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00:00High noon, Jones and Keefe here on WEEI.
00:03It is a Celtics Wednesday, which means it's time for Pure Hoops with Terp.
00:08Fun win, Terp, last night for the Celtics.
00:10Overtime over my New York Knicks.
00:12That it was.
00:13Who said March basketball in the NBA can't be fun?
00:15April.
00:16April.
00:16Oh, yeah, it's right.
00:17It's April now.
00:18I'm all over the place.
00:19April 9th.
00:19April now.
00:20You're right.
00:21Wow.
00:22Week and a half in April.
00:23April.
00:24Whoever said that about March is probably still right.
00:26Fine.
00:26Even more so.
00:27April.
00:28Regular season.
00:28April Hoops, it was great.
00:30Yeah, the Knicks, really dumb of the Knicks not to foul in that situation, but great play
00:34by Tatum and then, you know, poor Zingas in overtime.
00:38I mean, I'm of the belief every time you're up three, just foul.
00:40Yes.
00:41It's not ethical hoops per se.
00:43Is it pure?
00:44I guess it is pure.
00:45Do whatever it takes to win.
00:46It's not ethical, I guess.
00:48That's really a riveting debate.
00:49People do not like the fouling up three.
00:52I just think it makes so much sense.
00:53How much time was left again?
00:54When did they invest?
00:5511 seconds.
00:55So you can't foul with like 11 seconds left.
00:58I agree with that.
00:59No, but they had the whole length of the court to go.
01:01You could have gotten that down to five or six and fouled.
01:03By the time Tatum shot, there was way less time.
01:05And Tatum, at one point, has his back to the bat.
01:06Like, you easily...
01:07There's plenty of opportunities to foul.
01:09I was saying, just because you're up three doesn't automatically foul on like the inbound.
01:13You got to play the clock a little bit.
01:15But by the time Tatum was shooting, you had opportunities to foul.
01:17They absolutely should have fouled.
01:18I like that Joe let him go.
01:20Like, they had the double bigs on the floor, and it would have given them a chance to obviously
01:23set their defense.
01:24And I think it was so chaotic in there that they didn't even consider fouling up three.
01:28Like, they just started pushing up the floor.
01:30And I think if they called the timeout, it's also easier to foul on the inbound pass, like,
01:35without getting someone in the act of shooting.
01:37So it was a good call by Joe to let them go.
01:39I mean, with the double bigs, I think it threw them off, too.
01:42Because I think New York was thinking they were going to get shooters on the floor.
01:44Because they had the two centers.
01:46They were down by three.
01:47So that was heads up by Joe.
01:48I've been waiting, because Terp is a Porzingis guy.
01:52Sure am.
01:52Sure.
01:53And so they need him to win.
01:55Terp has been needling me sometimes when Porzingis comes in after these big games.
02:00Is that a game where it proves how valuable he is and how much they need him to win a title?
02:04So this is a number that I crunched this morning, which is absolutely wild.
02:07The guy's 7'3", and the average distance of his made threes last night was 27.75 feet.
02:15Just for reference, the deepest part of the three-point line in the NBA is 23 feet and 9 inches.
02:21And this guy's just banging them from right over.
02:24Has he been asked about that?
02:25He was last night.
02:26I was going to say, I heard Meggo talking about this today, and I realize this.
02:29Because if you remember, Keith, early on in the year, I was very critical.
02:31I'm like, take a step up.
02:33Yeah, get a little bit closer.
02:33Why are you shooting from that far away?
02:35He always does.
02:36His answer, if I'm paraphrasing, if I heard Meggo right, he's basically like,
02:39my efficiency doesn't drop at all when I shoot from back there versus at the line,
02:42so I might as well give us more spacing, right?
02:44Yeah, before he got to Boston, right after Washington, he looked at it.
02:49They experimented with his trainer, and the efficiency really didn't drop off.
02:53And he just said he's more comfortable shooting from further out,
02:56which if you're the Celtics, you take that.
