Hour 1: Matt Doesn't Like Many People

Summary

Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron: Episode Summary Hour 1: Matt Doesn't Like Many People Release Date: June 15, 2025

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1. Introduction and Father's Day Tribute (00:00 - 03:33)

The episode kicks off with host Matt Jones extending heartfelt Father's Day greetings to all fathers and parents listening. Due to Myron Medcalf's unavailability on Father's Day, Aaron Goldhammer steps in as the guest host from Cleveland.

Notable Quote:

Matt Jones (01:05): "Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there and just, you know, people in general. We don't have to discriminate."

Matt shares his selective preferences for colleagues, emphasizing a smaller circle of trusted individuals he enjoys working with. He humorously discusses the challenge of choosing whom to collaborate with, ultimately expressing appreciation for Aaron stepping in.

Notable Quote:

Matt Jones (02:21): "I need to be a better non-father so that I can."

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2. Celebrating an Underrated Sports Season (04:03 - 06:50)

Matt introduces the concept that late May through June is an often-overlooked period in American sports, teeming with diverse events beyond the typical football and NBA seasons. He highlights his personal enjoyment of sampling various sports during this time.

Notable Quote:

Matt Jones (04:03): "I believe late May through June is an underrated sports time in America because there's a lot of sports going on."

Aaron concurs, pointing out that events like the Women’s and Men’s College World Series don’t receive the attention they deserve, despite their excitement and competitive spirit.

Notable Quote:

Aaron Goldhammer (05:34): "I think the most underrated sporting events of the entire year are the women's and men's College World Series."

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3. Deep Dive into the US Open Golf Tournament (06:50 - 09:20)

The hosts transition to discussing the US Open Golf Tournament, sharing differing perspectives on the appeal of watching athletes struggle in high-stakes environments. Matt appreciates the authenticity and relatability of seeing golfers face challenges, such as Jordan Spieth's frustrations during the tournament.

Notable Quote:

Matt Jones (08:10): "I think it's an everyman thing. Like, when I see Jordan Spieth hit the ball two yards and curse... I can relate to it."

Aaron expresses his lack of enthusiasm for the event, highlighting the emotional struggles of the athletes, to which Matt defends the tournament's value in showcasing diverse skill sets required to win major golf titles.

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4. NHL Stanley Cup Finals: Oilers vs. Panthers (10:03 - 12:13)

Matt and Aaron delve into the Stanley Cup Finals, discussing the Florida Panthers' antagonistic behavior towards the Edmonton Oilers' goalie. They admire the Panthers' pettiness, likening it to past rivalries in other sports, and express their enjoyment of the intense and competitive nature of the series.

Notable Quote:

Matt Jones (11:56): "That level of pettiness, I just absolutely love that."

Aaron adds context about the Oilers’ goalie switch during the finals, underscoring the psychological warfare between the teams.

Notable Quote:

Aaron Goldhammer (12:13): "The Oilers had changed goalies. So it's clear that they were trying to psychologically damage the new goalie."

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5. “Guess that Wildcat” Segment with Tony Delk (13:52 - 34:07)

In a special segment titled “Guess that Wildcat,” the hosts welcome Tony Delk, a former Kentucky Wildcat and NBA player. They engage in a lively Q&A, exploring Tony’s illustrious basketball career, his records, and personal anecdotes.

Notable Quotes:

Matt Jones (21:03): "He is currently the assistant coach for the New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team."

Tony Delk (24:37): "It's the brotherhood, and it's a lifelong brotherhood, and it's made the Big Blue Nation one of my favorite favorite cities and state to be a part of."

Matt impressively recalls specific details about Tony’s career, prompting amusement and admiration from Aaron. Tony shares memorable moments, such as scoring 53 points in an NBA game and his experiences playing abroad in Greece.

Notable Quote:

Matt Jones (30:40): "Did you Grow up in the same town as Tina Turner?"

Tony Delk (31:34): "Yes, you are. We have. We had that discussion before he went to Greece."

The segment highlights Tony’s deep connection to Kentucky basketball, his respect for Coach Rick Pitino, and his reflections on maintaining lifelong friendships forged through sports.

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6. NBA Finals Analysis: Thunder vs. Pacers Game 4 (34:07 - 45:17)

Post-interview, Matt and Aaron shift focus to the NBA Finals, specifically analyzing Game 4 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. They commend Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) for his standout performance, which turned the game around in the final quarter, effectively saving the Thunder's season.

Notable Quote:

Aaron Goldhammer (38:58): "SGA is trying to go from guy who won the MVP to transcendent superstar... that's going to be his next jump."

Matt draws parallels between the Pacers' underdog journey and the 2014 Kentucky Wildcats, contemplating the psychological impact of shifting favorites in a series.

Notable Quote:

Matt Jones (42:17): "I think this reminded me of something. There was this belief that the Pacers were underestimated… they almost shifted."

They debate the potential outcomes of the series, considering the Thunder's resilience and the Pacers' strategic gameplay. Aaron suggests the series may extend to seven games, reflecting on the evolving dynamics and the need for a compelling rivalry to engage fans.

Notable Quote:

Aaron Goldhammer (43:03): "We need a rival. We need, like, I hate to say this, but we need, like, a shoving match."

Matt expresses concerns about the NBA's long-term appeal in the absence of star power comparable to LeBron James or Steph Curry, pondering the future of fan engagement.

Notable Quote:

Matt Jones (44:35): "I do think this is a bad sign for long-term, for the NBA, that they can't get this one going."

