WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: Darvin Ham Part 1 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:04.320 Welcome to This League Uncut in the world of twenty 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:06.720 four hour NBA news. Is you lo. 0:00:08.600 --> 0:00:09.160 Chris Hans. 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:17.040 It's so time, Port Stein, It's so time. 0:00:17.120 --> 0:00:21.799 This League Uncut is underway and on fire. It should 0:00:21.840 --> 0:00:24.759 be a good one. 0:00:25.120 --> 0:00:29.520 Everyone welcome, Thanks so much for joining us. This is 0:00:29.560 --> 0:00:34.120 a historic moment for this show. We're almost six months old, 0:00:34.200 --> 0:00:39.000 This League Uncut, the This League Uncut podcast. I'm Mark Stein. 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:44.560 To my far right is my trusty podcast partner Chris Haynes, 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:48.320 who everyone knows from Turner Sports and Bleach your report. 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:52.760 And we are truly honored, not just to be at 0:00:52.760 --> 0:00:55.600 the iconic Caesars Palace here at Summer League in Vegas, 0:00:56.360 --> 0:00:58.920 but to have a truly special guest with us. 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:00.720 You guys know him. 0:01:00.760 --> 0:01:05.200 Doesn't need an introduction. Lakers coach Darvin Ham. Everyone with 0:01:05.280 --> 0:01:08.200 us here on this League Uncut Coach. 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:11.240 Thank you man, thanks for having me, Thank you for 0:01:11.319 --> 0:01:13.920 joining us. 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:15.639 Even for the brothers. 0:01:16.880 --> 0:01:18.560 I wish I want to take the headphones off and 0:01:18.600 --> 0:01:20.200 see what Pat Bell was talking about. 0:01:20.440 --> 0:01:21.039 That's what God. 0:01:21.120 --> 0:01:22.360 Oh yeah, he'll TV right. 0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:26.280 Now and that will not be his last interview, so 0:01:26.280 --> 0:01:26.720 don't worry. 0:01:26.720 --> 0:01:27.039 I'm sure. 0:01:27.080 --> 0:01:30.559 I'm sure he'll be I'm sure he'll be getting getting 0:01:30.600 --> 0:01:33.720 info from him soon. When you're at Summer League, what 0:01:33.720 --> 0:01:35.880 what is I mean, you're an observer, You're not on 0:01:35.920 --> 0:01:39.760 the floor. What are you looking for when you're when 0:01:39.760 --> 0:01:41.800 you're watching the Lakers player, when you're in the gym 0:01:41.840 --> 0:01:44.160 for other games? What are you on the lookout for? 0:01:44.680 --> 0:01:52.080 I'm just trying to survey the level of competitiveness individual individual, 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:59.200 group by group again, the level of competitiveness and the 0:01:59.240 --> 0:02:01.640 i Q, you know, in terms of guys that play 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:04.920 the right way, you know, not necessarily trying to make 0:02:04.960 --> 0:02:08.359 every play for themselves, but trying to put their their 0:02:08.400 --> 0:02:13.639 team in a position to be successful possession by possession. 0:02:13.720 --> 0:02:17.800 So that's the biggest thing. And how guys are bought in. 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:21.880 And I mean it's obviously as Summer League, it's it's 0:02:21.880 --> 0:02:25.919 a short term situation for some guys. But in that 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:29.760 short term, how quickly can they come together and try 0:02:29.760 --> 0:02:31.880 to do something special and you know, win a summ 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:32.799 League championship? 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:34.760 But how much different does the game look from a 0:02:34.800 --> 0:02:36.240 fan sea Because I'm guessing. 0:02:37.280 --> 0:02:39.320 And I haven't been a fan of so long. It's like, 0:02:39.360 --> 0:02:42.760 it's hard, it's hard, it's it's actually more difficult to 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:47.520 watch as a coach because you're you have that every 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:51.320 like critiquing different things as you're watching real live action. 