00:00:00
Speaker 1: Now back to Murfin Marcus on The Sports Leader. Streaming live on thesportsleader.com and KNBR. The Sports Leader app. Murfin Marcus is sponsored by Bigelow Tea. Grab a mug and tea proudly.
00:00:16
Speaker 2: What an absolute treat to have Michael Thompson on the show. It is great to have him. He's come on KNBR through the years many times. This is a fun one because Warriors-Lakers tonight... Plus, it's Halloween tomorrow, and it's an 80s Friday, and we're lacing in as many Halloween themes as we can. So, Michael, we're greeting you with the all-time classic, another Michael.
00:00:40
Speaker 1: Thriller.
00:00:41
Speaker 2: Hey, welcome to Murph and Marcus here on KMBR. How are you doing, Michael?
00:00:44
Speaker 3: Hey, morning, Michael.
00:00:46
Speaker 4: Maybe the second best Halloween song behind Monster Mash.
00:00:49
Speaker 2: You know what? Everything you write on Twitter, I always agree with, and I'm going to agree with you again. Monster Mash 1, Thriller 2.
00:00:58
Speaker 4: That's right, buddy. That's a classic. They're both classics.
00:01:02
Speaker 2: Can you do the Thriller dance, Michael?
00:01:04
Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.
00:01:05
Speaker 2: Oh, yeah, man.
00:01:05
Speaker 4: Michael Jackson had nothing on me. I could do all the moonwalks, Thriller dance, whatever he could do. The hip thrust, I could do all that stuff, man.
00:01:13
Speaker 1: I love it.
00:01:13
Speaker 4: I love it.
00:01:14
Speaker 2: All right, let's get into it, man. It's going to be a lot of fun to watch the Warriors and the Lakers because we were just saying before you came out, Michael, that After last Friday's Yaxl and Luka show, or I should say last Wednesday's, pardon me, Yaxl and Luka show, Yaxl is a slightly different guy. He's played a few more NBA games and played very, very well. And I'm wondering if he'll be just that much more confident going against Luka tonight, or is that just way too much to ask? Like Luka's going to just bring a bag of tricks that Yaxl's just not ready for.
00:01:47
Speaker 4: I don't know. Yaxo is the real deal. He's an older rookie. He was almost 24 years of age. So he's a very mature guy for a rookie. So I expect him and Luka to go to have round two, the rematch tonight. That's what everybody's looking forward to. I mean, obviously staff's out there too. Austin Reeves and other good players, Draymond Green, another Hall of Famer is going to be out there. But I am so excited to watch Yaxo versus Luka round two. This is a rematch. We don't get any rematches in boxing. So we got to wait for them in basketball.
00:02:15
Speaker 3: Yeah. Michael, do you have any issue with a rookie like Yaxel coming into the league and talking this much trash this early on?
00:02:24
Speaker 4: Are you kidding me? No way. Magic Johnson was like that. Larry Bird was like that. Jordan was like that. Isaiah Thomas. So if you believe in yourself and you can back it up with your performance, which Yaxel is doing, I love the fact that he's not willing to back down from anybody. We need more players in the league like him. That makes the league more exciting. I love it.
00:02:42
Speaker 2: And it's funny you say that because media coverage obviously has changed so dramatically in the last 40, 50 years. And now we get every single soundbite on a microphone or a Twitter. But you're saying that in the 70s and in the 80s, there was every bit as much trash talk going on. We just didn't pick it up in the media.
00:02:59
Speaker 4: Exactly. We didn't have guys like. Marcus and Murph on 24-hour coverage, talking about it on the talk show back then. We just had to rely on print media, you know, with the beat writers. So 24 hours later, 48 hours later, you might hear about it. But now you get instant reaction from it, instant observations of it going on in real time. So the coverage, the technology has improved so much that when Yaxel and Austin and Luke are having a beef like they were, and then afterwards in the press conference, it makes sense. Like I say, man, we need more of it. This league is too friendly sometimes.
00:03:33
Speaker 2: How was your trash talk game, Michael?
00:03:36
Speaker 4: I didn't say a word. Are you kidding me? You realize who I was playing against? You think I'm going to trash talk Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Lanier, Artis Gilmore, Carl Malone, Akeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing. I played against some of the greatest players that ever played in this game. I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't going to say nothing to Robert Parrish or Larry Bird. or when I was with the Blazers. You think I'm going to talk trash to Kareem or Magic Johnson, man? I knew my place. I was like the rock. I knew my role, and I kept my mouth shut.
