
Don, Hahn & Rosenberg on ESPN NY
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this is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
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That sounds like heaven to me.
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Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.
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Game time is brought to you by Tullimore Dew Irish Whiskey because when it's game time fellas,
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I like that it's calling time.
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Mets Marlins coverage immediately following us on 880 at 6:30 Yankees open a series with the Rays at 7:05. That's not nothing. Raised the best team in baseball and coverage of the spurs in Thunder Game 3 of the Western Conference Final will be on 1050 at 8 and will be joined in progress on 880 following the Mets Tullamore do the original triple distilled, triple blended and triple cast matured Iris whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tullamore do or try the new Tullamore Dew Honey during today's action. Glasses up to enjoying the Tullamore due responsibly. I might be wrong about this guys, but I think this is the first time we've had Frank Isola post Michael K show. He was always one of our favorite guests there and hopefully we'll be able to build a relationship moving forward with him here on Don Hahn and Rosenberg.
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Frank, how are you? That's right gentlemen. What's up? I think the combined salaries of you three media stars is more than the Tampa Bay payroll. How about that? That's up to Tampa Bay spends.
C
I don't think That's a shot at us. I think that's a shot of the race.
F
Yeah, exactly. I can. I'll take it from that. It's definitely less than. Less than yours with all the jobs that you have.
D
Great point.
F
Probably why he hasn't on the show. Usually he's on PTI right now or heading down to D.C. to do it, so.
E
I know that's what I did yesterday. How's everybody doing? Don, first of all, congratulations on the Devil's gig. Awesome job this year. Thank you. Hopefully you're able to, you know, the guy that scored the winning goal for the US Place to the Devils. Hopefully you're able to shoehorn that into a broadcast. One or two of the broadcasts.
C
I can shoehorn it in.
E
You know, the great Peter Rosenberg, who's everywhere, and Alan Hunter's everywhere. So you guys. You guys are all doing okay for yourselves.
C
Well, I appreciate that, Frank, and you do great work as well. And, you know, we were having fun, like, not wanting to touch the money.
E
Right.
C
This series isn't over yet. And. And. But still, we were just trying to discuss what. What is the avenue for the Cavs to get back into the series? It just feels like the Knicks are just a better team. So can you think of anything to even be remotely concerned about on the Knicks side getting through the Cavaliers?
E
Yeah, I think right now we're taking near catastrophe for the Cavaliers to win four games. Not impossible. I think back to 93. It's a long, long time ago. The Knicks won the first two games at home against Chicago, and they end up losing the next four. And that includes the Charles Smith game. A little bit different, though. Michael Jordan was in that.
F
Yeah, they had a guy, Michael Jordan on that.
E
Yeah. Yeah. And then in 97, they're up 3:1 on. On Miami. They should be going to the conference finals against Michael Jordan. And then, of course, the fight happens in Miami. And then I'm thinking about last year, Game 1 against Indiana, when they're up, and then all of a sudden, Aaron Neesmith turns into Michael Jordan, scores 20 points in the fourth quarter, and the miracle shot by Tyrese Halliburton. So things can happen. The only thing, too, I'd say about this Cleveland team, I gave up on them, you know, after they. You know, when they fell behind two. Oh, to Detroit, as they're not going to win four games. I gave up on them after they lost at home to Detroit in Game 6. And of course, they've surprised you a couple of times, but they're going to have to play a lot better, obviously, they're going to have to win game three. No team has come back from being down.03. And this nick team right now is clearly on a mission. I mean, I don't care who you're playing nine straight wins during the regular season is tough doing in the playoffs. That's a different level.
F
It's great. Frank is a great Nick historian because he's seen so much of it. He goes all the way back, I think, to when they played at the Armory in the finals in 51.
E
I was at that game.
F
I bet you. Yeah, you were the one that said, no, the Elephants got the Garden. We got to move this thing down the block. But. But. But it's great how you. Because it's exactly true about Nick fans right now because it's. It's excruciating. It can't be like May is usually when you're trying to win the lottery, not like you go through a whole month without losing. And so it is an odd place for a lot of these fans to be. And how to process walking out last night in the building. So many people are like. Like, are we really doing this? Like, a lot of people were just saying that they couldn't believe because they're waiting for the. You mentioned the Charles Smith game. They're waiting for. You know, two years ago, they were up to O.G. anunoby got hurt and everybody got hurt, and all of a sudden they were losing that series to Indiana in the second round. There's always something that Patrick Ewing in 99, the. The calf isn't right. He can't play. And now all of a sudden, that's a different story. In 99, it's just something would happen that takes the rug out from underneath. But nine games and the rug is still very firmly under their feet. So with that in mind, Frank, of all the teams you've seen in this franchise's history, people are bringing this stuff up all the time. What is this year's run and you're from compared to what you've seen over the years? Where would you put this so far?
