Mark Jackson explains why he isn't currently employed as an NBA coach | EP. 38 | CLUB SHAY SHAY S2

kobe's mentality a lebron's basketball. iq. kobe's mentality the reason why is. because. i would be successful in life period. whether it be basketball or somewhere. else okay i'm gonna be good. all my life been grinding all my life. sacrifice hustle pay the price. wanna slice got to roll the dice that's. why all my life i've been grinding all. my life. all my life been running all my life. sacrifice hustle paid the price. wanna.

hello welcome to another edition of club. shay shay i am your host shannon sharp. also the proprietor club shay shay the. guy that's stopping by for a. conversation no drink today but he will. lead us in devotional service and he. will definitely give us the benediction. he's a 17-year nba vet an nba all-star. 1987 rookie of the year fourth all-time. in career assist and he's a former head. coach of the golden state warriors mark. jackson mark how you doing i'm doing.

well man thanks for having me. the one thing i want to get before. you told me how you doing but i want to. know this. how do you because people ask me this. when i say things on air that's catchy. how did you come up with the catch. phrase mama there goes that man uh hand. down man down shall we have this dance. how do you in the moment like okay it's. now and you can't come up with those. phrases well i can attest to the fact. that you can relate to it because it all. started. in competition right it starts in the.

streets in the playground right uh at. the park it starts in practice when i. make it to the league you stumble on the. lines just going at your your teammates. in practice every single day uh playing. one on one two on two three on three. five on five what have you just coming. up with. great catch phrases and i've been. fortunate enough to to have a couple. that have stuck. did you know at the time that you were. saying it that it would stick like it. has stuck. um that's a great question i would say. no i would say that people just embrace.

it and all of a sudden it catches fire. right there's ones that i don't get. credit for that that started so it just. happens and then i i continue to sit on. it and i've been fortunate to work with. great people that have. allowed me to take advantage of it right. so. mark jackson's away from the nba what do. you do in your offseason what do you do. to relax do you go back and watch tape. look at games this is okay i said this. this i could have said that how do you. how does mark jackson get better well i. relax first and foremost because of the. long season right but the way you get.

better is i don't watch a lot of filming. myself okay what i do is same thing i've. done as a kid growing up wanting to be. in in television wanting to be an. announcer coach a player i watch film. right and when i watch film i watch. shannon sharp doing his thing right. every single day i watch the great uh. announcers in in every sport right and i. watch things that they do exceptionally. well and then quite honestly i watch. some things that they that i think that. they could do better right and i try to. implement it into my game so it's a. constant period of growth watching the.

greats in every single sports especially. the ones that i enjoy i think. you. might green and jeff van gundy. is as good as it gets at what you guys. do. when they put you guys together did you. realize that you were going to have the. chemistry and you were going to have and. you were going to be what you were well. thank you for the compliment i i would i. would say. the one thing you want in those. situations and you've been around tv for. so long is chemistry yes where everybody.

has one agenda right and when you talk. about mike greene and jeff van gundy. we've known each other oh i would say 30. years minimum and uh we are friends uh. and what you see during the course of a. telecast is the same thing you would see. during the course of going to dinner. with us right we are friends we care. about each other we have one agenda. which is making each other look. exceptionally well and i take great. pride and i love those guys. they are absolutely the best in the. business and we complement one another.

exceptionally well how do you. because i think you and jeff do a great. job of playing off each other i mean. he'll say you know you you're the player. and you're like nah that's not a foul. i've been in the nba that's not a foul. and he's like yeah but that's not the. way they call it now how do you guys. balance that fine line well mike does a. great job in my opinion uh uh when you. look at um. uh. ernie johnson right when you look at. magic johnson to me those are the and. mike green the three best point guards.

to ever play the game right and what. what what ernie does with tnt and and. the cast of guys that he has. they're great because of ernie yeah he. gives you layups ain't no ain't no. three-pointers he'll give you lay-ups. and he knows also when to slam on the. brakes when we need to get back to. business and mike green does the same. exact thing with us so he gives us. enough room and then it's like okay guys. let's get back to it but there's never a. time where we look at each other like. you tried to play me on tv right you. know you run it on right now right right. no we we understand and we we embrace it.

to the core jeff and i are the same but. we have different ways of getting to. certain things but we we we have total. respect for one another so it's it's a. lot of fun and and uh we laugh. afterwards whether whether i get over on. him or he get over on me and it's. nothing personal let's go back to the. nba finals the milwaukee bucks finally. get it done uh giannis was sensational. going into that series how did you think. the series was going to play out and did. it play out like you thought it would no. i wish it would have i thought the. phoenix suns were going to win because.

they had all the momentum right they. they were playing with great confidence. they they truly accepted and embraced. the role from from top to bottom um. and and they were the hot team no. disrespect to the milwaukee bucks they. deserved it but you got to pick one and. i was wrong in that situation but chris. paul was playing great basketball i. thought it might affect them uh not. having them early on in the sea in the. seas in the series but once they they. began to play well and get great play. from campaign off the bench uh i thought.

it would be a difference maker but. give giannis a lot of credit and give. that team a lot of credit. they really they really uh fought back. uh didn't hold their heads down and uh. followed their leader and he was. brilliant when you when when i look at. phoenix and if you look at what teams. have been able to do teams that have. knocked the the bucks out of the. playoffs they built what they see called. the wall. and it's basically like we're going to. pick out we're not going to let yannis. kill us in the paint. are you surprised that monty williams.

took the approach that my big guy. deandre ayton can handle yanis. one-on-one. it seemed foolish to me when you look at. toronto you look at miami you look at. the teams that have beaten them in the. playoffs they've had a a. a defense of how they were going to play. giannis it seems like phoenix says look. we play how we play and we're going to. get it done well monty williams is an. outstanding basketball coach and even. more so an even better bat even even. better person okay uh who who hit all. the right buttons and pushed all the.

right buttons on the way to to to going. to the finals and and i i just think. that one decision affected the series. right uh the way to beat uh giannis and. the bucks you have to build the wall. right he's that dominant of a player. right and if you don't want to build a. wall you have to have that exceptional. individual defensive stopper right that. does a great job of making them work for. everything you're not going to stop them. right you're going to make them work. right and and de'andre aiden as great as. a defender is is asking too much right.

to defend one of the best if not the. best player in basketball and giannis. especially where he was playing his. numbers was was incredible the series he. the way he performed was incredible i. think it was a tall task to ask your big. band to do it individually. i think looking back and we all as. coaches as players. we look back and want to make better. decisions and probably would do. something different right that's one. thing that probably they would he was. exceptional and i think part of the. reason was the defense that was played. against him yeah because when you mark.

when i look at it and i saw game one and. i look at how. non-aggressive giannis was and i'm like. hold on he only got this many shots but. he didn't miss very many. seems like he was just testing that knee. out oh my knee's fine and then you look. at the next two games i was like they. might be in trouble if they don't come. with a better plan yeah you you have to. make him even going forward there's no. surprise if i'm honest i'm sitting at. home saying they're going to make me. shoot jumpers and they're going to build. a wall right that's everybody's strategy. you don't have to be a genius to do that.

right uh and you have to force him to. beat you on your turns which is shoot. jump shots right and and and he has to. see two or three bodies in front of him. at all times right he didn't see that he. got it going he got downhill and then he. was a nightmare to defend and because it. seemed like the more confidence that he. got the better he shot free throws a guy. that had been struggling shooting the. free throw now all of a sudden he's. seeing the ball go in and now he goes. what 17 to 19 in the game six and with a. 50 piece well to his credit it's how. hard he works yes the people that are.

around him every single day testify to. the fact of the amount of time he puts. in every single day before after. practice later on in the night so he put. himself in position to be successful. right got a rhythm gained confidence and. wasn't afraid you talk about a guy that. looked petrified when the crowd was. counting one through 15 or 18 or. whatever it was and was afraid to get to. the line was afraid to get fouled all of. a sudden was embracing the contact and. celebrated the fact that he went to the. line took deep breaths and knocked him. down.

let's just say for the sake of argument. mark jackson is the coach of the 76ers i. know you and doc are good friends. how do you handle the ben simmons. situation considering what has. transpired since the last time they were. on the court they lose a game seven a. very tough game seven okay doc said his. words were misconstrued it's just my. thing is if if i if you're the head. coach and i'm your player. i'm the player and the reporter asked. mark jackson mark do you believe you can. win a championship with uh with shannon.

the response absolutely we didn't have a. good series we didn't have a good game. give atlanta credit they played well. i don't believe mark jackson can say i. don't know that. and not think the player is going to. take offense to that you're 100 correct. and docker is is an absolute you know. heck of a basketball coach future hall. of fame as a basketball coach uh did. more things than i did as a coach quite. honestly and deserves a lot of credit. and the thing you can do is own the fact. that you know i made a mistake right i.

said the wrong thing i absolutely. believe that this guy ben simmons is a. home run talent and he is the guy that. can lead us to winning the championship. the question is i got to do a better job. right i mean let's let's put it on you. and then when ben is asked he puts it on. himself correct and big ups the coach so. in that situation i think the thing to. do is to be quite honest understand that. individually and collectively we came up. short right and we got to find a way. moving forward to answer and respond to. to the things that we felt short in. doing whether it be coaching whether it.

be finishing at the rim whether it be. scoring whether it be making free throws. whether it be our best players playing. the best on both sides of the floor but. be honest accept the challenge embrace. it and look forward to what lies ahead. it's been reported that ben simmons has. spoken with doc rivers he's spoken with. the front office in the 76 and says i do. not want to be here. um i think he took real offense last. year with the dreams hardened trade his. name came up and you know how it is if a. trade ever comes up and it comes out. that somebody was in there and it.

