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00:00:03Spurs beat OKC to set up an all-time NBA Finals against the Knicks.
00:00:08I'm going to tell you why and how the Knicks are going to finally win a championship.
00:00:15And wow, what a day in the NFL.
00:00:18The Rams make a blockbuster trade for one of the best players in football.
00:00:22The Giants are bringing back one of the most recognizable players.
00:00:26We're going to talk about it all with NBC play-by-play voice Mike Tirico.
00:00:32Shine Time starts right now.
00:00:34Don't stop. Keep it coming, baby. Don't stop.
00:00:40Harper, Castle Hart, that overplay.
00:00:43Tipping away. They want the Delta triple. Not called.
00:00:45Hart, strike one by Cornette.
00:00:48Oh, Cornette goes up and stops it.
00:00:50Out of nowhere, Luke Cornette with a beautiful return.
00:00:56Objective.
00:00:58This is outstanding.
00:01:01Togetherness here by the Spurs.
00:01:03Ahead to Macelle, who goes in for the dunk.
00:01:06And the San Antonio Spurs have done it.
00:01:09It's Wendy's West.
00:01:11The Spurs are going to the NBA Finals.
00:01:15Look at the emotion from Wendy.
00:01:17Unbelievable.
00:01:20This is what you want to see.
00:01:22A young team growing up on the biggest stage.
00:01:28You get to bring the NBA Finals Game 1 to San Antonio.
00:01:31And your first run in the postseason.
00:01:34What does that mean to you and your fan base?
00:01:37It means everything.
00:01:38We want four more.
00:01:38We're not done.
00:01:39Go Spurs.
00:01:39Go!
00:01:44Oh, baby.
00:01:44It's the Spurs and the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
00:01:47And honestly, I can't wait.
00:01:49And before we get into the massive preview and why this is going to be a classic NBA Finals,
00:01:54how the Spurs got to this round to face the Knicks, they deserve so much credit.
00:02:00That Game 7 on Saturday night was absolutely majestic.
00:02:04It was majestic in terms of Victor Wemba-Nyama.
00:02:06It was majestic in terms of Stephon Castle.
00:02:09The fact that the San Antonio Spurs were able to go into Oklahoma City
00:02:14and how they beat the champs and dethroned SGA and company,
00:02:18they deserve so much credit.
00:02:20And remember, they were down 3-2.
00:02:23One game, six.
00:02:24And I thought that OKC would win game number seven.
00:02:27Listen, what an unbelievable job by Mitch Johnson, San Antonio Spurs.
00:02:32Victor Wemba-Nyama is not from this planet.
00:02:35De'Aaron Fox stepped up.
00:02:36I love Stephon Castle.
00:02:38Castle was amazing in every possible way.
00:02:40The ebb and flow of this game was just off the charts.
00:02:43It was incredible.
00:02:44And the way the Spurs were able to really be the best team and control this game
00:02:49right from the beginning to the end, just outstanding.
00:02:53And it was just incredible theater, great drama, and sheer jubilation
00:02:58when this exclamation point was placed on the victory.
00:03:01What a terrific job by Victor Wemba-Nyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
00:03:06They go from the lottery last year to the NBA Finals this year
00:03:10with a golden opportunity to win a championship.
00:03:13And the way Victor Wemba-Nyama plays, this cat is a freak.
00:03:17He is some kind of combination between Shaq and Steph Curry and Paul Bunyan.
00:03:22It is remarkable watching him go out and do his thing.
00:03:26The emotion was pouring out.
00:03:28Absolutely incredible.
00:03:29The celebration, the jubilation, the meaning when it comes to Wemba-Nyama
00:03:34and what he brings to the table.
00:03:35And how about Luke Cornett?
00:03:37Are you kidding me?
00:03:39This was incredible.
00:03:40You want to talk about role players stepping up.
00:03:43If Hearnstein is able to jam this ball, it's a four-point game.
00:03:49Instead, who had Luke Cornett turning into LeBron from 2016 on their bingo card?
00:03:56I mean, look at this.
00:03:57This is Luke Cornett.
00:03:58My goodness.
00:04:00What a winning play.
00:04:02That really is one of the all-time clutch plays you can make
00:04:07when it matters the most on defense.
00:04:09Just incredible.
00:04:10He was going nuts.
00:04:11The bench was going nuts.
00:04:13Wemba-Nyama, after the game, called it a championship-caliber moment.
00:04:17Just incredible.
00:04:18And you take a look at what this team brings to the table.
00:04:21And Wemba was unbelievable.
00:04:23Castle was terrific.
00:04:24Fox was unreal.
00:04:25This team's got it going on in every possible way.
00:04:29Champagne made six three-pointers in the game, had 20 points.
00:04:33Just awesome.
00:04:34SGA was sensational.
00:04:35The rest of the Thunder, not so much.
00:04:37We'll get into the Thunder from their perspective in a little bit.
00:04:41But how about it?
00:04:42Now we have the Knicks, and we have the Spurs, and once the celebration on the court was finally over,
00:04:48Wemba was asked about his thoughts on facing the Knicks in the finals.
00:04:51Finals, and we saw your reaction after the final horn.
00:04:55Could you just sort of put into words what you're feeling right now?
00:05:09Winning the Larry O'Brien, it's a childhood dream.
00:05:14And having a real shot at it, having a chance, tangible chance at winning it, at realizing a dream, you
00:05:22know?
00:05:22It's a chance, it's a lifetime chance, you know, it's, you never know when it's going to happen again.
00:05:32But it's, you know, the day we win it, speaking for myself, it's going to be an amazing day of,
00:05:39like, realization of a dream.
00:05:42You know, it's hard to put into words.
00:05:45It's almost like the meaning of my life, you know?
00:05:48Victor Wemba-Nyama, very, very emotional, setting up this unbelievable finals with the Knicks and San Antonio.
00:05:56And it's interesting.
00:05:57And I think this finals, it's going to be off the charts, like an all-timer.
00:06:02Seriously, I don't want to be subject to hyperbole, prisoner of the moment, but I think this is such an
00:06:07even matchup.
00:06:08I think the Spurs, who are heavy favorites, minus 250 in Vegas, they are a four-and-a-half-point
00:06:12favorite for game number one.
00:06:14I think the baby Spurs, obviously, when you take a look at it, they have a ton of talent.
00:06:20And this is the first time in the history of the NBA that you are going to get a team
00:06:25in the finals with their top two scorers, 22 or younger.
00:06:29We're talking about Wemba and we're talking about Castle.
00:06:32It's an amazing job here by San Antonio, what they've been able to do in a short period of time
00:06:39to go from the lottery to the NBA Finals.
00:06:42And this is an applicable talking point here with regards to skipping steps.
00:06:49And you heard the emotion from Wemba.
00:06:52And I think the emotion is unbelievable.
00:06:55I also want you to take a look at this.
00:06:57And I think this is terrific in theory, right?
00:07:00It matters to Wemba.
00:07:01Wemba has talked out loud about wanting to win the MVP and what that would mean for him and his
00:07:06teammates and playing hard in the All-Star game.
00:07:09And I want you to look at this celebration.
00:07:12Victor Wemba is crying.
00:07:14He's got joy, jubilation, emotion like no other.
00:07:18And it's a big deal.
00:07:19And I'm not being critical in any way, shape, or form.
00:07:21I absolutely love it.
00:07:23But I do think there's an interesting compare and contrast between how Wemba and the Spurs celebrated the conference finals
00:07:33versus how Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Knicks celebrated.
00:07:39For the Knicks, you could barely find the smile.
00:07:42Jalen Brunson would not talk about anything other than the next four wins.
00:07:48You look at Wemba, and it was all emotion, tears.
00:07:54It was like they obviously didn't expect to be there.
00:07:59And that's the case.
00:08:00And I give them so much credit for going into OKC and dethroning the champs and beating SGA.
00:08:06And that ambiance in Oklahoma City is unbelievable.
00:08:10But I do think this is where the youth and the inexperience and the we're happy to be here mentality
00:08:17for the NBA finals could matter.
00:08:20For the Knicks, it's all business.
00:08:22Every single word choice, it's the business-like approach.
00:08:25Every single topic for conversation.
00:08:28Every Instagram post on social media.
