5.8.24 - JR SportBrief Hour 3

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Price and coverage match limited by state law. It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you on the Infinity Sports Network. I am coming to you live from Atlanta, Georgia. Thank you to everybody tuned in and locked in all over North America. This is halftime of the show.

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We got a busy night. New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers. They are about to get underway in Madison Square Garden. Congratulations to Nikola Jokic. He is now a three time NBA MVP. The man has won MVP three out of the last four years. We know Joel Embiid picked it up last year and he's sitting at home.

And right now, Nikola Jokic, he's in a little bit of trouble as the Denver Nuggets are down 0-2 in their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. And so we'll keep you up to date with the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers as the night continues on. But let me give you a quick recap of what we've done so far.

Thank you so much to our guests last hour. Carrington Harrison from Kansas City 610. He came through. We talked about Rashee Rice and all of the trouble that he's in.

Not only racing like a maniac in Dallas, but then also potentially punching a photographer on Monday night. Talked about Travis Kelce and his contract and his new television shows. And then we talked about Shay Gilgus Alexander, who's also an international player, an MVP finalist from Canada who didn't win MVP. And then his team beat the Dallas Mavericks last night. And then we also talked about Luka Doncic, also a finalist for MVP from Slovenia. And well, his team is losing.

And so we've had a busy night. A lot of basketball, of course, as the NBA is kind of trying to drive towards a close, at least get closer to the conference finals matchups. And so there's a lot of talk, tons of it, about our international players in the league. I mean, we got guys like Gilbert Arenas who like to stand around and bash the international players and how the European players are taking things over. Well, it's not not just Europe. The last time I checked, Joel Embiid, well, he's from Cameroon. Last time I looked, Cameroon is not in Europe.

It's in Africa. I don't know, maybe Gilbert Arenas needs a geography lesson. But besides any of that, something that I do every single Wednesday is bring you a new top six list. And tonight is not going to be any different.

We're going to take a look. Congratulations, Nikola Jokic. We're going to take a look at some of the best international players that the NBA has ever seen.

Obviously, there's been an explosion of European players, the success of the players from Europe, primarily from Africa, from Canada. People have watched the Dream Team in 92. People looked at Magic and Bird. People looked at Michael Jordan. And the world exploded from there. And now, almost 30 years later, you see the players that we have in the league.

They're dominating in a way that we've never seen. And so let me tell you a few things about this top six list. I'm not including a guy like Tim Duncan. Sorry, my bad.

US Virgin Islands. Sorry. I'm not I'm not counting him in here. And so you can go ahead and throw Tim Duncan the hell up on out of this list.

Don't expect to hear him. I'm thinking about players who won. I'm thinking about players who've had MVPs, who've competed at the highest level. I'm thinking about players who've had unique careers. And so, yeah, championships, they matter a whole hell of a lot.

But when you look at the entire picture, how impactful were you as a player, as an individual? Hickey, I hate to tell you. You didn't make the list. Sorry. What?

No, you didn't make it. Not you. You and Tim Duncan got a couple of things in common. Just a couple.

I would agree with that. Just just a couple of things in common here. Hickey, you ready for the list? Oh, let's go. Let's fire it up.

Yeah, let's hit the funky music. Six, five, four, three, two, one. It's time to get JR's latest top six list only on the JR Sport Brief.

It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you on the Infinity Sports Network. And it's time for a new top six list. Nikola Jokic wins his third NBA MVP. And it's time for me to share with you my top six list of the best international players that the NBA has ever seen.

Flattened period. And no, Tim Duncan is not on the list. Sorry, U.S. Virgin Islands. My bad. You know what? It's a top six list. We got to start off with like a neighbor, right?

We got to start off with a next door neighbor. Shay Gilgus Alexander. He didn't win MVP. But this man, I know a lot of people not happy about it. He won two MVPs. He's one of the greatest point guards that the NBA has ever seen.

This man went to the Hall of Fame in 2018. Eight time All-Star, five time assist leader, assassin from shooting range, part of one of the most star studded draft class you'll ever see in your life. His name is Steve Nash from Canada.

I get it. People say, hey, how did he go out there and win MVP? Why does he have two MVPs? Why does he have one MVP? Why not Kobe? Why not Shaq?

