Jeff Goodman on EXCLUSIVE Jayson Tatum Interview + NBA Storylines | Bob Ryan & Jeff Goodman Podcast - video Dailymotion

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In the latest episode of the Bob Ryan and Jeff Goodman Podcast, Jeff Goodman returns to discuss his exclusive interview with Jayson Tatum and all of the details, from referees to championship aspirations to fatherhood. The guys also look ahead at the upcoming season and all of the questions and storylines around the NBA!  0:00 Teaser 0:51 Intro 2:36 Jeff Goodman on his exclusive interview with Jayson Tatum on The Messenger 6:21 Jayson Tatum understands what it takes to end up on Celtics Mount Rushmore 7:39 Tatum on Marcus Smart departure and how much Celtics will miss him 11:29 FanDuel Sportsbook 12:13 Jayson Tatum cont'd 13:01 Bob shares Larry Bird story 15:02 Jayson Tatum is showing maturity and understanding on what's needed of him 16:09 Tatum on referees 18:10 NBA storylines heading into next season 23:39 OddsR 24:52 What's going to happen with Team USA Basketball ahead of Paris Olympics? 29:48 Did fans want Jayson Tatum to play in the FIBA World Cup and risk fatigue? 33:39 Daniel Theis had GREAT World Cup 35:55 Outro  This episode of the Bob Ryan & Jeff Goodman Podcast with Gary Tanguay is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNS Media Network. NEW customers can bet $5 and get $200 in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED. Plus, all customers who bet $5 will get $100 OFF NFL SUNDAY TICKET from YouTube and YouTube TV. Now is the best time to join FanDuel! The app is easy to use and you can be on everything from spreads to player props and more! So, visit https://FanDuel.com/BOSTON and kick off the NFL season with an offer you won’t wanna miss.  21+ and present in MA. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at fanduel.com/sportsbook. Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMa.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support. Play it smart from the start! GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234. NFL Sunday Ticket Offer ends 9/18/23. No refunds. Terms and embargoes apply. $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket, not YouTube TV. YouTube TV base plan required to watch YouTube TV. Redemption requires a Google account and current form of payment. Commercial Use Excluded. Subscription renews; cancel anytime.  DDS-R! Ever wished you could navigate the betting field with the confidence of a pro? Enter OddsR. They're not a sportsbook, but they're the sports betting advisor you've always needed. It's like having a playbook for smarter bets right in your pocket. I've been absolutely loving the experience, and I think you will too. Especially since Pats Interference listeners get a 30-day free trial! Elevate your game day and join the smart betting revolution! Go get it at https://oddsr.com/bobjeff

Transcript

00:00 He understands that if LeBron and KD are getting criticized,

00:05 he's okay.

00:06 He gets that he's open and should be open to criticism

00:10 because of what he hasn't been able to accomplish

00:15 these last few years.

00:16 But he also put it in perspective and said,

00:18 "Listen, what we've done, me and Jalen Brown together,

00:22 I'm 25 years old,

00:24 and we've been in the playoffs every year.

00:27 We've been to the NBA finals.

00:28 We've been to the Eastern Conference finals multiple times."

00:31 I think there's some pride to be taken from that.

00:36 And we talked about a wide range.

00:39 I almost hit him on too many topics, guys.

00:42 I had too many things I wanted to talk to him.

00:44 And then you get off the phone after an hour

00:47 and you're like, "Man, I wish I'd gone deeper on this."

00:51 - The Ryan Goodman and Tanguy podcast

00:53 is brought to you by FanDuel,

00:55 the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNX Media Network.

01:00 - Well, the band is back together.

01:01 It is the Bob Ryan and Jeff Goodman,

01:03 Tanguy Along for the ride, Zoom and Pod.

01:05 Thanks for joining us, everybody.

01:06 As always, we're brought to you by FanDuel.

01:10 The NFL season is underway,

01:12 bringing us incredible offers from FanDuel,

01:14 America's number one sports book.

01:16 Right now, new customers can bet $5

01:18 and get 200 in bonus bets, guaranteed.

01:21 That is FanDuel, America's number one sports book.

01:25 Jeff Goodman coming to us

01:26 from a hotel in Bloomington, Indiana.

01:28 Looks like he's being held hostage somewhere.

01:32 - It's a beautiful hotel.

01:33 The Graduate, it's on campus.

01:36 It's the best of the hotels here.

01:38 It's actually, you can't get the full right now experience,

01:42 but there's an Indiana 52 state champs banner

01:46 in here for high school.

01:47 I mean, it's a cute little spot.

01:50 They could probably do away with the drapes

01:52 and maybe swap those out, but the location is awesome.

01:57 - You know, by the way, in my next life, guys,

02:00 I want to design bathrooms for, and rooms.

02:05 I want to design rooms for hotels because-

02:08 - You've been in enough of them.

02:10 - I've been in enough of them,

02:11 and it amazes me some of the stupid layouts that they have.

02:15 We'll get into that some other day.

