← The Ryen Russillo Show
The Ryen Russillo Show
Hornets Rookie Kon Knueppel! Plus John Wall Talks Tatum’s Impact, Spurs Title Odds & Foul-Baiting
01:34:45
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- [00:00]
Ryan Rosillo
Hey Priscilla listeners, you can find every episode on Apple Podcast and Spotify Prime. Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.
- [00:08]
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- [01:05]
Ryan Rosillo
The Ryan Rosillo show is presented by DraftKings. A loaded basketball show for you today. Con canipple the rookie sensation out of
- [01:12]
Sam Amick
Duke this great year with Charlotte. I want to talk about his game, his journey and maybe even some John Shire stories in there.
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Ryan Rosillo
We've also got John Wall, the five
- [01:21]
Sam Amick
time All Star on does he think the spurs can actually win this whole thing? And we'll break down some of the top contenders and also kind of take
- [01:29]
Ryan Rosillo
a look back at his career as
- [01:31]
Sam Amick
well and life Advice.
- [01:33]
Ryan Rosillo
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- [02:17]
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- [02:52]
Ryan Rosillo
stories of the NBA season.
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Sam Amick
He is the rookie now with the Charlotte Hornets, it's Con Knippel. Thanks for doing this, man. How are you?
- [03:00]
Con Canipple
I'm good, thanks for having me. This is sweet.
- [03:05]
Sam Amick
I can't believe these two years for you. You know, I was looking at it again today. So two years ago you're coming off winning a state title, you're a five star guy, you're going to Duke, a year later you're in the final four. And now you've had this rookie season where you're in the mix to win rookie of the year. I, I don't, I imagine it feels like it's taken forever and at the same time maybe it's taken two weeks. What has these last two years been like for you?
- [03:29]
Con Canipple
Yeah, I mean I, I, I've been saying that I've kind of been going really since the end of my senior year where it's just like non stop. I haven't really had a break because right after or you have senior year and then you're preparing for, for college in that like off season, get to college in the summer and then that whole, whole obviously season at Duke and then right after that it's preparing for the draft and now a season in the NBA. So it's really been like three full years of go, go, go, go, go. So I'm looking forward to a little break before we get back after it again. But you know, it's been a fun, fun ride for the past couple years
- [04:14]
Sam Amick
because you've been so good and now you're like a household name in the NBA. We can lose sight of how young you are. And I imagine there's like times where you're texting with your high school buddies and you're like jealous because they're going to a concert or something and they're like, you're playing the Celtics tonight, dude.
- [04:27]
Con Canipple
Yeah, I get texts from guys all the time. That's funny. They'll give me crap for how I played. But yeah, it's, I wish sometimes, sometimes you wish you were just hanging out with them. But you gotta, gotta realize you're doing
- [04:44]
Sam Amick
some Pretty cool stuff because last night was a national broadcast. They were talking a lot about, you know, this team and what they thought. I think Charles Lee, your coach was saying, hey, we knew and you had injuries to the team, but it's also a team that has not done well. There's a reason why there's so many lottery picks on this team.
- [05:00]
Ryan Rosillo
So when you're coming in, how do you balance?
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Sam Amick
Like, hey, I went. Everywhere I go, I expect us to win and also going like, I'm brand new and this franchise hasn't had a lot of great history recently. So I'm, I'm wondering how you figured out how to kind of fit in, especially with the struggles at the start of the season.
- [05:16]
Con Canipple
Yeah, I mean, it's hard. You know, our gm, Jeff Peterson, talking to him, it's like winning or like losing is never, you know, acceptable. So even when you're losing, you gotta, you gotta keep that mindset. And so, you know, you try to keep that as a competitor and it is, it is tough. It was tough to start the season how we started it, but, you know, that was, that was something that, coming into the prejet process, a lot of the teams that are interviewing you are saying, like, how can you, how do you deal with that? You know, because these, these teams aren't. They're in the lottery for a reason. So I think, you know, our organization's in a good spot where we, we value winning. We want to go out there and win as many games as we can.
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Sam Amick
Before the draft, did you think you knew where you were going?
- [06:10]
Con Canipple
Not really, no.
- [06:14]
Sam Amick
Like, was there a chance? You're like, okay, maybe I go second, maybe I go third. Like, did you have any sense of that?
- [06:21]
Con Canipple
No, I didn't, I didn't think there was, there was no chance I was going to. And then three, I, I didn't work out for, for Philly, so I did a little online zoom like this, but so I didn't think I was going there, either of those spots.
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Sam Amick
Is this more fun or less fun than the pre draft zoom with Philly?
- [06:48]
Con Canipple
You know, Jameer Nelson's a good dude and he's, he's over there. So he was on a zoom, and I got a chance to talk to him a ton after we played Philly in Charlotte. He's a good dude. He was just hanging out with our equipment room guys after the game. So I always hang with those guys a lot. So we were hanging after, after the game. So he's a cool dude. So that was, that was a solid zoom.
- [07:13]
Sam Amick
All right, well, good. Good. I have something to compete with here. I have to talk about your game. Once I did a lot of the draft stuff, and I kept going back to you, and I'd go, okay, first of all, every decision seems to be the right decision. He feels like he could play with anyone. Like, okay, here are four, and then we'll put Knipple in fifth. And whether we have to have him score, we have to have him pass, we have to do all these different things. It was something that completely jumped out. And then I think the thing that really has impressed me with you in the NBA, and I know that you've talked about this a little bit, but I see it where you.
- [07:51]
Ryan Rosillo
If you're coming off of a screen
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Sam Amick
or you're on a dribble handoff, if there. There's something where you're coming into like, a threat position against the defender, whether
- [08:01]
Ryan Rosillo
it's the two feet or the ball
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Sam Amick
out in front, kind of that old triple threat thing that everybody yelled at us about when we were kids.
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Ryan Rosillo
But there's this slight delay where you're either assessing how you want to attack, or you already knew how you wanted
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Sam Amick
to attack, but you just want to freeze that defender for just a moment. I. I don't know that I'm. I'm wrong necessarily about this, but, like,
- [08:24]
Ryan Rosillo
what is it where you learned that
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Sam Amick
this is a massive advantage if I
- [08:28]
Ryan Rosillo
can just make the defender worry about
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Sam Amick
all three things every time I touch the ball?
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Con Canipple
Yeah, I mean, that's something that me and our. One of the assistant that I work with, Blaine Miller, that's something that we. We talk about that I tend to make the. A better decision or a right decision when I'm not just running through that catch unless I got my guy all the way beat. So just keeping the defense honest. And really, it's not even like a shot fake, but I'm looking at the rim. So, like, the threat of the shot going up tends to make that. The big or whoever jump. And so then it makes it easier not. Not. Not necessarily jump, but just like maybe step. Take a step to the ball. So it just makes the read a little more. More easy if I can get around him or it's the pocket pass or the skip. I think just, you know, taking my time off that and using my. My shot as. As a weapon coming off those actions is. Is important.
- [09:30]
Ryan Rosillo
So do you not know. Do you give yourself that split second
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Sam Amick
to assess and then make the decision, or are there times where you're like, no matter what I know I'm pulling up here or. And this. If this. If this is switched, I'm going to go hard or I already know that I'm passing out of this play.
- [09:46]
Con Canipple
Yeah, there's times when. When the defense. When it's real obvious. So if the guys. My guys kind of trail on the play, and the biggest too low, I know the shots going up. But sometimes if the guards trail on the play, some teams, the big will just come and try to blitz it. So then I know when I get the ball that I'll have the seam dump into the big. But anything other than that is kind of just, you know, you make the read in the moment.
- [10:14]
Sam Amick
All right. I hope you're going to be able to remember this, because it was a sick assist to Lamelo against Detroit, and it was last month, and I was looking at it again this morning. And so the play is. Mellow brings it up, and then it's over to Josh Green. You're in the left corner. This is in the second quarter against Detroit. I'm putting you on the spot here. Sorry. Melo comes to set you a screen, so he replaces you in the left corner, and then you're coming up on a curl to catch it from Josh Green, and Isaiah Stewart closes out on you, and you read the closeout. And honestly, Stuart does a ridiculous job recovering off of, like, getting ready to contest. But you give us that slight hesitation, and then you drive, and then somehow you get the pass to Mellow in the corner for the three through all the traffic at the rim. Do you remember this one now? Okay, so take me right over the.
- [11:13]
Ryan Rosillo
So I know that, you know, Mellow's
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Sam Amick
replacing you, but it's still not even, like, it's not even close to an easy pass.
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Ryan Rosillo
Can you take me through all the
- [11:20]
Sam Amick
different things you're thinking about on that play?
- [11:23]
Con Canipple
Yeah, I mean, well, coming off the curl, you're always coming to score. You're coming. You got. You got to go with the mindset that you're going to score. And Stuart did a good job, like you mentioned, recovering sitting in front. And so, you know, you just. The read. The read is the opposite corner. You kind of see that guy sink in on the weak side, but, you know, it's just a tough angle. Sometimes you get. You get a little lucky and it gets through.
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Sam Amick
It is a brutal angle because when I watched it again this morning, I'm like, I can't believe, like, it seemed like you're going, all right, well, if. If he's not all the way out to me, then I'm pulling. And again, like, when I saw it live, I was like, that was ridiculous. But at the same time, I'm like, stewart got back into this. You probably thought you had him on the dribble for a second, man.
- [12:12]
Con Canipple
That's, that happens a lot in the NBA, man. There's, there's times you're like, man, I got, I, I got him. And then, oh, no, he's right there.
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Sam Amick
Yeah, that part must suck a little bit.
- [12:25]
Ryan Rosillo
What did you have to learn about
- [12:28]
Sam Amick
the best way to play alongside somebody like Mellow who just sees the game in a completely different way?
- [12:34]
Con Canipple
Yeah, you know, he's unique. Obviously. He's, he plays the game the same way. He's, he's, he always has, but, you know, you got to just try to make his life easy. I think he, he's, he obviously sees the floor very well. He's a great passer, so you got to give him windows to make passes. I also think, you know, he loves to play in transition, so being able to sprint the floor with him make his life a little easier, give him outlets. And then also just like, he's tall. He's really tall. So that some of those, like, pocket pass, you know, guard to guard screen actions that we run, like, he's able to throw the ball over the top. So that's, that's been a really successful, you know, two man game that we've had with, you know, a bunch of our guys, because he, he can really, he can really see the floor.
- [13:34]
Sam Amick
I imagine part of it too is, I mean, I get the sense the way you grew up and the way you played, but that you always have to be ready for a pass, even when you think it's over, when you think you're out of the play. You're never out of the play with him.
- [13:47]
Con Canipple
Yeah, I think a big thing too is like when you, when you drive and you kick it out, like getting back to space, like, we talk about that all the time, but especially with Lamelo, like getting back behind the three point line because he might drive it again and the defense will collapse again and you got to be, got to be out, out, ready to catch a three. Catch a behind three, excuse me. And, you know, really, really space the floor for him because, you know, he can, he can make plays.
- [14:15]
Sam Amick
I love John Shire's offense. You know, I was watching a lot of Cam stuff the last couple weeks, and I was like, here we go again. Like, every single person is connected. Every person knows. Did you already understand that stuff before? You got to Duke?
- [14:31]
Con Canipple
Yeah, a little bit.
- [14:35]
Ryan Rosillo
Well, before I ask another Duke thing, then, is it fair?
- [14:40]
Sam Amick
Like, when the first time I was
- [14:42]
Ryan Rosillo
like, it's very clear that older men
- [14:43]
Sam Amick
just beat up on this guy his entire basketball upbringing.
- [14:49]
Ryan Rosillo
So going back to those years, was your dad making you play in the men's league when you were 14, or
- [14:55]
Sam Amick
were you like, I want to play in the men's league.
