Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara - Origin Story of Brian Scalabrine’s “White Mamba” Nickname, Rory’s Masters Moment & NIL Drama

Episode Date: April 17, 2025

The “White Mamba” himself, Brian Scalabrine, drops by to explain where his famous nickname came from, what his biggest career regret was and which current NBA team he deems to be “flawless.” ��Plus, why do so many regular people think they can take him one-on-one??  We try and help Scal find the reason and we get his thoughts on some of the other great white hoopers in the game today.  Then, Matt Leinart and Jerry Ferrara talk about Rory McIlroy’s win at the Masters and come up with a list of other athletes that everyone seemed to be collectively rooting for.    And finally, in today’s mailbag, we dive into the unfolding NIL drama between the University of Tennessee and quarterback Nico Iamaleava with some unique insight from Matt.    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 sponsors:    Wendy’s    Clock in for sweet treat time with Wendy’s® classic Frosty®. Get one now! https://m-wendys.app.link/frosty25   ZipRecruiter   Try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE: https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Throwbacks    Nissan  Take adventure to new heights in the all-new 2025 Nissan Armada.  Go to https://NissanUSA.com/Armada to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don't know what it was like for you, but man, I had a job and I got like paid a thousand bucks. I thought I was the richest dude in the world. Can you imagine having a million dollars and going to college? What is that? All right. Welcome to another episode of throwbacks. Please if you can follow us at throwback show, email us feedback at throwbackshow.com. Don't forget to subscribe to all our YouTube channels.

Everything's just throwback show you should know at this point. Matty Ice, how are we doing today, bro? Well, well, I gotta be honest with you, dude. My neck is killing. My neck the last couple of weeks, well, pulled the calf muscle last week playing hoops with you when you were in town. Still knotted up, feeling better.

My neck has been bothering me for whatever reason. So I saw a chiropractor for that last week. I'm sitting here and I'm just gonna vent a little bit and all my guys out there listening are gonna understand this. I don't have a lot of quiet places in my house, obviously, right? Like I have dogs, I have four kids, which is fine.

I don't have my own office. My wife has the office. So you've seen my setup, right? Right, my pod and kind of my space. I'm looking around this room right now, dude. And it's just honestly, it's starting to piss me off a little bit. Because I know that maybe you can't relate,

because you got a 9,000 square foot house in Ohio, and you got so much space. But my guys out there, like my garage has turned into my wife's storage space. And I always knew that. but like I have a couch, I have a TV, I have a Peloton, I have all sorts of here, my golf clubs that I'm looking at that have been used once in a year.

But now I have literally a stack of outdoor furniture chairs right in front of me. I have my wife's middle of her van, by the way, yes, she has a minivan, the middle seat of her van. Josie goes minivan? Oh dude, Kia Carnival, shout out Kia Carnival. Hey, black on black. It's actually pretty sick. Wow. Wow. Dude, I'm just, I'm, you know, I don't know what I am. I'm a little... You need some space. You need some space of your own. I enjoyed a little bit because it's like

cluttery and it's like kind of dirty. I walk in here barefoot, my feet turn black, you know, that type. It's like my spot. But it's just becoming like I'm getting, I'm becoming my wife a little bit. And I know you're like this in the fact that like, I do like a little, I do, I do like things to be a little neater. You know what I mean? Like in my workplace, I like to come out here, have a little coffee, turn on the TV, get ready to do throwbacks with you, maybe rip some games. And it just doesn't feel like my space. You're a man without a country right now. I've been there. You gotta remember, I lived in New York. So I don't know what to do. What do I do?

You have a couple of options. Option one is you just, it's spring. Spring clean the s*** out. Like just take a day and say, I'm not working out today. I'm not doing anything today, but I'm just getting this garage and an order that I could see fit or option two, sell the house. Sell the whole thing, start over. Sell the whole thing, start over. That's so funny.

But listen, first of all, how... By the way, I'm good. You are good. This is the honestly, everyone listening now, I know Matt pretty much almost a year at this point. Listen, first of all, how... By the way, I'm good. You are good. This is the honestly, everyone listening now, I know Matt pretty much almost a year at this point. No, yeah, no, over a year now. And this is probably the most heated

for a non-sports thing I've ever heard. I don't get, I don't, you know, yeah, I don't get super heated. You're calm, you're chill. I'm very calm, I'm very West Coast personality. It fits me. I'm not heated, I'm not. I'm just, I'm getting to the point where like, you know this, like you wake up, your my neck doesn't feel good. It's kind of pissing me off. My

calf, like I start my rec league here in a couple weeks, and I need to be 100%. You gotta go sleep. You gotta wear a spot. And this was my spot. Like I put a lot of effort into making the spot. And now I'm just I'm battling, dude, I'm battling the battling just all of that just, you know, come in my way dude. Like there's just a lot of stuff that I can't control and pack up and move to the Midwest. You could own probably your own city. I'd rather sleep in the fleas in my house than move to the mid. So you said you have rec league starting up. You know who

after you brought out Jason, Jason McIntyre. Yeah. After you brought me to play. Do you know who? And I'm so happy for our guest today because this is someone I would want to go into a rec league war with. Like if we were picking up a former athlete who still wants to compete our guest today, I don't know what I'm going to say his name and then you got to help me. What do we call him? Brian Scalabrine, everybody. The white Mamba. I can't wait to talk white basketball players with him. What are you gonna call him?

Cause you guys are like the whole USC connection. You gonna call him Scal? You gonna call him Mamba? What do you call him? Brian? I'm gonna call him Brian. I feel like no one calls him Brian. No, exactly.

That's why we're gonna call him Brian. And we'll see if he responds. If those of you who are just trying to. I might call him Mamba. His one-on-one content against George the Messiah, West Forge Street in New York City was A1, top of the line. You must watch it.

By the way, is that guy any good? No. I mean, like, he's. He throws like those hook. Like, I see him all over. Like, obviously, I get what they're trying to do. Like, it's show. Like, is he good enough to beat Brian Scalabrine? No. Is he good to beat you? No. Can he maybe

because he's got about 40 pounds can he back me down and hit a hook shot? Probably. I've played with guys like that they just back you down they just throw the behind the yeah sure but he's a really great personality and he's built something really cool. He called out Scal because I feel like anytime any YouTube creator or any pickup player thinks, Hey, what NBA player could you have gotten after they pick Brian Scalabrine and he had to go, he had to go stand up for himself and boy did he. He did. He's, he's talking to, I love him. Obviously. I mean, Celtics, NBA, there's a lot of stuff going on right now this week. A lot of playing games, playoffs, kicking off on Saturday, some great matchups. Scal went to SC. He was a part of a couple of really great USC basketball teams right

before I got there. Also just, yeah, I mean, just he's got great stories. I think the guy is awesome. He played on a couple of NBA finals teams, played with some hall of famers. Yeah, we'll get some playoff preview, man. I can't play with him too. And then I want to, I want to tell you my proud moment because you know, my, my almost six year old super into Nick's basketball. I think he now can talk about eight players, pretty much the whole Tibbado rotation. He gets mad when campaign comes in the game. He's, he's starting to get it. And while I was leaving LA, and then once I got home, he was like, dad, so I was teaching him all about the playoffs, and he's like,

so when did the Knicks play? And they announced it, and I said, I saw that Saturday, 6pm. And he's like, I don't really know when that is. Because he loses concept of days and times. Like, could you put it in our family calendar? Because I cannot miss that game. We're watching it right? And like one lone tear started to form in the corner of my eye. You're doing your job as a father. Bree was like you don't put anything in the family calendar

ever. You always try to just memorize it and this is the one thing you put with alerts. I have 15 minute countdown alerts in our family calendar because the playoffs are starting. That kid's going to be the general manager of the New York Knicks one day. And you're going to be leaving voicemails like your mom leaves you to him. Well, it's funny because I took him to the game and I called. I said it was like a work trip.

So he thinks I work for the Knicks. He thinks throwbacks is like the number one Knicks podcast. And I, you know, I feel like no one even lets me really talk about the Knicks in the way we talk. We talk about the Knicks during the world series. We talk about the Knicks in the off season. We talk, we'll talk about the Knicks when they go on vacation after the first round. I mean, that's what we're going to do. Whoa. Is that a pick? Are you picking the pistons? No, I'm not picking the pistons, but they're going to, I mean, they play Boston round two, bro. They're goingons. But they're going to, I mean, they play Boston round too, bro.

They're going to get, they're going to get smoked. We're going to ask the white mamba all about that. You can't sit here and tell me right now, if, if you get through Detroit, which I, I, I, I made that a very big if just now. No, I'm just saying, like, there's no guarantee. There's no guarantee. If you get through Detroit, there's no way in hell you believe that your

New York Knicks are getting through the Boston Celtics. And it's really not an indictment on the Knicks. It's just, I think that's how good the Celtics are. Here's what I'll give you. And then we'll leave the rest for. You're going to give us fight. You're going to give us fight. I know that. We'll leave the rest for Scal. Yeah. I don't think there's any team I feel good about going into a series against Boston. I don't feel good about any team I feel good about going into a series against Boston. I don't feel good about Cleveland. If it's the finals, even if it's OKC or even your Lakers, I really don't feel, I think when Boston's healthy and motivated, they are significantly better

than just about every team. And then maybe it gets a little smaller when you start talking like Thunder, Lakers, Cavs. So I don't feel good. The West is wild. The West, I think one, I mean, gosh, I mean the, the, the warriors clinched right, the seven seed. So warriors rockets will be, I mean, the warriors can make a run. I don't think they'll make a run, but like the West one through seven, because you have to include Steph and the warriors in there, I think are all. Teams that can get to a finals.

