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.

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.

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]

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]

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.

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.

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]

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.