Kenny Smith

the Mets. Sure, they're part of a large group that includes finance bros and Bradley Beale, Travis Kelsey and of all people, Mason Plumley, but still the Mets. Sure, the TV deal is great, but I can't imagine seeing these celebrities even traveling the Flushing let alone hanging at the games.

I doubt Jennifer Lopez knows who Benny Agban Yanni is. Also, wouldn't it be prime Mets behavior to sell the A Rod and JL then have them break up publicly and have to sit in separate sides of City Bank and never even promote they own the team so the other doesn't succeed and way l f GM here, I am still interviewing athletes and sports and superfessionals finding out how they're doing during this very weird time because someone has to.

This is the sports bubble with Jensen Card. When people first started looking at sports for normalcy, I called foul. It's weird, and I never would have expected how much people look to televise competition to feel whole. But then I started thinking about my favorite TV show, Inside the NBA on T and T, and I realized maybe I needed sports more than I ever thought, because I really

miss my ritual of watching it. And a major reason for that show's success and relevancy is today's guest, Kenny Smith. Kenny the Jet played ten years in the NBA, most notably for the Houston Rockets, where he won two championships

alongside players like a Chemalai Juan and Clyde Drexler. The former u n C Tar Heels score just under ten thousand points in his professional run, and his career three point percentage still ranks him top fifty in the history of the NBA, and since his tremendous playing days, he's continued to give back to the game, becoming a premier broadcast voice alongside Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, and Ernie Johnson.

Where they might not only be the funniest force in working on TV, they've also helped guide a sports fandom through heavy subjects and social issues well beyond the court. With the NBA bubble ramping up, I talked to Kenny about the Woes email, Lebron's decision to keep his name on his jersey, and Kenny's upcoming virtual basketball camp, and I break the news of Russell Westbrook testing positive to him,

which felt like quite a Woes bomb in itself. It's an honor to talk to Kenny, the Jets smith in the sports bubble Press one. Kenny, it's an honor to speak with you. I wanted to at least start with the idea that that with inside the NBA, on T and T, it's it's not just basketball talk. You guys have this incredible personality thing going on, and you've become so relevant and raw with talk about what's going on around the world. You're sort of a north star for

a lot of people at time. I know that you've been quarantining pretty steadily, pretty strictly, but I wanted to know what you think, why are so many people rebelling against this idea of masks and science? Well, I have no idea because, um, you know, honestly, for me, who is you know, outside in public particularly you know, I'm an average criticism, I'm gonna have to wear it when maybe an hour a day, you know, if I'm out and if i'm Let's say, let's say, if everyone's right

about hey, you didn't really need to wear math. Let's say you're right. I don't mean a convenued for an hour. What if you're wrong, you say, you kill people, The the the the risk out weighs the reward, you know. So I think that it's important to understand that as a citizen is just you know, you're sacrifice. And I think maybe being in sports. People have been in sports have sacrifice their personal game for the better or of the good of the team. And so for us, it's

not unusual to do that. For me being on a championship team East Rockets, you know, number one team in the country in college, Like, you're you're okay with giving some of your individual things up for greater the good. I totally understand it. It's just it's so mind boggling to me, and I ask you about sort of the role of larger issues like politics and sports. This week, as I mean a large story is that a reporter

we all call Woes and lovingly love his bombs. Uh, he gets suspended for two weeks for sending an F word laced email to a senator as a reply for being critical of social issues. A lot of people and players are standing up for woes. What what were your feelings when you read about the situation. Well, I just feel that there is a line of you know, personal, and there's a line of work, and sometimes those lines do glect. However, his personal emails, I don't know if

he even ESPN email to send these things out. I don't know how that leaves in. At times, when you publicly make statements on your Instagram, Twitter, at times I could really reflect on your employer and and their news. So I understand that. But if he's sending a personal email about his personal political views to a personal senator at times, we got it bad. Yeah, it seems crazy for me, especially because I applaud so much of finding

out personal beliefs of people, especially in the NBA. But I found it so messed up that it was basically you know, it was sent to his personal He responded with a personal. I mean if if employers or you know, any sports league start looking into people's personal emails as you know, a reflection of their employer, it does seem

