, but here's what people forget Here's all the shit you'd be so fucking bum. I would be bummed But I would stay the overarching feeling would be like what a what a great run Yeah, you gotta remember I was going to the Knicks games in 06 07 I go look at the Knicks roster and oh wait go ahead. They won 19 games They won 19 games and I was sitting court side a. Chris Duhon, who I love by the way, had 20 assists in the game. Spreewell?

Was Spreewell back in the next game? No, Spreewell was gone, way gone by then. It was like the Nate Robinson, David Lee. Oh, David Lee. Allen Houston was way older, never mind. Allen Houston finished up around 2002. Yeah, he was. So anyway, all right.

It's time now for our Fresh Moves of the Week brought to you by Wendy's. Go to Wendy's and check out the latest on the show. It's on the show. It's on the show. It's on the show. It's on the show. It's on the show. It's time now for our fresh moves of the week brought to you by Wendy's go to Wendy's and taste the difference in a hamburger this is where Matt and I point out a fresh move of the week you're not gonna like this one my friend okay there's been a lot of chatter with the

Giants and this Aaron Rodgers stuff right and Rodgers no longer with the Jets looking for a home rumors are he was talking to the Giants and this Aaron Rodgers stuff, right? Aaron Rodgers no longer with the Jets, looking for a home, rumors are he was talking to the Giants, who knows? Of course the initial reaction is like, wait, why? Why would any, both sides wanna do this? I'm gonna give you a potential fresh move of the week. Giants sign Aaron Rodgers to a reasonable number,

very, very reasonable, team friendly number. Which they'll get a reasonable number. Yes, absolutely right They just go to one year deal. Yeah, one year deal one 25 20 minutes 25 Maybe even less maybe even less who knows we'll see maybe more reasonable than that okay, but somewhere in there and then they Take a player at three whether it's Travis Hunter or an edge rusher, they go maybe defense friendly first or what, and just pick a position because they need a million, maybe sign a wide receiver in the off season, Cooper cup, something like that. And then if you could

pull this off and this is where I need your help. I'm pulling up the draft right now. The second, how far up would the giants need to trade from their second round spot to be realistically have a shot at Jackson Dart because he's rising isn't he? Oh yeah so the Giants will pick third in the second round. He'll be third in the second round. Right okay so he won't be there. No he won't so I gotta be honest with you, please. I think one of the two quarterbacks is gonna be there at three for the Giants. I don't think Shadour and Cam are going one and two. I think one of them might fall past that.

I don't, I just, I don't, I don't know. I think it's one of those years where every year, there's always a year where you reach and you take quarterbacks. And I think both of those guys are really different and very, very talented. I just, are they walking in and changing the course of a franchise day one?

I think that's always the question. There's a lot of risk with both of them. There's just a lot of, yeah, I just think this one is different. And again, last year's class was ridiculous, right? Daniel's, you just, all of them played great. Bo Nicks, Drake, I mean, it was a, that might go down. You got four studs in the first round.

Panics ended up starting late. Like you might have five or six star, like, you know, McCarthy, yeah, San Darn was like coming back. God, that is a crazy, we might be. It's a crazy, it's a crazy. And they all, most of them had all tremendous success as a rookie. All that being said, I think the Giants are gonna have

a chance to get a quarterback at three, is what I think is going to happen now They write yeah, and they might so they might get the one of those guys, but that's my fresh move I'm set my fresh move is trying to say I Cam Ward should I do that I agree with you one of them might be there But if you have the chance of getting an elite whether it's edge rusher You know trap like DB

I mean, if you have a chance to grab that and still get a quarterback that has a lot of upside and you have Rogers to shepherd it for a year, I just feel like you're left with a better chance of speeding this awful process that the Giants are in. They do. They need to run. They need so much. I like Tyra. Tracy. They think about how to.

Three, you're going to get a three. You can get, I mean, like Abdul Carter is going to be for Tracy. At three, you're going to get, at three you can get, I mean like, Abdul Carter is going to be gone in the top three. You're going to get an elite pass rusher. You probably can get Travis Hunter, an elite player, athlete. Ashton Gentey is going to go in the top ten. I don't know if he's three for the Giants at running back. Or you go quarterback. To your point, it would be kind of nice if you get Rogers for a year,

and you can get Dart, who who kind of very similar to Rogers, a little bit of gunslinger can move and Rogers could run well on his prime. I just don't I think Dart is going to go somewhere in the mid to mid first round. I just think someone might not be able to get there. It's a pretty unique draft. He told me Travis Hunter, Jackson, I think the Giants are going to have a chance to pick a QB at three is what I'm telling you. I think they're good. I don't know if I don't know if they will. This draft is going to be awesome. But most importantly now we've talked a lot about coaches. Let's bring on coach Lindsey Gottlieb. Okay, I am. I'm so excited right now. I have chills. I almost played our fight song because on throwbacks this week,

we have the women of Troy USC head basketball coach, Lindsey Gottlieb. What is up coach? Thank you for joining us. Thanks for having me. This is super exciting. First of all, before we dive in to the year that you guys are having,

and I know it's not done, and just the state of women's basketball, because I think it's never been at its, it gets at its highest peak right now. You're from New York, and Jerry's from New York. And I, since we've done this podcast, I've learned more about New York, Knicks, and Yankees than I want to.

