EPISODE 8: Jamal Crawford Joins The Show!

last minute. I hit him up because he he was just bestowed upon a great honor, a great i'll call a legendary honor, and I want to get his um. I just wanted to hear his thoughts on what it's like to be in this role that he's gonna take up on an All Star weekend Salt Lake City. It's our guy, our guy. I look, man, this my first year cover in the league. He was in the locker room, the Portland Trail Blasser's locker room, so he was I

was a rookie. He was a van at that time, and now he's a rookie in his role that he's in. You're not wearing the big suits no more, though you got Taylor and nobody the other then Jay Crossover himself, Jamal Crawford, who is now a colleague of us in the media side and the colleague of mine with TNT Jamal Crawford, and he just congratulations, brother, you will be a judge for the Slam Dunk Contest this coming up weekend. Man Chris starn I couldn't believe when I was asked

to be a judge because I can barely dunk. I may have ten dunks in my career. I said, y'all, sure you want me to judges contest, but I may give a fresh perspective because those guys, they can all all the other judges can do every dunk imaginable. So you know, I'm being awesome the stuff over since I'm excited. Well, you are a student of the game, an unquestioned student of the game, so I'm sure that's why you are doing it. But it's funny, Chris said, legendary honor. It's

also a legendary burden. Now, I have only judged one dunk contest in my life. It was a G League dunk contest at this showcase. But you know, on your last on the Tuesday night TNT show, you and Shat kind of got into a little bit because Shack was saying miss dunks, he automatically grades down. While I think I was from the Shack school. I graded these guys so hard and people were booing me. I was like the most hated judge in the history. And this was only,

you know, the G League Showcase. So all eyes are gonna be on you. Are you ready for this? You know what? It took some some arm twisting, but my son, my twelve year old son JJ and my son Eric, they were like, Dad, you gotta do this. So I said, you're right, this is legendary. I've seen so many dunk contests, from the Dominique Jordan to the Vince car in two thousand doing the Windmills to the Elbow in the Rim, to the Kobe Bryants to Jared Riders and Zach Levine

Eric Gordon showdown. So I've seen so many, and I'm excited about being apartment for sure. I'm not I don't know if I'd be as hard on the on the talent as you were Stein, but I'm definitely excited. Now, Jamal, let's take me through this process right now. Man. So as we record right now, this is Wednesday night, the Slam Dunk Contest is Saturday. What is your preparation for an event like this? What are you gonna be doing

to get yourself geared up and to prepare? And I want to know about like, how are you going to evaluate when it's time? Yeah, I'm I'm going back and watch some old videos obviously, and just see things that I may have missed, certain dumps, you know, because you want you want originality, you want stuff that's fresh, right, So you want to give these guys to reward them

for that. I don't want to get away all the secrets, but it may be something that comes a little different that I think the fans may like as far as how the judgment's going and how things are kind of looked at. So that should be something to look out for. But you know, I'm not gonna be like Stein and Shock. They're from the old school. I'm from the old school, but I got a new school labor as well, So I will mix the two together and hopefully as Dumbo

part comes out right. Oh look, I have serious respect for anyone who enters the contest at this point because it is it is a thankless job. Everybody wants it to be as good as Aaron Gordon versus Zach Lavine or some of the old school battles like you mentioned. Mean at my my my freshman year in high school was the year the NBA brought the Slam Dunk Contest back nineteen eighty four, Larry Nance, Doctor Jay. Like at my school, there was nothing bigger than All Stars Saturday

and the Dunk Contest. It was the number for my group of friends. It was the number one night of the school year. And but at this point, we've i mean, we haven't away seen every time. I mean, it's I I feel for these guys because they're like, we want

them to do things that are humanly impossible. Yes, they have to jump over like they have to bring out a mock fake uh empire state building, their space, need to jump over that for us to be like, oh that was nice, right, Like we've seen so much stuff and it's it's it's gonna be a challenge for all

of them. But I'm gonna tip my hat to him, and hopefully you know, I'm not can't give any ideas now I'm gonna judge, but I'm hopefully inspired him in some ways and hopefully you know, Harold minor and Carl Blow. You saw Carl Blows coming out, so it should be especial.

