Rudy Gay joins the show, Rick Pitino’s Rise at St. John’s & Shooter McGavin: Legendary Villain

Summary

Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara
Episode: Rudy Gay Joins the Show, Rick Pitino’s Rise at St. John’s & Shooter McGavin: Legendary Villain
Release Date: March 20, 2025

Introduction and Entourage Movie Premiere Anecdote

The episode kicks off with Matt Leinart reminiscing about the Entourage movie premiere, where he first encountered Rudy Gay and Wesley Matthews on the red carpet. Matt recalls a playful rivalry between Rudy and Wesley, debating who dunked on whom.

Matt ([00:00]): "The first people I run into when I walk in is you and Wesley Matthews. You guys are talking about one of you dunked on the other and the other person swearing it wasn't on them."

Reggie ([00:15]): "I love you too, West. Yeah, stay out there, bro. Don't get into that pain."

Guest Introduction: Rudy Gay

Rudy Gay joins the show, bringing his insights as a recently retired NBA player. The hosts welcome him warmly and delve into his current life and career transitions.

Personal Updates and Parenting Stories

Rudy shares personal updates, including celebrating his wife Josie’s birthday and reflecting on his late mother’s anniversary.

Rudy Gay ([01:17]): "My wife and my mom share the same birthday. Happy birthday to my wife. Also, my mother’s been gone for eight years now."

He also discusses the challenges of parenting, particularly dealing with his younger son's first lost tooth and the subsequent tooth fairy excitement.

Reggie ([08:03]): "My younger kid Will probably did you care, like, when Cole stopped believing in that stuff, did you even care?"

Rudy Gay ([09:35]): "The tooth fairy, it's like that innocent conversation you'll remember, and then in about six years, when your boys become to you and Bre, you're gonna be like, I wish he would just believe in the tooth fairy."

Discussion on College Basketball and Rick Pitino’s Rise at St. John’s

The conversation shifts to college basketball, focusing on Rick Pitino’s efforts to elevate St. John’s University through significant investments and NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals.

Matt ([17:30]): "I love Patino. I've always loved Patino."

Reggie ([19:54]): "Mike Rapoli from the body armor nil world..."

Rudy and Reggie discuss the implications of billionaire investments in college sports, comparing St. John’s strategies to traditional powerhouses like Duke and Kentucky. They highlight how unlimited funds and NIL deals are reshaping the competitive landscape.

Impact of NIL Deals and Billionaire Investments in College Sports

The hosts delve deeper into how Patino’s significant financial contributions are transforming St. John’s basketball, allowing the university to attract top talent and build a competitive team akin to elite programs.

Rudy Gay ([22:02]): "Patino gets hired. He reaches out to Phil Knight, Oregon, some of these other big dogs..."

They explore the balance between maintaining team integrity and the influx of talent driven by financial incentives, emphasizing the long-term vision Patino has for St. John’s.

March Madness and Bracket Predictions

As March Madness approaches, Matt and Rudy discuss their plans for engaging with the tournament, including bracket predictions and their favorite teams.

Matt ([25:23]): "My big pick that I did for Bet MGM was Colorado State was like my underdog."

Rudy Gay ([78:56]): "Florida would be the odds on favorite. I do like Duke and Auburn."

They share their excitement for the tournament, reflecting on past experiences and current favorites, while also touching on the strategic aspects of betting and bracket challenges.

Athletes and Media Control: Player Podcasts

The conversation shifts to the modern landscape of athletes hosting their own podcasts, debating the benefits and challenges of controlling one’s narrative in the age of social media.

Reggie ([57:32]): "I love it, though. Me, personally, I don't know what. In my prime, I don't know if I would have done it."

Matt ([60:23]): "It's like, in today's landscape is much different than, you know, early Facebook, Twitter..."

They acknowledge how athlete-hosted podcasts offer authentic insights but also come with the pressure of public scrutiny and managing personal stories.

Personal Reflections on Sports Careers

Reggie and Rudy share personal reflections on their sports careers, discussing the transition to retirement and the emotional aspects of leaving professional sports.

Reggie ([64:22]): "It was kind of like a death. Like you killing your former self."

Rudy Gay ([66:36]): "As I get older, you do appreciate... it was a great run."

They highlight the challenges of redefining oneself post-retirement, focusing on family, business ventures, and personal growth.

Fun and Gaming Stories

The hosts lightheartedly discuss gaming experiences, particularly playing basketball video games where Rudy humorously recounts being excluded from digital lineups.

Reggie ([45:16]): "I was on one of them and I was looking at the starting lineup and I wasn't in it."

They laugh about generational gaps in gaming preferences and the amusing interactions between their athletic pasts and current hobbies.

Listener Mailbag Segment

In the mailbag segment, Matt and Rudy engage with listener questions about sports movie villains, March Madness moments, and personal anecdotes.

Chris in Utah ([74:02]): "Shooter McGavin... something like a legendary villain."

Matt ([76:17]): "He's up there for me because I love golf. It's rare that you get like the comedic sports villain."

They rank iconic sports movie villains, sharing their favorites and comparing characters from various films, adding a nostalgic touch to the discussion.

Closing Remarks and Final Banter

The episode wraps up with final thoughts on the discussed topics, gratitude towards guests, and encouragement for listeners to rate and review the podcast.

Matt ([30:50]): "Something that does help us is when you rate and review us."

Rudy Gay ([73:10]): "You're coming on, yeah you had a hell of a run."

They also share humorous stories about dealing with personal challenges, such as Rudy’s battle with a flea infestation, adding a relatable and light-hearted end to the episode.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Matt: "And I'll read one right now. This one is Shay631. She left a review on, I think it was Apple podcast, which she said, not a pairing I was expecting from a podcast, but it's incredible. Great chemistry, amazing stories, really fun." ([30:50])

• Rudy Gay: "We need a coffee sponsor because also rarely these days do you time the caffeine out where you peak, it's like a performance." ([01:37])

• Reggie: "He was manipulating you to think that he didn't care about things that he really cared about." ([71:24])

Conclusion

This episode of "Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara" offers a rich blend of personal anecdotes, insightful discussions on the evolving landscape of college sports, nostalgic reflections on professional careers, and engaging interactions with guests and listeners. Rudy Gay’s presence adds depth to the conversation, providing firsthand perspectives on retirement, parenting, and the dynamic changes in the sports world. Whether debating iconic sports villains or sharing parenting woes, Matt and Rudy create an engaging and relatable narrative that resonates with sports enthusiasts and casual listeners alike.

Transcript

[Matt]

You came to the Entourage movie premiere. You remember coming?

[Reggie]

Yeah, I do.

[Matt]

I go through the red carpet. The first people I run into when I walk in is you and Wesley Matthews. You guys are talking about one of you dunked on the other and the other person swearing it wasn't on them.

[Reggie]

No, he didn't dunk on me. I mean, I love you too, West. Yeah, stay out there, bro. Don't get in, you know, into that pain.

[Matt]

Welcome to another episode of Throwbacks. However you're taking in the show today, we appreciate it. Don't Forget, subscribe on YouTube. Follow us on Apple and Spotify, and don't forget to follow us too, on all social platforms at Throwback Show. Email us, please email us. Yeah, we love the emails. We're gonna read some more feedback throwbackshow.com we're going to start doing mailbags. Maddie, Ice, how you doing today? I'm fired up, bro. I'm fine.

[Rudy Gay]

I could. I can tell, dude. I. There's nothing better than just multiple cups of coffee before 8am when you're just rocking, when you're ready to rock the day. I can see it in your face. I can see that. I can see just it in your skin tone. I can just feel you're ready to rock.

[Matt]

We need a coffee sponsor because also rarely these days do you time the caffeine out where you peak, it's like a performance. It's like a PD where you're peaking right when you're about to go on the pod or do a live or go. Go do a workout. Whatever it is. I'm peaking right now, people are gonna think I'm on Adderall or something.

[Rudy Gay]

I guess I could tell. Well, listen, man, it's exciting.

[Matt]

We.

[Rudy Gay]

We had the week off last week, but a lot going on. I know you have a lot going on because you're in a different place right now. For those that are going to be watching this, you are in a different place. But I do want to say something really quick before we get going. Wife's birthday was this week, so sh. Josie, Happy birthday. I'm not gonna even name her her age. I was about to do that. I'm like, wow, she might get pissed for that, even though you could look it up. But. Happy birthday to my wife. Also, my wife and my mom share the same birthday. Happy heavenly birthday to my mother. She's been past for eight years now. Isn't that crazy? I was thinking like my wife and my mom were born on the same day. They're very similar in a Lot of ways as well, but. And we're just. We're in our own battle over here. I can get into that later, but.

[Matt]

Oh, we're gonna get into what you got going on.

[Rudy Gay]

Oh, dude, we're. We've raged war over here at our house. There's war. It's a. It's a war zone over here. But I want to know where you're at. What have you been doing, man?

[Matt]

Well, real quick, too, before we jump into where I'm at, I'm definitely in the place with a lot of sunshine coming up in a little bit. Joining us later today, we got Rudy Gay on the show. Obviously, we're going to talk about college basketball, his run with UConn, and then, you know, he wrote an amazing piece in the players tribute Players Tribune when he retired. And then we just go deep on the NFL. NFL, NBA. Sorry. I got NFL on the brain a little bit, which I did not expect to say.

[Rudy Gay]

Rudy Gay is awesome, though, man. I was a big fan of his. He just retired, as you mentioned. He kind of wrote that piece last year. Just retired, but played, what, like 17 years in the NBA. One of had a great career. Yeah, he. He's awesome, man. And also a big part of Yukon back in the day and some of those great teams. But, dude, first of all, shout out. Hold on. Shout out to Aviator Nation. The hoodie that you're rocking. Look at you. Just step up your game. No more black.

[Matt]

This hoodie will come back. If you're watching this on YouTube, guys, if you're. If you're listening, I'm wearing a yellow and green and red Aviator Nation's hoodie. Let's just say line art had a big part in me wearing this hoodie. And there is a nice piece of content we have coming at some point this year.

[Rudy Gay]

Father. It just made me think so here. I'm such a. I'm such a West coast guy and so. And you're such an east coast guy. Like, it's like not in just the way we both talk, but like, I think in our clothes and just how you carry yourself. There's just very different personalities. The other day it's been raining almost every day, at least last week. Here.

[Matt]

Look out when it rains in L. A. Get. Get the range. Roll out.

[Rudy Gay]

No, but this is typical me. I'm outside in pouring rain and no joke in the morning, dropping my boys off at school. I'm in a sweatshirt, shorts and sandals, just straight. And if one guy, one guy goes, no. One guy goes, hey, did you not did he got. I know him, he kind of gave me a smart ass. He's like, did I get the memo, man? It was gonna rain sandals. That's aggressive. I just looked, I go. I don't even know what I said. I was like, yeah, dude, I got it, man. And I was just rocking it. So Aviator Nation, very West, very, very beach, right? Very beach lifestyle, West Coast. That color looks good on you, man.

