← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Draymond Green Show w/Baron Davis: Ernie Johnson on Behind the Scenes of Inside of The NBA, ICONIC LeBron moment, & face of NBA debate
01:05:08
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- [00:00]
T-Mobile Representative
You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption. Acquired card has no cash access and expires in six months.
- [00:36]
Steph Curry
Make some noise for the Greatest Shooter of All time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Go Greatest of Their Era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
- [00:50]
Ernie Johnson
PAK4PA is a okay.
- [00:51]
Steph Curry
You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
- [00:54]
Charles Barkley
That's so tough. That's why we tap these conversations. That's why we absolutely love it.
- [00:58]
Steph Curry
Listen to Go T E Greatest of Their Era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:06]
Greg Rosenthal
What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs, mock drafts to my top 101 free agents, we'll have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
- [01:36]
Julie Stewart-Banks
What's up everyone? Julie Swearbanks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.
- [01:41]
Nate Thompson
We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.
- [01:44]
Julie Stewart-Banks
The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
- [01:47]
Nate Thompson
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?
- [01:52]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.
- [01:56]
Nate Thompson
Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.
- [02:01]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:10]
Draymond Green
The Volume what's up everybody? Welcome back to the Draymond Green show with my brother bd. What's happening?
- [02:25]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
What's up my bro? What's going on? How you feel?
- [02:28]
Draymond Green
I feel great, brother. I feel great. I'll be honest with y'all. This this next guest we have. I don't know how we pulled this off.
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Ernie Johnson
Wow.
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Draymond Green
Other than him being one of the best human beings to work in sports.
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Ernie Johnson
Wow.
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Draymond Green
The absolute best. He has had an impact on my career in media. He's had an impact on BD's career in media and quite honestly your favorite sports stars and when I sports media stars, he's had an impact on and even if they haven't worked with him directly, he's had an impact on because he's shaped, he's helped shape media being a part of the game the way it is in the NBA. And we are honored to have this next guest. He is a six time Sports Emmy Award winner, hosting 21 Sports Emmy winner inside the NBA. A National Sportscaster of the Year 2023 Sports Broadcasting hall of Fame inductee and quite honestly someone that I think is going to actually end up in the Naismith hall of Fame because of the impact that he's had on the game. And I am honored.
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Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
I gotta just sprinkle some ism on top of that. You be talking about the maestro of media, the host with the most the neato stat for brands. The orchestrator of entertainment where sports media entertainment connects. He is the godfather of knowing how to get it done. Run the show. The man, the legend, Ernie Johnson.
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Ernie Johnson
Man, how can I possibly live it? I cannot possibly live up to that introduction. Fellas, it is so good to be with you all today. Thanks for, thanks for asking.
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Draymond Green
Absolutely. It's an honor. We appreciate you coming on the show. This has been one that I've been looking forward to for the longest. And I know soon as Charles, our producer mentioned your name, BD was like.
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Ernie Johnson
What Ernie on the show.
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Draymond Green
Let's go. So we are excited. By the way, Ernie, I recently saw a video for the Final Chamber, the Wu Tang Forever tour. The trailer, how did Wu Tang recruit you and get you narrating that video? That is amazing.
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Ernie Johnson
And that was totally out of the blue gray. It was my, my agent, Bobby Height with the career Sports and entertainment CSE in Atlanta. He's. He's the guy who comes to me with all requests, speaking engagements, et cetera, et cetera. So I get this email about 10 days ago and he lays this out. He said, you know, Wuang Clan would like you to voice the, this announcement of their, of their tour. And I'm like, this, is this really coming to me? And I'm looking at this script and I'm saying, let's see. Can I picture myself saying old dirty bastard? And I sound like, sure, if this is what they want, I'd Be happy to do it. And so it just happened. I went into the studio when we were. We were there to work on a Thursday night, and so just need to record something here and knocked it out, sent it on. And then about three days later, on my timeline, here it comes. It was. It was pretty. It was pretty amazing, you know, But I guess, you know, Rizza calls and asks, then I'm gonna. Who am I to say no? So. So there you go. That's kind of how that all came about.
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Draymond Green
Doing those. Those different things like that that you've had the opportunity to do. Like, what are some of the cooler ones? Like, you know, this Wu Tang, but what are some of the cooler things that you've come across? That's not necessarily sports, but it's kind of sports adjacent because. And sports has kind of led you to these platforms and doing these different things. What's some of the neater ones that you've done?
- [06:56]
Ernie Johnson
Well, I mean, one of the things is, you know, I've been doing the NBA 2K for years and years with Kenny and Shaq, which I. You. Which after a while, then you. You come to understand that that's how, like, a lot of the younger viewers, that's how they know you. You know, it's not that they look at you and say, oh, yeah, it's. They hear my voice. And so, like, I can be in the. In the checkout line at the grocery store and say something back to the cashier, and a kid behind me says, you're the 2K guy. I said, yeah, I'm one of the 2K guys. That's. So it's been fun to do that and to see how that all works. It's kind of a drain on your brain by the end of the day, you know, because you've just been sitting there for hours and just a lot of times saying the same thing in different ways. And. And then when they put you in the mocap suit and it's, you know, the whole bit. So that's been a lot of fun to do because of my longevity in this business. I mean, I've been a turner for 35 years. I actually. The thing that I enjoy the most is telling my family's story. I mean, that's. I speak to corporations all the time about the things outside of basketball, the things in my life that matter, the things that I've learned by going through adversity, etc. And I really enjoy that so much. Just being able to share, to prove to folks, look, yeah, MBA on tnt that's what I do, but it's not who I am. And so I relish the opportunities to be able to talk to folks about getting through cancer, adoption, special needs kids, you name it. And so I kind of weave a story that way with a series of photographs. And I love those mornings, those days where I can share that. So those are the things, you know, aside from doing the NBA on tnt, those are the things to me that, you know, those are the things that matter. Those are real life.
- [09:17]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
That resonates with you and definitely resonates, you know, with me and Dre Ernie. Basketball is life, but our life is bigger than basketball.
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Ernie Johnson
Right.
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Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
And who we are. This platform always gives us a great opportunity, you know, to do such. And you guys have done a great job.
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Ernie Johnson
If you pass that up, then you're, then you're not doing your job because, because just by virtue of what TNT and the NBA on TNT has meant in my career, that visibility tells a CEO somewhere, can we get that guy to talk to our group? You know, it's like, and if you, if you pass that up, then you are, you're missing the boat.
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Draymond Green
1,000%, man.