00:04:04
Speaker 3: Well, Michael, let me ask you then for the perspective from Luka and the Lakers heading into this matchup. Now, it seems like Luka's a guy that doesn't shy away from trash talk either, so what do you think his mindset is? Is he coming into this matchup saying that he needs to put Yaxel in check?
00:04:17
Speaker 4: Oh, heck yeah. That's the way Luka plays, man. Luka doesn't back down from anybody. He can back it up in his performance. You know, Luka's not going to fight anybody. But verbally, man, he gets into your head. And then he goes and knocks down a three right on top of you from 35 feet out. He's like Steph. You know, Steph doesn't say anything. But Steph plays with so much confidence. Steph lets his talking do the trash talking. But Luka does both. He lets his playing and his talking do the trash talking. So, yeah, if Yaxo's going to be all over him, Luka's going to do those little step-back threes and be pointing at him and laughing at him. That's what fires him up. I love it.
00:04:50
Speaker 2: So that's an interesting dilemma then, because you pointed out it's fun. It's great. It's good for the league. You want more of it. But at the same time, your strategy is a different, like, Hey man, I'm not saying anything to cream or Bob Lanier or artists Gilmore. So maybe is there a way to look at it where maybe actual doesn't want to poke Luca in particular, like, okay, I'll go trash talk other guys, but leave Luca alone. Is that the smarter move?
00:05:15
Speaker 4: No, some guys just don't. They weren't chicken cowards like me. I mean, like a Draymond Green. He talked trash to LeBron James 10 years ago when LeBron was in his prime because Draymond wasn't afraid of anybody. So some guys are like that. They like to be verbal on the court. I prefer to stay quiet, but I had a lot of confidence against those guys, but I wasn't going to try to poke the bear anymore than I had to. But some guys don't care. They they use that trash talk to pump themselves up too. So if that's the style they want to play, then more power to them. And like I said, that's great. I love to watch it. I love to see it.
00:05:49
Speaker 3: Michael, we're focusing so much on this Yaxel and Luka matchup, but really the matchup I want to talk about is Walker Kessler versus the frontcourt from the Warriors because we saw in Game 1, 12 for 12 from the field, 11 straight dunks. It seemed like the Warriors didn't have the size to match up with him. So what do you see from Walker Kessler early on in his fit with Luka in this Lakers offense?
00:06:06
Speaker 4: Should be the same thing, same type of results tonight. You're right. Draymond is a tough defender, but Walker is seven for two. And Draymond, basically in the paint, has to guard two guys. He has to deal with Walker and with Luka or Austin Reed is coming into the paint. And then that frees up Walker behind the defense for those lobs. And he does a good job making himself available. He's got good hands and he knows how to finish around the rim. So that is a dilemma for Steve Kerr and the Warriors to try to solve tonight.
00:06:32
Speaker 2: It is a dilemma for sure. And you listen to Michael Thompson, of course, he does color analysis for the Lakers. Been doing it forever on ESPN LA 710 AM and talking about this Warriors-Lakers matchup tonight at 7 o'clock after Luka and Yaxel went into the ring. And as Michael said, we get a rematch. We did get some in boxing, though, in the years.
00:06:50
Speaker 4: Didn't we, remember?
00:06:51
Speaker 2: Didn't Leonard Duran, they did it a couple times, didn't they?
00:06:55
Speaker 4: And Hagler Hurd. Talking 30 years ago. I'm talking about today.
00:07:00
Speaker 2: Do UFC get rematches? Yeah, more in MMA, but yeah, Michael's right.
00:07:04
Speaker 3: In boxing, not so much.
00:07:05
Speaker 2: No more rematches.
00:07:06
Speaker 3: No, you're not getting Canelo Mayweather, no.
00:07:08
Speaker 4: Yeah, and boxing, all the rematches take place on X. All they do is tweet at each other.
00:07:12
Speaker 2: Hey, just talk about this Laker team. They're off to a good start. And you mentioned Walker Kessler and all that. Like, have they, you know, in the post-LeBron era, it's a pretty good start. Luka took out an ad in the paper, which is funny. Kenny Smith said, who reads papers anymore? But is there a general feeling that they've put together a winning squad that can, you know, thrive in the post-LeBron era?