[Matt]

And they kind of blew up. Not like during COVID but I feel like something happened with Aviator Nation over Covert, right? Just. It just. I don't know if it timed out that way or it just happened to be during that time period.

[Rudy Gay]

I don't know. They've been. They've been rocking for a while, but.

[Matt]

I just feel like I became more aware of them in the last few years. Anyway, this was not Achievement Shout Out Sinclair. I think Sinclair bought this for me for a content piece, but I haven't worn it yet because I've been in a dreary gray. Ohio. I feel like if I wear this, they're gonna think I'm doing construction or something. But I came down. I'm down in Florida right now. Or as my wife calls it, Florida. We're from Florida. Florida. Florida.

[Rudy Gay]

Florida.

[Matt]

You probably say Florida, right?

[Rudy Gay]

I just say Florida, yeah.

[Matt]

Florida, right? One syllable and I'm down here doing a few days on this indie. And Bri has an amazing way where she. She like does a scouting report if I have to go somewhere on a work trip, whether it's to shoot something or throwback.

[Rudy Gay]

Not dumb, bro.

[Matt]

Like, put this way, when we go to Green Bay to do a live show, she's not coming with the kids, right? If we go to Indianapolis for the WNBA All Star Game, she's not coming with the kids. But when I come to LA or if I come down here to Florida to shoot something, oh, next thing you.

[Rudy Gay]

Know, she's not down, bro.

[Matt]

Kids are down here. We're renting a house with the PO and she's treating this like I'm doing a Marvel movie. I'm like, you realize not getting paid tons of money for this movie, right? You know that this is not something they put.

[Rudy Gay]

They put you up for that though, right?

[Matt]

Yeah, but like, I'm. I can't be like, ah, you know, my wife and kids are gonna come for the two week shoot on this three million dollar indie that I'm doing, which who knows if anyone's gonna see it or not. Hopefully they do, which I could get cut out of very easily.

[Rudy Gay]

You're Gonna have. You're gonna have one. One viewer. I'll watch it for you, buddy.

[Matt]

Well, it was, it was fun though, to be down here with the boys. We were down in like the Sarasota area. Great. It's a spring training town. The Orioles are here. Yankees are up in Tampa. I've been keeping track of the random jerseys I saw walking around at this fish bar last night. I saw a Brady Anderson jersey. I did not think I would see a Brady Anderson jersey. Who went from eight home runs to 52 the next year. Some great ones. I saw a good.

[Rudy Gay]

I used to run in a little Brady Anderson circle back in Hollywood back in the day. Shout out to Brady Anderson, stop you parties. That's pretty random. Who? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Brady had a house up in the Hollywood Hills. Most random jersey you saw outside of Brady Anderson, which is sort of random.

[Matt]

Brady was random. There was a Tony Gwynn. I'm like, the Padres aren't even the Sandy. They're not even down here. I don't know why.

[Rudy Gay]

Maybe the greatest hitter of all time.

[Matt]

I think it was the Pirates jersey. I think was Doug Drabek. Anybody remember that name? I think there was a Doug Drabek jersey and I saw Ron Gant jersey. You remember Ron Gant on the Braves? Jack Ron Gant.

[Rudy Gay]

Ron Gantt outfield.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Rudy Gay]

He said bombs. He played for the Reds.

[Matt]

It's been good.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Matt]

He. What's that?

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, I thought he played for the Reds as well. I remember I'm in the Braves. Him. And was Andrew Jones in that same outfield?

[Matt]

I don't know. Was gaming.

[Rudy Gay]

Might have been before that.

[Matt]

Because they played the Yank. No, I. I think it might have timed out that way. I think it might have timed out that way. And then while we're down here, of course my older kid Jacob lost his first tooth, which was good for me because my younger son's 3 years old. I don't know if anyone on Instagram has ever seen pictures of him. He's missing his front tooth, which I was directly responsible. I essentially dropped him.

[Rudy Gay]

Pull that out accidentally.

[Matt]

My younger kid. Yeah, but. So I don't know how you've had to handle the tooth fairy in your day. And if you're driving, any parents driving, listening to this and if you have kids in the car, maybe pause for a minute. But obviously my 5 year old got super excited for the tooth fairy. But then he starts asking questions like, how did the tooth fairy know we were going to be in Florida? I'm like, tooth fairy is always watching he goes. Even when I'm in the shower, is the tooth fairy. Watch. Because I don't want to see me naked. I'm like, well, no, the tooth fairy knows to give you privacy. He's gonna be the kid. I think I got, like, two more years left with this kid before he's like, Santa's. Let's just undo this. Which means my younger son Will probably. Did you care, like, when Cole stopped believing in that stuff, did you even care? Or were you like, thank God.

[Rudy Gay]

It's tough, man. It's.

[Matt]

It's a hit, right?

[Rudy Gay]

It's a hit, dude. It's a gut punch. It's. It's like the end of their adolescence, you know? It's like, you just. The tooth fair to me is just fucking whatever, dude. I don't understand it. I mean, the kids get excited, but, like. And like, the Easter Bunny for a while is when Santa's. Santa is the one where it just.

[Matt]

Innocence is lost. Yeah.

[Rudy Gay]

It just. It hits different. It's like, damn. Like, because we. I.

[Reggie]

We.

[Rudy Gay]

I mean, I had it with Cole, obviously, we have a long time. But my brother is going there. My nephew turns 10 this week, and it's just. It's not. It's still there, but it's still kind of like, just. How long can you keep playing it up, Playing it before, by the way, before friends say something or someone else. You might have another family who doesn't believe in Santa, and their kids are just out there. Yeah. So there's just a lot of stuff. But, yeah, that one hits, man. Tooth fairy. I think it's. I. I try to embrace the moments of that. Because the tooth fairy, it's like that innocent conversation you'll remember, and then in about six years, when your boys become to you and Bre. You're gonna be like, I. I wish he would just believe in the tooth fairy.

[Matt]

I remember when you used to think the tooth fairy used to look at you naked.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah. Yeah. So. Yeah, that's fine.

[Matt]

I think it just softens the blow for the tooth. Like, some kids are probably freaked out, like, oh, a tooth is about to fall out of my mouth. So I think someone created this tooth fairy with a gift or a dollar or whatever, you leave. So it, like, makes the.

[Rudy Gay]

What did you. What does tooth fairy. What does the tooth fairy bring in the Ferrara household? We.

[Matt]

They're super into monster trucks, so he got one of his favorite monster trucks. But no for the first one. And after this, it's gonna be like a buck. I'm not.

[Rudy Gay]

So how do you explain the tooth Fairy putting a monster truck under their pillow.

[Matt]

Telling you, I cannot match wits with this kid? So I'm not even going to try because if I go. I just don't. If I go too far down, an explanation, he'll. He's like a se. He's like an FBI agent when he interrogates me.

[Rudy Gay]

Dude.

[Matt]

Okay. It's March Madness and Wendy's is hyped. The courts are polished. The jerseys are on. There's a junior bacon cheeseburger or double stack for $1 with in app offer and purchase. The lights are lit. Again, there's a JVC or double stack just for $1 with in app offer and purchase. The shoes are shy.

[Rudy Gay]

All right. All right.

[Matt]

Sorry.

[Rudy Gay]

All right. Wendy's is the official hamburger of March Madness, which means more deals for you and more burgers for your face. It also means that, well, you know this. We've got a JBC or a double stack for $1 with an in app offer and purchase. Sorry. It's just hard not to get excited when there's an offer on two of the freshest hot off the grillest burgers that Wendy's makes.

[Matt]

The JBC with fresh beef, applewood, smoked bacon, cheese, crisp lettuce, tomato and mayo. And the hot and juicy double stack, two patties of fresh never frozen beef with cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickle and onion. The real champions of March Madness head.

[Rudy Gay]

To the Wendy's app to grab the $1 JBC or the $1 double stack with in app offer.

[Matt]

Am purchase for the freshest deals in fast food. Gotta be Wendy's. Limited time only at participating Wendy's account registration required. It's one of the best times of year for sports fans around the country. Tournament time. You got the games on all throughout the day. You're keeping track of your office pools. All the close finishes have you on the edge of your seat. It's the best.

[Rudy Gay]

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[Matt]

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[Rudy Gay]

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[Matt]

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[Rudy Gay]

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[Matt]

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[Rudy Gay]

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[Reggie]

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[Matt]

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[Rudy Gay]

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[Reggie]

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Matt]

I gotta get a few things off my chest before we get to Rudy. Number one, have you ever been to any March Madness games, Women's or men's or anything or Final Four? Because I have and I got a little.

[Rudy Gay]

No unknown fact, so probably not as much as you. I went to USC women's last year. Sweet. Not sweet 16, round of 32. They played Kansas.

[Matt]

Yeah, that was a go. I remember that game.

[Rudy Gay]

So we were there. I'm actually going to the women's game next week. I'm. Obviously they're gonna, they're gonna win their first game, but they'll play, I think the 8 9. They'll play their Cal or Mississippi State maybe I think is in the bracket. I'm gonna go in a couple days to go see the girls because when girls they get to host, which is pretty cool. I always think that.

[Matt]

Yeah, coach was pretty fired up. We had, you know, so yeah, she was fired up that they were the lowest ranked one seed. Right. That pissed her off.

[Rudy Gay]

And they're in the. And they're in the same bracket as UConn, which is crazy. They, that and Paige. I mean that's going to be. I mean there's gonna be awesome. There's very few upsets in women's basketball. So you. Those two teams are going to be on a collision course which is going to be awesome. USC beat Yukon earlier in the year, but that'll be a great game. Shout out to the Pump brothers. I went to a game with the Pumps.

[Matt]

You don't know them. Google them. Google them.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, probably a decade ago, more than a decade ago, over at the old Anaheim Pond down in. In Anaheim. But that's it, though, man. That's it. I love March Madness. I never been to a Final Four, though.

[Matt]

I went. I went two years in a row, and then one year I saw Villanova, their championship run. But what you don't realize is I went to the games in San Antonio, did the Riverwalk and all that, but went to the. Went to the final Four games. I forget who Michigan was playing, and I forget who Vinyl Nova was playing, us, how long ago it was, or maybe they even play each other. But what I remember is we went for two games. Okay, so you're there for six, seven hours. I'm not a big tailgate drink. Let's get hammered at the game guy. But for two games. But it's dry. The final.

[Rudy Gay]

Are you in this? Are you in a suite? Are you in the. Are you.

[Matt]

I was in the state. I was like, upper end of the first bowls, like, good seats. Wasn't too close, wasn't too far dry because it's college. It's dry. No alcohol.

[Rudy Gay]

That doesn't make sense because college stadiums, football stadiums, all serve alcohol. Most of them.

[Matt]

I was there, and there was not a beer or a vodka soda to be found in the whole thing. And you're there for like seven hours. You watch the first game break, watch the second game, just sweat, just nothing dry. So that really stuck out. So go. Go accordingly, if that's what your move is going to be. Maybe.