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7. Concluding Remarks and Teasers (45:17 - End)

As the episode wraps up, Matt and Aaron tease upcoming segments, including continued coverage of the NBA playoffs and NHL discussions. They also touch briefly on advertisements and light-hearted banter about music and pop culture references.

Notable Quote:

Matt Jones (45:27): "Jay's dad on the floor like he was on the Jeff Teague podcast… That's what we probably need."

The hosts maintain their engaging and humorous rapport, ensuring listeners are left anticipating future episodes filled with in-depth sports analysis and entertaining discussions.

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Final Thoughts:

This episode of "Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron" offers a rich tapestry of sports conversations, from celebrating lesser-publicized athletic events to deep dives into professional basketball and personal interactions with notable sports figures like Tony Delk. Matt and Aaron provide insightful analysis, nostalgic anecdotes, and spirited debates, making the show a must-listen for sports enthusiasts seeking both information and entertainment.

Transcript

[Matt Jones]

5:00Am I'm up with a crisp Celsius energy drink running 12 miles today. Grab a green juice, quick change, and head to work. Meetings, workshops. One more Celsius. No slowing down. Working late, but obviously still meeting the girls for a little dancing. Celsius Live fit. Go grab a cold, refreshing Celsius at your local retailer or locate [e-mail]. this is Matt and Myron the podcast. Good Morning here on ESPN Radio, the ESP app, SiriusXM Channel 80. Presented by Progressive Insurance. I am Matt Jones. It is Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there and just, you know, people in general. We don't have to discriminate. All men, women, you can all say, happy Father's Day to all of you. Aaron Goldhammer is filling in for my Metcalf, who's like, oh, I'm a dad. I can't come in on Father's Day. But Aaron Goldhammer does it, and Aaron is in Cleveland. Aaron, thank you very much. You know, I'm glad you decided to do this.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

You know, Matt, I. I guess because it's Father's Day, I feel like I have the ability to do whatever I want to do.

[Matt Jones]

That's true.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

So not only did they reach out to me and say, hey, do you want to do Sunday morning with Matt? But they said, and I don't know whether this is actually true or not, the message that they brought to me said that you are on a very short list of people that Matt is open to working with for this opportunity.

[Matt Jones]

You don't have to say. You have to say that out loud. But. But the real. The re. The reality is if we're being honest and happy Father's Day to everyone that's listening. You know, I work with Myron, and I've worked with a lot of people, and most people, I'm not gonna say all people, but most people I really enjoy. But there's a difference between enjoying someone and enjoying working with them. So there's like a short list of people. Like, I really like working with David Dennis Junior. I like working with you. And so when. So when. When they said Myron wasn't gonna do it be here, they were very nice. They were like, would you like to pick who you want to work with? And I thought, oh, there'll be lots of choices. And then I started writing people down, and I was like, well, there's not as many choices as I.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Well, I thought.

[Matt Jones]

Which is. Which is. Which is a bad statement to me. It means I Need to be a better non father so that I can. But it's not that I can't work with them. It's just like, who do you want to. And I picked you. And thank you very much for.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

And I just want to be clear that if they had reached out to me and said, will you work with Matt? I probably would have said, it's Father's Day. I'm out. But because they said Matt had you on a very short list, I was.

[Matt Jones]

Like, a short list.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

You know what? It would be fun to work with Matt. You know what? I'll do breakfast downstairs in the studio, and Matt and I'll do a show together for three.

[Matt Jones]

I'm glad for you. It's basically you and David Dennis Jr. I'm not saying there wouldn't be anybo. But really, that was it. Of the people that.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I think there's. There's nobody listening to this. It's not like it's on hundreds of affiliates all over the country.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, I would work with, like, Dan Patrick, but I don't think he works at ESPN anymore. So, I mean, I think there's, you know, you have to. You have to pick and choose your spots. But thank you very much. Sunday morning is presented by Progressive Insurance. Progressive can protect your house. See, people are gonna get mad at that. I didn't. I. I'd work with everybody. I'm. I'm very, you know, I'm sending it.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Out to everyone I'm welcoming.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I'm sure that I'm. They're all listening. Progressive could protect you. Your home, auto. Bike.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Was it bike?

[Matt Jones]

No. Home, auto, Boat. That makes more sense.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Motorcycle also, because the next one is motorcycle. So.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, but it won't. I don't think Progressive will protect your little pedal bike.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

You'd have to be one hell of an expensive bike. But maybe call them, maybe.

[Matt Jones]

Maybe check them out. Home, auto, boat, motorcycle, atv, rv, and more. In short, a lot of things bundled [e-mail]. what are we thinking about? I'm trying to think, but nothing happens. Nothing happens.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Time to find out.

[Matt Jones]

This is off the top. Flash off the top with Matt and Myon. All right, so if you've listened to this show over the years, you know that I believe late May through June is an underrated sports time in America because there's a lot of sports going on, and we think, oh, there's no football. The NBA is coming to an end. No college basketball. Football. There's not as much, but there's a lot of stuff going on. I Mean like just yesterday I was flipping channels and Aaron, let me quickly say the events I watched at least a little bit of. I watched at least a little bit of the hockey. The NHA or excuse me, of the. Was. Yeah, no, what? It was hockey. It was of the. Of the hockey. Yesterday I watched a little bit of the College World Series. I watched a little bit of the US Open. I watched a little bit of the work of the college sports, the track and field championships. Yesterday I watched the FIFA Club World cup kickoff in Miami, a little bit of it. Yesterday I watched The Reds score 11 runs on the first place Tigers. So my point is there's actually a lot of sports going on and I know this sounds weird, but I really enjoy this time of year for allowing me to sample sports that I don't during the season. Softball, college baseball, Track and Field, etc. Do you enjoy that or are you just like without football and a regular slate of NBA games? I don't care.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I will tell you, I think the most underrated sporting events of the entire year are the women's and men's College World Series.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I agree.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I don't think they get. And by the way, the women I've gotten into over the last couple years just because it's gotten some more exposure so I've become attracted and gotten to know the players and the teams and the personalities. But the men's College World Series, the drama of it and it's just, it's.

