Late Nights, Bright Lights & The NBA Finals (Knicks Vs Spurs) | The 2:00AM Crew | Ep. 49

Episode 49 is here… and there’s no bigger stage to celebrate it on.

Jason and Rick hit a major milestone as The 2:00AM Crew reaches Episode 49, and what better way to mark the moment than breaking down one of the most anticipated Finals matchups in years: New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs — 2026 NBA Finals.

From storylines and X-factors to bold predictions and legacy conversations, the crew previews everything:
🏀 Can the Knicks bring a championship back to New York?
🏀 Is this the start of a new Spurs dynasty?
🏀 Biggest matchups to watch
🏀 Keys to winning the series
🏀 Finals MVP predictions
🏀 Pressure, expectations, and who has more to lose

Plus, Jason and Rick reflect on the journey to 49 episodes—the laughs, the late nights, the growth of the show, and what’s next for The 2:00AM Crew.

Fourty nine episodes in. Four wins away from history.

Tap in and join the crew. 🌃🎙️🏀
#The2AMCrew #NBAFinals #NewYorkKnicks #SanAntonioSpurs #Episode50 #NBAPlayoffs #KnicksNation #PodcastLife

Transcript

0:47

Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, my two AMers to the two AM crew. I am one of your hosts, the Best Beard in Podcast, the one and only Rick H. And I'm your co-host, Jason Enrique, the best hair in podcasting. Yes, indeed. And together we make the best sports podcast since uh this was invented. Uh okay, I'll go with that one. This is our 50th episode, so a round of applause to us for that. Yeah, man. It's uh it's a little bit of a celebration, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, we'll be celebrating our 50th episode. We will be celebrating the New York Knicks who are currently in the NBA Finals. Game one starts tomorrow. It's at 8:30 at San Antonio. So um, how anxious are you for this game? Like, how are you desperate to get to tomorrow already? Like, have you been I can't I can't wait for tip-off already. Like, I feel like I'm fiending to see the Knicks play, right? Yeah. Um, listen, man, I uh by the way, shout out to Hack and Type Brewing Company for this Wooler Skirl, which is making me feel nice right now. But uh, but anyway, anyway, to answer your question, yes, um, I don't know if I'm desperate, but I'm definitely anxious because uh besides the fact that uh some things could be going on better in my personal life, but we won't get into that. Uh I need my basketball, I need my next fix, man. And it's been too long since we swept our previous competition, and we've just been chomping at the bit to find out who we we will be facing, and it really did seem like it was going to be Oklahoma City Thunder, but uh lo and behold, we have the rematch of 1999 against the San Antonio Spurs, who I admit was a much better team back then. But I think we really size up and really compete well with this team, especially considering that we have faced number four in the uh if you want to call it Fugazi NBA Cup. But that's neither here nor there nor there, it's negligible. But yeah, I'm uh I'm I'm very excited, I'm looking forward to it. And uh am I also and also be to be honest, I'm nervous because uh game one when it comes to the New York Knicks is crucial because I don't know. I've I've I think I mentioned this before in a previous episode where every time the Knicks have lost game one in a playoff series, they end up losing the series. So they've won every single game one so far this playoffs, and now we're in the finals, and game one is crucial and it's an away game, but I think it's still a crucial game nonetheless. Yeah, we do not have uh home court advantage in this world. Right. Um whether who whether we faced OKC or O or San Antonio, we weren't gonna have that. So the sweeping was nice because we got to go and rest, and if an injury would happen, we'd be able to deal with that. The Knicks, I think it's 23 days, they've only played four games in 23 days because they swept Philadelphia, had that long uh layoff in between, and they swept the Cavs, had a long layoff, and it did feel like forever for me personally, because they've been playing at such a high level, and they've been giving us this dopamine of adrenaline of New York basketball, New York style of basketball, um, that I honestly I can't get enough of. And um you and I did an episode before the playoffs started. Do you remember who your finals pick was? Uh if I'm not mistaken, I thought it was Oklahoma City Thunder. And New York. Was it New York? Uh, I believe so. Okay. And I had who did I have? You had the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. And this was over a month ago. Yeah. You basically put it out there in the universe, and the universe listened. And I I believe we both had OKC San Antonio in the Western Conference. We did. And at the time, first of all, everybody was fully healthy. We did not know that this how the series had gone. Um so OKC kind of looked like A, they weren't shooting efficiently. Um, B, they were missing a couple players due to injury, and they just looked very sloppy. And at the time, I also wanted Detroit. I wanted the Knicks to face Detroit to get the tougher matchup so that to get them in that mindset, in that uh fight or flight mindset, or to pull off that switch. Right. Um we didn't get Detroit, and we and we did flip that switch, and we didn't need to be challenged the way I felt like we did. Um and my expect my full expectation was Eastern Conference uh NBA Finals, and had we not gone there, it would have been bad because we fired a terrific coach who had gotten us to just gotten us to the Eastern Conference Finals, and we were two wins away from the NBA finals. Um I mean I can't put into words how magical this run has been. A lot of people have talked about the stats and all that, but I'm comparing this to the 2007 Giants run where I couldn't wait for the games. Like first it was against Tampa, uh, and I believe then we faced Dallas, then we faced that frigid cold game in uh Green Bay. You know how you have the Pro Bowl in between. That's what it kind of felt like this week to me. And I wanted to know if my guys were super locked in, focused, and staying ready. Now, in the NBA, it's very difficult to mimic gameplay action. Um, but I've re-watched the Eastern Conference Championship and the celebration. They celebrated but didn't celebrate too much. Right. Thought it was classy that Dolan and Leon Rose and Worldwide West and all those guys weren't involved, and it was just a player and Mike Brown situation where they were celebrating that. I love the moment between Frazier Ewing handing the MVP trophy to Jalen. I thought that was beautiful and poetic. But my favorite part of everything was when the minutes were being counted down, and at the time I didn't know this happened until Alan Hahn spoke about it, and a lot of people have. Uh Brunson obviously didn't play, as he's accustomed to in this playoff series in the fourth quarter, and he was watching the clock run down, and Kat walks over, gives him a pound, gives him a hug, leans over and says, four more. Um and even when he got the MVP, he was emotional, but you could tell he was still all business, and um that's what makes me feel confident about my team. Yeah, yeah, no. You basically took the words out of my mouth. I mean, I feel like the difference between preparation between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks is that the Knicks are uh acting like they are not finished yet. They they know what's ahead of them, they know it's four more, and they know the job is not done, and they're preparing themselves. They've been physically and mentally preparing themselves, where it seems like uh the San Antonio Spurs, they're finally glad that they just got over the hump of the Western Conference Finals, and they feel like they just fought a long, hard battle, which they kind of did because OKC is no scrub, but um I don't know, it seems it seemed a little too premature for my taste, honestly, compared when you compare the two uh the two teams going in. Uh-huh. And uh I think we have somebody that's entered the studio. Des Des will join us shortly. Were you are you nervous about the um uh uh the long layoff of slightly, but I think that