
Bob Ryan on Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers in '84 NBA Finals, epic trash talk
Bob Ryan on Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers in '84 NBA Finals, epic trash talk
When it comes to some truly historic trash talk on the parquet, few people have born witness to what went down in the old Boston Garden during the 1980s as Boston Celtics beat writer emeritus Bob Ryan has. And the unofficial historian of the Celtics media recently took some time to talk about such trash talk, electing to regale us with the words that were thrown around as the Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers battled for the 1984 NBA Finals.
Lakers legend James Worthy in particular has a major role, and as one might have imagined, the Hick From French Lick (as Larry Bird was often lovingly called for a nickname) did as well.
The eponymous hosts of the CLNS Media "Bob Ryan, Jeff Goodman, and Gary Tanguay!" podcast discussed this moment in Boston history recently. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say!
If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network: https://ytubl.ink/3Ffk
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USA Today
5 minutes ago
- USA Today
Unsung heroes? Underrated players who could make a difference in NBA Finals
Unsung heroes? Underrated players who could make a difference in NBA Finals Show Caption Hide Caption Pacers and Thunder NBA Finals is better than it's 'small-market' billing USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt breaks down the star-studded NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Sports Pulse In the NBA playoffs, the outcome often rests on the underrated. Certainly, the performances of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton will be scrutinized and big games can propel their respective teams to victories. But it's often the role players, sometimes off the bench, erupting on a scoring streak or clamping down on defense, who can make the difference between winning and losing. Think Steve Kerr's nine points off the bench for the Chicago Bulls — seven of which came in the fourth quarter — in the closeout Game 6 of the 1997 Finals, including the game-winning, 14-foot jumper with 5 seconds to play. Think Andre Iguodala winning Most Valuable Player of the 2015 NBA Finals for the Golden State Warriors, despite being a sixth man for most of the series. Now, not every role player will win MVP, but steady contributions, in a series with two deep teams, will go a long way. Here's a look at three under-the-radar players for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers who could make the difference between winning and losing in the 2025 NBA Finals: Oklahoma City Thunder Alex Caruso, guard He gives them incredible defensive versatility off the bench, as he's capable of guarding any position on the floor. This postseason, he has been tasked with defending Nuggets center Nikola Jokić and Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards. Plus, when he's on the floor, the Thunder can go to an incredibly small lineup — with Caruso serving as the center — which could come in handy against a quick and athletic Pacers team. Kenrich Williams, forward He was essentially out of the rotation in the first and second rounds of the playoffs, but Williams provided energy and offense in limited minutes off the bench during the Western Conference finals. In the five games of that series, Williams played just 47:42 and posted a +32 in plus-minus. Known affectionately as Kenny Hustle, Williams is a quintessential spark off the bench whose effort — tipping rebounds to teammates and saving loose balls — often doesn't appear in box scores. Luguentz Dort, guard Though Dort is a starter, he's the fourth- or fifth-best offensive option on the unit, on a similar level as center Isaiah Hartenstein. But Dort, who is persistent and physical, will likely be the primary defender on Tyrese Haliburton. Using his hands to slow the players he defends, Dort can easily frustrate opposing guards into mistakes or foul trouble. This is exactly the type of matchup that he gets up for. ANALYSIS: Haters gonna hate, but NBA's 3-point shot is crucial to winning titles PACERS VS. THUNDER: Which team has the edge in NBA Finals? Indiana Pacers Bennedict Mathurin, forward When the Pacers need a scoring lift off the bench, it's usually Mathurin who provides it. Though he struggled in the first three games of the Eastern Conference finals, Mathurin played with intention and force in Games 4 and 5. He attacked and drew contact, often getting Knicks guards into foul trouble. And when he got to the line, he was lethal, draining all but one of his 29 attempts from the stripe in the series. Indiana will need his scoring off the bench with the second unit. Pacers vs. Thunder: Outside of stars, who could be difference in NBA Finals? IndyStar's Dustin Dopirak and The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson look at players outside the spotlight who may make the difference in NBA Finals. T.J. McConnell, guard Speaking of the second unit, Haliburton's backup will need to step up, too. McConnell is a 33-year-old veteran whose game is often deliberate, but he provides high energy, scoring from the mid-range and play-making out of the point guard spot. He rarely plays more than 20 minutes a game, but McConnell will play a massive part in making sure the Pacers don't fall behind when Haliburton gets a rest. Thomas Bryant and Tony Bradley, centers The Thunder have excellent height in their starting lineup with Chet Holmgren and Hartenstein, a pair of 7-footers looming in the frontcourt. Bryant, who flushed 3-of-4 attempts from 3 in the Game 6 clincher in the Eastern Conference finals, played because Bradley was nursing a hip injury. Given OKC's height, this could be a series where Bryant and Bradley both play, even if Bradley isn't a full go. The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.


USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
How Shaq 'flipped the script,' grew fortune and became larger than life after retirement
How Shaq 'flipped the script,' grew fortune and became larger than life after retirement Show Caption Hide Caption Shaq talks NBA Finals matchup and NBA on TNT Shaquille O'Neal joins Sports Seriously to talk about all things NBA and his upcoming Netflix docu-series 'Power Moves'. Sports Seriously Shaquille O'Neal towered over three children, leaned down and shared a secret. 'Do you know how I made $900 million?'' he asked in a moment taped three years ago. 'Just by listening to my mommy and daddy. Make sure you listen to your parents.'' Well, boys and girls, it's slightly more complicated than that, even for a 7-foot-1 basketball legend who pulled off this feat: retire from the sport that helped make you rich and famous, then get even more rich and famous. TV commercials. Licensing deals. Other partnerships. O'Neal, 14 years removed from his Hall of Fame career that included four NBA championship rings and three Finals MVPs, seems to be cashing in everywhere. On Wednesday, June 4, Netflix premiered a six-episode docuseries called "Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal" about the 53-year-old taking over as president of Reebok in 2023. (Shaquille O'Neal's Jersey Legends Productions partnered with Sony Pictures Television on the show.) This week, he will provide commentary during NBA TV's coverage of Game 1 and Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. 'Shaq's ubiquity today is unmatched and what makes it even more fascinating is that it's post-career,'' Stacy Jones, a marketing expert and CEO of Hollywood Branded, told USA TODAY Sports. 'Most athletes peak in visibility during their prime and Shaq totally flipped that script.'' O'Neal was unavailable for an interview this week, according to his representatives. But his agents, Perry Rogers and Colin Smeeton, help paint a vivid picture of how O'Neal turned his millions in NBA wages into more millions — and became a household name. ANALYSIS: Haters gonna hate, but NBA's 3-point shot is crucial to winning titles ANALYSIS: Unsung heroes? Underrated players who could make a difference in NBA Finals Rogers and Smeeton said before O'Neal retired in 2011 they read professional athletes on average lose 4% of the public's awareness after their playing careers end. 'And that freaked me out,'' Rogers told USA TODAY Sports. Also, O'Neal would be losing steady income — his playing salary that earned him a total of $286 million, according to The trick was figuring out how to generate more money. Shaq's instincts lead to big bucks It was July 2011, a month after O'Neal officially retired, and ESPN and TNT (then known as Turner) were courting him as a potential NBA analyst. Rogers said he wanted to wait for offers from both networks and use them as leverage. Then, O'Neal spoke. 'He goes, 'Perry, you heard the pitches,' ' Rogers recalled. 'On the one hand, Turner just said that they're relationship people, that they don't need me, but they want me. I'm a relationship guy. 'Then you heard (an ESPN executive) say, 'Hey, I'm the most competitive (expletive) in the world. I'll build a whole show around you.' And what that means is if (ESPN) doesn't beat (TNT), I'm going to be taking the full blame. I'm not going to have time to develop. I don't have these reps yet.'' Rogers, who relayed the anecdote to USA TODAY Sports, said he complied with O'Neal's wishes and promptly negotiated a deal with TNT. The network's Emmy-winning "Inside the NBA" studio show proved to be an ideal platform to keep O'Neal visible. He needed time to develop his skills as a TV analyst. He also found the right chemistry working alongside former NBA players Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, and six-time Emmy winner Ernie Johnson. The quartet is headed to ABC/ESPN next season and O'Neal has agreed to a contract extention worth more than $15 million a year, according to Front Office Sports. 