A Visit From Kevin Harlan

A lot of you loyal listeners have heard me talk about my dad on here before. Some of our guests have even brought him up before I did. Jalen Rose called him the Goat, which I wholeheartedly agree with. He's played by play announcer Kevin Harland and he is my co host this week. Hi Dad Hilvy, how are you, sweetie? Good to see you. I'm good. Sound like did don't? I just like I did? Hi? Sweet Yeah? Uh you know. And you're in Phoenix. You just finished up the Phoenix

Denver game. You're covering that series, so I want to to start there quickly before we get more into your story. But I mean, what a game two teams people are so excited about. You must be excited to be assigned this series, I am. I thought this was one of the more electric series that took us to the second round. I'm a fan of both these coaches. I truly admire.

Sometimes we we get coaches, you're just kind of you know, But these are two guys that I respect so much, not only as basketball coaches, but as men, and how they lead, how they have changed cultures, live at two places that needed some revampment. And they've taken superstar players, They've messed them with role players, they've built benches, but they built cultures, a winning culture, culture of you know, work and teamwork and team first attitude. So it's been terrific.

Chris Paul was great in Game one, Mickael Bridges over twenty points. Devin Booker did what he needed to do, and probably at the core of this series is the center matchup with Yokich for Denver and Eighten with Phoenix, and all Eton has to do is basically stay step for step and not get in foul trouble guarding Yoki, which is a chore, and he did that last night and they won handling. So if that's a precursor, this is gonna be an interesting series, and I think Denver

will certainly give him a shot. But Phoenix looks very good coming off their first series went off of the defending champion Lakers, and hey, even bigger news for you personally if this was your first game in an arena in what over a year. Yeah, we had done that the m c A tournament for CBS and Turner in Indianapolis, but we were in a bubble. We were in arenas and off the floor. We were not traveling around. We stayed in one city. Yeah, this is kind of nice

to get back out there. And they were very limited in attendance, only a couple of thousand people at the n c A tournament games, parents, family, friends, some school administrators. This is unleashed, unleashed bedlam, seventeen thousand people in the building and full throat, and it was exciting and energizing

and actually weird. I was working with with Reggie Miller, and I said, it's odd to be seeing it with the naked eye because we've been doing games with so long off of monitors, and your hesitant when you do it off a monitor, But when you're there, you could have your quick twitch call and those are always fun. And last night was a blast to be back in in a full, full theater. I thought both you and Reggie sounded so great last night. You know, you take

this for granted. You've been doing this, however, many years, and to get back in there that that had to be a lot of fun and it was a lot of fun to watch. But man, those fans were electric and deservedly so. They're too looked great. I want to go over quickly your bio for those who don't know, if we've mentioned you do NBA on T and T, college basketball on CBS, NFL on CBS Monday Night Football, and the Super Bowl on Westwood One. If you're of

a certain age. For some of our viewers, you may know him best as the voice of NBA two K, the video game. And you've made history as calling the most consecutive Super Bowls. The count is now up to eleven, passing Jack Buck a couple of years ago. That's impressive. And you also made history a couple of years ago as part of the first father daughter tandem to call an NFL game. You can talk more about that later.

And something I'm very proud of you for two time National Sportscaster of the Year winner that's voted on by your peers, and I know that has meant so much to you. Before we get much deeper in your story, what's something you're you're more excited about that's ahead of you. You've accomplished so much, what's like a benchmark or an award or some opportunity that you still want to accomplish. You know, I'm I'm pretty comfortable just trying to evolve

in what I'm doing right now. It's hard to maintain in this business, to keep the jobs at a certain address and to stay at a high level. And that's enough of a challenge for me. I think sometimes, and you and I have talked our upon our upon hour about if you're looking too far ahead, you're not looking at what's right in front of you. So for me, the most important thing right now is Game two coming up tomorrow night Phoenix, between the Nuggets and the Suns.

We all want to, you know, we all aspire to be the best we can be. And I think if we're looking at I want to I want to get there there, or I want to do this, or I want to have that, I think we're missing the message in the successful people in this world handle what's in front of them the best, and I strive to do that. So the challenge of just staying current and evolving and making sure I get better every broadcast. That's enough for me,

right now, that's enough of a challenge. And then I've always felt as I've again told you and you've heard piece and nauseam. But if you're trying to please other people, if you're trying to look beyond and engage yourself on what others are doing, that's a fools Aaron. You're never gonna as a black hole. You're you're never going to emerge. So just be the best that you can be and

let things happen the way they're naturally supposed to happen. Now, it's hard to bring up your trajectory and your start in the business without bringing up your dad. And it's a question I get all the time. What's it like having a dad in the industry. You get it all the time because especially the people of an older generation know so much what your dad did with the Green Bay Packers and have such reverence for the importance of

his role in that franchise. His dad, Bob Harlan, is my grandfather, Papa Boy's president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers for almost twenty years. Dad, just as you grew up, especially when I think back the furthest as like a ball boy at Green Bay Packers training camp. And mean, how much influence did that early access half on your career and just kind of what you wrap what you absorbed from watching your dad work, Well, it shaped everything. It gave me a look behind the curtain.

