 Run it up, they run it back, yeah. Run it up, they run it back, run it back, run it up. Good Monday morning, and we are back in Los Angeles. Brighton, early welcome to Run It Back. I'd like to introduce everyone. Shamsherani, a stadium insider. To my right, he will be busy probably breaking news the entire show. Oh, look who's back. Evan Turner in, Chandler Parsons is in Cabo, which you probably already guessed. He's supposed to check in later. We'll see if that actually happens. Eddie Gonzalez on the end there, he and I have been out in LA for a good 13 hours back to being locals. We've got a lot of basketball to talk about. We will discuss Steph Curry and his epic historic game seven performance. But first, we do have games tonight that we want to talk about. Joel Embiid and his availability specifically, Shams, where are we? Yeah, that is the big question around these playoffs for sure, and of course going into tonight's game one against the Celtics and the 76ers. He is doubtful right now. Everything though with Joel Embiid, it's fluid. He's a warrior, it's playoff time. I'm told he did have PRP treatment last week in that knee. He participated in parts of practice on Sunday, which is a good step, but he has a pretty serious LCL sprain that he was diagnosed with on April 21st. It was more than a grade one LCL ligament sprain. So he's done some shooting on the floor the past few days, but this is the legend of Joel Embiid. When you think about it, he's had a propensity of playing through pain. In 2021, he plays through a torn meniscus in his knee during the playoffs. Last year, 2022, he plays an orbital fracture and a torn ligament in his thumb. How much has he ran up and down the floor in the last 24 hours? That's the question. I'm told not that much as of yesterday. We'll see if he's gonna be able to try to play today. I think there's some thought around this team that it would be a miracle if he ended up showing out up tonight on the floor, but right now he is doubtful, and he's trying to get better in the coming hours. Like a true Jack Ass sports fan. As soon as I saw your tweet, I was like, oh, we're getting ripped off because we want Joel Embiid in the series. And it almost feels like, oh, without him, if he cannot play, or at least if he can't play for a couple of games, what are the chances for the Sixers team? Man, I didn't give him high hopes even before Joel Embiid got hurt. Oh. I'm really that big of a South's fan, but I think right now, I think the South's are too deep right now, and you need a dominant score and presence like Joel to be able to get that offense going and open up everybody else. You see Tobias Harris, he had a couple of good games last series. James Harnes, he's been controlling a lot, Tyrese Maxey, but Joel Embiid, he's going to be a big loss. This is, it's just not the same without him, but the Celtics, they're here. Any thoughts changed about them from the first round? I mean, look, they had a tougher series than we probably all imagined with the Hawks, and even the Game Six went down to the line. I was kind of hoping for a Game Seven, like let's just see it. They pushed Janet Jackson back, they messed up, you know what I mean, but I think it's good to get that out of your system. I think this is a team they've been focused on all season long. This is a matchup they figured they would see. So I expect a little bit better attention to detail, and it helps, like you said, to not have the big fella out there, but I favored them anyway. This is a tough matchup for Philly anyway, and even without Joel, it's even worse. And you know it's killing Joel. You know it's killing him that he may not be out there, at least for a couple of games, but let's talk about a game that did happen, and it was a Game Seven, and it was, well, it was something. The Warriors certainly were there, and Steph Curry, good lord, it's one thing to have a good game, it's another thing to drop 50 in a Game Seven, and make history most points scored in a Game Seven ever. Look, sometimes we forget, I think, Evan, but was this a statement game for his entire legacy? I think so. I think it's absolutely, you know, right now Steph is, I always argue, the best player of the decade, in my possible opinion, he's been unbelievable, even in championship, he won last year versus, you know, Marcus Smart, the defensive player of the year, he shot 90, 50, 40. You know, just when things get tougher, you know, he makes you believe, and he elevates his game, just like, you know, when you watch as a kid, a childhood hero, what MJ used to do and everything. The big stage, Game Seven on a Sunday, performed at the highest level, and we're still talking about it. And we're gonna? Yeah. I mean, you can't ask for more, right? You literally get record breaking performance in Game Seven on the road. They look like they were on the ropes after Game Six, and he did it in every way. He made 20 shots, career high, 38 field goal attempts. Yes, he made six threes, but you looking at highlight packets, leaps to the left, leaps to the right. Leaps where he blew guys, and nobody could touch him, mid-range floaters. He did everything on the court yesterday. That third quarter barrage was like, you know, it reminded me of the Steph and K.D. words that were just, it just felt inevitable that they would eventually run you off the court. It was ridiculous, and one of the, we talked about it with Jimmy last week. One of the greatest performances ever. We got another one of the greatest performances ever, and it was just fun to watch. I feel like sometimes Steph Curry just quietly listens to all the talking heads, boasting, and really propping up other players, and I think it just quietly makes him angry. But because of the baby face, we don't take him as seriously, I think, and then he reminds us of what he's capable of doing. And it wasn't just on the court. I guess he was, he was Mr. Pep talk. Yeah, I mean, he was good on the court. Plus, I think his plus minuses were staggering. Plus 58 on the court, minus 40 the winnings off the court. They need him on the floor. They're gonna go to him a lot against the Lakers, but you know, Steph Curry, when he talked to people around the Warriors, he's not one to over speak. He's not one to speak that much in general. And so he gave a speech to the Warriors on Saturday. This is right before film session. And basically his message was from when I was told, we have enough to win. You guys just need to trust me. And we all need to put our feelings aside and just go get this, because there was a lot of tension in that locker room, in those huddles throughout game six. And we saw the video of Jordan Poole and J. Montgomery being one of them. And Steph Curry was pretty poignant. He said, if you don't leave your personal feelings