Welcome inside the classic factory. I'm Leila. I'm Leo. I see a solo today. None of my friends are here. Well, J.D.'s here, of course. He's always in here. But none of the other guys are here, Trey, Tas and Skeets. Because I am popping packs again, popping packs with by myself 90s basketball cards. And today I have a special guest. He's a very special guest. He's so special. He's been on once before. In fact, he's changed his nationality since he was last on. He was Canadian, and now he is American. His name is Ariel Hawani. Ariel, welcome back to Pop and Pax. Now, are you Canadian? America? What's going on? I saw you posted something the other day. You became a citizen. Is that right? Yes. And it is so great to be here. Thank you so much for having me once again. In fact, I was wondering Lee, when you would have me back. I chalked it up to me doing so well and embarrassing all the others that you didn't want to have me back. And I totally understand. I am Canadian American. Right. I'm a Can Am connector right here. So I'm bringing the two countries together.

I will forever be Canadian in my heart.

But yes, as of this past Tuesday, I am officially American as well.

Much like our good friends, Skeets and Tas, you know, we are all living the American dream

here.

But I think I could speak for them when I say Canada in our hearts.

Always number one there. Yes, now you talked about last time you're on. You're right. I've had other guests like Nate Jones, John Schumann, on Shea Serrano. And there was some talk about maybe having like a March Madness style sort of face off, you know, against, you know, some of you guys getting in there and having it out. And I know you're pretty confident in your abilities though. So you think

you'd be a number one seed if that was the case, if we were to get a bracket going? Actually, you're incorrect. Not pretty confident. Very confident, extremely confident. I think I would 10-7 all of those guys. I think I would run through the competition. You know, everyone considers me the fighting guy, the combat guy. Right. Long before I ever even knew what mixed martial arts was,

I was supporting this man right here. Oh, yeah. 33. Yeah. Tri-Captain from Georgetown. Patrick. I was

supporting that man. All right. And so I could tell you all about 90s basketball.

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. I mean, I consumed it all. It was my life. Yeah. And so, yeah, you can line up all those Gibbons all you want. I'm running the table. This is great. You're really sort of playing the heel card here as well. Oh, they don't call me Hewani for nothing, okay?

Hewani number one.

Well, this is great.

And, you know, you are rocking your Patrick Ewing. I have to bring out my John Starks for the occasion here as well because, listen, I mean, nothing says 90s basketball more than Patrick Ewing and John Starks. And, well, you know, just before we get into it, I'm sure I know without even asking you this question that you saw Chris Herring's and read Chris Herring's incredible book, blood in the garden. I have it right here. Yeah. What did you think? I mean, give us a quick sort of take on it. Obviously, it was incredible. You know, it's my biggest complaint about the book? I wish it was longer. Yeah. I mean, I was like savoring every every page. I couldn't get enough of it. It was so nostalgic for me. I mean,

that is, I will never be a bigger fan of a team than I was of those 90s Nix. I mean, I adore those

guys. And I just, I didn't want it to end because it was taking me back. And, you know,

I consider myself an Uber fan, especially taking me back. And, you know, I consider myself

an Uber fan, especially of those teams. And I was learning a bunch of stuff. I think the insight

from Dave Checkett's. I can't say enough about it. Also, a couple weeks later, I ended up reading

Charles Oakley, a Charles Oakley's book, excuse me, written by the great Frank Izola,

formerly of the New York Daily News.

And that was an amazing trip down Mary Lane. And there was stuff in there that I obviously didn't read in Blood in the Garden.

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