On the latest Big 3 NBA Podcast, A. Sherrod Blakely, Gary Washburn, and Kwani A. Lunis engage in a lively discussion on the current happenings with the Boston Celtics. They start by exploring the defensive prowess of Tatum and Brown and their case for All-Defensive honors. The conversation then turns to the Celtics' nail-biting win over the Pacers, highlighted by a strong performance in the game's final moments. Gary shares his intriguing encounter with Joe, discussing Buddy Hield's trash talk. The trio also debates the potential number of All-Stars from Boston this season. The episode wraps up with a look ahead to the classic rivalry game on Thursday, where the Celtics will clash with LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers.
0:00 TATUM AND BROWN'S ALL DEFENSIVE CASE
7:05 CELTICS ESCAPE WITH WIN OVER PACERS, FUELED BY LATE-GAME
13:47 GARY ON ASKING JOE ABOUT BUDDY HIELD TRASH TALK
25:51 HOW MANY ALL-STARS WILL BOSTON GET?
32:25 LEBRON AND THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS IN TOWN
The Big 3 NBA Podcast with Gary, Sherrod & Kwani is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube as well as all of your go to podcasting apps. Subscribe, and give us the gift that never gets old or moldy- a 5-Star review - before you leave!
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0:00 TATUM AND BROWN'S ALL DEFENSIVE CASE
7:05 CELTICS ESCAPE WITH WIN OVER PACERS, FUELED BY LATE-GAME
13:47 GARY ON ASKING JOE ABOUT BUDDY HIELD TRASH TALK
25:51 HOW MANY ALL-STARS WILL BOSTON GET?
32:25 LEBRON AND THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS IN TOWN
The Big 3 NBA Podcast with Gary, Sherrod & Kwani is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube as well as all of your go to podcasting apps. Subscribe, and give us the gift that never gets old or moldy- a 5-Star review - before you leave!
This episode of the Big 3 NBA Podcast is brought to you by:
Fanduel Sportsbook, the exclusive wagering parter of the CLNS Media NetworkRight now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! So, visit https://FanDuel.com/BOSTON and kick off the NFL season. FanDuel, Official Partner of the NFL. 21+ and present in MA. Hope is here. First online real money wager only. $5 pregame moneyline wager required. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. GamblingHelpLineMa.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support. Play it smart from the start! GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234.
HelloFresh, America's #1 Meal Kit! Go to https://HelloFresh.com/BIG3FREE and use CODE BIG3FREE for FREE breakfast for life! One breakfast item per box while subscription is active. That’s free breakfast for life!
Indeed! Visit https://Indeed.com/ALIST to start hiring now! Indeed understands the importance of making every dollar count when growing your business. That's why you only pay for quality applications that match your must-have job requirements with Indeed. If you need to hire, you need Indeed.
#celtics #NBA #BostonCeltics
The CLNS Media Network is the leading provider for video/audio content. CLNS is a fully credentialed member of the media with access to all NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB teams & venues.
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CLNS' rebuilt their YouTube community in less than 12 months, during a pandemic that attacked sports. Wondering how? Find out here (and support our channel) - https://www.tubebuddy.com/clnsmedia
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SportsTranscript
00:00 (announcer speaking)
00:03 - Larry Bird scored 60 points.
00:05 Look at the Boston players smiling.
00:07 - Michael Jordan is not only the best basketball player,
00:09 but he's the most exciting basketball player to ever play.
00:12 - Retayda fires away, pumps it in!
00:15 51 for Jason Tatum.
00:17 - The Big Three NBA podcast is powered
00:19 by FanDuel Sportsbook, the official wagering partner
00:22 of the CLNS Media Network.
00:24 - Hello everyone, welcome to the Big Three NBA podcast.
00:28 Right before we started recording,
00:29 A-Sharod decided to start singing the Kool-Aid jam song.
00:33 - Kool-Aid anthem, it's the Kool-Aid anthem.
00:35 Let's get it right.
00:36 - The Kool-Aid anthem, if that's what we're gonna call it.
00:38 I'm Quanie Lunas, A-Sharod Blakely, Gary Washburn.
00:41 - Gary's already tired of us, Quanie.
00:42 You see that?
00:43 - Every single time we start this episode,
00:46 he's like, "Why did I come back this week?"
00:48 But before we continue--
00:50 - This is my fault, it's me.
00:52 - No, no, no, it's not you.
00:53 - It's Quanie.
00:53 - He's here just not to get fined.
00:57 That's right, he's here not to get fined.
00:58 - And to get better.
01:00 But before we start--
01:01 - I'm trying to get better in 2024.
01:03 (laughing)
01:04 - I hate both of y'all.
01:05 - I knew this was coming.
01:07 I wanna give a shout out to the location
01:08 that I am in right now.
01:10 Obviously, this is not where you guys are used to being.
01:12 - We give location shout outs now?
01:13 Okay.
01:14 - Yes, because I will explain.
01:16 One, I'm at the Dorchester YMCA.
01:18 If you live in Boston,
01:20 make sure you're supporting the local Ys.
01:22 Obviously, this is a resource
01:24 for all the kids in the community.
01:25 But the reason why I'm here is the Celtics every year,
01:28 I think it's probably the second annual one at this point,
01:31 but they do a fit to win event.
01:33 And this one was basically a smoothie and salad competition.
01:37 They get a--
01:38 - Oh, so it was food for you, Quanie.
01:39 In other words, it's food for you.
01:40 - No, but let me explain it.
01:42 Goodness, it's always about food.