02:57Already an elite floor-spacing team.
02:59And then you got your 7'3 center standing 30 feet away from the rim.
03:04And you don't have to worry about your tootsies.
03:05Your tootsies can be on the line.
03:07Next thing you know, you hit that shot's two.
03:08He doesn't fit in the corner.
03:09He hit one last night, but last year he was always on the line taking these corner threes.
03:13He seems to figure out how to fit over there a little bit more.
03:17But, I mean, that's a weapon for them.
03:18And he's also shooting a team best and career high 41.6% from three.
03:24Like, that guy is shooting a team full of three-point shooters.
03:27Granted, his volume's a little bit less, or, I mean, a couple hundred in some of the cases
03:32with, like, Tatum and those guys.
03:33But he's still taking over 200 shots from three, and he's shooting 41.6%.
03:38Like, that's terrifying.
03:39He's in the top 10 points per possession in the post, and then he's shooting the lights
03:44out from three.
03:44So, he's all the part of the unicorn, and we saw that last night.
03:48Fun win, obviously.
03:49They sweep the season series with the Knicks.
03:51However, Jalen Brown doesn't play the fourth quarter, doesn't play overtime.
03:55When he did play, didn't look great.
03:5822 minutes, and we know his knee is hurting him.
04:01So, Jones and I are both fairly concerned on Brown.
04:06Where are you at with Jalen Brown?
04:07We can't watch last night not have any sort of concern, right?
04:11He didn't play in the fourth quarter in overtime in a game where Tatum played a season high
04:15in minutes.
04:16Derek White and Drew Holiday both played their top three minutes.
04:18Chris Topps Porzingis was also at a season high in minutes.
04:21Like, this is a game they were going out.
04:23Like, maybe they were, maybe they cared about winning.
04:25Like, they always care about winning.
04:26So, maybe they were going out to just go for the season sweep, though.
04:29They said that didn't really matter.
04:30Or maybe it was, you know, this is a good opportunity to get these guys late game execution reps
04:34because those probably aren't going to happen against Charlotte.
04:37And you don't want to put anything on tape against Orlando because you could see them in
04:40the first round.
04:40So, for him not to be on the floor is a little concerning.
04:43And I was actually looking at this this morning.
04:45He hasn't played over 30 minutes since the Oklahoma City game.
04:49He averaged 36 minutes per game in the playoffs last year.
04:52I mean, he's come close a couple times.
04:53He has a 28 and 29.
04:54And he was on a 30-minute minute restriction.
04:57But his last two have been 21 minutes.
05:00Those are both season lows.
05:01I feel like I shouldn't have to ask.
05:03But it's clear what they're doing, right?
05:04They're just getting him over minimum thresholds to get him to 65 games.
05:08The minimum threshold last night was 20 minutes.
05:10He played 22.
05:11You told me in the last two games of the year it's only 15 minutes, right?
05:13Well, so the NBA has this thing, part of that threshold is you get two near-miss games.
05:19So, you can play over 15 but less than 20.
05:21So, you only get those all year long.
05:23You only get those two for the entire year.
05:25Jalen hasn't used his.
05:26It's not like a tapering thing at the end of the year.
05:28Got it.
05:28So, I didn't realize that until today.
05:29I didn't even know the 20-minute thing until today.
05:31I didn't know that.
05:32Yeah.
05:32So, Jalen's season low is 21.
05:34So, he has two games that he can play at 15 and under 20 and it will still count.
05:38What a convoluted thing.
05:39Sitting down and coming up with this.
05:40Like, first of all, why it has to be 65 games instead of 60 or 70.
05:44It's 65.
05:45And then the minutes thing is crazier on top of it.
05:48Because I feel like you're only penalizing yourself if you play one minute.
05:51That's going to crush some of your overall averages and things like that.
05:54I mean, he's doing that naturally right now.
05:56He kind of is.
