In short
Hour 2 of The Rich Eisen Show mixes NBA Play-In/Playoff preview talk with an NFL Draft interview. Chris Webber discusses the play-in tournament’s biggest moments and which matchups could produce upsets, focusing on teams like Charlotte, New York, and Minnesota vs Denver. He also comments on officiating and injury risk, using LaMelo Ball’s leg injury incident as an example.
Guest
Chris Webber, Basketball Hall of Famer; former NBA player and analyst.
Key claims
Webber calls the LaMelo/Bam Adebayo play “reckless” and argues the league should address obvious flagrant-level fouls immediately. He sees few first-round upsets, but highlights Minnesota as a “bad matchup” for Denver due to pace/athleticism and Ant-Man’s potential.
Notable examples
LaMelo Ball’s injury play; Knicks-Hawks pressure dynamics; Warriors “turning back the clock.”
Guest
Jonah Coleman, University of Washington RB and 2026 NFL Draft prospect. Background: played receiver before switching to running back; high school in Stockton, CA; missed combine testing due to injury but did pro day; visited Broncos and Vikings (quick Seahawks visit).
Key claims
“availability” and culture fit; models his game after Josh Jacobs; says he’ll be an “hidden guy” despite a shallow RB class narrative.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VONBA Playoffs and Upcoming Guests
1:00 to 2:00
Discussion about the NBA play-in tournament and preview of upcoming guests.
“I want to thank the league for creating the play-in tournament.”
Jonah Coleman Joins the Show
2:00 to 5:00
Interview with NFL draft prospect Jonah Coleman discussing his journey.
Jonah Coleman's Draft Process and Health
5:00 to 8:00
Jonah Coleman shares insights on his draft process and health status after injury.
“You've been running back your whole life, correct?”
Coleman's Background and Inspirations
8:00 to 10:00
Discussion about Jonah Coleman's journey as a running back and his inspirations.
“that you need to get those two kids from Notre Dame and that's about it.”
Jonah Coleman's Perception of the Draft Class
10:00 to 12:00
Coleman expresses his confidence against perceptions of the running back draft class.
“And then, you know, some guys that I met along the process that are really good friends to me.”
Viewer Calls and WrestleMania Predictions
12:00 to 14:01
Listener call discussing predictions for WrestleMania with Rich Eisen and crew.
“Jeffrey in San Francisco here on the Rich Eisen Show.”
WrestleMania Predictions
14:01 to 15:56
Discussion of upcoming WrestleMania matches and potential outcomes.
“As far as the, first of all, I think Orton wins.”
Preview of No Contest Wrestling Show
15:57 to 16:53
Details about the upcoming wrestling show and its guests.
“I mean, you're the only one who's co-hosting it.”
Chris Webber's Insights
21:59 to 22:50
Chris Webber shares his views on wrestling and upcoming events.
“Everybody wants to talk wrestling with you.”
Grant Hill Jersey Story
22:51 to 28:00
Chris Webber recounts the emotional story of returning a jersey.
“It was a blast from the past, you know, getting back, getting, be able to go back there and, and kind of close the door, open a new one.”
Show all 18 chapters
Introduction to Chris Webber's Show
28:00 to 28:22
Learn about the format and content of Chris Webber's new show.
“a small little gesture, a small little joke and go a long way.”
Analysis of the Play-In Tournament
28:22 to 30:25
Dive into the controversial moments from the recent NBA play-in games.
“When you saw LaMelo Ball take out the leg of Bam out of bio, you thought what Chris?”
Reckless Play and Referee Decisions
30:25 to 31:56
Discuss the implications of player safety and referee accountability in the NBA.
“And that is the word used by the NBA executive vice president, James Jones, called it unnecessary and reckless, created significant injury risk.”
NBA Playoff Predictions
31:56 to 36:22
Explore predictions for the upcoming NBA playoffs and potential upsets.
“But when you look at his injury and the fact that their best player was out, yeah, you know, I think reckless is a good way to put it in the game.”
Evaluating Minnesota's Playoff Potential
36:22 to 37:48
Understand why Minnesota could be a surprising contender in the playoffs.
“But I think that Minnesota is a bad matchup.”
Chris Webber on the NFL Draft
37:48 to 39:30
Hear Chris Webber's thoughts on the upcoming NFL Draft and his team's strategy.
“No, I've never heard that before, so maybe I'm wrong.”
Humorous Banter on Susie's Mom
42:00 to 42:12
The hosts engage in playful banter regarding a joke about Susie.
“You're going to get five across the face.”
Listener Call with Jeffrey from San Francisco
43:53 to 46:42
A conversation with a listener discussing the Ravens and upcoming NFL draft prospects.
“The defense is going to be absolutely better.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Rich Eisen:For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves. Loved ones, neighbours, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts. At Thrivent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more. Thrivent, where money means more. Connect with us at Thrivent.com. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern.
0:43Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. I want to thank the league for creating the play-in tournament. Thank you, Adam.
1:04Chris Webber:This is the Rich Eisen Show.
1:06Rich Eisen:A sideline three for Steph Curry. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Earlier on the show, long-time golf writer Alan Shipnacht. Coming up, 2026 NFL draft prospect Jonah Coleman. Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Webber. Actor Bob Odenkirk. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Hour number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. We chatted amongst ourselves and also about the Live Tour potentially ending in short order with Alan Shipnock in hour one. Hour number two, Chris Weber is going to be joining us shortly. And then in hour three, Better Call Saul himself, the great Bob Odenkirk in studio in support of his new film, Normal, which has an abnormal body count in it.
