NBA Finals Game Five: Rinse And Repeat

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Speaker 1: Support him at SoundCloud.com slash May 1st Music. Speaker 1: A lifelong dream was realized by so many. Speaker 1: I saw so many grown men crying last night. Speaker 1: I was told grown men were crying last night. Speaker 1: My mentions or my texts was full of men telling me that they were crying. Speaker 1: Full of men telling me they never thought this day would come. Speaker 1: Grown men, men with families, men with children, some with grandchildren, telling me they never thought this day would come.

Speaker 1: And it led me to think, maybe the basketball gods did the right thing. Speaker 1: I questioned the basketball gods, and that's on me. Speaker 1: That is my mistake. Speaker 1: I should never question the Almighty. Speaker 1: The basketball gods did something last night that I didn't see the vision. Speaker 1: I didn't do the science. Speaker 1: I didn't see the math.

Speaker 1: The math was not matting until all those text messages came into my phone last night. Speaker 1: there is a war going on Speaker 1: no not that war Speaker 1: there's a war going on though Speaker 1: there's another war going on Speaker 1: some of you might not be aware of it Speaker 1: there are spaces where Speaker 1: men Speaker 1: men feel like they cannot be open Speaker 1: men feel like they cannot be Speaker 1: vulnerable Speaker 1: where men feel like they cannot be transparent Speaker 1: But leave it up to the almighty basketball gods to give them a space. Speaker 1: Leave it up to the almighty basketball gods to give New York men, New York basketball fans, New York Knicks fans a safe space. Speaker 1: There are a lot of troubling times out here. Speaker 1: There are a lot of problematic things going on that as a man and as a black man, you can feel you have no control. Speaker 1: But leave it to the almighty basketball gods to give New York men, New York basketball fans, New York Knick fans, a space to be jubilant. Speaker 1: A space to release and release happily.

Speaker 1: A place to be vulnerable. Speaker 1: And that's what the almighty basketball guys did last night as they finally struck down the 53-year black cloud that was the New York Knicks. Speaker 1: No longer can I say, yeah, but you never won a championship. Speaker 1: You don't know what that feels like. Speaker 1: I can't say the Ewing finger roll anymore. Speaker 1: I can't say Starks in game seven against Houston. Speaker 1: I can't say any of it.

Speaker 1: Because Knick fans get to say, yeah, but Jalen Brunson, though. Speaker 1: 2025, 2026, though. Speaker 1: Taking down Big Vic, Tall Vic, Little Vic, Victor Webbing Yama, though. Speaker 1: And all I have to do is sit back and smile. Speaker 1: And say, you know what, you're right. Speaker 1: And even though younger me might feel differently. Speaker 1: Mature me, grown me.

Speaker 1: seize division Speaker 1: because grown men were able to release 53 years Speaker 1: or just a lifetime of frustration, Speaker 1: a lifetime of turmoil, Speaker 1: a lifetime of animus. Speaker 1: They were able to release it. Speaker 1: And who am I to question the authority Speaker 1: of the basketball gods? Speaker 1: I am all grateful for the almighty basketball gods because they understood that these men, these New York Knicks fans, these black men, they needed to release. Speaker 1: With what has been happening with Carmelo Anthony, no, not that mellow, but the Carmelo Anthony with the K. Speaker 1: There's a lot of frustration pent up. Speaker 1: There's a lot of anger pent up.

Speaker 1: The basketball gods gave New York Knicks fans, black New York Knicks fans, black male New York Knicks fans, a reason to exalt. Speaker 1: And it came at the behest of a 7'5 Frenchman who was soft last night. Speaker 1: It came at the behest of a Sacramento King who, despite wearing a different uniform, was playing exactly like you would expect a Sacramento King to play in the NBA Finals. Speaker 1: it came at the behest of a coach who looked overmatched from day one against Mike Brown Speaker 1: it came at the behest of an organization that had all the luminaries in the building and yet still Speaker 1: couldn't figure out a way to withstand a double digit lead and hold on to a double digit lead Speaker 1: and capitalize and put away a team with a double digit lead Speaker 1: it was all happening last night for next tape and it was magical at the second quarter I knew it was Speaker 1: over when another double digit lead was built up in the first quarter only to see it get brought down Speaker 1: in the second quarter with the same blueprint when he goes out Luke Cornett comes in Speaker 1: the bench guys, the few remnants of starters have no idea how to play the game of basketball with a lead. Speaker 1: And slowly but surely, Nick's tape kept chipping away. Speaker 1: Slowly but surely, Brunson got going. Speaker 1: It was only a matter of time.

Speaker 1: No lead was big enough for the Spurs last night. Speaker 1: They were up 16. It didn't matter. Speaker 1: Because each time they got up double digits, they did something dumb. Speaker 1: They did something stupid. Speaker 1: but they did something that showed low basketball IQ that just lets you know, Speaker 1: yep, they're going to find a way to trick this off. Speaker 1: They are handing a Larry OB to the Knicks.

Speaker 1: Or maybe the almighty basketball gods were saying, Speaker 1: this is the team that needed to be in the Knicks way for them to be able to get a Larry OB. Speaker 1: This is the type of team that the Knicks needed to beat or could beat Speaker 1: to be able to break this 53-year, you want to call it a curse, whatever. Speaker 1: I don't think OKC does the same dumb things that the Spurs did over this series. Speaker 1: I don't think SGA would have allowed his team to kept tricking off double digit leads. Speaker 1: I think Jalen Williams would have been healthy enough to be able to be a solid number two option to allow Chet Holmgren to fall back to his natural number three position. Speaker 1: I think there would have been a lot of things that would have went differently, but the almighty basketball guys decided, nope, this 53 year shit needs to stop. Speaker 1: It needs to end.

New Yorkers, black New Yorkers, black male New Yorkers need a way to release and to vent. Speaker 1: So, so be it. I'm going to put the spurs in their way in the youth and inexperience and the mental lapses and the fact that their max player has all the remnants of being a Sacramento King. Speaker 1: We're going to give the Knicks the perfect scenario to go get a Larry OB. Speaker 1: And that's exactly what happened. Speaker 1: All praise be to the almighty basketball gods. Speaker 1: I am grateful.

Speaker 1: I have seen the light. Speaker 1: I no longer have to console Knicks fans. Speaker 1: I no longer have to try to make them feel better about themselves. Speaker 1: Well, you know, you guys were the two seed a couple of years ago. Speaker 1: Didn't you guys win like 60 games? Speaker 1: Not that long ago. Speaker 1: Don't worry.

Speaker 1: It'll turn around. Speaker 1: Don't worry about it. Speaker 1: there's a plan in place that there's a vision it'll happen eventually right I don't have to do that Speaker 1: spiel no more I am relieved today I no longer have to carry the juxtaposition of well I can't get at Speaker 1: the Knicks fans because you know growing up getting at the Knicks getting at the Knicks when I was a Speaker 1: Bulls fan it was fun it was a rivalry right there were some people who actually believed the Knicks Speaker 1: were better than the Jordan Bulls they were silly they're dumb but still it remained it was a fun Speaker 1: until you realize the Knicks were never going to beat the Bulls. Speaker 1: But still, that animus was there. Speaker 1: That energy was there. Speaker 1: But then after a while, it just became to be just sad. Speaker 1: I couldn't keep dissing my friends and family who were Knicks fans Speaker 1: because, I mean, after 30 years of just watching them Speaker 1: always find a way to trick it off or be inept or be losers Speaker 1: or be a poverty franchise, what more can I do?

Speaker 1: You just say, well, man, you're a Knicks fan. Speaker 1: And then that would just be the end of it. Speaker 1: That was the mic drop. Speaker 1: the ultimate mic drop to shutting up a Knicks fan Speaker 1: as someone that witnessed boo-koo chips growing up Speaker 1: was, yo, Dawgs, you're a Knicks fan. Speaker 1: Why are you talking to me about ball? Speaker 1: Why are you talking to me about what winning basketball looks like? Speaker 1: How do you know what that looks like?

Speaker 1: You know Charles Smith blowing layups. Speaker 1: You know Patrick Ewing missing a finger roll. Speaker 1: You know John Starks tricking off game seven. Speaker 1: That's what you know. Speaker 1: I know you got the four-point play and you can do all that stuff. Speaker 1: That's cool. Speaker 1: Allen Houston, this shot, bounced around 10 times.

Speaker 1: Yeah, that's cool. Speaker 1: But you don't know what a champion looks like. Speaker 1: So it got to be old. Speaker 1: It got tired. Speaker 1: It was hard being a Knick hater. Speaker 1: It really was. Speaker 1: Because it was laughable.

Speaker 1: The Knicks weren't even relevant. Speaker 1: the relevancy or the lack thereof Speaker 1: made it so that the jokes don't hit as hard Speaker 1: the hate doesn't hit as strong Speaker 1: I'm now relieved Speaker 1: I don't even have to pretend anymore Speaker 1: I don't have to fake it for Knicks fans anymore Speaker 1: do you know the relief that's been given to me Speaker 1: by the almighty basketball gods Speaker 1: I see the vision now, I thank them Speaker 1: I'll go quickly to the chat Speaker 1: Greg I was crying the happiest of tears and I believe him now there's gonna be a lot of hyperbole Speaker 1: of you know 20 years from now every Knick fan is gonna be telling you where they were what they Speaker 1: were doing and all of them were crying I don't think all of them were crying but I know Speaker 1: genuinely a good majority were crying last night I'm not surprised that Greg is one of them he's a Speaker 1: real Nick fan. He's been through the ups and downs. I had grown men telling me they were crying. Speaker 1: Grown men. And I'm happy for them because that is emotion. We normally cry in times of despair, Speaker 1: grief, loss.

The few times you get to cry when something happy, when something good happens, Speaker 1: is minimal, which is sad, which I think speaks to our society. Speaker 1: You know, the birth of a child, the birth of a relationship, a wedding. Speaker 1: Watching your child grow, watching a loved one prosper, things of that nature. Speaker 1: I've often said and I've coined the phrase fandom is a mental illness and I still stand by it. Speaker 1: Because fandom is a mental illness. Because can you imagine for 53, the Nick fan who is 53 years old. Speaker 1: Had to wait his entire his or her his his or her entire life.

Speaker 1: To feel euphoria. Speaker 1: Can you imagine the toll that takes on a psyche? Speaker 1: 53 years of losing. Speaker 1: 53 years of being a poverty franchise. Speaker 1: Can you imagine the toll that takes on someone and the relief you saw throughout your timeline, as I know I did mine, Speaker 1: was just that release, that pain being let go. Speaker 1: The world, and yes, I mean the world because I can tell you guys traveling, coming from the Caribbean over the last week, Speaker 1: there are Knick fans everywhere. Speaker 1: The world is a better place today because a lot of men, a lot of black men, were able to release, release emotions, release frustration and be happy and be jubilant.

