WEBVTT - The BroadCast: 7/13/2018 ~ Summer League Spotlight - Jonah Bolden 0:00:01.920 --> 0:00:06.720 How about that backs up against the wall, no margin 0:00:06.800 --> 0:00:12.799 for error, your resilience, gritty and determined Summer seventy Sixers 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:18.040 breakthrough finally win number one out in Las Vegas on 0:00:18.160 --> 0:00:22.960 Thursday Nights. Brian Seltzer, welcome you into another episode of 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:27.520 the podcast, a Summer League edition. Yes, the seventy Sixers 0:00:27.720 --> 0:00:32.400 winless previously at Owen three, toppling the previously unbeaten three 0:00:32.400 --> 0:00:35.920 and Oh Phoenix Suns eighty eight to eighty six at 0:00:35.960 --> 0:00:38.560 Thomas and Mack Center. There was a lot of good 0:00:38.560 --> 0:00:41.800 in the game, Isaiah Miles lighting the spark for the Sixers, 0:00:41.960 --> 0:00:45.479 fur Con Corkmas getting back into a groove. The bench 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:48.720 played really well. The Sixers got very nice guard play 0:00:48.760 --> 0:00:52.320 from Demetris Jackson and Askia Booker. But on this episode 0:00:52.320 --> 0:00:54.960 of the podcast, we're gonna focus on a guy whom 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:58.480 seventy Sixers Summer League head coach Kevin Young credited for 0:00:58.600 --> 0:01:01.480 setting the tone for thurs Nights win, and that would 0:01:01.520 --> 0:01:04.760 be from Australia, Jonah Bolden, who the Sixers praised for 0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:07.440 going toe to toe with this year's number one pick, 0:01:07.800 --> 0:01:10.720 DeAndre Aighton of the Sun. So we'll hear from Jonah 0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:13.000 coming up in just a moment, I reminded that to 0:01:13.160 --> 0:01:15.479 subscribe to the podcast, you can head to a couple 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:22.360 different places iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and SoundCloud. Type in 0:01:22.480 --> 0:01:25.040 Sixers podcast Network that will take you to our feed. 0:01:25.040 --> 0:01:29.440 We do hope that you become a subscriber. Thursday night 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:32.920 was Jonah Bolden's fourth game in a Summer League Round 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:35.160 two for the seventy six ers. So far this year, 0:01:35.560 --> 0:01:38.240 he's averaging right around five and a half points six 0:01:38.319 --> 0:01:40.400 rebounds per to go along with one and a half 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:43.440 steals and about one and a half blocks. He's a 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:48.480 very active, obviously lanky, long presence all over the court, 0:01:48.960 --> 0:01:51.200 especially on the defensive end, and it was in that 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:54.400 area that Kevin Young felt that the twenty two year 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:58.400 old number thirty six overall pick from the twenty seventeen 0:01:58.600 --> 0:02:01.720 draft really helped the Sixers immenseally to come away with 0:02:02.040 --> 0:02:04.400 a win on Thursday nights. So now the Sixers they 0:02:04.400 --> 0:02:08.760 will play on Saturday at eight thirty verses Dante DiVincenzo 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:11.960 maybe and the Milwaukee Bucks. But that's for then. This 0:02:12.080 --> 0:02:14.680 is now. Earlier this week out in Las Vegas, had 0:02:14.720 --> 0:02:17.480 the opportunity to sit down with Jonah bolden and catch 0:02:17.560 --> 0:02:21.079 up as he was coming off of a five point 0:02:21.280 --> 0:02:24.919 four rebound, three steel, one block game against the Los 0:02:25.000 --> 0:02:28.520 Angeles Lakers. Jonah, I think a lot of seventy sixers 0:02:28.560 --> 0:02:31.000 fans would say, it is good to have you back 0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:33.880 with the squad in summer League. Is it feeling good 0:02:34.320 --> 0:02:37.959 so far? Yeah? It is. Um, Yeah, it feels great 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:41.079 to be back here. Um like last year with the team, 0:02:41.200 --> 0:02:45.080 and you know, same familiar faces and stuff like that. UM. 