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This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere.
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Now, on with the show. Let's hear it but no. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Big fans, this is not a dream. The Rich Eisen Show.
My entire life I've been waiting for this moment. Today's guests. ESPN NBA broadcaster Mike Breen. Host of ESPN's Get Up Mike Greenberg. ESPN host Jeremy Schapp.
Two-time national championship head coach Jay Wright. And now, it's your Rich Eisen. In addition to the Rich Eisen Show. What a day it is in this neighborhood, to say the least. We've got ourselves a whole bunch of guests lined up for this busy Monday program.
We've got our friend Mike Breen, who just called the NBA Finals for ABC and ESPN first up. Jeremy Schapp, my longtime friend from back in the day, still with ES. PN is joining us here in studio top of our number two talk about the World Cup victory for the United States that he was present for and covering for ESPN on Friday night right here in Los Angeles, California. What a performance that was. We'll talk about that with him.
Mike Greenberg, my buddy, who is the subject of the latest edition of This Was Sports Center for everybody to check out my Memory Lane nostalgia podcast series. He's joining us in the middle of this hour to talk about the NBA finals. Same thing with Jay Wright, Villanova Coach, as three Nova Knicks now have rings. 844-204-Rich is that number to dial right here on the program. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman.
What's going on? Rich, what's up, man? Congratulations. Thank you, sir. Jason Feller, good to see you.
What's up, Rich? I am feeling good. T.J. Jefferson candle is lit. Rich Eisen, basketball guy.
Forget the football. He's a b-baller. I don't know what's going on. Honestly, I the headline is, and I think I speak for everybody in New York. Nick Fandom.
I don't know what's going on. I don't know what to feel other than pure elation and still, to this moment, disbelief that it's finally happened. You're like Will Farrell in old school? I blacked out. What just happened?
Pretty much. I'm screaming for meatloaf from the basement. You know, I'm. I'm still in disbelief. Just look at that.
This very moment, this morning. Was just the second day in my natural born life that I could remember. waking up and saying to myself, The New York Knicks are NBA champions. I was three years old the last time it happened. And um one of the first places I went to Um in New York City.
As a sports fan, was Madison Square Garden. I grew up there and in Yankee Stadium, going back and forth between those two places whenever I could get tickets, whenever my parents would take me. And again, the reason why I'm a Nick fan and a sports fan is because of my older brother. My dad, may he rest in peace, would still be talking about the opening to the Tony Awards from a few weeks ago, which, by the way, was spectacular if you saw it. I saw it in pink up there.
He wasn't much of a sports fan. My brother was, but still, even that. My dad, my mom would get uh my brother Uh and I tickets. We'd all go as a family to Christmas Day games at Madison Square Garden. We would do that.
'Cause it was a thing to do. to go see a Knicks game take the ferry or drive into New York City from Staten Island. And watch. The Rory Sparrow-led Knicks of the seventies, and then Michael Ray Richardson would show up, and Bill Cartwright and Marvin Webster, the eraser, the human eraser. I remember we were all growing up, we were Out there by summer camps, and we once saw Marvin Webster in a local diner.
My brother and I stopped. We couldn't breathe. And we saw a real New York Nick seven feet tall. Right? Bernard King showed up and Patrick Ewing showed up.
Hubie Brown was the coach. On and on and on, the Ewing years that let to Spreewell and Grandmama and then, you know, Carmelo, and we're putting our faith in everybody, and we're putting our faith in everything. We're we're just hoping this would be the year and then putting all of our hopes and dreams in a nice two week run from Jeremy Lynn.
Okay. Wins sanity. was a high point for a lot of us. And then Jalen Brunson shows up. And nobody knew it at the time.
Life changed. As a Nick fan. I was sitting here at this desk, livid. That Charles Oakley was left to sit in jail overnight because the owner of the Knicks, James Dolan, had a beef with him. and sat there as his security With Phil Jackson trying to help out.
Where that move didn't even help the New York Knicks, Phil Jackson joining the team. As a front office executive. I said I I was out on the Knicks. And one person pulled me back in, Jalen Brunson. When he showed up This photograph of him holding the Larry O.B.
in his right hand and the Bill Russell MVP trophy in his left. was a pipe dream. An absolute pipe dream. But nobody knew, none of us, none of us in the media, none of us in Nick's fandom knew what burned inside this young man. None of us knew.
