The Draymond Green Show - Stephen A. Smith

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Wanted hundred two seven O seven one one seven for confidential health in Michigan on eight seven seven h O P E n Y or text h O P E n Y for six seven three six nine in New York, tennessee redline eight nine Tennessee visit one eight hundred gamble dot in West Virginia. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to the Trademond Green Show. As you notice, is season two and I am honored to have this next guest as our first guest of season two. Um a brother of mine,

of a mentor of mine who needs no introduction. He actually has a memoir coming out January seventeenth. To make sure you go preorder that and check that out as I am extremely excited. It is called Straight Shooter, That No More Mercy Podcast with Stephen A. Smith. First take host co host, I say, the Starter show. However you would like to refer to him, you do yourself, but I'm honored to have this next guest. Thank you for coming on the show. My brother Stephen A. Smith was

going on, what's up big time? How you doing, man? How's everything? I'm fantastic. How about you? I'm doing great man. I want to applaud you, man, because you know, you've always been a great brother. I mean, usually you got cats like Lebron with the shop of the show. They run for somebody like me. They don't want me on, you know, but but Draymond broke me on. You know. Now, I'm just playing. What's going on? Man? What's up? Man?

Nothing much? It's funny that you say that. I was just gonna say, I'm nervous as hell for this interview. I've probably done more preparing for this interview than I have. And I and and and the reason being, I think you respect greatness and when when someone is great at something, you you only want to bring your best to that. And so I understand and and appreciate you as as the goat. And and when I say the goat, it's it's it's from a different perspective than most people will

look at it. I think when you when you think of sports media, you're right up there at the top of anybody. But I personally think you have created a lane for your that that only you live in. And I think, you know, I've watched other people try to come in that lane, and to me it honestly, it doesn't look as genuine. But when I say the goat, I look at someone who's who's went about staying true to themselves and yet creating a lane like you have.

And I think my first question would be, um, how, how how did you and coming into this business, and especially coming in in the nineties, when you came in, how how was it almost impossible or hard, I would say, to stay true to yourself and extending to the greatness that you have. Oh, no question, it was very, very difficult to see. What happened is that there was no social media, so there was no Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok

or anything like that. To be a person that would ultimately have a license to express your opinions, you had to work through a mind field. In in media, you had to write, you had to report, you had to break stories, you had to cultivate contacts and resources, and then after you did all of that, you had to hope and pray that there were bosses, editors, et cetera

that was supportive enough to want to elevate you. One of the things that I told people all the time is that you know a legend like Mike will Bond, the true legend in our business, who've been around for many, many years along with various others. The reason why Mike Wilbon was such a legend as because Mike will Bon was one of the first to ever get an opportunity

to express his opinion. You know, guys like the late Ralph Wiley, God rest his soul, and others had you know, relate Brian Burwell who was a friend for USA today. They were pioneers because they were put in a position where they got a license to express their opinion. In two thousand and three, Dre I became a general sports columnist. Columnists is the highest title that you can have because it's the license to give your opinion, not just report.

I was the twenty first African American in American history to get that time. That means there was only That means there was only twenty before me. Now you can look at it and say, wow, that's a great accomplishment. But there's a negative to that. That means in two thousand and three, as recently as two thousand and three, throughout American history, American never saw a fit but twenty other black people to be to have a license to

express their opinion. So understanding that I always wanted to express myself, which is why when guys like you and others came along later and took full advantage of the ability to express yourself, I was like, hold up, hold on, hold up, I think I got a problem with it. This is what I wanted. I want you to express the stuff. I want you to have that freedom. I don't want you to feel because you couldn't control the message.

Back then, you had to hope and pray that you could cultivate a relationship with somebody well enough to express so they could express themselves on your behalf. You don't have to do that today, And I'd like to believe I had something to do with helping that happen. I definitely think so. Um. You know I, over the course of the years you've been want to welcome to banter You've you've been you know, the candor, that's something that

you've always welcome. Where where do you think that comes from the that come from growing up in New York um or or does that just come from you know, your makeup and your building media. It's a combination of both. I'm from the streets of New York City, bro Um. You know, on my best day, I can never ball like you. You know, step as an idol, you know, Lebron and somebody I bodolize. I'm an m J dude all day every day, you know. I mean, the list

goes on and on. But you know, you talk in sports and you gotta remember and I often tell people this when it comes to the world, when it comes to the world of sports, everybody thinks they're an expert. That's what people don't realize. See what news and politics and stuff like that. We're deferential to people because you might know things about policy that I might not know,

you know, legislation, all this stuff we don't know. That's the fear that people haven't getting involved because you don't want to open your mouth and be completely ignorant, because you know, you don't know what's going on the Capitol Hill, right But in sports, nobody can tell you anything. If you're sort of dude play and he shot through for twenty then he shot through with twenty and so so so so to me, my aspiration was always to be a commentator slash columnist. The reason why is because I

knew that the news was the news. Okay, here it is. And then if you had enough, if you cultivated enough sources, alright, fine you could you could put that out to everybody. But people want to know how you feel in the world, in the world of sports because they want to They want one or two things. They want to know that you agree with them, and if you don't agree with them, they want to know why so they can argue with you.

You play your four time champion and you have people that will come to you and literally try to tell you what's going on with the go to State Warriors, even if you're the want of the lock rom and you don't want to stays and all of this stuff that they're they're not asking on you're asking. They're literally telling you, not that being this is what's going on, and they have no clue. And so for me, I've offered it. I knew that I was never that way. I always brought it myself, and being a guy that

was an instigator and a provocateur of of dialogue. I'm the guy that got you talking about what needed to be talked about, as opposed to people who wanted to create narratives to escape what really needed to be talked about. That's what I've always proud of myself to doing, and

I've been that way since I was young. I think that's incredible because I think over the years, Um, one thing that I've watched with you um on TV is when you've brought other athletes like myself on and in a Kendrick Perkers, Matt bons Um, Patrick Beverly as of recent JJ Reddit You you don't. You don't go on and claim to know more about the game of basketball than JJ Reddick or uh sit there and and try to discuss an X and no with Patrick Beverley. You

don't do that. I've almost watched you take a back seat on television to those guys when they come to basketball, now never shying away from the dialogue and the debate and your point of view, but yet not quite arguing the xs and ohs of it. And and I've seen that on TV UM with with quite a few guys and it and it doesn't make sense to me. Why has that been your approach, um, and and going about

it in your career because it's the right thing to do. Um. The fact that the matter is on far too many occasions, athletes are not appreciated to the greatness that exists within y'all. I'm talking about mentally, UM, the hard work, dedication, and the knowledge that comes with doing what y'all do. It's stupid to want to refree y'all from doing from expressing that.

