11-3-23 After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 2

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Can't wait to find out. Facebook page two. It's After Hours on CBS Sports Radio. Our phone number 855-212-4227.

That's 855-212-4CBS. I want to jump right in with Hondo Carpenter of Sports Illustrated. Covers the Raiders and is joining us now from Las Vegas and boy it's been a tumultuous week around this organization. Mark Davis deciding to pull the plug on Josh McDaniels and the GM Dave Ziegler and after a year and a half they are out and they're starting fresh yet again. So Hondo, you're around the team every day. What have the last couple days been like at the Raiders facility?

You know I'll tell you a couple things Amy that are really interesting. I had reported they were not going to be fired. In fact when fans asked me I said five percent chance and the reason wasn't because everybody thought there was a great job being done, but Mark Davis had given them assurances after the New England Patriot game that they were going to be back in 24. Many of us who are the beat people and some national were surprised that the firing wasn't that we thought things were going well, but assurances have been made that they were coming back. Now I don't think Mark Davis lied.

I'm not implying that he did. It just got so bad and Josh had become so rigid in his system. I mean Jimmy Garoppolo has been a complete failure as a quarterback, not a human being, not attacking his character, but just been such a complete failure as a Raider quarterback and as they watched him continue to play and nothing happened in Detroit and he would not make the switch to Aidan O'Connell they just the frustration began to just overflow and Mark Davis knew and he listened to some of the key alumni that things were not working and he pulled the trigger. It was a breath of fresh air. Antonio Pierce has been amazing. Champ Kelly's been amazing and I think this this organization I've said on your show several times has a plenty of talent.

I think they've found some reinvigoration. Antonio Pierce is elevated to the interim job and right away you can hear his passion, his enthusiasm, his energy, but what is expected of this team the rest of the way? They're expected to win and that's the model of the franchise just win baby and to Antonio's credit this guy came out and dropped a hammer and and he didn't back down from that. He didn't back down that he feels like they have the players and the winners and the guys to go do it. I don't think anybody expects them to make a playoff run but this is a guy that I don't think as you're the Raiders, as historic as this franchise is, I don't think this is a place for people to come learn to be a head coach. Antonio Pierce gets a nine-week job interview to learn on the job. I'm rooting for the guy not because I'm a Raider fan, I'm not.

I'm rooting for him because I root for good people. This guy's good people and Champ Kelly what a great guy at the interim GM and they're coming in with the anticipation. He's first move is he fires the offensive coordinator, promotes bowl hard degree who used to be a quarterback at Tennessee.

Lots of experience as a coach not a coordinator. He comes in and you know where you're going to see a lot more play action, some screens, some bubbles. You're going to see this team attacking down the field.

There is genuine excitement. When I use the term simplification a lot of people think dumbing down and that's not what's going on but Josh is system was rigid and it can't be. It was predictable and they're going to go out and play to their strengths. I've had a front row seat to watching Nick Saban over his career and he wrote in his book that after LSU he had learned that he had made some mistakes, gotten conservative with leads. We've watched him evolve and now we've seen him win with a spread offense, with a power offense, with a power offense because Nick Saban adapts to his personnel.

Josh did not do that and you're watching Antonio Pierce do it. Why couldn't they figure out a way to make it work? McDaniel's is supposed to be this offensive expert and I know Tom Brady is better than anyone we've ever seen but he had worked with Jimmy, had brought in a lot of personnel from New England so why couldn't they find a way to mesh?

That's a great question and there are a couple things that go with that that I think are really germane. There's a narrative that's not accurate that Josh lost the locker room and as a guy that's there every day and covering the team every day and our people are there every day I can tell you that I never once and I'm in constant contact with players on this team, had a player ever go after him personally or ever tell me they wanted them fired. They were frustrated because they felt like there was talents and there wasn't changes made but there wasn't anybody that turned on them. Mark Davis talked to the players a lot and that there was frustration and I reported that but there was not one person that disliked him.