1:58Rich Eisen:I'm not going to lie. it's quite something it's a it's a quick a wild watch to say the least and um he is uh going to be in studio to talk about that support of that um and as you might imagine we have got a ton of questions for him when he joins us here in studio hour number three my top five teams that should trade up in the nfl draft still to come your phone calls as well 844-204-RICH number to dial we listen when our guests talk this just in good quality to have as a talk show yeah of course we hear them we listen and we hear uh todd mcshay when we were talking about the running back class uh jeremiah love uh jadarian price two notre dame running backs and i'm like who are we not talking about who should be uh discussed more who's shooting up in draft stock one of the names that he mentioned is our next guest from the uh university of washington football program jonah coleman is here on the rich eyes and show good to see you jonah how are you what's going on man i'm doing amazing you tell me to be on the show i appreciate that so uh your name uh you know he dropped it and we're like let's go meet him and now here we are uh what has your draft process been like so far jonah my draft process has been uh you know really control of controllables just because I had an injury during the season so I wasn't able to do combine I was able to do pro day but I wasn't able to test or anything but I know that if I can control like you know what kind of person I'm presenting myself to be and uh you know just ultimately just being myself when I'm interviewing and that's something that I've been doing which is crushing these interviews and I'm getting great feedback you know from my agent and also great feedback from these teams that you know after our interviews so just being able to control what I control is what the whole process been about well i'm sure they're all asking you about your health what do you tell teams i'm good to go i'm ready to go that's why i did pro day um i didn't test because ultimately didn't have enough time but um the main thing was you know being available and you know the best ability is availability so just being able to show them i'm available i'm ready to go okay uh how many teams have you visited i've visited two teams i've visited with the denver broncos and I visited with the Minnesota Vikings and also had a quick visit with the Seahawks.
4:14Rich Eisen:Okay. Well, yeah, those are pretty good teams that you went and you saw. What was your conversation like with Sean Payton, the HC? We had a quick conversation. He just pretty much asked me how I was doing. He said that he was excited to have me there. It was great meeting him. Just the whole Broncos organization was, you know, ultimately in great spirits. when I was there, and I felt all the love that they had to give and just the camaraderie that they have as far as in the coaching staff and the culture that they're building there is amazing. I would definitely say that's been the highlight of the draft.
4:52They showed nothing but love and the utmost respect when I visited there, and it was just an amazing experience.
4:58Rich Eisen:So what – all right, let's start with how you started running, okay? You've been running back your whole life, correct? or did you, were you somebody who was playing on defense and a coach said you should start running it? How did you start carrying a rock in your career? Well, I first off was playing receiver. That's when I first started playing football. I was playing receiver. And then one of my best friends, and literally he had came to, he came to the game late. So it was like, oh, who's gonna be running back today? You know, he's coming late. So ultimately it was like, Jonah, just play running back.
5:31So I'm at running back with number 81 on and pretty much from there it took off. You know, I just started being a running back from there on out.
5:38Rich Eisen:And then 58 touchdowns in your high school career in Stockton, California. Correct. Oh, yeah. OK. Something like that. OK. I don't remember correctly. I got it right. Unless Wikipedia or Google's wrong. And they're usually quite accurate. And then you wound up at Arizona. Right. That's where you wanted to go. Wound up eventually at the University of Washington as well. So who do you model yourself after? I feel like a great comparison For me is like Josh Jacobs You know, he has great feet His short area of quickness is really good In between the tackles You know, he's a physical runner He finishes, you know, every run that he has You know, he's great in pass pro He has soft hands, natural pass So I just pretty much model my game After him, you know, seeing him come from Alabama And then ultimately do what he do at the Raiders And stuff is someone that I really enjoy watching And who else Who was your guy growing up then?
6:35I was more like, so when I was growing up, I used to watch a lot of LaDainian Thompson and like Marshawn Lynch. So those are my two guys, you know, growing up. You know, you can't go wrong with beast mode. And then obviously what LaDainian Thompson done was dominate.
6:49Rich Eisen:Well, I mean, if you want to talk about throwing your weight around, I mean, Marshawn Lynch, that's the guy, right? That's the guy. Yeah, for sure. So what does a team get with Jonah Coleman? What do you say when somebody's like, who are you? And what are you going to bring to a team? What's your answer? Well, ultimately, you're going to get a guy that's either better to coach or fit right in with what they're building. And I'm a big culture guy. And I'm big on how things go on in the locker room because ultimately that's what it comes down to when you're trying to win the Super Bowl. The guy's in the locker room.
7:24So ultimately get a guy that ultimately betters that culture or, you know, that's adding value to something that's already good. And then I'm a football player. You know, I wouldn't be in a situation if I, you know, didn't play football good. So I feel like just the kind of person I am is ultimately be upside, you know, being a being a great teammate and doing what I can to ultimately help the team, you know, go to a Super Bowl and win it. That's the ultimate goal.
7:49Rich Eisen:What do you say, what do you think, Jonah Coleman, when you hear draft analysts or, you know, hosts who talk to the draft analysts say that the running back class in this year's draft isn't very deep, that you need to get those two kids from Notre Dame and that's about it. After that, good luck finding yourself a top-notch running back in the draft. What do you say when you hear that, Jonah? At the end of the day, I have consistently dominated college football at my position for four years. If you really look back at the stats, I've consistently been a consistent runner. I mean, I don't really pay attention to anybody that's not playing football has to say.
