Latest / The Breakfast Club / INTERVIEW: Monica McNutt Talks WNBA, Playoff Predictions + More

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INTERVIEW: Monica McNutt Talks WNBA, Playoff Predictions + More · The Breakfast Club

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Wake that ass up in the morning.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: The Breakfast Club.
• 0:05
  Speaker 3: Morning everybody.
• 0:05
  Speaker 4: It's DJ En v Jess, Larry is Charlamagne the guy.
• 0:09
  Speaker 4: We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest
• 0:11
  Speaker 4: in the building. Yes, indeed we have Monica McNutt.
• 0:14
  Speaker 3: Welcome, Hi guys.
• 0:15
  Speaker 5: Monica is a what are you a sports reporter analyst?
• 0:22
  Speaker 6: What we're working cycle instructor on the side and you know,
• 0:27
  Speaker 6: just trying to take care of my mentals, my chicken
• 0:29
  Speaker 6: shout out to Marshall.
• 0:30
  Speaker 5: Now I saw you the other You tweet the other
• 0:32
  Speaker 5: day that you misplaced your beach by Dread headphones on
• 0:34
  Speaker 5: the plane, and you said that it messed up your
• 0:37
  Speaker 5: movie watching the experience very much. Did you have to
• 0:39
  Speaker 5: use the airplane headphones?
• 0:40
  Speaker 6: So I was worse listen not airplane headphones, so full
• 0:43
  Speaker 6: full context. It was before the next loss of the Pacers,
• 0:47
  Speaker 6: so it was team travel, Charter Life smooth.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: We love it. I use my.
• 0:50
  Speaker 6: AirPods, but the plane is still loud. So it was
• 0:54
  Speaker 6: very much like I can kind of hear I want
• 0:56
  Speaker 6: to watch this versus you know this around experience watching Uh,
• 1:00
  Speaker 6: mister missus Smith on Amazon Prime.
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: Is it good?
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: I'm getting into it. It took me about three episodes.
• 1:07
  Speaker 6: It was a little predictable, but I want to support
• 1:10
  Speaker 6: I think, so I'm gonna hang on.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: Did you ever find your headphones?
• 1:14
  Speaker 6: I did not, and the locators lost. I'm pretty sure
• 1:16
  Speaker 6: I lost them on the trip to Chicago. I'm one
• 1:18
  Speaker 6: of them people that I don't lose a lot, but
• 1:20
  Speaker 6: when I can't find something.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: I lost it.
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: You just left it somewhere.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and somebody got them. I hope they're blessed.
• 1:26
  Speaker 4: But when you walked in, you and Charlemagne were having
• 1:27
  Speaker 4: a conversation about makeup. Yes, like discussed because he was
• 1:35
  Speaker 4: because he was like, did you get this treatment?
• 1:37
  Speaker 3: And he was like, I haven't got that. Said, oh
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: my god, that.
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: Treatment are amazing treatment.
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: What you're talking about her? Because I was amazed when.
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: She removed the makeup. The removal is incredible.
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to tap in now.
• 1:49
  Speaker 6: The problem, though, is I'll be trying to save her
• 1:50
  Speaker 6: the face by Brenda and then she's not in my house.
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: And I knew wear in your eyebrows, Charlage, I knew that.
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: What do you mean? Absolutely? Mind?
• 1:56
  Speaker 3: Now, let's talk Can we talk some sports? For some sports,
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: let's let's talk.
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: Lets talk about Monica for us.
• 2:00
  Speaker 5: Can we get to know Monica before we get into
• 2:03
  Speaker 5: the sports.
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: You know, she played in bake in college, but.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: Georgetown Hall, I did?
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: I did?
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: Why did you stop playing?
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: You know what? Okay?
• 2:10
  Speaker 6: So I was very realistic, right, and I remember saying
• 2:14
  Speaker 6: to my dad, like, I don't want to be twenty
• 2:15
  Speaker 6: eight coming back from overseas and being at entry level positions.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: I didn't.
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  Speaker 6: This is the I don't live with a bunch of regress, y'all.
• 2:21
  Speaker 6: But it is the one thing that I do regret
• 2:23
  Speaker 6: not even trying to see if I could stick on
• 2:25
  Speaker 6: the roster in the W.
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  Speaker 1: I had so much respect for the craft.
• 2:27
  Speaker 6: I didn't think I was good enough, and frankly, I
• 2:29
  Speaker 6: was ready to put my energy elsewhere. Basketball was like
• 2:33
  Speaker 6: third grade every Saturday, every summer. You know what I'm saying,
• 2:35
  Speaker 6: that commitment, and so I was kind of like, all right,
• 2:37
  Speaker 6: I'm ready to do something else. So I did not
• 2:38
  Speaker 6: attempt to go pro. I immediately began my full rate
• 2:41
  Speaker 6: into media.
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  Speaker 4: Do you think you could have win pro? Do you think
• 2:43
  Speaker 4: you could have win pro? S? And everybody that the
• 2:44
  Speaker 4: way they played and knowing the way that.
• 2:46
  Speaker 6: You play, I graduated twenty eleven. I think I could
• 2:49
  Speaker 6: have made a roster. I don't know if I would
• 2:52
  Speaker 6: have stuck for the entire season. If I'm honest, the
• 2:54
  Speaker 6: w was just that tough.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: It's just that tough.
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: Why do you feel like you know?
• 2:59
  Speaker 5: Like you said, you have regrets, but it's like you
• 3:02
  Speaker 5: physically know or spiritually know when it's time to move
• 3:04
  Speaker 5: on to the next thing.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: Correct, So if you knew that.
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: Like, why do you have regrets?
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  Speaker 6: I think I trying would have honestly given me some
• 3:10
  Speaker 6: intel in terms of the process, for one, which would
• 3:12
  Speaker 6: have benefited me now. And then I think it would
• 3:14
  Speaker 6: have been like, well, you tried it, now let's move on,
• 3:15
  Speaker 6: you know what I mean? Even if the result was
• 3:17
  Speaker 6: still you're gonna move on, because if the plan was
• 3:18
  Speaker 6: it's time to move on, it was gonna be revealed
• 3:20
  Speaker 6: one way or another. So that's the only and I
• 3:22
  Speaker 6: use regret lightly. There are a few things that I
• 3:25
  Speaker 6: look back and I'm like, I should have done that. Thankfully,
• 3:28
  Speaker 6: I don't live with a toitle those.
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: So so do you feel tall for no reason?
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  Speaker 1: No? I love being tall. I feel tall on purpose?
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  Speaker 6: Okay, baby, Like it took me a long time to
• 3:35
  Speaker 6: get comes up on these sides, eleven sides, twelve feet okay,
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  Speaker 6: come here.
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: Because we hugged, but you like lean down.
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  Speaker 5: That disrespectful to short man, I don't know if you
• 3:43
  Speaker 5: know that, But to short king, I feel like that's disrespectful.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, what I'm I supposed to do?
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  Speaker 5: Like when tall women kneel down in the picture like that,
• 3:50
  Speaker 5: Like why are you doing that?
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  Speaker 6: I'm not good Like I wouldn't be tall if you
• 3:54
  Speaker 6: weren't short, though, so we work together, like we work together.
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  Speaker 3: I'm surprised you didn't try to post you up.
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  Speaker 4: Usually any any woman here as toll, he tries to
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  Speaker 4: post you up like he plays basket.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: Don't do that. Don't do that. We passed that. Don't
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  Speaker 1: do that.
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  Speaker 3: Don't do that because he does that all the time.
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  Speaker 2: The woman I know, I'm not gonna do it. I
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: don't know mineel like that.
• 4:10
  Speaker 3: He's in the street, right. We try to battle them out.
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: We're all accustomed to it. Move no, man, get I'm
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: away now.
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: How did you get to be in an analystic reporter?
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  Speaker 6: So when I graduated in twenty eleven, we lost to
• 4:24
  Speaker 6: Yukon ironically in Philly and at the Press conference final
• 4:27
  Speaker 6: press conference.
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: I'm like, yo, like my career is over. I'm trying
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: to get in the media. What's up.
• 4:31
  Speaker 6: And a couple of folks in the audience actually gave
• 4:33
  Speaker 6: me cards and connected, and I think I'm very thankful
• 4:36
  Speaker 6: to my parents. Advocating for myself has been something that
• 4:38
  Speaker 6: I have never struggled with her to see my parents,
• 4:40
  Speaker 6: and so all along the way, I'm meeting these people
• 4:42
  Speaker 6: and letting them know what I wanted to do. I
• 4:44
  Speaker 6: actually ended up being at a Washington Post event and
• 4:47
  Speaker 6: sitting in front of the director of the Phillamol College
• 4:49
  Speaker 6: of Journalism or Sports Program for Sports Journalism at University
• 4:53
  Speaker 6: of Maryland, again advocating for myself. He's like, come truck
• 4:55
  Speaker 6: out our journalism program. At the time, I didn't know
• 4:57
  Speaker 6: who he was. Turned out to be George Solomon. That
• 5:00
  Speaker 6: gets the wheel rolling in me in terms of opportunities
• 5:02
  Speaker 6: to learn the craft of journalism, study it, be able
• 5:06
  Speaker 6: to go and perform in various mediums, and then take
• 5:09
  Speaker 6: my basketball passion of basketball knowledge and merge the two.
