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George Karl is an old-time friend of this show, and I will tell you before we start this that he has fought and won against throat cancer and continues to fight through whatever the difficulties of speech are caused by that throat cancer. But George Karl is tonight doing a Hoopers for Harris event where he's getting involved with politics. I wanted to welcome in our old friend back into the fold to talk about what he's doing tonight. George. George. George.

George. George.

George. We're happy to see you, George. It's always nice to see you. One of the most outspoken coaches in the history of the NBA. Sixth on the all-time NBA wins list. Hall of Fame coach, always willing to speak his mind. On Wednesday night at 8:00 PM Eastern, he's hosting a Zoom event, a big one. He's calling it Hoopers for Harris. George, you are following the Steve Kerr trend, the Popovich trend of all of a sudden getting into politics with your big mouth. What are you doing?

I've always been a fairly progressive mind and thinker. I haven't been as vocal as Steve. I'm like a lot of people. There's something about this election that seems to be different. It It seems to be more important. I'm a lot like the world right now. I'm fed up with politicians. But I think right now we got to make the right choice. Going back to Trump is not my answer. My answer is to move on, evolve, and try to get some new ideas in there.

Well, what are you doing with this, though? Why are you doing it? Explain to me the movement as you feel I think my family feels it.

I just think some of the policies have to be changed, abortion, civil rights, whatever you want to talk about. We have a lot of struggles going on that needs more clarity. There more leadership. I don't want to go back to the Trump leadership of bullying and lying and shipping and spinning. And I think why we're doing it is, we all know that it's probably to raise some money along the way. But I I think it's more to arouse the middle class, the middle moving towards the middle. From a standpoint of political, makes a lot of sense to me. We got the crazies and we got the Conservatives. I don't think those two should be leading us. I think the middle should need us a little more.

The call is Wednesday night at 8:00 PM Eastern, and you can RSVP at hoopersforharris. Org. It seems to me, George, that every time I see you aggregated or anyone quoting you these days on anything basketball-related, it's because you and Melo are still feuting in public. I want you to stop, George.

I want both of you- We need to come together, George.

Yes, it's a time of great division, George. I believe that if you were to announce that hoopersforharris. Org would be a place where you will finally announce that you and Carmelo have come together for the rest of time and you will stop criticizing him publicly in any way. Can we do that as a political movement?

Yes, I'll agree to that.

Okay, so what do we have to do to get you to actively make sure that it doesn't happen again? Because I don't trust you. I think you're going to agree to it, and then somebody's going to ask you a question about Melo, and you're going to fall into the trap. You can't resist. How do we make this official that you're not going to feud with Melo anymore publicly?

Tell the people not to ask a question.

Well, no, but that's not you. They're going to ask it, George. That's not you taking the high road because you know how much people love this stuff. Carmelo was a polarizing star. You're six on the all-time win list. You always say what you think, and so therefore, it becomes about what a selfish player Carmelo was.

I'll think about announcing in some way for you, man.

Wow. Okay, so that'll be a part of hoopersforharris. Org, and our audience needs to go there to make sure to hold George to his word that he announced it, that he remembers to announce during this. Okay, I'm done. I'm going to take the high road because we need to be unified at a time of division.

What a great message for the rest of the country, because if George could bury the hatchet, if Carmelo could bury the hatchet, we all could bury the hatchet.

That is correct. George, when you look at being sixth on the all-time win list, do you have one victory that for you, and this is a difficult question, obviously, but do you have one victory that stands out above any of the others and all of the others?

The Dan's Kevin and the Western Conference Finals, we get us to the NBA Finals against Utah. It was an incredible game. It was a very defensive-minded game. Was stopped in the Malone going against Kemp and Payton, and it came down to make it free throws in the last minute. Sean made two, Bar Malone missed two. It was one of the best series I've ever coached in. I love that game in that series. The one opportunity to get the NBA Finals, that was probably the game I'd call on my past.

On the opposite end, is there one that's any worse than you losing as a one seed with Kemp and Payton in a five-game series? And you wouldn't have lost, I don't think, if it had been a seven-game series.

Yeah. I think that's the one of the most miserable loss I've ever had. I had trouble getting over it all summer long. And I can't deny, I live in Denver, so it comes up all the time.

George, how the hell is Sean Kemp not in the Hall of Fame?

That's a good question. I I think some of the players in Seattle, not only Sean, but I mean, Dedler Strump was a great player, and then they did a lot of accolades. I always thought that Seattle was on the West Coast, and we didn't get a lot more. We didn't get the East Coast to team that we probably deserve. But he's a dynamic that Sean deserves then, and he's better than a lot of players that are in the Hall of Fame. I don't know, maybe towards the end of his career where he's fated quickly might be the reason, but I agree I think he should be in the Hall of Fame.

