Alley Oop 5: Malone Gets Fired, New Nickname for the Joker, and Will the Warriors Take It All? (feat. Zach Harper)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz – Alley Oop 5: Malone Gets Fired, New Nickname for the Joker, and Will the Warriors Take It All? (feat. Zach Harper)
Release Date: April 10, 2025

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1. NBA Turmoil: Mike Malone’s Sudden Departure from the Denver Nuggets
Timestamp: [01:19 - 03:43]

In a surprising turn of events within the NBA, the Denver Nuggets announced the firing of Head Coach Mike Malone. Hosts Juju and Zach Harper delve into the possible reasons behind this abrupt decision. Zach explains, “I think someone reminded Stan Kroenke. He owns the Denver Nuggets and he just thought, oh, this doesn't seem good enough” (01:41). They compare this move to other similar coaching changes, highlighting the precarious timing just before the playoffs. Juju speculates on internal dynamics, pondering whether team player Jokic might have influenced the decision due to a nickname issue. The discussion emphasizes a lack of basketball leadership within the Nuggets organization and speculates on potential successors, mentioning David Adelman as a frontrunner for the coaching position.

2. Game Analysis: Houston vs. Florida – A Heartbreaker for Fans
Timestamp: [03:43 - 05:35]

The hosts shift their focus to last night's intense matchup between Houston and Florida. Juju expresses sympathy for Walter Clayton’s performance, stating, “I think he might should have got the MVP of the game last night” (04:02). Zach praises Kelvin Sampson’s coaching, noting his dedication to winning a championship and commending Clayton’s defensive efforts despite offensive struggles. The conversation touches on refereeing controversies and the emotional toll of the game’s final moments, with Juju reflecting, “I feel so bad for Sharp as well, bro” (05:35), highlighting concerns about Sharp’s future prospects in the NBA.

3. Spotlight on Women’s Tournament: Paige Beckers and Sarah Strong Shine
Timestamp: [05:51 - 07:36]

Transitioning to the women's side of the tournament, Juju and Zach discuss standout performances from Paige Beckers and Sarah Strong. Zach is enthusiastic about Sarah Strong’s impressive stats, mentioning, “she went what, like 25, 15 and 5 and 3 and 2 or something like that” (06:15). Juju shares his disappointment with South Carolina's performance, expressing, “I would have liked a better game” (07:36). They lament the lackluster display despite high expectations and acknowledge Paige Beckers’ journey since 2020, highlighting her achievement of becoming the number one pick for the WNBA.

4. Listener Engagement: Calls Highlighting Warriors’ Potential
Timestamp: [07:36 - 08:14]

In their interactive segment, Juju and Zach take calls from listeners, showcasing the podcast's engaged audience. Mason from North Carolina shares his optimistic view on the Golden State Warriors, stating, “I think the warriors have what it takes... Jimmy is the secret sauce” (08:26). Zach concurs, appreciating the veteran presence and defensive prowess of the team, while Juju adds, “Them boys like, what, 15 and 2, 3 since Jimmy got there” (08:44). The discussion underscores a strong belief in the Warriors' ability to contend for the championship, highlighting key players and strategic strengths.

5. Cinephobia Segment: Zach Harper’s Top Five Basketball Movies
Timestamp: [11:07 - 13:00]

Introducing a lighter segment, Juju invites Zach to share his favorite basketball movies. Zach presents his top five list:

1. White Men Can't Jump – Juju clarifies it's the original, not the one starring Jack Harlow.
2. Blue Chips – Celebrated for its engaging portrayal of college basketball.
3. Above the Rim – Highlighted for its dynamic storytelling.
4. Shuttlesworth – Appreciated for its character development and action.
5. Hoop Dreams – Lauded as the greatest basketball documentary, showcasing the real-life struggles and triumphs of young athletes.

Zach elaborates on each choice, reflecting on their impact and personal significance, while Juju adds his favorites, notably including "Hoop Dreams" for its profound documentary storytelling.

6. Closing Remarks: Acknowledgments and Future Episodes
Timestamp: [13:00 - 14:26]

As the episode concludes, Juju expresses heartfelt gratitude towards guest Zach Harper, stating, “Without Zack Harper, this Alley O thing don't happen” (13:53). Zach echoes the sentiment, encouraging listeners to support Juju across his various platforms. The hosts promise more engaging content in future episodes, signing off with enthusiasm and appreciation for their dedicated audience.

