It is! The JR Sport Brief Show here on the Infinity Sports Network. I'm coming to you live from Atlanta, Georgia. Thank you to everybody for being tuned in all over North America. Happy Friday to you.
Hope you're safe. I hope you're well. I hope you've had a tremendous day. And if you haven't, I'm sorry. Let me I'll be hanging out with you for a little while longer.
to try to help you out. This show gets started every weekday at 6 p.m. Eastern. three Pacific. I'm in Atlanta.
Thank you to our producer in New York City, Ray Jarvis. And thank you again to you, all the listeners, because if you're not here We're not here. If you missed any minute of the show, you can go ahead and hit rewind on the free Odyssey app, A-U-D-A-C-Y. We have discussed a lot. Of course, it's June.
What does that mean? It's championship season. We're about forty minutes away from the start of Game five of the NBA Finals. Excuse me, game form hitting the fast forward button. Hey, we got the Pacers.
They lead the Thunder two games to one. They're trying to take a two one three one series lead. I'm thinking about hockey. I told you it's championship season. We got a lot of winners running around.
We got Edmondson. They tied their series two games apiece against the Panthers. Last night. They're back in action tomorrow.
So we got basketball tonight. Paces trying to go up 3-1. And somebody's going to take a 3-2 series lead tomorrow up in Edmonton with tonight's game in Indianapolis, of course. We will keep you up to date. on everything once they get started and they start tippin' off.
In about 40 minutes. Hey, thank you so much to Sean McIndoo for joining us from the athletic. He came on by to talk some hockey with us. He thinks the Oilers. are gonna go on the way.
And as we continue on with the show. We got more to do. At the end, we'll talk about a few things, quite a few championship things. that took place this day in sports history. We're going to talk about Russell Westbrook.
It looks like his days in Denver might be done, maybe. Caitlin Clark, she's no longer done. Caitlin Clark is coming back. And speaking of women in sports, Yeah, we got some new owners In the NFL. The three women I think that's pretty cool.
I'm going to tell you what's going on in Indianapolis with the three women who are now in charge of the Indianapolis cults. Man, good to be here. If you missed it, like I said, free Odyssey app, your local affiliate. Sirius XM, channel 375. And if you have a smart speaker, ask it to play.
The Infinity Sports Network. Basketball Championships Hockey Championships. We got golf with the US Open going on. Here in Atlanta, we got UFC. I told Ray, we got a Power Rangers convention down the block from me here at the studio.
Just a right, just a normal Friday night, just a normal one. This is a quality Friday night. I can't lie, man. The weather's immaculate here in New York. We got hoops on.
The Mets are pretty good for the Met fans out there. Shout out to me. I can't complain right now, J.R. It's a good time. And then after, you know, when the baseball, well, not the baseball, when the basketball and the hockey's over, and then.
It's baseball's time to shine. Hey, we got the All-Star game here. in a couple of weeks uh here in Atlanta, Georgia.
So, yeah, baseball. Baseball's gonna be at center stage. Very, very Soon. Speaking of center stage, and well, you know what? We'll get to Caitlin Clark.
We'll talk about her in the next break. But right now It's center stage in Indianapolis, Indiana. I know everybody is taking a look at what's going on with the Pacers. as they should. They have an opportunity to win the NBA Championship.
They're first in the NBA. Not the ABA, but they're first in the NBA. which is great. But meanwhile, not the best of circumstances. Who the hell wants it like this?
But we have three women right now. will be leading Well, the Colts stink, but they're going to be leading the Colts. Following the passing of their father, Jim Ursay, His daughter Carley? Casey and Kalin. They have officially taken over ownership of the Indianapolis Colts.
The NFL requires every team to at least have one person who is literally the head of the table, even if they have multiple owners. And in that role. You will have Kalin Jackson. And so these three daughters know how important the cults are. Just to the city, the And the family.
And even to their dad, who passed away, and I had no idea. I knew Jim Ursay, unfortunately, dealt with substance abuse issues. I know that he almost. passed away and it was reported that he overdosed a few years ago. I had no idea how hospitable he was.
I mean, Tony Dungy. told stories about how he would Get everybody together on the team plane. He would fly his dad out on the team plane just so he could sit down. and and watch his son. And understandably so.
I mean, Jim Ursa got the team from his dad. He had to work. And so he understands that father. And some relationship. Shout outs to all the dads out there.