out of this, leave them at home. If you don't feel like we have enough to win, stay home. Don't come to the bus to Sacramento. But if you believe in us, and if you believe in the team, and if you want to put your feelings aside, come on the bus, trust me, and I got this. And I mean, I don't know if he was calling a shot. I don't think anyone on the Warriors expected him to have 50. But I think when Steph Curry says, trust me, I got this, you know you're going to get something, because he doesn't say that. Dang. I feel like that was like a Franklin Saint moment. Like, you're like, I got this family this far. I've done everything else. Just get out my way. If you have anything positive to say, say it. If not, just shut up. Shut up. And move. Or don't come. And that's it. He basically told the team, don't show up. Any player that doesn't want to be all in on this mission, don't show up on this bus that we're about to take in a couple hours to Sacramento. Just don't show up. Some guys like, well, I guess I'm just not going to get on the bus. Moses Moody's like, you do show up. But if you do show up, like, let's be honest, if you do show up on that bus and you have a bad attitude, you're probably liable to get traded or cut or something in the off season. Like, if you're not going to listen to Steph Curry. No, you're bugging. So it's just mean girls over there. It's just Steph Clay and Draymond. No, if you don't listen to Steph. If you don't like us, you're out. Like, is this just, let me ask you. I'm not against that. They built it. It's like, it's. They got the tenure to go, yo. This is how we do stuff here. Absolutely. And if the ship is going to sink, it's on their accord. I don't think when they say something, it's against them. They literally built that brick by brick. So I'm with it. I'm glad Steph stopped up and said something. You know, Draymond always says what he feels. But when a real leader says something in speech, everything hushes and the alpha stops up and you can see that. And that's what it, that's I think what it is. It's, you know, less is more with Steph. And it's more impactful when he feels like, okay, now I'm going to talk. Now you guys have a line. It's a quiet leader. But let's be honest. This is about Jordan Poole, right? This is about him not, you know, what did the little bronze say to Kevin Love? Fit in, don't fit out. This is about Jordan Poole. And it'll be interesting to have this this summer with him. That's a big contract. That's a guy who's kind of not playing that, all that great. But let me ask you to game seven on the road with the, with the reigning champs. Do you need to hear a speech that tells you, yo, we have enough? Because we really just won the title 10 months ago. Now, I don't think you really need to hear a speech saying that you have enough. But I know Jordan Poole is getting a lot of flock, but he's still a young player. I think it was his fourth year. I think this is his first real point of learning NBA stuff. Like not saying that, like he didn't learn much from Dre Mine and them, but like- It's difficult. But we all go through selfish moments. And literally sometimes the one thing about being young and being immature is not seeing a bigger picture. And I wasn't in a huddle, I don't know, but that's the narrative. But I believe Jordan Poole, he's gonna overcome this. He's an NBA champion, but I think this is something that he couldn't go without learning. And Steph taught him right. I feel like we built Jordan Poole up though, before he got paid as like the young cocky guy. And that's what people loved about him. And it feels like now they, that's what they don't love about him. It's interesting how when you get paid, the changes- You see right there, Steph addresses Jordan Poole. Look at him. You know, says a few words to him. Well, you know how it goes in her locker room too. These guys are all in their thirties. Steph is 35, which people forget. These are mid-thirties guys. They've done everything in league. They've seen everything in league. And then they got the young 23-year-old. And it's like, we're not listening to the same music. We're not going through the same thing. So there's a difference in just culture, right? There's a difference in just who we are in our lives at this moment. So they're definitely looking at this guy like, come on, dawg, like, we know, trust us. No, no, absolutely. And at the same time, you know, the youth is gonna be the youth. And, you know, you're not always gonna listen if anybody can understand that. It's straight mind. So like, anytime I ever, somebody's been mean to me, I'm like, you know what, bro? I didn't listen to Andre Aguadallo all the time. Like, you know what I'm saying? Heaven. No, just saying, it's karma. So, you know, you know, Jordan Poole's going through growing pains. And you have to allow that. He's still a young pop, but he's still a great talent. That's an NBA champion and average 20 on, like, what, 80, 40, 90? I mean, I just got a lot. You can go final again, go ahead. But they've been looking for the third splash, brother, for years. And he's showed up a little bit. And in fairness, they were crappy on the road all season. So if there was a time to do a, you know, win one for the Gipper speech, it would have been yesterday or day four. Absolutely. But then you have the Kings. And that was a feel good story for the entire season. I think a lot of people were rooting for them who didn't care about either team. So bonus had 22 and eight. Fox had 16, as far as disappointment levels. I mean, they outshot what everybody else had possibly thought they would do this season. But how disappointed should they feel? Very. They were up 2-0 in this season. They got Draymond suspended. They got full up. Draymond got Draymond suspended. They received the gift of Draymond suspended. There you go. They were up 2-0. Then they're going home for a game seven. They fought, they took the nail all season long to have this exact game. And they put out a stinker in that second half. And look, Steph and Kerry, one of the greatest of all time, he gives you 50. It's only so much you could do. But they were right there. They went into the second half with a lead. They went in the overtime with a lead. To the halftime with a lead. They should be very disappointed. And they really got to look at the makeup of their teams. Soms has been talking for some time. They have a ton of ability to move around and add different guys. But I don't know. That demonic bonus series is a little disheartening. I know you had a great first half last night. But you got to wonder, like, is this a 16 game guy or 82 game guy? Because there's a difference. And they want to win 16 games. So it's disappointing. The season, we know the speech. There's no failures. Everything's