What he was about to take us on, he pulled me back in as a Nick fan. And what he did. in this playoff run And what he did. In this NBA Finals, what he did on Saturday night. Is stuff that we as Knicks fans for fifty years dreamt.
could be possible, but never saw it embodied. by somebody Playing in a Knicks uniform. ever. Saturday night looked like another Long night for the Knicks. They fell down by ten points for At least the 10 points.
For the fifth straight game in the NBA Finals. By the way, it was game five Saturday night.
So every single one of them. And it happened again. Where they couldn't make any shots, and it happened again that Carl Anthony Towns was in foul trouble, and it happened again. That the Spurs showed up. And despite not shooting significantly well, Well enough.
to take yet Another Double-digit lead in this game, sixteen points being their largest lead. And who led him back? Jalen Brunson. This play Would go down as the biggest play in the NBA finals if it wasn't for OG Yananobi's putback. 837.
Knicks closed this large lead down to six. Six thirty eight to go. Jalen Brunson is one-on-one, one v1, to use the World Cup phrase we're hearing all the time. He's 1v1. with Victor Wembanyama.
Out by the three-point arc. and he breaks Wemby down with a dribble, And I'm sitting there going, he's not really going to go to the rack with this, is he? Makes a move. With his left Shoulder, sort of like to create a little bit of space. A shimmy?
and he goes to his right hand, he's left handed. Off the glass over Wembanyama. One-on-one beat with Victor Wembanyama. To give them a four-point deficit in the midst of a 10-0 run during which Brunson scored all ten points. God mode.
They went from 10 down with 821 to go. The tide With 448 to go. And after. Vassell made a shot to put the Spurs up by two. Bronson Deke out the defense at the three-point line and earned himself a trip to the free throw line with three free throws and made them all.
He scored 13. Straight points of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to score 45 points. Points The most in a finals game by a Knicks player. And tired for the most. Points in an NBA Finals road closeout game.
His name is right now next to Michael. Jordan, the guy who was damn near single-handed. The guy who kept Patrick Ewing ringless this entire time and made my life miserable. There's others we understand: Reggie, Hakeem, we could go down the list, but Michael Jordan. If there w we if we had Mariska Hartgay Dust for prints on why Patrick Ewing was ringless this entire time, you'd find Michael Jordan's fingerprints.
Going back to college. Going back to college. Says the Georgetown fan. Correct. He got one, but still and look who now has a photograph smiling with the Larry O'Bee in his hand.
Next to the guy holding the Bill Russell trophy in his hand. I have goosebumps. This makes me want to cry. Patrick Ewing is holding the Larry O'Brien trophy because the kid next to him, who he's known since he was two, because Rick Brunson played with Ewing. In 99, when the Spurs prevented the Knicks from getting somewhere because the basketball gods Had Patrick Ewing injured for that series.
This Is what Nick fans were dreaming of and the fact. That Ewing can smile and hold a trophy is exactly why Knicks fans cannot believe what's happening.
Somewhere. There needs to be An individual Chiseling A statue of Jalen Brunson right now because these 45-point performances. These comebacks That's been happening to the Knicks. Not for the Knicks. I can't believe it.
And we finally got Jalen Brunson to open up about what makes him tick. This is what he's had to say. Afterwards. about finally getting to the mountaintop. Words can't describe it, but I'll say um I put a lot of time and effort into Trying to be the best player I can be.
to try and help a team win. Um Just really thankful I have the the organization the coaching staff, my teammates.
So I have my back every single day. Uh I think that means the most to me. Yeah. He had his teammates back. In game five.
He scored 45, his teammates scored 49. Come on. Come on. That's wild. It sure is.
These are facts. It's so funny how he just looks completely, you know, kind of pedestrian, just like an average NBA player for three quarters, and then in the fourth quarter, he looks like the greatest player ever. Yeah. He had thirty in the first three because without his thirty in his first three there was not a fourth quarter comeback happening. And he said basically they didn't want to go play game six at home.
I don't blame him. Tonight We play like we wanted to go home champions. To finish the game. Not to start the game, to finish the game. Um Yeah.
It means the world to me to play go in those courts, go in that court with those guys. Whatever environment we're in, home or away. Doesn't matter for us. And again. I love that he talks about his teammates because again, i i this is one of the greatest New York sports teams ever.
