It is my honor and privilege to have my next guest to talk about the NBA. We used to work together at ESPN on NBA shoot Around, that's what it was called.
Then.
Obviously he's moved on the bigger and green of Pastors, tn T, the NBA, the whole nine, calling games all over the place. Being the astute expert basketball and analyst that he is. He's my buddy, the one and only Greg Anthony. What's up, big time? How you doing man?
How's everything?
Steve and A.
I'm doing good, brother, No complaints man, just enjoying the start of the season.
I feel you on that, man. It's always great to talk to you. First things first, I mean when when you heard let me get before we get on the court, before we get the news on the court, let's talk about inside the NBA, because those are your compadre, Shaquille O'Neil, Charles Barkley, Kinny Smith, Ernie Johnson. We heard the news months ago that you know what they weren't gonna be. You know, they lost the NBA deal and this would
be there last year. Now we've learned they're gonna be carried ESPN, but still being produced in Atlanta by TNT.
It's a big, big deal. I love it.
I'm happy for us as basketball fans. I'm happy for the public. I'm happy for them.
How are you How did you feel when you heard the news?
Oh?
I was excited because Steve that you know that that's probably the most iconic sports show in terms of a pregame show we have in America.
It doesn't matter the sport.
I mean football is king, obviously, but there is no show show that really resonates more with the fans of sports and more entertaining than what they do on the inside the NBA show. So the fact that it's going to survive, I think is awesome. Uh the fact that they also get to basically keep everybody employed that's involved with the show in Atlanta, because I know for Ernie that was a big deal.
I think that's also incredible.
Listens like, you don't have to be a huge basketball fan to be a fan of that show. You know, the chemistry those guys had, the entertainment value you get from that. I have a lot of friends who aren't necessarily basketball fans, but they're fans of that show. So the fact that that's gonna continue on I think is an awesome feat for them, and I think the fans are gonna be the biggest beneficiaries.
And Greg Listen, man, may I have people asking steven A, what about you? Whatever I like, I'm gonna be fine. I'm gonna be all right. Don't worry about me.
But I know this.
But I know this much for somebody like me who used to do shoot around along with you, we had Kevin Fraser and then the late John Saunders. God rest is, so we have Bill Lambia and then Tim Leagler. I don't know of any basketball fan, any basketball.
Pundit who could have a problem with this.
We know that's the A team and that that's just a chemistry you don't mess with.
Now, I think you hit it right on the head. Listen.
You obviously have a huge vehicle with which in platform with which to state your case and offer your opinions on a variety of subjects. But that into it too itself is a unique, iconic show and the what they've established over all these many years. I am glad, Listen, you know how much I love you and appreciate what you do for the for the sports world in general.
But that niche that they've created. I'm glad to hear that they're gonna keep it unique because listen, even as talented as you are, it would be really difficult for anybody to kind of ingratiate themselves within what they do. So you know, let that be its independent entity. I think ESPN's gonna benefit. I think the NBA he's going to benefit, and the fans as a whole are gonna benefit with the fact that that show is and that's it's gonna stay the same. They're not gonna tweak it
or change it. That's the beauty of it. And I'm gonna wish those guys the best because you know, all those guys that there's not a better and closer group of guys like their chemistry, uh, their their humility, and the fact that they can laugh at themselves man like even for me.
Like I might miss the game, but I'll still watch their show.
You know, I got a youngest, so I can't always watch every game, but I always I'm gonna be able to tune in and check those guys off. There's never been a time they've been on air that I haven't found myself crying from laughing.
And so I'm excited.
Ga.
Listen, man, if you're asking about me, Hell, I benefit by not being on the show.
Could you imagine me being.
Subjected to Charles Barkley and that Shack.
And the fool Oh.
I mean to just see what Shack and the food did to me last year in Vegas.
It was hilarious.
But look, and that would be weekly that they would get you every threek.
Listen, you got enough fun lest somebody else execs, you're gonna.
Be all right.
I am all right, trust me on that. Let let's get to the basketball court right now, because I gotta tell you. The Boston Celtics are reigning defending NBA champions. But the story of the season thus far, particularly in the Eastern Conference, has been the Cleveland Cavaliers. I can't deny it. I mean they won their first fifteen games. When they were lost the other night to Boston, I mean, they came back from a huge deficit, was in a position to win the game, but it didn't work out.