[Matt Jones]

Just dudes who like next week are going to be hanging out at the bar with you selling insurance.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Like I mean some of them, but sometimes Paul Skeens is pitching sometimes.

[Matt Jones]

But I think the combination that. Yeah, but see that's what I like. The combination that in a key moment Paul Skeens is pitching to a future accountant is something I really enjoy. If you watch the college football championship or even the college basketball championship, all of those guys in key roles, if they want to can continue playing the sport somewhere even even if it's not in the NBA. If they want to, they can find a place. But like you turn on baseball, even the best teams have guys that are hoping to be able to be a partner of a wings place somewhere a.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Thousand percent in America. So much less corporate.

[Matt Jones]

I totally agree with you.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Other areas of. So I don't. I watched LSU yesterday because I have a friend that played baseball at lsu. Do you want. Should I name drop this friend or should I. Is it not worth.

[Matt Jones]

Is it going to be. Let me guess, if you have a friend that played baseball at L.S. ben McDonald.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

It's not Ben McDonald. It's not Ben.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

It's, it's out. It's Albert Bell, who played I'm in Cleveland, who played for the Indians.

[Matt Jones]

Albert Bell in the middle issue. Okay.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, he's a whole story. There's a SEC network feature about the history. So he's very into his LSU baseball team, so he got me to watch them play. And, you know, they've won a million of these, so I don't know what really is at stake for the, for the dynasty of the LSU baseball program, but he got me into it yesterday, so I watched a little of the college baseball. I watched some of that U.S. open. Matt, I gotta tell you that it is not enjoyable to me. Now, I am not a golf freak, so I don't, I, I, I don't want to sound like I'm coming off as a sports snob or something. I, it is not enjoyable to me to watch sports snob, to watch athletes struggle like that.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, I like to watch them struggle. I like to watch them. Yeah. Because.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Explain to me the appeal of that. I, I don't.

[Matt Jones]

Because I think it's an everyman thing. Like, when I see Jordan Spieth hit the ball two yards and curse, or Shane say, blank this blank in place. I say that about the Tate's Creek Golf Course here in Lexington. It doesn't have to be Oakmont. So I, I can, I, I can relate to it. I wouldn't want every golf tournament to be like the US Open, but I think having one tournament a year whose goal is to humble these golfers is something I've always enjoyed. And, and, you know, one of the things about golf that is interesting is to win all four majors in some ways takes four different skill sets. Right. And that is why, like, tennis used to be like that, but they have now slowed the ball and racket, so it's easier to be good on all of them. The French still has its own unique thing, right. But golf, you got to be a shot maker to win the Masters. You got to go low to win the pga. You got to be a Lynx golfer to win the British, and you got to be able to handle rough and, like, you got to hit it straight to win the US Open.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

So anybody who wins it all, and there have only been, what, five or, you know, or six, there haven't been very many. Anybody who gets the career Grand Slam has really done something that is impressive. So I do like that because I think it tests so many different golfer skill sets.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

The US Open story that fascinated me yesterday the most had nothing to do with JJ Spawn and Sam Burns. And the guys are at the top of the.

[Matt Jones]

Well, nobody knows those people anyway.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I mean, I get, you know, JJ.

[Matt Jones]

Spawn, I think is a comic book creator. And I, I, I never, I literally knew him, not at all until this.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Spawn, one of the best pitchers of all time. I don't even know. But the Rory thing yesterday I was really fascinated by.

[Matt Jones]

Something's up with him. I don't know what it is. Something's up with him. He's like become. He's angry and it's crazy.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

His club and talking about how mad he is at the media, I thought, I was sure that after winning that Masters that he would have so much more freedom that he would feel totally at ease. His career, it's just a perfect example of you set this career goal that you want to accomplish for your entire life and then you get it and you realize that it's not all you thought it was going to be. That's what I kept thinking as I was watching the awkwardness of that press conference yesterday.

[Matt Jones]

This is the one he's always going to have the hardest time with. Winning is the uso. Go back to the four different skill sets. The one he has the least is just hitting it straight. And he came really close to winning. Was it last year or two years ago? Last year he blew it and he blew it. And he'll probably never have another chance because I don't think he'd been close in a US Open. Besides that. Because it's not really the way he plays. Maybe that's part of it. I agree with you. And you know, then I don't want it. They wanted us to lead with hockey. But like what are you going to say? They hit it in the, in the go. But, but, but I will say this about the, about the hockey it has. I mean, what, I don't know what say though they for the 4 check was great. I do. I have enjoyed this hockey series. A because it's been so close and B, because the Florida Panthers seem like absolute jerks. Right? I mean the story in game four is one of my favorite stories of all time. They were getting ready to start the game. I don't know if people know this. In the Edmonton Oilers goalie was doing the thing where the goalies like get on their knee pads and they slide back and forth and they throw their arms out and kick their legs and people are like firing pucks at him. It's like a warm up, right? And they're doing their little dance. You can't see me because we don't, we're not one of the ESPN shows they put on film. But I'm sitting there and like, you know, he's, he's doing all this.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

