The Dave Pasch Podcast - Mikal Bridges

teams coming out. Mckel is going to talk about being at Super Bowl fifty six, his bet with teammate Cam Johnson, who's a Bengals fan, and what embarrassing thing Cam has to do after his team lost to mckell's Rams ongoing and we're figuring out the time and place. This will be very Are you very very great? But yep, this is my most favorite bet. There we had who were some of mckel's favorite players growing up. He grew up

in Philadelphia but became a Rams fan. How he became a Rams fan, his relationship with former Cardinal and current Sons owner Larry Fitzgerald, the differences between Manti Williams, his current head coach, and Jay Wright is national champion coach at Villanova. What it's like playing with Chris Paul and lessons learned from being in the NBA Finals in twenty twenty one. We are presented by betmgm, the official sports betting partner of the Arizona Cardinals, and by Hila River

Hotels and Casinos. You can sign up for betmgm today using code cards one thousand and get your first bet risk free up to one thousand dollars. New customer offer paid in free bets. Visit betmgm dot com for terms and conditions. Twenty one and over Arizona only. Please gamble responsibly. Gambling problem called one eight hundred next step. You can also follow us on Twitter at pash pop. We're back with another edition of the Day Pash Podcast and our

guest is Suns forward mckel bridges. Michael, let's start with talking about your rams were just a few days removed from winning the Super Bowl. I know you watched the game, Where did you watch the game with, Who did you watch the game, and what was your reaction when the clock hit zero? In your rams were Super Bowl champs. Well, first of all, I like to start. This is a great way to start. This is this is a leveling comments we have right now. But yeah, I was in

I was in LA for Super Bowl. Me and Cam Johnson where you went. You know, I'm right saying he's just a bigle staying and he's just so five minute. It was really dope. That was my third time being in that building and it's just unbelievable what they do. But man, watching that whole game and experience the Super Bowl was unbelievable, you know, something I always wanted to go to and I just blessed that and happy that my team was there. It was dope. Man. I was

so excited. I felt like when when we won, I felt like I won, man. I felt like I was a part of the team and it was just it was amazing feeling. Do you know any guys on the team. Have you been able to cultivate relationships with with any of the current players? Yeah, I think I know a couple, but the one I'm closer with is probably Ramsey. He's want to remember him hit me up when I got

drafted and everything, which was pretty dope. He was in LA yet, but uh, that was just dopeing him for that man and just kind of doing a little fresh up with him. It's been really cool. How did you become a Rams fan because you grew up in Philly? Were you an Eagles fan growing up? Now? So I grew so, I grew up, so I became round saying off mad and alone playing a video game. Um, I was big on Marshall Falk and Kurt Warner, you know. I was Bruce tory Hill autumn guys man, so fell

in love with them during the game. But I mean, growing up there, like, it wasn't like I hated the Eagles at all. Like I have a lot of fair players on that on Eagles man, like with Shady and big d like like Djack. Like I know the Eagles as much as I know my Rams, just because all my friends and stuff and enjoy watching them. It's just I was just a Rams fan, and I just I just stuck with him even when he was bad. I was, I'm rooted for the Eagles and everything. I liked them,

and I always, you know, stayed with them. So this is primarily mckel since I worked for ESPN, but I also do the Cardinals games. This is primarily a football podcast and the first guest when this kicked off last summer was Kurt Warner. And you know Kurt obviously playing here with the Cardinals, but most people know him for, you know, least nationally for what he did with the Rams and the movie American Underdog is out. I've seen it. It's great. It's all about his story leading up to

the Rams Super Bowl. Nothing on the Cardinals in there. The sequel would be just as good as the original story. And that's what Kurt said, Those aren't my words. Have you had a chance to see the movie yet? No? I have not, and I have to. Man. I remember, I actually didn't know they were coming out one until, like I saw the trailer and I was like, first

ah saw was was they showing like cliffs? And also I was like thirteen and in the Rams color might hold up, this is not about to be And then I kept watching the preview of Oh that's that's dope, but I've never got a chance to watch it. So you said you went to the game with Cam Johnson, and I read about you guys had a bet that involved several layers of embarrassment for the loser. The one thing that struck me the most was did he have to set up a lemonade stand somewhere because he lost? Yeah,

this is uh, this will be. This is ongoing and we're figuring out the time and place and we will let the city of Phoenix and people in Arizona know where it will be because this will be very very very great and we're figuring out the date now. But he will have a lemonade stand. If he Cam's little lemonade stand, he can name it whatever he wants. But um, yep, this is my most favorite bet that we have. Is it is the lemonade gonna be free? Or is it