What the hell has made Cleveland so much better this year than they were last year with the same roster essentially all being a different head coach.
Well, I think Kenny Atkinson has tweaked a few things in terms of what they do. Listen, this is very similar. I'll take you back to the beginning of the Golden State Warriors dynasty. Okay, you know when Mark Jackson was there, and Mark had done a good job. They got to the second round, lost and sixth with San Antonio, and they decided to go in a different direction. And it wasn't that Mark wasn't a good coach or a great coach for that matter.
It's just that.
Sometimes you need a different set of eyes that can see something that you may not be able to see from the inside. And so I just think he's I think Kenny's made some subtle changes in how they approach offensively, but I also think the biggest adjustment has been the fact that their players have all gotten better, you know, and the Donovan's even gotten better, Like, even though his numbers aren't as good, he's a better player because he's.
Able to trust his teammates more. You know. Evan Mobleagu's gotten a little bit better.
There is Garland, he's gotten better, Jared Allen's gotten better.
Their bitch has been terrific.
And you know, one of the things that's happened to the NBA is that because of the three point shot, it's created a dynamic now where you just can't physically overwhelm teams. And I'll take you back to like when I was in college, like one of the advantaged. Basketball is a game of possessions. That's what it all comes down to, right, And when we were in school, we could dominate the backboard and we could turn you over, so we could create an extra fifteen eighteen possessions a
game because of our physical gifts. Right when I was with the Knicks, we could shoot thirty nine percent from the field and win by twenty because we could out rebound you by twenty we could force eight more turnovers against you.
So we would create all those extra possessions.
But now with the advent of three point shooting and the fact that now guys can play the court so much bigger, it's harder to impose your will physically, and that's that's brought about more skill in the game. And so that's one reason why they've been so good and one reason why Boston's been so dominant as well. And while Cleveland is the story, I would also say Golden State's the story or in the Western Conference what they've done.
You know, nobody saw them potentially being up at this stage, maybe having the best record in the Western Conference.
But those two teams, in a lot of ways, they marry each.
Other in that regard and that they they win the possession game and they have that tremendous thread of the three point shot.
Plus with Cleveland they do.
Have with that two headed monster down low, the ability to own the paint. And Mobley's gotten better. And the last thing I'll say about those guys, they're the team. Much like Boston. Every guy on their roster loves their role. They don't have anybody that's doing something that they wish they weren't or wishing they could do something else. They're all comfortable. Evan Mobley's not a first option. He's comfortable in what he's doing. Darius Garland's not a first option.
He's comfortable with his role like all their guys are comfortable. And one thing, and you play sports, you know this. I always tell people you never want to ask an athlete to do something they're not comfortable doing.
You know that that's a recipe for a court disaster.
Right now, they got a bunch of guys that what they're asked to do on a nightly basis.
They are in love with well.
I gotta tell you, I would have been more in love with Golden State if I didn't sit at home and watch the game from start to finishing.
Them be down by forty in the first half against Cleveland.
I know they got the record, I know they are number one seed, but damn, I mean that was a beat down that particular way. And in the case of Cleveland, what I've noticed is that Atkinson has put the.
Ball more in Mobley's hands.
So Mobley's averaging about eighteen the game, more than he
ever has in his career. He's shooting nearly thirteen shots a game, and he's being allowed to make decisions, which is taking some of the on ball pressure off of a Donovan mitchew Anda Darius Galland even though that's your backcourt to a lesser degree, my question to you would be this, based on what you do broke down in terms of the athleticism because of the shot, the three point shot that has been implemented into the game and how that's car sort of changed the game to some degree.
And they're not asking anybody in Boston or Cleveland or to do something they don't want to do.
How am I to feel about my New York Knicks?
Will call Anthony Towns at the five essentially with Mitchell Robinson being out. I know he's been playing well, but how am I to feel about the Knicks based on what we've seen thus far? They're nine to six, third in the Eastern Conference, but still something seems to be missing compared to what we saw last year in the postseason.
