Uh Jason, anything you want us to hit or
you uh go back over or do you want us to
close it out? No, I don't have anything.
Uh I guess the only question I have is
who decided to go with the boy band look
first? Was it you or was it D?
The whole the back the Backstreet Boys
look. The old Insync
[Music]
look. Welcome back to Mind the Game. Uh
today we got an opportunity to sit down
and talk to LeBron virtually. He's uh
away with his family. I'm here at home.
Uh some of our subsequent conversations
this summer will be virtually. So bear
with us if there's any technical issues
that we iron out along the way, but uh
hopefully we'll be in person some uh but
also definitely virtual as we are today.
Um we got a great opportunity to sit
with LeBron, talk to him about the
series he just played versus the
Minnesota Timberwolves, what he
experienced, what he faced, what he
thinks of the T-Wolves. I thought they
were very impressive throughout the
series. We've seen a team here mature.
Uh they made a big trade last summer. Uh
Cat going to New York and Devenzo and
Julius Randle going to the T-Wolves. And
I think they've done an amazing job this
year finding an identity with those new
pieces. Uh not easy to do. So big shout
out to their coaching staff and players
for how they've been able to kind of
metriculate through the season, find
this identity, and be an incredible team
when it counts the most. And we'll also
talk a little bit about Anthony Edwards
and the leap he's made recently from uh
you know, primarily a scorer to a
playmaker. and Lakers did a lot of
things in this series to try to slow him
down, to try to take away his impact, to
keep him off their rim. Uh, and he
showed, I think, some incredible growth
and maturity, moving the ball, making
simple passes, playing with different
paces, changing gears. Um, a growth and
maturity that, uh, you know, I think
we'd love to see in all of our young
stars in this league. So, great
conversation with LeBron today, looking
back on the series with the T- Wolves.
Hope you guys enjoy.
[Music]
mind the game. Yes, sir. Back again,
baby. Back at it. Hey, uh first of all,
condolences. You know, obviously uh sad
to see you guys go out of the playoffs.
Yeah, man. Um before we before we dig
into that though, I think it's probably
appropriate that we uh send a major
congrats shout out to Coach Pop. Oh,
wow. For sure. There's no way we even
start this conversation without even
talking about popping what he means for
the game, what he meant obviously for
just the NBA, San Antonio, I mean, West
Point. I mean, all the stops that he
had. I mean, you know, to be able to
cross paths. I mean, we we've crossed
paths with coach Pops so many times, you
know, and um I had one opportunity to to
actually play for him in the Olympics in
2004. Um, and obviously going against
him three times in the NBA finals and
um, I mean, what can you say? I mean,
you could say, I mean, so he has, you
talk about the superlatives, uh, when it
comes to coach Pop, man, he has his list
is, you know, out of this world. But I
think what a lot of people have found
out if you ever got an opportunity to
encounter a one-on-one with him or even
just in crossing how great of aing guy
that guy is, man. Um, and it makes sense
of why how unbelievable a coach he was,
you know, because of the person he was.
That's right. Yeah. I mean, you look at
the the superlatives, as you say,
winning as coach in NBA history, five
titles, um, 1850 win seasons. That's
insane.
170 playoff wins. 170, right? So, uh,
over two NBA seasons in wins in the
playoffs. What about playing for him,
coach? Coach uh Pop had you at Team USA.