00:07:39
Speaker 4: Yeah, their defense has to improve, but they can score with anybody. They've got scorers up and down the roster, obviously led by Luka and Austin Reeves, 34 points, 27 points a game from the backcourt, the best scoring backcourt in the game. And then you've got balanced scoring up and down the roster, guys who can put the ball in the basket. And then we've got two excellent wing defenders, Matisse Teibel and Azaria Williams, who can get out there and guard guys like Steph and the good perimeter scorers. So this is a well-balanced team. They're going to get better defensively as we go along. but they are tough to stop on offense.
00:08:10
Speaker 3: Michael, when you take a look at this Warriors roster, it's essentially the same roster that they ran back from last season. Now Jimmy Butler's injured, and obviously they drafted Yaxel to this lineup, but we're still seeing Steph Curry at 38 years old go out there and put up 40-point performances. Do you think the Warriors did enough this offseason to surround Steph with talent?
00:08:27
Speaker 4: We won't see the real Warriors until Jimmy Butler gets back, hopefully in February sometime. If Jimmy can come back and be Jimmy Butler, and obviously Steph stays healthy. and Yaxl continues to improve, you might get Moses Moody back too. So I think if the Warriors can just hold down, hold it close until Jimmy Butler and Moody get back, they could be a problem in the play-in or the playoffs.
00:08:48
Speaker 2: Yeah, and Michael, before I let you go, I want to circle back on kind of your initial statement about Yaxl. You said he's the real deal, he's mature, he's old, all that good stuff. What about his basketball skills? I know you haven't watched him a ton, but you've watched him some, and when you see him, What do you think of him as a basketball player? What does he do and what can he improve on?
00:09:05
Speaker 4: His athleticism, his movement. The guy is a big guy, but he handles the ball like a guard, like a wing player. And he can move his feet defensively, so he can go out there and guard guys like Luka and Anthony Edwards like that at his size. So he's just a good all-around basketball player. And I cannot believe he lasted until the 11th pick. That's just ridiculous. From what I've seen from this guy, he should have been a top four or five pick.
00:09:27
Speaker 3: Yeah, Michael, before I let you go, we can't let you go without asking a question about Clay. Now he'll be back in the Bay next week as the Heat come to town to take on the Warriors. So how's Clay adjusting to that life down in South Beach?
00:09:38
Speaker 4: What's not to like in South Beach? If I couldn't be a Laker, if I was a young player coming into the league now, that's where I would want to play in Miami. That's my favorite city to live because I spent so much time there in high school and then visiting there from the Bahamas. So I love Miami. Clay loves it there. And the Miami Heat's a good organization. They start off slow. But they'll come around. I'm not worried about the Heat. They'll figure it out. And by the time they get to the Warriors up here in the Bay Area, they'll be playing a lot better. But Clay loves the fit, and he enjoys playing with a superstar like Giannis and an all-NBA player like Bam. So even though his shooting isn't up to par yet, by the time he gets up here in another week or so, I'm sure he'll be okay.
00:10:13
Speaker 2: How was Clay's trash talk at his peak, you know, when he and Steph were revving? How much did he go there? How much did the microphones not pick up?
00:10:22
Speaker 4: I think he was like me. Clay was kind of a mime on the court. He didn't say anything. He was really quiet, and he never really said anything. As a matter of fact, Imam Shumpert of the Cleveland Cavaliers said that about Clay. He was talking about Clay and Steph and the Smash Brothers and how deadly Clay was. He said Clay wouldn't say a thing on the court. He wouldn't say a word. He'd say, you try to get physical with Clay. he would just push you off of him and just knock down a three in your face. So he said Clay wouldn't say a word, but Imran Shumlin said he was a killer on the court, but he never said a word.
00:10:53
Speaker 2: Sounds like he takes after his old man is what it sounds like.
00:10:56
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah. That's just a personality. Some guys have outgoing personalities like Draymond or Yaxo, Luka. Larry Bird, we all know them from Gary Payton Sr. So some guys like to talk, and some of us just like to remain quiet and do it in a subtle way.