I'm saving it all for scale. Cause I'm also going to try to see if I could bait Scal into giving the Knicks a compliment. I'm going to see, cause you know, he works for the Celtics. He's kind of on your team. We'll see. I'm going to play some mental warfare early with Scalabri. I already talked to everyone in my Knicks group chat. We're going to play a little mental warfare. If the Knicks even get to the second round, according to Matt, Matt said, if big if I like the Knicks man, I'm rooting for you guys. That's fair. I'll take that. That's a compliment coming from you. I'll take that.

And shout out to the boys, man. What you're raising them, right? It's all raising them right here in the eye. And we're going to do something real fast. We'll do our all time adventures driven by Nissan. Take adventure to new heights in the all new 2025 Nissan Armada. Go to NissanUSA.com slash Armada to learn more. We always tell a story and a unique adventure that we got going on. You already talked about the garage. Well, you already talked about the garage, Matt. What is going on in your life? I now I mean for I want to preface this by just saying shout out to the wife who just Just fucking holds it down with the with the baby and the kids and I travel all the time, especially in the fall She left yesterday. She's at Oklahoma doing some NIL presentations being a boss

She's presenting from the football team all the international athletes. So she's crushing it, she's doing great. But that means that I'm solo with the kids. And I'm saying all four, cause Cole's 18, he's in and out, but he's here. I had to wake up this week with him and get him ready for school at 6 a.m. while I was up feeding at 4, 4.30 with the baby. My adventure is just, I'm against the ropes.

I'm in the trenches. I'm 41. I'm an old dad and a young dad at the same time. I approached this week and these last couple days like I would approach a football game. I'm just mentally locked in, bro. I'm mentally locked in. I forgot how to swaddle a baby. Because,

because, because Josie, Josie, Josie has, I made notes, dude, for everybody that can't watch this, I made notes about my feeds. But I'm all feeded up. You can't is it a little glare. Okay, so the reminders of your feedings and how to swaddle, how to swaddle video tape, I'm just like, I feel like I'm preparing for the Super Bowl and I've been preparing. So you know, the adventure this week is just solo solo dad in it right now. The wife just she crushes life in general. But you know, every once in a while, I got to hold it down. I'm holding it down donuts in the morning for the kids because I'm not making food. I'm just

it's just it's no holds bar. You're going donuts Matt. You can't make an egg. Come on dude. Make an egg. Dude I can't make an egg when I'm holding the baby. I got two psychopaths. I'm also getting my oldest one. I'm getting ready to work.

I'm doing it's hard bro. It's hard. Well you know what? I guess now that's a quick route for you to become like, oh, mom's away, dad's watching us, donuts for breakfast. Like your kids are gonna love that because that's the only time that Josie would never allow donuts for breakfast.

Yeah, there's not a way, there's no other way to approach this other than you just, you approach it head on, dude. And you just, you ride it. You just go, you're gonna get through it. It's, you know, 48 hours and you know, ride it you just go you're gonna get through it it's you know 48 hours and you know we're on our way well i will say too if you could fit it in figure out a time just do some have something nice waiting for josey when she gets home because you're gonna be welcoming

her back like like luca coming you know what you should do like you know what's going back we got what's waiting for me you should play a thank you video like they did for Luca when she comes home show all Josie highlights with the baby you should do like a welcome home video that's really funny we should do that for social good idea anyway when she gets home she's she's getting she's getting all six five 220 pounds I'm about 220 right now I was gaining a couple pounds this week. All right. Donuts for breakfast will do that. All right. Thank you. Nissan. Again, go to NissanUSA.com slash Amara to learn more. Bring on the white mamba. Do you really think European, like European basketball players think American,

like white basketball players are soft? I mean, I think that's pro like, I think European like European basketball players think American like white basketball players are soft I mean, I think that's probably like I think those things are changing now, right? But I Seven years ago. Yeah. Yeah Probably they do it's hard for me. So like from the creators of the euro step, you know Even though it's genobily who really kind of master the euro man Those dudes are tough I'll tell you right now, those guys when they were like 15, now the ones that make it, those guys when they were like 15 years old are playing against 25-year-old men. You put any elite player in that environment

where mommy and daddy is not there to save you or anything like that, them dudes that come out of there, they're going to grow up to be pretty savage. And it would be the same thing here if we did it, but we don't like, you know, 15 plays 15 matter of fact, sometimes there's like some 18 year olds playing in you 15, right? Like, yeah, the double hold back. Oh yeah. It's, it's over there. It's like survival of the fittest, man. I remember when I went during the lockout and I was playing on Wednesdays the junior team would come practice with us so I've been in the league 10 years at the time and there'd be like some 15

year old guarding me and it was on every win and those kids and the coaches were not soft on them so things have I think they have a mentality that you know if they had the numbers that we had, they had the athletes that we have, they believe that they're better at coaching basketball than we are. Well, we're talking Europeans and we're talking white dudes in the NBA.

And I just, I'm a Laker fan, okay? And well, I love you, we're Trojans. And we just missed each other by one year, I think. I think you had left. But Austin Reeves had this quote and he said, as a white guy in the NBA, I sometimes look at white players and I'm like, they're not very good.

So it's a stigma that I think is real. What are your thoughts on that? Yeah, I mean, it's just like this. If you're white, you gotta prove yourself. And it just doesn't start in the NBA. It starts when you're 12 years old. And you know, like if you're going to play against the best of the best, then you're probably going to be like one out of every 10 white guys compared to, you know, like nine black guys in the gym,

you know, and that's just the way it's going to be. But the ones that do and want to live in that environment, those are those are the guys that, you know, they're going to be a little bit tapped. Like the Austin Reeves is tapped. Tyler Hero, Peyton Pricker, my boy Cooper Flag up in Maine. Like, and I think there's a big shift happening because the game is becoming a more skill game, which is a more physical game, but no, no doubt.

And like Austin Reeves, I've said this before. Yeah, like he doesn't move like a white guy. He's like shifty and stuff like that. He doesn't. He's watching him. Like he's like, he's got like a herky jerky to him that you just don't see. And you don't see that with a lot of black players,

but like you definitely don't see that with white players. And I think he's nasty. I can't believe he was undrafted or whatever. How does that crazy? Yeah, you know, you guys got me thinking too. I'm trying to think because I've been watching the NBA since I was eight years old. The Trent Tucker games, the first game I ever watched where I was like, whoa, this is a cool sport. Trying to remember like the first foreign player that I saw that I was like, wow, this guy's unbelievable.

I think it was Petrovich. I think it was Drazen Petrovich. And then Sabonis' dad, not your Vitas, our Vitas. You don't remember Tony Kukoc? You don't remember? I do, but I think Drazen was before Kukoc. I think Drazen was before. I remember like Marshal Onis on the Warriors.

Yeah, there was a lefty. And so, you know, I don't know if you've told this story much publicly about how you actually got the white mamba nickname. Is that in Chicago? Is that when you were in Chicago? Yeah. And their fans?

Yeah, I mean, you know, like, I just was like, I was like a spoof. Like, I was totally fine with, you know, I know who I am. I don't care what people think, right? So, you know, I always tell people, yeah, you know, we know for sure at the end of games, the ball's going to Kobe, the black Mamba, and the ball's going to me, the white Mamba.

Now we might be up by 20 when that happens, but everybody knows where the ball is going. Now you just gotta try to stop it. It's one thing to know, it's another thing to try to stop it. So I like, I didn't embrace any of the going in at the end of the game when I was in Boston. I felt like, well, that's so disrespectful to the guy who built the lead now

in Chicago. Hell no, man. I used to tell the tip of the man a tip it Oh, we're up 20. You know, first of all, I'm not going to blow the lead. And second of all, you got to give these people what they want. They don't want to see Derrick Rose right now. They want to see me. God, yeah. Tim's not doling out those minutes easily to anybody. I was talking to my boy. I said, hey, we're having a scout Brene on.

He goes, dude, please tell me if this is a true story. He goes, I used to see him working out at the Equinox in Westwood all the time wearing his Chicago Bulls out there. I, please tell me if this is a true story. He goes, I used to see him working out at the Equinox in Westwood all the time wearing his Chicago Bulls outfit. He said he saw you there a couple of times rocking your whole Chicago Bulls warm-up suit. That's not true.

Maybe it was team issue gear. I can tell you one thing right now. I am not a uni. I don't do the uni thing. And when you see a kid come to basketball camp, I pull him and his parents to the side and I talk to him. I say, bro, let me help you out. First of all, the glasses got to go get some contact lenses. And then second, second, this is the most important thing I'm gonna tell you. You can't show up wearing Tatum shoes, Celtic shorts and Tatum's jersey. You're never going to

get any respect like this, right? I know you like Tatum, but it just doesn't work like that. Go buy some, the kid some white t-shirts and get them in random mesh shorts because I want the best for the kid. This is the best advice you'll ever get. Don't be a uni. So I can guarantee you, I've never been a uni.

I can guarantee you. But you did, but you did work it out, the Equinox and Westwood. Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah. That's a good place to be, I would work out there. One time I worked out with, I didn't even know the guy, it was Justin Bieber, he was in Beverly Hills. And it's amazing, Matt, you ain't gonna believe this.

After every set, after every set, he had three guys with him. And every time he would give full on DAP, like full on, like, Rojo. Yeah, we did it. We did it. We're here. And the next one way to go. You look this wall.

