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What's up, everybody. Welcome to the latest

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1:01

Once again, that Straight Shooter book

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dot com. It's now in paperback

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got a great show for you coming this way. Let's get

1:09

right to it and get started with the NBA playoffs,

1:12

where I must confess an apology

1:15

is in order, un humble mass,

1:17

I got to be rial. Last week I

1:19

went on the national airwaves and

1:21

proclaimed the Minnesota Timberwolves

1:23

as the next franchise to win an

1:25

NBA championship. Now,

1:28

in my defense, this was after seeing

1:30

Anthony Edwards in the t Wolves dismantle the Nuggets

1:32

at home in the first two games of the Western Conference

1:34

Semifinals, especially Game two, when the

1:36

defense had the Nuggets offense on complete

1:39

lockdown. Well, what

1:42

a difference. A week mix, the Nuggets

1:44

rebounded and beat Minnesota's

1:46

ass not just once, but twice in

1:49

Minnesota to even this series up

1:51

to two. Anthony Edwards didn't

1:53

show up for Game three, acknowledged it, admitted

1:55

it, showed up in Game four, dropped forty

1:57

four, and it still didn't matter because the Denver

1:59

Nuggets couldn't be stopped. Yo, kicch.

2:02

That dude put on a show. Jamal

2:04

Murray right here with this half court heave and

2:07

then staring into the camera for the TNT broadcasters,

2:10

mainly Reggie Miller, just looking at them. Y'all must

2:12

have forgot who the hell I am that Jamal

2:14

Murray? Did I tell you Aaron Gordon hit eleven

2:16

of his twelve shots? Did I tell you that the

2:18

pressure that Minnesota applied to Denver's

2:21

offense by virtue of pressuring

2:24

Jamal Murray was alleviated by coach Mike

2:26

Malone, who just said, Yo, Aaron Gordon, you bring

2:28

the ball up the court, because guess what, they ain't gonna

2:30

pressure you like they would pressure Jamal Murray. And look

2:32

what happened. Twenty seven points, seven rebounds,

2:35

six assists that Aaron Gordon and the

2:37

Denver Nuggets won Game four, Game

2:39

three, and four, but especially Game four when

2:41

Michael Porter dropping five points.

2:46

I'm sorry four points, ladies

2:48

and gentlemen. Minnesota has

2:51

gone from being the team I thought would sweep

2:53

Denver to not over you, having the series

2:55

tied, but the team I deem in trouble

2:57

and the ain't gonna may not even make it to the next round.

3:00

I apologize Mike Lowe, I

3:02

apologize Jamal Murray. I apologize

3:04

Eric Gordon, Michael Porter, Junior, Contavious

3:06

call War Pup, and especially Coach Malone,

3:09

who once again has shown himself to be a

3:11

great, great coach of the reigning defending

3:13

NBA champions. Don't have Jeff

3:15

Brown and Bruce Brown. Jeff Green rather and

3:17

Bruce Brown from last year doesn't matter. Bench

3:20

depleted doesn't matter. Not the same reliable

3:22

bodies doesn't matter. Denver

3:26

is a team to be wreckon with. I'm

3:29

sorry. If

3:32

I had time, I'd call Mike Malone on the phone right

3:34

now to get him on the show. Just apologize to I

3:36

really really would, And I'm not ruling it out. If

3:38

he wants me, If he wants me to apologize

3:40

to him over the national airwaves, over the

3:42

digital airwaves, I will do it. He deserves

3:44

that, because damn they

3:47

kicked their ass in Game three, and

3:49

that was a good game in Game four, but when you're blow

3:51

it in the end of the first half by

3:54

giving up a three, and

3:56

then after that, you

3:58

know, I mean, Yoki's doing what he did,

4:00

it turned you know, anthonyte was turned over the ball again

4:02

for a fast break layup, and then after

4:04

that Tomorrow Murray heaving it from half

4:07

court. I mean, come on, y'all, can't let that happen.

4:10

That's what the Minnesota Timberwolves did in

4:12

the span of the last sixteen seconds of the

4:14

first half, and a seven point

4:16

league ended up being like

4:18

a fifteen point, fifteen point

4:21

lead for Denver. Lord, look at that.

4:23

That's what happened. Series

4:25

in Trouble from Minnesota, Series in

4:27

Trouble. Let's get to my New

4:30

York Knicks, because we can't

4:32

avoid that. We can't

4:34

avoid it. They

4:37

were blown out on Mother's Day

4:39

yesterday game for the Eastern

4:41

Conference se me final matchup against the Indiana Pacers.

4:44

The Knicks are depleted. I would have remind y'all,

4:47

so I wasn't that unpredictable that they got

4:49

off to a bad start. They shot

4:52

just six and twenty three in the first quarter, but

4:54

they watched this Indiana's bench outscored their

4:56

own seventeen to nothing. So

4:59

Sunday it was the next day of reckoning when

5:01

everything finally caught up to them. Injuries,

5:03

player rotations, lengthy minutes,

5:06

et cetera. Here's the bottom

5:08

line. They

5:10

were massacred. They were embarrassed,

5:12

they were blitzed. That

5:15

was a thorough royal ass

5:17

kicking. I can't deny

5:19

it. Mother's Day Massacre Part two. Remember

5:22

nineteen eighty two, May ninth, the

5:24

Boston Celtics versus the Philadelphia seventy

5:26

six Ers one twenty one to eighty. Remember

5:28

that Kevin mcchal wasn't even a starter. mL

5:31

carr was starting for the

5:33

Boston Celtics. Okay,

5:36

that's what was going on. And they blitzed

5:38

Junior Servant and those boys. Well, this was

5:40

another one, and the

5:43

Knicks are in trouble. But it's not because

5:45

of their game. They would just tie it. Exhausted,

5:48

not fresh legs. They got blitzed in he

5:50

had and it would have missed a shot early, and then it was

5:52

just too much to overcome. They were down by as

5:54

many as forty three points. We get all

5:56

that down twenty eight and a half. All right, fine,

5:59

here's the real problem. Julius Randa's

6:01

out, Mitchell Robinson is out, Bogdanovic

6:03

is out. Now, og Ananobi is out. I

6:05

believe had og nanobe Get been in Game three, the

6:08

New York Knicks would have won game thing. I didn't expect the New York

6:10

Kicks to look like they looked in Game three, but they did.

6:12

I didn't expect Dante DiVincenzo to look like the second

6:14

coming to Steph Curry, but he did. I didn't expect

6:16

Jaylen Brunson, who was hobbled, to play the way he played, but

6:18

he did. Josh

6:22

Hard had eighteen rebounds that game. Mother's

6:24

that he had three. We all know what the energizer

6:27

bunny he is. We all know it's an aberration. But

6:30

in the end, what it comes down to is this New

6:33

York Dicks gotta win game five. I

6:35

don't think you're New York. You want to go back to Indy

6:38

down three to two. You gotta

6:40

win game five. You gotta put Indiana

6:43

on its heels, and that way, if you need to take

6:45

game six off because things get out of

6:47

hand early and you need to rest the duce for game seven,

6:49

you could do that. You cannot afford to lose

6:51

Game five in Madison Square Garden Tuesday

6:54

night. That cannot happen. It cannot

6:57

happen. Props to Halliburton, who

7:00

struggled first two games, but

7:02

games three and four came on strong. Props

7:04

to him. Props to Miles Turner, Okay,

7:07

props to a whole bunch of cats, Nie

7:10

Smith and them Hard and

7:13

these brothers the way they've been playing defense. Nie

7:16

Smith against Jalen Brunton, holding him like thirty three

7:18

percent shooting.

