Interview w/ NBA Insider Brandon Scoop B. Robinson | Knicks and Ben Simmons | Cam Thomas contract |

Interview w/ NBA Insider Brandon Scoop B. Robinson | Knicks and Ben Simmons | Cam Thomas contract |

And when you when you’re ready, go like 10 10 seconds out. Yeah. Just let me know. Ready whenever you want. Okay. Hi and welcome to the NBA economy show. This is uh Fritz Alcender and I am with uh a great guest, Brandon Scoop Robinson. Um he is a well-known NBA insider. Um if you’re if you’re from the uh the East Coast, you definitely know um you definitely know Scoop B. But absolutely one of the best in the game. I I I really admire what he what he does. Uh not all insiders are are the same. Not everybody who calls themselves an insider is an insider. But Scoopy has really proved himself. Uh welcome to the show, brother. Thank you for the introduction. It was good to be on your show. Thank you for having me for real. For real. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for taking the time out. Small channel, but you know, you really Thank you for looking out. Awesome. We got to look out for our own. Yeah, absolutely. So, we have a a pretty um you know, my audience from also from the Nick of Time Show has a large Nick Nick contingent. So, of course, one of the one of the moves, uh, one of the things that you’ve had brought out was there was some mutual interests between Ben Simmons and the Knicks. The Knicks also had interests. Um, has there been any progress with that? Um, so yeah, I appeared on another show about a week ago and I discussed uh Ben Simmons and the Knicks link uh with the last uh roster spot available. Um, and I know that there’s been a lot of conflicting reports that have been out there, namely about the Sacramento Kings, the Boston Celtics, and more. And when I was on that show, I said that there is neutral both the Knicks and Ben Simmons. And uh, from everything that I know, there still is a level of interest. I know that Brian Winhorse has gone on threads and said that you know Ben Simmons would make a decision within the next week. Um and in my uh digging and just question asking uh amongst folks that are in the no um Ben Simmons is looking for a place where he can fit, where he can distribute the basketball and when they’re shooters. And when you look at the New York Knicks, they have that with Jaylen Brunson for one. uh and also um guys that can create their own uh moves to the basket and they’ve made some moves in the offseason with Clarkson to solidify that. Uh and they also have Carl Towns who can shoot the ball. So um from all indications that I’ve gotten, the Knicks are in the mix. Um but there are some other teams that are available. Um and and and the Celtics is a thought process of Ben Simmons for a couple of reasons. Number one, Jason Tatum um being out for quite a bit of time. uh does give more options for players who are looking to audition for their next role. Um, but the thing that I am a little bit bit concerned about uh with uh Ben Simmons in Boston, namely is the fact that um I know that in the past uh there are players that are on that team that have said some things on record about him kind of clowning him um in the past and even a teammate of his that he had in the past that I’m not sure if they shored up their their relationship. So, um I know Sacramento has been talked about. Um but I also know that Mike Brown salivated over the notion of Ben Simmons potentially joining the Sacramento Kings last season at a point and it didn’t happen that way. So, uh, I I think that the combination of the shooting, uh, and and guys that are can get open shots, uh, the defensive prowess that Ben Simmons does offer, uh, as well as, um, his ability, uh, to to to play defense, uh, at a at a high clip are attractive to the Knicks. And hopefully, uh, Ben Simmons makes his decision soon. Yeah. Uh, absolutely. He brings a lot of versatility to the Knicks. Uh, if he did come here, like he could play point guard. He could play all the way up to a power forward center. So, like I I I think having a versatile person like that absolutely would help the Knicks. Um, you know, not everybody uh is looking for the the the uh the old 25 N Simmons. Uh but he’s still a very very valuable piece in the NBA. I spent some time with Ben Simmons during this season um right before he was Nets and uh we kind of took it back to the essence um of just uh injuries and the back and I and I shared with Ben um a personal story where um last year I was working out with my trainer and my back gave out and I said to him, you know, there was a point where I actually could not get up like I was lay laying in my bed for like a day. And the first thought process that came to mind was Ben gets a lot of heat because of his back, but there are some other issues besides that. But the thing that I focused on was the back and the injuries. And I shared with Ben, I said, you know, I really didn’t realize I I don’t play, but I never really realized how