Loading summary
Transcript64 lines
- [00:00]
Narrator/Commercial Announcer
If we knew more about our sleep, what would we do differently? Would we go to bed at a consistent time or take steps to reduce interruptions to our sleep? With Sleep Score, Apple Watch measures your bedtime consistency, interruptions and sleep duration. Then every morning it combines these factors into an easy to understand score from 1 to 100. So you'll know how to take the quality of your sleep from okay to very high. Know your sleep score with Apple Watch. IPhone 11 or later required.
- [00:32]
Mike Wilbon
Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon, stopping in Chicago on my way to San Antonio for tomorrow's NBA Finals.
- [00:40]
Tony Kornheiser
I'm Tony Kornheiser. I feel like Dallas would have been closer. I also feel like San Antonio itself would have been closer than Jallas Guy.
- [00:51]
Mike Wilbon
I don't have a home in Dallas. I don't have an apartment in Dallas. I got to stay in a hotel in Dallas, right?
- [00:58]
Tony Kornheiser
Oh yeah. So you're saving everybody money by staying at your own apartment.
- [01:01]
Mike Wilbon
How about that? How great are you?
- [01:03]
Tony Kornheiser
How cool are you?
- [01:04]
Mike Wilbon
Yes.
- [01:05]
Tony Kornheiser
So generous. Welcome to pti, boys and girls. In today's episode, the improbability of Victor Wembanyama, Bryce Harper's concern about baseball and PK Suban joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with the first game of the Stanley cup final tonight in Raleigh where the Carolina Hurricanes will host the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Carolina got here by going 121 so far in the playoffs, sweeping Ottawa and Philadelphia and winning the last four games in a row over Montreal to win in five. Las Vegas got here making the biggest noise by sweeping the most feared team in the league, Colorado. Wilbon. Do you find the Golden Knights or the Hurricanes to be the most compelling heading into this series?
- [01:44]
Mike Wilbon
Tony? I think, I think the Golden Knights and part of it has nothing to do with, with the series that have led up to this. Part of it is that the Golden Knights are still so new. What are they, like nine years old and they've been to the championship round playing for the Stanley cup three times and just like, wow. I mean, the league clearly made a mistake making too many players available when they did their expansion draft thing and they took apart teams like my Blackhawks and they said okay. And I think if they had to do all over again, they might not, but they have. And so they get to play for the championship again. They're well managed, they're well coached, they've got players like Eichel and Marner who are going to be at the center of everything for the Golden Knights. And I just think you Know, I just think they're the story now because they're sort of omnipresent. You know what I mean?
- [02:38]
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah.
- [02:39]
Mike Wilbon
And I think they're bolder. And stylistically I think they're easier to root for than Carolina, which is going to do a lot of neutral zone stuff and try to clog you up and shut you down. I get that. It's kind of like Arsenal just playing for the biggest soccer trophy other than the World cup in the world. They just don't excite me. And Vegas does.
- [03:02]
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah. I want to point out, first of all, that these are not what we would call the franchises, are not in what we would call traditional cold weather hockey cities. The temperature in Las Vegas today is 100 degrees. And I believe that because, like you, I have been to Vegas in June for big fights and it is so hot you cannot walk on the street. The temperature this weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina will be in the 90s. And I just, you know, I bring this up because what I would call the Sun Belt teams in the Eastern Conference lately have been very successful in the Stanley cup since 2020. Tampa Bay and Florida have won the cup four times and have been in it six times. Right. They've been in it now, I think the more compelling team, I'll take a few seconds here, the more compelling team I believe to be Las Vegas, because the most compelling story is John Tortorella. But I watched. I watched Carolina smother Montreal in the four games in a row that they beat Montreal. They only allowed 67 shots on goal, about 15, 16 a game. That's remarkable. I don't know how good Montreal is, and I don't know that they can do that to Las Vegas. But if they can do that to Las Vegas, a team that averages almost 26 shots on goal against Colorado, if they can do it, they can win. They can win.
- [04:25]
Mike Wilbon
They kind of remind me of some of those New Jersey teams that were great and won but just bored me to death. And maybe that's unfair. Well, we'll watch starting with game one tonight, the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, again tomorrow night in San Antonio, they'll feature the spurs and their 22 year old megastar, Victor Wembanyama, taking on the Knicks, who have not won a title since Tony had that red Afro. Trust me on this, he had a red Afro. So what would be more improbable in your mind, Tone Wemby winning the title now or your Knicks winning it after all these decades?
- [05:02]
Tony Kornheiser
Just to clarify, I bought that red Afro at a bozo. The Clown shop.