7:20

New York.

7:20

Thing's got to win Game five. Whether

7:23

or not they're gonna have the fresh legs to do it or not remains to

7:25

be seen, but clearly they're depleted by health. I

7:27

don't even think this would be a series if the Knicks were fully

7:29

loaded health wise, but they're not, and that's

7:31

just the way it goes. Another

7:33

topic, One more NBA topic is to be

7:35

exactly before we get to the beef between

7:38

my boys, both Shannon Sharp and Shaquille

7:40

O'Neil, the shag Daddy himself, I

7:42

want to talk about the upcoming draft because

7:45

Bronnie James's name keeps propping up.

7:47

That would happen to be the son of lebron James, who's

7:50

been medically cleared by the NBA's Fitness

7:52

to Play panel. You may recall

7:54

Bronnie stuff at the Cardiac and Rest of nine months ago

7:56

during practice at USC, he underwent

7:59

surgery and repair congenital heart

8:01

defect. James is now expected to

8:03

remain in the twenty twenty four NBA Draft,

8:05

but he still maintains his college eligibility.

8:08

I understand the thinking here by Rich

8:10

Paul for Clutchboards, who obviously will be representing

8:12

Bronnie James and what have you, Brinnie James, himself,

8:14

Lebron James, and the family. Because

8:17

when you get cleared by the NBA

8:19

play panel, obviously that goes a long

8:22

way toward solidifying that health shouldn't

8:24

be a concern for evaluators

8:26

moving forward. Fair Enough, the man

8:28

average four points a game in his freshman year.

8:30

We know health abilitated him. We know things

8:33

weren't ideal for him in his first year at USC.

8:35

We know he still has the option of remaining in college,

8:38

and he could transfer somewhere else if he chooses

8:40

not to stay at USC. We know all of these things.

8:42

Here's what we really, really really need

8:45

to understand. This story

8:47

at this moment in time has

8:51

transitioned to a story that's not even about Bronnie

8:53

James anymore. It's about Lebron

8:56

James. And let me tell y'all what's going

8:58

on. I ain't asking, I ain't

9:00

guessing. I'm telling you what I've been

9:02

told. Take of it what you will.

9:05

Lebron James is obviously eligible

9:07

to sign an extension. He

9:10

can choose to go elsewhere. He can choose

9:12

to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers, and

9:14

the reports are that he's looking for a three

9:16

year contract extension. Fair enough,

9:19

fair enough plays until he aged forty

9:21

two. Get his money. Opt in this

9:23

year for the fifty plus million dollars. Opt

9:26

out gets even more than that over the next three

9:28

years. You can look at all of that.

9:30

Doesn't want to leave La built,

9:32

this beautiful mansion, that is building another one.

9:35

All of this stuff you hear. Let

9:37

me tell you what else I've been hearing. Lebron

9:40

James is trying to get the Los Angeles Lakers to

9:42

draft Bronnie

9:45

James with a

9:47

second round pick. He'd

9:49

also like for JJ Reddick to be his next

9:52

head coach. I'm just telling

9:54

you what i've heard now.

9:56

That doesn't mean the Lakers want JJ Reddick. It doesn't

9:58

mean they don't. But JJ

10:00

Reddick, I'm not gonna die

10:02

out my colleague like that at the ESPN. That's

10:04

my guy. Love him to death. But

10:08

it's all over the news about

10:10

him being a candidate for the Lakers job. It is absolutely

10:13

true. He's one of many.

10:15

They haven't made a finite decision about anybody

10:18

yet, but Lebron has that's

10:21

the guy he wants, which

10:24

would kind of explain why they're doing the basketball podcast

10:26

together. I'm just guessing you on that point, but

10:28

it makes sense. Nevertheless,

10:33

that has nothing to do with Bronnie. Here's

10:36

what does the Lakers

10:39

have a second round pick? I think it's fifty

10:41

five. You can't justify taking Bronnie

10:44

James with the seventeenth od roll pick in the first round. There's

10:46

no way in hell they could pull that off. Lakers pull that

10:48

off, they'll get crucified and

10:51

any vitriol that's

10:54

received. Lebron James has brought that on because

10:56

he's been so public about wanting to play with his son,

10:58

which caused this whole boy ah

11:01

not realizing because I know he didn't do it intentionally,

11:03

but really not realizing the shrapneller

11:06

criticism that would bring down upon his son

11:08

if he ends up getting drafted when

11:11

so many people don't believe he deserves to be drafted.

11:13

But here's a news flash. What

11:15

I've also heard Brownie

11:18

James might not make it to the Lakers' second round

11:20

pick because

11:24

of a team like the Dallas Mavericks could position

11:27

themselves to

11:29

get him in the second round. They'll

11:31

take him because

11:33

Lebron said he wants to go where his sun goes.

11:38

And if you're the Dallas Mavericks and

11:41

you got Kyrie and

11:43

you got Luca, and

11:45

Lebron James is willing to come

11:47

to big D Dallas dixas,

11:51

that might be the first time something's more

11:53

popular than the Cowboys. Now,

11:57

I know that sounds like hyperbole and

11:59

it probably, but I'm saying, damn, it's pretty damn

12:01

close. Even when the Dallas Maveris

12:03

won a tight on twenty eleven, nobody was thinking about them like

12:05

that. Derk Novinski, Jason Terry,

12:07

Jason Cadden, you know, stuff

12:09

like that. But if Lebron

12:12

James was to join Kyrie and

12:14

Luca,

12:16

because Lebron James has been on the record saying that he

12:18

wants to play with his son, and obviously him

12:21

being a billionaire, money's not an issue, especially

12:24

on him and this team talking to folks in Saudi Arabia

12:27

ultimately partner up with him so he can ultimately

12:29

own an NBA team down the line. Money

12:32

ain't an issue for Lebron James. Playing

12:35

with his son is something he said was

12:38

and because that's known and that's understood,

12:41

who knows what that could end up being.

12:44

So he got the Lakers and the Dallas MAVs in the

12:46

mix. When it comes to Bronnie James. The irony

12:48

of all of this is so many people have questioned Bronnie

12:50

James and his capabilities at

12:52

this juncture in his career. We

12:55

ain't talking about the other son, Bryce who's

12:57

younger, who no one ever

12:59

meant. But I'm

13:01

hearing this kid is the one that's got big time

13:04

skills with tremendous

13:06

promise. I'm

13:09

just letting y'all know what I'm hearing. Dallas

13:11

Mavericks, position

13:14

yourself, get the second round pick that gets

13:16

you Brownie James, so

13:19

lebron James can come to Dallas. That's

13:24

what they're saying. That's

13:26

what they're saying. Before

13:28

we get the break, I want to revisit

13:30

the beat between Shaq and

13:33

my man Shannon's Sharp. Shack

13:35

ruffled feathers last week with his criticism

13:37

of NICOLEA Jokic winning his third NBA

13:40

MVP over Shade Gil Just Alexander.

13:43

When Shannon used his podcast Nightcap

13:45

to comment and weigh in

13:49

and question Shack's work ethic during

13:51

his playing career, that's

13:54

when a problem occurred. Shannon

13:57

said, Shaq was.

13:58

Quote envious and quote of Jokic

14:00

and his trio of MVP awards and added

14:03

he's in the conversation among NBA's greatest

14:05

despite how dominant the full time NBA

14:07

champion was during his prime.

14:09

Shaq responded by dropping a disc

14:11

track on Instagram.

14:14

We couldn't have access to that where we could air

14:16

that for you. I

14:19

know both of them, obviously, Shaq

14:21

a hell of a lot longer. That's my brother on

14:24

so many levels. We go back a long ways.

