Latest / FOURTH & BONILLA / Ep 26 - NBA Insider & Sportswriter - Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson

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Ep 26 - NBA Insider & Sportswriter - Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson · FOURTH & BONILLA

• speaker-0: There he is. speaker-1: Shakes pushing the side. Though the higher that you get from the speaker-2: you speaker-0: B Scoop Brandon Eugene Robinson speaker-1: you you really went into the archives, huh? speaker-0: Yes, sir, and you're not the only one that does their homework. speaker-2: Yes, sir. speaker-0: Scoop, man. Look at that background. You got Bosco rapping, Carmelo Anthony, Boston. I I I got another story about be behind the Boston jersey. speaker-1: resign for me. speaker-0: yeah. That's I I that's your that's your boy. Know him speaker-1: no. speaker-0: a little bit. Know him a little bit. Well dude, we're we're grateful for your time. Well we're gonna I wanna walk down memory lane a little bit with you. I would love to hear the origin story of Scoop B, the nickname, how'd it come about, who gave it to you. It's kinda like when you're on the playground or playing ball and you know, you earn that nickname. So who how like how'd you earn your Scoop B nickname? speaker-1: I started my journey. For those who may not know, I started my journey in radio at 12 years old. I had a a a radio show with the the then New Jersey Nets at 12. It was called Net Slemmin Planet. I hosted it with former net Albert King, Evan Roberts, who's over at WFAN. he was in season two, and then a woman named Lynn Wilson, Chris Carino, who's the voice of the Nets, was the executive producer and a woman named Amy Shear. worked f all over for v various organizations. They brought me in. And I just, you know, the radio show was one thing on Saturdays, every Saturday morning. I hosted it on New York Radio. But then during the week I would go to Nets games and I would be in the visitors and the and the Nets locker room. I started in ninety-seven, did the show from ninety-seven to ninety nine and I just would be in the locker room having conversations with with players about various things and you know, no different than now. And when I was on the radio show one day, Lynn said, you know, every great has a nickname. you always know what's going on going on around the locker room and I'm gonna call you Scoop B. And it kind of just stuck. speaker-0: Give us a scoop. And then was that your favorite team growing up? I know your favorite player is Michael Jordan. I believe that's that's who your favorite player is, but was that your team naturally because you grew up interviewing these players and had an affinity towards them? speaker-1: No. speaker-0: So what was your team? speaker-1: The Chicago Bulls. speaker-0: Hundred percent. You know, a lot of people don't know this. Mike and I used to alternate bulls jerseys growing up. It was just Jordan and Pippen. And the you know the classic champions jersey. speaker-1: I do. speaker-0: Yep. That was that was the one there, man. I know par parents are dude, parents are very instrumental. I know my my parents were driving us around to different tournaments and everything. can you take talk talk about the role that your parents had and the faith and just seeing like, this kid has the gift for Gab. as as a child you you know, you naturally gravitated to ha asking questions. I could tell from your interviews when you were younger. can you talk about rest in peace to your mother and her instrumental impact? speaker-1: so it's interesting. I I I actually went over to Seaton Hall University a couple of weeks ago and spoke and I told this story. my mom she she passed away in twenty twenty two and she had stage four cancer and and while I was in a in in her hospital room, she had asked me to go on her phone and do something. And I looked at her phone and she was having a conversation with someone and she said, you know, when Brandon was born, I tried to have conversation with him as much as possible because You know, I wanted him to be understanding and and know how to converse with people and and and just the whole nine and she goes, and I realized that that was a mistake because he never stopped talking. And she said that, you know, my my younger sister Candace, she's twenty nine, she said, You know, when can when Candace was born, I I didn't talk to her like I talked to Brandon. And and I told my sister that she was laughing. She goes, Yeah, I've heard that story before. But, you know, my my mom You know, I was a product of of a single parent household till my mother remarried when I was eleven to my stepfather. And my biological father was not in my life until much later. I was about sixteen years old. And you know, my my father struggled with drug addiction and my mother did not want me around that. But as I got older and and my father got his life in order and started his own business and more and and got his life right, you know, I I was around him, but in the meantime my mother And my stepfather were were were instrumental in in that process. So growing up in a Christ-centered faith-based church, definitely paid dividends for sure. I was a member of of a of a of a church that had about three different locations and had a membership of about ten thousand members. And so you learned very early, you know, how to speak in front of people, how to how to be in large crowds, how to conduct yourself, how to You know, i if the large mega p pastor was visiting pastor was coming to speak, you you kinda knew just that that fanfare of of extra people coming in just because that person was there, kinda like how when you go to a Knicks game, or if you go to a d a Nets game, you see a lot of Knicks fans or Lakers fans or Bulls fans, you see a lot of T D Jakes fans if they come to your church in in in that regard. So you kinda just learn all those different synergies and things like that. But also, you know, my mom and having me play the alto saxophone when I was a kid. I watched Mr. Hoots on Sesame Street. I I wanted to I wanted to play the saxophone like him. I was involved in a public speaking group called the New Jersey Orators. And then, you know, my family also ran successful businesses in Harlem. So being around you know, s it was to shoe stores. So being around sneakers and shoes and being around celebrities who buy shoes, just a natural progression of just, you know, right place, right time and being divinely ordained in that regard. speaker-0: That's awesome. I'm I'm glad that you brought up the Harlem shoe store that you were talking about. I saw that on the website and I wanted to get into that a little more. I saw that you did you get a actual chance to interview Hakeem and and Dominique while you were there, like w as a as a child, or you just interacted with speaker-1: I was I was very young. I was very young. So like, you know, Hakeem, Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb, James Worthy, they they would more so on the Spud Webb and and Dominique's side, they would do sneaker releases for a sneaker call Brooks. Brooks is still around actually. So that that you know, when you go to sneaker stores they do releases. So I I have pictures somewhere I have to find them, but Dominique and Nakeem Elijah and holding me when I was a child. I've had conversation with Dominique about it. because I I spent significant time in Atlanta where we'll talk about it and and he'll remember Harlem and and the story because he made a lot of money doing sneaker releases. And so he'll he'll finally remember that. I've had that conversation with James Worthy as well, and he is keenly aware of of those releases. But I was very young. I was probably d during those sneaker release times between the ages of like two and four. So I wasn't quite doing interviews yet. At six years old, I was ringing a cash register. And so I have memories of just, you know, people buying hats, people buying socks at the register and, you know, me ringing them up and and things of that sort. But there are other people who have shopped there. Big Daddy Kane, L O Kool Jay, Mike Tyson, the Wayne's brothers. I I've you know, I've been places where I ran into Dougie Fresh and I told him the name of the shoe store. We had a men's shoe store called Men's Walkers. And he said to me, the Men's Walkers store is actually where the Whole Foods is. We sold it. I brought up the sh that shoe store and he goes, I know that store very well. I spent a lot of money in that store. And I would hear stories from him and I would hear stories from like Big Daddy Kane about how like they would go to the men's shoe store and buy a shoe called the Playboy shoe or the British Walker shoe. And then they would walk over down the down the street to to Dapper Dan. And they would have the shoe match whatever the leather outfit was that that Dapper Dan was making. So Dapper Dan, the Sofu Restaurant Sylvia's, all that like our families overlap. That's that's old Harlem. That's like 60s Harlem. Sylvia's my mother, new Miss Woods, that the the founder of of Sylvia's like our family is it's has been you know entrenched, engulfed in Harlem since the sixties. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. It's incredible the history that Harlem comes along with. I know Dad, I'm forgetting his name right now, but he was starting to write a book about one of the artists that came out of Harlem. So I just like you name it. I mean there's everyone's been through there, so that's amazing that you have that experience. I c I kinda wanna go back to the net slamming planet for a second. Like, is there any Like behind the scenes untold story that you have that's a favorite one of yours. Like I know there must have been their first time, right? Like you get back in there, you start to see all the athletes, you're probably excited, nervous a little. but then you probably got in the groove of things and like maybe just walk me through that whole process when you first when you first started and then like towards the end of it. speaker-1: Yeah, so I mean the the what hap what really happened was my mom's friend Alicia, I I call her Aunt Alicia. it's funny, her her last name is Robinson, and my dad my biological father's name is is Henry Robinson and Alicia's ex husband's name is Henry Robinson. So my mother knew Alicia, she was like, Wait, hold up, let me see a picture of him and it and it it wasn't it wasn't him. So like that was how their relationship kind of started. They were both Single moms raising their daughter her her Alicia raising her daughter and my mom raising me. And you know, at the Alicia used to babysit me when I was a kid. And somehow, some way, Aunt Alicia saw like a a an advertisement for an audition at Chelsea Pier, Manhattan, for a kid's radio show called Oz World Radio, A A H S World Radio. it was sixteen sixty AM. I don't know if you guys back when you were growing up and if it was around by then, but the at the Liberty Science Center they had a radio station. And the radio station there was where I did my show my first year. And what happened was Osworld Radio was looking for kid personalities to, you know, just be part of their kids' force, whatever it was. Like just be kids. And so I remember like I did the audition at Chelsea Pier, killed it, got the second audition. It was at Dangerfields Comedy Club. And you know, Osworld Radio called me. It was like, me and maybe it was hundreds of kids who auditioned, maybe and maybe, maybe me and maybe six to ten other kids, you know, made the final cut. And so I remember like this wasn't the Nets. This was actually just for the radio station. And I remember we did commercials with like the the crash dummies in the radio station. So like we're running around riding in chairs, being wacky in the in the in the in the in the radio station and you know like they took a liking to me. So some time passed they called the the Oswald radio called us. I called the house and said, Hey, the Nets contacted us. They're looking for local talent that are really interested in basketball. And we naturally thought of Brandon. is that's can we put you guys in touch with the Nets? Sure. we met with Amy Shear, who was pretty high up with the Nets at that time. And, you know, she took a liking to me. I met with Leo Erline, I believe, who with the Nets. His son went to Dabosco and then We met with Lou Lamarello and and a bun and a bunch of other people. And you know, they they vetted me, they interviewed me and and they took a liking to me. And this was in nineteen ninety seven. This was back when Keith Van Horn was their first pick in the draft. to speaker-0: He was their first pick? Wow. I'm just trying to think of like speaker-1: Traded his rights his rights were traded on draft day. Tim Dun Tim Duncan was trade was drafted one by San Antonio. Keith Van Horn was drafted second by the Philadelphia 76ers. If I'm not mistaken, Tim Thomas was drafted seventh. The Sixers and the Nets completed a draft day deal where they shipped Tim Thomas to Philadelphia in exchange for Keith Van Horn, was who was the second overall pick in the draft. At the time, John Calipari was the head coach and the vice president of basketball operations. Willis Reid worked in the front office for the Nets at the time. Chris Carino, who's the voice of the Nets on the radio, he was the executive producer for my show called Net Slim and Planet. Bob Papa was actually the voice of the Nets before Chris Carino on the radio. And so my first year, I was there. Keith Van Horn was the first pick. He was pushing a stroller in the