I take that back there's a couple that didn't but they weren't significant players. He was not unlike it's just he was so rigid and committed to his system after the Chicago Bears game. I said you know you preach the process but when the process isn't working do you scrap it change it or stay the course?

My question was germane because it's not working and he just stayed to his system. There was a lot of people that were supportive on the player side when he wanted to go with Brian Hoyer when he you know and so he did and at Chicago it didn't work so he didn't give a chance to Aiden to try to you know be a spark to the team. He goes right back to Jimmy Garoppolo and Detroit gets slaughtered doesn't go to Aiden and I'm going to tell you there are several people in that building players and management and others who felt that Aiden O'Connell was the best quarterback that he wasn't ready because of the rigidity of Josh's system but they all thought he was the best quarterback and now you saw that move you saw Antonio Pierce bold move bam we're going with Aiden O'Connell the rookie out of out of Purdue and it's going to be fascinating to watch this team is not fractured this is a team that hasn't quit this is a team that's still fighting they're juiced they're fired up they're ready to go I'll tell you one other thing it reminds me of a lot of when Rich Basaccia took over for John Gruden but there's one difference they loved Basaccia but the team had some fractured parts to it this is a team that love each other and they're united it's a unique situation everybody on that team loved Rich Basaccia but there were divisions among the team this team they all like Antonio Pierce everybody's jacked he got the job he's not beloved like Rich because he had a different job Rich had a job as a coordinator so he touched more players but they all like them they're united and I hope when this year is over I'm back on my favorite national radio host show Amy Lawrence and I can say I'm proud to report Champ Kelly has got the permanent job and so has Antonio Pierce that would be the best for the Raiders best for those guys and I know it'd be best for the players in the in the locker room.

