What's Wright - Knicks WIN, New York’s title drought OVER, Brunson DELIVERS, what’s next for Wemby?

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – What's Wright: Knicks WIN, New York’s Title Drought OVER, Brunson DELIVERS, What’s Next for Wemby?

Date: June 15, 2026
Host: Daniel Cormier (filling for Colin), with Damanze
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume (Episode 468)

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Episode Overview

This milestone episode details the New York Knicks’ remarkable victory in the 2026 NBA Finals, ending a 53-year championship drought. The discussion highlights Jalen Brunson’s Finals MVP run, the historical significance of the Knicks’ title, the collapse of the favored San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama, and the shifting balance of star power in the NBA. The hosts also explore what this championship means for New York, assess Brunson’s all-time Knicks legacy, and critically evaluate Wemby’s performance and future narrative.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Knicks' Championship Run (03:18, 28:01)

• Underdog Story: Despite few believing in them entering the playoffs, the Knicks captured the NBA title.
• Atmosphere in San Antonio: Daniel describes attending the closeout game, noting the huge Knicks fan turnout and the “unique environment” that made it feel like a home game in San Antonio (06:36).
• 4th Quarter Dominance: Knicks won through consistent late-game excellence, coming from behind in every Finals game and setting records for comeback victories (31:30).
• Historical Significance: The Knicks will be remembered for (a) top comeback in Finals history, (b) most dominant postseason run (+283 point margin), and (c) serving as a blueprint for future “good-not-great” regular season teams making a playoff run (28:21).

2. Jalen Brunson: Finals MVP & Knicks Legacy (08:09, 21:15)

• Peerless Performance: Brunson generated almost half the Knicks’ points in the closeout and averaged 32.5 ppg in the series (08:09).

• Playoff Riser: “Right now…maybe it’ll be different in the near future, but I don’t know how you can walk away from this series and think that if you’re trying to win a championship, Victor Wembanyama is better than Jalen Brunson.” (08:25)

• Clutch Master: Noted for getting better as games progress, dominating in the fourth quarter and executing under the harshest pressure (10:38).

• Historic Company: Compared Brunson’s Game 5 (45 points out of 94) to legendary Finals closeouts by MJ, Giannis, and Magic (11:36).

• Best Knick Ever?: Rick Brunson says Ewing is still #1; Daniel counters that Brunson’s Finals peak matches or surpasses any Knick, including Clyde and Willis Reed (21:15).

  “If there’s a Knicks fan right now that wants to argue Brunson’s the best player in basketball, you have to at least listen to that argument.” – Daniel (08:25)

3. Why the Knicks Were Different (37:16)

• Chemistry & Roles: The team’s unselfishness and role acceptance set them apart (37:24).
• Overcoming Adversity: Won without much scoring from Karl-Anthony Towns (“Cat”), whose only Game 5 basket came amidst foul trouble (34:54).
• Coaching & Management: Mike Brown credited for pressing the right buttons; front office for acquiring winners who fit Brunson, not just collecting “best available talent” (38:21).
• Glue Guys & Defining Moments: OG Anunoby’s block and tip-in, Mitchell Robinson’s offensive rebound over Wemby, and Josh Hart’s “glue guy” performances are highlighted as legendary sequences (38:21).

4. The Collapse of the Spurs & Victor Wembanyama (46:50)

• Wemby Runs Out of Gas: Showed brilliance early in games but faded by the fourth quarter; had to be subbed out late in Game 5 with the lead slipping away (47:14).

• Narrative Misconceptions: Daniel rails against the media narrative that Spurs “dominated” the series because of early leads—“Spurs won first quarters by 50 points, but lost rest of the games” (03:51, 47:14).

• Flaws in Wemby’s Profile:

  • Struggled in clutch time
  • Needs a dependable go-to move (likened to young LeBron without a jump shot)
  • Physical strength is still lacking, a concern for future durability at 7’6”
  • Minutes limit: Only played 29 mpg in the regular season, which may have hurt playoff stamina

• Sportsmanship & Perception Shift:

  • Wemby’s post-game refusals to credit the Knicks and on-court flagrant fouls noted
  • “Wemby is not as universally beloved anymore. The flagrant stuff bothered some people…the arrogance when you’re getting your ass kicked bothered some people…the failure to give the Knicks credit bothered some people.” (62:19)

  “If you have to pick one headline as to why the Spurs lost, it's because Wemby ran out of gas.” – Daniel (47:14)

5. The “Best Player in the World” Belt: Is It Vacant? (66:21)

• Brunson’s Case: May have outpaced Wemby, but consensus is the title is vacant for now.
• Comparisons to Playoff Risers: Brunson joined the exclusive club of “championship-level playoff risers” alongside Isaiah Thomas and Kawhi Leonard (66:21).
• Wemby Can Still Grow: The loss will only be held against Wemby if similar playoff failures persist.

6. Spurs: Future, Coaching, and “Gentleman’s Sweep” Reflection (68:36)

• Execution Failures: Spurs led for 72% of the series, double digits in all games, but melted in crucial moments (68:36).

• Player Criticism: Steph Castle (rookie guard) and De’Aaron Fox (high-priced vet) become focal points for their shooting struggles; Fox’s $200M contract complicates the depth chart (72:53).

• Coaching Gaffes: Spurs’ late-game mismanagement, including mishandling the clock and fouling situations (72:53).

• No Guarantees: Discussion of young Finals cores (e.g., 2012 Thunder) that never returned, cautioning against assuming the Spurs will dominate the future (76:33).

  “None of this shit is guaranteed.” – Daniel (76:33)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Brunson’s dominance:
  “Brunson had a his final three baskets of the season were the herky jerky little elbow shoulder to Wimby’s ribs, stop, start, layup… championship on the line, blow past Castle, right in the paint, floater.” (12:50)
• On historic Knicks:
  “They are going to stand the test of time for three very distinct reasons…” (28:21)
• On Wemby’s late-game weakness:
  “Wemby is not able to play huge, high-intensity playoff minutes at a super high level. He can give you bursts.” (47:14)
• Brunson’s Finals peak:
  “As far as peak, Brunson can go peak for peak with any of those guys.” (22:24)
• On the nature of NBA Finals:
  “None of this shit is guaranteed... Shaq made the finals in his third year, didn’t get back for five years, and had to switch teams.” (76:33)
• On perception after the championship:
  “2026 champion New York Knicks: still a little disrespected. 2026 San Antonio Spurs: still a little overrated.” (79:45)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Knicks fan turnout in San Antonio: 06:36
• Brunson’s Finals dominance, best Knicks debate: 08:09 – 22:24
• Knicks as a historically significant team: 28:21
• Comebacks and playoff margin history: 31:30 – 32:56
• Winning without Cat, team chemistry: 34:54 – 37:24
• Mike Brown’s coaching/rebuild path: 38:21
• Wemby’s flaws and Finals narrative: 46:50 – 55:44
• “Best in the world” title debate: 66:11 – 66:21
• Spurs’ blown leads & coaching blunders: 68:36 – 72:53
• Cautionary tales about Finals cores: 76:33

