This is what everyone is talking about. Everything is on the table. This is what champions come to take. This is what everyone came to see. No do-overs.
No second chance. No more Mr. Nice Guy. This is Winner Take All. And it's all happening now on the home of the NBA Finals.
Don't miss it, June 3rd on ABC and the ESPN app. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck.
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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. It was a failure. I failed at my goal. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.
And the Spurs are gonna win Tomma Hunt Ford! Today's guests, two-time All-Star and NBA champion Sean Elliott. Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz. Commander's wide receiver Terry McLaurin. And now, it's Rich Isen.
Oh, yes, everybody. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show live on Disney Plus, the ESPN at ESPN Radio and SiriusXM channel. 80. Good to have all of you here in our neighborhood. Appreciate Suze and O'Shea Jackson Jr.
holding on the fort while I was hanging out at the Big Slick in Kansas City, which raised $4.2 million for Children's Mercy Hospital there in Kansas City. Also, want to appreciate Suze for sitting in while I walked back into the house empty-handed from the Emmy Awards in New York City. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial on the program. Oh my gosh, is there a lot going on in the NFL world that is apparently about to happen, that may never happen? Rumors are flying everywhere right now that it is June 1st, and all sorts of salary cap concerns that were on the plate for any team that was looking to acquire big-time talent from a team that's willing to suddenly part with big-time talented players.
All those salary cap concerns that were going down in March and April and May are now gone. It's gone post-June 1.
So we're going to be keeping an eye on. eye on all of that. Chris Brockman, we hello to you, sir. Hello to you, and happy A.J. Brown day, J.
I don't know. I'm not seeming to be happy for you. Come on. Rams are rumored to be acquiring everybody. Come on.
Let's go.
So, I have no idea if this or if A.J. Brown's going to still be an Eagle by the end of the day. How are you? Good morning, Mike Del Tufol. Good to see you.
T.J. Jefferson, the candles lit. Good to see you. Rich, I want to quote the great fife dog of a tribe called Question and say. I never let a statue tell me how nice I am, and that's how I want you to feel right now.
I don't need a statue to tell you how nice you are. Bless you, sir. Thank you. My man. I appreciate that.
It'd be nice to have a statue. I mean, yeah. Hey, listen, you tell Victor Wembanyama was an honor to be nominated for the MVP award. That's a different story, though. Yeah.
That's different. Yeah. He was nominated. He was a finalist for the MVP award. Didn't win it.
Watched Shea Gilgis Alexander being awarded it. In front of it. His favorite. Also, didn't even come in second. Whatever.
Jokic was second. He watched himself not win it. Oh, no. And all he did was go ahead and torch. The place in winning game one of a Western Conference finals that had seven games written all over it, and the end of the day.
We got the seventh game, as you know, on Saturday night, requiring Victor Wembunyama and the Spurs. And all of their fans sitting back at home, and all the nuns that were rooting for them to sit there and hope. Wish For another victory in Oklahoma City, that they would have to, at the end of the day, After the regular season and the playoffs, have to beat a 64-win Oklahoma City team for an eighth time. Wow. Got shot nine times.
Okay. Still out. That's how many shots it took. To take out the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they came out with an intensity. that you could see in the first quarter That would be difficult for Oklahoma City without two of their more talented players again.
They would tough be tough for them to match. that intensity and they did. They did, taking their first lead of the game late in the first half. And then the second half hit. And man, if the San Antonio Spurs aren't young and terrific and.
Arriving. Arriving. That's the word that you can use for the San Antonio Spurs now. ARRIVING And in terms of Dylan Harper. And Stefan Castle.
And everybody on this team. Not name Victor Wembanyama. of a certain age, they are arriving.
Now, you could say Victor Wembanyama arrived. The minute He landed in America as a professional athlete for the first time. Out of the spaceship, you mean? Correct? This dunk on Chet Holmgren in the first quarter.
This is what made me think the Spurs were arriving in game seven. Especially since Chet Holmgren essentially disappeared from this moment. Unfortunately for him and Oklahoma City fans essentially disappeared douche! Two shots. Two.