05:57Actually, his averages were up in the last six games before last night since coming back from the three-game absence.
06:02His shooting numbers were actually up a little bit.
06:03But it's clear what they're doing, right?
06:05They're just playing him to get to these minimum thresholds so he can try to make all-NBA.
06:08You agree with that?
06:09I think the comments last night might have revealed a little bit more, too.
06:12Where Joe's like, we got what we needed out of him.
06:15I mean, he was terrible.
06:16Not performance-wise, he didn't.
06:19Two of seven, whatever it was.
06:20Like, not a great shooting night.
06:21Kristaps was pretty much pleading for him to sit down for a little bit.
06:25So, I think that was a little revealing.
06:26You heard Keefe's all-NBA, you know, kind of power rankings earlier.
06:30He doesn't think Jalen Brown will make all-NBA.
06:32I brought my own.
06:33Yes.
06:34Here we go.
06:35Let's see how much overlap we have.
06:36So, LeBron's won.
06:37I know that.
06:37On the second team, believe it or not.
06:39Oh, good for you.
06:40First team.
06:40Good for you.
06:41First team.
06:42And I think this is pretty much unanimous through a lot of people.
06:44SGA, Jokic, Giannis, Tatum, Donovan Mitchell.
06:47So, I love Mitchell.
06:48I want Cade Cunningham.
06:49But either way, I would have Mitchell the next guy down.
06:52All those guys are no-brainers.
06:53Yep.
06:54Second team, LeBron, Curry, Cade, Shangoon, Mobley.
06:58Okay.
06:58Ooh, I didn't even have Mobley, but another good one.
07:00And third team, Brunson, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Halliburton, Carl Anthony Towns, Jaron Jackson Jr.
07:05So, that's 15 guys alone.
07:06And then, if Kevin Durant gets in, you know he's got one.
07:09Oh, I don't even have to.
07:10Yeah, you might not even be fourth team all-NBA.
07:13Well, that's the thing.
07:14No, but for real.
07:15So, what the hell are they doing?
07:16I don't know.
07:17He might not even make all-NBA.
07:19Yeah.
07:19He's not healthy.
07:20They're playing in sports.
07:21Like, what?
07:22Why are they even doing it?
07:24So, we just named 15 guys, right?
07:26And then, you got Sabonis has a case.
07:28Jalen Williams, J-Dub from Oklahoma City.
07:30He's got a case.
07:32Draymond is a heavy favorite for Defensive Player of the Year.
07:35I mean, I don't pick him, but if he's a Defensive Player of the Year, there's some James Harden on there and Devin Booker.
07:43I don't know about Trey Young, but I mean, yeah.
07:44I don't know about Booker, but like Durant.
07:46Well, regardless, that's 20 people that we just named that he's kind of staring up at.
07:51And I get it.
07:52Like, we've been talking about it for a couple weeks now.
07:55Like, he's a prideful guy and he wants to go out and try to do this.
07:58But when you're looking at it, like, there really hasn't been.
08:01But it's different when you're hurt.
08:02So, like, say it was, you know, he missed a handful of games during the year and it was coming down to the last two and they were going to sit all their starters anyway.
08:11But he needed one game to play 15 minutes in order to get all-NBA.
08:15Go for it.
08:16Like, do it.
08:16I do think all-NBA matters for these guys and for their legacies and for everything else.
08:21But when you're noticeably hobbled, you're talking about how painful it is and then you're doing it for weeks.
08:27You're doing it for weeks.
08:29Like, it's not getting any better.
08:30So, right.
08:31If these are playoff games, I'd be like, Jalen, go for it.
08:33Good for you.
08:34It'd be like McHale and Celtic City, which we can get to.
08:36It's like, good for you.
08:37Yes.
08:37Like, I give you a lot of credit for playoff games.
08:40This ain't it.
08:40These are meaningless games.
08:41Also, because of where you're at and what we're talking about.
