It is the JR Sport Brief Show here on the Infinity Sports Network. I'm just having a good time. I'm coming to you live from Atlanta, Georgia. The super producer and host Ryan Hickey is coming to us live from New York City. And we're happy to be here.
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It's 855-212-4227. You can find me online. I'm everywhere at JR Sport Brief. We've had a hell of a show already. Thank you so much to Chris Perkins from the Sun Sentinel for joining us.
Thank you to you for joining us, for listening. Talked about Jordan Love and his contract with the Packers. Talked about Tua Tonga Veloa and his contract. We just heard from an angry, well, we heard Aaron Rodgers was angry today at the New York Jets offense during practice, and he chewed him out about it. Hickey and I are just like, what happens when he has a bad day? Nothing.
Nobody says anything. He goes home and he sits in the bubble bath or whatever and reads a book and smokes some stuff and he goes back to work. Aaron Rodgers is Teflon.
Untouchable. He can do, he can say what he wants and he'll get away with it. He has the New York Jets bother you know what. I think he'll be around for two more years.
I think unless he goes on a wellness journey and decides that he's going to leave next year, I think the Jets will get into the playoffs and it'll just be a disaster and a train wreck along the way. Great. Anyway, speaking of people being angry, we have so much more to get into. I do want to talk about Patrick Mahomes.
He had some words and a response to all the quarterbacks who are now getting all the big money in the NFL, making more money than him annually, but we'll get into that. Let's get into this. I know earlier in the show, we briefly talked about team USA basketball. They beat Serbia on Sunday and on Wednesday, they take on South Sudan. This is an amazing story about the South Sudan team too, by the way.
We'll get into that. And so the USA, they got their work in front of them. And do I think they'll blow out South Sudan on the second time? Maybe not a blowout. I'm not sure it's going to be a nail biter like the last one. I mean, what are the odds that the game comes down to one point?
But we'll see about that. One of the big stories that came out of Team USA's victory against Serbia yesterday was a, the return of Kevin Durant, 23 points, almost perfect in 17 minutes. And the fact that Jason Tatum did not play. There's another guy from the Boston Celtics.
He can't play because he's not even on the team. That's Jalen Brown. And we all know that when Kawhi Leonard was sent home, Derek White, another Boston Celtic was asked to replace Kawhi on the team. Derek White is a guard and Kawhi Leonard is a forward. Why would you move on from Kawhi and not bring in a replacement at the forward position?
The world doesn't know. And so Jalen Brown has had an issue with this. He sent out messages about, you know, Nike potentially having a say so in this and, you know, Jalen Brown critical of Nike and more defensive of Kyrie Irving when Kyrie had his issues a few years ago, just a lot.
And so this could be, you know, as a result, some of the ramifications there. And so Grant Hill, who's been the executive director here over Team USA Basketball, he's put the team together. He's had to answer the questions. Why are you bringing in Derek White and why you didn't bring in Jalen Brown, who, by the way, just won a finals MVP? And the answers are just, just always come down to basketball reasons. Well, Grant Hill was on Dan Patrick's show and Grant Hill was just like, it's basketball reasons. And he's like all these conspiracy theories about him not making a team. It's a lot of nonsense. Listen to what Grant Hill said.
This idea that there's a conspiracy theory. I always love a good conspiracy theory, but, you know, it was it was really, truly a basketball decision. And these are tough decisions, you know, and but having gone through this with the FIBA competition, you want to find the right balance and the right pieces on the court that that we needed. And not to say that he wouldn't have been good. There's a lot of guys. You can go on a list of guys who are very capable and very, very, you know, very qualified. But, you know, for where we were, it was the right decision.
And Derek White, I think, will help us as we pursue goal. OK. You want to know who wasn't happy with that response? You want to know someone who just couldn't help himself to stay out of the mix? Jalen Brown.
Jalen Brown went on social media and he tweeted out. Grant Hill calling me a conspiracy theorist is disappointing. I've been a vice president since I was 21 years old. I have a great understanding. Now, not a lot of context there. I assume a vice. Hey, what are you talking about? The Players Association? That's what he's I guess, right?
I'm assuming so. I have no idea otherwise what he'd be referencing. And he says I have a great understanding of of what? I don't think he ran out of characters.
