Would LeBron James Actually Retire From The NBA? (Hour 2)

Now we're number two of our radio program. That's right, it is the Zach Gelb Show, Coast to Coast on CBS Sports Radio. Okay, so the big story today, congratulations obviously to the Denver Nuggets off to the NBA Finals.

You've been listening to this show for a while. You know how much I've been a supporter of the Denver Nuggets. Nicole Jokic is the best player right now in the NBA.

Jamal Murray is a fantastic closer. And I'll even take you back to last year when everyone's freaking out when they went down early in the playoffs. Oh, Jokic can't win a championship. Oh, he just wins MVPs.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I said just wait until Jamal Murray gets back. And now Murray is back and along with Nicole Jokic, that team to me is the best team in the sport right now. Especially when you have guys like Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. Also in that starting lineup, Contavious Caldwell-Pope has done a nice job bouncing around and you've got some production coming off the bench as well. And we'll see if Boston could have any heart tonight and have a pulse.

I don't think they will. And I think that series will end in a sweet picky. I'll give you credit even though you mushed me going out to Denver because you guaranteed that there was going to be a Game 5. You were on the Miami Heat except I do have a few people that have brought something to my attention. So I'll just ask you, I'm about to give you credit saying nice job because you went with the Miami Heat before this series started. But I got a few tweets that you shouldn't be taking this victory lap. And be careful of the hickey victory lap that you're going to be taking about the Miami Heat winning this series when Mendoza finally gets a hit like you with the prediction. Because I got a few tweets and I think this was on Sunday I want to say where before this series started like when we were still in the second round that you were saying it doesn't matter who wins the Heat-Nick series because neither of those teams were going to go out there and defeat the Sixers or the Boston Celtics.

Is that true or are people just giving me false information? I'm going to go to you on this one and trust you. I definitely said the Knicks were not going to go to the NBA Finals. Probably... Wait, did you? You were picking them as a dark horse to go to the NBA Finals. No, we were talking about the Knicks-Heat series. Did I say? I don't remember.

Honestly, I do not recall. That's not real convincing right there. So I'll give you the benefit of the doubt even though I probably shouldn't. I'll give you credit for the Heat prediction. Now you said Heat in 6 and that's not going to be right but you agree the series is over.

Oh, serious. Sure, but I'm talking about not even getting back to Game 5 in Boston. I fully expect the Heat to roll tonight. No chance Celtics show up.

No chance. They didn't get on the plane to go to Game 3 and the way they are talking after that game yesterday as well there's no reason to believe they're going to show any sort of heart, fight, grit in Game 4 with it 3-0. Oh, they probably did get on the plane. They were there but maybe they did a little extra partying in Miami or I'll pull a Mike Greenberg.

I'll channel my inner Mike Greenberg. Maybe their muscles are just too relaxed. Being out in that warm weather of Miami that it really got to those Boston Celtics players. I mean at this point when you are down 30 points in the third quarter of a game you need to have any excuses has to be used and thrown out there. Anything. Plane was delayed. Not the right sleep patterns. Hotel rooms were too hot.

Bed bugs. Whatever you want to say at this point you got to throw it out there because when you have that effort in the second half with your season on the line you got to pull out all the stops. This is such a gutless Boston team.

And you know their fans won't let them off the hook. That's the one thing I really do admire with the Boston sports fan. They've had so many championships in the last 20 years across all four of their sports and they still expect a certain standard of greatness. And this is a embarrassing Boston team. I talked to my uncle who watches almost every Celtics game and he's been telling me all year long this team doesn't have a killer instinct.

You like just look at the standards like OK come on just your crazy uncle talking but he is 100 percent right. Because there were signs of this. We talked about the signs that they were eventually going to get burned and it looked like they were going to get burned in the Sixers series and then Tatum pulled out this all time great game seven performance. But in this series to not even have a pulse against a team that on paper you're better than it just piles on in just an absolute embarrassment. The Boston Celtics are this year and the frustrating part of your Celtics fans.

This is not just a one off. This is not just all new coach. They are not really into it. This was a year that never came together. This is like the third or fourth year in a row this team has done this. We're like sure they made it to the finals last year.

Absolutely not. Like every single postseason within the last two or three years it's been up and down a roller coaster ride. Nothing comes easy even in series that they win.