02:17 - Oh my God, Bob, where was that topic in like July?

02:20 I mean, we could have done a whole topic.

02:22 (laughing)

02:23 - That's right.

02:23 - Oh my God, save that for next year.

02:25 - All right, and nothing will change, Gary,

02:28 so I'm sure it'll be viable next year as well.

02:30 - I'm telling you, Ryan can talk Sinatra,

02:34 NBA, and hotel rooms.

02:36 All right, Jeff, you've had a couple of weeks off,

02:39 so let's put you to work.

02:40 You've got an article coming out.

02:41 First, tell people where they can get it.

02:42 It's on Jason Tatum, you spent some time with him.

02:45 And we're going to get into the meat of the article

02:47 and some of the things he said,

02:48 but where can they find it,

02:50 and how do you find him right now?

02:52 - So it came out last week on the Messenger, new website.

02:57 Well, it started up, the website started up

03:00 a few months ago,

03:01 but they just added a sports component to it.

03:04 It's been news, politics, entertainment.

03:07 Entertainment guy named Jimmy Finkelstein owns it,

03:11 started it up, and it's designed to be more of a news,

03:15 like down the middle type old school website.

03:20 - Oh, okay.

03:20 - Yeah, no paywall, no paywall.

03:24 And Seth Davis and I were both hired to cover basketball.

03:28 So I'm excited to write again,

03:31 'cause I haven't written a whole lot over the last boy.

03:34 I mean, when I was hired at ESPN,

03:36 I thought I was being hired as a writer,

03:38 and I was behind the paywall, I wasn't told that.

03:40 And then I became kind of a TV person.

03:42 Now I'd like to write again.

03:45 I'll still do some other stuff, obviously TV, video,

03:49 those things, but my first story was about Jason Tatum.

03:53 And I talked to him for about an hour.

03:55 He's out in LA training right now.

03:58 And I thought it was interesting,

04:02 his maturity over the years.

04:06 I mean, he's never gonna say anything flammable, guys.

04:08 That's not Jason Tatum, right?

04:09 He's too smart.

04:11 But a couple of things that really struck me

04:14 were him talking about the fact that he understands

04:18 that if LeBron and KD are getting criticized, he's okay.

04:23 He gets that he's open and should be open to criticism

04:28 because of what he hasn't been able to accomplish

04:33 these last few years.

04:34 But he also put it in perspective and said,

04:35 "Listen, what we've done, me and Jalen Brown together,

04:40 "I'm 25 years old,

04:41 "and we've been in the playoffs every year.

04:44 "We've been to the NBA finals.

04:46 "We've been to the Eastern Conference finals

04:47 "multiple times."

04:48 I think there's some pride to be taken from that.

04:53 And we talked about a wide range.

04:57 I almost hit him on too many topics, guys.

05:00 I had too many things I wanted to talk to him.

05:02 And then you get off the phone after an hour,

05:04 and you're like, "Man, I wish I'd gone deeper on this."

05:08 But we talked about everything from fatherhood.

05:11 And one of the things that didn't make this story was,

05:14 I don't know if you guys remember,

05:15 during the pandemic, he told me on this pod,

05:18 before it was this pod,

05:20 was that he was embarrassed

05:23 to tell this Celtics organization

05:25 that he was gonna have a kid.

05:27 And now he said, "I can't believe I'm the guy

05:30 "who's got such a public relationship

05:32 "with my son out there.

05:34 "I never thought I'd be that guy."

05:35 But he's grown up.

05:37 He said, "It was almost like,

05:38 "I can't believe I was embarrassed back then."

05:41 But I was young.

05:41 I was, you know, he was 19, 20 years old.

05:44 - Yeah, no, he's right.

05:46 It's very rare that a father has that kind

05:49 of public relationship with a kid at that age.

05:51 It's extraordinary.

05:52 And no, this is good.

05:55 I think this is gonna have a lot of resonance

05:57 with him speaking, and it's really good.

06:00 I know he's, we know he's intelligent,

06:04 and there's a burden, you know?

06:08 I mean, people expect, he has such a range of skill,

06:12 and people expect a lot.

06:13 And this is good.

06:15 So I'm happy to, this is a good story for you.

06:18 I'm happy to know this out there.

06:21 It's good.

06:22 - And he understands, guys, that like, okay,

06:26 in order to be on that Celtics, Mount Rushmore,

06:29 with, you know, right now, I mean, obviously,

06:32 you know it's, I mean, we'll get it from Bob,

06:35 but obviously, Russell and Bird are the guarantees, right?

06:38 And Havlicek to me-

06:39 - And then Kuzi, that's the Rushmore.

06:41 - Kuzi goes-

06:42 - And then the arguments, then the fun arguments start.

06:46 There's no arguments about the first four,

06:48 and people will say, well, Kuzi's historical relevance

06:51 is so important to the history of the franchise

06:53 and the league that, you know,

06:55 there's no way you're dislodging him.

