The Ryen Russillo Podcast - Mavs Take Control, Boston Advances, and NBA Obituary Season, Plus Bob Ryan Talks Jokic Historically and Not Trusting These Celtics

Episode Date: May 16, 2024

Russillo opens the show by recapping Wednesday night’s games and shares his thoughts on the Mavericks and Celtics (0:40). Then, he’s joined by The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan to break down Jokic’s dominance, discuss why people have an issue with these Celtics, and talk about the changing media landscape (15:55). Plus, Life Advice with Kyle and Ceruti (51:48)! How do I not smell like my dad? Check us out on Youtube for exclusive clips, live streams, and more at https://www.youtube.com/@RyenRussilloPodcast The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please check out rg-help.com to find out more or listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Host: Ryen Russillo Guest: Bob Ryan Producers: Steve Ceruti, Kyle Crichton, and Mike Wargon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's podcast, we'll run through Dallas's win up 3-2 against OKC. I was in the building for Boston moving on against Cleveland, but I think the thing that's most interesting in the last 24 hours is another NBA obituary that I want to get to. We've got Bob Ryan, the legend on how he sees the playoffs, Tatum or Brunson, a Jokic conversation and some stuff about coverage. And obviously a lot has changed, but have a handle, really good information. And we've got life advice. It's Ryan Roussela podcast presented by FanDuel. The road to the NBA final starts now and FanDuel is the best place to get in on the action.

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official partner of the NBA. The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming, so please visit rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available and listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Must be 21 and older, 18 plus in DC, and present in select states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com.

That's the sound of unaged whiskey, transforming into Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Around 1860, nearest green taught Jack Daniel how to filter whiskey through charcoal for a smoother taste, one drop at a time. This is one of many sounds in Tennessee with a story to tell. To hear them in person, plan your trip at TNVacation.com. Tennessee sounds perfect. Let's start with Dallas. They're up 3-2, domination of OKC last night on the road.

Really impressive win. Basically start to finish other than OKC getting up very, very early. There's a lot of different things that I want to talk about with this game, but we'll start with Luca. Pretty standard playoff stat line. 31-10 and 11, but 5-11 on threes,

5-11 on threes and 55% from the floor. This is highest shooting percentage of any single game in the playoffs so far this year. Uh, it was noticeable, not so much of just like, look, when you watch a Luka game, you know what you're getting. He's one of the best players in the world, but the complaint part of it, it's always kind of like the playoff realization of you just have a lot more people watching games, um, than those of us that are just leak passing it every single night throughout the entire year, just being like, man, what's up with this guy?

He complains a lot. So yeah, it's bad. It's been brought up a, what's up with this guy? He complains a lot. So yeah, it's bad. It's been brought up a ton. Bill and I talked about it, I think just last week, which I didn't even love necessarily leading with because here we have this Dallas team. It looks like they're going to knock off the number one seed in the West. But it was so noticeable that I think the broadcast brought it up three, four times

during the game last night. It was like, wait, is there some kind of like game five epiphany for Luca? Like, is this going to be a real thing? Is he going to play better? Or is he just actually just happier because he feels better health-wise? Because I thought he looked even better even though I thought he was moving better in game four

than prior to what we had seen. And it looked really good again last night. He was so chill in the post game, which Eric Greenberg, people were like, what's going on with him? Has he taken pain heads? So I don't know, man, whatever it was, it worked. And Dallas is up three, two.

This Dallas defense, which has carried over statistically from the regular season of where they were at. You're like, okay, is this who they're going to be now? Cause I think that's always been the frustration with them. Um, just as great as Lucas has been the Kyrie piece being more stable this year. Cause just getting enough of it last year. And then of course we all know what happened last year, but the Gaffer and PJ additions are like, okay, is this going to be real?

And for the last 20 or so games, like that's, that's a really good chunk. You know, it's 25% of the season, but it was still going up against this OKC team. It's been one of the best offenses in the entire league the whole year. So they held OKC to 44% for the floor, uh, through five games. That's behind every team that's still alive. Um, this has been about the supporting casts as much as we kind of wanted Luca to shoot it better and what he did last night and then SGA in game four. The difference in this series is the supporting cast.

So if you look at PJ Washington, who didn't score a ton last night, but went for 29, 27, 21 in games two through four. Well, then you have Derek Jones who starts last night going six to six, three for three from threes with 15 points in the first half. So both teams are doing stuff like this is what teams will do, especially in the playoffs. Let's load up on the stars. And it's working for Dallas loading up on SGA, despite his absurd game for where his 10 or 14 for mid range, which isn't even supposed to happen. Like, you know,

I look at SGA just differently going into next year, even though I think we all agreed he was a top five player and some people are even voting for him for MVP. I don't think he's better than Luke or excuse me. I actually, I don't think he's better than Luca, but I definitely don't think he's better than Jokic. However, you know, now like, okay, he's capable of doing something like that in the playoffs. So even though it kind of comes down to like, who has one of the top five

players as we navigate who we're going to pick to win the entire thing. The supporting cast part of what. Okay. C wants to give up to defend Luka and Kyrie is destroying OKC, whereas what Dallas is willing to give up isn't even coming close to denting Dallas's defense. And if you look at the numbers, I mean, it's pretty bad. No one else for OKC has scored 21 points in any of these games. The second leading score in the last three games has totaled 16, 17, and 13 points.

So Jalen Williams is killing them right now. But with this being his first taste at it, you know, this is kind of the way things work and we've, we've talked about this plenty of times it's why, you know, when you're looking and you're projecting like what teams are going to do, you go, is there a number, is there a predictive number that will tell me this player who's done this for six months will then do this in his first experience in the playoffs. You know, the numbers just really don't work that way. You don't know what to expect.

At this point, I was looking at who was taking the shots for OKC, right? So it's 93, 85. And this game was weird because, like, it got to 11 points. And you're thinking, oh, are we going to have the same outcome of a game for as OKC going to find a way to steal this game? And that didn't happen. But even at 11 you're like, oh wow, it went from 15 to 11 here we go Thunder. But I was looking for it because at 434.

I was like, alright, who's going to get the shots for OKC over this stretch? We had a case in Wallis, Miss three. You had a door at Miss three. You had a chat three that was blocked, which was an incredible closeout by Jones. Cause Chet thought he had it and that Chet three has been there the entire series, but they're okay giving it up. And he is disappointed at least on the distance shooting and you've got an SGA

make in there and then you have an Isaiah Joe missed three at 113 left. And that's basically the game in those spots. You don't even have Jalen Williams taking a shot and you only have SGA getting one good look because this Dallas defense and what Lively has done on the help and what Gafford has added to this group and the size just at least slowing down that breaking of the paint has messed this team up. And none of the supporting cast is stepping up. If you look at the combined numbers last night from Chet, Jalen Williams won Isaiah Joe, Dort, and Wallace five of 29 on threes. So afterwards when Dagnall and even Jalen Williams had said, Hey, we actually liked our looks. You're like, all right, you're going to have to make some. Um, because, you know, as I talked about with pass and when we did the baseball

stuff and it's a common thing that I'll bring up where you may not believe in clutch because there's no real number that tells you this person's clutch and this other one doesn't, we all believe in comfort and the lack of comfort. And if you've watched sports long enough, you could just see that guy doesn't look comfortable. Now look, there's vets that miss shots. There'll be a game in the playoffs. We've already had it where it's the sporting cast or older players, and

they'll shoot collectively like five or 29 from three. So when you're younger and you can label it again, one of those lessons that I've always kind of talked about when you can label something, then the reason becomes the thing that you're labeling is like, oh, they're missing shots because they're not old enough. Well, old guys miss shots too, but it's just really frustrating when you have a team like Oklahoma City that's been so good offensively all season long, the number one three point shooting team in the league and you go, hey guys, you got to knock some of these things down.

So we know how quickly things can change. They're still alive in this. They're down three, two, maybe the lessons where I felt like they grew up within game four. Maybe they grow up from game five to game six, but there's an entirely different level of shock quality versus what we're seeing in the lack of shock confidence from the thunder. different level of shock quality versus what we're seeing in the lack of shock confidence from the Thunder. I was at the Celtic game last night seated near Russell Wilson. No,

we did not hang out in the building before the game starts. All right. No Mitchell, no Allen, and then no Laverte. Sure. Like, all right. Am I going to be at the north end at halftime? No, no, the Celtics are only up six at halftime and whatever. It was pretty standard. Big Marcus Morris game. Sam Merrill getting some buckets. Was wondering if he was going to get a podium game with the amount of looks that he, that he could have, but Morris started getting going there.

