THE KNICKS ARE GOING to the NBA FINALS! | The 2:00AM Crew | Ep. 48

The New York Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 after absolutely dominating the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 and completing the Eastern Conference Finals sweep!

On this historic episode of “The 2:00AM Crew”, Rick Hierro and Jason Enrique react to one of the biggest nights in New York basketball history. From the electric atmosphere surrounding the city to the rise of Jalen Brunson as a New York legend, the crew breaks down how this Knicks team changed the culture and brought championship hopes back to Madison Square Garden.

The guys discuss:

The Knicks’ total domination of Cleveland
Jalen Brunson’s leadership and superstar playoff run
Key performances that fueled the sweep
Why this team feels different from past Knicks teams
The emotional reaction from Knicks fans worldwide
Potential NBA Finals matchups and predictions
What this Finals appearance means for New York sports

After 27 years of waiting… the Knicks are finally back on basketball’s biggest stage.

New York, enjoy this moment. 🏀🔥

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:45

Yes indeed, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Tour EM crew. Almost had almost had to, you know, get that out real quick. But anyway, ladies and gentlemen, I'm your co-host, Jason Arike, along with my lovely co-host, the best beard in podcasting, Rick H, all the way from LI. And we also and we're also not alone. Coming all the way from Newark, New Jersey, aka Brick City, June off the top sports is in the building. What is going on, June?

SPEAKER_07 1:10

What's going on, Jason? What's going on, Rick man? Thanks for having me on the show, man. For sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Welcome, man. Congratulations on your team making the uh NBA finals.

SPEAKER_07 1:22

Yo, my team, your team, all my team, right?

SPEAKER_06 1:28

Oh man, Brooklyn Who?

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Yeah, but anyway, real quickly, did you guys find yourselves randomly talking to other people who are wearing like either a Knicks jersey or a Knicks hat today and just rejoicing together and connecting?

SPEAKER_06 1:50

Oh, I've had I've had at least three people tell me today that if we win the next four games, they're calling out of work, they're making up some excuse, they don't give a fuck, they're going to the parade, even if it means they're gonna you know get a suspension or whatever, they want to go to the parade. That's when I began, and of all of all things today, I had I saw somebody had the audacity to wear a Lakers jersey. So what about you, June?

SPEAKER_07 2:19

Hey, I ran into two like guys that was like older than me, they got me about like 20 years, right? And they have like the old classic Knicks like jacket, like a like a spring jacket, uh starter joints, yeah, yeah, one of those, right? And and they were just talking about man, like what a good what a time to be a Knicks fan, man. It's been a long time, and we was just talking about the history, and uh, you know, the it's just it's been a long time, man. We talking about 94, and he and he was like, Man, you was too young to remember 94, but I remember 94. Like, I remember 94, like like yesterday, I was young kid in front of the box, and I remember my first game, it was game three, uh, against the Houston Rockets. And uh, if y'all remember the story game three is when they broke into the game, uh in game three, and I'm looking at a yeah, I'm looking at a white Durango getting chased, and I'm like, What happened to the game? What happened to the game? And it was just you know, a bit history ever since. I like I always tell people, uh, you know, everybody say I'm a big Giants fan, but uh my first love was basketball, and it was the Knicks that I seen in that sprint uh 94, and made me love the game of basketball, so it was just like yesterday, it was just like wow, man, it's been a long time coming, man.

SPEAKER_06 3:52

But did either of the two of you shed a tear or cry? No, I did not because to me the job is not finished yet. I mean, I want to keep that in mind that it's great that we made it back to the finals since 1999, and it doesn't look like whether OKC or the uh or uh San Antonio play uh, you know, we don't know who's gonna be, but we basically got a whole week off. So we'll figure out what happens till then. But to answer your question, it still hasn't hit me yet because as happy as I am that we made it to the finals, the bottom line is the job is not done because I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch. We still got four games to win. I'm having the same attitude that Jalen Brunson has along with the rest of the team. So just like we did last week, enjoy the victory, enjoy this moment. It's part, it's it's been a long time coming, but also keep in mind that we still got a job to do.

SPEAKER_02 4:45

And I agree with that sentiment. I just found myself first of all, I I was emotional because I know the climb this took to get to where we are now. And I spoke about '94 three or four times today. And I also talk about the 99 Spurs team when we were the AFC and they made the finals, the first AFC to do that. And it's just I got a flashback of like all these old teams that were horrendous for so long. And to get to where we are right now, I it's still I I still can't believe how we're steamrolling uh some of these teams and how well we're playing. And yeah, and it it it it it seems to be like a bunch of it wasn't something I don't think Leon Rose planned this out. I just think some uh luck played into it because I I I believe they play so hard and they believe each other so well, because they got that from Tibbs. Yeah. And I believe the first three playoff runs, they it was just them getting their feet wet and figuring out what time of team they now they know what time it is, and they know they can or flip that switch immediately. And I think that what you're seeing now is what they learned in the Boston series last year when they were down 20 those two games and came back. Um but I got them, I got really emotional yesterday. The job is not finished, you're correct. And also why I got emotional is because I believe besides 94, which we should have won that series, but the OJ interference played a role in it because it delayed M7 for a little bit. Um we have an actual chance to beat one of these two squads.

SPEAKER_06 6:34

Uh yeah, but yeah, that was those were my duel at the time. I will say this though. Yeah, uh well, hold on. Before you say that, I will say that um the one point that did get me not shed a tear or or anything, but I did get a little emotional is I was thinking about my dad a lot today. Oh, okay. Because well, my my father, because um, as much as I love my Yankees and as much as I love my Jets, just like June, basketball was my favorite sport growing up as a kid. That was my first sport that I got that I fell in love with, and it was my father that made me a New York Knicks fan. And long story short, I was thinking about him today because he was there for all the dreadfulness and he got to see the 70s uh championships back then. But that was our bonding thing, especially when I was a kid. So there was a little bit of sentiment that I was thinking today, like, man, I wish that my pops got to rest his soul was was here to witness this because uh sports was one of the things that really bonded us. And I I only imagine that if he was here with us tonight, uh well during this time, I would say, uh, it would have been really cool to like catch some games and celebrate and all that stuff that we never we never got to I never got to experience the championship as a kid, and I think that would have been something special that he would have uh you know wanted as well. So that was the only thing that got to me, uh emotional wise, but other than that, um it's back to business.

SPEAKER_07 7:53

Uh far as emotional, I like I like I said, job not done, man. I think if we hit if we win the championship, I'm boo-hoo crying. I'm quite crying, man, because it's been it's been a long time coming, like I said, it's been a struggle, man. But uh, you know where I did really get emotional yesterday when uh when Patrick Young and Walk Kyle Free were heading that trophy award to them because like you gotta understand, like especially for Pat. If y'all understand, Pat went through the battles, man, um in '94.

SPEAKER_02 8:32

Then it was never appreciated.

