"With Steph Curry, we’re literally watching Reggie Miller and Allen Iverson in one" - Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson in awe of the Golden State Warriors' main man
Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson has been a multimedia journalist since before he could legally get behind the wheel to drive. The NBA analyst, insider and writer is currently at Bally Sports giving fans not only elite analysis of the NBA, but what many clamor for: the behind-the-scenes information that makes stories go.
Scoop B is a bright talent in the field of sports journalism. After so many years of earning his chops in the game, the social media age is the perfect symmetry for Robinson to exact his name on the athletic landscape. With ears to sports streets, connections, integrity and honesty, Scoop B Robinson is a valued contributor to NBA culture as gifted as any other.
Scoop B stopped by Sportskeeda to talk about the assault on the 3-point record by Steph Curry, the season challenges of lebron-james' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>lebron-james' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>lebron-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks and irving' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>kyrie-irving' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>kyrie-irving' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>kyrie-irving" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets.
We hope you enjoy our convo.
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There was a fan that shot a courtside video of Steph Curry hitting a first-quarter buzzer beater. It was amazing footage seeing it from a fan view. It was a couple of rows here or there of the scorer’s table. It was the whole play: him getting the ball, navigating through the defender and pulling up right after the logo. It was crazy to see.
He’s an interesting dude. Even basketball purists have to begin to admit that he is creeping high into the elite tier.
I was hesitant to say it. In my generation we didn’t see jump-shooting teams winning championships even with a dominant post presence. We saw Phoenix Suns with Charles Barkley. Then there was Chris Webber’s Sacramento Kings. Those teams seemed to always fall short.
Yet, Steph Curry in this era is taking full advantage of the rules and has exploited them to where his final 3-point numbers will be simply incredible.
How would you characterize Steph Curry in a common basketball sense as well as for time?
Robinson: “Well, there’s a couple of things you need to take into account. One, you talk about your era. We graduated through time from Dr. James Naimsmith all the way to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Dr. J – Julius Erving – which ushered into the era of Michael Jordan and Shaq, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, kobe-bryant" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kobe Bryant to LeBron James.
The funny thing is, we anticipated LeBron. We didn’t anticipate Tracy McGrady’s impact. Iverson brought the barbecue to the basketball court. In some respects, Curry has ushered in the family going to the movies to see the PG movie. It just so happens that the PG movie is the box office hit – whether you want to see it or not.
17 years ago today, Tracy McGrady scored 13 points in the final 33 seconds to lead the Rockets to an incredible comeback win! 🔥
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When you look at Steph Curry and what he has been able to do on a basketball court, it’s easy for folks to say that he’s the son of a basketball player. He’s second generation; he’s a silver spoon guy. No. He just happened to rain on LeBron James’ parade when everybody was saying LeBron was dominating.
The crazy part is, many people thought he crammed for the test in 2015, yet he actually was prepared, and he continued to dominate. That’s a testament to, one, he’s healthy; two, the Golden State Warriors' front office vision dating back to (what) Mark Jackson had, and the vision was executed.
Steve Kerr didn’t plant the seed, but he enjoyed the fruit. That’s not a knock on him. That’s just a matter of circumstance.
Ultimately what you’re seeing is a resurgence. Steph Curry and the Warriors, as a team, are experiencing early season success – which could create championship dreams coming true in the same way that LeBron leaving Cleveland and going to Los Angeles as an individual created for him when he won a championship with the Lakers in the bubble in 2020.
Curry and those guys were banged up and got rusty, and now they’re healthy, and they've got Andre Iguodala back.
When you look at LeBron and what happened in Cleveland, the first go-around. He went to Miami and experienced some success then went to Cleveland and brought that culture to Cleveland with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and others.
Then, after that portion of life was done, he found his way back to some winning ways in Los Angeles in Year Two that he needed to do. I’m willing to argue that when you look at LeBron and what happened with him in Year One with the Lakers, had he not hurt his groin, the Lakers were that good that they could have competed for a championship, but Mother Nature is not set up that way.
Steph Curry in the same vein, comparatively, I think Steph Curry is in a situation where he and his team are in a good situation whether you hate him or you like him. That PG movie is finding his way back. Do we want to see "Singalong 2" or not? "Singalong 1" was great, and the jury is still out, but the way it’s looking right now, it could top the box office again."
Facts. If you had a team of historical basketball players. For example, and you know I’m going to say who I love: I would have Wilt, Mike, LeBron, and in my opinion it’s still Charles Barkley. A lot of people say Tim Duncan, yet I go with Barkley there. In terms of the point guard, it’s very difficult for me to comprehend that Steph Curry is that guy right there.