pivotal or how important your back is until it gives out and then you can’t stand up. You can’t, you know, do some of the things you need to do. you can’t walk to the refrigerator to get some water. And he smiled and he goes, “Um, you like your I” I asked him basically, “Would you rather hurt your knee or your leg or your back?” And he said, “You need your your back more than you might need your leg. Like your leg, you can heal from the back gets tricky.” And then in our conversation, we started talking about some of his influences uh in basketball. Um he told me that the three guys that that stood out to him on the basketball court growing up uh were were LeBron James, Magic Johnson, uh and Dwayne Wade. Uh Wade I did not know. Um his ability to attack the basket early in his career. He played the point guard position um in Miami and then kind of switched over more fulltime to the two. Uh, but LeBron and Magic were two guys that, you know, he he really watched tape of of Magic and then, uh, watching LeBron early in the Miami Heat days and and even in the Cleveland days, the first stint and, um, as as I’m thinking about that conversation then and I’m looking at a fit now uh, with the Knicks, if he were to to sign with the Knicks, I think the thing as a backup coming off the bench that that helps them quite a bit, I think of Jaylen Brunson when he got hurt uh, during the season. and he was out for a period of time. Um, there were questions that I had about playmaking. Um, and those questions were actually answered. I think Jaylen Brunson actually getting hurt actually rallied the on that team. Um, and allowed them to kind of figure out what life would be like. And I think you saw another flash of that again uh with Carl Anthony Towns where there was a point where he was out and you kind of saw what life would be like without him. And then once they all got it together and went into the playoffs, uh they they kind of they they they did get it together. It just wasn’t the outcome that that many thought would be. But imagine a world where Ben Simmons uh was in that equation both defensively and as a playmaker. Uh I think his ability to see the court above everybody. I know a lot of times I’ve heard this this rhetoric uh in the offseason. People talk about Ben Si Ben Simmons uh mixtape videos in the offseason are like Zion Williamson and um people compare that and um I think in this instance when you look at Ben Simmons you’re not asking him to come in and be a starter. You’re asking him to come in and give you 10 15 minutes a game um play defense uh and and and get key playmaking stats. Um, I also think his presence defensively blocking shots at people against people at his position is something that is supremely underrated. Um, so I I do think Ben Simmons is a fit. Um, I think the Boston Celtics would be a fit as well if he’s looking to kind of get more playing time and also uh get into that spot alongside Anthony Simons and and and as well as uh Jaylen Brown. But I I think if you’re looking to compete for a championship, uh I think the n the the the East Coast is wide open. Uh and I think that the Knicks would be a fit for him if that’s what he’s looking to do. But I think 2599 at this point, no, we’re not looking for that. We’re looking for uh a guy that can come off the bench and can and can shore up some minutes. Yeah, absolutely. I think the underrated part of Ben Simmons is that he gives you options. I I think last year um you you kind of put Muel Bridges on the best guard and then you put uh OG on the best forward. I I think if you add Ben Simmons to the the mix, maybe Muel doesn’t want to play that guy and then you could put Ben Simmons in there or or OG doesn’t want to match up against this one guy. So you you have a little bit more options uh to have in the mix. So, um, yeah. So, I I I think, um, I think it’d be a great mix. Ben Simmons, if you are listening, there are fans in New York. We do want you here. I think it would be a great fit. Yeah, I think and I think you know coming from that Clipper system ultimately getting the buyout with the with the uh Brooklyn Nets and then finding his way to the Clippers, I think you saw flashes of uh what many people fell in love with his his in his game uh playing alongside uh James Harden, Norman Powell, Kawhi Leonard with the Clippers. Um, and then as as I’m thinking about that, I’m thinking about what you said uh just about the the players that were brought in. Muel Bridges to me, I think coming into LA this past season, there was this expectation that he was going to to some I felt there was this expectation that you would be seeing Phoenix Suns Muel Bridges. Um, and I think um has seen both sides of the spectrum. you’ve seen the spectrum of uh playing for the Suns and being a viable six-man and then going to Brooklyn and being the man or expected to be the man. And you’d hope that that you’d find some middle ground uh in in New York at at at two Pennsylvania Plaza. And I think for the