• 5:11
  Speaker 6: So twenty twelve, twenty thirteen, I graduated from grad school
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  Speaker 6: and then it's just kind of been pushing ever since.
• 5:17
  Speaker 5: Was there any body that inspired you to want to
• 5:20
  Speaker 5: get into broadcast journalism?
• 5:21
  Speaker 6: Robin Roberts, like I was the nineteen ninety six ninety
• 5:24
  Speaker 6: seven WNBA foundational years, Robin Roberts was still working on
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  Speaker 6: the call at that point, and I just remember seeing
• 5:31
  Speaker 6: her and then following her to ESPN and Sports Center
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  Speaker 6: and obviously on the GMA, Like it was like yo,
• 5:36
  Speaker 6: like that's me, Like I could do that. And so
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  Speaker 6: I think Robert Roberts is probably my first muse in
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  Speaker 6: the space. And then I would say somebody like Doris
• 5:41
  Speaker 6: Burke probably.
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  Speaker 5: Does this stigma still exist that women don't know sports
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  Speaker 5: one hundred percent?
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  Speaker 6: It's changing, but it's definitely still out there. And I'll
• 5:50
  Speaker 6: be honest, y'all. For me, it was so funny this
• 5:53
  Speaker 6: week Monday. First take Steve and A Shannon, all those
• 5:56
  Speaker 6: guys and Steven that has to take this moment to
• 5:57
  Speaker 6: address this whole thing with Jaylen Brown, right, and I
• 6:00
  Speaker 6: am listening, and I'm like, Dak, this man have been
• 6:02
  Speaker 6: in the industry twenty five plus years, well respected, and
• 6:05
  Speaker 6: he's still having to clarify. And so for me, you know,
• 6:08
  Speaker 6: less than ten years in at least in doing that
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  Speaker 6: showing on that platform it was this that's just the
• 6:14
  Speaker 6: nature of the beast's moment, because I'm like, I didn't
• 6:17
  Speaker 6: say that when people are like tweeting stuff at me,
• 6:18
  Speaker 6: like I didn't say that, or that's completely out of context.
• 6:20
  Speaker 6: And so I think you learn and you build the
• 6:23
  Speaker 6: scar tissue, the tough skin to deal with it, because
• 6:24
  Speaker 6: it's just the nature of the beasts.
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: I do understand differently, we forget.
• 6:29
  Speaker 6: Fanish short for fanatic, and so sometimes when I'm engaging,
• 6:32
  Speaker 6: I'm like, all right, is this misogynistic bs or is
• 6:35
  Speaker 6: this just a crazy fan right? And you gotta be able,
• 6:39
  Speaker 6: I don't want to say hold space, but you gotta
• 6:41
  Speaker 6: be able to navigate both because there is still a
• 6:44
  Speaker 6: sentiment out there that women just don't know what they're
• 6:45
  Speaker 6: talking about. And for me, I'm like, look, we don't
• 6:47
  Speaker 6: have to agree. That's the nature of the beast, that's
• 6:49
  Speaker 6: the nature of human experience. But don't be nasty for
• 6:52
  Speaker 6: no reason. That's my only thing.
• 6:53
  Speaker 5: Yeah, I think when it comes to like sports pundents,
• 6:56
  Speaker 5: you can immediately tell if you like somebody just by
• 6:59
  Speaker 5: listening to him, cause you know what they you know,
• 7:01
  Speaker 5: they know what they're talking about. I remember the first
• 7:03
  Speaker 5: time I saw you was on I think the Yes
• 7:06
  Speaker 5: Network with cas. It was with after the Knicks game,
• 7:13
  Speaker 5: and I was like, I remember hitting cats, Like who
• 7:15
  Speaker 5: is that? Like, you know she knows what she's talking about,
• 7:17
  Speaker 5: not she because she's a woman, just that person knows
• 7:19
  Speaker 5: what they're talking about. Yeah, yeah, And I appreciate that
• 7:21
  Speaker 5: that that compliment and compliments from basketball people mean no
• 7:25
  Speaker 5: world to me.
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: Like if this.
• 7:27
  Speaker 6: Assistant coach or this coach or this former athlete is like, yo,
• 7:29
  Speaker 6: we like what you do, like thank you and it
• 7:31
  Speaker 6: and like what you do doesn't mean we always have
• 7:33
  Speaker 6: to agree. I'm gonnacros from NASA Rosie two years ago
• 7:35
  Speaker 6: at the Women's Final four and she's like, mine, you
• 7:38
  Speaker 6: look like you having fun. Though She's like I don't
• 7:39
  Speaker 6: always agree, which is fine, but you look like you
• 7:41
  Speaker 6: having fun and you've done the work, and that's that is.
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: The bottom line.
• 7:45
  Speaker 4: Now, I got to ask you, w NBA, let's do it.
• 7:47
  Speaker 4: There's been a lot of conversation recently about the w NBA.
• 7:50
  Speaker 4: Things have changed in the last year, but I think
• 7:53
  Speaker 4: people wanted more and I see them starting to talk
• 7:56
  Speaker 4: more and more and more and more trash, right, Caitlin
• 7:59
  Speaker 4: Clark for example. Right, you know she's doing well, scoring
• 8:01
  Speaker 4: twenty two points. It's difficult, right, d Like, this is
• 8:04
  Speaker 4: top level basketball, but people wanted more. They want to
• 8:07
  Speaker 4: herd like what she did in college, and they're saying
• 8:09
  Speaker 4: that this could actually hurt the wn bab what's.
• 8:11
  Speaker 3: Your thoughts on that.
• 8:11
  Speaker 6: So two things can be true, and this is why
• 8:14
  Speaker 6: the run up to Kaylan getting drafted and becoming a
• 8:17
  Speaker 6: pro was so fascinating to watch for those of us
• 8:20
  Speaker 6: that have been in the space.
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: Right, she's dynamic, she has changed the game.
• 8:24
  Speaker 6: She's worthy of all the contracts, the dollars, the Rise
• 8:27
  Speaker 6: and Tide raisers, all ships, whatever. Although there is trajectory
• 8:30
  Speaker 6: of the WNB in the last four years, some of
• 8:31
  Speaker 6: these things were going to happen anyway.
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: But the w is also tough. It's one hundred and
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: forty four of the.
• 8:36
  Speaker 6: Best women in the world period, not in the United States,
• 8:39
  Speaker 6: in the world. And so she is fine and talented
• 8:42
  Speaker 6: and will be okay. And there's also going to be
• 8:45
  Speaker 6: a curve, and I think that's what we're seeing in
• 8:46
  Speaker 6: real time. You don't get drafted number one because the
• 8:48
  Speaker 6: team just won a championship. The team is straggling, right,
• 8:51
  Speaker 6: and the Fever have struggled since they won a championship
• 8:53
  Speaker 6: with Tamika Catches. I think that was twenty sixteen, So
• 8:55
  Speaker 6: they're trying to get back to the promised lands, so
• 8:57
  Speaker 6: to speak. I think the hope is, Okay, we're turning
• 9:02
  Speaker 6: in to watch Caitlin Oh, but let me. I'm learning
• 9:05
  Speaker 6: about the Connecticut Sign, I'm learning about the La Sparks,
• 9:07
  Speaker 6: I'm learning about the Las Vegas Aces, these other teams
• 9:10
  Speaker 6: that I now want to follow.
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: That's the hope. Now the reality.
• 9:12
  Speaker 6: I literally had this conversation a week ago one of
• 9:14
  Speaker 6: my bosses is is that fan base for her going to.
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: Hang on while the Fever continue to struggle? Now?
• 9:20
  Speaker 6: I can't answer that. I can already see growth in
• 9:23
  Speaker 6: her first one two weeks the month of the season.
• 9:26
  Speaker 6: But I hope that the eyeballs that she's bringing are
• 9:30
  Speaker 6: about women's sports at large and not just her, and
• 9:32
  Speaker 6: that encourages and boost the WNBA at large.
• 9:35
  Speaker 5: I've never rooted for a white woman so much of
• 9:36
  Speaker 5: my life. Okay, because she has to be successful. I
• 9:40
  Speaker 5: feel like, you know, the more success she has, the
• 9:42
  Speaker 5: more success women's basketball is going to have. Like people
• 9:45
  Speaker 5: should want her to succeed, but it's kind of weird
• 9:48
  Speaker 5: to see people rooting against her.
• 9:50
  Speaker 6: So first of all, let's let let charlamne and be
• 9:52
  Speaker 6: less unpacked that who who is who is Chuck talking
• 9:56
  Speaker 6: to the other day? Like who is Chuck talking to?
