Alec Baldwin (2:06)

And actor and comedian Jack McBrayer. The most important aspect is the collaboration with people that I like, I trust are talented. That has been the most amazing gift to me about this crazy business that we've chosen. Meeting these people who have such diverse talents and you're able to create something together. Listen to here's the thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. 45 years ago, a Virginia soul band called the Edge of Daybreak recorded their debut album behind bars. Record collectors consider it a masterpie. The band's surviving members are long out of prison, but they say they have some unfinished business. The end of Daybreak. Eyes of Love was supposed to have been followed up by another album. Listen to soul incarcerated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Jack McBrayer (3:13)

All right, bet.

Alec Baldwin (3:13)

I got you. Come on. Hey, Rook.

Jack McBrayer (3:29)

Better not be late. Yo, are you serious?

Alec Baldwin (3:32)

Come on, man.

Jack McBrayer (3:33)

Hey, clean up my driveway. It's a mess. Yo, you too old for this. What's going on, bro? Come on, you way too old for this, man. Yo, Bryce, where your keys at?

Alec Baldwin (3:47)

That's the story, ain't it? Everybody else is hopping on it. Nike clearly knows how to capitalize off of it. I guess that means the rest of us have to talk about it, right? Bronnie Bron started the NBA season, plus a whole bunch of other stuff that's on my mind. The Stephen A. Smith show in the house. Let's roll. What's up, everybody? Welcome to the latest edition of the Stephen A. Smith show, coming at you over the Digital Airways of YouTube and iHeartRadio. As always, I'd like to take a moment to pause for just a second to thank and show my appreciation to my subscribers and followers. We are now rapidly approaching 889,000sub. Can't thank y'all enough for the love and support you've been giving me over the Digital Airways, YouTube. We've already exceeded over 3 million downloads on iHeartRadio over the last few months as well. So thank y'all so much for the love and support. Keep it coming. And I'm gonna keep on coming. As a reminder while you're doing so, if you want to continue to be a part of the mix and be the latest member of the Stephen A. Smith show family, just click the bell all right, there. And there you have it. You'll be a part of the family the Stephen A. Smith show for a long, long time to come. Because I don't plan on going anywhere. By the way, don't forget to pick up a copy of my New York Times best selling book, Straight Shooter, A memoir of second chances and first takes, now in paperback. Just go to straightshooterbook.com to get yourself a copy. Once again, that straightshooterbook.com to get yourself a copy. It is a New York Times bestseller. I am very, very proud to say that that's the creme de la creme. No Matter what they do to me, y'all, no matter what they try to do to me, they will never take away the fact that I am a New York Times best selling author that is forever etched on my resume. Now let me get to more serious matters that don't necessarily involve me. It's time to get started with the NBA, because that's where the season kicked off last night in Boston and Los Angeles. Don't worry, I'll get to the Celtics demolishing my New York Knicks in a few minutes. Don't worry about it. It's coming, it's coming. But we all know that we've got to get started in Tinseltown. That's where history was made last night as LeBron James and Bronny James became the first father son duo to play together in an NBA game. It was a great moment for the league and North American sports, of course, but having said all of that, I can't front. I'm glad it's over because now we can get back to the business of basketball. A lot of people have been sensitive on this subject, and I don't blame them because we have to be careful and we've got to mind our manners to some degree. Okay? We have to understand that this is about LeBron James. This isn't even about Bronnie James, believe it or not. It's about LeBron James. It's about one of the top two to three greatest players in the history of basketball who has done so much for the league that he deserves whatever the hell he wants. He's religiously underpaid. We all know this. He definitely is underpaid, all right? Because he deserves more money than the Lakers or any other NBA franchise can give him because he's worth that much. So we understand that. And considering the fact that he's box office, he's still the star attraction in the National Basketball Association. He's still great. At the age of 39, approaching the age of 40, for him to want to play in the NBA with his son. Listen, it's LeBron James. He genuinely deserves that. But it's unpopular to bring up this yet very, very necessary. I want to emphasize that I'm rooting for Bronnie James. So are the Lakers, not just as an organization, but those teammates of his wearing the same uniform to sit on a bench with him. Of course, new Rookie head coach JJ Redick, who's got the job primarily because LeBron James wanted him to have that job. Let's just be real about it. He was coaching his children, his son in Little League, and now he's the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Not having been a head coach on any level, you're damn right LeBron had something to do with that. That's why they started their podcast. That might not have been their initial intent, I don't know. Even though with LeBron's brilliance, one could imagine he probably had the foresight to see all of this coming. He wanted Darvin Ham out. He started a podcast with JJ Redick on the sport of basketball, showing his expertise, his brilliance, because JJ Redick is a brilliant basketball mind. And as a result, that was going to facilitate him getting the Lakers job. That's neither here nor there. This is about Bronnie. This is about Bronnie James, and obviously LeBron James. Here's the reality, and it's a reality that can't be escaped. Anybody with a heart, anybody with a core decency about themselves should be rooting for Bronnie James. By all accounts, he's a tremendous, tremendously good kid, by the way. Had that heart ailment, had to be hospitalized his first year at USC before the semester and the season even started. Life was in danger. His life got saved by folks at usc, ultimately recovered and ended up back on the basketball court. All beautiful, beautiful, beautiful story. Absolutely. But here's the reality. The Los Angeles Lakers elected to have Ken Griffey senior and junior in attendance last night. Because when you talk about father son duos, talk about Gordy Howe with his children in hockey, you talk about the Griffeys. Obviously in baseball, you're looking at LeBron James and Bronnie James, first NBA father and son step on the court together. Beautiful thing. But when you bring Ken Griffey Jr. Into the mix with Ken Griffey Senior, I will remind you that Ken Griffey Sr. Was a pretty damn good baseball player who on several occasions batted over.300. It was a hell of a baseball player. But his son was a prodigy, and his son was considered better than him, was more hyped than him, and then backed up the hype by showing up on the back on the baseball field and balling out in an illustrious hall of Fame career. That's Ken Griffey Jr. In the case of Bronny James, here's what they're going to say, and I'm just giving y'all foresight into what's coming down the pike as we dissect things moving forward for the Lakers to give him a roster spot, which caused somebody else a roster spot for the Lakers not to have him in the G League. Understand what that's going to mean? Folks are going to start dissecting him with a fine tooth comb. They're going to look at the fact that he averaged around 14 or 15 points a game in high school. He wasn't even a first team all conference player in high school. He was the second team, yet somehow he was on the McDonald's All American team. They're going to look at his collegiate career, primarily due to his health, and they're going to point out how he couldn't do much there, but he ended up being drafted 55th overall. Unfairly to him. They're going to look at the fact that he got about $8 million guaranteed for a 55th overall pick, which is uncommon, but it's happened before. And they're going to say, what did he do to deserve that money? You're not going to expect LeBron James to feel sorry for the Lakers or anybody else because obviously he feels grossly underpaid. So the least he could do is make sure that his son's going to get paid. But ultimately, when he's in that lineup and he's getting playing time and there's three DNPs that took place last night, and a dude and Rob Dillingham that the Minnesota Wolves had traded up for to get their hands on, there's a first round pick, he didn't see any playing time last night. And they're going to look at all of these things and they're going to say, LeBron, LeBron, LeBron. And LeBron has made all of this happen, and it's very obvious that he made it happen. It's very obvious that his son wouldn't be in this situation if it were not for him. Now there's two sides of thinking of all of this, and we just got to get it out our system and we got to be real about this. Real and fair. Number one, somebody very influential in NBA circles and highly supportive of LeBron James wrote this text to me while we were discussing this during my day job on First Take this Morning. Quote, why is nobody mad at Jeannie Buss for owning the Lakers or Stephen Jones being the heir to take over the Cowboys? Black people have never been in a position of control, so the bar is set so low. The moment they do, you got guys like Mad Dog Russo, who is pure comedy with about 5% dislike for the LeBron James kind of situations of the world. We all know if this was Babe Ruth and his son, it would be the greatest thing ever. End quote. That's speculation, but possibly on point, but it doesn't negate the fact that Bronnie James with LeBron James is not the same as Ken Griffey Jr. And senior Bronnie has left huge question marks as to what he's capable of. You've got some people that looked at him last night and said he won't last more than two years. He's not assertive offensively. He's not that aggressive. He doesn't have a pure jump shot like his teammate who's the first round pick. Connect. Snoop Dogg's got me calling Westside connect out of Tennessee. That's going to be a sharpshooter for the Los Angeles Lakers for years to come. Defense is his thing. He is athletic, but his athleticism isn't necessarily off the charts compared to a lot of people. And then you had three dudes who were DNPs, did not play yesterday on the Los Angeles Lakers. So you're going to look at that. And you know it's because of LeBron James that he's in this situation. Which brings us to this question that I'm going to bring up. I've said before that I'm a bit reticent towards LeBron about this particular subject because of the spotlight he put on his son. Because I didn't think it was going to be fair to his son because I knew it was going to invite the kind of scrutiny it is now receiving. But we also have to ask Bronnie this because now that he's a pro, we have to judge him the way we'll judge any pro. And I personally am rooting for this kid. I don't. I. I've never really watched him play. So I want to see and watch his growth and development. And I swear to you, I'm rooting for him. What a great kid. He is always a nice kid. But you do have to get to a point where you ask, how much of this favoritism are you willing to embrace as a young man now? Because you got kids out there that don't want their parents greasing the skids and facilitating a path, an easier path to prosperity for them. They want to go out there and earn it. Now he has an opportunity to do it because he's on an NBA roster. And even if he gets to the G League, you still have an opportunity to do it. But at some point in time, there has to be something about you that says, I'm not okay with Pops paving the way for Me, I gotta blaze my own trail. And as these, these weeks and these months and these seasons go on, somebody's gonna ask that about him. And his play is going to have to answer. That's just the way that it is. But I wish him nothing but the best. I really, really do. I'm rooting for him and I'm happy for LeBron because this was important to him and what he has done for the game. Of bas all, he truly, truly, truly deserves to get what the hell he wants. Period. Now let's get to the East. As mentioned, the Celtics opened the season getting their rings and raising their championship banner. Banner number 18, by the way. They then proceeded to obliterate and beat the living out of my New York Knicks, 132 to 109. Boston shot the lights out against the Knicks Town and NBA Record with 29 three pointers made in the game shot about 64% of their shots from three. The Celtics were led by their two superstars and Jason Tatum who dropped 37 and of course Jaylen Brown who dropped 23. I think Jason Tatum dropped about 11 or 14 from the field, 8 of 11 from three point range. He's actually my pick to be league MVP this year, but I'll get into all of that a little bit later. Earlier this week though, is the subject that I need to get to because I got a chance to sit down with Jaylen Brown to discuss a number of topics, including his omission from the Olympic team and sources telling me he's an unmarketable player. Obviously this was a subject that was resonating throughout the playoffs and Jaylen Brown and I finally had that face to face sit down where he got an opportunity to get a couple of things off of his chest. Listen to what he had to say to me face to face. You already saw it the other day, but before I respond, listen to what he had to say.

