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Don La Greca
This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
Peter Rosenberg
That sounds like heaven to me.
Alan Hahn
Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3.
Don La Greca
On 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers into the big five o'clock hour we go with Don legreca and Peter Rosenberg. I'm Alan Hahn, you know the number 800-93776. So it was, it was announced like it was said today. And I'm trying to remember, was it Carmelo Anthony that first put it out there or was it Shams Charanian?
Peter Rosenberg
That's where I first. Yeah, okay, so that doesn't mean it was, but I thought it was.
Don La Greca
But still, shams was on McAfee because that's where everybody goes to break news these days. And he did announce something that I found to be first of all. I always thought it was a fait accompli. He was eligible for the first time for the hall of Fame. Melo was. And I always said like, this guy is going to be a first ballot, no question about it. And so here's Shams letting you know that he certainly is.
Shams Charania
Sources tell Espin Sorcerers tell us on the Pat McAfee show here, Carmelo Anthony has been notified he has been elected into the Basketball hall of Fame. The Naismith Basketball hall of fame class of 2025. He's the landmark player, the big name player here for this hall of fame class and 10 time all star, six time all NBA team, the 10th leading scorer of all time in NBA history. We how great he was with the New York Knicks, the Denver Nugget, he had late runs with the Thunder, the Portland Trailblaz, he finished his career with the Lakers. He is a first ballot hall of Famer.
Don La Greca
So I, I send a congratulatory tweet out, right? Because you know, Carmelo Anthony is somebody that I covered closely. I got to know him, you know, fairly personal. I wouldn't call him like, oh, he's a friend of mine. Like we know each other and I enjoyed covering his time in New York. It Was some of the. For me, it was like one of the height of being a beat writer is being on top of the story from the very beginning, covering to the end when the story broke that he was officially being traded. I remember the first conversation I had with him when LeBron James was still out there as a potential free agent that everybody was chasing. And in Denver, I said to Melo, you know, if he doesn't come to New York, you're next. And he kind of gave me a look like, really? I was like, oh, yeah. And then sure enough, it happened. And at his press conference, I put my hand up to ask a question. All I said was, remember me, Remember what I told you. And so it was just such a cool thing and a cool moment in New York and a cool moment in the NBA when that was happening. But so the response that I got from some people on social media about this really blew my mind. There really are people, guys who don't think that he belongs in the hall of Fame, which you heard Shams give you his NBA resume. He won a national championship as a freshman at Syracuse.
Alan Hahn
That's right. You could.
Peter Rosenberg
Basketball hall of Fame. So college counts.
Don La Greca
That is true. So. And you could say, you know, well, you know, the Syracuse team, he was the driving force in winning that championship. He was unbelievable in the NCAA tournament. He was great. He won a national championship as a freshman. He had a terrific start to his career in Denver. And no one will remember this and we'll all pretend it never happened, but I'm telling you, I was there. I covered the league. There was a debate at one time that Carmelo Anthony might be more clutch, might be a better scorer than LeBron James. There were people that at that time, early in their careers, first like three years or so, were like, you know, Melo's a little more of a dog in him. He's more of a Kobe guy. He and Kobe very close. Like there was that was there at one point in life. Then LeBron just went crazy and he became, you know, one of the all time greats, of course, but still it was there. And there were times when they would meet, play against each other. Melo always had his number and so there's that. Did he win a championship? No, of course, that's a big thing. We get it. But then let me remind you also of one more thing. He was one of the great Olympic players. He was a guy that understood the international game. He was a guy that was on the, you know, obviously the team that lost and only got a Bronze in Greece and it changed everything. And they were all young players. It was him, it was LeBron and I think Wade and it was a mess that team and they were all wanted to be on the redeemed team and Melo was part of that. And his years in the Olympics, which the London Olympics for him was like, that was his biggest moment where he would come off the bench and it was Olympics mellow and he was insanely good. And it was what Kevin Durant saw and said I can be like that later in my career as well in the Olympics because don't think for a minute that KD is not going to play in the LA Olympics. I think he's. No matter how. I don't know how old he's going to be at that point, but I guarantee he loves playing the Olympics.
Alan Hahn
It suits him well as well.
Don La Greca
Again, shooters and smart basketball players, they love the international game. So not only was he. Does he have his NBA resume, but let's not forget this is a guy who won a national championship as a freshman and also was a fantastic international player and Olympics player, clutch Olympics performer. So with all that put together, how is anybody putting up any type of argument against him being a first ballot hall of Fame?
Peter Rosenberg
Well, first of all, I think people do confuse thinking it's the pro basketball hall of Fame and not the Basketball hall of Fame. What you do internationally, what you do on the collegiate level counts. So there are those people and there are those people that look at Carmelo Anthony as a failure in New York because they didn't win a championship. He was the consolation prize to LeBron James. And I remember doing all those shows. It was pre Peter with Michael, with Carmelo getting hammered by Nick. Fans constantly about how he's. He's the big controversy was. Well, the whole thing that happened with Linsanity never would have happened if Carmelo was here. And would it continue when Carmelo came back? Carmelo's not going to go for that. Like why it was always so negative.
Don La Greca
He could tell you about that.
Peter Rosenberg
He made players around him better. He was a selfish basketball player. Hog a ball hog. There were a lot of similarities between him and Alex Rodriguez in the sense that they both came over from another team.
Don La Greca
Hell no.
Peter Rosenberg
Both were not appreciated for what they did in real time because there wasn't a championship at the end of the rainbow. Now for a rod, he stuck around long enough to get it. Carmelo never did. I'm not saying these are fair, Allen, but that's. You went through it. He was never I think appreciated. I think in the building he was, because I always remembered him getting cheered more. But I remember just in talk radio outside, there was a lot of noise around that. Nick fans just did not appreciate him at all.
Don La Greca
It's why earlier in the show, I brought up the Aaron Judge thing, because when Melo came to New York, he was loved. Like I was on the court when he came out for the first time for his first game.
Alan Hahn
I'm coming home. Yes, I'm coming home.