00:08:31It's all, we showed it last week with Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Ananobi.
00:08:35Next four.
00:08:37Obviously, the Knicks know they can take care of business against San Antonio.
00:08:41I think both these teams have clearly matured since all three matchups.
00:08:45And that includes, obviously, the NBA Cup when you go back to when the Knicks were able to take care
00:08:50of business, 124 to 113.
00:08:53But I think that this is going to be just an epic final.
00:08:56And I think that the mentality matters here.
00:08:59It's interesting when you take a look at a couple of these different matchups and big keys when it comes
00:09:04to this series.
00:09:05I think that Jalen Brunson is obviously the toughest dude in this NBA Finals.
00:09:12I don't think there's any question about it.
00:09:15And I think that Jalen Brunson, his experience certainly matters.
00:09:19We could talk about winning a couple championships in college, winning the NBA Cup,
00:09:23what he's done when it comes to, you know, getting over that hump and making the NBA Finals.
00:09:29And now, what he's going to be able to do in the NBA Finals.
00:09:32Now, Stephon Castle has been terrific in these playoffs.
00:09:37And I think the world of Stephon Castle.
00:09:39I think Castle is absolutely awesome.
00:09:42And I like that we put up the postseason stats because, frankly, the regular season stats,
00:09:47these are totally different teams.
00:09:49They don't matter to me.
00:09:50Castle was a winner at UConn.
00:09:52Dan Hurley absolutely loves him.
00:09:54Look at this, 19 points per game, 7 assists per game, 36% from the three-point arc.
00:10:00It's unbelievable when you look at it.
00:10:03And that's kind of a big deal.
00:10:04Castle has also been the guy who has been very successful going up against SGA
00:10:10and going up against Anthony Edwards during the course of this postseason.
00:10:13So, it's not going to be an easy road here when it comes to Jalen Brunson being Jalen Brunson.
00:10:21But, Jalen Brunson doesn't have to dominate scoring the basketball in order to make a monster and major impact in
00:10:29a game.
00:10:30Look, go back to the Cleveland series as an example.
00:10:32That was the ultimate Brunson burner in the comeback.
00:10:35And the points are off the charts in game number one.
00:10:37I made the case game number two was better because of the assist total,
00:10:41which is the highest amount of assists in game two against Cleveland
00:10:44that Brunson has had in an NBA playoff game.
00:10:48Jalen Brunson, to me, is still the guy I want on my team more than anyone else.
00:10:54Best player in this series, obviously, is the alien.
00:10:58It's Victor Mbanyama.
00:11:00But, if you're asking me which guy I would rather have when it comes to, at the end of the
00:11:07day, these NBA Finals,
00:11:09give me one player on my team when it matters the most, I want Jalen Brunson.
00:11:15Just like I want Derek Jeter.
00:11:17That's the way I roll when it comes to Jalen Brunson in a series like this.
00:11:22I am just obsessed.
00:11:24And, obviously, you talk about these teams on a heater.
00:11:26The confidence level for the San Antonio Spurs is off the charts.
00:11:30They obviously just had this incredible comeback down 3-2,
00:11:35and they were able to win game seven on the road.
00:11:37And the Knicks, they are just trucking everybody.
00:11:4011 straight in a row.
00:11:42It's an incredible job in the postseason.
00:11:44It's historic.
00:11:45It's unbelievable.
00:11:46I can't get enough.
00:11:48And I really think that the confidence level for these teams is just both off the charts.
00:11:54This matchup is going to be incredible.
00:11:56The togetherness, the teamwork for both these teams, their path to the Finals has just been incredible.
00:12:03And, obviously, the Knicks are going to have to deal with Victor Wimbanyama, literally, figuratively, in every possible way.
00:12:09Mike Brown has one of the best defenders in the game in OG Ananobi.
00:12:13And here's what he had to say, Mike Brown did, about his versatile forward.
00:12:18I do sort of like you guys, but you guys were wrong.
00:12:20He should have been first team on defense because of his versatility.
00:12:24And it's shown throughout the course of the most important time during the year, which is the playoffs.
00:12:30And it will continue to show going into the Finals.
00:12:33Listen, I think that when it comes to Victor Wimbanyama, it's impossible to say you slow him down.
00:12:40Like, I actually think that that's offensive, right?
00:12:43This is, as you see on the back page of the Post today, this is a tall order, the tallest
00:12:49of orders.
00:12:50I mean, we're talking about, in essence, an eight-footer who could shoot from 28 feet away.
00:12:55So, in terms of the obstacle in dealing with Victor Wimbanyama, look, I expect a lot of Josh Hart.
00:13:04I think that Hart can be a pain in the derriere for anyone.
00:13:07We also saw this in the regular season in terms of Hart getting a lot of run going at someone
00:13:13like that.
00:13:14I think OG Ananobi will certainly play against Victor Wimbanyama as well.
00:13:19We saw that when the two teams matched up during the year.
00:13:23And OG and Harder, obviously, terrific, willing defenders.
00:13:28Look, I don't think in any way, shape, or form you stop Victor Wimbanyama.
00:13:32I do think that having Carl Anthony Towns hit from the outside is everything.
00:13:39And you want Cat engaged, like he has been during this 11-game winning streak,
00:13:43and be in that point center and having the offense go through him, no question about that.
00:13:47But if Cat can hit some threes early in game number one and get Wemby on defense out of the
00:13:55paint,
00:13:55man, that would absolutely change everything if you can get Wemby away from the rim.
00:14:01That is everything when you look at it here from a Knicks perspective.
00:14:06Now, we're going to get into all the matchups and give you a taste here on a Monday with game
00:14:11one on a Wednesday.
00:14:13I'm going to tell you right now, I'm picking the Knicks.
00:14:16And it's crazy now that we have a tangible matchup.
00:14:20We've been talking about the Knicks winning a title ever since they wrapped this puppy up against the Cleveland Cavaliers
00:14:26in four.
00:14:27I think the Knicks are winning a title.
00:14:29I think the Knicks are winning in seven games.
00:14:32I think the Knicks are winning game one when you take a look at it in San Antonio.
00:14:36And I think they're going to be very capable of winning a game seven on the road.
00:14:40I have so much respect for the Spurs.
00:14:42I think they are a terrific, terrific basketball team.
00:14:45But let me tell you something.
00:14:482026, it's the Knicks time to shine.
00:14:50And I think that the New York Knicks, I am turning 49 years old later this month.
00:14:57I have never seen a championship in my lifetime for the New York Knicks.
00:15:01This is going to be the year.
00:15:03I was born four years after the Knicks last won a championship in 1973.
00:15:08The Knicks have the talent.
00:15:10The Knicks have the toughness.
00:15:12The Knicks have the stars who play their best when it matters the most.
00:15:15I truly think that New York is going to be able to win this title.
00:15:20I think they are a freight train, the number one point per game differential
00:15:25going into the NBA Finals in history,
00:15:28moving ahead of the 2017 Golden State Warriors
00:15:30and ahead of the 2001 Kobe Shaq Lakers.
00:15:33Those are iconic teams, legendary teams.
00:15:37And in theory, the Knicks would not belong in the same category as.
00:15:40But they're playing like it.
00:15:42That's what's inspiring.
00:15:44I think San Antonio is amazing.
00:15:47The fact that they beat the Thunder in the fashion they did, noteworthy.
00:15:51Victor Wembanyama, this cat is unbelievable.
00:15:54But hey, he had some bad games when you look at it.
00:15:57The Spurs had three bad losses.
00:15:59They were run out of the gym against OKC.
00:16:01Let's not forget about that.
00:16:03Spurs are unreal.
00:16:04Wemby's a freak.
00:16:05But it's not like they're unbeatable here.
00:16:08The Knicks enter the NBA Finals as the better team.
00:16:12The New York Knicks, behind Jalen Brunson, are winning a championship.
00:16:16Meanwhile, that's a wrap for SGA and the Thunder.
00:16:19The MVP spoke about his season ending earlier than he hoped for.
00:16:24It was a failure.
00:16:25Like, I failed at my goal.
00:16:27Like, I didn't achieve what I wanted to achieve.
00:16:34But through my experiences, I learned the most about myself.
00:16:38And I make the greatest amount of increases I have in my career when I fail.
00:16:49I might go and don't get what I want.