with a guy like Brunson is he's able to keep us locked in. I I think that his demeanor and his leadership, along with the rest of the coaching staff, and the fact that they they they they don't keep it a secret, they know that the job is not done. That's been the narrative of the entire Knicks uh everything since uh they they became Eastern Conference champions. That has been the narrative and has it has been sticking to landing. And I think that they got that they are all mentally ready for this, and they're ready to go out there and be and uh and try to win the championship. Now, I I want to celebrate our 50th, and I want to bring in Des. Des you ready? Give me a thumbs up. I see you in the backstage, ladies and gentlemen. Let me switch you over and put you in the uh big screen. Welcome, Des. What's up, fellas? What's going on, man? How you feeling? When was the last time we we had you on? So we could catch up with you since then. We we spoke about some uh some football at the time. I feel like we were talking about before it was before the draft. Okay. Um this was um this is a while back because last 39. Correct, correct. Oh, it was it was so uh in let I mean let's backtrack. What'd you think about the Atlanta series? Give me your thoughts on the uh Philly series and then the Cavs. Um and give me your thoughts on the West so far. Okay, we'll we'll getting back to the first round, I guess. Atlanta, I feel like um it was it was a scrappy test at the beginning, and I was I was happy about that because it I didn't want us to just breeze by at the time, um, right? So, you know, Atlanta they show promise. Um, I think that they've made some better moves lately than they have in a while as an organization, uh, but they're still young, right? So a lot of respect to them. But once we kind of got the the the training was off of this run and we just started going, oh man, finished Atlanta and it's still F F tray young. Right? Yeah, did you want uh now? Let me ask you because uh I wanted when we Jason and I I wanted Detroit because you just mentioned that little test. Um and I felt like they built their chest up during the season and they were gunning for us, and I felt like that would flip the switch for us. Um, but I was completely wrong. Those two losses, I don't know what was the conversation, and I I know they had practiced this type of offense where the flow is throwing through cat during the season, and I guess Brown trusted the assistant coaches and the players like to let it run now. Um, did you want Cleveland or Detroit? Um, I mean, I wanted Detroit for selfish reasons. I've got some some friends of mine, people I'm connected with, uh from Detroit that's been real Pistons fans. Um, so I was looking forward to that series again, uh just like last season, right? So um, but with getting Cleveland, um I knew it was going to be a little bit of a behavior. Was it Philly? I I'm so confused as to who it was. So we can backtrack. So I mean with the Philly series, same thing. Philly, they felt like they supposed to be where we're at, and they really had a chance to beat us, and it was kind of funny. Um, but we let it slide, and um, we just whooped on them crazy. Uh, so there was like no nothing I was concerned playing Philly at the time. It was never a moment of nervousness. No, like I just I enjoyed watching us play, but I didn't have that nervous, like, oh, I don't like the direction we go in. We were just in the groove at the time, though. Like I said, no train wheels, like we're just rolling. Um, so game past Philly, and then you know, Easter Conference Finals. Everybody was expecting Detroit, but you gotta remember when Detroit lost Cade for that period of time, it changed the whole trajectory of their season. I mean, it they was a number one seed, but at the same time, they weren't they weren't the same team, they were coasting winning games. They they're not smacking guys consistently and got the same chemistry, like they took a step back. So I knew I knew we'd catch up to them in the playoffs. That's why even if if we played them, same thing. They they they still wasn't gonna have enough to get past us, although they it they proved they was the number one team in the east all season. You know, things changed. Now, let me follow up with um aren't you sick and tired of this narrative that there's some people out there, some naysayers, especially even in the media, that say that the Knicks really had an easy road to the finals because they don't face Detroit, because they didn't face uh whoever that they were supposed to, and so on and so forth. And and it was just like kind of give it to them on a silver platter, and they're gonna be facing a real team. 100%. I mean, when you look at it, right? On the Western conference side of this, the Spurs didn't necessarily have a hard path. The first team that they played was the Blazers, and they should have swept them, they didn't sweep them, right? So it's like you got teams like that giving you issues. Now, don't get me wrong, this is to the NBA. Every team has talent, but at the same time, the run we just went on to we're not just sweeping. We're every game wasn't decided by one point. We are clapping teams to the point they are embarrassed, they're getting it on post like like post-conference interviews talking about how like they got spanked, like we're really get giving them problems, like real BTA. Look at the deficit, the the the the plus and and minus uh like you know what I'm saying? 72. No team in the history in the NBA has ever gone on a run like the Knicks have. That's including Shaq and Kobe's Lakers. They're 12 and 2. I think the differential is one plus 172. Bro, let's let's look at it from this perspective, right? With with this Knicks team and how they're playing. Let's look at a lot of teams, not every team, but a lot of teams that have been in the past, they've been in the finals, and they've had a team like we've had. So, what do I mean by that? You know, you got your you're you're starting five, went all healthy, very lethal. You've got a rotation of a bench where anybody that comes in, you're not holding your breath, like, oh, why are they subbing this guy in? We can play anybody and be comfortable with the rotation to still be efficient. And then number three, shout out to the Knicks organization for deciding we need to switch up our coach and have somebody that can really take us to that next level. Because what has Mike Brown done? He's taken the Knicks to another level when everybody thought Thibodeau got us to our peak. And shout out to Thibodeau still. We we don't, you know, we we're not gonna we still got left on. Yeah, I think I said this on the last episode. I think that his DNA is in this ball club. The reason they play so hard and the way they step up that level of defense, I think they got that from him. I think him wearing them down has took he took them to deep waters, so now they could take those because you could see it in the some of these teams' faces. When the Knicks go on a 20-0 run, they're taking these teams to deep waters. And if you can't keep up, you see them like they they submit, they quit, they give up, and you see it in their faces. So but Tibbs wasn't able to translate that and also be able to incorporate the bench and trust his assistant coaches. Um, and I this kind of a this kind of a weird analogy, but if the Knicks are indeed Superman, it's like Thibodeau was Jorell while Mike Brown is Jonathan Kent. He was like father figure, and it and it helps first of all, Mike Brown championship uh DNA. Although as an assistant, I think that him being an assistant uh made him realize how important assistant coaches are. Um and I in the beginning, my issue was usually I'm not a fan of coaches or managers who are player coaches or player managers because they'll inspire them for that one season and they'll get the best out of them. But when it comes time to holding them accountable, that's been a you know, I'm gonna say it happens with the Yankees with Aaron Boone, it happened with the Mets with Carlos Mendoza, and I was nervous about that, but the leadership on the squad held the rest of the team accountable, and that kind of helped Brown in that situation. Um, I was