- [05:06]
Mike Wilbon
You did not.
- [05:07]
Tony Kornheiser
When I was in high school, I did. All right, so look, neither team is going to be an improbable winner, and I will go through this. We have established on this show and on other shows that Victor Wembanyama is a force of nature, and so he can win early. Kareem won early. Yesterday on this show, you said he was the face of the NBA now. So nobody's going to be surprised, actually, if he wins. In terms of the Knicks and being surprised with the Knicks, I don't know. I mean, they won 54 games this year. They won 51 games last year. They won 50 the year before that. So they're not sneaking up on anybody. I'm a native New Yorker. If you ask me this question, I have to factor in history in order to come up with a real answer here, because I go, you know, the Knicks were the team of my youth, and for most of my life, I loved the New York Knicks. If I look at the history, that makes it sort of improbable because they haven't won in, hello, 53 years. Okay, the Willis Reed, Walt Frazier teams won in 1970 and 1973. And after that, as we say on the streets, we bupkis. They got twice to the final game. They lost to Elijah won, and they lost to Tim Duncan. So losing to someone as big as Victor Wembanyama would be in character. But they are playing great now. They're playing historically great now. Their point differential in all their playoff games, in 14 playoff games is plus 271. They lost two games by a total of two points. These are numbers the NBA has never seen.
- [06:41]
Mike Wilbon
The Knicks are playing great, Tony. And, you know, people are always. Look, it's interesting to be. You know, I mentioned him in Chicago, as you can see behind me, a city which is could be very provincial and not care when its team is out. And our team's been out for a long time now. But it's interesting because the point guard of the New York Knicks grew up right behind me in this city, in Chicago, in Jalen Brunson. And so basically, the sentiment seems to be, you know, I want to root for Jalen Brunson, but I hate the Knicks. I hate most stuff New York. And I'm rooting for the Spurs. And the other night in sports bars, there were interesting stories here where people watched when Banyama, because they are fascinated with Win Bunyama, no matter where they're from. And the fact that he's from France, I mean, people are so into curious between curious and obsessed. And it's just fascinating to me. I go into this thinking they're even teams. I don't know who I'm going to be asked to pick, too. I don't know. I don't know. I can't separate them. I think I'm going to reluctantly stay with my position that you don't win right away. And that means the Knicks would beat with more experience San Antonio. Patone, how can you watch win Bunyama and that team and sort of pick against them? I'm really curious about this series.
- [08:03]
Tony Kornheiser
The more improbable winner heading into this year would be San Antonio, a team that won 34 games last year and 22 the year before that. But the flowering of Victor Wembanyama makes nothing improbable if he wins. Let's move to baseball where one of its biggest stars, Bryce Harper, is worried that both sides, players and owners, won't get together before games are missed next season. Harper said, quote, we both have to understand that our game is in a great position to succeed right now, and we can't lose that momentum. You have to come to an agreement before games are lost because there's other things to do. It's not like 1994 where there was nothing else to do. There's a lot of other things to do than just watch baseball, unquote. Wilbon do you see Harper's warning about the precarious place of baseball as a real concern or just a negotiating angle?
- [08:52]
Mike Wilbon
Tony? I don't care to make Bryce Harper like the voice of reason coming from the players or the voice of resistance. Bryce Harper doesn't impress me as that Smoltz glavin. There are people over time who've been, you know, I want to hear from them. And Harper may express. He may have his finger on the pulse. Exactly. Of his brethren, and he may get it right. I don't Harper. I'm just sort of dismissive of him when it comes to this. I got to hear some other voices down the line. If he's asking me to trust this union, I'm not doing that anyway. This union. I trust him to be stronger than all the other player unions historically, because they have been. I'm a child of union parents. I am. So I tend to identify with that strength and go, yeah, I'm with them, not the owners usually. But I think historically, I think the owners, they're on to something, Tony, and they want the valuations of their franchise to be much greater. And there's one way to get at that. And that's something the players don't want to accept. And so I. I'm not. I'm not hearing any of this yet. Let's see when we get there.
- [10:03]
Tony Kornheiser
I think that Harper is saying a good thing in that he's asking people to come to the middle. You know, he doesn't want to lose games.
- [10:11]
PK Subban
He.
- [10:11]
Tony Kornheiser
He's saying essentially both sides have to sort of.
- [10:15]
Mike Wilbon
You believe him. You believe he carries that weight or influence.