08:44Like, so say Jason Tatum had the similar season but just had fewer games.
08:47Yeah.
08:47And we're like, all right, you grind through two more at 15 minutes, you're automatically keeping your first-team All-NBA streak alive, which is a lot different than, like, popping off a random third-team All-NBA, maybe, if you even make it.
08:59Maybe, like a big maybe.
09:00Well, that's the thing, too, is if this was purely a pain management thing, which he has been emphasizing the entire time, that he's trying to learn and play through this, figure out what his body can do and how he can play.
09:10He's readjusting his game, watching Paul Pierce tape.
09:13If that was the case, he would have been out there last night, right?
09:16Like, his minute restriction's 30.
09:17It's not 21.
09:18That's been the label here.
09:19Yeah, you mean, like, down the stretch when the game matters?
09:22He would have been down the stretch, yes.
09:22He would have been out there, of course.
09:23Yes.
09:23So, they're telling you all they need to know.
09:24If you're sticking your fingers in your ears and ignoring it, well, then, fine.
09:28Not to say you're doing that, Terp.
09:29But, as some Celtics fans, who all we hear from, Keith, well, how are they not going to win?
09:33Health.
09:34How are they not going to win?
09:35Well, if somebody's hurt.
09:36I mean, if Jalen Brown's not 100%.
09:37Shit hurt.
09:38Yeah.
09:38If Jalen Brown's not 100%, you think they need Porzingis.
09:41You already think they need Porzingis to win, so I should know the answer to this.
09:44If Jalen Brown's not 100%, can they win a title?
09:47It's going to be a lot tougher.
09:48I mean, I think they're so talented that they can't afford to lose a starter.
09:52Like, it's not going to be easy to get to the NBA finals.
09:55No, like, even Porzingis.
09:56Like, they can.
09:57So, they don't need Porzingis.
09:57See, that's the thing.
09:59No, he's boxing a quarterback.
10:00They need all their guys.
10:01They need all their guys.
10:02To win.
10:02Lash out like Harambe.
10:03It depends on who they're playing, too.
10:05Like, I think they can get through the Eastern Conference Finals without a starter.
10:08Like, I really do think that.
10:09How about to win the title?
10:10If they are going to win the title, they're going to need Chris Thompson, Jalen, to be at full strength.
10:13Especially if it's Oklahoma City.
10:14So, again, I'm with you.
10:16Like, you were saying earlier, like, the whole concern all year long was health.
10:20Like, they have to be healthy going to the postseason.
10:22I mean, the first two rounds, they could be out two starters.
10:25Yes.
10:25And win.
10:25And I think they could still beat Cleveland without one.
10:27Jalen could kick his feet up for the first round, for sure, and they'll sweep the Hawks.
10:30Yes.
10:31They won't lose a game without Jalen.
10:32But, yeah, Cleveland, maybe it matters.
10:35Definitely OKC, it matters.
10:36Yeah.
10:37Like, eventually, that's going to matter.
10:38But, again, a lot has to go right for them to see Oklahoma City.
10:40That Western Conference is a gauntlet.
10:41I know coaches are dropping.
10:42I don't think it is anymore.
10:44I'm kind of down on the Western Conference.
10:46It's going to be tough to get out of the West.
10:47The Rockets are the two seed.
10:49OKC and the Thunder.
10:50That's it.
10:50I'm sorry.
10:51OKC and the Lakers.
10:52No, that's how I view it.
10:53OKC and the Thunder.
10:54OKC and the Lakers.
10:55That's it.
10:55That's the West now.
10:56I don't fear anybody else.
10:57No, I don't.
10:58I definitely don't.
10:59I mean, I still...
11:01I just think the Jokic thing or the Malone thing is, like, the timing of that is pretty
11:06wild.
11:06I still respect him as the best player in the NBA.
11:09And so, anytime you're in a series and you don't have the best player, that's something
11:13to look at.
11:14But what are they doing?
11:15Like, how on the same page?
