On this episode of the Bob Ryan & Jeff Goodman NBA Podcast, Bob Ryan and Gary Tanguay discuss all the biggest stories around the game of basketball. The Celtics raise another banner in Boston, Jayson tatum cracks the Top 5 in the NBA, and with a record-breaking year behind them, the WNBA could face a possible work stoppage. All that, and much more!
*****************************************
CLNS Media is Powered by:
Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Terms apply. What time is it? Gametime!
*****************************************
CLNS Media is Powered by:
Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Terms apply. What time is it? Gametime!
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00It's time for Gary Tang with Bob Ryan, the podcast right here on CLNS Media, brought
00:23to you by Price Picks, the exclusive daily fantasy partner of the CLNS Media Network.
00:28Pick more, pick less with Price Picks.
00:32Bob, at the time that we record this, it is opening day for the Celtics.
00:39Do you feel giddy?
00:43Do you feel, have you lost that youthful level of expectation?
00:51I love this team and what they can do, well, first of all, what they have done, and the
00:57idea that they could repeat, which has become a big issue now in this league, it's enough
01:06to get me motivated, and I'm just, so I'm very excited about this season now.
01:11But do you still, regardless of the Celtics, like my read on Bob Ryan, who's always loved
01:16games, and you've made that very clear, that while in your career you've had to opine about
01:23issues, for you it's still all about the game.
01:26Yes.
01:28So on opening night of the NBA, for the Celtics, are you still a kid?
01:32Yeah, I see where you're going.
01:34No, I'm still a fan.
01:35Well, I was a fan first.
01:36My whole career is built on being a fan of sports and then having this wonderful opportunity
01:42to live in it and write about it and talk about it for a living.
01:48So I'm a fan, I mean, I'm not one of these detached observers at all, no.
01:55Now, here's the one thing that's changed in this league.
01:59Do I like it as much as I once did?
02:02No.
02:03I still like it.
02:04And I made my grudging accommodation with the hostile takeover of the three-point shot,
02:09which has altered the nature of this game.
02:12It has altered the nature of the game.
02:14Totally, it's changed it.
02:15I'm not going to say it destroyed it, no, that's hyperbole, that's nonsense.
02:18But it's altered the nature of the game, and it's a different game.
02:22I still like the game, it's still a game I'm familiar with.
02:26But I'm saying, I'd like to go back to 1986, you know, in that regard.
02:31But it's still the best basketball in the world with these athletes who get better and
02:37better athletically.
02:39We know that.
02:40Not that they have a monopoly on athleticism, but we all know that.
02:45And we, here in Boston, have an exemplary team in the new world, and there's nothing
02:53not to like.
02:55Well, you mentioned 1986.
02:57So we realize we have a list that we need to get to.
03:00Bob Ryan wants to talk about the ESPN Top 10 Hoop List, but we have a banner raising
03:06tonight, much like as a result of the 86 season.
03:10So you have seen many banners raised.
03:14How do you feel when it happens?
03:16Is there one that sticks out?
03:18Is there any particular memory you have?
03:20Well, not the ceremony itself.
03:22I mean, you know, it's the memories you're restoring.
03:26For example, here's what I'll be thinking about.
03:29The last night that I was in that building for a Celtic game, I have been back in the
03:33building.
03:34We had an ABCD Hoop Dreams there, but anyway, it was the night of one of the most festive
03:40occasions in the history of the team, which is with all these championships, this being
03:45the 18th, this championship game, the last two championship clinching games going back
03:52to 08 as well, have been, you know, thorough humiliations of the vanquished foe.
03:58You know, the one was really sweet because it was the Lakers, 131-96, 132-96.
04:04And this one, with that fantastic game that they played, and Pritchard's shot, Pritchard's
04:10shot is going to be, it's a signature, even though it was only at halftime, but it was
04:14the symbolic ending of the, you know, the clinching of the season, of the whole thing.
04:18So it's going to be fun that we kindle that memory, because the last time I was in that
04:20building with all the people, it was a, it was a happening.
04:24It was so much fun.
04:25Everybody was enjoying themselves.
04:26So that'd be nice to kindle that.