14:26

Shannon Sharp is somebody I'm proud to have as

14:29

my partner on first take on ESPN at

14:31

least a couple of week day mornings each week,

14:34

and our friendship has grown. Here's

14:36

what I would say,

14:39

knowing Shack the way that I do. Having not spoken

14:42

to him about this, Shaq

14:45

probably took exception to

14:47

being called envious of anybody because

14:50

he believes he's the great. He's

14:52

one of the greatest ever. He knows it, and he knows

14:54

he's got the resume to prove it. As he would

14:56

say, Google him and four

14:58

rings. You don't eat who that will

15:00

one chip? But Shannon

15:02

wasn't talking about chips. He was talking about league and VP on

15:04

his which we know Shaq definitely earned and deserved

15:07

more than one, or I actually deserved more than one.

15:09

They didn't give it more than one, but he definitely

15:11

deserved more than one. So

15:13

that's where Shannon was coming from with that. Shannon

15:17

knowing Shannon the way that I do. His

15:20

whole position would be, why

15:23

do you have jokicch on the air interviewing

15:28

him and congratulating him for winning the League

15:30

MVP Award, but in the same breath

15:32

tell him during

15:34

the interview you didn't think he deserved it. Why

15:37

would you do that to him on the day that he won the

15:39

award. Now, no matter

15:41

what position you take, both of them are Hall of Famous.

15:44

Both of them are champions Shannon and

15:47

football, Shack and basketball. It

15:49

is what it is, And you

15:53

can't talk about somebody how they really really feel

15:55

where you say they're envious to this or that, cause you don't know.

15:58

The Other side to that, however, is if

16:03

you shock you should feel

16:05

a bit salty about somebody getting three league MVPs

16:08

when you know you deserved at least that many.

16:11

You're wondering about the criteria, You're wondering what

16:13

it takes to really really judge you're wondering if there's a standard

16:16

being imposed or that was

16:18

imposed towards you and

16:20

that eraror that's not being imposed

16:22

now, and that might make you a

16:24

bit salty. That makes perfect sense

16:26

to me. I can't knock that. I feel

16:30

shock on that part, but also

16:32

feel Shannon. When Shannon's like, why would

16:34

you say to that man on the day he's receiving that award

16:36

he didn't deserve it in your opinion? Why

16:38

why would you do that to his face when

16:41

he comes on an air to be interviewed,

16:43

drop by you. That's

16:45

what it is, ladies and gentlemen. Here's my point

16:47

to both folks. Get the hell over it. Shannon's

16:50

got a platform Nightcap Club, Shayshay

16:52

doing this thing in a very very very big

16:54

way over the digital Stratosphey of

16:57

YouTube and beyond big things. Major

16:59

props to him. Shack is Shack the

17:02

man is an iconic figure, highly successful,

17:04

more commercials than anybody on the planet doing

17:07

his thing. Damn their worth,

17:09

closed up billion dollars himself. Shack

17:12

is fine. There's

17:14

nothing wrong with differences in opinion

17:18

as long as it doesn't get beyond

17:20

itself. Two

17:22

Hall of Famers orgain against one another with

17:24

their perspectives, makes total sense until

17:27

it gets personal. No need

17:29

for that, no need, just

17:32

my suggestion far being for me to

17:34

be the one to promote

17:36

peace amongst everyone.

17:40

But that's exactly what I'm doing. Coming

17:42

up, I might have seen the best first

17:44

pitch ever thrown at a baseball game ever.

17:47

We'll talk about that, plus

17:49

fine, funny and financial.

17:52

What do all three have to do with

17:55

dating? Oh

17:58

I'll get into that in a second. You'll see

18:00

why. But first, he's

18:02

the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and a longtime friend.

18:05

The one and only Doc Rivers joins me next

18:07

to talk playoffs and respond to

18:09

the recent criticism from

18:11

the one and only JJ Reddick himself.

18:14

That's next right here, when the Steven

18:16

A. Smith Show, You don't go away?

18:22

Oh my lord, have you been watching

18:25

the NBA playoffs? Because you know I have, and

18:27

yes, they've been fantastic, make no mistake

18:29

about it. But do you know what else makes watching them

18:31

even more exciting, even more scintillating?

18:34

Prize Pects. Of course, that's what the hell I'm

18:36

talking about. In case you didn't know, you didn't

18:38

notice, Prize Pects is a daily fantasy had

18:40

where You can select two or more of your favorite players

18:42

and then pick more or less on their projected stats

18:45

for the game. So with a big event happening

18:47

each and every single night, Prospects

18:49

is here to help you cashing on all that real

18:52

time action. I make my picks every night

18:54

in less than sixty seconds. Then

18:56

I sit back, I watch, and I wait for

18:58

the cash. But pet doesn't stop

19:00

at the NBA. Oh No, you can choose

19:02

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19:05

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19:07

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19:09

To get this, Prospects will match your first

19:11

depositive up to one hundred dollars. You heard

19:13

me right. Go to Prospects dot com and use code

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19:18

deposit match of up to one hundred dollars,

19:20

that's SAS. When you go to Prospects dot com

19:22

and use the promo code pick more, pick

19:25

less. It's really really that easy.

19:31

Welcome back to the Steven Nix Smithshow right here with the Digital

19:33

Airways YouTube. Let's get to a

19:35

little baseball before I get back to the NBA

19:37

for a second. Please, last week, golf

19:40

legend John Daily throughout the ceremonial

19:43

first pitch at a St. Louis Cardinals game.

19:46

No, not only for his game, but also

19:48

for his colorful fashions. Daily sported

19:50

a card shirt, flowered shirts,

19:53

flowered shorts, I'm sorry, and flip

19:55

flops on the mound, and he didn't

19:57

disappoint. Firing off a striking to the catchers.

19:59

Glove had fans at the stands giving

20:02

him a rousing ovation, a rousing

20:04

approval. I mean I had. I

20:07

tried to pull that off for myself. Uh,

20:09

but it didn't work out quite as

20:11

well as that pitch right there in flip

20:14

flops and appear of shorts with a card

20:16

new shirt. Look at that man right there throw out

20:18

that damn first pitch. Needless to say,

20:20

I did no such thing. I did no such

20:23

thing. Let me transition to the NBA

20:25

and get to my first guest here, coach,

20:28

throw one and only Doc Rivers for the Milwaukee

20:30

Bucks. Isn't as now, Coach? I know you

20:32

saw you were teasing me for months about my first

20:34

pitch. You saw what John Dealy did. Go

20:36

ahead, man, just just get it out your systms. Go ahead

20:38

and laugh at me.

20:39

Man, Listen, this is all gonna say

20:41

I'm gonna I got a feeling

20:44

that mister Daly probably had some

20:46

secret sauce in him, right, and so he

20:49

didn't feel any nerves.

20:50

He felt nothing.

20:52

That's what impress

20:54

damn it.

20:55

That's our story. We sticking to it because he threw it

20:57

right down the middle. I was impressed with him for crying

20:59

out loud and but Doc is good

21:01

to see you, man. Sorry, the Milwaukee

21:03

Bucks are out of the postseason. After inheriting

21:06

the team midseason, they were thirty

21:08

and thirteen A few games later, you come,

21:10

you take over. Y'all finished seventeen and nineteen

21:12

in the regular season. Of course, you lost to the

21:15

Indiana Pacers in the first round. Your thoughts

21:17

on how this season unfolded for you

21:20

and what went wrong with the Milwaukee Bucks.

21:21

This year, Well, it was just difficult,

21:24

you know.