11:17Plus, they have Russell Westbrook, which can't help them.
11:19Yeah.
11:19And to me, coaching, as has been proven, is largely irrelevant in the NBA.
11:23So, I don't mean to apply it just to Malone and be like, they lost Malone.
11:26They're screwed.
11:27No, no, no.
11:27But that just speaks to mass turmoil throughout the organization where I don't fear them anymore.
11:32What do you think is going on with Malone?
11:34Well, there seems to be a very big disconnect between him and the general manager, which
11:38is why they fired both.
11:39And it seems like there was kind of a split in the locker room where you're either a Calvin
11:43Booth guy or you're a Mike Malone guy.
11:45But to fire a guy...
11:46Like a Joe Milton and a Drake Ney guy.
11:47Yes, kind of.
11:48Same idea.
11:48Well, interesting.
11:49But one guy won that.
11:50This was what was strange about this decision was they were like, oh, you guys like him and
11:53you like him.
11:54They're all gone.
11:55They're all losers.
11:56Yeah.
11:56He's the winningest coach in franchise history.
11:58He has the most playoff wins in franchise history.
12:00And they just won a title two years ago.
12:02And it's not like they were in a bad spot.
12:04I know they've been slipping a little bit.
12:05They're tied for the fourth seed.
12:06They're one game out of the three seed.
12:07Like, they're a surefire playoff team again.
12:09And he's the only coach Nikola Jokic has ever had in the NBA.
12:12Yeah.
12:13So how is he going to respond to that?
12:14Unless he was hot the other day on the bench.
12:16Did you see that?
12:16Oh, he was.
12:17Oh, he was hot the other day.
12:18He was yelling.
12:18The camera's caught him yelling on the bench.
12:20But I mean...
12:21Interesting.
12:21It's just interesting to fire a coach that soon.
12:24Right now.
12:25We were just making fun of the Grizzlies.
12:27And they have like the same record, I think, as the Nuggets.
12:31One was kind of like, what's going on here?
12:33And then there's two.
12:34And it's a guy who's, again, two years removed from a championship.
12:37Right.
12:37Right.
12:38I would say Mike Malone, I thought, would have been a lot safer than Taylor Jenkins.
12:41But I thought they'd both at least make it through the year.
12:42Never even considered Malone.
12:44No, me neither.
12:45I'd never even crossed my mind.
12:46I mean, not that Jenkins did.
12:47But yeah, definitely not Malone.
12:48I would have thought he was safe.
12:49Not even in trouble.
12:52Between the trade deadline, and Terp, I don't know if you were in with us.
12:55I'd imagine you were.
12:57We all kind of had a similar takeaway.
12:58Well, the league fears the Celtics.
13:00Look at part of why Dallas is moving on from Luka.
13:03They're like, we can't compete with them anyway.
13:05And I kind of wonder if there's a similar thing going on with the coaches.
13:09Like, outside of OKC, and I guess the Lakers, Cleveland, you see teams constantly paring down,
13:17blowing it up, moving on from coaches.
13:20Like, do teams now view the Celtics in that way where they're like, we're not beating them
13:25anyways.
13:26So we might as well get it right with our coach.
13:28I find it hard to believe that Denver was looking at it that way.
13:31And same with Memphis, because they're focused on getting through their own conference.
13:34Like, I don't necessarily think they're...
13:35But could they look at it the way you said, where it's already a gauntlet if we even get
13:38out of it?
13:38They could, yes.
13:39And then, if we even get there, it's the Celtics at the end.
13:42Fire them now.
13:43Yeah.
13:43No, I mean, you could be looking at it that way.
13:45But I think you're more so looking at your own conference and getting to the finals.
13:48Or it just might be like the infighting.
13:50Remember, after Jenkins got fired, there was the game where it was a Desmond Bain, and
13:55I forget who the other guy was.
13:56They were, like, screaming at each other on the bench.
13:57John Morant was, like, not interested.
