
Hoop Collective: Cavs Ready For Finals Contention? + NBA Players & Soccer With Larry Nance Jr.
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Hello, welcome to Collective Podcast. We talk about the NBA which we are doing moments after Leeds United beat Everton 10 in the Premier League opener for them, which I will explain to you in just a moment. But first off, joining us, joining us from New Jersey is Tim Bontemps.
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Hello everybody.
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Joining us from Dallas, Texas is band McMahon.
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Howdy partners.
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And now our special guest who is absolutely fired up. We are taping this like literally moments after Leeds United, the British soccer team just returning to the Premier League, the top league in, in England. Their opener was this day Monday is when we're, is when we're doing this. They played Everton in the first game. And yes, our guest is friend of the pod and Cleveland Cavaliers center forward Larry Nance Jr. But he's also a minority owner of Leeds United who. And he's just floating on air after watching Leeds pull out a victory with a penalty late in in regulation. Larry, you've won some big games in your career, but you are, your watch was just alerted you that you were working out. Like you were just on your couch.
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No, I'm sitting on my couch. And my Apple watch was alerting me that my rings were close to closing, which means the work almost complete, which is great for August, you know, August, you know, wherever we're at. So I got a good workout in just watching my team play. It was great.
B
Yeah, so we had to wait for after this, but I was a little bit worried. Like, you know, obviously it was a big day no matter what. Leeds is back in the, in the Premiership. And you know, for, you know, we talk about the NDA, but you know, I like to think that we have a cultured audience that understands, you know, international sport and certainly have a lot of overseas listeners. So they get like how big of a deal this is. And you've owned, you've been a part owner for like, is this your third.
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Season going on Third, Yes.
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So like you've watched the team rise up. Like, I mean, can you compare this to anything that you've done on the basketball court?
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Oh, man, I can't Compare this to anything basketball wise. Just because like, again, I, I'm good at basketball, right? I play it. That's the reason I play it. But like my true passion, like I really. If I could like take my talent from basketball and put it in another sport, I do it for soccer in a heartbeat. It's just been. It's just been one of the joys of my career, being able to watch this team go, just being able to be a part of it. Win and loss, it's. It's been. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
B
Excuse my ignorance, but how close was when Leeds qualified out of the Championship? So just to educate our fans, every year the Premier League is the top 20 teams in England. The bottom three teams get demoted, which would be actually amazing for the NBA. It's another topic for another day. And the top three teams in the. What's the second division, which is known as the championship, get promoted. How close did Leeds get? What was the drama like when you, when you got to give you a.
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Hint, Brian, this is where they finished.
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They finished first. So there wasn't drama.
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There was no drama. And we did it the best way possible. No drama going up as champs. We had a parade. It was beautiful. So.
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All right, that's great.
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Like this, man, really just almost cements that a little bit. Not only were they promoted, they, they were promoted by winning six. Nothing at home in the game. I, I understand we're in America, so I'm saying nothing, but that's a pretty, pretty, pretty relaxed way, I would say, to move up to the Premier League. No, we floated there. It was great.
B
And are you going to, you're going to go over pretty soon before the season and get to see them play in some Premier League games, right? Some matches?
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Oh, yeah. I mean, I go over after the end of my season and before the end of my season. So we're going, we're headed over November 30th. We'll catch them, catch them at home again. They play Newcastle.
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Oh, that's a tough. That's a tough one.
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Where'd the soccer fandom come from in general? Like, obviously your dad was an NBA player and you're an NBA player.
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Your dad was in the stock car racing. So I don't know where this soccer thing came from.
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Yeah, where did, where did the fandom come from? It was, it was actually basketball that was late in my life. I played soccer from the moment I could. My friends played. So as a kid, you know, that was what I wanted to do. And I played soccer for 15, 14 years of my life and then eventually got too big and they tried to put me in gold so I quit and decided to pick up the orange round.
B
Yeah. The area where you're from is just outside. Like you're just outside Akron now. Revere is known they have good soccer program.
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Yeah, very much so, yeah. While I was there, we went to states and won states a few times. So it was, it was something that I was, you know, itching to be a part of.