That's number one. Number two is respect. You know, JJ Reddit comes on the air and there's a lot of athletes that have come on the air and they expected a confrontation, and I'm like, the confrontation is real, but not volatile. I want you to know I'm challenging a specific point you're making, but that doesn't mean i'm challenging you. I know that you know more than I do. I'm just challenging this point that we're debating about because that's

what it's about. Number Three, I'm coming from a place of journalistic integrity because that's my foundation, right, So I'll tell an athlete, you know, the difference between me and I'm just you know, it's it's what I know, just based on what I see, not that I've ever had this conversation with my contemporaries, so I'm not throwing anybody under the bus or anything like that. But you have people who think they know and they want to show the world they know what you know when God's come

on first Take or they talked to me. One of the reasons I could be so hardcore in my opinions is because I'm saying, you have every opportunity to talk to me, dre who don't have who can't get ahold of my number if they wanted, who can't you can't feel to reach me, if they want to reach me, It's ridiculous. So so my point is that if you know how to reach me, and you know I'm gonna listen, it ain't my fault. If you don't want to talk, that's your problem. But if you do want to talk,

here's what I'm gonna do. I'm not gonna challenge your information as much as I'm going to challenge whether or not you're telling us everything we need to know. So if J. J. Read It comes on the air, or Patrick Beverley comes on the air, somebody, I'm like, wait, wait, wait a minute, now, you know. And that's to me saying, oh, you know more than you're saying, or you got more to say that you actually saying. Give it to me. It's my job to bring the best out of them,

not to make them look foolish. And that's what I don't try to do that. I don't try to outdo them or be right. I believe I have an opinion that's better. Sure, I'm gonna bring it, there's no doubt about that. But at the end of the day, you know, and that's why JJ Reddick was a colleague that's now become a friend. And the list goes on and on for football players and basketball players. Because I want First Take to be that kind of conduit. I want casts

to know, oh the door, the door is open. Here you go, you wanna sit, you wanna sit across from me. You got sent to say, let's go. And that's what it's all about. And hopefully, you know, a lot of thankfully, rather a lot of them have gotten that message. Of not all of them that have come on First Take.

I haven't had one single problem with anybody that has ever come on First Take or sat down and have been interviewed by me, because that is a message that I make sure that they received that is coming from a place of respect. I might be challenging this point, but I'm not challenging you. Is it different? I think

that's incredible and it actually leads into my next question. So, my wife is an actress, and as she's continued to go deeper and deeper into a craft, I've watched her like drop into these moments to like, you know, just get into these certain mind spaces that she need of being for a particular scene or audition. And my question to you is, in debate TV, um, is there ever a point where you personally feel attacked or disrespected? And does it ever like, does it ever really get heated? Um?

And in those conversations. So obviously we just had the discussion about you with other basketball players and about basketball, but that's not that's not all you debate about. You don't just debate with basketball players, and it's and it's definitely not just about basketball. Is there ever a point

where it really gets heated? Because I've been watching some Debate TV in which we'll get into it about and to me, it looks like at times there could be some acting number one and at times it truly does get personal and really heated to where once those cameras go off, there may be some words exchanged. Well, I

would tell you this. I wouldn't go as far as saying when the camera went off, there's there's an exchange of words because I'm gonna say what I have to say on camera, since you wanted to say what you had to say on camera, I ain't gonna wait till we get off the air. If you say something order air, all right, you want to bring it okay? Here I am UM for better or worse. UM. I would tell you that there have been instances Jay Williams and I have gotten any heated discussions, but it's never a fact

that our relationship because we're pretty tight. I love my brother and it's cool. Will Kin, who used to be on ESPN and is now on Fox News, we got in a lot of heated discussions where we were very very serious about what we were saying, but it never extended to off the air because I understood that he was different than me politically, political maker was different than

mind anyway, So I expect that those heated discussions. I remember the one time where things almost got this is the one time I almost almost lost it when t O came on the air and said that Max seemed blacker than me. Now I I addressed it on the air,

but we have almost got dicey. There's a lot of stuff that hasn't been involved with t O over the years, and it took everything in me not to go all in, not to really like like, you know, because let's be very very clear, I'm sorry if it offends anybody or anything like that. When it comes to what I do for a living, which is television and debate and stuff like that, drowned gonna lie. I think I'm the best on the planet. I just do. I just do. I I don't. I literally don't worry about a human being

when it comes to debate. I just don't, especially on my platform. It's like, you got to be kidding me. And so when he walked into that lions then I had to remember my humanity. I had to remember listen, I'm a brother, this is a brother. I disagree with him, I don't like it, you know, etcetera, etcetera. And there are things that I could have brought up, but I

couldn't bring myself to do it. But that was the closest that I had ever come to like getting medieval and and and there's a different element that was about to come out of me, but I stopped myself. That's that's I think that self control, especially in what you do, like I think it it teeters that line right of like you know, like you said, I'm not quite disrespecting you, but I'm gonna go at you. But the flip side that I think people don't realize this. There's another human

being involved in and and that have actual feelings. And these are real people talking and you don't know how they may feel. So although you you may be so grounded and your emotions and how to control those emotions, how to stay in that space of debating and it's just that, but you know, you don't necessarily know how that other person may feel and how do you come back that person? Well, for me, you gotta remember for takes my show, I mean, mole Dy Karen works with me.

She does a phenomenal job. But I'm the start of the the show and now I'm the executive producer and everybody and thank you and everybody that's come on the show been hand picked by me. And so what happens. Is what I do, dre is. I make sure I spoke to every single person on the show before they come on. This is what the show is, this is what it needs to be. I'm gonna challenge you. I want you to challenge me and gonna make fun of each other

and we go laugh. You don't have a good time, And I said, when shots to five, shots to five, it's all in fun. And you know, and when you make sure that you you couch, you know, debates with that not on an every day Basically, I said, there's only one conversation with these folks. But they know, they know when I come on the air, listen, I've been blessed, I've been fortunate. I've been very successful in the ESPN.

They know I'm trying to make them successful. They know, you know, j J knows I wanted him call a game. Richard Jefferson knows I wanted them calling games. You know, when Kimberlee mar and Ormanica mc nut beautiful females to do a phenomenal job for us, they know I want them doing what they do for the for the league. Janell bomackay in the job and she's doing an NBA today phenomenal. You know, Matt Bond doing this thing. Kendrick Burkers. I know y'all had y'all issues all that stuff. They

don't get me wrong, but that's my man. I love him and and I want him to do great three just like I want you to do great things I want Molly to do. And when you have somebody that's in front of you that's in my position, that's not just rooting for you, but telling you and showing you I'm rooting for you and putting you in a position like you gotta remember there were times in the past, on many occasions, whether it was with Skip Bayliss, who

was with Max Kellerman or anybody else. Dre I could have touched on issues, but I left it to them because America needed to hear from them, not me on that particular issue. It's television, but you also got to think about the audience. You gotta think about who that audience is and what kind of message you want to send and who's best to send it, and so all

of those decisions are made in real time. And when you have somebody that's the catalyst, like myself on first tape, that's letting you know, look, I'm gonna disagree with you our opinions and our phony. It's authentic. We're giving the audience what they want without giving them the vitriol, without giving them the animosity or the hatred or nothing like that. Patrick Beverley comes on, first, get up and first take heat, going off on CP three. Patrick Beverley, my man, like

a little brothers. I love Patrick Beverley. No know him, no, his mother, no, everybody know for years. But I know he's not CDP three, and I know that you can't talk about CP three like he subscribe. You can't do that's just the whole fame. But what are you talking about? You know? So in other words, so I had to sit up there and challenge him on that without disrespecting him, because I understand part of it is their history together.

