Hour 2: Settling or Competing

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You know when you're locked in, focused and fearless.

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Welcome to the WNBA.

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Your vision narrows. You can't look away.

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Every assist, every stop, every logo three.

**Michael Kay** (0:12)
From beyond the logo.

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Every did you see that moment?

**Michael Kay** (0:17)
You bet.

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What records are going to be broken this season? All of it, right here. Lock in. It's the WNBA on ESPN.

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All season long.

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This is The Michael Kay Show podcast.

**Michael Kay** (0:34)
I gotta get more Kay.

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Listen live weekdays at 1 on the ESPN New York app and your smart speaker.

**Michael Kay** (0:41)
Welcome back to the show. Good first hour talking to Alex Rodriguez. So much stuff going on in sports, usually a little bit of a slow time, training camp for football. We start with the exhibition games this week. We did have the Hall of Fame game already, but it's mostly about baseball. We've stuck to that. But the NBA made some news by revealing its schedule, and they know what they're doing. I mean, this is an entertainment property, and there's so many billions that are invested in the broadcast, and the rights to the broadcast, that they want to give the rights holders something special. The Knicks on opening night, maybe they get their championship rings that night, maybe they raise their banner that night. Sitting there and watching them do that will be the members of the Philadelphia 76ers, who the Knicks swept on the way to the championship, and a new member of the six is going to be LeBron James. So that adds even more emotion to the moment, because I truly believe, I truly believe that if the Knicks did not win this year, LeBron James would be on the Knicks.
And he even wanted to be on the Knicks even though they won. I mean, Rich Paul called up. Leon Rose, and said, you know, LeBron would come there. It's not about the money. He's making nothing with the Sixers, nothing. So the Knicks could have stayed under the second apron. They could have done it. But they didn't want to upset a real good situation where the team is united. There's no egos or anything like that. Not saying that it would be with LeBron. But the fact that they won gave them the ability to say, no, thank you. Your players great. Leon Rose was the first agent for LeBron. And he was the guy who took all of the offers before the decision was made when he went to Miami. Leon Rose set that whole thing up when he represented LeBron. So there's a relationship there. And Leon Rose said, no, we're good the way we are. But I contend if they just missed, if they lost in the Eastern Conference finals, if they lost in the NBA finals, I'm convinced that LeBron was going to be a Nick. And it would have been great. I mean, you listen to the show, you know how much of a fan I am of LeBron. You just do.
He's otherworldly, the stuff that he's done.
And would it be great to see him in a Nick uniform and then propel them to that championship, but they didn't need it. They did it without him. So now he's going to try to propel the Sixers and become the first player to win a championship with four different teams. So that's opening night at the Garden, Knicks against the Sixers, that will be on October 20th. Now the Christmas Day games, LeBron's been on Christmas Day every single year since he came into the league. And if this is his last year, he's going out with a big one. Sixers against the Lakers, LeBron's old team, that will be on Christmas Day. That will be on Christmas Day. Also on Christmas Day, the first game of Christmas Day, it's the Spurs at the Knicks. So a rematch of the NBA Championship.
Pretty cool. The NBA knows what it's doing when it comes to entertainment. And another good one that you should look out for, this is on October 22nd.
It's the Sixers against the Cavs in Philly. So I think that's the home opener for the Sixers. And it will be the Sixers against LeBron's old team. And he could have gone to the Sixers too. But he chose, he could have gone to the Cavs, but he ended up going to the Sixers. So the NBA making some news by releasing their schedule. Again, the Knicks against the Sixers opening night at the Garden. Now here's a question. I never thought that the Knicks would raise a banner for the NBA Cup. Because I think the NBA Cup is kind of a pulled out of thin air championship for television. Isn't that what everything is anyway? But I never thought if they didn't win a championship, it would almost be a folly to raise a banner for the NBA Cup. What does the NBA Cup mean? Doesn't mean anything.