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Narrator/Commercial Announcer
I turned off news altogether.
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I hate to say it, but I
Joe Johnson
don't trust much of anything.
Chad Ochocinco
It's the rage bait.
Narrator/Commercial Announcer
It feels like it's trying to divide people.
Malcolm Glebel
We got clear facts. Maybe we could calm down a little.
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NBC News brings you clear reporting. Let's meet at the Facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News, reporting for America.
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Joe Johnson
All?
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Joe Johnson
Now streaming on Paramount, the acclaimed series from executive producer Lena Waithe reaches its final chapter. The SHY for seven seasons, these stories, these streets, this community have stayed with us. Now it all leads to this. As friendships are tested, families evolve, and secrets refuse to stay buried, one thing is certain. The SHY is more than just a series. It's a legacy. Don't miss the final season of the shy now streaming on the Paramount plus Premium plan. The NBA Finals are here, but the action doesn't stop when the confetti falls in. The NBA crowns a champion because the star studies scorching Summer of Sports. Women's basketball, baseball are heating up and we've got the world's largest soccer tournament on American soil and the first ever MMA fight on the White House line. Make your picks for all these events and more this summer on on Prize Picks, America's number one sports pick app. These playoffs have been electric. Victor Wembanyama has been out of his damn mind. More, more, more legacies on the line of the 2026 NBA Finals. Get action on the biggest NBA games of the season and make your picks on everything. Points, rebounds, dunks, three pointers, fantasy scores before the NBA Champion is crowned. Prize Pick is a preferred partner of the NBA. Download the app today. Use code SHANNON to get $50 instantly in lineups when you play your first 5 DOL that's code SHANNON to get $5 in lineups when you play your 1st $5 lineup prize picks a preferred partner of the NBA. Good evening ladies and gentlemen and thank you for joining us for another episode of Nightcap. Y' all know who I am. I'm your favorite unc. And there's my partners and co host number one, the Liberty City legend, the Rock Runner extraordinaire, the Bingles Ring of Fame honoree, a former Pro Bowler and an All Pro, he's Chad Ochocinko Johnson and co host number two. Y' all know him, the seven time NBA All Star out of the University of Arkansas. He's a Little Rock, Arkansas alum, a big shot taker and maker, Clutch ISO Joe Johnson. Please make sure you hit that subscribe button. Please make sure you hit the like button and go subscribe to the Nightcap podcast feed wherever you get your podcast from. Thank you guys. Thank each and every one of you for your support. Your eyes, ears and word of mouth have been invaluable to us. It's helped us grow far beyond what we could have ever expected so soon. So again, thank you for your support and your continued support. Those looking to purchase a bottle of Shea by Laportier head over to laportiercognac.com to purchase you a bottle. If it's currently unavailable in the state or city near you. Remember it is a premium VSOP Cognac. The best tasting, smoothest VSOP Cognac on the market. It drinks like an XO and we have it in two sizes. The OG, the 750 and the Junior, which is the 375. Treat, please. Excuse me. Please drink responsibly and stay safe, guys. Five teams in NBA history have overcome an O2 deficit in the NBA Finals. The last team to beat those odds were the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks. No team in final history has ever overcome an O2 series deficit. After losing the first two games at home, though Victor Wembanyama believes they can be the first. I think the key is acceptance. A lot of times taking a step back, realizing all the journey that's been behind this and what's ahead of this. Just being okay with who I am, where I am and what I'm doing. This is everything I wished for. There's really no reason to overthink it. This is what I'm built for. Joe. They're down.02, but Wimy is putting a very, very positive spin on it. How do they get back? How do they win game three and then move on from there?
Chad Ochocinco
Greed and toughness, fellas. That's it, Chad. That's the only way I think it's possible. But if it is possible, San Antonio really has to believe it. And I think they had a team to go to New York and get game three. They definitely got the squad, bro. They just got to put together a good full 48 minute basketball game. Obviously it's on the road, so it's going to be a lot tougher. We know what the atmosphere is going to be like. It's going to be nuts. And it's going to be coconuts in there.
Joe Johnson
You hear me?
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah, it's going to be coconuts in there. We already know that. So I know the Spurs, a young team, uncle Ocho, but I think they capable, bro. I. I really do.
Joe Johnson
Yeah,
Chad Ochocinco
yeah.
Joe Johnson
We mentioned the 20, 21 bucks. They lost the first two on the road to Phoenix and then Phoenix won four straight. I remember Portland, Portland did the same thing. Portland was down.02 to the 76ers again, that was on the road. And then Portland with Bill Walton, they won four straight. I don't remember the other teams off the top of my head that went down.02 and end up winning the series. It's a daunting task, especially after losing at home. Obviously some of your confidence has to be shaken. It's just natural for some of your confidence to be shaken. And I appreciate Wimby putting a very positive spin on it. But at the end of the day, they're going to have to play a lot better. Than what they played. And as we've talked about earlier, they've gotten out the double digit leads every time and the Knicks have walked them down every single time. And when they get the clutch situations, it seems like the Knicks makes fewer mistakes, execute at a high level and therefore they won the first two games on the road. Now they come home to Madison MSG to see if they can close out this series. Oo what, what does San Antonio have to do in order to win game three and potentially not win game three? Now you have some confidence that you can win game four and go back to San Antonio tied 22.
Uncle Ocho
But.
Joe Johnson
But the most important thing is that you got to win games.
Uncle Ocho
Well, honestly, un. I don't want the spurs to win. But what they will need to do is minimize mistakes. They have to eliminate some of the errors. They got to protect the ball. Every possession matters for them. Not only early in the game, but especially towards the end of the game. Fox has to do a better job with protecting the ball. Castle when he has the ball, he has to do a better job of protecting the ball as well. Castle learning to play with aggression but under control, not getting in foul trouble early. Wimby get from, get from back there, going down in that post. Go down in that block, you know, and, and bang with the boys, bang with Cat and do what you need to do and get some easy buckets. Stop relying on on your midi and stop relying on on the three as well. Right Again. It's a. It's going to be a tall task. Obviously. You down O2. Your confidence is shaking a little bit. You and having to play in that garden. That garden is special, huh?
Chad Ochocinco
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Uncle Ocho
Yeah, whatever.
Chad Ochocinco
Damn. The confidence being shaken. You and I'm talking about everybody confidence being shaken. Hey, hey hey. I've been with the Monks. I've been with the Monks. Damn it. It's time for it to come out. If I got anything I learned from the Monks.
Uncle Ocho
Yes sir.
Chad Ochocinco
Time for it to come out right now. Game three. You know what I mean? If I'm winning.
Joe Johnson
Okay.
Chad Ochocinco
They played great basketball the first two games. They just had as low to where once they gain a lead, they start playing pickup basketball, bro. You know you. You got to start to milk the possessions and value every possession, even when you up 12 or 13 points. I think that's been the only disappointment for the Spurs. They get these big leads and then they have a tendency to relax. I'm not taking nothing away from New York. They played great basketball this whole postseason. A veteran club who's been there, more experience, and they just playing with more grit and toughness. The spurs right now, they want it. You know, it seems like the Knicks wanted a lot bad. Bad than, you know, what the spurs do. Honestly.
Uncle Ocho
Hey, hey, Uncle Joe. Honestly, you know, being the knicks are. Are up 220 the next two games, if not mistaken, are at Madison Square Garden.
Chad Ochocinco
Correct?
Joe Johnson
Correct.
Uncle Ocho
I just don't see. I just don't see Mike Brown allowing them boys to falter and fall by the wayside and letting this thing get back to San Antonio. I. I just don't see it, man. Hey, I just don't. Listen, I know games were close. Obviously, the Knicks only won by one because of mistakes towards the end of the game by Wimby. But I. I just. I just don't see it happening, man.
Chad Ochocinco
Listen, listen. Mike Brown can only do so much. Does he have a great game plan? Yes. Is he coaching his ass off in this series? Yes. But at the end of the day, when we get in between them lines and this, y' all got, y' all five. We got our five man who, who has more focused, grit and toughness to go out there and try to and get a win. Because, look, we already know what y' all running. Y' all know what the hell we running. You know what I mean? Let's. Let's. Let's not. I mean, it's not. Y'. All. Y' all ain't gonna do nothing that's gonna fool us. We ain't gonna do nothing that's gonna fool y'.