And he go to the next one. I'm thinking workout definitely over. You know, like, you know, I get it. Like at the end of a workout. Hey, man, good work today. Right, dude. Every 135, every set, like you went to do shoulders you came back and it was full embrace every time Come on, man. What is going on here? But I've enjoyed my time

I was working a little bit with Fox and enjoy. Yeah, I'm out in LA. I Got benched for Justin Bieber. I played once in the NBA celebrity game in LA and I take that stuff way too serious. I love pickup and all that stuff. I'm like the only one who really tries in those games and I already have my starting spot ready. Bieber was not slated to be there. So we're putting on our, you know, our jerseys getting suited up and I hear a bunch of women yelling in like the tunnel. It was like, what the hell is that? And Bieber just like it was a pickup game, walked into the televised ESPN game. It was like, what the hell is that? And Bieber just like it was a pickup game. Walked into the televised ESPN game.

It was like, do you guys mind if I run? Of course. And who do you think gets bumped out of the starting lineup for Justin Bieber? You. Me. I played three minutes that game and Bieber would know didn't have a jersey.

He didn't even have a jersey on. He's not bad, though, I think, right? He's fine. He's all right. He's not your though, I think, right? He's fine. He's all right. He could, he's, he's, he's not your first. You're playing pickup. Isn't like Brian McKnight nasty or something like that, right? I think Knight notoriously nasty.

Um, you know, who else was always, um, Oh, what was that dude's name? It'll come to me. There's someone else. I'm another actor. I'm thinking of that. And by the way, Denzel famously could ball and got the bucket on Ray Allen and he got game that was true I think he kind of rope adoped him. It was like, alright, let's do a rehearsal Here's what I don't understand. I can't act and I can't play football

Why does common people think that they can hoop? What is the deal with that? play football. Why does common people think that they can hoop? What is the deal with that? I never want to grab a football and tell some linebacker, yo, I'll run your ass over. I don't want, I would never want to be in a featured film like out there. I'd be like, I'm not an actor. I'm not good. But why is it about basketball? What is it about basketball? I can tell you. Tell me. It's the only sport. It's the only sport that you can kind of pick up and go play with your boys. And I think it's because, yeah, you could literally, especially in like New York, there's hoops on every corner.

I could wake up at 8 a.m. with a ball. That's all I need. And I could hit maybe 10 collegiate threes in a row and be like, you know, I can fucking do this. I could play with these guys like like our guy. Listen, your stuff with with George the Messiah, is that that was unbelievable because I know it's like a bit and he's like, but still, like you showed up.

You didn't just say, oh, I'll smoke it. You went there. Like how, at what point did you realize like, I gotta just go there and just shut this dude up and just blank him. If you sprinkle in enough of that stuff every couple of years just to remind everybody, you know? Yeah. I love to remind everybody, you know,

I love to tell everybody, you know, like, listen, if there's 5000 NBA players, if I'm 4000, it's not a big deal. But if I'm 5000, the last best player in the NBA, the worst player in NBA history, I will go show and smoke you guys. But um, yeah, everyone wants to challenge me. I just don't get it. I just because you're white dude. That's why I understand but just think about it this way like like you could be soft in the league and And but if you're white and you play 11 years and you're telling me kind of like you there's no way you're tapped There's no way you're sure you can't be soft You can't like if Garnett is stamping me you think he's ever gonna stamp some soft ass white kid there's no way. So there's I try to stay away from being like that. But and you

know, obviously, Matt, you must have seen some crazy people that come across and they're in sports is full of people who can function that are nuts, right? Like, that's true. You have to be a little bit nuts to do this. And so he challenged me and I was in New York. We were playing the Brooklyn Nets. You know, I do the Celtics and dude, West 4th Street was a mile down the road.

I was like, all right, let's go, let's go. Those videos, well, first I think you could, I think you're onto something. I think you could really like, remember the professor on and one like I think you could I think you could do something and like Market and fucking make some money doing that shit because it's it's awesome. I was telling I was telling I told Jerry this story. So You I mean you're probably boys of Luke Walton because you guys were Played at least it gets each other in college and the pro whatever and Luke South Bay dude. So we retired the same year in 2013.

So we would like, we would go to the Equinox in Manhattan Beach all the time. We were like, what do we do with our life? So we're like, he's like, Maddie, let's play in a rec league. So we played in a rec league. And so it kind of goes to your point. So Luke was, and Luke would always tell me, he's like, Luke played what 10, 12 years,

role player was perfect. Like Phil loved him Lakers all that stuff and had a great career. But he always knew like his role. We play in this league, Scal. And like it was legit. Like it's a good couple kids like would come from the Drew league and play like it was good. It was a good league. He probably averaged 35 a game and he was hitting, oh, he wasn't even trying. And he was hitting, the thing was he was hitting like eight threes a game.

And I'm like, I didn't know if he could shoot. He's like, he's like, Matty, he's like, dude, just cause I don't shoot in the NBA, like doesn't mean I can't shoot. Like I couldn't shoot when there was a six, eight guy guarding me, obviously, cause I wasn't going around it. But in this shit, he's like, dude,

it kind of goes to your point of like, I think you you had the famous quote like I'm closer to LeBron Then you know whatever then you are to me or something like that and Luke remind he's like dude He's like he's like that's the difference between NBA and a lot of these other guys that don't make it well I mean So it's all processing right and you play the sport which is is I think that as it for from a team sports standpoint, the highest processor, you have to be across the board higher than a point guard higher than anybody is a quarterback, right? So when you

if you mess around and play flag football, by the time that ball is like height, you already know what you're doing. And you kind of, you know, I'm going to pretend I'm doing this, this and this, but I knew I'm always doing that. Right. That's just the way it is. And for Luke, it's the same thing. I always tell people you ever watch that movie Sherlock Holmes when he's in that fight and

he like, is everything before it happens. And then he's like talking you through it. Like when I play against like commoners, that's what basketball is like. But when I'm playing against like Derek Rose or Russell Westbrook, I'm like living on an edge. Why is there a little twitch and trying to guess right? Right. But when you play just a dude out there, everything that they do is like, what should I have for dinner tonight as you cut them off and you take the ball,

then you outlet it. It's like they, they move so slow compared to like what so it is think about like when you're get behind the center. I mean, let's think about what you have to know going into that, right? Compared to playing flag football, you know, he had like eight threes in a row, one game. I'm like, I didn't know you could shoot. He just smirked at me. I was like, listen, I've always been someone who knew I even,

I just played recently with Matt in a pickup game and this dude was like testing him and said to Matt, like you don't ball. It's like the dude's wearing like, like he didn't know. Scowl dude. I, I pulled a, my wife, I pulled a, you would appreciate this. So we're playing, we're playing at Bay club, right?

We're playing Tuesday night. Good, good games, right? Even like, actually, Mozgov. A little too young for me, see, I'm not gonna lie. Mozgov shows up, Mozgov lives in the neighborhood. Like, good players, high school, like, it's a good run. Like, you would be, you might not get tested, but it's like legit dudes.

So, and my oldest son's playing, he's good, he's 18, like his boys are high school hoopers. There's this dude, and I don't talk a lot of shit on the court because like, I can't, like I got two new hips, but like I'm an athlete, I'm competitive. And so this big dude's like 6'5", 240, kind of athletic, and would just go straight to the rack every time. But every time he went to the rack, he'd call foul.

Every time. Soft. Oh, and he would flop to the ground. It looked like a linebacker. And after, and the whole, like whole crowd, all the guys waiting to pick the next game is like, oh yeah, he's soft. The whole gym knew. So after the fourth time, he flops. But one after that, there was a phantom steal

that he called foul. He wasn't even in the play. So I started getting fucking pissed at this point. I never seen Matt flip the switch. Dude, I was just like, I was so, cause like, you know, you lose you're off the court for like an hour. So like, so then he starts talking shit. And I did pull like, I did pull like,

This was great. I'm an athlete. So like, I was wearing my old Houston Texans like sweater thing. That he got from the fucking team. Yeah. It was like, I still have it. Yeah. It was team, it was team gear, dude. And he's like, he's like, man, you're not a Hooper. I'm like, no, man. But I played in the fucking league for eight years,

bitch. I was like, saying all of this shit. I was so hot. And Jerry told the story to my wife. And she's like, really? You pulled that card? I go, I go, please, you were not there. And then the last part of the game, the last part of the game, he ties it up. This is after Jerry shoots an air ball, but we won't get into that point. He ties it up and he pulls like a Draymond Green where I go to get the ball out of bounds and he's kind of blocking it. And he's like, puts his elbows in my,

like won't let me get the ball and he elbowed me in the mouth. And I almost like, I mean, I wasn't gonna fight him, but like I almost fought him, dude. This was last week, dude. It was awesome. Yeah, that's, the whole thing is strange, but once again, hoop is always the one.

Like everyone thinks that they can hoop. It's the funniest thing. It is really the funniest thing. What is, just speaking of soft and all that, and I'm curious, cause I love, like I love basketball. I love all these pods or all these guys are like just talking, right? And lately, and you kind of,

I would say you fit into the old head, right? You played with, you saw all the KG, all those guys, but you cover the game now. So you see all the youngsters. What is, what's your thought on this generation? And you see guys like Tim Hardaway coming out and talking smack and all these old school guys who you respect.

What are your thoughts on just the game itself now and these players? Yeah, I think if we do this part and I'm just gonna gas up these players, they're amazing. Their skill level is off the chart, whatever. This won't go viral, but if I said something stupid like we would beat this team by a hundred, then that's gonna go out

and everyone will have a comment about it, but I think for the most part, I think a lot of old heads like respect the skill level of these guys. I don't know if it's like that in football, like as a skill level, like this is like 10 X compared to when we played, right? I'll give you an example. A dribble handoff to a handoff to a three,

that would happen like three guys in the league could do that. Could do that, yeah. There's like eight guys on every team. There's two in the G-league that come and get a ball off a hand back and let it fly. And so when you add skill to the mix, it makes defenses a lot harder. It makes everything more difficult.