questioning it because A, you fired Tom Thibodeau, an amazing coach who flipped the franchise around, and you did not have a plan to replace Tom Thibodeau. It was like everybody, and I think we got lucky that we didn't get Jason Kid, because that was the guy that we're after. We didn't get Johnny Bryan, we didn't get a bunch of those guys that they wanted, and they landed on Mike Brown. And I think that Brunson giving Brown the grace to allow him to coach him made this all work. Um I I I I don't it's been remarkable to me. I don't know if uh us as Knicks fans were always waiting for that shoe to drop. I haven't felt that way, even when we were down 2-1 to Atlanta, because we lost those two games by a point. So those were very much so winnable games. Are you okay with watching the fourth quarter on a closeout game and it's all our bench players in there? And it's because it's not like the DiVincenzo three or Jalen's three against Detroit. It's not those high thrilling, like, oh my god, we got it. We we stole, we walked away with this one. It's more like we stomped them out and now we're just waiting for the clock to run out. Are you okay with that situation? I think you rarely see situations where at least three of your starters are out in foul trouble in that type of situation, and you got three guys off the bench that are haven't been in this position uh to have to close out, right? But this is what I will say our bench in the fourth quarter with two minutes left, right? You follow me, um against any team that made the playoffs bench, we are winning those two minutes each and every time. That's what makes us unique, right? And I'm not I'm not like every team has good bench role players, but a complete bench that you can play literally everybody compared to the Knicks, I think we outdo OKC. I think we outdo San Antonio, I think we we outdo Minnesota. I we outdo the Nuggets. I'm just talking about West Coast teams. I already know what we it's no comparison to even talk about the Eastern Conference teams. We the most complete team in the East. They just want to get they want to give us the credit because, and that's the thing, people gotta realize anybody who's a hater right now, they don't hate the Knicks, they hate the Knicks fans. So it's okay for us to take everything they're talking about regarding you know this, that, and third. It's like I I know I have a good basketball team. You hate me because I'm happy, and that makes me even happier. So I'm we're not going to stop. I mean, we took it for 19 years, so uh it feels good to be on the other side for once, and it's and it's not like you know I have two stars and my team is good because my two no, it's like I have a complete basketball team from the last guy on the bench. We're not a selfish team, no, and also One narrative that is not out there that I think needs to be said is that it seems like the New York Knicks, uh, especially with the front office and the ownership and also the squad and the coaching staff, uh, they did things the right way to get to where they're at now, as opposed to just uh building a super team and trying to get all these stars that we we've been trying to do for a while and like we can never get these guys. We pivoted into a way where we it feels genuine. It felt like it was built from the ground up. It was a foundational thing, and it took years and years of building, and it's finally getting to this point where we're just four ways, four games away from being champions, and we've done it in a way that is not uh uh you know cognizant to how everybody else in the NBA is doing. I mean, I think that's what uh uh was killing the NBA for a while, where everybody just got turned off and not and uninterested because it was just about building super teams and with the exception of the Knicks and a couple other teams, it's like uh it's like it that's I guess that's what's making it more exciting now, you know. It's like we we don't we like I can't remember the last time Knicks fans have even discussed about the uh trading for Giannis. Like that hasn't even been an iota because that's not even our thought process right now. I mean it kind of was when we went down two to one to be bad now. But but not to the point, but not to the point where like we were so dreadful, like we were willing to sell our soul and our pinky in order to get somebody like Giannis. But now it's uh now it's at the point where like we're good. Yeah, to Jason's point, I feel like nobody has screamed for Giannis since Mikhail Bridges went through his like slump in the regular season. You know, you're talking about you're ready to trade him. You know, a lot a lot of Knicks fans got really impatient with him, but um, I I love how he bounced back. Um, but get also getting back to your point about super teams, right? Um, everybody gotta remember, super teams that have success in the past, they had great role bench players that were helping contribute, right? Like I'm thinking of a team like uh Golden State. Like they're not necessarily a uh you know a super team, but the guys that they they were having comp coming off in these roles is why they're a successful team. When you think about you know what I'm saying? Um, you you got a team like Boston, well they they technically had a big three. You got teams like Miami, they technically had a big three. But if we can also we can name guys coming off the bench that's doing their job. A team that you can't that is a that was a super team that didn't do anything because they didn't have a bench, the Brooklyn Nets. That didn't go anywhere. You know, you got all three of these all-stars that came in, and I don't even know how many games they actually played together. It wasn't that many. No, they didn't get to, you know what I'm saying? I think it's less than 40 games that they were on the floor together. Which is which is crazy because weren't they together at least two seasons or something like that? Like yeah, the well, the problem with that combination is uh I think the real alpha is Kyrie Irving, and then the other two guys are pretend alphas, right? Uh, as much as people love Duran and his natural ability and skill, I don't think he's a leader per se, like rah-rah. He'll kill you. Like if you let him, he'll kill you. But I think there was first of all, they didn't establish, they weren't healthy, they didn't establish a a uh like a working relationship, like LeBron, Bosch, and Wade figured that out. Like they made sacrifices, those guys. I don't think Brooklyn's breakthrough did that, and I think the clear leader of that team should have been Kyrie, although the better player was Durant. But Durant's never been a leader anywhere he's gone. So, like in OKC, it wasn't really him, it was West was the Westbrook was the more vocal guy. Um, and I've never been a James Harden guy. Now I got asked a question today, I'm actually you two, right? And it's very interesting to me. Prime James Harden or Prime Carmelo Anthony, who are you going with? And my answer was Mello, and the person that asked me this question laughed at me, and I was like, you don't understand how much of a bad man that guy was. And you could talk about Harden or whatever, but when you look at it, he's just driving, getting to the foul line, he shoots his little threes. Melo was beating the shit out of guys, backing you down. He could shoot it from outside, he had a mid-range, he had a turnaround, he had a post-up game, he had everything. And if Mello had a uh true point guard and a defensive anchor, he is someone who that's and my man don't that's my boy right there, and he don't get the credit he deserves. And I was also asked, give me your your your starting five of all time, and this was mine. I said Shaq at the center, I said Timmy Duncan at the power forward, and they were like, Oh, Duncan overgunner. I said, I said, give me Duncan, give me Mellow, not LeBron, give me Jordan and give me Curry. And my original five, Mike was at the three, and Kobe was at the two, and they were like, You can't do that. Mike's a shooting guard, pick a small forward, and I was like, I'll take my boy Mello. And they were like, over LeBron, I was like, Yeah, over LeBron. I I believe if I have Mike on that basketball