0:02:51.480 --> 0:02:53.840 It's tough. Like it's it's hard for me to sit 0:02:53.880 --> 0:02:56.520 at home and watch basketball. I love watching it, but 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:59.240 I know, I'm so happy we have what you call it. Uh, 0:02:59.720 --> 0:03:02.959 you can pauls and winding yea, I always say TVO, 0:03:03.520 --> 0:03:07.360 but you can pause and rewind it. And I'm like 0:03:07.680 --> 0:03:09.680 breaking the game down like I'm breaking down one of 0:03:09.680 --> 0:03:13.840 my films. So it's it's it's tough, but you know, 0:03:14.000 --> 0:03:16.160 being around the game, I'm you know, I'm from Michigan 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:21.080 originally the rich history of basketball within that state, being 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:23.359 from the city of Saginaw, and all the great players 0:03:23.440 --> 0:03:25.880 I saw coming up from Sagging, all the flot Detroit, 0:03:26.480 --> 0:03:31.040 Grand Rapids, Calumbas play guys all over that state. To 0:03:31.280 --> 0:03:33.520 now being on my own journey from a player to 0:03:33.639 --> 0:03:38.120 now a coach, It's like you it's not hard. I 0:03:38.200 --> 0:03:41.600 see things immediately, and you can tell when the guys 0:03:41.600 --> 0:03:43.400 out there not doing the right thing, not playing the 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:46.440 right way, and you know, usually they you know, they 0:03:46.440 --> 0:03:49.360 may get some numbers, but they don't really get very far. 0:03:50.160 --> 0:03:53.240 You've assigned coach JD to see the head coach of 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:58.840 Summer League to talk about opportunities that presents when a 0:03:58.920 --> 0:04:01.600 guy is able to leaders own team, even if for 0:04:01.600 --> 0:04:03.080 for a short stint during some of league. 0:04:03.080 --> 0:04:04.200 What are you looking for as well? 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:09.560 I mean, I'm looking for the leadership capabilities, how how 0:04:09.680 --> 0:04:13.640 well they're keeping everything organized. I try to stay out 0:04:13.640 --> 0:04:17.000 of the way to just let him go figure it out, 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:20.080 you know, throw them on the deep end of the pool, 0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:23.200 so to speak, you know, and you know, not be overbearing. 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:25.920 And I think JD has done a tremendous job him 0:04:25.960 --> 0:04:29.239 skylar zp the guys why put in charge of running 0:04:29.240 --> 0:04:31.200 the Summer League team and shout out to my man 0:04:31.279 --> 0:04:35.720 Nick Mosella, who really were quarterback putting our sumer League 0:04:35.800 --> 0:04:42.080 roster together. It's it's been beautiful to watch. And you know, 0:04:42.160 --> 0:04:44.480 one of our young kids, we're really really excited about 0:04:45.480 --> 0:04:47.960 Max Christie, you know, going into his second year in 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:49.680 the league. I told him he needs to step up 0:04:49.720 --> 0:04:54.680 and show his leadership abilities, and he's done that, along 0:04:54.720 --> 0:04:58.800 with you know, Jalen Hood Chapino and Maxwell Lewis and 0:04:59.560 --> 0:05:03.880 Colin Castleton, d'amoye Hodge, like we got Cole Spider. We 0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:06.880 have some really good players under our umbrella that you know, 0:05:06.960 --> 0:05:08.919 the people are getting a chance to see and and 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:11.760 they're playing the right way. They're competing again, competing at 0:05:11.760 --> 0:05:15.320 a high level, and coaches at the at the forefront 0:05:15.360 --> 0:05:17.760 of that. And it's just not you know, opportunity as 0:05:17.800 --> 0:05:21.600 you mentioned for players, it's just coaches, our training staff, 0:05:21.600 --> 0:05:25.360 our performance team, like it's our h opportunity for those 0:05:25.400 --> 0:05:28.880 guys who are normally in a support role step to 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:32.520 the forefront and show their abilities to the run a 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:35.640 situation and keep it running smooth and keep it well 0:05:35.680 --> 0:05:38.919 oiled and well organized. So I'm excited. I mean, I 0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:41.560 think our program is just it's been incredible. 