Oh listen, I feel great as a Knick fan right now because the chemistry is being developed and they're still able to win games without a whole roster. Because even when Mitchell Robinson comes back, you know he's not gonna play forty minutes tonight. He's gonna take up another twenty four minutes for you. So you're still gonna have much like you see with Anthony Davis with the Lakers. Anthony Davis is embraced playing the five, and that's what you
see Carl Anthony Towns doing, embracing that position. You know, they're not having that old school mindset where listen, at the five, you're not banging anymore, right, Your BIG's got to play in space today and so if I'm the Knicks, I love the fact that you got two guys that can comfortably create a situation where the defense has to help, Like nobody's guarding Jalen Brunston, Orkarl Anthony Town's single handling.
So I think they're gonna be terrific.
I love what og is doing, Bridges Josh Hart, Like the only concern in some of its injury is their death. And we all know that Tom Thibodeau loves to run his main guys. He's gonna play them heavy minutes, So there is the concern of injury and them wearing down a little bit.
But I love where they are.
And the other thing to keep in mind, like you gotta really throw records out. The NBA is at a golden era. It's it's getting a lot like the NFL. It's parody, man, Like anybody, we only have probably two or three, what I would say, are bad teams. You know, where you don't have to play well to beat them. You know, when I I played, you might have six or seven, maybe eight of those. You don't have that anymore. And so because of that, you're gonna lose more games
in the regular season than most would like. But that doesn't mean you can't get it done. Come posting. And that's the reason why we've had six consecutive different champions right and I wouldn't be surprised if we had a seven this year.
You know that, just because of the parody, I have.
To transition to a team your son is playing on. That's the Orlando Magic. I tell your son, being courage, he's not getting much playing time. I'm only averaging about nine minutes right now, but he'll be fine. Don't worry about it. Keep working, Keep working on your game, like your daddy taught you, you'll be just like But you look at the Orlando Magic. They've won seven of their last eight. It's all been without their best player, Paulo ben Kiroll, who's a bad brother. This brother's gonna be
something special. I'm looking at Orlando right now and ga I walked into the season thinking Philly.
New York and Boston.
Now I'm thinking Boston, Cleveland, Orlando in New York.
That's what I think. That's what I'm looking at right now.
Why is Orlando, led by Jamal Mosley's second years coach, doing the damn good job? What is it about them that makes them look so good right now.
Well, I think the first and foremost they are head and shoulders above everybody else defensively, like they have the best defensive back court accord in the league. They have the best And people don't talk about Franz in this regard, but Franz Fagen is a hell of a defender. And then they've got great defense on that back line. Like right now, think about it. They went into LA and beat up red hot Lakers team without three starters. Wow,
they didn't have Polo. You talked about him and we know his brilliance, but they didn't have KCP last night. They didn't have Wendell Carter Junior last night either, and they were still able to go there. And that was also the second of a back to back. So they're a really good team. And there's something else about the league today. Young players are not in awe of others.
You know, they respect great players, but this Orlando team, they understand who they are and no matter who they play, they say, look, if we do abs C, if we execute our game plan, we're gonna have a great chance of winning. And so you've seen this natural progression and Jamal Moseley's the biggest reason why, as the coaches and powered as young players they bought in.
Each year they've gotten better.
You know, they they've gone, they've grown and wins I think twelve games each of the last two seasons, so they went so twenty two to thirty four to forty seven thirteen lasts. So I expect them to be about a fifty win season, fifty game win team, but they're gonna be hard to be because they're starting to get
comfortable winning. They're starting to get comfortable playing against great teams, and so I'm really looking forward to them one getting healthy and then seeing how they stack up against Boston against Cleveland, who if you remember, they took Cleveland the seventh last seak they did in that first round, So they're for real and they're gonna be there.
And the other thing that's scary about them is.
That their two best players, their best basketball is in front of them, like they're they're still you saw last night, We're Franz. He just was the Eastern Conference Player of the Weeks last week. He's gonna probably be an All Star this year. If Polo gets back in time, he'll be a two time All Star. If he's able to get enough games in. But they're legit, man. They're a great young team. They got depths, they're long and athletic.
The shootings still have work in progress for him, but it's getting better.
Once they get healthy and they're legit.
Man, it's gonna be fun to watch them on this journey here moving forward.