Hondo Carpenter is back with us from Las Vegas it seems like it's been a lot of negative the last couple times we've had him on the show covers the team for Sports Illustrated it's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio Hondo Aiden O'Connell is taking over what does he bring to the table? First of all you know he's because of all the COVID years he's not like he's in you know a 21 or 20 year old kid number one he's a super smart his football IQ is through the roof number one number two he's got a big arm he can make every throw and that's big now at Purdue he's able to make throws that in the NFL get picked off at Purdue he's able to hold the ball longer and so those are two areas that every rookie has to improve on and that's an area he needs to improve on but he's super smart and his teammates they love him they believe in him I'll give you a great story early in training camp you know they weren't being rude there was nothing excessive but they're teasing the rookie and everyone talked about he stuck it and he loved it and he was part of the locker room and you know you always get the one rookie comes in that's not me you're not doing that to me and bucks the process and people are like wow he's pretty arrogant he just came in and he was really humble when there were whispers of teammates wanting him one particular you know a situation a player went to him and said I want you to know said I want you to know we're really rooting for we wish you were playing and oh man no that's okay don't do that because Jimmy's our guy or Brian's our guy you know he wasn't looking for a controversy even though he knew he was playing well in practice and had earned the right to play this wasn't a guy you know fueling the whispers he was a big supporter of Jimmy he's always been so complementary of Jimmy and Brian so you know a rookie that comes in is humble earns a lot of respect in a veteran locker room and guys like that he can give them the ball and they know there's going to be a learning curve but they're rooting for their guy and one guy said it best he's our kid you know he's our little brother we believe in him we want him and there's that sense I think it's going to be fun to watch Devontae Adams and Josh Jacobs two talented players who could start and make an impact pretty much any other team in the league now moving forward how do they incorporate those two stars to give a jolt to the offense? I got several NFL executives to anonymously give me their thoughts of the Raider offense back there I think it was October 8th I published the article and they talked about teams are stacking the box to stop Josh Jacobs and if it's not a run you just get to blitz Jimmy because there was no threat of the deep ball and you're going to see them now use play action which is a strength of Aiden using some bubble screens but they're going to take those shots now and it's going you saw in the Lions game for anybody that watched the Monday night game even though Jimmy was throwing poorly and at one point was three of eight the Lions even talked about it after the game they had to adjust their defense because they were taking shots now Jimmy wasn't successful but they were taking some shots and when teams have to figure in the deep ball it opens up the intermediate and short game it opens up the running game and you saw Josh Jacobs you know be able to run in fact they had one drive where they looked exceptionally well and you're going to see that Bo Harder-Greed is going to attack with what Aiden does well again Josh's system and you saw this in Los Angeles with Aiden's one-star against the Chargers when it wasn't working because it was something that Aiden couldn't do or hadn't mastered yet rather than go to what he could do they just kept trying and it just it was a circular firing squad and that rigidity of this is what we do is great when you have the personnel but they don't have the personnel and so you're going to see the Raiders doing what they can do and I think that's going to be a big spark and think about this Amy this offense has not gone over 19 points all year and for the one game where the team did go over you know they had a you know the defense had a score so this is going to be very interesting to watch and I think and I think the Raiders are going to go in and win I think you're going to see them find a little bit of a momentum and a spark and I think you're going to see one thing that has stood out to me and I'll give you a great point if we're up against the clock just tell me to shut up but I had a player say to me after a win you know it was great that we did this for Josh you could tell he was stressed right that's what I mean they hadn't quit on them Wednesday they get back and that Wednesday night he texts me and says man no different no sense of relief and the player said to me this is a game it's supposed to be fun and with him it's just win or lose back to the process and the player said to me you know we're out there risking our lives we're out there risking our futures we're out there risking injuries or CTE or whatever we got granted we make a lot of money but we got to have fun and I think that begin to weigh on them after the winning streak that wait a minute this is supposed to be fun too and I had one player I haven't even shared this I was going to share this on this on Sunday before the game so I'm sharing this nationally that said to me they almost felt relief for Josh when he got let go and said they almost felt bad for him like he just wasn't having any fun at his job and I'm sorry that that player's right and I you're gonna see a Raider team back having fun and I think I don't even know what price you put on that and all my years of covering the game of football it's meant to be the smell of the chlorophyll of the fresh cut grass rising like incense to heaven and on God's day off they play this game at its highest level and it's meant to be fun and it had not been fun and I think the fun's back in Vegas. Hondo Carpenter with some great insight from inside the Raiders locker room it's After Hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio we've heard from Devante Adams who very rarely speaks his discontent or his dissatisfaction he'd gotten more and more frustrated how much do you think it mattered that there were players who were willing to speak out about the challenge and the difficulty and the fact that they just didn't have any answers?

You know I'm gonna defend Josh McDaniel's for a minute because obviously what he did is failed and I was one of the hardest media on him but I'm going to defend him too because I think it's important in our jobs to be truthful. One of the things that Josh did and a former New England player who's now a Raider said this to me is in New England you don't get to speak your mind so Josh didn't do it all the Patriot way he wanted those guys to speak up. Josh never wanted you know a Devante Adams to be silenced he didn't have a problem with guys speaking out and I do respect him for that. Devante's voice is very loud he's the second best player on the Raiders behind Max Crosby he's won in my opinion the best wide receiver in the NFL underutilized and he had every right to be angry.

I'm going to share something with you that I've reported but nationally people haven't. Devante Adams took less money to be a Raider. He wanted to be here. This is the team he grew up rooting for and when you take less money that speaks voluminous to a testosterone filled locker room that's based on you know guts, brawn, testosterone, and cash. And so when he spoke out and said listen I came here I took less money because I want to win because this franchise committed to me to win. When we're not winning I'm not happy because it's not about my money it's about winning. He's made a lot of money. He wants the winning. He's a winner.