Speaker 1: The world is in a better place. Speaker 1: And I didn't see the vision. Speaker 1: It was blurry like Wemby said after game two. Speaker 1: My vision was blurry, but I now can see. Speaker 1: Mavs in the house. Speaker 1: We should have traded Luka earlier and built around Brunson. Speaker 1: I mean, no, no, no.

Speaker 1: But Brunson, Brunson could only do this in New York. Speaker 1: Brunson would have not done this anywhere else, Speaker 1: and I genuinely believe that. Speaker 1: I don't think the situation would have, Speaker 1: there's no better scenario for this to happen with Brunson than New York. Speaker 1: I don't think you would have found any other franchise Speaker 1: that would have been willing to just hand over everything to Jalen Brunson. Speaker 1: But because of his father's ties and because of the, let's be real, Speaker 1: and I think even Greg can attest to this, Speaker 1: Because of the utter despair of where the Knicks were. Speaker 1: 53 years you've never seen a chip. Speaker 1: When Brunson got here, it was about 50 years you hadn't seen a chip.

Speaker 1: You definitely would have handed over the keys to even a Jalen Brunson if you hadn't even sniffed a championship in 50 years. Speaker 1: I don't think no other franchise would have been willing to do that. Speaker 1: I don't think no other franchise was in the position that the Knicks were in where they always get quasi close and always look like it's going to be a thing. Speaker 1: And then the hype train builds up, whether it's the Knicks fans, whether it's the Knicks media or whether it's the national media that knows when New York is engaged as good for the betterment of the league as a whole. Speaker 1: The hype train would always build, but then sputter, but then stall. Speaker 1: I don't think no other franchise would have been willing to hand over the keys to Jalen Brunson. Speaker 1: It could have only happened in New York because the Knicks were that desperate.

Speaker 1: They were that desperate. Speaker 1: They were willing to hand the keys over to an undersized guard who now everyone's going to tell you is a, you know, underdog story, even though he's a Nepo baby. Speaker 1: They did it with Wardell. Speaker 1: They're doing it with Jalen Brunson. Speaker 1: as long as you're under 6'4", Speaker 1: light-skinned, Speaker 1: and a Nepo baby, Speaker 1: all of a sudden you're an underdog. Speaker 1: It's automatic. Speaker 1: I think what we witnessed last night Speaker 1: is special for obviously a lot of reasons, right?

Speaker 1: What we saw last night Speaker 1: is special for a lot of reasons. Speaker 1: what the Knicks have vanquished Speaker 1: seeing Patrick Ewing Speaker 1: seeing Charles Oakley Speaker 1: can we give some respect Speaker 1: the fact that Charles Oakley Speaker 1: was able to be in the building Speaker 1: and James Dolan Speaker 1: who was so old and frail Speaker 1: and got the bad fake teeth Speaker 1: and he could barely hoist up Speaker 1: the Larry OB Speaker 1: and he apologized Speaker 1: to Nick's tape. He apologized to Nick fans for the last Speaker 1: 20 years of ineptitude. Speaker 1: But the fact that Oak is still Speaker 1: banned from the Garden. If ever there was Speaker 1: a scenario, not only should Dolan have apologized to Nick fans, and that was fine that he did, Speaker 1: he should have apologized to Oakley. That was the olive branch Speaker 1: moment where James Dolan could have been the bigger person Speaker 1: and said, you know what? Speaker 1: I did the wrong thing.

Speaker 1: Oak, you're not banned. Speaker 1: Come on up here Speaker 1: and help hoist up this Larry OB. Speaker 1: Because like I said in the last stream, Speaker 1: the last pod, Speaker 1: Oakley was the mascot for those 90 Knicks. Speaker 1: Greg is in this chat. Speaker 1: Greg was crying last night Speaker 1: because he watched Oakley Speaker 1: be the heart and soul of the Knicks growing up. Speaker 1: All my friends and family were telling me they were crying last night. Speaker 1: All the people that I know that I saw crying on social media last night.

Speaker 1: They all were in love with Charles Oakley. Speaker 1: And the fact that Oakley had to be a spectator in a visitor arena to see the team that he bled for. Speaker 1: To see them finally get over the hump and win a championship when he couldn't have done it if this went to game six. Speaker 1: When he wasn't there, when it was game four or three, Charles Oakley, all the signs were there. Speaker 1: All the signs were there. He looked good in the suit. Let me see.

I have it up here. Speaker 1: Oak was in the building. Oak was in the building. Speaker 1: That's major. Oakley was in the building. Speaker 1: Do you know how special that is? Speaker 1: You know how many men he pimp slapped?

Speaker 1: You know how many opponents he shook down for bread? Speaker 1: Do you know how many dudes he had to lay out for trying to go at Patrick Ewing? Speaker 1: Do you know what this man had to do as the Knick enforcer in the 90s? Speaker 1: Do you know the things he had to endure as the bully of the Knicks in the 90s? Speaker 1: Charles Oakley deserves a ring Speaker 1: Charles Oakley deserves a ring Speaker 1: Patrick Ewing deserves a ring Speaker 1: Now I had a Nick fan text me last night Speaker 1: It told me that Tom Thibodeau Speaker 1: The meniscus tearing taskmaster Speaker 1: Deserves a ring Speaker 1: And I'm telling you Speaker 1: As Chief Nick Hater number one Speaker 1: as someone that is Speaker 1: that is trying to turn over a new leaf Speaker 1: and trying to understand the vision Speaker 1: of the almighty basketball gods Speaker 1: I wanted to revert back to the old me Speaker 1: I wanted to revert back to the old me Speaker 1: when I had a Nick Van tell me last night Speaker 1: that the meniscus tearing taskmaster Speaker 1: Tom Thibodeau deserved a ring Speaker 1: I wanted to backslide Speaker 1: I wanted to, it was right there Speaker 1: I could have done it Speaker 1: but I was the bigger person. Speaker 1: And I said, Speaker 1: you know what? Speaker 1: He's caught up.

Speaker 1: He's drunk with euphoria. Speaker 1: I'm not even going to do it tonight. Speaker 1: I'm not going to do it. Speaker 1: I'm not going to rain on that man's parade, Speaker 1: but I will say this. Speaker 1: If anyone even tries to bring up the meniscus tear and taskmaster as a, Speaker 1: as a bridge to this championship, Speaker 1: I cannot promise. Speaker 1: I won't backslide. Speaker 1: I am telling all this right now.

Speaker 1: you don't get to the NBA finals Speaker 1: with the meniscus tearing taskmaster Tom Thibodeau as your coach Speaker 1: you don't get this far with him as your coach Speaker 1: one of your players whether it was Mikael Bridges Speaker 1: whether it was Josh Hart, whether it was OG Speaker 1: or maybe even Brunson or Cat Speaker 1: one of them would have been hobbled by this point Speaker 1: why do I know that? Speaker 1: because it has happened all the seasons prior Speaker 1: when the Knicks were in the playoffs with the meniscus tearing taskmaster Tom Thibodeau Speaker 1: so don't anyone Speaker 1: don't anyone bring up Tibbs Speaker 1: don't want to hear it Speaker 1: Leon Rose better not do it Speaker 1: the players might do it Speaker 1: because they might feel indebted Speaker 1: but it's nonsense Speaker 1: don't you believe it Speaker 1: those same players Speaker 1: went into that front office Speaker 1: and told Leon Rose Speaker 1: and told James Dolan Speaker 1: that they don't want Tibbs here anymore Speaker 1: now it's all you know Speaker 1: peaches and cream Speaker 1: they got Rose colored glasses Speaker 1: no Speaker 1: they didn't want that man there anymore Speaker 1: Greg. No, no, no, no. There's no pause. There's no pause. First is Pride Month. Speaker 1: Ain't no pause during Pride Month.

Second of all, no, this is real. You released last night. Speaker 1: Whether you want to admit it or not, you're released. Speaker 1: Now, it may not have been where you wanted it to, but you're released. Speaker 1: You should be happy about that. Speaker 1: A happy release is a good release in my book, regardless of how it happens. Speaker 1: Yeah, Oakley's a heart and soul, man.

Oakley's a heart and soul. I'm glad he was there. I'm glad Patrick was there. Speaker 1: You know, Alan Houston's, you know, he's kind of wormed his way into being a Nick Luminary. Speaker 1: All those other guys, you know, but the main ones I wanted to see was Oak, Ewing. Speaker 1: I didn't see Starks, but I'm sure he was there. Speaker 1: You know, poured out one time for the late, great Anthony Mason, Springfield Garden's own Anthony Mason.

Speaker 1: as Fat Joe tries to run around and Speaker 1: tries to bump Spike Lee as the next vocal Nick fan Speaker 1: super fan or whatever. Let's pour one out for Anthony Mason one time. Speaker 1: Anthony Mason Speaker 1: should have been in that building last night. Speaker 1: When you think of the Knicks Speaker 1: who poured their soul out. Speaker 1: Derek Harper should have been in the building last night. Speaker 1: As soon as the game was over, I saw Charlie Ward on CNN. Speaker 1: I don't know how that happened, but Charlie Ward's out doing the media runs.

Speaker 1: So many Knicks from that era, from that long-gone era, Speaker 1: deserve to be in the Mecca. Speaker 1: it's a great time for Knicks fans Speaker 1: and I can tell you this straight up Speaker 1: as much as there's going to be a lot of New York media Speaker 1: glazing the Knicks Speaker 1: there's going to be a lot of New York media Speaker 1: pretending to know basketball Speaker 1: there's going to be a lot of popular pundits Speaker 1: that are going to be pontificated from the sky Speaker 1: trying to show their basketball knowledge Speaker 1: don't fall for it Speaker 1: if they weren't here during the Larry Brown era Speaker 1: if they weren't getting good quality Speaker 1: Knicks takes off in the Larry Brown era, don't come now. Speaker 1: If you weren't getting it off during the Mike Woodson era, Speaker 1: I don't want to hear about it. I don't want to hear about your takes now. It's easy to talk about the Knicks winning on top. Speaker 1: It is easy to talk about the Knicks winning on top. Speaker 1: I don't want to hear from y'all now.

Y'all didn't care about basketball. I could tell y'all. Speaker 1: WFAN, the flagship Speaker 1: sports station, sports talk radio station, they don't care about basketball. Speaker 1: They never have cared about basketball. Speaker 1: They're going to fake it. Speaker 1: They don't care about basketball. Speaker 1: I have heard them literally say it off air.

