7-1-24 After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 4

You can host the best backyard barbeque when you find a professional on Angie to make your backyard the best around. Connect with skilled professionals to get all your home projects done well, inside to outside, repairs to renovations. Get started on the Angie app or visit angie.com today.

You can do this when you Angie that. Here's why April chose to vaccinate her child. I think actually meeting someone who was not vaccinated and now has a lifelong struggle with a childhood disease really cemented for me that it's super important that we as parents continue to vaccinate our children.

Talk to your pediatrician or visit yvaccines.com brought to you by Merck. You know that around here, we really don't respect your right to wake up slowly. Not on a Monday, not at 5 a.m. Eastern. We actually spoke to a caller in Philadelphia a night. An hour plus ago, who was already awake getting ready to work out. He was starting July with a pre-dawn workout. Maybe, well, Philadelphia. It's hot, but it's not that hot.

No. In the Northeast, it was the kind of humid on Sunday that you open up the door and your sunglasses fog immediately. It was 97% humidity, so that was gross. But then a bunch of storms went through.

I know there were plenty of places up and down the Atlantic seaboard that were dealing with the storms, including New York City, including Philadelphia. It helped a little bit. But you've got to be hardcore to start vacation week for a lot of people. And I do mean a lot of people.

I've got the numbers to back it up. But to start vacation week with a pre-dawn workout. All right. Happy July to you, too, Peter in Philadelphia. And he was really happy because he just found out the breaking news.

Are you ready? Breaking news. Paul George is headed to the Eastern Conference once again and will sign a max deal with the 76ers. So he will play alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey. The numbers are reportedly four years, $212 million as a max deal.

Four years, $212 million. Clippers and his representation met on Sunday, determined they were not close. The Clippers released a statement indicating that they were sorry to see him go, but that they were going to have to say goodbye, that he had determined he was going to sign elsewhere.

So we knew that part. There had been no movement on a deal between Paul George and the Clippers. And so instead, he takes meetings with multiple teams. Again, reportedly the Sixers were in L.A. on Sunday night.

And from Adrian Wojnarowski, as well as multiple other outlets, including Clutch Points and Yahoo Sports, he will take a four-year, $212 million deal to play for the Sixers this upcoming season. That's your breaking news, but that's not it. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Good morning to you. Glad to have you with us. As I say, we've got numbers data to back up the fact that it is a week for Americans to be on the move. And we'll get to that coming up, but if you want a sneak peek of the numbers, you can find me on Twix, ALaw Radio, and then also on our Facebook page, After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Thanks so much for taking us with you as you head out on vacation if you're starting early. We know lots of people change their routines.

They get out of routine in the summertime, which is great. We tend to catch listeners that either haven't heard us in a long time or maybe are just finding us. Also, if you don't know, we've got a podcast, Now You Know. It's available every weekday morning. We just made a major show announcement. If you don't know that, you're going to have to go back and get the podcast to start last hour.

But we post the link to our podcast so that you can bookmark it every weekday morning on both of our social media sites. The Paul George numbers, it's chunky. It's a chunky monkey. That's monopoly money to most of us. For years, $212 million. Not nearly the same market for Chris Paul, but he is also on the move after the Warriors waive him. Another Warrior in that backcourt, apparently set to depart for greener pastures.

And by greener, I mean more money elsewhere. At least he hopes. And so we'll get to all of these pieces. But the Paul George is the big move that is expected to now accelerate the rest of NBA free agency that just got underway a few hours ago.

Again, it's After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Ryan McDonough is a former NBA general manager with the Suns, and he believes this Paul George signing sends up a major flair by the Sixers. Philadelphia will worry about four years from now. Four years from now. I know that sounds simplistic, but they have Joel Embryid, a great player in his prime. They have Tyrese Maxey with the $13 million salary cap hold they can take advantage of.

So their window is now, and they'll worry about the future in the future. We'll see how it pans out. Only time will tell. But frankly, I'm a little surprised that of the two teams, the Clippers, the one not taking that tact, given all they've done to get Kawhi and PG, all the assets they've given up, I'm a little surprised that they've drawn a line in the sand. I thought at the end of the day, they'd probably cave on that fourth year, even a partial, maybe almost fully guaranteed, but not fully guaranteed. It seems like they're not going to. So PG ends up in Philly, and I think that will be on the full four-year $212 million max contract.

