Vault: Bert heckles The Bucks for Hawk's Za Za

Summary

The Bert Show – Vault: Bert heckles The Bucks for Hawk's Zaza

Date: July 17, 2026
Podcast: The Bert Show
Episode Focus: Bert’s courtside heckling at an Atlanta Hawks game and its effect on Zaza Pachulia (Hawks player) and Kurt Thomas (Milwaukee Bucks player).

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into host Bert’s firsthand experience sitting courtside at an Atlanta Hawks game, where he enthusiastically heckled Milwaukee Bucks player Kurt Thomas to support Hawks center Zaza Pachulia. With classic Bert Show humor and banter, the cast discusses the impact of fans on the game, the thrill of up-close seats, and some playful jabbing at their own heckling style.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bert’s Courtside Experience

• Bert describes sitting courtside for the first time (01:13-02:11)

  • His excitement at having “prime heckling seats.”
  • Emphasizes how close he was—so near the floor that players could “hear everything you’re saying … they are two feet away from you.”

  “My feet were on the court. I've never sat in those seats before, and I've always wanted to my whole life.”
  — Bert, 02:11

• Feeling like part of the game

  • Bert explains the powerful feeling of influencing the atmosphere, saying,

    “You feel like you're in the game ... like the sixth man. Like you had something to do with the game, right?”
    — Bert, 03:18

2. Zaza Pachulia’s Fired-Up Performance

• Background: Zaza was a guest on the show before the game (01:29-01:35)
• Bert’s promise to Zaza: He offers to “pick up the first tech [technical foul]” Zaza gets—a $1,000 league fine (01:35).
• Observation at the game:
  • The crew notes that Zaza seemed especially intense.
  • “Zaza was fired up. Zaza was fired up. I don't know what it was and actually I thought he was going to get a tech.”
    — Guest, 01:29

3. The Actual Heckling

• Target: Kurt Thomas, veteran Bucks player, “an older guy ... banging it up with Zaza.” (02:37)

• Bert’s Heckle:

  • He repeatedly tells Thomas, “You can’t hang with Zaza anymore. You’re old, you’re slow, you need a nap,” especially when Thomas is at the foul line (02:37-02:56).
  • The moment is lighthearted and typical of Bert’s playful nature.

  “You can’t hang with Zaza anymore. You’re old, you’re slow, you need a nap.”
  — Bert, 02:37

• Kurt Thomas’s Reaction:

  • He turns around and gives Bert a “10 second stare-down” during foul shots, making Bert and those around him feel involved and excited (02:34-03:14).
  • “Even my people around me were like, nice job. Because you feel like you're in the game. That's awesome.”
    — Bert, 02:59

4. Lively Banter & Comparison

• Comparisons to famous fans

  • Another host jokes:

    “Little Spike Lee or something.”
    — Guest, 03:20

• Cast Reaction:

  • Good-natured ribbing on Bert’s “heckle.”
    “That’s your heckle.”
    — Co-Host & Announcer, 02:56-02:58

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bert’s prime heckling seat excitement
  “Burt had the prime heckling seats too. He was front row. ... My feet were on the court. ... the players can hear everything you're saying. ...”
  (Guest & Bert, 02:06-02:11)

• The heckle and reaction

  “You need a nap. You need a nap.”
  — Bert, 02:56
  “That's your heckle.”
  — Co-Host & Announcer, 02:57

• Feeling like the 'sixth man'

  “You feel like the sixth man. Like you had something to do with the game.”
  — Bert, 03:18

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Bert relives sitting courtside and prime heckling seats | 01:13–02:11 | | Zaza’s fired-up performance & Bert’s tech foul promise | 01:29–01:35 | | Describing the heckle and Kurt Thomas’s reaction | 02:34–03:14 | | Joking about being like Spike Lee and “the sixth man” | 03:18–03:21 |

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Episode Tone

The episode maintains The Bert Show’s trademark playful, authentic style. The retelling is littered with self-deprecating humor, friendly jabs among the hosts, and a palpable excitement about being part of the NBA action—even if just for one night.

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Summary:
If you love behind-the-scenes sports stories, heckling tales, and the contagious energy of true fans, this short segment delivers it all—plus a glimpse of what it feels like to influence the game from the very front row.

Transcript

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I believe I had a little bit to do with that game on on Saturday night. Carl was there also. Was Zaza not playing just a little bit more intense than you've seen him before?

[Guest]

Zaza was fired up. Zaza was fired up. I don't know what it was and actually I thought he was going to get a tech.

[Host]

We Zaza of the Hawks was on with us on Friday and I told him that I would pick up the first tech that he got. Technical foul because they charge the league charges you 1,000 bucks to get one. So I said, look, if you get one, I'm going to pick up the thousand dollars. He was knocking it with some dude on Saturday night. He didn't get the foul, though. He didn't get the foul, but he sure looked like he was trying. He was earning it. Yeah. And I, I said hey to him before the game, too. He came over and we talked about the show for half a second and my seats were directly across from him. I think he was banging it up.

[Guest]

Burr had the prime Heckland seats too. He was front row. I sent him a text saying, man, you got the prime Hecklin seats.

[Host]

Man, I have Dwyer from Healthy Trim. Got front row on the court. My feet were on the court. I've never sat in those seats before, and I've always wanted to my whole life. And the players can hear everything you're saying. They are two feet away from you. And at one point about the third quarter, I started heckling one of the bucks and he looked back at me and gave me a stare down for like 10 seconds. Yeah, I was on him, man.

[Co-Host]

What'd you say?

[Host]

Well, he was banging it up.

[Announcer]

What does the heckle sound like?

[Host]

He's an older guy. He's been in the league for a long time. His name's Kurt Thomas, and he was banging it up with Zaza. So Zaza gets in there and I'm all excited, right? So I kept saying, you can't hang with Zaza anymore. You're old, you're slow, you need a nap. So he's on the foul line. You need a nap. You need a nap.

[Co-Host]

That's your heckle.

[Announcer]

That's your heckle.

[Co-Host]

Oh, man.

[Host]

Oh, man. You need a nap. You can't hang with Zaza. And he looked back at me and he literally stared at me as the foul shots were being thrown. Even my. The people around me were like, nice job. Because you feel like you're in the game. That's awesome.

[Guest]

That's when you know you're doing something. When he stares at you, that little evil stare, you know he was doing something.

[Host]

You feel like the sixth man. Like you had something to do with the game. Right?

[Guest]

Little Spike Lee or something.

[Announcer]

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