E
Oh, I think it's up there, but for me, I think it's expected. I picked them to go to the finals. I thought the landscape in Eastern Conference this year with Halliburton out and Jason Tatum out, I give Boston a lot of credit for the regular season they had. I thought last year's team was better. I got to be honest with you. And I like Kate Cunningham. I thought last year's Detroit team was better because of Milik, Beasley, Schroeder, and even Tim Hardaway Jr. So I just think the Knicks, for them, you go through a long, you know, you make it to the Eastern Conference finals last year, you come back this year, it's a new coach. So it's, you know, some things are changing. You do, you do improve the bench, but you start the season, you know, over in the Middle east. And I think it's hard for sometimes these teams to go through these long regular season. There was probably some bickering and stuff. Maybe they all don't get along, which sometimes isn't the worst thing. I think they just wanted to get to the playoffs. And I think, you know, the opponents have been. Have been right for them. I mean, Atlanta is not a great team that easily could have won every game in that series. Remember, the two wins that Atlanta got, there were last second shots which the Knicks could have hit. And then Philadelphia, I never was a big believer in Philadelphia. I think it just told you about how bad Boston was. So I think it's been all set up for the Knicks and to their credit, you know, this is the deal, and you guys know this from New York Sports. You only get so many chances, and it's whether or not you take that chance. And I think the Knicks right now are grabbing this thing by the throat and they're making the most of it. And I think it also helps with a couple of guys on that team who are smart players of. Obviously the point guard is terrific and he's, you know, he just understands winning. I think Josh Hart is like that. And let's be fair, you know, Mikel Bridges for me has not been great the last two regular seasons, but in the playoffs he's played really well. I mean, I thought last year he was really good against Detroit, he was really good against Boston, and this year he's played much better in the playoffs than he has in the regular season. So the Knicks, to their credit, I think they realize there's an opportunity right here because you don't know how quickly things could change. I mean, think about it, guys. Oklahoma City's great. They got a million assets. They're in a dogfight right now, and unfortunately for them, they're in the same conference as Victor Limanyama. So we were thinking Oklahoma City dynasty, and maybe that could happen. But they still have to win three games against that. You know, that freak of nature, man.
C
It's crazy too, because, you know, when things start to break your way, it seems like everything the Knicks have needed to happen has happened with the. With the Cavaliers coming back in their series and the Sixers coming back against Boston and having short series compared to the teams that they're playing, having long series. And it might even break their way if they go to the files, because I can't see this Spurs Thunder series not going at least six, if not seven. So have you ever seen a break this way for a team?
E
You know, I think if you go back to Golden State, winning that last championship, that wasn't a great Golden State team. And, you know, their road. I hate using the word easy. It's never easy. You have to win. You know, you have to win 12 playoff games just to get to a finals. But it wasn't as taxing. They weren't playing really any great teams. And guess what? You look at years from now, a year, you know, months, nobody cares. All that matters is whether or not you're lifting the Larry o' Brien Trophy. And I think for the Knicks, they could only control what's in front of them. And to their credit, they're beating the teams that they should be beating. They're a higher seed than the first two teams that they played. They were a higher seed than the Cleveland Cavaliers. And you know, that Game one is huge. I'm, you know, you guys have been addressing it for a couple days. Look what happened to the Knicks in game one, right. Last year against Indiana, it had this. It could have a similar impact this year with Cleveland losing that. And think about how, you know, you guys talk about, you know, how close things are. Look at the Sam Merrill shot at the end of Game one. If Sam Merrill makes that. Yes. Everyone's talking about how, wow, you know, Cleveland almost blew it, but it's a much bigger thing that they have a 10 lead. Think about how much confidence they have going into Game two. So look what happens in Game two. Sam Merrill can't make a shot. Cleveland, you know, ties the game up in the third quarter, 18, 0 run by the Knicks. So this to me, thus far, the series has been defined by the 44 to 11 run, last eight minutes of regulation, five minutes of overtime, and then that third quarter, 18 over on, like, the Knicks have just been doing all the right things. And that point guard, and I said, listen, I knew him from college. My daughter went to Villanova with him. I've known Rick Brunson for a million years. So am I biased toward him? 100%. But I'm sorry, a kid that wins two national championships and his Player of the Year Why is he going in the second round? Why? Because he's not going to win the slam dunk contest.
F
I don't.
E
I don't get that. Exactly. He's got a brain, he's got a heart. He. You knew he was going to work hard. I don't understand why these executives and these scouts pass on a guy like that. Our job isn't. We don't have to know that because that's not. We don't get paid to do that. These guys do. I don't understand how you let a guy like that fall in the second round. Makes no sense.
C
But Frank.
F
Frank Neelakina had a 68 wingspan, though.
E
I know it. It may listen. And I wanted. I watched the games, and this has been going on for two years. Every time Jalen Brunson shoots the ball, I think it's going in. There's, like, a couple of players like that. Steph Curry is obviously one. I have, like, so much confidence in faith in him. That's why the other night for Cleveland, like, I keep bringing up, you know, Aaron Neesmith scores 20 points. It stinks for the Knicks. But you're kind of like, well, it is Aaron Nesmith. He couldn't do that in an empty gym. Make 6 of 7 3. Right. Everyone knows that Jalen Brunson is going to be the guy that brings the Knicks back. And even Jalen Brunson has a look about him like, if this is going to happen, I got to be the one. Doesn't mean I have to take every shot, but I got to be the one. So we all know that. Jalen Brunson knows that. I don't understand, like, what Cleveland was doing there. It makes no sense.
D
All right, I have two. Two things I want to ask you, Frank. I'm trying to decide which I'm feeling more. Okay.
E
First answer is no.
D
I think you're going to give. There are so many ways you could have gone there, but you just mentioned it. Like, when Jalen shoots the ball, you basically think it's going in. In your years watching basketball, how many players can you name who are more unstoppable when they become unstoppable than Jalen Brunson?
E
It's a. It's a great call. And I think, you know, Curry is like that. I think Michael Jordan was definitely like that. I think when. Even when Benjamin, that game one, when he hit, when he pulled up for that three, I always say if, like, we could pause life right at that moment and bet, I would have bet a lot of Money that he's going to hit that shot. You could just. There's something about their body language. You could just. You could sense that they understand the moment. I'll be honest with you, too. And I know he's calling the other series for NBC. There were times when Jamal Crawford, if he hit his first two shots now, he. It was a little bit different. He wasn't playing in conference finals, but, like, if he would hit his first couple of shots, it was like, watch out.
D
I gotta. I gotta put. Hold on. I gotta press something here. For Allen.
F
Jamal Crawford is a strange pole.