Ryan McDonough nailed it. And so the sticking point, as you hear him say on Sirius XM NBA radio, was the fourth year. And the Clippers declined. They didn't want to go all in for a fourth year. Even though, I like what Ryan has to say, you deal with the fourth year when you get to the fourth year.

A lot can happen between now and then. But if Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, and Kawhi, of course, resigned with the Clippers going back to, what was it, January? Sometime mid-season, where he got his new deal, his new extension.

James Harden has returned to the Clippers on, what was it, a two-year deal, I believe. The numbers are not huge, but he is remaining in Los Angeles. Two years, $70 million.

So it's a nice chunk of change in the immediate. They did not want to commit to him long-term either, which makes sense to me. And they're still out there looking for other pieces to add. But he thought that eventually they would give in to what Paul George wanted, only because you don't need to freak out about year number four in year number one, was what he's saying. Now the thing is about the NBA, these contracts are fully guaranteed. And it would be hard in year number four, maybe in the Clippers' eyes, to find a trade partner or to eat all that money. So they were worrying about the back end of the deal, and McDonough was thinking, hey, you've done so much to get this group together, why not keep them for another run and worry about four years in 2028? But that's not the tack they chose, and the Sixers were more than willing to pick up the slack where the Clippers were not. Four years, $212 million in Philadelphia for Paul George.

Now, we just mentioned Chris Paul. The Warriors waive him after one season. Too much money for them. He had a bunch of guaranteed money that would have kicked in actually later on Sunday. But they waive him so that his $30 million salary is no longer their responsibility.

It was about to guarantee. 30 million bucks for the season in which he'll turn 40. He's 39 right now. There are, hmm, I want to make sure I confirm this, but I believe I read that there are only 10 players who have ever remained on NBA rosters into their 40s. He would be the 11th when he turns 40. And Jay and I counted up the number of Western Conference teams that he will be playing with.

You can add another one to the list. Chris Paul heading to the San Antonio Spurs. And this was widely reported by multiple outlets. He will make $11 million over next year. Chris Haynes, who is the great insider for Yahoo Sports, was talking about Chris Paul and his perspective on San Antonio.

I spoke to Chris Paul. He's very eager and motivated for this opportunity to return to a starting role. He still believes that he's a starter. He still believes he can play at an elite level. And he's excited about the chance to pair up with Wimby Yama. You know, he said him and Greg Popper just had a really good talk today. And Pop just sold him on the culture and what they were trying to do. And so you're going to get a really inspired and motivated Chris Paul at this stage of his career.

He wants to show and prove to people that he still has it. Chris Haynes from Yahoo, but on NBA TV as part of their big free agency show. So Chris Paul goes from the Warriors to the Spurs. We think we've got this figured out here.

Pelicans, and they were the Hornets before they were the Pelicans, but New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and now San Antonio Spurs. I don't think I have the order right. It's like one of those, at the end of the amazing race, you know how very often the last big challenge is for the teams, the final three teams, to put in order their various challenges and the different activities and the countries. You have to pair them all up.

You have to have activity and stop and country and you have to do them all in order. I don't think I got Chris Paul's seven Western Conference teams in order, but the point is he's played for half of the teams in the West now. How about that?

That man gets around. But you know what? Good for you. If you're still earning a paycheck, even these are one-year deals for the rest of your tenure, however long you're in the NBA. If they're still paying you $11 million and you get to run alongside Victor Wemenyama and play for one of the greatest coaches of all time, more power to you, Chris Paul. Seven teams that wanted him, right? Absolutely. Yeah, this is a business.

I've worked for seven different companies and probably then some in my career. So Chris Paul had done an interview with Pat McAfee earlier in June and he was asked about playing with Wimby. Wimby is different. Wimby is the guy that, after the game in the locker room, we all was talking about playing against him because we literally all had to change the way we shot a little bit. Yeah, because there's highlights of like Steph Curry driving into the lane, having a wide open shot and being like, nah, nah, nah. It wasn't just Steph.

