
Don, Hahn & Rosenberg on ESPN NY
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Don Hahn
This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
Rosenberg
That sounds like heaven to me.
Don Hahn
Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 880 ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.
Rosenberg
1-800-919-3776. Now we're gonna be.
Don Hahn
That's chemistry right there. That was serious chemistry.
Rosenberg
We are gonna be at Stout which is becoming. Listen anything. Everybody's going to say that you're a good luck charm during this run. Every time we've gone to Stout, they've won. Right?
Don Hahn
Yep.
Rosenberg
So we're going to be there tomorrow at 3 o'. Clock. So usually, you know, Fridays we don't have remotes. We're going to have a remote this Friday and next Friday too. Plot Deutsches were going to be for the Knicks and also for World cup getting underway. So we're going to be out and about over the next couple of Fridays.
Don Hahn
Sure will.
Rosenberg
But definitely try to swing by tomorrow. 35th between 7th and 8th and we packed the place yesterday. I expect there to be even more people considering it's a Friday Friday and new up one nothing.
Don Hahn
Yeah.
Rosenberg
So let's do this. But last call crew at 1-800-919-3776. You got the Knicks, you've got the Yankees with Aaron Judge. It doesn't sound great. Didn't play the any of the games in the Guardian series. The Yankees did win today two to one. So they did get at least salvaged one game of the three game set. So they're one and two without Judge. But and I listen they've got guys that can hit right. Rice is having a phenomenal year. But you just can't. You can't lose Judge. You just can't. And it's something they haven't had to worry about in such a long time.
Don Hahn
I think they're gonna.
Rosenberg
Yeah, well at least for a period of time. But I don't Thoracic outlet syndrome is not what you want to hear. And seeing a specialist you've already missed three games and it's normally a pitchers.
Don Hahn
Right. Wasn't this.
Rosenberg
Did cone go through it too? Was that what cone had. Yeah.
Don Hahn
Harvey had It, Yeah, Harvey had it, Wheeler had it. Like, it's. It's really like a pitcher one.
Rosenberg
Right. But. But listen, again, I don't know what's related, I'm not a doctor, but he had problems with the arm last year, you know, and now what this does Allen, even in the best case scenario, is that he's going to be a DH sooner than later. He's just going to be. And that stinks for a couple of reasons. Number one, you still have Stanton. There's. You lose the DH position if Judge is going to play every day at dh. He's a heck of a fielder and a tremendous arm that helps you win games. And if he's not in right field gunning people out at second base, third base at home, that hurts you. But it doesn't it feel like over the last couple of years with the issues with the throwing arm, like you said, it's usually pitchers because he's got a gun of an arm that he's going to be a D8 sooner than later.
Don Hahn
Yeah, just. Just seeing this because, see, TOS would probably mean the end of the season, right? Because it's months of rehab. But they need the swelling, I guess to come down, which is why the testing has become complicated. But I had to laugh because the specialist they're talking about here, Gregory Pearl, he's in Dallas. And what Boone said was, you know, the guy's several states away. We just have to be patient.
Rosenberg
Right?
Don Hahn
You know, he's got to get on, on the, on the wagon train to get here, apparently. But he's several states away. But this is a dynamic they want to rule out. It's just to be clear because the more I'm reading this story, again, just not a laughing matter. They want to rule out ToS before they do anything else.
Rosenberg
Right?
Don Hahn
They want to make sure they can rule it out. So what do you do? You get a specialist in the area who can come in and can look at all the testing and maybe even want to just see him himself and talk to himself. So I think that's what they're trying to do here is rule out the worst case scenario and then go from there. So that's what they're hoping they come from this.
Rosenberg
I think the non specialist looks at and goes, you know, this might be.
Don Hahn
It could be.
Rosenberg
This could be tos. We got to check. We got to bring in a specialist to check.
Don Hahn
But there's a lot of swelling, so it's hard to. All right, well, let's get somebody here knows what they're looking at, right?
Rosenberg
And then, then you diagnose that, what are we going to do? How long is he going to be out, blah blah blah. And then they make the announcement. So the Yankees are still home. They've got a series coming up this weekend with the Red Sox. More interesting, even though the Red Sox, Yankees isn't exactly needle moving the way it used to be, but you're going to have a weekend of Knicks in the Finals, Yankees, Red Sox. You know, there's gonna be a lot going on for sure.
Don Hahn
Yeah.
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Rosenberg
1-800-919-3776 Steve is in Middle Village. You're on ESPN New York. What's up Steve?