But with the Celtics pull away, they're clearly the better team. It's not a surprise. They advanced to their sixth Eastern conference final in eight years. I think I'm going to wait on all my Celtics takes. If I give you a sampling of it now, it's that sometimes I think the standard they're held to is totally fair, and then sometimes I think it's unfair. When you have the net rating and the stats they have, you're like, okay, those teams win championships. I don't feel that way about them right now. I don't know who I would pick them against in the West. And maybe it's just because they haven't been challenged enough, but you know, for a team that's eight and two

through the playoffs, it's like, why is everybody down on this team? Well, it's because there's no Butler with Miami and then there's no Mitchell and then even more guys missing from last night. So yeah, I think it's partly fair, unfair. It feels like they have to break through. I'd argue 17 and 18 when they're in the Easter Conference

finals, like way ahead of schedule. So like, even though they went further than people expected now, it becomes a negative because they didn't get out. And then you're just adding it to the list. Like if they were to lose in the Eastern Conference Finals this year, it'd be a, I think it's the single most disappointing outcome for any team in the NBA this year. And then you go wait. So they, they've gotten out of the East after being in six of those one time,

two years ago, and they lost the warriors. That's not very good. It's like, okay, what would it be better if they had lost earlier? It's kind of like the player legacy stuff that we do. It's like, oh, well he lost this many finals. It'd be like, you prefer he loses in the second round? Cause it doesn't seem like we'd like that all that much either. So I'm kind of holding off on like where I'm at with him and we'll see how this.

Third round goes, whether it's the Knicks who feel like they have the advantage with just, just an awesome game in game five and they'll have the extra day off. And even if the Pacers were to get game six at home, cause I don't think there's a massive gap between the two teams. I just don't know. I mean, Halliburton really frustrated me in game five, that one drive alone where he had the layup to the left side and decides to pass it back towards another

guy who had two players on him. You know, you're just going to have to see more from Halliburton on the road before I could just pencil them in. So I'm just telling you now, if it's a game seven, I'm taking New York at home. And I think a lot of people would. And if that means it's New York, and even if it were the Pacers against the Celtics, there's probably going to be this kind of like Celtics doubt moment, whether it's the game two stuff that we've seen or the lack of dominance at home.

There's going to be another one of those moments, which sometimes you're like, okay, but they went eight and two and it's like, yeah, but they went eight and two on lesser versions of two other teams in the East. I mean, the East is never set up better for them than it has this year. So what happens after Cleveland is eliminated? Well, the athletic answers there on the hour obituary piece on the Cavs, much like they have with Phoenix and LA and all three reporters on this are really, really good. It's just so much stuff and it goes in every single direction where you've got Kobe Altman,

the GM at one point in the season going down to yell at Vickerstaff because he played Mitchell too much. And then apparently Mitchell didn't want to come out of the game. So who was that really on? You have all the questions about Mitchell's future with his contract and opting out. And it seems like the NBA gossip world, no one actually thinks he wants to stay there. Um, it could be, maybe I'll get the extension and then I'll go somewhere

else if an available extension is not with a team that makes any sense. So that's kind of back to what Woj termed it as is the NBA transfer portal. So pay attention to that one where you're like, wait, so Mitchell took the extension? Awesome. It's like, yeah, I don't know. We might just be doing this all over again in like, I don't know. We might just be doing this all over again. And like, I don't know, a year or two again,

Ben Simmons asked for trade before his extension kicked in. Same thing with Durant. And you know, Lillard had all that money remaining on his too, where the norm used to be like, all right, a year, I'll do it, or a year and a half. That's not really the norm. So an extension for Mitchell with the Cavs would mean what? That he just didn't want to sign with the Pistons.

So I think one of my favorite ones from this piece, uh, right. Cause it went in a bunch of different directions. I said, Jared Allen, not wanting to take a shot for his ribs to play in the playoffs. Yeah. Again, my favorite one was the report that Mobly's agents had actually told Cleveland not to draft him. By the way, that happens all the time.

Agents can tell the team, Hey, don't draft our guy. And I mean, other than Steve Francis in Vancouver, like it doesn't really work all that much. So I don't really know. Like I felt like that was just piling on to the negativity because I think these pieces, even though. I can't get enough of them. I'll read every single one. I enjoy them because it feels like it's giving us more insight. But I do think the premise of them, generally unfair. If you want to find negativity within an organization, I think you could find it with every single team.

I think you can find it with every single place that anybody works. And if I owned one of these teams or if I ran one of them, I would be so pissed at these pieces because you just go like, so what happened here? Like everybody just, the airing of grievances piece. I mean, this thing was so fresh and ready to go that the piece would have like criticisms but then also compliments to try to protect like this circular, like I got this from this person

but I don't want to trash this person entirely. Like they didn't even update Mobley's stats. Like it was, this thing was so ready to go. They didn't even include the game five stats from Mobley where he was terrific. I think the Cavs have not only the Garland Mitchell dilemma where even if you don't think it's perfect, you don't want to just lose talent for nothing.

So if Mitchell wants to resign, they'll figure that part of it out. I don't know what that means for Garland. Garland could make more shots if he was really trying to prove how much Mitchell was getting in his way because Mitchell wasn't playing in the last couple of games. And I like Garland, but it's a tough look when you're kind of getting the message out there through your reps that this isn't really working for you. And it's like, okay, well, cool. Feel free to make a few more then.

The Mobley Allen thing, I think is the bigger issue. Who else plays two non-spacing bigs at the same time in today's game? Well, cool. Feel free to make a few more then. The Mobley Allen thing, I think is the bigger issue. Who else plays two non-spacing bigs at the same time in today's game? And it's something we talked about in the Knicks series where I was like, man, as much as I love this team and Mitchell thinking he was better than everybody else, and then Brunson has certainly corrected that. And the defensive numbers that you had from Cleveland last year, you're like, all right, they should beat the Knicks.

And then you're watching it going, uh-oh, wait. Like they have two guys, you don't really have to worry about defending all that much. I don't know if this unlocks Mobley, if Alan weren't there, the way we saw him just crank up the offense a little bit more, because I think there's more opportunities for him,

but it's also gonna be on him to develop his skill in a way that feels like it's plateauing rather early for somebody this young with this many raw like things about his game that I really like. So the Bickerstaff piece of it, you know, he's been there a while. I'm not around it every day. So I'm going to tell you like, I think he's great or I think he's bad, but considering all the injuries they had the season and how they still salvaged the season and they had some really nice stretches.

I think it's kind of a credit to him, even if I'm not telling you, Hey, I've completely signed off on all the end game stuff, but sitting behind, like I was right next to the Kaz batch, you know, what help is if Mitchell doesn't get up like 20 times a game to tell Bickerstaff something, if I'm him, I'm like, Hey, dude, you're in sweatpants. Like, thanks for the help. But I have done this before. He's back and we're very excited.

It's great timing to have the legend Bob Ryan with us. How do you like to be introduced now, Bob? Oh, I decided I declared myself the Boston Globe columnist emeritus. Brian with us. How do you like to be introduced now, Bob? Oh, I, I've decided I declared myself the globe, Boston globe columnist emeritus since I, I officially retired full-time duty in August of 2012 after the London Olympics. But I had, you know, I still do things and, and, uh, I still work for the globe every other week, usually. And so I,

I declared myself to be the globe columnist emeritus. Well, this always means a lot to me. So I always appreciate the time. I want to start with somebody that I imagine you appreciate as much as I do. And that's watching Jokic, watching him in the second half against Minnesota coming back from this 2-0. When you watch him, how does it make you feel? You know, it's funny, we had a discussion with people yesterday. I was saying, did you see that pass he threw the other night when he tipped the rebound to himself and then one motion through that 70 foot touchdown pass for the for the sneak away

layup? No other center makes that play. Nobody makes that play. It's in the game. The game just is natural and easy for him. He makes it look easy. He moves at his own pace. Nobody disturbs him. I know that Timberwolves allegedly bothered him for two games, so that's all over now. And he's like, I liken him to the great jazz pianist, Art Tatum, who the piano was so easy for him that he had to embellish things out of control

just to amuse himself. I think Jokic sometimes amuses himself. Burton used to do that. Bird knew at the end of his career, he started shooting left-handed shots just for the hell of it, and including in clutch situations. Very few people, that's called mastering the game.

Well, Jokic has mastered the game. Okay, I'm glad you brought up Bird, because I guess, I don't know, I was gonna bring it up some way, but since we already did, let's get into it. There's a resistance to Jokic, which I find at times frustrating, other times comical, but I understand it.

Like there's, hey, this guy who's out of shape, the Serbian, and he's going to win all these MVPs. And you know, who knows, he's going to have to kind of win a couple more rings to like truly go down in legend status historically because that's how we keep track of all this stuff. But why do you think so many current players, former players, whether it was Shaq the other night telling him to his face, like,

hey, I thought SGA was the MVP. There's just a lot of guys that I've seen over the course of the last two years, part of it was the embied arguments where so many people wanted an embied to have the I've seen over the course of the last two years. Part of it was the MV arguments where so many people wanted MB to have the MVP. What do you think of the resistance to what Jokic has been to this game in the last few years? Two different topics here. The MVP thing, that's a legitimate argument.

Like last year, I remember lobbying for being in 2022, 2023. And this year, I know what a year that Gould de Sahlertzinger had and he deserves some heavy consideration. This is a matter of tough calls, the MVP thing. So that's one discussion. And I understand anybody objecting him winning it because they had a better candidate.