It was half the league. It was to get a 45-second clip of like ten stars. Yeah, you saw that, right? So my favorite shot, obviously, is when I snake back to the right and I shoot a fadeaway, right? And I got a picture of Wimby trying to block my shot. Man, I shot the ball so high, I didn't make it.

Because I think you don't have to shoot it that high, you know what I mean? And I think he's going to be so successful, too, because he's very competitive and he's likable, right? And he loves the game and you don't see guys that size moving the way he moves.

So that was Chris Paul on the Pat McAfee show. And it's interesting to think about the number of ways that guys who are experienced in the league but are shorter, shorter in stature, and they have to accommodate the long arm of the law with Victor Wemenyama. It's the same thing with Kristaps Porzingis, why he made such a big impact with the Boston Celtics on the inside this year.

But he's not the only one. I mean, you think about some of the tall guys, but also slash mobile and lanky and lean guys. Even to Derek Lively, who's not as big, what is he, 6'10"?

6'10", maybe? Derek Lively with the Dallas Mavericks. He's not as tall, but he's got long arms and you get into the lane and he can really alter the trajectory of a shot or you're going to get it blocked back into your face.

So there's a bunch of different guys like that. Joel Embiid, Giannis for sure, because of his long arms. So yeah, it's definitely a weapon in the lane on defense, but Chris Paul can make him so much better in terms of how you break and when you break and being ready for the ball and where do your hands go and how do you get the ball.

You know, I'll distribute it to you. Once we figure out a rhythm and groove, how do you catch the ball so that other guys, other defenders can't steal it from you? All these types of things that he can learn from a crafty, clever veteran point guard. And I said this earlier, of course Chris Paul wants to win a championship. No doubt, as a guy who is approaching 12,000 career assists and a guy who is about to get to 20 seasons in the league, a guy who is approaching 40, of course he wants to win a championship. Of course he does. He's come close. Injuries derailed his time with the Rockets when they got into the playoffs. That may be one of his biggest regrets.

Who knows? I just remember that they a couple times thought they had the Warriors right where they wanted them and Chris Paul would get injured. So of course he wants to win a title. If he doesn't, you know what, he'll go down along with Charles Barkley and Karl Malone as some of the greatest players who never want a ring.

But this move doesn't feel like it's about a ring to me. It feels like, well, A, that maybe you're paying them the best money, the most money, but also wanting to work with Wemenyama and wanting to be out there as an extension of Greg Popovich. Coach Pop is well respected in the league and this has got to be a big deal for him and the Spurs too because they've been essentially NBA irrelevant since Kawhi Leonard was traded to Toronto. Going back before the 18-19 season, they sent him to Toronto.

He wouldn't stay in San Antonio. He demanded a trade so they sent him opposite of L.A. They sent him to Toronto, wins a title there and then ends up in L.A. on his own. But for the Warriors, even though they got DeMar DeRozan, another guy who could be making headlines in free agency, even though they got DeMar and they've got some good young players, they've been just kind of spinning their wheels. They haven't really made that major step forward, though Victor Wemenyama is expected to be that piece. And you remember his story, similar to how David Robinson and then Tim Duncan changed the Spurs. They're believing that same thing for Wemenyama, but it's been a long few seasons, a long few years for Popovich. I think there are a lot of people who are surprised that he's still coaching, that thought he might get out of it by now because it's been such an exhausting process to try to get back to relevancy. Only 22 wins last year, but Chris Paul should help and Wemenyama in his second season definitely should help. So Chris Paul leaves the Warriors after one season.

It's not nearly as dramatic as Klay Thompson leaving after 15 years. We'll get to that coming up. Also the Florida Panthers celebrated with Lord Stanley's Cup in the pouring down rain. So I guess if you wanted to drink rainwater out of the cup, that was available. Paul Maurice, he was drinking something, that's for sure. And who even knows what he was talking about, but funny stuff. And I just appreciate how many of you checked out my conversation with Bill Lindsey from late last week. It was such a terrific look into the heart and the journey of this long time Florida Panther. First as a player who was denied a Stanley Cup and now as an announcer. And I know he went viral for the final call of the Stanley Cup Final Game 7 when they won. And along with Doug Plagans, that call was replayed. Gosh, we replayed it dozens of times. He was criticized a bunch, but to know Bill Lindsey's story is to understand his emotion as the Panthers captured the cup.