It showed me what professional sports was like. And I think if you're ever around it, you're molded by it and influenced by it. And I certainly was so that portion being in press boxes, being on NFL sidelines. My dad before that, as you know, your grandfather's with the Baseball Cardinals and St. Louis when they had Bob Gibson and Roger Marris and Orlando Cepeda and Joe Tory and Lou Brock and Kurt Flood and all those magnificent, magnificent Cardinal players in the sixties. And I used to go

down to training camp. I used to be a bat boy at Bush Stadium, sitting back at home plate and chart games, sat in the back of Jack Buck and Harry Carey's booth at Camboex broadcasting at Bush Stadium. So I got to see things that other kids didn't. And when you talk about having an advantage, yep, I agree. I was exposed two things that most kids don't dream about,

and was so fortunate. And that's truly one of the only reasons why I am where I am right now, is that I began at a young age in my mind, was directed in that portion of the business, in media and broadcasting, and it did everything. The other part of it, Olivia, is that Joe ju is watching my dad deal with people. He treated as the CEO of the Packers, as the president of the Green Bay Packers, he treated the lowest employee as well as he treated the starting quarterback or

the vice president or whoever he was dealing with. He treated everybody the same. And when you watch someone act in everyday life like that, you can't help but be influenced by it. And I truly felt that that was a big component of his success, his rise. He always said, I'm not the smartest guy in the room, but dealing with people, listening to people, understanding them was a big

part of his success. And so I've followed that, and I think you've taken after your grandfather too, because I worked with someone last night here in Phoenix who had worked with you in an ESPN game, and they said, your daughter is the only one who says thank you after every little thing that I would do. Oh my gosh. Yeah, And you've done bowl games out here in the Valley

of the Sun, so they know you out here. If they know you out here from your sideline work with the ESPN, and you know, it makes your father proud to hear those kind of stories, and you and I feel very fortunate we're in this business, blessed beyond measure. And so when you hear those stories, you know, you feel like, let's treat others the way you want to be treated. And I saw my dad do that for a lifetime, absolutely, and then us as his grandchildren observing

that too. And it's it's just very cool in any industry to watch someone who's at peak success and have peak humility. And I think he's always carried himself that way. And I was going to bring up that same story of it's such a small business, so yeah, if it's a cameraman, a graphics producer, audio tech. All the time people say I've worked with your dad and man to see the nicest no one else stops to like remember names and ask about our kids and how we're doing.

And I just have definitely watched you and Papa Boy do that, and that's that's huge. And really, your legacy is unfinished. You know, no one knows what their legacy will be. I remember Oprah saying Maya Angelou told her that, And I think your legacy, just from what I've observed and as your only child in the industry and kind of gets to be in these circles, is I think your legacy will be kindness. I think that that is what ultimately you will be known for. Do you ever

think of it like that? Well, I think everybody strives to be kind and oh, I don't know, I don't think. I mean, it's because it's it's such a tough business. You're under so much stress, it's very time sensitive. Everything's live, and you've done so much work, you've traveled there, you're doing the game. So much can go wrong at any moment,

and unfortunately, not everyone does lead kindness. Well, it's hard because there's a lot of frustration, and you're working around people in a very public business, and mistakes are glaring and for all to see. No one sees sometimes a mistake made in an office cubicle and sees a mistake made you know, at home as you're cooking dinner, right, I mean, and and those are simple examples, but this is a pretty of course. You know we've always signed up for so you know there shouldn't be any challenge

and understanding, well, why is this happening? You want to do and you want to treat people the way you want to be treated. I think we all know that saying, but to execute it when their stress is very difficult. And there are times that it is stressful and someone has made a mistake or someone is wanting to talk.

When you've got, you know, a set amount of time to get something done, whether it's writing a lead for a story or trying to make sure you've got the information correct on a player, and it's time sensitive, you don't have the the time to spend with that person. So you you remember that and you store it away and hopefully the next time around you can say, hey, I am so you caught me at a time when I had to I had to get something done in two minutes. You came by to say hi, And I

have thought about it and I slept on it. I feel bad about it. So I guess if there is ever that that little speed bump where you can't be the person that you want to be. You go back and rectify it so you can be that person that that you want to be. And I just I guess you feel like everybody around you wants to do the best job they can, and everybody is trying hard. They don't want to make a mistake. They don't want to, you know, be imposing that. You know, that's that's not

their goal. They're just trying to help and trying to do the best that they can do. So you appreciate that fact of it. And I do love the business because there are characters, and there are it's made up of people. You can have all the bells and whistles you can, but at the end of the day, it's people punching buttons, making decisions, talking in your ear, at your side, on your you know, it's it's all about people.

So you and I have talked about this many many times, and I think a little bit of kindness probably goes a long way. Now you kind of brought this up. The business is changing, and when I got in verse when you got in and it's just a different world. And you and I kind of disagree on this one topic. I love social media. I make it work for me. I think it's a great way to interact. I think it's a great way to share stuff. You recently got

rid of your Twitter. I know you still have an Instagram, but I don't think you're veronic because I've tagged you in a couple of things. I don't think you see it. But my generation I don't know how to tag. I don't know. I don't know how to say yeah, thanks for that week for that tag. I don't know what that. But I just think my generation is using it for us, and there's I don't think either ways right or wrong. But why do you think your approach is the way

it is? And what why do you kind of you're more tradition know in the sense? Well, first of all, I only got Twitter because you girls thought it would be good for me to get on, But I never felt I had anything really important to say. And my main goal with Twitter has always been as a news feed, because by having an account, it allows you to get on and then follow the people that are reporters like yourself, who have updates on stories, who may be breaking a story.