D
Strange poll to be in this conversation. Yes. I thought we hadn't mentioned Kobe yet. I. We went to Jamal Crawford. I thought we're talking about people covering the game. I thought we'd say Reggie Miller, perhaps. I didn't.
C
That's what I thought he was going to say.
D
I know. I didn't know he'd go, Jamal. Wrong.
F
NBC commentator.
D
That's why you got to have I Solon. You never know. Now, now. Okay, my other question. Frank, hang on.
E
Hang on one second. Hang on one second. And I love Reggie Miller, and I love the fact that he wanted to be the villain, even with the New York media. We go in the locker room during the playoff series, and he'd be a jerk to us. It was like the whole. It was like an act. And he's. He had great moments at the Garden. Please. He didn't dominate Madison Square Garden every time he came in there. In fact, the Knicks had a better record against him. The guy that dominated the Knicks at Madison Square garden were number 23 for the Chicago Bulls.
F
Yeah.
D
Yeah.
E
End of story. So.
D
No, no, please. Now, let's just remove OKC for a second, which is just for the sake of this argument, not because I think that they're finished by any means, but if it ends up being San Antonio and New York. Does your immediate gut tell you that the video we end up watching at the end is Wemby's first time he came up against this New York Knicks team, and he came up short the first time. Or the Knicks become the. The victims of Wemby getting his first title. Your gut reaction to that?
E
I like the Knicks chances better against San Antonio than I do against Oklahoma City, because I think if Oklahoma City were to get through, I think that would be like a big sigh of relief. Not that. And they certainly respect the Knicks. I think for San Antonio, I think getting just over the hump and getting to a Finals, it's such a young team. And you know, they listen, they're incredibly talented, but the Knicks have done pretty well against San Antonio and maybe Mitchell Robinson will become a bigger factor. He certainly was a factor in the finals of the Emirates NBA Cup. I'm trying to do right by the NBA here and I know Mitchell Robinson hasn't done much in the playoffs yet, but you know, there's something, there's something about the Knicks having a little bit more experience than the spurs, which I think would work in the. Listen, Wembanyama is amazing to watch. It's. He does things that we've never seen before. But I like the Knicks chances a little bit better against San Antonio, especially if San Antonio were to get through. You know, right now Dylan Harper is dealing with an injury and Darren Fox is really banged up. So he even knows how they would be if they were to win three more games against Oklahoma City.
F
I hate to break up this party about the NBA Finals, but there's still two more games to win here. So my curiosity from you, Frank, is Kenny Atkinson, who we both know well, did a lot of protecting James Harden after game one and defending James Harden after game. His messaging continues to just be, no, we're fine, everything's fine. Like I like our shots and all the things that he's saying. So if there's something that he's. Do you believe his words? Do you think he really does feel that way or does he feel like I got a very fragile team that's exhausted right now after playing back to back game Sevens and three, three of my guys are leading the NBA and minutes played in the playoffs, like, which is it? Does he really believe this or is he just trying to keep his team, his team's confidence up?
E
I think it's the latter. And I thought he did a really good job of deflecting a lot of the way. Listen, Kenny, you know the timeouts 100%. Should he views one there? Yes. Could you have taken James Harden out? Especially to me, the, the run from 22 to eight is when they lost it. You know, you can say the last few minutes of the game plays could be made but they needed to do something there. But he's not going to come out afterwards and say James needs to do better and he's not going to come out and say it would be nice if Dean Wade would fight through a screen because that was our plan during the fight through a screen. But Dean Wade keeps giving up. He's not going to say that. So he's doing what good coaches do. He's taking all the heat. But I got. Because we were saying it, you know, myself and Brian Scalabri were saying our radio show that Draymond, like, when. What Draymond said about their defense, I thought. I thought he was 100% spot on. And Draymond knows Kenny Atkinson because Kenny was an assistant coach there when they won the championship, I thought it was spot on. It's like, who wants to be the guy that takes the responsibility? Dean Wade, the. Like, you're not a great shooter. The reason you're out there is because they. They want you to stay on. Jalen Brunson, I get every once in a while, there's nothing you could do about it. Other time, fight through the screen and, you know, man up a little bit here. Like, that's your job. That's why you're on the team.
C
Talking to Frank Isola here on Don Hahn and Rosenberg, Other than using the bench more, what has Mike Brown brought to the table that Tibbs wouldn't during this run?
E
I think. I think the big part is. Is definitely. I think they upgraded the bench, so I think he has better options.
F
That's true.
E
To use. And I think what he's also doing, I think them getting Towns more involved in the playoffs, I think that was important because I think Carl came into the season, he was in a funk, maybe. I mean, Alan would probably know better than I would. I kind of feel like all this Giannis stuff, I think that probably got in his head a bit. It's like, hang on a second.
D
I love.
E
I loved it in Minnesota. I'm here now in New York, close to my dad. Now you guys want to ship me off to Milwaukee. If they just went back to that conference finals, one in Minnesota, one in New York, and I think he was in a bit of a funk. And I think they've done a pretty good job kind of managing, getting him through the regular season because Karl is a nice guy. And Carl, like, I think he gets a lot of criticism because I don't ever think there's really no blowback from Karl. Karl just kind of takes it, so he's an easy target for a lot of people. And I really think it's unfair. I think the guy does a tremendous job. And, you know, Brian Scalabrini was talking about it today that, you know, Josh Hart is knocking down all these threes, but he's saying that's. That's because they're worried about Karl Anthony Downs, because if you leave him open, he is going to kill you from the outside. So I think Them doing a much better. I think Mike Brown doing a much better job, you know, in the Atlanta series toward the end, realizing that they needed to run a little bit more of the offense through Carl. I thought that was smart. And it's obviously paying off for the Knicks.
