Ernie Johnson | Ep 92 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

midst of the playoffs. Man, it's my pleasure. Man, appreciate when I got the email. Yeah, yeah, definitely definitely making the time for absolutely. Man. Well, thank you. Let's jump right into a man. We are in Atlanta. The Atlanta Hawks have exceeded all expectations. What has the energy been like around here and what has it been like covering this young, exciting team. It's a story, man, this weekend,

didn't we're telling what's gonna be going. It's gonna be like on Sunday and UM and Saturday leading up to Sunday in Game three and then Tuesday with Game four. So man, the fact that they won that first one in Milwaukee and have done it every series so far. Go on the road and then you guys know, I mean it's it's not easy to do. Start a playoff series on the road and you know, beat somebody on their floor team. Yeah. Yeah. And you look at all

these guys who it's their first taste of it. Maybe they don't know any better, maybe they don't know they're not supposed to do. But that's what we're trying to figure out, Like what has it been of late? It's not only Atlanta's young core, but it's Phoenix's young core, and there's other young cores that you know, normally the narrative of you know, young players in the playoffs, like

there hasn't been any of that this year. What can you contribute that to maybe a big games leading up to their NBA career or just yeah, I mean it's just it's just tough to figure because I mean, just look at Atlanta, so you're the five seed. You've got to open up in New York and everybody's talking about or look what Tips has here and look at Julius Randall.

Look at this is gonna be very you know, it's gonna be tough series and then they take care of that in five and then you say, okay, okay, this will be different now with Philly because Philly has been close to getting to where they want to be, and there's all this, you know, just happy to be here. This is what the Hawks should be. Now it's house money, and now it's you know, it's a swing. You know,

it's a free swing. And that's I guess some of that is Nate's influence, Nate McMillan's influence, um, and that's what you have to rely on because you know, you look at who's been there. Okay, Love has been a lot of playoff games, Capella has been in playoff games, Tony Snell has been in playoff games. But there's you know, there's not one of these voices, you know of a guy who's been way deep in the playoffs and knows exactly what it takes to get to this level that

they can to you know, tune into. So I think it's I think Nate's influence has been great, and you know his I'm reading what he says after these games and it's like, look, everybody in the NBA has got talent. Every every team's got talent. He said, but when you got a team that cares for each other and plays for each other and plays the right way, there's no telling where you can go with it. And man, they've been showing me something. And but you know, look, I'm

talking to two players here. You guys know a player's mindset a lot better than I do. But when you're in there for the first time and it doesn't look like it, I mean, where's where does that? Where does that come from? And it's it's not like, not only have we not been here, it's like we're gonna relish being here and we're not gonna be satisfied with just making it, you know. So it's been a fun story

to watch. Man, n Nate was tough minded. So if you know anything about Nate McMillan, how he played the game, you know this team is playing just like him as a player because he was he was one of a great defend the real tough minded guy. And I think that's I think that's of transferring over to those young guys. You know what's crazy too when you look at the Hawks and they do all this on the road, and most of the the trades big games have come on the road,

on the road. This is a team the last year when they didn't you know, they didn't even go to the bubble, they won six games on the road. Last year, they've won six games in the playoffs on the road. I mean you talk about a transformation. Man, That's that's when other teams can't get them can buy a game on the road. Exactly right, exactly right. What are your thoughts about the Hawks and the young cor leading by

Trey Young and John Collins? Like, and we're definitely surprised that everything they're doing, but these two, you're telling, two young guys are really leading this team and making a name for themselves. When you think about those two guys, I think for the majority of the of the basketball public, the diehards all know Trade John Collins, the fringe guys, you know, the people who watch, Yeah, the casual who

may just tune in, Oh it's playoff time. And Kenny like the other night part of our show, and I will get around to answering your question. It's just and I'm really long winded. Part of our show is like we realize that they're gonna be eyeballs on the set that maybe haven't been there. So our producer Jeremy Levin the other day says, we're gonna have a little Meet the Bucks and Meet the Hawks starting five kind of a thing. You So, we're just a little little bio

page on each guy. So we cranked this thing out. We did the Bucks first, and Kenny is just killing us. Why are we doing this? You think we don't know who the Greek freak is? You think we don't know who Chris Middleton has said, we're not doing this show for you. We're doing this show for the fans who are watching and may not know. And so then when you then when you get to the Kevin Herders of the world, and Shack says, I'm never gonna and I'm

never gonna call it another man red velvet. You know, it's like he'd rather call him OPI and so um I think I think at that point, you know, we're introducing some players to the public, and there's a guy like John Collins, who is man. He got this greyhound kind of a body. Man. I mean, he's built strong, jump out of the gym. He even told us the other day, you know, but we had him on the game on the postgame show, and he says something about you know, I mean I have some freakish you know,

athleticism to he does. But you're you're looking at guys like this, who um, you know, not just talking about it, they're being about it. So you need a double double and you need a corner three late in the game on the other guy's floor. I mean John Collins was huge. Um, so yeah, they've just they've got this good young mix. And while everybody's heard of Trey, uh, it's the Kevin Herders,

it's the John Collins, it's the Bog Bogdanovich. Uh. Those guys who are who are getting it done, and everybody, you know, you kind of sleep on Clint Capella. But he has nineteen rebounds and he has two offensive boards in the fourth quarter, and yeah, exactly know the Gelo coming and playing this old game. You're right, You're right, man. I mean they got these pieces and it's it's not knock your socks off kind of personnel when you look

at it and say, well, let's look at this. Brooklyn has boom Book and Atlanta has But when you're playing together and you're playing for each other and you're playing the right way, no telling things happening. Born in Milwaukee, You've been in Atlanta, uh since a youngster. So what is this kind of matchup kind of meant to you personally being someone from Milwaukee and then obviously residing in Atlanta. Yeah, you know, it's that is what it is. I had

no control over any of those things. You know. I had no control over where I was born. I had no control over where we moved. You know. I was born in Milwaukee. My dad as a ballplayer, baseball player, and so he played for the Milwaukee Braves. And then when when the Braves moved to Atlanta, it's like, here we go. When I made or nine, I'm not saying no, Dad, I'm not going, you know, I'm going down there, but

it is it's an interesting kind of a deal. And um, I'll always have this place in my heart for Milwaukee. When we were there for the Eastern Conference finals two years ago, it was awesome. People were so nice, were back to my old neighborhood. We had a we had a cook out in the front yard of my old house.

H people who lived there. U. The other people who who have moved into the house I used to live in have always been so accommodating, Like I'd go up there for the p G A championship, you know when we were calling that, and I'd swing by the house, come on in, go you know, look at your old room and and those things. Those are crazy. But yeah, that night and it was a beautiful spring night and everybody comes out of their house, everybody's milling around, Shock

comes by, Chuck Chucks there it was. It was awesome and so um, yeah, it's just a it's a kind of a unique thing, certainly, something we haven't seen in a while in the league. Having Atlanta Milwaukee you matched up. But happy for the city of Atlanta to again having lived here as long as I have and seeing a lot of different regimes and and knowing that you like when Mike for Tello had this team, and you remember those those teams that doctor Doc and Nick and Randy Whitman,

Antoine Car John Battle. You know, um, and that was a hot ticket and it's good to see a hot ticket back. Aside from the Hawks, what players and teams have you been impressed within the playoffs this year? Mary? How do you? I guess you gotta start Phoenix, don't

you know? I mean, Devin Booker again, to watch Devin Booker, watch Trey Young act like they've you know, And I always make a note before a series starts, and I look at you know how many playoff games you've been in, you know, and these playoffs start, and you've got a zero next to books name, You've got a zero next to trades name. Booker has been Booker has been tremendous. Again, that's another one of those teams. You know, Monty Williams done such a great job and and and they are

fun to watch. Chris Paul is amazing, you know, just his um again, and you guys could speak to this. I hate to preface every answer with you guys could speak to this better than I can't. But it's true. But just the intangibles that he brings, just the confidence that he instills, the leading by example. You know, here's how the game's played. Watch me. You know, I'm not going to preach to you how to do it, but watch and and so you know, that's a team that

plays both ends of the floor. Mckel bridge is one of the best defensive players out there eights you know, come until then. I think he took that a d matchup in the first round. Personally's been riding. Yeah, no doubt from that first game. I think that first game of his playoff career was huge. If he'd gone out there and A d had just eating his lunch, and it might have been maybe I'm not ready for this,

not even and here at this point, if that's what happened. Instead, after that game, everybody's talking about, well, look who I played, Anthony Davis. So yeah, I think they've been impressive. I think, you know, shoot, Paul George has had a great post su um trying to especially when you lose Kauai. He's stepped up. Yeah, I think he takes a lot of unfair heat, unforced. He's like someone that people just love

to hate on for some reason. You might have gotta think everyone was loving him and felt bad for him when he hurt himself and then he kind of got himself back to old p G. And then he's just, for some reason, the guy that people love to attack. And I love that he's been able to first and foremost address the mental and psychological toll it took on him in the bubble last year and coming out of it.

