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Nets Blow up Team; Donna Kelce is Interviewed about the Super Bowl. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired February 09, 2023 - 08:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[08:33:48]

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: OK, so -- let's get -- we're talking about NBA trade deadlines. There's a lot of trading going on. So, look, I want to get right to it. The Nets have traded Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns. That happened overnight. Comes right after Kyrie Irving says he's going away to the Dallas Mavericks. Official end to what they thought was a very promising super team over in Brooklyn.

LZ Granderson is here. He is a columnist at "The Los Angeles Times," host of the podcast "Life Outloud."

LZ, thank you.

So, what do you make, the end of this - it was supposed to be a super team. What up? What happened?

LZ GRANDERSON, OP-ED COLUMNIST, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": You know, this is the part of construction of NBA rosters that people forget about, that it takes more than just talent in order to build a championship. You've got to have cohesion. You've got to have some luck. You've got to have clarity from the ownership group all the way down to the 12th man on the team.

And the Brooklyn Nets just never had that. You went through all the players that were traded. But, remember, before that, James Harden was traded the year before. And before James Harden was traded, remember, they also -- they also fired Steve Nash, their head coach. And so this is the franchise that has started to disintegrate almost as soon as it was put together.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: LZ, what do you - what do you make of Kyrie Irving, as he's going to the Mavericks?

[08:35:02]

He did delete the apology that he had posted where he said he was deeply sorry for his anti-Semitic remarks, the tweet about the film, et cetera. The fact -- I thought it was really telling what Mark Cuban said back in November during that controversy about him. He said he had a lot to learn and he said he's - I don't think he has a bad heart but he wasn't educated about the impact. I mean given, you know, the Mavericks leadership, what they have

overcome, right, there, as an organization, what do you make of this and how Mark Cuban will lead?

GRANDERSON: Well, you know, that's a -- it's a fascinating question because all of that has to do with, what is Kyrie's ultimate goal, right? He is going to be a free agent this year, which means he has to kind of play the good soldier publicly if he wants to sign a long-term deal, either with the Mavericks or some other team. And so I think both the Dallas Mavericks, as well as Kyrie, have a lot invested in order to try to make this work. Kyrie is certainly wanting to secure his - his financial future and the Dallas Mavericks want to return as winners with Luka Doncic.

So, I think you're going to see Kyrie on his best behavior. But then again, I said that when he was in Boston, and I said that when he was in Brooklyn, too, so what do I know?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, but it does - it does -- well, hey, we think you know a lot. That's why we're having you on.

HARLOW: Yes.

COLLINS: But it does brings -- it's going to put a lot of focus on this and what he does do next. Probably even more focus than was already on him.

Yes. Yes. Absolutely. And, you know, the deleted post, we don't know when he deleted it, so I don't want to necessarily assume that the trade and the deletion of the posts are connected. But he had to know that there would be a response to deleting that post. So right there lets you know that even though he may be a good soldier, he's not going to not be Kyrie. And so it's going to be interesting to see how he threads the needle between being who he always has been and being what he needs to be in order to secure that bag.

HARLOW: Yes. It's a great point. He said, I want to be in places I'm celebrated, not just kind of tolerated.

LZ, thank you, friend. We'll have you back for longer next time. We appreciate it.

LEMON: And secure that bag, LZ. All right.

GRANDERSON: Thank you for having me. Yes, keep that bag, baby.

HARLOW: A sibling -

LEMON: Thank you.

HARLOW: A sibling rivalry on football's biggest stage. We talk to Travis and Jason Kelce's mom about Sunday's historic matchup and which son she'll be cheering for.

COLLINS: Tough call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: How on earth do you decide who to root for?

DONNA KELCE, SONS WILL BE FIRST PAIR OF BROTHERS TO FACE OFF IN SUPER BOWL: Oh, it's going to be easy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[08:41:30]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON": Aaron Rodgers said that he will make a decision on his NFL future after going on a darkness retreat, which will consist of him sitting alone in total darkness for four days. It should be interesting when they pull Rodgers out because if he sees his shadows that means six more seasons on the Packers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Well, there will be more than a Super Bowl on the line when the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs square off in Arizona this weekend. It will also be a battle for family bragging rights like we have never seen before. Jason Kelce, a star offensive lineman for the Eagles, and Travis Kelce, a star tight end for the Chiefs, set to become the very first brothers ever to face off in a Super Bowl. The standout siblings played together in high school and college and now they'll line up on opposite sides of the field on the NFL's big stage. The brothers kicked off the week with a special surprise from their mother, Donna, who crashed an interview to surprise her boys with, what else, homemade cookies.

I got to talk to her yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: All right, how on earth do you decide who to root for?