Stephen A. Smith (17:15)

Again, I wore this shirt, but I honestly, I know just because of your credentials that you're never going to reveal sources because you abide by something called journalistic integrity.

Alec Baldwin (17:27)

Right.

Stephen A. Smith (17:28)

But hear me out.

Alec Baldwin (17:29)

Sure.

Stephen A. Smith (17:30)

A couple months back on your platform, you recited an unnamed source who I feel like attacked my character. One, I didn't really get a chance to defend myself, and two, you know, the damage kind of already is done. And I think journalistic integrity goes two ways.

Alec Baldwin (17:46)

Yes, sir.

Stephen A. Smith (17:47)

So for me, I think a lot of people were upset and as was I, because I understand journalistic integrity and I understand how that works. But I also understand the idea of Normal integrity as well. And I also want to maintain and protect that.

Jack McBrayer (18:08)

Sure.

Stephen A. Smith (18:09)

But honestly, I couldn't wait to address this unnamed source. Right. I know they probably will be watching this because people like that are always watching. And I basically wanted to say to them that I think it's cowardice. I think historically, unnamed sources have attacked some of our greats and I. We are not responsible for what they lack in design, frankly. They can call all their buddies, they pals and, you know, friends from all over the world, all the unnamed sources, and they can shove it where they got it from. Whether they think I'm marketable or not. I walk with God. I'm gonna be me and stand with my community in this life and the next. And that's my journalistic integrity.

Alec Baldwin (19:04)

Before I respond to that, I wanted to play you guys a clip of Gil's Arena, Gilbert Arenas's podcast. I mean, he's on there with Rashad McCants and former NBA players Rashad McC against Kenyon Martin and others. And before I responded, they obviously had something to say and were obviously somewhat critical in regards to what Jaylen Brown was alluding to. Let's hear what they had to say before our comment.

Jack McBrayer (19:31)

Like, when you break down their job, the Woj is and all of them, what do they rely on? All their information about the sport unnamed.

Alec Baldwin (19:42)

Source has to come from somebody else because they've never done it.

Jack McBrayer (19:46)

Right.

Alec Baldwin (19:47)

So if someone like Woj tells you.

Jack McBrayer (19:52)

Who'S giving you the information, that means he's not important anymore.

Alec Baldwin (19:59)

You're not important. You're a vessel for information. You're a preacher, not God. Wow.

Jack McBrayer (20:08)

Wow.

Alec Baldwin (20:09)

That was Gilbert Arenas. Listen, first of all, for those out there, because the headline was like, Gilbert Arenas rips in the Stephen A. Smith or whatever. First things first. You know, in the age of click bait and stuff like that, headlines can be very, very deceiving. And we know people who are usually devoid of content, and they try to use headlines in order to gain an audience. It's amateur night. There's levels to this. And folks who use headlines to get clips as opposed to the actual content, you leave a lot to be denied. Instead of coming at me, you need to take lessons. I'm not talking, however, about Gilbert Arenas and his podcast. I'm only talking about those of you out there. Reason I bring that up is I found nothing offensive about what Gilbert arena said. 0. Gilbert Arenas and I talk all the time. Got number, Love for the brother, even when he disagrees. And by the way, I'm looking forward to going on this podcast in the future because, you know Rashad McCants has had a few things to say about me. I'm down for it. Ain't nobody hiding. Kenya Martin. They disagree with me. I can't wait to have a discussion with them. We want to talk basketball. Let's talk basketball. But this is my lane. When you talk about journalism, this is not open for debate. You don't get information if you can't use sourced material. Now, Gilbert Arenas can lament that. Rashad McCants and Kenyon Martin and the rest of the crew, they can lament that. Every podcast, every report, and all of y'all can all lament it. Get the hell over it. It doesn't happen. You do not acquire information. If everybody that you get the information from has to come on camera, on the microphone, on audio, and reveal who they are and give their opinions, nine times out of 10, somebody. Nobody is going to tell you a damn thing. How do we know this? Do you watch politics? Do you watch them covering the. Covering the financial sector in Wall Street? How about Hollywood? And, of course, sports. I couldn't shine y'all damn shoes as a basketball player. Y'all are all former NBA players. Gilbert and the whole crew, Y'all bald. I'm lying. Y'all ain't never talked to nobody. Off the record, I'm looking at y'all. I mean, I'm talking to everybody that thinks like that. But I'm just directing you directly. Ain't never done that. Ever, Ever. You never said to a single soul, yo, bro, off the record. Yo, bro, between me and you, yo, don't quote me on this. That ain't never happen. Never. Ain't happening in the locker room with players. It ain't happen with the coach when he talking to the media. It ain't happened with the front office. It ain't happened with owners. Shit like this happens all the time in every single profession. I'm not saying you not. I'm not saying you wrong to complain about it. Just know you whistling into the wind. It took place long before Stephen A. Smith came along, and it's gonna be here long after I'm gone. That's a fact. So Jaylen Brown coming out and complaining about the source. He has every right to it, was talking about him. But that doesn't negate the fact that the source, while not being critical of him personally, meaning the source, felt that way along with the three people who called me afterward to confirm that what the source was saying, in their eyes, was true, even even though it might have been negative about Jaylen Brown. I'm going to repeat, they were not personally being negative about Jaylen Brown. So let's paint this picture, Gil. Let's paint this picture, McCants. Let's paint this picture, Gil's Arena. Y'all doing a hell of a job, by the way. Let me get that out the way. Love y'all, but let's get this out the way. Let's, let's, let's talk about it. Jalen Brown is a brilliant brother who is a former Conference Finals MVP, last year's Conference Finals MVP, NBA Finals MVP, a champion who has averaged at least 23 points a game over the last three years. There's no sneaker deal, there's no abundance of endorsements that have come his way. And most importantly, his teammate who he helped and some would say he outplayed in Jason Tatum, who I also love, is the one with all the endorsements. Why is that? Why are y'all not talking about that? How this highly intelligent, principled, unwavering, great basketball player and champion doesn't have Madison Avenue kicking down his door with endorsements? Why is that? Didn't he say his icons, the Bill Russell's of the world, the Muhammad Ali's of the world, what happened with them? They celebrated Bill Russell more so when he retired than when he was playing. They didn't start celebrating Muhammad Ali until he came down with Parkinson's and his health was compromised and he couldn't really speak up and out for himself and against the system the way that he was when he was fighting and he was an instrumental activist and civic figure. They didn't celebrate him then. He was a pariah. They want to go after him. Times are different. Jaylen Brown's got a different personality, but his core beliefs, his principles, the manhood upon which he stands, this principled, authentic, beautiful brother of ours, he's not being celebrated. And we're surprised. You ain't surprised, Gil. Y'all ain't surprised. None of us are surprised. Because when you black and you a black man and you outspoken and you stand on yours and you're highly successful and you're not one that's easily capitulating and what have you, lots of times the road is harder for you. That's what the source was telling me. That's what they were talking about when they said he wasn't liked, they didn't say by his teammates, they didn't say by his organization, they didn't say by his contemporaries, they said and were alluding to the System. Y'all don't get that. That's hard to understand. You know better. Listen to Gilbert Arenas talk basketball. It's beautiful to listen to. The brother knows what he's talking about. Listen to him talk about life. And you embrace his intellectual. Listen to the rest of y'all. And when you get your emotions out of the way and you just talk bare bone facts, y'all pretty damn brilliant y'all selves. Stop the shit. Come on, y'all. We know. We all know what they were saying about Jaylen Brown. And if you go back and you watch my interview right there on the Stephen A. Smith show this past Monday that's been airing over the last couple of days, you will see Jaylen Brown confirm exactly what the hell I said. Yo, they might feel about me, but I ain't changing. I stand with God. He didn't say they were wrong about what they were saying. He was saying they were wrong to feel that way, whoever they may be. But the Source wasn't the one saying he felt that way. The Source was saying. And the three people who called me afterwards were saying, yo, the Source is right about what they think about Jalen Brown. That's the truth. We don't run from that here on the Stephen A. Smith Show. We ain't doing that. Love you, Gil. Appreciate the text, bro. Appreciate the brilliance. Appreciate the success of your podcast. Keep doing what you're doing. And I don't mind disagreeing at all. I took no offense whatsoever to what Gilbert Arenas has had to say. Zero. I get what his point is. He has his, I have mine. Rashad McCants. Yeah, we'll talk, bro. I can't wait. I can't wait for that conversation. I. I can't wait. I got a busy schedule. But I swear, the second I get an invite, the second I have time, are we gonna have those conversations? You want real talk? Gill's arena ain't the only place to get it. It's always been right here, too. Ain't going nowhere. I can't wait. I can't wait. That's really all I gotta say about that. That really all I gotta say. I got some NBA basketball league get into, especially my Knicks with my man Jerry Ferrara, but not before I pay some of the bills. Back with more in a minute. Now, let me take just a few seconds to make sure everybody out there is listening, because I don't want you to miss this. The NBA season is here, y'all, and I couldn't be more excited. I'm literally jumping out of My chair. Look at me. I'm jumping out of my chair. Yes, I am. But you want to know what news is even better than that? How about Prospects has got you covered for all the big time action. That's right. Prospects is here to help you cash in. You see, Prospects is a daily fantasy sports app where you can select two or more of your favorite players and then pick more or less on their projected stats for the game. Pick ant man's points, LeBron's assist, Steph's threes, and Wendy's rebounds all in the same entry. I make my picks to submit early, all in less than 60 seconds. And get this, sign up with code SAS and Prospects will give you $50 instantly when you play your first five dollar lineup. You don't need to win your lineup to receive the 50 bonus. It's guaranteed. All you have to do is play a five DOL lineup on prize picks and you'll get $50 instantly. Now let's look at my winning picks, y'all. Today I'll be picking players for Thursday's football game. Let's look at who we've got. Viking signal caller Sam Darnold. More or less than 240 and a half passing yards. Look, you got Justin Jefferson, you got Addison. You've got their offense looking pretty tight. Sam Donald looks even better. Kevin OConnell coaching his team very, very well. Got to give love and respect where it's due for the job that he is doing. I'm going to go with more of this. A complicated one right there. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, more or less than 238 and a half passing yards. Look, Cooper Cup's been out with the ankle injury. Supposed to be coming back. We look at what they've got here. Puka Nu. Eventually you got to see this brother. Hopefully. But the bottom line is this. Sean McVeigh is a good play caller. The Rams are a decent team. I know they've been struggling or whatever, but it's primarily due to injuries, not anything else. 238 and a half passing yards is not much to ask for from a guy like Matthew Stafford who can fling that football still after all of these years. I'm gonna go with more on this one as well. Next up, running backs, Aaron Jones, running back, obviously for the Minnesota Vikings. More or less than 68 and a half rushing yards. I'm going to go with more. The brother can play, he can run with the football and I don't think it's a lot to be asking him to rush for at least 68 and a half yards. I think he'll get more than that, particularly against the Los Angeles Rams. I'm going with more. Finally, we get the Rams running back Kyron Williams more or less than 73 and a half rushing yards. Now here I'm gonna go less because I'm looking at Minnesota's defense, not just the ability to get to the passer, not just the ability to apply pressure. But Brian Flores has done a hell of a job coaching this team and they're coming off a loss to the Detroit Lions. They're going to have an attitude. The Rams are a good team, but they are not the Detroit Lions. Therefore, I think the Vikings going to have an advantage here, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. And I think the way to go here is less. Ok, so to recap, we got Sam Donald, okay, we've got that going on. Along with Matthew Stafford. I got more on both quarterbacks. At the running back spot is Aaron Jones and Kyron Williams. I got more for Aaron Jones, I got less for Williams. I don't like to say less, particularly on prospects, because I want to. I don't want to imply that less could end up in your pocket, okay? But I will say this. Sometimes less is applicable with the player and that could put more in your pocket. Think about that for a second and then rap to me. I'm going with less on Kyron Williams, more on Aaron Jones, and those are my picks for this particular Thursday Night Football action. Roll with it y'all. Roll with it.