Does George Karl ever dare to say publicly, That guy doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame. What the hell is he doing in there? Or even privately, do you hear a Hall of Fame announcement and you're like, Come on, the College and Pro Basketball Hall of Fame has to be more discerning than that?

Probably not. I think it's probably... I would like to see some guys like a system coaches get in the Hall of Fame. I think some role players like Robert Hory should get in the Hall of Big shot, Bob. I mean, the intangibles for the game of basketball are really, really important, but they don't get the spotlight very much. And the little things win championships. There are guys like Bruce Bowen, Nate McMillon, guys who are blue guys that help you win a Championship.

A Hall of Fame of Little Things. I like that. I do, seriously. I do, too.

You just put it on the poll, please, @Lebitard Show. Should assistant coaches be in the Hall of Fame? At Lebitard Show, what is the littlest that you would put in this Little Things Hall of Fame that is needed for basketball success, Karl? You can only put one of the characteristics that you regard as a Little Things in the Hall of Fame. What is your first ballot, Little Things Hall of Famer?

I would say lockerer leadership.

Who would you regard as the one in your career who exemplified it the most?

He's getting in the Hall of Fame this year, Chauncey Billups.

Chauncey Billups.

Mr. Big Shot.

As a player. Thank you, Stugante. I appreciate I appreciate you being there for us on all fronts. Chauncey Billups.

We need a guy who wasn't the best player but was a locker room leader because that guy would get into the small thing Hall of Faith. You know what I'm saying?

Yes, that does make sense. Everything you guys are saying makes perfect sense. With the sport today, George, when I honestly can't believe, I'm stupified as we talk here, that Carmelo and Dwyane Wade are now on podcasts talking about what their career was while LeBron still plays and while LeBron still scores 25 points a game. If you would answer for us the question that Stugatz is always dying to ask anybody and then yell at them when they give the wrong answer. When you put LeBron James and Michael Jordan next to each other, would George Karl ever dare to say that LeBron is better?

I have dare to say it's better, but I can never get there.

I But I mean, what LeBron is doing today is amazing.

I come back to saying that LeBron might be the best, the most talented player ever to play in the NBA, but I still think Michael's the best player ever to play in the NBA.

George, what does that look like, you trying to get there?

He's daring to, and then he backs off. He wants to do it, and then he keeps getting scared and backing away from the cliff. He's a brave man, but then he gets scared, and That's right. Is that how you dare to do it but then never do it?

Two different generations of basketball. Lebron deserves the 21st century, and Michael deserves the 20th century.

But Michael deserves history.

That's where I'm going to go.

Who is your favorite player to watch right now, George?

Ja Morant. Wow.

That was quick, and he didn't play all of last year. Did you find the Celtics Championship run satisfying to you? What did you think of them dominating the sport from beginning to end?

Anybody that's chosen He played in the NBA a long time, two teams they don't like are the Lakers and the Celtics. But I want to tell you, I really thought the Celtics earned their Championship. They had the most talented team all year long, and in many ways, they dominated the NBA. And now the NBA has an enemy. They know who they got to shoot at. Boston is not going to go away. And it's going to be a hell of a year coming up.

Are you of the belief that Wembenyam is going to be all the championships in three years? I am not.

I still like my man Jokić here in Denver more than like one of them, Balyama, but I think he'll wear his championship.

Are you of the belief that Jokich has no precedent as a player and that you would be willing to already put him top five all time as a basketball player?

I think he's top 10. I don't know about top five.

Give him time.

Right. George, I have the perfect small things guy for the Hall of Fame. You coached him, Nate McBillin. That is a guy. That is the epitome of doing all the small things, right?

That's a great example of it. I think Boston had a Hall of Famer in a holiday. Yes.

You We're so strange, Stugatz. Stugatz is here celebrating. I like the little things. He's connecting with George Karl over the little things. The call is Wednesday night at 8:00 PM Eastern. It's always good talking to him. I will tell you to rsvp@hoopersforharris. Org. I will also ask you to hold George Karl. George, we're not going to let you forget, you have promised our audience that you are publicly going to put down the sword in your feud with Carmelo Anthony in the name of Being Unified. We're going to hold you to it, all right?

I'm not going to ask you any more questions. You're right. I'm not going to ask you any more on public policy.

Thank you, George. Good seeing you, sir.

Okay, guys. Good luck.