DONNA KELCE, SONS WILL BE FIRST PAIR OF BROTHERS TO FACE OFF IN SUPER BOWL: Oh, it's going to be easy. You know, I have to stand and scream the entire game. They're both on offense. So, every time somebody has the ball, I'll be clapping. And every time somebody gets a touchdown, I'll be thrilled. So, it will be great. It's going to be just fun.

HARLOW: There you go. There you go. I love it.

I have to ask, because every parent watching this is going to want to know what on earth you did to have two sons so fit to make it to the Super Bowl.

KELCE: Yes.

HARLOW: What did you feed these guys? KELCE: Oh, gosh. Really anything they wanted. But, you know -- but,

you know, you -- when they're into sports and they did everything, they played every kind of possible sport you could think of, baseball, a lot of tournaments. We were constantly on the road. You're grabbing, you know, like fast food. I wasn't perfect at that point. Making sure that they had, you know, nutritious meals. I did the best I could.

HARLOW: Yes.

KELCE: But basically, you know, it was a lot of protein and they just, you know, they ate a lot. It was a lot. A lot of food. And constantly.

HARLOW: I - I can - I can only imagine that you would fill the fridge and then it would be completely empty like two days later.

How much trash-talk, Donna, at the dinner table?

KELCE: Oh, there wasn't that much because they were on the same team.

HARLOW: Well, there you go.

KELCE: But they were -- there was a lot of bickering. A lot of bickering and a lot of, you know, one-upping and who won, you know, who can get to the table first, who could get to the car first. You know, to ride in the front seat. It's just - it's just things like that. Constantly competing. And I think that's what really drove both of them to be the way that they are. It's just the need and the want to beat somebody in their house and they're both very athletic. So they had the best, you know, individuals to practice against right at home.

HARLOW: Yes, that's true.

On a more serious note, because not only do they have this big game match-off together.

KELCE: Right.

HARLOW: You have raised these two incredible humans. And we'll get to their, you know, spirit and the people they are in a moment. But these incredible athletes who will likely end up on a short list of brothers enshrined in the Pro Hall of Fame. What did you do when, I don't know, one of them wanted to give up, right? We always try to encourage our kids, keep going when it gets hard. Push through.

[08:45:00]

KELCE: Yes.

HARLOW: What did you do?

KELCE: Well, yes. You know, there's a true story. Jason did not get any scholarships to go to college. And I said, you know, I believe in you. You believe in yourself. Just persevere. Keep doing it. I know you have it within you. Just try your hardest. Don't give up. You'll never forgive yourself. Pick a school. We'll work it out. We'll find a way that we can make it work. And that's exactly what he did.

And the same thing with Travis. I mean, he's had his own adversity with different things and I would tell him the same thing. If this is something you truly, truly love to do, keep at it. Ask them, how can I get more playing time? What can I do? How can I get better? But it's got to come from the kid, not the parent.

HARLOW: Yes. Yes, that's true, right, it's something in them that helps them keep going.

KELCE: Yes.

HARLOW: But I think moms and dads have a lot to do with it.

KELCE: Yes.

HARLOW: Both of them were drafted by Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. And he was asked this week about them. And I love what he said. He called them both compassionate competitors who care about people as much as they care about the game.

KELCE: Yes.

HARLOW: You know, eventually the sport ends, right? And eventually you're not playing in the NFL anymore.

KELCE: Correct.

HARLOW: You're who you are as a person.

KELCE: Right.

HARLOW: So what did that mean to you to hear that?

KELCE: You know, I -- that makes a mom feel like she did something right. Sports is a game. And it's fun. And if you get to play it, it's amazing. But not all - not everyone can get there. I mean, you know, things have to happen the right time, the right coaches. Teams have to need your skill set. So, you know, you need to do something after sports. It's a very, very fleeting career. Even though they've been doing it for over ten years, that's surprising, too.

But you need to treat everyone with respect and kindness and just treat, you know, don't make yourself better than anyone else because that is just -- it's important to have a good character. And that will see you through anything.

HARLOW: Amen.

All right, I got to ask, what do you say to the son whose team doesn't go home with the trophy?

KELCE: Yes. Yes. Yes, that's a tough one. It's going to be hard because in -- you know, when somebody wins, only the winners and the winners' families are allowed on the field. The losers have to leave, you know? HARLOW: Oh.

KELCE: They go off the field. So, I can't see them. They're going to get on a bus and they're going to go to their hotel. And there will be post-parties for both, the winners and the losers, because it was a rough year. And I will go to the post-game hotel after the ceremony and I will give my son a huge hug and a kiss because there's nothing that I could say that will, you know, mean anything at that point. He's going to be a broken, you know, person.

HARLOW: Yes. Yes.

KELCE: So, you know, he'll be happy for his brother, but, you know, the hours and the months that you put in to get it this point, it's tough.