That is flailing his limbs, you know.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, well, that's what goalies do. They flail their limbs and all this to get warmed up. And the Panthers goalie, the backup goalie, instead of getting warmed up himself, just goes to center ice and mocks all of his movements. Did you know this story?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

So everything the Oilers goalie does, the Panthers goalie does. Like he's tried to be a mirror. And that level of pettiness, I just absolutely love that. See, that's what I want, that pettiness. Your guy that used to be, that played against LeBron, the Lance Stevenson would blow in his ear. Like, that level of pettiness I enjoy.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

And I'm sorry to interrupt. It's important to say with this story too that the Oilers had changed goalies. So it's clear that they were trying to psychologically damage the new goalie who had entered, you know, to switch goalies in the middle of the Stanley cup finals. You're probably not winning the series if you have to do that. If it's not because of an injury, if you pull your goalie, you're probably not going to be raising the cup. So Florida with a 32 lead is we go back down to South.

[Matt Jones]

Well, it's all, it's ultimately all about the four check. And they have been, I mean it's, they've been so good. It's almost like a 5 check how well they've been playing. So I've enjoyed it. Now we will talk more about all the big events the weekend. Obviously the NBA Game five is coming tomorrow night. We will, we will get ready for that and we'll play some games. You know, this whole summer we're doing Guess that Wildcat. We're going to have a former Wildcat on here. Aaron Goldhammer is here. He's one of the two people it's not even so much I like whose names I can remember that work at espn. This is Sunday morning on ESPN Radio. Matt and Myron, the podcast.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

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[Matt Jones]

Wait, did I say job title yet?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

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[Matt Jones]

Let's go Millie and Vanilli here on Sunday morning on ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. Probably the best act ever to win best new artists at the Grammys and not sing. I don't think there's anyone else that would qualifies that. We big Milli Vanelli fan. Aaron, you can blame it on the.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Rain A little before my time, but.

[Matt Jones]

How old are you? Wait a minute, how old are you?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I'm 42 so it's not.

[Matt Jones]

Don't act like it's before your time. They won this in James 90. I think it was like 1990.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Was i7 listening to blame it on the rain?

[Matt Jones]

No, I rem when I was like me. It's like saying you don't remember Thriller Matt because you were seven. Of course I do.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I mean I remember this being though a huge scandal right? This swept the world when it was discovered that they were lip syncing all this.

[Matt Jones]

I'm not gonna do it right now because the only people that would see it are you and James. But I can do the dance where they. In the video where they kind of slap their legs together. I mean, I'm not going to.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

You're on TikTok. You got to get that up on TikTok.

[Matt Jones]

I definitely that. That people. It'll be big on. Tick tock, tick tock, eight, eight, eight. Say espn. We have a text machine where you can write in messages. 7, 7, 2, 7, 7, 4, 5, 2, 5, 4. One person writes, Matt, you say you didn't. You don't want to work with people. Admit it. It's mostly that you make everyone mad at espn. That's probably true. I mean, that's.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Objectively, I'm willing to put up with your shenanigans in a way that maybe some of the other co hosts here. Well, one time we did a show together where Oakland was playing a basketball game. I don't know that you have any recollection of this.

[Matt Jones]

Who could beat Kentucky in the tournament?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Yeah, we went down a whole rabbit hole of how Oakland was actually in Michigan. And do you know anybody who ever went to Oakland?

[Matt Jones]

And then we got cursed because about a year later they beat Kentucky in the NCAA tournament, if you remember correctly. So, yeah, I mean, I just. Look, it's sports and it's June, and I can't turn on the radio in June and hear people go, so how does the Pacers win? If they win, affect LeBron's legacy? I'd rather talk about something else. And that's not. That's not for everybody. Now, one of the things we're doing on this show, because my producers are so nice, Aaron, I'm from Kentucky. I like the University of Kentucky. And we're having Kentucky guests on in a segment called Guess that Wildcat. So are you ready to help me guess the Wildcat that we're going to have on here in four minutes or eight minutes?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

So James told me to study some Wildcats yesterday.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I responded by doing none of that at all.

[Matt Jones]

That's okay. That's all right. But here's who we've had. We've had. We've had John Wall, we've had Jamal McGlore, and we've had Travis Ford so far. So we've had a good list so far.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Okay. Those are Wildcats. I don't need to study. Those are guys who I inherently. No. So when Rex Chapman calls in eight minutes or whatever, you know, I'll be all over it.

[Matt Jones]

We might get Rex. You never know. Now, I do not know who we have James, what is our first clue? All right, first clue is he won.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

A championship at Kentucky.

[Matt Jones]

All right, so you want a championship. If we're talking about people who are still alive and kicking, that means it either needs to be 78, 96, 98 or 2012.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

2012. Okay, so we're talking on thinking about the 2012 team. My head is in like sort of a Terrence Jonesy type.

[Matt Jones]

I'm going to guess, knowing how the mindset works at who will answer these people's phone calls. We're talking like 96, 98. That's going to be my guess initially, but go ahead. All right.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

He was also a first team, consensus first team All American.

[Matt Jones]

All right, Consensus first team All Americans that won the title is a small group. I think it is. It's either Anthony Davis. I kind of think James can't get Anthony Davis on the flight.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

So I agree with that. What about. Was Kid Gilchrist a first?