04:28But as far as the ceremonies themselves, you know, I don't really have any, you know, memories
04:34of anything, you know, specifically.
04:37All right.
04:39Now let's get to the meat of the conversation here.
04:43ESPN has a list out that you would like to comment on, and what is certainly not a surprise
04:48is I think Tatum is a top-ranked American on this list.
04:51There's a couple of things on my mind.
04:53This is number one.
04:54I want to talk about the globalization of the league in general, which this is going
04:56to lead, this is going to bleed right into it.
04:58Okay.
04:59Yeah.
05:00ESPN has come up with a top 100, and the top 10 are as follows, going from 10 to 1, okay?
05:07Number 10 is Anthony Edwards.
05:09Number 9 is Kevin Durant.
05:11Number 8, Joel Embiid.
05:12Number 7, LeBron.
05:14Number 6, Steph.
05:16And number 5, Jason Tatum.
05:19Number 4, Mr. Gildas Alexander, Shea Gildas Alexander, SGA as we like to call him.
05:25Number 3 is Giannis Antetokounmpo.
05:28Number 2 is Luka Doncic, and number 1 is Nikola Djokic.
05:31What's interesting about this league, 5 of the 10 are international players, and including
05:36the top 3, top 4, and 3 of them are, the top 3 are European, because number 4 happens to
05:43be Mr. Gildas Alexander, a Canadian.
05:47It's such a statement on the way the game has evolved, and by the way, the league announced
05:54all the schedules and everything today, and it put out those schedules, they have a record
05:57125 international players in the NBA right now, in 43 countries and possessions.
06:04Wow.
06:05And that's just, I just smile when I think about the big story it was when the very first
06:14European who was not developed in an American college, because we had some guys that had,
06:20you know, they were born in Europe and they played college in America and they got drafted.
06:24You know, guys like Delph Schrempf, for example, you know, or as Larry used to call him, Deltif.
06:29But anyway, Deltif, he played at USA Washington, and we had guys like that.
06:35But this was the first time that there was a European, a European-European, bred only
06:40by them, that come over here and play.
06:43His name was Georgi Gluchkov, and he played for the Suns.
06:47He was a Bulgarian.
06:48And guess what?
06:50He played one year, went back home, and has never been another Bulgarian.
06:54Wow.
06:55Basketball didn't take off in Bulgaria, thanks to Georgi Gluchkov.
06:59But we know it took off in Serbia and Croatia and Lithuania and Slovenia.
07:04And yeah, we know that.
07:06But so, okay, we got 125.
07:09The list is, it's an interesting list, you know, the number one American, the highest
07:15rated American is Jason Tatum.
07:18It's interesting that Jalen Brown did not crack the top 10.
07:20Well, top 10, 10's tough, you know, 10's tough.
07:24I mean, Jalen Brunson right now, I think, can make himself a case too, for example.
07:29But you know, there's plenty of, you know, so, but yeah, Jalen Brown, more motivation
07:35for Jalen Brown, as if he needed any more.
07:37No doubt.
07:38As if he needed any more.
07:40So, yeah.
07:41Well, despite his struggles offensively in the finals, Tatum is getting the respect.
07:48Yeah, he is, because he's being recognized as an all-around skillful player who can help
07:54you, you know.
07:55Yeah, his shooting was off, but he rebounded great, he's become a facilitator, and there
08:02it is.
08:03So, I'm trying to think of whether there are Americans, you know, that weren't on this
08:08list right now.
08:11You know, who?
08:12I mean, Jalen, we can go on.
08:14Well, you mentioned Brunson.
08:15Look, if I want to complain about Jalen Brown, and Jalen Brunson has a case to make too.
08:19I mean, obviously, you have some guys that are long in the tooth, and LeBron, where in
08:25the past, they would be number one.
08:26And Curry.
08:27Yeah, oh, yeah.
08:28Well, now they're in the bottom five.
08:31So next year, they're in the top 10.
08:33It's a remarkable tribute to LeBron, who is going to be 40 on the 30th, that he's still
08:41a premier player.
08:43He is still a premier player.
08:44Did you see they're giving odds on Bronny for Rookie of the Year?
08:48I just saw.