Yet, as it is looking right now, and the Warriors fulfill their goals this year in winning a championship with all the stuff that swirls; that gives you the motivation to win a championship that you were saying earlier.
If this dude wins it this year, and just runs off a string or even just has great years until he gets out of here, how will it be not said that he is the top point guard ever?
We are in the throes of the first 100 years of (NBA) basketball. So say basketball evolves into something 100 year later. These people we are speaking about might not even be mentioned in like a George Mikan sense.
As it is right now, this blip in time right here, in 2021, Steph Curry to me is showing and proving that he is in that conversation, and I would have thought that was crazy maybe even six months ago.
Robinson: "In the eyes of young people, my age and younger? Steph Curry will be in that conversation of great point guards.
In the age of people my parents’ generation and my grandparents’ generation? They are still going to give Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas their props. Many people have villainized Isiah. You either like him or you hate him. You can’t replace Curry with Isiah, and I think that’s the problem as we enter 100 years of basketball.
We’ve been blessed with so many great talents that it’s like Lay's potato chips: You can’t have just one. Curry is a great talent that we’ve just not seen before. We’ve seen flashes of it.
"With Steph Curry, we’re literally watching Reggie Miller and Allen Iverson in one."
Yup. That’s it right there. That’s the comparison. That’s the one.
In the same state, as you alluded to earlier, LeBron James is having some difficulties in a very challenging season. He’s admitted to that publicly in press conferences. How do you ascertain him this season, and do the Los Angeles Lakers have a shot of fulfilling that goal this year of winning the NBA championship?
Robinson: "Well, I think it’s the marathon and not the sprint. It’s a marathon of 82 games. I think that for the Lakers, they are one of the original teams. Like, I look at the 13 colonies, the Lakers are one. They are one of the original “13 colonies” in the NBA, so a lot attention comes with it – being it’s the Lakers and being that it’s LeBron James.
He’s still the face of the franchise, but I’ll amend that since he’s walked in the door. He’s been still in his prime, but other players individually, and other teams collectively, have gotten better and that’s stuck – not just against his level of talent individually, but have also built their teams around the likeness of the Warriors.
When you look at the Lakers at large, they have names, but they’ve also dealt with names that have had injuries. I’d be willing to argue that one of the most consistent players on that team; someone that they (others) left for dead or they blackballed him, is Carmelo Anthony.
I think that when you look at LeBron and the Lakers, it gets to be a point that everybody wants to call for (coach) Frank Vogel’s job, but there does come a point where players stop responding. They did bring in David Fizdale as their lead assistant. Phil Handy is also sitting on that bench.
It’s crazy, because when you look at that situation in Los Angeles, and I spoke to someone who is held in high regard in the NBA that said to me, 'Damn, if only Jason Kidd had stayed one more year.'"
(laughter)
Robinson: "So to answer your question, it’s not really coaching as much as it is injuries, and adapting to a new culture. Those guys that are on that team that are stars, we kinda knew that this was going to be a case study in adjustments.
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Flashback to @thebig3’s first EVER game in Brooklyn back in 2017.
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Teams like that don’t really start gelling until February or March. The team that this reminds me of so far, and they ended up becoming champions, was the 2006 Miami Heat."
Yup. As you were talking, that is exactly who I had in mind.
Robinson: "Stan Van Gundy was let go. Pat Riley came down from the executive suite and coached that team. That team had Shaq, Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, Derek Anderson, Antoine Walker. They had some stars, and it took them a while to adapt.
This team reminds me of the 2006 Miami Heat team. How will that pan out? We’ll see."
That’s a great answer right there.
Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s one of the hungriest athletes I’ve ever seen. One that has stuck to his roots, and his roots are compelling him to stay this hungry and become one of the greatest athletes of all time.
How do you see him in defending his championship? His team is assembled with toughness, and now they have the experience and wisdom being they’ve won a championship. How do you see Giannis this year?
Robinson: "If you let the 24/7 media coverage tell it, Giannis and the Bucks were not even supposed to be there. I am part of the media, and I was somebody who really did feel like the Brooklyn Nets had the chance to compete.
There’s always the shoulda, coulda, woulda game as it relates to those in that camp getting hurt, and I think that we pay so much attention to the Nets, and Ben Simmons’ whereabouts, it took attention away from two small market teams – one in the Bucks and one in the Phoenix Suns.
Those are the two teams that were in the NBA Finals last year, and they both had quietly proficient and efficient seasons last year.
The Bucks started out slow. They are picking up the pace. I really like the move in acquiring DeMarcus Cousins, because Brook Lopez had surgery in L.A. recently. If I’m Giannis, I’m still motivated, because a lot of with his NBA bretheren he’s not exalted in the same way that other faces of the league are exalted.