F
The show is the starting lineup. It's on Sirius XM NBA Radio. It's a must listen if you're a basketball fan because it's really good. It's fun, insightful. It scale is really good. But I love how you really keep him in line. You're really good at keeping him in line. Well, it's a little Celtic heavy. Little, little.
E
Oh my God, it's. Yeah, he's. He's the Celtic leprechaun. I told him last year, I told him, I go to game. I said, the Knicks are going to win game one. Now you're crazy. You're crazy. Then I said, they're going to win game two as well. He, you know, we had a huge bet on that. He lost both and, and I told him early on in the playoffs I didn't like the Celtic team. And Brad Stevens gets a lot of things right. The Vucevic move was not a great move. I thought he'd be unplayable. Sure enough, he didn't play in game seven. But Brian definitely. Listen, if you, I've been. And you, Alan, you've been up there, you go to Celtic games with Scal walking around, you would think it was Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Brian Scalabrini.
D
They love the whites in Boston. There's no question.
E
Well, but also.
D
No, I'm telling you right now, I'm telling you right now. As an out of town Celtics fan, I could not care less about Brian Scalabrine.
E
No, he means he's a great guy, but.
D
Yeah, I know. Listen, when I've heard him do the games, he does a really good job. But like as someone who didn't sit in the crowd to cheer him off the bench, I just think of him as such a nothing part of that team. Respectfully. Well, no, well, I said respectfully at the end, Frank. You know, that means it's fine.
E
You could kill somebody. Say nothing personal. But here, all right, it's, it's just like, like Josh Hart is going to be like, let's say the Knicks go on and win a title. It'd be even bigger. He'll be like, Mr. You know, he'll be working alongside Allen at MSG Network.
F
He'll be like, so far I hate this comp.
D
Continue though I'm Gonna let it play out, continue.
E
But I, but I think because he's good with the media, he makes himself available. Brian was the guy that when the Celtics would say, hey, we'll give you $1,000 if you could show up, you know, name the plays. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are saying, you're out of your mind. I'm not showing up at that. You showed up. So he built much like Peter. Peter did. Built up his brand by doing a lot of different things, maybe going on different stations, doing wrestling, knowing rap music. So then he became a big star. So Brian kind of followed the Peter way of being.
D
This is brilliant. I've never seen anything like this. First you compared him to Josh Hart, who is like, who's like a very good player.
F
He's really more like you.
D
And now he said he flipped it because he goes, Josh Hart route's not going to work. He is too good a player. Who could I move him to that's significantly less talented? Oh, I know Peter. And now I'm stuck. You know what? I always like, scale knew I would.
E
Guys, guys, when we're doing the radio show, there are times during commercial break where he does a cameo. He's done like over 4,000 cameos. You know how many happy birthdays he's wished to people like the Celtic fans like all over the country? Because. And Alan knows this from traveling with the Knicks all these years. You know the Knicks, the Bulls, the warriors, they're everywhere. The Lakers have unbelievable fan base everywhere in the country. And the Celtics are like that.
F
Yeah.
E
So, you know, Brian Scala brain has done a really good job marketing himself, much like Peter has done on the.
D
You gotta stop, gotta stop.
F
I've heard, I've heard $150 for a video and 5,000 for something business related. That's not true. And you know, that's, that's what it was in my ear from one of our producers. But Frank, what you just described, by the way, with cameos during, during the break. I worked for many years with Bart Scott. Bart would do him during the segments. Oh, he would turn his mic off and I'd be looking at him.
D
No, no cameo real quick, like so.
F
So it's very relatable, which is probably why I like the show so much.
E
I'm telling you guys, not from being around like professional athletes. It's amazing like these, how these guys know how to make money. It really is. They just make it hand over fit. Yeah. Much like Peter.
C
It is true.
D
But by the way, scout, but Scal did something I didn't do, which was before he got to broadcasting. Earned 20, 20 million in the NBA. So he did pretty good for himself.
C
And Peter and I have cameos much cheaper. So. Yeah, might not be Scalabrini, but we'll give you a nice.
F
Frank, how much are you charging for a cameo these days?
E
I don't, I don't, I don't. I'm too afraid to do it. I don't want any videos that I have enough. I have enough trouble on social media as it is. I want you guys. Peter, since you killed my radio partner, I'm sorry. I want you to go look up his winning percentage in New Jersey, Boston, Chicago. I think he might have one of the greatest winning percentage. Now, granted, he did play with Jason Kidd, Garnett, Pierce and Derrick Rose, but he still has. He still has a really good winning percentage.
D
He. Listen, first of all, I, I'm busting chops a little bit because I always found it, like Boston fans, so odd for it. But I mean, you have to remember we're talking about those, those championship years in Boston are a championship year. What was scale averaging? Like seven minutes?
F
Doesn't matter. But you know, you bury.
D
You're comparing Robert Ori to Michael Jordan. It's not. That's not right.
F
But Peter, one thing, though, that, that you still haven't done that Scale has done.
E
Yeah.
F
Is really. His career is now overshadowed by the next thing he's done, which is not broadcasting.
E
What's that?
F
Discovering talent because he found Cooper Flag.
E
That's right. That's right. Come on, Peter.
D
Well, I've never done that.
G
He.
D
Then that kid is an absolute star.
C
You, Kendrick Lamar, right? You discovered him?
D
Yeah, I was, I was in the streets of Compton. One day, I go to Roscoe's, I get some chicken and waffles. I'm walking down the street afterwards and I go, who is this kid rapping on the corner? And his name was Duckworth. I didn't know anything. And he turns out to be Kendrick Lamar.
F
Look at you. Look at you.
E
So Brian did discover Kubel. He's the first guy that trained him. And it keeps getting younger. It started out when he was a ninth grader. Now it's when he was four years old. Peter. Peter is right about one thing, though. And I like all those Celtic guys that won that championship with Doc Rivers as a coach, it is kind of treated like they won three in a row. It's like, boys, you won one. Like, let's.
