 I'm watching that guy, and I'm I'm not sure he's not the most Valuable player in this league. I thought that got the Warriors and Steph out of their game to me This is running much deeper than magic should have called me before he knows bigger now Chris bruce-ard here and welcome to the brand new hoops on Fox podcast This podcast will give you your daily dose of all things NBA from Fox Sports including the best content from Skip and Shannon Nick right plus special guests fresh NBA content from myself Post game interviews from NBA stars around the league and much much more up first Chris bruce-ard joined Skip and Shannon to break down the Warriors chances of finishing off the Rockets with Steph Curry struggling How much is Steph to blame for the loss? Well, look he obviously played horribly They were lost in overtime. So you figure if we get any type of decent performance out of Steph We win we all know though it obviously doesn't always work that way. And so while he played terribly I Don't put that much of the blame on him. And I know the last-minute donkey miss I got facts notice I have facts look Clay was six for 16 16 points. All right, the Rockets were out rebounded by 20 gave up 17 offensive rebounds offensive rebounds And Steph as bad as he was and none of this is to take away from how badly played his and I know skip You're in the plus minus his plus minus was negative one, which was better than KD's and clays So again, he was bad, but he was he wasn't really good in the first two games Right. He averaged 19 points a game 26% shooting from three below 40% shooting overall and they still won to me watching that game particularly in the second half. I Was Amazed at the way the Warriors were playing they were playing KD bring it up Brought it up there and four out like like it was like KD was LeBron. He was you know And Steph is greatest shooter as he is. I think he's the best ever He's not a spot-up shooter. He can catch and shoot obviously, right, but he's used to moving coming off the dribble, right? And you relegate like Houston does that with the switching that's happened last year in the series But KD and it's not really KD's when he's at his best either I think he's better in the warrior system occasionally going ISO. That's LeBron's game That's the difference between LeBron and KD KD's can pass pretty well dribble But he's not LeBron in terms of running an offense and I thought that got the Warriors and Steph out of their game And they need to be careful not play that way Look when KD is there the last three years when he goes for 40 or more points They're six and seven Steph miss six of those games So when Steph plays they're four and three when KD goes for 40 or more Steph averages 21 points 41% shooting in those games So they need to do the Warriors need to be careful to stick to their Offense in their game plan and even though Houston switching everything Continue to run their offense be patient and keep the players and ball moving and I know KD's playing great There's nothing against him. He's playing phenomenally But it's so it's easy it's tempting to just let him do his thing, but that's not the Warriors game That's not when they're at their best. The thing is it even if I were to concede But I believe he played a goofball game and a lot of this needs to be placed at his feet It was that he played bad late. That's what we remember. We remember the miss layup We remember the miss dunk. We remember the turnover that was that was as a result of an offensive foul We missed we we remember the two miss jumpers It was in the crunch when we could have forgotten about how well he had played up until that point Because you remember skippy hit that big three the other night. We said that was the first time we've seen Steph hitting meaningful shot in the playoff game We could he should have been fouled out. He's right And that's the situation had he maybe got the made that layup cut the game to a three-point game Now we'll file and we'll see if you can make your free throws down the stretch. He gagged it off He's not playing well Steph Curry shooting 35% from the floor 25% from the three and he missed two of his three free throws out of the night He had a all-time goofball game has he played playoff games in which he shot the ball worse and what he shot Saturday? Absolutely, but I believe from a mental standpoint. This was the worst game We've seen step play and for an all-time great player. You can't have those type of performances. Hmm. This is a new expression from you a goofball game I agree with what you said though. I don't Steph Curry lost that game more than James Harden won that game and The player who did the best job of stopping Kevin Durant in the end was Steph Curry And can we just officially once and for all acknowledge that Kevin Durant is the best player on this planet? Can we please? There's somebody up in Toronto that you don't want to acknowledge Wait, you mean the guy who in the fourth quarter of game three scored no baskets The guy who yesterday missed four free throws the guy who hit that big three over in meat and Simmons That's the guy Sell me virtuoso performance and I shot big holes all Because here's what happened to me Kevin Durant was crazy nuclear on fire for the first Half of the fourth quarter he scored 12 points in the first 555 of the fourth quarter. That's extraordinary This is this is base basically the closeout game because they're gonna go up three to nothing So the best player on the planet is saying give me the ball and get out of my way because I've never seen this before He's dribbling the ball up the right every possession This had never happened the seven foot monster that you described is dribbling the ball up the floor and just saying I'm just gonna go they're gonna send two at me And I'm just gonna pull up on two guys and just shoot it because they can't stop me And if I really decide they have two or three on me I'll just go LeBron and I'll pass it to an open shooter and they'll make the shot and Igadala hit a big shot late in the fourth quarter. Here's the point Kevin Durant dunked with 605 left in regulation That was the last shot he took until 19 seconds remained and to me that I'm going second or third level Subliminal psychological here. It felt to me like Steph was saying, you know what? This is really my team. I'm a two-time MVP. I know you're a two-time finals MVP but I'm gonna reassert myself here and it it took Steph Stopping Kevin Durant because usually when somebody's hot in Golden State, they just feed that guy right again You didn't make a deep basketball X and