Speaker 1: They don't care about basketball. Speaker 1: But yet fans are going to run to them to get their opinions, to get their takes. Speaker 1: When the whole station is filled with a bunch of football, baseball, and hockey fans. Speaker 1: Don't let these New York people try to pretend to you like they know ball. Speaker 1: They don't know ball. Speaker 1: Because they're going to tell you how, you know, it's already started. Speaker 1: You know, Kendrick Perkins, I mean, he's not WFAM, but Kendrick Perkins is always saying Jalen Brunson is the greatest Knick ever.

Speaker 1: I mean, this is the nonsense we have to endure now. Speaker 1: And this is why. Speaker 1: If Knick fans cling on to certain narratives. Speaker 1: I can't promise you I can't spin the block. Speaker 1: I can't do that U-turn and turn back into the chief Nick Hater number one. Speaker 1: Because if someone is telling you Jalen Brunson is the greatest Nick of all time, Speaker 1: when Walt Clyde Frazier is still breathing and walking. Speaker 1: I know we've lost a lot of Knicks from that 73 team.

Speaker 1: But Clyde Frazier is still walking amongst us and styling and profiling to this day. Speaker 1: Even though Patrick Ewing never won a championship, he is still a better Nick than Jalen Brunson. Speaker 1: taken as the number one overall pick Speaker 1: some would say hand-picked as the number one overall pick Speaker 1: to the Knicks and he lived up to the expectation. Speaker 1: He couldn't quite get over the hump because unlike Jalen Brunson Speaker 1: Patrick Ewing didn't have a whole bunch of lottery players running with him. Speaker 1: John Starks was bagging groceries Speaker 1: and all of a sudden Patrick Ewing was number two option. Speaker 1: Do you understand how crazy that is Speaker 1: that the Knicks were even able to get through the Eastern Conference Speaker 1: During his toughest time with John Starks, who was a who was a who was bagging groceries in Oklahoma. Speaker 1: That is who the Knicks decided to surround Patrick Ewing with.

Speaker 1: While Jalen Brunson's got all his lottery pick buddies from Villanova, OG and Anobi, Carl Anthony Towns. Speaker 1: Patrick Ewing was out here with a grocery bagger. Speaker 1: And he still pushed Hakeem Olajuwon to seven games in the NBA finals. Speaker 1: Greg Starks was there last night. OK, that makes sense. That makes sense. Speaker 1: Nick Luminary, the grocery bagger, John Starks was in the building.

Speaker 1: There's not much to talk about this game, right? Speaker 1: As much as we want to just dissect everything and overanalyze and do the analysis paralysis thing, we could certainly do that. Speaker 1: All the games follow the same blueprint. Speaker 1: I had the graphic up here. Speaker 1: I'll put it back up on the screen. Speaker 1: This was the MO for every single game. Speaker 1: Spurs collapsing.

Speaker 1: Led game one by 14 points. Speaker 1: Led game two by 12 points. Speaker 1: Led game three by 12 points. Speaker 1: Led game four by 29 points. Speaker 1: and last night led game five by 16 points. Speaker 1: Yet somehow, someway, the Spurs found a way Speaker 1: to lose four out of those five games. Speaker 1: That's the series right there.

Speaker 1: That's the blueprint. Speaker 1: The history will show Spurs, Speaker 1: will show Knicks four, Speaker 1: Knicks one in five games. Speaker 1: That's what the history, Speaker 1: 20 years from now, Speaker 1: just going to say, Speaker 1: yeah, the Knicks beat the Spurs in five games Speaker 1: and that's going to sound dominating. Speaker 1: Like, oh my God, Speaker 1: They just ran right through the Spurs. Speaker 1: And that's where the absence of context matters. Speaker 1: Because the context is, look at these leads. Speaker 1: If I'm at my point here, no, I'm pointing there.

Speaker 1: Look at these leads. Speaker 1: Double-digit leads in every single game and it didn't matter. Speaker 1: Double-digit leads in every single game and not at one point did any of us feel comfortable. Speaker 1: Even the 29-point game. Speaker 1: When they were up 30 on the road in a dead silent Mecca. Speaker 1: The first 7-0 run that the Knicks made was like, oh, it's a wrap. Speaker 1: Here they come.

Here they come. Speaker 1: They're going to find a way to trick this off. Speaker 1: And they damn sure kept finding ways from Wemby in game two, Speaker 1: having brain fart after brain fart after brain fart. Speaker 1: To Mitch Johnson leaving Dylan Harper on the bench. Speaker 1: To De'Aaron Fox and all the things he did in game four. Speaker 1: And to even last night, De'Aaron Fox just going iso ball. Speaker 1: I talked about it throughout this series.

Speaker 1: He thinks he can take OG and an OB one-on-one anytime he wants. Speaker 1: He thinks that's a good matchup. Speaker 1: And while it worked that one time in game three at the end, Speaker 1: he thought he could just do that at any point in time. Speaker 1: Too many times last night, De'Aaron Fox, when his team needed him, thought the best solution was, I'm going to go one-on-one against the Knicks' best defender and see what happens. Speaker 1: Whether it was 1-4 flat or whether it was just, I'm just going to come down and no flow to offense and I'm just going aimlessly chuck this three up. Speaker 1: I'm going to stop this Knick run by just chucking this three up. Speaker 1: It's horrible basketball IQ.

Speaker 1: you and we could talk about you know Mike Brown used to coach Sacramento so he knows De'Aaron Fox Speaker 1: very well so maybe Mike Brown was able to sprinkle some stuff into his players ears to give them tea Speaker 1: or intel I don't even think it's that it's that serious I don't need I don't even think it's that Speaker 1: deep I don't think Mike Brown did anything different in terms of putting his team on to how De'Aaron Speaker 1: Fox gets down if you watch De'Aaron Fox in Sacramento I know a lot of Knick fans don't Speaker 1: because all you do is watch Knicks games. Speaker 1: If you watch De'Aaron Fox in Sacramento, Speaker 1: this is who he was. Speaker 1: This is who he was. Speaker 1: Except for in Sacramento, Speaker 1: who else was going to get the ball? Speaker 1: So this is who De'Aaron Fox has always been. Speaker 1: This is who he is. Speaker 1: If you want to get into, Speaker 1: let's see, let's get into some of these stats.

Speaker 1: Let's get into some of these stats, right? Speaker 1: This is just off last night. Speaker 1: Just off last night. Speaker 1: Bridges didn't really give you much. Speaker 1: Like the guys, I don't know if Stephon's in here, Speaker 1: but I know he'll be listening to the pod if he's not in here. Speaker 1: We've been talking about what this vintage Jalen Brunson looked like. Speaker 1: Obviously, last night was not vintage Jalen Brunson.

Speaker 1: This was legendary Jalen Brunson last night. Speaker 1: 45 points is not vintage. Speaker 1: 14 of 27. Speaker 1: Again, efficient. Speaker 1: The last two games, maybe even sneak in the last three, but for sure the last two games, Jalen Brunson gave you all the things. Speaker 1: And my bad, I still got that collapse graphic up. Hang on.

Speaker 1: Jalen Brunson gave you all the things that you wanted to see from him. Speaker 1: There was a lot of clamor, myself included, in terms of, hey, man, maybe OG's the MVP if the Knicks pull this off. Speaker 1: While OG was still OG last night, had a good game, was not great shooting the ball at all. Speaker 1: So he didn't have the capper to put the bow on it to make it a competitive thing. Speaker 1: If Jalen Brunson goes crazy like this, putting up a 45-piece in the closeout game, Speaker 1: 4-7 from 3, 13-15 from the line, yeah, he's going to get that MVP. Speaker 1: Regardless of how inefficient he looked early in the series, Speaker 1: he did enough over the last two games to get that MVP trophy. Speaker 1: So if you go down to what the Spurs did or didn't do, Darren Fox, 3 of 15, 1 of 8 from 3, 5 assists, only one turnover.

Speaker 1: This man's going to get $60 million soon. Speaker 1: $60 million soon in a closeout game, in an elimination game. Speaker 1: Three of 15. Speaker 1: One of eight from three. Speaker 1: Not one rebound. Speaker 1: Do we even want to look at his shot chart? Speaker 1: I'm afraid to look at his shot chart.

Speaker 1: I am absolutely terrified to look at the De'Aaron Fox shot chart. Speaker 1: But let's do it. Speaker 1: De'Aaron Fox shot chart. Speaker 1: Look at all these threes, bro. Speaker 1: Y'all see these threes? Speaker 1: All these threes, bro. Speaker 1: Who told him?

Speaker 1: Who told him? Speaker 1: All these red X's you're seeing on your screen are misses. Speaker 1: Look at all these shots. Speaker 1: He tried to get into the elbow, left elbow. Speaker 1: He tried to beat a reverse Brunson, Brick City. Speaker 1: This is a pathetic shot chart in a closeout game. Speaker 1: Meanwhile, if I go to Jalen Brunson, Speaker 1: Look where these shots are.

Speaker 1: Yeah, he took some threes, but look where he's getting. Speaker 1: He's in the paint. Speaker 1: He's in the paint more than the bigs. Speaker 1: He was in the paint more than Wemby. Speaker 1: And that was a reoccurring thing over the entire series. Speaker 1: Now, earlier in the series, the shots just weren't falling. Speaker 1: He was still getting to these spots.

Speaker 1: It just wasn't falling. Speaker 1: But as the series went along, again, especially over the last two games, Speaker 1: these shots started to fall. Speaker 1: And for a guy like Brunson, he just needs to go in a couple times and then it's a wrap. Speaker 1: Piss poor managing of the clock for the San Antonio Spurs. Speaker 1: It was maddening. Speaker 1: I was texting with some friends during the game and I was like, Speaker 1: I have never seen a team play worse with the lead than the San Antonio Spurs. Speaker 1: I have never in my life, I've never in my life witnessed a team be so inept at playing with the lead than these Spurs.

Speaker 1: And I've watched a lot of basketball. Speaker 1: I'm not like these New York media people. Speaker 1: I've watched a lot of basketball. Speaker 1: I have never at this level, at the NBA level, I have never seen a team play this poorly with leads, Speaker 1: with double-digit leads especially than the San Antonio Spurs. Speaker 1: It was absolutely maddening watching them game after game go up big in the first quarter Speaker 1: only to just let it slip, slide away by the second quarter. Speaker 1: Like, how does this happen? Speaker 1: And the Spurs coach, who thinks he's on that Coach Pop shit, Speaker 1: he thinks he Coach Pop.