We had him on the show before the season starting he just said, you know, I'm locked in this year and I'm back to myself and I've been able to love to see the Obviously there's some ups and downs,

but for overall, he's been playing great. And and I think part of that whole thing two is, you know, you get this Twitter beef and stuff like that, and you know, something happens and somebody fires at you, and then you returned fire, and then and then all of a sudden, it's like, hold on, how did this become the story over this? And so that whole narrative is playing out. But yeah, he's he's been he's been great. Um, and you know, on the Milwaukee side, you know, it's

it's like, here's your opportunity. You know, two years ago you had it. You had a chance to go to the finals, and you didn't get it done. And now you know, obviously everybody knows a freak. And but I think Drew Holiday has been great. And I don't know PJ having p J having that series where he's just bird dogging Kevin Durant and talking to his mom, you know, and that that was one of the cool things to me. Game seven, it's like a yeah, it's like a one

point game. It's game seven, third quarter. Here he is talking to Wanda, you know, and love you too, you know. So no, there as as in every playoffs every year, there there were great stories. There are great moments that

you just you're glad to be a part of. And um and then to watch, you know, I can't wait to see what happens in this Atlanta Milwaukee game as we speak here on this Milwaukee game, on game two, UM, because part of you thinks, well, maybe let's see if the Hawks are satisfied with getting that first one and now let's get back to our place, or again if if that just doesn't even enter the equation. But like you said, they're young, and sometimes those young teams don't

know no better. Luck where Milwaukee, we're coming to win, period, exactly right. You know what's funny too about the Bucks this year. I'm trying to make sure our numbers are right because but they have thirty three games this year where they shot fift haven't had one in the postseason. They have not shot fifty yet and yeah not not in the game. And in their three balls, I mean they're shooting from three and there you know, they were that's where they live. So um, it's just a nugget

to throw out there. See if I were on the show right now, Charles, I don't care about that. You are your numbers. Good morning was very close. You know most of the big market teams. All of the big market teams are at home right now. You know, Lakers, uh heat, Nick, Celtics, Golden State seventies sis. I've been impressed still that it really feels like still the energy and the numbers are saying that this is still the

most watched playoffs since two thousand two. Um, it really feels like the league is not necessary passing the torch chip, but the league is in great hands with this young talent that is on the rise. Sure, people get carried away with numbers and ratings and that kind of thing. I'm like the worst person in the world to talk to about that because I don't care if one person is watching or eight billion or watching our show. You're gonna do it the same You're gonna do it the

same way. And um, I'm just rooting for compelling series. That's all That's all you can possibly want, is that is that people during the day when they're at work. Um, and they're saying, man, I can't get home. I can't wait to get home and watch that game tonight. You know you're not gonna get that. The series of Standing three, Oh you know, it's just like I'm you know, I get there. But when when when series are like this, I don't care which city is represented. We just want

I just want compelling games. I want to much. I want you to look back like people are at the water cooler today. If water coolers still exist, I don't even know. You know, they're saying, man, did you stay up and watch that Clipper game? Yeah? Yeah I did, and and so um, that's what we're hoping for. Man, that's that's what we want. Nobody's rooting for teams. People want to say that, oh man, you guys are off. You are so you know, I know we're not. We

just want the games to be good. Man. Let's have triple over time, Let's have you know, let's have dramatic. Let's have eight and Duncan at the you know, with seven tenths of the second off the board in the playoff, Katie with his gass feet on the line, they could have sent Milwaukee home. But instead, I mean isn't I mean, aren't Those moments are just like wow, yeah and so yeah, this is a great time of year for us. What was it like moving down the ages nine? I had

no idea what Atlanta was, where Atlanta was. You know, you're nine years old, eight nine, I'm I think I was probably eight going on nine, you know, and you're you're in Milwaukee, you know, just doing whatever eight year old is doing Milwaukee, and all of a sudden, it's okay, going to Atlanta. I didn't know if that was like next to Brazil or near Antarctica. I had no idea where Atlanta was, you know, because of the reason for the move. Had you excited because okay, your dad works

for the Braves. My dad was a broadcaster at that point, you know, so um, it was just like, man, I can't wait to you know, go to a new ballpark and you know, watch ball games and that kind of thing. And I look and I realized I had I had this like this dream childhood, growing up the son of a ballplayer, you know, and I'm broadcaster. Because you go, you know, I'm going to the stadium with him. You know, he's going there six hours before first pitch. You know,

and doing this stuff and everything. Yeah, I'm sitting there. I'm sitting here with my four arm on the bed in cage watching Hank Aaron takes one and I'm like, dare I shoot man? You know, I mean, I had it. It was great. So uh so moving down here was awesome. We had to get used to how to get used to some accents and that kind of thing. Here's the true here's a true story. My my mom. They have been doing some roadworks and my mom drives over some new paved road and all this stuff splashes up on

the side of the car. And so she says, we pulled into this gas station when they used to have full syrup, you know, when the guy comes out and said, my mom says, I need you, I need you to get the tar off my car. And he says, which tar is it? She said, no, the tar that splash knows that the left front tar or is it the rod time like, oh okay, welcome. So okay. Yeah, so that that was our first that was our first lesson

in the southern drawl. That's so growing up, as you know, having your dad in the major leagues and then transition into broadcast. What was that like as a young kid in school and and and around your friends. You know, it's, um, it's an interesting point because it was you got a lot of that, Well, he's just he just made the All Star team because his dad's the Braves, and you know, there was you know, there was some of that built in stuff like that, and or he's just doing this

because his dad blah blah blah. You get used to some of that stuff. You realize obviously that unless you prove it on your own, career is not gonna last. It's even you know, it's like you get your first TV job and making Georgia, you know, and and and and so that's not the biggest market in the world with people loyal. You only got the making TV job because his dad's the bravest broadcasting. Look, people at those spacetions don't care if you get on the air and

you're horrible. Yeah, they're they're not gonna say, well, we gotta keep him, you know. You know, it's like you gotta keep on proving yourself to move up. And so, um, yeah, it was again, you know, it was great. You know, I spent a lot of time just going to the ballpark and watching him work. You know, I watched my dad how he how seriously he took his his craft, you know, in his preparation, and how he treated people.

And and again it's not like he had to sit me down and lecture me about this is how you do this, this is It was just I watched him. You see an example. Yeah, and I tell Dad's all the time. Now, I said, look, you've got to realize that kids have superpowers. Man. They see and hear everything. And so they was. They see how you're acting when you're caught in traffic, They see what happens when you've

had a bad day at the office. They see it and they hear it, and you don't, you know, even though you may not consciously be thinking you're teaching them, they're learning and all times. Well, you kind of opened the door with this, but I kind of want to dig a little deeper. Um memorable experiences as a child,

Um around the game of baseball. You know, you said you got to casually watch Hank Aaron takes practice some other stories that they were just like wow, yeah, well, I mean some of it's like an eye opener because you know, you're sitting around in the Braves clubhouse. You know, a few hours before the game. You know, my dad may be doing an interview over here in the corner, doing something like that, and it's like, wow, that guys

sitting in his locker smoking a cigarette. It's like really, um, But it was I think it was just all the opportunities I had, even to meet guys my dad played against, like Staying usual, okay, one of the all time greats. And and you know, the Cardinals would be in town and we'd be on the field. My dad would say, hey, come over here, you gotta meet this guy. And so I meet, you know, and and again this is not all when I'm a little nine and ten year old.