gonna be like five cents? You're gonna have like one of those signs that as the of like the five is backwards, you know, like a little kid would write, Yeah, we're talking to cam. I think cam My son off fifty five cents. You know. We had a combo about you know, the gas prices being up. You know, you don't you don't want to take two people's money, you know what I'm saying. So we're just we're figuring all

that out right now. This is gonna be great. All right, Well, we'll finish with football, but I do want to shift to basketball, because you guys are the best team in the NBA right now. They have only been seventeen teams in NBA history to win more than sixty five games, and you guys are on pace to do that. And I've got a couple of year games coming up on ABC against Utah and against Milwaukee. And I had you guys early in the year. I had you a bunch

last year. The thing that stands out to me the most, and we can talk about Chris Paul and Devin Booker, but the thing that stands out to me the most is your guys chemistry. And I'm curious, did that start before Chris Paul's arrival or did it start when Chris got here and you guys and MONI that you guys all kind of came together and started to really build those relationships to a point where it's affecting whether you win games. Yeah, I started with money got here, man.

You know, my second year, right, the bubble year, That's when it really started money doing that culture and everything. You know, after a tough year, a kindege of the league like dang and then the league was like this. But a lot of my vest has been on other good teams. STU tell me that this is not the NBA, and you know, so don't get better one day and you know it's switched from me fast going to my second year money, just embracing it and you know, building

this culture and started then. And then we got to the bubble. And then bubble got us even closer because the whole pandemic and everybody in the world going through it. And then you know, our whole thing was they made this bubble up so that I was just us in our lando got nothing to lose. Uh No, we had to make good playoffs, we had to go undefeated and

other things to go our way. So we just kind of just had that just us against the world mentality, man, and just got real closed down there, and it just kept things going. Well. We got CP going to the summer and goes for the next year. Where do you think, because we, you know, on the outside can look in and guess, but you're obviously a part of it. You're

there every day. You've been there with Chris every day and just looking at his history, helping push the Clippers in the right direction, getting Houston to a position where they almost beat the Warriors in the Conference finals. Where is his biggest impact felt with you guys, and in terms of growing the culture and getting you to a point last year where you're in the finals see the winner. Man, he just drank so much to the table, and I mean bringing a Hall of Famer in. Man, it's just

unbelie avoiding what he does. He's just who he is as a person and what his mind is. Everybody's not built like him, especially mentally, and he's just so crappy on the court, knows the games so well. That's why he's just so separated them a lot of other players. But I think his biggest thing is that he wants

to win. And he's always a crazy thing. And I know people he hasn't won championship and stuff, but he's been on teams that go to players go far, so he's been a winner, you know, I mean championships on the five you being a loser, you know, you could win seventy percent of games and you win championship. Doesn't mean you're a loser, just you just couldn't get over that hump. But you're winning games every year and putting

your team in a position to win every year. So you know, he just he had that energy and everybody else had the same energy. Man, it's just great. There was no question in LA that there was some friction with him and Blake Griffin, and there were a lot of people that said, you know, Blake just couldn't take Chris's personality and a lot of guys don't respond well to that. You guys obviously have. Did you have a

moment where you were challenged at all by him? And just based on your background, I'm guessing you welcomed it. Do you do you have any recollection of anything like that. I know what's happened with Ayton, but has it happened with you at all? Yeah? Always, Man, it goes on to this day. We're all competitors and see what's greatness one of everybody, and it's it's all the time. Man. We just were staying on each other and keep getting

better and everything, uh not get satisfied. And we need that, you know, we you know, we won a lot of games. Right now we can easily just be relaxed and just think, you know, oh we're being everybody right now. It's gonna be easy to you know, I try, It's gonna be easy to win championship like, no, it's not like that. You know, you gotta keep that fire and keep going and never being satisfied. Um, you know I learned that

when I was in college. But m C and him demanding that at all times, it's just something that we need, especially coming from one of our leaders. Um, it's it's great. You know, that's what it takes. That's what it really takes to go far. And see's just keeping everybody, you know, just just right there. You know, we're all excited so how we're playing, but we all know that just our biggest thing is trying to be the best team that could be. By the end of the year, Well, you've

become more than just a good player. You came into the NBA. You were a good player based on what you did in college, winning two national championships. I think everybody knew you were a good player, but you become one of the best two way players in the NBA. And I saw recently. I think it was just the other day that in NBA dot Com has you right now number two behind Jannis for Defensive Player of the Year.