[Rudy Gay]

I think the Coliseum. I think the Coliseum went dry like a handful of years. A handful of years ago. And then they brought the beer and stuff. I'm like, what the? Like, what the are you doing? You got 80,000 people in there and you're not going to serve alcohol? What a terrible business decision.

[Matt]

Not to be total homer, but have you paid any attention to St. John's basketball this year or no? It's okay if you haven't. It's a lot to take in. They also haven't been good.

[Rudy Gay]

What are you now? What are you now a St. John's fan?

[Matt]

Because, no, I'm not bandwagon. I am not bandwagon. Spike Lee is getting crushed because he went to the St. John's games. Probably the first St. John's game he's been to in 20 years. I no, I am not claiming to be. I love Johnny's fan.

[Rudy Gay]

I love Patino. I've always loved Patino.

[Matt]

Well, it's Mike Rapoli from the body.

[Rudy Gay]

Armor founder this whole nil world, right? Because basically what he came out and he's a billionaire and just came out.

[Matt]

And he bashed the team three years ago or four years ago, called them a disgrace or something like that. And then he put his money up and he, I think he was a big.

[Rudy Gay]

How long has Patino been there? How long has Patino been there? Do we know? Can we check that real quick?

[Matt]

Is this year one? I think this is year one.

[Rudy Gay]

Okay, so either one or two. Was it, was it Mullen? Was Mullen the coach?

[Matt]

Mullen was the coach and I think Anderson there was someone in between. I, I did go to a game four years, five years ago with Mullen there. It was fun to watch.

[Rudy Gay]

They played Georgetown so I can see that convers. I can see that conversation. Basically Patino gets hired. He reaches out to, to him and a couple years ago just said let's fix this.

[Matt]

And like I need 20 miles.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, I need, I need Phil Knight, Oregon, some of these other, you know, Kevin Plank for Under Armour, Maryland. Like some of these big dogs meet with these coaches and just say give me this and we'll win. And Patino, I mean Patino's a legend. Patina is one of the best college coaches of all time. So I'm going to tell you what's going to happen is tell me please.

[Matt]

Because you know they are going to.

[Rudy Gay]

Be, they are going to be. Well, no, I mean look there. The guy just said basically you have unlimited funds. Go out and get the players that you want. You can get nil deals. That's what makes them now unique in the same probably boat as like a Duke or a Carolina or some of these traditional.

[Matt]

With the big.

[Rudy Gay]

Where you have, you have big time alumni that all they care about, like all Kentucky, Kentucky football has done a good job actually. But it's Kentucky basketball that's like what that is. So it's very similar now to St. John's is they're going to get a lot of top players. They're going to, they're going to get one and dones but they're going to pay these guys millions of dollars and they're going to try to build these little college super teams like we've seen Duke try to do a handful of years ago with Zion and reddish and, and R.J. barrett, the Kentucky Teams with Calipari. That's what's going to happen in St. John's I think it's awesome because again, it's like football, there's more parity in the sport now of basketball with nil. And now that you got a big dude like that who, by the way, we got.

[Matt]

They got home games at msg too. How cool. Like, you know, and they haven't won a big tournament in 25 years. So to. To see it happen again, something about.

[Rudy Gay]

Something about St. John's too, we're like, I'm not a bandwagoner, but I.

[Matt]

You.

[Rudy Gay]

You. You've. We've talked on the call this week. Like, Felipe Lopez, right?

[Matt]

Felipe Lopez. I watched him in high school.

[Rudy Gay]

There's something about St. John's hoops. It's like, it's kind of dope. It's kind of like back in the day, like. Like Rhode island, right? Was Rhode island with Lamar Odom? Did Lamar go to Rhode Island?

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Rudy Gay]

And then Katino Mobley went to Rhode Island.

[Matt]

Yes.

[Rudy Gay]

Is that right? So, like, remember back in the day where they had a couple years were like, oh, let's get in. Like, St. St. John's is a more traditional powerhouse, I guess, than Rhode Island. But, like. Like, I'm excited to get on the bandwagon. St. John's like, that's awesome.

[Matt]

Who.

[Rudy Gay]

And that's all they got. That's the thing. That's all they got.

[Matt]

Micropolitan Queens guy, you know, started body armor. Obviously, he's got all the money in the world, but I feel like if I were a billionaire now, I don't have a school affiliation, but I would behave the way he's behaving. Go Google him, because he's out there. He's. He. It's not even like he's quietly going about it or said, like, I'll give. He's out there in the streets doing interviews, talking about it publicly. It's almost like, again, not like ownership in the NBA or something, because he's not going to make profits. Although I do think this is good for his brand and his companies. Like, just.

[Rudy Gay]

I mean, I've had conversations with people close to billionaires, and it's not just usc, other schools, and I won't name them that. They've told me, they're like, there's no. There's no roi, right? Like. Like, what. What am I? Like, good for the brand, maybe helping the school. You're just. You're basically just. Just. You're just pulling it out. You're Flexing it. And you're just saying this is what I can do. I have, I don't, I don't need $20 million because it's pennies to me. It really is. I get to help my school. I get to be the face of now this and, and, and, and a pseudo. I mean he owns, he's essentially going to own the team if that's what they're going to go on. Pay kids like that's, I mean that's his money. He can give nil deals to the whole frickin student athletes at St. John's and be totally fine. So I love it. I don't know. I mean that's why billionaires stay billionaires because they don't. They're cheap. That's all the owners in the NFL. But I love this dude. I mean I love guys like that. It's like Bomber. It's like even Phil Knight. It's just guys that love their team. They love their Cuban in a lot of ways was kind of like just a vocal person who loves their sport. Now three years ago he hated them. So.

[Matt]

Right. He publicly called him out. But that's why I respect it. So last thing I know, you don't have anything. I'm just hypothetically there's no way. Right? There's zero. Because what I would have the hardest time doing if I had that kind of money and say I went to St. John's or I went to UCLA. I'm like all right here, here's, here's 15 million. But can I point you in the direction of a few players? I like, like zero, say zero. There's no rules against that. But just no coach or athletic director would tolerate that. But there's no rules in place.

[Rudy Gay]

Just because, just because you are a rec league all star doesn't mean you have credibility in building a basketball team.

[Matt]

No, I just, I just like to talk about sport. I just not even saying like here's what I think you should do. Can I be in on those talks?

[Rudy Gay]

For sure that that happens. I know guys, I know big money people that donate to an nil collective that, that at the very least they want to know a vision of which the team is being built.

[Matt]

Right.

[Rudy Gay]

How are we building? What's the model? What's the, how are we going to win? Like what is it going to take? Because a lot of people that are like this are just fans of their sport. They're fans of their school. They're fans. So they are watching one because their money's at play. But two, they. They're passionate about their program, whether it's football, basketball, whatever it is, women's basketball, like, it doesn't matter. So I do know that there's that. That there's. That's. But that's also why now, like, coaches are putting, like, are hiring general managers now. There's GMs in college now. So now they take that those GMs now can deal with the money people, right? The coach now can just work on, I mean, recruiting built. You're still building, but like, you have GMs now that basically are dealing with all of. All of that. The money, people raising money, fundraising. But yeah, those people are in meetings. They're in meetings about the vision. They want to know, like, hey, like, like, I'm giving you millions of dollars a year. What. Who are we going after? Like, and I'm sure that's whatever, but.

[Matt]

There'S zero say I'm getting them on the pod, man. I already have put feelers out there. I already am reaching out through a network of people. I want them on the show because Queen's guy doing it.

[Rudy Gay]

I got a lot of questions too. I just. It's such a fascinating world now, you know, and. And just. It's just crazy. Like someone.

[Matt]

I don't know if you'd say like someone either turned the switch on or off, but it really was because even hearing like, you know, we have a fun episode coming up too, where we talked to former college athlete who didn't go too deep on it, but now it's like all the guys even back in the day who, you know, were getting paid now could almost not come out and say everything because you want to be like, yeah, I was good. We were fine.

[Rudy Gay]

It's like on or off.

[Matt]

But yeah, it just happened one day. And now I don't even really remember life before even like NCAA 26, the video games already collecting money to pay out to get ready for. So it's crazy, man. It's crazy. All right, it's now time for our fresh moves of the week, brought to you by Wendy's Head to the Wendy's app to get a $1 JBC or a $1 double stack with offer and additional purchase. So I know NFL is like free agency was. Is kind of done. And I'm not trying to just talk giants here. They legitimately still don't have. They only have.

[Rudy Gay]

You don't have to. You don't have to preface every giant talk by saying, I'm sorry. You could just do it, buddy.

[Matt]

Well, I, I, as Twitter will tell you, I have talked myself into some crazy shit. I've talked myself into Aaron Rodgers. I've talked myself into Joe Milton Chador. I've done, I've done it all. And at the end of the day I still don't have any clue who's going to be quarterbacking for this team next year.

[Rudy Gay]

Well, yeah, no one does. You have Aaron Rodgers. I think Kirk Cousins is staying.

[Matt]

Cousins. Jamis and I love Jamis. We talked to Jameis at the red carpet. I love him but like I still feel like as fun as Jameis would be. By the way, dude, seven win team, right? If we're lucky.

[Rudy Gay]

Shout out to, shout out to my guy Jackson dart. He's going top 10 in a lot of drafts. He, I mean he gonna, he'll be there for the Giants if they want. You're going to get one of the top three quarterbacks at number three.

[Matt]

You can't take Jackson Dart at three if it goes. What if it goes Shador. And now we get to the Giants at three.

[Rudy Gay]

I, I, I'll, I'll, I have no clue. I'll, I'll put money it right now that one of those two quarterbacks will fall to you not fall. I mean that they'll be available at 3.

[Matt]

Wow. And then also I don't know why everyone's so like if you, the question.

[Rudy Gay]

Is are you going to take, are you gonna take those two or three?

[Matt]

Well, I don't know why everyone's like so mad Again. Like people say Aaron Rodgers is polarizing. I think it's everybody else who won't shut the f up about it. Like when's he gonna make his decision?

[Rudy Gay]

Who, who cares?

[Matt]

Let him make it when he wants.

[Rudy Gay]

To make it also. Or do you just, do you just sign Jamis or you, I mean because he, Rodgers is the enigma. I think Rogers goes to, to Pittsburgh. But yeah, for, for a year and you see how many games you win and then you or you pseudo tank and you will get Arch Manning next year. Number one.

[Matt]

I don't understand necessarily. You know I tried to detach from like because I'm in Cleveland from the desean Watson stuff and then I know he re injured the Achilles all that but then just kind of popped up on my feed where he's showing workout video, inspirational stuff and like great. By the way, great. I hope he gets healthy. I hope I don't aged got engaged like all that. I just as a, as a viewer from the outside I would be in the witness protection program. If I were to Sean Watson, you just wouldn't see any workout videos. I wouldn't post anything about my personal life. Not saying like in a shameful way, just in a, like, like, I want all this attention off me. I want to work on getting myself healthy again. So I will come back and resurface publicly when I'm ready to contribute on the field. So it just was, I was a little shocked to see. Not shocked. I was like, well, I just would be, I would be quiet, I'd be on the low.