Terry Crews (34:35)

Geico's motorcycle expertise gives me the coverage I need.

Hunter (34:38)

Like 247 claims I'm on cloud nine.

Alec Baldwin (34:42)

Clouds are wholly unable to support the weight of an adult human. What's happening? Furthermore, clouds are not numbered. Even if you procured a jetpack and searched, you'd find no cloud number nine. However, at that altitude, you'd likely befriend a flock of migrating snow geese. Geese who'd encourage you to leave your 247 GEICO motorcycle claims insurance behind as they would take you in and even share their dinner of crickets and clovers with you. GEICO assumes no liability for any indigestion that may occur from a clover cricket dinner. Geico expertise for your motorcycle?

Hunter (35:05)

I'm Hunter, host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share bite sized stories of missing and murdered black women and girls in America. There are several ways we can all do better at protecting black women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying their disregarded stories. Stories like Tameka Anderson as she drove toward Galvez. She was in contact with several people talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tameka never bought the car, and she never returned home that day. One podcast, one Mission. Save our Girls. Join the search as we explore the chilling cases of missing and murdered black women and girls. Listen to Hunting for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Terry Crews (36:08)

Snakes, Zombies, Sharks, Heights. Speaking in public. The list of fears is endless. But while you're clutching your blanket in the dark, wondering if that sound in the hall was actually a footstep, the real danger is in your hand when you're behind the wheel. And while you might think a great white shark is scary, what's really terrifying and even deadly is distracted driving. Eyes forward. Don't drive distracted. Brought to you by NHTSA and the AD Council.

Julie Swearbinks (36:38)

It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.

Nate Thompson (36:47)

I wore nine NHL sweaters, and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say. And not just about hockey.

Julie Swearbinks (36:55)

Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate. And JSB is the name of the podcast, and it's going to be, well, it's going to be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the Energy Line.

Nate Thompson (37:07)

We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers. And wait till you see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.

Julie Swearbinks (37:16)

Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?

Nate Thompson (37:28)

I'm vibing Julie. I'm ready to roll.

Julie Swearbinks (37:31)

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Alec Baldwin (37:38)

Welcome to Pod of Rebellion, our new Star Wars Rebels Rewatch podcast. I'm Vanessa Marshall. Hi, I'm Tia Sircar.

Jerry Ferrara (37:45)

I'm Taylor Gray.

J (37:46)

And I'm Jon Lee Brody.

Alec Baldwin (37:47)

But you may also know us as Harrison Doula, Specter 2, Tabeen Wren, Spectre.

Jerry Ferrara (37:52)

5, and Ezra Bridger Specter 6 from Star Wars Rebels.

J (37:55)

Wait, I wasn't on Star Wars Rebels. Am I in the right place?

Alec Baldwin (37:59)

Absolutely. Each week we're going to rewatch and discuss an episode from the series and.

Jerry Ferrara (38:04)

Share some fun behind the scenes stories.

J (38:06)

Sometimes we'll be visited by special guests like Steve bloom voices Zaborielio's Spectre 4, or Dante Bosco voices Jai Kell and many others.

Alec Baldwin (38:13)

Sometimes we'll even have a lively debate.

Jerry Ferrara (38:15)

And we'll have plenty of other fun surprises and trivia too.

J (38:18)

Oh, and me, well, I'm the lucky ghost crew Stowaway, who gets to help moderate and guide the discussion each week. Kinda like how Kanan guided Ezra in the ways of the Force. You see what I did there?

Alec Baldwin (38:29)

Nicely done, John.

J (38:30)

Thanks, Tia.

Alec Baldwin (38:31)

So hang on because it's gonna be a fun ride. Cue the music.

J (38:42)

Listen to Potter Rebellion on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Alec Baldwin (38:50)

Welcome back to Stephen A. Smith show right here with the Digital Airways of YouTube and of course, iHeartRadio. I had to get. I couldn't wait to get to my next guest, even though we have talked, talked during better moments because after last night's debacle, it's kind of hard, but we got to get into it right now. My next guest is an actor and of course, an elite New York sports fan. He's the host of the Throwbacks podcast with Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinert. He's probably best known for his role as Turtle on a hit show, Entourage. Please welcome the one and only Jerry Ferraro. What's going up, Jerry? What's going on, man?

Jerry Ferrara (39:20)

How you doing, STEPHEN A. I'm happy to be here. I know this might be a rough conversation in moments, but thank you for having me as always, man.

Alec Baldwin (39:27)

I'm a Knicks fan, you're a Knick fan. We saw them get their ass kicked last night. How you feel about what you saw? I mean, how you feeling?

Jerry Ferrara (39:33)

Look, I felt pretty bad, you know, I expect to be turning the game off relatively by the third quarter. I was. My eyes were going elsewhere. Look, the self. It. I feel like it's. Sometimes it's easier to move on from games like that, you know? Of course, a better, more competitive game would have been better as a fan watching, but you can't. I can't read too much into that. Stephen A. I'm trying not to. I can't allow myself to say the Knicks are screwed because of that one game. Also the Celtics, it was a historic night for them and they were, they were ready for it. That was just an ass kicking, like you said. But I found some jewels in there. Go ahead. I found some things I liked.

Alec Baldwin (40:10)

I, I didn't, I didn't find too much of what I liked. There's a couple of things. Number one, I'm looking at Cat Carl Anthony Towns, right, who I like a great deal. But obviously when you think about him, 6:10, 6:11, and the way he defended against Jokic in the playoffs last year, there was a lot to compliment against Boston. They're going to shoot threes and if you can't get out and defend on the perimeter, that might be a weakness that could be exploited down the line. I'm worried about that. Mikhail Bridges. This dude has shot like 1 of 19 during the preseason. He didn't come out last night looking like he had much of a shot. They, they reported that he changed his shot and it's made things worse now. This was a 19 point per game score. Didn't miss a lot, didn't miss any games. And he's an elite defender. I saw none of that last night. Again, Tibeto will work on that and stuff like that, but considering they gave up about seven damn picks along with Julius Randall and Dante DiVincenzo to get these brothers, I, I, I'm not too happy about this, bro. I, I really am not.

Jerry Ferrara (41:08)

Yeah, so the thing that stuck out to me too was the identity that the Knicks had last year. The grit, the defensive toughness and the rebounding. And of course they're missing Mitchell Robinson, so he should hopefully, God willing, get back quickly and help with some of that. But, but you know, you mentioned the problems on the pick and roll defense for sure, and the Celtics shooting threes. But then on the offensive end, you know, Cat's a three point shooter. So the offensive rebounding that we had, the Hartenstein crashing the boards, it's kind of hard to do when you're 6 foot 10, center is out by the 3 point line, but that's what he does best. That's going to take a big adjustment. You gotta think that Tibbs will help fix the problems that were on the perimeter. And again, you cannot expect every team to shoot like the Celtics did. I mean, Josh Hart was hilarious saying like these guys should be drug tested because they hit every shot. It actually brought me Back to Game 7 versus the Pacers last year. They hit every shot, right? So I don't love the last two games for the Knicks with the offensive shooting that the other teams had, but you got to imagine Tibbs will fix the pick and roll and perimeter defense. It is a worry though. The offensive rebounding, which was part of the identity last year, I don't know where that's going to come from with Cat kind of. And we want Cat shooting threes, being out on the perimeter. Josh Hart's an amazing rebounder as well for his size. So the identity has to be re established. And I think it's going to be a different identity than it was than it was last year for Knicks fans.

Alec Baldwin (42:28)

And, and which begs the question, how comfortable are you with a changed identity, considering how the identity that they developed and cultivated, magnetized and literally captured all of New York last spring and going in, in. Especially in the month of May. Of course, the way that they played is rough. The Rough Riders that they looked at just hard as nails. You were gonna have to beat them. They weren't gonna beat themselves. And call Anthony Towns, Mikhail Bridges, that's an upgrade talent wise. But you might have compromised some culture with that. How you feel about that?

Jerry Ferrara (43:07)

It hurts because I, I fell in love with that team last year. I really did. And I even talked about it on, on our show, like the emotional roller coaster. I, I hated it at first, but then I got my. I love the trade because of the talent part that you just mentioned, which is so true. But then you, you know, you watch it last night and I. There's still a small part of me that just wanted to see it. What we had last year, full strength with Randall and OG and everybody healthy, that's gone. But I do think that the ceiling of this team is much higher. But it's going to take work. And by the way, I know everyone talked about, oh, the Celtics are mad because of what happened with the Olympics with Tatum and Brown. Sure. I understand they might be a little salty. That does not take away from the fact that they're still awesome. Those guys are still in their prime. And I don't for one second believe that if the Olympic stuff didn't happen, the Celtics weren't going to be motivated. They are killers right now. Killers. They just are. They destroy anyone. Last night. Anyone.