[Matt Jones]

I don't think. No, he was not consensus first team all American. 96. Antoine Walker, I think was consensus first team All American. Maybe Tony Delk, one of those. And then 78 is Jack Givens. My initial reaction is I'm leaning that it's the goose. Jack Givens. What's our next one? He was.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

He was SEC Player of the Year.

[Matt Jones]

So now we're down to it's got.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

To be Antoine Walker, right?

[Matt Jones]

It's either. It's either Anthony Davis, Antoine Walker, Tony Dill. It's one because I don't remember who was SEC Player of the Year. It's one of those three. Who's next?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Let me all. Let me also tell you, this is kind of unfair, but I think one time we were doing something related to something Celtics, and I gave James Antoine Walker's phone number. So I think that it is Antoine Walker.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, so you're gonna go with Antoine.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Do you remember that? Is that correct? I would have to go back and look through the text. Maybe that where I did an ESPN radio show with Antoine Walker once and he admitted to doing the three point contest having had a few.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I'm going to say Antoine Walker is the. Is the overwhelming favorite at this point, but it could be Tony Delk.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Give me one more Final four most outstanding player.

[Matt Jones]

All right, so that's Tony Delk. Because it's either Tony Delk or Anthony Davis. And I don't think you could get Anthony Davis on the phone. So I'm going to say Tony Delk. There we go. All right, Tony Delk will be our guest. The Wildcat you know. All right, so you may not know Tony dealt facts. How about this Eric Oldham, you know Tony Delk had 50 in an NBA game. Did you know that?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Now that you mention it, it sounds familiar but I never would have pulled that just off the top of my head.

[Matt Jones]

There's a nowadays it happens more than it used to. Right. So we so there are more 50 point games now because the three point line and how fast the paces. But there was a time that the amount of people that made 50 points was a relatively small amount in a game to where you could say things like Tony Delk had 50 points and be surprised and it stick with you. He he had 50 at one point.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

53 January 2, 2001 does this impressive but overtime against the Sacramento Kings.

[Matt Jones]

I want you to say to his face when he comes on here in a minute that 53 is not impressive because it went to overtime. That is not Tony Delk is a father and this is Father's Day. You cannot look at that man and say it's not impressive that he scored 50 because it went into overtime.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

He is currently the assistant coach for the New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team.

[Matt Jones]

You know what, I had no idea about that. You just gave me a fact which means he has to live in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Maybe he loves it. I'll ask him what his favorite place is to eat there. That's next here on Sunday Morning on ESPN Radio. Matt and Myron the Podcast this episode is brought to you by State Farm. Knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want is a great feeling. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer availability, amount of discounts and savings. Savings and eligibility vary by state. Hey there travelers.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

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[Matt Jones]

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[Matt Jones]

Go to your happy price. Priceline it is Sunday morning here on ESPN Radio presented by Progressive insurance it is. Guess the Wildcat summer and look who's joining us. My guy, Tony Delks. Matt Jones. Aaron Goldhamer on Sunday morning. Tony, when I guessed it was you and saw it was you, I got excited. 96 national champion made the corner three when they fouled him by Syracuse with the John Wallace team. Nice to have you on, Tony.

[Tony Delk]

Matt A. It's a pleasure to be on with you guys. Happy Father's Day. To all the fathers out there in this world that are doing great and wonderful things. So it's a blessing to be up today.

[Matt Jones]

I will say I'll start with this. Tony, we had a debate on my local show this week. You were one of the best three point shooters in Kentucky history. But there's a lot of names that have come along since then. Devin Booker can light it up. Carl Towns wins the NBA three point contest. Daron Lamb won a national championship and then just recently Reed Shepherd, Rob Dillingham, Antonio Reeves. So I got a question for you. And Kobe Bryant going to be in the NBA draft this year year. Is Tony Delk the best three point shooter in Kentucky history? Will you tell all those guys, will you look Devin Booker in the face, fellow Phoenix son and tell him Tony Delk was the best.

[Tony Delk]

Hey, the numbers don't lie. You know how it is Matt, when you are the all time leading score three point shooter, you know, it speak for itself and you know, not getting that. I would have wish I could have put up more threes, you know. Yeah, I look at, I go back and look at my freshman season and you know, I didn't get a chance to, to play a whole lot but got a few up then. But you know, the next three season was really good but really just having great teammates, you know, guys that, you know, found me and made sure I got the shots and then me putting in all the work to, you know, become a really good three point shooter. But we've had so many greats, so it's really hard to say. I think there's so many great players who have worn the blue that, you know, it's hard for one guy to say hey, he's the best at anything, but you could do it really good time. No, no, no. You know what, I really, really just enjoy playing with. No, just a group, just such a good group of guys. You know, like I said with Mark Polk, Walter McCarty, Anthony Elk, I go down the line, Antoine Ron Derek, Jared Prickett, you know, we had so many good guys. But also it goes back to the style of Play that Costertino brought to Kentucky in 1990.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Tony, what's the hottest you ever were from 3 point range in a game?

[Tony Delk]

I think I have to go back to high school. I had 12 threes in a high school game that, that got broken this year by someone. One of my good friends who was coaching our high school team called me, said, hey, what was your three point reckon? And of course, you know, most players know what their records are. I was like, 12. You say, oh, I had a kid to get 13. I'm thinking to myself, like, how the heck you let this kid get 13 threes? And I was like, let me score the game. He said the score was 90 to 30. I was like, really? I said, man, you know what I said? You just let him in so he cannot break the record. So anyway.