01:44 So basically, they're teaching the kids
01:48 that live in this area how to make their own smoothies,
01:51 how to make their own salad so that they can,
01:53 when they're going to a grocery store, for example,
01:55 they know like, all right,
01:56 maybe leave the bag of chips on the shelf,
01:58 pick up some cucumbers, pick up some lettuce,
02:00 and here's how you can put it together.
02:02 So they had four teams.
02:04 They had Spie and Derek White here
02:06 as consultants for two of the teams.
02:09 Derek White's team did win the first round,
02:11 which was a salad round.
02:12 And then he was mad that we didn't give him all fives
02:16 across the board.
02:17 Round two, his team didn't win at all,
02:18 so he wore his sunglasses and was very upset with me
02:21 and my fellow judges for the rest of the evening,
02:24 which included the silent treatment.
02:25 So that's just a recap of what went down.
02:27 But of course, Celtics-centric,
02:29 so I figured our viewers would actually think
02:31 it's a little relevant.
02:33 - So in other words, when Derek White goes off
02:34 in the next game, he's going to be,
02:36 get his anger out, his anger towards you.
02:39 He's going to put that on the Lakers.
02:40 - He's very upset with us right now.
02:42 - He's going to put it on the Lakers, Gary.
02:44 He's going to put it on your Lakers.
02:46 - Hey, whatever keeps them motivated, right?
02:49 But let's just get into the Celtics right now.
02:54 They just barely escaped with a win over the Pacers,
02:57 fueled by a very good late game defense.
03:00 Tatum had 30, our guy Derek White, 24 points.
03:03 Celtics now with back-to-back wins,
03:05 and of course have won eight of the last 10 games so far.
03:09 Tatum, Brown, they've had their moments defensively
03:13 over the last few games as well.
03:15 But we'll quickly play some pick and roll
03:18 between Tatum and Brown,
03:19 and then we can get back into that game if you guys want.
03:22 Who has had the better shot at an all NBA defensive spot
03:26 at this point in the season?
03:28 - Jalen.
03:29 And mainly because Jalen has talked about it more.
03:33 I think Tatum's body of work defensively,
03:35 I think he's been a little bit more consistent,
03:36 but Jalen has stepped his defensive game up a bit.
03:39 He really seems to be not just buying into it,
03:42 but just embracing the fact that
03:44 he needs to be that guy defensively.
03:46 Drew Holiday is going to do what Drew Holiday does,
03:49 and Derek White, those are two all NBA defenders,
03:51 but if you, Jalen Brown, he's shown the ability
03:55 to step his game up from one year to the next.
03:58 And this year, it's like, what are you going to do now?
04:01 Where can you frankly be better
04:03 than you've been in the past?
04:04 And I think he's made a very conscious effort
04:06 to be a better defender.
04:08 And that's something that if you're the boss in Celtics,
04:11 that's great to hear,
04:12 because he's going to have games in the playoffs
04:13 where he goes six for 19, that's that, it is what it is.
04:16 But can you have those games
04:18 and still be impactful in other ways?
04:21 And I think that's part of his growing process,
04:23 part of his elevation as an elite player in this game,
04:27 to find ways to impact winning
04:29 and not necessarily do it the same way
04:30 in terms of scoring a ball.
04:32 - Whoa, I think this is--
04:36 - Whoa, woo, had to take a deep breath for that one, G.
04:38 - Yeah, that's a close one.
04:40 (laughing)
04:41 'Cause I think Jason's been very good defensively,
04:43 he's been very engaged,
04:45 had that big block shot on Tuesday night
04:48 to force a 24 second clock violation on Miles Turner,
04:51 late in the Indiana game.
04:54 So I'm gonna, I don't want to waffle,
04:56 but I'm gonna say it's about even.
04:58 I mean, I think both have been--
04:59 - What you going waffle?
05:00 I'm gonna start calling you Belgian.
05:03 - That's hilarious, oh my.
05:06 - Bro.
05:07 - Sorry, sorry viewers, sorry listeners.
05:11 That was awful.
05:12 Anyway, I think that it's even,
05:16 I'll give the nod, the edge to Jason
05:19 just for his activity.
05:21 But Jaylen's played great defense this year.
05:24 Jason, I think, has gotten more involved
05:28 reading passing lanes.
05:30 He had a couple of big steals
05:31 a couple of nights, last night I think
05:35 in the New Orleans game.
05:37 He's being more, he's smarter defensively.
05:40 He understands that it's not just stopping your man,
05:43 it's feeling that passing lane,
05:45 maybe helping out on defense,
05:49 running the floor,
05:50 just things that, contesting,
05:54 things that win ball games.
05:58 And it's not always just scoring the ball.
06:00 And I think both him and Jaylen are exceptional at that.
06:04 But I think both have learned that,
06:05 hey, they have to become plus defenders too
06:08 in order for this team to have a chance at the championship.
06:11 So I'm gonna give the edge to Jason
06:13 just because it's the opposite of what Shirai said,
06:18 so I'm always gonna give the edge to him.
06:19 - Main reason.
06:20 - That's the main reason.
06:21 But I think both have played all defensive team,
06:25 maybe not first team,
06:26 'cause we leave that to Derek White,
06:28 I think Derek White's been exceptional,
06:30 and the guys like Drew Holiday.
06:33 But to be named, or I don't know,
06:35 mentioned to be considered, I think both.
06:37 - That's fair.
06:39 - He still was.
06:41 - Reluctantly and reasonably.
06:41 - I said Tatum, fool!
06:43 - After I had to put a little slug in that direction.