court, he's gonna hold Mello accountable. Melo's gonna play defense, and if I need a bucket, I could get it from anywhere I want. Curry outside, Mike could dominate the game, and who's gonna stop Shaquille on there? And it's fine. And Duncan, you just look at the rebounds we were gonna get because people forget Mello rebound the shit out of the basketball. He could he could do it all. It's just he needed a leader alongside him. When was he successful? When he had Jason Kidd with the Knicks, and he went with that run when he had Billps and he had Iverson in in the Nuggets. I just feel like he never got the right supporting cast. He didn't get that, you know, LeBron GM treatment where he could say, yo, this is what we're missing, this is what we need. And if you hear Melo have conversations about his career and the teams he was on, he'll tell you there were certain teams where we should I felt like we should have got this guy, and he's not talking about stars, he's talking about role players, and he was 100% right. We were missing this piece, we were missing that piece. So he knew, and then Phil Jackson, as much as I loved him and respect him before he came to New York, he kind of destroyed my boy's career. So what are you guys? Prime Melo, Prime Harden, who are you taking? I'm gonna take Mello all day, every day, because uh even though Mello never became the champion that I think that he deserved to be, and so on and so forth, there was never any quit in Mello. We've seen plenty of quit in Harden. Uh-huh. And to me, Harden is more of a mercenary than an actual passionate player, where you feel like Mello actually had some leadership qualities, actually gave a shit about winning, and did whatever it took, whether he fell short or not, to try to win the game, whether it was a preseason game, a regular season game, or a playoff game. When it cut and and you never doubted his ability and his durability. Harden, he's had a history of you know, showing up, you know, falling short. We actually expect it at this point. Like I've heard conversations like when it came to the Eastern Conference Finals, is he actually gonna finally ring the bell and show up? And the overunder was that no, and we were all proven right. I would have I would have bet money on that. We we it's like we've seen this pattern with Harden so many times, and that's why he's in the position that he's been in for as long as he has. Uh what is this, like his fourth or his fifth team in his entire career? Okay, there's no consistency there with his career, LA, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Cleveland. There's six. Uh six. Okay, so there's inconsistency there, and there's a reason as to why he keeps on moving around. And uh, if he was really as uh as great and had that leadership quality that other players like Melo had, he would have stuck around for much longer and he probably would have dare I say got a ring by now. But I don't know that like I think that Melo has proven his worth over harden over and over again many, many times. So I'm going with Melo all day every day. Now I know Des got that mellow, but I want to hear his thoughts. So I'm anybody that knows me knows Melo is is it's hard to have a conversation with me and and talk bad about Melo, honestly. You it's gonna be a problem every time. But let me go from this perspective, let me go from a different perspective. So Harden, right? Harden has always been a guy that he always had the a chip on his shoulder, he had to prove himself. Because keep in mind, when he got drafted by OKC, he was coming off the bench. Okay, he balled out, he did his job off the bench and got him a payday. That's why he said, Oh, we didn't get a ring, I'm out, fellas. I'm gonna break up the trio. Because at that point, you knew him getting his payday from Houston was more important than him staying to get a ring. Because if if he stays, if somebody asked me, do you think they would have got it? I'm gonna agree with I think they had a chance to get it. I would love to see that. But they were they were progressing, they were progressing. That that trio. It was, but he he time ran out, like I and I get it. That was his payday. That that that's what introduced him to make all this money in the NBA, right? Because now it's the Houston show. Every night, you're the guy, you you shooting your ass off, trying to get 50 a night, the Antony's offense, right? And you're not only that, you're the man in Houston, Texas. There's nobody else that's the man in Houston, Texas. Between being in strip clubs, building your own restaurants, like you're the guy. You're like the Derek Jeter of Texas with no rings. You know what I'm saying? You you got the key to do what you want to do. Then when things got complicated in Houston because of the staffing and because of not putting the right players around him, he had to go again. And then now he's on teams that they they make in the playoffs, they got a chance to go. You just got to do your job in those clutch moments. Now he's not doing his job. So in the regular season, you can see him go for a triple-double, but he's not even averaging that in the playoffs because the the moment is just that that's that's not for him, you know, compared to somebody like mellow. Melo came into the league knowing I'm one of the top guys that there's an expectation that I'm I'm supposed to be somebody. Should have been rookie of the year, should have been rookie of the year. Should have gotten a good thing. You know, so so and then I I recently heard this the other day when he when it was tough for him to leave Denver, you know, his two decisions were New York and Chicago. But he said the main reason he didn't choose Chicago was because the they were losing guys, the staff wasn't, you know, everybody on the same page. He he could see he would be walking into madness, and it'd be a waste. At least he knew in New York, like, I'm the guy, I can, you know, we got some guys there, but I can, you know, be a leader, I can kind of dictate what does happen. He he had that, and then you know, we we made our playoff runs, and um it didn't go the way we thought, but you know, at the end of the day, I respect the fact of what he tried to do because you you try to come to New York and make this thing work, you gotta have all the respect in the world. Everybody ran from New York, yeah, everybody ran, yeah, except for I'm in Amari got a lot of money, but he accepted the challenge. Everybody ran. Melo wanted to come here. Now the trade, uh you know, the relationship between Dolan and Melo, that's also a reason why Melo was like, yeah, the owner is gonna is gonna back me up, he's gonna try to get the pieces I want. The trade, I felt like we gave a lot to get him, but he was my favorite player at the time. And to have my favorite player on my squad, I it didn't matter to me. And I felt like we already, Amari was playing at an MVP level at that at that point in time, and I felt like we had a nice little one-two punch. We just needed a solid point guard and a head coach to manage this thing because at the time we had Dan Tony, and I knew Melo's style of play, it's kind of like Jalen is ISO ball. Sometimes the guys will watch around, but you would need to figure out a different offense to get everybody else involved, and and Dan Tony wasn't the guy to coach them. But a lot of things happened in New York that if had it gone differently, like had he came here in free agency and we had the supporting cast already. Imagine Melo with Gallinari on the wing or Tyson uh or Wilson Chandler. Sound good, and Raymond and Raymond Felton. Raymond Felton was our point guard, and he was playing very well. He got traded to Denver. So but but now look at it like this from those type of teams that had some type of promise, and because you just named some guys that come to work every day and they and they grind, you know, no disrespect. But we're looking at the next team we got right now and how they had to piece it together, it's like, oh, this is what it takes to have a championship caliber. Well, what we thought back then was like a wing and a prayer. Like, I hope they can make it. No wonder why we didn't make it. Look, if you look at this team now, it's like this takes