a step or whatever it was. But the season wasn't. But this series is a failure, for sure. And I give them a little bit more credit. I think they jumped out and see the expectations, everything. It's one thing you're going up against a barbarian. You have to really, you know, going up against Steph, Kerry, going up against Ray Mine, Clay Thompson. You have Andre Goudal on the bench, Kerry. It's really different levels. The same way with the Grizzlies. I think God just ran out of gas to try to elevate to that level. That's what it felt like, right? Because Game Six was a different team. Yeah, for sure. And to go win a game in San Fran, Game Six, crazy. But I think one thing that occurred that besides the young guys having to get that type of experience, you know, I'm a big Harris and Barnes fans. But like, you got to step up and come back and really perform and help, you know, got that way and have that championship experience to lead them in those tough games. And Sabonis, I wasn't shocked in how he did. Fox, the broken finger. He battled through like a champ and everything. But, you know, I think in those certain type of positions, it takes from the top half an experience. One guy I want to mention before we move on. They had no answer for Kevon. Kevon Loney. They had no answer for that man. He had more offensive rebounds than Demontis Sabonis had rebounds. So they had no answer for that. And he's a difference. We talked 16 game players, 82 game players. He never misses a game. So he's both. But he is a playoff player. He's incredible. And he swung the series a lot of ways. And I want to say something else because I think last year when Steph wrote the three-point record, he gave Clay Dremyne and Dre a watch. Please, please, please buy Kevon Loney his watch. What kind of watch did he get? They got a rolling. Nice rolling, you know. Some very expensive, some very, very expensive. So they're very, very, very expensive. Some Van Cleef for Kevon or something. I don't know, Richard. So look, Dremyne, as Dremyne does on his podcast, already has said some words about Sabonis, saying that he, quote, I lost a lot of respect for him, for not shaking hands after game seven. Oh, I love when we do stupid things like this. Some guys don't shake hands, though. I mean, I think LeBron was walking off the court into the tunnel after they beat the Grizzlies. I know there was the back of Dylan Brooks. Maybe he doesn't want to give Dylan Brooks his five. But I feel like this is pretty common. I mean, Dremyne didn't shake hands with Trish and Thompson after they won a championship and said, oh, we ain't the same. Then went on a podium and said, we cut from a different cloth. I feel, you know, but like after somebody, damn, they broke my rib and I have a broken orbital, I want a fair one. I don't want no. Thank you. I don't want a high five. Yeah, would you have any sort of cordial goodbye to say, Eddie? I mean, the dude stomped his chest. Yeah, if Evan steps on my chest, I'm not shaking hands on Wednesday after the last show. No, you're not obligated to shake hands. It's fine. Dremyne has this superiority complex where everybody has to bow down to the warriors and their dynasty. And the crazy part is most people do. Most people sit here and respect and say, hey, these guys, they've won the decade. They're incredible. But yeah, you stepped on his chest. He's probably never going to shake your hand. You think you lost respect for him for not shaking your hand? Imagine how he feels. Yeah, I don't have a hand for you. I have a finger for you. Thank you. I've got nothing to say. Good Lord. OK, so yeah, preview time. Besides, it's Dremyne. Dremyne loses a series, especially one in which they were supposed to win. They were winning. I feel like he's not shaking hands either, but any who. Here is the way things have panned out. So now we have Warriors Lakers. According to Twitter, and that's where I go for all of my feelings, everyone's so excited about this. Which side has the edge in this one? I'm always going with the Warriors. I think they're just, I always say, the longevity, the experience they have to come rotary, and you got number 30. After what he did in the finals last year, and it was a little win. We're looking at a master at work. He is really involved into an unbelievable player, a clutch time player, a big moment player, and a generational guy. And I think his momentum is energy, and his will to win is something that is going to be able to get them over in a hump. And these big moments, you know, Chef Curry rises to the occasion all the time. So I got the Warriors. But what about the other guy that rises to the occasion all the time? Oh, Lebanon James. Lebanon James? No, absolutely. I think LeBron is going to be at a high level. I think the ex-fat there, obviously, is Anthony Davis. Anytime he plays well, there's not much he can do. He's one of the top players in the world, NBA champion. He's made big shots throughout playoffs. We just got to make sure he stays healthy. But that's the ex-factor. That's one guy I don't think anybody can do it, anything with on a court. Yeah, I think, you know, the dirty secret about the Lakers right now is Brian hasn't looked that great. He looks like a guy who's 38, who has an injured foot, and has been playing a lot of basketball. He didn't look all that athletic. I know we've watched that a couple of times. But then he has these moments, I know. The moment he rose to the occasion, he made the shots that matter. This is a bad video for Eddie. What do you say right now? Show the other stuff. All the shots went in on the highlight. Daddy, I was getting there. He did fine, eventually. But throughout the course of the series, it wasn't like he shot that well. They shot terribly from three. He was having trouble getting to the rim. Now you're dealing with Jaren Jackson, defense player of the year, at the rim waiting for you, so it's a little different. But he doesn't look exactly the most explosive guy in the league like he typically does. But I think the issue for the Lakers is going to be on the defensive end. They defend really well, a team like the Grizzlies, who wants to isolate, who wants to drive, who wants to get to the paint. And they can sit down, they can do that. A team like this, like the Warriors, who's just so much motion off balls, running all over the court, and you got to talk so much, communicate so much, get through screens, do all this stuff. That's a little different. I want to see it. I know they beat them a few times this year. I want to see it before I feel like the Lakers can win that series. And Tuesday night, we'll find out. Also, they got Jack Nicholson back in LA at the game. I feel like that was just perfect timing for that. Oh, Jack and Kyrie courtside. He was