Jalen Brown could have kept on typing. And this is the part that's so. I don't want to say. Why does everything have to be so ambiguous?
Why does everything have to be so shielded? A couple of weeks ago, while he was out in Vegas, he finally spoke to the media. And, you know, you said he didn't say anything that was was groundbreaking.
But everybody just goes to Twitter. Hickey, what is he going to do? Write a book when he's 40 or 50?
Is that what we got to wait on? That's part of what makes this entire situation frustrating is he clearly, at least in his mind, believes that he has all this damning evidence against Team USA to show that he got left off because of he's whatever, not a Nike athlete or whatever. If you have all this information, say it like, why are you afraid to say you tweet that, you know, you insinuate to have all this information? Like you said the Vegas interview goes, oh, you know, I know what's going on. I know what's going on.
I know what's going on. And, you know, you'll hear about eventually. What are you waiting for? Say it now.
And if you have anything and if not, you are making it seem like you are a liar. Well, we're going to we're going to I guess we're going to find out if we listen to him. Here's the part that just kind of gets me. And I guess he's looking for a reason to, quote unquote, poke the bear.
And I don't want to go as far to say be provocative. Grant Hill didn't call him. A conspiracy theorist.
Not at all. OK, even in the context of the conversation that Grant Hill was having with Dan Patrick, Dan Patrick didn't say, hey, what do you what do you think about the conspiracy of that? You know, Jalen Brown has none of that. Grant Hill made a general based statement. OK, he did not say Jalen Brown is a conspiracy theorist coming up with this stuff.
It was general, whether it's coming from people online or the news. And so I don't know why Jalen Brown is now at this point of just a lack of a better phrase or term making things about him. Like, can Team USA play basketball? Like, do you care? Do you not care? Yeah, the focus is on them. You're not on the team.
You didn't make it. Leave it alone. Grant Hill is going to be asked. That's what he does. If I were Jalen Brown, I'd be on vacation. I'd be dating that new former current WNBA player that he's talking to.
I'd be looking at my finals MVP. I wouldn't be stewing online and stewing on Twitter about how Grant Hill was disrespectful to me. Now, I've met Grant Hill a few times. I don't know Grant Hill.
The man has been in the public eye for almost 40 years. I couldn't tell you one negative thing that I have ever heard anybody say about Grant Hill. I've never known Grant Hill to pick a fight. I've never known Grant Hill to cause trouble. I've never known Grant Hill to say anything that makes people go, that makes people go, you know what? I hate that guy. For Jalen Brown, for all people to look at Grant Hill and have beef is, come on now. It's like, like fighting with the Pope.
It's like having a beef with Hickey. So name somebody else is nice. Is there somebody else that's nice?
I don't know. Oprah, I think she's beloved. People love Oprah? Yeah.
I guess you give away all them cars, right? That's exactly right. Now, you know, Hickey, that's not true. I got beef with Oprah. You ready for this? Oh, sure.
Oh boy, here I am. A lot of Oprah defenders right now getting glued to the radio to hear what you're about to say. It's not like Beyonce, you know, I can't say anything about Beyonce. Let me just say this, okay?
I got a beef with Oprah. There's a restaurant that shall not be named that I was recommended to go. Hickey, I don't care about stuff like this, right? But I saw a restaurant replaced, a restaurant that I like got replaced. And somebody told me, they're like, oh, well, you know, this is a new place that's there.
It's on fire now, you know, this place is opening up new locations because it got the blessing from Oprah, right? Hickey, I went and I had it and I said, I don't like this. I said, this is food that I feel like I would have gotten anywhere else, anywhere else. The food was not spectacular to me. And I said, this is the scenario, not the food per se, but the scenario was crap because Oprah blessed something and now this is the best thing ever. Well, I think Oprah's taste buds, Hickey, I think they suck. Okay.
I think Oprah's taste buds are not good. I said it. I said it. Preach.
I'm just saying I got to judge things on my own. Here's, here's the thing. You know what? I think I know the answer to this. I don't, does Oprah cook? She doesn't cook, right?
No. I would imagine she has one, maybe multiple personal chefs. What is Oprah's net worth? Oprah's a billionaire, right? Oh yeah.