Caller
Hey guys, thank you for taking the call. I was thinking of you guys watching the game yesterday and again, I'm the 70s guy. Just a couple of observations. I'd love to hear what you have to say. Cat versus Wemby was like Buescher versus Chamberlain in I think the sixth or seventh game in the 70 finals. Brunson when that happened, my heart felt like everybody else. It was like he was Reed originally and then he came back and he played like Frazier in the seventh game. And again my feeling is that Wemby, he's going to be great. There's no question about it. But he's a thin Chamberlain. Again. I haven't been a Knicks fan in a long time, but this team, the way it plays makes me feel good that basketball is a great team game and just want to hear your comments and thanks for all you do.
Don Hahn
Yeah, it's what we've been saying, I think what draws people to this team and I would think again, people that aren't traditionally either Knicks fans like Damian Woody joined us before or not basketball fans, that you just it's not your sport and that it's okay. I mean there's other sports, so maybe this isn't your sport, but because they've been winning, you're drawn to watch them. And as you watch them, you're like, yeah, I like. I just like the way this team plays because they're gritty, they play hard. They have more than just the star that leads the way. It's Brunson who's undersized for this league Doing the things that he can do. And Josh Hart undersized to be a rebounder. He's 6'5, 6'6. He had more rebounds than Wembanyama, who's 7 5. That doesn't make sense, does it?
Rosenberg
No.
Don Hahn
Jalen Brunson had more points in the paint than Wembanyama. Does that make sense? No. But it's because this team's got a little extra grit to them. And even, like a guy who was thought to be a finesse player, like a Karl Anthony Towns, who was a number one pick, who was a star, he's even playing with a different type of edge and more of that. You know, he fits into a team rather than a team fits around me. They have a lot of that now with this group. Again, I feel terrible because I don't think we've talked enough about Jose Alvarado, kid from Brooklyn, Christ the King, going into a game like this game of his life, playing for his hometown team. And he gave them quality minutes when Brunson was banged up and had to go to the locker room. And you're thinking, you know, you could really lose right now. You could lose the game here if these minutes go the wrong way fast because you don't have your best player. And I thought Alvarado came in, and I thought he was very effective for what he does, and I wanted to make sure that he gets his credit, because it's not often we see a kid from New York City play for the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
Rosenberg
Yeah.
Don Hahn
And that's pretty damn cool. And he was a positive impact player in this game. And it was kind of fun because Champagne, as you know, is also from Brooklyn. And I think I've told it already where Alvarado went to Christ the King, Champagne went to Lachlan, and the two of them played against each other a lot in high school. So there was. There was a point there where Champagne hit a three, and then Alvarado hit a three and then started yelling at Champagne. And then Champagne had Alvarado on him, drilled a 3, and they both start yelling, and all of a sudden they both just start laughing. And that's like a cool moment. Right in the middle of all this, they're trash talking, and they both, in the same moment were like, we're just two kids from Brooklyn just talking trash. Right. Like, never mind what the stage is. This is all weird. And they.
Caller
They were.
Don Hahn
They allowed each other, like, they allowed that moment to just start laughing. Like, how cool is this? Look where we are.
Rosenberg
Yeah, pretty incredible that everything is happening Smalls here.
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Don Hahn
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
Rosenberg
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
Don Hahn
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscrib to us wherever you get your podcasts.
Rosenberg
Don Hanan Rosenberg till the top of the hour. Then Ty Butler is going to take you up until 9. 1-800-919-3776. Knicks fans, finals tickets are up for grabs. Head to Caesar Sportsbook at Monmouth park this Friday, June 5th. That's tomorrow for an exclusive Knicks Finals watch party. Catch the game on wall to wall screens, hang with Chris Carlin and Dan Grassa plus Knicks legends and score an official Knicks playoff T shirt. The first 100 fans will also receive a free Smash burger and fries. Stay until halftime because you want to win a pair of tickets to 100 level for game three at MSG. How about that? This event is open to Caesar Sportsbook customers only, so sign up now and bring your app for entry. Doors open at 7pm get there early because space is limited. To learn more, visit caesars.com knicksfinals Remember, you must be 21 or older to gamble gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler in New York and 877-8-Hopeny or text hopeny 467-369. Back to the busy phones. 1-800-919-3776. Steve's in the car. You're on ESPN New York.
Caller
Hey, how are you guys doing?
Rosenberg
Good. You?
Don Hahn
What's up Steve?
