Buckets & Birdies
The Buckets & Birdies Podcast hosted by @cbills23 and @mg1nyard
23 minutes of hoops, golf and sports across the state of North Carolina.
Buckets & Birdies
Championship Season Is Here
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It's the most exciting time of the year and Marcus and Carter are here for all of it. The Carolina Hurricanes are making noise in the Stanley Cup, the NBA Finals are in full swing with the New York Knicks making a serious surge, and the US Open is right around the corner. Championship season has arrived and Buckets & Birdies is breaking it all down — the moments, the matchups, and who's walking away with hardware.
Don't miss a moment. 🏀⛳
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Buckets and Birdies Podcast. Buckets and Birdies is a weekly glimpse into the worlds of basketball and golf.
SPEAKER_00We'll also balance national sports trends with ACC Insights and provide a lens of notable happenings of sports in our home state of North Carolina.
SPEAKER_01Two friends and industry professionals getting together to bring you 23 minutes of fun each week with shared experiences around buckets and birdies. He's Carter Bills, sports agent and seasoned consultant in the golf space.
SPEAKER_00Joining me on the mic is national champion, Tario Great, Marcus Guineard. Welcome to Buckets and Birdies.
SPEAKER_01Welcome to another episode of the Buckets and Birdies Podcast.
SPEAKER_00It's Thursday, June the 4th. Hard to believe it's June already, Marcus.
SPEAKER_01It is hard to believe, and it sucks that we haven't been together for the last couple of weeks, but happy to be together with you again, Carter. We got a lot to dive into today.
SPEAKER_00Good to be with you too. And thanks to everybody who's listening of 23 minutes of our thoughts for you. And remember, everyone, when you're hearing this, it'll be Friday at high noon. And as positive people who like positive things, we'll start off, Marcus, as we do every episode with our quote of the day. And today's quote is you are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream. Les Brown.
SPEAKER_01I love that. Always trying to get better. Always trying to get 1% better, I think, than the day before, and no better time to be thinking about big goals and big dreams. We got major playoff action happening across the country. We've got baseball here in Chapel Hill. Um, we've got hockey, we've got basketball. I mean, we got a lot of folks out there uh trying to reach the biggest goals and their biggest dreams.
SPEAKER_00That's it. And my favorite part of the quote, Marcus, is you're never too old. We celebrated some big birthdays recently. You're a May birthday. Pablo's a May birthday. He celebrated the Big 4-0. I turned 41 on Saturday, so that's coming in hot. You've got one more year until you join us in the 40s, so enjoy it, my man.
SPEAKER_01I'm going to continue to enjoy the 30s club as long as I possibly can, my friend. But looking forward to celebrating you soon, man.
SPEAKER_00That's it. And you're right. Lots of sports going on beyond just buckets and birdies. Like you said, the Tar Hills are advancing on the baseball diamond. They're playing well. Um, and hockey, man, North Carolina is is hopping right now with hockey. The hurricanes in the Stanley Cup finals. Have you been able to check it out, Marcus? I know we haven't got to catch up much on it yet. Uh, what have you seen on the ice?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, man, got to watch game one. Uh, an exciting time for everybody around the state, but especially here in the triangle, obviously having them right down the road in Raleigh, got together with some friends. Uh, beautiful weather here in North Carolina, sat outside, watched the game uh with a nice little cigar and a glass of wine, and what an incredible game one that was. Um, you know, hosting Vegas here in Raleigh. Uh started off amazing. In the first 25 seconds, we're scoring a goal. Everybody's going nuts. Uh couldn't imagine what it was like in the Lenovo Center. Uh, we were certainly fired up watching the game um with the friend group, but um, you know, not a disappointment in any for any stretch um as we think about what kind of game you want to see um in the Stanley Cup finals. Um, obviously we wish we could have won that game, but um, an incredibly entertaining game. Like I said, scoring in the first 25 seconds, going up two goals, uh, watching Vegas battle back. I mean, obviously it was a heartbreaker, but um some some great action in that first finals game.
SPEAKER_00It was a great first Stanley Cup Finals game. You've been in the Lenovo Center, I've been in the Lenovo Center. That place is rocking. We really get behind it here in the in the area for our hockey team, which is fun. There's been a lot of momentum, and you said it, Marcus, the first 25 seconds, that that arena sounded like it was about to explode, and then we score a goal, and the place just went bananas. What what an awesome way to start the Stanley Cup finals. Ealers breaks away, gets the goal, and it looks like we're really gonna run away because he scores another one in the first period. We go up 2-0, and I think just a minute later, Las Vegas scores a goal to go to 2-1. And then, you know, we kind of go a long stretch without scoring, and Vegas comes back, it's a back and forth game. And like you said, unfortunately, the Canes dropped the first one five to four. But my takeaway is people don't always look at North Carolina as a hockey state. And I don't know that we're a hockey state, but I'll be darned if we don't have some passionate Hurricanes hockey fans. And I love that. I think it it might come from our basketball fandom here on Tobacco Road, Marcus.