So I use it strictly as a news feed. I Burned one Quist said something to me many years ago at a CBS NFL seminar, and he said, you know, I always thought I was pretty good. I always thought that I had kind of nailed a broadcast. I always kind of thought, you know, that I had gotten it. And then I got on Twitter and read what they were saying about me. And I've never felt so low and so degraded and so deflated then eating comments by people who have nothing but comments to shoot out there

with no accountability. And this is one of the greatest to ever do it, and just one of the greatest men, one of the one of the greatest, and one of the kindest, warmest souls you'll ever come across. I can't tell you how much I respect him as a man and as a broadcaster, one of the great one of the legends in our business, Burne Lnquist. And when he said that to me, it's shut off. So I purposely never look what they say about me. I don't want to know what they say about me. I've told people

at both CBS and Turner. If something is said that is wrong, patent le blatantly wrong, then I guess I'd like to be notified of it, like if they said I saw so and so uh punching out you know so and so right, or or I saw him at doing something where he said this. I mean, if it's blatantly wrong, then I would like to know about and then I'll go through them and say how can we handle this? Or should I handle it at all? But otherwise I don't know what they say. I don't want

to know what they say. I'll come home and your mom and my wife will say, well, people on Twitter like, yeah, yeah, you do you do? I don't want to. I can't, and I guess I don't know if that's a frail portion of my psyche. I'm not afraid of criticism. I love criticism because it's the only way. There's always a truth in every critical remark. There's always a vein of some kind of truth. Even if it's outlandish. Five may have a smidge of truth it maybe a d percent.

The criticism is warranted, and you know what, I love that stuff. Bring it on. It's the only way you're going to get better. But I don't look at it because I'm afraid of what it will do. It. I don't want it to change the lane that I'm going in, and I had people, I'll be notified if I'm messing up, and I'll know that, and I trust my gut. But I also trust if my wife, you know your mom, She'll say, you might want to look at this, or you might want to pair it back a little bit,

or you might want to whatever. And I trust her, you know, intuitiveness and subjects like that. Now that being said, I get what you do. I get it, and you should do it because everybody your age is doing this, but not a lot of people my age are doing it. I don't know that al Michaels has a Twitter. I don't know that NaNs. I don't know that the late Keith Jackson at a Twitter. I don't think any of them do. I think they follow it with what they

call that fake name or whatever. And but because they just want to get one of those do a fake Twitter. I do have one because I need you got to get on there to read the to read the news feed. I want to read what Dave mcmanam or Winner Store, any of these guys or Woes or any of these people, you know, Chefty, what they have to say. That the only way I can do it, So, yeah, I came out. You'll never guess what it is and I'll never tell, and I only use it. It's like jayhawk boy with

an eye. Uh No, it's not. It is not. Actually you might. You might, if you dug enough, you might be able to figure and find it. But I never post on it. I never say anything on it, and I all use it so I can follow the reporters that I feel I've got to follow in the NFL and in the NBA. Well, I used this crazy world of Twitter to get some good content. When I asked everyone for questions for you, I said, you know, my dad's coming on if anyone wants me to ask him anything.

And I got so many of aspiring broadcasters asking about your process. And I'm putting my own spin on this question because I know you have such a really, really steady voice process. On the day of a game. You're very your purest when it comes to voice performance. So what do you do on game day for your voice? Well, I'm big into delivery, and unfortunately you have heard that from me of the time that you were in high school. And I apologize in that because I've beaten you over

the head with delivery. Deliver, It's all about deliver. What do I What do I say? A well delivered story with poor content is so much more effective than a great story poorly delivered, Yes, because all you're doing is a viewer or a listener is listening to uh, you know, and and the stuttering and the trying to find the right word. But if you zip your way through a story and tell it in a compelling way, even if it's about grass growing, it's still a story that you remember.

And I tell you that because it was the first thing when I was about eight or nine years old that got me into sports, the first thing that I can remember, not just that my dad was in it. I loved being, you know, a part of my dad's spring training with the Cardinals and everything else. But I heard the great John Facenda of NFL Films narrate Super Bowl between the Packers and the Chiefs. And it wasn't the play on the field and on the screen. It was the voice. It was the delivery. And when I

heard that, something went off in my head. And then I began to listen for voices, and then I listened to Ray Scott and I listened to the past summer, and I listened to all Don Crickey and all in Jim Simpson and Keith Jackson and all these great voices of my youth that I still hear in my head. I hear voices in my head and that's what I hear, that's what I listened. That's what got me into sports, and not into sports broadcasting, but into sports, and then

that led to sports broadcasting. You say, wait a minute, these guys are broadcasters and they're talking about these games I'm watching. So yeah, I'm big on delivery, and think about it. Think about it during the games I'm doing, and we'll have little things in my mind that I have felt in the past, that I have said, well, that I will do to get me back on track.