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Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Is sharing the platform, right? It's sharing the platform, being responsible. I mean, just in your journey in tnt, I would say as a viewer watching, you would think like, oh, the, you know, it's free flowing, like they can do whatever they want. Just one.
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Draymond Green
I want to know.
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Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
You're a baseball guy, right?
- [10:38]
Ernie Johnson
That's for sure. You know. Yeah. When you're. But continue. Yeah, I'm okay, so I grew up a baseball guy. But, but your point is like, when.
- [10:49]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Did the transition, like, what made you, like, what was that jump?
- [10:53]
Ernie Johnson
Okay, so here's the deal. So my dad plays for the Milwaukee Braves back in the 50s. He's on those, he's on those teams with Henry Aaron and Eddie Matthews and Warren Spawn and Luber Debt. He's a relief pitcher and he's as he, as he likes to put it, or liked to put it was, you know, I was, I was middle relief. Not good enough to start, not good enough to finish. And he's. I was a middle reliever before they were cool. And so, you know, we got a World Series wing with Milwaukee when they beat the Yankees at 57. And, and you know, I was only, you know, I was born at 56, so I don't remember. I've just seen videos of him pitching and that kind of thing. But, but his career then became, he became a, a broadcaster and was doing play by play for the Braves for 30 years when they moved to, to Atlanta. So that was in my blood. So that's what I wanted to be. I want to be a big league ball player like my dad and, and that's all I play. You know, I played that growing up. I played a little bit of hoop, nothing above JV. I was on the bomb squad. Up 30, down 30, I was in. If you passed it to me, you weren't getting it back. I was just jacking. And at that point too, you know, I was the guy who led the layup line because I was the smallest guy on the team. So like, I'm like, I'm six two now. I mean, and people still, because I stand next to Shaq, they think I'm like 5:2, but. But that was, that was my basketball career. I was a baseball guy and I actually walked on at the University of Georgia, so walked on as a freshman and was told to walk off as a sophomore. I had one year, one year wearing the red and black, man. But you know what? That freshman year, unforgettable. Look, I'm not going to get into a conversation like, oh, just, it's just three players you're talking. No, look, you guys have gone to the highest level. You know what all this is about. For folks who have never been part of that. I consider myself so blessed to have that one year of being a college ball player in the SEC and hanging out with teammates, guys who were older than I was, more mature than I was, who taught me a bunch who kind of took me under their wing and were kind of like, we got this freshman who doesn't know anything. Let's kind of, you know, look after him and take care of him. And I wasn't a great player. I was a backup first baseman. You know, that one year I went 2 for 18. That's not funny. So I went 2 for 18 with one career RBI. One career RBI, which came at the University of Tennessee on a Thursday afternoon in April. Temperature was about 67 degrees. That's all I remember. Took a fastball the other way. Knocked in a run. Looked like, looked like it was going to be the game winning run in a game that would give us the division in the sec, give us the SEC East. And so I go back to my position out there at first and I'm saying, man, I'm going to be all over the red and black with student newspaper for knocking in the run that gave us the division title. And this is a, this was a team. Tennessee had Rick Honeycutt the long time pitching coach Conridge Holloway, who was a great quarterback for Tennessee and had like a 9 million game hitting streak. So this is a good Tennessee team. But I could just see it, I could just see the headline in the red and black. And then our shortstop made an error on what should have been a game ending double play ball. And a couple hitters later a guy hit a grand slam and beat us. So there it went. So my, my heroic one career RBI went for nothing. And, but again the experience, everything that baseball, everything that sports teaches, teaches you about being a good teammate, you learn all that stuff in year there. I will never forget it. But so, so that's the long story on baseball. And, and then you know, I'm, I'm at Georgia and got great journalism school. My dad being a broadcaster, I'd never really thought about doing it and I just decided to give it a try one day and then I discovered that man, they're letting you into the games for free. You're getting to hang out and get a go to any game you want go to. And, and so I started working at the campus radio station, then worked at a rock station in the city in Athens. And then finally somebody hired me for TV a year after I graduated and I was doing the news in Macon, Georgia, which was, which was an experience. And, and but every step along the way, I don't care what profession you're in, every step along the way provides you with such a learning ground. And there were things that happened in Macon, Georgia that I'll never forget that still play into what I do now. And so it just, it goes that way. It's like, okay, so the baseball career is over. What are you going to do? And, and so it was making Georgia to Spartanburg, South Carolina to Atlanta, you know, as a news reporter. And, and the thing that's crazy and this what I tell kids all the time in journalism schools, things will happen that you don't see coming that will change the entire trajectory of your career. And for me that was that. You know, I'm in Atlanta, I'm your general assignment news reporter. I'm the guys like on the Nightbeat, ERNIE JOHNSON, Channel 2 Action News. And we get a new news director one day whose first day on the job. I'm just filling in for a sports guy who's on vacation. I'm doing a live shot at Atlanta Stadium before a Braves game. And I come into work the next day and his secretary comes in and says, raven would like to see you. Raven Matthews, the new news Director. And I'm thinking, Jesus, guy's cleaning house, he ain't wasting any time. New boss come in and say, okay, you know, get a box and get your stuff. He said, have you ever thought about doing sports? And I love sports, you know, and he said, I'm going to make you the new weekend sports anchor. And that changed everything. Changed everything about my life and about my career. And so I do that for seven years, weekends, for seven years at WSB in Atlanta. And then here comes Turner, comes knocking in 1989. Hey, wow, we'd love to have you over here. And, you know, I think geographically that helped because, you know, we're in Atlanta. Those guys are all watching the Atlanta stations all the time, and they're like, hey, we got a guy right here in town who's. I think we could use. So 35 years later, sitting here talking to y'all.
- [18:13]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Amazing.
- [18:14]
Ernie Johnson
Yeah, yeah, it's. You never know. You just never know what. What the next day is going to bring.
- [18:20]
Draymond Green
That's incredible. That's incredible story to watch. Your career. You've been on TV since I can remember, and you saying you took the internal job in 1989. I think I've told you this before. I was born in 90, so thanks for.
- [18:38]
Ernie Johnson
Thanks for that. I'm constantly looking for reminders about how old I am, and there's a very well played one right there.
- [18:49]
Draymond Green
I just thought I'd let you know, Ernie, we all know you sharp as attack 90. So, you know, as we had, my birthday was yesterday, and a friend of mine bought a great bottle of wine to dinner last night. And he's like, well, it's 89, though. It's not 90. And he's born in 89. So he got a bunch of 89 wines. He's like, it's 89. It's not 90, but 89 is a better year anyway. I was like, it's cool, Danny. I was at 89.