06:49 - I had to call you a builder.
06:51 That really is cruelty.
06:53 - Exactly, and now you wanna get off the fence, good.
06:55 Eat that waffle later, man, eat the waffle later.
06:58 - Oh my gosh, it's always food.
07:00 No, but quickly, if you two would so indulge,
07:04 let's talk about the Pacers game.
07:06 Obviously, Willie, I've mentioned two back-to-back wins
07:10 at the TD Garden.
07:11 That one, way closer than most people probably expected.
07:15 So let's just talk about that defensive run
07:18 towards the end.
07:18 Did you guys see that potentially coming?
07:21 'Cause I'm not gonna lie, by the half,
07:22 I was like, all right, what's going on?
07:25 Third quarter, wasn't sure if they were gonna really
07:27 be able to pull this one out,
07:28 but what did you two see from their late run
07:31 to win this game?
07:33 - You got it, Gary.
07:34 - I saw that they finally, they played,
07:40 they made the intangible plays.
07:41 Like, you know, Indiana was killing them on offensive,
07:45 17 offensive rebounds in the first three quarters.
07:48 That's heinous, unacceptable, embarrassing,
07:52 whatever words you wanna use.
07:54 One team basically gets six offensive rebounds
07:56 in every quarter.
07:58 That's one every damn near two minutes.
08:00 Like, what are you doing?
08:03 Rebound the damn ball.
08:05 Indiana got two in the fourth quarter.
08:07 They emphasized screening.
08:10 They were watching how active Indiana was.
08:14 Instead of ball watching, the Pacers were going
08:16 after the damn ball, trying to figure out where it's going.
08:19 The Celtics up there looking at the ball,
08:20 ooh, that was a real nice spin.
08:23 Like, get the damn ball.
08:24 They got the ball, they defended,
08:28 they slowed down Indiana's offense,
08:30 and it didn't hurt that Tyrese Halliburton
08:33 was on a minutes restriction
08:34 and didn't play the fourth quarter.
08:36 - That's right, that's right.
08:38 When you're missing an all-star player, that helped,
08:40 but Nembhard was good.
08:42 Nembhard got buckets.
08:44 He's a guy I kinda compare to Peyton Pritchard.
08:49 And he's a guy, I think, you hope Peyton Pritchard
08:53 can turn not into a three-point shooter,
08:56 but like a bucket getter, crafty bucket getter
08:59 like Nembhard does, where he fakes
09:02 and he shoots over bigger guys.
09:04 Like, that's what, to me,
09:06 and I know Nembhard's probably a little younger,
09:08 but that guy, like, he is just, he's a bucket getter.
09:12 And that's what you want, besides a three-pointer.
09:14 Peyton's good at the shoot a three-pointer,
09:15 and he's good at getting the layup,
09:17 but India has two guys, McConnell and Nembhard,
09:21 that I think Peyton could take some notes from
09:24 in terms of how to get buckets against bigger guys.
09:27 And I'm not saying he doesn't, but Nembhard ran the show,
09:29 but I thought, defensively, they stepped up.
09:32 They allowed India to 21 points in the fourth quarter.
09:35 They didn't let Nesmith get off,
09:37 and Nesmith was very good last, in that game.
09:41 They rebounded the ball, they got stops,
09:43 and they just, they want it ugly, they want it dirty.
09:48 And sometimes that's the way it's gotta be.
09:50 You're up 106-103, you blow the 20-point lead,
09:53 you know what, win it anyway, so what,
09:56 you blow a 20-point lead.
09:57 That happens in NBA basketball.
10:00 Nobody cares about the 20-point lead,
10:02 especially even at halftime.
10:04 We saw, at the end of the first half, it was 79-59,
10:08 it was like, oh, so this is about the cruise.
10:10 Indiana scored seven points in the last 43 seconds
10:13 of the first half, and you were like,
10:15 yeah, they don't have these guys put away yet,
10:19 'cause the lead was down to 15.
10:20 And then, Indiana came out, I think, with a 16-4 run,
10:24 and then, you know, and then all of a sudden,
10:26 it was a ball game.
10:28 So, you know what, it doesn't matter.
10:31 You didn't cover the sprints.
10:32 I know the fans of FanDuel may be a little bit upset,
10:35 but you won the game, you keep it moving,
10:37 you got three wins over a tough Indiana team,
10:40 and let's be honest, you could've won a fourth game
10:42 if they called a foul on Buddy Heald
10:44 and didn't call a foul on Porzingis,
10:46 so you could've won easily.
10:48 You should have, probably four or five from these guys.
10:52 And he is a tough team.
10:53 Indiana plays hard, they got a deep bench,
10:57 and we didn't see Matherin, you know, in that game,
11:01 so give props to Indiana, and this could be a,
11:05 you know, I don't know, maybe a first-round matchup.
11:07 I don't think Indiana's gonna fall to eight.
11:10 They could, but this could be a first-round matchup
11:13 or even a second-round matchup.
11:15 - Yeah, I mean, Indiana's just, they're just tough.
11:18 I mean, they're tough, they're grimy,
11:20 they don't have all the bells and whistles
11:23 that a lot of the top-tier teams have,
11:25 and that's okay, because that's not who they are.
11:27 That's not their identity.
11:28 And the Celtics, I give them credit.
11:30 These are the kind of teams
11:32 that you don't wanna play, really,
11:34 because they're gonna make you work harder
11:35 than you normally would work.
11:38 They're gonna force you to find ways to win
11:41 that might be unconventional
11:42 and, frankly, uncomfortable for you.