• 9:58
  Speaker 6: Stop hating?
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: Yeah?
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: Yeah, right now, if you're talking to the internet, make
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: that clear.
• 10:02
  Speaker 6: Because I have talked to w players, I've talked to
• 10:05
  Speaker 6: her teammates in Indiana, like, folks are excited and thrilled.
• 10:08
  Speaker 6: But the idea that the w NBA has to play
• 10:11
  Speaker 6: kumbaya and not compete.
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: Like whoever said, I'm blank?
• 10:14
  Speaker 6: Was it je t They said, y'all should be competing
• 10:16
  Speaker 6: because you want to make her look good.
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: I don't know if I said one of the podcasts,
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: I say, say that, write.
• 10:20
  Speaker 6: This clip like cut it out, cut it out, like
• 10:22
  Speaker 6: at the base, at the foundation of this this competition,
• 10:25
  Speaker 6: and that is beautiful and worthy of celebration.
• 10:27
  Speaker 3: If you're listening, you don't know what she's talking about.
• 10:29
  Speaker 4: He was saying that the WNBA should fall back off
• 10:31
  Speaker 4: and for let her score, let her score thirty forty
• 10:33
  Speaker 4: the first two years and get more people involved, and
• 10:37
  Speaker 4: then play hard on her but I'm like you, it's competition.
• 10:39
  Speaker 4: Like now, I want to show that I can defend her.
• 10:41
  Speaker 4: I want to show that when she comes into my
• 10:43
  Speaker 4: city that she's scoring two points.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: That's so like, that's no insult to her. She's a competitor.
• 10:48
  Speaker 6: She go go get she go go do what she
• 10:49
  Speaker 6: gotta do. Do not give this any real rational space
• 10:52
  Speaker 6: in your head.
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: Don't even do it. I'm like, Jeff might not be
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: a little all. You might not be wrong.
• 10:56
  Speaker 4: Because I'm saying, for two years, get more, especially to
• 11:03
  Speaker 4: go see her.
• 11:03
  Speaker 5: It's not like she's not getting shots to be fun.
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: She's to me, if i'm her, that's an insult. That's
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: an insult.
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: And it's only been with five games.
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: I got a double check something like that.
• 11:16
  Speaker 5: She scored twenty a few times. But I'm looking at
• 11:18
  Speaker 5: everything else she's doing. She's getting she's getting reading, cut
• 11:22
  Speaker 5: down on the turnover, but she looks like she's doing,
• 11:25
  Speaker 5: she gonna, she's doing.
• 11:26
  Speaker 6: Anything quite as his cap. I don't I shouldn't say
• 11:28
  Speaker 6: quiet as his cap. But it just hasn't been as
• 11:29
  Speaker 6: much of a national headline. But her comrade in that class,
• 11:32
  Speaker 6: Angel Reae, has been off to a rocket right like
• 11:34
  Speaker 6: she's angel is stupid and I'm hooping, And I'll be
• 11:36
  Speaker 6: the first to say that. In college, I was like
• 11:38
  Speaker 6: a house is going to translate in terms of position,
• 11:40
  Speaker 6: but the work ethic, the energy get into the glass,
• 11:43
  Speaker 6: like the toughness, all of those things have translated.
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: And I'm really excited for her. This rookie class is.
• 11:47
  Speaker 6: Dope, and I think the timing of it is really
• 11:51
  Speaker 6: unique in terms of the growth of women's sports at large.
• 11:53
  Speaker 6: And then you have these personalities that you can lash
• 11:57
  Speaker 6: onto and really root for, and they are cool sharing
• 12:00
  Speaker 6: their lives, which is super dope. So it's a beautiful combination.
• 12:03
  Speaker 6: So right now you're Rookie of the Year. So far
• 12:04
  Speaker 6: as injuries, in terms of product, I mean, both those
• 12:07
  Speaker 6: teams are struggling. I haven't eve thought about show me
• 12:09
  Speaker 6: it's so early. My big thing going into the conversation
• 12:12
  Speaker 6: with Rookie of the Year though, is whose numbers are
• 12:15
  Speaker 6: going to impact their team's overall improvement. So right now
• 12:18
  Speaker 6: you would give a slight edge to Chicago. Both of
• 12:20
  Speaker 6: those teams are struggling. Well, not shouldn't struggling. They're still young,
• 12:23
  Speaker 6: they're still building, but you would probably give a slight
• 12:25
  Speaker 6: edge to Chicago right now, Cardoza not even Yeah, she
• 12:27
  Speaker 6: had a shoulder thing, she's getting she's getting back.
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: How hard is it being a woman at ESPN?
• 12:33
  Speaker 6: So I live in New York, I operate out of
• 12:35
  Speaker 6: the Seaport Studio. I have no issues. The times that
• 12:38
  Speaker 6: I've been in Bristol, I've had no issues. It is
• 12:42
  Speaker 6: that's a ESPN is a great place to work. Every
• 12:45
  Speaker 6: no place is perfect, right, and so I don't find
• 12:47
  Speaker 6: it to be hard. I think I'm probably hardest on myself.
• 12:50
  Speaker 6: And that's just the background of an athlete, right, Like, yeah,
• 12:53
  Speaker 6: it's crazy to me. The other day I had a
• 12:57
  Speaker 6: conversation with my guys over at Next School and they
• 13:00
  Speaker 6: asked me about my most morole moment from the season.
• 13:02
  Speaker 6: And this wasn't an ESPN moment, but it was with
• 13:04
  Speaker 6: Mike Green. Right, We're doing a game in Golden State,
• 13:07
  Speaker 6: second game. I had the opportunity to call for the Knicks.
• 13:09
  Speaker 6: I might have been a third and Mike Bring does
• 13:11
  Speaker 6: his signature bang on the call and it was like.
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: Surreal for me because I'm like whoa, Like whoa.
• 13:17
  Speaker 6: And so there's this moment of I'm sitting next to
• 13:19
  Speaker 6: this Hall of Famer that has done this for I'm
• 13:20
  Speaker 6: ten years or even the other day in the studio,
• 13:22
  Speaker 6: like I'm sitting across from you, Donna's Haslam, a three
• 13:25
  Speaker 6: time champion, like a dude that played eighteen plus years
• 13:28
  Speaker 6: in the NBA, and here I am someone who has
• 13:30
  Speaker 6: loved the game of basketball, done my best to study
• 13:33
  Speaker 6: and prepare and just bringing my perspective. So whether it's
• 13:35
  Speaker 6: ESPN or MSG, there's an innate confidence that you have
• 13:38
  Speaker 6: to have in terms of my voice and my perspective
• 13:41
  Speaker 6: adds to this conversation. Now, that does not mean I
• 13:43
  Speaker 6: don't operate with a ton of difference and respect, because
• 13:45
  Speaker 6: I mean I'm riding them off, all these people that
• 13:47
  Speaker 6: I have the privilege to work next to, and I
• 13:48
  Speaker 6: have a ton of respect for your experience. However, this
• 13:51
  Speaker 6: is also what I've observed. Can we have a conversation,
• 13:53
  Speaker 6: and so that goes back to basketball people being like yo,
• 13:56
  Speaker 6: that was that was solid or on the occasion where
• 13:58
  Speaker 6: it wasn't solid, you have the opportun unity to receive
• 14:01
  Speaker 6: constructive feedback, adjust and grow.
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: So I have not found it to be hard.
• 14:04
  Speaker 6: I'm very thankful I've had the opportunity to do a
• 14:06
  Speaker 6: bunch of different things, and I think moving forward, for me,
• 14:08
  Speaker 6: it's about finding the lane that best suits my skill set.
• 14:11
  Speaker 4: And I gotta ask, you said you did a bunch
• 14:14
  Speaker 4: of Knicks games, right, it feels like the NBA gets
• 14:17
  Speaker 4: a lot better and more talked about.
• 14:19
  Speaker 3: When the Knicks are in the playoffs. It feels like that.
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: Okay, yes it does.
• 14:27
  Speaker 3: Are you crazy?
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: Listen?
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: I would.
• 14:30
  Speaker 6: So this was my first year as a Knicks radio analyst.
• 14:32
  Speaker 6: We had a blast, right. This was also probably their
• 14:36
  Speaker 6: best year in terms of if you think of January,
• 14:37
  Speaker 6: they was on a hot streak. I have learned how
• 14:40
  Speaker 6: national television works. There's a few y'all know, it's a
• 14:43
  Speaker 6: few markets that hit. And we're gonna keep recycling these topics.
• 14:46
  Speaker 6: When the Knicks are playing well, there's definitely more energy,
• 14:49
  Speaker 6: Like there's more energy about the teams that are coming
• 14:51
  Speaker 6: into the garden. How did the results end up going
• 14:53
  Speaker 6: down at the garden like the whole bit?
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: So, yes, I think that's a fact.