- [19:22]
Ernie Johnson
It's all right. That's probably a really good bottle right there. Ask bd. He knows all about those wines. Yeah, I'm feeling it right now, too.
- [19:34]
Draymond Green
Live from Napa.
- [19:39]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Let'S get into some NBA news. A major topic today facing the NBA. LeBron and Channing fry discuss why players are reluctant to take the face of the League role. After 35 years of covering the NBA on TNT, what is your perspective of why players would resist being the face of the league?
- [20:06]
Ernie Johnson
Well, you know, we had. We talked about this on the air the other night, too, about. Can. Can somebody dictate who the face of the, of the league is, or is that something you grab, you want and you seize it? Sometimes you can't help but be the face of the league. Sometimes that's all talent driven. But I think it does go hand in hand with reputation, how you carry yourself. And these days, obviously, nothing goes unchecked from one day to the next. Yeah. So you might, either, you might have the talent to be the face of the league or the guy that everybody thinks of when they think, oh, NBA, oh, I think LeBron James or NBA, I think Michael, you know, back then, that kind of thing. But I think there is some validity to that, that, that they would say, look, I don't want that pressure. I don't want every, every step I take to be scrutinized. And so, yeah, there's something to that. But I also, I also think that for some, maybe I want that. I want to be that guy. I want, you know, I want to carry the flag for the league. And with that comes the responsibility to do right, okay. Don't be in the headlines for the wrong things. That all goes. That all goes with it. Because you, you anoint somebody as the face of the NBA, then what happens when they slip up and do X or Y?
- [21:48]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Oh, yeah.
- [21:49]
Ernie Johnson
Is he not the face anymore? Again, it's one of those nebulous things. And I, and I think we're always in such a hurry these days to quantify everything that everything has to be the best. This s. He's got to be the goat. She's got to be the goat. How can he be the goat if she's a goat? You know, can't, can we just not appreciate. Can we all get along? There's just this rush. And I think part of that is, is. Is in the media thing. And whether it's sports talk or whether it's pods or was, whether. Whatever it is. But if on a sports talk show you got four hours to fill, well, we're going to spend an hour talking about who's the somebody just won a game last night with a, with a three pointer at the buzzer. Is he the greatest clutch shooter of all time? Well, how can he be? And we want to argue for. Come on, just appreciate the moment. Appreciate if we can do that. But apparently that's. That's not the way things are done anymore. That is.
- [22:51]
Draymond Green
That is indeed true. I think you're spot on with everything you said. Do you see someone that you say, I think that's who it's going to be because there's been this interesting landscape where, like, for. I feel like for the last seven years, everyone has been trying to move on from Bron and, you know, for the last three or four years, everybody's been trying to move on from Steph thinking like, oh, we got it now. Like, this young guy's coming, that young guy's coming. And it's like every year it's reverted right back to those guys, Brian, Stephen and everything they're doing. When you look around the landscape, is there someone that you see that it's like. No, I think it's going to be that person.
- [23:36]
Ernie Johnson
Yeah, I think. I mean, you look at the young guys in the league, you look at the teams that are doing well, you look at the opportunity for, what do you call it, PR or high. Listen, more visibility. Then. Then you say, well, hey, how about Luca in LA for years.
- [23:55]
Draymond Green
Yeah.
- [23:56]
Ernie Johnson
Could he become the face of the NBA? Hey, here's Shay Gilgis Alexander leading the league in score with a team that has the best record. Could he be the guy? Could Victor Wembanyama, this freak, be the guy? You know that we've never seen anybody that size do the things he does. Could he be that guy? So there are a bunch of candidates out there, but the thing to remember is this isn't an election, all right? This is not. This is not like, okay, everybody have, you know, I've been a voter for years on these, on the regular season awards. Not like you're going to add a category that says face of the league. Give us a deal. No, you know, this is not that. This is who's going to buy their play and by their character and by their leadership Persona and their. Yeah, exactly. Bd. Who's that guy? And it's not like you apply for it. It's just like, well, he's the face. You know it when you see it. And so, so that's. I think that's the way. That's the way it is, but please, let's not. Let's not put this up for a vote. No, you know, that's not the way that.
- [25:07]
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- [25:54]
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- [26:25]
T-Mobile Representative
You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption Required Card has no cash access and expires in six months.
- [27:01]
Draymond Green
Geico's motorcycle expertise gives me the coverage I need. Like 247 claims, I'm on cloud nine.
- [27:08]
Commercial Voiceover
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- [27:10]
Ernie Johnson
What's happening?
- [27:11]
Commercial Voiceover
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- [27:31]
Steph Curry
Noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Goat Greatest of Their Era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
- [27:44]
Charles Barkley
Peja 5 Dirk Ford Peja is a leak.
- [27:47]
Ernie Johnson
Okay, I'm mad at him. I left him off my list, but I still like my list.
- [27:52]
Steph Curry
You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
- [27:55]
Charles Barkley
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations. That's why we love it.
- [27:59]
Ernie Johnson
Stephen.
- [27:59]
Steph Curry
Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.
- [28:03]
Charles Barkley
When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you. There's a fear factor that's associated with anytime you're wide open. Like, you might as well just count that and get back on defense.
- [28:18]
Steph Curry
Listen to Goat G O T E greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [28:26]
Julie Stewart-Banks
It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.
- [28:36]
Nate Thompson
I wore nine NHL sweaters, and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say, and not just about hockey.
- [28:44]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast, and it's gonna be, well, it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially line mates, Nate. We're the energy line.
- [28:56]
Nate Thompson
We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers, and wait to see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.
- [29:05]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Okay. We'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do. Provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?
- [29:17]
Nate Thompson
I'm vibing Julie. I'm ready to roll.
- [29:19]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [29:30]
Draymond Green
Man. Last night, Bron reached 50,000 points regular season and postseason. You obviously saw Bron come into the league from high school and obviously become one of the greatest players, if not greatest player we've ever seen play this game. Is there some moment with Brian that stands out with you more than others? And watching his man, what is it, 22 years now? 21.