That's right now, Jamal. Also, for those who don't know, uh, there are four participants in this year's Slam Dunk Contest Jericho Sounds from the Knicks, Matt mcclough who just signed with the Sixers but he was in the G League, Trey Murphy the third New Orleans, and Kenyan Martin Junior

with Houston. Now, since these names have surface, there's been a lot, you know, there's been some what's the word I should use, uh, people saying that they're not interesting in watching these guys play because it's not watching these guys before I should say, because it's not the big names. Have you been able to see some of these parts? Well, first of all, I'm to be honest with you, of all the four guys, I saw some dunks from Trey Murphy and of course Kei Martin he's been dunking ever

since he got in the league. But that's that's only two I'm really familiar with as far as like knowing what they're capable of doing. Like, have you seen enough of these four guys to know what they're capable of doing this. Decided, Yes, I've seen not all four. I've seen actually I believe three of the four and I haven't seen I'm gonna say who it is, but there's one I haven't seen as much, and talking to some people,

he could be an early favorite. You know, so I know you, I know what you're talking about, but go ahead, up in his bag. So I'm excited about this because, like Shack said yesterday, and like signing a little to Saturday Nights everything, that's when you make your name. That's when people who don't know much about you learn about you. They learn your story. Maybe remember Kenny Skywalker. More people start and Deep Brown pucked up his shoes and more

people start their story and their journey after those. Aaron Stansbury in Indiana, we wouldn't have even have known him as an NBA player in those days, but he was a dunk contest fixture. Was it the Statue of Liberty with dunk? Did he have? He had one of those, one of those dunks that were ye time. So he always learned about those guys and even the guys that don't necessarily want it. You learned when Doug West was in it before and guys like that. So I'm excited

about it. Like I said, it's an unbelievable honor. Unbelievable you ever judge, if you ever judged the dunk contest at any at any level. No, Stein, I actually reft. I think my lashing the league, I reft to practice. I wanted to kill those guys. They were complaining so much. I said, I'm never doing as kids. Yeah, I'm in the hot seat. I'm in the hot seat now, that's for sure. So you you mentioned earlier, you're gonna be a little mixture of new school old school what you're judging.

You can't come in save. You can't come in Sawve because people know you to be in a nice guy. I'm in guys, but when it comes to basketball or anything related with that, I take it serious. Now I'm not coming in, but I'm not coming in with the iron fifty either. It's gonna be somewhere in the middle. But it all depends. The dunk can be something like yo, I know how difficult that is as well, so it mail get a higher score. But my question is gonna

be if somebody misses eight dunks a lot. Nate Robertson. Yeah, am I gonna give him that that that love on that knife dunker. I'm gonna say, you know what, we've seen it eight times you should have made at this point. Yeah, those are the dunks that like, it's a fifty dunk, but it took you five, six, seven attempts to get to it. And then everybody knows the dunk you're trying to execute already, you know what I mean, Like, there's no there's nothing to Yeah, there's nothing to the imagination

at that point. So that's that's what I was like, And that's that's what And I wish that all judges, and I guess that's the unique thing about it. I wish all judges could be on the same page and judge that way. Like if you if all you guys say, okay, we're going to duck points for missing or four ducks in the road before before you start exactly, you know, everybody be on the same page. But I don't think it's gonna be like that. But yeah, and then Jamal,

are you going so you just knowing? I know you don't know everything right now, but some of these dunks, you really have to look at the replay before you, Yeah, to see everything they did right, Yeah, and I man missed something, so you're absolutely right. I'm gonna look at the replay. But I'm telling you I'm gonna be I'm gonna be firm but fair. I'na be firm over Shack slash Steine. I feel like Stein's leading towards Shack on it. Yeah,

I mean, I'm like, I don't. It's not often that I agree with the big man, but on this one, Like, to me, if you the minute you miss one dunk, like you've lost me. And it's pretty ironic for someone five nine to say that, who couldn't dunk without a ladder? But I mean, I'm sorry, Like, if you try to dunk, I expect you to make it right. I agree, I

agree so them all. There's again, there's been a lot of pushback on the dunk contest, people saying, man, maybe they should go through a hiatus because the big players, the big stars, aren't participating. And these are guys that most you know, most NBA fans probably wouldn't know about. What's your taking? When did you start seeing the trend? Because you were playing, when you saw the trend of stars participating to non stars participate, and do you think

the dunk contest can be rejuvenated. I think for these guys and everybody coming afterwards. I feel like this is opportunity because people are already going into it, like Yellow Dunk Contest. It is missing some stars, it's missing a little bit of that flavor. This is an opportunity to bring it back. I felt like it was heading that way, and then you had guys like Zach Lavin and Eric Gordon have that classic showdown where people are interested in