So my question to you really quickly is, are we a Knicks fan? Are we a Yankees fan? Are we a Mets? Are we a Nets? What are we? We are Yankees and Knicks all the way. There you go, Jer.

There you go. Every week we do this podcast, we have, there is something about the Knicks that happens. It's always something. As there should be. Yeah, you grew up with the same kind of torment as I did but but Matt's on some run Okay, Dodgers win the World Series Lucas in LA and now you know USC beats UCLA number one See he's on some incredible LA in general is on an incredible run right now

I there I always say there's nothing better like having lived in LA for so long You know, it's just when the vibes are right and high like this, it is the best city in the world. I really believe that. Yes, totally. So as a New Yorker, you never lose those roots of NYX. I mean, you were in that Patrick Ewing era as well, right? I mean, it was, it was, that's what I grew up with. But I don't feel like my LA kind of my LA grounding now, it doesn't feel as competitive, you know, in the way that you think it might like, my history, my childhood is New York, but now I'm all in, you know, it was a

little hard this year with the Yankees Dodgers thing. But generally, I feel like I can be both an LA sports fan and a New York sports fan most of the time. Well, I was I was at game five, I'm a diehard Dodgers fan so I was at game five in New York rubbing it in. Jerry does have court size court side New York Knicks seats so and he just took his son a couple weeks ago so Jerry Jerry's living a good life over there. I don't own those seats. Coach what first regular season title since 94, you know, you kind of see all the stats 26 and to the big 10 tournament starts this week. Most likely going to be a number one seed I want to jump ahead but you guys are having an incredible year. Just, can you sum up just a season so far I mean it is I've been to a couple games I've felt the buzz around this team. Obviously, you have the star and juju just for you for this team. What makes this year

so special? Yeah, well, first, just to go back a little bit, when I when I took the job, you know, what an incredible place USC is, Matt, and what it should be. But let's be real, you know, there were 500 people in the stands and recruits saying other coaches tell me you'll never get fans here. And so now it's never lost on me when I walk in that building and there's 10,000 people and it is buzz. And so that's the overarching thing that I'm like, you know, that's really

incredible to have been part of that trajectory. But for this year in particular, you know, we had juju returning, you know, her freshman year kind of spoke for itself. And then we added the number one recruiting class and the top, you know, portal transfer, Kiki Irre FN, and another really big transfer in TVO. And all of a sudden there are these expectations, like here we are launching from upstarts last year to in the real national conversation. And we didn't shy away from those expectations, but I'll tell you, it was, it has been not harder, but it's been a challenge, right? Like to just, you don't throw talent together and all of a sudden be as great

as you're supposed to be. And so I think this year really is what I'm most proud of is that, um, the team has committed to, uh, figuring out how to have great individual players that become a really, a really cohesive team. And I think our depth was on display against UCLA. I think our star power was on display. I think our toughness was on display. And so that to me has been the most significant thing that we took a bunch of really good

people with high expectations and I hope we've delivered. And now, you know, March and April is when, you know, the real stories are told and we hope we can keep it going. Yeah, you know, Matt was mentioning like and we hope we can keep it going. Yeah, you know, Matt was mentioning like the Knicks courtside and all the celebrities that that game. I mean, there was some people in that building and whether the road team or home team, it doesn't matter. That was such a huge draw. Did you at any point? I mean, I know you're probably so locked in or did any of the players just look around and go this game feels a little bit bigger than this just as important just feels a little bit bigger than this. Just as important. Just feels a little bit bigger.

It was bigger. There's no doubt. It was huge. Last year, when I looked across and LeBron was sitting courtside, I had to remind myself he's not here to watch me. He's watching the player. Crazy thing. Michael B. Jordan came this year earlier and Snoop. And we've had a ton of people. So by the time we got to UCLA this year, I think the players kind of expected it's crazy. Like I

didn't even know until after that, you know, John Legend was there. And obviously Cheryl and Reggie and Jason Sudeikis comes all the time. It's, this sounds crazy. But like it's kind of now this is what people expect with LA women's basketball. How cool is that? You know, it's really neat to be part of it. It's it's actually I was thinking about this before this interview, because it reminds me a little bit of my time back at USC when we were we were we weren't very good. Then Pete

took over and we obviously just catapulted into the national conversation a lot like you guys are doing. And we had you know, we had at that time Snoop has still been a big USC fan, Wolf Farrell, it was always just the who's who. And it became, people always ask me, like it just became normal for us. Like at this point, just like, we just were like dappin' up Snoop on the sideline. Just became an everyday thing, which is crazy to say.

And you guys are getting that and much deserved. And it's so fun. Like when I went to the game this year, I was sitting next to, I got courtside USC women's basketball, Jerry. So beat that. As you should, as you should. Next to Juju's family, who's just, like, it was just really fun to be there and soak that up.