And if you haven't found it, you haven't listened, I highly recommend it. He has a very unique perspective because of his time in the league. Also, he was in the room when the very first rat was impaled. That's the word he used. Anyway, the very first rat that the Panthers ever had at a game, he was in the room when it happened. And also sharing the cup with his elderly dad who's in hospice.

You want to talk about emotional. He was having a hard time keeping it together as we were talking to him in those hours after he and his dad had the Stanley Cup for a few moments together. So I highly recommend that conversation. If you want to find it, it's on our Twix at Amy After Hours.

Actually, it's on mine too, ALaw Radio and then our Facebook page. And we'll hear from some of the Panthers who are enjoying their time with the cup as well. So we're off and running. NBA Free Agency, still more questions to answer. We gave you one milestone from baseball on Sunday. That was on the Rangers Radio Network with Wyatt Langford, the rookie who hit for the cycle. First player to hit for the cycle in 2024. Did you know, Producer J, there were four cycles through June last season? Yeah, so just one.

Just one so far this season and it was a rookie. A little more of baseball too. But the breaking news, Paul George is set to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. Four years, $212 million max deal.

He leaves the Clippers and they've got to figure out what to do now if they want to try to contend again in the West. Good morning to you. Happy July. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence. You are listening to the After Hours. Doors take us to summers away or winter adventures and afternoon getaways. Your dedicated Fidelity advisor can help you open those doors by working with you on a comprehensive plan to help you reach your wealth's full potential.

Because doors were meant to be opened. Visit fidelity.com slash wealth investment minimum supply Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC member NYSE SIPC. You can host the best backyard barbecue when you find a professional on Angie to make your backyard the best around. Connect with skilled professionals to get all your home projects done well. Inside to outside. Repairs to renovations. Get started on the Angie app or visit angie.com today.

You can do this when you Angie that. Listen as Selenia tells us why she chose to vaccinate her daughter. I definitely felt like the pros far outweighed the cons. The diseases that I am protecting my child against. They're still here. And at the end of the day, it's my job as a mother to keep my child safe.

Talk to your child's doctor and learn more at why vaccines dot com brought to you by Merck. This podcast. Play Thompson, right wing three.

Yes, sir. Play Thompson's got 21. The lead equals the largest of the night at 16. Marcus smart will ease in for a layup. But three years to the night where Clay Thompson injured his ACL.

He responds with five made threes and 21. This is Clay Thompson, four time champion with the Golden State Warriors. You're listening to one of the best shows in America after hours with Amy Lawrence. Oh, man, I feel that we're going to have to cheat and employ digital editing because I am not losing my Clay Thompson drop simply because he's leaving the Golden State Warriors one more time. Jay, no music, no Amy yelling just in its purest form.

This is Clay Thompson, four time champion with the Golden State Warriors. You're listening to one of the best shows in America after hours with Amy Lawrence. Jay, Jay, that's that's the stuff legends are made of. You remember how excited I was when I was said that it was a surprise and you didn't tell me until we were. Did you play it on the air first or you let me hear it first? I feel like you might have played it on the air as a huge surprise. I might have, yeah. OMG. It was one of those OMG moments and I don't even say that. Man, this is going to hurt me hard.

It's going to actually bother my mother, too, because she loves the Splash Brothers. Wait until she finds out that Clay Thompson is not going to return to the Golden State Warriors. Alright, so there's changes in the backcourt for Golden State, not including Steph Curry. Obviously he's the centerpiece. He's the building block, if you will, the cornerstone.

But a lot changing around him, as it has. He and Draymond Green, they've seen people come and go and come and go now, even around their 22 title. But Clay Thompson, this is a doozy. We just heard from Steve Kerr and Mike Dunleavy last week that Clay was a priority. We want Clay back. As it turns out, there's not been a whole lot of movement and they were never close in getting Clay to return. And the latest reports indicate the Warriors are resigned to losing Clay Thompson.

It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence. We're going to bring back part of our conversation with Clutch Points insider, Tamar Azarli. He joined us from LA.