- [14:56]
Con Canipple
I wanted to play. So you gotta understand, my dad's been doing it for 20 years. And so I was doing stat like stats and, and scoreboard for the league for like, I don't, I guess when I was 14. So I probably started doing it when I was like seven, doing it for like eight years. So, like, I, I knew all the players. Like all these guys are like former college players, like most, mostly D3 from Wisconsin. But you. I, like, I knew all the guys, so I wanted to be in, in, in, in playing. And I was like the worst guy. But you, you learn how to play, play hoops pretty quick.
- [15:36]
Ryan Rosillo
So were there years where you were.
- [15:38]
Sam Amick
I mean, I just, you were asking and he was like, no, like, we, we don't want you screwing up the game.
- [15:42]
Con Canipple
Well, I didn't even. Too young, I didn't even think that was like, possible. So when he was like, oh, you're gonna play. I was like, whoa. I didn't. So I was, I wasn't asking. I wasn't like nudging him to get in the league. I didn't even, I didn't even think I'd be able to.
- [15:56]
Sam Amick
Did he just destroy you or did he like, was he, was he trying to balance the. Keeping your confidence up by also reminding you that he scored a couple thousand points in college?
- [16:07]
Con Canipple
No, it wasn't, it wasn't really about that as much. It was, you know, you, you learn how to play a different, different style. I think Matt Painter had a great clip talking about, if you want to go watch guys communicate, go watch like the old guys playing at noon on Saturday. And that's, that's kind of what it is. Like all these guys are talking on the floor. You learn how to, learn how to say like, screen, right, screen, right screen. Like, stuff like that is not, not as simple for like a middle school kid, middle school team. So you learn all that stuff and then the off ball stuff, it's all like, there's no set plays. It's all screens and pick the picker and, and stuff like that to get open. So you learn about a different way to play basketball than what the Average, you know, American kid does through aau.
- [17:03]
Sam Amick
And your brother's gonna be playing in that league?
- [17:05]
Con Canipple
Oh yeah, my. The three, three of them are playing right now.
- [17:09]
Sam Amick
I thought there was a younger one. Did he just get like, did he just get called up or has he been playing in it for a little bit?
- [17:17]
Con Canipple
They've. So one's a junior, one's, one's a sophomore, one's a freshman, one's an eighth grade. So the eighth grader hasn't played yet, but the freshman, sophomore and junior have now he just got the freshman just kind of got the call up last year. But the other two have been playing for a couple years.
- [17:35]
Sam Amick
Are any of them better than you at the same age?
- [17:38]
Con Canipple
No.
- [17:43]
Sam Amick
So, so there's not, there's no like annoying like hey, he's actually better than you were when he was in eighth grade or he's better than you were when he was when you were a sophomore.
- [17:52]
Con Canipple
There's none of that. No.
- [17:58]
Sam Amick
Do they ask you great questions or also annoying questions about being in the NBA?
- [18:04]
Con Canipple
My brothers? Yeah. They probably don't ask enough questions.
- [18:09]
Sam Amick
Really?
- [18:09]
Con Canipple
Yeah.
- [18:10]
Sam Amick
What do you wish they asked?
- [18:14]
Con Canipple
Maybe like what workouts do you do? I think that'd be cool. Get some of that would be cool. Get some of that going. But they're, they're killing it. They're 26 and out this season for high school in Wisconsin. So they, they got four games to go to win state again. So be cheering for those guys. But yeah, none of them are better than me at the age they are. They know that.
- [18:42]
Sam Amick
I would think you'd had one brother that it would be super annoying if his older brother were maybe going to be rookie of the year in the NBA. You know, I think out of, out of that like those numbers there, there's going to be one guy that's like, I can't ask for Scoot Henderson's autograph man.
- [18:57]
Con Canipple
See there, there might, there might be that they're, they're not as enthralled that they're brothers in the NBA. It's more so that, oh you play with Lamello or, or that stuff. They're excited to see the other guys.
- [19:12]
Ryan Rosillo
How much has changed for you from
- [19:14]
Sam Amick
like the vet that you're, you know, first couple weeks in the league, he's looking at you and he's. And he's giving you to. Now you're on this pace, this unbelievable three point shooting. Like have you noticed the way you're talk to has changed in a very short amount of time?
- [19:35]
Con Canipple
Not really you know, I think my. My teammates did a really good job of making me feel like I belonged from the jump, which was cool. And I think that, you know, definitely contributes to some of the success I've had.
- [19:50]
Sam Amick
I mean, more like the opposition. I wouldn't mean your teammates.
- [19:53]
Con Canipple
Yeah, yeah, I guess. I mean, there's some of that sometimes. Yeah. I mean, I think there's just a general
- [20:03]
Sam Amick
respect.
- [20:03]
Con Canipple
I'm not getting targeted as much anymore defensively, although I did get scored on a ton last night against the Suns.
- [20:14]
Sam Amick
It did seem like the Suns were hunting you a bit last night.
- [20:16]
Con Canipple
Yeah, a little bit. Yeah. That was a tough one for me defensively, but, you know, I'm not. I'm not getting that as. On a nightly basis as much anymore. So there's that. But with the way guys communicate, I mean, it's. It's always. I mean, I don't.
- [20:36]
Kyle
I don't.
- [20:37]
Con Canipple
I don't do that much, to be honest. But after the game, it's always Keep going. Stuff like that. The simple. The simple stuff.
- [20:47]
Sam Amick
I can't imagine how much that would suck. Like, in the first couple weeks, you're like, I'm gonna be put in every single ball screen.
- [20:52]
Con Canipple
Yeah. Yeah. We played Orlando, like, early in the season, maybe November, and I was so tired. I mean, they just. They put me in the ball screen, like, all game.
- [21:05]
Sam Amick
Like, what is this, Jokic? Like, I. I don't. I don't need this pick on someone else. Your. I guess it's a friendly rivalry with Coop Cooper. Flags, your roommate from college, and he's the number one overall pick. And I think he's been even more than anyone could have ever expected his rookie year. I mean, he's been incredible, and he's kind of, like, tasked with running that whole thing with all the injuries that they've had. What are the conversations like with. With you and him? And I know, like, look, there's not a ton of stuff that you can share with us, but maybe something that you could share where it's just two young guys, like, figuring out their NBA lives, where you can talk to him in a way that's different than anybody else. You probably connect with.
- [21:44]
Con Canipple
Yeah, I mean, I think it's good you're going through something together, the same thing. You know, it's hard. It's hard to just, like, move to a city and not get to choose where you're going. Like, that's a weird thing. So, you know, just. It's. When we talk, it's more about. Less about basketball and more about, you know, where, where you're living. Like how often is your family down there? How are you doing that type of stuff? Which is, which is cool and lasting.
- [22:19]
Sam Amick
So yeah, in your living situation like how, how does that work? Because I mean obviously your family has a ton of siblings so it's not like everybody's just going to move down. I know like a bunch of guys on teams at young ages are different but what is your like one year in?
- [22:35]
Con Canipple
Yeah, I'm just, I'm just living by myself. My four brothers and parents are up in Milwaukee still. So my mom comes down, you know, like once a month, just kind of help out around the house, help me, help me do whatever. So that's nice that she does that. But otherwise I'm just kind of my own traveling and with the team and to. Taking care of, taking care of my, my stuff.
- [23:05]
Ryan Rosillo
Can you get shots up on your own?
- [23:07]
Sam Amick
And it's like will you just be bored and go I want to go to the facility and get shots up.
- [23:10]
Con Canipple
Yeah, you can do that.
- [23:12]
Sam Amick
Do you do it a lot or do you to a point where it's like I need a break?
- [23:16]
Con Canipple
Yeah, most of. See I did that for, I mean my whole life I've been doing that. I'll just go to the gym and now it's like man, I got to get away from basketball a little bit with my off time so. And I just gotta let my body, my body recover a little bit as well. Like it's a, it's a lot of games. It's a, it's a ton of games. So not, not as much during the season anymore.
- [23:44]
Ryan Rosillo
Do you talk to Shire still?
- [23:46]
Con Canipple
Yeah.
- [23:47]
Sam Amick
What again that you can share with us? He's coaching a team, he's trying to win a national championship, he's getting the next draft class ready. But I imagine he has time to watch you, you know, again it's also somewhat of a local market as well. On top of everything else. How has that relationship changed in the way he's like, you know, it's almost like a father figure, a mentor type when he's your coach and his day in and day out and you're in college and it's new experience but then also him understanding like what you're going through now that's different.
- [24:18]
Con Canipple
Yeah, I mean I think he always like kind of wants to know what the NBA stuff is like, like just even like the day to day schedule. So when we talk about that like, like as far as like what's the shoot around schedule like he want I think he wants to like, craft the, the Duke. Like, is there something we could do better or more. More to the NBA? So it's a lot of that stuff. But, you know, I, I think the relationship hasn't really changed that much. You know, it's. He jokes, he texts me and Sion and like, guys are making me Hornets fans. Like, I just think that's cool that he's, you know, fallen following us and, you know, still, still keeping tabs.
- [25:08]
Sam Amick
That is kind of funny though, that he's like thinking, is there any edge that I can gain here that I, you know, now I've got this. All these dudes that got drafted from last year's class that are playing in the league. What do you think is. Is the biggest difference? Like, maybe there's some exercise of like, oh, I wish I had known this a year ago when I was at Duke. And I would have been even better. You know, again, it's, it's. It's asking a lot because you guys were so good that year. But what do you think is like, this basketball understanding that you have not even through a full season or rookie year that you wish you had. Had before? I wish I would had before. Or maybe something you didn't understand. You're just like, oh, this is actually a much better way to do this. Yeah, that's.
- [25:49]
Con Canipple
It's a great one. I have a great one. So on like a defense rotation in the, in the NBA, there's classic like, help the helper scenario. You know, the guy drives and the big steps over and the, the guard cracks down. But that other guy in like college is always like sinking and like, I'm going to take the first pass. That next guard in the NBA, what we do, that guard, that next guard, he slices out. So we call it a slice out. So wherever that, that pass goes, he takes that first pass, but he does it in the passing lane so he can't swing the one more. And I remember then telling us, and I was like, why doesn't everybody do that? Like, why am I learning this now for the first time? Because it takes away that, that one more pass three. That catch and shoot three, which in the NBA is like automatic. But I was like, we did this, did a drill for that this summer. And I was like, how am I learning this for the first time? So that, that's, that's something there.
- [27:00]
Ryan Rosillo
I wonder if there are times like,
- [27:01]
Sam Amick
and I was watching you in the Boston game and you're playing, you know, somebody's at the top of the Key. Somebody's got them straight up. There's no screen yet. Right. And you're playing, you know, manu ball, which everybody understands, but you're playing like a step off of the passing lane to protect yourself on a back cut. And yet you're still like, if it's a simple pass here, like, I'm at least in the area if. If it were. Be lazy. Granted, there's not that many lazy passes to the left or right side of somebody on the three that a defender can go and get into the passing lane and steal that. But you're at least presenting yourself as an obstacle to all this stuff. And you were turning your head like somebody watching tennis. I mean, you're just constantly checking and checking and checking back and forth.
- [27:45]
Ryan Rosillo
Do you ever have moments where you're
- [27:47]
Sam Amick
like, how come everyone. Like, this is easy.
- [27:50]
Ryan Rosillo
That part's easy.
- [27:51]
Sam Amick
Just maintaining that somebody's not on the baseline behind me. And granted, plenty of guys get caught, but I. I sometimes I wonder if you'll. You'll think, how come these easy things aren't done by everybody? Because that's where I think you excel and why you have an advantage at such a young age.
- [28:08]
Con Canipple
Man, I get. I get beat back door. Or I haven't gotten beat back door as much recently, but I. There was a. There's a stretch there where it was like one. One a game, a bad one. So that. That. That one's. That one's tough for me. My periphs aren't great.