D
All right, well, listen, you know, there was A lot. There was a long gap. There was a long, long gap between that one in 1986.
E
Yeah, I know that back then was a little. It was a little bit different. They used to win all the time. And they had number 33 on the team. Remember that, Peter?
D
That one I remember. He's not a white guy. I think is overrated. Let me be clear. Yeah, sorry.
C
I did win with Doc R. Nobody else has been able to.
E
That's true, Peter.
D
Yeah.
E
I was in Bethesda in January to do PTI for a week. I stayed in Bethesda, could have my car with me, the whole thing. Your boys at your Bethesda bagels put up my order.
D
No. I'm so, so disappointed to hear that. I'm sorry about that.
E
I can tell you. Very disappointed.
D
Next time you go to Bethesda, though, do this instead. My most recent favorite spot, and it's been there for a long time. Go to Guapo and get yourself a delicious. A delicious Mexican meal. You'll thank me for it.
E
I've been there. I've been there.
D
It's delightful.
E
Excellent. See that? Peter and I do have a connection. And now our other connection is. I like my radio partner. You hate my radio partner.
D
I don't hate. Can we move on from this? I was just giving him a hard time. I don't hate Scalabrini.
C
Frank doesn't move on from things.
D
By the way, I got news for you. This is a real lesson in how you treat a radio partner you love. Because I guarantee you, if either of these slugs were ever someone dissed me in a call, they would never harp on it. The way you are defending Scalabrine. I'm jealous of this part of this
C
partnership with K. How many times would he say you're making a cogent point?
D
Yeah, he would. He would have. He would have thanked you for saying it, right?
C
So. Oh, boy. Teammates are different on radio, but it's great that Frank does that. And thanks for giving us a couple of minutes.
D
Thank you, Frank.
C
Appreciate it. Have a great holiday weekend, man.
E
Enjoy, boys. Take care of yourself. Keep up the great work.
C
The great, and I mean great. Frank Isola brings it funny. And he's such a great guy. Breaking down what's happening with the Knicks and the Cavs and the rest of the NBA. Fraud alert. Fridays next. Don Hanna, Rosenberg, ESPN New York.
F
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B
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
D
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
B
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Did you or someone you know participate in fraudulent fan behavior?
C
I'm a fraud with a cow.
B
Capital F. Is your friend a fraud?
D
I have been a complete and utter fraud.
B
Are you a fraud?
E
What is fraud?
B
Let's ask Dom McGregor. Screw.
D
Go scratch yourself.
B
Brought to you by D' Agostino Law
D
Ah, ladies and gentlemen, welcome, welcome welcome to Fraud Alert Friday. Brought to you by John Frenchie Fuqua and Dagasino Law d'.
F
Agostino.
E
Ah.
D
How's everyone doing?
F
Good.
E
Yourself?
D
Oh, couldn't be better. Go Nicks. I really am jealous of Scalabrine. I mean, I. All I work with are people. Not. No, Don. I like to think if Don or Allen, you know, someone blatantly took a shot when I thought I had really had no use for Rosenberg, I'd like to think they'd push back at least a little bit.
F
I mean, they've done the show together for a long time.
D
But he really does protected him.
F
Of course he did. That's really what you're supposed to do.
D
But he also, you know, I'm not used to it.
F
He still put like. He still had little, slight, slight digs in there.
D
Of course you ought to do that.
F
But, you know, the best thing Scal did was after he retired, he would answer people on social media that would call like, would talk like, you know, you weren't good. You were trash. He would say, all right, I'm on the road with the cell. I'm here. Meet me here. Oh, wow. And he'd play them one on one.
D
Oh, he'd play them.
F
Oh, no, no. He would challenge the one on one. That is destroy them and show you. His whole thing was.
D
I've seen the video.
F
I want to show you what, like the last guy on the bench, how good the last guy on the bench of an NBA team is.
D
Isn't it funny too, because, like, he really did to the eye look so bad when he played. And then relative to a normal mortal human being.
F
Smart. Yeah.
D
But yeah, it comes up right away on YouTube. Brian Scalabrini 1v1 1.
F
It's great. And I love, I love. And. And he had fun with it. He leaned into it and he had fun instead of being mad or instead
D
of, oh, and then he went down and then he went downtown and played the Messiah.
F
Oh, yeah.
D
You seen that? Yeah, the guy on the playground. Don, this is. This guy. The Messiah was like a street ball legend downtown.
F
Yeah, he was.
D
Who talks smack and like he. He gets physical with everybody, just tosses people around. And Scalabrini is also physically a monster. Obviously.
E
He.
F
He's a strong, big dude.
D
I mean, so I give the. Got to give the guy props. All right, let's get into a little fraud alert Friday, if you will. Knicks fandom. Fraud questions abound.
E
Oh, wow.
D
All right, guys, I got a two part fraud Friday question. I'm from Connecticut.
E
Okay.
D
Grew up in a huge Yukon basketball family, so college Basketball was always bigger than the NBA in my house. I followed the NBA casually my whole life, but mostly just stars and big games. Never really had a team. When I went to college in 2019, I decided I needed one. So I since I root for the New York teams and every other sport, I declared Knicks fandom before the 2020 season. What did he do, sit down and have a press conference in front of his school?
C
Yeah, he had a bunch of hats lined up and picked up the Knick hat on.
F
I declared.
E
Yeah.
D
Now, six years.
F
That wasn't a year to declare, I'll tell you that.
D
Now, six years later, the Knicks are really good. And I feel weird enjoying these last few playoff runs because I didn't suffer through the decades of misery that lifelong Knick fans did. So I want to know, A, am I a fraud Knicks fan? Am I allowed to fully enjoy this run like everyone else? And B, at what point, if any, are you allowed to join the fandom of a team before they become so good that it's now a bandwagon? Join what? I would love an official ruling. Thanks, guys.