[Rudy Gay]

I'm always, I mean, and especially as a quarterback, you know, I'm always, I'm always rooting for these guys, of course, and really athlete, like comeback stories, second chances, all of that stuff. I'm just thinking about the last handful of years and you go back to desean when he was starting in Houston and he was like, I mean, he was unbelievable.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Rudy Gay]

And I don't know that three years ago was that three years ago. And then you, and then you dealt with all the off field stuff, obviously, which takes a toll and all that. And then the injuries and then just being in Cleveland where, I mean, gosh, some of these games he's looked awful and the vibes are tough.

[Matt]

Cleveland for any court.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, it's just like the. I can't remember an athlete. And by the way, he's still, he's making, you know, 50 mil a year. He's fine. But like, I can't remember an athlete just having that type of career and then falling so fast and like, because man, in sports, and you know this, like you're a sports fan, but like anything, like you start the minute stuff, like it's like an avalanche, right. Once it rains, it starts pouring. It just becomes this avalanche of just. And negativity. And that's just kind of what's surrounding him. And I just, look, I hope he gets healthy. I hope he gets a sec. Another chance somewhere to play because we know he has it. We know he has it. You know, you don't just lose that, but man, like, it's, it's wild. I, look, I'm at the end of the day too. Like, I would say this, the only thing I would combat to that is like at some point, like you do, you just got to live your life too. And you gotta, you know, like he got engaged. I, I understand what you're saying, but like, it is what it is. I mean, you can't. When you're desean Watson, you can't hide from the media. Anyway, he's not Gonna go lock himself in a. In a training room. And like that. You just go live your life and go try, you know, when you get another opportunity, make the most of it. It.

[Matt]

Yeah, I've been there, bro.

[Rudy Gay]

I've been there. I talked about those hot tub pictures that I wasn't hiding for three months in Palm Springs. I was.

[Matt]

One day. We're.

[Rudy Gay]

I didn't have 50 mil a year, though.

[Matt]

So we're gonna devote an entire segment to the hot tub pictures one of these days. I just want to take a quick second. Thank everyone who's listening or watching. We've steady been in the top 10 on sports podcasts on Apple and Spotify. We're doing great. And that's all because of you, the listener. Something that does help us is when you rate and review us. I know like a lot of podcasts say that it genuinely does help. And also we read them. And I'm going to read one right now. This one is Shay631. She left a review on, I think it was Apple podcast, which she said, not a pairing I was expecting from a podcast, but it's incredible. Great chemistry, amazing stories, really fun. Listen. We'll definitely have this rotation and that's all we want. We want to be in the rotation because these days there's a lot to choose from. So I think.

[Rudy Gay]

Well, shout out. Yeah, I think. I think the goal for us always was like, man, like the, the stories we can tell, the two. The. The two industries that we can combine, whether it's sports, entertainment, culture, parenting, husbands. Like, you know, I think that's something that we try and do and try and try and relate. We always say this, like, how can we relate to the people that are listening? Because, like, we're everyday dudes and the shit that I'm about to say is. Is fucking pissing me off.

[Reggie]

Oh, whoa.

[Rudy Gay]

No, but I'll get to that second. But again, as you said, early listen, obviously go subscribe. Please follow us at Throwback Show. Email us at feedback throwback show.com we check our emails. We like to do mailbags now. So we listen if you guys have questions, concerns. We are therapists outside of our.

[Matt]

Give us that rating and review. We love it and we will read it.

[Rudy Gay]

Give us the rating and reviews.

[Reggie]

Matt.

[Matt]

I don't know, man. I'm clearing the decks here. What's going on?

[Rudy Gay]

Our house is infested with fleas, bro.

[Matt]

What?

[Rudy Gay]

Our dogs brought in fleas couple weeks ago. We've been battling these little bastards every day. My wife literally yesterday says And I quote, my. My little. She goes. She goes. These little want to rage war. I'm raging war. That's literally what she said to me, dude.

[Matt]

Oh, so it's a battle cry now? It's.

[Rudy Gay]

It's a daily battle cry. I just got a text from our nanny. Josie asked me to salt your mattress again. So no bed lays for you until later. Crying emoji. She said she'll vacuum once she's home later since it needs to sit for a couple hours. We are salting our mattress now because apparently we went online and said, oh, you can salt your mattress. That kills them, dude, our dogs. Long story short, our dogs had fleas. We forgot to get a medication. So anybody listening, you get it, dude. If you've had fleas, you know exactly where I'm coming from. We need help, mailbag. Send us help. Send us whatever you can. We can't. We. Every couch is turned upside down. We've thrown away multiple rugs. We have a very expensive rug in the front of our house. That is the one that is probably that we just keep. Vacuum.

[Matt]

Vacuum nine times, trying to save it. You're trying, number one, dude.

[Rudy Gay]

We wake up, we're in the war zone of trenches all day. Like, we are just like, what do we got?

[Matt]

Like, do you feel like it's brought you and Josie closer together in the heat of battle, or have you sometimes split up?

[Rudy Gay]

The other night. The other night. No, the other night, she goes, babe, I can't. I can't sleep in the bed. I'm like. I'm like, who gives a. Babe, if one fleas on you? You're gonna be dead asleep. No one's gonna care. She just can't. She doesn't have that. She doesn't have that. She doesn't have that foxhole mentality like I do where I'll sleep with 100 fleas on me. I don't give a. As long as I'm going to bed and I can't feel them, I'll go to bed.

[Matt]

You face worse.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, I mean, God damn, dude, I face worse. I feel like I'm camping right now.

[Matt]

I've seen the hits, see?

[Rudy Gay]

So she goes in the kids room. So she's sleeping in the trundle bed with the kids, with the baby. In the baby snooze. So in. In our little boys room, there's five people, and I'm like, you know, whatever you need me to do. She's like, baby, I'm not sleeping in our bed. And I go, whatever. So two nights In a row, dude. I've been sleeping on our mattress with one time. Because every blanket that we use, we have to re. Wash. I'm sleeping on a little ass blanket on the mattress. Like, I'm in college, dude, with my pillow. I don't care. I don't. I was like, I don't care. But that's the only difference between us is if they're on me at night, I really don't care, dude.

[Matt]

I feel like that's a big. I finally got, like, an advantage on you at five, six, and you're six. I get a lot more out of a blanket than you do. You need, like, a blanket? I just need, like, a little towel covered up.

[Rudy Gay]

Has it. I mean, has anyone out there dealt with fleas in the house, bro? It is not fun, dude. It's just. It's more annoying than anything because I said. I told her. I said, babe, like, listen, man, it's not like they're fucking tarantulas, dude. It's not like they're. They're not gonna hurt.

[Matt]

Like, they're just little mental part of it. Matt, you're gonna get through it. And let's get to Rudy Gay, everybody.

[Reggie]

Eczema isn't always obvious, but it's real. And so is the relief from Epglis. After an initial dosing phase of 16 weeks, about 4 in 10 people taking Epglis achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin. And most of those people may maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing.

[Rudy Gay]

EBGLIS Lebricizumab LBKZ a 250mg 2 ML injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least.

[Matt]

88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema, also called atopic dermatitis.

[Rudy Gay]

That is not well controlled. With prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals or who cannot use topical therapies. EBGLIS can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to ebglis. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe.

[Matt]

Eye problems can occur.

[Rudy Gay]

Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine.

[Matt]

When treated with Epglis.

[Rudy Gay]

Before starting Epglis, tell your doctor if.

[Matt]

You have a parasitic infection searching for real relief.

[Reggie]

Ask your doctor about ebglis and visit eglis.lilly.com or call 1-800-lilyrx or 1-800-545-5979.

[Matt]

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[Rudy Gay]

You need to hear.

[Matt]

$16.5 billion. That's how much the IRS flagged for possible identity fraud last year. Now, here's a good number.

[Reggie]

100 million.

[Matt]

That's how many data points LifeLock monitors every second.

[Reggie]

If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it, Guaranteed.

[Matt]

Save up to 40% your first [e-mail] podcast terms apply. So I want to ask you if you remember this. If you don't, it's fine. You came to the Entourage movie premiere. You remember coming in L. A? I. The first people I go through the red carpet, the first people I run into when I walk in, is you and Wesley Matthews.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Matt]

And I feel like I caught you guys not arguing, but, like, did you dunk on him or did he? You guys are talking about one of you dunked on the other, and the other person swearing it wasn't on them.

[Reggie]

I mean, he. That's the thing, Wes, is, like, when we see each other, like, the competitiveness comes out.

[Matt]

Yeah, I love he.

[Reggie]

Like, he dunked around me.

[Matt]

Okay.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Because it's hard to think he dunked on you, but I love.

[Reggie]

I mean, I love you, too, west, but your thing is, you know, the hour.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Reggie]

Stay out there, bro. Don't. Don't. Don't get in, you know, into that pain.

[Rudy Gay]

Did anyone ever, ever dunk on you? Like, posterize you?

[Reggie]

Yes. Yes. And it's out there, bro. And this guy actually was my teammate afterwards. It was Travis Outlaw, and it was bad.

[Rudy Gay]

Oh, Travis Outlaw. I remember him.

[Reggie]

Yeah, he was an athlete. Like, he. Yeah, it was bad. It was off a rebound.

[Matt]

And did you see it coming? Did you think it was a risk, or do you need, like, he jumped.

[Reggie]

And caught the rebound, and I didn't think he can jump again that quick, Granted. I didn't Give it my all. I just thought I was going to be able to block the shot. And he like, he's an athlete in that moment.

[Rudy Gay]

Are you?

[Reggie]

What.

[Rudy Gay]

What I was. I mean, I. Maybe I've been dunked on in like a record. Definitely been dunked on for sure. I play some high level rec hoops over here.

[Reggie]

But what's a dunk on can? Like, what is that, like a, like a, like a blind size sack or something like that? What is that like?

[Rudy Gay]

Well, I, I would say, I would say. Yeah, I would say no, because a blindside sack, like, I would say, I.

[Matt]

Think it's like what Saquon did to that.

[Rudy Gay]

I feel like, I feel like getting posterized, or at least like you might have got. Maybe he jumped over you like a rebound, like getting post actually trying to go up and block someone and then getting dunking on. I feel like has to be a real lonely place. Like when you're done, like you're just like, damn. That was because everyone's. Because you know everyone's gonna make fun of you. I always said this, like dropping either dropping a snap from center in front of a hundred thousand people, which you'd be surprised happens or, or getting your foot stepped on and tripping before you hand off a ball. It's like, especially in college, because once you're down, you're down in the NFL, you can get back up, but you don't want to get back up because those motherfuckers are coming after you. I feel like that's probably the equivalent. It's just a shitty place, man. You're like, it's embarrassing.