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:50.040 Performance wise, not note up to to to my standards 0:02:50.320 --> 0:02:54.800 or what I feel. UM. You know it's expected of me. UM, 0:02:54.880 --> 0:02:57.320 But but it feels great to be here. I think 0:02:57.360 --> 0:02:58.880 it's like the third day I've been here now, so 0:02:58.960 --> 0:03:01.840 it's it's it's definitely. The Summer League is a really 0:03:01.840 --> 0:03:05.880 interesting dynamic though, because there's so many fresh guys coming 0:03:05.919 --> 0:03:08.720 in from all over the place and trying to find cohesion. 0:03:09.160 --> 0:03:12.080 I feel like, whether it's collectively or individually, you'd need 0:03:12.160 --> 0:03:15.800 a couple of games to discover that. Yeah, no doubt, UM, 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:18.400 and the team had been I didn't participate in the 0:03:18.480 --> 0:03:21.880 training camp um prior to the first game. UM, so 0:03:21.919 --> 0:03:24.800 the teammate kind of already started jelling. UM. You know, 0:03:24.840 --> 0:03:27.640 had their plays down and then throwing me. And then 0:03:27.680 --> 0:03:30.240 I think Fokon had just came up a plane and 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:32.840 and Ski had just came up a flight to UM. 0:03:32.880 --> 0:03:36.280 So there's three new new faces um thrown in there. 0:03:36.320 --> 0:03:38.320 And and then then the teammates kind of having to 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:41.920 accept that, you know, the rotation wise, having to accept 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:44.360 new players coming in and then and then us having 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:47.200 to to you know, put time aside to figure out 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:49.760 the players and then work our way in within the system. 0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:51.480 But at the same time just playing playing some of 0:03:51.480 --> 0:03:54.120 the league basketball. So for you, your last game was 0:03:54.160 --> 0:03:57.920 about five or six weeks ago. Also, yeah, and that's 0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:02.080 following a really long season in new experience, new place. 0:04:02.200 --> 0:04:04.480 Had you been playing much in between? How did you 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:06.880 structure the time off after the season then getting ready 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:10.480 for summer? Um? Yeah. So the thing with the um 0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:12.640 Israelily that I was in there have a it's called 0:04:12.640 --> 0:04:15.480 the Russian rule. I guess, Um, they can only register 0:04:15.720 --> 0:04:20.440 I think it's five uh foreigners non Israeli's a game, um, 0:04:20.520 --> 0:04:23.000 and we had I think it was like nine. By 0:04:23.000 --> 0:04:24.919 the end of the season, we had nine, um you 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:28.280 know foreigners. So oh eight foreigners. Sorry, So three of 0:04:28.320 --> 0:04:31.279 the three of the eight would have to sit um 0:04:31.320 --> 0:04:33.960 every game. UM, and and and towards the end of 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:36.360 the season, the coach and then the front office made 0:04:36.360 --> 0:04:39.200 the decision to sit myself, UM, a couple other guys 0:04:39.800 --> 0:04:43.040 UM for like the remainder the remainder of the season. 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:44.800 So it was like four three or four games back 0:04:44.839 --> 0:04:47.200 to back to back, UM towards the end where where 0:04:47.240 --> 0:04:49.200 we had to sit out. UM. You know, with with 0:04:49.279 --> 0:04:51.040 respect to them, you know, I would love to play, 0:04:51.080 --> 0:04:53.120 but they they made the decision and we came out 0:04:53.120 --> 0:04:54.719 with the win. We got the championships, so that was 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:58.000 all it was all. UM, you know good But um. Yeah, 0:04:58.000 --> 0:04:59.720 like I said, I hadn't played an organized game and 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:02.600 say tweaks and then after season ended, I came over, UM, 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:04.640 took like five days off and then got back into 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:06.520 the swing of things, working out and stuff like that. 0:05:06.560 --> 0:05:09.160 But organized basketball, yeah, I'd say it's like it's been 0:05:09.200 --> 0:05:11.960 a little bit over over a month. You were really 0:05:12.000 --> 0:05:15.000 involved with Maculbee tell Aviv. This past season started all 0:05:15.040 --> 0:05:17.360 but three the games you guys played. Hawd you think 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:19.200 that season when what was the biggest thing you felt 0:05:19.200 --> 0:05:21.800 like you came away from the experience with, Uh, yeah, 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:24.679 what was my first year you in your league. Prior 0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:27.080 to that, I had been in Serbia within the ABBA 0:05:27.200 --> 0:05:29.640 League and there in their Serbian domestic league. So for 0:05:29.720 --> 0:05:31.680 me going and playing your league for my first year, 0:05:31.839 --> 0:05:35.120 I felt I did pretty good. Um, you know, adjusting 0:05:35.160 --> 0:05:38.520 to the slower but more physical game. UM. I definitely 0:05:38.560 --> 0:05:41.440 have growth in that aspect um with my position wise 0:05:41.520 --> 0:05:44.360 into the power forward center. Uh. You know, physicality is 0:05:44.360 --> 0:05:47.359 always was always high on the list. Um, but that 0:05:47.440 --> 0:05:51.080 definitely helped that year. Maturity. Once again, being overseas away 0:05:51.120 --> 0:05:53.360 from everyone, you feel like you're kind of on your own. 0:05:53.360 --> 0:05:55.479 You're you're in a with your team. There's also guys 0:05:55.520 --> 0:05:58.000 that are there obviously by themselves, so you're not really 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:01.120 you know, isolated, but but you're definitely He definitely puts 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:04.600 you out there to where you have to become more independent. Um. 0:06:04.640 --> 0:06:06.799 You know, you kind of grow up in a sense 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:10.120 on the court. You know, it helps. I was one 0:06:10.160 --> 0:06:12.240 of the youngest guys on the team, so me kind 0:06:12.279 --> 0:06:14.800 of biting off the older guys and the vets that 0:06:14.839 --> 0:06:17.039 had been in your league for seasons. UM, So it 0:06:17.120 --> 0:06:20.440 definitely definitely helped. Skill set wise. How were you able 0:06:20.480 --> 0:06:23.440 to focus on your development there? What was a structure 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:27.840 that allowed you to work on your growth. Uh shooting, UM, 0:06:27.880 --> 0:06:31.919 you know the obviously my past couple of performances won't 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:33.920 relay that, but I think I took a big leap 0:06:34.000 --> 0:06:37.880 in UM my shooting and just consistency. The the NBA 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:41.760 line is longer, UM. And that's that's an adjustment phase, 0:06:41.800 --> 0:06:44.160 and that comes down to you know, your your kind 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:46.760 of form and my form. And I've focused on a 0:06:46.760 --> 0:06:49.640 lot more load, getting my stance and and shooting. That's 0:06:49.640 --> 0:06:52.760 where where they're short those air boards and stuff come in. Um, 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:55.240 it's just is based on my legs, um and and 0:06:55.240 --> 0:06:57.480 and I think that was a main focal point with 0:06:57.600 --> 0:07:01.279 me last season with Maccabi, was loading before I catched 0:07:01.279 --> 0:07:04.200 a ball and focusing on that consistency catching and shooting 0:07:04.240 --> 0:07:07.480 the same way every time. UM, and just just running 0:07:07.520 --> 0:07:11.000 the floor what I'd do activity defensively and just keeping 0:07:11.040 --> 0:07:13.160 that that will always be there, but just making sure 0:07:13.200 --> 0:07:16.040 that that is there and focusing on the offensive, the 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:19.120 offensive side rather than the defense. One of the Americans 0:07:19.120 --> 0:07:23.880 in the roster had some seventy sixers ties pre Jackson. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Pierre, 0:07:24.680 --> 0:07:27.400 How was it developing chemistry with with that I feel 0:07:27.400 --> 0:07:29.000 like it seems like if you look back over the 0:07:29.040 --> 0:07:32.080 course of your time, well really your life, you've been 0:07:32.080 --> 0:07:33.720 a man on the move. I want to say, what 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:36.280 going back to the middle of high school, it's been 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:39.360 a constant move from one place to another, no doubt, 0:07:39.440 --> 0:07:41.840 no doubt. Um. Yes, I moved when I was like 0:07:41.880 --> 0:07:45.560 seventeen over from Australia to high school in Las Vegas. Here. 0:07:45.600 --> 0:07:49.160 Actually I fin they prep with a couple of guys I, um, 0:07:49.280 --> 0:07:51.400 a lot of people know now actually. And then um, 0:07:51.440 --> 0:07:55.720 I went to Brewster Academy with another group of guys 0:07:55.720 --> 0:07:57.400 that a lot of people would know now um. And 0:07:57.440 --> 0:08:01.040 then from from New Hampshire Booster Academy to UCLA, I 0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:03.480 spent my first year red shooting sick and year playing. 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:05.840 So two years there and then after that went to 0:08:06.440 --> 0:08:08.200 back home for a little bit, and then from from 0:08:08.560 --> 0:08:11.640 home I went to Serbia. That was a good year 0:08:11.680 --> 0:08:12.960 for me, probably, I want to say, one of my 0:08:13.000 --> 0:08:16.880 best years playing wise. Um, we went through like three 0:08:16.920 --> 0:08:19.600 different I think it's three three or four different coaches. Um. 0:08:19.920 --> 0:08:22.720 It helped me mature because the language barrier was a 0:08:22.760 --> 0:08:26.440 major thing over there, so it helped me get patience, 0:08:26.480 --> 0:08:28.840 you know. I used to be very impatient, and having 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:31.320 to take a step back and realize, you know, that 0:08:32.040 --> 0:08:34.800 it's a little different over here and adjusting to that 0:08:34.880 --> 0:08:37.559 helped um. So then yeah, then I was drafted thirty 0:08:37.559 --> 0:08:42.840 six by the Sixers. Uh Stash went to Macabtela Viv, Israel, 0:08:42.960 --> 0:08:46.480 and I'm here. You mentioned isolation a few minutes ago. 0:08:47.000 --> 0:08:49.439 Does that feeling is it ever something that you get 0:08:49.520 --> 0:08:51.800 used to, because even if you have a lot of experience, yeah, 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:54.160 it's still that type of feeling. You know, Yeah, you 0:08:54.160 --> 0:08:56.280 do have You do have nights, uh, you know, days 0:08:56.320 --> 0:08:58.920 where it's like damn, you know, you check your phone 0:08:58.920 --> 0:09:01.040 and you see guys back home. When you see guys 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:03.959 you know wherever you were um or come from, and 0:09:04.000 --> 0:09:06.199 then you see their you know, friends and family and 0:09:06.240 --> 0:09:08.440 stuff like that, and you kind of miss it. But 0:09:08.440 --> 0:09:10.760 but then you know, I also like to relay it 0:09:10.800 --> 0:09:12.079 back to that. You know, you kind of gotta flick 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:13.520 that switch where it's like you got to get back 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:15.800 to the reason why you're here. You know, what you 0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:18.360 came for, where you want to go. You know it 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:21.080 might not be the the that might might not be 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:22.760 their mindset. You know, they might not be trying to 0:09:22.800 --> 0:09:24.520 do what you're trying to do. So sometimes you gotta 0:09:24.559 --> 0:09:26.480 put yourself in different positions to to get where you 0:09:26.480 --> 0:09:28.600 want to be. As you said, over the course of 0:09:28.720 --> 0:09:31.800 your time in the sport, you've been surrounded by some 0:09:31.800 --> 0:09:33.719 pretty good players in addition to being a pretty good 0:09:33.720 --> 0:09:36.000 player yourself. So let's let's hit some of the names. 0:09:36.040 --> 0:09:39.440 At Finlay. Who was yeah Finlay actually I saw today, 0:09:39.520 --> 0:09:44.640 Kelly Kelly hubre Um he was one. Rashad Vaughan Um 0:09:44.720 --> 0:09:48.439 justin Jackson and he was just drafted by Orlando. A 0:09:48.520 --> 0:09:51.200 couple other guys in college now, sha Usset he's at 0:09:51.240 --> 0:09:55.760 Syracuse UM. Derek Thornton think he's at USC now UM 0:09:55.760 --> 0:10:00.760 then at Brewster Academy. Uh, DeVante Graham played rate to Kansas, 0:10:01.240 --> 0:10:05.600 was just drafted by the Hornets. Donovan Mitchell, I think 0:10:05.800 --> 0:10:08.840 about everyone over loved the world knows who Donovan is now. Um, 0:10:08.920 --> 0:10:13.720 Isaac Copeland he's still