It is! The J.R. 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, wherever you might be.
I don't know where you live, I don't know where you go to work, but you know where the hell I'm in. Oh, where the hell I am? I'm here every weekday starting at six PM Eastern. Three Pacific. You can always tune in on the free Odyssey app.
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The Infiniti. Sports Network. We've had a hell of a show. Thank you so much to Danielle Lerner for coming through. She covers the Rockets for the Houston Chronicle.
Thank you so much as well to Matt Moore. who covers all things NBA for the Action Network. Yeah, we talked about some of the big deals that have gone down today over the past 24 hours. Damian Lillard waived. By the Milwaukee Bucks.
They said, We're not paying this guy for the next two years, let's stretch it out. For five. Damien Lillard out with an Achilles tear. He's going to be eligible to sign with whatever team he wants and make a little bit more change.
Meanwhile Lillard is gone from Milwaukee, Miles Turner is in He's not a pacer any more. The Bucks give him a four year, one hundred and seven million dollar contract. Speaking of big money, Shea Gilgas Alexander gets the richest extension ever. He has two more years left on his current deal. But in two more years, damn it, four years two hundred eighty five million dollars.
The final year of his contract, he's gonna make about 80 mil. Yes, Shea Gylgas Alexander's raking in that money. The Lakers are still looking for a center. We got Darren Waller, the tight end from the Raiders and the Giants. He's back.
He's been traded to the Miami Dolphins. New York Knicks still don't have a coach. Nuggets have gotten a little bit of help surrounding Jokic, and we have so much more to do before we get out of here.
Okay? I told you about Jake Paul. Celebrity YouTube Disney boxer.
Well, he's now ranked. He's going to be eligible for a championship shot at some point in time. Maybe, possibly. Boxing is such a funny business. And of course, at the end of the show, we'll talk about a few things that took place this day in sports history.
And then today is a very special day. in Queens, New York. For the Met specifically, It is a bobby Bonilla Day. Are you not familiar? You're going to learn today.
You mean all these deferred contracts and a guy like Shohay getting paid for twenty years. Yeah, yeah, Bobby Bonilla. He has a special deferred contract.
Okay, we'll get into that. If you want to be a part of the show at any minute and any second, you can call me too. 888 710. 4ISN is the number. That's 888-710.
four I S N. If you use X slash Twitter, I am at JR Sport Brief. If you are on Instagram, you like scrolling through pictures all day. I'm not a hot chick, but I am at JR Sport Brief. You can also find me on Facebook.
If you argue with family and relatives all day, I am at... JR Sport Break.
So knock yourself out. Before we went to break, I don't want to say that I had an argument, but we had a gentleman by the name of Kevin who called up from Toronto. Much love to everybody in Toronto right now. Yeah, Canada is celebrating Canada Day. The more you know.
I didn't know today was Canada Day. I had no idea. But anyway, he told me that. And then he pretty much said, hey, you know, pump the brakes a little bit on the Houston Rockets. And he had some thoughts about Kevin Durant not being the player that he used to be.
And I'm like, okay, 'cause he's not one-armed dunking all the time anymore.
Okay. He talked about the potential of Jalen Green. You can have potential, that doesn't mean that you're going to max out at it. And if the name of the game is to ultimately win a title, we can nitpick a lot of teams. Are there a lot of teams that have the depth the experience in the mix of a roster like the Rockets I think not.
I think if you're a Houston Rockets fan there is certainly room for optimism, where it it feels like yesterday to me. That James Harden was sitting around complaining, about the bums that he had to play in the locker room with, okay? And then he got traded, got moved, and what have you, and it looked like the Rockets were going to stink forever. And here they are. Great young talent like Amen Thompson, Alpren Sangoon, Reed Shepherd, guys who haven't reached their peak.
You have a championship veteran in Fred Van Vliet, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green. You bring in a Clint Capella, a Stephen Adams, like this is a good mix. It should be a fun team. And of course A team can go to hell right away. Go ask the Boston Celtics.
They were supposed to compete for another championship. How did that work out? And so, yeah, the Rockets actually have to play basketball games. But if they have to look at every team in the league, I think the Rockets are in a great position. I think teams would envy what they have.
and what they could potentially do. 888-710-4ISN. That's 888-710-4ISN. Uh Will is here from Baltimore. He's been patiently on the lines.