the dunk contests again. You know, the opportunity for these guys. So I'm looking at it going into it positively, Like you know what, you guys have an opportunity to bring this back because it's kind of been frowned upon a little bit for a while as soon as the stars stopped being in Like imagine Lebron and Kobe and these guys at their peak, the peak of their power is getting these dunk contests, and that that right there alone brings a whole nother fan base. It kind of brings

the world to watch it. So you know, we don't have that right now at the moment, so we have to do it. Collectively. I mean, you understand the player mentality much better than we ever will, so you know, just give me your honest take here. I always thought there are so many sponsors in this league. If somebody put a real a million dollars winner, take off to whatever the number is. But just if somebody put a

crazy number for the dunk contest, would not work. Maybe not for Lebron, but wouldn't wouldn't not get stars to do it if it was just a seven figure prize. I totally agree. But now the way the money's going, I don't even know. If a million will say ten million, ten million dollars, everybody out there. I mean, you'll have everybody out there at that point. If you go five ten million dollars for dunk contests, you have guys who ain't dunk in years coming out of retirement and try

and get that. I think that's what needs to happen. I think you're absolutely right. They have to kind of up it, and if we get sponsors in it and then the dunk contest to be at its peak. How many times did you participate in the three point contests? None? I actually got invited that right, Yeah? None, I got invited one time, and I actually got invited for the Skills Challenge as well. But I said, if I make an All Star game, I'll do everything. But I would

have gotten dunk contest. I can't even dunk. I had two dunks and pulled up lane. But I wanted to go. I want to have a reason to go, you know, and not just go to do the other stuff. So this is my first off ever. Are you so you've never been to an All Star Weekend ever? I always promised myself I would never go just a party, so this is my first one. Wow, I didn't know that, Joe. How is it being on the media side of the fence. I haven't seen you since you've kind of launched into

all this stuff. All When I hear the name Jamal Crawford, I think of two things. He loves blackberries as much as me. Even though I got to give him some grief for finally giving him putting his aside, thank God, and he On Dirk Navitsky's final home game, Jamal Crawford sash add and threw up a fifty burger. In Dirk's last game, man eyes on me. I had to go out with a bang. The funny party is. I didn't know that was gonna be in Dirk's last game. That

was it was. It was believe. I remember having Chris come on back with us, Man, I didn't know you thought will be You thought it would be one persons last game. Both be all hey, I said, were all here for burp? They said, oh, we hed for dirt in you But no, it was unbelievable. I had ball boys, don't get the cameras in my phone out the locker room. I just wanted to to take that in because the

city that day was so electric. It was like they knew and they wanted to thank him, And it was like even waking up for shoot around, the city was electric. I'll never forget that. And to have that kind of game and have Dirk win, I would have no other way with him winning that particular game, but having that kind of imprint in the game and him mentioning me in the speech, and he gave me a jersey that night, like it was the perfect send off for both of us.

What did he say to you after? Do you remember he said on the mic? He said, yeah, Jamal trying to steal my shoulder night like he tried to steal my should to night and I kind of and the fans star booing. I kind of grabbed a towel and covering my face and laugh. It was all fun. It was it was really cool. And on the jersey put to Jay Smooth, which is really cool. So he's he's unbelievable guy. He doesn't get talked about enough for being

as great as he was as a player. So it's okay, though, if we call you a media member, now you're good with that? Uh media member? Forever slash forever Hooper. I think I'm so I'm wearing between, but I'm to ask you a question. I'm gonna joining it. I love talking the game. I was doing this anyway. It's amazing that I have this kind of platform now because I was

just the same thing I've been doing forever. I feel like I can talk the game with anybody, and now that I'm coaching kids, I find different ways to communicate it. So I think everybody can kind of understand where I'm coming from and kind of get a point across. And they're searing me for the first time. I didn't talk so much when I was playing. I try to let my players are talking and go home. But now you know, I'm talking a lot and I'm enjoying it. A lot

of people don't understand. For those that don't know Jamal Crawford, you can catch them on a Tuesday night NBA games on Inside the NBA with TNT crew if Adam Left, Coo, Chemist, Parker Shot and Jamal Jamal. So tell me about the chemistry you guys are forming, because the show is getting better and better and I can see you. You know, we talked, you know, early, only your first couple of hits, and you know, I was just telling you what I what I like seeing about you, and then I think

you're bringing it to a just a whole new light. Man. I think people obviously respect your basketball nots, but one thing I think a lot of people didn't know was your personality. Like you had a personality. So can you just tell me about like how you've adjusted with that

crew and what you guys are ultimately trying to do. Honestly, that was the biggest adjustment because, like you said that that particular show, it's basketball, but you want to laugh too while you're watching it, right, That's what we all watched, Chuck and Ernie and Shack and and Kenny. So I'm like, okay. The first show, I was like, okay, I'm a little too stiff, like just talk like you're at home, like and I call it mixtape mall. That's my podcast, mall.