Well, a team success. And regardless of the MVPs, you can't take away the impact that Steve Nash has had on the game. No, he is not Steph Curry. No, Steve Nash wasn't splashing threes. He was a great shooter.

Flattened period. Wasn't Steph Curry. But he changed the game with Mike D'Antoni when it came down to pace. People didn't think that you could run up and down the court and have success. Steve Nash is what he did.

Floor general, shooter. Steve Nash was one of the best ever. Well, dammit, he's the best basketball player that Canada has ever seen. Go ahead and ask Shaq Gilgus Alexander when Steve Nash went into the Hall of Fame in 2018. That's what he had to say about his brain and having the mindset to be one of the best ever.

You don't have to be the chosen one. The secret is to build the resolve and spirit to enjoy the plateaus. The times when it doesn't feel like you're improving and you question why you're doing this. If you're patient, the plateaus will become springboards. Finally, never stop striving, reaching for your goals until you get there.

But the truth is, even when you get there, even when you get here, standing on this stage, it's the striving, fighting, pushing yourself to the limit every day that you'll miss and you'll long for. Listen, Steve Nash was good at everything. It's soccer. He can run. He can do everything. Just don't ask Steve Nash to coach the Brooklyn Nets. That didn't work out with Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant didn't like him.

He liked him as a guy, but not as a coach. Anyway, Steve Nash, top six international basketball players ever. I got Steve Nash at six. What comes after six? Number five.

Oh, yeah, we're at five now. Let's go from Canada to Europe. Let's go from Canada to Spain and let's take a look at Pau Gasol. What did Pau Gasol do? Well, he came to the NBA. He was on the Grizzlies.

He had a reputation for being the soft European player, right? He got traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for all things his brother, who was a defensive player of the year. And Pau Gasol all of a sudden is now teamed up with Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant once told Pau Gasol to put on his big boy pants. Pau Gasol, multiple time All-Star, Rookie of the Year in 2002. Kobe Bryant helped find his big boy pants, helped him find them and put them on.

They won two championships in 09 in 2010. Pau Gasol is a champ and we all know about the relationship now that Pau Gasol has with Kobe's family following Kobe's death. Well, let's listen to this, because Kobe Bryant, when he was alive, he talked about how he would not have won two more titles if it wasn't for Pau Gasol in his play. When he retires, he will have his number in the rafters next to mine. The reality is I don't win those championships without Pau. The City of L.A. doesn't have those two championships without Pau Gasol. We know that, everybody knows that. And I really look forward to the day when he's there giving his speech at center court in front of all the fans who have supported him over the years. So it's going to be an awesome night.

Oh, give you a little bit of a chill listening to that. Pau Gasol, the man could shoot, he could block shots, protect the rim. He was a great passer. He can get up and down the court for a guy who, I must tell you, is not just seven feet. Pau Gasol was seven foot one. Trust me. I've met the man.

A giant. And Kobe Bryant is right. If that trade did not go down, Kobe Bryant would not have two more championships. And he can go ahead and thank Pau Gasol. God bless Kobe and God bless Pau.

Best international players ever. I got Pau at number five. Who do I have at this number?

Number four. Oh, how about this? This guy's still playing.

Oh, how about this? This man? Well, he didn't just play. He's active in the NBA. He got a calf issue.

We didn't see him. It's Giannis Atetokounmpo. Giannis, two time MVP winner here in the NBA. 2019 and 2020.

Damn it, when he won it in 2020, he was the defensive player of the year. Oh, and if I didn't tell you, Giannis, he's from Greece via Nigeria. Family from Nigeria. I'm sure you've heard the stories. I'm sure you watched the movie, right? His family immigrates from Nigeria into Greece.

They're selling things on the street. He basically gets picked up and, hey, you're going to play basketball. That's the story of Giannis Atetokounmpo. He ends up being a pro in Greece and comes over to the United States of America, gets drafted 15th overall in 2013, ironically plays for the Bucks. He looks like a deer in headlights unless he's playing basketball. He got bigger. He got stronger.

He has no fear. He goes to the basket. He doesn't care what you think about his shot, his free throws. The man plays harder than anybody else out on the damn court.

Culminating with a championship in 2021. And it got to the point where it's just like, yeah, Giannis, you're doing everything. You're doing it all. You're doing it all.

Just get over the hump and win a title. That he did. And God bless him. His father is no longer here with us. And Giannis via TNT at the awards ceremony when he won MVP. Who did he thank? He thanked his dad. I think the front office, the ownership for believing in me.