Tell tell us a little bit about that
experience. Yeah, you know, it's just,
you know, the admiration like for me, I
was an 18-year-old kid, you know, and
you know, I got an opportunity to to see
it, you know, when they won the
championship um in 99 um and then when
they won it again, I believe in 200 was
it 2003 maybe? M so so how can I I had
already had admiration you know for for
Pop and and and his San Antonio teams
and you know I was on a team I was a
young guy alongside you know Carmelo
Anthony we were young guys Dwayne Wade
we were super young and you know to to
be a part of you know that team you know
obviously we didn't succeed like we
wanted to succeed but to to be on a team
with like Allan Iverson and and and Tim
Duncan you know and coach Pop you know
Larry Brown like that was a that was
just like it was like another welcome to
you know to what greatness is all about
you know and um you know to to to see
where coach Pop have left this game you
know as far as him patrolling the
sidelines for as long as he did and you
know the amount of wins that you just
mentioned the amount of championships
the amount of great players um that he's
seen come through the San Antonio
franchise um it's just been a complete
honor man and for me to have like a real
personal relationship with him that
every time I see him it's like you know
just so much respect and and and so much
honor and just um you know definitely
will be missed you know definitely will
be missed but um obviously we know most
important his health is most important
but you know we can't we cannot shy away
from the fact that what he was able to
accomplish on those sidelines man yeah I
mean just greatness you know
organizational greatness you know his
role as a coach but also as a GM or
president or all the different roles
he's taken on there. You know, the type
of program organization they built and a
big part of that DNA is him and his
personality, his standards, not just
what he demands from players um on the
court, but also the type of people he
tries to recruit and and or or develop
or, you know, influence. Um and you look
at that family tree over there, how many
coaches around the league, you know,
Steve Kerr obviously played for him. E
he may play coached with him for him you
know it goes it goes on and on and on
dozens of them you know but I think your
point about about him being a great man
you know and he and and look he's still
with us and hopefully he's going to have
a big impact going forward his health
can continue to improve and but we just
want to take this time to to talk about
uh you know his success and who he is
one little story that I always loved is
uh we played them in the playoffs can't
remember conference
finals, semi-finals, and me and Tony
Parker bumped heads. Uh was it I can't
remember. I had I'm sure I was bleeding
as usual. Uh it was leak leaking blood
and uh we it was my nose, right? It was
my nose and it was it was right down the
stretch of the game, you know, last
five, six minutes of the game, I
believe. And uh trying to get the blood
to stop. It's like right on the crease
of my nose and you know, this like
really thin skin through there. Some
blood's flying out. So I can come in the
game like I made a three. It's bleeding.
The refs get him out. Come back in the
game. He's bleeding again. Pop was over
there like just let him play, right?
Just let him play, you know? And so they
obviously not going to let me play until
you get up. But like I believed
him that he wanted me to play. He's
like, I want to beat them with their
full compliment. Exactly. Full strength.
We're here to win against them with
their best punch. And so I always
admired the type of human being he is.
uh the way he stood up for what he
believes in, you know, human rights. Uh
yeah, for sure for people for people
that are underserved or, you know, under
advantaged and so I I agree with you. I
think you make a great point. It's not
just the accolades as a coach and a and
an organizational leader. It's it's the
type of human being the way he did it. I
think he did such a service to our
community, but also to our league, you
know, as an example for how we want to,
you know, behave. We're all different.
We're all gonna have different ways of
doing things, but he set a a hell of an
example for uh what success looks like
the way you approach it. Yeah. And you
always hear this, you always hear this
this term culture, you know, in our
league, who uh does it have a good
culture? Does this franchise have a
great culture? And I think, you know,
when you look at it, if you can think of
one franchise that the culture has
always been, you know, the stability of
that culture or this is how the culture
is going to be ran, you automatically
think about the San Antonio Spurs and
the one common, you know, denominator
has been Pop. You know, you can look at
all the players that's come through
there. you know, when Pop became head
coach from, you know, Vinnie Del Negro
to, you know, Avery Johnson to, you
know, David Robinson to, you know, you
know, obviously then Tim Duncan, then
Manu, then Tony, then all these guys,
you know, all the way down to, you know,
Demar De Rozan and, you
know, Wimby, you know, all these guys
towards, you know, but the one common
denominator has always been pop, you
know. Um, and you think about culture
and what everybody's, you know, trying
to build now. You hear heat culture. You
hear, you know, all these other
franchises that's building a culture.