Don La Greca
The floor was shaking that night. It was. I think it was like February 21, 2011, and they were playing the Bucks. The lights went down. They played that song, right? And he comes out, and I'm telling you, the floor was shaking. People were that excited about having him there. And then, you know, they had this unbelievable game against that LeBron Heat team on national TV, and they had won that game. There was a lot going on. It was special. Then, of course, everything falls apart because everybody got hurt in the first round game against the Celtics that I thought they would have won that series against that Boston team that year if they had stayed healthy, but that's always been the issue. But after the next couple of things that you're talking about and the Linsanity thing, which everybody got wrong, and I've tried many times to explain what actually was going on at that time. I have told that story over and over again on the various shows that I've had on this station, and no one seems to want to believe it, but he was not the reason why it didn't work. And in fact, he was somebody trying to make it work, but nobody wanted to believe that either. But what happened is Phil Jackson came in and started doing what Phil Jackson wanted to do. Never really. Never really wanted Carmelo, never thought it would work, so never really bought into it. Did the triangle thing. Melo and Colby spoke a lot back then about Phil and about the triangle, but Mello was trying like hell to understand it. How do we make this work? Because all he wanted to do is win. And then Phil starts making these trades, and he's moving people. And he tells his story about when they traded iman Shumpert and J.R. smith to the Cavs. And he's like, why are we trading them to him? We're trying to beat him. Why are we giving them to him? Like, he was furious about that. So anybody that thought he didn't care that he was only about himself and his numbers and all those things, you weren't paying attention. He got frustrated. He got disillusioned but what started to happen was everybody turned on him because it can never be anyone but the player. We always blame the player. And so what you saw was this love for a player during the regular season who wasn't having post season success. And after the third straight year of not having post season success, then all of a sudden it turned. And that's what I worry about with Aaron Judge is when does it start to turn that, okay, this regular season stuff's nice. Remember this guy finished second in the voting for MVP, led the league in scoring, had a 62 point game. He has had moments, his playoff games against the Celtics his first year, that, that game too was epic in Boston. Like he's had moments, big shots, and yet all anybody kept saying was he doesn't win. Well, I'm worried that that kind of sentiment, although it's a lot longer later. Judge has been around a lot longer. When do Yankee fans start staring at him with that kind of same frustration of that's great, but when are you going to win us a ring?
Alan Hahn
I think Judge will get a lot more slack on account of being a homegrown guy.
Don La Greca
Yeah, that's exactly right.
Alan Hahn
So Carmelo, Carmelo, you know, if you're not, if you're not aware that so much of his life, Carmelo's life has become a New York life. So my guess is for all intents and purposes, while the Denver part will be a part of his hall of.
Don La Greca
Fame thing, I think he was loved more here.
Alan Hahn
He'll end up being a Nick because it's where his life is now. But you know, for a very long time you could have argued he was a nugget like that. He had a real career there, to the conference finals. That was a legit seven year run in Denver. And so in a weird way that hurt him. I don't think that would happen. And also the idea of it, the idea of being that way in baseball, Don, in some ways is even more ridiculous. Like one player just cannot win a championship for you in baseball. I mean, now listen, I'll say this though. Judge, the fact that Judge hasn't been able to fully put it together in the playoffs. Well, I think that's is what's very problematic.
Don La Greca
That's, I think what, why I make this connection. Because obviously one player can't do it in the postseason in baseball, but because he hasn't, except for that, obviously that big game in Cleveland, he had that big home run, but there wasn't, there's not enough evidence of him having the big Octobers that, hey, don't blame Judge. He brings it right. That's what people want. Everybody needs to blame somebody. So they blame Melo because there was nobody else to blame. And I wonder when do they get to a point where they start blaming Judge because there's no one else to blame.
Alan Hahn
I thought last year when we went into the playoffs, Don, we talked about it some. I was like, man, what a high level playoff. A high level pressure situation this is for Judge. After all the years of not being able to perform. Then, as you mentioned, Alan, he has the huge night in Cleveland. You're like, okay, the average isn't great, but he's had a couple of moments. And then of course, he has the play that sets off one of the worst innings in the history of the team, which is sad. To close things out, he actually was.
Don La Greca
Having a good game five.
Alan Hahn
Oh, yeah, he was.
Don La Greca
He was hitting the ball like that, that. But no one will remember the early stuff. They'll remember the drop ball.
Peter Rosenberg
But because he's homegrown, because he chose to stay here when Soto left, as you said, there's gonna be a big rivalry between Judge and Soto that I still think as long as the Mets don't win, if Judge is better than Soto, that will build up a lot of momentum and more love for him because it's going to be epic. Listen, they love Dom Mattingly. He didn't win. Now, I understand that was a different generation of Yankee fans. They had gone a long time without winning. But everybody that was criticized here, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Messina, Jason Giambi, the guys took a long time to finally click. Eventually did like Moose. Eventually did. Giambi eventually did a Rod eventually won the championship and did. But those guys came here for the sole purpose, to win a championship. Judge was homegrown. He decided to take a hometown discount to stay. The Giants would have given him more money. There's a lot of things that will have the Yankee fans love him, but there is where both could be true. Allen, they love him, but they'll always be a. Yeah, but if he doesn't win, like, they'll. They'll tell their grandkids, I saw one of the greatest players to ever play the game, Aaron Judge. I remember that 62 home run season. He was a beast. Yeah, but he didn't win the championship. You know, he just never got the ring. Like, it'll just be a caveat to every great story about Judge. Where he'll be loved, but they'll always be that. But he didn't get the ring.
Don La Greca
Yeah. And I think that, that, that's what I think sticks to Carmelo. It's that, it's the, the, you know, the, the ISO, you know, tendencies that he had that people didn't like that style of basketball. It's the fact that he and Phil Jackson just did not imagine. Terrible move.
Peter Rosenberg
And what was the other narrative during the time with Carmelo? They loved Amar E Stoudemire because he chose to come here.
Don La Greca
He wanted to be here and Melo forced his way here and they had to give up picks and give up assets.
Peter Rosenberg
There was a lot that kind of hurt Carmelo, of course, and living during that time, it always felt like it was unfair, very unfair. So I'm not really surprised that now as he's being celebrated and going to the hall of Fame, Nick fans are like, yeah, I'm good.
Don La Greca
It's sad. Now, meanwhile, going forward, speaking of bringing in another superstar, you guys remember after the trade deadline or do you remember? Because I wonder if anybody ever hears me. Do you remember what I don't mean. You do. I don't mean you guys.
Alan Hahn
You mean not getting credit in the world for the brilliance.
Don La Greca
You said Kevin Durant was in the rumors, but he didn't get moved. Do you remember what I said after the trade deadline?
Alan Hahn
You said, this is going to come up again and be a big story of the summer. And the conversation of him to the Knicks is going to be a thing.
Don La Greca
Yes.
Peter Rosenberg
It's not a deadline move.
Don La Greca
It's an off season move that there's going to be teams. And I mentioned the Thunder would be interesting. Golden State would be interesting. Miami will probably do whatever they can. And I said if you're the Knicks, right, you've got to be in this conversation. You got to at least think about it. What is it going to take? Right. Listen to shums also on McAfee about.
Shams Charania
KD definitely could be. So you look at this from a macro perspective. We've seen from Matt Ishby in the last two and a half years how aggressive he's been. He is not spared any expenses. He's clearly showing that as an owner, as an NBA owner, he's willing to take multiple swings. He wants to take millions of swings at the bat to try to win a championship. That's what he did two years ago when he went and got Kevin Durant. This iteration of this team. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant. Then you bring in Bradley Beal. The summer of 2024, it just. Or summer 2023, it just hasn't worked out in Phoenix. And from a holistic perspective, there's going to be changes coming to Phoenix. Barring a miracle finish to the year, there's going to be a lot that they're going to have to look at to evaluate throughout the organization. But from a roster perspective, that's going to start with Kevin Durant and potentially finding him a. Unlike at the trade deadline when he was almost traded to the warriors, the Suns, Kevin Durant, they would work together on any trade.