- [28:28]
Sam Amick
Were you getting put in the dunker spot, though, where they were like. Cause there I saw one where I'm like, yeah, but you kind of came up to help, and then you got beat back door. Cause there was another guy in the paint. And that's where I.
- [28:38]
Ryan Rosillo
That's where I wonder. Sometimes when I'm watching the NBA, I'm like, I don't know if you made a mistake.
- [28:43]
Con Canipple
Right.
- [28:43]
Ryan Rosillo
Because.
- [28:44]
Sam Amick
Or if, like.
- [28:44]
Ryan Rosillo
And that's where sometimes I'm hesitant to
- [28:46]
Sam Amick
be critical of guys because I'm like, I don't know what your rule is on that.
- [28:49]
Con Canipple
Yeah, right.
- [28:49]
Ceruti
Exactly.
- [28:51]
Con Canipple
Yeah, there's. Sometimes it's that, but sometimes it's just.
- [28:54]
Sam Amick
You just get smoked.
- [28:55]
Con Canipple
Hey, below your guy. I think I. To go back to your question, I. I think I have a general understanding of, like, pretty quickly in the game, of when I messed up or what I messed up, and I think that helps me. There's like, some guys mess up and they don't know,
- [29:19]
Sam Amick
but I have, like,
- [29:19]
Con Canipple
a pretty good understanding, like, oh, I messed that up or I screwed up that coverage, which helps me for the next time and keep going. But I, I do think not taking like the, the easy stuff, the so called easy stuff for granted is, is what makes, you know, is an edge for, for good players. It can, it can make them really good, but by just taking care of that, that's so called simple easy stuff.
- [29:52]
Sam Amick
I know a couple tough games here after this, this incredible stretch, but how did you guys feel about yourselves? Like what was, was the locker room a little different after that decisive, decisive win last week in Boston?
- [30:04]
Con Canipple
Yeah, I mean it was a long, long day for us. We, we got in at 4:45 in the morning in Boston. We had some flight trouble so we, we, we were coming off of back to back, get, get in at 5 in the morning, sleep till like, you know, 11 noon, get over bus at 3 to get over to Boston and, or the Garden. And you know, it was, we played well, we played great. And so the locker room, locker room was good after that. You know, we, like you mentioned we dropped a couple here, but you know, we're sticking together. Got good heads about us right now and we'll keep going.
- [30:50]
Sam Amick
Because you're going to shoot so many threes in your career, are we a couple years away from you learning how to kick out your leg more to get free throws?
- [31:00]
Con Canipple
Yeah, yeah, maybe.
- [31:03]
Sam Amick
Is it just too unethical to you right now? You just, you're just too raw and good natured to, to start doing that?
- [31:10]
Con Canipple
No, I'm trying to, I'm trying to work on getting, getting when guys hands are in the cookie jar, just like rising up, which, which is not always fun to watch. But any, any, any way to get to the free throw line. Yeah, I'm gonna, I think some, some of that stuff will be a point of emphasis in the off season. Just noticing when hands are on you and being able to rise up, find, find more ways to get to the line.
- [31:36]
Sam Amick
I think there's a gross way to do it with the legs and I don't want to, I don't want you to tell you to do it because I also hate it. But you're gonna be taking a lot of those from out there. You got blasted on that one last night. That wasn't even, that was upper body.
- [31:49]
Con Canipple
Yeah, that was, that was army. Yeah, they, I've gotten followed two nights or two nights in a row on threes. I think, I think the last one against Miami was kind of a, kind of a leg, leg kick stop, early type type fall.
- [32:05]
Sam Amick
It's happening. I can see it in your eyes already. I don't know if that's just being around Grant Williams, because Grant was. Was in the lab last night. He's got that sort of screen on Booker where he hit him in the back, but then, I don't know, everybody falls down now with it. But again, I don't understand why guys are putting two hands in the back of the guy they're screening, and then they push them. That's happening all over the. All over the place. And then some guys, as soon as they feel the two hands, they're just going to fall down. I thought Booker. I thought Grant got Booker pretty good, but then he was just like, let me cook. Baseline ISO. And I don't know what the hell that was, but he got free throws out of it. So, you know, you've. You've got a. You've got a guy there that can teach you the tricks.
- [32:47]
Con Canipple
Yeah, he's. He's ultimate fall baiter. Slow shot fake. Trying to. Trying to draw one. Yeah.
- [32:56]
Sam Amick
Yeah, we'll just. We'll just let the hate get to the free throw line. What would it mean to you to win rookie of the year?
- [33:03]
Con Canipple
It would be cool. Yeah, it be. It'd be pretty sweet. You know, you work really hard, I work really hard to get here, and, you know, it's always cool to be recognized, so. Yeah, that. That'd be. That'd be awesome.
- [33:21]
Sam Amick
Would you send Cooper any kind of text? Would it be like, oh, sorry, man. Or was it like, more like, I got you?
- [33:29]
Con Canipple
No, I don't. I don't know if I'd, like, rub it in his face? Yeah, I don't. I don't know how I'd approach that.
- [33:37]
Sam Amick
Well, maybe you'll get the chance, but it doesn't seem, based on these 30 minutes, that you would be a jerk about the whole thing. Look, it's been a lot of fun to watch you play, to watch you get it immediately. And even more for Hornets fans that haven't had a lot going on the last couple years to see this young group and who you've been since those first 20 plus games, you're a completely different team. And I'm excited how it's going to look the rest of the year, man. So thanks so much.
- [34:01]
Con Canipple
Yeah, I appreciate it.
- [34:04]
Ryan Rosillo
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Con Canipple
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- [35:04]
Sam Amick
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Ryan Rosillo
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- [35:39]
Sam Amick
Salmon Studio and of course Amazon has a loaded schedule coming up here. Five time All Star John Wall thanks for doing this John. How are you?
- [35:46]
John Wall
I'm good, how you doing? Thanks for having me.
- [35:49]
Ryan Rosillo
I'm good man.
- [35:50]
Sam Amick
And I'm, I'm excited about the spurs because you think about this week, you know, they get Detroit again, they beat up on Houston, they come back against the Clippers down 25 and they've got a. They've got a pretty incredible week of games this week at home. And normally, you know, a young team, I'm not supposed to sit here and think they can win an NBA championship this soon, this, this quick of a version of themselves, but I'm more and more open to it. I'm just wondering like what you think they're possible to doing this year.
- [36:19]
John Wall
For one, I think they're possibly doing everything and that's possibly winning a championship. I think they probably didn't think they were this far ahead. They probably thought maybe one more year that they'd be at this level. But I just think with the coaching staff, you know, Wemby been healthy most of the year. The Young guys are stepping up and playing at a high level, and then having de' Aaron Fox, I think that's been key for them. But what they do on the defensive end allows them to be so great offensively, even though they don't shoot the three ball as well as everybody, most other teams does in the league, but they got another tough task coming up playing the Celtics. And I know people want to see where, like, Tatum stacks up against and what they do against that, but I think just being able to do what they did against OKC early in the year, then the last two times they played Detroit and the way they won those games, I mean, everybody wants to know, can Wimmy play through that physicality, see how those guys be bullying to him? And he responded very well to that. So I think the key for them is they don't really have too much playoff experience, but sometimes that might not get in a factor. As long as they know who they closer are down the stretch and guys are making the right plays, I think they have a chance to make do something special. But, you know, we all have to wait and see.
- [37:35]
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, I think the things that jump
- [37:36]
Sam Amick
out is like, the best thing Detroit has is Cade getting downhill, right? Because he's so big and he can finish, he can pull up. And then, of course, there's passing, right? So once Cade gets any kind of momentum on some. On some switch or, you know, get people in rotation, and then it's like, all right, now Katie gets to go up against, like, the other team's five, and he's so big that it's usually like a nice matchup. And then you see it against Wembanyama, and you go like, that's. That's not the same thing. And I think there's some similarities there with just how great SGA can be attacking. And yet with Wemby, it just changes the entire dynamic. So I wonder how you think of that as an attacking point guard, of going, like, I just have to look at this differently, knowing what that guy is capable of back there.
- [38:20]
John Wall
Well, for one, I think it starts with Wemby, for sure. You know what I mean? Because if you have a guy that blocks shots like that back there in the paint, you're just like, okay, I can pressure the ball at a different level. I mean, I could be more physical. I could get up into the ball handler and know Wimby's back there protecting. But on the side of, you gotta give Stephon Cassell a lot of credit. A guy that, like, if you talked about him in college, he was a four star, five star. Didn't really go to a big school, really went to a big school like UConn. But he didn't play like a dramatic role where he had to be go get 25 points in 10 assist. He came in under the radar, just played defense, made the big plays, made shots for them. But he's the guy that's starting it off. He's picking them up full court. He's just as physical as those guys, just as athletic, just as strong. So he's making it tough on him. And you go back there knowing I got Wimmy behind me, it makes it a lot easier. So for me, if I was playing, I was like, man, I need to stretch five. If I ain't got to stretch five, it's tough because if I'm probing into the pain and trying to get to floaters or get to the rim or throwing pocket pass to my bigs. He's one of those very few people that can stop a floater and stop you throwing a lob to Jalen Durant or somebody like that. So Wimby's not human. Like Jaylen Brown said, he's not human. He makes it tough for a lot of people and make you think twice when you get into the paint.
- [39:38]
Sam Amick
Yeah, I'm with you because, like, every team I look at, and that's why I think we all appreciate Chet so much, is that he's kind of the perfect thing that you're supposed to have. Like, hey, can we have a stretch 5? Who, if the ball's in his hands, it's not the end of the possession. It's not only a shot or him passing to somebody else and then elite rim protection. But then when you look at like, the defensive assignments and you start thinking like, teams will try different stuff. I mean, OKC is going to try everything. But Wemby, they probably go, hey, you're going to play like Lou Dort. Or you're, you know, like, you're going,
- [40:09]
Ryan Rosillo
we're going to try to find you
- [40:10]
Sam Amick
the matchup so that you're not stretched out away from the rim. Which is, I think, is how a lot of teams try to counter some of that stretch five stuff. And that's, that's part of, I think, the amazement of, of the playoffs and trying to figure out, like, all right, what do they want to do to try to keep him away from the corners or the break line of the three pointer defending some other kind of stretch five.
- [40:33]
John Wall
I think the key is all five guys on the that's out there on the floor have to be able to shoot the ball at a high level and you got to be able to put the ball on the floor and make plays for each other. Because, I mean, if you're not able to space the floor and shoot threes on a consistent level, when we gets the opportunity to sit back like you said, and be a free safety and kind of roam, you know what I mean? You watch when they play Houston, he's either guarding Segun where he's back in the pain, they're trying to do dribble handoffs, they're living with Segoon making that tough mid range at the free throw line, or they put him on a mean Thompson where he can't get downhill and be super aggressive. He tried it a couple times. Wemby's just there waiting to block shots. I think also, not just to talk about the spurs defense is what those guys do on the offensive end. Those, all those guys they put on the floor, they can defend, they all can knock down shots and they also can create shots for others. And I think that's what separates them from other teams. Other teams might have great defensive guys, but they can't shoot the ball well. They can't put the ball on the floor. That's something that the spurs have and it's very rare. You get that, that you have it on both ends of the floor.
- [41:36]
Sam Amick
Yeah, and I think all their guys are getting better too. You know, like, even Fox kind of reminded me of Sacramento Fox in that game against Detroit where I was like, oh, now he's cooking. And Dylan Harper seems like he's better. And Carter, Bryant's coming in, playing these minutes where it's like you're not going to get a lot of touches. And he's like, all right, I'll just play super intense defense. There's just. I'm trying not to get too caught up at all. It's hard not to because you're also looking at OKC going, I know what San Antonio has done to the regular season, as you do as well, but it's just, it's hard to like, just pencil in San Antonio past them this soon. That's. That's the thing I'm still going to have a hard time with.