Caller
Doing good. There was one play last night where I want to talk about Mitchell Robinson. Where the second quarter when Wemby did that travel, it was a clinic on defense where he just kept his hands up. Mitchell and you know
Rosenberg
Steve. We lost Steve.
Don Hahn
What happened?
Rosenberg
Steve callback. I'm concerned.
Don Hahn
Yeah. Did he fall?
Rosenberg
The call is coming from the house.
Don Hahn
I'm inside the house.
Rosenberg
Robert in New York. You're on ESPN New York. What's up Robert?
Caller
I hope Steve is okay. Folk.
Don Hahn
I'm worried anyway.
Caller
Good. Thank you for taking my call. I want to ask Don directly, are you surprised what happened in Raleigh last night? And is this, even though it's game
Rosenberg
two a must for Carolina, I'm not surprised Vegas won. I'm surprised they came back from two nothing down because Carolina's been an absolute wagon. But so's Vegas and their goaltending has been amazing. With Carter Hart, I'm going to say no because in hockey, Robert, you can win on the road. We've seen teams come back from 02 down losing their first two games at home. The Canes have been really incredible all year. That's only their second loss, so I could see them still coming back. It's not ideal, Alan, to lose your first Two games at home. But I've seen it too many times before. Go back, steal a game in Vegas and all of a sudden all bets are off.
Don Hahn
Yeah, hockey's different in that way. Right? Like hockey's, hockey's a. Like we've seen the 3, 0 comeback. So we like that's different. 20 is not a death knell. Like it feels like it in the NBA or in. Not even in baseball, I guess. But it's the way they gave that lead away and how easily a Vegas scored. Right. Like it's just that that's what it was more to me that their defensemen are under siege.
Rosenberg
Yeah, it's. It's a team that really comes at you. These are two really good coaches in Tortorella and Brenda Moore. But there is the thing, like, you know, Carolina's been good for a while. They finally get to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years. But they're probably gonna start to feel it if they were to lose. But you get out of Dodge, you go to Vegas and sometimes being on the roads never know. It's not ideal. I had picked Carolina to win this in six. I still think that's very much on the table. But all I care about Allen is we get what we saw in game one, which was a fantastic entertaining game this and I love another one because there's nothing else tonight, you know, in New York. So maybe some people will watch just because, you know, no match. Yankees already afternoon no NBA and just to put on a show.
Don Hahn
It's going to be fun. So how about this? Teams that take a two nothing series lead in the Stanley cup final have gone on to win. I'm going to let you guess how many percent of the time I think 76. Higher Bob.
Rosenberg
80 now.
Don Hahn
Higher, Bob.
Rosenberg
Well, what is. I thought it was 76 when I watched the other day.
Don Hahn
91.
Rosenberg
Wow, that's. But I saw a stat I think 50 and five. I think it's real.
Don Hahn
76 is when you win game one, when you go up two oh two.
Rosenberg
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Don Hahn
Yeah. Now winning game one is 76. If you get a two nothing lead in a Stanley cup final 50 out of 55 times.
Rosenberg
Yeah, it's crazy. What that. That is pretty.
Don Hahn
I did not. So now I changed my mind. Yes. Must win.
Rosenberg
Yeah, it feels like that when you're talking about you don't want to be on the 9%.
Don Hahn
The last team, the last team to, to come back from it I believe was the 2011 Bruins over the Vancouver Canucks. Yeah, I wrote a book on that.
Rosenberg
And they lost.
Don Hahn
Did you know that? I wrote, I wrote a book on the Bruin Stanley cup in 2011. I did. Yeah. That ended, that ended a long, long drought.
Rosenberg
Yeah. They had once in 72.
Don Hahn
Yeah, look it up.
Rosenberg
That's awesome, man. Good job.
Don Hahn
I was, I loved, I loved writing about hockey.
Rosenberg
I, I, I, I read your Islander book back in the day. I gotta, I gotta pick up the Bruin book.
Don Hahn
Which Islander book did you read?
Rosenberg
From the, from the, the Fish Sticks. Well, there was the, well, yeah, I get the one you did with Peter Body.
Don Hahn
Yeah, that's Fish Sticks. Okay. That's the one that turned into the 30 for 30. Yeah.
Rosenberg
That's awesome.
Don Hahn
Yeah, that, that one's the fun because the crazy stories. I also. Yeah, no, I'm not doing that.
Rosenberg
I asked.
Don Hahn
But the, the one on the, on the 1980 Stanley cup and how that team almost never didn't come to be. I wrote that book as well, which I love that because that's the true history of the Islanders. And then, like, somebody came to me and was like, you know, the Bruins, they, they, they're on this run. They haven't won a cup since 72. And I'm like, you know what?