Now I'm one of the voters, so at the end of the year, I'll do all the all the awards, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, all NBA teams, and I take a lot of time and effort when I vote because it's directly tied to your guys finances in your contracts, and so I'm very, very careful and respectful with the process. So, knowing that they're still a month and a half two months to go here in the season, give me your pitch on why you should be Defensive Player of the Year, man,

I don't know. I just that's just not think I think about. Man, Honestly, I just got there. I play hard. I just try to find ways to win, helps the team as much as I can. I just got there to play hard for my teammates and coaches. I promise you. I don't really, you know, think about things like that obviously, like you said, it was a contracts. I know, agents and everybody else, family friends, which is great, you know. I never I'm always grateful and I'm never gonna take

anything for granted. But I just got there. Hoop. Man. I just try to be the best player I could be and try to give the best chance I get to help my team win. So um, that's what really all is. And I know a lot of people just saying just the same, but I truly mean it. I love this team, I love my guys, and I just I just got there and play and just do whatever it takes well, whether you win the award or not.

But there's still time. But I don't think there's any question you're going to be on one of the All NBA defensive teams. That's that's a point that is I think set and Stone, you're you're gonna make one of those teams. You at this point probably first team, and again you you could still win the award. What is the biggest challenge with being a great defensive player in the NBA? Because you're guarding the other team's best player and it's not always going to be somebody that plays

your position. So what's the key When one night you may have to be going up against James Harden, the next night it might be Lebron James, what's the key for you? Um, there's no in tantasy man, And I think that's just individually for myself that I take no pride ins is knowing what players do and know what they like to do and and go out and play hard. But um, it also an't done. You know, all the things that do off the court and then give us

toff ready to guard those guys makes my job way easier. No, I got four guys behind me. That's just gonna make my life way easier. You know. I know it's never just me out there. They give me all the confidence in the world who out there and be aggressive and you know, do things and you know, play my way defensively, and I'm just really blessed, you know we just like I said this, the four guys behind me, man, they

just make things way easier for me. And I think that's why where we're at right now, just because of how well we all play together. For you, when you talk about preparation, how much are you studying? So let's say you know you're playing well now Philly and you got to go up against James Harden or when healthy Brooklyn and you're playing Kevin Durant, how much are you studying of their games? How much are you preparing mentally ahead of time for that challenge? Um, I mean it's tough.

It's tough in the league. Just you play. You play every other day, so it's not like an advance. But it's just you know, you see, but you just the next game, and you couldn't you know, if you have a couple of days off and they're plenty about to play, they might be on TV or they're playing the day before or one of your off days. You know, I watched, you know, just watch a lot of basketball and just watching just watching out the whole game, also looking at

the players that might guard. Also just seeing their offense and how they play together. But that's what I was just watching a lot of basketball, man, just watching games. They know other games. And then kind of easier too, if you play them early in the year or a week ago, you could go back to the game and watch, you know, what they were doing as well. What's the greatest lesson you think you guys learned from the experience last year of going to the finals and getting that

close to winning a championship. You know, some teams get that far and you know the next year after not accomplishing that goal. You see it more in football than the NBA, but you do see it where a team makes the finals doesn't win struggles the next year. You guys, haven't you guys have been better this year than last year. So what was the biggest lesson that you guys took away from that experience a year ago. There's no what it takes, you know, it takes everybody, and it's all

the little things. Um. And that's what we knew. You know, we had that feeling, you know, being thirsty to be back there. We know what we have to do. Um. You know, obviously it was it was tough to sit there and watch them celebrate, but you know you can't stuck about it. You know, you gotta you gotta go on, you know, you gotta right. If we sit here and just be upset about it, you know that's not going

to help for the year after, for next year. We just knew we had to do obviously a stune, but you know, I still think it was just a hell of a year. But just knowing that we had to come back and do all the other little things. Even though we thought we was doing all the little things, you gotta do even more of little things, and right, we just you know, that's what it really is, just playing a whole forty eight every game. A couple more

and we'll get you out of here. I'm curious you talked about Monty earlier in the culture that he started. You play for a guy Villanova that is different in terms of, you know, how he approaches building culture, but he's built culture nonetheless. And you know, Jay Wright is a guy that has had as much success at the college level as anybody the last twenty years. What are some of the similarities with Jay and Monty? What are some of the differences? Oh? Man, differences, They really too

many differences. Man. They're they're literally they're literally the same um Man. They want the best out of you. It's just all about the details, you know. That's that's what coach right and you know, defending and rebound everything, man, executing, Like they're literally the same person. It's crazy. Just I merro on my first guy here and how he was I'm looking at him like, dang, I just felt like I felt like I'm with Coach Right again, you know,

And it's, uh, it's dope. And you know, especially knowing you know who they are. To think about Coach right, mind is that they both really care um at the end of the day, you know, and they both they call you up, they're calling you out, and it's just I'm blessed to I've been coached by two great coaches. Man's just and they both helped me, you know, keep shriving and be the best player I can be every single day. And I'll just never take them for granted.

