Hour 1: NBA Cup Final

Summary

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Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: NBA Cup Final (December 16, 2025)

Main Theme:
This episode centers on the buzz, controversies, and fan sentiment surrounding the NBA Cup Final—specifically as the New York Knicks prepare to face the San Antonio Spurs in Vegas. The trio explores what the new in-season tournament means for fans, teams, league culture, and the NBA’s legacy. Listeners' calls contribute passionate viewpoints on whether this trophy matters, and the hosts debate the Cup’s place in the Knicks’ storied history.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Oddity of Needing to “Sell” the NBA Cup (00:50–03:12)

• Don La Greca kicks off, questioning why media and hosts have to “talk up” the NBA Cup, noting how unusual it feels to promote its importance when, by traditional standards, only the main NBA championship feels consequential in New York.
  • Quote: “It is odd that you have to talk this up... We live in this world now where it’s championship or bust. Like nothing else matters.” [01:20 – Don]

Is the Risk Worth It? What Really Matters? (03:12–04:26)

• Alan Hahn muses on typical Knicks storylines—winning, losing, injuries—and suggests the “only thing” to be worried about is a key player getting hurt.
  • Stresses that win or lose, it won’t alter the Knicks’ regular season record or streaks.
  • Analogizes the Cup to high school holiday tournaments and European soccer traditions, where midseason trophies matter to those involved.
  • Quote: “If you’re a fan of your team, you care about this game tonight, because it’s the culmination of a bunch of games…” [04:10 – Alan]

Perspective: NBA Cup as the Next “Super Bowl?” (06:49–09:48)

• Don reflects on the early “irrelevance” of the first Super Bowl and how it eventually grew in prestige—drawing a line between that mysterious start and the NBA Cup’s current status.
  • Quote: “Could it grow into something bigger?... Why not have your name listed among the champions? Why not go out there and win the damn game?” [08:47 – Don]
  • Alan and Don debate whether the Cup could ever develop into a significant achievement or always feel “contrived.”

Who Should Care? The Money Incentive Debate (09:48–11:27)

• Hahn and La Greca argue that motivation for players isn’t just money, it's competitive ego—even a $20 side-bet can set off fierce competition.
  • Quote: “It’s the ego: ‘I beat you and I got your money.’ That’s all it is.” [10:11 – Alan]
  • They discuss ideas for involving fans directly, to make the Cup more resonant with the broader fan base.

What Would Make Fans Invested? (11:27–13:06)

• Discussion returns to the importance of optics: if players are motivated and the game feels intense, fans will buy in.
• Both hosts agree it’s natural for fans to live somewhere between casual interest and do-or-die investment; the Cup is fun, but not heartbreaking.

To Banner or Not to Banner: Where Does the Cup Hang? (13:36–17:41)

• Controversy about whether the Knicks should hang an NBA Cup banner if they win:
  • Not mandated by the league, but “strongly suggested.”
  • Alan reveals that the Lakers were the first to put up such a banner, and it raised eyebrows.
  • La Greca: “If I’m an owner... I’d probably say, ‘Yeah, I want it up... Do I want it next to 73? Probably not, but I want it somewhere.’” [15:18 – Don]
  • Anecdotes about other minor or quirky banners in arenas, from attendance records to music acts.

The Cup Final Matchup: Compelling But Not Historic (17:41–19:24)

• Conversation pivots to the actual game:
  • Wembanyama is “probably not going to start again,” still recovering from a calf strain.
  • Brunson vs. Wemby as an intriguing storyline: “He’s 7’4”, and then there’s Jalen Brunson, who’s 6’1”, and he’s great. Don’t you find that to be a compelling matchup?” [18:37 – Alan]
  • New York vs. San Antonio brings 1999 Finals memories.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Don (on the origins of the Super Bowl and connection to the NBA Cup):
  “In the very beginning... the Super Bowl was like the NFL team was like, we already won our championship. This is some sort of an exhibition. And then it grew into becoming... Is it possible that, because we're only in the third year of this, that, hey, this could still age well...?” [07:15–08:47]

• Alan (on fan attitude):
  “If you’re treating this like an actual championship, then I think something’s wrong with you. If you’re hate-watching or not going to watch at all, then I’d have to question how big a fan you are. Somewhere in between is the answer.” [12:53]

• Alan (on the banner debate):
  “The team could certainly do it [hang a banner], and they could also choose to just hang it in their training facility. They don’t have to put it in the arena if they don’t want.” [14:44]

• Don (encouraging perspective):
  “Why not win it? You come this far, why not take it?” [13:36]

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Listener Calls: Knicks Fans Sound Off (26:13–53:27)

Excited but Measured (26:13–28:34)

• Caller: Column (Bronx)
  • Diehard Knicks fan, supportive of the Cup because it’s “an extra game to watch the Knicks” without the agony of a loss that truly counts.
  • Alan: “This is one of those rare occasions that during the regular season the Knicks can lose and... you can only win. Because if they win, you feel great, and if they lose, you’re like, whatever.” [27:12]

Spurs Breakdown & Coaching Talk (28:39–30:59)

• Caller: Spike
  • Offers scouting on the Spurs, drawing analogies to legends and emphasizing the value of tough competition.

Hesitant Buy-In and Ideas for the Tournament (31:37–34:44)

• Caller: Javier
  • Previously “ho-hum,” but finds himself getting excited—calls the Cup Final “gravy.”
  • Suggests the NBA shift the Cup Final to international sites for greater appeal and considers a draft pick incentive could give franchises tangible stakes.
  • Alan and Don approve; discuss the viability and logistical challenge of European finals.

Cup Confidence and the Value of Winning (35:10–38:08)

• Karl-Anthony Towns Soundbite
  “I think the cup is big for us just for the energy it brings to our team... There’s nothing better than the belief when you know you could do something.” [35:15–35:43, paraphrasing a Knicks player’s mindset]

Skepticism and the Hater Viewpoint (51:15–53:26)

• John (Producer/Panelist) confesses he would rather not see the Knicks win—doesn’t want the Cup to be “the first championship” he personally witnesses as a fan.
  • “I can’t have that be the first championship I see. I know. I saw the Rangers in ‘94... I don’t need an NBA Cup to be the one.” [51:34]

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Other Topics & Lighter Segments

Arena Banners—What Counts? (16:15–17:41)

• Insightful, humorous look at what teams choose to celebrate: from “attendance champions” to music acts’ sell-out streaks.

Musical Tastes & Off-Topic Banter (42:41–47:01)

• Don and Alan surprise one another with their eclectic music favorites, breaking down stereotypes about their on-air personas and musical tastes.