00:11:12
Speaker 2: Man, you just said Gary Payton. That just spurred me into it. If I could have a crystal ball, I'd like to see Yaxel go against Gary Payton. They might just stop playing and just start yapping at each other. You know what I mean? Put the basketball aside.
00:11:25
Speaker 4: Yeah, just give him a microphone and let him do a podcast right there in the middle of the court talking trash to each other.
00:11:30
Speaker 2: That's it. Just do a podcast right there. That's too good. Hey, last one.
00:11:35
Speaker 4: Come on, man.
00:11:35
Speaker 2: I know we follow you on Twitter. Hallmark Christmas movies. Are they revving up? Are you all in? Are you ready to go?
00:11:40
Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.
00:11:41
Speaker 4: I'm definitely going to be in. I haven't tuned in yet, but I'll definitely be in. checking them out as we get deeper into the holiday season, for sure.
00:11:49
Speaker 2: Now, has any one of them ever had a different plot than a woman moves to a new town, you know, and finds a handsome construction worker in a coffee shop and they find love?
00:12:00
Speaker 4: Is that.
00:12:01
Speaker 3: Exactly.
00:12:01
Speaker 4: At first, she wasn't attracted to him. At first, she had a jerk of a boyfriend she just broke up with, and all of a sudden, she sees the new guy. They haven't been going out yet. They don't really get along. All of a sudden, they decide to get along, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, her old boyfriend shows up, and she's got to make a decision, blah, blah, blah, the same old plot every time, but I love it.
00:12:19
Speaker 2: But you still get the goosebumps and the tear in the eye at the end, right?
00:12:23
Speaker 4: Of course, because the scene always ends with them hugging and kissing under some mistletoe or surrounded by Christmas lights.
00:12:31
Speaker 2: Sounds like Christmas season to me, man.
00:12:33
Speaker 4: All right.
00:12:33
Speaker 2: All right, Michael. We appreciate you hopping on. Have a great call tonight.
00:12:37
Speaker 4: Thank you.
00:12:38
Speaker 3: Thanks, Michael.
00:12:39
Speaker 4: Thanks, guys. Anytime.
00:12:40
Speaker 2: The always enjoyable Michael Thompson on the Esports Leader.
Speaker 1: Now back to Murfin Marcus on The Sports Leader. Streaming live on thesportsleader.com and KNBR. The Sports Leader app. Murfin Marcus is sponsored by Bigelow Tea. Grab a mug and tea proudly.
00:00:16
Speaker 2: What an absolute treat to have Michael Thompson on the show. It is great to have him. He's come on KNBR through the years many times. This is a fun one because Warriors-Lakers tonight... Plus, it's Halloween tomorrow, and it's an 80s Friday, and we're lacing in as many Halloween themes as we can. So, Michael, we're greeting you with the all-time classic, another Michael.
00:00:40
Speaker 1: Thriller.
00:00:41
Speaker 2: Hey, welcome to Murph and Marcus here on KMBR. How are you doing, Michael?
00:00:44
Speaker 3: Hey, morning, Michael.
00:00:46
Speaker 4: Maybe the second best Halloween song behind Monster Mash.
00:00:49
Speaker 2: You know what? Everything you write on Twitter, I always agree with, and I'm going to agree with you again. Monster Mash 1, Thriller 2.
00:00:58
Speaker 4: That's right, buddy. That's a classic. They're both classics.
00:01:02
Speaker 2: Can you do the Thriller dance, Michael?
00:01:04
Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.
00:01:05
Speaker 2: Oh, yeah, man.
00:01:05
Speaker 4: Michael Jackson had nothing on me. I could do all the moonwalks, Thriller dance, whatever he could do. The hip thrust, I could do all that stuff, man.
00:01:13
Speaker 1: I love it.
00:01:13
Speaker 4: I love it.
00:01:14
Speaker 2: All right, let's get into it, man. It's going to be a lot of fun to watch the Warriors and the Lakers because we were just saying before you came out, Michael, that After last Friday's Yaxl and Luka show, or I should say last Wednesday's, pardon me, Yaxl and Luka show, Yaxl is a slightly different guy. He's played a few more NBA games and played very, very well. And I'm wondering if he'll be just that much more confident going against Luka tonight, or is that just way too much to ask? Like Luka's going to just bring a bag of tricks that Yaxl's just not ready for.