- [29:55]
Ernie Johnson
22 years, 40 years old. That night in Detroit or that night at the palace of Auburn Hills? Because that was a playoff night, and we got the show on the road 25 straight and 29 out of 30 down the stretch and. And the thing that tell, you know, and here's the great thing about the job that I have is, is being able to sit around and watch with the guys. I, I watch, we know, you know, Kenny and Shaq and Chuck and you know, Magic's been in there for a time before that. But when you watch a performance like that and then you glance over at these dudes and they're all like yeah, then you know, you seem something special. And so I think, I think that was the night that I'll never forget. I mean that's, it's amazing. And again those, those are one of those nights that, that defy description. And on another front obviously the fact that Space Jam a new legacy. I was in that, in that film obviously. And so you know, I'm still looking, I'm still, still, I'm still guys disappointed that a best supporting actor nomination for real did not, you know, I, I, I'm figuring it's probably like when they had the NBA's 50 greatest and I was working with Reggie Theus at the time and Reggie said I was number 51. So I feel like that year at the Oscars I think there were probably seven nominees for best supporting act. I was eight, he was number eight.
- [31:45]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
He did an excellent job.
- [31:48]
Ernie Johnson
He did an excellent job.
- [31:50]
Draymond Green
We need more of you on the big screen.
- [31:52]
Ernie Johnson
Hey, you know, you know what the greatest thrill about doing that was? We went to a theater to see it and took the grandkids and didn't really tell them what was going on. And then all of a sudden I pop up and they're like papi. So that was worth every second of.
- [32:12]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
That's amazing.
- [32:14]
Draymond Green
Last calendar year, little before the season started, we obviously learned the fate of TNT Sports and the landscape of what the media landscape would be in the NBA. Absolutely thrilled that inside the NBA won't be going away as TNT Sports will continue to produce it independently. The new addition will be that ESPN will feature the show at high profile NBA events next season such as the NBA Finals, which is also a different thing for you guys. How excited are you to finally get a chance to cover the NBA Finals next season after all of these years?
- [32:55]
Ernie Johnson
That's going to be a very cool part of this thing because there's always a feeling at the end of our playoff run and I'm been fortunate, you know, I'm always part of that trophy presentation with, you know, to the eastern or Western Conference champions and it's, and then you, and then all of a sudden you go back and do the post game show and then it's over. And we've done all the gone fishing pictures and it's done. I mean, it's. Yeah, it's just flat done and it's. And, and then you go back and you watch the finals and, and you're like, wow, it'd be great to be there for that. So to, to, to be part of that next year is really cool. You know, we look forward to that much. But the, but the biggest thing about this whole change. Look, it's not easy. You know, this NBA on TNT brand has been around since before you were BO and, And it was, you know, we've had games on TBS or TNT for better than 40 years. And so there, there have been these, these, these moments this year that give you cause for reflection. I mean, I remember being in Boston for opening night and standing there and saying, wow, this is, this is really the last year of the NBA on tnt. And I felt the same thing at All Star Weekend. That was our last All Star game. Our first was 2003 in Atlanta and looked like Michael. And his last All Star Game was the mvp. And, and there was foul Layton. Kobe hit free throws and Kevin Garnett was the mvp. And, and man, it's a blink. All of a sudden we're sitting there in San Francisco and saying, this is the last one. It's the last one of these All Star Games that we're going to do. So that part's been difficult, but I'm glad that we're able to salvage the show even though it's not going to be on tnt. And as many times as I've tried to explain to folks how this works, it's almost like, huh? What. What are you talking about? You're going to keep doing the show, but it's not going to be on tnt. Well, where's it going to be? Well, when you tune into some of these nights on ABC or espn, the pregame show is going to be us. We're going to still be doing it in Atlanta. We're just not going to be saying the NBA on tnt. You know, I'll see how many. I don't know what the. Over under. It will be for me on times that I speak. But, but yeah, to, to stay together with those guys, to stay together with our, our production crew. That's really important. Yeah, you know, it's the, I guess the business of basketball, you know, these things. Sometimes it happens. You know, we've been, I've been part of, you know, we had the NFL for a while, then we lost it. You know, I Did the PGA Championship forever. And then we, you know, when the rights were up, we didn't get it. And you know, the British. It happens and we've been through it, but I'm just glad that that core, not just the guys on the air, but that whole production crew will still, you know, we'll just do it. We'll just see it in different place.
- [36:09]
Draymond Green
Funny story. I've had the opportunity obviously to work with Ernie on Inside the NBA. And my first time working with the group, I get this rundown of everything that's going on. And this is during the time where everything's on Zoom, you know, and so production meetings, all these things are on Zoom. And so I log into the Zoom. I'm a new guy. I'm not going to be late for a meeting. I log into the Zoom. I log in looking for Shaq, looking for Chuck, looking, looking for Kenny. The only person I see from the show is Ernie, outside of the production crew is Ernie. And I'm like, I sit there. Ernie goes, draymond, what the hell are you doing here? I want to miss the production meeting. Get out of here. I'll log off. And I said all of that to say, Ernie, can you explain to people a day we go live at say. And I say we when I'm on the show? Say we, we start at 6:30, 6:00. We say we go live at 6:00, 7:00. Can you explain to people what your day is like when you arrive at the. At Studio J on campus and then what you're doing, preparing for a day? Because I don't think people really, truly understand everything that you do. Like, they see you obviously be the point guard and orchestrate, but they don't know everything you do. Can you explain a day to us of a 7 o'clock start time that's not end until 1:30 in the morning? Can you explain a day of Ernie Johnson to myself and the fans who love the show?
- [37:52]
Ernie Johnson
Yeah, this. Well, this answer may, may bore some folks. They may say, hey, you know, clip that piece of that Draymond and BD podcast where Ernie's talking about his preparation, because I need that for like a sleep meditation tonight. But here's the deal. It's like, it's like on those game days. Yeah, so say the pregame shows on at 7 o'clock. I'm in there. I'm in there between 10 and 11 in the morning. Because I've also got to do the steam room podcast with Charles, which is available wherever you get your podcast and I think in a way I'm like you guys. I mean, you think about in the course of an NBA season or in the course of your basketball careers, you can become a creature of habit. You can become. Look, this is, this is my game day ritual. This is my game before, you know, day before, day off ritual. And I have the exact same thing. So there are certain things that I know I need to do. And the thing to remember about it is that my preparation for that night show has been going on all week. I keep a daily log of every game played in the league.
- [39:09]
Draymond Green
Wow.
- [39:10]
Ernie Johnson
From beginning to end. So every game that's been played. Wow. I could. Hey, here it is, look. So this is. Let's see, let's see. Now I'm just opening up. So that's the last February. This is February.
- [39:26]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
So.
