Are the Pacers a Team of Destiny? (Hour 1)

It is! The JR Sport Brief Show here with you on the Infinity Sports Network. Come to you live from Atlanta, Georgia. Thank you to everybody for being tuned in, wherever you might be. I hope you've had a tremendous Thursday, a beautiful Thursday.

An awesome Thursday. I'll be with you for the next four hours. This is when the show gets started. Every weekday, 6 p.m. Eastern.

Three Pacific. I'm in Atlanta. Thank you to our producer in New York City, Ryan Bacha. Oh, man, we got a lot to get into. Yesterday, when we got out of here, Man, I'm looking at the thunder and I'm hoping that they just wipe out the paces.

Well, I was wrong. They got wiped out, okay?

Now all of a sudden the Pacers have a 2-1 series lead. Hey, we got some hockey tonight. The Stanley Cup finals continue on. The Florida Panthers, they have a 2-1 series lead. against the Edmonton Oilers.

They trying to put the sticks to 'em, okay? We got a lot to discuss. Dustin Dapirak is going to join us, who covers all things Indiana Pacers. We got golf going on. The U.S.

Open has started right outside of Pittsburgh. We're going to be joined by Wes Reynolds. Covers all things golf. He's joined us before from Veason. We got Major League Baseball players.

complaining about their jobs. We got the New York Knicks just They're like anybody from New York. Or a lot of people from New York, people just sitting on the street. Begging. The New York Knicks might as well be panhandling a four-new coach right now.

We got a rookie in Cincinnati who said, y'all ain't paying me? Y'all not hooking me up? I'm leaving. He's outa here. We got a lot to discuss.

These training camps are closing down, and we are just getting started. You can always listen on the free Odyssey app. your local Infiniti Sports Network affiliate, It's serious sex them. Channel 375 And if you have a smart speaker, It could be Alexa or Google or whatever the heck you call it. You got something that talks to you or listens?

Ask it to play. The Infinity Sports Network.

Okay, if you want to call me, you can do so 888-710-277. For ISN. That's 888-888. 710-4ISN. I exist on the internet.

I am everywhere. At JR Sport brief. Ryan Botcher, happy Thursday to you. How are you today? Happy Thursday.

I'm a little worried, though, for the weekend. You're already thinking about the weekend? What's on your mind? I agreed to be like a barbecue grill master. but I'm not the fondest in grilling.

Why did you agree to do something United States? Because it's the right thing to do. Because nobody else was gonna do it, so I had to step up. Oh. It's the right thing, it's the right thing to do something you're not comfortable with.

It depends when nobody else wants to do it. I don't know about that. Like, what is the event? Is this a barbecue? It's not like a station alumni radio barbecue.

So it's not going to be anything like. Advanced, it's just handlers and hot dogs. Listen, are people going well, you can you can handle that. You just taste test uh one and two yourself, and then you'd be fine from there, okay? I give myself food poisoning, yes.

It's like food. You don't know how to cook food? You know how to cook food? It's just It's not the best.

Sometimes.

Okay.

Well This is an event. You said station alumni, I assume, college, right? College radio station, yep. Congratulations. If you don't mind me asking, where'd you go to school at?

LIU Post. Oh, Long Island. And they u didn't they changed that name up? Used to be C W. N they don't like the cereal anymore, so they went L I U.

Okay.

And then they split the campus with Brooklyn or something too? Yee it's been split for a while. It's just they're kind of getting them back together with sports and whatnot. They're all D worn up. Yeah.

Weird stuff going out there on Long Island. What time is this get together? Uh, it's five o'clock on Saturday, so I gotta look uh is it uh there is it gonna be alcohol there? Uh per chance.

Okay.

I don't think you need to worry about what the food tastes like.

Okay.

Okay.

Just make sure people are drinking before they get your food. You don't have to worry about it. People will blame it on drinking, they won't blame it on you. Yeah, but I'll blame their taste buds. Tastes good to me.

Yeah, don't blame their taste buds. Let the people drink before they eat. Not too much. And then they eat and they won't they won't remember anything, okay? I got that now.

I'm not worried at all now. You shouldn't be. There's a little bit of JR wisdom for you. Trying to help you out, man. You don't cook nothing at all?