08:49I didn't read it.
08:50I saw the headline.
08:51And really, we didn't think he was going to be on the team, you know, if he was going
08:57to be in the G League.
08:58And the other night, LeBron, he had 17 points in the game the other night, because they
09:03did lose that game, 122 to 74, or 132 to 74, to the Warriors.
09:08LeBron didn't play.
09:09AD didn't play.
09:10Blah, blah, blah.
09:11You know.
09:12Yeah.
09:13What is the one thing, Bob, as we're on the doorstep of the season here, that you're looking
09:16to see?
09:17I have one specific thing that I'm going to be, that I cannot wait to see.
09:22What is it for you?
09:23Wow.
09:24Well, I don't have such a thing right now.
09:25I'm anxious to hear.
09:26Well, I keep hearing, Bob.
09:29I keep hearing that Tatum's shot is looking good.
09:34Yeah.
09:35Yeah.
09:36Yeah.
09:37Right.
09:38That he's made some technical adjustment.
09:39Technical adjustment's going on now.
09:41Granted, I have not been plugged into the preseason, okay?
09:45Which is just, whatever.
09:47I can't do it.
09:48But tonight, you know, at the time we taped this, like, tonight, that's what I'm going
09:52to be looking for.
09:53Can this guy, has he regained his offensive stroke?
09:57Because you know it, and I know it, that if this guy maintains his shot, it's over.
10:02I mean, it's over.
10:05I mean, some people think it's over now.
10:08He's still, the amazing thing about him, you know, the way the world has evolved with these
10:12young guys.
10:13He's 26.
10:14Oh, I know.
10:15You're eight, you know, coming up.
10:17And yeah, no, that's going to be interesting.
10:22On the side of that, that's one, the continued development of the bench and Hauser and Pritchard
10:27and they each have improved.
10:32That's going to help.
10:33You can now win up to 100 times your money on prize picks with as little as four correct
10:38picks.
10:39Hey, sign up today.
10:40Get $50 instantly when you play $5.
10:43You don't even need to win to receive the $50 bonus.
10:46It's guaranteed.
10:47Cook up hot takes with your friends and win real money this football season when you and
10:52your crew run your game on prize picks this week on the prize picks football board, Justin
10:59Jefferson for more than 83 and a half receiving yards and Patrick Mahomes for less than 267.5
11:07passing yards.
11:08Download the app today and use code CLNS to get $50 instantly after you play your first
11:12$5 lineup.
11:14Again, download the app today and use code CLNS to get $50 instantly after you play your
11:20first $5 lineup.
11:22Prize picks run your game.
11:25Missoula last year seemed to be pretty even keel.
11:32His first year Missoula was very defensive and he was very even keel last year, like
11:39very calm, very clear.
11:41This year he's getting a little quirky, you know, at the podium.
11:45And I wonder if it's on purpose.
11:48I wonder if it's to take away attention from the team or less pressure on his guys and
11:56focus on him.
11:59He seems to be, he seems to have a little bit of that edge back so far in the media,
12:03but a little quirky too.
12:05Um, he's, I just think he's unveiling himself, pilling back the layers.
12:10We're just learning more and more about who he is and what his whole, the whole stick
12:14his whole thing, if you will, you know, we look, cause we knew nothing in the beginning,
12:19you know, we're learning a little piece by piece.
12:21We knew nothing, you know, Joe Missoula, okay, he's, he's an assistant coaches on the second
12:25row.
12:26I remembered him at Wisconsin, at West Virginia.
12:30But after that, you know, off my radar screen and until the morning of the 22nd of September
12:372020.
12:38I mean, you mentioned West Virginia.
12:41He doesn't, it's, I'm starting to see a couple of, I'm starting to see some similarities
12:45to Huggy really.
12:49He does not care what people think.
12:51I mean, you know, as well as I do, Huggins did not care what Bob Ryan did not care what
12:57I did, Bob.
12:58And I don't think this guy does either.
13:00Well, I think he's very secure in his own skin, as they say, because they want a title.
13:06Yeah.
13:07Wow.