Don La Greca
So does that sound familiar?
Peter Rosenberg
Very familiar.
Don La Greca
Okay, now how about this part that he adds about the teams that were interested in KD at the deadline?
Shams Charania
But I can tell you guys this. Back at the NBA trade deadline, there were a list of teams that there was mutual interest with Kevin Durant. And those teams, from my understanding, and that's Minnesota, that's New York, that's Houston, San Antonio, Miami. Those are the types of teams that had interest then. And I expect them all to be in the mix this offseason. But the biggest thing to keep an eye on for all NBA fans and fans of those teams, how does your team finish in the playoffs? How do the playoffs go? Because that's going to really determine who feels like they're a Kevin Durant away. And there's going to be. They might not get what they gave up for Kevin Durant. You think about all the picks and the swaps, but they're going to get a pretty good haulback for a guy he just finished his 12th year averaging 25 points and 50% shooting 12 consecutive seasons.
Don La Greca
So Houston is a team that a lot of people are looking at because he's got a relationship with Eme Odoka, like, you see something there, they're a young team that could probably use somebody like him to put him over the top. But if there's a team in the east that feels close but might need one more piece to put him over the top, what team do you think that would be?
Alan Hahn
10X.
Don La Greca
And you heard him say, yeah, New York was interested and there's mutual interest, which means. And it's not surprising, KD loved playing in New York. The Nets thing didn't work out. It wasn't. It didn't go the way he could.
Peter Rosenberg
Have been a Knick. It just that I don't think Dolan wanted Kyrie. Right. Is that the story?
Don La Greca
There was a lot of that. It was the Kyrie aspect that originally it was just supposed to be kd. And I have been told by many people, not from the team side, from the other side, that they felt at certain points that New York was a lock, that he was coming, and the Knicks had set up for it. And what happened was, is the Kyrie thing got involved. And, you know, for kd, it's like, do I go there by myself? Because at the time, this roster was a barren wasteland and he didn't want to have that all on his shoulders. Whereas, you know, Kyrie had the setup with Brooklyn and, you know, we can go in together and we can build this thing so you're not by yourself. And so he went that way. It was a failure. It did not work, clearly, but it didn't mean he didn't like playing here. So that leads you now to a curiosity of is it worth whatever the price is going to be to make that kind of move in this off season? Let's say the Knicks do what people are expecting, which is get to the second round, but they can't get past the Celtics. They feel like they're just. They just don't have enough to beat that team. Mikhail Bridges has a contract extension that you'd have to give him this off season or you make another decision. I mean, that's not going to be easy to do. But if that's available at his age, at 36, 37 years old, is it worth doing it or is it just too late to make that kind of move for this Knicks team?
Alan Hahn
To me, it's just about the level, the cost.
Don La Greca
You know, it's going to be. It's going to be astronomical. We already know this.
Alan Hahn
Well, when you say that, when you say Astronom future picks, how many picks do they still have left?
Don La Greca
Well, they can. Again, their picks are the picks they gave up for Bridges, for everybody to know and please write this down and save it and keep it. They had to move those picks because I think there was two of them in this year's draft. As you know, their pick this year is like in the 20s. It's like 26. It's not really a valuable pick. Right. So they had to move some picks that they knew were going to time out. There are a couple of later picks that you do worry about if the team's going to be bad, but they don't anticipate being bad. There are later, later picks now that you can start to pull from. That's a dangerous thing to do.
Alan Hahn
So.
Don La Greca
But I'm also. My players, I believe. Well, you know, you're.
Alan Hahn
Can you give me.
Don La Greca
Well, I mean, if you're Phoenix. I mean, first of all, Bridges would have to be Right. Because if you. Are you going to extend them or are you going to give.
Alan Hahn
I'm fine with that. Go ahead.
Don La Greca
You know, so that's. That's one name for sure.
Alan Hahn
Good night. Good luck. Yes.
Don La Greca
Be in the conversation.
Alan Hahn
Who else? Give me someone else.
Don La Greca
But it could. Again, guys off the bench like Deuce McBride, you love them, but you know, that's. But you might even have to go into the realm of Towns and what.
Peter Rosenberg
Does he got on his.
Don La Greca
You might have. You might have to. I don't know, like, do you. Do you think of that? Because that's. To match salaries, to match all that stuff. If you're the son.
Alan Hahn
That's. But that's such a huge. The problem is Alan, to me, that's.
Don La Greca
And I'm just.
Alan Hahn
I don't know. But.
Don La Greca
But I'm looking at the numbers and the money and to match that up.
Alan Hahn
Is going to be hard because what I'm thinking about is a version of this team with Jalen Brunson, Carl Anthony Towns and Kevin Durant. Is that the sort of three headed monster they've wanted here for a long time? Because I believe from a scoring standpoint.
Don La Greca
And don't overlook OG Anunoby because he's playing out of his mind.
Alan Hahn
No, he can be really great. But he still would be fourth in that group.
Don La Greca
Yeah.
Alan Hahn
As important as he is.
Don La Greca
Yeah. If you could put all that together.
Alan Hahn
Kevin Durant. Yeah, yeah. Oh, you mean just including him in the pack, what they are?
Don La Greca
No, I'm saying, of course, if you.
Alan Hahn
Could find a way to keep those four on the floor, that's a Josh.
Don La Greca
Hart still on the team.
Alan Hahn
And I really believe that at this stage, Kevin Durant in a role where he is just expected to be the killer scorer that he is.
Don La Greca
Yeah.
Alan Hahn
I think he has two or three years left to do that. I think he can still do that effectively. Obviously health will be a factor.
Peter Rosenberg
How much does he left on his contract?
Don La Greca
It's got a year, I think. I haven't looked.
Peter Rosenberg
Can this go beyond just one year? How long can you think he can play?
Don La Greca
You'd have to get well.
Alan Hahn
He.
Don La Greca
Again, he's a couple. Like Peter said, his numbers are still fantastic. You worry about his physic, him breaking down like again, he had another ankle injury. Like he does tend to have that. But you know, and you're playing Tom Thibodeau, it's not like he's going to play 25 minutes a night. You know he's going to play. So by the way, those are things you all have to Think about he's.
Alan Hahn
Owed for next year. It's one more. You were right. 25, 26. The cap hit form is $54 million.
Don La Greca
You know what I mean by that number? Hard to match that number.
Alan Hahn
That's a big old number.
Don La Greca
That's why like as I hate to say Towns. Towns is in that realm. He's. Him and Adonovi are making that kind of money. The 40 plus, you know, like somebody.
Peter Rosenberg
How does it look? How do they lose? Bounced in the first round or they lose in the second round? Towns is awful.
Don La Greca
Like, like I think it's my second round and can't. Just can't keep up with the Celtic offense. Just can't. Can't keep up.
Peter Rosenberg
And if Towns doesn't play well, it might be easy to say, all right, we're going to get rid of Towns.
