点击查看原文:Hitting the homestretch
Hitting the homestretch
As the Spurs head into their final week, columnist Mike Finger and beat writers Jeff McDonald and Tom Orsborn discuss Stephon Castle putting the finishing touches on an award-winning season, speculate on Chris Paul becoming a podcast host, and pay tribute to longtime radio voice Bill Schoening.
Suggested reading:
Why the Spurs appreciate modest improvement over last season
For Spurs, winning is no slam dunk
Farewell to Philly Billy: Longtime radio voice set to retire
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Here is the transcript of the podcast:
From a highly secured network of top secret locations across North America. This is the Spurs Insider, hitting the home stretch edition. They’re still playing edition, we’re still talking edition. I’m Mike Finger. I’m joined by Express News Spurs beat writers Jeff McDonald and Tom Orsborn who are hitting their peak heading into the post season. There’s not a post season to cover. But Jeff McDonald from his secure location somewhere on the West Coast. Are are are are are you still in it? Are you still feeling the enthusiasm for this job that has taken so many twists and turns over the last six months or so?
I mean for that rousing introduction, how could I not? We’re still doing this I guess everybody. All right, here we go. We’re gonna do this. I guess we’re still doing it. Yeah, they got me so. It’s like Nut Rockney.
You got you got me so fired up to do this podcast with that the kids at home. The uh the Generation Z, uh the uh the even even some of the millennials explained to the kids who uh Nut Rockney was. He was the lead singer of Motorhead. Exactly right. Yes, yes. And uh you know, is there a win one for the Gipper speech for the local cagers as they hit the final four games of their season? Is there something to play for? Is there pride? Uh is there uh is is is is there personal satisfaction? Is there a momentum to take into another season next year? What why are people watching? Why are you covering with four games to go?
That’s them asking. Why why are we watching? And why are we covering with four? I mean, yeah, sure. There’s pride or whatever or momentum. You can you can say whatever. Pride or whatever. Put that on a t-shirt and sell it across bank center fan uh store. Pride or whatever. You can say all that but like you know, it kicks in or it doesn’t and there’s four games left and it’s just just play off the string and that’s what they’re doing. So anyway, this is not going well. Let’s think of something we could talk about. What are you going to talk about? Something uh we’ll we’ll we’ll let Tom uh Tom Tom Tom’s the last road game of the season was uh at Portland.
And uh I think that was a significant game not only because it mathematically mathematic mathematically mathematically eliminated the Spurs from uh the play in race. But I like like when we’re talking about what the last week of the season can affect, like I think it kind of cemented the Spurs in the uh position of having the eighth worst record in the NBA this season. I don’t see them doing anything this week now to uh to finish with the seventh worst record. I don’t see them doing anything to finish with the ninth worst record. They kind of are where they are. And uh that’s sort of not too far from where we expected them to be to start the season. I think we all this is what we’re going to talk about this week. We’re going to reflect before the end. We’ll reflect more next week. But uh looking back to start the season when we all had them I think around 34, 35 victories, um finishing out of the play in picture in the Western conference. And even though Victor Winyamama did not play after uh the midway point of the Rodeo Road trip. Um they got where they we thought they’d be. And this this this is more of a step forward than the Spurs had had the last couple of years, isn’t that uh wouldn’t you agree with that Tom?
Yeah, I I I think so. I think I I can’t remember what what I predicted maybe 30 35 I guess. I don’t I don’t know but but you’re right. Um and they uh yeah, I mean they they did it without Wembi. They’re they’re you know, they’re proud of that. And uh yeah, the unspoken theme of that game you’re right Mike was solidifying the the number eight spot. Um but they gave it a good go, tried to win it as they always do. But uh yeah, that was uh that was the pop the champagne quirk moment, you know, that they did they did uh lock up pretty much that it increases the odds. That’s a good thing. So, yeah.