He was live in the second hour because he's tracking all this stuff. And right on the heels of our conversation, he also covers the Clippers. Right on the heels of our conversation, that news broke officially that Paul George is leaving for Philadelphia.

Four years, $212 million. But we did ask him about Chris Paul, the Spurs, Clay, and also what's happening in the East. The rest of this you can get on our podcast, but we'll pick it up when I asked him about how Chris Paul changes and impacts San Antonio. Yeah, I think, again, if you watch a lot of the Spurs, and I think everyone who was excited for when he watched a lot of the Spurs last year, they really struggle with point guard play. I think something as simple as an entry pass or getting guys in the right positions, getting guys set up in plays, that's something that Chris Paul, as one of the best floor generals and really kind of a coach from the point guard position, really does for you. I think when you're a head coach, a guy like Chris Paul really allows you to be comfortable, and you know that your team is going to be executing properly.

You don't really have to worry about execution and stuff like that. Guys will be in the right position. And I think, especially for Wendy, getting him the ball in better scoring positions and getting guys in positions where they can capitalize off of, you know, when be getting doubled or stuff like that. I think all those little minor things are so important, and Chris Paul is just an absolute genius of a basketball player. I mean, again, the athleticism may not be there, or what it was a couple years ago, but the mind that he has is just brilliant.

So that's going to work wonders. He's joining Greg Popovich, another basketball genius, so I cannot wait to see what they look like together. Definitely agree with you about his craftiness and how clever he is, and the fact that his court vision gives him an edge on other younger players who just don't have the same experience. And he is third all-time in the NBA in assists, getting close to 12,000 of them.

What did I see earlier? That he would be the 11th player to spend 20 seasons in the NBA, which is pretty incredible as well. All right, so they choose to move on from Chris Paul in the Warriors' backcourt. What about Klay Thompson? Why did those negotiations never really find any steam?

Yeah, I think that one's a bit more complicated. I think the Warriors are in a tough salary-cap position with the new collective bargaining agreement that was agreed upon last year. It's just super restrictive and punitive, so I think you can no longer spend as much money as you want and build the contenders you want and be okay with it. There's harsher penalties in both financial aspects and a loss of draft picks. This CBA was meant to stop teams like the Clippers and the Warriors, teams who have been spending way over the cap to try and build rosters and just kind of saying, screw it, we can pay the luxury tax penalties, it's not a big deal.

Now they are a big deal. You lose draft picks, you can't really aggregate salary and combine players and trades anymore. It's really, really harsh and I think the Warriors kind of saw that. And from Klay Thompson's side, I think as a Warriors lifer, I think he felt like the Warriors should be committed to him for life, just like they were committed to Steph giving him that 50-some-million-dollar-a-year offer. Draymond recently got a 40-million-dollar-a-year offer, so I think he felt like, hey, if those two got it, I'm one of the big three with them, I should get something similar. I believe he got an offer, I don't have the exact number, but I believe it was somewhere around 20 million or so a year, maybe a little bit less than that, so clearly he felt like he was wrong, he was a little disrespected there, and he felt like it might be better to move on, even if it's not for as much as what he was getting in Golden State. I think he felt like, okay, if you're not going to respect me the way I've kind of given everything to you guys, then maybe it's just time to move on. I think there's been reports that they've kind of said their goodbyes already and it's kind of looking like the two sides are going to go their separate ways.

It really is unfortunate that it had to be this way. I think winning four championships in eight years is just some legendary stuff and I think you kind of got to go down with the ship, if you ask me, but I think, again, this CBA is really, really tough and I think with Draymond and Seth here, you really want to try and capitalize on maybe one or two more championship win notes here. I get it, it's tough, it's a basketball business, but it's not pretty right now.

Right, not just the four titles that they won, but also two other NBA Finals appearances, the All-Star Games, the Splash Brothers, the attention that they conjured up for the league. Tamar Azarli is with us from Clutch Points in Los Angeles, helping us break down the early stages of free agency. What is the market for clay out there?

Yeah, so I think it kind of depends on what you're looking at. I think the Lakers and the Mavericks are trying to maybe create a little bit more wiggle room for themselves. You know, I think in what I've heard, I think it looks like they're trying to negotiate signing trades for clay.