• 14:56
  Speaker 4: And I also got to ask, you know, people have
• 14:58
  Speaker 4: been complaining about the refs in it BA recently and
• 15:01
  Speaker 4: they're saying they make bad.
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: Calls and this, that and the other. What are your
• 15:05
  Speaker 3: thoughts on the rest of the NBA.
• 15:06
  Speaker 6: I think referring is a thankless job. Your best case scenarios.
• 15:09
  Speaker 6: We say nothing about you, right.
• 15:14
  Speaker 4: The one time the Pacers complaining seventy eight times is like,
• 15:17
  Speaker 4: that's crazy.
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: Like in one game.
• 15:19
  Speaker 6: Yes, I think between game two and three they sent
• 15:22
  Speaker 6: seventy eight clips to the league office.
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: Wow.
• 15:24
  Speaker 6: Rick Carlo popped a thirty five thousand dollars flying for
• 15:27
  Speaker 6: his postgame press conference after Game two, and in Game
• 15:30
  Speaker 6: three in Indiana, the tenor of the game was a
• 15:32
  Speaker 6: little different.
• 15:34
  Speaker 3: Yes, that's why I think they won that game.
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: But ahead, we're gonna keep moving.
• 15:40
  Speaker 6: I think officiating definitely has room to improve, and it's
• 15:43
  Speaker 6: just a matter of consistency. Even last night, complete accident,
• 15:47
  Speaker 6: was it? Jaylen Bronston clock kicks t J McConnell on
• 15:50
  Speaker 6: the head, everybody listening, JJ Reddick, Mike Breen, George Burk Like,
• 15:55
  Speaker 6: by rule, this is gonna be a flaker one unintentional,
• 15:57
  Speaker 6: but you kicked the dude in the face and the
• 16:00
  Speaker 6: crew ruled that it was just a regular file like
• 16:03
  Speaker 6: it was like, oh, and so I think there is
• 16:04
  Speaker 6: consistency by the letter of the law that is missing
• 16:08
  Speaker 6: and that probably be my biggest gripe.
• 16:10
  Speaker 4: And who's the face of the league right now? You
• 16:11
  Speaker 4: look at some of the biggest stars in the league,
• 16:13
  Speaker 4: they didn't make the playoffs. Well out the playoffs, I
• 16:15
  Speaker 4: should say, you eat Lebron, You're talking Curry, you're talking
• 16:19
  Speaker 4: Kevin Durant, these guys.
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: Out, So who is the face of the league.
• 16:22
  Speaker 6: I mean we've only been debating us for like three
• 16:24
  Speaker 6: weeks on television.
• 16:26
  Speaker 5: Ah.
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: Look, I still think that those guys.
• 16:31
  Speaker 6: When you think NBA, you think of the Jannis, KD,
• 16:33
  Speaker 6: Steph and Lebron still first in my mind. But I
• 16:36
  Speaker 6: do think we are witnessing a changing of the guard Minnesota. Mike,
• 16:39
  Speaker 6: guess what, right look like, That's how it's gonna happen.
• 16:42
  Speaker 6: And so I think that probably puts a little bit
• 16:44
  Speaker 6: of a pause on the Anthony Edwards talk. But then
• 16:46
  Speaker 6: you got like Kyrie, who's going off alongside Luca, Right,
• 16:49
  Speaker 6: they love Kyrie.
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: Now Michael Jordan is the face of the NBA.
• 16:54
  Speaker 5: Okay, And you know how you know Michael Jordan facing
• 16:57
  Speaker 5: the NBA because even the greatest players that are still
• 17:00
  Speaker 5: playing right now still get compared to Michael Jordan's Anthony
• 17:03
  Speaker 5: Edwards is still getting compared, you know, to Michael Jordan
• 17:06
  Speaker 5: right now, Lebron James. They still he was in the playoff.
• 17:10
  Speaker 5: They would say, he's still chasing Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan
• 17:13
  Speaker 5: is the face of the NBA guys and gals.
• 17:17
  Speaker 6: Okay, I don't know if I agree with that, but
• 17:19
  Speaker 6: sure I understand your logic. I mean, I think the
• 17:22
  Speaker 6: face of the league is such a it's a loaded question,
• 17:25
  Speaker 6: right because so much of it is also like wanting
• 17:28
  Speaker 6: to and so in terms of the guy that's front
• 17:30
  Speaker 6: facing a vocal, it's definitely Steph and Lebron in terms
• 17:33
  Speaker 6: of like they're gonna capture all of these.
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: Deals regarding the league.
• 17:35
  Speaker 6: They're gonna wear mics, the you know what I'm saying,
• 17:37
  Speaker 6: They're gonna be strategic and everything that they're doing. I
• 17:39
  Speaker 6: don't know if there's anybody that seems to embrace it
• 17:41
  Speaker 6: quite the way they do until you turn around and
• 17:43
  Speaker 6: got and Edwards, but I will say they like, I
• 17:46
  Speaker 6: love it.
• 17:48
  Speaker 4: Though he's like he's on he comes from a side
• 17:50
  Speaker 4: of it almost like more like an Ivison approach. I
• 17:53
  Speaker 4: don't give a fuck about none of you, all them,
• 17:55
  Speaker 4: I'm gonna say what I gotta say, and it is
• 17:56
  Speaker 4: what it is.
• 17:57
  Speaker 3: And then if you talk back to me, I'm gonna
• 17:58
  Speaker 3: try to dunk on you.
• 17:58
  Speaker 2: By the way, I.
• 18:01
  Speaker 5: Like Anthony Edwood's too, but it feels like once those
• 18:04
  Speaker 5: Jordan talks really started to heat up for that week,
• 18:07
  Speaker 5: his performances didn't match.
• 18:08
  Speaker 6: So this is year one though. I feel you on that,
• 18:11
  Speaker 6: but this is your one. I'm gonna say this baby,
• 18:13
  Speaker 6: this young man, this athlete, his.
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: Baby, his baby.
• 18:18
  Speaker 6: I mean, he's never been this far, and to me,
• 18:20
  Speaker 6: he looks absolutely cooked and fatigued in the series, So
• 18:23
  Speaker 6: I think he has time. Like this is the question
• 18:25
  Speaker 6: around him has been it's either new face of the league.
• 18:27
  Speaker 6: Don't think he's there yet. But like you said, the
• 18:30
  Speaker 6: MJ comps, the personality, all of these things are reasons
• 18:34
  Speaker 6: for folks to tune in, and so I think he's
• 18:36
  Speaker 6: got He's twenty two, y'all, He's got plenty of time
• 18:38
  Speaker 6: and plenty of runway. But I think knocking out the
• 18:40
  Speaker 6: defendant tips and the way that they did that made
• 18:42
  Speaker 6: that very excited and talking trash all along the way.
• 18:44
  Speaker 3: Please, I got to ask about one more nick question
• 18:46
  Speaker 3: we got. What do they shut up?
• 18:48
  Speaker 4: What do the Knicks need to do for next year?
• 18:51
  Speaker 4: You know they've been talking about do they trade Randall,
• 18:52
  Speaker 4: do they keep Randall? Do they bring somebody else in?
• 18:55
  Speaker 4: You know, what should we do?
• 18:58
  Speaker 6: So hear me out listening, I think people forgot what
• 19:03
  Speaker 6: this team could look like healthy, Right, Mitchell Robinson goes
• 19:06
  Speaker 6: down in October, Julius goes down at the end of January,
• 19:10
  Speaker 6: og misses a month ish down to stretch of the
• 19:13
  Speaker 6: regular season. You get to the postseason, Ogi's still dealing
• 19:16
  Speaker 6: with the injury stuff, and then obviously it ends with
• 19:19
  Speaker 6: the jaylen Han thing. Right, Julius was a twenty five
• 19:22
  Speaker 6: and nine guy. Excuse me, all star right, all NBA.
• 19:27
  Speaker 6: Mitchell Robinson was having the best season to date before
• 19:30
  Speaker 6: going down with that foot injury, and then when he
• 19:31
  Speaker 6: did get healthy, he was productive until he got her
• 19:33
  Speaker 6: to get in that Philly series. I actually would be
• 19:38
  Speaker 6: okay if this team stood its ground and ran it
• 19:42
  Speaker 6: back healthy. But to me, the culture has to be protected.
• 19:47
  Speaker 6: Y'all know y'all heard all the conversation about Tibbs. I was,
• 19:50
  Speaker 6: I like, want to kick anybody in the face that
• 19:51
  Speaker 6: want to talk to me about TIBs. In minutes like
• 19:52
  Speaker 6: stop it.
• 19:53
  Speaker 3: Say TIBs work, Peaked did work.