There were several good candidates and certainly SGA was one of them. Okay, but in general terms, you hit upon it, you know, he doesn't look the part that, that, you know, some purists, including, you know, he doesn't, he's not ripped, you know, he's not, you know, he is what he is. He's a basketball player. They just can't get that through their head, that, you know, athleticism quote is supposed to be you know the god jumping and running and then you know and touching the top of the backboard and all that stuff. Now he's a basketball player and they don't and not a lot of people understand that you don't have to be the

greatest athlete in the world if you have to master this particular game and some of the best athletes aren't very smart or good basketball players because they just aren't. I mean, he doesn't fit a mold that people have decided is necessary. I guess that's my only possible answer I have. Yeah, I mean, was it similar? Cause I mean, we've all been over all the Isaiah Thomas stuff with Bird where it was just a ridiculous quote

and Bird did him a huge favor by not making that situation worse for Isaiah. But do you see, are there any parallels that you think of when you see the Jokic conversations in comparison to the Bird conversations early on? Well, I, well, that's, you want to get right to it? The five letter word be given to W and ends with E, he's white.

And Larry had to, you know, negotiate those, that path for acceptance, including his own team. Talk to one of his teammates, Cedric Maxwell. And Max jokingly talks about how he was skeptical of Larry and that he had to admit that white boy could play. And he'll tell you that he loves telling the story. That's all.

And now I don't know, in this next one, the fact that he's not American, I don't know if that bothers some people or not. Look at this rain of MVPs we have who are not born on these shores, and we got a run going. And by the way, if SGA had won, guess what? He's Canadian.

So is that part of it? I don't know. Yeah, I think everything you've said is fair because I do think that the international part of it? I don't know. Yeah, I think everything you've said is fair because I do think that the international part of it, if I were an American player, you'd be like, okay, well, wait a minute, what's happening here? And I think it's just, I don't know, it feels like this guy can't possibly,

it's a visual thing. I think we're all so incredibly visual. And that's where I think, you know, Embiid loses out or excuse me, Embiid wins some of the arguments when we're talking about MVP. Look, I voted for MVP for Embiid last year because I just thought, you know, when it comes down to MVP,

it doesn't necessarily mean it's, it's who the best player is. If it's close enough, maybe it's a tiebreaker, all that kind of stuff. And I'm still not 100% sure I made the right vote because I've never thought Embiid was actually better than Jokic as a player. But that's not, as your point in as a player, but that's not as your

point in the beginning of this, that's not what the MVP is always about. But I think we are all far more visual with the confirmation that we need, you know, whether it's certain quarterbacks where we'll watch quarterbacks and just go, Oh, he's got a huge arm. He can make all the throws. So visually it's so appealing. And then you'll see somebody else like a Brock Purdy where you go, okay, but he, maybe he's just better at playing the position.

Maybe he's just a better football player than all these higher draft picks that have these massive arms. And I think that's kind of what happens with Jokic is he's the quarterback. That doesn't kill it at his pro day. He's the quarterback that like doesn't have all the throws. And then you realize like, Hey, how come that guy wins all the time? Or how come I always trust him more on third down than all these other guys with the big arm and that's the, I think that's always been the problem for him.

And maybe certainly with some people that are still fighting it, but I mean, if they were a matter of, you know, who excels at the drills, you know, we just footballs, basketball, he wouldn't win. But let's start the game. Let's go to board. Let's go line up. Let's play. Let's see who can play basketball. And he's a consummate basketball player. And so that's that without possessing the raw thought of system of other guys. And, you know, in the league, and we're historically, how excited because and you know, in the league and that were historically. How excited, because I want to stay in the West here. Ant's made me excited in a way that I don't let myself get

as excited as I get for Ant. And you know, this series has turned, who knows if Minnesota can get game six at home. There's no way I'd pick them on the road now in game seven against Denver. I think Yoko just kind of figured this whole thing out, which is part of his greatness. But with Ant, I let my mind go places

where I don't let it go. How often does that happen for you because you've seen everything? Oh yeah, sure. Well, you know, inevitably it's about who does he remind you of? Of course. Or is at any time in history in any sport, right? Who does he remind you of? Of course, at any time in history, in any sport, right?

Who does he remind you of? If that's part of the deal, that's certainly the way I think, you know, just for openers. And then when you get into that one, you have to say, no, it doesn't mean I think he's better or as good as the other guy, but it reminds me of a guy. Okay, I'm on record, it's documented, it's out there,

that I said on a podcast and I tweeted, X, excuse me, within a certain 24 hour period, roughly two and a half, three weeks ago, that, and the X said, I'm not saying he's Michael Jordan, I'm not saying he's ever gonna be Michael Jordan, but there was a Michael Jordan swagger to Edward's game. I picked the word swagger. I could have said element.

I could have said reminders me of, and I'm sticking with it. If you're talking to a young in now here in May of 2024, and try to explain what Michael Jordan was like, because they never saw him. Well, let's say you take Anthony Edwards and ratchet it up a latch or so, and you've got, that's what I'm talking about.

There are Jordan elements to his game. And he's the right, you know, starting with the size and the body shape and the range of skill, but there are certain edges, a certain, you know, something, shouldn't I say a quote, that Jordan brought over and above the raw talent. And I think Edwards has that. Yeah. And we'll see. I mean, he's got a lot of stuff to do, but. Oh, he's only 22.

I mean, he's been around four years. Remember the world we're living in. He's a 22-year-old four-year veteran. That's the world we live in. Larry Farrar turned 23 in December 7th, 1969, his 23rd birthday, 79, excuse me. So he was a rookie, he was 23. And this kid is his, this guy's in his fourth year and he's 22. He's hardly uncommon. That's the nature of the beast in the NBA these days. Anything that surprised you about Dallas and Oklahoma City? Dallas, there were an interesting X factor for me entering the playoff.

They ended up the season off the radar screen playing very well. Nobody was talking about them playing the technique. I don't know how I discovered it. Oh yeah, they're playing pretty well. I wondered whether they would be a factor at all. Then early on, I certainly have a healthy respect for what OKC is and what they've given the youth factor that they have. And so, but Dallas, they seem to be top heavy

because of the reliance on Donchik and Irving, but they are getting some surprising contributions from other people now. And I'm a little surprised that they're making as good a show of it as they are. And so, yeah, that's the big bit of one thing. I'm a little surprised with that. And that's a very competitive series.

Where would you have Dacic? Do you have him right behind Jokic? Do you have people ahead of Dacic at this point? Well, you know, it's, I'd say he's, there's the similarities of the way they go about their business, you know, with the playing at their pace and nobody gets them off their,

disturbs their equilibrium at all as a rule. Dacic, he's a tremendous passer, he really is. He's a, everything I said about Jokic about the fact that he's a basketball player without being an overtly superior athlete is applicable to him too. He just happens to be a few inches shorter than Jokic, but they're very similar. And he's a top five player at least, that's for sure. Okay. So this is the lead up here. Because as I've watched Boston this year, as I know you have closely, we know the resume, we know the stats.

I was in the building last night for game five, and it was like a classic Celtics win in these playoffs because you go, okay, well, they should blow this team out. You're like, okay, wait, is this gonna be a game? And then when it matters, they clearly separate and they move on in five. How many teams would you pick? Let's keep Minnesota alive.

Let's keep Oklahoma City alive here as I smash into my lamp to the side. Let's keep all four teams alive. Which teams would you pick Boston against in the finals if they were to get that far? Everybody but Denver. Anybody but Denver. I mean, Denver to me, they have to prove themselves

that they have, that they could beat Denver when it matters, that Denver who has proven that they can master the two minute drill. Boston has not proven that they have people worried here about that. What a weird playoffs they have. They haven't had a competitive game. They run away or they got blown out. You know, the second game to here by 24. I forget what the winning spread was in the Miami loss.

But basically, they won an extraordinary number of games by 20 points. But they have people worried here. Denver has proven that they can negotiate those last two minutes and do the right thing at both ends of the floor. We have an open question with Boston. There's a wariness here. So some people have profound even skepticism because we have an unfolding history here going back to that Golden State Series

where they were up and didn't get the job done. And then last year with Miami was unsettling to say the least. Because after what they first they fall down to three and then they lay an egg at home in game seven, I mean a bad game. So they don't have everyone's full confidence and they haven't earned it.

Count me among them. I respect the talent. They are the most talented, raw talent. I can't believe there isn't a general manager in the league who wouldn't gleefully trade his entire roster for Boston's roster and hand them over to his coach and say, okay, here they are. Go ahead, we'll take them.

How could they have the best one to five? They got the smartest back. Not only now, but I may have ever seen together with the holiday and the white, they're like two professors out there and they've got, they'll do the best team one to five, six, seven, eight, right down to 10 with Tillman. Talent. But talent is a start. And they have not proven to go back to the astronaut thing, the right stuff.