SPEAKER_01You know, I don't know where it comes from. I I can tell you that when North Carolina State is playing a basketball game, it certainly doesn't feel like that. But we have some crazy hockey fans, and and I've always appreciated the opportunity to go uh watch hockey at the Lenovo Center, especially when you start talking about playoff hockey. But you know what's interesting, Carter. You know, a friend of mine was telling me recently that some of his kids are playing hockey and that when they go to hockey tournaments over the weekends and things like that in the area, that these hockey facilities are busting at the seams. That there's a ton of young kids playing hockey right now. So um it's not a world that I'm very familiar with in terms of youth hockey, but I certainly know once you get to the NHL and you start talking about the hurricanes, there is a buzz and an energy around our hockey team that I did not expect. Um, but I'm certainly glad that we have it here and look forward to continuing to support the hurricanes and hopefully, you know, we get to the end of the Stanley Cup finals, uh, we'll be the one holding that trophy.
SPEAKER_00No doubt. And speaking about the roots of the Phantom, I don't know if you guys caught at the beginning when the Stanley Cup Finals was coming on. Ryan McGee, I think who you know from ESPN, did a nice piece. Ryan and I serve on the National Sports Media Association board together. He's just a phenomenal guy with great roots in North Carolina and is just speaking to the passionate hockey fan base, really probably rooting back to the basketball fan base. He was speaking to the NC State fans, speaking about the Duke fans, of course, the North Carolina fans and even Wake Forest. He's like, you have these passionate fans here who have really gotten behind this hockey team. Um, and it was pretty cool. You go back to the team's origins when it first came to North Carolina pretty soon after, goes to the Stanley Cup in 2006, I think, been a couple times more. We're back now. And he was just saying, expect a rocking arena. And I know something cool that you and Pablo and I all watched recently and commented on was the sound of the Lenovo Center without the announcers. Just listening to the first 25-30 seconds of the finals, you know, kick off for lack of a better term. We should say the finals face off, right? Once the finals faced off, the first 25 seconds, man, hearing the center just come alive and then hearing that goal score, man, that that that was some passion that erupted and I loved it.
SPEAKER_01Man, got the chills watching that video. Uh, I would have preferred to have watched the game, not listening to the announcers as well, if that if that's the experience that you were gonna have. But uh, you know, you're right, and uh Ryan McGee's right. Uh the fans here, uh they they want to win. Um, they're very passionate. Um, and and I think that's what makes you know great fans, no matter what sport you're talking about, uh, is just passion and really that desire to win.
SPEAKER_00No doubt. And that's not the only finals going on, Marcus. We are now one game into the NBA Finals. So it's great to talk to you here this week that we've got a game of the Stanley Cup finals under our belt. We now have a game of the NBA finals under our belt. Again, it takes us right into buckets. Were you able to catch the game last night? What did you see?
SPEAKER_01I was, you know, I was actually uh, you know, speaking of all the the fans here in Tobacco Road, spent uh the evening in Durham yesterday watching this game, and it was really interesting to see um kind of all the Spurs fans and and and and all the Knicks fans uh coming together to watch the game. It created a pretty electric atmosphere in in downtown Durham. But, you know, again, did not disappoint when you think about you know a playoff game, let alone a finals game, right? You know, you had that energy, you've got the best players out there on the court, you got two great teams uh facing off. And I I think it delivered. Game one delivered. Uh, you know, hats off to the Knicks for for battling them back throughout that whole game and finding a way to steal one on the road. But um, you know, before the game, you're thinking about do the Spurs, you know, have the energy to keep pushing through. They just they just finished, you know, battling out with the Thunder, and then you got the Knicks on the other side who've been waiting, who haven't been in the finals in a very long time. What's that emotion kind of feel like, and what's it like for them to have that time off to try to get back into the swing of things? But um I think that both teams came ready to play. Um, and again, it did not disappoint. Um, some some great action out there with Brunson and and Kat and Wimby, and I mean, just everybody delivered, everybody performed. Um, a fun game to watch, but um, gonna be exciting to see how the Spurs respond uh back in San Antonio for game two. But again, hats off to the Knicks for uh a great showing in game one and still the one on the road.