doesn't he doesn't get traded. you got some bridges demand mark you you. got to fix that you do but you also if. you told me i was involved in a trade. discussion for isaiah thomas i'm crazy. if i'm upset you know make the deal you. know so if if you're ben simmons and you. say we talk and discussions about. getting james harden understand who. james harden is right and via ben. simmons i understand that i was in the. middle of those discussions because in. order to get a talent like james harden. you've got to give up something right. and the something is either joel embiid.

or on me if i'm ben simmons and i'd be. realistic about it now the other stuff i. got a problem with when you say we can't. win with them that's totally different. right but if i'm in discussions with. trades involving james hard i understand. that and i'm wrong if i'm just upset. about it but it seems like some um some. some some discussions have to be had. because ben simmons is pretty set in his. ways understanding that he's been. insulted as a franchise talent and uh. you win in this league with talent right. so you got to find a way to either fix. it or make sure when you do uh unload.

ben simmons in a trade you have to get. top-notch talent back well how how does. how does mark jackson make it right ben. simmons has already told you he doesn't. want to be there what was said was what. was said uh what joellen b said that the. momentum seemed to have shipped we had a. layup and we ended up getting one point. out of the deal they're gonna have to be. some fences mending in that situation. how does mark jackson go to uh ben. simmons and say. bro let's have a conversation see we. would have met early on right because i. made a mistake if i'm docker is if you.

put me in that situation right by making. the initial comment and then uh joel. embiid makes the mistakes by. pointing to one significant play right. and act like that is why we lost we. didn't mention that eight turnovers. yeah it was across the ball it was a. collective effort yes the reason why. we're in that position because because. of us collectively and the reason why we. have fallen short is because of us. collectively so one thing i want to do. is get us in together and let's talk. about it let's talk about it we're going. to do this thing you're not going to do. it individually i'm not going to do it.

individually the reason we're here is. collectively let's embrace that let's. own the mistakes we've made and if. there's a way that we can fix this thing. because you only look i'm sitting there. as a guy that played in the finals i've. been in the playoffs a bunch of times. i've been on some great teams that had. the ability to win but i'm not a. championship player with championship. jewelry right i've fallen short if you. are in a situation where you have home. run talent and everything going for you. you have a realistic chance of winning. it all let's make sure we capitalize and. take advantage of it because we don't.

want to look back and say the. foolishness. that that we thought was important. really wasn't important at the end of. the day. but how do. everybody keep saying what we could you. can teach ben this and if he shoot if he. developed the three damn the three ball. i think there's too much emphasis on the. three ball if i can get a good two-point. shot if i can get a lay up i get a. 10-footer why am i going to run behind. the free-throw line. what is it about ben because you. mentioned earlier about the work that. giannis has put in and this is what i've. told people it's hard for me to see a. scenario mark where someone doesn't work.

at something and doesn't get. incrementally better he hasn't gotten. better at shooting the basketball why. i'm not sure if he hasn't gotten better. in shooting the basketball. that's the reason he's the one guy in. the history of the game that we've seen. that just won't won't shoot it i would. sell to him shoot the basketball right. because we want to win the way we go we. are going to win because you are elite. basketball player you are franchise. talent shoot the basketball you are not. coming out of the game don't you worry. about a thing i want you to be. aggressive i want you to keep your foot.

on the gas pedal because an aggressive. ben simmons makes us unguardable makes. us the favorite in not just the eastern. conference but in all of basketball he's. too great at everything else you're. talking about a guy the only thing you. look at is a bad free throw shooter and. doesn't shoot the jump shot everything. else he is elite at and that's kind of. hard it's kind of hard mark if you're a. basketball player you you jump shot in. the free throw it's kind of hard to do. that. it is hard but you look at his numbers. you look at the the rebounds the points. the assists the elite defender yeah he.

is an exceptional basketball player if. i'm a team sitting around the league one. of the other 29 teams in this league i'm. trying to make a deal to go get ben. simmons right because what you are. talking about is a guy that you're. nitpicking i'm looking at an elite. basketball talent that that you don't. have to beg to get into the basketball. arena you don't have to beg to practice. you don't have to beg to play odd he is. he's a guy that. really should be celebrated and we are. being awfully tough on them deservedly. so to a certain extent but there are. things that he does at an elite level.

that we we we're overlooking. but you said he won't shoot there's a. difference between won't shoot and being. afraid to shoot if you can't swim. i can teach you how to swim if you're. not afraid of the water but if you're. afraid of the water ain't nothing i can. do for you you're right about that i'm. crazy enough to believe i've been. blessed and fortunate in my life since. i've been a kid. i have the ability to push a button no. matter who i meet right i would find. that button and and get him he's not. going to be steph curry this just.

you don't need him to be steph curry but. he's a guy. that he's too good in the summertime. shooting the basketball yes i see that. that he should not go from that to not. shooting he i would tell him. chase the greats right. the talent that he has he's not playing. against the guys in today's game right. if he becomes a a decent shooter and a. guy that was willing a willing shooter. he's chasing at all time great lists. when you look at the moves that have. been made this off season which teams.

made some of the best move to sit put. themselves in position to get to and. compete and win that title. off the top of my head. i look at the brooklyn nets okay and. you get lamarcus aldridge back healthy. thank god that he's okay and back on the. floor you go get a paul millsap and the. most important thing to me. well not the most you get blake griffin. back but the most important thing to me. is you get kevin durant james harden and.

kyrie irving some rest right so they. come back healthy and whole right that. they're the favorite i mean this justin. they are the favorite when you talk. about those three guys and how good they. are right i love what the lakers have. done people talking about gotten old at. the end of the day give me guys that are. experienced that know how to get it done. and i'll i'll make sure that. i don't tax them come practice time tax. them in game situations over over. putting an overload of work on them and. making sure that they are healthy and.

whole when it matters most i'll let the. chips fall where they may have on the. lakers playing against anybody have we. ever seen three elite level offensive. players like what brooklyn has with kd. james harden and kyrie in their prime on. one team at a given time no is that a. trick question. no matter of fact i don't cuss but heck. no. no i mean these are three guys that you. can go get give the basketball to and. say make a play i don't have to draw up. anything right individually it will go.

get a shot i'll make sure you get a. quality shot every trip down the floor. kyrie irving james harden kevin durant. you cannot. think of a trio that is as good as those. guys on one team other than the dream. team right but no no. when. you mention you like brooklyn you like. the lakers. the kawhi. put kawhi let's just say kawhi gets. healthy and he plays now. history tells us that kwai is a type of.

guy that makes sure he's a hundred. percent so i'm not totally sure that. he's gonna come back and play the 2021. he probably won't be back until the. following season but after what you saw. with the clippers do you like them. moving forward. my problem with the clippers is is the. culture for some reason they. they they have all the talent in the. world to be in the mix. winning it all right but they have. fallen short right and and and when they. have fallen short and when adversity. have set in it's looking around it's. almost like they're trying to.

look whose fault it is or what's the. reason they have everything it takes to. win it all and be in the mix and for. some reason they've fallen short i think. they have to be committed individually. and collectively they have to make sure. they have a culture where we understand. the rules are different i heard you. talking about this the rules are. different for for superstar talent. absolutely but but it can't be it can't. be grossly different yes you you can't. just be. doing you and then all of a sudden we. throw the ball in the end you out of. nowhere you taking off your warm-ups and.

you ready. give me something and i'll work with you. right but everybody's watching us so. it's important to make sure we're on one. accord as a team and and. and locked and loaded to chase this. championship ring i told people my. college coach used to tell us i'm gonna. treat everybody fair but i'm not gonna. treat anybody the same and what the. really great players understood is that. they don't abuse those privileges right. understand that you're going to get. certain things that the other guys can't. get. but. if you become abusive of those. privileges those guys will resent you.

absolutely absolutely and i don't think. people understand that they think well. i'm the superstar yada yada yada no. you'll make those other guys in that. locker room whether it's football. baseball bat i don't care the sport if. they feel you're abusing those. privileges and i heard you you heard. what i heard well we don't leave until. kawhi we don't practice till kawhi we. don't do this no no no you can't be that. right i get it some days kawhi might not. want to practice we could i'm good with. that right but. to hold up a whole plane right and and. some days guess what i got to work with.

you also i gotta i gotta use my. smarts as a leader to take advantage of. situation allen iverson said practice. practice he's 100 right right i played. against alan iverson i know the the way. he keeps his foot on the gas pedal all. game long right he needs to chill come. practice time but me as a coach guess. what some of those days when alan says. he can't practice. nobody practices right i'm gonna throw. everybody a bone because it's not gonna. just be he shut it down when he want i. have to be smart enough to say okay. nobody practice treat some of those guys.

like their stars even though they're not. throw them a bone and make sure. everybody understands what it takes to. win. martin you are a shooter you can shoot. the basketball you good free throw. shooter. what's some of the advice because ben. simmons had the worst free throw. percentage in the playoffs in nba. history 34. and you said he could and his stroke. it looks good it's not like you know one. hand is over the other and the ball is. like. his stroke looks good how would you fix. that. shoot.

trust trust the work you put in if you. come in and practice and you come in. after practice and you come in late at. night and you come in the off season and. you put the time in trust the work you. put in and then guess what leave it to. me that when they start hacking a. simmons or hacking a band whatever you. want to call right down the stretch of a. ballgame and i believe that you're. hurting us and putting us in a position. to lose a game leave it to me to take. you out but i think you have to be able. to go through the process of losing some. games right to allowing him to gain. confidence and then instill the.