And, you know, I think it started, man,
and, you know, like you said, the early,
you know, 1990s, you know, when uh, pop
took over and it's been there to this
2025, man. Right. It's 2025. And I
think, you know, people try to, you
know, in all sports, you know, in all
sports, you you used to hear about the
New England Patriots, you know, with
with Bellichic, but I think it started
with pop as well, you know, with, you
know, and having that influence, just
being able this is how things are going
to be ran. No single person is bigger
than this culture and what we're trying
to build here. And um I think that's
that that has a lot to do with success.
I obviously we've seen it. Yeah. Well,
coming from the both of us, you know, we
hope we uh see and hear a lot more from
Coach Pop. No, absolutely. Congrats on
an incredible career, but hopefully his
influence will continue to to take an
impact on our league and our communities
for a long time. Absolutely. Shout out
Coach Pop, man. We miss you. We miss
you, brother. Yes, sir.
[Music]
American Express. American Express.
basketball
between the road from Boston to LA and
everywhere in between. After all these
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[Music]
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[Music]
Uh, first, how's the knee? Oh, man. This
is my uh this is my first in my 22 year
career. This is my first knee injury,
right? you know, I've had, you know, the
regular tendinitis and the patella, all
that stuff, but this is the first time
I've ever had a like a sustained knee
injury where I had to like, okay, you
got to get off your feet, you know, you
got to kind of be shelled for a minute.
And um, you know, I knew as soon as when
the when the impact happened with me and
Dishenzo, you know, I felt it right
away. My knee locked up and that's why I
kind of I stayed on the ground for quite
a minute to see, you know, if the if the
knee would kind of release a little bit.
Um, you know, but I knew right then and
there it was a pain that I hadn't felt
before. Um, and I think obviously when I
was running back to close out and he
collided to me, you know, my knee bent
inward and that's the that's the MCL
injury that I had. So, um, you know,
four to six weeks, the docs told me I
have four six weeks now. That's the
benefit that's the benefit of, uh, not
uh, you know, going over going on in the
postseason. Obviously, I wish I was
still going, but you know,
unfortunately, even if we would have won
game, you know, at five at home, you
know, I would have probably missed six
and seven, you know, and uh and even
even further, but um you know, I have
some time though. I have some time to to
get it right and um you know, and get
back to to full strength as far as my
knee. But it's definitely it was a pain
that I that next morning, man, you know,
after I had told the docs, I was like,
"Listen, um you know, it feels it's sore
right now." Yes. And you know, this is
Wednesday night after the game and I
said, you know, if I wake up Thursday
morning and it's feeling and it didn't
feel any better than, you know, Friday
morning, let's get a let's get an MRI
Friday morning. Well, when I woke up
Thursday morning and tried to get out of
bed, I was like, "Holy shit." And I and
I called Doc right away. I said, "I I
can't wait till Friday. We need I need
to go today." So, so that I mean, that
that really was it for your season.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, pretty much. Yeah.
Yeah. unfortunately. But yeah, well, at
least it's, you know, it's containable,
you know, it's uh non-surgical four to 6
weeks, you get yourself right in this
wheelhouse of uh trying to get some some
time off. And in that respect, like what
is your mindset right now? Like it's
always weird like when I played, you
know, you add a new variable to it
getting healthy now, right? So you have
a forced variable, right? Like when I
was in your shoes, you lose a series
like you'd have these different kind of
thoughts. one, sometimes you'd be, you
know, devastated. Um, other times you'd
be overanalytical. Other times you just
want space. You know, my bandwidth is
done. I need to get away. Like, where
are you right now with the way this kind
of season obviously big season for you
guys, right? Like a big trade trying to
ram this team together as quickly as
possible. had had a hell of a run
getting into the playoffs and you know
styles make fights and it's it was a
tough match up for you guys but where's
your mindset before we talk about the
series like you just you know like you
just said Steve I think it's um you
unravel all of those emotions you know
and you know I've unraveled all of them
in a sense of like give me space you
know going back you know analytically
seeing if there was ways I could have
what could I have done better what we
could have done better thinking about
the individual matchups, thinking about
their team versus our team, things where
we could have did better. Um, you know,
and it all it all has entered my mind
since since Wednesday night when when it
was over with. So, you know, I've had a
few days that kind of just, you know,
each day has been something different,
you know, and uh I've obviously I've
I've come to grips with it now, you
know, with it being, you know, quite a
few days after the fact and watching a
lot of the other series now and seeing
how they unfold. But, yeah, you said it,
man. I I've um I've had all those
emotions, you know, to the point where
it's like, what the [\h__\h] We, you know,
we enter the season well, but like you
said, you know, when it comes to the
postseason, man, matchups sometimes
doesn't determine how well of a regular
season you had. You know, it's it's the
matchups. And we we ran into a a damn
good matchup. A team that's been battle
tested. Um a team that's hungry, a team
that that um a lot of a lot of youth,
but also experienced at the same time.