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:50.320 So you guys, your first season, it started off so rough, 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:55.279 but then you guys oooh changed everything up, surged into 0:05:55.320 --> 0:05:57.760 the playoffs. You won your first two playoff series as 0:05:57.760 --> 0:06:01.719 an NBA head coach. You KOed the defending champs, but 0:06:01.800 --> 0:06:04.400 obviously the Western Conference finals did not go the way 0:06:04.400 --> 0:06:07.040 you wanted against Denver. Now that you've had some distance 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:10.720 from it, when I just listed like that, what's your 0:06:10.760 --> 0:06:13.880 gut reaction to year one on the sidelines for Darvinham. 0:06:14.000 --> 0:06:17.400 I mean, like I said, man, it's not stressful. What 0:06:18.160 --> 0:06:21.200 excuse me, seemed to be a stressful situation. I knew 0:06:21.200 --> 0:06:24.560 exactly what I was getting myself into. The Lakers are 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:28.680 the organization that gave me my first shot as the 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:34.520 NBA assistant coach. Excuse me once again, and I just 0:06:34.600 --> 0:06:37.640 knew it'd be. You know, I call it the excavation period, 0:06:38.040 --> 0:06:42.200 you know, where we try to get things stable level, 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:45.440 you know, dig up the old bones, get them out 0:06:45.480 --> 0:06:49.520 the way, and try to reset the franchise to get 0:06:49.560 --> 0:06:54.080 back to re establishing to win the culture. And I 0:06:54.120 --> 0:06:55.680 felt like we were able to do that. We put 0:06:55.680 --> 0:06:59.960 together a strong coaching staff, you know, Chris, Jim, Phil Hand, 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:03.640 the Jordan and skyl Or jd. We just added to 0:07:03.680 --> 0:07:08.120 Mary Carroll, Zach Peters and all our guys, like we 0:07:08.240 --> 0:07:10.880 knew that every day we come out, you know, our 0:07:10.920 --> 0:07:14.080 marching orders that I delivered as being the head coach, 0:07:15.240 --> 0:07:17.720 we gotta make sure we go get better at something 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:21.120 each and every day. And I didn't look at him 0:07:21.160 --> 0:07:23.800 as wins and losses. I called them wisdom and lessons. 0:07:24.640 --> 0:07:27.280 And so we we didn't want to answer we're gonna 0:07:27.480 --> 0:07:31.280 go as far as our work takes us. And that's 0:07:31.280 --> 0:07:35.000 exactly what happened. I mean, obviously we had some parts 0:07:36.080 --> 0:07:38.400 albeit that were good parts, but they just didn't fit. 0:07:38.960 --> 0:07:40.920 And so once we were able to get some pieces 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:44.960 that hit naturally to our two captains, Brian and a 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:48.120 d I thought, you saw, you know, you got to 0:07:48.600 --> 0:07:50.920 you got to see what the laker what it looks like. 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:53.600 And you know, being able to get through the first 0:07:53.640 --> 0:07:56.280 round it's a really tough, well coach Memphis team and 0:07:56.320 --> 0:07:59.680 in the second round it gets the defending champs. You know, 0:07:59.720 --> 0:08:03.640 it's it was beautiful. And then to see of what 0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:06.440 winning is gonna look like in the league. In terms 0:08:06.440 --> 0:08:10.120 of playing against Denver, the won two parts, not three 0:08:10.280 --> 0:08:15.440 four max players and just a collection of individuals, a solid, 0:08:15.480 --> 0:08:18.920 well coach team with the monster of. 0:08:18.840 --> 0:08:19.560 A player in. 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:26.440 Nicolet Jokic, the Joker is nothing short of amazing. The 0:08:26.600 --> 0:08:30.680 Jamal Murray, the reemergence of Jamal Man and just just 0:08:30.800 --> 0:08:34.720 a really good program, well balanced team that's you know, 0:08:34.920 --> 0:08:37.800 very very young, and someone that you're gonna have to 0:08:37.840 --> 0:08:40.360 go through. In terms of achieving that goal of winning 0:08:40.360 --> 0:08:42.839 the championship, it runs directly through Denver. 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:46.080 I remember being there early in the season, during the 0:08:46.120 --> 0:08:49.120 two and ten start. Yeah, and being in that press 0:08:49.120 --> 0:08:54.400 conference room and you talked about how blessed you felt 0:08:54.679 --> 0:08:57.040 to be the Laker coach and it was not it did. 0:08:57.400 --> 0:08:58.959 I'm not gonna lie to you. There were a lot 0:08:58.960 --> 0:09:01.679 of people in that room, maybe even me included. It 0:09:02.040 --> 0:09:05.600 didn't look like a blissful, I'm blessed situation. 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:05.960 At that this point. 