Will, you're on the JR Sport Brief Show. Hey, what's going on at DL? How you doing, what's up? Hey, yeah, man. I feel like the last caller, you're doing too much for the Miracles right now.
Because if you look at the roster, let's be honest. What's the difference between that? I ain't gonna say the difference. But Kevin Durant. He's old, man.
He's out the way. Like, exactly what the last caller said. You running off because they got Kevin Durant. If he goes down, if they're going to look just like the Seltzers. Yeah.
But I would find both Outside of Outside of Injury Maybe I'm on drugs. I know I'm not. I could be. Outside of injury, Please tell me. Where Kevin Durant?
has fallen off. The guy still gets you $26,27 a game. It's one of the most hold on, hold on, Will. Will, can you hold on? Great.
I didn't interrupt you, I let you speak.
Alright. Yeah, yeah. The man can still get you twenty six, twenty seven points a game. He's one of the most efficient shooters in the entire league He's one of the smartest basketball players. The guy gets you twenty seven points.
Without having to go out there and jack up shots, he's actually good for a team because he's not swallowing the entire offense up and he's still getting his buckets.
So please, please tell me. Outside of being older, an injury prone where Kevin Durant has fallen off. I say he in the way. Whatever about the phone.
So, what does in the way mean? When you look at the rock, is when you look at the rock. No, no, what does in the middle of the day? You want to speak about one topic. No, no, no, no.
If Kevin Durant. is in the way. What the heck is that? He's in the way because of the day. He's going to stunt the growth of those other guys the same way.
The same thing. What's going to be different? What's going to be different? You're sitting there saying, you got Fred Van Bleek, old point guard, washed up. He really washed up because if you look at the playoffs, they were going right around him.
He's in the way.
Now, you want to go back? Let's go to let you wanna let's go. Let's go. You ain't got Clinton Capella and Stephen Addis. Steven Adams, they hurt more than anything.
Clinton Capella. If he was if he was worth anything, they would have never let him get out.
So, which point do you want me to respond to, or which one do you want to make? Because you're hold on, Will. No, Will, you're bouncing around to multiple points. Stop. I'm trying to help you out here.
Because you make one point and then you quickly pivot to another. You talk about guys being in the way. And then you talk about how these younger guys, their development is going to be stunted. And so, which one is it? Because I actually believe having a Kevin Durant on the team, having a Fred Leon, these veterans who you mentioned, who you say are in the way.
No, they're not. I think it's a benefit to someone like Amen Thompson. I think it's a benefit. Oh, my God, Will, hold on. I got to put you on hold because you're fast.
I'm not going to cut you off, Will, but you're. Fast talking and interrupting, it's like slow down. Thank you. Have to put you on hold for a second. Having guys who've won championships on a team.
in elevating them, is not in the way. That's actually a good roster mix. To have a men Thompson be able to step out onto a basketball court and learn and see how a Kevin Durant operates is to his benefit. because he doesn't have to sit around and share a court with a guy like Jalen Green who's in the same bucket as him. Who is searching and learning a more improved or better, more developed offensive player who's just out there looking for shots?
And so, I want to get to brass tacks because obviously we have a difference of opinion with what we see on a basketball court. Will, this is a question and finality to you. When you take a look at what the Houston Rockets have done at this point, Would you not say that they are now an improved roster? They look good on paper. Yes or no?
Is it an improved roster? Yes. It looks good, old paper.
So, in comparison.
So what we have all across the league Would you not have them if we got to look at everybody on paper, because that's all that we can do right now, and nobody's playing basketball. Would the Houston Rockets not be high up on that list on paper? They would be in the top it would be like the fifth the fifth C 15 because you still got you still got you still got Denver out there. You just like you said earlier, the Clippers put a well-rounded roster together.
Okay. Well, that's it. I'm not debating anything else. I don't think what you're saying is anything different than me. I just think this one thing: it's going to look the same way everywhere else he went.
There's no difference that you don't have no grit no more. You got rid of the Dylan Brooks. Kevin Durant is not going down there getting rebounds no more. He's not going down there filling that box. Nah, well, we're nitpicking.
And if we want to talk about it. Hold on, Will. Hold on, be quiet.
Now I'm telling you, be quiet. Hold on, Will. If you want to talk about it's going to end up like every place else Kevin Durant went.