a lot of solid guys to come together on one team on the same accord and get it done every night to win a chip straight up, and they're just really, really locked in. Like Kat walked over uh uh during the minutes counting down in game four against Cleveland, and he gave Brunson a pound, and Brunson's just looking, waiting for the time to be out, and he said four more, and you you can see that that's where they they celebrated their Eastern comp. I didn't think they go they went over the top, I think they accepted the trophy, took their photos. Wemby was crying. I mean, but he's it's his first. He's so young and like I get it, I get it, but you know, like save the tears when you actually hoist the trophy. So I don't disagree with you, Jason. Right? I I agree. This is what I think. I think some of that emotion that Wemby was showing that was finally his moment where he finally beat Chet. I don't know if you guys are familiar with their oh my god, yes, yes, yes, yes. I know the rivalry. So yeah, and and Chet was getting him. So and Wimby was tired of it. I think that that played a part. Also, seeing SGA get the MVP, like you could see his face locked in, like, ah, you could get that. But I mean, Wemby Wemby showed up and he did what he was supposed to do, and I think he's I'm grateful he's in the NBA. I feel like he's gonna be a solid star in the league for a long time. Yeah, and I was just saying this to Jason, it's very hard to hate the San Antonio Sport Spurs as an organization. Besides the fact that 99 was what propelled them to greatness, and and then it took us to the basement. That's why before the playoffs started, I said it would be beautiful if we go up against San Antonio and we're able to make a wrong right um and get that lick back. Um, and the fact that Pat works for the Knicks, and if the Knicks are able to pull this off and win a championship, that man's gonna get a ring. Yeah, yeah, and to me that's poetic. I also think that they should send uh Tibbs an honorary ring for setting the foundation up for this team. Well, you know who also who won the ring, regardless of what happens right now, right? Yeah, Jeremy uh Shohan. Shohan, yeah. He qualifies to get a ring from San Antonio and he qualifies to get a ring from the Knicks. So that that's just a funny, ironic story. That is, but oh, back to what Jason was saying about Tibbs. This is how I see that situation. If Tibbs is not even, which I don't think he will be, if he's not even at a finals game in MSG, you can't even go that route. Because if he was all in and supporting it, like look, I know I was the coach, but these guys deserve to go and he show that type of love, get him a ring. I don't care. But if he's if he's gonna watch from home, if he's still, you know, a little salty, and I can understand. You mean he got a good payout being salty, but like if he's if he's like, Yeah, yeah, yeah, y'all drop me, it's like bro, you're still worried about you. They if they drop you and win a ring, you gotta stand aside and be like, I might have been the problem, right? But do you know, wait, wait, wait. So what if he doesn't want to take away from what they're doing? Like, if I'm tips, that's cool, and he has since he has he you know how he feels about Brunson, and you know how Brunson feels about him, and and that's what I'm getting at. I don't think it would be about him because you showing up to a game, not to say of course that probably in a box or something, you're not taking away from their shine. You you just coached them last season, like you feel like it would give them more love and more I mean it would be a full circle thing. I think if every everybody, bro, you you know would be the craziest, and this is is it Oakley? Speak. I mean, that's one of them. That's one of them. I would cry if I thunder. You see if I see Oak, Ewing, and Starks, it it would make me kind of emotional to see those three same coy side. Let's just talk about everybody that we know between a player, a longtime fan, somebody that's just known within the Knicks organization, whoever. If everybody comes full circle, it's the closest thing we're gonna get to Christmas is adults, like it's a Christmas we really want. Okay, bring back Marcus Cambi. I don't care. Everybody, more Cambi's been there a couple times, and then I mean, what if Jeff Van Gundy shows up for a game? Another thing, too. Lynn will Lynn was hired by ESPN, he's going to be covering the entire finals. Yes, okay, he is, that's right. And then Stefan Marbury said this, you know, he calls himself the internet coach of the Knicks. But but they were all these guys were saying, look at any other team in the NBA. How many former players do you know pull up to the game like this? Deep, no other NBA team. Nope. I think I saw Samuel Delambera in the stands not long ago, too. Wow. And when I think of him, I think about Tim being with the what I was gonna say, because I think about him like at Dallas Mavericks. The fact that somebody like that would pull up is like, yo, I mean Tim Thomas has pulled up. I mean, Kurt Thomas. That's a local legend. Kurt has pulled up. Starks Pat was joking around on a podcast. Like, they sit me next to John, and that's my good friend and my teammate. But sometimes I'd be wanting to tell him to chill because John be running on the court, and you know how John feels about Josh Hart, and they're very similar to each other's style of play. Marbury, I think, has been amazing to watch, LJ as well. That clip where you see Pat give LJ that pound after we we uh Brunson hit that three, and and Mello's been there a couple times, so oh yeah. I it but Oak would it would be special because of the way that relationship deteriorated. Um, I'm sure if Mason was alive, he would you would definitely see him courtside. Honestly, if look, I I say this too, because some things are just bigger than basketball as well. Bro, the Knicks find a way to win uh finals, and and it has James Dolan can literally reshape his whole image with that win, and it just allowing people, you know. I I I don't have a vendetta versus anybody. I want to, I want success. I want he literally could be the best guy in the world all of a sudden. It's like remember when so sorry to interrupt, remember when we were kids, like in like in like middle school, you had that teacher, like that that principal, that teacher, like you hate them, but at the end of the year, you just love them because it was like they was right, it was just you know, you should see yeah, yeah. I had a sad teacher like that. Yeah, shout out to Mr. Bernell. There you go. See what I'm saying? So Dolan's actually the best owner in New York at this point in time right now. He made the right decision to uh hire Leon Rose and uh get the hell out the way. And I think a lot of the other owners should take notes, with the exception of the two baseball owners. I feel like they need to be a little bit more involved now. As long as you don't bring up the Rangers, yeah, because your president is not doing that. Uh, who's your unsung hero of this playoff run on the Knicks? Landrew Shaman. Um, I like that one. That's a good period. Yeah, because that guy came out where Josh Hart giving him his props, uh talking about him when they won the East City Conference title. All right, so I mean Shaman for you, go ahead. Yeah. I'm sorry, Jason, you I I cut you off, but go ahead. Oh, no, no. Um, no, that was it. Shame it. What about you, Dash? Um honestly, with uh patience and consistency. I don't I I think we're not here. We know we're here because of Captain, because of Jalen Brunson, but I don't think we're here um without Captain. Because at one point Kat was it was Julius Randle. And uh, you know, all praise of Julius Randle, but we knew we needed uh a switch, we needed somebody. Um, and I feel like without Kat, it's not the same confidence. Regardless, he's pissed us off and the dumb fouls, but we're not gonna have like Kat not doing his job. He got nice when he went, he got a score, he got nice when he got a rebound, he got nice when he got a pass. But him being a difference maker of that big of a scorer, that big of a finesse, unsung hero of the team. He's he's definitely a big percentage of why we're here. Um, even when all