And I was 18 years old back in Greece. You know, they allow me to lead this team. Trust me, two years ago, I had to go in my head that I'm going to be the best playing league. I'm going to do whatever it takes to help my team win. And I'm going MVP. And every day that I step on the floor, I always think about my dad.

And that motivates me and it pushed me to play harder. Giannis, man, nobody plays harder than him. And he has no fear.

None. He's missing 15 free throws. He doesn't care.

He's still going to the basket. I appreciate that. That's a mindset. Knowing that, damn it, I ain't going to give up.

I'm just going to go full bore. I hope Giannis comes back healthy next season. His brother Thanasis, well, he just blew out his Achilles.

Get well soon, Thanasis. We can't wait to see you on the bench. Anyway, Giannis on number four. What's the next number? Number three. Number three, top six international NBA players ever.

Oh, damn. It's the guy who just won MVP again tonight. It's the man who won his third MVP award in the past four years. It's a finals MVP. It's a reigning champion. It's a man who came over from Serbia. This man was drinking eight Diet Cokes in a day. And now what does he do?

I got you. 25, 26 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds. I bully everybody. I make Anthony Davis look like my child. It's Nikola Jokic. And how about this? Like 30 minutes ago, Nikola Jokic spoke about the award.

And he talked about what winning MVP again means to him. Listen to the Joker. I mean, I don't know. It's really hard question, you know. Probably some people say it's the best player in the best team. But I don't know.

Probably the guy who helps the most viable, like the team cannot play without him. I don't know. Probably that. He doesn't know. He's just like, I got to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. And knowing Nikola Jokic, he didn't stop there. Nikola Jokic said, this is not a war about me. It's about my whole damn team.

Listen to what he told TNT. We've got to start with the teammates. You know, without them, I'm nothing. And without them, I cannot do nothing.

So coaches, players, organization, medical staff, of course, time coaches, development coaches, you know, it's all one big circle that I cannot be where I am without them. Hickey, what is he doing? He's making popcorn in the back?

I mean, would you be surprised if Nikola Jokic is accepting his MVP award and he's got the microwave going on in the back, right? Hey, guys, can we speed this up here? I got to go. The popcorn's ready and I got to get out of here. I can't believe it's not butter. Well, no, is that? No, is that? That's not popcorn. That's Marj. That's spread, right? Yeah. I can't believe it's not butter.

It's literally that. Not butter. No, but what's the popcorn?

I don't have that popcorn. The kernel? Orville Redenbacher. Yeah.

Orville Redenbacher. Yeah. Yeah. Classic. Yeah, that's what he was doing. Good for him. I thought he was trying to lose weight.

Maybe he needs to cut down on that. Anyway, Nikola Jokic, I got him number three. Top six international NBA players ever. If I got Jokic three, how about this?

Get ready for this. This next one is one of my favorite players, if not my favorite basketball player of all time. What number is it? Number two.

We are going to Nigeria. We are going to talk about Hakeem the Dream, Olajuwon, Hickey. This was my guy. I hated him as a kid and I loved him because Hakeem Olajuwon gave everybody the business. Just the business.

We know it's about the dream shake. Hakeem Olajuwon was, I want to say, one of the first centers at his height, seven feet, seven one, to be so fluid, to run up and down the court like a gazelle, to block shots, to be able to knock down jays and open jump shots, to pass the ball efficiently. He was the best defensive player.

I mean, MVPs and finals. I know Michael Jordan was gone, but while he was, Hakeem said, uh-uh, it's just me. Patrick Ewing, who? Shaquille O'Neal, who?

David Robinson won what? Hakeem Olajuwon bust everybody's ass. And listen to this, Hakeem talked about the dream shake.

Like, hey, he grew up in Nigeria. He said, I learned the dream shake. I got it from a soccer move.

It was easy for me. That's what he told NBA TV. The dream shake is, you know, you will see the guy go the opposite way, basically. Sometimes you almost miss the shot because you, for a moment, for a second, you look up because he's going down. Because they know you're going to turn, but they don't know which way.

And they don't know when. And that was a soccer move. That dream shake developed from a soccer move.

Of course it was developed as a soccer move. My man came from Nigeria. Hey, Hakeem, I got a great picture with Hakeem.