SPEAKER_00No doubt it did start off well. Who are you going for? Do you are you leaning one way or the other?
SPEAKER_01Um, you know, I don't know which way to go, man. There's so many Carolina folks, uh Carolina family that have gone through the Spurs organization, currently on the Spurs. Um, so you you know you got that part tugging at you, but then um not that this is a huge deal, but I was born in the state of New York. Okay, I was born in upstate New York. That doesn't inherently make me a Knicks fan, but I did have the opportunity to play for the organization when I played for the Westchester Knicks. Uh it's funny because Pablo and I just had an opportunity to play some golf a couple days ago and play with one of my former teammates, also a guy from Chapel Hill, Ben Strong. Um, and we played together in New York uh for the Westchester Knicks. And so played on their G Lee team in their inaugural season back in 2014-15. So I do have a bit of a you know a real connection there to the Knicks organization. So I do want to see them uh succeed as well. But you know, I had some folks reach out to me and they said, man, I can't cheer for any team that's got members of the 2016 uh Villanova Wildcats on it. And so, you know, you get that part of it too, right? And so uh at the end of the day, Card, I just want to see some some great basketball. I want to see the drama, I want to see the the competitiveness, and and again, game one delivered that for us. And so, no real dog in the fight here, just want to see some great basketball.
SPEAKER_00That's kind of where I'm at, Marcus. I want to see great basketball. I don't dislike either of them. In fact, I pretty much like both franchises. Like you said, a lot of Carolina ties from the Spurs. I think about you and your time with the Knicks organization, sort of nostalgic from the 1999 NBA finals, right? With Tim Duncan being a young guy on the Spurs and Patrick Ewing and those Knicks teams finally getting over the hump in the East when Michael Jordan retired from the Bulls for the last time. I don't know. I'm feeling the nostalgia feels. I like the Spurs in the Knicks matchup, and I want to see seven games of NBA finals.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I think that we're on track to see that. Uh, I can't imagine that that San Antonio is gonna come out in game two and and let the Knicks walk away with one. Not that they did let the Knicks walk away with one, they they definitely earned it, but um I think they're gonna come back and and really make a statement in game two and and and tie things up. And uh yeah, I think we're gonna be neck and neck throughout this whole deal. You know, you start getting into some conspiracy talk here, but uh at the end of the day, I think it's in everyone's interest for there to be a game seven. So we'll uh you know, we'll leave it there. But I think that we will get that. Um we deserve it. I think both of these teams deserve it, and uh it'd be really cool to see this thing go down to the wire.
SPEAKER_00It would be. Like you said, game one was a good one. It started out interestingly, Marcus. I thought, okay, San Antonio might have the edge with the home court advantage in game one. That crowd was live. The Knicks get out to a great start. 14-7. Brunson gets a little tweaked, has to go back in the locker room. The Spurs kind of retake control, but in the end, Brunson comes back, the Knicks uh, you know, end up handling business and stealing one, so to say, on the road in game one. A lot of great players played well. The stars were stars, like you said. Cat played well. I think Wimby is probably gonna want more of himself for the Spurs to be expected. I've got sort of an unsung hero of the game. So it's probably not gonna be a surprise, but we haven't done this in a while. So I'll give you which bucket getter am I? I'm gonna give you a stat line. You tell me who this was for the game, all right? So this player in the NBA finals, game one, had three points, 15 rebounds, six assists, four steals, and a block. Josh Hart. You nailed it.
SPEAKER_01Josh Hart. Um, you know it's interesting, Carter. I've been thinking about Josh for uh uh a couple of different reasons. One, he's getting a lot of press right now for his love of wine, um, which is not new. Um, you know, he's gotten some attention for that in the past, but you know, obviously as you get to you know these stages um later on in the season, and you're you know, you're the only team and the only folks that are that are up on stage, more people are paying attention. But obviously, being a big wine fan, I've followed his wine journey a bunch.
SPEAKER_00Um he's uh he's known to bring a glass to a press conference, post post-game presser, right?
SPEAKER_01You know, and it's funny, man. I I was doing that back when I was playing in France, you know, a glass of champagne to to to the postgame. But back back back before it was cool. But no, no, it's a um one, thinking about them for that reason. And then two, you know, thinking about the times that that we played together in the summers um back in DC. Um but Carter, that's that's a stat line that that should be on the front page uh of every sports newspaper. You know, a guy that really, and and Jalen Brunson talked about this in the post-game interview, a guy that would just do whatever it takes for his team to win. And and you got to give a ton of credit to a player like that who's got what looks to be a uh a broken finger, uh, who gets banged around all game, um, who may not be, you know, the most prolific offensive player, but but someone who just makes a difference out there on the court. And for anybody, any size, any skill level, to be out there in the finals grabbing 15 rebounds, let alone the steals and the assists. I mean, you just gotta give a ton of credit to a player like that and and certainly appreciate that effort just as an athlete and as someone who enjoys the game. Again, this isn't about which team you like, but but a player like that is has got to get his flowers. Um hats off to Josh Hart for all the things that he's done in that last game, but just you know, in his career to be a great team player and to help his team win.