Wild Trade Proposals (47:03–50:12)

• A listener proposes an ultra-complicated blockbuster trade involving Giannis and others, drawing laughs and gentle rebuffs for its over-the-top complexity.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:50–03:12: Introduction — Why does the NBA Cup need “selling”?
• 04:26–06:49: Explaining in-season tournaments from a fan/player perspective.
• 07:08–09:48: Comparable history—Early Super Bowls and what grows into tradition.
• 11:27–13:06: What would make fans care? Money, ego, and incentives.
• 13:36–17:41: Banner controversy—does an NBA Cup deserve to hang in the Garden?
• 17:49–19:24: Cup Final matchup breakdown: Wemby vs. Brunson, NY vs. San Antonio.
• 26:13–28:34: First listener call—true fans just want an extra Knicks game.
• 31:37–34:44: Suggestion: Move the Cup overseas, add a draft pick incentive.
• 35:10–35:47: Player perspectives—why winning matters in any context.
• 51:15–53:26: The “hate-watching” Knicks fan—why some root against the Cup.

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Original Tone & Takeaways

• The hosts blend skepticism with open-mindedness, acknowledging fans’ confusion or apathy while also gently encouraging them to just “enjoy the ride.”
• The Cup’s meaning is in the eye of the beholder—diehards will celebrate, cynics will scoff, but as Alan puts it:
  “If you’re a fan of a team and they're playing another team and the game is, there’s a score and something on the line, you want your team to win. It matters.” [39:21]

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This episode rubs up against New York’s all-or-nothing sports culture while poking fun at its own contradictions—embracing the NBA Cup as both a “meaningless” novelty and a “why-not-win?” moment in an 82-game grind.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[C]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

Sauce was everywhere. And Rosenberg, if you want to stay.

[B]

Up, he's got the energy that matters. This isn't North Dakota, this is New York.

[A]

This is Don, Han and Rosenberg.

[C]

The best threesome I've ever heard on.

[A]

ESPN New York and streaming live on YouTube.

[B]

3 o' clock in the big city. Don Hahn and Rosenberg thorough frontal today. We're with you until 7 o'. Clock. No pet, but Alan and I will hold down the fort until 7 o'. Clock. Then it's Ty Butler leading you in to our coverage of the NBA cup championship game from Vegas, Knicks and the Spurs. And it's just odd, just odd. Like, I'm driving in today and I listen to Michaels open.

[A]

Oh, no.

[B]

And he's trying to explain to people why he's looking forward to this game. How great it's going to be. Wemby versus Brunson. Knicks have a chance to win the third ever NBA Cup. Normally there wouldn't be a game today. And if there were a game, it would be a December regular season game. They would not have any kind of meeting. Now we've been given this gift of a championship. Not the championship, but a championship. And I, and I thought to myself, it is odd that you have to talk this up, right? Like, this is not, I think, how it was planned out to be. That in one of the cities that's participating in this game tonight, one of the hosts of the show where the team's game is gonna be on has to sell the audience about how important it is. But that's where we live. We live in this world now where it's championship or bust. Like nothing else matters.

[A]

Nope.

[B]

Tank to get the first overall pick so we can get the quarterback so we can win the championship. Forget these regular season games. Rest guys down the stretch. We don't want them getting hurt in meaningless games at the end of the year. We want them rested for the playoffs because it's all about a championship. And that's our mentality. So when you're given the gift of this mid season thing that I'm not telling you is the end all be all. But it's kind of a cool thing that I think you'd want to win. I'm arguing with people who don't care. I'm arguing with people that are actually rooting against the Knicks tonight. It is odd we touched on it a little bit yesterday, but I'm just wondering what the pulse is as we are now hours away from this game. Are you watching? Are you hate watching? Are you at the edge of your seat hoping they win the game? Are you chewing your nails down to the bone hoping somebody doesn't get hurt? I mean, what are your emotions going into this game tonight?

[A]

Yeah, I think the last part you said is something I was thinking about today when I was listening to that back and forth about, you know, like the winning and losing and what matters and what doesn't matter. And the idea of the Knicks winning, this would be so typical. Or the Knicks losing, this would be so typical, right? And I stopped and I said, no, no, no. The typical thing will be right. Someone gets hurt. And that's a. Nobody wants that. The league doesn't want. Like that's the scariest part. It hasn't happened and you don't expect it to. But that to me is the only thing that if you want to be negative about it, that's your concern because it doesn't count this game. The Knicks will go into this game 18 and 7, right? They will leave this game 18 and 7, regardless of a win or loss. Doesn't matter. They will go into the game Thursday in Indiana on a winning streak regardless of what happens tonight. Ok, so those are all the things that we know. But to have like this problem with it that I don't get. Do I love it? I'm not saying I love it. Am I like watching it like you said, am I at the edge of my seat and all if there's two minutes to go and it's a close game, my lean forward because it's a good game, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And there's something on the line. But am I going into with this great anticipation? Are there watch parties like and stuff like that? No, I'm just saying for people that don't get it, understand this. They've been doing this in Europe forever. Soccer and basketball, this happens all the time. They have these in the season, separate things that they play for, little trophies and little things to play for. And if you don't understand it, anybody that played high school basketball, you'll know what I'm talking about. This is the time of year, high school basketball. What do we have? Everybody. What do you remember when your non league schedule, before your league schedule really kicks in? What do we have? Christmas tournaments, holiday tournaments. We all do this. Four teams coast somewhere and four teams, they'll play each other on Friday night and on Sunday afternoon you'll play in the championship if you win on Friday night. And that's it. And you know what? You get a plaque? Do you get a banner? You get plaque? Doesn't matter. But you win. So where we're keeping score and at the end of this little thing, this little tournament, somebody's gonna be the winner and I'd like to win. So that's all that matters. If you are a fan of your team, you care about this game tonight because it's the culmination of a bunch of games that were played that lead to one team that didn't lose one team. And you want that to be your team. After that, we move back into the regular scheduled programming. That's it. So look at it that way. If your team is play. Do you remember the ECAC holiday festival? St. John's used to play all the time.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Did it matter? No, listen.

[A]

Yeah, but it mattered if they won, right?

[B]

That was the first time I did a television play by play.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

For the holiday festival, I did both games with a double header. I think it was.

[A]

Who was playing?

[B]

It was. It was Rutgers. I gotta look at this. Going back over a decade ago.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

And then St. John's would play Fordham.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It was always local. Rutgers played somebody like maybe Iona, something Wagner. And it was a double head. And you did both games. MSG had it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And it was fun. One time I did sidelines and Mike Graspino did the play by play. Crispin. And the next year I did the play by playing John Rothstein. Work with sidelines. And it was a lot of fun.

[A]

So just think of it that way.

[B]

Yeah. It's just that I'm gonna take. So I'm going to take you. I'm going to go there. All right, let's go. Because I remember my dad telling me about this and I looked it up today just to get through everything. This is very similar. Similar.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

To the very first Super Bowl. Okay. The very first super bowl was not called Super Bowl 1.

