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- [00:00]
Patrick Ewing
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
Dan Patrick
Guaranteed Human.
- [00:04]
Bob Orey
I can't tell you how many times I spilled something on my shirt right before walking out the door. And it's always while I'm wearing a white shirt too. And somehow that's the exact moment I realize I'm out of stain remover and I don't have another clean shirt to change into. Unpredictable moments like that are a part of everyday life. Luckily, Amazon helps make it easier to manage life's curveballs from unexpected needs to everyday essentials. And Amazon offers everything in one place with reliable value and great prices. So when a small mess turns into a last minute problem, Amazon makes it easier by saving the Every day during Memorial Day at Lowe's Shop Household must haves for less. Save $80 on a Char Broil Performance Series 4 Burner Grill to chef up something special plus get up to 45% off select major appliances to keep things fresh. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's Lowe's we help you save valid through 527 while supplies last selection varies by location. See lowe's.com for details.
- [01:04]
Dan Patrick
Visit your nearby Lowes
- [01:09]
Bob Orey
this is an ad for the Active Cash credit card from Wells Fargo. That's a mouthful, but that's because it packs a lot in. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with it, big or small. So whether it's buying tickets to the game or grabbing a morning coffee, it earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Now everybody say it with me. The Active Cash credit card from Wells Fargo. Be a 2 percenter. Learn more at Wells Fargo.com ActiveCash Terms
- [01:38]
Dan Patrick
Apply hey everyone, it's Kalpen. I'm inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with my podcast Hearsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. Every episode I nerd out with amazing guests and dive into the best new audiobooks available on Audible. It's the book club for your ears. Listen to Hearsay, the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio. They call him Zeke. He's Isaiah Thomas, hall of Famer, Chairman CEO of Isaiah Enterprises. Good to see you again, Isaiah. How you doing?
- [02:23]
Isaiah Thomas
Good to see you too. Look at you, looking all good.
- [02:27]
Dan Patrick
Yeah, look at me. I've made it now and made it to the big time. Made it to the big time. When's the last time you played basketball?
- [02:35]
Isaiah Thomas
Oh, it's been a long time ago, but I But I still shoot, right? I still go out and I'll shoot free throws or I'll just go in the gym and like just get some shots up. But in terms of like physically, like competing and playing, that's been a long time.
- [02:55]
Dan Patrick
Is there anybody who's over 50 who's still a great basketball player that played in the NBA in your opinion?
- [03:03]
Isaiah Thomas
In our minds, all of us are. We all still think we can do it and get out there and play, but I would say probably. Is Reggie 50 yet? Reggie Miller?
- [03:17]
Dan Patrick
Yes.
- [03:18]
Isaiah Thomas
I think I would say he's still in condition, physically fit, can, can go out and get up and down the court. Probably not as fast, but can play.
- [03:27]
Dan Patrick
He said he thinks he could give somebody about 10 minutes because he can still shoot.
- [03:32]
Isaiah Thomas
Absolutely. And today's game he, he would get more than 10 minutes, you know. Cause in today's game, you know you got one way players, right? Back when we were playing you, you had to be a two way player. Right now he can just be a specialist, stand out on the court and play 15, 20 minutes and, and if, and if someone scored 20 points on him, it won't be a big deal.
- [03:58]
Dan Patrick
Reggie's 60. I just, I just saw Reggie.
- [04:02]
Isaiah Thomas
Okay, well, yeah, so I, I would, I would say he, he probably more than anyone can. I, I think in all age bracket could still get out there and play. Not with their, not with the NBA, but you know, just, you know,
- [04:19]
Dan Patrick
would, could the Jordan rules work now in today's NBA, let's say against Wembanyama or
- [04:25]
Isaiah Thomas
sga, we actually see San Antonio doing that with sga. You know, we, right now the new name for it is boxes and elbows. And where you see where SGA likes to shoot from mid range, they have a double team trap set up for him at the elbow. So if he goes right, he's forced into, you know, a double team. If he goes left, he's forced into a double team on the back line. They keep Wimby as a, as a rim protector and then they have a smaller player in rotation shooting out to the corners. That's why you see those corner threes right now that OKC is knocking down, those are the ones that they're giving up because they're taking the, the elbow shots or the mid range shots away from sga. So though, you know, it's similar to what we did with Jordan. You know, we would force Jordan left, trap him going left. SGA is more of a, a passer than Jordan was at that particular time. Jordan was what we called A reluctant passer. He would actually take on the double team, right, As a challenge and try to score over the double team as opposed to kicking it out. And when Phil Jackson came along, put him in a triangle and put those snipers around him, that's when everything changed.
- [05:58]
Dan Patrick
Have you seen anything resembling women yam before?
- [06:04]
Isaiah Thomas
I would say Ralph Sampson. Early. Early Ralph Sampson, you know, his first three years in the NBA, I believe he was in the NBA finals. His third year, third or fourth years in the NBA finals playing against the Celtics, upset the Laker dynasty. Remember they swept the Lakers and that's when they changed the playoff format because they didn't want the Lakers going out early.
- [06:34]
Patrick Ewing
So.
- [06:34]
Isaiah Thomas
Right, they changed the playoff format. You, you, you know, you've been around, Dan. You know what happened. You know how the rules changes and got manipulated and everything else. And I see scratching your face right now. But you know, you, it's all good. I understand. But they didn't like the Lakers being swept, so they gave the Lakers more time to win in the playoffs. But Sampson was, he was that dominant. And if Sampson don't get hurt. You remember Bill Russell saying that, you know, Ralph Sampson, if he doesn't, if he continues on the path that he's going, he would be considered, you know, one of the greatest players, if not
- [07:14]
Dan Patrick
the greatest player to play all game ball dominant guards. Now it seems like it's commonplace. Was there such a thing as a ball dominant guard back when you played?