I said two shots. Two shots. A stat line that is unacceptable. For game seven. In fact, the only thing That She had homegrin Made it seem like he was actually there.
For game seven, that he was participating in game seven, is the number seven on his jersey. Because the Spurs took him out. Victor Wembanyama took him off his game. And then the second half hit. And despite a third quarter in which the Spurs were Clearly, the better team.
Oklahoma City somehow.
Some way. Kept it a tie. Third quarter, 24 points for each. And the fourth quarter is when things essentially Wrap things up for the Spurs. Rockman, look at that picture.
Where Wembunyama was like, I will take I will lean over and look at him eye to eye. Rich, he's bent over at the waist, his knees are bent, and he's still. Bigger. This shit. This is the truth.
He is the truth. And the fourth quarter hit. And Champagne was Poppin' threes and six of ten for three. What a night. And Keldon Johnson really was the kid who Made corner threes, made shots, fourth quarter.
He was terrific. De'Aaron Fox getting it done. In 36 minutes gutting it out. on a high ankle sprain. that we all know he was battling through.
And despite 35 points From Shea Gilgis Alexander, the San Antonio Spurs. prevail. And they were the worthy winner. Worthy winner. The Better Team The team on the rise.
Can you believe that there's another better team on the rise than Oklahoma City, which was for the last two, three years, rightfully so, the avatar for NBA team on the rise? Good luck trying to beat them. Facts. Good luck with them having more Clipper first-round choices in their back pocket to put on the table to add to their stable of young stars like. SGA, who they got.
From The Clippers.
Sorry to keep bringing that up. I mean, it's part of the story, though. Yeah. And the story goes, you know, the story is for this team right now. Good luck trying to beat them.
Nick fans who were out on 7th Avenue after beating the Cavs in game one, coming back from 22-point downs, chanting, We want Wemby, okay?
Okay. Dylan Harper, twenty years old. Stephan Castle, twenty one years old. Victor Wembanyama, 22 years old. Champagne, 24 years old.
And uh vassal. 25. He's the OG. He's the Greybeard. 25.
I have Harrison Barnes.
Okay. Yeah. So Wembanyama was overcome with emotion. Yeah, after the game. And just Pouring out.
At age 22. Like a guy. Who's been spending 22 years of his career and has finally reached the mountaintop? That's the way he was acting. Like, it's taken him all this time to get here.
Right. Which is another reason why you want to root for him and you love watching him. And then this reaction when he was asked afterwards what it would like to win the Larry O.B. the nickname of the Larry O'Brien Trophy given to the champions of the NBA. Winning The Larry O'Brien.
It's a childhood dream. And having the ch a real shot at it, having a chance. Tangible chance at winning it. At realizing a dream, you know, it's a chance. It's a lifetime change, you know, it's You never know what's going to happen again.
But it's you know The day we win it. Speaking for myself is going to be a amazing day of like real realization of a of a dream, you know, it's It's hard to put into words. It's almost like the meaning of my life, you know. Oh, my goodness gracious. We want Wemby.
Chance, give you a break. Yeah, but Rich, isn't this where the Knicks put this in their locker room and he just said, when we win? I know.
So now you're the Knicks and you're like, oh, he's already looked past this. I know.
And normally you'd take a player to task saying, when we win. Oh, you just gave him bulletin board material.
Well, when you're larger than the bulletin board. Just, you know, sitting down. And your game is getting better and better and better. Good luck. I think the Knicks can still win this, and I'll.
at some point, if not today. Depending on how NFL news breaks. Um get to that. Where the Knicks match up, I think, well with this team. I'm still going with the Knicks.
I got you. But hearing him talk like that, that is. Such a unique Athlete. And human. And the Spurs have arrived.
Well earlier. than anybody else could have expected. Much earlier. Right. With Mitch Johnson taking over for Greg Popovich after he suffers a stroke, and how is this going to work?