11:44 And I give the Celtics credit.
11:45 This was not a game that the Celtics
11:48 kinda had their way from the beginning to the very end.
11:51 They had some serious turbulence
11:54 on the road to winning this game,
11:56 and they were able to find a way
11:58 to do the only thing that matters this time of year,
12:00 which is keep those wins stacking up.
12:02 And Gary, I think this is more,
12:05 I think this will be more
12:06 of a potential second-round matchup
12:08 with Indiana pulling off an upset in the first round,
12:11 'cause I don't think Indiana's gonna fall so far enough
12:14 to where they are going to be a seven-for-eighth seed
12:18 or playing in that position.
12:20 I look at them as a team
12:21 that's gonna be in that four-five game,
12:23 which, to me, that's just,
12:25 you know, typically, teams that are in the four-five game
12:28 are teams that could easily,
12:30 they're two or three wins away
12:31 from being a number two or a number three.
12:33 Indiana, I think, is gonna be that kind of team.
12:36 But the point that you've made, Earl,
12:38 that you kinda touched on with Halliburton not being there,
12:41 that was obviously a factor in this particular game,
12:46 but the Celtics have shown the ability to win
12:47 with or without that dude on the floor.
12:49 So I don't really think much about him in that regard,
12:52 but I do think that this is a team
12:54 that if you're the Celtics,
12:56 it's good to beat them like this now
12:58 in the regular season,
12:59 because it's a reminder
13:01 that you're gonna have to grind to beat these guys.
13:04 You're not just gonna punch them in the mouth
13:05 and they're just gonna stand there
13:07 and drop to their knees and drop to the floor
13:08 and call it a day.
13:09 They're gonna get off the mat
13:11 and they're gonna keep scrapping.
13:12 You are going to have to keep hitting them,
13:14 keep putting them down,
13:16 keep them on their heels,
13:18 because that's just how they're built.
13:20 They're built, this is such a Rick Carlisle coach team,
13:23 just scrappy, trying to find a way
13:26 to just hang in there long enough
13:28 so that they can steal a win or two
13:31 and make it a series and plant some seeds of doubt.
13:33 That's what he does.
13:35 And this team is perfectly built
13:37 to be that kind of team,
13:37 which is why I don't want to see them
13:39 in the first or second round of the playoffs.
13:41 If I'm a Celtics, I don't want to be part of this smoke.
13:43 - No smoke at all.
13:45 Gary and Sherrod, before we move on from this game,
13:48 we do need to address another thing that happened.
13:52 Gary, I'm sorry that it's funny
13:53 'cause as a journalist,
13:54 we never are part of the story,
13:56 but it's funny because you always end up
13:57 being part of the story.
13:59 - Oh gosh.
14:00 - Recently at least.
14:00 So the Buddy Hills incident,
14:02 can you actually just explain
14:04 what exactly was happening for the-
14:06 - Talk to the people, Gary.
14:07 Talk to the people and set the record straight.
14:09 - That's honestly what confused me the most
14:11 after I had listened to the press conference
14:13 before seeing what happened.
14:15 - Okay.
14:17 - See, this is what happened.
14:18 What happened was-
14:18 - What happened was.
14:21 So the Celtics were,
14:25 Celtics had the basket in front of their bench
14:28 in the first half.
14:29 Indiana calls a timeout.
14:33 Buddy Hill takes the ball
14:35 and starts shooting after the timeout
14:37 when people are walking back to the bench
14:39 at the Celtics' basket.
14:41 - Just like during a commercial break?
14:44 - Yeah, like, yes.
14:45 - Okay.
14:46 - So people didn't really see it.
14:47 So he takes one shot,
14:50 then decides to take another shot.
14:53 Sam Cassell walks out there
14:55 and is like, "Man, don't be taking shots at our basket.
14:59 It's not, that's not what we do."
15:03 And him and Cassell started going at each other.
15:06 - I'm taking Sam every day.
15:08 - They said it was lighthearted
15:10 and it was a part of the game.
15:12 And then Zach Zarba comes out the official
15:17 and Cassell's like, "Yeah, he's shooting at our basket."
15:19 And Zarba's like, "Come on, Sam,
15:20 just go back to the bench."
15:21 - It's not that deep though, right?
15:22 Am I tripping right now?
15:25 - Well, I guess, I mean, that's why I tried to ask Joe.
15:29 - Yes.
15:30 - What happened and how, what kind of rules is this?
15:35 Because there's just little things like,
15:37 you know, as we learn with the in-season tournament,
15:40 running up to score,
15:42 there's just little things in basketball that,
15:46 you know, you try not to do.
15:48 Or now, remember for you Celtic fans from a decade ago,
15:54 when a player used to play against the Celtics
15:59 and threw a shot up after the, you know,
16:03 a whistle was called, it wasn't gonna count.
16:05 He would just throw it up.
16:06 Kevin Garnett would go out there and block it.
16:09 And people was like, "Oh, Kevin, you so petty.
16:12 That's so petty.
16:13 That's so petty."
16:14 - It is, and I love it.
16:15 And I love it.
16:16 - But it got popular.
16:18 So now everybody does it.
16:20 Everybody blocks the shot.
16:23 Everybody, you know,
16:24 no, you're not shooting our basket.
16:27 No, you're not getting a free make in our, in this game.
16:32 I don't care if it's a timeout.
16:34 So there is, so obviously the bench had a problem
16:39 with Buddy Hill shooting at the Celtics' basket.