confidence in him right i i trust you. forget about what the media says forget. about what the fans say i trust you. because at the end of the day in order. for us to win it all i believe that. you're going to step up there and make. big free throws he's done it right he. has absolutely done it and he has the. ability to do it. mark we've seen guys you and i have no. problem speaking in front of the public. i've seen guys that can speak you and i. we speaking speaking to carrying on. having a great time. but if somebody else gets in front of. them and somebody else here or a camera. they're back up so now i see him.

shooting in the gym and you mention all. that but it's almost like. man if i miss this they're gonna boo if. i miss this uh unlike giannis yacht is. missing airball's a three guess what he. does he gets the ball again comes right. back down and shoots it again looks like. he made ten in a row yeah he airballs a. free throw johnny goes right back to the. hoop foul me again i'm going right back. to the basket whereas ben like you. follow him he misses a couple he's like. nah you go ahead and take that right and. and. i i've witnessed that firsthand and.

sometimes you need a good height man. sometimes you need a guy in your ear. encouraging you inspiring you uh uh uh. uh building you up and trusting and and. that could be the coach at times right. but sometimes. i'd show the video okay who who is. encouraging this guy who's going up to. the foul line and and speaking a word to. inspire him do you know this one yeah. you know who's doing that instead. everybody's looking around and nervous. and and staying away from them right we. need to start building each other up.

individually collected that's what a. team is all about right and i don't see. that and it it all of a sudden explodes. when when we see down the stretch all of. a sudden it's him and 20 000 people. doing and we know how philadelphia fans. oh bad i saw the news report this like. here's ben simmons leaving and there was. a trash can be floating down and doing. the flooding yeah i'm like come on see. that how are you supposed to come back. and like feel comfortable right in the. city when y'all call the man of trash. and he's floating down the river. absolutely you know what i i'd go i'd. show him look at these numbers now how. many guys are doing what you're doing.

right look at what you've done on the. defensive end we looked at the the. closing game. trey young struggled right it's because. of it's because of ben simmons and the. way he disrupted him defensively right. how about showing that so there's a way. to encourage him and sell them you're a. bad man right now go out there and act. like it. you mentioned the nets. can the nets win a championship. minus one of the big three yes. you believe yes. yes i mean those other two dudes whoever. the other two dudes are some serious.

problems that they create on a night in. basis right so they have the ability. every single time every single time down. the floor to get a quality look right. and they're efficient basketball players. whatever whatever two you want to leave. me with they absolutely have the ability. because they they have the ability to. have the two best players in any series. in basketball i think you're gonna need. i think you need that tall guy that's. seven footer he got to be one of the two. he gotta go yeah yeah oh. i agree with that but they still have. the ability to win but if they have the. seven footer they're the favorite yeah.

cause i i don't know if we've ever seen. you've been around the game a lot longer. than i have i don't know if we've ever. seen a team have three guys that on a. given night can go get you 50. no and we. you could say that but we really didn't. mean it right these three guys have the. ability to go get it legit go get you. everything every whenever they want. how does russ fit in with the lakers. we we take roughs for granted. this guy is average of triple double i. don't know how many years four out of. five years four to five years okay when. we were younger and they said oscar. robertson did we was like it never.

happened again it never happened again i. mean i humbly submit i was a guy that. got a decent amount of triple doubles. but if you told me i had a chance to do. it for a season i'd be like man you must. be crazy right you're out of your mind. because the effort that it takes because. now you got to hustle to get rebounds. because the assist is because you kind. of you're dependent on someone else i. think the hard part if you're an nba. player and you you play hard you're. going to get a double-digit point i. think points is the easy part. but when you got to chase down rebound. as a 6-3 guard. i would the only reason i would argue.

with you is because this guy came into. the league. not as a point guard right it was a. shocker for oklahoma city to take him. as high as they took him as a point. guard so give them credit right he i. played with him and the late great kobe. bryant had a camp and at night we we. played in front of the kids and russell. westbrook was on my team right and he. came and got the ball i'm like yo dude. you're the two i'm the one right. let me go let me let me make the. decision to get you the basketball but. he is a legitimate point guard so i. think the hardest thing for him.

was to go get those 10 assists every. night okay how many guys in the history. of the game got 10 assists that were. true play he didn't come in that way. right so the easy part for him to chase. down rebounds and people say well he. chased down the rebound well go get me a. guy to go get 10 rebounds. down some rebounds so this guy's. greatness has been taken for granted and. he he's going to fit in because he's an. elite talent at uh as a first ballot. hall of famer and he i'm happy for him. because he's gonna have a real chance. playing with great talent to win more.

a.d. how does a d factor because a.d did not. play last year like he played his first. year in la now i don't know what. transpired everybody knows it was a fast. turnaround the championship was over in. october and you're playing again. christmas or whatever time that was so. you didn't have the normal rest period. and a.d looked like it didn't look like. he did how does a b a d. and this and lebron and these guys how. did they come together and says okay. we're going to contend for you i'm a no. excuse guy and i understand the short.

turnaround but everybody had a short. term exactly at the end of the day what. a.d has to do is make sure and some of. it's you know he's gotten hurt and and. he's a guy that. has gotten hurt not just once but. several times throughout the course of. his career he's got to stay healthy and. that's that's the main thing when he's. healthy and whole he's an elite. basketball player and does everything. that put that team in position with it. all so the thing to me the only thing i. would look at with him because when he's. healthy he's fine he's dominant on the. offensive end yes he's dominated. defensively the ability to play one.

through five that'll take care of itself. but the main thing for me is make sure. that anthony davis is healthy. mark you played this game 17 years. you've commentated for almost two. decades. when you watch lebron because i i think. people people like your homie you listen. lebron stan oh i didn't notice that. people said about you. do we take lebron for granted yes. yes we do i mean. i can remember playing. for a. and lebron was in high school and he was.

on tv and i came into the locker room. the next day and i said this guy is. going to be special and he's like no. this guy is going to be. hyped up and he's going to fall short. because he they're giving him everything. i'm like no no did you watch the guy i. saw last night on tv he has no. weaknesses in his game make a long story. short we go back move forward all of. these years later and you look at his. resume all the things he's been able to. accomplish individually and correctly. the different stops the way he's made. guys better. and and and the worst thing you can say. about him is he got a hummer and he's in.

cleveland. and the decision. are you kidding me this guy is is is as. good as it gets and we truly take them. for granted the same way we do all of. our greats right but but but he's a guy. that's done it the right way and. continues to. to take pride in in in finishing. the the proper way he should be. celebrated and acknowledged we truly do. take him for granted he's special. we've never. because i think the thing is that we've. never had a guy.

that is going to is going to be top 10. an assist and can possibly be the. all-time leading scorer in nba history. and when you mention great scores lebron. james never comes up you talk about kd. you talk about hard you talk about kobe. you talk about uh uh mj you talk about. will. you don't talk about lebron james and. harry's the guy that's on the cusp of. being the all-time leading scorer in nba. history think about it this guy. is going to be if he if he stays healthy. going to be the leading scorer in nba. history right and i'm a point guard.

that's a past first point guard that. played 17 years. and this guy will one day pass me as an. assist man. i would have been like there's no way in. the world right that's how great he is. and i'm not talking about me being great. i'm talking about the one gift that i. did have right that couldn't be. questioned with my ability to find god. right this guy will have done a better. job than me. be the leading scorer in the history of. the game i mean he is. he is he's an incredible basketball. player and it it doesn't look like he's. slowing down at all when he's healthy he. is dominating as usual well why.

why isn't he appreciated or celebrated. more. i think today we we have the internet. and when you have the internet you have. instagram you have twitter you have. people you know just everybody's an. analyst everybody's a coach everybody's. in the nba now you can break down all. the analytics and all that to the to its. purest form and nitpick. this guy is is a special all-time great. not just basketball player but athlete. that we've ever seen and he's in.

discussion with anybody you ever want to. mention um and i just think we take them. for granted and it's the easy thing to. do to to go on the other side and say we. we've heard we've heard giannis say that. lebron was the best player in the world. right we. we've witnessed these guys give credit. to lebron why won't everybody else he is. a special talent that uh will be in the. discussion for anybody that's the the. best that have ever played this game and. is in the discussion. you played in an era where they beat the. literally could beat the hell at you and.

it was all in files it wasn't no. flagrant files there wasn't nobody. getting suspended. why is it so hard for errors to give. different errors credit it seems like. people from your era refuse to give the. guys in today there oh he could have. played with us no no. you're right but but don't you talk. about me because i know you heard y'all. football players too no i know for me i. will give credit aaron doll is great. right these guys are great it's just. it's a different era right so it's hard. to bring a guy here and put him there.

over there and bring him here it's it is. hard and and there's guys quite honestly. i'm i'm not i don't you know subscribe. to that there's haters but you want to. make it seem like you're here in our. days and we wouldn't have done this. right. at the end of the day. there are certain guys that certainly. would not be the same player. in our day that they are today right. because the rules would affect them. right. and then there are certain guys. that you can put them in today's game.

you can put them in the 70s the 80s the. 90s the 60s the 50s lebron james is. lebron james no matter when he played. right guess what the great defenders. that wanted to be physical and beat him. up we saw that it ain't like it's not. like the detroit pistons of of chauncey. and rip and and rasheed and ben wallace. and and taishan prince it's not like. they didn't try to beat him up right he. got 20 something in the fourth quarter. and closed out a game. attacking the rim going into the paint. he is a special talent and there's. special guys that still have the ability.