And I'm just I did fat to make that adjustment. It was like, oh, okay, Like we know the basketball stuff, but now we're learning about who he is because he didn't talk much when he played. And it's just me every day. I'm not acting or anything, but in the back, you know, we're playing music. Me and Shack are having

a versus. He killed me last night, by the way, but we have first time, but we're having like a versus and all those of the things that chemistry off the court, so to speak, you can start to see it on screen, and I think that's so important. Like I'm sitting next to Chemis Parker. Kennis Parker is like

one of the best players period, man or women. And I'm still such a fan of the game, Like, man, that's Kennis Parker and left Coo, who's a star in his own right right, and then shack Is speaks for itself. So it took me a second to kind of get over that part and say, yo, these are just friends, were talking hoop, and then that chemistry starts to flow and everything you start seeing behind the scenes is now coming out on the screen. Oh no, real quick versus.

You guys are freestyling. Oh no, no, we're playing music like we'll pick up okay, Like yes, it was nineties hip hop. So we're going and we have everybody's in the room judging, and it just it makes it a free flowing type atmosphere. And that like now I'm like, oh, that's your shack's my homie, you know what I mean, that's my friend versus and that shoul Quille O'Neill so much better with that chemistry. That's dope. So I gotta ask you a Tuesday night, there was an epic moment.

What was the studio reaction when this happened? Kauai? You got the West the conference being so statned and a win can get you up in the standings dramatically, So why is it so important to get on a good rhythm these next couple of weeks? Like you said, the West records are so close together, so you know, any win matters, and we just gotta keep getting better ourselves. Though, Kawi, I appreciate your excitement. Man, thank you. Back to you guys. We knew Chris had that TNT blood because it was

so dead painted, so funny. Everybody started cracking up laughing, and it was funny because Left was like, man, Chris is such a pro because getting quire to be excited about anything, it's something in itself. So it was really good and it came off really good. We all start laughing for sure. Yeah, I didn't know. I didn't know anything about that. No, that was Kauai. That's a tough

interview because his answers were so short. Yeah, you gotta have that next question, like right, but yeah, but Chris, Chris is taking pictures with cool I mean, he's interview with Kawhi. He's taking pictures with Kelly Rowland talking about I know what y'all did on Valentine's Day. That's right, that's right, right, Don't don't disrespect ball, don't disrespect because I saw I waited. I let the whole dolls that Time's Day play out. I saw everybody posting pictures of

the couples their relationship. I let it play out. I had that Kelly Roland already in the in the bad and I wanna wait till the next morning him with that, Yeah, you knew everybody's putting all their best stuff out of that day. You said, yeah, I'm gonna have my Thanksgiving food the next day while y'all well. I was so excited when Chris told me we were gonna have you on because actually Tuesday night. And this is the highest

compliment that you can pay to an analyst. And when a writer does it, like when a writer writes something that I would say, Man, I wish I wrote that. That's like the highest compliment you can pay to a writer. And now I'm gonna give it to you as an analyst. You said health is the best defense that the Phoenix Suns will see for the rest of the season. I was like, damn, I wish I said that on TV.