16:43 And so Missoula said,
16:44 "It's our job to go out there
16:45 and just send somebody out there,
16:47 or somebody to go out there and just block them."
16:49 - Block the shot.
16:50 - And that was what our exchange was about.
16:52 I wasn't trying to start nothing,
16:56 but it continued because Hill kept talking
16:59 to the Celtics, and even Tony Dobbins got involved.
17:03 - Oh, Tony is the quiet one.
17:05 - That's the mellow one.
17:06 - Quiet, the quiet one.
17:07 - Tony don't say nothing to nobody.
17:08 Tony be keeping it moving.
17:10 Tony started talking to Hill.
17:13 So when I saw Tony start talking to Hill,
17:15 I knew something was going down.
17:18 I talked to Hill after the game.
17:20 He was like, "Oh, nah, nah.
17:21 I'm good.
17:22 It's just all fun."
17:23 - They brushed it off.
17:24 - He brushed it off.
17:25 He was fun.
17:26 Buddy Hill's a fun guy to talk to.
17:28 I mean, he was open, honest.
17:31 Like, he's not a bad guy.
17:34 He's keeping it real.
17:36 And so I just asked Joe, like,
17:38 kind of what happened there.
17:40 It's my responsibility as a reporter to see things,
17:46 try to see what goes on inside the game
17:48 and outside the game.
17:50 That's what I ask him.
17:51 I'm like, "This is a stupid question."
17:53 - No, it's a fair question.
17:54 - If the bitch is yelling at a player,
17:58 to me, that's a story.
17:59 That's something to write about.
18:00 That's something going on there.
18:03 So I asked because it was about Buddy Hill taking shots.
18:07 And Missoula's point was,
18:10 was he just doing this with the ball and shooting it?
18:14 No, Joe, he was shooting at the damn basket.
18:17 He wasn't doing this whole-
18:18 - And he was trying to get a rhythm.
18:20 - Yes. - What did she do?
18:21 - So that's what we talked about.
18:25 Just like in Houston,
18:27 okay, I'm gonna give props to my man.
18:31 His name is Alan Hunt.
18:34 He is Celtic Security.
18:36 - Okay. - Okay.
18:37 He got, you know, he got old man strength.
18:41 So there was a-
18:43 - Facts.
18:44 - In Houston, there was a season ticket holder
18:48 from the Rockets who literally tried to walk up to Tatum
18:50 and touch him on the shoulder.
18:52 And Alan Hunt grabbed him and threw him against his seat.
18:57 And the guy was like, "Oh, I'm sorry."
19:00 Now, who knows?
19:03 Like he talked his way out of it
19:05 because Houston PD came up to him,
19:07 security came, Arena Security.
19:10 And he got, he still stayed in his seat.
19:13 And then I talked to Alan.
19:14 He said he was really apologetic.
19:16 But I was like, "What was he trying to do?"
19:18 And he was like, he was just wanting to walk up to Tatum.
19:23 And if you guys remember, a couple of weeks ago,
19:25 a fan literally walked up to LeBron
19:28 at crypto.com Arena and like touched him.
19:31 And then they wrestled that dude out.
19:33 So if I see things like that, I'm gonna write about it.
19:37 And I'm gonna ask about it.
19:38 I asked Tatum about it and he noticed it.
19:40 It wasn't like he was not,
19:42 he wasn't trying to touch him.
19:45 So those are the things that I like to feature
19:49 if I see things that basically
19:51 people can't see on television.
19:53 No one saw that.
19:54 Like Alan, Mr., I'll call him Mr. Hunt.
19:58 - You better call him Mr. Hunt.
20:01 - Mr. Hunt, yeah, Mr. Hunt.
20:03 We need to cut that part out.
20:05 Anyway.
20:06 Grabbed him and threw him against the seat.
20:11 And I was like, "Yo, what just happened?"
20:14 And that's what,
20:15 and so if I see a situation like Heeled
20:18 and Sam Cassell running to the floor
20:20 to approach Heeled, like, "Don't do that,"
20:25 she's lit.
20:27 Then that's something that needs to be asked.
20:33 And so Joel was cynical and it was interesting.
20:37 Now people, "What is he talking about?"
20:38 Like, if you look at the tape,
20:39 but I think there's kind of,
20:41 I think NBC had a tape of just Cassell going up,
20:45 like a cameraman caught him.
20:46 - To block it?
20:47 - Going up, no, going up to tell Heeled,
20:49 "Stop shooting at our basket."
20:51 - Oh, okay, okay.
20:52 - Because there's certain rules
20:54 and certain things in the NBA.
20:58 - Like unspoken rules that everyone knows.
21:00 - Baseball has many more of those.
21:02 But basketball also has some.
21:05 So that's what I asked about.
21:06 I don't know if that explains it all.
21:08 - No, it does explain it.
21:09 And I think to your point,
21:11 I think you said it very well,
21:13 is you are in the arena not just to watch the game,
21:17 but to be aware, maybe even hyper aware,
21:20 than a general fan would be,
21:22 because that is part of your job,
21:23 of making sure you know everything that's going on.
21:25 We've talked about that All-Star weekend
21:28 when KD and Kyrie were, you know,
21:31 flying in the corner.
21:32 - They're booting up.
21:33 - There were a bunch of journalists there.
21:34 Yeah, boot up in the corner.
21:35 - They're boot up in the corner.
21:36 - So I think it's something that you do need
21:38 to be aware of as a journalist.
21:39 I don't think that we didn't question that at least,
21:42 but thank you for explaining,
21:43 because of course, a lot of times there are things
21:45 that are just taken out of context
21:47 and then people pick their sides
21:48 without actually understanding the whole story.