Now I understand what this generation is saying, like everything is protected now, you don't want players going to the basket getting hurt. I get all that, but like, I don't think anybody can ever argue, just like you could take our generation, like 2000 to 2010, right? It's when I played.

I'm sure we're more skilled than they were in the 80s or 70s, but these guys are more skilled than we are. And I think maybe in 20 years, they'll be more skilled than this group, right? We're just gonna keep on seeing more and more of it. And I think, and people ask me all the time, will this current Celtic team beat your 08 team? And I think they'd smoke us, right?

Like, I just think we've, we were seeing players at such a ridiculous level. And I think, Jesse, your Mamba mentality thing in the back, it started all with like the Kobe Bryant and the stuff that he did has now like pushed through to this generation. Individual workouts at 6 a.m., you know, making 500 shots a day and you know,

Steph Curry is like a product of that. And we're gonna start seeing more and more of that. These guys love the workout. They train, they're more professional, they take care of their bodies. It's a very different generation. And I think they're just a lot better than we ever were. That's just different examples.

Real quick, Jared, I do miss the center, right? Like going through the post and like, you don't get that. Like, do you miss that brand of basketball? Cause now, like I do think, like you mentioned Kobe, but I think Steph changed the game. It's a lot, like I was compared like you mentioned Kobe, but I think Steph Steph like I think Steph changed the game It's a lot like I was I was compared to like Patrick Mahomes like Patrick Mahomes Changed the game changed the way the quarterbacks played because all the off Script stuff and just like like literally my oldest son practices, which I don't necessarily agree

But he'll practice the sidearm throw which is fucking bananas bananas. I'm like, dude, we were always like, you know, already perfect mechanics and this and that. I do think Steph changed the way the game is played. Do you see it ever going back? Let me just ask you the question. What's harder to guard? Is it harder to guard a guy in the pocket? Is it harder to guard a guy scrambling around

and making it up on the fly? No, yeah, I mean, no, it's hard. When a guy can do both, it makes it virtually impossible, which a lot of these kids can do too. It's just like, there's not, it's actually a great comparison because you saw Tyler Hero last week, right? He pulled up on a wide open layup, I'm sure you saw it.

And again, circumstance, they're down five, I think whatever, and he hit a three instead of taking a layup and like, hey, let's foul, whatever. But like that mentality, a lot of people are like, well, that's the mentality now. It's like, hey, let's like a three is a high percentage shot for a lot of these guys.

Quarterbacks, it's just taught differently. You know, like everything that's taught, it used to be taught from the feet up. Now it's like, mechanics are out the window. It's like, hey, how can you get the ball through these windows? No look like, it's like mechanics are out the window. It's like, hey, how can you get the ball through these windows? No look like it's like legitimately taught that way, which is crazy.

So I just, I love basketball. I love watching. I love the evolution of it. I think that's also goes into like, I don't think these players are soft by any means. I think it's just the game has changed so much. The game, like you said, you have one through five, like you had true centers, power forwards now,

like centers, like Yoke, it's like,ic, like it's crazy what these guys can do. So I think if you look at it this way, I think it'll be a little bit easier to digest instead of then slicing it. Everyone's trying to get a dunk, right? And the best way to get a dunk is to have a bunch of shooters on the floor because that dunk, that space will open up

with guys that are on the perimeter, right? We use this term like gravity like who what players have gravity now the Lakers sign got Luca and they got LeBron and Luca like both those guys command two players to them now it's just a matter of finding the open player I don't know like if you had a receiver that draw a double team every time like that guy might get two catches but the rest of the people are the ones that are benefiting from it. Or if you had a nasty running back,

then all of a sudden they gotta put eight in the box and all of a sudden you're just like, this is great, man. I can deal with this all day. So it's all about gravity. And I think like skilled players or big men that can shoot the ball, create gravity, create space. And Jerry, like if you wanna know if the Knicks are going to win their series

Carlton towns has to make shots and if he's not dominant they're going to lose to detroit because that's a hard thing to guard It's that one that that one five pick and roll with brunson If towns is dominant, they're going to have a good run if towns is getting scoring 18 They're not because now all of a sudden the defense doesn't have to over commit which doesn't open up lanes right but it still comes down to if someone decided we're not going to leave carlton towns well the nicks are going to get a bunch of layups because of it so you have to start with the origin the origin is get a layup and then from there how do we get the best amount of layups yeah if you have guys that could shoot you're going to have more. And it's going to be a lot easier at the rim

to make those decisions. Well, I wasn't going to say anything. I was going to wait for someone else to say the magic word. Nix, you said it. So let's get into a little. I already broke down the series. You don't need to know anymore. No, no.

Let's break down the series. Let's break down when they play the Celtics the second round. No, no. No, you better beat Detroit first. In all seriousness, in all seriousness, Matt and I were talking about this the other day too. It feels like for me, again, someone who's been watching basketball intensely for years and years,

and we've had such a run where it's like you always first, it was like, all right, well, it's probably either going to be LeBron or the Warriors. We had these years and years where you could kind of at least pencil in one team into the finals. If not two, you really had a good fit, regardless of even what seed. This feels like the first time in a long time, the number one seeds are not everyone's first choice for the fight. Obviously, Boston finished two. To me, Boston is the team to beat. I think they're a nightmare for every team. Like you could talk, Oh, Boston's going to

smoke the Knicks. I'm like, who is the Celtics not going to smoke if they're healthy and motivated. But when you look at the one seeds, OKC Cleveland, they get their respect. They won 60 something games each, but everyone I talked to, no one's talking about the head, the Thunder calves finals matchup that's coming yeah that's gonna be hard to happen but I don't I look at the thunder and I think they're like flawless I know everyone wants to point up point out hey they don't have any experience I'm like I hate that right I don't hate that argument what about when Kacen Wallace is coming off the bench or Lou Dort is coming off the bench? I don't even talk about their offense yet and their guard people experience does not matter at that point

And so I just think they like they are so physical on the perimeter They got rim protection and they can rebound like dude. Those guys are so good So when you look at all the other teams out West the only other team that I think is So when you look at all the other teams out West the only other team that I think is Nasty and no one's talking about is the Clippers man. Yeah, that's why Leonard gonna be helping I watch quite Leonard play and like I can make an argument against anybody in the world that he's the best player in the NBA The problem is he never plays to an entire playoff But there's a if you see quite Leonard on the floor and he's standing on the right side of the wing defensively You cannot attack in that 15-foot area

You have to run different kinds of offenses like you literally cannot go anywhere He's at and then let's let alone talk about the offense James Harden Who's you think like he should be washed by now who's playing like great great basketball right now? Yeah, if that team is healthy, they'll be good. You know, I don't know what to make it the Lakers on paper. They're not supposed to be a good defensive team. Somehow JJ Reddit got him playing great defense. trade. I don't get that one. Denver is a mess, but they got the best

player in the world. So the West is crazy, incredible. So every series, you know, and Minnesota is not no slouch like look at their record. I think they're 18 and four over their last 22. And they got to go against the Lakers. They got a young guy that's pretty cocky and confident. They're talking about random dudes that are confident. Anthony Edwards believes he's the greatest player to ever walk on the field.

I love that. I love that. It's like flip a coin out West and I don't care. Whoever gets you that gauntlet is going to be kind of worn down, but it would be an Accomplishment in of itself just to make the finals out of the West Outside of obviously your Celtics so we can talk about and I mean Jerry mentioned the calves I didn't even talk about like is there a team in the east that scares you as a Celtics?

Or just in general like hey this team keep an eye out. Yeah, I think it's the Pacers. And because they don't have an individual player, like I'm big into this gravity thing, like what makes defenses shift, right? So you like use things like a one, four, one, five, pick and roll with the Knicks, that's Brunson and Catt, that creates like a defensive problem. Well, the Indiana Pacers pace, no pun intended there, that creates a defensive problem.

Like when they sprint the floor and they're getting the ball over the timeline in less than three seconds, 78% of the time. So they're pushing that thing. When they do that, it causes defense to overreact. And all of a sudden now they just get a wide open shot and they don't take their foot off the gas. So Celtics like to play controlled.

They like to pace the game in the second half. They like to control tempo. The Indiana Pacers, we, being the Boston Celtics like to play control. They like to pace the game in the second half. They like to control tempo. The NAI Pacers, we, being the Boston Celtics, swept them last year, but every game was a dogfight. So I'm worried about that team, and I think they have more experience, and they're flying under the radar, which they're kind of playing with house money.

So you know what I want to ask you too, because Matt always talks about, you know, part of the Super Bowl team with the Cardinals and like just the preparation for the Super Bowl was like, hey, treat this as any other week, right? Like you don't get caught up in the hysteria of the Super Bowl. And I feel like the NBA is so different because you're getting these teams night in night out. Like this was the first time ever where I'm never ready to say let's get the regular season

over with so we can get to the playoffs Not usually because the Knicks aren't going to the playoffs for most of my fandom, but this was the first year I'm like, all right, everything's kind of locked in with seeding I'm like we need to get to the playoffs because I'm ready to lock in on one team and one team only in that difference I guess we all know what to look for on the court You've been a part of teams that have gone on finals runs and championship runs. What's going on off the court in the locker room at practice when it comes playoff time, are you preparing differently?

And you now know, you know what a team needs to have vibes wise off the court. That's what I'm kind of getting at here. Let me just, I'll just break it down really simply. Like if you like me, right. I'm, I'm not a playoff player, because I have to play at like 100%. And there's nowhere for me to go, right? Like my playoff, my regular season preparation will allow me to do well in the regular season. But then when everybody's prepared for

everything, there's like nothing you could do at that point, right? So it comes down to just having the best players, right? And so you're going into a game where everybody knows what you're going to do. You're preparing like hours and hours. You're making adjustments based off of what they've done from the night before. So there's not like this, sometimes in the NBA, you prepare for a team in like a hotel ballroom for like 15 minutes before you go and play them in the regular season. But you're going to spend hours. I mean, I'm talking about hours and hours of film. You're going to watch your games and how they guard you. And they're going to cut that up.

