Loading summary
Transcript264 lines
- [00:06]
A
What's poppin? Real Ones special crossover edition with Press Box on the way. We got Joel Anderson. We got Brian Curtis. We got Vibes. We're basically going to braid all of the streamers and network networks on their first season under the NBA TV deal. And then we're going to, you know, create our dream roster of TV personalities. All that and more next on Real Ones.
- [00:30]
B
This episode of the Ringer NBA show is presented by Ferrero. The world is watching. Go all in for your team this summer with Ferrero. Enter for the chance to win a range of prizes just by purchasing your favorite treats, like Kinder Bueno with an irresistible chocolate wafer and creamy hazelnut filling. Or Keebler Chips deluxe cookies with indulgent and rich chocolatey chunks. Or Ferrero Rocher squares with crunchy hazelnuts and milk chocolate wrapped in iconic gold. Go all in. Buy any two Ferrero brands and you could win $1,000,000. Official rules apply. Learn more at goallinandwin.com.
- [01:13]
A
We are back for Real Ones, the moment everyone's been waiting for. The Real Ones press box crossover that we seem to do every year. I got Joel Anderson. I got Brian Curtis. We are here to give our first ever power rankings of NBA studio shows. I'm very excited. And we have another segment that we're going to do at the end where we create our own studio show. I got the best in the business. The Avengers of media journalism and media criticism. How you guys doing?
- [01:50]
C
I mean, I'm flat. You know, I don't normally get to get on Netflix, man. This is a big deal for me. You know, I'm gonna tell my mom. My mom may engage in some of this content because, you know, she's got that Netflix subscription. So I'm just honored you would have us on.
- [02:05]
A
Yeah. Oh, that's dope.
- [02:06]
D
We usually prefer the Dream Team to the Avengers, just FYI, but we're good with that, too.
- [02:10]
A
Okay, okay, okay. Avengers is more my generation. That is. That's 2024. You guys are 92. I forgot. I apologize.
- [02:17]
D
We are.
- [02:21]
A
All right, let's get right into it, man. Let's talk about. Let's talk about NBC first as our first studio segment show in our power ranking. Let's start with the studio show. All right, we got Maria Taylor. They have combined her with. With Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. What have you. Let's start with Joel. What have you been your thoughts on that pairing? And give me a little bit your power rankings and how you feel about them. The best out of 10.
- [02:51]
C
So it's interesting because those three players you mentioned are probably. If there was some sort of ranking of the coolest players of the aughts or whatever, they would probably be it. Vince Carter, who was the dunk champ. Tracy McGrady, who. I mean, the only guy I've ever seen throw the ball off the backboard and dunk it in a regulation NBA game. And Carmelo could just get buckets. But I just, I feel like they're still figuring it out, like. And I. What I think I do is that I want to listen more to Vince's and Tracy's podcast because sometimes I listen, I see clips of it and I'm like, they still, like, for being cousins or whatever. It just hasn't translated yet. And I don't quite know what that is. And like, Carmelo is always just very chill in a way that I'm just like, he doesn't project a lot. So it does. So there's not a lot of enthusiasm. It's just like they always gotta be like, are you guys awake? You know, you guys, what, Are you guys excited about this at all or what? Maria is a pro. I mean, and she's been doing this forever. But of the. I mean, I don't think. Are we doing rank? We're not ranking them yet, are we?
- [03:58]
A
Not yet. Not yet.
- [03:59]
C
Not yet.
- [04:00]
A
It seems like you're giving it away, but not quite yet.
- [04:03]
C
Not yet. Okay. Yeah, Well, I mean, but I feel like it has a ways to go. I don't think it's bad. I think the idea of pairing Vince and Tracy cousins, who have already a rapport with each other, is a solid one. I guess I'm just interested to see what happens with Carmelo because even on his own podcast, again, clips, I'm just like, he seems like a fun person to hang out with, but not necessarily somebody I got to listen to talk on tv. Is that fair, Brian?
- [04:31]
D
I think it is. That show kind of reminds me of that Nets team that got KG and Paul Pierce and all those veterans and just like, we're just going to roll it out and see what happens.
- [04:40]
C
Yeah, what if we got the 2008 Celtics? But like, as they're old, like.
- [04:46]
D
Exactly. And you know, studio shows are kind of like basketball teams where you need people that play different roles. And we got three scores, I guess four if you count Maria Taylor, but we got three scores on this show. And I'm just kind of like, these are all kind of the same person, you know, where's the guy who's playing a different role. Who played a different role in the NBA and could bring that to tv. And I mean, first of all, I listened to them. Game four, they were at halftime. They were on the court game for the Western Conference finals, and I couldn't hear them. Like, they're on the court talking. They're all talking very, very softly. The audio wasn't great. And Joel hit on a great point, which is that we've now hit in 2026, which is like, what if these guys are better on their own podcast than they are on the network studio show? And what is their podcast getting out of them that NBC isn't getting out of them? And that totally feels like what's happening on NBC right now? They're just not. They've got interesting people. It's an interesting idea, but they're just not maxing it out.
- [05:48]
A
Well, I think that the interesting point that you just. That Joe put out and, you know, Brian, you kind of put the exclamation point on is, I mean, they're really just as. It's. It's. It's crazy to see a former player actually act like themselves, as during their playing days when they're behind a mic right where they have to get theirs. And I feel like when we talk about Carmelo, he is a guy that you have to build a world around. And I think that's why I like his podcast so much. Right. Because it's not ne.
- [06:19]
C
It's.
- [06:19]
A
It's Carmelo's world is that he is controlling as opposed to him wanting to fit into his system, which is a bit poetic considering his basketball career in the backstretch of his basketball career. Right. And you. Whenever I see them, you know, even in game four, I s, there was also, I believe it was game five as well, when they had a segment on the court with Chet Holgren, and they were. All of the guys were trying to get their points across over each other or trying to make themselves seem like what they think an former NBA player is supposed to be on a show like this when honestly, it's not rocket science. All you really have to do is just be one of the guys. You just want to. You just got to be some. Somebody that people want to hang out with. And I feel like this group doesn't really hang out with each other. And it shows because they're always just trying to, like, get. Talk over each other and try to figure each other out and then try to outwit each other, but they're not. They're Talking. They wind up talking at each other as opposed to talking to each other.
- [07:21]
C
Yeah, see, I get that. I think that. And to your point, I think it's a great idea. They're just like, oh, they're homies. Like, you know, these are. They're cousins. They're very similar. I bet they, like, have great, great conversations off air. So I get that. They're like, well, maybe we can have their personal chemistry and it will translate on tv, and it just hasn't happened. And to your point about Carmelo, I bet Carmelo throws a fantastic party. I bet you can, like, even on his podcast, like, he can get Mero on there to talk about Desus. I ain't heard Mero talk about deezus anywhere else. Right. He can get people to come on there and they're excited to meet him. But on a show where he's like, gotta do more than just, like, show up and be cool, I feel like that's kind of what the problem is right now.
- [08:06]
D
One thing I heard in talking to somebody from NBC before the season started is when they were thinking about what are we gonna do on our studio show, they thought about it like this. They said, okay, we don't want a Stephen, a character on our pregame show creating an international incident with somebody in the NBA, so let's not do that. We also don't want a sham charania type character who is making the show about something Giannis might or might not do in a month rather than the game that's going to start in 20 minutes. So let's not do that. Now. We can all three agree those are both good things not to do. But the problem is, what are you going to do? What is this show about? What do you remember? And when I watch that show a lot of the times, it's all like, he talks and he talks and she talks, and here we go. And at the end of it, I'm like, I don't remember anything you just said.