00:01:47
Speaker 4: I don't know. Yaxo is the real deal. He's an older rookie. He was almost 24 years of age. So he's a very mature guy for a rookie. So I expect him and Luka to go to have round two, the rematch tonight. That's what everybody's looking forward to. I mean, obviously staff's out there too. Austin Reeves and other good players, Draymond Green, another Hall of Famer is going to be out there. But I am so excited to watch Yaxo versus Luka round two. This is a rematch. We don't get any rematches in boxing. So we got to wait for them in basketball.
00:02:15
Speaker 3: Yeah. Michael, do you have any issue with a rookie like Yaxel coming into the league and talking this much trash this early on?
00:02:24
Speaker 4: Are you kidding me? No way. Magic Johnson was like that. Larry Bird was like that. Jordan was like that. Isaiah Thomas. So if you believe in yourself and you can back it up with your performance, which Yaxel is doing, I love the fact that he's not willing to back down from anybody. We need more players in the league like him. That makes the league more exciting. I love it.
00:02:42
Speaker 2: And it's funny you say that because media coverage obviously has changed so dramatically in the last 40, 50 years. And now we get every single soundbite on a microphone or a Twitter. But you're saying that in the 70s and in the 80s, there was every bit as much trash talk going on. We just didn't pick it up in the media.
00:02:59
Speaker 4: Exactly. We didn't have guys like. Marcus and Murph on 24-hour coverage, talking about it on the talk show back then. We just had to rely on print media, you know, with the beat writers. So 24 hours later, 48 hours later, you might hear about it. But now you get instant reaction from it, instant observations of it going on in real time. So the coverage, the technology has improved so much that when Yaxel and Austin and Luke are having a beef like they were, and then afterwards in the press conference, it makes sense. Like I say, man, we need more of it. This league is too friendly sometimes.
00:03:33
Speaker 2: How was your trash talk game, Michael?
00:03:36
Speaker 4: I didn't say a word. Are you kidding me? You realize who I was playing against? You think I'm going to trash talk Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Lanier, Artis Gilmore, Carl Malone, Akeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing. I played against some of the greatest players that ever played in this game. I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't going to say nothing to Robert Parrish or Larry Bird. or when I was with the Blazers. You think I'm going to talk trash to Kareem or Magic Johnson, man? I knew my place. I was like the rock. I knew my role, and I kept my mouth shut.
00:04:04
Speaker 3: Well, Michael, let me ask you then for the perspective from Luka and the Lakers heading into this matchup. Now, it seems like Luka's a guy that doesn't shy away from trash talk either, so what do you think his mindset is? Is he coming into this matchup saying that he needs to put Yaxel in check?
00:04:17
Speaker 4: Oh, heck yeah. That's the way Luka plays, man. Luka doesn't back down from anybody. He can back it up in his performance. You know, Luka's not going to fight anybody. But verbally, man, he gets into your head. And then he goes and knocks down a three right on top of you from 35 feet out. He's like Steph. You know, Steph doesn't say anything. But Steph plays with so much confidence. Steph lets his talking do the trash talking. But Luka does both. He lets his playing and his talking do the trash talking. So, yeah, if Yaxo's going to be all over him, Luka's going to do those little step-back threes and be pointing at him and laughing at him. That's what fires him up. I love it.
00:04:50
Speaker 2: So that's an interesting dilemma then, because you pointed out it's fun. It's great. It's good for the league. You want more of it. But at the same time, your strategy is a different, like, Hey man, I'm not saying anything to cream or Bob Lanier or artists Gilmore. So maybe is there a way to look at it where maybe actual doesn't want to poke Luca in particular, like, okay, I'll go trash talk other guys, but leave Luca alone. Is that the smarter move?
00:05:15
Speaker 4: No, some guys just don't. They weren't chicken cowards like me. I mean, like a Draymond Green. He talked trash to LeBron James 10 years ago when LeBron was in his prime because Draymond wasn't afraid of anybody. So some guys are like that. They like to be verbal on the court. I prefer to stay quiet, but I had a lot of confidence against those guys, but I wasn't going to try to poke the bear anymore than I had to. But some guys don't care. They they use that trash talk to pump themselves up too. So if that's the style they want to play, then more power to them. And like I said, that's great. I love to watch it. I love to see it.