Los Angeles Lakers was the team they beat last night. I guess the question would be, first of all, I got Anthony Davis as my leading candidate for MVP.
Right now, I'm with you.
I think I'm right an absolute monster. He deserves credit where credit is due. He's finally embracing the role that Lebron and the Lakers have wanted him to embrace. I can't throw shade on JJ Reddick. I think that he's doing a damn good job as a rookie head coach, certainly paying a lot more attention to detail, is very very passionate holding cats like D'Angelo Russell accountable, which I think is important. Connect I was a real big tom fan of them after him number seventeen. I watched him
in the NC Double Tournament last year for Tennessee. I believe Lebron has as well, even though people are accusing him a line of watching Connect, I don't want to hear that everybody's saw Connect if you're watching the n CUAA tournament. But what are we to make of the Lakers in light of how Lebron has looked, how Anthony Davis has looked, but still looking at and purviewing the landscape in the Western Conference, how are you viewing the Lakers right now?
I like where the Lakers are, you know, and last night listen, they just they they they laid it there at the free throw line. You know, I wanted to say something else, but we're doing. I don't want to get in trouble for using some bad language.
Well you ain't got to worry about it, but go ahead.
Yeah, they shipped the bad last night. They missed four or six free throws down the stretch. You make, they make two of those, they win the game.
You know.
And Ad as great as he's been, and he has been brilliant this year too.
You know, he missed those last two.
You missed three of his last four, so that that's why they lost that game.
But they are right where they want to be.
In part of why they're there is because if you look at the last kip of the West, you know, Okayse's dealing with all the injuries.
They just got Harry steinback.
They've still been good obviously the twelve and four, but they're still a young team.
You know, Dallas who everybody you think about.
Dallas and Minnesota two teams that played in the conference finals a year ago. They're both struggling this year because of the weight of the expectations. In the Minnesota's case, I just don't think they're quite as good. They're not as deep as they were a season ago. And that's why if you look at the Lakers, you know how Lebron thinks. He's not looking at Golden State or OKC feeling like, man, we can beat them now.
He might.
They still might struggle if the matchup were Denver and Denver is healthy. But Denver's roster doesn't scare you either. And so if I'm a Laker fan, I feel like they got a great chance. I could literally see them being a top four team in at Western Conference and the team that we should we talked about Orlando seeming they don't sleep on Houston.
I think they're gonna win.
I was sitting that I was getting ready to go there. What the hellthy the third seed? What the hell's going on with them?
Yeah, they're really good. They're a great defensive team. Remember they were five hundred team a year ago. Yeah, and they've got again, Like you gotta the thing about the league that you got a factor in is that young teams, their players have the most room to grow. Like they don't have to go out and make wholesale move to get better. They can just let the evolution of their talent grow. And so you look at it, even though he got hurt, but a ched holmgerm. You know, even
as Ga his best basketball, he's still getting better. You know, Jayalen Williams, all these guys are getting better now. They did go out and address some issues because they were a horrible rebounded team. So they go get Hartstein and then they bring in a dog and Alice Caruso on the perimeter for his defense.
So they're gonna be there.
But they're still a young team, and so in the playoffs, you could see why team like Dallas could beat them, because all you gotta do is still a game in the postseason. You know, you can get blown three times in the postseedon still wins serious, that's right, you know, So like with veteran teams, they're not gonna put a lot away. In fact, you'd rather get blown out. It's the fifty to fifty games. You go look at that Dallas OK Series. It was the close games. That's what
Dallas won. They won the close games. And that's why a team like the Lakers now that they've got this newfound shooting with connect and.
Think about it, the Lakers Reeves hasn't been very good.
D'Angelo and Russell's been benched, yeah, and yet they're still playing well. They don't have a backup center in essence right now, you know. But you talked about j. J. Rex He's done a hell of a job. And I just think again, because of the parody, there are just so many good teams, and it's gonna be hard to string together these long win streaks for teams right now, and I think the Lakers are gonna be there.
Let me try to peel some quick answers from you.
You say, like you do you talked about Minnesota not being a better team.
Are you saying that? Do you see? Do you feel the same way about the Knicks? Do you think the Knicks are a better team with.
Karl Anthony Towns since you think Minnesota is not a better team without them, Yeah.