[Reggie]

It's a bad place. The rule of thumb is get the ball out fast. So you don't have a good picture. They won't, they can't get good pictures. But in that instant it was, it was like we were jumping together and it's just like he just kept on going and I'm like, ah, in the middle of the air. You just got to protect yourself. So it's like, get the ball out quick. Let's forget about it.

[Matt]

I feel like I've seen some players make life choices about not getting dunked on. Is that something like a coach will just chew you out for? Or is it like understood like, okay, I. Maybe back in the day you should have tried to challenge and foul the guy, but. Or is that like a coach has come back, like, why didn't you challenge the play? It's like, because John Morant would have just, just dunked on my head.

[Reggie]

Yeah, I Mean, I don't know. It depends on the coach. Like. Like, pop, when I played for him, you. That's not competitive. Like, you have to. He's trying.

[Matt]

It's a good pop.

[Reggie]

What do you want me to do? But, you know, the older I get, the more it's like I just foul them before they even get to the point where they're. Yeah, give them a little bump or something. Don't try to hurt them. Just, you know, swipe at the ball or something. Just get out of the way.

[Rudy Gay]

Did you ever play with RJ in San Antonio? Did you guys cross paths there?

[Reggie]

No, no. No. I'm like. Like, I'm like four years after him, but I've heard a lot.

[Rudy Gay]

He might have been at Golden State. Yeah, well, he's. He's my guy. We live. We. We've been boys for a long time. Play a little beach volleyball down here together and stuff. He's. He's hilarious, man. I just curious if you ever play with him.

[Reggie]

He's an idiot, man, because he. Like, when I was playing, I was playing my last couple years, he was like, oh, look at you, the old guy. I'm like, bro, you've been in my shoes. Why are you calling me old?

[Matt]

He's seen you on the Cavs, and he got a ring with the Cavs, right?

[Rudy Gay]

He's like. He's like the little. He's like. Like, your step. Like a little redheaded stepbrother that just, like, needles you and just, like, talk like you love him, but you're like, get the out of here, rj. Like, yeah, we're gonna get him on the pod, too. But he's. That's my guy. I was curious. I know he played for, like, 19 teams, so I figured maybe he.

[Matt]

Yeah, he still needles us Knicks fans, too.

[Rudy Gay]

Hey, now he's calling. Now he's calling NBA Finals, though. He's doing it. He's doing his thing, for sure. You were just recently back at UConn, and I saw, first of all, it had to be a great experience, and I think you were with your boys. What. What was. I mean, like, just UConn hoops is just like. I mean, that's the pinnacle. Obviously, in college, I was fortunate. I played it for a football, like, school that was like, just USC football was USC football. What was it like to be back and, like, what was it like to have your boys, now that you're kind of newly retired, you have your boys back with you and experience that with them?

[Reggie]

It was unreal, man. I was talking to someone, I was like, man, it's kind of emotional. I don't want to sound like a punk, but it was kind of emotional to be with your kids. Like the place where it all started. You work so hard to get noticed by those kind of schools, right? Like, the work that puts in. And like, the kids, obviously, they live a different life, but that's one of those things where. And it's not even just them like other family members, they don't understand the work that was put in. To me, at least, getting to that point. And at that point, you know, I felt like I had a chance to be what now I did. You know what I mean? Like, at that point, being able to go to Connecticut and getting a scholarship and playing and becoming All American, it was like, okay, this is. That was the hard part. Like, now just, you know, keep working. I've set my. My foundation now. Keep working and. And get. Become a better pro. And to be able to walk those halls and, you know, walk around the campus with my kids, it was like, you know, it was like full circle.

[Rudy Gay]

Do they. So when I. When I was playing. My oldest is 18 now, but he was.

[Reggie]

Goodness gracious.

[Rudy Gay]

I know.

[Matt]

He just had a baby, too.

[Rudy Gay]

Like, I've got 18. Five. Three and five weeks. Dude, I'm just. Oh, man, I'm tired. Three boys. Three boys. And I just got my baby girl. And my oldest was a Hooper, too.

[Reggie]

And I.

[Rudy Gay]

He has a question. I have a. No, I appreciate you. I have a question for you later on from him. But, yeah, no, I just. I remember playing, and I retired young. I retired at 30. You know, I didn't play as long as I'd hoped, but he doesn't remember much. I think he was five or six when I was done. And it's just. It's just funny because, like, he doesn't really remember me as a football player. But your boys. How old are your boys? Because your boys are old enough. Obviously, they've been watching you play.

[Reggie]

Well, they don't remember me being me. They remember.

[Rudy Gay]

They remember all. Rudy.

[Reggie]

They remember me how, you know, hobbling around. That's what they remember. My kids, 10 and 9.

[Rudy Gay]

10 and. Okay, so for. I'm just curious, like, the relationship. Do they. Because you had. You know, we want to get into your. Your Players Tribune article, which I thought was really well done, too, man. And, like, do they understand at all? Are they able to grasp, like, you going back to UConn and walking them through the halls and what you were able to do to get there? And then having the great NBA career and playing for a long time. They did. Do they, do they understand that or do they just. I always think it's fascinating. Like they view as pops, like this, my dad, he was a Hooper. Or do they, can they, can they understand it at this age?

[Reggie]

No, I don't think so. And I think you, you can relate to this. It's like they don't, they don't get it. It's like they, they know what people say to them when I'm right around them.

[Rudy Gay]

Like, or like highlights. They can watch highlights.

[Reggie]

I mean they see highlights, but they're not. I'm be honest. They're not.

[Rudy Gay]

They probably say like, yeah, you weren't that good, dad. You weren't that good.

[Reggie]

Funny story. I was playing 2K, which I never. Well, I, I do.

[Matt]

It's okay. As someone who ran the Knicks 2K league team, that's. This is a friendly player.

[Rudy Gay]

Come on.

[Reggie]

Yeah, okay. So anyway, so I was playing and they had like some, you know, the all time teams and I was on one of them and I was looking at the starting lineup and I wasn't in it. One of the teams. I'm like, actually no, we were playing with a current team. This is a couple years ago that I was playing with Utah.

[Matt]

Yep.

[Reggie]

And I, he didn't put me in the game. I was like, you're not gonna put your dad in the game. He's like, no, dad, you suck on this game.

[Rudy Gay]

You're like, overall, you're overall like 80. Yeah.

[Reggie]

I'm like, damn, that sucks.

[Rudy Gay]

Isn't that crazy?

[Reggie]

Ah, yeah, yeah. I mean, everything is predicated on your, you're ranking in 2k now. So like, if you're not ranked high, they're not gonna.

[Rudy Gay]

I think I feel like I just started because again, I'm a little different. My boy's 8 are older and he, he committed to play college football and he still doesn't. Like, I keep telling him, I'm like, dude, like, like I did play, man. I played at a high level. I went through a lot of good, a lot of bad. Like, I got, I went through it all. Like, I like, know as a pro athlete, you go through everything like good and bad and he, and he's just starting to, to kind of turn the corner of like asking Advice now at 18, I'm like, thank God, man. Like, please listen.

[Reggie]

Is he a quarterback?

[Rudy Gay]

He's a qb, man. He could sl. He was a, he was a, he was a big, big Hooper too. But he finally gave a Basketball this year because he's, you know, he's getting recruited pretty, pretty heavily in, in football.

[Matt]

But that's what I want to ask the both of you. Ever. Your kids play hoops, right? And my kids are 5 and 4, so it's like they will not listen to a word I say about anything. But if a coach says, hey, so, like, do you find that. I mean, now I'm just some scrub, like five foot six actor. You guys played at the highest level. Do your kids still not even take coaching advice from you? Like, little things?

[Reggie]

I would say, even taking it further, like, I have nephews that, and nieces or nephews that play basketball too. And, and they're walking around like, yeah, this coach told me I can do this, I can do that. I have to tell my nephew every day, like, stop listening to people, bro. That does not matter. Like, shut up. Go to class and play basketball. And my kids, like, it's like, I could have, like, I coach their, their team and therefore they had to listen to me, but I would have my assistant coach talk to my son because he does not listen to me at all. You know, it doesn't listen to me at all.

[Rudy Gay]

That's what I do. That's what I did. I, I coached my son's flag football. I didn't coach hoops. I called baseball and flag football. And man, I had. My coaches were like, dude, because I, I wasn't like a yeller or screamer. I definitely wasn't that. But I was like, you know, I was trying to teach him and like, dude, you throw. Like, why did you throw an interception? This and that. And God, he would just blow me off and I would. Then I get, Then I get pissed and I'd be like. So then I finally just said, all right, you think you know everything. And then. But they do, they respond. They respond to other guys. The only time, I don't even know why I just thought of this, but I have a sport court in the backyard. And we were hooping and the only. And he's. And Rudy, you're going to get this too, man. When your boys get big, because I'm sure they're going to be tall. They start to get. They start to get that age where they start to think they could take pops. And I was like. And I was like a pretty good basketball player. Like, I was a good athlete. And we're playing in the backyard and we. And I almost, almost fought my kid. This was at fifth. This was right after. He's 18 now. He's probably 16 or 16. And I'm. I'm like, we almost threw blows in the backyard because he got to the age where then he started to be like, no, you, like, you stuck. And you kind of call me names. And I'm like, you better watch yourself, dude.

[Reggie]

See, that's where the competitiveness jumps.

[Rudy Gay]

So you're. You're not there yet, but you'll get like, you. You play your boys in the. In the. And you still got it. And you'll still. And then. And then there will be a point if they become like their dad, that they might be able to take you. And that's a.

[Reggie]

That.

[Rudy Gay]

Talk about another lonely feeling feeling, man.

[Reggie]

I'm in the gym every day, man.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, so they won't get you.

[Reggie]

I'm just going to foul. I'm just gonna. I'm.

[Rudy Gay]

Well, that's the thing. I can't guard my son. I can't guard him.

[Matt]

I'll.

[Rudy Gay]

I'll take him down low and be physical, but he's big as now, too, so.

[Reggie]

Yeah, dude.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, it's tough, man.

[Reggie]

That's what it is. I just got to put that fear in him.

[Matt]

My kids can beat me now, so I don't really try that. But, you know, something fun that your kids. Not fun, but, like, I think about your path because I, you know, I grew up in Brooklyn. Players I watched in high school, at the high school levels, like Marbury, Felipe Lopez, those were like the guys, right?

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Matt]

But I always heard about Baltimore basketball in the high school level. Right. What was it like for you? I mean, I just feel like it's one of the more competitive places you could play high school basketball. Am I wrong when I think that? Or maybe it's because, like, I remember hearing Always Mellow's name and your name coming out of Baltimore. Baltimore seemed crazy with high school basketball.

[Reggie]

Yeah. I mean, yeah, it was like. What made it crazy is the type of city it is. It's like, it's really, really, really. Back then was a rugged city, and, you know, you had to, had to, had to be competitive. Everything was competitive. It was always no matter what you compared to the next person. Unfortunately, I came up after Melo, so it was like you had to be this guy. So, like, you know, shout out to Melo, which, you know, our podcast, 7pm 7pm in Brooklyn.

