We look back at the two game sevens, both won by the road team, to bring a close to Round two. We assess who has the best shot to win the championship. Now that we are guaranteed to get a sixth new champion in the past six seasons, and we will sign off with a trademark one of a kind update from the world of rec League basketball, as only Chris Haynes can deliver all that's next here on a new edition of This League Uncut. Welcome to This League Uncut. In
rule of twenty four hour NBA News. This's you love, Chris Haynes.
It's so time, works.
Time, It's so time. This League Uncut is underway and on fire.
This should be a good one.
Hey everyone, welcome in to a new episode This League Uncut. Conference Finals edition of This League Uncut. Mark Stein here with Chris Haynes. It's Monday evening as we record this. There are no games on the NBA schedule on this Monday night. As we get ready to officially move into the Conference final round, the second round is over. Not
gonna lie to you. There have been a few hurdles to clear for Chris and I today on the Technological side to get this episode recorded to the exacting specifications of producer Ryan. But finally, I think the conditions we hope fingers crossed will allow that to happen. Chris Haynes. Great to connect with you. I can actually see you. It looks Sonny and inviting there behind you in the Atlanta Sky Conference finals. Man, we are down to the final four.
Are I'm ready? But let me just put a small disclaimer out there. I don't want to I just don't want you going overboard with saying we're done with our technical issues here because I am I'm in Atlanta and I'm staying with my As of right now, I'm staying at the house that we brought from my daughters who are going to college. And my daughters should just graduate
this weekend. But you know how college kids are. You give them money to pay bills, and so apparently one of the bills that they didn't pay was the Wi Fi bills. So there's no Wi Fi in the house. And so I am actually on the campus of Clark University. Outside I'm near the library. I'm trying to soak up some of their Wi Fi to do this pod. And
the reason I say Stein and Ryan. The reason I say it, I'm putting a small disclaimer out there about our technical issues, is that I see a campus police policeman about seven about sixty yards away from me, walk walking this way. So again, school is out, there's nobody on campus. That's why I could do it right here because it's quiet. So I think, once this policeman gets it, comes near me, I'm going to find out if I permitted to be here or not. But you know what,
We're going to record it live live. Whatever he says to me or does it say, will have it recorded and documented. So he shows about a.
Year and a half old. Now we're closing in on a year and a half. There have been no arrests in the history of this league, uncut.
We want to kiss that way.
To this point, no arrests. Our record is clean. Let's see if we can keep it that way. I mean, you were at, as you said, your daughter's graduates this weekend at Clark University. Only Chris Haynes of this league uncut could run into the world famous Rich Paul at his daughter's college graduation.
Yeah.
Can we start there and then we'll work our way through these these conference finals matchups.
Yeah, So I'm at my daughter graduated from Clark, Atlanta, HBCU.
Proud congratulations, First and foremost.
I'm proud of her. She did her thing. Name is justice. So the graduation was here Saturday, and we all know, like for those who graduated high school in twenty twenty, most of them did not get to experience a graduation because everything was shut down. So my daughter didn't didn't have a graduation. So the graduation here Saturday, I was very much looking forward to it for many reasons for her in that class of twenty twenty is that this
is going to be the first time being able to graduate. Well, there was going to be a small dilemma up ahead because the graduation here at Clark is at the football field, and there was a thirty percent chance of rain, and so I was hoping and praying that the rain would just mess up the whole thing, because that just would have been fucked up for the whole class having to have to go through this again. It sprinkled a little bit, you know, we had our ponchos on, but it stopped
and so the graduation went on. And so to get back to Rich Paulston. So after the graduation, a kid comes up to me. I say, a kid, you know he's in college. You just graduated, so I can graduate. You know, I can graduate him on graduating, he said, man, you Chris Hanes. Chris Hanes Man, nice to meet you. He asked for a picture. I gave a picture. He said, man, this is just a cool day. I'm graduating, I get to meet you, and I just met Rich Paul. I'm like,
you just met Rich Paul. I'm like what. So I called Rich and he said, yeah, my daughter's graduating too. I'm like where, because I thought his daughter graduated from Spelman, which is all all women's college connected to Clark. He said, no, she graduated from Clark. So I got in touch with Rich. He invited He was having a graduation party for his daughter that night, so he invited my wife and my daughter to the party. So I brought them to the party.
And you know, me and Rich hung out watch upstairs watching the MAVs OKC game, and my wife and my daughter they were down their party and getting their party on. So it was a cool. It was a cool weekend. Man. I'm glad everything worked out for the high school twenty twenty class, finally being able to have a real formal graduation.
Huge congrats first of all again to Justice Haynes. I cannot believe your daughter is already through college. I feel like she just got there, and you have another daughter who's not far away next college graduation. So I don't know what we are so damn old. I don't know what the hell happened to us.
Yeah, you know, it's one of those things Styn where I remember I had my daughters. I was twenty and twenty one when I had them, and you know, people look down on you when you have kids that young, and you know, so we had you know, I had to, you know, even though it was married, got married young. You know, people look down you're having kids that young. But I just I just remember, like when I started getting becoming thirty seven and thirty eight and forty one.
Now I started seeing people having kids at thirty seven thirty eight, and my kids are leaving going to college at that age. I'm like, who's looking dumb? Now? Who's who's being looked down upon?
Now?