00:16:51And I look at this no different.
00:16:53Like, I didn't get where I wanted to go this season.
00:16:58There's a reason for that.
00:17:00Now I have to look at that reason and try to make sure it never happens again.
00:17:05It sucks losing.
00:17:07And, you know, it's hard for that to not overshadow everything else.
00:17:12But, you know, you also have to look at everything, understand where you've improved, understand where you still need to
00:17:21improve.
00:17:23And then kind of look at everything objectively and, you know, continue to put your head down and continue to
00:17:28work from there.
00:17:29So, I really respect what SGA said.
00:17:33I really do.
00:17:35I don't agree with him, though.
00:17:36I refuse to call this season a failure.
00:17:39They lost in seven to Victor Wimbanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
00:17:43And J-Dub was injured.
00:17:46And to me, we're talking about the second-best player on OKC all season long.
00:17:51And a guy who was absolutely sensational for the Thunder last year when they won a championship.
00:17:59And that's not an excuse.
00:18:00That, to me, is a fact.
00:18:02Not to mention that not only was J-Dub out for basically the whole series.
00:18:06He came back, gave him credit in Game 6.
00:18:08Was not a factor.
00:18:09Couldn't play in Game 7.
00:18:10Wasn't even close to being 100% healthy.
00:18:12His backup, Mitchell, was out.
00:18:15That is a big deal.
00:18:17SGA was absolutely tremendous on Saturday night.
00:18:20He was phenomenal.
00:18:22And he deserved so much credit.
00:18:24Chad Holmgren, you heard his comments right there, was awful.
00:18:28And I love Chad Holmgren.
00:18:30I always defend Chad Holmgren.
00:18:32I think Chad Holmgren is the third-best player on this team.
00:18:34He was invisible.
00:18:36He was John Starks-esque in a Game 7.
00:18:41There is no other way to phrase it.
00:18:43He was a double agent.
00:18:44And he hit one shot from the field.
00:18:46And this, if you're a fan of the Thunder, if you believe they were going to win, if you bet
00:18:52them, I picked them preseason to win another championship.
00:18:55If you thought they were going to be a dynasty, this is unacceptable.
00:18:59Now, here's what I would do if I was OKC.
00:19:03And they have the players.
00:19:04They have the picks.
00:19:05They have the assets.
00:19:06They have a couple of first-round picks.
00:19:07Obviously, you know, still, you know, reaping the benefits of what happened in the deal with the Clippers, which is
00:19:14kind of crazy when you think about it.
00:19:16You know, they have all this young talent.
00:19:18They could make the best possible offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
00:19:23Let me tell you exactly what I would do if I was OKC.
00:19:28I would do nothing.
00:19:29I would absolutely, positively run it back.
00:19:34Look, after the finals and, you know, Spurs, Knicks, one of these teams will be a rightful, unbelievable winner for
00:19:42a championship.
00:19:43I bet that in Vegas, after the championship, after the finals, the favorite to win next year will, in fact,
00:19:52be, when it's all said and done, the favorite to win will be OKC.
00:19:57So, I think that at the end of the day, what Oklahoma City should do is nothing.
00:20:05It's not a sexy take in any way, shape, or form.
00:20:08But I would absolutely take a breath.
00:20:10I know everyone's going to be fired up about the potential here for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
00:20:16I know how bad Chet was game number seven.
00:20:19I've seen him win a championship and play big in big spots.
00:20:22Injury was a factor.
00:20:24If I'm OKC, I would do nothing.
00:20:28Spurs got numbers.
00:20:30Holger down behind the plate.
00:20:31Five on four.
00:20:32Webby's going to pull a deep three.
00:20:34Oh!
00:20:36Macelle.
00:20:37Wembenyama.
00:20:38I think he's going to go.
00:20:38I think he's going to go.
00:20:40From midcourt.
00:20:41Got it!
00:20:44Sights and sounds of the NBA postseason have been unreal.
00:20:48And how about our guy, the great Mike Tirico, who is absolutely incredible during the Western Conference Finals.
00:20:54And he was absolutely sensational.
00:20:57And he is just absolutely one of the best in the business.
00:21:01Mike, it's great to have you here on Chi-Tai, my friend.
00:21:04How are you?
00:21:05Doing great, buddy.
00:21:06How are you?
00:21:06I am doing incredible.
00:21:07Absolutely sensational.
00:21:09And look, when you take a look at Victor Wembenyama, and you take a look at what you witnessed, and
00:21:17you just had the most unbelievable seats for the Wembenyama show.
00:21:22Look, to me, he's Shaq meets Steph Curry meets Paul Bunyan.
00:21:28How do you describe what you've seen?
00:21:32Yeah, there's so much.
00:21:33And that's what the difference is, right?
00:21:35It's the unique skill set altogether.
00:21:38The ability to play in Game 7, as Jamal Crawford said, so well, Point Wembeny.
00:21:44He brought the ball up at first a couple of possessions at the start of the game.
00:21:48Stepped into those threes that you just showed.
00:21:51Was a presence around the rim.
00:21:52If they came with an ATO, an after-timeout play, so often it was a lob to Wembe at the
00:21:57basket, and it's undefensible for teams.
00:22:01Credit Oklahoma City.
00:22:02They threw everything at him.
00:22:03Some Alex Caruso, some Lou Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, who did a pretty good job on him.
00:22:10Holmgren briefly, but never really as the primary defender for an extended period of time.
00:22:15And he had answers for everyone.
00:22:17And, Adam, I think we need to remind ourselves that Wembenyama missed significant time in the first couple of years.
00:22:23So sorting it out, figuring it out.
00:22:26Young core that's come along with who has excelled at the same time.
00:22:29Harper in his second year.
00:22:30Castle in his first year.
00:22:32Missed Wembe for a significant stretch at the start of the season.
00:22:35Limit his minutes through the NBA Cup run.
00:22:38All of that.
00:22:38But once we hit the start of the year, he's pretty much been a full go, and he's been outstanding.
00:22:44So the combination of skills is something I don't think we have seen in a player.
00:22:50And if he can stay healthy, I think we're going to see accomplishments that are worthy of the conversation we've
00:22:56had about others.
00:22:57But I always remind people, we're a long way from that.
00:23:00We can't put him in Springfield just yet.
00:23:02It's three years, but his first playoff run has truly been something special because he's been great in big moments
00:23:09when his team needed him.
00:23:10Yeah, I think that's an amazing perspective, and it's a great take.
00:23:13And I always pay attention to this because I'm kind of a broadcast geek.
00:23:16It went noted that you guys, and you were behind the microphone.
00:23:20Let's go back to the first round of the playoffs.
00:23:23For San Antonio, Portland, right?
00:23:26It wasn't about necessarily markets.
00:23:28It was Mike Tirico was calling a Victor Wimbanyama Spurs game.
00:23:33That mattered to me and kind of showed me from an NBC broadcast perspective the upside here.
00:23:40So I'm curious as we get ready for the NBA Finals and what you've seen in terms of this team,
00:23:46how have the Spurs developed?
00:23:48Because you've seen all of it, all the different steps.
00:23:51We talk about skipping steps in the NBA, and if that's possible, how this team has become truly great in
00:23:58the different layers and levels, regular season and postseason.
00:24:02Yeah, Adam, I would add to that a little bit what the organization has been.
00:24:07I was lucky enough to be there to watch the Spurs, not win in 99, but when we started with
00:24:13our ESPN ABC coverage in 03, I was the studio host.
00:24:17So I saw them win 03, 05, 07.
00:24:2014, I was at the World Cup, so I didn't see that in person.
00:24:23But certainly I'd been around the Spurs a lot during that stretch.
00:24:26And I think there is organizational carry over here.
00:24:30They understand how to have a big man, build around him, build a successful team around him, and also how
00:24:38to, and they use this word, so this is not my word,
00:24:40how to partner with a player who has the desire to be one of the best players in the world,
00:24:47a player who wants to be the face of the league going forward.
00:24:51And I think there's been a lot of give and take, a lot of partnership with Mitch Johnson, Spurs leadership,
00:24:59R.C. Buford, among those.
00:25:01I think they've really put together a very strong blueprint based on what they've learned during the Robinson and Duncan
00:25:09era.
00:25:10And to Webb and Yama's credit, he is very coachable.