- [08:54]
A
Yeah, the. The best moment, I feel like from them wasn't even them talking. It was, I believe it was in Portland a few weeks ago or a few months ago when they were just all shooting around. I don't know if you guys saw this segment, but Ama Farid was basically just took a handheld mic and just interviewed them as they shot around. And I think that was like, that. That was. I was riveting, like, just to be able to see somebody do that. Both from fareed standpoint, where he's actually. Because that's really hard to do to actually make television while you are in a non controlled setting. And he was able to do that. But I think if, if I'm gonna, if I have a critique or a note, it's like, get him doing that, get him, get them playing or you know, or maybe get them actually get them active. And you know, you see that on the NFL a lot where there's a lot of, you know, Richard Sherman's going up against Randy Moss in a studio and like, how do you actually, you know, get off of a break when you're trying to, when you're a wide out versus a cornerback? I would like to see more of that. I think that can unlock something because they, you know, they definitely in their individual capacities have an aura like, oh man, I want to be around McGrady. I want to be around. And you see that. But I think that they could, the producers can kind of bring that out more and maybe just like, maybe that's more on court stuff. We'll see. Okay, let's talk about. Oh, go ahead.
- [10:09]
C
Oh, no, I just want to say the thing that I think about the show and you will be able to appreciate this Logan, as a guy that actually goes to games, the idea, it seems like, what if we had the post game handshake where the guys are covering their mouths and we made that a studio show. Like that feels like that it's just like, oh man, I want to, with Bron and Dwayne Wade are saying to each other and it's just like, maybe they will share all that on air and it just hasn't happened.
- [10:33]
A
That's the other thing that frustrated me. There was a one part where, and this is, this goes into the, the argument of like players thinking that they can do our jobs. And there was a McGrady clip when he was talking about Jaylen Brown a couple weeks ago where he's like, I talked to Jaylen Brown and it was a whole lot of nothing being said, right? Where he's like, I talked to him and he's my friend and I, I, I don't want to step on his toes, but I want to say something and you want it wound up being like a very awkward, stale segment. Right? And I, I, if you're gonna be that the, like, if you want to be the guy that is like, I'm friends, like the Dwyane Wade, for instance, like, hey man, I, I know this guy. These are all my pals. This is what they have to say. You gotta fully do it. You gotta, you gotta actually sell it. And I don't think that this show knows what it wants to be yet. And they got a long ways to go. Maria's great. And the reason why I think that's why I think it's not Maria's fault is because we've seen Maria in other, in other situations where she's thrived because of the people around her. Right. I think in the wnba Ver of NBC, NBC's coverage of the W. She's great with Sue Bird. I also think she's great on NFL, but it seems like those guys are the NFL. The NFL co stars are more engaged with what she's doing. Right? These guys are a little bit. Yeah, man, I'm cool. I got my Cartiers on. I'm just too.
- [11:53]
C
Yeah.
- [11:54]
A
Like the NFL guys are like, I have spent this whole week studying this matchup and all the ramifications around it and. And I'm going to give you my 110%. And I think that's also the difference between football and basketball players. All right, but yeah, let's get to, let's get to the play by play. What do you guys, what do you guys think about the play by play? The conference finals team was Mike Tirico, Reggie Miller, Jamal Crawford, Zora Stevenson and Ashley. How did you, what did you guys think of. Of that team so far throughout the conference finals?
- [12:26]
D
Jamal Crawford's funny because he was a sixth man in the NBA for so much of his career and he still feels like a sixth man on that broadcast.
- [12:32]
C
Wow.
- [12:32]
D
He's like, I'm going to get two shots up and they're going to be really good and then I'm not going to shoot for 20 minutes, you know, because Reggie, you know, Reggie's a volume shooter. And by the way, Mike Tirico is a volume shooter too. That having said that, though, I think that team's been really good. You know, Tirico's just like, again, we have not heard him do NBA in a really long time. A lot of people don't remember it at all because he was, it was back at ESPN when he was doing it. But like, if I think of announcers now who felt like they were touched by the hand of God, meaning they have the great voice and the ability to just go at any time. It's Tirico and Joe Buck for me. So to hear Tirico doing play by play doing the Western Conference finals, it's been awesome. I think that, I think that, I think that whole crew's been great.
- [13:18]
A
I want to stay on Tirico. Real quick, Brian, because I was reading your great piece on Tirico. Mike Tirico has a note for that. And you basically start with his preparation in your lead. You're a pretty good writer, Brian. I've stolen. Thank you, but thank you so much. One of the things, the anecdotes, you start with an opening anecdote about a play in which he has to find a player that, that wasn't on his sheet, I believe, and he has to like, in real time, talk about the game, get his iPad, get a note from his iPad, look at the iPad and figure out the name. And I'm over here, like watching this and I'm like, oh, I don't even see him break a sweat throughout the whole time. His preparation is something that really takes him over top. And you see it right now because Mike Breen was talking. I read the GQ article that Howard Beck wrote way back when he had a Q and A with, with, with Mike Breen. And one of the things that they were talking about was just how hard it is to talk during blowouts or talk during dead time. And Mike Tirico has had a couple of times where it was dead moments. And instead of just having a dead air, he's actually giving you, he's giving you anecdotes, he's giving you, I think it was during the challenge during the Minnesota Timberwolves San Antonio spurs series where there was a challenge on Wimby or a challenge to see whether he, it was an upgraded for a flagrant foul or his elbow on Nas Reed. And you, Tarico is setting the scene. He's telling you, oh, this might not be good for the Spurs. And he's giving you a play by play of what's supposed to happen next. And there's not a lot of guys that can do that, first of all, for one sport, but he could do it for like three or four or five different sports. And I, I, I, I, I'm I'm saying all this to just say I'm really glad to have him back. Joel.
- [15:05]
C
Yeah, no, I mean, Micah's a pro man, and, you know, without, how do I say he has to be as good as he is to have made it back and to be in this position. Like, he has to be as excellent as he is to be in that role right now. And yeah, so I, when you listen to him, it's just very seamless. I'm like, you kind of forget, oh, Mike hasn't been calling basketball in a long time. I haven't heard Mike cut well in a while, like, and he just goes in, it's like, oh, you would think that he'd been following the NBA and doing this for the last decade or so, right? I'm one of those people and I know that this is going to make me and you know, one of Brian and I was mutual friends, hit us up about this. I don't mind Reggie Miller. I don't, I don't get why everybody hates Reggie Miller so much. I really don't.
- [15:49]
A
Why is that? Why is that, Brian? Why is that, Brian? Why do you think people hate Reggie Miller? Miller?
- [15:54]
D
I mean, I think first of all, half the people in my timeline who hate him are Knicks fans and they were really mad last year when he was announcing important Nick games. You know, they were like, well, this is just biased. This is unbelievable. Oh, by the way, Mike Breen is doing play by play. That's all cool. But Reggie doing it, that's an enemy of the state. We can't possibly.
- [16:12]
A
It was like, it was like Warrior fans. Whenever Mark Jackson would, would call a Warriors game, I, I, I lived that life.
- [16:18]
C
That's right, that's right, that's right.
- [16:19]
D
I mean, Reggie's not cuddly, right. I don't think Reggie goes out to be loved. He doesn't want that.
- [16:24]
C
But even then, like, I don't even think that he's like trying to be offensive. I, if anything, what I feel from Reggie Miller that I, you know, that maybe people don't think this is cool anymore, but he has like enthusiasm, like real enthusiasm for the game and what is going on in front of him and it conveys to me. So I will look up, you know, sometimes if I'm just got the TV on in the background and I'm doing something and I hear Reggie Miller say something, like what? You know, I'm looking around to see what's going on and I, I appreciate that about, because it could be real easy to just get bored by the NBA or to feel like I've seen it all, I've done it all, and he still manages to make it feel like an event. So I appreciate that about Reggie Miller a lot.