And to to get into specifics on that, the um, I’ll let I sorry to cut you off there Tom. All right. You do it often. You do it often. And you sing so cool with it. Yeah. Um by by finishing in eighth, the Spurs will have a 26.3% chance to move up to a top four spot, which could be very significant this year. I think there’s a clear cut top four prospects in this NBA draft and the Spurs would be delighted to get any one of those four. I think they’d be delighted to get any one of the top eight uh to hope that no one behind them moves up in the lottery drawing. Uh I think they could get a really good player at eight. I think they could get another really good player with Atlanta’s pick somewhere in the mid teens or so. Um there’s an optimism there. But uh the the the mathematical probabilities that Tom was referring to uh if they would have dropped to ninth that number reduces to 20% from 20% 26%. Uh as for getting number one pick Cooper Flag, who I got to talk to and watch this weekend at the Alamodome at the final four where one Victor Winyamama was also seen last night. Uh number one pick is 6% from the eighth spot. So, those are your chances of uh possibly teaming Victor Winyamama with Cooper Flag. Um and we’ll we’ll be talking about the lottery and all that kind of stuff more in future podcasts, but that is sort of finalized now. We know what the percentages are going to be and that’s fine. Um, I do want to get back to you Tom on on thinking about the the season preview that we did lo those many months ago and um we made our our victory predictions. We also were kind of talking about what we expected um the whole season to look like. and it’s it’s weird, you know, we only got a half season of or I guess two-thirds of a season from Victor Winyamama. Greg Popovich was out less than a month into the season. so many weird things happened this year. But just kind of piece by piece uh player by player, trend by trend. Um how did you think look, you know, looking back on your expectations in in October had had how do you think overall it played out uh as as the season went on Tom?
Well, I don’t think anyone saw Steph Castle, I mean doing what he did. Uh I mean we, you know, being the fourth overall pick, you thought he was going to be good, but what a season he’s had and he’s he’s finishing it so strong with these consecutive games of 15, five and five. Um, you know, two near triple doubles. Um, I mean he’s you know, he’s the bright spot. I mean, what a what a season he’s had and and you know, the future looks so so damn bright for this guy. Um, yeah, I mean that that was that’s what sticks out to me most um. And and what I remember about our discussions about him in October in the preseason. I think there was consensus among us that he might turn out to be the best player in that draft. Spurs were really high on him. Uh, he played one year at Yukon had a really raw jump shot. and I think the what we talked about was that this might not be the guy who’s going to win rookie of the year because other players are going to get more of a chance to play more and and to be immediately impactful, but that he was going to be a difference maker in the long term. and we sort of got that the first part of that wrong because he he became sort of the runaway favorite for the rookie of the year award because the Spurs immediately even when Greg Popovich was was coaching. from that first game in Dallas, which seems like ages ago, um Pop had him out there in crunch time or in in in the most important moments of of of that game and the Spurs kept that up for most of the season. When they acquired Deron Fox, um he he he went back to his bench role but still played meaningful minutes and uh then when Fox and Wembi both shut it down, he became kind of the leading guy and and he’s thriving in all that stuff. And and I think Tom’s right, that’s something that we did not see coming how immediately uh uh integral he would be to everything and and how much of an opportunity he’d have to win to play play the minutes and get the get get get the um the usage that rookie of the years have and and he made the most of it, Jeff.
Yeah, he was he was I think probably going to win it anyway, but when Victor and Deron went out and he just became kind of kind of the go-to guy, kind of had the ball in his hands more than he would have had those two guys still been around. I think when that moment happened and he seized it, I think that’s what solidified it for him. Like he’s he’s been able to really compile those those counting stats that we love um to pick the rookie of the year on, especially in a year like this where there was not anybody else that’s just wowing you, you know. So he he he did a good job of taking advantage of the situ the the various situations that were presented to him and thriving in um kind of a couple different roles. I think we’ve talked about it before where um, you know, he’s been a starter, he’s come off the bench, he’s played on the ball, he’s played off the ball, he’s defended this guy, he’s defended that guy. Spurs threw a lot at him as a rookie and he he pretty much handled it all um, you know, better than probably you could have expected. So definitely a worthy rookie of the year in my eyes. And I get a vote so that that that counts.