[A]

No.

[B]

It was called first world championship game, AFL versus NFL. And there were people, especially on the NFL side. Why are we playing this game? We just won our championship. Now I got to play this fuschese game against this yo yo league.

[A]

Fakako.

[B]

And then Green Bay goes in, say, okay, they wiped the floor with, with Kansas City. The next year, they wiped their floor with the Oakland Raiders. And then it became a thing when the jets won. And then it became the super bowl and all that.

[A]

Wasn't that the first one that was called Super Bowl? The third one.

[B]

The third one was called the Super Bowl. Right. So it wasn't a Super Bowl. And I, and I, and I, and I looked it up. The game was at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. There were 62,000 people there. So tons of empty seats.

[A]

Yeah, seats.

[B]

What it got. Oh, I think it's. I think it, I think it.

[A]

The Coliseum sat what, 90.

[B]

It holds over 93,000 people.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

How much it held in 1967? I'm sure it wasn't 62,000.

[A]

No. Yeah.

[B]

So there's a case. There's 30,000 empty seats at the building.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

The television audience for the game.

[A]

For.

[B]

Then, now it was on both CBS and NBC. So it got a monster number. A total of 51 million people watched, which, considering what ratings were back then, it's probably not that many people. Right. Because you could be the number one television show now 30 years ago to have gotten you canceled.

[A]

Right, right.

[B]

The numbers were different.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The point I'm making is, is that in the very beginning of the super bowl was like the NFL team was like, we already won our championship. This is some sort of an exhibition. And then it grew into becoming. I don't think the NBA cup is ever going to grow to that because it's never going to surpass what going to win a championship. Is it possible that because we're only in the third year of this, that, hey, this could still age well, and then 10, 15 years from now, this is something that's coveted. And you may look back and be one of those teams that won it as a big deal. Remember when the Green Bay packers walk off the field beating Kansas City? Like, all right, we already proved we were champion. We did it again. But now it's age to where that's bigger than their NFL championship because they won a Super bowl that wasn't even called the super bowl at the time. It's never going to get to that level. But could it grow into becoming something bigger? So why not have your name listed among the champions? Why not go out there and win the damn game? You got to play it. You're going to watch it because it's your favorite team. Why do we get so caught up in all of the conspiracy because that's how we are.

[A]

We are now because it's now. And as we were discussing ways to put the fans in it and make the fans care, because all anybody's pushing and I feel like now it's too me if I'm the league I don't love this, is that there's. Everything's about how much money the players are getting.

[B]

I don't like it either. Michael was talking about that too. Because that should not be the angle.

[A]

But it's becoming it because it's the. It's the only way you can prove that the players care. Why do they care? Well, the money's on the line. And then there's people who think a half a million dollars to somebody making 40 million a year is nothing. When I remind people it's not about how much, it's the fact that money's on the table. Because if you've ever been in these environments and I have a guy will put $20 down on the court in practice and say, I'll make five here before you make five, right? And then the guy puts his throws 20 down on the court. And you know that's like the most important five shots they're ever going to shoot that day. Because you know why? It's not about how much? It's the ego. I beat you and I got your money. That's all it is. So it's the same thing. If you ever been to the park and people are putting. If the. If NBA players could for one game bet on each other. I'm betting on me and I'm putting 500,000. I get 500,000 if I beat you. You don't think that now it matters. So that part is different than the players and how much money they get to have because they already have a ton of money. Why do they need more? That's just about ego. But I do agree, though, that in the future, the NBA does have to consider. How does the. How do you get fans to care more?

[B]

Right.

[A]

Is do what we talked about yesterday. Do some incentive so fans are invested in this thing and they benefit from it some way.

[B]

But, you know, if the players show like they care, fans will get caught up in it.

[A]

Well, they like to be entertaining.

[B]

That's why the four nations worked in hockey last year. Because you're seeing line brawls, you're seeing these guys blocking shots, killing themselves, representing their country. People get caught up in that.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

And if the players care now, maybe they care because they want to win the money or they want to win the cup, whatever. But if you watch the game tonight, you see the Knicks and the spurs busting, really wanting it, you'll get caught up in it. If you see them going through the motions, that's not happening. And they're taking Wemby out because he's on a minutes limit and the game doesn't matter, but he will be. Those are the things that are going to turn people off. But I think you're going to see two teams going at it, wanting to win. The commercial that they put out over the last couple of years where they're in the restaurants and they're all battling for the. That's what fans want to see. Not, hey, I got a chance to make a half a million dollars. Why not? Let's take what will be a meaningless game today and make it meaningful. But it's kind of fugazi, it's kind of contrived. We love sports because these guys are balling out. And if they're balling out tonight, you can get caught up in it. So let's see what they bring to the table. Let's see how bad. I'm not going to blame you for not caring again. I think your level of. I think if you're treating this like an actual championship, then I think something's wrong with you. If you're hate watching or not going to watch at all, then I'd have to question how big a fan you are. That somewhere in between is the answer of, hey, this would be kind of cool, but if we lose, am I going to lose sleep? Am I going to cry on my pillow? Am I going to call sick the next day to work? No, of course not.

[A]

No.

[B]

But you know what? Number 16th, we got a Nick game. It's the biggest game the Knicks have ever played on December 7th or 16th, right? It's the biggest game they'll ever play in the regular season.

[A]

All right?

[B]

And so, and you know, Nick fans are crazy, right? They love their team. And I've been saying it, I don't think you should go take the 7th Avenue tonight. And I don't think you should be, you know, burning jerseys if they lose. But you should just, hey, just have some fun with it, man. Why not win it? You come this far, why not take it?

[A]

Yeah. And that's all it's about. But it is odd and that's what you're expecting and that's all it should be about. And by the way, because I called the friend of mine in the league. Cause we've been talking about this and this notion about the banner. All right? The league does not mandate the banner in the arena. The Lakers put it up the first year, and that was the whole thing. We were there. I was there when they raised the banner or they revealed the banner, I should say, among the 17 that they'd already won.

[B]

And.

[A]

And I kind of like, you know, to some of their guys, I was like, like, what are you guys doing? Why would you hang this? And they were suggesting, you know, the league really wants this promoted as it. As meaningful. And hanging a banner shows that it's meaningful. But I wanted to make sure, because I said, like, there's actually some consternation here in New York about if the Knicks win this game, they're going to have to hang a banner next to the 1973 World Championship banner. And that will feel like, you know, something doesn't fit here, that doesn't belong there. And I was told, no, it is not. It's not mandated. The team could certainly do it, and they could also choose to just hang it in their training facility. They don't have to put it in.

[B]

The arena if they don't want, but, you know.

[A]

But it's probably the right thing to do.