F
I love this.
D
Drew?
C
Yeah. I say no fraud.
D
All right.
C
He had not declared an NBA team. You know, you feel it when you feel it, you know, you figure maybe it's going to be young. But he was late to find it. As Alan just pointed out, he picked them up in a year that was not great. D', Agostino, so you can't call him a bandwagon jumper. He figured, all right, I like other New York teams. I'll root for the New York Knicks. So I don't think there's a certain date in which it has to happen if you just haven't declared because he wasn't interested. His family wasn't interested in NBA basketball, just college basketball.
D
That's going to happen.
C
So he didn't just. If he picked the Knicks today, I'd have to say, well, you're probably a bandwagon jumper and maybe leaning more towards fraud. But with the information that was presented to me, the evidence tells me he is not a fraud.
D
Wow, you love that.
F
Like it.
D
All right, here we go. To the honorable Chief justice legreca. First, please let me say how much I enjoy your show as a Long island transplant law living in Richmond, Virginia. He wrote parentheses, zipper key, who is also a die hard jets and Mets fan. Okay, I listen to your show regularly.
C
Or minimum, my condolences, by the way.
D
Or at minimum, catch up with the podcast at night just to feel connected to New York for quick Background. I have an eight year old boy, girl twins. I have eight year old boy, girl twins and a five year old girl.
C
How about that?
D
My son. Wait for it. Don Declan, wow. Has declared himself a Patriots fan, much to my dismay. I think it started when he saw me yelling during a game. Unfortunately, he is quite the troll at his age and seemed to take that opportunity to root for the Patriots just to annoy me. To his credit, he stuck with it and my wife encouraged this fandom by buying him a Drake major z hat, etc. I hosted a Super bowl party and he insisted on getting Patriots balloons. I should point out that my wife has no NFL team allegiance and having met in 2012 and watching me suffer through the current playoff drought, she has no decide desire to inflict that on our children. I've asked my son if he knows anything about the Patriots and he said Drake May is their quarterback and Tom Brady is their best player. I asked him what he knows about the jets and he simply responded with they always lose. It's hard to explain to him that things are finally looking up for the Jets. Yeah, it is, because I'm not even sure that's true.
F
Wait, really?
D
Yeah, that's what he said. He wrote that I added my ad lib. He thinks they're looking up. I know typically they're looking up all right. Yeah, they're looking up at something. I know typically people ask for a fraud ruling, but in this case I would actually appreciate more of an advisory opinion on how to best navigate his choice. As a dad, I want to be supportive and encouraging, but as a Jets fan, I'm disappointed as this feels like yet another loss to the Patriots. Respectfully, Eric from Virginia. P.S. i want to give a shout out to Peter as I am also a fellow Maryland grad, class of 06 and College Park Scholar.
C
So this isn't a ruling. This would be like you come back to my office and we have like a nice discussion deliberation about how to handle we're going to deliberate.
D
Yeah, this is he doesn't want it ruling, he wants advice.
C
I my advice just let it roll because he's a Patriot fan. It seems like it was very organic and just let it roll and see where it goes. If you force the jets on him, he'll probably resent you and maybe not be a football fan. That's my fear with Marco and the Eagles. Like I've said before, as much as it would pain me for Marco to be an Eagle fan, it'd be much more painful for him not to be a football fan, which is one of my favorite sports. So let it roll with him. He's 8 years old. That's usually the. The year that you want to see him declare. And if he sticks with it and it was organic, I say leave it alone. Because if you force the jets on him that it's not organic, and he might, you know, curse your existence later on because the pain may stick for another 30, 40 years. Let it be, man. Let life be.
D
I like this advice, Don. I like it. I don't know if I could do it, but. And I'd also like to add, if you're looking for some advice, you're hungry.
E
T. You want to send the kid for my jet?
D
Fresh now. Dear dhr, yes, this might be a fraud. Friday first, I'm calling out inanimate objects. I think the Kith Nicks collection is some of the best looking gear out there, but I never want to buy any because wherever they use the logo, they replace the word Knicks with Kith. It feels like you're a bigger fan of the brand than the team. I can't imagine walking into a playoff game at the Garden surrounded by fans repping the team, wearing a shirt that doesn't say Knicks on it. So I ask you, am I crazy or. Or is the Kith Nicks collection fraudulent? Matt and Brooklyn
F
Nuanced.
C
Oh, I love it, but I love the nuance.
D
No, this is beautiful. That's someone who gets it.
C
I'm with him. Listen, I think it makes sense for them to care about more about their company than a particular team, but I've always felt that. That there's something going on. Like, it's weird. Are you a fan of the team or. Or the product? It just. The whole thing is just weird. And I'm going to call fraud on it. And the other thing, too. I wanted to bring this up, but since it came up again. Dude, it's the conference final. Can't we just wear our traditional uniforms? Especially, why not wear the uniform where you had one of the greatest comebacks in the history of NBA playoffs. You know, that's when you want to change the vibe and put a different uniform. And you realize for the first five seconds of that game, I thought the Knicks were the Cavs and vice versa. Like, didn't that. Didn't they look like the Knicks? The Cavs, last night, they're wearing basically the same uniform. The next war in game one, they and I have. And then you kind of adjusted your eyes. You realize.
D
No, that that's.
E
That that.
C
That's the cast.
D
Were those the kith uniforms, by the way? Was that.
F
No, that was the city edition.
D
Oh, just a city edition.
C
Well, why are you messing. You know, it's not December against the Hornets. It's game two of the conference final, and it's a traditional uniform, the orange and the white of the home. And you had a historic win in those uniforms the game before. What are we doing, Alan?