Well, I did see him go to one team, and I did see him walk away with two finals MVPs. I know the guy is older. I know it's not the same time, but to say that every place that he's gone is just going to end up like this. The guy is a champ. Hey, Will, thank you for calling from Baltimore.
Yeah. Now, I haven't sat here and proclaimed The Houston Rockets to be champs. I can sit here and nitpick at every roster. I can tell you the pitfalls of the Houston Rockets. Yeah, Fred Van Vlied is older.
Kevin Durant is older. everybody else has room to get better. Like, what what are we doing here? I don't know. Uh just If I were a fan of three-quarters of the teams in the league, maybe more than that.
I wish I had the Houston Rockets roster or their chance.
Okay, I look at the Philadelphia 76ers. They're also a team, they have a lot of talent. But am I going to believe in Joel Lembi? Am I going to be excited about that? No.
If you're a Rockets fan, Why wouldn't you be excited? Of course, the threat and risk of injury is there, but to start saying ridiculous things like, Oh, well, Kevin Duran is gonna stunt the growth of Amen Thompson and Oprin Sangoon.
Well, I don't know. That that's just ridiculous to me. Eight eight eight seven ten four I S N it it's not rooted in reality. The guy he'll just be in the way. Huh?
What? One of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Okay. Devontae is here from Baltimore. You're on the JR Sport Reshow. What's up, Devontae? Hey, good evening, JR.
First and foremost, thank you for taking my call. First time call that listen to the show pretty much every evening. But um Hey, you're one hundred percent right about the Rockets. This team is stacked. I mean just Look at it in a bigger picture.
Last year, they finished, what, second in the West? They were 52 and 30. fifty two and thirty with Jalen Green as your star player, right?
So you swapped out Jalen Green for Kevin Durant. Anyone with clear basketball Vision or just basketball knowledge knows that is an upgrade if I've ever seen one.
So you take Jalen Green out, you bring Kevin Durant in, you re sign Clint Capella. Yes, they let him go, but they brought him back for a reason. He's capable in his role, and he's going to show up like he did before, grab rebounds, you know, pick and roll, live passes, all of that. This team is stacked. They're one of the best teams in the West on paper, like the last caller said, but you don't play basketball on paper.
But if you look at what they did last year and the additions they made in the offseason, they're clear winners. In my opinion, the West is going to come down between three teams. Obviously, the defending champs, OKC Thunder. I really like Dallas, too. On paper, they look good.
I know Kyrie. I know Kyrie is going to be hurt for most of the year. You know, I'll give you that. But they're a deep team as well. Just like the Rockets, they're tall, athletic.
They got a bunch of big men. They got a a pretty solid front court. And, you know, They can have their guards. I still like Clay. I want to see what Cooper does, but I'm not going to make it about the Mavericks.
The Rockets, they're going to be pretty decent this year. I think they're going to be one of the teams coming out the West, you know, maybe Western Carpathian Finals again. I'm like, what am what outside of Kevin Durant saying, oh, I blew out my leg again, I'm like, what? How is Kevin Durant on the team hurting a younger? I don't know.
Kevin Duran is actually He he's not a jackass. The guy actually gets everybody else involved. He's he's gonna help these guys in their development. I don't know. What do I know?
Go ahead. I'm sorry, yeah, I can't agree that he's going to stunt that growth. KD has never been selfish. He's never stunted growth or Wussell Westbrook or James Harden. If anything else, you would look at Kevin Durant and go, nah, bro, you do it.
You do it. You know? Yeah. So. Mm-hmm.
Just just crazy. Thank you, Devontae. Appreciate you. Yeah, of course. Have a good evening.
You as well. Yeah, that one threw me for a lose like Kevin Durand is gonna s c stunt the growth he's in the way. I'm like, What? How many times have we seen this guy with Russell Westbrook going, No, no, no, not Westbrook. You, you take the shot, you do it.
Even throughout his time all over the place, he just played with one of the He won championships from one of the greatest players ever. alongside him and Steph Curry. Was Kevin Durant in the way? That was actually uh Comical to hear. 888-710-4ISN.
That's 888-710-48. for I S and Dan. And we going back to back. Dan is from Baltimore as well. You're on the JR Sport Re-Show, Dan.