00:25:13Well, I'll go back, too, because in the NBA, it used to be you had the head coach and two
00:25:18assistants, and then a third assistant, and then a guy who works with development for younger players.
00:25:23Now, you look at those back benches, there are seven, eight assistant coaches there.
00:25:27A lot of them are developmental coaches.
00:25:29And if you go back to when Webb and Yama got there, Mitch Johnson was the coach who was working
00:25:34directly with Wemby.
00:25:35So, even though it is his first full year as a head coach, second season, from the day he arrived,
00:25:42Mitch Johnson's been a part of the development.
00:25:43And I think that's built the trust, the partnership, and the ability to communicate, as we saw so often in
00:25:49that series.
00:25:49So, they've gone about this in a really great way that the whole skipping steps thing gets fast-forwarded a
00:25:56bit, because the culture has championship DNA right around the building.
00:26:00Hey, Adam, let me throw this in real quick.
00:26:02When I say championship DNA around the building, the guys who stay, a lot of guys stay in San Antonio.
00:26:08David Robinson, Tim Duncan, we see Mondo at a bunch of games, Bruce Bowen we'll see at games, Antonio Daniels,
00:26:15Sean Elliott calls their games on TV with Jacob Tobey.
00:26:18So, there are a lot of guys who have stayed a part of that organization.
00:26:21You know, if they go work out at the Spurs facility, there is an alumni locker room.
00:26:26Those guys have a place.
00:26:27If they go in to get a sweat, they still see they can put up some jump shots.
00:26:32There's a place where they can go hang and they feel welcomed.
00:26:35I don't think, I know, that doesn't happen in every NBA city.
00:26:40So, there's a little bit of a collective, collegiate feel to not just the local support, but also the solid
00:26:47connection this team maintains.
00:26:49And I think that contributes to it, because you've got those guys around on somewhat of a regular basis to
00:26:54have conversations like this.
00:26:55I think that's a great anecdote.
00:26:57That's awesome, Mike.
00:26:58You don't see that, and I love that.
00:26:59Now, I want to get your take on the Thunder, because we played the clip.
00:27:03I responded to it.
00:27:04SGA called the season a failure.
00:27:05I respect it.
00:27:06I don't agree with it.
00:27:08I think they lost.
00:27:09I mean, sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.
00:27:11Now, we know Giannis is out there, and Giannis is Giannis.
00:27:14But, look, I kind of think that the Thunder should do nothing.
00:27:19I mean, Chet did not play well.
00:27:21You were behind the microphone, obviously, game number seven.
00:27:24They obviously had injuries to deal with.
00:27:26What's your take on the Thunder and their future?
00:27:29Yeah, Chet was awful in game seven.
00:27:31One of two, and those two shots really came in the first couple minutes of the game.
00:27:34I mean, if you are a player who's going to receive a five-year, $250 million contract,
00:27:39and you're healthy, you would expect that player to get more than two shots in a game seven at home.
00:27:46He did not.
00:27:47Now, he had had a good seventh game against the Pacers in the NBA Finals,
00:27:51and he's had other good games in the playoffs.
00:27:54This was just a disappointing time to have a no-show in this game.
00:27:58He made a couple of defensive plays.
00:27:59Don't get me wrong.
00:28:00It wasn't like he was completely out of it.
00:28:02But for what you pay him and him being one of the core three guys, you expect more, and they
00:28:07did not get that.
00:28:08You know, I don't know what the going-forward answer is.
00:28:11Sam Presti certainly has enough tools to make the moves, which so many teams don't have.
00:28:17You've committed to that core of three.
00:28:19You know, some of the questions I'll have to answer, is there more to Jalen Williams' hamstring injuries, right?
00:28:25Remember, he missed the first part of the season with the other hamstring.
00:28:28He's coming off a wrist surgery, has the hamstring on one side, then has the other hamstring.
00:28:33Was that associated to overuse of one side when one side is injured?
00:28:37We don't know.
00:28:38We didn't see him for very much this season.
00:28:40So they'll have to answer for themselves medically.
00:28:43Do they feel like it's a year, it's an anomaly, we can get answers to questions, we can move on
00:28:48and continue to have J-Dub as a long-term part of this.
00:28:51And then they know what Holmgren did or didn't do from what their expectations were.
00:28:56And you also have, I think, a strong analytic group that will consider, okay, if we add a piece like
00:29:03a Giannis or someone else, how does that complement Shea Gilgis-Alexander?
00:29:07You have a back-to-back MVP, you don't want to bring in somebody who's going to make it tougher
00:29:11for him.
00:29:12You want to make someone come in who's easier for him.
00:29:15I think what they lost in that game was the ability to ball handle, the ability to have somebody else
00:29:20take some of the load off of SGA and set him up.
00:29:24And Mark Digno played, I thought, as many cards as he had.
00:29:26I think he just ran out of them.
00:29:28There is no getting past the fact that their second and fourth best scorers missed half this series.
00:29:34And they still got to Game 7 within a possession in the fourth quarter, two possessions in the fourth quarter.
00:29:40So they're really good.
00:29:42They just need somebody else in those situations.
00:29:44Would that have been J-Dub?
00:29:46It has been in the past.
00:29:47He had a 40-point Game 5 in the finals against the Pacers.
00:29:50So we know he's got it in them.
00:29:52I think there's a real major decision because you can't realistically put Giannis, Chet, J-Dub, and Shea as a
00:30:00team financially.
00:30:00That probably gets you way past second apron and all the other stuff that we all talk about, but very
00:30:06few of us truly understand.
00:30:08They know they have to make some decisions because they have big numbers starting to hit their cap here, ASAP.
00:30:14So that's where their focus will be.
00:30:17Do I think this series tells you definitively they have to go get someone?
00:30:21It doesn't tell me that, but it does tell me definitively that they know exactly what the best in the
00:30:27West looks like.
00:30:28And if it's not them, it's the team with a core that's 20, 21, and 22 and just beat them.
00:30:33And they know what they have to do to build to beat them.
00:30:35And that includes a guy who can defend Wemby in big games and allow the rest of your team to
00:30:42go.
00:30:42That might not be hard and shine.
00:30:43It might be.
00:30:44I don't know.
00:30:45But I think they've learned what the questions are they have to answer going forward.
00:30:49That's an excellent way to phrase it.
00:30:51Now the Knicks are on fire, 11 straight, steamrolled through the East.
00:30:54What do you think is the biggest reason when you look at them is the best, the biggest reason they're
00:30:59playing their best basketball now?
00:31:01And how do they match up?
00:31:03You're fresh off this Spurs series.
00:31:04How do they match up with San Antonio?
00:31:07So, Adam, we had Knicks Hawks when the Knicks were down 2-1.
00:31:11Yeah.
00:31:12So both Reggie and I take full credit for seeing Mike Brown and they haven't lost since.
00:31:17So we'll mark that up to our success.
00:31:19So in that game, Mike Brown said, hey, full credit to Quinn Snyder, the Atlanta head coach, and the Hawks
00:31:25because they got them to start running some different stuff, which included Cat as the point forward, if you will.
00:31:32And remember, they only had the two losses to the Hawks by a point, a shot, a shot at the
00:31:36end of the game by C.J. McCollum.
00:31:38So they were right there in those games as well.
00:31:40But what we saw with the Knicks was the ability to involve all five and all five getting going.
00:31:47Remember, when we got to that game, game four of that East series, there was talk about, does Mikael Bridges
00:31:53stay in the starting lineup?
00:31:55Can you start him?
00:31:56Because he was not an offensive threat at all.
00:31:59He's become one now.
00:32:01Landry Schammett's come along.
00:32:03Alvarado's come along for his minutes.
00:32:05Everyone has found their roles, and they're thriving to the max in their roles, and that's what it takes to
00:32:11be a champion.
00:32:11And, you know, Adam, for those who are old enough in New York, you remember that's what the hallmark of
00:32:16that championship Knicks teams of the early 70s was.
00:32:20Incredible sharing of the ball, incredible teamwork and passing, and they just did things the right way.
00:32:25And this Knick team has the feel of a lot of that as you watch them.
00:32:29Now, I will say comfortably, this will be the best defensive team they see in the postseason.