Ever And how well they play with each other and for each other. I saw a Josh Hart sound by Monica McNutt elicited it. For I think MSG after the game, where he said there was a lot of sacrifice. On his part, everybody wants to be the Jalen Brunson, but a lot of people started understanding how this was all needing to work, and Josh Hart being there, and Mikkel Bridges being there, and Carl Anthony Towns being there, and OG Ananobi being re-signed to stay there. It's because Jalen Brunson took $113 million less dollars, fewer dollars than he could have gotten because he says, Build a team around me.
And Leon Rose was the executive the moment ago, got it. Got your back.
So we're going to add bridges with five first-round picks, a lot of people for five first-round picks, and more of them. It's like, what are you doing? We're going to keep OG Ananobi. We're going to, first of all, trade R.J. Barrett and Emmanuel quickly for him.
And then we're going to go trade Julius Randall and the big Ragu, A Nova Nick, to go to Minnesota. one of the more popular Knicks with Brunson in Julius Randall and bring back Carl Anthony Towns, a Jersey kid who has now got a ring in all of them together. Getting it done, as Carl Anthony Towns was pointing out. In support of the man One of the greatest New York sports athletes of all time. Jalen Brunson.
It always takes one person to believe in you. And this organization believed in him. We believe in him. And we were going to do whatever it takes to get them to that next level. I think I speak for me and OG when I say we, you know.
It's been an honor to be brought to this team to amplify him. And Leon, Gers, everybody for believing in us and Seeing what we could be. and seeing also that what we could do when other people said we couldn't do that. And for two of the three trades, which I say three for three, they went. Two of the three trades up here right now.
The people said, What the hell are they doing?
Okay. Obviously, they knew better than him, so shout out to them. And speaking of what the hell were they doing, as we now see Carl Anthony Towns holding the. Larry O'Brien Trophy. On our screen.
Speaking of what the hell were they doing From this chair. I was saying exactly that. When they were going through a head coaching search, because they bounced Tom Thibodeau after. highly successful playoff seasons, but not close enough. And they basically, what?
Um They Shot before they aimed, or they aimed before they fired. And then Hit the wrong target. Because you fired the guy, and then your plan was to knock on the doors of every single other top hot coach that was under contract somewhere else, only to get them. To either sign a new deal and use the Knicks as leverage. for their spot to stay there or to have teams just say, New phone, who this?
We're not giving you permission. Get out of here. And then you land on Mike Brown. And I'm like, really? Really?
Yeah, really. The man for the moment. My God, what a job he did. Mike Brown, I say this to you, sir, even though I live out in Los Angeles, California. Your money is no good in New York City anymore.
No. Your money is no good in the city that never sleeps. Keep it. In your pocket. Honestly, if I'm ever in that man's restaurant.
He's not paying and if I ever hear He's in a restaurant and he's got to reach for his wallet. No way. That's not happening. What a job he did. The New York Knicks.
Never gave up. Ever. Think about this. They finished these finals. With a margin of victory of two hundred eighty three points, fifty three more than the closest team that's no longer holding the record, the twenty seventeen Warriors, who won sixteen and one in sweeping their first three series, All the way through the Western Conference, they swept the Blazers, Jazz, and Spurs before beating the Cavs four games to one.
After the Cavs the year before came back from a three games to one deficit on them, So you're like, oh, they blew all these games out. But they also In having this record. Have the fifth Third, And first Right? Comebacks in the history of the NBA Finals, and they did it all in the same finals. The biggest comeback, third biggest comeback, fifth biggest comeback.
In the same NBA Finals. while also blowing the hell out of everybody else on the way to it. It was a wild ride, man.
So they did it all. and kept their composure. Mike Brown take a victory lap, sir. I couldn't believe that it was happening. And and and I am so Tire.
I mean, I'm gassed. And you know, this stuff is harder than what you think. And you have to have great assistants, you have to have great players. Uh But I was gassed. And I'll never forget, in 2003, as an assistant here.
And we won the championship. I'll never forget. I was on the other bench when the buzzer went off. I was sitting in my chair. All I did was lean back in my chair.
And I sat there, I felt like for 10 minutes, it was probably 30 seconds. But I just want to breathe. I want to breathe, and that's what I wanted to do today. It was surreal. I was tired and then I went to find my family.
One of the most likable teams, which is another trick to pull off. Because we New Yorkers are obnoxious. Obnoxious. And you kind of want to hug him? You want to hug Brunson?