hallway as a rookie. He was married. Jason Williams was on that team, Sam Cassell, Kendall Gill, Michael Cage. pretty much everybody who's on that team then I'm in touch with now. Like I'll see Michael Cage in Oklahoma City. He's one of the TV voices for the Thunder. Kendall Gill, when I go to Chicago, my brand manager, she's in Chicago. So if I go to a Bulls game, I'll see Kendall doing Bulls broadcasts. you know, Sam Cassell is an assistant on this on the On the Celtics. I remember I flew to Atlanta for something during the season and I I had torn my ACL and my meniscus and had surgery in September. And when I walked into Atlanta, I'm walking past the Celtics bench pregame, Sam Cassell goes, Give it up, B, give it up, motherfucker. Stop playing basketball. You you're too old for that shit. Like it's it's you know, you you you spend 20 to 30 years with people. Stefan Marbury was part of that team the following year. Stefan and I talk about Two to five times a week. With you know, in year two he had gotten traded to the Nets to follow my my second season working with them. Sherman Douglas, just a myriad of different people. Eric Murdoch, Elliot Perry, Earl Boykins, Evan Eshmeyer. Boygens, I can go on Yeah, yeah. Damon Jones. All those guys were on on that team those two seasons that I worked for the team. And, you know, at the time when I was a kid, I was sharing locker room space with Stephen A. Smith, Woj, Chris Broussard. you know, I I was spending time with these guys before I had even stepped foot in a high school classroom. And you know, th those experiences definitely, you know, set the tone. I have a pair of sneakers in my closet that Verdy Maxwell signed for me back in 1999, maybe when he was a member of the Charlotte Hornets. And you asked me for a funny story, I'll t I'll share one with you. I remember being in the in the Hornets locker room and you know, I I needed to I needed some time with Glenn Rice and Anthony Mason. And Glenn Rice wrote his number down for the hotel he was going to be at the next day. He said, Call my hotel. And I thought it was cool because Glenn Rice and I have the same birthday. And then you, and then just hearing things about Sarah Palin later and him, I thought it was funny as hell when I heard it. I was like, wait, I called his hotel. And then I remember I was in the locker room with with Anthony Mason, and he was like, he gave me his house number. He was like, call me next week. He goes, be on the road, but call me and we we can have some time, you know, to sit and talk. And he lived in Charlotte at the time, so I'll never forget it was a 704 area code. And I call his house and somebody answers the phone. They're like, hello? And they sound like Anthony Mason, yo, can I speak to Mace? Who's this? Brandon Robinson. He's not here. Click. So then like I waited like maybe a week later, I call him and he leaves. This was back when people had personalized voicemails, and I'll never forget. he goes, Yo, you reach Mace. I can't come to the phone right now. But if you leave a message, I get back to you as soon as possible. and by the way, if you're not down with NACE in the 9-8, F you be. speaker-2: laughter speaker-0: That is classic, are you kidding? speaker-1: Yeah. Yes. And it's funny 'cause like Mace and I have reconnected years later and I told him that story. He was like, Step, I remember that. He he and he since has left us, but me his son and I have gotten cool and I and Aunt Mace Junior and I told him that story. He goes, Man, that sounds like speaker-0: That's incredible, man. I mean, like, you know, it's funny, like a follow-up question would have been like, who's your favorite? All that. But it's like you have so many people, and that was at what age? You said that was at 12 when you started. So 14 is when you ended. Like, you're just starting your career. You're not like you said, you didn't even step into the class at that time. Right? You're just like doing something that you kind of love. Mm-hmm. But mean, did you know that you wanted to be in like that media since the beginning kind of thing? Or was it just like I had these couple opportunities, like and you just stumbled into it? speaker-1: I mean, growing up I used to watch Sixty Minutes at like five or six. I used to pick up the newspaper and just read it. I used to watch Sixty Minutes because I liked the way that Ed Bradley interviewed and asked questions. Ed Bradley was a child prodigy himself. probably one of my biggest disappointments in life is that I I've I've not gotten the opp I did not get the opportunity to to meet the late Ed Bradley, but you know, I've studied him quite a bit. I so, you know, asking questions and again talking to my mother, no end. you know, you you find a way to to channel that thing. I I will tell you that, growing up, my my stepfather is from the west side of Chicago, minutes away from the the United Center. Before that it was Chicago Stadium. And one day he turned on the the television and I was watching the NBA at NBC. This was in nineteen ninety one, when the Chicago Bulls were playing, and the Bulls went to the finals that year and beat the Los Angeles Lakers. And I and I was hooked ever since. Like just it was it was it was like very organic it wasn't like i was following behind you know other people and it's funny i i'm i'll make mention of this one of my closest friends i i spent some time with her in in san antonio during the conference finals and she reminded me of something that i didn't realize she goes the school where we went to school at it was called Chad School in North New Jersey she said Do you remember a kid that went to the school named Michael Jordan? They used to make fun of him all the time. She goes, You know that's Michael B. Jordan? speaker-0: my god. speaker-1: I was a year ahead of him. So it's like just Michael Jordan in ninety one, like was a big, big time name. They used to make fun of him at that school because his name was Michael Jordan, which is why he calls himself Michael B. Jordan to set that differentiation. speaker-0: That is incredible. Yep. that was in Newark, correct? speaker-2: Mm-hmm. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah, it's he's from New York. You're from New York. That's crazy. I think remember seeing like an interview of like some this is a sidebar, but like I remember seeing an interview of someone interviewing Michael B. Jordan and L'Oreal L'Oreal you know what I'm talking about, right? speaker-1: Yeah, they all went we all went to chat school together. speaker-0: Gotcha. Yeah. I mean he was like they he like, Yeah, you guys used to make fun of me back then kind of thing. He just calls it out right in the interview and like she was like, No, definitely not. I'm like, he caught you on that one. speaker-1: I saw L'Oreal I bumped into a couple weeks ago. I'm back and forth between LA and on a red carpet. I I've I've I've seen her trajectory over the years and she needles, she's good at her job, but but but yeah, Michael my you gotta be careful when you when you when you name drop people from your where you've dovetailed in your past 'cause people find clips and I always try to I personally try to stay remain positive. But yeah, that was their that was their issue. Michael B. Jordan was born in Newark. I only spent time in Newark the day I was born and I never lived there. But yeah. speaker-0: Your birthday was recent, man. Happy belated. Not a month ago. I'm I'm I'm in the same month, May, May seventeenth. You're May twenty eighth, I think. speaker-1: Twenty eighth, yes sir. You may May May babies, we doing something. We doing something. speaker-0: And you got twenty eight too, so I'm November twenty eight. Twenty eight's my lucky number, so there you go. speaker-1: Okay. We we're aligned. We're numerically aligned. speaker-0: Scoop, tell me a little bit about like some of the transactions that are going on right now. Like there's so much activity. I was surprised you were gonna be able to take this with us. I was like, Scoop's gonna be on his phone the whole time interviewing taking. Yeah, exactly. speaker-1: I I had to do an interview before I was on with you at seven o'clock. I was on a on a Miami Heat YouTube show that has close to ten thousand subscribers and I I text Antoine Walker. He's he came on with me because he's episode two of the pull up with Scoop B. So we knocked that out. But after I did that, I wrote a piece that I'm gonna drop tomorrow, which kind of details with the New Orleans Pelicans are looking to do. They're they're looking to bring in some level of a big man to the fold. a name that I've heard more recently is Wendell Carter Jr., currently of the Orlando Magic. Of course, he and current Pelicans head coach Jamal Mosley have a history. I actually sat down with Wendell during the season and we we talked about the respect that he has for Mosley and you know they're they're how he is a players coach and more. So he's somebody that that is on their radar quite a bit and you can check that out over in the blog section of Scoopy dot com. By the time you guys release this it'll be up. but yeah, that that's something and then you know, of course the Miami Heat are are looking to see what else state they can bring to the fold after, you know, making the Blockbuster trade to bring in not just Giannis Anta Tacumpo but Bobby Portis as well. So names that that I've heard include Klay Thompson, as well as Kawhi Leonard, because that deal is not official until next month. and so more teams can actually while the framework is completed, more teams can actually you can make it a multi-team trade. So that that the Lakers, the Detroit Pistons, the Brooklyn Nets could, you know, be players in that making that trade more elongated. speaker-0: That's super interesting. I I'm really curious about Jalen Brown's situation with the Boston Celtics. I mean, let's talk about it. Like fantastic season. They their chemistry is is top notch. Right? Then Tatum comes back and it's not like it's just it's just timing. It's not this it's not a reflection on Tatum, but they don't play up to their they were arguably playing better without him. in the playoffs. And now he's in now he's like could still considered part of the top trade like movers for the Celtics right now in the in the free agency market. Or not just in the market in the summer. is there anything there? Like what what do you what do you what are your thoughts on the Celtics at the moment and Jalen Brown? speaker-1: This is the second time that the Celtics have had conversations with another team about his availability. twenty twenty-two, the Nets and and the Celtics had had conversations about, you know, the availability of Jalen and potentially bringing Kevin Durant to the to the Boston Celtics. And it ended up not happening and a lot of it just had to do with a lot of cacophony that was going on in the world of Kyrie and and and Kevin Durant. So you know, they stay they stood pat there and then, you know, in twenty twenty four they won the finals. and Jalen was the MVP and then the following year Tatum tore as Achilles. in answer to your question more more directly is you know, I I've heard things just about their level of meaning Tatum and Brown their their level of connectivity. But I also know that those guys have been in the trenches for a long time and It's funny, the Nets actually basically traded Jason Tatum to to the Celtics because that draft pick was part of the deal that brought Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to the Nets. speaker-2: yup. speaker-1: You know, the Celtics have definitely built out their roster through the draft and, you know, a couple of of of of moves here and there. but i it's it's very difficult. I I'll say that, you know couple of the teams that that would make sense and I I can tell you that I know that during this whole Giannis process the Portland Trailblazers were a team that were looking to bring Giannis into the fold particularly because of his relationship with Drew Holiday as well as his relationship with Damian Lillard. And thank you. And and I think that you know when you you look at teams that could utilize his services, you know, Portland is definitely a team but Portland is is is dealing with the new ownership group and and a lot of slashing and cutting and and budgeting and in that fold with their new team governor and you know what can you do in Portland besides go to Nike, go to Adidas, he's signed to neither, and and enjoy the legalities that are there. I enjoy Portland. for the quietness and just the serene, you know, nature. But at this point, J you you when you're getting a Jalen Brown, you're you're you're building a contender around him. And, you know, I know that the Pelicans would be open to hearing things, but you know, his availability they're they're gonna want a lot. And I know one of the players that is is of that is desirable to many teams when having a conversation about the Pelicans. Or having a conversation with the Pelicans is Herb Jones and the Pelicans are very high on him and his defensive prowess. So, you know, th it's it's it's difficult to move a player like that. I I've spent significant time with Jalen this year and one of the things that he has prided himself on this year is the fact that a lot of people left that Celtics team for dead, when they saw that Tatum was not going to be playing in the beginning of the season and you know, he told me that he really takes pride in the fact that people looked at him as at and that team as a twenty to thirty win team and they've exceeded all those expectations. And, you know, they