Ian Eagle reacts to SHOCKING Brooklyn Nets draft | Will next year change team’s trajectory FORVER?

Ian Eagle reacts to SHOCKING Brooklyn Nets draft | Will next year change team’s trajectory FORVER?

Coming up, could the next year change the trajectory of the Nets franchise forever? Ian Eagle joins the show to give his take and talk about his legendary broadcasting career. [Music] You are Locked on Nets, your daily Brooklyn Nets podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome in to the Locked On Nets podcast right here on the Locked On Podcast Network. It’s your team, the Brooklyn Nets, every single day. I’m Eric Slater, Brooklyn at speed reporter for clutchoints.com. Thank you for making me your first listen of the day. This show is 100% free on all those great platforms. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Head to fanduel.com to get started. And on today’s show, we got a very special guest. Ian Eagle joins me to talk about Brooklyn’s historic draft, the team’s rebuild plans, his 30-year Nets broadcasting career, and more. And joining the pod now, probably don’t even need to introduce him. Could just let you guys hear his voice. You would all know who it is. We got Ian Eagle, longtime voice of the Nets. How are you, man? I appreciate you taking the time as always. Yeah, doing well, Eric. Great to chat with you. We’re almost there. It’s right around the corner. It is right around the corner. With that, we got a lot of Nets talk, but we also you got some big stuff going on this season. You have officially gone big time on all of us smalltime Nets folk. You are going to be the lead voice of Amazon’s NBA coverage. You’ll be scaling back the Nets responsibilities a little bit. So, just what are your expectations for this new Amazon gig? uh what they’re doing over there and you know transitioning from the Nets to an national role for much of the season. Really excited to be a part of something from day one from the ground up. They’re starting this fresh. They are doing it with the intention of being the best. That’s how they view what they get involved in. And I’ve just already seen their whole vibe and how they approach the job and just the the general feeling around the company. They are smart people. They are going into this with excellent intentions and I just know already from my interactions with them they want to put together a topflight broadcast. So, like anything else, when you start, you you really just want to develop credibility first and foremost. And I think with the hires that they made, there will be a lot of recognition early from basketball fans. And like anything, fans just want to exhale when they put the game on. They want to know that this is going to look like the NBA, sound like the NBA, feel like the NBA. And I think as time goes on, you can add some new wrinkles here and there, and I don’t think they’ll be shy about trying things. And that to me is what really stood out in any of my experiences so far. They’re willing to swing for the fences, and if they don’t connect, they’ll try something else. But I think this is the time to do it and uh they’re the ones to to get it done. It’s going to be great. And we’re lucky enough to still have you, you know, around the Nets and on the broadcast, even if at a smaller capacity. And the Nets are going to have five rookie first round picks this season. And that’s obviously never happened for any NBA team. But a surplus of young talent like that is very unusual for this Nets organization, especially since coming to Brooklyn. So, what was your reaction to that draft? And does having all of those young rookie guys add a new level of excitement for you surrounding this season and the direction that the organization is going? Well, there’s certainly a feeling of mystery because while you may feel as if you have a handle on what exactly this team is going to look like, what the rotation is going to look like, and what the the dayto-day feelings around this team will be. You don’t know. You just don’t know. And there’s no doubt in my mind that uh you’ve got to in this situation have GM and head coach completely aligned as to what the objective is. Developing talent. There’s no doubt about that. That’s part of the reason why Jordy Fernandez and his staff are with the Nets. And then to me evaluating who could be a part of this moving forward because big decisions will be made over the next two to three years as to what this is really going to look like trying to attract free agents, what the draft will look like for next year. All of these factors will come into play, but you got to figure out who’s going to be a part of it. And to me, that’s everybody on the roster. There is no guarantee of anyone on this current roster that will be here a year from now, two years from now, three years from now. The hope is that they really hone in on who fits, who doesn’t, and then make some shrewd moves around that. But there is a a real sense of intrigue based on the fact uh all of this is just very fluid right now from the positions to how much playing time individuals are going to get, who’s going to crack the rotation, who’s going to be in the G-League. To me, these are all legitimate questions as we get ready for opening night. Have you gotten a chance to see any of these rookie guys play or interact with them or any thoughts or any of these guys that have stuck out