[Matt Jones]

Tony, I don't believe that the. I don't believe the old guys get. You know, when somebody gets a record broken, the older player always goes, I'm really happy for him. Tony, you can admit you're not happy for these kids breaking your records.

[Tony Delk]

Hell no, I wasn't happy. You know, I was kind of. I was pissed, you know, And I thought about like, that was the reason why I asked what was the score of the game. He was like 90 to third. I'm like, why is that guy in the game? And y' all up 60 points. Like, who. Who stays around that long in the game? It'll be like me trying to break our. Break a scoring record. And it's like 120 to 30. I say, you know what? We, we don't respect that. But at the end of the day, like you said, no one wants to see their record get broken even. Even if it's. Even if it's by your own son.

[Matt Jones]

Talking to Tony Delp, former Kentucky Wildcat, Phoenix Sun, 10 year NBA career. You played in college for Rick Patino, and Rick Patino, when you were there, maybe the Most in basketball, 30 years later, may still be the most intense coach in basketball. He is now, like, I believe he's 114 years old. How in the world, Tony, is he still able to have the success he's got a national championship contender next year in St. John's why do you think all these years later he's still Rick Patino?

[Tony Delk]

You know what coach has done? And it's so funny, as you said, he was intense. You know, when I talked to a couple of his former players from Saint John and the same thing Tim is like, oh, you know, he's still passionate about the game. He loves basketball. He's the basketball savant. So when you look at a coach, like a Coach Patino, Coach Cade before you retire, like, those guys are lifers. They love the game. And coach is really great, not only at X and O, but the motivation, developing players, but he loves basketball. When I tell you he's passionate about it, you know, he gives you every ounce of anything that you can think of from a coaching perspective to make you the best you can possibly be. So it was, for me, I enjoyed it. It was hard. He got the most out of us. And it's so funny today's game when people talk about, you know, just having playing hard is considered a skill set. Well, when you watch those practices and probably even watching Coach Patino practices now, like, everybody plays hard. So there is no. No standout when you say, okay, that guy stands out because he plays hard. So it was. It was embedded in us. And, you know, he did a great job of motivating us and getting us ready for every day.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Tony, it'll be 30 years. I hate to date you next year since you guys won that national title at Kentucky. When you go back to Lexington, what is it like as you either walk down the street or go to a game or a restaurant, what is it like now that it's been 30 years.

[Tony Delk]

You know, just having won a championship and, you know, watching the NCAA tournaments every year, you know, just seeing, you know, those guys cut down the nets and, you know, teamwork from work so hard for the preseason regular season, the post season, to try to come up with those victories, you know, it's always going to be special, you know, special because of the group of men I wanted with, you know, especially with Walt McCarty and Mark Pope, with us being seniors. And Walt and I came in together, we were. We actually played in the McDonald's Kentucky Derby Festival game. And that's how we became roommates and still great friends to this day. The relationships, you know, that's what you look back on anybody who's won a championship. You know, it's the brotherhood, and it's a lifelong brotherhood, and it's made the Big Blue Nation one of my favorite favorite cities and state to be a part of. You know, Lexington, Kentucky, is my home away from home.

[Matt Jones]

Well, we love you here. So I'm gonna give some quick facts here about Tony Dilk that I remember. You tell me this is all just from memory. You tell me if these things are true, Tony, because I don't want to be wrong. First of all, did you Grow up. I believe in the same town as Tina Turner.

[Tony Delk]

Yeah, yeah, that is. That's. That's a true statement. Yeah. Tina. Oh, gosh.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Yeah.

[Tony Delk]

That's you talking. The legend. That is a legend. One of my favorite singles of all time.

[Matt Jones]

Was it Brownsville, Tennessee. Is that right?

[Tony Delk]

You got it, Brownsville? Yes, it is.

[Matt Jones]

That's why it took me Till I was 19, before I had a real girlfriend, was because I was memorizing and things like where Tony Delk was, where Tony was from. I believe you. Tell me if I'm right. You played basketball in Greece and you played on the same team, Panasonicos that Rick Patino later coached. Am I right about that?

[Tony Delk]

Yes, you are. We. We have. We had that discussion before he went to Greece. He was asking me about, like, you know, just the Greek culture, how the fans were. I said, listen, I say the one rivalry game that if you win, you better run out of the arena. And that was Olympiaca. So, you know, and here's the thing about Coach. Coach. He can coach anywhere. You know, he knows how to make adjustments. So just phenomenal. Coach.

[Matt Jones]

How about that, Aaron? That random fact? And I got one more. The video went viral this week of my guy, DeMarcus Cousins, trying to fight the entire country of Puerto Rico. And I believe you played in the same league that DeMarcus Cousins just tried to beat up this week. Am I right about that?

[Tony Delk]

You were so right about that, demarcus. We were texting about two or three weeks ago because, you know, when I. When demarcus was at uk, I was on Coach Cal staff and became really good friends with demarcus. Big fan of demarcus. And so we just going back and forth about Puerto Rico because actually I was in Puerto Rico. I went and played a few games, ended up coaching for two summers in Puerto Rico. So love being in Puerto Rico. Really good players, probably some of the friendliest fans and. But fans that can get on your. Can get underneath their skin, which they did with DeMarcus.

[Matt Jones]

I wouldn't mess with DeMarcus.

[Tony Delk]

DeMarcus has a short temper.

[Matt Jones]

There's a lot of people in this world. I would mess with DeMarcus. Actually, there's no one I'd mess with, but I certainly wouldn't mess with DeMarcus cousins. Last question. You coach for John Calipari. You played with Mark Pope. When they play each other puts a lot of people in a weird position. Who's Tony Delt cheering for when Mark Pope is coaching against John Caliper?