0:09:06.000 --> 0:09:08.520 I mean, you guys were in a serious hole. How 0:09:08.600 --> 0:09:10.240 much pressure did you feel at that time? 0:09:10.280 --> 0:09:10.439 Too? 0:09:10.720 --> 0:09:14.080 I have to try to somebody has to bring some 0:09:14.160 --> 0:09:15.880 calmness here, and it's gonna be me. 0:09:16.360 --> 0:09:18.360 Yeah, I mean, I just think you show up to 0:09:18.480 --> 0:09:21.000 work and you be consistent. One thing I've always prided 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:26.320 myself on is being a consistent human being, Like, no 0:09:26.360 --> 0:09:29.160 matter what circumstances changed in my life, if I'm up, 0:09:29.200 --> 0:09:32.200 if I'm down, rich, poor, whatever, it don't matter. Like 0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:35.360 every human deserves to be treated with respect. And I 0:09:35.400 --> 0:09:39.679 want people to know if they engage with Darviingham, they know, Darvingham, 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:44.440 you gonna get the same thing every time, and never 0:09:44.440 --> 0:09:47.280 get too high and never get too low. Because again, 0:09:47.559 --> 0:09:50.000 in my opinion, what I've seen throughout my years of 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:53.040 playing at this level, or any level for that matter. 0:09:53.440 --> 0:09:55.400 Being around some of the great coaches I've been around, 0:09:55.960 --> 0:09:58.720 the team is a direct reflection of the coach, and 0:09:58.760 --> 0:10:02.520 I just felt like if I stayed consistent in my approach, 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:05.959 that toughness was was gonna bleed over into my team. 0:10:06.160 --> 0:10:09.680 And I think that's exactly what happened. If you go 0:10:09.760 --> 0:10:12.679 back and look at some of those press conference conferences, 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:15.000 I told them, I said, we have to go through 0:10:15.000 --> 0:10:18.520 this time, like this is the reconstruction period, Like we 0:10:18.760 --> 0:10:21.400 have to go through this. I understood that, you know, 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:24.320 being with Bud for nine years and what we had 0:10:24.360 --> 0:10:26.520 to do in Atlanta and what we were able to do, 0:10:26.679 --> 0:10:30.920 you know, transitioning from Atlanta to Milwaukee, and you know, 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:33.520 like it's nothing's gonna happen overnight if you just have 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:35.840 to stick with it and be consistent every day. And 0:10:36.559 --> 0:10:39.959 it starts with me being a leader and everyone that's 0:10:40.000 --> 0:10:42.480 around me just having that mindset to where you know, 0:10:43.240 --> 0:10:45.160 we got better at something. That's a such thing as 0:10:45.160 --> 0:10:48.439 a bad win and a good loss, Like sometimes you 0:10:48.640 --> 0:10:51.920 win bad and you've had bad habits, but just because 0:10:51.960 --> 0:10:53.160 you have so much talent. 0:10:52.920 --> 0:10:54.000 You would have taken a bad win. 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:58.440 Though during I'd have taken a few bad wins, but uh, 0:10:58.720 --> 0:11:01.640 we had some good losses. Like where I saw the 0:11:01.640 --> 0:11:06.160 biggest thing. It's funny because you know, being with Bud 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:09.920 coming from La joining him in Atlanta in twenty thirteen, 0:11:10.559 --> 0:11:14.679 the Lakers were always my scout and as the scout coach, 0:11:15.240 --> 0:11:17.080 I always had to pay attention to what was going 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:21.280 on over there for strategic reasons. And also that's that's 0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:23.120 what gave me my start, you know, being with Kobe 0:11:23.200 --> 0:11:27.480 for two years twenty eleven in twenty thirteen and everything 0:11:27.520 --> 0:11:29.599 that's going on is it's a little special place in 0:11:29.679 --> 0:11:34.080 my heart for that place. And so just what I 0:11:34.120 --> 0:11:39.000 saw from them the previous season going into it, even 0:11:39.040 --> 0:11:40.560 before I got the job, it is just like I 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:44.320 just saw lack of competitiveness that I knew that once 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:46.360 I get the job. That's the first thing we got 0:11:46.400 --> 0:11:49.319 to established that when you play the Los Angeles Lakers, 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:52.680 you in for a dog fighting like no matter who 0:11:52.720 --> 0:11:55.680 wins or loses, you gonna feel us like you're gonna 0:11:55.679 --> 0:11:57.920 we gonna make you feel us, and you're gonna know 0:11:57.960 --> 0:12:01.840 that you you were in the like a knockdown drag 0:12:01.880 --> 0:12:04.839 out if need be. I wanted to re establish that 0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:10.080 first and to be together. And I said, it's competitiveness, 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:14.120 togetherness and accountability starting with myself. How can I be better? 