8:34At the end of the day, I know what I bring to the table and I know what I do. And like I said, I'll be that hidden guy in the draft that somebody gets whenever they get them. and ultimately going to be one of those guys that show up on Sunday. That's dominant. So I don't really try to pay too much attention to the media. I let them talk and, you know, let them do what they do. I didn't get to have a combine. So, I mean, I kind of fell out of the talk and the conversation because I didn't do that. But at the end of the day, I played football. I got taped. And I'm not going to let me not running a 40 or me doing a vertical jump dictate how good I am at football.
9:13You know what I mean? I've been doing this for my whole life. Like I said, I wouldn't be in the position that I'm in if I didn't know how to play football or if I wasn't a good player. At the end of the day, I just let them talk and I do what I do.
9:26Rich Eisen:So where are you going to be for the draft? What's your plan? I'll be in San Diego with my family and friends. All right. How many folks? What's the size of the affair and the event? Probably like 40 max. I mean, I got 10 siblings already. So, you know, that's already 10 people right there. And then I have 15 nieces. So you had that together. That's already 25. And then I got six nephews. So where are you at? You have 30 already, 30 something. Just a couple, you know, close friends, like guys that I grew up with. And then, you know, some guys that I met along the process that are really good friends to me.
10:05and then my manager and then pretty close people, not trying to have it too big or too anything. Just want to enjoy my time for the work that I put with my family.
10:17Rich Eisen:That's almost a roster full for an NFL roster. So where are you in the 10 siblings? In the middle, younger, older? Where are you in the middle? I'm right in the middle. I'm the only kid that my parents have together, so the rest of my other siblings are half siblings. But if you like look at the numbers, I land right in the middle. OK, so there you go. So you're you're you're a leader in your own family. You're also trying to, you know, blaze your own trail. And I just wanted to meet you since I'm hearing, you know, that you are somebody that's that should be further up more radar screens. And I appreciate you taking the time here.
10:56Rich Eisen:I send my best of luck to you. And I look forward to calling your name on draft night and getting you back on the show. Most definitely. Thanks for having me on here. I'm excited to be on it. Thank you. I'm really grateful for the opportunity and just let them keep sleeping. At the end of the day, they still got to put on a helmet and shoulder pads and play football. So that's what I do. You got it. Jonah, best of luck. We'll chat soon. Nice. Good luck, my man. Thanks for having me. Jonah Coleman. There he goes. There he goes. Sold. You know, I mean, honestly, how many fifth, sixth, seventh round drafted running backs?
11:32Rich Eisen:It's not saying that's what he's going to be. But when you think of under the radar screen, you think of a third day maybe person. Sure. How many, I mean. Isaiah Pacheco, seventh round. Right, Kyle Mononga. Yeah. Right, like keep on. All over the draft. Keep looking. Yep. And they've been crucial. Now, usually they're from Rutgers, but, you know. End of the day, though, you've got yourself a kid who's like, look at me. don't think, don't look anywhere else. 844-204-RICH number to dial. Let's take a phone call here. Jeffrey in San Francisco here on the Rich Eisen Show. What's up, Jeffrey? Rich Eisen.
12:12Rich Eisen:What's up, Jeffrey? Jeffrey. What's up, buddy? I don't know your last name, otherwise I'd call it the full, your full, yes, Jeffrey. What's up? Rich Eisen. Yes, sir. You're on the air, sir. What's going on? Don't curse. All right. We want to put him back on hold then definitely rich yeah you're there hello yeah there he goes put him back on hold uh carl in antioch illinois wants to talk with the one of us in particular can you hear me rich we can carl what's up bud rich yeah are we is this situation working oh hello yeah yeah it's not me it's you it's on your end can you hear me carl i can hear you now can you hear me i can what's up Carl.
12:57Hey, what's going on? I got some, I wanted to talk, well, I wanted to talk to everyone, but I guess primarily it seems like TJ is the wrestling expert in the room, and I had some WrestleMania talk, and I was hoping, Rich, can you do me a favor, please? Okay. I'd appreciate it. I went to Second City just like Odenkirk. I wonder when he comes on if you could tell him that Carl said hi.
13:20Rich Eisen:Carl said hi. Okay. That might not be what I lead with, if that's okay. Carl and Antioch. Okay. Anyways, but I'm a Second City actor, too, so he's been a big inspiration. Awesome. Cool. So if he's interested in investing in my television show, we can get into that later. But I wanted to talk about the WrestleMania real quick. So is TJ there? Yeah. Carl, what up? Oh, what's up, man? All right, so I wanted to go buy some. I have a couple little predictions, things. I wanted your opinion, your two cents, if you would. All right, let's note these. So, first off, with the Bayley match, I'm thinking that there's a chance that Bayley gets fed up with losing, goes full cycle on Lyra, and turns on her and starts beating her up.
14:00And she starts turning heel.
14:02Chris Webber:Okay. As far as the, first of all, I think Orton wins. I think the Usos are going to try to help Roman, but they're going to fail miserably and end up hurting him. And I think they're going to cost him the match, and that's going to turn into an inner family feud over the next few months. over like, is it your fault, my fault, who's the boss, I'm the leader, I got all that stuff. I think Brock has to win, because you can't have the rookie beating Brock first match, and I think that sets up like maybe a best of five series over the rest of the year, but you can't have, you have to have Obalu, so they have something to cheer for him to get revenge.