to get it done today and certainly will. be giving us the business in my day. what do you feel about the super teams. the thing that i hear now oh michael. would have never joined larry larry. would have never joined magic this one. or that one it seems to me. that there were always only a handful of. team that could really compete when you. look at the 80s it was the lakers and. the. the lakers the celtics and the sixers. that was in the 80s ain't nobody else. challenged houston went houston went.

twice but it was mainly the lakers and. the celtics right and nobody had a. problem with that ain't nobody said oh. man the nba watered down 8-2 teams. but now it's like man ain't nobody else. got no chance we had a video game called. lakers versus something that's how. dominant it was think about today you're. not gonna pick two teams and that's the. name of the video game right you wanna. think of an individual player it's it's. just um. i haven't i have no problem with super. teams people are right that magic. wouldn't have joined bird and bird. wouldn't have joined magic and michael. would but they were loaded when you look.

at larry bird why should he go join. somebody else he's sitting there with. dennis johnson the late great dennis. johnson hall of famer danny angel's. outstanding shooting guard. kevin mchale who's as good as it gets at. the powerful percentage uh hall of famer. robert paris is the hall of fame bill. walton on the bench and then you look at. magic he got worthy byron scott kareem. ac green michael thompson he these guys. are located. but i will say this lebron james changed.

the game. and he doesn't get enough credit for. that he changed the game not only as a. basketball player but he changed the. game as a businessman and he he. allowed guys to realize the power that. they i i was on the team once i'm not. gonna name the best player patrick ewing. but. we got on the bus and patrick ewing said. to the coach you know because because he. had a car that he could drive. after the game so he said to the coach i. want to jump in the car i'm not going to. drive on the bus i'm you know game over.

with. the coach looked at pat you and said. big fella i want you on the big bus. pat came steemit sitting on the back of. the bus. didn't realize the po you're not. disrespecting this coach by getting in. the car after the game and driving off. right pat stayed on the bus he didn't. realize the power that he had right. lebron james changed the game. to to to for guys to understand the. power that they have as. and making the right decisions so so. kevin durant decides.

i want to go to golden state it's all. right and kevin durant decides i want to. leave golden state and go to brooklyn. it's all right people realize. it's their future their legacy and they. have to make the right decision it seems. to me that people are fine if the team. put a super team together like. wrestling so coach allback he put the. celtics together. the great dread west he put the lakers. together that's fine. but. now players y'all shouldn't want to do. that but it's different these guys the.

aau circuits so everybody knows. everybody i don't play it against you. right man you're cool man right hey what. you thinking we linked up right and so. that's the way players are approaching. it now and it's it's it's totally. different like you talked about aau when. we got into the uh the all-star game. locker room or our summer league what. have you we wasn't hanging out i wasn't. hanging out with mike even though even. though mike. good dude and we've been around each. other right. i wasn't hanging out with him i played. with patrick ewing when i got traded to. the pacers i wasn't hanging out with.

patrick so y'all didn't go to the end of. what you could no no we didn't go to. dinner i'm i'm ready to hand you your. head. and guess what. there's a side of me well there's a. whole side of me that. that was wrong that's my god that's my. brother right so so i appreciate what. these guys are doing today because at. the end of the day we can go because the. coaches and management was watching oh. you went to eat with pat yeah oh you. ain't serious about this right so they. put that in your mind i can go to eat. with pat ewing guess what we can go eat. right now and then hour from now.

after joking and eating before we go. play one-on-one i know you're gonna try. to give me the business and i'm going to. try to do the same thing to you right. and then we can go to dinner the next. day. that was stripped away from us because. of the way that they instilled it to us. that that's not how you do but that's. not what they did with mike mike was. playing golf with guys the day before. the game and then he go out there and. bust him up mike was. a psychological warfare. mike there's no question about it. there's no question about it and took. full advantage of the psychological. warfare and knew who to utilize it on.

give me your. give me your five best players today the. five best players oh man. off the top of my head no order no order. lebron james. kevin durant. giannis. steph curry.

who am i forgetting. you got dame you got joel embiid you got. nicola jokic you got kyrie you got. harden. i'm gonna say. james harden. again. look at the numbers this guy. consistently puts up and has put up. and people say well he hasn't won what. was he supposed to win you know other. than one one time maybe. okc in his like second or third year. yeah yeah or. when houston had the lead against the.

golden state and chris paul hamstring. went out okay yeah so so. he is a guy that we also take for. granted i mean think about it the the. assistant this guy a natural born scorer. yes is averaging year in and year out. right i mean he's an incredible. basketball player that doesn't get. enough credit and should. should be a multiple-time mvp award. winner. you played i'm looking at the guys some. of the guys that you played with. when you're playing with those guys what. what is it like to be playing with.

a historically great player. you know when you play i played with. john elway played with ray lewis i. played with jonathan ogden. at the time i'm a good player myself. i know i'm like hey. play with rob woodson gary zimmerman. guys that's in the hall of fame. what is it like you know i hear charles. martin said playing with great players. makes your job easier. when you're playing with these great. players what's going through your mind. you're doing a good job by the way down.

playing shannon. i'm just saying i i watch so i'm well. aware that the guys that you named felt. the same way about what you brought to. the table appreciate it as as a talent. too but. you realize no matter who you face. whether it's michael jordan whether it's. charles barkley whether it's kareem. abdul-jabbar magic johnson isaiah thomas. larry bird whoever it is when you're in. the locker room with a guy like reggie. miller or patrick ewing that i was. fortunate to be with those guys or in. college with chris mullen or walter.

berry. that 80 14 was special we we we were. absolutely special yeah y'all was fake. we should have won a national. championship but that's that's that's. another story. we're gonna get to that but when you. when you look at um. michael jordan in the other locker room. and reggie miller sitting on alongside. of your patrick ewing you're thinking to. yourself. we got this. not because they're better than michael. jordan but i believe that these guys can. play them to a standstill right so pat.

michael jordan get 35 pat you can go get. 35. reggie miller will get 35. so now if the. rest of us can do our job it gives you. life to. it's easy to figure out how we're going. to beat them because if we can outplay. the rest of these dudes we can go get it. done they give you uh life they give you. a edge mentally physically emotionally. spiritually and and and and convince. yourself that we can go get it done. that's what greatness ultimately does. we know what he became. when you're playing against michael.

jordan did you realize he was that good. and 20 years 30 years later he's still. gonna be talked about like he's talked. about did you realize that when you're. playing it yeah yeah you knew it you. knew it he was he was just a different. dude. he was just a different dude and and. like i said we felt we were the better. basketball team right. and and you think about it scottie. pippen is an all-time great top 50. player will be a top 75 player. is in the discussion for you know when.

you talk about the greatest small force. that ever played this game and deserves. a lot of credit early on though he. wasn't that scottie pippen right he had. to develop into that guy michael jordan. single-handedly one series i can. remember. uh in 1991 my last year with the knicks. we were beating them up we had physical. guys at every single position. xavier mcdaniel yeah charles smith. wasn't on. the team but we were loaded yes and we. were we were on a mission to physically.

right beat them up michael jordan. single-handedly and and and tony cucco's. played good scottie pippen played good. but the the the feeling of having number. 23 on your team did something to them he. single-handedly won the series it's. something about having a a guy that you. know no matter what they do. man this guy here can. supersede anything y'all do it right can. have a team right he can trump that by. he's a big joker yeah.

but whoever got that big joker when it. drops. it's a wrap it's a wrap and we we went. over it in the scouting report we said. how we were going to defend them we said. how we were going to uh send them in. different direct it didn't matter right. he had an answer for every single thing. we put forth and and and physically he. was more than willing to go through. whatever he had to go through to win. all-time great competitor the only guy. that i would put in the discussion. because both of these guys unfortunately. late great kobe bryant and michael.

jordan. in my opinion the two guys ever played. against that was willing to leave it all. on the court and i didn't mean it all. they were willing to if it meant drop. dead on the floor those two guys i'm. convinced would be willing to do that. for the victory now i would say this as. great as a competitor i am. that ain't my testimony. i want to win but not not at all. not at that expense i'm not willing to. take my last breath and win. you was in college when mike was in. college did you see.

that did you see michael jordan the mike. jordan in college becoming the michael. the mj the air the logo did you see him. becoming that in the nba no and i and i. had a. guy i grew up with and kenny smith right. played on that uh north carolina team we. played him in madam square garden and. they talk about michael jordan he's. special and he's this and we played him. i mean he was he was very good right he. was very very good right. but. if you ask me that i think that that guy. would wind up being that guy that guy.

no and it's. who who could right but he's my goodness. he he he's a different animal he is an. absolute different animal and um. a guy that and you look at you look at. on another note you look at all the. greats whether it be singing acting you. know boxing basketball football whatever. i think we sometimes take people like. that for for granted we don't show them. the love that they deserve until they. take their last breath they close their. last eye and we should acknowledge.

just exactly what what he's meant. and put excuse me put us all in position. to be successful as basketball players. as human beings and should be celebrated. more. you mentioned that like the child. michael jackson you knew as a child as. he was rising when he be when he became. adult. and you knew eventually he was going to. go on his own he was going to be special. like lebron you watch him growing up. middle school high school you said you. knew he would be special some people you.

just know. you know the first time you was on tv i. remember it was it was the other network. i remember yeah and you were watching. and like oh somebody gonna sign this. dude you just knew and i'm not trying to. you know i'm not stroking you i'm. telling you the truth you just knew you. had it right and and and you have you. have taken. that opportunity right and propelled it. into now you know making history on your. own off the field. you know when when special people. have it right the people that you name.

they have it it should be recognized it. should be celebrated not hated on but. appreciated. are the are the players today. are they more skilled i'm not saying. they're better are they more skilled. than players of yes well you're good at. this i thought i was gonna come here and. chill and just you know. some throwaway lines and we'd gap up and. get on out of there but you put you. putting the pressure on me man. i will say this. today's players. are certainly more athletic.