It's not different than a singer, an opera singer taking that little musical harmonica thing that they used to get a tone whatever that's called, and to get the right tone and how they warm up before a performance. And I do that occasionally during my games. I've said some things that I know exactly how I said it to get me back to kind of ground zero, to my foundation.

You're talking about the words that you write down. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I won't get too deep in the weeds here, but I feel sometimes a game can get so frenetic that I got to reel myself back in. And so I have things that I have said that when I've listened back to my games, that I say, I like that little five second, I like my the tonality and how I sounded, And so I'll hit my mute button and I'll turn my head because if I say it, you know, my partners will look at me, going, what are you doing?

And I'll say something completely having nothing to do with where I am. But I use that to get my voice back to where I wanted to get to. So yeah, I'm big on performance. I'm big on pacing. I'm big on all those kinds of things and have used that as kind of my guide in my broadcasting career. That's a great tip that broadcasters should write down, and one I share a lot as well. We kind of have a little joke about the start of our careers because I technically beat you to the NBA by one year.

Yes you did. Now you your longevity and success. I'm sure our far past would all end up accomplishing, but the groundwork was there. We both got our main big gig in the n b A. You with the Kansas City Kings, Me with the Atlanta Hawks. You were just twenty two years old when you got that job at that time, did that feel like you had really made it? Like if that was as far as your career had gone, would that have felt like enough? Like that's that's what

you wanted? That was such a great gig. Well, I dreamt big when I was young in college and always felt like because I started in high school at our radio station, at our high school in Green Bay, Wisconsin, so I knew I was on a faster path. It's not unlike a kid who learned to play golf when he's three and four years old, he's just probably gonna be better when he's fifteen or sixteen then the other fifteen or sixteen year olds. And it just gave me kind of a head start. And you were kind of

the same way. You began at such a young age, knew what you wanted to do. It benefited both of us and getting a start. The big difference was if I go back and listen to twenty two year old me and twenty one year old you, twenty one year old you sounds like they should have been on an NBA broadcast twenty two year old me, sounds like I should have been in Paduka, Kentucky doing Paduka High School of Basketball. That was the difference, not like the business

was different. And I got the job at the intersection of so many things happening. The guy that was doing the Kansas City Kings left to go to the Philadelphia seventy sixers. The Kansas City Kings were not long for Kansas City because they eventually moved to Sacramento, and I worked for a station that had the rights. I was producing the Chiefs pregame show on the radio network. I was doing segments on the station and on the Chiefs Radio network as a college student, and so they saw me.

I was young, I was cheap, and I was available, and that really led to that job. So it was by total, total luck and good fortune. You earned it because the Hawks, so you were doing on Fox Sports with the Southeastern Conference football game sideline reports, and these guys. I know for a fact that Fox Sports were like, wait a minute, what's going on here? And the Hawks brought you on board. It was the smartest thing they've done. And I was with one of the owners. The other

I said, we miss Olivia Harlan so much. That was before you became Olivia Decker. Yeah, the business now is probably far more competitive than when I was breaking in. When I got in, I oh my god, it's unbelieving. I wouldn't go back to be two years old getting in the business for anything in the world. It'sating. No, I tell these kids, I say, as I told you, I say, you know, it may not happen is fast

for you. But if you love the business, if you love what it takes to get better in the business, and you just drink in seven everything about broadcast, how to be better, watching others, you know, using them as a roadmap, all these things, and if you enjoy the journey,

this will be a fulfilling business for you. But if you're just in it to make money and trying to get to the next market and hop scotch and leap frog and do all that stuff, you'll be left empty at the end of the day because you'll never it to where you want to go, to an endless string of disappointments. But if you love the business, and you and I love the business, it can be very fulfilling.

And I just make sure that they've got the right compass heading when when they jump in, because it can be frustrating, and it can be degrading, and it can be very, very disappointing. Absolutely, it's it's as tough an industry as there is in terms of competition, paranoia, all of that. One thing I want to wrap up with is something that I feel like we don't talk a lot about in our family because we know you don't like to talk about it, and I don't know why

you keep doing it. Then it's the goofy calls, the streaker, the cat um calling two games at once, the guy and the bra at the Super Bowl, And it's so what you're known for. And I hate saying that because you do so much good, serious work, such great journalism, great play by play, But you know, it's click bait. It's it's funny, it's memorable. And we're going to bring on Peter Andrew later in the show and we're going to play a little game because he's brought up a

bunch of your great calls. I've just got to ask, because this is one of the top questions I kept getting on Twitter, is what's going through your mind when these calls are happening, because it sometimes I hear you and I'm just like, oh my god, what's he saying? Well, clearly not much is going on in my mind, right, I mean clearly we're we're we're cutting to the lowest common denominator. But now, the only technical way I can

explain it, I mean, you never go into it planning. Okay, you know, like if a squirrel runs out on the field, or if a you know, fat, you know, naked guy is out there doing somersaults, what am I gonna? You know, like, you never you never think of that. But here's what it is when I'm doing these games, and you know this because you go through the same process. I am so lost in the game, Like I am so into

every detail of the game. And when you get lost in something and you're so immersed in it that you are just reacting to the next thing that happens, and you almost do it kind of in an out of body, subconscious way, like you're like you're not thinking about really what you're even saying. And the things that people remember I've done on radio on NFL radio broadcasts, and we're doing radio, you are looking for every detail on the field. You know, you're looking at the color of the sky.