SPEAKER_07 8:33

Yeah, then never then you remember 1999, he got hurt. I know I did that yeah, um, in that 1999, so he never got the chance, and we thought he was always gonna come back, um for the fight that finals, but it would never happen. So that's when I I probably got a little like emotional, like, yeah, man.

SPEAKER_06 8:52

Like, even Jose Alvarado got emotional. You saw the him crying after him and Jalen uh Brunson gave each other some dap and gave him the trophy for MVP.

SPEAKER_07 9:02

New York kid, Chasey Morgan crying yesterday. Uh yesterday, like he sat through many so many bad nights at the garden, you know, and and to go travel and see them get it done the way that they did it last night, and yeah, dominant fashion. And this, like you say, Eric, I'm still in shock and awe like how they beating this team, these teams, like these teams have talent on the squad. It's not these are not bums we play, we're playing, it's just the Knicks are making them look like they don't belong in the same court.

SPEAKER_06 9:39

And I'm glad you said that, June, because like you said, I don't think that these are bum teams. They got into the playoffs for a reason and they had great regular season uh uh regular seasons, but I just think the Knicks were just playing with a different kind of force that these teams basically had no choice but to quit when they had no when when it was all said and done. Like that's what they did. Like when Atlanta knew they were done, they just quit. When Philly knew that they were done, they just quit. Same thing with Cleveland, they just quit. It they forced them to do that.

SPEAKER_02 10:07

The Knicks are taking these teams into deep waters. Like, I'm an MMA fan. When you got a guy on the ground and and and he doesn't know jujitsu or wrestling, they they they they start to feel like they're drowning. You take these teams into deep waters, and then you take their soul and their competitive drive out of them. Um, and I think that that's what they're doing to ever. No team has ever gone through a run in an 11-game win streak like the Knicks have. And that includes the Celtics in the 80s, that includes the Shaq and Kobe teams, that includes in the regular season or the postseason. That's how that's why for me, when you hear stats and records like that, it's still unbelievable.

SPEAKER_06 10:56

Yeah. Now we sticking with the uh 2 a.m. crew uh you know agenda that we usually do, especially with first-time guests, Rick. I would like you to ask June the fantastic, infamous question when it comes to championships and sacrifice.

SPEAKER_02 11:12

Oh, yeah. So uh I was having a little conversation with him earlier. He has uh his teams are very similar to mine, where it's the Mets, the Knicks, and the Giants. Um, what championships would you give up out of all the teams you cheer for, right? Just to see one Knicks title that guarantees you one Knicks title.

SPEAKER_07 11:35

That I witnessed in my lifetime, yes.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

Would it be the 07 Super Bowl from the Giants?

SPEAKER_07 11:42

The 2011 Super Bowl from the Giants, uh, you know, all I was just born with 86 when when the Mets won.

SPEAKER_02 11:52

Would you not give up 86? I said I would give up the 2011 Giants Super Bowl and the 86 World Series from the Mets. I wouldn't give up 07 because that's kind of special.

SPEAKER_04 12:04

That's special.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

That was special, but to see one Knicks, and I'd give up all 27 of the Yankees just to see one.

SPEAKER_07 12:15

Nah, it'd probably be uh uh 2011 man. 07 was special because we was not expected to win that game and uh build up and everything, and like I said, I'm from Orange, New Jersey. Uh actually, you know, I my show is uh of course broadcast in North, but I'm from Orange, New Jersey, and I went to school with Jay Alford, who got that sack at the end, uh, on Tom Brady. So I actually went to elementary school and high school with the guy, played football with him too. So that was like special to me. So that 07 will always be the one, man, for me, man. So it had to be uh uh to 2011 because those are only the two championships I witnessed, you know. 86. I didn't witness, I watched videos of it, of course, on highlights on it, of course, but it had to be 2011.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

Would you put a Knicks championship over the 2007 Chinese Super Bowl?

SPEAKER_07 13:18

Well, I put a Knicks championship uh over 2007 Super Bowl. I might have to, man, because just uh just because uh what we like as Knicks fans 53 years, man.

SPEAKER_06 13:35

I mean, what I mean, besides the fact that your uh quarterback is attending the wrong rallies, I think that you guys still have a bright future.

SPEAKER_07 13:42

Oh please don't bring that up.

SPEAKER_06 13:44

I just had to talk about that, please. Please listen.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

I'm a Jets fan, so we're not discussing Giants right now, politics or the New York. I don't want to talk about it.

SPEAKER_07 13:58

I do not want to talk about it. I had to just talk about it on the show.

SPEAKER_06 14:01

I just you know what it's just that Rick is taking so many uh you know snides at the Yankees just you know being tongue-in-cheek, and that was my tongue in cheek, too.

SPEAKER_02 14:10

I mean, the Yankees still haven't been haven't beaten a uh over 500 ball club yet.

SPEAKER_06 14:16

Yeah, yeah, I know I get it. But like when I was in the stadium on Friday, um, along with well, with a lot of people that I knew too.

SPEAKER_02 14:24

Yeah, the that stadium it just feels like everything's on top of you. I just I just felt claustrophobic, like I was tight to everyone. Anyways, let's continue on.

SPEAKER_06 14:35

Anyways, it's about the Knicks today.

SPEAKER_02 14:37

Yes, I want to discuss. Uh, so a lot of people have doubted the Knicks. Uh, Jaden Brunson, uh, to be exact. And today, Becky Hammond said she still stands by her statement. I said what I said, I'm open to being proven wrong. She said, so the exact quote is you gotta have a 1A dude. They're missing that. Jalen Brunson is too small. If your best player is small, excuse me, you're not winning. Stockton, Iris, Nash, Steph Curry. Steph Curry is the only exception. She uh forgot about um my man Isaiah Thomas with the Detroit Pistons, but uh only two small uh guys of small stature. I don't want to, she's too small. Damn, that's hard. Uh uh Isaiah Thomas from the Detroit Pistons and Steph Curry have won a ring. If Brunson does so, he'd be the third. Uh how do you guys feel about Becky sticking to her guns? I'm gonna let you go, June.

SPEAKER_07 15:55

Uh, when she I remember when she made that comment uh back when she made it like uh well when we just quiet gentlemen, right?

SPEAKER_02 16:04

A couple years ago, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 16:07

Uh you know, and you had I I had to like really sit back, and when she was breaking it down, like uh she got did she got a little point there? Like we really never seen uh you know, small guard like like she said obsession for Steph Curry, but like you and you just mentioned you just reminded me about Isaiah Thomas. I I you could I forget about Isaiah Thomas, especially in that NBA finals where he was playing in that one leg. Um, you know, got two rings, yeah, two rings. So uh it's not it's not it's not wrong, it's not wrong with backing backtracking, right? It's nothing wrong with that, right? Um apologizing.