That Pop was the one who was supposed to be There for the kid and whispering in his ear and bringing him along, and Mitch Johnson. After the the game was asked about The experience, as I mentioned. Once again. The ages. Harper 20 years old, Castle 21, Wemby 22, Champagne 24, Vesselle 25.
And this young coach? Blending it all together. With De'Aaron Fox, I didn't even mention him. He is the greybeard. And this is this remarkable coach, and what he's been able to cook up for this team to take him to the NBA Finals here and now.
As I said earlier, experience A lot of times it's used. in the form of best use. or the lack thereof when you need it the most. and people don't talk about as much The habits, the character, the togetherness, the competitive response, the things we talk about in these media sessions every single day. And this team has now Been pretty damn consistent for a long time, for over 100 games for the most part.
And so I'll take those things. With the experience that we've gone through, and you want to look back in terms of how we started the year, how we got to the cup on the road versus Denver and LA, what we did in the cup. Playing these guys around Christmas time a few times. Expectations. We've played in three playoff series Without Victor, without Fox, multiple games.
I don't know who has as much experience as we do this year in the season of 2025-2026. Yeah, the experience they've had now. Is just as valuable as apparently the experience everyone thinks they need. And the focus. The locked-in focus from Wembunyama saying, what he says about what it means to win.
And the team focused on making sure They're not Being taken down by what they don't have, but what they have together collectively, and the focus of this coach to keep them all together. The focus of this coach to keep them on the straight and narrow, even though apparently, when he's at home games, he's got a produce section sitting behind him. Uh I said that. 'Kay. I see all the memes.
Kind of hard to miss them. Focus on fans to all show up wearing the same thing. I don't know if everybody can do that. I say to all of them in San Antonio, Congratulations, I tipped the cap. Makes me think Charles Barkley didn't see everyone in the city.
Apparently not. Those might be imports. The humans? What? Or Okay.
Trying to be subtle. But congratulations to the Spurs. We've got a perfect guest to talk about it. Yeah, we do. Um.
And uh his name is Sean Elliott. Who has been calling Spurs games since The Mid Otts And Was the third overall pick in a draft in 89, the same year that David Robinson's two-year stint in the Navy. wrapped up.
So he joined as a rookie too. For Larry Brown. Wow. Sean Elliott got traded from the Spurs. For Dennis Rodman.
To Detroit. He comes back. And he's on the team. When Greg Popovich gets elevated to being head coach. He was there when Tim Duncan arrived.
He was in the 99 finals against the Knicks. Who better to talk about all this than with Sean Elliott? who also probably shares the same hatred of Duke. As I do. Good chance of that.
From back in his Arizona days, Uh John Smoltz will join us. We'll catch up with. The baseball hall of famer and fox baseball analyst. We'll talk some ball with him, but some golf. Because he's getting ready for the American Century Championship, just like I am, and after that, we have nothing in common.
That's fun. Terry McLaurin will join us. Maybe we'll have some NFL news to talk about with the Ohio State OG. in Washington, D.C. And you, phone lines are lit.
844-204-RICH. Edit. Number to dial on this Overreaction Monday. Welcome back. Of the Rich Eisen Show, Sean Elliott, when we come back.
Mm-hmm. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Need parts fast? O'Reilly Auto Parts has fast. Need them now?
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Alrighty. Auto parts. Rich Eisen here. Take a second and look at your city's calendar. Everywhere I go, there's always something coming up.
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Next starts now: Hyundai, an official partner of FIFA. Back on the Rich Eisen Show, our radio audiences returned. Perfect guy to speak with right now as the Spurs are back in the NBA Finals. And the last time they won it all was 1999 when they took on guess who, the New York Knicks. And on that team is a guy who has been calling Spurs games since the mid-aughts locally.
Sean Elliott is here on The Rich Eisen Show. Good to see you, Sean. How are you, sir? Hey, Rich. Good to see you, man.
Long time. It's been way too long. What's going through your mind right now watching the Spurs arrive? That's the word I used. Uh to kick off this program.
It's perfect. Uh word, I think, a rival for this squad, Sean. Yeah, it's fitting, right? Because it's also about an alien movie and first contact.