back. Well, Ron wasn't going to lose. Yeah, that was something that was kind of good to see him again. Heat Knicks, the other game yesterday. Loving on the West Coast, 10 a.m. start for us out here. Great. Loving that. Move my flight up for that one, thanks. Miami stole this one at MSG Butler. Good Lord, 25 points. He also injured his ankle, and we'll get to that with about five minutes left to play. Did stay in the game. Gabe Vincent making quite the name for himself as well. How impressive were the heat in this one? I thought they were very impressive. I mean, considering the Knicks, they were up like 10, 12 points in the second quarter. They went on a great search. But I think also Knicks, what they have, 40 points, paint points in the first half. I believe, you know, heat came out in the second half, shut down the paint. You know, you saw Kevin Love with a bunch of, you know, long outbound passes, and, you know, Gabe Vincent stepping up hitting shots. You saw Kyle Lowry, four blocks, 18 points. You know, just going by the way of Jimmy Butler. I thought Jimmy did a great job. I thought his toughness and the way he, you know, stepped up and kind of controlled the pace and narrative of the game was huge. And that last four minutes was everything. They were only up three and went on, like, what, a seven to overrun? And it was everything. Jimmy Butler, dude. And the thing is, they can play better. They only shot 42% from the floor. They didn't make a ton of threes. They needed a massive Kyle Lowry fourth quarter. Kyle Lowry, I hate having me in backs of the game so much, but I have to tip my hat. He was incredible in that fourth quarter. And when Jimmy turned his ankle, it was Kyle Lowry who stepped up on both ends of the court to really make things happen. You know, Bam looks great. He's starting to look better. He's starting to look more healthy. He's a monster defensively as well. Incredible, huge win for them. And then we wonder what happens with Jimmy now. That was a tough ankle turn. So we'll see, but they look great. Shout out to Jack Harlow, who was front row and apparently got to second base with Kyle Lowry and treated about it. So I thought that was fun for everybody to learn. The ankle roll, right? That was for, if you're a Miami fan, it was a hold your breath moment. What, are there any concerns there? There was a lot of swelling in that ankle as well. And I think Jimmy Butler will want to play in game two, but I wonder how many conversations and how serious the conversations are gonna be to potentially sitting game two. And using that game as a rest game, they're gonna have a week pretty much off before game three in Miami on Saturday. So do you kind of punt game two and give Jimmy one extra game of rest and then bring him back for game three on Saturday? I think that'll be something that the heat will have to discuss in the next 24 hours. But yeah, Jimmy Butler, 25 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, fifth player in NBA history to have 25 points or more on 50% shooting in six straight games to begin the playoffs. Do you know these other names? LeBron, MJ, Bernard King, and Karim Abdul-Jabbar and Jimmy Butler. Bernard King? I heard that. Yeah, those are pretty good names, I suppose. What would you do? I mean, look, there's a big difference between getting out there on Tuesday or just taking the whole week off. What would you do? What would you do, Evan? Right? I would get out there on Tuesday and ask for that little tortorole pill and then just get active, you know what I mean? Nice tight wrap on that ankle, yeah. I don't believe Pat Riley is going to let you sit out a playoff game. You know what I'm saying? I just don't think Pat Riley in the lines of mourning is going to let you sit there and tell him, like, I don't think I'm going to play tonight. He was legit on one leg, though. I hear you. By the way, every time they show along some more, I mean, not even so much as a kind of smile. That is the most serious human being I've ever seen in my whole life. Salah to Eric Sposer, nice curse word on live television as it had the same reaction as all of us and the camera caught him perfect. That ankle was tough. I was shocked he stayed there. I thought he was doing the stay in the game for the free throws and get out, but they were in the bonus. They couldn't file to get out. Then the next was Spose sends nobody to the bench. No, Jimmy's playing, it's fine. The Knicks. Why not attack the guy on one leg? Why not get him out there? And then one time they do, RJ Barrett gets stripped, he turns it over like, that's a little tough. I think he's going to play it because he's Jimmy Butler. He's a psycho, he's a mad man. And I hope he does. And like Evan said, a little toward all, nice tight ankle wrap, a lot of stuff going on. It's not like his game is explosion in lateral burst. Let's get him out there. Let's get the 2-0 and go home. Let's do that. And Andre Godalla said it. He said one thing about Jimmy that makes him special is his will to win. He's never been around a player, not saying skillset's so great or anything. It's like Jimmy's will to win is unbelievable. And it's like his mental capacity is unbelievable. So I don't have a doubt that he's going to play. I think Jimmy can play different ways. He's an alpha on the court. He can control the game any position he's at without scoring, pass and defending whatever it is. I think they just need his presence. I mean, his playoff identity is unmatched. Like it's pretty great to be known as that guy come playoff time. But on the other side of things, Julius Randall, he missed the game. He also had the left ankle issue. Don't know when he's coming back. But if he's not, what are the chances for the next team? I mean, it's not going to help their 3-point shooting regardless. Great point. Besides that, I just think you're missing an all-star player. I think BAM is going to continue to find his way and have his way. But I think with the Nicks, they're one of those teams that can't miss anybody. And they need every single part and that depth. Right now, they have Obie Topping filling in for him. He had a great game, one with 18 points. But defensively and stuff, I don't know if Tim's really trusting them that much. So they really have to put the band back together in order to rally your troops. Well, Jalen Brunsett, 0-7 from 3. Joss Hart, 0-5 from 3. That'll help. Maybe two of those that'll help in a six-point game. Seeing that was bad. OK. Yeah, that's suboptimal. They could use Julius Randall, obviously. But like you said, Obie stepped in just fine. He hit a couple of shots. He provides spacing that two years ago, we would have never said Obie Topping provides. Right? What a change. There are times when I feel like Julius Randall kind of mucks up their