Alec Baldwin (44:04)

So. So the Celtics, because I got them as the favorites to win it all, I think they're going to repeat. We can debate for a second what. What players or what teams rather, would give them the toughest go round. Here's what I'm willing to say about the Knicks. Would Embiid hurt with Paul George hurt in Philly if that stays the way that is right now, and there's no reason to believe otherwise with the health of Embiid because he's Never healthy. Right. The New York Knicks have no excuse to lose to anyone but Boston in the Eastern Conference. That's my belief. What is yours?

Jerry Ferrara (44:41)

I, I believe that with you, too. I, I, I, like I said, I don't think it's going to be smooth sailing necessarily through the first ten or so games as they adjust to the new changes. But I'm with you. There is one team, and I know a lot of people are going to say all the health and it's been the same song a little bit, but I do think you want to talk about someone who might have a chip on their shoulder. I get the Celtic stuff with the Olympics, but Giannis by himself could wreck any team in the right circumstance with health. I know that dude's got to be pissed. I'm not saying this, the Bucks are that team. But if you get a healthy Lillard in rhythm and a driven Giannis, which I think he's going to be coming off that season last year with all injuries, he could have won an mvp. I don't discount the Bucks being a big part of this conversation.

Alec Baldwin (45:26)

I don't discount them either. I would just say two things. Number one, Damian Lilly. Let's not forget Dame time. Let's not forget Dame time. We can never do that because the brother's big time. But in the same breath, there's always some issue going up against Brunson. We know this because it's a bit unorthodox and it kind of throws Dame off. But number two, the health of Chris Middleton, because when he's not healthy, it seems like Dame and Giannis aren't enough. That's what I'm thinking about. But they might, they might not have been enough for a gritty Knicks team we saw last spring, as opposed to this Knicks team that we might be getting this year.

Jerry Ferrara (46:03)

Yeah. All I know is once the playoff matches matchups last year were announced, I know Giannis went out right toward the end. I just know going into the playoffs last year, I remember saying I much rather take a swing against Philly than any team that has Giannis on. And I knew we weren't going to see the Celtics in the first round. But if you remember, the differences between the two seed and the six seed were so close, the matchups could have been anything. I just remember not wanting to see Giannis for seven games and then unfortunately he got hurt shortly before, so that was the wrong option. But that guy scares me, man. I've seen that guy wreck games by himself and I was way more scared of him. Than the Sixers last year.

Alec Baldwin (46:41)

Well, let me tell you what you did. Let me tell you what you should be happy about. Listen, if they struggle in Milwaukee, Giannis might not want to be there anymore. If you don't want to be there anymore, he might be willing to move on. And if he's willing to move on, you know, Gotham City, the big time market, that's one of the places he's gonna look. So we gotta, I mean, we could, we could pray, we could fantasize, we could hope, and all of this other stuff. But before I move on to another subject, who do you have in the Finals? If I had to put you on the spot right now, who do you have meeting in the finals?

Jerry Ferrara (47:10)

Look, I, I, I want to think my Knicks can do it, I really do. And it's a long season, but I'm gonna be realistic. I'm gonna try not to be a kn. I just don't know how you could say the Celtics are not making it. I just don't know. It shocks me if you say that. And then I'm just looking at Denver because we look at teams, right? Everyone's saying, oh, well, now the Celtics, they might not be as focused. I don't know. They're running it back. They're bringing the same team back, the Nuggets. Yes. Murray had some issues in the playoffs last year. They lost Brown, they lost kcp. Now they've had a full year and a half with this team. And the young guys, I think Denver, if I'm talking about now, early on, I just look for them to be there in the end, too.

Alec Baldwin (47:50)

Yo, yo, my brother. It just shows your brilliance because that's exactly who I picked. I picked Boston and Denver. You see what I'm saying? But we, but we're mindful. It's fluid. It's fluid. It can change from time to time. You got to do that. Listen, before I let you get on out of here, your thoughts about the Liberty, bringing the championship, a basketball championship, to the city of New York, what were your thoughts about that?

Jerry Ferrara (48:08)

I, listen, I, I think anything that brings a championship to the city of New York, hopefully the Yankees could do it. Starting this week, anything that brings a championship to the city of New York, I'm for. When you really looked at the Liberty, just to know that they didn't win a championship yet, as one of the, you know, the franchise, the first one, it really hurt. But that was beautiful, man. That was beautiful. I think the city of New York needed it. It was a grind. That was a Great series. So I just. I am so happy that we have a championship finally in women's basketball with the Liberty. We needed that one. The New Yorkers needed that one.

Alec Baldwin (48:42)

I ain't gonna lie to you. I don't give a damn if it was Pop Warner football or something. We so starving for a championship in this city. I was just happy to have it. I ain't go front. I'm not gonna lie to you. The New York Yankees, as big as that is with the Liberty, it ain't gonna be bigger than the New York Yankees if they beat the Dodgers and win this World Series. What's your prediction for that?

Jerry Ferrara (48:59)

Listen, I think that this series is potentially. Well, I think it's going seven, if I'm being quite honest. And I think that game seven, everyone is saying this could be the litmus test of where baseball stands. I think that will be the most watched game in the last 20 years for sure. I think it's Yankees in seven. I gotta stick with my Yankees. That is gonna be a heavy weight slug fest. I cannot wait. I'm not. I just cannot wait. It's the perfect matchup and I have LA roots. I was in LA for 20 years. I cannot wait for this World Series.

Alec Baldwin (49:30)

I've given up on a Super bowl championship, coming to New York for the foreseeable future with the Giants and the jets and the way they look. How about you?

Jerry Ferrara (49:39)

Listen, I love football. Always. I'm still gonna watch. I'm a Giants fan. I'm still. The jets are a fun reality show right now. I'm still gonna watch that and support. But I'm. I'm just in future mode with the Giants. I'm. I'm thinking of a few years from now. They've given me so much joy with 2007 and 2011 beating the Patriots. It's hard to get like mad and I'm. But yeah, you just. I'm excited about Neighbors. Let's just say I'm going to keep my focus on Malik Neighbors because he's unbelievable.

Alec Baldwin (50:07)

Yep. He's special. He's special. Listen, man, before I go, man, I want you to. I wanted to end this by talking to you about your podcast Throwbacks. I mean, you got a lot of things going on. Highly successful. We always appreciate you in the sports world and when you bring to the table, even though you're phenomenal actor, you've accomplished great things. You know your sports backwards and forwards, make no mistake about that. I want to know what inspired you to have this particular podcast and why Heisman Trophy winning Matt Lyon, by the way, who's doing a good job on television himself.

Jerry Ferrara (50:37)

Yeah, liner's great. You know the part of this for me, Stephen A. As I've gotten older, it's a little harder to make friends. Right? Just not because I can't. It's just you got kids and stuff, right? I am making a new friend by doing this podcast. And Matt, when he was winning a Heisman in 04 for USC, I was out in LA. Entourage just started. We could have easily been friends back then. We met 20 years later, so it's almost like you're watching us become friends in real time. And I will say shout outs to you, Stephen A. Not even because you're having me on your show today. You guys were always so great to me, having me on first take. And I always say two of the best perks about my acting career.

Alec Baldwin (51:12)

We love you on the show.

Jerry Ferrara (51:13)

Courtside Knicks tickets and I get to go on first take. And it. You got. You made me feel confident enough to go talk sports with people. I'm not an athlete, you know, and I give you a lot of credit for that. You're always so humble and gracious having me on anytime I wanted to come on, and it's still one of the coolest things I've ever done.

Alec Baldwin (51:29)

Well, you've done a great job. And by the way, you're welcome back because we got a lot, we got a lot to talk about this basketball season, make no mistake about it. And now with your podcast, is, by the way, is the podcast restricted? I mean, do you stay with sports or do you talk about anything?

Jerry Ferrara (51:42)

Oh, no, we talk about anything, Believe me. I, I go on and on about my acting career and a lot of the stories I've seen in the acting world. You know, believe me, there's a lot of. We just talked today about, you know, movies that had to pull the plug. Similarly to how, you know, know, the, you know, other teams might have to be pulling the plug on their season right now. It's like a movie falling apart, which does happen in Hollywood.

Alec Baldwin (52:04)

That's right. Well, listen, you're always welcome on any show I'm on. You know that. My man, Jerry. I really appreciate your time, brother. Keep doing your thing. Throwbacks podcast with you and Matt Lining. Can't wait to listen to it myself. All the best to you, my brother. We'll talk soon. All right.

Jerry Ferrara (52:18)

Thank you, Stephen. Hey, go next. Go Yankees.

Alec Baldwin (52:20)

No doubt, no doubt. Yankees in seven. Yankees. That's what we going with here. Yankees and seven coming up. The presidential election is less than two weeks away and Donald Trump is making statements that, dare I say I'm making some question his mental acuity. I'll get into that as well as give you my predictions for the NBA season that tipped off last night. But first, he's an actor and former NFL player who's back in his role as Chris Rock's father. We'll talk to the one and only Terry Crews. He's up next with your boy Stephen A. Right here on the Stephen A. Smith Show. Don't go away. Let me just take a second to make sure that everybody out there knows I'm in it to win it. And I demand nothing short of excellence. No question about that. And that's why right here at the Stephen A. Smith show, we've decided to team up with prizepix, America's number one fantasy sports app with over 3 million members to help turn all my sports knowledge into some big time cash. You see, Prize Picks is a daily fantasy app where you just choose two, three or even up to six players from your favorite sports teams and then pick more or less on their projected stats for the game. You like Josh Allen? Pick them. You like Bryce Harper? Pick him too. You like Travis Hunter? Then damn it, pick all three. It takes less than 60 seconds to make your picks and then you sit back and watch the winnings roll right in and get this. Sign up with code SAS and prize picks will give you $50 instantly when you play your first five dollar lineup. You don't need to win your lineup to receive the 50 bonus. It's guaranteed. All you have to do is play a five dollar lineup on Prize Picks and you'll get fifty dollars instantly. Prize Picks Pick more, pick less. It's really that easy.