There you go. Um I don’t I don’t know if if you want to get uh reflective or if if if you could even remember the other uh sentiments that you had back in October when we were advancing this season, but do you uh can you can you think of anything that you thought then that that uh sort of surprised you about what happened in the in the months that ensued? I I remember our Harrison Barnes discussion kind of What’s that? Oh. It’s true, Tom. Yeah, and and I I alone. Of course you remember that. Throw it in all our faces. He was not a throw in guy. He was going to have, you know, he was he’s he can still play. Harry B can still play. I I think the Tom was I I think uh the Well, hold on. I think he held up he held up his uh part of the prediction. Agreed. I think the argument was the Spurs don’t him to be great to have a good year and he was he was great for what he is, but you know, they won 32 games. So, yeah. Right. But still. Yeah. Well, there were a couple of things. One, one Tom absolutely got right uh where I I think I was and I I will take the bullet here. One thing I’d mentioned is um Harrison Barnes seemed to be the guy who was going to start the season in in the starting lineup because he’s a veteran, but that when the younger guys kind of made their moves that he eventually might be moved to the side. Um, Yeah, he’s gonna he’s gonna start every game next year too. He’s he started every game, played every game. And he’s gonna start every game next year too. he’s probably going to start every game next year too. Like that’s the part that I absolutely was wrong on. Um, I think the point that Jeff and I were making on that October I think it was October, the October podcast was that uh we we did not view the um performance of Harrison Barnes as one of the top three or four or five uh factors that would determine whether or not the Spurs had a successful season or not. And in on on that point, I think we were validated to a degree because Harrison Barnes had a better season than any of us could have expected and the Spurs still are going to lose 48, 49 games. So like like he he he was he’s great. he was more than a throw in. I don’t think we ever called him a throw in. uh great in the community, great in the locker room, just an awesome dude.
Um Come on Tom. if say it with your chest. If if if if you’re if you’re calling me out, say it with your chest. I I remember that word being used. I I don’t I’m not going to link it specifically to you Mike Finger, but I think that word might have been used somewhere. I I’m going to blame it on Nick Talbert because he’s not here. We’ll just say he said it. Okay. He might. The the the point he would not have been in the deal. Uh he he he he would not he would not have been uh included if uh if it wasn’t just to make salaries work. Like that’s why the the Spurs grabbed the guy and uh and that’s still sort of true but they he exceeded everyone’s expectations. He’s going. No I’m just I’m just I’m just giving him a lot of praise here. God what a steady steady, steady, steady guy that. Yeah, yeah. Harrison and in every respect. I mean my gosh. He’s been great. He has. I’ve enjoyed our our Chris Paul experience. I mean Yeah. He’s probably what they wanted uh you know, on the floor and in the locker room but We’ve also really enjoyed it. Like it’s been fun. I I walked into the uh uh interview uh pregame interview room in Portland. Uh and the gentleman, I I don’t know who it was, a gentleman from Portland, someone in their media contingent said, first thing he said to me is, is Chris Paul playing tonight? And I was like, What? What? Wait a minute, what? What? And he had nothing to base that on other than uh Chris Paul’s age, the the point of the season. I guess he hadn’t followed uh the Spurs. Yeah. I think Chris Paul, he can it’s like that Monty Python Black Knight guy. Like if he had his arms cut off, Right. he would still just drag his stump of a torso onto the floor. Yes. Get that game in. Like he we at this point of the season, he’s not missing a game. And no question, no question. He is No question. He could have a bone sticking out somewhere and he’s going to get his butt on that floor and. Yes, he wants it badly. Yes. I I like I like uh what I’ve liked about Chris Paul, which I guess shouldn’t surprise us is uh his his his uh you might call it keeping it real. I love his keeping it real when he talks to us. That’s the I that. He had a big. Yeah you can’t you can’t. yeah, that was great. Like Tom’s just trying to get him to say something nice about Devin Vassell and the way he’s played and kind of uh elevated his game at this time of year, late in the year uh when guys are out. Chris was just kind of like, yeah, it doesn’t count. It’s This isn’t the real NBA. This isn’t the real NBA. everyone’s playing without Yeah. basically