offense and almost gets in the way. But he's Julius Randall, he's an all-star. You've got to get his stuff off. Obviously, they'll be better with him. But they fared fine without him. They didn't lose because Julius Randall wasn't there. They lose because they could not knock down a shot in that second half in Miami to take advantage. Well, I hope he's back just for the sake of a competitive series, because that's what we want. We're taking a quick break here. When we come back, we got one of Evan's former teammates to come on and make fun of him. Just kidding. But he is a former teammate, and he is coming on. Isaiah Thomas joins us after the break to talk some NBA playoffs and other stuff when Run It Back returns. Oh, we have a guest today who, well, in the break, I can tell this is going to be a love fest already. He's a two-time all-star. And I love watching this footage right now. Please welcome to the show Isaiah Thomas. And I'd like to say, Evan, he's already excited to see you. Oh, that's right. So this is going to be good. Good morning, Isaiah. Thanks for joining us. Yeah, Brighton, you played on the Celtics with Evan. So before we get to anything, what kind of teammate was he? Are there any stories you can share with us? And by the way, you can share anything, because we're kind of a special channel. So go ahead. OK, look. First off, Evan's my favorite teammate I've ever had. And that's not just saying it, because he's online right now. But I've always said that when people ask that. A funny story, back when we were 16 years old, we got invited to ABCD camp. It was a big prestigious basketball camp. We had a photo shoot. We had, I think it was Slam Magazine or Kicks Magazine. We had a photo shoot. And there's a line of players, like the really good players get like the Jordan gear, the Jordan shoes. I remember I had Mick David. You know, this is when Mick David first came out. It was like the elbow and the sleeve pads. I had to do a photo shoot in that. I don't remember what Evan had. Evan, what did you have? I don't remember. I don't remember what I had. I asked him that. I feel like it was Reebok or Oop. I had Avia. They gave me some of that, so I don't know what I had. But remember, Brandon Jennings had Jordan brand. Somebody had the P. Miller brand. So, you know, he was a little lower in the level of town. Whoever had the P. Miller brand. So it was just, we go back to we were 16 years old, man, trying to live out one of, you know, our childhood dreams. And we became really good friends. So I ain't got nothing crazy. The crazy stories are rated R. So I'm not going to say no to that. No, I'm not going to say no to that. Yeah, don't do that. Don't do that. Commercial break. Let us know in the commercial break. IT, what's going on? Celtics played tonight. You played on the Celtics team. You played with Marcus Smart, Jalen Brown. Both of those guys still on this team right now. How much do you think you saw them up close and personal? How much did they bond? How much have they bonded? How much does that mean to this team? It means everything. I mean, I always say Marcus Smart is like the engine of that team. So as far as he takes them, they're going to go. Jalen Brown has grew into a superstar that I don't think anybody really knew he would be this good of a player, but himself. Like he came in with that confidence. And then obviously, Jason Tatum is an MVP caliber player. They have, I think, the most complete team in the NBA playoffs right now. So it should be special to see what they do this post to you. Yeah. Isaiah, what's up? Brother, I appreciate you, my God. I miss you. What's up, squad? But you played with Jalen Brown when he was a rookie. Did you see back in the day that he would be one of the best players in the league? Did you know? To be honest, I didn't see him excelling like he has now and to arguably a superstar. But I did see his mindset was to be great. Like every day he wanted to be great. Every day he was asking questions. Every day he was watching film. And you know, as a rookie, that's hard to do. Guys don't come in, especially he was such a high pick. He came in with the right mindset to be a star. So it's not surprising to see how much success he's had and how much of a franchise player he is right now. I'm just so happy to see it, because like you said, I was able to see it when he was a rookie, where I don't even think his antennas could see where he is right now, you know, further down the line. So I'm happy to see his progress. I know he has so much more, you know, time to get better. And I know he's going to have a great post season. What's going on, IT? Look, we figure you got the Celtics in this series. And then with Joel Hurd as well, that adds to it. But is there another team left out there that you think could really challenge them on their road to the championship? I don't think so. I think they're the most complete team in the Eastern Conference. Before the playoffs started, I had Milwaukee going all the way with Giannis, you know, completely healthy. But obviously Miami Heat had a, you know, a change of heart in that. But you can't put it past any of these other teams as well, like Boston is the most complete team in the East. But without like Philly without NB, they have no chance. If NB somehow gets healthy and can play like he's played all year long, I think that gives them a better chance. But without NB, I think this, this series goes five, maybe six games. Isaiah, you played with LeBron twice in Cleveland last year with the Lakers. He's 38 now, year 20. Are you surprised by anything he does on the floor? No, I'm not surprised at all. Like seeing him each and every day, prepared for the game of basketball, prepared mentally for the game of basketball. Like nothing he does surprises, I think anybody who's been around him for a long period of time, he's arguably the best player ever. He prepares that way, he takes care of his body. So to see the, how high he gets on his dunks, the, his performances at 38, it's like, it's like he's not even 38 years old. He's still like a 32 year old player playing at the highest level possible. Like anything he does is not surprising. It's an honor to be able to call him a former teammate. So I'm not surprised at any, especially when it comes to the playoffs. He always picks it up and takes it to a level we haven't seen before. Oh, I'm glad you said that cause that's a great segue to Dylan Brooks. And I'd love to hear your, and I was one of the people who defended Dylan Brooks cause I thought it was quite the funny character. But then he deletes his social media. He avoids talking to the media, gets humiliated by the Lakers after talking so much smack to LeBron. What did you think about this entire chapter of the Brooks story? It was just