- 2 days ago
Golden State Warriors television voice Bob Fitzgerald joins Steiny & Guru to break down the 2025-26 season. Fitz dives into the Warriors' play-in matchup against the Clippers, the potential for Steve Kerr and Steph Curry to retire together, and why he thinks the online criticism of Brandin Podziemski is completely misguided. Plus, a look at the growth of Moses Moody and why the "Dub Nation" loyalty remains unparalleled.
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00:00All right. Hey, all guests on 95.7 The Game appear on the River Islands guest line.
00:04Isn't it time for you to discover the islands? River Islands and Lathrop.
00:08Let's welcome in television voice of the Golden State Warriors, Bob Fitzgerald.
00:12Bob, what's going on?
00:15Just your impressions on this season for the Golden State Warriors
00:19and then with an eye toward that game tomorrow.
00:22Well, I mean, as you guys know, it was two seasons.
00:25You know, the first half of the season, you're rolling.
00:28You look like you're a 50-win team.
00:31You look like you're going to be a team that no one would want to play in the playoffs.
00:34You're probably going to be a 5 or 6 seed, depending on, you know, what you did at the deadline.
00:40If you had a Porzingis, maybe it would have been even better.
00:43And then Jimmy Butler goes down, Steph goes down, Moody goes down, Al Horford goes down,
00:48and you kind of limp across the finish line.
00:50So, you know, now everything gets reset, and you've got to play in-game, you know, on Wednesday,
00:57and here you go.
00:59Unfortunately, you're playing a team that's beaten you 10 of the last 12 times down in L.A.,
01:03and you haven't won a game in L.A. since November 28th of 2021.
01:08So, big matchup.
01:10You still don't have Jimmy.
01:11You still don't have Moody.
01:12But you do have Steph back.
01:14And so, when he's out there, anything can kind of happen.
01:17No doubt, Fitz.
01:18You know we're family, so I don't want to get you in trouble, but I'm going to say it.
01:22And this viewing component to the NBA season, I believe, has been awful, and I'm a nerd.
01:28I'm into, you know, watching my games and where to watch.
01:31But the fact that you won't be in my living room tomorrow with Kalina for this game,
01:36I don't want to get you in trouble.
01:38Can you just speak to how weird that's going to be for you?
01:42Well, you know, I think a long time ago, I gave up worrying about things that you don't control.
01:49You know, I call the games.
01:52So, when they want me to call games, I call games.
01:55You know, when the league called me to do playoff games for TNT or ESPN Radio and stuff, I go
02:00do that.
02:01But this is, you know, this is a huge $11 billion a year NBA TV deal with NBC and Amazon
02:09and ESPN and ABC.
02:11And if you're going to pay, you know, $11 billion, you want post-seasons.
02:16And to be honest, you know, let's look at why the national networks want to do that.
02:22Because Warrior fans watch us.
02:25So, why do you want to pay for, you know, national games and then have NBC Sports Bay Area spank
02:32you in the ratings?
02:33Right, right.
02:34So, the quickest way to do that is eliminate all the team broadcasters from calling games.
02:39So, that's just business.
02:40I mean, that's nothing to be worried about.
02:42And it's nobody's fault.
02:43And, you know, more money for the league is good.
02:45And more exposure, you know, for the games and stuff is good.
02:49So, you know, I just, you can live your life worrying about lots of things that you can't control.
02:53Or you can just realize, hey, I'm going to do what I can control and do the best I can
02:57do it.
02:58And, you know, the winds have changed business-wise, happen all over the place all the time.
03:02I hear you.
03:03Bob Fitzgerald joining us on 95.7 The Game.
03:05Now, if you miss me, just call me and I'll just call on my cell from my house.
03:09You know, that's, see, that's, we need to bootleg that broadcast, you know.
03:13Is that where you'll be, Fitz?
03:13We're going to hang it out in a living room somewhere and live stream it.
03:16And, you know, totally get in trouble for copyright violations.
03:19That's what we need to do.
03:20Yeah.
03:20Cool.
03:21So, you'll be at the lab at home, huh?
03:22I'm thinking.
03:24Yeah, well, I'm not in L.A.
03:25I came back for Springsteen last night.
03:28So, I'm not back in the area.
03:32Hey, Bob, let me ask you this.
03:34You know, Steve Kerr and the organization's made it clear, you know, he's on the last year of his deal.