more skilled. shooting handling uh. more versatile the one thing that they. are not they're not as smart. why do you say that. and it's not a knock because. you're not mean book since you're. talking about basketball no no right. because i didn't have the athleticism. the quickness the explosiveness i had to. become smarter than everybody else on. the floor right so i studied the game. at seven years old at eight years old i. knew inside out whatever situation you.

put me in i knew how to respond and how. to have an answer and it may not have. the answer right but i knew what the. answer was right. i don't think because these guys are so. athletic so versatile so explosive so. fast i don't think they. they have to lean on. the same smart understanding that we had. to growing up it's a credit to how far. they've come as basketball players but. now you have to match the talent. with the smarts. you were in golden state and you should.

get credited for laying the foundation. of what the warriors became almost like. what tony dungy was doing in tampa and. gruden came in and finished it off steve. kirkham and he's doing a great job not. to minimize steve kerr because he's done. a great job uh building on the. foundation that you established. but in practice. you're watching steph and you're. watching clay shoot the basketball. and you said this is the greatest. backcourt shooting basketball the nba. has ever seen and people laughed at you. they called you crazy they said mark. jackson just talking like that because.

they're on his team. what was it about what you were. witnessing practice that made you so. sure they were going to be able to carry. this over come game time. the way they practiced the way they. prepared how serious they took their. gift it was an easy call for me and to. close that statement. after i made the statement i said it. ain't even close if you don't believe me. call my bluff it was. i wasn't sitting there lying right i. believed everything i said based on the. facts.

that i witnessed every single day. and and and i don't i didn't think i. don't i still don't think it's close the. closest. as a tandem. statistically. people say jerry west and gail goodrich. i say the closest statistically is john. stockton and jeff hornacek right both. one's a great shooter in in hornacek. efficiency wise john stockton is a great. shooter but he's not in the class as. those guys right steph curry and klay. thompson are incredible basketball.

shooters right they have a gift at it. right i don't think it's close. i absolutely don't think it's close so. that was an easy call for me and the. difference is those guys are shooting. from distance the two guys that you. mentioned were more of a mid-range i. mean they could shoot the three but they. were more of a mid-range 10 to 15 feet. you talk about steph curry. a lot of his points are coming from 20. 22 23 feet that was ridiculous it's. ridiculous how well they shoot the. basketball are you surprised how when. you got when you got to golden state did.

you know steph curry was that good. before i got there i was calling games. so i had the luxury of doing some. warrior games. the time slot fits them well even though. they were not good at the time right the. time slot fit them so i was doing some. warrior games for espn and got a chance. to to call the games i'm saying that. like matter of fact i did uh uh. a duke davidson game where steph curry. was at was was at davidson in his senior. year in college and.

i was last year in college and my my. partner says to me i don't think he'll. be a good uh. nba player i don't think he's a point. guard in nba i looked at him and said. jeff van gundy by the way i'm not only. in the name dropper. but. he's on record saying that i'm sitting. there like no this guy is a starting. point guard today he's going to be a top. notch talent in the league he's special. and i watched him as a young kid because. i played with his dad in toronto with. the raptors and he'd come with his. brother seth and they shoot after.

practicing before and you know dale. curry's saying my kids are going to be. everybody says about their kids exactly. but didn't lie and the best thing about. both of those guys. incredible human beings absolute joy not. only the coach because of their talent. but because of their commitment because. of their competitive drive and because. of who they are as people but you know. staff is a blessing and a curse because. he now it used to be guys was always. trying to dunk now he got seven years. old running behind the three-point line. jacking up threes yeah and i took heat.

i took hippie because i said you know. steph curry's ruined the game yeah. people thought i was taking a shot at. steph curry and i'm glad i had a chance. to you know explain it to him because i. i'm foolish enough to believe what. everybody get what i'm trying to say. right basically what you just said right. was a remix version of it right. absolutely i'm going to i'm going to. youth games i had kids my kids was. younger i'm going to their games and. kids are jacking up shots like they. steph curry out of those are horrible. shots right. and the first thing they do they they. come off the bench and they they.

shooting shots and instead of making a. move going to the cup they're shooting. heaves from half court i'm like this is. this is awful basketball this guy has a. gift and he has the ability to make that. shot right that's like me huh. i'd be ruining the game if i go and take. that shot right i'm not steph curry. right and i should not try to be steph. curry i should try to be the best player. that i could possibly be and people were. thinking it because he made it look so. easy that they could do it they lied to. themselves. when i look at. the nba.

and say five years ten years from now. who are some of the guys you will be the. believer will be the faith we got lamelo. we got luca we got trey young we got. jason tatum zion book. jaw. i will say this the nba is in great. hands yes when you look at the talent. the young talent in the game today when. you look at the talent coming up when. you look at the way that they do a great. job of developing in the in the g-league. outstanding uh. group of talented basketball players uh.

the one guy. that you named to me. i think very well could very well be on. the top 75 player. list that comes out pretty soon and. people say well will there be a sleeper. that's young but luca doncic is the real. deal when you look at what he's been. able to do early on in his career. he is. he's got you think he'll be top 75. if it was me voting yeah he's on the. list. because because of because of.

i'm not i'm not a guy that's pointing i. don't want to point at anybody on the. top 50 list but he's better than some of. those guys right and i watch some of. those guys right so i respect him i. appreciate it. because i call him he's the closest. thing that i've seen the bird. i said i mean and you know we obviously. we're talking taking risks into the. equation but i said bird was a 24 10 and. six career guy i said he couldn't move. it's not like luke is going to win a. foot race with anybody but he bird could. get to any spot that he wanted to and.

hit you with that that step back fade. away size. strength. toughness competitive spirit not afraid. of the bright lights right and what you. just said well you and i can argue and. skip can argue one of larry bird's best. friends in life is rick carlisle right. the former coach of the dallas mavericks. who made the statement comparing luca to. bird right i'm not i'm not comparing uh. nobody to reggie miller unless they're. the real deal right i'm not comparing. somebody to pat you unless they're the. real deal right if i say it compared to. one of those guys that's my god right. you better take it to the bank right.

that's what i said because you look at. him and you. he ain't chiseled i mean you look at. lebron lebron got like a a a a a grown. man a big body right i mean can leap out. the gym right i mean and i'm looking at. him and i'm watching him and elite. defenders right i mean he's an elite. defender pg is an elite. defender draymond's elite defender and. he's going getting 30 and 40 like it. ain't nothing when he when he matched up. against the clippers in the playoffs i'm.

sitting there saying kawhi paul george. pat beverly yeah they got guys morris. they got guys that's not only going to. defend them but they're going to try to. beat him up right and i want to see how. he's going to respond because i'm not. sure he's ever faced this type of. pressure defensively and he's about to. face right. he he put on a clinic almost like they. were little kids trying to defend right. where he he imposed his will on them and. took everything that they had to offer. and was the best player. i had uh. demar derozan on and i said.

best best basketball players come out of. new york or l.a he said l.a i know i. turned the tv off. i didn't see the rest of the interview. but i watched something to that point as. soon as he said l.a i just as much as i. enjoyed it i had to shut up you still. believe the best players come out of nyc. i think historically yeah now now today. that's a different story right. just like in in the dream team the rest. of the world has caught up right they've. tried to emulate some of the things that.

we've been able to do handling the. basketball and the toughness. competitiveness and you have guys all. around the country coming out not only. that new york players now they they. leave and go to prep school right so so. we don't have the same license as far as. you don't say they're from new york now. they may be from somewhere else right. even though they're technically from new. york right but historically new york. city has had the best basketball players. the guy on the top of the all-time lead. yeah i mean you got kareem i mean once. you say karim is shut down from there. i'm saying michael jordan was born in. brooklyn i mean.

what do you want me to say so i would. say historically the best ever play is. new york city guys. your younger brother. street ball and one legend escalade. 610 375 handled a rock. what made him. what made him special be able to handle. rock like his older brother. well i mean. i get emotional but. and you can understand the love of a. brother yes. and this was my younger brother so he's.

same parents married 40 years. my sister's a year younger than me. i guess one day my mom and dad. got a little frisky. nine years removed all of a sudden here. we got a little brother on the way right. so he was. he was he was a guy that had the the. luxury of being young enough to travel. and come come to games and being mad at. square garden and be around the game of. basketball as a ball boy for the knicks. so he he was exposed to it right so he.

wasn't always big right so handling the. basketball came easy to him right and. the way he came big was my dad. since he was the last one spoiled him so. it went from. mcdonald's uh or whatever we're gonna. eat on fridays because it's payday right. i'm gonna take everybody to go get. something to eat now it's not everybody. it's just destroyed so now one big mac. turns into two big bag so all of a. sudden he goes from a small kid to a big. kid but i tell you what. i miss him every single day i'm. extremely extremely proud of uh not not.

just the basketball player that he. became the legend that he became. but more importantly. when i go around and people say. the things he did to people right the. words he said to people right the way he. encouraged and inspired folks i remember. one day going to the mall with him and i. knew he arrived at this point because. i'm in the mall with him. and somebody come running up and say you. mind if i get a picture and you know i'm. like sure no problem at all this thing. no not you escalated. they asked me they asked me to take it. he could he could he could have gone on.

to heaven at that moment and he'd have. been happy but. yeah i'm proud of him and uh i miss him. every single day mark when i look when i. think about it the way the guys in the. nba handle the ball. they get that from a one the street ball. the way skip to my lou and hot sauce the. way steph curry and kyrie yeah by the. way kyrie got the best handles in nba. history and they've had rod strickland. had handles zeke had hamilton he's got. ammo you had some handles uh uh uh. who's the guy the utah jazz great pistol.