21:24

Obviously they felt they

21:26

need to make a change, and they did that

21:28

even though with the record they had, and you know,

21:31

I've been on record by Griff like, I

21:33

just wish they got a different shape.

21:35

For sure.

21:36

The dude is going to be an NBA

21:38

coach that he should be. We

21:41

talked still all the time. Havn't said

21:43

that for us, it was more health

21:46

and road and we just never got it together,

21:48

steidn't they I can't wait for this summer

21:51

for next season, they have a training camp

21:54

and Yo, listen, you're seeing it right now with the Knicks.

21:56

You're seeing it with every team. If you're not healthy

21:58

in the playoffs, you're not gonna win.

22:00

It's just at the end of the

22:02

day, that's the bottom line.

22:04

Listen, Yanna's got hurt before the playoffs began. Damien

22:06

Little got hurt during the playoffs, and he was

22:08

hurt prior to the playoffs as well. So

22:10

I get where you're coming from. But explain

22:13

for novices out there who don't understand,

22:16

particularly in this day and age, exactly

22:18

what a full training camp will

22:20

do for a team, a coach like yourself,

22:22

and the team itself.

22:23

For those that don't understand, oh, it's

22:26

so important, and not only just a poor training

22:28

camp, but a poor training camp of your staff as

22:31

a coach, but getting.

22:33

Everybody on the same page.

22:35

Listen, what the way the schedule is

22:37

now? And as crazy as this sound,

22:39

I think all coaches would agree it

22:42

was easier five years ago

22:44

before they changed the scheduling, because

22:46

right now you get out of camp you

22:48

don't have a lot of practice days. You really

22:51

don't. You have every other day you

22:53

play. You have very few off days.

22:55

So in inheritance you have very

22:58

few practice days, and it makes it

23:00

so difficult. But getting your team organized

23:02

through training camp and preseason is

23:05

so important offensively and defensively.

23:07

The language, the style you.

23:09

Want to play, the pace you

23:11

want to play into the game sets.

23:13

You do all that in training camp and

23:16

then by the end of the year you actually

23:18

know which one of those sets worked the best.

23:21

Your chemistry is better. Camp's important,

23:23

it really is.

23:24

You know, when I look at you and I look at your career, you're a

23:26

champion. You won a championship in two thousand and eight coach

23:28

of the Boston Celtics. Obviously, went to the finals, lost

23:30

in the seven game series, Game seven to the Los

23:32

Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant and all of that stuff.

23:35

Obviously, you've had a very

23:37

impressive career overall, over your

23:39

twenty four plus seasons as a head coach

23:41

in the National Basketball Association. Yet

23:44

taken over this job, a lot of people looked at you and they

23:46

say, yo, Dot you on. Watch

23:48

you under pressure. This could be it for you.

23:50

Did you feel that kind of pressure at all going

23:52

into this job and do you feel it now

23:54

going into next season?

23:56

I really don't feel a lot of pressure, Steven, And you

23:58

know me better than that, Listen. I'm

24:01

fourth in or fourth in playoff

24:03

wins and eighth and career

24:06

winning. So want a title,

24:08

want to win another one. That's why I'm doing this. And

24:10

so with that, yeah, that's pressure.

24:13

But as far as all the other stuff, I don't. I don't

24:15

feel a lot, Listen. I've had a lot of success,

24:18

had some failures too. But even

24:20

in the failures, you know, I look at all those

24:22

and some of those, no one look at how we got

24:24

there. You know, being an eighth seed losing

24:26

to the Detroit Pistons is never something

24:28

you should feel bad about. And you know what I'm

24:31

saying, so uh, but winning

24:33

shit carry pressure,

24:35

right Like if you put yourself in a

24:38

position and I keep doing it and I do it on

24:40

purpose. I put myself on

24:42

purpose in situations that teams

24:45

have a chance to win, and with that

24:47

comes pressure, and with all with that

24:49

also comes when it doesn't work out,

24:51

You're gonna be the first to go, especially in

24:53

this day and time. I tell coaches

24:55

that all the time. Listen, we signed up for it. Do

24:58

I think uh As should have been

25:00

fired. No, I don't think budget the fired. I don't

25:02

think you know, all

25:06

these guys have been fired of late could

25:08

have been fired this year. Evan said that we've

25:11

all signed up for it, and we all dined up for

25:13

it again.

25:13

So you just have to take it, and you have to take the pressure

25:16

with it.

25:16

You and I go back decades when I've disagreed

25:18

with you. You know, I tell you, you know, I ain't shy about

25:21

it. I look at you and I tell you this way, I stay in coach,

25:23

here's wired all that stuff, and then you correct me like

25:25

you usually do. I didn't feel that

25:27

way about your last year Philadelphia.

25:29

I felt that I didn't think that was on

25:31

you at all. I just felt like there

25:33

were other circumstances. Don't get me started with James

25:35

Harden at that particular moment in time. Don't even

25:37

get me start. I ain't gonna repeat what I said. But

25:40

in the end, when you departed from

25:42

Philly with Joe l andb with Hearted,

25:44

with Maxie who you were telling me and

25:46

Will Bond, Mike my Man, Michael, Will bom for you.

25:48

This dive, Maxie is going to be special. He's something

25:51

spectacular to behold when you look

25:53

at things and Howard ultimately transpired

25:55

in Philadelphia. How fortunate did you feel

25:58

after departing from Philadelphia to land

26:00

the job in Milwaukee.

26:02

You know, it's funny. I knew I was gonna get a job.

26:04

I've had calls, had

26:07

several calls doing the beginning

26:09

of the season, so I wasn't that concern.

26:12

But Steve and I told you I was not taking

26:14

another job unless I thought

26:17

it we legitimate had a chance to win.

26:19

I just was not gonna do that.

26:21

You know, high character, great

26:24

organizations, all that stuff matters

26:27

so much, not only just with the players,

26:29

it matters more for coaching. I

26:31

know all the people in Milwaukee. I know the ownership of

26:33

Milwaukee, John Hurst,

26:35

I've known. So it helped

26:37

me to take that job. Going

26:39

back to Milwaukee. For me, it was important. You know, that's

26:42

where I started at Marquetta.

26:44

There's so many good things

26:46

for me to go back there. Otherwise,

26:48

Listen, I had a fun time with

26:50

my bring let me tell you, Mike Indoors.

26:53

We were having a ball and

26:55

it was refreshing. It was refreshing too. I

26:57

needed that break from coach,

27:00

so all that was good. I just fell

27:02

into a great situation, and you

27:04

always go fortunate when that happened.

27:06

You were working for the A team on

27:08

ESPN ABC with Mike Green and Darisburg,

27:10

that's who you were alluding to. You departed

27:12

to take this head coaching job. Now JJ

27:15

Reddick is there. JJ Reddick

27:17

was on the record getting on you pretty

27:19

pretty pretty adamantly about

27:22

some of the things that you were saying. Once you ultimately

27:24

ended up in Milwaukee and talked about passing a buck

27:26

or whatever, did you ever did you two ever talk about

27:29

that? Did you ever resolve that with one another?

27:31

No?

27:31

No, I you know, JJ's had a problem with

27:33

me for a while, and that's fine. Players

27:36

do one thing when you when you coach stephen

27:38

A. You can be called a players coach or whatever

27:40

you want to be called. But if you make decisions

27:43

that the player doesn't agree with, and JJ's

27:45

case, we didn't cite him back, you

27:48

know, And with the Clippers, I stopped playing

27:50

him as much because he wasn't

27:52

very effective in the playoffs, and you know

27:55

that's all known.

27:56

But I'm fine with that. Like usually

27:58

They all come back to you.