O's point Maybe they should have let Steph bring it up or clay bring it up or Iggy bring it up And let Kevin run off picks to get more open because now he's just having to create by himself at seven feet Right on on two guys like I'm he started missing some to know but but he didn't take a shot from again from 605 all the way down to 19 seconds left. He didn't take a shot in the fourth quarter That's just wrong to score that many that fast and then to your point He didn't miss the shot But by then he'd cool completely off and it looked like do you guys really want me to try this? And he's got two guys on him and he went to his right And he's not that good going to his right and tried to pull up and it looked awkward and he missed the jump shot Are the best player on the planet allowed to cool off because I know a guy that was for the last decade was the best player And if he did anything out of your ordinary You know what I'm talking about, Chris, you know what I'm talking about, okay But go ahead. This man dared in the opening block to throw at me that LeBron James made the right Play to pass to Cal Corver as if this was the wrong play to pass to Andre Igadala when he was wide open in the corner with What 45 seconds left that he did Iggy make the three? Yes, he did because you're saying KD made the right play But LeBron made the wrong yes. Yes, it was because you're throwing it to a guy whose clutch He was a former finals MVP Corver's a much better. It's not even comparable. Who's the better three-point shooter? You know that so in the last two finals I'm glad you brought that up Andre Igadala was eight for 21 from three in their last two finals Is that good and Cal Corver was six for 27 including last year one for 11 in the finals one for 11 So you can give me all the regular season you want to but with the money on the table I'll take Andre Igadala shooting a three every time over Cal Corver every time Huh, you can't you can't put the whole series in Cal Corver's hands in the corner of a game three in your house Right, that's that's your house you finish it go to the free throw line But he's a 60% corner three ball shooter in the regular season if he misses that shot skip Are you saying KD made the right play? No, but he he did miss On my side you got a miss on your side, but you said he had it going I got a finals MVP on my side You got Cal Corver on your side next Colin Coward dissects quiet Leonard's sensational playoff run Do not confuse talent with valuable Do not even confuse production with valuable Now in most instances If you're talented you're valuable and if you're productive you're valuable, but not all the time a Lamborghini If it was a person would be very very talented But I couldn't even get my kids in the car grocery bags, you know, if it was a tight little Porsche Lamborghini don't confuse the two Kauai Leonard's talented and he's productive Everybody's talking about him this morning being the second best player in the NBA to Kevin Durant He's not that valuable Toronto was 17 and five when he didn't play He doesn't communicate. He doesn't pass. He doesn't elevate others LeBron James leaves a franchise and they disintegrate the next day Pat Riley, Eric Spolstra, Miami awful great awful Twice in Cleveland finals finals. Oh, we're awful LeBron gets hurt with the Lakers at the end of the year. They were the worst team in the league They were losing to teams like Phoenix and New York that were tanking LeBron's great talented productive and bizarrely valuable Kauai is Just really talented and damn he's productive How valuable is he? Toronto made the playoffs last year. Toronto was the number one C last year Toronto last year in the regular season was 58 and 24 And then kauai came and they were 59 and 23 And 17 and five when he didn't play this year. He's just talented He reminds me of the running back Adrian Peterson. They have these weird weird unique similarities Both their hands are a topic kauai's got abnormally large hands Adrian Peterson has a legendarily almost violent handshake. They're both strong for their size They're both awe-inspiring and Neither makes their team necessarily much better Viking's got better when Adrian Peterson left And by the way San Antonio, they're in the playoffs again It should be noted both have one flaw. Adrian Peterson could never catch Kauai Leonard doesn't pass The guy in these playoffs that's actually talented productive and valuable Is the guy for Denver the Joker Jokic? Folks, he's a center They run their offense through him Denver is the youngest playoff team in my life. I think I've ever seen in the second round He leads them in everything. He leads them in points rebounds assists They give him the ball late top of the key down low He has three times the assists of kauai Leonard and double almost the rebounds They're both very good players in points and field goal percentage Joker elevates every Denver nugget Denver should has no business being in the playoffs with this roster It's a bunch of guys Is Denver historically relevant? This is this is a bunch of kids They're just they're gonna be great if they can get one more player. Denver's gonna be good for 10 years. They're all kids Toronto's good always with kauai without kauai people are confusing this I don't think kauai is a wildly valuable player because I think he's the nba silent assassin He comes to your job. Nobody really knows him. He doesn't talk with anybody He hits his targets. He leaves and frankly would rather work alone and does his best work alone The assassin is simply that Working by himself in san Antonio. They used to be this criticism about him. They asked greg popovich once What was the best advice you could give kauai Leonard? Do you remember what he said popovich said that when I call a play for kauai I'm actually calling a play for the spurs Kauai doesn't communicate. Of course. He's not a great passer Because passing is communicating on the floor. It's playing well with others. He doesn't he just arrives hits his targets works alone leaves the building Anybody really know kauai. No, he never talked The silent assassin never talks either it's against his job description better serve working alone I'm not denying kauai is great Toronto was great without him. They'll be fine with him. They didn't win a title without him But they were good. They won't win an ash. They won't win the championship without him. But they're good And the kid in denver is he doesn't he doesn't have an mba body. We don't know much about him He didn't play college basketball here So we just in denver is not a historically