Kevin Harlan Interview

Kevin Harlan's now with this on sports triad. No one from the NFL. And yes Monday Night Football on sports on triad and Westwood One and of course, MBA Turner Kevin, the times appreciated before we get into basketball and football, I've just been reminded because Sawyer's been playing Justin Timberlake songs all day that he rides and dies with JT. I'm a big Coldplay fan.

I don't know why am bidding that publicly so I wanted to ask you this because Astro person earlier who is the artist Kevin Harlan has always been a fan of like the thick and thin. Kevin Harlan Reiger dies with artist two is it now I don't know that I like all kind of music I like.

I mean, I like everything, so I don't really have that shallow guy didn't know I really don't have a go to.

Sometimes I'll even be checking at a hotel in the replay music you know you know I try to try to show them my kid lap but the not I really I don't think I've got a think I got up to go to but I appreciate all kinds and like all kinds and and will not not turn up anything really. I am open to everything Kevin Harlan the country boy. I know you with the Kansas and spent time in Kansas and Kansas City country music that is is Kevin Harlan, a country boy at heart a little bit. Yeah, not my wife, Jack got me a little bit in the end of that either. I like I really try, like everything, so I really and even though I can't even name and I could name of thought.

The from Bali and I'm driving villainess, like I can't think right now but I can't keep. You must really and double songs are like I truly I everything I covered all I like Diana: kind of single classics and a lot of Frank Sinatra and then I Coldplay I'm I'm I'm good with goal planning and all of it I die I will tell you that I like, you know, let's get to your area of expertise that Kevin Harlan spending time on triad so you are in the bubble for quite a bad so what was how did expectations meet reality for what it actually was much better than I was expecting always say that was nice and we could leave the ground hotel grounds because the quarantine but you know food is readily available eating disorder appropriate post mates or whatever – that's all all use them all like the hotel was terrific. There is a golf course right by some guys played a lot of golf. I had so many games to do and a lot of NFL work to come and catch up on my days were spent pretty much in the room they take the bus over the over the arena your game to get back in the bus after working a 15 minute ride to and from and was alive guided nice benefits as I had a lot of lunches at the hotel with some of my buddies. I don't get to see that much like Mike Breen and and a passion INE: spirit it is and in others so it was really it was really nice is opportunity related spent that Brian Anderson does the problem games never travel in the same direction, all going in 18 different directions, but that was fun and games were greatly broadcast facilities were terrific around before, but we were up on the mezzanine level and glass-enclosed Plexiglas in" broadcast boots and individually that with them. That was fine I thought was going to work with is like a big TV studio and it became seem as real as possible and I recommend the MBA all smart technical people at Turner and ESPN for what they did because they made it about as perfect as you could possibly help on the current condition when you look at tonight's action. He looked to advance to the NBA finals are up three games to one on the Boston Celtics. Eight 3010 for that game. And when you look at the Miami Heat. Do you see an organization with a roster building template that can't really be replicated elsewhere because not everybody has Pat Riley or Eric's. Or do you look at it.

On the other side of the coin as a team whose core players aren't really guys were drafted in the top 10 of the draft.

That should give every small-market team, maybe even like the Hornets in Charlotte hope that they can build the team the same way. Well, I do think their culture in Miami with the organization mention Riley will.

Great part of their success. There is no doubt about that and they are very patient their pagan development there.

Forgetting value.

The lease later pick in the draft.

They are not afraid to go after robust free agents and that is been evident, they can make a trade with the best of them.

They just seem to check every box I I think that any organization could do that but I think it again puts a premium on what the jury is who is making those decisions.

Once the chain of command when you bring them in. How you get them ready hottie teacher. You have a style is no continuity and is there a method and a process which is followed as proven successful, and so it takes people in management with great conviction to go ahead and make those decisions and follow a plan and not sacrifice or succumb to pressure or something that may be tantalizing but you know long-term doesn't necessarily fit so they have a certain kind of guy they go after they know the style of play they want to go after employers.