I'm in high school at this point, and you know, and I know the game and I know these players, and like stand mutual comes up, you know, and we shake hands and he says, man, I remember facing your dad. You know, he used to throw my dad through a palm ball, which is you know, they don't call at the palm ball anymore. But that was his change up. You know. Now you've got circle change and you get all this stuff. But he said, my your dad threw me this palm ball, and the same motion as his fastball,

and the ball never got there. We just went and got what I'm saying, Listen, how cool is this that I got stand usual telling me stories about my dad, you know. And then um, on the basketball side, it was like, um, when the Hawks moved down here early seventies, you know where they played Georgia Tech. That the same colosseum where they where they play. It was Alexander Memorial Coliseum there. But when the Longs down here, they played

their games at Georgia Tech. And so yeah, my dad would would And what's strange now, my dad always used to park on the same piece of street right across from the UH from the arena, which is and I drive past that every day when I go to work. I mean, I go down that same hill, and I remember my dad stopping and in parallel park and then we'd walk across go in there. But that's where I saw Pete Mirovich play. That's where I saw you know,

the teams that came in. That's why I saw Will, I saw Bill Russell, saw all these guys as I was growing up, you know, watching you know, and that's where I that's where basketball bit me, you know, that's you know, Jerry West, you know, watching all of these guys and then and what's cool is like, you know, at the Legends brunch and that kind of thing at All Star weekend where you run into some of these

guys and you bring up to them. I used to watch you play at Georgia Tech against the Hawks, and there's a man that the lights in that place were so bad and that floor was so hard, and that was you know, and they and they remember it, and then it's I And I even shouted out one day. I shouted out to jumping Joe Caldwell at that Legends brunch and I said, man, I grew up watching guys like this, and and Joe was there and I didn't

know who it was. And then it was like, man, you don't know what it meant to have somebody bring up my name again for fifty years after, you know? So cool? Um No, that's that's where I got that first taste of the NBA. Man just loved some big names. Pistol was my guy. That was that was you know, everybody, everybody was trying to grow their hair all floppy. Everybody

wore the floppy socks. Everybody wanted to shoot from thirty, you know, but he was What was it like seeing him play though, and and just his game obviously before his time in his game, but what was it like just watching him play? My dad actually even took me up to Athens once when Pete was still at l s U. Because I see, my dad was a huge fan. My dad played some semi pro basketball, so he loved who. But he, you know, he'd always like LS she was

playing in Georgia. Tonight, We're gonna go up and watch Pete, you know, and I mean he just you know, you're not talking about a three point line over there at that point, but he just had this this great flair, you know, and it was like you didn't care really who won the game. You just wanted to see this guy that everybobody was talking about. And as the legend goes, also he wants won a game with a hook shot like at at Georgia and the Georgia fans pick up. Yeah.

I mean, that's that's what the legends says. I wasn't. I can't test to that, but that, but the but the story is, yeah, he hit, he hit a game winner, and the and the home fans picked him up and carried him off the floor. That sounds like a little bit. I don't know if it was You never know if it could happened anyone that could happen to him. Yeah, and Lou Hudson was there's um OBEEDI in those days. I mean it was, man, it was a great It was a great education in the game of NBA basketball.

What were the early years of your broadcasting career like trying to find your footing and climbing the ladder. It's like it's like what it is for a lot of kids, and you know, journalism schools and you know, and that kind of thing. Where again, there's so many more outlets now than there were when I, you know, I graduated, you know, and it was like, Okay, you want to do sports or if you know, if you want to

you gotta go to ABC, CBS or NBC. You know, ESPN was just getting going, you know, CNN and its infancy and so, you know, I go down to Macon, Georgia, and I'm anchoring the news and at that point, I'm like twenty I'm twenty three years old, scared to death, you know, and not very good at it. But I'm on TV, this is what I want to do. But my first three jobs were all news jobs. I was, you know, I was a general assignment reporter after being a news anchor and making and they hired me here

in Atlanta as a news reporter. So I was doing all that you know, crime beat stuff and all the county commissioned. Yeah, because because while I did radio in Athens and I was doing news and sports and I said, whatever, whoever was gonna hire me first, I'm going and it was and and again, and so it's a news job. And then, you know, it's in this business, things work out crazy. Sometimes. A new news director took over at WUSB and when I'd been there like two or three years,

and one of our sports guys was on vacation. So I'm filling into in a live shop before a baseball game. And I come into work the next day and his assistant says, Raven wants to see you in his office. And I'm saying, all right, I guess I better put my stuff in a box and get out. You know, it's gonna take this guy one day to let me go.

And I walked in there and he says, you thought about doing sports over what happened that and I was like, um, yeah, I kind of thought I was pigeonholding to the news and now but he said, now, I think I'd like to make you the weekend sports anchor and make a change here and changed the whole trajectory of my career and in my life. You know that it was eighty

four maybe because I started at SB and eighty two. Yeah, so like three eighty four somewhere around there, and uh, and so all of a sudden, I was just I was the weekend sports guy. And and that's when that led to like six years of that. And then the folks at Turner And that's a good thing about Heaven Turner in Atlanta. They saw me all the time, and so when they had an opening, they were like, they called me and said, you want to come over here and work with us. I said, yeah, I mean I

think that sounds good. And so could we could pay you this? Yeah, I could do I could do that. That's a little more than I'm getting here at the at the local station. We get to the T and T in that journey, tell us where elevator Ernie was born At elevator Ernie was born at the Omni, the Omni, the Omni Um. And that's like mid eighties, that's eighty five or eighty six. And this is when I'm anchoring the Weekend Sports at Channel two and Bill Needle was the it's a name from the past. He was the

Hawks pr director at that point. So he's setting up a media slam dunk contest um. So there are a couple of writers from the A j C. Steve Bruner was in there, a couple other guys, Craig Sager from who was at TBS at the times. So Sagar gets invited. Segar shows up wearing these candy stripe red and white shorts that were just about exposing everything he had. Okay, and I was like, how can you wear shorts that

that's small? And he's but SAgs and I knew each other even back then because we'd be care you know, a covering different stuff. So they said, yeah, okay, you guys show up here at the Hawks shoot around because this is when and we're gonna kind of show you what's happening because we're gonna do this in the pregame

at the Hawks tonight. Gave us a pair of gave us a pair of Brooks gave us neat shoes, so I had you know, I was wearing Dominique's Brooks on that thing, and I don't know what possessed me to wear those. So I talked about Sager shorts. I had some for smugglers onto they those things. I was reaching. I don't know what I was thinking. Man, You know what it's isn't amazing when you look back some years and say, what I think kept the glasses on, the had the glasses, had the socks up. They here had

the that was a style back then though. Yeah. The huggers, man, it was you know, yeah, the grape smugglers as Kenny always calls them. So yeah, so that's where it started. And they gave us the they gave us the T shirts and mindset elevator Ernie. And I had no idea, not like I came out here and said, hey, make mine elevator. You just showed up at that night and they said, here's your T shirt, Elevator Ernie. Okay, And so yeah, we did like on an eight foot rim.

It was. It was some brutal entertainment. But I looked back at some of those pictures and I saw Craig Neil, who was one of the judges of Van Joseph member from Haydi was the center at Georgia Tech. He was one of the judges. And uh and then somehow that video resurrected itself on our air and now it won't go away. So now in any slow moment, anytime they want to they want to hurt me, they bring that. Did you did you have a conduct in real life on a look at me? Come on, man, what do

you think touching net? You never know? You could have been airbone in a younger day. No, no, I never could. I touched the rim maybe, but I could never do that. I could. I could never. And that's and that's what

I don't know what it was. And I think it maybe if I had had what a lot of young players these days have, and that's you know, they were training tools and that kind of thing where somebody can actually tell you here, hey, look, this is how you if you want a vertical this is what you're gonna have to do, and you're gonna have to work on this and you're gonna have to develop. But but for me, it was like, um, look, even though you look in my physique I was not a big guy in a

weight room. I know that surprising, but it was like, I'm one of those guys who were like when I was taking pe classes and they started doing pull ups, I always found a way to kind of get through the back of the line every time and then they sayah, let's move over here. Good. So we're talking about that too. How you know, when we were younger, you just played outside. We played everything. We played outside. There was no training,

there was no you had games. You barely had practice like now, because I have twelve year olds now and it's really like almost not a job, but almost like a job with their routines at a young age, and I kind of just missed the days they're just going outside and play until the lights came on. That's you know, you're exactly right, and that's the same, and the world's just different because you know, we used to you know, I was more baseball player than I was a basketball player.