You don't cook food at home? I'm very basic. You know? Like, besides the easy stuff, I have macpasta is easy. Boring cereal?

Like, what it was. No, no, no, cereal is too easy. Like, I don't know, like. Basic eggs, basic chicken. I'm not going.

five star mule.

Okay, if you can do basic chicken, I think you can throw a hot dog or a hamburger on the grill. And make sure you have some type. You got some seasoning for that. Uh for hot dogs? Not for the hot dogs come on.

You have seasoning for the hamburger. Yeah, of course. Oh, I don't know. I don't know. You're the one who said you worried about cooking the food.

At least you know enough to season it. I don't know. Yeah, you gotta season it. You don't want just plain hamburger. It's like school lunch.

I'm not the person who sat here and worried about making a hamburger and a hot dog. That was you, not me. You got me there.

Okay.

All right.

Well, good luck on uh On Saturday. You already think about it. It's Thursday. This is really on your mind. You don't got to go to Costco or something and buy all this meat, do you?

I do. You gotta buy it.

Well, it's it's like it's like um what's it called? Like a p a a pot. Everybody puts like five dollars in. Oh, a potluck.

Okay.

Yeah. You could agree to just bring uh the paper plates and the napkins. Yeah, but that's horrible. And that's better than cooking something that you're worried about. But the thing with me getting the grill now, I get to choose the music, so it's okay.

Oh, you're the DJ. I'm claiming it. I'm claiming it. You are the Grill Master and the DJ? I feel like that's a right I deserve from cooking the hamburgers and hot dogs.

Okay.

All right.

Okay.

Well then Well, you think about that, and just as well, you season the meat and you cook it until it's cooked. Get a thermometer, okay? It's not that difficult. Get a thermometer. That'll help you out.

And not a regular one, a meat thermometer. Yes, not the one that you put in the kid's backside, okay? Not that thermometer. Go get one specifically for the meat, okay? I'm just trying to help you out.

I'm glad you know it's a meat thermometer. I'm glad you know it's also you season the meat. And you gotta, you know how to operate the grill? You know what type of grill you're using? Yeah, it's a charcoal grill.

You know how to you know how to use it?

Okay, all right, I'm just saying. And good good luck to her. to Botcher. He has a lot to think about between today and sat about uh uh twenty four forty eight hours away. He got a A lot to think about.

Shout outs to our Our producer Ryan Botcher, learning how to cook live on the air. Anyway. He's worried about that. I can tell you somebody else who's real worried about a lot of things right now.

Well, maybe they're not. I have no idea. If I were them, I'd be like, damn, we did it again. This Stinks. For the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Last night they lose. one sixteen.

So one oh seven.

Okay? Ben Matherin can score, okay? This guy gets buckets.

Sometimes he disappears.

Sometimes he's hurt. Last year, through the playoff run, he wasn't healthy. Ben Matherin knows how to go out there. and get buckets. This man dropped 27 points off the bench, a new playoff career high.

Man, you have TJ McConnell also coming off the bench. The guy had 10 points, 5 assists, and 5 steals. This guy was jumping through the air, snatching balls out the air, okay? They helped lead the charge. for the Indiana Pacers.

This was kind of crazy. They outscored the Thunder thirty two to eighteen in the fourth quarter. to come back and win the game. After trailing by five, the Pacers now lead the series two to one, and yet somebody needs to be worried. It is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

because if they lose again, I don't want to say they're pretty much dead and buried. They might as well be, and this is why all of this is so concerning. Oklahoma City has basically led every game. Like, they get off to the fast starts. They have the big leads.

They let the pacers hang around, and the pacers. Bounce back. Pretty pathetic. And if you think about some historical context here, In the NBA Finals, When games are tied at one game apiece, the team winning game three has gone on to win the series. eighty percent of the time.

Game four is going to take place tomorrow on Friday. Thank God we don't got to wait a whole bunch of days. Be here in the studio watching the game. But if the pacers go up 3-1 Consider this just about done. If you're a Pacers fan, don't be worried.

If you're a Pacers fan, be happy. Like the guy who called us yesterday. On the way to the game, and he ultimately said, Yeah, JR, I think that the Thunder are a better team. I think they'll win, but I'm rooting for my Pacers. Of course he is.