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But not for you.
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It was either between, between the goal posts or not at all. And I chose to pursue other things.
B
All right, well, you have a cool announcement that we're going to get to in a few minutes, but we have to talk about some NBA stuff first. You had, have you ever been a free agent?
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No.
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Before this year?
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No. No.
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So this was a new thing. You were an unrestricted free agent this season. And how did that first off, how did that play out? What was that experience like?
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I hated it. Really, really did not enjoy it. I like being employed. So do we employed, you know, no, it's, I like for me, I've always found one of the parts of my job that I enjoy the most is investing into the program, the organization, the community that I'm part of. And you know, I did that in Cleveland and I did that in New Orleans and I did that at the places that I've gotten to stay at multiple years and you know, so for me, being a free agent, knowing that like, well, I could might go back to Atlanta. I don't know. We'll see. It felt very like, it felt very like I didn't have much control over it at all and but I, I, it ended pretty well and I'm happy to be home back in Cleveland. It's, it's been great.
B
Yeah. From the moment you got traded out of Cleveland, I know you were interested in coming back, which I think that trade is that finally. Did they finally satisfy that trade? There was a first round pick in that deal. Did that's finally get satisfied bond temps. He was.
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Yes, I think, I think it has been okay.
B
So how much recruiting is going on for a player like you who has multiple options? And you know, there's certain things, there's other things that come into play besides money. Like how much were you hearing from like players and stuff trying to get you like, you know, that week in June, July, whatever it was. How, what was that know experience?
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A good amount. I was hearing from, you know, just a bunch of my friends in the league, like, hey, what's going on? You know, we could use somebody like you, stuff like that, you know. But for me, it was, it was, it was just a multifaceted decision. Yeah, obviously I took my wife. My wife and I have two kids, four and one. We, we def. We ideally would have wanted to raise them, you know, kind of on the east near my parents, so it's easy for them to, to see them. And my, you know, my brother and sister are here as well and, and, you know, and then, and then Roll comes into play and it was hard not to watch the past few years of the Cavs being in the playoffs. You know, being a Caps fan, you know, I, yeah, I said it time and time again. You know, when I'm on different teams, like, I would love for the cabs to go 80 and two, you know, just lose against whoever I'm playing for at the time. So being able to walk, you know, watching the past few years of the Cavs in the playoffs, it was hard not to kind of look at what I do and go like, man, it's seems like a pretty good puzzle piece fit here. And it's felt that way since I've got here. More Hoop Collective podcast after this as.
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Taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com just in case people don't know. Your dad played for the Cows for like 10 years. You grew up, you know, going to games where you live is basically down the road from where the Cavs used to play. Now it's an outs an empty field. You'd never know. You know, I always tell people, Larry, like if I took somebody who didn't know past the site of where the Richfield Coliseum was and said right over there in that field is where Michael Jordan hit one of the most famous shots in the history of the sport.
A
Whoa, why are we bringing up.
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Well, I'm just, you know, I'm just saying for the average. Not a good memory, remember. I understand. But just for the. Larry was probably like two when that happened.
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It was a pretty historical moment.
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I was just saying like if I said to you that this empty field, there's literally nothing there was one of the word of great you would like say you're out of your mind. But anyway, Larry is from there. So that's, you know, it's not, it's not like you're Leeds United fandom. You know, you're invested in the team. You're like, you know, you're invested in the Cavs. So when they came, obviously that was a factor. But you know, they needed some size and some versatility defensively. And so I assume that played into what the role you're talking about.
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Absolutely, it did. Absolutely. It is. Well, as, as well as my, you know, over the past few years I've really worked hard to develop my three point shot. And that's, that's really, you know, been a huge asset from my game over the past few years. So, you know, the front, their front court, you know, Evan and Jarrett are obviously all star, you know, super defensive player. They're awesome, you know, but the one thing that I really think that I can help them with is, you know, adding a player in the front court that can bring your big out, bring your big away from the rib a little bit, you know, stretch the court from the corners, stretch the court from the top of the key. Wherever I may be at, you know, at this point in my career, you really have to guard me from out there. So it'll be a new look for.