03:40But he's going to play this out and then they're going to figure it out.
03:44What do you think the factors are going to be that will determine whether Steve comes back or not?
03:50Well, it's a good question, Matt.
03:51I mean, the way I look at it is, and this is Bob Fitzgerald personally, and I've said this before.
03:57I think Steph, Steve, Draymond, everybody should ride off into the sunset at the same time.
04:04You know, this is one of the rare dynasties we've seen in the NBA.
04:08Steve, Steph, Draymond have been such key parts of it.
04:11It hurts my heart that Klay is not here, but those guys should all have statues and they should all
04:16ride off into the sunset together.
04:18That's me, my own personal wish.
04:21Now, the business side of things is Steve is still an elite coach, maybe the elite coach in the league.
04:28You saw that in the Paris Olympics.
04:29You see what he does year to year.
04:31You see how he relates to superstars all the way down to the bottom of the roster.
04:35He doesn't get out-coached X and O-wise.
04:37I'll take him all six days a week and twice on Sunday.
04:41But Steve's got to decide, does he still want to coach, and is it still interesting for him and challenging
04:47and all that stuff?
04:49I consider Steve a friend.
04:50I think he does still want that.
04:52So, to me, he's still the perfect coach for the Golden State Warriors, but I don't make those decisions.
04:58That's way, way, way above my pay grade.
05:01Fitz, there's a lot of, and, you know, again, I'm not perfect, but I just hear a lot of talk,
05:05and I understand it about the Warriors' future, and I feel like we're just omitting, you know, the game tomorrow.
05:11And that's an opportunity to get another game Friday and get in the playoffs and see what happens.
05:17Draymond Green, he catches a lot of grief, and sometimes I come down his road for not playing when Steph's
05:23not there.
05:2368 games, and I think he's the key.
05:26You tell me if I'm being unfair tomorrow, because I felt like his furnace is lit on trying to just
05:32make it difficult guarding the great Kawhi Leonard.
05:36Well, I think you're on to something.
05:39You know, to me, this game means something.
05:41Do you want to keep playing?
05:43Do you want to extend your season?
05:44Do you want to take advantage of this postseason reset?
05:47Do you want to have games that matter for Pajemski and Guy Santos?
05:50Do you want to see, you know, Porzingis and Al and Steph play together?
05:54You know, Melton in a pressure situation.
05:56I think there's so many positives that could come out of this game to buy yourself and get yourself another
06:02game.
06:03And then if you get into a playoff series, yeah, you'd be a huge underdog.
06:07But still, this is why you play this 82-game regular season is to get to the postseason and not
06:14be a lottery team.
06:15So, to me, I'm, you know, putting Draymond on Kawhi.
06:19I could see Draymond on Denny Obdia.
06:21I could see Draymond on Shea.
06:22Like, I'm with you.
06:24I'm projecting all of this stuff.
06:25So, yeah, I mean, Kawhi is the guy for the Clippers and maybe had the best season of his career,
06:31to be honest, when you look at the numbers.
06:33So, that'd be a monster, monster challenge for Draymond and Kawhi.
06:37And I'm here for it.
06:38Bob Fitzgerald joining us on 95.7 The Game.
06:42NBC Sports Bay Area.
06:44Play-by-play man for the Golden State Warriors.
06:47Let me ask you about Steph.
06:49Because, you know, obviously we're getting to the point where, you know, he's made it clear he wants to retire
06:55here.
06:58So, he's got one more year left on his deal.
07:01And, you know, before this injury, I think people expected him to play a little longer.
07:05I guess what I'm asking is, do you feel like this could be a defining offseason for the Warriors and
07:12Steph Curry?
07:13Because if they want to, they could probably ensure he retires a Warrior this offseason by extending him.
07:22How do you think that'll all play out?
07:25Well, you know, you get into the complicated salary cap stuff, but the over 38 rules, you basically can kind
07:31of just go year by year.
07:32Yep.
07:33And I think Steph wants to do that anyway.
07:35So, next year, he's already under contract.
07:38If they sit down this summer and want to tack on another year to that, I think that'd be great.
07:42But I think Steph's going to keep looking at everything year by year for his health, his, you know, level
07:48of play, which is still a lead.
07:49And then, you know, he's got a family.
07:51He's got four kids, and he's got a lot of other business interests and things like that.
07:54But, no, I'm hoping Steph plays till, you know, he's still at the max capacity.