Kohler Cast Iron Ambassador
All.
Chad Ochocinco
It's about who want it the most, bro. So I. I think the spurs, they gotta throw the whole kitchen sink game three, bro. This, this desperation. You don't want to get swept in the finals, bro.
Joe Johnson
No, this is basically they got. In other words, Joe, it seems to me you're saying they gotta cheat. Treat game three like game seven. Like it's what? Like it's winning. Like it's. It's winna go home. It's winner take all in this thing. Because I agree with you. They're not being as young as they are. I don't see a scenario where they can win four straight ball games. They're having a difficult time winning one ball game, let alone four straight. If you fall down 03. So I agree with you. I think you throw everything. Guys going to have to play extremely well. They have to do a better job of taking care of the basketball. Wimby is going to have to be Wimby a lot earlier and not late. It seems like to me he tries to get rolling a little, and he did. He played a phenomenal second half. He had 22 points in the second half. But. And again, the turnover, as you mentioned, Oo, all turnovers aren't created equal. So a turnover in the first quarter is not the same as the turnover in the fourth quarter. A turnover in the fourth quarter and the final 2 minutes, the final 3 minutes of the ball game, you must value the basketball. The most important thing in the. In a sport is the ball. The basketball, the football, the baseball, the tennis ball, the golf ball. You cannot commit those errors and expect to win. Especially if you in golf and you flailing the ball and you hooking and you slicing the ball and you got you in the whole 16, 17, 18. I know you don't really hope to win. You committing errors late in the ball game, I know you don't hope to win. You turn the football over late in the fourth quarter. I know you don't expect to win. And that seems to be what's getting. Getting the spurs in trouble because they. Look, they're talented ball club. They're young, but they're extremely talented. But when you turn the ball over now you pay double for those. And now you don't even get an opportunity to get the ball up. You, you could have gotten foul. We never know. You could have made a three. You could have made a layup with. Because you turned the ball over. Now they going back the other way with it. So it's going to be very, very interesting to see how they come out. You know, that crowd's gonna be electric. Maybe I don't know the last time. Look, I understand, you know, the, the. They closed out. I think they closed out. Who do they play in the. Cleveland. They closed out Cleveland. And I get it. But it's been a long time since the, the atmosphere in the Garden is going to be like what it's going to be like tomorrow night. Oh, my God. How do you handle that emotion? How do you calm your nerves down? Joe, you mentioned the Monks. Boy, I sure hope that deep breathing and that meditation. Hey, and you standing on one leg with the other leg out there and you holding it for a period of time. Hey, I sure you're gonna need all that. The question is, is anybody else going to have those breathing techniques down to
Uncle Ocho
a. I'll tell you one thing. While you busy breathing, Brunson boy gonna be up and down, running up and down that court. I understand Wimby and what he did to prepare in the off season. But there's nothing he can do with the Monks, there's nothing he could do with Kevin Garnett, there's nothing he could do with anybody else he trained with that can prepare him for this moment for game three and msg. Because there's nothing like that. You can't replicate what it's going to be like. I don't care what you did in off season.
Chad Ochocinco
Nah, nah. The experience gonna be the best teacher. That's why I think, you know, these first two games, even though they were at home and they, they swanded them first two games, man, they had, they. It's a learning experience for them. Just calming down toward the end of the game, being more patient, sticking with what works, you know, putting it, putting that ball in Fox hands. And you need Fox to be aggressive getting to that cup, living in that paint, making plays for Wimby. Not just throwing it back to Wimby. Let him ISO. I ain't. You can do that from time to time, but damn, if you give me a heavy dose of that, bro.
Joe Johnson
They.
Chad Ochocinco
They setting up, they waiting for that. You know, they, they want him, they want him to be a ball stopper. The way he hold, jab, take all his time. They body banging hell, them tough shots, bro.
Uncle Ocho
Yeah.
Chad Ochocinco
Quick fast movements. You know, he gotta find other ways to beat them dudes.
Joe Johnson
And I think also Joe, you mentioned maybe they're too young to not know what they're not. They don't know. Maybe they don't know they're not supposed to be in awe this moment. Maybe they don't know what it's supposed to, you know, like man, we at MSG, we're in a game three, we on the road. I mean they're 25 year, the average age is 25. Maybe they don't.
Chad Ochocinco
That's the scary part because I think that's why I say I feel like they capable of going in there and winning game three because they're such a young team. Obviously we, we can kind of, you know, know and understand what it's going to be like in there. But for them, it may not even bother them, bro. You know what I mean? They could come out and play the best game they played all series in game three and end up winning. I think they have that much talent on their team. I think they well coached. I think he'll make adjustments but for the most part with a double digit lead in the first two games, bro, and it's just calming down, you know what I mean? Really embracing the moment and Getting great shots, not doing, not having them silly fouls. Even though Wimby turned it over at the end of the damn game, man, don't foul, don't foul. Just try to play great defense. You can turn the ball over. We can't cry about that. We got to try to get a damn stop now. You know what I mean?
Joe Johnson
Yep. Don't, don't, don't exacerbate. Don't make a situation worse.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah, and that's what it was, bro. They could have got a stop at the end of the game at least, you know, worst case. But that foul send Brush into the line, make one, miss one. Now you, now you got to come down here and you know, gotta get you.
Joe Johnson
And plus, and plus the thing, Joe Champagne, how that man only take one shot the whole second half? Joe, I need somebody after explanation considering he had eight points in the first
Uncle Ocho
because he was on fire to start that. He was on fire to start at the game.
Joe Johnson
Hold on.
Chad Ochocinco
Okay, so listen, if y' all guarding a guy and he started the game, his ass catch hot, what you gonna do? You gonna stick to his ass? You ain't gonna. Hey, look, I ain't leaving my man no more. He ain't getting no more shots. That's how it is in basketball, bro. You know? Okay, look, we know champion and for sale. Those are great shooters. Listen, we gonna have to stay attached. The rest of them dudes gonna have to play three on three. We gonna have to figure this out over here. But we can't give up these wide open, wide open threes. And these dudes get going, they get this crowd into it, we ain't got a chance. So they living with a heavy dose of Wimy and Fox or whoever at that point guard. That's what they're living with.
Joe Johnson
Right? And you know, Vel and Champen are very good catching shoot shooters. And so if you look in a double, you probably not going to double off those guys. Especially after they catch fire, after they're scoring the basketball like they are. Joe. So you, you right there. But I, I've got there. There's got to be a way that I can create something that I can get him at least more than one shot in the second half. Gotta be. It gotta be. I. I know I can draw up something. Hell pick. Hey, go, go, go. Hey, go set a pick for him. I ain't saying you gotta run multiple picks like he's Steph Curry, but damn, you could do something to free it.
Uncle Ocho
Hey, hey. What do you think about Harper playing A little bit more. I think as. As aggress, as aggressive as he's been, as efficient as he's been when he is aggressive. You see him playing a little bit more. More minutes or no.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah, I think you gotta play him, man. He's playing beyond his years. He's not playing like a rookie. My thing is, whoever's not playing great out of Fox, Champion and Versaille, his ass gotta be in there in one of them spots. Uncle Ocho coming down the stretch, he gotta be in the game. If you ask me, he's too valuable. Not only is he a great catch and shoot guy, but he's probably after Fox, your best guy off the dribble who can create, yes, big body when he get in the lane, you know, create different. And create different opportunities for himself and for guys around him. I think he sees the floor well. You know, you just got to hope he don't make some of those, you know, little boneheaded mistakes down the stretch.
Joe Johnson
I agree, Joe. And I think the thing is, if you go look at it, look at when he gets the ball in Brunson, he goes right to the paint because they're not going to put. They're not going. They're never going to put Brunson on Fox. So Fox, don't worry about that. He's going to get og, he's going to get Bridges, he's going to get one of those guys, maybe Josh Hart. But the one thing. And so now, do I want Champagne? Do I want Runson on Champagne? Do I want him on Vail? Or do I want him on Harper? So that's the guy. The thing is, what I think they're doing a great job of Joe is that they're making it work on the other end. Like, look, we're not gonna let you save all this energy just to burn on the offensive end. We're going to make you expend some of this energy on the defensive end.