Hunter (54:00)

I'm Hunter, host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share bite sized stories of missing and murdered Black women and girls in America. There are several ways we can all do better at protecting Black women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying their disregarded stories. Stories like Tameka Anderson. As she drove toward Galvez, she was in contact with several people talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tameka never bought the car and she never returned home that day. One Podcast, one Mission. Save our Girls. Join the search as we explore the chilling cases of missing and murdered Black women and girls. Listen to Hunting for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network. IHeartRadio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Terry Crews (55:03)

Snakes, zombies, sharks, heights. Speaking in public. The list of fears is endless. But while you're clutching your blanket in the dark, wondering if that sound in the hall was actually a footstep, the real danger is in your hand when you're behind the wheel. And while you might think a great white shark is scary, what's really terrifying and even deadly is distracted driving. Eyes forward. Don't drive distracted. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council.

Julie Swearbinks (55:33)

It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.

Nate Thompson (55:43)

I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say, and not just about hockey.

Julie Swearbinks (55:50)

Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's gonna be, well, it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the Energy Line.

Nate Thompson (56:02)

We'll have plenty of folks join us. Current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers, and wait to see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.

Julie Swearbinks (56:11)

Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey. And try to do what energy lines are supposed to do. Provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?

Nate Thompson (56:23)

I'm vibing Julie. I'm ready to roll.

Julie Swearbinks (56:26)

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Alec Baldwin (56:33)

Welcome to Pod of Rebellion, our new Star Wars Rebels Rewatch podcast. I'm Vanessa Marshall. Hi, I'm Tia Sircar.

Jerry Ferrara (56:41)

I'm Taylor Gray.

J (56:42)

And I'm John Lee Brody.

Alec Baldwin (56:43)

But you may also know us as Harrison Spectre II, Sabine Wren, Specter 5.

Jerry Ferrara (56:47)

And Ezra Bridger Specter 6 from Star Wars Rebels.

J (56:50)

Wait, I wasn't on Star Wars Rebels. Am I in the right place?

Alec Baldwin (56:54)

Absolutely. Each week we're going to rewatch and discuss an episode from the series and.

Jerry Ferrara (56:59)

Share some fun behind the scenes stories.

J (57:01)

Sometimes we'll be visited by special guests like Steve Bloom voices Zaborillio's Spectre 4, or Dante Bosco voices Jai Kel and many others.

Alec Baldwin (57:08)

Sometimes we'll even have a lively debate.

Jerry Ferrara (57:10)

And we'll have plenty of other fun surprises and trivia, too.

J (57:13)

Oh, and me. Well, I'm the lucky ghost crew stowaway who gets to help moderate and guide the discussion each week. Kinda like how Kanan guided Ezra in the ways of the Force. You see what I did there?

Alec Baldwin (57:24)

Nicely done, John.

J (57:25)

Thanks, Tia.

Alec Baldwin (57:26)

So hang on, because it's gonna be a fun ride. Cue the music.

J (57:37)

Listen to Potter Rebellion on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Alec Baldwin (57:42)

I started to live a double life when I was a teenager. Responsible and driven and wild and out of control. My head is pounding. I'm confused. I don't know why I'm in jail. It's hard to understand what hope is when you're trapped in a cycle of addiction. Addiction took me to the darkest places. I had an AK47 pointed at my head. But one night, a new door opened, and I made it into the rooms of recovery. The path would have roadblocks and detours, stalls and relapses. But when I was feeling the most lost, I found hope with community, and I made my way back this season. Join me on my journey through addiction and recovery. A story told in 12 steps. Listen to crumbs as part of the Michael Luda Podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Jack McBrayer (58:49)

Feeling better, sweet pea?

Alec Baldwin (58:51)

Daddy, my voice is gone.

Jack McBrayer (58:55)

Uh, hello?

Alec Baldwin (58:56)

Hi, baby.

Jack McBrayer (58:57)

Hi, you.

Alec Baldwin (58:58)

That's my father's I done effed up voice. So how my baby, do you need me to come home? I'm gonna end up being the back ratchet in the musical Daddy's under his head.

Jack McBrayer (59:08)

No, I'm not. What?

Alec Baldwin (59:11)

I just wanted soup.

Jack McBrayer (59:14)

All I need is hotel towels and tiny shampoos. And a nightstand if it fits in your purse. Okay, well, love you. Bye. No daughter of mine's gonna be a background tree.

Alec Baldwin (59:27)

That was a clip from the new Comedy Central animated series, Everybody Still Hates Chris, that stars my next guest. He's a former NFL player and is an actor known for some of our favorite films and TV shows like Training Day, Friday After Next, White Chicks and Brooklyn Nine Nine. He now hosts NBC's hit competition series America's Got Talent. And you just saw what he's doing with Comedy Central and animation. Please welcome the one and only funny man himself, Mr. Terry Crews. What's up, big time? How are you, man? What's going on?

Jack McBrayer (60:00)

What's up, Steven? It's good to be here, man. Thank you.

Alec Baldwin (60:03)

Well, first of all, the face is glowing. I mean, the face. You look happy. You look smooth and all that stuff. You actually look. I know you always in shape, but you actually look a little bit Smaller. Am I missing something right now?

Jack McBrayer (60:16)

Yeah, you know, man, I'm 56, man, and you know, it's dangerous trying to stay big and old at the same time.

Alec Baldwin (60:24)

So you gotta. You have to lose that weight. How many pounds have you lost, bro?

Jack McBrayer (60:27)

Oh, probably about 15.

Jerry Ferrara (60:29)

15.

Jack McBrayer (60:30)

I mean, at my best, like at my Friday after next days, I was like 260, big boy, dangerous, the whole thing. You know, I stayed at about 255, but I love staying around 235, 238. Somewhere in there right now. Slim and trim.

Alec Baldwin (60:46)

The hell with that. The way I look at it, if you're over 220, most people ain't gonna want to mess with you anyway. So you're good to go. You're good to go. How has life been for you? When I see this, you know, see this animation, see you involved, knowing how you make people laugh, you make people smile, is something that you seem to have prioritized as your career has continued to grow. We've seen you in other roles where obviously you could be a menacing character, but obviously when you see yourself now, you see something a little bit different. Is that intentional?

Jack McBrayer (61:19)

Yes, absolutely. First of all, you know, when I started, I could have been that action guy, you know, the mean dude, the rough guy, you know, and all this dramatic stuff. But. But I never wanted to do that, man. I mean, listen, after my seven years in NFL, in the locker room, I was the clown, man. I was the clown in school. I had so much fun making people laugh. And I remember I actually had to take a look at my whole career, and I decided, wait a minute, if me being this big dude who can make people laugh is going to set me apart from everybody else, then that's the route I'm going to take.

Alec Baldwin (61:57)

And.

Jack McBrayer (61:57)

And at first it was a little dangerous because everybody was like, we never seen this before. But after a while it became like, oh, my God, this is what. This is my path. This is what I, you know, what I was born to do and do. I mean, when I look at my career and I look at all the stuff that I've done, man, I'm so proud. It kind of paved the way for a lot of big brothers to go out there and be as funny as they can.

Alec Baldwin (62:20)

Do you feel like it was a priority to do that? Because you were big, big, black, strong, you could look medicine if you wanted to. And obviously those stereotypes exist out there. So being able to make somebody laugh, drop their guard, have a good time with them. Did you see that? As in almost immediately, as something that would be advantageous for you even to the degree that it is.

Jack McBrayer (62:44)

Yes, yes. You know, because, listen, man, we contain multitudes, Stephen. We have so many things, and what happens is everybody wants to put people in boxes. They want to say, you grew up here. You did this. Listen, I'm from Flint, Michigan, one of the most hardcore cities on the face of the earth. And laughter got me through. You know what I mean? One thing I know is that most comedians have had very, very hard lives, and laughter is the thing. You have to laugh to keep from crying. And for me, growing up in a crack epidemic, a lot of violence, a lot of gang, a lot of craziness, even inside my house. It was the way I survived, man. The comedy was the way I was. I could see life and I could deal with it. And to be able to share that with everybody else, especially now in hard times, when people are. Are looking at their lives and trying to wonder, you know, how they gonna put food on the table and do things, man, if we could all sit down and laugh together, we can go another day. You get another. Like, you get one more chance to do what you do. And let me tell you, I. I feel like it's really an important mission that I have in my life is to make people laugh and enjoy themselves.

Alec Baldwin (63:59)

When you were the dad and everybody hates Chris, what was that like for you? Because we're talking about Chris Rock's story to some degree. We know how hilarious he can be and what have you, and to play the role that you played on that particular show, and we'll get into the iteration that's now existing. But playing that role, what did that do for you, man?

Jack McBrayer (64:20)

First of all, it turned me into a household name. You know, I remember when I. Before that, I was doing movies, you know, I was doing White Chicks, the Longest Yard, you know, Friday, all that stuff. And I said, I'm going to be a movie star. And. But my wife told me, she said, honey, honey, wait, wait, wait. You. You don't understand. If you get on tv, you can come into people's homes, and you guaranteed a career, you know, because sometimes the movies can be flash and bang and then you out. But when Chris Rock gave me this opportunity, man, to play his dad, one thing you have to understand, too, I am the only member on this show that's actually named after a real person. His father actually passed away. And Chris dedicates his life and his whole comedic career to his father. And Julius is one of the biggest honors that I could ever be given. And to play this character for four years, and people have grown up on watching Everybody Hates Chris, especially playing a black dad in a household who cared and loved his wife and his children. Believe me, man, it was a mission that I felt like it's one of the greatest things I've ever been given.

Alec Baldwin (65:34)

So let's transition to this new iteration, Everybody Still Hates Chris. It's an animation. It's your voice. You're not seen on television, actually acting itself. You're doing voiceover because it's animation. What is that like for you? And how enjoyable is it compared to what you did with Everybody Hates Chris?

Jack McBrayer (65:52)

Oh, once I got into doing cartoon voiceover and animation, I loved it. I did Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I did Blade on the Marvel series. I did all kinds of stuff that I, you know, because I loved it. I love animation. And to get this chance, because you have to understand. Everybody Hates Chris was canceled four years in, and we had big stories to tell. We were so disappointed. We were crushed. Me, Tashina, Chris, Rock, even Tyler back in the day. This was almost 20 years ago. And now to get this chance because you're mourning these characters because they're gone, but now they're back, but in animated form. Who gets this? Man, this is one of those things that I don't know. I don't know anybody who gets these kind of opportunities. And I'm taking them. I'm taking all of it, man. The fact that we can do this and kind of. We want to catch up to the Simpsons and all the episodes, you know what I'm saying? We try. We got lots of stories to tell.