SPEAKER_02 16:51

She didn't apologize. She said she said she's into being proven wrong. Now, uh, Dan Patrick on the Dan Patrick show, because they have that clip where it's a bunch of sports journalists or commentators, uh, he's one of the ones that says that the Knicks would regret giving him 27 million dollars a year. Uh, today Dan Patrick had a caller on his show and they asked him about it. And Patrick said, if you're going to check everybody that doubted Jaleb Brunson, you're gonna have your hands full for the next few days. But he said he proved me wrong, and I'm glad he proved me wrong because they're excited. Yeah, uh, Dan Lebutard said he fell in love with sports again, and he is amazed on how the Knicks are playing. And Dan Lebatard's in Miami guy.

SPEAKER_06 17:44

I was just gonna say that, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:48

Uh Stephen A. Smith, we all know he had his doubts, but now he's like, the one guy I will never forgive or forget is the guy Nick on Fox Sports. Alright. Nick Marshall. Oh, uh, yeah, him. Uh I never liked him. I not I never thought he was any good at his job. And I always feel like he's doing a tad much. The saddest sweepstakes, the Jalen Brunson sweepstakes. Um I don't know who disappointed you guys the most. Let me know. As far as the uh a journalist that doubted Brunson.

SPEAKER_06 18:31

Uh well, there is a clip that's going on right now of all the people that doubted Jalen Brunson, everybody from Stephen A. Smith to Nick Wright to uh um even Mad Dog Russo, you know, and also Becky Hammond as well. So um I would say that uh maybe Stephen A, because of how how down he was about it in the beginning, only because we didn't get Kevin Durant. He's he actually specified that today. In the like we got Jalen Brunson instead of Kevin Durant to now being all over Jalen Brunson, like he's the best thing since Bread invented. Uh I just gotta go with it. He's going the extra mile, and at this point in his career, he's performative as opposed to just being uh you know very uh journalistic integrity and all that stuff. He's doing it for the cameras. Uh kind of like how I feel about Greenie with the Jets, which is fucking irks me. But um, yeah, I don't have to give it to Stephen A. I like Greeny, but his Jess fandom is is just too fraudulent for me.

SPEAKER_02 19:34

Greenie is the best thing the Jets got, but uh let's go.

SPEAKER_07 19:40

Uh you otherwise Monty says hi. You brought up Nick Wright, right? The one that really hurt me was uh when Nick Wright was making his siloquy, right? Uh that same video, Chris Bussard, yeah. Chris Bussard's in the middle. Laughing, yeah, he uh laughing at it, and I'm like, Chris Bussard, another guy, even though he uh claimed I but I believe he claimed Chicago, uh he's from Chicago, I forgot what area, but he he got ties with Jersey too, uh, and stuff like that. And then that was the one that like really got me like, dang Chris, you know. Uh but can you like let's keep it real? Can you ful fault these guys for feeling the way how they felt at that time, right?

SPEAKER_02 20:29

You know, at that time, you know, because no, I yes, and I'm gonna tell you why, right? Because I looked at the roster at the time, I went back to look, right? And Julius Randle was on the Knicks now, and the Knicks were doing some improvements, and I think Randall, I'm not gonna bash the guy. I think Randall did a decent job the first few years he was here, and it looked like things were turning slowly. Um I just knew we needed a point guard. This is New York City, the home of the point guards. We produced some of the best point guards in the world, and and we could never, we always had trouble finding one, right? Um we we had that one season with Jason Kidge, which which I loved MML, but I wanted a good point guard. And at the time, I'm gonna give them credit. My co-workers, uh Frank and Dennis, were having a discussion with me, and they were they convinced me that Jalen Brunson at that price would be a bargain. Um, and they were immediately, even before he signed, they were like, that's the guy we need, that's the point guard we need. That's you line them up with Randall and you do this, do you do that? So when he came over, things happened immediately. I was not gonna bash the Knicks because, first of all, Leon Rose was here. He was already trying to implement a plan. Um, you can see he was. He was piling up picks. He was making certain moves. Um, and I was giving him the same grace I gave Phil Jackson. So um, yeah, I'm I I really honestly would not have, which the Phil Jackson era was a a Rick.

SPEAKER_07 22:18

I was trying to get over these. I forgot about Rick Jack. Um Phil Jackson.

SPEAKER_02 22:23

Oh, did you forget about uh what's the guy that the coach that everybody thought were like, oh my god, he's coming. He was he was a coach of Memphis. Mike was uh Physics.

SPEAKER_06 22:36

I did not like Fizz.

SPEAKER_02 22:38

Lenny Wilkins was our coach. We had Don Cheney, we had uh we had Derek Fisher. Derek Fisher, we have Jeff Horneseth, Jeff Hornesek, yeah. You know, I believed the one we had Tibbs already. So um we had Mike Miller.

SPEAKER_06 22:56

There was a one point where the Knicks were so bad that we thought Mike Miller was the best coach we've had in a while.

SPEAKER_02 23:01

Yeah, yeah. This is why I wasn't down on Brunson because we had Tibbs, we had a decent squad, and I say decent, like they were at least watchable, and above 500, and I knew Tibbs would turn this ship around, and I just knew he needed a point guard, and he already had a relationship with Brunson, so um, yeah, I uh the only trade I questioned was the OG trade, and my friends, Juan Bago was he texted me like, bro, give it some time, and you'll see. He's like, I know quickly hurts, but give it some time, and that same month, OG made me a believer.

SPEAKER_07 23:46

Oh, yeah, because we went on that streak, right? We went on a streak.

SPEAKER_02 23:50

14 and 2 in January, yeah, yeah, we went on the street. So I didn't question any move he made from there on out. Oh, Dante Di Vincenzo, I bring him in. Uh you the only thing did Josh Hart happen before OG, and that was another big shift move. Um, the only thing I questioned was when they fired Tibbs. And look how that turned out. Yeah, so yeah, I I do follow you for making that early judgment.

SPEAKER_06 24:25

Yeah, so yeah, I want I actually want to, you know, you know, granted, we haven't won the championship yet, but I want to give uh my props to Mike Brown, who is a guy that I've been down at uh this this whole season. Uh I was not a fan of the firing of Tibbs at the time. I I I really thought that that was the guy that was gonna take us over the hump. I mean, he was two games, we were two games away from the finals, for Christ's sake, you know, when we had him. And so I just thought that not only then did I not like the firing, but I didn't like the plan, the quote unquote plan that they had, because apparently they were trying to get Jason Kidd. Like, if you're gonna make a firing of that magnitude, you got to make sure you know who we actually want. And at the time it just set it seemed like they settled on Mike Brown because he was available. Uh, and then the regular season wasn't as exciting as I as it was during the Tibbs era because there's something about Tibbs, whether he was coaching the Wolves or the Bulls, the regular season playoffs were just like something special. I don't know what kind of energy he provides, but he had it, and that was missing in the regular season. And we also I also felt like Mike Brown was a better assistant coach than an actual head coach. But uh now I've I've uh I it's it's turned around. Uh I I actually said that my expectations this season, if they're gonna fire Tibbs, they better make the finals, and lo and behold, they did. So I give all the credit in the world to Mike Brown because not only the work that they did in the pla uh with the regular season and kept this uh unit together, but the way that the Knicks have dominated in this playoffs is nothing that I've even seen from Tibbs either. Like, this is a whole nother force of dominance, and I I give them huge credit, especially when they lost game three uh against the Hawks, because that's where it turned around, and we and we haven't lost since.