And, cause I remember going, I mean, back in college, you know, I went to a couple of women's, like, I just, it's just a different feel. For the celebrity thing, is there someone that, I know you're locked in, but that you were like, I would love to see this person across courtside. Is there some of that like, you would just love to see at one of your games?

Serena Williams. So that's been my ride, be like, oh my gosh. And I just saw that she is now an investor in the Toronto tempo, the new WNBA team, which is so cool. But I think we all have our different ones. I think Juju had one where she said, Sunilate didn't love him basketball,

and then she came, so that was cool. I think Michael B. Jordan was a big one for some of our players, so that was neat. But for me, well, Serena and the Obamas, that would be my two probably top, top, top. We're gonna get them there. This podcast is gonna get them there. That's awesome.

Was that game, you think, maybe one of the biggest regular season games of all time in women's basketball, if you really think about it? And because the rivalry as well. I think so. I mean, look at what was on the line, right? A big 10 regular season championship. We literally had the same record, the Crosstown rivalry, you know, the national rankings. Definitely the biggest one that I've been involved in.

I've been following you for quite some time. I have some Cleveland roots as well. I married a beautiful woman from Cleveland. We spend a lot of time here now. But I think it was maybe like the players tribune piece you wrote or I don't remember what but I heard you talk about just how you're like X's and O's nerd. And that's awesome. And I love that. Is it hard to like I always wonder this with coaching and coaches like can you turn that part of your brain off like when you go home?

Right? I know you have kids, you have a family. It's like or you me. I don't think I would ever be able to turn it off. I think X is a fan while I'm here with my kids, but kids are like, what are you doing? I'm like, I'm wondering how Brunson is going to work with Kat. Like I can only imagine what it's like for a coach who actually does this for a living. So what's that like for you, whether you're going into a big game like UCLA, like are you able to do it at work and then come home or is it still something that comes home with you?

So when I go home and yeah, the kids and the chaos, but like if I'm watching a game at home, I'd love to just watch games like a fan. So you think about what coaching adjustment they made or what's going on, but like my husband will be like talking about the coach and being a fan, you know, or like talking about they should have done this or that. I'm like, can you let me just watch? Like, I just want to watch, it's what happens. I don't care about the outcome. It a fan, you know, or like talking about they should have done this or that. And like, can you let me just watch? Like, I just want to watch. I don't care about the outcome. It's fun.

You know, so I try to shut off the, the analyzing of what was run and how they're defending a screen. You can't totally shut it off. Like you're always watching. But I like to be able to watch basketball for fun because it's so different than studying and studying your own team and trying to think about how you can be better or what we can do differently. So I like to just try to watch sports as a normal person at home. There is zero, I get asked all the time if I would ever coach or get into coaching.

I do love coaching, I love coaching my little kids, but when I coached Cole's flag football team, and this is true story, you know, you build, U-sports is fun to coach at that age. And we built, like we were really good in flag football, we won all these championships. And then you build rivalries within the league with other teams.

And when he got to like sixth, seventh, eighth grade before high school, I would watch film of flag football games that would keep me, no, I swear. I couldn't turn it off. And my wife was like, what the hell is wrong with you? They're in seventh grade. And I wasn't like a yeller or a screamer,

but I was just like, if I'm invested in this, I'm going to, I had sleepless nights coaching my oldest son's flag football team. So it is very hard to turn up. I want to ask you coach about, Jerry mentioned X's and O's and you look at your career in UCSB you led them to the NCAA tournament. Cal, I remember when you were at Cal and you had a final four run I think and then came to USC. So you've built and won everywhere

you've been. Is there, Pete's number one thing in building was just competition. It was like every like relentless pursuit of competing at the highest level and everything you did, which would breed success everywhere, right? From the starters to the backups, all those things. Is there an underlying ingredient for you on how to build a championship team? I mean, I would almost say,

if his one word was competition, I would almost say my his one word was competition, I would almost say my one word would be relationships. Like you just can't do it anymore. In college without having a pulse on the people. And so I think it's building relationships within your team, like player to player and respect and you know how they interact with one another and whether that is competing as well. And then within the organization, the assistant coaches and me and the players, I think there has to be an ecosystem of that piece of it

before the X's and O's even matter. But then I would say the second thing would be just this, this attempt at excellence and what that looks like, because this year we were pretty good, we were good enough to win even when we weren't at our best. And so it became about how do we create a culture where they still want to get better, even when we're winning. So maybe that's the competitive part that comes out as well. Now in the NBA, relationships still really matter in the NBA as well. But that's probably the most X's and O's I did because you don't have all the other

stuff. You're not going to class and you're not recruiting. So there was a lot of just like sitting around and X's and O's, which was incredible too. But college, I think the human relationship piece is just so important. I love that you were all locked out before drafting Darius Garland. That was one of my favorite stories I read in a long time in the players tribute. Oh my God. You must have been freaking out. We couldn't get in the building. I Oh my God. You must've been freaking out. We couldn't get in the building. I was like, wait, what's, what's going on? It was awesome. But how about the Cavs now?