Oprah net worth. Probably multi would be my guess. Three, four. Yeah. Yeah. In that range, I would say. That sounds about right. Oh, look at me. I'm good.
Three billion. Yeah. She's not cooking. Oprah's not cooking. She says she still got Stedman, right?
Stedman's still there. I think. I don't know. I can't keep up. Anyway.
Yeah. Oprah beloved figure. Grant Hill, Oprah, the Pope. All beloved figures in jail and Brown is taking aim at Grant Hill.
And you want to know something? Grant Hill is not, he ain't going to be pouring gasoline on this fire. Like I wouldn't be shocked if we don't hear another word from Grant Hill about Jalen Brown on this team.
And why would we? The Olympics are going to be done in two weeks. Okay.
That's it. The last day for the Olympics is August 11th. The next time we hear about this is whenever Jalen Brown decides to tweet about it. Well, by the time we get to training camp for the Boston Celtics and that that's, that's going to be what end of September, beginning of October, it's going to be a Boston Celtics team. Instead of being asked about the championship from last year and winning finals MVP, they're going to be asking Jalen Brown about not making team USA's roster. Come on now. We got to hear Derek white.
And then you got Derek white. Nobody cares so much, but then you got Tatum. He's getting asked questions. Well, have you talked to Brown yet? He's like, no. What is he supposed to do?
Give him a pep talk? Like these are grown ass men and they just won a championship. I know that everybody talks about how many championships and what a run they have. And you think about the guys they're each individually getting $300 plus million a year of the Boston Celtics are in the process of, or right now exploring a sale. Come on think Tatum and Brown. I don't know. Are they going to be together for the next five years?
I haven't seen a $300 million contract get traded yet. I could just tell you this. There's, I don't want to say natural animosity, but there has to be, there's a, there's a competition there is, and it's, it's facts.
Jalen Brown, as it relates to playing with Tatum, there's an inferiority complex. He admitted it as much. The man sat on a stage after he won the Eastern conference finals MVP. And he told everybody I'm surprised I won. I don't never win nothing.
You just told me how you feel and quickest way possible. The guy got finals MVP and he's still kind of talking about what he doesn't get. And I'm not mad. I think he should have made team USA, but look, they wanted a backup guard. Maybe even bringing in Kawhi Leonard was a mistake. I'm not mad at the fact that he's not there. I would have been mad if he made it. The fact is his own teammate didn't even play.
What the hell were you going to do with him? Bring him to sit him on the bench. Now that they're actually playing basketball games, it seems to make a little bit more sense. When old man, LeBron and old man, Durant are gone, how this team is constructed in Los Angeles in 2028, what a long time away, right? How they're constructed, are we always going to go with the superstars?
I guess you have to. The way the rest of the world is catching up in basketball, you got to have a guy on the bench. You got to have another all star that you can call on if you need to quote unquote break glass in case of emergency. I just hope that Jalen Brown just stops. No more tweets, no more vague no more tweets, no more vague messages. What are you going to the LeBron James school? Next thing you know, he's going to tweet out an hourglass.
Just say what's on your mind or shut up. That's it. It's the J.R. Sportbree show here with you on the Infinity Sports Network. 855-212-4227.
That's 855-212-4227. Never did I think somebody would be out here beefing with Grant Hill, of all people. I've never seen Grant Hill.
I don't know if he would step on a fly. We're going to take a break. When we come back, Jalen Brown just seems unhappy. On the other side of the break, we're going to hear about someone, hear from someone. He's not unhappy at all. And you might think he has reason to be unhappy. His name is Patrick Mahomes. It's the J.R. Sportbree show here with you on the Infinity Sports Network.
I'll tell you what Mahomes had to say about these other quarterbacks getting these big deals. Don't move. Trying to figure out what to eat for dinner yet again? With Norsides and Bullion as your not-so-secret ingredient, you can skip the drive-through and do dinner at home. Nor taste combos provide a menu of delicious, affordable, and well-balanced meals that you can prepare in 30 minutes or less.
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That's 855-212-4227. How about that? Shout outs to Tony Gonzalez. Hall of Famer. Great tight end. Media personality.
All that good stuff. A Kansas City Chief legend. Before they were good.