We don't know that they have the right stuff. We know Denver has proven that it has the right stuff. But I still think that the talent can overwhelm anybody but Denver. Okay, so that's interesting. You'd pick them against Dallas, you'd pick them against OKC, you'd pick them against Minnesota. Part of me feels like Minnesota, Denver's the NBA Finals. Well, I've heard that. That theory's out there. I can understand that.

Yeah. I don't know. That's a lot. That's a bold one because you never know. I mean, the way Dallas is defended here and you'd like to think that they'd at least have options. I think Jokic would destroy OKC in a playoff series. I just don't know what they would do. I think Chet would wanna take the summer off after that. I mean, they could have Jalen Williams go in there and try to flop Jalen Williams too a bunch of times, but like flopping against Jokic over seven games,

like that's not a strategy there. And then against, you know, Boston, I just saw it, you know, the Boston Denver, the second matchup, you know, Boston, I just saw it, you know, the Boston, Denver, the second matchup, you know, Denver got him at home, meaning in Boston, because that's kind of how we're talking about it locally. Yeah, right. And then Tatum has the three in the second game in Denver,

where it's like, man, if he had hit that, they may have pulled that off after an awful shooting night from three. So you can kind of talk yourself into stuff, but I just feel like when you've watched enough, you know that there's a gap. There's just a gap between the Tatum, Jalen Brown closing options versus Jokic

and then Murray running around off of him. There's no comparison. There's no comparison in what I would trust more out of the two scenarios. I mean, I will agree with you. I've already stated that the Denver's got the right stuff in the cell, they have to prove that they do, but I don't think it doesn't mean sooner or later that they may have the breakthrough.

Maybe the breakthrough is coming. But we'd like it's so funny, Ryan, that because people here are dying for a close game just to see what they do. We haven't had any opportunity for them to see if they do possess the right stuff anymore, you know. It's hilarious. Every game is decided at the latest by three minutes ago, you know. And then you would just find how they tease people and then they finally put it together in the end and win by 15, but it really didn't feel like they won by 15. So who would you rather have for a game?

Game seven, Tatum or Brunson? Well, Brunson right now, that would have been an unimaginable question a year ago. And I'm a member of the fan club going back to Villanova, but I must say he's overachieved in my mind much more than I ever dreamed. That's an interesting one. You know, I mean, I don't wanna,

see, I think Jason, I think we're hard on Jason, who's he's trapped. He's in an environment in Boston where there's too many historical comparisons, you know, starting with, you know, Russell and Alachick and Bird and Cowens and, and etc. And he has to enter into that that discussion. I haven't answered your question yet. At 6'10", with a range of skill, I mean, I'm not gonna, I'll give him a shot.

I'll take him just because I'm taking a 6'10 guy over to 6'2 guy. Yeah, come playoffs, I'd rather have the size, but you brought up something with Tatum, because I can't, I can't come up with the answer yet on this one where it's like, is it more difficult on Tatum being in Boston or is it basically the challenges of any player that's kind of in that 6-12 range? Because every single fan base looks at their best player. And if he's not. Yokech Luca SGA right now, you know, Yannis is still in this group for me.

You know, I think he, he deserves to be mentioned with those four and maybe ants creeping along and then, you know, Tatum's kind of in that group. But look, you know, it's maybe even dismissive of Tatum to already have an ahead of him after this being really the only time, you know, look, it's maybe even dismissive of Tatum to already have Ant ahead of him after this being really the only time. Look, I think Ant going into next year, I would rank him higher than Tatum. But Tatum's in that next group, which is an amazing group to be in.

It's a great group to be in, but sometimes this stuff is so simple. You're like, okay, who's still alive? Okay, well, it's the team that has two of the top 15 and their one guy is one of the top five and that's just how this game works. And so I don't know if it's a Boston specific thing with Tatum having the ghosts of the top 15 and they're one guy is one of the top five. And that's just how this game works. And so I don't know if it's a Boston specific thing with Tatum having the ghosts of the past haunting him or just the reality of as great as he is.

If he's not one of those guys, there's just going to be limitations on what he is and what the team can do. I don't think that his situation is exclusive to Boston, but I think it is very much heavy. It's for real though. I think there's more pressure on him here than there would be out of context anywhere else because of the history and the expectations. The range of skill, the T's,

the fact that he does possess, you know, a great technical skill. So yeah, but I do think the in the reference, it's not exclusive, there are other places, but I really think it I've come more and more to think that, that he's got a burden to carry here, that isn't fair. But that's just the way it is. He's playing he's in Boston. I don't think this kind of pressure would exist if he were filling the blank, maybe New York or LA, but other than that, no, not at all. TG Did you hate teams when you were covering the Celtics during the heyday of it all? BF The rivalry with the Knicks in the early 70s was very passionate and very visceral for a lot of us. 70s was very passionate and very visceral for a lot of us. And yet, it was really a mixed blood feeling. You know, I, let me, let me, the answer is I think probably the Knicks and that, you know,

we resented, we felt that, you know, rules read, set too many moving picks and thought that the busher was too rough and all that. Let me tell you a funny story. Tommy Henson one day said to John Havlicek, John, this is in practice. He said, John, the next time Bradley puts two hands on your hips and holds you, I want you to take the basketball and smash it in his face. To which Havlicek replied, but Hawk, that was his nickname among the Boston community.

Hawk, doesn't bother me at all. I just had to throw that one in there, thinking of those Knicks days. The 76ers with, I didn't hate him, but I'll tell you a guy I did hate. This is me, Bob Ryan. I don't know. It was a running joke with my friends on the like Larry White side of my colleague that I covered many games with.

Nick Weatherspoon drove me crazy. The spoon. And he drove me absolutely crazy. I hated Elvin Hayes. I hated Elvin Hayes. I hate Dwight Howard, but that's later. I once said that if I were playing for my life tonight and I'd rather play four on fives and have Dwight Howard as my center in a big game.

But anyway, individuals more than old teams. Okay, so yeah, there were people. But those days are gone. But I did. So yeah, there were people, but those days are gone. But I didn't. I love that Dwight was the last one and then you mellowed out.

The reason I bring it up though is because there was such, and we've talked about this before too, there was a real connection when you were on the daily beat and part of that was like building those relationships and whether it's the 70s Celtics, because I kind of known some of the Knicks stuff where I felt like even some of the people on the coverage, like the players, ended up not liking the other guys

from the other city's media. And I'd heard that first with the New York stuff. I don't know if it was the same thing with the Lakers stuff in the 80s, but now that would seem absurd from coverage of one city's team and then the other media just not liking each other. There seemed to be more of a connection probably because the relationships with the players, coaches and front offices were just deeper and more consistent than they are now.

Totally different world. I can't imagine the world that they live in. We live in a totally different world. I'll give you an example, though, of camaraderie. When on April 20th, 1986, Michael Jordan erupted for 63 points in that double overtime game, which was his true coming out party, even though it was the end of his second year. But that's where he completely showed the world what we're going for. Salish won that game double over times, you know, and that game started at like one o'clock, I think on a Sunday. And I had so much writing to do, we all had so much writing to do, because we had the opportunity because it was a Sunday afternoon. And the papers wanted Reems

a copy. And basically, when I say we, I'd say at least six or eight of us, Boston and Chicago, we all went out to dinner after the game together in Boston and said, wow, what we just saw. That's the flip side. We went out and we were bonding thing. We all loved the game and we knew we had just seen something historic and spectacular. That's the example. we were a bonding thing, you know, that we all loved the game and we knew we had just seen something

historic and spectacular. So that's the example. I had good relationships with the Knicks press in those days. I had no mortal enemies there at all in my time, but it was a different world. And we did have strong personal relationships with players and coaches that I doubt exist anymore. There was a reason I wanted to ask you about this because, you know, we started the pod today talking about the games and then there's a pattern of when the teams eliminated it's happened with Phoenix, it's happened with LA. I think the Clippers one was before they were actually eliminated, but then we had the Cleveland obituary piece with three writers from the athletic that are all really plugged in.

And this thing was ready to go as soon as they were eliminated. It wasn't days later was just, okay, we're going to hit send on this thing. The clocks at zero. And I read it, I enjoy it. I feel like there is perspective, but I also can't help myself from thinking that it feels a little unfair to just go, okay, this team that like so many other teams has their struggles, we're just going to air it all out. I don't think that's necessarily new. I remember back in the days, like as soon as the Red Sox would trade somebody,

the globe would just unload on the guy, you know, as soon as he was traded because then people were willing to not necessarily go on the record, but share more with you. What do you think is right in what we deserve to know versus like all the extra stuff that you knew that you're like, you know, but I'm not going to share this because it just doesn't feel right? Well, in developing the relationship with the players and over time, I never thought about this until three or four years ago. And when I speak in the groups,

and if you're covering a beat, whether it's a professional beat or a major college beat, you're a salesperson. And the commodity you're selling is you. And you're selling yourself to the players, to the coaching staff, to the administrators, to GM in basketball, and in college, the player, the coach, and the athletic director,

theoretically. And you're developing credibility over time. And you do that by your personal interactions, things you say and do, and the things you show them you know, and the curiosity you have about everything. And you're the way you write. And you're not writing,

and I don't believe in the concept of objectivity or subjectivity, it's fairness that you're striving for. And you have to be willing to criticize and we wanna take it when there's a pushback. But if you're honest in your heart, you know you're fair, then you can live with that. So where are we going? Oh, yeah.