So you have Victor. Yeah, you have Victor Miminyama, who is the alien. He has arrived. And look, I thought going into this year. I thought we were a mid-50 win team.
We didn't have Victor for the last 18 games last year. Miss Dear and Fox for the last 16 or so. He had finger surgery. And so I was thinking, you know, we're a 50-win team or so, but halfway through the season, when I saw other teams go through, or when we were winning games on the road convincingly, I thought, you know. Quietly, you know, we have a chance.
Like, I haven't really seen a team that's really. Better than us. Matter of fact, we're better than almost everybody out there. And so I thought, again, going into the season, we're a 51 team. I thought next year we're going to be a team that's going to contend for a title.
I just didn't see this coming. And I don't think anybody in San Antonio saw this coming. I mean, I thought we were going to be a really good team, but the way our guys have gelled and grown up before our very eyes here, we talked about the inexperience of this ball club all year long. But when you go into a game seven on the road against the defending champions and the two-time MVP and you win that way, the win that game the way they did late down the stretch making plays, this team has grown up. They have arrived.
They're here and they're going to be a problem for a long, long time. Why do you think this is happening right now? I think number one. I think Mitch Johnson's done an unbelievable job. I said it over and over again, Rich.
I don't think people were listening. He was the coach of the year. ESPN projected us to win 40 games, won 62. 62.
So he did a phenomenal job getting everybody to believe in each other, getting everybody to play on the defensive and the floor. The hardest thing in this league to do. It is to get young teams to defend. Everybody's trying to get their numbers. No one's trying to stop anybody.
Our guys went out there, accepted their roles, and they defended their butts off the entire year.
So Mitch Johnson, I think, is the number one reason we've ascended to heights. And Brian Wright has to be committed as well. I thought, again, he was the executive of the year. I thought the signing of Luke Cornette. This summer was the biggest signing of the summer.
It flew under the radar, but he's been absolutely phenomenal for us. You got De'Aaron Fox coming in last year, even though it wasn't this year. You got him last year at the trade deadline. And then you draft Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant. Dylan Harper, I've been telling people he's a superstar.
He is an absolute superstar. No doubt about it. He plays well beyond his years. He plays a lot of poise. He's never, ever rattled, even when things aren't going his way.
After the second half of the season, the second half of the season, he was probably our best three-point shooter. And that includes having a guy like Julian Champini on our team. He defends. He's bigger than most people know. And he finishes extremely well at the basket.
And then, you know, Steph Castle's. You know, continued to build on his rookie of the year campaign. He's been an absolute dog on both ends of the floor. And then you have Devin and Keldon, who have matured and become valuable team leaders on this team. And then you have, of course, Victor Wyman Yama that anchors and pulls all that together.
He's an absolute terror on the defensive end of the floor. His offensive game is still coming around. I don't think he's even begun to scratch the surface of his potential. And that's what's so scary. But let me tell you, Rich, I've never seen a player have the defensive impact that he has on the floor.
It's not just about the blocks. Uh and The deflections. It's about the no-nos in the paint. When guys get in the paint, normally they're going to challenge any other shot blocker in the league, end up throwing it out to guys on the perimeter.
Sometimes that creates turnovers. And instead of getting a shot at the rim, you're getting guys taking long three-point shots that are well contested by our wing.
So, I mean, there's a lot there, obviously, but we have made great strides this year. And something that a lot of us didn't see us coming, we didn't see it coming this quickly. Sean Elliott here on The Rich Eisen Show. And then there's Wembanyama. Um let me just linger For a moment, you've played with Duncan.
You were there when Duncan arrived. You were there when David Robinson arrived. As a matter of fact, you arrived together. As a matter of fact, Um Does Wembunyama remind you of either of those gents? And another name that I've thrown out, names I've also thrown out for him.
because of the burning desire that he seems to have that is uncanny. And I know I've been Taken to task for this sort of thing. But I have thrown out just in terms of that part of it. The burning desire part of it, John. I've shown it thrown out the names of Kobe.
And Jordan. I'm wondering if this tracks to you.
