EPISODE 10: $10,000 poker tournament; Where do dysfunctional Hawks turn next?

on Thursday. We're actually recording this on Wednesday night, but I'm gonna say tonight because by the time you guys hear this, it's Thursday. All Star break is over. Chris Haynes already back at work. But gotta tell it, Gotta ask you. You were in Salt Lake City. I was not. I think the less we say about that game the better. Not the most watchable All Star game in NBA history. But we want to hear about your escapades, what you did behind the scene. I was a little sad. I

have to say. You had some sort of aggressive new Cardigan on on Sunday. We just got a glimpse of it when you did your one on one with Luca Donchech. But tell us, just tell us, man, what was it like? What was it like behind the scenes off camera at All Star weekend. All Star Weekend is always pretty cool depending on the city that you're in for logistic purposes. But for Utah it was it was a pleasant surprise.

I had more fun than I thought I would. UM everything like all the events, the different affairs that agents through or shoe companies through. Um, you were pretty close to one another. So it wasn't pretty, It wasn't spread out, and so that was that was really good about Salt Lake. So you know, Rich Paul had an event. I went to his event, Jeff Schwartz had an event. For Excel, I went to his event. Adigas had an event, Puma had an event. Trying to think who else? Kenny Smith

had his party? Who will talk about that? Who else? He didn't lose all your money, did you? So let's get to that. So last we left off, I Kenny invited me to participate in his charity poker tournament, and so did I said I would play because he said he really needed me this. So this is like two days before I had to leave for Salt Lake, and so I didn't know how to play. And that's the one thing I left off when talking to Kenny, because

he acted like he needed me so bad. He said these big celebrities who were going to be there, and I'm like, man, Kenny think I'm a celebrity. I gotta be there. So I grabbed my I grabbed my neighbors. This would have been Wednesday of last week. I grabbed my neighbors. They all know how to play poker. They came over. We played poker at my house like eight pm to like midnight, and I got pretty good. I actually won the last two games. So I'm feeling okay.

So Stein, I go to Kitty's party, which is slash a poker tournament. I go to the table and the man that's conducting this particular table. There's multiple tables, but man's conducting this particular table. Baron Davis is there, Robin Think is there, and the guy tells me it's a ten thousand dollars buy in. I immediately turned around and went to the party instead. That was the end. I'm not gonna lie. I was worried for you, but ten I mean ten thousand. You are a celebrity, but We're

still just sports. We're just humble sports writers. Man, what is Kenny trying to do to you? Thousand dollars buy in? I immediately heard that number and retreat it to the dass floor. There was no way you could buy in and then turn that in as a work expense to NBA research. Ten thousand dollars. There was no way staring. Look, look, I have to I haven't had a chance to call Kenney yet and tell him about that buying that that

little little detail he left out. But again, I was thankful and I was humble that he chose me to be a part of that game. I think he thinks I'm making dough like I think. You know, I'm being prayed, paid well, being paid well, being paid the most I've ever been paid. Turner is taking care of a brother. They ain't taking care of her brother. Well, I can sput ten thousand on the game right there, you know what I mean? I can. I can do it. But then for the next week or so I'll be eating

below these sandwiches. So you know, it just wasn't the right move for me. I think I made the right decision at the end of the day. Paying a picture for us, I see when I was not at All Star Weekend. But you know, I can't say that I've been to many of these agent parties painting what is what is the Clutch Sports party at All Star Weekend? Look like Clutch Sports party is all the all of the Clutch Um players are obviously there who are in the All Star Game or either in the Friday and

Saturday events. So it's it's like a dinner for them, but it's a slash kind of like a party dinner. And so Lebron was there, Dremond was there, Um, Jordan Clark was there at the Edwards Deer and Fox. Who else was in there? And there there's a bunch of gms. I don't want to start naming those names, but there's I want you to know that. Yeah, that's pretty good. I don't know if they want that out there, but that's pretty good. There are there are a bunch of

gms in there as well. Um, there are shoe executives there. Um, I'm trying to think any celebrities. Twenty one Savage was in there. Who's a rapper. I don't know if you know who he is, Ty Gail, kids have heard of him? I have heard of him. Progress. Gail Kings showed up. Gail King, and that is Oprah's best friend and she has her own talk show. Gail King was there. I'm trying to think there was a bunch of other people. But yeah, that's pretty much how it is at a