I'm going to send it to you. We should post it. Yeah. He looks like my dad. We look like we look like we're related.

We do. Mine is just like, what, two feet? Two feet?

No, come on, man. A foot. A foot and a half. Yeah.

About. A foot. Your dad, the height just skipped a generation? Yeah. Your son now is going to be like 6'11". Well, we'll see.

Yeah. I'll drop him off to Hakeem. I know Hakeem is so damn good. He makes everybody.

He charges people for classes to learn the dream shake. Giannis Atteracumpo has gone to the house of Hakeem Olajuwon. Dwight Howard is much of a, Dwight Howard anyway, Dwight Howard has gone to Hakeem's house. And you know, every now and then Hakeem charges these folks. Kobe Bryant went to Hakeem to learn moves. That's why I got Hakeem Olajuwon at number two on my list. The best international player the league has ever seen. I have him at number two. A matter of fact, you know what, hold on. Even Shaq kisses the ring of Hakeem Olajuwon.

Listen to this. Hakeem Olajuwon had everything. You know, most, most all the other centers at best, they got two or three moves. But Hakeem, he was very unpredictable on the block. You know, you thought he was going right, he was going left. You thought he'd shoot the jumper, he'd come with the up and under. And, and, and mentally he was a guy who couldn't break.

Technically you could not break him. That was also on NBA TV. Yeah, you hear how much I love Hakeem? Well we're going to take a break. And when we come back on the other side, who the hell could I have in front of Hakeem Olajuwon? When we come back on the other side, I'm going to give you the top international player that the NBA has ever seen.

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Price and coverage match limited by state law. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief. It's the JR Sport Brief Show here with you on the Infinity Sports Network. Oh, I'm loving this, it's Wednesday, which means that it's time for a new top six list. Well, damn it.

I've already given you the top five and in a few seconds, I'm going to close out the list. Congratulations to Nikola Jokic tonight. He won his third NBA MVP award. Good for him. Exclusive company Magic Johnson got three awards and now Nikola Jokic.

This is this is a big time. I don't know if they'll give him another one. They're like, man, you got three. You just gonna have to relax. You won three out of four years.

Just just chill out. And so I talked about some of the best international players that the league has ever seen. And I'm about to share with you who I have at number one.

Let's go through the list. At number six, I gave you a Canadian. I gave you Steve Nash. Steve Nash could do everything except for coach Kevin Durant in the Brooklyn Nets.

Sorry. At number five, I gave you Pal Gasol from Spain. Pal Gasol hooked up with Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant said, hey, man, you got to put on your big boy pants. And then Pal Gasol helped Kobe Bryant win two additional championships. Pal Gasol, big boy pants and now a Hall of Famer. Good for him.

Representing Spain. And number four, I gave you Giannis Atetokounmpo from Greece via Nigeria. This is someone who's an NBA champion, an NBA finals MVP, a two time MVP. Giannis Atetokounmpo is already on the NBA's list of his 75 greatest players ever. I wish he would have played in this past series, but that's OK. Can't get it all right.

And number three, I gave you the man who just won his third MVP award. Nikolay Jokic already is one of the greatest big men that the NBA has ever seen. I just wish he showed a little bit more enthusiasm. I think the most fun Nikolay Jokic has had is when he's hanging out with his horses or he's dressing up as that bad guy with the scarf from Despicable Me. And he better hope he gets it together because he's in an 0-2 hole right now against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It sucks. And number two, international players, one of the greatest of all time. He's from Nigeria, went to play for the Cougars and then went to the Rockets and continued the great story of Houstonians wearing 34. It's Hakeem the Dream of Lajuwan. Yeah, he looks like my dad. He does.

I found a picture and post. It looks like my dad. I love Hakeem. He was the best. He was so fluid. He was the best defender. He was the best scorer. He's the best passer.

He would punch you in the face if he needed to. I love Hakeem. So if I got Hakeem at number two, if you got to think about the best international player that the NBA has ever seen, damn it, what number is it?

Who is it? His name is Dirk Nowitzki. I'm saying this man went into the Hall of Fame last year. We haven't had a player with his accomplishments as decorated as Dirk just ever. I mean, if you want to think about the explosion of the NBA, and yes, we've had the Arvida Sabonis and the Drazin Petrovic and the Luke Longleys, so whether you come from Australia, you come from anywhere, Vlade, we can go down the list. Dirk came over and was bullied. He stunk. Dirk came over here. It drafted at number nine overall in 1998, and they didn't even know if Dirk was going to last in the league.