from you uh to you initially? No interactions personally yet. I did watch the the preseason game against Phoenix. So, got a feel for that. And I think that was a great example of what this can be where there going to be moments. Uh there’s going to be that youthful zeal and with that uh you’ll you’ll get some surprises, some things that that might lift you out of your chair a bit when you’re watching. And then the flip side of that is you do have inexperience at this level which also leads to some uh un unfortunate clunkiness potentially on the court. But look, initially you know that Cam Thomas is going to go score if he’s in the game. I I still believe he’s one of the more gifted scorers that I’ve seen in all my years of of doing this. the guy is a legitimate bucket. Now, how he is perceived around the NBA is probably something he now has to focus in on because of his future. I still believe that he will make a lot of money playing professional basketball that his skill is something that does translate and somebody will be interested. Will it be the Nets? Will he be a part of this thing moving forward? That part I do not know. Uh Porter also will score and I think he’s got a focus on showing what he’s capable of. The way he views it. He fit in in what was needed in Denver and now this will be a time for him to really showcase his skills. He’s very gifted and no one has ever denied his talent. You know, the questions are, can you build a team around him or is he a piece on a really good team, but not necessarily considered a frontline piece? And will his future be in Brooklyn? There are some other veterans on the team. Terrence Mandam was a really sound pickup, someone that, you know, uh, is going to come play hard every single night. Versatile piece. I think Jordy Fernandez will enjoy coaching him. All indications, anyone I’ve ever spoken to in regards to Terrence tells me the same thing. Class act, comes from a great family and is a professional through and through. And then it starts getting interesting on who fits in where and who will emerge in this next grouping of the rookies. You know, we don’t really know yet what Jaor do is. I just want to make sure I say his name correctly. I was going to bring that up to you. I I I think uh me and a few of the other Nets reporters did you a solid because we asked him about it in Las Vegas. And he actually he did the deak. He said when he came to the States, he just said Demen because he thought that was too complicated for, you know, us dumb Americans to be able to pronounce international names correctly. But it’s it’s Domen like D Y O min. So yes, I’m sure you’ll have it down path. But yeah, the the the expectation, you know, and the priorities for this Net’s team this season, it’s there’s really three. It’s going to be determining which of these veterans and some other younger guys are going to be part of the team moving forward, developing the rookies, and then the draft position, obviously. And you’ve seen a lot of great players come through the Nets, but they really haven’t had as an organization that homegrown star guy really in the franchise’s history. I mean, you can go all the way back to Dr. J, ABA days, obviously. And then you talk about Nets lottery picks who turned into allstars. I mean, you have Buck Williams way back. You have Derek Coleman and Kenny Anderson in 94. I think I think that all-star season for them was the season before you started. Am I Am I correct? And then you look you look beyond that. I mean since the turn of the century it’s Kenyan Martin in ’04 and Brook Lopez in 2013. Those are the only guys homegrown guys to make an all-star team. And you know good players but not that next level of guy you would say. And the Nets have this rookie class and there’s a decent chance that they could have a top pick in next year’s draft which several draft people I’ve talked to have said is even stronger at the top than this past year’s. So when you talk about that ability to, you know, try to get people invested, grow a fan base, have something build something sustainable, you know, how what is the level of excitement for you? And, you know, how do you think that, you know, having a chance to hit on one of these type of homegrown guys could change things and maybe perception wise for this Net’s organization? It changes everything. And we don’t know if it’s going to come out of this year’s draft. We don’t know if it’ll come out of next year’s draft, but just look at teams that have had success in this league. It usually requires somebody that you drafted and you developed. Now, the ones that really stand out as we know what the San Antonio Spurs did to go from David Robinson to Tim Duncan, uh, to have the likes of Genobi and Parker and then adding pieces, Kawhi Leonard was drafted by San Antonio, won a championship. He ends up winning a championship in Toronto after the trade was made. But ultimately, I think in this league, in order to get a fan base truly on board, they want to see it from the beginning. And I’ll be the first to tell you from a play-by-play person’s perspective, the KD, Kyrie, Harden games were exciting. They were exciting to call. you were talking about the the highest skill level of basketball on display. They just didn’t have enough of them together and then the ones that they did, they were played under very odd circumstances with no fans in the arena