relevant. It's a football city You could argue it's a hockey city and a baseball city third But that guy if you don't if you take him out of denver portlands Winning these games blowouts four for four in the series is over. He may take this bunch of kids to the western conference finals He's an incredible talent And i'll say this about about adrian peterson Adrian peterson may have been a just a better Harder runner than ezekiel elliot of the cowboys But zeke when he leaves the cowboys for a three game stretch They can't get first downs the vikings were better without adrian peterson because zeke can catch Zeke can run zeke can block Adrian peterson left the vikings. They got better Zeke takes two weeks off the team can't function with the best offensive line in football the cowboys can't function without zeke Don't confuse talent and valuable a zekeiel elliot is both peterson was just talented And that's what i think about koai lenner the kid in denver is an unbelievable talent And he makes everybody on the nuggets better Let me shift to this philadelphia philadelphia fans are like all fans when they're right. They rushed to twitter when they're wrong. It's crickets So joel lm bead has wild swings. He's great. He's awful. He's amazing. He's hurt. He's healthy He's not and whenever he's great philadelphia meatballs run to their twitter accounts Told you man face of the franchise. Of course, they didn't run to the thing yesterday because he was awful But here's my takeaway on joel m bead If you're somebody at work and we've all worked with somebody like this that has a temper That has outbursts Little bit of a screamer and a yeller That's his reputation because he's shown it before now He can be funny like alec baldwin But alec baldwin in an airport even when he's smiling and handsome and funny and glib with tmz You know, he's this close to popping same with christian bale That's their reality Even in the times they're not yelling and strangling a tmz reporter at the airport joel m beads reality good or bad game is He didn't play for two years because he was hurt And he needs six treatments a game because he's always hurt And he's got a bad diet and he's always hurt. Did I mention he's always hurt and he missed 14 in the last 24 games? Did I mention he gets hurt a lot? He's a liability to the franchise I don't care that he played terrible yesterday Just like I don't care that he played great the previous game Yesterday wasn't even his worst game in the series. He is a high maintenance noisy guy I don't care what his games are. I don't rush to twitter for validation when he's bad I could have spent all day yesterday On ambide crushing him on twitter. I didn't I talked about joek itch and nobody cares m beads reality like the guy with a temper At work is Doesn't mean he always has a temper doesn't mean he's always yelling at cameramen Doesn't mean he's always picking fights with his bosses But we all know it's right below the surface and so you walk on eggshells around him It doesn't matter that ambide was terrible yesterday or great the game before If you build your franchise around him, this is what you get He's calling his coach in the morning. I may not play. He's hurt. He's sick. They want him to lose weight He needs a nutritionist. He's just too damn noisy for me So you go ahead and build this sixer team around and beat in butler But I'll tell you I'll take Simmons Because Simmons may be quiet and he can't shoot and right now he's flawed But he's quiet. I don't get a lot of noise and social media and talking and calling his coach at 3 in the morning Don't rush to twitter every time he drops 32 and looks great and I'll promise you I won't rush to twitter when he's as awful as he was yesterday and that wasn't even his worst game in this series m bead Is a fragile inconsistent wildly popular big man Even during his great stretches six treatments per day to get on the floor ivy at 6 in the morning 63 percent of games in Philly. He's missed an incredibly likeable social star But folks bad back bad diet Not always a great teammate You can keep rushing to twitter to confirm it. You want to build around that guy? You got choices in philadelphia I'm gonna take the quiet guy I'm gonna take the guy who's one of the greatest passing young players ben Simmons. I've ever seen He's not refined. He's not a polished product. He's not as good as m bead now But I don't get all the inconsistency. I don't get and by the way m bead and Simmons can't play together So you're gonna have to choose one at some point But it's just this constant up down noise back diet hurts. It's too much Just because by the way, here was the headline before this series before the sixers raptor series Here's the guy that everybody loves. Here's the guy that's missed 63 percent of games Here's the guy that didn't play for his first two years. Here was the headline m bead wants to play more but knee tendonitis will last all playoffs That's that's what that's what it's gonna be for the next eight years So Whether the guy whether alec baldwin attacks the tmz guy at the airport We all know it's in him because he's done it a bunch Just because he's not doing it now doesn't mean alec wouldn't do it. It's who he is. He's got a temper He pops I mean, we know who m bead is. Why are we arguing about it? Now former mba point gardenate robinson sits with collin coward to discuss the 2019 mba playoffs and his chances at playing football I have a unique fascination with nate robinson not because he played in the mba for 11 years Is or is the only person to win a three slam dunk contest or that at five nine Uh, he won those slam dunk contests. No, I grew up as a washington husky fan Come on out nate robinson and nate robinson started as a freshman at cornerback for the football team From mount rainier high His dad is who I grew up idolizing jock robinson a great running back for washington You started in football. I didn't care about husky basketball The only team i've ever passionately loved was husky football and you were on your way as an all-american freshman corner to being Deon that liked to tackle and then you bailed on football and broke my heart. How do you respond to that? Well, first of all, I'm sorry. I I broke your heart. Thank you You can blame that um my school who fired cultureic new heizel. That's and then you went to hoops Yes, that's the that's the real reason why I stopped playing because they fired my coach and I went to rainer beach High school. Oh my bad the best high school in the country. So yes, by the way, it's a great high school It's got great sports Your mom dad jock