Chad Ochocinco
Hey, and it makes sense because that's, that's why Brunson is shooting about 41, 42% from the field in this series. They are making it tough for him. Now we know Brunson. Hey, listen, I ain't taking nothing away from the Knicks. Hell, you win 12, 13 games in a row in the postseason, you're a bad team, bro. You know, I'm giving them their credit. They've won in so many different facets of the game. It ain't really just been one person. I think Brusson has probably been the catalyst, but Cat has Played great. OG has played great. Bridges has played great. Their bench has played great. They've been a great team in this postseason. Take nothing away from them. Yeah, but you got to go at Brunson, bro. You got to make him work. You can't let his ass off the hook. You got to keep your foot on the gas. Now, you know, being in MSG game three, we know he. He capable of going off. You got to keep that boy on the wraps, boy. Hey, keep him on the wrap.
Joe Johnson
You got to control him early. Joe.
Uncle Ocho
Hold on, hold on, hold on, Uncle. And Joe, we've said this every series. Matter of fact, we've been saying this all season long. Not just in the regular season, you got to contain Brunson. In the postseason, you got to contain Brunson. But for some reason, every time it matters most who shows up and make the shots that need to be made.
Chad Ochocinco
Burton.
Uncle Ocho
There is no answer for him. You can only hope to contain him. Contain him. Excuse me, but when it's mattered most, he shows up every single time. So I don't think that's the answer, even if you do stop him early.
Joe Johnson
Well, look, if. If you go back. If you go back and look. OO he made that big shot and he made a free throw.
Uncle Ocho
I.
Joe Johnson
And look, and he took 31 shots to get 30 points. It was that. It. Was that it. There was a period in the fourth quarter that they let him get away, you know, and. And I think you. You got him under control. You controlling him for the better part of the game. But it's just the fourth quarter. Like, we know he has the ability to catch fire in any quarter. The last thing I want him to do is catch fire with a clutch. Because now, I mean, he. He compromises us. The shot that he hit on Champagne. O. I just got to throw my hand. I can't play it any better.
Chad Ochocinco
Okay?
Joe Johnson
I can't play it any better. He made a. He made a hell of a play, and he's made. And that's the shot that he's hit back to and back to back games from that spot. The same type of shot. It's a very difficult shot to make, but he made it look easy. I wonder how many times he's practiced that shot in the gym all by himself. In order to feel that comfortable on that stage, in that moment to take and make that.
Chad Ochocinco
Hey, look, the damn analytics always talking, oh, we want a three or a layup or a damn dunk. The. The last couple games, the first two games, it came down to a Mid range to decide the game. Hey, this is where the best. This is where the best players the best score. This is where they live. This is where they make their money in the mid range area. Arkin Ocho when, when it's time to, to go to your money or get to your spots, you should always be. Be able to get to the Midis. So I, I look forward to Fox playing better, being more aggressive, considering the fact that I'm telling you, the desperation that they got to go into New York with tomorrow night. Oh, my God. Hey, boy, y'. All. Hey. Hey. You can't let them boys breathe and you can't let them make no run, and you damn sure don't want that crowd to get into it.
Joe Johnson
Nope.
Uncle Ocho
Nope.
Joe Johnson
And I. And, and that's the thing. You, you look. And once they get going, because Cleveland did a great job in game one. They kept the crowd at bay until the last six minutes of the ball game. And once that avalanche started, they could stop it. And, and do I think the spurs are a better team than the Cavs? I do. But when a team goes on a run, it, I mean, it almost feel, and I hate saying this, but it just feels like the, the F and Nicks are a team of like, it's daytime. It. It does, Joe. It just does.
Stefan Castle
I know.
Joe Johnson
It just does. I know. And we, we've seen situations like this. We've seen teams you, like, go on a, a magic carpet ride. And, and, and, and I, I think sometimes when you say a team of destiny, that means they're, they're not very good and they're getting all the breaks. And. No, don't, don't get me wrong. The Knicks are a very good team. They got a. They're led by a small guy that's very, very good. And they got the, the, the role players. And I hate calling Cat a role player because Cat is a number one. But I'm just saying the. You look at the bridges and you look at the OGs, and you look at the hearts and you look at the Landry sham and you look at the Mitchell Robinson and Alvarado when he comes off the bench, you look at those guys and when they come in, they know exactly what their job are. Their job is they do exactly what they're coach to do and they'll hustle, play. Think about the other night, Joe. How many opportunities, how many second chance oo rebounds they got?
Chad Ochocinco
They got one.
Joe Johnson
They got it. Got another rebound. Got it. Alvarado beat the guy to the corner, get the Rebounds. And guess what? The ball somehow ends up half finding Shamit and he knocks down.
Chad Ochocinco
I agree. They. They winning. New York is winning all the 50, 50 balls. Not only that, they winning the damn hustle points. They out working San Antonio, bro. Period, point blank. And even though San Antonio has built a double digit league in these first two games, for whatever reason, that second half they ass been getting out work.
Uncle Ocho
Hey, and Joe is. Is there a clutch award or. There's no, there's no such thing.
Chad Ochocinco
No, it's.
Joe Johnson
Shay won it this year. Brunson won it last year. Shay won it this year. Brunson one class.
Chad Ochocinco
Okay, okay, okay. Yeah. You gotta. Hey, hey, Ocho. You gotta be one of them boys, you hear me?
Joe Johnson
Yeah.
Uncle Ocho
Hey, well, listen, the way Brunson is playing, they need to add another clutch award for the postseason.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah. Hey, hey. He's been cool, calm and collective under pressure. I. I give him that, bro. I'm talking about it seemed like when it's clutch moments.
Uncle Ocho
Yes.
Chad Ochocinco
His ass is gonna come through. Period, point blank. I'm talking about every time. Every time. He's been great.
Uncle Ocho
Yeah, well, the spurs gonna have to do most of the time. The games have been close and when it, when it comes to the fourth quarter and you know, it comes to the nut cutting time, if they trying to get the ball to Brunson, the Spurs better trap right away, get the ball out of his hands and make somebody else beat you. Somebody else is gonna have to beat you.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah, yeah, they gonna, they, they gonna. They. They did a good job of mixing it up. I thought in. In these first two games, I thought they trapped him a couple times. I thought they, you know, came off, you know, and just play like a little catch to where you kind of corral him a little bit. I think they mixed it up. It's probably why, you know, that's another reason probably why he's only shooting like 41, 42%. They gave him a real steady diet, you know what I mean? Or the same looks. They kind of mix it up from time to time.
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I turned off news altogether.
Joe Johnson
I hate to say it, but I don't trust much of anything.
Chad Ochocinco
It's the rage bait.
Narrator/Commercial Announcer
It feels like it's trying to divide people.
Malcolm Glebel
We got clear facts. Maybe we can calm down a little.
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Chad Ochocinco
Hello.
Malcolm Glebel
Hello, this is Malcolm Glebel from Smart talks with IBM. Today. We're diving into a fascinating conversation with Stefano Pallard, head of fan development for Scuderia Ferrari hp.
Stefano Pallard
Your pronunciation is strongly American. It's more Scuderia Ferrari.
Malcolm Glebel
I'm still working on rolling my R's, but what I was able to learn from Stefano was the importance of engaging the Tifosi, the Ferrari superfans. In the digital age.
Stefano Pallard
Ferrari fans and super fans want to be part of something, want to belong to something. So they want to be part of a community and ultimately they want to be part of a winning team.
Malcolm Glebel
You've got Ferrari, which has a long history, design history, and now you're interacting in a kind of digital space. I'm curious how you balance those two traditions.
Stefano Pallard
When it comes to fan engagement, it's really digital technology and digital channels are being able to create a deeper connection with our fans.
Malcolm Glebel
To learn more about how Ferrari and IBM are using technology to build deeper connections with fans, visit IBM.com ferrari.