Him and Max Crosby are a rarity and superstars that aren't sitting at home counting their money they want to win. If you said Devante Adams will guarantee you a Super Bowl but you play for a dollar he's taking the dollar. That's him and so when he's angry and he's like we got a standard we got to okay yeah we won but we didn't play to how good we are. That was right down Josh McDaniel's love language. Josh to his credit wanted those guys to speak out and I credit him for it because he could have tried the Bill Belichick way and this thing would have blown up. He did try to do it differently it just his rigidity didn't work but it wasn't that that he leaves here hated. Okay hang on because I have to ask you one more question.

I've got one more question that just sprung to mind as I was listening to you. So yes Josh McDaniel's had some qualities that worked with the locker room but his system did not work. His inability to pivot and adjust and be flexible and versatile that did not work in the locker room. So hang on Hondo Carpenter from Las Vegas covers the Raiders for Sports Illustrated already some great insight to share with us.

We're going to have him hang on through the break and one more question with him it's after hours with Amy. Get the best workout with the best kept secret in fitness. Hydro the state of the art at-home rower. Hydro engages 86% of your muscles delivering the ultimate full body workout in just 20 minutes. From advanced to beginner Hydro has over 4,000 classes that are shot all over the world and are taught by Olympians and world-class athletes.

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Yeah. Downy Rinse and Refresh removes more odor in one wash than the leading value detergent in three washes. Find it wherever you buy laundry products. It's on CBS Sports Radio. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. I think that's kind of the mindset we're having just you know trying to have fun and enjoy our time in this building because I think you know as we speak to each other it's been too much of just this has just been feeling like work too much and not having enough fun so we just got to get back to that.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Devante Adams echoing Hondo Carpenter our guest from Las Vegas Raiders insider for SI. We just got to get back to having some fun and yeah there is an element to that. It feels as though weight has been lifted.

It's lighter in the locker room. What does that mean moving forward? I guess we will find out. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio.

I convinced Hondo to stick around for a couple more minutes because I have this question based on your last answer. Do you see reasons for hope with the Raiders now moving forward? Oh yeah absolutely. Remember this is not a team void of talent. This is not a team that doesn't have a lot of pieces. This is not a team that's sitting here thinking oh my word we have nothing. There was a lot more right with this team than wrong it's just the problem is what was wrong was at the forefront. You got a bunch of guys that had every right to be frustrated and they were that didn't quit. That's a big deal.

That's character. That's guys who love the game of football. Now that speaks to Dave Ziegler and the kind of guys he brought in. Guys that love the game. And so when you got guys that love the game that want to win.

Guys that are joking and laughing and hanging out in the locker room which hasn't been happening but now is again. And one thing Antonio Pierce did and again I haven't even talked about this on my own reporting I'm going to do it later this weekend but you're my buddy and you draw this good stuff out of me. But one of the things Antonio Pierce did is he walked in the locker room and he told the guys in the locker room I need you because we got to win.

We can't wait. It's not about me. And one player said this to me and I thought this was brilliant. He never once said guys I want this job go win this job for me.

It was all about us. He talked about what it was like to have been a player in a winning locker room. You know he's won a Super Bowl.

He's won a Super Bowl. He talked about that feeling and how once you get it as a player it never goes away. One of the players said Josh never came in was selfish.

They weren't implying that. But he also it was okay here's the process. We're going to do xyz and end up at y.

With Antonio it was about us. Guys I want you to taste that. Guys it's something that I've been there.

I've done it. I want you to feel it. I want it for you. And I was told that after and again this has not been reported by me that after his first meeting with the team it erupted erupted and the guys were ready to go and the players are ready. Nothing would be better for Mark Davis and Raider nation. And you're sitting here at Christmas time and Mark Davis is able to say there won't be a national search because Merry Christmas I'm keeping these two. You know Amy one of the reasons that I love your show and I respect you as not only a journalist but as my friend is your show has always been about let's bring great information. We don't create the news.

We report it. You do it the right way. I've always root for good people. It's why I'm a fan of you and a friend. And I love to watch good people prosper.