Well, 1,000%. 1,000%. He's got Kobe Bryant's drive and determination, motor, heart. A killer mentality in a seven-foot four-plus frame. That's what he's gotten.
And I can talk about this. Rich, I've been around the game. Oh, I'm 58 years old. I've been playing this game since I was nine or ten years old.
Okay. Uh back in the day Big guys. We're on the high school basketball team. Guys, your age and my age, we understand this. Big guys were put on the basketball team because the coach saw them walking through the hallway and said, you're on the team.
And then you'd run everything around the guy. And he didn't love it. Right. And so I don't know how many times I've been in the middle of guards and littles and bigs. It's a whole long dissertation.
The little guys, Have 90% of the passion. Big guys 10%. For them in general.
Now, I'm going to throw David Robinson and Tim Duncan out of that equation because those guys had the passion, and that's why they were great. But you have a lot of big guys, and there's a whole list of them that have gone through the league. And fans know, they see them play, say, the guy doesn't love the game. He doesn't have that motor. We've seen that over and over again.
Victor is that anomaly. He's got that guard, that little man motor, that heart. Like Avery Johnson has, where he just wants to get better and better and better. He's got that Kobe Bryant drive where he wants to be the very best player in the game and the best player that's ever played. He's always in the gym.
He's always working on his game. He's got incredible, incredible competitiveness. And that's something that you just don't see very often, again, in bigs.
So I make that comparison. I tell people all the time, he's got Kobe's. Makeup in a seven-foot Plus frame. How much does Greg Popovich stoke it? Sean.
I mean, again, that shot of him. Being on the tarmac, waiting for Wembunyama when they came back from Minnesota after he got ejected for throwing the elbow. is something I I can't get rid of that. moment In my head, and Wembunyama has been a somewhat mostly. more aggressive, dominant player since that moment.
And then I want to play this soundbite for you when he was asked after. The Game Seven win about Greg Popovich and what this. what he's going to say to Greg about this. Yeah. I can't answer that question.
I don't know what it means for him. That's a guy who's got more experience as a coach than almost anybody. and has been through so many things. in his career and so many things Right now I was El Refeit. It's he goes through some things we can't even imagine.
So I need to call him. I need to see him. I need to talk to him. Because Easy. There's no way I can understand right now, you know, how he feels.
I don't know. I don't know if it's ever if he's gonna do an interview about it or if we can. If we can get well yeah, I I figure no him he's not going to, so All right. When I talk to him. Is gonna be only stored in my head.
Except if I record it in secret, but I need to have I need to talk to him so quick. You know, Rich, I I've been around pop for a long time and and when pop Before Victor got drafted, He was really on the verge of retirement. He was looking. Into the abyss of retirement. And that's where he was going.
And when we won the lottery that year. There were a whole bunch of players, I wasn't the only one, a whole bunch of former players that told Pop he's got to stick around because he's got to give this young kid a great foundation in this league. And I didn't, I don't think it took too much prodding. I mean, when Pop is a smart guy, right? And so he can see what's going to happen with this young French kid coming in.
And so Pop decides to stay. And we've had conversations about where Pop felt like he really had an obligation to give him a solid foundation, teach him how to play the right way. Teach him what this league is all about and what it takes to win a championship. And I know how pop is. I've been in that locker room with him.
I've seen him address David. Timmy, Manu. Tony It does not matter. If he's not pleased with what you're doing, he's going to go right through you. A lot of guys know this.
Guys that have played. For him. Know that he's not going to blow any smoke up from nether regions. He's going to give you the truth. And so he was there at the plane, and I'm sure it wasn't like, hey, big fella, you know, watch your elbow.
That's not how that conversation went, I'm sure. And so. Pop has also gone in locker room a few times after we haven't played so well during the playoffs, just to lend that other voice. Because the players are hearing Mitch. And then you have Pop come in there, and then they get that second opinion, and they're like, okay.
Whatever Mitch is talking about is exactly right. Here's Pop in here telling us exactly the same thing, but in maybe not so friendly. terms or phrases.
