Miami Heat Lifers Ep 4: Royal Shepherd Joins

0:00And stand and make some noise for five on the floor on the five reasons for Steadler. Uh oh. Yeah, it's mercy. Knees about mercy again. Keep nation, be the coach. Your A, I need your call, time out. Be ready. Set the 410, shuffle blanket open for the shot. Your grip. Set the pitch. Steadler 5 on the floor, still right for my dog. Still right on the court, still surviving the wall. Keep your eye on the ball. Or get burned from the heat to spike off the wall without turning the cheek. From night to day, no sleeping cat, so allowed to morning. Another sleeper, another sleeper, never catches one. Not for Miami, before in the heat with five reasons for the court to the shoot.

1:03Action. Hey, we're counting. Keep nation, still proud of it. Welcome to five on the floor, a daily insider show on the Miami Heat and the NBA featuring even skull neck Greg Sylvander, Alex Toledo, Brady Hawk and others from the five reasons sports network. Also make sure to subscribe to off the floor for the most heat anywhere. Welcome back to another episode of five on the floor. I'm your host Greg Sylvander. Today's floor plan. We're bringing to you another episode of the life or series today joining me is a familiar voice, somebody who used to host a certain post game show y'all might know. Yeah, that is none other than royal shepherd joins me today. We are going to talk Miami Heat basketball, but in a unique format, Royals going to tell you his story as a heat lifeer.

2:09The good, the bad, the ugly, the Tyler hero. And we're just going to chop it up in terms of not just his story, but what keeps him around and also how he's feeling about this upcoming season. Before we do that, though, and I'm a past the Mike Tarrorial, I promise y'all. You know, I'm shouting out off the floor. That's our discord server 299 a month. The link is in the description of this episode. You can log on to your desktop. That's where you will bypass that apple upcharge that makes it 399. So do that 299 a month. The link is in the description. Like I said, you can consolidate everywhere you talk Miami Heat basketball. You read Miami Heat basketball. You're checking people's reports for Miami Heat basketball. You can do it all on off the floor 299 a month. I'm running out of breath. I'm so excited about it. Check it out. The link is in the description. Okay. It's good to have you back on the program, Royale. How the hell are you, man? I'm doing well. Man, it's good to be back. I always love to get an opportunity to chop it up with you guys.

3:09My first home, you know what I'm saying? So it's like coming home with source. But yeah, love what you guys are doing here. That's why I wanted to reach out and just kind of be a part of this. I thought this is super dope. And I think it'll make for interesting content for people who don't think that I'm really a heat fan. They hear me talk about it. I'm going to talk about it. I'm going to talk about it. I'm going to talk about it. And to hear me talk about it from this perspective. I'm glad that you're actually going there head on in terms of like the perception that people have of you. Because I think that there are some heat fans that just based off of the last few years. And some of the critique that some earned some of it, maybe jokes, but regardless, maybe you have it a little twisted in terms of like your alliance to the, or you know, a alliance to the, I won't say organization, but maybe just some of the best moments in heat history. You've definitely been a part of cheered for those kinds of things.

4:09I know you don't always see eye to eye with everything that happens. But none of us necessarily do. How the hell did it start though? Like take me back to the first heat game you saw. What's your first heat memory? Like how far back are you going? So I've been a heat fan since I started liking basketball. I don't like any other teams. I don't have a second favorite team. I only like to mind me. But I'm from South Florida. So I'm from Papano Beach, Florida. And that's kind of, I guess that'll be akin to most people's story. Whereas that's the hometown team. But my brother was actually the basketball fan in our family. And he's a family of Chicago Bulls. So you know, he would make us watch like games together or whatever. But when the fandom kind of really sunk in was probably the wrecked Chapman game. Him scoring 39 against the Bulls. Like that to me, like he gave me bragging rights with my younger brother for a little while. And I just kind of like beat my chest and everything.