- [17:05]
A
Yeah. Speaking of like making an event, what I do love about this team, this will go back to presentation, but the game presentation, which is the next one. I love the fact that NBC is doing two sideline reporters for the conference finals. You got Zura Stevenson and you got Ashley Shahmadi, who have been great. But I think that's a great wrinkle that NBC specifically is doing where you have silent reporters in two different locker rooms, which is the best, because you. You juxtapose that when you have one for a big. A big time matchup, the silent reporter gets a little stretched too thin. When you have somebody embedded with both teams, I think that's great. And those two have done a great job as well. And I think that that's a wrinkle that NBC has brought back and that we were really missing because all the networks used to do that. I don't know where we stopped for basketball, and I'm really mad that we stopped. Now that I see it again, the
- [17:55]
C
idea of having two is great, but I want Brian to answer the question. Do you think they've been great? Brian, the sideline report? Because Brian is the sideline report reporter expert here.
- [18:04]
D
I mean, after, after game one with Wemby, I was just like, no, we can't. We got to ask Wemby better questions than this. Like, we just seen one of the craziest, you know, game ones of the Western Conference finals ever. But that's a whole thing. I will just say one thing before wrap up NBC. I think that whole broadcast, when you talk about the game presentation, they've got a great sense of humor, a sly sense of humor that reminds me of old school NBA on NBC, of Marv, of Bob Costas. Like, they had that thing. Remember Luke Cornette was getting blessed by the nuns before the game the other night. And they show the. And then he gets a dunk. Like, Luke Cornett's one dunk, and they go back to the nuns again, and they're just all sitting stoically in the crowd at the Frostbank Center. And again, it's funny, but you don't linger on it. You don't hit people over the head with a mallet. You just kind of do it and then you move on. I love that. It's a sensibility and it's fun. It makes the game fun.
- [19:00]
A
That one, Brian. And also, like when Wemby is talking to Mitch Johnson and you, and then they immediately cut to Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan. Like, that's television right here. I feel like we got away from telling a story. Basketball, they're telling a story. And that's NBC's back. All right, let's give our. Let's give our power rankings for the studio. Let's give our. Joel, what's your studio show power ranking for NBC right now? Best out of ten, what would you say? Wow.
- [19:25]
C
Best out of ten, man. Okay, studio show I would say four and a half.
- [19:35]
A
That's pretty nice, Brian.
- [19:37]
C
Oh, wow.
- [19:37]
A
That's nice.
- [19:38]
C
Okay.
- [19:39]
A
I think that's nice. What's your.
- [19:41]
D
It's kind of generic. It's kind of generic, you know, studio show product to me. So. Yeah. Going to go four or five. Four.
- [19:48]
A
Yeah, I think I'm g. I mean,
- [19:49]
C
what would bad be then? Like, can. Can we. Can we.
- [19:52]
A
Actually, no, I said it's good based.
- [19:54]
D
Bad would be if Jason Garrett were on it.
- [19:58]
A
All right.
- [20:00]
C
Jason Garrett, come see you, Brian.
- [20:03]
A
I'm gonna give it a 4. It's giving college television show. That's what it's.
- [20:08]
C
Wow.
- [20:08]
A
So I'm gonna give it a. A 4 out of 10. What about. What about play by play? I think I'll start on play by play. I'm give it a. I'll give it a 9 out of 10, which is pretty good, I think. I think they've been great, especially during the conference finals. What do you think, Joe?
- [20:22]
C
Yeah, I was going to say eight and a half. Nine. I mean, because I didn't even get a chance to bring up Jamal. I like Jamal Crawford again. Legendarily cool player. I want to. Every time he says something, I kind of. I find myself. I want to hear what Jamal Crawford has to say about basketball. Like, he's just that kind of a person. And so, like, I feel like. And when. When they get more time and more reps with each other, I think they're going to be like, it'll probably be nine and a half to 10 next year if once they get more reps.
- [20:49]
A
Absolutely, Brian.
- [20:50]
C
I'll.
- [20:50]
D
I'll do a 9.
- [20:51]
C
2.
- [20:51]
D
Just because I think Tarico probably has levels to go to that we don't even anticipate now and then a little bit of the. I give it a nine just because I don't think you need three people to call basketball game. And I'll always think that I'll die on that hill, but let's go. I enjoy it.
- [21:05]
A
The game presentation. I got to give it a nine and a half out of ten. I think that they present the game really well from this. We didn't even get to the nostalgia aspect of it where it's like, actually, Bob, can you just do. Bob Costas, can you just do this every week? I mean, you're in New York. Can you just. Can you just do this? Or. I just love that. The way the enthusiasm that NBC has brought to the NBA and I can't wait to see. I think they're going for the finals. I Think they want the finals in the next TV deal. And they're going to try to. They're going to try to. This is their audition for that. So we'll see what happens. But, Brian, what is your game presentation score?
- [21:38]
D
I feel there's been a few technical snafus, so we can't go quite, you know, nine out of ten. Ten out of ten. But I'll give them an eight for the storytelling, for the. Just the sensibility they bring to the broadcast.
- [21:48]
A
Joel?
- [21:49]
C
Yeah, storytelling. A lot of fun. I want to go, Yeah, I guess nine. You know, I think it's. It's really, really high. I look forward to, you know, when you're, you know, looking for the game on TV on YouTube TV, and I'm like, oh, it's not on YouTube TV. It's on something else. And normally that's annoying or whatever, sometimes. Or I gotta change the. I change the channel, whatever. But with this, I don't mind it. Like, I'm like, okay, I'm glad it's on NBC. And it even. Like, it's not even that much a piece of nostalgia. Like, it doesn't feel that much like it was when I was a teenager. But even still, it's great. I didn't realize how much I missed NBC being involved in the NBA.
- [22:24]
D
Ray Ban Meta lets you explore the world without a screen getting in the way, so you can stay present in the moment.
- [22:30]
A
Hey, Meta, tell me what kind of dessert this is.
- [22:32]
C
That's a stroopwafel, a Dutch waffle with spiced syrup in the middle.
- [22:37]
A
Is it sweet?
- [22:37]
C
Yes.
- [22:38]
D
Perfect for a snack or dessert.
- [22:41]
A
Mmm, Delicious.
- [22:43]
D
Get answers on the go without interrupting your flow. Ray Ban Meta Iconic Style meets Meta AI. Available at Walmart and other authorized retailers.
- [22:54]
A
Yeah, let's go to Amazon. The studio Show. Taylor Rooks, Blake Griffin, Dirk Navinsky. Adonis has them. You get a little Steve Nash in there. You can get some John Wall in there, but those are pretty much the people that are doing it. What have you guys thought of the Amazon studio show?
- [23:11]
D
Dirk has been the interesting discovery for me as a Dallas Fort Worth guy. I was looking forward to him being on there just because, you know, Mavericks fans saw his personality go through this interesting transformation. You know, he's always very, very laid back. Sometimes too laid back for sports writers. Never forget that. He won an NBA title. He beat LeBron in the Finals. And then he came back looking incredibly chunky the next year. Like, he'd just been like, all right, time to eat all the Ben and Jerry's I want to eat. I mean, that's Dirk to me.
- [23:41]
A
Brian, are you doing okay? Are you. Are you triggered right now? Are you. Are you exercising some demons with that
- [23:46]
D
about Dirk coming back with love handles?
- [23:49]
A
Yeah. Are you. Are you okay?
- [23:50]
D
No, I'm good. I mean, look, the Mavericks. The Mavericks winning one time was like, that was it. I was all good
- [23:58]
C
at that point.
- [24:00]
D
But, you know, to me, it's. His sensibility infuses that show. It's very laid back, but it. It's laid back in a way that works a little bit better than the NBA, than the NBC show. You know, like, somehow I think they've caught a little bit of something. It's a little bit like their NFL Thursday night show in that way, I think, too. But what do you think?