I played a little college baseball at Georgia UM, but growing up, obviously baseball was my first love. And so I mean all those summer mornings, all your buds would get together, you'd all walk a mile and a half to the grammar school up there where they had a field and you would just play. You would play all day. You play pick up games all day. You come home stinking, just horrible. You know, you're so just and so hungry to have dinner. But your parents never gave it a

second thought. It was never like, where's there any over Spaulding playing playing ball? You know, but it's different. It's different, and we didn't have video games and any of that stuff. Man, it was like, just go play. I can't know, I can't get my kids outside like in the world. Yeah, yeah, but you gotta. You gotta bribe them. I'll get your video games to go outside. Yeah. How did you Nanna Turnis Woods? Uh? They called one day. You know, I've

been there. I'd been a SB Channel two here in Atlanta for bike six or seven years, and they were actually looking to make me the host of a you know, Mcguy's Member wide World Sports. TBS had its own version of that called US Olympic Gold, and they were using that show as like a year long vehicle to lead up to the good Will Games Ted Turners, you know, Olympics,

the good Will Games and um. And they said we want you to come be the host of US Olympic Gold and then be the host of the good Will Games. And I said, okay, that'd be cool. You know, I can do that. And then there was a shake up in the hierarchy of the good Will Games and they said, oh no, Ernie Johnson is not going to be the host of the good Will Games, Larry King is going to be the host of the good Will Games, and and Hannah Storm is gonna be one of the co

hosts and Nick Charles um and so um. I was left doing um a variety of sports, Judo modern pent tat rowing. It was back at the time the less sexy sports. Yeah, it was back at the time when the Bo Jackson A campaign was out there with Bono's Yeah, And so I told folks I was doing all the sports Bo doesn't know and so, but that's the way, that's the way it worked out. And really we hardly talked about the NBA when I signed the contract m

but t NT was just coming into being. And so after after the good Will Games there and I I did some reporting for the NBA that first year. Back then, they the Segar was the studio host at that time, and they wanted to move SEG's on the road as a reporter, and they moved me into that chair for

the season and I've been sitting there ever since. That That's what inside the nbacially, Yeah, the start exactly, that's you know, it was the pregame show and then it was yeah, and the postgame show was different there than sometimes it was all dictated by the clock. You know, it's like inside the NBA is next, but the game went till five till eleven, so it would be like six minutes. Hey, how you doing. You know, how about that game? We'll see it and we'll see you next week.

But but then it really just kind of morphed into what it is now. He's playing a picture from me what the NBA was like in the nineties. Take us back, Oh, at the NBA was like in the nineties when I first got started there. I mean we're still talking the names. I mean, the Birds and the in, the in, the Chucks and the Magic's and the Michaels. I mean no, I mean it's hard to beat. It was hard to

beat the star power you had back then. And I you know, I still remember going to the workouts for the Dream Team back in the early Yeah, yeah, I was out there a little bit. I didn't go to the Olympics, but I was there. It was like the same time as the draft to so you go out there and and Marv Albert said something really interesting the other day because he he was thinking back on that dream team and he just remembered the first time he saw that collection of talent walk out on the floor.

At the same time, it was like, you might want a catalog this because you may never see something like this, um, but those were you know. I mean to me, every every era of the NBA has those those stars, those personalities, those talents that that you wonder, are we ever going to see this again? Because I can remember I can remember watching Michael and Nick have some unbelievable you know battles, you know, and both of them coming up with stuff.

You said, Man, I'll never see somebody do that in mid air Agat highlight him and then here comes Kobe, here comes here comes so many guys who were you know, the things that dropped your jaw back then. Events. Yeah, you were saying, wow, we're seeing that. Yeah, and you're seeing it on a nightly basis. You're seeing it in February games, you're seeing a guy come up and do

something and how did that go in? And and there was a time you thought I'll never see anybody do that, and now you see it a lot, and and just the athleticism in the league has I don't know where it goes from here, guys, I mean, I don't. You see so many things on a nightly basis that really defied description, but you kind of get used to seeing them now. Yeah. Yeah, that's why I think it's I mean, to me, the dunk contest is so hard because what

can you really do from here? I mean with Zach Lavine and Aaron Gordon and Vince and all these dunks, Like you've got to almost kill yourself to do something amazing. And then, like you said, too, now we're seeing some of these Challenge competition dunks in games. They're getting it off in games. You're like, what the hell, Like, what

is Vince Carter out here doing? No, that's and that I think, you know, the Vince in Oakland in two thousand, that was my favorite because it's the first time I ever heard an arena at All Star Weekend sound like a playoff game. I mean when Vince did his thing and did it all on a first try, and did it so so effortlessly the building erupted. It was like somebody had hit a game winner. And you know, and from that height, you know that now you've had You

mentioned Aaron Gordon and Zach Lavine. I mean, they came up with some great stuff. But what is I mean, what can you do anymore than nobody has ever seen? It's all just kind of a little variation, a little spinoff of that, you know. And if you say, hey, that was pretty original, I said, now, really that looked like of what he did. But that's what makes it hard. And I think, um, you know, my favorite part of it has always been the three point because it's the

point it was. It's the part of the contest I can relate to because I can go out and I can go out and gym and shoot, you know, I go out and the driveway and shoot. But I'll to your to your point, Jack, I'll never be able to say I got out in the driveway and dunked, you know. So even there's a great appreciation for what they were able to do, but there's nothing that says, you know,

I think I might like to go try that. A lot of people think that, yeah, but but when you're out there shooting, then it's then you're saying, wow, how did Craig Hodges hit that many in a row? Or how does he hit this? And in these days, you know, how does Dame feel comfortable you know, taking two taking two steps over half court and hitting and shooting a jumper, not a heave, shooting a jumper, you know, and all

these guys with their crazy range. Man, we're gonna have to We're gonna have to make the court bigger something. That's the next move I did inside NBA change. Once Kenny joined the crew, it got worse, you know what me. I worked with Kenny first, and and you guys know there's just you either have that or you don't have you know, if somebody has to talk, you wouldn't be in on TV if somebody has to say, and I really wish you would do this, you know, and you

really you know that's one thing. But when you got it, you got it. Kenny had it. You know, Kenny was late in his career. He was working his way through ten days, you know, like he'd be on the show one time. It's hey, Yeah, I was with Detroit. Now I'm with so and so. You know so, but man, he just has a gift brought it. He's just natural and and so I was having a great time working

with him. And then when you get a chance to have Chuck on the Shaw Man, you know, and it looked for all the world like he's going to NBC. NBC was right here with him, and he he said, you know, he had verbally agreed with you know, to go to NBC. And he comes down to Atlanta and goes out with the Turner folks one night. I don't know what that night was like. Yeah, And so he

signs with us. And your only hope is that the things that made him an attractive, you know, option to be on your air is um that he'll maintain that, that he won't lose that because look, in the course of my years that we've had guys on the air who you thought from watching him interviewed or that kind of thing, he said, well, this got would be great on TV. And then the red light goes on and they'd rather they'd rather be getting a root canal. Yeah, and you know, and and they don't want to piss

anybody off. I don't want to say this because this, you know, and I'm not. Yeah, Chuck don't care, and that's great. And that's the way Chuck has always been. You know, any time he was interviewed as a player, as and and then after his playing days, he's going to tell you what's on his mind. And if you don't agree, that's fine. But what he's not gonna do is is back away from it and say no, I

can't say that. He's got that over me because sometimes they're you know, there are times in a commercial break where I'll say something he said, oh you want to say that on the air, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna do that, so I'm stealing it. I said, you go ahead, you you take that, Um, Because it was like the other day, you know, when Indiana UM fired Nate b Yorker and is the head coach and and then UM in the commercial break. I looked at Chuck and I said, you know, they had Nate McMillan ahead,

and I said, they fired the wrong Nate. And he said, oh, you should have said that, and I said, no, I don't need due, and he said, well, I'm using it. We came out of break the stories fired the wrong Nate, you know, so, but Chuck's got that that's not in Chuck's DNA to hold back. Chuck's wouldn't be him with that.