And I know he's probably thrilled when he heard this. He's probably in the background. Listen to the final call last night. from Pacers Radio. This crowd rising to its feet.

in a collective frenzy. With the Pacers attempting to go up two games to one and now officially are up two games to one as time has run out. Yeah. Boy Oklahoma City had the lead in the fourth quarter, but as is their custom The Pacers rallied. And we're able to finish this one off.

116 to 107. They have a two games to one lead in the series. Yeah, but wha why they why they spend all these games having a bounce back? Uh It's gonna be crazy. It's going to be nuts.

If they bounce back, And just win this series. I can't even say Bounce back because right now they got the 2-1 series lead. It's it's it's crazy. And the thunder keep choking these leads. Away Mark Dagnall, the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

I don't know why, all of a sudden everybody's been asking this question. I'm asking a question. It one of your biggest benefits is size. Why is Isaiah Hartenstein, your big free agent acquisition, why is he now coming off the bench? Why are you trying to run back?

And you can already run with the Pacers. They may run a little bit better, but utilize your size and run and his passing. Isaiah Hartenstein is a great passer. Why is he coming off the bench playing 18 minutes? A game.

Jalen Williams had 26. Shea Gilgas Alexander, what a poor game he had, popping up with 24. Chet Holmgram had 20. They lost. I told you they had a five point lead in the fourth quarter and then the Pacers will wipe them out.

Listen to Mark Dagnall explain. What the hell happened for them to lose that game? They really outplayed us in the fourth. Give them credit. I thought we were in really good shape coming out of the third quarter.

We had a five-point lead and kind of weathered the storm of the second quarter. That was a rough quarter, and we were only down whatever we were at halftime, four or six. And we got control of the game coming out of the third. And then in the fourth quarter, I just thought they really outplayed us on both ends. I thought they were in character in terms of their physicality, their pressure on defense, and then they were in character in terms of their pace on offense.

And they just stacked way more quality possessions in the fourth quarter than we did. Mark Dagnold is coaching. Like he doesn't have the better team. Mark Dagnold is coaching like his team is they need to be worried about the Pacers, as they should. But he's coaching like they're getting their ass whooped.

They're in the league. Be more aggressive. Why are you adjusting to them? Make them adjust To you. And maybe this is one of the reasons and the benefits of having he's a rookie head coach when it comes down to the finals.

This guy's only been here for a few years. We got Rick Carlisle on the other side. This man has won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks. He's been in the postseason. He's lost in the postseason.

He played professionally in the NBA. Like Rick Carlisle, he's like furniture. He's been around a while, okay? He's not just, he just hasn't popped up on the scene. He's nothing new.

You somethin' old. Rick Carlisle last night he talked about his team once again bouncing back and forth. I was proud of the way we We bounce back from a rough ending to the third quarter. You know, that was something that could have shaken us up a lot. But the guys that went back in there to start the fourth, they just kept their head down and kept competing.

Oh. Man, he he you talk about some dogs. I told you about Ben Matherin. TJ McConnell, nobody wants to see that guy coming. He looks like Rudy out there.

He just pops up on a basketball court.

Now he's just torturing people. Rick Carlisle likes his guys off the bench. They've been coming off the bench all year, and now you got Dagnalt doing something different. Listen to Rick Carl Shaw, love to his guys. This is the kind of team that we are.

You know, we need. We need everybody. To be ready. It's not always going to be exactly the same guys that are stepping up with scoring and stuff like that, but this is how we got to do it. Um and we got to do it as a team and And you know, we we got to make it as hard as possible on them.

Look. It's It's crazy. Shea Gilgis Alexander. He cannot wake up every single day And just automatically say, here's 33 points. He can't do it.

He can't say here's 34 points. He can't say here's 40. Not every single game. He's going to have a bad one. Man, there's a lot of NBA players who wish they had a bad one.

24-point game, especially in the postseason. It doesn't matter when. If you could score twenty-four points every single game, you'd get paid a lot of money and be an All-Star. It was a bad game for Shea Gilgis Alexander. I blame him and I blame the coach.