And uh and another a team that's trying
to make the next step. And um you know,
they were they were a worthy opponent,
that's for sure.
How does uh kind of these like media
narratives enter your frame of mind at
this time of year? Like for example,
because it's the Lakers, because it's
you and Luca, it's like it's all about
how did the Lakers lose this series when
really what like what happened here is
Minnesota is a hell of a team and they
won the series. Like how how do you deal
with some of that when you try to
process all Yeah. Yeah. For me, I I I've
definitely learned over the years that
um teams win championships
and um you know, it's never, you know,
always always teams always win
championships and yes, individuals get a
lot of the accolades and the praise, but
a collective group, uh, you know, wins
championships. Now, you know, you have
your big guys that make big plays at the
end of games, throughout the game, or
whatever the case may be, but
ultimately, you know, teams win
championships and and and I understand
that. And it's never just about me and
Luca. It was never just about, you know,
Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. You
know, it was always Minnesota versus the
Lakers. And I understand that. And I and
and I am at a point in my career now
where I, you know, I don't lose sleep
over that. Like, [\h__\h] how did how did
me and Luca lose? like well yeah well
there's there's eight other guys on the
floor you know so of course you know
yeah yeah so it's always you know um
it's the nature of the business it's the
nature of the business when you when
you've played 22 years you've heard that
you you know you you've seen that before
but but it's it's it is a it is an
interesting talking point in general is
that like you know you guys are a
developing roster you know you traded
for a big generational piece but that
doesn't mean the roster is balanced
fully formed and you don't have time
once getting Luca to make moves
necessarily that are going to allow you
to kind of fulfill that roster like like
a way Minnesota is like Minnesota could
trade pieces out but essentially they're
they're they're a balanced roster. Yeah.
Yeah. You know you could say I'd rather
this guy than that guy but they have the
positions covered. Yeah. And the only
thing they changed you know in the off
season they they they brought in two
guys. They kind of lost a big piece.
They lost, you know, obviously Cat, but
brought in Julius and Devenzo, you know,
and the other guys came back, you know,
so the experience of being in the
Western Conference Finals last year, you
know, Denzo's played in big games, you
know, and those guys just learn and and
continue to build their their regular
season, I don't think their regular
season gave them an uh uh it didn't give
any of us or or the the the narrative
that how good of a team they were
actually were. you know, um they were
dealing with a lot of injuries. They
were dealing with trying to learn each
other. But, you know, when the when the
postseason when the postseason comes and
you have that team of collective group,
they they have a strong they have a
strong eight to nine guys, you know,
from their starting lineup to Nas Reed
to Devonzo to Nil Alexander Walker and
those guys just they they come in and
they just play extremely hard, you know.
So, yeah. From my perspective, two
things I think that they had that you
guys um are looking for. uh one is an
identity. They formed one this year. You
guys are just trying to figure yours out
like right um and those collective
experiences of being there looking at
each other when you're down 15 in game
three or whatever it is and say we've
been here before. We know what to do.
Instead, you're looking at each other
like I've never been here with you. How
are you feeling? How am I, you know,
that stuff, those scars, those lessons.
So, I think they they built an identity
this year. Um, you know, I think the
other part of this was, uh, just speed.
They have foot speed to defend, to
attack. You guys had positional size.