Don La Greca
Well. And Phoenix going to have to want that.
Alan Hahn
Well, can I just tell you though.
Don La Greca
He'S in a huge contract.
Alan Hahn
Well, Bridges is up. So it doesn't matter.
Don La Greca
He's up.
Alan Hahn
Money doesn't matter because he would have been beautiful matching money.
Don La Greca
Yeah. Again, all spitball in here. But it's something that I've been just. It's going to likely be in the conversation.
Alan Hahn
Oh no. Bridges is one more.
Don La Greca
The chances. Well, he has an extension due though. He's due for one.
Alan Hahn
But it says. But. Right, but it says he is not an Unrestricted free agent. 26, 27.
Don La Greca
Right. He's not unrestricted. But the problem is is that if you don't give him the extension, you kind of know already his future here.
Alan Hahn
Right.
Don La Greca
Because he's eligible for it and the expectation is that he is.
Alan Hahn
He's next next year. He's 24.9 and OG's 39.5.
Don La Greca
Yeah, yeah, it's the money's. So all I want to just do is because Shams had it out there, is just to remind everybody that this off season that Kevin Durant story is coming back. It's, you know, and it's going to be a very difficult decision, an interesting one and it'll be highly competitive as well.
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Don La Greca
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I didn't listen to anything you just said.
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Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
Peter Rosenberg
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Don La Greca
Thank you for taking my call.
Alan Hahn
Always. I just wanted to make a point about ESPN's top 100 list for MLB players.
Caller
Yeah, I think it's ridiculous that they.
Peter Rosenberg
Got Bobby Wood Jr. And Mookie Betts ahead of Judge.
Alan Hahn
And also I wanted to mention that they have five players ahead of Soto.
Peter Rosenberg
That I don't think should be ahead of total.
Shams Charania
I think.
Peter Rosenberg
Nestor. I don't know what they're using. If you're using war, then it should be Judge. If you're using any other metric, I'm not aware of it. Now, is Whit Jr. An amazing player? Yeah, but he didn't win the MVP last year. Judge did. Betts is awesome. Soto's awesome. There's a lot of good players in the league. But you wonder if there is a New York bias sometimes. The only player that I'm willing to have a conversation that could be better than Aaron Judge is Ohtani. Because he pitches. If Ohtani didn't hit Judge, well, who else are you going to.
Alan Hahn
Who else is going to take it out?
Peter Rosenberg
Now, obviously, with that fifth inning notwithstanding, Judge is still an A plus defender, covers a ton of grounds, got a monster army, great on base percentage, hits for average, hits for home runs. I mean, what's not to like about Aaron Judge that you're going to put, you know, Bobby Witt Jr. Ahead of him?
Don La Greca
Okay.
Alan Hahn
But if you have a fully healthy pitching Ohtani, then I would say, yeah, he's better.
Peter Rosenberg
He's a unicorn. You know, because of the argument that I would get with K is, well, he's a better defender. Ohtani doesn't play the field. Yeah. But he's also a pitcher and that can be one of the best pitchers in baseball. So I'm sorry, you could be upset all you want. If I've got Ohtani ahead of Judge, we can have a conversation. I can't really have a conversation with anybody else in Major League Baseball over Aaron Judge right now. I just can't, can I?
Alan Hahn
Can I just give My opinion. And maybe I'm a hack.
Peter Rosenberg
No, I don't think there's any maybes.
Alan Hahn
Thank you. But it's a yo, yo argument by Michael. We get so caught up in the conversation about a plus defender. Don. Like, how good if it I. There's not an outfielder good enough on earth defensively in the major leagues to outweigh if you have a legitimate borderline. A starting pitcher. I'm sorry. No matter how good an outfielder you are. Well, it doesn't matter.
Peter Rosenberg
It's unfair. He's a. He's a unicorn. He can do it.
Alan Hahn
I'm sorry. Was there a law that Aaron Judge couldn't pitch? Everyone's allowed to do it.
Peter Rosenberg
And you know, when you bring that up and it's like, well, you bring up, oh, you know, Babe Ruth. He could have went to the hall of Fame as a pitcher. Yeah, it's a thing. And then not since then has there been somebody to be able to do it. He's number one.
Alan Hahn
If he's doing both, he's number one.
Peter Rosenberg
But I do think there sometimes is a New York bias, Peter, when it comes to let's. Oh, it's easy to put Judge. So let's think outside the box. Let's blow everybody's mind and come up with other people. I mean, come on. And I understand that he hasn't been as good in the postseason. He's been in the regular season. But a lot of the guys you're throwing out, we don't know because they don't spend enough time in the postseason. You know, Royals had a chance to beat the Yankees, didn't do it. And Whit was good, but, you know, Judge was on a team that was better. I don't know what the metric is. I'm sure there's some yo, yo metric that they're going to say that they're smarter than me, but I'm with Nestor. I don't get why that they would they have Judge third, fourth. It is yo, yo.
Alan Hahn
Bum jump. All right, well, I just want to remind everyone.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah, do it.
Alan Hahn
You know, when Alan, yesterday we had a moment on the show, got a little heated, a little unpleasant. We're late in the show as it was described. A caller palooza Allen said, we have all the callers. It'll be so great.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah, I.
Alan Hahn
It didn't interest me. I said, I don't think that'll be good programming. And it got a little emotional. And Tessa got very mad at me because I said she was no Richard.
Peter Rosenberg
Right.
Alan Hahn
And Alan, in that moment Don, you would think was caping for the callers, right? That was. That was the role he played, wasn't it?
Peter Rosenberg
Was. Oh, no, that's a word. Caping.
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
Peter Rosenberg
Oh, yeah, sure.
Alan Hahn
That's. I looked like the bad guy because I was saying I'd rather be dead. And Alan was looking like the good guy because he wants to have a caller show. Look at the call screener right now and tell me who's the true friend of the. Of the regular callers on our show.
Peter Rosenberg
The true friend of the regular call.
Alan Hahn
Yeah, because I'm going to go pick up line two right here.
Peter Rosenberg
Well, that's Griff.
Alan Hahn
The Griff. And what does it say on next.
Peter Rosenberg
On hold, what he wants to talk about or Connecticut.
Alan Hahn
No, no, I meant the amount of time.
Peter Rosenberg
Oh, four minutes.
Shams Charania
I know this, this is a problem.
Peter Rosenberg
Sorry. So I'll answer for. They reset it on me because I.
Alan Hahn
Got reset on you. I'll tell you what it says on Allen's screen because I moved over here.
Peter Rosenberg
Okay.
Alan Hahn
149 minutes. Now, you consider Danny from Long Island a regular.
Peter Rosenberg
Oh, yeah.
Alan Hahn
103 minutes. Just, just remember that when I get framed as the bad guy just because I don't want to call her palooza, just remember who's the guy who, when he, when he gets the mouse, goes straight over to Griftster in Connecticut. Hey, Griff.
Caller
Hey, guys. How are you?
Alan Hahn
Good, good. Thank you for hanging in there through the Allen time, as it's known if.