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Conclusion & Takeaways

• The Knicks’ win is a landmark for both New York sports and NBA playoff narratives—driven by clutch performances, historic comebacks, and role-player heroics.
• Jalen Brunson’s legacy grows—he’s now neck-and-neck with all-time Knicks greats and enters the “greatest playoff risers” conversation.
• The “best player in the world” conversation is unsettled, widened by Wemby’s late-series collapse and perception hits.
• The Spurs, once seen as a coming dynasty, are now left with tough contract/rotation questions and humbled by the Knicks’ superior execution.
• The podcast urges listeners to appreciate how fleeting NBA windows are, warning that no core is ever truly safe from regression or breakup.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This detailed breakdown captures the enthusiasm, strategic depth, and historical context—alongside the color commentary and passion of Daniel Cormier and Damanze. From the sheer improbability of the Knicks’ comeback-laden title to the underbelly of NBA narratives and superstar legacies, this episode is a must for anyone following the NBA’s evolving power structure.

Transcript

[Daniel Cormier]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Jeff T]

Guaranteed Human.

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[Colin Coward]

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[Damanze]

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[Daniel Cormier]

This is Daniel Cormier from the Daniel Cormier Show. This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. Power doesn't wait in the octagon or outside of it. You either make the move or you miss the moment. That's why you need a network that's just as powerful as you are. With Total Wireless, you get unlimited 5G data keeping you in the action from the walkouts to the knockouts. Now that's a total power move. Make your total power move today. Visit totalwireless.com or stop by your neighborhood Total Wireless Store. Additional terms apply. See totalwireless.com for details. Welcome in what Driving The Gride Episode 468 this episode of what's Right in the Gride is presented to you as always by our friends at Boost Mobile. And for the eighth time in the last eight years, we have a new NBA champion. The underdog Going into the series, the almost no one believed in them as championship contenders going into the playoffs. And going into the playoffs, I was on that list of non believers as well. Even though I came around far quicker than most. Our 2026 NBA champions are the New York Knicks. I was lucky enough to be in the building in San Antonio for that game. More on that in a moment. Damanze, great to see you. How are you this afternoon? Not this morning. Sorry for the late start today but had a lot going on. How are you?

[Damanze]

Good to see you, Pops. I'm great. I'm great. Bittersweet team that needed a win. They won.

[Daniel Cormier]

Abby, let me ask you a question. Was there any piece of you that by the end of the series found yourself rooting for the Knicks?

[Damanze]

I can't say that I was ever rooting against the Knicks throughout the series. Like I wanted Wimby to win, you know, and all that stuff. But yes, by the, by the end of the series and when it was over, I thought that the the right team won. I like that team. I like how everybody likes each other. It seems like a family situation over there. Yes, I'm. I'm really happy.

[Daniel Cormier]

Well, it's literally some of it is literal family with Jalen, Rick Brunson, obviously. The Villanova guys are college and then pro family cat. They all seem to love Cat even though he's in og, even though they're not part of the Villanova crew. It was the right winner and there is a lot we are going to get into today. But almost nothing has irritated me more than the narrative that the spurs dominated the majority of this series. Guys, if there's a horse that in every race gets out to a huge lead and in every race runs out of steam with five furlongs to go and gets caught before the wire, that horse did not dominate the race. It ran a bad race. And the idea that the San Antonio spurs dominated this series because they were awesome in the first quarter and then gassed by the fourth quarter, every single game save one, is ridiculous. We will get more into that in a bit. I do want to give the Knicks their flowers first. But first straight to voicemail. Brought to you by our friends at Boost Mobile. The Seahawks get their super bowl rings. Kenneth Walker wasn't there. He's on the Chiefs now. Tim Chalamet celebrates with the Knicks and in the Stanley cup finals, that I will admit I was not that locked in on. The Hurricanes defeated the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Probably terrible financial news for my buddy Nacho, but I don't really have any sympathy for anyone's bad financial news because I Took a lot of my winnings from the Knicks winning the championship and put them on Spain -1200 on the money line because I thought that's free money. Spoiler alert, kids. No such thing as free money. It's something I already know, but Cape Verde is. It has as many people as Wyoming and Spain's supposed to be the best team in the world. So I thought I would be able to pick up a little bit of cream off the top there. Not so much. I am rallying, though. Today is a big show. Reminder to everyone. You can email mailbag questions to us at what's right, mailbag. Gmail com. All right, Damanze, let's get right into it.

[Damanze]

So you were actually in attendance in San Antonio to see the Knicks close out the series and win the Finals. Tell us about that experience.

[Daniel Cormier]

Well, listen, I. I want to get into the game quickly, but this is what I will say. The TV undersold what a percentage of the crowd was Knicks fans. And the reason I know that is because after the game, Knicks fans obviously stayed to watch the trophy presentation. And I never take pictures or video when I'm at events. I try to just be in the moment. But I did, for documentation purposes, take a panoramic video of the full stadium 20 minutes after the game ended during the trophy presentation. And I'm here to tell you, 65% of the stadium was still full. So even if we think, you know, 10% of that was spurs fans that were like, hey, it's history. Let me stick around and watch it. More than half of the crowd, I would have estimated about 60% of the crowd was Knicks fans. And it made it a very unique environment where both fan bases were just super loud. And you could also feel when the spurs had a lead in the fourth quarter, but it was dwindling the that even though they were the team leading, the Knicks fans were the team that was confident and the spurs fans were the ones that were getting nervous. We will get more to the spurs later in the show, but we must start Damanze with the champions. Let's get to Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks.

[Damanze]

Yeah. So we'll get to the Knicks as a whole later. But Jalen Brunson, man, he was responsible for just under a half of their points in this closeout game. He also secured his Finals mvp. How impressed were you with Small Guard and his achievements in these Finals?