Put Isaiah Hartenstein back in the starting lineup. Why you goin' fix something that's not broke? Making these dumb adjustments. Shea Gilgas Alexander talked about his uh poor performance. in game three.

I feel like I had some good looks in it that I miss and I usually make. Um There's moments where I could have been a little bit more aggressive I would say. Um But yeah, I watch film clean everything up and Try to be better for this basketball team come next game. Oh yeah. He sounds sad.

He was sitting there with the shades on too. Me, I I get it. Sheikh Yogis Alexander's a cool guy, cool guy from Canada. Wizzy big ol' red boots and Mischief face. He's a cool guy, I guess.

Underwear model for Kim Kardashian's brand. Win, lose, or draw, he's gonna be equal. He has to be better. I expect him. to be better than he was.

last night. I don't know what crazy ass outfit he's gonna wear. But I can imagine Shay Gilgis Alexander, It's going to be better. His teammate Jalen Williams? Led the way with 26 points.

At the end of the game, when it was pretty much out of reach, he missed a.

Some free throws, damn like Come on, buddy He talked about being in a 2-1 deficit even though that they have been The heavy favorite. Yeah. Um This game three was a better game three than the ones we've had.

So we'll take that and run with it. But Yeah, I mean It's very pivotal, obviously. You know, you don't like being down in a series, but we have been here before, so we'll use that experience and. work to get better from it. Yeah, they they better.

I exp I expect them to. I am not changing my mind. And I don't know, maybe there's some folks out there that have changed their minds. Maybe there's an Indiana Pacers fan sitting around going, Oh, look at we're telling you. Oh, you didn't believe in the Indiana Pacers.

Oh, we got a two one Series lead. If you are one of those Pacers fans, Relax. Chill out, take it easy. The series is not done yet. I wanted a competitive series.

Damn it, I sat here on the radio last night and I said, hey, just get it over with. Like if you're OKC, just don't play with your food, slaughter it. And I didn't think every game was going to be a blowout. I expected the Pacers to do what they've done at least once. They did it in game one.

And last night they did it again. in game two. Are the Indiana Pacers going to pick up another two victories? I expect OKC.

So when tomorrow? They're going to tie their series. They're going to go back to OKC. They'll take a lead. And I think it'll take maybe one or two more games.

to go ahead and put the Pacers down. I will still say it. I will give the Pacers all the credit in the world for fighting. for keeping on and keeping on. I'm still going.

with the Oklahoma City Thunder. And if I am wrong, then God bless the Pacers. All the credit in the world to them. They'll probably be the biggest surprise champions that we have ever seen, I'd say, in NBA history, especially beating a team that went out there and won 68 games. Good for you.

But it's not. Over yet. I remember Kobe Bryant years ago. God rest his soul. He was sitting.

In a press conference, they were asking him about the finals and being up, and he sat there: hey, Kobe, why are you not happy? Kobe had a simple answer. Jobs Not Done. Good for the pacers. Yep, to one.

Jobs Not. None. Let's see what happens to morrow in Indiana. I'm predicting a thunder. Bounce back victory.

It's the JR Sport Brief Show here with you Coast to Coast on the Infinity Sports Network. Hey, we got another team in the finals getting ready to bounce back. The Edmonton Oilers hope. For a bounce back tonight. Man, they got slaughtered in that last game.

6-1. They're trying to tie up their series. They're trying to avoid a 3-1 deficit. Damn it. They're not trying to.

have to win all these consecutive games like they did last year just to go out there. And force a game seven. We'll talk about the NHL Stanley Cup finals, and they're going to drop the puck in about an hour and 45 minutes. Hey, how about this?

Next hour, we're going to have a chat with Dustin Dapirak. He joins us coming from the Indy Star covers all things Indiana Pacers. We're going to talk. About the U.S. Open starting right outside of Pittsburgh.

We got some interesting surprises. Pretty much right at the start. Wes Reynolds is going to join us. The New York Knicks. They're talking to everybody and their mother.

To try to get their hands on a new head coach. I see Jalen Brunson has also talked. About the firing of Tom Thibodeau. We got a lot to get into, a lot to discuss. 888-710-4ISN is the number.