I remember, I remember when he first started doing I think that's when you guys kind of went into the full booth because he used to wear flip flops and shorts and on and just have like the sports code on. But then you can see but you can see on anyone.

Now at least they block it. But I may at the beginning when he got on, because I mean that's right when I was in college and really started to tune into this stuff, and it just kind of see his transformation um on that it kind of really find himself. What has that been like? Obviously Shot comes and joined the show in two thousand eleven. Now it's an animal house and you have to control three of the biggest

personalities in the game. What is that light kind of trying to be the quarterback or the kind of the

the caretaker of such a rambunct alone alone. Yeah, sometimes you try to control and sometimes it's just no, you know, because you and you have to know that, guys, you have to have the and our to our producer's credit, Tim Kylie, who was at our producer for a long time and now Jeremy Levin have a good feel for that, and they know I'm still going to stay out of their ears, and during this this thing is rolling, let

them go. And then but there are times also when you say, look, okay, we're to the point where Chuck's repeating himself, We're at the we're at the point where Shacks about to find him blow a you know, explode a blood vessel if he you know, like because they just can't they can't disagree on something without like feeling like you have to talk louder than the other guy

to be heard. Like the other day when they're talking about how you defend Trey Young and the drop coverage and that kind of thing, and Charles says, and Shack is screaming over here on my right and he's just no, no, And then it's like, okay, I'm still gonna stay out of this for a second. But and then every now and says, hey, let's just hear Charles. Okay, and Charles, now, let's just hear Shack. So that's more my role in the thing. Nobody cares what I think about, you know,

how to defend Trey Young. They want to hear from the players. But what I'm trying to do is, hey, look, nobody's gonna understand anything if you're yelling and he's screaming, and then he's gonna come over and try to move furniture. So that that's where that's where you step in and try to just moderate and kind of guys, this is this is a great discussion, but let's let's make it maybe a little more you know, discernible, rather than just

you shouting at him. But you know the game and they come out in different ways, and and so what you don't want to do is get in the way of really good analysis by saying, oh no, now we've got to go to commercial. Our producers are great at saying we'll make the time up somewhere else. You guys were rolling on him. Who is it the producers? Do you guys help just the creativity with the show from

gone Fishing to Kenny running to the board. I guarantee like where it is all the creativity that you guys have any inputters that kind of just played by ear go up the flow. Everybody's got input everybody. You know, the three of us might have input, but it's everybody on the crew. That's what makes it. That's what makes it so much funk. Like you guys just having a blast every single night. But it's everybody upstairs. I mean it can be it's it's the assistant graphics guy who think, yeah,

it's underdogs. You're right, it's everybody, but it's lighting guys, it's audio guys, it's and the men and women who work on that show come up with an idea and you know, like we we'll have a production meeting three or four hours before. Uh, Chuck, Kenny and Check are not at that and they're not invited to it because we don't want them to know what we're what we're thinking about doing. But you'd be amazed at how many times when they say, we're thinking about doing this for

the neto stat of the night tonight. You know it's based on something that Kenny did back in and you wouldn't believe. And you know we're doing these on zoom. The number of voices that pop ups and maybe you want to use this clip from so and so, maybe you want to do this, Maybe you want to do this and what's great is our producers are like, bring it on, I'm the producer of the show. You know, they could say that, and in TV you run into this,

I'm the producer, this is what we're doing. But these guys are like, I'm produced and I've got this great crew working with me who throw ideas in and throw this out. And that's why. Look, when we've we've been very fortunate in terms of the show winning a lot of Emmy's and stuff like that. But every time that happens, everybody on that crew, no matter what you do, feels like, yeah, we won that. We had a hand in love it, and that's what makes it. That's what makes it so

much fun to go to work. Man. I pull into that parking lot and I know before this work days through, I'm gonna laugh my ass off about something the whole time. And we need that absolutely, you know. It's it's there's too many people going to work because they gotta go to work, but we get to you know, you're good at what you do, is it right? And that's the

thing too. I Mean I'll miss games sometimes a stell tune in, you know, just tune in to watch you got the shop just to see if there's an international incident created by something somebody says, yeah, to me, the most entertaining. And obviously you guys have been awarded, like Jack said, you know, congratulations and all the Emmys and accolades. But like I said, you kind of have set the

blueprint to how shells can be ran. You know, like you said, there's old school ways of this is my way or the highway, or you kind of have the input and take the creativity of everyone and you get a great product with it. You know, we kind of feel like we do similar stuff here where it's just not one way, you know, we feel like this will be better Jack, like, I want to do it this way, or you know, I mean to me, that's where you get the best out of everybody, and everyone feels like

they're a part of the of the success. And not every you know, not every idea is going to be great. But what are guys are so good at doing is saying, yeah, I don't know if that's gonna fly, but it's a

I see where you're going. We'll see. So nobody gets their feelings hurt and then clams up and next time says, well, I'm not going to suggest anything now because it got shot down because I got you, I get stuff shot down to you know what, I say, maybe we can do this, and then somebody will say, I don't know if that's gonna I don't really find that very funny, but we could do this, and I say, well, that's a better idea. So I think you always have to

do that. You always have to to step away and say what is gonna be the best thing for the show. And I think that's why it's worked with us too, because Chuck Kenny Shack have never made or tried to make the show about them. They've never said, hey, I don't have enough air time here, I'm not getting enough FaceTime. Everybody just says, what's going to make the show better, And that's the team environment. Look started this thing talking about the Hawks. That's what you're seeing with them. I'm

not making this game about me. But if it's gonna make our game better and our team better, let's do it. So that's what it's about. Three. You're diagnosed with nons Hopskins lymphoma um battle through start doing treatment in OH six. First of all, what was that experience like for you? But then also being vulnerable enough and open enough to share with us and and and allow us in with your journey. Uh, you know, it's how many people out there.

I mean I lost my mom to cancer seven. I mean you look, you get into any room and ask people. And when I speak, I do that too. If I when I'm going to talk about this, and just you give me a show of hands if your life has been touched somehow by that, and it's a close friend, or it's a family member, or it's they themselves and so um. Yeah, when I got that word, for three years, I really didn't have to do anything because you could look at me and not see and say nothing's wrong.

So only a few people knew. Um. But then you know, in two thousand six, my limp noo starts swelling up and it's like, okay, I'm gonna have to tell everybody what's going on. And then, um. The thing about cancer is, uh, the uncertainty is one thing that really it really gets to you because you know something is going on, you don't know where this is going to take you. But once a doctor tells you, all right, you've got non Hodgkins lymphoma, and it's this kind of not Hodgkins lymphoma.

And you've learned a lot about Oh. I thought there was just one. Now there's a bunch of different ones. Uh. And here's how we're going to treat it. Then you put your head down and go, you know, and then you just and you lean on your fai, your faith, your family, your friends, and you get through it. Um. And so yeah, it's six cycles of chemo there and UM went into remission, came back onto air and you know,