13:08But that's, I just have such an image of, you know, of Huggy and actually, what's funny
13:12about that set, a couple of interactions I had with him, one in particular function,
13:19you know, he's comes off a lot more gently and gentle than you would have thought, you
13:23know, he's, he's the intimidation factor, big dude, obviously he's big, he's big guys
13:30like Bob Knight.
13:31It's big appealing to us how big Bob Knight was and how big Huggy is.
13:35So anyway, that's interesting.
13:36I have to, I have to ponder that.
13:38I just think Joe Mizzou is, is, is just, we're just learning layer by layer of, you know,
13:43what he's, what he's all about.
13:45And, and, you know, so he had that strange quote, you know, about the one, if there were
13:51Christian coaches, you know, that was, that was, that was odd.
13:54You know, I didn't, okay, fine.
13:57But that was a weird one.
13:58But there's a few things that come out of his mouth you wonder about, you know.
14:01Well, yeah.
14:02And last year, he was pretty straight.
14:03And then this year he's back to, he's not being offensive, but he's just being quirky
14:07or odd.
14:08I don't know.
14:09Well, an issue, you know, he's not, he's not oblivious to the, to the, to the noise as
14:14they like to say in the, in the sports world.
14:17Okay.
14:18The fact that people questioned the validity of their championship based on the absence
14:22of key players on the other teams in the playoffs.
14:25And if, and it was undeniable, you know, that, that they benefited from the absence of, of
14:30people such as Garland and, and, and, and Jimmy Butler, Butler, et cetera, and Mitchell,
14:39you know, Mitchell, I mean, particularly not in the car.
14:41So yeah, you know, that they, yeah, now I, my counter argument to that of course is that,
14:46and they went 37 days without Christophe Brzingis and, and, and survived.
14:51And so they had to, they had to deal with that and they dealt with it very nicely.
14:55But I think he's, so he's got motivation.
14:58He knows damn right well that there were people out there that are, that are just going, yeah,
15:01but there was a little asterisk on that title.
15:03Although the fact of the matter is they, they, they were so dominant and they had set a record
15:09for point differential.
15:10You know, they, they had set a record for most, I love this one that ESPN came up with
15:16the most 20 point leads at any point in the game in a season in the history of the league,
15:20you know?
15:21Well, it's interesting.
15:22That speaks to a dominance, right?
15:23Of course it does.
15:24And it was 16-3 in the postseason.
15:26Yeah.
15:27And, and, oh, by the way, in your previous reference to the preseason this year, you
15:34know, three, three different times they led by 30, at least.
15:39And so, and, yeah.
15:41And sending Pritchard to the podium after a game, you know?
15:44So it's not like they're, they're loading up with the starters.
15:46I mean, you know, everything.
15:48I think they, you know, he's, he's, he's become unavoidable, if you will.
15:53You know, you, you, you, you, he's turned out to be everything I hoped he would be.
15:57And, and, and, you know, they're very lucky to have him, I think.
16:01And, and, and that he's, I don't know if he's totally content.
16:06I'm sure he'd like a big payday someday, but you know, he, but anyway, we still have him.
16:11It's better every year.
16:12Yeah.
16:13I mean, don't worry.
16:14That's kind of it.
16:15Because what happens is he's going to get a big payday, go somewhere and probably not
16:18win.
16:19So it all, it all evens out in the wash.
16:21You know, guys that go on to win big.
16:23And if then I get, they get paid at some point.
16:26You're right.
16:27You're right.
16:28No.
16:29But I think really the untold story of the Celtics and it's because of his personality
16:35and he would much prefer to be in the background and have Joe go out and say quirky things.
16:41It's Brad Stevens.
16:43And to me, I think he's the forgotten man in all of this, where you take a look.
16:49If Tatum gets the jump shot back and he has assembled a team that not only fits well together
16:56on the floor, but they fit well together emotionally and mentally.
17:02And it's tough enough in the NBA to do that for one season.
17:06Yeah.
17:07But now he's got him ready to go again for the second season with no drama.
17:12They're focused.
17:13If they're healthy, they win.
17:15And Brad Stevens, to me, is the unspoken hero in all of this.
17:20Well, I just assume we're lucky to have him around.
17:23And the transition was effortless, was beautiful between him, Danny and him.