Joe Johnson
Stefan Castle is getting a little heat for comments he made today saying they lack accountability. Here's all three of his answers. To provide context, let's take a listen to what he had to say.
Stefan Castle
Like I said earlier, we feel like we gave them that game, you know, on self inflicted mistakes, you know, not just talking about, you know, the last play of the game or last couple of plays of the game. You know, I feel like throughout the game we gave them, we gave them life in areas where, you know, we kind of, we could have took a lead and extended it. So I mean, yeah, just we've always had the next play, you know, next, next game mentality and we weren't able to close that one out. But like I said earlier, it's first to four, so I think we're confident we can go get the next one first. I think it's just human nature to come out with a certain sense of urgency, you know, especially after a loss, you know, it probably shouldn't, probably shouldn't go that way. You know, realistically, you know, you should come out with that same urgency whether you win or lose. But I mean, yeah, now, now being down 2 0, our sense of urgency is probably the highest it's been all playoffs, especially it being the finals. So yeah, I think I'm, I think I'm ready to see how it will come out next game. This point of the season, it doesn't really matter whether you're playing at home or away. You know, teams are playing their best brand of basketball. So trying to figure out how to win basketball games is, you know, the most important thing. But I mean, yeah, going down 02 at home, something that, you know, we definitely didn't want to do. But I mean going back and watching it, those were very winnable games and I think the next two are very winnable games too.
Joe Johnson
Joe, you have a problem with anything he said?
Chad Ochocinco
Not really. Not really. I mean, he said he feel like they can go in here and win games these next two games. At the end of the day, bro, you got to really believe it. You know what I mean? And I, I like, like I've said before, I think this young spurs team is capable. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but I think it's capable I think they're capable of going in there and winning game three.
Joe Johnson
Yeah, it's easy to say, hard to do. I like the, you know, and like you said, I mean, everybody looks at the, the last play, the Wimby turnover. But like he said, and we talk about it all the time, Joe, there are opportunities there that you got a double digit lead, you can extend the lead, but you turn it over and let them get. Now all of a sudden, instead of making a, a 12, 14, 16 point lead, you turn the ball over three consecutive times and what could have been a 16 point lead all of a sudden is down to eight. That's it. And I love the fact that he mentioned that because he said, look, we talk about the last play and hey, and that's not just to point that out, but there are times in the game that we had opportunity to expand on the lead that we turned the ball over and they cut into the league.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah, I agree. And, and go ahead, Ojo.
Uncle Ocho
I, I'm gonna say, even with expanding, even with expanding in, into that lead early on the game, whether it's the first, first second, second quarter or third, at some point, with the way the Knicks have been playing the entire time, they gonna, they gonna run. They gonna run, run and track you down anyway. They gonna run down anyway. I mean, because they, they just have. In general.
Chad Ochocinco
Well, yeah, they, they postseason.
Uncle Ocho
Even with the leads being extended for some reason. You know, the game of basketball, it's all about momentum. And that momentum shifts from time to time. Because basketball is a game of runs.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah. Yeah.
Uncle Ocho
Even if you do extend that lead, that, that's. No, no, no. All out clue. Okay? We gonna win the game.
Chad Ochocinco
You're right into the game.
Uncle Ocho
As long as the game is close, that's where it matters. How do we minimize our mistakes? How do we minimize our errors? Play the whole shot, clock out. Not shooting the ball with 18 seconds to go on the shot clock.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah, hey, that, that, that's, that's been my thing for the Spurs. It's been times. This is why in the playoffs, in the postseason, bro, you gotta value every possession. And they've built these leads and then they going and playing regular season basketball. Meaning come down one pass shot. Come down ISO, boom, boom shot. Nah, bro, keep doing what you've been doing to get you to lead. Milking, milking whatever it is that y' all got going that's working, keep milking it. Keep playing great defense. Cause they're a great defensive team. You talk about having Wimby behind you, but Them damn guards, they. They pretty much keep guys in front.
Joe Johnson
Yeah, they do a great job. Yeah, that's why, that's why Brunson is absolutely.
Chad Ochocinco
And it's just. If you just so happen to get by them, hell, you gotta run into a 7,5 guy back there. You know what I mean? So it ain't like it's Olay and it ain't like it's Olay. It's easy. You know what I mean? Like this. It's been a tough series, bro. And I think, I think, I think they've learned from these first two games. And experience is the best teacher. We always talk about that. Unfortunately, they've had, you know, fourth quarters to where they've kind of collapsed. I think they've learned from that and I think they'll be a lot better.
Joe Johnson
Yeah, well, plus, the thing is, I think the difference is, is that no team has really had a cat. Cat is literally a threat out there. So when we can't just like, help when we can't be there in one step, like he could against Portland, like he could against okc. Because he was guarding Hardenstein. Yeah, he was, Rudy. So those guys posed no threat beyond the paint or put back or drop off. So he could, he could help if they was out, if they weren't in the paint and they were trying to pull him from the paint. But Rudy Gobert is not a viable option out past eight feet. So Wimy is not going to follow him. The difference is Cat is a viable option up to 28ft. So now if they do happen to get by their guy, there's no line of defense back there to deter them from getting all the way to the ring.
Uncle Ocho
Think about this. I don't know what the percentage is, Uncle Joe. Think about every time. Goddamn cat. Get that thing out 28ft and he put the ball on the floor. He right by where he asked. Excuse me, I'm sorry for cursing. He's going right by Wimby.
Joe Johnson
Every single time you're going by Wimby and what you call that single time.
Uncle Ocho
So that, that's, that's putting me in the pickle. Not only is he going by me 28ft out when he get in the post and he decided to back him down and use a little post game and be. Be a little bit more aggressive and physical, he winning that too.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah.
Uncle Ocho
You, you losing in both. In, in both elements. A Cat's game.
Chad Ochocinco
Absolutely. That's why you got to give Mike Brown credit. Uncle Ocho. He took Cat.
Joe Johnson
Yes.
Chad Ochocinco
Instead of Just keeping him on the block. He put him out there at the three point line at the top of the key and he's able to sit there like a, like a quarterback and make plays while these other guys around them back picking and they getting layups and he's making indecisions to where guys coming off with dribble handoffs. He ain't, you know what I mean? Now Wimby got a guard that he got to honor that. So if he's guarding catch it keeps him away from the basket. Now we can get easy layups, easy floaters. You know, it ain't that damn hard to score. And I think Cat has been doing a great job at that because he has a high IQ for the game and he can pass. Look, it makes a huge difference when you got a big who can facilitate, who knows how to pass and can see things before they kind of actually happen. And Cat has been doing a great job with that, bro. That's why the game has been so easy, you know, for the most part for the Knicks.
Joe Johnson
Yeah, he's, and, and that's the thing. And give Cat credit for playing as well as he has. And we always knew Cat had this and that's why so many people get on him. Like Cat drive the ball, just don't settle. I don't think there's been a game where there's only been two but he hasn't settled. Cat's like, I'm, I can, I can go by you guys and if you come out here cautious with your hand down, I don't let it go.
Chad Ochocinco
Hello.
Joe Johnson
And that, that's been the difference in the ball game. You know, he's averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds a game. And along with four assists, he's made a couple of hell of assists for corner threes to hit bridges and hit other guys that, that the, the ball found the basket. But I think Cat has been, Cat has been exceptional in this series. No, he's played well all postseason. But I'm talking about this series when you really need your big to step up because you gotta, first of all, you got to match Wimy and you got to be able to draw him away from the basket. I've got, I've got to be able to lure the guard dog away from the front of the house in order to get in. And so if I want to get to the paint oo and Joe delay that ball in, I, I, I gotta get him out of there because ain't no chance.
Uncle Ocho
You know what's funny too Uncle Joe, Cat's game and. And him being. He's actually a three level scorer too. The funny thing about it, what we always complain about him in the regular season and always wanted to be out, be out in space and shooting those threes.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah.