tough. Like if you're going to talk, you got to, you just, you got to talk through the good times and the bad times. And like everybody said, you can't poke LeBron James. Like, like, like try to do somebody else. It's just, you know, a little lower than him. Like his mindset is just so different. So I think he just, you know, that's a young player trying to poke at somebody that's arguably the best player ever. You just can't do that. But if you do go that route, you just got to stick to it. You can't delete social media. You can't not talk to the media after the games. Like you got to talk at all times. Everyone knows that. Like we've had some battles as well. You know, some trash talking battles. Like the best trash talkers talk whether the scores you're up 20 or down 20, you got to consistently be that. And you know, he learned his lesson. Maybe he doesn't poke out LeBron James anymore. Maybe he tries, you know, somebody else that he doesn't, hasn't dropped 40 on him yet. Isaiah, you were drafted by the King. I'm from Sacramento. I remember you lighting the city on fire your first couple of years out there. What's it like to see what they've transformed into in the 10 years since you've been there? And I know you live a little unceremoniously. So are you happy for them? Or you're like, hey, where was all this when I was there? Like, how are you feeling about it? I'm very happy for them. Like that was the first team to give me my opportunity. So I'm super thankful for not only the organization but the city of Sacramento. The community has welcomed me with open arms since day one. So I have nothing but love for them. I'm so happy with the direction they're going in. They really took the defending champs to seven games and played really well. Like had a chance to really go on to the next round. And I'm just happy for their coaching staff, their players. It seems like they got great energy. It seems like they like, you know, not just playing with each other but playing for each other. So that says a lot. Like I said, that community, that city and that organization deserves the success that they saw in this year. And hopefully, you know, it continues in the future. AIT, not really a question, man. We're just talking in between break. I just wanted to show you live. They talk about teammates and everything, but one thing always hits you up about and always seen coming from Boston even when you fly from Boston to Seattle, take James to his first basketball practice or wake up early and take your kids everywhere. I just want to give you a shout out because every time I deal with my daughter, I always think about moments of you being a dad. So I always appreciate everything you've done and the example you set besides basketball. So I want you to come back and still kill it but keep doing that. One thing you do, you always, you always tell me that at least every few months you'll send a text saying, you know, I remember those days when you wasn't getting no sleep coming back on the red eyes, forcing to go to practice and still doing it with a smile on your face. So, you know, like I said, you're one of my best friends and I'm not just saying that and you always keep it a hundred with me. So I appreciate you. All right, bravo. Isaiah, you're one of 30 players in NBA history to score 50 points or more in a playoff game. You just did it a few years ago. When I saw you play last year, it looked like your jumper was back. It looked like you're back in your usual form that you played at in Boston. How do you feel physically? Did you also feel like you found that shot again? Burst on your shot and did you have conversations with teams this year and how motivated are you? I'm 100% back. I'm not gonna compare what I was, you know, five years ago when I was in Boston, but I feel that same way. Obviously I haven't played that much in the last few years so there's not a lot of pounding on my body. I've talked to numerous teams this whole year. That's why I'm continuing to stick with it. I'm continuing to stay the course, stay ready. I really believe at some point this summer, a team will come to me in free agency and bring me on board and I'll be more than willing to take advantage of that opportunity, whether it's to play, whether it's to mentor younger guys which is needed in the NBA. Anything that's needed, I'm willing to do. Like I love the game of basketball. I want to continue to my career in the NBA and that's my ultimate goal. So until teams stop reaching out and stop talking to me, that's probably when I give it a go, but until that time I'm gonna continue to love the process, continue to stay ready and continue to grind because I love it too much. I just love the game of basketball so that's why I'm still staying at it. But I'm ready for sure. I like that's a good philosophy until they stop calling. By the way, I thought you were gonna thank him for expanding your musical horizons by taking you to Al Green. What was that? Yeah, that Al Green, yeah, not bad. Every teammate of mine, every teammate of mine, we've been to the Al Green concert, you know that? That's the thing, that's like a tradition. No, yeah, we've been to it. That's a tradition with our close friends. Yeah, I think that's when me and our team's relationship went higher once we went to the Al Green concert. Oh, when you go to a concert with somebody, you're now bonded. It's very telling too, like to go to music. Man, that's good vibes at all times. Al Green's show is good vibes. The South is renowned for playing Al Green everywhere they went. This is a good tradition. I like this. Before the games for the show. Thank you so much for joining us. I know it's bright and early and I know you're gonna go do good dad things here. So we'll talk soon. Thank you so much. Thank you guys for having me. I appreciate it, Shams. All love, y'all. By the way, believe it or not, Chandler's checking in. And he's home away from home. Cabo Mexico! Chandler joins us next. What? What? Run it back, run it back, run it back, run it back, run it back, run it back, run it back, run it back, run it up, run it back, run it back, yuh yuh. Welcome back to Running Back. Joining us now, our friend, our great friend, our mentor, some would say. Chandler Parsons joining us. From Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. What's up, buddy? How's Cabo doing? Thank you, Michelle. You're welcome. They made me think nice stuff. They said I thought nice stuff. I miss you guys. You guys look so much better than me in that studio. Oh, I see what he's doing. We're all new to you, buddy. I know what you're doing. All right, before we get into everything else, you're just your reaction to seeing Steph in a Game 7 drop 50. We've never seen him before, right? My reaction is that I see all the arguments on