So pop I'm sure he had a very candid conversation there with Victor. And you see how Victor responded. He's got to keep himself on the floor. Pop was probably not too pleased that he. allowed himself to be kicked out of the game.
I'm discussing. But again, I've been around him for a long time. And so he addressed what he had to, and Vickers responded. Sean Elliott here on the Rich Eisen Show. All right, just like 99, not crazy.
Here we go. It's Knicks and Spurs. Break it down for me, Sean. What do you think is going to be the key? To these highly anticipated and no doubt well-watched NBA Finals.
I'm going to have to see how the first game unfolds, to be honest with you, and see what the Knicks have in store for our guys and how our guys. Are going to defend on the perimeter. The Knicks. gave us a lot of problems this year. They beat us twice, beat us in the in the cup game where There was a lot of skin on the line for everybody involved.
And then we had to come back from, I believe, we were down 20 at home in late December and beat them by two, where we had a rally late, and they were in control of that game most of the time. And then they beat us in Madison Square Garden early March and pretty handily.
So they have the know-how, they have the tools. Uh, Jalen Brunson, obviously, you don't have to talk too much about him and what he's meant to that franchise and everything he's done. I think he's, like Pop said, he's the head of the snake. You got to definitely keep him under control. Number one.
And that means Steph Castle. Or Devin Vessell, Dylan Harper, D'Aaron Fox, when those guys are tasked with guarding him, you got to keep him under control. Don't allow him to get to the foul line, make him make tough shots, make him work for absolutely everything, and try to limit him getting everybody else involved in the game. If you can do that, you have a good chance to win. But this Knicks team is different.
They're different than they have been in a long, long time. They're not just one player dominant, they have a lot of guys that can. Do things out there out there on the floor. OG Ananobi is a terrific player. He's Plays both ends of the floor.
Very physical, can score the ball. Really like him as a player, but any piece for any team. Obviously, Carl Anthony Towns, like I said earlier today. A few years ago, you could argue that he was the best offensive big man in the league. He gave us 60 here a few years back in San Antonio when he played for the Timberwolves.
So he scored 60 in the NBA game. That's pretty damn impressive. Mikkel Bridges, we couldn't stop him a couple years ago. Every time we play him, he's been a difficult matchup for us. Mitchell Robinson, if he plays, you know, forget about the broken finger.
That's, you know, his strong suit is rebounding, getting physical blocking shots. He can still do that. And the one pickup. I gotta say. that I really liked was giving Jose Alvarado.
When I saw that. I really thought that would help buoy the Knicks because he's been a pain in our side for a long, long time. High-energy player. Really smart, just brings another level to that team when he's out there on the floor. And you have a lot of guys that are playing well.
I just want to see what the two teams have in store, what their game plans are, and then I can make a better assessment from there. But we're also a different team, Rich. I mean, we're not the same team that saw the Knicks early March. And we just went through a gauntlet here in the Western Conference. We beat Minnesota there in that second round with Anthony Edwards, who's one of the premier players in the league.
And then you win game seven on the road against the defending champions with a two-time MVP. And that says a lot about our guys, about their mindset, the belief that they can go in there and actually win that game.
So our guys right now. They believe that they can get it done. It doesn't matter who they're playing. They believe in each other. They play well together.
And we have the very best player in the world, in my opinion, on our side. And so let's see what happens. Let's see what happens. What advice would you give them about playing an NBA Finals game in Madison Square Garden? Sure.
You know, enjoy the moment. Yeah, you gotta. The biggest thing when you're playing an MSG is you just gotta calm your nerves early on there because it's the biggest spectacle in the NBA, right? I mean, it's just an atmosphere that's. Almost unrivaled.
It's going to be crazy. Knicks fans are. As loud and as boisterous as you're going to find anywhere in the league, maybe louder than everybody. And they're hungry. They're hungry.
And our guys are going to have to bring a lot of. attention to detail and keep your focus. Block out the noise, those kinds of things. If you can do that and you settle down and just realize it's basketball, you do what you're supposed to do, you stick to your roles, you don't try to do too much. but then our guys can be successful.