It's way more difficult than it should be. I don't know what it is in terms of its lack of focus lack of want to. There's reports about now teammates not liking each other whatever it is there's something there that goes beyond just the coaching staff and beyond just this season. Well I don't think Jaylen Brown wants to be there. Now he may end up being back there next year because the way the contract goes especially making the all second NBA team. The question just is why doesn't Jaylen Brown want to be there.

Does he not like the city. Does Jaylen Brown want to go be a number one somewhere else. Does he have a tough time jelling with Jason Tatum. I just want to know because here's one thing I'll say I don't think there was a lot of pressure on Boston until heading into really probably the 20 20 20 21 season. And then once Brad elected whether you want to say he's forced or not to go upstairs and they brought a new coach like last year was really one of the first years I looked at championship robust for the Boston Celtics because this young team came on to the scene. Remember LeBron was still in the Eastern Conference before going out there and joining the Golden State or going out there in Los Angeles Lakers. I I really thought the last two years and they got to the finals last year and they blew a 2 1 lead but really the last two years were the championship robust type of years for Boston. And that's why I think as of late you look at them differently.

The years prior to that when they were getting to a bunch of conference finals it was impressive how young this team was and how far they were going. And now to the point where I mean if you're writing Jen and Brian doesn't want to be there. We got to move on from.

Well that's the thing. I would not want to trade Jaylen Brown if I'm the Celtics. But if he doesn't want to be there you got to get rid of him because that's the that's the underlying threat of just like there's always constant tension between the two stars in the team. They don't coexist well and maybe their games are a little too similar and Brown is like sharing the spotlight with Tatum or vice versa whatever it is again there's an undercurrent that is that goes beyond just this season.

Where you just can't explain it in a way as oh this is just a weird year. Missoula was not ready you know to be the coach and next year will be better. It's been a theme recently and it's again it's something that maybe it's more player than coach driven. And maybe Brown is a little extra sensitive with going back to all the KD rumors as well. And I'm not saying you should love to hear your name thrown out in trade rumors but when it's for Kevin Durant can you really get that mad about it? The Celtics wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't find a way to maybe go get Kevin Durant to see if that was actually possible. And they're not going to get rid of Tatum. You're picking Tatum over Brown so I can understand some of the hurt feelings but to a point where it's going to derail a season. And then you get into the whole Imeu Doka situation. You knew the moment when the Celtics would go down and I said this even in the Sixers series if they were going to lose to the Sixers. There'd be two stories. Something will come out about the Imeu Doka situation and then there will be speculation about Jalen Brown's future.

I said that was Sean Grandy when he was on with us you know during that second round after Boston did go down 3-2 to the Philadelphia 76ers. So I'm not surprised about either and we'll see and we'll hopefully get some clarity sooner rather than later on Jalen Brown. The Imeu Doka part at this point when you've been through the entire season and I get it right the players I guess were never given a satisfactory answer it's kind of been hush hush that makes me think how personal this was.

Where he was sleeping with someone's wife or girlfriend that he shouldn't in a superior in the organization something like that. But and that's just speculation to be clear but the Doka thing to be used as an excuse that kind of shows you how weak these players are. I get it you like Imeu Doka but just losing your coach. This is not college this is the NBA and you had Milwaukee out in the first round. You're going up against an inferior Sixers team you're better on paper than this Heat team and the Heat are kicking your ass.

So I don't want to hear Woge talk about oh they never got past the Imeu Doka situation. If that's the case these players are so weak in Boston. If you're going to let a coach just derail your season like that I get it you like them.

He did a great job last year. But you have more talent than the Heat team and they just want it more and that's unacceptable. Absolutely and again that's why I think a lot more blame goes on the players for right now this Celtics team being down 0-3 than the coaching staff because this is just you don't need a coach to fire you up or bring the intensity. And right now that's exactly what the Celtics are lacking especially late in these games they look like they just don't want to be there. But it also doesn't make sense to me especially the first two games how Tatum doesn't get the ball in his hand in the fourth quarter. Like sometimes some people you'll talk to ten people five will put that on the coach five will put that on the player. Jason Tatum that's your team with the way that you went off in game seven.