And let's use my guy, Jason Tatum. He's gonna watch every possession that Orlando guarded him and how they guarded him, where the help came from. So it just comes down to the best players making plays. And if you're not good enough to make those plays, then you're not gonna win. So when it comes to like the depth of everything, it's not just a normal game

because usually the star players continue to get better as the series goes along. It's the reason LeBron went to eight straight finals. It's like he's the brightest guy of our generation and he just kept learning and learning and figuring things out. It's the reason he came back from the Warriors down 3-1 because he just kept figuring things out.

So it's the high IQ players and the really physically gifted ones and the ones that have super talent that are going to make the biggest difference in the playoffs. Do you think, I don't want to beat a dead horse with like the whole Tatum and the Olympics experience, right? And we all kind of agreed, like kind of got screwed. It was such a weird thing, right?

That he wasn't playing and Jaylen Brown and all that kind of stuff. Do you, I don't want to, like, I know that doesn't have anything to do with the season and the mentality, but you're around this team, you cover them, you see them. He's, superstars show up and he's gonna show up because he's a great player. Is there, has there been a change and also repeating,

is there a change in mentality that you've seen with these guys? Like it might mean a little more this year as they approach the playoffs? I don't know what got into Tatum, but he is completely, I think he's, and this sounds stupid because like the margins are so small. If I said Tatum is 5% better, people could scoff at that.

But in the NBA when you're 5%- That's a lot. That's a whole lot. You're nasty, right? Yeah. It's like a massive jump. Like, like SGA is like 5% better than he was the MVP. Right. So Tatum is just like, he's, his processing of the pick and rolls is double teams like he took. I think

what happened last year, he didn't play well in the playoffs. He didn't win conference finals MVP didn't win finals MVP. He didn't play in the Olympics. So it's weird. You win a championship and no one really celebrated him. And the dude loves to work and he wants to get better and he studies the game. And he's really mature about his approach.

He's always had it since he's 19 years old. He's always been really mature in his approach. But this year is the first year I feel like it's unlocking. When you guys think of Jason Tatum, you probably don't think of him as a pick and roll player. His pick and roll efficiencies are off the charts. Like a lead. Yeah, yeah, it used to be like an ISO guy, step back guy, mid range jump shot guy. His decision

making is unbelievable this year. Yeah, it's off the charts, right? And you if I said, you asked it like just a commoner like name top five pick and roll players out there. None of them would say Tatum but Tatum's numbers would prove that he's a top five pick and roll player so he's made Matt he's made a massive jump like yeah you know it I can only equate it to like there was a point in time when you were doing the reads and then one day it just clicked and that's just the way it goes right right? And for him, he was doing the reads

and it was like sometimes happening and sometimes not happening. This year, I wanna say like maybe he makes one mistake and the crazy thing about it, when he makes the one mistake, he's telling like the third wing coming off the bench, hey man, that's my bad, I should have read that low man. I'm like, when you're doing that like immediately,

that means like you're processing at a high rate, you know what you did, and you know you're gonna be able to make the adjustment moving forward. So I just think it could be timing, it could just be like after year seven and turning it. It could be championship, get that championship pressure in Boston off your back, it could be that. Or it could just be like over time, you just figure it

out or he could be motivated by the way the world treated him after he won a championship. I love hearing that. He's a superstar that I think doesn't get enough credit for what he does. No doubt. He's absolutely terrifying to me in a playoff series. Like all my Knicks threads are like, we could be, you know, Nick fans are so optimistic. Everyone's like, we're going to beat Boston. And I'm like, guys, I don you know, Nick fans are so optimistic. Everyone's like, we're going to beat Boston. And I'm like, guys, I don't want to be the reality check here. Anything could happen. Like lace him up.

Who knows? I just don't think my Nick buddies have watched enough Celtics basketball this year because obviously they're trying hard. Do you know who I was? I just was wrong about I did not think Joe Mazzullo was going to be this kind of coach, I think. And maybe you can give some of the credit with the way Tatum's going. And you look at the development of guys like Prichard and all that. I like, and Joe Matt, he seems just like a coach who only does that.

Like, I don't know what his personal life is. None of my business. I just feel like that dude's up at three in the morning scheming for whatever, for the Hornets the next day. Like I, I'm scared of Joe Mazzullo as a coach. He's a great coach. I'll give you a, like he believes in what he believes. And it's just a matter of, it took some time for him to convince his players. And like, you know, like the 53s, right? Like I, I mean, we had discussions at the back of the, in the back of the plane. Like, I don't understand why you would take this shot right here.

And he's like, to win big, you can never pass up an open shot. Like so many times, if you look at just the playoffs, if you ever watch and you see a guy pass up an open look, watch what that possession turns to. There's a lot of times, it turns into a turnover that shot shot clock violation. So so he's like, so why would I play differently in game 22 than I do in the NBA finals, game seven? So he's always kept that approach.

And with that approach, like these guys eventually just started buying into it. They do not pass up looks. And here's the biggest thing. If I was a player and I miss like three threes in a row, I'm probably affected by the fourth, right? It's just like, it's ingrained in our head take it to the basket do something else They can pack the game differently like they don't waiver from that and it from top to bottom from the tenth man to the number

One guy like that that shot is open. They take it and over time When you do that you put a lot of pressure on the defense And I think me having the argument with him on the back of the, you should take the ball to the basket. You should get a better look. I was fired out wrong. Like he's proven to me that if you could change the player's mentality, that if you play the odds, right?

If you miss four in a row and you take every shot the same and you're a 38% shooter, the odds are you're about to hit, right? You're about to hit three out of four, right? That's just the way it goes. So he's convinced me of that. And even though, and he took the time to have that discussion to educate me in the back of the plane.

And I didn't believe him the first year. It's like, I didn't know if I still liked him as a coach, but I totally understand what his philosophy was that first year. And it's definitely carried true with this, like last two years. Are you shocked at all with the success? You mentioned Redick and just kind of what he's done.

Are you shocked with the success that he's had? I know it helps having LeBron and he just had Luca, but the way they're playing defense, especially as just a player that just retired like a couple of years ago. Yeah, so I can only use this one. Like I'm not shocked that JJ is having success. Like he's a very impressive individual when that JJ's having success like he's an

Very impressive individual when you talk to him like he's he's a good dude And you think like he's really smart and everything yeah, but dude How the hell do you trade Anthony Davis get Luca Donch it should become like you go from 18th to first in defense What the fuck is that? That's crazy crazy like I just said you know what I don't know the game like I'm supposed to do This for a living and I was was like, doesn't it? How do you do that? How, how, how, how, what can you point to? Like, how was-

It did a few things, right? Like he used, it's some unique things. He like made Luca and LeBron like kind of like a middle linebacker or whatever you wanna say. Like, and then he put everybody else and he made him pressure. So there was all these things where like, like Jared Vanderbilt would pressure a guy

and then when he would drive, LeBron and Luca would pick that guy up and then Vanderbilt would fly somewhere else. So we had like five savages running all over the place and two guys that were telling everybody what to do. And that's the only thing I could point to, right? And then when LeBron went out, the defense went down and then like, I just assume like

they're gonna get back to it. But it's amazing. It's the most incredible thing from a coaching standpoint I've ever seen. In the middle of the season, in all honesty, how is Luca Doncius a good defender? But he got it, and he made it happen. That's incredible. And he did it overnight.

It wasn't like, oh, it took a week or anything. They started guarding right away. So I give him all the credit in the world. Even in my wildest imagination of JJ Reddick having the perfect year, I would not expect you to trade AD to get Luca and all of a sudden go to number one in the NBA in defense. Dude, I'm manifesting Laker Celtics finals.

You gotta have a little just LA in your heart left, man. The SC. No, no, I do. I'm a big fan of all things out there. I'm not like one of those guys. We lost to the Lakers in 10. We beat them in eight. I don't care who he says, man.

I respected that team all the way. All those guys, man. They were good. They were tough. I'll tell you the biggest one, Kobe was a savage both times, but like Pau Gasol is night and day what he became. And maybe that's the influence of Kobe or whatever it was, but he does not get enough

credit for turning into what he was in 08 with Garnett and what he turned into in 2010. But no, I'm a, I'm a big fan of, I would definitely sign up for LA. Adam Silver would too. Probably. Like, do you guys really, now, if you're a Laker fan, I'm all for it, but like, do you guys really see him beating Oklahoma City if they match up? I just- Yes.

Do we just beat them by 30 the other night? Matt's irrationally confident. And then they beat you by 30 the other night after that. You had like a- You're not worried about their top to bottom. I gotta be honest. I was telling, I'm not worried. And you know more than me.