F
What are we doing? Yeah, well, I mean, they're not selling jerseys because that's not why you do it. At that point. They. They have the rotation, and you pick them ahead of time. That's. That's what happens. So they're in the rotation and you pick them. Now, one thing to keep in mind, the players do have a little bit of a say. And if the players like a specific jersey and like the way they look in it, that jersey will stay in the rotation in the playoffs and show the black jersey that they wore last night. I'm with you. I'm. I am just telling you the. What. What happens with this, because I'm with you. I didn't like it either. To me, you get this far, just wear. Wear your traditional jerseys. But I do think the players who kind of like the. The look of the black, they. They might have said, you know, I mean, look, in the 90s, the Knicks wore black sneakers. And no one did that. No one did. Everybody wore the usual white, you know, standard. They wore the black sneakers in the playoffs. It was a statement. They wanted to make something that looked tough. And this. This team, maybe they like those jersey. They want them to be in the rotation, so they wore them in that game. But I'm with you. I think when you get to a certain point, can we just stick to home whites, road blues, and let's keep it moving?
D
And also for the. For like, the stuff, like the. The kith of it all. I get you wanting to have the clothes and like, on a random day, you want to go out and wear your kith. Nick, stuff that says kith on it. I think it's cool because it, like, shows your repp in the Knicks. But you're wearing a kith thing. But I also agree, like, you're going to the game. Don't wear the thing that says kith on it. Wear the thing that says nicks.
C
Come on, represent that.
D
That's what I would say. That'll do it for Fraud Alert Friday. Really good.
F
Really good day.
D
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C
So good, so good, so good.
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B
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
D
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
B
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
C
Subscribe to ESPN New York on YouTube. Stream the full weekday lineup live, watch complete replays and catch up fast with can't miss highlights. Jump into the live chat, react in real time and make your voice part of the Show. Subscribe to ESPN New York on YouTube now and stay locked in so you never miss a moment. 1-800-919-3776 Knicks up 20 on the Cavs. They will be playing at 8 o' clock tomorrow from Cleveland. First road game of the series. Let's get back to the busy phones. Before we get to the 5 o' clock hour, let's talk to Paul in Philly who wants to apologize to me. What's that about?
M
Hey Don, I just wanted to apologize Yesterday I mixed up my years 94 and 95. Thank you for playing the music. Mixed up my years. I apologize for calling you hockey boy. I got caught up in the emotions, and. And while I'm making this apology, I also should apologize to Peter as well. Last year, I called and said he proved his baseball chop. So I've reflected. I've thought back to my mistakes and just wanted to say I'm sorry and I love the show and keep up the good work.
C
Wow. Thank you, Paul. I mean, that's some serious contrition there. Allen missed the phone call because he went to do his Knick stuff that he got. He agreed with you on our argument at the end of the show yesterday. And then he said he, you know, he thought about it, and he's not surprised because he. And he called me hockey boy. But in defending you, he said that the Knicks came within a Patrick Ewing finger roll of beating the rockets in 94. And I, after he, you know, hung up after, you know, calling me hockey boy. I'm like, oh, you know, you should bring some better information, because that was 95 against the Pacers and not 94 against the Rockets. And if you could have come at me, you know, come at me with some actual information. That's correct.
F
But.
C
But, Paul, I do appreciate the. The apology, and thank you for the phone call, and no need to apologize. You know, it just.
F
Can I apologize?
C
In what sense?
F
Music, please. Well, because yesterday when this topic came up, it was because Richard created the top big dick, and already I was, you know, not feeling it. Put me in a mood. Stressed about trying to get ready for a pregame show outside where it was raining, and I made something personal I shouldn't have made personal rather than just not, you know, using the proper responses. No, don't want to hear the voice. Just. Just. Why not just say, you know, you're not convincing me, Don. Instead, you know, took it too far, made it personal. Never supposed to do that, especially somebody that you love working with and care about. And I carried it with me the entire night. It bothered me and Peter. Now I do it again. You know why?
D
What?
F
You know why?
D
Why?
F
Because I sent down a very heartfelt text during the game while I'm working
D
that much, take it all off what you say.
F
And I sent him a heartfelt, like, you know, I feel bad. I shouldn't have made it personal. I should have just made it clear you're not convincing me instead of it being like, me versus you. And he left me on red. So how am I Supposed to, Alan.
D
Wow, Don, you left him on red after the apology.
C
Well, ouch. Here's the issue.
D
Ouch, ouch, ouch.
F
It.
C
That bothered me for a good portion of the day. Of the day today. Because you had sent it before the show was over. He actually sent it in segments 6, 37. Yeah, always. It's always dangerous to send texts in message. So I. Look, I see it's a message from Alan, but I'm on the air doing a show. Mm. So then I put it down, and now it kind of leaves. I get other text messages, and I don't think about it. And then I, you know, I put the phone away. I woke up this morning, and I saw the text message, but it was a very, very busy morning. It was family day at my son's school, so we had to get up very early, earlier than usual to be there. And then it just got away to the point where it felt like if I responded that late, that it just didn't. It wouldn't hit right. So I was like, oh, we'll talk about it during the meeting. And it never came up in the meeting, and it was not necessary. Anyway, Alan, I do appreciate you reaching out. Sorry, bro. I just didn't think that, like, we're just getting an argument. It was a friendly argument, and you just got, you know, mad. And I always used to get upset with Michael because it's a triggering moment. Like, because Michael would do that whenever it was baseball, and it was almost be like, you're wrong. Like, I. Like my opinion wasn't valuable because, you know, he's a bigger baseball guy than I am, so. But I realized that's not what you're about, and it really was unnecessary, so I didn't. I didn't. I didn't ignore you. It did bother me that I didn't get back to you, but there was extenuating circumstances, and I do appreciate you taking it to the air so that I could say to you, this is beautiful. I'm sorry that the thing. Whole thing happen. We should be able to get into healthy, fun debate on the air without everybody just getting so upset.