- [07:26]
Isaiah Thomas
No, because you had, you had guys in the locker room who would say, if you don't pass me the ball, I'm gonna, I'm gonna stick your little ass up on the wall, you know, you know, big guys were, you know, they, they wanted to play too. And it was a team game where everyone shared, you know, but you know, ball dominant guards, you know, that's a, that's a new term for a guy that don't like to pass and he hogs all those shots. We used to call them hogs, now they call them ball down the ball dominant.
- [08:04]
Dan Patrick
How would you guard Brunson?
- [08:06]
Patrick Ewing
Oof.
- [08:08]
Isaiah Thomas
Oof. East of. You know, even, even now when you watch games, you always think about what you would do and how you would guard and play against someone. Because we're all extremely competitive. He is, he's tough, man. He's, he's a, he's a shot maker from long distance. He's got mid range game, he can post you up, he's got finish around the basket, right hand, left hand. You know, he goes both ways. Right and left. He's, you know, he is. I. I don't. I don't know what I would try to take away. And whatever I take away, he's good enough to do something else. So he. He, by far right now in terms of scoring a basketball and making shots and playmaking, you know, that he's. He's at the top of the league right now, in my opinion.
- [09:09]
Dan Patrick
He's Isaiah Thomas, the Hall of Famer. Build me your dream team.
- [09:17]
Isaiah Thomas
Kareem bird, duncan. Jordan, myself.
- [09:34]
Dan Patrick
Okay, you paused on the two guard there. Were you thinking of Kobe?
- [09:40]
Isaiah Thomas
I was thinking of Kobe or LeBron, but I. It's like I need a. I need a little bit more scoring and balance in someone that would, you know, play well with. With Kareem and also myself. And I thought that, that, that's why I paused.
- [10:01]
Dan Patrick
I'm. I don't know how surprised you are, but, you know, Kareem had the most unstoppable shot in basketball history, but nobody's really tried to master that. Why is that?
- [10:15]
Isaiah Thomas
Well, the teaching in all game has. Has drastically, in my opinion, gone down. And I think what, you know, Kareem, you know, he had great teachers. And not only did he have great teachers, but they knew how to teach. So when you talk about, you know, the. The greatest shot ever, being coached by Wooden and then in high school, you know, he had. He had great fundamentals, he had great teaching. We have good coaches in our game now. I don't know if we have great teachers in our game. And remember, Dan, in order to be a coach back then, you had to have dual degrees. You had to have a master's degree, and then you were called a teacher. And the coaches back then, they referred to themselves as teachers first and then a coach. Right now we have a lot of teachers. I mean, we have a lot of coaches, but we don't really have teachers. So when you talk about Kareem's fundamental base and that shot, who. Who is taking the time to really teach it and who knows how to teach it?
- [11:33]
Dan Patrick
What's it like to come back from a loss? I don't know if you ever experienced with the Cavaliers or anything near what they went through to then regroup and then play a day later.
- [11:47]
Isaiah Thomas
I've never gone through anything like that, and very rarely have we seen it in the history of our game. Right. So they will be. They will be a first to see how a team bounces back. Because, no, I. I can't think of a. A playoff situation where a team has lost a 22 point lead with seven minutes to go on the road in the game one. And now you got to come back and regroup in the game two and think you're going to beat that team after you've had your shot. So I don't know how they regroup. You know, I select them to go down 20 and hopefully they can come back at home and regroup. But trying to regroup on the road, that's going to be tough.
- [12:40]
Dan Patrick
I get random videos that pop up in my social media feeds, and one came up where you were mad at Rick Mahorn and you punched him.
- [12:52]
Isaiah Thomas
I was stupid out,
- [12:55]
Dan Patrick
but
- [12:58]
Isaiah Thomas
don't ask me what was I thinking. The only thing that I am so thankful of is that Rick Mahorn looked at me and kind of chuckled and was like, little dude, don't. You know, I could just take you and squish you like a great. I mean, I, I thank God every day. Like, he didn't just like annihilate me because he really could have, but in my mind, I was ready to go, you know, and that, that's how psychologically, you know, you, you get a little, you get a little off when you, when you're trying to win.
- [13:37]
Dan Patrick
But I mean, that's what made you great. But Mahorn's look, when you smacked him in the face, he just looked down and grinned and it was like, no, you don't want any part of this. You don't want any part of this.
- [13:50]
Isaiah Thomas
You know, again, so thankful, so thankful that he would, he would take that attitude, right? And, and say, no, you don't want any part of this. But hey, I'm, I'm sorry.
- [14:09]
Dan Patrick
Did you eventually say sorry to him?
- [14:12]
Isaiah Thomas
Absolutely I did.
- [14:13]
Dan Patrick
Okay.
- [14:13]
Isaiah Thomas
Absolutely I did. And still do today, right? Because you say the video pops up and, you know, we're all men and it's something to chuckle about. But then it's some also to, you know, kind of respect. Like, you know, I did you a solid by not hurting you. And I'm like, yes, thank you every day. Thank you, Rick, for not hurting me.
- [14:39]
Dan Patrick
Can you see a player trying to be like Dennis Rodman today?
- [14:46]
Isaiah Thomas
I think we have several who, who try to imitate his style defensively, and they're known for, you know, defending and rebounding. In our league right now, what they don't have is, you know, his
- [15:09]
Patrick Ewing
kind
- [15:10]
Isaiah Thomas
of moxie and belief. I mean, when Dennis came in athletically, I mean, you saw Dan, he was a freak athletically. I mean, running, jumping, rebounding, and
- [15:25]
Bob Orey
what
- [15:26]
Isaiah Thomas
I really admired about him and got to understand was how smart and brilliant he was about the game and accepting keyword, accepting what he could do and what he couldn't do. And I see players now trying to maximize and do things that they can't do, but if they focused on rebounding and defending, as he did his whole career, I think he went into the hall of Fame and never averaged double digits in scoring, you know, but, you know, rebounding and defending is what he did and what he was known for. There are a lot of players who have that capability, but I don't know if they have that perseverance and discipline to come to the arena every night and say, this is what I'm going to do.