B
For Kenny to toy with 45% on threes last year. Mr. Nance, on three a game. That's not bad. That's not bad.
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We just got to get the sample size up now.
B
Well, three a game is still quite bad. I'm looking early in your career here, your first year you shot 10%. Your second year shot 27%. Third year shot 16. If I told you, you would, you would have been shooting three a game and making 45% seven or eight years ago. You'd have probably thought I was crazy. So. Well, I definitely got it going.
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I also got drafted as an undersized power forward, then started it at small forward for the Cavs, and now I'm a backup center. So the, the way the game's changed, everybody, versatility is the name of the game. And so again, trying to prolong this career and trying to, you know, squeeze every ounce of ability I've got out of myself, so I don't look back with any regrets. You know, I put a lot of work into my shot, and I'm very proud of that. You know, I'm very proud of the numbers I've been shooting. So, you know, hopefully I can just. That keeps translating here.
B
So obviously The Cavs had 60 wins last year where they had 62 wins, something like that.
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64. Who's counting?
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64. Well, I'm in trouble.
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So this, this guy, this guy definitely knows the exact number. There's nobody outside with the cab than the, the leader of Cav's corner right here.
B
Yeah, this guy was fired up 64.
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But we not, not enough in the playoffs for 64 with team.
B
True. So what about the Cavs are you excited about. I know you mentioned, you know, the other bigs you're going to be playing with. Obviously Donovan, first team all NBA this year. But, you know, you're kind of coming back to a team that you kind of help start the rebuild with.
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Yeah, no, I, I, I've always liked to take a little bit of credit for how the Cavs got here because, you know, like, trading me. Got you, Lowry. Trading Lowry. Got you, Don. So, you know, it's, it's a butterfly effect type of thing. Obviously kidding. But it's, it's great. I've been teammates with half these guys before, you know, obviously Jared Dean, Darius DeAndre. Coming from Atlanta, I'll get to team up with him again. So there are, there are so many, so many guys that I know and have relationships with in this locker room. So I think it's again, as well as just being, you know, the fit on the court, I think off the court will, will gel pretty well as well. New this group, obviously Larry has designs on breaking through in the playoffs. Right, like you guys did in 2018 after you got traded there mid season to Cleveland. From the outside looking in, you know what, what do you think has been the thing that's been missing the last year or two and Cavs have gotten to the second round and fallen short. What do you think between you and just internal growth and stuff you think can change to help get you guys where you want to go, which is all the way back to playing in June again? Well, it's tough, you know, that's, it's, it's hard to look at, look at the roster and go, hey, this, this is it. You know, because very rarely do you get a team in the NBA that just ascends straight to a championship. You know, we saw, okay, take their lumps. We saw Denver take their lumps. We saw Milwaukee take their lumps. All the teams that have, that have reached the upper, upper echelon didn't get there, you know, didn't get there on one try. So sure, the Cavs, they got to the second round, got to the second round again. So, you know, I think this, it feels like this team has paid their dues. It feels like these, they've taken their lumps and you know, there's, there's a few fortunate breaks. I, I would say you need a few fortunate breaks. You got to stay healthy. But other than that, outside of that, you know, I do think I can help with the playoff versatility. I do think I can help with spacing the court a little bit when, when, you know, when needed. And, and you know, it's, it's, it's an east that's looking awfully appetizing this year. So I'm really, really excited to. Really just excited to see where I fit in and play the role they need me to do. What do you think of what your former team, the Hawks, have done this summer? It has been a very interesting summer in Atlanta. No, it has. I, they're going to be good. You know, obviously I'm really excited for. Got tons of friends there. Obviously really excited to get Jalen Johnson back on the court. You know, he's just as exciting as it possibly gets. I've heard Zach Richache has grown a little bit and he's, he's so much.
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Like, like literally height wise, like gotten tal.