[Tony Delk]

Well, you know, I always with coach Cal. Well, like I said, he gave me my first job, bring me back to uk, but you know, I'm never going against the big blue nation. You know, we all. I'm always going to be going for Kentucky. I don't care who we playing against. It will be hard, you know, because even when I was coaching on Coach Cal staff, my nephew played with U of L. So it was more about hope. My nephew has a good game, but, you know, we want to kick that butt.

[Matt Jones]

So was your nephew's name Reginald? Is that right? Was it? Was that Reginald?

[Tony Delk]

Yeah, yeah, of course. Yep. You got it.

[Matt Jones]

Still trying to Goldhammer.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Still got it, Tony.

[Matt Jones]

Still got it. Tony Delk, thank you very much as always. Great dude. Appreciate you joining us for guest the while.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Thank you, Tony.

[Tony Delk]

Thank you guys. Have a blessed one.

[Matt Jones]

Aaron, are you impressed with the memories I pulled up off my head?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Random facts, the things you can't even Google about these guys that you have proves why you are who you are. It's never a good thing. I was just doing some research on this DeMarcus Cousins story as he took on the entire, I don't know, territory of Puerto Rico.

[Matt Jones]

Yes.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

It's never good when you have to go on Instagram and apologize to an entire country's worth of fans.

[Matt Jones]

To a whole nation. Anytime you have to apologize to a nation, that stuff. Quick story about that rivalry. Talked about Panathinacos and Olympiacos. So in Greece, those two teams have like every sport, right? So there's a soccer team, there's a basketball team, there's like a tennis team for each of them. They. They basically play and hate each other and everything. I was in Greece and I was like sitting, trying to figure out what I was gonna do that night, and I looked online and I saw Panathinacos was playing Olympiacos in a basketball tournament. I was like, I gotta go. So I go outside, I get an Uber, I tell the guy, hey, take me to Such and Such arena for Panathanakos and Olympiacos. And he goes, do you have a ticket? And I said, no. He was like, it will be very expensive. I said, you know what? You only live once. I'll pay for it. He goes, who are you for? And I said, I don't really care. And he goes, I can't take you. You will get beat up.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Wait, hold on. For being an impartial person, for not.

[Matt Jones]

Having a team to cheer for. His premise was both teams would beat me up.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

So did you go, what's the deal?

[Matt Jones]

No, he would not take me. He was like, you are an American. I'm trying to protect you. You're gonna either have to pick a side and be part of the camp, and then you might get in a fight, or you have to pick a. Don't pick a side and they'll both beat you up. And he wouldn't take me to the arena.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

So what precipitated Rick Pitino going to Greece to coach this basketball?

[Matt Jones]

He couldn't get a job. Remember, he had just done the whole. They'd had, you know, the Louisville basketball team had had sex with prostitutes and he couldn't get a job. And so the only people that would hire him were in Greece. And he rebuilt his career there.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Then Iona in the middle of COVID was like, ah, we'll whatever. On top of the college basketball universe again.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. So. And now he's at St. John's it's Crazy World. All right, we're going to look ahead to Game 5. Thanks to Tony Delk of the NBA Finals and more stories of Greek basketball games that Aaron Goldhammer and I can't get into. That's next here on Sunday Morning. Matt and myron. The podcast McCrispy strips are now at McDonald's. I hope you're ready for the most dippable chicken in McDonald's history. Dip it in all the sauces. Dip it in that hot sauce in your bag. Dip it in your McFlurry. Your dip is your business. McCrispy strips at McDonald's. Craftsman days are here at Lowe's with big savings on the tools you need. Save $100 on the Craftsman V26 Tool Power Tool Combo Kit now at $199. No matter what the project is, Craftsman's high quality, high performance products empower you to build on. Stop by your nearest Lowe's store and check out the full line of Craftsman tools today. Valid through 618. Wall supplies, last selection varies by location. Oh, wow. This is a song I haven't heard in a while. This is. This is the one where he, like, went to Hooters and the waitress gave him her number. When it rains, it pours. Is that the name of it?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

There are multiple country songs where the guy goes to Hooters and tries to give the waitress number.

[Matt Jones]

No, no, no. This one is he went to Hooters and the waitress gave him her number on the bill.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

That's a twist on the. On the original.

[Matt Jones]

That's exactly right. Who sings this? Somebody. Does somebody have the person.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Luke Combs.

[Matt Jones]

Luke Combs. Okay. Yeah. Anyway, Sunday morning here on ESPN Radio playing all the music. Aaron Gold Hammer loves tomorrow. Pacers and thunder game five begins at 7:30 eastern on this here radio station. Game four. Shay out. Shay Gilgis Alexander, another former cat that may we could get on at some point this summer. Had an amazing fourth quarter, showed why he's the mvp. Turn the game around, gets the win on the road. Thunder now retake home court advantage. I mean, you go into that fourth quarter, Aaron, it looks like not only can the Pacers win the series, you start to question, okay, wait a minute. We thought this Thunder was a great team, blah blah, blah, and in one quarter they turn it around. What'd you think of that performance?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I was stunned that the Thunder won the game because it felt like the Pacers not only had control of the game, but that they were going to win the series. And there was about 25 minutes of real time that I was convinced that the NBA title was going to reside in the state that loves basketball just about as much as anybody else. I thought Shea really turned it, but I also thought that the Pacers botched it. You know, they seemed, Matt, almost more comfortable to me. I'm curious, what if you agree with this, they seem more comfortable coming back from seven points down with two minutes to go than they do trying to hold a lead like they were in the final three minutes of that game. And Shea just made every MVP play. And as somebody who thinks Nikola Jokic is the best basketball player in the world, you got to tip your cap and say that's what the MVP is supposed to do in game four, the NBA Finals. I don't think this series is over yet, but I do think that Shea saved the Thunders season with the way he played in the final three minutes of that game.