Uh, even though you'd play small for the
most part in the playoffs, you guys are
66, 610 across the board other than
Gabe. So, you know, they you have the
size. You tried obviously as you did in
the regular season to a lot of success.
Kind of zone up, get up in the gaps, try
to take the primary ball handler out of
the game. But, you know, when they have
that quickness and they and and Ant, I
mean, he's so explosive and he's
improved the playmaking. Playmaking.
Exactly. He's improved so much with his
playmaking. And, um, you've seen him
make the jump, you know, just from from
from last year's playoff run all the way
to just one just one playoff uh uh, you
know, series right there. you know, he
he was super patient, you know, even
when we were getting up in the gaps and,
you know, sometimes we would double
them, sometimes we would smoke,
sometimes we would just be up in the
gaps just trying to make him think, you
know, and we did, you know, there was a,
you know, he had one quote where he was
like, you know, their defense is
confusing and making me think and he
figured it out, you know, you know, and
um, you know, so I commend him, man. He
just, um, he grew throughout our series
that I think is going to benefit him
throughout, you know, the rest of this
run. But 100%. and your guys strategy uh
felt like for me um whether you were in
a soft blitz or just in the gaps. You
were leaving guys in the corner coming
high loading to the ball trying to bait
him into those passes that maybe he's
not sure the guy's going to get a look
or he's got to throw it over hands
trying to confuse him. And I think to
your point um he he did a lot of things
better this year than he has in the
past. He slowed down. Yeah. He changed
paces. He would drive and he would
hesitate slightly instead of just all
one speed to give him a chance to see is
he coming, is he not coming, where's
this pass, where's my window, do I have
a layup or do I need to get off it, he
also I think sometimes got into a crowd
and instead of making a difficult pass,
he made simple passes, which in the past
I don't think he was as willing to make.
You know, that's a huge step, right?
Just a simple one, get off it and allow
your teammate to have a closeout, you
know, or a twoon one, right? Like that's
the way to bust the way you guys were
trying to load to him. Yeah. Tricky
because the foot speed piece. So for me,
I'd love to hear, you know, how how you
guys approached it, but you know, even
when you tried to double him a little
bit, guys were reluctant to run out and
double him cuz he's so explosive. So
then
he had the time to look around and pick
his spots. Yeah. And that's why we kind
of changed pitches. We wanted to try to
change pitches on them as much as
possible cuz we want, you know, you
don't never give one player, no great
players one, right, steady diet of the
same thing, you know. Um, but, you know,
even when you try to double them, his
his um his ability to to race double
teams, to to split double teams, to get
creative, he and he's and he's still
strong, too. So, it's not like he's a
frail guy where you can double him and
be more be super aggressive with him and
get him on. Yeah, he's he's he's
definitely he's learned over the time,
but he's strong. He has he has low
center of gravity. He has a great
handle. He can shoot the ball extremely
well. And, you know, to add on to what
we said a couple times before in some of
our older um episodes
about believing in your teammates,
making them feel even better than what
they are as well. And he's trusting his
teammates to make plays. I think um you
know that that's a man, listen, we give
we got to give Minnesota their play.
That's a damn good team, man. And good
team. you know, I'm looking forward to
to seeing their next matchup, you know,
um either between um you know, Golden
State or Houston. Yeah, for sure.
There's a clip of you telling that after
the game, uh take the next step. Yeah.
Tell me like in your in your words as
somebody that you have played with on
the on the USA stuff in the Olympics
gold medal together, obviously there's
some mentorship. like what did that
moment mean to you when you say that to
a young player that you've shared the
floor with? You know, I think that
moment for me is like, you know,
understanding and recognizing the next
generation and someone who can can do it
and be great and be great for a long
time in our league. I think that's what
our game is all about is being able to
pass it down to the next generation and
they can continue to do great things.