like a very slippery slope. Yeah. Yeah, I think that when you make it a public your point, then you do have an obligation to your family, your friends, and your employer in that order, like when you make it public. But if you do not make it public, you don't have an obligation regardless of what you're believe, if I agree with it or not, you don't have an obligation two to us at all, or your employer, or your

fans or your press. Yeah, if you make it public, you do, which which brings us to the NBA bubble. This past weekend we saw finally some optimism from players in Orlando, whether it was Chris Paul playing corn hole or the MAVs having a DJ Balcony dance party. But right before we got on the phone, Russell Westbrook announced that he had tested positive for COVID and now obviously has to quarantine and not play. So what do you think morale is right now in Orlando for these players.

I think it's you know, I would say if I would be I'm not obviously being in that bubble as a whole unique situation and told you have to tell you to be there if I was there again, I'm just I'm optimistic, but super cautious because we understand that this is the most contagious the virus that we've had, and it's the most beat in our life that period. So there's no question that out of bound, there's no

you know, process that out of bound. So everyone is optimistically cautious, though, and here you have a guy who's you know, already down there or or right to be. I think it's just getting there um or whatever you and so you know, it's a it's an unbelievable, you know, scenario that one of the best players in the league has to be quarantining for minimum before teen days. I mean, I know, I've heard you say in other interviews, and

it's kind of how I feel about. You know, a rookie is going to have a different response to leaving his family and and sort of the risks than someone who has a full family has been in the league for seven eight years. But now with Westbrook and you know, sort of seeing some of the video from from the bubble and we're all laughing at it because it is it is funny to see, you know, JJ Reddick shot

on a beer because he's bored. But do you think this overall bubble idea now not having Westbrook play and what will this championship mean? Was it the right thing to do? I don't. I don't think there's the right home thing, Like there is no equation that is comfortable. Every day we get new information that actually contradicts sometimes what the information was before. I don't think there's any right way, Like, you know, besides, the opening as we opened up is like should we wear a mask or not?

Like the information that comes in it's so contradictory and so diametrically opposed and the one that we've heard before. At times, there hasn't been a united front. There hasn't been one message that's comes from people we trust and say we're going to follow that as a nation. Uh So, now that's why you have spiking and so areas and all of those things, and that that's the most difficult part about being part of this is the uncertainty of

the information and where you're getting it from. Yeah, And like even right before we got on the phone together, I was talking to my wife about Westbrook, and you know, I've heard from Gobert a little bit that he still has lasting effects. We've heard whispers that like, oh, these players could feel or anyone could feel the effects on their lungs for years to come. I mean, I don't

even know if that's a true statement. I mean, I hate putting anyone, let alone my favorite athletes in that predicament. But I don't know if that's the truth. I don't know if it goes away, I don't know if it sticks with you. I have no clue. It's a new it's a new violence. So no one knows where the long term round offlications are. And I like, even when you told me where, you're the first one to tell me that, I wasn't aware that he would, you know,

a touch the probity. So like I'm learning this information as we're talking. And because there's so many other things between the social and jud you know, the spiking and Plauda and Texas, you know, and then like I live in Los Angeles, what did it do in here and you know, you have young kids and and then all of sudden, West Lot like that's last on my Look, that's quite a time, quite a time. Uh, Well more

at home for you. What what is the plan for you guys to return to Turner, to basketball, to the our favorite TV show? What is what? What's the role out for you guys? Well, you know, we we start doing home shows this month, and then they they're asking us to possibly, you know, to to continue that shows in Atlanta and then from there, I don't know, you know, right right after that, I don't know. And it's um

an interesting time when you really don't know your schedule. Yeah, you kind of know it if you could propose schedule, but is it actually gonna follow through, you know, based on what's happening? That's crazy to hear. Even uh when it comes to inside the NBA. I wanted to ask also about you know, my favorite it with Ernie, Like, you know, he has faced you know, hot skins of foam in the past, and he is of a higher age group than the rest. I mean, is there concern

over him jumping into anything quickly? Has it been talked about, you know, sort of keeping him at Bay. I think we've all seen that this is not just age anymore. I think initially those were, you know, the first reports, but I know eleven year old kids in Los Angeles who have it, you know, so it's not an age thing anymore. I think we're all concerned, you know, obviously you know for Ernie of course, but we're all concerned for all about families and friends and what they you know,