Uncle Ocho
Is he's using every aspect of his game right now. And what we know he can do, and he's finally doing it when it matters most. But the funny thing about it is, is Wimby can't do nothing with him. Despite his height, despite his presence and being as tall as he is, he ain't got enough bricks in his back pocket. He's not strong enough.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah.
Uncle Ocho
Why Cat is able to. To go in the post or take him off the dribble. So even if you take him off the dribble, once Cat get even with him or buy him, he good. He ain't got nothing to worry about.
Chad Ochocinco
Nah.
Joe Johnson
Right. And you see, the thing is, like when he, when Cat, when Wimy goes out to guard it and a defensive stand, they always say, get you a base where he knows if he's going out to guard, win by the three, he can't get no base because with a base, my hands are here, can't shoot the ball here. So he has to go out there like this. Now he doesn't have a base. Now Wimby can get on the edge of him every time. Cornette, they have to honor him. They've had, didn't have to honor. I'm not honoring Hardenstein. Hardenstein, you full of crap. You ain't going to do nothing out there, but all you f to do is get this ball, do a handoff, try to backpick somebody and roll to the basket. That's not what Cat can do those things, and we've seen him do those things. But Cat is looking. If you come out here cautiously, I'm going to shoot the three. If you come out here aggressively, I'm going to put it on the floor and I'm getting all the way.
Chad Ochocinco
And you notice when, when, when Cat is playing Wimby, he's always facing him up. For the most part, fellas, he's rarely playing with his back to the basket against Wimby, you know, to keep his options open. And if you notice he put it on the floor a couple times, he might get a little left to right crossover, you know what I mean? He got a little handle to him and he's using his quickness to get around Wimby. You feel what I'm saying? Yep. I know you got to honor this jump shot I got out here. So, boom, soon as you go for it, I'm going right around you. You know what I mean? I think Cat has been great at that. Not every time has he scored, but every time he's made the right play, whether it was a kick out to Bridges, whether it was a kick out to og and you get all these wide open shots to where now you got the defense in the hucklebuck, and it's kind of breaking it down a little bit, you know what I mean? He's using Wimby's aggressiveness, meaning on offense, when Wimy's guarding him being too aggressive, he go right. He go right around him every damn time.
Joe Johnson
Well, look, I just. I. Whether I score or not, I just want to put something on your mind. Yeah. Hey, you know, when you try to get a girl back, hey, babe, let me put some on your mind right quick. You know, I just want to put something on your mind. Hey, I don't know if you got somebody. Maybe you do or maybe you don't, But I just want you to know.
Chad Ochocinco
Right, Right.
Joe Johnson
Hey, we go get a nice little dinner, you know, get a light little something. I just got to get to know you. I just want to put down a movie, whatever you want to do. I just want to put that on your mind. Cat has said, I just want to put this on your mind. Wimby, there's three just blow by. I just want to put that on your mind. I'm gonna let you decide whether which one you want me to do, But I just want you to know that's
Chad Ochocinco
what I'm doing a little bit.
Joe Johnson
And Cat has played phenomenal. Cat has taken a lot of criticism. You know, he's this and he's that. And, you know, having. Having talked to the cat, Cat was. Look, he loves his dad, and I don't want people to take this the wrong way, but he was so close to his mom. And when he lost his mom and he said, he. Like, I watched her take a last breath. Yo, you could. That's something you can speak to, you know, And. And when you so close, I mean. Yeah, I. I know. I know my granny Joe, you know, your mom. I'm sure Cat knows his mom would have wanted him to go on, but it ain't that simple. It ain't that simple. So it took him a while. And I think that, you know, everybody. Look, everybody don't have the same mentality. Everybody doesn't grieve the same way. Some people. Some people grieving might last a lifetime. Some people, they can get over in a day and they're back right themselves.
Chad Ochocinco
Right, right.
Joe Johnson
But you have to allow people the space to grieve how they grieve and to get over in a, in a manner. And I think sometimes as a professional athlete, and we've done a great, and most of us do a great job of this is what we call OO and Joe Carol, I've got this going on, and it's huge, but I also got this game going on. Now I'm gonna set this to the side for two and a half, three hours. I'm gonna go focus on this for two and a half, three hours. And when those two and a half, three hours are over, I'm gonna go back and pick this up and, and deal with that over here.
Chad Ochocinco
There you go.
Joe Johnson
Some people are better at that than others. Doesn't make you bad. It doesn't make you weak. A lot of people. Oh, you weak. It's easy to say when you've never been in a situation. It's easy to say what you would do, what you wouldn't do, how you would handle it. But sometimes when a, a, you know, everybody doesn't process death the same way. And, and, and, and, and, and, and it, and, and it's quick because I think maybe in sports is that it's so easy to say if somebody doesn't, if somebody doesn't perform as we think they should, is to say they're weak. That. Because that's the easiest cop out. Oh, man, you weak, man. Hey, hey. Each his own, everybody.
Chad Ochocinco
That's where the game becomes your safe haven, your escape, you know what I mean? Because like you say, within them two to three hours, bro, you don't even think about that for real. You know what I mean? You can really lock in, have fun, whatever it is you're doing, but once it's over with, it's right back on you, you know what I mean? So, yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about.
Uncle Ocho
He's right. He's right, huh? I mean, you got to think about all the problems we have. I don't know how you guys operate, but I'm thinking of some of the, the issues I had off the field and practice, being in that stadium, being with the fellas, game time Sunday, in between those lines, you know, that that's, that's my, that's my peace of mind, my safe haven. And I understand once that's over, once I leave that stadium, it's back to reality. Whatever's going on in my life. You know, everything sets back in. But I understood, you know, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday I got, I got a sense of peace.
Chad Ochocinco
Yep.
Uncle Ocho
Sunday I got a sense of peace for three hours. Back to reality after that. Now, speaking on death once, once they, you know, have death in the family, especially a parent, I mean, you know, ain't nothing on. Come on now Joe, you know, but,
Joe Johnson
but you know, but you know how people are. Ojo. I think the thing is for me, I, I, I often thought like if something would have happened to my grandmother when I was playing. I'm a different player. I'm, and I like to think I'm one of the strong guys mentally when it comes. I can compartmentalize because I've dealt with a lot of things in my NFL career but, but I was able to set that aside. But for the woman that gave you everything but life, that took you in, your brother and sister in, and loved you more than she loved her own and did everything she possibly could. I know my grandmother cried many a nights. I know my grandmother prayed nights that I didn't know God was listening to her prayer. Cuz I damn sure didn't think he was listening to mine. That was my end, all, be all, everything. Because here's the thing now oo I, I'm looking at and I really thought like this, everything that I wanted to do, I was doing it for her. Now she's no longer here. What am I doing it for, man?
Chad Ochocinco
Boy, you preaching to the choir, you hear me?
Joe Johnson
Oh we, and that's what I don't think people, I don't think people understand that enough. Everything I did in my life was for her and to make her proud. Well, she's no longer here.
Uncle Ocho
What's the point? And you know, I think people, you know why people don't understand too is they never understand it because they haven't been through it. It's hard for you to understand something if you've never been through it. You never lost someone close to you. You never, that meant, you know, that that meant a lot to you.
Chad Ochocinco
Thanks.
Uncle Ocho
Hard for them to understand. They just say, well, we don't care that it happened. Once you touch that quarter, once you touch that field, when we're expecting you to look like the player that you say you are or the player that we view you as. Yeah, but it's hard for them to understand.
Chad Ochocinco
Hey, and, and I, I think when you have deaths in the family, especially a mom or grandma, it, when you go out and play through that, fellas, it's like a sense of common if, if, if, if you can relate meaning like you never get too excited but you're in a calm state to where you just so focused and determined and that, that's what it looks like to me from Cat. You know, you can tell in his post, in his post conferences, press conferences, he's always talking about his mother. And that's what I sense from him. I sense a great calming from him. He doesn't seem too overwhelmed for the moment. He's just enjoying it and he's embracing it, bro. You know what I mean? He knows how to, you know, put his stamp on this series and he's been doing that in these first two games and I think he's determined the fact that he's a kid from up north from Jersey, man. He knows what his legacy will be like to win two more games and be an NBA champion.