and uh the COVID uh issues that were in play at the time. So, I think the Nets recognize that it it has to be a bit of an a a blank canvas for them to do this the right way. and to just try to to plug a hole there and uh make a a decision on on a name that that might draw some attention but may not be sus sustainable for them down the road is not the right way to do it and the part of the equation and you’ve seen it Eric play out players do not think about tanking they don’t view tanking in any way shape or form They are concerned about minutes and money and reputation and building something in the NBA. So, there’s not a player out there that will tell you, “I’m all in on tanking.” Organizations will have a different viewpoint as we know. And what we learned last year was that Jordy Fernandez can really coach. That’s not a debate. He’s prepared. He understands finger on the pulse, how to handle players. I think he’s a excellent X’s and O’s coach. And then I think he fully gets basketball situations, strategy, time management. Check, check, check, check. The feeling going into this season is look at their roster and now make a determination whether or not this team could be competitive. They could be fun. Those two can be mutually exclusive. This could be a fun team, but it may not be a competitive team when you start going over the wins and losses. And then as an organization, you have to start making some big picture decisions about what that means moving forward. Yeah, it’s no, you know, it seems like it’s no quick fixes anymore. And you know, whether or not the Nets were forced into that situation or that decision, that’s where they landed. And I think they’ve done a good job since then with that male Bridges trade which by all accounts everyone thinks they received great value and then getting their picks back from Houston and landing a coach most importantly in Jordy Fernandez who seems like he can get guys to buy in and really knows what he’s doing on both ends of the floor. So it’s all really exciting and we’ll see how it plays out. But we’re going to have a quick break. When I come back I want to talk to you more about this Net’s broadcast, what makes it so spe so special, your son Noah, him getting involved and a few other things. So, I have all that and more when we continue locked on Nets after a quick break. The NFL season is here and FanDuel has an offer you don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and get $300 in bonus bets if you win. That’s right. Pick a bet, put down five bucks, and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Guys, FanDuel gives you so many ways to play. You can build parlays, try player props, and even follow live lines during games. It makes watching football even more exciting when you know you’ve got a little something riding on the action. Whether you’re a casual fan or just love diving into the stats, FanDuel makes the game day experience so much better. 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I’ve gotten to know a lot of you guys just as talented as you are, just as great a people. But just what makes this Net’s broadcast so special because over the years we’ve seen that talent turn over and it seems like the quality of this Nets broadcast just stays at that level where it almost seems like it’s a national broadcast. And if you’re a fan of the Nets and have followed the Nets for years as I have, it’s you really feel lucky to get to, you know, view this broadcast on a nightly basis. So in your mind, what has allowed this product to stay such a high level over the years? Eric, I think there’s a certain standard that Yes came in with of wanting to produce network quality broadcasts and it was important for them. They made hires with that in mind. So initially John Philipelli who was the main decision maker at yes had a vision of what this could look like and what he thought it should be and over time it it really did develop in that manner. In addition hiring producer Frank Deg Grace who just took every broadcast with the the kind of care that you look for in someone from that position. Frank is moving on to NBC. He’s going to run the NBA on NBC. That should speak great volumes as to the work that he did and the reputation that he built within the industry. And now Josh Isaac will step in who had been working on Liberty Broadcast and will produce the Nets games. And I think again that’s the the whole point of it is a certain level has been achieved and it’s about maintaining that level. whatever talent has rolled in, play-by-play announcers, analysts, sideline reporters, when you’re on that team, you feel as if you want to get to a certain level because of the reputation within the industry. And then there is a fun factor and that’s just a tone that that’s set from production meeting all the way through the broadcast recognizing that it’s still entertainment. It’s not just the the play on the court. It’s uh trying to do something a little extra and recognizing when to do it and not just doing it gratuit gratuitously. So, you know, for me it it really is just very much a lot of pride of being associated with this broadcast with this team and this organization for all of these years. I was very young when I got the opportunity. It was John Spolstra who gave me that shot, the then president of the Nets, father of Eric Spolstra. And I think back to that sit down with