It's not going to be just an outright free agency signing. So, you know, teams like the Lakers and the Mavs are trying to create a little bit more space here. A team like the Clippers who have been linked to him, I think Derek Jones Jr. kind of complicates things as far as the landing spot, but I think there are paths to some kind of sign and trade there with guys going back out. I will say the Clippers and Warriors just couldn't find a deal on a Paul George trade, so I don't know why the Warriors would kind of find a way to get clay to the Clippers.

That really doesn't make sense to me too much, but I think every option is on the table. I feel like the Warriors, you know, if they can get something back for clay and if it's the destination that he wants to go to, they'll try to do right by him. But right now it's looking like the Mavericks and the Lakers are kind of the two main names. I would say even the Mavericks because I think they just created a pretty large trade exception with Tim Hardaway Jr., the trade setting him to Detroit for about $16 million. So they do have a little bit of space there, a bit more than the Lakers, but I think those two are really the teams eyeing clay.

We've talked a lot about the West in some of the moving parts. Oh, by the way, we were totaling up earlier the number of teams in the West that Chris Paul will have played for. He's nearly at half of the Western Conference now, which would be seven once he signs with San Antonio, right? But who else in the East do you expect to be active? I mean, I think the New York Knicks did a big, big, big part of their job in acquiring Mikhail Bridges last week, just before free agency started. I think the Orlando Magic obviously landed KCP, and I think they have a couple other minor moves they can make here. I know they have Joe Ingles and they have Mo Wagner, who they can also re-sign, and I think they plan to. So those are kind of moves there that, again, New York did their big game hunting last week.

Who else do we have here? Yeah, I think Orlando's a big one because they have the cast space. I don't expect some of the teams like Detroit or Charlotte to really make so much noise, even though those teams have the cast space. Boston Celtics are going to re-sign their kind of free agency here. I think they are able to sign Derek White to an extension, I believe. There's some reports that he can make upwards of $31-32 million a year. He deserves that, if you ask me.

I think he's a fantastic player. And I think Boston, again, is a team that, with the new CBA, you have to capitalize on the now because this is Boston's window here. In three years, they're going to have to break this team up. So you have to capitalize on this as quickly as you can and as much as you can. Wow. And that's because of money? Just to clarify, that's money?

Yeah, yeah. Financially speaking, once they extend Derek White, they're going to be in over the second apron, and that's when the penalties will start hitting after a couple of years. So this is their window now, when they sign Derek White, when the new Tatum extension is going to kick in.

Those things are really important, and this is their window now. So I think they're obviously going to do some minor moves to improve their roster, but they have a championship caliber roster there. So really, I think those teams, I think Milwaukee maybe can make some minor moves here to add some more pieces around Dame, around Giannis, and Chris Middleton. I don't really know what they plan to do. I think it sounds like they've been okay with some of the, you know, the core that they have with Brook, but I know Malik Beasley is a shooting guard that they've lost, or they're going to lose here for agency.

So they do have some pieces to clean up and kind of add to the core that they have. Great stuff from Tamir Azarli of Clutch Points, and his primary beat is the Clippers, so this is right in his wheelhouse. We did a lot more with him, talked about Paul George and the Sixers and what that could look like and why. And for Chris Paul, for Klay Thompson finding new homes, this is just the tip of the iceberg. James Harden does return to the Clippers, but DeMar DeRozan is one that I asked him, what are we missing? And he went on about DeMar DeRozan, and there certainly are other pieces, but really what he told us is that the NBA was waiting for the Paul George piece. The Paul piece, if you will. Not the Chris Paul piece, but the Paul George piece.

Yeah, I tweeted this just now because it's impressive. Seven of the fifteen teams in the conference. He's not played in the East. Nope, Chris Paul is an inhabitant of the Wild Wild West.

He's a settler, if you will. Seven of the fifteen teams. I don't think I have them in order, but I got them out there.

So they're on Twix. You can find it there at ALOL Radio. Our Facebook page, too. We're always glad to have you with us and to connect with you. Happy July, happy holiday week. What, what? Oh, coming back.

The numbers of people, Americans, that are on the move this week. Just be ready. Be ready to have road rage. Be ready to have to deal with crap.