If Missoula for some reason I don't know why isn't trying to get you the ball go demand the ball and go take over the game. Alrighty real quickly so this LeBron topic I don't think he's actually retiring but forever he's been throwing out this idea. Teaming up with his son Bronny who's going to USC and he'll probably be one and done and then be in the NBA. LeBron last night David McMenamin said just because that's my aspiration or my goal doesn't mean it's his and I'm absolutely okay with that. If I'm Bronny and I give LeBron and his wife a lot of credit for the way in the public spotlight they have raised their children. And Bronny you keep on hearing has improved improved improved as a basketball player and I always felt awkward talking about Bronny because he's a high school kid. And I just don't like that when people in the media like obsess over a high school kid let them be kids but when you're LeBron James's son you're not just any ordinary kid.

And now with him already declaring that he's going to USC it changes the conversation a little bit. But if if I'm Bronny and I can't speak for him. I'm just thinking to myself if I was in that position as cool as it sounds getting to play with your dad I would kind of want to start to pave my own legacy. And I think going right into the NBA it would kind of give up the vibe like oh dad is there to chaperone his kid and lead his kid into this new life of being a professional basketball player.

I would kind of want to find my own way. And that's a difficult conversation because LeBron has made it clear that he wants to play with his son. And now hearing LeBron say just because that's my aspiration or my goal doesn't mean it's his and I'm absolutely okay with that. That means to me two things one Bronny said dad like let's stop with that or two maybe LeBron got some sense.

Hmm. I don't want to put that pressure on my son and let me have my son find his own way in defining his future or his eventual future in the NBA. Yeah I think this is a Brian letting Bronny get his own path. And like I said it's tough like you're never going to out obviously grow LeBron shadow.

We're never going to forget who Bronny's dad is. But it's one of those things where when you're LeBron's age you kind of now allow your son to go out into the world he's going to college going to USC. Let him find his own way.

Let him find his own path. You don't need to kind of be there even if you're not playing a lot it's going to just appear like you're almost babysitting in a way with if they're on the same team in two or three years from now. It's just it's not fair to even Bronny to kind of have his career start that way.

Yeah. And people know I'm as close as I could be with my dad and my dad was the first producer for Mike and the Mad Dog and like everyone thinks he's like the biggest deal in the world like inside this radio business. When I was starting out on the radio like I just did everything I tried to do everything by myself. And even though my dad always wanted to lend a helping hand I tried to kind of keep him out of the picture because I wanted to kind of pave my own way instead of like there just be idiots that would go the only reason Gelb has a job is because of his dad. Which is just so stupid. And I kind of fought my way on my own and I think that is something that yeah sure you want to use your family as a resource your family is always there.

But I think finding your own way it's actually more beneficial for the individual and at least I found it more beneficial for myself as well. So you know I'm not comparing exactly Bob Gelb to LeBron James and myself to Bronny but that's just something that did pop into my mind not being in a similar situation but just having it out there when everyone just assumes like your success is tied to your father when my dad's been like a salesman not even a producer in radio for like the last 20 years and it's been so far removed from really what he's known for. All right real quickly did you see Carmelo Anthony's retirement video Hickey because I thought that was a well put together retirement video. I've always had a soft spot for Carmelo Anthony when one of my best friends growing up as a kid had cancer his wish was to go meet Carmelo Anthony they flew him out to Denver when Carmelo was on the Nuggets like him Earl Boykins a few other players he spent an entire day with one of my childhood friends and my buddy Danny was going through a tough time. So I've always enjoyed Carmelo Anthony the person in Carmelo Anthony the basketball player I love to see him get a ring. He didn't go to Miami with LeBron.

He's explained that before he took more years at the time that kind of just left him a year or two behind going and joining all those guys and teaming up with those guys the former super team. But the one part in the video talking about the whole Bronny James thing at the end it's like a nice message but then it puts a lot of pressure on the kid. He basically says up to his son to carry on his legacy and I don't know like you obviously know what your son's capable of and you know what his basketball abilities are. It was part of that was like wow that's a pretty high standard to live up to if now it's up to the path the torch is getting passed and now Carmelo Anthony is like what 16 or 17 year old son ever the son is nice to carry on the legacy like that is a tough position in my opinion to put your son.