00:32:37I mean, the Atlanta and Chicago and Cleveland defensive efficiency rankings, and that's not really getting too analytically in the
00:32:45weeds.
00:32:45It's a good number.
00:32:47It represents two numbers that trigger quality teams.
00:32:51Those teams were 10 and I think 14 and 18 or 15 and 18.
00:32:54Point is, they haven't played an elite defensive team in this playoffs.
00:32:59I was doing every possession of San Antonio, Oklahoma City.
00:33:04I watched every Knicks-Cleveland game.
00:33:06At no point did I feel the defensive intensity from the Cavaliers was anywhere near anything I saw in the
00:33:13most mundane of possessions in our series.
00:33:15Like, the first quarter of that series was like game seven defensive effort.
00:33:20I never saw that for the Cavaliers.
00:33:21Maybe a little bit in game one, but not really.
00:33:24So, I think the Knicks will be defensively challenged.
00:33:27The offense won't come as easy.
00:33:28That in no way means the Knicks aren't going to win the series or can't compete in the series.
00:33:32I think they can do both very, very realistically.
00:33:37I do think they're going to be pushed defensively a little bit more in this series.
00:33:41Because Castle and Harper and Carter Bryant, they are not afraid to get in the face of SGA.
00:33:47If they're not afraid to get in the face of the two-time MVP and get in front of them
00:33:51and make them work very hard for shots, they'll do the same to Brunson and all the other perimeter guys
00:33:57that the Knicks have.
00:33:58But San Antonio is one of the top defensive efficiency teams in the league.
00:34:02The Spurs and the Thunder were one and three in that category.
00:34:05And I think you'll see that in the Knicks offense not being as easy and free-flowing as it was
00:34:11in the last series especially.
00:34:12You cover so many unbelievable athletes.
00:34:16Jalen Brunson has become one of the great clutch players in sports.
00:34:21What makes him so great when it matters the most?
00:34:24I think the willingness to not just take the big shots but execute the fundamentally out-thinking the opponent shots.
00:34:32How many Jalen Brunson should not, for his size, get his shot off as often in the paint as he
00:34:38does?
00:34:38And he does.
00:34:39He's got patience and poise.
00:34:41He'll up-fakey, shot-fakey, wait for that extra step.
00:34:44Feels like he's always got one more move off his pivot foot to get himself a cleaner look.
00:34:49He's got a speed and a quickness.
00:34:51You know, he's a terrific athlete and is in great shape, obviously.
00:34:56But when LeBron walks through the door or Giannis walks through the door, you're like, wow, these guys.
00:35:02Kevin Durant.
00:35:02Most of the guys who've been these superstars in the NBA, they walk through the airport into the building and
00:35:09you go, oh my gosh.
00:35:11Jalen Brunson has a very, when he is wearing non-uniform clothes, you go, oh, okay, here's a guy who's
00:35:17in great athletic shape.
00:35:18And he doesn't have that imposing physical presence, yet he plays with it.
00:35:22And he plays with that confidence, too.
00:35:25The quickness that he gets the shots off with as well.
00:35:28I think he has the mental edge on his teammates of knowledge, angles, quickness, a rhythm that usually you look
00:35:36at a team and you're like, okay, I figured out what this guy does.
00:35:39Always seems like he has another card to play.
00:35:41And I think those are the things that have contributed to his building confidence.
00:35:45And now what he stands for, which is an elite player, the conversation of where he ranks all-time best
00:35:51Knicks is wonderful.
00:35:52I think it changes to a different level when you get to the finals.
00:35:56I mean, it's hard for me to get past Clyde for what he did over the 70s.
00:36:01But you have to remember, most of the people who are arguing these debates didn't see these guys play.
00:36:05So how stupid is that conversation, right?
00:36:08I mean, you know, it's not like you've gone back for years and years and watched Walt Clyde Frazier on
00:36:14YouTube.
00:36:14It was just the start of my basketball life.
00:36:16And I was a young kid, but still appreciated what Clyde was and what he did and what he meant
00:36:21to those championship teams and the Knicks.
00:36:23I mean, we've got people who are 35 years old having this debate about if Clyde or Willis Reed were
00:36:28the better Knicks over Jalen Bray.
00:36:30You didn't see him play for a second.
00:36:31You have no concept of any of that.
00:36:33I'm not saying that you're wrong.
00:36:35I'm just saying that you just don't have the evidence that other people have.
00:36:40And it's why it becomes great debate, but an unanswerable, circular conversation.
00:36:45They belong in that group of elite Knicks who, at the end of the day, if you put that banner
00:36:50up, it changes the conversation.
00:36:52And Jalen's got a great chance with his team to help put another banner up in that spot of the
00:36:57garden.
00:36:57But even referencing those teams, Mike, I'm fascinated to get your take on the ambiance in MSG.
00:37:02I mean, Mike, you've been around in all these venues, special venues for all the games you've called for ABC,
00:37:12ESPN, and now for NBC.
00:37:13The finals, especially if the Knicks take one game at least in San Antonio.
00:37:19What do you think that building's going to be like with a realistic chance?
00:37:24Game three in New York with an opportunity for the Knicks to take a lead in the NBA finals?
00:37:30It'll be great.
00:37:32If it's 0-2, 2-0, or 1-1, it'll be great.
00:37:36And I think the why is multiple facets to that, Adam.
00:37:40First off, it's the only building of its kind left.
00:37:44Like, the other ones are gone.
00:37:46The Forum in L.A., the Stadium in Chicago, we understand why.
00:37:49But everybody who is great in basketball for the last six decades has played under that roof and on that
00:37:59floor.
00:38:00The floor itself has changed.
00:38:01The seating has changed.
00:38:02It used to be the blue seats at the upper deck of the garden, not the Chase Bridge and all
00:38:06this stuff.
00:38:07It has modernized the interior, but it's still above Penn Station.
00:38:11It's still under that roof.
00:38:13You still walk up the ramp to get into the building.
00:38:15And there's something cool to traverse the same steps and play under the same roof that all the guys going
00:38:23back to Oscar Robertson did and Jerry West.
00:38:25And these guys played in this version of Madison Square Garden.
00:38:28So there's some of that.
00:38:31Secondly, it's basketball has always been a New York game.
00:38:34You know, talk of Rucker Park, talk of the games played on concrete, behind metal fences, with metal backboards, rims
00:38:42that don't have baskets, steel chains on the baskets for Nets, right?
00:38:46Any of us who grew up in New York know that there's a certain authenticity to New York basketball and
00:38:51simplicity to it.
00:38:53Shirts and skins and all that stuff.
00:38:55Before tarps off, it was shirts and skins.
00:38:58All that stuff is part of the New York culture.
00:39:01And the Knicks were that team.
00:39:02Although the Nets had Dr. J, they played on Long Island when they were in the ABA, and then New
00:39:06Jersey, and they were never New York's team.
00:39:08So it was the city's game.
00:39:09The Knicks were their only team.
00:39:11It wasn't like the Yankees and the Mets, where they played in a few miles in outer boroughs.
00:39:15The Knicks have played all their games in that city, and they are New York's team to the core.
00:39:21So all of that as backdrop, on top of the fact that they had some awful teams.
00:39:27And they tried to throw so much money at the problem that it screwed them up.
00:39:31And credit to Leon Rose, World Wide West, and the guys who got in there and helped give the Knicks
00:39:36the direction that they have found to get to where they are again.
00:39:39And the fact that those fans came and watched awful basketball for many, many years.
00:39:44When they were bad, and I have Mike Breen, who is a great friend.
00:39:47And I'm so excited to have Mike get the opportunity as a lifelong New York basketball guy to get to
00:39:53call finals in the Garden.
00:39:54We're all happy for him and looking forward to listening.
00:39:58Mike would always share the anecdote of there'd be terrible teams in there, or terrible right-knick teams.
00:40:04But when the best players played, the Garden had a buzz to it.
00:40:08So the buzz comes legitimately.
00:40:10If the celebrities have changed to Timothee Chalamet now, right, and those folks.
00:40:15But you still have the guys who were there, like a Ben Stiller, who was back there in the late
00:40:1990s.
00:40:21There's a celebrity factor.
00:40:23There's the lighting effect at the Garden.
00:40:25They feel like they're on stage at the Garden.