Are you a Cleveland sports fan at all? So Matt and I talk about this a lot because our kids are being raised in Cleveland. Um, I will never give up the Knicks. I just can't. So I'm willing to give up like if they want to like the Guardians, I'll let it go. The Browns fight with that Browns are giants. They're going to be in their sports therapy no matter what. But I just can't like the Knicks know and the Cavs have been insane this year. Like really, really

critical that game against Boston down 25 and then still coming back. I don't even know how they were. Were you were you on that? Were you on the staff when Luke was on the staff, Walton? Or no? No. Oh, you guys missed. We missed. But obviously, he's really tight with JB Bicker's staff.

He brought on Luke, I think, when I left, maybe the year after I left. I think Luke's in Detroit now. I got one more. You brought it because I love what Matt was saying too about like everywhere you've got like, you know, how you approach a new, I'm gonna call it like a project but you're at a new place and maybe it's a place

that hasn't been winning. And then you mentioned even like JB's with the Cavs for a long time, it kind of ran its course. Then he goes to Detroit, a place that hasn't won in a very long time. And JB was now like, oh oh he couldn't get the cast And now they're on this amazing trajectory so I

Mean, there's so many moving parts when you get to a new job in general. So do you ever find it? Hard to like where do I start or do you always have a clear picture of like we start here and build out From after this I think you have to you have to have a clear picture of like we start here and build out from after this? I think you have to you have to have a clear picture before you start. And for me, when I talk to young coaches or assistants who want to become head coaches, you got to take the right job for you. Because I don't know that, you know, when I was in the Pac 12, Scott Rueck went to Oregon State was at the bottom and he built them to be really good.

I don't know that I could have done that at Oregon State, but I could do it at Cal, and I could do it at USC. I think you have to know what your messaging is gonna be. You have to know what it's gonna entail. You know, is it a culture fix? Is it totally starting from the bottom? Is it taking, when I got to Cal, it was a group that was talented,

but maybe it underperformed, and it was saying, we have what we need in this room. Now let's take the next step versus here. I had to, you know, really kind of start over a bit in terms of establishing what we want to be. But you got to know what place you're coming to is a good fit for you to recruit to. It has to be authentic. And then you come in with a plan and then, you know, plans get expedited when you get a doo doo wakens to walk in the door. Well, I I was I was going to ask you, you come to a place and you see all the the ladies behind you, Cheryl Miller, at least some of the absolute greats to play the women's game. And then you have one of the greats now and who will be for the next 10 to 15 years.

When you talk about a superstar, I know you probably you talk about her at nauseam and people ask what it's like in this and it's she's just incredible I've seen her I've told Jerry. I'm like you have to see her in person. She's ridiculous. Like she's she's just ridiculous And I think JJ Reddick was at the game the other night and he said like she's one of one. I You're probably running out of adjectives to describe her. How what who does her game remind you of? Maybe it's a men's game. You've been you around the cast Maybe it's some of the all-time women like who does she remind you of? Maybe it's a men's game. You've been, you're around the cast. Maybe it's some of the all time women. Like who does she remind you of when she plays basketball?

I mean, the first one that comes to mind is Kobe. I know that sounds so crazy. I love it. Yeah. But it's not, you know, like I just think about her at her size, right? She's six, two wing. Strong.

Strong, she's a natural scorer. Her body control, the hang in the air, the take the contact. She's a killer, right? Like the mamba mentality thing as it and the defensive abilities when she just was named not only big template of the year, but on the first team all defensive. But then on from a female side, I would say maybe some Maya Moore as well. Maya was just so smooth and utilized the inside outside game because of the ability to shoot it and play in the post a little bit. But those are the two that I would most like in her to get her game. See, I'm a diehard Kobe. It's my favorite athlete of all time. It was fun when Matt and I

shot at USC and we did, you know, you said you watched it. I'm horrified that you watched our three point shootout, even though that was kind of the point. I'm still upset with my score because I know I'm a lot better than that, but it's okay. Go ahead, Jerry. Yeah, no. So we were on like a little bit of a break and we went to go get lunch. Now I didn't go to college really. Like I went six months. I already was like getting ready to move to LA to pursue acting. I never had that big campus feeling. So anytime I've gotten that chance to witness that, I always think it's pretty cool.

So we go to get lunch and you know, all the kids are, I call them kids, young people. I don't want to sound too old. And then like just looking over at this young lady, who's like a backpack and everyone's like, oh shoot, there's Juju right there. Like online they get some kind of salad bowl or something. You'll realize.