Knicks, um it started off slow for Bridges and then he ended up finding his way. Um, I think that defensively, um, Ben Simmons is going to give you those stops. Um, I think if you’re looking at the Celtics, you’re looking for shots. If you’re looking at the Knicks, you’re looking for defense and you’re looking for playmaking. I think the Knicks is a better fit for games where you expect Ben Simmons maybe not to play. It’s a better cover there than it is in um Boston. And I and I’ll add this, like there were some there was a few years ago Sacramento was looking to bring in Ben Simmons um via trade. Uh this was during uh the time where the conversation was being had about James Harden and Ben Simmons and you know, Simmons ultimately being traded to um and Harden coming uh to Philadelphia. Um, so Sacramento has has salivated over him for a long time. I also know in years past the Golden State Warriors were were another team that were were looking to bring Ben Simmons in as well. Um, North Cal has been calling his name for for quite a while. Um, he did find his way to Southern Cal with the Clippers, but um, you know, he’s played most of his career in the Eastern Conference playing for the Nets and the Sixers. And New York is a familiar territory, just a different burrow that he played in. Um, and and I’ve seen things online where people say, “Well, you know, he doesn’t want to come to New York because of, you know, the fan fair or or lack thereof that he got in New York. It’s a different environment at at at the Garden than it is at Barlay Center, even though people are familiar with your game, either having played for the Nets or playing against, you know, either team uh as in a Sixers uniform. I just think the Knicks would be a good opportunity for him to um kind of repair the perception or his image. And and I think winning cures all. I think um that that’s a situation, but but to just go back what you asked me um the the Knicks and Ben Simmons do have mutual interest in one another. It’s a matter of which team he decides to pick. Yeah, thank thank you for the update. Hopefully we can get an answer soon on that. Um you know, the Knicks only have a couple roster spots left. Um yeah, so definitely thank you for updating the fans on that. Um we have seen this is u this the second year of this new CBA. Um these new rules I I think at some point people’s like uh uh didn’t really know what going going forward but this year is kind of the year where really kind of sank in. We start seeing buyouts. We start seeing some maneuvers that we we’ve never seen before. Um has has this new CBA affected particularly the Nets? Um um because we see they are a rebuilding team. They do have cap space but at the same time uh Cam Thomas is not resigned. Yeah. Um, and I I there had been like a few rumors on what the offer would have been last week. Uh, a lot of people thought it came in kind of low. Um, do you think that’s um is it indicative of how they feel about Cam Cam Thomas going forward? Do you do you see him as a long-term piece in New Jersey? I’m sorry, New Jersey. Um, in Brooklyn. Um, so to kind of break down your question a bit, one I think you’re seeing in the NBA at large, uh, where there are guys, three guys in particular, uh, Jonathan Kaminga, Cam Thomas, as well as Josh Giddy, who believe that they deserve more um, what is being offered. And you’re seeing it play out in real time. And I think um Cam Thomas is in an interesting situation because I feel like the Nets are setting the it seems as though the Nets are setting the market and in turn a lot of um that perception is being fed to some of my colleagues and then is being regurgitated and whenever you say things enough and people hear it they begin to believe it as fact. Um, I know that to be true uh because uh as a as a reporter enough people say you don’t have sources, people believe that to be true based upon everybody saying it. It’s a copycat league. To go back to your question about Camp Thomas, I think that he’s in a situation where people look at him as just a scorer. And I think there is more to his game than that. But the general consensus I think of the from the national audience is that he’s just a scorer and he’s had three or four straight games where he scored 40 points. I also think Cam Thomas both benefited uh and I think it was somewhat to his detriment as well that he was drafted around the time that and and played on a team where it was the rise of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant and James Harden and then them ultimately being traded and exiting there. And I think sometimes there’s a belief that just because those guys left, that’s why he got that much those he scored those amount of points. I also think that the Nets post uh Kevin and Kai leaving has been an open market for guys for guys to put up stats and people wonder if that will materialize somewhere else. It’s kind of like um I remember Chris Humphre playing for the Nets. You talked about New Jersey. I