That's 888-710-4ISN. We come back on the other side. I'm gonna tell you about somebody. who just decided to walk away from work. Because they said, I'm not getting paid.

I'm gone. I'm going to tell you who it is. It's the JR Sport Ree Show, Infinity Sports Network. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief. It is.

The JR Sport Brief Show here on The Infinity. Sports Network. We just talked about what was a uh A terrible disappointment last night. If you are a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and a great success. if you like the Pacers.

Now, unfortunately, I have to talk to you about A disaster. Last night it wasn't good for them.

Well yesterday wasn't good. At least on my top six list. I told you. The Cincinnati Bengals are the cheapest You know what's. In the NFL.

Their owner, Mike Brown, is the cheapest Fill in the blank. In the NFL. We heard the commentary from former star-wide receiver from the Bengals, a TJ. Pushmanzada. basically said, Man, I was a rookie There was no water, there was no Gatorade.

They made us buy it. Botcher, you you know iced tea, right? The the the actor slash singer or or just the drink? Oh, not not the drink. Yeah.

Yeah, there you go. More widely known, I guess, today, uh As the guy from Law and Order. I remember him from some other things. I remember his wife, too, by the way. Don't.

Don't Google his wife at work. Excuse me. It's a bad joke. Hold on a second, Bacha. I'm going to mute myself.

Go ahead, talk for 10 seconds while I mute myself. Go ahead, Bacha. Go ahead. I was going to say her name. Is it lemonade?

Because his name's iced tea. It was very. Very, very bad. Yeah. Yeah, it was so it was so bad I had to just I had to resist uh speaking.

Yeah. Um No, actually, his current wife, her name is Coco, but that's not the one I was referring to. Botcher, not on the work computer. When you get some time, you just Google Ice-T's wife. Both of them, okay?

Maybe, maybe three of them. Just Google his wives. Don't do it on the work computer. Uh but outside of that, you're familiar with iced tea. And but did you you didn't know his wife thought it was lemonade, even though it was a joke.

Did you know? If you go to Ice T's house. And you want something to eat, if you want a snack. He has vending machines in his house. Did you know that?

That's a smart idea. It's about like a dollar or two dollars a pop too. Passive income. I don't know. I don't think he needs the extra money.

I don't want to go to anybody's house. I can't get a cup of water. I got to get Aquafina from the electric box over there, the vending machine? No, thank you.

Well, you're being fancy. Tap water, you probably get it for you. You know, it's just you want the bottled stuff, it's got to charge. I d I doubt it. I doubt it.

The point is. The Cincinnati Bengals are no different. Except for you're not going to a guy's house, a wealthy guy's house who has a lot of money and doesn't want to give you a. you know, a a cup of pretzels or a glass of water. Forget all of that.

You're going to work with the Cincinnati Bengals. Damn it, we had this conversation with a guy last night who could not understand. why I considered the Cincinnati Bengals to be cheaper. Than any other organization, despite every team pretty much on planet Earth. having an issue with at some point in time with a contract, and some teams more than others.

The Dodgers are no problem paying anybody.

Now we're into the next twenty years. The Yankees, oh man, they're not the Dodgers, but they certainly don't have problems paying money. The Mets don't have no problem. The Phillies, and then we got teams that just. They rather make you crawl to work, okay?

You parched, you need some water? Too bad. and go find the faucet. It's pretty bad. And the Bengals are in that space.

Charging for food and water and all of the things.

Now, today we got a little bit of an update.

Somebody who hasn't even signed his rookie contract. decided that he Doesn't need to be there anymore. And what is there to do? Nothing.

Okay, this is minicamp. Everybody's leaving for vacation now, anyway. Everything's pretty much always done, already done. Shamar Stewart today said, I ain't coming to work, man. For what?

We heard what Shamar Stewart said a couple of days ago. Sat down and said, It's not my problem, it's not my fault. The Cincinnati Bengals out here tryin' to nickel and dime me. and trying to avoid future guaranteed money. Like my salary is already slotted and they're trying to nickel and dime me.

They're trying to set a precedent. Give me the same damn rookie contract that guys got in the past. Why, all of a sudden, now do you want to switch things up? And so today He didn't even show up. He was at work the other days, didn't practice, sat around, watched.