06:56 I don't care if he never shot 40% on the floor,

06:58 but yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

06:59 had nothing to do with anything.

07:00 Okay, now we go, and he has already entered himself.

07:05 He's gonna be in that discussion.

07:07 If he continues to play at this level,

07:09 he will join the four or five guys

07:12 that are in discussion for number five,

07:14 and, you know, who include, you know, Pierce.

07:19 - Pierce, yeah.

07:20 - McCann.

07:21 - I think I'll pass Pierce, but-

07:22 - Cowens, Sam Jones, right now that's the next four.

07:25 - He understands, he said, like, if I don't win one,

07:27 I know I can't be in the discussion.

07:29 - No, you're right, that's the measuring stick.

07:32 That's the measuring stick that you have to have

07:36 as a credential to get into discussion, yes.

07:39 - True.

07:40 - You know, one of the things I talked to him about too

07:41 was with Marcus Smart being gone.

07:44 They lose that kind of, you know, outward intensity, right?

07:49 Like all those other guys we've talked about

07:51 are kind of a nauseam here, you know,

07:53 they're all cool, right?

07:54 They don't say a whole lot.

07:55 Jalen Brown, Malcolm Brogdon, Derek White,

07:58 they're not wearing their emotions on their sleeve

08:00 like Marcus Smart was.

08:01 Was he a great leader?

08:02 Well, I think on some days he was,

08:04 and on some days he probably wasn't a very good leader.

08:07 But I said, you know,

08:08 how much are you gonna miss Marcus Smart

08:10 and his energy, his intensity, his passion outwardly?

08:15 And he said, we're gonna miss Marcus Smart as a player.

08:18 I'm not worried about that part of it.

08:22 I think we'll be fine.

08:23 He said, I'm never gonna be Kevin Garnett,

08:25 but what people don't see of me is in practice, in film.

08:30 I will speak up.

08:32 And when I do speak, I think it resonates

08:35 because he's not a guy who just talks

08:38 for the sake of talking.

08:39 So I think he's growing into that leadership role,

08:42 but he's not gonna change who he is.

08:45 That's just, that's not him.

08:47 - Now, you gotta be true to your personality.

08:49 You can't be a phony.

08:50 And there's a difference.

08:50 Now, I was thinking as you were speaking earlier

08:52 that the difference between what we're talking,

08:54 maturing and, you know,

08:58 maturing and, but while still remaining true

09:01 to your personality, you can't force it and you shouldn't.

09:05 So, you know, it's like a coach knows that.

09:08 So that's good.

09:09 Now, these are all things we are very happy to hear,

09:11 I must say, you know.

09:13 - But, but, there's a but.

09:15 - All right.

09:18 - But there's a but.

09:19 He is definitely matured.

09:22 He understands this.

09:23 And I think all of us know the rah-rah stuff is overrated.

09:27 You know, I've always felt, it depends on the team.

09:30 I mean, you can look at different spots

09:33 and different teams and you have,

09:34 it's really what happens on the floor.

09:36 And, you know, I don't think Marcus is gonna be missed

09:40 in the locker room, like he said.

09:42 I think it's on the floor when he was doing the right things

09:44 and when he wasn't overextending himself.

09:47 But this is the question, Jeff, I will always have.

09:49 And in your article, he says all the right things.

09:51 You know, he takes responsibility, you know,

09:54 how they didn't get it done against Miami.

09:56 And he also had the injury in the year before.

10:00 But does he have that burning desire inside to be the best?

10:04 He can say it.

10:05 Now, Bob covered Larry.

10:08 You know, I covered Parcells where he said

10:10 he used to throw up in his mouth after a bad game.

10:12 Brady, who we saw over the weekend in Foxborough,

10:16 is the worst loser of all time.

10:18 Does Tatum stay up at night?

10:22 You know, does he have that intensity

10:27 to get to the next level?

10:29 I don't know.

10:30 I don't know yet.

10:31 - I don't know that either.

10:34 I don't know how he reacts to those losses

10:37 if it's behind closed doors.

10:39 You know, and he's miserable.

10:41 Obviously, we don't see it on his face

10:44 like some people want it, right?

10:45 Some people wanna, when you lose,

10:47 they wanna see you throwing shit, right?

10:50 They wanna see you crying after a loss in the NBA Finals.

10:55 That's not Jason Tatum.

10:58 What I will say is the dude's a worker.

11:02 Like, he is a worker.

11:04 He's not a partier.

11:06 - Right.

11:08 - Like, that's one thing you can say about Jason Tatum.

11:10 He's not going out there partying

11:12 until one, two in the morning

11:14 and bouncing back and playing.

11:15 That's not him.

11:16 Now, can he go out and have a good time occasionally?

11:19 Yeah, that's just, that's not him.

11:21 So his loves are, right now, basketball

11:26 and probably his family.

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12:08 - That's it.

12:13 - Well, if he's a gym rat, that's a good thing

12:14 because it's not--

12:15 - He likes golf.

12:16 - I mean, and he, what's that?