- [16:20]
Dan Patrick
If not Steph Curry, then who is the best shooter in the NBA?
- [16:29]
Isaiah Thomas
Kevin Durant. I would say Kevin Durant is right there with Curry in terms of being
- [16:38]
Dan Patrick
the best shooter, because I think when we look at Steph, it's deep shooting. You're talking about shooting because Durant's taking that area that I keep saying is open for business, the two point shot. Because everybody wants to shoot the three steps, mastered it. But Durant, meanwhile, was like, you're gonna let me have this jumper? And he's just about it, unguardable at that size, that length, and. And he does it miss. So that's an interesting answer. I haven't heard Kevin Durant as somebody who might be up there, greatest shooter of one of the greatest shooters of all time.
- [17:14]
Isaiah Thomas
Well, the, the numbers say he is, and, and then what you just, you know, articulated confirms it. But the numbers say that, you know, I mean, when we talk about Curry and shooting, right, I, I look at Reggie Miller, I look at, you know, Larry Bird, you know, Ray Allen, those guys were great shooters. I think what Curry has done is he's extended the range acceptability of where we allow people to shoot from. And also, Dan, where we allow people to miss from more so miss from than make. It used to be a time if you shot from that distance and you missed, you would get cut. You were out of the league. You know, what Curry has done is made shooting from that range and us accepting people missing from that range, you know, that that's where he's changed the perception of the game.
- [18:24]
Dan Patrick
Patrick Ewing's joining us, top of the hour. Do you have a Patrick Ewing story?
- [18:30]
Isaiah Thomas
Make sure when you speak to him, call him Aloysius, like his middle name. Patrick is one of my favorite guys. He and I still, you know, talk today as one of my favorite people. We, our families Are close. We, you know, I love Patrick and you know, I got, I got good stories about him, but they all very human stories, not basketball stories. So, you know, just on the, on the human side in terms of him just being one of the, the nicest and, and goodest people that I know. You know, he's, he's always been solid and love him to death.
- [19:18]
Dan Patrick
Yeah. You bring up something interesting. I was dealing with health issues for quite some time and really struggling and he has stayed in touch with me and just checking up on me. He'll just send me a random text and he'll just say, how you doing? And he's, he's. We've, we formed. I hope it's called a friendship, but he is, I think very under. Misunderstood. I think he's always been that way, starting at Georgetown, maybe even in high school. But he, he showed me that he is a fun, nice, wonderful, thought provoking person.
- [19:57]
Isaiah Thomas
Yeah, he's one of my favorite people. So tell Aloysius I said hello.
- [20:03]
Dan Patrick
Zeke. Good to talk to you again. Thank you for joining us. We appreciate your insights.
- [20:07]
Isaiah Thomas
Hey, and didn't you used to have a Bob Knight little character up there?
- [20:12]
Dan Patrick
That it's, that's in my other studio. But I do have a large Bob Knight doll. People think that the doll that I had there was Bob Knight. It's Lou Holtz from when he was at Arkansas. Somebody sent me that. But people thought that was Bob Knight.
- [20:27]
Isaiah Thomas
Oh, Coach Knight would be so upset being compared to Lou Hoax.
- [20:35]
Dan Patrick
He would, he would be upset being compared to anybody, I think.
- [20:38]
Isaiah Thomas
Oh, he would be so upset.
- [20:41]
Dan Patrick
One of these days we have to talk about him because he hated everybody at SportsCenter. And all of a sudden Jay Billis said, talk to Dan Patrick. He knows basketball. Coach Knight said, have him call me. I call him. I think I'm being punked. And we maintained a friendship until he died. So it was just, you know, complicated guy, as you well know.
- [21:07]
Isaiah Thomas
Well, most geniuses are. And he truly was a genius about the sport and, and everything that we, we talk about in sport, defensively and now offensively. You mentioned Steph Curry, that Golden State offense with pass moving, cutting, playing off the ball, coming off screens. And you know, all of that came out of his mind. And the defensive and offensive philosophies that are being implemented still today, all of that came from his head. And so the geniuses are always a little complicated, but that's why we love them.
- [21:48]
Dan Patrick
Thank you, Isaiah. We appreciate your time. Thank you, Isaiah Thomas. Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app.
- [22:03]
Bob Orey
Hey, it's Ben, host of the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller.
- [22:06]
Dan Patrick
Would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking, what in God's name is the Fifth Hour?
- [22:12]
Patrick Ewing
I'll tell you.
- [22:13]
Dan Patrick
It's a special spin off of the Ben Mather Show, a cult hit overnights on fsr. Why should you listen? Picture, if you will, a world where
- [22:20]
Patrick Ewing
we chat with captains of industry in
- [22:22]
Dan Patrick
media, sports and more every week. Explore some amazing facts about human nature and more.
- [22:27]
Patrick Ewing
Listen to the fifth hour with Ben
- [22:29]
Dan Patrick
Ma on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast every Friday. At the end of the show, I said the weekend's ready to start. When you hear this. It's Miller Time. I raised my glass to Miller Lite. They've been doing it for 50 years now. They are iconic. They are the original. They're legendary. That's why I reach for a Miller Light. And you should, too. Enjoy Miller Time by enjoying Miller Lite in a place where you're free to enjoy yourself. You can have a walk with a family member. Now's the time. Because the best beers are the ones you don't expect. A taste you can depend on. Great beer trusted by beer lovers for 50 years. Simple ingredients, molted barley, that rich, balanced toffee note flavors and that iconic golden color looks gorgeous and it tastes great. Cheers to legendary moments with Miller Lite. Great taste. 96 calories. You go to millerlight.com Patrick you'll find delivery options near you. Or pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller Time all the time. Anytime. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories, 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. It's Miller time.