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Freak responsibly. You're imported by Crown Lake Port, Chicago, Illinois. Did I hear you're shopping for a car? Because I've been at it for ages. Such a time suck, right? Not really.

I bought it on Carvana. Super convenient. Oh, then comes all the financing, research.

Am I right? Well, you can. But I got pre-qualified for a Carvana auto loan in like two minutes. Yeah, but then all the number crunching and terms, right? Nope. I saw real numbers as I shopped. Found my dream car and got it in a couple of days. Wait, like you already have it? Yep.

Go to Carvana.com to finance your car the convenient way. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. This is Captain Aaron Judge. And in the illustrious history of the New York Yankees, only six players have hit more home runs than Aaron Judge. He passes Bernie Williams with home run number 288. It's 2-0 bomber.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. The voice of Emmanuel Babari on the Yankees radio network. Aaron Judge, he's blasting home runs into orbit.

It's something he does well, especially when he's healthy. And he is, though the Yankees have scuffled. They had a great month of May and on into June, and then a couple of guys, well, one Soto getting injured, but a couple of guys also needing to be removed from the starting lineup. And Aaron Boone having to mix and match, if you will, because they just couldn't seem to provide the pop that they needed. And also some starts in there that were a mess, let's be honest. So it's been kind of a tough combo for the Yankees. But back on track, not only do you hear the Aaron Judge home run, which for him is number 31, it comes in the first inning of the game in Toronto.

But Garrett Cole rebounds. So remember he had a relatively quality start. I don't think it was enough innings to be a quality start when he made his debut. He didn't get into the sixth, but he did just give up the three runs.

So they were happy with that. Then he got blasted in his second start. Now coming back on the road in Toronto. So this is an AL East battle. He goes five innings. He allows just three hits in one run, one walk, six strikeouts. So that's much more like Garrett Cole. Of course, everyone after the game wants to talk about Aaron Judge, including Garrett Cole. He's settled into the season nicely and he's just kind of plugging away like we all expected to. He's able to go on historical runs, MVP type runs, otherworldly type runs. He's a great player. He definitely is. And I would say if not the face of Major League Baseball, at least one of the top three.

It depends on what country you're from, right? Shohei Ohtani may fill that role. And right now, and I know we don't scoreboard watch or I don't scoreboard watch in June or July, but if you look at the MLB stats, this could be a fun summer when it comes to the two of them. And potentially, potentially kind of a race for MVP slash home run champion for the year. So right now, stop it.

I did not say that right now. Aaron Judge is sitting on 31 dingers. As we mentioned, Shohei Ohtani and Gunnar Henderson, who will participate in the home run derby representing the Baltimore Orioles. They're sitting on 26 home runs. So Shohei can hit a few more, maybe get a burst there.

The two of them could go back and forth. A la Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire, but minus the steroids. Aaron Judge is also leading Major League Baseball in RBI right now, sitting on 82. And he is at 316 batting average.

Ohtani also at 316. So this could be kind of fun for the two of them to go back and forth. Though the Dodgers, of course, are in the National League, so I guess they could win dueling MVPs between Aaron Judge and Ohtani. But still kind of neat to think about these two guys who are world renowned. I mean, they're recognized across the globe. Both very unique players, incredible skill sets. Is there anything they can't, well, Aaron Judge doesn't pitch, but is there anything that they can't do in their respective positions?

And so much fun to watch. Fans flock to them, so I kind of like this idea. Did you see the new format for the new home run derby this season? They're changing it again.

Yeah, but I like this one actually. It's good this time. So it's no more head to head in the first round. So now it's just an open competition. So it'll be the eight contestants and the top four scorers will get it. No more this guy versus this guy versus this guy versus this guy. Maybe feeling like too many good possible combos are ousted in the first round because they go head to head. Yeah, so this is just everyone against everyone, which I think is better. It's more open, more fair that way.

It might go faster that way too. Okay, so you've got Major League Baseball, Boys of Summer taking over July, All-Star Game and All-Star Week is still ahead. And then of course we've got trade deadline at the end of the month. That's Major League Baseball. Phillies are riding it out right now without Bryce Harper and without Kyle Schwarber, which kind of stinks for them. But they're still doing fine. They're in command atop the National League East. The Yankees, meanwhile, are in a dead heat with the Orioles atop the American League East.