the he catches a lot of slack, obviously on the internet, but like it's not stopping him from playing well every night, every other night. So that's how I see it. I'm gonna go with a guy also who like cat, the fans want it gone. And I feel like every Nick has I like this pick, has been available and has done their role and played their role to they've they've all been locked in. But I think that the fact that OG Ananobi goes down and we don't miss a beat, and it it is because of number 25. Yeah, like people don't talk about Mikhail, and he's been the Giancardo Stanton of the New York Knicks. He wasn't there during the regular season, but he has so much talent, and I think he was just he is the player that needs to be involved in offense, so his defense could also um be at that superstar level where you know Mikhail is a hell of a defender. Yep. He's a great two-way player, and he has been so consistent. Um and I saw Crazy Stab where he's played 700 something consecutive games. Like he doesn't take a day off or he doesn't get injured. He's he's been in every single game. And the fact that uh they really were about to reduce his minutes after the second loss to Atlanta. I don't know, again, I don't know what conversations happen, but since then you knew what you were getting from him 16 or more points, six, seven rebounds, some assists, some steals, and he's gonna lock down whoever he's on. So, and OG goes down and we don't miss a beat, that says a lot. Absolutely. I mean, there's there's people that were flat out saying that there's no way in hell that the uh New York Knicks would even get to the finals without OG and anobi. I mean, OG clearly was our best player in the first couple series. Um, and the fact that he was able to rest and Sonny, the fact that he was able to rest was a good thing for us. Uh, what do you expect from this finals matchup? Uh, if you want to give your prediction, you can. Uh some people don't feel like they just want to go one game one game at a time. I respect that. But what do you expect from this matchup against the Spurs? I mean, I feel like I got Nixon six regarding how the setup is gonna go. I think out the gate first game. Um, we're gonna catch them off guard just because we got the we got the energy. You know, they they put out a lot of um, not just energy, but emotion through that game seven. You know, I don't I don't see them coming back lights out. Like we'd have to really be playing off for it to just be a game that we don't win. Um, but then I think game two and san Antonio they they uh they they get their lick back because um they're at home. Popovich is gonna be around that team. All right, so so that's gonna happen. And then we get back to the garden. I think honestly, I think we we win. We're gonna we would win both games in the garden. I don't see us losing a game in the garden and winning a game in San Antonio. Um and then that way, game six, you head back to New York up three, two. There's no way we lose. There's no way in the history of basketball that the world wants the Knicks to go home to lose a game, to go back to San Antonio to lose the next game, and we're a team that literally just won 11 straight games. It's not happening. We're too good of a team for that to happen. I mean, I I agree with you on game one. I think we take game one, I think we win. Game one is crucial, and I also think we close it out in game five. Yeah, okay, because there's understanding tone. Yeah, because there's I don't know if you know this. 99, they close it out in MSG. Yeah, okay, because I don't I don't know if you know this, but in the entire history of the New York Knicks, when it comes to the playoffs, final finals, or whatever, anytime the New York Knicks have lost game one, they lose a series. They're owing whatever when it comes when they lose game one. So that's why I say that this is crucial for the Knicks to win, even though they don't have home court advantage, they have to win game one because that is like his the history is right there. You can't like you you want to call it superstition, whatever the case may be, but it is what it is. That's why I think uh you have to keep that in mind, and I think it's very, very important and crucial that they go out and win game one and make a statement. Uh matter of fact, continue making the statement that they made throughout the playoffs and remind everybody why they're here in the first place. Now, I don't think they're gonna sweep the Spurs, I think that the Spurs are gonna, you know, win some games, maybe some close, whatever the case may be. But I don't see any quit in this Knicks team. I don't see a blowout, I don't see uh a lack of trying. I see fight, I see grittiness, and it's gonna be a hard fought series, but ultimately I think I I mean call me seminal, call me you know ridiculous, whatever the case may be. I just think that it's finally time for uh the New York Knicks after everything that has been going. We've been whipping the we've been the whipping boy, we've been the punching bag this time, and uh nobody wants us nobody wants outside of New York, nobody wants us to lose more, but I think it's just finally our time. I'm putting out that positive energy out there. I just think that this is our time, and I'm gonna go Knicks and six. I I mean all the analysts in ESPN, I think out of 13, 11 went with San Antonio. Um, I just feel like, yes, you made a great point about game one, but I feel like game one will tell me how the series is gonna go because San Antonio is gonna give us their best at one point in that game, and we're gonna answer. And if I see that same look that I saw in the Hawks' face, the Cavs' face, and the Sixers' face, where Jesus Christ, like you in Cleveland the most, because Cleveland will get a big shot, their crowd will get into it, we would answer right back and get back on defense, and you can see it in their face, like shit, we just we got a big moment, we're not able to build on it. They keep answering us back. Um, and we got to see, they just went to a game seven. How far in those deep waters can San Antonio go? And that's the only question, right? I also want to see how many Knic jerseys are gonna be in San Antonio. By the way, OG Ananobi has the best defensive percentage on uh Victor Wanbanna, yeah, and that's gonna be a a matchup um that is going to be key because that's a lot of strength throwing Wimby off. Wimby's gonna do him, but if he's uncomfortable, he's gonna do less. And the last thing I want to bring up, right? Because I'm glad Jason brought up the stat based on the Knicks losing game one in um is it the finals or the playoffs? Both. Okay. Right. So so with that that record kind of you know basically being trash, like you they lose game one, they probably lose the series. I'm sticking to the fact of how this season has played out since the season started, it always came off like every game the Knicks would lose the next six games, they're on point. So I'm confident enough that even if they lost game one somehow, and it's gonna be a close game if they're gonna lose, they're not getting blown out, it's not happening. If they lose, if you know, however, it happens. This is the type of team that's gonna learn from that mistake and go out and grind for the next couple games. And like I just said, they've been doing it every six games. You need four wins, we can do it, it's gonna happen. It's definitely gonna happen. So, who do you think would be the we all I I mean again, we're the underdogs, and that's crazy to me, but whatever. Fine. Who do you think would be the finals MVP? Oh, the Knicks? I mean, we're all picking the Knicks, so it would be a Knicks at this point in time, yeah. I think the finals MVP would have to honestly OG and a nobi. That was gonna be my pick. Oh G because I can see Castle slowing Brunson down. Brunson's gonna have a game where he's gonna go get 30. But he I don't think I think he's gonna have to find different ways to contribute because Stefan Castle is a hell of a defender. I think that Wemby is going to slow Kat down from having a 25-point game. But would it be surprised me if Kat was like 10, 8, and 6? No, absolutely not. Um, but OG regarding defense and regarding nobody on that Spurs team is