08:02I mean, I look at LeBron.
08:03You know, LeBron's still an amazing player.
08:06And if you're really good at something and you're generationally good at it, I don't think you want to have
08:11any regrets looking back.
08:13I mean, you even hear Tom Brady, you know, well, if I came back, I still would be good.
08:17And this, he probably still would be.
08:19But Brady, you know, he extended where we thought the prime and level of excellence was in sports.
08:24I mean, you get into the 40s now.
08:26So, Steph's 38.
08:27But you start to look at where are you physically and then how much, you know,
08:32these guys always talk about what it takes in the offseason to prepare your body to get ready for the
08:36year.
08:37The games in the year are fun.
08:39The work it takes to be that good and stay at that level, that's the grind that nobody gets to
08:45see that is the big commitment.
08:47Because it's a lot more fun in the offseason to, you know, vacation, golf, relax, all that kind of stuff.
08:52But, you know, the five- and six-hour workouts to keep your body in, you know, prime position to
08:57be good.
08:57And I don't think Steph's ever going to be, you know, end of the bench, give me six minutes, I'm
09:03just hanging on guy.
09:04No.
09:05I just, I know him too well.
09:06I don't think he wants any part of that.
09:08So, I think he still wants to stay at this elite level.
09:12And as long as he is, I think he's ready to roll.
09:15Fitz, I believe 97 is when you start calling Warrior Games.
09:18Correct me if I'm wrong.
09:19And I got to be careful.
09:21I got friends, family.
09:22You told me to stop, you know, stay off the internet and I'm cutting back.
09:26But in your years of covering the Warriors, have you ever seen a relationship with a player like Pods?
09:32Who, if you give a compliment to and watch his growth, he's played 82 games.
09:37And just be a lightning rod amongst fans.
09:40And I got to defend him at every turn.
09:42What do you make of that?
09:43What did you see and make of his year?
09:45Because there's been growth.
09:47I just don't get it.
09:48And I would love to hear you speak on what you think is going on between the relationship from the
09:53fan base and Pods.
09:56All right.
09:56Well, first of all, I called my first Warrior game February 18th, 1993.
10:01So I just finished season 33.
10:04So I've seen a lot of basketball for three decades plus.
10:08I also am famously not on social media.
10:12Because I think it's toxic, stupid, and a waste of time.
10:15So, you know, remember, 80% of the people in the world are not on Twitter.
10:20And like 8% of the users put up 80% of the posts.
10:25So I think this idea of, oh, I saw this on the internet, carries very little validity.
10:30Now, having said all that, Brandon Podjemski is 23 years old.
10:35He is the youngest player on the Warriors.
10:38He was selected with the 19th pick.
10:41Do a little exercise.
10:42Go back and look at that draft.
10:44Tell me where he'd be picked today.
10:478th, 7th, 6th in that draft.
10:50You know?
10:51So let's say he was the 8th pick in the draft.
10:54You've already exceeded where he should be at 19 as the 19th pick.
10:58Huge value selection.
11:00He's 2nd in the league in three years in drawing charges.
11:04And over the three-year period, he's number one.
11:06This year, he's 2nd in the league.
11:08He's an elite rebounder for a guard.
11:10He shot 80% from the line.
11:12And from March 1 without Steph, his three-point shooting was well over 40%.
11:17What are people bitching about with Brandon Podjemski?
11:20Right.
11:21I mean, honestly.
11:23Like, honestly.
11:24And I wouldn't even say people.
11:26Like I said, we want to magnify crap that people put on the internet.
11:30That is not the real world.
11:32Talk to opponents.
11:34Talk to other GMs.
11:35Talk to teams.
11:36Talk to teammates.
11:38Brandon Podjemski is a very good basketball player.
11:41And I am super happy he's on the Warriors.
11:44And if there is something on the internet, I don't give it much credence at all.
11:49Well, Fitz, look.
11:49I just leave it as a hat.
11:50I've been trying to work with you on that, Fitz.
11:52You're my brother.
11:54And I'm not trying to be messy.
11:55I hear you and I feel that.
11:57But the Giant game just a couple weeks ago, he got booed.
12:00That wasn't the internet.
12:01And that hurt me for him.
12:03What do you say when you hear that or see that?
12:05I'd say Joe Lacob got booed, too.
12:07How's he working out?
12:08No.
12:10You know, honestly.
