I had a chance to connect with basketball royalty, "Big E" Elvin Hayes. 12x NBA All Star, NBA HOF, and NBA Champion.

SportsMap: What grade to you give commissioner Adam Silver in his handling of the pandemic/creation of the bubble?

Elvin Hayes: I think he has done an excellent job of getting basketball back where it needs to be. I'd give him an A. He gets a 10 out of 10 in my book.

SM: Would you have adapted to the bubble as a player ? Would you have thrived with it being the same court, same atmosphere each night, etc?

EH: No I wouldn't have. I think that is a very difficult situation for teams playing in one place. I wouldn't have been successful in that situation. I preferred going city to city. To me, it's more like a scrimmage than a game.

SM: There's a cloud of uncertainty with Russell Westbrook. Realistically how far can the Rockets go if he's limited?

EH: Houston can't go far without Russ. He's come in and taken them to another level. Without Westbrook, the Rockets will be really hurting.

SM: So for the first round matchup vs. the Thunder, these teams know each other really well. Does Chris Paul control the tempo of that series, or does James Harden rule the day?

EH: I'm a big fan of CP3. Chris has a very positive effect with Oklahoma and I've seen him this regular season elevate his teammates to play better. OKC has defeated Houston in the past because of Chris Paul. He's the key to that series. He's a floor general. James is a great player, but Chris guides that OKC team and will give the Rockets a hard time.

SM: Who do you think wins the NBA Title?

EH: Milwaukee. This will usher in the Giannis era of basketball.