You want to hug Cat? Unbelievable what Just played out. Un Believable. That the New York Knicks are the champions of the NBA and what they just did. and how they did it, and how they comported themselves, and how Jalen Brunson is the avatar of exactly what you want.
your sun to be, your star to be, And I'm even so happy I would hug James Dolan. No, you wouldn't. For a split second. It wouldn't be a depot. And then tell him to let Oakley back in the building.
But for the moment. He did it. He did it. He did it. And I don't know, in the same way that Steinbrenner got, you know, suspended and the Yankees billed themselves a.
A championship team in the 90s hiring somebody that a lot of people thought was a retread. Right. Mm-hmm. And In the same way that happened, maybe the sphere was that way for Dolan. Hey, go take care of your sphere.
Let Leon Rose do the rest.
Okay, go make your sphere looking great, which he, by the way, has. He's pretty cool. Oh my God. All of it. I cannot believe it has worked.
And Brunson, again, is up there. Name it. Name if. Walt Frazier. Derek Jeter.
All of them. All of them. Mookie Wilson. All of them. But in that respect, I know you're trolling a little bit there.
Okay, no, no, no. All-time greats. Oh, all-time. But the reason why, again, I got texts. Of can't believe this is happening.
Congrats for us, all of us. Half of them were Mets fans. Who I'm on a text chain normally saying Good team you got there. Normally, we are buttonheads. But right now, we're all in the same boat.
That's what the Knicks do for New York City. That's why the streets are filled like that. Because everybody roots for the Knicks and everybody's been waiting. Unreal. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial right here on the Rich Isaac Show.
Let's take a break. Mike Breen, who's professional, I mean, this is the voice of the Knicks. You couldn't tell. Calling these games.
So He's next. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Uh While the world watches the stars of the FIFA World Cup, Hyundai has its eyes on the next generation of talent, future stars who are already turning heads at age 14. Because Next doesn't wait for an invitation, and neither do we. Hyundai has always moved the future within reach.
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Never watched soccer before? Perfect. Think a corner kick is a karate move? Sure, why not? Prefer sports where players can use their hands?
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It's, you know, we keep saying that sports is the great unifier. My son, Matt. who watched the uh he's twenty nine he watched The game with some friends at one of their apartments in the city, and then afterwards the game, they went out. And he said, in about a three-block walk, he said, Dad, I hugged like 80 strangers. And when does that ever happen in New York?
Hey, man, I you know, my wife printed out Stevie Nick's t-shirts, you know, the one that Taylor Swift wore the other day.
So I was wearing Walking the Dog with her yesterday in Los Angeles. And there was a guy with a knick hat walking the other way, and he's like, How great is life? You know, like we shared this moment in a small street in Los Angeles. On Sunday. And, you know, to your point, Mike Green, by the way, has joined us here.
Our radio audience has just returned. The word fan is the root for the word fanatic. You know, like that is it. That's what we're describing here. And you've had a front row seat, quite literally.
for all of these years Um, what do you think this championship for the Knicks means? It's one of the great, great moments in New York sports history for a number of reasons. First and foremost, New York has always been a basketball town. I mean, I've lived in New York my whole life, and we all love football, we all love basketball. I'm not saying one's more important than the other in terms of the fans, but there's just something about the city game being basketball.
So that's number one. Number two, it's a team that pretty much the entire city gets behind. And it's a team that has struggled for so long. But the fans never went away, even in the rough years. And there were many rough years, as we all know.
So to go from that and stick with them through thick and through thin. And see not only a team that have success. But a team that is such representative of the city and the kind of people that you want, they're such high character individuals. They're all about the team, the way they carry themselves. That's a big part of it as well.
And then when you have your star player, be the kind of young man that Jalen Brunson is, from a player to his toughness. To his will of never giving up, to overcoming all the, yeah, he's good, but stuff. That's an important factor as well. And you know, I said this the other day, and it might sound a little corny, but so Brunson has all these different characteristics that you want in your star player, that you want in your franchise player. One that sometimes goes underrated, he's extremely coachable.
Even at this level, he's extremely coachable. And that's huge for a team to come together because if the rest of the team sees, okay, this guy's taking some guff from the coach, and the coach gets on him, not just the head coach, but of course the assistant, namely one Rick Brunson, then we can do it too.
So you put it all together and it just becomes something really magical. And that's what we always hope for. That's the long, long-term dream when we start rooting for a team to have a team like this. Yeah, I mean, and again, being such a fan. than I am, Mike.