12:18 - He likes golf now.

12:19 - Poor guy.

12:20 But, you know, being a gym rat is the key

12:23 because if you look at what Michael did

12:24 with his combination of weights,

12:26 I mean, weightlifting even on game day

12:28 and his workouts and sweat, you know, Bird too.

12:31 I mean, Bob and I were both there at media day

12:33 when Bird showed up skinny, you know?

12:36 I mean, so that's the thing is, you know, I also,

12:41 Jalen Brown's another topic for another time.

12:43 Jalen Brown has to get better

12:44 on some things in the off season.

12:45 So I think it's a sign, Bob,

12:48 that Tatum has matured as a person

12:50 for him to speak so openly.

12:52 Now we have to see it on the floor.

12:54 You know what I mean?

12:55 - As we're talking, I'm thinking about Bird

12:57 and people, you know, have this various images of him.

13:01 There's only one time I remember during the career

13:03 when he was overtly, externally angry about losing

13:08 and said so and wanted to do something about it

13:11 that he articulated.

13:13 And that was in '83 after they were swept by the Bucs.

13:16 And it was, you know, now he,

13:19 one of the reasons they were swept, he was sick.

13:20 He missed a whole game in that series.

13:22 But he was, you know, they got swept by the Bucs.

13:25 It was humiliating, let's face it.

13:26 And this is the gospel too.

13:30 Three of us, there's two media people left talking to him

13:34 after, when everybody else is gone.

13:36 And it was me, 'cause I was in my TV era.

13:38 I didn't have to go write a story

13:40 that I wasn't going to, we had a deadline.

13:42 That's when I was at Channel 5.

13:44 And Glenn Ordway, who was the color man.

13:47 And it's a three, and he's telling us that he is angry.

13:50 He's mad.

13:51 He's gonna go home.

13:52 He said, "I'm gonna go home.

13:53 I'm gonna work.

13:54 I'm gonna come back.

13:55 I'm gonna be better.

13:56 We're coming back."

13:57 And that's the only time I ever heard him speak

13:59 that directly in that way.

14:01 You know, otherwise everything else was by action.

14:03 You know, the frame.

14:06 But that one time, well, guess what happened, guys?

14:08 Do the math, '84, they came back and won.

14:12 And Larry was the MVP in the finals.

14:13 He was the MVP in the league.

14:14 He was the MVP in the finals.

14:16 And, you know, it was, he did it, you know.

14:20 That, but that's the one time.

14:22 The rest of his career, you know,

14:24 he was not like Garnett, and he didn't, you know.

14:27 - Oh, right. - He wasn't.

14:29 Now, if we backtrack, I'm thinking about the,

14:30 there have been three just, you know, in my time,

14:33 there've been four overall distinct Celtic-winning eras,

14:35 starting with the Russell era.

14:37 But the next one is the '70s.

14:40 And there wasn't anybody quite like that.

14:41 Cowens was intense, you know, in his way, we all know.

14:45 But it wasn't Garnett-like crazy.

14:47 It was a different kind of crazy.

14:48 - Who is Garnett-like?

14:50 I mean, who, I mean, right. - Nobody.

14:53 - There's intensity, and then there's Garnett.

14:54 I mean, it's, there was nothing like Garnett.

14:56 - Yeah, yeah. - And, you know.

14:58 So, I mean, anyway.

14:59 Well, but still, I think we all agree,

15:02 it's very heartening to hear some of this stuff.

15:04 We need to see the proof in the old pudding.

15:06 - Right. - And that's fine.

15:08 But at least he recognizes, he understands a lot of things.

15:12 - Well, I mean, yeah.

15:12 And, I mean, Jeff has also, you know,

15:15 Jeff has known him for a long time,

15:17 as he has with a lot of NBA players,

15:18 because of the work he puts in.

15:21 You know, but, you know, he says in the article

15:23 that basically he accepts the responsibility.

15:26 I mean, he understands the criticism.

15:29 You know, he gets it.

15:31 But Jeff, you know, he understands it.

15:33 He accepts, like you said, you know,

15:35 the big guys get the boot. - Accept the battle.

15:37 - And that is-- - Some of these players are,

15:38 some of these players are like immune to reality.

15:43 They really are.

15:44 Some of them are immune to reality.

15:45 And, you know, one of the other topics we touched on

15:49 that I didn't get in the story was referees.

15:53 - Oh, okay. - Yeah.

15:55 Well, I said to him, I said,

15:55 "Listen, like, what else fires you up?"

16:00 'Cause I said, "You're like this.

16:04 "You're like this,

16:05 "for everything else I've ever seen you,

16:07 "other than the referees."

16:09 And he said, he's like, "Yeah, that's it."

16:10 He goes, "What I've come to realize is

16:14 "how difficult the job the refs have."

16:17 I don't think he got that when he first got in the league.

16:19 He said, "I know we have the best refs in the world.

16:21 "I watched a lot of college and high school."