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Notable Quotes:

• “I think someone reminded Stan Kroenke. He owns the Denver Nuggets and he just thought, oh, this doesn't seem good enough” – Zach Harper 01:41
• “I think he might should have got the MVP of the game last night” – Juju 04:02
• “I'm telling you, this dude is the star of stars” – Zach Harper 13:53

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This episode of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" offers a comprehensive dive into current NBA developments, heartfelt game recaps, insightful discussions on the women's tournament, engaging listener interactions, and a nostalgic look at beloved basketball films. Whether you're a die-hard sports fan or new to the podcast, this summary captures the essence of the lively and informative conversation between Juju and Zach Harper.

Transcript

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[Juju]

What you think about his curl? What you think about the little Afro curl he got going on? I think he the first white Jerry curl. If he's white, I'm not sure. Don't sue me y'all.

[Zack Harper]

I think he, I think he is about to get I. Well now this is territory I'm uncomfortable with. I don't know. I don't know.

[Juju]

Muted Ms. Becky bleeping. You gave me so much like motivation and encouragement by you. You know what I mean by dealing with me, bro, that I, I never necessarily had in myself, bro. You gave me the confidence to want to do this in the first place, dog. And I always be grateful for you, bro.

[Zack Harper]

I told you this privately, I will tell you this publicly. You are a star. You should be in front of the camera. You should be on the mic. You shouldn't be behind the scenes. Like, yeah, all the social media stuff you're great at. But you're a star, man. You should be in front of everything.

[Juju]

Look, you gonna make my mama cry. I know. Give her a second. We gotta start, bro. It was a wonderful game last night. We taping this on the Tuesday afternoon after national championship. But we just got earth shattering news from the NBA. Mike Malone and company out in Denver. What is going on there, brother?

[Zack Harper]

Well, I think someone reminded Stan Kroenke. He owns the Denver Nuggets and he just thought, oh, I don't. This doesn't seem good enough. I don't know man. Like it's look, Mike Brown gets fired in December. Yeah. Coaches firings happen in December. Taylor Jenkins gets fired nine games before the playoffs. We're like, oh, that's a little too close to the playoffs. That doesn't happen. And then Denver's like, hold on, what about three games before the playoffs? What if we did that? And it's not like they're a Fringe team or anything. Like, they could be the three seed. They're in the mix. Like, they. Like they're a half game ahead of this whole traffic jam in the West. I think they just decided, all right, like, this isn't our guy moving forward. Let's see what David Adelman's. David Adelman has because he's kind of the next hot assistant coach on the market. He will be this summer. I don't know, man. They just don't have any basketball people running the organization. Like, that's what happens, bruh.

[Juju]

Like you said, Taylor Jenkins. Wow, that was a little much. But this is a spicy meat, the ball, like, right before the playoffs. And do you think the Joker or anybody on the team may have had a hand in this or may have just said, hey, bro, I don't like how he called me Brucey B. Last year. Like, what is. Like, what could it be, man?

[Zack Harper]

Juju, I think you can. I think you can help me on this quest, okay? On. On YIC's basketball reference page. This isn't anything new. It's been there for a while. But I, I'm. I'm trying to get us away from calling him the Joker because the other nickname on his page is Big Honey. And I just think Big Honey is a way better nickname. Okay, I know Joker's easier and everything, and Jokic. Joker, all that, but Big Honey is a great. Like, that's an ABA nickname. Like, that's a great nickname. So I'm gonna. I'm gonna say I don't. I don't know that Big Honey had anything to do with this, but I wouldn't rule it out. I think with, with this, like, it. I don't. I think you have to make this move, this point in the season. I think you have to run it by him, right? But I don't know that he decides this right. I think you have to give him a heads up, though.

[Juju]

Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I think Big Honey might have. He might. He might have crossed his desk and then he was like, I don't give a damn. This ain't my horses.

[Zack Harper]

Like, yeah, you're not firing my horses. I don't care.

[Juju]

We gonna move on to the game. Hurry. Around the world. Last night, Houston versus Florida. Man, Houston had them clamps on Walter Clayton last night.

[Zack Harper]

They.

[Juju]

They. They had the clamps on the whole team pretty much, except Will Richard the first half, which was a hero. I think he might should have got the MVP of the game last night. How do you feel about that game? Last night, bro.

[Zack Harper]

I like Kelvin Sampson, right? Kelvin Sampson is just one of those good dudes that you want to win a championship. You want him to get that validation. Like he's, he's one of those basketball lifers, right? Like, he's just one of those guys that, that, you know, I think has earned it. And for them to go out that way and you could, like, the comments after, like to not get a shot, you could live with missing a shot, right? But it was, you know, Clayton, to his credit, like, he had a miserable offensive game. Passed the ball really well, a couple turnovers, but he passed well, he defended well. And then he's the one that made the closeout on that shot that caused him to, to almost travel, right? Like he's got a jumps, has to drop the ball if I'm sharp there. And it's easy to, you know, second guess it. The refs were so bad in their college refs, so they're always bad. I don't think they were one sided, but the refs are so bad. I hold that, that, that rock until he gets to me. I would throw my body into him, toss up some garbage and make them call that foul. Or they're the, they're the enemies forever, right? Like you gotta, you gotta throw some contact in there. You know, he. He at least didn't touch the ball and get the turnover. He tried to shield it to where they could get it. Yeah. I mean, it was such a fun game and, and both those teams with the way their tournaments went, it was always going to come down to a, like a chaotic final possession. But man, I just, I feel so horrible for Houston that he didn't get a shot, right?