Doesn't have a contract, can't get fine, can't find a guy. Who's not on the contract? And Trey Hendrickson, well. We know where he's at. Not with the Cincinnati Bengals.

waiting on his own big old contract. to come one by. said Karis. Star on the offensive line for the Cincinnati Bengals. Yeah, the unit that they're expecting to put up like 60 points a game.

He says between Trey Hendrickson And Shomar He's like, man, I don't think the locker room is going to be angry at these guys. They got to get what they get. This is what he told WCPO. You know, there is. Pretty serious business aspect to our profession.

And, you know, he's taking counsel from his camp. And, you know, I don't, the main thing I want to say is, I don't think to either of our defensive ends that there's not any harboring resentment in this locker room to them. And I really hope that both camps can figure this out because we have a really good team. We've had a super productive spring. And you just don't want this to carry over into summer.

Botri, you heard that music playing in the background? I did. Yeah, if you play Mariah Carey on Saturday, you'd be a hit.

So just follow his lead, okay? I'll have one for Christmas. I got it lined up.

Okay.

Smart man. Lemonade and.

Okay, in the summer. In June. No, I I I get it. I know what time of year it is, Botcha. I got the other terrible joke.

Thank you. You just on five. You got another one? You going three for three? Not yet, not yet.

Just the moment.

Okay.

Do you do stand-up? Am I learning something? Do you do stand-up when we're not here? Nope. Not at all.

I'm not funny enough.

Okay, all right. Anyway, the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, Zach Taylor, He spoke to the media as well a little bit different. This guy is basically a, well, he's not a player. He's on the management side. He's the coach, okay?

Zack Taylor was asked about Shamar Stewart. him not being there, him deciding to walk out, This is what head coach had to say. I think for all the rookies you'd like them to be on the field, but certainly there's things that happen over the course of an NFL career, and this is one of them right now.

So he's been in the meetings, he's been positive in that way, he's been learning, he's been a good learner, and we look forward to getting him back on the field quickly. Just keeping things. Status quo. Don't say anything too inflammatory. Don't say anything that's going to get people riled up.

Just keep it even, right? What about? He's a rookie. He's not at work. Like, you're not going to punish the guy.

Do you love him? I mean, this is a very unique situation. What about rookies in general? I think there's education that happens with all the rookies that we do our best to educate them. Number one, we want to protect our team in our locker room.

And so there's some things I understand when there's frustration there, but that's how he chose to do it. And that's his prerogative. And we look forward to getting him back in the fold. And this is Barackett. He's not even under contract yet.

Bangles are gonna bangle me. Perception in a lot of cases is reality. The Bengals are just a bunch of cheapskates. I can't believe in making players pay for water and Gatorade and vending machines. Hey, Rich Ackerman, when people go to your house, do you you give 'em water, you charge 'em?

No, I give him water.

Okay, yeah, good man. Good man. What's wrong with Mike Brown? Why why is he so cheap to his own players? You know, it's one of those things.

You can never explain that. But, you know, everybody's wound a little differently, and for whatever reason. You know, the Bengals and Mike Brown do things a certain way. Yeah, I know how he's like, I pay these guys enough money. They can bring in Bobby Oldwater.

Damn. What a guy. It's the J.R. Sport Reef Show here with you, coast to coast, on the Infinity Sports Network. The Bengals always.

Tri I don't want to say they're trying to be different. They are just, uh just different. When we come back on the other side of the break, We're going to talk about a team that's they're actually trying to get better. After last year, they did some dumb things. I thought they were trying to lose.

What a dumb decision they made. I'm talking about the Philadelphia 76ers. It looks like they're trying to make a major move. For the upcoming NBA draft, I'll give you that update on the other side of the break. Hey, I'll give you an update on Halliburton.

This guy's over here insulting the media. I don't know. Am I a part of the media? I don't think so. Then I just show up and my key card still works.

Anyway, we got a lot to do, but right now it's time for a news flash. Here he is, Rich Ackerman. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief. It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you, coast to coast, on the Infinity Sports Network. eight eight eight seven ten four I S N.