SPEAKER_00I had a feeling like you would get that one knowing your appreciation for all the intangibles of the game, because even beyond the 15 rebounds, the six assists and four steals, the great things he did, besides just having three points, he had such a tremendous impact on that game. It's a stat line that is sort of reminiscent of a Dennis Rodman stat line, right? Somebody who comes in, you know, from a different position, Josh Hart, but comes in and really makes an impact on winning, makes uh his puts his thumbprint on championship basketball. And I think you need players like that on your team to win. You know that better than any. I think you gotta have a guy who's willing to dive at a ball when everybody else might be turning the other way. He turns towards the basketball, and man, that's gotta be a coach's dream out there at that level.
SPEAKER_01Well, there's no doubt that he is not gonna be a guy watching. He will definitely be on the floor uh on those loose balls. And so, you know, when you think about a player like that being necessary to win the championship, I gotta ask, who do you have winning the championship? We talked about it going to game seven potentially. Well, who's your pick? We need to know now so that at the end of this we can look back and say who was right and who was wrong. Who do you pick to win the finals?
SPEAKER_00It's hard because I asked you the question, who do you like? And I'm like you, I don't have any hate for either team. Outside of my tar heels, I grew up really liking Tim Duncan and Winston Salem. So I liked the Spurs as a kid. I like that Harrison Barnes is on the Spurs now. I'm not rooting against the Spurs, Marcus. I just got a feeling like this Knicks team has a bit of destiny on its side. Uh getting over the hump, I'm gonna take the Knicks in seven. I think they just stole home court advantage back in game one, and I'm gonna take the Knicks and seven.
SPEAKER_01You know, Carter, I'm very similar to you. I like both of these teams. Um, but if I have to answer the question, who am I taking? I'm also gonna take the Knicks. And I'm gonna one up you here. And as much as I'd love to see a game seven, and and I do think it's going to get there. Um, if I'm a betting man, I'm gonna say Knicks and six.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Okay. We both have the advantage of seeing they they took game one, but Knicks and six has got a ring to it. I feel like some t-shirts are gonna be passed out all over Manhattan Nixon.
SPEAKER_01I think they might already be on the truck, my friend. Uh in six.
SPEAKER_00That's right.
SPEAKER_01All right, Carter, as we think about transitioning from buckets to birdies, our favorite game, Nets and Jackets, where I will give you a year and you will tell me the U.S. Open champion and the NBA champion of that year. Today, your year is 1988.
SPEAKER_00Woo! Make you work 1988. You are making me work. All right. I'm going NBA first, Marcus. Um I'm in the middle of the 80s in my head. I got Pat Riley in the three-peat with the Los Angeles Lakers, 88, right?
SPEAKER_01Correct. Very good. Solid start.
SPEAKER_00Yep, and then that I think that was the third of the three-peat because then the bad boys went 89-90. But then we gotta go. I'm gonna have to take a bit of a shot in the dark on the U.S. Open at 88. Masters, I've I've got down pretty well, as you know. I need to I need to buff up on my U.S. Open. Let's go, 1988. Hale Irwin. All right. I think Hale was 90.
SPEAKER_01We can educate you today, Carter. Okay, Curtis, Curtis Strange.
SPEAKER_00Curtis Strange. Oh no.
SPEAKER_01Who defeats?
SPEAKER_00I know Curtis. Great guy.
SPEAKER_01He defeats Nick Faldo in an 18-hole playoff. That's right. That recently changed major championship.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that was his first. Okay. That was his first. Curtis Strange. Wow. Spends a lot of time in Pinehurst. He's got a brother, twin brother that lives down there. When I first met his twin brother, I thought it was Curtis and ended up getting to know David well because I talked to him for forever thinking it was Curtis. But um David Strange, great guy. But wow, shout out to Curtis, Nick Fowdo. What a you picked a great year. That was a good one. And like I mentioned, they recently changed, it might be five years ago or so, Marcus, where um they now, I believe, have a three-hole aggregate playoff. A lot to do with television, a lot to do with these players' time. And the old rules of the U.S. Open, you used to have to go to bed, the sun sets, you wake up the next day and you play another 18 holes. You know, Tiger Woods famously did it in 2008 when he had the ripped-up knee and pretty much hobbled on one leg to beat Rocco Mediate in a US Open playoff that was 18 holes. So that's changed. But that that was a unique part of that major championship's history and a special part of the game.