him, which is now more than 31 years ago, where that connection was formed. Little did I know at that point that it would become such an integral part of my life, but I couldn’t even imagine my career at this point without having the Nets front and center as a part of it. And when you talk about your career, you know, being at Syracuse, I I got was lucky enough to spend a year at Syracuse and be at New House and just see the amazing things that they do, then coming to New York, being in production, getting your shot with the Nets and just rising in the way that you have. Did did you ever envision it playing out this way or you reaching this level, you know, to what you’ve been able to do with this Nets organization, but also football on a national scale, the NCA Final Four, just everything that’s happened. like what would your younger self you you know think if they saw this through a crystal ball? Yeah, there was probably a little bit of naive in in my world of believing all of this was very possible and that probably was healthy in one form because I was undeterred and then unhealthy in another form where you create expectations. But it’s interesting. I didn’t enter this field with the idea that I needed to do all of these different things in order to be satisfied. I really did enter the field with the right mentality, which was I just want to make a living at this. I want to do something I really enjoy. I want to wake up in the morning. I want to be excited about what I do. That was 100% my main goal and objective. And then anything above and beyond that turned into gravy. And I was really lucky and fortunate to get some chances along the way and do well in those chances. Not just get them, but actually do a good job and start to excel in certain areas. And I look back on it now and think to myself, you know, if I made a left turn here or a decision there that might have changed the course, it doesn’t really in my mind uh have anything to do other than the fact that I went in with the right approach and my my goal and to this day I I still believe it. If you’re not getting better, if you’re not a student of this, if you’re not trying to polish your skills, that means you’ve lost sight of what this job is supposed to be. So, I don’t get caught up and crazed about what my next assignment is, and where am I going? Is this a stepping stone to something else? I really do lock in on what’s my shortterm responsibility. Go do that well and then move on to the next one. Yeah. You’ve been lucky enough to have your son come in be a part of this next broadcast this this past year. He’s obviously going to NBC also. He’s going to be he’s doing so many amazing things. But just what has it been like to have him on him on board? And I wanted to ask you, do you ever have anybody confuse you guys on a broadcast? you know, falling because I think it was the Texas the Texas A&M Notre Dame game. And I had a friend text me and say, “Man, Ian Eagle is amazing. He’s just as good at football as he is at basketball.” And I said I said, “Hey, Ian is just as good at football. He’s unbelievable.” But that’s actually his son Noah on the call. And they’re like, “Oh my god, I didn’t even realize.” So like, has that ever happened to you guys? You know, you guys look alike, you also sound alike, have a similar style. I’m just wondering like anybody ever mix it up. Yeah. No. is is more yolked than I am. I’m I’m willing to accept that as a reality, but I appreciate it. The fact that you would even put us in the same classification, Eric. Uh the reality is, yes, it happens quite often. I get uh texts, random texts from people on a game that Noah’s calling and telling me how much they’re enjoying the coverage of me doing it. And then I have to break the news to them that it’s not me, it’s my brother. I I just I downplayed a little bit. I don’t want them to to feel too bad. I have had a few NBA broadcasters come up to me and and tell me that they recently saw my brother, which is fantastic. I don’t have a brother, by the way, but I I just go along with it sometime. It depends on the broadcaster and whether or not I correct them, but it it’s been beyond cool. Cool doesn’t even begin to describe what the experience has been like. Uh when you have a child that is interested in what you do, that in and of itself is really something that you have gratitude for. And then when it goes beyond that, when they’re not just interested, that they want to do what you do and then beyond that they’re actually successful at it and have talent and ability. That’s the one thing about this business. And you know, I fully recognize there there are people out there that are trying to break in and trying to figure out what the path is and they see someone with the last name Eagle get a shot. And look, I do think because of his last name, there were people that were probably interested or curious in speaking with him about a potential position. But in this job, if you don’t do it well, you don’t do it. The audience is the final decision makers in all this. Someone might give you a shot, but that’s just it. It’s only a shot. You’ve got to actually go out and do the work. So, that part of it, I’ve been incredibly proud to to see Noah develop his skills and really take this job and this role seriously. He wants to be great at it. He doesn’t take it for granted. He cares about it a great deal. It matters