HARLOW: Well, from one mom to the next, to you, the hours that you put in to raising them, look at where they have come.

Donna Kelce, what a treat - what a treat to get to talk to you. Have a lot of fun.

KELCE: Oh, (INAUDIBLE). Thanks.

HARLOW: And I'll root for the offense with you, OK?

KELCE: There you go. That's good.

HARLOW: There you go.

KELCE: Yes, it will be fun.

HARLOW: OK.

KELCE: Let's hope for a high-scoring game.

HARLOW: There you go.

Donna Kelce, congrats.

KELCE: All right. OK, thank you so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: She's my new favorite American mama after my own. She's so great.

LEMON: Poppy, she's so cute.

HARLOW: And the back of her jersey is the Eagles. The front is the Chiefs.

COLLINS: Split.

HARLOW: And her tennis shoes are split. And her jacket is split. COLLINS: To hear what she said about driving them around to practices

and games, they played every sport, feeding them, you know, fast food. She was saying, it wasn't always the most nutritious.

HARLOW: She made me feel better, yes.

LEMON: So -

COLLINS: But every parent, you know, everyone -- my brother has played so many sports. And you drive them every - you do all these things. And like it shows that, like, it's worth it.

HARLOW: My kids are going to take the subway in the city.

LEMON: Here's my - here's my question.

HARLOW: Yes.

LEMON: Which party would you go to?

HARLOW: Well, no, I know, because you told me during the piece.

COLLINS: Which party would you go to?

COLLINS: I'm going to go to the winners' party.

HARLOW: Maybe the loser. Maybe I'm with you.

LEMON: I would go -- I would go to the losers party because he's going to have so much support from the winner's party.

HARLOW: No, you'd be such a good dad. It's true.

LEMON: But - and, look, I'm not a mom. You would go to - I guess, you're right. I never thought about that.

COLLINS: You do both.

HARLOW: Yes, she's going to go to both things or whatever.

LEMON: But the first one I'd go to is the loser party.

HARLOW: Wait, do they have a loser party?

LEMON: She said - yes, she -- according to her, she said yes.

HARLOW: OK.

So, Donna, come back on Monday, OK?

COLLINS: I don't think we should have a loser party.

HARLOW: I'm not going to be here, but come back and talk to these guys on Monday after one of your sons wins the Super Bowl, OK?

COLLINS: She was - that was best moment of the show. HARLOW: Wouldn't that be great?

LEMON: You go to both. Here's the thing.

HARLOW: What?

LEMON: They are -- they are all winners, especially the mom because - and she did a great job raising good kids.

HARLOW: And the - and the dad, too.

LEMON: And the dad.

HARLOW: Yes.

LEMON: We didn't see him, but, yes, of course, that goes -

HARLOW: Yes, both of them.

LEMON: Yes.

HARLOW: OK. That was fun.

COLLINS: Awesome.

All right, this morning, bipartisan lawmakers are getting together for a night of jokes and roasts.

[08:50:05]

We have the highlights from the Washington Press Club's Foundation's annual congressional dinner. I promise, you actually want to see this, next.

LEMON: Really?

COLLINS: Lawmakers can be funny.

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[08:55:04]

COLLINS: Some people might find it hard to believe, but some lawmakers are actually funny sometimes. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle let loose at the Washington Press Club Foundation's annual congressional dinner last night. Don's a little skeptical about their humor, but they shared a lot of laughs as they roasted each other and sometimes themselves.

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REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): Did you watch the - did you watch McCarthy during the speaker's vote. I know many of you were in the halls of Congress during that vote. I haven't seen someone assume that many positions to appease the crazy Republicans since Stormy Daniels. SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Now, admittedly, I was -- I wasn't sure

whether I'd be able to make it tonight, but my staff reminded me that hundreds, hundreds of reporters were attending this event, and magically my schedule cleared right up.

MACE: And I know everyone thinks Republicans aren't funny. But if you get a bunch of us together, we can be a real riot.

SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): And thanks again for having me with you tonight. If you like my remarks, my name is Raphael Warnock. If you didn't, I'm Senator Tim Scott.

Good night, everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: So, have you changed your mind?

LEMON: Not really. It was good.

COLLINS: Well, you know, Maxwell Frost, that 25-year-old congressman, Nancy Mace said she had stretch marks that were older than she was.

HARLOW: So funny.

OK.

LEMON: That dress --

HARLOW: Was beautiful.

LEMON: Yes, that was quite a dress. (INAUDIBLE).

HARLOW: CNN "NEWSROOM."

COLLINS: All right. Thanks for joining us this morning. We have no more jokes here. So, we'll let you go.

HARLOW: For now.

LEMON: Right after this break.

COLLINS: Well, we're going to stop before Don makes another joke.

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