[Daniel Cormier]

I don't know how you could be possibly more impressed. And I don't know how you could walk away from this series and feel like right now, in this moment, maybe it'll be different in short, in the short near future. But I don't know how you can walk away from this series and think that if you're trying to win a championship, Victor Wimbanyama is better than Jalen Brunson. For as long as basketball has existed, the single most important trait anyone can have is getting a bucket. The ability to go get a bucket at every level of basketball at, in every era of basketball is the most important skill. And right now, Jalen Brunson is as good as anybody in the league at going to get a bucket. You add to that that he is the, I think, number one draft pick for clutch situations in the league. You add to that that he only seems to get better as the game goes on and is at his absolute best in the fourth quarter. You add to that that despite his stature, he is as reliable and as durable as any player in the league. And then you add to it that he just had an absolute utter masterpiece to close out an NBA championship. And if someone, if there's a Knicks fan right now that wants to argue Brunson's the best player in basketball, you have to at least listen to that argument. He can't thoroughly outplay the guy that all of us were calling, myself included, two weeks ago, three weeks ago, the best player in the sport put up an all time great closeout game in the finals to finish off a finals where points were hard to come by for literally everyone else in the series. And he averaged 32 and a half and not at least be open to the possibility that size, profile and draft position and all of that notwithstanding that this guy's as effective as any player in the league, 45 plus to win a championship. Giannis a few years ago, Bob Pettit a hundred years ago, Michael Jordan in game six against the Jazz. Jalen Brunson two nights ago. That's the list. Fifth on that list with 42 in a closeout. The most famous game of Magic's career when he was a rookie, jumped center for Kareem and dropped 42 in game six of the finals as a rookie. And I have said for years that I think the best game of Michael Jordan's career is the his final game as a Bull. And he had higher scoring finals games and many higher scoring playoff games and a ton more efficient games. But the team scored 89 and he scored 45 of them. Well, when the Knicks had eight, when the Knicks had 90, Brunson had 45. Of them. Brunson scored 15 of 17 Knicks points during a stretch of the fourth quarter, including 13 straight himself. Brunson had a his final three baskets of the season were the herky jerky little elbow shoulder to Wimby's ribs, stop, start, layup. Then the next basket he scored was when Wimby was on the bench resting with five minutes left in the NBA finals. He went straight to the basket and then the next bucket was with Wimby back in the game tied up. 88. 88. One minute left. Championship on the line. Blow past Castle right in the paint floater. Wimby's flat footed doesn't even get off the ground as everyone else was getting more tired. He he was getting stronger. And it was unquestioned faith and belief from his teammates and from everyone in the crowd that he was going to be able to do exactly that. And since he's been a Nick, only Isaiah Hartenstein has more playoff wins. Some of those came as Jalen Brunson's teammate. Only SGA is averaging more more points in the playoffs and it's by like 2/10 of a point. No one has more 30 point games, 35 point games or 40 point games. And he just put on a elimination game master class right after he was at the helm of the greatest comeback in playoff history. If that doesn't help rewrite who a player is, what his ceiling is and what ev it is not. I am not someone that believes. I've never been someone that believes, hey, well if you win the championship, you're the best player. Chauncey Billups was never the best player. No one ever argued that Chauncey was the best player in the league. Jalen Brown was not the best player in the league. There's plenty of guys that have been Finals MVP that nobody thought was best player in the league. I get that. But the comp for what Jalen Brunson just did is not Chauncey Billups. It is much closer to to Pistons Isaiah Thomas and when Pistons Isaiah Thomas, he actually didn't win finals MVP until his second ring. But when they won the championship and it's like well he's not better than Bird, he's not better than Magic, he's not better than Michael. And it's like okay, maybe, but he has now beaten them all en route to the playoffs. He has does now have a playoff series under his belt. At least one and maybe and for some of those guys, more than one where he outplayed that guy and he has shown his entire basketball life that he flatly and simply understands what, what it takes to win and how to win. What's that worth? What is that worth? It can't be worth nothing. And I'm just. I also don't want this to be lost in it when we're discussing it. What this means for Brunson. No one thought he had the better team. They, they were big underdogs. Nobody thought that he had the better supporting cast. Everyone was over the moon about Castle and Harper. This was supposed to be championship one of a dynastic run for the spurs and they got beaten five games and in the fourth quarters Jalen Brunson averaged 11 points a fourth quarter. This stat courtesy of Zach Lowe. The Knicks won the finals all through fourth quarter excellence. Despite the fact that that the Knicks third leading fourth quarter scorer in the finals was Landry Shamut and fourth leading was Jose Alvarado's eight points. It was Brunson and Anna Nobi and that's it. Cat Bridges and Josh Hart combined in the finals combined in the finals for 14 fourth quarter points. And the Knicks dominated the fourth quarters. Damon, what else do we have on Brunson?

[Damanze]

Do you think that this is a magical run by Brunson or is this something that we should expect from him moving forward?

[Daniel Cormier]

I mean it's going to be hard to duplicate this, but I certainly expect him to be a playoff riser moving forward. I, I mean that's. You have as much faith in him

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[Daniel Cormier]

anyone in the league in this spot. You just have to. And ask me the next one because I think it's there. It speaks to it.

[Damanze]

Brunson went on a 100 solo run to tie things up late in the fourth. How would you describe what that run felt like in the building?

[Daniel Cormier]

The spurs fans knew there was nothing that the spurs were going to be able to do. And that's what. And that is really the final step of this where the opposing fan base is like dude, we're screwed. Yeah, like we can't stop this guy.

[Damanze]

And especially with last game how the last game went. Like the spurs fans I don't think could have gotten comfortable at any point throughout game five.

[Daniel Cormier]

And it. Listen, obviously this series was not just about Brunson and we'll get to the Knicks as a whole and then we'll get to the spurs side of things. But he is just an unstoppable closer and the spurs were supposed to have the perfect team to stop him. Big physical, awesome defensive guards with a 7 foot 6 unicorn patrolling the paint. But Here is the thing people have wrong about the Brunson and Wimy dynamic. Wimy is not much bigger than Jalen Brunson. He is stronger. I'm sorry, he is taller than Jalen Brunson. But Brunson is so much stronger than him, like, like laughably stronger than him

[Colin Coward]

that

[Daniel Cormier]

the fact that Wimy is literally, I believe, a foot and a half taller than Brunson. Because I believe Wimy is 76 and I believe Brunson is 6 foot even. So that's a foot and a half taller. As the game wore on, that mattered less and less. All right, one more Brunson question to Monte about the greatest Knicks.

[Damanze]

So after the game, Rick Brunson said that Patrick Ewing is still the greatest Knick ever. Was he correct?