I've spent, you know, Probably too much time on my phone in the last 36 hours, just scrolling for any, all of it, just soaking all of it in. I mean, you're. Essay after th the game five was perfect. Spot on. It was beautiful.
I took that in. I took in the entire Inside the NBA post-game because the number of times I've watched those guys on TNT rightfully. disparage the Knicks and their plans and their results just to take that all in, right? I mean, soaking it all in. The one video that keeps on popping up is Rick Brunson, I believe in the Atlanta series, down two games to one.
Um just Having a moment with Jalen where he's clearly. Telling him whatever Jalen's upset about or complaining about to knock it off. I do remember when Rick Brunson was hired or brought on and kept on. Uh you know, the narrative was they're coddling.
Okay. Jalen Brunson. And it's the exact opposite, right?
So, what would you say? What's your favorite Jalen Brunson story? Mike. What is that? It's hard to have an individual one.
You know, it was like from the I remember the first playoff series he had in the second round. They had a chance to get a big win against Miami and extend the series, and of course, the ball was in his hands. And he went in and he mishandled the play. And they didn't even get off a shot and they lose and they're eliminated. He was devastated.
Like devastated. And that's really who he is. You know, everybody loves to win, but how many are truly devastated when they lose like that? And that made him want to work harder. And his work ethic is off the charts.
And I got, I remember, I took some criticism for comparing his will. And his mental toughness to Kobe Bryant. But I think it's up there. Is he as talented as Kobe Bryant? Nope.
But I think Kobe Bryant would be the first one, God rest his soul, to say, boy. That's what I'm talking about. And point to Jalen Brunson. I mean, and again, you've been calling Knicks games forever and a day. And I you know, I know you got to play it down the middle, and you're such a pro.
You're so good at what you do, Mike. But I'm wondering, who are you thinking about? From your early days On a day like today? Who are you? you know, reminiscing with or thinking about.
There's been a lot, and that's part of the fun is all the text. I think when I got back to my hotel room. That night, I probably had about 400 texts. Perfect. And most of them were Nick fans, obviously a lot of friends, co-workers, etc.
But a lot of them were Nick fans. And of course, one of the people, of course, I think of was my dad. I was one of six boys. In our house, sports was not an option. And we just loved whatever.
Whatever team that my dad rooted for. And my dad was a Marine and a construction worker, a tough guy. And I always thought he was the strongest man in the world. And I used to think that Dave DeBusha was the second strongest.
So that's the influence that he had on me. Um, so that's the way I think of it, and really, quite honestly, uh, Rich, it's been so much fun sharing it with my kids. Um, they're all they're not kids anymore, they're young adults, they're 34, 33, and 29, two boys and a girl. And they just love the Knicks and they go to the games, and you know, they saw a lot of bad basketball growing up, so for them. To really enjoy it.
My wife and my daughter are Villanova grads. You can imagine how much they love the Nova Nicks.
So that's that's and that's what we said earlier. It's it's sharing with so many people the joy of it coming together like this, and especially a team like this that carries themselves like this, that play like this. Have you connected with Clyde? Yeah, I saw him after the game. What was that like?
It was so wonderful. He's. My friendship with Clyde is one of the blessings of my life, and he. I've never heard him talk about any other nick team. With the kind of reverence he talks about this team.
He doesn't compare anybody to the 70 team, especially, but the 70 and 73. He thinks this team reminds him of that. He doesn't compare anyone. To Willis Reed. Willis Reed was his role model, was his idol till the day Willis passed away.
And he says that Jalen Brunson reminds him of Willis Reed in terms of, you know, that silent but tough leader.
So he was more emotional than I thought. And it was wonderful to see. Patrick Ewing was so emotional after the game. And the Knicks have done a great job bringing him back and making him a real part of the team in terms of using his counsel and letting him talk to the players and letting him work with the players. And Patrick was so emotional after the game.
And he says, I'm finally getting my ring. I mean, how do you not get emotional? That he says something like that. Mike, this photo that we have on the screen, if you wouldn't mind putting it up right there, I mean. I didn't shed a tear on Saturday night.
I was just taking it all in because I was in such disbelief. This photograph where he's smiling 'Cause he's holding the Larry O'Brien trophy. Patrick Ewing gets to hold this trophy. And Brunson is standing next to him. And again, they've known each other, right?