It wasn't him just talking. They have animosity towards one another. You see what I'm saying, And that's the difference. It's understanding that, and then it's pulling them to the thought and saying, look, bro, you gotta future here. Don't waste your time being dominated by that issue. You can talk NBA, you don't have to talk CP three those are the kind of things you're helping them because I want him

to be successful when it's playing careers old. So I think about that, and I just shared that knowledge because to me, that's my responsibility. I think that's why I can appreciate that. Um. Before I get into my next question, one thing I want to say is number one is just listening to you name all that list of people that you just named, and like all the careers that you've touched already, and quite frankly, I thought myself into

that bucket. All the help and knowledge that you've given me over the course of these years, I appreciate and I thank you because I think you know a lot of people don't see that. You know a lot of people don't see me have a rough moment and you call like, hey, man, I know you're going through this. Hare's here's a way you can think about this. Here's a different way, never saying Draymond go and say X, Y and Z, but here's a different way you can

think about this. And here's how the voice or the era of America may hear this, you know, and and just giving me a different perspective, you being someone like I said, who's teetered dot line of controversial absolutely opinionated, right. I think most of the times people I wouldn't necessarily say controversial, I would say very opinionated. And people confuse opinionated with controversial, and I don't think that. I don't

think they're the same thing. We know controversial. That's someone that's going out there to to make hot takes, and they're making their hot takes just to create controversy, not what you do. And I don't think a lot of people will understand that. And so, uh, this is me number one. I just want to give you your flowers and say thank you, not only for myself, but also

for that group that you just named. A lot of that group that you just named, I have a lot in common with, whether it's athletes, whether it's your African Americans trying to continue to break into this space, you know, or whatever the case may be. And so I just want to say thank you for who you've been to myself, for who you've been all of us, and how you've trail blazed the path but continue to give back to everybody who has a question to you. Thank you. I

appreciate you. I appreciate that man, thanks a lot. That means a lot because that's what I want to do, and I really believe it's my responsibility if I wasn't trying. You know what, I've often said this. I remember sometimes people have asked me questions. You know, athletes come at you and people dislike you or whatever the case would be here, and I said, they said, why would you change? I said, there is no athlete that can ever look at me and say I was somebody who wished they failed.

You can't find one that is a lot. Anybody ever says that about me. It's a lot because I want everybody to see I want everybody to eat. But when you're coverage sports, they're all winners and they're all losers. There are those who are elite, there are those who are not. There are those who struggle, there are those who don't, and you gotta chronicle that story while still allowing them to maintain their humanity. I understand that better

now than I did when I was younger. But I'd like to believe for the most part throughout my life, I've always tried to go to walk in that bad I think it's incredible. Uh, just and just moving forward and everything that you've done in your career with this new background. Now for everybody out there, we're recording this and I'm the first to see this background, just so y'all know. However, however, y'all won't be the first to see it, because there's no way I would debut this

background before the debut is on No Mercy podcast. I have way too much respect for you for that. But um, no mercy, Uh, no mercy, No Mercy. It's definitely a play on words. They're explained. Can you explain to us where the where the title, the name and of your podcast? Who came up with that and how did you come with that? Well, my team came up with that, Terry Fox for Sean McDonald, uh, you know, and of course myself, although I have other folks working for me, it was

primarily those two. And I loved it because it was a double intnsdric borche Um. When no Mercy n O is warranted, I'll be in that mode. When King n o W No Mercy is warranted, I'll be in that mode. And so I look at it from that perspective, because you know, you have people who genuinely make mistakes, who do some things that they regret, and that's k n o W. Then you have some people who have no compassion, no sensitivity, no mercy, no thoughtfulness, no anything, and they

require n O You see what I'm saying. So I looked at it from that perspective. And it's not a sports podcast. Um, it's not something that's that's via ESPN. It's owned and operated by me. I own it, I'm responsible for it. I'm in control of the content that appears on this podcast and adventures. It has no limits. I talked politics, I taught sports, I talked pop coach and entertainment. I talked social justice issues. I do interviews. I do stuff by myself. Um, the list goes on

and on. I've interviewed politicians. I've interviewed the CEO of the Anti Defamation League. I've had Snoop Dogg and LLL who j on. Uh. You know, I'm gonna have some folks on in the future. And I just want to be in a position where, you know, just like I've made a difference in the world of sports, I want to make a difference in the world beyond sports. And

I want my voice to be something that resonates. So significantly that if you want to do a podcast and you want to make sure you get a message out, you think about coming through no mercy to do just that. That's the kind of impact that I've always aimed to have, and that's the kind of impact that I expect to have with this and you've been doing that. And speaking of no mercy, Um, I'd be remiss if I didn't

ask this question. Um, a guy who I don't think people will ever be able to separate y'all names just because of the history. On first take, UM, Skip Bayless recently made some comments and when and when speaking of no mercy recently made some comments about Damar Hamlin and the comments that he made live during the game, I think everyone knew immediately in that moment they were wrong, Like, Uh,

this guy just passed out. We just watched CPR be administered on live television, and you say a game should continue. That's no mercy, that's not having any number one phil,

I think the field there is just all but no. Uh. Secondly, that to me, I always speak about how how people view the athlete, and that's having no mercy at all for just the athlete, for the mindset you know, when when you think of today's day and age and everyone the awareness around mental health and all of these different issues. And to say that someone who you know, Steph Curry is a brother of mine, like Clay Thompson is my brother. You you you you blood, sweat and tears with these guys.

You experience some of the highest highs in life with these guys and some of the lowest of lows in life with these guys. And to say that you can just witness that number one as a player, Let's not even look at it from Damar's standpoint in his life. Let's just look at it from the standpoint of players athletes in general. To say that Josh Allen can witnessed that and then just go call to play and throw

a football, Like, what about the compassion for the athlete? Now, I don't even want to go to the compassion for DeMar and his family because that's a totally different thing, and that, I mean, that really goes to an entirely different category. So I'm really just trying to keep his sports. But when speaking of no mercy and someone that you've worked with, what was your opinion and thoughts on skill?

And then to double down and say, oh, no, I stand on that, even after knowing the condition that he's in. I guess for me, I can respect you're saying you stand on your opinian. I can't respect that, But at the same time, it feels low. First of all, let me get this out of the way. Stick was wrong, play simple if we want first take together, and he wasn sitting across from me, totally was rude. Um, there's no doubt about that, and that needs to be said

at that particular moment in time. You can use a phrase feeling the rule. You can use whatever other phases, do, whatever other phrases that you want. But at the end of the day, it reached a point where it was not about football, It was not about games. It was about a man's life, being a young man's life being on the line. So there is no there's no defending that.

And I agreed with Shannon Shaw's position on that. Having said that, what I will say and I had and there were people that wrote articles that Stephen Ay came to the defense. No I didn't, but I did explain what I mean by that. Is number one, It's important that I preface any comment about skip veyleas uh. In terms of saying this, Draymond, I'm not here today if

it were not for Steep Bass. Skip Veyless is the one that brought me on first sip, and I will never walk around like I don't owe that man a lot. But I disagreed with him after I owed them that on first sake every day, So why can't I disagree with him that? And why wouldn't I disagree with him in the future. I'm sure he would disagree me. I promise you he disagree with what I'm saying right now. That comes with it. But remember when I talked about

attacking what someone does as opposed to attacking them. I've known Skipped for twenty years. I know people who despise him. I know people who think the worst of him. I know all of these different things. I'm not one of those people, and I will always have love for my maid. I think he was wrong, but I also knew what mistake he made. Dre. He's looking at the game, and here's what he's thinking about. He's seen Jack Tatum paralyzed Darryl Steeley. He saw Michael Irvin on the turf at

veter Stadium in Philadelphia, believably paralyzed. He just recently saw a two or tongue of below and get carried off the same field Instincinnati by ambulance and was concussed. I mean his body stick stiffing up like it had a rigor mortist like rigor mortis kicked in and throughout NFL history, which Kip Bayless has been covering since the seventies, he's seen the game continue and a lot of times people are not taking that into account. You can say we're

living in a different time. That is true, We're all living in a different time. You also have others who hold on to a certain culture. Now, sometimes they hold on a certain cultures. In the world of politics, we don't like that, were the news, don't like that, So to justice issues were damn sure, I don't like that.