What's up? How you doing? Amazing. I wanted to add one thing to this discussion. I agree with you, the rockets could be good.
They definitely could be good. Just a thought. Obviously, the past two stops for Kevin Durant haven't gone well. Like, not just, they haven't won a championship, they haven't been winning teams. There's something to a player who's like jumping around from team to team and is not developing with a with a chemistry with the team specifically who gets injured a lot, who also doesn't get a chance to develop chemistry on the court.
And the team has to have like two totally different approaches for like, oh, when Kevin Durant's here and when Kevin Durant's not on. And he's also a little bit of a head case in the for the locker room. Makes it very public that he's unhappy very quickly. That becomes a whole drama. Will he be traded?
Will he not be traded? Maybe they'll fire the question, maybe they won't be. I think I think for the first part of Of of what you said. Of Kevin Durant and where he fits in and the teams that he's played for more recently. Like that what happened in Phoenix had nothing to do with him.
from a a talent perspective. They decided to go top heavy and had nobody underneath him. There was no way that they were going to do anything. I think the roster construction, which was out of his hands, was absolutely ridiculous. There's no denying that over the course of his career, Kevin Durant has had rabid ears.
Um he is certainly someone who will go online on social media early on in his career. I think he did care a lot and he would respond, which is why he had the burn accounts. And I think more recently you you're correct. He said in in Brooklyn, I don't want to be here. which was ridiculous.
He was the one who asked to be there. And then he goes to Phoenix. They tried to get rid of Bradley Beale and then they tried to get rid of him because Beale didn't want to move.
So he's like, Okay, I want to move. I is it a foregone conclusion that that won't happen in y In Houston? No. But I also think that the team that they have in Houston and what they've constructed. I I think is uh much better than what he had in Brooklyn.
And sure, it's a hell of a lot better than what he had in Phoenix.
So, I mean, we can predict unhappiness and this and that. I don't think that's going to be the case. There were no issues in Golden State outside of Draymond Green being a jackass.
So, I wouldn't hang that on Kevin Durant's head. If you want to talk about instability and I don't want to be here and this and that. But I think being in this situation, I think they got a brighter future than some of these other squads that he's been on. Phoenix not making the playoffs with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker has nothing to do with Kevin Durant. It has less to do with Kevin Durant and more to do with the roster construction.
Please name me some additional players on the team besides Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Kevin Durant. Go. It's a good question. I don't know if I know off the top of my head too much. That is my point.
That roster lacked depth. They didn't play defense. It was garbage. It was loaded at three guys at the top of the roster. I can take Kevin Durant and put him on a team with four of my best friends, okay?
And we all suck. And Kevin Durant is not going to drive us to the promised land just because he's Kevin Durant. I hear you. The main point I want to make is that. You look at the last couple of constructed on the championship teams, they're teams that have been together and built chemistry over the course of a long time.
Something Kevin Durant has not been able to do from his bouncing around and being on the court, off the court. Yeah, I'd agree with that. I mean, you take a look at the Boston Celtics between Tatum and Brown. They had to go through the fire to go ahead and get things done. We saw the development of the Denver Nuggets.
I give you credit there, but at the same time, I still think that at times you can look at a roster getting thrown together. Look, we had a guy in 2019 in Kawhi Leonard, he just got slapped to a team, was a running player. And they they won a championship.
So we'll see. And thank you, Dan, for us. No doubt. Thank you, Dan, for calling from Baltimore. Yeah, it's not a one-size-fits-all.
We can talk about teams that have won titles and developed OKC, obviously, but sometimes talent trumps all. It's the JR Sport Brief Show here with you, coast to coast, on the Infinity Sports Network, 888-710-4ISN. I'll get to more of your calls as we continue on with the show. Of course, we'll talk about a few things that took place this day in sports history. We'll get into Bobby Bonilla Day.
We'll talk about Jake Paul, I guess, feeling legitimized as a boxer. We got more to do on the Infinity Sports Network. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief. Man, we got a retired part of that. I ain't busting nobody ass, okay?
I'm retired too. I ain't fighting nobody. I ain't running after nobody. I ain't doing nothing. Not trying to do nothing but stay alive, okay?