- [42:16]
John Wall
I think it's just great what they're doing. Like I said, nobody expected them to be there right now. We always thought maybe one more year or two more years to get there, but they're ahead of schedule. And you don't ever get too high it's the regular season, don't get me wrong, playoffs is a totally different beast. And OKC probably have their game plan where they want to change certain things, but they're just being patient. We don't show it right now. We got to save it for a seven game series, no matter how long it takes us to get there. So, yeah, you still can't put anybody above OKC no matter what went. So in the regular season, I remember one season we got swept 4, 0. In the regular season, we get to the playoffs, we sweep your team 4, 0. So it really don't make a big difference. But we also can't forget about Denver neither. You know what I mean? Denver's another team that's. I feel like Denver, Spurs, OKC or those top three teams in the west that can make it interesting. Then you have the team right underneath that, like Houston, you got Minnesota, you know what I mean? Those teams that's right there fighting and figuring, trying to figure out what their niche and role is, how can they get in there in that top three conversation?
- [43:16]
Sam Amick
That Denver game against New York the other night was tough because I, look, I picked Denver to win the whole thing. I was probably trying to be a little different than just picking OKC again, which is the safer pick. And I'm like, you know, maybe Denver with this added depth and a full season with this coach. And there were times where I'm like, all right, I feel really good about this.
- [43:34]
Ryan Rosillo
And now they, they probably deserve the
- [43:36]
Sam Amick
benefit of the doubt just a little bit less than OKC in that if they have everybody healthy, they play together for two weeks, they get Gordon back, everything will be fine. But my God, that game against the Knicks, they've given up like a hundred points with three minutes to go in the third quarter. That was just. You want to talk about easy? That was some terrible defense from them. I don't know how much of that one you saw, but that was.
- [43:58]
John Wall
I watched.
- [44:00]
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, I mean, it's, it's one game,
- [44:01]
Sam Amick
but I'm like, my God, guys, it's March. Like, well, you look at this, you
- [44:05]
John Wall
kind of look at it. It's kind of tough. And I mean, you never try to get too high, get too low when you see certain things. And one game can make you be like, whoa. Like, if you go back to the spurs early game against New York in the Garden, remember that they beat the Braves off the Spurs. You like, what is this? So I don't get too high, too low. I think most importantly with them is, I mean, Missing Payne Watson, missing Aaron Gordon. Though Aaron Gordon came back. He was on the minimization, trying to figure out the flow. What things are going to. You just signed Tyus Jones, trying to see if you're going to use him as a backup or keep Bruce Brown there. I think most important to them was like they wasn't making shots. And that's what a lot of guys have to do with their team because either you play Jokic and you like, I'm going to let him get 50, but I can't let him get 25. 13 and 13. That's when you lose because all those other guys are making shots. And I think one player that's in particular that's trying to figure it out is Cam Johnson. If he's able to start knocking down shots like Michael Porter was, it would be interesting for them because he's the one guy that teams are leaving. He's not making shots right now, but he's playing defensively at a high level. But also you got to think Murray got hurt and when they had it like 8 or 10 or 12, Murray sprained his ankle. You don't know where to go from there because that Jokic and Murray Pickenrose the best in the league, probably one of the best we ever seen. And it's hard to stop that. And just imagine Jokic only missed six shots and those six shots, he misses what threes? So they just didn't play no defense. The other guys wasn't making shots, but I wouldn't get too high on that one.
- [45:34]
Sam Amick
What do you think is the story of the east now with Tatum and how he's looked in the two games back? Like, how does this change everything for you?
- [45:43]
John Wall
I'll tell you one thing. If he continues to look like Jayson Tatum been looking the first two games and getting his legs underneath him, the east is in trouble. You know, Vucevic just got hurt. He'd be out for a month. They'll probably sit him out, let him stay in condition and shape and wait to use them for the playoffs. But that gives you a stretch five whenever you need it. And a guy that can score on the post, maybe you put a small on them, but you got to give Katie a lot of credit. He's been playing at a high level for them this year. A lot of people wonder what would Boston be when they got rid of Jhu Holiday, Pozingas Tatum was out. You got to give Missoula and they coaching staff a lot of credit. Derrick White Houser, but most importantly, Jaylen Brown, he deserves to be in that MVP conversation because we all had doubts that could he be a number one option. He's proven that I have them number two in the east and I should be the best two way guy in the league. And that's what I feel. And if Tatum continues to progress and get better game by game, find his win, find his legs underneath him, it can be scary because now you have Batman and Robin back. You have that one, two punch that they didn't have to worry about before. Now you have to worry about it. And I want to see. The test for me is going to be against the spurs because if I was other teams, I would be testing Tatum on the defensive end. I mean, put him in a lot of pick and rolls, put him in ISO situations, seeing if he really can guard on that level. I mean, the offensive end, he's proven I can show my, I got my step back. I'm not scared to get to the rim. I'm not scared to try to dunk on people. So the other end I'm waiting to see can he continue to grow on is the defensive end. But he's been looking spectacular so far, just being two games, coming off Achilles,
- [47:18]
Sam Amick
even missing all the shots against Dallas in the first game, the nerves and everything. I mean, even that adrenaline. Yeah, yeah. And you're just his passing, you know, you can, you can always get into this little. If Jalen's going off, like Tatum's now going to take 17, 20 shots a game. So how does that change everything else? It's like, well, somebody else is probably sacrificing shots, not Jaylen Brown. But you know, the passing part of Tatum's game, which I think is very easy to overlook. Like, I just, I. That was the thing that jumped out the most to me is like he's back there and he's playmaking and taking this defensive attention because he's still him. Even if people are wondering where he's going to be at, health wise, I think his playmaking actually it's going to make a lot of stuff easier. Even if it means it's taking shots away from guys.
- [47:59]
John Wall
Yeah, I think so. And most importantly, you got to think Derek White, not a guy that's going to care about how many shots he get. Sam House is not going to care about how many shots he get. You know what I mean? Those guys are out there to space the floor, knock down open shots to Finn on the other end. And at the same time, if he's taking 16, 17, 20 shots a game, Jalen Brown's still getting his 2022 like you said, just taking shots away from Sam Houser. Kaden might not get as many shots as others, so it's not really going to affect them like that. But most importantly, it's the way he rebounds the basketball and also like you said, his playmaking ability. You look at one of the first plays, first basket of the game, he come off dribble handoff and guys are going over top of the screen. We don't know if Jason Tatum could make it three right now. We haven't seen it. Only the team, only the people that's been playing with Jayson Tatum can tell gets into the paint, probe, probe, throws a lot of Decatur, gets a dunk. So I like this first game against Dallas because he didn't come out pressing and shooting too much. He came out, took one or two shots early, had two or three sits two or three rebounds. So I think that's what's going to help them. Knowing I have a bona fide one on one threat on the other end. Why Jalen Brown could be coming off pin downs for wide open shots or running the pick and roll.
- [49:08]
Sam Amick
Do you like this idea of like what Cleveland is with Harden or would you have rather them stayed with Garland and just hope they could have been healthy with those four guys that they won 64 games with last year?
- [49:21]
John Wall
I kind of put them in the same situation knowing they're different talent wise of the Atlanta Hawks. I mean a great team, that was great regular season team, but it just depends on like who you match up with in the playoffs. It might not work out. You see how like they bumped into Cleveland, LeBron and them and they got swept or won one game, I'm not sure, but one or the other. But I think like with Cleveland, most importantly for them is Jerry Allen. Can he be healthy for them in the playoffs? You know, I mean that's the impact for all teams is you got to have a little bit of luck, got to have, you have to be healthy. I think James Harden helps him a lot because he creates at a different level, you know what I mean? And one thing, he's always going to be available. I mean I think I wish I would have seen Garland and them get a whole healthy off season last year to show what they really could do after that 60 foot win. But it just felt like it was time for a fresh start for Garland and separate him and Mitchell. But I think they have a great team. But like you gotta think we still haven't seen Matt Schultz this year, I mean, that's a big piece of their team, the guy that can knock down shots, a guy that could defend for him. But you have guys like Tyson has been stepping up and Dean Wade has stepped up and helped in those roles in Sam Merle, but I think they're right there in the conversation. It's just about is everybody going to be healthy and are they going to have that toughness to be able to battle in the playoffs?
- [50:37]
Sam Amick
Are you surprised to see Harden still at this level?
- [50:40]
John Wall
No, no, not at all. Because he's a bonafide scorer, a guy that know how to create his own shot, create for others. And you have to respect his three point ability and also his one on one. So he might not be the same explosive Harden, but the way he shoots the basketball, the way he creates for others, the way he gets into the paint, he'll be able to do that until he's ready to be done.
- [50:59]
Ryan Rosillo
When you go back to your career
- [51:01]
Sam Amick
and you know that 17 years probably, I think you'd agree that's probably your best season, right?
- [51:06]
John Wall
Yeah, for sure, by far.
- [51:07]
Sam Amick
What clicked for you that year, what was it at what, 26, 27 years old, where you're like, okay, I've got
- [51:13]
John Wall
this now, most importantly, just health. I think a lot of people don't understand, like dealing with injuries throughout my career, something I never had to deal with, but I mean, it's all a part of the game. But people forget we was practicing two hours, three hours a day. I'm playing almost 40 minutes a night. I'm giving everything I have playing defense and offense. I think just that way I got the bone spur I had in my knee. I just took it out that summer, you know what I mean? So I felt healthy, I felt like myself. And the game just started to evolve on me. Everybody around me was getting better, I was getting better and I just had the confidence I always knew I had. I just felt like myself and I finally got opportunity to prove it and show everybody.
- [51:54]
Sam Amick
Yeah, the traditional point guard is kind of gone now, as we know. Who knows, Chris Paul might be the last one. And I'm talking about like, you know, a guy who's like also a star but kind of sees the game a certain way. And then, you know, you, I mean it was probably happened a little bit before you, you know, Lillard, somebody I think about then the whole positional assignment stuff's all been blown out. But you know, you're a guy who could score, you're a guy who didn't need Anything. You could just get to your spot and then figure it out. But you also probably, as you mature go, like, I know that my guys need something too.
- [52:29]
Ryan Rosillo
How did you balance?
- [52:31]
Sam Amick
Like, I can probably get by anybody I want to every single time down knowing that hey, we're better if I know Beal and if I know some of the shooters and some of these other really talented players around me like also getting to eat.
- [52:44]
John Wall
Yeah, I think we got to give Halliburt a little credit. He might be the next new true point guard, you know what I mean? Because he's one of those guys that be creating and doing things. But for me, my mindset was always put pressure on the defense, always continue to put pressure on the defense. But I knew early on in the game I needed to get guys on my team shots. So when I started driving transition, if I had Bradley Bill or Otto Porter or Kelly Oubre running the wing, I knew if I threw those guys the ball in transition, they made a couple shots. It made the game easier for me. So now when I'm driving in transition, those guys don't want to help. I'm getting one on one layups or fast break layoffs. But I also knew in the fourth quarter if you started to blitz me, you started double teaming me. My guys are used to getting shots. These ain't the first shots they have and not putting a lot of pressure on them to try to make a big shot in the fourth quarter when they only got one shot or two shot the whole game or this might be their first shot. As a point guard, you got to know when to be aggressive for yourself and aggressive for your teammates. But I've always was aggressive tacking the pain. I just decided when I wanted to score when I need to get other guys the ball.
- [53:45]
Sam Amick
Who's your favorite guard to watch now?