I'm sure it's not being a dad so I can't speak to it firsthand but I'm sure for most father's dreams it's to have your children. Yeah right like surpass and do better than you know whatever you did. It's just so tough. It's the case of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony that's very very very hard to do borderline impossible to do especially if you're Bronny Jr. So I think the message I say comes from a good place but boy oh boy did to kind of have to now to to keep the Anthony name relevant to any good spirits now it's on you to basically be borderline or bare minimum should say a Hall of Fame player. I never really understood this for Michael Jordan when he said the ceiling is the roof. But even if you like reach your ceiling if you're Carmelo's kid a LeBron's kid you're not going to hit the roof because if your parents are the roof in LeBron and Carmelo Anthony it's almost impossible to reach that standard of excellence. So I think I use that LeBron that Michael Jordan term correctly with the whole ceiling is the roof thing. No pressure Bronny just got to be the greatest player to ever play the game.

Twenty five years from now. Yeah and win five championship Carmelo's son you better go win a championship. Dad couldn't he won a championship in college but gold medals scoring champion all that stuff. You got to go in a title in the NBA. Maybe get a new three point celebration to come out to the three to the dome maybe you know get something else going there Carmelo.

That was always a great introduction at Madison Square Garden. We'll take a break. We'll come on back.

Is this LeBron James retirement talk actually genuine. We'll talk to Trevor Lane who covers the Lakers next. All right Lakers eliminated Denver off to the NBA finals.

Let's head out to the guest line right now. Welcome in a pal of ours and Trevor Lane does a great job as a host at Lakers Nation Trevor appreciate the time. How are you.

I'm doing well thank you for having me. Busy busy day in the world of the Lakers despite the fact that they've been eliminated and LeBron certainly gave us a lot to talk about last night. Yeah we'll get into all that ridiculous LeBron James retirement talk in just a second but let me start you off with the actual outcome of this series it being a sweep.

How much of that did it surprise you. I thought Denver was going to win this series but I thought you would see the Lakers pick up at least the game in this series. Yeah I thought they would get at least a few but it just didn't didn't happen wasn't in the cards. I mean Denver was I think clearly the better team in the series. They were absolutely phenomenal and their their shooting ability was insane. They have yet to have a poor shooting night. It seemed like every single time the Lakers tried to make a run Denver had guys just hitting big big shots. I mean even Aaron Gordon was on fire from three in game four.

So you just tip your cap to them. They were an absolutely phenomenal team and and certainly deserving of going to the finals. I know if you asked LeBron this question he would say no but no one thought really especially early on in the season even midway through the season that we'd be talking about the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. I view this as a successful season but when you have LeBron you get this close but yet so far you know it just brings out a bunch of different type of emotions.

Oh sure. Yeah I mean look you when you get to this point there's always going to be disappointment that they didn't go far that they did that they were so close to an 18 championship and they didn't didn't get the job done. But then when you step back and you look at the context of the season you look at the two intense start you look at the 13th seed at the trade deadline they move up to seventh to start the postseason they have to go through the play and to get there and then making the push all the way to the Western Conference finals essentially with the team that have been together for two months because they they had added so many pieces. At the trade deadline it really is remarkable that they got as far as they did so that disappointment is certainly there but in the big picture context I agree with you I think it was definitely a successful season what an incredible turnaround from them. And now they head into an off season with a little bit of momentum in addition to plenty of question marks. And really Rob Palenka Trevor Lane showed you a lot this year the way that he salvaged this season with some of the moves he made.

Yeah he took such a huge gamble such a huge gamble you know everything that I've heard everyone I've spoken to have confirmed that the night before media day way back at the beginning of the season. They had an opportunity to trade Russell Westbrook both their first round picks 2027 to 2029 for Myles Turner and Buddy Heale that was the deal that was there for them and they opted not to do it they took the gamble that they would find something better or at least comparable during the season and they could at least tread water until then. Now it took them a while to get to that point but I was surprised that they found a deal as strong as they did getting D'Angelo Russell Malik Beasley Jared Vanderbilt adding Rui Hachimura they really made some big moves at the trade deadline and just a bit before.