'One thing that's great about Shaquille is he lets you sort of manage him,'' Smeeton, O'Neal's other agent, told USA TODAY Sports. 'But at the same time, he trusts his instincts, and we certainly trust his instincts.'' OPINION: 'Inside the NBA' with Ernie, Charles, Kenny and Shaq gave us so much more than basketball Shaq surrounds himself with talent O'Neal did not treat retirement as an opportunity to take up golf and lounge by the pool. "That's just not the way he's wired,'' Smeeton said. "He's wired for 'OK, I still have this drive that made me one of the best players of all time. Now how am I going to apply that to other parts of my business?' And that was music to our ears.'' Leonard Armato, O'Neal's first agent, played a key role in helping shape the Shaq brand into a lucrative entity before the two parted ways in 2001 for undisclosed reasons. But without Armato and later without his basketball career, the brand kept booming. Rogers and Smeeton, hired by O'Neal after the split with Armato, helped refine the Shaq brand. In 2015, Sports Illustrated published a list of O'Neal's top 50 endorsements. The full list continues to balloon and includes the likes of Carnival Cruise Line, DraftKings, Hershey's, Papa John's and BeatBox Beverages. He also is deeply invested in the food services business, owning more than 30 Big Chicken franchises, which serve some of his childhood favorites. He once owned 155 Five Guys, the burger and fries joint, according to Yahoo Finance. 'Whether during basketball games, NFL games or programming beyond, Shaq has staying power that competes with just about any other celebrity,'' said Tyler Bobin, senior brand analyst at a company that tracks TV and streaming advertising. Rogers and Smeeton have focused on 'the fun business,'' which has led to O'Neal serving as an ambassador of fun in a slew of new TV commercials. Case in point: In his commercials for Carnival Cruise Line, O'Neal plays the role of the company's CFO — "Chief Fun Officer.'' Perhaps their biggest play came a decade ago, when Rogers and Smeeton brokered a deal to sell 51% of the Shaq brand to Authentic Brands Group (ABG). O'Neal, in turn, has become the second-largest shareholder in a company that owns brands for such luminaries as Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe and David Beckham and whose subsidiaries include Champion and Reebok, which ABG acquired in 2022 at the behest of O'Neal. Smeeton indicated the partnership with ABG has helped propel O'Neal toward the $1 billion threshold for lifetime earnings. 'If he's not already there,'' Smeeton said, 'he'll be there soon.' Shaq: 'My biggest mistake was ruining my family' The strength of O'Neal's brand has been tested. By O'Neal himself. During the most recent episode of his podcast, 'The Big Podcast with Shaq,'' O'Neal referred to the infidelities he has said led to divorce from his ex-wife, Shaunie. 'I am the voice for those that made a lot of mistakes and want to recover from the mistakes,'' said O'Neal, who has six children, including four with Shaunie. 'Because I always say, my biggest mistake was ruining my family by being dumb.'' There have been other setbacks for O'Neal. Like two civil lawsuits, one stemming from his endorsement of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange and another stemming from involvement with the Astrals Non-Fungible Tokens project, which he settled this year for a total of $11 million. O'Neal and other celebrities were accused of misleading consumers into promoting unregistered securities for FTX and promoting unregistered securities for Astrals. But the Shaq brand has taken no discernible hit. Corporate America keeps lining up to partner with O'Neal, who in 2024 played a hands-on role in developing Shaq-a-Licious XL Gummies (cannabis free) with The Hershey Company. "He gets involved on a deeper level, and brands love that,'' said Jones, the CEO at Hollywood Branded. "His involvement isn't just about exposure, it's about strategic value. He shows up, he promotes and he often contributes behind the scenes. That's a big reason why brands keep coming back.'' O'Neal also has protected his business interests by steering clear of controversial political issues, said Kimberly A. Whitler, associate professor of business administration at the University of Virginia. 