16:23 And I think that puts it in perspective for him too,

16:25 how bad college refs are, how bad high school refs are.

16:29 And he said, he goes, "I get now that like,"

16:33 and I didn't even think of this 'til he said it.

16:34 He goes, "Whatever call they make, somebody hates it.

16:38 "Somebody's yelling at them, right?

16:40 "Whatever call they make, it could be 100% right.

16:43 "It doesn't matter.

16:44 "Somebody is yelling at those dudes."

16:47 So I think he's just more aware.

16:49 He started to try to learn all the refs' names,

16:52 things of that nature.

16:53 Again, it's all maturity, guys.

16:56 It's all growing up.

16:57 He said, "When I came into the league,"

17:00 'cause I was talking to him about how he avoided contact

17:04 when he came in the league.

17:05 And he was like, "Yeah, I was 200 pounds.

17:07 "I was 19 years old."

17:08 Now he looks like a grown man.

17:11 I mean, again, 220, or he said he's like 217 now.

17:16 But he embraces the contact now.

17:18 - Well, that's when I wanna see him prove it to us.

17:25 And I wanna see him running back on defense

17:28 after the bad call.

17:29 I don't wanna see him lingering

17:31 and yelling at the ref anymore.

17:32 Had enough of that.

17:33 That's important.

17:34 I'm glad you brought that up.

17:35 That's very important.

17:36 - That upsets people.

17:38 I think when you talk to self-experience about Jason Tatum,

17:41 that's up there at the top of their criticism.

17:45 - And legitimate.

17:46 That's a very legitimate criticism.

17:48 - And it also seems to be against character.

17:51 - Well, Jeff just explained it.

17:53 He admits that it's not a character.

17:55 I mean, yeah, Jeff just explained that.

17:57 Yeah, it's fascinating, but you're right.

18:00 You wouldn't expect him to be that guy.

18:02 You wouldn't expect him to be that guy.

18:03 You would have expected Smart to be that guy.

18:05 You might even expect Brown to be that guy,

18:07 but you didn't expect him to be that guy.

18:08 - Right.

18:10 Okay, guys, moving on.

18:12 The NBA is a little over a month away.

18:16 I think everybody wants it to start now.

18:18 And there's a number of storylines heading into this season,

18:23 whether it's the new look in Phoenix

18:25 and the Lakers come back,

18:26 Denver gonna repeat, Paul the Golden State,

18:30 of course, the Celtics with their new roster.

18:33 Bob, what is the storyline that you're looking for?

18:36 - Well, obviously with the Celtics over here,

18:38 we all, you know, we understand.

18:42 That's gonna be an ongoing-

18:44 - You know what non-Celtic storyline, Gary.

18:45 You got-

18:46 - That's gonna be an ongoing discussion

18:48 and it'll keep us going, don't worry.

18:51 Okay, me personally,

18:53 I wanna see if the Warriors have anything left in the tank.

18:57 I wanna see exactly what's left.

18:59 And that's the one for me.

19:02 And so this is where Paul comes in, you know,

19:06 Chris Paul comes in.

19:07 So that's my personal number one.

19:10 And it's always a fascination with the Lakers

19:12 'cause we keep, you know, we're all fascinated

19:15 always with the Lakers,

19:16 particularly as long as LeBron's there.

19:17 And they've done some peripheral things

19:20 starting last year when they tried to address

19:22 their shooting situation, which they did to a degree.

19:25 And, you know, that might be interesting.

19:28 But for me, it's the Warriors.

19:30 And what, if any, is the last gasp.

19:33 And you address the last gasp by getting even older,

19:38 which is what they-

19:39 - Right, right, right, right.

19:39 - That's a very, you know,

19:40 it's not like they got in young blood with this guy.

19:44 So it'll be interesting.

19:46 That's mine, that's mine.

19:47 - Mine is, all right,

19:51 imagine arguably the best coach in the NBA

19:54 with maybe two of the toughest dudes in the NBA.

20:00 And that could happen if Damian Lillard ends up in Miami

20:04 with Spoh having Jimmy Butler and Damian Lillard

20:08 and bam out of bio is your number three guy,

20:10 which honestly is what he should be offensively.

20:13 If that happens, I'm just intrigued

20:17 with this whole Lillard thing

20:18 and how it's gonna be resolved, number one.

20:21 I mean, there are, but we can go through the storylines.

20:23 I mean, I can't wait to see Victor Wembenyama

20:26 like night in and night out, what he can do.

20:29 But that's an early storyline.

20:30 That to me is like, it's gonna be early

20:33 and we know San Antonio is gonna stink.

20:35 And then we'll kind of, okay, we'll watch him,

20:38 but that won't sustain itself from a standpoint

20:42 of like Bob's talking, playoff.

20:43 - It's funny 'cause they are,

20:45 we're a team with their record.

20:47 They're gonna be a must watch team for most of us

20:50 or many of us.

20:51 - Absolutely.

20:52 - They're gonna be a must watch team, absolutely.