remember Chris Humphrey’s playing for the Nets in New Jersey and then metriculating over to Brooklyn and he was putting up double double stats in New Jersey and then when Darren Williams, Joe Johnson, everybody came over, he had an abdominal strain. He was married to a Kardashian and then you never heard from him again. Um I think sometimes depending on the dynamics of a roster um and who you add or subtract will be contingent upon how a player plays and I think that’s what’s been painted about Cam. I think the only difference with that is that um Cam was well respected way before he came to Brooklyn. Um coming out of LSU, um I just think he wasn’t a top lottery pick and so because he’s not a name, people um people scratch their head and ask questions. Um and I and I think that for Cam, I think the Nets for his style of play is probably the best spot. The problem is I wonder if he’s traded somewhere else and assign a trade. I wonder if if those skill sets will metriculate to another team. You know, there’s been there’s been conversations from some of my colleagues about um you know, Cam potentially being traded to uh the Pistons in a sign and trade for Ivy out in Detroit. And I wonder what Cam in Detroit would look like. Um, I I I um I’m I’m concerned about just his market being devalued because enough people are saying it and counting it as fact. And I also think that this I also think that the NBA at large is changing in a world where we often have in at least 20 years ago have cheered on guys who score a ton of points. It’s almost like the the the volume scorer is now looked down upon. And I wonder if that’s signaling that we’re going to more of a a European style of game and b we’re actually reverting back to what a point guard was supposed to be. Meaning like John Stockton and in today today’s modern times Chris Paul that skill set of play like I wonder if we’re reverting back to that. Um, and I also think is in a similar situation like is being put in a situation like a Lou Williams or Jamal Crawford is being a scorer for hire and both Lou and Jamal Crawford have proven that they can start. Um, but their specialty for their respective teams was coming off the bench. I also think that Cam is a bit undersized at the two position and he’s not a distributor at the point position. So, he’s kind of like in a tweener situation like a Ben Gordon, but Ben Gordon was still effective. He just didn’t have longevity. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Thank you for your insights on those. Uh there is one there is one player I’ve kind of had questions on and I h I haven’t seen any videos on it, but um in Sacramento um previously Devin Carter was supposed to be uh the incoming point guard of the future. um they they kind of waited for him to come back from injury and very quickly they had pivoted and supposedly he’s on the trading block. Do you have any idea h why they pivoted so quickly on on Devin Carter? No, but I do know to to kind of add to what you’re you’re asking me. I know that Sacramento does want Russell Westbrook and in order to make that happen, there are some moves that are going to have to be made. Uh, and Carter might be on his way out. I’ve also had conversations with League Folk that have intimated to me that Malik Monk um, may be on his way out and that the Lakers are a team of interest. I know Malik and and LeBron have a good relationship. So, um there’s a lot of log jam at the point guard position in Sacramento. Um and I’m wondering if um Russell would be able to sh that up. I think Russ gets a lot of a lot of um crap thrown his way. Um and I think through and through he’s found ways to still be efficient at his age and at his position. Okay. All right. Thank you. there’s a certain subset of the Knicks fans who don’t want older players on the Knicks and uh one of one of the uh players who’s whose name keeps coming up in articles um I don’t think there’s a lot behind it but LeBron James’s name always comes up. Do you do you have any insight on how the Knicks actually feel about LeBron LeBron James? Um, he has a lot of ties to LeBron James. I mean, he’s known William Wesley since he was in high school. Um, uh, William Wesley is well respected. Leon Rose, he’s known for years. Um, and then he has ties to guys that are on that team. You know, he has a good rapport with Carl Towns. He has a good relationship with a lot of guys on that team. I just think that um you know if you if you go back to my reporting earlier this month about LeBron James um there are four teams that have reached out to his agent um about his availability and and of those four teams it wasn’t the New York Knicks um it was the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Cleveland Cavaliers um were three of those teams and the Dallas Mavericks as well was the fourth team. Um, LeBron is a guy that can fit on any team, but why? I I I I’ll take it back a bit. I thought the Knicks did a bit too much in firing Tibs. Uh, and I think to if you