And for me, you know, being out there,
you know, in my 22nd season, playing
against a young upand cominging, uh, you
know, uh, superstar in in in the in the
flesh, you know, and Anthony Edwards and
and and watching him in the postseason
last year, make those steps to get to
the Western Conference Finals and fall
short to Dallas, you know, and then have
a full summer with him in the Olympic
team and seeing how great he was, just
listening and and and just soaking in
everything from myself, from myself to
KD to Steph, you know, he was He you
could just see he was just like a little
kid in a candy store for him. Yeah. Like
super energetic and happy and just like
super like he was just grateful that he
was in that in that opportunity to be
there and and for me to just like you
know tell him to take the next step like
you know it doesn't always mean okay
well the conference finals and now you
got to be in the finals. It's like take
the next step and just you as a person
you as a player continue to get better
better and better.
you know, your time's going to come
whenever I I am not I can't decide when
that's going to be. Sometimes we have no
control over when that next step as far
as being, you know, going to the finals
and winning, you know, we we're not
always have the opportunity to do that,
but like we do have control over making
the next step in our own individual
journey, you know, and I think that's
that's what it was about because I love
seeing that, man. I love seeing, you
know, I love seeing Jason Tatum take
that next step, you know. I love seeing,
you know, you know, now I see Ant, you
know, taking that next step and it's
just it's a proud proud feeling for me,
you know, as a player been in the league
for so long. Yeah. You admire it when
you see someone's putting the time in
and they're improving like you like you
said for Ant to have that type of
openness and attitude around USAB, you
know, coming in with like this is a
great opportunity like immediately it's
going to give you excitement for his
journey because he wants to learn. You
can tell. But I think that B, you know,
that buyin of continually improving, you
know, someone like he can rely on his
athleticism, but to take the next step,
you know, he's got to be a great
teammate. He's got to be coachable. He's
got to make his teammates believe he's
bought in. I think you could see that.
You know, there's always been a little
chatter around Rudy or around um
Randall. And I thought they both were
were were laser focused, simplified
their games, were were efficient. And
that's a lot of it comes from the head
of the snake. Is he willing to make the
simple play, pass, make his teammates
better? Cuz I mean, Rudy had a great
game and he he deserves, you know, all
the credit in the world, but that his
opportunities came from the pressure and
puts on the defense. Yeah, absolutely.
Abs everything everything that that that
Rudy did in that game five came because
Ant approached the game the way he did
those first four games. Now all the eyes
was on Ant, you know, and and everything
was was was game planned around Ant and
and Rudy was the the the beneficiary
area of of that moment and you know and
also like you know when you have a guy
like Ant who's who's growing and and
making that change and you can see him
developing more and more it makes guys
want to come there too like you know you
you have to think long term too when it
comes to like free agency and things of
that nature. How do how do you continue
to get better too as a team is being
able to get small pieces when you're a
good team that's trying to become a
great team? It's literally one or two
pieces like in offseason that if you
acquire that that makes the jump for you
and um you know Ant has that he has that
that bravvada and that that that that
flare and that it factor you know that
guys you know want to play alongside
that because it's energetic it's fun and
he competes. Yeah, for sure. And we got
to give some credit to their coaching
staff. You know, they've done a great
job. They they've developed those guys
and as well. Uh it's a it's a symbiotic
relationship, right? Like coaches
develop players got to buy in. And
they've both done that. And I could kind
of read between the lines, you know,
Rudy was asked, you know, Ant didn't
shoot the ball well, you know, and his
comment was he made the right plays. We
don't care if he makes or misses. You
know, to me, that's an organizational
language. That's the stuff they're
hearing in film sessions, in meetings,
like a make the right plays, make the
right decision, his growth from last
year to this year in that way. So, I I I
give credit to the whole organization,
especially that that coaching staff from
helping that team metriculate. Um, how
how far do you think they can go?
Wow. I I personally think I mean, I'm
looking at the competition and the rest
of the field, which is a lot of great
teams left, but um I I could see them,
you know, for sure getting into the
Western Conference Finals, if not the
finals. I think obviously health is
wealth. Sure. Health is wealth in the
postseason, you know, but I think if
they they they have all the makeups.