14:34So I think Brock's going to win somewhat of a relatively short match. My goodness, Carl. And what do you think about my underdog pick of the weekend? Is Bianca and her husband making a surprise entrance and starting a feud with all the other couples, like Punk and AJ and Becky and Seth. And there's like a little feud between all the married couples. And Bianca makes a surprise appearance with Montez. All right, Carl. So just to knock this out real quick, Bayley, I doubt she'll turn on Lyra because Becky did the same thing to Lyra last year. So I don't see them doing that again. So I don't agree with that.
15:03Randy probably will win. Yes. The Usos turning on Roman could happen. That's an interesting point you made. Oba has to go over Brock, in my opinion. He's the next back. Brock was the next big thing. Oba's now the big thing. Oba's got to beat Brock. And who was the other one you said? And Bianca Montez, that would be cool to have some couples. You know, maybe get some mixed match challenges in down the road. That would be cool. But, yeah, I think Oba has to go over. Yeah, the same way Bailey and EO came and made a surprise at the end, like a couple years ago. Or that was SummerSlam, I think, in Tennessee.
15:40They made that surprise appearance. But I love it. And I know that my picture might be a little crazy, but there's nothing more crazy than Bob Odenkirk slamming me through a table while I close my eyes and I think about my dear friend Andy.
15:53Rich Eisen:Carl in Antioch, Illinois, everybody. That was my Carl. All right, Carl. We're a wrestling show now, Rich. Why not? Oh, context. Yeah. What? Trying to see if I got an answer here. O'Shea sent that to me. Oh, here we go. I have the answer. How does he just have? Yes. I have the answer if you want to know. Are you brothers? I would. I mean, sure. Would you like to know? I mean, you're the only one who's co-hosting it. Yeah, that's true. You should want to know when you're working. Yeah, yeah. WrestleMania preview special featuring No Contest Wrestling. That's the name of it. That is. Oh, that's fun.
16:23Rich Eisen:I named it myself. No Contest. 2 Eastern, 11 a.m. Pacific on ESPN2. So we're competing tomorrow. Again? It's okay. It's fine. We have to crush you, T. It will re-air at 4 Eastern, 1 p.m. Pacific on ESPN News, and again at 9 Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific on ESPN News. Oh, two re-airs. Nice. Nice. So three airings. Love it. One live, two re-airs. And it'll be on the ESPN app. Would you like to know who the guests are? I know that already. You do know that? I do know that. So can we talk about it? Well, I was waiting for a time and it was proper. Now it seems proper. Among the guests. Among the guests will be.
17:02Rich Eisen:Nia Jax. Nia Jax. Nia Jax. And Lash Legend, the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. R-Truth, which is my name. I don't know if you know I'm coming. I'm R-Truth. You are R-Truth. That's true. That's amazing. What's so funny? Nothing. I am the truth. I'm not laughing. I speak truth. I am the truth. Damien Priest? Yes. And Joe Fortenbaugh? Yes. Okay. So we have two sets of tag team champions, and we'll be interviewing them. And you've got a top 10, it looks like. I've got, well, I'm not, to kind of differentiate it, it's not going to be a traditional top 10. And it's just going to be a list, but I'm not necessarily ranking the list.
17:41It's going to be TJ's quintessential guide to WrestleMania to help people who maybe have never watched WrestleMania before to get into it. And then to, you know, just remind the fans of some of the great moments.
17:52Rich Eisen:OK, yeah, that'll be. Can I give an opinion? Please do. Because, you know, I'll always try to give you my two cents. I sit under your tree. I would I would rank them. I'd order it. Well, I said that. Rather than just like a cloud version of my thoughts. Well, the producers, I brought it both ways, and they were like, they like not putting them in order to kind of separate it. Interesting. Separate it from what? To make it not like an ESPN countdown. Oh, okay. You just made the list. Who knows? By tomorrow, they might be ranked. I don't know. You fly and be free. You know what I mean? I'm going to take my hands off the steering wheel.
18:34Rich Eisen:I'm such a control freak. Rich, you're not involved. You're not involved. You're not involved. Yeah, but I love your input, of course. Do you really? Yeah. Okay.
18:45Rich Eisen:It's everything you'll need to prepare you for WrestleMania 42, live from Las Vegas, exclamation point. Yeah. It's what came on my email. Should be two exclamation points. I've gotten the answer for you. Utah. 2 p.m. Eastern. 2 p.m.? I said 2 p.m. 2 p.m. on ESPN 2 and then two hours later a re-air on ESPN News and then at 9 Eastern another ESPN News. Two re-airs. I said 2 p.m. O'Shea and TJ. This is amazing. It is great. It's kind of, it's just. And I just love that at least it got you to tighten up your beard, which is great. My beard is always, always tight. Chris Webber is next. C-Web! C-Web is next right here on The Rich Eisen Show.
19:36Rich Eisen:Your phone calls as well. 844-204-RICH. Number to dial. O-O-O-O 'Reilly! Check engine, ABS, or maintenance light on. Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O 'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE-certified master technicians. And if you need help, we can recommend a shop for you. Ask for O 'Reilly Veriscan today. Oh, oh, oh, O 'Reilly. Auto Parts.
20:15For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves.