Peter Rosenberg
We'Re living here in Allen time.
Alan Hahn
And then Griffin is still waiting on hold and Danny's got something to say. Cause we're living here in Allen time.
Peter Rosenberg
I didn't even rehearse that.
Alan Hahn
We live. What do you got, Griffin?
Caller
Where can we go sometimes on this show?
Peter Rosenberg
Well, everywhere.
Caller
Everywhere. Yes. I want to talk about the college basketball for a minute. There are a lot of people that are downplaying the final four for those.
Alan Hahn
Yeah, me and Mom.
Caller
But I feel like we have four really not. Sorry. Three really good games for the men and three really good games for the woman. These are going to be really good games. I think we have the best teams that we could have asked for in these games. And I know while you say that Duke you think is gonna just cruise through it, I kind of disagree with you.
Alan Hahn
I hope you're right.
Caller
A very good team. They're a very good defensive team. They have two really good guards. So Houston could give Duke a little bit of trouble. Florida, according to Steph Greenberg, he said is the Yukon of is this year's. Yukon of last year. So look out for Florida, their scary team. Walter Clayton Jr. Can take over a game when need to. And another thing is, can you guys make sense of this? So the Met. So the men's finals four starts on Saturday.
Peter Rosenberg
Yes.
Caller
The woman who ended their olite on Monday start on Friday. So by the way, ucla, who ended up ending on Sunday, was able to get to Tampa. We ended on Monday. We have to play halfway across the country to Tampa and we then start again on Friday. Why do the woman start before the men? And you're having teams fly halfway across the country that ended on Monday?
Peter Rosenberg
Well, I mean, the simple answer is that they want the championship game on Sunday. That's always been the case. So you got to play Friday, Sunday so the men can play Saturday.
Alan Hahn
Griffin. It starts in the very beginning. They. They start the women's tournament later and want it to finish earlier.
Peter Rosenberg
Right.
Alan Hahn
So it's, it's. The truth is it's biased. I'm just being honest. It's biased against the women's tournament.
Peter Rosenberg
And I favor the men because that was the better game right now. And don't correct me if I'm wrong. I always remember the Sunday being an afternoon vehicle. But have they moved that to prime time on Sunday, the women's championship game, or is it still like a 3:00? I remember it always being like in the middle of the day.
Alan Hahn
That's a great.
Peter Rosenberg
But I think they might have moved at the prime time.
Alan Hahn
I know who will be on the call.
Peter Rosenberg
Ryan Ruka.
Alan Hahn
Ryan Ruoco. All right, let's go to another man who's been on hold, hopefully still with us. Danny.
Peter Rosenberg
Hi, Danny.
Caller
Danny's on overtime, so you can, you can put me back in the queue for a few more minutes if you want. But listen, there's so many great stories to talk about, but you have to rewind Richard sometimes to understand what he just said. And we ought to believe that there's a possibility that Richard was in the bar the night that Bruce met his friend, the baseball player. Do you realize how close we came to Richard walking out of that bar, seeing Bruce Springsteen, and then changing history by grabbing him by the ear. Speaking in Richard terms for seven, Bruce could have become so disillusioned that not only did he not write a song about a baseball player, he didn't write any songs at all. I mean, we, we came close to losing Bruce because of, because of Richards from Manhattan there. That, that's unbelievable.
Peter Rosenberg
If he's in the right groove, you're right. He Walks out of the bar, never gets the inspiration, ends up doing something forever. It's like a Back to the future moment. Right.
Alan Hahn
Everything changes. Right there. The picture's disappearing.
Caller
Right. Instead of getting glory days, we get dental days. Right? Exactly. Yeah. Now, listen, we covered a couple of things. Let me just comment on this. Caesar. The original Batman is amazing because he set the tone as to Batman's mannerisms, the way he spoke the way.
Peter Rosenberg
Right.
Caller
That never changed. They all kind of kept that. The only thing is, the Joker, played by Cesar Romero, was completely different than what the Joker eventually became. And Cesar Romero is my favorite Joker because I like to. I like the fun joke. And because Cesar Romero, at the age of 37, demanded to be entered into the Coast Guard during World War II. It actually served in combat on a ship in the front line, even though at that point, he had been in 50 major movies and he certainly did not have to be there.
Alan Hahn
So I didn't know that. Yeah.
Caller
Cesar Romero, a good American patriot. Happy to announce that Lindor has fielded three ground balls today without an error. You would have thought the world was gonna end because a man who had a child 48 hours ago had a bad day in the field. And last but not least, if I may be like a Richard, Peter, how's the baby sleeping? Because I'll tell you why. I asked that man with four children. That tells me all I need to know. Because a child who's sleeping well, is digesting well, is happy, is well cared for, and it's sleeping good. So any man who's been. When you tell me, oh, the kids are sleeping well, well, then that opens up a conversation as to, you know, can't find the right formula. We can't do this. So how the baby's sleeping to me is all the information I need to know. When I ask someone who has a new kid, I would never ask you how you're sleeping.
Alan Hahn
Like a question, but do you understand, Danny, there's like a. It sounds like a similar question, but it's a really big difference between so getting any sleep and, hey, how's the. Your baby's two months, right. How's she sleeping? That's so different.
Caller
Completely different. Depending on who you're asking, who is sleeping. How is your baby? How is she sleeping to me is a mess. It's all.
Alan Hahn
That's a legitimate question about the health of your baby.
Caller
That's right. So anyone who asked you how you're sleeping. Bad guy. Thank you anyway, by the way, for us, Lollapalooza, what would be in it for me to sit somewhere with Richard.
Don La Greca
I love they don't.
Caller
I would be trying to talk about football. He would start talking about the 1967 NCAA Final Four. I'd be like, what are you talking about?
Alan Hahn
Well, I thank you, Danny. You're the best. I don't listen, we obviously have to. If this was going to be a thing, we would have to flush it out or flesh it out, whatever the term is. I always get confused.
Peter Rosenberg
Now I think it's flush, right? You're flushing it out, but I think it's flesh. Well, then I don't know. But what are you fleshing?
Alan Hahn
It's a great question and maybe a drop that you just said. But let's discuss it on the other side because now I do think there's a world where we do like the caller all star segment for Don. Like one or two segments at a beach bash.
Peter Rosenberg
That could be the beach bash. We could work something in.