they he grew tired of it and he's he's glad that he can kind of pop pop sugar honey iced tea and letting people know that, you know, he exceeded those expectations and and Tatum came back. And, you know, Joe Mazzula feels similarly, you know, during the season he I was in a press conference and he was just tired of all the questions. And I said to him, You know, you're a man of faith. what is one Bible verse that you lean on during this whole process? speaker-0: Yeah, the number. speaker-2: the camera. speaker-1: And I actually wrote a story about it. and I get an email at 12:30 in the morning the next day. Joe Mazzula emails me and he goes, Brandon, I want to thank you for asking me that question about my favorite Bible verse. While I coach the Boston Celtics. my relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important thing to me. And it's the only thing that matters. And I'm paraphrasing, but that's essentially what he said. speaker-0: Doesn't surprise me like about his character, about he the way he leads that team, Joe Mazzula. Like there's a level of steadiness. You see how he answers his questions. He never gets too high, never gets too low. that's amazing. And then to comment one more time on Jalen Brown, it's just like he wins the MVP and still doesn't get the respect that he deserves, you know. I can see from an organizational standpoint that they wanna trade him maybe 'cause he that's the highest value that they got in. They've had this unit for a while and they haven't they've won though. It's it's like they it's not like had they haven't won together. So I'm I'm I'm a bit confused why they wouldn't want to keep this unit together again, run it back, speaker-1: I i if I could be honest with you, I speaker-2: Yeah, of course. speaker-0: Four. speaker-1: think sometimes When a certain player has a certain look, you assume that a certain player achieves certain things. Jalen Brown doesn't have the look that Jason Tatum has. And people wish that Jason Tatum had the look and had the career that Jalen Brown had. And they often attribute thinking that Giannis is going to come in and he and Tatum are going to team up and take over the world. I'm speaking in code, but you guys know exactly what I'm saying to you. And Jalen Brown does not fit that look. speaker-0: So true. Yeah. Yeah. I know exactly what you're saying. And but like but w if the beautiful thing about basketball is winning is winning. Like if you know on the basketball court, it doesn't matter what you look like. They're picking the guy that's gonna get them to win the game, you know? speaker-1: why they're not picking Brown then? speaker-0: Exactly. That that's the part that doesn't that's like not part of like the soul of basketball. You know what I'm saying? I know. It it doesn't make any sense. And everyone sees it. Everyone sees it. Yes. speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-0: well I digress. I want to talk about the Lamello trade today to Minnesota and then Nas Reed going to to Charlotte. What are your thoughts there? speaker-1: LaMelo to Minnesota made sense because I know that Minnesota was looking for a point guard and they could they they're the the Dallas Mavericks asking price for Kyrie Irving made Kyrie unavailable. and Julius Randle and Nas Reed to me were expendable. but I have questions about Rudy Gobert holding his own by himself without the other interior pieces that make up that Timberwolves team prior to that trade. speaker-0: He's been suspect, man. Like, I like his game in the regular season. I like his game in certain points, but I just feel like playoffs get to him, that's one. And I just feel like he's been in the league for too long to like make certain things happen on in the court where like you ex you're expecting him to do a lot better at that point, like in terms of maturity of the game. Like he's been there for too long, he has too much abilities, and then he just like pulls this like ridiculous five game stretch where you're like Where are you, buddy? Like, where's your head? We need your leadership. And he just never shows it on the court. So, like, I I I totally agree with you on that comment. I've never thought, I think, like, if there's anyone in terms of value that to trade, it's probably him. You could probably get a lot of assets for him just because of his size alone, because you're probably gonna get more in, you know, whatever whatever team is gonna ask like for that trade back. speaker-1: You clear space by and you speaker-0: Contract. Yep. speaker-1: you then you resign Io De Sumo and then you bring in LaMelo. And it's funny because Minnesota brought in Io DeSumo via trade with the Bulls. And I know the Bulls in Minnesota had had a conversation about Kobe White. It's interesting how this merry-go-round goes around where Kobe White was LaMelo's backup. a after they shipped Colin Sexton to Chicago. And I knew Colin wasn't gonna stay there, but bringing Kobe in and then trading Lamello and then Kobe becomes the starting point guard and signs an extension today with the Hornets to keep him there. And and it it to me it it showed that Charles Lee, the head coach of the Hornets, not only got his contract extension with the team, but also got a point guard that is more in his image, so to speak. But from my knowledge of the Minnesota Timberwolves, you know, not only were they looking to bring in a a Kyrie Irving or a Lamello ball, but the John Morant conversation was also a another piece. And they just Minnesota couldn't couldn't could only get certain people. And Charlotte of course was looking to move Lamello. I I can share this now just because I know I remember a a Hornets loss after a tough game that they should have won. There were a lot of close games that Charlotte should have won this season. And after a loss, Lamello walks through the tunnel and he yells, Trash ass coach. And it's funny because he was frustrated after he said it. Right after that loss, they went on this run the rest of the season. In the second half of the season they really took it over and became a play in team. Nas Reed coming over there, I think will give him full autonomy. I actually think Nas Reed playing for the Charlotte Hornets could actually give him all star credits, playing alongside Brandon Miller, playing alongside Kobe White and some of those other guys on that Charles Lee roster. But yeah, I I I definitely I like the trade for Nas Reed. I actually like it for LaMelo as well because you know, Mike Conley Jr Jr. playing off of LaMelo and having Lamelo play some two or three. next to Anthony Edwards, I think it's going to expand their their roster. speaker-0: I was just about to say, like like let's not forget about Ant, right? That guy's a dog and like he is just gonna feed him now that it's a little pressure off. 'Cause he was bringing up the ball up the court pretty much a a good amount of the time, to be honest. Like and when the offense runs through you that much, like it takes a little more time to get into groove of things, right? If you have Lamello like facilitating that, then it could be a whole nother world for him. So hopefully that that kind of works. P I know we can go all day on trades and I I do wanna say one thing last before we get back to you know, Scoop's career. what do you think about the Knicks though, and now like how real was Giannis potentially going there or not? I know from what I read, it seems like he really pushed for it, but the Knicks never really offered anything real to his team. any background on that? speaker-1: Yeah, the Knicks weren't pressed. The Knicks wanted them, but they knew that they would have to move Kat and Minnesota was excuse me, Milwaukee was looking at it. Okay, Cat and what else? Does that include Deuce McBride? Does that like what does that include? and so there was kind of this level of inconclusiveness and a belief, that you know, they could revisit this in the off season and actually Minnesota and Charlotte's conversation, and and shipping Lamelo to The Minnesota Timberwolves was actually a revisit of a conversation that they had at the deadline. Comparatively, some believe that that whole Kat and Giannis conversation would be revisited in the same breath, but the Knicks ended up winning a championship and Kat more than raised his value for for for him to get a new deal. And I don't think he should take any less money in order to to come back. He he earned his keep in a world where they tried to trade him. speaker-0: Yeah, he definitely let his his game speak this playoffs. I didn't think he was gonna do it. I'll be I'll be the first to say it, man. I I was not not that I didn't like Kat's game at all. I just saw that there was flaws and I was the first to say that you can't win with a guy like this. But clearly he was able to kinda translate the game, share the ball a little, understand that he needs to play a little more defense, and he did that. kudos to the Knicks, man. That was an incredible run. Can we just pause on that for a second? Like the Knicks are champions. What are we even talking about right now? speaker-1: Yes or speaker-0: Even as a Bulls fan, that you are, Scoop, I'm sure you have an appreciation for that that run. speaker-1: Well, having grown up in both the city and in Jersey, and my uncle, one of my uncles ran a basketball, a grassroots basketball league where a lot of today's New York City legends you know, were high school players, you know, Marbury, Rod Strickland, they participated in that league. And so I used to see my uncle do grassroots deals with Rucker Park, the New York Knicks, the Junior Sprite Junior Knicks League and all that stuff. So My my my cousin was a ball boy for the seventy three Knicks team. so I've been around the Knicks a a a long time from my childhood, even working for the Nets. Patrick Ewing and I used to go to the same barbershop when I was a kid. Mark Bryant, the assistant coach on that team, used to go to that barbershop as well. So I I've I've always been interconnected with both, you know, pro teams in the metropolitan area. and so I you know, I'm I'm happy. for the Knicks to be successful. How could you not be happy for your region to finally do something that they haven't done in our lifetime? speaker-0: I'm hoping the magic rubs off on my my jets, but I I don't think that that'll be the case. Not speaker-1: Keep you we'll we'll keep you in prayer, my brother. speaker-0: Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. speaker-2: You speaker-0: well look, I I think this is a good transition because you you mentioned it with the the question that you've asked in the past. And I wanna know like what your what your approach is to breaking through the standard PR questions that folks go like go into with players and coaches. Like it it's probably easy just to say the normal thing that people are expecting, like the normal mass, but how do you come up with these unique questions, right? You talked about it earlier, but like Is there a I know you don't want to give your secret sauce away, but you gotta give me a little something. speaker-1: No, I mean I I mean it's it's it's observation. I don't live under a rock. I I travel across the country and pay attention to culture. and I get to arenas early to observe. you we talked about Julius Randle. I I'll give you I'll give you a quick Randall story that that ties in. I remember during the Western Conference finals last year, the Timberwolves were playing The thunder. And if the game was at seven, I got there about four, four thirty. And when you get there early, you you you kinda see who's there. That's where you get the the gossip and the team when you bump into people and I get there early and Julius Randle, this was game three, was working out pregame while listening to young Jeezy. Like the Timberwolves assistant coach had put on a mix. And I mean I I I know Jeezy. Like I like I I Jeezy got me through grad school and undergrad. Like I like I know Jeezy. So I'm just looking at his his his ball work before the game, his, his, his routine, his postgame, his his, his free throw shooting, it's his it's just I was looking at his whole walkthrough, his whole bag. And they won that game. And so I'm sitting in a press conference and I'm and I'm just waiting, like waiting for everybody to ask their standard questions and it's nothing wrong with that. That's their thing. speaker-2: Yes, speaker-0: So speaker-1: Waited for about ten questions and then all of a sudden I said, Yo, and and you you can find it on YouTube, but like I I said, Hey man, I I you dropped this many points, you did this, you did this. all while listening to young Jeezy. And when I said that, his guard immediately dropped. I said, I I can't remember exactly what I asked at the end, but kind of almost along lines that you play for the Knicks. and to and Anthony Mason is a legend. I tied it all in. And in today's day and age, who were people that you like at the at your position as a point forward, small forward, whatever? And his whole guard, his face lit up, he versus for rest in peace, mates. He's he's a legend. and he talked about Jeezy and he talked about just the whole thing. And next thing I know, NBA social is cutting up that question and tagging Jeezy, and Jeezy's all in the comments. And I said, God damn. That's a question I should've asked in the locker room. I'm not mad. It is what it is, but it it's it's When you pay attention to culture and you and and and the cul and culture and basketball and just l observation are interwoven, you've created a cocktail of success that won't lose. speaker-0: Well for