And you got to give them credit it was a risk but I think it paid off in the end and Rob Palenka and that Lakers front office they found a way to get the pieces they needed to make a real push here so you got to give them credit for that. Trevor Lane here with us so last night you hear all the retirement speculation and how much he's going to contemplate it from LeBron James and the follow up interviews with a bunch of different outlets. I don't buy it for a single second Trevor whether it's him just trying to distract people from the sweep or maybe use it as leverage to get Kyrie in Los Angeles where do you stand on this thought that LeBron may actually walk away after this season. Yeah I don't buy it either for a lot of reasons I mean he's got he's got two years and like a hundred million dollars left on his contract that's a lot even for a billionaire that's a lot of money to walk away from. You've got also the fact that he already said he thinks he's better than 90 or 95 percent of the NBA right now which is probably not wrong about that doesn't exactly suggest that he needs to hang him up anytime soon certainly not this season and then you figure factor in. You know how much he put into trying to win Game 4 how much he pushed himself the emotions behind these series taking out the Golden State Warriors in the previous round that weighs heavily and sometimes you get an emotional response in those moments that if I was as Darwin said this morning he said look if I was LeBron in that situation I would have been thinking about retiring too because that was that's just an emotional situation to go through and to invest that much it's hard to in that moment think wow now I'm going to have to rehab all summer on my foot and then get back and try to fight through a grueling season again. I don't think he's actually retiring. I think it is happening sooner rather than later. I think it's on his mind but I can't see that being the enemy LeBron James going out without even a send off or anything like that. I can't imagine that happening. Trevor Lane is Kyrie Irving going to be on the Lakers next year.

The math the logistics of it. Tell me no. Right. I mean if you look at just the hurdles you'd have to clear to get him to L.A. whether you want to try to sign him as a free agent whether you want to try and do the infamous double sign and trade with the Angelo Russell or something like that with the Dallas Mavericks logistically it's so hard to get that done. And yet there's Kyrie showing up the Lakers games and now LeBron with the retirement thing is this you know trying to put pressure on the front office it does leave that little bit of room to wonder is there something to this.

Now again everything we've heard is that he's probably going to stick with the Dallas Mavericks but until he puts pen to paper we're going to be hearing Kyrie to the Lakers rumors all the way through. I still think ultimately the math tells us it's not going to happen. But you just never know when it's LeBron and it's Kyrie will they figure out some kind of way to make it happen. So I know that's a non answer. But if I had to bet on it I'd say no.

But I can't say that with certainty. Where is the Laker fan at in their confidence level with Anthony Davis. You know it's pretty pretty low I think right now and part of that is just you know the disappointment of Game 4 the disappointment of the series. But there's frustration that you know hey Anthony Davis is supposed to be the 1 a guy. He's supposed to be the guy that takes the torch from LeBron James and leads this franchise into the future and he just hasn't been consistent enough on the offensive end of the floor to do that.

So defensively he's been great night in night out I think he's been arguably the best defensive player in the postseason he's been phenomenal but offensively he hasn't been the guy out there every single night. And so Lakers fans are a bit frustrated with that I've seen some people saying trade Anthony Davis I think that's you know going too far. But I think reality is for this Lakers franchise you probably have to look moving forward at a post LeBron era at finding another player to put with him either as a co star as it were or as they as kind of a true 1 a guy and let Anthony Davis be the 1 b player because just doesn't seem like he can produce on the offensive end of these on a night to night basis. Trevor Lane we talked about the retirement speculation with LeBron and we're both on the same page it'll be back next season do you think there's a way that he tries to get out of L.A. at all and forces himself to a different team. I mean if he went to the Lakers and said hey you know I don't want to do this anymore please trade me which I would be shocked I mean his son is going to be playing at USC he's so big on family I would imagine him wanting to be away from his family but if he if he were to do that. Then I would I think the Lakers would accommodate him they would do what they needed to do in order to trade him there's been talk about does he retire and set out a year and then retire and come back when you know when brawny hits the NBA his son. There's speculation about that too but I don't think he would want to leave the Lakers at this point. He's been he's spoken glowingly of the Lakers and the organization of the franchise and I think he really feels at home in Southern California I'd be very shocked if he if he pushed his way to another franchise at this point maybe when he's got a player option in 2024.

He opts out and then goes and signs with whatever team drafts his son that's certainly possible but if assuming LeBron plays in the NBA next season I would say it's a very very strong likelihood that it that's with the Lakers and Trevor Lane. I also saw that after the game he said David Benjamin just because that's my aspiration or my goal doesn't mean that it's his and I'm absolutely OK with that talking about potentially playing one day with his son brawny. I wonder behind the scenes and maybe brawny was like hey dad let's cool cool cool it out with that chatter about me playing with you because that's that's got to be tough going into the league and you get your dad in your locker room especially when you know your father's LeBron James on the greatest players of all time.