00:40:28It's hard to see people sitting up in the stands at a Knicks game because of that lighting, the way
00:40:33that it all kind of works together in a city where the roots of the sport are genuine.
00:40:38And that adds to it.
00:40:40And to have Victor Wembenyama play his first finals game in that place, a place where greats like Jordan and
00:40:46Bird and all those other guys play playoff games, just adds to it.
00:40:49And just really be a wonderful thing for the NBA and a great thing for basketball globally as a whole.
00:40:56Without question.
00:40:56Give me the chills with that response.
00:40:58Now, before we let you go, obviously, you're the voice of Sunday Night Football on NBC.
00:41:02So, want to pick your brain quickly on a couple of monster moves in the NFL.
00:41:07First and foremost, Mike, Miles Garrett to the Rams?
00:41:12Are you kidding me?
00:41:14Arguably the best team in the NFL just picks up arguably the best defensive player, Mike, in the league.
00:41:19Yeah, I'm starting my vacation right about today.
00:41:23So, I'm just cleaning up in my office.
00:41:25And I'm watching the Women's World Series, the college softball, because we went to a game in Oklahoma City on
00:41:31Friday night before Game 7.
00:41:33And I'm watching, listening to our Syracuse pal Beth Mowens call the game.
00:41:38And I look at the bottom line and I see that jump up there and go, really?
00:41:42How unbelievable.
00:41:43So, it reminded me immediately of Super Bowl 56 season, which ended at SoFi five years ago.
00:41:50And that Rams team, if you remember, went all in.
00:41:52That was kind of their theme.
00:41:54And that was their message.
00:41:55And here they are going all in again.
00:41:57Get the defensive player of the year, a sack record setter.
00:42:00You lose a good young player, but they are all in for the moment.
00:42:03And we all know Les Snead's approach to draft picks, right?
00:42:07Yep.
00:42:07And how he has colorfully said that you don't need them.
00:42:12So, interestingly enough, this year, what do you want a draft pick for or draft capital for?
00:42:17You always want to have it so you can get the next quarterback.
00:42:21Because if you don't have one, you can't win.
00:42:23So, this year, they're up there in, well, I think 12 was the spot.
00:42:27I forget the exact number.
00:42:28And they take the quarterback of the future.
00:42:31So, now, you don't have that necessary concern of, can we get the draft capital of the picks to get
00:42:37that guy who's going to be there eventually to replace Matthew Stafford?
00:42:40They feel like they have him now in the building.
00:42:43So, you can take a 27 first-rounder and spin it off with a defensive player who you're replacing, certainly
00:42:50not like for like.
00:42:51But if in the years, Miles Garrett has a notch above an expectation and experience reversed.
00:42:57And they're giving up a really, really, really good player.
00:43:00Don't get me wrong.
00:43:01But you're adding a guy who you know has all that skill that can be the guy to do what
00:43:07Aaron Donald did the last drive of Super Bowl 56 when he just got to Joe Burrow play after play
00:43:13after play.
00:43:14They have that guy now.
00:43:15So, if everything else is in place, they've got an unquestioned finisher to repeat and rerun what they did five
00:43:22years ago.
00:43:23So, brilliant move on their part.
00:43:24Absolutely brilliant.
00:43:25And before we let you go, Jerry McNamara, of course, our new coach for Syracuse basketball.
00:43:30And listen, last time we spoke, you said, Adam, you got to get him on.
00:43:33I had him on my SiriusXM radio show.
00:43:35I heard him.
00:43:35It was, Mike, I'm ready to run through a wall right about now.
00:43:39And I'm not surprised.
00:43:40How great of a move is that for Orange?
00:43:42I love the Orange right there in the background.
00:43:45There we go.
00:43:45And actually, Adam, the frame next to it, I hate to direct you.
00:43:49If you guys take a full screen of me for a second, the one over it there, that is an
00:43:55original piece of the carrier dome roof.
00:43:59Wow.
00:43:59In that frame.
00:44:00So, there you go.
00:44:01With the dome, the days that that roof was up there above before it was no longer a Teflon roof
00:44:07that you have to use, as you know, hot water hoses and people up there to try to manually remove
00:44:13snow.
00:44:14So, the dome didn't deflate a la the Metrodome in Minneapolis, the same kind of dome and same kind of
00:44:18setup.
00:44:19And technology has changed the roof structure now.
00:44:21But, yeah, I mean, very excited, obviously, to have another Syracuse alum there who understands who is there and went
00:44:30away and really accomplished a lot in two years.
00:44:33Took Siena from four wins to 14 wins to 24 wins in the NCAA tournament and really gave Duke a
00:44:39heck of a game.
00:44:40It's such a different world now.
00:44:42It really is.
00:44:43It has changed so much in the last few years.
00:44:45And, you know, at a different time, we can have a different conversation.
00:44:48I think college sports is, like, running full speed into a brick wall.
00:44:52What's happening now in college sports is unsustainable, the cost of football and basketball.
00:44:58And part of what makes college sports great, two things.
00:45:02You went to the school.
00:45:03These guys are representing the school that many people went to.
00:45:06When you watch your alma mater play, they were in some of the classes.
00:45:09Maybe they weren't taking all of them, the most robust classes that you took.
00:45:13But they were part of the student body.
00:45:15And they knew the things that happened on campus.
00:45:17Now you've got, you know, mercenaries six-month stops in and out in all these sports.
00:45:21We've lost that piece of this.
00:45:23The other part that we've lost as well is the ability to build a program.
00:45:28Because guys change and change and change and look for different places.
00:45:32And I think Jerry, with his signings and NIL usage of his roster, roster construction,
00:45:38he's tried to get guys who will stay for a couple of years and tried to build something.
00:45:42It's going to be interesting to see if that can win out over time, over the, you know,
00:45:47everybody's a free agent.
00:45:48We'll just spin the wheel and get new guys.
00:45:50I'm happy Jerry's there.
00:45:51I'm happy, I think, Syracuse basketball, when it's good, it's better overall for the sport,
00:45:56for the ACC, for the Northeast as well.
00:45:59And I really have great confidence that he's going to be able to get this program going
00:46:03back in the right direction and be talking in March, especially with an expanded tournament
00:46:07field.
00:46:07It gives you more teams a chance to get in.
00:46:10And look, that's why it happened.
00:46:12Because if you get more teams in the mix, it allows the folks who are funding the NIL side
00:46:18to have a little more skin in the game.
00:46:20Okay, it wasn't a wasted season.
00:46:21We got to the NCAA tournament.
00:46:22It's really hard to fund seven, $8 million rosters and teams don't go to the tournament.
00:46:28It's hard to get all these teams in the ACC and the Big 12 and the other leagues, the
00:46:33Big East as well, to compete with what the SEC and the Big 10 are doing.
00:46:37And if we're not careful, we'll separate those teams.
00:46:40And it may be a fun little 40-team league, but it's not the national footprint.
00:46:44Because people in Arizona, Arizona State fans, Colorado fans, all across the Big 12 footprint,
00:46:50all across the ACC footprint, if the SEC and the Big 10 expand out to 20 each and go to
00:46:5540, you're going to get like 35 cities that don't give a damn about what's going on in
00:46:59college sports.
00:47:00So, and we have semi-pro sports.
00:47:02We have the G League, which is pro-minor league sports.
00:47:06We've got other, we don't need that.
00:47:09College has something special.
00:47:10And what they've done is they've eroded the special.
00:47:13And if somebody doesn't step up and take control of it, you're not going to have 70,
00:47:1880 schools and their alums and their student bodies feel like they're a part of what's
00:47:23going on.
00:47:24So, it's a huge next three to five years of college sports.
00:47:27I hope Syracuse can remain a significant front row player.
00:47:30And hires like Jerry McNamara and Fran Brown a couple of years ago is our best effort as
00:47:35a school to try to do that.
00:47:36Mike, you are the absolute best.
00:47:38And listen, you and Reggie and Jamal were incredible during the Western Conference Finals.
00:47:42But also, let's not bury the lead here, enjoy vacation.
00:47:46I mean, this run for you has been unbelievable with the football season and the Super Bowl
00:47:51and the Olympics and Team USA Hockey and the NBA back on NBC, which was incredible.
00:47:57So, really, bravo, congratulations, unbelievable job, just sensational run.