13:58He wasn't even listening to Jenkins.
14:00Morant didn't play in a bunch of those games before they fired James.
14:02Oh, yeah.
14:03And then he was miraculously back.
14:04Right.
14:04Right.
14:05So there might be that.
14:06And Malone, this video was going around last night.
14:07Malone was calling out guys for, like, not watching tape or something like that.
14:12I saw the video making the rounds last night where Malone's like, we have to show them
14:15the tape because these guys don't watch their own tape.
14:17He, like, called out all the players.
14:18He's a hard ass.
14:19And then he got fired.
14:19He is.
14:20Remember when he was, like, berating a reporter that called him Mike?
14:23Yeah.
14:24He's like, my name's Michael.
14:24He only likes Michael.
14:25Michael or Coach Malone.
14:26You're like, all right, relax.
14:28Calm down.
14:28It's not that serious.
14:30And he was there for 10 years.
14:31He was.
14:32That was surprising.
14:32And had a lot of success.
14:33That was really bizarre.
14:34And maybe they are looking at it like we're in the West Conference already pretty tough.
14:38It's going to be tough to get out of here.
14:39And then you've got Boston waiting.
14:40So maybe they are looking at it like that.
14:42Yeah.
14:43But it's still, regardless, it's head scratching.
14:46Yeah.
14:46It's surprising for sure.
14:48High Noon with Terp.
14:50Or Pure Hoops with Terp, rather, at High Noon every week.
14:54I thought Celtic City, we were talking about this earlier in Would You Rather.
14:58I think Celtic City has borderline gotten better with every single episode.
15:01It's fantastic.
15:02The last three have been great, in all honesty.
15:04I know you've seen it.
15:06What jumped out to you about this week's episode?
15:08I'm with you.
15:09I really liked how they explained kind of the end of that legendary 80s run.
15:14You don't really hear much about that.
15:15There's kind of like a dark period there that you don't really hear much about, which I like that they went into depth about that.
15:22And it's kind of crazy just how everyone just ended at the same time.
15:26They all just deteriorated at the same time.
15:28It was pretty crazy for that to happen.
15:31No, I'm with you.
15:32I think it's gotten better every episode.
15:34And I think part of that is you can relate to it a little bit more, which is part of it.
15:40But, you know, it's been good.
15:41I love it.
15:42I love the last couple episodes.
15:44And this one, because this wasn't even really my time.
15:47I was born in 84, so my memory of Larry Bird was legit him laying on the ground all the time.
15:53And people telling me how good he was.
15:54I remember that.
15:54I remember him on the side.
15:55And then I remember after he retired.
15:57Larry Bird Knight.
15:58He was on the Dream Team.
15:58Okay.
15:59I remember that like a big deal.
16:02Because Magic's career kind of carried on a little bit longer.
16:04And then obviously the HIV thing and like all that.
16:06But I remember Magic playing.
16:08But Bird, I really don't remember playing that much.
16:10I legit, one of the only things I remember, probably because my dad sat me down to watch it, was Larry Bird Knight.
16:15I don't really remember him as a player.
16:17So like obviously you see the old games on NBA TV or on like old Celtics DVDs.
16:21Billy was talking about like championship DVDs.
16:23They have these games.
16:25I watched the whole Dominique Bird game, right, that they were going on and on about.
16:29So I've seen him as a player, but I don't have much recollection.
16:31And yeah, I feel like the downfall of the Bird Celtics was undertold.
16:36The bias story has been told.
16:38Yes.
16:39And I'm not saying they should have ignored it, but I have heard that.
16:42Some of the other stuff I thought was worth diving into.
16:44So I thought it was a good episode.
16:45Yeah, I thought it was a great episode.
16:46I also, this is one of those, oh, the game was better then, like the old man argument.
16:51But you will never, ever get back to the point where the rivalries were as intense as they are.
16:58And it's just the nature of it.
17:00We've talked about it a bunch.