That's eight eight eight seven ten four I S And this portion of the show is sponsored by Hyundai, the all-new, all-electric Hyundai Ionic Non. Space Flight. for up to ten, space for up to seven. You got range for miles. You could fit a bunch of small Ten year olds in there, I guess, but make sure you cram in there.

seven eight eight eight seven ten four I S N That's 888-710-4ISN. Right before we went to break, we talked about a. A rookie who has a job, doesn't have a contract, showed up to work, didn't get paid, and decided to leave.

Sounds appropriate to me. If you're not getting paid at work, then what the hell are you doing there? The Cincinnati Bengals aren't paying Shamar Stewart, so he left. Mandatory minicamp. You want to know what they can't do?

They cannot fine him because he has not signed a contract. Good for him. Cheap ass Bengals.

Now it's time to go from a cheap team to a couple bad ones. that have made ridiculous decisions. I think we've all had those friends. Hanging out with them, and you got to coax them into not doing some things. We've all had those friends where you just go, What the hell are you doing?

And sometimes you just go, you know what? If you gotta be a fool, Don't come and talk to me about it later. I'm warning you, I'm telling you, this is a bad idea. Don't come and talk to me about it. Don't ask me for advice.

Don't ask me to help you fix it. If you screw up, you screw up on your own. I'm talking about two basketball teams here though. not friends, basketball teams. The Philadelphia 76ers.

And I think in a worse situation, the Sacramento Kings. Oh my God. I'm still trying to understand. What the Sixers were thinking last year. By taking a look, At Paul George and going, this is the guy that we need to bring in.

Like Paul George is more of a podcaster right now than he is a basketball player. This guy sucks so bad and and was hurting the season. It clicked in his brain to go, you know what? Maybe Maybe I need to stop podcasting. I can't play basketball.

I can't help the team. And I suck. Maybe I should stop. Maybe he also needs to give some advice to Angel Reese.

Sorry about that. But when you got a team with busted up old Paul George. Just busted up, period. Joel Embiid, whatever is left of his fat body. How are you gonna build anything?

I have no idea What Dow Maury was thinking. He thought this was a good idea. And so now the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers They're trying to figure out how they can go out there. and be better. They had tons of injuries last season.

It didn't just start or stop with Joel Limby. Didn't start or stop with old man Paul George. They were un Lucky. all the way down, The roster.

Now They're looking at the draft. The Philadelphia Seventy Sixers want to move up. They want to move forward and try to work things out. Kevin O'Connor. was on WIP, And he talked about the Sixers trying to engage the Spurs, who have two first-round picks, to move up into the number two spot.

Listen to this. How aggressive would I be? I'm not being so aggressive that I'm trading McCain to move up one spot, but I'd be willing to put future picks on the table. I'd be willing to try to get creative here with different configurations for the deal. But ultimately, I'd prefer to stick to a draft picks-based package rather than giving up McCain in a deal, unless more come is coming back for San Antonio in the form of some type of players.

But I'd be going for Harper if possible. Ultimately, though, like you said, it's rumor season, and everybody's calling everybody trying to see what's possible. And I wouldn't bet on Philly moving up the two, but I think it says a lot that they're actually trying. Man, they could try whatever they want to. If I'm the San Antonio Spurs, why am I moving off my spot?

Why am I moving Jared McCain? Unfortunately, this guy blew out his knee last season, and now he's back to doing TikTok. Man, that guy was lighting it up from three point land. Tyrese Maxey missed a good part of the season. Why are you going to move away from two future pieces that are actually guards?

We know we need guards. Flip one of them into the future. And not Maxi, we see Maxi as a proven commodity, but McCain, he's not going to do anything but get better. Why are you gonna move him now? Unless Dal Maury is desperate, which I guess he is.

making these dumb decisions, bringing in Paul George, Couldn't stay healthy even when he was out Los Angeles with Kawhi Leonard.

Now he's deteriorated. What is he going to do? Get better with age? I highly. Holly doubted.

And I highly doubt The San Antonio Spurs, which have done a great job drafting and developing talent. for the past twenty five plus years, I highly doubt that they just go, you know what, we're going to move out of the number two spot. Good luck. This is almost just as bad as the New York Knicks asking everybody with a head coach. whether or not they could borrow theirs.