00:48:02And enjoy every second now of watching the finals and enjoy vacation.
00:48:07I will.
00:48:07There's a bunch of golf balls that take practice on it.
00:48:10And they will be having a very in-depth relationship with my six iron over the next couple of weeks.
00:48:15So, I look forward to that.
00:48:16Thanks, pal.
00:48:17We'll be listening to you along the way.
00:48:18Stay great.
00:48:18You got it.
00:48:19Mike Tirico, of course.
00:48:20He is the absolute best from NBC.
00:48:22And that was incredible.
00:48:24Now, let's shine on football here.
00:48:26And listen, we talked about it with Mike.
00:48:28Let's hit it home.
00:48:29This is a monster trade.
00:48:31I mean, you want to talk about one of those OMG wow moments and you can knock me over with
00:48:37a
00:48:37feather when our friend Adam Schefter from ESPN broke this story.
00:48:41This is the blockbuster of all blockbusters.
00:48:45The Rams, who were already the favorites in Vegas to win the Super Bowl, trade Jared Versus and trade a
00:48:54first-round pick for Miles Garrett.
00:48:57Miles Garrett!
00:48:59Are you kidding me?
00:49:00And the Rams were already the favorite and now the overwhelming favorites.
00:49:06This is what Les Snead does.
00:49:08This is why the Rams are absolutely, positively, without question, the best organization in the Big Four North American professional
00:49:16sports.
00:49:17Every single year, how do we win a championship?
00:49:20As Les Snead once said, F them picks.
00:49:23And they are going all in.
00:49:25What they did today, making this trade, they just traded for, let's be clear about it, the best defensive player
00:49:32in the NFL.
00:49:33They got, for this season, the single best defensive player on the already best roster in the National Football League.
00:49:41This is on the heels of, okay, JSN, Jackson Smith, and Jigba still running on Championship Sunday.
00:49:47That is what cost them against Seattle.
00:49:49So they go out and, bam, here's McDuffie, among the others, when you take a look at the defensive backfield
00:49:54and getting those additions.
00:49:56And now maybe it makes little sense with what they did with Simpson because you kind of get the sense
00:50:02that they tried to make that deal for A.J. Brown.
00:50:05Couldn't happen.
00:50:06So they go out now and they get their quarterback for the future.
00:50:09They get Trump McDuffie from Kansas City.
00:50:11They trade that end of the first round, first-round pick.
00:50:14They bring in more reinforcements.
00:50:15They have Matthew Stafford give him his contract extension.
00:50:19You know, Sean McVay, to me, is just as great as it gets as a head coach and a leader.
00:50:24And talked to him recently on my SiriusXM radio show, and he understands what's at stake, and he loves his
00:50:30team.
00:50:30And they're in it to win it.
00:50:32And we're talking about a Super Bowl that's going to be played literally in their stadium.
00:50:36And Matthew Stafford just came off the best season of his Hall of Fame career.
00:50:41Puka Nakua, Devontae Adams, great offensive line.
00:50:45They've got a two-headed monster running the football.
00:50:48They have three tight ends that Sean McVay told me he absolutely loves.
00:50:52Four tight ends after the draft.
00:50:54This team is a machine.
00:50:55And what I love about this for the fans of the Rams, they are all in always.
00:51:02They don't look at last year losing on Championship Sunday as a success.
00:51:07They view it as a disappointment.
00:51:09They lost to their rivals.
00:51:10They lost to Seattle.
00:51:12They didn't win in a game where they absolutely could have won and would have destroyed the New England Patriots
00:51:18on Super Bowl Sunday.
00:51:20They don't view that as a success.
00:51:21They view that as a waste of what could have been, should have been a championship roster.
00:51:27So I am just mesmerized by this.
00:51:30Look, this is a terrible deal for Cleveland.
00:51:34I mean, Versus is a hell of a player.
00:51:36Obviously, Cleveland still needs a quarterback.
00:51:38They're having a strong offseason in terms of the draft, and we can get into that.
00:51:43But you don't trade Myles Garrett and become a better team.
00:51:48You look at Myles Garrett to put him on a team that features the likes of Stafford and Adams and
00:51:57Puka Nakua and Sean McVay coaching them up.
00:52:00I mean, this is a group of all-stars.
00:52:03I mean, Myles Garrett is officially now, pound for pound, the best player on the L.A. Rams.
00:52:12Like, if we're doing a power rankings of ballplayers for the L.A. Rams, and they also know the deal
00:52:18in Los Angeles, they need to be dominant, they need to be relevant, they need to be a bonanza at
00:52:24the box office to get the entertainment dollar, this is an unbelievable trade.
00:52:29Congrats to the Rams, not only on winning the trade, I mean, this right here, there, you see Myles Garrett
00:52:35getting carried off, he's going to get carried off the field at so far after they win the Super Bowl.
00:52:40Congratulations to the L.A. Rams.
00:52:42They won the Super Bowl today.
00:52:44They won the Super Bowl today.
00:52:47That's the genius of this kind of trade if you're a fan of the L.A. Rams.
00:52:52My goodness.
00:52:55Oh, more NFL breaking news today.
00:52:57How about Odell Beckham Jr. joining the Giants?
00:53:01I mean, this is absolutely incredible.
00:53:03When you take a look at what, you know, the Giants were able to do, I'm just absolutely mesmerized by
00:53:09it, fascinated by it.
00:53:11The Giants made three moves today.
00:53:13Three moves today.
00:53:15They brought in Juju Smith-Schuster, they brought in Braxton Berrios, and they brought in Odell Beckham Jr.
00:53:21And of the three, Odell Beckham Jr. is the worst of them all.
00:53:25I mean, Odell Beckham Jr., I mean, honestly, this is amateur hour.
00:53:31I can at least wrap my brain around Berrios.
00:53:34I think that's a terrific, terrific move.
00:53:36Braxton Berrios, you know, former first-team, all-pro, special-teams ballplayer.
00:53:41But, I mean, we're showing Odell with Ben McAdoo and Eli Manik.
00:53:46We went nuts when this was a rumor that Odell Beckham Jr. was going to rejoin the Giants.
00:53:52This is terrible.
00:53:54I mean, this is nonsensical.
00:53:56Odell Beckham Jr. makes absolutely positively no sense for the Giants.
00:54:02So, let me do some quick math for you.
00:54:04Hold on.
00:54:04I just want to carry the one.
00:54:07Zero.
00:54:07He had zero catches last year.
00:54:09Zero catches.
00:54:10Why would you bring in Odell Beckham Jr.?
00:54:13The Giants who already, with everything going on, lead the league in noise.
00:54:20I mean, Friday after we signed off the air, you have Dart and Carter and everyone else.
00:54:25They have to chime in on Jackson Dart introducing President Trump.
00:54:29And you're bringing in Odell?
00:54:30I mean, who leads the league in noise and nonsense?
00:54:35Please.
00:54:35Odell Beckham Jr. makes absolutely no sense to bring him in.
00:54:39You know, he played a couple of years ago in Miami.
00:54:42He, you know, had a couple of catches.
00:54:44And I don't want to hear that, you know, at the end of the day, Harbaugh had him in Baltimore.
00:54:49First of all, we're talking about, you know, three years ago.
00:54:53We've got to go back to 2023.
00:54:55And he had 30 catches and 500 yards.
00:54:59So, this makes no sense.
00:55:01Not to mention, and I get it, Malik Nabors, who was, you know, trying to play dodgeball
00:55:06and didn't exactly look agile doing it.
00:55:09And, you know, it makes you kind of wonder here if Neighbors is 100% and going to be ready
00:55:13for week number one against the Dallas Cowboys.
00:55:15I mean, that's, that's no good.
00:55:17He's moving all sorts of, you know, at a slow pace in Brian Burns' incredible celebrity
00:55:22charity softball game, but what are we doing here?
00:55:26What, what are we doing here?
00:55:28I just, I, look at him run.
00:55:30Look at him run.
00:55:31And, you know, you watch him run.
00:55:32You watch him throw a dodgeball.
00:55:34I mean, come on.
00:55:35And, and here's the point of the premise when it comes to Odell.
00:55:39They just drafted Malachi Fields.
00:55:41They signed Mooney.
00:55:42They signed Austin.