• 19:54
  Speaker 6: Like we're trying to win, y'all want to count minutes
• 19:56
  Speaker 6: y'all on w's like what were we doing? So if
• 19:59
  Speaker 6: they're going to add I think that front office has
• 20:01
  Speaker 6: earned tremendous respect with the trade that they made to
• 20:03
  Speaker 6: get Og and Precious the Truer and even the two
• 20:05
  Speaker 6: guys out of Detroit were beneficial down the stretch. They
• 20:09
  Speaker 6: deserve respect. To me, you gotta get a guy that
• 20:11
  Speaker 6: fits a Tip system. You gotta be able to play.
• 20:14
  Speaker 6: You want to play on both sides of the floor,
• 20:15
  Speaker 6: and a ball can't really stick. I think the misconception
• 20:17
  Speaker 6: is that the ball has to stick with Jalen. Jalen
• 20:20
  Speaker 6: to me, is an incredible high basketball like you guy, Yes,
• 20:22
  Speaker 6: he's gonna get his buckets. But if you gave him
• 20:24
  Speaker 6: somebody that also was drawing a double team, which is
• 20:26
  Speaker 6: Tip's favorite thing to say, like he gonn pass the rock,
• 20:28
  Speaker 6: he gonna get off of it because he's a winner.
• 20:30
  Speaker 6: So I would actually be okay if they ran it
• 20:31
  Speaker 6: back and they were healthy. But whoever it is, you
• 20:34
  Speaker 6: gotta be a real hooper and not in the NBA
• 20:36
  Speaker 6: because of the lifestyle and you just happen to be talented.
• 20:38
  Speaker 3: Devin Booker. They've been saying, what's your thoughts?
• 20:40
  Speaker 6: Don't love that two ball dominant and what we're doing
• 20:43
  Speaker 6: on the other side of the ball, And I just
• 20:46
  Speaker 6: I don't. I just I don't love that one.
• 20:49
  Speaker 3: Bronnie, Ronnie.
• 20:51
  Speaker 6: I mean, I see where you're going there, right, I
• 20:55
  Speaker 6: do see where you're going. Look, that is the literally
• 21:00
  Speaker 6: lebron James test free agency sincerely right, two places in
• 21:04
  Speaker 6: my mind, Philly has the money, they could actually do it,
• 21:07
  Speaker 6: and everybody's like he can't go to Philly, no chance.
• 21:09
  Speaker 6: And then in terms of brand and start power, like
• 21:10
  Speaker 6: it ain't no place like New York. I don't think
• 21:13
  Speaker 6: that's realistic. But that's a guy. You don't question his
• 21:15
  Speaker 6: work ethic, you don't question his availability, like he gonna
• 21:18
  Speaker 6: hoop when he went as long as he's.
• 21:19
  Speaker 3: Outhy, you're gonna who is Brownie ready for the lead?
• 21:22
  Speaker 6: I have not watched Brownie enough, so I can't say,
• 21:23
  Speaker 6: but I do appreciate that. I think my favorite thing
• 21:26
  Speaker 6: in this process, as the highlights have come down from
• 21:28
  Speaker 6: the combine, was his player comps like he was honest,
• 21:32
  Speaker 6: like he's like.
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: These are the kind of guys that I love.
• 21:34
  Speaker 6: Dave Yon Mitchell, like they called him off night in
• 21:36
  Speaker 6: college because when he guards, the other guys have off nights,
• 21:38
  Speaker 6: and that comp was one of my favorites.
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: Obviously.
• 21:40
  Speaker 6: Derek White, I think was a guy he mentioned as
• 21:42
  Speaker 6: well who's had a tremendous path to get to where
• 21:44
  Speaker 6: he is now with the Celtics as they head to
• 21:46
  Speaker 6: the finals. So I liked that he was in touch
• 21:48
  Speaker 6: and he wasn't delusional in that way. I don't question
• 21:51
  Speaker 6: that the young man is willing to work. This draft
• 21:54
  Speaker 6: class might be the opportunity that makes most sense, because
• 21:56
  Speaker 6: you're not talking about a Victor Wembayama Zion or a
• 21:59
  Speaker 6: ja I think you can get ready, you know what
• 22:02
  Speaker 6: I'm saying. Like and if he has anybody, if he
• 22:05
  Speaker 6: has the opportunity, his dad is Lebron, he gonna he
• 22:08
  Speaker 6: gonna tell you what you need to do in terms
• 22:10
  Speaker 6: of the work, and not just from the nepotism side,
• 22:12
  Speaker 6: but literally from the work, because that's why thing Lebron
• 22:14
  Speaker 6: has never cheated.
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: Heit versus Brownie James one on one.
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: You want to like, I'm gonna say Kaitlyn off of
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: like go.
• 22:20
  Speaker 6: Women, but like Also, what can they play horse horse horse?
• 22:25
  Speaker 6: I'm taking Kaitlyn, okay, yeah, because she's gonna give you
• 22:30
  Speaker 6: Steph crazy shots.
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: I think one on one.
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: I have not watched Bonnie close enough.
• 22:33
  Speaker 6: I can't say okay, okay, but I'm just in my
• 22:35
  Speaker 6: head a little more athleticism there that could be problematic.
• 22:38
  Speaker 5: You said something earlier that was like you said, the
• 22:40
  Speaker 5: person has to want to play ball, not the lifestyle.
• 22:43
  Speaker 6: Yeah, you gotta want to hoop. You gotta want to
• 22:45
  Speaker 6: work and hoop. You can't just be an NBA player
• 22:46
  Speaker 6: because of the lifestyle.
• 22:47
  Speaker 5: I feel like you said that and I never even
• 22:49
  Speaker 5: thought about it, But I feel like that's the majority
• 22:50
  Speaker 5: of the league. It feels like a lot of these
• 22:52
  Speaker 5: people are just into the lifestyle as opposed to.
• 22:54
  Speaker 2: Wanting to go out there and really be the best.
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: I mean, it's the hell of a lifestyle. I ain't
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: mad at him.
• 22:59
  Speaker 6: If if you are talented enough that your talent keeps
• 23:03
  Speaker 6: you afloat, then God bless you. Like I ain't that talented.
• 23:06
  Speaker 6: I gotta work hard, Like you know what I'm saying,
• 23:08
  Speaker 6: and I don't. That is a real like only you know,
• 23:13
  Speaker 6: only well, I should say that only you and your
• 23:15
  Speaker 6: teammates know who those types of guys are. But to me,
• 23:18
  Speaker 6: the culture that Tibbs has built those guys off days,
• 23:23
  Speaker 6: what are those I mean besides taking care of their
• 23:24
  Speaker 6: bodies a medical but like the opportunity to go improve
• 23:27
  Speaker 6: your game, Like a dude like Josh Hart can't survive
• 23:29
  Speaker 6: playing three straight forty eight minute contests because he just
• 23:32
  Speaker 6: skating off talent, Like even if the work is not
• 23:35
  Speaker 6: necessarily on your feet, it's how you eat, is taking
• 23:37
  Speaker 6: care of your body, like, you know what I mean?
• 23:39
  Speaker 6: And this current Knix group is a really cool group
• 23:41
  Speaker 6: of dudes that are willing to work.
• 23:43
  Speaker 3: I think the NIXT team this year is gonna change
• 23:45
  Speaker 3: the league a little bit.
• 23:46
  Speaker 4: The way that they work, the way that they hustle,
• 23:48
  Speaker 4: the way that they want minutes, the way that they
• 23:49
  Speaker 4: dive on the floor.
• 23:51
  Speaker 3: They look like old NBA, the way they play.
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: I think that's fair.
• 23:55
  Speaker 6: I think that's fair, and I think I in the
• 23:58
  Speaker 6: last couple of years, y'all, I'm like, simple things should
• 24:01
  Speaker 6: not be conflated with easy, right.
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: It sounds simple to just play hard.
• 24:05
  Speaker 6: And work out out work everybody, but that's not necessarily easy,
• 24:07
  Speaker 6: you know what I'm saying when that's your identity, and
• 24:10
  Speaker 6: I think that is what has allowed them to be
• 24:12
  Speaker 6: so successful. But then you look at their leadership, whether
• 24:14
  Speaker 6: you argue about top tip or in the minutes or not,
• 24:16
  Speaker 6: you never gonna question his preparation. The same thing with
• 24:18
  Speaker 6: Jason and Bruston has won at every level. You never
• 24:20
  Speaker 6: gonna question his preparation. He's not gonna cheat the work,
• 24:22
  Speaker 6: and so that sets the temperament of the entire team.
• 24:26
  Speaker 5: Yeah, what you said, that line you said made me
• 24:28
  Speaker 5: think of even college with the nil right, because I'm like,
• 24:32
  Speaker 5: what do you tell these youngins that are in school
• 24:35
  Speaker 5: who have the talent, and they have the talent enough
• 24:37
  Speaker 5: to make the millions of dollars that they're making, Like,
• 24:39
  Speaker 5: what do you tell them to keep them motivated? Other
• 24:42
  Speaker 5: than there's more money in the NBA. So it's like
• 24:45
  Speaker 5: money is the motivation now?