That's good. So are you You are that confident that the new Phoenix Suns with Durant joining Devin Book or Chris Paul DeAndre Aiden, You're that confident that health is the only thing that can stop these guys. I need to be honest with you. First off, you're a legend and everybody in the business knows it. But to be honest with you. So that's the ultimate compliment. But to be honest with you, that's what I believe with them, Like,

they won't need the transition time. A lot of teams will like, yeah, these next twenty games that win games or lose games, I'll figure it out. But with Durant already being a finals MVP two times over, with Chris and Devin already going to the finals, DeAndre aiden as well, they'll figure it out. In any discrepancies, arguments, things they'll have. I know all three of them, I played with two

of the three. Their basketball knowledge, how much they love the game, will win out, so the argument will never be a bad even don't see eye to eye, their love for the game, their love for the sport, and their love for winning will actually went out no matter what they come across. So I think health is the only real defense against those guys. Think about it in the playoffs especially, I mean, obviously people frown up on

the mid range. You have three mid range specialists like that are going to be getting those shots over and over and over again, and they make them at the highest level. Like the playoffs, opposite teams know they're played. The opposing teams better. It's played just as bell as they do. Right. So now you have three guys who can create a mismatch, create a look. And like I said last night, yeah they lost some defense. That's that's obvious, but it won't be about them stopping guys all game.

Can you get timely stops? Can you go the next five minutes getting you know, six seven, eight straight stops because you'll you'll do what you need to do on offense. And that's why I think health's their only opponents. No, I agree, I agree with you right there. I think health right, if they're healthy, to me, they're a team to be And I told you a mind that um last night when I run across from at the Lakers Clippers game last night, that I did and he disagreed,

and you know, respectfully. So he believes that. Yeah, he believes it should go through them when they're healthy because they know their selves and you know, and more power to them. But I just think Phoenix is not done. I think they're going to keep continue to add something. Jamal Stein, I gotta tell you, I gotta I gotta story to tell you real quick. Something that happened to me as it pertains the All Star Weekend. I kind

of told Stein over the phone. I didn't tell them what happened, but I told him I'm gonna reveal it on this pod. So you guys let me know what you think. So this is your first All Star Weekend, Jamal, hopefully it won't be your last. But every All Star Weekend, our brother Kenny Smith has a party. Usually it's a Friday night party. Always have big rap artists come through perform. He's given away, you know, expensive gifts like the who's who are people? They come to this event? It's are

you putting pressure on me? Disclaimer? Here are you? You gotta come? You gotta come, I gotta come. I appreciate you get something away, but go ahead. I'm sorry. Okay, So whatever, So I didn't you know, that's what I look forward to, but I didn't get it. Invite, I didn't get anything innat email, I didn't get a phone called, nothing. So yesterday I text Kenny because I said, hey, Kenny, are you having your your event this time around? And then he immediately calls me back. So he calls me.

I pick up. He said, hey, man, Hey, he said, hell, yeah, I'm having Hey I'm having my event. Man, we're back back when we back, we're doing it. And he was like, um, so you didn't get the memo, you didn't get them the email or anything. Nobody reached out to you. I'm like, nah, Knny, nobody reached out. He's like, okay, well somebody should have reached out. He said, because this year we're incorporating a

poker tournament. And I'm like okay. He was like, an it's a celebrity poker tournament and I want you in it. I was like what I'm talking like what you won't be And I'm thinking this in my head, like yeah, you know what I'm saying. They want me in it. I'm like okay. He started throwing out names, say Adam Sandler is gonna be in there. He named some other people I've forgotten. I was like, damn. I was like, I'm like, Kenny, if you need me, man, I'm there.

If you need me, I'm there. And so he's like, all right, cool, cool, call my boy. He gave me his boys never called my boy. Tell me in You're good, all right. The problem is I've never played poker before in my life. I have I have no clue for what I'm doing. So I've arranged when I get when I'm done with this pod, my neighbors are coming over and they're gonna get me a quick tutorial poker. We got an hour slot tonight. I'm getting pizza and wings

and they're gonna try to teach me how. Jamal Stein, I couldn't say I couldn't say no. He asked me to come be a part of his celebrity poker tournament. He threw big games out there. You asked it and didn't know what you were asking. I was maybe maybe he knew you, maybe he knew you never played. And they just want to take all your money. They want to Now you got all that TNT money, they want to take it. Listen, this is the thing. I just

want to know how to move in the game. I don't I don't need to be the best, but I don't want to be putting the card down. That's that that can't be playing, you know what I'm saying. So I just want to know the basics right now. Don't don't forget to practice your poker face too, Like that's that's a big deal. So so wait a second, though, in all your trips to when you go to Vegas? Do you play anything black anything every year? The only thing closest to Gambler that I've ever participated in would

probably blackjacks. I don't do cars. I don't never have. Don't do dice either. I lost the car shooting dice. What would Michael Jordan don't do that either. Maybe you can, just maybe you could just sneak in and kind of fade to the background, and maybe you can. You can, because I gotta be honest. I don't learning poker in one hour that I'm not the Yeah, I don't know. Can I at least learn the basics because I just want to blend in? I don't. I don't. I don't