SPEAKER_07 26:10

Uh today I Div gave props to Tibbs because Tibbs, like Tibbs is still like his hands are still on this team when we talk about the blueprint defensively, right, Rod. Like, I think that's what we've seen in these playoffs that this team, the defense definitely comes from Tibbs, Tibbs coaching, um, with the starting five and some of the guys that was with Mitchell Robinson uh and Mars Brad, those guys that was with Tibbs of the year before. But it's just the offense to change, like you just mentioned, Jason, at the game three, um, where they went to let's start running the offense a little bit through Carl Anthony Towns. If you and that's another thing, too. I follow Mike Brown from the year before with the Kings and the years with the Cavs. That's how he ran his offense sometimes, through his big guys, DeMontus Sabonis. He was high in average in the um the last year in the season and the cist. And you've seen that with Carnegie Town because the offense was being run through DeMontis Um Sabonis. I mean, Montis Sabonis, and um it takes back to the Cavs days. Uh Antoine Jameson with LeBron, it was running offense through him, and he was getting high so with Verizar, Verizard and Goskis and those guys. It was I felt like the offense ain't really get started getting clicker towards the end of the season.

SPEAKER_02 27:40

So there's a theory that Knicks fans have that Mike Brown had tested this offense in practices during the season and was saving it for the postseason and decide to give the give the the Knicks the freedom to do it after they lost to Atlanta that second game. Do you believe that theory?

SPEAKER_07 28:06

I I believe it. I I never I ain't see this. Did y'all see this office? I was just seeing a lot of Jaden Brunson, ISO on top of the key, ISO on top of the key, a lot of three-pointers being shot. And that's what remember when they explained what kind of offense when we get and when they did ask Mike Brown what kind of offense they're running. We're gonna and one of the things he explained, we're gonna get up and down the court, fast paced, uh, and which will be been seeing. We've been seeing that in the playoffs.

SPEAKER_02 28:31

Get Jaden off the ball a little bit, which yeah, I didn't know how that would work, and it would work with him specifically, and it has. Um, and then there's he also learned, not learned, but he got back to uh assisting, dishing, distributing. I think Brunson understands now that he doesn't need to be the guy to a ball. No, not anymore. I mean, you will see a 40 piece when he has to do it, yeah. But uh, I think it was telling with that 14 assist game that this is a whole different ball club.

SPEAKER_06 29:09

Yeah, and I don't know if you guys feel this. Um when it comes to uh point guard, you know, that or point guards that we've had um in you know in recent memory and stuff like that. But I when it comes to Jalen, I don't think that the Knicks, at least for me, I haven't felt a point guard where every time his he's touching the ball, I feel like a sense of like a level of confidence. Like I know he's not really gonna turn over. He may hit a three, he may not hit a three, but there's just the confidence that I have when Jalen is on is on top of the rock, which I haven't felt like in a point guard in a very, very long time.

SPEAKER_02 29:45

I understand that sentiment, but for me in this playoff run, it's been a different player, and it's not Cow or Jaden, it's been Bridges for me. Mikhail Bridges. That turnaround jumper that he hit. Uh I forgot it was like two or three seconds. No, no, I'm talking about the one yesterday, uh in game four, where he was on the side of the key, uh, and the clock was winding down. And I mean just the way he's played defense, and he's been shooting at a high clip. Um, people want to run this guy out of New York, and he is a complete basketball player on both sides of the floor, him and OG. Uh and Landry, the bench. Oh my god. I was happy Josh Hart gave him that shout out at the end because I think he's 12 for 13 or 11 for 12 from three in the Eastern Conference Finals. Um, that's not an easy feat. So for me, when when when Bridges is in the game, I feel very comfortable with the defense. Guys disappear. Donovan Mitchell came out swinging. Yeah, he disappeared for a couple quarters. Why? Because who was on it? It was Bridges, OG, they were switching on him, and that's why I when they ask, who do you want OKC in San Antonio? Which I'm about to give you guys that question. For me, is let these guys play their whatever series they want. I want my team to rest up and get ready for the next team because I feel like we match up well with either squad. And I know people are gonna be like, oh my god, OKC world champs. Either squad. Because when they want to flip that switch, oh boy, they can.

SPEAKER_06 31:42

Yeah, and um I I was listening to Don Hahn Rosenberg earlier this afternoon, and I forget who said it, I forget it was either one of the hosts or it was a caller, but they I think this sums up the Knicks perfectly. It's like you have Wemby in San Antonio and you got Shay in OK OKC, and you got Jalen Brunson in New York. Uh the New York Knicks don't necessarily have the best player, quote unquote, or the best players, quote unquote, on their team, but they're clearly the best team overall. Like they got yo, San Antonio is Wemby, and Shea is an OKC, but you know, uh, it's it's not just for with the Knicks, it's not just Jalen. It's Jalen, it's Cad, it's OG, it's uh Bridges, it's Shaman, it's the whole cohesive unit together, and we feel com ye and we feel confident with this unit going together as opposed to just hoping that Wemby or Shea can make something happen out of thin air.

SPEAKER_02 32:37

I mean, last year the recipe was keep the game close and let Brunson dominate in the fourth. This year is give us your best shot, we're gonna answer. And what you saw yesterday, I knew the calves were gonna come out. I I I I I you saw the Cavs come out and throw their best punch, and every time they did like a three or a momentum play, we answered right back. And once we answered, you could look at the players' faces, and they were like, God damn, what do we gotta do?

SPEAKER_06 33:09

Yeah, now who do you guys prefer?

SPEAKER_02 33:12

Who do you guys prefer? OKC or hold on.

SPEAKER_06 33:16

Before you answer that, Rick, uh uh June, uh, I want to ask you this real question. So, real quick, and then we'll go this question. Um in game one, when the Knicks actually looked horrendous for the first three quarters, and before we make that historic comeback, was there any point in you that felt like, oh my god, here we go again. It's the Knicks. We always, you know, we always do this. It's like we're watching the same movie over and over again. Did that did that sink into you as it did it with me?

SPEAKER_07 33:44

Hey Jay, if I could show you or share my screen right now of the post that I put up when we lose down 22, and I'm like, I forgot what exactly what it said, and I got my Facebook up right now, but I'm like, uh, well, you know, the uh the Knicks ain't had no energy tonight. That's what I say. They had no energy tonight. Let's get ready for game two. I I I really post that. This was like before the seven-minute timeout, and I really post that. And uh I believe like a couple of minutes later, you know, Brunson hit a couple of shots, and my one of my boys posted up, like, yo, would you turn your TV off? Like, yo, they make they come into the lead. No, it is me around the corner, like oh yeah. You will have backing up into the bushes, yeah. But I but no, back to what you was the question, what you said, I had doubt. I'm like, hey, go they go these same old Knicks, uh the same spot as last year. Game one, you know, was the other way around where we had the lead last year, and we gave up. Well, and it's ironic, right? Like day one that we had the big lead last year, and they the other team came back and still and got the win. And this year, they had the big the Cavs had the big lead and they flip the script. It was just crazy, man, how things work in the NBA, man. But um, yeah, I was one of them that doubted them. Like, uh, there we go. This is where it's ended.