[Daniel Cormier]

Depends on what you value. Ewing never. And I love Ewing. There's a period of my life where he's my favorite athlete. Ewing never hit a peak this high and not just because Jalen won the championship. Ewing's best, you know, the highest MVP finish was the same as Brunson's fifth. He might have had one fourth. I'm not sure. Ewing was never cons markedly higher in the NBA, his NBA ecosystem than Brunson is right now. Because when Ewing was playing like he wasn't as good as Michael, but there, you know, he wasn't as good as Akeem, there was an argument between him and David Robinson. There was Karl Malone, there was Charles Barkley. Guys, it's a similar spot Brunson's in. And Ewing never hit a peak this high. Now Clyde, during the Willis reed game had 36, a 36.7 rebound, 19 assist game seven of the finals. That game trumps even this one.

[Damanze]

But

[Daniel Cormier]

so you can argue that this isn't the highest peak, that Clyde's was the highest peak, but it's at least eye to eye with it. So I don't know Ewing's resume and Clyde's as well for that matter. And Willis Reed. Willis Reed did win mvp. They're just deeper, sturdier resumes. But as far as peak, Brunson can go peak for peak with any of those guys. And as far as Clyde and Willis Reed, who are top four Knicks ever had each other, Ewing didn't have anyone like that. But Ewing didn't get over the hump. Brunson just did. And so he if he's not already the greatest Nick ever, he will be. And he is the most important Nick ever. We'll talk about the other Knicks in a second. But first, today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet. Florida's sportsbook, the world's biggest soccer tournament is here. Everyone is watching. National pride is on the line, Superstars are chasing immortality, and for the next month, every match feels like a final. If you haven't tried Hard Rock Bet yet, there's no better time to get in the game. Hard Rock Bet is a top rated sportsbook app built to viva Lapa. Whether you're backing your country, betting on your favorite superstar, or building a same game parlay for the biggest matches of the tournament, Hard Rock Bet is your way to get in on the action. If you're ever late to kickoff, don't worry. Hard Rock Bet lets you live bet all match long, from the first minute to the final whistle. Plus, Hard Rock Bet has new promos daily. We're talking about Profit Boost, no Sweat bets, bonus bets and more. And be sure to check out no Goals, no Problem and Super Sub two promos designed to give your bets insurance all tournament long. Sign up with Hard Rock Bet today and place a five dollar bet. If it wins, you'll score an extra 150 in bonus bets, a winning bet plus an extra $150 to bet with. Now that's how you get this summer's party started. Hard Rock Bet is Florida's only legal sports book, but you don't have to be in Florida to join the party. Hard Rock B is also live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado and Michigan. Download the Hard Rock Bet app today. Roll with us. Goal with us.

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[Colin Coward]

Hi, it's Colin Coward from the Colin Coward Podcast. All right, you know what deserves more attention? The assists. Everybody talks about the goal. A big moment that gets replayed on the highlight reels. But too often we overlook all the contributions and collabs that happen along the way. That's true in soccer and honestly true in life. Halion is shining a light on the assists. An official partner of U.S. soccer, they got a whole lineup of brands ready to deliver for you. So here they are. Sensodyne Dentist recommended Defense of your sensitive teeth. Centrum. Fueling your day with science backed nutrients. Advil of course. Powerful inflammation fighting pain relief. Voltaren Arthritis gel Helps penetrate deep, keeps the joints moving and tums ready to counterattack with fast heartburn relief. These are brands that are ready to deliver your essential wellness assists. Because every goal starts with an assist. Learn how Halion can assist your game day [e-mail] calling this is Jeff T

[Jeff T]

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[Damanze]

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[Daniel Cormier]

reminder everybody like rate and subscribe. Review the pod. It would be greatly appreciated. All right Damanji, let's talk Knicks before we get to the spurs and Wemby

[Damanze]

to the Knicks as a whole. Champions after 50, 53 year drought. It was not easy. Now the playoff run was super easy. But they overcame double digit, double digit losses or double digit deficits in every single game in these finals. How would you remember this team and are they historically memorable teams? Team?

[Daniel Cormier]

Oh well, they're, they are going to stand that. This is not prisoner of the moment stuff, Dean. They are going to stand the test of time for two very distinct reasons. Three actually, three very distinct reasons. Number one, every time a team is down big at halftime of the finals, from now until eternity and they show the biggest Finals halftime deficits overcome, the Knicks are going to be at the top or still on that list somewhere. So that game four Knicks win is going to be brought up and referenced every year at some point in the finals when a team is down huge at halftime. So that's one way they will be memorable or remembered. Another one. Every time a team is having a dominating postseason, blowing people out and they show the list of most dominant postseason runs, number one with a bullet will be this year's Knicks team. This Knicks team, plus 283 postseason margin of victory is so far ahead of second place to Maze. If they took out the 51 point win over the Hawks, it's still the most dominant postseason. This second place is 53 points behind them. So forever. So whenever a team is down huge at halftime of the finals, this Knicks team will get brought up. Whenever a team is going on a crazy postseason run, this next team will get brought up and maybe more relevant than any of those. Every team that has a good but not great regular season and gets into the playoffs as a low 50s win three or a four seed, someone in their organization, player, coach, GM is going to reference this Knicks team. Why do you believe? Well, we think much like the Knicks a few years ago, we're hitting our stride at the exact right time. We're gelling and we have an extra gear to hit. So they will definitively be a historically memorable team. Now will they be considered a historically great team or a good team that got on one of the craziest heaters ever? That is dependent on what they do next season. We talk about this on the TV show a lot. But the only team that is considered historically all time great that did not validate it the following season was the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers. And that was in part because they went 121 in the playoffs. They had made the Finals a bunch of years before. They added Moses Malone to Dr. J and then they, you know, fizzled after that and there's. But they're still considered an all time great team. Every other team that we consider an all time great team. It was the conjunction of their title and what the title defense looked like. So we'll see about that piece of it. But here's the other thing I will remember about them. Yes, Damanze. They had a insane fourth quarter comeback against the Cavs. Down 22 with seven and a half minutes left. But aside from that, this postseason they had. They didn't really have any going into the finals comebacks because they were just beating everybody so badly. It was blowouts for them to then in the playoffs. It's not only. This is something I think people are missing a bit. It's not only that they were down double digits at some point in every

[Jeff T]

game

[Daniel Cormier]

in the last 30 years in the NBA Finals. So 30 years of finals. We're talking like 175 games. As far as biggest deficits overcome at any point in the second half, the Knicks now have number one, number three and number seven. They have the first, the third and the seventh biggest second half Finals comeback comebacks in the last 30 years. This is so this is how numb we got to it. Game five demons, the game that just happened, that was the third biggest second half finals comeback of the last 30 years. Didn't even feel that surprising. Down 15 in the second half of the Finals. The only greater comebacks than that in the last 30 years is a Lakers Celtics game from 2010. And what the Knicks did in game four. That's it. And at no point, because of what they had conditioned us to feel like was it out of reach.