that answer. speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-0: Dude, you you like you could tell influence from Stuart Scott, the late Stuart Scott from ESPN. like I could he he does the same thing as you were doing. I was listening to a Gary Payton speaker-2: review. speaker-0: and you just like the that interview was different than any other interview I've heard, you know? People ask the the same damn questions all the time. And you just like took it in all these different directions. Somehow put a smile on this man's face the entire t the entire interview, which was awesome. And the Hall of Fame speaker-1: That it's it's timing. speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah. speaker-1: They're not they're not robots. I think sometimes people put too much sauce on the fact that they play in the NBA and forget that they're people. speaker-0: And they probably appreciate that. We we interviewed someone else. we interviewed Matt Sims. You're you're very familiar. And he he like quickly said, like, hey, like I I've I've matured since I've been in high school. And he basically said the story of like, hey, like I just at that time didn't know when people were coming at me and asking me for questions, or he just even speaker-2: Just, speaker-0: speaking to me. I didn't know I always assumed they wanted something from me, you know? And your ability to disarm people during interviews is really fascinating It's pretty cool. speaker-1: Thank you. I I mean, y you have practiced over the years being around Carl Malone, Greg Popovich, Reggie Reggie Miller. I've made Pop laughing interviews before. speaker-0: Yeah, give us a Popovich story for real. That's that would be awesome. He's gotta be a tough one to crack, that's why. Yeah, that's what I'm asking. speaker-1: I remember All-Star Weekend 2016 was in Toronto and he was just he was the head coach of the Western Conference team and he was being peppered with questions. And somebody asked him something, and Drake was involved in in that All-Star weekend in Toronto, and I I it was like a a small gap. And I said, What's your favorite Drake song? And He said, I'm not gonna say that Donald Trump thing. And and I looked there and he looked at me, we both started laughing. people like Pop and people like Charles Oakley are for me are easy to talk to because I had uncles like them. speaker-0: Yep. You know how to relate, man. speaker-1: Yeah. Gotta be able to relate. speaker-0: Quickly on Oakley. I can't honestly, I thought if they would have invited him back to the garden, that would have brought like a crazy spark. Not that it needed another spark, but it just would've added to the media, like storm, the energy, everything. Like, is there any movement on that? Like, is this will he ever see MSG again? speaker-1: think fans think that he w he wants to be It's all speaker-0: He must have wanted to be there, Scoop. speaker-1: Hear me out. Charles Oakley has an open invite from the Knicks. Charles Oakley just doesn't give a damn. And I feel like people want him to give a damn. Almost as if appearing at Madison Square Garden is like the pearly gate to heaven. speaker-0: I mean this run close to it. speaker-1: I hear you, but this is a man that was dragged and handcuffed at speaker-0: Yeah, no. speaker-1: a man Yeah. Listen, you you guys speaker-0: Expecting at this point. speaker-1: Like could you imagine somebody dragging could you imagine somebody somebody dragging you out of Donboss going handcuffs and then everybody feel like you should be honored to come back? speaker-0: Yeah. No, no You're absolutely right. Well give give the folks context because I feel like I'm talking almost out of turn as well. Like clearly I just saw them like fight like I just saw a quick fight, I saw him like get at one of was a Dolan and then he gets pulled out. Like what like do you have the full story? speaker-1: The way the story the so I mean this is so for those who may be tardy to the party, there was an incident that happened in 2017 or 2018 in Madison Square Garden where Madison Square Garden security had approached Charles Oakley and basically Oakley put his finger in the guy's face, said some things, it was cursing, and he pushed them. And then basically it was a back and forth, and it took like four or five security people to grab Oakley and drag him out of Madison Square Garden for. I don't know the backstory of what happened, but it it's been said that he and Nick's owner, James Dolan, had had prior spats. And so, you know both gentlemen have been in court just wasting money going back and forth. Charles Oakley, after retiring from basketball, he's a chef. He also owns a car wash in Yonkers. My my my grandmother and I used to go to that car wash pretty regularly. That's How I first connected with Charles Oakley as a child. And he's been very good to me throughout my career, particularly the last three to five years. but you know, they've been going back and forth just in in the news and in in court documents and and more. And, you know, I did spend some time with Charles in Atlanta when the in round one when they the Knicks played the Hawks. And, you know, he's been in San Antonio, he's been in Cleveland where he's from. And, you know, he's been he's been he's been on two away games, but You know, even the level of the the the Knicks employees that are that work for the Knicks that were former teammates of theirs, they're they're very hesitant to, you know, have conversation. I've spoken to people who who feel as though you know, just it would be the ownership's vibe is almost like don't talk to Charles. That's that's what's been expressed to me. And so it's just this level of Charles versus Dolan and versus people see Ewing, people see Starks, people see Yeah. speaker-0: Well Crew is there. Sorberry. speaker-1: But here's Ewing, Starks, Houston have to be there because they're Knicks employees. speaker-2: Mmm. speaker-0: Yeah, similar to I think Spreewell too, I believe. speaker-2: you. speaker-1: Yes, Larry Johnson as well versus Marbury. He's not a Knicks employee, but has a very good relationship with the Dolans and and and Tim Thomas the same way. They a lot of those guys are paid to sit courtside at those games and they're comp tickets. speaker-0: J. R was there I think too. speaker-1: Right. Your comp tickets as a legend. They're legend, they're le their next legend, cr core is very strong. Chris Childs appears every now and then, but I I think I think people just think just shut up and show up, but it's so it's speaker-2: It's late. speaker-0: So much more than that, yeah. speaker-1: Layered. speaker-0: That's that's completely fair. That's completely fair. We have a Knicks guy we recorded a podcast with him. Gerald Wilkins. speaker-1: Did you? speaker-0: Yeah, yeah, great, great story. dude, Patrick Ewing's wingman when when he first came to the Knicks. Uh-huh. And he lived in that shadow of Dominique, and and he has his own story, which is fantastic. He dropped very soon. speaker-2: That should be coming soon. speaker-0: Okay. speaker-2: but Hey. speaker-0: I wanna hear close us out a little bit, round us out, the pull up. Talk to us. What what what like how did you come up with the name and and like how is this different from the content that you regularly put up on on Scoopy dot com? speaker-1: In addition to starting young, I've I've worked at network television. I've worked at Bally Sports Network. I've worked at ESPN Radio, Heavy dot com, Slam magazine. I've been, you know, around for for close to 30 years. my business partner and I created Scoopy Radio back in 20 we soft launched it in twenty fifteen, but we hard launched it in twenty sixteen. and we've had millions of streams of the of the platform any ed i as with guests, any iteration of DJ Khalett, the voice of Siri, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, Isaiah Thomas, Kirk Franklin, a bunch of people. And basically, we ended at the 10 year mark, we ended Scoopy Radio. Because we did everything. It's gone viral. It's it's been you know it's been it's it's it ran its course, but other properties have done well like scoopy.com, the blog section, you know, dropping things that I know, has been has been doing very well. And I had knee surgery back in September and my and my publicist and brand manager and I got on the phone with a a a guy named Lonnie who is a production guy. And my publicist is based in Chicago and we came up with the concept of the pull up Scoopy. pulling up the places and you're you're interviewing and asking questions. So Kendall Gill, first guess, made sense, childhood. Antoine Walker, I always liked his style of play. with the way he was a big guy, he could shoot the three, the the shimmy. just just speaker-2: . speaker-1: all of just the his commercial with Adidas employee number eight. I just always thought Twan was cool and he was always kind to me when I was a kid. And you know, so you know we we we've taped, we've got about four to five episodes in the can. We've had conversations with some streaming companies and networks about you know, fit and and things of that sort. But, you know, the pull up with Scoopy is expertly shot, edited, and disseminated and livable on YouTube. And there are conversations that are being had with networks about, you know, next steps. And, you know, this first phase of the pull up with Scoopy started in May. we have episodes that will last till about September and you'll hear next you you'll hopefully hear next steps soon thereafter. speaker-0: I've been meaning to ask for a while. obviously I read that you had an appearance in the famous NBA two K game. What like tell me about that appearance? What appearance is it? obviously this is a game of There it is locked and loaded. speaker-1: It is speaker-0: He's ready for it. speaker-1: I mean it's so it's it's I've been playing the game since two K one. That was right after the original two K back in Sega Dreadcast. And so you know, over the years they've they've expanded and the social media portion of it is the part that the my player mode is what really moves the needle and for a period of time they use my name, image and likeness for the two K game. And was part of my player social media portion of it. I did it for a few years and it was a cool it was a cool moment because a lot of young kids will be like like they'll they'll see it, they'll take a picture, they'll tag me on Instagram or tweet it at me and so it it's a pretty cool situation. But I remember like I've always had a good relationship with two with two K and you know, still go to their parties, have been at VIP functions, have been in rooms that have just been outstanding. because of that, you know, that connectivity with two K and you know, still have a good relationship with two K to this day. speaker-0: So in the actual game, is it that you are one of the announcers? Is it that you're in part of like the like what what is the feature though? speaker-1: The my player mode where when you're playing a a series or you're you're creating a team, you you're tweeting about the the player. This person had thirty five points or sources tell me that this person could be traded to this team. So they're using they're creating moments based upon your your name, image and likeness. They use your picture, they use your your social media handle and they tweet out things that you would say. speaker-0: Very cool. Very I actually had a question that just came to me. Shams, Woj, like is there a like camaraderie between all the reporters or is there kind of like a little bit of a competitive rivalry between you guys? speaker-1: All the above. speaker-0: Ha ha ha. speaker-1: when Wolge retired, I I sent him a text and congratulated him on, you know, a job well done. And he texted me back and said, Thanks, Scoop. I've worked with Shams when I was at Ballysports Network, Bally Sports and Stadium shared talent. So sometimes I would go to Chicago where Stadium was and would do shows there. we've done, you know Team photo shoots and we're cordial. woes. We go back to our childhood. Probably the best relationship that I that I have out of, you know, the actual like insiders or people who break news is probably Chris Haynes and Jake Fisher. speaker-0: Okay. Yeah, I mean y you gotta have some allies in the game, you know? speaker-1: yeah, definitely definitely allies but there's there's there's definitely allies with insiders and then there's other, you know, guys like I have a good relationship with Monica McNutt. she and I go back to the twenty twenty two NBA finals. That was actually my first NBA finals. and that was between the Celtics and the Warriors and it's cool because Those relationships with guys on both of those teams, even when they s go to another team, when you see them in different cities, there's still a yo, it's still a it's like and I have that with and I have that with Draymond Green. Draymond and as well as Jalen Brown, those guys were very good to me, during my first finals in twenty twenty two. But d during that process, like you you get to know other reporters. Like I've been at places where you know you meet local people in the Boston area and they invite you to the house up in that like mansion hangouts and with with a a a colleague of mine and I had Christy champagne for the first time. And then when I'm there, like there's other reporters who came by and they and they they cooked down and drank and you know you during All Star weekend you you you go out to eat with people and you spend time and you go to different activations and you see stuff but Yeah, there's there's