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I've, I've Heard he's put on some muscle this summer. That's what I, Yeah, I just. He just. Yeah, grow. I. He. He wore a size 18 shoe when I got there and that's. That tends that leads me to believe that he may have grown a little bit, but that's here nor there. Zach again put. Just putting on some weight. He's just everything that you want, you know, in a, in a, in a. In somebody in your locker room. So I'm really rooting for him. So many guys over there. So, you know, I hope they have, I hope they have a good year. Just not as good as us.
B
Right? Yeah. And getting poor Zingus. Obviously they retrofitted their big man spot so. But that was obviously a big going for it. So when you, you know, as you approach the season, like you know, the Cavs are going to be in a situation where regular season is only going to matter so much because they had. They succeeded everything in the regular season last year. You've been around, you've seen a lot of things. You know, have you been able to talk to much of your new teammates? Have you been able to get a feel for that mentality at all?
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A little bit. A little bit. Sorry, we've got background here.
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Leeds fan. That's the, that's the biggest Leeds fan in Summit county right there.
A
You know, obviously there's the, you know, we're all in same group chat whatnot, but it's, it's more so just you know, individual conversations about like again about the fit and about, you know, introducing me to like, hey, how Kenny likes to coach and, and you know, various ways that, you know, various holes that the team has been, that the team has, has had that, you know, that I can, that I can help fill again. This is a team that maybe I think I'm the only above 30 year old. Which feels bad to say.
B
Is that right?
A
Wow, that hurts. It hurts me to my core. But yeah, I think I'm the only guy above 30 at this point. And, and, and so, you know, with that comes, you know, some investment in guys like Tyrese Proctor, Craig Porter, Naquan Tomlin, Jalen Tyson, some of the younger guys, you know, just, just being, you know, be. Be being the old vet, just kind of showing them how to maintain professionalism and last in the league for a decade. You know, it's. It's not easy. So that's, that's what I'm going to be doing a lot of.
B
Well, that's interesting because that was the role that Alex Caruso had on the Thunder last year. He was the, the guy who came in and like looked around and all of a sudden was like two or three years older than everybody else. I think he was, he was definitely the only 30 year old. I know Ken.
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Kenrich Williams also turned 30, but they were, it was those two guys and then it was like a gap to everybody else. Well, well, anybody at this point, Anybody. If you were born like 1990, I would say 90, you officially get the name of Unk. That's. I'm not Larry. I'm not Nance.
B
Nothing.
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It's. That's what I've been for the last few years. And it just, it doesn't feel great.
B
Yeah. When you're the oldest player on the roster, can you go by the nickname AC Fresh? Like he's transitioned into Bald Mamba? I think because it's, it's a better nickname that AC Fresh doesn't quite.
A
I hadn't heard that one. I didn't know that was a thing.
B
I thought the Karush.
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I thought it was the Karusha. Yeah, I love when Case and Wallace at one point, I think it was pretty early in the season, said, yeah, I never had a bald teammate before.
B
Amazing.
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B
Well, the reason I bring up Caruso is that you have. This is. I think this is really cool. So, yes, you are one of the proprietors of Leeds United. You have a new podcast with men in blazers, which is basically the signature proper football American soccer podcast. Roger Bennett is one of the. The voices of it. And you've got a podcast with Roger Bennett and you. Is it launching later this week, Larry?
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I do. It is. It is. It's launching later this week. Tomorrow, I believe.
B
Okay.
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It's coming.
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Come out.
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Came out on Tuesday, I should say the 20th or 19th.
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And what's the name of it so people know what to look for?
A
The name of it is switch the play. And what we'll be doing is kind of, like you said, I'm just head over heels crazy for football soccer, if that's what you want to call it. But I've been that way over the last 10 or so years in the NBA. And just like we talked about, the game has gone through so many transitions. You know, some of the European influence that has really started to infiltrate locker rooms in the NBA is, like, made soccer a massive talking point. And there are so many guys that have picked their clubs and picked their favorite players that, you know, we're. We're constantly having conversations about laughing, joking, you know, making little, like, you know, making little, you know, side jokes and bets on. But, you know, and I'm really excited to explore that. So that's kind of what this podcast is about. Kind of exploring the parallels between the two games and. And how various, you know, NBA players got found in love with a different sport.