00:05:49
Speaker 3: Michael, we're focusing so much on this Yaxel and Luka matchup, but really the matchup I want to talk about is Walker Kessler versus the frontcourt from the Warriors because we saw in Game 1, 12 for 12 from the field, 11 straight dunks. It seemed like the Warriors didn't have the size to match up with him. So what do you see from Walker Kessler early on in his fit with Luka in this Lakers offense?
00:06:06
Speaker 4: Should be the same thing, same type of results tonight. You're right. Draymond is a tough defender, but Walker is seven for two. And Draymond, basically in the paint, has to guard two guys. He has to deal with Walker and with Luka or Austin Reed is coming into the paint. And then that frees up Walker behind the defense for those lobs. And he does a good job making himself available. He's got good hands and he knows how to finish around the rim. So that is a dilemma for Steve Kerr and the Warriors to try to solve tonight.
00:06:32
Speaker 2: It is a dilemma for sure. And you listen to Michael Thompson, of course, he does color analysis for the Lakers. Been doing it forever on ESPN LA 710 AM and talking about this Warriors-Lakers matchup tonight at 7 o'clock after Luka and Yaxel went into the ring. And as Michael said, we get a rematch. We did get some in boxing, though, in the years.
00:06:50
Speaker 4: Didn't we, remember?
00:06:51
Speaker 2: Didn't Leonard Duran, they did it a couple times, didn't they?
00:06:55
Speaker 4: And Hagler Hurd. Talking 30 years ago. I'm talking about today.
00:07:00
Speaker 2: Do UFC get rematches? Yeah, more in MMA, but yeah, Michael's right.
00:07:04
Speaker 3: In boxing, not so much.
00:07:05
Speaker 2: No more rematches.
00:07:06
Speaker 3: No, you're not getting Canelo Mayweather, no.
00:07:08
Speaker 4: Yeah, and boxing, all the rematches take place on X. All they do is tweet at each other.
00:07:12
Speaker 2: Hey, just talk about this Laker team. They're off to a good start. And you mentioned Walker Kessler and all that. Like, have they, you know, in the post-LeBron era, it's a pretty good start. Luka took out an ad in the paper, which is funny. Kenny Smith said, who reads papers anymore? But is there a general feeling that they've put together a winning squad that can, you know, thrive in the post-LeBron era?
00:07:39
Speaker 4: Yeah, their defense has to improve, but they can score with anybody. They've got scorers up and down the roster, obviously led by Luka and Austin Reeves, 34 points, 27 points a game from the backcourt, the best scoring backcourt in the game. And then you've got balanced scoring up and down the roster, guys who can put the ball in the basket. And then we've got two excellent wing defenders, Matisse Teibel and Azaria Williams, who can get out there and guard guys like Steph and the good perimeter scorers. So this is a well-balanced team. They're going to get better defensively as we go along. but they are tough to stop on offense.
00:08:10
Speaker 3: Michael, when you take a look at this Warriors roster, it's essentially the same roster that they ran back from last season. Now Jimmy Butler's injured, and obviously they drafted Yaxel to this lineup, but we're still seeing Steph Curry at 38 years old go out there and put up 40-point performances. Do you think the Warriors did enough this offseason to surround Steph with talent?
00:08:27
Speaker 4: We won't see the real Warriors until Jimmy Butler gets back, hopefully in February sometime. If Jimmy can come back and be Jimmy Butler, and obviously Steph stays healthy. and Yaxl continues to improve, you might get Moses Moody back too. So I think if the Warriors can just hold down, hold it close until Jimmy Butler and Moody get back, they could be a problem in the play-in or the playoffs.
00:08:48
Speaker 2: Yeah, and Michael, before I let you go, I want to circle back on kind of your initial statement about Yaxl. You said he's the real deal, he's mature, he's old, all that good stuff. What about his basketball skills? I know you haven't watched him a ton, but you've watched him some, and when you see him, What do you think of him as a basketball player? What does he do and what can he improve on?
00:09:05
Speaker 4: His athleticism, his movement. The guy is a big guy, but he handles the ball like a guard, like a wing player. And he can move his feet defensively, so he can go out there and guard guys like Luka and Anthony Edwards like that at his size. So he's just a good all-around basketball player. And I cannot believe he lasted until the 11th pick. That's just ridiculous. From what I've seen from this guy, he should have been a top four or five pick.