were to not only fire Tibs, but trade your roster hypothetically to bring in LeBron James, I think that would be catastrophic when you’re trying to win a championship and you haven’t won one since the 70s. Um, I think LeBron is a piece that you bring in uh either if he gets a buyout or at free agency next off seasonason. Um, but I I just don’t think you blow up the house to bring in someone who is of his caliber. I think LeBron is a phenomenal player. Um, you’ve not seen someone 40 41 years old make the moves that he’s made and be healthy. Like the only person that has done this at this age and hasn’t done it to his magnitude was Michael Jordan when he played for the Washington Wizards. And it’s very different and how he did it. Michael was more of a fadeaway jump shooter, could drive to the basket, get layups. I enjoyed watching his his last game. Um, as a member of the Wizards playing against the Knicks in the early 2000s, it was poetry. Um but um as far as LeBron coming to the Knicks at this point, um I’ve not heard anything substantial at least coming into this season that would indicate that that is something that is plausible. um you know that Rich Paul uh who has a client and in Jordan Clarkson uh with the Knicks and the only thing that I can think of um that that would probably make your your viewers salivate over that is the fact that you know you now have a clutch client that is a New York uh playing for the Knicks and um you never know if that could be an introduction to more of a conversation. Um, and it reminds me of Contavius Cowwell Pope when he played for the Lakers before LeBron got there. And Contavius Cwell Pope being a Laker and uh still being in the uh in Los Angeles allowed uh both Rich Paul, LeBron James’ agent uh and Anthony Davis’s agent to have more fluid conversation with both Magic Johnson, who was the president of basketball operations at the time, uh and Rob Pelinka, who was the GM at the time, about other things. And ultimately, you know, that was an entry point and LeBron did become a Los Angeles Laker and Anthony Davis was traded a year later to the Los Angeles Lakers as well. So, as well, excuse me. So, you never know. Um, but um maybe Jordan Clarkson is that threat to to to bring LeBron to or at least a conversation started with Leon Rose and William Wesley and Rich Paul, but as of now, no. I don’t know anything that would suggest that that is a realistic possibility as as contractually where LeBron is now. Oh, thank you. Thank you for the update. Uh I think a few people are breathing easy in the chat. Uh that’s that’s most of the basketball question. I I know you are an avid wrestling fan and I I just want to know what are your thoughts on the complicated legacy of um Hulk Hogan because I because I know you like it’s part of a lot of people’s childhood. Like me personally, I like I know the characters, but I I really didn’t watch. So I So in answer to your question, one, um I I I grew up liking wrestling quite a bit. Um probably in the 90s, probably up until the early 2000s. I I watch from afar now, but Hulk Hogan was definitely a part of uh the fabric of of of my uh childhood. And it’s a complicated legacy because of things that were said uh that were made public. And um in today’s time, there are many people that suggest that you you can’t separate the offense um from the offender. Um and and I I I I think post Bill Cosby that is something that has become more of a um of of a targeted convers or a nuance conversation. And so I think I I I do get it. I think he said some offensive things as an African-American um you know using language non-inclusive language uh in your home. It is kitchen table talk. You shouldn’t be using it. but it became uh public consumption and that’s not a good look and it kind of felt like he was arrogant in the way that he approached it after it was uncovered that he said it and and that’s unacceptable um to to do and so you know I I have I know a lot of his colleagues I’m I’m I’m very friendly with a lot of his colleagues both black and white who have both shared with me that you know that that is unacceptable and then the other part of it that that is unacceptable is I from from having conversations with some of his peers when you know the WWE they were trying the the wrestlers were trying to unionize and become more of a united front he was very adamant from what I’m told and removing himself and breaking up that monotony so that they could not be um you know unionized and so that that’s that’s terrible. Um, I I I will say that on the side of him as a wrestler, the thing that I did admire about him was his branding and his ability to own his name, uh, own his likeness and kind of see into the future of what that looks like in today’s climate. But he wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last, um, on a basketball front. not comparing him to to to this person, but Michael Jordan was very uh forward thinking and branding and ownership and you know passing on