want to dominate. That's not gonna happen. Can I just blend in and act like I know what I'm doing that hour? That hour you better be locked in, don't don't wings until that that that hour's over with, and then see if you can go thirty extra man, just to test yourself, because just blend, don't embarrass yourself, and don't lose all your I see with this with this pod being released before the poker tournament, now, I'm pretty sure everybody's gonna be asking to set my table. Yeah,

fresh meat. Why I wouldn't there? Yeah, well listen if i'm if I'm eliminated early, hey, I don't lose money. And Katy didn't getting the details. He didn't get the details. He didn't tell me if it's a buy in or how muddy take or maybe maybe on Twitter you'll get some poker coaches who actually want to help you even more so you can prep even more before you do it. I'll take it off, huh. Never. Never. I'm not a card I'm not a brilliant card guy. Man. I threw

some dominoes through some bones. You know, no, none of that, none of that, none of that. It's all a familiar territory. Man. But I'm going tomorrow. He picked me to be a part of the celebrity poker tournament. Well you found him. And then he just said, okay, you're looking for me. You found me. Yeah, get that money. You better be careful. Just expect just expensive. Whatever you lose, just expensive. I'my

dinner dinner with dinner with Kenny. I'm try Yes, one last thing, one last thing I want to tell you real quick. I'm at the Lakers. Um, excuse me, Clippers Warriors game last night, and Q Tips is approaching me. Never met Q tip in my life, but you know, he's a genius hip hop genius man. What man, He's just hip hop genius man whatever. And so I'm looking forward because he's approaching me. So he comes over, he approaches me, and I stopped him, and he asked he's

with a crew. He's like, somebody's behind him, but I don't really know who that is, but he's with a crew, and so I stop him and we're talking, Hey, man, much love, blah blah blah. He's showing me love back whatever. And so there's a guy that's waiting right behind him, and I'm not even paying him no mind. I'm just like, you know, I'm stopping q tip and the guys kind of waiting for me to stop with q tips so they can continue on their path. But this is qute Tip.

I'm chopping up with q tips. And so anyway, Q Tip Leeds, we finished our greeting. Q Tip Leeds. Reggie Miller sees q Tip, gives him pound, talks to him, and then the guy behind him Regie Miller, Lyell's Leonardo Leonardo. I'm like, Leonardo, he had a mask on, he took his mask off. It was Leonardo DiCaprio. I'm like, man, I understood Leonardo up. But you know, I'm like, disrespectful. M. I disrespectful, m. I. If this is the kind of luck you have, don't go to that poker game to you.

Miss Leonardo DiCaprio. I missed Leonardo DiCaprio, man right there, right there. So after I felt like, damn, I feel man. I just felt like a straight man. What did missus Haynes stay when you told her that story? Well, she wasn't. She didn't have a problem with that. She had a problem with the Kelly Roland I posted in Kelly Roland. Yeah, that's the problem. That was a problem. Chris is walking around this dude rag too tighty sales, brainy sale. That's crazy.

That was the problems. Yea. She was like, I don't care about the picture, but you're putting out there like that's really your valetipe. And so I'm like, hey, you gotta give me a pass on That one made me. Y'all was still good because I didn't know what Chris was doing with that one. It's something people. You gotta get pass. Come on, let me live by fantasy out. Come on. Now, that's Kelly Roland. It's better than my wife. She was on TNT last night taking shots at my phone.

Hoster we saw saw everywhere said that gold. Yeah. I couldn't believe it. That was gold. You got lit up? You got lit up? I did. I said, you're lucky. You already got about the gift because I swear it's been candy and flowers. It wouldn't have been no, but everybody. Everybody got lit up, man, everybody, everybody. I was all right, y'all doing a good job. Jamal, I'm proud of you. Man.

I gotta I gotta throw one more player mentality question at him, because because I think this is a huge part of All Star weekend, I think I will not be there. But what I am looking forward to, probably more than anything, is the captain's pick. Because from the minute we had captains in the All Star Game, I was screaming from the rooftops, please let the captains just pick these guys at the game. Let's make it like a real pickup game. Now, I don't know that it's

gonna be that good. We still don't know all the details. We still don't know if is it really gonna be two captains and twenty two other guys. They're like, I find that hard to believe, But I want to ask you because again, you can you know the NBA player mentality far better than I ever will. If you were picked last or in the close to last ballpark in front of everybody, is that harder to stomach than an outsider like me would believe? Yes, there's no doubt about it.