So I strove to develop music relationships over time, but based on that approach. I don't know what else to say. I actually forgot the question. No, you did answer it, though. But I guess to be more specific, like say there's somebody on the team that's just the wrong guy. No, you did answer it though. But I guess to be more specific, like say there's somebody on the team that's just the wrong guy.

Yeah. And the players don't like them, but let's say contractually. I realize, Don. Like, yeah, okay, go ahead. The key when you're spending all this downtime, you know, in not formal time, not with a notebook out, you know,

not with a tape recorder out, is showing over time, you know what's repeatable and printable and reportable and not reportable. You have to have an instinct for that and you have to have a common sense for that. They don't have to say, okay, Bob, this is all off the record. You just know by inference and definition when it is and when it isn't. And you better be right, but you know, if you're good enough, you are right.

That's where we're going with this. Yeah, they have to know, you have to know, sure I knew things, personal things, you know, that weren't relevant to the world, but there were even some judgments about other players and stuff that, you know, and sometimes what you would do is you would take something under advisement and you could use it down the road, but not right now,

not in the context of the issue that's going on, but down the road, you know, you can, you might be able to make an illusion that you, you knew this certain thing or you know this and drop it in. You have to know how to, you know, play your cards in every guy. This is all part of being a good beat person and, and to know how to, you know, play your cards in that regard. This is all part of being a good beat person. And you want to earn trust and credibility. And it's a job and it's an OJT because there's no manual. I was 23 when I started and they handed me the team to cover two days after they hired me full time as it hadn't been an intern

and then haven't been away in the army. And I had no preparation, no hadn't seen an exhibition game, hadn't met the new coach Tom Hineson. I had to do everything from scratch, day one, starting with a two point game in my first game I covered. And I mean, but you know, that way I was going into the deep end of the pool,

believe me, and then learn how to swim. Okay, so when you said using it down the road, I think that's really smart. Because, I mean, look, I've never been a reporter. I've been lucky enough in 20 plus years of being around the league and all the draft stuff to get to know a lot of people, okay? And some have become friends,

and we just all love basketball. So, you know, when you're just bullshitting, and I don't have the pressure on me to report it, even as I've aged, I basketball. So, you know, when you're just bullshitting, and I don't have the pressure on me to report it, even as I've aged, I've gone like, you know what? Like this is really the rewards and all that information. You know, there may be opinions where I'll be like, eh, I don't know if that'll happen or whatever, right?

But I'm not, and never have been, never aspire to be. It's a brutal, brutal tough job. It's even tougher now than it's ever been before, in all honesty. But the access to information is what we're still all excited about. And so when you think of like something down the road, that's kind of what these pieces are. So I'd ask you like, did you ever make a judgment at some point in your career? And I'm sure the answer is yes.

So maybe I'd ask for the story, the example of A, every player is just down on this coach. And I heard it after game 20, but I took it easy. And then I heard it from a different guy and it kind of matched what he said. And then you ended up kind of knowing that maybe the players are telling you, hoping you would use a massive platform like the Globe to question or add validity to their questions

to maybe stir things up. Like, how would you play that if there's an example? Well, now that's a good question. You know, I don't, that's a good question. I don't know that I had that specific, as you said, I thought about a famous incident for me and with a player running against the Heintzen and I never used it and people wouldn't, and I didn't, plus,

I think it would have shocked the world at the time. But, and I didn't, plus, it, you know, that, okay, that would, that would have been, I think it would have shocked the world at the time, you know, and, and so I really, I would believe so. Yeah, I mean, that, that's, he would have, the player would have said this at the time. So can I just interrupt, cause I'm not going to ask you the player's name, cause like I, I knew that it was, you know,

going back historically and whatever. And then when I was covering them and I got to know him a little bit, like there were some really tough years for Tommy as the head coach. So you're basically holding this piece of information, especially with the way information moved back then, that if you were like, you know what, I probably could use this,

but it's gonna destroy Tommy Heintzen if this is in this story in the globe. Like that was what you're deciding to do that day and you decide not to do it. Yeah, it was no, yeah. Also, I thought about it in terms of, uh, I gotta give that player a break. I mean, uh, you know, I got, I don't want to betray that confidence necessarily right here for this.

It's, you know, I, and, you know, I didn't want to put him on the defensive. I wasn't too much worried about protecting Heinsen, as I was about protecting the player, in a sense, if the word protect is what we're talking about. Yeah, these are, I wasn't ready for it that night. It was quick judgment. It was, wow, you know, it came out of, they just lost a game on the road, and that was the trigger, but it was funny.

Yeah, no, these are things, and the whole Heins a thing with me. That had a big ebb and flow and had a crash and wound up with me and him. We were on the outs in 1976 in the finals to the point where I stayed in a famous story right here. I stayed at Paul Westfall's house when we went to Phoenix, the games three, four and six, rather than at the hotel with the team.

And I wasn't around Hanson at all. And now we patched it up in the end, and for 40 years until we passed a couple of years ago, we were quite friendly. But on the day to day, it broke down back then. So you're still picking the Celtics against anybody but Denver if they make it to the NBA? Yeah. I mean, I'm a little worried about Minnesota particularly, you know, I mean, for sure. As far as the East is concerned, believe me, I am shouting to the world what an amazing thing the Knicks are doing,

that they've lost all these people and they're still hanging in there. And you mentioned a guy, one reason why they are, of course, is Brunson is the primary reason, frankly, but they should be able to beat the Knicks regardless, I would think, or assuming it will be the Knicks, and it looks like it will be. And as far as I think they could handle, I just think it's Denver. I think they would be able to combat Minnesota or OKC for sure, or Dallas, if it's Dallas. But I like them. I just know that they're good. And people, it's just so funny that they have to

apologize for winning by 20 because they're not showing they know how to win by two. That's an odd circumstance. I don't know if this we've ever encountered this. Have you? I never encountered this before. This is one of the strangest stories in teams throughout it all, but I have my doubts. No, you have a right to have a doubt. I have my doubt too. I'm not giving them my full endorsement. I'm giving,

you know, I, when they throw the ball up, if it is against Denver on opening night in Boston, I will pick Denver until, you know, the Celtics prove they can beat them. And when it matters. But I'm just saying it's, they have the talent. It was never been, once they had it, what a brilliant off season Brad Stevens had. And I was a little bit skeptical about, we're saying the reason being, I hadn't seen him in a long time. Who watches, I remember him in New York standing in the corner shooting jump shots

and acting six three. And then he goes to Dallas and I don't know what happened. I didn't know, I've now heard what happened in Dallas. Now he goes to Washington, who watches the Wizards? I mean, he's scored 23 points a game last year and he posted up much more regularly than he ever had. But who knew? I didn't even know.

Now, you know, I see what he's capable of. So that's with him, they are a whole team with him. They can beat you in any which way. Now my big question, I said before the playoffs, before he even got hurt, which was not, which was predictable, was will Joe Mazula take advantage of his weapon and use him the right way? And know that when it's time to go to plan B

and stop chucking the threes and use him as a low post weapon, and we haven't had an opportunity to see if that's going to happen yet. I thought Przingius was great with Washington. I liked the trade. I didn't like the extension, but I think the only way to get the trade done, considering he had the option was to give him the extension, um, because we know the deal with him. But when Minnesota was up two, oh, and Denver, and I have a hard time believing

they're going to be able to get two against Denver, but I was thinking about the perimeter defenders against the Jays in the finals. Like if it were Minnesota and Boston, I'm like, eh, I don't. And Minnesota's offense concerns me and now we're starting to see it again. Ant's not getting enough help. Same thing has happened at SGA and OKC. The rest of the guys just aren't giving them enough help. Boston should be able to have a second and third scorer to give Tatum enough help the way they're designed and with their spacing. But I think those first two games,

again, it's not very likely now at this point, but if there were a Minnesota Boston finals with these groups, I think that would have been a weird wake-up call for the Jays, maybe the first game, maybe the second game where you would just go, hey, this is going to be, this is going to be a little different than Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. So, hey, thank you so much for the time. Enjoy the rest of the playoffs. I always love catching up, man. Your time from the moment we met and how passionate you still are about

sports. It's just a joy to see. All right. So thanks. All right. To me too. Bye-bye. It's just a joy to see. All right, so thanks. Bye for me too. Bye-bye. You want details? Buy. I drive a Ferrari. 355 Cabriolet.

