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CNN Live At Daybreak
Talking Sports with Dave Johnson
Aired November 29, 2002 - 05:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Let's change gears here, talk a little bit about sports. One record streak keeps on going in football, while an NBA team falls short in its bid to make history.
Dave Johnson is the sports director of WTOP in Washington. He's joining us on the phone this morning with his regular Friday chat.
Good morning.
DAVE JOHNSON, WTOP RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Good morning.
In fact, we're from the city where one of those streaks ended last night, Indianapolis this morning.
CALLAWAY: Yes, tell me about that.
JOHNSON: Well, you're talking about the Indiana Pacers, they did it. They knocked off the Dallas Mavericks last night. The final was 110-98. The Mavericks were trying to make it 15-0 to start the season. If they could do that, they could match, of course, the 48-49 Washington Capitals, which I'm sure you remember, in the '93-'94 Houston Rockets for best start of the season.
CALLAWAY: Right.
JOHNSON: But the Pacers, I saw a couple of days ago when we did their game for the Washington Wizards, and I think they may be the best team in the Eastern Conference right now, and they probably proved it last night with the win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thanksgiving Day. So this Indiana team is a team that may be the team to watch out for in the Eastern Conference.
Dallas clearly is that team in the West, but last night Indiana was the better of the two teams. And now Dallas is only 14-1.
CALLAWAY: We can't talk NBA without talking about the rumors of Michael Jordan's retirement again?
JOHNSON: Well, Michael at this point very much committed to the Washington Wizards and, in fact, will play tonight, of course, as the Wizards play here in Indianapolis to take on the Pacers. So, you know, Michael and the team right now in a bit of a difficult stretch there with a four game losing streak. But trying to turn it around. So he's very much here and ready to play.
CALLAWAY: Is he going to, is this it for him? JOHNSON: Well, I think, you know, all along this was the plan, to play two years and, you know, anything beyond that would have been more of a surprise.
CALLAWAY: Right.
JOHNSON: When he announced he was coming back it was on a two year contract. So I think anything beyond this year would have been a surprise. But, you know, it's only November right now.
CALLAWAY: Yes, you never know what's going to happen.
All right, thank you, Dave.
Dave Johnson, WTOP.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 29, 2002 - 05:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Let's change gears here, talk a little bit about sports. One record streak keeps on going in football, while an NBA team falls short in its bid to make history.
Dave Johnson is the sports director of WTOP in Washington. He's joining us on the phone this morning with his regular Friday chat.
Good morning.
DAVE JOHNSON, WTOP RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Good morning.
In fact, we're from the city where one of those streaks ended last night, Indianapolis this morning.
CALLAWAY: Yes, tell me about that.
JOHNSON: Well, you're talking about the Indiana Pacers, they did it. They knocked off the Dallas Mavericks last night. The final was 110-98. The Mavericks were trying to make it 15-0 to start the season. If they could do that, they could match, of course, the 48-49 Washington Capitals, which I'm sure you remember, in the '93-'94 Houston Rockets for best start of the season.
CALLAWAY: Right.
JOHNSON: But the Pacers, I saw a couple of days ago when we did their game for the Washington Wizards, and I think they may be the best team in the Eastern Conference right now, and they probably proved it last night with the win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thanksgiving Day. So this Indiana team is a team that may be the team to watch out for in the Eastern Conference.
Dallas clearly is that team in the West, but last night Indiana was the better of the two teams. And now Dallas is only 14-1.
CALLAWAY: We can't talk NBA without talking about the rumors of Michael Jordan's retirement again?
JOHNSON: Well, Michael at this point very much committed to the Washington Wizards and, in fact, will play tonight, of course, as the Wizards play here in Indianapolis to take on the Pacers. So, you know, Michael and the team right now in a bit of a difficult stretch there with a four game losing streak. But trying to turn it around. So he's very much here and ready to play.
CALLAWAY: Is he going to, is this it for him? JOHNSON: Well, I think, you know, all along this was the plan, to play two years and, you know, anything beyond that would have been more of a surprise.
CALLAWAY: Right.
JOHNSON: When he announced he was coming back it was on a two year contract. So I think anything beyond this year would have been a surprise. But, you know, it's only November right now.
CALLAWAY: Yes, you never know what's going to happen.
All right, thank you, Dave.
Dave Johnson, WTOP.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