Speaker 1: Let me bring him up on the screen because I'm not trying to air dudes out like this, Speaker 1: but we need to call a spade a spade at this point. Speaker 1: Mitch Johnson on what he would have done differently Speaker 1: against Jalen Brunson, make him score less points. Speaker 1: You're not Coach Popovich. Speaker 1: You think you got that dry humor shit. Speaker 1: Coach Pop wasn't funny until the Spurs were a dynasty. Speaker 1: All that slick talk, that slick shit, Speaker 1: it wasn't popping until the Spurs and Duncan Speaker 1: got multiple Larry O.B.'s. Speaker 1: Then Coach Pop was able to get that shit off Speaker 1: people paid attention because he had built up the resume and the acumen that deserved it.

Speaker 1: Who the fuck is Mitch Johnson? Speaker 1: He has way too much dip on his chip. Speaker 1: He's really feeling himself. He thinks he's on that level. He thinks he has that pedigree. Speaker 1: Just because Coach Pop, for ailing health reasons, couldn't do the job. Speaker 1: And because for whatever reason, they didn't want to hand the keys to Becky Hammond like they were supposed to.

Speaker 1: He inherits the job and he does a solid job. Speaker 1: But then you were also gifted Wemby. Speaker 1: You were gifted the future face of the league. Speaker 1: Well, we think the future face of the league. Speaker 1: You were gifted a high enough prospect to where if you couldn't do it with Wemby, then you are inept at the job. Speaker 1: Mitch Johnson is not a good coach. Speaker 1: I saw nothing over this whole playoff run.

Speaker 1: not just the finals. Speaker 1: We can definitely hyper analyze the finals, Speaker 1: but nothing over this entire playoff run. Speaker 1: And some of his own players in the post game, Speaker 1: in the post mortem, Speaker 1: we're sneaking in shit, Speaker 1: saying that maybe some of the rotation shit was a little wacky. Speaker 1: It should be reexamined. Speaker 1: Like these are youngins, Speaker 1: youngins who don't know how to keep a lead. Speaker 1: Are, Speaker 1: are smart enough to know to question the leadership. Speaker 1: Make of that what you will.

Speaker 1: A bunch of 20-somethings, Speaker 1: fresh off the tricking off Speaker 1: double-digit leads Speaker 1: for the fifth straight game Speaker 1: and tricking off Speaker 1: the ability to steal Speaker 1: a Larry OB Speaker 1: before they're even ready Speaker 1: to win a Larry OB, Speaker 1: had the presence of mind Speaker 1: to admit in the post-mortem Speaker 1: that, yeah, Speaker 1: some of these rotation things Speaker 1: were a little wacky. Speaker 1: This dude, Speaker 1: this Miss Johnson cat, Speaker 1: he ain't it. Speaker 1: And I'm not Mr. Fire Speaker 1: everybody guy. Speaker 1: Y'all know me. That's not my steez. But the exposing that was done.

Speaker 1: Or the lack of adjustments that was done was very telling. Speaker 1: Extremely telling. Game after game, your team would come out hot. Speaker 1: And game after game, when that second quarter hit and you had to take some reserves and put them in. Speaker 1: You had no idea how to hold on to a lead. Speaker 1: Yes, the players didn't execute, but you are supposed to be the adult in the room. Speaker 1: You are the coach.

You are the post. You're supposed to be the voice of reason. Speaker 1: There's no point fraud on this roster who can be that de facto coach, that floor general, all that nonsense that they heaped upon the point fraud. Speaker 1: He's not there. You got rid of him and put in the Aaron Fox. Speaker 1: That's a you choice. And I'm not even mad at the choice because of how I feel about the point fraud.

Speaker 1: But if you're going to do that, then you need to man up as the coach and take more responsibility. Speaker 1: You can't rest on the laurels of what Coach Pop did. Coach Pop is in the luxury suite. Speaker 1: Just happy to be breathing. Speaker 1: You can't ride the coattails of what Coach Pop did. Speaker 1: You're trying to, but it ain't working. Speaker 1: You just got exposed by Mike Brown.

Speaker 1: Mike Brown outcoached you. Speaker 1: And I know Mike Brown's going to be put onto Speaker 1: epic Mount Rushmore in New York status, Speaker 1: but Mike Brown is not a good basketball coach. Speaker 1: And yet he outcoached you. Speaker 1: If I'm the Spurs, Speaker 1: yo, Becky, Speaker 1: and Becky had some energy for Jalen Brunson Speaker 1: and a lot of Knick fans are running with that, Speaker 1: but I'm asking Becky what's good. Speaker 1: I know the Aces are doing their thing Speaker 1: and you still got Asia and you want to ride that. Speaker 1: Pause. Speaker 1: Well, yeah, Pride Month.

Speaker 1: But you, Speaker 1: you have a gaping hole. Speaker 1: Not only do you have a gaping hole at point guard, Speaker 1: You have a gaping hole at a legitimate number two option to go with Wemby. Speaker 1: Or at least a closer to go along with Wemby. Speaker 1: But you have a huge coaching experience gap. Speaker 1: You have a huge coaching acumen gap. Speaker 1: You have a huge lack of coaching adjustments gap. Speaker 1: That's real.

Speaker 1: Hit the chat. Speaker 1: Greg Spurs left for 74% of the series insane. Speaker 1: They always crumbled in crunch time. Speaker 1: I mean, they crumbled in the second quarter. Speaker 1: They were crumbling throughout. Speaker 1: And we got some more stats here. Speaker 1: And let me see, where can I put myself to make sure y'all can see all of that?

Speaker 1: Let's go bottom right. Speaker 1: Yeah, let's go bottom right. Speaker 1: Okay. Speaker 1: So you see here, according to the four letter network analytics in the four games, Speaker 1: the Spurs lost in the NBA Finals, they had a 91.6 chance of winning game one Speaker 1: up 13 points midway through the third quarter. Speaker 1: They had a 72.8, we round up, so 92% in game one, 73% chance in game two Speaker 1: when they were up two points with one minute left in the fourth. Speaker 1: They had a 99.6. Speaker 1: They had a 100% chance of winning game four, up 20 points with nine and a half minutes left in the fourth.

Speaker 1: And then a 95% chance of winning game five, up 10 points with just under eight minutes left in the fourth last night. Speaker 1: I have never in my life witnessed such piss poor offensive execution. Speaker 1: Not only on this stage, but at this level of basketball, college basketball, you could just have some trash team that don't know what the hell they're doing. Speaker 1: And, you know, D1, D2 or whatever it is now, D1A, whatever it is now. Speaker 1: At this level, though, even the bad teams, even the teams that are tanking. Speaker 1: They don't do this. Teams that are tanking don't do this.

Speaker 1: every single time they got them double digits the Knicks will come right back and it's not even a Speaker 1: thing of well the Spurs should do a better job stopping the Knicks from coming right back Speaker 1: it's not that it's when the when the Spurs had the ball what did they do it was always quick Speaker 1: threes. It was always quick offense. There was no realization Speaker 1: that the clock is your friend. Speaker 1: I played point guard growing up. Speaker 1: And playing point guard, you have a lot of responsibilities. Speaker 1: You have to be cognizant of a lot of things. You have to be Speaker 1: cognizant of who needs the ball.

Who wants Speaker 1: the ball, but also who needs the ball. Speaker 1: You also have to be wary of your own self. Speaker 1: Do I need to take a shot to keep the defense honest? Speaker 1: If I'm just sitting here just looking to pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, I'm not a threat. Speaker 1: So you have to measure and read the times of when you need to go get yours. Speaker 1: And when you need to make sure, OK, my big needs a touch on my wing guys getting cold. Speaker 1: Let me get him back in rhythm.

Speaker 1: These are all things you have to worry about and be responsible for as a point guard. Speaker 1: So when you're up 20 with nine and a half left in the fourth quarter, Speaker 1: by no means are we shooting this rock with more than 15 seconds left on the shot clock. Speaker 1: We're not shooting this ball until at least 14 seconds on the shot clock. Speaker 1: We got to burn 10 seconds off. Speaker 1: You got eight seconds to get the ball over half court. Speaker 1: Why are you taking the first available shot? Speaker 1: It was absolutely insane watching them make the same mistake game after game after game.

Speaker 1: where they would go in there and be up double digits Speaker 1: and then not wait for the whole set to be run. Speaker 1: It was just, oh, I'm open, I'm shooting. Speaker 1: The Wardell effect. Speaker 1: The Splash Brother effect. Speaker 1: They ruined basketball. Speaker 1: They ruined basketball. Speaker 1: I'll go to my grave saying it.

Speaker 1: They ruined basketball. Speaker 1: The game that I love. Speaker 1: The game that I love to play. Speaker 1: the game that I love to watch, the game that I love to break down and analyze. Speaker 1: They ruined it. Speaker 1: Because by no means should you be up 20 with under 10 minutes to go Speaker 1: in a game where you need to get this win to even up a series at two Speaker 1: and you routinely come down and take the first open shot available. Speaker 1: This isn't an open run.

Speaker 1: This isn't AAU. Speaker 1: This isn't low-level college basketball. Speaker 1: this is the goddamn NBA Finals. Speaker 1: Greg in the chat, Speaker 1: like they just looked and played timid Speaker 1: down the stretch of every single game. Speaker 1: And yes, Speaker 1: but I think they did that Speaker 1: every time they had a lead Speaker 1: and that was the part to me Speaker 1: where I'm like Speaker 1: that's where coaching comes in Speaker 1: because yes this is the second Speaker 1: youngest team to make the finals Speaker 1: and all that type of stuff Speaker 1: and the fly shit of you know Speaker 1: bragging about that Speaker 1: and they'll be back Speaker 1: I don't know about that Speaker 1: again I said the last pod Speaker 1: last stream Speaker 1: I don't know if it's guaranteed Speaker 1: they're just going to come back Speaker 1: Patrick I see you in the chat Speaker 1: I don't know Speaker 1: I don't know if that's just automatic Speaker 1: it should be Speaker 1: but I don't know Speaker 1: if that's not automatic Speaker 1: it's not guaranteed Speaker 1: like I talked about Speaker 1: the Thunder had three Speaker 1: future Hall of Famers Speaker 1: and he only got to the finals once Speaker 1: whether it was De'Aaron Fox Speaker 1: going one for eight Speaker 1: and not knowing Speaker 1: how to be a point guard Speaker 1: whether it was Stefan Castle Speaker 1: who Speaker 1: I don't want to say Speaker 1: too much about his emotions Speaker 1: because then that Speaker 1: then that gets into a territory Speaker 1: that is dangerous Speaker 1: because I am not a Speaker 1: therapist. But he carries himself in a way that I like, but then he also does things. I'm just like, Speaker 1: what are you thinking?