Clutch Sports party slash dinner. The Excel party is the same thing or is that a different vibe? Uh? Same thing? It had a few had a few had a few GMS in that one, but not not really the celebrity um status there. But yeah, a few gms. So the players there. CJ. McCollum was there, My guy Trey Murphy was there. Who would participate in the slam dunk contests? Trying to think who else did I see in there as a player? Then Richard Jefferson showed up, Um Channing

Fry showed up. All former players. So that that's pretty much how it goes. Man, So in Indy, will missus Haynes let me be your plus one or can you get a plus two for one of these parties? Come hostine, you can get your own you can get your own invitation. Stop it you and just let's go way back. I'm pretty sure he'll he'll look out for you sometimes sometimes we do, sometimes we go. But it was cool. It was cool all the events. And then at the end

of the day. So after after Sunday Night's game, they all star Game watch. I know you have something to say about. But Charles Barkley's birthday. You know, he turned sixty at midnight, so Turner had a a kind of a send off party slash birthday party for Chuck, and so that was cool. Man. Chuck was all emotional. Man, He's a good dude. I spent Yeah, Chuck, Chuck's a really good dude. Man. I spent so much time with

him over the weekend. And he knows my family, he knows my best friends, and so you know, it's good spending time with Chuck. Man. We watched the whole Saturday night together. We left because we only had the pre game obligations on the pregame show, and from there we went back to our hotel. We went to the bar, meat chucking, my family, we watched, We watched all of

Saturday to night with him. Charles Barkley is one of my all time favorite people that I've ever encountered in this job, and I can only imagine getting to spend in close quarters like you have on TV. But I mean, look, you know now you're gonna get me on my old notes. But I remember, like when I started covering the league in the mid nineties, I mean, it was just it was just a different time and Charles would just after practice, he would sit there for a half hour, forty five

minutes like he on TV. He loves to act like he can't stand us in the media and we all annoy him, but it's totally not true. And before games in Houston, his Houston days, I mean the whole forty five minutes before a game, he would hold court. He would be available to the media the whole time. And I remember my first playoffs nineteen, my first three or four years covering the league at the La Daily News. My playoffs ended when the Lakers were out the Clippers.

The Clippers did not make the playoffs the years that I was on the beat, so basically, once the Lakers were out, my season was over. When I came to the Dallas Morning News that you know, the Mavericks were terrible, but they were like, no, we're the we are the We're the paper of record in Texas. Week. You know, the Houston Rockets are in the conference finals, the Spurs or in the conference finals, you will cover it. You will cover those those teams as far as they go.

So I remember my first playoff series for the Dallas Morning News Utah Houston. We're in Salt Lake City and Charles Barkley's eating on the street dinner, just him and a pal. And he barely knew me then. I mean, I was like, I was only covering the league three four years. Like he just insisted I joined them and sit with them. Like, you know, he definitely has a soft spot for us that I don't think comes through on TV. So to be his teammate like you are, I am. I am jealous. I know he's he is

a fantastic teammate. I'm would say this about Chuckle Quickso Stine, So we're leaving again this Saturday night. We're leaving the arena together. We're both hopping and sprinter together. So as we're leaving, you know, he's loved by everybody. So we're leaving and fans are saying we love you, Chuck, we love you, and he yells back at love you too. And so I whispered and Chuck ere As we're walking out the arena, I said, Chuck, you don't love them.