[Juju]

I feel so bad for Sharp as well, bro. Like, if you out there, you love Sharp, bro, Send my boy a text message today, man, because the last two possessions off his knee, out of bounds, didn't. Couldn't get a shot up. Oh, man, I know that's gonna, that's gonna stick with him for the rest of his life, bro.

[Zack Harper]

Yeah.

[Juju]

Because I'm not sure how much of a prospect he is for the NBA or whatever, so. Man, it's got to be rough. Let's travel to the women's side of the tournament. Gino and them girls, they made it real boring for us to watch.

[Zack Harper]

Sure.

[Juju]

Did they explain that, baby. All game alone. What you think about Paige Beckers and them girls getting it done? Sarah, Strong, I see you.

[Zack Harper]

Yeah. Oh, my God. Like, all right, I'm not gonna be, I'm not gonna be Too reactionary because it's still assuming they come out at the same time. It's still, it's still juju Watkins, right? Like she's still the number one pick, but the absolute number two pick, assuming she goes out in two years, is Sarah Strong, right? Like, like no one else. Like, I mean she's already this good as a freshman, setting records for, for blocks and steals. She went what, like 25, 15 and 5 and 3 and 2 or something like that. I mean she's putting up like crazy numbers like those. That's a lottery ticket. That's not even, that's not even like a stat line. Like just crazy numbers. There it was deflating because I thought it was going to be a great game. Like I thought South Carolina was going to come out and just be South Carolina for me. It was great because, you know, Paige finally gets her title, right? She went there, what, in 2020 and now she'll be the number one pick on, on Monday and, and get to further her journey in the wnba. But yeah, I would have liked a better game. At what point did you give up in terms of like knowing, like I. There was a point where, and it was probably like, it probably was greater than what I remember the score being, but I think it was like an 18, 20 point game in the third and Don Staley was like something they gave up. Like a corner three, like a left corner three.

[Juju]

Yeah.

[Zack Harper]

And she like, she left let out an F bomb, right? She was just like, she was like almost throwing a tantrum. Like she was so frustrated. And I was like, oh no. Like this is really over. We have so much time left. I was like, at that point I was like, I'm probably going to come back for the ceremony. Like, I, I don't know that I can. I'm going to check back in here with the rest of this game. Like, I don't know that I can keep just watching this ass whooping.

[Juju]

Now we got, we got a, we got a segment. We do what, we take calls and they call in, you feel me? Call a salute of the wonderful callers out there. Where are we? Without child, you feel me? Ms. Rebecca, cue some of those callers up for us right now, sis.

[Zack Harper]

You know Juju, it's Mason here in.

[Juju]

North Carolina, way out western North Carolina, near the Indian reservation Cherokee.

[Zack Harper]

I've been watching some, you know, a lot of NBA.

[Juju]

I think the warriors are going to do it, man. I think the warriors have what it takes. I think Jimmy is the secret sauce, if you may. I, I just I see the warriors winning it all. However, man, I want OKC to win it.

[Zack Harper]

Let me know your thoughts.

[Juju]

What a coinky doink. You feel me? And now this Warriors. God, I look, I can see that happening as well, bro. Them boys like, what, 15 and 2, 3 since Jimmy got there. Someone don't quote me something like that. And I. I think that the veteran presence they got with him and Draymond being kind of like, not necessarily all the way enforcers, but they do the dirty work. They do the stuff that's needed so that Moody can go and be who he wants to be. Pod. Zimsky can be who he wants to be. You feel me? And Steph, bro, I don't know if he's turning back the clock or this is just the time that he's always on. He has been magnificent over the past couple weeks with. I think the playoffs for them have already started. What you think, bro?

[Zack Harper]

Their offense is still like. It's still a little difficult to generate some shots. Right? The defense is great. I know it's been better lately. I don't want to see Pachemski take threes.

[Juju]

I just.

[Zack Harper]

I don't want to. It's not. He's not good at it. Even though he's been hot lately. It's. He's not good at it. I don't like watching it. Aesthetically, it's a bad looking jump shot. I just don't.