What were you thinking there? Careless fouls on Jalen Brunson for no Speaker 1: reason. Just bumping them for no reason or going over the board of being physical. I don't mind Speaker 1: physical. The refs let both teams play. Right? Now, certainly were cases where you could say Speaker 1: some teams got a favorable whistle throughout these five games, but for the most part, Speaker 1: Both teams were allowed to be physical.

Speaker 1: But then a lot of them went over the line. Speaker 1: You know, so many, I don't think I've ever seen the NBA finals with this many flagrant fouls. Speaker 1: Real talk. Speaker 1: Like I'm sure someone with, you know, Elias Sports Bureau do the science. Speaker 1: But I don't think I've ever seen this many flagrant fouls in the NBA finals. Speaker 1: So both teams were allowed to be physical until the rest finally had to jump in and start giving out flagrant ones left and right. Speaker 1: But Stefan Castle at times did things.

Speaker 1: I was like, why did you do that? Speaker 1: Like, I don't. Speaker 1: And while we could blame it on youth, this man was a champion at UConn. Speaker 1: So he knows how to play well under pressure. Speaker 1: So he knows how to do it in UConn, but he gets to the NBA and loses all that ability. Speaker 1: He loses all that acumen. Speaker 1: He loses all that knowledge.

Speaker 1: That doesn't make sense to me. Speaker 1: That doesn't. Speaker 1: Does that make? Speaker 1: Is that logical to you? Speaker 1: Tiffon Castle knows how to play well and under pressure at UConn, Speaker 1: even going to the Final Four and get to the national championship game with UConn, Speaker 1: but somehow in the NBA Finals with the Spurs against the Knicks, Speaker 1: he doesn't know how to play under control? Speaker 1: How sway? Speaker 1: Greg in the chat.

Speaker 1: Every time Fox jacked up a shot, I said, I'll take that shot at repossession. Speaker 1: Thank you, De'Aaron. Speaker 1: No, that's real. Speaker 1: I mean, he. The only unfortunate thing is, and this gets into Wemby, is that I felt there were times where Darren Fox was the only one who was willing to take the shot. Speaker 1: And that's not supposed to be a thing. This was supposed to be the Victor Webbing Yama coronation.

Speaker 1: As Prince Harry was in the building sitting next to Adam Silver last night, this was supposed to be that type of coronation where, you know, the prince that was promised in Victor Webbing Yama. Speaker 1: was supposed to make the ascension. Speaker 1: And the prince that was promised was fatigued. Speaker 1: The prince that was promised was lethargic. Speaker 1: The prince that was promised didn't even revert back to tall Vic. Speaker 1: He reverted back to little Vic. Speaker 1: Patrick in the chat.

Speaker 1: Spurs offense was terrible. Speaker 1: I mean, that's, I mean, Ewan Barkley could set it best. Speaker 1: when Barkley said it best. Speaker 1: Like Barkley got a lot of heat for saying Speaker 1: that was some of the dumbest basketball Speaker 1: he's ever seen after game four. Speaker 1: And he had to, well, he didn't run it back, Speaker 1: but he had to clarify that he was just only talking Speaker 1: about Darren Fox, not Mitch Johnson. Speaker 1: I guess Mitch Johnson and the Spurs brain trust Speaker 1: were getting at Charles Barkley behind the scenes. Speaker 1: But no, I think he was absolutely correct.

Speaker 1: Game four was some of the dumbest basketball Speaker 1: I've ever seen in my life. Speaker 1: And that goes with this man right here, Mitch Johnson. Speaker 1: but Victor Webbing Alma Speaker 1: admitted a lot of things in French Speaker 1: in the post game Speaker 1: in his native tongue Speaker 1: he admitted a lot of things last night Speaker 1: and I'm not going to play it Speaker 1: because it's in French Speaker 1: but here's the transcript Speaker 1: basically Speaker 1: what are you going to improve on Speaker 1: in the off season Speaker 1: I'm going to work even harder Speaker 1: to be even more durable and above all keep a fresh mind and maintain control of the game at all times. Speaker 1: That's what really stands out about Jalen Brunson. Speaker 1: For example, there are too many moments and it doesn't come from bad intentions, Speaker 1: but there are too many moments where I'm passive, Speaker 1: where I don't have the control over the game that I'd like to have and it ends up costing us. Speaker 1: I think he's speaking to what happened last night with Darren Fox having to jack up all those shots because he didn't want it. Speaker 1: He didn't want the rock.

Speaker 1: He was not taking the shots. Speaker 1: He wasn't being big Vic. Speaker 1: He was big Vic for two of the five games and you cannot have that. Speaker 1: If you're supposed to be the prince that was promised. Speaker 1: You cannot be taken three out of the five games off. Speaker 1: You cannot be lethargic. Speaker 1: You cannot look.

Now, a lot has gone into when when when Vic was being drafted, when the whole thing, the whole thing of Victor Wembe-Yama's a can't miss prospect. Speaker 1: He does all these things well. One of the things that they talked about is his workout regimen, his stretching regimen, because guys his size, those seven three and up guys, Speaker 1: they tend to have their bodies fall apart and they're very fragile. So to Wembe and his team's credit, they try to get ahead of it. Speaker 1: We're going to put you on a great physical stretching regimen, yoga. Speaker 1: We're going to do all these things and make sure your body stays in the most pristine condition possible. Speaker 1: So your body doesn't break down like Yao Ming's.

Speaker 1: Because Yao Ming came over here and whether it was, you know, the NBA lifestyle or just maybe playing in Houston, he put on a lot of weight. Speaker 1: And I think that the thought process was to get muscle, but it didn't really end up being muscle. Speaker 1: It was just weight. Speaker 1: and I think they want to avoid that with Vic Speaker 1: because when Yao Ming put on that weight, Speaker 1: his foot went bad Speaker 1: and his body started to break down Speaker 1: as a domino effect after that. Speaker 1: So they want to avoid that with Wemby. Speaker 1: So Wemby's out here. Speaker 1: He doesn't stay out late.

Speaker 1: He's got the blue light on. Speaker 1: There's a lot of stuff about all the things Speaker 1: he tries to do to get ahead of Speaker 1: keeping his body in the best shape possible Speaker 1: so his body doesn't fall down and go boom. Speaker 1: so the fact that after all that yoga Speaker 1: after all that meditation Speaker 1: after hanging out with the Buddhist monks Speaker 1: and doing all the things Speaker 1: that he's sitting here and saying Speaker 1: I don't have control over the game Speaker 1: that I'd like to have Speaker 1: there are too many moments Speaker 1: where I'm passive Speaker 1: that's very transparent Speaker 1: for what he's 22 years old Speaker 1: that's extremely transparent Speaker 1: but it's also very troubling Speaker 1: it's extremely troubling if you have to admit amen I was passive I didn't want it when everything Speaker 1: that we've been told is that you have a different drive you have a different gear you're one of Speaker 1: those you have that I won't say the mamba mentality but you have that type of spirit Speaker 1: where you want it and he would say all the right things and that's why sometimes these quotes are Speaker 1: just quotes. He's very media trained. He would say all the right things. Speaker 1: He would give you the sound bite that he's confident that he believes in it. Speaker 1: But now you're seeing it in his own native tongue.

Speaker 1: He's telling you there were too many moments where I was passive. Speaker 1: So are we believing you? When you were telling Mitch Rob, Speaker 1: I'm in your head. That was performative. He's a podcaster. Speaker 1: Victor Webbing Yama was moving like a podcaster. It was all performative.

Speaker 1: none of it was real Speaker 1: none of it was genuine Speaker 1: because now all of a sudden Speaker 1: he's right back to saying Speaker 1: I was passive Speaker 1: I didn't have it Speaker 1: I wasn't ready Speaker 1: they literally said in the polls Speaker 1: we weren't ready Speaker 1: because his coach Speaker 1: the man who thinks he's already Speaker 1: on Coach Popovich's level Speaker 1: said that he felt Speaker 1: that you weren't ready Speaker 1: so his own coach Speaker 1: took to the podium and said his best player, his most important player, Speaker 1: the league's most important player, wasn't ready to win a championship. Speaker 1: And Wemby tried to clean it up. Speaker 1: We weren't ready. Speaker 1: But then he was transparent. Speaker 1: I wasn't ready to win a ring. Speaker 1: Again, a man who was bestowed upon him all the greatness. Speaker 1: the league was ready Speaker 1: the baton was ready to be passed Speaker 1: as LeBron is out here playing golf Speaker 1: like an old man that he is Speaker 1: the league Adam Silver Speaker 1: as much as he's great for the Speaker 1: for the ratings that will come with Speaker 1: New York winning a championship Speaker 1: and just the cachet Speaker 1: and the name brand recognition Speaker 1: of New York being up Speaker 1: there's no face of the league Speaker 1: on this New York Knick team Speaker 1: the face the league needs Speaker 1: a face and that face was supposed to be this seven foot four seven foot five on the good day Speaker 1: Frenchman and this Frenchman is telling you he wasn't ready to win a ring Speaker 1: I think in terms of desire to do well intensity and effort we were at a good level I was at a good Speaker 1: level but experience it's mistakes we don't lack talent we don't lack ability we just make too many Speaker 1: mistakes and I make too many mistakes and a lot of me believes that he thinks this is accurate Speaker 1: I also think he's covering for a lot of people because you do lack talent this Spurs roster does Speaker 1: lack talent if Jalen Williams was healthy OKC beats the Spurs the Spurs needed seven games to Speaker 1: beat OKC without a healthy Jalen Williams.

So you Speaker 1: do lack the talent. Speaker 1: Your team does lack the ability. Speaker 1: Because point guard play is an ability. Speaker 1: Managing the clock is an ability. Managing tempo and pace Speaker 1: is an ability. And your team from top to bottom, coaching Speaker 1: staff, brain trust included, lacked it. Speaker 1: you can't just chalk everything up to mistakes Speaker 1: when Wemby in one game Speaker 1: and Darren Fox in another game Speaker 1: both pass the ball to Stephon Castle Speaker 1: and Stephon Castle's not even looking at the ball Speaker 1: you can't just say that's just too many mistakes Speaker 1: that's just a mistake Speaker 1: when Darren Fox is trying to get an and one Speaker 1: against OG and Noby Speaker 1: when all he has to do is dribble out the damn clock Speaker 1: and get the two feed throws that he can to clinch the game Speaker 1: or to help make it harder for the Knicks.