- [39:27]
Ernie Johnson
And it's all kind of in my own shorthand for what I. For what I can. For what I can understand. So I mean, I can look at last night. I can look at last night's Golden State game because I go through the box scores every night. And so Buddy Healed had to say it was 119. Well, the Charlotte game was 119. 101 made Golden State 33 and 28. It was the Hornets seventh straight loss. Buddy healed had 22, Curry 21 and 10 assists, Pachemski 19. Dre had 16, 12 and 7. Butler had 13. They never trailed and led by 19, 35 and 9 for miles bridges on the other side. But it's those details on every game that is played because then I can anytime then when I see teams playing again, I can refer back to that day. Okay, here's what happened in that game. So that's one of the things I do on a daily basis and then keeping these, these files on every team. So here's tomorrow night because Golden State and Brooklyn are playing tomorrow night. That's one of six games on the schedule. Neither of them play tonight. So I can, I can get through. I've got this. As the. Wow. As the Golden State Brooklyn breakdown. And I see, I update those, those team profiles every day. So with the Warriors. So yeah. So your last Post was the 23 Western Conference semis knocked out in the play in at 24, 22 champs over Boston 4 2, your home. Your record on the road is 17 and 15, 6 and 1 since the break. 9 and 1 with Jimmy Butler, you're 22 and 4. When you lead at the half, you're 7 and 1. When you allow under 100 you're 111 when you score under 100. And I don't know. And it's overkill, fellas, but. And you. And you go into every show realizing 95% of the stuff you got never going to make air. But on the off. But on the off chance that there is something in here that's, that's relevant, then you've got it and you just feel like you're into the game and you know exactly what's. What's going on. So that goes on all week. And so really just the finishing touches are put on on a game day. You know, I'll read articles from around the league, you know, look at the production format that Tim Kylie has put in. Okay, let's see what we need there. And, and then really just doing, Just doing facts and, and that kind of thing. And. And so that's it. So the preparation never ends. It's. Look, doing the show's the easy part. The work is all the prep. Yeah. And so. And so that's why, like, I mean, last night, I didn't work last night, but I worked here in my office at home because I'm flipping around from game to game, and from 9:30 until 1:30, I'm doing this stuff. But that's it. It's not like I show up on Thursday and say, hey, what happened in the league this week? You know, that's. It's like, it's just an ongoing process, but it's what makes me comfortable. It made. It's not for everybody. There are a million guys out here doing what I do, and they have their own ways of doing it. But for me, that's what makes me comfortable. And what I discovered long ago is when you're comfortable and when you're prepared, you don't get rattled.
- [42:55]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Right.
- [42:56]
Ernie Johnson
Somebody can break a backboard and throw it back to the studio for 20 minutes while they fix it and say, shoot, I can fill for two hours what you need.
- [43:03]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
I love that. I love that. The preparation, everything going into it. And then like you said, the show is easy, right? Once you get to the show, it's easy.
- [43:14]
Draymond Green
But like, I went 1.
- [43:17]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
How fun is it and how easy is it to keep those dudes on guardrails?
- [43:24]
Ernie Johnson
Kenny, Shaq, Chuck, you know, you both been in there with me. You know what it is? Every show is somewhere between a walk on the beach. Beach in a train wreck. Yeah. And half the time you don't know which it's going to be until you hit the air. And, and, and you don't Because. Because part of the deal is, look, we all have lives. We all have. Some days are good, and some days are a little rocky. And so sometimes you may be bringing that to the chair when you sit down. You've had a bad day. Shaq, you had a bad day. And he doesn't, like. Doesn't feel like taking anything. And you can tell right from the start that that's going to happen something. So really, it's just kind of a feeling out process, and it's like, okay, how's this gonna. Is the energy good in here? Oh, geez, he's. Shaq's on fire tonight. This is going to be a long. Or stuff is subdued. I don't know. Auburn law, you know, so. So you. It's. You're constantly kind of reading the room and then kind of figuring out which direction you want to go. And it's like. It's like I'm. People call me so many different things in their role, you know, whether it's, hey, he's the ringmaster. Hey, he's the point guard. He's the traffic cop. I'm actually that traffic cop who's not very good at his job because instead of trying to wave people through the intersection with no fender benders, I'm like waving Kenny this way because I know Shaq is going to broadside. And so. And so in that way, I'm a little. A little bit of a rogue traffic cop. But that's. That's how. That's how it goes, man. And if folks at home are sitting there saying, I have no idea what is going to happen next on this show, join the club, man, because half the time, I got no idea either. And again, you guys have both seen it. You know, the show can go a million different directions, and sometimes you just let it go. Yeah. And sometimes you need to try to rein the guys in and maybe.
- [45:32]
Draymond Green
Hey, okay, good.
- [45:33]
Ernie Johnson
Because, you know, Chuck has a bad habit of repeating himself. You know, he'll make. He'll make a point and then repeat it three more times before. Like the other night he was doing. I said, look, man, you're just making laps on this thing. Can we stop and move on? Okay. And so sometimes I guess I just need to let him know that. I know you've just said that four times. You know, I'm not going to let you say it five times. But yeah, that's. That's the way it goes. It's just. It's all feel. It's like. And Tim Kiley gets a lot of credit for that too, the producer, because you know, we'll get in my ear sometimes, say let's move on. Or he'll say let it go. This is good, you know, like, like we can continue to if it's a really good discussion. So. But yeah, it's all feel. It's like, okay, this is kind of run its course. Boom. Let's change. Let's change direction. Do something else.
- [46:31]
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- [47:07]
Steph Curry
Make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Goat Greatest of Their Era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
- [47:21]
Charles Barkley
Peja 5 Dirk Ford.
- [47:22]
Steph Curry
Peja is a loop.
- [47:23]
Ernie Johnson
I'm mad at him. I left him off my list, but.
- [47:26]
Steph Curry
I still like my list. You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
- [47:31]
Charles Barkley
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.
- [47:34]
Steph Curry
Yes, absolutely.
- [47:35]
Charles Barkley
Love it.
- [47:35]
Steph Curry
Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.
- [47:39]
Charles Barkley
When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you, there's a fear factor that's associated with anytime you're wide open. Like, you might as well just count that and get on back on defense.
- [47:55]
Steph Curry
Listen to Goat G O T E Greatest of Their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get.
- [48:01]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Your podcasts, it's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.
- [48:12]
Nate Thompson
I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say. And not just about hockey.
- [48:20]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's gonna be, well, it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the Energy line.
- [48:32]
Nate Thompson
We'll have plenty of folks join us. Current players, some of my former teammates, hall of famers. And wait till you see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.