You're looking at the wind and what it's doing to a hotdog rapper that's blown across the field. And you're watching the quarterback, you know, white white, brauer the eye black that's beginning to run under his eye, Like you're trying to paint this unbelievable picture because you want to

give the listener everything that the viewer is seeing. So when these things have happened, whether it's been a cat on the field or a couple of drug guys rolling across the field, I'm doing it in the context because, by the way, both drunk guys ran right through the formation as the ball is getting ready to be stamped and the play is going to be run, and so you just pick it up here now a second down and ten wait a minute, a guy who's run right through that, you know he's so it's all a part

of what I'm seeing, and I guess I forget for a time what's going on now. The other night we were doing a game with Philadelphia in Washington and a guy I was on TV was on TNT and the guy ran on the floor. I swear it's always your games when this happens, though I think it happens, but being on television, you don't want to, you know, give him any kind of notoriety, so they turned the cameras away. On radio, you don't see the guy. You don't know

his name. It's just a guy. So there's a little bit of anonymity there that that really didn't get us in trouble and tell us, you know, would because if he showed the face, the guy is getting exactly what he wants. He's getting that fifteen seconds of fame. So we don't show it. And we just said a security guy makes the tackle and they're gonna take him off,

and that's what happened. So only is a byproduct of losing myself in the game and being so into it, and that's kind of where some of those weird calls come in. You know, when a guy has a big dunk or he it's a big shot and we go crazy. You're so into the game that you kind of sometimes lose your bearings and you've got to quickly, you know, reclaim them because you've got to realize, hey, you know, i'm a reporter here and I've better bring it back in a little bit, you do. But that kind of

is it. It's very simple. It's like the stone cutter who's got a chisel and knock a stone that's in the middle of a road, right, and he's hitting he's hitting that stone once and ten times, and twenty times and thirty times and pounding away and trying to crack that rock into and on the four crack of that

rocket finally splits, right, it finally splits in half. And a guy walks in and sees this final hammer, that rock that splits on the four taking it goes, wow, you must have really tookn a wall up on that h and he goes, no, no, no, yeah, it wasn't the four hundred. It was before it that led to the four hundred. And that's kind of what play by play is all about. Here's a two yard game, there's a four yard game. Here's a little lay up. You know, it's the little plays, but it's every play that lead

up to the big play. And that's that's the best way I can explain it. Well, I've never heard you describe it like that, but I know you hate becoming the story and it's always after something like that happens, and it's like Kevin Harland's call of the cat on the field, whatever it is. And I know you get so shy. You never want to be the story. You

never want attention. But I will tell you, as as your daughter and also someone in the business, I think when you show that kind of levity, it's really refreshing. And you're so funny. We know how funny you are at home, but you're so serious about your work, and I like when you do that because I think it shows that you take the work seriously, but you don't

take yourself too seriously. So again, I just want to commend you on those moments because not only are they great viral social media moments that people are just like Kevin Harlan's a national treasure. I see that tweet more than anything. But I just I appreciate that you're able to switch into a kind of a fun place and you're you're very very good at that. Thank you, sweet.

But I look forward. We're going to bring in Peter Andrew, who has told me he's a big fan of yours, and we're gonna play a little game and see if I know some who your most famous calls. So I could ask you a million more questions about your career, and I'll be I'll be disappointed if you do. If you do know him, I'm going to be very disappointed because you should be doing something much more constructive with your time and something I want that chill in your

head in this business. Oh man, Well, thanks so much, Dad, And with that, let's go to Peter Andrew. Well, now

is the segment in our show where we help you look a little smarter, have better conversations with your friends as you're watching all these exciting games, and help you maybe put some cash in your wallet. Peter Andrew from bed MGM joins us. Now, Peter, how are you, hey? How's it going with you? We are good, and you've got double Harlan duty today, so we can't wait to go over some of the prop bets, series bets, star player bets, everything. But this is such a fun time

of year to be talking with you. And remember last week you were saying kind of a fun crazy bet that was interesting, and I want to start with this one, he said Trey Young for Finals m v P. He had thirty five. The other night, I believe he was plus sixty six hundred last week when we talked, that's now down to what are you seen in Trey Young? Yeah, I mean crazy to think it was a really solid

game one. But they have a shot. I mean, if they play well and they play team basketball and Tray Young does Tray Young things, I'm and you're gonna see that number continue to go down. We're recording ahead of

game two. But massive game. Let's see what happens. You know, I've been high on the Sixers, but if they play the way they've been playing against the Knicks and now Philly, I mean, he's got a legitimate shot and no one else is gonna win finals MVP if they end up going all the way from that team, Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, but about three quarters of their game and study, they let their foot off the gas there a little bit. Yeah, they got some work to do for sure for game