- [23:44]
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- [24:21]
Dan Patrick
hello. Hello this is Malcolm Glabel from Smart Talks with IBM. Today. We're diving into a fascinating conversation with with Stefano Pallard, head of fan development for Scuderia Ferrari hp.
- [24:33]
Isaiah Thomas
Your pronunciation is strongly American. It's more Scuderia Ferrari.
- [24:38]
Dan Patrick
I'm still working on rolling my R's, but what I was able to learn from Stefano was the importance of engaging the Tifosi, the Ferrari superfans in the digital age.
- [24:48]
Isaiah Thomas
Ferrari fans and super fans want to be part of something, want to belong to something. So they want to be part of a community and ultimately they want to be part of a winning team.
- [25:00]
Dan Patrick
You've got Ferrari, which is a long history, design history, and now you're interacting in a kind of digital space. I'm curious how you balance those two traditions.
- [25:13]
Isaiah Thomas
When it comes to fan engagement, it's really digital technology. And digital channels, are they enabled to create a deeper connection with our fans?
- [25:21]
Dan Patrick
To learn more about how Ferrari and IBM are using technology to build deeper connections with fans, visit IBM.com ferrari. You're a pro at running your life, at committing to your workout, at showing up every day. At Bombas, we're pros too, pros at making socks. Our sport assortment has specialized socks for whatever sport you're committed to. Running, hiking, golf, pilates, and so much more. Made with sweat, wicking yarns, blister fighting details and targeted arch support. Bombus Sport Sport is pro level socks from the pros of socks. For another pro, you go to bombas.com audio and use code audio for 20 off your first purchase. That's bombus.com and use code audio. Patrick Ewing, the hall of famer and now the number one New York Knicks fan. Man, look at you walking around Madison Square Garden. You got your, your hat on or whatever that hat and chapeau that you got on. Yeah, it's like you, you, you own the building, Patrick.
- [26:23]
Patrick Ewing
No, I don't know about owning the building, but I do feel like it's one of my homes. You know, I've been, I've had 15 year, 15 great years here in New York as an athlete, you know, four also four more as a college, as a college athlete. So I spent a lot of time in the Garden.
- [26:46]
Dan Patrick
Do you get to choose who you sit next to in the front row?
- [26:50]
Patrick Ewing
Well, you know what? They've been putting me next to my, my, my good friend John Stark. But I might have to move. He's just too fired up. I'm like, I keep telling him, john, you're gonna get us a check. You keep trying to get onto the floor. I'm like, guys, calm down. No, but you know what? You know what, Dan? It's. It's great being around the guys, you know, the former guys, you know, former teammates. And, you know, we all feel like we are part of it because, you know, we have bled. Bled, you know, sweat and tears, a lot of the things that they. They're going through now. So, you know, we're just there to support them. And I think that Leon And Wes and Mrs. Dona have done a great job of making us feel like we are part of it.
- [27:42]
Dan Patrick
How do you explain what happened in Game one at the Garden?
- [27:47]
Patrick Ewing
I. Look, you know, it's never over until it's over. You know, a lot of people thought that the game was over. Some people. And I might have been one of those people that turned the TV off if I was at home, but I thought that Jalen Brunson did an outstanding job of putting on his Superman cape and being able to score all those points for us. Then we locked down defensively. I thought that the coaching staff made some, you know, Landry came in and did an outstanding job on the defensive end for us. OG Made some. Some big plays for us. Cat was able to do some things. You know, I just thought that the team as a whole did everything right at the right time to be able to come away with that win.
- [28:32]
Dan Patrick
What's your most memorable moment in the Garden?
- [28:36]
Patrick Ewing
You know what? I've been asked that a lot, and I really don't have one particular. You know, I guess if I was just going to put it as one. When we beat Indiana to finally make it to the final, we've been trying to get to the finals for a lot of years, and that was my first opportunity to be able to get there. And we struggled. Game six, but we were able to get it done in game seven. I thought that I showed my emotion, my gratitude for the fans, for all that they had to endure and we had to endure. When I got up on that table with my arms stretched out, just trying to show them my appreciation.
- [29:24]
Dan Patrick
When did you stop hating Reggie Miller?
- [29:30]
Patrick Ewing
You know, dad, sometimes. Sometimes I wonder, you know, do I really still hate him? Do I like him now? But no, I mean, you know, we. We as athletes, we go through some. Some ups and some downs, and we had some great. Some great time battling against those guys, the Pacers. And us, we. We were built, you know, a lot in the same way. Reggie was a master. You know, if they. If they. If they. You know, now they talk about flopping all the time. That guy used to flop all the time. But then he also, he, you know, just call him an actor. He's a great actor. I think he would have gotten an Academy Award for his acting. And he knew how to pull strings and, you know, he knew how to, you know, pull certain people's strings. He pulled John string a few times, got John to headbutt him. But you know what? It's all water under the bridge now. I see him, I hug him, I show the respect that I have for his game and also the things that he's doing now. He's his life after basketball. Well, after playing basketball, he's done an outstanding job of getting into his next career. So all you can do is just admire the work that he does.
- [30:44]
Dan Patrick
Talking to Patrick Ewing, the Hall of Famer, you faced, Ralph Sampson. I try to remind people that Ralph, he. Molly not as good as when Benyama is now, but to be that skilled at that height and being on the outside, being able to shoot, being inside as well, playing both ends of the floor. Do you see similarities with Ralph Sampson and Victor Wembanyama?
- [31:09]
Patrick Ewing
Definitely. You know, I've been talking to a lot of people about the same thing. You know, I see Ralph would have been a great player in this era. In our era, you know, people used to get mad at you if you were big and you don't get into the post or you start shooting too many jump shots and you know, that was Ralph's game. He was a skilled big. He was, you know, Victor's height, he was seven for. He wanted to be a perimeter big. But in our era, people look down on that. But I thought that he would. This era would have embraced him and embraced his abilities and which is what they're doing with Victor. And Victor is a special young man. Every time I watch him play, I see how special that he is.
