WEBVTT

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>> AS COVID HAS PLAYED HAVOC

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WITH NBA ROSTERS, THE

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DISRUPTIONS HAVE FLOWED DOWNHILL

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TO THE NBA'S G LEAGUE TEAMS OR,

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IN THE CASE OF THE INDIANA

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PACERS, UP INTERSTATE 69 TO FORT

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WAYNE AND ITS G LEAGUE

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AFFILIATE, THE MAD ANTS. BILL

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BENNER HAS MORE IN THIS WEEK'S

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INSIDE INDIANA SPORTS. BILL.

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>>

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GERRY, THANKS. INDEED, THE G

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LEAGUE HAD TO DELAY THE START OF

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ITS SEASON TO HELP KEEP NBA

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ROSTERS FILLED, BUT THE LEAGUE

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AND THE MAD ANTS ARE NOW UP AND

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COMPETING AGAIN AND JOINING US

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TODAY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE MAD

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ANTS IS THEIR NEW GENERAL

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MANAGER, CHRIS TAYLOR. CHRIS,

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WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

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>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, BILL.

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>> AGAIN, I MENTIONED THE

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SPLIT-UP.

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THEY ACTUALLY HAD A SHOWCASE CUP

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THAT TOOK PLACE EARLIER.

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THEN YOU SHUT THEM DOWN FOR A

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FEW WEEKS, AND NOW THE SEASON IS

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GOING AGAIN.

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IT HAS TO BE TURMOIL, BUT AT THE

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SAME TIME, THE G LEAGUE IS

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GETTING GREAT NOTICE BECAUSE OF

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THE CALL-UPS AND PLAYERS FILLING

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ROSTERS AND PLAYING WELL.

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>> CERTAINLY, YEAH.

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WE EXPLAINED TO OUR PLAYERS AT

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THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON

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THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER

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TIME TO PLAY IN THE G LEAGUE,

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CERTAINLY SUPPORTED BY WHAT YOU

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SAID.

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THE AMOUNT OF HURDLES WE'VE

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EXPERIENCED WITH COVID, THAT

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CONTINUED PANDEMIC.

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BUT G LEAGUE PLAYERS ARE GETTING

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A TON OF OPPORTUNITIES.

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THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, TO

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SUPPORT THE NBA AND HELP OUR

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PLAYERS GROW AND FIND THEMSELVES

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IN BETTER BASKETBALL SITUATIONS.

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>> AS WE SPEAK, YOU WERE

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ACTUALLY IN NEW YORK AS THE MAD

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ANTS PLAY IN LONGED, TWO AND TWO

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SO FAR IN THE SEASON.

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HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR TEAM,

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AS THE ROSTER COMES AND GROWS,

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AND PLAYERS LEAVE AND COME, HOW

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DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE TEAM'S

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PROSPECT'S THUS FAR?

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>> YOU HIT IT ON THE HEAD,

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PLAYERS COME AND GO, WE HAVE AN

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EVER CHANGING ROSTER, WITH THE

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CALL-UPS OF NBA, ALWAYS

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THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE

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SEASON, YOU HAVE INJURY ISSUES

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AND WHATEVER IT MAY BE, FEELING

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GREAT, CONFIDENT WITH THIS

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GROUP.

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LIKE YOU SAID, JUST EARLIER, THE

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SEASON WAS SPLIT THIS YEAR INTO

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A COUPLE DIFFERENT VERSIONS, WE

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HAD THE SHOWCASE CUP LEADING

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INTO THE HOLIDAYS, THEN ONCE

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THAT WAS OVER WITH, THE

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SCHEDULES RESET TO 0-0.

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FEELING CONFIDENT WITH THIS

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GROUP, IT'S A STRONG, I THINK,

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CORE OF OUR GUYS THAT WE KNOW

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ARE GOING TO BE HERE ON A

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DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.

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AND WE'RE EXCITED FOR WHAT THE

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REST OF THE SEASON HAS IN STORE.

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>> CHRIS, YOU MENTIONED THE

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OPPORTUNITY NOW FOR G LEAGUE

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PLAYERS, A GREAT EXAMPLE WITH

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THE INDIANA PACERS, KIEFFER

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SYKES CAME HERE ON A CONTRACT

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AND SIGNED FOR THE REST OF THE

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SEASON, A HEART-WARMING STORY.

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THAT'S HAPPENING AGAIN

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THROUGHOUT THE NBA AND THROUGH

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THE G LEAGUE WITH MANY OF THESE

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GUYS.

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>> DEFINITELY, NOT UNIQUE TO OUR

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TEAM, BUT HUGE SHOUTOUT TO

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KIEFFER FOR HIS CONTINUED WORK.

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HE HAS A GREAT STORY.

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TALK ABOUT A VETERAN, MULTIPLE

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SEASONS OVERSEAS, PLAYED AT A

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LOT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS.

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THIS SEASON DECIDED TO BET ON

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HIMSELF, COME IN AND PROVE THAT

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HE'S A NBA PLAYER, AND THAT'S

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SUPPORTED THERE.