outbodying OG. And you're gonna stick Wemby on OG to free up who? Um Kat or Mitchell Robinson? Everybody else. You know what I'm saying? Like it's it's why would you do that? So if OG can go out, he's scoring 15, 20 points a night, and and sticking Wemby to 17, 8, and and two assists, it's like I'll take a triple double and two blocks from Wemby if it's if the triple doubles under 20 and then everything else is in the tens. Uh my pick would be I think Carl Anthony Towns is gonna average a triple double this entire series. And the Dominican side of you. No, I just feel like Wemby's gonna have a big problem trying to guard this man outside. And they're gonna send the help's gonna be looking, and Kat's gonna be able to dish that ball. And the Knicks have been shooting the basketball lights out. So I I think we'll have a Brunson game. I think we'll have Kat will get his on one game, and I think either Mikkel or OG will have their game, and that's how you get those three wins, and then I think it'll just be a collective effort to close it out. Yeah, yeah. And you know, they also can't sleep on uh Champagne either. I mean, yes, the uh it the Spurs, like I said, it's very hard to hate them. There's a bunch of guys on that, like Dennon Harper, um De'Aaron Fox, Castle, De'Aaron Fox, you know, I think Wemby's a solidified star and uh future MVP in this league, but the key for us in particular against San Antonio, you can't let guys like uh uh Champagne. Yeah, Champagne's one. Uh Keldon that comes off the bench, Luke Cornette. You can't let their vessel's gonna do him regarding he's in a start rotation, but you let guys come off the bench and get off. That's where the Knicks are gonna have a problem. And the Knicks gotta do a good job of shutting that down. And I think that when Wemby's sitting and Kat's are because Kat's definitely gonna be if Wemby's sitting, cat's definitely gonna be on the floor to play with that second unit and get them going. It'll be a combination of towns and bridges with some bench players on that second unit, and that's where they're gonna gun and run and and let Kat get his assists and his points. I have a question before we put a cap on this. What is your both of you guys? What is your expectation for Mitchell Robinson, especially with this broken finger thing going on? I ain't paid it the broken finger no attention, honestly. They didn't worry about it. They probably injected that that pinky with some crazy type of steroid. He can't feel it. He's gonna be swatting everything. He wasn't even wearing a brace when he walked into the arena too. Look, uh, usually Mitch probably gotta think about all right, if if I'm on defense, I do my job. If I'm on offense, I gotta pick and roll, I gotta do this. I'm not looking for Mitch to do nothing on offense, but maybe rebound. Just go out the range score, and close out whoever it is that's not the hack of Mitch. They obviously gonna institute that some point, but at the same time, that was gonna be the game plan, regardless. And it wasn't like Mitch went on some crazy streak, he was hitting them all of a sudden. That was gonna happen. If that's their game plan, look, teams have been doing it, and we still been winning, so it's like do it if you want to. You still think it works, it clearly it doesn't. I wasn't worried because Mitch is not an offensive weapon, he's a defensive weapon. And if Kobe Bryant can play with a broken pinky for an entire season, and that pinky was literally hanging off his hand and he tied it to another finger, Mitch could do it for a series, and it not just any series and NBA final. So uh I think he'll be fine. I think we could get as long as he can get us six, seven, eight rebounds when he's in there and a couple points, like a couple putbacks, we we should be fine. Look, Mitch Mitch can ball out for and get us a ring. He's gonna get paid because if we win this ring, it's like wow. So we we we stuck with Mitch instead of paying, you know, paying Hardenstein, and Mitch stayed with us this long. We're gonna pay him. He's gonna be a Knicks great. Everybody rides off into the sunset. It's it's gonna be it's gonna be fine. I think New York's gonna try to keep Shaman and Mitch. Yeah, they will. I really do. I I think the front office loves Landry Shaman, and he's played great defense along with his his his offense. He came back from injury too. Yeah, so I think we should be fine. Des I want to thank you for uh joining us on the 50th episode of the 2 a.m. crew. I look forward to tomorrow's game. We definitely will be in contact during these next few weeks to talk about our guys and see how they're doing. So uh then you also gotta come back uh for OBJ and your thoughts. Oh my god. I'm in euphoria, bro. I just I see him in the three, right? He's wearing the three. I got a 13 upstairs. Uh, I just feel like Jalen Hyatt, what are you doing? Why don't you just automatically take your jersey off? Um, and people not expecting much from OBJ, and I think he got a chip on his shoulder, and some people might be surprised what that man's about to do. 400 yards for Odell to ride off into the sustain of retirement. That's enough. I think he's gonna get some. He's gonna have one of those slant plays. He's gonna go off a couple games. I uh, you know. I I'd rather him surprise me than have those expectations. No, I don't have expectations for him. Like, I don't have obviously this is not Odell Beckham that we were used to, yeah, but I think that people think he's like completely washed, and I think that his competitiveness is gonna surprise a couple people. But I I I was one of the guys like yo, bring my boy back, bring my boy, especially since he's been like so vocal about like I need to get back there and I need to do finish my my job, I need to do my thing and retire in that uniform. So yeah, well, either way, man, does thank you for hopping on on the episode, really appreciate it. And uh overall, just thanks for thanks for being a supporter of the show since the beginning. Let's go get this championship, yes, sir. So, Jason, before we go, I wanted to ask you uh one question. Um shout out to Des for joining us tonight. We've done 50 episodes, right now. Uh you took this leap of faith with me. You uh obviously were doing your own show, the first class, second place. You're currently working on two different pods. What was your expectation? And what is your how do you feel we're doing at this point in in juncture on the show? I'm actually glad that you asked me this question because I was actually thinking about this a couple hours ago. No, no bullshit. Um, because I was actually listening to uh the late the latest episode of the Rick Aid show on my way home from work today, and uh everybody go check it out. Uh fantastic episode, especially the last couple episodes. It's all been interconnected together. Um, but basically the point that I'm getting at is while I was listening to your episode and um there was just some I don't exactly remember where the conversation you were saying, but uh you had basically list all of your accomplishments and your passion and you know how you plan to go into the podcasting and so on and so forth, and how uh you've been able to succeed in it. And I guess there's I felt a little bit of imposter syndrome that out of anybody else that you've worked with, that you know, that you've connected with, out of anybody that you could have chosen to be a part of something that I know you're passionate about with the two-hand crew, you chose me to be a part of it and you trusted that with me because I know that this is something that you care deeply about. And for you to actually share that respect and that trust in me to carry this show along with you, that means the world to me. Uh more than you really know. It's it's like it's I'm fighting off my imposter syndrome, but I'm I'm I'm uh so appreciative of it and I'm so glad of the of the work that we've been able to do so far. And I'm only looking forward to the things that we're gonna continue doing going forward. So congratulations on us making our 50th episode. But if you ask me, this is just the beginning. But I just wanted to give my soliloquy real quick that uh that that did cross my mind earlier today. I was