5:10And they kind of have me in a choke all like I've been here from the start. Just a lot like Harry. Like I'm a month older than Harry. So the team started. Yeah, the team started the same year that I was born. They won their championship the first year that I when I was graduating high school. And I had my daughter and also. Dwayne Wayne and I share a birthday. So it just kind of like when he was talking about how this thing is all constantly aligned. Like that just kind of how I feel between me and the org. And I think that that is super dope to hear. It's actually crazy to think about like as you're growing up, you start to like hear about the team 97 ish or something like you know as you're kind of I guess the Red Chapman game was 95 probably. So what the hell am I saying? Yeah. So I was like I was like eight. No seven seven eight years old around the time. That's great.

6:10That's like exactly kind of like the same time that I found the heat. I'm just older than your ass, but it's crazy how like that one moment, whether it's you know, Harrow minor and a dunk contest or it's Glen Rice is 56 points against Orlando. That's like pre Riley stuff to then you know you talk about all the moments down to Wade. And then the big three it's it is pretty incredible that there are a lot of heat fans that for the majority of their experiences with the team. They've been a relatively successful organization. I guess relatively speaking if you look around the teams and you count on many championships just since you've been plugged into the game. It it shows I guess a different perspective because there like Lane came on Lane Midnick is a is a heat. I'd say he's a heat Twitter OG. Although he ain't on Twitter no more. And you know he tells stories of like going to opening night and seeing stuff like that and it's just it's it's interesting to see the the different trajectory with each person.

7:16But why do why do some people think that you are a heat hater if I could say that like I think that's a little harsh. I don't know that anyone actually believes that you hate the heat outright. But there are some things that you haven't been fond of recently and we're going to talk about those two. Yeah. So I think people think that I'm a heat hater because in some respects I have been. I don't think it's harsh like that's that's an earned title. You know I mean because when I don't like the way the organization is moving I have no problem vocalizing that on every platform and every and maybe some people prefer that I did it in a more. I mean I just measured way but that's not how it works like it that's like I'm a person of extremes when they make me feel good. I tell everybody we're winning the title. When they don't make me feel good blow the team up that's that's just the way that I operate.

8:18And so it went I mean either side of that mode I can't be convinced otherwise I think one of the things is like there's like a kind of switch because before people to call me a sunshine. I used to tell people all this ice and concoys that every heat roster that they pulled out was going to win the championship. I told you that Mario Chalmers is the next Roger on Rondo like these are things that I believe and said out of my mouth. But I think people call me a heat hater because recently I guess I don't really know kind of like win the term actually have it but. Like during that era like when I was not pleased with the organization I'd go on top rates for hours and days and weeks and months and just kind of antagonize fans the organization players didn't really matter. It's just like I was scorched earth that's just how it's going to be if you're not making me happy. You had some conversations with somebody over the summer didn't you didn't you was ignore. That's what I was saying maybe on but it wasn't Davian it was no one.

9:20That's funny and you know what I think that you are really good at and not that I'm here to like you know. I'm not necessarily just pump you up and build your ego now but you do really well at like being emotional and being a fan but being able to articulate yourself at the same time and that's like I think like a balance that is important because. When people get upset with what you say it's usually because you're striking a nerve and there's something there and. A player in particular that I think I can say confidently drove you up the walls a little bit and we're going to get back to the fun stuff about the heat but we're just we're clearing up matters here. Your boy 14 he's gone now you see his name anyone who's audio only I apologize royal is with me here on YouTube and his name is not royal if you're watching it's retired Tyler here a hair so he's retired that's crazy.