It was so funny. It was so funny, it was the most routine day for them. And I'm over here like, oh no, this is, this is one of the best players in the world right now. And I forget that just like everyday campus life, maybe it's because I didn't experience it, but that was pretty cool just to see him and all in their element just going about their lives. It was cool. It's I mean, I love that for her, right? Like you want them to have the campus life. I mean, there's so much of her existence

now that isn't totally normal. But she's 19, you know. And, and I think the other quality about her beyond the basketball talent is sort of the grace with which she handles all of this. She's all about LA and her community and the school and she's completely humble and really a great teammate and beloved by our teammates. And then at the same time, she is becoming this really mega star and you know, she handles that well too. Like she she's kind of stepping into that greatness and she handles that like, Hey, I'm, I've earned this. And at the same time is going to get her salad bowl, you know, whatever she, yeah, I said salad bowl. I don't actually don't know what she was eating that

day. I don't want to spread a false story. I know she's like LA homegrown and Urban Meyer always tells this funny story when he got Tim Tebow and this was a long time ago and there was signing day and he was in the car and Urban is very, very, very, very intense. And Tebow was like the prize get, like he was close and he was on the phone with them and his phone died right before he was gonna, Tim was calling him to say he was gonna commit to Florida.

And this is when I think he probably did it on TV. I don't know, but he was calling him to tell him, coach, I'm gonna be a Gator and it died. And coach tells a story, he was panicking. He was like, I didn't know what to do. Like he was freaking out. Is there, was it an easy recruiting process for Juju? Is there a story?

I mean, I've talked to Lincoln about just some, I mean, you know, in the NIL world, it's just some of the ass and demands from some kids and I'm sure maybe more so in football, but like, it's kind of wild. What was recruiting her like? Was there Is there a funny story? Or is there a story that you can tell just in recruiting? That's just wild. Yep. Well, I mean, the first thing is, given all of the stories you hear now with NIL and

all of that, for Juju, it was unbelievably small, internal, like they didn't put things on social media. I always tell people Juju is a Hooper who has become a star. She is not a social media star who happened to the basketball, right? So she didn't put out a top 15 and then a top eight and then a top five like, no one really knew with the recruiting what they were doing because they didn't publicize it. It was very authentic and getting to really know her and her parents like the small circle. So that part it wasn't like a circus with all of the outside stuff. But it took a long time, you know, because I think they really wanted to do the whole thing. So and there was, you know, now she's got the documentary series that's now out on Peacock, but that was following it. So she visited us all the way back in September. And now this thing was stretching on and she did do like a public announcement on ESPN or something. But to her credit, because she's such a just a good person, she said to her

parents, like, Mom, I need to tell Lindsay, I don't want her word anymore. And I was seven and a half months pregnant. Maybe eight and a half months pregnant, eight and a half because my daughter was born on October 14. And so the announcement came closer to signing day. So she said, I need to tell Lindsay. So she just said, can you talk at this time, this day? And I was like, let me go for a walk. So I'm like waddling around my neighbor and she said she's coming. And I swear that like at that moment,

my water could have broken. I can't remember. You probably burst into tears. You're probably very emotional too. What is that? I sure was. There were definitely tears. There was a public announcement maybe a week or two later, but she did let me know at that point.

And I think, you know, she and my daughter are pretty close So maybe it's because you know, my daughter got a little Shake in there And you still get her for two more years too, isn't that a mate? That's crazy. Yeah, it's wild It must be pretty Wild now too because we mentioned like the comfort of like being on campus. And I know like even playing UCLA, it's still a road game, but you're still in LA. Going on the road now with this team, you know, everyone's kind of gunning for you. Those road games, I don't know if they feel like the most intense that you've been involved in so many.

But I imagine traveling with this team is just may feel a little different. I'm just guessing here. Yeah. I mean, part of it is, you know, right, the newness of the traveling with sort of Juju and the team started, but also our first year in the Big Ten. So you're going to these places. But I saw some stat recently where whatever someone's average attendance was, was like tripled when we were there. So we played in front of, you know, 20,000 in Iowa, 15,000 in Indiana. You know, Rutgers averaged like 1,300 and they had 10,000 when we played. Maryland was sold out. And it's really neat. You're seeing a lot of juju buns and jerseys in other places and you see their

fan base come out, you know, in full force. So it's been really neat, you know, to see that and be a part of it. It's good for all of our players, right? I think it's really raised the profile of everybody. And, and that's kind of why you make the move to the big 10 to allow them to play in these big cities and big markets, you know, in front of incredible fan bases. I'm curious coach, because Caitlin Clark is sort of just help. I mean, there's a lot of women, obviously, and this has

been last couple years, but Caitlin Clark really like has become the face of women's basketball and in a positive way, in my opinion, and she left last year and in a way Juju is inherited being the face of women's basketball. How have you talked to her about that? Did you ever talk to her and just give her perspective because Caitlin deals with a lot of scrutiny, which she doesn't deserve. She's a Hooper too, I think, and just loves basketball. But did you ever have any conversation with Juju

on just, hey, you now are going to be the face of women's basketball, whether you like it or not, and how she kind of handles herself? Yeah, and I'm with you on it. I think Caitlin's been amazing. We saw Caitlin at the Wooden Awards last year where Juju was a finalist and Caitlin was winning it. And Caitlin made a point to say,