- [53:47]
John Wall
Anthony Edwards. Yeah, Anthony Edwards. He has that mindset of the old school mindset. I don't have no friends, I'm already compete. He has utmost confidence that you really don't really see in too many people. He feel like nobody can guard him. But one thing I love, he defends on the other end. Like he's trying to guard the best player on the other end. And that's something you gotta respect because like you said in the new league now the stars don't guard the stars. Like when I was in the point guards had to guard the point guards. Now it's like I'm going to hide and try to save my energy for the other end. And I mean that's Just how the league is going. So you see a lot of guys do pick and rolls to try to get the bad matchup they want, and then you go one on one.
- [54:29]
Sam Amick
I agree. Ant's my favorite player. I mean, it's kind of like this Steph thing. Once Steph is gone, I'd imagine Ant is going to be the person that I most like. Of all the games are on all at the same time. In that scenario, like, Ant's going to be on one of the TVs, and if it's close in the fourth quarter, I'm going to just turn other stuff off because I know, you know, I mean. Exactly. I'm telling you, it was your answer, too. You know what's funny with him is
- [54:54]
Ryan Rosillo
I almost think he'd be better off,
- [54:56]
Sam Amick
even though I'd hate it if he just started flopping more. I think he'd take, like, his game to another level of efficiency. But he doesn't. He goes to the rim to kill you. He doesn't go to the rim to trick you or trick the officials. Yeah, and. And he's.
- [55:11]
Ryan Rosillo
He's been super frustrated for years now
- [55:13]
Sam Amick
by this of, like, not getting as many calls as other guys. But he doesn't play the foul game at all, which I enjoy as a
- [55:20]
Ryan Rosillo
viewer, but it kind of screws them up.
- [55:23]
John Wall
Well, I could agree to that because it was the same way with me. Like, when I drove, they always told me, you're too fast, you're too strong. I'm like, that doesn't have nothing to do with it. If I'm getting fouled, I'm getting fouled. I want the same calls. And it does get frustrating because I would be on the other end. I'm seeing guys get calls and I'm like, how. Like, why is he getting these calls? But I don't know how to flop. I don't know how to foul bait. Like, that just wasn't something I was great at. You know what I mean? And even if I did try it, like, when I drive and I get that shoulder bump and I fade away, I'm not getting that call because they're like, you're too fast, you're too strong. But then I go on the other end and the guy do it, he'll get the call. But I'm over here taking a bad shot because I don't get the call. So I kind of try to stay away from it, but you got to give a lot of these guys credit and mastered it, but I don't think you'll See Ant doing that? He's trying to put somebody through the rim.
- [56:09]
Sam Amick
Wait, so a ref would tell you you were too fast or too strong?
- [56:13]
John Wall
Yeah, for sure.
- [56:16]
Sam Amick
What was that conversation like? Is it one that you remember?
- [56:19]
John Wall
No, I've asked all the time, and I would go to my coach. I'm like, I don't understand. Like, I get. I'm a 6, 3, 6 4, athletic guard, fast, physical, but, like, I need the same calls everybody else is getting. Like, it's frustrating, but at the same time, I'm like, if it hasn't changed in five years, it ain't going to change in years six or seven. So you just deal with it.
- [56:41]
Sam Amick
You were very diplomatic in the way that you said, hey, you know, some of these other guys are just really good at it. I.
- [56:49]
Ryan Rosillo
Look, I have nights where I'll hit
- [56:51]
Sam Amick
pause on a game, and it may
- [56:52]
Ryan Rosillo
be a player I respect, but there
- [56:54]
Sam Amick
could be nights where I just hit pause and I go, I can't. I can't believe this right now. What do you think of. Of the players that have mastered it? Because, you know, again, my argument would be if everybody played like this, I don't know how.
- [57:10]
John Wall
I don't even think that much fun, to be honest. I wouldn't even say mastered it. I just think, like, if you a star or you a small guard or a guy that's not, like, physically built, they're going to give you those calls. I mean, it's not a knock to them. You just got to give them credit for what it is. But I see other players do the same thing those guys are doing, but they don't get the same whistle, you know what I mean? So it's just how the league is. It's the benefit of the doubt type of thing, and something you have to deal with. It's frustrating, but it's something you have to deal with. That's just how I look at it. But I do get frustrated at times, and I'd be like, I can't watch this. It's hard to watch.
- [57:50]
Con Canipple
Yeah.
- [57:50]
Sam Amick
Cause you're right. Like, the benefit to the smaller player. I'll never forget Van Gundy saying it once. Like, on a broadcaster, he goes, what big guys have to deal with versus what small guys get away with is so imbalanced. But, I mean, you can understand it, right? You can understand it. Then you have Luca, who's not small, get the call he gets yesterday against the Knicks. That. That horizontal, that parallel paint drive where you're like, not even in the paint, and he just throws it up. I guess I've always felt for any of you guys on defense where some of you, you know, and I'm not even talking about you in particular, but like, some players, it's like, I don't want to hear you complain about the call when I know that you live on that same kind of call. But then there's other times I'll look at, like a roll guy, you know, 11 points a game, he's playing defense out there, and he's like, what am I supposed to do with this right now? Like, what?
- [58:38]
Con Canipple
What?
- [58:39]
Sam Amick
Like, I can't. If he wants to touch me, he's going to touch me. And then if it's contact, then there's no. There's no debate on, like, who's initiating any of this stuff. I just feel like a lot of the offensive players, it's going to another level of them initiating the contact. And I. I know that's not really something that you were doing.
- [58:57]
John Wall
Yeah, that's the interesting part. Like you said, the offensive player initiating all the contacts. So as a defender, what do I do? Probably just stand there and get bumped off my. Cause if I get bumped off my path now, I'm out of the pitcher. He got an easy shot. But if I embrace myself for the bump and stand here strong and firm, I get the foul. So it's like. It's like, you see certain players get certain calls, but then on the other end, if they ever called it on the one time, it's like they mad at everybody. And I'm like, bro, you just got the same call on the other end. But you know what I mean? Sometimes you don't get it, but I don't know, it's just. It's just hard because If I'm shooting 10 to 12 free throws a game, I'm averaging 30 points, too. I don't feel like it's that hard if you already had 18 to 20 points. You know what I mean? Don't get me wrong, a lot of these guys are very skilled and on a different level, offensive, great footwork, great pace, can shoot the ball on all three levels. Not taking anything away from that game. But if I'm able to get 10 to 12 more free throws, I'd be averaging 28, 30 some points, too.
- [59:56]
Sam Amick
Yeah. Yeah. I think. I think especially when you start looking at some of the prime years from you, when you think about the end of your career, because the retirement announcement was after you had played, right? It had been a bit. And was it basically you just trying to figure out a way to get
- [60:12]
Ryan Rosillo
healthy enough for a team or was
- [60:13]
Sam Amick
there still teams after the Clippers that were like, hey, we'll bring you in and it wasn't the right fit for you?
- [60:19]
John Wall
No, I really didn't get any calls, you know, I mean, I kind of like, kind of like where I knew when I got traded again, I knew it's kind of like near the end of it, I mean, just being realistic with myself. But I started this new career thing, broadcasting something that wasn't on my radar. I started off doing it and getting a couple gigs and doing a couple of things with some networks and I got to give a lot of shout out to Amina and Jared because with Amazon they gave me opportunity to come start my next chapter and do broadcasting and be able to work with a great network and a great, I mean, and a great team. You know, I have a lot of great people on my team, but when they called and was like, we would love to have you on board, that kind of helped me jumpstart my way of saying, you know what, I can retire. You know what I mean? Because I didn't want to retire not knowing what was next and just be sitting at home all day. I wanted to be able to be around a game of basketball, still be able to be around my kids life and be able to travel and I get opportunity to do that with Amazon. So that's kind of upstarted my push to say I wanted to retire because it was bittersweet, like you know, 50 50. I'm excited for the new chapter, but I'm also excited to get away from the game. But I felt like it was the right time and it was bad. So without Amina and Jared, this opportunity wouldn't even probably be in there looking for me.
- [61:31]
Sam Amick
Amina's the best. Yes. Loved working with Herd.
- [61:34]
Ceruti
He is.
- [61:34]
John Wall
Yeah.
- [61:35]
Sam Amick
Yeah. You've been a great fit on Amazon Prime, John. And I know that you guys have Philly at Detroit March 12th and I can't wait. Charlotte at San Antonio March 14th. An awesome San Antonio week here that'll help us have a better understanding of this team that we're both so high on. So thanks again for the time.
- [61:52]
John Wall
Thank you for having me. Appreciate it.
- [61:55]
Ryan Rosillo
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- [62:49]
Sam Amick
You want details?
- [62:50]
Con Canipple
Bye.
- [62:51]
Sam Amick
I drive a Ferrari 355 Cabriolet.
- [62:54]
Con Canipple
What's up? I have a ridiculous house in the South Fork. I have every toy you can possibly imagine. And best of all, kids, I am liquid.
- [63:05]
Sam Amick
So now you know what's possible.
- [63:07]
Con Canipple
Let me tell you what's required.
- [63:08]
Ryan Rosillo
Life Advice, lifeadvice rrmail.com We've got Kyle, we've got Seruti, we've got pirate updates.
- [63:15]
Sam Amick
I don't know if you guys want to open up your old corp emails, but our pirate checked in said thanks for the advice. Pirate light was always the answer for this country mouse. Nice. No one was in pirate attire. Cool.
- [63:33]
Kyle
Good for you, man.
- [63:35]
Sam Amick
So they did with him. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [63:38]
Ryan Rosillo
Save for a pirate.
- [63:39]
Sam Amick
I like how he said save for a pirate themed cake. My custom eye patch was a hit. Pulled it right out at tip off of the game to a good reaction. We made the hangover credit style montage video with everyone wearing it throughout the night. My girlfriend got to introduce herself as here with the eyepatch guy and there was plenty of beer.
- [63:58]
Ceruti
You know, not. Not all girls are into that, but like, sounds like your girlfriend's a cool person. If she was. If she was down with the. With the eye patch situation.
- [64:06]
Kyle
Yeah, this was always the right way this worked.
- [64:08]
Sam Amick
Down with the eye patch.
- [64:10]
Ceruti
Yeah. I don't know. Like, some girls aren't just like, hey, I don't want to be with the eyepatch guys. Some girls like. That's hilarious. I love that guy and I'm glad you found that person because that's awesome.
- [64:17]
Kyle
Yeah, they pulled off the prank. You know, you still had a good time and beer was had by all. I mean, what Else. What else do you want?
- [64:24]
Ceruti
That's awesome.
- [64:27]
Sam Amick
Yeah, he looks like, he looks like a good core guy. You know, just from his eye patch picture.
- [64:34]
Con Canipple
Yeah.
- [64:35]
Kyle
Pirate.
- [64:36]
Ceruti
Yeah.
- [64:37]
Sam Amick
Yeah. Like I've. We've got a friend in our group. He's not the most popular. No one would ever say he was the coolest. He actually takes a lot of. To be honest with you, but because he takes so much shits because he's never really cared. But maybe that's what you think.
- [64:53]
Kyle
I'm just kidding.
- [64:54]
Sam Amick
Whenever. Yeah, right.
- [64:55]
Kyle
Maybe you should check on that guy.
- [64:59]
Sam Amick
No, I think he enjoys being made fun of. Like, I really do.
- [65:03]
Ceruti
Yeah. Yeah, definitely.
- [65:07]
Kyle
Should we unpack this a little more?
- [65:08]
Sam Amick
Yeah. I'm telling you, I've known him over 30 years. I think I have it down with him.
- [65:14]
Con Canipple
He.
- [65:14]
Sam Amick
He would be more bummed out if he wasn't getting made fun of because then would no one would be paying attention to him. So he sign of love. Yeah.
- [65:21]
Ceruti
It means you guys like him. Like you know, you know, you know, it's. It's. Yeah, I make fun of somebody who doesn't like it.
- [65:27]
Kyle
Yeah, the wording is kind of funny.