[Rudy Gay]

I love it.

[Matt]

I love it.

[Reggie]

Yeah, it was always so competitive. And, you know, you couldn't lack any day because, you know, as soon as you have a bad day, you know, you'll hear about it. The Next day. So it was always just competitive. And, you know, I appreciate that now because I'm super competitive now. We talk about with our kids, Matt, you talk about how you wanted to beat your son up, and I can see myself wanting to do that, but don't do it.

[Rudy Gay]

But yeah, you could think it.

[Reggie]

At least don't say it out loud.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, exactly.

[Reggie]

Yeah. It was always just like, you have to be show up and show out every. Every time you step out there. And, you know, it's not too many cities like that. Actually, I was born in Brooklyn, too. Funny you say.

[Matt]

I know. You know, I caught that. I know, like, mellows route was like, born in Brooklyn, moved to Boston. You similar. How long was it born? And you were out of Brooklyn quick or.

[Reggie]

Yeah, so I was like a couple of years in, but my dad still worked in New York, so like, we still lived like, between. Between Harlem and Brooklyn. Yeah, like, I would go. Go back and forth.

[Matt]

You had. Look, I. I know you're from Baltimore, but you always did to me have like a New York vibe to you. I could just tell. I could just tell.

[Reggie]

There's just something about it. Right?

[Matt]

Well, I feel like the. The toughness you were talking about, and it's something even you mentioned in the Players Tribune article where, like, you know, showing out for your city on the biggest stage meant something to you. And Matt and I were talking about this off the air. It's like. Like before you came on, it's like, okay, let's just think about some of the players Rudy probably had to guard because your physicality. You're six, not right. I just feel like every night for you is like, all right, you're guarding Kobe Tonight, you're guarding LeBron. Maybe you'll throw you on D. Wade. Maybe they're gonna throw you on mellow like you before this, like 3 and D like you. I just feel like you always had those matchups, man.

[Reggie]

Yeah, we didn't have. I didn't. Especially in back in those days, it wasn't really too many days off. And it was hard for me as far as accolades. It was tough because, you know, when I got into league, it was, you know, Kevin. Kevin Durant, Durant, Kevin Durant, T. Mac, Melo T. Mac, Kobe, Ron Artest, which was a house down there. It was like.

[Matt]

You saw that next day, right?

[Reggie]

You saw that next day. I mean, even playing some fours, I had to play Dirk AJ Sometimes, you know, it was tough. It was really tough. Luau dang in the East. It was every night Was somebody you had to, you had to match up with, especially in that position.

[Rudy Gay]

How, how nasty. How nasty was. I mean, you named pretty much every hall of Famer. How nasty was Dirk?

[Reggie]

Know what the crazy part about it, he was one of my favorite players growing up. And when you guard him, you see why, you see, I mean it's, it's, it's like he's not fast. Like, especially when I first got into the league, he was, he was mobile. So he could tell me. He would bring the ball up the court, knock down threes and put you in the post and do everything. Really control the game. You know, it was just. That's one of the best in his prime. He's one of the best shows, you know, in the league for me.

[Matt]

Yeah, I mean we, you know, when you look at basketball today, obviously every team shooting so many threes and I know so many people always jokingly like blame Steph for that, but Dirk really was the first big, big to really get those three point attempts way up there, man.

[Reggie]

And it was like he never missed, right?

[Rudy Gay]

And he's shooting from like nine feet up, man. I don't even know how you block that, man.

[Reggie]

And he would never hit the rim. It seemed like it would just be straight next.

[Rudy Gay]

Who was, who was. I mean, who was the toughest, like, who was the toughest player you ever had? A guard, like just, I mean all of those guys were great, but who just gave you fits night in and night out.

[Reggie]

I say Mello was one of them because he just always attacks you. I kind of him and him and Kobe in different ways. Like Kobe was like tactical with what. How he did things. Melo was just physical. Right, right through your chest and whatever. And I kind of adapted, you know, both of them in my game a little bit as I got a little bit older. But like those two guys were tough. And as I got. And later in the league it was KD being seven foot, being able to do what he's doing is. It's insane.

[Matt]

I can't believe KD's legit 7. I thought that was one of those myths of like guys just continually fluctuate. I feel like too with like mellow and even Kobe, it's like it's gotta suck as a defender. It's like once they actually get the ball, you know they're putting it up right, like so it's like, okay, I'm on. Like you're not paying attention. Any cut. Like, you know they're putting it up. So it's like where Is the danger gonna come from, like, are they going? Where are they gonna go?

[Reggie]

Yeah, that's the difference between like a LeBron or something like that. Because LeBron, he pretty much runs the whole show. Those two guys is like, I'm going to score on you and you have to stop me, you know, so that made it a little bit tougher.

[Matt]

I've asked some NBA players this before because, you know, I'm just curious. And you're so recently retired, like, when, like the J.J. redick stuff, like, he is not as recent as you, obviously, but. And now he's coaching. I just feel like that's such an advantage. Like, if you were to get a coaching job tomorrow, you theoretically, You've played against 98% of this current roster. Like, do you feel like that would work for you as a coach? I feel like it works for. I mean, he's also a highly intelligent basketball mind, but I just feel like knowing the current league is such an attribute for a coach.

[Reggie]

Yeah, it is, it is. It's just. I think the outside of like that part is an advantage. I think the disadvantage is the respect from your, your assistants because they've been doing that for years. So that's the point. That's the other. That's the other side of it. Now. JJ's done a great job. Yeah, he has a great basketball mind, as we, we've heard, you know, time and time again on his podcast or, or, you know, on, on espn or was it. I don't know what he was on, maybe espn. You know, he's. He's been doing great, man. I mean, and to. Also it helps that you have LeBron and Luke on your team. Let's not, let's not.

[Matt]

Yeah, let's not remember when they weren't going to be able to figure that out, Rudy. It was like, oh, I don't know how that fit's gonna be. Like that is.

[Reggie]

That is coaching, though. Like, he, he has found a way to make it work and, and that's that. You got to take your hat off to him.

[Rudy Gay]

I saw, I saw a video the other day and, and like, I think he has Scotty Skiles, who he played for in, in Orlando, and he's got obviously a bit an NBA staff that has a bunch of head coaching experience. I think I saw a video of him. What he's been doing there, to your point, Rudy, is he's really allowed every other coach, like, I think he's, he takes all their input, which a great head coach takes input from all their coaches. And then you kind of, you know, you figure it out. But I think he's. He's been able to do that because of what you said, that you guys got a lot of guys that have. Have coached a lot of teams. You mentioned the podcast, and you. You. You're on the pod with Mellow, and. And Jerry and I talk about this all the time.

[Matt]

What.

[Rudy Gay]

What's your thought on current players having podcasts? I mean, Draymond with. Draymond was active. Play like Draymond, which I. I personally love it because I'm a sports fan. I love hoops. I love listening to, like, you know, like, from a player's perspective while they're actually in it. Micah Parsons has his in the NFL. What is your thought on just that? Like, would you have ever done that or. Nah, I'm good.

[Reggie]

Maybe. I mean, I love it, though. Me, personally, I don't know what. In my prime, I don't know if I would have done it. But I love it, though, because you get to hear from the source instead of somebody else's perception. And, Matt, you understand.

[Rudy Gay]

Yep.

[Reggie]

Like, and Jerry, you. You've been around enough sports to know, like, what they. What. You know, what. What is perceived outside of the sport is not always what happens. You never know. But, you know, Draymond is. Is. He's. He's doing it his way as.

[Rudy Gay]

He's crazy, man. Maybe I'll say it, he's nuts.

[Matt]

But I. I always look at it like some of the things I've done over the years, whether it's an episode of Entourage or Power or a movie where it's like, if things. Sometimes things get criticized in a way in media. And I always was taught, like, you gotta just accept it, even if it's bullshit, because don't get engaged in all that. But there always was a part of me that's like, well, if you only knew that this dude, like, stormed off set and this other dude didn't know his lines that day because he was out till 6 o'clock in the morning. Like, if you didn't know a little bit of that, you might understand why that episode sucked. And I do feel like there's so much more just behind the scene. I feel like production, movie, TV sets, and sports franchises are aligned in that way where you're for better or worse, you're a big family, and sometimes it's smooth sailing, and sometimes it's not. Even when all the talent is there, there's so much of the other stuff that could just take away from the Fact that we should be making the Eastern Conference finals or the NBA finals, you know, well, the people.

[Reggie]

See, that's the thing about. That's also a bad part about media and social media is the fact that people have an opinion and they can, they can voice their opinion from their phones. Like, like you said, even about, like, you being on set. Like, I've heard of stories where, like, you have a scene and it may be zero below 2 degrees outside, and like, no, I'm not going to be into this scene. Like, I should. It's cold as shit. Or, you know, you're making it seem like you're in the summer, but you're in like, you know, the Hudson river or something like that during the winter. Like, like, stuff like that. I've heard that that's happened. And like, you never know, like, inside the court, like inside the game. Like, you may be nursing a. A sprained ankle and you just don't want to say it, or you might have a migraine or something like that. Like, stuff happens, man. Like, people don't expect us to be normal.

[Matt]

Well, you were talking, we were talking about like the, the getting posterized. You. You kind of. You showed yourself for a minute there because you were saying, like, you know, inbound it quickly. No one's catching it. You have one of those unique things where, you know, you kind of probably vaguely remember playing your sport pre social media. I remember being on the set of Entourage where I had a line where I said, Vince, you have 2 million Twitter followers. And I had to ask what Twitter was like. I remember having that line. I feel like even with the posterization, a fan's gonna get it. Someone's gonna get that. It's gonna. And it's gonna be instantly. It's gonna. While the game's going on, we will be discussing on Twitter that you got posterized while you're still playing.

[Reggie]

It may be on someone's wall. It may be on Travis's wall. You know, I don't know, but it's. It's somewhere.

[Rudy Gay]

So we. I kind of. I'm about to YouTube that when we get off.

[Reggie]

Yeah, it was like a top play too, man. It was. Made it worse. It was like, like, ah, that whole, that whole week, I was like, I gotta dunk on somebody now.

[Matt]

Well, I, I said all that to say too. It's like, as far as even current players having pods, it's like, yeah, well, they also do have to fight a. Yes, the media, but also social media, right? Where there's narratives that just spin out of control. So being able to have a little bit of control of your own story, I feel like in today's landscape is much different than, you know, early Facebook, Twitter, years back in like 2011, where, you know, wasn't just that it was only like one or two sources really where that shit came from.

[Reggie]

Yeah, I mean, it's a. It's a gift and a curse, though, because it's. You're speaking from your perspective and everybody's not gonna like your perspective. So, like, you have to be prepared to deal with what people have to say about what you have to say. So, you know, it's just, you know, taking control of the own. The narrative has a downside.

[Rudy Gay]

You know, I wish I could have taken control of my narrative when I took a photo with the chicks in the hot tub. That would have been good. I mean, Rudy, you probably don't remember, you probably don't know that, but that. That was. That was messed up.