Joe Johnson
Think about how they revere those old Willis Reed the Busher, Earl the Pearl and Clyde. Hell, Phil Jackson was on the bench. And if Phil Jackson still get love, we know he came to be one of the two or three greatest coaches in NBA history. But even on those teams is something about when you win championships in certain cities, you're mythical. You want to check? Look at the Cowboys. Look at it. Look at Troy Em and Mike. The Steelers, man, the Steelers go back, man. Hey, I remember we used to go back to the Steelers cuz we played there. And to see all those legends, to see Joe Green, to see Mel Blunt, to see all those guys and all those guys on the side like, like damn, they are revered. You win a championship at the Knicks,
Uncle Ocho
I tell you what, Uncle Joe, what's that? Who's the mayor of New York City? If I'm, if the Knicks. Well, the Knicks are going to pull this off. At what game they. I don't know. I had Knicks in six. But the way it's looking, I mean, Uncle Joe, it might be Nixon. Folk, I'm just being respectful. I'm being respectful, but if I'm Mandami, I'm changing the Statue of Liberty to Jalen Brunson.
Chad Ochocinco
Oh, man. Huh.
Joe Johnson
Hey, he might get a statue out front. The Knicks might start putting statues of players out front. Bill Bradley was also on that team. He ended up becoming a center.
Chad Ochocinco
Look, look at Brunson. Hey, look at it. What is New York known for? They're the Mecca of basketball.
Uncle Ocho
Basketball?
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah, they're the mecca of basketball. You know, you, you go to all these, the, the, the, the Rucker Parks and all these parts they got in. In New York, man. This is tradition, you know, this basketball is huge in New York, bro. You know?
Joe Johnson
Absolutely.
Chad Ochocinco
For them to get a championship in 20, 26, man, they gonna flip that thing upside down. You hear me?
Joe Johnson
You absolutely right, Joe. You absolutely right.
Chad Ochocinco
This is.
Joe Johnson
I mean, it's crazy. And they're playing unbelievable. And they. The way they played. And they've dealt with so much heartbreak. Think about the previous two years, Joe, how it's ended. They remember they knocked off the Boston Celtics. They thought it's moose now. We don't got the big bad wolf side, the way we straight. We kosher.
Chad Ochocinco
And then Indiana here. Come up on there. Yeah.
Joe Johnson
And so this, you know, you. They. They definitely don't want to let this. This opportunity gets squandered away. Hey, as Kobe famously said, rest your soul, cove. Job's not done. Job's not done.
Uncle Ocho
I'm ready for tomorrow. Who you got tomorrow, huh? Y' all been wrong all series long.
Joe Johnson
Yeah, we've been wrong all season long, man. I. I oo, we gotta. Oo we gotta get at least six games. Oh, why I need you Got the Spurs again. I'm going. I'm going. I'm going, I'm going. My heart, I ain't going. My head, my head tell me. I honestly, my head tell me. The Knicks probably gonna win by double figures. But my heart won't let me pick him because I really, really need you.
Chad Ochocinco
Think they gonna kick their butt on game three, Joe?
Uncle Ocho
What you got? Joe, you still. Joe, you still going for the Spurs?
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah, I got the spurs winning game three. Oh, I'm sticking with my gun. I'm going down, Blaze. I was going out shooting this thing, partner. I'm letting the clip go. Hey, hey, hey, hey. I need the Spurs.
Joe Johnson
Oh, Joe. So you shooting all your shots and then throwing the gun?
Chad Ochocinco
I'm running at the end. I'm gone. I'm gone. You see number ass and elbows. I'm gone. Listen, I'm telling you, the spurs need to feel the same way, man. Hey, hey, hey. They got to throw the kitchen sink at them boys, man.
Joe Johnson
Hey, you're right.
Chad Ochocinco
You're right.
Uncle Ocho
Sing all they want
Joe Johnson
o joe. Two seats, center court for game three. Just sold on stub hole. Stubhub. Excuse me. 26 rolls up. So center court, 26 rolls up. $36,012 for the pair.
Chad Ochocinco
36 rolls up.
Joe Johnson
26 rolls up. $36,000. So basically, $18,006 a pair. 26 rolls up.
Uncle Ocho
Listen, this history, people want to beat it.
Joe Johnson
Yeah, I was Everybody want to say, so I was there. And even. Even if they weren't there, they gonna be. People say that was there. I like you ain't heard how many people say that was there when. When the mess won and when. Yeah, Derek Jeter hit the ball over the fence against the Diamondbacks and forced the game.
Chad Ochocinco
And they go, hey, hey. They're gonna have pictures of videos this time, though. Everybody got damn camera phone. They gonna let you know they was in the building.
Joe Johnson
Everybody, everybody was there at the Belmont when. When Secretary won by all those lids, man. You should have seen it that day. That chestnut hole was run bread. Stop it all of a sudden. They said it was about 50, 000 hours. There have been 600, 000 people been added.
Chad Ochocinco
So look, look, look. If game three like this, game four, prices go up, fellas. Y' all know that, right?
Joe Johnson
Oh, for sure. Yes.
Chad Ochocinco
It's gonna be. Go ahead. Ojo.
Uncle Ocho
I was gonna say you. You're not. You're not playing for the game. You're not paying for game three. You're not paying for game four. You're paying to be a part of history.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah, you're right to say they was in the building.
Uncle Ocho
Yes.
Chad Ochocinco
Yes. Damn that
Joe Johnson
man. Think about it, Joe. Think about a lot of time when. When famous people have. They have a home going for famous people. How many people show up just to say I was a part of it, Just to say I saw him. The famous story is that the lady, the. The guy took his daughter to Babe Ruth. Homegoing. And, and, and. And the reporter asked him what? She doesn't even know who Babe Ruth is. She won't even remember this when she gets older.
Chad Ochocinco
I tell her,
Joe Johnson
I mean. I mean, when you see family members that they have. I remember Drew Brees had his son and he had ear muffs on. He not gonna remember. He don't remember that. But guess what? When they play that back. And he's an. And he's 15, he's 25, and he's married, has his own kid.
Chad Ochocinco
Absolutely.
Joe Johnson
That's your granddad.
Chad Ochocinco
History.
Joe Johnson
Yeah, history. I was a part of that. And so it's. It's always great. I wish, you know, my kid. My kids got an opportunity to be there for the Super Bowls and to see that and to like to see them, you know, got their hands. But they were bigger than Drew's kid. My kid was.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah, five.
Joe Johnson
Not my kids were five. Yeah, five. About to be. They about to be six. So they remember it. And then in 2000, they really remember it. Because now they ate eight, nine, man.
Chad Ochocinco
It was
Joe Johnson
to have them to be a part of that. That's. That's one good thing about Ocho, about you and I having kids at the age in which we had them, because they got an opportunity. Somebody don't have to tell them what their dad did. They got an opportunity to experience. And my son, you know, I got, you know, be on the sideline. I mean, I got a photo of him, he's 2, and my mom hands him to me on the sideline and, you know, he going, you know, he. He all excited. He on the bench high fiving the guys. He just. He a part of. He go in the locker room and he cool to. To have that moment. Oh, boy. To be a part of. To be a part of this. And the fans have been waiting for so long.
Uncle Ocho
Long
Joe Johnson
too.
Uncle Ocho
Hey, Uncle Joe, what's that? When you talk about history, you know, and what the Knicks have been able to do, what they haven't done, you know, in 53 years is, is we get to play these clips back, right, that we've had on this show. You know, we get to play back every series with the Nixon played and me actually predicting.
Chad Ochocinco
Oh, man, I thought you really talking about something.
Uncle Ocho
I am talking about something.
Chad Ochocinco
I'm thinking, you really going somewhere with this.
Uncle Ocho
I'm going somewhere. If you think about it, I predicted what we're seeing and witnessing series by series. So that in itself is also a part of history.
Chad Ochocinco
Huh?
Uncle Ocho
We gotta understand.
Joe Johnson
Y' all see what I'm saying, Chad? This is why some people.
Chad Ochocinco
You can't, man. You can't. You can't because you just don't know how to act.