I had this sort of public attention for a year and a half, two years, Juju's gonna have it for three, three and a half. And Caitlin said to me, here's my number, reach out, let me know how I can help, how can I help her navigate? It was really cool, because you think about it, who else understands what Juju may be experiencing other than someone like Caitlin. So, so yes, I think, you know, Juju, I've talked about how can I put things in place to let you be you

to let you, you know, be at your best, but also help you navigate this. So we have talked about that. You know, we had a moment right after last season where she and I went to a Dodgers thing. It was like the foundation thing, like a big fundraiser, but the team comes. And that really hit me where, you know, you have all the Dodgers there and these fans are like screaming Juju's name. As well with the bun and everything. Right. Oh, like this is a city of stars and she's a star within here.

What's going to happen nationally. And so I think she's kind of, uh of seen her life change a bit with it. But again, I think her family's put great resources around her just to allow her to be a kid. But also, I think she takes that on and takes responsibility and understands it comes with being who she is. It's a lot like when Jerry walks around and they say, turtle. That's turtle.

It's not quite the same buddy I don't relate no I don't relate to that but you know what I did relate with after the game when you mentioned that like your husband can't even come to the games a hundred percent that would be me yeah I have a hard time my wife was like a gymnast for a while I have a hard time she's doing a cartwheel on the beach I'm like oh I hope she sticks it I. I hope she, I completely. And you mentioned already like when he watches games at home. So I already, I don't, I don't know your husband at all.

I completely relate to him. I would never be, I would shoot through nail. I would be a mess. I would be a mess. He's like your more classic sportsman. I mean, that he would probably talk to you for hours about USC football and, you know, just, I mean, everything. Right? And so you add in like the, now he knows all these officials

and he's like, oh, you have this official on the game. I'm like, yeah. Oh, he's intense. He's intense, he's intense. It's very, it's very fun. So yes, he's, he's all in. I think it's great, Lindsay, cause you know, you're, you have two kids, right? Yeah, two kids, you're married. And just

the, the role model that you are for a lot of and I'm just like, we, like, we did a lot with girls flag football with our leagues out in Orange County. And I and again, I just from an outsider, just like, I feel a lot of pride in growing that. I feel like you, like, should feel a lot of pride in just what you are doing for the women's game. And I know nationally in your coaching, and I think you guys are gonna win it all this year,

knock on wood, you're gonna win a national championship. But do you feel like, do you ever kind of take a breath and just be like, what you are doing? You're obviously, I mean, Juju, talk about Juju, but the team and the recruiting that this is, all of this stuff, I just, I think it's really awesome to see what you're doing. Do you ever kind of pinch yourself and just say

what your role is in helping women's basketball continue to elevate? Well, thank you, I appreciate it. And I think the main thing is, you know, trying to just be present in all facets of my life, like, you know, to be a wife and a mom at home to do this job, but also to integrate the two. As you guys know, you don't get to sports as a lifestyle, you don't get to shut it off. My family's evolved and they come here. But if I can do anything to show women or women's basketball

that you don't have to sacrifice one thing or the other. I certainly have a ton of help. We have childcare, I have a really supportive administration, but I don't think anyone should have to sacrifice if they want to be a mom and coach or try to integrate the two worlds. And we all have a responsibility, I think, with the women's game to continue to help grow it because that's the stage that it's at. And even, you know, when I was in the NBA, a lot of people asked, like, all I could do is show up as myself, right? And I only had one, only my son Jordan at the time and wouldn't have Reese yet. But you know, I had to try to be the best coach I could be.

I wasn't trying to be anyone else in that league. There was no one really like me, like the guys and, and, and be who I was and hope that, that opened up some eyes, you know, as well. like the guys and and and be who I was and hope that that Opened up some eyes, you know as well but coming back to women's basketball. I think Yeah, I take a lot of pride and just trying to do what I do Well, so that other people believe that they can do it that way and also to help grow the game, too And while did you upgrade your winter life going from? Right now it's the worst in the world. Jerry will send me videos, I'm like, God, you gotta get back to LA dude.

I gotta get back to LA coach, I gotta get back. No disrespect to Cleveland, Ohio, but you know, there's nothing better than, nothing better than LA. Well, good luck coach, thank you for joining us. Yes, thank you. I've obviously, you know, we met a handful of years ago, but super proud of you and what you've done and you're gonna keep crushing it. So good luck. Bring home a title.

Bring home a title, no pressure. Bring home a title. Kind of get like you and your squad, Matt. Well, that was a long time ago. Yeah, hey. That was a long time ago. They live forever. That's why Jared and I are together, because we were roaming the streets of LA

at the same time in two different... 2003. What a time. It's definitely a thrill for me to be on with you guys. Come out to a game we will be hosting the first and second round so I'll be there for sure I went to I went to the Kansas was that sweet 16 last year. That was fine. That was fun. That place was buzzing. I'll be there. I'll be I'd love to come love to come. Love to come. All right, coach. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay. All right. Take care. All right. We're going to do the throwbacks mailbag now. Thank you to everybody who sent in

some mail. Again, you could hit us up at throwback show on social media or you could email us at feedback at throwbacks show.com and let us know. So we got a few good ones we picked out two for today. Glenn from Chicago emailed us said I saw a report that the next edition of hard knocks off season will actually follow Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels football team. Matt, would you have been okay with cameras planted all over the USC facility when you were in college? And Jerry, what about on the set of Entourage?