But in the world of sports, there's tens of millions of people who hold onto the way things used to be, which is what the new media, as you like to call yourself, like to like to bring up how you got cats that hold onto it. What I'm saying you a mind, Well, that's who you're talking about. That's the guy, the guy that is like this is the way that things were done. This is what customarily happened. So he wasn't tweeting like that, hell with this God's well being

or help or anything like that. I know Skip Baylor's enough to know that he cares whether or not that the more handling lives or dots, and people that extended themselves to accuse him of that I think are totally wrong. But was he guilty of Okay, well, this is what was serious. Stuff has happened before, because remember, we don't see, we don't know how. We know it's serious. We know

they're trying to resuscitate him, but we don't know the particulars. Well, okay, they're gonna take him out in the ambulance and then the game is going to continue. I know a lot of people who felt exactly that, but not necessarily because it's should They're saying it because that's been the history of the NFL. But times have changed. And I would have said to him fair enough, thinking that he believed

what I just articulated. I would have said fair enough, but you know better, And that same tweet could have been put out twenty four hours later and it would not have been treated with the same vitriol as it was. But unfortunately, UM, he didn't have someone in his ear to tell him that. And you know, it is what it is. As I can honestly sit here and say, I'm not one to shy away from an opinion. As you know, I don't like Skip Bayless. I'm not a

Skip Bayless fan at all. Um, I don't think Skip Bayless is smart enough to have got me to see another side the way you just did. Either way, you just got me to see the side that he could have possibly been seen. Um. Especial in itself, but it's also it needs to be heard because if I'm being honest, I didn't see that side at all. I did not, not one bit. And I thank you for that because number one, that will help me continue to grow in

this space. But I think, like I said, the world needs to hear that because and I think another thing that I really didn't appreciate was even after the fact on on Undisputed the next day, it still wasn't this. It was like I stand on that and that it's just like and and and that's where I think that's that's when we're allied. Because see, I was more disappointed in the next day only because alright, this is what

everybody's feeling. You see what I'm saying. It's like, listen, because I was saying, I know you, you know you, you you know you better than that. You see what I'm saying, regardless of what anybody else want to believe. I know size of him, I've seen, and I know he's better than that. It's like, YO, just just give it up. You know, I shouldn't have said that text last night. You said that wasn't the time and to play to do it, that's all. But you know he

I can assure you. Some people think that it's a prideful thing where he can't admit that he's wrong. I take you the step further. I don't. I don't think he thinks he was wrong at all. I think he was right what he what he was telling Shannon the next day, you know, And and usually I don't have time to watch it because I got my own show to do. But they came on a half hour earlier and I knew what it transpired the day before, so

I had to see if it was all right. And you know, then I then I reached out to him. I said, if you need to talk, I'm here, but he hasn't reached back. And I understand he's going through a lot right now. Yeah, that and that and you being on the other side of that table and sitting in Shannon's spot. Um, you know, like you said, Skip brought you onto the show. So at one point, you know, at one point I would believe he probably had more say in the show than you did. Then you kept

totally totally. I always deferred to him, dre because even though I got there and my star had ascended, and again, he had been beyond that point of going to games. He had done that for thirty so years or whatever. He wasn't doing that anymore. You know, me, I love going to games. I love being inside that lot. I can't as much as I used to because I got the dag On show to do and my obligation. But any time I could show up to the game, I'll show up just so brothers could see me and talk

to me. But but but but with him, you know, so my star was ascending, but I was always mindful he brought me here as his show. That's his show and I and I never never once took that away from me. So do you think a part of a part of Shannon. It was that way now, whereas like I could see that Shannon felt disrespected. I could see that Shannon was kind of hurt, and you could just see that it was so personal to him, being that he's been on that same football field. He's been tackled

that same way for fifteen years. Um. But but I'm asking more so from the grand schame. Like, so, Shannon took the day off, right, and Shannon spoke about why he took the day off. But do you think Shannon is more handcuffed, that Skip has more saying the show and that he has to suppress a little bit more, or do you think that's just grow I think that's natural. I think that's natural. I think that anybody in Shannon's position would feel that way. But what I would tell

you is this. You know, listen, I've been blessed and fortunate enough to for first take, We've been you know, we arrived, Um, I arrived in the spring of twelve. We've been number one since I've been number one for eleven years. Uh, and Shannon and Skip have been the competition for the last six Let me be very very clear, But what I'm saying I don't know Shannon that well. We've spoken a few times over the years. I have

a lot of respect from Shannon Shaw. I know it's not supposed to be popular to say because he's the competition man, damn all of that. He's a brother, UM. I got love for him. I respect the hell out of him. Um. And every time I see him, I agree him very fondly. And I will remind everybody he's one of the greatest titans in the history of football, as he the Hall of Famer. This ain't some scrub

like I was. This brother was something special, okay, And so to watch him in this business trying to do what he's doing, UM, I respect the hell out of him, and I can only imagine um the kind of position, uh that he found himself in in light of Hamlin's injury. The only thing that I would say, if if if Shannon had come to me and asked my advice. For example, here's the only thing that I would say, that's your chair.

You don't give it up for nobody as yours, sim saying, I don't give a damn if you were in the chair and had nothing to set, you don't miss sitting in that check because there's an audience out there that expected to see yes. But I understood him. Like every single NFL player present and former that I've spoken to, Parks was in the right place, going through a lot.

I remember that time Kenny Smith, during the whole social justice movement, walked off the set of T and T because he didn't feel it was a good idea for him to be there. You remember that when Kenny Smith got right, Well, Kenny Smith will tell you. I called him and I said to him, my brother, I love you. You know, that's my queen's brother. His brother, Vincent Smith used trained me for crying lorst Italian Hall in New York City when I was trying to be half to

play at Kenny to just Smith brother. Hey idolized Kenny Smith and I love him like a brother. And I called him and I told him, which he would tell you. I said, brother, you shut that was the right decision. And he's like stephen A. I just felt like it was the right thing to do. I said, I get that with that chair matters. We need to see you and I often I often think about that when I think about myself. When you turn on first take, it's one thing on my phone, vacation, I got a day

off or something like that. But when some real stuff hits you turned on first take, you expect to see Stephen that and Stephen They're gonna show up. I'm gonna show up. And that's what I would encourage Shannon, Kenny Smith or anybody shock Bark with anybody else. We fought for stitcheries to have a voice. You got it, you don't get it up. That's Michael. Absolutely. And we've been here for forty one minutes. Honestly, I can sit here