20:54 Another team that I liked last year

20:57 and I wanna see if they could continue their progress.

21:00 And there's no guarantee 'cause I know historically

21:02 it doesn't work out that way often, Sacramento.

21:06 How good is Sacramento?

21:07 They looked like they could be really a force.

21:10 - John Moran in Memphis, what happens there?

21:14 I mean, that's fascinating now to watch.

21:16 - There's quite a few of these.

21:17 You notice it's all in the West except for Madison.

21:23 - Zion, can he stay healthy?

21:25 I mean, yeah.

21:26 - I don't even, to me, that's not even a question.

21:30 - Because he can't.

21:31 - I'll be very, very surprised if he has a career.

21:35 - I've said this from, remember,

21:37 like when he was coming out of Duke,

21:39 we were talking about this and I'm like,

21:41 he's like the anti-Chet Holmgren in a lot of ways, right?

21:45 We talked about both those guys

21:46 and I don't know if either one will stay really healthy

21:50 throughout their careers.

21:51 And that's the hard part 'cause they're gonna,

21:53 tease is probably the wrong word.

21:55 They're gonna show you what they're capable of doing

21:58 when they're healthy and absolutely, absolutely.

22:02 - I think you can use that word.

22:06 I'll sanction the use of that word, tease,

22:08 'cause we see the glimpses and you get excited

22:11 and then next thing you know,

22:12 he's on the 30-day list.

22:15 I know.

22:17 - I would like to see LeBron grab one more ring.

22:20 I never thought I would be sentimental with LeBron,

22:25 but I would like to see him 'cause he's kinda,

22:28 I'm not gonna say he's faded, but there's a lot of-

22:32 What's that?

22:33 - He's not the same.

22:34 I mean, he can look the same for a play here or there,

22:38 but he's not the same in terms-

22:39 I mean, he's still crazy.

22:41 - But his star, I think is faded

22:44 because look at all the other things we've talked about.

22:47 I mean, we really haven't mentioned his name.

22:49 And maybe he's had his run, Bob.

22:52 - Over half his life has been spent in the NBA.

22:54 This man has logged a lot of miles

22:56 and he's still in phenomenal condition.

22:59 It's just to be as good as he is,

23:01 and we agree he's not what he was three, four years ago,

23:04 it's still remarkable.

23:05 And no, but I think he don't ever underplay that aspect

23:10 of what he's doing and how he's gotten

23:12 and kept himself ready.

23:13 - I'm rooting for the old man, but Durant's old too.

23:17 They're all old, my God.

23:19 Okay, let's move on.

23:21 You guys have some comments on what's gonna happen

23:23 with the Olympics coming up in Paris.

23:25 Bob talked about it last week, Jeff,

23:27 when he talked about the US national team,

23:29 the embarrassment with what's going on.

23:32 We'll let people get caught up with your thoughts

23:34 on what happened,

23:35 and then we'll look ahead to the Olympic team.

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24:50 - Me, me first?

24:53 - Yeah, yeah, we'll start with you, sorry Jeff.

24:54 - Yeah, I mean, it was just, listen,

24:57 Gilbert Arenas, former NBA player

25:01 who's very outspoken and funny,

25:03 sometimes he can be a little off in his takes,

25:06 but he said, "We sent our F team."

25:09 You know, I don't know if they were the F team,

25:14 but what I will say is if Anthony Edwards

25:17 is your best player at this age, and he's talented,

25:21 he might be one of the 10 most talented players in the NBA,

25:25 but he can't be your best player right now.

25:26 And as much as we both love Jalen Brunson,

25:31 and I think we're both card carrying members

25:33 of the Jalen Brunson Fan Club,

25:35 again, those aren't, they're tier B or tier C

25:40 stars right now in the NBA.

25:43 That's just the reality of it.

25:44 And we gotta find a way, my bigger concern here,

25:49 and Bob, I don't know how you feel about this,

25:52 but has some of the shine wore off on Team USA,

25:57 because give Coach K credit,

26:00 what he and Jerry Colangelo were able to do

26:04 to get those stars to where they wanted to play

26:08 for Team USA and took pride in it and look forward to it,

26:13 I think some of that has kind of eroded

26:17 to where now, again, in an Olympic year,

26:19 yeah, hopefully they'll play again,

26:20 but they don't wanna play in the off season now

26:23 because they're playing deep enough in the playoffs,

26:27 a lot of them, and they want an off season.

26:29 And I don't blame them.

26:31 - The World Championship doesn't get their pulse racing

26:34 the way the rest of the world, it does,

26:36 the rest of the world, everybody.

26:38 And we understand that.

26:40 And we're gonna have a different,

26:43 now, first of all, lost in this shuffle here

26:46 was the fact that we accomplished our primary goal,

26:48 which is to qualify for the Olympics.

26:50 And we did it in the World Cup.

26:52 And we did it in the World Cup.

26:54 And we did it in the World Cup.

26:55 And we did it in the World Cup.

26:56 And we did it in the World Cup.