[B]

It's not mandated. But if the commissioner of the NBA strongly suggests you probably want to do it. Right.

[A]

But here's the question, Don, again, remove the fan thinking and you be an owner or a team president. Does that banner represent anything to you?

[B]

Yeah, I think it represents something.

[A]

Success in some way, doesn't it? Yeah, that's all it is. It's success. We were the best at this in the NBA. Hang it.

[B]

Yeah, that's.

[A]

I think that's. Again, if I'm looking at it strictly from I'm an owner or I'm a president of basketball operations and we just accomplished something. I would probably say, no, I want it up. Do I want it next to 73? Probably not, but I want it somewhere.

[B]

It's not going to be as big as the championship banners. And there's not going to be, you know, a huge ceremony where they're bringing back the 94 team, they're bringing back the 99 team. The game's delayed an hour and a half because it's a big. No, no.

[A]

They're not doing the reunion of the 25. You're going to show.

[B]

You're going to show up to that game, and maybe the banner's already up, but it's going to be there right next to. If you go to the Rock, right. The Devils have the 87, 88 Patrick Division playoff jet because they win the Patrick, you know what. But they won like.

[A]

Or the Knicks have those.

[B]

The division champion championships or they throw up, you know, some. Some, you know, consecutive sellouts or whatever. The other Spanners.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, I was in Ottawa the other day and they got a bit. They. They retired Chris Neil's number. Chris Neal.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Just because he just beat people up for a decade. But that's what they want to do. They put the banner up. So what?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, I mean you got. What do you. What do you want to look at? I know they've got the pinwheel. They've actually have a very attractive roof compared to some places.

[A]

It is a place your eyes do.

[B]

Go catwalk or whatever. But take go. If you ever travel around and Alan and I are lucky enough to do it in the NHL and the NBA. Respectful that when you walk around the arenas and you look, take a look at the banners and see some of the banners, I'm like, yeah. Really?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That guy's numbers are tired.

[A]

How about attendance record?

[B]

Yeah, different. Different things.

[A]

Attendance, champions. I've seen that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I forget what arena it is, but there's like an attendance champion, meaning they had the most total audience of any.

[B]

Other team or the number of consecutive sellouts. You know, we've got. The Garden already's got a banner for Billy Joel for consecutive nights at the Garden.

[A]

That's another.

[B]

The consecutive sellouts for Harry Styles. And what's the other one? The one that Mike Brownshire loves and Bob, she's a fish. The Fish.

[A]

Oh, yes.

[B]

Yeah, that's the Baker's Dozen straight seller. Like take a look at some of the banners and it may not mean anything to somebody out of town, but. And maybe it won't mean anything to Nick fans, but it's going to be there. Yeah, right. Yeah.

[A]

So get over it. But they have to still win it. And I'll tell you what, one thing we just keep. We know we're not talking about this matchup. It's kind of compelling.

[B]

It is.

[A]

Now Wembanyama is probably not going to start again and he'll be in a minute's restriction because he have to be. He's by the way, calf strain he's coming back from. We all know when you hear calf strain, what do we all do?

[B]

Oh yeah.

[A]

Achilles and not that guy. So in a game that doesn't mean anything, you know, they're going to be extra cautious with him to make sure that he's fine. He looked pretty good against the Thunder, but. So there is opportunity here. But it is amazing when you think about it. He's 7 foot 4 or 5. I forget what the latest is because he continues to grow and he's great. And then there's Jalen Brunson, who's 61 and he's great. Don't you find that to be a compelling matchup? Right. So you have that. You have New York versus San Antonio, which is all go back to 99. And we remember that whole series and that whole story.

[B]

Oh, it should be fun. It's like there's a lot going on here. Listen, would it have been better if it were the Thunder? Because then you could really sell it as we feel. Because if the Knicks were playing the Thunder in a regular season matchup, it'd be a big deal because it's a test. So we did miss that. Did miss the boat just a little bit on that I agree. But it's still cool. But it depends on the circles you run in. James tweeted, I was just behind a school bus and a kid got off the bus wearing a Knicks sweatshirt. I'm sitting here driving my car in a Knicks T shirt. My sixth grader can't wait to watch the game tonight. I think this matters more than the talking heads. Admit I'm. That's good to hear. I want to hear that. That's why we're taking the calls. I'll be watching. Allen's going to be watching. I know Jacob's a big Nick fan. He's going to be watching. The Rangers are on. So Anthony's got a struggle. You know, the Rangers.

[A]

Can't miss.

[B]

Can't miss the Rangers. Yeah, listen, if you. Hey, listen, you just talked up Nick. Spurs because of 99. We got Rangers, Canucks, 94. Yeah, that's a face off.

[A]

You're going to lose. They bringing Richter back. What are we doing? That's right.

[B]

No, bring it.

[A]

Yeah, some of the forwards have them out on the.

[B]

You know, they're flying in Sergio Miso to represent the. The Canucks.

[A]

That's a. Well, Cooley was on the graphic today, but to my knowledge, I don't think he mispracticed. Strange. Pull that. That was phenomenal.

[B]

Sergio.

[A]

Mh. That's a good one.

[B]

You bring back Sergio Miso for Vancouver. I'm trying to think.

[A]

Trevor Linden.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Well, yeah. Trevor Lyndon boy played for both teams. Jeff Sanderson.

[A]

Jeff Sanderson. Good one.

[B]

Yeah. Pavel Bore. Who was there?

[A]

Who was their. Their Their tough guy. Yeah, they had.

[B]

Oh, they got, they got a.

[A]

Who was the one, though? They had one dude that was like a. A tough guy. The Canucks big dude.

[B]

And you know who their goaltender was, right?

[A]

Kirk McClain.

[B]

And that was one of the. That was the trivia question.

[A]

Devil goalie, right.

[B]

Well, that's because the trivia question for the Devil game was they had to go down to nine to get three former Devils. Of the top nine all time winners in Canucks history, three played for the Devils. Can you name the three? And two are easy because they're of recent vintage. But then the one that a lot of people wouldn't have gotten is Kirk McLean was drafted by the Devils and then ended up in Vancouver. The other ones, Markstrom won 99 games. And then Corey Schneider, who was a part of our broadcast, we got about Corey Schneider.

[A]

Okay, that's a good one.

[B]

Yeah, King Richard is also on that list of number one. But.

[A]

But I remember was up there, Richard Brodeur, 1980. Which one was that? That cup? 81. No, 82.

[B]

82.

[A]

82.

[B]

82.

[A]

That was sweet.

[B]

We bring this up because Anthony will be a little bit torn tonight. But. But the Ranger Canucks is at 7, so he'll be able to. You'll be done. And then by the time we get to the second half of the Nick game, the Rangers will all be done.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

They'll have their two points in their pocket. Right, Anthony? Two.