certain reporters. Ian Bagley I have a good report with. Like I I I see Ian on the road like at least once a year. I told you about during the conference finals, the Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder played. And I'm in the hallway with Mike Conley Jr., walking with him to his car. And he I have my recorder and he's like, he's looking at me like, what you doing here? I'll be like, I'll be back in a minute. I walked Mike to his car, he gave me his quotes, and then I walk back through the hallway and caught up with Ian Bagley. And you know, you you have different relationships with different people and and and Chris Broussard is somebody that when I was in when I was in college when he worked at ESPN, I came home for a weekend and and and took a trek to to Bristol, Connecticut and got a whole tour of the ESPN campus. This was like back in 2006, maybe. And so you you know, you just have different relationships with different people for different reasons. And yeah, so everybody's relationship is different, but as far as the insiders go, probably Chris Haynes and and Jake Fisher. We have the probably the best relationship. I speaker-0: I I notice like on your takes, you don't take like you don't go say like if someone gets traded you you immediately have your opinion of like that person's gonna be a bus or this person's like you don't really take that route and now you see some of these reporters getting cooked. Even though you're always honest with your questioning and when you do your interviews, but the insiders or the commentary like media folks that commented on Jalen Brunson and now the receipts are coming out. And people are apologizing do you like think about that as you are take giving your takes on media? speaker-1: Yeah. Can I be honest with you? speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: I don't really like arguing. speaker-0: Yeah. The confrontational is not your thing. speaker-1: No. I think that You said it best when you said that there are receipts. I don't I I'm not a psychic, I can't predict the future and speaker-2: Dear speaker-1: rules and regulations and repercussions for things you say. speaker-2: And I just think people have to choose. speaker-1: That's the right truth. situations where I've I've been I've given my opinion on things and I I may have a little extra intel to to give and where it is but the I guess the speaker-2: The other thing is- speaker-1: I'm I'm outside so like I'm in locker rooms. I I'm in situations so like I don't like awkwardness of being at award shows or being at the club and you can't speak to these guys 'cause you done so crazy. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-2: My mom! speaker-1: My mom used to say to me, You you you have the right to criticize somebody, you don't have the right to take somebody's dick. speaker-0: Yep. And that's their job. That's their livelihood. Like, you know, you you you want to compliment them. That's why I think you have these great relationships with a lot of these players, you know? Right. you have you know who's like I feel like not is emulating you, maybe not like on purpose or anything, but Brad Parker. Do you know him? speaker-1: No. speaker-0: He's affiliated to the score. I've seen a lot of his like quick interviews, especially during the the finals run and during the NBA draft and he asks like similar questions to you. I'm like, then he's got a scoop type of style. speaker-1: I'm Googling while I'm talking to you. speaker-0: No, you're good. Brad Parker, the score. speaker-1: I've seen Brad. I've seen him. I just followed him. speaker-0: There you go, Pete. speaker-1: But you but you also know speaker-2: News breaking news. speaker-1: Reporting and feature writing are not all the same thing. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah, those are all their own pillars. speaker-1: So a lot of people say, speaker-2: So, speaker-1: Well, how is it that you're able to tweet sources say, are you making it up? Are you like how do you how do you how do you how do you get those things? It's because people call your phone all day and tell you things. You don't you don't start out being an insider. You you you develop as a field reporter. You build your relationships in the field, you travel, you You do what you need to do and and you know, like I became an NBA insider when I took that job at Valley Sports back in twenty twenty one and was there from twenty twenty one to twenty twenty three. But prior to that, you know, I bounced around as a as a senior writer and you know, earned my chops at at heavy.com and prior to that freelance. At one point I freelanced at about ten to twelve different publications at one time from twenty eleven when I finished grad school until about twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen. You know, I was living in my grandmother's basement, apartment in Jersey City, New Jersey. I had no stove, no oven, I had a double door fridge, the refrigerator side, the freezer side operated as a fridge, the refrigerator side didn't work. I cooked on a George Foreman grill, a crock pot, a microwave. was on food stamps and was building relationships and freelancing and just doing what I needed to do to get to the next level. And then, you know, in twenty fifteen, I I for from twenty fifteen to twenty sixteen, I worked at CBS Sports Radio. I had a show at the time and then was was a columnist, but was still only making money off of off of sponsorships for that show. I was at the Play Dot at Podcast Network at the time. Drink Champs had a podcast there. Elliott Wilson and Rap Radar had a podcast there. And I learned the podcast game and learned how to go viral. I remember doing interviews and you know, the I would call people from my past to do interviews and they would tell crazy stories and learned how to send that stuff out to TMZ and the Belize Report and how to get you know, get on their radar where they would pick up the stuff that people would say and just learn that whole process. And around that time is when I started Scoopy Radio. I didn't really start making real money as a as an adult, like until twenty eighteen when I signed with Heavy and then, you know, had a had a standard MSG networks and then All of those things combined and then in twenty twenty one signed with Bally Sports. And so it it's been a journey, but the relationships are currency also. speaker-0: One hundred percent. It's everything. We P talks about that all the time and I mean honestly P I put you probably in one of the higher regards with relationships. You've been one of those people who've been able to do that point point in case case in point right here, right? Like you know Scoop and I didn't know Scoop and the second we kinda introduced it it was like we've known each other for the longest. So yeah. I think that's definitely something we could r resonate with. I'm looking at those pictures in the back and it's giving me, you know, some some excitement over there. So I'm seeing Kobe and AI, you gotta give me a story there. obviously Don Bosco prep, which we should probably talk about. You haven't b have you been back to the Alba Mano? Have you haven't? Like when's the last time? speaker-1: last time I was there was August of last year. Forbes did a feature on me. they did a day in the life. And so Don Bosco was one of the stops. My my family's church, Cathedral International in Perth Ambo, New Jersey. the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, where I did my radio show as a kid. and then Heartlem, 125th Street, where our family had two businesses: Men's Walkers, the Shoe Store, and then the Athlete's Foot. Which was further down on Hun twenty Fifth Street. And so and then we st we ended at the Barclay Center that night. But it was action packed day. I think we started at five in the morning. We didn't finish till two o'clock in the morning the next day. Wow. speaker-0: Shoot him. speaker-1: Yeah, but Forbes did a whole feature on it. Mr. Azzalino was there, he let us in, was very gracious with his time. but yeah, I I would come to Bosco for career days pretty pretty regularly and we'll go to football games and my key car still works over there and you know speaker-0: Looks a little different than when we went. speaker-1: Yeah, but I never stopped going. speaker-0: Good. speaker-1: No. So so yeah, I've seen I've seen I've seen, you know, the the cafeteria is the weight room now and their cafeteria is in a different building. speaker-0: Yeah. In the parking lot where the parking lot used to be. Where that trailer used to be. I don't know if you guys remember that. my god, the trailer. speaker-1: Yeah. still am in regular contact with Don Bosco speaker-0: Well, sidebar there before we get into the Kobe and AI piece, you gotta get have you interviewed with Dylan yet? Dylan Harper? speaker-1: course. I covered Dylan last year during his Rutgers run. speaker-0: Did you? speaker-1: I did. And funny story there. covered him and Ace Bailey at Rutgers last year. covered his father when he played for the Bulls when I was a kid. speaker-0: No, awesome. Full circle. speaker-1: Full circle. And last year, I went viral because I asked LeBron a question about Dylan Harper. And he gave just a glowing response about Dylan. And this was last year while I was covering Dylan at Rutgers. And so I asked him a question and in a way, Arena. A week later, I was at the garden. This was the day before the Super Bowl last year. they played a game against the Celtics. It was a snowstorm. It was about to be a snowstorm that day, the day before the Super Bowl. And I'm in the VIP section. And in the back, they had sushi, crab legs. Everybody was there. Stevie Davis back there, Fat Joe. I run into Ron Harper and I go, yo, what's going on? I'm Brandon Scoopy Robinson. I know exactly who the fuck you are. I see your name next to my boy, all in the damn headlines. Me and him have been cool ever since. And you know, so it was that. And then, you know, during Dylan's draft process, this is how you know I'm still interconnected with Don Bosco. I had reported that Dylan Harper had a workout with the San Antonio Spurs. Sources tell me I'm getting phone calls from Rutgers, I'm getting phone calls from Kevin DeVario, the head coach of Bosco. I'm getting called I'm I'm like people ask me, how the hell did you know that Dylan Harper was get having a private work at Don Bosco? And like the past year, they've just been peppering me, wanting to know, wanting to know, wanting to want to know. And his father asked How'd you know that? How'd you like everybody's asking me? So, like, fast forward to the Western Conference finals this year, I was in San Antonio and you know, we saw each other. I bump into the the Spurs GM and I introduce myself. He knows I I know exactly who the are you are. How the hell did you know we were at Don Bosco? It's like, bro, I can't tell you. I run into his mother, Dylan's mother, who's an assistant coach on the basketball team at Don Bosco. Now she basically wanted to know how the heck did you know? She's I know you have a job to do. Like, I think that was the moment where kind of like your your past and your current kind of intersected in that moment. Like, How the hell did you know that there was a workout there? And and I won't tell. But I'm glad I was right. and I know that the Spurs were the only team that he worked out for. In fact, The Spurs drafted him second, but Cooper Flag was drafted, won by the the the Mavs. And because of the controversy that happened with Luka Doncic when he got traded last year, the Mavs didn't work out anybody else, even though they wanted to work out Dylan Harper last year during the draft process. speaker-0: Interesting. Talk about a full circle moment. My God. That's very special. He is special. So he is so special. that that was a very interesting dynamic and and Mitch Johnson was put in a real tough position during the finals. Because we all saw it, yeah, with Fox. It just wasn't his best outing. And and I I thought at after I thought like During game it was either three or four where I was just like, I think they're gonna have to start Dylan over over Fox. Like speaker-1: And didn't. speaker-0: And didn't. And Charles Barkley was saying that too, man. I I mean everybody was like this guy. It's it's obvious. The kid is everyone saw it. It's no shade to Fox. It's just well, you know, it's the reality at the moment. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: That's why that team I can't take them out of the f like of contenders. Because and and the two guys that they drafted are I mean Reed and the other kid from Kentucky. speaker-1: Mm. speaker-0: I just think they're gonna be scary. Yeah, he's huge. The highlights of him throwing the b to the crowd. my god. speaker-1: It's gonna be interesting. It's gonna be very interesting. I won't put anything past them. They you know, and and every great in the NBA has had their heart broken. LeBron in two thousand seven against the Spurs, Shaq and Penny in two in ninety five against the the Houston Rockets when they were members of the Orlando Magic, Giannis getting his heart broken against the Miami Heat. and and then Michael Jordan and the Bulls losing quite a bit to the Detroit Pistons and in the conference finals before getting over the hump at 91. every great has their heartbroken and and the Spurs are going through that heartbreaking process. so you know it it's it's Giannis ended up being a champion. LeBron became a champion multiple times Shaq became a champion multiple times. So I I think this is a good trajectory but you know winning your rookie year being an NBA champion and being a rookie is pretty hard. Like Even Magic Johnson having Kareem next to him. You know, like that's a lot of pressure. And your rookie year, you don't see that often. speaker-0: You really don't. That's why he he he put up those numbers though and he's in rare party there. Rare, yep. With the the n I the I I think it was like him and Michael. I think or were like at the numbers at the top there, or him and LeBron, something like that. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-2: yeah. speaker-1: You you you asked me about Kobe and Alan Evanson, right? All right, so Kobe story, 'cause the Allen Adams story is better. so I went to Eastern University, which is considered the main line, the Philly suburbs and Villanova's down the street, Cabrini College, King of Prussian Mall. speaker-0: We're at the St. George University, so we know. Yes, sir. speaker-1: Okay. So you know, you know. So Lower Marion High School is not that far from Eastern University. Kobe's last year in the NBA, I I chronicled just his his journey. And when Kobe announced his retirement, Kobe's father, the late Joe Jellybean Bryant, called me and he goes, I want to come on your show and I want to talk about basketball. I got to know Jelly in 2014 at a basketball exposure program that went totally wrong. Long story short, guys from across the world were, you know, trying to get exposure to so that they could play, you know, semi-pro basketball and just be seen. I was part of the media team. And my room was right across the hall from Kobe's dad. And Mr. Bryan and I would ride The shuttle together, sit next to each other, and just talk about basketball. He would tell me stories about how Del Harris, who was Kobe's coach his rookie year, was also Joe Joe Jelly being Bryant's coach in Houston when he was a member of the Rockets. And Jelly would tell me about how when he would come to practice and just sit, he would have conversations with Del Harris after the game or after practice. And he'd be like, How's how's and I'm paraphrasing, how like, how is it with your son? he's a bit of a struggle at times. He goes, Really? I gotta talk to him about that. And Del Harris would say, I don't know why. You were a pain in the ass just like him when I coached you. But Joe Jellybean and I developed a relationship from that commonality from the Philly area, him living in in in that area and me going to college there, and then just over the years, building that that rapport. Kobe's last, as I said, I chronicled his last season before he retired. And I remembered All-Star Weekend in 2016 and asking him a question. At the time, All-Star Weekend was a week after the Super Bowl. And at the if you remember Peyton Manning had in the and the Broncos had beaten the Carolina Panthers and I had asked him if, you know, you do you wish that the Lakers could ride off in the sun sunset, similarly to how you saw Peyton Manning do that. And I called him an Elder Statesman and he said, Elder Statesman, that's nice. He's older than me. and it was just kind of this back and forth with Kobe throughout the course of the season. where just Kobe was just gracious with me with his time. and and and I and I appreciated that. and so that's the Kobe story. The Allen Iverson story is a bit different. So I was with Alan all star weekend. in twenty seventeen and we sat at a poker table together and something said stay with Alan. Alan was with his uncle who doubled as his security people started to notice. It's like, yo, this is Alan Adams. Yo, this is Alan Adamson. People point this Alan Evanson's Alan Adamson, Alan Adamson. His uncle goes, Hey guys, it's time to go. Cash him out. Alan puts his poker chips in his pocket and his pants were still baggy. He's po putting poker chips in his pocket. The poker chips are falling out of his pants. People are trying to take pictures with him. And he doesn't have car for service. He's hailing a cab outside of the casino in New Orleans. speaker-0: No speaker-1: Fast forward two weeks later. Alan is at a Mitchell and Ness function at I forgot what store it was. And it was the it was the anniversary, the day was the anniversary of Biggie's death. So maybe three like All-Star Weekend is February. We're in March, because I think Biggie died in March. I see Alan and he's and he's and he's doing his promotional stuff. And I say, yo. You remember me? He goes, Yeah, you look familiar. I go, remember the poker table in New Orleans? He goes, Yo, I lost like $20,000 that night. Blah, blah, blah. I was like, shh, shut up, shut up. You know how to talk. He goes, no. He's like, fuck that. I lost all this money. I'm so mad. I was like, but you ain't gotta tell all the people. He goes, nah, I'ma own that. I lost all that damn money that night. He sure did. speaker-0: Sources say that yeah he did. speaker-1: He told that story in the record. He lost a lot of money at that poker table that night, but I I felt led to stay with him because he and his uncle weren't all the way there. But when it was time to go, he left. speaker-0: Yeah. man. my god. That is so epic story. Too good. Too good, man. What about that what about that man right your favorite player, Michael Jordan in the background? Any any did you have the pleasure of ever interviewing Michael? speaker-1: Met Michael. met him when I was a kid. I remember going into the visitors' locker room at the Ocano North Lines Arena. And the cool thing was I remember it was a Saturday game and my show was in the morning, and because the show was in the morning and it was an afternoon game, when the show was over, I got to play basketball on the court right before the game. So like that was always a highlight when I could do my show from the arena that that that morning. And so after, and so like I did my show, I changed my clothes, I took a shower in the in the locker room, like the whole speaker-0: Well not really the player. Yep. speaker-1: Right. So then like it was time to do my job, and I remember going in the locker room and interviewing Ron Harper and then Luke Longley giving me his sneakers. And then when I first walked in, Dennis Robbin was sitting in the Bulls locker room. And he was sitting crisscross applesauce. I no for real. But like I remember he had on he had on flannel pajama pants. He had ankle socks with the like the the frilly balls on them. And he was sitting just watching film because he had to go against Jason Williams that night. And so I just remember it was and it was like on one of those rollout TVs like you would have when you were a kid when it would be a rainy day in school and and you would have to watch a movie inside. He was just studying tape. He was just studying who he would have to guard that night. But then when you walked into like the left side of the locker room was like this door you had to pull. And and nobody was supposed to be in there that if you weren't so if you weren't working for the Bulls or you were a ball boy. But because I was a young kid, I I was able to walk into that door. I look to my left, I see Tex Winner. I look further, I see Phil Jackson, and then I look up and I see Michael Jordan. And He looks at me and I look at him and I'm like, He's like, How you how you doing, young man? Good? And I'm just looking at him like, Why the fuck aren't you in my TV? speaker-0: Ha ha. speaker-2: That's what I said to my speaker-1: that's Michael Jordan! That's my interaction with Michael Jordan! speaker-0: I was gonna say like there like that was gonna be one of my questions, like has there been an athlete where you just you were starshock? Like obviously you've been around so many people, type of thing, but it seems like obviously that was probably one of them where you were just like, I can't believe and I've heard that so many times from people that he just has this aura about him. speaker-1: Have it. He has it. Allen Iverson has it. Kobe had it. LeBron has it. Shaq has it. Joel Embiid has it. beph Curry has it. Jay-Z has it. Usher has it. Michael Jackson had it. Certain speaker-0: Yeah, I can't. speaker-1: certain people. I mean, I've been at parties with Embiid and the Sixers and and other players on the team like the magic, the pacers, like during summer league, I was at a spot and everybody was there and and like guys all sat with their teammates at tables. And like I'm at the s I passed by the Sixers table and Bede is there. Ruben, the owner of the of the Sixers was there. you know you you go to that table, then you go to the Pacers table and you see at the time Miles Turner was playing And I'm taking out my phone, I'm putting his number in my phone, and you go to the Celtics table, you go to the Cavs table. Like you I was just bouncing from table to table. Then I'm standing to the side and Ronnie 2K is there. And then I'm sitting with Mike Bibby. Like when you're able to like kick it with guys at in a situation where it's not just the locker room in the court, yeah. It carries back over to the locker room when you're trying to get quotes. Like John Wall, when he played for the Clippers. me and him got really cool. Yeah, man, me and him got really cool when he played for the Clippers and then that carried over to life after basketball. Like he's always been accessible to me via text or via DM. And, you know, I remember Kit Tavius Caldwell Pope before he was on a championship Lakers team. We met at a two K party, exchanged numbers, and he's and if I have questions about things, he's usually pretty accessible. Like certain certain relationships, you know, they span based upon things that have nothing to do with the locker room. So yeah. speaker-0: What about Kyrie? How did you like build that relationship? Was it just nuts? speaker-1: Kyrie's no. my family and Kyrie's family go about go back about 30 years. Kyrie So Kyrie's father played in my uncle's basketball league, called Citywide. They played Citywide played at Riverbank State Park. my uncle was the commissioner of that basketball league. and my uncle's son came up with Kyrie's father. If you know, Rod Strickland is also Kyrie's godfather. So what ended up happening was I met Kyrie at his basketball camp his second year in the league when he was still in Cleveland. And exchanged numbers with his dad, exchanged numbers with with with you know just a myriad of people. And you know, also his family his father lived in West Arms, New Jersey. that's where I lived. That's where I commuted from when I was at Don Bosco. And just but that connection predates moving to West Orange. It it it it goes back to his dad playing in my uncle's basketball league and then him just me you know, him being in the league and and me building my way up. I I'll be honest with you, that connection to Kyrie raised my profile exponentially. particularly his last couple of years in Boston and then him ultimately going to Brooklyn when all the things were going on about COVID, COVID shots. you know, the makeup of the roster with Kevin Durant, James Harden and and more. And I'm I'm I'm eternally grateful for both Kyrie and his family for for for that local connection. speaker-0: Yeah, you broke a couple of like, you know, viral moments and breaking news on with his story. He's one of my favorites, man. I just think that he's so gifted at his height. He's like he's like like Jalen before Jalen a little bit, just so crafty. It he just has a beautiful game. speaker-1: And that's his jersey hanging on the wall over there. He signed it for me. in in green pen. speaker-0: Love that. speaker-1: yeah. So speaker-0: I wish that would have worked out so you could have had that like, you know, Boston like just adding to that legacy for that for that for their franchise, you know. speaker-1: Yeah, but you know what? I I got it in a different way. I'll be I'll I'll tell you a I have stories for days, but like you remember when all the ema email you doka stuff was going on and Yeah. So speaker-0: Hello of a coach, by the way. speaker-1: W yes, definitely. And and and has always been kind to me. Ime Yudoka was out and I had actually an interview lined up with one of the former governors of the Celtics, with Grossbeck as the owner and his wife, Emilia Fasilari is also was also an o a a governor on that team and Emilia is a part owner of the drink Syncoro. She owns it along with the owner of the Nuggets, speaker-0: And Jordan. speaker-1: Michael Jordan, as well as Jeannie Buss and a bunch of the owners. They all own it. And speaker-2: . speaker-1: I had gotten an email about her and what have you. So, fast forward the whole situation happened with Ime. I get an email. Please do not ask about Imei, blah, blah, blah. So my editor at the time was like, bro, you gotta ask a question about. The situation. And I was like, I was very uneasy about it. And I did not ask a question about it. After the interview is over, I get an email from personally from Amelia and saying she really enjoyed the interview. Thank you for being for it being fun interview. I would like to invite you and a guest to sit courtside at a game with myself and my husband. Fast forward so this was a this was this was like right before the season started. Fast forward to like after Thanksgiving. Jalen Brown had a gala at the I think it was the Boston Museum of Art. I was late, I get there, Blake Griffin is hosting the event and all of his all of the Celtics teammates are there, including Missoula, who was the coach at the time. The Miami Heat had a back-to-back in Boston. Even they came. So Jimmy Butler came late. Tyler Hero was there. just everybody and their mom was there. I spent some time