SPEAKER_06 35:20

There's been a magical in that, and that goes to show the pain and suffering that we Knicks fans have gone through. You know, we've been through so much PTSD that we expect this. Like, I still have nightmares from when Roy Hibbert blocked that shot from Carmelo Anthony. I brought that up. I brought that up today on the chat. Oh my god, that still hurts to this day, man. But uh, yeah, yeah, no, I I but anyway, um, I guess Rick will join us in a minute. Uh, who do you want, OKC or San Antonio?

SPEAKER_07 35:51

Okay. I'll I'll I think the Spurs matchup for some reason uh will be a lot better for us. You know, I'm not the one to compare regular season into with postseason, but uh kind of matching our playoffs at regular season, it's night and day. And that's why I tell a lot of people, that's why uh, you know, even though the Cavs beat Detroit, I wanted Detroit for some reason. I felt like this one would not be justified if we didn't go to Detroit, but it's not my it's not my fault they didn't take care of business. Uh and you know, some people say they should never have been there in the first place. If Orlando Magic would have taken care of business uh in the first round, but that's another story for another day. We don't care about that now. But uh but I think for some reason I like the Spurs, uh, because I don't think we're gonna have to deal with a lot of the refs will not be involved if we play the Spurs and not be a lot of body flopping around. So I don't uh want so I say the Spurs because I feel like if we if we let Wimby Wimby gonna get his. Let's get that. Wimby's gonna get his, right? But if we shut everybody else down, which we have the wing guys to shut everybody else down, and I feel like we definitely have a chance um to win. And and as Knicks fans, we want the Spurs. The last time we was in the finals, right? It was against the Spurs, right? Uh, against a Jason, who said that? It's crazy against a young Tim Duncan, right?

SPEAKER_02 37:30

And this very same pod. I feel like it would reverse. First of all, I what I failed to mention was that finals launched the San Antonio Spurs as we know them today. That was their first title, and it it those two teams went in different directions. Spurs went up, we went down, and it would only be uh poetic if we end up having a young San Antonio team facing a prime New York team uh in the finals, and I think it would be theater. I I agree with what you were saying. I I had the headphones on, I was trying to adjust. I wanted Detroit. I felt like I I said this to Jason, I felt like the Knicks needed that that push, that test. Um luckily Atlanta did that for us, they did that wake-up call. Um, and the Cavs did in game one, but Jalen answered the bell. Uh other than that, they haven't really been like in a drag drag em out dog fight like they have the last three seasons. And I I I don't want to say that I want to have heart palpitations while I watch my Knicks in the finals, but I do want to see the level of competition because it doesn't seem like the competition is there. I mean, and that's weird to say. I I don't want to sound arrogant, right? They have not been some of these games, have not been competitive. Jalen Brunson, who's probably the best fourth quarter performer in the playoffs, hasn't seen a fourth quarter in the closeout game. And three of the closeout games. That's insane.

SPEAKER_06 39:23

By the way, really quick, OKC is up against the San Antonio Spurs 85 to 70 in the third quarter.

SPEAKER_07 39:30

I mean, either way game fives. I forgot the percentage of game five. Whoever went game five, it's a high percentage.

SPEAKER_06 39:38

Yeah, well, right now the Spurs are on an AO run in the last minute.

SPEAKER_02 39:42

So how is guarding Wemby? Uh uh matchup wise, I'm okay with either team. I don't wait to I'm okay with either Wemby's gotta come out and guard Kat at the three, it's gonna be a different look for him. Um, I don't see anybody who has an answer for Kat in OKC. Uh, and I think we're gonna guard the hell out of SGA. And he ain't gonna be getting those fake whistles like he does now, or we just back away and let him do his foolishness, um, his flopping and jumping shit. And let the ref see like, yo, I'm nowhere near this guy. And and and um, same thing that the Cavs did to Josh Hart. Dare him to shoot, leave him wide open, dare him to shoot, because he's not gonna stop the clock. So I'm I'm okay with either matchup. OKC's up 15 in the third.

SPEAKER_06 40:42

Now, who do you feel has the better advantage here? Um coaching-wise, Spurs or OKC when it comes to the Western Conference Finals.

SPEAKER_02 40:55

I mean, you gotta go with his heart because although he's not their head coach, and you already saw Pop uh sneak his head in, and he's one of the most I respect Greg Popovich, yeah, a shit ton. And and I think if they need him, he's definitely gonna be.

SPEAKER_07 41:29

Right? It was game after game three, he popped his head and then they was disappointed.

SPEAKER_02 41:33

He spoke to them, he walked into the locker room, something you know, pop work. He walks with a cane now. He walked in unassisted, and he was just disappointed.

SPEAKER_07 41:46

It's crazy. They say he asked for everybody to come in there. Uh uh, the water guy, he said he had everybody to come in there, and they shut the door, and you saw how Fox answered that.

SPEAKER_02 41:57

Oh, come on, Chet. You throwing yourself on the floor? That's nice. Don't Chet and Wemby have like a rivalry?

SPEAKER_06 42:08

Yeah, remember they was I think so, yeah. Yeah, but you know what's also gonna be interesting to see is um former Nick go up against his free uh his former team. Uh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 42:19

All right, sorry, yeah. Him against Mitch would be a nice thing to watch. I mean, he hurt when he left. We couldn't pay him, but he got his ring.

SPEAKER_06 42:30

But you know, also, but you know, also, like I feel more I feel one of the things that I feel like uh has a the Knicks have an advantage over the OKC and their bench. Like, I feel like I trust the Knicks bench more than OKC and San Antonio.

SPEAKER_07 42:46

Both benches, right? Well, I'll I'll I'll both benches are much deeper, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 42:52

Much deeper with deep experience, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 42:55

With both teams, San Antonio bench really okay. No, let me let me Dylan Harper coming off that bench. Edu Bob uh what's saying? Uh they got a couple of people. Cornette do not scare me, Harrison Barnes. I want Cornette to get in the face.

SPEAKER_02 43:14

He's a former nick as well. Well mad shit when he was in Boston.

SPEAKER_06 43:24

So obviously, like let's just say let's say hypothetically the it's the the Spurs and Knicks again, it's the rematch from 1999. Do you put any stock that we already beat them in the NBA Cup?

SPEAKER_07 43:39

For some reason, I catch myself saying like I do put a little stock in it because like we played them so tough in that game, because you know it was a back and forth. Like, I don't think it was like a if I remember it was not a big D. I just remember.

SPEAKER_06 43:54

Yeah, no, it was it was an exciting the last game is exciting because it was like it was always all up and down the score.