I've been in remission from on Hutchings since two thousand six. UM. And then you know, and and here's here's the thing. I mean, you're I am. I had prostate cancer two years ago, so I was like, I wasn't done with it. You know. It's you know, but the thing that's the thing that's different, guys, is that when my wife and I sat down with that doctor in two thousand and three and got the word that first time, and you

can't believe the words you're hearing. Uh. And then you can't believe that you're in the infusion thing in two thousand six and looking at all these folks who have cancer and you're all hooked up and you're all doing these drips. And then when I got that word, and she and I were sitting across from a doctor and it was like, we've been here, We've done this, We're fixing to do it again. And Mum, for that it

was it was surgery. It wasn't any kind of chemo, but it was it was just like, Okay, well, we're gonna do whatever we have to do and we will get through this. And and without my faith, I don't. You know. Look, I had a pastor who told me, you know, it's just like back then when you're kind of shaking your fist at God and saying why me, you know, why, why is this happening? And he's like, hey, look,

you trust God. Period. And I mean, I'm not trying to turn this into church, but that's the foundation of my life. Not I'm gonna trust God if this turns out the way I wanted to witness, I'm just gonna trust God. Period. He's gonna take me someplace through this. It's gonna make me a better man. He's gonna He's

gonna open my eyes to something. And one thing that's opened my eyes to in terms of cancer is that when you get it, it brings with it an opportunity and a responsibility to help the next person through it. I can't tell you how many times people have called me and said, Hey, I got a buddy is starting who's starting chemo? Can you call him or can you drop him an email that means to him you don't And it's and it's all about hitting the sun button or or just getting on the phone. I had. I

had one of those this week. I just called this guy. You know, he didn't know I was calling, but a friend of his had called and said, hey, he read your book and he and he did this, and it was like, hey, john how you doing Ernie Johnson? Wow? Really, I said, how are we feeling? We're good. You know, it's a little scared, you know, it's like, let's talk about it. And then you wind up swapping stories for twenty minutes and saying, you know you're gonna be You're

gonna get through this thing. And so people did it for me. I'm trying to do it for people. You know. It's like there's always gonna be in that club that nobody wants to be, you know, that membership. I wish that membership would dwindle down to the point where you wouldn't have to worry about it. But it keeps on going and so um every time some new member gets in that club and you can call him and say it's gonna be okay. You know it's gonna be difficult.

Maybe at times it's gonna be okay. You're not not to the magnitude of what you had to fight through. But I gotta message this morning, uh, from Dion Sounders. And I'm going through my own transformation with you know, I stopped drinking and smoking and everything, and a lot of people don't understand it because we have a show called All the Smoke. But I gotta message from him

this morning. It seemed like you always see me to message at the right time, and uh, just to just to tell me that the direction I'm going and everybody is not mental and keep leaning and stay strong. And you need to hear stuff like that sometimes, especially from legends like Dion Sounders, because a lot of people on the outside might not understand where you come from and

where you're going. But to hear people who been at the top the whole life multi multi sports and who he is as a Hall of Fame and one of the greats to hear that from him. It gave me more inspiration to continue to fighting. B Why I am so I understand that I was gonna say to you when you when you read that text or you get that phone messager, you get that email, and it's like, we all need encouragement. You know. People can look out there and say, well, this guy's got it all, he

must have this, you know, and this is still human. Man. There's nothing like encouragement. There's nothing. It's one of those things that and it hits you right out of the blue when it's like, man, that just made my days. You know, it's that meant a lot, That meant so I can't know's going through now. That's that's tremendous. Man. I love hearing that. How did sha how did this addition to shack happen? How did that even happen? To

the big fellow coming around? I think I think everybody look, when a big, a larger than life guy like he's done playing, everybody wants him, and and a kid at that, a big kid at that world's biggest the world's biggest child. But if he's gonna be out there and he's gonna want to do TV you gotta be crazy not to make a run at him, you know, And so everybody makes a run at him. But I think, you know, there were some growing pains. I mean, I'll be honest, man.

You know, it's like number one and you're switching careers, okay, so nobody expects you to jump from that into this seamlessly like okay. But he's you know, he what endeared what he looked at with our shows, the fun we had you know, check it just happens to be an all world basketball player. It wasn't because he's studied every player in the game or is this great student of of how to how to play and that's that's like,

he just happens to be really good at that. So it wasn't like the breakdown of games that had him saying, I like to be on that show. It was that some crazy stuff happened on our show and he wanted to be a part of that. And so um, you know, and that was from the you know, from the jump. You know, he'd get on there in that first show and said, push up Christmas Tree over on me. We'll get you know, a lot of YouTube you know. So, uh,

he's down for fun. Yeah, man, and we would. And you know, it got to the point after the first couple of months where he was throwing out all these suggestions. You know, you can tease me. I've been to stunt school, but I could just picture him staying all this show and Kenny and and Kenny was like, Shack, take a step back. He said, Patil, We're afraid you're gonna set set fire to yourself. And we're not even halfway through.

Were your first year here? Because I think what he had to realize that as a lot of what is funny on our show is really organic that happened, you know. It's look, Shack didn't mean to break the internet the night that he that he told us on on the air live that he didn't know that the Warriors played in Oakland. Oh Man did And I'm like, we're doing the highlight live and I said, we go to Oakland for the highlights. And why do you keep saying Oakland?

I said, because that's where they're playing the game. Man, is that where they play? And we just kind of like stopped the highlight and for Charles said, how many years did you play in the league? And he said, and he said, he said you know, I just always thought, you know, we stayed in San Francisco. I just thought we always played there. I just got on the bus. You don't plan that. And and there's nothing in the production meeting that says, okay, look in that third segment,

let's see if Shack knows where the warriors. It just happened. It just happened. And so um, he's learned that. There are certain times that he's also you know, he's had ideas, let's do this because I'd like to, you know, and that's great. But most of the time, stuff that people find funny just happens on our show because it's just you know, it's Kenny turning the wrong way in the chair and somebody beating him to the board. I don't even know how that stuff all started, now, you know,

now you pick your spots. Yeah, and it's like, okay, I got him here, and if he turns to the feat turns to our charld, I'm going But uh no, that was I think Shock, you know, eventually grew into that role and now he's very comfortable breaking stuff down, whether that's on the others or whether it's Rudy Gobert, or whether it's you know, what's him be doing? Why is he being good tonight? You know? What do you

not like? And so? Um, yeah, so now we're just the four, but you know, we just do our thing. What is it like for you though? Obviously you and Kenny initially started bringing Chuck in, bringing Check in. Learning everyone in this space now, like you said, it's a completely new base for them, So learning them and then trying to kind of as you can much as you can, kind of control and work people in and out until they have their feet underneath them. I think all of

that comes with reps. And I think and again, the more you work with somebody, then you kind of know what buttons to push and you know what's and and it even it even affects your mind into as you're preparing for something, um, and you're preparing for a show and you see a number or you read a quote and you think, man, when I throw that quote out tonight, Charles is going jump on that. And I said, or yeah, I throw that. If I throw that number out, Shack's

gonna or if I throw that out, Kenny's gonna go WHOA. Really, So it's kind of knowing those buttons to push and and so when when people call me like the traffic cop on the show, it's like an insult to a really good traffic cop, because when you're really good traffic cops are gonna wave this car through, in this car through, and this traffic is gonna stop because we don't want

any fender benders. We don't own anybody, you know. But for me, it's like, I know, if I wave shock into this intersection right now, Chuck, and it's going to broadside. And so that's I'm like this rogue traffic who would who would be assigned to desk duty for being so damn bad at his job? And so and so I think that's what I think. That's where you kind of learn, let's let him go here and then and and again.

It's also just trying to get everybody that touches, So you don't want the story of the show to be this cookie cutter thing work here. You're always going to go to him first, and he's gonna do this. Sometimes you're gonna say, shock, I want to hear what you think about this. Hey, we just saw that dust up

there late and a half. You know, do you think he did that on purpose or So that's kind of my thing is is like make everybody feel like they're always involved equally in this thing, and knowing that if I bring this up, he's gonna just go crazy crazy on this guy. So that's you know, that's kind of how that whole dynamic works. How has it been working in someone I'm a huge fan of and I know once he's done playing, he's gonna be granted. How has

it been working Draymond? And when he comes on set, because he's one of the brightest basketball minds I've ever been around. You know what I told him what I told him the other day, when I told him the other day, because he's yeah. I mean, he's been on our show the Arena, you know, talking social issues, and he's been he's been with us a few times. I told him last time, I said, it must be it

must be good to be you. He said what I said, because I don't know how much longer you're gonna play, But as soon as you take those sneaks off the next for the last time, you got your pick, you can go anywhere you want. I said, you're that good. That good? Yeah, And I did. I mean, and again, I think people need to hear this, you know, people need, you know, in this business. I think think what goes on a lot of times is somebody may not be doing the greatest possible job they can be doing, but

they're not getting any input you know. There It's like you're out there to sink or swim, you know, if you're gonna keep making the same mistakes. And maybe people are just too reverential and not not going to bring it up and say, hey, you might want to do this, it might make you better. Well, what are you doing

telling me? For me? I think it's I think it's Look, you need to tell people when they're doing great and when and I think you need to tell them, you know, what you could how you could really be better is if you did this, you know, and just and that's just my opinion, you know. And but what I told I told Dreaman and and he probably already knew it, but I told him, I said, you write your ticket.