Speaker 1: That's not just a mistake. Speaker 1: When Wemby throws that ball away to Stephon Castle Speaker 1: and then doubles down and compounds the issue Speaker 1: by fouling Jalen Brunson, the Knicks' best feed throw shooter, Speaker 1: or at least the Knicks' best player, most clutch player, Speaker 1: and then Brunson gifts you by splitting the feed throws. Speaker 1: and then after that the best you could do was two long jumpers to win a game Speaker 1: and you bricked both of them on MAGA Mitch Robb Speaker 1: and in a key moment last night when all you needed to do was box out one time Speaker 1: don't let Mitch Robb crash the offensive glass one time Speaker 1: you couldn't do it Speaker 1: is that another mistake? Speaker 1: is that just a mistake? Speaker 1: he need to get in that weight room Speaker 1: every time he looked frail Speaker 1: falling around in the paint Speaker 1: I was like weight room Speaker 1: weight room Speaker 1: whatever Giannis did Speaker 1: whatever Giannis did Speaker 1: the off season plan Speaker 1: for Victor Webbing Yama Speaker 1: forget the yoga Speaker 1: forget the meditation Speaker 1: forget the monks Speaker 1: and I'll come off the screen Speaker 1: hang on Speaker 1: the offseason plan for Victor Webbing Yama Speaker 1: should be extremely simple Speaker 1: forget the yoga Speaker 1: forget the monks Speaker 1: forget the meditation Speaker 1: go find out whatever the Nigerian freak Speaker 1: Giannis Antetokounmpo did Speaker 1: and triple that Speaker 1: whether it's these peptides Speaker 1: whether it was anabolic Speaker 1: I don't know what it was Speaker 1: HGH I don't know what it was Speaker 1: allegedly I don't know what it was with Giannis Speaker 1: but whatever made him go from the beanpole that he was when he was coming out Speaker 1: to what he looked like when he won MVP and then the finals Speaker 1: Victor Webbingama if he's going to be the prince that that was promised or that is promised if he's Speaker 1: going to be that he needs to get on that wave weight room Wemby weight room Speaker 1: you're in San Antonio Speaker 1: holla at them churros Speaker 1: holla at them churros Speaker 1: make it happen Speaker 1: weight room Speaker 1: now don't go crazy Speaker 1: like Yao Ming did in H-Town Speaker 1: don't go crazy Speaker 1: those Korean barbecue wings Speaker 1: don't go crazy Speaker 1: but maybe get some churros Speaker 1: maybe holla at them tacos Speaker 1: maybe go crazy Speaker 1: because something gotta give Speaker 1: because you ain't gonna be Speaker 1: the prince that was promised Speaker 1: looking how you look right now Speaker 1: Kevin Durant never filled out Speaker 1: Kevin Durant never got the muscle Speaker 1: and I know you want to be the 7'5 version Speaker 1: of the 7'1 version of Kevin Durant Speaker 1: but if you're going to be the face of the league Speaker 1: you cannot be that Speaker 1: you have to be Giannis with a 3 ball Speaker 1: Giannis with handles Speaker 1: that should be the archetype going forward Speaker 1: I'll hit the chat Speaker 1: Patrick Speaker 1: Dylan Harper is going to be great Speaker 1: but he shouldn't be your closer at this time Speaker 1: Spurs execution was trash Speaker 1: and that's the problem Speaker 1: everyone just thinks oh well just get rid of Darren Fox Speaker 1: and elevate Dylan Harper Speaker 1: slow down Speaker 1: slow down Speaker 1: like Dylan Harper is a good finisher at the rim Speaker 1: Dylan Harper is Speaker 1: I don't know if I can say I trust him Speaker 1: more than Darren Fox but Speaker 1: I think his teammates trust Dylan Harper more than De'Aaron Fox. Speaker 1: Like I said, man, I've been saying this. Speaker 1: Wemby's sidekick, his number two option that will eventually get him to be in the prince that was promised.

Speaker 1: He's not on this roster yet. He's not on this roster yet. Speaker 1: I firmly believe that. I don't see it in Dylan Harper. I don't see it in Stephon Castle. Speaker 1: Now they can wow me. They could go into offseason and get into the bags and go crazy and come back with a whole new skill set.

Speaker 1: maybe Stephon Castle comes back and he learns how to manage the physicality and knowing when to turn Speaker 1: it on when to turn it off maybe he comes back and he has pg skills maybe he goes and trains with Speaker 1: Rajon Rondo and figures that piece out maybe there's a lot of maybes though Dylan Harper maybe Speaker 1: his three ball develops to where he can get it off the bounce instead of needing to kind of get a set Speaker 1: shot a little bit if he gets it off the bounce if he can get it off the dribble word dope elevating Speaker 1: his game. I still don't think that's enough to be the sidekick to Wemby. Speaker 1: I don't think so. His number two option does not exist. Speaker 1: His number two option is not on this roster yet. Speaker 1: Greg, if I'm dispersed, I'll take Dylan Speaker 1: Harper taking the shots. Dues to future and the present.

Speaker 1: And if that's the case, that will never win a Larry O.B. Speaker 1: If that's the truth, they will not win a Larry O.B. that way. Speaker 1: And I think that is where things go left for the Spurs. Speaker 1: So when Bingham is admitting that the lights were too bright, he was on that Jared Allen wave. Speaker 1: He was too passive. Speaker 1: They made too many mistakes.

Speaker 1: And none of us will disagree. Speaker 1: None of us will disagree. Speaker 1: But if we're looking at where the NBA is at this moment, and this tweet made the rounds, it got a lot of views. Speaker 1: Let me see. Can we blow this up and it looks better? No, it looks better the other way. Speaker 1: OK.

So. Speaker 1: Actually, yeah, there we go. From 2019, there's been an NBA, eight different NBA champions. Speaker 1: There's only been one team that has been in multiple NBA finals during this span. Speaker 1: No, actually, no, it's the Celtics, too, because they lost to the Warriors. Speaker 1: So Celtics and the Miami Heat. Speaker 1: The Miami Heat are only a team to make multiple finals Speaker 1: during this eight-year span and not win.

Speaker 1: But look at the stars. Speaker 1: Look at the stars that it took to win a Larry OB. Speaker 1: Kawhi had to beat the Warriors, Speaker 1: but the Warriors were falling down and going boom. Speaker 1: Klay, what was it Achilles or the ACL, Speaker 1: and Kibbe Durant the same. Speaker 1: Then we get into the bubble, Speaker 1: and you had LeBron and AD at their peak Speaker 1: when they were together. Speaker 1: Then the next year, you had the point for all Speaker 1: tricking off a 2-0 lead and losing four straight Speaker 1: to Giannis, Drew Holiday, and Chris Middleton. Speaker 1: So again, we're going Kawhi, Speaker 1: the combination of LeBron and Anthony Davis, Speaker 1: Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Nigerian freak, Speaker 1: Wardell sneaks one off against the Celtics Speaker 1: when Tatum and Brown didn't seem to be Speaker 1: simpatico on the same page Speaker 1: and Wardell took advantage of it Speaker 1: even though I still think Andrew Wiggins Speaker 1: should have been finals MVP, but it's fine.

Speaker 1: They could go the next year. Speaker 1: The Heat get back to the finals Speaker 1: only to get ran through Speaker 1: by Jokic and Jamal Murray. Speaker 1: Then the Celtics finally get breakthrough Speaker 1: Brown and Tatum on the same page. Speaker 1: then you have last year with OKC breaking through so SGA Speaker 1: and now you have Knicks tape with Jalen Brunson so again you need a star Speaker 1: from board man Kawhi to LeBron and AD to Giannis to Wardell to Jokic to Tatum and Brown to SGA Speaker 1: to Jalen Brunson you need a guy do any of you think Victor Webin Yama or Dylan Harper Speaker 1: is at that level next year. Speaker 1: Because I do not. Speaker 1: Y'all let me know. Speaker 1: I don't see it.

Speaker 1: I don't see it whatsoever. Speaker 1: I don't see it at all. Speaker 1: See if we get some series stats. Speaker 1: Let's get some series stats Speaker 1: and series averages. Speaker 1: Jalen Brunson over these five games Speaker 1: Averaged 33 points Speaker 1: Four rebounds and five assists Speaker 1: He shot 39% from three-point land Speaker 1: 42% from the floor overall Speaker 1: O.J. Nanobi, if you wanted to kind of sneak him in there Speaker 1: For finals MVP Speaker 1: The numbers don't really help you out that much Speaker 1: 21 points, five boards Speaker 1: Only one dime, but he had a steal and a half Speaker 1: 53% from the floor, 50% from three. Speaker 1: But if we go into, let me see the offensive rating.

Speaker 1: What's the offensive rating for? Speaker 1: Offensive rating for, let me see if I can go on the screen. Speaker 1: Offensive rating for Jalen Brunson was 106, Speaker 1: but the offensive rating for OJNNLB was 141. Speaker 1: That is astronomical. Speaker 1: That is extremely high. Speaker 1: Defensive rating. Speaker 1: The best defensive rating for the Knicks was Carl Anthony Towns and Josh Hart.

Speaker 1: And both were marred by foul trouble throughout this series. Speaker 1: But let's get it. Speaker 1: This to me, as much as New York fans are going to have a slanted view because they're Knicks fans, Speaker 1: but this to me is more about the missed opportunity for the Spurs than the Knicks winning. Speaker 1: Victor Wemby Nyalma in his first NBA Finals, 26 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks. Speaker 1: Those numbers are going to look really good historically, but again, with the absence of context, Speaker 1: you can get away with saying Wemby had a bad NBA Finals. Speaker 1: He shot 27% from 3, and he took how many 3s? Speaker 1: 33 3s.

Speaker 1: 33, he took the second most 3s for this series. Speaker 1: So again, the prince that was promised took the second most threes of this five game series for his team. Speaker 1: Not Dylan Harper, not Stephon Castle, not even De'Aaron Fox, not even Vassell. Speaker 1: Victor Webinyama took the most threes, second most threes, and shot what it looks like to be the worst percentage. Speaker 1: only D. Aaron Fox shot worse from three Speaker 1: Stephon Castle who's not a shooter shot better Speaker 1: Dylan Harper who's not a shooter shot better Speaker 1: but yet Victor Webinyama who's supposed to be the prince that was promised Speaker 1: as Kevin Durant with four more inches Speaker 1: shot worse than Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle from three Speaker 1: if Victor Webinyama who is seven foot four seven foot five on a good day Speaker 1: shot 42% from the floor. Speaker 1: Victor Webinyama, who is supposed to be Speaker 1: the tallest man on the court, Speaker 1: the biggest man on the court, Speaker 1: his effective field goal percentage Speaker 1: was not even 50%.

Speaker 1: Victor Webinyama, depoy, Speaker 1: had a worse defensive rating than Carl Anthony Towns in this series. Speaker 1: There's a lot of reexamining that needs to happen. Speaker 1: The narratives will write themselves. Speaker 1: The history will write itself. Speaker 1: But if Victor Webbingama is supposed to be him, Speaker 1: if Victor Webbingama is supposed to be the one that Speaker 1: LeBron's supposed to hand off the baton to. Speaker 1: I think the league is in trouble. Speaker 1: The league is in trouble if that's the case.