So we've got to clear one quick thing up. As of, I think, yesterday, they have now declined. They have not been able to work out a deal. North Carolina and NFL films or whoever does hard nice. So it's actually not happening. So someone came to their senses is my thought. Do we have full? We have full editing approval post editing. Yeah, of course. I will say I, I think or maybe that's what they were

arguing about. When I was playing, if they went to USC, we probably Pete would have probably said, fuck it. Yeah, let's do it. because he loved that shit. And I would have done the same thing. If this, like the way it is now, and I was playing in this era of social media, I probably would have said, absolutely not. We did have Matt and Reggie TV back in the day though. What is Matt and Reggie TV? We had, I'm gonna find a clip, man.

I got someone, I get the randomness, people will send me a clip of the archives from like 04405. And we would go around, we had microphones and we would go around and like, it like, like like MTV cribs. Oh, here's my apartment at the whatever. Here's a day in the life of practice. Like we would like kind of like basically a behind the scenes look at the USC football

team. I have no fucking clue where it lived, dude. I don't know what I don't remember back then, but it was like, Ryan Khalil would come on. Ryan Khalil was great. Ryan Khalil has a whole production company now in my center, he was super into that. You gotta try and find these episodes.

I know, I'm gonna try and I'm trying, I've been sent, they've been sent to me from now the video guys at USC because they go through all the archives, they're like, holy shit, we just saw that Reggie TV. It is horrible to watch. We did one at Was it Jimmy Kimmel or Jay Leno? We were on the Jay Leno show So we brought like we did like an episode there and it's again It was just like probably the old-school camera you put on right you had some digital video camera

So yeah back in the day. Hell. Yeah, I would have done that What was what was like? What was your a dope spot? Or is this because it was before NIL you didn't really have a dope spot? No, I didn't really have a dope spot. My junior year I lived at a place called Cardinal Gardens. Off campus? How far off campus? Next time you're in LA, We'll go to the Cardinal Gardens We it was like it was like the poor man's Melrose place Remember Melrose place you walk in and you had like the pool the pool right in the middle Yeah, and then then then the apartments kind of like you shaped around it Well, this was Cardinal Gardens and was it all student athletes or students or it was it was small maybe 40

or students or is it like? It was small, maybe 40 apartments, maybe more or less 40. And it was two stories. And like one of my best friends at the time, his frat, most of his frat was living in there. So the year I won the Heisman, I was sharing a room. I had a one bedroom. I was sharing a room with my boy. We had two beds in our room.

This is my junior year, dude. Heisman award winner. Heisman award winner. This story is hilarious. Sharing a room. We almost, our best friend was the apartment next to us. We almost knocked. We were like, fuck it. Let's just knock the wall down and just be one. You could have just kicked the wall. We had no one went in the pool. There were bikes in there. Lord knows what the fuck was in that pool, dude. It was disgusting. But it was just, in there. Lord knows what the fuck was in that pool, dude. It was disgusting. But it was just, it was just, it was college, man. It was freaking fun, dude. I had my white Ford Ranger. I was living the dream, dude. Living the dream.

So if they were going to do, I guess it would be like a behind the scenes of Entourage while we were making it. Um, I'd say no only cause not even cause like some crazy, salacious reason, but like You're doing a show and you're mic'd all day and you're on camera all day when you actually call cut and you have like a 20 40 minute break like the last thing you want to do is probably be on camera because you're on camera all day and also I I find it interesting but I think making a television, it is not nearly as cool and fun as a football team, like behind the scenes. I don't, front office. I guess if you were gonna do like a,

hey, we're gonna go to the production office of Entourage, like how Hard Knocks went, you know, into the front office and you would see like Doug with the writing process and casting and see maybe more of those decisions, less with us and more of the production that can might be cool. I like the behind the scenes stuff of like making the shows and all that. So like, I don't know, I would watch it.