- [65:29]
Sam Amick
Like I think he needs say that out loud. It's a little uncomfortable because one time we did, there were six of us in the house. We had six cars. So everybody, we did this full breakdown thing where we realized everyone's car was like a perfect reflection of them and what you have. Yeah, well, that's when I had the monster truck with a gator net in the back. So. So like one guy had a brand new Pathfinder. It was like mint. But then because I think his dad got it for him, he wasn't allowed to drive it at times or like not all of us could get in the car at the same time. So like I remember there was a snowstorm once and we were like, oh, we'll just take the Pathfinder. It's like a brand new Pathfinder. Is the who reason you have it. He's like, I, I can't. He's like, my dad's going to freak out. Like, so we have this thing here. It's the best option of all of the options and you're not, you're not going to drive it in a snowstorm. And we were like, that's perfect because like you have all the nicest, but we're not allowed in your bedroom. Like it's, it's perfect. And with me it was like, it's loud, it kind of commands attention, but it's got a massive dent. In the back. So, like, there's also something wrong with it. And I was like, thanks. And then the guy that we make fun of all the time, we're like, honda Accord. It's like A to B. Gets you there under the radar. Not flashy. There's not going to be anything about it that you notice.
- [66:55]
Ceruti
But 300,000 miles on that bad boy. And yeah, you don't have to worry about it.
- [66:59]
Sam Amick
Efficient, tough to worry. Get you A to B. It was like the least. Because there was no depth to it. So he was like a beige.
- [67:07]
Ceruti
Beige.
- [67:07]
Sam Amick
Yeah, it's exactly.
- [67:08]
Ceruti
I was gonna say. I know. I know exactly the Accord you're talking about. Yep.
- [67:12]
Sam Amick
Right. Like, was it a hand me down? And he's like, yeah, it was my sisters. Like, yeah, that makes sense. And then he was just kind of. It was like the least. There wasn't that much that was entertaining about describing everybody. Like, everybody else had, like, a specific reason why their car was what it was and why it made the most sense that they had that car. And it was unbelievable. We were just like, firing off. It went off for like an hour. And then the guy that gets made fun of all the time is like, what's my. What's my car? We're like, yeah, it's not really A to B, dude. Honda Accord, like, that's you. And then he was kind of like, thanks. Anyway, the point is, is that the positives, and hopefully a lot of you have friends like this in your life, is that he is someone. If he comes and stays with your weekend, you never have to worry about anything. Like, it's just, hey, it's going to be super, super level the entire time. It's going to be great. There's just never really any issues. And that's what I'm saying about our pirate guy. So I spent way too long on that. So why don't we read an email? Let's see here. Best man bailed on a bachelor party. This doesn't sound very good.
- [68:21]
Ryan Rosillo
6, 1, 2, 20.
- [68:22]
Sam Amick
Former D1 rower. Had the team record my senior year in front squat with 335. That's awesome. Great numbers player comp. A destitute man's Vladimir Radmanovich. Wow. Vlad.
- [68:35]
Ryan Rosillo
Vlad had some years there. Fun fact.
- [68:37]
Sam Amick
One of the very unlucky few to be witnessed to the live show Ryan had in Atlantic City with Maze and Kevin Clark and the handicapped scooter from hell. You were at that.
- [68:48]
Kyle
When was that?
- [68:50]
Ceruti
Predates me.
- [68:51]
Sam Amick
Yeah, it was early. Early ringer days. Shout out to Belvedere vodka. But they did have a Belvedere run. Yeah, we had a nice Belvedere run. Appreciate what the brand did for us. I think they expected me to, like, hang at the private thing a little bit longer, and maybe I may have ruined it because I was like, all right, I'm going to bed. It was the worst live show I think I've ever done.
- [69:17]
Ceruti
Okay.
- [69:19]
Sam Amick
It was in the sports book of the Borgata, but the sports book was still open, so people were so confused. They're like, what the is this guy doing? And that was the first time I'd gone to dinner with the reps and everything, and Maze and Kevin Clark were with us. And I was like, hey, I think I've got this kind of like, seven, eight minute thing I'm thinking about doing. Like, I want to kind of go out and try to do sort of like a solo thing in the beginning, so if you don't mind. They're like, well, it's your show. And I was like, yeah, I know. I just, like, I know what the plan was.
- [69:52]
Ceruti
This is dual threat. This was. This pre Ryan.
- [69:55]
Kyle
It's gotta be.
- [69:55]
Ceruti
Yeah, okay.
- [69:56]
Sam Amick
Yeah.
- [69:57]
John Wall
Wait.
- [69:58]
Ceruti
So the audience was just dudes sitting at the sports book, like, trying to watch games, and you were just doing a show?
- [70:03]
Kyle
Sounded like a hybrid.
- [70:05]
Sam Amick
Yeah, it was a hybrid, Kyle. Well, astute.
- [70:08]
Kyle
We're doing comedy at the coffee shop.
- [70:10]
Ceruti
Sounds like a hybrid, but a hybrid of the Part two of Ryan, which nobody wanted. They just wanted to be like, hey, I got, you know, 20 bucks on St. Peter's could you.
- [70:16]
Sam Amick
Exactly.
- [70:16]
Ceruti
Can you kindly f off my guy?
- [70:19]
Sam Amick
Pretty sure it was a Jets game, like, on a Monday night or something. So, like, I flew out to AC Sunday, maybe. Got in super late, woke up, walked around Atlantic City, took a cab and was like, hey, just drop me off a few blocks from, like, the.
- [70:35]
Ceruti
The walk.
- [70:36]
Sam Amick
Like, I want to. I want to get. He's like, don't get out here. I was like, well, I can walk up a couple blocks.
- [70:41]
Con Canipple
Changes quick.
- [70:42]
Kyle
Day does change quick.
- [70:43]
Sam Amick
He's like, don't. He's like, you're not. He's like, I would drop you. Yeah. So anyway, spent the afternoon walking around and then went back and did the live show. Had dinner, and then was like, I have. I practiced this monologue in my hotel room probably for a couple hours. Had it down all the beats. I'm like, I got this. Told the guys at dinner. They're like, whatever. Walked over to the live show. As soon as I walked in, I just turned to the guys, I was like, I'm not doing it, don't worry. It's like, let's just sit down and talk football for 40 minutes and get the fuck out of here.
- [71:09]
Kyle
Is 40 okay? Is that fine?
- [71:11]
Con Canipple
Yeah.
- [71:11]
Sam Amick
So when they turn on the microphone,
- [71:12]
Ryan Rosillo
like all these guys at the bar, like in.
- [71:14]
Sam Amick
At the table, you know, like those high tops in a bar, they turn and like, what the hell is going on here, guys? On the microphone. And then you're right. Like a guy in the middle of us talking backed up his scooter and you could hear the reverse beep. And this guy was here. It's in the background. We should. Well, I guess we don't have access to those files anymore, so they'll be
- [71:32]
Ryan Rosillo
lost to history Anyway. I have two best men for my wedding to match my fiance's two maids of honor. One of them, let's call him Shane,
- [71:41]
Sam Amick
lives about 25 minutes from me. I would consider my best friend.
- [71:43]
Ryan Rosillo
We had previously spent seven years living
- [71:46]
Sam Amick
together before I moved in with my fiance. Almost long enough for a common law marriage.
- [71:51]
Kyle
It's an interesting fact.
- [71:53]
Sam Amick
The other one, let's call him Martin, was my closest buddy during COVID When Shane moved home to help his parents. Martin and I did pretty much everything together for almost three years. The point that my parents consider him as another son. Martin moved to the opposite coast for work opportunity about three years ago, so we only see each other once or twice a year since then. My bachelor party is currently happening in Florida. For context, we're all in our early 30s. Shane pretty much organized the entire thing, including the itinerary and flying down a day early to get groceries and beer for the house. I flew in on Thursday along with the rest of the party attendees except for Martin, who was supposed to take a red eye Thursday night and land early Friday morning. On Thursday night, after swimming in the pool at the house, I get a text solo, not in the whole bachelor party group chat from Martin that he wasn't able to come to the bachelor party. Martin's girlfriend had just gotten a puppy a few days earlier and had eaten some grass on Thursday, which made made Martin worried. So he called the vet and they told him to monitor the dog. Martin's girlfriend had to go to work, so Martin made the decision to stay home and look after the dog instead of come to the party. Shane was more pissed than I was when I showed him the text from Martin for a few reasons, including that Shane is asked about the plan for the puppy when Martin got it. Dogs normally eat some Grass, Especially puppies, you guys. Does that check out?
- [73:05]
Kyle
I feel like they eat everything. Grass included.
- [73:08]
Ceruti
Yeah.
- [73:09]
Sam Amick
The unwillingness of Martin to book a different flight and come later in the weekend. And that another of our friends, Victor, had to bail a few days in advance because he had a massive doctoral program deadline moved up on him to the day of the return of the bachelor party, which made it seem to Shane that Martin had gave the green light to bail with no repercussions. Like our other friend, Victor was incredibly guilty about missing the party and came over to my house to personally tell me he had to bail.
- [73:33]
Ryan Rosillo
What should I do about Martin?
- [73:34]
Sam Amick
I can't really take away his best man. His best man title so close to the wedding. And I also don't want to start more drama by doing that. He didn't really understand my frustration. When I texted him back after stewing on his message for a few hours, all I said was, you'll be missed. In. His reply was, thanks for understanding.
- [73:50]
Ryan Rosillo
Actually, not that nasty of a response.
- [73:54]
Sam Amick
You'll be missed. Yeah, handled well. Did not reflect your emotions at the time.
- [74:00]
Ryan Rosillo
The next time I see him will be my wedding.
- [74:02]
Sam Amick
So I can't really confront him there over it while I focus on other stuff. Any advice is appreciated. Seems a little harsh.
- [74:09]
Kyle
This is just going to be part of the lore. I think. I had a guy who missed my wedding because he was breeding pit bulls and they just had babies. I was really close friends with his wife. He came up and he's like, but don't worry, my wife's going to bring her friend. And I'm like, oh, great. A hundred bucks a play a person. I don't know, but I do love your hat.
- [74:28]
Sam Amick
That's great news.
- [74:30]
Ceruti
Yeah.
- [74:32]
Kyle
And so. And he's just the guy. It's like, when everything's happened, it's like, just make check to see if, you know, my buddy's dog is pregnant before we commit. And it's just. We all laugh about it and it's, you know, it's all right as. As the guy who's the star of the bachelor party and the wedding, you don't want to come off like, you know, like, being nasty or rude about this, but this is just something that has to.
- [74:51]
Sam Amick
Has to.
- [74:52]
Kyle
You have to keep it alive. You have to keep it alive. It'll be funny. Talk about how fun the bachelor party was. You know, be understanding, but also throw some jabs. It's work for me.
- [75:02]
Ceruti
Your buddy's jobs, it's their job to make him feel like an asshole.
- [75:07]
Sam Amick
Not your job.
- [75:08]
Ceruti
Right. So even at the. Even at your wedding. Like, you shouldn't be worried about this. It's fine. I'm sure he's a nice enough guy. Obviously, you got along during COVID Covid is like a different world too. So who knows? Like, you probably. I'm sure there was some. Some peak bonding going on there, so it's. It's all right. But I feel like it's your buddy's obligation to make him feel like an asshole. So if they're listening to this pod, you know, your job.
- [75:29]
Sam Amick
I just don't think that this should lead to him, like, being reevaluated as
- [75:36]
Kyle
the best man, restructuring going on at the wedding party.
- [75:40]
Ceruti
It doesn't sound like he wants that to be the case. He's like, you know, he's almost like. Because his response in the text was cool and pretty chill and all right, yeah, you will be missed. And there you go. You can move on and be happy with your situation. He could still be the best man. Everything could be fine. So if that's the way that he wants to handle this, like, I think that that's. That's fine.