Speaker 1: The league is going to have to reassess what's happening Speaker 1: if that's where we're at. Speaker 1: I was not impressed. Speaker 1: I was happy we got the return of Big Vic for at least two games, Speaker 1: but games one and two and last night, Speaker 1: that was Tall Vic slash Lil Vic. Speaker 1: But that's what it took Speaker 1: To get grown men to cry Speaker 1: That's what it took to get Speaker 1: Men to release Speaker 1: That's what it took to get Speaker 1: There's going to be babies Speaker 1: Dogs Speaker 1: Named OG Speaker 1: Named Mitchell Speaker 1: Named Landry Speaker 1: how many dogs Speaker 1: are going to be named Brunson Speaker 1: come here Brunson Speaker 1: come here Speaker 1: how many cats Speaker 1: are going to be called OG Speaker 1: a legendary Speaker 1: Nick team Speaker 1: a Nick team for all ages Speaker 1: but a Spurs team Speaker 1: for all ages Speaker 1: for all the wrong reasons Speaker 1: Game after game they tricked it off Speaker 1: I wish we could get a shot chart Speaker 1: For the entire series Speaker 1: Let's see, is there a series shot chart? Speaker 1: That would be epic Speaker 1: Because I would love to just see all the shots Speaker 1: For the entirety of the series Speaker 1: From Victor Webbing-Yama Speaker 1: Because he had the first game over 6 for 21 Speaker 1: And a lot of that was threes. Speaker 1: And then we have last night where he goes. Speaker 1: Let me see.

Pull up last night. Speaker 1: One of six from three. So between him and De'Aaron Fox. Speaker 1: Oh, yeah. And I have that graphic. Let me go find that graphic. Speaker 1: Hang on.

We're going to do this. Speaker 1: And we're going to do this. Speaker 1: So I'll take myself off so you can see Speaker 1: between De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, they had 13 points and they shot Speaker 1: 4 of 25 from the floor. 4 of Speaker 1: 25 between Fox and Castle. Speaker 1: Absolutely maddening. Speaker 1: Absolutely maddening. Speaker 1: But if you have not hit the like button, go ahead.

Speaker 1: And I would appreciate it if you would do so. Speaker 1: If you have not subscribed already, go ahead and do so. Speaker 1: We're growing the channel here. Speaker 1: We're over 780 subscribers. Speaker 1: The goal is 1,000. Speaker 1: Then we'll worry about other milestones after that. Speaker 1: But if you haven't already, go ahead and subscribe to the channel.

Speaker 1: This is the type of content we do here where we take basketball, we break it down. Speaker 1: We take all sports and try to break it down. Speaker 1: So, you know, if you like this type of content and you haven't tapped in already in terms of subscribing or liking the stream, I would appreciate if you would do so. Speaker 1: All right. So big, big picture. Speaker 1: Knicks tape has won a championship. Speaker 1: Knicks tape has done a lot of things to exercise a lot of demons.

Speaker 1: Gone are the demons of the Ewing finger roll. Speaker 1: Gone are the demons of Starks in game seven. Speaker 1: Gone are the demons of Charles Smith against the Bulls. Speaker 1: Gone are those demons. Speaker 1: All those frowns are turned upside down as tears are streaming down numerous Knicks fans face last night around midnight. Speaker 1: Now what? Speaker 1: Is this a team that can repeat?

Speaker 1: What type of 180 would it be to go from the Knicks not winning a championship for 53 years to now potentially running off a couple? Speaker 1: Is that possible? Is that legitimate? Speaker 1: and I know it's way too early. Speaker 1: I know we ain't even get to parade yet. Speaker 1: Parades on Thursday, King of Heroes, the whole deal. Speaker 1: But y'all know how we do here.

Speaker 1: To go from not winning a chip for 53 years Speaker 1: to potentially being in position. Speaker 1: The roster's coming back. Speaker 1: I mean, you got to figure out what happens with Mitch Robb Speaker 1: and after you saw what, you know, with Cat Fallon out Speaker 1: and not really being a factor, Speaker 1: having Mitch Robb was important. Speaker 1: You needed Mitch Robb last night. Speaker 1: Does that change what the bread looks like for Mitch Robb? Speaker 1: There's a lot of teams already circling. Speaker 1: Lakers among them.

Speaker 1: Did Mitch Robb's performance ink a bag? Speaker 1: Are you going to overpay to keep Mitch Robb? Speaker 1: This is where Leon Rose is getting a lot of props for changing this roster Speaker 1: and putting a lot more talent on this roster. Speaker 1: And I think that was the most important thing. Speaker 1: The next rosters over my lifetime. Speaker 1: From Patrick Ewing to Marbury to Melo, it was always talent bereft. Speaker 1: Well, we have our guy.

Our one guy should be enough. Speaker 1: That was the Knicks credo for my entire lifetime, from Bernard King even, from before Patrick Ewing, from Bernard King. Speaker 1: Well, we got Bernard. That should be enough. Well, yeah, that's enough to get to the playoffs. Speaker 1: That's enough to maybe get to the second round, but that's not enough to win a championship. Speaker 1: Then the league gift wraps, gift wraps Patrick Ewing.

Speaker 1: All right, well, we got him now. Speaker 1: We good. Speaker 1: Well, all right. Speaker 1: Then they go out and they draft Mark Jackson and Rod Strickland back to back. Speaker 1: Like, oh, OK. Speaker 1: All right. Speaker 1: You're going to do this dual point guard thing.

Speaker 1: No, no, no. Speaker 1: We're going to get rid of one of them. Speaker 1: Wait, what? Speaker 1: Hold up. Speaker 1: Then the best you could do to surround Patrick Ewing with help is a dude that was Speaker 1: groceries in Oklahoma. Speaker 1: Then at the tail end of his career, Speaker 1: you go get a shooting guard from Detroit and it wasn't even the best shooting Speaker 1: guard in Detroit and Grant Hill. It was Allen Houston.

Speaker 1: They could go get LJ with a bad back. Speaker 1: You go get a reclamation project and Marcus can be, Speaker 1: but yet somehow that makes it as an AFC to the May finals. Speaker 1: They could go back to the doldrums. You had Stephon Murray. Speaker 1: well that should be enough Speaker 1: Dengue Brian D'Antoni Speaker 1: which compounded that Speaker 1: that exposed that Speaker 1: and Larry Brown as well Speaker 1: let's not forget Speaker 1: Dengue got Mello Speaker 1: and we gave up all this Speaker 1: to go get Mello Speaker 1: yes you gave up a Mozgov Speaker 1: to go get Mello Speaker 1: oh well we got Stoudemire Speaker 1: yeah that's cool Speaker 1: but who's giving the ball Speaker 1: Raymond Felton Speaker 1: but even with that you got to the two seed Speaker 1: but then you got exposed by a team you got exposed by the Speaker 1: heatles Speaker 1: so with all that set up then Leon Rose Speaker 1: gets the credit just putting talent among talent amongst talent Speaker 1: is this enough to run it back Speaker 1: do you overpay to keep Mitch Robb to keep the gang back together Speaker 1: now you'll lose some pieces some of the ancillary bench guys some of those guys won't be back Speaker 1: but in terms of the core group the Nova guys OG Speaker 1: Cat Mitch Robb Speaker 1: where's the tweaking going to happen Speaker 1: do you think you could just run this back next year with a healthier Tatum Speaker 1: and who knows with what the Celtics do, Speaker 1: allegedly flirting with Giannis. Speaker 1: If the Celtics could somehow roll out next year Speaker 1: with Tatum and Giannis Speaker 1: and the Knicks are just running it back, Speaker 1: is that enough? Speaker 1: These are the discussions the Knicks fans Speaker 1: are glad to have today.

Speaker 1: But this is where we're at. Speaker 1: They wore him out honestly Speaker 1: I'm assuming you mean Wemby Speaker 1: The post-asperse field goal percentage Speaker 1: For the series last night Speaker 1: And their second half was Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, look Speaker 1: All the Spurs stats are bad Speaker 1: All the Spurs stats are really bad Speaker 1: they really put themselves in a real bad position. Speaker 1: And let me come off the screen there. Speaker 1: Boom. Take that, take that. Speaker 1: They put themselves in a real bad position. Speaker 1: Real bad, real bad position.

Speaker 1: All right. Speaker 1: I want to thank those Speaker 1: who were able to pull up, you know, five games, five streams, five podcast episodes, all that Speaker 1: stuff. We do this. This is now, I think, the 10th one. I think I said, yeah, the 10th year in a row Speaker 1: we've done it. I'm looking forward to continuing, looking forward to being able to pop in and just Speaker 1: do live streams. I think I'm going to be live streaming the podcast, period, hard stop.

Speaker 1: Live streaming allows me to talk with you guys, react. You guys sometimes bring up topics that I'm Speaker 1: not even thinking about or bring up points that I'm not even thinking about, and we could riff and go Speaker 1: back and forth and I enjoy that that piece of it instead of just me recording and just doing my Speaker 1: thing and only hearing my POV I love hearing all POV in the chat so I think this is a shift in terms Speaker 1: of how I do the podcast and you know try to give you a little graphics and a little visual Speaker 1: presentation to make the YouTube experience worth it but certainly don't try to cheap out on the Speaker 1: audio side as well make sure that side is pristine but I enjoy doing these streams if you got any Speaker 1: feedback in terms of what more we could do here it'll be good to have guests on like I know me Speaker 1: and Greg talked briefly about maybe trying to get him on, but with me out the country, he was also Speaker 1: traveling around a little bit difficult, but I would love to be able to be in a spot where, Speaker 1: you know, we can do this on a regular basis to be able to have this pull up and talk shit and talk Speaker 1: ball and talk whatever's going on. I would love this type of opportunity, so I appreciate those Speaker 1: that have been able to pull up over these games and be active in the chat, be active in the stream, Speaker 1: hitting the like button, subscribing and all that stuff. I always appreciate that. I do this content Speaker 1: for the love. I do this content as a passion project. This is not something where, you know, Speaker 1: my livelihood is built off of it.

I do this for the lowest of lows. You know what I'm saying? I've Speaker 1: been doing this for the lowest of lows for a very long time. And because I just always have been Speaker 1: wanting to have that lane to be able to get my shit off. And this platform allows me to do so. Speaker 1: So always appreciative of the support, always appreciative of the commentary, Speaker 1: all that type of stuff. Speaker 1: So just wanted to get that off Speaker 1: because I think a lot of times, Speaker 1: I know for me, Speaker 1: I get caught up in just thinking of doing content, Speaker 1: doing content, doing content, Speaker 1: but it's also knowing that there's people out there Speaker 1: who enjoy the content, Speaker 1: look forward to the content, Speaker 1: interact with the content, Speaker 1: share the content.