21:50 - After he did it once, he did it again,
21:53 after another time out,
21:54 that's when they started yelling at him.
21:57 And Tony Dobbins got involved.
21:59 It was like, he'll did it again.
22:00 - That means not-
22:01 - This time he took like a layup.
22:03 This time he took a layup.
22:05 And he was like, "Dude, don't stop shooting."
22:07 - And at that point, yeah, it's telting at that point,
22:09 'cause they already told you no,
22:10 and then you're like, "All right, well."
22:12 - So he was being extra.
22:14 - Yeah, but hey.
22:15 Were you gonna say something?
22:19 - No, I was just gonna say,
22:20 it reminds me of just what happened
22:22 before the AFC Championship,
22:24 where you had Patrick Mahomes and you had Kelsey,
22:27 and you had the kicker for the Ravens,
22:29 who they said, "Could you move over a little bit?"
22:31 And he literally moved like a little bit.
22:33 And then Kelsey, you know,
22:35 he went in the end,
22:37 he's all caveman,
22:37 don't even took his stuff and just tossed it.
22:40 And then my thing is like this,
22:42 it's pretty ballsy for a kicker to be just like,
22:45 "I'm that dude."
22:46 - Right.
22:47 - I mean, the kicker, I mean, he was not scared at all.
22:50 And he just kind of laughed it off afterward,
22:52 kind of like what Buddy Hill do,
22:53 kind of laugh it off.
22:54 But you know-
22:55 - They know what they're doing.
22:56 - Players, yeah, players are sensitive
22:58 and players are trying,
22:59 they play mind games,
23:00 whether it's during the game, during timeouts,
23:03 any kind of edge they could potentially think
23:05 they can get over you.
23:06 They're gonna try to do that.
23:07 Buddy Hill is showing the ability
23:09 that he's all about trying to play those mind games,
23:12 which I get, I respect that.
23:14 But, you know, Tony Dobbs ain't having it.
23:17 - Nope, once he says something,
23:19 you know he needs to stop.
23:19 - When he's not having it,
23:21 you need to leave the premises.
23:23 People like him may be nervous
23:24 because he's so cool and calm
23:27 that if he's a little bit irate, mm-mm.
23:29 - Not on his bad side at all.
23:30 - Mm-mm.
23:31 - 100% agree.
23:33 - I don't want that smoke.
23:35 I ain't trying to go nowhere.
23:37 That nose cloud, uh-uh.
23:38 I don't want that smoke at all, at all.
23:41 Nope.
23:42 - Happy Super Bowl to all who celebrate
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24:47 The NBA All-Star Reserves will be announced on Thursday.
24:57 By the time you're listening or watching this,
24:58 they might've been announced already,
24:59 but either way, Jalen Brown,
25:02 all but a lock-in to be chosen at this point.
25:04 Of course, Tatum is a starter, we know this.
25:07 But let's talk about Derek White and Chrisapp Prezingis.
25:09 We've talked about them over the last few weeks
25:11 when it comes to whether or not
25:13 they'll sneak into the final lineup.
25:16 But what do you two think?
25:17 How many All-Stars will Boston have this February?
25:21 - I think Derek White will get in.
25:22 I don't think Prezingis will.
25:24 And I think that's just how it should be.
25:26 When you look at,
25:28 Prezingis does a really great job of setting the tone
25:30 for a lot of these wins that the Celtics are able to get,
25:32 which is great.
25:33 But Derek White has just been money when it mattered most.
25:37 Big shots in the fourth quarter, big plays defensively.
25:40 And Prezingis, to a certain extent, has done that as well.
25:43 But Derek White's consistency
25:45 at just being a difference maker,
25:47 I think is what coaches are ultimately going to
25:50 not give him the nod.
25:51 And the thing that I mentioned from the very beginning
25:55 when it became clear that Derek White was going to,
25:57 at least find some way to play his way
26:00 into the conversation of being an All-Star,
26:02 is you got to put some distance
26:04 between you and the next club up the bat.
26:06 And they have consistently allowed themselves
26:08 to have a two, three, four game cushion
26:11 between them and the next best team.
26:12 That's what you have to do to get more
26:14 than like two All-Stars.
26:15 You have to show a certain level of play
26:18 that goes above and beyond what good teams typically do.
26:20 Because at this point,
26:22 good team would have maybe a game and a half,
26:24 two game lead over the rest of the pack.
26:26 And the Celtics have been flirting with like four and five.
26:28 Like right now, they're four and a half games
26:30 ahead of Milwaukee for the best record in the East.
26:33 And the Timber Pups, Timberwolves,
26:36 they're around the same spot as the Bucs are.
26:39 So the Celtics have shown the ability
26:42 to handle their business, keep winning.
26:45 And Derek White has been a big part of that.
26:46 Even when he had his slump, he was still making plays
26:49 when it came to crunch time.
26:51 So, D. White get in, Porzingis, not so much.
26:54 Which I'm cool with, 'cause Porzingis,
26:56 he could use some rest.
26:58 He might want to get some rest.
27:00 - For the second half.
27:01 Gary, you agree?
27:03 - I think it's gonna be tougher either to get on the team,
27:06 maybe injury replacement.
27:08 I just think there's other guys around the league
27:09 that are just gonna get the coach's vote.
27:12 You got guys like Trey Young, Bam Adebayo,
27:15 Paulo Banchero, Tyrese Maxey,
27:20 maybe Darius Garland or Jared Allen in Cleveland,
27:25 Jalen Brunson in New York.