[A]

Look at him. Well, I hope so.

[B]

And second to back to backs. Tough, but you know, Vancouver's.

[A]

But again, it still is a bit of a measuring stick game because there's a sense that the west is the stronger conference. The spurs are a good team. Don't sleep on them. By the way, college basketball fan Stefan Castle, Yukon, he's really good. Second year, really good. And by the way, Dylan Harper, for you Rutgers fans, he's. He's up for rookie of the year. He's really talented and he's a big part of their early season success as well. So there's, you know, there's two guys locally that you should know about. And then Darren Fox used to play for Mike Brown in Sacramento. And so he's also said they got some really good guards. We only know Victor Wembanyama. That's all we know with the spurs, but there's more to that team. And those three guys I mentioned are a huge part of why they're a really good team this year. So it's going to be a fun game.

[B]

All right, your thoughts on it? What are you doing? How into it are you? 1-800-919. We got some baseball to talk about. Things heating up a little bit on the hot stove. We've got to talk about a Tuesday at 4:30. We've got ENN at 6. We've got a full show today right up until 7 o'. Clock. And Ty Butler, who's going to lead you in to the NBA cup championship game from Vegas, the Knicks and the spurs right here on ESPN New York. Hey guys, the holidays are here and I want to tell you about Amazon Pickup, the ultimate convenience play. We all know Amazon is part of everyday life, but Amazon Pickup takes it to the next level, especially during the holiday rush. If you're on the go like me, you could send your orders to a secure Amazon pickup location that works best for you. It's a great way to keep gifts a secret until it's time to wrap them. Life doesn't slow down this time of year. Amazon lockers and counters are located near you, so no matter where your day takes you, your package is ready when you are. For me, Amazon Pickup gives me the flexibility to grab gifts and packages on my schedule, whether it's on a quick lunchtime break, during my commute or while the baby naps. It's simple. Order online and at checkout. Just choose the pickup location that's most convenient. You'll get an email confirmation when it's.

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[A]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[B]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[A]

Catch this show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

Game Time is brought to you by Televardo Irish Whiskey because when it's game.

[A]

Time hour, it's time.

[B]

It's to time. Oh it's a busy night. We've been talking about it. The Knicks and the spurs from Vegas NBA cup finals coverage right here after Ty Butler on 8:80 at 8:00 Rangers host the Canucks. You can hear that game on 1050 at 6:30St. John's in DePaul. That game is going to be streamed on the ESPN New York app beginning at 6:40 and the Detroit Red Wings are facing off against the Islanders and that'll be at 7:00'. Clock. Tullimore Dew. The original triple distilled, triple blended and triple cast matured Irish whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tullamore Dew or try the new Tullamore Dew Honey during today's action glasses up to enjoying Tullamore Dew responsibly. So let's get to the busy phones and they are busy. Let's go to let's start off with column in the Bronx. You're on ESPN New York. What's up man?

[A]

Dub call Donald Hollywood hi.

[C]

What's going on? So the conversation you guys are having about the NBA cup in my opinion Alan, you know I am an absolute die hard Knicks fan and I wanted the Knicks to absolutely make the NBA cup because every single game is a regular season game leading up to it. And personally as a Knicks fan, I think the Knicks need to win every game as possible because I think they're a championship caliber team and you want an easy easier road. You don't want to have to face the Magic and the Pacers and maybe in round one to play like a six seed Celtics and have a tough. You want to have the easiest Road possible. So everything that mattered. But as a die hard Knicks fan, I'm looking at this game as simply as guess what? I get an extra. I get an extra game to watch the Knicks and that's all that matters. I get to watch the Knicks. It'll be a good game, it'll be exciting. I get to watch my team and I'm happy with that.

[A]

So how about doesn't mean anything, but I'm happy. How about this call? This is one of the rare occasions other than the preseason that you can watch the Knicks and if they lose, you don't care. If they win, you feel good, but you don't like the loss doesn't crush you. Is that fair? They lost, whatever. But like, when do you ever feel that way? Because I know Nick fans like every loss is almost like a personal attack, the way they feel it. And so this is one of those rare occasions that during the regular season the Knicks can lose. Like you can only win because if they win you feel great. And if they lose, you're like, whatever.

[B]

The cool thing about this column and thank you for the phone call, you'd be way more interested in this if the Knicks were not in the conversation with a championship.

[A]

Oh, I see what you're saying.

[B]

Like one of those 19 win Nick takes. Why wouldn't you have fun with it? But I think part of the reason you don't care is you've got bigger fish to frog. We understand that. But in the meantime, that's not till June. We got a lot of basketball. So up until then, you know you've got something to stick your teeth into. And I love Column's thought. I love the Knicks. I'm going to get 83 games instead of 82 games next year I'm going to get an extra game. There'd be no game tonight.

[A]

It's a good attitude.

[B]

And now you got a game. Spike and say Pete, you're on espn New York. What's up, man?

[A]

Hey, Spike.

[C]

Hey. This is wonderful. Now, first of all, I'm thinking of Greg Popovich. Greg Popovich brought two guys over. Alan, you're going to be right on with this. Kelvin Johnson was his favorite guy. He was the stabilizer when he brought him over and the draft pick where the San Francisco or Golden State dynasty started. Allen's always brought this up. Their highest draft pick was Harrison Barnes. He brought him over. Now they start Barnes, Castle, Vassal, Fox and Wemballagas the other starter, but he won't start tonight. It's very interesting to me because Vassal can really stick it. He's a 40% shooter out of Kentucky. Castle is a beast coming out of Yukon. He'll learn how to shoot a little better. Fox is. I used to think of Fox as d' Angelo Russell, but better now I think of them much better. When Biana said this the other day, Alan, you know my history and my buddy who played the ccny, he says, does he remind you of Chamberlain? I said, he sure does because Chamberlain was so much bigger. So he just made. Alan always used to say to me, Don on the side. He said he played against guys that work in the amt and I understand that. I do. But Chamberlain was a beast of an athlete. And when my honor reminded me of that. Mitchell Robinson the other night did what Bill Russell used to do. I know you didn't see him live. I did. He played volleyball with these offensive rebounds. It was unbelievable on the baseline. Alan, I'm sure you noticed it. The Nick rebounding better. Their differential is better. They're 10th best defensively now. They're second or third offensively. Three or four of their guys. My guy Deuce is out, but he'll be back and he's in his birth year rights. Remember that. Alan, you can explain that going forward. They got to sign him this year because he's cheap and he's a terrific defender. So I think this is great. And last comment. Thanks for the time. This coach Mitch Johnson is his name.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Unless. Unless the student manager Mark Danielle, who worked for Jim Calhoun. A lot of stories about him in the Hartford Current. You know, my basketball nut job, if. If Danielle doesn't win 75 games and this Mitch Johnson takes this team for 55 games. If we can play enough. I'm always worried about a big guy up in the air.