robinson. So it's interesting people may not realize I grew up with Nate robinson the football player and you were badass You were a great you were gonna be a you were a freshman all-american played in the sunball And then you left football and we were all like Nobody cares about husky basketball. I haven't made robins. He was our best player as a freshman basketball on the map Yeah, so let's I'm gonna talk about you disagree with me on koai and I said before Don't confuse steve gnash won the mvp and everybody said come on steve gnash and I always said It's not that he gives you 22. It's that you know how many guys he got paid in this league He got he got joe johnson a contract. He was spoon feeding everybody. Yeah, I mean he just paid everybody koai Is great But he doesn't pass they were 17 and five this year Nate without him San Antonio's a playoff team aren't there guys you've played with who are great But are they making you better? I mean honestly Michael Jordan didn't pass the ball that much He passed it to the rim more than he did to his teammates and he's the greatest player on the world But I I one person. I love koai. Why his game is just I mean he's involved He's not just a defensive guy That's and that's how he started in the league as being a defensive guy now He's showing that he's added his offense and he's he looks unstoppable What a guys around the league he he doesn't talk much. He's quiet. Like how does that land with players? I mean he shows up to work every day. That should that's the only thing that matters That's the only thing that should matter. He comes to work every day. He brings his a game He comes in and he he he shows that he can he's he's a winner. Yeah, he's a champion MVP finals MVP. I mean come on man. He reminds me a little bit of a guy. Do you remember alex english? Yeah, denver nuggets. Yeah a bucket A walking bucket get a bucket. He played for denver didn't now. I think he's in the nba a front office He's a smart dude quiet reserved. He had that he his game looked like koai alex english appeared to never sweat alex english showed up gave you 27 I don't think he and chill and chill and just watch the rest of the game Yeah, I mean he just came in gave you 27 left didn't talk no flash koai's got that component Um, you know, I when you I want to talk about the sixers So they're unbelievably talented But they got four guys and I think all four guys Nate want a max But mb tell scares me Ben can't shoot to bias it in the max guy and I love jimmy butler the athlete But a lot of people say he can be tough on young players If I told you you got to keep two And I want everything considered I struggle keeping mb because big guys get hurt early It scares me. Uh, well one i'ma keep Ben Simmons. He's young And he's a point guard and If if i'm the sixers, I don't need Ben Simmons to shoot no jumpers I will tell him just don't shoot if you don't want to practice your jump shot and get it right Then don't shoot it all just go to the basket pass. He's like, uh, he's like he's kind of like a magic johnson Magic didn't shoot early exactly. He had to learn how to do it And I'm not saying magic johnson had the best jump shot in the world We all know that you know, he didn't have the best jump shot But he got everybody involved, which that's what Ben Simmons does and he does a great job at Yeah, I like now again Ben's interesting because You know mbeds this big popular personality, but Simmons is a unique player I don't think Simmons and mb'd work because when mb'd's in the lane And mb'd you don't want mb'd going outside because anything she's a shooter and he's gotten better But he's not a shooter so mb'd's in the lane. Well, he bids in the lane So is the guy guarding him therefore ben only scores at the rim So ben just stands around in the half court game. They're oil and water. They don't work together I mean, they just they just they still have to learn how to work together. They they still have time The they're showing that right now by being taking The raptors And I think it's gonna go seven games. I mean they I think they play well together It's just that mb'd has to do a better job of Of one preparing himself for games Eating better taking care of his body everybody in the league's talking about that I mean, it's just something I I know I've been I've been a part of the league I've ate horrible food before I've played and I just didn't feel like I'm supposed to so you just have to he has to change his diet You did. Yeah facts you did. Yeah, you were you were a Taco Bell driving to the arena guy. No, no fast food But I would eat like it could be lasagna chicken nuggets, whatever It just didn't matter. I just wanted to eat sometime before the game and I would just eat whatever So I had to change the way I ate over the over time because I can feel it It takes a total in your body over time. Yes, Nate Robbins and joining us 11 years in the NBA Explain this to me. So Kevin Durant is I think he wants to be known in the goat conversation and I think he's great I mean, he is a goat. He's great. Yeah Um, he's on the best team maybe ever He'll take less money to go to new york He'll go from a really well run smart owned team to the nicks are kind of a mess And the understanding is hey, he wants to be the man and my takeaway is Man be very careful about leaving money on the table and a great boss for a bad boss Would you leave If you would potentially have your third mvp in the finals. I don't really get it The only the only way I leave for me if I'm Kevin right if I'm if I'm playing for the sonics So if the sonics wanted me to come back to see out to play in Seattle That's the only that's the only town my home down only place I'm going But don't you think the quality of ownership matters take me to your career you played for Celtics bulls nicks What was the best Time of your career the happiest you were winning. What was the best two three year stretch? For me When I was in chicago, I couldn't even lie when I was in chicago I I honestly had an opportunity to showcase that I can play basketball and I wasn't just a dunker um Just that whole stand of me playing An under top timido playing with callas boozer rib. Hamilton jimmy butler luau dang Joe kim Noah Taj Gibson like all my guys it was just it was magical every time I put on that jersey I just felt like I was unstoppable like I was kind of like michael jordan, you know in the sense of having that energy So, uh, that was my I think that was my you know my my best year of playing because I actually got a chance to play Of all the nba teams The only one that shocks me