28:00

They do because they know

28:02

everything you tried to teach them or do for them

28:05

was in good. JJ Reddick's best numbers of

28:07

his career was under one coach, and you're

28:09

looking at him right here. I'm

28:12

the one that grabbed him out of Milwaukee and decided

28:14

to start him from that point on

28:16

his career. Took off all the movement

28:18

plays, everything, first play of the game. Every

28:21

game when we played with the Clippers, you would

28:23

have coaches and teams come up to you and say, you're

28:26

not going to score on that first

28:28

play with JJ, and I would always they

28:30

just watch us, We're gonna figure it out. So

28:32

overall, nothing my love for JJ. Obviously

28:35

there's things he doesn't like, and I have no

28:37

issues with him.

28:38

How do you feel about the thought of him being a head

28:41

coach in the NBA, because that's what the rumors

28:43

are saying that ultimately he's going

28:45

to be a head coaching candidate. They've mentioned him as Charlotte,

28:47

They've mentioned him with the Los Angeles Lakers. That's

28:49

to just mention two teams. How

28:51

do you feel about that, knowing what you know about him

28:54

as a basketball mind and now a

28:56

basketball commentator.

28:58

Well, he has a great mind, really

29:00

does. And listen, that's how I got it. I

29:02

went into commentator and got a head coaching job.

29:05

So I personally,

29:07

I really hope he gets the job because Danie'll

29:09

understand some of the things that he has

29:11

a problem with me and other coaches that you hear on his podcast.

29:14

He'll realize, not as these as you think,

29:17

and some of these decisions that you have to

29:19

make are brutal. Me and pat Riley,

29:21

and it's in one of the books. We had a

29:23

drag out fight, like an argument

29:25

in.

29:26

Pat Riley's office.

29:28

Jeff Ben Gundy and Dick Harder

29:30

used to tell his story that they was steading at the door

29:33

because they thought they were gonna have to come.

29:34

In this This is what you New

29:36

York Knicks when you are remember the New York Knicks.

29:40

Yeah, we had a crazy argument and

29:43

then I decided I was gonna coach.

29:45

Five years later, and it took me about

29:47

two years. I remember calling pat Riley's the

29:49

coach. I'm sorry for that argument.

29:52

I see now what

29:54

you saw, but I didn't see it then. And I

29:56

think a lot of players would get in this business

29:58

find that out.

30:00

Talking to Doc Rippers right here with Steven A. Smith getting

30:02

back to Milwaukee for a quick second. Any

30:04

reason for anybody in the basketball

30:07

world to be concerned, including yourself,

30:10

about the future of Jannis at

30:12

the Tumpo in Milwaukee,

30:14

because obviously he's a superstar. We

30:16

all know how big Tommy is. We know he's

30:18

under contract in Milwaukee. But in the same

30:20

breath, you always hear little rumblers. If

30:22

it doesn't go this way, this doesn't go that way, Yiannis

30:25

might want out. Do you find yourself ever concerned

30:27

about that at all?

30:28

No, not at all. I haven't said that. You

30:31

listen, you never know.

30:32

But usually all those things don't come from

30:34

inside of Milwaukee.

30:36

They come from outside of Milwaukee.

30:38

I think they look at Milwaukee as a small

30:40

market, and you think guys want to go

30:42

to a big market. I mean, you're hoping everyone

30:45

goes want to go.

30:48

You know me, coach, you know me. I

30:51

want everybody on the Knicks. I want everybody on the Knicks.

30:53

You know how I am coach. I can't help it. I can't

30:55

help it. Let me transition to the postseason

30:57

here, and I know you're limited

31:00

than what you could say because you're a coach in the NBA, and I

31:02

get that. I ain't gonna ask you, boy, no free age or nothing like that.

31:04

I'm just talking about the basketball that

31:06

we're seeing in the postseason.

31:09

Speak to me about what you're seeing and what

31:11

you find yourself most excited

31:13

about in terms of what you're watching right now.

31:16

Well, first of all, I think it's been awesome. You

31:19

know, the Knicks just and I hate to tell

31:21

you this, but the Knicks have been just fun

31:23

to watch get ahead.

31:24

They really have been.

31:25

And this Pacers series, you know, I told

31:27

you before this series, so no one's thinking

31:29

about the Indian the Pacers, but I'm telling you their ball

31:32

pressure that they put on you will

31:34

wear you out. I thought, you

31:36

know, obviously our health wars out,

31:38

but I thought they're ball pressure us fighting to

31:40

get the ball up the floor.

31:42

They ain't fighting to get up the floor.

31:43

I thought each game will dame

31:45

out more and more and Chris Milton

31:48

as well, and I thought that was a major

31:50

problem for us.

31:52

So I'm looking at it right now. That's a big time

31:54

that. Listen, the Indiana Pacers are

31:56

incredibly impressive offensively, defensively.

31:59

By the way you sound, we haven't given them

32:01

enough credit for what they do with their

32:03

ball pressure. But you know what, somebody who

32:05

will remain nameless taught me that you

32:07

beat that ball pressure by passing the

32:10

damn ball. And once you pass the ball, that

32:12

defense usually is gonna be helpless to do anything

32:14

against you once you alleviate that

32:16

pressure that they were provided. Don't you feel

32:18

that can be the case with the Knicks, even with their depleted

32:21

bodies.

32:22

It's huge, But you also

32:24

have to have the right players to be able to do that. You just can't

32:27

throw a hand to anyone, you know, you have to make

32:29

sure you have the right person they're to be able

32:31

to do that, I think, but Indiana

32:33

does a great job.

32:34

They're just trying to take a clock and wear

32:36

you down once you got it across

32:38

half court. The Nick's are very good

32:40

in scoring.

32:41

It's just getting it up and then getting it back

32:43

to brunts and like, even if he doesn't

32:45

bring it up, he still has to get it back

32:48

and they're gonna deny you and they're gonna fight you. It's

32:50

exhausting and you can see that. Look at what

32:53

Minnesota did to Denver in those first two games.

32:56

Very similar.

32:57

The ball pressure would left it wore them

32:59

down. The difference is dres

33:02

this guy named Joker who they can

33:04

throw the ball to and he can bring the ball up or

33:06

or they can use aaron.

33:08

They used a reardon.

33:09

They used a regardon last night to bring the ball up

33:11

the court to take the pressure off Jamal.

33:13

Murray and it was fantastic. And

33:15

then they still don't get it to Murray. They get

33:18

it to Joker and then Murray comes around

33:20

go all the handoffs. So they're kind of built to

33:22

build that type to beat that type of pressure.

33:24

Most teams are not.

33:25

One of the biggest news of the series between

33:27

Minnesota and Denver is a Steven

33:30

A. Smith, Your buddy embarrassed himself by

33:32

saying that the Minnesota Timber was on the verge of sweeping

33:35

the reigning defending NBA champions because

33:37

Doc in that game too first

33:39

half. I don't think I've seen

33:41

defense played like that in more

33:44

than thirty years. The last time I remember seeing

33:46

close to thirty years. The last time I remember seeing

33:48

defense played like that was when Jordan

33:50

came back to avenge a loss

33:53

in when he finally returned to ninety five and lost

33:55

to Orlando. When he came back to Avenger by

33:57

getting Rodman and him pipping and rodmin

33:59

went after all Lando in Game one of at Eastern

34:01

Conference Finals. That was an annihilation. They

34:03

won that game, damn there about forty I couldn't

34:05

believe what I saw. I hadn't seen

34:08

defense like that what Minnesota

34:10

played in the first half of game too, And I said,

34:12

what are you gonna do with your denver? I can't believe

34:15

this, And sure enough they find

34:17

a way to come back. The second big thing, though,

34:19

is this, how are you, Rudy Gobert, your full

34:21

time defensive player of the year, but

34:23

then the postseason arrives and you look

34:26

like anything? Buck? Can you explain that, coach?