10:21Let's hone in on Tyler just for a couple minutes I know people are going to say he's gone why are we talking about him but I just we we owe everyone an explanation if you're watching in video only you're like who is this guy and why is he a Tyler here what's up with that tell me about your your relationship with the Tyler hero basketball experience and anything else that may bother you about the way Tyler hero goes about his day to day. Yeah so I think there is confusion surrounding my Tyler hero in terms of like people think that I actually believe Tyler heroes a bad basketball player I don't I don't think he's a bad basketball player I think he's bad defensively and I thought from the beginning that he was a bad like Miami heat player like that that to me is where. The book of my frustration come from Tyler hero to me represented a departure from the heat player like model that we had smooth up until the point that he into this roster I went from the time I started fandom up until the time he came here the type of player that Miami heat the Miami invested in where art knows defensive mind it players you know they may have had a yeah you know what I mean like get it out the mode type players and they and that's just.

11:46And they and that's just not the style of basketball that he plays and so it it irritated me that the organization invested so much time and so many assets into a player who did not at any point in his career look or represent what I have believed or had been thought to believe was a Miami heat player everybody can identify Miami heat player Joe is a Miami heat player like you know I mean Lafanzo Ellis like. These type of players are Miami heat players and Tyler hero is not that so when people try and convince me that Tyler hero is something that he's not I'm not going to go with it and then there came like the Tyler versus bam wars where it's like how can you not see bam as the embodiment of what a Miami heat player is and yet you want to prop up Tyler hero. And I you know like look I said it before like people not hear me talk about Tyler hero because just like I told Norm I follow Miami heat news I don't follow nor power news and I don't follow Tyler hero news it's I really not actively destroy my franchise which he has done for the better part of his eight year career then I will not be talking about it like I don't care what he does I don't.

13:07I'm with you there because it's nothing personal and by the same token when you talk about like what a Miami heat player looks like and I've always screamed that like I there was a long time where I got to say tell me what a Denver Nuggets player looks like but now like they pointed Joker and I got a shut up actually this is a really good moment for me to shout out prize picks I'm going to give you the craziest. Season play that you can make on price picks before I do though and it's related to the Denver Nuggets watch this you got to use the code HMA if you're playing price picks that's where you're going to play your first $5 if you win you get $150 and free line ups and I'm going to give you the play you can start with this is the craziest that I have ever seen on price picks royal Joker. This is his more or less where they're setting the bar for his triple doubles this year 31 and a half who gets whose average like we're I'm going to say more because he had 34 triple doubles in both of the last two regular seasons that is insane I'm saying that out loud 31.5 I would say more triple doubles you're going more or less on Joker triple doubles next year.

14:26Yeah I'm not a lot of people are trying to give away money that's an easy more for me like I feel like he is. He's a one man offense he is one of the most talented players this league has ever seen and he has an uncanny ability to be able to impact the game in all of those levels so like 31 feels like an easy more bro like. I would be this is an I'm a stop with the Denver nuggets talk here you could momentarily but I just can't believe I'm saying out loud that like the number of triple doubles this 30 like if he they're saying like he's going to get 32 triple doubles that just blows my mind anyway that's why I can't say. Show me what a Denver nuggets player looks like but for a long time I could say that because in contrast everyone knew exactly what am I a heat player look like it was that hard knows you don't has them this the PJ browns the zoos. Dwayne had that in him as well you know what I'm saying right there there's just an element of that that that we get it and.

15:31So Tyler heroes gone norm is gone but we're really good about those guys real quick though before we forget though and and here's like another piece of that kind of like what you're taking some most his fans. We're absolutely annoying like oh there's a couple that are just down right crazy but that's for another yeah yeah I think and where I come from is like you know the name calling that comes with like me talking about Tyler I've been called racist I was like I'm advocating for Duncan Robinson to start over Tyler you know if you've noticed but Duncan is way wider than Tyler is I would prefer Duncan Robinson him but yeah it's just like his fans are are super crazy wrote and and that kind of rub me the wrong way too which is so it was a lot of time me going back and forth with them and not so much me me talking about him but you know best of luck to him for the rest of his career I will not be having much to say when it comes to what he's doing but yeah man.