[A]

Coach of the year.

[C]

He could be coach of the year. Think about it.

[A]

I mean, there's a lot of guys that are certainly early in the season mistaken a claim. J.V. bickerstaff, like there's a. There's a lot of guys that are staking a claim. I think, you know, that's. I really. Actually, Mitch Johnson's a great story. Taking over for Pop. I've gotten to know him. He's great guy and understands like what he's doing where he is. Like, he's really appreciative, but he's also really smart and he handles players really well and that's a good team. And then Spike gave us a nice breakdown of the Spurs. Yeah, I know you wanted that. So there you go. Now when you watch Tonight you'll know more about the sports.

[B]

I got more of a scouting report than I was going to have. Javi and Brooke in Queen joining sp in New York.

[A]

What's up, Javier?

[C]

What's up, fellas? Shout out to Spike. Spike is such a great caller of your show. Love Spike.

[A]

Loves basketball.

[C]

Yeah, he truly does. So, Alan, you know, we talked last week about the cup and I was, I was pretty ho hum about it. You know, I, I was, I was, you know, comparing it more to like, you know, kind of preseason or wbc, but, but you got me there. Like, I hope it's okay to say this, but the Knicks in the NBA Cup Final, there's movement on my side of town. Movement over here for me.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I'm very excited for this game. I think it's great to watch. I think it's great to see them play up to competition. And I just, you know, I, I, it's, it's like gravy. Like if they lose the game, it doesn't really count for anything. But if they win a lot of glory and a couple of extra bucks for these. But I have a prediction and I have an idea for future Cups.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I don't think they're going to keep it in Vegas. Like especially how the, what's it called? The, the amount of people that went to the semifinal games was like, kind of embarrassing.

[A]

It's not good. No, they're going to go neutral site still, but they're going to do it, I think somewhere else, not Vegas.

[C]

I think they're going to go to Abu Dhabi or like Dubai for the final.

[A]

Since Emirates is all yesterday and you did.

[C]

Yeah, that's my, I, I think so. I think they're gonna go international with it and then you, you get a much bigger buy in. And I think a better reward than the money is like you add one pick to the first round. Like you give the NBA cup winner the 31st pick in the first round or you give them the first pick in the second round. Because I think those picks are actually very, very valuable. Even if it's the first pick in the second round, I think that there's a lot of value to that 32.

[A]

Instead of it just 31. Like you do something.

[C]

Exactly, Javi.

[A]

That's, it's not, it's not terrible. I mean, it does incentivize a little more. Players get money, coaches get money, but have it for the franchise. You earn like a pick 30, pick 31 suddenly is slotted in and the winner gets it. The runner up is going to want something. So maybe it's pick 31 and then pick 32 to the runner up or I don't know, something like that. Could you imagine though, if they did this, Don, where the semifinals are now on the higher seeds home court. Right. Whoever has the better record. And then the winners have to go to like either London or Paris. Like those are like the NBA goes to those cities they've been to. They've been to Milan, they've been to Abu Dhabi, obviously. Like, can you imagine if they just rotate it? You know, Adam Silver does have an NBA Europe in the back of his mind.

[B]

You know what? You can't schedule a game. Knicks Pacers in Indiana two days later, like they have right now. It's bad enough they're gonna have to hop on a plane after the game in Vegas and then go to Indy for the game Thursday.

[A]

So what if they do this but.

[B]

For the All Stars?

[A]

No, no, no. Well, I still say that's how they should have done it, but they're not. But could you see that? A rotating European cities hosting NBA cup championships, knowing you're going to get crowds, you're going to fill the place. You're selling the league in Europe where you're hoping to one day have your own version of the league there, which Adam has made. And what's the difference? What's the time difference?

[B]

Now? Time difference is not a big deal. The only reason I brought up Saudi Arabia is not the interest of the NBA going there. It's what if Saudi offer, you know, $3 billion, the UA, then you might have no choice but to just have to take it because there's so much money. Now. We talked about interest among the fans, but Karl Anthony Towns, there would be great value in the Knicks winning the NBA Cup. I think the cup is big for us just for the energy it brings to our team to have the opportunity.

[A]

One to win it.

[B]

And God blessed we are to win it, do our part. I think it brings great energy to.

[A]

The team, a great, great mojo.

[B]

It also brings that feeling of winning. You know, it's a.

[A]

No matter if it's a cup, NBA.

[B]

Finals, winning anything, winning any game, when you get that, that feeling of winning, it's addictive. And you know, obviously I want us to be. I want us to have that mindset where we're addicted to the next championship.

[A]

You know, if we could win this one.

[B]

So I think this is a great.

[A]

Start for us to understand the standards needed to win at a high level.

[B]

At a championship level. Also giving Us, that feeling of, you know, there's nothing more, there's nothing better.

[A]

Than the belief when you know you could do something.

[B]

And I think this will be a great start for us.

[A]

It's an interesting mindset if you think about it, right? It's like, let's see what we're about. Like, can we have that winning mindset? And then if we win this thing, how does it fuel us forward? Like, okay, like we have the confidence of, okay, we won something. Let's, let's do this again now. Let's work on some stuff over the next two, three months. And then we get to April. Now it's the grind. This is a short one.

[B]

It might be a contrived big game, but it's still a big game. And it's so rare that you get these opportunities. Coaches will come up with bullets and poured fodder to get you excited about a game. Or there's those measuring stick games we talked about last week where if they, when the Knicks go to okc, there's going to be that feeling of that if Detroit continues to play the way they're playing, there's going to be that feeling of, you know, there's a statement game or a measuring stick game. This seems a little artificial, but if you can make it into, hey, we've got this rare opportunity to win an in season tournament to show you that we can win a big game with a, with a national audience and take home something. How can that not be valuable to you when you're competing for the actual trophy in a few months?

[A]

Anybody that says that this is not interesting or a waste of time, anybody that's screaming that this is irrelevant and all that stuff, you're yelling that stuff right now into a microphone. You're being performative, you're not being substantive. Because this does have something. There's something to this. If you've ever played a sport in your life, you understand that I'm winning something from this. Whether it's a stupid plaque or trophy, whatever it is, if I can win something from this, I walk away with hardware and you don't. I'm competing, I'm going for it.

[B]

It was ridiculous. But remember Rex Ryan put Mark Sanchez back into the fourth quarter bowl preseason game because he wanted to win the damn Snoopy bowl, right? It was stupid. It was completely contrived. But he got caught up in it, right? And that was really meaningless. This has way more meaning than that. But these guys get competitive, they want to win it. They don't want somebody else Winning it at their expense, even if it is just a piece of tin, why would you want to play and have somebody else walk away with a trophy?