What's up? I have a ridiculous house in the South Fork. I have every toy you can possibly imagine. And best of all kids, I am liquid. So now you know what's possible. Let me tell you what's required. The email address is lifeadvicerr at gmail.com. We have Kyle, we have Saruti, and the boys are warmed up

because Kyle, I'll give you the floor here. It seems like you had an amazing experience this week that you wanted to share with Saruti. Well, I'm charged up. I got an Abercrombie shirt on today. I went- What's that say? This one is the best Jeep, the best of the best. It's got actually my dream car in the back, which is an old Grand Cherokee. That's always been my dream car. And I don't know

if that'll ever change. No, I don't think so. I don't think so. I do like, I'd like that forest green one, but also I really liked the burgundy one that you saw like in the early 2000s, in the late 90s. I'll tell you that in the 90s, the black Grand Cherokee with the gold trim. Yes. If you had that, it was like, hey, save some for us. Yeah, pretty much any of those I'd be fine with.

I totally forgot I loved that one so much, but I think the green one had the same trim that you're talking about. I liked the forest green one. I liked that a lot. But yeah, went into an Abercrombie and Fitch yesterday and probably every shirt I saw I liked. And Sarutti's never been more right about anything

in my mind and I think he should definitely take point in life advice today because he's a thousand percent right. I wanted it all. Yeah, it really is Kyle's aesthetic too. I didn't, you know, it's like a lot of vintage tees. It's a lot of sort of like boxy fit stuff. And you know, even like the athletic wear is kind of good.

Hey, the sponsors if you want, but no one's talking yet more than us, but it's great. The only thing is Kyle and I were just talking about this cause they've got a lot of like vintage t-shirt stuff and they've got like old world cup stuff and the Olympic gear from the Olympic 80s. And like I was talking about this, they have this sick modello, like corduroy hat.

I'm like, I can't spend $45 on that. But is it, is it weird that you're wearing like vintage shirts that aren't actually vintage? You know, there are new shirts that are just like printed vintage with vintage prints, like, I don't know if that's a weird vibe or if that's just kind of how it is today. I say, I say it's a better way of doing things. I think that we've come around, there are so much garbage shirts out there that it's

like, hey, why don't we just play the hits? Because if I want the shirt, and I do, and I've done this before, I have to do it with G-Unit. Nobody's making new-looking old G-Unit shirts. So otherwise, I just have to go to eBay and I have to pay way more money for a shirt that's been lived in and it's got weird stains and holes and I'm just going to wear that out. No, I'll take the, I'll take the hit for like

buying something that looks vintage and it's not. I think that's just a better way of doing things. And I think we're just evolving as people and we realize what was cool and we're going to make that shit again. I like it. That sounds like the first paragraph of Kyle's secondhand vintage store on Melrose.

That'd be amazing. Wouldn't be on Melrose. For those wondering, Abercrombie is up 46%. Makes a ton of sense to me. Yeah. Makes a ton of sense. Any frolic room update that I was hearing about? Yeah, well, you kind of stopped me. I was just going to say this off air, but this is why I want you to know. I saved you from, no, it's fine. I can hearing about. Yeah, well, you kind of stopped me. I was just going to say this off air, but this is why I want you to know.

I saved you from, no, it's fine. I can say it. I saved you that night of going to Frolic with Bill after it was just, I told you, get sketchy at night. Here's a text I got from my buddy. He's like, your boy explosives, Mike. He's explosives, Mike, because he's, well, his name isn't Mike, but he was, he worked at explosives and like Hollywood

stuff for years. He's 86 for a month. He pulled a knife on a bum outside and then got into it with Pantages security, told them they're all going to be fired after he makes a phone call. So that's the type of shit that happens in the off hours. And I just wanted to spare you from that. The funny thing is you tell me these stories thinking I wouldn't want to see this. I'd rather hear about them than be in the bar when it happens though. You know what I mean? I'd rather hear the story, have a laugh and be like, wow, last night was crazy. Today I'll be. I got to tell you though, if you introduce me to a guy named Explosus Mike, I'm going to- You've got quite a bit. I hope you got a couple stories.

You've got me. Yeah. All right. Here are some emails. I don't want to smell like my dad. Hey fellas, 31, 186 foot one, no real gym stats, more of a kettlebell and bodyweight type of guy. Former swimmer and endurance athlete, so absolutely no coordination or court smarts. That's all right though, probably live on. Those guys are good athletes though, right? Like swimmers, like they got the long muscles.

I've heard kettlebells are super in right now as well, so sounds like you're doing all right. Yeah, they've been in for a bit, Steve. All right, I'm not a big workout guy, listen. No, I always see people that are like, use kettlebells, don't use like dumbbells. And I'm like, oh, I would not have known that. That's like a better option.

Look, I'll tell you right now, I see some videos of just all kettlebell stuff. I'm like, man, that looks really hard and incredible not doing it. Swimmers are crazy though, because I had a buddy that was like a state champ level swimmer in high school. And he was telling me like what his times were.

And he was like, all right, let's just do the 50 free. That was a decent swimmer, lifeguard certification, NBD. And- Life saver. Yeah, so he goes, let's- I'm a boy. Let's just race and see how long it takes. And like, if you ever want to understand the difference between somebody that does that Let's just race and see how long it takes.

If you ever want to understand the difference between somebody that does that and just a normal person, it's like a decent swimmer. I think it took me twice as long for the shortest race, the fastest race too. I think it's like, I don't know. Now I don't have to look this up. I think it's like 20 seconds for somebody who's really fast. It may have taken me 40 or 38 or something like that. And it was like, what the hell is going on?

World record, 53. Um, yeah, 20, 23 seconds. So. Yeah, it's a different world. It's not like a guy who plays basketball often, like that guy's in, in surrounded by water. It's just a different element. This guy's in.

So I think. Right. But I think the ball sports make somebody who's, if you have like a background in running and swimming and all that kind of stuff, and then as soon as somebody has to dribble a ball or throw one, you're like, oh my God. You know, so it's kind of- Is water polo the elite sport? I've always heard it. People are asking, you know? Well, that's why Jokic is as good as he is. The key is all that water polo stuff that he was learning at a very young age. Like you can see his control of the ball and the stuff that he sees. Like if I had a really tall wife and had a kid, that guy's playing water polo just based on Jokic. It's no basketball camp with your friends.

We're sending you to the middle of Pennsylvania for water. Now we'd make, sorry, we'd make something at home. Third bedroom, just like, you know how you can see those things like late at night. That's what I do miss from bartending. There's probably a few things I miss from bartending, but the amount of infomercials that we would watch and we count on our tips, a couple of CLs. And then somebody would be like, you don't need a flavor injector. Of course you need a flavor injector, but then you'll see those pools that had to

never be a great idea, but just throw one of those in the spare bedroom. The kid is out there. He's got his helmet on, just throwing a targets, like forget a hockey net downstairs in the basement, just full blown water polo. But you can't, you can't marry a gymnast. Yeah. Unless she's tall. Hey, little, little swimming side note.

Yeah. It was like yesterday. This is kind of weird. Yesterday. Another lane you mean? Yeah, another, exactly. I was like scrolling, doom scrolling, Instagram, TikTok, whatever. And the 2008 like Olympic relay came up. Do you guys remember that? It was like, like France got off to a big lead

and like, I think it was Jason Lezak was like the anchor. It was, I forgot how fucking exhilarating that was. Cause like the, like the announcer's screaming. He's like way behind, it's like, oh, he's got no chance. He's got no chance. And all of a sudden, like the second, whatever the second lap, the guy comes back. Like I'm not a huge Olympics and swimming guy,

but I was like, dude, I was like, this is like, cool, one of the coolest sporting events I remember. So I don't know. It's weird that we brought up swimming today cause I just saw that yesterday. I'm not going to say I tuned in for that, but was that a Phelps one? It was, well Phelps, I think went like first or second and Lee Zach was the guy that I think was the anchor and it was, it was fucking exhilarating. Okay.

All right, man. USA swimming is back. I'm ready for the, I'm ready for the Olympics. I remember I said the thing for the Olympics. It's back. God, remember I said the thing about the lane? Yeah, I remember that was great. Okay, so I don't want to smell like my dad. Sorry, man. I just turned 31 and typically my family

doesn't do big gifts. More of a let's go for a nice dinner type of family. I've had a rough year, so my mom insisted on getting me something. I obliged being newly single, sorry, man, told her a new dinner type of family. I've had a rough year, so my mom insisted on getting me something. I obliged being newly single, sorry man, told her a new fragrance would be nice. I remember I met a girl who was like, yeah, when you break up, I get a new perfume

and all new underwear. I was like, well, Jesus, that sounds. Comes with sage. Yeah. Yeah, right. Just make a pass through the apartment. Going through some drawers if you're, if you can't find the right guy. All right, so anyway, I told her a new fragrance

would be nice, maybe something a little more sophisticated than my usual $30 drugstore bottle to spritz on before a date or a night out. Since moving to New York City, I feel like I need to look and smell my best every time I leave the house. So I gave her a scent I really like, which I knew was likely over budget, plus a few other alternatives.

Instead of getting me any of those or anything similar, I opened the box on the birthday to find the same fragrance my dad has worn for the 31 years that I've been alive. Stetson, baby. Yeah, they claim it's a classic. Ooh, night swept. It'll come back, yep.