16:40It was it was nice to kind of get an opportunity to become one Twitter's biggest villains using that and now just pivot to somebody else probably you know which. Yeah I mean that's the easy easy pick there for you I'm with you though that like. He Tyler definitely wasn't the prototypical heat player even like the the injury stuff and pushing through at certain moments like bam would play her they got a like they got a basically like hold him down from playing in games and Tyler was the was the opposite in a lot of ways so I can identify with why that frustrated you. And I'm going yeah because they have a team now royal that to me I'm trying to think it's about as Miami heat a group as we've had in a minute and maybe I'm getting ahead of myself because you got to see it all on the court but just like the mentality the work you know Harry hot take Harry who's on the show while back.

17:46He rolled his eyes at Davions workouts all summer but I actually like to see Davion wearing his jersey and going around playing basketball everywhere like to me I think he's had a really fun summer to watch and I think he's going to have a great contract year but you know says in town that changes everything Tyler is out. Tyler is out. Calla wears out which y'all know how I felt about that Bobby Portis is in that's you know how you feel about his efficiency although the three pointer was nice last year is one thing is defense is one thing but he's hard knows. So how do you feel about this team like do you think that this is a group that you would say is a Miami heat team or are they still a summer away from building that like how are you feeling about this group because now we don't have to talk about Tyler. I have to talk about Tyler here ever again. Yeah this is 100% of Miami heat team right now now do I think that like they're still like a summer away from making this an actual title continued yeah I do but like that doesn't mean that I'm not going into every game confident that this team will have an identity when they step on the floor like defensive minded they're going to the office will be clunky the office will have its moments where's high the lows I don't care about that because we're going to be a top three defense team.

19:02So I think that's the top three defensive team in basketball easily like it's not even a question and it's to your to the point like yes play Thompson may not be you know the defensive presence that he once was but to me I know he works hard and I know that he's a heart knows player because of who he's been throughout the course of his career. I may not be you know super defensive but he's a Miami heat player by the port is may not be the greatest defender but that's a Miami heat player just because the attitude and cockiness that he wears on his sleeve when he plays basketball I said alright this is the top three offseason of all time for the Miami heat to top three you get Tyler here right here he gets bitch slapped by a band we get y'all this like top three all like offseason for me and I'm having a heart attack. I'm not putting it at two right I just I'm sorry that's crazy to say I mean you're talking about the bra one that's cool bra way boss one obviously and then I have this in check kind of in my second spot that's crazy I don't I don't know which one that I will because like check was big.

20:20I want to championship like I guess I struggle to go there like I'm I get kind of um speechless that you're going there already because like I want to go there but like this like they haven't got the ring yet and so there's always a part of it that I'm like can I say that it's that big of an acquisition but you're you're convincing me that it is that so let me let me help drive the the net. So it's the reason that it's the top the offseason like what happens after this does not matter like in terms of like while I'm breaking it this hot it is because of the cleansing process that has happened over the course of this like the Jimmy error was one thing you know what I mean but the expectations weren't nearly set it's high because Jimmy is not saying caliber players John is and so but so even though you had extreme highs with Jimmy that offseason wasn't as exciting as this one is because not only did you add one of the top three four talents in basketball but you also like it just kind of felt like it brushed away the remnants of whatever was left of the Jimmy error and all the bad vibes that was still here and all the bad habits that had been built in just kind of like it just feels like a new team that we're getting to watch which has been my

21:38right with the front office for so long because even though the players have been different here and there is still had the same kind of vibe with you know what I mean like and this is just this is just something completely different which is why I've kind of like I'm I'm back maybe I'm sunshine pumping most of the season until somebody pisses me off and be perfectly honest with you I refuse to argue with anybody who doesn't know who Vladimir is the pine years that's how I feel like if you can't tell me who Vladimir is the pine years do not argue with me about heat basketball this year that was a rough season you made it through that one huh so this is another thing that people like I do post issues not I think I've been doing them since 2020 with you guys yeah and you know that requires you know you watching games and especially when you're hosting them like they're why did you watch the name and you watch all 82 and people think that I started doing that when I started at five years I've been doing that for 10 years before I knew five years existed like I had a post can show in my head man come on man like I just