- [31:59]
Dan Patrick
Yeah, he's got these unique traits that, you know, you don't want your 7 foot 5 guy shooting a three pointer, but in today's game, we kind of accept it. Like, even with you at Georgetown, I never knew you could shoot that well. And then you get to the NBA and all of a sudden you're hitting 15, 18 footers. I'm like, why didn't Coach Thompson unleash this in college?
- [32:22]
Patrick Ewing
Well, you know, like I said back in those era, they wanted us to be back to the basket, dunking it. Even when I first got to New York, they. I remember talking to Dickie McGuire and he said the exact same thing. He's like, Patrick, I never knew you could shoot. And Dickie was, was, you know, the head scout for, for the Knicks for a lot of years. His numbers in the Raptors next to my, I do have to say next to mine, but he just said, you know, I really never thought that you could shoot. I thought all you could do was block shots and dunk. Well, I'd say, you know, Dick, you know, the Big John was like, son, get your butt in the post, work on the, you know, when you go to the NBA, then you can, then you can show them the rest of your game. But you know, I always could shoot. I could shoot in high school. You know, I developed an more all around game as I got older. But I thought that, you know, I showed that, that I had the ability to do these things and you know, what could I do it in this era? I didn't really shoot many threes or. I'm not sure if I'd be proficient. That is as a lot of these guys are, Wemby, Yoke, you know, Yokage and Embiid, those guys, you know, you know, but if I, if I practice, practiced it, I probably would be just as proficient as they are.
- [33:48]
Dan Patrick
I got you with 19 three pointers
- [33:52]
Patrick Ewing
and that's too many. Back in my era, that was too many.
- [33:58]
Dan Patrick
When, when would you put Joker in a top 10 player of all time? Is he close to being a top 10 player of all time?
- [34:08]
Patrick Ewing
You know what Joker is, He's another one that's special. You know, his, you know, whatever he lacks in athleticism, he, you know, definitely makes up in all the other things that he does. He plays every night, he very rarely gets hurt. He can shoot, he can pass. He's more of a facilitator than then most bigs. We were all the ones that, you know, were getting, you know, we had to depend. We, we played a dependent position. He doesn't need to play a dependent position. He can bring it, bring it down. He can score, he rebounds. He does all the things that in this era that bigs need to do. And you know, I'm not going to sit here and say he is the greatest player of greatest big of all time because there was a lot of great bigs. Keem was a great big in my era, Kareem before that. So there's a, you know, Shaq. You got to talk about Shaq and all those guys. But you know, he's definitely special. I would have loved to have tried to compete against him to see, you know, you know, how I would fare against that talented young man. I had the opportunity to meet him this year when we played in Denver. I went up to him and told him that, you know, I love what he's doing, continue to do it, and he's a very special player.
- [35:35]
Dan Patrick
What do you remember about facing Kareem at the end of his career?
- [35:40]
Patrick Ewing
Hey, I'm gonna tell you a story. So we're getting ready, and Rick Patino was our coach at this, at this time, and we are getting ready to face the Lakers. And I'm like, you know, Rick was like, no, we're not going to double Kareem. He's getting older. And I'm like, rick, he may be getting older, but he is still good. So Kareem got heated, he got hot. And I don't care what I did, I could push him to the three point line. He still was rolling that sky hook. And I said, rick, what did I tell you? We need to double him. No, you know, Kareem Patrick, I'm looking at the video.
- [36:22]
Dan Patrick
He hit 6, 6 consecutive sky hooks over you.
- [36:26]
Isaiah Thomas
Yes.
- [36:27]
Patrick Ewing
He's, I mean, people, when they talk about greatest of all time, I mean, they never, you know, they very, very rarely put him in there. And what he did was special. I mean, you know, he was 7:2. He had, he developed a shot that was virtually unstoppable. I remember when Pat Riley came to the Knicks, he tried to get me to, you know, develop a sky hook. I'm like, coach, that's just not my game. The captain was special. He developed that, that's his thing. I'm a jump shooter.
- [37:02]
Dan Patrick
Wait, you didn't want to even try to do the sky hook?
- [37:06]
Patrick Ewing
I, I, I just didn't, I just didn't get the feel of the sky hook. I was more of a, of a, of a jump hook guy. You know, I, I, I use the jump hook as, you know, one of the pieces, the pieces to my, to my, to my game.
- [37:24]
Dan Patrick
Do celebs come up to you at the Garden and want pictures?
- [37:29]
Patrick Ewing
Yes, they do. And you know what? I'm like, like Lenny Kravitz was at the game, the last game, and I'm like, man, I'm a huge Lenny Kravitz fan. I'm like, forget you asking me for the picture. I need to take a picture. You know, I gotta send this to all my kids. Cause, you know, it's funny, I was at a game last year and I brought my kids with me and, you know, the Knicks asked me to take a picture with a group one of the, one of the K pop groups. So I didn't know who they were. So I took the picture of my kids. Like, dad, do you know that's probably the most famous person that you've ever taken a picture with. I'm like, what, Who? What Who? I think I'm like, I couldn't believe it.
- [38:21]
Dan Patrick
Well, in their world, K Pop, yeah, those are big stars. They don't care about Lenny Kravitz, who's, you know, in his 60s, or even Tracy Morgan or Spike Lee.
- [38:30]
Patrick Ewing
Oh, yeah, I know. They, they do. They, do. They, they, they have more of a knowledge about all these things than I didn't, you know, than I do. My, I was so tunnel vision as a player. I was just locked in on trying to be the best I could be as a player. I wasn't. I didn't care who was in the stand, just as long as it was filled with all, you know, one thing I love, one before you go down, one thing I love about our fans, I don't care. I'm in Boston and I'm like, oh, my God, I, I never saw New York Knicks fans in Boston, maybe in LA or what happened in Philadelphia. I could not believe that. I'm like, we, we, we show up, we show up and we show out on these road games.