34:28

Well, a lot of times teams go small and

34:30

they kind of play them out. In this series,

34:32

he's playing against one of the greatest centers of all

34:35

time.

34:35

So it's not as much as how bad Rudy

34:38

is.

34:38

It's just how good Joker is, in my opinion, and

34:41

Joker's power, Like I think you didn't

34:43

get enough credit how strong and big

34:45

he is. When you watch these games,

34:47

I mean, Rudy is literally just bouncing

34:50

off of him. Yes, it just takes you to the power

34:52

that Joker can play with and he doesn't get enough

34:55

credit for that.

34:56

So you do see that.

34:57

I thought, as far as great defense

34:59

sit interview, I thought you were gonna say to

35:02

pat Riley.

35:02

Nicks, Yeah, that's true, that's true.

35:05

But let thrown that out first.

35:08

That was years.

35:09

Earlier than the Jordan in ninety five, ninety six,

35:11

three years. They're earlier than that guy. But but

35:14

let me ask you this, because I've been underestimating

35:17

Dallas because I like the fact that they picked

35:19

up Gafford. I like Gafford and Lively. I

35:21

see they've got additional size. But Tim

35:24

Hardaway Junior was hurt before he came back.

35:26

PJ. Washington was supposed to be a good player's

35:28

supposed to be what we've seen in the games in

35:30

these last two games. If PJ. Wantshington

35:33

continues to play like this, Dats

35:36

could go to the finals.

35:37

Coach, they listen, you

35:39

don't want to get into a series

35:42

where the ace phades is

35:45

on the other team. You know, me

35:47

and Tom Tibberta when we were in Boston, we always had

35:49

to sing, let's not get

35:51

to a game seven if the phase is

35:53

on the other team. Right, you can make the case

35:56

as good as Shay Is and and and

35:58

and those young boys in Oklahoma

36:00

that you don't want to get in the game with Kerrie

36:02

and Luca in a game set, and.

36:04

That's what makes them.

36:05

They're better in the playoffs because

36:07

of that, the game flows a little bit.

36:10

The trades that they made the Nico.

36:12

And that group made before All Star Break have

36:14

made them a way better defensive

36:16

team. And Currie is just in a perfect

36:19

place right now. The way he's playing

36:21

is defending. They are a dangerous

36:24

team to face. But

36:26

I still think this could go either way.

36:28

I really do.

36:29

I just love Shay Shae. Maybe you know,

36:31

other than the guys I coached, and I coached

36:33

Shay before. I'm telling you, Steven

36:35

that only he's a great player. He's

36:37

everything good about our league and you want

36:40

to see him do well.

36:41

Everything great except that commercial. I didn't like him

36:43

singing in the commercial. That's it. Other than that, he's

36:45

great. And by the way, I voted for him for League

36:47

AMVP on as I thought he deserved it, even

36:50

over yokicch because they got the second youngest team

36:52

in the league and they were the number one seed in

36:54

the West and this brother scored over thirty

36:56

points in the game fifty plus times.

36:58

I say to me he should have in the league every

37:00

people, but that's neither here nor there. Denver

37:03

you're looking at them to the ranting defending champions,

37:05

they're acting like it. Coach, I will say

37:07

this about Anthony Edwards. There

37:09

was Jordan, then was

37:11

Kobe, and I'm seeing

37:14

elements Coach that reminds

37:17

me that this could be

37:19

his ever. And keep in mind, we were saying

37:21

that about those guys Jordan Kobe

37:24

before they won titles. We can say it about

37:26

Anthony Edwards before he wins the title. You

37:28

thought it's about him.

37:30

You know what's interesting?

37:31

A year and a half ago, Austin calls me

37:33

in training cap he's in Minnesota.

37:36

He says that this kid here will

37:38

be the best play in the league in two years. I

37:41

said, what in two years?

37:43

At that point two years ago, we were

37:45

not talking about him

37:47

that way and us I'm telling

37:49

you he has everything.

37:51

Uh.

37:52

He's mature more than you think, and

37:54

he's a stone blooded killer.

37:57

Uh. And that's what you're seeing him.

37:59

Like the game last night, he was

38:01

amazing.

38:01

He absolutely was amazing

38:04

defensively and offensively. He

38:06

just needed help and that's what

38:09

is gonna come down to for them. The

38:11

problem is they're playing the team that has wonted. You

38:13

know, it's like the mob they're made. Yes's

38:16

a Maine basketball team. Nothing's

38:18

gonna shake them, nothing's gonna make

38:20

them nervous. So

38:22

you're gonna have to beat them,

38:25

and beating a title team is

38:27

really hard to do.

38:28

Before I'll let you get on out of here real quick with a couple

38:30

of questions. You brought up your son, Austin Rivers,

38:32

who works here and who works with

38:34

is with me at ESPN doing a damn

38:36

good job, by the way. Your thoughts about

38:39

your son going out there on the Pat

38:41

McAfee show and saying I can get

38:43

thirty NBA players to play in the NFL

38:45

right now causing this whole brew

38:47

haha virally over social

38:50

media and beyond. What do you have to say

38:52

to your son about that, Doc Rivers, I'm.

38:54

Laugh I'm laughing at him, even though I

38:56

do think there's some points that he made.

38:58

They were pretty good.

38:59

You think about all the great tight ends who

39:01

played basketball mostly and then

39:03

joined the NFL.

39:05

It did pretty well. Tony Gonzalez and that

39:07

whole group.

39:08

Having said that, you don't talk about

39:10

football exactly.

39:12

I can't do that.

39:14

Yeah, he knew that he was joking, but the

39:16

personal stuff and all that got a little

39:18

bit out of hand. But they're all having fun

39:20

with it. It's a great debate, it really

39:22

is. You can't listen. You can make

39:24

the case Lebron James, come

39:26

on now, I wouldn't

39:28

have wonted.

39:29

Did you see him high school? You see Lebron

39:31

James play in high school?

39:32

Yeah, But Shannon Shat was talking about guys that

39:35

showed you saying they could go on the NFL

39:37

field right now, even though that's

39:39

what he was saying, that's what he was telling.

39:41

No one can do that.

39:43

No one could do that in any sport, you

39:45

know, other than Danny Ings. Danny

39:47

Inges went from baseball and walked

39:49

right on the basketball court. But there's

39:52

very few guys unless they've played it all

39:54

their life and could have gone the

39:56

way you know that, Dave Winfields,

39:58

the deon standers.

39:59

It's very few people can just cross over sports.

40:02

I do think the basketball athlete

40:05

probably can crossed over to more sports

40:08

than.

40:08

Any other sports. I will say

40:10

that.

40:11

And the toughest thing to do all the sports

40:13

is hitting the baseball and we all know that,

40:16

but it's a great thing for conversation.

40:18

I actually loved the conversation. I thought it was pretty.

40:21

Real quick sour notes somewhat

40:23

we both love him, but you can't

40:25

throw a basketball into the stands, not once,

40:27

but twice. And obviously, Patrick Beverley, your player

40:30

got a four game suspension handed down from

40:32

Adam So for I thought he was lucky and I thought

40:34

he should have thanked this heavily. Stars that David Stern

40:36

wasn't still alive in the commission of the NBA, otherwise

40:39

it would have been considerably longer. Anything

40:41

you want to say about that.

40:43

No, you know, I told him right away

40:45

when I found out about him, that's just not our

40:47

way.