Rosenberg
I'll do it now. I saw a stat on Twitter earlier that over the last 10 years, you're five and five when taking the first game. So it's been pretty, pretty even. So I'm not, I'm not counting Carolina debut, you said two. Oh, that's, that's a different animal for sure. So we'll see. But I just want to see an entertaining game tonight. Let's get back to the busy phones and let's talk to Phil, who's in Queens. You're on espn, New York.
Caller
Hey, what's going on, guys? I think I called on Monday and I told, I told you guys that Alvarado was gonna not play a lot of minutes, but he's gonna play effective minutes and he's gonna be one of those guys. I think it's the whole team, like, they, they know their roles, they know what they have to do, and it's just beautiful basketball right now. Agree. I told you, Alvarado is going to be one of those guys that, like I said, it's not going to be a lot, but he's definitely going to play hard. And then one more thing I wanted to say because we were talking that thing that day about borough rivalries.
Don Hahn
Yeah.
Caller
Nobody's going to stick up for New Yorker the way New Yorker does. But we do have that friendly rivalry whether we're from Queens, Brooklyn. Like, I was born in Brooklyn, but I always rep Queens because that's where I was raised. So the same thing with champagne. Where he was. He was born in Staten island, but he was raised in Brooklyn, so he's always going to rep Brooklyn.
So.
Rosenberg
Yeah.
Don Hahn
And he made some five.
Caller
Let's go.
Don Hahn
You got it. Yeah. He made sure to make that clear. But that's still a cool moment.
Caller
Yeah.
Rosenberg
Where you're raised is more important than.
Don Hahn
Yeah, no, you made a good point about. Right. About what hospital you're born in. All right, so you claim yourself from that town. Like, no, no, I'm not from there. So. Yeah, I totally get it.
Rosenberg
Max is in the car. You're on espn, New York.
Caller
Hey, what's going on, guys? I'm just wondering what you. What you think about the spurs disrespecting the Knicks to start off the game with that clown music during the introduction, if they'd be dumb enough to do something like that again.
Don Hahn
They always do that. That. That's what they. That's their thing in that arena. That's not like. That wasn't exclusive to the. To the finals.
Rosenberg
Okay.
Don Hahn
Yeah. That's a silly thing that they do. It's a way to like. It's like the opposite of hype, right?
Caller
What.
Don Hahn
What's a song we can play that, like, make you just go, what the hell? Like, that just gets you out of your rhythm. So they play, like, the clown music stuff.
Rosenberg
All right, let's close it out with Pete in Brooklyn. You're on. Don Hanna, Rosenberg.
Caller
Hey, guys. This is awesome. I have been around for a long time. I was there for the 73 championship.
Don Hahn
Oh, God bless.
Caller
Years old.
Don Hahn
Wow.
Caller
Oh, man. So the only one that's missing from my family right now, and we were the Brady Bunches, is my dad, so. But he made it to 101, so.
Rosenberg
Oh, wow.
Caller
Still looking down on me and doing well.
Don Hahn
Good.
Caller
But I have to say this. This team so much resembles that Knickerbocker team of that championship. I get a sense that, you know, makes have an opportunity here right now to really establish a pedigree going forward.
Don Hahn
I mean, an identity
Caller
that starting five and anyone coming off the bench. I have to say, I don't see what San Antonio is going to do differently because it's going to become a chess match right now, I think between coaches. But as soon as Wemby puts that ball on the floor, I gotta have, you know, any small guard automatically run over.
Don Hahn
Yep.
Caller
To just disrupt that.
Don Hahn
They're going to get that dribble every time. Yep.
Caller
That's right.
Rosenberg
It feels like the only thing to do. And we gotta let you go, Pete, because we're up against it. They gotta shoot better. If they shoot better. Of course, there's four guards, don.
Don Hahn
There are four guards with three for 19.
Rosenberg
That was bad.
Don Hahn
That's bad. Yeah.
Rosenberg
And Wemby wasn't great. He had, you know, had to double, double and everybody just wasn't great. But yeah, you know what? We're going to be talking about it tomorrow. Live from Stout. Swing by at 3 o', clock, but up next, Ty Butler. He's all over the series as well. He'll take Evan to 9 o'.
Caller
Clock.
Rosenberg
Don Hannah Rosenberg, ESPN New York what does he specialize in?
Don Hahn
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just want to know it's good. Hear more more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.