Speaker 1: That makes it next level for me Speaker 1: because I could just be talking to myself Speaker 1: and I would still be doing it, right? Speaker 1: But to know that there's people actually out there Speaker 1: consuming the content, Speaker 1: tapping in, engaging, whatever, Speaker 1: that just makes it really, really Speaker 1: an enjoyable and beneficial experience. Speaker 1: Just always want to tap in with that. Speaker 1: I always thank y'all for tapping in. Speaker 1: The Knicks have done the unthinkable. Speaker 1: The basketball gods, Speaker 1: I didn't see the vision, Speaker 1: but I see it now. Speaker 1: I no longer have to console Knicks fans.

Speaker 1: I no longer have to Speaker 1: give Knicks fans the benefit of the doubt. Speaker 1: I no longer have to pump up Knicks fans. Speaker 1: I can just say, man, Speaker 1: You guys are champs. You know that feeling? Speaker 1: 53 years, you finally felt that feeling? Speaker 1: I knew that feeling six times before I was 17 years old. Speaker 1: I knew that feeling six times Speaker 1: before I turned 17.

And some of you are grown Speaker 1: with white hairs, gray hairs, grown with children, Speaker 1: grown with grandchildren, Speaker 1: And you're finally getting a chance to taste what I tasted when I was a teenager. Speaker 1: Now, granted, six more times, well, five more times than y'all, but still, you know, soak it in, bask it in. Speaker 1: Bask it in, it's great. I'm happy for y'all. If you like it, I love it. Speaker 1: You see, I'm wearing orange. This orange is for y'all.

This orange is for New York. Speaker 1: I can't deny who I am. I can't deny where I'm from. I can't deny where I was born and raised and where, you know, the core of myself is entrenched in. Speaker 1: I can't deny that. Speaker 1: You know, this stuff you see on the wall, Speaker 1: this is New York. Speaker 1: My paintings are New York.

Speaker 1: If you can figure out what that is Speaker 1: and put it together, Speaker 1: that is a bar from the late, great, notorious B.I.G. Speaker 1: If I go to this camera angle, Speaker 1: this is New York. Speaker 1: This is Larry Johnson. Speaker 1: You know, L.J., all of that. Speaker 1: Now, he's wearing a Charlotte Hornet uniform Speaker 1: because that was the good L.J. Speaker 1: but that's Larry Johnson Speaker 1: that's New York Speaker 1: Nick Luminary Speaker 1: somehow not a Charlotte Hornet Speaker 1: Luminary Speaker 1: Nick Luminary Speaker 1: but New York Speaker 1: this is why we're here Speaker 1: orange and blue skies Speaker 1: what a wonderful time Speaker 1: do you understand how great it is today Speaker 1: to wake up to know that I don't have to Speaker 1: I don't have to Speaker 1: bask in the glory of being Chief Nick Hater number one. Speaker 1: I don't have to bask in the glory of any of that stuff.

Speaker 1: I can just live my life. Speaker 1: I've been relieved of a serious burden Speaker 1: to where I always have to feel like I have to put Nick fans back in their place. Speaker 1: I don't have to do that no more. Speaker 1: Now the rivalry is not back yet. Speaker 1: But I'm just happy Nick fans have a chance. Speaker 1: The Nick fans are actually engaged. Speaker 1: They're watching basketball.

Speaker 1: they're trying to learn basketball they've been handed a reputation of smartest nick fans nick Speaker 1: fans no ball and we've seen that too many times over the years that is far from the truth but now Speaker 1: they can actually learn basketball they can watch and consume basketball with winning basketball Speaker 1: understand what winning basketball looks like now it's a rudimentary level of winning basketball of Speaker 1: just iso ball but still winning basketball nonetheless larry ob nonetheless i'm happy for Speaker 1: you, Knick Fan. I'm happy for you. I'm happy for Speaker 1: the family. Speaker 1: The family that's in my life. I'm happy for Speaker 1: the friends that are in my life. I'm happy for the colleagues. Speaker 1: The coworkers that are in my life that are Speaker 1: Knicks fans that are happy today.

Speaker 1: Because now a burden has been taken off my shoulders. Speaker 1: I'm not saying Chief Knick hater number one is dead, but I'm saying Speaker 1: I can now focus on other things. Speaker 1: Because it wasn't fun anymore. I have to be honest with you. I'm going to be as transparent Speaker 1: as Wemby was in the post game last night. It wasn't as fun anymore. It was hard to be Speaker 1: passionate hating on the Knicks.

Now Speaker 1: I might be able to get that hate back. Now that the Knicks are good Speaker 1: championship level good. Speaker 1: Maybe now I can get that old thing back, Speaker 1: that passion. Speaker 1: You could revitalize that relationship. Speaker 1: Get that old spark back. Speaker 1: Reignite the flame. Speaker 1: Maybe.

Speaker 1: We'll see. Speaker 1: But the Knicks have to be good for a while Speaker 1: for that to happen, though. Speaker 1: They have to be this level of good for a while Speaker 1: for that flame to get reignited. Speaker 1: We'll see. Speaker 1: Hit the chat. Speaker 1: The Spurs threw tons of physicality at New York. Jalen Brunson, he endured, survived it.

Speaker 1: San Antonio had very little offense left at the end of the games, but New York sure did. Speaker 1: We all knew this was coming. This is who this team is. Speaker 1: I mean, that's certainly very, very rose-colored glasses. Speaker 1: I don't think we all knew this. Speaker 1: Hell, even Brunson and his daddy admitted in the postgame that they didn't know this was coming. Speaker 1: A lot of things had to break right for this Knicks team to win.

Speaker 1: And this is no shade of them. Speaker 1: They won it. Speaker 1: They did it. Speaker 1: They took, they seized the moment. Speaker 1: Much like I think Adam Silver, if you give him true sermon, he wanted Victor Webbingama to seize the moment and snatch a Larry O'B to get a free one in the tuck. Speaker 1: The Knicks seized the moment. Speaker 1: They took advantage of all the frailties of the San Antonio Spurs.

Speaker 1: They took advantage of all of them. Speaker 1: Wemby's fragile. Speaker 1: Keep putting big bodies on them. Speaker 1: De'Aaron Fox is a Sacramento King Speaker 1: to his heart Speaker 1: let him do his thing Speaker 1: Stephon Castle likes to be the most physical person Speaker 1: let's make sure Jalen Brunson is in front of him Speaker 1: to goad him into doing stupid fouls Speaker 1: at the worst times Speaker 1: Mike Brown saw that his guys weren't getting foul calls Speaker 1: he made sure to go into his Pat Riley Phil Jackson bag Speaker 1: and criticize the refs Speaker 1: and Mitch Johnson who is no Greg Popovich Speaker 1: but somehow thinks he is Speaker 1: had nothing to combat that Speaker 1: so they took advantage of that Speaker 1: they seized the moment Speaker 1: they took advantage of everything Speaker 1: all the frailties Speaker 1: that the Spurs showed Speaker 1: the Knicks took advantage of every single one of them Speaker 1: and that's why they're the champs today Speaker 1: I've not been a fan for all the years Speaker 1: But yeah, no doubt Speaker 1: Look, Nick fans should be basking in the glow Speaker 1: I am doing it as a supporter of New York Speaker 1: As someone from Southside Jamaica, Queens Speaker 1: I cannot sit here and watch a New York championship happen Speaker 1: and act like that's not important. It is important. Speaker 1: There are people from my old neighborhood in Southside Jamaica. Speaker 1: There are people from my old neighborhood in Springfield Gardens, my old neighborhood in South Ozone.

Speaker 1: All throughout Queens, all the places I've lived in throughout Queens, Speaker 1: there are people that I know that are sky high Speaker 1: last night into today and will be at the Canyon of Heroes Thursday. Speaker 1: So I'm happy for them. Speaker 1: Happy for them. And I'm happy that I Speaker 1: no longer have to hold back my thoughts on what I really think about the Knicks. Speaker 1: Because now you're champs. Speaker 1: Now I can throw shade. Speaker 1: It was hard to throw shade when the Knicks were always down.

Speaker 1: It was hard to throw hate when the Knicks were always down. Speaker 1: Now I can get back to my normal energy, my normal credo, my normal tempo, Speaker 1: unlike the Spurs. Speaker 1: I know how to control the tempo and go at it and mix in some Knick hate Speaker 1: and it's legitimate Knick hate. Speaker 1: Not just, ah, he's just kicking a dog when he's down, Speaker 1: kicking a man when he's down, kicking a fan base when they're down, Speaker 1: kicking a poverty franchise when they're down. Speaker 1: Now, none of this changes James Dolan. Speaker 1: He's still racist. He's still a bigot.

Speaker 1: He is still a sexist. He is still problematic as hell. Speaker 1: None of this changes, but the Knicks win a Larry OB. Speaker 1: And the merch is going to go through the roof, Speaker 1: and that's going to go right into James Dolan's pocket. Speaker 1: Make of that what you will. Speaker 1: Maga Mitch Robb is going to be able to cash out. Speaker 1: Isn't it fitting that the only game the Knicks lost was when MAGA Mitch Robb's man pulled up and fell asleep in the suite?

Speaker 1: Isn't that apropos that the only game the Knicks lost was when Dolan's favorite and MAGA Mitch Robb's favorite pulled up to the Mecca and fell asleep in the suite? Speaker 1: It's the only time that the Knicks lost. Speaker 1: Make of that what you want. Speaker 1: You know what it is. Speaker 1: This has been the The Sam D Podcast, a podcast that is talking about sports and sports media in addition to other things. Speaker 1: Soon we will be talking those other things. Speaker 1: The brand is growing.

Speaker 1: The brand is evolving. Speaker 1: Walk with me. Speaker 1: Stay with me. Speaker 1: This podcast is available on all major podcasts and platforms. Speaker 1: Don't forget to subscribe and rate. Speaker 1: Five stars with a less. Speaker 1: Tell a friend.

Speaker 1: If you're into the visual component, holla at the The Sam D YouTube channel at The Sam D. Speaker 1: That's T-H-E-E-S-A-M-D. Speaker 1: for all my thoughts on tech. Speaker 1: That channel is now up and running Speaker 1: and is strong. Speaker 1: At shill free tech on YouTube. Speaker 1: Thank you again for listening to this episode. Speaker 1: I will catch you again on the next one.

Speaker 2: I go by the name of the Sam D. Speaker 2: This has been the The Sam D Podcast. Speaker 2: I'm out.