20:22Rich Eisen:Loved ones, neighbors, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts. At Thrivent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more. Thrivent, where money means more. Connect with us at Thrivent.com. Rich Eisen here. Every time I travel for a major sports moment, whether it's a playoff run or a huge primetime matchup, I see firsthand what happens to a city. Hotels fill up fast. Energy builds. Everyone wants to be part of it. Now imagine that on a global scale.
21:02Rich Eisen:The FIFA World Cup is coming this summer, people, and with it, thousands of fans traveling to host cities across the country. If you happen to live in one of those cities and you're planning to be away, maybe you've got your own summer trip lined up, this could be a practical opportunity. While you're gone, you could list your space on Airbnb and welcome traveling fans who want to experience the FIFA World Cup in person. You're not changing your routine. You're not committing to anything year round. You're simply making the most of a moment when your city is in the global spotlight. I know when I'm on the road for a huge event, having a comfortable home base makes all the difference.
Read the full transcript
21:37Rich Eisen:And that's what fans will be searching for. If you've ever thought about listing your space, this summer is a great time as we welcome FIFA World Cup fans. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, 844-204-RICH is the number to dial here on the show. You've got phone calls galore. Phone lines are lit. Everybody wants to talk wrestling with you. I'm serious. Mania, baby. It is mania season. I know. Tis the season. I want to see a C-Web wrestling guy. Are you a wrestling guy, Chris Weber, at all?
22:15Chris Webber:I am, but I'm like more old school. I love Rhodes, though. Don't get me wrong. I love him because of him and his father. But I'm like, you know, macho man, Elizabeth. Oh, yeah. Chris Webber. Yeah.
22:29Rich Eisen:There was a guy who was at the draft in Cleveland years ago. Dressed up like him and talking like him to the point where we thought he was still alive and it really was him on the stage. That guy goes to every Browns game. Oh, is that right? He's a fixture. Macho man cosplayer. Good to see you, Chris Webber. How are you doing? Oh, C-Webber, yeah.
22:45Chris Webber:It was good to see you on a sports seminar the other night. I forgot when it was the Masters.
22:52Rich Eisen:Thanks, man. It was a blast from the past, you know, getting back, getting, be able to go back there and, and kind of close the door, open a new one. And it's, it was great. Thank you for saying that. Hey, and I also saw Grant Hill as your guest on the Chris Weber show, which you launched just this month. and you've got that exchange with your brother giving him back the jersey, right, that Grant gave him years ago. Can you tell that story for those who might not have seen this? It was unbelievable. Yeah, thank you.
23:32Chris Webber:On this show, I try to have conversations with people that not only I've known or the public knows, but that there's a lot of back story. And so I've known Grant forever. And we talk about me going to Duke or him recruiting me and other things. But yeah, so after they beat, I believe it was UNLV, it was my freshman year when they actually beat us. At that time, the MVP of both teams were awarded MVP. So we're standing on the court, you know, I'm down or whatever. And the jersey, when they beat, I believe you, NLV, the game before the championship game, he gave my brother the full entire uniform.
24:14Chris Webber:And it's something that my aunt has had in her basement. It's something that I've probably had in my house the last 20 years, you know, as I just started going through some of this stuff for the show. and my brother David said he wanted to give it back. I wanted to get it appraised, but he wanted to give it back. So it was a heartwarming story. My brother Dave was a Hooper. His number's retired or he's in the Hall of Fame at Central Michigan University. He was a great Hooper. And we just talk about stories of acts of kindness. And he did that to David, 12 years old. And it really inspired Dave to become the great player that he was.
24:53Rich Eisen:Grant didn't want it back. he didn't want to take it.
24:56Chris Webber:Grant's a good guy, man. He's a great guy. Again, we've known his family. We also talk about me getting in trouble at his house and his mom getting on me and then me going home and my mom getting on me. But, you know, he's like family to Dave. And so it was very hard for Dave to, you know, for Grant to accept it. And even to this day, he keeps texting me, do you guys, you know, you sure you want it? But, you know, that's Dave's decision again i would have got it appraised or at least just giving him those tight ass shorts
25:26Rich Eisen:and kept everything else grant like sits there like presidential you know what i mean like he's got this air about him um you know you know might come from uh his stock obviously you know his dad had that his folks had that sort of airs about him uh themselves he just sat there like the president and you're offering him uh his you know his seal back it really was something it was a
25:55Chris Webber:great yeah i think uh hopefully it was it transferred as emotional as it was for grant at the same time but when you talk about grant one of the things he talks about his leadership uh that he that he loves and uh you know kind of the three areas he went into in retirement and so um to me you know he's as presidential as he acts and he's as uh silly as you don't see him on the side, you know, but he's a great example. And I hope his story of just the act of kindness. So many players have done that to me. And I think sometimes people think it's just stories when I was saying Isaiah Thomas said something to me or this or that.
26:31Chris Webber:And when you see an A cuff and how a player spoke to him, it's the same thing. It's those act of kind. I mean, you do it all the time. I'm sure it's, you know, people coming from a journalism school or a podcaster or something like that saying, hey, I remember this moment and, you know, and you give them one small word of advice, you know, you don't know how far that goes. And so I'm not sure I really try to talk about, you know, celebrating, celebrating accomplishments, diving into kind of the obstacles, but, you know, really talking about the journey. And so for, you know, me, it's just a jersey.