- [75:58]
Acorns Advertiser
Yeah.
- [75:58]
Kyle
And then the next time you guys plan a trip is like, hey, you know, Dave, make sure your grass is cut before you. Before you. Before you book your ticket or something.
- [76:05]
Sam Amick
Like, don't leave any loose grass around.
- [76:07]
Con Canipple
Yeah.
- [76:13]
Sam Amick
Yeah, I guess. I don't know.
- [76:15]
Ceruti
So you.
- [76:15]
John Wall
You.
- [76:15]
Ceruti
You're saying. You're saying this is literally not a big deal at all? I mean, you did skip my bachelor party. Excused absence, but, yeah, I wasn't going
- [76:24]
Sam Amick
to your bachelor party.
- [76:25]
Ceruti
No, you're invited.
- [76:27]
Sam Amick
Come on, man. I mean, how much? I don't know one of the other guys. I change the entire dynamic if I show up, and maybe.
- [76:35]
Ceruti
Yeah, I mean, people would be pumped, you know, I'm with you. I really don't care. I would have been. I would have been uncomfortable with how uncomfortable you. You would have been at the bachelor party. Like, it would have. It would have put me on edge.
- [76:48]
Kyle
Yeah, there would have been some weird frequency in there.
- [76:50]
Sam Amick
Yeah.
- [76:50]
Ceruti
Yeah. No.
- [76:52]
Sam Amick
Now, the bachelor party science is a very specific thing. You know, like everybody. You get emails about this all the time is like, do I invite my brother in law? But he's like the outsider to the entire group, and it's like, I understand what you're trying to do, but honestly, the brother in law should say no, you know? Or if there's like an old guy fresh off a divorce, and it's like you with your nine core buddies, and you're all, like, 15 years younger than them, and you feel like, all right, we've got the living arrangements, Everybody knows their assignments, the whole thing, and you just throw in this one wild card of the whole thing.
- [77:26]
Kyle
I kind of like that you're describing something that sounds like, could be awesome. I think it is a high variance, but there's. I think you're in the mic with the right attitude.
- [77:33]
Sam Amick
I'll tell you what, Kyle. If I ever get married, you can come to the bachelor party. Thank you, Steve. You're off the hook.
- [77:38]
Kyle
That's the other thing. The other thing with bachelor parties, I think I don't know what his size is, but if you've got, like, 12 guys and two drop out, you're like, oh, okay.
- [77:45]
Sam Amick
I think he said he's a D1 athlete.
- [77:46]
Kyle
But if you. But if you have, like, six guys and two dropout, it's like you're actually. You feel that a little bit more. So I don't know. I don't know what his starting number was, but if he lost two, it might. It might hurt a little more if it was like, oh, and you, too. You're the, you know, the. The co. Best man. But, you know, if there's still, like, nine other guys, it's like, you know, I'm not going to be thinking about it too much.
- [78:07]
Ceruti
We could all. I mean, we could all agree, though, like, if you're the best man, this is not a good enough excuse to not go right.
- [78:12]
Sam Amick
No, it's not.
- [78:13]
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, I would.
- [78:14]
Sam Amick
Yeah, I think it's a little weak. But we also, like, what's Martin's girlfriend like?
- [78:17]
Kyle
Yeah, how much.
- [78:18]
Sam Amick
How much of a dog she's working?
- [78:20]
Kyle
How much did he cover for her in that argument? He could have been like, it was the worst argument in my life, and I thought it was going to be over because this dog ate some grass. And the only thing I had to do was. Was say, I'm not going to. You know.
- [78:31]
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, I'd also say, too, like, there are times you guys seem like you're
- [78:35]
Sam Amick
young enough, but there'll be times where, like, older guys are getting married and there's going to be a guy that lies about not going to your bachelor party because, like, he just can't do it anymore or he doesn't trust himself, or his wife is like, what are you going to do? Are you going to drink gin and be weird for 72 hours? You know, so there's. There's, like, you know, there's some Guys who just forgot beers decisions, just being like, I can't actually do this and it. And it sucks. It sucks for that person. And then, you know, they'll come back around like a couple years later being like, hey, I was, I was kind of in a spot there where you've
- [79:13]
Kyle
heard of the phrase on thin ice because that's exactly where I was.
- [79:19]
Sam Amick
Yeah. So but depending kind of like on the age. Like nobody at 27 is like, no, I shouldn't do that. Like, I can't wait to do that. All right, let's see here. Oh, we have an update on the guy who should start whether or not he should start his son in the basketball tournament.
- [79:40]
Kyle
Oh, I was thinking about.
- [79:41]
Sam Amick
I want to read this. Yeah, I'm gonna think about him non stop. I went with the strategy Ryan suggested. Talk to the team through my rationale, which they were receptive to. I decided to run a triangle and two def. With my son on their point guard. Another one of our guys on their stretch five. The good news is that we definitely frustrated their half court offense. My son held his man without a field goal. Also secured a rebound on the opening defensive possession. Oh, that place must have gone nuts. The bad news is that it didn't help our offense where we turned the ball over with reckless abandon and failed to make shots. So we still lost by our usual 50 points. All right. There's always next year. I think ultimately, like how did the team respond? Was everybody into it? How do the parents feel? So can you send us another email?
- [80:27]
Kyle
Third email, shout out to try in the hail Mary.
- [80:30]
Sam Amick
I liked it.
- [80:32]
Ceruti
Yeah. I guess though now in hindsight I'm like, if you knew, I mean, I guess he's saying, hey, I think this could have been the solution. But if you're just going to lose by 50 again, it probably wasn't worth the hassle.
- [80:44]
Kyle
Well, all right.
- [80:47]
Sam Amick
Guys are at recess just hammering this guy. Like a great speech. You're going to teach your kid how to shoot. There's just such an amazing like that transition from sweet, awesome kid. Maybe he's 10 and then he's just like on a express lane to at 12. Doesn't happen to all of them, but it happens to a lot of.
- [81:16]
Kyle
I was covert. I was covert. All the parents loved me.
- [81:20]
Sam Amick
I could see that. Yeah. Did you blame. When stuff happened to you, were you always blaming your friends?
- [81:30]
Kyle
No, because they. No, because my friends were overtly that way. So I was trying to like, I was trying to take stuff for them. Like, please, can you please let him Come over. He didn't mean to shoot out the fucking light. Like, obviously, like something, something happened. Like, you know, can we please, like, I don't, I don't want him to not be able to come over. I don't want to not be able to go because they were always more unsupervised. So, like, I can go over there. And it was like dudes had M games and shit and I'm like 12 years old. Like, dude, Halo, let's go. I don't even think Halo should have been M. But there was just plenty more opportunities for me to go over there. So I was always trying to keep them in the good graces.
- [82:03]
Ceruti
Smart.
- [82:03]
Sam Amick
Anyway,
- [82:06]
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- [82:37]
Sam Amick
All right, we got a blind one here that is pretty intense. So let's go for it. All right, 25 years old, 5'10, 145. No notable gym stats, but I'm in
- [82:46]
Ryan Rosillo
there putting in the work five days a week. Yeah, you are. Basketball comp, late stage. Udonis Haslam.
- [82:51]
Sam Amick
No real court value, great locker room presence. Ouch. Hope you donis doesn't hear about this. Apologies in advance for the long email. It's not that long, man. Don't worry about it. We've got a file. I don't know if there's just called the long file. I don't know if they'll ever be read. I've been living in Chicago, extra syllable in there.
- [83:10]
Kyle
Yeah.
- [83:11]
Sam Amick
Basically since college. And have had a blast going out enjoying the nightlife for the last three years. Didn't put up wilt numbers, but let's just say I've had my fair share of female women encounters. Great. I had a life changing event on Labor Day weekend. Took Molly for the first time. Turned 25 a couple weeks later. Which really made me evaluate my lifestyle and realize that I've grown tired of it and want to settle down.
- [83:40]
Ceruti
That's good because I feel like that's a fork in the road moment. You just keep doing a bunch of Molly, you're like, hey, I grew up. And you. Seems like you chose a good path, right?
- [83:49]
Kyle
You sign up for the subscription or imagine.
- [83:51]
Sam Amick
Yeah, it's awesome. This is all I want to do.
- [83:55]
Ryan Rosillo
And I have a condo in for a lottery deal.
- [83:57]
Sam Amick
Right. I'm breeding pit bulls for a little side money until I can find something steady. Hey, how did that guy. Is that guy still in business?
- [84:09]
Con Canipple
Yeah, he's.
- [84:09]
Kyle
I mean, he's a teacher as well. It's just another thing he was doing.
- [84:13]
Ceruti
Nice.
- [84:15]
Sam Amick
That's great.
- [84:15]
Con Canipple
Yeah.
- [84:16]
Sam Amick
You can't get one. You can't get a discount.
- [84:18]
Kyle
Hey, listen, I'm working through my own thing right now. I'm just. We're just trying to get the numbers down. We'll reconsider.
- [84:23]
Ceruti
We're getting there. Yeah.
- [84:26]
Ryan Rosillo
How many rabbits are we at?
- [84:27]
Kyle
We're at 2. I mean, and it's. I can't believe this is my Life. Shout out, LeBron.
- [84:31]
Sam Amick
I mean, is that a new development? I thought you had three.
- [84:33]
Kyle
We did, and then we had.
- [84:35]
Sam Amick
Oh, sounds new.
- [84:39]
Ryan Rosillo
Is that the podcast that you listen
- [84:40]
Sam Amick
to that celebrates Rabbit's death?
- [84:42]
Kyle
I would never, would never say that out loud.
- [84:46]
Sam Amick
I didn't sit. You didn't say it. I didn't even mean it.
- [84:50]
Ceruti
I know.
- [84:50]
Sam Amick
Yeah.
- [84:52]
Kyle
What's up with this guy?
- [84:53]
Ryan Rosillo
Hey, I know we're down on rabbits,
- [84:55]
Con Canipple
but I got it.
- [84:55]
Ryan Rosillo
I'm a friend.
- [84:56]
Sam Amick
This is Hank, the pit bull.
- [85:00]
Ceruti
Definitely get along.
- [85:02]
Ryan Rosillo
By some miracle, I met the perfect girl a week later at a party.
- [85:05]
Sam Amick
We really hit it off. Unsurprising considering there was alcohol involved. But I stayed true to my promise to myself and didn't hook up with her since I could see long term potential with her. After that, we went out twice, but it felt a bit off, especially after the second date. And she ended things stating that she felt a fresh, friendly, not romantic vibe between us. I was pretty bummed out about this, primarily due to the fact that I realized that the Molly was affecting me still and had made me act weird around her. After a month, I reached back out to her explaining the whole thing and asked for another shot. She agreed and we got drinks again. But at the end, she said that she still doesn't feel a romantic connection between us. I kind of felt it this time too. So I agreed and suggested that we be friends since I enjoyed talking to her, especially since this time I could be fully be myself. She reciprocated my sentiment, and to my surprise, she then asked me to coffee once, followed by drinks at a Christmas bar another time because she was in the mood for something Christmassy. I love that I get in the Christmas mood sometimes.
- [86:03]
Kyle
You're her holiday homie.
- [86:05]
Sam Amick
Yeah. At the bar, things got slightly weird since we talked about a lot of deep stuff and there was a lot more physical connection between us. However, nothing further happened and she asked me to meet her and her friends at the bars that night, but I didn't join since I had a long day ahead. We've been texting since then. I'm starting to get feelings for her again, especially since I've been fooling myself around her due to us just being friends. I feel that she just not understands me, but can relate to me a lot. And on paper, we're truly a perfect fit. So where do I go from here? Do I stay friends under the hopes of her eventually seeing me as a romantic partner? Or is it basically impossible since she's friend zoned me twice already? Am I reading too much into our meetups and deluding myself into thinking there's nothing there? If not, how do I go about making her see me in a different light? Do I just try to view this as a platonic friendship or is the best thing for my mental health to cut her off and try to move on? I would hate to lose her as a friend, but I don't know how long I can handle staying in this purgatory state. Love the pod. Thanks in advance. Yeah, man, you're in a tough one. One of life's conundrums. Since you're 25, my first thought is, like, I mean, again, how much attention is she getting from everybody else? Are you truly in this friend zone thing or has something shifted? I don't know. Is she somebody who gets a lot of attention? And then if she's not getting any, say around Christmas time, she's like, hey, I want attention. And you're kind of like, yeah, you're kind of like a default attention guy.