That's it. Eight eight eight seven ten four I S N That's eight at eight seven ten four I S N What a day, what a day Damian Lillard way by the bucks Mouse Turner picked up by the Bucks. Pacers lose their center, I got people calling me. Talking about the Rockets. I'm like, damn, I'm I'm not crowning them champs.
I think they as it as it stands today on paper, I think OKC probably beat 'em. But can we get there? I think it's potential and assets and building a roster. Why would you not? Like I I'm being honest here Who the hell is why would you k if the idea is to try to get closer to a title?
And you have a window to do so, and you have an opportunity to acquire Kevin Durant for, I don't know, two to three years. Why wouldn't you do that? I'm supposed to hold out hope that Jalen Green is just gonna develop into I don't know. Who who could he be? Oh, the the best shooting guard in the league?
I I think not. I think not. Eight eight eight seven ten four I S N That's 888-710-4ISN. Of course, at the end of the show, we'll talk about a few things that took place this day in sports history. And then I got to tell you about a very special day.
For Bobby Bonilla. Yeah, you remember Bobby Bonilla. He's getting paid a lot of money. To do nothing. Because wheel ponds are cheap.
I'll get to that in a while. Let's get to your phone calls. Chris is here from Toronto. You're on the JR Sport Reshow. What's up, Chris?
How are you doing, sir? Thank you for taking my call. Sure. Awesome. Yes, back just a quick mention about Kevin Durant.
He would be a great asset on any team. Any team. And I I'm thinking Toronto Raptors. just to be a mentor for like Scotty. Scotty Barnes and just He'd be a leader.
I would have him on any team. Yeah, I'm I'm not disagreeing. I mean, I don't, yeah. He's not the worst. He's one of the best to ever pick up a ball.
So I'm not denying that, Chris. What else you got? Yeah, I just no, and and I just I just want to say I enjoy your show and just that's pretty much all I got to say. I'm just saying Kevin Durant, he's still got he's got a couple more years in him and he's gonna Whatever team he goes to, hopefully it's in Toronto. You should come to these.
All right. Let's see if we get him out of there, Chris. Thank you so much for calling from Toronto. Yeah, he hasn't even uh They haven't even played a game yet, and Chris is like, let's get him the heliporn out of there.
Now, I do want to give you this update on one player in particular. You know, yesterday we learned that Malik Beasley is under an investigation uh for uh you know gambling improprieties.
Okay, we see some things that are going on that he may have been involved with, maybe not. From a gambling perspective, and he had like a $42 million contract sitting in front of him. from the Detroit Pistons, but all of that is on hold right now. due to this investigation.
Well, the the Detroit press, the Detroit News, has certainly gone on and did their own investigation. Malik Beasley is certainly in some financial troubles. And this investigation dates back Uh to years. And what we see here is that He owes he's been sued for non-payment of rent. in a high rise in downtown Detroit.
failing to pay $14,000. in a building ironically that's owned by Dan Gilbert, who owns the Cavaliers. And he was sued again, another time, for not paying seven thousand, almost eight thousand dollars in rent. He owes a celebrity barber shop twenty seven thousand dollars. That's a lot of damn haircuts, $27,000?
Is each haircut five hundred bucks? Is each haircut a thousand dollars? How you rack up. twenty seven thousand dollars if And uh uh maybe this is uh This is the judgment. and so I'm sure there's some other money that's in there.
But damn, that's still a lot of money for damn haircuts, okay? What else we got here? A dentist, a Minnesota dentist won almost a $35,000 default judgment against Beasley. They started taking money out of his paychecks in February. Damn Botcher Malik Beasley did it, okay?
He did it. He did it. Uh Uh he might be on some down times, but there's still no proof. Yeah, it's all circumstance. The guy is paying a barber shop almost thirty thousand dollars.
He did it. Okay. Hey, maybe he wants to keep his hair very nice and clean, you know? Yeah, that and go to the dentist and not pay, that, get a haircut and not pay, that live and pay rent and not pay. Yeah, to think that he didn't take a phone call from a guy to say, Hey, if you do this, I'll give you some extra money.
Yeah, sure. Reportedly, he also owes one of his former agents. Plenty of money as well. Wow. eight eight eight seven ten four I S N Eight eight eight seven ten four I S N That is just absolutely wild.
Mark is from Nova Scotia. What's up, Mark? Oh, thanks for taking my call, JR. First, I want to say happy Canada Day to all Canadian listeners out there. I had a really good Canada Day.