Right. I mean your first year in the NBA and you got to hang out with your dad all the time. That's probably not that's probably not what brawny envisioned and you know LeBron softened his stance on that a few months ago started saying instead of saying I want to play on the same team as him started talking about you know I want to be on the court at the same time as him suggesting maybe they could be on opposing teams. But yeah I do wonder how brawny actually feels about that that possibility about having having his dad around all the time that but not exactly the type of scenario that most you know 19 20 year olds want want to be in. And also I think the injury part of this is fascinating to Trevor Lane with LeBron because for so many years he was a warrior he didn't miss any real really any games that he comes Los Angeles and he's dealt with a lot of injuries.

I wonder how much that's weighing on them too. Yeah sure. I mean he's you know that's that's what happens happens to the best of us as you get older. You tend to pick up injuries more you heal slower all of that kind of stuff. And and you could see it he was exhausted by the end of Game 4. He talked to us after the game said I'm going to have to get an MRI on his foot because he did have the doctor that told him Yeah you can continue playing this season. But if they go in and they do an MRI on his foot and it's that tendon has not healed properly he's going to need surgery on that. And so maybe he's looking at rehabbing that's foot injury over the off season to all of that has got to has got away on him as he's feeling you know he's not he's not 28 at this point where he can play every single night and just fly up and down the floor.

He's got to pick and choose a spot a bit more and that's only going to become more and more of a thing. The older that he gets just one last thing going back to the game last night the last two possessions. I thought they took way too long in the second to last possession. Then you had the turnover and the last one I was surprised they didn't take a three and LeBron was trying to drive at the end down to really running out of gas. I thought they would have went for a three there but they didn't. You know what I thought the same thing I thought they waited way too long in that second to last possession I was doing the play by play on that game and I said the exact same thing I said they're waiting too long to get into this into whatever it is that they're going to do. The last possession it was a little bit ironic because over the course of the last few seasons Lakers fans have been complaining about late game shot LeBron settling for step back threes. And saying he needs to drive to the basket and in that moment he drove to the back he did what all Lakers fans have been hoping he would do but it was in a situation where maybe it would have been better to go for the three so a little bit ironic in that moment. But yeah it didn't work out the way the Lakers wanted it to certainly and I think you're on the money with that criticism there.

I think it's very fair. Make sure you check him out at Trevor underscore Lane host of Laker nation and also the front office show Trevor. Always great to connect with you. Thanks so much. Hey thanks for having me. I appreciate it.

You got it. There is Trevor Lane joining us on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio and we have some power rankings now on this show. I'm very annoyed at Hickey because Hickey mushed my my trip to game five to Denver. So now I'm just going to Denver and there's no game five to go to so I'm very annoyed at Hickey. I would say the power rankings right now. Ack is one because Ack brought in some munchkins today. So you win me over.

I don't have a high asking price right there. I'd probably go Marco to maybe Marco like a 1 a Denny's got to be there three and then Hickey is sitting there in that for Denny's one. That's probably a good point actually. He's always happy. He's always happy. He's always happy to see us. He does the job. Never complains. Got to be dead.

Denny's perennial number one. Let me ask you this. Have you been on a munchkin kind of crave lately because I've noticed there's a lot of munchkins in the office recently and then you said that you brought them in today. This has not been you bringing the munchkins last few weeks. No.

Oh really. Just just today. So you just woke up in a kind move. I pulled in and you know I just said you know today's a munchkin day. By the way you doing anything for Memorial Day. No.

I thought you were maybe going to go to Peter Luger. That's what I thought. Next month. Oh for the big birthday celebration. Absolutely. Got to save it up. Hickey did you get invited to Ack's birthday just wondering.

No I did not. Thanks Ack. Keep waiting. My birthday's next month. I was going to interview or invite you and that's out.

June 24th. Man. Guess what you're out. Whatever birthday celebration I'm doing I'll make sure to invite everyone at CBS Sports Radio except you. I don't think Ack will be all that disappointed if we're being fair. His parents love me more than they do him.

They do. For the Mets playoffs I heard that Hickey's went right up to Ack and they were fanboying over Ack. I had to tell him the truth about their son. Well that's not the first time. When Hickey made his morning national radio debut his parents went to another radio show. They have good taste. This is Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. Zach Gelb here with the human pinata hot take Hickey.

All righty well come on back when we do return I'll give you a thought about Brooks Koepke winning the PGA championship. Surgeons keep our hearts beating. They do the amazing. Help save lives.