SPEAKER_07 44:00

And down, up and down. I just remember joining Joe and Clarkson. That was the Joe and Clarkson game for me. Uh, you know, he had hit a couple of big shots, made a couple of big stops in that game.

SPEAKER_02 44:09

Final score was 124 to 113.

SPEAKER_07 44:11

Yeah, so it was a back and forth uh game. Uh what's it? So it and you know, a lot of people don't put a lot of stock into that NBA cup game, and you didn't, and you know, you heard the uh saying who whoever won that NBA cup then got the first round. Well, the Knicks broke that curse already, right? Oh, with the with the NBA final round. But um, yeah, I like I say, I don't like comparing the regular once again. I don't like comparing regular season to postseason, but like I say, uh the matchup when I've seen them when we seen the Knicks go against the Spurs, I think we match up pretty well with them, man. I think we match up pretty well with them for sure.

SPEAKER_02 44:49

I mean, it's not like they have again both squads have a elite player, right? If you wanted to, and you're the Knicks, you let Wemby live, right? Teams used to do this to uh Mike, right? And the Bulls, they would defend all the other players and they would let Michael get his, and they wouldn't talk to him because that would set him off. Did the same thing with Kobe, they're gonna get theirs regardless. Let's not let any of these other guys beat me, right? Knicks could do that, or they could just go straight up and there's an answer for Wemby. I mean, although we haven't seen Wemby just somebody pulled up for a shot. Wemby didn't even jump, he just grabbed the basketball midair right now with his bare, like I'm with one hand. Crazy, never seen a guy like that, but and with Shay, again, it's a guard, and I think that if he is gonna go off, let him go off. But I what's he shooting from the field right now? Um, and he if he's gonna flop. And last thing on the NBA Cup, the Knicks have an opportunity to be double champions, so they have an opportunity to win the NBA Cup and win the NBA championship, and they'd be the first to do that. When they won the NBA Cup, I was like, Oh, this is cool, you know, it's cool, it's cute, it's nice, you know. I'll take it, I'll take it. But I want to see what you guys are gonna do all season long. I gave them grace. I I knew this is not a typical team. I want to see if they could flip that switch in the playoffs, which I firmly believe they did, because I firmly believe they were saving themselves for the playoffs. Um and they got close last year, and they felt like, man, this is the squad. We just we we just got locked in, right? Oh my god. Wemby doesn't he's just going like this, and he's just tipping balls away from iHeart. It's not even fair. Caruso's dangerous from that three boy 90 to 79.

SPEAKER_07 47:12

That's what that's what I'm saying. Um, they got like guys like we got some guys that's coming off the bench with energy, too. That's what OKC when he's talking about Alice Caruso, uh coming off that bench for them. They got they got guys that come off that bench and produce uh the kid McCain, Jerry McCain, uh that they got from Philadelphia, has been playing well for them. So they got some guys coming off that bench. Um that could you know put the ball in the basket, but it just I feel like we got guys too. We got guys too, like Jared Clarkson. If y'all notice, they didn't even play really last night to garbage time, you know.

SPEAKER_06 47:53

Uh uh was gonna get his points no matter what.

SPEAKER_02 47:57

Yeah, he was the what I like about the bench, right? I think Alvarado needs a couple, maybe some more minutes, just a smidge more minutes. I think he's a big energy guy. He he causes a lot of deflections, he gets a lot of turnovers for us. Um, but again, I've said this a couple times. I like the fact that my bench is playing in the fourth quarter. They're getting these playoff minutes that they normally wouldn't get. Yeah, so now we're in the finals, everyone's had some minutes, everyone's had a chance to contribute to some way, and they had the reps. So my team is really fully ready to go. That's why I'm not really interested. I'm interested in this series going deep, them beating the hell out of each other, and then you got to face that Knicks team that takes you into deep waters and drowns you out. And it might be a similar situation to the Cleveland situation where these teams are probably gonna be exhausted. I don't I don't know if you guys feel that way.

SPEAKER_06 49:04

I feel I feel that way. Um, I'm not trying to play the devil's advocate because I don't want to put that negative energy out there. I'm not contemplating any what-ups right now. I just think that I wanna I I I just I just don't want anything to change. I think that I think that what we have right now is solid, and I want to keep that momentum going. And dare I say, I am totally fine no matter what the result with running this exact same squad next year.

SPEAKER_02 49:33

Yeah, I uh that was my next question. I was gonna lead up to you guys. There's two prize, uh one prize free agent, and there is a big name that's already tied to multiple clubs. That's Giannis. Do we want any part of that? And also, Timothy Chalaman was on a podcast with uh Steve Nash and uh LeBron, and he made a couple jokes. I know he didn't believe that shit. Um interested in LeBron or Giannis in this offseason, regardless of what happens.

SPEAKER_06 50:05

I am I am interested in neither, but I would rather have Giannis than LeBron all day. I don't want there's nothing, I don't want any blue or orange touching LeBron's body whatsoever. Stay there. You don't want to come here in the first place. We don't want you here anyway. Well, bye, be gone. Go go keep on making Space Jam 42 or something like that. We don't care.

SPEAKER_02 50:26

What's she what's Giannis's contract like? Because that's gonna acquire a trade, and he's got three, he's got three years left. Yeah, three years of cat. Uh, that means he's got next year 58 million, and then the last season is a player option at 62 million. So you can't run it back if you get Giannis, and I would not touch any of the players on my roster. I would add like Miami was doing these veteran guys that want to play on the bench, they want to get some minutes, take you know, league minimum, they just want to play for a winner. Um, I don't want any LeBron James talk, I don't want any, especially any Kevin Durant talk.

SPEAKER_07 51:14

He said he said New York Knicks was in it the thing. I still remember that to this day. We weren't cool, it wasn't the cool thing to be. I remember that.

SPEAKER_02 51:23

Well, you'll see this offseason, Mr.

SPEAKER_07 51:25

Durant's gonna want to that same energy, just keep that same energy, and LeBron he sunk us in 2020.

SPEAKER_06 51:32

I'm not concerned with anybody that's vacationing in Cancun right now.

SPEAKER_02 51:37

Who is someone you would be interested in the offseason, though, to add on to the bench? Huh?

SPEAKER_06 51:48

I have to feel like we need some kind of veteran. I I I feel like some kind of veteran that I think would really contribute to what the what the Knicks are doing right now, if they're gonna keep it going. Uh I don't know. I'm not I'm gonna have to think about that. I you know, I'm just I'm just so happy with what's going on with the squad right now that I just don't want to touch anything at the moment.