[Reggie]

I've probably seen it.

[Matt]

Where'd that photo come out, though, Matt? Like, where did. What, what. What magazine did that appear in?

[Rudy Gay]

Well, I'm not even gonna give the website. It's due.

[Matt]

Don't. All right? Don't say it.

[Rudy Gay]

Don't them. I'll tell you the story. Actually. Really. Actually, this was 2006. So. Were you at UConn in 06?

[Reggie]

I got drafted in 06.

[Rudy Gay]

Right. Right there. Yeah. So we're the same. Same kind of.

[Reggie]

Same year.

[Rudy Gay]

So it's March Madness. I'll never forget. And I won't tell the whole story. I won't bore you all, but March Madness had some of my teammates over. We didn't go out. We elected not to go out because of that very reason. That was pre. It was right when, like, camera phones weren't exist, hadn't existed yet, but it was like the. The sites, the websites, the gossip sites were there.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Rudy Gay]

And I said, hey, let's just come to the. Come to the house. We'll watch March Madness. We'll have a little party in the backyard. My boys were there. Like eight of my teammates were there. I'll never forget. It was like the most low key thing ever. And then like, my. This dude I knew brought like a handful of girls and they were cool as whatever. And I was in the Jacuzzi, my Jacuzzi in my own yard with my teammates, who you could see in some of the photos, and they asked to take a picture with me. So I just took a picture. I was like, all right, cool, whatever. Took a picture. The only Problem was, the only thing where I screwed up was I did hold. I did hold a beer bong for one of them on accident. And I don't think she was 21 at the time.

[Matt]

Like, again, problematic.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, I mean, they were like, oh, can you do this? I was like, I was just. At that point, I was, you know, I wasn't even thinking, but that was. But talking about, like, controlling a narrative, I wish I would have been able to get on a. A pod the next day and be like, hey, this is actually what really happened. My bad. But, like, this is what happened, so.

[Matt]

Welcome to another episode of Matt and Reggie.

[Rudy Gay]

Me and. Me and Reggie had. I was telling Jared the other day, we had Matt and Reggie TV back at usc. I don't even remember what we talked about, but we had. We did something. I wanna. I wanna ask. I wanna ask. We mentioned the Players Tribune article and you just recently retired. I thought it was great, man. It was really well done.

[Matt]

Yeah, it was awesome.

[Rudy Gay]

Enjoyed. Yeah, just enjoyed. Enjoyed. And. And you had a hell of a career. I mean, I. I remember watching you a bunch. I know how hard it was for me for a brief time. I got lucky getting into TV right away, so I really didn't have, like, that year to be like, damn, what do I want to do? And, you know, as an athlete, it's hard because we're all. We're like, kind of put in this, like, just like, this tunnel of. This is all we can do. One, just. How has retirement. I know it's just brief, but how has retirement been for you? And, you know, like, when you look back, is there, you know, like, the highlight of your career? You talked about kind of UConn and just the work ethic that it took to get there and just, you know, kind of like highlighting your career, man, because you had an unbelievable career.

[Reggie]

I. You know, when you're in it, you don't think about it, right?

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah.

[Reggie]

And then when you're done, it's kind of like. It's kind of like a death. Like you. Like you killing your former self. And it's like you're trying to figure out, like, we're young, what do I do, like, what it is. You said you got into TV early, but I'm bet. I bet you still had to get yourself in a new kind of rhythm of doing things.

[Rudy Gay]

Yep.

[Reggie]

And that takes time to do that, too. So it took me. It took me a little while. It took me maybe. Maybe about five months to really figure out, like. Like, this isn't like, no Matter what I was before. Like, I have to kill that to the point where I just wasn't even thinking about basketball. Like, people come up to me and I forget that I played. I was a basketball player. That's why situations like going back to school and, like, hearing people. Hearing people, like, I remember you here or this and that. Like, this is during a time when I was so focused on trying to be a pro that I didn't appreciate that these people were fans of mine.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah.

[Reggie]

You know, so it. That. That was one of those things where I was like, okay, yeah, I'm done. I'm done. And this is like, it's not about, you know, me trying to get. Become a better basketball player anymore. It's about me, you know, just trying to become a better person and figure out, like, a better businessman, a better, better father and stuff like that, you know?

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, I think. I think for I. I appreciation is huge. Like, I retired. God, I've retired, like, 10, 11 years ago. So I feel like. God, I don't even feel like I was a football player. Like, it feels like a lifetime ago, but I do. You do. As you get older, you do appreciate. Like, you just learn to appreciate one. Like, you can kind of like, you can pat yourself on the back. You're like, man, like, I was able to accomplish that. I provided for my family. Like, I've been a role model for my boys. Even though they don't know it yet, they're gonna know it at some point. Like, you do. You do have a better appreciation for the fans and just like, what you were able to accomplish. I've learned that as I've gotten older, it's like, like, damn, like, that was a great run. Like, it's passed now. You move on to the other stuff and you get to. And that's the cool thing, too, about post. It gets it. Like, you get to try a lot of new. Like, you're doing your pod. You're gonna do t. Like, you've been doing some TV stuff. Like, it's. It's fun, man. And I just wanted to give you your shout out, man, because you were. Yeah, you had a hell of a run. And I know. Yeah, it was. It was fun to watch.

[Reggie]

I mean, we watched you too. You talk about 2006. I remember sitting in the With Dan Orlovsky.

[Rudy Gay]

You guys were no different.

[Reggie]

I remember sitting in our training room just looking at. Watching you guys just dominate. And I picked you guys to win it all, and you did. So no one said, you want me.

[Matt]

Money, but and now we have to blame Matt and Reggie for the tush push we have to watch in the super bowl because they kind of created that play.

[Rudy Gay]

I told Jerry. We invented that against Notre Dame. Oh, five. And then. And then I told Jerry. Reggie had texted me. He. When he was up in Detroit with Stafford, he. He had the same type of play. He pushed Stafford in and like, OT and they won. And I swear to God, he texted me right after.

[Matt]

You see that?

[Rudy Gay]

We just did a push push again in Detroit. I was like, yeah, dude, I got you.

[Matt]

I was such a New York kid. The Big east was everything. I feel like your run with UConn, like, that was sort of like the last of, like the heyday of the Big east, right? Because then the change and there's so many. I don't even know for sure who's in the Big east anymore. But when you're up there at UConn, like, what. What is their fan base and who is you players. Back then was like, the team you wanted. Was it Syracuse? Like, who'd you want to. Who was the biggest rival? Just in general, that Big east was a. Was a behemoth back then.

[Reggie]

I mean, it's. It's tough. It's like, especially back then, like, yeah, we had. It was so many big games. Like, no, like, you got to think like, the kind of guys, like, you know, St. John's the guys that came out of Syracuse, guys that came out of Villanova, guys. Yeah, yeah, Georgetown. Like, all these games are like, what makes a rivalry is like you have big games against them, right? And we've had like, in the Big east, everybody has been stacked at some point, so it was like, hard to say who our real rival was. Maybe. Maybe Syracuse, maybe Pitt, maybe. Maybe St. John's maybe Georgetown. I don't know, like, all of them. Like, it was just like they were all big games. We didn't like any of them. So it was like, you know, so.

[Rudy Gay]

At least the big. The Biggie still exists. The Pack, I mean, I played in the PAC 10, but the pack. Pack 1210 doesn't even exist anymore, which is crazy. Yes, it's wild.

[Reggie]

I've seen some of the weirdest games I've ever seen. Like Washington versus Maryland. Like, how. Why are they playing each other right now?

[Rudy Gay]

Before we let you go, who all time, I want to. I want to ask you this. Oh, well, actually, real quick, I want to ask you. This is from my oldest. Who's got a better mid range, you or demarcus?

[Reggie]

I taught him everything he Knew, man.

[Rudy Gay]

There you go. Everything he knows, he said. He said, dad, ask him who's. Because he just saw. He just saw. He went to a Clippers game the other night and Demar was there, and Demar's SC kid, obviously, and he's like, God, Demar, so cold. And then I told him you were coming on. He's asking who's got a better midi. I said, all right, I'll ask. So you.

[Reggie]

So you.

[Rudy Gay]

You're the Godfather.

[Reggie]

Yeah, we. We played. We played.

[Rudy Gay]

But you can shoot though, too.

[Reggie]

Yeah. He doesn't shoot three. Yeah, he's all midi. Management was like, we got two guys just shoot mid range.

[Matt]

Yeah, well, that's my take on it. It's like I. I choose you as a fan because also, like, it just. You were probably not forced, but everyone was probably telling you, take a few steps back, shoot the three. Right. Like, I feel like the. Rosen didn't. And I. He does shoot threes, but, like, I feel like he never took those few steps back because he's so. He just got so accustomed. I feel like, again, that was a part of like the 6, 9 thing. Like drop back, shoot a few threes.

[Reggie]

It was. I mean, it was. For me, it was more of like injuries that limit me from being able to move to get that.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Reggie]

Thank God Demar has had the injuries I've had, and I. I wouldn't wish that on him. That's my. That's one of my best friends.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, he's great, man. He's a great dude. Who. Last thing, rudy. All time UConn starting five. Who do you got?

[Reggie]

I'd say Kimber Walker.

[Matt]

Nastiest step back in the history of the tournament, man.

[Rudy Gay]

He had the greatest run too. Yeah.

[Reggie]

Two definitely be Ray Allen. Three would be Rip Hamilton.

[Rudy Gay]

That's a squad you put yourself at four, you'd be a small.

[Matt]

Yeah. You're there.

[Reggie]

I'm gonna get in trouble for this one. I'd say A Mecca. Oklahoma.

[Rudy Gay]

Four. Yeah. No Karam Butler. You guys probably play the same position, right? He was a small.

[Reggie]

Yeah. I mean, I'm biased.

[Rudy Gay]

He killed me. I was going down a list. I'd like. Khalid Alameen was a dog back then.

[Matt]

Yes.

[Rudy Gay]

Some guys.

[Matt]

I still also too, not to keep bringing up your Players Tribune article and obviously I'm not gonna add, but your story about getting dimed out by a teammate to Coach Calhoun about not I. All I'll say is I. I just can't believe it came from someone.

[Rudy Gay]

I was gonna say someone. You probably fought that I'm horrified for.

[Matt]

You that I know you're not gonna mention the name and you never should, but I am still. I'm traumatized just from reading that story that. That a teammate did that. It hurt my soul to read that, man.

[Reggie]

It was crazy because, like, back then, it was like they just. He was like, he'll manipulate you to think that he didn't care about things that he really cared about. It's because, like, I remember I got like, 20 parking tickets and the guy. And like, the guy's like, I'm gonna tell your coach. He's like. So I was like, I'll tell him. So what? And I knew he wouldn't care because he had, like, 20 parking tickets on his car too.

[Matt]

Right?

[Reggie]

But, you know, he'll act like he cares to the guy, like, whatever. Just whatever. But, like, going to class, anything that'll keep you off the court.

[Matt]

He didn't play?