Sorry. Also someone who typically he wouldn't hurt a fly. I know we're just talking about Grant Hill is you think about superstars and sports that are just the good guys. The guys that don't bother anybody.
You don't hear anything crazy or negative about them. I put Grant Hill on that list. Put Tony Gonzalez on that list and maybe Jaylen Brown didn't get the memo.
Anyway, I told you about Jaylen Brown going at Grant Hill and being offended that he was being called a conspiracy theorist, even though that's not what Grant Hill said. And I told you that Patrick Mahomes, he would have reason to be offended at this point in his career. We see all the money that's been thrown at so many quarterbacks. Now, Trevor Lawrence, 55 mil. Joe Burrow, 55 mil.
You think about Jordan Love at 55 to a tongue of Aloha at 53. You look at Patrick Mahomes. Still at 45 million dollars a season.
Now, I feel like they're always restructuring his deal and moving things around and giving him money up front and all these these things, weird things. Maybe it doesn't matter as much to him, but you would think all things considered looking at Patrick Mahomes year to year that he'd be looking at the money that these guys are getting and going, hey, I'm the three-time Super Bowl champ. I'm one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. I'm the multiple-time MVP. If I were Patrick Mahomes, I'd be looking and saying, well, I mean, damn it, if these guys are getting 55 mil, then I need 60.
I need 65. But why would he? Well, I mean, Patrick Mahomes makes enough money. He's in enough commercials. I think he's doing quite OK for himself. And so yesterday, Patrick Mahomes actually spoke to USA Today and Patrick Mahomes was asked about all these deals and all of these contracts that all these other quarterbacks again, where they're now making more money on an annual basis than him. And Patrick Mahomes pretty much said that he is not offended. He is not mad.
He's not worried. Basically said it's awesome for the game of football. It's awesome for the quarterback position. But I think all positions I know every time a contract comes up, everybody looks at my average per year. I'm doing pretty well for myself. It's just about going out there, trying to win football games, trying to make money for my family.
At the end of the day, I feel like I'm doing a great job at that. This is the same thing that we heard about Tom Brady, right? Great quarterback makes enough money.
Why take more? Tyree Kill is not a member of the Chiefs, not because the Chiefs didn't want him, but Chiefs, they were not going to be able to afford giving this guy $35 million a year, $30 million a year. They weren't going to be able to do that. And damn it, they won a Super Bowl without him. You think about some of the moves that they have been able to make. Chris Jones, for all of his holdout, and is he going to stay?
Is he going to leave? They gave Chris Jones a five-year extension, $160 million. Think about Travis Kelce. They just gave him a contract extension to the back end of his deal. Two years, $35 million. Making more money at the end of his contract than any tight end in the NFL. And so the Chiefs, let's be real, Patrick Mahomes is the best.
You know what? A lot of these quarterbacks, when it's over, it's over. They don't make money at the end. They don't make money when it's time to hang them up.
They got to sign trading cards and do deals and hope that somebody gives them a job. Patrick Mahomes could retire tomorrow. He would still be an athletic celebrity in the country.
You know, people would probably, well, Hickey, he's never doing TV, right? Not with the Kermit the Frog voice? No. Not in his future? Maybe? I don't know. Maybe.
Doesn't seem like it. Whenever he does quit, I don't know. He's going to play, I assume, for the next 10 plus years.
Maybe he's 28 years old. Whenever he's done, he's going to be a legend. He's going to be one of the most famous football players ever.
And yeah, football is tricky. You can't predict the future and how somebody's career ends and what happens. I don't think Patrick Mahomes is going to have a worry.
He's going to be in commercials. You know why? Because people like winners.
People associate with the best. That's why when Michael Jordan shows up, it's like looking at a ghost. That's why when Tom Brady walks in, oh, he's the biggest winner ever. They doing roasts on this guy. Oh, we praise him so much.
We got to chop him down, embarrass him. Wayne Gretzky doesn't do a lot of talking, but people know how amazing he is. People like winners. Patrick Mahomes is still playing and he's a winner.
He's going to be making millions of dollars when he's done. When Tua Tonga Velo is finished. Hickey, is anybody going to ask for Tua?