I think our path to get to the Western Conference Finals is favorable. Minnesota, obviously they- 18-4 in their last 22. Sucks we're gonna lose Anthony Edwards or Luca in the first round. And then you're probably, I mean, who do you like in Houston Golden State? Man, three weeks ago I liked Golden State and then Trey Martin Green, he tried to fight

Sangoon and he had like 12 straight points on him. I was like, wait a minute here. And you know, I'm a big EMEA doka fan. That's what I That's not gonna say the EMEA identity has broken through. That dude is unwavering in his coaching style. Like he does not treat any, he coached Tatum and Brown the hardest. Like I'm telling you, I love that. I don't know this for a fact because I've not experienced it, but it feels like it was like EMEA doke is part

of the Celtic story to getting back on top like his his demeanor it was part of like their growth now right but um so I'm a big fan of him I just look at that team and like when I just started the whole thing by saying like I'm not really a playoff player like I play really hard I'm really smart whatever but like when the level goes up there's nowhere I can go I kind of feel like that about the Houston Rockets. When everyone's playing hard, you guys just become average, but I think they're an exceptionally hard playing team. It's almost, I don't know how sustainable it is

against the Warriors, but I watched the Warriors last night. I don't know if it's just time stamped or anything, but sometimes it could be like, you watch them, you're like, man, that team can win a championship, and sometimes you think, how are they gonna make the playoffs you watch them, you're like, man, that team can win a championship. And sometimes you think, how are they gonna make the playoffs? So like, I don't think it's a cakewalk. So on that one, I'll pick Warriors only because of logic,

but dude, the Rockets are savages. So the other puzzling thing to me before we start to wrap up and let you go is, you know, we're talking a lot about coaches. I agree, Ima, like that's, was the perfect hire for the Rock, with like such a young team of a bunch of, they're basically like angry, hungry Wolverines,

you know, just running around. But now we also have the best player in the world, or arguably, Jokic, and all the stuff that went down with now two coaches, and who knows if Memphis ends up getting in by the time this airs, I've never seen, in all my years of just watching as a fan, I've never seen a coach of the best player in the world on a good team who just won the championship two years ago fired have you ever even heard of anything like that and what are you

thinking as a play like I just don't it that was shocking to me I don't know if you were shocked by that but we all can we all can I'm sure Matt and Jerry like we all can identify dysfunction I'm sure Matt and Jerry, like we all can identify dysfunction. I think the NBA is sick of it. Like screw, screw, like just so much money at stake. Screw coaches and GMs arguing over stupid shit. Right, what are we doing? What are we doing? Hold on.

Yeah. Let's be honest, man. Let's be honest. I know. Like we're all living a good life and everything like that. Like do we really gotta be childish about this shit? Like, yo, just get along. They're arguing over the eighth man.

You got Nicole Jokic on your team and you're arguing over the eighth man. Like, don't you try to- Just take Jokic, go and like, tell these guys to shut the fuck up so you can play. Exactly, exactly. Like, what are we doing right now? You know, like, I get it, man.

It's NBA, there's ego involved, all that stuff. But come on, man. At this point in time, you have a coach and a GM not talking if I'm an owner so don't like fuck it you guys are both gone I don't care it I tell you what dysfunction as I mean I know in the past it used to be fine like I guess Jerry Krauss and Phil Jackson never talked or whatever, whatever. Like 2024, 2025, no more dysfunction in sports, man. Let's get on the same page. Well, we see everything now too.

You know, it's not like you could really keep anything behind closed doors with social media and every player now has a podcast and stuff like that. I wanted to ask you this too. Do you think if you are currently a player now in your third year or whatever in the same role, do you think you would have been a part of the content creation as a, first of all, you would have been awesome.

If I would have made it. What I'm saying is like, if social media and YouTube were around when you were playing, do you think you would in your off season be like, you know, I'm gonna launch a pod with Mike Miller or some shit. I don't know. I don't know if I would have made it nowadays. I'm just being honest. Like, I know that everyone loves to like, like, oh, if you would have played now, you would have

shot more threes. It's like, no, I actually played because there was like eight guys that could shoot the tree. So I was a night. So great. Right. I worked out, but I'm not sure I I'm not sure what I would have done and how I would Have played it, but if I did I but I would have done some fun stuff Probably I didn't start doing a lot of that stuff till I got done You know like most athletes are smartasses by nature and they kind of And then once they once they kind of get done, they don't give an F you anymore I just like start doing stuff like that. So I do regret, I do 1000% regret not embracing like being the 12th man off the bench as a player in Boston.

I should have totally embraced that. In Chicago, it was a blast, man. Like I would do commercials, like, you know me, I'm the guy that comes in when we won the game. But I didn't, I wish I would have commercials like, you know me, I'm the guy that comes in when we won the game. But I didn't I wish I would have embraced it early. I would have like totally ran with that. That would have been the one thing because you know, there were times in Boston. I would start and yeah, playing playing time and rotational minutes and stuff.

But I thought it was so disrespectful. I totally would have embraced that. That would have been the one thing that I would have gone with and, you know, still been professional along the way, but I think I could have really melt that. Just going back to USC, what's your best memory? Cause you're on some good basketball teams

and what's your best story of memory from the USC days? Yeah, you know, it wasn't, I guess it started to change. No, it was kind of still like not that nice when you were there Right, like yeah nowadays. It's freaking amazing. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. I'll tell one story This is kind of crazy. So I remember I would I would be the guy that had to do all the fundraising for the galen center So you guys see where they play now? I probably raised like 100 million dollars of that. They weren't sending anybody else,

they were sending me, right? So there was that, and then all the recruiting trips and taking the recruits out. And like, you know, it's funny how you have to like, so what do you wanna get into? It's always like, you know, like when mom and dad are there, they're doing prayer before the meal, and then you're like, yo, we want to get wild.

Where are we going? Take me out. Take me to high school. Who was the biggest? You're always like, all right, so what do you want to do today? You know what? All right, well, me and I'm going to go, and they'll tell the parents, we're

going to go look at the dorms. And then the dude's like, no, we're wilding out, right? So I did that. That was the fun. All the recruiting stuff was good. The one thing, I don't know if it changed because at the time the football team wasn't very good. You guys were there. Even Carson Palmer's there, they got really good when Carroll came and you guys were good. But it felt like the

football players back in the day, man, they just kind of mad dogged you. What are you doing here? You're the best. You were the football team. So I don't know if it got better. Like when you guys were good, everything is all good. But at the time we were like the talk of the school and even though it's a football school, it's all the way football school. Yeah, but you guys were rocking dude. Yeah, and the football team wasn't doing very well.

So I remember going to parties and feeling like record scratching. The basketball players are here. So that was the one thing that I wish, like this going through it, like athletes should all stick together. You know what I mean? So that was the one thing that I felt like

could have been like that. I was close with, cause I was, you left and I was a freshman, I think when it was still Clancy was still there. Oh, so you were a freshman, Carson Palmer was his senior. Yeah, so I backed up Carson for two years. But we didn't overlap. I think you left right when I came in.

But I was a part of, like I was there with Nick Young and like Gabe Pruitt, like we had a couple of good teams. I actually, this is a true story. I was, my senior year I was done, so I was getting ready for the draft and combine. And that's when OJ Mayo was coming in. And he was a one and done. Everybody knew it.

And I don't know where OJ came. I don't know where he was from, but. Virginia? I was on a golf cart. It was me, cause they asked me, they're like, Hey, I was Tim Floyd who I loved Tim Floyd. He got in trouble for doing all that shit, but I loved him Floyd.

And so they asked me like, Hey, OJ Mayo's on campus. Will you like, I don't know, I'm fucking, talk to him, whatever. So I was on a golf cart. It was me, OJ Mayo, OJ's dad, and whoever's driving. And they were just asking me, I said, bro, I said, dude, you're coming to LA for one year. You're gonna be a fucking God here.

Just come, what? And I think they went to the tournament. So I'd like to say that I did somewhat help recruit OJ. I'm sure there were some other things that went down to get them there, but we were always tight with the hoops though. So that culture shifted for sure. Those guys, like the Craven twins were my boys.

Like we had some good teams. I was a big fan of those guys. I always ask this question. Like, I tell you what, I don't know what it was like for you, but man, I had a job and I got like paid 1000 bucks, dude, I thought I was the richest dude in the world. Can you imagine? Can you imagine having a million dollars and

going to college? What is that? Like, if you have a million dollars in college, you might as well be Jeff Bezos to be honest, to just driving down, driving down the road, your new whip. I hear now, like the football players got Lambos, Lambos. Oh, it's crazy. What is going on here? I think the average, I think for college hoops, I think it's like 300 to 500,000 is like the going,

is like the level bar of like, what it's gonna take to pry a player, to pry like an average player, like a 12 point a game guy away. Yeah. And that's the low, obviously some of the higher profile. That's nuts, dude. Could you imagine how much shit,

how much Slausons we would have went to? Oh my gosh. Or how about just being like a regular dude and we show up pockets back. Like that dude has no show up pockets back. That dude has no chance. Can you imagine just walking in and be like, yo, everybody first one's on me, bow.

I can't even imagine. Because when we were there, we're like, I got 15 bucks. You got 15 bucks left on your card. Wasn't there like, there was like dollar beers on Tuesday. We had to do like, can you imagine what that is like? We would have, we would have, how many? Oh, okay. Last one, dude. Now we're talking. I try to, I try to explain Jerry, like the nine oh, the nine oh.

I've been to, I live in 20 years LA. I went to the nine. I've been kicked out of the nine oh. My boy was the bouncer. Walking in with the floor, walking in with the floor, walking back with the floor, like three inches of beer, just walk through a fucking just puddle of beer, going home. So that can't exist anymore. Does it?

Oh yeah, it does. Oh my gosh. I would have thought torn down condos. Well, they rent it. They renovated it. It's it's same size, but like it's nicer. And so, I mean, I haven't been in like a decade, but they renovated it a long time ago. I feel like you guys should goated it. It's, it's same size, but like it's nicer. And so, I mean, I haven't been in like a decade, but they renovated it a long time ago.

I feel like you guys should go grab it. Every, you're both in LA at the same time. You guys need to meet up for a beer. Hell yeah. Social. If, if, if things do it, we're, we're going, we're definitely going, what's that be a minute there? Let's go.

That would be so great, man. You're the best. Yeah. Thank you, man. And you know, I don't even want to say good luck to the Celtics I don't think they need it and also to I have to say you're you're awesome calling the games. I I like when Guys call the games and they they you know, not that they're like taking shots there to you call it I don't think you I am a homer. I'm a homer. I'm a full shot.