and ask you a questions for two hours. I know you all the time in the world for you, bro we go. I appreciate you, but I do want to ask a couple more questions before I get into the basketball. Outside of things. Um, Number one, your your memoirs coming out January seventeen, Straight Shooter. Uh, can you can you tell us a little more what we can expect when I open that cover and I read through. What What can I expect to read and learn? Um? About you,

about the business, Uh, just about your perspectives. What can we expect from your memoir straight Shooter Man? My life, my trials and tribulations, my relationship with my dad, my relationship with my mom. Uh, my career, the trials and tribalations, getting fired, getting rehired, you know, the cynicism, the controversies that I've been in, whether it's Ray Rice and domestic violence, whether it's showing or Tani and the Asian American community

and Asian and Asian community. Um, Steph Curry, I Easa Curry. Wait till you read about that chapter. I mean, there's a chapter about about Mrs Steph Curry in my book. Um, you'll you'll know it. You'll be very familiar with the story once you once you read it, all of those things and and of course Skip Bayless, Max Kellerman, the history of First Take, my career, ESPN. Quite frankly, the

list goes on and on. I've been involved with a lot of stuff over the years, and there's a lot of things that you couldn't say because you were working for the World Wide Leader and it involved them. But major, major props to them, because while I'm still working for them, I wrote what the hell I wanted to write, and I showed it too. I showed it to them ahead of time, and they were like, okay, and they gave me no push for at all, and I'd admit I was kind of shocked by that because I expected push

back they gave me zero. And so, um, it's long overdue. UM. I would have written it years ago, but I promised my mother I would never write the book until she passed away. She never wanted me to write the book while she was alive because she knew that there were certain truths that I was going to uh tell, particularly as it contained in my relationship with my father and why, and she did not want to be alive when that happened. So I promised two years ago that I would never

do it until she passed away. So when she passed away in seventeen, I waited a few years and then I finally decided to do it. And they said, say it might be best. They said it's a best seller already. They said pre sales, I've already sold over ten thousand and eleven thousand books something like that. Um, And they expected, they expected to be on the best seller list. So we'll see. That's incredible. So this so this book is also like it's also therapeutic for you, like you're getting

some stuff off your chest. Also by the way before we go into that, I ain't taking no stuff Curry and Asia slander. Now, Stephen that you let me tell you something. I'm ashamed at how much I love Steph Curry. I'm ashamed. And you know me, I would never ever ever come close to disrespect to somebody's woman. I would never do that. It's just a story that directly involves that had an indirect effect on me. And that's where

that comes from. Okay, I'm interested in reading that, you know, But so so this book is is also some some therapy for you though you're getting some stuff off your chest. And also as someone who's got planned on doing that one day as well, and as someone who has had dad issues in a way, I would say, um, and so as a part of this sharing your story and also understanding now that other other guys may be going

through that same things. I know as I started to talk about my dad issues more, I realized you start talking to someone and you like, man, I wasn't the only one going through that, but you feel like you were when you're going through it. Is it some of that and and this, of course, of course it is because you know, when I was going through the issues I was going through with my dad, my brother Basil, God rest his soul, he passed when a car accident in two but he was there for me. And so

you know, I'm the youngest of six. That was my brother, um and he helped me out like that. So what happens years later Alan Irison's of the world and various other cats along with the Draymond Greens of the world, and others who come to me talking to me, even Shock and others. You know, I'm you know, y'all may be bigger, but I'm older, so so so it's like you know, so so my experiences and just being able to help in any way I can. And once again

that's where a part of my defiance come from. Where I can stand up told a told with any athlete and have a discussion because I know, I'm not trying to hurt nobody. I'm doing my job. Yes, I'm gonna be fair mindy, yes, but off the wrecket, off the court. What do you need? You see what I'm saying, whatever you need, I can help you. You know, for example, a guy like for example, I just put out that guy like the Markets cousins. He can't stand me I don't know why. I don't. I don't know why that,

but listen, he hates me. I don't know why. But the point is that what he never realized rave when I came to talk to him in the locker room and he refused to talk to me that one time, when we were all in Philadelphia, I was coming to offer him an opportunity to be an animalst I watched him do an interview and I liked them, and I went to the bosses and said, if they don't do X, y Z and the playoffs, we could use that guy. Literally,

that's what I was coming for. But you know, he put me off, So okay, you know, opportunity loss, and that's the way it goes. But the point is, you bring names like that up, along with various other athletes that I've had issues with from time to time throughout the year. Is not many, not nearly as many as people think, because blind large, I get along with most of y'all. But the point is that I want y'all to do great. If I have nobody that I can point to that I helped, I didn't do my job.

I didn't do my job. You had an obligation to give back, and you got cats that really really want to be in this business and they have an opportunity to I went to t O years ago. Yo, bro, you realize who you are, your top three receiver on the planet. You could be making millions doing this. Let me talk to these cats. He brushed me off. Mh. I'm I'm like, okay, I'm saying okay. I mean, it's like I mean, it's like I'm not asking casts to come along for free. I'm looking I'm looking at because

I'm watching, you know me, I'm looking at God. I watched the way they articulate this l was to watch the way they project, see what they bring to the table, and then I'm like, imagine if you had the right platform to do it, imagine what you could do. And unfortunately, far often than not, they don't see that opportunity, and you're just you're looking at them and you're saying, guys, think about the big picture. Let's wake up, because those who are successful sort of big picture before the rest

of us. For a guy like DeMarcus um, who I think you know, I have a relationship with um below in the league, so excuse to him not to be an NBA, no excuse. I think that's a no brainer. Like when I even look at some guys in NBA, and there's no disrespect to any NBA player, any any guy you see in the NBA can play basketball like, no disrespect to any But there's a lot of guys in the NBA that is not as good as de Marcus Cousins. Absolutely true. Like every still to this day,

everybody thinks I'm crazy. I think I think the Nets could use him. A lot of teams could, Yeah, but I'm I'm talking about he could be the difference for a championship because he's not a jumper, we know that, but he can bang, he can move bodies. What are the Brooklyn that's lacking girth? Yeah, that's what I think. But you know, hey, what you gonna do. We had to.

We had to adjust our game plan last year in the playoffs to guard him in the second unit with Denver, And I think I think people don't when you're still adjusting your defensive game plan for someone in a playoff series, not many people get like you don't make adjustments in playoffs for many people. For instance, I go back to the podcast after we lost Game one, we didn't make any adjustments. Uh, we didn't make any adjustments for our horror or or even Marcus Smart. Those are like damn

good basketball players. I'm not taking anything away from there, but there are some things that you just have to be be willing to live with in in a basketball game. And so, um, we adjusted for DeMarcus Cousins still because he was hurting us that much. You can't tell me he don't belong hunting the NBA team. There's no excuse, there's no excuse. I mean, we got but but there's

also a lesson. And I don't know the particulars, and I'm not trying to pretend that of ship and I'm not even talking about him when I make this next statement. It's a lesson for any aspiring athlete or even a moning day athlete that not just your skill matters, additude, relationships, Unfortunately, all of these things play a role, and a lot of times they don't tell us, but when we see it, we have an obligation to promote second chances. You know

what I'm saying. Whatever you feel about the markets that, like I just told you, I have no relationship with him. I don't want this brother out there unemployed, not having an NBA job when he deserves it. I mean, what did he do that he doesn't deserve to be in the n b A You know, I mean I think about that because even though you find yourself at time looking at certain athletes and how they may act, you know, even you know me with Kyrie, with the whole you know,

Karie and I wish no harm and that brother. I'm proud that brothers spectacular. We may never speak again in life because our differences are between us. Nobody here. They will never hear from me what to differ. He knows what the hell happened. I know what happened. But the point is what you go hear from me is he's a superstar. This brother's spectacular. He's a champion. And guess what, as long as he showed up to work, he deserves his money because you walk through the turnstyles to see

that brother play. He's some especially, yes he is, and I think we're seeing that, uh within that season and their turnaround. By the way, what what the what the markets do you? Is there ever a chance to to mend that um that moment in that locker room with the Marcus Cousins that moment in that locker room. Yes, oh please, he's the one with the issue. I ain't got no issue with him. If the markets Cousins came to me and said he needed me, what you need?