- [39:16]
Dan Patrick
Did it ever bother you that Spike Lee was a Knicks fan, but he was friends with Michael Jordan during doing those commercials?
- [39:25]
Patrick Ewing
No, you know, I mean, Michael and I were friends. We got to meet each other in college before, you know, in high school, I should say, we developed a friendship. We stayed friends, still are friends today, but once we get on that floor, as you, as you saw, and it wasn't just about the friendship. We were both trying to kick each other's butts. And he lets me know every time I, I see him or I talk to him that I was not able to beat him. He's the. You know, when people talk about Larry Bird talking trash, I think he's probably the biggest trash talker that I ever been around.
- [40:05]
Dan Patrick
Wait, did Larry talk trash to you?
- [40:08]
Patrick Ewing
Did he ever. I mean, if I saw Larry today, he'd still probably talk trash. You know, I think that's how we got to be friends with the Dream Team, you know, he was talking so much trash. You know, he talked trash when we played against each other, but back then. So now we were around each other all the time. And he talks about how, you know, his team would always used to kick our butts, and I was more of a power forward than A center. And, you know, we just, we just got into all these, you know, joking things and we call ourselves the Harry and Larry show. But Larry was a great competitor, a great teammate, and I got the opportunity to become good friends with him during that, during that time.
- [40:58]
Dan Patrick
But you know that the Dream Team birthed all these great players from around the world. Like, if you look at the timeline, Patrick, I mean, I think you can, you can point right towards the Dream Team dominating everybody. Next thing you know, you got a player out of Africa, out of Germany, out of, you know, you know, Croatia. I mean, variety of places due to the Dream Team.
- [41:21]
Patrick Ewing
Yeah, everywhere I agree with you. Because every other country in the world, soccer was the number one sport. I used to want to play soccer when I was growing up in Jamaica. I wanted to be the next Pele, moved to America, fell in love with this game of basketball. And I thought that, you know, when David Stern decided to let the NBA players play in the Olympics, that that made basketball a global sport. It was loved all over the world. And I think that that was one of the smartest things that he did.
- [41:53]
Dan Patrick
Yeah.
- [41:53]
Patrick Ewing
So everybody who used to play soccer at that time, football everywhere else except for here, that's when they fell in love with basketball. And you can, you saw a huge boom in everyone wanting to play basketball after that Olympics.
- [42:11]
Dan Patrick
Have fun tonight. Behave. Tell John Starks to keep it down a little bit so you don't get teed up there. And thank you again.
- [42:19]
Patrick Ewing
Oh, it's my pleasure, my friend. And it's always great to be on your show. I still need to come up there and be in that, that man cave.
- [42:26]
Dan Patrick
Yeah. I'd like to bring you up here and school you a little bit. You know, maybe take you.
- [42:32]
Patrick Ewing
Hey, look, you might be able to now. You might be able to now. I haven't really been shooting.
- [42:38]
Dan Patrick
Oh yeah. Thank you, Patrick. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows@foxsportsradio.com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to listen live. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. For a limited time, when you get a new Apple card and purchase AirPods Pro 3 at Apple, you can earn back the cost up to 250 daily cash. New AirPods Pro and up to $250 bonus daily cash back. Now that's music to my ears. Subject to credit approval, limitations and spend requirements apply. Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and more at Apple CoAirPods Imagine never
- [43:23]
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- [43:59]
Dan Patrick
hello? Hello, this is Malcolm Glebel from Smart Talks with IBM. Today. We're diving into a fascinating conversation with Stefano Pallard, head of fan development for Scuderia Ferrari hp.
- [44:11]
Isaiah Thomas
Your pronunciation is strongly American. It's more Scuderia Ferrari.
- [44:17]
Dan Patrick
I'm still working on rolling my R's, but what I was able to learn from Stefano was the importance of engaging the Tifosi, the Ferrari superfans. In the digital age.
- [44:27]
Isaiah Thomas
Ferrari fans and super fans want to be part of something, want to belong to something. So they want to be part of a community and ultimately they want to be part of a winning team.
- [44:38]
Dan Patrick
You've got Ferrari, which has a long history, design history, and now you're interacting in a kind of digital space. I'm curious how you balance those two traditions.
- [44:51]
Isaiah Thomas
When it comes to fan engagement, it's really digital technology. And digital channels are being able to create a deeper connection with our fans.
- [44:59]
Dan Patrick
To learn more about how Ferrari and IBM are using technology to build deeper connections with fans, visit IBM.comferrari thank you for calling the Bombas comfort line. Bombas make socks, slippers, tees and underwear made with the highest quality materials. Press 1 for comfortable, 2 for style, 3 for donation. You chose style. Bombas is styles for whatever you enjoy. You can run in Bombas, lounge in
- [45:27]
Patrick Ewing
Bombas, dress them up, dress them down, but always give back in Bombas because
- [45:30]
Dan Patrick
with every item purchased, another is donated. Bombas comfort Worth calling for. Go to bombas.com audio and use code audio for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O M B A S.com and use code audio. He is big shot Bob Robert Ori Lakers analyst for Spectrum sportsnet Back on the program, this was brought to our attention first hour of the program. Can you be a fan of the Lakers and the Clippers if you live in Los Angeles?
- [45:58]
Bob Orey
If you're LA native, I think you can because you want your city to be Successful. And I think it's possible, you know, there's nothing wrong with that. I wouldn't be mad at anybody. You got a guy by the name of Clipper Darrell. He claims he's a Clipper fan, but we know, low key. He loved the Lakers, too.