17:28Yeah.
17:29No, I agree with you.
17:31And he is self-effacing.
17:32He's not a publicity seeker.
17:34You know, he wants very much to live as normal a life as he can.
17:40No question.
17:42And so far, I think he has succeeded in doing it.
17:49If he's happy doing this, that's fine.
17:53When he did leave the coaching ranks, I couldn't believe how young, you know,
17:56that he would do it at his age, that he won't coach again.
18:01And who knows?
18:02He'll wake up one morning and decide.
18:04Well, I think a lot has to do with the family.
18:06Maybe when the kids are out of the house.
18:09The oldest son is now a freshman in college.
18:11And so we're moving along.
18:13Yeah.
18:14We'll see.
18:15I love the story about Brady.
18:17What's that?
18:18For people that don't know, Brady Stevens was born in Indianapolis.
18:23And Brad said he's caused quite a stir in an incubator when I saw the name
18:29Brady in Indianapolis at the time.
18:34It did not go unnoticed in the hospital that they had this kid named Brady in
18:39the incubator.
18:40I mean, that's pretty interesting.
18:41I had not heard that one.
18:42Yeah.
18:43Yeah.
18:44Yeah.
18:45He told me that with a big chuckle.
18:46You know, it's interesting with somebody after having a success as a GM,
18:51you don't have to travel.
18:52You don't have the headache.
18:53Do you want to go back into the coaching?
18:55Because coaching is such a grind.
18:57I'll be surprised if he does.
18:59Now, yeah.
19:00No, maybe you're right.
19:01I mean, he did say he told me that lifestyle was the preponderant reason.
19:05Right.
19:06But now with the kids out of the house, do you go back into coaching?
19:08You're a successful GM.
19:10That can really…
19:11Here's the other thing, though.
19:12The one thought was that…
19:15I keep kidding how they say they're lighting candles all over the state of
19:19Indiana, hoping that someday Brad would come and rescue the Hoosiers.
19:23Except college basketball is not the same world that he left.
19:27It's not.
19:28No, no, no, no.
19:29Right.
19:31We just had Exhibit A this week, which is a good topic for us.
19:36If Jeff were here, we could expound on it and Jeff Goodman.
19:39But the resignation of Tony Bennett at Virginia sent shockwaves on top of…
19:48Jay Wright, you know that damn right well.
19:50He bailed out for that reason two years ago.
19:53I don't need this crap.
19:54That's not the world I want to live in, and I'm not dealing with this.
19:57Tony Bennett didn't want to deal with this nonsense either.
20:00And so I can't see Brad injecting himself back into college sports anytime
20:05soon, given all the upheaval that it's in.
20:10There's nothing like seeing a game live.
20:11I mean, watching it on TV is great.
20:13We have all the technology.
20:14We have our phones.
20:15We have access to everything.
20:16But being there in person is definitely the way to go.
20:19GameTime has a new feature called GameTime Picks that makes getting
20:23tickets to see your favorite teams play live even easier.
20:26GameTime filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great seats.
20:31Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime.
20:34Download the GameTime app.
20:35Create an account.
20:36Use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase.
20:39Terms apply.
20:40Again, create an account and redeem code CLNS for $20 off.
20:45Download GameTime today.
20:47What time is it?
20:48It's GameTime.
20:49Have you kept an eye or had any thoughts regarding the sale of the Celtics?
20:54Because I did have this discussion with someone this morning that if somebody
21:00comes in and wants to buy the Grousbeck share and they spend, obviously, billions,
21:05will they want to buy the whole thing?
21:08Will the partners get in the way?
21:10Will Vegas, if someone wants to come in and buy the Celtics, would they rather just
21:14have an expansion team in Vegas and start from the ground up?
21:17And teams in Vegas do well whether they're playing or not.
21:21I've been watching that and following that because I find that whole thing fascinating,
21:25how that's going to shake out.
21:27Well, I do too.
21:28And of course, one of the things that is an issue is the fact that they don't own their
21:33own arena.
21:34And it's just a big deal.
21:37And to a lot of prospective buyers, that would be a big deal.