They have shooting, they have toughness,
they have size, they have foot speed,
they have
playmatility. They have defensive
versatility, which you need in the
postseason. Um, and those guy, they play
extremely hard, you know, and they have
a, like you said, you got to give credit
to the coaching staff, too. They they
they are putting those guys in the right
position to be successful. So, you know,
I think they have an opportunity if if
at least Western Conference Finals, if
not in the finals. I mean, yeah, they
they have they have the makeup for that,
I think. So, yeah, it's going to be some
exciting series. You know, I uh
obviously think OKC has been outstanding
this year. That's that's a great series.
Uh we got a game seven uh tape taping
today on a Sunday. Warriors Rockets,
which has been a fascinating series, you
know, and the next round's even going to
be, you know, more incredible.
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audible.com/thebigfix. I got to ask
this. 22nd season playing an entire half
in a playoff game. How'd it feel? I
mean, you've done that before. Yeah,
I've done it before. Before? Yeah. Yeah.
How'd you feel? I felt in the moment.
Yeah. You know, I I I wasn't I wasn't
tired. Um, you know, I wasn't looking
for a sub. I wasn't if it if it came,
cool. I would have accepted it. But I we
had an opportunity to to tie the series
at two to two, you know, on the road
versus a great team and and and the
coaches rolled the dice and we and we
roll with it, you know, and um we just
didn't we didn't make enough we didn't
make enough plays. But I I mean I I I
didn't I didn't leave I left that game
extremely tired and extremely like [\h__\h]
because it was a postseason game, right?
Not because I played the whole second
half, you know? I was tired as hell
because I gave my whole mind my my my
body, my mind, my soul to the game for
48 minutes. I was extremely tired. Um
but it wasn't because oh well I played,
you know, 24 straight minutes in the
second half. No. Um, you know, we had an
opportunity and we didn't we didn't we
didn't counter it. Yeah. You know, I
totally agree. I mean, I
think aside from like anyone's critique
of shorting the bench to to zero in the
second half, like you got to push
buttons, you got to try things, right?
Like you can lose or the coaches have a
feeling of what's going on, where the
team's at, where the desperation is. The
reality is they're a more complete
roster at this stage of of the of the
story. So, for you guys to win, you have
to play above your level always, right?
You have to make shots at a high clip.
You have to be taking care of the
basketball, not giving up on just didn't
happen. Just didn't happen. And that's
what we talked about. Like you're right,
Steve. We just tal we talked about that
like the possession game. We we we lost
the possession game in the series. And
the possession game come came down to
offensive rebounds, turnovers, you know,
loose balls. Like we they're a more
complete team than we were. You know, we
had our opportunities. And when you have
your opportunities, you can't you can't
have a a high turnover game and allowing
them to get fast break points. You can't
guard as hell as hard as we was guarding
and then give up two or three straight
offensive uh rebounds, you know. You
just can't you can't multiple times,
which happened multiple times, you know.
So, you have to be able to control the
controllables. And for the series, we
didn't do that, you know, and that
resulted even more of a reason why we
weren't able to extend the series. Yeah.
It's always funny, you know, the the
narratives and Yeah. I mean, would it
have made a big difference to put Gabe
in for a minute here or there or
whatever? Like, but the, you know, we
overreact. Yeah. We overact. Coaches,
they make it, they make an in the-
moment decision. Uh, and um, we always
like to say, well, punish people when it
didn't work. Uh, at the same time, what,
you know, you lose that game and and
there's another problem, right? So at
the same time, coach, that's part of
being a coach is you got to be brave.
You got to make decisions on the fly.
Sometimes the right Yeah. And none of us
and by the way, none of us question none
of us question JJ and the coaching staff
for what happened. Obviously, you know,
Gabe and and Vando guys that come, you
know, have given us so many great
minutes. You know, they definitely felt
the way and, you know, because they're
competitors, [\h__\h] we all feel like we
can get in and make a a moment happen.
Um, but it wasn't it wasn't a decision,
which JJ told us. It wasn't a decision
that was based on guys not being able to
do the job. It was his decision based on
the feeling of the game and the momentum
of the game. And none of us none of us
looked at him or the coaching staff
anyway for the decision that he made.