Alec Baldwin (66:51)

Well, you willing to put in that work, and that's. And I love that about you. And don't listen to these folks that try to tell you not to take every opportunity. Hell with all of them. You spearheading the way for a lot of us. And I appreciate you, bro. I gotta ask you, when you think about where you are now, I'm just doing my research, looking into some things about you. Just. I'm thinking about your 2022 memoir, Tough My Journey to True Power. And you revealed a lot of your vulnerabilities and some of the things that you wanted the world to know. When you wrote your book, when you wrote your memoir, what exactly was it that you wanted people to know? What did you want people to get from it? And what did you want people to hold on to? Not just read and hear about it and then let it go?

Jack McBrayer (67:39)

Stephen, Let me tell you as a kid, this was so crazy, man. You know, I grew up in the 80s. Like, my teen years was in the 80s. And all I wanted to find out was, what did it take to be a man? I remember asking. And you know what people told me? They was like, one day you go find out. That's what's like.

Alec Baldwin (67:57)

That's what being a man. Exactly.

Jack McBrayer (67:58)

And I said, man, look, man, I'm 12. Why can't you tell me what's going on, right? And I realized people weren't talking. No one was saying, especially the men in my neighborhood, they weren't coming up. Now, it might have been happening somewhere else, but nobody was telling us what's going on. So I made a bow with my best friend. I said, hey, man, if you find out something that I don't know, promise me you'll tell me. And if I find out something you don't know, I promise to tell you. And this is how we were actually parenting each other in a lot of ways. My own father wasn't telling me what was going on. And when I wrote this book, I said, I am going to tell it all so that any young person that's out there wanting to know the deets about what it is to be a man will learn a little bit more from my experience. Because I'm telling. I'm telling my own issues, my own things that I went through. The difficulties, the obstacles, the successes, all of the things that men go through. This is my viewpoint. And if it helps you, because I told it, thank God, because no one was telling me. And that's what I wanted everybody to get when they read this book.

Alec Baldwin (69:11)

Sometimes truths are uncomfortable, not because other people know it, but because of how they come at you, you, because of it. So I. I preface my question by bringing that up, because I'm asking you what was the most discomfort you felt and you received from revealing so much of what you revealed in your memoir?

Jack McBrayer (69:37)

Well, I mean, first of all, you know, there's a status that, you know, being a big guy, being on tv, being famous, it's like a huge, you know, there's a giant thing you have to hold up. You know what I mean? It's like the example you are, the. The image. But the thing was, is that the, you know, success is the warmest place to hide. I found out I could hide behind that image. I found out the real me could always get away with doing other stuff and not being cool and. And all this stuff. But then when as long as I was on TV and As long as I was in front, what I could put this face out and bam, Nobody was gonna call me on any of my stuff, you know what I mean? It's like when you're famous, everybody's like, you're the greatest. But my wife was like, you know, I mean. And I realized I had to tear that image down. Because this is the thing, the image, as long as it keeps going, I inside. This is why you see football player, you know, athletes, entertainers, they turn around and all of a sudden their lives are a mess, you know, out of nowhere, because they were never one person. You can have a double life. I actually had a double life, you know what I mean? It was one in the front, and then there's one in the back. Well, by me, putting my stuff out there was about becoming one person. It was about becoming whole, you know what I mean? It was like becoming this person in the front and the back was. Changed everything for me, wasn't it?

Alec Baldwin (71:07)

Also about not being a prisoner to fears of what others may think of you if they indeed knew. I mean, for me, personally, I'm a very private person. I'm like, it's none of your damn business. But I ain't scared of somebody knowing me, because I'm like, listen, I am who I am, and there's a freedom that comes with it. That's why I'm able to do national television live every morning, because I'm worried about it. But you'd be surprised at how many people are scared to death, death of that other side of themselves being exposed.

Jack McBrayer (71:39)

You know, I had to face this a long time ago, man, because what happens is when you have big dreams, you start going against people from the jump. You know, a lot of people, I always say, hey, man, I'm going to Hollywood. They're like, man, what makes you think you gonna go to Hollywood, man? You might as well be going to Mars. And you know what? Guess what, Stephen? I live on Mars right now, brother. You know, and because I didn't listen and what I realized that those opinions and those naysayers and all the worried about being worried about what other people might think is a big obstacle. And I had to realize, wait a minute. People gonna talk anyway. People are going to say they love you and talk about you behind their back anyway, right? So you know what? Why don't you get yourself together and let them talk, and whatever happens, happens. But I found that out slowly but surely, because I used to care. I used to maneuver around and make sure I looked good so that People wouldn't talk, but they talking anyway, right? So I said, you know what? I'm just gonna put it all out there. And let me tell you, man, I am free. I feel like I'm free as a bird. I sleep like a baby, you know what I mean? Knowing that I did my best every day and I'm one person, I'm whole. I mean what I say and I say what I mean.

Alec Baldwin (72:57)

I don't think anybody gives back to our society more than people in the comedic world, whether you're an actor or just a straight up comedian, the ability to make others laugh in a productive and harmless way. I'm talking about not at the expense of somebody else's soul.

Jack McBrayer (73:17)

Thank you.

Alec Baldwin (73:18)

But, but, but definitely to make people laugh, even make somebody laugh at themselves, because somebody's imitating you or they're funny or whatever. I think it's a very, very powerful tool. And when I think about. Everybody still hates Chris. Chris Rock is one of the greatest comedians we've ever seen in American history. Obviously, this is about him. This is associated with him. You're still playing this role. What are you hopeful and what do you think this show is going to do for people and the industry as a whole moving forward?

Jack McBrayer (73:46)

Well, think about this. When you think about the state of comedy right now, it's very, very. It's on its last leg in a lot of ways, because people are scared to do comedy. You know, all it takes is a couple mean tweets and somebody didn't like this, or somebody was offended and all of a sudden the show was off. It's really, really hard to do comedy. This is why a lot of comedians have to. You're on, they're on their own. They literally are doing. They do a stand up special or a lot of comedians have actually quit the business.

Alec Baldwin (74:19)

Wow.

Jack McBrayer (74:19)

Because it's so, you know, it's a lot of naysayers out there. Anybody can get you canceled real fast. But what I love about this show is the fact that it goes there. You know, we can do things that we couldn't do in live action, that we can do in animation.

Alec Baldwin (74:36)

That's right. That's right. You get away with a lot in animation.

Jack McBrayer (74:40)

You know what I'm saying? It's like, we go there and it's refreshing. It's like, oh, my God, I'm laughing again. And because it's not as sensitive as the other stuff is, I listen. I've been a part of a lot of different things that if you look at hindsight, even in Comedy. I mean, you look at white chicks, they say, oh, you can never do a white chicks again because of them. You know, if people would cancel you. But I still love that movie.

Alec Baldwin (75:04)

Right?

Jack McBrayer (75:05)

And I would be white chicks too in a minute. But it's one of those things where you have to be, you know, this is the new day and you have to be sensitive to how people feel, how people are responding. And I love, love, love though, just being this comedic person on the edge. And I think everybody still hates Chris is definitely on the edge.

Alec Baldwin (75:26)

I gotta tell you something. I think comedy is going to be on the comeback. I think people have. Have gotten disgusted with the level of ridiculousness that comes associated with sensitivity issues. And you know, you can't laugh with one another. You can't laugh. I think it's gotten ridiculous, to be quite honest with you. But we could talk about that for another day. Before I let you get on out of here, I gotta ask you, I'd be remiss and neglecting to ask you about some NFL action. I mean, is it really about the Kansas City Chiefs and everybody else, or do you got your eyes on somebody else that's gonna win the super bowl this year?

Jack McBrayer (75:57)

Terry, first of all, I'm not. I've been on 16 to seven years. I'm not a team fan. I'm a fan of players.

Alec Baldwin (76:04)

Okay.

Jack McBrayer (76:04)

You know what I mean? I'm just, I got a kind of a fantasy mindse about it. Miles Garrett is my favorite player. He's a beast. And you know who else on the offensive side is? Tyreek Hill. My God. Just so exciting. So good. I feel bad for the Dolphins and what they're going through right now. Yeah, but he's the best player in the league and he's kind of stuck in the moment. Yeah, I'm really happy for Derek Carr and how he's been showing up. So it's like I have all my favorite players that been doing their thing, but. But when it looks at a full team that's going to go all the way, man, it's anybody's guess right now. You know, I thought San Francisco was going to do it. All of a sudden.

Alec Baldwin (76:45)

They still got a chance. They still got a chance, but Detroit looks strong. The Minnesota Vikings have come out of nowhere. Brian Flores is coaching his butt off on the defensive side of the balls. Defensive coordinator for the Vikings. I can't ignore them. You know, I was laughing about the Cowboys when they got romped like that.

Jack McBrayer (76:58)

Right.

Alec Baldwin (76:59)

They got wor. You know, I laughed about that. That was Funny, right? But I don't like the way the Eagles are looking. Tampa has surprised me. I'm getting that. Can't. Derrick Henry's a stud in Baltimore. Dallas could have and should have had him. They messed up there. Lamar Jackson, still a stud. Josh Allen's still a stud, the whole bit. But I think it's Kansas City. I think it would have surprised me at all if the Detroit Lions and the Baltimore Ravens met in the Super Bowl. But I'll ask you this, because you brought up Miami. I don't think TUA should be coming back, bro. I, I, I mean, those concussions, Terry, I'm very, you know, it's bad when the opposing team is screaming for him to get down.

Jack McBrayer (77:36)

Hey, man, first of all, I listen, I love to.

Alec Baldwin (77:40)

Yeah.

Jack McBrayer (77:41)

And I, there's more to life than football. I am a prime example of that. Nothing hurt me more than when I gave it up. But guess what? I didn't know that the best part of my life was still ahead of me. You know what I mean? And I want to tell that to everybody who's in the NFL. Your best, the best thing that can happen to you has not happened to you yet. And you have to preserve your head. You have to preserve your life, for your family, for your future. I don't think he should come back because right now, just the love tap, it could put him out, man. And imagine, no one wants to watch that. No one. As if you're a true football fan. No one wants to see him get hurt again. You know what I mean? We, I'm, I'm holding my, listen, I'm holding my stomach every time I see him play. I, I, if he comes back, it wouldn't, it wouldn't work for me, man. And I really, really hope he can move on and go on. There's much more to life than this.

Alec Baldwin (78:40)

I got. Listen, I thought this was going to be my last question, but somebody just reminded me a killer's game.