- [24:18]
A
It's a bit of a speakeasy vibe, right? Like, yeah, you're kind of going into a bar to go watch the game, but it's not quite like a sports bar necessarily. It's like a. It's like a cigar bar. You know, I'm gonna tap into cigar bar. It's like some OG, you know, type of vibe. It seems like a place that Joel would. Would go to. Right?
- [24:35]
C
Yeah. I mean, yeah, absolutely. You know, I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I don't think I'm cool enough for them because, I mean, one thing about. And I'd forgotten, you know, there was a moment that, like, Blake Griffin was, like, doing comedy sets around la and he was sort of gonna be the next guy. And I still. I think he's been really, really good this year. But also, I'm like, man, just imagine him next year or the year after that. Like, I feel like Blake Griffin could be really, really good. What do y'. All. So I have the bi. I have to acknowledge that there is a conflict here. I share an agent with Udonis Haslam. Okay. Which is a weird thing to think about, which. Yeah, well, I mean, when you work at espn.
- [25:11]
A
Oh, I got an agent.
- [25:12]
C
Well, when you work at. Well, I wann the conflict. And also, I used to work at espn, and you got to have an agent there because otherwise you don't know what the hell is going on. What do y' all think of Yudonis? Cause I'm like, I'm. I get what they want him to be. I just. I don't know.
- [25:30]
D
Wait, you confess the potential conflict of interest, but then you're not pleased.
- [25:34]
A
Then you dis him.
- [25:35]
D
Haslam's performance, was that a diss fake way.
- [25:38]
A
You kind of just don't. It wasn't a diss, but you kind of like, set us up to diss him. That's basically what happened.
- [25:43]
C
You don't, like, don't. Please don't. I was not trying to offend you. Okay. Just so you know, so we ever see each other in public.
- [25:48]
A
I'm gonna be honest, man. I like Udonis on the broadcast. I actually do like him. I know you're trying to set us up to be like, hey, you, Donna's is trash. But like, no, I, I like, I like, I think he's been great. Like, you know, it's, it's, it's. We were just talking about in the last segment of like, get former players on tv. Really give you an insight to what they were in locker rooms. And I see why you. Giannis was so respected in a locker room. He's a respected voice on that panel. I think that, like, sometimes when I see him talking like, really, really fast, there's just a note like, yo, you're you. Donna's. Hasn't we already respect you? Okay. It's all good. You could just get your lay your point out, but I think that that just comes out with reps. He's really it also pre post career, he was more podcasting. Right. Where you have chances to get your thoughts out and wax poetic like we're doing right here. But when you go on tv, we've all done tv, but before you got to get in and out of your point. I think he's suggesting to that. But in terms of like, charisma. Brian, I think that. I think Adonis is really good. I do like you, Donnis.
- [26:49]
D
This is the one thing Joel and I have a concept on the press box called secular grace, where we, we give secular grace to people. And almost everybody we're talking about here, this is their first year on television, right?
- [26:59]
A
Yeah.
- [26:59]
D
Like, they have podcast reps maybe in a way that they wouldn't have had 10, 20 years ago, an ex player, but they're still figuring it out. So there's a really. You know, we saw this happen with Tom Brady in football. Like, you're too Tom Brady with better than year one Tom Brady. So let's maybe cut Udonis and you know, air mellow and everybody else a little bit of slack.
- [27:19]
A
You know, I think who's helping out the, the, the transition for all these guys in television? Taylor Rooks. I think she's been great. I think she has been amazing. Joe, I don't know what you're going to do. If you're gonna hate Joel or I'm
- [27:32]
C
gonna say it, just let me. Just let me. I'm gonna scare you. You said everybody. I mean, look, man, everybody can look at Taylor Ricks and understand that she's a beautiful woman or whatever. But the funny thing about it is that people say there's this joke on the Internet about how Taylor Rooks can get guys to do anything. Remember when she got Jaylen Brown to be like, yeah, we gonna win, like, five championships, and John Morant, we fine in the West. You know, she can always get guys to do something. And I feel like she has a knack. And it's charisma. It's the whole package of Taylor Rooks that can make them sometimes get outside of themselves and be silly in a way that maybe they never got a chance to be. Because, right, like, these are all star. Like, with the exception he does. But these guys were stars, and they're really cool.
- [28:10]
A
I just wanna say. Quick note, quick note, quick note. You got your black women mixed up. Joel. That was Malika Andrews who said. Who got the comment from Ja. That we're good in the way.
- [28:18]
C
That was Ja. Oh, man. Oh, wait. Okay, okay. You know what Taylor did? Who is it? Oh, man. Who's. Man, this is gonna be an embarrassing way to say it. Who's the white guy that plays for the Heat? What's that guy's name? You know what I'm talking about?
- [28:29]
A
Tyler Herro. Tyler Hero.
- [28:30]
C
Tyler Hero. Man, Taylor Ricards had Tyler Herro wrapped around him. He was just, like, cool. It felt like he was, like, trying to take her out on a boat vacation or something. And. But anyway, Taylor Rooks has an ability to get guys to step outside of themselves, and I think that's great. Like, I'm just like, put her in there and make guys do stuff around her, please.
- [28:49]
A
I. I think she's going. Ultimately, I think she's gonna make Amazon, this Amazon NBC NBA show, the best one on television. I. I truly believe that. I think that the only thing that I would. I'm curious to see is the fact that, like, Amazon is just still an app, right? Where it's not, like, something. And I don't know how big you can get in the streaming era when you're just an app. So I'm curious to see just how big this Amazon show gets with the constraints of that. But I think, like, all things considered, this has the potential to be. And we'll get to the. Get to this to the end. The best NBA show that we have
- [29:27]
D
Brian when they have the Western Conference finals next year, if I'm not mistaken. So, you know, that will be the spotlight you're talking about where it's like you'll be watching them, you know, even if, even if it's an app.
- [29:38]
C
Are we at the point. Are you. Are you guys. Have you guys gotten over the fact that, like, when you come home, you don't know where the game is and it's on?
- [29:44]
A
I still haven't gotten.
- [29:46]
C
It's frustrating to me. I'm like, fuck. I mean, and it's not really that complicated, but it's still just like an extra step that sometimes I don't want to have to make that happen.
- [29:54]
A
Yeah, it's like if I'm watching, like, it's like if I'm watching NFL Sunday ticket during the playoffs, right? Like, I want to. I want all the attention that I have on one particular game. But like, if you're watching NBA, or I would say NBA League pass, but I think NFL is a better example where you're just like, okay, they're on a studio show now or are they doing a halftime? Where they're doing a halftime for this one. But like, no, it's the playoffs. It's supposed to be one continued thing. We'll stay up for you. You don't have to, like, you don't have to put stack these games this way. So that's frustrating. Okay, let's, let's, let's move on to the game presentation. What do we. I like it. I like the mismatch icon and just like, it's like some video game shit where it's like. And it's also kind of fun and disrespectful. What have we thought about the game presentation of Amazon?
- [30:42]
D
Well, the big asterisk is getting the sound right. You know, I remember when Amazon started with the NFL a couple years ago, somebody over there was like, it has to work. The thing is, it just has to work. And, you know, it sounds like really simple and really stupid. You're like, well, that's not much of a point. Well, it turned out to be a point.
- [31:02]
A
It turned out to be at the wrong time. Yes.
- [31:05]
D
That pissed everybody off. The actual game, I think when it. I think it's been very good. And I think it's been very good, you know, largely because Ian Eagles driving the train, like, that's, you know, he's. It's Iron's first ever number one job in the NBA. You know, Turner, when they were looking for A number one guy. They picked Kevin Harlan over him.
- [31:24]
C
Him.