pete marvin. y'all can't do no with kyrie. kyrie kyrie man kyrie got that thing on. the stream kyrie is an incredible. all-handler. the one guy would probably put in the. discussion is isaiah because you could. look at old clips of isaiah a little kid. putting on a clinic z coming out of the. court walking him down. but kyrie absolutely the things he does. the ability to handle with both hands. finish in a variety of ways with both. hands over anybody it's absolutely. special but i i do agree and god sham.

god is another guy yes the stuff that. they were able to do that guys took. off the playgrounds and put it into. nba games it's special i wouldn't even. try half of that stuff. you're from brooklyn. was it always your goal to play college. ball. in nyc or did you think about leaving. well i'm from brooklyn born in brooklyn. the first seven years of my life i'm the. one guy that can claim both places. because i left brooklyn at seven moved. to queens okay and then living in queens.

went to high school in brooklyn an hour. and a half away um. i didn't. once i was being recruited i'm a guy. that's extremely close to my family i. want to be around my family right so it. became a no-brainer that i was not going. to go far right uh and then sitting with. coach conoceka who in in. in the middle of october is receiving a. statue at st john's university well. deserved uh and i'm going to be there. for that but sitting in the room with. him him looking my parents in the eyes.

and making a commitment to me and. believing in me right it was a. no-brainer because i knew he was a. better person than he was a basketball. coach and he's a hall of fame basketball. coach but i still call him coach to this. day and at 96 years old he'll call me. and have a regular conversation with me. still checking on me still that's the. relationship you want to have with a. coach exactly i'm embarrassed when i. watch these high school coaches these. aau coaches. not having relationships my son's high. school coach or two of my son's high. school coach.

walk in the gym and and there's there's. no relationship he should be embarrassed. at that right it should be. i love you for life because of what you. poured into me right well i mean well if. that was the case there's only two. schools you could have gone to you going. to syracuse are you going to uh saint. john it's funny you asked that because i. visited syracuse. and and and and uh. wayne pearl. pearl had pearl uh uh he's in my we're. the same age so rest in peace but i mean. as good as it gets. handling the basketball scoring.

toughness. so good that as as i visited syracuse. and i sat in jim behind's office the day. after the visit and i said i'm ready to. commit because i you got 30 000 people. in the arena right i want to be here. this was incredible. he said i appreciate that but if i was. you i wouldn't come in i'm like what. he said if i was you i wouldn't come in. i'm like excuse me he says well we have. pearl washington i said i know you got. pearl i'm i'm i'm a new york city i'm. i'm you brad you guys. do what i do i'm gonna force you to play.

us together right and he's like i i. appreciate the confidence but i'm like. why am i on this visit. but it shows you the greatness of pearl. washington and how special he was uh. uh so i i i made the right decision to. go to st johnson uh proud as a new. yorker to watch pearl and the things he. do he was able to do in the big east. tournament in mass square garden right. against georgetown the pressure handling. the basketball um. he was a special special talent and a. class dude.

i mentioned you are rookie of the year. you're in the 87 draft you played on. that great st john's team i think that. was a might be the only one of the few. times that three teams from one. conference yeah you made it to the final. four yeah. you've said you failed wall to bear. people don't realize i think walter was. a player of the year we had back-to-back. player of the year yeah. you said you believe you should have won. the national championship that year what. happened i gave credit to coach 96 year. old lumber death.

love him to death. and he's coach forever. we all make mistakes as coaches right. and and i believe that i should have. played. more especially starting the second half. the way that the georgetown defense. was was. defending us that day was keeping. everything away from chris mullen right. we were pretty robotic right trying to. make plays and still get him involved. the one thing that i had was the ability. to make a play. and force help and then get him the. basketball right and i thought that that. wasn't i'm not hating it was it was a.

mistake we all make i made mistakes. but i think looking back if i would have. played more we'd had a better chance but. georgetown was number one half the year. we were number one the other half of the. year great great battles the only thing. you look back at villanova wins the. national championship yeah the biggest. upset probably still to this day to this. day we beat villanova three times that. year so that's the frustrating thing. that we shouldn't have had to play. georgetown right in the semifinals uh. but but proud to be.

a member of the big east during those. years and loaded loaded top to bottom. with great teams historic talent and. historic coaches that first team all big. east that had to be some kind of team. man loaded. it's all my hall of famers yeah loaded. absolutely. and and every single night no matter who. you played it was a battle right and it. was a robbery it wasn't like oh you're. playing georgetown you got to be ready. you gotta play villanova you gotta play. sir you were top to bottom right gonna. face somebody every single night. you go to the league what's your what's.

your nba moment when did you know like. man this is. i'm in the nba this is different this is. i'm playing for i ain't i'm no longer. playing for meal plan i'm no longer. playing for books i'm playing for. mortgages. you know kids tuition one day right. um. i would just say the first time you step. on the floor. you know i'm i was holding out initially. and we had. uh veteran gods and rory sparrow and.

gerald henderson both guys. played 10 plus years in the league. gerald henderson won a championship did. jordan stop him. there's no joy inside no that's gerald. wilkins. okay yeah you know pat riley said we're. not going to say anything to jordan just. to go back we're not going to say. anything we're going to beat him and. then at the end we're going to say. something we look at the headlines next. day in the paper jar welcome i'm the. jordan style dude didn't the coach just. say don't say anything didn't he say. don't say anything. you you made me go off on a tantrum. but i'll say this.

when i sat down and watched because i. wasn't practicing i watched those guys. on the court and i'm like. man this is this is this is a different. level right i got to make sure i'm right. right and then no matter who you're. facing. a guy that you thought you were better. than. they have the ability in this league to. give you the business. magic johnson. announced that he had. we tested hiv positive right and we were. playing the lakers that night right and. i'm like i'm shouting i'm staying in my.

hotel room because. earl monroe was the guy that i looked up. to right after earl monroe retired it. was magic johnson as a point guard for. me that's it the best point guard that. this game has ever seen right so i'm. sitting in my hotel room with my head. looking at the ceiling i'm like my. head's gone we play the lakers tonight. but my guy magic just gave an. announcement right and back then we're. thinking it's a death sentence right. we're thinking it's over yeah i'm. shattered as a kid but to make a long. story short now we play the lakers at. night and siddell three is starting for. magic john. that's a big drop off from magic johnson.

this is adele three with all due respect. siddell three gave us 40 plus gave us. the business. gave us the absolute business there's. nothing we could have done we threw. everything at him but he was on fire. that's the difference between playing au. ball. high school ball jv ball college ball. everybody in uniform has the ability to. give you the best that's what i tell. people people want say oh this guy's a. superstar he should be able to do this. that guy get paid too i said every. professional athlete has the ability to.

make every other professional athlete in. that sport look foolish. if you don't be on your i say look you. respect everyone you underestimate no. one and you should be okay but the. moment same thing happened to me i went. out there with this guy when he got. injured i said oh i'm about to get a. joke of the business i took it for. granted three catches and 15 yards later. that'll never happen to me again that's. right so you learned early on if he'll. perfect he got a uniform that's right he. can make it look foolish i'm going to my. son's games.

before the pandemic hit and nick young. who was out of the league is playing in. the game and everybody said hey he's. he's done he's watching i'm like nick. young is not playing hard against y'all. my son knew better because he's been. around it but but this they're sitting. there thinking oh. nick young can't play he's done. go to next week nick young got 50. he's. toying with these people right. you think nick young's the bum no with. all due respect y'all the. bums nick young is an nba talent that. can toy and play around and do what he.

won out of it right. when. you played with oakley and i. and oakley brought a certain. physicality to the game oakley was no. nonsense i've known oakley 25 years in. the oakland that you see on the court it. was the oakley optical that's right he. ain't bought no bs that's right you know. where you stand with oakland if oakley. messed with you oakley messes with you. if oakley don't mess with you he don't. mess with you and he messed with both of. us so we're good yeah yeah we're good. we're good what's it like playing with. oak it's great. it's absolutely great because of what.

you said the problem is if i got to. figure you out right are you with me or. against me are you my boy are you not my. boy with oak you know exactly where he. stands exactly and there's no nonsense i. know we going to battle. he's going to lay it out on the line. right he's a guy that's no nonsense he's. a professional he's an ultimate team. player he's an outstanding underrated. all-time great defender. and he's a guy that has has toughness. and that toughness uh uh becomes. contagious all throughout the lineup. he's a winner and he's a guy that we.

take for granted also because he's not. today's. typical power forward right he was. yesterday's powerful but he was he was a. joy to play with and and and just a just. a guy that really. really. wore the new york knick uniform right. with pride right and was stood for. everything that new york new york city. people stood for and that's why he was. embraced and celebrated you guys the. knicks when you had oak you had xavier. mcdaniel you had mason you had yourself. your uh uh patrick. did you guys adopt that bad boy just.

like we look we're gonna play football. on the basketball court. you got to give credit to the genius of. pat riley who's one of the great coaches. in all of sports historically he went. from showtime. run and gun. fast breaking. los angeles laker championship winning. team we thought when he came to the new. york knicks oh we're going to be. showtime now i'm sitting there i'm going. to be throwing it. though. from the first day he let us know this. is how we're going to do it we're going.

to do it with toughness and we had rules. and rules that had to be. recognized and applied to no layups. we. we basically if you had an open layup. and i'm next to you and i allow you to. get that layup. it's a fine a substantial fine and it. wasn't from pat riley or management it. was the players we took care of it. ourselves so we we. we held each other accountable and we we. became uh the mentality of we're gonna. hammer folks we're gonna be very. physical if we're gonna beat the chicago.