27:27 It's just, it's a lot.
27:31 You only have seven spots.
27:34 So I think it's gonna be tough.
27:39 I think it can happen with Derek White, like Sherrod said.
27:42 I don't know about Porzingis.
27:43 I think either one.
27:44 I think coaches will have to determine,
27:48 the other coaches in the league,
27:49 how valuable each player is to the Celtics' success.
27:53 And whether they want to vote for three Celtics
27:57 in the All-Star, 'cause if you look at the seven,
28:00 so you got Jalen, Jalen Brown, Jalen Brunson of the Knicks,
28:05 maybe Tyrese Maxey, that's three.
28:10 And then you're looking at Bam Adebayo's four,
28:12 Trey Young five, Paulo Banchero six.
28:16 And then there's gonna be the seven spot.
28:18 Who do you fill that with?
28:19 That's gonna be the interesting situation.
28:24 Right?
28:25 Do you put Julius Randle in?
28:26 Do you vote him in if he's healthy?
28:29 I think he's gonna be out a few weeks
28:31 with a shoulder injury.
28:32 So does he make it?
28:33 What about someone from the Cavs?
28:35 Like, there's just a lot right now,
28:39 a lot of players up for these stats
28:41 that Derek and Chris could be the eighth
28:44 instead of the seventh, right?
28:47 They could barely make the cut.
28:49 Or they could get on.
28:51 It could go any way.
28:52 Either way, like, you know, Trey Young,
28:55 like, what do you think?
28:58 Is he an All-Star?
28:59 That's a good question.
29:01 What about, 'cause you look at some of the teams,
29:04 you know, Detroit, Washington, Charlotte,
29:07 Toronto, Brooklyn, they ain't got no All-Stars.
29:10 But then you start to talk about guys who,
29:12 you know what I'm saying, Adebayo.
29:14 Is he an All-Star even though the Heat's
29:17 on the seven-game losing streak?
29:19 I think he's obviously an exceptional player.
29:21 So it's just, it's gonna get down
29:25 to the final votes.
29:29 And I think they both have a shot,
29:32 but man, it's gonna get,
29:34 I just think maybe some of these guys,
29:37 'cause I just think you gotta look at
29:38 Bancero and Orlando,
29:40 and there's gonna be guys that get their spot,
29:42 get their chance, and Derek White and Chris Epps
29:46 might be passed up, but I do think both deserve it.
29:50 - Trey Young is the one that I find
29:53 is going to be a tough call,
29:54 because the numbers he's giving you,
29:55 like 27, 10, and three rebounds or something like that,
29:59 but he's doing what Trey does pretty much every year.
30:01 He doesn't shoot the ball particularly well
30:04 in terms of efficiency.
30:05 And his team is not that damn good.
30:07 They're like 10th in the East.
30:09 I don't know how the coaches are gonna view that,
30:12 because if the Hawks were like four, fifth,
30:15 sixth best record, it'd be a no-brainer, he's in.
30:17 But I mean, when you're that low in terms of the standings,
30:22 and your numbers are good,
30:24 but you're not leading the league in scoring,
30:27 you're like what, top five, top 10 maybe?
30:31 And your team is as bad as the one that he's on?
30:34 I don't know.
30:35 I just don't know whether he's the guy
30:39 that belongs in that top 12.
30:44 - It's a heavy guard.
30:45 Like, you know, you look at, is it Trey Young,
30:48 Jalen Brunson, and Donovan Mitchell,
30:49 that's three of the seven spots.
30:51 Donovan Mitchell averaging 28 a game.
30:54 - He'll get it, yeah, he'll get it.
30:55 - So that's what you're looking at here.
30:57 And then Maxie, do you give him,
30:59 it might be hard for him to get on because he's a guard.
31:04 What about Julius Randle?
31:05 He's having a very good season after a slow start.
31:08 I would say Bancero averaging 23 points a game in Orlando.
31:13 He has a winning record.
31:15 It's tough, it's tough.
31:20 It's tough, so, you know what I said, Bam out of bio.
31:25 And then you got out, somebody's probably, you know,
31:29 would you put Jimmy Butler on the team?
31:31 Now Jimmy's not played only 32 games,
31:35 so probably not, I don't think he'll be, you know,
31:38 but there's guys who are, you know, qualified,
31:43 who might be more household names, I would say.
31:47 And Derek White.
31:49 I think Trey Young's the one that people are gonna be like,
31:51 "Wait a minute, man."
31:52 But Trey's, you know, he's a box office kind of player.
31:55 He scores big time points.
31:58 You know, he's basically the best player on the Hawks,
32:03 you know, and he's averaging.
32:06 - 27 and 11.
32:07 - Yeah, yeah.
32:09 He's averaging 11 assists a game.
32:10 I mean, that's right.
32:12 11 assists a game, 29 double doubles,
32:15 with points and assists, you know,
32:19 that's, those are good numbers,
32:22 even though the team is losing.
32:24 - Yeah.
32:25 - Yeah, absolutely.
32:27 Coming up next, LeBron and the Lakers are in town,
32:30 TD Garden on Saturday.
32:33 Celtics still the best record in the NBA.
32:35 The Lakers are tied for ninth in the West,
32:37 10 games out of first place right now.
32:39 So do you two think the rivalry has lost its luster
32:43 within at least this year,
32:45 or is it still something that fans will be craving?
32:49 - What you think, Gary?
32:50 - No, I mean, it's still a rivalry as long as,
32:52 you know, when you got LeBron,
32:54 whenever LeBron comes into the Garden,
32:56 it's gonna be an exciting time.