Yes? Me, because now I'm gonna have I'm gonna have empty nesters in my early forties. Meanwhile, you're just starting and you're damn near forty. So who's looking down upon now? I'm playing, y'all, I'm playing. I'm playing my looking.
First of all, I think you still have two kids at home. Second, I do, I do? I do? I just we are dreading the empty nester situation over here. I'm telling you that right now we have Our oldest is already out of the house, and our youngest is entering his senior year of high school soon. So we are struggling. We want no part of the empty nest scenario.
So yeah, but yeah, I don't. I don't want to say, cause my daughters might be listening. I don't want to say I'm desperately looking, desperately looking forward to empty nest and ship, if that's a word. But uh, you know, it'd be cool to walk around the house the way you want to. It would be cool to just get up and leave, you know, as a couple, whenever you want to, you know what I'm saying, Like, come on, Stan, So my daughters, I got.
When you get dropped off in the parking lot and you have to walk home, there's only one person waiting at home you get back, instead of three or four.
Well, that's the down side because at least my kids will try to convince the wife to pull over on the side to pick me up. Yeah, so there is some downside to it. But yeah, I have a thirteen year old and a fifteen year old left at the house and so be in my mid forties when I'm fully an empty nester.
Were there any Lakers coaching candidates at that party? Nah?
No Lakers, but nah, yeah. I mean, listen, you know, we talked a little bit about the candidates out there. What I can say is that, you know, I was told that Lebron isn't pushing for any candidate out there. He's not pushing for JJ Reddick. This is the Lakers organization. They are doing their coaching search, and they're doing the due diligence, and they're keeping it in house. When I meet in the house, I'm talking about the front office and ownership group. So from what I've told, Lebron, James
isn't spearheading anything. But with that being said, I think it's still we're still a little bit of ways away from them completing the process. And I have an update. The police officer just walked by me. You look, he looked over and gave me a head nod and went about his business. So I think I'm okay to be here. You know, Stein Stein, you know what listen first all day it has se let me tell you right now, this would have been a disaster of a day in
black history. If Chris Haynes, an African American, got arrested on a on an HBU campus. I'll tell you that right now, that that would have been history right there. And to make it if I cannot be safe on a black college campus, if I myself Chris Haynes gets arrested on an HBU campus, HBCU campus, excuse me? So, uh, everything's going well so far.
Let's be honest. I don't think there was any real threat of you being arrested, but I do. I did wonder if he was gonna say no, you cannot shout your podcast here.
And what I would have done is I would have walked around and still try to stay in a vicinity of the campus because again I'm using their WiFi. So thank you Clark Atlanta. You're helping this pod get through. So style, let's get through before we get caltof Let's get to the meat.
And bones, Let's get to the playself, because look, the conference finals are set now Minnesota, Dallas, Boston and Indiana in the Larry Bird Bowl. And we had two game sevens on Sunday night. The road team won both.
Yeah.
I've been writing on my sub stack really all season about how home court advantage just keeps dwindling and dwindling teams at home. This year the winning percentage was way down to like five forty, which is, you know, not that high over five hundred, just in the three point era.
Home court advantage continues to get eaten away at and after Sunday, after Indiana, the Pasiis Pacers team we've seen since the ABA Days, after the Pacers go to Madison Square Garden and win a Game seven, and after the Timberwolves go to Denver and win on the Nuggets floor, on the defending champions floor for the third time in this series. Road teams are now eight and four in game sevens over the last four seasons, and that's since we got out of the bubble. In the bubble, everything
was neutral sight. We were both there. There was a home team and there was an away team. But really they're playing on the same court every single time. So since the bubble twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two, twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four, road teams are now eight and four in the last twelve game sevens, which is
just ridiculous that we've seen that kind of turnaround. But I mean, you tell me that you know that Game seven was as wild a roller coaster ride as you can have a perfect summation of the series, and you know, just tell me what was it like for you watching in Atlanta as the defending champs were knocked out earlier than I think anyone expected.
I was surprised Denver being at home having a twenty point league championship team. You just think that they know how to get it done. But ultimately, if you look at the box score of the Denver Nuggets, you will see and notice for quite some time, especially you know, once it got later in the playoffs, they're playing with about five and a half guys. They they just don't have the depth to keep up. If you look at Minnesota, they got depth, and this team defensively on the perimeter
and in the interior, they're tough. They are tough. They got the sixth Man of the Year recipient coming off the bench, being productive, not only doing it scoring the scoring column, awesome night, awesome, not only doing in the scoring column, but deficively against the Joker as well. That's a tough team, Minnesota Hounds. You you see, you saw the way when Anthony Edwards got on Jamal Murray, hounding
on full court like they are. They are tough, man, Mike, like the whole like I don't want to leave anybody out, that whole Minnesota Timberwooth squad. They're phenomenal. And so the way they were able to come back on the road take Game seven, that was mighty impressive. But if you're the Denver Nuggets, if you're looking at ways to improve next season, definitely you have to say that they're going to try to show up that bench, no question.