Little Philip and you like really it's it's not superstar laden team by any stretch. Jimmy Butler is probably the most known commodity is thriving in three young players to rookies in her kid is in his second year. The only played 10 games of the rookies are really his first full season in the NBA, so I commend him like I think what that this is the way I'd love to see it. I am not a fan of outbidding and getting a high-priced guy thinking that's good. Change culture change everything about what you've been and what you hope to be. It begins really in small moves and they've made him and have been successful in Miami. You huge fan of Riley and its culture. They get it right and that they follow a plan. The process which which is serve them well and look at the teams that are remaining here. I mean it's the Denver Nuggets of another down three games to one. A really homegrown team with the oak kitchen. Jamaal Murray in the drafting is really good and the culture microloans built. I mentioned Miami, but even going back to last year. Toronto they didn't have any lottery pics in that rotation and they want to title so I think the league gets this perception cabin that all it's the big markets that dominate and on top of that you have to win the lottery. Essentially, in order to have a chance to win big. If you're small-market team.

We just haven't seen that the last two years. I am hoping that in the gumbo will stay in Milwaukee at the NBA but somebody's middle-market small-market franchises are able to keep name players. Oklahoma City couldn't keep the rent couldn't keep ardent couldn't keep Westbrook sought them all get traded or knew that they could be reassigned for the trade was made. I I am I my sidelight. That story so much.

It sometimes seems like the easy way out to be quite honest when it is not homegrown and you don't draft them and you don't develop them and you don't plan, which is the hard part and the part locations and foresight are needed to go out and sign a guide for the max you know it's it's it's easy to do because you got pocketbooks, but not because you showing the kind of acumen. The drafting developing teaching and training in developing a culture that surrounds one of those you call him Ronan Kevin Harlan's this year on the importance done to try it. I will close things out on this because I don't know if you know this Kevin, but 20 years ago today Vince Carter completed what many believed to be the greatest dunk in the history of basketball. Maybe when you're talking about. Jumping over a 7 foot to center in the Olympics 20 years ago today. You covered Vince for a long time. It's crazy to think that until two or three months ago or a guess six months ago now marched lease there was still a lineage back to Dean Smith in the MBA somebody was coached by Dean Smith playing in the NBA and was vents. What's your favorite memory of Vince Carter and all the years you cover well. I have always admired the professional he was and how he embraced the Tar Heel system and and really you got to schools in that state would do that that have produced a long line of very successful NBA players but Kroger in particular was from the state of Florida went to North Carolina and played installed and was terrific and you know this this great appreciation for training and treat your body the right way, thinking the game through changing his game as he got older and was always a contributor in whatever situation and on whatever team you play.

Now you to plan a new team at ESPN as a broadcaster and my guess is you'll be just as successful there as he was a player but I think you always appreciate guys that have the God-given gifts to sustain that Kino length of her career at the professional level hard to do. Some guys have all the right intentions and and they still unable to because the body just clicks up, he was blessed with the body. The Them. You know, very prominent and alive and in the game for many years longer than most. And so I'm sure he shows great appreciation for what he was blessed with initially but he had to think the game through it had to be that leader.

He had appeared commodity the teams wanted and am certainly most of all those traits, a lot of what he was began under Dean at Carolina with the Tar Heel program and if that is one of the other many many attributes of Dean Smithson what he what he made it happen then.

What a great testament looking to coach a man he was and and certainly what what Vince Carter became after he left the program. It's it's a great story all the way around. Yeah, just a few years ago. Somebody tipped me off to the fact hey Vince is going to be awesome at this television thing and then he did a podcast. Did some work in Atlanta when he is with the Hawks in the for TMD.

I believe, and then now is in ESPN's we wish them the best of luck.

I wish you the best of luck Kevin I know your schedule is just insane. It always tends to be. Thanks for spending the time in the triad where Dan you are somebody who's respected all across sports but in Winston-Salem you were named the nor the national sportscaster of the year by the NSA.

Max out when you get down here sometime soon I will be down there next summer and hopefully before that, with the pamper camera game with with your NBA team Erin in downtown Charlotte wonderful building that both buildings are the football stadium in the rear. In our first class and it's always great to get back there love Charlotte love the Carolinas and that you're so nice to have me on Josh privileges mine. Thank you so much