So those are some fun, different races to watch now. The Orioles, they were looking for a break. Although I guess when you're playing really well, you don't want a break. They had one day off in the entire month of June. And so yeah, here's Gunnar Henderson.

It pays well to be in your early 20s. Gunnar Henderson, not only did they come through a murderous month, did they have to overtake the Yankees or catch the Yankees in the American League East and he's doing the home run derby. So it's been a lot. It's been a tough stretch. Obviously didn't end it the way we wanted to, but I felt like we did really well for the, depending on the circumstances that we had, one off day.

So yeah, I felt like we put ourselves in a good position to set us up for the last half. Yeah, they lost five in a row, but then they won four of their next five and also did beat the Yankees two of three going back. Now the Astros clubbed them good. Astros are a hot team right now. Orioles have been good except for this recent little stretch. And then how about the Mets? What was their record in the month of June?

Grimace? Eighteen and six, something like that. Very good. Yeah, really impressive. So you've got a bunch of teams that are surging and that's the beauty of a really long season is that anything can and will happen in Major League Baseball. Speaking of surging, the Indiana Fever were seven and four in the month of June, which is great for them after what was a really tough start. They finally got a victory over their, well over the Phoenix Mercury, but over the first winning opponent.

That sounds awkward. The first team with a winning record on their schedule. They're able to beat the Phoenix Mercury. So it was Kaitlyn Clark who was just one rebound shy of a triple-double. Never has happened with a rookie in the WNBA before. Didn't shoot well. Guess she was dealing with a migraine.

I didn't know. She was still out there most of the time. Angel Reese, by the way, another double-double, so that's ten straight games for her.

No player in the WNBA has ever done that. So these two rookies definitely going to be giving the boys of summer a run for their money, kind of elbowing them out of the center ring of the circus along with the Olympics. So there's a lot happening in these next few weeks. The Olympics, the opening ceremonies might be early in August or maybe they're late July, but they're within the next month. And so that'll keep us company in summer. I mean, we talked to you last week. You are just over two weeks away from the earliest training camps starting in the NFL. Can you believe that?

Just over two weeks away. But as we talk about the Olympics, there are some incredible stories and some really beloved athletes who will be representing the United States in Paris. One of those, she's now 27 years old. She will be the oldest Olympic gymnast in our nation's history, but she is also the most decorated among Americans and also has got to be one of the most dynamic. Simone Biles qualifies for the Olympics again, and she knew she had more to give.

How? Being in a good mental spot, seeing my therapist every Thursday is kind of religious for me, so that's why I'm here today. I knew I wasn't done after the performances in Tokyo, so just getting back in the gym and working hard and trusting the process with Cecile and Laurent, I knew I'd be back. So she's a superstar, obviously, whether or not she competes in Paris, but it's a third trip to the Olympics for Simone Biles. Her husband was there, Jonathan Owens.

He put videos up on social. And did you hear what the crowd reacted to? She was asked about why she felt like she could do this again, why at 27 years old she felt like she could be competitive on the Olympic stage. And she says, because I meet with my therapist religiously, meaning I'm in a good mental space.

I've got good mental health to go along with the physicals. And the crowd really responded to that. I believe that was on NBC Sports. Okay, now, does Taylor Swift know that Simone Biles will be using Swift music, Taylor's music, for her floor routine? I think my team talks to her team sometimes, and I've met her a couple times, so it's been really sweet. Now, you remember what happened in Tokyo, but if you don't, we're here to tell you. One of the biggest stories of the Olympics is that she pulled out of multiple events because she felt like her mental health was potentially going to create a dangerous situation where she wasn't locked in and could hurt herself.

But now she's back at 27, she's married, she's grounded, and she's not going by herself. Suni Lee, she was another incredible star in, well, it was 2020. Well, the Olympics were moved, but it was the 2020 Olympics in the floor exercise.

Jade Carey, who was a silver medal there as well, so it'll be fun to watch. All right, we're back tonight. Survive your Monday.

It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Boom! Here's why April chose to vaccinate her child. I think actually meeting someone who was not vaccinated and now has a lifelong struggle with a childhood disease really cemented for me that it's super important that we as parents continue to vaccinate our children.

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