SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And now it's time for sports.
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SIMON: A basketball legend retires. Luka gets the last laugh, at least first. And Canada's soccer coach makes a statement. Michele Steele of ESPN joins us. Michele, thanks so much for being with us.
MICHELE STEELE: You bet, Scott.
SIMON: Diana Taurasi is retiring - 42-year-old...
STEELE: Yeah.
SIMON: ...Point guard for the Phoenix Mercury, three-time WNBA champion, one MVP award, 11 all-star selections, six, six Olympic gold medals, three-time college basketball national champion with UConn. Several championships with leagues outside the U.S. I'm getting breathless just talking about this.
STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: Greatest of all time?
STEELE: I think so. I mean, judging from that resume, and no basketball player - male or female - has six Olympic gold medals...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...Other than Taurasi. ESPN is calling her the greatest women's basketball player of the 21st century, and it's hard to argue against that. You know, I covered the Patriots for a number of years, and I remember Tom Brady saying, you know, I'm going to retire when I suck, but you can't say the same for Taurasi. She was a factor up until the end. You know, she helped lead the Mercury to a playoff berth last year.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: There was some speculation that maybe she'd be back. But no, she announced her retirement in Time magazine, saying, essentially, that she had no regrets. You know, I was really lucky to sit down with her one-on-one last summer at the all-star game and I asked her, where does that longevity come from playing into your 40s? And she said adaptability, you know, being open to learn from even younger players. And she told me, at the time, like anything in life, if you don't evolve, you're going to get left behind, and the game of basketball is no different. So happy trails to Diana Taurasi.
SIMON: Moving on to the NBA. Luka Doncic, one of the NBA greats, recently traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the LA Lakers, had his first chance against his former team - 15 rebounds, 12 assists, 19 points. Do you think the Mavs are a little wistful?
STEELE: I think a few tears might have been shed in Dallas. But boy, was it a good day in LA. Luka putting up that triple-double, painfully reminding Mavs fans what they lost after their general manager, Nico Harrison, mind-blowingly - because my mind is still blown from this trade - he just traded away one of the top five players in the world, Scott...
SIMON: Yep.
STEELE: ...To the Lakers. Someone called it like trading a Lamborghini and getting a Mazda Miata back. Now, I like Mazda Miatas, but...
SIMON: (Laughter).
STEELE: ...It's not a Lambo. Luka said after the game that he was really excited to get a full night's sleep because he had not been able to get a good night of shut-eye.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: He was so emotionally - so overwhelmed for this game. They'll have another game in Dallas in April, but I don't think he should be nervous about that one because I think Mavs fans are going to be very happy to see him again.
SIMON: Yeah. Steph Curry of Golden State Warriors beat the Orlando Magic Thursday night. Steph had 56 points, including 12 three-pointers. He is 86 - or 86. No.
STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: He is 36, but aging like a great merlot, isn't he?
STEELE: Yeah, I'll say. Yeah, the first time he - I looked it up. The first time he dropped more than 50 points in the game was over a decade ago - 12 years ago. That's a lifetime in sports. What I love about this is that after the game, the head coach of the Magic, Jamahl Mosley, Scott, was asked, you know, aside from Steph, you know, what was the big difference? And Mosley said, the man had 56 points. There is no - there is no aside from Steph. Don't want to see him in the playoffs.
SIMON: Yeah. Concacaf Nations League kicks off this month - later this month. Small soccer tournament with U.S., Canada, Mexico and Panama. Canada's coach, Jesse Marsch is from Wisconsin, and he spoke out earlier this week during a press conference. Here's a clip from Canadian broadcaster TSN.
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JESSE MARSCH: If I have one message to our president, it's lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being the 51st state. As an American, I'm ashamed of the arrogance and disregard that we've shown one of our historically oldest, strongest and most loyal allies.
SIMON: And Canadians are standing up and shouting out during hockey games, too, aren't they?
STEELE: Yeah. I mean, these international tournaments for Canada, Scott, especially the ones where they're playing the U.S., mean something very different now. The Canadians know that. You know, some in Canada called that win over the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off a couple of weeks ago sort of their Miracle on Ice moment where Canada was the U.S. and the U.S. were the villains. You know, I'd recommend watching the whole thing online. Marsch said at one point, you know, he's in a place that embodies, for me, the ideals and morals of not just what football is or what team is, but what life is - integrity, respect and the belief that good people can do great things together. So he's leading the Canadian team, and I bet you they're ready to run through a wall for him.
SIMON: Boy, yes. Michele Steele of ESPN. Thanks so much. We'll talk to you soon. Take care.
STEELE: Sure.
(SOUNDBITE OF MATT LARGE'S "CITY LIGHTS") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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