- [10:18]
Tony Kornheiser
No, no. What I'm going to say is, but he is not at all in favor of a salary cap. He doesn't want a salary cap. He said just the other day that the Los Angeles Dodgers are the best thing in baseball. His exact quote is, our game is in a great place because of the Los Angeles Dodgers. That means no salary cap, even though the owners are saying we're going to take the minimum to $171 million. That means 12 of the 30 teams, Mike, are going to have to raise payroll. But as you say, the union wants no part of that. The last time the owners really went strong for a salary cap was 1994, and it resulted in a strike. I am interested in this. I'll take 20 more seconds. Harper says there's more now to do than there was before. Not for me, because I love baseball. Not for you. But people in their 20s and 30s, they get the world on their phone every single day. They're involved in social media every day. This is. Yeah, but it's sort of a warning that says, you know what if baseball goes away and nobody really cares? The ratings on the World Series now are about half what they were nationally than in 1994. You got to consider that. Let's take a break. Coming up, how much credit does John Tortorella deserve for the Golden Knights playoff success? We're going to ask PK Subban.
- [11:34]
Mike Wilbon
We'll also ask him where the hurricane stand in his mind right now hours before game one.
- [11:42]
Tony Kornheiser
I mean, it feels like a long way off, Mike, but everything says there's going to be either a lockout or a strike.
- [11:50]
Narrator/Commercial Announcer
Workplace chaos. Deadlines slipping, inbox overflowing, your team stretched thin. When you need someone who can step in and make an impact, this is a job for sponsored jobs. If you're hiring, hoping the right person sees your job post isn't much of a plan. Indeed, Sponsored Jobs boosts your job and search results so you can reach quality candidates faster. And you only pay for results. Sponsored jobs posted directly on indeed are 95% more likely to report a hire than non sponsored jobs. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results when you need the right person to cut through the chaos. This is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves@ Indeed.com podcast just go to Indeed.com podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com podcast terms and conditions apply. Need a hiring hero? This is a job for Indeed sponsored Jobs. As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by.
- [13:34]
Tony Kornheiser
In a story we broke in our first segment, the Stanley Cup Final begins tonight. And here to help us break it down is our great friend ESPN hockey analyst PK Subban, who's on all day, by the way. Started 7:15 in the morning on All Day. Let's start with this. If you were going to sell this matchup right, Carolina in Las Vegas to a casual hockey fan, how would you do it?
- [13:59]
PK Subban
There's nothing better than traditional hockey in the playoffs. We know that everything ramps up in the playoffs, but to me, this could be one of the best finals ever. When you really think about the makeup of a Carolina Hurricanes team, we saw them go up against Montreal. They kind of were able to push Montreal out of the series. No team is pushing anybody out of this series. This is going to be as physical as it comes home. Hard nose, ground and pound type of hockey. The fans are going to absolutely love the physicality in this series, the speed, the skill. Hockey is on the biggest platform and these two teams are going to put on a show, no question.
- [14:35]
Mike Wilbon
Oh good, you get me fired up. Well, let's zero in on the Golden Knights for a second, taken over by John Tortorella with eight games left in the regular season and now they're in the final. He says the team activated itself. Pk that sounds fine, but how much success do you think he deserves? I'm sorry? How much credit for the success do you think he deserves?
- [15:03]
PK Subban
Well, as a Player. You know, I gotta be cognizant of this because we don't oftentimes defer to coaching and management and give them their flowers. But in this case, I'm gonna go over John Tortorella and say that he's an X factor in this series because of his experience. He's won a Stanley cup, he's been around the league, he knows the players. He's been able to watch this team. He's going to make adjustments in this series and, you know, so is Rod Brindemore. But I really like the adjustments that John Tortorella has made down the second half and in the playoffs. That's why the vegan Golden Knights are where they are right now. You look up and down this. This lineup, there's not one passenger, it's all leaders. Every single guy, including Mitch Marner, is playing the right way. Thomas Hurdle, a guy who was on the third line, who was a guy who looked like he was slowing down. Torch sits him down and he comes out of nowhere with this second wave of his career again. So I think Torts has been able to get a lot more juice out of these two players. Maybe that's just a different voice. It doesn't matter. As a coach, your job is to get the most out of your players, and he's doing that, and that's why they're in the Stanley Cup Final.
- [16:10]
Mike Wilbon
All right, let's flip this for a second. You have said that it's final or bust for the Hurricanes, and they did make it. How do they stand right now in your mind going into this series?