is denver because historically you can't win with kids in this league Not in the playoffs, right the the playoffs are for grown-ups 28 year old dudes men And that's the way the leagues work since I was a kid denver's a bunch of kids And the joker joe kitch and he didn't play college here And he's got a bad body and I'm watching that guy and I'm I'm not sure he's not the most Valuable player in this league. What is denver without him? It's a bunch of kids He's the best passing big man. Nate. I've seen since our vita's a bonus. Yeah, denver denver nuggas is a they're they're a great They're a adult a ut Like we like we see me my boys We tease, you know in our little group chat, but they're like a real a ut they just go out and they hoop They get it done and it's in their fun to watch like all of them gary hairs Just all the you know all them guys I'm just i'm just mad that they're not playing asia thomas like you got you got a guy that can average 30 on your You can't build around isiah. It's not about building around him. You gotta like you want to win I want to go in to win put it in let him go and get you Portland has nothing they have they have they have no answer for isiah thomas coming off the bench giving you 20 They don't have an answer for joker He don't I mean he's he's he's a walking triple double. He's like the he's like the big man westbrook He's gonna be averaging the triple double one of these seasons. You guys heard it here He's gonna average triple double next year. Well, he got nine and a half assists on a young basketball team So you would think is his team grows Some of those miss jumpers become assists because he's gonna give you 23 12 and a half rebounds. That's just what he's gonna give you I think he's the best player in the league because denver's in that rocky mountain time zone You're they're not left coast. They're not right coast. They're not midwest Denver's just kind of a football city stuck in the mountains. The guy is we don't watch a lot of denver nuggets We don't talk about him. I think he's an incredible player. I love his game. I love his game I love watching him play. I said when uh wasn't channel was on the team I remember went to my FaceTime wasn't channeling and I'm like, bro, where's the joker at bro? Like show bro. I told him you're filthy keep balling. Yeah, like like you have it So whatever that is, you know stick to it So I'm watching the shop this weekend and lebron james is talking about magic quit the team and didn't give Lebron a heads up and you could tell lebron wasn't real happy with it Was he supposed to well, I think I would call my best player and tell him If I felt I lured you you were a very If you lived in Seattle, you feel like yeah, okay, go ahead and I and I lure you to la you're in your hometown Akron for Lebron Seattle for you. I lure you here with promises And I'm gonna resign. I think I'd give you a call. Nate breaks my heart I I can't I can't run this team magic just quit lebron sitting there in the shop like Could you could you I mean it happens man? You know, everybody has their own personal things that they go through and You know, you just you wouldn't be mad. No, not really It's a business you got to understand, you know what you're getting into off off the rip, you know, you just like I think that alongs old ball his his reaction was hilarious because he's like, oh, we're okay What we doing tonight? It happens. You got to move forward now. It's time for lebron You got to go get ready for your your this next season coming up figure out what pieces you're going to add And come in and be ready to ball. Do you think it turns off free agents though that look at the Lakers as a mess You played for a dysfunctional franchise for five years in new york You guys didn't land the top free agents not because of Nate Robinson people didn't trust james dolin Yeah, that was that that was a big one for us and not being able to get, you know, a certain guy But I think that we had enough we just you know, we just needed a solid coach to really guide us to help us, uh, you know When games and get to the postseason And we didn't we didn't have that you think free agents look at the Lakers now and want to play there Who doesn't want to play in LA? I if you're a basketball, you want to hoop like that you like you got a paul george Paul george, but he's good where he's at right now. There's no reason like there's no reason to leave Okay, see when you have you know, why would I leave if I was kawai? Why would I leave? Toronto's a wonderful town I like toronto, but I mean who knows he might not leave he might stay We don't know do you think do you think they land any of these top guys? I hope so, but do you really believe it? I hope so. I mean, I mean, I'm available I mean, I can still play and run up and down the court So, I mean, you know, I mean, I'm not a superstar. I like the rest of these guys, but I definitely LeBron wants a star you can't win in this league without a second star Yeah, he just had to figure out what star he wants to go get and I think him and kawai would be nasty That'll be that'll be tough And I don't think people want to see that like they ain't ready for that Following chris broussard Jason McIntyre knocked down the NBA's biggest question. Should katie leave the Warriors back here again Another special NBA playoff edition in the zone knocked down j chris broussard in the building dressed up for the occasion. Thank you chris Glad to be here. Gotta get the barb started early. All right. Let's get started chris First topic the best player in the NBA right now. Kevin Durant All right, he didn't stop me. He's on board kevin durant. He might be we'll see he's playing great He might be chris broussard. I will start it with this Should kevin durant stay in golden state assuming they win the title Or should he go should he leave for? Allegedly greener pastures in new york with the nicks or perhaps brooklyn or the la clippers Should he stay or should he go? I've said in the past that I think kd should stay one more year You're going into the new arena You go for four straight rings which michael jordan magic johnson Shaq kobe none of these guys you're compared to has done that since bill russell He's the only one ever do it And that could you know separate you from a lebron james and some of these other guys you're compared to Not necessarily make you better But certainly give you something you've done that they never did three in a row would give him that over lebron but As I watch this team play over time I've changed my mind. I think they are too mentally taxed to win