17:01Like AAU, all these kids know each other since they were 10.
17:04They're all making $100 million.
17:05They're all like buds.
17:06Few rivalries.
17:08Right.
17:08Right.
17:09So Tatum was in like Draymond's wedding, for God's sake.
17:11Exactly.
17:11Right.
17:11So you hate him, right?
17:12Like actually we're best buds.
17:13We really like it.
17:14So all the guys, like there's still rivalry.
17:16Like fans want there to be.
17:17I mean, look at the Draymond chants and everything else.
17:19But going from in an eight-year span, Larry Bird versus Dr. J and just hating the Sixers with a passion, hating the Sixers.
17:28Then the whole Laker run, they didn't play each other as many times as they probably should have because it would be like one would be there, one wouldn't be and whatever.
17:34And then the Pistons at the end, so like, even the Pacers, I remember as a kid having an upper deck card where they did rivals and it was Larry Bird and Chuck Person.
17:45And it was like the two of them on there from like their 91 playoff series.
17:48But it was like a blood feud with like the Detroit Pistons for two, three years.
17:53They hated them.
17:54And then when you get, I love like James Worthy in this.
17:57James Worthy still hates the Celtics with a passion.
18:01And you'll just never have that.
18:03Like if they, 20 years from now, do a documentary, Tatum will be like, yeah, my first title, we beat my best friend Kyrie Irving in the finals.
18:10And we hugged and kissed after the game.
18:11And like, we love each other.
18:12And you're like, oh.
18:13That was even with Bird and Parrish.
18:15Like talking about the Pistons.
18:16Yeah.
18:16They still hate them.
18:18Also, was that Bird-Lembeer fight, was that the first ejection like in NBA history?
18:24I was going to say, those guys usually stay in the games.
18:25That's a good point.
18:26That was the first ejection we've seen.
18:28I've seen that highlight before, but it's been a while since I've seen it.
18:30Bird hummed that thing at him.
18:32Oh, Bird got him good with the ball.
18:34With the ball after.
18:35Parrish got him good, too.
18:36After the whole fracas.
18:37Bird just fired that thing in.
18:39I love, dude, I love this stuff.
18:41And when he's like, Bill-Lembeer elbows me in the chest.
18:45I go, okay, don't say anything.
18:46Elbows me in the throat.
18:47I say, hey, knock it off.
18:48Bill calls me an MF-er and tells me to go F myself.
18:51So then he got him.
18:52And then Tommy Heintzen just on the call is like, yeah, he wasn't having it anymore.
18:57I mean, he punched him four times in the face.
18:59Heintzen on those national broadcasts was just embarrassing.
19:02And then Johnny Most screaming about how awful the Pistons are.
19:06Even worse, but at least that was a local broadcast.
19:08Yeah, good point.
19:09No, I think, you know, watching that, it is interesting to watch.
19:13Imagine being on the air during the Isaiah Thomas Larry Bird press conference about his comments.
19:18How stupid was that?
19:20That was dumb.
19:21I do love how they were like, he's got a finals to get ready for.
19:23It's like, I mean, you know, I know we talked about.
19:25He's up there cracking jokes.
19:27Yeah, I mean, Bird was wildly entertaining.
19:28He's like, I'm going to leave.
19:29He's like, I'm done with this.
19:30That was Isaiah pretending that it was a joke, too.
19:32It was embarrassing.
19:33So I don't know, Terp, you're younger than we are.
19:34I don't know how much you remember or how much you were aware of.
19:36But like, beyond just covering that era, what did you like about it?
19:40I mean, that whole press conference thing was fascinating to me.
19:43I didn't really know about that.
19:45Obviously, I'm a lot younger.
19:46I don't really remember this.
19:48But that was wild to me.
19:51It's not necessarily a brag.
19:53I'm so much younger than you guys.
19:56So much younger.
19:56I'm so much more virile.
19:59Speak for yourself.
20:00I think that was wild.