It's funny. I think you're not full homer and I don't think you're full. By the way, I watch Nick Games. It's Breen and Clyde Frazier. There's no negative Nick's talk on the Nick's broadcast. Yeah. So, no, I think you do a great job calling the games and that's got to be a lot of fun walking around Boston calling the games.

Oh yeah. I don't pay for much. There and the Nino too. You ain't going to pay for a beer over there. Oh yeah, I don't pay for much. There and the 902 you make it a pay for a beer. Oh yeah, we're going. So make yourself takes we'll run it back and we'll go get a drink for sure. Done. Thank you.

All right guys. All right. That was awesome. The white mamba got to love scow. It's time now for a flavor of the week presented by Wendy's clock in for sweet treat time with Wendy's classic Frosty. Get one now, Matt. Maybe you make a little stop for breakfast for the boys.

He's getting some Frostys. Frosty's calling my name later, that's for sure. Boys are getting whatever the hell they want. Flavor of the Week, even though it was last Sunday, right? So a few days removed, everybody got their Rory Masters takes off. You watched more golf than you probably watched in a really long time. Unbelievable ending. It was. And it kind of brought up more so like, so Rory's the flavor of the week, but it's the question now. You know, I feel like the whole country, if not most of the golf world, was rooting for Rory to win.

Whether you were a Rory fan or not, or a golf fan or not, can you think of some other times, and I have some names here for you, where everyone seemed to be so clearly rooting for the same outcome, and where Rory stacks in that list, which I think he's almost number one at this point. Even though he's won majors, he's never won the masters, which is its own thing.

Well, first of all, it was unbelievable for golf. We all know that. And to miss the putt for par on 18, which like, I don't want to say I could have made it, but I feel like I could make that, you know, like that. It's more of a make than a miss. For him, that's like making a layup, right? And so I was like, my heart sank because I feel like I could make that, you know, like that. It's more of a make than a miss. For him, that's like making a layup, right? And so I was like, my heart sank

because I was like, damn, you know, part of me was rooting a little bit for Justin Rose. Well, he was on fire. He was on fire. But yeah, I think to answer your question, guys that we're rooting for, and this one you're gonna, this one's a little bit,

you're gonna understand why. I was thinking about this in football and and and you have guys like you know Josh Allen that go against Mahone you kind of root for like one super talented but like good guys like good guys good like do everything right on the field do everything right off the field I'm rooting for Jared Goff dude Goff I was thinking about this like I'm thinking like I'm thinking an NBA like you know Chris Paul like like I like, like, I'm just not sure he's ever going to win one. You root for some of the guys that never won one. Obviously, they're retired. I think with football, you know, Jared Goff won. He's one of the greatest dudes out there, just an all around great dude, led LA to a Super Bowl,

didn't play particularly great in that game lost, got shipped out to Detroit after a Super Bowl, didn't play particularly great in that game, lost, got shipped out to Detroit after a Super Bowl. And he was an afterthought. After they were going to move on from him quickly. The Rams go and win a Super Bowl as staffer, which makes Goff look even worse, even though Goff had like had a great career in LA. And now he's, he has Detroit Lions relevant for the first time and God knows how long. And they've been really, really close

the last couple of years, but they've fallen short. And not necessarily on him, it's just one of those guys that you're like, I'm not sure if he's ever gonna win a Super Bowl because it's just so hard to win a Super Bowl. But man, I'm rooting for good guys who do it the right way and who have a shot. And I think he's got a shot.

So it was hard for me to think about hockey and all these other sports, but there's a lot of quarterbacks in the league that you kind of root for. Golf is one of them for me. So in some of those other player athletes that you would be rooting for to do the thing, you go way back.

A lot of people like Clyde Drexler happy when he won. Jason Kidd. Then you get into KG, Kevin Garnett. Anything is possible. Dirk was a pretty, you know, I wasn't a big Mavericks fan, but I was super happy for him. Jerry West, obviously, back in the day. Football wise, Elway, you know, Elway went a very long time

without getting one, and he kind of had that right. And then most recently, Stafford and Saquon. Saquon, you know, and I'm a Giants fan. But Saquon's only been playing for like four years. But he's a running back. So he might only play for eight, you know, he might only be in his prime for seven or eight. He might not get that many chances in that many seasons. So then when you start thinking of the next guy, I like your, I like your golf call. Obviously in football, we'll all be looking at Josh Allen and Lamar too. Of course.

I think you can't say Aaron Judge in baseball because no one feels bad for any Yankee ever. That's just not a thing. No one's going to be like, Oh, I'm so happy for the Yankees and Aaron Judge. That's not a thing. I got one for basketball and it's going to evolve the team you love that we got some time. We got years because the dudes only 25. Tell me Luca. Tell me Luca. If we're having this conversation in three years, if Luca and LeBron and the Lakers don't

win the title in three years, then you start to do every media head will do the when's Luca going to get his championship, his defining moment, you know. But I think he's just, I just don't think it's going to happen. It's also just how like you're the arguably the best player in the world, right? Your top three, top four, wherever you look at it. You just led your team to an NBA finals and how he was done so dirty the way he was done, right? We don't need to rehash it. And then when they go back to Dallas, what, a couple weeks ago, just the emotional tribute and he's bawling the whole time. Like, you just, like, that's the hard part about sport, man. Like I've been there, like, you know, when you're,

and again, I'm not Luca and I never was, but when you're a part of a city and you're helping there and then all of a sudden you're just like, peace, you're out and you're Luca Doncic. Like, you're just rooting for the dude. He's likable outside of like, I know he complains a lot about calls and stuff, but like he's a likable dude.

I think, feel like every teammate loves him who's played with them. And you're right. He's, he's a superstar that I hope wins a championship. But I was rooting for him in Dallas, man. I was like, yeah, he's must say TV. He's fun to watch. So if the trade doesn't happen in three, if three years, if Luca doesn't win a ring, it still would be the same conversation.

Like, I feel, I feel just expect him to win many. Oh, for sure. And I feel like if he, like I found myself rooting for him, I'm sure you did too last year in the finals. If he stays on Dallas and my Lakers aren't in it, like that's the team, I would say he's like my favorite player, but that's the team I'm rooting for. And I like Kyrie, like I like those guys. So I'm happy he's a Laker.

And yeah, I hope, I hope it's just hard, dude. It's hard to win championships, man. Like it's just, it takes, it takes a lot of things to happen and go right for you to win a title. So hopefully he gets one. Shout outs to Wendy's. I actually think I am going to get a frosty

for that 6pm Knicks playoff game. It just, I just had that vision of me on the couch with a Wendy's, with a frosty, and just watching the game with my kid. We might do it. Really quick on, cause you're a golf lover. And I'm a,

like watching Rory, and we don't have to go too deep in this, but watching the emotion and like, dude winning the fucking Masters bro, like the way he did. And especially after giving it up, like you, I think we all thought he was just, gosh, he's going to choke this away, dude, this poor guy, he's going to choke this away. Yeah. He did. Cause all he has to do on 18 is hit the green. I'm not saying it's an easy shot, but for Rory McElroy to just, the drive is the

hardest thing when you get to 18 and you have a lead, right? That's the thing where things could go wrong. You could cost yourself a shot with the drive. Once you hit the fairway like he did, to be where he is, it's like, look, even if you put it to 40 feet, 30 feet, I know Augusta's not the easiest place to two putt, but just you got to get it on the green. Then he puts it in the bunker and then he still hits a great shot. He played all the hits. It was the perfect roller coaster ride. I actually, I didn't turn it off, but I was solo with the boys and I dipped out

with them to get them outside doing stuff. I didn't want them to watch TV all day when watching the masters thinking Rory had it well in hand, the four shot lead. I'm like, I'll come back and I'll power through and watch him win and get his green jacket. And then the texts start coming in. Greenfield, Max Greenfield, everyone's text, are you watching this? And I went, son of a bitch, he blew it.

I knew it, the minute I saw- He double bogeyed one. That was when it was like, so, and also on the playoff hole, cause Justin Rose was playing better than anybody. He was on fire. Even Justin Rose's approach shot, his second shot was 10 feet from the pin. Yes.

And then, or 11 feet. So that's a, you know, he missed the birdie, but that's a makeable putt for him. Rory just puts it within five feet. Like that, it was unbelievable. It was, we've heard it all week, but it was so great for golf. The buildup, Bryson being in the finals, obviously he didn't play his week, but it was so great for golf, the buildup, Bryson being in the finals, obviously he didn't play his best, but then Justin Rose coming out of nowhere. I just wonder if he goes on a run now, like the whole proverbial monkey off the back,

right? Like, and golf is so mental, as we've seen with his round, like I wonder now, does this set up for Rory, I think it's his fifth major, like does this set up now for him to just have a monster, he already won the players, which is a huge tournament in its own. So does this now set up for him to go on a crazy run? We'll see. All right. Shout out, shout out, by the way, shout out Justin Thomas, our boy. I know. Finished strong. I think he finished his back nine on Sunday where he was like minus three

chipped in on 18. I think to finish it off. He, uh, he never quite got it going. Yeah. It's tough, man. It's tough. Although he did have a moment in round two where he eagled whatever it was, two or three when he texted me, he had like one or two, I think it was two. And then he had like a five foot birdie putt to go three under. When Rose was leading at seven, that would have put him right in the mix. It's just, golf is hard, man. We always love, this is a JT show though.

We love him. All right, should we do a little mailbag? I took a sneak peek at this one. And I think this is one that you are very, a person I would, if I was scrolling on social media, I would stop to hear your take on this. Do you want to tee it up? I got you. All right, so Will in Tennessee, what's up guys?