21:42And one of the names that was thrown around this week was a Bezos sibling.
21:47Right.
21:48I think it was Mark.
21:49I'm not sure.
21:50I think it was Mark.
21:51Well, they have the fund.
21:52They have a fund.
21:53So it's a Bezos money, wherever it's coming from.
21:58It's a great unknown.
21:59And I mean, it's not going to have any bearing on this year, obviously.
22:02So, you know, there's no need for any Celtic fan to fret about some disruption of the process
22:08and the way things are going so nicely this year.
22:12But once that sale is done, yeah, it's an unknown.
22:15You don't know exactly how it's going to go.
22:18And whoever comes in with his or her eyes open, you know, they're going to be inheriting
22:24a whopping payroll and the intent, the Stuxnet thing and all the ramifications of that.
22:32And it's, you know, it's going to be...
22:35They will build an arena.
22:36There's no doubt.
22:38Whoever buys this team is, to me, they're going to build the arena.
22:43Well, that would be...
22:44Wouldn't that be something, you know, that we're so used to, you know, the Boston Garden
22:49since 1928, you know.
22:52And this is the second incarnation of it, of course.
22:56But that would be...
22:58I just can't even fathom that.
22:59And, of course, you know, the big problem then, of course, is the battle over events
23:04and shows.
23:06And, you know, that's one of the things that gets talked about with the Bobcraft and the
23:10desire to build the stadium.
23:11And it has a soccer stadium in Everett and all that, you know.
23:15Right.
23:16And yet another arena competing for the existing...
23:19It's going to be interesting.
23:20But I'll tell you, though, Bob, I think there's plenty of room.
23:24I've just noticed it with my kids.
23:27Because coming out of COVID, people want live events.
23:34Live events more than ever.
23:36They're selling out all over the world.
23:38They're selling out all over the country.
23:40I think there's enough room for everybody.
23:43I really do.
23:44It's a big...
23:46It's live event production is...
23:49And I think it's going to be anytime soon.
23:51You make a good point about enough events for everybody.
23:54Because I'm always amused myself when I'm reading about these concerts that sold out
24:01the Boston Garden.
24:02And I have no idea who these artists are, you know.
24:04Oh, yeah, me neither.
24:05Forget about it.
24:06I don't either.
24:07The comedy.
24:08The comedy as well.
24:09I mean, you have stand-up comics selling out the Boston Garden.
24:12You know, you have other performances, other live acts doing it as well.
24:16So I think there's plenty of room there.
24:18Well, it's going to be something to monitor, the Celtics thing.
24:22But it isn't going to have any tangible effect on the performance of the...
24:26Oh, yeah.
24:27No.
24:28I think pretty much, you know, the next...
24:30Yeah, next year will be fine.
24:31Maybe even the year after that.
24:32But I think it's going to get really interesting.
24:35Because there's even some...
24:36I forgot the gentleman's name.
24:38There's another who's a limited partner who's got a ton of money.
24:41The thing that always amazes me, Bob, this young man from Run for Mayor you're talking with,
24:46when these people come out of the woodwork that have all this money,
24:49and I go, where do they come from?
24:51No, no.
24:52Like, names you don't hear of.
24:54Like, Bezos, obviously.
24:55You know who Bezos is.
24:57Or you'll hear about this other guy that's worth $20 billion.
24:59I'm like, where?
25:01I can't...
25:02Where does it come from?
25:04Where does it come from?
25:05My God.
25:06Anyways.
25:07As a little subplot to that, a little corollary to that,
25:12it's a question I pose almost every time I drive up the Southeast Expressway
25:16or I see the boats, and I say, who owns all these boats?
25:20I know.
25:21In this climate, how much use do you get out of a boat?
25:24I mean, I'm serious.
25:26But I live in a boat.
25:28I live in a nautical town.
25:29Okay?
25:30We got the harbor full of boats.
25:31And I'm like, who owns these boats?
25:33Right.
25:34So that kind of ties in with what you're saying about,
25:37where do these billionaires get their money to?
25:39Who owns all these boats?
25:40Where's it all coming from?
25:41Like, this guy.
25:42God.