- [87:32]
Con Canipple
Because if.
- [87:33]
Sam Amick
And I'll finish here. But part of me thinks, like, if you actually wanted to date her, and I hate saying this around this age range, but you have to convince her you have no interest in her. Unfortunately, that's the game that you have signed up for.
- [87:48]
Ceruti
Or you just hang around the hoop for a while and she just eventually comes around. But that's a miserable place for you to be in, and I wouldn't recommend you do that.
- [87:56]
Sam Amick
Yeah, So I was hooking up with this guy. His body's insane.
- [88:00]
Ceruti
No way.
- [88:01]
Sam Amick
Yeah. Really? That's. God, he sounds like he does have an awesome body. Another Cosmo.
- [88:13]
Kyle
Yeah, it's unfortunate because the agree to be friends thing, the woman will totally be like, yeah, that's what we agreed to. And the guy's like, yeah, but until when? And that's how you end up with, like, dudes hanging around your girlfriend that she swears are her friends because she believes it and he's just fucking waiting. So it's unfortunate that she's totally able to commit to this and you can't think about anything other than getting out of this. Which is why I think what Ryan said is correct. I think you have to be sort of uninterested or maybe just unavailable. Sound interested and.
- [88:43]
Sam Amick
But don't come aggressively uninterested.
- [88:45]
Kyle
There you go. Unavailable too. You know, if it. It might even. He might like this girl so much he can't even force himself to show disinterest, but he can show unavailability. I'm just so busy.
- [88:56]
Sam Amick
That might work, right? Well said, Kyle.
- [88:59]
Ceruti
And like, this. This may sound like, a little bit harsh, but, I mean, Ryan, you brought this up multiple times. Like, you're kind of just attracted to someone when you see them or not. And if she's putting you in the friend zone and saying, I feel like this is more of a friend thing than it is like, a. Like a relationship type thing, then that's a hard thing to overcome, you know? Like, you now have to turn into, like, being sexy guy as opposed to being friend guy. And if you were put in friend guy mode, that's just not.
- [89:25]
Kyle
Maybe there's a pirate theme party you could go to. Really?
- [89:27]
Ceruti
Yeah.
- [89:28]
Sam Amick
Can you be sexier, man?
- [89:31]
Ceruti
Can you be. Yeah. Don't talk to her. Maybe that'll. Maybe that's the. That's the play. Yeah.
- [89:34]
Kyle
Give her a chance to miss you a little bit. If it's just like, you know, she's ready to unload her week of work on you again, and it's just like, she knows you're going to listen. It's going to be a little different than you guys haven't seen each other for a month. Maybe you, you know, just got your hair cut. I mean, try to plan it around something like that.
- [89:52]
Sam Amick
Yeah, I mean, it's. It's a brutal spot. It's. It sucks because it sucks when it's like, I look forward to this text. I. We just hit it off, you know, when you know, you kind of know. But there's also a lesson in here, too. When it's like I wanted to hold off on anything because I knew she could be the one, it's like, oh, yeah, you excited that you were the only one that wanted to go to Hamnet with her?
- [90:22]
Ceruti
So I skipped out on that viewing this weekend. Solo Maddie White, St. Patty's Though I
- [90:27]
Kyle
know that's not really good for holding off, but St. Patty's is coming up. I mean, that could be a fun, fun activity, you know, who knows?
- [90:34]
Con Canipple
Who knows?
- [90:35]
Sam Amick
Yeah, I feel like you're actually back.
- [90:37]
Kyle
And then fall back, then fall back.
- [90:39]
Ceruti
No, that's a good. I feel like you're actually not in a bad spot though. Unless, like, this is going to really bum you out. But, like, just like have fun and kind of live your life with her in the vicinity of you and yeah, maybe that makes her jealous and she's into you. Or maybe you just find somebody else who's super cool and then everyone's kind of happy here.
- [90:53]
Con Canipple
Yeah.
- [90:54]
Sam Amick
Yeah.
- [90:54]
Kyle
And what can you handle, 25?
- [90:57]
Sam Amick
What can you actually handle? Because if she's definitely friend zoning you and you're going to hang around the room to s point, most dudes, like, they may lie to themselves for a little while. Like, oh, you know, she's got some great friends and we're all meeting up and it's like, you just, you care about this person so you like having the time with them, but.
- [91:16]
Kyle
And then you send the essay text
- [91:19]
Sam Amick
you wish you could unsettle.
- [91:20]
Ceruti
You also don't want to be the, the. Oh, man, Brian's here again with her group. Like, he's just hanging around like, it's not happening. Dude, you know, you don't want to be that guy either.
- [91:31]
Sam Amick
Yeah, unfortunately, you're probably just going to have to. I think we've all involved, you know, I mean, it doesn't mean be a dick, but you're going to have to likely let her know you're just as not interested, even though it's not true.
- [91:43]
Kyle
Happy hunting.
- [91:46]
Sam Amick
Because I just don't know that anybody goes like, oh, this person. That's an option that I'm not excited about right now, but I enjoy their company. You know what? A year later, something bad, she would have to just be with a terrible boyfriend and be like, you were in front of me the whole time. Hamnet watched it this weekend. I wonder if that's a movie that says, no matter what, support your husband in his pursuits. Maybe that wasn't the message of the movie.
- [92:18]
Kyle
If there's a joke in there, if it wasn't for me, I haven't seen it.
- [92:21]
Sam Amick
I'm sorry, I didn't see it. For the people that did See it. We're going to have Adnan. When do we have him?
- [92:26]
Ceruti
Thursday. Because Oscars are Sunday, right?
- [92:31]
Sam Amick
That's huge.
- [92:32]
Ceruti
Yeah. I've seen. We were talking about this on the phone. I've seen. What have you seen? I've seen. I haven't seen F1. I saw Sinners. I saw Marty supreme once. I saw one battle. I saw Frankenstein. I told Ryan he could probably skip Frankenstein.
- [92:51]
Kyle
No, Frankenstein was.
- [92:53]
Sam Amick
I don't know that I'm going to get Frankenstein in. I'm going to have one more. I think I'm going to get to seven of the best pictures, which is pretty good. Last year was. Last year was a light year for me. I try to, you know, ignore in the brutalist, back to back weeks. It was a lot of. You still haven't seen either one of those.
- [93:11]
Con Canipple
Me neither.
- [93:12]
Ceruti
I'm not gonna see an aura. I. I would see the Brutalist, but why three hours? I don't know. Nora. Do you think it's worth watching?
- [93:22]
Sam Amick
Yeah.
- [93:23]
Ceruti
Okay. I do.
- [93:25]
Ryan Rosillo
Like, it's not gonna change your life,
- [93:27]
Kyle
but it's not like one battle.
- [93:29]
Ceruti
Well, I don't. I don't like that. Like, this one, Best pitcher. It's not going to change your life. I feel like best pitcher. We should have higher standards than that.
- [93:36]
Ryan Rosillo
It should change your life.
- [93:37]
Sam Amick
Just every movie that wins best.
- [93:39]
Ryan Rosillo
Could your life change that much?
- [93:41]
Kyle
God, Steve, I. I can't wait till
- [93:43]
Sam Amick
you get your replies today.
- [93:45]
Ryan Rosillo
What's up with Steve's shirt?
- [93:47]
Sam Amick
I don't know, dude. Have you seen it?
- [93:49]
Ceruti
I guess that is fair. Everyone has their own things, but, you know. Yeah, there's some. There's some movies. Like, I guess Marty supreme didn't change my life. I enjoyed Marty Supreme.
- [93:56]
Sam Amick
Change Chalamet's life. And that means we got it the same as you.
- [94:00]
Ceruti
We got to talk about this. We got to talk about this ballet thing. Opera thing. Maybe we just save it for Adnan, but.
- [94:06]
Kyle
Yeah, this is one of those cases.
- [94:07]
Ceruti
The Internet. It was okay. He. It was a mistake. He probably shouldn't have said it, but, like, calm down. Like, we need to calm. Collectively calm down.
- [94:15]
Ryan Rosillo
Did he kind of do a Hey,
- [94:16]
Sam Amick
I have black friends thing when he started talking about everybody in his family that's into ballet?
- [94:21]
Ceruti
Yeah.
- [94:21]
Kyle
Oh, is that. Did he do the damage control already?
- [94:26]
Sam Amick
I think there was something that I saw that was like, hey, you know, I didn't really mean to dump on ballet. Was that I. And by the way, like, my sister's into ballet or something like that. And I was like, that's his point is correct, though.
- [94:38]
Ceruti
Can we. Could we acknowledge that, like, he was basically talking about. For the people that haven't.
- [94:41]
Con Canipple
Don't know.
- [94:42]
Ryan Rosillo
You co. Sign with him blindly all you want, man.
- [94:44]
Sam Amick
I know.
- [94:45]
Ceruti
Yeah. I wonder if McConaughey kind of knew that he was stepping on a grenade there, too. Based on his facial expression, McConaughey knew
- [94:50]
Sam Amick
exactly what he was. He was looking at him. He's like, telepathically trying to get to his head, being like, hey, buddy, you need to 180 this.
- [94:59]
Ceruti
But yeah, he was basically like, I don't want to save the movie. Like, movie theaters. Like, it's. I don't feel like it's my job to do that. In the same way that, you know, people aren't saving opera or ballet, because those things are. I think he called him dead or whatever, like, not relevant or something.
- [95:14]
Con Canipple
It was.
- [95:14]
Ceruti
It was aggressive. It was. It was hurtful.
- [95:16]
Sam Amick
But hey, not what 2,000 Italians to tell him he's wrong about.
- [95:21]
Kyle
Hey, as a guy who backed up Will Smith, never stopped.
- [95:25]
Ceruti
He won the after.
- [95:26]
Sam Amick
Yeah, exactly. You backed Will Smith. Yeah, I just had to. Yeah.
- [95:32]
Kyle
And this whole ti50cent thing, everyone's like, what's going on with your boy 50cent? Like, I don't know.
- [95:36]
Sam Amick
I'll support him.
- [95:37]
Kyle
Hope he doesn't make.
- [95:38]
Ceruti
I don't like those guys fighting. Yeah, I like both those guys. That's one of those. Like, just, you know, your two. Your two buddies fighting. It's not good to see.
- [95:45]
Con Canipple
No.
- [95:47]
Sam Amick
Well, that's good to hear, guys. We'll get the latest on that later this week. That'll do it for the show. Thanks to Tom and Kevin, also Kyle and Ceruti. Please subscribe and we'll have 10 good minutes tomorrow on YouTube. Some spurs thoughts, perhaps, or no, I might say that until a little later in the week, obviously tease some of the thoughts that I have with John Wall, but yeah, we got another. It's the Rosillo staff party game of the week. That means Denver OKC are playing each
- [96:14]
Ceruti
other because maybe we'll hop on FaceTime and have a. Have a beer together.
- [96:18]
Sam Amick
Yeah, I'd do that. Probably on FaceTime. Yeah, just get it going. IPads, maybe even.
- [96:23]
Ceruti
That sounds like something you'd love. Yeah.
- [96:25]
Sam Amick
Yeah, I do that. All right, that'll do for the show. Ryan Rosilla show, Barstool sports. Sam.