What you need? Bro? Is that simple to me. I'm not that guy, you know what I'm saying. I really am not that guy. Life's too short. I mean, you know, he hurt might even hurt me and hurt my family. He didn't do something, you know, he didn't do something unforgivable. I'm cool. It's not a problem, and I don't have any issue with him. I don't know what his issue is with me and don't really care, but I can

assure you I have no issue with him. I've had been a plethora of players throughout NBA history, Hall of famers, had a problem and then come to me years later, Stephen, They really cool, man. You know, I was just I just felt this way at this particular moment in time. But I'm alright, Glenn, big Door Robinson. For years we have problems because I didn't like the fact that Randy has got fired the way that he did. I felt that cats like him just just did the wrong things.

But then it got too far. It's like you got people wondering whether or not we were gonna try to do something to each other and stuff like that. Whoa wa what? But then I saw a son, and I saw a son of the game, and I walked up to his son and I said to him, I want you to know, whatever beef your father and I had is my fault. I said. At the end of the day, I'm the one sitting in this chair, and I could

have quelled all of that, and I did it. Regardless of what our difference is, how valid they may have been. The bottom line is, I'm older, I'm the professional journalist. I'm in this position as a level of maturity I should have showed. And I want you to know that because I don't want you walking around thinking that, Oh my goodness, you gotta watch the little thing you do. Because stephen A is here and he hates your dad. No, I do not hate you, dad. I said, I was

angry about something. He was angry about something. But the second I see him, I'll apologize to his face. Don't you ever worry about nothing like that with me? And I told her. I walked up to his son in Houston and voluntarily had a game in using and I voluntarily told him that because I just felt bad, Like Dan, this is his son, and Lord knows what he's thinking because me and his father is beating. Let me put

an end of that right now and assure him. You don't ever have anything you know your dad now Ever, I respect your father was a hell of a player. I just didn't like something that happened in Philadelphia. But the bottom lines, I could have squashed all of that, and my immaturity contributed to how it regrets. I have to own that. That's being a human being man, and it's the right thing to do. And I'm certainly not

right all the time. But when I am wrong, I will not hesitate to apologize and to try and make him I would not expect that. I respect that. That's incredible. That's something that's something honestly I've been learning over the last few years of my life. My wife actually been helping me a lot with that. It's just seeing like

when you're wrong, it's okay to say sorry. I think we all grow up in these environments where it's like no, like, for instance, what I was speaking with Skip, like I gotta stand on everything that I do and saying like I gotta stand my ground, and like you're made up of that. And it takes for us, some a lot of us to go through life and realize, like, no, it's okay to apologize, like actually being a bigger man,

but I apologize. But also remember you never lose when you do that, because either you're right or you learn and you're edified because you learned about what you were wrong about. And so when you have that kind of attitude, it's never the case. I've known you for years. One of the reasons, one of the one of the reasons you were one of my favorite people. Like I, I mean to me, I go back with look Man, I was tight with Oakley, I was tight with with with

Derek Coleman. I was typing raw strictly that people like that, you know. And these were cats who could play, but in the same breath would be quick to slap somebody upside the damn head. They ain't like too many people, but they loved me, and I loved them because they were real brothers. And I and I said something or whatever, and and you rolled right up for me in the locker room. Come on, Stephen. Come on, Stephen, I mean, come on now, And you quoted me and I was like,

damn bad, my bad. You know what's that? And I was like, yeah, it's that simple to me. If I did something wrong, tell me what I did wrong. If I think you If I think you're wrong, I'm gonna say so. But if I know you're right. And by the way, if I apologize, I'm not gonna say something publicly and apologize projectly. If I did it publicly, I'm apologized publicly. And you'd be surprised how many people they're like, what the hell you apologize for? Why you let folks know?

Because you let folks know about something that was wrong? So why is corrected? How corrected? And I think that I think it's incredibly important, particularly in this day and age, because even with social media and the reach that y'all have and stuff like that, the bottom line is you've got a lot of cats that feel done wrong, but they make the mistake of not having anybody to talk to.

Like when I think about when I think about Russell Westbrook, for example, Man, you see the stuff that Russell Westbrook is doing in the community from the own business. I mean that's dude. He's a special dude man. But he walks around, but he walks around with this big attitude a lot of times, and he looks at media and he doesn't. I believe that a mistakes like that somebody

like him makes is what Lebron doesn't do. Russ walks around like a lot of people are the enemy, not giving the people enough people a chance to see his greatness and his contribution to our community. Because he's from a different cloth, y'all. He cares about our community. It's about loss, and so he does the for us and he thinks along those lines and is unapologetic about it.

But so many people don't know whereas with Lebron Lebron, through the brilliance of Maverick and and and and and Rich and everybody else, people have no choice but to learn about the greatness of Lebron James on so many levels. And that's the difference I think. I think that's incredible and and and definitely obviously no, I'm very fine to both of those guys and everything that they've done, so am I, even though I still stand by the fact

that damn it. Think listen, Russell Westbrook's the future, whole favor, phenomenal player. I just wish he ever worked on the jump shot. That's all. That's all, nothing else this year. That's right here to listen. I think I swear if I could, you know what, Russell Westbrook might be my leading candidate for six man in the year at that listen, man, you see this come with the bench and do what he does and the role that he has accepted. We talked about his ego, we talked about his stubbornness, We

lamented all of these things. We never dream he would do this, and look what he's doing, his phenomenal and and and Lebron just speaks for Lebron sea, I'm done. I'm done. Lebron is so great. I ain't giving him no hedge over Jordan. Now, I ain't doing that. Well, I'm not doing that. But Lebron is so great. I almost think it's it's it's it's damn Blastphemy to be talking about him doing the regular season. He's like he's like turned the right to have a discussion about him

at Avil because there's so many things he's done. From I told with to Apo, it's just it's just the truth. It's just the truth and step is on that level to step cry yes he is, Yes he is. Steph has definitely reached that level. I think it's absolutely amazing. This is a great segue. Before we get out of here, I just want to ask you a few basketball questions. So obviously, like I said everyone to, everybody will here

this next week. But today the first returns for the All Star balloting voting came out, and uh, Jayson Tatum is not starting. What do you make of Jayson Tatum not started being a starter initially and All Star? That's insane. Who would you remove out of the three guys that's in front of him? Who do we have? We've got you, honest, We've got A and and k D. I would are you ready for this? I'm ready for this. I think

I need to hear this one. I would have to remove k D and and let me And I'm saying a lot for me because I think when Katie's help, he's the best on the planet. And I think he's the leading candidate for m v P. Here's why I would remove him. I can't remove Joel and b because they're in the center on the planet. As far as i'm concerned better than him, not particularly he's the conference.