in college now in Nebraska. Jarrettarell 0:10:14.200 --> 0:10:17.439 Um he's over here. He's just had a two way actually, um, 0:10:17.480 --> 0:10:20.200 you know, congratulated to him. But yeah, So those are 0:10:20.200 --> 0:10:23.280 those are some some of the names. By being surrounded 0:10:23.280 --> 0:10:26.560 by such high caliber players and being one yourself. Does 0:10:26.600 --> 0:10:28.200 that almost in some ways, I feel like a lot 0:10:28.200 --> 0:10:30.280 of people say, well, you know, here's the first time 0:10:30.320 --> 0:10:34.920 that a guy might be playing UM NBA type basketball 0:10:35.040 --> 0:10:36.840 being surrounded by that type of talent. But I mean, 0:10:36.880 --> 0:10:38.960 You've been surrounded by good players your whole life. So 0:10:39.000 --> 0:10:41.920 does that help or how does that affect the transition? Yeah? Yeah, 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:44.400 it definitely helps. Um. You know that that that that 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:47.320 transition phase kind of hit me in my first two 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:49.840 weeks coming from high school, coming from Aushea to to 0:10:49.920 --> 0:10:52.199 high school over here. Was that was that real transition 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:57.079 phase from just different styles of play, UM, bigger, stronger, 0:10:57.160 --> 0:11:01.359 quicker guys. UM. So I think I'm past that transition, 0:11:01.800 --> 0:11:04.080 a whole transition fade. You know, I'm not here to 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:07.120 really to make excuses about having played in the NBA 0:11:07.160 --> 0:11:08.959 and stuff like that. I have the upmost faith and 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:11.040 confidence in my game, and I believe I could play 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:14.560 in the NBA. And then, don't get me wrong, me 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:16.319 being surrounded by the guys that are there now and 0:11:16.720 --> 0:11:19.640 I have been there before me my high school teammates 0:11:19.720 --> 0:11:22.839 definitely helped, you know that, Just that that mindset that 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:25.400 would come in every day wanting to work and compete 0:11:26.000 --> 0:11:28.560 to get each other better, so that definitely helps you 0:11:28.640 --> 0:11:30.959 grow as as a player. I think the past couple 0:11:31.000 --> 0:11:32.600 of years, when the Sixers have brought in more and 0:11:32.640 --> 0:11:37.079 more international talent, people whether it's fans and even for myself, 0:11:37.120 --> 0:11:39.680 have become more familiar with just how big of a 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:43.400 deal EuroLeague is and understanding what that whole scene is 0:11:43.440 --> 0:11:46.600 all about. And it was amazing that this year there 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:48.400 was Luca don Chi all right, and he got the 0:11:48.480 --> 0:11:51.160 Rising Stars trophy again. But then there was yourself and 0:11:51.360 --> 0:11:53.520 Matthias la Sort who was part of the draft class 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:56.079 in two thy seventeen that were right behind him in 0:11:56.080 --> 0:11:59.600 the player index. It was like crossing paths with those 0:11:59.640 --> 0:12:02.440 guys this year. Uh yeah, it was fun going up 0:12:02.440 --> 0:12:05.240 against the likes of Luca. Um. You know, Matthias is 0:12:05.280 --> 0:12:07.280 a familiar face. You know. Where we were saw off 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:08.880 the quarter, it was you know, high good talk, but 0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:10.400 when we saw each other on the quarter, it was, 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:12.600 you know, let's let's let's go against each other. Um. 0:12:12.840 --> 0:12:15.440 But yeah, like I said, my first time playing your league. 