SPEAKER_07 52:13

Yeah, uh and probably another wing guy, but I like I look at the guys, that was one thing we was doing for years, too, building young players, right? Under Tib, right? Uh, we it was just we trying to get veteran guys that could definitely, but now um, shout out to Leon Rose and those guys. They've been drafting kind of well, too. We just uh know somebody brought up Tyler Kohlik uh earlier, you know, a guy that you know when he got minutes this uh offseason, uh this season. I mean, he played well, you know. Um, what's the kid? Um Mo D D R. I wish I if he got a good offseason, he get a good offseason. I think he could help us, you know. So the the go out and see if we could go get play. I think we got a guy in the we got a couple of guys that's on the bench that could definitely help us, you know. The key thing, too. I don't want to talk about free agency or anything because we like like uh Casey just said, like, man, we still got this. I don't want to think about offseason right now, but you know, uh Mitchell Robinson contract is uh up, right? If I'm not mistaken, I've seen I read that somewhere.

SPEAKER_06 53:31

I I gotta I gotta take a look, but I I think so it's so weird that this time of year we we were already talking off-season plans, so this is uncharted territory, right? Yeah, uncharted very i love it. It feels good, it feels good. I like it.

SPEAKER_02 53:45

Uh Mitch, I think this might be his he's making four he signed a four-year 60 million dollar extension, and this is the last season on the contract. Yeah, so yeah, by the way, a little side note, my boyfriend. I just want to say the only two I'm sorry, Jason. I'll let you get to that real quick. Only improvements I would make is you mentioned Koelick, you mentioned Mitch. I I I'd get a big to come off the bench, and probably a uh uh pass first point guard to back up Brunson or Koelick um with more experience uh to come off the bench. Um I I'm I'm good with Deuce, but I feel like Deuce is more of a combo guard. I would like to get like a point guard that could run the floor with Jalen and then move Jalen off the ball a little bit. And I think uh a big that could score a little bit more than Mitch. Um if we could hold on to Mitch and add a big, because I'm not I'm not too uh keen on uh what's the big man we got, number 55. Uh Haka Porty. Uh yeah, I'm not big on him. I think he does the job, but I I I think we could find uh someone with experience to come off the bench and and and pick up those minutes. But I agree with both of you. I wouldn't change a single thing, I would run it back with the exact same squad.

SPEAKER_06 55:10

Yeah, I'd even bring back the same water boys that we got from this year.

SPEAKER_02 55:13

Exactly. Go ahead, Jason. I'm sorry to interrupt.

SPEAKER_06 55:16

No, no, it's okay. You're good. I I was just I was just thinking today. Uh I mean, I was talking to a Carlos uh last night after the game, and already in typical fashion, he's trying to look for tickets for you know the game for at MSG. Oh no, we obviously don't have home court advantage and game three the nosebleeds are already at 3k a pop. 30 uh 3900 this afternoon, I think it was for the nosebleeds, yeah. And it's probably like half a mil for a court side. Yep. Yikes, if you that's game three, game three.

SPEAKER_02 55:57

I'm good. I'm good with uh if I get a ticket or win a ticket or something, I'm good. I don't have New York big money like to watch them live.

SPEAKER_06 56:09

We don't have we don't have that still of money like that, you know. No, no, no, no. I don't got Charlemagne or Spike Lee money or you know what though isn't it crazy that I wouldn't be surprised if these guys didn't even pay a don because they are who they are.

SPEAKER_02 56:22

No, I mean, so Spike pays for his tickets, yeah. Yeah, because he doesn't sit by celebrity row. Chalamet doesn't really pay, he pays for his tickets. Uh Tracy Morgan, his girlfriend pays for tickets. The janitor pays for the tickets. Nah, Timmy Timothy Chalamet got more money than her. Uh actually, no, she's a billionaire. I'm sorry, I'll take that back. Uh Tracy Morgan, he got F you money, he pays for his tickets because he got at Walmart money. Fat Joe, he pays for tickets, but sometimes, like, if you so that what the Knicks do is they invite you to come sit at Celebrity Row, those are not like tickets you can kind of like purchase, right? Um, you know what you know what I find hilarious too is that anytime they go to celebrity rolls, gave Fat Joe his money and wouldn't let him sit in the first row, and that's Spike had to hit Spike was sitting in the third row at kill in Cleveland, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 57:23

Yeah, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_06 57:25

I also think it's hilarious how whenever they show the celebrity role on TV, you'll see Bon Jovi, you'll see John McEnroe, you'll see Chalamet, you see Fat Joe, and then somewhere in the background, there's always Joe Burden, but they never acknowledge him.

SPEAKER_07 57:39

Wow.

SPEAKER_06 57:40

I mean, because he always seems to be sitting behind Fat Joe or Timothy Chalome or Tracy Morgan.

SPEAKER_02 57:45

He's paying for his tickets, you know, him, action Brunson, like those guys is paying for it. But fat Joe, he's got an algorithm now with Joe and Jada, like so. Yeah, you you want to show his face and Ben Still. Well, again, another guy with an out algorithm. Like, some of these guys got podcasts now, so they're they're being invited to watch. So, what are you guys gonna do for these nine days? Uh, because I can't watch any sports at all. My Mets uh I'm not interested in any baseball games coming up right now, all right. Kind of watching this to just to see and how these teams play. What are you gonna what are you gonna do for these next nine days?

SPEAKER_06 58:29

Um I was thinking about balancing my checkbook. Uh, I was thinking about taking up a salsa class. Uh definitely taking my doll to the park. I don't know, man. It's life is gonna be very interesting for a week, you know. It's what'd you do?

SPEAKER_02 58:47

I just hope in between the Eastern Conference Finals.

SPEAKER_06 58:52

What did I do behind? Uh basically continue working for the man, unfortunately, until this podcast blows up.

SPEAKER_07 59:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 59:02

What about you, June? How you how do you plan on spending your time?

SPEAKER_07 59:06

Um, well, me and my me and my partner, uh, we just dropped this website uh called uh Danger Nation. Denger Nation. So it's like a a base data website for uh you know, you know, sports gambling is a big thing right now. So uh and the popular bets is the home run bets. Uh so uh it's not a gambling website, it's just a infamous, it's a website information, yeah. So uh we just dropped it actually Friday, and it's just getting good views right now. People uh checking the website they the dang the danger nation, yeah. Danger nation, danger nation. Yeah, we just dropped it on Friday and just getting good views. So uh actually, I was just on the phone with them um just a few minutes ago. Uh, so that's what I've been working on, and that's why I'm gonna be pretty much working on the next couple of days because it was like working on this, then danger nation baseball.com dengernation.com. Denger, the denger, the danger. Um the denger, yeah, yeah. And uh yeah, so I've been like working on that, then trying to watch the game. It's just like oh, like kind of crazy, but now I'm being more relaxed the next couple of days, man. Um working on that, so yeah, I got a couple of DJ gigs I gotta do too.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:34

So nice, and you know, while I'm at it, I might as well finally um because I already put it out there in the universe, so uh definitely gotta work on some episodes of the Jason Enrique show coming out very soon on all streaming platforms and on YouTube, and also be uh on the lookout for and there's a shameless plug, uh, my new movie pod discussion, feature conversations. We just did an episode with my girl Natalie for the movie Goodfellas. We just did an episode with my boy Carlos for the movie Face Off, and we got another episode with Ramon Posante talking about high fidelity. So that is coming out very, very soon. Just gotta get a couple episodes in the can, and it'll be out to the masses this summer. Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:15