He was like, hey, I gotta pay the bills. You know what, though, I think you work with two guys though, Chuck and Shock. Yeah, like as famous as they still. I mean, you see, Shock does more commercials than anybody, more than any current player. I've never seen two superstars

who are so comfortable in crowds and with people. Yeah, they really like everybody wants to talk to them and touch them and you know, say something to them, and like they really have incredible patience for everybody that wants their attention. Yeah, it's it's cool to see. I'm glad that there is you know where players can have a probably even a more high profile career post their playing days. And that's you know, those are two Hall of famers, the best ever played at their position. But you can

make its case they're probably more famous now. And Charles is definitely more lovable now. I think you can say that, you know, he's a more lovable character than he was when he was a player. So it's pretty cool to see this, this formation of these guys right now. All right, well, I would actually, I mean we could do a whole pod on this, but I know everybody wants to get to the to the real deal, because look, we're back

at the All Star break. It's very short for players and very long for all of us on the outside who want the game to come back and don't like You know that All Star Game end Sunday night, and we got to get through three plus days with no games and we don't like it. So obviously, some big news this week the Atlanta Hawks abruptly making a coaching change, only the second coaching change of the season. Of course, Brooklyn earlier replaced Steve Nash with Jacque Vaughn, and now

in Atlanta, Nate McMillan out. Joe pruntie In is the interim coach, but the Hawks have already begun the search. Former Jazz coach Quinn Snyder is probably generating the most buzz as a potential candidate, But like I said, I always get it confused. I'm trying to keep us on Thursday time, even though we're actually recording Wednesday night. But tonight Wednesday night, I reported that former Celtics coach Emayludoka

is a candidate being considered by the Hawks. Also a lot of buzz surrounding Charles Lee, the Bucks assistant who's been in numerous head coaching searches lately. Just timing wise, tell me, tell me what you thought when you heard that Atlanta was making this change. Now, not surprised, Not surprised, I would say it. I kind of thought Nate would walk away, walk away mid season at some point, and so, you know, I'm curious to know if Nate felt, if

he was shocked by this move. You know, I don't know, maybe maybe there was a meeting or something like that that happened where they kind of knew that Nate was looking elsewhere, looking to get out out the door. I don't know, but ultimately they made the decision, and so I wasn't surprised that much. But I will say this is that, you know, this is what's been going on with the Atlanta Hawks. You know this this uh passes super exceeds Nick McMillan's tenure there. This is something that's

been going on for a while. When I'm talking about dysfunction, when you're talking about accountability, and I have to give John Collins props, man, he came out stunt. I don't know if you heard him in this press conference, he was kind of saying, how you feel like Nate McMillan, the way that he coaches, what he demands, he's more suited for a veteran team. And he talked about the need for guys to kind of grow up in this locker room, to start being professional and handle things like men.

And so I give him props for saying something like that, but I will say this, it's going to take an awful lot And I know when Landry Fields took over as a general manager, you know, we had a conversation and he said what he wanted to implement was accountability. One, to be a resource to players where they can reach out and voice their concerns with things. They want this organization to be a more player friendly environment, and that really hasn't been the case over the last four or

five years. There's been a lot of frustration with that with that team, from ownership level, management level they're owned down to the players. There's been a lot of frustration. So, you know, I don't know if one coach can come in here and fix things, but that's definitely a start, and this will be the start of Landry Fields bringing in his own guys, and no more important role than the head coach. Yeah, look, I mean you know you said it. I mean a coaching change in February after

in December, a full front office change. You don't often see a front office shake up the magnitude that we saw in December with multiple changes, you know, Travis Schlank stepping away, Landry Fields and Kyle Korvern now coming in. You know, Quinn Snyder, he's going to have a chance at probably every coaching opening that arises here in the near future. He had an incredible tenure in Utah, left on his own terms. You know, it's been out there since last March, almost a year, and it really goes

back even before that. Because I reported it last March, I was hearing it over a year ago that you know, San Antonio, there's interest there in Quinn Snyder to be Pop's eventual replacement Atlanta. You know, Landry Fields had a press conference Wednesday, and the only candidate that the Hawks have publicly acknowledged as a replacement potential replacement for Nate