00:55:44All these guys.
00:55:45I'm a big Calvin Austin fan.
00:55:47I love Malachi Fields.
00:55:48I went nuts how great of a draft pick that was.
00:55:50These are the replacements if Malik Neighbors isn't ready.
00:55:54Barrios is going to make the roster.
00:55:55He's going to be on special teams.
00:55:57Juju Smith-Schuster, you know, you say Harbaugh knows Odell.
00:56:01Juju just played in Matt Nagy's offense in Kansas City.
00:56:05So there's real familiarity if you're going to take a flyer on a veteran.
00:56:09I, I hate this.
00:56:11I hate this.
00:56:12There's just so much stuff when it comes to the Giants.
00:56:15I, I can't stand this.
00:56:17We went nuts as a first guest.
00:56:19Why even messing around?
00:56:21You're going to have all these, you know, Giants truthers on Odell going nuts.
00:56:25And, oh, it's great.
00:56:27He's back.
00:56:27I mean, what, what year is this?
00:56:29Is Eli Manning throwing him the ball?
00:56:31This is amateur hour.
00:56:33A terrible job by the Giants.
00:56:35All these good vibes that I had for the Giants when we had Peter Schrager on the show after
00:56:40the draft.
00:56:41They're all gone.
00:56:42Seriously.
00:56:43Yeah.
00:56:43You got the whole, everything going on with Carter and Dart.
00:56:46You have Malik Neighbors looks like me running to first base.
00:56:50Even Cam Scadaboo.
00:56:52I mean, and I can appreciate that Scadaboo is healthy, right?
00:56:57He's off injured.
00:56:58This is what we're doing here?
00:57:00Yeah.
00:57:01We're, we're doing back flips?
00:57:03Are you kidding me?
00:57:05Cam Scadaboo.
00:57:07Got a scout a clue.
00:57:08What, why are we doing this here?
00:57:10We're doing back flips.
00:57:12This guy can't stay on the field.
00:57:14And I love Scadaboo.
00:57:16What is going on here?
00:57:17Where's John Arbaugh?
00:57:19We've been talking about the adult in the room for a while.
00:57:22I, and I love that the Giants turned out for Brian Burns, you know, in my home county and
00:57:28Rockland County, New York.
00:57:30Beautiful stadium.
00:57:31I have Rockland Balders.
00:57:32Love it.
00:57:33Great charity.
00:57:34License plate guy.
00:57:35Everything with a cause.
00:57:37Phenomenal.
00:57:37But this was not good.
00:57:40Why are the Giants in the news for all the wrong reasons for the last week?
00:57:45Makes no sense.
00:57:47So all of those vibes and the positive momentum, gone.
00:57:51I don't need neighbors playing in the softball game.
00:57:54I don't need Scadaboo doing back flips.
00:57:56And I sure as hell don't need the Giants signing Odell Beckham Jr.
00:58:01Unless he's back for old-timers day, this makes no sense.
00:58:07Let's shine on baseball.
00:58:08Aaron Judge delivered a fiery dugout speech, challenging his sleeping team,
00:58:13sparking a historic 13-run third for the Yankees that helped them beat the A's.
00:58:18That was amazing.
00:58:19And Judge admittedly, he used a couple of choice words after a couple of hit list frames.
00:58:24Obviously, the Yankees needed this.
00:58:26And look at this legendary third inning.
00:58:29Honestly, you will never see something like this again.
00:58:33The Yankees take a series from the A's.
00:58:35And this third inning, obviously incredible.
00:58:38The L.A. Dodgers able to take a series from the Phillies over the weekend.
00:58:42And I thought yesterday was a big deal as they absolutely thumped the Philadelphia Phillies 9-1.
00:58:48Yamamoto 5-and-Chain, struck out 10.
00:58:51This was awesome and needed to happen for the Dodgers.
00:58:55On the heels of Tanner Scott, who I absolutely love, blowing that save on Saturday night.
00:59:02Would have been a disappointment for L.A. if they didn't win this series after beating Zach Wheeler on Friday
00:59:07night.
00:59:08This was a big deal.
00:59:09Well, hey, we made a big deal when the Braves marched into L.A. and beat the Dodgers.
00:59:15Since then, Dodgers go into Milwaukee, take a series, beat the Phillies at home.
00:59:20These are big deals here.
00:59:22I'll say it again.
00:59:22No one's beating the Dodgers.
00:59:24They're winning a championship.
00:59:25The Mets are streaking, riding a four-game winning streak fueled by Juan Soto, who is piping hot.
00:59:33Juan Soto doing Juan Soto things.
00:59:36And look at the last 10 games for Juan Soto.
00:59:38Seven homers, 13 RBI.
00:59:40He's on a 15-game on base streak.
00:59:43And listen, I give the Mets credit, a ton of credit.
00:59:47They finally climbed out of last place, able to sweep a bad baseball team.
00:59:51I don't want to be subject to hyperbole.
00:59:55I think this is the biggest week of the Mets season.
00:59:57Because they start a three-game series tonight against Seattle.
01:00:01And Seattle is hot right now.
01:00:03And I think Seattle is eventually going to make the playoffs with the division.
01:00:06They can certainly challenge the Yankees in the American League.
01:00:09After Seattle, they have the Padres.
01:00:11If they can take both these series, we'll give them all the props and flowers and change the tune on
01:00:17the Mets.
01:00:17Until I see them go on the road and beat Seattle and beat the San Diego Padres, I can't sit
01:00:25here and do anything but give credit.
01:00:26I'm not going to crown the Mets in any way, shape, or form.
01:00:29This just in, no one beats the Miz.
01:00:31How about Dick and Mizorowski?
01:00:33This guy has been a Cy Young favorite this year.
01:00:36And, you know, you look at what he did in May.
01:00:39Look at what Christopher Sanchez did in May.
01:00:41It's about as great as it gets.
01:00:42I mean, end the conversation for Cy Young with Otani and Skeens.
01:00:46And look at the historic May stats.
01:00:49Absolutely lights out.
01:00:50Absolutely incredible.
01:00:52He's the Miz.
01:00:53Nobody beats him.
01:00:54And the Brewers, now four and a half games up on the Cardinals when you look at the NL Central.
01:01:00But wait, there's more.
01:01:19This is a disgrace.
01:01:21It's an embarrassment.
01:01:22Honestly, as a Little League dad, as a human being, that makes me sick.
01:01:29And I love Little League.
01:01:31I love watching my son Theo play in Little League.
01:01:33He was involved in two unbelievable, pure, epic comebacks on Saturday morning and Sunday morning.
01:01:40And those are great parental moments.
01:01:43I still talk to my childhood friends about our Little League days, our Little League moments.
01:01:48It's what you always remember, and it stays with you.
01:01:52It's about as fun and as great as it gets.
01:01:55That video is everything wrong with you, sports.
01:01:58We have a parent, a coach in Oklahoma, suspended for life, the kid suspended for five years, takes a ball
01:02:06and throws it at the opposition's team.
01:02:10It's disgusting.
01:02:11It's despicable.
01:02:12It's a function of coaches and parents who have no idea what the hell this is all about.
01:02:17I live for Little League.
01:02:18I'm obsessed with Little League in a healthy way.
01:02:22It's fun.
01:02:22You win.
01:02:23You lose.
01:02:24You make sure, you know, you have big league chew and a hot dog after the game.
01:02:29I mean, what are we doing here?
01:02:31Take a chill.
01:02:32That was one of the worst, most despicable youth sports videos I've ever seen.
01:02:38I wish the kid would have been suspended even longer than five years because these parents and these coaches who
01:02:45get too amped up and too wound up,
01:02:48the way it just infests the brains of the kids and they don't have a chance.
01:02:54Maybe a kid might say if it's a lifetime ban, I'm not going to listen to my coach or my
01:02:59dad if they're telling me that I have to throw a baseball at the opposition's dugout.
01:03:05That was awful.
01:03:07Gross.
01:03:08It never has to be that way.
01:03:11That's the show.
01:03:12If you missed any portion of the show, do what I do and go to YouTube and just watch it
01:03:15over and over and over again.
01:03:17New York Post Sports YouTube page, California Post Sports YouTube page, and search Shine Time.
01:03:21See you tomorrow on Shine Time.
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