[Damanze]

Just been so of the game. Every single game went like that.

[Daniel Cormier]

Every single game followed the same blueprint. And for them, well, you. You can ask me these follow ups and then we'll get to this other stuff, but go ahead.

[Damanze]

So how much more impressive was this win considering that they basically did it without Carl. Oh, Carl. Without Cat.

[Daniel Cormier]

I mean it's. You can call him Carl.

[Damanze]

Yeah, I mean his name is Carl.

[Daniel Cormier]

I mean he scored two points. He's in foul trouble the whole time.

[Colin Coward]

He.

[Daniel Cormier]

And he. He now has the record demanze of best plus minus for any individual player in a playoff run in NBA history. He was so important. His ability to stay on the court was so important to what they were going to be able to do against Wimby. And so the fact that in game five he only scored one basket. They were minus four in his minutes, which means they were plus eight in the minutes. He didn't play is remarkable. The fact that they won game four, Game five, despite the fact that. Did anyone other than Brunson play even a good game? I like. Is anybody other than Brunson? Maybe Josh Hart feels good about his game. I. But does anybody feel great about their individual performance? I don't think so.

[Damanze]

I feel like we might have had his worst game of the series.

[Daniel Cormier]

Oh, and he's been worst by far. They got nine points off the bench. They. And they won it anyway. So. I mean, Dylan Harper had 25 bench points himself. The Knicks had nine. So it was. It's why Brunson's 45 is just so crazy. 45 when your team scores 1:30 is one thing. 45 when the team scores 94 and the last four are free throws is just bananas. All right, let's keep going.

[Damanze]

What do you think was so special about this New York team that the league wasn't able to replicate?

[Daniel Cormier]

I.

[Damanze]

I would come. I would say the chemistry off the top like that. I just think that your players liking each other and genuinely want to play for each other is a huge thing.

[Daniel Cormier]

And everyone a first cousin of that. Everyone embracing and accepting their exact role. And EV and them not getting ahead of themselves within a game. When they were down 16, it wasn't like, all right, we got to get it down to two. It was like, okay, get it to 14, get it to 12. And not getting ahead of themselves in the series. Like the spurs were talking about more about winning the championship. Down 3:1 than the Knicks were up 3:1.

[Damanze]

Yeah.

[Daniel Cormier]

And again, we'll get to the spurs stuff in a minute. What else?

[Damanze]

Who were the biggest winners from this title run?

[Daniel Cormier]

So we've talked a lot about Brunson Cat, even though, you know, it's so funny. Cat was so spectacular in game one and in the first two and a half quarters of game two until he got that fourth foul and it was basically sidelined for the series. It didn't matter. OG Is a legend forever and has one of the most famous singular plays and sequences the block into that. The tip in. In recent or maybe all of NBA history. Mike Brown, who we've talked about his, you know, coaching career before. Mike, he's the Cavs head coach with LeBron. They think that it will help them keep LeBron if they fire him. They fire him. LeBron leaves anyway. He's then the Lakers head coach. With Kobe, it is going okay. And then the next year, they start one and four. They fire him so they can bring in Dan, Tony he then they the Cavs bring him back. They then fire him to bring in David BLATT and then LeBron decides to come back. He then, you know, goes to Golden State, wins a bunch of championships as an assistant and then gets another shot with the Kings. With the Kings. He gets him to the playoffs. He gets him to the play in. They then start the next year at 13 and 18. They fire him and then he was what looked like the Knicks like fourth choice after they fired Tibbs and he just pressed all the right buttons and was so excellent throughout. So he is a huge winner. Obviously Leon Rose and Worldwide west for not falling prey to the idea that you should try to acquire players based purely off where they are and you know the current NBA rankings. Like there are a lot of players that are better players than Mikhail Bridges that you could have acquired for those five first round picks but they'd be better fits alongside Brunson. They understood if bro, if we're going to build around Brunson than having guys like OG and Bridges are table stakes to having a good defense. Had the courage even though they were the Nova Knicks to include Diva Jenzo who I feel sick for in the along with Julius Randle. Go get cat. Had the courage to fire Tom Thibodeau after the team makes first conference finals in a quarter century. So they're huge winners. Josh. Oh yeah, of course. Rick. Yeah, Rick Brunson. Josh Hart is going to be like the go to example of glue guy. Excuse me. Like so every. All these guys are winners, man. The and Mitchell Robinson with one of the biggest offensive rebounds anyone's ever seen on that missed free throw down three bullying Wimby. So the only other huge winner from the Knicks title run that I didn't mention is probably Chet who's like yeah, like thank God

[Damanze]

little guards too.

[Daniel Cormier]

Oh, yards little. Well and here's the other huge winner every other team in the league because if the spurs won, you can't duplicate the spurs model. First of all, the league just literally made it illegal for you to have three straight top five picks. So that part's gone. But you also you can't draft. There's not another Wimby you can emulate the Knicks model and it. So all of that. All right, it's. I wanted to. I'm confession time for me. The Knicks are the champs and so the Knicks deserve that first 40 minutes of the show. I am actually more interested in what we're about to talk about. But first, as you get into your 30s or even your 40s you may have the same workout, same diet, but feel like you're moving through the mud. Nobody tells you about this stuff and one day you're crushing it, the next day you're wondering why everything feels twice as hard. Because here's the thing, most men start losing testosterone around age 30, about 1% every year. After that, here's what I learned. Your body makes testosterone, but a lot of it gets locked up and can't be used. There's a protein called SHBG that basically handcuffs your testosterone. Mars Min is designed to help free lock testosterone so your body can actually use it. No synthetics, no needles, just real ingredients that help optimize energy, focus and strength. Mars Men is right here. Mars Men helps support healthy T levels, energy and stamina with eight natural, clinically dosed ingredients including vitamin D, zinc, bon and others. There's also a 90 day money back guarantee so there's no risk. Worst case, you don't absolutely love it and you get your money back. But over 91% of users report higher energy levels. Thousands of guys are feeling incredible results. Just check out the reviews on the website and see for yourself. For a limited time, our listeners can get 50% off for life plus free shipping and three free gifts@ Mengotomars.com that's Mengotomars.com for 50% off and three free gifts. When you check out after your purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them we sent you.