B
There's a number of NBA players who have interests in European clubs. Right. I think Kevin Durant recently took a position at PSG in Paris. I'm trying to think off top of my head, but I. I'm somebody who. I'm an Anglophile, and I've gotten into proper football over the last decade. Tottenham is, or should say spurs are my team. And they are one of the famously underachieving teams. It's very.
A
Oh, congratulations.
B
Yeah, they won. They won the Europa League last year as their first trophy. They won in 17 years. But anyway, their best player, Tories, well, arguably their best player tore his knee tendon in the preseason, and one of their most storied players just got sold off. So, you know, we're dealing with change. But Caruso is your first guest on the show that's coming up. Like, I Didn't know. Is he into soccer? I didn't know that.
A
He is. He is. That's one thing that. That really bonded us early on in our careers, you know, with that young Lakers team. You know, me, him, luol Dang. Were just fanatical over it. And so his love of Manchester City has been something that I've, you know, landed some playful jabs to him about throughout the career. And. And.
B
Did he just become a Man City fan, like, recently? Because if he did, I mean, here's the thing.
A
No hints. You'll find out on the pod.
B
Okay. All right. It's like. It's kind of like. It's kind of like starting to be an NBA fan, like, you know, in your 20s and then, you know, rooting for the Lakers is what that's kind of like.
A
That's. I mean, that's how I feel. But, you know, hey, now, before you.
B
Were a Leeds guy, were you. Were you Chelsea? I can't remember. Is that who you're a fan?
A
I. I did before I got ownership in leads. I was a. I was a bit of a Chelsea supporter. Got introduced to. I got introduced to European football by watching Samuel eto, my favorite player ever, Eden Hazard, you know, that. That. That specific team on FIFA was. Is kind of how I got introduced into it. And so, yeah, I started with Chelsea, but there's nothing. There is nothing Chelsea Blue in my house or in my life.
B
Right.
A
It is. We are. We are. Leads all the way. So how did. How the ownership possibility come up? I was going to say I was going to ask the same question. What was the process that got you actually to be part of the minority or the team which is owned by people that don't know that the group that owns the 49ers, I believe, are the majority owners of Leeds. Yes. So that actually, that actually came about. You know, I've been pretty outspoken about my passion for the sport and wanting to get involved more and, you know, so over the years, I've had a few opportunities to get involved in some different. Different teams and different. In different programs and what they're trying to do over there. And none of them necessarily, necessarily felt right, but this opportunity leads came up and actually TJ McConnell was kind of the. Was kind of the. The conduit for that. So shout out TJ Who. Spoiler alert. He'll also be on the pod.
B
Nice. I'm gonna. I'm gonna tune into that one.
A
But, you know, we. Me and my wife took a visit to Leeds and it just felt very Industrious and blue collar. The people were friendly, and it just felt like, man, this kind of feels like Midwest, you know, Midwest. Cleveland, Ohio. And it just felt a little bit more like home and felt like something that I could really get behind. And plus, the people that were in, you know, in charge of the project are. Did a really good job turning around the 49ers, and they're great people, so that it was a good, good group to get involved with.
B
Now, McConnell could have been a soccer player. They'd have let him keep playing.
A
He moves like a soccer player.
B
Yes, I've seen his contract. He's done just fine.
A
He's done just fine.
B
McConnell is quick in the same way.
A
That Nash is in that they. They move like soccer players, players. They change directions without slowing down. It. It's such a hard skill. And those guys over there, like, again, TJ's TJ as we speak. TJ's. TJ's grabbing pints over there right now. He's.
B
He was at the game.
A
Oh, wow, that's awesome. Too many pints. He might not be that quick anymore. I'm in the same division now, so have all the pints you want. I actually might build some money to buy him some more.