Having a good one, not as good as Shea Gildis, Alexanders, of course, but pretty good. Um I just wanted to address something real quick.
So the only KD That you're going to find in Toronto, it's going to be craft dinner, all right?
So he's not coming here, he ain't coming here. I actually called about the Bucks, though. Yeah. Um I think about them in in terms of as a Raptors fan. Wanting Giannis, of course.
But I mean, I really do think that they're just. rearranging decks on the Titanic at this point. Like Damian Letter, it's basically taken like a Lamborghini with like six hundred thousand miles And okay, well we'll trade that In for like a well-worn, I don't know, Ford F one fifty. I look, I like Miles Turner. I love his defense and stuff like that.
Uh wasn't all wasn't super impressed with him in in a lot of those uh playoff games there.
So, anyway, those are my thoughts regarding. And I agree with all of them, Mark. Thank you for calling from Nova Scotia. There's nothing about what the Bucs are doing that's exciting to me. And I think by the time we get to February or or or at minimum, Next year, by the time we get to next year, Giannis, will be gone.
I I can't see him with the Milwaukee Bucks. Pass this year. Maybe he can help out his buddy Malik Beasley. I have no idea. That's just wild stuff.
Marco, did you hear some of these debts that Malik Beasley. Is involved with or has? I did. I like the haircut one. That's impressive.
$27,000. How much is that? Even if it's like, hey, you gotta pay $15,000 in interest, even if you gotta pay lawyer fees for them on the other side. Oh, 10 thou how much were the actual haircuts? I don't know.
And how long did the barber give you credit line? I'm like, at some point, like, didn't you have like 50 haircuts where it was up to like, you know, five grand or whatever the hell it was? Where he's like, look, man, I got to cut you off. Like, I can't cut your hair no more. Like, you got to pay me something.
Man, he was living rent free. Yeah. Apparently he paid no bills. Yeah, well Yeah. Like, if you're not going to be able to do that.
I guess they knew. Hey, listen, I guess when your contract is public, everybody goes, hey, he's good for it, okay? No, I get that part, but like, you didn't pay any of the bills. Like, was there anybody that's not collecting from you? Here, let's let's let's go through this again.
Okay. At one point in time, he owed $14,000 in rent.
So for him, well, let's say he lived on the top floor. What is that? Probably two, three months, maybe, right? Yeah, that's not a lot. That's not a lot.
Okay. Another time, I guess he missed two months or maybe a month. He owed them $7,300.
Okay, fine. The barber shop one gets me twenty seven thousand dollars in haircuts. Come on That was the judgment, so we don't know if it was all haircuts. And then a dentist, and getting your teeth fixed is not cheap. At thirty four thousand dollars, bruh?
Ah, come on, man. That's that's a lot of bridge work. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. I mean, damn.
He was, Marco, he was gambling, okay? I don't have to be on P. Diddy's trial. I don't have to be Puff Daddy's lawyer to know that Malik Beasley was out here trying to make that money, okay? But he had some really good haircuts, and his teeth were looking good.
That's the part that, I mean, that's a lot of money being spent on your hair and your teeth.
Well, listen, that's what women like, right? They want to know that you're groomed and well kept.
Now you figured out where the money went. Good for you. Oh, even the colour. Yeah. Yeah, he yeah, he's made some mistakes here, that poor guy.
Anyway, I hope he's in the clear from all of his legal issues. It's just. Look, the Detroit news got into all of his business and now it's all at Front Street, so Well, all the best to Malik Beasley. He had a $42 million contract sitting in front of him, and now he has to. He has to pay everybody.
Damn. Good luck to that guy. It's the J.R. Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network. We're going to take a break when we come back.
We'll talk about Bobby Bonilla. We'll talk about Jake Paul. We'll talk about a few things that took place this day in sports history. I'm going to tell you about the defensive player of the week. I'm going to pick up the phones.
Oh, I'm very efficient. You're listening to the JR Sport Re Show on the Infinity Sports Network and right now you just heard him. He's efficient. It's a news flash with Marco Belletti. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief.
It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast. On the infinity is Sports Network. Hey, we got a lot of things to do before we roll out of here. I'm not going to waste any time. How about this?