Patrick said he's known Brunson since he was two because he was teammates with Rick. And Brunson's face here is basically saying. Yeah, I'm so proud that I could make this moment happen. That's the way I'm looking at it. I'm wondering how you take this photograph in.
Yeah, it's. There's such respect there, and often there's a disconnect between the way the older players approach and today's players' approach in the game we know is so different. But a lot of the most important parts are not different. And I think that Clyde has, and he's talked about it on the air, and he's talked about it off the air. He has such reverence uh for the way jalen handles his business And Jalen is, you know, he brought up his mom and dad did an amazing job, not only in terms of getting him ready to be one of the great players in the game today.
But to appreciate what came before him. And he's been so respectful to Clyde as well. And it's just. I think it's like Clyde, Clyde looks at him like you could have played on our team. And he doesn't say that a lot about it.
And Jalen could have been. He could have played on that team. He could play in any era because that's the kind of game that Clyde had, and that's the kind of game that Jalen has. Another person that I'm thinking about today, Mike, and I'm curious as to whether you connected him with him or not, is The guy who preceded you, and one of the many reasons why I do what I do for a living in Marv Albert. Um and what he must be thinking.
Today. Mike. Yeah, we haven't talked since the clinch, but we have been texting prior to that, and he's. He loves watching it as well. And you know, it's funny, like you say who you think of.
But while I'm calling the game, it's marb inside of me. I mean, I watched him so much. He's one of the reasons why I fell in love with doing this as a profession. His influence on how I call a game, certainly not, I don't have his iconic voice, but the way I call a game, the way I approach the profession, so much for me.
So I hope there's some of that there. You know, I actually, and I'm a little mad at myself. Howie Singer, the longtime producer, director, I said to him, you know, I'm going to, I'm one of these Nick baskets. I'm going to, tonight, I'm going to yell yes, and it counts as a little tribute. And it just, it never came.
You know, it had to be a certain play, and it just never came out. But, no, think about him. I think about Johnny Andres, Johnny Hoops, Johnny Andres, who was one of my dearest friends, Al Troutwig, people that were there. There's just, there's so many people that we work with that were part of that that you think about.
So a lot of thoughts, a lot of emotions over the last couple of days. And I don't know if you're a numerical. You know the number. That hangs in the rafters of Madison Square Gardens. We said it on the air.
Right. Red Holtzman, 613 career wins, 613 in the date that the Knicks won the championship. Right. And who sent me, we had had that ready to use, but I got a text before the game from Pete DeBusher, Dave's son, to tell me the same thing. And again, another connection.
And Ian O'Connor wrote a wonderful piece about Dennis and Pete, Dave's two boys. and how who their favorite player was. And it was OG Ananobi because he played kind of the same thing. There were a lot of similarities with the way they played and what they meant to the team, what their role was with the team as their dad Dave was.
Well, I know you've just finished a very long season and a long travel back. To your spot there. And I know you're going to probably head to the golf course, but are you part of the parade? Are you going Thursday? I haven't finalized plans yet.
Yes, I'm going to be part of the parade. There's not a chance I would miss that. As a Nick fan, as a Nick broadcaster, and just as a New York sports fan, I think it's going to be something pretty special. I've had people tell me, Michael Kaye, my best buddy, who had a chance. Right?
Yep. And he did the Yankees, and he said, There's nothing, there's nothing like it. There's nothing like it. The ticker tape coming down, you know, can you imagine? I can't even imagine.
Can't even imagine.
Well, again, great job. You're so great at what you do, Mike, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to share. Honestly, I I I I can't believe this is happening, and I love your perspective, and I'm so. Appreciative of being able to have you on to share it. Thank you.
It's my pleasure. Right back at you, Rich. Thank you. Let's do this again shortly. That's Mike Breen right here on the Rich Eisen Show, fresh off of calling.
The NBA finals for our twenty-first consecutive season. 613 was the date the Knicks won it all. That's the same number. Of wins Red Holtzman had as an extra coach. And that number is hanging from a banner in.
in Madison Square Garden where the newest banner will be um And I just don't know if this is true or not. You don't know what's true or not on socials. But Saturday night apparently was if you add the high school. College and professional wins of Carl Anthony Towns, that now equals 613 as well.
Well I don't know if you're a numerolog numerologist or not. But that was incredible. Bang, as Mike Breen might say, or bing-bong, as Somebody who's threatening to call into the show, O. Shea Jackson Jr., texted all of us on Saturday night. He is threatening to call in.