The man did more than last. He played 21 seasons, more seasons with one team than anybody has ever played in NBA history. Dirk had to get punched down. He won MVP in 2007. This is a seven-foot dude from Germany knocking down threes and fadeaways and post-ups and kicking legs out. At one point in time, he was teamed up out there with another international guy on my list in Steve Nash. He got the job done. Come on.

Number one. Dirk had to get punched down. Dirk lost. The Mavericks lost to an eighth seed.

They lost. So the Golden State Warriors with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes and Baron Davis, and then he had to come back and he won a championship against LeBron and the Miami Heat. This big German, 21 seasons, Dirk Nowitzki, NBA MVP and Finals MVP and winning it all, he's sixth all-time in scoring in NBA history. Dirk Nowitzki is sixth all-time in scoring in NBA history. Championship, MVP, Finals MVP, longevity, Dirk Nowitzki is just a legend and a part of it is. Yeah, he got older like we all do.

He did it for a long time. They got a statue of this man outside the arena in Dallas. When I told you last year he went into the Hall of Fame, I want you to listen to Dirk from his statue reveal. Listen to the motto that he lived by, 21 seasons, busting ass and shooting threes in the NBA. I'm truly humbled and I'm going to leave you guys with the motto. It says there on the side under my name, on the side on the base, and it is actually 21 letters for 21 years and I think it sums up my career here for the Dallas Mavericks perfectly and it says, loyalty never fades away.

Loyalty never fades away, it doesn't, it doesn't. Shout out to Dirk. I got him number one on my list, the championship, the MVP, the longevity, 6th all time in scoring. Now would I say that you know he's a better player than maybe Hakeem? No, but if I have to look at the full accomplishments and the longevity aspect and one team, I gotta give it to Dirk.

I love Hakeem, but looking at him having an asthma attack with the Toronto Raptors, that was, that was not it, that wasn't it. Anyway, the phone lines are open right now, 855-212-4227, that's 855-212-4227, I just gave you my top 6 list of international players that the NBA has ever seen. My list, at number 6 I gave you Steve Nash, at number 5 I gave you Pau Gasol, at number 4 I gave you Giannis Atetokounmpo from Greece, at number 3 I gave you Nikola Jokic out of Serbia, at number 2 Hakeem Olajuwon out of Nigeria, at number 1 I gave you Dirk Nowitzki out of Germany. Now there are more international players, of course, that have had a lot of success, that are in the Hall of Fame.

Let me save you some time here. I told you I ain't put on Tim Duncan, U.S. Virgin Islands. I also gonna tell you, there's a guy from my neck of the woods, up in New York, in Jamaica, we all love Patrick Ewing, Patrick Ewing put on that Team USA jersey, almost like Hakeem but there's a difference. I'm gonna tell you what it is on the other side, there's a lot of other names that I thought about putting on the list, but I didn't.

Can you guess who? I'm gonna take your calls on the other side, that's 855-212-4227 on the top 6 list of the NBA's international players, I got Dirk as the best to ever come over. I'm gonna get to your calls on the other side.

Hey, Rob Bradford here. I have set out on a mission with my good friends at FanDuel to prove what I have known for some time, baseball isn't boring. Now I have a daily podcast to prove it with some of the most notable people in the baseball world screaming baseball isn't boring for the mountaintops or at least agreeing to come on our show. Players, managers, GMs and yes, even the commissioner of baseball, Rob Manfred, it has been a constant wave of baseball to both powerful voices, so join the revolution, subscribe and soak in baseball isn't boring, listen on your Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts, you'll be glad you did. Doors take us to summers away or winter adventures and afternoon getaways. Your dedicated Fidelity advisor can help you open those doors by working with you on a comprehensive plan to help you reach your wealth's full potential because doors were meant to be opened.

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Thank you so much. It is the JR Sport Brief show here with you on the Infinity Sports Network. The New York Knicks and Pacers are playing another close one in the second right now. Like what 37 to 36, 38, 36 New York Knicks are leading.

We got another one that's going to go down to the wire. No Mitchell Robinson. Anyway, we'll keep you up to date on the Knicks and the Pacers right before we went to break. Congratulations to Nikola Jokic who won his third NBA MVP this evening. And tonight I gave you a top six list. We talked about some of the best international players that the NBA has ever seen. Nikola Jokic is on that list.