Larry Fitzgerald, how is your relationship with him? If he had a chance to get to know fits? And have you seen him play basketball? He claims to be pretty good? Can he hoop it all? Fitz? Great, dude, man, I'm happy. You know me man kid watching football all the time and know who he is, and me always picking him up in maddened drafts and knowing that you're gonna catch every single thing. You know, my, my TV throws it

to him. Um, he's great, man. You know, I love football and I know Larry fitz for so long just knowing the type of player he is, and uh, it's just great, you know, building a friendship with him and knowing the type of person he is, and everybody always told tell me he's the greatest person and meeting them and really saying the same as that thing to other people when they asked me about him, because it really is. Man, He's just he's just a great dude. Man, He's special.

That's just not everybody's like that not everybody's like who he is and that's why that's why it makes him so different man, because he's just such a great guy. But I've never seen a hoop. Yeah, I've never seen a hoop. The big debate, for whatever reason, by the way, after the super Bowl is should Matthew Stafford be in

the Hall of Fame? And I'm curious if you have a take on that, because people, look, he had great numbers in Detroit and then he wins the super Bowl and everybody says, well, that automatically makes you Hall of Famer. I'm not sure where I stand on that. He's still got you know, who knows the guy could play for five more years. You have a thought on that at all? Yeah,

I had to committee. I tapped into the numbers. But I know, I know a lot of people say that he wouldn't be All of Famer because he hasn't won a championship thing like that, and he did, so I just I wonder what the next excuse would be. So how the world goes there say one thing and then they do it that is another excuse. So so we'll see, all right, last one, if Sean McVeigh retires, what what will what will your reaction be if he decides, you know what, I'm gonna go do TV. I'm gonna get

a coaching for a while. You know, if you have upset. Man is one of the greatest coaches that I've seen. But um, it's his life, you know, just our respect it and uh, you know he did. He did a lot to me to make me happy about, you know, being a Rams fan, and as he's done to turn in the program around has He's been unbelievable and just grateful to have him as you know, as the coach for the Rams. Well listen, Man, I appreciate the time.

Congratulations on you know, living vicariously through the Rams and feeling like you were a champion on the football field. I hope that you get an opportunity to be a champion on the hardwood this year with the Suns, and again I think you become one of the best two way players in the NBA. I know you're not going to say that, but I can say that. And I know this, man, you were going to make one voter for sure, and I know I'm not the only one,

but I can just speak for me. You're going to make this a very very tough decision at the end of the year when it comes voting time. Because you've been fantastic and I look forward to senior person here in a couple of games coming up and watching year the rest of the way. I appreciate it, man, Thank you so much. Great to catch up with Phoenix Suns

forward mckel Bridges. You could tell how ecstatic he was his Rams winning the Super Bowl, him being an attendance to see it, and also how excited he was that he won the bet with Cam Johnson and that Cam now has to sell lemonade as part of restitution for losing the bet for the Super Bowl. Also some great stuff about the comparisons of Jay Wright to Monty Williams.

You could also tell just how humble McKell is. He doesn't want to talk about how great of a defensive player he is and whether he's truly a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. But NBA dot Com even has in its latest power rankings Bridges number two, behind Janis, who won the award a couple of years ago. If the Suns continue on this pace and finished with the best record in the NBA, I don't think there's any question.

He is going to be heavily considered league wide for Defensive Player of the Year and certainly for one of the two All NBA defensive teams. It's really interesting too mckel's comments on the chemistry and the culture and Monnie Williams not calling you out but calling you up, and how the Sun's built on their experience going undefeated in the Bubble a couple of years ago to coming that close to winning an NBA championship, and how they've improved even from that season and will be in the hunt

to win an NBA title in twenty twenty two. We are presented by bet MGM, the official sports betting partner of the Arizona Cardinals, and by Hila River Hotels and Casinos. During the regular season, we were doing a Dave Pash Podcast episode every week. It will be less frequent during the offseason, but we'll certainly keep you up to date on when a podcast is airing and who is the guest. You can follow us on Twitter for that and more

at Pashpod. Thanks again for listening to mckel bridges from the Phoenix Suns on this week's edition of the Dave Pash Podcast. Those were American. The both were in the road. Those were American