they have to go to um. You know. I've unfortunately had probably a more direct loss probably than maybe some of the other guys, because I'm from New York and that was where it initially came, you know, the episode of where it's kind of like first people were getting tested more and people were dying more. So for me, my thought process about this virus is a lot different. I think that maybe even everyone else that lives and

work in Atlanta. You've talked about on on kind of a more surface level, You've talked about how you expect a lot of young teams to sneak in a possible championship here in Orlando. I wanted to know why you saw an advantage for those teams over like say a Lakers or Clippers who under different circumstances in a normal NBA playoff would be clear far and away favorites. Well, I think just because of the fact that you know, young players trained differently. They trained to be ready right now.

As you become a season vet, you're trained to become better as the season goes on. And this feels more like an AU tournament than it does the continuation of the season. And I think the young guys, some of these guys are only two or three years we moved from. They're saying, oh, this is in the newsual environment, but and an you tournament like this being there all in one hotel, public teams there, this is what they grew up doing, most of these guys, So I think the

comfort level might be different. And then the lack of home court advantage. Home court advantage is big for veteran teams, and because there's no home court advantage, I think that allows younger teams to play better in this environment. Yeah, I I totally see that. And I guess my thing too is like guys like Lebron, which we'll get into in a little bit, like they're dealing with much heavier

things right now. I kind of think if you're uh, you know a rookie in the league, and you're just like, man, I don't know. I play basketball and call of duty when I get back to the the hotel, it does feel like they have less on their mind to jump into this bubble. Yeah, and you know, when you have less responsibilities, you're worrying about you. They're the anxiety that other players are having from you know, typically you're worrying about who I have to God, Chrick, Paul, but Matthew,

worrying about what I eat? Can I talk to this person? Can I play card in this room? Could I read this book because someone touched it? Then you if you have more responsibility, how my kids doing at home? How was my wife, my family, my mom my dad. So the younger you are, the unless responsibilities you have. So unless anxiety may have possibly in this environment, I know I have more. I have more anxiety year olds on

right now, right right, Yeah, I hope. So I have a one year old, So I tend to think that I have way more neurosis, at least I hope. Back to basketball, you became a bit of a Twitter ratio last week when you placed Lebron as tenth best in the NBA You've talked about it enough. We're not gonna go too deep into it, citing sort of the change in gameplay over the years, a bit of an equalizer.

I wanted to ask you on the other side of things, as a common just watcher of the game and super fan, I see dudes like Zion or Jonas or Dame and they're they're they're kind of these like health specimens, Like I can't believe they look like that. And then I see my dad's favorite players and I'm like, these dudes are sticks, you know what I mean. Like, I'm always shocked at how physical, beyond belief the game has become.

With the competition being so much tougher than say, when we'll scored a hundred, wouldn't it be almost that Lebron has it harder or what am I missing in in in the expertise of it. Well, I would say that, yeah, athleticism is more on display. I don't think that it was. It's got much more, if you know what I mean.

So Michael Jordan was jumping from the foco box, right, so zac Lavini says, oh, I saw that, So now I'm going to try to jump on the d and put it between my legs, so you know, it's not it's justok, more on display because of the rules as well, because there's no hand checking and there's no flagrant foul rules. There's no you know, there's no suspension of games. So now you have freedom of movement, which puts your athletics

as a more on display. It looks very similar if you want to am a luck of the or pick up game in in in the nineties, you would see this type of athleticism on display. So I just we're talking about threads of greatness now, you know, between Kevin Durant and and and and Lebraun and Oscar Robbinson and Kareem. But I you know, I've seen Kaleem when he was Kareem the guy. You know that he paid it, and

it doesn't look much different. And if you don't, I think that you know, these guys appear to be you know, Zion like however, are massive of around It's really not. You know, if you were in them, you can rocket lockerroom. You saw you know, the athleticism and Rarning Maxwell, the keep Alijaan and and those guys like that. You go, well, it doesn't look that much different. You know, you know, Championshill looks like Darren Collinson, you know, and like they're