Happy early. A Father's Day. And so with the daughters taking over, Carly, ersay Gordon. She talked about any any thoughts or ideas about You know, just how they plan to move forward and how the team has performed the past few seasons. Take a listen to what she said.
We have a standard here, and it hasn't been good enough. And. you know Winning is great, but I would even take it a step further and saying, you know, we're really committed to being the best. And if we're the best, we will win games. And I think Chris and Shane.
are totally capable of doing that and we're confident that they can. Oh well. We'll we'll see. I I'm not confident in Anthony Richardson. You want to talk about making bad decisions.
At least his bad decisions all take place. On a football field. That's a nod to Antonio Brown. Anthony Richardson sees a defender, and instead of going sly, he goes shoulder. And now he's paying for it and getting his Shoulder re-evaluated after he injured it and had it surgically repaired in 20.
At twenty-three. Pretty sad, pretty bad.
Now if you continue on. Daniel Jones being your quarterback? I guess. I guess. This is what Carly Ray excuse me, Carly Ray, who the heck is Ray, Carly, who the heck is that?
I'm not going to get in trouble for saying that. Am I? That's nobody, huh? That's some random person somewhere who thinks that you know them.
Okay, good. Because I had to go, wait a minute, did I just say something I wasn't supposed to say on the radio? Anyway. Uh Carly Ursay. This is what she had to say about her injury prone quarterback in Anthony Richardson.
Sometimes new draft players, they have rough starts, they have injuries, they've got those things that they need to go through. But I think it's just it's way too early to tell. And I know Chris and Shane, you know, they'll let us know as we go along. But I think he's He has all the potential in the world, and if he wants to prove it, he can, and he will if he wants to. Oh boy.
'Kay. Yeah.
Well, what are you going to say? Hey, we drafted a quarterback. We got him fourth. He sucks. I mean, you can't say that.
Gotta have confidence in the guy. I mean, I don't have no confidence in the dude. Can't even complete fifty percent of his passes. And that's that's one problem the Colts have. But this is also the world that we live in, too, by the way.
We discussed Antonio Brown and his legal issues. There is a warrant out. For his arrest. Alleged murder. Absolutely terrible.
Horrible, horrific thing. Thank God nobody died. But they want Antonio Brown to show up at the precinct and turn himself in. Terrible. Awful.
Anyway. We live in a world Even now. People look at women and go But she can't do this, she's just a girl. Why is she doing this?
So she doesn't understand that.
So, yeah, it's very, very different. Where you have a space that is predominantly mail-driven, like the NFL. Where you have three women who are leading a franchise. I mean, if you go out to the Tennessee Titans, you have Amy Adams. I think she's made terrible decisions all over the place.
Like. Firing Mike Vrabel and then firing the general manager, I just kind of shake my head. at what's going on there. And so, in a lot of cases, people will look at the decisions made by women and just go. What is she doing?
There's already criticism. And questions. About these three women who now own and run the cult.
So, for instance, Carly Ursay, has typically, throughout the course of games, Worn a headset.
Now she's the principal owner. She's the main one on paper who runs for the franchise and will be voting and whatnot and rules and things like that. She has won a headset during games. Like she wants to know and understand what's going on throughout the course of the game. And so, yes, it is very unusual to see a woman.
In the background on the sidelines. with a headset on. And a play sheet. looking and understanding and talking about what's going on. And so she was asked about that.
And her response was, In regards to the play calling? And the people calling the place? I need to be able to say Is this person full of BS? Do they even know what they're talking about? It is such a complex organism, a football team, and how it operates.
You could say, oh, that person ran the wrong route. And then you learn Oh Someone tagged the wrong wide receiver and it wasn't really the player's fault. it was the person that called it. She continues on. I would suggest it for anyone else that has to pay coaches and GMs millions and millions of dollars.
It helps you make a less expensive mistake Potentially.
Now There are a lot of photos of her running around with the headset and looking at the call sheet. And so that has certainly been fodder for some. Oh, well, she's only a woman. That's a girl. What does she know about football?
Well, now she's a woman. Who owns the football team. I got no issue with her learning and trying to understand, like, what's wrong with that? She ain't out there calling the plays. I see nothing wrong.
I I actually think it's pretty cool. I mean, for all the The chest thumpers and ooga oogas and people carrying You know, clubs around wearing loincloths who go, Oh, she's a woman, what does she know about football? What the hell is wrong with her wanting to learn? I got no issue or no problem with this. Am I surprised that there were people up in arms?