The Defensive Player of the Week is brought to you by the Navy Federal Credit Union. Our members are the mission. The Defensive Player of the Week is Goaltender. The U.S. men's national team.
Yeah, the people who kicked the football. Matt Freeze. In the U.S. win over Costa Rica, the man made three saves during penalties to propel the U.S. into the semifinal of the Gold Cup.
Yeah, USA soccer, they're going to face Guatemala tomorrow night. It's always nice when U.S.
soccer can go out there and do something nice. even if it's a small, very Small step. I did tell you that today was Bobby Bonilla Day. Anyone not familiar, Bobby Bonilla is getting paid $1 million. From the New York Mets every single year Until twenty thirty five.
You can go ahead and say thank you. To the Wilpond family, the family that used to own the New York Mets, they were so damn cheap they thought that they were getting a deal here. He's getting about $1.1 million every July 1st from 2011. To 2035. You're damn right.
He has another 10 years. The man retired in 2003. He hasn't played for the Mets since 1999. Bobby Bonilla coming out as a bandit. In the New York Mets, their brand new owner, Mr.
Moneybag Steve Cohen, He actually made a joke about this, about Bobby Bonillade. Listen to this courtesy at MedStop. Yeah, I'm still thinking about Bobby Bonilla Day. If I can get him to.
Now what would that entail? You know, I just go with my instincts, and you know, let's just have fun with it because it's become almost an iconic day. You know, it's become something that just became viral. And so why not just go with it and and make you know, enjoy it and and uh you know make it fun? Is Bobby on the same page with that?
If he can make it. I think Bobby, I think Bobby Is thinking about it and considering it, and I've had good conversations with him, so we'll see. Yeah, who knows? Yeah, uh Steve Cohen has owned the team for about five years now. We haven't seen no massive change, and so I guess one million dollars for Steve Cohen every year uh no big deal, not a law.
Welcome to July first, Bobby Bonilla Day. Speaking of July first, it's the end of the show. It's time for us to go through a few things that took place this day in sports history. Do you Back, back, back, back! Back in the days when I was young, I'm not a kid anymore.
But some days I sit and wish I was a kid again. It's time for this day in sports history. See, back in those days, we had radio and you couldn't see anything, and it was primitive and lousy, and we liked it. On the JR Sport Brief Show. I wish I was 50 years younger and I'd kick your ass.
You heard me correctly. June is done. It is July 1st. The year is 2025. In 1982, July 1st, Cal Ripken Jr.
made the first. Of his record 2,216 starts at shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles. We know his ultimate Iron Man streak was 2,632. Yeah, Cal Ripken, he moved to third base in 1996. He spoke to Channel 4 Sports, and at the time, he just said, Yeah, man, it wasn't always so easy and smooth.
Listen to this. I did so well, so fast, I think, and I got called up to the big lakes. Everybody expected a lot from me, you know, naturally, but I think they also understood that, you know, the big legs was a little bit of an awkward, a little bit of I went through a nervousness period, so to speak. I was real timid. I didn't know what to expect in the big leagues.
And I think everybody understood that. And I went away to Winterball this past season and got myself back into the form I'd like to, started hitting again. And now that I think I have the opportunity to play every day, I can come back and show everybody that I can play a little bit. Yeah, and I think everything worked out for Cal Ripken. I think.
July 1st, 1995, the NBA had its very first lockout. It was only for a couple of months in the summer. They still came back and played. Everything was all good and well. July 1st, 1997, Mike Tyson suspended.
Banned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for biting a Vander Holyfield's ear during their 1997 rematch. He was also fined $3 million. We know he chewed that man's ear. He spat it out. They've made commercials, they made jokes, they've made money.
This is why Mike Tyson bit of Vander Holyfield. This is what he told Standard Sports. Take me through what happened there because. It's right beginning we were starting Steiner Sports, you know, we had been really Really following your career closely, and obviously, a lot of things started melting down there in that situation there. I mean, did that just kind of, was that just kind of a place where you just went and you kind of hit a wall?
Or if you had a chance to do it over again, would you do it over again? No, yeah, I probably would do the same thing. Because he was really kicking my ass. Because he was really kicking my ass and bumping my head and stuff. And yeah, I think I would do his thing.
Yeah, I will.
Sorry, guys. But I am kind of redeeming myself.