00:09:27
Speaker 3: Yeah, Michael, before I let you go, we can't let you go without asking a question about Clay. Now he'll be back in the Bay next week as the Heat come to town to take on the Warriors. So how's Clay adjusting to that life down in South Beach?
00:09:38
Speaker 4: What's not to like in South Beach? If I couldn't be a Laker, if I was a young player coming into the league now, that's where I would want to play in Miami. That's my favorite city to live because I spent so much time there in high school and then visiting there from the Bahamas. So I love Miami. Clay loves it there. And the Miami Heat's a good organization. They start off slow. But they'll come around. I'm not worried about the Heat. They'll figure it out. And by the time they get to the Warriors up here in the Bay Area, they'll be playing a lot better. But Clay loves the fit, and he enjoys playing with a superstar like Giannis and an all-NBA player like Bam. So even though his shooting isn't up to par yet, by the time he gets up here in another week or so, I'm sure he'll be okay.
00:10:13
Speaker 2: How was Clay's trash talk at his peak, you know, when he and Steph were revving? How much did he go there? How much did the microphones not pick up?
00:10:22
Speaker 4: I think he was like me. Clay was kind of a mime on the court. He didn't say anything. He was really quiet, and he never really said anything. As a matter of fact, Imam Shumpert of the Cleveland Cavaliers said that about Clay. He was talking about Clay and Steph and the Smash Brothers and how deadly Clay was. He said Clay wouldn't say a thing on the court. He wouldn't say a word. He'd say, you try to get physical with Clay. he would just push you off of him and just knock down a three in your face. So he said Clay wouldn't say a word, but Imran Shumlin said he was a killer on the court, but he never said a word.
00:10:53
Speaker 2: Sounds like he takes after his old man is what it sounds like.
00:10:56
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah. That's just a personality. Some guys have outgoing personalities like Draymond or Yaxo, Luka. Larry Bird, we all know them from Gary Payton Sr. So some guys like to talk, and some of us just like to remain quiet and do it in a subtle way.
00:11:12
Speaker 2: Man, you just said Gary Payton. That just spurred me into it. If I could have a crystal ball, I'd like to see Yaxel go against Gary Payton. They might just stop playing and just start yapping at each other. You know what I mean? Put the basketball aside.
00:11:25
Speaker 4: Yeah, just give him a microphone and let him do a podcast right there in the middle of the court talking trash to each other.
00:11:30
Speaker 2: That's it. Just do a podcast right there. That's too good. Hey, last one.
00:11:35
Speaker 4: Come on, man.
00:11:35
Speaker 2: I know we follow you on Twitter. Hallmark Christmas movies. Are they revving up? Are you all in? Are you ready to go?
00:11:40
Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.
00:11:41
Speaker 4: I'm definitely going to be in. I haven't tuned in yet, but I'll definitely be in. checking them out as we get deeper into the holiday season, for sure.
00:11:49
Speaker 2: Now, has any one of them ever had a different plot than a woman moves to a new town, you know, and finds a handsome construction worker in a coffee shop and they find love?
00:12:00
Speaker 4: Is that.
00:12:01
Speaker 3: Exactly.
00:12:01
Speaker 4: At first, she wasn't attracted to him. At first, she had a jerk of a boyfriend she just broke up with, and all of a sudden, she sees the new guy. They haven't been going out yet. They don't really get along. All of a sudden, they decide to get along, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, her old boyfriend shows up, and she's got to make a decision, blah, blah, blah, the same old plot every time, but I love it.
00:12:19
Speaker 2: But you still get the goosebumps and the tear in the eye at the end, right?
00:12:23
Speaker 4: Of course, because the scene always ends with them hugging and kissing under some mistletoe or surrounded by Christmas lights.
00:12:31
Speaker 2: Sounds like Christmas season to me, man.
00:12:33
Speaker 4: All right.
00:12:33
Speaker 2: All right, Michael. We appreciate you hopping on. Have a great call tonight.
00:12:37
Speaker 4: Thank you.
00:12:38
Speaker 3: Thanks, Michael.
00:12:39
Speaker 4: Thanks, guys. Anytime.
00:12:40
Speaker 2: The always enjoyable Michael Thompson on the Esports Leader.