You can write your ticket right now. Well, opinion coming from you and and and that in that space, that's more than opinion. That's that's the best advice you can get. But man, I mean he's good. I mean, he speaks his mind. He and for him, he just jumped right into the of our show too. It's like he's sitting in you know, earlier in the playoffs, each of the guys took a night off, so we moved from this chair to this chair to this chair. And he's great in every chair. No, you no, it has great stuff

to say. And again like Chuck not holding anything back. Hey, this out for you, you know. Stand and when Chuck says, I like the Bucks to win the whole thing, you know, no, I asked, I asked Draymond, So he got coming out of the East. He said, seriously, yeah, well Crookland, he said, you know when and this is when all three you're going to play it again. And and Chuck's like, I got the Bucks coming on He's and his just his

word was just good luck, Chuck, you know. And again things change because of what what goes on with injuries and that kind of thing. Who gets eliminated. But to the original point, Draymond Green, yeah, oh yeah, great, shut out Draymond. You guys haven't had the unfortunate duty of being live on air with the Kobe tragedy. What was the emotion like and energy like and how tough was it to be able to get through that particular night. I've never been in a show like that, I mean,

in thirty one years. It was the most unique show ever ever hosted. And because it was so fresh from I mean, it happens Sunday, We're in l A Tuesday, and we are in the middle of Staples Center empty just to talk about it. Shack hadn't even talked to anybody about it at that point. Um, Jerry West is

on the show. Uh, we just had other voices. I think Rick Fox was on that show at some point, and it was just you know what, it was one of those days where it just told you that job we're doing sometimes can can go above and beyond being just a basketball show. Because everybody in the country was kind of come into grips with how do you deal with this? How do we how do we deal with these emotions were feeling And for for Shock to be sitting there and just pour his heart out, Jerry West

do the same thing, Chuck Kinny. I mean, I can't even put into words how impactful that was for us to do it, and just by gauging the reaction of people that it helps some people get through it too. Um. And that's not to put any self importance on us, like, oh look what we It was just it was good for us all to talk about it to lock eyes

and say, yeah, man, it hurts. I hope we never have to do another one for me, right, you know, just thinking about it right now, and it's still I have to even talk about Yeah, I mean, I mean Jerry was sitting there, you know, talking about what was going through his mind when he decided that he had to have Kobe Bryant, you know, and those first few

years of and how tight they were. You know, the tears start coming, and and we're not there to stop him, right, We're just there to kind of put a hand on his shoulder and say, right, this is what you're doing. And and and you know, and you know who gets a lot of credit who and you may not know this story, you know it gets a lot of credit for the way that show came off is the folks,

you know, like our salespeople. Because we're supposed to do like a four or five segment show, our pregame show leading up to the game that we're going to show that night, and we didn't take a commercial break. Maybe we took one and so like our producer Jeremy was calling them and saying, I don't think I can cut that, we can't stop this, we can't stop this and then go to commercial and come back and they said, just

go wow. And that's and that was one of those things where it said, I don't care what this does in terms of the sponsors in the bottom line, and we value the sponsors and all that stuff, and I know they're supposed to get this, but the recognition that this is special. Yeah, and we're not going to cut somebody off because we've got to get to commercial and somebody maybe struggling to get the words out and we don't care if they're gonna sit for thirty seconds and

gather their thoughts. That silence was speaking volumes. Man, It's real. It was Oh man, it was quiet. Yeah, I'm pitching this show in my mind, and I mean I was watching the two and I was going through a tough time at that time and even just dealing with it. But you write it did help a lot of people. Yeah, it did help a lot of people. Do you have any good in any Kobe stories that come to mind

while he was here? You know, I just, Um, we sat down in his in his last season over holding the team hotel, you know, sat down there for a half hour just kind of talk, you know, and UM did that for a piece. Um. I just I loved talking to him because you knew you weren't going to get the Spaulding Guide to Interview answers from him that that would say, Okay, yeah, just page forty two paragraph B that's the answer. He thought. He thought through everything

you asked. He was such a thoughtful and wise beyond his years guy that you always enjoyed talking to him. You know. We had him in the studio one night after you know, after Chuck had called himselfish, you know, during those during a playoff series. He came on, he came into Atlanta, came on the set part of the crew, and I remember sitting in the green room. We were talking about favorite vacation spots and he's talking about places.

I said, man, I want to want to take my wife to Italy, you know, and he's like, oh, here's what you gotta do. It was it was that kind of stuff, and it was it was just his thoughtful way, and it was you know, I and I remember when I when I finished chemo and I was still bald and we're doing Opening Night and his was the last voice on a welcome back video that they did for me, and he's here said hey, welcome to the brotherhood. I was like, man, this is a yes. Absolutely the rest

in peace to our brother um. Throughout the show, we started the show talking about you know you kind of piggybacking with your dad and fatherhood. Um, you're a father of six to biological four adopted. UM. I find that very instnctus in My mom wanted to do was adopt, but unfortunately she passed from cancer and oh seven, So talk to us about just fatherhood, everything you fought through in your personal health life to still be here and

be the father you are and your children. For your children, I mean Sheryl Anne and I are blessed, you know, and and she you know, you have a boy and a girl. You know, you get married n eighty two, you got a boy in eighty four, you got a girl in eighty seven, and it's like, okay, we're set, good, let's not let's not mess with that. You know, that's and that's you know, then the unscripted part of your life kind of kicks in because my you know, my

wife is just this has this wonderful heart. And but we know because you talked about it so highly on the show. We we we all feel like we know your wife. I know, well, I apologize for doing but she's like, I come home from work one day and she says, you know what we need to do, and I'm like, chicken or fish, whatever you feel like, I'll

eat anything. And she's like, like, we need to go to Romania and get one of these kids out of an orphanage over there, because she had seen the ABC News about these kids just warehoused in this thing and you know on their special needs kids, they're being forgotten and and so we wind up, you know, she goes, I stay here. I'm in Atlanta with our kids who were like three and seven at their four and seven at the time. Yeah, so I'm taking care of them.

She's more worried about them than she is about her trip to Romania. She's like, man, I'm gonna come home and those kids are not gonna have had a vegetable two months. Yeah. But yeah, so we had a lot of we had a lot of pizza and and uh putt putt while she's over there. But she goes over there and finds this this little boy who's got all these issues and and calls me from Romanian says, I don't know of what I can we This boy is so much more than we can handle. He's three years old.

He can't walk, he can't talk, and he said, but I just can't imagine going the rest of my life wondering what happened to this. I was like, bring him home, and he was, you know, he had issues, still does I mean? And then he gets diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and there's no cure for that. And most of the time a lot of times kids don't get out of their teams. Got thirty two now, man, But I got this thirty two year old miracle at my house and and he he's on a ventilator. Um, you know, I

can't do anything on his own. But he's amazing. And no, you know what, God's amazing, you know, but it's you know, they'll be adopted. Little girl from Paraguay, Carmen. She's adopted two kids out of foster care in Ohio who are now but we've you know, it's not because me and Sheryl great, and then we don't do this for any pats on the back. It's just like everybody, there's value

and everybody there if you will look for it. There's value and everybody and and they all and everybody deserves a chance to shine and a chance to be what they can be. And so I think that's what has always been at the root of our heart for adoption, is that let's give somebody a chance, you know that,

you know, let's give this Romanian kid a chance. That he was abandoned in a park when he was born, you know, the first time he'd been outside when my wife took him outside in that orphanage when he was three years old, the first time he was outside since he was found in a park. And so I think that we've just we've just tried to teach our kids and that there's value. Look for the value, don't look

for the things that that tell you, oh this, you know. Shoot, the nurse who brought Michael out to share all the first time that they meant said don't take this boy. He's no good. M hm. And so we you know, this boy who's no good has impacted so many people just with his life and so um no, we got it, good man. And I got four grand kids now too, so Grandpa Poppy's poppy, Poppy Poppy. And my life is good. Fellas you know, I get to work with these guys,