McMillan is Quinn Snyder's. Now, I think I think part of that Landryfields was pretty open that Quinn is not affiliated with a team right now, So that's why he feels comfortable saying his name. He's not going to mention someone like Charles Lee, who was obviously on Mike Budenholder's Mike Budenholzer's staff in Milwaukee. But yeah, like, how quickly the Hawks will move, what direction they ultimately go, How seriously emay Udoka will be considered for this position after

the circumstances, circumstances surrounding his exit in Boston. What other candidates they have that we don't know about yet. A lot of questions and look and you know a lot of you know, there will people will be watching very closely how Landry Fields and Kyle Korver proceed in this search. But also Trey Young, I mean Trey the spotlight, the scrutiny that Trey Young is going to face now. This is the second significant coaching change in his time as

a player. And the reality is, you know, it's Charles Barkley saying, you know, the stars get all the blame and the Stars get all the credit, and the Hawks have you know, not been able to maintain haven't come close to being able to maintain the momentum from their trip to the East Finals a couple of years ago, twenty twenty one. So I mean, yeah, there's a lot of curiosity league wide about where the Hawks go from here. There are a few Hawks players who would love a

potential edition of email Udoka. I'll just throw that out there. But definitely already for the reasons you've said, But definitely Quinn Snyder, it looked like he's going to have a fantastic opportunity to get this job. You know, wants the process really starts with them interview in candidate. So I like Quinn Snyder. Hell of a coach, great, great coach

in mind relationships. One thing that I hear about him is like he's good with relationships and communication, and that's going to be key when you're talking about the Atlanta Hawks, because it seems like over the last i don't know, half a decade, that hasn't been the case over there. So that's one thing they want to install. And look, email Udoka is a great coach. You don't get to the NBA Finals in your first season if you can't coach. I mean, he had an instant impact as a coach there.

But the reality is emay Udoka was suspended for this entire season by the Celtics for what they deemed to be a relationship with a female staff member that violated team policy. Boston has made Joe Missoula the full time replacement, so obviously Emote Emayudoca's not going back to Boston. How seriously with the Hawks consider him? When it comes to Quinn Snyder, we don't know are the Hawks his first choice?

You know, I don't know that. I have not seen Quinn since the playoffs last season, so I don't know. You know, this search on one hand, it's in its infancy. But on the other hand, you can probably assume that the Hawks have been thinking about this for some time, knew that one way or the other, this very well likely was going to be Nate McMillan's last season. So surely the Hawks have been pondering this and probably have a better idea of the direction they want go than

we do. Twenty four forty eight hours after the announcement. Yeah, they should. This is something obviously they've been planning for a while. And you know this, this is Langrye Field. This is his first major move that he's going to make to try to get you know, get this team in turn the corner because they have you know, Trey Young, and I know Trey Young. People are blaming him for

Nate McMillan's ouster. This is the second coach that has has been fired, you know, while Trey has been there, Lloyd Pierce first, now Nate McMillan, and I think it's unfair to blame Trey. You don't, that's that's not how this happened. I haven't heard anything. I was not told that Trey asked for it, for Nate to be let go, anything like that. So that's that's just not true. That's not factual. But what I what I will say is that the Hawks have a window here. They have they

have a window to get this right. With their star player, Trey. He wants to win, He wants to win big. I know him and know him and know him well, I know him and his family. They want they want to win big. So there's a window right here to try to get things right. And so you know, that's that's why you know, you add on top, you add the trade element to it, and that's why this this decision on this next coaches is a real pivotal moment for

the organization. How do you think, I mean, put the Atlanta coaching situation aside, your Trey Young is not he was not an All Star. He's not selected by the coaches. He was. The play where he landed in the player vote was low, and I think a lot of eyebrows were raised by that. How do you think he's handling this kind of I don't know, rocky road bumpy period,

however you want to describe it. When you know again two years ago he was you know, he's one of the young toasts of the league leading the Hawks to the conference finals. Obviously this season they're there, They're way off that level. I haven't spoken trade yet, but what I will say, you know I spoken to him previous times with other situations that may have occurred. But he's used to it. He's used to it. You know, he's he's a guy that came into the league. I believe