the torch to the next generation and merchandising and more. You’ve seen it in many instances um where you know athletes have done that uh celebrities have done that. Um so you know I think it’s I think um you know he he definitely set the example but in wrestling John Cena has also done it. I think he paved the way for Cena. He paved the way for The Rock. Uh, and and he did it in multiple wrestling leagues. He did it in WCW when he left the WWE and went to WCW and was in nWo. And I I think he’s done a lot that has pioneered uh the wrestling sport. Um, but I do think that there is a blemish uh on his name based upon the things that he said and that’s unfortunate. Yeah. Yeah. He’s also ve very part of the I live in like the New Haven, Connecticut area and um you know the WWF has a lot of ties to the area. Um even I had to like double check because there’s something I’ve always wanted to know cuz everybody my dad always said oh cuz he doesn’t watch wrestling. He said oh no they you know they all live here. They live here. They used to live here in the building. So I double checked and you know with Hogan’s passing we did live in the same apartment building as most of the WWF stars because the training facility is was in West Haven, Connecticut. Um so I you know he’s very much into the fabric of the area. You know I I you know um he he has left his imprint on on wrestling forever. So that’s something to uh to think about. Um you know just on a lighter note you are you know you have spent a lot of time in the New Jersey uh New York area. Um as I said I’m from like the New Haven area and so a lot of people will always ask which pizza is better New Haven, New Jersey or New York. Do you have a preference? Um, I I think I realized I had a preference when I went away to undergrad in in in the Philadelphia area and the Delta did differently. Um, I’ve lived in New Jersey. I’ve lived in the Bronx. I’ve lived in Harlem. I spent some significant time in Westchester County as well. To me, some of the best pizza that I’ve had uh was in the Bronx. Um, but I’ve also had good pizza in New Jersey. uh at Ray’s Pizza and uh Verona. Um so I mean I I I kind of feel like my perception of local is a bit different because I’ve traveled and I and I feel like even if it is in New Jersey is probably New York inspired and but I’ve also had conversation with friends from Connecticut and that and I’ve seen polls on social media that suggest that Connecticut pizza is better than New York or New Jersey um pizza. Um, and so I’ve not tried I’ve been in Connecticut, but I’ve not tried Connecticut Pizza. Um, but my my fondest experience of pizza has been um Ray’s Pizza and in Verona, New Jersey and uh a spot on Gunhill Road in the Bronx um that I that I enjoyed as well. Um and you know, they’re they’re they’re good spots. I actually don’t eat pizza anymore. I don’t eat dairy. Um, so I if I eat a pizza, I usually get it without cheese and I the toppings and tomato sauce. I’ve been uh not eating dairy since 2018. Okay. I I have a friend like that, too. He has like he has like a tomato tomato pie. So, yeah, it’s definitely It’s actually pretty good. It’s actually Sicilian cuz you got the thick dough. It’s kind of like It’s like going to Chicago. I I spent significant time in Chicago as well. The the the deep crust pizza reminds me of New York Sicilian uh slices as well. So, um but but having it with tomato and and and vegetables and things like that, I don’t eat cheese and I don’t, you know, I don’t do the dairy thing anymore. And um but um I I I like the dough. I think the dough definitely makes the pizza. As I mentioned, going to school in the Philly area, that’s when I really noticed that the dough really made the pizza. And um going to other places and traveling the world, you kind of see how everybody does it differently, but New York and New Jersey, uh the thin crust is definitely a staple. Uh but but I actually the Sicilian, if you’re really trying to get full, um the Sicilian crust is definitely a vibe as well. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for um answering that. Um what about you? What do you think? Um actually, you know what? Uh, I probably I didn’t try New Haven pizza until maybe 20 years ago. But New Haven, the thing what they don’t tell you is New Haven has like a like a great seven, eight spots, but the thing about New But the thing about New York, you can get a great spot on so many corners. So like it isn’t a whole bunch of great places. They have like a handful of like excellent excellent excellent. It doesn’t taste like New York. It’s a different different style of pizza. It’s a different style of pizza. I got when I when I when I stop in Westchester, I got to go a little bit further and stop in Connecticut waving. Abs. Absolutely. Whenever like if Yale ever gives you a call, like have them have them take you. So, it’s actually it’s really really good. Yeah. So, I I really appreciate your your style of journalism. Um, it’s just a lot of people