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Donate today at your local CSL plasma center and be rewarded for your generosity. You're listening to the Zach Gelb show. It is Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio eight five five two one two four CBS eight five five two one two forty two twenty seven. Let's go to Jim and Charlotte.

This is Jimmy Solania who's on the line. Jim what's happening. Oh nothing much just sitting outside doing some painting and getting ready to watch. Watch another sweep take place.

You know and calling about Zach real quickly though Jim. So what's the latest project. I know you're like the Picasso in the paver world. What's the latest project for you with your paintings.

Well you know they're all finite. They go away after about one summer and a winter or so. So I'm repainting the ones that go bad and I've got a power washer now which takes the paint off. Great.

I'm real happy with that. You be careful with that power washer. That could be dangerous. Yeah I I shot it with my I put my finger in front of it. It's not that bad. Is your finger OK. Is it all right.

Yeah it's still attached. OK OK. Yeah. But you're right.

You need to be careful with them. You know Zach what bothers me about this world of sports right now and I guarantee you will hear it tonight after the heat sweep. I'll guarantee you every player that comes to the microphone will say we're not happy. I'm not happy. We're not happy coaches and happy. We're not happy.

We'll win four more. You know aren't you sick and tired of hearing that. I guess it's a certain mentality but I do understand what you're saying. And I remember I forget which AFC Championship game it was that the Patriots won but there was a miked up version of Brady and Julian Edelman and Julian Edelman was like I'm not happy. He's like are you happy. He said that to Brady and Brady goes heck yeah I'm happy. He goes we'll get ready for the game in two weeks but it was kind of illustrating that point. Hey everyone has to have a different mentality and a public persona as well. But yeah when you're the Miami Heat and you were in the second in the second playing game down late in the fourth quarter to get to the NBA Finals you should be happy. There's a hot take for you Jim.

Yeah well you know I like that right. But I guarantee you he got was poster and said OK tell these guys they're not happy. Tell them say they're not happy.

So they're not even allowed to say what they really think. I'll tell you they are so happy they could jump through their own five hole but they have to laugh. They have to lie to us and tell us well I'm not happy.

Yes you are. You might be the happiest you've ever been in your life and you're telling us you're not happy. The losers should be saying they're not happy. Not the winners. It's just it's a mass conspiracy.

Everybody does it. The winning teams now go straight up to the microphone and say I'm not happy. We're not happy. We got one more.

I'm just sick and I'm sick and tired. Well you know it even goes back to Kobe Bryant. I forget which NBA Finals it was but he had a lead and he's like I'm not happy that the job's not done yet.

So it's just one of those certain mentality. You've seen a lot of sports Jim. You've been around the block for a long time covering sports media all around the country. Jimmy Butler man this dude's awesome.

Like I made the comparison. I'm not saying he's at this level of greatness but when I watch him play I see some some Michael Jordan I see some Kawhi Leonard and also even some Kobe Bryant. This dude's just unbelievable on a basketball court. He's learned he's shooting the three which is amazing. He's just done this right in front of our eyes. You know and as far as Pat Riley goes listen to that.

Can't you picture Pat Riley playing Robert De Niro's role in casino. Well Jim appreciate it. Thanks so much. Good stuff there by Mr. Picasso himself. The Picasso of the paver world didn't Hickey Jim sent us a beautiful paver last year. Like I was shocked he was able to even pick it up and get it to the UPS store. Every sent it to to get it shipped to us. That thing was unbelievable.

It's still around here. I feel bad for the postage men and women that had to pick that up had to transfer it had to walk it over to the building. That was heavy. Another thing that you let us down on though. You let us down on that. I did. Yeah. It's another thing you promised you said you were going to do and you didn't come through. What is that.

A little crack in the mail when he when he sent the paver and you guaranteed that you promised you were going to gorilla glue that thing. No I would never make a guarantee. I don't guarantee sports things. I don't know much about not sports. And my game.

Go back and get the audio now. Mostly are right. Mostly right.

But I don't really venture outside of the sports world. Your guarantees are mostly right. Now you really sound like a politician. I'm going to start calling you Hickey Trump. Just a coincidence that some of these wrong predictions are all just bunched up in a very short amount of time together.

Oh yeah. You're like a bad gambler. I'm going to get hot and I'm going to get hot quick.