B
Well, that's. That's really cool that that worked out. So, yeah, I know there's a number of NBA players who are into it, so that's awesome. And I mean, I'm looking forward, you know. You know, Rog, the way Raj handles men and blazers, it's really, you know, aimed at American audience. It's. He's an edge. He tries to educate you. He really tries to have a lot of fun with it. I actually think that, like, while, you know, soccer coverage and the way the game is. Diet is, you know, digested in England is a little bit raw. It's not necessarily something that we'd want to emulate, obviously, but the way Roger celebrates the game is something that we could learn from, actually, I think with the NBA, because I do think there's a lot of the NBA that could be celebrated. And the other thing about. About soccer, Larry, is that there's the English fan, well, all soccer fans, but there's so much celebration and understanding by the fans and the nuance of the game, because there's not that much scoring. You have to celebrate and pay attention to the nuance of the game. And I think that that's something that, as I've watched more and more soccer and learned about, it has actually helped me with the way I watch Basketball, you know, when you go, you always appreciate a crowd. This happens in New York, but other places, too, when the fans appreciate a nuanced play. I feel like you're a guy who. There's a lot of nuance in your game, which I think maybe translates to it. But I think we could all benefit by having a little bit more enjoyment in the way that we consume basketball. That's just my crusade. I don't know if anybody's listening to me.
A
I. I could not agree anymore. You know, like you said, it's. It's all about. It's. It's, you know, the effort put in. You know, it's the effort play. It's about the. Hey, you know, this guy just. This guy just held. Just put his body on the line and sacrificed himself so that we could get. Retain the ball or retain possession. And so I do agree that a bit of NBA culture is our first. Our first thought is to detract for whatever reason. And that is something that. I think their European football has got it down. You know, their fan culture is tribal about their teams and their players. And, hey, if you're one of us, you're one of us, and we got your back. And I think that's one of the things that's just so special about it and why I fell in love with it.
B
Yeah, I've struggled to. There's a couple of people in my life who. They're very frustrated by the idea that the clock doesn't stop and that, you know, when the game, like I saw today, I didn't see. I saw there was seven minutes of stoppage time in this game today. You must have been living and dying with those seven minutes. And that's part of the game. And by the way, sometimes it's seven, sometimes it's seven and a half. Sometimes the referee. Sometimes the team is on, like, a run, and the referee will just let him have one last chance. And that, like, drives the American fan, who's used to, you know, football, where they do everything. Each second is valued. And, you know, your timeouts and getting out of bounds and spiking the ball, it doesn't compute. But it's the nuance of the game. Yeah, that's the nature of it. It is inexact and, you know, it's crazy. When I first started going to Premier League games, I've been to, like, a handful of games on tv. When you watch the game, they tell you there's so much stoppage time and they run the clock and you can see when you're at a Premier League game, they don't put stoppage time on the.
A
No, I have no idea.
B
You say up, there's seven more minutes, and you're like, has it. How many minutes has it been? Has it been 6? Has it been 8? Has it been 5? Like, you can feel attention in the crowd. It drives some people crazy, but I think it's part of what makes the game great. Can you imagine if it. Overtime was just like. Yeah, it's. It's something like five minutes, but we're not going to put it on the clock. We'll just let the referee blow his whistle.
A
Yeah, like, hey, like, the ball went out of bounds. There was a timeout that went a little bit longer, you know, so we had to clean a mess on the floor. So, like, there's five minutes in overtime, but, like, play an extra four. Ish. If you guys are attacking, you can keep. Keep going, but if not, we'll end it there, right?
B
If you've got the ball, you get one more shot. Who cares how much is on the clock? Who cares what your shot clock is? You just get one more shot.
A
Play to the. Play to the whistle, man. Play to the whistle, baby. It's the best sport in the world. It really is.
B
All right, well, we look forward to your season with the Cavs. You know, we'd be talking about the Cavs a little bit here on the collective. We look forward to your. Your podcast. If you've got nothing to listen to in an NBA fan, give it a try. And I predict if you listen to men in blazer stuff, you're going to like it. So I really made me excited that you were doing this, because I think. I'm not just saying it to sell it. I don't. Really doesn't. I don't have any skin in the game. This is a good fit. You and men in blazers. I was really excited when I heard about it, so good luck with that.