27:07Chris Webber:It's not, it's my friend Grant, but, you know, David, you know, sports therapist now that advises everyone from kids in trauma to different teams and their players, you know, really understands how we're all affected, whether it's by negative words, whether it's by negative actions or whether it's positive words and positive gestures. And you never know the impact of a small gesture, how far can go in someone's life. And in this time, you know, with all this, everything is going on, you know, I'd rather remind people about that from sport than something else. I could be cool in a lot of different ways and do what everybody wants and this and that, but right now Nelson Mandela has a wonderful quote about sports and how it speaks to the youth in a way that it's not possible and how it adds hope where there's despair.
27:59Chris Webber:I just want to remind people a small little gesture, a small little joke and go a long way. You're not saving the world, but you never know what you're doing. You never know who you're inspiring.
28:09Rich Eisen:Episode one of the Chris Weber show can be gotten wherever you get your podcasts and also seen on YouTube on their YouTube channel. Check that one out. The Chris Weber show with Grant Hill as episode one. Let's talk about the play in tournament contests we've seen so far, Chris, starting with the first one. When you saw LaMelo Ball take out the leg of Bam out of bio, you thought what Chris?
28:35Chris Webber:Man. So, you know, Well, Rich, I don't know if it's the era of not wanting to make a mistake and therefore skipping it and then being judged after not making a mistake. So being judged after not making a mistake may be less harsh than making a mistake being judged. I don't know if that makes sense, but that's what I feel. And why would I say that? It seemed that if the referee saw that play, you know, I can name another play where he traveled and took two, you know, after he gathered, took his one step, he lost the ball and took one more step. And I was looking at, you know, the thing that makes this game is the rules, you know?
29:18Chris Webber:And so, yeah, I couldn't believe that play. I agree with, you know, I don't think it was on purpose or malicious. I think every player has done that after a foul, will grab a guy trying to hold his leg, you know? So I don't think it was anything malicious on Ball's part. But at the same time, you know, there's two teams. And I thought something, you know, it was just it was so obvious. And that's what I mean about maybe not wanting to take responsibility is what I should say instead of not make a mistake. I couldn't, you know, believe it. But after that, you know, seeing how Charlotte played and the big shots that they hit and, you know, just making it happen.
30:02Chris Webber:And you're going to have those things in the game. So I feel that way. But so what? Now you got to win the game. And they went and won the game. And so I thought it was pretty impressive by a young, exciting team that I'm looking forward to watching grow.
30:15Rich Eisen:No doubt. And the fact that he was in the game to make the game winner and Bam Adebayo was not. Listen, I thought it was reckless. And that is the word used by the NBA executive vice president, James Jones, called it unnecessary and reckless, created significant injury risk. And I don't know if this is fair or not, but I'll say it anyway. That's something that could be described to his driving as well around town. And I sit here and I marvel at his talent. I marvel at how he can play. and I'm sitting here wondering if he should be playing. And I know that might be pretty harsh, but it's the truth.
31:03Rich Eisen:And I think so. No, I feel you.
31:07Chris Webber:And I addressed it more from a point of should he have been kicked out the game or other things. But when we're talking about the injury or how that even affected to the game, you know what I mean? And so I definitely, you know, could definitely see your word reckless. If I am any other team except this, I'm fighting saying if this were us, if this were us, this would happen. So as a league, too, you don't want to seem like you have an agenda, which is a young, exciting team going forward. So I definitely see how, you know, you can say, see that play. And if I'm Miami and I think Eric Sposter is one of the classiest coaches in the game.
31:47Chris Webber:but he didn't pour the fire that maybe should have, or the gasoline on the fire that maybe should have been poured because he was so classy. And I think that's kind of set the tone of expectation for everyone. But when you look at his injury and the fact that their best player was out, yeah, you know, I think reckless is a good way to put it in the game. But also I think it's on the refs. You know what I mean? Like he could be the one to foul 50 people if no one calls it, you know, than what are we supposed to do?
32:19Rich Eisen:Yeah, I know. I don't know. Maybe just because I'm a football guy, the visual evidence is there. It shouldn't matter if it was a play or two later. The minute you see it, you got to stop it. And you got to at least give a flagrant. You got to at least give a flagrant in the game.
32:32Chris Webber:I'm with you. But since you did that, I got two examples. That was a catch by Megatron. That was clear. We saw that. Okay.
32:40Rich Eisen:That's a 10-year-old gripe, man. Speak on it, C-Web. That's a 10-year-old gripe.
32:45Chris Webber:I mean, I'm just saying. And then, didn't something happen with New Orleans like four years ago? Sure. With the DB on the play?
32:53Rich Eisen:In the NFC title game, yeah.
32:55Chris Webber:Oh, okay. I mean, I love football, so I'm just saying, you know, it's across, you know.
32:59Rich Eisen:I like it. You want to bring up the Mill and Man March too, Chris? I mean, my gosh. I was part of that. I know you were. I know you were. Been Detroit back in the day. That's so funny.
33:13Chris Webber:I was in Oklahoma State, and I was in Oklahoma. and you know I had to go by Billy Sam's ribs too.
33:18Rich Eisen:Oh, I'm sure. Of course, Billy Sam's. I love it.
33:21Chris Webber:I love Gary Danielson. I think he was on ESPN for a while. Who else we got?
33:26Rich Eisen:I know for sure. Seeing the Warriors kind of turn back the clock last night was fun, you know, and I just don't know. And obviously we know Charlotte's pretty damn good too, and we'll see who emerges between, you know, Charlotte and the Magic here. But the eight seeds are just going to have a really difficult time. You could say the same thing about, again, I know the Blazers with Abdiah coming up with 41 and they've got to be feeling good about themselves and the Sixers taking on the Celtics. I'm looking hard to see where we could see any first-round upsets here, C-Web.
