Well, thanks for having first of all, what I made of it was hopefully impressed and glad that I wasn't, uh, glad that I'm not the commissioner because I thought there shouldn't be an all star event considering the situation that we're in as a as a country.

Um, but once again, you know, the bubble was pulled off almost flawless with the crowning a championship at the champion at the end of it.

And then the opportunity to have a one day I thought it was brilliant to make it one day to, you know, compact it all in one day and make sure guys get in, get out, keep it as safe as possible.

It was a lot of fun to watch, very entertaining.

And I thought the guys did a tremendous job of showing up being professional, competing, making an exciting event.

Uh, I was awfully impressed, and, uh, that's that's saying a lot, Mark, You obviously, you know, this is about money to write for the league and sponsors and things of that sort but a lot of the money went to H B C.

U S.

Um, how important was that for everything?

Obviously, we've gone through this past year with George Floyd and a lot of the social injustice that we've seen in the country.

Extremely important.

Great question.

You know, you think about who has been on, you know, at the forefront of leading the way impact.

And, you know, uh, you know our community and it's the n b A.

And to think about watching last night and all day yesterday the events that took place, the way that they utilized HBC used, uh the way that they impacted all the people that's gonna be, you know, impacted, you know, moving forward with scholarships and job opportunities, the way they saluted the people in the front office of the NBA that come from HBCU s.

You look at Robert Covington.

The million dollars that he gave the villa built the facility at Tennessee State being recognized and saluted.

I mean, across the board, it was just a beautiful, beautiful thing.

And and it doesn't stop there.

That's the great thing about it.

You know, I wouldn't I wouldn't be on their raving about the NBA.

I thought it was just a publicity stunt and it was a one day thing and you get, you know, the promotion of acknowledging.

And then it stops there.

It's a it's a it's a thing that they do, you know, from Day one and continue a year round.

So I'm honored and proud to be part of the NBA for all these years, and and it was another great day.

I feel the same way.

Mark.

Uh, last night, a lot of great things happen.

Yeah, that's when the M V P didn't miss a shot.

But the biggest takeaway of the game for me was how electrifying both Steph and Game were.

So here's a game that I need you to play with me.

Don't you know?

Don't kill the messenger.

Pick one, throw the other one in the trash, Steph or Dame.

What do you take, man, that's crazy.

I know.

I know, I know, But it's just those are the way they closed the game.

Last night was crazy.

I love both guys.

Um, I mean, truly love both guys.

Um, my daughter works for the Portland Trailblazers, and game is as good as it gets as a player and as a person, um, Steph Curry, I'm gonna say, Steph, And the reason why I'm gonna say Steph is because I had the privilege of coaching him for three years.

So it's the right answer.

Uh, he's the guy that I've been in a foxhole with.

So but both guys, what a performance.

I mean, to think Jay was an incredible basketball player.

I never thought in a million years I see a guy just pull up from half court and it be a shot as a coach that you say, I can live with it.

You know, that's that's a good shot.

But they can change the game mechanics like he just flings it.

It's not even like real shooters.

You hold your follow through, you land in the same.

He drifts.

He moves.

I've never seen it before.

No, it's comical.

It is absolutely comical.

But those two guys have truly changed the game and think about what's to come.

You know, the way that Magic Johnson changed the game, there was a bunch of guys that ran the point guard, uh, trying to emulate magic moving forward.

There's going to be a bunch of guys.

We already see it.

That's trying to emulate the Steph Curry's and Damian Lillard's of the world, and it's gonna be a lot of fun to watch.

You don't remember me pulling up from half court making them shots, you know I do.

But we were in a small gym.

No.

Yeah, that is true.

And we wasn't in that gym.

Hey, Jack.

What All Star Weekend is over?

The Brooklyn Nets obviously made a a blockbuster sign with Blake Griffin.

How will he impact than Brooklyn Nets, if at all any?

Yeah, I don't know.

We have that answer until we see it.

You know, because the Blake Griffin of you know, a couple of years ago, that's a different story, is a game changer for them and and and makes them even more dominant than we expect with with Kevin, uh, James and Kyrie.

But, you know, we don't know what Blake Griffin we're getting.

The Blake Griffin that has played for the Detroit Pistons this year is not the one that we've become, you know, a customer watching fly through the air and and make plays.

But the one thing that he does do and still has is high.

I Q.

For the game of basketball, his ability to pass and make plays.

He knows how to play.

Um, so So I think he'll make them better, Which is crazy to say how much better will will be determined on how much he has left in the tank.

What are you most interested in seeing during the second half of the NBA season?

You know, the thing to me is, I think teams are gonna be get healthier.

Teams are gonna You know, the thing I've said about a month ago and watching all the teams in this league, I did not see one team that I believe could not be beat.

I did not see one team that I'd say That team is gonna win it all and and and I don't see anybody beating them.

The closest to it now is the Brooklyn Nets, but they still have flaws on the defensive side of the court, which gives them gives the opposition opportunity to beat them in a seven game series.

They would be the favorite, but I think the interesting thing is, who gets healthy?

Who establishes a rhythm, and you look at that Utah Jazz team.

They were clicking on all cylinders the first half, and there are a team that you know would shoot us all around the floor and a home run hitter and Donovan Mitchell unselfishness.

They will make it extremely tough because their quality on both sides, they defend well.

And on the offense, they are absolutely a machine.

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