- [31:25]
D
And so here's Ian. He gets. It's a new. It's a new partner. He gets to be the number one guy. He's doing it with Stan Van. Well, I've got plenty to say about if you want to hear that, but like, to me, that's when you get iron. You not only get a great play by play guy, but you also get a sensibility. To use that word one more time. You know, it's going to be fun. You know, he's going to be on it. You know, there's going to. Your broadcast is just going to have this looseness to it, which I really, really like.
- [31:52]
A
I love the season part of it. Go ahead, Joe.
- [31:56]
C
Okay. Can you just say you're Stan Van Gundy? Because I'm, you know, on the edge of my seat waiting to hear what you have to say about Stan Van who I'm a big fan of the Nerd Boys.
- [32:05]
D
And I mean no disrespect, love Stan Van because he's teaching. He's always teaching basketball. The. The television boys, if I may include myself in that small category, because there's like five people that actually care about sports television as a thing by itself. Go like this. He never stops teaching. It's like, hey, can you have just a sense of the medium once in a while where you're like, that was awesome. The end. Okay, we're playing to break. No, wait, we're doing. And the pick is here. And the pick is here. And you're just like, dude. You just wait.
- [32:36]
A
But did you have the same critique for Hubie Brown, though? Did you have the same critique for Hubie Brown? Because Hubie Brown would do the same thing and he would like, whenever there's a. Whenever there's a exciting play, he would just go, there you go, there you go. Oh, crazy. That's a crazy duck. It was more like, oh, that's the right way to do it.
- [32:52]
D
Hubie was grandfathered in and I use that word. But I just feel with Stan Van, there's just like, he just doesn't have a sense of the medium, you know, like he's interesting and it's better with him just being with Ian and not having Reggie in there because, man, then they would just talk all the time. Yeah, but I feel like he's a really interesting announcer who has this flaw about him, which is that he.
- [33:14]
A
Which makes him kind of great, which I like.
- [33:17]
D
He's interesting in an old school way.
- [33:18]
A
Yeah.
- [33:19]
D
And Hubie is Probably a good comp, I think.
- [33:21]
A
Yeah. I want to talk. I want to talk about Noah Eagle real quick. I know he's on Peacock, but I really, really impressed with him. I cannot wait to see how he is 10 years from now. Right. Because in this point when. And I, you know, being young in this business, you kind when. And I remember doing this earlier on Real Ones where like, you just defer a lot to the older guys and kind of get there opinion on it. And he's doing that right now. But there's this. There's this Chris Rock interview where he talks about comedy. And you don't really become a comedian until like your late 30s, 40s, right. Because you have kids and life experience. And I feel like Noah with life experience and maybe some kids is just gonna be like, he's like 95 overall now, but I feel like he's gonna be like 99 at some point. I really, I'm just really impressed by him. And I didn't want to go by, go out the show without like shouting him out. I think he's been amazing. I think he's like a young Bob Costas.
- [34:19]
D
It's funny, I almost think, you know, this is. This is a controversial opinion, but I think football might turn out to be his best sport. Remember Joe Buckle guy?
- [34:27]
C
And I can see that turned out
- [34:28]
D
to be Joe's best. I think if I had a weird prediction, I would say, like, football turns out to be no Eagles best sport.
- [34:34]
A
Okay. What attributes would show you that. That football would be his better. The better sport?
- [34:39]
D
Well, we just. We've had side by sides now, right, with him doing the NBA and him doing the big big ten game of the week for NBC on Saturday nights. And I'm watching it, it's just like, I don't know, something about football's a little more relaxed at times. There's a little bit, you know, like time between plays. And I don't know what it is about his.
- [34:55]
C
I wouldn't.
- [34:56]
D
You know, his dad is good at both. But I would say basketball is definitely his dad's go to mode. But with Noah, I could see football being some. There's just something about the match between the voice and the. And the sport.
- [35:08]
A
Yeah. Iron Eagle always had trophies in my house because he was the voice of NBA. I think it was voice of NBA Live or NBA. No, NBA shootout 2000. He was a voice of NBA shootout.
- [35:20]
C
NBA shootout 2000.
- [35:21]
A
Was that on basketball video game? That was on PlayStation. That was my first ever NBA game.
- [35:26]
C
First. And your first game was PlayStation Young Guy.
- [35:30]
A
Yes. Damn right. Anyways, let's. Let's get. Let's quickly do power rankings studio show for Amazon.
- [35:40]
D
I'll go seven and a half.
- [35:41]
C
Room to grow, man.
- [35:43]
A
I think that's a good seven and a half, too. It's a good seven and a half. It's a positive seven and a half.
- [35:48]
C
Yeah. You took my score, Brian, because I was gonna go seven and a half. I eight felt. I mean, yeah, I felt like in three years they could be nine, you know?
- [35:57]
A
Yeah.
- [35:57]
C
But yeah, seven and a half.
- [35:58]
A
For now, I think I'm gonna go. I think I'm gonna go seven, but it's a good seven. It's like, I'm really excited to see what they do. I'm excited to see how they grow. Okay, let's get to our faves, or at least my fave. Let's go to. To espn, their studio show, which is inside the NBA on some nights, which is NBA Today on other nights, which is NBA Countdown, which is. I don't know if they even know what it is on a given night, but during the postseason, it's been inside the NBA. Joe, what have you thought about inside the NBA during this postseason?
- [36:33]
C
It's interesting because my criticism echoes what our bosses was, which is that I just don't think they have enough time to lay out and play like they did on tnt. Right. And I think ESPN is doing the best possible version of that. Like, it has been so much better. That's what I sort of expected. Like, I just thought a lot of the mischievous and the. The going right up on the edge kind of stuff would disappear with Chuck, Shaq, and Kenny. They can't help theyself. Like, they're just going to be themselves wherever they are. But I kind of feel like all the commercial breaks and all the other stuff, like, just. It just feel like it. It breaks up, bro.
- [37:09]
A
The conference finals the other night when they had the game four. Like, the reason why I watched all the Game four in a sweep is so I could see inside. And it felt like it was done after the. It was very anticlimactic. Like, let them go.
- [37:21]
C
It's so short. It's so short. I just feel like. I feel like I was like, man, I miss them. I don't see them as much as I used to. Like, they come by and they don't stay very long. So, yeah, I love the show. I respect the fact that ESPN has maintained a lot of the chemistry and the bells and whistles that they had that made them great over tnt. But I'm just like, I just kind of wish there was a way to let them stretch their legs out a little bit more.
- [37:44]
A
Brian, what have you thought of the criticisms of this show this season? Because it feels like largely when on television, they are the same. They are just in a new medium in front of a new audience. But it seems like they have criticisms that were leveled beforehand. But, like, I still think there's there. I don't think they've lost a step necessarily. I don't. I just don't think that we see them as much.
- [38:02]
D
I think all those criticisms are fair. Like, it does feel weird. It feels like they moved into a new house and. And they're.
- [38:09]
A
People are judging them. Like, I've been this way this whole time. Like, what are you. What are you talking about?
- [38:13]
D
Yeah, and they seem, like, mildly unhappy in ways that they kind of show every once in a while, but don't really show with it. With the new place and not being on Turner Sports anymore. I guess they are on Turner Sports being least espn. But I tell you what, game for the Eastern Conference finals. The Cavs are trash. They're completely done. Everybody in America is turning off the tv, except. Except espn, because we paid tons of money for this. We need to get the rest of this game out of the way. And it goes to halftime. And Charles is like, I looked up quit in the dictionary. And they show a graphic and it says Cleveland Cavaliers. And then they go to the screen and Kenny and Shaq have top hats and are just singing. Start spreading the news because the Knicks are in the finals. They're like, this game is over. One, two, three, Cancun. It's all. And you're just like, that is so crazy for a studio show to do something like that. Like, none of those blocks are particularly novel. But for a studio show to be like, this game is over. One of these teams has quit. That's not something you reveal in television at all, right? Like that. It's just. And we almost take that for granted because inside's been doing that so long
- [39:20]
C
in the show better. I feel like the show is at its best when they get to clown somebody. Like, when there's somebody that they're just like, oh, okay, you guys don't care. You're embarrassing them and you're wasting like. And Chuck, you're like, man, I could have been doing something else tonight. Like, you know what I mean? They just. When they. When they're on that kind of a kick, think. I think that's when they're at their best.