25:44Well, like one of my friends who owned a boat said the best day was –
25:47the two best days of being a boat owner is when you buy it and when you sell it.
25:50Anyways.
25:51Yeah, I know.
25:54Well, before we – we want to touch on the –
25:57WNBA.
25:58Yeah, and a couple of things.
25:59Go ahead.
26:00Okay.
26:01No, okay.
26:02Let me just – WNBA, and then we can wrap up with it.
26:04You've got a couple of thoughts.
26:06I find it fascinating that, for the first time ever,
26:09we've heard about a potential labor issue with the WNBA,
26:13that their deal goes to 27,
26:17but they can opt out by the end of this month until they only play one more season.
26:21So the deal would end in 2025.
26:23You know as well as I do, they're opting out.
26:25They just did.
26:26It's done.
26:27Oh, it is a done deal.
26:28I didn't know it was a done deal.
26:29Oh, I thought they hadn't officially done it.
26:30Okay.
26:31It's a done deal.
26:32So it's a done deal.
26:33So they opt out.
26:35How's this going to go?
26:39We're going to find out.
26:40I mean, this is a league in which, as recently as the 23-24 season,
26:46an issue was that you weren't allowed to go charter.
26:51And the Liberty, I believe it was the Liberty, owned by Joe Cy,
26:55were fined because they broke the rule of flying charter.
27:00Right.
27:01This is just so backward.
27:05But anyway, yeah, this is a league that's as recent as two years ago.
27:08They didn't do charter.
27:10And now, of course, the spotlight has been thrust on them.
27:15And they had a tremendous season.
27:17They had a tremendous postseason.
27:19And their profile has obviously soared.
27:23And I had to say it, most largely because of one person.
27:26Kaitlin Clark has come.
27:28He definitely got the ball rolling.
27:30But the numbers continue through the finals.
27:33The Kaitlin effect.
27:35And one of the great benefits of it was that people were then alerted to the
27:41fact that there's some other pretty damn good players in that league, too,
27:44and have been for a number of years.
27:47So anyway, no, it's ongoing.
27:50It's got a very interesting story that they're flexing their muscles,
27:53as it were, and demanding their place at this table.
28:00Well, yeah, but there's a lot of issues here.
28:03Like I was just reading up on some of the salaries.
28:05You know, when you take a look at, look, $130,000, to me,
28:11is still a lot of money in this day and age.
28:13But, like, that's what some of these players are making.
28:16And when you compare it to what other leagues are making.
28:19Oh, God, yeah.
28:20And you can't compare it to the NBA,
28:24because the popularity wasn't there at the time.
28:27But, you know, even to tennis.
28:29Like female tennis players are multimillionaires.
28:32So now I think that what they're seeing is, I mean,
28:36the television ratings have to be there,
28:38and they have to get the network TV money.
28:40They're going to have to get a decent TV deal,
28:42and then the numbers will trickle down.
28:43That's what's going to have to happen.
28:46But the health benefits, you know, maternity leave,
28:50which they just got in 2020, things of that nature.
28:54So it's not just going to be about the money.
28:56It's going to be a lot of...
28:57They need to get to a point as quickly as possible
29:01where it's financially solvent enough
29:04that nobody has to go to play in New York just to make a living.
29:09Well, I'll tell you one thing.
29:10They don't want to work stoppage.
29:12No.
29:13They don't want to work stoppage
29:14because I think a work stoppage for any league,
29:18probably with the exception of the NFL,
29:22like for baseball or basketball,
29:26I think a work stoppage for any league right now
29:28would be a bad idea because there's so much...
29:30There are too many options.
29:33Too many entertainment options.
29:35So I hope that that doesn't happen.
29:36So I think it's going to be interesting.
29:38I mean, good for them.
29:39I mean, the players certainly deserve it.
29:41There's no doubt about it.
29:42But it's going to be interesting to see how that plays out.
29:44The one final thought on them and their legacy,
29:48I watched a good portion of the playoffs.
29:51I watched the championship game.
29:53And unfortunately, that was not a good game.
29:57And you can talk about good defense,
30:00but the fact is that it was not a good demonstration of the product.
30:03I wish there had been a better product.