And look, the Tim Conley Bowl as I've been calling it, we call it that because Tim Connley was the architect of the Denver Nuggets. He left for the lucrative opportunity to take over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He immediately traded a Ton for Rudy Gobert. The Nuggets won the championship in Connolly's first season after leaving Denver, and not only did they surrender a ton of assets to trade for Rudy Gobert,
but then they signed Nas Red as well. So a lot of people were looking at the Wolves like they have three centers in today's small ball NBA, what are they doing going so jumbo size? And now in year two, for Tim Connolly, it is the Timberwolves who take out the defending champs. It is the Timberwolves who found a way to make important use of Karl, Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert and Nasreed in a critical Game seven in Denver, all in support of Anthony Edwards and nobody's laughing at
the Minnesota Timberwolves anymore. For the first time in twenty years, they are back in the conference finals. And I feel like we've talked about it on this podcast a ton. How the Wolves in the previous thirty four seasons of the team's existence, only once in the two thousand and four playoffs did the Wolves even win a series. They won two rounds in two thousand and four to make the conference finals with KG and Sam Cassel and your
hero Latrell's free Will. That team before this, Wolve's team was the only Wolves team that has ever won a playoff. They won two rounds and that's it. In thirty four years. And now in year thirty five, in Tim Conley's second year with Chris Finch, former guest on this show, at the All Star weekend in Indianapolis, Chris Finch unable to even fully coach his team because Mike Conley, the nicest guy in NBA history, ran into him and knocked him down and left him with a knee injury so serious
that it needed surgery. And Chris Finch had to coach this whole series behind the bench with Mike and Nori standing in his place. And obviously this was a big series for Finch going up against the Nuggets. He had previously worked on Michael Malone's staff, he had worked with Jokic before, and now he wants to coach against this team and have the chance to coach Minnesota to a victory in the series, and his ability to do so was compromised. But the Wolves, they overcame all of that.
They get it done. They win three times on Denver's court, They win a home game by forty zillion points. Just a weird series, a crazy series, and it ended up being a series for the Ages and a lot of people were looking forward to this matchup and the chaos that it could provide. And it did, and now Minnesota is going to play Dallas in the Western Conference Finals because the Mavericks ultimately were able to take out the Thunder in six games. The Mavericks did not have Maxi
Kliba for any of that series. There was a lot of concern in Dallas about would they be able to win that series without their best front court defender, one of the most important members of the Mavericks small ball approach. When they want to go small and have success, it's often with Kliba at the five. They didn't have that option in this series. But the Mavericks ultimately find a way and now were going to have Wolves MAVs at
Edwards against Luka Doncic. They're the two headliners in this series, even though there are a lot of stars in this series. But let me ask you, Chris Haynes, the Nuggets were my favorite to win it all again. Is defending champions? Are the Wolves the new title favorites by virtue of taking out Denver? Are the Wolves or the Celtics who should be regarded as the favorite to win it all.
From here, the Wolves are the favorites in the West. How about that answer star? How about that?
No, So that's you. That's Chris Haynes of Clark University saying that the Boston Celtics are favored to win it all. That's really what you're saying.
I think you still have to give the slide airs to Boston, but I don't feel confident in that selection at all because the way Minnesota is playing and again defensively, man, they they're a torture chamber. And I'm looking forward to seeing you mentioned Luca and Anthony Edwards. I'm looking forward to seeing Jay McDaniels chase around, whether it's Luca or Kyrie.
Again, says he's starting on Kyrie. So I guess that.
Means, okay, I want to see that. That's what I want to see. This is elite perimeter offensive scores, and these are elite perimeter defensive stars, so I want I want to see that. Like I'm I'm looking forward to that class. I'm looking forward to the Western Conference finals and Stein, let me say this, let me take this a whole other area, Brian, you could jump in as well. Listen all this talk about how America has lost this
grip on this great sport we call basketball. Well, let's look to see who the final four teams are and who they're headlined by. Yes, we still have Luca. We still got Luca international player in an Superstar NBA Superstar. But we got Anthony Edwards leading away in Minnesota, Indiana, we got Tyre's Halliburton and in Boston we got Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown. So they haven't They've made loosen the grip a little bit, but they haven't given the
game away. And I think right now, and I think, Star, you had a we talked off air at one point. I think, see if you have this this nugget handy on top of your head, But what is the m So I believe Stephen Curry was the last person to win MVP and win the championship in that same season. Am I correct with that? Star?