- [39:39]
A
I think the other thing is, like, they get so much criticism for, you know, what degrading the game. However you want to talk. Not talking nice about the game is pretty much their biggest criticism, is that they don't talk nice about the game 100 of the time, which I roll my eyes at. But I think that the NBA needs that. There's no other show like it. I still put them number one. I. I still put them as the best because they are the authority on the NBA right now. Like, what other show? Yeah, other show has Legends. Peacock has legends on their show. Amazon has legends on their show. But if you look, they have Shaq and Charles Barkley, who are the. Are literally in every NBA history book talking about the game and actually giving their critique on the game. And they are an authority that if we lose that, we lose a big thing if we lose that authority. Brian, on. On the game. Like, I think we all suffer if we just. Because it feels like as a media apparatus, you're trying to run them out of the building. Right. Like that. And that's the sad part. Like, we're going to miss them when they're gone, no matter when they leave.
- [40:40]
D
I completely agree. And I think the criticism that they're too negative, which you just hear so many people say now, it's like, we need somebody that celebrates the game. It's like, dude, this is one of the greatest, maybe the single greatest studio show of all time.
- [40:53]
A
Yeah. Yeah.
- [40:53]
D
Who cares? Like.
- [40:55]
C
Like them.
- [40:56]
D
Them talking about the NBA, the way they talk about it has made them famous and. Right. It has.
- [41:02]
A
It's easy and it's grown the game.
- [41:04]
C
Yes.
- [41:05]
D
And by the way, it's easy to hire legends. You just write a check. It's harder to get legends to do a great show. And that's what inside.
- [41:12]
A
And also, man, this what they have that other studio shows don't have. Maybe Amazon will have it at some point. They're fucking rock stars. You go see them in All Star Weekend and come into a building, they're fucking rock stars. And you don't want to lose that. You do not want to lose that.
- [41:28]
D
Absolutely.
- [41:29]
C
And I think, and I will say this too, because I remember we've talked about this before. When Shaq first came on the show, I was so frustrated. I was like, man, he stopped. He's a ball stopper. They get to ball him and it shuts down and he wasn't playing along enough. And I feel like Shaq doesn't get enough credit for just catching on. Just Getting on with the vibe. You're not going to go to him for the most analytical takes or anything like that. His big man critique is always going to be like, well, he really just needs to go out and get 35 and 20 tonight. That's his. That's Shaq's best advice to other players is you need to be more like Shaq. Okay.
- [42:06]
A
But that's not a bad. That's not a bad thing to do as a big.
- [42:09]
C
Can you.
- [42:09]
D
Yeah. Can you be Shaq?
- [42:10]
C
Okay. If not you, you're. You're. You're messing up tonight. But I really think that he doesn't get enough flowers for moving into that show and not taking anything away from it. I just feel like that's. And when he's not there and you see other people in the role, you can see it's like, oh, it's a little. It's not bad, but it's just a little off. Like, Shaq is the guy. Like, he's officially the third guy there. And, yeah, I think you should get
- [42:32]
A
credit for it to that point. Maybe this is a hot take. Probably not a hot take. I've seen the timeline a little bit, but I would love if Draymond just. That they just had a specialized role for Draymond and he didn't have to be on that. On that. That desk. When he comes on, man, it really just kind of. To your point, Joe, like, really takes away from a lot of that stuff, like, just the grievances. What we've seen. We don't. We don't have enough time to talk about all of that. That. But it's just. It doesn't seem like. It seems like the mayor just kind of stale at this point, you know, it just, like, I know he has to be there. He's contractually obligated to be there, but it just feels like pulling teeth when he's there. To your point, about, like, just other people coming on Joel.
- [43:11]
C
Yeah, no, I. The thing is, so I'm sure you all have seen this clip of him talking about. On his podcast about how the Cavs, like, everybody was like, Harden was horrible tonight. He's got, you know, the. That Jalen Brunson abused him in the pick and roll. And Draymond is like, no, this is terrible team defense. And, like, it was like. It was just like a really great two minutes of breaking down. Like, yo, there's no help. Like, why are you letting him get this straight? A free run at the. Through the lane. And so, like, if they could distill that Draymond, like, I think that is always the hope that there's, like, we're
- [43:42]
A
gonna get that Draymond.
- [43:44]
C
Yeah, we're gonna get that.
- [43:44]
A
He's so smart. My thing. You know what I would love, Brian? If, like, Drayon Draymond was like the czar, the telestrator, because I think he could be amazing at that if he just specialized at just like, I'm going to show you what, he should have did this back cut here. But he. The grievances always kind of, you know, overtake his. You know, his hubris always overtakes, like, his. His smartness, I feel like. And.
- [44:06]
D
And the show's about chemistry. That show's great because it's about chemistry, right? People say it's about Barkley.
- [44:12]
C
It's about this.
- [44:12]
D
No, no, no. It's great because everybody's friends and chemistry. And when you come on and you don't have chemistry with the other people, which he doesn't, it stinks. It's no good.
- [44:21]
A
Yeah. All right, what do we think about the. Let's talk about Play by Playing game presentation? Mike Breen, Richard Jefferson, Tim Legler. I personally think this is the best cast that Mike Breen has had since they got rid of Stem Van Gundy. Not Sam and the Gundy, Jeff Van Gundy. Excuse me. And Mark Jackson. I think the chemistry is there. I think they're. They're doing the best with what they have. They've had. Had four. They've had a sweep, and they. I think they did a pretty good job. What do you guys thought about the. The studio show? Brian, I'll start with you first, I think. And it goes on with the game presentation as well. What have you thought about the studio show and then the game presentation?
- [44:55]
D
I think it's the best on paper. I disagree with you on chemistry because I think Richard Jefferson feels like he's doing his own broadcast all the time.
- [45:02]
A
He's doing.
- [45:04]
D
Do you think Richard Jefferson knows that Legs is sitting there on the broadcast table next to him? I mean, but just thinking.
- [45:10]
C
He's not as bad as he was with Doris, though, right? No, he was like, aggressively.
- [45:14]
D
He sounded disdainful of Doris.
- [45:16]
C
Yeah, that was.
- [45:17]
D
That was bad. But I don't know if it's his sense of humor, which is a little hard edged and sometimes on TV just kind of comes off the wrong way. But I feel like if you just look at the way Reggie is putting his arm around Jamal Crawford and bringing him in and asking him questions and, you know, just kind of like, saying his name. RJ just feels like he wants to do the broadcast by himself, you know,
- [45:40]
A
I'm sure part of him does.
- [45:43]
C
Yeah.
- [45:43]
D
And maybe that's just his sensibility as a player, and that's fine. But, like, it's like, you have three people there, and I feel like Legs is doing gambling reads, and, like, everything he says is smart. Like, it just feels like it's two different parts. That should be one part.