to him. And then the other part, and one day you’ll see this yourself, Eric, when uh you you have a child in this world potentially, you just want them to be happy. You want them to be happy in what they do. That’s really what it comes down to. And you know, at such a young age, I mean, Noah’s risen to such heights, which is obviously a testament to how good he is at this. And one of those places was the Olympics this past summer, which is pretty unbelievable for him to be calling that alongside Dwayne Wade at his age. But then he gets, you know, that gold medal game where Steph Curry is just go or maybe that was a silver game where Steph Curry is just going, you know, ape, you know what, and hitting that are unbelievable. And this is really like that game is going to be a legendary moment for the country basketball in this country. Also for the career arc of one of the greatest players to ever play the game and you’re listening to your son on the call just getting to go nuts over these threes. Just like what was that moment like? It must have been pretty surreal. It was completely surreal. I felt stressed on multiple levels. Uh, I felt stressed as a US basketball fan and the potential that they were going to get upset in what was the semi-final game and then eventually in the gold medal game. And then as a dad knowing that your kid is on the microphone and you don’t get a backspace, you get your one shot to describe what’s happening and that’s it and it’s going to live forever whether you like it or not. So that’s where I was coming from. All right, we’re going to have one more break. When we come back, going to talk about some Nets memories and also some pretty influential figures throughout your broadcasting career. So, we’ll close out Locked on Nets after a quick break. Pelaton is shaping the future of fitness with the brand new Pelaton crossraining tread plus powered by Pelaton IQ. It’s their most advanced equipment yet, designed to give you real time guidance and endless ways to move whether you’re running, lifting, or crossraining with your favorite instructors. Guys, this is training reimagined. Pelaton is built for breakthroughs with tools that help you plan, stay motivated, and reach peak performance. Guys, I love how the Pelaton IQ system offers real time strength coaching. It actually tracks your reps, suggests the right weight, and corrects your form, making every rep safer and smarter. The swivel screen is truly a gamecher. You can go from running on the Tread Plus to strength training without missing a beat. And the personalized class recommendations keep you engaged. You get workouts tailored to your vibe and energy level each week. So let yourself run, lift, flex, and push forward. Explore the new Pelaton cross trainining tread plus today at onepliton.com. Coming back from the break, closing out today’s Locked on Nets episode talking with Ian Eagle. And Ian, we spoke about, you know, your career arc and all those things. And you’ve been with the Nets for 30 plus years now, which is pretty unbelievable. And, you know, fans have been lucky enough to hear you during that time. and you’ve seen a lot during this Net’s time. What would you say? What sticks out to you as maybe the most fun or memorable moment or moments that you’ve had covering this Net’s team? Well, the Jason Kid years and in particular the first two going to back-to-back finals. It stands out because it just changed the way that the Nets were viewed. Up until that point, even in my broadcast career, you would walk into arenas and there was almost a sense of being dismissed. The fan bases in these different cities, the local media, the Nets were an afterthought. And that was the first time you could really feel the team being taken seriously, being viewed differently on a national scale. And I didn’t ever believe that that would make or break what I did. I always viewed the broadcast and the games in the same manner, which is, hey, go do a professional job. Your job is to inform and to entertain, and then whatever happens, whatever the final score is, is irrelevant to what you do. But that year, I realized that when a team goes on a run like that and you’re walking into arenas with a whole different way and feel about the team and even how people reacted to having Jason Kid in their arena and running the break with Kenyan Martin and with Carrie KDles and with Keith Van Horn, It was different and I realize it more so now maybe even than I did in the moment. When Vince Carter came on board, he just brought this incredible jaw-dropping element to the team. And from a broadcaster standpoint, it created must-see moments. you couldn’t leave the TV because there was a chance Vince would do something that you just haven’t seen before. And I don’t mean that in in a flip way. That’s real. He could actually do something that you just have never seen before. And he really became a complete player in my mind with the Nets. Uh other parts of his game really started to emerge and his love and passion for the game came through. He was the right guy at the right time for that team. As they started to swing the other way following the back-to-back championship experiences, he just brought new life and he needed them as much as they needed him. It was truly a perfect marriage at the time. Beyond that, I I must say just purely from a broadcaster point of view, the KD Kyrie