Okay? So here's what happened over the weekend. A picture from the past made its way to me and it was a great memory. It was a black and white picture of me interviewing Stephen Curry at the Warriors old practice facility in Oakland, a much younger and slimmer version
of me nine years ago. It was from the first championship of the Stephan Curry era twenty fourteen fifteen, and Stephan Curry won the MVP award that season, and then it was brought to my attention that you know what, that was the last season in the NBA because of Denver's loss on Sunday Night, that was the last season in the NBA that the MVP of the regular season
went on to win the championship. Stephan Curry did that with the Warriors in twenty fifteen, but starting in twenty sixteen, steph won MVP again, but the Warriors, of course, could not hold a three to one lead in the finals, lost to Cleveland in twenty sixteen. In the finals. Twenty seventeen, Russell Westbrook was the MVP in Oklahoma City. Obviously no title for the Thunder. Twenty eighteen, Houston's James Harden wins
the MVP. Warriors win the championship twenty nineteen, first of two MVPs for Gianna Sante Tokunpo, Nikola Jokicic and Denver wins three of the next four MVPs. There's also a Joe l embiid MVP in there in Philadelphia, but none of those teams win, so not since twenty fifteen has
a regular season MVP won the championship. But also because of that list, when we work through it, you remember why that storyline you referenced comes up, because since James Harden won the MVP Award in twenty eighteen, there has not been an American player who has won the highest individual honor in the league. Starting in twenty nineteen, Giannis has won two MVPs, and b Is won one, Jokic has won three, and Luka Doncic, who has the Mavericks in the final four now he's expected to win an
MVP Award in the near future. He's definitely considered an MVP candidate. But you're absolutely right. The other three teams in the final four all led by an American star. Jason Tatum trying to win his first ring, Tyrese Halliburton unexpectedly in the conference finals seeking his first ring, and Aunt Edwards undeniably the face of the franchise in Minnesota. He's got a good bit of help, as we've been discussing, but Anthony Edwards is the clear cut star of that
team going for his first ring. So yes, a lot of newness in this final four. And look the Celtics, to me, they would be the favorite, but they don't have Christops Porzingis yet. Christops Porzingis has been formally ruled out of Game one of the Indiana Series. The signals are that we will see him play in this series eventually, but it's not clear cut if we will. So it's a very valid question do the Wolves deserve title favorite status?
Having taken out the reigning champions, the defending champions from Denver, and a healthier team Mike Conley has. You know, he's dealing with a calf injury, but Conley's been able to play through it here in the last few games. So yeah, I would say I think the Wolves probably do deserve favorite status, but I'm sure you would not be alone in saying it's the Celtics.
Yeah, And like I said, I don't feel great about that, but I'm going to have to go with the Celtics right now. And again, you know, when Chris STAPs return, how would he affect their continuity? You know, how long would it take him to get back into form? Maybe that would be in it could be in advance for a team like Minnesota, if Minnesota was to advance, but it's going to be you know, the Mavericks, they're a formidable opponent, so you know, you want to give them
some respect and give props to Jason Kidd. What Nico did at the trade deadline was phenomenal, picking up Lively in the draft like he really should have. You know, I didn't. I didn't look to see where he fell at as far as Executive of the Year pecking order. But you know, I say he was fifth.
Producer heaed me up on that, but I'm sure he was fifth, man. I mean, it was a stacked field and Brad Stevens I think was a worthy winner. And of course Executive of the Year that's an award that is voted on by the executives themselves. The media has nothing to do with that voting. I mean, it was a very competitive race in the EOI field this year. I think Producer Ryan can confirm for us the.
Order of the top five that is correct, with Brad Stevens winning the award, followed by Sam Presty in second, Tim Connolly of Minnesota, and third Leon Rose with the New York Nison fourth and Nico Harrison with the Mavericks coming in fifth.
That's solid.
But look what you're saying. There can be no dispute. And obviously I live in Dallas and I have to put my hand up and say I certainly voiced my share of skepticism about how the Kyrie Irving trade would work.
Oh yeah, you were allowed. You were allowed, don allowed.
You can see it when you look at this team how much respect Kyrie has from his teammates. You saw the hug that Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving shared after they beat Oklahoma City in Game six. These guys love playing together. They have formed a very dangerous duo, and Kyrie Irving has played defense in Dallas and has provided leadership in Dallas. Like again, I'll put my hand up and say I didn't expect it, and I don't know that many people did project him to have the kind
of impact. Obviously, the back half of last season after the trade went as poorly as it possibly could. But this season, these guys have been tremendous together and the acquisitions at the trade deadline the Mavericks have completely changed their identity. I've been around this team in this franchise for more than a quarter century, and in all that time, the Mavericks have always been known as offense first. They
had a good defensive team. When they won it All in twenty e one, Evan Tyson Chandler gave them a rim presence they had never had before. But they were still known first and foremost for the offense that flowed from Dirk Noavisky. And that's really what this team has been known for since I've lived here. But this Dallas team plays defense first, and PJ Washington same thing. I'll put my hand up and tip my hat to PJ. Washington. I did not think he was going to have the
impact that he's had. I certainly questioned if the Mavericks gave up too much to get him, because remember it cost Dallas a top two protected pick to add PJ. Washington. They had to get They had to make a trade with the Thunder to get a first rounder to acquire Daniel Gafford. They traded the only first round pick they had available to trade to get PJ. Washington. And PJ. Washington never played defense in Charlotte like we're seeing now
in Dallas. But in Dallas, Derek Lively, PJ. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and most of all, Kyrie Irving. All these players that Nico Harrison has brought in are making a significant impact. And Jason Kidd, who I have been consistent in saying for years he didn't get the credit he should have gotten his first year in Dallas when this team went to the Conference finals, and now the Dallas Mavericks are
in the Conference Finals again. Jason Kidd has been in Dallas for three seasons as head coach, two fifty win seasons, two trips to the Conference finals, and a franchise that has had Dick Mata, John McLeod, Don Nelson, Rick Carlyle some really celebrated coaches, and Jason Kidd is the only coach on that list to take a team to the conference finals twice. So there are a lot of happy headlines and positive storylines and good mojo bubbling in Dallas
as well. And now they're gonna clash with the Wolves, who are having probably the best season in franchise history. I know you might fight me on that one because you're a spree well guy. And that twenty fourteen went to the Conference finals with Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassel and Spree. But this Wolves team, they led the West for one hundred something days in the regular season, They've taken out the defending champions, and they have a real chance to go to the NBA Finals for the first
time in franchise history. So epic. This Wolves MAVs series is going to be an epic clash and there's a lot on the line for two teams that are tantalizingly close. A finals birth must feel tantalizingly close for both of these teams.