read between the lines of that, it was like, yeah, but Devin’s got to figure out how to be some like what version of this guy can he be when Deron and Victor out. I thought that was a really astute. And when the games count, yeah. And when the games count, yeah. I thought that was an astute statement. It was a thing to say without saying it. He didn’t say that exactly, but we knew what he was talking about. Right. In other words, Chris Paul would make a pretty good uh podcaster. Much better than we’ve got here. That’s for sure. Like I’m I mean I I I don’t I don’t I don’t be mean if we Paul to replace you, we absolutely would. I I I’m not. And it’s fair. I I think you’re the best and trade me. Chris Paul would come in and take control. That’s for sure. I mean, that’s just right. He’s he’s he’s been in the league a long time. Uh I’ve been in the league a little longer. and uh if uh I mean, I I respect him. I respect him. But uh I’m not moving to the bench for him. And and if if you bring him in, you find me another place to find me another place to to land. Find me a landing spot. Uh I mean I can find you one because I’m here to hoop. I’m not here to to to support other people’s takes. I’m I’m here to hoop. And uh you know, Chris Paul, if if you want to go with Chris Paul, that’s fine. But um you can do it. There’s definitely other there’s definitely other worst podcasts we can send you to. So just be cool. I mean, if you send me to a worst podcast where I’m the lead dog, that’s fine with me. Like I just want to get my points. I want to get my I want to get my stats. I want to get my buckets. Yeah. Well I I’m too old to be worried about championships. Like if you want to send me to a if you want to send me to a a a a hot podcast that’s sinking. I can live with that if I get my if I get my minutes. Like if we send you to a podcast where you’re you’re uh you are the lead dog, it will definitely be worse. I mean, that’s fine as long as I get my minutes. I mean worst because of anyway, okay. And and you got to you got to find a place to to trade my contract too. That’s the other thing. You got to make the math work. So, good luck to you. Good luck to you. Burger King Burger King it is.
I I think uh I think Burger King might be a raise. Um anyway, Well that’s something to look forward to next year. Chris Paul takes Chris Paul takes over this podcast. That would be huge for the listeners. Maybe not great for me, but uh we’ll see how that works. You always got to be looking over your shoulder. Chris Paul provide the perfect segue to Devin Vassell, who we talk about every week. And I think Chris Paul put it better than any of us could have put it. I think that’s he was keeping it real. Um, he’s he’s shown his signs of progress, but uh he he needs to show it in the uh games that matter. and that’s not me, that’s future Spurs insider host Chris Paul saying it. Um Hall of Famer. Future basketball Hall of Famer. Yeah. Um, I still think there’s a lot of potential for Devin Vassell to do exactly what Chris Paul thinks he should do. Um, but uh he’s going to need to prove it again next year. Running to the what we’ve done. Go ahead. Not to belabor the move for, but uh if Chris Paul were the host of this podcast, he’d have trouble find stuff to talk about right now too because the point that he made is is correct. Like it’s hard to judge or evaluate any of this when the two most important players aren’t around. So yeah, the Devin’s doing great. Well, that’s hard to, you know, it’s hard to see what that, you know, how that extrapolates when uh Victor and Deron are back here taking all the shots. And conversely, if there’s a guy that’s not playing well, well maybe he would play better if they hadn’t, you know, he was he he wasn’t um uh as high in the pecking order as to be and uh he needs to go back. like no one’s in the role that they’re going to play when the two main guys are there. So it’s just hard to evaluate who’s doing good and who’s doing bad. So Have you guys noticed that uh Chris Paul always gives you almost always like eight nine really good minutes. seven, eight, nine really good minutes. And then it’s like uh and and just the best, just the best. love talking to him. But then it and then it’s like I got to go talk to my family or I got to go look at the film. and I think that might affect the podcast if he takes over like it wouldn’t be as long. I think for this there’s an expiration date with him. Because because that’s that’s exactly how this podcast is. Seven or eight really good minutes and then we all kind of just kind of kind of lose the thread. So anyway, I got go I got to go say hello to my family. LA. They’re here. That’s the Chris Fall thing. I got to go I got to go see my fa my family’s waiting on me. Uh I got to watch the film. I got to watch the film before