tea tonight. Yeah, Dad, have you seen the Hawks much this year? I am not. You know, I've enjoyed Tray over his career at Oklahoma, as short as it was and as a short time in the NBA. And I was with someone actually the other night who was in the room when the Atlanta Hawks we're deciding about done Itch or Trey, and it was interesting because they saw Curry in that kind of frame and what Trey presented. But they love the size of done and that trade

is going to go down in history. It's think is one of the more analyzed trades in the history of pro basketball, kind of like the Philip Rivers Eli Manning deal between the Giants and the then San Diego Chargers. Who would be better? Who was destined for the Hall of Fame? You know, one guy won a couple of Super Bowl m vps, the other guy put up historic numbers. It could be that way with Trey and with Luca

as well. I think they're both getting marvelous careers, different frames, different styles, but both electrifying players and they're gonna be fun to watch for years. That's a good story. I like that. Sticking in the East a little bit. Peter James Harden's injury now I believe he has officially ruled out for the next game. How much will that affect Brooklyn and some of the lines you're seeing. Yeah, yesterday was a little crazy. When the news came out that

Harden was out for for the game. They were down to minus two and they actually went to plus two the nets, which is crazy, and they obviously they blew out in Milwaukee, so I think there was a lot of money unevenly going back and forth, but it seems like it doesn't matter. This team is just so well oiled. I mean, Katie at any given moment can go for thirty forty. Kyrie didn't have a particuarly amazing game and they still just ran the show. And you have great shooters.

Blake Griffin looks like Blake Griffin from five years ago. What happened? Someone made the joke that they cryogenically froze him in in Detroit for the last couple of years, and and now he's back and better than ever. So if you have those guys playing like that, I mean, it's it's so hard to bet against them. And I know I've been trying to go against the band leg and a little bit just for some value perspective, But but they are a good, good team. Dad, you see

this a lot with players. You know, people have written off Blake Griffin. He's what thirty two years old. He's not too old by basketball standards. He definitely has some years ahead of him. But when you have this kind of revival of a better surrounding cast, a lot of hope in the city, a lot to play for in a chance to win this title. Finally, I mean, what what other like player does this remind you of this kind of trajectory in any sport when you see someone

kind of come back to life. Well, you said it live because he has had kind of a resurgence here late, and he's not the guy. He doesn't have to be the guy, and he's playing with a better supporting cast. It really didn't have that with the Clippers, certainly hasn't had that with the Pistons, And I think that he senses, as you were alluding to, that that window is shutting. Is at a history of injuries. This has been a stroke of good fortune in his career that he's able

to finish like that with these players. But when you don't have to be the guy, when you don't have to be the target on your back, everything comes easier. You move easier within the offense, it's easier to defend because your assignment is easier. The pressure is off. Plus, he's at a stage in his career where people know his name. He's an all star, he's a gifted player, but he clearly has things on his resume he needs

to fill. So when you have a motivated player at this stage, not playing for money nor fame, but just playing as part of a better overall story, you get things like this. I'm trying to think if I can, you could probably mention some examples of guys that have been like this and have gone to other teams. We've seen it before. Andrea Gudala, I guess is maybe an example too, and he only played a year in Denver after a lot of years in Philadelphia, goes to Golden State.

He eventually became the finals m v P. But he wasn't the guy in Denver. He was the guy. In Philly, he was the guy. But at Golden State he just had to fill a role, be a defensive player, be the consummate team guy, come off the bench, willingly accept that role. He did, and it led to an ease of play, the best certainly stint of his career, and a championship and the finals MVP. So you've got stories

like this littered throughout sports. But there is a mentality that follows that, and we're seeing a play out right now. Blake Griffin and the nets. Absolutely. We're talking about Kevin Durant earlier. He leads the pack right now for fine as M v P favorites. I believe he's at plus one fifty. And Sam and I were watching that game the other night and he said Kevin Durant is his favorite player to watch play right now. He said he cannot believe what he's witnessing. Do you feel in that same,

Dame Peter. Yeah, it was funny yesterday. I think one of the announcers asked, two years ago when he had that injury, I think it was two years ago, almost to the date, did he think he could come back the way he did. He kind of laughed at it and was like, well, of course I thought so, But to be fair, that wasn't a great crush. It was very awkward and awkward, and he said, are you serious? Is that a real question? Was kind of cringing and laughing at the same time. But Katie has always known it,

but we really know it now. I mean, he has come back and he's playing that same type of basketball. I mean, mid range is on point, he's distributing to the basketball when he needs to. I mean, he's playing defense. He just looks like the guy that we expect him to be. Again, it's you know, we're throwing a little bit of money on some of these other players of Paul George A Trey Young to win finals MVP. But I mean every road leads to Kevin Durant, especially with

Harden being a little bit banged up. Kevin Durant is going to be the guy they rely on down the stretch. It's hard to go against it. Absolutely. You said last week the West is wide open. What are you thinking now that we're getting into some of these games. Yeah, I mean yesterday was kind of a shock to me, but I had mentioned one of my bets to you was around the lines of Devin Booker to be the high score and around the Phoenix Suns are a great team. Denver,

I think still a little bit iffy. I mean, we know how good Yokich is, but their backcourt is it's a cause for concern. I like Devin Booker to kind of take control of the series. I know he's shot a bit more I don't know if cautious the right word, but a bit more efficient yesterday. But I really like the Sun's I'm still really intrigued on what the Clippers could potentially do in the series against Utah that starts tonight.

