Let me get to another sports media headline that involves yours. Truly, many of you know, I've been at ESPN and Disney for nearly twenty years. We've had a good relationship, and I've set on many occasions that I will never speak on my contract negotiations because only a fool talks about his negotiations.
While they're ongoing. I'm not going to start here.
However, I do wanna acknowledge former NBA player and podcast to Stephen Jackson from All the Smoke, who recently made comments about my ongoing discussions with ESPN.
Wanna read to y'all what he said. Check this out. Steven A and I we disagree on.
A lot of things, but the respect still remains, and I congratulate him on being able to get that money. Go get that money, bro, I'm never being the hater. Get that money if anybody deserves it from the way he's self.
Made, you know Stephen A deserves it.
You ain't got to agree with everything he says to respect him and congratulate him on the success he's had all these years.
End quote.
Now, let me say this, I appreciate Stephen Jackson saying that.
I'm not on front.
I've been pretty pissed at him for a few months, and I've been waiting to see him one on one talk to him man the man, because he and I haven't spoken since he was on his podcast telling his partner Matt Bonds, he don't fuck with me because he called me a snitch for calling the league office to ask why Russell Westbrook was not suspended. To reiterate that point and revisit it for a second, Russell Westbrook was excessively physical with Luka Doncik in the playoffs. Ultimately a
little scuffle ensued. Russell Westbrook was ejected from the game. I was on National TV and I made it very very clear I thought Russell Westbrook should be suspended. I said, had that been Draymond Green, they would have suspended him. Why not suspend Russell Westbrook.
At that time before the next game?
NBA Countdown was the pregame show, so I was asked by my superiors at ESPN to call the league office to find out why Russell Westbrook, who had been ejected from that game, wasn't suspended for the next game, and the league gave me the explanation they didn't suspend him because there wasn't history there. Number one, Number two, he left the court in a peaceful fashion and there was nothing that ensued thereafter.
And number three it was the playoffs.
It wasn't a regular season game, while admitting to me, had it been Dramond Green, it might have been a different story. So they gave the explanation, and I went on the air and I revealed to the audience I called the League office and that was the explanation. And then Gilly from Wallow and Gilly's podcast went off of social media about me covering you know, call it the league office, and Matt Bonds and Stephen Jackson ultimately said, you know, I don't agree with Stephen a on that,
et cetera, et cetera. The difference was is that Matt Barnes called me up, ultimately came on the show to discuss it with me, and Stephen Jackson didn't respond to my invite for him to do the same. While on Gilly with Gilly's, all I said is this, you talk about the NBA, I cover it.
It was my job to call the league office.
I didn't call the league office to get Russell Westbrook suspended. I'd already say if it was me, I would have suspended them. What I called was to find out their rationale behind not suspending him when you know they would have suspended Draymond Green.
That is all. It's called doing my job for that.
Stephen Jackson labeled me a snitch without knowing all the facts, never apologized for it or anything like that.
And this is a brother that I go back with.
For years, decades actually, and I didn't appreciate that. First of all, in our community, we know what being a snitch kind of tent.
That's not some shit you say.
And I didn't appreciate that at all. Secondly, especially from somebody that I'm pretty damn cool with. But in the end, I know how to differentiate my issue with him over an incident and my issue with him over character. See, I had a problem with Steven Jackson not recognizing and remembering where my character stands. There's a lot of shit that I don't say, and anybody that knows me knows I ain't no damn snitch. I don't roll like that, and so to associate that word with me was highly offensive.
And we haven't spoken since. Maybe we will, maybe we won't. But having said all of that. I really appreciate him coming out and saying what he said. It meant a lot to me, and I thank him for it, really sincerely, because I want people to understand, no matter what the deal is, no matter what money it entails, it was earned, not given.
Whatever.
Whenever we reach an agreement, which we have not yet, it will be earned.
Anybody giving me anything, I've earned it.
And if I earn it, and I'll show you how to snot nosed kid from Hollis Queens, from the streets of Hollis Queens, New York, ultimately ascends in the business, not as a rap artist, not as an actor or an actress, not as a baller, whether it's football or basketball or something else, but through journalism. And I do that with the advent of podcasts and YouTube shows and channels and all.
Of this other stuff.
If I could do it, imagine what doors open for the rest of us.
That's where I'm coming from with it.
And I can't speak on it, and I'm not gonna speak on it, but let me assure you with something. While there is an agreement, you have no idea what the deal is. You have no idea idea, Rather what it doesn't tell, and you have no idea about how what I'm aiming to do. It's gonna rock the foundation of this industry. I'm after big, big, big things, and I can't speak on it until it's done. Only a
fool would speak on it prematurely. But I'm coming and I appreciate all the support from the Stephen Jackson's my man, Matt Bondes. Can't say enough about that. I love that brother, can't say enough about him. And he supported me, Cam Newton, how he supported Shannon Sharp, Ryan Clark, Swag Gooo and all them, Kendrick Perkins, list goes on and on and on.
I'll speak on it when.
It's time, but I see everything, and to those who have supported me, all i'm gonna say is, I will never forget.
I will never forget. That's all I'm gonna say about that for now.