I want to, we have another mail bag. I want to ask, I want to read this one because I want to ask you. Okay. So Brian in Albany said this, Kendrick Perkins says, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, your beloved Knicks need to stop podcasting and just focus on basketball. You guys think something like hosting a podcast can negatively affect their goal of winning a title. I want to say that because Paul George just said he stepped away from podcasting to focus on basketball, right? Well, no, no, no, he didn't. No, no, no. And Andrew Gunling, our producer,

to focus on his championship run to focus Because they're shit right now so to focus on a Championship run. Okay, so your beloved Knicks two of your best players the Harpies every two I mean great with the great players. Does it bother you at all that they're podcasting during a season? You know, there definitely have been times during a season? You know, there definitely have been times, especially after losses and stuff like that, and then you go watch a podcast and you're like, man, but look, guys, it ain't like they're saying,

hey, Tibbs, we're gonna be late to practice because we're finishing our podcast with Edie Falco, all right? They're doing it on their own free. I love it, man. I love it. Well, here's what I liked about it most recently, and we'll talk about Kendrick Perkins in a second But on their last episode

Brunson and Hart talked about because it was coming off the back-to-back Cavs Celtics blowouts, right where they got they got just routed and they talked about it in a very like open honest way I thought it was it's not the media answer that we get when the guys are at the locker room. We got to play harder. They were pretty raw. Josh Hart said something super interesting. He was out, I think against the Cavs, uh, on before the Celtic game. And he said, yeah, I watched at home like a fan and I shut it off in the third quarter. And I'm paraphrasing. He's like, I, I, we looked like trash. I was like embarrassed. I couldn't believe that we got blown out like that. Like watching it on TV was a whole different experience than when you're playing in the blowout.

And you know, I think they talked about it in the right way. So I don't think it could negatively affect their goal of winning. The only way I could see it doing that is if like guys on the team started getting, feeling a certain kind of way about it, you know, like in-house stuff. For sure. I'm all for it. I think, I think for some reason, I think it's like, I think it's like, I think it's guys on the team started getting, feeling a certain kind of way about it, you know? Like in-house stuff. For sure, I'm all for it.

I think for so many years, for decades, very few athletes have had like a voice outside of, perfect, great point, man, like locker room. Like you're gonna give the PC, you're gonna give the basic answers. Yeah, you're not gonna get anything. One, you don't wanna talk to these media people because they don't really have your best interest anyway.

So there's never really been an outlet for players just to share their thoughts, whether it's on their games, whether it's on opposing teams. I mean, Draymond kind of, I think kind of, JJ Redick was doing that obviously, like Draymond, Micah Parsons has the big one in the NFL where he goes on every weekend, just talks about other teams teams talks about player situation.

I think it's kind of refreshing man like I think it's refreshing. I love it as a former athlete but I love I love the I love behind the scenes stuff I do I've been in a lot of those locker rooms so I know what it's like but I love seeing professional athletes who are making $30 million a year talk about how embarrassed they were when they play like and like because it just gives the fans another way of like, like personalizing with these guys, I think on a different level, which I love. I love it. I think and most of these guys who do it are all perfect.

They're professionals, man. Like, they're not going to let that get in the way of, hey, I'm going to do this instead of like going to get my shots up. Like you build a schedule. Yeah, it's ridiculous. But I mean, in the in the the world where we all kind of say in terms of athlete especially basketball motivation dedication to it you do the what would Kobe do yeah Kobe would probably never do a podcast in season or whatever while he was still active I

just don't know if like if they weren't doing the podcast would they be at the gym I feel like those are off days they weren't doing the podcast would they be at the gym? I feel like those are off days. They're probably doing two or three in a day and I really and as long as they're giving us the raw behind the scenes and giving us something that we're not getting from the media I think it's all good You know I mean you talked about Reggie and you doing that show but you guys on a pod back in the like if pods were around then Oh, we're gonna get ready to see on. We're going to get Reggie.

No, but I'm saying you two back then, that would have been one of the biggest podcasts in the world. You and Reggie in season, while you guys are on the run, and then once a week we get a podcast from Matt and Reggie. Everybody would have been listening to that shit. I love it. And you're going to start getting more college kids are going to do it once they're,

all these kids are about, even in the pros, they're about building a brand, however you want to define that these opportunities now are more and more in the podcasting space and just digital space. And I'm all for it. I love it. I can understand how if you're playing like shit, and immediate like, oh, he's so distracted, like, come on, you're doing that once a week. And you're talking ball during that time, you know, for the most part. So I will say as long as I don't start well, I guess this is more like retired players, but like recently retired players, as long as you don't start doing the either overly critical or just saying stuff to get, you know, views and stuff like that, which I think

could tend to go on like just don't do what everyone else is doing like you're a Current or former player you could give us stuff that no one else like the Vernon Maxwell story on all the smoke I don't know if you've seen it when talk about how Lajuan one slapped the shit out of them. We'll have time That's what we that's what we that's what you guys do the dudes from the 80s and 90s are different They're they're they're built a different way, man. Yeah, yeah. Good mailbag stuff, though. Send more. Keep it coming.

Keep it coming. Again, I want you to take me to USC women's basketball game. I want to see Juju in person. And good luck to the, what do we call, the Trojan women? Women of Troy. What do you call? Women of Troy. Women of Troy.

Big 10 tournament starts. Yeah. Good luck. Yeah, we'll see. Could be probably a number one seed. I mean, it's going to be UCLA. It's probably going to be them and UCLA in the Big 10 championship again for the third time.

And UCLA is great, too. That would be crazy. Cory, their coach, friend, she's great. Yeah, they're legit. Those are two of the best teams in the country. All right, have a good week, everybody. We'll be back next week.