- [48:41]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?
- [48:53]
Nate Thompson
I'm vibing. Julie. I'm ready to roll.
- [48:56]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Listen to energy line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [49:03]
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- [49:36]
Draymond Green
I've had so much fun on the show. You know, it's unlike anything that I've ever done. And I'm not sure in media that you can ever do anything else that's like, no, like, it's, it's. I'm not sure how you can recreate it. Like, I'm not sure. Like, I don't think it can be recreated, but it's so free flowing, but yet. And still, it's not just like haywire, though. It's not just like anything goes. Like, it's very much so, like, hey, we want to talk about these things and then if it goes somewhere else, great. But for me to have the opportunity to be on that show with you guys and just watch and learn and to watch you guys help me, you know, when I'm sitting there and can't really get a word in and you like, draymond, what about this? You know, or, you know, early when I first started, you know, we're on the break and Chuck's asking me like, hey, so what are your thoughts on Nil? And I tell him my thoughts on Nil. We come back from the break, starts talking and Chuck go, you know, Draymond has some thoughts on. And like, just throw me a lob and I go on it and just to like, have that experience. And really my first experience in media and like, really doing tv, I feel like it set me up so well for the future, just being able to work next to stars, to greats, and I just Want to say thank you for helping me move into that field, but just making it so easy for me to just go up there and speak and try to build my brand in that space. I just want to say thank you because I couldn't ask for a better experience. Right.
- [51:14]
Ernie Johnson
What's the first thing I. Trey, what's the first thing I said to you after your first show with us? I said, man, are you in a great spot? Because I don't know how much longer you're going to play, but when it's done, you can write your ticket because everybody's going to want you. It is. It's true, man. And there's. Look, some guys have it, you know, we knew right away Kenny had it. You know, Kenny was, you know, Kenny just had this way about him, this great, like, street wise, you know, you can't throw me off my game in any way you ask me anything else. And he was great. And we said, oh, man, when he's done, he's got to be part of the show. And that's always been the key to any. To any player who's tried to venture out and branch out. And a lot of times their agents are like, I'm going to try to get my guy on tv because I think, you know, this is the avenue. And there are some guys who you would see them interviewed post game or see their personality on the floor and say, oh, he might be really good on tv, but there's something about that red light going on. There's something. There's something about that red light going on. And suddenly the topic of conversation is this guy's. Is this guy's. But what am I going to say? Am I going to be honest or am I going to say what my buddy wants me to say or to say about his team? And there can be that, oh, I don't know if I want to go there. To our guys credit, they have never shied away, despite what. Despite what players in the league might say. And bd same way, you know, I talk about this, you know, with when Dre was on the show a few years ago for the first time. But it's the same way with you. When you're on the air with us, we're like, this guy gets. He's just being him. He's not like, all going to be TV guy now. You know, it's just like, this is what you got me on the show, and this is what I am. And that's all you can ask for, is somebody to be authentic and genuine. And be themselves and not hold back. And for a guy like Chuck, who was the most quotable guy in the world on every topic when he was a player who was always sought out for his opinion, he never shied away from that. And that's what, and that's what makes it work. So. And it also goes back when you talk about the free flowing conversation. It goes back to the fact that these guys are not in the production meeting because we don't want the show laid out. So they're thinking about what am I going to say about that? What am I going to say about the Bucks? What am I going to say about the Clippers? What am I going to say about Kawhi? It's going to come up. And what do you think right there? Not with, not with a bunch of oh, I'm trying to remember what I said and not with a rehearsed kind of. But we've seen enough shows that are so over re, that are so rehearsed. The opinions and the things that are happening are happening like yeah, like okay, now you're supposed to talk and I'm supposed to talk now I'm, now we're supposed to get to commercial with us. It's like, geez, who knows how it's going to go, how, you know, with all this stuff flying back and forth.
- [54:30]
Draymond Green
And that's what I think.
- [54:31]
Ernie Johnson
That's why it resonates. I think that's, that gives you more that feel like you're sitting in the living room with your, with your fellows watching. Nobody's asking for permission to talk. You know, nobody's, you don't go to commercial break and say, hey, when we come back you say this and then you say this and I'll laugh and you say this. No, we're just letting it fly. And then eventually we got to get back to the game and, and then we'll pick it up when the game's over. So that's, that's how it works.
- [54:57]
Draymond Green
Opinions sometimes can get heated. You know, you're talking about basketball, which.
- [55:01]
Ernie Johnson
Off stage love you.
- [55:07]
Draymond Green
You go through life, you start to show at 7 o'clock, it could be 12, 15. You've been there for four and a half hours, but you've been there for 13 and a half hours. But everyone else has been there for like call it five, five and a half hours. You get a little grog, you get a little tired, opinions start to clash. Have there ever been moments on a set where you felt like man, this could, this could really lean the other way like, and, like, go somewhere. We really don't want it to go amongst the guys.
- [55:33]
Ernie Johnson
No. And a lot of times, the talk from people who watch and they've asked me this thing. You ever afraid that Jack and Charles are really going to, you know, throw hands some night? I said, no, no, no. They. Look, these guys are tight. Their moms were tight. You know, there is. Their families were tight. Now this. But they. But here's the deal. They realize that every. Everybody on that show comes at the game from a different angle. And so they're going to be, you know. You know, Shaq is going to give you the big man. Got to give you 30 and 15. You know, that's just. That's the solution to everything, you know, and then Charles and Kenny will point out, look, you were Shaq.
- [56:20]
Draymond Green
You were Shaq.
- [56:21]
Ernie Johnson
Okay? You can do that. But not everybody is you. Doesn't matter. You know, And. And so I think because of that, you can have these differences of opinion. And a lot of times that comes down to, like, you know, Shaq saying the coaching doesn't matter. You know, here's a guy who's played with some of the greatest coaches of all time, but he's saying, you know, and then you get a Chuck and, man, you must have been. Enjoy the coach. And then they start. You're going to be some furniture movement. I mean, it happens on the flow. But no, I. I don't think. I don't think that that's ever been an issue of thinking, oh, yeah, these guys are really. These guys are really mad at each other. I mean, look, there. There was one time in particular. The clip has gone viral a billion times of the. You know, the night that Charles took all of Shaq's time on a sponsored album. You know, we finally get. Finally, you know, they were 25 seconds, okay, Shaq, you know, because Charles had answered. And then I was about to throw it to Shaq, and then Charles took it back because he had something else to add for the fourth time. And then when I get it back to Shaq, no, no, no. He wants to talk. He's going to think all the time. Supposed to, you know, supposed to be 1 to 2 to 3, not 1 to 2 and back to 1. Which. Which when he said it was the funniest thing I'd ever heard in my life, and I couldn't stop. And so. But what you didn't realize, he was. He was. IQ was running hot.