Harden shortlived Troa, it was exciting to call. It kept me on my toes. It created some very memorable moments. It forced me to be better as a broadcaster to make sure that I would come up with something in the moment that could help tell the story and punctuate the moment and it made me better as a play-by-play announcer. So, while I think it’s sometimes debated as to what that period of time meant for Nets fans, I’m probably going to look back on it in a more p positive manner because of uh just the juice that it gave the organization at the time. More than anything else, Eric, it really is the people. You know, this is going to be year number 32 for me with the Nets. And that means you accumulate a lot of different experiences and different people, different personalities from players to coaches to staff members. You’re spending a lot of time with these people. And that struck me very early in my career. not just the media portion of it where we are working in close quarters but out on the road and the relationships that develop with people that you look up to and you admire. So more than anything else, I’ll probably look back at that and say that helped shape who I am as a broadcaster and to some degree who I am as a person because I was so young when I started that the majority of my professional experiences have come within that world and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And you’ve been, you know, doing this as long as you have. You’ve seen so many players come through, you know, on the Nets, not on the Nets, college, you know, is there one player, let’s say non-netss, you probably would have said Vince Carter based on your answer just now, but is there one player who you’ve called who’s just left you in awe or taken your breath away by how they play or something that they’ve done during a broadcast? You know, it’s interesting in in all of the national broadcasts that I’ve called, and I’ve called a ton. You I’ve been with TNT prior to this relationship with Amazon Prime Video for a long time. So that meant a lot of playoff games and bunch of regular season games in there as well. I haven’t had a ton of Warriors games. I’ve had some and I’ve certainly had my fair share, but there is some special unique quality to Steph Curry that you have to acknowledge. And I just had one of those moments this past season when the Warriors were in town doing the yes broadcast and he just flailed the ball towards the rim at the end of the first half just before the buzzer. And I I happen to have the perfect angle of it as the ball left his fingers and you can hear in my voice I knew it was going in and it’s from half court. So, as we know now more than ever based on the new rule where it’s not going to be a shot attempt on a player’s ledger, I think guys are going to start launching uh because they know it it’s not a demerit in any way. Steph never viewed it that way. He would take his shot from anywhere, but most of the time the ball is off and sometimes off by a lot. over the backboard well short, well to the right, well to the left. This ball had eyes and I could feel it in the moment. And of course it went in and it was what you think it is with Steph. It just seems out of this world in in some manner. He really is as skilled a player and fun a competitor as I’ve called in my years doing the NBA. Now, I’ve been really fortunate based on my timing that I got Jordan with the Bulls and the Wizards, Kobe, of course, all of his years with the Lakers, LeBron, Cleveland, Miami, Cleveland, LA. So my particular broadcasting tenure has covered that era. Steph deserves to be in the conversation just from a a sheer play-by-play person’s point of view of him doing something spectacular and special and different and doing it with a certain flare. Just the way he carries himself, you just know that it’s different. It’s not normal. Yeah, that game was unbelievable last year. And I I did a podcast on this show just talking about what the environment in the arena was like. Yeah. With him, you know, and for a play-by-play guy like yourself, I’ve never seen a player like Steph, even like LeBron or these other guys, just the anticipation when he gets the ball amongst the crowd. That’s probably because there’s a lot of Warriors fans in the building, but it’s just it’s so palpable. It’s it’s really unique. And that shot was just unbelievable. But last thing I want to close this out on, I want to do something where I’m going to give you a few names and I want you to just give me the first thing that pops in your mind and then just a brief explanation about what makes that person unique. Sure. First one, Jason K. Command. He just had complete command of what he was doing and he was like a conductor. his ability to orchestrate what he wanted to happen. I had never seen it up close and personal. Obviously had watched Magic Johnson on television, had watched other players that had that type of skill level, call John Stockton games. I just was really fortunate to have a front row seat to watch this man do what he did. um blown away blown away by by his IQ, by his acumen, and also just fun getting to know him. You know what I found with him when he was on the Nets and even since going into his coaching career, his first topic with me would always be NFL. He’s a legitimate sports fan. He’s a huge Raiders fan and the Raiders were not very good during his time