I do, And I don't think that Minnesota's not better because just because they lost car Anthony Towns, they don't have as much depth as they had last year. And I think with the Knicks it's the different. Remember, the Knicks aren't whole yet. They still you know, they don't have everything in place, but the core of their team they're fine. The Knicks are trending upwards. You know, they've won four in a row. They're a really good offensive team.
I can make the argument because Porzingis is out that they got the best starting five in basketball, because they got five guys that can all make plays, and.
So the Knicks are. The Knicks are gonna be fine. Man.
I'm telling you, we got a long way to go with this season. But man, this postseason because of the parody, and it's gonna be some really good teams that don't make it right. You know, we not even you talk about think about Memphis. Don't sleep on Memphis.
I don't know yet. It's like watching John Moran.
I know what this brother can do when he's healthy and he's on the basketball court. And I'm a huge fan of a guy like a Marcus Smart. But obviously they made their trade, they made them.
More, their changes and what have you.
And I'm wondering about how Memphis is going to look and then I bring this up about Boston the reigning defending champions.
Is their real parody ga or.
Is it just looked that or does it just look that way because Porzingis is not healthy yet?
No, No, I think there is real parody. I do think the Boston is the best. I still think even though Cleveland's had to start, I do think Boston healthy is the best team. But I don't think that they're over that They're not. Last year, I thought they were heading shoulders better than everybody else, and it proved to be that way with how they played in the postseason.
This year, I still think they're the better team, but everybody now, once you're the top dog, everybody then starts figuring out how they got to beat you, and so they start building out the roster accordingly. And so that's why I think now while Boston is the best team, there are a lot of teams that nobody fears them.
Like of the elite teams. You know, New York won't fear them.
I don't think Cleveland after even after that loss, the way they came back in that game and the fact Darius Garland was three or twenty one, They're gonna feel like they've gotten closer. Orlando's gonna feel like they've gotten closer. So and it's gonna be similar in the East. Man, we've never had this much depth in the NBA since we've gone to thirty teams. Bro, Wow, we have it. We've never had this much. Think about who's at the bottom of the East right now. Philly is two and twelve,
Milwaukee six and nine. No, those are two great young talent, great team, not young, but great team. Same thing in the East. In the West. That's you said.
You're a savanna in that regard, because that's exactly where I was going. Number one, what the hell are you making? What on earth is going on in Philadelphia? Not only is Embiide hurt, not only is Paul George hurt, but they having team meetings, player only meetings and then diming out to the media. How Tyrese Maxi called out Joel Embiid for tardiness and being laid and hurting the team and what have you. This is not good. What are your thoughts about that?
In Philly?
Well, I give Tyrese, who I know pretty well Max a lot of credit for being willing to be a leader, but I think that's part of the problem.
He shouldn't be the leader.
And if what we're hearing is true, then that also means that MB hasn't been a pro because there's just no excuse for you being late to everything and not feeling like you completely invested. And I'll tell you what, quite honestly, I put this on the organization because if you've allowed this stuff to manifest, then that's on you.
Shame on you that you've.
Allowed this to happen, because that's the one thing I learned playing with some truly great players. In fact, like generally your best players are your hardest workers. Like if you go to Boston, I guarantee you they will all tell you that Tatum and Brown are the hardest workers. If you go to OKC or Golden State, I guarantee you they will tell you that Steph Curry SGA are the hardest workers. And that's really the formula for success. If you want to have a championship level team. You
don't think Joki is the hardest worker in Denver. Like you, great players set the tone with their by leading by example. You don't have to have a big voice, but you lead by example. And the fact that we're hearing that and we haven't really gotten any pushback, I think their season is probably I don't see that they will.
I don't think they even will make the plan. I'm gonna be honest with you, and it's early in the season.
But I'm not feeling good. And Paul George doesn't look right.
Man.
These two injuries had it looks like his body is starting to fail him, you know, because those are injuries that your body wouldn't normally allow to happen if you're sharp and you're and you're right. And I just think he's had a lot of miles is the reason why the Clippers didn't want to give him that extra those extra years. And Philly ran out there and did it, And I just don't know if we're gonna see Paul get back to that level. I'm pulling for him because
I love the guy. I want to see him get there, but I'm worried about the city.