Now let's get over to the East, because it was a game set Well, will you consider it epic? Well, I guess, you know, getting it to that point. I think it was epic getting it to a game seven. But let's let's jump on the Knicks and Pacers because that was a very interesting series as well.
I think I think we owe some love to the Pacers. You know, they didn't lose the first two games at home like Denver did, but they went into a two zero hole. When you lose the first two games of a seven game series, history says you're more than likely going to lose the series. So incredible props to the Pacers to Okay, Games one and two were at Madison Square Garden. Fine, but still again to fall behind two
zero is a daunting deficit. They were able to win four out of five against the Knicks, win a game seven at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks clearly should have flown in Chris Haynes their good luck charm. They were four know in the playoffs when Chris Haynes worked the sidelines when he was in Atlanta Sunday, he was not at Madison Square Gardens Sunday.
I was not. You saw what happened, yep, I was not. I got I gotta you know. I established some really cool friends out there, and as far as Nick staffers, Knick security workers, and they were texting me during the game, said, bro, we needed you. Can you get down here? I said, no, I'm sorry, I'm in Atlanta. You're on your own. You know, you know you got at some point you gotta take the some point you gotta take the training wheels off. But it was a that was a really phenomenal game.
And start I just want to say, man, I am let me see here. I am so devoted to this podcast that I don't know, I don't know when the last time you've been to Atlanta. But Atlanta has a lot of trees, A lot of trees, which means a lot of mosquitos. So I'm getting bit like hell around here, trying to just keep my composer and do this pot. So now I'm actually moving, so if you hear me walking, I have to leave that area. So I'm gonna go try to find another spot whereas less mosquitoes and ants.
But I'm doing my best to try to be here for you guys. So what I was saying was, uh, the Pacers to be able to get Game seven in New York, because I believe each team to that point, every team won at home. But am I right to that to that point.
Team?
Yeah, So I mean to get that game. And obviously, you know, first of all, I want to praise the Pacers because the Pacers have been They've been overlooked in this series even though they are part they were a participant in the series. I don't think enough people were talking about them. They showed perseverance to get to call call out credit. He really has a hold of that
of that roster. Tyre's Halliburton being around him for those two weeks, I've I've learned how much of a leader he truly is from that team being around Miles Turner, another great leader on that team. You know, these are young guys who are who are trying to pave their way. But it was a really that's a really good roster, really good squad. TJ McConnell, Oh my goodness, TJ was just lights out phenomenal off the bench.
Whoa I could just throw if I could just throw in one thing real quick, and then I'll pitch it back to you because I know you want to talk about the Knicks. But it's interesting. You know, mid season trades rarely lead to championships. There have only been a couple instances. There was the Clyde Drexler trade to Houston in ninety five. There was Rashid Wallace to Detroit.
You know.
Four that was Marc Gasol to Toronto in twenty nineteen. But it's not often that in mid season trade leads to a championship. But two teams in these conference finals made major in season trades, the Mavericks with their moves to get PJ. Washington and Daniel Gafford, and the Pacers. We don't talk much about the Pascal seasonsco trade. How
well that move is working out for the Pacers. So that's something to keep an eye to see if either Dallas or Indiana can get to the finals, and maybe we can see another mid season trade lead to a title. But please take it back now on the Pacers and Knicks.
No, just the phenomenal season what they've been able to accomplish to this point. You know, many people didn't see it coming, but no, there they're definitely a worthy opponent. So you know, I you know, good luck in Boston. That's what I would say, good luck in Boston. I don't you know, obviously, I feel like Boston is the far better team. But when you got a team like Indiana who runs the ball, I'm talking like I'm in a football analyst. But they run the ball, they're quick
with it. You know, they pick up the pace on makes some misses, so that's a change of the change of pace. So you know, we'll see, maybe they can make things interesting. But there's no doubt guy that the Boss himself, that's going to be their favors for sure. Now for the next time, Battle of Attrition. Battle of Attrition, it was tough watching, you know, bodies just fall down and unable to play even you know, you had guys get hobbled towards the end of the series, like Josh Hart.
You know, Jalen Brunson was dealing with his share of injuries. Julius Randall couldn't be there. You know, you have to remember the knicks. We're playing with one starter and four reserves. You know, as good as Josh Hart and Dante are, you know, those are reserves, you know, compared to the the you know that wasn't the starting unit that that TIPS would usually go to. So they fought. They fought. Guys stepped up. Dante showed his worth, Josh Hart showed
his worth and his value. Man Herten Is it hard and Stein or Hartenstein? Which which way have we decided? Hartenstein, hertenstein Stein?
You have to say Stein.
I don't know if I could get that, Sylla brown Heart. Let's do it again. Say it again one time, Hearten Herten Stein stein Stein.
Instead of instead of the way I say my name Stein, Just to think of an s h before Yeah, stein Stein.