Jack McBrayer (78:47)

Yes.

Alec Baldwin (78:47)

Okay. Yo, Terry, could you explain to me why the hell your name is Love Doll? What the hell? Love Doll? Love you. That, that's, that's first of all, the.

Jack McBrayer (79:03)

Character, you know, it's a great action comedy. My man Dave Bautista is my homie. We decided to put this action comedy together. Listen, these guys got an app, like Killer for Uber for Killers, you know what I mean? And Love Doll is living in the 70s, all right? He's like a black exploitation movie come to life, right? I had so much fun playing this character, man. It was so good. And I Got to be bad, you know, I listen, I go back to my Damon days, man. Even though it's funny, I do like to be intense, you know what I mean? I don't. I don't ever mail it in.

Alec Baldwin (79:38)

Stephen, I can't imagine you being passive. I'll be like, what the hell's going on with you and you? All right, I need to call him up, make sure he okay. It don't seem like Terry. That ain't Terry Cruz. I know, man. I love you. I appreciate you, man. It's good seeing you so happy for all that you're doing. Keep being you. Keep put forth the great work that you've been putting forth, man. I'm always here for you, my brother. It's good to see you.

Jack McBrayer (79:57)

Thank you, Steven. You're the best, man. Thank you so much.

Alec Baldwin (80:00)

All right, my man. You take care of yourself, all right? Coming up, I'll give you my predictions for the NBA season from Nvidia to which team will win the finals. But first, Donald Trump continues to make bizarre statements on the campaign trail. With less than two weeks to go before the election. I gotta get into that, y'all. It's unavoidable. More to come on the Stephen A. Smith show in a minute. Welcome back to the Stephen A. Smith Show. Let's get into some politics as we're now less than three weeks away from the presidential election. Did y'all hear what Donald Trump did in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, last week? Especially when he was deferring to late golf legend Arnold Palmer? If you didn't see it, if you didn't listen to it, listen to it. Now, Arnold Palmer was all mad. And I say that in all due respect to women, and I love women. But this guy, this guy, this is a guy that was old, man. This man was strong and tough, and I refused to say it, but when he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there, they said, oh, my God, that's unbelievable. I had to say it.

Jerry Ferrara (81:20)

I had to say it.

Alec Baldwin (81:22)

We have women that are highly sophisticated here, but they used to look at art militia bad. But he was really something special. Arnold was something special. So I just want to tell you, you're very lucky. The people that live in Detroit, and it's an honor for me to be here because of him. Oh, my Lord. I will say this much. The networks, no matter how much so many complain about him, they love it when he's on because obviously he does bring your ratings. We can't deny that. Anyway, just for y'all, information. Latrobe is the birthplace of Arnold Paul Palmer, if you're wondering why Trump mentioned him in the first place. As for Palmer's family, his daughter called the reference to her father's genitalia a poor choice to honor his memory. I'm wondering if it's the first time for Trump to take a cognitive test in the same way he suggested the same for President Joe Biden this past summer, to be quite honest with you. And I think that's where the opinion needs to go. I don't know if y'all noticed what has been going on. I've watched him at his press conferences. He's rambling as much as he accused Joe Biden of rambling. Now, I remember when they had the debate on June 27, I thought one of the funniest lines against Joe Biden, Joe Biden was talking and Donald Trump said, I don't know what he just said. I don't think he knows what he just said. Those are the kind of things where Trump can sting you and he could get you. The problem was, is that when he went up against Kamala Harris a couple of months later, after the both the Republican and the Democratic National Conventions, okay, in Milwaukee and Chicago respectively, he got smoked. Kamala Harris took him to school because she baited him. She had questions to answer whether it was about flip flopping or fracking or her positions on, on, on, on crossing the borders. Excuse me. When she was addressed with those questions, she simply aimed it back towards Donald Trump.

Stephen A. Smith (83:14)

Up.

Alec Baldwin (83:14)