Those are probably my two teams that I see you going into the conference finals, but it really is wide open. All four teams have put super basketball throughout the playoffs, but certainly throughout the year and then on you know, on that series with the Clippers, there's a couple of unique bets we have, and I really like this bed of most points within the series Paul George plus eight fifty. I think it is. I mean, why not take a flyer on him and have a great series. There's gonna

be a lot of pressure on Kauai. There's gonna be a lot of focus defensively on Kauai. PG can have a couple of really decent games and at that odds, in that price can find yourself making a couple of bucks. Well, let's ask the guy who was at the game last night. Dad, you're covering the Phoenix Denver series. What did you think from maybe shot selection, especially with Devin Booker. You know, I think Booker was just kind of feeling his way

last night because other guys were hot. You know, I always try to get a handle on what the best players. The leaders on teams do early and Booker and Chris Paul are emat category. But Bridges was great. Eyton did not get in foul trouble. He was great. He's been terrific.

In fact, I would dare say that the Suns will go as far as Eton goes if he stays out of foul trouble and can control Yokich with his defense as he's done in previous meetings and stay even just toe to toe, not even supersede what yok Is do. If he can just stay on pace with Yokich, I think there's no doubt that Phoenix is going to be favored to win this series. Their favored going in right now, and Peter probably is alluded to this the best, but

last night confirmed a lot of things. Now they got another worldly performance from mckel Bridges, and then the kind of the last two games. Something has happened that I

think has really kind of gone under the radar. In Game six that we did Lakers Phoenix in Los Angeles, Chris Paul came in in the fourth quarter of that Game six, and the Lakers were creeping back and they got within single digits after being down by twenty plus points and Paul came in, scored seven quick points, dished a couple of passes, got the pace back up, took control on the floor, and they were often running and

sealed the win in the series last night. Same thing comes into the fourth quarter because sometimes Olivis use this term took their foot off the gas. It's a perfect term, and they did. And it's very natural. It's human nature when you have the lead and you're in control, to exhale. And the Sons barely did that last night. But then Paul comes in and the fourth quarter. See, that's the difference between a championship team and a team that is

just tread and water. And the Sons had the markings because Paul knows when to say when, he knows when to grab the game by a throat and squeeze. He did a Game six to close out the defending Jamps. He did it last night Game one when when the when the Nuggets were creeping back in the game, chiseling their way to get back in there, and he took that game over. So Booker who can score when they need him, and they felt they needed that push in Game six, they thought they needed kind of a turbo

boost early in that game on the road. They knew the Lakers would be jazz. They were starting Anthony Davis and only lasted a couple of minutes. But Booker was aggressive last night, picking and poking and kind of working his way. And what did the team need? They didn't need him last night. They will, but last night was not one of those games. The others filled in perfectly. That's what you want to see from your team. And

that is the beauty of playoffs. Different guy, different night, different lineups, and that is why we love watching You know that exactly. You've covered him absolutely well. That was a great playoff catch up and preview. But now we have a little game to play, and Peter, this is gonna be a lot of fun. We were My dad has no idea what's going on? Let me just say so. Peter explained the rules well, and this this I'm looking at the instruct the instructions. Don't say there's nothing about this.

Are you talking about a game? I thought we're just gonna talk hoops here. No, no, Peter, you tell him, Peter, is this are you up to this? Peter? Was this your idea to do? To do this? Here? This is a little bit of a little bit of half and half of me and Olivia. Okay, so this started. I admittedly I am a big fan of yours, and you are known for a lot of fantastic quotes ran b A,

but across a couple of different sports as well. So what Olivia thought would be good and myself, I'm gonna name a quote, I'm gonna skip out the player or whatever it's directly pertaining to. Olivia is going to take the first stab at and see if she gets it, and then if she doesn't, we're gonna tish it off to you and see if you know it. So I have five NBA focused questions and then I have two that are kind of a little bit more off topic from NBA. But we'll go through each of them, okay,

and I'm going to give you a little preview. I do not know these as well as I should. And this goes back to when I'd be in school or something and my teachers would say, what games your dad have this weekend? Where's your dad? I would never know because my dad never brings work home. So we I don't know as much as I should, and I am already embarrassed I'm not going to know a lot of these calls, but they are legendary and people have brought

them to my attention, so I'll try my hardest. And I did crowdsource a couple of them with some colleagues too, so they're not totally out of the blue, but I think these will be fun. Okay, so the first one, when you're aerodynamically designed with that hair, do you can do those things? Oh God, no idea. I'm waving the white flag early dad. That was the birdman in Miami against Milwaukee in a playoff game, and he had the spiked tear and the heavily tadded arms, the sleeves, he

had it up through to the jaw line. He was painted all over and piercings. I mean like it was like everything, Like it was everything you can imagine. But the guy was an energizer. He was a rodman like player, and he was literally flying all over the place and waving his arms and trying to get the crowd. I mean like he was leaping and hanging and driving and scoring and rebounding and feeding and blocking. I mean like he's doing everything. And you know when a guy takes

over a game like that I kind of lose my mind. Unfortunately, it's a shock me still will continue to employ me because stuff like that just kind of comes out. But I love the game and I love players like that that are unique, and he was is unique, and on that particular Miami team, he was terrific and really filled a niche which you don't find a lot in the NBA. But that was the birdman for the Miami Heat. Am I right? Peter against Bill walk in a playoff game?