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HE WAS OUR STARTING POINT GUARD

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THE START OF THE YEAR, LEADING

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THE G LEAGUE IN ASSISTS, HE HAS

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WHAT IT TAKES.

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THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TO

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HELP NBA TEAMS AND GET THOSE

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PLAYERS IN THE BEST SITUATIONS

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AS POSSIBLE.

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>> CHRIS, INTERESTING ASPECT, WE

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MENTIONED, GOING UP TO I-69, THE

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TEAM IS DOING THAT, YOU'RE

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PRACTICING AT THE SAINT VINCENT

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CENTER, ADJACENT TO CAMBRIDGE

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FIELDHOUSE, COMMUTING BACK AND

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FORTH TO FORT WAYNE, SOME GAMES

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AS THE SEASON ROLLS ON IN SAME

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BRIDGE FIELDHOUSE.

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>> IT HAS BEEN A PHENOMENAL

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OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR PLAYERS AND

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STAFF, TO HAVE ACCESS TO A NBA

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LEVEL FACILITY TO PRACTICE EVERY

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DAY.

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WE WOULD BE FOOLISH NOT TO TRULY

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TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT

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OPPORTUNITY.

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AND IT IS KIND OF THE BEST OF

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BOTH WORLDS.

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YES, WE GET TO LIVE IN

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INDIANAPOLIS, CLOSER TO THE

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PACERS THAN EVER.

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LIKE I SAID, UTILIZE THOSE

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FACILITIES, BEING ON A NBA

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PRACTICE COURT IS GREAT, THAT'S

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ELEVATED EVERYONE'S PLAY AND

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COMMITMENT TO BETTERING

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THEMSELVES, AND ALSO WE HAVE A

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FOOT IN THE FORT WAYNE

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COMMUNITY, PLAYING IN THE

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COLISEUM IN FORT WAYNE, BE

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CONNECTED TO BOTH INDY AND FORT

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WAYNE.

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THE BEST OF BOTH WORDS.

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>> CHRIS, I MENTIONED IN THE

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OPEN, YOU'RE A NEW GENERAL

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MANAGER, BACK IN 2012, I

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BELIEVE, YOU WERE AN INTERN WITH

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THE PACER SPORT ENTERTAINMENT,

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NOW GA IN THE G LEAGUE, A

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WONDERFUL PROFESSIONAL

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DEVELOPMENT, TALK ABOUT THAT A

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LITTLE BIT.

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>> YEAH, JUST INCREDIBLY

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FORTUNATE TO HAVE FOUND A NICHE

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IN AN ORGANIZATION WITH SUCH

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CLASS.

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AS PACERS, I THINK IT IS A VERY

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STRONG CULTURE THAT I'VE

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FORTUNATELY BEEN ABLE TO FIT

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INTO.

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2012 SEEMS LIKE A LIFETIME AGO.

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HARD TO BELIEVE FAST FORWARD A

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FEW YEARS, AFTER HOLDING A FEW

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POSITIONS, KIND OF

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BEHIND-THE-SCENES, SUPPORT ROLE

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FOR THE PACERS AND TRANSITIONED

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WITH THE MAD ANTS DIRECTOR OF

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BASKETBALL, ASSISTANT GM AND

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EXCITED TO SAY I'M THE GENERAL

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MANAGER AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT

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MORE IMPACT ON WHO WE HAVE FOR

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PLAYERS, WHO OUR STAFF IS, SMALL

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STEP IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF

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THINGS FOR MYSELF, I'M HAPPY

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WHERE I AM.

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>> CHRIS, AS WE WRAP UP, AGAIN,

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YOU WANT TO EMPHASIZE, YOU'RE

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STILL FORT WAYNE'S TEAM,

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MEMORIAL COLISEUM, A GREAT VENUE

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FOR BASKETBALL THROUGHOUT THE

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YEARS.

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SO JUST TALK ABOUT YOUR FOOTHOLD

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THERE IN FORT WAYNE.

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>> SO MUCH HISTORY WITH THE

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COLISEUM, I THINK YOU FEEL THAT

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WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE ARENA.

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BACK FROM THE OLD DAYS, THE NBA

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WHEN IT STARTED, MIGHT HAVE BEEN

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THE FIRST NBA ALL-STAR PLAYED AT

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THE COLISEUM, WITH THE PISTONS

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AND THE FURY, WHICH IS

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FANTASTIC.

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FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE

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THAT LEGACY OF HAVING A

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PROFESSIONAL TEAM IN FORT WAYNE

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MEANS A LOT TO US, WE EDUCATE

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OUR PLAYERS ON THAT, THEY TAKE

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PRIDE IN THAT.

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HOPEFULLY OUR FANS IN THE FORT

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WAYNE COMMUNITY APPRECIATE THAT.

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>> CHRIS, WE REALLY APPRECIAE

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YOU BEING ON THE PROGRAM, WE

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WISH YOU AND THE MAD ANTS THE

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BEST, WE HOPE TO SEE THEM AT

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CAMBRIDGE FIELDHOUSE AND UP IN

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FORT WAYNE.