I love to watch good people succeed. And there is a ton of great people. You know the Raider organization gets a really bad name by people outside of it. And I know because I grew up in Michigan and I've been around the country I know what people say Raider fans are like St. Louis Cardinal baseball fans. They're like Nebraska college football fans. Indiana Hoosier basketball fans. And they're a lot like LA Laker pro basketball NBA fans and Red Wing NHL fans. They're the smartest some of the smartest in the NFL. They know the game. I once saw a woman I'm going to guess she was in her 90s.

She stopped me at Allegiant. You got to talk to the right tackle. His right his right foot the way he places it. I can always tell if it's a run or a pass.

And I'm 90. They know the game. Matt Millen who is a dear friend and a man I love and adore. When I was covering him as a beat reporter when he was a general manager of the Lions he told me something I'll never forget as long as I live. He said every other fan base the fans think they're part of the team but with the Raiders the players believe the fans are part of the team. And for this fan base who are some of the most passionate amazing tremendous people I love walking into the stadium. I always go early Homer away to just take a few minutes you can look at my twitter I'll post pictures of fans and just meet them. I'm one of the few media guys that likes to follow them and talk to them. These fans deserve better and a year ago at Allegiant Stadium a man stood at his seat and held a sign that said we deserve better.

It wasn't full of f-bombs or foul language. It was just one fan saying we deserve better and I don't know if Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly will end up with it. I don't know if the next coach will fail like Josh McDaniels but tonight in the Raider nation there's something that's one of the most valuable things in the world it's hope. And for these people who are some of the most amazing people I'm not a fan but I hope it works because these people are special and I get to work with them every day and I'm blessed and they deserve it.

Hope springs eternal if you give people a reason to hope they will cling to it. That sounds like what's happening with the Raiders and their fan base now as big changes were made. So Hondo Carpenter one of our favorites with Sports Illustrated covers the Raiders lots of insight from the locker room and the facility you can find him on twitter at Hondo Carpenter. Always good to connect with you I can't believe we're three weeks out from Thanksgiving but we are so we don't talk to you again well happy Thanksgiving to you and to Raiders fans. Thank you.

Thanks Amy god bless you. That is kind of crazy it's three weeks out from Thanksgiving but while we're talking about reasons to be thankful seems like a lot of the Raiders fans and maybe even the Raiders in the locker room themselves are thankful for a change in atmosphere a change in leadership a new voice and what if it works with Antonio Pierce wow that would be a new head coach coming out of not quite nowhere but coming out of the dark for sure. All right on twitter after our CBS on our Facebook page you're already weighing in in droves our game of the week poll features four pretty enticing matchups Marco Balletti what is your game of the week? Uh I would love to say the Dolphins and Chiefs however Germany messes that up for me so I'm going to scratch that off the list. Meaning your schedule and not being able to watch it? No the fact that neither one of them are home. Gotcha. I would like one of them to have home field advantage in that game.

So the travel messing things up for what we would expect from them? Look I love the Bengals-Bills game. I'd probably go Philly and Dallas though. Heated rival, division game. Dallas needs to prove that they can actually play with the big boys and not just beat up on the medium type teams and get to the playoffs and then get you know shown the door. I think it's a big statement type of game for the Cowboys and the Eagles don't really need it but they don't like Dallas so I think that'd be a lot of fun. The Eagles nearly lost to the commanders last well nearly they had a 21.4 quarter and rallied past the commanders actually in both of their games that they beat Washington this year. Could the Cowboys get a lead and then protect it with that defense?