I love him too. I'm worried about his health. I'm definitely worried about.
The sixers or and be owned what Ti Max he said In terms of his accuracy, he said, I gotta do better, make no mistake about that. And obviously the only thing that I don't want to hear about the Clippers damage and then pay Paul George. What the hell you doing paying Kawhi Leonard either? He just is hurt, if not more so, So don't get me started with that.
What's going on with your boy? Doc? Rivers and Milwaukee?
They won two straight, but they're three games under five hundred.
They obviously started out slow.
I don't know how much faith I'm to have in Milwaukee right now.
Well, I will say this, Steved, and I've said this on there.
Listen, when your two best players are playing as well as they are when they're healthy, and you don't win games, that means your team ain't that good.
That means the rest of your roster isn't very good.
Now they don't have Middleton, so that obviously makes a huge difference because once you if you can, if Middleton can get back to what we have seen from him, and I don't know if he can't.
Let's be real, he's coming off two ankles surgeries.
But if he can get back to even just being a legit third option, now they get interested. Now they can get interesting because I feel like Dame and Gianni's chemistry is really finally where we would have liked it to be, you know, because you remember, they ain't talked about it.
He didn't his first time in his career.
He didn't really train in the offseason because he was afraid of getting hurt because he knew he was getting traded, right, And so now he looks like he normally looks. Gianni's you know, we talked about Anthony Davis. If Milwaukee had a better record, Giannis would be the MVP favorite right now. I mean, he just been off the charts, how good he's been. So I feel like they're trending in the
right direction. And again because of the parody, you know, you talk about they're six and nine, bruh da ain't but three.
Games out of the fourth spot. So they're fine. They're fine. I'm not worried about it.
I don't see them as a championship team because I don't think they have enough athletes or and when I say basketball players, you know, on a great team, your guys gotta be great at what you ask him to do.
And I just don't know.
If they're supporting Kaz can be great at all those other things anymore, you know what I mean? Brook Lopez has got no content slow down there. Young guys aren't quite quick.
Question.
Put you on the spot.
What's the chances you think that Jannis asked out of Milwaukee?
I don't ye after the season, after the.
Season, after the season, I could see it.
Listen if for them, they may have to make a move, because otherwise you're gonna waste his ability, you know, if they if they get knocked out in the first round this year, and he's brilliant. They don't have a roster with a lot of flexibility. They don't have a lot of young guys that others are gonna be interested in. So it's gonna be really hard for them to make moves to bost of that roster. Like what we saw the Knicks just do right. You saw the move and
to get cars of the towns. They had flexibility to make moves.
I don't think.
I don't think Milwaukee's flexibility is there, and I think that you might see a scenario where you'd have to move him because you're not gonna be able to get off Dame and they just don't have enough.
Now, having said that, they.
Could still get high and come by the time we get there and find themselves in the conference finals, because those two guys are playing at a high level. And if we see Middleton come back and play at a high level, then then it's a different ball game.
Two more questions for I'll let you get on out of here. One. Who's your rookie of the year?
Oh man, far I'm gonna tell you right now, I don't have one. I don't think nobody's really separated. I think we've seen a lot of young guys have flashes. You know, Recha Cher has had had some good games, dunk connects, had as good as stretch as anybody.
That's who I was gonna go with.
Don't you know?
He came into last night averaging in the last five games. He's almost twenty five games. That's who with, So he's up there. But that's my point. Though nobody set them nobody's differentiated themselves. No one set themselves apart. So I really don't have a Rookie of the Year right now. I didn't think it was a great draft to begin with, and I think that that is yet to be determined. Like we could talk MVP right you you already have a sense of that like I do. I don't have
a sense on the Rookie of the Year. And the fact that you could say Dalton, I think that speaks volume to the fact that nobody else is really elevated yet at this stage.
Last question relatively delicate one. We saw Rich climb In a month ago tweet out about the negativity of the media and how you know, he wishes things were better and sports are supposed to bring us together. We saw yesterday we learned that Lebron James retweeted that tweet from a month ago and basically announced to the world that he was stepping away from social media for a little while.
My attitude is this, first of all, I don't want to hear about the national media being thrown under the bus when y'all are part of it too, you know, acting like they ain't a part of it, when you got podcasts and all this other place, No you in the moucking mind with the rest of it.