When he tried to sit up there and associate her with Joe Biden, she said, you ain't running against him, you're running against me. She talked about world leaders laughing at him and it seemed to antagonize and irritate him. And he couldn't be coaching enough and lucid enough and on point enough to get his points across. Now, we saw all of that. Now why do I bring all of that up? Because since that particular moment in time, the man has been doing some things, dare I say, a bit differently than we're accustomed to seeing. Number one, he ain't debating anybody. Now, I understand why you didn't debate anybody during the primaries. A, because you were in court all the damn time trying to fend off those indictments that were levied against you. Unsuccessfully, I might add. But B, there was no need to go up against the Nikki Haley's, the governor, Chris Christie's and Ron Desantis and Vivek Ramaswamys of the world world and others because you were Beating them. Because folks out there supporting the Republican Party have clearly made their choice that it's Donald Trump that they want. They made the choice in 2016, they made it in 2020, and now eight years later, they're making it in 2024. Their positions are known, they've said what they had to say, but there's independent voters out there, there's swing states to capture out there, and this man doesn't want any part of a debate against Kamala Harris, who, by the way, was willing to go on Fox News to debate him if it called for it, and he still didn't wanna do it. Now, I don't know about anybody else, but that looked like somebody running from me. That looks like somebody just run it. The same, you know, scaredy cat that he was implying she might be or that Joe Biden was. He appears to be at this particular moment in time now after J.D. vance went up against Tim Wallace and in some people's eyes, won the debate that night for the vice presidential nomination or not, vice presidency won that debate. Okay? Kamala Harris immediately wanted to come out and debate Trump because in a lot of people's eyes, Walls didn't do the job he was supposed to do. But in the end, Trump has been avoiding her. He's been avoiding her. He's been all over the place. He looks tired. He is 78 years old. And I think that it's fair to be asking for a cognitive test. I mean, they got folks online, like Mother Jones or whoever the hell else it is, talking about how, you know, 400 plus different doctors have signed off on him needing to take a cognitive test. And all of this other stuff. I don't know about all of that. Here's what I do know. Donald Trump been rambling. He's been rambling. He hasn't sound lucid and cogent and fluid at all. And that's when we see him. And then on top of it all, he showed up the other day, and in the middle of one of his rallies, this man stops and starts dancing to some songs, YMCA and some other stuff. You see him right there. I mean, look at him. I. I mean, you got to be kidding me. He really, really, really needs to stop. Anyway, my point is, in the end, here's what it really, really comes down to. If you, Donald Trump, you're running because you don't want to be seen on the same stage as Kamala Harris, somebody gotta say it. You punking out. Punking out. You look scared. I thought she had a record to attack I thought you were strong on the economy. I thought you were stronger. The wall, the great big wall that we're gonna build. And by the way, the Mexicans are gonna for it. I thought you were strong on all of that. I thought inflation was a problem ravaging through this country that you could easily attack. I thought as vice president, she really didn't have any impact or her beliefs, her philosophy and her impact mirrors that of Joe Biden, who you called the worst president in American history. And that should have been easily, easily attacked. That. What's the problem, bro? What's the problem? About two weeks before the election, ladies and gentlemen, we all got a decision to make. You can pick one candidate who's older and doesn't appear to be all there, who gives us every impression that even if he loses the election, he won't go away. Like, lightly. Lightly or easily, he'll refute it. He'll fend it off. He'll fight. He wants to go away. He doesn't want to go away. He doesn't want to go away. He wants to be empowered. He admires and respects dictators. And when you look at Project 2025 and its efforts, obviously that's a think tank from the Heritage foundation. And you know what their objective is? Conservative principles and views. America first and all of this other stuff harkening us back to a time where, dare I say, some of our rights were challenged and I didn't even get to the part of the women you applauded. Overturner. Roe v. Wade. Stand on it. Stand on it. It you believe in being pro life instead of pro choice. Stand on it. Stand on it. You believe in women not having a right to make decisions about their own body. Stand on it. You did when Roe v. Wade was first overturned. Now, no matter what side you believe or what side you're on, all I'm trying to say that it would have been nice to see a second and a third debate. Hell, W. Bush. Bush gave us that with John Kerry. He gave us that with Al Gore. Clinton gave us that with hw. I'm just saying we ain't used to seeing just one presidential debate. You scared? Say you scared. That's all I'm saying. Let's get the quick hitters before we go on out of here for the day. Right. We'll get back to the world of sports, specifically the NBA and my predictions for the season, regular season, mvp. Kind of easy for me. I'm gonna go to router Jason Terry. Jason Tatum. Here's why, ladies and Gentlemen. He was already averaging nearly 27 a game. He's the first team all NBA player over the last three years. He's a reigning defending NBA champion and he was awarded by getting benched for a couple of games and barely seeing any playing time during the Summer Olympics in which Team USA brought home gold. Steve Kerr and his staff felt that there were 10 players on the squad better than Jason Tatum and they weren't going to play more than 10 dudes. So Jason Tatum found himself reduced to the likes of Tyrese Halliburton, who's a damn good player and is only going to get better and better. But he found himself reduced to that as they were the two primary dudes riding the bench. I think this champion that is Jason Tatum answers the call. I think he reminds everybody of his greatness and propels himself to even newer high heights. I think a coach like Jeff Missoula capitalizes off of something just like that. Which is why he was publicly happy that Steve Kerr had made that decision to treat Jason Tatum that way. Because Jason Tatum is going to be highly motivated and I think we saw evidence of that last night against the New York Knicks. Jason Tatum I'm picking to win league MVP for the regular season. Next up is the Eastern Conference winner. Who will that team be? It's going to be the boss Boston Celtics. There's simply nobody better. I think the only thing that could derail the Boston Celtics is if Kristaps Porzingis doesn't come back or he comes back and gets hurt again and he's not available for the playoffs in the Finals. What he brought to the table, what we saw him bring to the table as a 7 foot 3 dude with a jump shot. Boston shoots the ball well enough as it is. They defend on an elite level with Drew Holiday and Derrick White leading the way along with Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum. Could you imagine if Por Zingis is fully healthy? What you going to do about that? I can't see anybody beating Boston. I just can't see it. I'd love to tell you my Knicks could, but obviously I can't see that. Especially after last night. Number three, Western Conference winner. This gets a bit tighter. Listen, does LeBron and AD have more? One more run in them? Is Kyrie and Luca going to be helped exponentially by the arrival of Klay Thompson? Is the arrival of Julius Randle with John Dante DiVincenzo with Minnesota. Re upping and extending Rudy Gobert with them. Paired with Rudy Gobert with ant man Anthony Edwards being the superstar that he is, is that going to be the change that was needed with Cat call Anthony Towns being gone to propel Minnesota? That's a question. Oklahoma City is it their time? Shea Gilgis Alexander was my vote for league MVP last year. You see the crew that he has and even though Isaiah Hartenstein from the New York Knicks is now gone, he's at Oklahoma City Thunder now courtesy of a 3 year 87 million dollar contract. The bottom line is he's hurt start off the season. How healthy is he going to be and he's is he going to be ready for the postseason? Because all they needed was a big man that was going to grab rebounds and defend. They didn't need any offense. So I got to look at that too. But I find myself thinking I got to worry about Phoenix. Mike Budenholzer new coach, what's he going to do for that? John Morant coming that back from Memphis. DeMar DeRozan joining De'Aaron Fox in Sacramento. Lots of questions. Here's where I'm coming at with it. How can I bet against Denver? Jokic is a three time league mvp, could easily win his fourth Jamal Murray when healthy is elite. Aaron Gordon just re up deserved his bag happy for Michael Porter Jr. 610 and can ball and they went and got Russell Westbrook. Now I don't know about y'all if I'm looking at Russell Westbrook as the number one option, we got a problem. If I'm looking for Russell Wilson to be the same Russell Westbrook rather to be the same person he was in 2017, that's an issue. But Russell Westbrook on this team, when you talk about a personality transplant infusing that franchise and them being high end competitive already knowing what a championship smells and tastes like and you add him to that roster and he's the one person that ain't got it yet. Oh my Lord. I could easily see Boston and Denver in the NBA Finals and I could see Russell Westbrook having a lot to do with Denver getting to the Finals. That's where I'm at with that Finals winner. However, I have to give the edge to the boss, the Celtics now. Disclaimer Disclaimer in the interest of full disclosure, I must confess I picked Boston last year and then I dumb I stupidly changed my mind because Kyrie and Luca was flowing to such a degree. I thought it was going to be transformational and obviously they were going to do their thing in the playoffs. Now Kyrie did that in Dallas but when he showed up to Boston we couldn't even recognize him. The shrapnel of criticism, the tsunami of venom thrown down upon him succumbed him to some degree. And he just didn't seem to be the same player on the road as he was at home. And Boston won the series. So I see that for what it is and I'm like, damn, there you have it. With that being said, Denver is too elite to ignore. That's just where I'm at with it. And I gotta do that. All right, before I get on out of here for the day, I want to bring up one more topic before we get to your tweets. The WNBA players have opted out of their current collective bargaining agreement to face the prospect of a work stoppage if they don't reach a new deal before the end of the season. The move comes as the league recently entered into an historic 11 year media rights deal with Disney and Amazon prime and NBC for $200 million a year. The players also cited higher television ratings, attendance figures and franchise values for opting up. Stop right there. Start right there. The players are absolutely right. They only get 10 of basketball related income compared to the 50 that the the NBA players get. Players citing higher television ratings, meetings, attendance figures, franchise values as the reason for opting out. Now wait a damn minute. Wait a damn minute. What have I been saying? I said Caitlin Clark Rising Tide lifts all boats. As much as her presence was maximized by the wnba, you players could have done. You could have done more to assist it. I just spoke about Sue Bird over a week ago and everybody talk about other NB WNBA players not being appreciated. Nobody insulted them, nobody dismissed their contribution. We were simply saying despite the contributions, for years and years and years, a lot of people didn't care, fair or not, until Caitlin Clark came along. Not only her angel Reese to some degree as well, but Caitlin Clark more so. And her and the combination of angel Reese and it elevated television ratings, it elevated attendance, and it damn sure elevated franchise value. But now something that y'all resisted talking about opening, about acknowledging. Now you want to come and say let's opt out of the CBA because of those very, very things. You know what I would say to y'all then? Are you willing to admit how stupid it was for y'all not to go all in in speaking your peace to elevate Caitlin Clark so therefore even more attention could have come and y'all could have reaped the benefits. Now you're going to do it anyway, and I get that. But you see my point. Higher television ratings, higher Attendance figures, ladies and gentlemen, that doesn't come courtesy of a league. It comes courtesy of the players that play in the league. And in her case, she was the most popular, which means she could have helped your bottom line, which means you should have seen that from day one and maximized it. But you didn't do it. You didn't want to. Rather, you were a bit hesitant and reluctant and resistant to it. So much so you didn't push for her to be on Team usa So much so you had people like Cheryl Swoop who didn't even want to mention her name. That didn't hurt that much. But if you went the opposite direction, it could have helped that much and facilitated you being an even in an even stronger position to get you yours. But you didn't do it. You didn't do it. Wow. I mean, I just. I have to acknowledge, y'all make me feel brilliant sometimes. I really don't look at myself that way. I'm just a hard worker. I work, I put my head down, I get on my grind, I try to do the best I can. But y'all make me feel brilliant because I say what I believe to be the most obvious things obvious and it gets ignored until it comes to fruition. Just like I told y'all it would. Just like I told you it would. Let's get to the tweets before I get on out of here. Please give them to me. Got three of them at sneaks. The Deegan. N S N E A X T H E D E G E N Stephen A Smith. Could Anthony Edwards play football better than Justin Jefferson could play basketball professionally? What do you think? I don't know because I've never seen Justin Jefferson play basketball. I know you could say Anthony Edwards. I never really saw him play football either, and I get that part. It's a tricky question because Justin Jefferson clearly has the athleticism, but can he handle a rock? Can he shoot? See, it's a bit more trickier. It's. You got to be tougher to play football, but you got to be more skilled to play basketball. So having to dribble and shoot and pass, I don't know if Justin can do that. When they asked Anthony Edwards, could he play football, he talked about Cam Chancellor. That's the kind of football player he would be. Camp Chancellor was a strong safety for the Seattle Seahawks. The legion of boom who crush your body with a blow. Could I see Anthony Edwards doing that? Yes. Yes, I could. So the answer to this question would be Anthony Edwards, but it's based on limited knowledge. I'll leave it at that. Next tweet. Show it to me, please. Stephen A. Smith. This is at more 33 gaming, right? Stephen Smith. Do you like my Charizard cards or Charizard cards? Charizard looks nice. I don't know much about Charizard cards. I mean, it looks nice, looks attractive, looks interesting and intriguing. Makes you want to know more about the cards or what they mean. But I'm in no position to definitively look at it and say, hey, I really, really like how. Look, what are you, a painter? Trying to be Liberace with the cards or something? Well, not Liberace, because that was an opposite. You know what I'm saying? I'm trying to remember the name. Picasso. Picasso, yes. I don't know. I don't know what you want me to say about that. I don't know why I get some of these tweets, ladies and gentlemen. I just put them out there. I don't know what the hell they mean. I don't know why they throw these. These questions at me. I really, really don't. But I'm game for it. I'm game. Last tweet. Show it to me. What you got? I can't tell. This is at solid PA221. Solid PAT 221, right. Stephen A. Smith. Which is the way. The correct. Which way is the correct way to hang toilet paper? It would be the one on the left, ladies and gentlemen. Not over, but under that way you don't necessarily have to touch anything on the top in case you got something on your hands with your nasty asses. You just never know. You understand what I'm saying? It's the one under. You just roll it under. You understand what I'm saying? Not over. You said it's over. You might tempt it to hold, you know, touch the paper and all of that other stuff. No. And by the way, let me give you a piece of advice. I eat with my right hand. I wipe my ass with my left. See? I don't eat with the same hands I wipe my behind with. I don't care how many times you wipe your hands. You wash your hands and all of that other stuff. First of all, make sure you do that too. By the way, also, never ever leave the bathroom without washing your hands. That's just nasty. To do otherwise. To do otherwise. It's nasty because I've seen people. I've seen people when you're in the airport, stuff like that, whether they taking a leak or a dunk. They'll leave without washing their damn hands. And then you walk outside side and they eat some burger or something. That's just nasty. That's just nasty. Okay, you don't do that. You always, always wash your hands. But prior to that you want to do what you can to, to, to ensure that you don't mix anything. You do not. You always wash your hands, but you don't eat with the same hands you're wiping your stuff with. You understand? That's just nasty. You don't do that. Are we clear? I hope so. That's it for this edition of the Stephen A. Smith Show. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks again to the one and only Jeffrey Ferrara for coming on the show. Thanks again to my man Terry Cruz for coming on to the show. It was nice to be at the Lakers opener last night. It was bummy seeing my Knicks get blown out. I'll be doing NBA Countdown this year as well. About this would be live from their new Intuit Dome, Intuit Stadium, Intuit arena, rather the site and the home for the Los Angeles Clippers, Steve Ballmer's new arena. They ain't sharing it with the Lakers no more. They got their own. If only Kawhi Leonard could be there to play, which he won't be. But that's a story for another day because I'm in a good mood and I'm not interested in him ruining it. Until next time, ladies and gentlemen, Stephen A. Signing off peace of life.

Greg Rosenthal (104:04)

What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents. The only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101 free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

Julie Swearbinks (104:35)

What's up, everyone? Julie Swearbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

Nate Thompson (104:40)

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

Julie Swearbinks (104:43)

The Name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

Nate Thompson (104:46)

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

Julie Swearbinks (104:51)

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

Nate Thompson (104:55)

Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

Julie Swearbinks (105:00)

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hunter (105:07)

I'm Hunter, host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share bite sized stories of missing and murdered black women and girls in America. Stories like Erica Hunt, a young mother vanished without a trace after a family gathering on 4th of July weekend 2016. No goodbyes, no clues, just gone. Listen to Hunting for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Alec Baldwin (105:42)

Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This past season on my podcast, here's the thing, I spoke with more actors, musicians, policy makers and so many other fascinating people like writer and actor Dan Aykroyd.

Jack McBrayer (105:58)

I love writing more than anything. You're left alone. You know, you do three hours in the morning, you write three hours in the afternoon. Go pick up a kid from school and write at night and after nine hours you come out with seven pages and then you're moving on.

Alec Baldwin (106:11)

And actor and comedian Jack McBrayer. The most important aspect is the collaboration with people that I like, I trust are talented. That has been the most amazing gift to me about this crazy business that we've chosen. Meeting these people who have such diverse talents and you're able to create something together. Listen to here's the thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. 45 years ago, a Virginia soul band called the Edge of Daybreak recorded their debut album, Behind Bars. Record collectors consider it a masterpiece. The band's surviving members are long out of prison, but they say they have some unfinished business. The day to day break, Eyes of Love was supposed to have been followed up by another album, Listen to Soul incarcerated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.