• 24:46
  Speaker 6: So I still lifestyle, right, Well, I think we could
• 24:49
  Speaker 6: throw in like true love of the game, right, like
• 24:52
  Speaker 6: for whatever may come with it. There are dudes in
• 24:56
  Speaker 6: the league that we know just love the game, right,
• 24:59
  Speaker 6: like Kyrie's on this renaissance store if you want to
• 25:01
  Speaker 6: call it that. But like you never questioned whether he
• 25:03
  Speaker 6: loved the game and his talent, right, it was some
• 25:04
  Speaker 6: other stuff right, Like you look at a guy to
• 25:06
  Speaker 6: me like Drew Holladay, I don't question that he loves
• 25:09
  Speaker 6: the game. Jay Lebronhaw question Jason tato Oh, Like I
• 25:11
  Speaker 6: don't question that those dudes love the game. Now, they
• 25:13
  Speaker 6: might not always come to the podium spitting fire, like
• 25:16
  Speaker 6: you know, being in tense, but like, I don't question
• 25:18
  Speaker 6: that they love the game of basketball. And I think
• 25:21
  Speaker 6: when you truly are in it not just for the love,
• 25:23
  Speaker 6: but also to win at a high level. And I'm
• 25:25
  Speaker 6: talking from my experience and I finished playing ball in college, Like,
• 25:28
  Speaker 6: there is not a sacrifice that is too great when
• 25:31
  Speaker 6: you're all.
• 25:31
  Speaker 5: In you what are your early thoughts? You look like we'
• 25:35
  Speaker 5: about to get a Boston, Dallas great cities.
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: I'm happy about that.
• 25:38
  Speaker 6: I mean, I'm sad for Many and one of my
• 25:39
  Speaker 6: home wisdom is part of the Many organization. But this
• 25:42
  Speaker 6: is gonna be a great series. Like the security guard downstairs,
• 25:45
  Speaker 6: like who you Got? And I was like, bro, I'm
• 25:46
  Speaker 6: not already make picture yet, I can I'm not ready
• 25:48
  Speaker 6: to make picks.
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: I really feel like this is Boston's year.
• 25:53
  Speaker 3: That has been playing though Dallas been balling.
• 25:56
  Speaker 6: Dallas has been balling against the defense that can't deal.
• 25:59
  Speaker 6: Boston has the pieces to deal right like Drew Holliday,
• 26:04
  Speaker 6: I know, Defensive Player the Year Rudy Gobert, like respect it,
• 26:07
  Speaker 6: but in terms of most versatile defenders, like if that
• 26:09
  Speaker 6: was a separate award, Drew Halliday.
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: Oj Nnoby, like those type of dudes that can guard went.
• 26:14
  Speaker 3: Through five, who stops Kyrie?
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: The team it's a collective.
• 26:18
  Speaker 6: But listen to me, if if if they're running pick
• 26:21
  Speaker 6: and roll right, Drew got switched with I don't know
• 26:24
  Speaker 6: the first three.
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: The other three guards right, Tatum.
• 26:26
  Speaker 2: Brown, White, White.
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: That ain't easy.
• 26:30
  Speaker 6: Now, I'm not saying Kyrie still might not finish with
• 26:31
  Speaker 6: thirty and I'm not saying Luca's not gonna hear some
• 26:33
  Speaker 6: crazy shots, but they also got to go down the
• 26:35
  Speaker 6: other end.
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: They're gonna have to defend as a collective.
• 26:36
  Speaker 6: Now, Dallas's defense has been a lot better than I
• 26:38
  Speaker 6: think folks gave a credit for, particularly after those trades.
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: And I love the hunger that PJ.
• 26:43
  Speaker 6: Washington and Daniel gafferd have brought to that team, coming
• 26:45
  Speaker 6: from organizations that wasn't doing nothing. But at the same time,
• 26:48
  Speaker 6: like the chess match of this might very well come
• 26:52
  Speaker 6: down to Missoula and Jason Kidd on the sideline, right,
• 26:55
  Speaker 6: Like you got Drew Halliday who has won, you got
• 26:57
  Speaker 6: Kyrie who has won. Both won alongside time faces of
• 27:00
  Speaker 6: the league type of guys, respectively. So there's an experience
• 27:03
  Speaker 6: there as a collective. But ofn't been to a few
• 27:06
  Speaker 6: finals a couple at this point, right, so like they
• 27:10
  Speaker 6: get it. And as much as Kyrie experience, Kyrie's experience
• 27:13
  Speaker 6: is powering the MAVs, Like what does the rest of
• 27:15
  Speaker 6: that group look like on the biggest.
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: Stage, assuming that they're going to get there? We're not.
• 27:19
  Speaker 6: We don't count Minnesota all the way out till they
• 27:20
  Speaker 6: all the way out. But I'm excited for this finals.
• 27:23
  Speaker 6: I'm really excited for this final and this finals. If
• 27:26
  Speaker 6: these if the conference finals end in five, like this
• 27:29
  Speaker 6: is going seven.
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: This is going to be so much fun.
• 27:31
  Speaker 6: Kyrie the villain back at the team. He was once
• 27:34
  Speaker 6: a part of the logo, right, Christaphrazinger gets healthy. He
• 27:41
  Speaker 6: was in Dallas at one point like this, I'm excited
• 27:44
  Speaker 6: for this.
• 27:44
  Speaker 3: One question, what's your thoughts on the gambling of the NBA.
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: Now I hate it.
• 27:49
  Speaker 3: That was why.
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: I just think it's dangerous. And even this year when.
• 27:56
  Speaker 6: The Porter Kid had his episode, I just was like,
• 28:00
  Speaker 6: I understand making an example, but literally, whether it's insert
• 28:05
  Speaker 6: gambling property here, the.
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: Tagline of the commercial is and suard effects and if
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: you need help, call on gambling.
• 28:10
  Speaker 6: So now we're gonna like we're not presenting something that
• 28:12
  Speaker 6: comes with the cautionary tail, and now this dude gets
• 28:14
  Speaker 6: no grace. I felt like that was incredibly unfair. I
• 28:18
  Speaker 6: also think that besides, like.
• 28:21
  Speaker 4: He was the example. Though he was the example. He
• 28:23
  Speaker 4: wasn't a big player where it would hurt. He was
• 28:25
  Speaker 4: the example.
• 28:26
  Speaker 6: I feel you envy, but you really gonna roll us
• 28:28
  Speaker 6: out with the caution tape and then I have no
• 28:31
  Speaker 6: grace because.
• 28:32
  Speaker 2: They wouldn't do that to the point they wouldn't do
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: a bigger star. Yeah, absolutely not.
• 28:36
  Speaker 6: Then you have zero grace, Like if this is if
• 28:39
  Speaker 6: this actually could turn into a problem, we're just gonna
• 28:41
  Speaker 6: skip the part that you might have a problem, and
• 28:43
  Speaker 6: you just got to be then example. I thought that
• 28:44
  Speaker 6: that was heavy handed and unfair. I do get it though,
• 28:47
  Speaker 6: but like I thought it was heavy handed affair in general,
• 28:49
  Speaker 6: it's also changing the dynamics between these players and fans
• 28:53
  Speaker 6: in such a crazy way.
• 28:54
  Speaker 4: I hate it because now you've got fans and they're
• 28:56
  Speaker 4: talking about one more bad I'm.
• 28:59
  Speaker 2: Like, what you know?
• 29:00
  Speaker 3: I mean one more rebaild. I gotta get my pall later.
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: It's like, what come on?
• 29:03
  Speaker 6: Like, I love my cousin. It's clueless about sports. Send
• 29:07
  Speaker 6: me Probably it's talk about something grum trut went little dollar.
• 29:08
  Speaker 6: I'm like, I cannot, I cannot like. And I get it,
• 29:12
  Speaker 6: like engaging more money for the league, all that good stuff,
• 29:14
  Speaker 6: But I really think we are entering very murky space,
• 29:17
  Speaker 6: particularly college space.
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying, Like, m hm, I'm not
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: a fan.
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: You don't trust the integrity of players.
• 29:26
  Speaker 6: I trust the integrity of players, But I think it's
• 29:28
  Speaker 6: only adding more pressure to what is already a pressure cooker.
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: You got you right, because now.
• 29:35
  Speaker 6: If first of all, anybody sitting on the court and
• 29:37
  Speaker 6: I can hear you hollering about your parlor.
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: You paid a grip for them tickets. I don't know
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: what your relationship with gambling is.
• 29:43
  Speaker 6: You hollering at players we already got you know, you
• 29:46
  Speaker 6: saying X y Z the wrong thing? Like a player
• 29:47
  Speaker 6: can turn to a rep and be like, you know,
• 29:49
  Speaker 6: they gotta go. It just creates more attension in my
• 29:52
  Speaker 6: mind that just doesn't need to be there. Sports are
• 29:54
  Speaker 6: already emotional enough, and then you talking about people's.