40:47

We don't do that. You know. It's funny.

40:49

I didn't tell him to apologize, but he did it,

40:52

and so I was happy that he did it

40:54

on his own.

40:55

But you just can't do that, listen steaming

40:58

that you know, we.

40:59

Get called everything that

41:01

you just don't here, we really do.

41:03

And if we're on the street, whole different

41:06

ball game.

41:07

But in the game and in the profession that you're getting

41:09

paid for by the fans that are paying

41:11

for it, sometimes you just got to take it, and

41:13

that's what you have to do. Same thing with Murray. I'm

41:16

glad Murray, in my opinion, did not get suspended.

41:19

I've always been a non suspension guy.

41:22

Like play. Fans want to see people play.

41:24

They don't want to see guys get suspended.

41:26

So I thought the league every fine, which

41:28

I thought was great, but I'm glad they didn't suspend

41:31

it.

41:31

Last question, who you got in the finals? Who you got

41:33

going to the phone?

41:34

Man?

41:34

Uh, I'll put you on the spot today. Who

41:37

do you have to put on.

41:38

The spot right now? I'm still going Denver

41:40

in Boston.

41:42

I believe in Boston.

41:44

I do.

41:45

I mean, I don't want to because

41:47

I'm in the you know I can

41:49

tell you that. But right now

41:52

with if you factor in health, there's

41:54

not one healthy team in the e's left really

41:57

other than Boston. So I

42:00

would hit them right now for sure.

42:01

And you called them healthy and poor zingis is out? I mean,

42:03

come on now, because they still got so many weapons. So you're

42:05

absolutely right, Doc Rivers. I know you're busy. I know

42:07

you gotta catch a flight. Thank you for taking time out of your business

42:09

schedule. Appreciate you showing up on my show for

42:11

the first time. All the best of luck. And by the way, I'm

42:14

gonna keep my promise. I'm gonna end up getting on the golf course.

42:16

I don't know where coach I ended up getting on the golf course.

42:18

I'm working on the coach I'm working on trying to do. Thanks

42:22

a lot, coach, taking these men all right?

42:25

Coming up? Did you hear what

42:28

Joe Taylor said about what she

42:30

wants in a man? What ladies

42:32

want in a man? Did you hear did you

42:34

hear? Well, if you did it, you're

42:37

about to and Taylor Rooks talking.

42:41

I was listening. That's up

42:43

next right here. I'm a sleeping these mischell,

42:46

don't go away.

42:55

Welcome back to the step and Nate Smith Show right here over the

42:57

digital airways and YouTube. Earlier today on

43:00

First Take on ESPN, we went

43:02

back to a hot topic that blew up social

43:04

media last week, courtesy of the one and only

43:06

Austin Rivers. Can current

43:09

NBA players play in

43:11

the NFL? And vice versa.

43:14

We posed that question to NBA champion

43:16

Kendrick Perkins and NFL

43:18

Hall of Famer Shannon Shaw, both

43:21

of my boys on First Take.

43:23

Look at this exchange.

43:25

All the football football players

43:27

around the world.

43:27

They took offense to this.

43:29

Oh, but basketball players are soft,

43:31

They're not mentally strong and all this. They're

43:33

not mentally tough. Well that's a damn

43:35

lot. They have certain ones that are painted

43:37

like that. But I know a lot of professional

43:39

basketball players that have the mentality

43:42

shooting up.

43:43

Basketball is a scale fit and basketball

43:45

players are more skilled. I will

43:47

conceive that. But you see the difference

43:50

between football and basketball is a

43:52

mentality. We go out there every

43:54

Sunday and we try to move a man against

43:56

this will. We ain't trying to run

43:58

around people. We're trying to run through

44:00

people. Your mindset they built like

44:02

that, perk, y'all not built like that.

44:04

Do you think Lebron James could go play

44:07

football right now?

44:08

Absolutely not.

44:10

Perk you're talking about at

44:12

the highest level.

44:14

Do you understand what you're saying.

44:17

I get upset when football players talk

44:19

about I can go get ten points in the NBA,

44:21

or I can go make an Olympic team, or I

44:24

can play baseball, because you're

44:26

being disrespectful the other sports.

44:28

Give those sports the credit that

44:30

they deserve.

44:31

But this notion that you could

44:33

take five ten current NBA

44:36

players and put their ass on an NFL

44:38

field.

44:39

Go try it.

44:41

Here's way I think when you look at Austin

44:44

Rivers, he's been victimized here.

44:46

I think his words were taking a bit

44:48

too literally because he was on the Pat McAfee

44:51

show and he was joking around about it, and

44:53

you know, not that he wasn't serious, but

44:55

what they're saying is being what he said

44:57

is being taken a bit too literally. He's

45:00

talking about, in my estimation, is

45:02

that you have guys in the NBA

45:05

who would be very capable NFL

45:08

players, not necessarily that

45:10

they can walk in off the street after never

45:12

playing football and then all of a sudden

45:14

be on an NFL team just because of the athletic

45:17

prowess in the sport of basketball.

45:19

And I think that's how people are taking it. When you

45:21

hear Shannon shop going in the way that he's going

45:23

in, he's saying, not even Lebron

45:25

James can walk off a basketball

45:28

court, walk through the streets of America

45:31

and then all of a sudden going to an NFL stadium

45:33

and play professional football. There's no way

45:36

in hell that will happen, because we're

45:38

trying to break your will. You saw

45:40

Ryan Clark on a pivot talked about

45:42

how he's about breaking people in half

45:45

and caving in their chest and all of this other stuff.

45:47

This is what they're talking about, walking

45:50

through people or breaking them in half,

45:52

breaking their will. As Shannon Shape

45:55

was talking about Kendrick Perkins,

45:57

piggybacking off of Austin Rivers is

46:00

saying you've got athletes on

46:02

a National Basketball Association level

46:05

whose athletic prowess is so supreme

46:08

that from an athletic standpoint, they can get on

46:10

a football field. In terms of their toughness,

46:12

they can still get on a football field and

46:14

make some noise. But I think he was

46:16

saying it by intimating if

46:18

they were deciding to play

46:20

football, meaning practicing it, getting

46:22

themselves conditioned to do it, et cetera, et cetera.

46:25

Austin Rivers didn't say it that way. He just

46:27

acted as if you could come off the street and play football.

46:29

That's not necessarily the case when you look at the NFL,

46:32

when you look at the violence that comes along with the

46:34

NFL, When you sit up there and you listen to

46:36

people, statistically and from a data standpoint,

46:39

equate it to a damn truck accident

46:41

running into one another. You have

46:43

to be conditioned to deal with

46:46

that kind of violence. You

46:48

can't just walk on to an NFL football

46:51

field and think that you're ready for those

46:53

brothers and what they're accustomed to doing

46:55

on a week to week basis. That did come

46:57

across as disrespectful, and

47:00

Rivers meant it that way. He was disrespectful,

47:03

but I don't think he meant it that way. I really

47:05

really don't, So again, I

47:07

just want to point that out. Shannon

47:09

shap Kendrick Perkins both had legitimate

47:12

points, but I heard Shannon Shap loud

47:14

and clear, very very passionate about what he

47:16

said. And oh, by the way, Adamant, not even

47:18

Lebron James could walk off the basketball court and

47:20

walk into a football field right now, can't happen.

47:23

Can't happen? Now, let me move

47:25

on to a subject that I personally

47:28

was looking forward to tackling because it's fun

47:30

to me. I'm just gonna let you know that right

47:32

now. Okay. Recently,

47:35

media personality Joy Taylor of FS

47:37

one was speaking with co

47:40

host Taylor Rooks, the Great Taylor Rooks

47:42

on their Too Personal podcast

47:45

about what she wants in a man she

47:48

would consider dating and ladies

47:50

and gentlemen, I must say it

47:53

was pretty interesting to hear. Take

47:55

a look.