You know, being rude about this. Oh, she's micromanaging. Why, by learning intricately more about what's going on in her business? We see owners in professional sports, the majority of which are male, of course. who is sitting around making dumb decisions.
Look at the New York Knicks. James Dolan, Jim Dolan, regardless of whether you wanted to see Tom Thibodeau stay or Tom Thibodeau go.
Some of the decisions made by Dolan over the past uh thirty years Have just been absolutely ridiculous. You can tell the man has no sense, and he is a man. And maybe it's to be expected for a man to have no sense. But I think it's pretty cool. that the Colts have three women, who are leading the organization.
And that there at least one of them is very interested. in learning the intricacies A football.
Now In a couple of years? If they start hiring and firing, and the organization is a dumpster fire. And then I I'll come out and say that. But for now I find it quite admirable. That this is something that she's into.
Ray, what are your thoughts on the fact that she's She's involved. She wants to learn. I think it's fine. You know, I feel like if any person is taking an issue with her. Trying to teach herself the game for a team that she owns, I think we're stuck in a wayward way of thinking.
It's 2025. We've had movements, wink, wink. We've had situations about equality when it comes to genders and things of that nature. If we're still thinking along these lines, I just feel like we're stuck. Of course, she wants to know.
She hasn't played, but I think what's being lost here as well: if her dad owned the team, that means she's probably been around, and her granddad owned the team as well. She's probably been around football her entire life.
So, how you said a call sheet? Most people should be questioning: what does she know about the call sheet? What doesn't she know about the call sheet? She's been around the game. Yeah.
Yeah, and it's uh we're always going to have guys who are just what does she know? This and that. I'm still waiting on the day. And I don't think it'll, and maybe it will. I mean, things seemingly have advanced rather quickly.
in the world that we live in. I can say at this point, after thinking about it. Let me just say, over the next what year are we in, 2025? I'm trying to think about if I live another. I if I go another 40 years, 50 years, I wouldn't be surprised if at one day, one point in time, We have a female coach in the NFL.
I would not be surprised. Because I think it may be maybe through the advancement, I'm thinking out loud, maybe through the advancement of flag football, I don't know. There'll be a woman who will just be able to to climb. the coaching ranks. I certainly know in the NBA, I believe the NBA will be the first sport.
to go out and hire a woman to lead a a men's professional squad. I mean, we thought for a point in time that Becky Hammond would would end up leading The San Antonio Spurs after Greg Popovich. That didn't turn out to be the case. She ended up going on. to the WNBA to to lead the Las Vegas Aces.
But sooner than later, I think we will have a woman. leading an NBA team? I think maybe somewhere down the line, I don't know, it's going to take decades before we have a woman. leading the way for the NFL. But we already have women in the NFL who who have been coaching and as analysts and so I I don't think we are we are that far off.
And so it's good to see the advancement. I appreciate it all, and for people who are just up in arms about it, Get over it. And she'll be judged if the team sinks or swims. She'll hear about it. Do yourself a favor.
Don't follow in the footsteps of uh Some other owners. like Mike Brown of the Bengals, Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys. But the way their father would talk about some of these guys, the way her father, their father would talk about. Daniel Snyder and trying to get him out of there. He was very clear.
Hey, man, that guy is a freak. He's a pervert. Get him the hell out of here. Jim Mercer is like, I got three daughters, man. Maybe they pick up where their dad left off.
Maybe they do better. And good luck to the Indianapolis Colts. And good luck.
So the Ersay Ladies.
Okay. It's 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 Who who would have who would have thought? We be all Indianapolis all the time for the whole country.
Pacers are getting ready to play basketball in about twenty minutes. We just talked about the cults, and thank God not too much about Anthony Richardson. Sick of that guy. Get healthy first, okay?
Well, we come back. We're going to talk about the biggest star. in Indiana. and when we will see her, back in action. I'm going to tell you about Caitlin Clark on the other side of the break.
888-710-4ISN. That's 888-710-4ISN. It's the JR Sport Reshow, the Infinity Sports Network. It is. The JR Sport Brief Show on the Infinity.
in sports. Network. That's 888-710-45. four I S N. Wow.
I mean, I guess this is just how the sports calendar goes. And sometimes this is how Indianapolis? There's a lot of stories out of Indianapolis. We got The Pacers, who are trying to take a 3-1 Series lead tonight against OKC, They'll tip off in about, I don't know, fifteen, twenty minutes from now. We talked about, unfortunately, the new owners of the Indianapolis Cults.