Because put it this way Stein, if we were in a gym and it was nobody there, no cameras there, it was just those people there and a couple of other people their boys, whatever, and they had to pick, and somebody who was picked last, it would feel weird. It would feel awkward. Then with the whole world watching and you're the last pick, you're immediately you do one

or two things. There's knowing between you immediately say or whatever, and you're embarrassed and you kind of go that way and shot away from like man, everybody watched it, Or you say I'm about to kick some you know what on this TV in front of everybody because you're not how dare you picked me? Last, like you have the inner competitor in you. It's like, no, no, I'm about to steal the show, and you come right out as soon as you get in the game whenever that is,

and you're going at everybody. So if they were so, if we did it the way media people like me want to do it, two captains and twenty you guys, it would legit be disrespectful for the last two guys picked. Don you know what? It would almost make it looked like those competitive All Star games we yearned for the ninety eight game when it was Jordan Kobe, the games where iverson those guys went at Kobe and those guys like it would be that competitive fire right from the start.

That would be I hope his fingers crosses like that, because that's what we all want to see. That, yeah, because it's just to me, it's like if you're the last pick but in the game with the twenty four best players in the world, Like, is that really a slap in the face. But I guess what you're saying is it is that's and that's what I always that's what I always worried about them going to this picking selection because with social media, you know players and not

just players, but everybody's sensitive to social media. Now, so you being that last person pick and and the camera possibly zooming in to that person's facial expressions when they realize that they're going to be the last guy selected. It's like it's good TV. But at the same time, like, these are all All Stars. And my concern was, I don't think even the twenty fourth All Stars should feel bad about being it, or he's an All Star, but in this selection standpoint, it puts you in tears, and

so that was my concern. You're talking logically, you're right, big picture, you're an All Star, but not one of those All Stars are walking around before the selection saying I'm twenty fourth All Star. Just like when the guys are replacement an All Star, he's when he comes home after that weekend, he's not saying, yeah, I was there playing man, I'm an All Star. So they're gonna stick out their chest and that prize is gonna kick in. So yeah, the big picture, you're all an All Star?

Are you want the twenty four best players in the world. But right now, this is how this guy feels about you know, I always say you're as good or bad as your peers sneaky or how they view you. So if they view you like that, you better come with that fire. And I think it can give the All Star Game of Joel right from the start. Yeah. See that's why again we don't know the exact I mean maybe you guys do because you guys, you guys get

access to the TNT script. It's just like you said, just like that, just like a true pickup game with reversible jerseys and all twenty four guys are out there would be and just incredible. But something tells me, in my gut, we're not like we're gonna have the two captains on the court with Ernie or whatever. But something tells me it's not gonna be. It's not gonna be. It's not gonna be a replicating, replicating a playground scene. I wish it was. I think that would bring more

people in it, like you need that. Like everything nowadays is too protected. People guys are checking their brand, they're protecting this or protecting that. Like that's what Nathan All Star Game what it was because it was the best players in the world playing at the highest level, and that's when they got a chance to separate themselves. So

I'm really the best. That's what David Stern, remember his speech when you give them VP to Kobe or Jordan or whoever it is, and amongst the star you were the star stars, like you want to separate yourself amongst the best. I hope I'm wrong, but let's see. Let's see what happens. You got. Look, you guys will get the TNT script before I will, so you'll know. But I am. I will be watching from a far Sunday night.

I really am really looking forward to that, Jamal. Before you go here, man, I got my neighbor here, Sal and his wife and Hellica and their kids here. Man. I'm hey, So they they're listening. So I so if my audio is a little bit messed up because I took my earphones out real quick, Jamal, keep it real, keep it one hundred, one hundred. When we first met, so it was my first year of covering the league two thousand, eleven twelve, and they were saying I was

washed in Portland. Yeah, they didn't say you were washing Portland. They said you wouldn't you wouldn't you go be out the league soon? And you played another almost another decade after that, right, what was your impression of rookie Chris Hanes. My impression of rookie Chris Hanes was he was a rookie in some ways. The clothes. I'll never forget the clothes, because the clothes worked nice, but it was almost like you were just reaching quota, like you just had to