but my life is great. And that's with the cancer, that's with all the other stuff, that's with Michael's situation. Got a great life. That is good. Quick hitters. Coming down to the tell and the first thing actually, before we get to that, I wanted to ask the question, when did you know that inside the NBA was a

big deal? Sometimes I think sometimes that comes with you just here, just here and talk, you know, just hearing people talk, hearing players talk, you know here and you know whatever it is, you know, people saying hey, that's or sometimes you know it's the being nominated for you know, when the Emmy's come up and nominations and some wins, and it's like, well maybe we do have something going hunter, but you do you never get so carried away with

it when you're starting that it's like, oh, yeah, I'm a big deal. I'm on inside the NBA. Well what's inside the NBA? Know? I think I think just in time it becoming kind of a part of the fabric of the n b A and uh, you know, and I think I think that it's very humbling to have the Hall of Fame, you know, create an award, this Transformative Media Award that they give to Inside the NBA. Because it's been it's become part of the part. But again,

that doesn't it doesn't happen overnight. And I and I to pinpoint the time where I thought, hey, this show is something I don't know. I just actually, I mean when probably a couple of years into Chuck's tenure. He's been there twenty years now, but you know, and that's when that's when it started to be like, man, I can't get away from people talking about Inside the NBA. Then you kind of feel like, yeah, I guess we're onto something here. Love it because we weren't getting that

when I was doing the show by myself. Okay, when I was when I was the soul guy doing they're doing highlights. It wasn't nobody saying, man, if you've seen that show, it looks like every other highlight show, you know. But now, but I mean now, thirty thirty years later, you're one of the most respected, appreciated voices um on the Best show. So I mean, obviously you know you are the focal and work with good people. Man, that's

what it is. You gotta get you step some credit and we're not gonna have you on our show and you're not getting your steps. I didn't look until you. I'm even more in awe of the man that you are now at the getting the chance to talk to you and know more about you, but out with the sizes watching you on TV. So we're gonna give your flowers and we appreciate associate you too. And I but you know, it's like, when you got a platform like that,

how are you going to use it? And if you if you're you know, and I think enough things come up in the course of in the course of doing the show for thirty years where you can be you and that's you know, whether that's dealing with Craig Sager's situation, whether that's dealing with you know, the cancer and that kind of thing. Um, there are enough things that come up, whether that's dealing with Kobe, whether it's dealing with the pandemic.

Um that people will see who you really are in times like that where they don't see it when you're just saying, hey, there's a three. Hey, there's a three. Look at that dunk? Hey, what do you mean? Shack hey, Charles, stop it. You know, there are enough things that are real light. And that's yeah, a lot of selves run from that. There, a lot of I was run from what's really going on. I know, you know what I mean. And to be one of the top spots shows and

to tackle all that that says a lot. I love it. All right, we'll put you on the hot seat. First thing to come to mind, let us know five best single season teams you've personally seen, Five best single season teams. Uh, it doesn't have to be in any particular or okay, you know, seventy three win Warrior, seventy two win Bowls. I think that that San Antonio team that came back and beat Miami in the finals was yeah, you know, after losing it, then they come back and they just

throttled him and it was like a clinic. And I'll go back to those early those early season or early seventies Hawks teams where I got to watch Pete. That'll be in there. Um, But that's just that's from a just personal Yeah, that's but the Golden State teams were really fun to watch down one ten seconds ago. Well,

you're top five that you ever saw to get a bucket. Mmm, You've seen a lot of basket but I mean I think I think you put like you put Kobe and Michael in there, and you maybe want to put Isaiah Thomas in there, and he gonna go get it. He's gonna go get it. Man. I hate questions like this because I know, because I know you know what I'm saying to say, Man, how could you not say this? And because that's the way it is these days. Anytime anybody ranks anything and it said, how could you not

say this? Guy? Um, But I'll just give you I'll throw those three out at you at this point. I like it. It's nice. I'll take those three though any day. Top two most memorable events you've covered sports or non sports mm hmm, that I've covered or that I've been at. Either been a part of Okay, so I was sitting there and Hank Aaron had seven so that was cool in Atlanta Atlanta Stadium, so that would be in there. Um,

And another one would be watching Jack Nicholas. I was, I was at the mike when Jack Nicholas played his final hole at St. Andrews and his final major at the at the British show. This this episode in Jim Grayobs, So, man, I don't don't know Jim Gray's Jim Gray willow so many moments where he was at you know, he's there when guys get getting punched or getting their ear bit

and all kind of stuff. But he's But but that was that was that Jack Nicholas moment was was incredible because that's in the birthplace of golf and that's like everybody in the town had come out by the end of the day. And uh, but there are a lot of good ones. But but I'll say this, working working baseball with my dad will be the greatest thing that

nothing will surpass that calling games with him. And he was sitting shoulder and shoulder calling games with your dad, I mean, and saying that I want to question this is not on the list, but I wanted to know since he bought. If it's not on the list, I'm not going to answer. And I'm sorry. What kind of

person was Hank Aaron? You got to know him personally, kind, gracious, humble, um and a gentleman and and and again, you know, when you're sitting in the dugout hours before a game and he's coming by and asking you how your little league team is doing, You're like, hold on, just a second, was really happening. But I also went to high school with his sons, Henry and Larry, and everybody just says

the same thing. You know, he felt totally comfortable coming to a ballgame sitting in the stands, you know, And and it was he was he was a you know, one of the all time greats, and and didn't do

it for the fan. Fair didn't do it. You know, my dad one of my dad's greatest comparisons when back when William Mays and Hank Aaron were, you know, these two stalwarts and these two foundations of the baseball and people would say, well, you know, Mayze is better than Aaron, and my dad would say, Aaron can do everything Maze does is but his hat doesn't fall off. You know. It's like like there was never there was never this

showmanship by on Henry's part. There was never you know, he just had these incredibly sharp reflexes and these incredible this incredible power in his wrists where he wasn't hitting five foot home runs. He's just hitting home runs left the ballpark before you knew what was happening. So and no, he was just to be able to to be able to have that relationship and to be able to call him. You know, when my dad retired, I was putting a video together and I said, I need Hank on this

video to talk about, you know, playing with my dad. Um. You know, and then you know, having my dad called so many of his games, and Hank just meets me down at Atlanta Stadium. We sit there and do an interview and talking. He's just a good He was just special, especially all right back to the quick hitters, five dinner guests, debt or alive, five years against that are alive or five? Yeah, Well,

my dad's there. You know. One of my favorite people in the world is in living here in Atlanta's Andrew Young. I would love to have, love to have him be part of that. UM. Mr Pete would be fun to have there, UM And I think that probably UM. I would like to all right, would like to have the apostle Paul uh and just to hear about that journey and that walk and how that all happened, and and so how many is that four? That's four? Abe Lincoln nice like that. I last question to finish up five, Yes,

ask questions to finish up. Who do you want to see on All the Smoke? You have to end all that before you ask him. You have to help us get your answer on the show. Oh so it has to be somebody that I helped you. Ah, that's see sits here far left sometimes are actually all the time, Shane sports figure or anything, anybody whoever you do. Um, you know who you should have on your show. P

J Morton, you should have on your show. P J Morton keys for Maroon five yea and as one Grammys like the last two or three years and is one of the coolest dudes out there talking talk music, talk life with them. We're coming for you, t J. I'll help here you go. We appreciate that. I will make it happen. Thank you Ernie again. We want to thank

you obviously give you your props again. You're someone that's you know, as players, we don't respect many voices for people who haven't actually done what we've done, and you are at the top of the list as far as players go. Respect and appreciating the advice you give and the way you lead and the way you help so

many people. Man, So we just want to make sure we thank you for coming on the show today, but also for everything you do that you might not even realize you being you helps everyone else with So I appreciate you. Appreciate very much, man. I appreciate you asking and having me on. We got a good absolutely, Well, that's a wrap. The great Ernie Johnson. Uh, your throwing that word around the legend there was any adjective legend.

We know what you mean us. You can catch us on Showtime Basketball, YouTube and I at Heart platform Black Effects. We'll see you all next week. This is all a smoke, a production of The Black Effect and Our Heart Radio in partnership with Showtime