Maybe those in Hawaii, but outside of that, I don't think so. Nobody cares. Come on. Joe Burrow is a winner. You know, he can run around in Louisiana and make money, hopefully Cincinnati.
But a lot of these dudes, when it's done, it's done. Let's think about some of the legends that we recently retired legends. Ben Roethlisberger is sitting around doing a podcast like a lot of people. Philip Rivers is hanging out with his kids and coaching. I'm sure if he got the opportunity, he'd be back at the NFL in a heartbeat. But them days are over.
Now, when it's done, it's done. And Patrick Mahomes is one of the few guys, I don't think he has to worry about what happens when his career is over. I think he's going to be doing quite well for himself. And good for him. 855-212-4227.
That's 855-212-4227. We do have some quarterbacks, they'd be pitching a fit right now. I need my money to look at this, or I need this cash to match this guy. And thank God, Patrick Mahomes is not like that. Now, speaking of a guy who's not happy with his contract, well, doesn't have one past this season, is Dak Prescott.
We mentioned this earlier in the show. Taking a look at everybody else who's been around for a while. At everybody else who's gotten paid this offseason. Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff, Ntua Tongaveloa, and Jordan Love. Joe Burrow.
We can go on and on and on. Dak Prescott has no deal. He's making $40 million a season. But behind Patrick Mahomes, his deal that he signed in 2020, the deal is old. And so we know Jerry Jones is making everybody sweat, holding on by the seat of their pants. And after Jordan Love's contract, of course, Jerry Jones, because at this point, ask Jerry Jones about anything.
See what response you'll get, just for you-know-whats and giggles. Jerry Jones was asked if Dak is better than Jordan Love. Does that mean that that Dak needs to make more money or what? Jerry Jones, listen to this response. I get in trouble every time I make comparisons.
OK, I do get in trouble. And of course, we saw a head to head match in with Green Bay last week. I mean, last year.
We've all got that burn ourselves. I'm anxious for Dak to get a chance to show he's the best that the Cowboys are. And you think he can do that without a new deal? Oh, yes. What gives you that confidence? But that might imply that we're not going to do a new deal. And that's just not the case in my mind. Oh, man.
Hickey, I love it. The reporters just they're trying to catch him at this point, right? They're like, they will ask him anything just to catch him because they know he'll talk. And he talks for a long time.
And maybe in one of those sentences, you'll get some sort of trip up or contradiction. I want to give him credit. And it was that was blatant. That's an obvious one.
Hey, is is Dak better than Jordan Love? Like that doesn't do. He's not an idiot. That doesn't do him any good to answer.
But you're right. He might talk himself into saying something crazy or outlandish or sound wild. But that one's too that one's too easy. Is Dak better than Jordan Love? How do you answer that? You just say, man, why are you why are you asking me that?
That's that's it. Why are you asking me that? I'm not talking about Jordan Love. Dak is the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.
We wouldn't have him here if we didn't think he's amazing. We're trying to work out his contract done. Hickey, I should answer these questions for these people.
I should. But I guess from a business perspective, why he can't answer that, because then you're basically saying, OK, well, if you go to the negotiating table, you think Dak is better than Jordan Love, then pay us more than Jordan Love. Oh, yeah. Doesn't that, though, bring more distractions now? Because now it's, well, does Jerry actually think that Jordan Love is better than Dak? Is Dak now also falling out of favor?
It feels like it brings distraction just by even not answering a question now. Right. It casts doubt on Dak and his future.
Well, he he answered it in a good way. I would just Dak is our guy. I'm not talking about somebody else.
Obviously, we're trying to negotiate his contract. That's done. That's it. Because everybody, you know, it's knows it's a gotcha question. Everybody does. I guess I got your question like that guy. Whoever asked that question, it was just like, I'm going to I'm going to try to get Jerry Jones to say something and see if it can be controversial.
So people are always out here hunting and looking for the next thing. I know I make fun of Jerry Jones. I want to give him credit for how he answered that one. But he could have done it in a simpler way. If you know anything about Jerry Jones, anytime this guy speaks, it's not a damn thing.