[A]

That's it.

[B]

Walk away with the case of beer. Walk away with your hundred bucks, whatever it is. When you're playing, why would you not want to win?

[A]

That's what sports is about. And if you don't. If you tell me, as a Knicks fan now, if you're not a Knicks fan, you're not a Knicks fan. All right. If you're an NBA fan and you don't. I get it. Because I don't know if I'd watch. If it wasn't like. I wouldn't watch it that intently if the Knicks weren't involved.

[B]

This will be my first time watching the championship.

[A]

You'll care because. Yeah, because the Knicks are involved. But I'm saying, if you're telling me, as a Knicks fan, you don't care, you have no emotion whatsoever. You're not a Knicks fan because you want to see, like, column just said, I just want to see my team play. And when they play, I want them to win. That's it. That's the only thing. There's nothing more to it. Don't overthink it.

[B]

If TNT didn't have the Devil's Golden Knights game tomorrow, seriously, I would be going to Vegas. I probably would. Maybe. I. If I were there, I would be going to this game. I thought you meant I would be attending this game.

[A]

I thought you meant you're right. You'd be there.

[B]

Yeah, I don't think about that. If I left with the team, they left, you know, earlier today, I'd be in time. I would definitely go.

[A]

We could have done that.

[B]

And apparently, from what they're telling me, there might be tickets available. No, but I would. I would get the.

[A]

We could.

[B]

We could.

[A]

I just thought of this. We could have done this. I could have met you there. We could have gone to the game and I could have come back.

[B]

Yeah, we could have done the show.

[A]

We could have done the show.

[B]

There's plenty of flies have been amazing.

[A]

Oh, well. But that's all I'm saying. I defy anybody. There was somebody on Twitter that was arguing that this is irrelevant and he's sick of hearing about the money and the players shouldn't have to be motivated by money. And I said, please call in, because I want you to make that point, because I don't understand that if you're a fan of a team and they're playing another team and the game is there's a score and something on the line. You want your team to win. It matters. And if you don't want to watch it. Cause it's on Amazon Prime. Michael said this on his show, and I thought it was brilliant. How many people do you think in the world, never mind in New York, have Amazon delivery at their house? Prime?

[B]

Almost everybody.

[A]

It feels like everybody.

[B]

You have it.

[A]

So that means you have Amazon Prime. I mean, you can watch it.

[B]

I know, but there's a stigma to apps to a certain demographic.

[A]

I'm sorry, what else is going on tonight? That's right. The Rangers are playing.

[B]

Yeah, that's gonna knock Anthony out of the box. The first.

[A]

But you can catch the second half out.

[B]

But there's a lot of other things going on there.

[A]

But.

[B]

But people do get down on the app thing, right? Because you have. Because again, you just said it.

[A]

How down are they on Thursday Night Football? You're a Jets fan or Giants fan. Your team is garbage. Thursday night, though.

[B]

I don't hear.

[A]

I'm sitting front and center.

[B]

Complain, but everybody. But I'm not watching this. Yankee fans complain and yet they still get packages delivered negative 20 games on this. You got it. Oh, but I'm not watching. But you have it.

[A]

Give me a break.

[B]

Or you can listen right here. We got coverage.

[A]

We have Ty and Monica. You don't. You don't.

[B]

You don't have to. You don't have to watch. You can listen.

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[A]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[B]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[A]

Catch this show on whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Where do you stand on the little reo?

[B]

I'm a huge REO Speedwagon fan.

[A]

Huge.

[B]

I believe they should be in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. This is an amazing album. The album, my favorite name. You can tune a piano, but you can't tune a fish.

[A]

I can. I say that I'm a little surprised.

[B]

B. And you don't pay attention to what I say because I told you my favorite no Skip album is High Infidelity, Oreo Speedway.

[A]

No, no, I'm Away.

[B]

So if it's one of my favorite albums, I'm gonna be in on the band. Right? And this. This album's got this and Time for Me to Fly.

[A]

I love that song. Now, let me just backtrack. I'm not saying I've never heard you say it before. I've never said to you, though, in reaction that I'm. I am surprised. I've heard you talk about it, and every time I'm back in my mind, I'm like, it just doesn't seem like a fit for Don.

[B]

Why? What's my fit?

[A]

Well, you. You are way more eclectic than anybody gives you credit for.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Because you're known. You're known to be. Because your Persona is metal, but you're not. You've got a soft underbelly. Oh, and a soft overbelly.

[B]

I would say that my two, like, favorite albums of all time would be Rage Against Machines. First album, the Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel.

[A]

Yeah, they do talk about a contrast.

[B]

I. I think I told you. I was interning at Kroc in 1990, and Simon and Garfunkel were making a comeback. They were going to play for charity, I think, for the homeless at a Broadway theater. And this is 1990. So this is 35 years ago. I'm making no money interning at KRA Anthony.

[A]

35 years ago. Can you believe?

[B]

But I was able to. To get tickets because, you know, KROC was running a promotion.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And. But the ticket, One ticket was $100, and I was making no money, which is a lot living at home. And I made sure I found that hundred dollars because I was going to go and see Simon and Garfunkel live. And it was Nichols and May, the comedy team from the 60s. Elaine May, who made one of the worst movies of all time. Ishtar.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

And Mike Nichols, the Graduate. You know, Birdcage. They opened. It was one of the greatest things ever, you know, and that hundred dollars, I would have. You know, would have went with a drink, cigars back then. So, no, I'm very eclectic. I'm. I fight for metal like I fight for hockey because it's so disrespected and not mainstream.

[A]

I get it.

[B]

But I love. And I love REO Speedway. And I saw them live, and I wish I could remember his name. I give him a shout out at Bergen Pack, and one of the security guys was a fan of the K show and put me in the first row.

[A]

Nice.

[B]

And I got to see RSB Wagon, the first. So I. Thank you, Jacob. That was a nice.

[A]

But I like it. I just. Like I said, I just. It is. Sometimes it feels off brand until we get to know you, and then we realize, no, it's not. It's very much on brand.

[B]

So, yeah, I'm very, very. As are you.

[A]

Oh, it's.

[B]

I'm.

[A]

I'm all over the map.

[B]

If I like it, I listen to it.

[A]

I can't be pinned down unless I want to be.

[B]

Now, there's certain genres I like better than others, but if I like it, I like it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That's all.

[A]

See, to me, that's. That's music. You're not wrong, like, when people say, like, that sucks. No, you're not wrong to like what you like because it's how it appeals to you. Not. I have to force the music I like on someone else. It's everybody. It's an individual taste. So there's certain things that don't make sense. They don't. They're not a full line. But for you, it does.

[B]

Well, you know how politics are right now. All right.

[A]

I hate it all.