Okay, let's see if that sticks. He played phenomenally man like they tips. One thing I can say about this, I know all the all. Tips gets a lot of criticism from people saying he overworks his players, he logs them too many minutes. But I'm I talked to guys in that locker room, man, they're all for Tipsy. They got his back. They really support their head coach, and Tims are really Tim's a funny dude, man. I know
a lot of people don't get to see it. I've gotten to learn a lot being around Tims this season and in this playoff run and just being in those meetings where you know they are the coaches, they're a lot more looser, you know what I'm talking about Stein Like they'll they'll let you have it. And uh, Timms is uh a, he's a real cool guy. Man. Always
showed me respect man. And you know, no matter if they were losing, losing big, you know, during the game and halftime, you know, you usually go up to the losing coach to try to get some few words. He was always accommodating. So, uh, class organization by the Knicks, strict organization, but class class or class organization, man, they
treated they treated me well. So uh you know, and Jaylen Brust is geting Jayleen Brust, you know he went through you know, he got that fractured left left hand in in game seven, so that was tough, and that was just that was basically the end for the Knicks. But you know, remember he got had that foot injury. I believe it was game two, and we didn't know
his status moving forward. I was told after game two that he went and got an MRI on that foot, and it was relief, just relief they thought it was they thought it might have been a tear, but it was relief that it wasn't. But it was just a matter of pain tolerance from there. So he was not one hundred percent with that foot injury, but he's still
he still played effectively, he still was dominating. And then to have to go out like that in game seven, it was a battle of attrition and they just they lost that war.
That was ridiculous. I mean, look, by the end of game seven on Sunday, of the sixth highest paid Knicks, only one was available to play, and that was Josh Hart, who was playing through an abdominal strain that he clearly shouldn't have been trying to play through. I mean, their whole, the whole top end of their rotation some sort of injury and so I know, yeah, and he tried any game you know, lasted less than five minutes, and yeah, it was a sad ending any way, you look at it.
For the Knicks, who I mean, this has been you know, outside of insanity, and that was a very brief interlude. I think this was the happiest, most upbeat season at your new favorite arena, Madison Square Garden, since the twentieth century. I mean, it has been many, many years of suffering and negativity and they just went on this magical ride in spite of all the injuries. But eventually it just they could no longer cope. They were just too banged up to deal with a team that plays at the
pace Indiana does. And we'll see, now can that pace? You know, we're gonna see the two best offensive teams in the league play in this East Finals. What kinds
of problem can the Pacers pose for the Celtics. I know people will say, oh, Boston's had it so easy to get to this point, playing the Heat with no Jimmy Butler and all the injuries Miami was dealing with, and then playing the Cavaliers when they had to go that whole series pretty much without Jared Allen and didn't have Donovan Mitchell at the end, so Boston hasn't been tested.
And I know that's being presented as some sort of huge disadvantage that could potentially hurt the Celtics, but look, the Celtics are especially now, especially with no Denver in the field. The Celtics are playing with win or bust, championship or bust expectations, anything less than a title, and the Celtics are going to be hugely criticized excoriated for whatever happened. So they're not going to apologize one bit.
They love having it as easy as possible just to get to this round because they've had no porzingis and they have really no escape from criticism if things don't work out, because the only thing missing from this Boston run six trips to the conference finals in the past eight seasons, the only thing missing is winning at all. They have to win it all to hush the skeptics and the doubters, and we'll see now if the Celtics can.
They're playing an Indiana team with very limited playoff experience as a group, and so the Celtics will be favored to get to the finals, even if they don't have Porzingis until the finals. But I mean there is It's a tremendous opportunity for Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown and co. I mean, this is you know, we all thought, maybe not all of us, but I think lots of us thought we were gonna get a Celtics Nuggets NBA Finals,
And now that can't happen. It's wide open. We're gonna get that sixth new champion in a span of six seasons. I've been writing about this all season, thinking about it all season. Are we gonna get yet another championship newcomer? And we are six different champions in a six season span. That has not happened since the nineteen seventy four to seventy five season through seventy nine eighty, right when little
Mark Stein was becoming an NBA addict. That's the timeframe when I really started falling in love with this league. And it was right before Larry and Magic came into the league and everything changed, and all of a sudden, the Lakers and the Celtics dominated, and then the Pistons came in, and then the Michael Jordan Bulls. So right before that it was just nineteen seventy four to seventy five. The Warriors won it all nineteen seventy five seventy six.
The Celtics got one more title in the Haletchek era seventy six seventy seven. It was the Blazers and their breakthrough championship with Bill Walton and Doctor Jack seventy seven to seventy eight and seventy eight seventy nine we had two straight installments of Bullet Sonics. The Bullets won one and then the Sonics won one, and then seventy nine to eighty, Magic as a rookie leads the Lakers to
the championship. Of course, Magic playing in that Game six decider starting at center, one of the greatest finals performances ever with Kareem Abdul Jabbar out injured, and then it was again everything changed, with the Lakers Celtics rivalry dominating
the rest of the eighties. The Sixers did sneak one title in there when Moses Malone teamed up with Julius Serving, but it was a decade dominated by the Lakers and the Celtics, and then again Pistons Bowls and on and on and on so we are now back in that zone where it's up for grabs, where parody reigns. I don't know if it's lasting NFL style parody. I think we'll need more time to get firm answers on that.
But anything can happen from here, and the proof will be when the Western Conference Finals begin in Atlanta with Chris Haynes on an ALT cast of all things with Adam Lefko and Vince Carter. Anything can happen, Anything is possible.