like, man, like he he he actually trust me when I didn't even trust myself or had a lot of faith in me, and he did. So that's gonna go a long way. And the respect and the love and the appreciation is is is inexplainable, but that's where I'm at, and I've just been really happy and having fun, and I look forward to every single week doing the show with you. Yeah, it's it's my I do the Rick Gate show, but uh, I really, really, really look forward to this. Like I was driving home today, me and you were on the phone, and um right after we hung up, I was like, man, I can't wait to record tonight. It's probably one of my favorite things to do uh every week. Um, as far as the uh sentiments you were just sharing right now. Yeah, I've actually worked with other people. I've done two networks, I did one on my own, and the first time I did this, I picked the wrong people to work with because I didn't pick the people that matched my energy, my drive, my passion. Um, when I met you, and uh before I even met you and I was following you, I was like, man, there's some similarities there, yes, which which we you and I thought was funny. Uh, but I saw me in you, right? And uh throughout the process of feeling out different co-hosts, um, something about working with you felt like, yeah, I think this is this is the combination that I feel like he and I are going to be able to be successful because no matter what, he's gonna want to record, he's gonna wanna you know explore, he's gonna want to get better, he's gonna want to improve because he wants the exact same thing I do. So it kind of for me, it was like when Brunson saw that Hart got traded to the Knicks. Um that's the that's how I felt when you said, Yeah, I'll I'll do the show with you. And we had that conversation because I felt like finally not not to say anything against my past co-hosts, and although that was on a different show in a different format, I felt like I have finally someone that could also work as hard as me, and we could do something collaboratively. Um you've booked guests for this pod. Um, I've probably done a few. And we both have, yeah. We it's been uh a very like collaborative effort between the two. And we've been working through the feeling out motion and how to run the show together. There's been times where you're like, ah man, I should have done more input. And I was like, nah, you did great. And there's been times where I've done too much, and there's been times where I've realized, yo, let me just and you're really starting to push and do your thing. Like today, I felt like it was an easy flow of things. So I feel like we're just getting a lot better. We're starting to hit a nice groove, and 50 is not a small number, it's a nice little Mark that says that this ain't a podcast that is just here for oh, I want to do a podcast. I could turn on a microphone and I could talk. Um, no, 50 establishes you as all right, these guys are established now. Let's see where they go with it. So I very much look forward to the next 50 and our 100th episode. I would like to do something very special for 100th. Um, and the fact that it's coinciding with this epic playoff run of the Knicks is just fantastic. Uh next thing you know, we're gonna have a Giants and Just Super Bowl. I mean, oh my god. So let me just put it out there. Let's put it out there. Someone you'd like to see on the 2 a.m. crew in the next 50 episodes. Could be any obviously have to be alive, but right let's do this dream guest, all time, and then someone that's all time, yeah, and then someone that's uh actually we can actually you know sure. I mean, if you say LeBron James, yes, we he's alive, yeah. You know, it's within the realm of possibility. Um dream guest, uh, it would have to be I would have to say Patrick Ewing. I really do. I think that because he's my favorite Nick of all time. Um, and I I I I like listening to his interviews whenever he's on podcasts or just radio stations, and he's very insightful. And whenever he talks about those old 90s next, it takes me back to when I was like five and six years old. And being able to listen, I've been in a position where I've been able to meet some of my heroes in media, and there's no and with with that kind of mindset, there's no style, there's no there's no way I don't think that it won't be possible that I can have my ultimate dream guest one day on the 2AM crew. And as far as like within reach, absolutely, which you know it's gonna take a little bit of time, but looking forward to it, and I look forward, and I think it's gonna be fantastic. Um, I actually would like to speak to Brandon Tierney. I've been this is a guy. Yeah, this is a guy that I've been. All right, yeah, he's a guy that I've been uh that I've respected his um his career and his craft and and his take. And with the exception of uh with the exception of hockey and and college, we we root for the same teams. But uh he is a fiery guy, I understand. But I think that he is what's missing in today's New York uh New York sports radio talk specifically that we haven't seen in quite a long time. All right, so my dream guess it he's attainable and and he is alive just like yours. It would be John Starks, and and and I think he's very and they were both used uh on uh shout out to Ryan Clark and uh uh um oh my god. Um his two co-hosts. I'm so blanking out right now. Uh on the pivot podcast, yes. Um man, I respect the hell out of the running back. What the fuck is his name again now? Former Patriot, you sure know his name. Oh Jacksonville Jaguars. Channing Crowder is the defensive player, but I'm talking about the running back, uh, Freddie T. So shout out to Channing and Freddie T uh and RC. Uh R.C., all the respect in the world. Um, they Ewing and Starks were recently on the pivot. Both great episodes, check it out. So Starks would be a dream episode for me. And uh as far as like within the next hundred episodes, I'm going to say within the realm of possibility. If I could get one of the sports center anchors that I've looked up to, not gonna say whichever one it is, but that would be that would be great. You know, I'm uh I've uh Greeny is one of the Greeny, Bob Costas, those are the guys I've always looked up to. I've always liked Costas. Oh, you know what? I'll F that I'll scratch it. So Starks is one, and Gary Cohen is the other from the New York Pets booth. Yeah, and I actually want to add uh another one who he is because I've I've gotten to work with Joe Boninga, who is one of my uh my radio heroes. I've listened to him for many years, and I'm pretty sure we'll get him on the pod. But one person that I have not been that I've met a couple of times but I've never worked with, but I feel it's closer in the future, and like this guy, it it's definitely a dream guest for me, is Don Lagreca, because not only of his legendary status, but we're both from Hawthorne, New Jersey, New Jersey. We we grew up in the same town, and you're both Devils fans. Yes, he's the voice of the Devils. Yeah, he's the voice of the Devils, yeah. Oh, but but he's also a huge Giant fan, Nick uh Mets fan, all that stuff. Uh and he'll probably never answer this question, but great. But the one question that he he claims he will never ask is how does he how did he become a trailblazers fan? Trailblazers, because there was that one time where the trailblazers were doing good and he was actually repping them. And anytime people ask, like uh, how did you become a trailblazers trailblazers fan? He'll be like, I'll never say. Maybe the answer has something to do with uh it might not be good for his career. That's why the answer, but maybe, yeah, nonetheless, all great picks. Congratulations on the 50th episode to the 2 a.m. crew. 2 a.m.ers join us next week, Tuesday at nine o'clock. Yes, not 2 a.m. like some people think it is. That would be after game four of the finals, so yes, which is perfect because it should be an interesting episode. It's interesting, yeah. It's it's perfect because it's right in between games. Yes, it is. So uh we'll see you guys next week. Thank you for joining us. Have a wonderful evening. Enjoy tomorrow's game one, and uh now my laptop. Here we go. We'll see you guys. Next in six, next in six. Nixon five is my prediction. Can the MVP