Yeah, I said borrow because asking them to just take the guys It's too smart for the Knicks. The Knicks are stupid. Probably asking to borrow a head coach. Anyway, speaking of stupid, That's an East Coast dumb team. Let's get to one on the West Coast.

Shout outs to all my folks in Sacramento. The home of the A's Not the Sacramento A's. Not the A's formerly of Oakland, not the future A's of Las Vegas, but the A's. in Sacramento that don't want to acknowledge the fact that they're in Caltown. The kings There's rumors about the Sacramento kings as well.

What could the kings possibly do, right? Darren Fox didn't want to go. They fired Mike Brown. Sabonis is probably next to go. Doug Christie.

This guy's in some stupid rumor news. I'll let you go ahead and Google that. It has to do with his wife and kids. All you need to know about Doug Christie. Massage is playing defense.

Every now and then knocking down a three when he played. This man's wife had him on a chain for the world to see. Yeah, Google that. Also not on the the work computer. Anyway, Doug Christie is now the coach.

Vivek Renadive is the owner. And Vivek Rendive is an issue all to himself. But apparently the Kings. They want to bring in A new point guard. Maybe even try to grab somebody like Drew Holliday?

From the Celtics? I don't know. This the kings are just stupid. Listen to Sam Amick talk about this on SackTown Sports. You know, and I'm going to probably make some calls on this soon.

You know, there's plenty of chatter that that Scott Perry is is is like looking at everything and thinking kind of big at the moment. I don't know. what he might actually pull off, but You know, I don't know that this roster's gonna stay as is for all that long. Why would it? Like, who look first of all?

I feel bad for Fans of the Sacramento Kings. I really do. I had people from Sacramento calling me up Couple years ago. Light the beam, JR. You better respect the Kings, JR.

Now we're good, JR. And I'm like, they're not, man. They don't play no defense. And now they've just They've regressed again. Like, who would have thought that De'Aaron Fox would already be gone?

Vivecrenadive runs the Sacramento Kings. Like some drunk rec league manager who walks into the gym on Saturday. Opening up the gym late. Smelling like whiskey, he was out the night before. Maybe he never even went home.

Didn't get a chance to brush his teeth. And this is the guy running your basketball team on Saturday. For a bunch of people in high school. If a veteran of D V runs his team like a like a drunk derelict. Not saying that he is one.

He runs the team like it. He needs to get the heliporn out the way. It's his team. It's thick to building computer chips or whatever the hell he did. To make his money.

And good luck to the Sacramento Kings. They need all of it. Man, they don't have nothing right there A's are eventually watch the A's get good and then leave. Sacramento'll be left with nothing. Just have the kings.

And that stupid beam. Botcher, do you know? Did they still light the beam up or did they stop that garbage? They still do it. It's just nobody cares anymore because they suck.

Yep, but it's lost its charm. Right, and damn it it never had. Never had charm. Man, when you gotta resort to gimmicks after uh home victories. It's just pitiful.

You might as well hand out stars. Let the fans put a star on the wall. Put let them put a sticker on the wall. On the way out. Sponsored stars?

Possibly. Look, you got you got winners. in in sports and you got losers and and we you you know who's who's been a loser based on how they react. when they actually went. The New York Knicks going out and throwing up street signs with the names on it before they even get to the finals, even win it.

You got the lighting beams up. When you are a loser You gotta resort. The gimmicks, it's all the Deception, deception. Pay you know, distraction, distraction. Like, just just focus on the winning.

But some people don't know how to get out the way. I'm sure of Vac Ranadive and uh Jim Dolan, James Dolan of the New York Knicks, I'm sure these guys are best friends. Or maybe they They hate each other. Probably the latter. They seem too smart to or too dumb to actually know that they got a lot in common.

It's the JR Sport Brief Show here with you, Coast to Coastal on the Infinity Sports Network. We're going to take a break. We got a lot to do when we come back. Dustin Dapirik is going to join us, covers the Indiana Pacers for the Indy Star. Here we take, we're about an hour away.

From the Stanley Cup finals, we'll talk some hockey. And then Halliburton decided to get at the media yesterday. LeBron did too. What the hell is their problem? I'll tell you what they said.

It's the JR Sport reshow. Don't move. Yeah.