bulls because we knew we were better. than everybody else with all due respect. and there was some great teams but we. were loaded if we're going to beat them. we have to be physical and. i believe. losing game seven and 91. in the eastern conference finals to the. chicago bulls i believe and pat riley. has said it and dave checkers who was. out. our gm at the time our president at the. time. has stated it if if we keep that team. together we win a championship i believe. that wholeheartedly what broke it up i.

was traded okay i i believe that. ultimately and it's documented and it. ain't about me it's just that the. complete team i believe we have came. back ready and understood a year better. and and it's a process that you go. through but they believe we need a. scoring at the powerful position so i. was traded for doc rivers and charles. smith who was a 610 scoring uh power. forward that gave versatility. complementing charles oakley and gave a. scoring guy alongside of patrick ewing. ultimately they didn't win but i think.

if you kept that team together we want. to win it at all. but. could you play that style of basketball. the nba now. yes the physicality the way you guys. played it yes i think i think you have. to pick and choose your spots. you. guess guess what draymond green is in. the league and draymond green is a. dominant defensive player right and he's. not being nice a lot he's being very. physical so you can play it you have to. have the mentality and the. stick-to-itiveness to make sure that if. i get a call against me i'm not gonna.

stop i'm gonna keep my foot on the gas. pedal i'm gonna be physical and i'm. gonna make the proper adjustments to get. away with just enough that i can get. away with but mark you know how you guys. played they were snatching folks out the. air. yeah that was that was that was kevin. mchale. that was a little bit earlier. but the way you the knicks yeah we were. physical the way you guys played man. y'all beat them at each other we were. physical we were very physical and and. not even the physical plays that you. could see and then the hand checking. that you couldn't see right then it's.

johnson. dennis johnson would guard you and have. his hand on your hip directing you where. he wanted you to go right that strength. that that mobility that versatility. it was special but it took advantage of. the rules right i think that players. were smart enough that they'd have made. the proper adjustment to do just enough. the same way these guys did today you. called something to travel okay now they. do a different one-two step that bounces. a different way that they get away with. they cheat the system because it's so. crafty and so talented. the pacers go to the pacers you play in.

the lakers 2000. shaq at his apex kobe bryant now. is kobe bryant as we know it you took. them six games. what did you learn about your team and. what did you learn about that lakers. team we should have won. uh they beat us yeah i should have beat. yeah yeah yeah we we it was a 2-3-2 yeah. so we had we won the game three. and we lost game four. in overtime right shaq fouls out.

and. the late great kobe bryant. single-handedly takes over the game. in the fourth quarter in overtime and i. mean we did everything we could i can. remember saying to reggie miller because. he hit a couple of shots i'm like let me. get them. i'm just foolish thinking i could do. something but i'm not thinking i'm gonna. stop him i'm thinking i'm a hammer on. one good time and send a message and get. him out of his rhythm. i hammer him. nice. basket and one he's at the line i'm like. red you got him.

it ain't working but but we were good. enough because we had depth at the. powerful position yeah we had a a a. center. that was a weapon that can take. advantage of shaquille o'neal's flaws. the ability to defend the pick and roll. right so every time in the pick-and-roll. we're going to get a shot off of rick. smith yeah where he's a jump shooting. big man that can post up and score so we. were a perfect match-up jaylen rose 6-9. versatility at the at the small forward. position chris mullen so we had the. depth and the versatility at the end of.

the day they had two dudes that was. unstoppable that was absolutely and you. look at the numbers that shaquille. o'neal put forth in that. in that finals he was crazy it was. ridiculous it was ridiculous they had. two dudes as all-time greats did you. know after in that series that kobe was. going to become what he became. yes and the reason why is because i can. remember talking to reggie miller and. reggie miller living in la would say he. was shooting i believe a commercial and. it was reggie miller and kobe bryant. shooting the commercial and and and and.

during the time of the break of the. commercial. reggie said kobe said. let's let's play some one-on-one just. you know get a workout in the middle of. the summer so red's like cool. they playing one-on-one red shoot a. jumper knocks it down gets the ball back. jab snip jabs as if jumping knocks it. down. all of a sudden he looked like he sees. kobe and in kobe's eyes it almost looked. like they were back in the finals. because kobe's thinking this ain't chill. mode one on one i'm getting ready to go. at you and kobe begins to put on an.

absolute clinic in the one-on-one. against reggie miller right he took it. it's just he only had one gear and then. after kobe plays reggie miller. one-on-one he then pulls reggie aside. and said. show me how you do that jab step jumper. show me how you come off the screens so. he he has enough competitive drive. to battle him in a one-on-one scenario. but enough you know he has something. that. you got something that i can utilize. and i'm not fooling myself to think.

right i'm not gonna i'm not gonna. present it and try to learn it from. right i'm gonna show you humility and. i'm gonna ask you about it right and put. it into my game and that's why. he became the special talent that we we. became you say that and he said kobe. asked reggie well how you do the pump. fake how you come off screens a lot of. big guys a lot of guys not just big a. lot of guys have gone to work with the. kim elijah elijahuan. but basically only one guy has ever. gotten an opportunity to work out with. jordan. like jordan like got the secret sausage. like the uh the kfc secret recipe or.

what the secret sauce is on the big mac. yeah that thing closely guarded yeah why. do you think that he's old school. old school i ain't get. y'all chasing me right i'm sitting at. the top right of the hill right you're. trying to chase me uh and it's just a. competitive drive and spirit that he's. had that made him michael jordan right. i'm not trying to deliver it but to his. credit when you look at. the tragedy with kobe bryant. michael jordan showed. just what he deposited.

into kobe bryant and into the game's. future we just didn't acknowledge we. just didn't see it because it wasn't on. camera right but he did it yes but he. did it in his own way right and and it. really blessed me to watch. him get emotional talk about it right. and also acknowledge this guy was like a. little brother right all the things he's. accomplished people thought we would. this right when we were we were together. right so so it was it was special. some of the toughest guys that you. played against the era obviously the 80. with bird magic.

jordan isaiah you got the 90s uh i don't. know i think you probably missed lebron. you missed lebron no lebron is my which. is crazy my first year. is lebron my last year is lebron's first. okay so you you you got an opportunity. to see a lot of them. who's the hardest to defend. um. mike and kobe. i mean from a god standpoint yes i. didn't have to go down there and defend. shaquille o'neal or.

but. but mike and kobe. just thinking. attack every single moment on the floor. and the mentality. and the the way they wear you down with. their approach um. would be the two guys i would i would. say and and. being in the eastern conference all. those years facing the bulls and facing. mike. i mean it was in our prime we had every. business to believe we were better. um those two guys are are the front.

runners for me how would your do in. today's game cause i've heard a lot of. people man jordan average 60. jordan. with every 70. nah man. i promise you jordan's gonna get. in today's game the rules as they are. how would jordan do and how many points. do you believe he would average i don't. think anybody's averaging 60 or 70. okay. so that's i mean those days are over. with um nobody gonna get will's 50 a. game huh not 50 a game no that's not. going to happen um. but i will say this michael jordan would.

average whatever you want to average. you maybe you can get 40 at night yeah. you can i mean. yeah if if if yeah there's no question. about it 49 years 40. yeah how are you. gonna get four if you're gonna i don't. i'm not here to break it down and. decipher it i'm telling you as a witness. i'm testifying on behalf of michael. jeffrey jordan that he would average 40. a night if we we see guys averaging 30. right and 35. with all due respect that don't have the. arsenal that he has offensively well you.

know you have to add that three ball you. got to add the three ball to get to 40. because you look at the guy. harden with the last guy i think hard. and average with 36 and that step back. three he put that in obviously the free. throw jordan went to the free-throw line. a lot i don't he didn't go as much as a. hard. but i don't know how you get to 40. without that three ball well jordan's. gonna go to the free throw line more. than he did back then because we were. able to beat him up right and it was. ignored to a certain extent okay so and. i and he he added to three ball in his.

career he watched him against the. blazers knocked down three that wasn't. his specialty right but it wasn't like. he was a liability shooting the. basketball michael jordan would average. whatever you wanted to average. man i mean you witnessed it yeah i saw. it i did i did but i'm just saying i'm. like man when people say he averaged 40. 45 i'm like 50. i'm like man do y'all. know how many points that is on a. nightly basis do you know what you. somebody said tom brady when he 44 gonna. get five touchdowns and have you know. nine through two games and he's gonna be.

on pace with 50 plus you'd be like man. ain't no way no 44 year old guy doing. that yeah. you know what having played in the era. when they hit the quarterback everywhere. except the bottom of his feet. i was like yeah it's a different game. now and i can see what you're saying. you're like it's totally different they. could beat you up right. the the hits that we got back in the 90s. in the 2000s early 2000s right yeah so. they throwing somebody out of the league. tom brady like that so brady's saying i. mean he came out and said that the. league is soft right well.

with all due respect he's right so is. the nba so he's taking advantage of. those rules yeah jordan would take. advantage of these rules i'm looking at. this in uh game two of the uh. how many yards would you average if they. can't can't you can't. i'd. i was travis kelsey before travis kills. out but i'm definitely getting a hundred. again yeah exactly yeah i'm gonna get me. 1500 yards 1500 yards a season. absolutely because we were running that. i was blocking a 1500 1700 2000 yard. rushers so we were throwing running the.

ball more than we absolutely. can ask you a question. another another one yeah yeah i wanna. know what made you stick your tongue out. oh man you you you you you. yeah i wanna know i wanna know what. possessed you. to do that man's signature move. oh man just young and dumb. i had a moment man you had a moment i. had a moment did you realize who that. was yes but i thought we had every. answer because we were rolling so i. stripped them yeah i stripped them i'm.