with the Nets. So, our conversations, he knew that I was out on the road doing NFL games, in particular, Raider games. He was always curious where I was going next. It just shows a one thing which is you know he’s just a good guy beyond just being a basketball guy and two his awareness not just on the court but off the court wanting to know more. So I think uh a thirst and quench for knowledge. Richard Jefferson one of a kind. He his rookie year I remember him being incredibly sarcastic and thinking to myself, “This is either going to work or he’s going to get crushed.” And I didn’t know which way it was going to go truly. And he just had such an interesting way about him that it worked. uh he could bust balls with the best of him, but at the end of it, you’d still love him. He still had an affable quality about him. And it’s funny because now we get focused on the personality more than the player. Player was excellent. Richard was a tremendous player. And the fact that I omitted him earlier regarding the Jason Kid fast break, he benefited as much as anyone running up and down the floor. He was such a tremendous athlete and it’s funny. I think people have a misconception about him. He was an exceptionally hard worker. He cared a great deal about his craft and about improving. He wasn’t a great three-point shooter when he came into the league. He developed a three-point shot. He became a much better all-around player because he realized in order to be a sustainable NBA player, he had to improve. He didn’t just rely on his sheer athleticism. He got better as a player. He got himself to what could have easily been an all-star level. You know, the one of those years where one guy gets in over another guy. In my mind, R.J. was right there. is right on the cusp of of being an all-star. Rod Thorne, brilliant, brilliant guy, great basketball mind, highly competitive. It didn’t matter what it was, if he was playing cards, uh if you were having a conversation about history, basketball history, or American history. He wanted to win the argument. Rod, terrific guy. learned a lot from him and very impressed with how he handled himself. You could put him in any situation and he would find some kind of commonality with whoever he was speaking with. He was excellent with the media because he understood people. He recognized the right buttons to push. And then from a basketball standpoint, he did have a lot of foresight. Obviously, the kid deal is the one that he’s going to really bank his entire career on, but he had a bunch of really excellent moves. And to me, he was the architect. He was the reason why the Nets were as competitive as they were. And last one, Kevin Durant. I love the guy. I love his whole way. He’s a baller. I loved calling his games. I enjoyed speaking with him when we would chat. He’s a he’s a good dude. I find it interesting because I think it may be born out of boredom or just wanted to have some fun, but him getting involved in social media the way that he has, I think it’s satisfied an itch of some sort. He likes it. He likes the back and forth. He likes challenging people. I called a bunch of his games at Texas and I was thoroughly impressed with him there. I did not know he would turn into what he turned into. I thought he could be a really good NBA player. I did. I knew he could score. I knew he had a diverse skill set. One scout I remember speaking with that had asked my opinion about him because I had a number of his games his one year under Rick Barnes brought up the point, well just look at his ankles. I was like, okay, like I don’t think his ankles can sustain a long NBA career. That was their quote. And I was I was almost swayed in that direction because when you hear something so strong from someone that does it for a living, it starts to affect your thinking. But I didn’t I didn’t let it affect it. I just thought to myself, I’m like, I I think he’ll be all right. I think he turned out okay. It worked out. Definitely. Well, Ian, that was incredible. Appreciate you taking the time and looking forward to hearing you on the Nets games, also in this new Amazon role. But, uh, yeah, looking forward to catching up with you at Barclays in the coming week. All right. Yeah, see you soon, Eric. Always a pleasure, man. Gearing up. I’ll be reading your stuff throughout. You do a fantastic job. Keep it up. That does it for today’s episode of Locked on Nets. Hope you guys enjoyed the talk with Ian hitting on the Nets rebuild and everything having to do with his legendary broadcasting career. If you do not already, make sure to subscribe to Locked on Nets on YouTube and wherever you get your podcast, whether Apple podcast or Spotify. If you enjoy the content, take one second right now, hover the mouse over it, and smash that like button, leave a comment, leave a fivestar review. Anything you can do to engage is much appreciated. But we’re rolling on through the preeason. Regular season is approaching. The Nets got roster decisions coming up. So, I have all that and more when I’m back tomorrow talking more Brooklyn Nets basketball.

Ian Eagle joins Erik Slater to react to the Brooklyn Nets’ 2025 draft and give his take on how the next year could change the team’s trajectory. Eagle also speaks about his legendary broadcasting career and new role with Amazon for the upcoming season.

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