I can't remove Janice because that's your power forward, who, by the way, as a champion and a two time Defensive Player of the Year and the balling our averaging forty seven and seventeen over the last six three to six games or something, right, I can't do that. Here's where I can pick Tatum over k D similar stats, but at a better record. And by the way, the last time we saw y'all two against each other, Tatum sweat. That's why m hmm, that's why I want to hold kyree.

Thing played into that. I know I said it, but at the end of the day, at the end of the day, we'll listen. What have I said when you and I have had conversations, What have I said to you? Drest I said, excuse me, um, I ain't expected no damn points from you as good when you give me points. I'm looking at the rebounds and assist I'm looking at your defensive prowess. But more importantly, I'm looking at your leadership.

M In other words, when the leadership at thing, when things run a rock, I'm looking at you because you're that guy that galvanizes them. You're the guy that allows Step to be Step because Step don't have to be preoccupied with a bunch of stuff, and Clay don't have to be reoccupied with a bunch of stuff. That's what you do, right, So if you're not doing that, then that's problematic. When I look at the Brooklyn nets, I love Katie, I love him as a player and a person.

I love Katy, and I love Mama Durant as well. You got swept and the distractions that no longer exists for not right now. Give them credit what credit is due, but the distractions and everything else, all of that happened on your watch. Yeah, so I gotta hold you accountable for that if I gotta pick between you and Tatum right now. But here's a question, though, there's a question,

and Kevin has said this himself. Everyone expects Kevin to be this this big leader in the sense of like like he if I remember correctly, I don't want to misquote him, but I think he said in Rolling Stone, I am not good at saying hey, everybody, come on, follow me. That's never been who I am in my life. So why does that have to be so synonymous with who he is? As a basketball player, because everybody's just

not a natural born leader. And again, I'm not taking those shot at k but he himself has said, that's not kind of my strong shoot. Why is his basketball game judge based off of that? And he himself has said, it's not like I'm not strong there. Well, first of all, I'm gonna challenge you on that, because I don't you're not accurate because he's a league MVP and League VP and a two time champion, so clearly and the finals MVP twice and we'll deserved and y'all would have three

p You have swept Toronto. Get me started with that. You took a mask, Okay because of k D? All right with the rest of the group. What I am saying is way I'm challenging gu is that he wanted to lead it in. Nobody blamed him for it. We still praise them, we still recognize the greatness. We're recognizing the greatness now. But you asked why Tatum instead of him? That's entirely different than not appreciate the greatness of k D. We know he's great, we know he's phenomenal, we know

he's unmatchable. You can't guard him the Brothers on another level and he's the league MVP candidate. But right now, halfway through this season, the consistent team has been the Brooklyn Nets. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, the Boston Celtics, and this does the fight of their drama. He man, you dope and all of that. Who it is that all of that comes into play. And if you have to choose between k D and Tatum for the starter's nod, that's where that would come from. That's not throwing shade

on k D. It's simply pointing out that's what it is. It. No, by the way, I understand, you might not be that dude, fair enough, there's a lot I might not be. There's a lot that you might not be. But when it's costing us the chick, whatever our definition of the chip, well of a sudden, you gotta modify. You can't be married to what you eat and don't even try to beat something more just because that's not you. You gotta try, you gotta keep pushing, and that's what I would challenge

k D to do. And that's throwing the jade on them because I got mad love and respect to Katy. You know that, absolutely, I respect that and if I'm being honest, by the way, I'm not making an argument against j T, because if I'm being honest with you, I think j T is probably top two, maybe three, and m v P voting no Lord and three a week ago. One. Yeah, and like he's definitely so he's definitely should be a starter, I think with and we'll see how it plays out, Like none of us know

how it's gonna play out yet. Well, I think we'll see that over the next few weeks of how it actually plays out. But I think that's a that's a very interesting take on no especially after the first road and return Katie come back the leader. I don't think anyone's going to expect or would have expected that. You would have said Katie would be the one to get stuffed out. Nobody would have because I believe with when

Katie healthy, he's the best on the planet. But I'm talking about this year and the conditions spaced by both of them this year. Until two weeks ago to three weeks ago, the Nets were struggling to be a father of the team. Yeah, that's a fact. Jason Tatum and Boten has been more consistent. That's a fact. Yeah, I agree with that. Hey man, that's a that's a tough one. But before we get out of here, um a couple

more questions. Number one is all said and done with forty two almost halfway through the see reason once we get to the end, who do you think ultimately and now? And answering this question you have to take into account, still gotta half a season ago. You have to take into account, injuries could possibly happen, Whose injury pro who hasn't made How to take all these things into account? Who do you think is going to walk with the m v P Award at the end of the year

when it's all setting down. I want to say Tatum, But I witnessed the drop off and I'm seeing the elevation of Janice. M hmm. I don't know how he's going to be stopped. Johannese is a special breed, and I'm not talking about his ability. He wants it. He wants it all. He wants it all. He wants it all. He's not playing the nights off that K D and JT may attention to make unintentionally or occasionally take even a Joel and B. That ain't you honest? Joannice might

have a bad shooting Knight. That is not all but the energy, the tenacity, the once it factor that's with him and Middleton's questionable Hell, put's yo honest in a position where Janice is like, give me the ball, man, I gotta take over because Middleton's missing one game, Drew Holidays missing another man. He's on the court last night with the grace and Allen's of the world and Carter's of the world, and people in West Matthews won't be like and he is destroying people. That is going to

be hard to agnew. I would tell you Tatum still got a shot, but Tatum has to return to being what he was a couple of weeks ago, and there can be no drop off. Otherwise Janice is gonna get the nod and taking it to the end of the year. Who do you got in the finals? The start of the season had y'all to go to State Warriors versus the Brooklyn Nets. Um My prediction, I don't think it's looking that bad right now. See, I'm not worried about

you all the way everybody else sits. And to my attitude is if you can win at home, you'll figure out how to win on the row, but that damn Klay Thompson. And I say that, damn Clay Thompson because you know I love me some Klay Thompson. I think Claytoms one of the top five shooters in the history of basketball. And this brother, you know, all of these that not over the last three games average with twenty five.

He looks like the Clay I know at LVE. I don't know what the hell was going on within the previous seventeen eighteen games. I'm like, what the hell is up? You know, Jordan Pool, I believe in him. I expected more from Wiseman. I expected more from Commanda and Moody. Um the fact that those are question marks. I think the Memphis Grizzlies deserve the nod over y'all right now.

And I'm not sleeping on the Pelicans, but I say that with this caveat, if Clay Thompson and Steph Kirry get gun, I don't give a damn who goes up against y'all. Y'all taking them out, y'all taking them out, and and and and Boston is the most complete team that a better team I think Brooklyn would beat Milwaukee. I don't know. If they beat Boston, they gotta get a big body to deal with the likes of the Robert Williams of the world. They gotta get a big body.