• 29:58
  Speaker 4: Money, oh god, or a play that's not making a
• 30:01
  Speaker 4: lot of money, like like what happened with Porter and say,
• 30:04
  Speaker 4: you know what, I'm a Paul lady is when I
• 30:05
  Speaker 4: scored ten points, I'm sick.
• 30:07
  Speaker 3: I need to come out the game.
• 30:08
  Speaker 6: Which is why I understand why he had to be
• 30:09
  Speaker 6: made an example, because there can be no room for that.
• 30:11
  Speaker 6: But even we just started talking about officiating, right, like
• 30:14
  Speaker 6: gambling is just putting so much more pressure on everything
• 30:17
  Speaker 6: that's right everything.
• 30:19
  Speaker 5: Is it true that you got engaged and not your
• 30:22
  Speaker 5: phone in the water?
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: What happened?
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: Yes, that is true.
• 30:28
  Speaker 6: He was recording no no, no, I didn'tkno get in
• 30:30
  Speaker 6: the water. We were in Grenada. Some of our best
• 30:32
  Speaker 6: pictures have come on, like self timer, and he timed
• 30:34
  Speaker 6: it and got on one knee on a self timer.
• 30:36
  Speaker 6: Then the wave came and knocked the phone over. So
• 30:38
  Speaker 6: before I can say yes, I'm like your phone and
• 30:40
  Speaker 6: he's like is that yes? So I'm like yeah, but
• 30:42
  Speaker 6: your phone, like we need that.
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: It was a really fun, great moment, good story.
• 30:46
  Speaker 2: Like you didn't look at that as a sign, Like,
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: oh my god, that I did.
• 30:50
  Speaker 6: Not look at that as a sign. I was like
• 30:54
  Speaker 6: very shocked in the moment. No, no chance that that
• 30:57
  Speaker 6: was a sign. If anything, the phone was able to recover.
• 31:00
  Speaker 6: Thus the signs that we will navigate adversity together.
• 31:02
  Speaker 2: Oooh okay.
• 31:03
  Speaker 3: I like turning that.
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: I like that.
• 31:05
  Speaker 5: Is it tough balancing a career and a relationship because
• 31:07
  Speaker 5: they like to tell women you can't have it all.
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: My fiance is amazing and we're both in sports, so
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: he gets it. We get it. Is it tough?
• 31:17
  Speaker 6: Yeah, anything worth happening is tough. Is it tough maintaining
• 31:19
  Speaker 6: your relationships?
• 31:20
  Speaker 2: To y'all?
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying? In your career? And so
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: I think it's funny, y'all.
• 31:23
  Speaker 6: I hear my mom and my aunts and my grandmother
• 31:26
  Speaker 6: is more in the last year than I think I
• 31:27
  Speaker 6: ever have it. Just that one line, keep on living, right,
• 31:30
  Speaker 6: I know, y'all, you know what I'm saying. I know
• 31:31
  Speaker 6: we all heard that, right, keep on living? And I
• 31:32
  Speaker 6: think the closer I get to both my dreams professionally
• 31:36
  Speaker 6: and personally, I'm like, oh, this is what they're talking about.
• 31:39
  Speaker 6: It's beautiful and I'm excited, but there is a level
• 31:41
  Speaker 6: of energy and maintenance required so that these things are
• 31:44
  Speaker 6: healthy that you can't skirt, you know what I mean.
• 31:47
  Speaker 6: And so, yes, it's tough, but I'm absolutely enjoying it
• 31:50
  Speaker 6: and I'm so thankful to have a partner that gets it.
• 31:54
  Speaker 6: We you know, really starting to have the conversations about
• 31:56
  Speaker 6: family planning and what that looks like because we're all
• 31:58
  Speaker 6: over the place with our jobs and so those are
• 32:00
  Speaker 6: not always comfortable conversations.
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: But the beauty of it is.
• 32:03
  Speaker 6: And one of the reasons that I felt for him
• 32:04
  Speaker 6: was like I realized very early, like this is the
• 32:07
  Speaker 6: type of teammate and partner that I want to do
• 32:09
  Speaker 6: life with. It ain't always going to be easy, but
• 32:11
  Speaker 6: I want to figure it out with you.
• 32:12
  Speaker 5: We had a little rel up here, and a little
• 32:13
  Speaker 5: rel said, you should focus on the marriage, not the wedding.
• 32:17
  Speaker 5: He said, so many people focus on the wedding, but
• 32:19
  Speaker 5: not what the actual marriage will entail, what the marriage
• 32:22
  Speaker 5: will look like.
• 32:23
  Speaker 6: A man retweet I agree, Now, granted, my wedding, my
• 32:26
  Speaker 6: wedding plan on Mliss Williams is amazing.
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: It's going to beautiful.
• 32:29
  Speaker 6: But we are also very intentional about working on our
• 32:31
  Speaker 6: foundation beyond that, Like that's a day. I think the
• 32:33
  Speaker 6: older you get people jobs all across the country, family
• 32:37
  Speaker 6: members getting older. We really wanted a moment for everybody
• 32:39
  Speaker 6: to celebrate, but we are not naive that that's just
• 32:42
  Speaker 6: the day to celebrate, and there's a real substance and
• 32:44
  Speaker 6: foundation that we're building now.
• 32:45
  Speaker 3: I don't I don't know how tall your fiance is.
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: How tall is he? He's six?
• 32:48
  Speaker 2: For he's six?
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: Okay? Would you have.
• 32:51
  Speaker 5: No?
• 32:52
  Speaker 2: No?
• 32:52
  Speaker 6: He got an NBA player name, but no, he's not
• 32:54
  Speaker 6: in bare Players association he works with. He's not an ex,
• 32:59
  Speaker 6: he's not a player. He is my high I know
• 33:01
  Speaker 6: where you're going with this.
• 33:02
  Speaker 4: No, But the reason I say that is Charlemagne always
• 33:03
  Speaker 4: says that, you know, women told women should date short
• 33:06
  Speaker 4: man and always say he's too short.
• 33:07
  Speaker 3: He always feels a way because he says short man.
• 33:10
  Speaker 2: He's just making this.
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: Okay, we'll get it straight.
• 33:14
  Speaker 2: Do you want to ask.
• 33:16
  Speaker 4: You're making you would you have a date a guy
• 33:18
  Speaker 4: as small as Charlamage Because a lot of times tall
• 33:20
  Speaker 4: women don't date that much shorter.
• 33:22
  Speaker 6: So I think, Charlemagne, you're a little short for me.
• 33:25
  Speaker 6: But I have opened my mind too short. And my
• 33:27
  Speaker 6: fiance knows this, like there was a time in my
• 33:29
  Speaker 6: life and I can remember me and my best friend
• 33:31
  Speaker 6: like we was hoop girls. He's like girl six threes
• 33:33
  Speaker 6: the minimum, like maybe six seven would be amazing, like whatever, whatever.
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: My fiance is six foot like and for me, I
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: had to be five two, No, probably not.
• 33:43
  Speaker 6: I had to get to a very real place where
• 33:45
  Speaker 6: it was like what matters. And my therapist, she gave
• 33:47
  Speaker 6: me this project. She's like your ABC list. I've applied
• 33:50
  Speaker 6: this to relationships, work, friendships, the whole bit, like what
• 33:54
  Speaker 6: what have you had in the past.
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: What do you fall for?
• 33:56
  Speaker 6: And what are the actual non negotiables? And my fiance
• 33:58
  Speaker 6: checked all the non negotiables and I was like, all right, bet,
• 34:01
  Speaker 6: Like height is not as big.
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: A deal as I thought it was.
• 34:04
  Speaker 5: I'm not about to argue with you about missing your
• 34:06
  Speaker 5: blessings because you haven't missed any you got you got
• 34:08
  Speaker 5: a great.
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: You got a great Yes, I got it it.
• 34:14
  Speaker 6: Great things coming small packages. I will give you that
• 34:17
  Speaker 6: for sure. Yes, But I just think there is that
• 34:21
  Speaker 6: is a very personal decision. Like I have had friends
• 34:23
  Speaker 6: that are my girl.
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: I just couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it. True,
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: It's true.
• 34:27
  Speaker 4: My sister is extreme and you might have your blessing
• 34:32
  Speaker 4: because she was like when I wear heels, I tower
• 34:35
  Speaker 4: over and I she didn't want to date anybody, you know, Charlomagne's.
• 34:39
  Speaker 2: Dating is a very personal.
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: It is a person decision.
• 34:42
  Speaker 6: It is bro I I have heels that I'm taller
• 34:45
  Speaker 6: than my fiance and and he's fine with it. And
• 34:47
  Speaker 6: I found that to be something that I loved as
• 34:48
  Speaker 6: we continue to get to know one another and got
• 34:50
  Speaker 6: deeper in our relationship because I've dated taller dudes. I
• 34:53
  Speaker 6: still wasn't as tall as you, but they didn't like
• 34:55
  Speaker 6: how tall I wasn't heels right, and so like what
• 34:58
  Speaker 6: I'm supposed to do. I want to feel good too,
• 35:00
  Speaker 6: and so like he's like, if you feel good, I'm good,
• 35:03
  Speaker 6: let's go, let's grow. And that's important. But I have
• 35:06
  Speaker 6: heard women equate the height things to feel and protected,
• 35:09
  Speaker 6: which I did.