Simple about it. It's the JR Sport Reshow here with you on the Infinity Sports Network eight five five two one two forty two twenty seven. We're going to take a break when we come back on the other side. Yeah, I know we got some issues with the quarterbacks who gets paid, who doesn't get paid. I guess Dak is the only guy at this point who hasn't got the coin. And I just told you about Jerry Jones. Well, putting his foot in his mouth, at least that time he did not while watching the Olympics yesterday on the basketball side. Don Staley was asked about Kaitlyn Clark.
There's some people who thought that Don Staley might have put her foot in her mouth in regards to Kaitlyn. I'm going to explain and talk about it on the other side. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief.
It's the JR Sport Brief Show here with you on the Infinity Sports Network. Talked about all these contracts and quarterbacks making money. Patrick Mahomes is not worried about anything else that anybody else is receiving. Not concerned about Jordan Love and his deal. Not worried about Tua Tonga Velo and his deal. Everybody can make fifty five mil. He's good. He's not worried about it. He's making enough money. And let's be real, let's be real.
It's going to come a point in time where his deal is reconstructed and he's going to make even more money. And when it will do that for somebody now, having said that. Not everybody is just feels that way. Let's put it that way.
Not everybody has a perspective on just being universally loved, appreciated, given back to other people. Kaitlyn Clark is is amazing, and Kaitlyn Clark is on vacation right now. Good for her. Kaitlyn Clark has just been kind of beat up and beat down and all she does is play basketball. Hickey, we talked about people that don't do anything to anybody.
Would you? I mean, outside of a flagrant foul here or there, you know, Kaitlyn Clark, she's also she don't do nothing, right? She don't do anything.
Least controversial player that is controversial player that is also at the same time one of the most talked about players ever. It's crazy. And she has reason to just be a complete jerk. She does. In her rookie season, 17 points, six rebounds, eight assists. She's leading the WNBA in assists and she just showed up. She's taking the same amount of bombs away, three pointers now. But she's been amazing, and there was a lot of talk about her not making Team USA.
Oh, man. And they should have been on the and they should have a ridiculous omission not to have her on because let me let me be real. The United States of America, Hickey, they had a real tough time beating Japan 102 to 76. So tough. They couldn't put Kaitlyn Clark at the end of the bench. What a tough one. Needed all the resources they could get. Unlike Steve Kerr, they're not going to let that bench, you know, rot there. No, the bench, the bench was not going to rot. That was the that was a game today.
All right. There were viral images of Brittney Griner playing against one of Japan's five foot four players. OK, Brittney Griner is six foot nine. She is the same height as LeBron James. There was a woman, I'm going to say this again, there was a woman on Japan's team that was five foot four. Now, I assume this woman is is real good to represent Japanese basketball at five foot four. I mean, maybe she's the country's Muggsy Bowles.
I have no idea. But the fact that Kaitlyn Clark and Angel Reese are not on this team, no, we can't do anything about it. And so following the United States of America's own victory, the men, the men against Serbia yesterday, Dawn Staley was in the NBC studio and she was, you know, kind of given her thoughts on all things basketball. And she was asked about Kaitlyn Clark's omission from Team USA basketball. And Dawn Staley said, you know what, Kaitlyn Clark, she would have had a better chance to make the team if they did it again. This is what she said on NBC.
As a committee member, you're charged with putting together the best team of players, the best talent. Kaitlyn is just a rookie in the WNBA. Wasn't playing bad, but wasn't playing like she's playing now. If we had to do it all over again, the way that she's playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people shooting the ball extremely well. I mean, she is an elite passer. She's just got a great basketball IQ and she's a little more seasoned in the pro game in a couple of months. Yeah, in a couple of months than she was two months ago.
Right. But I think things were up against her from from the very beginning. She was playing in like still the college championship, the Final Four tournament was still going on. Like she had to miss one of their practices.
Like that was number one. I think things were stacked against her from the beginning. We heard the head coach of Team USA women's basketball, also the head coach of the Minnesota Lynx. She wasn't too thrilled with Kaitlyn Clark. I don't think they were going to have her on the team flattened, period, regardless of what took place.
Yeah, they could have had her on the team. They didn't have it just because they're jealous. They don't want to deal with the attention.