try to be part of the story and, you know, kind of insert them, you know, insults and going back and forth with and they could become part of the story. But you, you know, you you you really have great relationships with players and I really like that. They sit down with you, they they have an interview. It isn’t like I’m calling a player out and then we’re we’re going back and forth. So, I I I really give you props because there there’s I see a lot of people try to take the shortcut to be to get in their face on television and I I really appreciate you doing it the right way. Well, I appreciate that it was not always easy. I even though I had an early start uh working for the Nets for two years and hosting their radio kids radio show as a child uh I ended up you know leaving that and going back to being a high school kid and college kid and getting my education doing what I needed to do and then coming out of school you know building back. There was a point where I freelanced about 10 to 12 different publications. Um was living in my grandmother’s basement um and was paying her rent and was also you know adjuncting at a different a couple of different uh colleges and um over time just building you know local uh relationships um whether that was you know Kyrie Irving, Carmelo Anthony, Jabril Peppers who was in high school at the time um and just really building and then also using social media to my advantage. I think um I I’ll tell you growing up, I hated going to the doctor cuz I hated getting shots. And you know, most athletes hate sitting down with media the same way. And so I I said to myself, how can I find a way to make it a painless visit to the doctor, asking questions uh and and really getting to know people um on on a on a familiar level and then going to places that they go just because um I enjoy, you know, going out. So, you know, whether that’s the the the local spot in LA, um, or, you know, being a member of Soho House or, you know, just various things and just finding common ground so that when they see you in those places, they feel more comfortable and, uh, you can do what you got to do and they can do what they have to do. It’s just finding common ground and not all media people are bad, just like all police officers are not bad. You just have to find common ground. Yeah, absolutely. Actually, yesterday I saw your interview with Ricky Williams and I was like, “Oh, wow.” And I was like, “Oh, oh, Ricky Williams looks really relaxed cuz cuz you know those old Ricky uh interviews were quite interesting.” Like I He looks happy. Like I I really enjoyed that interview. Sat down. It’s like 20 minutes. If if you subscribe to Scooby’s um YouTube, you you’ll definitely see it. Yeah. I mean, the cool thing about Ricky is um we found Common Ground because we were talking about marijuana and his business. Um and talking about mental health. It there were questions about football, but there were also questions about where he is now. Ricky and I actually met in the spring. Uh I was moderating a panel at Georgetown University in DC and he was on it and with with a couple of other people and um you know before the event happened and after the event we talked, we exchanged numbers and have and stayed in touch. And Ricky is um Ricky is an interesting character. He’s a wealth of knowledge and and I’m glad that he was able to sit down with Scoopy Radio and discuss a ton of things. Make sure to check that out on my YouTube channel at Scoopy TV and um check it out for yourself. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that was a really really good good interview. Um, yeah, you you’re you’re uh I remember watching you as like when you were a young kid on all these uh on the I’m not sure was it a Nets it was on the Nets channel to to now kids show on the radio with Evan Roberts over WFAN Albert King and a woman named Lyn Wilson called Net Slam and Plan and they actually featured it on NBA inside stuff with Amar Rashad when I was a kid. Yeah, actually I remember that episode. Um, actually I’m I’m looking forward to maybe inside stuff coming back. Um, same when NBC comes back. Hopefully Summer Sanders will be there. Hopefully she will be there. Um, or Mod. Yes. Yes. Actually, I would love the old crew to be back. I I would love the old crew to be back. Um, yeah. any of these these new media these new you know we got these new media um in the for the NBA for the upcoming season any of them you you’re really excited about I’m just excited to watch basketball um in any shape or form I think the Amazon uh deal is interesting because it’s digital and you know all the other major leagues h have had digital uh offerings ings before the NBA and so this is their first the NBA’s first round. It’s going to be interesting to see how that that plays out with Amazon particularly you know with the younger audience who you know their attention spans are pretty quick and so I I think that’ll be interesting. Um NBC for nostalgia sake will be interesting