47:56

These hypotheticals have got us in a choke hold,

47:58

then we must free ourselves. It's fun

48:00

to argue about. It's fun to talk about

48:02

what you would do in this scenario, or would

48:04

you leave the game if the seats

48:07

were high, or if a man took

48:09

you this place on a first date?

48:10

What you would do?

48:12

And I'm telling you, like every

48:15

interaction that I have with people now, in

48:17

some way or another of these things come up.

48:19

Can we just keep it a bug?

48:22

If they're fine enough, if they're

48:24

funny enough, or if their

48:26

financial status is what you want

48:29

fine, funny fucking

48:31

money. You're

48:33

throwing all boundaries,

48:36

boundaries, standards,

48:40

all that shit you talked on Instagram

48:43

about how you would never and this woman

48:45

ain't kick because women this and men

48:48

this, you're it's here and

48:50

you're you're moving forward with this person.

49:01

I had to get up out of my seat to address

49:03

this particular topic. First

49:06

things first, Joy

49:08

Taylor and

49:10

Taylor Rooks are both

49:13

friends of mine.

49:16

I don't ignore the fact that they are beautiful

49:18

friends of mine because they both are gorgeous,

49:21

but they're also highly reputable

49:24

in this field, and two individuals I

49:26

am proud to call contemporaries and colleagues

49:28

in this business. They do a hell of a job.

49:31

And that was long before they had their own podcast.

49:33

Too personal, So let's get that out the way.

49:36

But I wanted to address my buddy

49:38

Joy Taylor, well

49:41

what she said, because

49:44

what you said was correct

49:46

me. If you're wrong, let me read. I

49:49

need my producers and my peeps

49:51

in studio. What does she say?

49:54

Funny? We were

49:56

in the three categories funny,

50:00

fine, financial status

50:04

last time I checked, she

50:06

said, Joy Taylor,

50:09

funny, Okay,

50:14

fine, fucking

50:16

money. She didn't

50:19

say money. There was a word that

50:21

came before that, which

50:23

that won repeat again. That's

50:25

four categories. That's not

50:27

three. Funny,

50:32

fine, and financial

50:35

are three categories. She

50:38

said money and

50:41

through the F word in there before.

50:43

That,

50:49

that F word before

50:52

money counts,

50:56

ladies and gentlemen, It really,

50:58

really really does.

51:01

Are you ladies willing to admit that this

51:06

is not a question for myself,

51:08

here's not a question for the fellas.

51:12

Joy Taylor threw that out

51:14

there, while Taylor Rooks nodded

51:17

in affirmation. So

51:20

I'll throw this to the ladies out there

51:23

from everybody from Corporate America to

51:25

the shade room to the digital

51:27

stratus, there to any way you choose.

51:30

If you're a woman, I

51:34

ask a simple question. Funny,

51:40

fine, fucking

51:43

money. That's

51:46

four categories.

51:49

You don't believe me. Let

51:51

me play it for you against so you can see it for yourself. Go

51:53

ahead, grin.

51:55

Fine, funny, fucking

51:57

money throwing.

52:02

I'm gonna say it again. Stop

52:05

it one more time, Play

52:07

it again so we make sure they heard it

52:09

correct that I didn't see it again.

52:12

Fit again.

52:13

If they're fine enough, if they're

52:15

funny enough, or if their

52:17

financial status is what you want,

52:20

fine, funny fucking

52:22

money.

52:23

Joy Taylor highly reputable, highly respectable,

52:25

woman, knows

52:29

of how she speaks, highly

52:31

articulate, highly intelligent. I

52:33

believe to be a star in this business. Who will

52:36

continue to be a star in this business, and so will

52:38

Tailor Rooks. You

52:40

think she threw out that word before

52:43

money by accident. I

52:47

was so proud of her.

52:50

Tears mine hold'll get

52:52

emotional because

52:54

we hear so much from ladies. It's

52:58

not just about that. It's about

53:00

what's in the heart. It's about chemistry,

53:03

it's about camaraderie, it's about a connection.

53:05

It's about communication, It's about all of these

53:07

things.

53:08

Nobody's denying that. But

53:10

that operative word that

53:13

Joy Taylor throughout

53:15

there allow

53:19

me to educate y'all about something. If

53:23

you're a man and ahead

53:26

of a sexual relationship with a woman

53:30

and you can't make sure that that

53:32

particular category

53:36

is iron clad established,

53:41

the fine, the funny,

53:45

and in most cases even the money

53:49

won't matter because

53:51

even with all of that, she

53:54

gonna look elsewhere. Big

53:58

Daddy Kane once said the

54:00

best for

54:03

every brother who won't there's a neighbor who will

54:07

I get the job done. Our

54:10

work, baby, Our

54:12

work, our

54:15

work baby.

54:18

That is what Joy Taylor

54:21

revealed to the world.

54:24

So I always knew I'm

54:29

willing to bet the house Taylor Rooks do that. The

54:32

fellas know that, most

54:35

of you ladies know that. Are

54:38

you willing to admit it? Joey

54:41

Taylor, thank you

54:43

so much for admitting

54:46

this to the world.

54:47

When last time, what you want fine,

54:49

funny, fucking money.

54:54

Let's go to the tweets, will we Let's

54:58

see what this is before we close out

55:00

the show. At Jackson's

55:03

zero nine nine six zero three

55:05

three five Steven A, what's

55:07

the best gift for Father's Day.

55:12

The best gift for Father's Day

55:18

is your child coming

55:21

to you and looking you in the face and telling you

55:24

I love you, daddy. That's

55:27

all I need. A

55:29

beautiful hug, a

55:31

beautiful kiss on the cheek, an

55:35

affection written all over that

55:37

child while they

55:39

utter, I love you, daddy.

55:43

Ain't no gift greater than that. Ain't

55:46

no gift greater than that. Next

55:48

tweek, what's up? Joe

55:51

Mizzoula writes

55:54

how many stephen A's would it take to fight

55:56

a full grown grizzly bear?

56:00

Say about fifty? Say

56:02

about fifty. I'm gonna

56:04

say that, because grizzly bell, I mean, lord, you

56:07

know, I mean it was about fifty. I

56:09

mean the pores are gonna knock off about twenty five

56:11

of them. You have to holding twenty other twenty five hold on for

56:13

dear life. That's a simple question. Let's go to the next one.

56:15

Please right here at

56:18

Dylan daft Dune writes a real

56:20

curve ball here stephen A, Fred Flintstone

56:23

or George Jetson in a street ball

56:25

game? To eleven,

56:30

I'm gonna say, Fred Flintstone, do you know why

56:33

you ever see him driving the car? It's pedaling the

56:36

quick feet. That's what I think.

56:38

I think even though he's bigger, he's

56:40

faster than mister George Jetson.

56:43

I know it doesn't seem that way too all

56:45

of this other stuff, but he's a big

56:47

boy as well. One four arm will hurt George Jetson.

56:50

I'm gonna go with Fred Flintstone. That's

56:52

it. That's how I feel about it. By

56:55

the way, I was still stuck on Joey tailing what she

56:57

said. It had a profound effect on

57:00

my day, probably

57:02

my night too, in a very

57:04

good way. That's it for

57:07

this edition of The Stephen A. Smith Show.

57:09

I'm gonna go away and smile a little bit more now.

57:12

I like when my thoughts

57:17

are so emphatically validated

57:20

Special Field million years