like oh it's on new york city i stripped. now they found me on a break and i go in. the air and i act like the player is. dead but i stick my tongue out. mistake. that's a huge mistake huge mistake. because like like he talked about it in. in the documentary he takes all of that. and uses it as fuel. and he he took advantage of that and. used it as fuel and took over the game. i don't know what made me do it i. remember my dad i look over my dad he's. like. don't do that it was too late yeah i.

have you here there's been a lot of. speculation well the reason why he. doesn't get a job he did this or he. hadn't gotten a job because he did that. and somebody reached out. why isn't mark jackson the guy that laid. the foundation for the golden state. warriors why doesn't he get a call when. these head coaching vacancies open up. why isn't mark jackson they hear you. speak and you talk the game and you can. relate to the players why isn't mark. jackson currently employed as a nba head.

coach i don't know. uh that's the that's the full answer i. don't know. but i will say is i look forward to the. day when i'm coaching again right what i. will say is it will happen i truly. believe that with everything in me um. the opportunity hasn't presented itself. i stand on. what we were able to do in golden state. not me what we were able to do right. ownership management coaches players. training staff. uh.

i'm proud of that a team that went 19. years and only made the playoffs one. year. and then all of a sudden. win 50-plus games get into the playoff. advance in the second round. and then when i'm gone become a dynasty. something changed from that 19-year to. today right and i played a part in it a. small part. but but apart and i look forward to. having an opportunity. because there are teams in that position. right so you you could if you wanted you. could say well i can't coach a. championship team.

and i think you're wrong right but. there's no evidence. to show that right but you can't tell me. that i can't. play a part in turning the team that. historically made the playoffs one time. in 19 years and we've seen teams that. in that position and worse and some. hovering around that situation i'm. comfortable and confident in what i was. able to do in playing a small part in. changing a culture. have anybody reached out for an. interview and says well mark we'd like. to talk to you.

uh mark come sit down and. what if it if you could go back is there. some things that. you've learned from some of the maybe. the mistakes that you made is there. anything that you would do differently. well no matter what you do in life. you look back and think i would have. done something differently so there are. absolute things that i would do. differently right but one thing i stand. on who i am as a man. who i am as a father who i am as a coach. who i am as a brother who i am as a. mentor and a leader you can't take that.

away from me so the things that have. been reported. are absolutely not true okay and and i. will sit here any day of the week. make time for anybody that's willing to. sit there that says so-and-so said it. because it's always so-and-so right do. me a favor and get so-and-so in front of. me because i'll meet him and we can have. a discussion right. three-point contest. steph curry reggie miller library i want. to say one thing though okay i got to.

double back with you great double back. on it because the people that you played. for uh um. ravens and the broncos the broncos what. um john elway the coach. mike shanahan. and dan reeves and then in the baltimore. play with the ravens. brian billy right. you. brian billick dan reeves and all those. shanahan all those guys. wouldn't have to be the one. to defend themselves right because. you'll be like hold on.

hold on all right you could say what you. want yes you can say what you want yes. shannon shop who speaks on everything. right you owe it to. to to dan reeves or shanna to to be like. hold on right y'all 100 wrong it can't. go on that way so so that's that's. that's. that's if somebody says something about. steph curry draymond green clay thompson. the entire roster andre iguodala jared. jack you can name them all the harrison. bonds and once i'm be like hold on. that that that ain't true right you can.

say whatever you want about the flaws. and all that but that there right that. ain't true and that's how it should be. and even not just my head coaches any. coach that and i have coaches now that's. still in the lead that were they weren't. head coaches but they were position. coaches that will vouch and a lot of. times people like well you say this but. you weren't like that well go ask the. coaches see i i don't i can tell you but. i got people that don't know me because. some you know sometimes the head coach. he has to be pc right i say but go ask.

them off camera when they can tell you. the truth and ask them how i was as a. player how i was in meetings how i was. in practice how i was on the bus i said. i ain't got to lie about me i got people. that'll vouch for me right the one. person that knows whether i can coach i. can't the one person that absolutely. knows that. is steve kerr right because he took over. the job right and when you take over a. job you knew. whether it was a good situation a bad. situation you know the habits and to. steve kerr's credit who is an all-time. great coach that has done an incredible.

job with the golden state warriors i got. nothing but respect appreciation and and. admiration for steve kerr he has shown. me nothing but respect right and he has. testified on behalf of. the job that he stepped into well that. should be enough right there to get you. at least to get your interview in the. door why are you looking me up and down. like i'm doing it. the man i mean uh uh uh. greg popovich he vouched for somebody. they go get an interview i'll tell you. this though. the one place i don't want to be right.

it's outside the will of god so i'm. perfectly fine with where i am and i. trust and believe that it all work out. okay well if that's what you believe i. hope i hope because i think you're too. good i think you're too good of a i. think you're too good of a man. the coaching aspect i think you need to. be a good man to be a good coach you're. too good of a man not to be coaching. your resume should speak for itself i've. seen coaches with worse resumes get. opportunity after opportunity. and what you were able to do with golden.

state to build that and all of a sudden. they're like nah we good he you know he. had a four year five year run and that's. it. it'll work out. well i'm trying to work out all right. three point competition steph reggie. larry and clay who you got. well i didn't shoot against larry. because he wasn't on my team. and by the time he got to coach me he. wasn't shooting at the time. i beat reg quite frequently in shootouts.

klay thompson i could talk him out of. his game beat him a couple of times. steph curry is documented on youtube you. don't believe me check it out beat him. in the shootout that we had. um i believe. if you put them in the room. any one of them come out. they they're that great. a group of shooters and if you put a. certain group of guys about five to ten. of them that have played in this game. historically any one of them could come. out all right how about i'm gonna do it. like this here now if you if you if you.

said they got to shoot in a variety. variety of ways yeah all pick and roll. stop and pop coming off turn downs. coming off pin downs shooting at half. court steph curry's that guy because. he's the one guy that is a great shooter. across the board in any one of those. situations. okay how about i do it like this here. one shot. for mark jackson's life. who you won't take in that shot that's. how we gonna do that shayshay. that's my answer all right i'm sticking. to it my final answer all right.

i'm gonna get you out of here on this. one give me your mouth rush more man. four players that's all you get. from from the start of the 75th. anniversary so we're going back 75 years. to now and you could have all sinners. you could have all guards you can have. all threes all twos all fours give me. four players. in no order. four players. michael jordan mm-hmm.

i might keep making. everybody he's got it. he's just got to make he's got to make. the list he's got to make the list um. creme de jabra. okay lebron james okay. get one more. this is tough. because i want to put.

man. i want to put i i'm not putting this guy. on there but i want to put him on there. i want it to be bill russell because of. all that he stood for continues to stand. for and is the ultimate champion. but i got to put the guy that changed. the game and put us in position. to make the money we make today. uh played a role. is magic johnson so i mean magic and. larry changed the game right i got to. pick one to be magic because i'm a point.

guard right um because you remember. before they came along the nba finals. was tape delay i don't know if people. remember that. but you didn't watch it though you. weren't watching if you weren't watching. it live they changed the game they. absolutely changed the game and i mean. guys was they were doing whatever they. want wearing chains and jewelry yes. smoking and drinking and getting out. they were doing everything yes the game. changed. to the credit of those two guys. and the late great david stern the. commissioner right who who was you know.

at the helm uh but i tell you what the. game is in great hands today. commissioner silver. the coaches the players the management. the new breed of owners that we have. today it's different than the old school. guys and it was do it my way on the. highway um. they are in in they're taking care of. the business of the nba and i'm proud to. be part of it. you get one you get one trait. step shooting or jordan's athleticism.

that's an easy call for me. i would take steph shooting. because we haven't seen guys with. jordan's athleticism but we've seen. special athletes right. at the playground okay that never made. it right if you could shoot like steph. curry you're gonna be all right. kobe's mentality a lebron's basketball. like you. that's a closer one but um. i'ma tell you i would take. kobe man kobe's mentality the reason why.

is because. i would be successful in life period. whether it be basketball or somewhere. else okay i'm gonna be good shaq. dominance or tim duncan's fundamentals. let me the dominance give me shaq's. dominance he's a did you what are you. doing. these are tough questions man i got this. is going to be good kyrie handles a. magic passing. you're asking me i gotta say magic's.

passing as great as kyrie's handles are. and is. i was birthed on magic johnson's ability. to see the floor and make everybody else. better. brah. have a great season man you're a legend. man i appreciate you no before you one. more. nba champions who gonna be the nba. champion this year. um who's it who's who's in the finals. and who wins it. i'm gonna say the lakers. and the nets.

just because it's the safe pick. and um. i will say the nets. because of those three dudes. five. sweet five six gentlemen sweet five. games six seven game. seven i'm hoping seven but i think laker. going together i'm i. you see i'm not sitting here firm on my. believer. lakers are good enough to absolutely. roll through everybody they're that.

talented and they did a great job. of improving their roster and getting. guys that you don't have to guess what. i'm gonna get. uh when i insert them into the ball game. those guys have a body of work that. tells you what they're gonna deliver. mark i appreciate you stopping by good. luck this season you're a legend man. keep on rolling thank you man appreciate. that. all my life been grinding all my life. sacrifice hustle paid the price. wanna slice got to roll the dice that's. why all my life i be grinding all my.

life. all my life been running all my life. sacrifice plus will pay the price. wanna slice got to roll it dice that's. why all my life i've been grinding all. my life. [Music].