Uncle Ocho
Listen, I'm. No, I know how to act. I'm nice and calm. You see? I'm nice and calm. I'm humble about it.
Joe Johnson
How you humble about it? You just brought it up. That wasn't even the topic.
Uncle Ocho
But we were on the topic of history. And I'm just telling you how I predicted history. So that makes me a part of history. Come on, spurs, they're gonna pull these clips up.
Chad Ochocinco
Come on, spurs, don't.
Joe Johnson
It won't. Because you know what I'm gonna have. I'm gonna have the editing team to edit this up out of there. That's one thing I can do. I have them edited. Edit where you predicted the spurs to win. Have them edited right on up out of there. And so when you look back at 10 years from now, would you tell your grandkid that Papa predicted that? They said, where is it, Papa, here we go. Then you go call Ash and say, ash, where's that clip? Jalen Brunson in his camp report do
Narrator/Commercial Announcer
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Narrator/Commercial Announcer
I turned off news altogether.
Joe Johnson
I hate to say it, but I don't trust much of anything.
Chad Ochocinco
It's the rage bait.
Narrator/Commercial Announcer
It feels like it's trying to divide people.
Malcolm Glebel
We got clear facts. Maybe we could calm down a little.
NBC News Announcer
NBC News brings you clear reporting. Let's meet at the Facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News reporting for America.
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Malcolm Glebel
Hello, hello, this is Malcolm Glebel from Smart talks with IBM. Today. We're diving into a fascinating conversation with Stefano Pallard, head of fan development for Scuderia Ferrari. Hp.
Stefano Pallard
Your pronunciation is strongly American. It's more Scuderia Ferrari.
Malcolm Glebel
I'm still working on rolling my R's, but what I was able to learn from Stefano was the importance of engaging the Tifosi, the Ferrari superfans in the digital age.
Stefano Pallard
Ferrari fans and super fans want to be part of something, want to belong to something, so they want to be part of a community, and ultimately they want to be part of a winning team.
Malcolm Glebel
You've got Ferrari, which has a long history, design history, and now you're interacting in a kind of digital space. I'm curious how you balance those two traditions.
Stefano Pallard
When it comes to fan engagement, it's really digital technology, and digital channels are being able to create a deeper connection with our fans.
Malcolm Glebel
To learn more about how Ferrari and IBM are using technology to build deeper connections with fans, visit IBM.com Ferrari
Chad Ochocinco
laughed
Joe Johnson
off the Mavericks for your $55 million extension offer in 2022 per Mark Stein. The Brunson camp basically laughed at them and said, we'll take our chances in free agency now. You guys had your chance. The Mavs are still had an option at that point of picking up your phone and saying, jalen, we completely screwed this up. We're deeply sorry. We've disrespected you. We want to make it right by offering him five years at 150. Joe, when you look at what they had, they had Jalen Brunson and they had Luka Doncic in their backcourt. Luka, nor Jalen Brunson is there. How could they have fumbled this so bad?
Chad Ochocinco
I don't know if Luca and Jalen could have really long longevity wise, really played. I think this was a perfect scenario for Brunson to come to New York to have a ball in his hands, to be the dominant ball handler, to be the playmaker, the score that he ultimately wanted to be. I think flip flopping with. With Luka, I'm not sure he would have been that effective. Fellas.
Joe Johnson
The.
Chad Ochocinco
The. The way. The way he is now. You know what I mean?
Joe Johnson
The best thing to happen is Lucas got hurt and then he showed he could. He could. He could be a one. He could be a big dog. He could be a lead dog. Luca doesn't get hurt. I'm not so sure that the. They. Maybe they would have. Maybe they would have. It's hard to say, but we don't get an opportunity to see. Because when Luca got hurt, we got an opportunity to see just how great he was.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah.
Joe Johnson
And sometimes that's what it takes.
Chad Ochocinco
And and with that, you know, he's seen his value, you know. Hold on, hold on. You mean y' all gonna lowball me with a 55,50 million dollar man?
Joe Johnson
Come on, bro.
Uncle Ocho
That's not even lowball. That's disrespectful.
Chad Ochocinco
Come on. You know what? Don't even worry about it. I just play this damn seat. I play this year, and we see what we, we see where the chips fall, where they lay it, and we'll figure it out from there. I've been in that situation. We had to turn down 50, 55 million, bro. And bet on yourself and go out there and act a fool. I know, I know what it's like. And that's basically what Brunson undone. You know, he created that value for himself and, and, and, and, and, you know, took it and ran with it, bro. Going to New York, I think was the best, probably best decision he made.
Joe Johnson
I agree, bro. If Wally Pip don't have a headache that day. Oh, do we know about Luke?
Uncle Ocho
That's a good one.
Joe Johnson
Drew Bledsoe. Are we sure Tom Brady gonna get an opportunity? Sometimes something has to be moved in order for you to be moved in. And then, guess what? He gets to lead. Luke is out, what, four weeks, six weeks. I don't remember how long. And Brunson acted a fool.
Chad Ochocinco
He did. He did.
Joe Johnson
He was a straight up donkey show hit. You know what?
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah.
Joe Johnson
And now it's like, hold on. This dude really good. He like. Yeah, but as Fat Joe say, yesterday's
Chad Ochocinco
price is not today's price. Yeah.
Joe Johnson
So you should have got. Hey, you should have got that years ago.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah.
Joe Johnson
And now it's it. We've priced ourselves out of what you can pay because him and Luca, you're not going to give him one. I, I, I don't think they were going to give him 150 and then turn around and have to give Luca what they gave him.
Chad Ochocinco
Right. And still be, you know, competitive to where you can continue to win here. That's the Western Conference. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, at the same time, you still got two guys who aren't great defensively, but offensively, they. Juggernauts.
Joe Johnson
Yeah, the Supreme. They're supreme. And then when you got two guys like that making that kind of money, you basically got to just have marginal players that just want to take the ball out.
Chad Ochocinco
Rebound and G league guys. You have to go get you a handful of them dudes just to fill out your roster. And that's basically you look at even when you look at, I think that's how Boston gonna end up being in a couple years, because they're gonna have to cut, they still gonna have to cut salary with some of them guys. When you got Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown. Yeah. That's six, that's 600 million of your cap. Yeah.
Joe Johnson
Is it true? I mean, I read something where they say Jalen Brown put his five million dollar condo up.
Chad Ochocinco
I don't know. I don't know if it's true. It's insinuating some things, though.
Uncle Ocho
Yeah, I saw, I saw it on Twitter as well. I mean, maybe unless he's trying to downsize, which, which I highly doubt, anytime you see someone's, someone's house, especially a player go up for sale most of the time, that means that they're moving on.
Chad Ochocinco
Or, or, or, yeah, he could be moving on. Coming home to the atl. You hear me?
Uncle Ocho
Coming who?
Chad Ochocinco
Coming to the atl?
Uncle Ocho
To the Hawks. Yeah, I would think Jaylen Brown wants to go somewhere we had the opportunity to compete for a championship.
Chad Ochocinco
What you trying to say?
Uncle Ocho
Oh, I ain't trying to say nothing bad, and I'm not trying to be disrespectful. I'm just trying to be realistic.
Chad Ochocinco
You add him, if you add him to what these guys already got, obviously you may have to lose a piece or two. You mean to tell me that him and Jaylen, him and, him and Jalen Johnson won't be, you know, two of the best 12 punches in the Eastern Conference?
Uncle Ocho
I, I, it probably be one punch. I don't know about two.
Chad Ochocinco
Oh, man, you tripping. You trip.
Kohler Cast Iron Ambassador
You tripping, bro.
Uncle Ocho
I'm not being tripping. You tripping.
Chad Ochocinco
You ain't being realistic. I know you on your high horse cuz you picked, know you feeling good. I already know all that, but you gotta chill, bro.
Uncle Ocho
Yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm chilling, Joe. I'm just saying, you talk about a 12 punch, but I mean, as much as you prop up, you know, Jalen Johnson to be who you say he is, he hasn't been that yet. I haven't seen it yet. Especially with the last series that we watched when the Hawks was playing.