Yes, everybody alt cast will be will be doing a live think of the Manning cast. So every game for the Western Conference Finals, we will be on True TV, and each game will have a special guest, and I'm the booker, so we'll have we'll have some stars on each game. We'll have some head coaches on each game. So please, if you're looking for an alternative broadcast, turn
a channel over to True TV. We will still have the traditional TNT broadcast with Kevin Harlem, Reggie Miller, and I believe stan Van Gundy is joining the crew for the Western Conference Finals. We'll still have them over at TNT. Before we leave, Stein and Ryan, I have a confession and I need I need your input. I have a little story to tell. I'm not proud of it. I tried to remove myself somewhat, but still I was still associated with it, which makes it a little bit ugly.
So I'm gonna tell you guys a story and for our listeners, feel free away in on social media as well. This has everything to do with the championship we won in the Filipino League last season. So little controversy, little controversy. Let me explain what happened. So in this Filipino League, you know, everybody pays. It's eighty five hours to play in the league, and so they set it up where the starters have to play the full twelve minutes, the
reserves play the full second quarter of twelve minutes. Third quarter is half and half, so six minutes each, and then fourth quarter open subs. All right, I laid down the foundation. We had a player who was given to us last minute. He's about eighteen or nineteen years old, and he's, oh, I don't want me, No, how can I say this? He's no, he's just not that good, not good at all, not good all. I mean, you know, he hadn't scored well.
Developing prospect in your system.
Okay, that's a nice way to put it. So he did not score at all the entire season. We played eight games. And remember, as a reserve, if you play the full second quarter and half of the third, you're guaranteed to play eighteen minutes at minimum a game. So for eighteen minutes a game for eight games, he failed, the score failed, the score sot still developing prospects. Sure, whatever you say. Now we get to the pluck we get.
We made. We made it to the final four, and my team had enough and they were like, listen, Chris, it's gonna be tough winning with this guy because he has to play eighteen minutes and every time he gets in the game for that second quarter, that third quarter, the team's going to run and it puts us in a hole. He can't play, And I'm like, god, this saint he paid, Like, there's nothing I can do. You know what I'm saying, It's nothing. I can't do anything.
It was like, Chris, he can't play, and so they're coming up with all type of ideas and stuff. I'm like, guys, we can't do that. So anyways, a week before the Final four, the kid lets us know, hey, I'm going on a field trip, a graduation field trip. So he's still in high school. It's eighteen. He said, I'm going on a graduation field trip, so I won't make the last two games, which is on the last day. The final four is on last day. You win the first
one you play in two hours in the championship. Everybody's ecstatic. Everybody's ecstatic. He won't be there. Great and everybody's ecstatic. So what happens the night before the champ the final four? He sends everybody a text saying, hey, my field trip was canceled. I will be there. So everybody is back
to square one and pissed. Stein pissed. So they was like, so they're talking amongst themselves and they made it up in their mind that they're going to tell him, listen, you have to fake it in injury, faking injury, fakeing injury, because we've been game playing without you this whole time, because you thought you were gonna be at the field trip and now you're saying you're com up, like you're gonna mess up the chemistry we have. And so my wife was on me about Chris, you stay out of that.
You're a public figure. You can't be involved in that. You're showing a bad morale and you know, bad humanity. This kid is eighteen years old. You shouldn't be a part of that. So I told the guys that listen, guys, I'm gonna turn I'm gonna turn my head. I listen. I don't want no parts of it. So anyways, the team, as you on this podcast, I want no part of it. Anyways, they go and talk to him and have a talk with him, and he agreed to fake an ankling where
he didn't play in the first game. We won the first game, we made it to the championship, and he played minimum. He played very little in the championship game because he had an injury, so he was able to play very little. We won the championship. So today I tell you all this. So today the teams you're usually supposed to switch teams up each season, but they're allowing us to keep our team because we won the championship. But we kept our team except for one player that
you guys can guess that one player. So we're in a group chat with the commissioner of the league. And when that player found out that he was the only one excluded from this new team. He let loose in that chat with the commissioner saying, this is fucked up. I'm the only one y'all left off, and I faked the injury to help us win the championship last year.
This is fucked up, and he removed himself of the group. So not a commissioner questioning us y'all really did this?
What what.
He tainted? Our former teammate tainted our championship. He went along with their plan and then just dropped the bomb today because he got mad because he was the only one left off of our team going into next season. So my question is, Ryan is Stein? I know I know our team out of pocket, and I know even though I didn't contribute to convincing him to sit out or the faken injury, I knew what was going on. So you know I was complicit. I knew what was going on. So should I be mad at the kid
for just blasting that out, you know, being mad? Or just take it on the sind and understand, like you know you did wrong.
Anyway, Stein, I'm gonna jump in on this one here. Okay, Chris, have you ever in your life watched a good mob movie. I gotta know you cannot leave any loose ends. You left a loose end. You could not exclude him from the team knowing that he had the inside scoop on how you won your first title. That's on you. You gotta keep him on the roster and keep him happy. Otherwise you're leaving a loose end out there and he's going straight to the authority. So no, you can't blame him.
You gotta blame yourself for leaving that out there hanging.
Against you. I mean, I'm sure people in your league are listening to this pod. What if they revoke your championship? What if they take it away?