Alan Hahn
But like a hey, you're coming out so we can see just callers take the stage with each other. To me, that would be the. That would not be good content. We need you got. Listen, everyone would rather see the richer dating game than anything we're talking about. Let's just be honest, getting people's moms to date Richard. That is the kind of content we need on this show. We are going to talk to Mr. Ray Dennis. Two. Dennis's on hold. You don't see that every day. Felicia's here, Jose. And we even have one line open at 1-800-919-3776. We got ENN at 6:00. It's Peter and Don. And I got to talk to you guys about FanDuel because right now FanDuel is of course America's number one. It's the sportsbook. It's the best place to bet on sports. There's an absolutely loaded sports calendar this week. And whether you're basketball, baseball, hockey or any other sport, girl or gal or girl or guy, even check out some of the exclusive promotions I'm talking about Dinger Tuesday hump day parlays and golf profit boost tokens all over the weekend. All right, busy night for the locals, as we know. We got Knicks, we got hockey Ronger, we got the Mets playing right now. It's all happening. And right now, new customers could get $200 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. Just visit FanDuel.com Peter to make every moment more 21 and over and physically present in New York. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as non withdrawable bonus bets which expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms@sportsbook.fanduel.com for help with a gambling problem, call 8778 Hope NY or text OPENY at 467-369. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying Big Wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying. No judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate.
Don La Greca
First three months only, then full price.
Alan Hahn
Plan options available, taxes and fees extra.
Don La Greca
See full terms@mintmobile.com hi, this is Debbie.
Alan Hahn
Your blinds.com design consultant.
Peter Rosenberg
Oh wow, a real person. Yep. I am here to help you with.
Alan Hahn
Everything from selecting the perfect window treatments to.
Peter Rosenberg
Well, I've got a complicated project. Oh, not a problem.
Alan Hahn
I can even schedule a professional measure and install. We can also send you samples fast and free.
Peter Rosenberg
I just might have to do more.
Alan Hahn
Oh okay.
Don La Greca
So the first room we're looking at is for guests.
Alan Hahn
ShopBlinds.com now and save up to 4:45 site wide. Blinds.com rules and restrictions may apply.
Don La Greca
Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.
Alan Hahn
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
Don La Greca
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
Alan Hahn
Well, we're living here in Allen time.
Peter Rosenberg
We could do something with that. Oh yeah, for sure it is game time. It's brought to you by Tully. More Dew Irish Whiskey. Because when it's game time, it's Tully time. The Mets and Marlins playing right now on 8:80am Top of the fifth inning. Marlins are up two to one in that game. The Yankees they're of course going to be taking on the Diamondbacks. Rangers host the Wild. I'll be on the pregame show at 6:30 on Bloomberg 11 3. Oh, while the Knicks are going to be on 10:50 at 6:30 following this show. So there's a lot going on, a lot of moving parts. Tullamore do 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. How about that. I could do things. I'm smart. All right. Sorry.
Alan Hahn
And our fathers fought the Second World.
Peter Rosenberg
War, spent their weekends on.
Alan Hahn
Why did you jump so early? I got. You got to give me the way to beat. But you jumped the note.
Peter Rosenberg
I jumped the note only because this is what we're doing. Well, but you try to edit it up for time.
Alan Hahn
But I was gonna hit. We gotta hit the Jersey Shore part big. That's the big. That's your part. That's you.
Peter Rosenberg
Well, now we're putting too much thought into it. There was a spontaneous moment that now died. Thanks to you.
Alan Hahn
I thought it was thanks to you.
Peter Rosenberg
Editorial content.
Alan Hahn
You had to jump. You jumped my nose.
Peter Rosenberg
No, because I'm trying to condense things.
Alan Hahn
The fathers fought the Second World War, spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore. The people must go crazy when they hear that line down the shore. You kidding me?
Peter Rosenberg
It's always a big deal.
Alan Hahn
It's funny, too, because, like, such a big moment. He's. Billy Joel is really good. And maybe this sums up why. Like, what makes him both good and weird?
Peter Rosenberg
Okay.
Alan Hahn
Well, he just always is good at representing things that are not him. You know what I mean?
Peter Rosenberg
Interesting.
Alan Hahn
Like, he just. He can write songs about things that are not him. It's like he's. And when he did an interview with Howard several years ago, I thought one of the most interesting things he said that was telling about Billy Joel is that early on, his writing was always with other people in mind. But then he would just keep all the songs for himself. So he would sort of have a vision of what a. You know, what it might feel like if so and so sung a song. And he was really good at sort of harnessing that. But then he'd sing them all for himself. You know what I'm saying?
Peter Rosenberg
Right.
Alan Hahn
So it's almost like he's playing a part because he was. He was thinking about other people.
Peter Rosenberg
And the thing that got a lot of people from Allentown, Pennsylvania, upset is that Allentown didn't. It's really Bethlehem he was talking about, but Bethlehem just didn't hit the way Allentown did. So he kind of took some liberties.
Alan Hahn
What's. How different was the experience in Allentown and Bethlehem?
Peter Rosenberg
It just wasn't the. That's not where the industry was. It was in Bethlehem. Bethlehem. We're living here in Bethlehem.
Alan Hahn
It sounds like a religious song now. It doesn't even work.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah, that's probably. Listen, I'm not going to question him. He made the right.
Alan Hahn
He got it. He. Listen. He got it right.
Peter Rosenberg
Chris tells us yes, the phrase is flesh it out.
Alan Hahn
Thank you.
Peter Rosenberg
To add more details or substance to something. The phrase likely comes from the idea of adding flesh to a skeleton structure, giving it more shape, detail, structure.
Alan Hahn
This little dog on TV reminds me of Rocky. It wasn't a Rocky. It was like a Shih Tzu, I think. But all the little white dogs remind me of Rocky.
Peter Rosenberg
I'm sorry, should I take over?
Alan Hahn
No, it's fine. It's. I'll tell you what though, it's still not great. It'll be a month on Friday. We still, we still miss our guy. Let's talk to the people. That'll cheer me up.
Peter Rosenberg
Mm.
Alan Hahn
Let's start with Jose was calling from Connecticut. He wanted to back Allen up. Alan's on his way to the Garden. But Jose, you're in on Carmelo as a great Nick?
Caller
Yeah, I mean, not even just a great Nick, but like just a Hall of Famer in general. But I just think Knicks fans, you know, I'm a Knicks fan, but just frustrate me because we all know, you guys know over the years how they prop up like they will prop up bench players and, and over, like a Landry Fields over a Carmelo. And I want to make two points. First of all, we need to, we need to retire the whole Jerry Millenn talk, right? Because a lot of people turn on Carmelo because of Jerry Lynn. But this man refused to play in the playoffs that year against the Heat, right. Because he wanted to focus on free agency. And then he turned out to be nothing more than a six man rest of his career. So like, and Carmel, in my point Macy was Carmelo. His biggest failure was that they just didn't build a decent team around him. He had no hall of Famers in New York, right? Not one. I think the best besides Panther prime, right. Jason Kidd and Rashid Waters, who are already in their 40s.
Peter Rosenberg
And Stoudemire had the bad news.
Caller
Yeah, exactly. I was gonna say Omari unfortunately was injured.
Alan Hahn
Right.
Caller
But I wanted to. And also just to attach a. I wanted to read you guys really quick. The Carmelo's the last game as Nick the lineup of the Knicks, okay. And you told me like I feel like Phil Jackson wanted them to fail. He just wanted to get fired and collect the check, right? So the last game of Carmelo's Knick career, the starters were Ron Baker, Maurice Nador, Courtney Lee and Willie Hernande. Going in that starting center with Mason Plumlee, Tahsan Randle, Sasha, Justin Holiday, Kylo Quinn. This was the last team that he played on on the Knicks in his Knicks career. So I just wanted to, like Knicks fans, just need to, you know, retire these dumb talking points and just appreciate the guy.