I appreciate your perspective. I'm pretty much everything. So I really need your help with that. Thanks. Thanks, Will. I really need your help with how to feel about my Vols right now. Are QB just up and left because of an NIL dispute? Should we have just given him what he wanted or did the school handle this the right way? This has been the number one discussion and I'll try to keep this as short as possible, but there's so many nuances and layers to this whole thing that we're dealing with in NIL. And a lot of it, to answer the question,

I think a lot of it, it doesn't even fall on the school or the player, it falls on the NCAA and the lack of a governing body that has created a system that allows us to have, it's just, it's a shame on them. And we've all know that, everybody knows that. And college athletics needs a commissioner, they need somebody to put rules in place.

That's one thing. So this is a result of that. This one's interesting to me because I'm a dad of a kid who's getting recruited I'm about to sit in meetings and and get pitched and I'll dollars to my son over the next eight months Which is really gonna happen So you so it's it's there's this battle of like what's best for my son or what's best for his future? short-term gain versus your long-term future all of these things right and short-term gain versus your long-term future, all of these things, right?

And this situation makes me sad because from a player's perspective, Jerry, and just from that side, being in a locker room, and especially being a quarterback, I hate that these types of situations may or may not jeopardize someone's future and jeopardize the way we view them, the perception of them, whether they're in the locker room, especially at the next

level, because a lot of this stuff surrounding Nico in Tennessee and I, and I, I'm not, I'm not even blaming the kid. Like I don't really think he's at fault at all. It just, it just is, it just makes it more challenging and difficult when NFL teams and that locker room at the next level Which is no joke. Those are grown men and you have all of this this perception and the holdout and this and that and you're chasing this It just it I would just caution players to stop chasing this short term This isn't even low hanging fruit

because he's obviously getting paid a lot more money than a lot, but the short term gain that possibly jeopardizes your long term future and your future and your goals to play in the NFL make millions and millions of dollars. That's one thing I just, you are, your value is what a school will pay you or what a work will pay you.

I get that. And I just worry about this situation that sometimes the grass isn't always greener. And when you have representation and people that may or may not have your best interest, maybe they think you do, but they don't, things like this happen. And again, it's, it's, it's, I think to answer the question, I don't necessarily think he probably outperformed his contract.

You know what I mean? Like, it's not a knock on him. I just don't, I think you could look at it from Tennessee and say, hey, like we're not gonna pay the 4 million or whatever it is that they're asking for because we don't think you're worth that. And that's fair because that's the world we live in. And if they think he's worth that and they're going to go chase it somewhere else, like

there might be a reality check coming. So that's the nature of this business, man. That's the part I don't like. But at some point, I think like these young men, they're not kids anymore. These young men, like we need to figure this out and they need to have better people around them. I don't know what the equivalent would be in acting and all that or if you're an act like coming up in the world and you maybe like these young TV stars that are that that make all this money and then all of a sudden it's like, you know, you get you see all this the horror stories like they take this or they get

advantage take advantage of this and these networks or these whatever. It's just, it's it's the world we live in man. And you just you hate to see it. And I root for all the kids. I root for them getting paid. I really do. But at some point, like you have to look at the big picture. You have to.

And a lot of these kids just don't. You know, you just made me think of something too. Cause part of my question almost is like, now how is this also so public? Cause that's where I think we're gonna get into some trouble too. And I think that's just the way it is with sports and with athletes. We discuss professional athletes contracts all the time. With acting, you could maybe only think of a handful of times where there's been

big contract disputes, wherever it was, the cast of friends negotiating together and getting a million at Hollywood's always done a good job of keeping the monetary value of people's contracts out. Like you really don't know how much people are getting paid in TV and on screen. Athletes and sports, we've always, because it's almost like a content thing for media to discuss their contracts. Now when you start doing it in an unregulated marketplace that is NIL right now. And it's, you could see how the tide could turn on a young person or a parent or whatever where now everyone's talking about it and they're in the limelight for something that

has nothing to do with where their career is ultimately trying to go. I'm all for players getting paid for sure. And again, I'm a father to a son who's getting recruited. So I'm in it. But I also cover college football. I also know schools, ADs, coaches. I know agents. I know everybody in this business, and I hear everything. I would like to think to myself that, hey, son, call.

I'm gonna, this is my, I always tell him, I always tell him this all the time. I said, hey buddy, this is my opinion. Doesn't mean it's right or wrong. This is just what I think. And this is just, these are the people that I can talk to. And this is how we can all make an educated guess or an educated decision on what's best for your future,

whatever that is, right? And that's how I always say, I never come at them and say, well, you have to do this because this is the only way. Now, I might think some of these are the only way because I've seen it play out a million times, but I never want, and if I don't know something, Jerry, and I'm sure you might be, if I don't know something,

I will go ask somebody who's an expert in that, or I will go, and I do that now. And so like, when you see a lot of people who just are kind of taking control and they think they know everything and what's best, and like, that's not always the case. Like sometimes you need to take a step back. Like I know the type of player my kid is,

I know his personality, I know what motivates him, I know the things that he struggles in, I know all of those things. So then how can we build a team around somebody that we can get the best out of that every opportunity? And now it has to do with financial, like now it has to do with money and that's okay, right? Educate.

It's a lot, man. And then again, it's unfortunate that both sides are going through this, but at the end of the day, like these are grown people helping making these decisions and they're not always the right ones. And I hope it all works out. I really do.

I hope everybody, I hope Nico finds a home and balls out and Tennessee moves on, all those things. But man, it's just, you see, I mean, thousands of kids enter the portal and thousands stay in the portal because they're getting bad advice. Yeah, I never thought I would live long enough to see this day where we're discussing,

you know, opt outs in college football. Like, you know, if you told me five, 10, eight, 10 years ago, that's going to be a big discussion on a podcast that you're going to have with Matt Leinert. I'd be like, yeah, all right, sure. That's going to happen. So yeah, I'm going to be watching again. Yeah. Again, at the end of the day, you hope it all you hope it all works out. And I don't even have anything to offer. And that's what I wonder, like, my kids are not probably getting NIL deals. And fortunately, like, I know your kids are gonna be on the other side, they're gonna be GMs or well, that's what I mean. Like I almost wonder like, what do you say to the young man or woman or whoever that doesn't have anyone to really guide them? It's almost like, but there, that's the thing where I think it becomes tricky. You're a

good guy. You want the best for your son and you would probably help another young athlete if they came to you for advice. Some people maybe don't have that outlet. I understand that. It goes back to when we had Kurt Warner on and all these young quarterbacks, they don't take advice from Hall of Famers that are just there. And again, I get it.

Do I wanna go call? Maybe it might help and maybe it's just a phone call. And I understand that because a lot of, all of these young men and women, right, all sport, they come from all different areas. Like whether it's like, you know, financially or they come, whatever, it doesn't matter. It's hard to keep the bad advice away maybe sometimes. But it's hard to keep the bad advice away,

but also like, I don't know, I just feel like there's so many outlets now through social media. You could message anybody. Like you could message. I mean, again, you have to find people you can trust, but there's so much access out there to people and good people that, you know, a player could reach out to a coach, a former, like I think of like, I think of Urban Meyer. What Josie's doing, like in speaking in Oklahoma, there's people everywhere. Yeah. Yeah. Or just people who are like, Hey, here, I can guide you to these people and you do what you want, but at least you have a bigger circle around you that can at least help give

you advice or give your family members advice. It's again, I know it's not that easy, but you know, there, there are, it is a, we do live in a world where there's a lot more easier to do that. It's more access. Well, good question. Well, I, I, I it is a, we do live in a world where there's a lot more access to do that. It's more access. Well, good question from Will. I'm glad we did this, cause I was gonna ask you one way or another. I'm glad someone put that in the mailbag.

So I think that's a good way to close. I'm gonna be getting ready. To me, it felt like a very long time from the Super Bowl to NBA playoffs. Normally I'm a basketball nerd. I even struggled this regular season to like lock in. I loved all the trade stuff. I didn't even lock in the way I normally do. Now it's time to lock the fuck in.

I was going to say your energy level is fucking high. Let's go. It's time. You have not seen you. You saw a little psycho Jerry last year. You're going to see a whole different psycho this year because the ceiling is high. So yeah, man. Thanks again to the White Mamba for joining us. We'll be back next week with some, I mean, it'll be NBA. Next week in the ball. Wait, next week, the draft. Come on, bro. Stop over. Who cares about the NBA? We're going to NFL Draft. We're going to be in Green Bay, Wisconsin next week with throwbacks, with triple option with our guys with Mark and Rob and Urban. Giants are doing, they're talking to Shador again.

It's so, the Giants are going to be the team, and I'm saying this because it's my favorite team. They're going to change the whole draft. By the way, Shador will be there at three and so will Abdul Carter. They will have their pick of who they want. Travis Hunter's going too, guaranteed. Oh my God. So you're either going, you're gonna have a room with Russ, with Russ, Jamis and Shador Sanders,

or you're gonna have a premier pass rusher and maybe win eight or nine games. And be right back in the same spot next year. I'm just gonna try not to freak out. I can't wait. I'm excited to see, I'm excited to see what the Giants do. Cause like you said, they hold a big chest piece,

I think, as far as- They're the team. Do they get Shador? A lot of people think Shador might fall a little bit. Abdul Carter is the safe pick and a talent there. And that's who the Patriots are probably praying for that the Giants don't take. So they're gonna impact everything.

Maybe smoke screens and they say they're going to take Abdul Carter and the Patriots flip flop that. They get another, you know, like, and then Giants pick four. I don't know. There's going to be some shit that goes down. And we're going to be there, dude. Front row. Let's go!