four in a row I think they're mentally taxed now. I think their their eye is on the destination and not the journey It's just like man. Let's win this thing. You know, we think kd's out of here You know, let's just go ahead and win this thing and you know start all over again next year So I I just think that To bring them back. There's a reason Team no team since bill russell have won four straight Have had no team has even gone to four straight Other than or five straight like these warriors since bill russell and because it becomes so taxing Even michael jordan is mentally tough as he was He stopped after each three p kobe and Shaq added carl malone and Well, they didn't win it, but they they they didn't win after their three in a row. They got tired. It's it's tough So I I think they would still be the most talented team in the league But I think they'd be mentally taxed and wouldn't win four straight So I only I would I wouldn't even pick them if they went it this year kevin durant returns I would not pick them to win it next year. Wow I'm not saying they weren't wouldn't be capable of doing it But I just think it would be so mentally draining that they wouldn't do it Secondly and I'll be quick on this point Even though kd would have won four straight Guess who else would have won four straight? Steph and it still would probably be viewed as stef curry's team Steph might be the finals MVP of the last two for all we know if they won four straight So it's not just like he built this team and they won four straight He still went to a team that was ready made And we went for I have more to say but I'll let you give you a point Yeah, I I can't get on board with any of that chris. Uh, I get I mean the taxing part You're right in the regular season. They look taxed They don't look taxed in the ports post season. There's a two to the clippers You needed that wake-up call. I think they got it, right? They blew the fourth quarter lead and then blew I guess game five. They should have won that Since that I mean they were lights out in games one or two against the Rockets I didn't see a mentally taxed team. I saw a team that had their eyes on the prize and they closed both fourth quarters They didn't appear mentally taxed in that but I get what you're saying It's tough to win. Well, they're ready now now. It's playoff time It's like and you you're facing a legit threat not the clippers So they're all zoned in and they would be zoned in next year in the finals But I'm just saying that I just think it'd be such You already saw problems this year to go back to the bill Russell days I'm over there 15 teams in the lead then something the travel was nothing that it is now the post season I was looking at the numbers. These warriors Last what four years in the finals have played basically a full another season So you're right. The taxing is there physically and mentally is absurd and for kevin durant to leave going from here You go clay. Steph. There's a lob to draymond To go into new york frank nilikina. Good luck with that jumper kevin knocks. Can you not travel? Well, I would never I would never recommend going to new york by yourself But if you go with kairi Irving Now you have a chance to really do something. Does kairi want to play well? No, there has Well, there look I I would never tell kevin durant go to new york by himself Even if they were like had a really good supporting cast I just think he's not built for it by himself Okay, but i'm assuming if you go with kairi Irving or if you go to the clippers Or if you go to brooklyn with someone else My point is this kevin durant Is beginning people are now talking about uh, can he catch lebron? Yes Uh, can he even be in the discussion with a jordan? The only way you get in there I was on the herd today and he said is durant top 10 Every single player that we would put in the top 10 even if it differs with a few players Whether you don't have a keem. Somebody else has a keem. Somebody has dunk and somebody has kobe oscar Whatever every take a oscar robertson every other player Has led their own team to the championship and kevin durant that is in astros We are in this cancer in this cancer on my radio show the eye couple yesterday I asked he was a former teammate of kds. I said look we know kd is great Arguably the best player in the world top 10 all-time all that Due to players we've heard the media No, let me finish. Let me fit. We've heard media say it We've heard former superstars like wall frazier say there's a mental asterisk there. I said players Do players feel that way? He said I've talked with players Most players do feel like he has to go do his own thing There will always be he will never be lebron james or certainly not michael jordan If your legacy is you went to join a 73 win team that won a championship without you and won titles You were great team that did not win. They won 73 games cares about the regular. They were in the finals The bucks won 60 games this year whoop the damn do oh you comparing this bucks team to that warriors The warriors lost. They needed kevin durant. There's a reason they got it a player. There's not a look kevin We need kevin is great Hold on they went to recruit the white howard a couple years earlier when they were still a good team Needed he has been durant. They didn't need him. He's a great player. They didn't need him twice So was andrean with dala. So was james worthy. Does that mean he was better than magic? So is cedric maxwell. Does that mean he was better than bird in that series? Fine. It's a team game It doesn't mean Who's team are the warriors? Who's team are the warriors? I don't know the answer to that question Please the best please. Who's team are the warriors kevin durant? Nobody denies that They did not need him They didn't win against lebron and kairi largely because draemon got suspended. They didn't win. Let's keep it. I agree They did not need this as great as kevin durant is and and look i'm not denying. He's arguably the best player in the world He's arguably top 10 all time Arguably top 10 all time They did not need him and and and whether okay, you disagree finals to kairi Okay, that's a fact. You know what all right. They flew out there to recruit kevin durant another fact Who wouldn't come there another fact they went to titles facts and he was dvp twice Look all facts busard. Look, they did not need him. You know it. I know it. That's the perception Perception is off their reality from who players media fair. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah players me. Yeah on a player Oh really well play will not give two that's who determines history players media fans That's who determines history the prism of right now 10 years from now. Nobody's gonna say Oh, yeah, they will they're gonna say damn that I just told you something that happened 30 years ago that larry bird had two eight point games in the finals That cornbread maxwell was the mvp. I just mentioned it. Nobody says larry bird had eight game eight points in the finals I just heard someone mention it on tv the other day I'm telling you right now kevin durant wins three finals in a row three finals mvps Okay, he passes kobe brian on the all-time greatness list. That's a fact. No, no, no, no, no, no, we ain't next topic We are not next topic. There is no way if kevin durant wants to be in the conversation with michael jordan If he wants to pass lebron james, he has got to go somewhere. No, let's let me finish Let me finish He's got to go somewhere else and lead a team to a championship Don't you dare as great as stop it as great as kevin durant is Don't you dare put his name in the same sentence with michael jordan? I have not uttered that man's name with michael jordan unless he leaves his own team Yeah, okay. Time out everybody. Chris Lebron is now setting it So let me know the teams that kevin durant can go to and win a championship sacramento Go there k.d. Win a title and then we'll respect you Now this is what you this is what you resort to but that's what it sounds like stay in the ballpark What should he do go to the wizards take john wall to a time have i ever mentioned the kings or the wizards There's a small list of teams fine. Let's hear and kairi urving should go to the nicks I don't think kairi wants to play with him. I don't think kady wants to go there Then either go to the clippers or stay it would go see and now we're telling someone what to do with their career Let's stop because you are gonna go on tv and have let's not have let's not have knock down j If we're gonna bring life issues in but no, we're not of course kevin durant can do whatever the heck he wants and we and i would bless him So, okay. Let me my blessing. Are you gonna respect him if he stays and going to stay stop Let me i can't talk if you're gonna be interrupting every thought Let's not bring a guy's family decisions a guy's personal feelings into it because of course kevin durant can go wherever he wants of course and i'm not gonna Fall team for doing what he wants to do what's going to make him happy personally We are talking about basketball wise don't bring anything else into it if kairi ever wants to leave Brooklyn and go to freaking Orlando if that's what makes him happy fine. I will judge it from a basketball standpoint So don't bring in what kevin durant wants to do to make him happy of course do what makes him happy From a basketball standpoint from a basketball standpoint legacy standpoint There are people playing in the league now Listen people that didn't play in the league or playing in the league now former stars that will never give him his full credit I think he's phenomenal, but they will not give him his full 100% credit He deserves until he leads his are you one of those people There will always be i'll give him credit But he can't like I just said he can't be in the conversation with michael jordan unless he goes somewhere else Let's not go. He's only 31 years old We didn't start the lebron jordan stuff until he was 32 33 lebron jordan stuff started in freaking cleveland I didn't start that. I that's other people weren't on tv at that time That's other people on tv pushing nonsense when he's in cleveland at 25 years old people started reading no no People he was nobody said he had reached him because he had one championship But people started talking about lebron jays as a potential heir Or challenger to michael jordan when he was first in cleveland for me. That's silly and dense Nobody said he had reached him but they were saying that's the potential nobody's ever even thought Kevin durant had the potential to be a michael jordan from my perspective and i'll move on after this Kevin durant if he does this and tries this idea to go to a nix of clippers and he fails It is worse to go and fail than to stay and succeed in golden state My opinion is you stay you in fourth fail in golden state. You're not going to that team is too good I mean maybe an injury might not win the fourth straight. Who's beating them? I don't think I mean We don't know if the rockets are gonna stay together. He's gonna be better boston if kairi stays will be right there A lot of ifs. Yeah, there's no ifs for staying in golden state There's ifs can nobody's ever won fourth straight. That's why you do it I think it'd be great. I just don't think they do it. I don't think they went for so we figured out We'd get heated right out of the gate Finally chris russard is back with skipping shame to explain what magic leaving the lakers meant to lebron All right chris russard still with us, uh, chris. Are you surprised by lebron's reaction? I'm not surprised at all because I think it's the normal natural Human reaction. Yeah, you know that anybody would have and I agree with lebron's sentiments Look magic did it wrong. There's no ifs ands or buts about it The two people he definitely should have told were genie bus And lebron and if he has some beef with genie some falling out temporarily that led to this Then okay, I get it. You don't tell her you should have told lebron though. Absolutely And now he and rob polinka from what I'm told are talking regularly. So it If he didn't have a falling out magic no magic or magic in Yeah, like so I don't If he he should have told all of them but certainly lebron because I don't know if I characterize it as a friendship But lebron jays and magic have had a special relationship Based on their super stardom based on all the comparisons over the years when lebron lost his first finals In well in miami against dallas. He texts magic that summer like man. I'm trying to get over the hump Let's talk, you know So even though they didn't really you know know each other and obviously weren't working together that much at that point And then just their interest off the floor the business interests and things like that So they've had this special relationship. That's why magic got the meeting by himself You know because on july 1st because of that relationship So lebron is totally right to feel the way he does And you know, like I said, I think magic just totally did it the wrong way And I think this is different. I've heard some people say This well lebron when he left cleveland, he