Rosenberg
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In this vibrant, fan-driven hour, Alan Hahn and Peter Rosenberg (with Don La Greca off-mic this segment) unpack the Knicks’ Game 1 NBA Finals win over the San Antonio Spurs. The hosts field impassioned calls from longtime fans, draw poetic parallels to Knicks ’70s and ’73 championship teams, and discuss the peculiarities and personalities driving this underdog New York squad. The hour is also peppered with Yankees injury news and a quick foray into the Stanley Cup Finals. The overall tone is jubilant—tinged with guarded optimism, nostalgia, and classic New York sports banter.
Remote Show Announced
The hosts reveal live audience remotes planned for upcoming games, underscoring the city-wide buzz and superstition (the team’s apparent good-luck charm when they broadcast from Stout NYC).
"We're gonna be there tomorrow at 3 o'clock… Every time we've gone to Stout, they've won."
— Rosenberg (00:44)
Knicks Grit & Identity
Reflection on what makes this Knicks team compelling—even for casual or lapsed fans—centers on grit, unselfish play, and an old-school sense of “team.” Hahn lauds the squad’s blue-collar heroes such as Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, and how even stars like Karl-Anthony Towns have bought in to a team-first mentality.
"What draws people to this team... they're gritty, they play hard. They have more than just the star that leads the way... This team's got a little extra grit to them."
— Alan Hahn (09:11)
Alvarado & Brooklyn Roots
Multiple callers and the hosts highlight the significance of Jose Alvarado—born in Brooklyn, playing for his hometown team in the Finals. His impactful minutes in Game 1 when Brunson went down are praised.
"It's not often we see a kid from New York City play for the Knicks in the NBA Finals... He was a positive impact player in this game."
— Alan Hahn (11:11)
Cool Finals Moments
A poignant highlight: the on-court banter between Brooklyn natives Alvarado and Justin Champagne, trading threes and laughing mid-game as “just two kids from Brooklyn talking trash.”
"All of a sudden they both just start laughing. That’s like a cool moment. Right in the middle of all this, they're trash talking... they're just two kids from Brooklyn."
— Alan Hahn (11:56)
"You can't lose Judge. You just can't... TOS would probably mean the end of the season, right? Because it's months of rehab."
— Alan Hahn (01:27, 03:06)
Historic Parallels
Longtime Knicks fans call in, drawing lines from this team back to Willis Reed’s heroics and 1970s Finals lore.
"Brunson… was Reed originally and then he came back and played like Frazier in the seventh game... this team, the way it plays, makes me feel good that basketball is a great team game."
— Steve from Middle Village (08:03)
Defensive Plays & Role Players
Callers point out specific defensive moments—like Mitchell Robinson's discipline on Wembanyama—and celebrate the “do your job” ethos up and down the roster.
Borough Rivalries & Player Identity
A discussion erupts on the importance of borough pride among NYC players—where you grow up versus where you’re born.
"Nobody's gonna stick up for New Yorker the way New Yorker does. But... I was born in Brooklyn, but I always rep Queens because that's where I was raised."
— Phil from Queens (20:51)
Spurs’ Clown Music Tradition
A caller asks about the “disrespect” of clown music during Knicks player intros in San Antonio; Hahn educates it’s a long-standing local tradition, not a Finals slight.
"That's what they... do in that arena. That's not exclusive to the finals... It's like the opposite of hype."
— Alan Hahn (22:13)
"Teams that take a two-nothing series lead in the Stanley Cup Final have gone on to win... 91 percent of the time."
— Alan Hahn (18:15)
Championship DNA
Elder statesman caller Pete from Brooklyn draws connections from the ’73 Champs to this current group, suggesting a true Knicks identity is forming.
"This team so much resembles that Knickerbocker team of that championship... an opportunity right now to really establish a pedigree."
— Pete from Brooklyn (23:10)
Defensive Adjustments, Shooting Woes
Hosts discuss tactical points for Game 2: San Antonio’s struggles putting the ball on the floor, and the need for improved shooting from Knicks guards (3-for-19 from deep noted).
Closing Vibe
The episode wraps with anticipation for Game 2 and a promise of more live, energetic coverage—from both the arena and the bar.
This hour captures the heartbeat of New York sports radio during the Knicks’ Finals run: ebullient, reflective, layered with history, and brimming with listener energy. The hosts balance tactical breakdowns, emotional resonance, and fan folklore, helping even non-basketball fans tap into why this Knicks team feels special.
Next live show: Stout NYC, Friday at 3pm. Knicks, Yankees, and more city sports drama await.