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[Colin Coward]

Hi, it's Colin Coward from the Colin Coward Podcast. Every goal starts with an assist. As Official partners of U.S. soccer, this team is ready to deliver Sensodyne Dentist recommended defense of your sensitive teeth Centrum Fueling your day with science backed nutrients. Advil of course. Powerful inflammation fighting pain relief Voltaren Arthritis Gel helps penetrate deep, keeps the joints moving and tums ready to counterattack with fast heartburn relief. Learn how Halion can assist your game day [e-mail] Colin this is Jeff T

[Jeff T]

from the Club Five Twenty podcast. Oh my goodness. Now this is a performance you do not want to miss. The Dell xps Powered by Intel Core Ultra. It's got the sauce, we're talking speed, style, stamina, bam and a long lasting battery life unheard of in this league. So whether you're using it for the next level, creativity, never ending productivity, or the entertainment that has you on the edge of your seat, this laptop is your mvp. Just look at the hustle. Is there anything you can't do? From the first second of the action all the way through to overtime, this thing is a powerhouse. The Dell XPS built for those with all the right moves. Built for you five technology built to

[Damanze]

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[Daniel Cormier]

all right Damanze, let's get to the losers of the NBA Finals, the San Antonio spurs and Victor Wyama.

[Damanze]

So Wimby entered this playoffs in this finals or probably playoffs with a perfect approval rating. Said all the right things, wants to be a winner, wants to win the games, does the right stuff in the offseason. But a mix of dirty plays, poor sportsmanship and fading in big moments has probably caused people to change their minds. What has your what has changed in your mind about Wimby?

[Daniel Cormier]

Well, Here's what I'm going to say because the the spurs lost. If you have to pick one headline as to why the spurs lost, it is because Wimby ran out of gas. And nothing exemplified that more than in game five after this unbelievable like shockingly dominant first quarter and a half where the Knicks scored 13 first quarter points, they couldn't get a basket in the paint. Wimby had five blocks. It was scoring, was rebounding. He quietly stopped making any impact on either end and then had to be subbed out with five minutes left in a six point. Clinging to a six point lead in the finals. Might have been a four point lead when they took him out actually. And then with 25 seconds left down 3 gets bullied by Mitchell Robinson who has one non broken hand to allow an offensive rebound on a free throw. So the Knicks conceal it in a spot where one of the reasons the spurs were losing was because when it was tied with a minute left, Wimby didn't get off the ground to contest Brunson shot. He simply ran out of gas and he simply ran out of gas after repeatedly in my opinion refusing to give the Knicks credit after the conference finals he celebrated as if they had won the championship. In my opinion that was because he thought light work in the finals. After game one he said I don't even have to play. It's not. We don't even need to play great or play good, just play normal. Game 2 Then he threw the ball off Steph Castles back, fouled Brunson and missed the game winning shot. After he was a star performer in in fact when yes after he was a star performer in the 29 point loss including two missed crunch time free throws. He said when asked how the team feels not only that they've been dominant at times in this series but that everyone believes. Then he stopped himself and said knows we're going to win now. That got reported and then folks in the room were like oh just to be clear, he was talking about the spurs mindset like that's of course that's how they feel. Of course that's what he would say. Horseshit. Of course that's what he would say. He can feel that way. But I just ask anybody right now, can you imagine Forget being down 31 if at the deus after winning both games in San Antonio, Jalen Brunson was asked how do the Knicks feel? Can you imagine Brunson saying oh we all know we're going to win the championship. That would be more logical up to oh that. Well of course that's how they feel. Of course that's but he would never say that he then and I don't care as much as some but I guess I care a little more than some that you know he left the court without congratulating the Knicks. Fine, didn't shake hands, whatever. But then in the post game press conference at no point was there the he could have at the very least done the Mike Brown complaining about the refs preamble which was Mitch Johnson and that team deserve credit. They were great. They out executed us. They won. Now that I've checked that box, let me kill the refs. He could have at the very least said listen they were better than us. When it mattered most, they beat us four out of five. You know, congrats to the champion New York Knicks. But we felt we dominated portions of the series. He didn't even get to the front part. And the second part about them dominating the series was just wrong. And that's the point I made off the top of the pod. I'm going to make it again. The spurs won the first quarter of this series by like 50 points and then lost the second quarter across the series. Lost. Lost the third quarter across the series. Lost the fourth quarter across the series. I've learned a little bit about IndyCar over the last couple years. There's this thing that Indy car drivers have called push to pass. It's this. I don't totally understand how it works. Reminds me of in the Fast and the Furious. I used to have nitrous, but it's a limited supply. If there's an Indy car driver that at the beginning of every race when everyone else is modulating or moderating how much push to pass they use, absolutely expends his whole tank and every race leads the first hundred laps and then almost every race gets tracked down by the end. That guy didn't dominate anything. He got out to an early lead and then got caught up to. Because he wasn't ever going to be able to reach the finish line. And that's who the spurs were. And one of the reasons they couldn't reach the finish line was because Victor Womenyama is not yet able to play huge high intensity playoff minutes at a super high level. He can give you bursts and this demand is where it is a tricky line to walk. Because the biggest. The three biggest. Okay, four biggest critiques of Wimby that are fair coming out of the finals. One is he was really bad in crunch time of this series. Chalk that up to youth, whatever. Like that's. He'll be. We assume he'll be better at that. No problem. Critique number two, A go to offensive move would be nice. Okay, I put that in the same bucket as young LeBron. Not having a jump shot, he'll. Let's assume he improves on that.

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[Daniel Cormier]

critique number three needs to get stronger. That one's trickier because at seven foot six, I don't know how much more weight he wants to put on that body and put on those joints and how much that impacts durability and longevity. And similar to that, critique number four, man, you've got to play more minutes in the regular season so you are more equipped to play big minutes in the playoffs. That Also, though, is in the durability longevity bucket.

[Damanze]

Is he just a full player? Because it's like, what do you do?

[Daniel Cormier]

I don't know yet, but it's one of the reasons why I have not been as bullish as all my colleagues

[Jeff T]

on,

[Daniel Cormier]

oh, he's going to own the league for a decade. Oh, he's going to, you know, you might make the Jordan LeBron debate irrelevant. He's going to be the MVB favorite. Maybe again, it's maybe, it's certainly not definitely. And then you add to it. The other thing that we learned in these finals is the guys got a weird flagrant foul fetish. He can't get enough of them. I mean, there were, There was one called flagrant foul in the finals. There were three or four more uncalled ones. And the landing zone one on Brunson. If, if there was any, if there's any integrity, and I believe there is in the league office, he was going to be suspended for game six. That has to be post game upgraded. That was as bad of a landing zone foul as you get. It also makes me so happy the Knicks won game five. And that way there's no, like, oh, yeah, they won it, but Wimby wasn't there for game six. And I, I don't, I didn't understand why the league seemed to have a different set of rules for him in and outside of the game. I also do want to say one quick thing about flagrants. Have we talked about the flagrant, flagrant zeros idea?