0:12:14.400 --> 0:12:16.960 How can we be better? So I think we were 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:18.200 able to do that in the first year. 0:12:22.840 --> 0:12:25.640 Up once again, we're here with Los Angeles Lakers head 0:12:25.679 --> 0:12:28.599 coach Darvin Ham here at Caesars Palace, live here in 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:33.280 Las Vegas. I think it's well documented obviously the decision 0:12:33.320 --> 0:12:36.040 you had to make early in the season to bring 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:39.440 Russell Westbrook off the bench. But coach, there are Hall 0:12:39.480 --> 0:12:44.240 of fame coaches who coach for twenty years who never 0:12:44.360 --> 0:12:45.000 have to make. 0:12:44.880 --> 0:12:45.880 A decision like that. 0:12:47.440 --> 0:12:51.760 What prepared you to have a talk like that, to 0:12:51.960 --> 0:12:56.040 have a not just a suggestion, but hey, this is 0:12:56.080 --> 0:12:59.160 what this is what needs to happen, Like, what prepared 0:12:59.200 --> 0:13:00.880 you to take go on something like that. 0:13:00.960 --> 0:13:03.760 I just think things I've been through in life, like 0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:08.320 growing up and sagging on the eighties. Man, we got 0:13:08.400 --> 0:13:13.200 to sell anybody about that time, you know, just everything, Yeah, 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:18.320 things people have engaged and and the biggest thing for me, man, 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:20.680 is just I just feel like you only have to 0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:25.400 tell the truth once and you're not You don't Some 0:13:25.440 --> 0:13:29.240 people choose to disguise it with humor and being a 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:33.160 damn comedian, and some people want to disguise it through 0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:38.559 being abrasive and and and and being like just assertive 0:13:38.640 --> 0:13:42.600 and what could be perceived a mean spirited way. I 0:13:42.679 --> 0:13:44.920 just shoot between the eyes, man and just look. 0:13:44.960 --> 0:13:45.160 Look. 0:13:45.360 --> 0:13:47.480 And I told Russ, I said, and shout out to 0:13:47.559 --> 0:13:51.480 Russ Man, like so us made. He takes a lot 0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:55.240 of blame. And you know, everybody you know seems to 0:13:55.840 --> 0:14:02.680 want to talk stuff about it. I won't curse, but but. 0:14:04.280 --> 0:14:06.640 Yeah, it's just some of the stuff he has to endure. 0:14:06.800 --> 0:14:12.160 And he's still a very, very highly capable basketball player. 0:14:13.240 --> 0:14:16.760 I appreciate him for just giving it a chance and 0:14:16.800 --> 0:14:18.920 complying with what I wanted to do and just to 0:14:18.920 --> 0:14:21.240 take a take, take a bullet for the team. And 0:14:21.280 --> 0:14:24.840 like I told him, it's not a demotion, bro, Like, Okay, 0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:27.560 we got you a D and Brown in the starting lineup. 0:14:28.600 --> 0:14:31.960 All of you guys need the ball, like and most 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:34.320 times you give it up, you're going to just go 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:38.760 stand somewhere, like why not realign? Why not allow me 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:43.000 to help you help us by realigning the rotation to 0:14:43.040 --> 0:14:46.400 where now you're coming off and you get to dominate, 0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:50.600 dictate to do everything and people forget man like when 0:14:50.640 --> 0:14:54.440 he came in from that reserve role and we would 0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:59.040 put runners and shooters and rim rollers and finishers around them, 0:14:59.360 --> 0:15:02.960 it's time to there are ten MVP for us. He 0:15:03.080 --> 0:15:06.520 saved our ass a bunch of nights when we started 0:15:06.520 --> 0:15:09.720 off flat and he came in and he pushed the tempo. 