It's now been passed on from Jim Ursay. who passed away down to his daughters. And then, I mean, this is the biggest star. in Indiana, the entire state. is Caitlin Clark.
Now Caitlin Clark, you might have heard, She had a quad injury. She has missed five games. WNBA season pretty much has just gotten underway. And when Caitlin Clark ain't playing, There's a massive hit. Nationally televised WNBA viewership.
has dropped more than half. 55% since her injury, according to Nielsen. The Indiana Fevers games have also dropped. 53%. They've had a 53% decline in viewership.
And so I don't know some people, maybe they needed a uh A degree in rocket science. to try to understand how important Caitlin Clark is to the league and and what has happened over the past year and a couple of years. Do do you need any more evidence that the lady is box office? Like she is the main economic driver. For the league?
And so before she went down with this quad injury, Caitlin Clark, was dropping nineteen point six rebounds in non assists. She was considered to be someone an MVP candidate. Just in a second year.
Okay? She was on fire. to end her first season. In a WNBA. She basically went from college Took like a little short break.
jumped into the WNBA. The only break she really had was the Olympic break. Keep in mind, she did not go to the Olympics last year because the. other ladies, or at least the Team USA, did not want her on the team. I think partially, in big part, because of jealousy.
And so that's when she had a break and she came back and she finished the season strong. After a break, Now this offseason she got stronger. Put some muscle on her. And I don't know, maybe she was working a little too hard because she strained her quad and she was having a leg issue. heading into the season as well.
And so, with all the bad things that happened, the injury, the decline in viewership, everybody can just take a deep breath. The WNBA can take a deep breath. People who can't stand Caitlin Clark, some of those basketball players who try to knock her the hell out. They can, well, not take a deep breath. Caitlin Clark will be back to morrow.
against one of the WNBA's best team. The New York Liberty, who the last Dodge Act, were undefeated at nine and oh. Welcome back, Caitlin Clark. Oh, yeah, and by the way. This game is going to take place.
in Indiana. And so, if you're a Pacers fan, damn it, you got double duty. Tonight you can watch a game of the NBA Finals. Maybe if your paces go up three one you can celebrate that. And then you can go right back to the arena tomorrow.
Maybe, maybe not. I'm sure every seat is sold out.
Now that Caitlin Clark is back. This is what she had to say about her return to the basketball court. I'm really excited. I think it's definitely been a process. I think the hardest part is when you like begin to feel really good and then it's just a process of like working yourself back into like actually getting up and down and getting out there with my teammates and obviously that can be a little difficult at the same time when you know they're prepping for other games that I know I'm not going to be available in but I think you know the medical staff, I have to give them a lot of credit, I think they did a really good job and just have tried to like control my mindset the whole time that I've been out and learn from the bench.
I think it can teach you a lot of different things and yeah it was certainly a learning opportunity and I think it's going to benefit me a lot throughout my career just falling back and understanding certain moments like this. But I'm super super excited on Nancy to get out there and probably shake off a little bit of rust and play. Yeah, Hurt Seam, the Indiana fever. They have been two and three Since she's gone down. They need help.
And let's be real, they built a whole team around her. even added some veteran players to help support Caitlin Clark. Just to see if they can they can go on a run. Which, guess what? I know who would love that.
The WNBA ABC would love that. You know, I'd like that too. I don't think it's gonna happen. It's not the worst thing in the world if the Most popular player in your league is out here. competing for championships, that's money all the way around.
I feel like what we have right now is Not to the ex not to the extent now. But there's like a Michael Jordan effect here. Ironically as we head back towards the NBA on NBC, I feel like the the nineties and Michael Jordan winning those titles and coming out of the eighties and ascending to being the champion that he is and was. There was a correlation to NBC. And just, I think, the growth, the international growth of basketball, and especially from an economic standpoint.
with Michael Jordan. He was the guy. There was no debating it. The league had other stars prior to him. We can look at magic and bird.
In the 80s, and then we could look at other transcendent stars that he competed against. The Isaiah Thomases and the Charles Barclays and the Carl Malone's and They were all out there. But it was Michael Jordan. Everybody wanted to be like Mike. He's the one who got the commercials.