Chad Ochocinco
That was his first Ocho. That was his first playoff series. Him playing in, bro, it's a learning experience from. He gonna be better next year, trust me.
Uncle Ocho
I mean, it's still basketball, ain't it, Joe?
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah, but he gonna be better Ocho. He's still young. He ain't steam, but, what, 23?
Uncle Ocho
I mean, Kobe was Young, too.
Chad Ochocinco
Everybody. Everybody learned a little differently, bro.
Uncle Ocho
Okay, okay.
Chad Ochocinco
You know, hey, yeah, yeah. Give my man sometimes. You mean you. We had jb. Boy, please.
Uncle Ocho
Okay, yeah, no, no disrespect. No disrespect.
Chad Ochocinco
The way you and uncle been disrespecting my hoax this postseason, boy. Hey, we.
Joe Johnson
We.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah, I know how you get into it. You always into it. You're guilty by association. All right. Yeah, Yeah.
Uncle Ocho
I mean, I. I ain't say nothing, but.
Chad Ochocinco
I didn't say that.
Joe Johnson
I was just over there.
Chad Ochocinco
But I know what you're thinking, though. All right? I know what you think. I know what's going on. Yeah.
Uncle Ocho
Hey, and. Hey, Joe. And just. You hype him up to a point to where I'm expecting to see greatness, and I'm not seeing greatness. So when you. When you hype him up the way you do, I. I'm just confused.
Chad Ochocinco
Ocho.
Joe Johnson
We the only damn team.
Chad Ochocinco
We the only team, huh?
Uncle Ocho
Maybe we watching two different hall games, that's all.
Chad Ochocinco
No, no, no, no. We the only damn team who done beat the Knicks in the past two damn months. Seem like.
Uncle Ocho
Well, where y' all at right now?
Chad Ochocinco
I know, okay? But we got. We got a little building to do that's a little stepping stone in the right direction. You hear me?
Uncle Ocho
Yeah, my bad.
Chad Ochocinco
What the hell them damn Heat was at this year?
Uncle Ocho
The who?
Chad Ochocinco
The Miami heats.
Joe Johnson
Oh.
Uncle Ocho
I mean.
Chad Ochocinco
All right, all right, all right, all right.
Joe Johnson
You said they're getting. They getting yachty.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah.
Uncle Ocho
Hey, but listen.
Joe Johnson
But seem to me I'll be hearing a lot of buzz about Yannis going to the cells.
Chad Ochocinco
Me, too, man.
Uncle Ocho
Come on, man. I already told y' all what the deal is.
Joe Johnson
But, all right, look, I mean, it's. You know what, guys? And I. I think sometimes it's easy for us to look in hindsight and say, yeah, they should have did this, but I can assure you, if they thought Brunson was going to be this, they probably would have offered him more than what they offered him. You don't know. I mean, every time. Oh, yo, think about all the time. We see receivers and guys go, hey, man, that joke will be, hey, he. And then it don't pan out. Nobody talks about that. They always talks about the opportunity that, you know, everybody talk about. Oh, they. This, this, this. I was down on my. Look, I was down to my last $2, and I turned this into a billion dollar empire.
Chad Ochocinco
Look, look, look, look, look. Look at Shay. If y' all think. If the Clippers knew Shay was gonna be this Here they have told Paul, George, stay his ass where he at.
Joe Johnson
And they say, Paul, they say, kawhi, you going over to the Lakers? Cause we not giving up. We not giving up.
Chad Ochocinco
Right, Right.
Joe Johnson
So that's exactly what they were talking
Chad Ochocinco
with that being said, when players, when they happen. When things like this happen to players, to where they feel slighted.
Joe Johnson
Yeah.
Chad Ochocinco
Because they've been traded. Which it kind of makes you to some degree feel like, oh, man, these dudes didn't think I was good enough. You know what I mean? And now you take that, you pack that, you, you. You carry that on your back, bro, for the rest of your career. You know what I mean? That's. I think they had a lot to do with how Shay end up turning out to be who he ultimately wanted to be. Was the mvp. Two time mvp. He put in the work, he put in the time. He was committed to his craft. Same thing with Brunson. He probably felt like, you know, the Mavs slighted him. Damn, y' all only offered me 50, 55 M's for real. Like, come on, bro. You know what I mean? You know what? I'm gonna take my talents elsewhere. I'm gonna go to New York. Not only am I gonna go to New York, I'm gonna take less money so they can build a team around me to where ultimately in the next three, four, five years, we can be competing for a title. And here we are. Voila.
Joe Johnson
New York. Where dreams are made of there's nothing you can't do street lights will inspire you with jolly. Brunson got inspired, damn it. He got inspired. He went to New York and just been a damn fool since he got there.
Chad Ochocinco
Yeah.
Joe Johnson
And he's. Now he has an opportunity to be in Nick's lower. I don't know. You know, people like, well, where do you rank him? I don't know. Look, I. I understand. What, what, what, what? Earl Pearl and Walt Clyde and I know what. Willis Reed. I know where they rank and, and, and, and, and Patrick Y. But it's gonna be hard. It's gonna be hard. It's gonna be extremely hard. Jalen Brunson get a title to say he ain't one of the two or three best Knicks players to ever put
Chad Ochocinco
a. Yeah, that's gonna be something else. He do that. If they win a tight. It ain't just Brunson. They hold damn coaching staff team like, oh, yeah.
Joe Johnson
But m. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Mike Brown. Definitely, definitely, definitely. You know, he's been coach of the year. You know he's been to an NBA Finals when Steve Kerr was out. You know, he coached that team. But hey, it didn't take you. Look, you got KD and Steph Curry and Clay, this right here, doing this right here because they didn't change anything. But the coaching staff, right? The same black players, sometimes the exact same players.
Chad Ochocinco
And you know, sometimes it's timing too. You know, the, the Knicks have been through some grueling playoff series over the past few years. They hadn't got to where ultimately they thought they should be, which is in the NBA Finals. They they came up short. And by adding Mike Brown, he's got a team who's experience, who has great chemistry and continuity and they are up and ready for the challenge, bro. Timing is everything.
Narrator/Commercial Announcer
Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snore loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep onosa.com this information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company.
OnPlus Nicotine Advertiser
OnPlus nicotine pouches present comfort chronicles at 10 o' clock tea time. How comfortable you show up in stretchy shorts, a breathable tee and maybe no socks. Let the dogs breathe while other sweat and pleated khakis. You're in your comfort zone. Bombing drives and in your pocket. OnPlus nicotine pouches the softest pouch on the planet. Buy a can@onnicotine.com Products for tobacco consumers 21 years of age or older Warning. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
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Tab Ramos
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Podcast: Nightcap
Hosts: Shannon Sharpe (“Unc”), Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Joe Johnson
Episode: “Big 3 WARN Wemby NOT To be SCARED of MSG + Stephon Castle SPEAKS on ACCOUNTABILITY + Pair of FINALS TIX SOLD for $36K + Jalen Brunson & Company’s REACTION to Mavs’ EXTENSION Offer”
Release Date: June 8, 2026
This episode of Nightcap centers on instant, unfiltered reactions to the ongoing 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks. The hosts—Shannon Sharpe, Ochocinco, and Joe Johnson—break down Victor Wembanyama (“Wemby”)’s resilience in adversity, the big-game pressure of Madison Square Garden (MSG), the Spurs’ challenges, and the Knicks’ surge behind Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns (“Cat”). The conversation also explores Stephon Castle’s comments on accountability, the staggering price of NBA Finals tickets, and the lasting impact of Jalen Brunson’s rejection of a Mavericks extension.
Timestamps: 05:30 – 08:10
Timestamps: 08:10 – 13:57
Timestamps: 13:57 – 23:56
Timestamps: 24:47 – 41:22
Timestamps: 30:29 – 34:52
Timestamps: 52:14 – 53:27
Timestamps: 61:36 – 70:44
Timestamps: 41:22 – 48:24
Timestamps: 48:24 – 56:56
Timestamps: 65:13 – 68:42
Timestamps: 71:27 – 72:30
For more, listen to the full episode or catch the next Nightcap following Game 3’s result.