When LeBron won championships, his presence was felt. When Wade was dominating, his presence was felt. When Kobe Bryant was winning championships, his presence was felt.
It’s not the same type of presence or level of regal royalty with Giannis that it was with the previous people I named.
I’m not looking for people to kiss the ring, but this is a guy that’s an NBA champion. He’s won multiple MVPs. For a long time, a lot of people were judging him off his playoff failures some seasons ago. He’s righted those wrongs, and to be honest with you, as much as we pay attention to Giannis, his supporting cast is just as impressive.
Khris Middleton is no chopped liver. Jrue Holiday’s impact in Milwaukee was just as significant in his first year as Lonzo Ball’s is at least early on in Chicago. Ironically, they (Holiday and Ball) both came from New Orleans."
How about that?
Robinson: "There’s something in the water over there."
Heat over Bucks
Cavs over Bulls
76ers over Hornets
I’m 3/3 in my picks tonight over at @BovadaOfficial.
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The Brooklyn Nets are up and down. They went on a little tear and now seem to be settling in. James Harden is the key to me, whether he wants to put in the work to get his body right. Yet, as you said, it’s a marathon and not a sprint, so maybe he’s pacing himself as well.
How do you see the Brooklyn Nets right now still in the absence of one of the best players in the NBA, Kyrie Irving?
Robinson: "They are a first-place team. What the Chicago Bulls did was interesting. Chicago has gotten that much better in a short amount of time. You look at even the Washington Wizards. I think ultimately when you take a look at the Eastern Conference, the Bucks and the Nets are NBA championship favorites in the East.
You take a look at the next tier – the Wizards and the Bulls – they are championship hopefuls. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Atlanta Hawks, they are NBA playoff possibilities.
The Nets are expected to be a championship team this year. Really and truly, they were ahead of their time last year.
They were in their first year of Kevin, James and Ky coming together. Conditioning on the Harden side is an issue that reared its head in the playoffs. Kyrie’s ankle, you couldn’t really control that. Kevin was the first to carry that team. He had some help from Jeff Green as well who is in Denver now, but as the Nets are constructed, Joe Harris, he’s out.
One of the things that has been impressive to me is DeAndre Bembry. Cam Thomas got into that role in the G-League and got to the big league and did what he needed to do. Also, Patty Mills – who I still say was the biggest steal of the NBA offseason, and it benefited Brooklyn because of the ultimate Kyrie Irving missing guy milk act.
The Nets, they have a good supporting cast, but everybody seems to think that in order to be a successful NBA championship team, you need a three-headed monster. The Lakers did it in 2020 with two stars in Anthony Davis and LeBron. The Bucks were a threee-headed monster and super team that showed up at different points last year.
You look at James? He needs to be healthy. You know they need Kevin. He needs to be healthy, but I’m hoping that Kyrie finds his way to greener pastures soon. Whatever that may be. Whether it may be the new mayor-elect, Eric Adams, making an exception, or Kyrie actually getting the vaccine as I’ve reported on Dec. 6th, Kyrie is 100% vegan with a plant-based diet.
I know there (are) some plant-based vaccines that are currently in clinical trials, so that could be an option. Hopefully, they come up with something, because they need him.
I want to make notice like I did in the article that he’s the happiest that he’s ever been in a while. That happiness stems from the decision he made to come to the New York metropolitan area to flip for the hometown team that was once in New Jersey and is now in Brooklyn. He’s happy, because he feels as though his family and friends can see him play kinda like high school.
He’s happy because he’s around family, but he’s also sad, because he cannot play basketball. He loves the game. He actually wants to play. The big thing about playing for the Nets, which was a big selling point, was that he technically grew up on both sides of the Hudson: in both the Bronx and in West Orange, where he played CYO basketball.
This was a coming home of sorts, but the portion about the jab is the part that is really frustrating. Basketball is what he loves to do; he loves the game. He loves the people in the city; he loves the people in the borough. He loves his family in New Jersey, and that is what he was most excited about.
When someone close to him said to me he’s the happiest he’s been in years, a big portion of that is just the fact that he is home.
Cleveland, he won a championship; Boston didn’t end the right way. The fact that he is home in the area was really a selling point, and he’s happy that he’s home, and he’s disappointed that he cannot play basketball because of those mandates.
It’s not that the NBA is telling him to sit home. It’s New York City that has made that mandate about being fully vaccinated, and the Nets don’t want a part-time player, so he’s disappointed that he can’t play, because he likes to be in front of his family.
Just a couple of years ago, he had his Kyrie Invitational at the Barclays Center. It was basically a New Jersey outing and with some New York teams as well. He was able to bring that whole tristate together, and he misses that portion of basketball.
That’s a shame because we all miss him out there.