But hey, d Kyrie should even want to not be Seth Curry. I mean, Patty Mills. These brothers are marksman. And I'll go as far as to say this, I think y'all at y'all best as marksman. I think the only team that would have a shot to beat y'all at your best is a Brooklyn Nette's team at their best because they can shoot two. It will take that in order to knock y'all off. I would tell you Boston and Memphis deserved the nod today, but I'm holding off the deal life to my preseason prediction, you all

versus the Brooklyn Nets. I think that's I think that's a strong preseason. But you think Memphis is ready? You think Memphis is ready to take that jump to them? Are you ready for this? I think Memphis. I think Memphis is ready, and I think it's your fault. Why is it my funt? Because you know you're whooping it up with the crowd and Memphis you get up going and you stand what I'm saying, you got that going. You know, Josh, your boy, but you like talking to him.

Y'all like talking back for because they like talking. They like. Throughout my life of covering sports, the one thing I've always paid attention to are those truly knocking at the door. M hm, Memphis is knocking that door. Now. I know there's a part of y'all that believe Job getting hurt it was she. It was more difficult of an adjustment for yall because y'all know what they were gonna throw at you once y'all got hurt, which is why they blew y'all out and Game five before y'all game in

won Game six and end of the series. But Job is something to behold. And by the way, I want to throw him in the m v P conversation as well, because he deserves to be in there. And I'm here to tell you something right now, This brother John Moran, if he's healthy and he's going against y'all and they got home court advantage and you got a game seven in Memphis, right, that's a tall cat. That's a tall task. And yeah, yeah, I agree, I agree, But I'm just

saying I'm not sleeping on them. Bro, I'm not sleeping on them. They are Memphis, and they can shoot. They've got athletes. They ain't scared, They're aggressive. They go forward. They go forward. See New Orleans to me is the new Memphis. Memphis is knocking at the door. They're tipping at y'all heels. So I'll tell you how I see that, because I think Memphis is knocking at the door as well. Um and I and and I think, uh, I think

there are to be reckoned with. Like I don't look at them and be like that's nothing, Like, No, we we gotta deal with them. I know that we will deal with them, but we have to deal with them. But the thing that that Memphis the problem that they're gonna have. And I'm gonna say this because it's my little brother and I say it to him every time I see him, Jared gotta stop following. They can't. They cannot compete in the playoffs series, especially with us. If

Jaron does not stop folloing. Jared can't end up in File Trouble five of the six games and he has to be on the floor because there was gonna be times. Steven Adams, who who's incredible, plays his role better than anybody in the NBA. There's going to be times, just in this NBA where you have to take Steven Adams off the floor. It's just gonna happen to watch ups Steph Curry get going on the screening roll and you're like, ah,

we gotta get big Steve Oh out right. The person who may be able to defend that and is Jared, but he's always in file trouble. Number one, you can't play aggressive, and number two, you can't play at all. You you're on the bench because you're always in fil trouble. So I think the key to them really being able to compete at that level it's actually not Joh. Like we know who Jill is, we know what y'all gonna do.

And like you said, quite frankly, if we had that team figured out last series, if John didn't get hurt, I think we beat them. And I know we beat them in five because they was figured out, no problem. But the key is not jaw Jos, j'ab jobs. That's like saying the key to the Warriors winning it's Steph Curry. No, Steph Curry is not the key. We know we're gonna get from Steph Curry. Now, Steph Curry has to be Steph Curry and John Morene has to be John Morent.

But the key to making it all happen and like to giving them a jitimate chance to compete, it's Jaren Jackson. If Jared can stop filing, then they can really contend. But if Jared can't stop filing, Jarre's your second best player on that team. If your second best player can't stay on the floor, they're not gonna be able to win. So that's my challenge to them. That's my challenge to my little bro, my spartan dog, Jared. He has to stop filing. Going to have a chance to win, no disagreement.

I have no disagree with that, but I think he will. I don't know, Jared, You're also gonna hear this. I caused I called. I caused us a championship with the Golden State Warriors. I stand on that. I'm gonna live with that for the rest of my life. Jared cast us a national championship at Michigan State because he couldn't stay out of foul trouble. You can't keep having the same problems. Six years later, you're pro on the verge of being an all star, win healthy, you can't keep following.

So that's just my challenge to Jared, and I hope to see that from him because like I love that competition, Like see young guys not gonna have to don't. Let's get it. So I love that. But man, I've held you for hour and fifteen minutes. I know you're the businessman show based last my last question before we get out here, what is some advice that you would give to your younger self about this business or in this business,

or just about life and your career. Appreciate what you accomplish along the way, um, because there's always going to come a point in time when you have an opportunity to reflect on what you've accomplished, and you're one of them, you're gonna want others to have the same reflection that

you had. But because you waited so long to truly appreciate it, just internally in the prophecy of your own mind and thoughts and it really lavishing it, it passage you by and then you feel like there's this itch that you constantly have to scratch because when it was scratched, you didn't appreciate it, you ignored it. You gotta make sure you don't do that. You gotta make sure that

you understand Tomorrow's and guarantee to any of us. We just learned, thank God, that Handlets survived, but my God were scared that he wouldn't and he was twenty four years old. The one thing we seem to forget or take for granted as human beings is that you know, God doesn't promise us tomorrow, never did none of us, and we walk around like tomorrow's guarantee. We gotta get beyond that because when you do, then you'll appreciate it

today's more. And if you appreciate it today is more, then you'll appreciate everybody that you've been around today and you'll celebrate them more than you'll do anything else. The truly truly happy people in the world, take, for example, Steph Curry. Look at his wife, look at his family, look at the stuff that he chooses to do and

doesn't do. You never look at Steph Curry and see a guy that you think is missr Ever Ever, I've never seen it, because he's lived his life in a way that doesn't for him and the people around him, and so by virtue of the people being around him seeing all of that, they're usually happy because they're with him.

That's the kind of effect that he has. And I think that when you look at guys, the great guys like Lebron and so many others that we see in this game and throughout the world of professional sports, look at their family and loved place, look at what they surround themselves with, look at the support base that they had. They're happy. They're good for the most part. Nobody's perfect and vite flawless. Everybody has bad moments, but for the

most part, they're living a good life. It ain't because of riches and fame and wealth and money is success. It's because they surrounded themselves with the right people and they know how to enjoy everything they had. And that's the key. That's a fact. Man. I appreciate that. I think that's one thing, uh we all can learn from. I think that's one thing we all have to take into consideration. You know, you get it. You get in these moments sometimes and you forget to live in them.

You know. It's one like I always when I go to concerts, one thing I hate to see is somebody who's recording the concert the whole time on their phone and they're looking at the concert through their phone, and

it's like, Hey, you're actually missing the moment. You know you're missing, Like you're gonna go back and be able to watch all this on your phone and realize I didn't even get a chance to watch this in person because I was so busy trying to show everybody else where I was and what I was doing, as opposed

to being in that moment. So I think that's something we all can learn from stephen A. My brother, I can't thank you enough for your time, but like I said at the top of the show, your mentorship, your brotherhood, and what you've given to sports as a whole, not basketball, just sports and entertainment as a whole. Future Hall of Famer, if not in Hall of Fames already the goat. Like I said, my brother, I can't thank you enough. I appreciate you, bro, much love, always, much love to you. Man.

Keep up the great work. Man, Go there and hand to your business and get another championship for the Warriors. You know I'm always here you whatever you need. Man, I appreciate you. Yes, sir, We're gonna do that much love bro, all right,