He's the one who had a movie, Space Jam. That other Space Jam with LeBron sucks, by the way. Uh Yeah, it's it's Jordan. You think about the correlation in the explosion of the WNBA? It's Caitlin Clark.
And I don't know, maybe everything in due time. I'm glad that You know, there there are other women in the league. That there's others who have taken the approach of, you know what I found? I don't even want to talk about this lady anymore. Because her impact is un Deniable.
Numbers talk. Look, if Caitlin Clark was not in the WNBA. Ray, we talked about this earlier in the show about how Everybody in the Stanley Cup has to fly eight hours from Sunrise, Florida up to Edmonton. If this was the WNBA They would still be on economy flights right now. instead of flying private.
Look, man. You know, there's a phrase that we we use in social circles called play hating. And when it comes to Caitlin Clark, a lot of her peers are player hating. And they just need to accept that, you know what, someone. has to come in and turn things up.
That's not a crime against whatever's happened previously before Caitlin Clark. But once she got into the league, more eyeballs, as the kids say, is lit now. And if things are lit, that means we need private jets. That means we need better amenities. If anything, we should be thankful that Caitlin Clark came through and got things turned up just a bit because at the end of the day, they weren't treating these ladies right as professional athletes.
So if it takes one person to open that door, to bring more people in, to shed more light on there, instead of play hating in the corner of the spot, come to the party, come to the middle of the dance floor, and enjoy the new Caitlin Clark party. Everybody wins. Everybody win yeah, she makes money for everybody. Look, be competitive with her. Be competitive against her, and we've seen it.
Man, she uh she has been fouled and hid and smacked around from the minute that she has stepped Enter the league. Be competitive with Caitlin Clark. but be happy about the exposure that she's bringing to the league. And I don't know. I do not want to say the wrong thing.
But we all have heard the stories, and it's not, it's a cliche, it's true, maybe it's not. I'm not saying I agree or disagree. But there's always the the women, and you always hear about how Women are competitive with each other. You know, like I don't it's and of course everybody's competitive. But there's this old anecdote That women always have difficulty accepting another woman, and that they're in competition with each other, and they can't accept.
And I feel like a lot of this is is playing out here. Like, be happy that she's making you money. Be happy she's bringing attention that's making you money if you want to go after her. Do it on the court. But we can't talk about her and this.
It's just. Be throw. She might be the person. That helps the WNBA actually make money. She's making money for everybody.
Damn, this woman came to town here in Atlanta, and I'm like, wow, this is different. Is there security outside? There are people punching tickets.
Okay? Making sure people scan their phones. Ray, can you say punching tickets? That doesn't exist anymore, right? No, man.
You you just aged yourself just a bit. Yeah, kind of landed in the geriatric club with the ticket punches. I'm right next to you, though. Don't feel bad. We are in the same boat.
Oh, man. I have punched a ticket or two. Oh man. That's bad. Anyway.
You see the money. Like the she brings money to every arena that she goes to. Camera people have to show up. They're making money. They got to pay sheriffs outside to do the traffic.
They're making money. Concessions making money. The restaurants and bars near these arenas are making money. It's a that's a rarity. You know, you heard Magic Johnson talk about this.
He's like, oh, yeah, is Hala Burton a superstar? No, Caitlin Clark is. Because they are opening up Arenas. Not High school gyms, not small convention center arenas. 20,000 seaters.
For Caitlin Clark. And to morrow she's back. Good for her. I hope she stays healthy. I'd love to see her compete for a championship.
It may not happen this year. I think the Liberty would wax them. But sooner than later, there are not two basketball players on earth. That I don't want to see more success for right now. Then Caitlin Clark, In Victor Wembanyama.
Those are my two, okay? If I can watch them for the next decade. plus lighting up their respective leagues. I will be a very happy basketball fan. It's the JR Sport Brief Show here with you, coast to coast, on the Infinity Sports Network, 888-710-4ISN.
That's 888-710-4ISN. Hey, here's a simple question. This ain't the Friday funny. Do you d do you think Caitlin Clark will ever get a break? Do you think she will ever be kind of just patted on the back for wow?
Look at how you change things. 888-710-4ISN. The phone lines are open if you want to give me a holler. I told you there's a lot of things going on in Indianapolis, like the start of the NBA Finals. They're getting ready to tip off in a matter of minutes.
There's a lot of other things going on in the world of sports. To hear and learn about them all, it's time for a news flash with Rich Ackerman. It is the JR Sport Brief Show. Here with you. on the infinity is sports.