That's number one, number two. And I want to be very respectful when I.
Say this as a father, a former NBA player who's a father and your son is now playing in the NBA. When I saw that from Lebron James, I'm like, Lebron James.
Approach at age forty is still playing like a top five player on the planet.
So ain't nobody talking about negativity towards him? If they're doing so, they're talking about Bronny and that's what Lebron must have been alluding to to that.
You say what I would have to agree.
Listen, and you know this, we have never had an athlete as accomplished as Lebron James catches much heat and vitriol and hate. Is that fair to say?
Yeah?
Like, yeah, we've never seen anybody. And again I'm not saying you have to like him, but you gotta respect what he's done. But even at this stage of his career, there's nobody that gets more vitrio or hate. And the fact that he's comfortable with that tells me. The fact that he's uncomfortable it's because of his son. And I think that his son hasn't necessarily been able to handle the height, the expectations and the negativity, and therefore it has really made him look at it. And I'm speaking
of Lebron in a different way. Right, all the great players they can handle criticism. Hey, the all these got they they don't get caught up that Listen. The reality though, is now everybody's got an opinion.
Right.
We used to say opinions are like assholes. Right, everybody got one. The difference was though you didn't hear everybody's opinion before. Right, you know, most people didn't have the opportunity to respond to Stephen A. Smith directly and actually have you hear what was said. And it's not going to affect you. But I guarantee you as a father, if that same type of rhetoric or vitriol was directed at your child, it would affect you differently, There's no
question about it. Listen, Lebron is dealt with more crap over the last just as he's been in la.
It is never shot away from it.
He's always had courage, He's always spoken his mind, whether you agree with him or not. He's never been one to shy away, very much like you in that regard. Right, But it's different when it now becomes one of your child, your children, because you're vulnerable for them.
Man, you want to protect your kids.
Can I throw this caveat out to you to close this out? Something needs to be added to that, Especially one is of your doing because of what he said about Brownie before he got to the NBA. I want to play with my son. My son is better than some of these NBA players in the league right now.
These are things he said.
So I think it's one element, which you're absolutely on point about about his son, But it's another thing when you instigated it, arguably because of the things you were saying about your son in comparison to others, and you put your son unintentionally. He certainly didn't mean to hurt his son in any way, but that's the unintent consequence of his acts.
I think you hit it on the head because the reality is you assume that your child can handle it the way you can, and the reality is I think it's hit him that Broni's struggling with. He's struggling with the expectations. You know, and I've said this about Lebron. Listen, there's been in my lifetime, there's really only been There's been three athletes now that have been this hype and actually have exceeded the expectations. That was Tiger Woods, Lebron James,
and now Kaitlin Clark. Those are the three because because Michael didn't come in with that kind of hype. Michael was the third pick. Kobe didn't come in with that kind of hype. He's a thirteenth pick, didn't really even play that much as first.
You know what I'm saying. Lebron and Tiger came in.
They were superstars before they had ever even started to perform at the highest level, and not only did they perform, they exceeded the expectations, much like we're saying with Kaitlyn Clark, right and so, But most athletes are given a period of grace.
And the problem for BRONI is on his own level.
He was there was so much hype and expectation around him and the fact that it just hasn't materialized even to the point where he's even performing at a high level in the G League yet. And I think that has weighed on him somewhat because you can only imagine the level of hatred and nastiness that somebody you don't know can spew about your son and have somebody else pick up on it. And I think that that can.
And it's not just Lebron, it's his wife, it is his other kids because they gotta deal with that too, Like they probably are comfortable with all that hate going at Lebron because that's that's.
All they know. Course, so so that I agree with you there, brother.
My man is always good to talk to you, always good seeing y'all be watching and listening to you call a game, and that seeing you on TV tonight, actually appreciate you so much. Man, hope you well. Wonderful happy holidays to you and yours.
But man about you two man be said Man, God bless the.
One and only Greg Anthony NBA, TV T n T basketball analysts extraordinary. Yes, I'm willing to openly admit hell that man has forgotten more basketball than I ever know. He used to give me lessons on the sport of basketball all the time.
I ain't ashamed to tell you. I ain't a shame to tell you