[Juju]

What you think about his curl? What you think about the little Afro curl he got going on? I think he the first white Jerry curl. If he's white, I'm not sure. Don't stupid, y'all.

[Zack Harper]

I think he. I think he is, but again, I. Well, now this is territory I'm uncomfortable with. I don't know.

[Juju]

I don't know. Ms. Becky bleep it.

[Zack Harper]

Yeah, I think it's the first one since Jack Sigma. Right? Like, I mean, like, this is incredible territory. You know, he's working with what he's got. I'm. I'm here for it, but just don't take jumpers anymore. It doesn't look aesthetically good. So I'm a little concerned about their offense, especially like, you saw what Houston did. It's just one game, but there is the idea that you can be physical with them and take them out of it a little bit. But man, the defense is great. Like, that defense is so good. They do remind me of that 2022 team a little bit. That. That won it. I think Buddy Heald's got to come alive. He's he's not shooting like Buddy Hill should. Right. And like he has in the past. If he gets into his rhythm shooting the ball, I'll believe a lot more. But yeah, like, they. They got all the makings there. Like, it's. It's looking like on the cusp of. Of contending. I. I like that team a lot.

[Juju]

Moving on, brother. You are the. One of the hosts of one of my favorite podcasts in the entire world, Cinefo. Man, talk to them people. If they don't know what cinephobia, tell them what it is right now.

[Zack Harper]

Oh, Cinephone is a podcast where Amina Hassan and I watch movies that are poorly rated on Rotten Tomatoes, and we try to ascertain if they're properly poorly rated or maybe they didn't get a fair shake. That Cinephobic produced by Anthony Mays. You get it wherever you get podcasts.

[Juju]

In that sentiment and put you on the spot. All right, what are your top five basketball movies of all time?

[Zack Harper]

Okay.

[Juju]

You feel me?

[Zack Harper]

Number one, White Men can't Joe.

[Juju]

Okay.

[Zack Harper]

The. The. The one we recognize. Not that Jack Harlow bs. I'm never. I haven't watched it. I will not watch it. I'm good. No, thank you. The real one. Billy Hoyle, Sydney Dean. Like, yes, that's the one. That's.

[Juju]

Yes, sir.

[Zack Harper]

That's number one. Blue chips is in there. I love blue chips. Neon Butch McCray, Ricky Rowe, like Western University, the dolphin mascot, everything, right? So I love blue chips above the rim. Birdie's Birdman. Like, you got to love above the rim.

[Juju]

Gotta love the Birdman.

[Zack Harper]

Yeah, gotta love the Birdman. I mean, he got games gotta be in there, right? Shuttlesworth, that's the wrong way to Az Fudd's mom Saran wrapping the arm so she works on the left. That's a good way to teach a child to, like, work on the skills. Jake Shuttlesworth way turned out to be. I mean, I guess it worked. Maybe a little problematic, though. Some therapy needed in the future. I feel like I need a little bit of a deeper cut here.

[Juju]

I'm going to throw in Hoop Dreams just because that's a documentary.

[Zack Harper]

Yeah. I mean, Hoop Dreams is like, that's the greatest basketball movie ever. Right? Like, that's that documentary Arthur Ag and William Gates is just. Oh, my God. Oh, you know what? Go deeper cut. It was an HBO movie starring Don Cheadle.

[Juju]

Okay?

[Zack Harper]

The Goat Earl Rebound, the story of Earl the Goat Man. A goat. Oh, my God.

[Juju]

I think Katie down the street with the basketball like this.

[Zack Harper]

He's going, taking. Taking dollars off the backboard, leaving change. I think KG makes a. A cameo as Wilt Chamberlain in, like, rucker park or so or West 4th or something like that at one point. I love that. It's sad. I don't know how good it was because I think I was, like, 16 when I watched it. I don't know how much I've watched it since, but I love that movie as a. As a teenager.

[Juju]

Hell, yeah, man. Appreciate that. That was five, bro. That concludes another great episode of the Alley. Ooh, man. Thank you so much. Like I said, bro, we. Without Zack Harper, this Alley O thing don't happen. I promise to God. You feel me? So thank you for always believing in me, bro. Thank you for always supporting in me. I want to get your flowers in front of folks, you feel me? You got anything to say to them folks on the way out, bro?

[Zack Harper]

You know what? Always support juju. If you've been supporting him throughout Leardard or any of this stuff, Alley oop. This is the part where he gets to shine. I'm telling you, this dude is the star of stars.

[Juju]

Thank you, brother. And we gonna see y'all next next week at the same bathtub. Look, I can't even speak. I'm a motion. I'm getting choked up over here. Same bad time, same bad channel. You dig us?

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