I answer that. Maybe we all should watch our film before we comment on on basketball. Go ahead, Tom. He watches a lot of basketball. Harrison Barnes fill us in. I mean we knew that already, but Harrison uh talked about that at left uh after the last home game about the amount of basketball that Chris watches. my phone my phone ringing at midnight on an off night and it’s Chris want to talk about whatever game was on and he’s like, I I’m not watching. Did you see the Lakers did you see the Lakers Warriors game? No. like a life. I I can’t remember the last time or if ever our podcast host has called me at midnight. Huh. That’s cuz he’s asleep. He’s asleep. He he he watches the cheers, the reruns of cheers and goes to sleep. our our podcast. That sounds like projecting to me. That doesn’t sound like my life. My my rich. Yeah, maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe he’s clubbing at midnight and can’t he can’t talk he can’t call us at midnight. He’s at the clubs. dancing to the music. Mike’s kind of like Mike’s kind of like coach on cheers, you know, holding you holding the bar together. You’re giving two very different descriptions of the host of this podcast. and that and that’s that’s what makes um That should give you second thoughts about replacing me with Chris Paul because one thing you’ve got to like in a podcast host is an air of mystery. And I I I think that’s what I offer is people don’t know. People don’t know what kind of life I lead when the the when I put this podcast microphone away. I I might be clubbing. I might be coach from cheers. You never know. I think he’s more like a I think he’s more of a Dieers. You know. That little little too little too hoyy toy. Little too haughty. Occasionally loses uses big words that the rest of us don’t understand. Just to uh bit of a know it all like a. Maybe a little Eddie. Yeah, definitely a know it all. Definitely know it all. And I I’m I’m I’m more of a I’m I’m I’m Woody. I’m more of the Woody. That’s there’s no argument. here on that for sure. Um, again that we’ve lost generation Z listeners, we’ve lost the millennials. We’ve lost the boomers too. Like no, I I I don’t know. Maybe you should get Chris Paul. Um, maybe you do need an upgrade. We’ll see. I’m not sure he could give cheers as well as. Speaking of upgrades, how many the the Spurs, let’s let’s do this. Going back to the start of this season. Another discussion topic was uh uh when are the Spurs sort of going to cash their chips in and make the move of add the next guy, add a running mate for Victor Winyamama. They did that during this season. They did this before the trade uh deadline and adding Deron Fox. Uh that was a huge noteworthy development this season. The question now becomes do you sort of keep this nucleus, add two draft picks or um pull two draft picks together, take one higher draft pick and uh and run it back with this group or do you expect another major edition this off season? Uh, a major edition by free agency or uh or trade.
I I don’t know that you need another All star. I mean that would be nice. I think this this is now you’re with people are out there like buzzing about like Kevin need to do that necessarily. I mean depends depends on what for. But I mean the point now you’ve got Victor, you’ve got Deron. Now it’s just kind of plugging holes around them and and some of the holes are significant. Like you need someone who can be a knockdown shooter. Yes. Like most teams have that. Um Probably need more than one of those. and probably need more than one of those. So so but somewhere between the draft and and free agency, you’ve got to go find someone who can help you in that area right now. That’s what I think. And then obviously you need some size behind Victor. Like you you just there’s no like they they don’t have an answer at backup center right now. they didn’t before Victor was hurt and they didn’t before Charles Bassie was hurt for a while. They didn’t really have an answer at backup center and they need they just need some more size on that second unit and probably size that can help you with defense and rebounding. So it’s not just such a blood bath every time Victor goes to the bench. So between that and the and the shooting the perimeter shooting, I think you have to address those issues this and and whether that’s through the or free agency or some sort of trade, um it it can be any combination of that. But I I think you’re looking for role players right specific players that are going to play specific roles. not necessarily another All star that’s going to, you know, need the ball in their hands and to be taking shots away from Victor, shots away from Deron. I don’t know I almost think that might be counterproductive. I think about filling specific roles, specific holes right now. I would agree, Tom.