30:06And the other thing is that I always feel this way
30:09about any sport, basketball in particular.
30:12I hate what I call loose ends.
30:14I want the ending to be clean.
30:16It was anything but clean.
30:18It was a very, very much of a loose end
30:20with a controversial call that was bad.
30:24And it was pretty obvious that that was not a foul
30:26that put Breonna Stewart to the line
30:28that gave chance to send him into overtime.
30:30But then it reopened discussion about just in general terms,
30:34they've got to improve the quality of the officiating.
30:37Everybody seems to be in agreement with that.
30:39There's no dispute about that.
30:41So that's one thing they got to do.
30:43But I hate the fact that this big game went down to,
30:47not didn't go down, but now.
30:51When these things happen, you always have to remember
30:55if you hadn't put yourself in a position to be hurt by that,
31:01because you should have played better to start with.
31:04Both teams, of course, and then the horrendous evening
31:07by the two stars shooting-wise,
31:09Stewart and Ionescu, Ionescu won 5-34.
31:13I have to point out something to people, though.
31:15This is in fairness to those two stars.
31:21In the 1957 Game 7, Boston Celtics, 125,
31:26St. Louis Hawks, 123, double overtime.
31:29The all-star backcourt, and they were together.
31:34They were the all-star backcourt for at least four or five years
31:38in the 50s.
31:39The first team, Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman,
31:43they shot, in that game, 5-40.
31:46Yeah.
31:48They were bailed out by two rookies,
31:50some guy named Russell and some guy named Heinzen.
31:52Right.
31:53Heinzen, of course, at the time, he had 37 points
31:56and 23 rebounds in that Game 7.
31:59Cousy and Sharman shot 5-40.
32:01It was even worse than Ionescu and Stewart.
32:06People should be aware of that before they come down too hard
32:09on Ionescu and Stewart.
32:11But guess what?
32:12They're champs now.
32:14There you go.
32:16Anything else, Bob?
32:17They got bailed out by a rookie too.
32:20Not a rookie, but a sub.
32:22Right.
32:23Yeah.
32:25No, just a happy new year to everybody in the NBA.
32:29As we inaugurate the season, the league began modestly in 1946,
32:37and here we are.
32:39A lot of teams have big hopes, by the way.
32:44Sure.
32:46Wide open.
32:47A lot of teams have big hopes.
32:49Celtics are our favorite, but they're going to have to earn it.
32:52I think it's wide open for number two, I should say.
32:54I think the Celtics are by far ahead of anybody else,
32:57but number two is wide open.
32:59Bob, just a final question,
33:01because they call you the commissioner for a reason.
33:04Are you surprised or do you ever sit back and are you astounded
33:09at how the league has grown in such an international level of popularity
33:14based on when you started coming out of Boston College
33:17covering this team or this league?
33:20No.
33:21Yes.
33:22The answer is yes.
33:23It's totally global.
33:24It's the second biggest thing and the most popular sport in the world
33:28after soccer slash football.
33:31And it's with 125 international players in the league this year
33:36on the opening day rosters.
33:38And, yeah, it's improved so much.
33:43It's great.
33:45I am, but, I mean, I say that.
33:48We've gone to a point where we had the one Bulgarian in 84-85
33:52and now we've got 125 internationals.
33:55And, yeah, it's a tribute to, but I'm telling you right now,
33:59people that never got the whole point of the Dream Team,
34:03the tipping point that set all this in motion was the Dream Team
34:08and the inspiration that they provided for a lot of youngsters
34:11all over the map and all over the globe.
34:15And that was the turning point.
34:17And the Dream Team, they were the true ambassadors of sport
34:20for that.
34:22And it wasn't our idea.
34:25It was the late Boris Stankovic of FIBA who dragged us kicking
34:30and screaming into the international world in that level.
34:33And they could never, everybody who's benefited from it
34:36could never thank that man enough.
34:39Robert, we'll talk to you again in a few days.
34:41Brought to you by PrizePix,
34:42the exclusive daily fantasy partner of the CLNS Media Network.
34:45Pick more, pick less with PrizePix.
34:47Enjoy the opening of the greatest season ever, Bob.
34:50All right. We'll talk to you soon.