[Reggie]

No.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, yeah, we had. I was telling Jerry we had class. Did you guys have class? Checkers. We had class checkers come by.

[Reggie]

We did.

[Rudy Gay]

They would. They'd be peeking. God, T. What was his name?

[Matt]

Narc. What are you doing? Get out of here.

[Rudy Gay]

They would come to the door, look, see if you're in there. And then they go report to the coach.

[Matt]

That's a rough gig. Who's taking that job these days?

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, no, that's that.

[Reggie]

But it'll be random people like. Like Coach Calhoun would pay random students to, like, tell him whether I was in class or not. Like, it was. It was crazy.

[Matt]

Wow. Listen, man, 7:00pm in Brooklyn is one of my faves. I'm always checking.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah, you guys are. You guys are great, man.

[Reggie]

We need going there, man.

[Rudy Gay]

I'm coming.

[Matt]

I'm. I'm going to be in New York in April. I know. Tell Mero I'm coming for him too. With his Call of Duty playing Marrow Monday, streaming Call of Duty all day and. Yeah, honestly, if you haven't read Rudy's Player Tribune, it was awesome, man. I just. I appreciate you for opening up like that and giving us the perspective and. Yeah, man, I mean, I'll come see you over there. I'll come. I'll come give some bad takes out.

[Rudy Gay]

On 7pm you wouldn't be the first.

[Matt]

Thank you so much.

[Rudy Gay]

Appreciate you, brother. Yeah, thanks for coming on, man.

[Reggie]

Man, I appreciate you guys.

[Matt]

All right, again, big shout outs to Rudy Gay. Go check out 700pm in Brooklyn with him and Mellow. It's a lot of fun. I. I think we should go on there. In New York, Matt.

[Rudy Gay]

That would be fun.

[Matt]

All right, we're gonna bust out the mailbag again because I think we're gonna start having our guests sitting on this mailbag too, because some of them have been really good. Do you want to take one and I'll take one.

[Rudy Gay]

Yeah. All right. Chris in Utah. Okay, so I saw the trailer for Happy Gilmore 2 came out this week. Curious where you guys ranked shooter McGavin in terms of all time great sports movie villains. In the first one, when he threatened to burn down Happy's grandmother's house and piss on the ashes, I was ready to jump through the screen and fight him. Thanks, fellas. Shooter. I mean, Shooter's got to be one of the all time villains, right?

[Matt]

I just like, anytime I think of Shooter McGavin, the first thing that comes to my head is I. I eat pieces of like you for breakfast. Then sailors go, you eat pieces of breakfast. It's great. He's up there for me because I love golf. It's rare that you get like the comedic sports villain, right? I think it's like, you think I have another good comedic Ivan Drago, right? Clubber Lang, stuff like that. He's shooting. McGavin's up there for me. He's a Hall.

[Rudy Gay]

What about what, a White Goodman?

[Matt]

Yeah. 100, right? 100.

[Rudy Gay]

White Goodman. White Goodman. Ben Stiller. Dodgeball. Reminds me of Shoot him or Gavin. The comedic aspect.

[Matt]

My own blood.

[Rudy Gay]

Blood. By the way, dodgeball. Underrated movie.

[Matt]

By the way, dodgeball.

[Rudy Gay]

10 sports movies of all time. I wouldn't go that far because it's. But underrated. Underrated movie in my.

[Matt]

I think Stiller's doing a pickleball movie in the same vein, I think like a slightly comedic pickleball movie, which if you didn't, you should have got a cameo in that.

[Rudy Gay]

That I should have. Is he a big pickleball guy?

[Matt]

I. I guess. Or enough to make the movie. But yeah. So to answer the question for me, he's up there.

[Rudy Gay]

I think Ivan Drago. Ivan Drago is probably one of the most iconic.

[Matt]

Drago. I. I give shout outs too, to you might not recognize the name. Let's see if you could get the name, the movie from the name. It's a fictional character. It's a tough one to get. You have to know the movie well, Clue Haywood. It's okay if you don't know it.

[Rudy Gay]

I don't know Major league.

[Matt]

He's like the. The guy, the slugger on the Yankees with the big Chews spitting in slow motion. Oh, they have strike out.

[Rudy Gay]

You said clue.

[Matt]

Clue. It is clue. Clue. I think it is Heywood, the big.

[Rudy Gay]

The big for. Yeah, we're. We're. Chris for. Taylor's talking to him at home play.

[Matt]

Maybe. I thought it was clue. Haywood. We'll find out. All right, I'm gonna read one. Brad in Dallas, the one shining moment video that runs at the end of the NCAA tournament. Something you stick around for or something you don't get all that hype for.

[Rudy Gay]

Listen, I don't get all that hype for just because I can't guarantee I'm going to be where I'm at watching the championship in the end of that. But I will say this. I am a sucker for highlights, for highlight videos, highlight films. I think March Madness is one of the best sporting events every year by far. It's right up there. It's like right up there with the super bowl world. It's just right up there for me. So I'm all for it. I just don't necessarily watch it every year. But it's. Yeah, I mean, it's one shiny moment that the buzzer beaters. It's why we love March Madness in college.

[Matt]

It used to be must see TV for me and it used to be, you know, with the music. It just. It's all perfect. I will say it is. I'll watch it if it times out. It's no longer must see. Stick around. Because I think of social media. Because by that point, yeah, we will have seen all the amazing moments so many times. Because I'm on social media with sports all day long when I can be. So I think by the time it rolls around, maybe you could make the. Which made it and which didn't. But back in the day, I think the very last one that sticks out was like the Gordon Haywood mistake. Buzzer beater from half almost went in. That's like the last I remember being at Goal Sports bar in la. That's the last one I remember. Like, no, no.

[Rudy Gay]

We have to wait for no villain Villanovo. Game winner Jenkins. Chris Jenkins probably is the one I remember. Are you. Before we go, are you glued. Are you glued to the TV this weekend for March Madness or you just kind of.

[Matt]

Well, I gotta. I gotta work. I gotta shoot some more to finish up this movie the next two days. So I'll be checking in. I. I just will say not. Not as much for the first and second round like I used to be.

[Rudy Gay]

Are you betting on these games?

[Matt]

Yeah, bro. My big pick that I did for Bet MGM was. Colorado State was like my underdog. Is there a 12 seed playing Memphis? Right. But now they're. They're the underdog 12 verse 5. But they're actually favored in the game now. So I'm just a. Yeah, I'm a Joe now. I made the most obvious underdog. So now I like hate the Colorado State pick.

[Rudy Gay]

I was gonna say that's dangerous.

[Matt]

And I tell you what. So I don't do 400 brackets anymore like I used to. Oh, I do fantasy. I. I dialed it way down.

[Rudy Gay]

Dude, I'm in this big pool. There's like a thousand people and it's, you know, whatever. It's not. It's a. I. You can do unlimited brackets. I'm doing 20 brackets so far.

[Matt]

But like, what's the one you feel? Just give me.

[Rudy Gay]

So I just go, basically, I've never won. I. I go. I. My. I love. I think Florida would be the odds on favorite. I don't know if they are. I think they are. I love Florida. I do like Duke and I do like Auburn. So those are obviously three number.

[Matt]

You're a one seed guy. You're a.

[Rudy Gay]

Well, those three. I'm not Houston people. I love Houston. I just. Every year I'm like Houston, then they always just find a way to lose Final Four Elite Eight. And then I don't. I feel like this year is like kind of chalk. Like, I just think there's like those five or six teams that are really good can all win. And then there's just like, I like Michigan State this year. They're really good.

[Matt]

They always hang around.

[Rudy Gay]

I think Maryland, Maryland could make a little run. Like they're Johnny's.

[Matt]

Johnny's. Look out for the Johnnies. It'll be fun.

[Rudy Gay]

A lot of sec. A lot this year it's been all about, I think what, 14 SEC schools made it.

[Matt]

Are you. Are you glued while you're like. Like squashing termite or fleas? Are you. Are you glued to the TV or. Again, not as much because you have three kids at the house.

[Rudy Gay]

I mean, my weekends just started sports last week, I didn't even. Dude, I just coached my coach Casen in his first football game this past weekend.

[Matt]

I saw, by the way, by the way, such good athletes already compared to the kind of level that my oldest is older than your oldest. It. You could just see the genetic gene pool of athlete first non athlete.

[Rudy Gay]

And he's playing, he's playing with Instagram videos. He's played all. He's playing like kids a year Older than him.

[Matt]

Yeah. And running and like making dudes miss he's awesome song.

[Rudy Gay]

We'll put it. We'll. I want to talk about it next week because we have a game. We have football game this weekend too. But I'll say this. My oldest. Cole's my oldest. But my oldest. My five year old is. I'm telling you what. This kid was born to be a linebacker, dude.

[Reggie]

He.

[Rudy Gay]

All he wants to do is hit people. He. He ran like he's skilled and he. And he. And by the way, he. He was hitting bombs this weekend in baseball. Like I was like. And I'm not bragging on him because it takes him a lot of work. It takes him a lot of work work to. To work. He's not. Josie and I talk. He's a lot like Josie. Josie's a hard, hard, hard worker. And once she gets it, she becomes elite in that whether it's law. Anything like not necessarily sports, but just anything. Can't. Yeah. Canon is like a lot like me. A little bit like very natural Cole. Very natural canon. Just natural 3 year olds just raking off the teeth like it doesn't even care. Cason just has to work, but he works. It pays off because it. He can. He can flip it, dude. All that being said, this dude just wants to tackle and just crush people and run into people. And he loves it, dude. He gets up and he just fucking laughs. I'm like, well, dude, he's psych. I don't know where that came from. Dude. He's psychotic. So I don't. I think I'm gonna have a linebacker with one of my three boys for sure.

[Matt]

Please insert the program. Film room scene where Alvin Mack is looking at his assignments going, hit the quarterback, hit the running back. In the very end, he's like, kill everyone.

[Rudy Gay]

That's what the bikes are in there. My boy. My. My best friend Brandon, he coaches me. He was telling. We kind of laugh about Casen because it's like he doesn't necessarily know. Like. Like he doesn't understand contain. Because we're trying to teach these kid, hey, you need to contain. Like whatever. Let him out. This don't.

[Matt]

What's contained.

[Rudy Gay]

But my boy Brett is like, dude, all I said was Cason, go. Go and just run after the guy who has ball. Just go. Don't do anything. And sure enough, he just charges. Dude, like he just. He's like a. Like it's just picturing Patrick Willis.

[Matt]

That's what I see. I see Patrick.

[Rudy Gay]

He's. Anyway, I'll have more. We can talk about that next week. It's been. But I'm in now. I'm in full coaching, multiple sports, a weekend for my 5 year old. I was like that with Cole 12 years ago. I am right back.

[Matt]

It's cool that you get to do it again.

[Rudy Gay]

It's fun, man. It's fun. Yeah.

[Matt]

All right, well, good luck to everybody's brackets. Hopefully don't get busted too easily, and we'll be back next week.