didn't tell anybody when he left miami to go back to cleveland He didn't tell anybody the difference is that Lebron was a free agent We knew a move was coming and even even players like the wane wade or in cleveland or moe williams They understand free agency to give a guy his space Let him make a decision. It might be based on family money, whatever This came out of the blue. Yes, obviously no one knew this was coming. So yeah, I think lebron Was totally justified in his feelings. I also will give him some credit Because as you guys know and skip you've even said you you kind of feel sorry for lebron at this point It would be like the think about three months ago All the criticism was on lebron for the lakers falling apart not making the playoffs the toxic environment and all that Now since what's happened since then? It's like lebron nobody's looking at lebron right now. They're looking at magic genie the front the rambus You know family and all that it would have been easy for lebron in that in that shop show to just Play the vic like man. I ain't signed up for this You know, I know how important it is to have a great front office and you know pat riley in miami And that's why we want like he didn't play that excuse card So I'll give him some credit for that because it's right there for the taken if he wanted To me this is running much deeper than magic should have called me before he made his big announcement To me lebron is concluding That magic had completely turned on him because the money line here the flash point of all these quotes is That lebron is saying magic didn't even call him to say hey bron kiss my ass. I'm out of here Right. Yeah, so so he's saying that he turned on him that for whatever reason He just cut ties with him because he was disappointed somehow in lebron's overall performance last year The way he you know his bad body language The he didn't handle the kids correctly that he tried to strong arm the organization pull off the anthony davis Trade for for all those reasons. He didn't close a lot of the early games He disappointed magic to the point that magic just said I'm not calling him before I make the announcement And I'm not calling him the day after or two days after because he could have let the smoke clear and then clear the air with lebron 24 48 hours later Did he call him no because lebron wouldn't have uttered these quotes if they had cleared the air by the end That was filmed april 11th. They said was that what it was? Yeah But you think that would have made a difference like if it would have made a difference in that talk maybe But if magic had done what he did and then called lebron the next day or two I still don't know if it would have made it clear the air to say hey I'm not blaming you for any of this because Again lebron is leaping to the conclusion. He is getting blamed by magic. I'm mad at magic I'm like who in the hell shows up to work to quit You could have did that at home. Why you show up there? You knew he knew walking into the arena He was gonna quit. He knew before you got there. So he was gonna quit. So why the hell you show up? You could just but but he told tmz a couple days later when he was in beverly Yes, he said I still talked to gene every day. But what he talks to lebron every day noob I don't know that they've talked. I don't know for a fact. I haven't talked But yes, I mean again that was filmed a few weeks ago I don't know that they've talked and lebron's like hold on. Wait a minute Now you're gonna come to my driveway sitting my driveway for an hour or two before free agency starts Then you spend three hours in my drive in my home and we're talking about how we're gonna get the lakers back to the showtime Lakers and we're gonna be joined at the hip and we're gonna do this thing together And you're gonna bounce and you can't even give me the common card and say, well, you know bron check this out For due to some circumstances beyond my control. I'm gonna step away. You can't give me that But you're gonna come up in my house. Don't worry about it Now I got something for you. This bridge is burned to the ground Well, I I think look from talking to people close to lebron I do think they've done their best to move on because we know lebron came here for many other reasons And magic let's look lebron is a very smart guy He knows magic wasn't pounding the pavement, you know working every the foes doing everything Why you take a job when you know what comes along with the job? Look, I can't your magic job Right that you're the ambassador. You're the figurehead for the friend Still you but you don't think he again. I'm not saying lebron was I'm sure he I'm sure he was pissed off initially And I I just don't know if he's that mad at this one I think what he should be more angry about is what they've done since then Because it gave them an opportunity when magic stepped down to go ahead and really change that front office And now you're not doing that. How can I be mad man? If I sign up I go to a fast food restaurant and they say I'm on fries. I'm a fried cook I'm gonna be mad. I gotta mad. I got it. That's all I do is cook fries all day long. What the hell magic party come with that job That's not that's not a figurehead job. No, I agree. He recruits. He feels magic. What'd he say? I recruited lebron james like I'm good That's why you magic is capitalizing on I brought lebron here he wants that to be the legacy of his presidency Yeah, but you know not all these really questionable moves Because you brought lebron though you owed him that look I think lebron wanted to come to the lakers anyway But I do think magic he probably would have came anyway. I'm almost certain But magic gave the lakers front office at least some more Assemblance of credibility. Yes, then it had had over the previous four or five years That made him at put it lebron. I got it So I do feel sorry for lebron because he's stuck in a sitcom of a snake pit. That's what this feels like to me But he's also publicly acknowledging that magic turned on him. Am I right? That's that's what he's saying At least he could have called me. He believed he didn't have to use that for you're right He didn't have to put it in a negative way. He could have put it in You didn't call lebron. Hey man. I'm out of here. You're right. He didn't have to put I don't know if that means what you're saying. I would have been okay if he told me to kiss my ass No, just something Thank you for listening to the hoops on fox podcast. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a five star review letting us know what you think of the show