And [\h__\h] it was our fault that we
didn't we didn't come through. And
that's that's part of making that
decision is knowing that your guys have
the maturity and the team first attitude
to be upset because they're competitors,
but at the same time to be like, I'll be
ready for the next game. You know,
that's that's that's a part of a winning
mentality in a group. So, absolutely.
Absolutely. Yeah. So, what's what's uh
what what's how you going to fill this
gap of uh you know, taking care of this
knee. Uh you got you got a little space,
a little rest and recovery. I know I
know you I know you don't like to sit
still. No, no, I don't like how you
going to feel your time here. Well, um
obviously number one is to to get back
healthy. Um you know, I'll be able to do
some small stuff within the next week or
two just to kind of get the mobility
back into the knee and things of that
nature. Um, you know, my my youngest son
is is headed off to college um soon. So,
you know, that's another another bird
out the nest. A very um emotional uh
moment coming up for Bryce going off to
Tucson to be an Arizona Wildcat. But my
daughter is heavily in volleyball. So,
I'll be in a lot of gyms this summer as
she's with her travel league team out in
California. She, you know, they they go
all over. They've been to um they've
been to Reno, Nevada. They're going to
Las Vegas. Uh they play all over
California. So to spend a lot of time
with her and then uh you know take some
vacation times with the family, some of
them times that you lose, you know, um
you know, obviously when you're in the
eight, nine month season. Um and uh and
see what this next, you know, what the
next journey looks like. You know,
haven't had the conversation with the
with the family yet as far as me going
forward or whatever the case may be, but
um we we we'll see what happens. Yeah.
No, it's good for you to get some space.
I've done the volleyball thing, by the
way. My my wife played in college and my
I have a daughter daughter playing D3.
So, I've been in all those gyms, all
those tournaments in Vegas and all that
stuff. Those are fun times, man. So,
enjoy that. I'm looking forward to you.
Which I heard, Listen, I heard you got a
a new thing. Uh you want to speak about
that? Congratulations to you. Well, this
is uh you know, you got you got me
rolling here in this media space. So
going to going to be on Prime Video
doing NBA games next year and studio
work. Um thank you. Appreciate it.
Excited. Great great team over there. Uh
Taylor Rucks, Dirk, my buddy, uh BG, uh
UD, a few others. It's going to be an
exciting project, you know, to to create
a new a new show and a new way of
covering the game hopefully uh with new
voices. So definitely excited. Exactly.
So you're you're getting me the early
reps here. Listen, I got I got you, man.
I got you, man. Listen, I I cracked a
smile and laughed a little bit when uh
when the news broke and I seen Dirk
tweet out, "I got to carry this guy. Now
I got to carry this guy again like I did
all those years and died." Yeah. I I I
stayed quiet about that. I paid for
every breakfast, lunch, and dinner for
six years. But, uh, you know,
that's just a part of the gig. That's a
part of the gig, right? That's part of
the gig, man. You got to take the
youngster, you know, let him let him
become a man under your under your
toutelage. And then what does he do? He
shits on you. You know what I mean?
Oh man, that's funny.
Uh Jason, anything you want us to hit or
you uh go back over or do you want us to
close it out? No, I don't have anything.
Uh I guess the only question I have is
who decided to go with the boy band look
first? Was it you or was it a jerk?
the old the back the Backstreet Boys
look, the old incin look. My brother and
I right before I got traded to Dallas,
uh we we for whatever reason bleached
our whole head like blonde. So, of
course, when we went when I got traded,
it was like a month or two in or
whatever, 6 weeks later, so it had
almost grown out. So, I had like the the
frosted tiffs and you know, sometimes
you don't recognize how bad that's going
to look one day. You know what I mean?
You're just like, "What's the big deal?
I'll just rock up there like this." You
know? Then Durk had like the bull cut
with the with the Jordan one hoop
earring. I had the frosted tips. Man,
just history is a history always reminds
us.
Mine a game. Mine a game.
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[Music]