I got something to ask you a little bit hot right here.

And I'm a generalized by asking you this question.

Daryl Morey.

Daryl Morey is the new president of basketball operations in the city of Philadelphia.

Now, there are some people in that city that believes he is there, and the mission is to get James Harden to Philadelphia.

Now, I'm not gonna ask you about James Harden, but what I will ask you is this are you of the mindset that there are certain guys that are untouchable?

Are you of the mindset that no one is untouchable in professional basketball in particular?

That's a good question.

That's my first official head coach type question.

I appreciate, and I wouldn't expect it from anybody but you, Stephen A.

I appreciate that question, but as faras James, he's our guy.

You know, he's our guy.

And in the interview process, I talked to both James and Russ and let them know that the reason that I want this job is because of them.

So I expect those guys to be here.

I haven't heard anything else.

Uh, to the contrary.

So that's that Z how I feel about it and that's how it's gonna be, is there?

You know Russell Westbrook.

You bring up James and Russ.

Russell Westbrook is a phenomenal player, my favorite player toe watch, because he's always going at 100%.

But sometimes, coach, I got the feeling watching him in the playoffs, especially that he wants it so bad he almost pulls too hard, and I think it worked.

Has worked against him in the past.

What is your feeling about Westbrook and James Harden, for that matter in the playoffs and why they haven't already gone all the way?

They've both been on talented teams.

Well, first with Russ, I want him to play his game.

I want him to go.

I want to see all that energy.

I want to see all that fire and we'll work around all the other stuff.

You know that there are, But I mean, he's really the only one in the n b A.

That you see that fire from on the night tonight basis, whether it's Game one, game 40 or seventh game of the playoffs.

So that's that's what I want to see from him.

assed faras the past and why they haven't made the big jumps in the playoffs.

I'm not really sure I'm not really.

I didn't really get into that as much.

I'm really concentrating more on the future and what we could do with this group going forward and the big jump that we could make toe win a title.

Not just with those two, but with Eric Gordon and Covington and Tucker and guys like that.

It's a group effort, so toe kind of single out those two guys as a reason why or why not doesn't doesn't really resonate with me.

It's a group effort, and that's what we're trying to do here.

The great news about you being the new head coaches, that obviously you deserve it.

It's long overdue.

20 damn years was too long.

Let me be very, very clear about that.

That is the good news.

Here is potentially the bad news.

You're leaving you and don't get me wrong because you're an assistant.

And now your head coach.

I understand it.

But you're leaving.

Luca.

Donncha, can you talk about that for just a second?

What is gonna be like, not toe have that young brother.

Hey, it's gonna be a nightmare preparing for for Luca.

I've had the blessing of coaching him for the last two years and not having to prepare for him and creating offense.

That is a nightmare for other teams to prepare for.

So, uh, preparing for him is going to be hard.

But I feel like I have the tools here in Houston to do it and, like you said toe to grind it out for 20 years and get an opportunity to work for this owner.

And this GM and work with this team is perfect fit for me, and I'm looking forward to it.

So Dallas was great and it prepared me and especially Rick Carlisle.

Working for Rick definitely prepared me for this absolutely one of the best, not just one of the best coaches, but one of the best people absolutely prepared.

Me prepared me for this for this position that I'm looking forward to, even I'll let you go with this.

Stephen A always likes to talk about resume.

We mentioned the 20 years incredible as an assistant, but you also went to an Ivy League, which is very impressive as well.

Your father was a coach.

LeBron James first n b.

A quote So quite the credentials.

Now you're taking over a playoff team.

So when you found out you got the job, what do you do?

Anything fun?

I called my dad.

That was the first person I called.

I told my wife and my kids and they were jumping all around the house.

But I called my dad and there was a special moment because he went through a lot of the same things that we're talking about as far as, uh, having the wait a long time.

Thio get a shot to be a head coach.

And he was an interim coach with Charlotte Hornets and worked his way up, got a chance toe coat some great players and win a bunch of games.

So the phone call that I made to my dad it will be one that I remember for forever because he was so, so happy and and, uh knows the grind that I've done.

And we can relate our grinds together.

But Thio be the son of Paul Silas and something.

I'm very proud of it.

In that moment it was very special.

Molly, let me close by.

Let me close by saying this.

His father is one of the pioneers in this business.

Uh, he's a great, great man.

Damn good, coach.

And I can't say enough as an African American covering the sport.

He was one of those guys that always took folks like myself and others under under his wing and talkto us and taught us the game.

I could please give your father my love, Stephen.

And I just can't get enough for you, my man.

I will.

I will.

I will.

I remember those days when you would come into the locker room in Philly and you guys have chop it up for 30 minutes, talking about the game, talking about everything inside and outside the game.

Very appreciative.

Are you kidding?

May, please.

No doubt the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

What a classy family.

Couldn't be more happy for you, Stephen.

Best of luck.

Thank you so much.

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