[Matt Jones]

Totally agree with all that. I mean, if they lost that game, it was over. I think they probably win game six and, and the Pacers win the series. You know, anytime somebody is a transcendent superstar and SGA is trying to go from guy who won the MVP to transcendent superstar, that's going to be his next jump. He's now like Derrick Rose won an mvp. Now can he get to this other level? And anytime that happens, you got, you do have to see it. It, you know, you got to see that moment. And I think sga, that was the first step in having a moment like that. Whether that, whether it continues, we'll wait to be seen. Because they're young, they hadn't done it before. They needed that moment and they had it. And I thought SGA was great also. Alex Caruso was awesome in that game with 7 for 9 shooting.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

He played Chicago Bulls ought to get a half a championship ring if the Thunder win this series for that stupid trade they made with.

[Matt Jones]

Well, how about. I mean, the Lakers and the Bulls both gave up on Alex Carus, so. And now he's going to be one of the most important players on a title team. It's interesting, the point you made about the Pacers, though. And I get mocked sometimes on ESPN for always bringing up Kentucky, but I'm going to do it again because I do think this reminded me of something. Throughout this playoffs, outside of that first series against the Bucks, but maybe even against the Bucks, because the Bucks had Giannis. There was this belief that the Pacers were underestimated, right? And at every moment you were like ready to say, they can't win. They would go and win. They go and win, win. In 2014, Kentucky was the underdog in the second round, Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4 the whole way through. And they came back, that was that team, all freshmen with the Harrison twins. They kept winning, kept winning. Then they got to championship game and they played a Yukon team that was seated ninth like they were. And Kentucky all of a sudden was the favorite. And they looked awful. It was like being the favorite, that was not what they were built for, right? Pacers have been the underdog this entire time, except maybe the start of the fourth quarter. That was the first moment where people were like, right, maybe now the Pacers are going to win the series. And they almost shifted. I'd love to have seen the real time odds, their chances to win the series. I bet it flipped. And for the first time at the start of the fourth quarter, I bet you the Pacers were the favorite. I don't know. The first time.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

All year. All year.

[Matt Jones]

And then it looked like at that break, what it looked like for me in 2014 with Kentucky and Yukon. I remember going on the floor before that game and Julius Randall and the Harrison, they all look scared. They were like, oh, no, now we're the favorites. That's what I thought about when I saw the pace.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

And I wonder how that will affect them now in the series going forward. Because there are a lot of people on our network. I've heard this narrative. It's like the most tired take of the weekend. You know, the winner of Game four was going to be the team that won the series. I just want to remind everybody the. There is a lot of this series still to Go a lot of twists.

[Matt Jones]

Well. And they've now shifted back into the role that they're most comfortable with. They're back underdog, so maybe. Maybe they find some.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

So, Matt, could I see the Pacers winning game five and then losing game six? Yes, I see that happening. And then I think this series is destined to go seven, which.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, you do? Okay.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

You know, I. I was torn. You know, I know that the casual fan was not going to be into this. You know that there's no LeBron, there's no Steph. It's not the markets, Matt. It's the star power.

[Matt Jones]

But by the way, I think this is a bad sign. I do. I think for long term, for the NBA, this is a bad sign that they can't get this one going. Because this is like, all right, just think about the next generation of stars. I mean, who. Who are they? Who are the guys that get you going? If it's not SGA and it's not a Halliburton who's got Reggie Miller vibes in terms of, like, you know, talking trash and doing all that? We've already seen that Anthony Edwards doesn't quite do it for the American public.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

We're moving into an era, Matt, where Caitlin Clark is the biggest basketball star.

[Matt Jones]

I agree, but everybody does. I mean, as much of a star as she is is, it's still not. Her WNBA ratings are still not as high as these NBA ratings. I think she was.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Yet. Yet, yet.

[Matt Jones]

But I, I. The wnba just time of year and stuff, it's going to be different than college basketball.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I'm just saying, when she hit three logo threes coming from that injury yesterday, that caused more buzz on my buddy's group chat than anything that's happened in the Finals so far. No, that's true.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, maybe it will be. I'm not. I. I think that's a different point. I also don't really think it's fair for women's basketball to be forced to be put in a comparison with men's bas. Two different.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I understand. I was just saying, in terms of.

[Matt Jones]

Your point, I just do wonder about, like, the Thunder ain't going anywhere. Okay? We got another five to seven years of Thunder being in this. And if this series, which has been relatively well played, where the games have been relatively entertaining, it just can't seem to pick up steam with the fans. I do wonder what's going to pick up steam because this team is going to be here for the next six years.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

We need a rival. We need, like, I hate to say this, but we need, like, a shoving match.

[Matt Jones]

But Shay doesn't do that. I mean, we need Shay's dad on the floor like he was on the Jeff Teague podcast. That's what we probably need. Shay's dad versus Halliburton Burton's dad.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

That might be what the league needs. We'll do more of the NBA playoffs, NHL, and I'm sure there's some NFL. That's next on Sunday Morning. Matt and Myron, the podcast.