And so rather than embrace it because it's beneficial to everybody. They just didn't bother. I don't know anybody. I don't know anyone who said today, I'm just going to watch Team USA versus Japan for what? But let me tell you something, if Kaitlyn Clark was on that team and or Angel Reese, people would have been tuning in to see Team USA smack up Japan. And they fed us a lot of garbage about her omission. Kaitlyn Clark isn't on the team because we need to build the best roster and to do what smack around Japan.
What are we doing? I think they had it out for her from the get-go. And I hear what Dawn Staley is saying, if they had to re-pick the team, when?
Today? And she would have been on it? The whole long process they would have had to go through.
Hickey, what are your thoughts? So I didn't have a problem with her being left off the team two months ago. My only problem with Dawn Staley is common. You can't have it both ways in the sense of just like, if you want to say that she didn't make the team because she had a bad, let's just call it 15 games in the WNBA, and she's getting acclimated. I don't like the fact that all of a sudden you could say, well, okay, she's had a good 15 games since or she would make it. I don't think it's, you really just tell me now a small sample size is what you would use to put someone on Team USA. I mean, I thought it was a bigger process.
I thought it was more drawn out and, you know, you dove deeper than just looking at, you know, 10 to 15 games of a WNBA season with really no context as well. That's really my only frustration is just like, it seemed like hearing that almost makes it seem like the team was picked willy nilly instead of actually diving into everything. It is, man.
It is. There's no, there's no real justification on this team. And like I said, they've been feeding everybody crap. We got to put together the best team. What's the best team that's going to fit together? That's like saying, it's like saying Team USA basketball needs to find the best players so they could go out and be high schoolers.
I mean, that's a, that's a gross exaggeration, but there's, there's no concern. Team USA, if they don't win the gold then everybody just needs to stay in France, okay? Like as much as the game has grown internationally from a men's perspective, it's not there yet from the women's side.
That made everything that they said, a lot of it just, just comical, comical. Let's see what they do. They'll bring home the gold and the men, well, they got it, they got a little tougher, okay? South Sudan is going to be in action against Team USA again on Wednesday. South Sudan, congratulations to them. Just beat Puerto Rico 90 to 79, all right?
This was not expected. Jose Alvarado went down with an ankle and then it had to come back and pretty awesome. That was their first victory in Olympic competition because South Sudan is still a country that's only like 10 years old. And then we got this revelation, by the way, Royal Ivy, the head coach and former point guard in the NBA, Royal Ivy shared that Luol Deng, long time forward for the Chicago Bulls, he has self-financed South Sudan's ability to participate. That means the jerseys, that, that, that means the travel, like he's done this out of his pocket, which is crazy because this is millions of dollars, nuts. You know, Royal Ivy, even if we go back further, last year during the Basketball World Cup, he says Luol Deng is the man. He's the reason why we here. Listen to this. Luol Deng is the heart and soul of all of this.
He's the president. Without Luol, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. He had a great vision. I entrusted in his vision and it all came together. I'm in awe that I'm sitting here right now at the World Cup.
I got out of my comfort zone and decided it was time for me to step up in the hot seat. And now I'm here and I'm thankful for Luol. I'm forever indebted to Luol for giving me the opportunity to coach this team.
And I'm so humbled. That is crazy. Luol Deng, just in NBA career earnings. He played 15 years and this shows you how much more money these guys make now. He made one hundred and sixty six million dollars.
Hickey, why does that sound like a drop in the bucket? You're right. Like he made nothing. Like he was broke. That's one hundred and sixty six. Let's lop off half of it to go to the IRS. Right. So now Luol Deng is is even broker. Let's just say he made 80 million bucks. He's so fine. There's nobody else putting in money for South Sudan, I assume.
I know it's a brand new country and. That's a lot, man. There's millions of dollars. I give him credit. He needs an award for this.
I don't know what it is, but give him an SP for next year. Hickey, I'm going to write that in the suggestion box, OK? I like it. I like we'll figure out a name and give him the award. The nice presenter, me and the nice guy award. OK, that works, especially for me to present somebody with a nice guy. Very fitting.
Very fitting. Who else but me? It's the J.R. Sportbreeze show here with you on the Infinity Sports Network.
Eight five five two one two forty two twenty seven, eight five five two one two forty two twenty seven. Yeah, lots of nice guys. We're going to take a break when we come back. We'll talk about more nice guys, talk more NFL and NBA.
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