I mean, I don't I I wouldn't know what to do with my just spend time with my family. I mean, we so this show is to talk about sports, and yeah, the Yankees and Mets, that's not fun to talk about that right now, they're just so awful. Um, not talking about the Yankees, don't come from don't come from me, Yankee fans.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:36

The real exciting, there's literally exciting going on in football, uh, you know, hockey's a disappointment with our locals.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:44

So uh other than my boy uh Jackson Darrell making a fatal mistake and being called out by Abdul Carter, there's I don't know what it is, but baseball always manages to fall behind. Yeah, yeah. As much as they try to pander and fix the problems. I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:08

Should we try to give the WNBA a shot? They're playing right now. Probably, probably, yeah. Um, I mean, you know what?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:15

I was uh excuse me, my world champion, New York Liberty.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:22

I actually uh somebody I I follow on social media the other day had uh tickets to the Liberty, but come on, it's game four right now. I can't I'm not gonna go to Liberty Game while it's game four of the Knicks, but uh the offering's covered but now anything huh?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:36

Can we concentrate on anything else but the Knicks right now at this point in time? They've taken over my life.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:42

Yeah. Uh Jalen Brunson, I love you, man. Making us Jersey people proud.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:51

We were just talking about it on the show. It's like you need certain teams to be good, like certain league leagues like need certain teams to be good sports, right? And like when the Knicks are good, man, it's just like the NBA is a lot better. I'm not just saying it's just I'm not just saying it because I'm a Knicks fan. Like it goes for the Lakers too when the Lakers is good, you know. Uh just certain teams, Boston. It just it just act added a little uh extra um to it. Like last year, were we really watching the OKC and Pacers game uh finals? I missed some of that. I was that I literally like sat watching, but like I watched game seven, of course, but it was just like I didn't watch the same game. I was just telling them, I was just telling them it's something different, man. Didn't the garden man the last couple of series just just see the the how the fans are reacting, man, and the the players coming back showing love uh to the uh to these guys, man. It's just oh man, what a time to be alive, man. Last one for me, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:04:00

Would you love to see Charles Oakley send Corsai for the finals? Let me know your thoughts. This is my last question. Uh and how can we make this happen?

SPEAKER_06 1:04:11

100. Uh, I just think that Leon Rose and all the other Nick legend should be in a room with James Dolan, find a way to patch this up, and it would be the true 100% fairy tale story. And this is another reason why we love sports, yeah. 100%. I mean, let bygones be bygones. That happened when a terrible time in Nick history, and now this is a great time in Nick history. Let bygones be bygones, put the past behind us. I'm sure that Oakley is accountable for his actions at this point, and it let him realize that it's not about them, it's about the fans, it's about everybody that has been bleeding blue and orange for so long, and everybody, including James Dolan, I'm pretty sure in the back of his head, would love to see this as well.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:01

I mean, imagine I get teary eyed every time I see Starks and Ewing sitting right next to each other with LJ. Yeah, imagine having Oak in that same section.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:10

Oh, that's my childhood, right there.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:13

Oh man, you're talking about dropping tears after game four. Dad probably dropped a tear, man. See Oakley in there. I was actually, it's crazy that you asked that question, Rick. Because my guy said, Yo, one of my supervisor actually, he was like, Man, like I want to see y'all win, but man, I gotta do right with Oakley. Man, I'm like, Yo, man, you you don't think I don't want Oakley back in the garden? I want to see Oakley back in the garden, man. Oh, that'll definitely be.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:43

I'm putting that out there in the universe. Shout out to Rock.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:47

He posted it. He he said it's something he'd love to see in the final. I everybody thought it, and I think I mentioned it once before, but it to see Oak back in the building, it would just send. A really big message to the fans, and I think that it would give some energy to the team as well.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:09

So I'm putting it out there in the universe. Charles Oakley will be in Madison Square Garden for the finals of the New York Picks and then Game Three. Game three and MSG. Game three. Game three. There's plenty of time between now and game three. It's almost basically two weeks.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:29

Yeah. Let's do it. And I see Pat and Starks putting that together, man, making that happen, man.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:37

That would be beautiful. I mean, we can't have Mace. Obviously, he passed away. Rest in peace.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:43

That would be amazing, too, if he was alive to have Mace and Corsai with the head etched. Wouldn't that be something? Um, yeah. Well, I'm gonna let Jason finish this off. I just want to say thanks, June, for being on the show.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:00

Hey, anytime, man. Uh anytime.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:03

Well, June, man, it was it was great having you all, man. I appreciate it when we got to work together on Yo BTV Sports all those years ago. Yeah, shout out to your boy uh Baron. Um, give him give him my love and everything. Hopefully, you can join us one of the one of these days. But uh, real quick before we let you go, plug whatever you got to plug, and then afterwards uh we'll say goodnight.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:22

Oh man, off the top sports radio, man, every Tuesday, man, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Live on 8 Squad Rubber Radio YouTube TV. Uh we talk about everything from uh from pro college high school sports on everything. So definitely check us out every Tuesday, man, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Right there on 8 Squad Rubber Radio YouTube TV, Facebook, uh Twitch. We we on all them platforms, so definitely check us out.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:53

All right, man.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:57

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:58

Uh oh, yeah, nation.com.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:01

Definitely check it out, man. Uh, it's it's something different. Is it data? It's pretty much telling you, like I said, it's for guys that bet on home runs, is just finding the right combination of players to bet on, and it's actually show you uh our slogan is if we home it together, we stay together. Uh so uh and it we give you factual dates of when these guys home it together, and uh look man, it's been gone, man.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:32

Um touchdowns. That's my thing.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:36

Oh, that's what that's what we're gonna do with NFL. Um uh basketball. We might we ain't going to basketball yet. I don't know if we're gonna go to points or threes, but but that's where we're going anytime touchdown for football for sure. Um, but yeah, uh yeah, man, just check it out. Dedingnation.com. We're on all platforms right now to Twitter for well x uh Facebook IG. Um but check it out, man. It's definitely a cool um information on there, definitely great information.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:07

And before we go, I just want to give a shout out to even though he's not a Knicks fan, I want to give a shout out to my boy Kyrie Williams because he has been a common denominator. You know, he was the one that hooked us up with June. He's also the one that hooked it up with Gordon Damer, who came on the show a couple weeks ago as well. And he's been on the show before, and uh just happy with everything that he's been doing, man. I feel like he is kind of the unsung hero with this whole thing so far. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:33

My boy, my guy Kai, man, hooked me up with so many people uh throughout the year. So definitely, he's a good dude, man. Good dude, great dude, author, yeah, and author, yeah. Author, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:48

Well, thank you all for joining us tonight. Catch us same time, same channel, Tuesdays at nine. Catch off the top sports, Tuesdays at six from six to eight. Yeah, uh, watch them and then immediately come to our show, right? Tune in to us. Uh thanks again, June. Have a great night, everybody. Let's go next.