You know, what if they if they do, I know, we won fair and square. You know at a certain point. Listen, I mean it, we were fair and square. Listen, in real life style. In real life, they don't You're not forced to play. Everybody in real life, the players that's supposed to be playing play you earn minutes, so you know, if anything teaching them a lesson and how the real world is and how real competition is, everybody don't get to play. But I get you, I understand. So Ryan,
Ryan's coming from a mod perspective. Basically, we should have murdered the kid, is what you're saying. That's what you're saying. Right.
What I'm saying is you you you had to keep him on the payroll to keep him happy.
I'm telling you my teammates probably would have killed them if we played another season together. It was pretty bad, pretty bad. So yes, I'm not proud of it, but you know, we got that far, and my teammates were adamant. Even though I didn't tell them the faking injury, I knew what was going on. So not one, not one of my proudest moments. But listen, this is listen. This league uncut, This can be this league, NBA league could
be the Philipino League doesn't matter. This league uncut. And I wanted to share with my listeners what's going on. And so you can call me out, call me out. I understand, I understand, but you know, it's competition, man, We're trying to win. Come on the best of play. But it's not my league, so gotta buy by the rules. So my championship as an asterisk.
Yeah, because again, you're you came on here and said you're the GM, You're the coach, You're everything. And now you're like, I wasn't involved, like Lebron.
Say, hey, man, I don't. I don't get involved with that stuff. Man, that's what that's all there. But yeah, there you go. I'm sorry everybody. I'll do better. I'm growing, I'm learning.
So now going forward with this new season, he's not on the team. So now that problem has been eliminated going forward.
Correct, it has been eliminated. Yes, the commissioner got on us about y'all can't be doing that. That's wrong, that's not fair, and so you know we're not getting our championship or move or anything like that. But I was like, wow, he went and just put that out there and just blasted it.
I'm like, man, hey, you know what, you might have actually found the perfect solution. I may have to take that back. You're going to keep the title, and now he's not on the team going forward, But you also no longer have to hide a secret because now the commissioners about it. So you committed the crime. Everyone knows you did, and you're getting away with it again.
And now you can.
Defend your title when when someone on the team you guys beat in the final here's this podcast. Nobody's going to say, hey, wait a minute's.
No work campion. I mean if I was the other team, I wouldn't go about it like that. You gotta you gotta, you gotta. I want to beat you. I don't care about no you playing your you know, MVP trophies with you this time?
What happened?
No, I mean they all stacked up at the house. They're all two MVPs, two championships and so but no, I wouldn't be like that. I think that's a week competitor, you know, if you act like that. But no, he's not on the team moving forward. But I will say this is that you know that rule is tough man, if you have if you have a guy that or a girl that's not ready to play, and just remember they're going to play eighteen minutes minimum. That's a lot
of time. Eighteen minutes minimum, all of the second quarter, which is twelve minutes, and then half of the third. So that's eighteen minutes where the other team correct and the problem is right. And this is sign this The other part is through out there, we always had ten guys. It's a full roster with ten guys. Most teams they will only show up with like seven guys, so which that meant that they can always keep like three of
their best players on the floor at all times. Meanwhile, we had to come in with our five reserves who aren't the best, and so they're playing eighteen minutes minimum. So that was the problem we had. It's like, man, we got a full ten and we got guys that just can't play. Meanwhile, these other teams are only showing and I don't know, listen, I don't know what they're doing.
They could be telling because they everybody has a ten man roster, but there's like four teams that's showing up with seven or eight, So they could be telling their teammates, hey, don't show up, you know, let us seven or eight. Just that you.
All I know is that you are the most candid GM in basketball history. You are putting it all out there. It is all out in the.
Street, all right. Listen. He put it out the other day, So I figured it'll circulate around the league anyways, and if anything, this will just help it circulate. Oh well, what's done is done. Barry Bombs is the whole run leader.
That league is a movie, and that is going to do it for this edition of this League Uncut. And just to make a little correction, I can't remember exactly how I said it way back at the beginning of this podcast, but there are no NBA games tonight as we get ready for the start of the Conference Finals Tuesday night with Boston Indiana Game one, but the WNBA is in operation on this Monday night, and as we've been recording this podcast, I've had the sun Fever game
on the whole time. It's late in the third quarter now, but really scary in the first half, Caitlin Clark a very nasty looking ankle twist that initially took her out of the game, but she was able to come back for this second half and she's able to play on it. So a real injury scare in the WNBA tonight, but
disaster averted. Caitlin Clark is back playing with Indiana in this home game against Connecticut and tomorrow night, Tuesday night, the Conference Finals do start Boston playing host to Indiana. Minnesota plays host to Dallas in Game one of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday night. Look for Chris Haynes on the True TV alt cast in the West Finals on Wednesday Night with Adam Lefko and Vinsanity, Vince Carter and hopefully some of those guests that Chris Haynes is
lining up. Hopefully one or two of those guests makes its way onto this podcast. I'm going to work on him on that when we're off air. That will do it for this edition, a very lengthy and all over the place edition of This League uncut Chris and producer Ryan and me will be back together again with you very very soon. Thanks everyone for listening, and that'll do it for us. See you next time. This League Uncutter is an iHeartRadio production Chris Haynes and Mark Stein