That would be interesting too so I'm excited about that game. Yeah and again like look Philly hasn't played great. They're seven and one they haven't and that's where you find out how good you are. When everybody looks at your wins and they go yeah but that's where the Eagles are right now. That's how good they are. They're in the Chiefs realm where it's yeah but because the Chiefs are six and two but it's yeah but because you haven't been dominant. You haven't been a team that every time you walk out there and you're just steamrolling people. That's how good Philly is and we haven't seen their A game and I feel like we might get close to that even though Jalen Hurts a little banged up. We might get close to that because I think the Cowboys will bring out the best in them. The cool thing is the top three vote getters right now so Seahawks Ravens is lagging woefully behind but the Dolphins, Chiefs, Cowboys, Eagles, Bills, Bengals all on national TV so it's kind of fun actually because they're all at different times.

Fans don't have to choose among them. Dolphins and Chiefs is an NFL network game so if you don't have it maybe you can listen on the radio but it is a 9 30 eastern time start 6 30 a.m yikes on the west coast. Cowboys, Eagles is the nationally televised game in that late afternoon window and then Bills and Bengals is Sunday Night Football so there's plenty to keep you busy all day on Sunday.

Wowzers first Sunday of November. All right so take that poll Twitter, Facebook our phone number 855-212-4227. Coming up a little more with James Harden his introduction in Los Angeles and did you see the ratings the final numbers from the world series even as the Rangers get set to celebrate their championship with a parade on Friday. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. James with a dribble Harden one on one nine seconds on the shot clock Harden for three shot up it's good Harden made a triple the Sixers go up by two eight seconds to go Boston takes time six is 117 Celtics 115 James Harden from out front nailed a three here's seven three he's got 45 points and the crowd is gasping.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. I don't generally root against teams even when it comes to my own fan loyalties and a lot of times those get buried now in work. It's one of the things that you lose when you work in this business long enough because I have to be objective and because I intend to be professional above all else here on the air. I don't favor my team teams I grew up rooting for and honestly it's a lot of times my own rooting interests get put on the back back back burner or completely disappear because I just don't have time for it. I don't watch sports anymore as a fan and I know that sounds awful.

It sounds like it's no fun. I still do enjoy sports but I can't watch a game without thinking about storylines and themes and the emotions and how I'll talk about it on the air so it really does take the rooting interest out of it. I've been doing this so long that I don't even feel like a fan anymore but the the thing that marks us as fans very often is not only do we root for our own teams we root against the rivals or the competition of our own teams. Sometimes it's just as much fun to root against other teams as it is to cheer for our own. I don't usually do a lot of that anymore.