Network. Eight, eight, eight. It's seven ten four I S N That's eight eight eight seven ten. Four I S N I need you to think. O'Reilly Auto Parts for all of your car care needs.
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Basketball flies sometimes, unless it's the end of the game. In two minutes turns into forty minutes. Right before we went to break, we talked about Caitlin Clark. She's going to be making her return tomorrow at Gainbridge Fieldhouse hosting the New York Liberty. Caitlin Clark has been gone.
due to a quad injury.
Now she's back. Hopefully she stays healthy the rest of the season.
Now, before we even got here. We were talking about the fact that tonight in the same building, We got Game four of the NBA Finals. We have OKC, We have the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers as it stands right now, who are trying to take a three one series lead, They have OKC. Thirteen to eight.
They're leading OKC thirteen to eight. They've only played like Not even a four full minutes in the game. They're just on a track meet. Right now. The Pacers Pascal Siakim has five points.
They're spreading the ball around. Halliburton has three points. You think about Oklahoma City, The score is now 13 to 10. They're spreading a bowl around as well. And I guess Mark Dagnaught woke up.
I've been sayin' this for a while now. Why the hell is Isaiah Hartenstein? coming off the bench. Isaiah Hartenstein Starting tonight. to help them with a Well A better start.
I don't think they should ever change things in general. Take advantage. of your size.
Meanwhile, just a few seconds ago, Chet Homerom goes down with a nasty Sprained ankle looks like he'll he'll be okay. Uh maybe not when you're seven foot one, but uh Every time Chet Holgran plays basketball, he's built in such a way. I just go, man, if a breeze comes by. Is he going to make it? He's knocking down his free throw, so I guess he'll be okay.
We'll keep you up to date on this game as it continues on. The Pacers ahead of OKC. Yeah.
It's a ten. Anyway, Told you Caitlin Clark is coming back. We'll see her in action tomorrow in Indianapolis.
So that'll be fun against the New York Liberty. Uh but earlier today we learned someone Or learned about somebody who is not. Coming back. Potentially. Russell Westbrook has declined his player option.
So it's iron. to the Denver Nuggets. He signed a two-year deal. We saw what he did this past season. Not too bad.
13 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds in 75 games. Like Russell Westbrook, God bless him, he is one guy that has always played. None of this load management crap. The dude is built like he's an action figure, Raymond Felton said. He's built like an action figure.
And we know he's he's durable. He's going to be 37 years old. Come November. And unless I'm missing something, Russell Westbrook isn't one of these guys who's had a ridiculous. Major injury.
He's been durable throughout the course of his career. I think he's going to continue to age. The way he is. Unfortunately, I also think he's going to continue to be inefficient. In a lot of ways, I don't think that will ever change.
and so with Russell Westbrook now free, Is he going to return to the Denver Nuggets to play with Jokic? We've seen that team certainly need some help with its roster. Tons. I don't know where they're going to get it from. And then if you're Westbrook, You must feel pretty good about either A, returning to Denver.
They did give you a player option. I don't know. Maybe he wants to tack on another year or two after that. Or You go somewhere else? Where the heck?
could Westbrook fit in? that he could win a championship. Where could he possibly go? that he would be able to come off the bench. And win a title.
I don't know. It's. Is Westbrook looking at Minnesota going, hey, you know, I can help lead things with. Anthony Edwards, show him the way. Does Westbrook say I don't know what's going on with Chris Paul?
And I can just go to San Antonio. I just. I don't know. Russell Westbrook is who he is at this stage of his career. He's going to wow you at times.
He's going to make some stupid passes at times. Every now and then, he will surprise you with what he does by winning. He is an MVP. He is. One of the best players that we've ever seen in in league history.
I think all things considered, like, he's probably going to stay in Denver. On an altered contract. Because I mean you think about it We have to get through the draft. And then we'll see what teams need Russell Westbrook. I don't even think you can really judge it right now.
with some of the rumors that we've heard. Like Durant. has to move around. We have to see if Giannis decides to go anywhere. The Boston Celtics, with both of their star players having surgeries, they might move on.
From Drew Holiday, the Sacramento Kings, what a dumpster fire they are. they might be looking. For some help at the point guard position.
So, yeah, I guess if you're a Russell Westbrook, you want to survey the landscape. in about a month from now, and then make your decision. Do I want to return to Denver? Is there a better opportunity out there? And I mean at this stage of his career, playing for three million and four million, that's That's nothing for superstars in the league making 50 and almost 60.