Which it undoubtedly is. It's a great scent. I wish she had told us what it was, but it also undoubtedly smells like my dad. Am I wrong for not wanting to smell like my 67 year old father? Nothing against my dad. He's a stylish man who always looks and smells great.

But I cannot smell this cologne without immediately thinking of my dad. There's also something unmistakably 70s about the smell. Maybe that's just me, but I'm transported to a sweaty disco dance floor. My dad absolutely tearing it up every time I open the bottle. How do I play this out without offending my parents?

Also from your mom's perspective, does she want her son to smell like her husband? She probably didn't think about that, but that seems a little weird. Wouldn't want that. Hi Kyle. I think you just treat this like the ugly sweater that you got that you wear to Christmas. You'll have it forever. And just when you go home for the holidays, you make sure you're getting real close, give her a hug.

You're like, you recognize that? Yeah, that's you. Thank you. I've been loving that. I don't think you go, maybe you don't go too much because she might re-up you next year or something. But I think it's just, you just put it on when you know you're going to see her, make her feel good.

You feel good about being a good son. And you move on. That's it. You don't have to say like, why would you get me this one? You don't have to be like Kendall with the fucking, with the watch. when you know you're gonna see her make her feel good, you feel good about being a good son, and you move on. That's it, you don't have to say like, why would you get me this one? Like, you don't have to be like Kendall with the watch. Remember that when he was like, I have a watch. Why would you get me this watch?

Like, you just, you love it, and you wear it when you see her, make her happy, and you feel good about making them feel good. And that's it, it's not that serious. Some families, though, like, I know growing up, like, my sisters were not shy, and my sisters are great. It's like, they're not mean or rude, but this is going to come off. It's kind of rude. Like they weren't afraid to tell my mom if like she missed on a Christmas gift and like return it. It's fine. So, uh, yeah, you can't imagine. I can't imagine. It's really

how it opens up, you know, but do you have that kind of receipt in here? Did you, does this come with the receipt? My mom's great. There's a lot of thought that counts, but she loves things that are embroidered and it's like, all right, this is clearly not our style. So anyway, if you have that kind of relationship, just be like, hey, is there a gift for her? I just wanna get a different one.

I don't think it'd be a big deal. If she's a little more sensitive about it, you just gotta eat it. You're gonna have to buy one yourself and wear it once a year when you see her. That's it. Yeah, you should buy your cologne. You should buy exactly the one you want. You're gonna have to buy one yourself and wear it like once a year when you see her. That's it. Yeah, you should buy your cologne. You should buy exactly the one you want.

Don't like, what do you think I should smell like? That's something you do yourself. Dolce and Gabbana light blue. Every time I go to the airport, I look for the perfect size for me. The cologne game's a tough one. I think the mom part of it is, maybe part of it she's like,

oh, this is what I loved about your father. And then she's thinking, okay, you're newly single. And then that's the math that she's doing. It's a real pain. Yeah, right. You got here, son. Yeah. Even if it's still kind of weird, but Hey, moms can do weird things.

I would, if I were you in that into it, just, I mean, how often are you around your parents, you feel guilty if you're not going to be wearing it. Wearing it. And by the way, you could probably wear something different and then be around her and then be like, my pheromones are just different, mom. Like, you know, it's just a different, we get a different pH. Yeah. So that probably wouldn't really work. It sounds like you're in the market for a clone. I would tell you, if you live in New York City, just go to Bayreto, go down there, be willing to be a little adventurous. Believe it or not, some of the more neutral unisex scents play differently on a man. It doesn't mean you're weird. And just get out there

and be willing, be daring and figure out your cologne game if you're that worried about it. But I don't think you'd want to smell like your dad. So don't smell like your dad just to make your mom happy. Unless, I mean, it doesn't sound like you're living at home. So I think they'll be okay with it. Yeah, this was an easy one. I'm not a big cologne guy. I don't know if you guys are, but huge cologne guy. I'll dabble.

But I mean, I basically wear workout clothes and never dress up anymore. So I don't I don't throw it on. I mean, I fucking hate guys clothes and never dress up anymore. So I don't, I don't throw it on. I mean, I fucking hate guys at the gym dousing it. Fucks up everybody's strength. No, seriously. Everybody's strength. No, I'm like the fourth set and some guy walks by the dumbbell rack, just Rico swathing out the fucking whole area.

I'm just like, Oh great. Well, I'm not getting any good numbers today. You know, I'll inhale. It's like a cigarette smoke. I'll just be like, I can't, Oh, that guy's here. Well, this is going to be a cello beams. I could come calling it right now. This will be the meme for this show. People still use an ax. Cause I remember that. That's what I always remember the gym tile.

I would, I'd spend years. I would though. I would, you don't really see it around. Like, you know, I'm in Walgreens. I don't really see it next to the deodorant anymore, but, um, I was a green, I was a key low guy, Phoenix. I like both of those. You were like, what, what, when are we talking? Like, what's, I mean, I wasn't like in high school. I mean, since I had a locker in high school, I think probably. Yeah.

What if Axe makes a comeback? Axe and Abercrombie. I mean, I just feel like I just hopped into the time machine. That'd be great. I'll be looking for those units. Should I start coming back? Iombie, I mean, I just feel like I just hopped in a time machine. That'd be great. I'll be looking for those units. 2007? Start coming back. I'd be like, all right, right about now, right?

Look, man, you guys seen Lost? I don't get it. Like, where are these other guys coming from? If they could just leave. I mean, God, they've got like electricity over on the other side. Okay. Do I read this one? It's pretty mean. It's not really even an email. Maybe we'll just forward it to Friday Feedback.

Great. Can't wait. Yeah. Okay. How about this one? All right. Fellas, 2861185, bench205, squat275, sports marketing professional in Dallas. I have a dilemma in my hands that some of you are familiar with. Me and my girl. I don't know. I imagine, well, he names the name here. He's already given us a lot of info here. So let's keep it more discreet. So he's been working with somebody, even talking for six months now.

Things are beginning to get more serious. My background, for her background, she's an HR professional, personal trainer, single mom. Haven't met the kid yet. She's being very protective and wants to make sure I'm going to be involved in their lives for the long run. I think that's the right call. Good for everybody, including the kid.

However, I've recently been introduced to her parents, siblings, close friends, and thankfully we have the seal of approval from everyone so far. It's safe to say I see a serious future with her and can honestly say this is the strongest I've felt about someone in a very long time. For the most part, we've had no real problems outside of one argument that's brought it from a lack of communication on both sides, but luckily we came out stronger on the other side. And while we're not official, we both have agreed we are exclusive. There's one issue that's been a small point of contention throughout our time together. She has a coworker, let's call him Jim Halper. Yeah, I got nervous here.

That's like, Hey, this is episode seven season four, but I don't think it is. Um, let's call him Jim has been recently divorced because Halper wasn't divorced. Right. He basically shot a very narrow net. Uh, Um, let's call him Jim has been recently divorced. Cause Halpern wasn't divorced. He basically shot a very narrow net, uh, recently divorced and has been hitting on her and trying to get with her for a few months now at first, when she told me. He had been flirty, um, with, with her and try to ask her out, we both kind of laughed it off. Well, I wasn't a big fan of this news. I never felt over overly threatened by Jim and still don't not to sound cocky.

I am just confident myself in what we have together for context. She's told me that she is seeing that she's told him that she is seeing me and even said, um, that her and her coworkers talk about me around the office. However, recently he has continued fucking gym. This pushes agenda, asking her out for drinks on Slack, a workplace communication app. That's always a good, that's always a good move.

Nice paper trail there. Yeah. You're like, Hey, all right, let's fire up the work email and start asking out some PAs. Setting up one-on-one meetings with her at her favorite coffee shop that she tells me are just work related. This week I found out that Jim got her a Mother's Day gift, which is a nice gesture, but

in my mind, this guy is just plotting, waiting for his moment. By the way, I don't think he wrote it for me to read it that way, but I did. Waiting for his moment and praying for my, I don't think he wrote it for me to read it that way, but I did. Waiting for his moment and praying for my downfall so that he can slip in. She tells me she doesn't want to make things weird since they work closely together. How do I navigate this situation and let her know that this does bother me without going overboard and making something out of nothing.

Um, by the way, I also got her a nice mother's day gift that she loved. Reading emails. Good for you. You're the best at reading emails. Good for you. You're the fucking Michael Jordan of reading emails. I love it. Okay. This ever happen to you guys? This exact thing?

I mean, it sounds like she's got a work husband, but she doesn't want him. So it's not the same as a work husband. You're right. I don't know. This guy's going to be around. He's just going to be around. He feels like he's got a leg up on the competition. He's definitely trying to find the right angle

to break through that door and just be where he wants to be. I think short of having her report this guy and you really just convincing her, sounds like she's not gonna stand up to him beyond the, or like, oh stop, I told you I'm seeing the guy, unless you want her to really put this on some record somewhere. It sounds like she's doing as much as she is comfortable with doing, with thwarting this guy's advances.