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:17.360 Prior to that, I hadn't heard too much you know, 0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:21.000 everyone's goal growing up. I think maybe it might be 0:12:21.000 --> 0:12:23.200 different for a lot of Europeans. But my goal was 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:27.000 to be in the NBA. So you don't really focus 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:29.160 or you know, your focal point isn't really your league 0:12:29.200 --> 0:12:31.520 until it's like, all right, well that's an option, let's 0:12:31.600 --> 0:12:33.280 let's see what it's about. UM. And that kind of 0:12:33.320 --> 0:12:38.520 came to me maybe somewhere at the end of high school, UM, 0:12:38.559 --> 0:12:42.280 going into freshman year. A lot of people, me being Australian, 0:12:42.320 --> 0:12:44.120 a lot of people thought I might have just gone 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:45.760 back home rather than go to college or go and 0:12:45.800 --> 0:12:47.839 play in Europe somewhere. So that's where the U League 0:12:48.000 --> 0:12:52.480 UM came came became, you know, a familiar talk with 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:54.400 with me, UM. But then playing in it is a 0:12:54.400 --> 0:12:57.000 different story. You know, it's you don't really you kind 0:12:57.040 --> 0:12:58.440 of hear about the NBA, and then, like I said, 0:12:58.440 --> 0:12:59.959 you didn't really hear about your league, util your inner 0:13:00.000 --> 0:13:02.360 and realize that it's it's it is the second best 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:05.199 league in the world for reason. Um. You know, it's 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:07.200 different styles of play, but but the IQ and the 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:10.400 experience and the players are definitely there, even though you 0:13:10.480 --> 0:13:13.240 might have been half a world away this past season. 0:13:13.280 --> 0:13:16.320 By going through your Twitter feed, it is evident that 0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:18.719 what was going on in Philadelphia, the seventy six ers 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:21.080 and never too far from your mind. Here you get 0:13:21.120 --> 0:13:24.280 a little quote tweet for Marquel Folks coming back when 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:26.480 the team made the playoffs. Just how closely? Where are 0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:28.719 you following the team and then being in another part 0:13:28.760 --> 0:13:31.360 of the world. How did you follow the team? Um? 0:13:31.440 --> 0:13:33.920 Well I was. I was following day to day. Uh. 0:13:34.240 --> 0:13:36.760 Like I said, my whole thing was was focusing on 0:13:36.800 --> 0:13:40.400 getting back to to here. Um. So I was always 0:13:40.400 --> 0:13:43.280 just watching, whether that's from my phone, Um, you know, 0:13:43.320 --> 0:13:46.480 waking up and looking at score, seeing stats, seeing highlights, 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:48.319 or you know, staying up late nights when we have 0:13:48.360 --> 0:13:50.040 the day off to like four because that's when the 0:13:50.440 --> 0:13:52.959 games went over there the games were up to six thirty. Um, 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:54.760 so if we had the day off the next day 0:13:54.840 --> 0:13:57.880 or whatnot, I would stay up and watch games. Um. 0:13:57.920 --> 0:13:59.560 But yeah, I had the NBA TV, so I was 0:13:59.640 --> 0:14:02.640 very watching, very closely. It almost sounds like this has 0:14:02.679 --> 0:14:05.760 been obviously a pretty great source of motivation to get back, 0:14:05.920 --> 0:14:07.760 no doubt here to this point, no doubt, no doubt. 0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:10.000 Yeah yeah. What were your impressions to the team this year? 0:14:11.000 --> 0:14:14.800 I was impressed, Um, extremely impressed the team. Did they 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:17.720 surprised me. I'm pretty sure they surprised a lot of people. 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:21.160 I had no doubt what they could do. Um, it 0:14:21.280 --> 0:14:22.800 was just a matter of time when you know, the 0:14:23.040 --> 0:14:25.880 whole trust the process. When when when we were nearing 0:14:25.920 --> 0:14:27.680 the end or when the team's nearing the end of 0:14:27.760 --> 0:14:31.200 processing it. UM. I think this past season was a big, 0:14:31.760 --> 0:14:35.480 big step in that direction. UM, just looking at the speed, 0:14:36.080 --> 0:14:39.320 the way you know coach Brown just talks to his players, 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:41.320 and then how the players feed off each other. The 0:14:41.400 --> 0:14:43.680 chemistry just looked fun. You know a lot of my 0:14:43.720 --> 0:14:46.720 teammates in Maccabee obviously, then