D
Well, it wasn't that bad on the air.
F
Agitation was. Was you guys.
D
I sensed some agitation.
C
No, but agitation's fine. No, no, I. I'm willing.
F
Wasn't who I was talking to. It was what I was reacting. It was who I was reacting.
C
I. I just. Yelling at each other. That's fun. That's sports radio. I think it's. I think it's great. I never take it personal that Allen disagrees with me, but I think it has to be under the assumption that, hey, it's just opinion. Nobody's right or wrong. Alan wasn't wrong to say that 94 would be worse than the Cavaliers. And I'm not wrong or wrong.
F
Obviously, I was wrong for saying you were wrong because that's not the right way to do it.
C
But Peter knows that I've. When I'm mad, and I don't think I was really mad, Peter.
D
Well, I felt like after the argument ended, you sort of seem more mad in post mortem than you did at the time. It seemed like you were. It seemed like you were reliving a trauma.
C
Well, no. Well, what really got me was then when I started to get phone calls from people and Peter, you know, or who called Paul from Philadelphia, calling me, you know, because I'm just a hockey guy. That let me. Because people. You know how I feel when I get called that. Yeah. Whether I get called that by executives at ESPN or get called that by fans, it bothers me. It's ignorant, and I won't stand for it.
D
Stop yourself.
C
Next time maybe you'll do a better job. Now that's, that's, that's radio anger. Because I can hate myself so Michael K with the best of them. And that's when I dropped the hd.
F
HD yesterday. Yeah. Remember, you dropped an hd?
D
We're not saying it again.
C
We're not going to say it again. But I called, I said, because I'm a hockey D. Oh, yeah.
D
I remember what HD means because I was really.
C
I was really, in a way, but more mad at Paul from Philly. And then he even called to an apologize. This is beautiful.
F
Well, again, though, the one thing I won't tolerate is leaving me on red. So we got problems.
D
Yeah. So now the beast back on.
C
Well, now you got to get over it because you know what? We got stuff going on, man. Don't text during segment. You know how many people, important people, I haven't gotten back to because they text in segment?
F
So here back, isn't it?
C
You're a radio guy.
F
How about I text when I'm feeling it, especially as I'm preparing for a show? And that's right. I'm like, I gotta get this out, because if I don't, it's gonna get away, the night's gonna get busy and I'll forget to do it. And I don't want to forget to do it because it means that much to me. I showed you the value of you right.
C
Your response?
F
I'm working here, so.
C
Well, I was.
F
I get it.
D
This is. But it's not where this is going.
F
And then it went to, you know what? I'll get back to. Nah, never.
I
I don't think this has gotten better.
C
You know what? I think that's on you, man.
B
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
D
I don't want to know how the
F
sausage is made, man. I just want to know.
B
It's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter Weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.
N
Hey sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional cost. Visit activate.espn.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all the ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now.
Date: May 22, 2026
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Guest: Frank Isola
This episode dives deep into the current state of the New York Knicks in the NBA playoffs, bringing in renowned basketball journalist Frank Isola for insight and banter. The hosts debate Knicks history, playoff nerves, the nature of Knicks fandom, and engage in their lighthearted weekly “Fraud Alert Friday” segment where fan legitimacy is on trial. The episode concludes with a candid on-air reconciliation between the hosts.
[02:12]
Frank Isola joins to discuss the Knicks' dominant run and whether fans should be concerned about the Cavaliers coming back in the series.
"It just feels like the Knicks are just a better team. So can you think of anything to even be remotely concerned about on the Knicks side?" – Alan Hahn [03:13]
"No team has come back from being down 0-3." – Frank Isola [03:32]
[06:24]
Isola is asked where this Knicks team ranks historically in terms of expectations and playoff performance.
[09:12]
"They're making the most of it…because you don't know how quickly things could change." – Frank Isola [08:42]
[11:00]
Isola questions why Brunson was overlooked in the draft:
"I don't understand how you let a guy like that fall in the second round. Makes no sense." [11:01]
Isola pushes back on Miller’s “ownership” of the Garden:
"Please. He didn't dominate Madison Square Garden every time he came in there… The guy that dominated...wore number 23 for the Chicago Bulls." – Frank Isola [13:51]
[14:15]
[15:51]
[19:29, 21:21, 22:20]
“Brian kind of followed the Peter way of being.” – Frank Isola [21:57]
“I always like, Scal knew I would.” – Peter Rosenberg [22:05]
[30:30]
The hosts discuss "fan fraudulence"—who “deserves” to be considered a true Knicks or sports fan, judging several listener submissions.
"Are you a fan of the team or the product? It just...feels weird." – Alan Hahn [38:22]
"Wear the thing that says Knicks." – Peter Rosenberg [41:10]
"It's the conference final. Can't we just wear our traditional uniforms?" – Alan Hahn [39:17]
[45:15]
The episode concludes with open apologies among the hosts about a disagreement handled poorly the day before.
Consistently candid, passionate, and humorous. The hosts mix deep basketball knowledge with self-deprecating banter and genuine camaraderie, making the show welcoming to both diehards and casual fans alike. Frank Isola brings seasoned, sometimes irreverent, insight into New York hoops history and the NBA at large.
This episode is a must for any Knicks or NBA fan: smart playoff analysis, New York sports culture, memorable NBA stories, and riotous debates about sports fandom. The “Fraud Alert Friday” segment offers both serious and tongue-in-cheek takes on what it means to be a “real” fan today. The latter portion reveals the friendship and emotional investment between the show’s legendary hosts—reminding us all that, ultimately, sports radio is about community and connection.