Yeah, yeah. um knockdown shooter, backup big. Yeah. Get to work, Brian right? Yeah. And it’ll I I would suspect that free agency and the trade market will uh be affected like the choices there are affected by which pick you end up with the draft and who you acquire with that pick or those picks. Um if you end up with a Connle, who we saw in the Alamodome this weekend with the Duke Blue Devils. a uh a wing player, a a shooter um then that then maybe you don’t need to go after that type of player in free agency. um or or not make it as high of a priority in free agency. then the free agent uh priority becomes the size, the rebounding, the defense, that type of thing. If you end up with uh big man in the draft, um Kamau Malwach, uh you know there there there’s several big bodies that could be available in the 8, 9, 10, 11 range that could provide you with that that rebounding and defense. Um then maybe you target the shooting or you definitely target the shooting in free agency and on the on the trade market. I think that the the draft lottery will be determine the course in a lot of ways. Um you also wonder whether uh again like I I sort of alluded to earlier whether whether the Spurs make both of the picks or if they go two for one to trade for a higher guy. Uh there’s a lot of really attractive options in this draft and uh we’ll see if they can help this coming season. Um should be fun to watch. This the rest of this week, Jeff’s on the road uh Los Angeles today, Jeff? I believe so, that’s where I am. Yeah. Okay. And then It’s it’s early here. so I’m not I haven’t I haven’t uh looked out my window. I’ve got a nice balcony overlooking the airport. Got a great view of the airport. can see those uh jumbo jets out my window. Can you see that in and out burger right there by LAX or is that Oh uh. A little further away. Um you got uh you got you got a quick jaunt to San Francisco tomorrow. Uh a visit to Phoenix. and then uh here’s here’s something before we talk to the listeners again. We will talk to one Victor Winyamama. is expected to uh address the unwashed media masses at the Frost Bank Center on Sunday, the day of the Spurs finale against uh Toronto and I I for one I’m really looking forward to talking to uh Victor Winyamama. We have not done that since his diagnosis. I’m sure that conversation will be very enlightening as most conversations with Victor are. And uh like legitimately that that’s that should be uh a a big day. Yes. Yeah. Yes. Yeah, I I don’t know like it’ll be interesting to hear uh, you know, his perspective on all this how all this went down. I don’t know that we’ll get a whole ton of like new information, maybe we will. I don’t know. But I would it’ll just be interesting to hear what he’s been going through and his his his story. I think I think Vic definitely will is more likely to be forthcoming about details about himself than uh the Spurs have been forthcoming about details understandably so about somebody about Victor. Like they they they’ve presented the the diagnosis when it happened. Um we’re very clear about how long he’d be out, when they expected him to be out and beyond that, it was like we’re not going to get into whether he’s had surgery, what the plan is, all that type of stuff is. Um and I think uh I think Victor might provide a little more clarity on that. He’s probably not going to go into week by week, day by day, step by step specifics, but uh it should be uh I think it’ll be enlighting. We’ll see though. You’re probably. Hey, we ought to give a shout out to our boy Bill Sning. We we definitely should. Before before we. a good good good friend of the podcast. Good friend to Spurs fans everywhere, voice of the Spurs for 24 years, Jeff. 24 years. Jeff and I uh were around him when he was the voice of the Longhorns even before that. We’d known the dude a long time. Uh Jeff and and uh and Bill have bonded over music over many, many, many uh road trips over the years. Uh been very supportive of those of us at the Express News and at the Spurs Insider podcast. Really good guy, fun guy. Uh glad he’s able to go out on his own terms. you know, I wrote I wrote the uh retirement piece on him and uh as I was writing it, I realized I didn’t ask, you know, his age and that’s like an important piece of information when you’re writing something like that. and so I had texted him and said Bill, you know, I for told you are and he told me he was 66. And then I asked him, okay, but how old’s the mustache? And he said uh six he said 60. I thought that was funny. That was a really good