- [58:06]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
It was so mad.
- [58:07]
Ernie Johnson
BD this. This was during the playoffs. And bd. He came In. He came in the next night. He was. He was quiet. He wouldn't talk. The show starts, and he's just sitting here like this, and I'm having to beg him to talk, you know. Come on, now. Hey, big fella. Come on. This is a good matchup right here. You know, they don't want to fall down 31 in the series. No, they don't. Look, he's still. He's still hot. And so really, that's. That's one of the. That's one of the few times I've ever seen any kind of a carryover from one show to the next where somebody. Where somebody kind of got. Got their feelings hurt a little bit and was not going to take part in that show the next night. And I remember. I remember that pregame show ended, and Shaq immediately got up and went to the green room, and Kenny and Chuck and I looked at each other. Somebody had to have a word with the big fella because he's carrying this around.
- [59:20]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Oh, man, that seems like a great, great fun. And then I wanted to, you know, share a moment in the career that you did something Unbasketball related. I remember we made burritos. We did the Indy race where everybody kept calling me a getaway driver. And Charlotte, what are some of those moments that you enjoy, you know, from the show that you guys do, you know, off campus or activities? What are one of those moments that was.
- [59:54]
Ernie Johnson
The one in Charlotte was really fun because we went to the drag. Went to the drag strip up there and got to have those. And I'm still ticked off because I had. Because I had Candace Parker beat, and then something happened to my car. But. But we. We had those. We had that big race at Georgia Tech. All of this based on Kenny running to the board all the time, you know, and. And by the way, he never. He never challenges Draymond on that race to the board when. When Dre comes and visits us, because Drake gets to the board in about two and a half steps. And. But so that led to this big. We're going to have 100 meter dash at Georgia Tech, and it's me and Weber, Chuck, Shaq and Kenny again. This also probably available online somewhere, but it was, you know, everybody's woofing, everybody's saying why they're going to win. And it was such a bogus start. Not me. I'm the idiot who says, I'm just. I'm waiting on the gun. And I was the only guy waiting on the gun start that hundred meters. So I Immediately sat up, and I say, false start, fall start. Ain't nobody listening to me. They're gone. And Chuck. I mean, I know I would have beaten Chuck because he hasn't finished yet. And Shaq pulls a HAMMY with about 20 yards to go, and he's actually winning and is coasting to the finish line. And then Weber passes him right at the line and breaks the tape. And that was the whole. You got to run through the tape thing, but. Yeah, but it was.
- [61:40]
Draymond Green
It was.
- [61:40]
Ernie Johnson
Again, it was one of those things where it was like, who. Who thinks this up? You know, who and who pulls it off? And because we were using. This is years ago, before drones even became that big a thing. And we're looking around and these things are buzzing around. They're shooting this with drones. They're dead. And it was. It was tremendous. I just. Those are the things that. Those are the things that set us apart. I think those are the things that's like, we'll do anything, and some of it will be great, and some of it might not be funny at all and might not work, but, man, we're going to shoot our shot, and we'll see. So I think, yeah, I think that the historic moment, 100 meter dash, that was the. That was certainly one of them.
- [62:25]
Draymond Green
We've spoke about it. You've had a long career. Is there one thing out there, doesn't have to be in sports or anything. Is there one thing out there that you look at and you say, I still. I haven't done that, but I want to do that thing before I'm done?
- [62:38]
Ernie Johnson
You know what? I have been able to condition myself, Draymond, to appreciate what I have been able to do and not what I haven't been able to do. So, no, I never give that a thought. I never say, boy, this has been great, but I really want to do this. I have what I call a get to job, not a got to job. We've all seen folks at the traffic light who are driving to got to jobs. I'm doing this because I got to go to this. I got to get to job. I get to go down there and hang out with these four or these three guys and have been able to do that for 35 years. So I've always been focused on what I get to do, and never a regret and never a boy. My career could be complete if I could just do this. It's not the way it works for me.
- [63:34]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
You go from March Madness to the NBA playoffs. I would like to know which one is more intense. Which one is more interesting for you?
- [63:45]
Ernie Johnson
The prep for March Madness is so much more than for the NBA. Look, I got this NBA thing down, you know, on a nightly basis doing the things that I have to do and I know to get ready. But every college basketball season, it's like, okay, how many teams might make the tournament? And that's kind of where I start, you know, it's like I'll start really paying attention in December and just before they start getting into conference schedules and that kind of thing. And since we've been doing that for 13 years, 13, 14 years now, I have a, like this database on my computer where I've, you know, got profiles on probably 200 and something teams.
- [64:30]
Draymond Green
Wow.
- [64:31]
Ernie Johnson
So. Right. Just because over. Just because over the years, that's how many, you know, starting with that first year, it's like these. I got 100 teams here that might make the tournament, you know, depending on all these conference tournaments. And then it just increases. And then every year you're updating this. Okay, now it's this guy's 18th year as the head coach. And their March Madness history is this. And here are their top guys. And now you, you add to that equation, okay, Got to take it to the next level. Where else has this guy been? Okay, so he transferred this year from here, but the previous two years he was here and before that here. And now he's playing in his eighth year in college. So that's all. So that's all added to the preparation there. So that's where again, the amount of preparation for the. Compared to the length of the event. You're doing all this because in two, three weeks, it's all going to be over. It's, it's not like an 82 game season. It's like this thing is going to start in mid March and be over in early April. Yeah. Why is this much work getting into it? So there's still something about that tournament bd, to answer your question, that is something no other sport has, but I've seen. There's just that whole, that whole vibe around the tournament, which, you know, you don't have to be a sports fan to have a bracket.
- [65:51]
Draymond Green
Right.
- [65:52]
Ernie Johnson
You just, you know, that's. It's one of the great uniting things in our country. It is March Madness. It gets everybody together, gets people. I don't even know if there are water coolers anymore, but if you have a water cooler in your office, that's where you would gather to talk about. Wow, you really think South Dakota State can Beat. So you know, that's, and, and so it, it would bring people together even for a short time for some common ground. And, and again and the one and done nature of that, you know, leads to these, you know, these iconic buzzer beating moments that, that live forever. And that's what, yeah. So that's what's really, really special about that.
- [66:33]
Draymond Green
So.