'That model – to maximize the number of consumers who support and appreciate the celebrity – requires focusing on creating broad appeal,'' Whitler told USA TODAY Sports. 'They do this by remaining largely apolitical, so they can appeal to liberals, independents, and conservative consumers.'' Shaq building his empire off Michael Jordan's blueprint - with one exception Michael Jordan is the blueprint when it comes to athletes developing brands, Jones said. 'He took his athletic legacy and elevated it into a luxury brand and that quiet, high-end exclusivity plays perfectly into his legacy,'' she said. O'Neal has embraced something else: the common man. New Air Jordan sneakers can cost upwards of $200. O'Neal's branded shoes on are available for $29.95. Rather than attempting to mimic Jordan's luxury brand, O'Neal's Big and Tall Collection is housed at JCPenney, with ribbed Polo shirts available for $17.49. Then there's his deal with The General, the insurance company known for affordable car insurance rates. 'I called Shaquille and said, 'Hey, look, we're talking to these folks. I don't know how you feel about it,' ' Rogers aid. 'And Shaquille goes, 'Do it.' (I said), 'Hold on a second. I haven't talked to you about anything. Why do you like this? 'And he said, 'I had The General for my insurance company. I know what it means to need affordable insurance.' ' Sometimes, with the cameras rolling and without, O'Neal has given away pizzas, shoes, clothes and hugs. He has bought other people vans, engagement rings and heaven only knows what else. In 2024, he received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award for raising millions of dollars for charitable efforts through the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation. Last month, at the end of the last episode of "Inside the NBA" on TNT, O'Neal told the show's stage manager 'we put our money together and bought you a gift.'' He handed her a Louis Vuitton gift bag. Said Barkley, 'Shaq, in fairness, you should buy all the gifts. You got the most money.''


USA Today
42 minutes ago
- USA Today
Tyrese Haliburton downplays delayed arrival to OKC due to storms
Tyrese Haliburton downplays delayed arrival to OKC due to storms Well, the Indiana Pacers' arrival in OKC could've gone smoother. As storms and tornadoes took over Oklahoma, the Eastern Conference champion had its flight delayed due to the weather. The mini-stoppage took over NBA Twitter as local folks joked it was an appropriate welcome to the state. The Oklahoma City Thunder held their 2025 NBA Finals Media Day on Wednesday. The Pacers soon followed. A common question asked by the sea of media members was about their impromptu stop at the Tulsa airport before they returned to the air to OKC. Tyrese Haliburton shrugged his shoulders about the stop. He said while the stormy weather delayed their arrival, you can't use that as an excuse or complain about it with nearly two days before the NBA Finals tip off in Thursday's Game 1. "As far as yesterday, we took off, and I slept the whole plane ride, which I don't normally do. We landed, I was ready to get up. They said we were in Tulsa. We sat there for another hour. Then took off again. Felt like we were in the air for another hour and a half," Haliburton said. "What time did we land? 7:00? Normally like 8:00 back home. So, like a five-hour travel day. We might as well travel to Portland. Yeah, it's a long travel day. What can you do? None of us can control the weather. There's worse problems in life. We'll be fine." This is why you love the NBA. It's a 24/7 soap opera. The games only last two hours, but the drama that surrounds the sport never stops. Sometimes that takes the form of funny bits. The Pacers' plane being stuck in Tulsa because of tornadoes on their way to their biggest franchise game since 2000 is an example of that.