not really that much different. Um so some of god he used to play football and now play basketball. Yeah, that may be it, but in terms of overall athleticism, it's not that much different. I think it's just more consistent that these guys jump. But I don't think it's higher. I think they just do it more consistently. Well. Uh, speaking of Lebron, you know, he's been in the news all week regarding the idea of the league approved protests sayings for the back of the jerseys. He has decided

not to go with it. Anthony Davis has followed suit. Uh. Some players I think we'll be hearing about in the next couple of days will also agree that it doesn't resonate with their own missions. Much like Lebron said, I think we live not only in COVID times, but with obviously people starting to wake up to the racial divide thanks to so many things, but to the unfortunate murder of George Floyd. What was your reaction, because I feel

like I've changed my thoughts on it. At first, I was like, well, that sounds like a cool thing to do, put them on the back of the or is he's And then as I listened to Lebron, I thought, well, I don't want anything to be uniform right now. I think everyone should make their own personal choices. And I guess I'm just very confused at what are your thoughts on the jersey situation. Well, I think that I do like the idea that guys have that opportunity to do it.

I would have liked to for them to admit certain things individually if they didn't see one of their quotes that they wanted on the twenty two lists, and I don't know if that's happened. I have to be, you know, be careful that I'm not a hundreds in sure, but I think that you know this awareness there are guys like Lebron. He doesn't have to always wear something on the back of his jersey to get his political message ahead. But there are guys on the team that they do.

They don't have the same breach socially and politically that he does, so this helps us get their message, of course, So I think it's both and it's hard to stannable and no one, no one is forced or I don't think anyone's obligation ever is to to jump in a cause. But if you should be aware of it, and you should be able to say that, let me say you don't. I don't think you're obligation to start a cause. I think your obligation is to know what your cause is.

And because we all don't have the same mental um imagination to create programs and so you know what, man, I would love to help kids, but I don't even know what to do. I gotta said that all the time. All right, Well, here's a program that you should do. You should research that. You do obligation and research it and figure out where do you want to land. Your job is to create the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. That's not your obligation, right, you could seek it out

and figure out maybe I'll support that. You know that is an obligation. Yeah, And you obviously played with with Jordan's uh and we're friends with him, and he obviously at a different approach towards politics and social justice that you know has kind of come under scrutiny and he's changed. It seems like he's making a bit of a one eight there. Have you been impressed as a fan watching Lebron becomes this sort of north star for politics and social justice. I just don't think we were in the

same place that we're at. I don't think we're in the same place to compare what Michael or Mohammad Ali or even Lebron is doing, because they're all different. Like Mohammed Ali is the ultimate of what we're talking about. So I think that then to say, well, Lebron doesn't do it, momma a leave, did you know? I think it's just it's a different time and Lebron is great at using social media platform where if he tweets something

right now, millions of people know instantly. Where the news cycle is so different in the nineties, like time it got back to the whole news cycle. It's not news anymore. It's not even news. It's like so it's a different environment. You know, Uh, there are people, you know, even when Rodney King happened, it took weeks for people to even

see the video, like weeks. You know, people say, oh, I haven't seen that yet, you know, like what you hadn't seen the Rotney King because you have to wait for the eleven o'clock news to kind of show it again, so all day you don't have an opportunity to see it. Right now, that information has passed instantly around the world. That's why George Floyd around the world there was protests. It wasn't protests just an American so you know, they

were all protesting injustice. So it's just a different that everyone lives in. Because imagine if mom and Ali who was able to move the needle without any kind of social media, imagine if he lived in miss Era, the changes he could have made. He talked like a Twitter account. Yeah, um, I did want to ask you what you expect to see I mean with these hopefully, man, I don't know even with breaking news just before we talked, but you know with these games starting pretty soon, like do you

expect to see showing of protest you? Is that what we're gonna just is going to become the norm for each game. I think that the norm is no NORMA norm is out of the window, you know, because most of the norm that was there before a lot of us really didn't like you kind of we're able to move in it and be successful in the in that norm, but meanly like it. So that I just I think when I hear norm, an old norm, a new norm.