[Damanze]

Yep, a little bit.

[Daniel Cormier]

Okay. Yeah. So I, I think, yeah, I, I, I think the league should consider tweaking the flagrant foul point system to where unintentional blows to the head and landing zone flagrants don't get you a flagrant foul point as far as building towards suspension. Yeah, because it does make it like. And the, because the other weird thing about like the four flagrant foul points is if you're a team that's going to get popped in round one, you don't have to worry about it at all. And then just if you make the finals. But again, I don't have a lot of sympathy because Wimby would have been fine on this stuff if he didn't intentionally elbow Nas Reed in the throat. But my other frustration piece of this is that the spurs have played the Knicks seven times since the NBA Cup. They've lost six. If a team beat you six out of seven times, five in the playoffs and won the highest leverage regular season game there is The NBA Cup Final. They're just better than you. And I didn't like the. The way they refused to acknowledge that. And I'm not, I'm not. Try. Listen, I got a lot wrong in these playoffs, but the two things that I got the most right came to a head in the finals. One was I believed in what the Knicks were showing me, and the other was I did not believe that you could go from 29 minutes a game in the regular season to 40 minutes a game in the playoffs. And WIMBY in quarters one and three of these finals to Monze was like 53% from the field, rested before the game, got a little rest at halftime. Quarters two and four was like 34% from the field in game four, during the meltdown, he disappeared after the first quarter. And in game one, game five, he disappeared after the Midway park mark of the second quarter. And so I. Everybody is. And we'll get to the other spurs up in a bit. Killing de' Aaron Fox or killing Mitch Johnson, guys, everyone, myself included, was calling this guy the best player in the league. He couldn't go get you a bucket. He was, he was winded 45 minutes into these games. They sat him in crunch time of the fourth quarter because he needed a rest. All right, what else do we have here to Monze?

[Damanze]

If Wimby is ahead of schedule, career wise, do you think that it's fair that we hold this against him one day?

[Daniel Cormier]

I. So here's the thing.

[Colin Coward]

You

[Daniel Cormier]

are not going to, in my opinion, hold against him losing in the finals. And this, this season can't be anything other than a huge step in the right direction. The only way this gets used against him is if it is, because if it does become part of a pattern, if he's, if he is, if he has a bunch more late game meltdowns like game two, if his team does have more historically historic blown leads, if throughout his playoff career he just can't give you big minutes, like, then it's important. So this is where the 07 LeBron stuff is a fair comp, kind of. Now, Wimby's team was a huge favorite, LeBron's team was a huge underdog. But still, nobody really used 07 against LeBron until 2011 happened. And then when 20, when LeBron was bad in the Finals, 2011, people were like, oh, so he's bad in the final. He's been in the finals twice, been bad both times. Then once, LeBron ripped off seven more Finals in a row and was an a triple plus in all seven then nobody cared about 07, the 07 finals anymore when he was 22. They still cared about 2011 because he was 26. That's fair. But oh seven went by the wayside. So that's but I do think what is going to be held against him in this regard is I don't think he's as universally beloved anymore. I think people saw a little the flagrant stuff bothered some people. The arrogance when you're getting your ass kicked bothered some people. The failure to give the Knicks credit bothered some people. And so we'll there was just a and and I was trying to call this out throughout the year. I didn't like back in December to Monze when he said the Knicks don't play a sophisticated brand of basketball. I thought why is this kid who's never won anything telling us about yeah,

[Damanze]

I remember you had a huge father.

[Daniel Cormier]

What's sophisticated or not? I didn't like when he talked about how the spurs play an ethical brand of basketball other people don't. I didn't like when he took the podium and said, hey, here's my three pronged point platform as to why I'm the league mvp. I didn't like any of that. The media loved it. They loved it. I think so. I think people are coming a little more to my side on that stuff. And there is we will see where this story goes. He'll probably just come back better because of it. But man, it's hard and I have never been more certain about anything. That's probably a bit of a stretch, but I am just a hundred percent certain that the reason he was crying after making the Western Armonds finals was because he thought they had locked up the title and he was in denial throughout these finals that the Knicks were better than them. All right, one last quick Wimby question, then we get to the spurs as

[Damanze]

a whole is the best in the world belt still is it vacant and does Brunson hold it right now the same way Kawhi did in 2019?

[Daniel Cormier]

So I didn't think Kawhi held it in 2019. But this is Brunson and Kawhi. I use the comp early like guys who are not in the art even anywhere in the discussion for 10 greatest players of all time, but are some of the greatest championship level playoff risers of my lifetime. That's the original Isaiah Thomas Kawhi and now Jalen Brunson. I I do think the best player in the world belt is vacant because I don't think people are going to be comfortable giving it to Brunson. You can't say it's Wimby. You can't, because Wimby is right now. Maybe he will be in a week, but right now, this moment, Wimby is not better than Brunson. He's not. You can't. You the. And again, it's not just because Brunson's team won. Brunson's team was the underdog. They won in five, and he thoroughly outplayed Victor. And Brunson was best in the biggest moments, and Victor was his worst in the biggest moments. It's hard to say, well, Jokic gets to keep it. When he played, by his standards, one of his worst series since. He's been awesome. Shea just literally did play his worst series and got eaten alive by this same spurs defense that Brunson then ate alive. You know, it sounds like to me, now that I'm talking it all out, sounds like wide open for my guy, Luca. Just wide open. Get that hammy healthy, buddy. All right, Talk spurs as a whole in a second. You ever notice how everything keeps going up? Rents going up? Streaming services going up? Your favorite burrito spot suddenly thinks salsa should cost extra. Not with Boost Mode. With Boost Mobile, you and your phone bill don't have to play the Will this go up soon? Game. Why? Because Boost Mobile has unlimited talk, text and data at a price that'll never go up. In fact, it's the same price you'll pay for life. So switch now for unlimited wireless at a price that'll never go up. Only at boost mobile. After 30 gigs, customers may experience lower speeds. Customers will pay 25 per month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited plan. All right, Damanze, let's get to the Spurs.

[Damanze]

Spurs led by double digits in all five of these games and control the lead for 72% of the series. Yet it was still a gentleman's sweep. If you had to pick one of the reasons why the spurs lost this Finals, what would it be?