Here's a recap. And if you missed the explanations and we actually played audio from some of the players, all of the players actually. And number six, I gave you Steve Nash and number five, I gave you Paul Gasol and number four, I gave you Giannis Atteracumpo and number three, I gave you Nikola Jokic and number two Hakeem The Dream Olajuwon. And the number one I gave you Dirk Nowitzki, 21 years with the same team is an NBA record. He is sixth in scoring. He is an NBA champion. He is a finals MVP. He is an MVP. Like Dirk was just out there busting ass. And it's similar to, I don't want to say Jokic, they're two different players. Nobody was going to confuse Dirk Nowitzki with being the most athletic out there.

Just got the job done, especially as the years went on and he said, nah, I got this and toughened up. A legend. The phone lines are open to you right now. That's eight five five two one two forty two twenty seven. That's eight five five two one two forty two twenty seven.

Who was some of the best players to be born outside the United States of America? Let's go to John. John is calling from Tampa. Hey John, you're on the JR Sportbreef show all over North America.

What's up, John? Hey, JR. That was a great list, man. And it's hard to take anybody off that list.

But if it was my opinion, I would probably switch the top two just because I love to lodge one also. I would take Giannis off that list and maybe Nash and maybe throw it in there with Ewing, Tony Parker and Gian. Manu Ginobili? Yes. OK. All right. And I just want to hear your thoughts on that. I mean, that would be seven, so you can only have six.

So one of those two, I would probably just because Giannis, it's hard to take anybody off the list. Yeah, I know. This is what makes it interesting. There's only six spots. So let me let me respond to a few things here.

Yes, sir. When it comes down to Patrick Ewing and I think it's because I got Jamaican and my family. I think it's because I'm from New York. Like for me, I don't think about Jamaica as international. I think about it as across the street. And so maybe that's a that maybe that's a family thing. And I think it is. And so that's that's one element. So I can't argue with anybody with with with Patrick Ewing from Jamaica, which I consider just to be just right here now, even even outside of that. I got to tell you about. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

Yes. Great, great, great players. I believe Manu Ginobili was a better player than Tony Parker. I think he could do more on the basketball court. And I just I don't want to say Tony Parker was along for the ride. I just don't think in the class of of players, especially given the size, I don't think Tony Parker excelled in one area so much more than maybe getting to the basket. And he had the benefit of playing with Manu and also Tim Duncan.

I just I had to think about these guys as standalones. Manu Ginobili I think would have been the same player any place he was. I think Tony Parker would have got lost in a different system or city.

I really do. When you look at Ginobili like he's he wanted at every single level that he did it at, whether the European level and then he went to he went to the Spurs and then he it was ridiculous. But like again, I don't know where I would have put him on that list. Maybe Giannis. But I don't know.

Well, for me, it's it's real simple. Who is a better player? Giannis, Atara Kumpo or Manu Ginobili? You got what you got to think about that? No. Well, you also have to talk about I mean, we go back to the Jordan and no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. We don't have to go back to nothing, John. It's real.

It's listen to this is real simple. Oh, yes, sir. If I am starting a basketball team tomorrow and Giannis Atara Kumpo, I think we know what he is in his prime. If Giannis is right here in front of us in his prime and Manu Ginobili is in front of us in his prime and we got to start a basketball team tomorrow, who the hell are you picking? John, you're lying. Come on, bro. Stop it. I'm not even a Spurs fan. You don't have to be. You're going to pick you're going to pick Manu Ginobili to start a team with over Giannis. It's OK, John.

You can think about it and then call me back tomorrow. But you know, big men do get hurt. Oh, my God, John. No, no. I can't. I'm different. All right. All right.

Thank you so much. Thank you, John, for calling from Tampa like. Come on, John. Well, you J.R., you do know big men get hurt. Manu Ginobili got hurt throughout his career, too. Like you who's if you're going to stand in front of me and tell me that you are taking Manu Ginobili over Giannis, it's going to start a franchise with both guys in their prime. You need to get drug tested. Come on.

Manu Ginobili wouldn't pick himself over Giannis. It's at a Kumpa. What are we doing here?

