LOS ANGELES (April 21, 2015) – Washington Wizards point guard John Wall talks Paul Pierce, elite point guards in the league and what lies ahead as he looks to lead his team deep into the playoffs on this week’s episode of JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME this Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. Plus, Heisman Trophy finalist and NFL-bound record-breaking running back Melvin Gordon discusses the NFL draft while wearing a Dallas Cowboys’ jersey and NFL veteran Jay Feely calls Tim Tebow the worst quarterback he ever saw during his career in the NFL.
Appearing on this week’s edition of The Forum were Feely, New York Times best-selling author Jeff Pearlman and former NBA All-Star and current basketball analyst Jerry Stackhouse as they debated Tebow, Johnny Manziel’s road to recovery and Lebron James’legacy.
Additional highlights from the show include an in-depth Front Row interview with Amy Van Dyken, a six-time Olympic Gold Medalist in swimming who became a paraplegic in an ATV accident less than a year ago. Rome also throws 10 questions at UFC President Dana White.
Here are highlights from Wednesday’s show:
JIM ROME: “You’ve gone to back-to-back All Star games, you’re in the playoffs for a second straight year, so do you feel like you’re finally getting the respect you deserve?”
JOHN WALL: “A little bit here and there. I’m one of two guards this season to average a double-double. I’m not one of those guys that’s going to average 25 points, but averaging 18-20 points with almost 10 assists is good to me and that’s the reason I should be in that discussion [among the league’s top guards].
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MELVIN GORDON: “All you hear is that Todd Gurley is the special [running] back among the group. I want to be the first [running] back taken. I feel we’re both special, but I’m a special [running] back. I like to show [it] with my actions, but if I have to come out and tell you that I’m a special guy so you don’t overlook me, I will.
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On Tim Tebow:
JAY FEELY: “Tim Tebow is such a dichotomy for me. I really respect the person, the man, the things that he believes in, the things he does off the field; he was the single worst quarterback I ever saw in my career in the NFL.”
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On Lebron James:
JAY FEELY: “He’s the best player in the league. How can he not go and win a championship? If he doesn’t win a championship, it’s a failure of a season.”
JEFF PEARLMAN: “I actually think our expectations are kind of crazy here. He has revitalized basketball in Cleveland, a city that had no pulse whatsoever.”
JERRY STACKHOUSE: “He had two Hall of Famers with him in Miami [Dwyane Wade andChris Bosh]. Now, he’s got young players that haven’t even been in the playoffs, so I think it’s a little unrealistic to think that they can get it done this year.”
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On Johnny Manziel:
JIM ROME: “Bottom line, do you want this guy as your quarterback?”
JAY FEELY: “I wouldn’t. As a quarterback, you have to be the leader of that franchise. If you choose not to be or you can’t be, then there’s a black hole that exists in that locker room because you need the quarterback to be your leader.
“Right now he can’t be a leader; he’s not even a follower right now.”
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On getting back in the pool:
AMY VAN DYKEN: “Right now it’s not my thing because that’s where I really feel paralyzed. I would love to when I walk again, to have the ability to swim and not feel paralyzed.”
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