Let's see. I haven't seen him call in yet. 844-204 rich number dial. When we come back, Team USA, the men's. National team.
coming out of the gate in the World Cup the way they did, holy crap 844-204-Rich is the number to dial. Oh, oh, oh, O'Reilly! Check engine, ABS, or maintenance light on? Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE certified master technicians.
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Alright. Auto parts. Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high-interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an Audible with a SoFi personal loan. It consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required.
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The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. 404204 rich number to dial right here on the show. Jeremy Schapp's in our green room. We're going to bring him out in about 11 minutes' time. Uh he's in town to uh cover the The World Cup.
He was there Friday night. I said, I thought I read in a tweet like it was your 14th World Cup match you've covered. No, it's my 14th. U. S.
men's national team. Jeez. He's one of the few people on ESPN that you have to, when you recount what he's saying, imitate him. Him, Berman. Yeah.
There's very few of them, right? Jeremy Shap. E S E The end. He's in our green room. We'll talk, we'll talk with him.
Um Listen.
Okay. There are some times that I regret. things that In sports. Where I have an opportunity to go to the game, and I don't take that opportunity. And I always grew up, as you know, this just then.
Uh in New York City.
Okay. And I would look at LA sports fans like arriving late, leaving early, traffic. Is a problem? Like, are you a fan or not? I would sit there from the comfort of my Staten Island basement.
How does an East Coast might do that? You know what I mean? Like, come on. These are such soft people, these Los Angeles sports fans. That's what I would say growing up.
Now I'm one of them. Fact. Passionate Rams fan. My oldest my uh Mice youngest son. accuses me of doing.
And being.
So When the U. S. men's national team is taking on Paraguay, On um Friday night Um I Really, I'm going to go to SoFi. I'm going to deal with parking, deal with this, deal with that. Really, I'm going to go.
Did you go? No. I'm sitting at home saying, Man, I wish I was there. Yeah, same. That's what I did.
I know, I wish I was there. I saw that scene, and I'm like, why the hell am I sitting in my living room? Wow, this is wild. Wow. For six years, you sat here and tried to crack on me about not wanting to leave the house and go to places, and here you are doing the same thing.
You live down the street. Doesn't matter. It's not the point. Oh, no. Proximity is not what he's talking about.
Oh, sure, it is. I don't have a helicopter, sir. To get from. I'm just saying, this is a good idea. I mean, it would be worse for Chris.
There's two words I don't ever want to deal with in this town, and it's called Sepulveda Pass. Right? Ever. That's like the Van Wick. 405.
That's an unbeatable situation. At any rate, I digress.
Okay. What a scene. What a performance. Yeah. And again, I'm no.
Soccer historian. But when we had Greg Berhalter, former U.S. men's national team coach here in person on Friday, and I'm like, what's. What's a sci what like what's a A successful World Cup for these guys. And he's like winning multiple knockout round matches.
And I'm sitting here thinking to myself. All right. Yeah, I mean, I've never seen that.
So multiple knockout round. matches. And his point was like, hey, You know. This has been an eight-year plan when I first arrived, and I'm, you know, he was. Former player for the U.S.
men's national team, former head coach. And his son's now on the team. And he's with MLS, and he's talking about how this has been a long time coming. Like, this is the moment. that they've been all waiting for.
Here on this home turf. And then they came out and hit Paraguay in the mouth, And, you know, the second half wasn't as good as the first. You know, Pulisic came out. Hopefully, he's healthy for the next few at least two matches. And games in there.
Group D. But they were outstanding. They were crisp. They were decisive. They were smart.
They were Great. Explosive. They were on the attack. They were smart. They're starting shots on net.
That is something we haven't seen of the US men's team in Maybe ever. And then that Raina. Oh, that goal to rap is where. He booted it, and I turned to Cooper, his friend Jackson. We're sitting there watching it as a family, also.
And I'm like, was that? Off the outside of his right foot? Like, he didn't use his left foot, which is what one would think based on his. positioning and his momentum. It was filthy.
Awesome. Yeah. Awesome. And you know Fowler and Balogan with two goals. He could have had a third potentially.
He could have almost had a hat-trick. I think the Raina uh goal I watched back. There were twenty three. Consecutive successful touches amongst the entire team. before he uncorked it.
Awesome. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities, so do like I did and have one of your assistants' assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today.
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