[Daniel Cormier]

So I just laid off, laid out the Wimby piece. And it's.

[Colin Coward]

That's.

[Daniel Cormier]

That's the biggest reason their best player ran out of gas repeatedly. The other reason is. And well, let me. The biggest reason is because the Knicks are better than them. The series that this was very similar to was that Lakers Nugget series where the Lakers won, led for 70% of the minutes and lost in five games because the Nuggets just kept hawking, walking them down and winning and similar to Wimby. LeBron ran out of gas at the end of those games. Now LeBron was 40 and had played 65000 minutes at that point in time, but still. So the biggest reason was the Knicks are better. The second biggest reason is their best player. Didn't look like it. After that we can get to failure to execute in the biggest moments. Youth, inexperience and some poor coaching.

[Colin Coward]

And

[Daniel Cormier]

as far as the youth goes, everyone's killing de' Aaron Fox. He's not part of the youth. We'll get to him in a second. No one is killing Steph Castle. And I get it. He was really good most of this series. He also did the most trash talking of anybody and said we're going to win three in a row. Said all of these things about how much better they were than the knicks. He was 1 for 10 in game five. His one make was off the victor, missed three the dunk put back down four with 30 seconds left. So Steph Castle had been excellent over the course of the series. Give you Steph Castle's numbers to be fair to him. Played great defense, gave you 15, five and four, but did it a long while shooting 37% from the field and 30% from three. So like everyone is just on De' Aaron Fox's head for giving you 13 points and six assists on 34% from the field. Steph Castle gave you 14 points and four assists on 38% from the field. Look maybe a little closer than you expect. Also you ask more from Fox because he's your vet. He's about to make 50 million. I get that. Just trying to kind of be fair in the evaluation. Dylan Harper was awesome in Game 5. Dylan Harper was excellent throughout the series. Dylan Harper was efficient. Couldn't hit a three. A lot of the spurs couldn't hit a three. Aside from Vesel and Champagne, harbor gave you 18 and six. Harper was also excellent in game four or game five. Pardon me, until the fourth quarter when Harper in that fourth quarter finished one of five and missed back to back critical free throws when they were down three and missed that layup at the end. But he was excellent throughout the series. Fox is going to be the fall guy here and here is the concern there. Do you know Daman's a Fox's contract?

[Damanze]

Like I think he's making like. What is he making like 39 or 49 million? Something like that right now?

[Daniel Cormier]

Well, so you're he right. You're kind of right on both of them. He right now is making 37. But starting next year he has a contract that starts at 49 and ends at 60. It's a four year $220 million deal that kicks in next year. So here's the problem. Steph Castle's got to start. Dylan Harper next year has to start Darren Fox. I think you'd like to keep him. Hard to have a sixth man making 55 million a year. And what type of assets are you gonna get for him when he's on that contract? I don't know. So Fox though is the big, the biggest. The guy who takes the biggest L from this series. But what should not be. Mitch Johnson did not cover himself in glory up to and including and I didn't realize this in real time and neither did the broadcasters. But an odd wrinkle in the NBA rule book is this Demase even if a team is fouled with more than 14 on the shot clock to go to the free throw line, if they miss the free throw and it's offensive rebounded, the shot clock resets 214. So that was relevant on the missed free throw by Josh Hart down through up three with 26 seconds left that Mitch Robinson bullied Wimby for the rebound and kicked it out to. Oh there was 25 on the game clock and 14 on the shot clock. No one recognized it including Mitch Johnson who told Cornette to foul and he did. The Knicks then once again went one of two. Wimby almost missed the rebound again and. But now you're down four. They didn't have to foul there. You don't foul, you play defense for 14 seconds potentially get the ball back down three 10 seconds line. Nobody recognized it. That wasn't great. When Your team blows five double digit leads including three 14 plus point second half leads, some of that's going to be on the coach. Now I don't, I don't think that you make any knee jerk changes but I am just always. I try to caution everyone about just assigning any team a bunch of titles. I would have. Who would have thought when kd, Russ Harden and Ibaka walked off the court after an incredibly hard fought five game finals loss to LeBron in the Heat that that core would not only never reach another finals, they would never play another game together. Those five guys, those four guys. Harden was traded that summer. I, I've said it before, I will say it again. It's not what I am predicting. It is just the history Akeem made the finals in year two, did not make it back for almost a decade and Demanded a trade in the in in the interim that he was not granted. LeBron made the finals in year 22 at age 22, did not make it back until year 8 and he was with a new team. Shaq made the finals in his third year in the league at age 22, maybe 23, did not make it back for five years and was with another team. None of this shit is guaranteed.

[Damanze]

And

[Daniel Cormier]

a little more humility, a little bit better coaching and your star player playing like it and in down the stretch of these games playing his best instead of playing his worst. Certainly the series is still going on and maybe the spurs have a lead in it. Instead the Knicks have ended their 53 year title drought. Jalen Brunson is the king of New York and he just had a finals performance for the ages. I right now this. Go ahead demons. A what were you about to say?

[Damanze]

No, I think it's kind of funny how the Knicks fans, I feel like, match the spurs and the spurs fans match the Knicks. Like the. The way that the bases have been acting throughout this. Throughout. Throughout this Finals. This is a very random point. And do you think that. Do you think that people will start to look at the NBA cup and who wins it as like a prediction of the Finals?

[Daniel Cormier]

I probably not. Again, maybe way, way down the road, see if they're more because the Knicks beat the spurs in it. So may I guess next year it'll have a little extra meaning. All right, real quick, before you go, before we go. Because the spurs are the Vegas favorites. The Knicks, I think have the third best odds. Fun little game. If I tell you, I'll give you 500 bucks if either of these two teams wins the title next year. If you pick it right. Which one are you picking?

[Damanze]

Two teams?

[Daniel Cormier]

No, it's just spurs or Knicks. No, I'm saying.

[Damanze]

Oh, spurs or Knicks. Oh, next year.

[Daniel Cormier]

No, I'm saying, I'm saying next year if you were to get a $500 free bet on the spurs to win the title or the Knicks to win the title odds, I'm calling it the same. Which one are you taking?

[Damanze]

I. I'd go Spurs. There I'd go Spurs.

[Daniel Cormier]

I think all of America would too. Which speaks to my point. The 2026 champion New York Knicks still a little disrespected. And the 2026 San Antonio spurs still a little overrated. Like subscribe Rate Review Great job, Demons. A. I kind of set you up for failure there at the end. My apologies. Thank you to Hard Rock Boost and Marsman. Thank you to Blue Duck and to the Volume. Talk to you guys again on Thursday.

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