12:12Wait, this guy's one of our best young players.
12:14Boo.
12:15I mean, take a look in the mirror.
12:17Take a look at yourself.
12:19I mean, what would have people do that?
12:22I just, I can't identify with stuff to me that is that odd.
12:26I just, I wish well for those people.
12:30And whatever's, you know, making them unhappy in their life, I hope it resolves itself.
12:34Bob Fitzgerald joining us on 95.7 The Game.
12:37Play-by-play man for the Golden State Warriors on NBC Sports Bay Area.
12:42Bob, how do the Warriors attack the offseason where, you know, they've got some good players.
12:52Green, Moody, Porzingis, well, forget Porzingis, Curry and Butler, but two of them aren't going to play for half the
12:59year.
12:59You've got Porzingis who, when he plays, is a nice player.
13:03But, like, do they have enough players who can play enough games for them next year without over-tinkering with
13:14the roster?
13:16It's a good question, Matt.
13:18I think when you start to look at, okay, what's your time horizon?
13:22Because we've talked about Steph, and, you know, he's not playing 10 more years, so, you know, it's a shorter
13:27time horizon.
13:28And you want to be good, and you want to maximize how good he is.
13:33And you're going to get Jimmy and Moses back, but like you said, that's not going to happen at the
13:37beginning of the year.
13:38You have your draft picks, you have an ownership that is financially committed like no other ownership in the sport.
13:45They've had the highest payroll eight of the last nine years and paid the most luxury tax money over the
13:49past decade.
13:50You know, ultimate commitment from ownership to win.
13:53You have a super smart GM in Mike Dunleavy because you're finding guys like Guy Santos and Will Richard and
13:58Quentin Post in the 50s.
14:00And he's going to have a pick right now that's going to be, you know, 11, 12, 13, unless you
14:05put that with multiple picks in some kind of deal.
14:07So, I think they explore everything.
14:10I think they're, you know, they're involved in every conversation about every good player.
14:15But you're right, the Rubik's Cube of, okay, not going to have a couple of our pieces at the beginning,
14:21still want to be good, still have a generational player in Steph, have young players on the rise.
14:28You know, how do you fit all that in?
14:30Because you are doing things for the short term to be good right away, but you're also building, you know,
14:36building things for the long term with the franchise.
14:38And so, that's why the guys that scout and do all the drafting and the GM stuff, that's a pressure
14:46cooker.
14:46And it's a big, big summer.
14:48There's no two ways about that.
14:50But I do think the Warriors are going to do something, you know, this summer and be a good team
14:54again next year.
14:56But health is the overriding factor.
14:58And if you have older players, you know, you do take a little bit more of a risk.
15:02But the thing I tell people about injuries, Jason Tatum got hurt.
15:07Tyrese Halliburton got hurt.
15:08Like, injuries, unfortunately, are just bad luck.
15:11It's not these guys are all fit.
15:13They all train.
15:14They're not from being out of shape.
15:16It's all – Moses Moody is young and jump and rambunctious and had the best year of his career and
15:23took off for a dunk and his knee gave out.
15:25Like, you can't script that.
15:27It just happens in sports.
15:29It sucks and it's the worst part of sports, unfortunately, when players go down.
15:34Fitz, no doubt.
15:36And you mentioned Moody.
15:37I want to bring this up, Fitz.
15:38I'm in my 50s, man.
15:39I'm getting emotional.
15:40I'm crying watching movies more than I am.
15:42I'm watching Pretty Woman and I'm shedding a tear.
15:45We were at the game last week against the Kings.
15:48Moses Moody was brought up on the big screen.
15:51Can you just speak to us that moment and ovation that he got?
15:55Because it might be my favorite moment of this trying season.
15:59Well, first of all, it speaks to Dub Nation.
16:02I mean, that shows – that's Dub Nation right there.
16:05Like, the love that they have for their players and the team with the Warriors.
16:10And, you know, and I understand frustration with fans, too, because they're so committed.
16:15You know, I mean, that's what seeing three decades of Warrior Basketball is.
16:20One, we believe your playoffs out of the first 18, then 14 years of being amazing with the four championships
16:26and six trips to the finals.
16:28You've had the range of emotions, but the loyalty and knowledge of the fan base is unparalleled.
16:34So they see Moses coming back.
16:35Like, first of all, they're like, one, great to see him.
16:38Two, on crutches, this guy still wants to be back and be around the team.