- [46:16]
Dan Patrick
Yeah, but I think if the Clippers were really good, then I think Laker fans, you know, then you'd have a problem. But the Clippers haven't been that, you know, anywhere near the Lakers. Therefore, it's kind of nice that. Oh, you like the little Clippers.
- [46:29]
Bob Orey
Yeah, it's like you like the little brother. You want the little brother to be successful, but you, hey, hey, stay in your lane. You're not gonna get too successful, because if you do, we're gonna have to up by Annie, do some. Some things, you know. You know, get a guy like Kobe, get a guy like Shaq, and then show you who the real big dog is.
- [46:46]
Dan Patrick
I'm watching Wemby, and I brought this up to Isaiah Thomas yesterday. I could see Ralph Sampson being like this in his day, but back then, they would tell the big guy, get down on the blocks. Now you can roam the perimeter, but you see remnants of Ralph Sampson with Victor Wembanyama.
- [47:06]
Bob Orey
You know, you look at him and the way Victor moves and how Ralph used to move on the court before he had all those injuries, and his silkiness, how he ran up and down the court. You think about every kid that watched basketball wanted to run with their thumbs up like Ralph. And Ralph was. Was phenomenal. And I think, you know, we. Back then, once you pass, like, six, four. Oh, you're big. Get. Get down on the block.
- [47:29]
Isaiah Thomas
And.
- [47:29]
Bob Orey
And I think that was the worst thing for basketball. Instead of, like, letting guys say, oh, you got talent. Show us what you can do. And I think that's what's so great about today's NBA game. They let guys showcase all their talents, just not a specific area on the floor.
- [47:42]
Dan Patrick
Well, I. I don't know if Dirk Nowitzki was the first to take it out past like, 16 to 18ft, and he was a 6, 10, or 7ft. Oh, you were the. You were the first.
- [47:54]
Bob Orey
Wait, no, I'm just kidding.
- [47:56]
Dan Patrick
Okay.
- [47:57]
Bob Orey
I'm one of the guys.
- [47:59]
Dan Patrick
Well, you were three, though.
- [48:01]
Bob Orey
Well, you know, in college, I played center. I played center in college. You know, I was six, nine. I could do a little bit. Everything. You know, my. My high school coach, Richard Robinson, he was one of the first guys that said, if you can't beat a player one on one, if you can't do everything on the court. You're not a basketball player. And when you say everything, that means play defense, play offense, whatever it takes to make a game, you know, successful.
- [48:21]
Dan Patrick
You do it better. Shooter you or Dirk Nowitzki, then.
- [48:26]
Bob Orey
Oh, my goodness. You know what? I, I, I think I am. I know people say, homie says, like, you're crazy, dude. I look at it. When you get touches, you get a rhythm. I didn't get touches like Dirk. You know, Derek is probably more talented than me as far as, like, putting on the floor, but if you have me coming off a pick and screens, you know, I'm not knocking that shot down. People go like, this dude is crazy. No, Everybody always think I'm so controversial. I'm such a. But if you don't believe in yourself, why are you even playing this game? Right?
- [48:55]
Dan Patrick
Oh, I don't have any problem with your answer. I'm, I mean, guys can be delusional, too, Lady. Wait, did I just say that, or was I just thinking that? My bad.
- [49:09]
Bob Orey
Here's a question for you, Dan. So, okay, games on the line. Who you gonna have take the shot, me or Dirk?
- [49:15]
Dan Patrick
You.
- [49:16]
Bob Orey
Okay, then I hope that's your honest answer. You're not just saying that to keep me coming back to your show?
- [49:25]
Dan Patrick
If this was at the end of the interview, I might say Dirk, you know, but who does Brunson remind you of? Maybe back when you played Tim Hardaway?
- [49:37]
Bob Orey
I, I think when you think about the compact, strong guys who can body you and get their shot off, he just reminds me of that guy. He's not, he's not going to play above the rim. He's going to play below the rim. He's going to cross you up, get to his, his spot and knock down his shot. And he, Bronson is, is so good at using his body. It's almost like when he was in Dallas. He just kept watching Luca and taking tidbits of Luca and adding to the game because you, if you really break down his game, he and Luca do the same things. If they hit you with that shoulder, they get that space. They rock you to sleep. But only thing is different, Bronson plays a little faster pace than Luca.
- [50:17]
Dan Patrick
I was wondering about this, because you were a really good defender as well as being a really good shooter. But if you were facing Wemby, you probably, I don't think Elijah one would have guarded Wemby. I think, you know, that might have been, you know, like Caruso, where you get that guy who, you know, you're Underneath him and frustrating him because you're never going to out big him.
- [50:39]
Bob Orey
But I, I just think the wrong Caruso can't guard him. And I, I, you know, I think the OKC got confused by Caruso guarding Joker. The Joker doesn't play above the rim, so you need that height. And I think if, you know, Dream was a great defender, so we'd have put Dream on him and use his bluer body to push him out. And you know, you just mentioned how all these guys were so good, but you weren't really able to showcase your talent. You know, Dream defensive player of the year. He could move his feet, he could block shots. Not, I'm not saying he gonna block Wimy shot, but he can contest. And I think that is the biggest key because you look at what Hartenstein is doing to Wimby. He's just biting him, you know, making him tired, you know, keeping his ability to not play above the rim. So that's what you have to do with those guys. So I think Dream could have guarded him. You know, me, I probably too skinny. Hold on, wait. We are talking about women. So I might have not been too skinny to guard.
- [51:30]
Dan Patrick
Wendy, I'm, I'm looking at the Knicks. They're on an all time heater here. Best point differential through the first 12 games of a postseason, the Knicks have the most point differential, the Highest point differential plus 221. Then it's the warriors of 17, the Bucks with Lou Alcindor in 71. The 87 Lakers, the 2025 Thunder, the 96 Bulls. Your 01 Lakers are in there as well. Everybody won the title. Who has, who's on this list? Except for this year's spurs. Because either the Knicks or the spurs, you know, may win the title, but everybody else on this list, they went on to win the title. So that point differential is been very, very, you know, historical run so far for the Knicks. Why do you think they've all of a sudden it's clicked here because they were, they were down 2:1 to the Hawks, huh.