- [45:57]
A
Well, I think one of the things that, if I have to critique, I think no know one of the things. And we'll get to this, like, in our. In our final segment of, like, creating a. A specific studio show. I think that, like, Mike Breen has had a bit of a history of not bringing people all the way in, right, where, you know, you've seen that ever since Van Gundy and Mark Jackson left, where he was just kind of like, okay, I'm just gonna get mine. I'm gonna give you 50. But, like, I'm gonna leave the other people behind. And I wish, like, maybe he can do a better job of integrating them or, like, at least. Okay, if. If. If Richard Jefferson is telling jokes, like, what's Mike Tirico gonna do? He's gonna just, like, tell jokes as well. He's going to, like, build off of that. And Mike Breen is like, I'm going to be the legend. Y' all need to keep up with me. And I kind of want him to be a little bit more integrated. Am I off base, media experts?
- [46:48]
C
No, I. I think that. I think that is a fair criticism. Like, if it happens across multiple groups, right? Then it's like, all right, like, is there something that you could be doing then to. To, you know, to. To, you know, to distribute a little bit better or help Richard? You know, it's like, hey, man, you know, and sometimes we. I mean, I've been on podcasts, whatever. I'm like, hey, man, you might want to start making fun of that person because, you know, you know, you know, so maybe I don't know if that's what Mike Breen needs to do with Richard Jefferson, because I don't think. I think. To Brian's point, I don't think he's being mean. I don't think that. Or he's, like, being selfish or anything. I just think he's just. Just a sort of a dry, funny guy. And if you ever see his clips on the Internet or, you know, whatever, he's hilarious. He's a funny. He's a funny dude. He's a Legit funny guy. So I, maybe he's just in love with himself in that way and he just need to peel it back a little bit.
- [47:36]
D
Game presentation. Way too many oldies going to break, I always say. Oh, man, what are we doing, man? We're in the. We're in the 60s and 70s. Like, Sirius has already canceled those radio stations. Guys.
- [47:47]
C
It's.
- [47:48]
D
It's all over the old pictures of like, hey, it's Cavs Nicks. But here's a picture of LeBron winning a title like 20 years, like 10 years ago. Like, okay, well, that's random. I mean, the whole broadcast feels so.
- [48:00]
C
The.
- [48:00]
D
The aesthetics of it feel very stale to me. I'll just say that Joel, for letting me ride that hobby horse around the corner.
- [48:06]
C
No, it's good. I love it. It's funny.
- [48:08]
A
All right, I'm gonna start with this. I got a question for Brian into his, his power rankings. I'm gonna just do a power ranking for the entire broadcast, just the entirety of it, from inside to the game thing. But I wanted to ask you really quickly just about the future of ESPN for NBA, because again, we alluded to it at the beginning of this. I don't know if ESPN knows what it wants to be with this. Right? Like, when you look at Amazon, everything is flowing. There's a plan for everything. But ESPN just throws money at everything, right? They maybe didn't like what NBA today was. Was. So they got. They bought inside the NBA, but that is just, just wrangled and they don't know what they. And it's very unorganized and I don't know who I'm going to see on a given night. What is the future of, do you think what they are going to be? Is it going to be a lot? Even a future of more disorganization or are we going to find like some cohesion and then what is your power ranking?
- [49:02]
D
I think they'd like to just collect stars at espn. That's their new thing. We got Stephen a. We got McAfee, we got inside the NBA, we got Jonah Troy. Let's just. Let's just collect stars and figure it out. And you know, to me it was like, if anything, you just have Inside the NBA on more, right? If that's your show, then that's your show.
- [49:18]
A
Like, and let NBA today be its own show in the middle of the day.
- [49:22]
D
Sure, yeah, just write another check. Like, they. They're good. They're good. Running big checks for big stars. Game presentation. To me, that's like a seven Inside a nine. Only for the awkwardness of just being in a new home, you know. Otherwise it's, it's a 10 out of 10.
- [49:39]
A
Joe.
- [49:40]
C
Yeah, I feel like the studio show, it's the one thing in the NBA season that I know I'm going to watch a lot of if I can. Like if I was like, if I, if I'm going to miss something, if I'm going to miss something, it's probably going to try not to miss a studio show. So nine, nine and a half. Like it's the standard, right? That's. Everybody wants to do that play by play. Yeah, I think seven, seven and a half. Like I don't minded. I don't find it, I don't find it grading. I don't find it like, you know, the best show ever. But I get what they're doing and game presentation, it's just espn. Like ESPN is like Hollywood, you know what I mean? It's just like they, they've got all the history, they got all the tradition. They don't have to do a lot for you to come in, come in there and be impressed. And they don't try, right? They don't try to do that, right. They're just like, this is espn. You came to us, bro. And so in terms of game presentation,
- [50:25]
A
ESPN ain't tried to impress nobody since like, like 85.
- [50:29]
D
Yeah, that's real.
- [50:30]
C
Yeah, that's real.
- [50:33]
A
One last thing though. I would, I would give presentation, I think inside nine and a half. I would give the studio. I would give, I think the play by play. I give it like a seven, eight maybe, you know, it's, it's not home, nothing to go home to. But the other thing that was just funny is like the shams thing where it's so funny. The difference between the NFL and the NBA. The NFL, they ride for each other, they're teammates. If we make an agreement, that's what it is. NBA is like, no, that we're all for ourselves. We don't care what you got, I don't care how much money you pay. We go. We've got to undercut all of that, bro. We are competing. Okay, let's get to a. To build your dream team of network, studio show, play by play and game presentation. Game presentation is who is what, who is going to produce it. Now there is one wild card, so what we're going to do is we're going to do both. They have to be living and currently working in, within this media space right now. But the wild card could Be somebody who's either retired or is passed away from us. So I will give my first list and you just to give a blueprint of what we're doing, and then I will throw it to you guys. So.
- [51:46]
C
All right.
- [51:47]
A
My studio shows, I think it's gonna be Ernie Johnson, who is the. The guy that is. That's the stirring the. This. That's stirring the pot. I think I'm gonna put Draymond with the telestrator. He's just gonna go. He's gonna go in a corner. I'm just gonna be like Draymond, just go in the corner. Your telestrator. I think I'm going to. I want Sue Bird in there. I think. I know she's. She's done wnba, but I think, like, for a studio show, she could both do behind the desk, and she can also do some storytelling, which is great. She could. She does her. Her. Her. I think it's for NBC. She does. She'll go to a certain place, like similar. Like Michael Strahan or somebody. They go to a certain place and they do like a TV package for her. And not a lot of former athletes can do that. And she's a double threat in that way. And I think that she can banter with. With the guys too. I think then they respect her. So I think I would want her on the desk.
- [52:43]
D
Desk.
- [52:44]
A
Blake Griffin, he's just gonna be hilarious. And I think Steve Nash. I put Steve Nash as my studio.
- [52:52]
C
Wow.
- [52:52]
A
It's a big studio show. Play by play. Mike Tirico, because I just think that he can just work with anyone. Charles Barkley, because I miss him as a. As a play by play guy. Like, I wish I could have him more. Every time I see him, I it 1. It feels like an event. And when I see him, he's always has jokes. Like, him and Dick Vital were amazing on television. It has nothing to do with the game. You just want to hear what they have to say. Like certain guys, like Bill Walton, you just want to hear what they have to say. I will put Doris Burke back in my play by play. I think that, like, because I think with her and Charles and Tariko, that they would. They would invite her a lot more in a lot more than the other guys did. Like, Mike Breen, just. They just. It just didn't work out because they just weren't inviting and like, you know, she had her. Her criticisms and things like that, but I think with a better team, she would do great. And I think my silent reporter would be Taylor Rooks. I think that she. She is also someone that makes. When I go watch a game, she is someone that shows me, oh, this is a big game tonight. You know, when she's in the building. And she did great on Turner on for sideline reporting and who would produce it in game presentation. This is my wild card. I'm going with Dick Eversol, the greatest producer in the history of sports television. So that is my. As my created.
- [54:11]
D
I love it studio show.
- [54:13]
A
All right, Joel, who is your. Your create a studio show?