16:43Like, you know, and that was the cool thing of being in L.A.
16:45Here's Jimmy.
16:46Here's Moses.
16:47They're there at the team breakfast and film sessions and stuff.
16:50Yeah, they're banged up, but they still want to be part of the group.
16:53You know, and that's when people talk about culture.
16:56That's what matters.
16:58That's what matters, you know, to have people that have bought in and want to contribute any way they can
17:03to the success of the group.
17:05So Moses can be back.
17:07Serge went good.
17:09He is motivated like nobody's business.
17:11And he is a great young kid and a great young man.
17:14So, you know, there's I cannot love Moses Moody any more than any player I've ever covered because he's just
17:21about all the right stuff.
17:23Wow.
17:23Yeah, he came into the league and it felt like he was a pro after one year.
17:27Very grown up.
17:28I mean, the thing, Matt, like, you know, if you have kids, you just think about it.
17:32You know, Steve told him, hey, you're a rookie.
17:35You know, you might play a little.
17:36You might play not at all.
17:37You might play a lot.
17:38Then you might sit.
17:39And he just said, you know, smooth waters do not make for a good sailor.
17:44Wow.
17:45Like, come on, man.
17:46Like you said, when you're 60 years old and you're talking to your kids, you don't say that when you're
17:50a 20-year-old and you have that view of life.
17:52Like, he's sort of like, hey, bring it on, man.
17:55And then also, he did the one year in Arkansas because he said, I want to develop and grow in
18:00the NBA.
18:01Yep.
18:02You know, I can learn more in the NBA for all the, you know, it takes as a younger player
18:07than I'll learn being in college.
18:09So, he had a very wise view of how he handled stuff.
18:13And then he also signed a contract extension.
18:16You know, it's like, okay, I'll sign my first contract in my 20s and, you know, then I'll hit a
18:20new contract thing.
18:21I mean, the guy's just so sharp in every facet of managing his career.
18:26So, I love Moses.
18:27I cannot wait for him to come back.
18:31Hey, Fitz, thank you so much.
18:33We're going to miss you tomorrow.
18:35But hopefully, the Warriors will have a couple games this week and maybe slide in there.
18:40All right.
18:41So, now I'm just going to leave Guru with one thing.
18:43All right.
18:43Go ahead.
18:44Because I sent you a text, Fitz.
18:45You got family.
18:48You got friends.
18:49You got Stiney.
18:50You got people that love you.
18:51You got a great job.
18:53Put the freaking phone down, man.
18:56Don't let that toxicity and negativity impact your life.
19:00Live your life.
19:00Cut some grass.
19:01Be out with human beings.
19:03Get off the screen.
19:05Hey, there it is.
19:06You remember real quick, Fitz, a couple years ago, Myers let me sit in his seats and Mo Bamba made
19:11the worst pass ever.
19:12And I was on the phone and it knocked the phone out of my hand.
19:16And you said, you told me, get off the damn phone.
19:18Get off the damn phone.
19:20I got you.
19:21I watched Springsteen.
19:23I was not one of those people with the stupid phone video.
19:26I wanted to enjoy the concert.
19:28I love it.
19:29That's why we're there, man.
19:30Live your life.
19:31Get off the screens.
19:32Appreciate you, Bob.
19:33All right.
19:34Love you guys.
19:34Be good.
19:35All right, Bob Fitzgerald, television voice of the Golden State Warriors.
19:38Oh, man.
19:39But now he thinks I'm on the phone a lot.
19:42You are.
19:43But I do what he says.
19:44I get out.
19:45No, you don't.
19:45We go to the ship every Friday.
19:47And you're on your phone.
19:49You go outside.
19:50It's not a hot take.
19:51I do have to read this.
19:53I'm done with AI.
19:55Bob's my guy, so I went that extra mile for prep.
19:59Fitzgerald's been a television play-by-play announcer for the Warriors since 1997 in black.
20:04And as a 25-26 NBA season, he has served that role for 30 consecutive seasons, beginning
20:12his tenure shortly after calling his first Warrior game on the radio February 18, 1993.
20:19Yeah, 93.
20:20AI, man.
20:221993 is when he started.
20:24He was doing radio games.
20:25Stop.
20:25I sent it to him.
20:27So, that's 34 years.
20:29I was just telling him what the people are saying about pods.
20:32I'm getting hate for defending the guy.
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