A
Thank you. Thank you. Me, too. No, that network is just so massive, and Raj does such a good job of. Of just making everything feel light and fun and. And jovial, and that's. That's. That's what this is about. It's. There's light and fun. You're going to hear a lot of laughs, a lot of stories told that you can only get. Only get here. You'll hear them in the locker room and on the podcast. So I'm really excited about it, and I just appreciate you guys having me on. Of course, man.
B
And. And bon temps McMahon. Just keep, keep in mind when you're talking about the Cavs this year, about our, our, our friend of the podcast here. Keep that in mind.
A
I'll be watching.
B
I get some crap from these guys about my interest in talking about the Cavs. Larry, it's no, we, we, we, we.
A
Give Brian a hard time for his fandom of the Cats. The only big difference of that, the only, the only thing we give you a hard time about is that Cavs dancer uniform is a, is a rough fit for you.
B
All right, thank you to Jackson, our producer, thank you to McMahon and Bon Temps, thank you to Larry Nance Jr. For joining us and good luck to leads in the Premier League season.
A
Am I giving an audio Amigos?
B
Yes, of course you are. Okay.
A
I wasn't sure how we're patching this together. You've seen the headlines, heard the debates. The three point ball has created a monotonous rhythm to the game.
B
And others has the three pointer ruined basketball? And how did we get here?
A
The rise of the three point shot.
B
Can be partially traced to an eccentric Kansas genius named Martin Manley, whose story didn't turn out quite the way he imagined.
A
I decided I wanted to have one of the most organized goodbyes in history.
B
30 for 30 podcast presents Chasing Basketball Heaven. Available now wherever you get your podcasts.
Date: August 22, 2025
Host: Brian Windhorst (B), with Tim Bontemps, Band McMahon, and guest Larry Nance Jr.
This episode blends basketball and soccer, spotlighting Cleveland Cavaliers big man and minority Leeds United owner Larry Nance Jr. Larry joins Windhorst and the crew just after Leeds’ dramatic win in their Premier League opener. The conversation explores NBA free agency, Cleveland’s playoff hopes, what Nance brings to the Cavs, and the deepening love affair many NBA players—including Nance—have with soccer. A particular highlight is Larry’s announcement of a new soccer-centric podcast with Men in Blazers.
[01:01-04:36]
Larry is “floating on air” after Leeds’ victory, describing the rush and pride of being not just a fan but a minority owner.
He compares the drama (or lack thereof) of Leeds’ promotion (“no drama going up as champs”) and shares the community feel and blue-collar identity of the club, likening it to his Cleveland roots.
Larry will travel to England for in-person matches during the NBA offseason.
[04:36-05:32]
[05:32-07:27]
[07:27-13:17]
[13:17-16:13]
[17:24-19:19]
[21:35-25:34]
[25:34-27:48]
[27:48-31:48]
[31:48-32:56]
| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |---|---|---| | 02:41 | “If I could take my talent from basketball and put it in another sport, I’d do it for soccer in a heartbeat.” | Larry Nance Jr. | | 05:53 | “I like being employed… I’ve always found one of the parts of my job that I enjoy the most is investing into the program, the organization, the community that I’m part of.” | Larry Nance Jr. | | 11:13 | “You really have to guard me from out there. So it’ll be a new look for [coach Kenny] to toy with.” | Larry Nance Jr. | | 14:45 | “…this team has paid their dues… I can help with playoff versatility… with spacing the court…” | Larry Nance Jr. | | 18:10 | “With that comes some investment in guys… just being the old vet, showing them how to maintain professionalism and last in the league for a decade.” | Larry Nance Jr. | | 22:23 | “This podcast is about exploring the parallels between the two games and how NBA players found love with a different sport.” | Larry Nance Jr. | | 29:22 | “Their fan culture is tribal about their teams… If you’re one of us, you’re one of us and we got your back…” | Larry Nance Jr. | | 31:04 | “You can feel the tension in the crowd. It drives some people crazy, but I think it’s part of what makes the game great.” | Brian Windhorst |
The episode is conversational, celebratory, and reflective, balancing humor and deep NBA insight with genuine soccer fandom.
End of Summary