I just feel that there is no norm. It is a collection uh thought provoking incidents that now can be solution based. More with Kenny Smith after this. Right now, Feeding America is working tirelessly to ensure are most vulnerable populations like students who are out of school, the elderly individuals whose jobs are impacted, and low income families continue to have access to food and other needed resources during

the COVID nineteen pandemic. The Feeding America Food Bank Network is committed to serving communities and people facing hunger in America, and their greatest need is donations and support of local food banks. This podcast is committed to donating a portion of the proceeds from the show to Feeding America, and we hope that you can join us in this effort to find out how you can help Feeding America dot

org backslash COVID nineteen. Now the rest of my conversation with Inside the NBA on T and T S. Kenny Smith. You've said recently that it's somewhat inevitable that one day you'll join a front office for an NBA team, And I always am so depressed by the numbers of African Americans working behind the scenes in the NBA, and I want to know, obviously, you'd be a great addition to any team. I want to know what other black basketball minds that are out there that you think have not

gotten the chance. They so deserve someone with a basketball mind, someone that would just be such an addition to a team to wear a suit and help out that just hasn't gotten that chance. Well, here's the scenario that I look at it instead of looking at a particular individual or individuals. Sports, for some reason, the only profession where they take your tenure, the experience, and your expertise, and

when you finished playing, they say it doesn't count. You have to start in the mil If I was If I was for Amazon twenty years and I took that Amazon team from a team that was starting not doing well to all of a sudden, we're a championship team for multiple years. Can I leave Amazon. I'm the most sought after consultant in the field. But when you leave the sport, they go, well, now you you got to cut films. You know it's on the film like like like.

Because the information that I've acquired over the twenty years of being the player twenty years at TNT between runners, um agents, general managers, and players and owners that have called me for information and or guide it. Yeah, I'm on an infantry level thought process, like meaning I see things from that point of view, but I also see it from a bird's out point of view, which they can only see it at. So I know how this decision is gonna affect not only the player, but the agents,

the runner, and the mom and the dad. The decision you're making about this person going into the bubble, I know how it affects every element of the person that is going into bubble. That is an experience that no one else who says, did you do your homework and say I'm gonna be I'm really gonna be a student of analytics. I'm going to be a student of you know, business. I can't learned that. No one could ever learn those

twenty years and those ten years in the NBA. So tho ye's no one could ever learn that, And so that is where to me, it seems it's inevitable, and there's a long list of people that have it. I just feel, um, you know, not to to my horn, but I'm just at the top of that list. When it comes to the experience from television, I could tell you how what your team is the kidding so what they say, how it affects the biggest companies in the media like Turner and ESPN, How it effects is that

what you're about to say? Where do you get that? I don't know. I'm all for it. Uh a question. And then we're gonna get into the Jet Academy, which I which I love. But uh, do you ever think about politics ever cross your mind? I Mean, your mom always says, you know you're gonna be the first black president. That's about it. When you're when you're like, you could be the first black president. But I've never thought of it as a political aspiration. I just think that, you know,

I've never never do at all. Right, I'm just placing it into your head. All right, all right, let's talk about the Jet Academy. You've been holding basketball camps for twenty five years, and now with the changes all around us, you've had to call an audible tell us what the classes in are gonna look like. Well, what it is is that it's the first virtual basketball training mechanism and sports training. Because we're gonna venture out to WHOA. That's

why wear the Academy. It's basically myself I Holt every week with three young Victola Deepo, Temba Walker All NBA All Star, h w n B A n d P Briana Stewart, Brittany Grinders w NBA alf Saw will be Hall of Famer. And what we do is where your personal training four hour and a half. And what differentiates it is it's live. It does live on demand afterwards, but it's live and you get to consume information the

way we consume it now. You can ask questions live, you can upload your video if at forty eight hours, we kind of answer it and say, hey, you're doing this right. It's the way our kids consume information. They don't pop in a DCR tape. They don't even like going to a demand link all the time if it's not live. They don't really all the time like consuming the information that's there because they want to interact with it. And that's what we've done. We have some great partners.