Well, Sean, last question for you. If the Spurs do win it all. And there's going to be another one of those reunion type dinners, right? They're locally in San Antonio. Always.
Always is. Who picks up the check for that, Sean? Who says Spurs do the organization does? Oh, yeah, you better believe that. No, no one wants to be saddled with that bill individually.
All right, you better have some deep, deep pockets. Who picks out the red wine? Does Pop still do that? Is he in charge of the wine? You know, at those, you know.
I I think If we win the whole thing, I think it's going to be whatever you want. That's what I'm guessing. R. C. Buford will be there.
Peter, John will be there. Everybody will be there. And I don't think anybody's going to care at that point. But we've always wondered that because we've seen these photographs of the team all together. You know, with Pop in the center and everyone else there talking about all of them, Pop would pick up a lot of those.
I mean, he would. Pop would do that. And Pop is. You know, he would kill me for saying, you know, what he does for the waiters and the servers, but he would pick it up. And he was the guy who started all the team dinners.
He was the guy who started that.
Now you have every team in the league that's doing that because it builds camaraderie. After the game, I've seen us win by 20. I've seen us lose by 20 or 30 on the road. And you go to these team dinners and all is forgotten. You forget about the mistakes you made.
Pop might walk by the players' tables, get up and walk by the players' table and say, Hey, Manu, what do you think about that Brunello? What do you think about the Raviolis here? Do you like that gnocchi and lobster? You know, he's always, it's about more than basketball with him. He's trying to get guys cultured, aware.
And realize that there's more to life, and basketball is just a game. Sean, what a treasure to pick your brain at a time like now. You're right at the center of so much going on with this franchise that I think a lot of this country's become more and more fascinated with and by. With each passing victory over Oklahoma City. And now here comes the NBA finals.
If you don't mind, I'll love to have you on during the finals itself to get your thoughts on it. If you don't mind. Just hit me up, man. Anytime, Rick. I will do it.
It's been too long, Sean. It's been too long. Yes, it has been, buddy. I appreciate you. Oh, real quick, real quick, before I let you go.
Do you have a Stuart Scott story? Sean? Gotta know a story about Stu? He might have been at the 99 finals. What do you think?
Yeah. No? No, I mean, well, I have to think about that one, to be honest with you. I worked with Stu early on when I worked for ESPN my first couple of years. And so now Stu was a good dude.
What a great dude. Funnier than hell, away from it all. And just, you know. One caring individual.
So, you know, obviously a big loss, and we've talked about it for years, but an amazing personality, great guy. Yeah, we used to call your highlights, Sean, all the time. We used to do that. Yeah, lots of them. They were indeed.
Next time I have you on, maybe we'll shake the cobwebs a little bit on that. Thanks again, Sean. Appreciate it. All right. All right.
Thank you. And Sean Elliott, everybody, right here on the program, giving you some insight on what's going on with the Spurs. And the answer is a lot. All right. We'll take a break and I'll look at my phone and see how many texts I've gotten.
Something's up, man, in the NFL.
Something is afoot. I don't know if it's gonna break today. If it does, we'll be all over. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Rich Eisen here with some advice.
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There is some breaking news out of the National Football League, although not what has been. Is rumored to be blowing my phone up right now. But you got it? You wanna hear me? Here it comes.
And Maria is seated. Breaking news. A reunion. Of sorts. Look who's back on the New York Football Giants, everybody.
Odell Beckham Jr. The rumors are true. He's been chit-chatting with him. The dynamic Once upon a time, rookie of the New York Giants who came in and set the city aflame. Ladies and gentlemen, Let's not forget, when that kid came out of LSU he was hurt Remember that he came in?
He was slipped in the draft a little bit. Right? Yeah. He was hurt and he didn't. Get this right.
I should have checked this out during the commercial break. Wow. His first three seasons are as good as they come. They sure as hell are. Yeah.
But in his first season, Um yeah, he he did not start game one. Right. And He was just unreal. Of course, the game that we all remember was the There he is, right there. As the week one Sunday night in New York, in New Jersey, if you will.