TV today or see the best point guard of all time. I think he is. And I think just last night is just another notch under his belt, Game 7, 50 ball never happened before. This dude, we always talk about how he's changed the game, right? He's the best shooter off the dribble, best spot up shooter. But the way he creates, the way he finishes, the attention he draws for another teammate, the way he gets other guys involved, this guy can do it all. And it's really amazing just at his size. You think of an NBA player, you think of 6'7", 6'8", 6'9", athletic freak. This dude is smaller than most. He's 6'2", and he's just, he does it with ease. And again, we talk about how he's changed the game, shooting all these little kids around the country are pulling from half court because they want to be Steph Curry. And you watch games like last night where they're seasons on the line, six seed against a three seed on the road, and he goes in there and does what he did. It's truly amazing. And we kind of take him for granted. This is something that we're kind of getting numb to of games like this and shows like this that he's putting on, it really is something. All right, Tan, you've been in Cabo for a while. You've had your chance to, have you ran into any of the guys, have you ran into any Grizzlies, any Bucks, any Kings already? Don't lie, don't just tell us. You best, first of all, I got here last night, so I still got time, right? So you best believe, if I see Dylan Brooks here, I'm pulling up my zoo, and we're doing an emergency call. Emergency? I got a lot of questions for that dude. We got to get to the bottom of this, but now I haven't seen any of them yet. But who knows, we still got another six days here. Wait, I feel like Chandler, would you even let Dylan Brooks sniff around your compound? I feel like we wouldn't even allow this to happen, because this walk of shame is brutal. To be honest with you, I don't think this is his cup of tea, I think it's, I think this is out of his jurisdiction a little bit. I like that, I like that. What a nice way to call a man broke. That was the nicest thing I ever heard. Chandler, would you look at us? Look at us. Would you look at us? Just look at us, guys. Okay, let's do some more likely here. More likely for the Lakers joining you down there in Cabo or getting to the conference finals. This one's tough. I think this is gonna be the most competitive series. I think it'll go six or seven. I think the Warriors, I gotta give the edge just because the way they just played, the way they're capable of playing, the best of the Warriors is better than the best of the Lakers. But it's hard to count these guys out. Ever since the trade deadline, they've made such moves forward. Austin Reeves has become a real player. DeAngelo's starting to find his rhythm. And then when you have LeBron and AD Healthy, this team is tough against anybody, but it's gonna be an insane matchup. I don't think you could have asked for a better matchup for ratings, for TV, for the league. But I think the Warriors get this series, but man, it's gonna be tough. It's gonna go long. Slight edge Warriors? Yeah, I got the slight edge with the Warriors. I agree with Chandler. I just think Steph Curry is the best player in the series. And I also think it's the guard play. You have to have guys to be able to guard that motion offense that the Warriors have, nine-stop movement, and then you just have IQ. I think the Intangibles are going to fall in the Warriors' favor. And look, Steph Curry shows in numerous times he's not losing. And I think at this level of 35, I think the matchup between him and LeBron is as even as ever. And the ex-factor, once again, is Anthony Davis and who can control him. But if Clay and Steph can get up and down and shoot as much as they want, it's gonna be a long night. There was another game one we haven't really gotten to yet. Eddie, I'm giving you some more time to marinate. Sun's Nuggets. Nuggets, man. Look, they hear it, right? They hear everybody saying they don't respect them until they see it done. Well, they did it. They laid the smack down, I'd have to say, on this Phoenix team. Murray with 34 points. And stop calling him Bubble Jamal. Like, he's just, come on, he's healthy. Like, what are we talking about here? So the more likely here is for the Sun's Cabo or the Conference Finals, Chandler. Well, after game one, it's tough not to put Phoenix as the underdog here, especially if Jamal Murray's gonna play like this. And it's true, how many times does this team have to be the number one seed or Jamal Murray to have games like this till we start respecting them? And even me, like I'm sitting here looking at series, I still believe in the Phoenix Suns. I still think that they could come back and they win game two. And now all of a sudden they have home court advantage going for the rest of the finals, but they have to be better defensively. They cannot let Jamal Murray go off like this. They can't let Aaron Gordon get a hot start like he did. We all know Yokochi is gonna do what Yokochi does, but we all know how good offensively two of Phoenix is. And they're gonna get their turn. They're gonna start double in KD and then it's gonna be books turn and vice versa. But they've got to lock in defensively and then their depth, they gotta get something from Shamette, from Lee, from Akagi. Two of those guys have to step up because they're gonna get open looks and that's always been the weakness, right? Ever since they made the trade is they have real no size, they have no depth and their defense are questioned. And the nuggets are a team that can expose a bad defense and they did that game one. So I fully expect them to make changes, to make adjustments and it to be a lot tighter in game two, but it's hard to go against the nuggets. It really is the way they played. They looked unbelievable and they're a number one seed for a reason. Look Jamal Murray, I think, cause we missed him. You know, we didn't get to see him for a couple of years. So what did he prove to you? Man, I just think he proved like the name bubble Jamal is definitely something you should still call him. But at the same time, like you said, Chandler said you have to stop him. I think you got to say that two or three times in big bowl letters. This kid can really score, you know, he's at a high level even before getting injured. He's probably one of the top young talents in the league. But at the same time, when you have this type of guard play going downhill in a fast pace situation versus Suns, he could be averaging 30 for the whole series and literally puts you out your misery. So I think somebody to step up and try to figure out a way to slow him down cause he's a problem, a real problem. Yeah, I think he's the toughest matchup in the