I just like the drama whatever makes for good radio content that's what I'm all about but in the case of James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers it's not that I want the Clippers organization to fail so much it's just that with Harden because I can't stand the way he's handled his business enforcing his way out of multiple places and the nasty comments that he's made upon his exits even his own peers at times like Draymond Green for instance will admit that the way he's handled his business enforcing his way out of places has been unprofessional and over the top showing up late overweight out of shape either not wanting to play or not wanting to follow the team's timetable or the plan they've got for everybody else just you demanding trades here demanding trades they're starting to feel a little bit like Kyrie Irving never satisfied where he is always thinks more of himself than what everybody else does and hearing his comments on Thursday as he's introduced in Los Angeles if these were in a vacuum it would be one thing but they're not and in addition to his comments about how he's elite and he's this and he's that he takes pot shots at Philly the Sixers who just gave him what he wanted he played alongside an MVP last season he led the NBA in assists and of course is in part why Joel Embiid was so successful but somehow all of that goes out the window because he didn't get the new max deal that he wanted or he felt like the general manager lied to him because he didn't get the max deal that he wanted who knows it's a bunch of he said he said the way that he puts Philly on blast now that he's so happy he's joined a new team yeah it reeks of the Kyrie Irving plan it's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS porch radio what will James Harden deliver to his new team the Clippers I'm very elite and as an individual and then I can you know you can I can fit in with anybody and make a championship run work so I think all of us on the same page in the sense of the individual stats and all those things are you know past this and you know we all got one goal and I think everybody knows what that is I can fit in with anybody and make a championship run work what career have you been looking at where was that over the last four years I can fit in with anybody except Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving apparently in Brooklyn that will always be a cautionary tale about what not to do every time I play with other great players we've become better how is it that these guys are so delusional or that they don't see what the rest of us see how is it that James Harden can say I fit in with anybody and we can make a championship run did he just forget about Brooklyn that was where he wanted to go that was his choice he forced his way out of Houston he wanted to go to Brooklyn what they play three games together okay it was more than that but it wasn't more than 20 regardless they made nothing work they actually got worse because they wouldn't listen to their coach there was no respect there for the guys that were in the front office they just did whatever they wanted and it wasn't a winning formula so then he wants out and he goes to Philadelphia where oh again I can fit in with anybody and we can make a championship run except they still lost in the second round of the playoffs and what about all those years in Houston was that everybody else's fault if you're an elite player and you're number one numero uno and you've got the ball in your hands the majority of the time how come the Houston Rockets never won a title how come he didn't go to the NBA Finals with the Rockets oh is that because the Warriors were better well partly but maybe because Daryl Morey gave you everything you wanted in Houston and you're not the one who's supposed to be making personnel decisions so that's what it comes down to with James Harden how quickly does the how quickly does the novelty and the happiness and the contentment last when does the honeymoon end Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and now James Harden let's not pick up basketball you can't just throw four elder statesmen on a court together and hope that they figure it out are they motivated absolutely and Lawrence Frank said that in fact this is one of the reasons why he told us the Clippers wanted to get James Harden he like Kawhi like Paul like Russ they're all at the right stages of their career where there's one common goal because these guys they have all the individual accomplishments they've made plenty of money this is about one goal and just the uniqueness of the opportunity to have four guys from Los Angeles who grew up within a couple years of each other to be able to come to a place that they want to be at and to do something that's never been done before for the Clipper organization the pride of place the sense of pride we see the investment every day so Lawrence Frank claims that's one reason why they believe this core will work because they've done everything else individually they haven't won and they want to do it for the Clippers in Southern California a franchise that has never won an NBA championship it's the NBA where everyone plays with his BFF it's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS sports radio I mean James talked about how a lot of what you've heard about Philadelphia and about his past is not true but he wants to tell you exactly what was going on in Philly when I'm in at least I'm not men just shooting the basketball every time I meant like like I think the game and I'm a creator on the court you know I mean so if I got a voice to where I can hey coach I see this you know what you think about this then it's like okay somebody that trusts me that believes in me that understands me that I'm just not a you know I'm not a system player I am a system could you imagine Steph Curry saying that I'm not a system player I am a system and he tried to clarify his comment about how he was on a leash when he was in Philadelphia which is just it's insulting which is just it's insulting he said the 76ers front office did not want him they wouldn't give him the freedom to be able to play the way that he wanted to play does that mean he thinks he's better than Joel Embiid or he can win all by himself I'm not really sure but I can't imagine even Tom Brady who was accused of being a system quarterback for years saying I'm not a system QB I am a system Steph Curry I'm not a system QB or a system player I am a system I'm not a system player I am a system feels like almost everything he said is exactly the opposite of what any logical rational fan can see over the course of his career it's crazy it's after hours with Amy Lawrence CBS Sports Radio this episode is brought to you by FX's A Murder at the End of the World starring Emma Corrin, Clive Owen and Britt Marling. Emma plays Darby Hart, a sleuth and tech savvy hacker. She joins an exclusive group invited to a retreat when one of the guests is found dead.

Darby must prove it was murder before the killer takes another life. FX's A Murder at the End of the World now streaming only on Hulu. This holiday season give concert and comedy tickets to their favorite artists. Choose from thousands of the hottest upcoming shows plus other great gifts for every fan on your list like VIP packages, artist merch, gift cards and more. You can also ask for concert and comedy tickets with a Live Nation wish list. Just sign in, add your favorite shows and share with friends and family. Get what you really want this year and gift the unforgettable at livenation.com slash gifts that's livenation.com slash gifts