There you go. That was against let me see what that was week one Oh, by the way, no, this game wasn't week one when it was happening. No, no. This is the game against Dallas back in the day on Sunday night football. Couldn't believe it.
And you know who they're playing. Week one. This year it's Dallas at Met Live. That was a tremendous effort in a losing cause. And a losing cause.
You love pointing out what the final score is. Yeah, because I have to. It's great. Also, are we pointing out what the final score of that game is? I mean, I don't want to be the wet blanket, but like, you don't.
Well, listen, the last time he started a game was the playoff victory for the Ravens against Houston in the 2023 season. He hasn't been a player in a long time, and I would actually be kind of surprised if he is. Makes the team? Yeah, on the field week one for that game. I don't know.
Because obviously John Harbaugh loves him. And there's much to love about him as far as I'm concerned. Yeah, of course. I just mean from a pure football standpoint. Like, it's been a while since he was a good player.
That's all. You know, 33 years old. Multiple knee injuries, he had a suspension not too long ago. You know, it's fun. And you look at their wide receiver grouping, Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney.
They signed Braxton Burial State. You know, obviously, Malik Neighbors, so you've got a little bit of LSU love there. I mean, Isaiah Hodgins, Malachi Fields. Um Calvin Austin. As well.
This just tells me that I. Jalen Hyatt is a guy that they're waiting for finally takeoff out of Tennessee, the kid they drafted a couple years ago. Just feels like McWeek Neighbors isn't going to be ready week one. Perfect way to welcome Matthew from Connecticut on the program. What's up, Matthew?
How are you, sir? Uh Can you guys hear me? We can. What's going on, Matthew? Not much.
Just for the first time in my 13 years of being a fan, I got confidence. Uh I was wondering if I can do the win-loss schedule for the New York football giant. Absolutely, sir. We've got about two minutes for you. You ready to hit the music?
Go for it. Matthew in Connecticut, what happens on opening night against the Cowboys? TJ Chefferson's going to cry after winning that one. I love it. I like the Moxie.
Come on, man. That was the Monday night. The Giants are out here in Los Angeles to take on the Rams. Yeah, that's not half the name. Week three, home for the Titans.
Gable ain't coming back winning. Home for the Cardinals week four. Three and one, that's a win. Three and one at the commanders, week five. At the win.
Four and one, a home for the Saints. Don't turn the ball over five times in a row, and that's a win. That's a reference to last year's loss: 5-1 at the Texans. Pray for Jackson Dartelsey that game that they lost. Five and two off the by at the Eagles.
Never seen us win at Lincoln Financial. That's a loss. 5-3, home for the Commanders. Short week, return Thursday night. We are sweeping them.
Six and three, home for the Jaguars. I think they're worse than last year. That's a win. Seven and three, visiting Daniel Jones and the Colts. That's not happening.
No revenge, Daniel Durp's game. Daniel Durp loses, huh? Eight and three. Loan for the Niners. First game I'm ever going to live.
I think the Niners will be not healthy. That's a win. Okay, we're now nine and three at the Seahawks. At the law. 9-4, home for the Browns.
That's a win. 10-4 at the Lions on a Monday night. Close game, but L. 10-5 at the Cowboys. Sweeping in Jerry's world.
11 and 5 home for the Eagles. We are sweeping. We are my dad. We are splitting with the crap birds.
Okay, so that's a loss, you're saying? 12 to 5. Go big blue and go next.
Okay, there you go, Matthew and Connecticut, everybody. You'll be crying, is what he said. Crying. Does he know how many times his team has beaten the Cowboys in the last few years? Remind him.
They haven't. I haven't.
Okay. I mean, what are we doing? He's got Odell Beckham and 12 wins in his back pocket. Fantastic. All right, we're through hour number one, and that fat bit of NFL news that's blowing my phone up is yet to be real.
We'll see if we make it through the show entirely without it. I'm hoping not to be straight up with you. John Smoltz is coming up. The Ridge Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