26:58 And we did it in the World Cup.

26:59 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:00 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:02 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:03 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:04 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:06 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:07 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:08 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:10 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:11 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:12 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:14 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:15 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:16 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:18 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:19 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:20 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:22 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:23 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:25 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:26 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:27 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:29 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:30 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:32 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:33 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:34 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:36 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:37 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:39 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:40 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:42 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:43 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:44 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:46 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:47 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:48 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:50 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:51 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:53 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:54 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:55 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:57 And we did it in the World Cup.

27:58 And we did it in the World Cup.

28:00 And we did it in the World Cup.

28:01 And we did it in the World Cup.

28:02 And we did it in the World Cup.

28:04 And we did it in the World Cup.

28:05 And we did it in the World Cup.

28:07 And we did it in the World Cup.

28:08 And we did it in the World Cup.

28:09 And we did it in the World Cup.

28:11 And we did it in the World Cup.

28:12 And we did it in the World Cup.

28:14 Big man.

28:15 You know how I feel about the fact

28:17 that I like to see a big man be a big man.

28:21 And we're not-- and just consider

28:23 who the great player--

28:25 now we have one option.

28:27 He better-- we're going to have to--

28:29 please, Joel, who's now a citizen.

28:32 We need Joel Embiid badly.

28:35 I mean, badly.

28:36 And if we don't get him, tell me who's

28:38 the American-born big man that's going to rectify

28:41 this issue for next year.

28:43 Here's the one thing I'll say is,

28:45 if you surround Walker, Kessler, or Jaron Jackson Jr.

28:50 with guys named LeBron and KD and Tatum,

28:55 we'll be just fine.

28:56 We'll be just fine.

28:57 Will they play Jeff?

28:58 Because I don't think they'll be doing much anyway.

29:00 I think they'll play.

29:01 I do.

29:02 Like Bob said, this doesn't move the needle for them.

29:06 They're not-- in the world of, again,

29:12 of these guys sitting out games during the regular season

29:15 now to protect their bodies, they're

29:17 not going to go out there all summer for something

29:20 that they're going to risk getting hurt or worn down

29:24 unless it's got the Olympics on it.

29:27 They're not.

29:28 Yeah, right.

29:29 No, not in America.

29:30 No.

29:30 I'm fine with that.

29:31 I'm actually-- honestly, I'm fine.

29:34 Because as much as it's important to play

29:38 for your country, they've done that, most of these guys.

29:41 These superstars have already done that before.

29:43 LeBron has paid his dues many times.

29:45 So do you want Jason Tatum--

29:48 here's my question to you, Gary.

29:49 I'll say it right now.

29:50 Do you want Jason Tatum playing for a month in the World Cup

29:55 and then coming in and playing 82 games

29:59 and then going to the NBA finals and wearing down in the playoffs?

30:02 Of course not.

30:03 But Jeff, I'll take it a step further.

30:05 I think that there are some fans that

30:07 understand if they don't play in the Olympics.

30:09 Because I believe that--

30:10 And that-- would you prefer--

30:12 Jason Tatum will have a decision to make next year.

30:15 He obviously can be in the Olympic team

30:17 and will be arguably the best player on the Olympic team

30:20 for the US.

30:21 Because--

30:21 If Jason Tatum came out and said,

30:23 I want to save myself for the South

30:25 to make a championship run and didn't play in the Olympics,

30:27 I would understand that.

30:29 Would you prefer it?

30:31 Yeah.

30:32 I just think that--

30:33 I don't want to seem unpatriotic.

30:35 But I just don't think that--

30:39 The Olympics at one point-- and Bob, we talked about this--

30:42 was us against them.

30:44 I mean, it was--

30:45 the world is like one place now.

30:47 These guys all play together.

30:49 There's really no good guy, no bad guy.

30:51 You know, like when in '80, we took

30:52 on the Russians in the hockey.

30:54 So if an NBA player says, I'm not

30:58 going to play in the Olympics because I want to save my body

31:01 for my job, I understand it.

31:02 I would rather--

31:04 of course I want to see the US play.

31:06 I mean, I want to see Durant.

31:08 And I want to see Paul.

31:09 I want to see these guys play together as a basketball fan.

31:12 Sure.

31:13 And I want to see America win a gold medal.

31:15 But it's a different time.

31:16 I mean, I get it.

31:18 I mean, I understand it.

31:20 Like, I'm not angry.

31:21 Like, if Kevin Durant comes out and says, look, man,

31:24 I'm 36, 37, whatever now, you know,

31:26 and I'm not going to play in the Olympics

31:28 because I want to save my body for the Suns,

31:30 I'll be disappointed because I would rather

31:32 see him play for the Olympics.

31:33 But I understand it.

31:35 Like, I'm not going to be mad about it.

31:38 You know, basketball, this is our national--

31:42 of course, it was invented by a Canadian.

31:44 It just so happened.

31:44 But Dr. Nesmith was a Canadian who was in Springfield in 1892.

31:49 But we own this game.