Peter Rosenberg
It's one of. It's one of the frustrating things about what we do for a living. Believe me, I love every second of it. But the problem is, is that the callers, who are probably represent a very small percentage of the fan base, have the loudest voice. So when we say Nick fans, we're talking about the people that used to call the show all the time. For all we know, Peter, that was a very small percentage of the fans. I remember him being cheered at the Garden. I remember him being revered in that way. But the phone calls, the narrative was completely different. It's like the Yankee fans being spoiled. It's probably not all of them, but we can only go by the ones that call. And that's what the frustrating thing about sports radio do the callers represent the actual voice of the fans?
Alan Hahn
I just saw something pop up on my timeline here, Don.
Peter Rosenberg
What's that?
Alan Hahn
MLB posted this. It says, Michael k. And Paul O'Neill discussing one piece lore is an iconic baseball broadcasting moment with. What. What is. This is anime talk? Because I don't even know I saw.
Peter Rosenberg
This last night, but I don't know what it meant. Well, I'm not an anime guy.
Alan Hahn
Yeah, so.
Don La Greca
So I'm not a real much enemy.
Peter Rosenberg
Guy like I used to be.
Don La Greca
But One Piece is a show that apparently, Jazz Chisholm. That's one of his favorites.
Alan Hahn
All right, let's. I'm just playing this. I don't care if I get in trouble.
Peter Rosenberg
Here we go.
Don La Greca
Here you go.
Alan Hahn
Well, that is. He wears a lot of things from an anime series called One Piece. And on his armband, you see Monkey D. Luffy, also known as Straw Hat Luffy. He's the captain and founder of the Straw Hat Pirates. Nice. And protagonist of the anime and manga series One Piece. I. I know you were asking about this, Paul. That Monkey D. Luffy has the properties of rubber after accidentally eating one of the devil fruits.
Don La Greca
Okay.
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
Don La Greca
I'm glad you explained that.
Alan Hahn
Jazz is a big anime fan. Now, guys, you know that big chain.
Don La Greca
That he wears sometimes?
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
Don La Greca
Well, that's from that series as well.
Alan Hahn
And he also has that same design in his teeth. In his teeth? Really? So it was new this spring.
Peter Rosenberg
I think he got it at the.
Alan Hahn
End of last year. I asked him about. I was like, wow, I haven't seen that before.
Peter Rosenberg
Wow.
Alan Hahn
That was first of all, Go ahead. What was your first of all? I was today years old when I found out Jazz Chisholm was a loser.
Peter Rosenberg
Well, I don't want to judge.
Alan Hahn
No, I mean, I'm sorry, it's too far. The characters names on like on his body displayed.
Peter Rosenberg
It is very popular. Why does.
Alan Hahn
No, no, listen, listen. By the way, so pro wrestling was very popular, right? If I showed up to my whatever my job was to perform and I wore a uniform and I took a Roman Reigns OTC band and wrapped it around my arm wrestling, other wrestling fans would go, you are a mark loser. That's what would be said. Now, Jazz Chisholm seems like a very cool guy. I'm not trying to. I like jazz, I really do. But that is a bit far, my friend.
Peter Rosenberg
But how does Michael know all this stuff about anime?
Alan Hahn
He was handed to him on a note.
Peter Rosenberg
But Michael, tell me more.
Alan Hahn
I want to learn more about my anime.
Peter Rosenberg
I don't want to overproduce the YES network. They do a phenomenal.
Alan Hahn
Oh, we love the S Network.
Peter Rosenberg
But why would you talk about something you know that not only does Paul O'Neal not know about, doesn't care a lick about?
Alan Hahn
Oh, I think.
Peter Rosenberg
Why would you leave him out the dry light? You can hear him saying, oh, wow, man, that's.
Don La Greca
Yeah, it was the.
Peter Rosenberg
It was the okay.
Alan Hahn
I might need a drop of the okay to be fair. Yeah, because I was watching. Of course. Of course you were. Mr. Yang. We got two. What do we got there?
Peter Rosenberg
Michaels this year.
Alan Hahn
One was the Tiramisu cup in the. In the Yankee hat. The Tiramisu Yankee hat was that over the weekend. And the second was what does jazz got going on with his pads?
Shams Charania
And why does it.
Alan Hahn
But why can't. So he asked.
Peter Rosenberg
But the thing is, why does Michael have to own it? Michael doesn't know anything about this. He's probably given the information. So why can't he at least be on Paul's side? Like, I don't know anything about this either. But he comes across like, yeah, you're supposed to know this. Napoleon.
Alan Hahn
No, I don't think that. I don't think your read on this is right. I think Michael sounds clearly like the guy who was handed the information and is explaining it and has no idea either. And I think the yes. Producers know that. It's very funny to hear Paul O'Neill just going, okay, because Meredith did the work. Obviously she asked and she had it all down, right? She. She knew, like she weighed in and she'd obviously talk. And then when Michael explained what it was. He said, I found it funny. He's like, I'm good now. Paul wanted to know. And he was like, no, I don't want to know anymore. All right, all right. No problem.
Peter Rosenberg
All those Yankee fans love Paul. They don't want to see him out to dry. Right.
Alan Hahn
But I didn't think he was out to dry.
Peter Rosenberg
I don't know. It just comes across like the guy that doesn't know. But I don't think most people know.
Alan Hahn
No, I think most people watching that did not know.
Peter Rosenberg
So I don't like it.
Alan Hahn
Let's go to Dennis. Let's go to Dennis in North Carolina. I know. We got to go. Dennis, go ahead.
Caller
I was hoping Alan would be there, but this because his whole idea of this Caller Caller Palooza loser thing.
Alan Hahn
Yeah. Oh, my God.
Caller
It would be a nightmare. Like, I'm just thinking in my head, like, Danny from Long island checking people's IDs, throwing people out even though they're over 21. You got Tessa holding Peter in a chokehold like, I know him up.
Shams Charania
Griffin's in.
Caller
Griffin's in the corner, like, having a panic attack. And then Richard's on the mic talking about some first athlete from God knows when about God knows what. No one knows what he's talking about.
Alan Hahn
So. Yeah, would not work out. Thank you.
Peter Rosenberg
Honestly, the way he distributed sounds better than some of the remotes we've.
Alan Hahn
It's a fair point.
Don La Greca
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but I just want to know. It's good. Hear more of Don, Alan and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.
Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 3: Melo & KD
Release Date: April 2, 2025
The episode "Hour 3: Melo & KD" of the Don, Hahn & Rosenberg podcast delves deep into Carmelo Anthony's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame and explores the potential future moves of superstar Kevin Durant (KD) within the NBA. Hosted by Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg, the trio engages in passionate discussions, providing insights into both basketball and broader sports narratives.