- [16:23]
PK Subban
Well, listen, a lot of it is going to be on the shoulders of Freddie Anderson. He's played fantastic throughout the playoffs, but there's pressure on him. You know, he hasn't been tested as much. We saw in the Montreal series, nine shots, 11 shots, 12 shots. But Montreal couldn't get inside. They didn't play through the middle of the ice like we expected them to. Well, Vegas has owned the middle of the ice in this playoffs, and they did it against the best offensive team. So to me, you know, when I look at this series, it's the middle of the ice and Vegas is going to own that. I look at Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and the skilled players, I think it's going to be very, very tough for Carolina defensively. They're going to put that pressure on them, so we have to see how they respond.
- [17:03]
Tony Kornheiser
All right, so we'll get you out of here on this. It's obvious, and you have publicly said that you think Vegas is going to win this series. Is there anything beyond the middle of the ice? Is there stuff you can tell us as to why you are picking Las Vegas?
- [17:18]
PK Subban
Yeah, and I'm going to get to that. I'm sorry, Tony, because I don't think I answered the question. Freddie Anderson is the key factor for Carolina, if that answers your question. So you know he's got to be good in that he hasn't been tested nearly as much. And like I said with Montreal, Vegas has been dominant in the middle of the ice. I think they're going to get inside and he's going to have to make second and third saves. If he can't do that, I don't see this series going too long. I have Vegas in six. You ask me why I pick Vegas in six starts with John Tortorella come down through the middle of the ice. Jack Eichel, Barbashev, their depth, Colton Sizzens, Kolazar, the way they played. But their defense and goaltending I think separates them from. From everybody else right now that was in the playoffs and that's left in the playoffs, including Carolina. So you sprinkle in a little bit of that top end talent in Marner and Eichel and I think that they're going to like the result at the end of this playoffs.
- [18:11]
Tony Kornheiser
It's a great pleasure when you're on with us. It makes us very happy.
- [18:15]
Mike Wilbon
Thank you so much.
- [18:15]
Tony Kornheiser
Thank you.
- [18:16]
PK Subban
Love you guys.
- [18:18]
Tony Kornheiser
Thank you. You can catch more of PK tonight on the Point at 7 Eastern with game one on ABC at 8. Let's take one last break. But still to come to your bears, Wilbon. Do they now have no choice but to move to which you said would never happen?
- [18:32]
Mike Wilbon
You've been asking me these questions for two years and I told you they're not going to end two years. You asked me this stuff. I tell you to ignore it. Like I tell them a few thoughts on the life and times of Rick Adelman who Tony and I both really liked and respected.
- [18:48]
Tony Kornheiser
Yep, yep, yep. Go back a long way. Yep, yep. Wonderful to have PK on Buster only
- [18:55]
Mike Wilbon
here for La Quinta by Windham. Summer means travel and for a lot of people that includes their four legged mvp. Mine is a yellow lad named Quinny. But finding a hotel that actually welcomes pets can feel like striking out at La Quinta by Wyndham Pet friendly stays are part of the game plan so you don't have to leave your best travel companion behind. You can bring them along for every inning of the trip because the road is better when the whole team's together. And when you book@laquinta.com you can earn Wyndham Rewards points on your qualified stays along the way. Tonight La Quinta tomorrow you shine. Terms and conditions apply in today's world,
- [19:34]
Narrator/Commercial Announcer
planning ahead isn't always top of mind, but not having life insurance can leave families facing difficult financial uncertainty during already emotional times. In many cases, loved ones are left managing expenses, debts or long term obligations without a clear plan in place. Life insurance is one of those ways to help provide financial security and support when it's needed most. That's where Ethos comes in. Ethos makes getting life insurance fast and easy, and it's 100% online. You can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and even get same day coverage. There's no medical exam, you just answer a few simple health questions online. And coverage options are flexible, with up to $3 million available and some policies starting at around $30 a month. Ethos has also earned strong customer feedback with a 4.8 out of 5 star rating on Trustpilot based on more than 3,000 reviews. Help protect your family with life insurance through Ethos. Get your instant free quote@ethos.com sports that's e t h o s.com sports application times and rates may vary.
- [20:47]
Tony Kornheiser
Happy time people. Happy 75th birthday, Larry Robinson for the second day in a row, we wish happy birthday to a Hall of Fame defenseman. Robinson played 20 years in the NHL, 17 with Montreal, where he won six Stanley Cups and two Norris Trophies as the best defenseman in the league. Robinson was the most valuable player in the playoffs in 1978. Robinson played the last three years of his career with the Los Angeles Kings, and after retiring as a player, he remained in hockey as a coach and a team executive. In 2000, Robinson took over coaching the New Jersey Devils with eight games to go in the regular season and guided them to the Stanley cup championship. So he was torts before torts.