series for the Suns, which sounds crazy. Cause I know Nicola Oak is just sitting right there with two MVP's, but they're more well equipped to deal with that. You can, you can body a guy up. You can, you can put some speed on him. He didn't shoot great the other night as anyway. So, but Jamal, when he's hitting the shot from deep like that, when he's driving to the lane like that, you got to do something. You got to, you got to get out there and trap. You got to show on the pick and roll. You got to contest. You got to do some, he shot, he shot a six, 10 from three and Aaron Gordon shot three or four from three. That's how you lose a game. On top of that, the rebound, they lost three bounty battle by a ton, turned the ball over all night. You give a team like the Nuggets that many extra possessions, you're going to lose. So if they don't want to be in Kabul with Chandler, let's rebound a little bit, take care of the ball a little bit guys. And they're going to have to do it tonight because I don't think you want to go down too old in this series. No, I felt like Aaron Gordon was everywhere in that one as well. And you mentioned it, you don't want to go down in this one. Are you worried? Was anything exposed about this Phoenix team? I'm worried about the rebounding, which was my concern going into this series period. I thought they would do a good job on Yolkets. And then look, he's Nick of Yolkets. He's going to, he's going to have his nights. He's going to score 35 one of these nights. He's going to have a triple double. But I did worry about the rebounding. I did worry about them crashing the boards the way they did Aaron Gordon, even KCP. And obviously Yolkets killed them on the boards. I think they'll take care of the ball a little better, but the rebound is going to persist. And if they don't figure that out, at least to be competitive, they're going to lose the series. Chandler, I got one here. So Sean's reporting that NBA's doubtful might still try to give it a go. So more likely, Kabul or the Conference Finals for Philly. Oh, there's no Joelle and me. They might see me here the next week. It's going to be real quick. And listen, it was going to be a tough series with Joelle and me. Boston seems like with Milwaukee now out, Yolkets being hurt, that series being dead. I think you look to the Celtics as the most complete best team. Defensively, the toughest team they have experienced. And going into this matchup now, it seems like a real tall task for Joelle. He's getting married this summer. He's got big plans this summer. This series looks like it could be, especially if he's not going to be able to go. I expect him to kind of give it a go and try to play. But there's no chance without him in the lineup. Are you trying to make it sound like getting married will take the place of being bumped early in these playoffs? I just don't think it's the same thing. Am I wrong? He's getting a ring. He's getting a ring, regardless. He's chilling. That's what you're supposed to say at the altar. Chandler's the romantic one now. I forget that sometimes. He's all romance, our newlywed. Chandler, we will talk soon when we come back. The most disrespectful plays, my favorite, from over the weekend. That man has a family, minutes away. I mean, I'd be like, I don't want to get married now. I'm in a bad mood. FanDuel's the only sports big app where you can bet that the Kentucky Derby, right now all customers can get a No Sweat Derby bet up to $20. That's right, get up to $20 back if your Derby win bet doesn't win. So what are you waiting for? Bet America's number one race on America's number one sports book. Head to FanDuel and get your No Sweat bet in for the Kentucky Derby. I like that if you don't win, you still get a prize. That's fun. That man has a family. All of these men have families of some sort and some of them just got embarrassed. AD, you know what? I like Jaren Jackson, but not great. Yeah, this is a tough way to end your season right here. Yo, that was a nasty dunk. I feel like it was slept on because Jaren Jackson Jr. literally toppled over. That was nasty. I feel like I knew he was a defensive player a year after being dumped on because this is like a Rudy Goldbeer special. You know what I mean? So I was like, oh, okay. You're officially a defensive player of the year because you got him bears, you know? That's the official one. That's a gold bear, Jaren. It's one thing to get dumped on. It's another thing to end up flat on your back looking at the scoreboard. It's not great. I liked that they're pointing at him in the back too. They're letting him know that this happened to him. The building was loud. It braced a narrator. Look at Dennis. You probably wonder how I got here. Look at Dennis. I love that. By the way, AD, not the only moment he had. This is just rude too. You thought. Kind of embarrassing. Out of here, little boy. He just took it, but he did. He took it from him like a child. Give me that. Give me that. You should have knew how I was going in after that. And then he's trying to, no, nothing, no. This was not a competitive basketball game. It was not even entertaining at all. Enjoy the summer. That was embarrassing. That was cool. Memphis has decisions to make in the words of Kyle Anderson. Man. It ain't too much of a decision. Don't they? Ain't too much of a decision on Dylan Brooks. He got to go. And who, by the way, who Photoshopped the Sharks Jersey on Dylan Brooks right after this game? I saw that. The Sharks or Shannon Sharp Jersey, which one? No, it was like the Shanghai Sharks Jersey immediately. The homies in China say that's a good gig over there. People are trying to say people to say, that's like, shoot. The competition ain't bad. Everybody get 30. Y'all, is this right? Ooh. They did this like four times. I don't know if you guys remember this. What would you do if this happened? Would you fight the person? I went, I mean, we're winning a series about the close out for sure. But if, if dude had 35 on me and I was over eight. I don't want your dap at that point either. Don't come console me, bro. Don't just hit my leg next time. Like, what are you doing? Oh, man. That's a bad loop to be on. They did this three times in a row, then threw the ball out of bounds, so. Great way to end the season, Atlanta. Is that not the way you want to do it? We're going to be out here in Los Angeles for the next couple of days. Everybody good with this? Fun times, ET in the house. Hopefully it'll be sunny at some point. Oh, he's always whining this one on the end. I brought the Jersey weather. I'm sorry. No, it's chilly. It's chilly. That's going to do it for us today. We'll be back bright and early tomorrow. Enjoy the evening. The running back. Running up. The running back. Running back. Running up. Running back.