We're waiting for that. And folks don't hold your breath because you'd be dead if you're waiting for Hickey to get hot in the sports gambling world or any picks when it comes to sports. You know like who right now. Early prediction heat or the nuggets assuming that the heat get through the nuggets.

Oh man. I like Denver too. That doesn't make me feel good now.

Nuggets in five five five. OK. OK. We'll have to wait and see on that one. But a lot of Denver fans right now are probably crying after they just heard that prediction. They got to be really upset right now. Have some faith. Have some faith when it comes to championships. My record is strong.

Oh really. How about the college football this year. Eagles Chiefs Rams Super Bowl. Sure. You know the lead up to it. Here's the three hits you got in your career. Go ahead. You know. Hey what was the third one.

What was the third one. Go ahead. This series. OK. And then after that.

Off time ahead. Let's see. Chiefs of the Eagles. You already said that. We talked about the Rams already. Try the other ones recently here.

Viewer Viewer Viewer Viewer. Anyway I want to bring up one golf thing real quickly. So Brooks Koepke wins his fifth major championship over the weekend. It was enormous because after what happened in the Masters where he had the lead going into the final Sunday and then Jon Rahm wins it.

If Brooks is back. And I said this about Tiger when Tiger was going through his problems. Tiger isn't back until he wins a major and Tiger won that Masters which we all remember. Brooks isn't back until he wins a major. Now you don't see him anyway because he's on a part of live golf. But him winning that major if he would have lost and would have blown that lead in like let's say Victor Hovland or Scottie Scheffler would have won. It was OK. Brooks played really well. He's in a better mental state but it's about winning majors for Brooks Koepke who for a certain stretch is one of the more dominant golfers that you'll see especially the way that he only really cares about these major championships. I'll tell you something else.

I don't know where you stand on this one. A year ago a lot of people where I rate with live golf and if Brooks Koepke would have won last year I think it would have been a much bigger deal. Now a year later where it's just been the Saudis has just been giving out money left and right to these golfers and there's been no successful results of live golf where they don't even think they subscribe to ratings anymore because the ratings are so low. And you'd never even hear anything really about live golf until these major championships.

When Brooks Koepke won my first thought was wow Brooks Koepke won another major championship. It wasn't oh my goodness gracious a live golfer won where if this was a year ago I would have had a totally different take on that. I think it's just really fatigue and it's kind of out of sight out of mind with live golf right now where it's not as big of a deal as it was let's say this time last year. What's the thing you said outside out of mind lives are relevant because for most golf fans that are especially casual golf fans you're watching four times a year the four majors well guess what everyone in live is still there still playing so it's not like if you're watching the travelers championship next month. You're going to miss no Phil and no Brooks Koepke and other guys who want to live most casual golf fans are watching golf four weekends a year and all those guys that are on live are now still on your TV four times a year in the big majors. Yeah we'll see what happens to the Ryder Cup because that that's still a point of contention.

Also unfortunately for them in September during football season. So again it's a lot of people to the casual fan. So for the majority of golf fans out again not die hard you're not watching every weekend anyway so you're not seeing the difference because anytime you watch golf those two guys that went to live are still on your TV screens and I'm a little bit more than a casual golf fan.

But I wanted to see this like actually become a rivalry and Roy was leading that last year and now with the way that Rory handled the PGA Championship I don't even think he really cares anymore at this point. And how can you they're just so relevant they're out of sight out of mind. I got their money.

They got their money. They've went away into oblivion and it's one of those things where it's not going to change. You hear Brooks talk to me he sounds like someone who has regret but with the way the contracts are you're not getting out of those anytime soon I think it's through 2024 if I'm not mistaken is a lot of those deals. So at least another year and a half bare minimum. So it's like it's one of those like what else is there to say at this point. They're relevant. They got their money. We're not going to see him again for at least two years.

It is what it is. And also Michael Block was was a great story outside of Brooks winning the pro at the California Public Course who charged 150 bucks for a lesson ends up winning like I think it was two hundred eighty eight thousand dollars or whatever it was and then gets invited to the Schwab Invitational as well and qualified for the PGA with a top 15 finish had the ace I believe it was on 15. What a tremendous story that was and just a great wave of emotion that you got to see where he was just thrilled to be playing with Rory McIlroy read some story his entire team booked a flight home right after the cut on that either Friday night or Saturday morning they had to rearrange all their travel plans. So what a great story with Michael Block.