You are correct? I think that was it. You are correct. It's calls like that that as fans entergy. So I have a ton of friends that if they know you're calling the game, they'll all tune in. So it's you're watching in shanity at play? Is what you're watching? Is it? Here? We have a guy cracking up on the air. Let's let's watch here because we all want to see the car wreck right there? It is right there there, it is.

That's amazing, all right, Olivia number two here? So he goes players name and then we just saw a man fly ride him? Cowboy? What a play? I know, I've heard it. We just saw a man fly Is it Lebron? Nope? Give me a hint ten for Nuggets. We just oh man fly Denver. I don't know Big Carmelo, No, no, okay, what is it? Kevin Well? That was JR. Smith. I think it was like a mid season like, oh my god, let's get rid of the regular season, let's get to

the playoffs type of game. We were in Denver, and he took off in and around the free throw line and kind of about a note place exploding. No, he's kind of sneaky athletic. We think of him with threes,

and Jr. Is gifted, you know, certainly athletically. But he took it and it was a two handed dunc as Eric called Peter, and took it high and hard and came down and the bench, you know, you kind of get sometimes as a broadcast, you kind of watch the reaction of the bench because those guys see it seven they know the guy, know his game, nobody can do

or can't do. And when the bench exploded, that's usually a pretty good sign that maybe you should explode to and and I think it was against the Spurs, maybe it was it against Santa Antonio Spurs, and he came up with just kind of an iconic mid season February in Denver regular season dunk. I must have been bored. I'm sure I was bored. Okay, I'm over two. We gotta we gotta get this better for you. What's your

what's your third need? Redemption? Third one? This is a tough one, I think, but I'll give you hint after if you need it. Flight nine is cleared for landing, and the nine I'll give you the hint. The nine is referencing the player's number number. And another hint, i've already said his name in the last ten or fifteen minutes that you did. Just how good attention I'm paying Finals m v P is was the reference, Olivia. I would be disappointed as your father if you knew these.

I'm so glad you don't. This is the last thing you need to be worried about. This is stuff that pills your brain that should not be in your head. So I'm glad you don't know. Was it recent? No, I don't know. Tell me go ahead, Kevin, Well, Peter. Was it a playoff game? Am I right? Or was it just it? Was it just a game? No? I think it was. I think it was a playoff game against Chicago. Well, they could have been in Philly because

it probably got zipped up by the stands. That was Andrea Goodall, and and he had come in with another, you know, skywalking type of dunk that he would do from time to time. He did more of it as a young player with the Sixers that he's done it certainly as he's aged. But it came in with a pretty good dunk and White nine you're clear dre landing or whatever. I would ever. Oh, I think my living

room shook when that happened, right along the base. Well, I think we better wrap up with Peter, just since I know you do have a list in front of you. What would you say is your favorite of the calls? Okay, so the j R. Smith one is I think is iconic and me and my brother always talk about it. I'll give one last one, which is kind of one of the funny ones. And I need you to guess

a part of this. It's so ridiculous. She's embarrassed even repeating this is at a I think this is at an old Miss. I want to say, an old Miss game, college game. Wow, that's way back. So he goes, Kevin goes here, here goes baby name she's on top of those wonderful Oh look at her move, and she accelerates and takes it for the win. It's a baby going across the half court line, one of those little halftime shows, and the baby crosses the line to the other parents

and wins. What is the baby's name? And again it's it's so but it is iconic that everybody knows it. Dad, do you remember the baby's name? I do because it was during a commercial. It was not live on the air. It was during a commercial, well was it? And we were just again it was probably a blowout, and we're

trying to amuse ourselves. And I think I was working with Bill Raftery and they had this baby crawling contest at halftime and we were sitting there watching it and the crowd was into it, and we started calling the play by play of it. I will tell you, I'll give you a hand, Olivia, the baby's name was one of your sister's names. Have a gil Yeah, and why I do not know. Well, that's a good place to have. That's a funny one and one i've never heard before.

I've never heard that story. So that's that's really good. Peter, great research, yeah, we might have to have because I had a couple of funny ones. I would love to do a part two. I would love to have my dad back on here because having the two of you, Peter, You're a rational I can tell right now. Peter's a national And I'm gonna have a leary next time I come out with you, if there is next time. Thank you so much, Thank you both for joining me today.

I really enjoyed that segment a lot of fun. Thanks guys, Well, that was a lot of fun. Thanks so much everyone for listening, and remember for all future episodes, just listen wherever you find podcasts, rate and review, and make sure you stick around with us because we're having a lot of fun, have a lot of cool guests coming up. So Dad, if anyone wanted to keep up with bet MGM content, where would they go? Well, first of all, don't follow me. Follow at MGM. That's what I do.

You got it. Thanks so much for listening to everyone, See you next week.