just because I grew up watching I remember 1991 the Bulls winning their first championship and that was my point of entry with the NBA. Um, ESPN to me as well as ABC has kind of just become the gold standard in a way that NBC was and before NBC, CBS was. Um, I mean, so like I said, I um I have good relationships with all those guys on that on that uh platform, Kenny, Charles, Shaq, Ernie, and uh it’ll be interesting to see how that uh transpires over to ESPN specifically because, you know, for years the criticism has been that their halftime show, the pre and the post, you know, they it’s been a a revolving door. So, it’ll be interesting to see how that all takes shape uh on on the ABC and ESPN front. Um so, but the games are the games. Yeah. you know. Yeah, absolutely. And I and I one thing I think NBC did really really well was their like profiling players um you know for those big games like you you really got to know like players in a positive light. Um, that’s something kind of been missing for the NBA. Like you you kind of get the the news on players, but to like really get to know the players behind the scenes to really like the players in the NBA. Uh, NBC had a big part in that. Um, I’m with you. And I and I think if you think about it, that profiling those players in the 90s is similar to the WWE, who at the time was the WWF, having superstars. Superstars was the news magazine format of that that on Saturday afternoons right before American Gladiators that kept kids, you know, interested. And you’re you’re you’re recycling content from Monday Night Raw and then Survivor Series and Summerslam. And then when you look at what the NBA did comparatively with Inside Stuff, NBA Inside Stuff was a news was a television magazine show uh that was interesting young kids. And then um you you had the magazine that was that served the same purpose. And then NBA.com came along and then that was you know a boom in the ’90s. And I I think when you look at the NBA currently um for adults that’s what the NBA today is. Um it’s an adult version of the magazine format show that lets the community know what players are doing outside of just shooting a basketball. So, I think it’ll be interesting to see how NBC kind of um counters that as well as Amazon with their their programming both digitally and you know in house on on on television and as well as uh you know all the streaming uh apps uh that that NBC currently has. Like we went from watching Bair on uh on the streaming app to now maybe we watch NBA on NBC or we watch uh NBA Inside stuff on on those apps as well. It’ll be interesting as well as the Olympics. I think the NBC has had a head start and be interesting to see how not just NBC but Amazon and ESPN, you know, just caters to the next generation, the next next generation and the current generation as well. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, those are definitely things um to look forward to. I don’t want to keep you too long. We know the off season isn’t over and we know that we need to stay tuned to you because you always give us the best news. Um, you you always you always try to be very very accurate. Like I I know I know there’s a there’s a lot of journalists out there, they try to, you know, stretch a little truth, add a little a little bit in there uh to make the story a little juicier, but it’s really nice having you on giving us like accurate information um having those great relationships. So, we really really appreciate you and what you do for the NBA community. Brother, thank you for having me and um I’m sure we’ll be talking again soon. I’m going to the pool. Yep, absolutely. So, where can everybody find you? Twitter, Scoop B. Instagram at Scoop Beach. Subscribe to uh Scoop BTV on YouTube. Um Tik Tok, Scoop_B. Uh, make sure to subscribe to the Scoopy Radio podcast on all streaming platforms, Apple Podcast, uh, Spotify, and also check out the Scoop blog. Get a lot of traffic there. Uh, we’re not just, um, video. We’re in written form and but all the stuff Scoop B on Twitter is the hub for people to find out everything that is going on with the brand that is Scoop B. Yeah. Yeah. Actually, you had some really good things up there. I I saw the the the mentorship for young young aspiring broadcasters. So that’s something to look forward to and you can actually people can actually donate to. So it’s it’s very uh very good thing you’re doing. Um you’re giving back to the community. All right. So we thank you for coming on today. Um thank you for everybody who tuned in. Um again, uh thanks for joining the NBA Economy Show. Um, please like and subscribe if you like the comment and uh, you know, put put a one in the chat for um, for Brandon Scoopy Robinson and you have a great day. All right, then. I’ll talk to you soon. All right.

Interview with NBA Insider Scoop B. Robinson about his experience in and around the NBA. We also will address situations around the league. #nba #nbacontroversy #newyorkforever #nets #nbarumors