[B]

That's kind of the way music was when I was growing up. Oh, yeah, you were in the metal. Oh, you know David Bowie.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Fleetwood Mac. Oh, I can't like any of that. I'm a metal guy. It's got to be about metal.

[A]

Yeah, it's true.

[B]

And you got pigeonholed into only being in that genre of music.

[A]

You Weren't allowed to like anything else.

[B]

That would look weird. You're not living up to your reputation. If you were a Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden fan and you listen to Simon and Garfunkel, but you tell me not to do something, I'm gonna do it. Like, if you want me to do something right, tell me not to. Encourage me to do it. And then, then I'll be like, that bores me. Tell me, challenge me.

[A]

You can't.

[B]

You can't do that. And then I'll make it my life's work to do it.

[A]

Prove you wrong.

[B]

So that's just. I'm just that way. I'm. I'm that guy. But that's on Thursday today.

[A]

Yes, it's Tuesday.

[B]

Talk about it.

[A]

We talked about it a little bit. Yeah.

[B]

Let's go to NAS in Queens or any ESPN New York. What's up, Nas?

[A]

Hey, Nas.

[C]

Hey, what's up, guys? So for Knicks fans to like kind of look down on winning the cup, it's kind of crazy to me because we were. The Knicks were a laughingstock for a long time. And these are the things that help build the winning culture. Get some confidence going into the playoffs. And let's say we meet the spurs in the finals, which is, you know, a possibility. If we have this win over them, then in the Finals we'll have a mental edge over them, no matter how little that is. Like, I'm trying to take every advantage for the Knicks to win, because that's how much I care. But anyways, I wanted to ask you guys about a trade idea I had. I try to make it work with the money and the contracts. So tell me what you guys think. So the Knicks would trade Cat McBride Bridges five second round picks and two first round swaps to the Bucs. In return, the Knicks would get Giannis Kuzma and his contract Giannis brother. And to replace McBride, maybe they would pick up Chris Paul. And then the Bucks would also trade Evan Turner to the Brooklyn Nets.

[A]

Miles Turner.

[C]

The meter. I'm sorry, Miles Turner. And they would also get two first round picks back for Evan Turner. And the Nets would also trade three first round picks and Cam Johnson to Memphis because I. The rumors are Memphis is trying to cut ties with John Morant.

[B]

So let's say this is sports.

[A]

This is so. So NAS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. It. That. That would, that'd be a record trip. Like that's all that. That's almost. Remember what I told everybody and thanks for the call. No, but remember when I told everybody that this is going to be an incredibly complicated trade to make. And during the regular season, it would be.

[B]

This is what I mean, that's, that's very complicated.

[A]

It's almost unnecessary. Unnecessarily complicated. So E for effort, though.

[B]

I, that's a lot, man. You wrote it all down.

[A]

I was trying to keep, I was trying to keep up, but once he got to John Moran, I was like, okay, I'm done. Like that. That's. We're going, we're all over the map. And he kept saying, Evan Turner. So Evan Turner is not in the league anymore. He said Cam Johnson. He said Cam Johnson. He was traded over to somebody you met, Cam Thomas. Yes, he did.

[B]

You know what? Just throw any names in there. It's not going to happen.

[A]

It's just, it feels when it becomes that complicated, you just stop yourself and go, there's no way this, anything in life.

[B]

If your head starts to hurt, you know what? Tap out.

[A]

Yeah, I don't know if I want to trade guys like Deuce and Bridges anyway, but. Okay.

[B]

Flavio in Brooklyn. You're on ESPN New York.

[C]

Hey, guys, he's on.

[B]

Hey, Alan, you got it.

[A]

You got a 12 player trade to offer to us here?

[C]

Well, I was thinking about a trade, but after that four, I was like, you know what?

[A]

Scratch that.

[B]

I'm not gonna even bother.

[C]

So I'd rather talk about the NBA Cup.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

So I was telling Anthony Buford that I heard on the podcast a couple days ago that John Winston was rooting against the Knicks. If he's a Knicks fan. And me personally, like, I could never root against the Knicks. I'm one of those people that I can't bet against my own team and there's no way that I would ever root against my own team.

[B]

And like, me and my buddies are.

[C]

Excited for the NBA cup because the way we look at it is like, it's kind of like, like in soccer, you know, this past year, I think was a crystal palace, another FA Cup. And I understand that a lot of people don't understand soccer in this country, but, you know, it's just something to look forward to, you know, like that.

[A]

That'S the, that's the genesis of all. You're absolutely right, Flavio. Meanwhile, we have, we have John Winthrop here and we have not asked him.

[B]

No, if he will double down.

[A]

I, I, we want to know, why.

[C]

Would he double down?

[A]

Well, all right, Flavio, you're the one that called him out. So Flavio called you out, John, because the other Day we. You reveal that you don't want the Knicks to win this game. So do you still feel that way? Are you hate watching tonight because you don't want them to win?

[C]

I make the right decision.

[A]

No, I still do feel that way. I don't want to see them win. And whether they raise a banner or not, I. I can't have that be the first championship I see. I know. I saw the Rangers 94. None of my teams have ever won. I've been on this Earth for 43 years. I don't need an NBA cup to be the one. Well, it's meaningless in the standings. But it's not a championship. It's a. It's a tournament. I don't need to see like God forbid the ECA. People are dancing on 7th Avenue. Nobody's gonna dance. You don't know that. We did it after a first round playoff game.

[B]

But even that's bigger than that was five years ago.

[A]

They hadn't. They hadn't won a playoff series in eight years at that point. Like, that's different.

[B]

There wasn't even a cup back then.

[A]

I don't know. You said rooting against them. I don't know if I'll be rooting against them. But you said I don't want to see them not win. You'd rather. I don't want to see a banner in the Garden that says we were the NBA cup champs. So tonight you really don't lose. If they win, you're like, all right. But if they lose, you're like, I don't want them to win anyway. So that's great. You have no negative tonight. You're always. You're going to be happy either way. Yes. And if they do win, put that banner next to Billy Joel's sellouts or whatever that. Whatever that banner is that says number of Straight Garden concerts. I agree. You can't hang next to 73. What if I was next to Atlantic Division champions 2013. That's still in that same row. But you don't want anywhere in the hallway near. Near like one of the Chase. Chase. Like concession stands. We should put it in the. In our suite. Suite 57. Hanging right there in. In 2025. They're the NBA cup champs.

[B]

So I see.

[A]

All right, so you're staying with this. You really don't want to see them win tonight. I tell you what. If it was the Thunder that won, I probably would have in the moment been rooting for the. Because I do think it's going to be the Thunder Okay. Come June, the team that has to be beat. And I would have said, like, you know, let's see how we stack up. But now. All right.

[B]

All right, John.

[A]

He's on the record. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made. I just want to know. It's good. Hear more of Don, Al, Alan and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.