Don La Greca [01:10]: Announces Carmelo Anthony's election to the Basketball Hall of Fame, highlighting his impressive NBA resume including his tenure with the Knicks, Nuggets, Thunder, Trail Blazers, and Lakers.
"Carmelo Anthony has been notified he has been elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame... he is a first ballot hall of famer." [01:30]
Peter Rosenberg [02:00]: Details Melo's accomplishments such as being a 10-time All-Star, a 6-time All-NBA team member, and the 10th leading scorer in NBA history.
"He won a national championship as a freshman at Syracuse... he was insanely good in the Olympics." [03:18]
Don La Greca [03:30]: Reflects on his personal experiences covering Melo, including memorable moments like Melo's trade and press conferences.
"It was one of the heights of being a beat writer... I was there." [03:40]
Alan Hahn [05:25]: Discusses the mixed reactions from fans, particularly Knicks supporters who question Melo's Hall of Fame credentials due to the lack of an NBA championship.
"They really post up like, 'Well, Melo didn’t win a title, does he belong?'" [05:53]
Peter Rosenberg [06:37]: Compares Melo’s reception to that of star players like Alex Rodriguez, suggesting that despite his individual brilliance, team achievements heavily influence fan perceptions.
"There are people that look at Carmelo Anthony as a failure in New York because they didn't win a championship." [06:50]
Don La Greca [04:00]: Emphasizes Melo's impact on international basketball, including his performances in the Olympics which bolstered his reputation.
"He was one of the great Olympic players... KD is not going to play in the LA Olympics. I guarantee he loves playing the Olympics." [05:24]
Don La Greca [07:30]: Draws parallels between Melo’s reception in New York and baseball's Aaron Judge, pondering when Judge might face similar fan frustrations despite his stellar performance.
"Like when do Yankee fans start staring at him with that kind of same frustration of that's great, but when are you going to win us a ring?" [07:20]
Alan Hahn [10:46]: Suggests that Judge might receive more leniency due to being a hometown hero.
"I think Judge will get a lot more slack on account of being a homegrown guy." [10:46]
Don La Greca [12:24]: Highlights Judge’s mixed postseason performance, acknowledging both his standout moments and critical mistakes.
"He has had moments, big shots, and yet all anybody kept saying was he doesn't win." [12:24]
Peter Rosenberg [14:23]: Discusses how Judge's lack of a championship could overshadow his regular-season achievements in the eyes of fans.
"They won't remember the early stuff. They'll remember the drop ball." [12:55]
Don La Greca [15:20]: References Shams Charania’s insights on KD's trade possibilities, emphasizing the likelihood of Durant seeking a championship-contending team.
"Kevin Durant could be... he's clearly showing he’s willing to take multiple swings to try to win a championship." [16:01]
Shams Charania [16:01]: Explains KD's aggressive pursuit of championships, referencing his past moves to teams like the Suns and his performance metrics.
"Kevin Durant, he would work together on any trade... the biggest thing to keep an eye on is how the playoffs go." [16:53]
Peter Rosenberg [18:03]: Analyzes the Knicks' potential interest in KD, noting past relationships and the challenges of integrating another superstar into the roster.
"What is it going to take? Listen to Shams also on McAfee about." [18:03]
Alan Hahn [19:43]: Discusses the financial and strategic implications for the Knicks if they pursue KD, considering their current roster and salary cap constraints.
"It's just about the level, the cost... Astronomical future picks." [19:43]
Don La Greca [20:27]: Examines the Knicks' draft picks and potential sacrifices required to accommodate a player like KD, including moving future valuable picks.
"They can move some picks they know are going to time out... but they don't anticipate being bad." [20:27]
Alan Hahn [21:24]: Envisions a strategic lineup incorporating KD, Jalen Brunson, and Carl Anthony Towns, while also considering the roles of other key players.
"A version of this team with Jalen Brunson, Carl Anthony Towns, and Kevin Durant is the sort of three-headed monster they've wanted." [21:24]
Don La Greca [22:09]: Highlights KD's contract status and the potential financial strain on teams looking to acquire him.
"It's got a year, I think. You'd have to get well..." [22:09]
Alan Hahn [23:33]: Discusses the challenges of matching KD’s salary with existing Knicks players like Mason Bridges.
"He's not unrestricted... he's up." [23:33]
Caller Nestor [27:43]: Criticizes ESPN's MLB Top 100 list for ranking players like Bobby Witt Jr. and Mookie Betts above Aaron Judge.
"I think it's ridiculous that they got Bobby Wood Jr. And Mookie Betts ahead of Judge." [27:43]
Peter Rosenberg [28:06]: Defends Judge’s standing, arguing that his comprehensive performance should warrant a higher ranking.
"Judge is still an A plus defender, covers a ton of grounds, got a monster army... What’s not to like about Aaron Judge?" [28:48]
Caller [33:26]: Engages in a discussion about the scheduling bias favoring the men's Final Four over the women's, questioning the logistics and fairness.
"Why do the women start before the men? And you're having teams fly halfway across the country that ended on Monday?" [34:01]
Alan Hahn & Peter Rosenberg [35:13]: Agree on the perceived bias, noting the scheduling choices prioritize the men's championship for higher viewership.
"The truth is it's biased against the women's tournament." [35:13]
Discussion on Anime and Jazz Chisholm [49:10 - 50:32]: The hosts and callers discuss Jazz Chisholm's fandom of the anime series One Piece, featuring humorous exchanges about his personal style and interests.
"Jazz is a big anime fan... But Jazz Chisholm seems like a very cool guy." [50:09]
As the episode wraps up, the hosts reflect on the discussions and tease upcoming segments, including potential "Caller All-Star" events and continued debates on player rankings and team strategies.
Don La Greca [43:33]: Encourages listeners to subscribe and catch the show on demand.
Alan Hahn [44:19]: Shares thoughts on Billy Joel’s songwriting, drawing analogies to representational artistry.
"He can write songs about things that are not him. It's like he's playing a part." [44:26]
Final Calls and Advertisements: The episode concludes with typical sponsor messages and humorous banter about editing and content management, emphasizing the dynamic and engaging nature of the show.
Don La Greca [01:30]:
"Carmelo Anthony has been notified he has been elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame... he is a first ballot hall of famer."
Don La Greca [05:53]:
"He was one of the great Olympic players... KD is not going to play in the LA Olympics. I guarantee he loves playing the Olympics."
Alan Hahn [10:46]:
"I think Judge will get a lot more slack on account of being a homegrown guy."
Peter Rosenberg [28:48]:
"If Ohtani didn't hit Judge, well, who else are you going to."
Alan Hahn [35:13]:
"The truth is it's biased against the women's tournament."
Hour 3: Melo & KD offers an in-depth exploration of Carmelo Anthony's Hall of Fame legacy and the intricate dynamics surrounding Kevin Durant's potential moves within the league. Through passionate dialogue and diverse perspectives, Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of current basketball narratives and their broader implications in the sports world.