Russell Westbrook is. Top earning days of have gone on. I think it's probably a good chance he returns to Denver, but we got to see where else he goes. Ray, do you see a team where he fits in? I think that we got to.
We gotta wait until more pieces move around first, you know? You know, when I saw this news, the first team I thought of was the Knicks. I think the Knicks can use another guard with his body type, his ability to create, kind of help out Jalen Brunson a little bit because I think he takes on too much as the lead guard and the leading scorer on the team. And I think him being a creator can take that ball out of Brunson's hand from time to time.
So I think the Knicks would be a great fit. But it also depends on who they decide to coach because I'm thinking about the Knicks with Thibodeau. I don't know what direction they're going to go in offensively. If they're going to get an offensive-minded coach, is it going to be some young guy who can't control the locker room? Who knows?
But I think roster construction-wise, I think Westbrook would fit right in with the Knicks. Yeah, he wouldn't cost nothing either if he's going to go by the same thing that he's done. Taking three mil, you fit that in anywhere, right? Yeah, it's the perfect fit vet minimum, even because he's cashed out. He's made his money as a pro.
So he's not necessarily chasing the money. I think he's trying to chase a ring at this point in his career.
So he'll probably, for the right situation, he might take the minimum. Yeah.
I well, damn it, I think that might be the minimum. He's been around so long. And I think he would, you bring up a good point. Westbrook would be a good fit. Uh for the New York Knicks.
It's just How often and maybe I don't know. Because you talk about how dominant, like, I think Westbrook, who just dropped 13 points. A game last season, right? Had six assists. his numbers would drop even more.
If he was playing for the New York Knicks, the only way that he would really get a chance to control the ball is if Jalen Brunson got hurt, which, given his size and his injury history, Like, I don't think we'll see Jalen Brunson go play 82. I would slide him in every year in that 60. The 70-ish range. And I think that would be a success. I don't know when you gotta feed Carl Anthony Towns and you have Brunson out there.
having Wes Brooke off the bench Uh Would he really get burned? I think so. He made it work in Denver, considering how ball dominant Jokic is, and you have Jamal Murray. He figured out a way to impact the game with Denver. I think it will be a similar role with the Knicks, even.
If I mean, if we should only be so lucky to find out. I'd be here for Westbrook in New York. That would be a every day would be a fashion trip. And you know, maybe he's at this stage of his career. He does want to win a championship, and we think things are pretty open in that regard.
He's played in Oklahoma City. He's played in Houston, He's played in Washington, D.C. It's crazy to think about all the places that Westbrook has been. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers. He just played.
Where the hell is he playing? Denver Nuggets. Westbrook has already been on five teams. Like when we get to star players, it always becomes bad. I look no further than Shaquille O'Neal.
When you got to start really thinking and looking at these guys, like, man, you just, you're completing the rainbow. with all these jerseys right now. And I I think if I'm looking at the Denver Nuggets Westbrook, uh I I'm not feeling good about Where the nuggets are, the talent that they have, the talent that they've lost over the years. L let's be real. Westbrook, was one of the replacements after you you lose A KCP.
a brown I mean, Uncle Jeff Green. I mean. They lost so much talent. And Westbrook was one of the replacements, and now he might go too. And good luck.
I'd sign up. Every day would be a fashion show with Westbrook in New York. Maybe he wants to complete.
Now I go further up the East Coast and play in New York instead of uh DC. I I I think he might end up back in in Denver, but New York Would certainly be a good option. It's the JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network. We still got game four going on right now between Indiana and OKC. The Pacers lead 24.
to nineteen. Jalen Williams leading the way for Oklahoma City with six. And Miles Turner, with six points. For the Indiana Basers. We'll keep you up to date.
They're about halfway through the first, a little less than that right now, about five and a half minutes. We'll keep you up to date as we continue on. We got a lot more to do with the JR Sport Re Show here on the Infinity Sports Network. Of course, we'll talk about a few things that took place this day in sports history. We got to tell you about another legend, unfortunately, dealing with a health issue.
When we come back, we've discussed a lot. We'll recap it all on the other side. It's so much to do. It's the JR Sport Brief Show on the Infinity Sports Network.
Whisper: parakeet / 2025-07-02 14:51:02 / 2025-07-02 14:52:15 / 1