have it on to play. You really want to do that, you really want to do this. I can see it. Look in your eyes. You still have the fresh haircut. But the clothes looked like me. You and Stein could have fitted them because they were so big, but it was so genuine. And I said, there's something about that guy. He's he's gonna have the future. I didn't know, being honest, I didn't know you were gonna do all this and

do all these wonderful things. But I knew you would be around because the look in your eye when you were you were humble and you were hungry, and that's a really good combination for somebody who's trying to chase anything. Hey, I always say it in in our circles, in sports writer circles, I don't know many sports writers. This is my thirtieth season cover in the NBA. I haven't heard many stories of where Chris started and where he got

that are better than the Chris Hayes journey. So even if even if his gear was a little off, still an absolute legend. But he wanted it, he wanted he really wanted everything he has. Now. I'm not even sure you saw all this for yourself in the last decade, but you really wanted to be great at this and I always respected that. Jamal Man, you know you're my ace man. You you was a vet when I was. When I was a rook man, you were teaching me, so I'm sure you're my vet. That's one last thing,

one last thing before you let to go. Why did you give up the BlackBerry? I'm still using one. Why did you just decide you couldn't do it anymore? See before I answered that, I'm surprised you guys, especially you Stein, being in Dallas. I said something that have people in an uproar, and I'm surprised you didn't ask me about it. But I gave it up because Stein, Actually I get I get, I get up in the morning and my my iPhone is like a spaceship. If you hype an iPad,

you have to have an iPhone. It's the same thing. You could do everything in your hand. I gave it up because I went to T and T and I had to get Instagram and all those things, and I couldn't do it on a BlackBerry. But I have an iPhone too, Like I'm doing this pod my iPhone, but my BlackBerry will never leap, like I will die with it in my hand. There's a very decent chance you Obama and Derek I literally have I literally eighteen eighteen Derek bro Hey, stop, don't you know Jamal Crawford and

Derrick Rose that is the all BlackBerry backcourt. Sure, And Jamal brought up that thing what he said that when Viray's talking about Dallas, he's talking about when he he made that remark saying James Harden is doing what Luca I would. Jamal, I gotta get you out of here. But listen, I was shocked you went there. I was shocked you went there because not that I disagreed with you, but because now you're taking a position and you know

you you you know what I mean. Now you take a position, you know fifty percent is gonna hate you, fifty percent is gonna love your take that ain't what you that ain't what you usually do. I didn't know such a polarizing quote, and this is now. This is the first time I talks about an expand a little bit on it, and I gotta go in a few minutes too. But I wasn't saying that Luca's not better than Hardened. It had nothing to do with Luca itself.

Luca is unbelievable, Like I love watching him play. He's a generational, He's gonna be all time great. What I was saying was we praised Luca as we should. He deserves all the praise. But what I was saying was Hardened. Stylistically it's a little bit different, but mentality wise, it's kind of the same the way they play as far as he's kind of doing his thing. They're shooters all around step backs and doing like crazy numbers and crazy things.

But at the time, even though he won MVP, a lot of the masses were like, this is not sustainable, This isn't that kind of basketball. It was kind of frowned upon amongst a lot of people. So that's all I was saying, Like Luca's totally different as far as how he plays, he's a magician, how he passes, he's he's a suvve. I love watching him play. But I was just saying, if we if we're gonna champion Luca, we could have championed Hardened a little bit more at

that time. It's what I was saying. So it was no Luca, but it was just more so big enough Harden in that way, if if this is what it was gonna come to. Even though they played a little bit differently stylistically, it's still some of the same thing. Some similarities got you well, Jamal Man, listen, brother, I really thank you for coming on again. Man. Congratulations. That's a big honor to be appreciate, judge. And the Slam Dunk Contest is coming up Saturday, your first All Star weekend,

so we gotta link up, man. I gotta teacher the ropes out there, brother, Yeah. Yeah, and find and listen to your poker your poker players right now. Please. They're here right now, man, they're here right now to try to show men hook him up taking money. Hey, you do it first, so they don't do it. That's a good Inva. That's my guy, Sal, that's neighbor Sal right there. Stop Jamal Crawford. That was this episode of This League Uncut Man, Jamal, thank you for coming on brother man.

Everybody please subscribe, Tell everybody leave a comment and check out our episode. This is a big one, great guest, Jamal doing great things on the media side. Peace to everybody, take care of Appreciate you guys, and that I'll do it for us. See you next time. This League Uncut is and I heart Radio Production.