So he definitely feels like he's got the cheat code. He's like, well, we've got these eight hours, five times a week, where it's just kind of, he can't come in here. That guy who's out there in my competition. Like I don't, he can't do anything about this time. And he's kind of right in some sense. So unless you really want her to put this on the record with the higher ups, or you wanted to like blow up on them, you know, uh, there's, this is, there's really

nothing else to do without you just complaining to her all the time. Yeah, that's, that's what sucks about being a girl sometimes is like, you're kind of damn if you do damn, if you don't in this situation and female, you're right. My bad. If you, cause she's like, I don't want to escalate this into the point where like HR is involved and like, you know, it's, it seems harmless. Like it's, you know, he's, he got me a gift.

Like he's not, it's just a weird line. And I understand why she wouldn't want to escalate it to another level that maybe changes their relationship changes her what people think about her At work, so that sucks. I understand you have to think about that from a perspective clearly. She's not interested She's just kind of like appeasing this to go along I didn't you asked if we had like a similar experience my wife does real estate She's mostly commercial and there was a guy. I think I've told the story before I remember this She's had a couple there was a guy, I think I've told this story before. I remember this. She's had a couple of guys like hit on her here and there. Was he like sending letters to her?

Putting stuff in the mailbox? He sent selfie, which wasn't, and he was an older guy. Oh, the older guy selfie thing is fucking brutal. Yeah. I was like all neck. It was pretty rough. Remember I told you about the guy on TV that used to send the dog pics to like a couple girls that I knew?

Yep. And. Makes me ever like, I could, I could have been dating the person that I'll be like, wait, are you like entering? Like don't, anyway, go ahead. I don't even know what I was talking about. No, I think she, I think she was, I don't know if she was more,

I think she wanted me to be more upset than I was. I thought it was hilarious. And I think she wanted me to be more upset about it. That's awesome. So it's actually funnier. It's good that you're, I think it's good and I think she wanted me to be more upset about it. That's awesome. That's actually funnier. It's good that you're, I think it's good that you're like kind of mad about it, but I wouldn't really be like, clearly she is not interested in this guy and you have to understand the limitations of what she can do right now in her job and at work. Like she's just

not going to, you know, make this a four alarm fire or whatever it is. So it just kind of sucks. I think you're stuck in a place where there's really nothing you could do here. And sometimes people don't want advice. We've gone through this before and if she's just kind of sucks. I think you're stuck in a place where there's really nothing you could do here. And sometimes people don't want advice. We've gone through this before. And if she's just kind of venting from work and she's got, and this is just a part of her, you know, her rundown of the day. And then it's like, yeah, you know, Carol's being a real bitch and this is happening, whatever. And then also, Jim, you know, Jim took, Jim said something at the, at the, our coffee day today, or our coffee meeting today. Like if, if she just wants to tell you that and you're like well what are we gonna do about this like I guess just read her like when she's informing you of this

stuff like does she want to go deeper than just letting you know it happened as part of her rundown of the day as if she's like I'm telling you something and then you're derailing us because you're mad and I just want to get to the next thing so I would just think like just think about how you're coming off when you're just you know showing your displeasure with the situation. That's a great point. I watched something the other day where there are two types of complaining.

There's like, I just want to vent, and then there's I want you to do something about it. This seems like a venting session. I had this conversation the other night with a buddy, and we were talking about like different dating experiences and I haven't known the guy that long. So what seems to always happen with me is she back into something, you know, and they'll be like, what the fuck, you know, and I guess it's because a lot of

people find me incredibly unattractive or a fucking raging loser. So, uh, thank you. But I said, you know, I had a real issue because I was, I was dealing at a place that was fairly competitive. And there was a lot of like dudes being dismissive of me. And he made a great point where he was like, well, if you're with the one that everybody's messing with you want, so walk through life every day knowing that you got the W and that's like, yeah, that's the ultimate level of security. Now to our email here, you have every right to be annoyed, but the most. Like amazing thing you could do here is not like,

hey, who cares? Because I don't think that's realistic. But take the win every day that she picked you and that you're winning and this other guy's a clown. And if he wants to keep being a clown, there might be a moment where you feel like you need to step in. The problem for me when I went through it, it was, you know, it was at work.

And there were a few times where I was like, what? And then it's like, well, what am I going to do? Like getting into it with somebody at work in the parking lot, like fuck my career up. So you have to kind of get to a point where you go, well, this is all a compliment because I'm with the person that this many people are pursuing. And if you're not really built for that, you're going to drive yourself crazy. And you know, this is a, my, my thing is certainly not apples to apples here. But I, I do think when I was talking to my friend about it, like it was a really. Like it's just the ultimate moment of security in yourself to go, okay, you know, like I'm with somebody that's desirable.

I'm with someone that other men are going to be interested with. I mean, we are fucking dogs. All right. And guys play the friend zone thing up and then they're kind of like, yeah, but you know, something we're gonna break this way or that way or whatever, like you're kind of mapping it all out through your head. Like, you know, who you are when you're listening to this, you know, what you've done or the things you've thought about as far as like, man, you know, I'm just

here for you. And it's like, yeah. So how much time really comes out of this? Like how much effort, how much time do you want to put in to worry about this guy? It sounds like you've got a really good foundation with her. I think it's a great sign that she's actually like, we've got to be like all the way serious for you to be involved in my kid's life.

I think that's way better than some of the other scenarios where it's like, Hey, let's get coffee. I brought my kid. way better than some of the other scenarios. Or it's like, hey, let's get coffee. I brought my kid. I think that's how you have to look at it, is you're winning. So don't drive yourself crazy on this one.

Yeah, and think of the situation could be so much worse. It's like, it's a dude that works in her office. It's not like a trust fund guy who keeps coming into the bar that she works at. And it's just like, he keeps inviting me on this yacht. I don't know. Like, it's just a guy who's like trying to get her to go to coffee and, and maybe do something on the weekend.

It's not like one day that yacht's going to sound great. Like he doesn't have any of that to offer. So like just think of it. It could be worse. It's just a guy on her own level and, you know, financially it could be worse. I wonder if, I wonder if he, the EMR knows what he looks like or has like seen a picture of him. Of course he does I would think. Yeah he's definitely Facebook. Maybe he's definitely checked the mask. So maybe he is like he views him a little bit maybe he's you know he's not

a five maybe he's closer to a seven maybe he's not terrible looking you know. I'll tell you what doesn't work. How hot is he? Yeah right yeah yeah I mean that's kinda. We haven't had that in a while that's great. But yeah I'll tell you what does it mean to the, how hot is he? Yeah, right. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's kind of, we haven't had that in a while. That's great. But yeah, I'll tell you like the part that won't work. Be like, did that guy talk to you again today? Right. Don't do try that out a bunch of times a week.

See how it was. How's that going to have to worry about Jim or her? Right. So find a new scent. Yeah, man. Just take a shot of self-confidence here. Feel good about your situation. Spite.

I mean, this is kind of normal. I think it gets worse actually, as people get older and the social circles are smaller and you have less like when you're in college, some of this is just going to happen. Right. And then when you're in that post college, like going out Friday and Saturday nights, and then there's sort of like, Oh yeah, they're from St. Lawrence and that guy, whatever it is, you're out

in the West coast. Be like, I'm taking this girl from Arizona state. You're like, what? No way. And so it all just finds a way of like continuing to happen when you start getting older and older. And you're thinking like, I wonder if the lady at the dry cleaners is seeing anybody. Uh,

you know, I do think it's actually worse when it's older because guys can become like way more desperate if they're in constant or not constant need of, of attention, but have gone long stretches without attention because you know, you have no idea how, how much of an advantage you have when you're a younger person that even in those moments of loneliness or whatever, you just, there's always going to be something around the corner because your life is still so focused on the social aspect of

it. And when you start getting older and older, you know, you're like, ah, I'm looking at a new house. Like, no, I was hoping to meet some real estate agents at an open house. I'm not even approved for this place. You have two kids. No, it's a wedding ring.

Yeah. Like, ah, I wanted to show you the fourth bedroom. You did you not now? Uh, all right, that'll do it for us. Thanks to war gone. Thanks to Kyle Abercrombie is all the way back. See you in a month. Explosive Mike who may be waiting for bail.

Hey, a month for a month for pulling a knife, that actually seems pretty light to me. Oh, so he's in jail? No, a month, he just can't come to the bar for a month. That was the version. Wait, so wait, he pulled a knife on somebody at Frolick Room and it's only a month banned? I think it was outside of Frolick Room,

but it might've been near the threshold of the doorway. I'm not sure, I wasn't there. The facts are a little fuzzy. Kyle, I agree with you. It seems like a little light. That's not bad. Yeah. See if somebody will drop an NFL tweet. It'd be like a year suspension for weed, but only a month banned from the frolic room for a knife. Real solidly earth people over there.

All right. Thanks to Suri, Kyle, Wargon. I think I already did that. Check out our YouTube page, the Ryan Russo podcast ringer Spotify. Must be 21 and older, 18 plus in DC and present in select states. Fandual is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under agreement with Kansas Star Casino LLC. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit F fandual.com forward slash RG in Colorado, DC, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and Vermont.

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