SPEAKER_01Well, Carter, as you're already starting to get going, telling us the history of golf. Let us know what we've been missing for the last couple weeks and what we had to look forward to.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Marcus. So the PJ Tour was on its back-to-back tournament events in the DFW area in Texas. So first they were in Dallas and they played the CJ Cup, which is the title now of the Byron Nelson there in Dallas. Wyndham Clark won. So great to see Wyndham get back in the winner's circle, puts him in the signature events. He was on the outside looking in from that after winning the U.S. Open just a couple short years ago, propelling himself into a top 10 player. It's hard to stay at the top 10, right? As proven everybody's not Scotty Scheffler or Rory McElroy. So it's it's tough to stay in that mix with those two out front leading the way. But Wyndham's a very, very talented player, very committed, and great to see him win and uh get back in the mix. He's going to be a threat every week now. Um golf's a momentum sport. When you get hot, you get confident, just like anything, Marcus. You see some putts roll in, you believe you can do anything.
SPEAKER_01Well, I'll tell you what, I don't see a lot of putts roll in, but when I do, I also believe I can do anything. Um I am then quickly uh reminded that I can't. But but guys like Wyndham Clark can certainly do a lot more than me and excited that he's got another win. Um feel very fortunate to have seen him play um a handful of times. And he's an easy guy to like. Um, saw him win um down in Charlotte a couple years ago. So congrats to Wyndham. Um hopefully you can keep that momentum going.
SPEAKER_00That's it. But hey, when you do see one roll in, you walk to that next tee a little differently, right?
SPEAKER_01You sure do. Feel a little better?
SPEAKER_00That's right. Well, then, Marcus, right after Dallas, they went to Colonial and Fort Worth, and Russell Henley put on the plaid jacket at Colonial as he won. And man, Russell Henley, top five player in the world, one of the tour's all-time great guys, understated guys. This guy's been top 10, Marcus, for really the last three or four years in a row. He's been top 25, certainly top 50, pretty much his entire career since he's been a mainstay cardholder on the PGA tour. And this guy's not just a mainstay cardholder. Again, three years or more in the top 10, really the better part of the last two years in the top five. And I saw something funny online recently that said Russell Henley's made north of $50 million on the course on the PGA tour. And he may be the only professional athlete at that level that can walk in the grocery store and nobody knows who he is. So um, I say that in a positive way. I think it just speaks to how understated he is. Again, you won't meet much of a better or nicer guy than Russell Henry. So congrats to Russ on the win.
SPEAKER_01Well, if he can keep this thing going and find a way to win the U.S. Open here in a couple weeks. Wait, when is the U.S. Open?
SPEAKER_00So we're coming. So this that Texas takes us to the memorial. So we're in Ohio this week, Jack Nicholas's tournament, a signature event. We then go into the U.S. Open. Uh, but I love this stretch. A lot of good golf, a lot of meaningful golf, a lot of big FedEx cup points at stake. And a lot of special stuff happens in this stretch. Think about all the cool moments and great champions from the memorial, from the U.S. Open, from travelers. And here we are in the middle of that. We get those three in a row. I'm excited to see how it unfolds.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, man. Well, Henley might not be recognizable in the grocery store right now, but like I said, if you can keep that momentum going and find a way to win the U.S. Open here in a couple weeks and make some more splashes on the tour as the season you know comes to an end here. Um I think more people are gonna know that face.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And one of the great things about Russ, too, he always props up his family. Russell's wife, Teal Duncan, you know, Teal Henley now, but Teal Duncan, she was known as an artist, Marcus. I know you like your art, so I don't know if you know this. She might be more famous than he is. Teal does amazing uh landscapes and abstract art. Um, a lot in her history of kind of Charleston-esque scenes, and and my wife's an interior designer, and so she loves her art and loves putting it in in homes in the right places. And um, just an outstanding artist. Teal Duncan, I'll send you something, but you should check it out. She's fantastic.
SPEAKER_01Well, we've got space right here.
SPEAKER_00So hey, yes, we do. Yes, we do. Teal, we need some art. All right, guys, that's all for today.
SPEAKER_01Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Buckets and Birdies Podcast.
SPEAKER_00That's 23 minutes of our thoughts for you. For Marcus Ginyard, I'm Carter Bills.
SPEAKER_01We'll catch you next time.