32:58 It's gonna be, and the Lakers are gonna play well.
33:00 The Lakers are not gonna come to Boston and lay down,
33:03 even though they've lost a couple of ball games in a row
33:06 to Houston and Atlanta.
33:07 They don't look good.
33:08 The defense is playing good,
33:09 isn't playing good or well at all.
33:12 Darvin Ham seems like he's kind of lost.
33:15 He's on that Adrian Griffin road at this point.
33:18 It just seems like there's gonna be some changes,
33:20 but I always expect the Lakers to play their best game.
33:22 AD and LeBron are gonna play.
33:25 There's gonna be somebody like Austin Reed, Satya Murra.
33:29 Somebody's gonna come through with a 20 plus point game
33:33 that we don't expect.
33:34 Torian Prince, because the Lakers are gonna play well
33:37 in Boston.
33:38 So I expect this to be a very competitive game,
33:42 even though the Lakers have not been competitive.
33:44 They got blown out pretty much the last two games.
33:48 I expect them to play well.
33:51 And I think this is still a rivalry.
33:52 And I said, whenever you have LeBron James in the building,
33:55 there's gonna be t-shirts outside
33:57 that are sold outside the Garden, disparaging his name.
34:00 I don't want to say what they say,
34:02 but they're gonna have LeBron t-shirts outside.
34:05 They're not gonna be,
34:07 we love LeBron, I don't believe.
34:08 - Not friendly for work.
34:09 - Uh-uh.
34:10 - Did not say for work shirts.
34:11 - No.
34:12 They're gonna be sold outside the Garden.
34:15 So it's still a rivalry.
34:17 Obviously you'd like the Lakers to be better.
34:18 I think people thought they would be better,
34:20 but they're 24 and 25.
34:22 And they just, you know,
34:24 they just, all the guys that they picked up,
34:27 it ain't worked out.
34:30 - Yeah.
34:32 And they're not a very good team.
34:34 And LeBron, as great a player as he is,
34:37 and the ability that he has to lift up franchises
34:40 and elevate them to places that they don't belong,
34:43 this team is trash right now.
34:46 Just keeping honest, they're not very good.
34:47 They don't have a system in place where you can see
34:51 that young talent is evolving and developing
34:54 that can be of significant impact type players.
34:57 They don't got no,
34:58 they don't got like a first or second year
34:59 Jason Tatum type around,
35:00 or a first or second year Jaylen Brown,
35:02 or hell, they barely,
35:04 they don't even got really a freaking first or second year
35:06 Peyton Pritchett, really.
35:08 Their cupboard is, right now,
35:10 it's stocked full of players
35:12 that don't have a lot of upside left in the game.
35:16 And when you're, where they are record wise,
35:19 and you look at the way they play,
35:20 and you know LeBron, I mean,
35:21 father time is right behind.
35:23 LeBron just said, "Any day now, I'm coming.
35:25 I'll be there any day now."
35:27 You wonder whether this rivalry is going to be more
35:30 than just a rivalry in our minds
35:33 and folks from a generation prior.
35:35 Like if you're a fan that's in your like teens, early twenties,
35:39 do you really see the Lakers as a rival itself?
35:41 It's probably not.
35:42 You see them as a team that when they come to town,
35:45 your mama and your uncle,
35:46 they make a big deal about when they come to town.
35:48 But do you as a basketball fan do?
35:50 No, you probably get more psyched up to see
35:52 like the Grizzlies when Jawaran comes into the building.
35:55 Or, you know,
35:56 you know,
35:57 you know, Wim Mignogna from San Antonio.
36:00 And, you know, and Chet and his crew and OKC.
36:03 It's a rivalry, but it's a dying/fading rivalry though.
36:10 And you know, those things go in cycles.
36:12 I mean, there's a period of time.
36:13 It's always going to be a rivalry to some extent,
36:15 but it does not have nearly as much energy and sizzle
36:18 for what I call the casual supporters of the teams.
36:21 It's the diehards that see it as a rivalry.
36:23 But for the casual Celtic fan,
36:25 for the casual Lakers fan,
36:27 it's just another team on a schedule.
36:30 - That's understood.
36:31 I can agree with that as well.
36:32 I think the Lakers will obviously play up to the opponent
36:36 knowing LeBron James and knowing the level of competition
36:39 that these players usually approach games.
36:41 But to your point,
36:43 I don't see that sustaining itself
36:45 over the next few years either.
36:48 Next week-
36:48 - This might be the last time we see LeBron at the garden.
36:52 It might be the last time he plays at the TD garden.
36:54 - That's actually, yeah, that's a good point.
36:58 That's something to think about.
36:59 So, you know, that's the reason I'm gonna come on soon.
37:03 - There we go.
37:04 Well, next week we'll probably talk a little bit more
37:06 about the all-star selections.
37:08 We can do a little more of a deep dive,
37:10 talk about your favorite all-star memories or experiences.
37:15 But for now, that's all we have for this week's episode
37:18 of the Big Three NBA podcast.
37:20 Leave a review if you haven't done so already.
37:22 Share this episode with a friend.
37:24 We appreciate you all listening.
37:26 And once again, I do want to shout out
37:27 to Dorchester YMCA for letting me use their office space
37:31 for a good amount of time.
37:32 I feel like someone's trying to get in here.
37:34 So until next week,
37:36 it's Freyshaub Blakely and Kerry Washburn.
37:38 I'm Kwanye Lewis.
37:39 We appreciate y'all for listening.
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