8 5 5 2 1 2 40 to 27, 8 5 5 2 1 2 40 to 27. Let's go to Rochester. I love Rochester. I was talking about it today.

They got the Kodak building downtown. It's Marianne. You're on the JR Sport Brief Show. How are you? I'm good. How are you?

I'm just a little disappointed. I absolutely love listening to you, JR. You have the best information and delivery of almost any sport caster I have listened to. And I listen to a lot over these years. But the thing when you're and when you're when you switch to this earlier time coming in on the Infinity Network, it's the same one our local sports team use. And I'm a good sports fan. I love our local teams.

But when they're not on, it's another group that knocks you off like about seven o'clock. Uh oh. And yeah. Is this local? No, I don't.

No, they're not local. Uh oh. It's and it comes out MGM, you know, bad MGM and on the Infinity and they drive me crazy because it's a lady and two guys and I don't like any one of the three. Oh, OK. OK. So I am going to have to figure out how to listen to you if I can't listen to you live.

It was great tonight. I tried to call and when I'm calling you, I get the show actually as you're doing well. But what you do, what you do is you get the free Odyssey app. All right. I got it. You get the Odyssey app and you search Infinity Sports Network and you can you can listen to the show from beginning until end. So you can start listening at six. And I'll be here until, you know, I guess at your time in Rochester, I'll be hanging out with you until 10 p.m. So about another hour. OK. And I can listen to it live on the Odyssey app. I don't have to wait till tomorrow to do that.

It's live, A-U-D-A-C-Y. Get the Odyssey app. Put it on your phone. Or if you have a computer, you just go to, hey, Hickey, help me out here.

You go to Infinity. Dot com. No, wait, hold on. We'll do it.

Odyssey.com backslash Infinity Sports Network. OK. I got it, guys. All right, JR. I will be listening faithfully and thank you for being as good as you are and as fair as you are. I loved your list of six tonight.

Thank you so much, Mary. When I get back to Rochester, we've got to go to that beer place. What's that beer place on the water? Oh, up by High Falls.

What's it called? No, the beer place. What's the what's the brewery thing downtown? You know what I'm talking about?

Tennessee Brewery? Yeah. Yeah. Hell yeah.

I love it over there with the red shirts. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh, I love that place.

OK. I try. I love that place.

Thank you, Mary. Meanwhile, my granddaughter lives in Atlanta. Well, no, Woodstock, but she's down there in Georgia.

So every time you say you're coming from Atlanta, Georgia, I think you're coming from nearby my kids. Oh, that's how old is she? She's married. Oh, OK. All right. OK. I'm sorry, darling.

And he would be wonderful for you. Yeah. You got a sister, though, that's single. How old is it? And Violet.

How old is it? Did you say Violet? Oh, a pilot. Oh, a pilot. Oh, Delta? Yeah.

Delta? Yeah. Oh, how old is she? How old is she?

Lindsay is 29. Oh, OK. Yeah. Yeah.

That's younger than me, but that's in my range. OK. Well, that's, you know, that's not too bad, you know? It's not.

It's not. All right. Well, thank you, Mary Ann.

And I have two great grandchildren down there in Georgia with you. So. OK. Not interested, but thank you. It's a great place. All right. Thank you. Hey, when you come to Atlanta, you holler and find me, OK?

Then we go to a brewery here. All right. I promise I will. OK.

Thank you so much. Mary Ann from Rochester. I love Rochester. I do. Hickey, you see how she shut me down right away? I just say, how old is she?

She goes, she's married. Damn. I got no luck out here. None. Tough.

Tough out there in the streets. I tried. I tried.

What can I say? What did Michael Jordan say? You miss every shot that you don't make or take or something like that.

What of? I shot my shot. Wayne Gretzky. You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take.

Yeah, facts. I took my shot. I'm shooting better than Doncic right now. And Tatum. It's the JR Sport Brief Show here on the Infinity Sports Network, 855-212-4227.

We're talking about the best international players that the NBA has ever seen. I got Dirk, number one. More of your calls on the other side. JR Sport Brief Show. Hey everyone, Boomer Esiason here. The NFL Draft is behind us and your favorite team is now gearing up for week number one. The free Odyssey app puts you right in the middle of the pro football conversation with the biggest sports radio stations from across the country. The local voices who know your team the best, giving you their unfiltered takes on the current state of your squad. It's always football season right here on the free Odyssey app.