34:07Chris Webber:you know yeah you know so if i'm the knicks i'm not taking the hawks lightly they're playing with house money and the energy behind a new team you know when you hit when you hit a different stride whether it's because of turmoil and you've gotten through it or whether it's because new players come at the second half of the year that is an energy that really can't be measured you don't know how that's gonna uh go toward the games and so i think their coach is you know, one of the most underrated coaches in the game when you talk about strategy and thought process. And I think the energy and excitement and maybe the pressure.
34:45Chris Webber:Now, of course, you know, these guys in New York, they're used to pressure. I'm not saying that. But if they win, you know, lose the first game and are going to sweep the rest, between that first and second game is going to be, you know, doomsday. So, you know, they don't have kind of the luxury of recuperating as far as mentally as some other teams, like a team in Sacramento when I was there when we all believed or a team in Oklahoma State when, you know, they have to have full context of thought because they're not used to having that expectation. Well, the wick on the candle is really short there in New York and you start hearing, you know, whispers and comments early.
35:24Chris Webber:And so that's a little bit of a different pressure plan there. And so if I'm a team like the Hawks, I'm definitely trying to get, you know, take advantage of it because there's no pressure on the Hawks. And sometimes that's the worst team you want to play if there's no pressure and they're motivated to get their best.
35:40Rich Eisen:Is there one in the West, maybe? Isn't it wild that the Lakers, despite having a better regular season record, having home court advantage, that the injuries, I imagine, would make them the underdog in that series, right? They've got the Timberwolves taking on the Nuggets. where do you see a surprise in the West potentially, if any? So, you know, first of all, I think that Jokic is the best player in the NBA.
36:11Chris Webber:I'm not saying that he's the MVP, but I think arguably he's been the best player. And I think their team is great. I think they have a wonderful coach in Adelman. But I think that Minnesota is a bad matchup. I just think that that is something where that could be upset alert. Why is that?
36:32Rich Eisen:What's the bad about the matchup for you?
36:35Chris Webber:Well, when you look at Ant-Man, what he does in the game, when you look at the fact during the playoffs, each play condenses, you don't get as many fast breaks. The number of plays condenses, you don't get as many fast breaks. So, therefore, Jokic is going to be himself and wonderful. However, if you can get out with your athleticism, if you are Minnesota, if the big fella who you really don't need to score as much, the stifled tower, you don't really need him now is when he makes his value in a playoff game where he gets one important block. And so I just, you know, I like their pace. I like their attitude and their will.
37:14Chris Webber:And those are kind of teams with great home court support as well in Minnesota. you just you know they always say it doesn't start until you know until you you know till someone loses at home well in this one you know it could very you know easily happen early and so i just think their wings of the way they play and potentially how hot ant-man can get is really
37:35Rich Eisen:going to be a problem i gotta be honest with you i i've never heard rudy gobert referred to as the
37:41Chris Webber:stifle tower before that is all i thought that was his nickname that's amazing pretty good i've
37:47Rich Eisen:That is great, though. That is awesome.
37:51Chris Webber:I thought, yeah, I thought that was...
37:52Rich Eisen:No, I've never heard that before, so maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm stealing that from EJ.
37:58Chris Webber:Maybe I'm stealing that from Ernie Johnson. I heard someone say it a million times.
38:01Rich Eisen:Stifle Tower is... It makes sense. All right, C-Lev. It's great to see you. It's also awesome to see you. Do you have anybody you want the Lions to take next week? Is there something you...
38:14Chris Webber:You know what? No, I trust our office. you know i trust our coach we're biting kneecaps you know it's serious i like it i'd like it you know you know what i mean so no i'm ready baby okay i love ready for football season let's go
38:26Rich Eisen:you're referring to megatron basically he i think he caught it against the bears right and then he's going down to the ground after well after everything's over but it still was in the the era of Dez Bryant and they hadn't made the rule changes yet. That was a catch. But based on the silly, stupid-ass rules the NFL was you employing at the time, I understand what happened, Chris. But I love you still stuck on it.
38:55Chris Webber:Oh, yeah. I'm mad. And my friends that are DBs, because I always think I'm a wide receiver, a tight end, so I talk to these guys all the time. All they keep bringing up is New Orleans, so I think we have to go that one, too. I love it. Shout-out to Wayne Fonce and all.
39:10Rich Eisen:he's done for our organization. Oh my God. Eric Hipple mentions her right around the corner. Scott kept going. That's good.
39:19Chris Webber:Herman Moore. Ball. Let's go.
39:21Rich Eisen:Let's go. Good to chat with you, Chris. We'll see you soon again. See you soon.
39:25Chris Webber:Rodney T draft pick. Rodney T draft pick. Rodney T draft pick. Keep going. Let's go, baby. Here he goes. Chris Weber, everybody. All right. See you, man.
39:32Rich Eisen:Check out the Chris Weber show, everybody, where you get your shows and podcasts as well as the YouTube channel. for all the stifled tower what do you think so he he named the two six seeds the two six seeds yeah have you done the uh the i did the cooper bracket i did do the have you have you done give me have you done any non-chalky maneuvers uh yeah hold on let me tell you i consider the rockets beating the lakers as chalk by the way you do yeah you don't right They're the five seed. I understand that. Yeah, I have Thunder, Rockets, Nuggets, Spurs. I have Nuggets over Thunder. Is that an upset to everyone?