Well, you think Mike Tyson was gonna tell a lie? Yeah, I bit that man's ear and I do it again. Sick of those headbutts.
Okay, July 1st, 2011. Oh, this really was an NBA lockout. The NBA regular season. It was reduced to 66 games. We had NBA players who were playing in the street.
They had guys going overseas. They were locked out from July 1st. The lockout didn't end until December 8th. Yeah, listen to LeBron James tell everybody. That the lockout was crazy.
This is what he told the New Heights podcast. The only time I've like really taken it super duper serious, I believe it was, I think it was 2011. When we had the NBA lockout. And, you know, and I didn't know when we were gonna make the deal with the owners and get our league back going.
So I actually thought about it a little bit back then. I was still young enough. You know, to get out there with y'all. But, you know, that's the only time I've actually seriously considered it. Yeah, that's LeBron James saying that he thought about playing football.
Okay, LeBron, okay. Were we gonna put you at tight end? That was gonna work out, sure. Yeah, uh-huh, fine. Uh, something else that took place on July 1st.
in 2018. LeBron James went to the Los Angeles Lakers. We know how that ended up.
Well, he's still a Laker, just opted into a deal, won a championship in a pandemic. Listen to LeBron James as to why he chose LA. Don't even have to talk about the years they won championships, talk about the players that came through this franchise that's worn this uniform.
So that's an excitement in his own right. And then it's just always humbling for me anytime I get an opportunity to be a part of something special. And I believe the conversation I had with Magic that night was a special night.
So I'm happy to be in this point today. Hey, he won the championship. They didn't have no damn parade in LA for LeBron, but he still won the title. And the way this Lakers roster is looking, it doesn't appear that that's going to be the case as well.
Sorry.
Okay, hey, there you have it. Those are a few things that took place this day in sports history. Let's come back to the now. Hey, let's go ahead and talk to Tommy in Tennessee. Let's get him up on the line.
Hey, Tommy, you're on the JR Sport Re Show. What's up? Yes, sir. Good evening. Uh I think Durant makes a lot of sense at Houston.
He learned basketball in his year at Texas. From Rick Barnes. And Barris has proven to be a great teacher of basketball in his years at Tennessee. Duran also may have learned some basketball t teaching techniques from Barnes in his short time in Austin. And he and Barnes stay in contact.
So That's a real good fit. My my other brief comment is LeBron going to the New York Knicks. Uh makes some sense. Yeah. And re and resting in games in LA with Luca as kind of Kind of the point.
Guard Wingman He's uh learned to play off the off as the off-guard. Pennymon extended. years in the league. A little bit with uh A little bit more red.
Well, I think he I think he is getting a rest. I I give him credit for the past, and thank you so much, Tommy, for calling from Tennessee. I think if you take a look at LeBron, just the the fact that he went out and played, I believe, seventy games last year, That says a lot about him and his body. And of course, playing with Luca will make his job easier.
Well, at the same time, going to another great team with a full roster, I think, would make his job easier as well. I mean, what the Lakers are putting out onto the basketball court right now is, let's just say, nothing to cry home about.
So let's see how things evolve with LeBron James. New York Knicks? How? How and when? He'd have to sign for the Veterans Minimum like next year.
And if I'm LeBron James, do I want the New York City experience? Probably not. I don't know. Anyway, we got quite a while to figure that one out. Thank you so much to Danielle Lerner for joining us from the Houston Chronicle.
Thank you to Matt Moore for joining us from the Action Network. I did mention Jake Paul. He's now ranked by the WBA at their cruiserweight rankings, which doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot. This guy's fantasy of being a real boxer extends, but the reality of him making money, that is going absolutely nowhere. That party's a genius.
I give him credit for that. But boxing, man, we know you ain't no real ass boxer. You're a sham. You've been listening to the JR Sport Brief Show here with you, Coast to Coast on the Infinity Sports Network. If you've missed a minute or a second, go ahead and hit rewind on the free Odyssey app.
I'll be with you tomorrow. Tomorrow's my last day for the week before the holiday. Make sure you come through for a new top six list. You can find me everywhere online at JR Sport Brief. Thank you so much to our producer, Ryan Botcher.
I'll be back tomorrow, 6 p.m. Eastern 3 Pacific. Don't move here on the Infinity Sports Network. Why? Bart Wickler coming up next.