- [66:34]
Ernie Johnson
Yeah. And the fact that I, you know, get to go to New York with Kenny and Chuck and, and, and Clark Kellogg up there again, that's, it's so much fun. And but those days and you guys have been in that NBA studio, you talk about, you know, getting in there and walking out at 2 o'clock in the morning.
- [66:50]
Draymond Green
Yeah.
- [66:50]
Ernie Johnson
I mean you're talking about games noon to one, noon to one where those, those first two days are so crazy. You're sitting around and, and it's like, okay, I'm doing a CBS halftime show, then I'm going to bring TNT on the air. Then we're doing a true TV halftime and all these are happening like boom, boom, boom. Okay, this true TV halftime is which game? Good. Okay. I've seen eight seconds of that. But luckily Clark has a good handle on it so we'll go to him. So it's that kind of a thing. It's non stop. And, and the hours are long. But I, as I've always told Kenny and, and Chuck, when those days start getting long and we're kind of getting a little bit bleary eyed. Look, if your boss told you at your job, hey, all I want you to do for the next four days is watch the tournament. You probably sign up for that and that's what we're doing.
- [67:42]
Draymond Green
In a heartbeat. I watch, I love the tournament. So I get marshmallow different. Before we get out of here. We'd love to make a good list. Could you do your top five inside the NBA moments that you in your 35 years?
- [68:00]
Ernie Johnson
Yeah, let's see. Some of them will be. This is tough to do but some of them will be like just clowning on the guys and that kind of thing. Probably the champions club ranks up there where we locked Charles out of the studio for halftime because he didn't have a ring. Only champions could get in. I think, I think the Kenny, the Kenny against Charles diaper changing contest where we melt. We melted a, a little Butterfinger microwave and put it inside the diaper and Charles nearly faded. Let's see. Retiring Kenny's jersey. Retiring. That was so funny.
- [68:51]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
That was so funny.
- [68:53]
Ernie Johnson
On the clothesline. I would say he was so upset about that. He was hot. He was so hot. I seen how this work. I'm getting out of here. I remember. Yeah, I would think Shaq, whether he's falling or being pushed into Christmas trees or the night. The night that he actually got his foot wrapped around the cable and pulled the monitor out of the set that goes up there. But here's. Here's the deal, and I'll bring it back to. I'll be real. The show I'll never forget is the one we did in LA after Kobe.
- [69:35]
Draymond Green
Died.
- [69:37]
Ernie Johnson
Because they canceled the game. But we went out there and did the show mid court. Nobody in the. Nobody in the arena, and just talked about him. And for, like, Shaq, it was the first time he had a chance to talk about Kobe. You know, we bring Jerry west on, and he's balling. You know, it was. It was the most powerful show I've ever been a part of, and it was just so real and. And so raw, and it was.
- [70:06]
Draymond Green
And it.
- [70:07]
Ernie Johnson
It just. I think it was just a demonstration of the fact that, yeah, we can have some really ridiculous times on our show, and we can make you laugh and you can go to work the next day and talk about, you see what those clowns did. But also, they'll say, man, did you see. Did you see that tribute to Kobe last night? And that was probably. That's. That's the thing. If I had to look at it right now, say, the thing I will never forget about that show is that night.
- [70:35]
Draymond Green
That's incredible. I don't know how. I don't know how we can go past that. Such a great note to end on, I think, you know, when we look around the basketball landscape, obviously all of us are big Kobe fans. You know, we all miss them. So to end on that is incredible. But more importantly, Ernie, we can't thank you enough for coming on the show, sharing your stories, your backstory, going all the way back to childhood, but more importantly, just sharing your energy and your light on this show. Obviously, we're all big fans of you. As we said earlier, for us, both of us, to have the opportunity to work next to you and catch some of them assists, you'd be throwing out one of the highlights of my TV career, man.
- [71:24]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Tell me about it.
- [71:26]
Draymond Green
So just want to say thank you for really coming. It's been a complete honor and just hearing these stories, it's been a special one for me.
- [71:34]
Ernie Johnson
I appreciate you fellas. Thank you so much for having me on. And I know, hey, it's a It's a get to job, and I'm glad I could share some of it with you.
- [71:43]
Draymond Green
Yes, sir. Really appreciate you.
- [71:45]
Ernie Johnson
Thank you.
- [71:45]
Draymond Green
Much love, ej.
- [71:47]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Much love. We can't wait for the next book. Too unscripted. The first one. Amazing.
- [71:53]
Ernie Johnson
I can't wait. I can't wait.
- [71:54]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Can't wait for the next one.
- [71:56]
Ernie Johnson
Yeah, I got a few. I got a few of them up here, man.
- [71:59]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
I got one for us.
- [72:03]
Ernie Johnson
Yeah, I know.
- [72:04]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Yeah, I got.
- [72:05]
Draymond Green
You got bars.
- [72:06]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Ernie got bars, right? He was shooting them bars at the. At the Legends Brush. That was. Oh, man, the way he was doing the intros. That's cool. We need a whole children's book with Ernie. Bars, bd.
- [72:21]
Ernie Johnson
You and me. I would love to do that. You know it.
- [72:24]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
I would love, like, count me in. I'll get to working.
- [72:28]
Ernie Johnson
I got you.
- [72:29]
Draymond Green
Love you. For 2% Asia fee. I feel like I brokered that. All right.
- [72:33]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
You already know. You the boss.
- [72:35]
Ernie Johnson
He brought it up at All Star Weekend, too. Just a hair late.
- [72:41]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Executive producer.
- [72:43]
Ernie Johnson
Yeah. There you go.
- [72:44]
Draymond Green
Yeah.
- [72:46]
Ernie Johnson
All right, fellas. Thank you.
- [72:47]
Draymond Green
All right. Thank you.
- [72:48]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Thank you so much.
- [72:49]
Ernie Johnson
Big dog, good luck down the stretch, man.
- [72:53]
Draymond Green
Thank you. Really appreciate it. I'll see you soon.
- [72:56]
Ernie Johnson
Yeah, you got it. And it's been. Hey, great being your teammates, both of you.
- [73:00]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Thank you.
- [73:01]
Ernie Johnson
Thank you. On. And that's been the great thing about that show, man. Getting to meet folks like you. Appreciate you.
- [73:07]
Big Diesel (Shaquille O'Neal)
Oh, man, likewise. Thank you. Highest honor to be a part of it, right?
- [73:12]
Ernie Johnson
Be good.
- [73:13]
Draymond Green
All right, Artie, the volume.