- [21:30]
Mike Wilbon
I mean, and if you got that kind of great coach out there and he's wearing that sweater. What? The Montreal executives couldn't find his phone number. He couldn't coach. His old team hadn't won since 93. It's kind of weird to me.
- [21:42]
Tony Kornheiser
Happy Anniversary, Lou Piniella on this day 19 years ago, Sweet Lou was ejected for the first time as the Cubs manager, and he did not disappoint as more of a strategy to rile up his underachieving Cubbies than to argue a bad call. Piniella screamed at the ump over a call, made it third and once ejected, Piniella went into a hat, throwing dirt, kicking hat, kicking spittle, flying tirade like he used to do in Seattle. What gets lost about Piniella as we concentrate on his managerial excesses is what a good hitter he was for 18 seasons. He was rookie of the year in 1969 in Kansas City and over the final 11 years of his career, all with the Yankees. He was a.295 hitter, and he had
- [22:24]
Mike Wilbon
a good hitting lineup that year in Chicago with Soriano, Ramirez and D. Lee, among others, in it. And yet the Cubs couldn't find a closer. All went for naught.
- [22:35]
Tony Kornheiser
A melancholy trails to Rick Adelman. The hall of Fame coach has passed away at the age of 79. Adelman won 1042 games that's 10th all time in stints with five teams. Most notably, he led the Trailblazers to the Finals twice and came so close to returning to them with the Kings before falling to the Lakers in a Western Conference finals that Wilbon has been frosted about for more than two decades now. But Adelman's son, Nuggets coach David Adelman, suggested recently that his dad felt his best team was the 2009 Rockets, which took the eventual champion Lakers to seven games in the second round despite losing stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady to injury.
- [23:14]
Mike Wilbon
That team won 22 in a row. But my favorite team, and he's one of my favorite coaches ever, was that Sacramento team which got robbed. It's easy to root for his son David, and I hope he cashes in in Denver. Also, a melancholy trail to Larry Fitzgerald Sr. The father of hall of Fame receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr. Has passed away at the age of 71. The elder Fitz was a sports writer at the same time as two guys named Kornizer and Wilbon, playing the roles of both editor and columnist for the Minnesota spokesman recorder for 45 years. At times, Big Fitz, as he would come to be known as Larry Jr. Became famous, would take his young sons to work with him, telling him to sit and watch, say, Vikings practice. But young Larry would occasionally start running routes along the sideline, and his development into one of the great receivers ever made big fits the envy of all his peers. Dad got to cover a Super bowl in which his son played.
- [24:13]
Tony Kornheiser
What a great thrill that must have been. What a great thrill. Let's go to the big finish. Illinois didn't give the Bears stadium money, so it's on to Indiana.
- [24:22]
Mike Wilbon
Stop following the day by day. They broken? They announced everywhere in the world. Let's see where they wind up. I don't believe Indiana Kentucky landed the number one player in the transfer portal. Is that significant?
- [24:35]
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah. Kentucky is Kentucky. Mark Pope was 22 and 14 last year. Maybe he does better this year. 37 year old Jacob deGrom earned his 100th career win. Are you impressed?
- [24:44]
Mike Wilbon
It's not many decisions but he's played through and around. A lot of injuries. Beat the Cardinals. That's a good thing. The Tigers are a league worth 8 and 22 since Tarek Skubal went out. What does that mean?
- [24:56]
Tony Kornheiser
I think it means they're going to trade him because he's going to leave with free agency. Get something while you can. Last one. The Mariners have won seven straight. Are you smelling eight tonight?
- [25:06]
Mike Wilbon
I hope so. They're hosting the Mets. I hate the Mets. Keep it going, Seattle.
- [25:13]
Tony Kornheiser
Why do you hate the Mets so much? They were thrilling. 1966. They beat the Cubs in 1969.
- [25:18]
Mike Wilbon
Yes.
- [25:18]
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, exactly. Of course they beat the Cubs. We're out of time. We'll try and do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheiser. Beat the Cubs.
- [25:25]
Mike Wilbon
I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads. Fitz, Marcus. Condolences. See you guys soon. I love your dad.
- [25:35]
Tony Kornheiser
BTI
- [25:38]
Mike Wilbon
this is what everyone's talking about. Everything's on the table. This is what champions come to take. This is what everyone came to see. No do overs. No second chances. No more Mr. Nice Guy. This is winner take all. And it's all happening now on the home of the NBA Finals. Don't miss it.
- [26:04]
Narrator/Commercial Announcer
June 3rd on ABC and the ESPN applied.