22:43said he legally stream basketball games to my computers and laptops to watch heat games that were not on TV I remember Sun Sports Network with all the heat games came on like yeah this is where my Miami heat experience started like versus now where I can just get me fast I don't think we pass with a thing back then it's true but you know what I mean but I'm going to watch an hour 82 games forever like it's like that that to me like helps me contextualize my takes and everything like that real quick on the Tyler here on that one time I don't know why I keep going back to this but I realize when I'm arguing people that Tyler hero may be the greatest score that some of the fans that I'm arguing with have seen the Miami heat draft yeah I mean so who's the greatest score prior to Tyler hero be a draft they're probably wait of course yeah doing right so I mean in truthfully like I could be a you know what and just say it's bam cuz he's second and points high and even over the years where everybody will all the time here a score yeah Greg angle hold you I don't know nobody can

23:54never take that name away from because I'm still there I think that is going to break through the perceived stealing this year because I don't know why people are talking about this shooting like it's a negative but it's like that was the first year that he shot three quarters that's true like had a consistent and hot like and he's only going to get better with it but either way like yeah I realized that some people like Tyler hero may be the greatest score that they've seen him draft and that's why he's so beloved amongst the like the fan base like but I saw wait so like I don't care he didn't move me I saw wait and I have to at least be culpable enough to say that I did tweet out like the staff leap and I shouldn't ever done that like that was a really bad move on my part so I could come clean and say that like now you know let bygones be bygones and we say to Tyler hero by gone as we wrap here and again use that code HMA that'll get you that 150 if you win your first $5 play on prize picks and use that I mean do the season play with Joker 31 and a half triple doubles go more

25:00um give me your lowest moment as a heat fan and your highest moment we're gonna we're gonna go highs and lows as we close the lowest moment it's tough because I was pretty low after like well it's like three years in the road that we lost to the next in the playoffs like yeah oh my god bro like pain that was that hurt because like it felt like we had the better team every time and we just kept losing to them so that was pretty low I think uh that first finals with LeBron was another low because I was super arrogant oh me too that was what was right yeah my ego hurt that's not really I could go hide for like three weeks man I was like apologizing to my friends that I was screaming at them all year putting you know my finger in their face telling them we're gonna win and then it didn't happen oh it was awful um it was it was tough and um and I think the final low that I do is like uh the bubble championship

26:08yeah it hurt like because I knew that we weren't the better team but we weren't the better team in any of the series that we were playing before that and we just found ways to win and it felt like destiny that we were gonna find a way to win they had taken the NBA away from us for five months and then you give it back and then it's like everybody's told me it's all you had and then my team is the one out here stomping people in their fucking face like sorry I don't know if I'm supposed to say fucking but it's all okay yeah you know I was gonna say anyway but um but like the bubble like losing the finals like while it was great to get there I think losing it was like it hurt really bad um ice oh six the winning the championship the first one definitely goes uh my my my my my my my my rush more um yeah let's do that because that gives you four of them so yeah that's how many people they got up there yeah I think the oh six championship was one

27:15as much as I hated it bro that 23 run this wasn't a part of it oh my god don't say that's what that's what made it so good yeah because that season was horrible that regular season was awful yeah and I don't have to I think I think that run helped a lot of people forget like the regular senior right it was and it's like so when people try to throw that argument at me it's like I let it bounce out because like I can't like I didn't enjoy it too but like I remember what I was going through that whole year like struggling to do post game shows so shout out to you brother because I know you're taking on a post game shows yeah and sometimes it's hard to get it at microphone oh but um so yeah the 23 run was also super dope for me um getting honest yeah it's going on my mount rush more bro that's going like they took