Big Shock had the Big Shock code. You put in Big Shock, you get a great discount, American Express giving a study five dollars off if a card older comes on We've got some great partnerships come in as well, and it's the first of its kind. It works on any device anywhere, or you needed Wi Fi service and or tell you the services. That's it. And you could be in a park, you could be in the gym, you could be in your backyard, you could be in your living room or in your room and annoy your

mom a bout the ball in your room. So you could do anything of that nature and be part of this and where your personal trainer is go an hour and a half a day. Yeah, it's so impressive how you guys kind of change it around. I know you were, Uh. I read that you were inspired by d Nice in the Versus series by Timberland and Swizz Beats. I mean, I've I've been so blown away by all of the creativity on social media and this is just another sort of great example of it, considering how much of the

Internet is just garbage people usually. Yeah, I think again, it's consuming information that you're the way you're consuming it now and producing it, but at the same time making it appropriate for the actual movement of your daily life. And people can check it out at jet Academy camp dot com. Uh. It's awesome and they can add the big shock code correct to to save money. I can do that, will use your m X and you'll save

money as well. Jet Academy camp dot com again. Jet academy camp dot com where you go sign up, put the big Shot code in or use your MX and uh, I'm joining. I love it well. I wanted to ask you one last thing. You know, like you said, the call of a team's front office may eventually pull you from the Turner broadcast, no matter how much I hope that doesn't happen, but deep inside hope it does. I wanted to go through some names of people who might send in their resume if you were to leave an

empty chair on the show. I wanted you to tell me if you think they'd farewell on inside the NBA as a replacement. Alright, First I have I have moving him from courtside to the studio. He's a controversial voice. Reggie Miller, Reggie's great game day. I love I love watching You're looking at the Reggie at the game. So Reggie the game by very good. Okay, this guy just retired.

He's an animal of how how long he played, But what a basketball mind with Vince Carter could come on the show with us right now, we were honest, we could put a fip chair up there at six ft away. I don't have to leave. Okay, that's a good one, all right, this one. He's become quite an impressive podcaster, and I love his voice. I did not think I would, even as a Clippers fan, I never saw myself rooting

for the media presence of Matt Barnes. I would love to see Matt Bond dominate like NBA TV, because he's got like a a persona that I'd like to see every day more than i'd like to see once a week. Yeah, I would like he's like a radio show, okay, because he's gonna be topical. I'd like to hear him on the topic a lot of times on our show. We're one week away, and sometimes the topic that is hot on Thursday is not hot on the following on Thursday. I love to hear Matt Bonds take on things as

they happen. Okay, very I listen. I've surprised again of how much I love hearing Matt Barnes talk. All Right, this one is a little crazier. It's for times that we want to go on an acid trip. What about the addition of Bill Walton. Yeah, just I think he's great and and and college basketball is where he lives. To me, you know, what he does for a coup of basketball in the Pac twelve is like perfect. He's one of my favorites. But he's one of my favorite

I laugh every time he's on. Okay, my other one. This is my last one. And I think this is the most realistic to me because I think that he brings a great game mind. And let's he'll let Shack and Barkley do their thing. Uh, Kevin Garnett. But we've got Kevin. Kevin was there already. Okay, Well we're interestingly enough. You know, Area's twenty one. Yeah, I'm still aware of those shirts. I create the word the cug button for him. I listen, I'm trying to. I'm trying to. I saw

him an uncut gems. I'm just trying. I'm trying to fancy him up a bit. Put him at the desk. Yeah, I missed Kevin Man. He is the most enthusiastic person about life that I've ever met. H I've never met anyone that more enthusiastic about life. So I've missed him, all right, Well, maybe we'll agree on him. But luckily we do not have to replace you. This is all fictitious because I do not want you to leave. I

do want you to stay healthy and safe. Though. I appreciate you talking to me, and I hope next time we talk, I don't break another name with positive CODVID tests again. I feel bad about that now, Okay, thank you, Thank you, Kady. Take care. The Sports Bubble is produced and distributed by tree Fort Media. The show was executive produced by Kelly Garner, Lisa Ammerman, Matthew Coogler, and me

Jensen Carr. Tom Monahan is our senior audio engineer and sound supervisor, with production and editing by Jasper Leak additional production help from Tim Shower, June Rosen, and Hayley Mandelberg.

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ways you can help. On their website. For more information on a sports Bubble, links to the socials, and for show transcripts for our hearing impaired listeners, go to tree for dot fm. Be safe and be well. The Sports Bubble is a production of I Heart Radio and tree Fort Media. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.