40:18Rich Eisen:I think it would be, sir. And then I have Hawks over Knicks and Celtics over Nuggets in the finals. Is that because I put the Knicks over the Celtics in my power? Pretty much. Yeah, pretty much. I don't know what's more offensive. Having the Nat out of the Celtics. or the password for the fantasy league as created by my son is rich is bald it's not even dad is bald like yeah he's straight up calling you rich rich does he call you rich around the crib um he has gotten uh he's now 15 sweetheart of a boy but he has begun to have the temerity uh to call me rich or even worse richard no dicky no oh oh uh his mom suzy Oh, no.
41:05Rich Eisen:You better put that boy in his place. No, no, no, no, no. I don't care how big he is. He is on occasion. Coop, listen to his mother by her first name. You're never too big for the belt, TJ. Cooper, look at me, dog. You know, you're my man. I know you're getting big. That's why you think you could test your pops. Because you're like 6 '3". Don't do it. It's done tongue in cheek. It's done tongue in cheek. But he has chosen on occasion the wrong time. Yeah, no, Coop. Do it. Coop, no. You know, I wonder if that's a middle child thing, because my brother does the same thing to our mom. Is that right?
41:38Yeah, could be. Like, I call my mom her first name, but only on the telephone. No, I would never call my mom her first name, ever.
41:45Rich Eisen:Well, he's done that. Wow. Yeah. He does that to me. But, you know, look at you, Rich. You're a big, passionate Laker fan. Like, that's the way he would do it for me. Well, that's pretty funny, actually. You let him hang out with Brockman too much. That's the problem. That's pretty funny. But come on. dropping an okay Susie on his mom. That's playing with death, Cooper. You're going to get five across the face. On behalf of Cooper, we're rolling our break. In a world in need of a hero, one man rises to the challenge in style. He is just driving the kids to soccer practice. Make every day feel epic in an all-new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid with up to an EPA-estimated 619 miles of range on select trims, advanced tech, and class-leading interior space.
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43:22Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. For small businesses, every hire counts, and so does your time. Hiring can quickly become overwhelming, from sorting applications to figuring out who's truly qualified. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro can help you. It streamlines the process so you can focus on connecting with the right candidates, not managing the noise. Hire right the first time. Post your first job and get$100 off towards your job post at linkedin.com slash eisen. That's linkedin.com slash eisen. terms and conditions apply 844-204-rich let's try jeffrey in san francisco again i think it was on our end that was an issue what's up jeffrey it's paul buzz hey rich eisen how you doing hey buddy what's going on hey uh real quick i just need four quick opinions from res consulting okay all righty yeah uh the first one i need you to work with tj because my question is as a beloved long-time ravens fan is my football team in the midst of a heel turn because it feels like a heel turn to me.
44:23Rich Eisen:No, it's not a heel turn. It's not a heel turn. You're going to love your new coach. You're going to love your new coach. The defense is going to be absolutely better. I'm nervous. You shouldn't be. Yeah, I wouldn't call that a heel turn. You shouldn't be. You shouldn't be. That was slippery with Crosby. What else you need? I hear you. I don't condone it, but the new coach is 100 % going to get the defense better. He's done that everywhere he's been. What else? All right, quick draft. Are you familiar with a player named Jamie Ding? Jamie, okay. Ding? D-A-N-G? Yeah. Okay. D-I-N-G. Okay. No. Did that dude grow up in witness protection?
45:05Okay. Jamie Ding? The only guy I see here is a Jeopardy champion. Okay.
45:10Rich Eisen:Oh. All right, hit the drop. What else do you want to know? What else do you want to know? Watch DTF St. Louis. I have indeed. We just finished. No spoilers. I have two left. Powerhouse. Powerhouse. All right. Can you rank the performances, Bateman, Harbour, Cappellini? I won't rank them, but I think David Harbour in that show is stupendous. Yeah. Agree to agree. Agree to agree. He was the best. I felt really bad for him. I think they're all. What's the last thing? Yeah, what else do you want to know? What was the last thing? Oh, golf fight, Rich. Golf fight. We got Jeff from NBC Golf Fight with some dude named Jim from CBS Golf.
45:51Rich Eisen:I don't know. All right, Jeffrey in San Francisco. I was getting a little concerned about the Jamie Ding thing. Well, no, he's a Jeopardy champion. He's on a historic winning streak, apparently. Oh, so. All right. I did not know that. Yeah. So he's legit. He's won 11 in a row. He's so good he wouldn't refer to me as a what, right? He would refer to me as who? That's how good he is at the game. And by full name, not what is Eisen. Yeah, what is Eisen? What's Eisen? Yeah, what's Eisen? Rich Eisen is right. Thank you. One of my favorite drops. All right, Bob Odenkirk is in our green room. That will end very shortly.
46:34Rich Eisen:I'm so excited to talk about his new film, Normal, and then everything else that he's done. We're excited to have him here in studio in hour number three. We're back on ESPN Radio. and Sirius XM Channel 80 in just a moment. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Thanks for listening to The Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to The Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
From the publisher
Washington HuskiesRB Jonah Coleman and Rich discuss NFL Draft stock and rise up many team’s draft boards, and more. (2:20)
Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Webber and Rich preview the NBA
Playoffs including why Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets better not overlook Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, weighs in on LaMelo Ball’s tripping of Bam Adebayo, and more. (19:30)
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