20:01Yeah, no, it was.
20:02I also, this is, and I would have hated him at the time.
20:05I would have hated every single piston.
20:07I kind of think Isaiah Thomas might be one of the more underrated players of all time
20:11because a lot of guys in the league hated him.
20:14They hated him.
20:14They kept him off the freaking dream team, for God's sakes.
20:17But for him to pop off two titles at a time where, like, Bird and Magic were just coming to an end
20:24and Jordan was just getting started, like, somebody had to do it.
20:27And they went head-to-head with the Lakers.
20:29They went head-to-head with the Celtics.
20:30They then went head-to-head with the Bulls.
20:32And they won back-to-back titles.
20:33They beat the Lakers.
20:34Yeah, they did.
20:34Yeah, yeah, yeah.
20:35So they beat the Celtics.
20:37They beat the Lakers.
20:38They obviously knocked off the Bulls.
20:40Yeah.
20:40Like, yeah.
20:41They were nasty.
20:41He was nasty.
20:43It was a Klosterman that had the point.
20:44Yes.
20:45You're talking about, like, he was sort of, like, the, like, Chuck Klosterman, who you're
20:48like, what the hell is he even doing in this other than he's Bill Simmons' buddy?
20:50Yeah.
20:51But he did have the good line about Isaiah.
20:53About Isaiah basically being, like, the crime boss and, like, leading those guys.
20:57So you had, like, Lambeer, Rodman, Sally, Mahorn.
21:00He's like, they were his henchmen.
21:01Right.
21:01And he was the crime boss.
21:02And then Isaiah was just pulling all the strings.
21:04And they did what he said.
21:05Like, oh, that's so cool.
21:06I also thought that Bird team was going to win every year.
21:08Like, I'm sitting there watching it.
21:10Yeah.
21:10You know they already won their last championship.
21:13Yeah.
21:13If you listen to people around here, they did win every year.
21:15They actually lost to the Lakers, similar to Brady.
21:17Brady lost to Manning more than he beat them in the playoffs.
21:20They actually lost to the Lakers more.
21:21Yeah.
21:22But that counts.
21:22You count the Broncos.
21:23Well, I don't count.
21:25No, you don't.
21:26You don't count.
21:26I don't count the Broncos.
21:27Bubble championships or when guys move teams.
21:29You don't count those.
21:29You know what was also funny?
21:31But you know what was funny is my wife was watching part of it when I had it on in there.
21:36And she was like, at the end, you have like Larry Bird just like dragging, right?
21:40The last like four seasons, he's just like dragging.
21:42He's like, oh, my God.
21:43How old was he?
21:44I'm like, well, 32.
21:45He was like, yeah.
21:45And he's like, I think his last year he actually was 35.
21:48But I'm like, 30 then is like 40 now.
21:51Like, you see LeBron.
21:52I mean, LeBron's a freak.
21:52It's sort of a different story.
21:53But again, they're both top 10 players of all time.
21:55That's him.
21:56No, but like, look at these guys.
21:58Yeah.
21:58But like, Durant's super old.
21:59Yeah.
21:59Like, guys just, they're in different shape.
22:02And then they also really get into how Larry Bird played like a maniac.
22:07Yeah.
22:07Didn't play like he was a top 10 player.
22:09He's playing like Marcus Smart.
22:10He's like diving on the floor.
22:12Like, dude, you don't need to do this.
22:13Yeah.
22:14Of him diving into the tables.
22:15Just brutal hits.
22:16So I'm like, that was a hard 33 or whatever it was by the end of his career.
22:20Yeah.
22:20All right.
22:21Well, Terp, good stuff.
22:22As always, we appreciate you popping in.
22:24On a high noon, every Wednesday, Celtics Wednesday, it's Pure Hoops with Terp.
22:28Make sure you check out his work, wei.com and on Twitter at JustinMTurpin.
22:32Thanks, Terp.
22:32All right, guys.