he still does it. But you know, he used to write down and keep tally of all the writers or reporters who had negative things to say about him, and he like kept tally. He kept track to see what they said and to go out there and prove them wrong. Like, so he's he's somebody that's used to, you know, hearing his name kind of be I guess you could say disrespected. I believe that's the way he would see it. And

you know that that that kind of fuels him. So with this situation right here, I really think he's like, I don't think this situation right here has him fretting at all. I really think he's used to it. He's gonna, you know, get through it, like he's gotten through all the other you know, obstacles that came throughout his career, and I think this is just one more. But ultimately, I think it's going to come a day where the

Hawks are going to have to get this right. And I think, to your question, Stein, so it sound like you you're kind of you're kind of questioning his star capacity. What are you what are you doing stearing? Oh yeah, man, Well, I think I think I don't think it's just me at this point. I mean the fact that among his fellow pros that he and of course I should have this right at my fingertips, and I don't. I'm actually

gonna look it up as we speak. But it was eye opening to me that when the players voted in the All Star that. You know, he wasn't as high as you would you would have thought a caliber you know, the kind of caliber player he is. I mean, I look, I I thought that Trey and Janta Murray. I loved the Dejontay Murray move. I thought that those guys were gonna flourish. I know there were fit concerns and you know, Ganta shoot it well enough for them to click well.

But I mean that's the thing. There's talent here for whoever that next coach is. You know, it's not like there's nothing to work with in Atlanta. And you know you mentioned John, you mentioned John Collins as well. I mean, it's amazing John Collins has now been his name has been bandied about at four consecutive trade deadlines, and I really thought this time was the year he was gonna move.

But I mean there was definitely some hesitation out there to take on his contract with three more years left on it. But yeah, I'm looking at this. I'm looking at this now. So where did he fall? Because before you tell me, I'm just going to name off. You know, Kyrie was voted in so among player votes, Trey was twelfth among East guards among players, and that I mean that does He was twelve amongst guards among yeah, in player vote, you know, not the media. Um, so that

was that was surprising. Okay, twelve, Yeah, that's pretty low there. That's pretty low there. In the player vote, Kyrie Irving one, Donovan Mitchell two, Jalen Brown three, Damar de Rosen four, James Harden five, Tyrese Haliburton six, Darius Garland seven, Jalen Brunson eight. What the NBA sent out doesn't even list Okay, LaMelo Ball was nine, ten and eleven were not even listed on what was released by the NBA. And Trey Young was twelfth among the players in the guard vote.

So I mean that that says he's got work to do on his reputation. When your peers are ranking you six, five, six, seven spots below where the fans and the media have you, I mean, that's that's something. That's that's not that's not nothing. No horness, our second to last place, and Lamel always picked ahead of Trey Is that right? Steinla was nine

among the players, seven among the fans, ten among them. Yeah, and he's missed half to say, yeah, players don't always get it right, obviously, But no, with that being said, yeah, like there's been speculation that Trey is hard to play with. We've heard that, but the guy, come on, now, he is an all star talent. He is an all star talent that you know you have to and that that's not a talent that any franchise just wants to lose. So you know, that's that's another reason they're trying to

do everything they can to get this thing right. They really value the Hawks, really value Trey as a player and person. So you know that's why this is such a pivotal move. Yep, no question, It's gonna be very interesting to see, you know, the kind of what other candidates emerge or maybe you know, maybe we already know the three main candidates. I guess we will. I have

a feeling more names William urge. And I'm really curious to see what they do here because again, this is for a new coach, this should be one of the better situations because again there is still a lot of talent on this Hawks roster despite what's happened here last season and this season. I know you got to go soon and tomorrow night, you got Warriors at Lakers. Is that your that's your assignment is correct. So it's been pretty busy in the buyout market. A lot going on.