- [54:16]
C
Okay. So for my studio show, I'm going to have Rachel Nichols come in.
- [54:22]
A
Wow. Okay.
- [54:23]
C
Rachel Nichols was really good in her job.
- [54:25]
A
She was great.
- [54:26]
C
She was really good at her job. She's very versatile. She's a great reporter, great storyteller, and like, she can have fun. Like, she's a fun person. And you've talked to her personally. Like, she can do that. So I really like her. So my studio show's gonna be a little wild. Okay, So I want Gilbert Arenas.
- [54:43]
A
Oh, that'd be great.
- [54:45]
C
I want Gilbert Arenas.
- [54:46]
A
I don't know. Okay. But I don't know how long Gil is gonna be on the show. Just. Cause Gil always gets in Gil's head. But he's amazing talking the game and is also very interesting as a person.
- [54:55]
C
He has so many interesting opinions about basketball. I love to hear him talk about it. And yeah, like, he can incite people, but he also a funny guy, so. And he doesn't. He's irreverent in a way that's sort of like Chuck, but it's just like nastier. Like he's like nasty Chuck. You know what I mean? Jay Bilis. Okay. I think Jay Billis is one of the best people on tv, period. Anytime I see a J. Billis clip, like, he can do anything and he's such a smart guy. And he knows.
- [55:23]
A
The interview with Darren Peterson the other day was great, man.
- [55:28]
C
I fuck with Jay Billis, heavy, man. So I want him in there also. He's sort of like the locker room lawyer, you know what I mean?
- [55:33]
A
Yeah.
- [55:33]
C
So he. He's played before. He come in there. If Gilbert gets out of line with my other guy. Okay. And again, this is just a snippet. Draymond Green. Okay? So if I can get the Draymond Green. Of course he want Chuck like Chuck is. I think it's easy to say Chuck, right? But if you can get the Draymond Green. Who was breaking down that video about how the Cavs allowed James Harden to get exposed and then like, Just give him some more reps. I could see that being a really interesting guy because he and Gilbert, they're kind of combustible in a way. I kind of like to see that. That chemistry play out there. And then you got Jay Billis to the side, like, hey, hey, guys, settle down. Okay. I also got ideas for 2, 2, 2, 2 other segments on there. Story time with Jeff Teague.
- [56:18]
A
Oh, you can bring in Behan.
- [56:20]
C
You can bring in Behan if you want. I don't know if he's.
- [56:23]
A
That's going to be on the subscription service. That's going to be on subscription. That's going to be on a Pat
- [56:30]
C
Behead might mess that back up. And also I would love a Q and A session with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles. The Knuckleheads was my favorite NBA podcast. Right. And some of us that they were interviewing guys like Mitch Richmond and Andre Miller, who was like Andre Miller, who is low key. Hilarious. If you've ever heard Andre Miller talk before, you would have never guessed that
- [56:49]
A
he went to Utah. Darius Miles. Darius Miles is talking to Anna's life. Hey, when the first time somebody busts your way.
- [56:57]
C
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. This is such a great question. Yeah, I love that. So that's my studio show. Oh, I can play by play.
- [57:04]
A
Yeah. Who's your TV play by play show? Who's that? Who's calling the games?
- [57:08]
C
So I'm also. I want. I want Marv Albert, Doug. I want Marv Albert.
- [57:12]
A
I don't want now Marv Albert. I want Marv Albert from like 20 years ago.
- [57:15]
C
Yeah, right. I want. I want late 90s Marv Albert. Well, early 90s Marv Albert. Okay. All right. And so I also want QB Brown back. Okay.
- [57:25]
A
Okay.
- [57:26]
C
And now I'm gonna use my wild card, okay. For bringing somebody back to life. Bill Walton. Man, I love Bill Walton. I love Bill Walton. I just, you know, he could make anything interesting and fun to me. I just loved his approach to life. So. Bill Walton, sideline reporter. You know, I hadn't thought about Taylor Ricks when you said it like that. Cause I had Lisa Salters. But you know, the Taylor Rooks thing, that was. That's a good idea, man. I don't know how I can steal it from you and your production company because that's a. That's a. That's a. That's a good idea.
- [57:58]
A
So who would produce it? Do you know who would produce. I mean, baby Dick ever saw. But which. Which I don't know how much producers we Know, but, like, which presentation? Who would. Which network presentation would you give it?
- [58:10]
C
I mean, like, I. You know, this is not fair because this. I'm just a victim of nostalgia. But, like, you know, Whoever produced the mid-90s NBA show on NBC, man, like, I just. That. That is. There you go. So. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's what I want.
- [58:26]
A
Brian Curtis. I think Brian's just going to blow us out of the water. So, who knows? You create a studio show.
- [58:32]
D
All right, so here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to take the entire cast of Inside the NBA, okay? With one exception. Instead of Ernie, no offense to Ernie, we're going to put Bob Costas in the host seat.
- [58:43]
C
Seat. Oh.
- [58:45]
A
Oh, that's your wild card? That's your wild card?
- [58:48]
D
Yeah, it's a wild card. We're putting him in the host seat with everybody else. We're going to go ahead and press pause on the Draymond experiment. For the time being, though, we are pressing pause.
- [58:59]
A
Are we expelling? Are we going to expel it? Is it okay?
- [59:02]
D
We might be pressing.
- [59:02]
C
It's like when they say you suspend the campaign. It's like, y' all not gonna run that campaign back.
- [59:06]
D
But. Okay, then we're gonna have a seat on that. On that panel that we use once in a while, and we're kind of trying somebody out. We can call it the sixth man, or I guess the fifth man, whatever we want to call it. But, hey, one week it might be Simmons. One week it might be Pat Riley if he's got some time. We're just. We're bringing people in. We're singing and how they get along with people. So that's the studio. The game is going to be called by Mike Tirico, of course. Color analyst is going to be Jeff Van Gundy.
- [59:34]
C
He's back.
- [59:35]
D
I don't know if that counts as a wild card. Might be coaching the Trailblazers next year, but he's back.
- [59:39]
A
It's whatever you want it to be.
- [59:42]
D
Sideline reporter is absolutely 100, Peter Vessi. We're going back to the wall, yo.
- [59:48]
A
He has, like seven wild cards. He's not even playing by the rules. Go ahead, Curtis, Go ahead.
- [59:52]
D
It's been all downhill from there. And then, yeah, special presentation. We're going AI Bill Walton and Steve Snapper Jones as kind of the stand Waldorf for the broadcast. Just kind of making comments and being cranky old guys from the afterlife.
- [60:06]
C
Brian, you gave me an idea. Can I make Jim Gray my sideline reporter?
- [60:09]
D
You certainly can.
- [60:10]
C
Can. I want. I want Jim Gray to be my side sideline reporter.
- [60:13]
D
Okay, there we go. Jim Gray.
- [60:15]
C
Jim Gray would get the news from a black woman, man. It's just a story of 2026.
- [60:20]
A
Yeah, man. You put a white woman at the top of the studio show.
- [60:23]
C
Yeah, I know, man. Yeah. I have a lot of questions to answer to the next black community.
- [60:26]
A
Yo, man, this is. This is the first ruins of Juneteenth, Joel. God damn. Anyways, that has been another edition, our annual edition. Let's just do this every year, guys. Guys, I'm gonna see you guys next June. That has been our annual power ranking edition of real ones where we talk about the media. You can guys go check out Joel. You guys check out Brian every week on the press box. My favorite show on the ringer. You guys know that I love. I love listening to you guys. I never miss an episode. We. Yeah, I believe you guys very soon. And Brian, I will see you very soon. And Joel, you see you guys next time.
- [61:07]
C
Just because I don't live in la. Damn.
- [61:09]
A
Talk soon. Bye.