you my situation coming over 0:14:46.800 --> 0:14:49.520 being stashed from from Philly will always you know, when 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:51.000 I come to the locker room, they had seen some 0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:53.480 highlights where they had seen some um you know, some 0:14:53.600 --> 0:14:57.440 plays and like, yo, those game looks fun. You know 0:14:57.480 --> 0:14:59.880 that a couple of guys like Michael roll from my 0:15:00.080 --> 0:15:02.080 him and be like yo, like jj ready just he's 0:15:02.080 --> 0:15:04.440 just looking like crazy. You know, it just looks fun 0:15:04.440 --> 0:15:06.160 to play with a guy like that and stuff like that. 0:15:06.200 --> 0:15:09.640 So it was definitely fun to watch. UM. And then 0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:12.280 the stats came out about mileage, you know, how how 0:15:12.320 --> 0:15:14.440 many how many miles the team had run? Throughout the 0:15:14.480 --> 0:15:17.360 season and stuff like that. That definitely helped me looking 0:15:17.400 --> 0:15:19.760 at the way I play and that mobility and being 0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:22.240 able to run and stuff like that. So it's definitely exciting. 0:15:23.160 --> 0:15:26.960 Something is normal a part of everyday life as a 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:30.000 FaceTime or a phone call. Yeah, that's something that we 0:15:30.080 --> 0:15:33.560 experienced with friends, family, just every single day. But to 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:36.080 get something like that from Brett Brown this past year, 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:39.040 how much does that help mentally keeping you alive? No, 0:15:39.240 --> 0:15:41.480 it definitely helps. Um and and And I don't know 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:43.560 if he timed it correctly or what he did, but 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:46.480 he called at the right times, um, throughout the season. Uh, 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:50.240 and spoke to me just just put away from basketball, 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:52.240 just how I'm doing, you know, a person to person, 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:55.240 you know, human to human rather than coach the player. UM. 0:15:55.320 --> 0:15:57.840 And that was a good dubs you know, always uplifting 0:15:58.000 --> 0:16:00.800 and good conversation, especially a couple towards the end of 0:16:00.800 --> 0:16:02.920 the season where I think he might have got the 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:05.000 feeling and a lot of players at that point because 0:16:05.160 --> 0:16:08.040 you re, league season is very long, UM, and Europe 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:10.320 season starts very long. You league kind of ended early 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:12.280 and then we still have our domestic league that goes 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:15.040 until you know, mid June UM, and so a lot 0:16:15.080 --> 0:16:18.960 of players, you know, mentally start start seeing people back home, 0:16:19.080 --> 0:16:21.880 get home, and and and and the season drags out longer. 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:24.160 And then in this past season, we had a you know, 0:16:24.200 --> 0:16:27.680 those discrepancy with the league announcing that it was over, 0:16:27.760 --> 0:16:29.680 a lot of guys mentally checked out then and then 0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:31.440 you know, two days later they're announcing us back on. 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:33.440 So we gotta kind of get back into it. But 0:16:33.520 --> 0:16:36.200 ye know, the FaceTime definitely helped. Coach talked about, um, 0:16:36.560 --> 0:16:38.960 you know what I needed to do, um coming into 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:41.800 this this season, um, coming into the training camp and 0:16:41.840 --> 0:16:44.800 stuff like that. Uh, focusing on, like I said, my 0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:48.200 consistent with my shot. It's old legs. Uh. He's talking 0:16:48.200 --> 0:16:49.960 about when it's short. You know what it is. It's 0:16:50.040 --> 0:16:52.760 it's pure legs. Just getting in and loading, uh, and 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:54.840 just working on that consistency because that, you know, that 0:16:54.840 --> 0:16:57.240 will differentiate me from from a lot of players. And 0:16:57.240 --> 0:16:59.280 it's amazing because as I think of it, I mean, 0:16:59.320 --> 0:17:01.600 obviously he's the head coach of the team, so he 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:03.960 knows what's going on, but he didn't coach me for 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:08.000 a single second last year. It was the assistance. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Um, 0:17:08.119 --> 0:17:11.439 Billy Lank coached me in Utah last year. UM, and 0:17:11.520 --> 0:17:13.480 so that was fun and and and coach was there, 0:17:13.600 --> 0:17:16.520 Coach Brown was there sidelines, and he'd put in his 0:17:16.600 --> 0:17:19.440 few words before and then after the games, UM, which 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:22.760 which kind of helped going further. But yeah, now he 0:17:23.440 --> 0:17:26.480 from a coaching standpoint, he never really coached me. UM. 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:28.879 But he said, you know, he knew when to speak 0:17:28.920 --> 0:17:31.080 and and and and then when not to and that 0:17:31.160 --> 0:17:34.040 the coaches kind of take their role. So, given your pedigrees, 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:37.119 you and Ben Simmons cross paths on your way up, 0:17:37.560 --> 0:17:39.640 what did you expect from him this past season? And 0:17:39.640 --> 0:17:43.240 then what did you see from him? Uh? What I 0:17:43.280 --> 0:17:47.359 expected nothing, nothing better than what has happened. Um. You know, 0:17:47.400 --> 0:17:49.719 the Rookie of the Year is what I expected. I 0:17:49.720 --> 0:17:52.240 think I expected that when he got drafted and the 0:17:52.520 --> 0:17:54.640 situation played out to where he didn't get to play 0:17:55.080 --> 0:17:57.520 that season, and then coming in I knew that was 0:17:57.560 --> 0:17:59.320 another chip on his shoulder. You know, I think it 0:17:59.440 --> 0:18:02.360 kind of made it worse for the rookies this past year, 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:04.600 him sitting out because I knew that that that would 0:18:04.600 --> 0:18:07.560 have fueled his fire. UM. So I expected, you know, 0:18:07.600 --> 0:18:09.320 nothing less than Rookie of the Year from him. There 0:18:09.400 --> 0:18:11.520 was no doubt doubt in my mind. So I gotta 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:14.640 think it feels pretty good to be a basketball player 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:17.119 of Australian heritage these days. I mean, it's it's amazing 0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:18.960 the movement that's been coming up. Yeah, no, it is. 0:18:19.040 --> 0:18:21.000 It is on the come up now. Yeah. I think 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:23.040 you look back five years ago, it was kind of 0:18:23.240 --> 0:18:26.000 still plateauing um, but now it's kind of hit hit 0:18:26.040 --> 0:18:28.359 the ball, snowball effect is starting to go up. You 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:31.200 got the Center Center of Excellence in Canberra. I think 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:33.159 they got that NBA kind of thing. I don't know 0:18:33.200 --> 0:18:34.960 too much information. I've been back there in a while, 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:36.679 but I've heard a lot of good things about that. 0:18:36.680 --> 0:18:38.679 It's I heard it's, you know, a big attraction for 0:18:38.800 --> 0:18:41.399 younger players. Wanted to go there and get that you know, 0:18:41.440 --> 0:18:44.240 exposure and get that development. On the Monday, to think 0:18:44.280 --> 0:18:47.880 Saturday basis practicing playing and going up against good competition. 0:18:47.960 --> 0:18:49.600 So it's definitely on the rise. You know, you see it. 0:18:49.840 --> 0:18:51.840 You see it within the league, you see it within Europe, 0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:53.720 you see it within guys. A lot of guys just 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:56.560 being motivated, a lot of guys you know, our names 0:18:56.760 --> 0:18:57.959 you know, a lot of guys don't even know your 0:18:57.960 --> 0:19:01.080 Australia sometimes and then like yeah, yeah, rush and oh wow. 0:19:01.119 --> 0:19:03.560 You know. So it's it's definitely a good feeling. What's 0:19:03.600 --> 0:19:04.800