28:19me they took me out the book it was getting date it was getting spooky the basement was about the closest door laying on my how was it doing that shit no more I'll fuck her entire entire bro is oh with um but yeah uh getting honest is one and let me see fourth one oh I didn't say this about part of like why I'm the heat fan but my uncle used to play for the mind of heat who's your uncle my uncle's Eddie Jones really Eddie Jones's father uh marit was married to my grandmother when he died my mom so Eddie Jones group is my mom's younger brother that's crazy I know you had a tie like that EJ is a really good dude shout out to Eddie Jones I never like I never talked about it because I never really like desire to use it in that form but like I guess it's what we're talking about and talking about my fandom and then you're talking about like my mount rush more getting the opportunity to go into locker room and meet weight and you done this has them in their

29:21rookie season was another one that is dope yeah so that's that's probably my highest as a fan because that was before it all happened you know that before like does I'm talking about braids you done is like yeah this is before anybody knew like like he had no he wasn't him yet but you know what I mean but it was like it was after the all star break uh so he had already kind of like risen up a little bit you started to see that like extra leap start to take so I was like this young dude this really got it like and I got an opportunity to meet him so like that was super dope that was my first meal at high school so yeah that that is really fun I eatin of all people obviously he's helped a lot of us recognize and realize dreams um I followed his ass around the 2019 all star break um and sharply and we basically just followed Dwayne around it was his last all star game and that was my opportunity to get the chance to to talk to him um and you know like that's those kind of moments like that's the kind of

30:27stuff you can't measure necessarily that keep you connected and also what pisses you off when it takes a lifetime to find another Dwayne Wade but Yannis is here uh and it's crazy that you're putting that on the Mount Rushmore because you didn't say the big three acquisition was on the Mount Rushmore is that inherent in it or no wow this is a hug so it's not it's not for me um I was a part of that Dwayne Wade versus LeBron thing too and I always thought wait was better so when LeBron James came to the Miami Heat I was excited for what it meant you know what I mean but like I also knew that LeBron James was gonna take the ball out of Dwayne Wade's hands and I don't care for that so we have to go back to Cleveland there was a it was more happy to say that way we get an opportunity to get the ball back and it kind of be his team again and I get to watch him at his very best the best version of him I always thought was him with the ball in his hands and and I loved to watch it so like

31:30yeah like I was happy that LeBron came but definitely saddened that my favorite player was going to be an off ball robbing type thing that's not a robbing that's it was two batman's on that team you understand me okay very true very true um and that's an interesting I think you're probably the only person I've heard say that they're happy or kind of happy whatever you want to say when Bron left a lot of people um you know Ethan had to move to Cleveland I mean shit that's the worst thing you have to have that happen to you um Royo this has been a great conversation tell the people that are listening or watching where they can find you because I'm gonna be honest like there's a lot of games where I think uh you will find just as an entertaining post game host as you will at five on the floor uh tell them where they could find you hey I used to be on five on the floor they taught me how to host so you know what I mean can't beat the best y'all understand there uh but yeah if folks want to find me uh yelling and screaming at the team when they don't do what I wanted

32:31to do you can always check out the basement sports network on youtube uh you can find us on twitter at basement sports in if you want to irritate yourself then find me on twitter at royal a shepherd um I'm just gonna piss you off so like you follow me if you want don't follow me I don't care I'm gonna go again I'm gonna get my shit off I'm getting these jokes off whether you like it or not um but yeah I'm always not for a conversation agree or disagree it's just Twitter bro um so yeah that's that's what I'm meant and I'll be on the rems scrub heat podcast with Harrison sometime too like I'll just let them do their own thing hey uh I think this is a good moment too where I'm going to reiterate now with hot take hairy joining now royals here there is no beef between the basement the five on the floor dead that completely um and uh appreciate it was my conversation man yeah for sure but uh I was a good time talking to you great yep all right uh this isn't been another episode of lifers who knows who comes up next peace