story, Jeff. I I just I just pictured I pictured a six-year-old Bill showing with a mustache. that made me laugh. I mean that’s how I’ve always pictured Bill in his childhood is is with a mustache. How could you how could you picture him without it? And and you he mentioned his uh music career that you know, he he’s told me he has five uh songs that he has written. Uh I mean he he’s put out CDs before, but he has five new songs that he’s written and it’s not recorded and that going right uh plans for retirement. I remember great Brent Barry line when um when Bill put out his first CD and was showing one around to to players and people at the uh people at the uh with the Spurs. and um Brent tells him, yeah, Bill, I listened to it. I think it’s going to be a million seller. Really Brent, that’s great. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re going to have a million of them in your seller. There you go. I thought that was great. And Bill told that many, many times over the years. Yes, yes. Probably a million. Probably probably a million. What were you going to say, Tom? Oh, I I can picture him without that mustache because I’ve seen the photo of him playing first base, high school first baseman. Uh Up in Philly. In Philly without the mustache. so uh I’m pretty sure he he was born with the mustache. Yeah, but. He just like came out with the mustache on. I think I saved it for a while. You know, there were so many great quotes in in your story Jeff. I really appreciated that one from Mike Calla about um, you know, even in ordinary games, non championship type settings, non playoff settings. You know, he made it sound like it was a championship game. You know, I thought that was a huge, huge compliment. Yeah, for sure. Because we’re most because we’re uh usually at the games. Um I don’t get to hear Bill a lot. Um, but on on the the in the instances where I do listen to him and and I know him he’s he’s a good friend. We joke around all the time. He’s it you know, in personal interactions, he’s just a jolly guy and uh and you don’t think of how just spectacular he is at that job. And what and on the occasions where I I’d listen to him do those games, here’s the other thing. Nobody few few play by play guys around the league work by themselves. And Bill worked by himself for basically his whole career. He didn’t have a color guy to lean on. So he’s talking for two and a half hours every night describing everything with no color guy to lean on to fill in the pauses. It it takes a really special skill and he’s he’s super awesome at it. Um really impressive. that Kick Rella thing was right. he he had the right tone to make it sound important. uh to make it sound like a big deal and uh and really painted a picture with the words. Like uh he was a uh spectacular radio voice. is a spectacular radio voice. really, really good at his job. Um we we we went we went we went Go ahead. Finish your thought. No no, go. Well we went and toasted him last night here in here in Los Angeles. This is going to be our last road trip with Billy so uh a lot of us came out to wish him well and you know, got a little got a little dusty in there and yeah. You know. Um one thing I kind of realized and this was kind of what I told him. It was the same when Bill Land retired because we’re at the I don’t know. I don’t know because we’re at the games and don’t watch as much or see as much because we’re there live. I don’t know we personally have a feel for how much these guys mean to Spurs fans. I think we think we do, but I don’t think we actually do and I get a lot just as it will land when I wrote that story. Um you get a lot of feedback about just him like I remember you know Bill Bill Sning’s voice is the voice of like, you know, I listen to him my dad would drive me back from a baseball tournament and I listen to, you know, the the end of the 2005 championship run. It was Bill Sning’s voice and you just got so many of those messages where you realize it’s like it’s a it’s a lost the Spurs fandom, you know, Like like it’s it’s it’s a big change. I I you know, that’s another message I got. It was like, first Bill Land, now Bill Sning, like what’s next? Like Spurs fans are kind of going through it a little bit with with this stuff and it’s not it’s not as big as like, you know, Tim Duncan retiring, but it is kind of a just a a loss and I the end of an era. I mean, I know that’s a cliche that we use sometimes, but it really is like an end of an era and things are not going to be the same. Never missed a game. in his 24 what 3,000 something