Russell Westbrook is a Clipper now, Terrence Ross is a son, Reggie Jackson is a nugget. Kevin Love to Miami with the heat, Justin Holliday in Dallas, Pat Bev is a bull, Danny Green with the Calves. We've seen a lot of movement, but then there's the reality about the buyout market. Haja Stoyakovich in twenty eleven as a buyout guy, he helped the Mavericks win a championship. I had a front row

seat for that. But it's funny. PJ Brown, who is often described as the number one most successful buyout market story and I know because I've said that fifty times, But the truth is PJ was actually not playing that in two thousand and seven o eight when he joined the Celtics. He really was more like a DeMarcus Cousins or a Carmelo Anthony. Now, guys who haven't played all season then PJ Brown hadn't played that season and then

joined the Celtics and had a big role. So even PJ Brown, who's so frequently suggested to be your meant you described as this buyout market success. He's not really a buyout market success. It's rare that we see a buyout market guy make a difference. Out of all those guys, Who's going to make the biggest difference? Does does Love end up carving out a big role in Miami? Does Russ and the Clippers? Does that work? There's a lot of skepticism already. Which is the one that you are

most interested in? Well, I think the difference I think Kevin Love and Russ I think stand out to me over the other ones you mentioned, because I believe those other ones they're going to be complimentary pieces. And don't get me wrong, Kevin Love and Russ, they're going to be complimentary pieces. But I think that they'll have probably more of a workload, and even more so Russ because I just think the way he plays the game, that's just what comes with it. He's going to give you

his all. He's going to get to the rim, He's going to attack the rim. You can't have Russ on the team and not allow him to be able to be himself. And so I think pay dividends. Look, I would like to see a nice storyline of Russ going over there and making things work, proving a doubt is wrong standing in La maybe, you know, having a series with the Lakers, I would like to see something happen with where, you know, where he could kind of redeem himself.

But with that being say, if if we're talking about Russ and Kevin Love, I will go towards Sam. Russ will probably have more of an impact. How big of an impact that is, how much will it equate to winning? I don't know, but I think the Clippers and Russ are committed to trying to make this work. Well, look, the players are back at him, the other members of the Clippers. It really sounds like they're the ones who made this happen. Because Lawrence Frank was pretty adamant when

he spoke to the media after the trade deadline. If we're going to bring another garden here, we need a floor space or a good shooter who's not going to be ball dominant, and you know Russ is ball dominant and not a floor space or so on one hand, you sit here and say, how is this going to work? But to me, the Bulls are too far gone for Pat bev to make any kind of significant difference there.

I think Reggie Jackson will help Denver. I really like Thomas Bryan and Reggie Jackson are nice additions for the Nuggets just to clean their bench up. Danny Green brings an old head presence to Cleveland that they they with Kevin Love leaving, they you know, that's a void that he certainly fills. And you know that's a young team with big dreams, and so they need some veteran guidance. But yeah, I mean, look, Russ. Russ and Love are the two that jump off the page for me too.

And Miami needs shooting, so there is going to be an opportunity for Love to get on the floor there and see if he can make shots and get into that heat rotation and make a difference. But yeah, Russ to the Clippers is going to be fascinating theater, no question. All right, sir, I'm gonna let you go and get five minutes of rest before your next assignments. Warriors at Lakers. No Steph Curry for at least another week. Lakers the first of the most important twenty three games of Lebron

James career. As he said the other day, Chris Hanes will be on the sideline for that. No cardigan though, right tonight. No cardigan. No cardigan, regular suit, regular suit. I thought you'd be proud of me. We're in that card I liked it. I liked it. I'm sad we didn't see more of it. Yeah, there's a story behind that cardigan. But well, I'll tell you in the next episode, all right, and I will, I will, I will, I will wait for it because I do want to hear it.

All right, everybody. Thanks to Mel for joining us another edition of This League Uncut in the books. Please rate, review, subscribe, Chris and I will be back Monday, and that'll do it for us. See you next time. This League Uncut is and I Heeart Radio Production