• 35:13
  Speaker 2: I get. I don't fight, I get it, I do
• 35:20
  Speaker 2: get it.
• 35:20
  Speaker 6: But almost like society are we in where you got
• 35:22
  Speaker 6: a lot to drop your bat, Like, what's going on?
• 35:27
  Speaker 2: Tell us about your nonprofit Grow Our Game.
• 35:29
  Speaker 6: Okay, so that's actually my homegirl Jones shout out to
• 35:32
  Speaker 6: her true New Yorker.
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: She's a hooper referee.
• 35:34
  Speaker 6: She runs the organization Grow Our Game, which is basically
• 35:37
  Speaker 6: keeping girls in sport from the age I think her baby.
• 35:40
  Speaker 6: Her youngest babies are four all the way up to thirteen,
• 35:44
  Speaker 6: and they have activations all through the city. They work
• 35:47
  Speaker 6: out a lot in Harlem, but the parents are in.
• 35:49
  Speaker 6: Sea's energy is undeniable. She's effervescent, the kind of girl
• 35:52
  Speaker 6: that got the zest for life and is just using
• 35:53
  Speaker 6: sports as a vehicle to help these young women grow
• 35:56
  Speaker 6: and develop in their confidence. At the end of every practice,
• 35:59
  Speaker 6: that usually wrap it up with affirmations, you are kind,
• 36:03
  Speaker 6: you are smart, you are beautiful, and you could do anything.
• 36:06
  Speaker 6: And I think it's about using sport as a vehicle.
• 36:09
  Speaker 6: And I know I'm a product of the power of
• 36:12
  Speaker 6: sports for women. But at the same time, she has
• 36:14
  Speaker 6: helped some young women go on to play D one
• 36:16
  Speaker 6: college ball, and I think that is beautiful. And so
• 36:20
  Speaker 6: the things that sport gave me, y'all, in terms of confidence, friendship,
• 36:24
  Speaker 6: the ability to communicate. All of those are foundational to life,
• 36:27
  Speaker 6: whether you go on and play at a high level
• 36:29
  Speaker 6: or not. And so it's been such a blessing to
• 36:31
  Speaker 6: be able to help put Grow our Game on and
• 36:33
  Speaker 6: partner with them in that work. The girl's got a
• 36:35
  Speaker 6: ton of interergy. It's some hooper's in there. The parents
• 36:37
  Speaker 6: are about it and like, like I said, my girl
• 36:38
  Speaker 6: she's whoo. She is always on energy, bunny like and
• 36:42
  Speaker 6: I just love her passion for life.
• 36:43
  Speaker 2: How do we support that?
• 36:45
  Speaker 6: She's all you can follow on Instagram Grow our Game.
• 36:48
  Speaker 6: The logo is GOG and it's a black and white logo.
• 36:51
  Speaker 6: Make sure you got the right one. Definitely top in there.
• 36:53
  Speaker 6: I'm sure there's links there to donate and get involved,
• 36:56
  Speaker 6: and I'm always kind of trying to shout them out.
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: So it's super dope.
• 37:00
  Speaker 5: I want to have one more question, what do you
• 37:01
  Speaker 5: think about this new media world that we live in
• 37:05
  Speaker 5: where you have, you know, the athletes hosting podcast, athletes
• 37:10
  Speaker 5: hosting the YouTube.
• 37:11
  Speaker 2: Shows like you.
• 37:11
  Speaker 5: What do you think of that and how is that
• 37:13
  Speaker 5: impacting traditional outlets like the ESPN.
• 37:15
  Speaker 6: I love hearing directly from athletes now. I will also say,
• 37:19
  Speaker 6: as someone in the media. I also shut it all
• 37:21
  Speaker 6: down on purpose just because I need to recharge, right,
• 37:23
  Speaker 6: and I'm sure y'all can relate to that. I think
• 37:27
  Speaker 6: there are more players, both men and women, that are
• 37:31
  Speaker 6: interested in doing it and giving a true behind the
• 37:33
  Speaker 6: scenes lens than there are interested in. Maybe creating petty
• 37:36
  Speaker 6: beef is a nonsense, right, but the idea of accountability,
• 37:41
  Speaker 6: I'm okay with that, Like you cannot fire off at
• 37:43
  Speaker 6: the hip and not expect anybody to say anything right
• 37:48
  Speaker 6: or not expect anybody to respond. And so I know
• 37:51
  Speaker 6: because I can remember in journalism school, like as this
• 37:53
  Speaker 6: was starting to change and Twitter was released or ex
• 37:55
  Speaker 6: was really starting to get popular, some of the og
• 37:57
  Speaker 6: writers were kind of like I used to be a newsbreaker.
• 37:59
  Speaker 6: Now guys can break their own news. And I still
• 38:01
  Speaker 6: think there's space for relationships and healthy relationships with trained journalists.
• 38:05
  Speaker 6: But I also think it's okay to hear directly front
• 38:08
  Speaker 6: players on their experience. I mean, whether you like or
• 38:10
  Speaker 6: Draymond Green or not, Like his podcast is captivating, particularly
• 38:13
  Speaker 6: after something happened in the game he got address it,
• 38:15
  Speaker 6: like those are the pods.
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: That have the best numbers.
• 38:16
  Speaker 6: I mean, you look at a guy like jj Reddick, right,
• 38:18
  Speaker 6: who was an athlete, has really delved in embraced the
• 38:22
  Speaker 6: media thing. And who knows what his next chapter may be,
• 38:25
  Speaker 6: whether he wants to go on to the peak millennial.
• 38:27
  Speaker 6: You can have as many careers as you want, So
• 38:31
  Speaker 6: I think it's cool. I think it's cool. I think
• 38:32
  Speaker 6: it still needs to be done with respect. And if
• 38:34
  Speaker 6: you really got an issue, people front facing are not
• 38:38
  Speaker 6: hard to find. They got managers and teams, Like, everything
• 38:41
  Speaker 6: doesn't necessarily have to be addressed over the public media.
• 38:44
  Speaker 5: One last question, as a journalist, what is the number
• 38:47
  Speaker 5: one mistake that people in new media are making?
• 38:51
  Speaker 2: Because you're you're a journalist, yeah right, So what do
• 38:53
  Speaker 2: you think the number one mistake?
• 38:54
  Speaker 5: And I'm not talking about just even with the sports,
• 38:56
  Speaker 5: just in general, all of these people with podcast, YouTube
• 38:58
  Speaker 5: platforms and everything.
• 38:59
  Speaker 6: You think so, and this is where you got to
• 39:01
  Speaker 6: define yourself, right, Like are you trying to fall into
• 39:04
  Speaker 6: the journalism category or the discussion category? Because credibility is
• 39:08
  Speaker 6: so fragile, right, It's easily broken and it's hard to
• 39:12
  Speaker 6: restore it. So I think whatever wherever you are, be
• 39:18
  Speaker 6: mindful of your credibility, right, Like, if you want to
• 39:21
  Speaker 6: talk about a hot button issue, do the appropriate research,
• 39:25
  Speaker 6: or if you're just going glaze over it, you need
• 39:27
  Speaker 6: to be very clear. This is just high level. I'm
• 39:29
  Speaker 6: not the source on this, Like I'm just touching it
• 39:31
  Speaker 6: because I think what you can do inadvertently not just
• 39:35
  Speaker 6: credibility with like your audience, but if you want to matriculate,
• 39:37
  Speaker 6: say say in sports, like you got people that you
• 39:39
  Speaker 6: have to work with that are looking at you like
• 39:41
  Speaker 6: what are your actual intentions here? Like you're trying to
• 39:42
  Speaker 6: go viral? Are you trying to respect the craft? And
• 39:45
  Speaker 6: so I think credibility is something that you have to
• 39:47
  Speaker 6: keep top of mind.
• 39:48
  Speaker 3: All right, Well, Monica, we appreciate you joining us.
• 39:53
  Speaker 2: No okay, no, no no.
• 39:54
  Speaker 6: If we get a game five, I will be out
• 39:55
  Speaker 6: in Minnesota. If not, I'll probably be chilling until we
• 39:57
  Speaker 6: get ready for finals and I'll be out there.
• 40:00
  Speaker 3: Well it's Monica Minutte.
• 40:01
  Speaker 2: How did it follow you?
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: Socials? Is mckna Monica? Same on everything?
• 40:05
  Speaker 3: All right, It's the Breakfast Club.
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: Good morning, Wake that ass up in the morning.
• 40:09
  Speaker 2: The Breakfast Club