31:52 We feel we own this game.

31:53 We feel proprietary toward this game.

31:55 And that's-- but I don't think it's--

31:59 as we've been alluding to, that the globalization of basketball

32:03 where now every year there are over 100 international players

32:06 on NBA rosters, that shows how the game is spread.

32:09 It's the number two game worldwide.

32:10 So it's no longer as logical as it once was

32:14 that we should dominate, you know,

32:15 that we have to keep dominating.

32:17 And just remember, the last three MVPs

32:20 are from Cameroon, Serbia, and Greece.

32:29 So that's where we are.

32:31 That's where we're coming.

32:32 And to which, as all credit goes to the Dream Team

32:35 for creating this climate that--

32:37 No question.

32:37 --30 years later, that's another topic which we'll never say.

32:40 But that's exactly it.

32:41 I mean, Tim, how do you feel about--

32:43 It's a great question you pose about Tatum.

32:45 And I know I want him to play.

32:47 But I'm not as fiercely, you know,

32:52 proprietary about our game as--

32:53 I understand that.

32:54 The thing is, though, you still have to ask yourself,

32:57 with the exception of Canada, is there any--

33:00 should there really be a country that

33:01 would have enough other good players that

33:03 could give our best a game?

33:05 You know, and--

33:06 You wouldn't think.

33:06 But again, if we don't send LeBron and KD--

33:10 No, we cannot.

33:11 We have to send an A team.

33:14 You know?

33:14 What we're saying right now is, if LeBron and KD don't play,

33:20 I'm sure Tatum looks at that as like,

33:22 well, why the hell am I going to play?

33:24 Well, that's a problem, too.

33:25 Right.

33:26 Why am I going to play?

33:27 I'm not going to go out there and they're going

33:30 to have a leg up on me.

33:31 You know?

33:32 Now, Tatum's obviously in his prime at 25.

33:35 They're not.

33:36 And Tatum would be the guy.

33:39 But I think, yeah, it's kind of a deal.

33:41 And this is how it was years ago,

33:43 when it was LeBron and Carmelo.

33:45 And you know, you got them, then everybody else kind of fell in.

33:49 Right.

33:49 And there's one little thing before we

33:51 close on this topic, is that-- did you take note

33:54 who the starting center for Germany,

33:56 the world champions, was?

33:58 No.

33:59 Who was it?

33:59 Daniel Tice.

34:00 Oh, right.

34:01 He dominated, too.

34:02 He had a great playoff, a great tournament.

34:04 Right.

34:05 Which I'm happy for.

34:06 But I mean--

34:08 So all right, let me get back to what we started with,

34:11 which is we had Jaron Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler.

34:14 At the end of the day, who's more talented, Bob?

34:19 Daniel Tice or Jaron Jackson Jr.?

34:22 Well, talented-- I mean, they're different games.

34:25 I mean, Jackson's--

34:26 Who would you rather have?

34:27 Who would you rather have?

34:29 Jackson.

34:29 Correct.

34:30 Correct.

34:31 So we could say it all we want, but as long as Jokic and Embiid

34:37 aren't playing against the US, who are the big men that

34:41 scare you?

34:42 I mean, honestly, you're not scared by Daniel Tice.

34:45 You should be able to handle him.

34:46 No, no.

34:47 I just find it amusing that for us,

34:49 there's a resonance here that wouldn't be for other cities.

34:51 And Daniel Tice has now got a gold medal, and it's good for him.

34:57 Well, Jeff, you're out there.

34:59 As we wrap it up, do you have a gut feeling?

35:02 Have you been able to check the temperature with the players

35:05 on who will go and who--

35:06 like, do you think--

35:07 I think Wynne Horst put out there

35:10 that it's likely LeBron and KD and Tatum or Shox

35:15 that they're going to play in the Olympics,

35:16 that that's the plan for these guys.

35:19 And again, it makes sense.

35:21 I mean, you got a core group.

35:25 And I think it does mean something to them.

35:28 And again, if LeBron plays, that's kind of the pied piper.

35:33 I mean, ultimately, if LeBron's playing and he calls you

35:38 and he says, hey, to Jason Tatum,

35:41 I really want you to play.

35:42 I'm going to play in the Olympics.

35:44 What are you going to say if you do?

35:45 Yeah, then he goes.

35:46 I get it.

35:46 Of course.

35:47 Yeah, it'd be great.

35:48 Yeah, there's no question.

35:49 I mean, it's just-- it's better if they do.

35:52 But as we've discussed, it's a different world.

35:55 Jeff, next week, maybe we'll see you--

35:59 I'll be home.

36:00 You'll be home.

36:00 I'll be home.

36:01 Sounds drapes.

36:03 Bob, always a pleasure, my friend.

36:05 You too.

36:06 Say hi to my peeps up in Maine.

36:08 I shall.

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Jeff Goodman on EXCLUSIVE Jayson Tatum Interview + NBA Storylines | Bob Ryan & Jeff Goodman Podcast

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