- [52:27]
Bob Orey
But I, I think sometimes you need to get punched in the face to get to wake up. And let's be honest, the Sixers not a very good team. Okay. And then looking at Cleveland, one of the biggest meltdowns ever in the first half a second half. And I just think they have had a string of luck. And I'm not, you know, Knicks fans are gonna go crazy on me for saying this, but I think it's they, if they do finish with the, the best Point differential, it ain't gonna matter because the west is going to win the championship. Because the west is just too dumb. If you look at their team, meaning the Knicks, they got some deficiencies there. And you look at the west, they don't have any deficiencies. So I think, you know, right now, it looks good on paper, but at the end of the day, all those analytical people who look at this point differential and all this kind of stuff don't really know sports. It's about talent. At the end of the day, what
- [53:20]
Dan Patrick
was a better playoff team? The 01 Lakers, who went 15 and one are your 95 rockets, who won as a number six seed?
- [53:29]
Bob Orey
Oh, man, I'm gonna plead the fifth on that one. But, yeah, you know what? I'm gonna be man enough to step up and say the 151 Lakers. You think about the run we were on, it's like, we were so freaking good, man. You think about Shaq being the most dominant player in the game, Kobe being the most electrifying player in the game. And then you had a band of brothers just, you know, lock you down from Rick B. Shaw, Derek Fisher, myself, you know, Horace Grant. And that's the thing that, you know, people always look those teams, always Shaq and Kobe's team. But the rest of us, we knew exactly what we need to do. We knew exactly how to slap them upside the head and get them in line. And you got to have guys on your team that are not afraid of the big dogs. You think about, you know, B. Shaw, Harper, all of his guys. We go to Shaq and Kobe said, give me the ball. Are you messing up? You know, do your role. You know, you do your role, and then I'll do mine. You, you, you, You. You can't be one of those players afraid of the superstars, because if you have guys that are smart and they'll. They'll listen to you because they know you, you. The guys are in the trenches, and they understand what's really going on.
- [54:33]
Dan Patrick
Wait, you could yell at Kobe.
- [54:35]
Isaiah Thomas
Oh, yeah, yeah.
- [54:38]
Bob Orey
Hey, I even yelled at Dream, and that's something you do not do.
- [54:42]
Dan Patrick
Why not?
- [54:44]
Bob Orey
Because, you know, Dream was that guy that, you know, a lot of players are afraid of players because they have this mystique about them. Dream and I are really, really good friends. And it happened after my rookie year where we had a nice, long conversation, just him, he and I, one on one. And he got to understand me, and he saw how smart I was and saying, okay, I trust your iq. I. I trust what you go do in the court. And I remember one time I yelled at him on the court. I like box out dream. That's why you lost the championship in college. And everybody was like, what? And after that, you know, everybody was like, did you really yell at you? If you're doing wrong, you're doing wrong. Hey, like they always say, film don't lie.
- [55:25]
Dan Patrick
When do you expect the Lakers to find out what LeBron wants to do?
- [55:30]
Bob Orey
I think they need to find out soon, especially with the draft coming up, because that's when all the teams are going to start jockeying for positions, trying to figure out what's going on with their roster. And I, you know, if, if The, I know LeBron, being the businessman, as you know, he doesn't want to put the Lakers in a bad position because the Lakers are going to have a lot of money. They need to make some moves fast, especially with new ownership. You know, I don't know what kind of relationship he has with new ownership, but you know, me knowing, you know, what they did for the Dodgers, they ain't waiting, you know, they gonna try to make some moves because you got to think about it. You think about all the guys when Shaq was playing made so much money because they got on a team because the goal was to stop Shaq. And now you got to find someone that can stop Wimby, you know, someone who can stop Shay Gilgamesh Alexander. So the Lakers got to figure that roster out soon before someone gets gobbled up.
- [56:17]
Dan Patrick
Great to talk to you as always. Have a great weekend. Thank you, Bob.
- [56:20]
Bob Orey
Thank you. You too, man. I'm here for you always.
- [56:23]
Dan Patrick
I appreciate it. That's Robert Orey.
- [56:25]
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Dan Patrick
business, you need to keep things moving. Need to book a last minute flight? Earn a $300 travel credit to cover that? Need to take a meeting before takeoff? Do it from the comfort of the Chase Sapphire Lounge by the club. Need to catch your breath before you board. Done. Chase Sapphire Reserved for business the business card that gives back all you put in. Visit chase.com Reserve Business to learn more. Cards issued by JP Morgan, Chase bank and a member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply. I raised my glass to Miller Lite. They've been doing it for 50 years now. They are iconic. They are the original. They're legendary. That's why I reach for a Miller Light. And you should, too. Legendary moments Start with Miller Lite. Great taste 96 calories. You can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Go to millerlight.com Patrick Find delivery options near you. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories, 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. When Kohler, Global design leader in luxurious kitchen and bath products and asked me to be their ambassador for timeless, elegant, durable cast iron, I said, I'm in. Soon after, I was in their Kohler Wisconsin foundry watching molten iron poured, enamel applied by hand, and the beautiful finished pieces ready to ship. Since 1883, Kohler cast iron has been crafted by incredible artisans, and seeing it firsthand gave me a whole new appreciation for their craftsmanship.
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Bob Orey
Now I am proud to lend my
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Dan Patrick
stamp of approval to my favorite Kohler cast iron products for their durability, beauty and enduring style.
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Bob Orey
Shop my curated picks@kohler.com as the Kohler
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Dan Patrick
Cast Iron Ambassador, I say, long live Cast Iron.
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Patrick Ewing
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [58:57]
Dan Patrick
Guaranteed Human.