with Jalen Brown. He gave me a one-on-one that went viral like days later. And then the next day, I went to the Celtics game against the Heat. I'm sitting courtside. I'm when Jalen was like, Scoop, when you leaving, I'm like, I'm not. I'm going to the game tomorrow. Where you working? No, I'm sitting with Amelia. He goes, the boss's wife? I go, yeah. He goes, shit, nigga, I see you, right? speaker-0: Ha ha ha. speaker-1: So the so the next day I'm sitting at the game, I'm getting text messages from like Eddie House. What you doing sitting over there? Like everybody's that's like cause I'm usually in that working capacity, players will look at me like, the fu what the fuck you doing up? Like it just was like this this situation. People are texting me on TV, they see me. It's the weirdest thing. Like it it was it was fun, but like connecting on that level with the Celtics was a blessing, you know, with Grossback would come on my show after the fact. and and and just, you know, like when they got their championship rings, I'm cool with Jason at Beverly Hills and I c introduced him to Amelia Fazolari who, you know, they sh he won they they Jason and his team won them over with their professionalism and they made the rings for the Celtics. Like it's amazing how sitting courses I games it's like playing golf. It there's an interconnection outside of just the game itself. speaker-0: yeah. They had those guys that like bought tickets to the Spurs. It was either a playoff game this year or whatnot. And they were like not courtside, but they were within the frame of the camera. And they were like their company and they got s like a whole bunch of advertisements. They went viral. I was like, my gosh, that that's worth more dollars than any ad dollars that you're gonna pay for. Sitting courtside, being in the camera. Like it's it's it it is it's not a status thing only. It's it's it you can elevate your profile in a different type of way. speaker-1: That happened. I I mean it it was like you you you walk on the court and my lady she she heard Kyle Lowry cursing at the ref. She was like, my god, like keep living, baby, like you like you you're out there. But yeah, like you you you that that experience was definitely was dope. You know, I've had that experience with the Celtics. I've you've seen the picture of me sitting course out at a game next to Rihanna at a game, like having those speaker-0: yeah. speaker-1: I really courtside are are definitely priceless and and and they have stories all attached to them. speaker-0: Two interviews I wanna hear from and I know we're taking a lot of your time, but I I need to hear like something about it. Shaquille O'Neal, 'cause you said he was one of them on your list earlier. And DJ Khaled, I know two different ones, but maybe you can give me something there. speaker-1: Khaled, the interview that I had with him was in twenty sixteen. it was actually at the Rock Nation Celebrity Basketball Game at the Barclay Center. And I had an interview set up prior to the whole thing and he was one of the hosts. And this was back when he was really hot on Snapchat and you know, the ho was talking about the major keys and just his his journey. And you know, I remember Khaled when he was a our local radio host. I believe in the Miami area. he actually co-hosted with with a a buddy of mine that I know in the industry. and, you know, I remember him being on mixtapes and I remember going on vacation in Orlando and hearing his radio show Miami syndicated to Orlando back when I was in college. And I remember him being in the Fat Joe Lee Back video. just I I just remember just his his trajectory. And you know so for me that was a special moment because he he earned his he earned his stripes and you know, that was when he was really hot. As far as Shaq goes, Shaq and I were born in the same hospital, Beth Israel Hospital in North New Jersey. He you know, my father's family is from Jersey City, his dad is from Jersey City and I have some family that that know knew his his dad and it just we're very interconnected in that way. but he and I really got cool. When when TNT used to do like press junkets and stuff like that. And it just we recognized each other over the years and then we connected dur in twenty twenty, right before the world shut down, Shaq had given me his number in the summer of twenty nineteen and then he changed his number. Shaq changes his number a lot. speaker-0: Yeah. Can I imagine? speaker-1: And and in twenty twenty I ran into Shaq in the green room of the All-Star Weekend they were doing something the day before All Star, Kenny Charles Shaq. And I was sitting in the back and I said, Shaq, you changed your number. He was like, he was joking. He said, Man, I had to because these girls kept telling me they was pregnant. I had to change my number. It was funny joke. speaker-0: He is a jokester. speaker-1: But I remember he put his number on my phone. And then the world shut down in March. So this was February 2020. He put his number in my phone in February. The world shut down in March. And during COVID, I was really just determined to to build as much traffic as possible on all of my platforms, both Scooby Radio and then my writing stand at at heavy.com. I remember in the month of March, the goal was to get one million page views. at heavy while I was there and I got it. I only that was the only time I ever did it. Like I was determined to do that based upon my writing. And I remember like when the world shut down and we were all trying to figure out what was next in in 2020. I was on my way, I was in an Uber. I was on my way to the I think the laundry net to go pick up my clothes and I texted Shaq and I go, yo, let's I wanna interview you for my podcast. And he was like, when you wanna do it. So a couple days later he FaceTime I was like, yo, I'm gonna call you we're gonna record it on the phone. And he answered every question. And I'll never forget one of the things that he said to me in our interview that stuck was when you talked about who somebody's GOT or what players you like, he was like, I look at the NBA like a McD like a like a menu on the McDonald's menu, like like all the different options on the McDonald's menu. And there's something for everybody. He was like, if the Big Mac is the he's always talking about something promotional. He was like, if if if If Michael Jordan is the big Mac, you you have the Filet Fish equivalent, you have the you have the chicken nuggets equivalent, you have the French fries equivalent, you have the Shamrock Shake equivalent, like you have all these different options of things that you can choose from. So he was like at the center position in my day, if if you didn't care for me, you had David Robinson, you had Kevin Duckworth, you had all these different guys that you you could choose from. Patrick Ewing, all these different guys. We then talked about his beef with with David Robinson and how he told me it was all manufactured. He ain't had no beef. He just used him as motivation because he wanted to be better than him. He told this whole story about how when he was going to high school in San in the San Antonio, Texas area, that David Robinson was doing some type of memorabilia signing and that David Robinson ignored him. That never happened. speaker-0: Well, speaker-1: But he told that story because when he got to the league, he wanted to be better than David Robinson. speaker-0: I see that a lot in players, they find something in terms of you know, whether it's a story about them or something that can motivate them in that position that they're gonna, you know, see their opponent and anything, anything to get that edge. a lot for these athletes. So Scoop, man, you've been Generous with your time. We gotta have you on again. speaker-1: And and I did all this without giving my Don Bosco prep Matt Rushmore because I'm gonna put myself on it. speaker-0: Let's go. I saw the love. appreciate the the repost there. That's a tough question, man. we asked that question to folks and not to put them on the spot, it's just more like it really is interesting to hear people's different perspectives there. speaker-1: Well, I'm number one. Number two is Ryan Grant. speaker-0: we're getting him. Ryan agreed to come on. we just gonna we we gotta work on the details. speaker-1: Number three. Dylan Harper. Yeah. Number four. Brian Tole. speaker-0: Yeah. He is all time that guy. All New Jersey. Mr. New Jersey. Everyone sa he's like consistent with it in terms of his like impact at Bosco and just Jersey in general. speaker-1: Because Brian Tole and Dylan Harper were both Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of New Jersey in their respective sport. Has anybody else done that? speaker-0: Yeah. So you're giving us the Rushmore of Bosco entirely. Yeah. Trot's gotta be honorable mention or on there because speaker-1: He's on there. He's on there. He was after my time, but I knew his significance. Justin, Justin Chetal was up there. I'm gonna say a name that that people don't give enough credit to because he didn't graduate. Dorian Bryant was a star. Dorian Bryant played football at Don Bosco. He ended up going to Purdue. He was from South Jersey. He lived If I'm not mistaken, with Marquise Liverpool, who was a two-star sport athlete at Don Bosco, and he left and he transferred somewhere else. But Dorian Bryant was playing next to Ryan Grant at Don Bosco and he was fast just like Michael Ray Garvin was fast. speaker-0: okay. Now that's fast. That's four too fast. Four point two. Yeah. Yeah. Garvin, Liverpool, all those guys were just crazy athletes, man. He got speaker-2: you speaker-0: off the charts. He played for the Steelers? speaker-1: Dorian Bryant? Yep. I believe he was a Walkman. I don't think he was drafted, but he's famous for other things at this point. he is considered the first openly gay athlete to play in the NFL. By technical by technicality. speaker-0: He was it was he before Jason Collins for just like sports wise? I know obviously Jason Collins played the NBA and and and R. I. P. there too. speaker-1: I think he came out much later. Okay. But he he there was a gentleman who was drafted, Michael Sands was it, that was drafted and they c they credit him as the first but but Dorian was that that's peep if you do your history that that that's if he wasn't the first, he was the second. But but he did not have the college career that that he had. So it's it's it's a little different. But Dorian did not graduate from Don Bosco. He graduated from somewhere in South Jersey and he he was at Don Bosco for a minute, but his his his his athletic ability, I've I've always marveled at it and yeah. speaker-0: I mean Jibro you caught it. speaker-1: I I covered Jabril and Jabril to me was a hell of an athlete. I think Jabril Peppers was the start of where Don Bosco started to shift, where players did not look at themselves as just a team, but they realized their brands and they realized what they brought to the table. And you know, Jabril went over and to coach Chris Partridge and and and was a stud as as a member of Catholic. speaker-0: premise capital. speaker-1: but yeah, he he he did his thing. He did his thing and I I want to put him on that list, but I also was not around I wasn't around Chateau and around Jabril. I actually covered Jabril when he was in high school, went through his whole process when he was depend he was deciding where he was gonna go to to to college and he ended up going to Michigan. But yeah, Jabril, Jabril and Dorian Bryan as far as transferring and finding, you know, greener pastures elsewhere. That transfer culture at Bosco was still unheard of at that time. speaker-0: Most part. what about what about James Bryant? You were you were gone by that. speaker-1: No, I wasn't. When I was a when I was a senior, I think James was a freshman. So I watched him p you know suit up for J V and varsity at or sit on the like But speaker-0: Yeah, towards the very end. Yep. speaker-1: I I remember I like James. I I just I I was hoping to cover his games at at the next level. It just it didn't translate, but as as a as a high school player, I was I was a fan of his game. speaker-0: yeah. He would have gone to next level. Like it's no disrespect to him. I I love him. He we have love for each other, but and I probably wouldn't have sniffed the floor to be if I'm being a hundred percent honest, if he doesn't transfer over to Saint Patrick's. speaker-1: Yeah, that was a move, but it didn't translate the right way. speaker-0: didn't translate. No, people got in his ear. I think it was it like if he stays at Bosco, he's he's starting for the next three years. I mean, if we're being transparent, we used to have open gyms, it was Biggs, Oates, Bryant, and everyone would come for Biggs and Oates, and they would leave talking to to Bryant, Jay's Bryant, because he was that good. speaker-1: I I I I remember Jared Davis. I texted him this the other day. I'm waiting for him to text me back. Whenever James Bryant would touch the ball, you would hear him in the stands yell, the hood, speaker-2: What the? speaker-1: the hood. Whenever he would touch the ball, he just kept yelling. You know how j how Jared Davis was. And I texted him the other day, yo, you remember when you used say that? But James th there was just an aura about him that that I I remember him. I remember Fritz Rennelis. I remember speaker-0: Trevoy? Travoy. speaker-1: Remember Trevoy? Trevoy and I were the same. Yeah, Trevoy Chambers. I remember speaker-0: Chambers, yes, thank you. speaker-1: Peter Brown. I remember speaker-0: That's my center. speaker-1: Yeah, I remember I remember those guys and Peter ended up playing at the next level in college and he's he's coaching at Bosco now, I believe. Or what? speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. Coaching with with Tyrell. Coaching speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: with Tyrell. Great to see you guys back. And bringing this full circle so we can wrap this up for you. and Corey Wooten. Corey Wooten. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: That that's that's our dog for life. He's he's the one that opened up the door for us. And shout out to Steve Dorn. He he put did a little connection there as well, a little plug. he's also an Iron Man. But yeah, Corey Wooten was just fantastic storyteller. But even better human being, man. Like just a kind man. he was very generous with his time and and he opened up the door to for us to talk to to some professional athletes and just have fun and and kick it. speaker-1: Man, when he in Chicago, I I spent a ton of time there. he and I stayed in touch all through his college career when he had a T Mobile sidekick. We would DM we would I am each other. And when he got drafted by the Bears and I and and after he retired and he was doing television there, I used to come to Chicago. Him and a few other people have got me VIP into parties a few times and it like he he has pull in Chicago to this day. speaker-0: He I mean he put Brett Farv into retirement. speaker-1: Did speaker-0: Those Bear fans are eternally grateful for that. No, but he did a lot of work. You're right. He did a lot of work there. So like I think he's very still close to to the community and obviously known, so it's a tradition we'd go through rapid fire for our guest to end the interview. So biggest winner of the twenty twenty six NBA draft and biggest loser. speaker-2: 26th draft. speaker-1: The the biggest winner, the Washington Wizards. The biggest loser the Memphis Grizzlies. speaker-0: They picked up Boozer, no? speaker-1: It's not about boozer, it's the fact that you still gotta figure out what you're gonna do after that. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: There's a belief that Sacramento and and and Memphis were going to get John Morant and that wasn't the case. Darius Acuff is f is a younger John Morant for Sacramento. speaker-2: Mm-hmm. speaker-1: And he's John Moran. J he is. And and Memphis still has to figure out what they're gonna do. So that's that's the answer to my question. It has less to do with Boozer, it's more to do with what else they're gonna do after. speaker-2: Quick follow-up there. What, what, what? speaker-0: up the but why didn't the Nets take Akoff and they instead of taking Mikhail Brown Jr. speaker-1: I don't know. speaker-0: Everyone's puzzled and then and if you saw their like entire draft room was like going nuts and I don't know if that it seemed a little bit staged, but you look at you look at the Warriors and there was talks the next day and it was like, What the heck went on there? Like they were definitely not on the same page. speaker-1: That is why you saw the previous general manager GM leave Golden State and go elsewhere because there's a there's a difference in speaker-0: Disconnect there. Yeah. The speaker-2: Yes. speaker-0: twenty twenty seven NBA champions will be. speaker-1: The Oklahoma City Thunder. speaker-2: Ooh. speaker-0: Brit Yeah, it's interesting. I you're going back? But a lot of people a lot of people are saying this and this is why I don't think it's gonna happen 'cause usually most people are wrong with it. But what's your what what's your reasoning behind that? Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah. Everybody loves a underdog when an underdog is is developing, but everybody hates a winner when a winner's a winner. And for the same reasons why they love Shea are the same reasons they hated him this year. And I think that they I I think that their level of of being defeated by the by the Spurs, I I think they're gonna come back having a chip on their shoulder and I think they're gonna be successful. speaker-2: their chemistry. speaker-0: Is, you know, if if you look at all the teams that went far this year, everyone had great team chemistry. The Knicks, Spurs, and Thunder. You just like undeniable. and and I don't know why a lot of GMs don't see that. You saw the Michigan kid go to Dallas with the coach and reunite. Like these things should happen more often. And GMs should start to connect the dots you have chemistry playing with one another. If they're winners, they're winners, you know? speaker-1: Dallas got a win though. And and you saw you saw John B line go to Cleveland and it didn't work out. The jury is still out. I think the thing that that that the Mavs have in their favor is the fact that you're building amongst a young team, but they s they s that chemistry is great during the draft. It's gonna be a long season if they don't figure that chemistry out and that translates into winning. speaker-0: Where does J Kidd go after this? speaker-1: there was a thought process that he would follow LeBron. and there was a thought process that Cleveland could be an option. but I've also have heard prior to Jason Kidd and the Mavs parting ways, That there were overtures sent from his people to to the owner of the Portland Trailblazers, and the Blazers owner was was although he hired Mike Honori, who's an assistant with the the the Timberwolves, there was a conversation of would Jason Kidd be interested in coming to Portland to be both the GM and the head coach. And then Jason Kidd heard what was being offered and he was like, I make more money just being the head coach of the Mavs. and so I directly to to answer your question from those who who know, there's a thought process that he could sit out a year and just maybe do some T V and then figure out next moves. I know that Jason Kidd has interest in front office architecture. And you know, that's part of the reason why he left Brooklyn because both he and Billy King didn't get along and he ultimately forced his way to to the Bucks as the head coach. But Yeah, I think they're gonna be a lot more positions open next season and I think that's where you see guys like Tibbs and Jason Kidd put their their their hat their their put put their hat out in the ring and and and and figure something out there. speaker-2: Makes sense. speaker-0: Favorite non athlete interview? speaker-1: I have a few. speaker-0: Yeah, you gotta give him like at least top five P. He's had so but honestly you must have thought of this. There's no way that you have. look, I like questions that I got you thinking. Hey, hot off the press while you're thinking. Mike Colony just retired. Announced his retirement. speaker-1: There you go. speaker-0: Wow. That's I loved his game, by the way. He's so good. I loved his game, all respect. I thought it was time for him, and I think it was like a year or two. Removed you did you? I don't know. He could he he's a good role player, he's very good experience, he could bring so much to locker him from that perspective. Yeah, leadership he was fine. I'm talking about he he couldn't hit the shot consistently anymore, and the defense was like suspect. You s I think you was starting to get exposed exploited. Yeah. Sorry, Scoop. I I cut you off there. speaker-1: I'm I'm emailing him while I'm talking to you. speaker-0: are you? speaker-2: I love it. speaker-1: As far as best interviews that I've done from non athletes, probably would be combination of would be Goldberg. DJ Khaled. Corey Booker. and the late Reverend Jesse Jackson. speaker-0: Whoopi Goldberg, give me give me the reasons why that like you like that one. speaker-1: so her and my late mother used to shop at the same Whole Foods. speaker-2: Wow! speaker-1: And speaker-2: a small speaker-1: Yeah, and so I had bumped into her years ago at the Barclay Center and I said, Joe, you and my mother are are grocery store buddies. She said, Who's your mother? And I showed her a picture, she goes, I know her and it kinda just it sparked a a conversation there. and I mean there's other people like my my my aunt is from is from Isam Hearst Queens and she used to babysit LL Cool J and he used to shop at my family store. So a lot of times there's there's there's a level of connectivity from my past with my family's business. And Big Daddy Kane is a is a is a texting buddy of mine and he used to shop at our family's store as well and there's a connection there. in addition to that it it I mean of Jadakus. I I I spent significant time in Yonkers growing up. My my uncle on the I was like his third child. I lived lived at his house in Yonkers quite a bit and and so I was outside in Yonkers. and, you know, one of my exes she used to babysit his son and and my friend Terry is Jadis's cousin. So we're interconnected in in in that way. We're the the best connections are when you interconnected from your personal life and it it carries over in into business, which is pretty cool. speaker-0: Totally, totally. all right, well look, we have one traditional question usually where we incorporate some music here. So today we celebrate thirty years of Jay Z's Reasonable Doubt album. I'm sure you knew that already. What is your favorite track from that album? speaker-1: I don't have just one. speaker-0: Okay. speaker-2: It's that good though. speaker-0: That really is that good. speaker-1: Presence. speaker-0: We were we were talking about this before. I think my Pete's is feeling it. I feel like feeling it and then knock the hustle is just like one of one for me. One A, one B. You c you can't answer wrong on on that question. Like that's speaker-1: Anyway, that album to me didn't really resonate with me until I got older. it re when I was in college, an undergrad at Eastern University, right outside of Philly, I was the public address announcer as well as the DJ for for Eastern basketball. And so in college, I kind of immersed myself so much into music that I I knew but really like restudied it, but also My roommate was was a huge West Coast hip hop fan. And so that gave me an advantage because I spent so much time in LA and and just knowing stuff. But I remember Talking this girl in 2005, she asked me what I wanted for Christmas. And I told her that I wanted the Reasonable Doubt album. And I like studied it. So it's like, I knew it during his first run. I also know in 94 when Jay was rapping on that futuristic flow. I can't get with that. But I really studied Reasonable Doubt after that Christmas gift in 2005. And it gave me just where I was in my life. And as a young man and figuring out what I wanted in this industry and and how I was going to have to maneuver at a time when, you know, networks, even after I graduated college, wouldn't sign me and how I had to design the Scoopy brand and Scoopy Radio for myself. I I was inspired by that Reasonable Doubt album the same way. And just Jay's trajectory overall overall wasn't just the lyrics. It just wasn't how he carried himself. It's how he built his personal brand, how he built he aligned himself with different facets and he kind of was a designer's original. And for me, you know, that that album, retrospectively, you know, inspired me. speaker-0: What you love when music is a time machine, you know? It just brings you back to exactly where you were at that time when it was released or when it was brought up to you for the first time, all of that. So speaker-1: yeah. the left side of the locker room was like this door you had to pull. And and nobody was supposed to be in there that if you weren't so if you weren't working for the Bulls or you were a ball boy. But because I was a young kid, I I was able to walk into that door. I look to my left, I see Tex Winner. I look further, I see Phil Jackson, and then I look up and I see Michael Jordan. speaker-0: Scoop, man. Thank you so much for your time, dude. I really appreciate it. I was looking forward to this interview just because of the the Iron Man bond, but also just your affinity for basketball and then your story, man. I remember back when you you you were like, Hey, I'm going to this all star game. And like who wants to help me out for this journey. so it it it's just speaker-1: A lot of hate for that. speaker-0: Really. speaker-1: I got a lot of hate from older journalists who felt like I should not have crowdfunded and they thought that the all-star game is an honor, it's not a birthright. How how dare you? It was it was it was for years I caught hell from older journalists who felt a way about it. And it's funny because now that's all anybody does. They crowdfund I was ahead of my time and doing that. But yeah, I I I I'm I'm grateful like time I was at the Source magazine and and and they I wasn't I wasn't getting paid. I had to find ways to make money and and keep get dry cleaning and cut my hair at the time and you know all those things and and and the greats don't become great by being like everybody else. The greats become great by doing things that other people won't do to be successful ethically. And I I found my way in that regard and I did what I had to do and I crowdfunded and and raised close to three thousand dollars in like seven days and flew myself and my cameraman out there to New Orleans and it it was I had the time of my life, man, getting work done. speaker-0: Shows you man. You chased your dream. That's awesome. it's a good good story for others to hear. Anything's pop speaker-2: Word. speaker-1: Facts. speaker-0: Appreciate you, Scoop. Thank you, Scoop. Really appreciate it, man. speaker-1: Course. Thank you.