0:15:10.120 --> 0:15:13.840 He brought that energy and you look up now we've 0:15:13.920 --> 0:15:16.800 gone on a twelve to two or ten oh run 0:15:16.960 --> 0:15:19.400 as soon as he stepped into the lineup off the bench. 0:15:19.400 --> 0:15:23.960 So shout out to him. I'll always be thankful and 0:15:24.080 --> 0:15:29.120 respectful for him again just meeting me halfway and really 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:31.040 trying to buy into what we were trying to do. 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:35.640 But it's I mean, I think you just sit down 0:15:35.680 --> 0:15:39.560 and it was it was a summer long deal. Me 0:15:39.720 --> 0:15:42.360 seeing him out here in vegue is me, you know, 0:15:42.640 --> 0:15:45.120 pulling them to the side, having one on one conversations 0:15:45.160 --> 0:15:47.040 throughout text messages. 0:15:46.640 --> 0:15:48.960 Phone calls. Yeah. 0:15:49.160 --> 0:15:51.720 Yeah, but just really because I have a ton of 0:15:51.720 --> 0:15:54.200 respect for us, like I've always had since he's been 0:15:54.200 --> 0:15:58.680 in the league. So I just I respect what he's done, 0:15:58.920 --> 0:16:04.720 but who he is, great, great human being, and I'm 0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:10.320 just happy again that he it's a collaboration these days, man, 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:12.560 it's no longer a dictatorship. 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:13.040 Of his my way of the high win. 0:16:13.080 --> 0:16:15.720 And you have to collaborate with your players if you 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:18.720 hope to have any type of success. And that was 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:22.960 a huge collaborative effort on his behalf in mind and 0:16:23.320 --> 0:16:23.880 us trying to. 0:16:23.840 --> 0:16:24.600 Make something work. 0:16:27.480 --> 0:16:29.480 How much do you think that that plays to your advantage? 0:16:29.480 --> 0:16:32.120 You're obviously not afraid to talk to guys. 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:34.000 You, I mean you. 0:16:33.560 --> 0:16:37.080 You clearly relish that. So how much does that change 0:16:37.120 --> 0:16:38.960 in the game work in your favor? 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:39.360 You know? 0:16:39.560 --> 0:16:41.120 I just think you know, I came in as an 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:46.000 undrafted player, and again I come from a real place, 0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:49.480 a real background, really and always try to be the 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:53.320 best teammate I could possibly be. It's funny I still 0:16:53.360 --> 0:16:57.240 talk to my teammates from every situation I've ever been in, 0:16:57.360 --> 0:16:59.680 you know, always all the way back to Lafondo, Ellis 0:17:00.160 --> 0:17:04.880 in my rookie year in Denver, Man Chris Webber, Juwan, 0:17:06.040 --> 0:17:09.200 Rod Strickland, all my guys, God Sham God, Ben Wallace, 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:14.440 She like Sam Plesel like Jason Terry, everywhere I've been, 0:17:14.480 --> 0:17:17.720 you know, I made these relationships with these guys and 0:17:17.800 --> 0:17:20.399 the camaraderie that's involved, because that's the thing you missed 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:23.120 when guys go on, they retire and they get away 0:17:23.160 --> 0:17:26.119 from the game. Obviously, the money is what it is, 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:27.840 and the traveling and all that, but what they miss 0:17:27.880 --> 0:17:30.720 is that brotherhood you have with your teammates and being 0:17:30.760 --> 0:17:33.840 able to understand that from a player's perspective, and now 0:17:33.960 --> 0:17:38.040 transitioning into being a coach, I think it makes it. 0:17:37.600 --> 0:17:41.960 It's not like a chore or a daunting task for 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:44.160 me to have a conversation with someone, whether. 0:17:43.960 --> 0:17:47.359 It's I'm sure you heard the skeptics coming in the 0:17:47.680 --> 0:17:50.800 natural question. They're going to ask, not necessarily about you specifically, 0:17:50.880 --> 0:17:53.359 but they're going to say, how is a rookie coach 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:55.320 going to coach Lebron James. 0:17:55.560 --> 0:17:58.640 Well, I'm rookie in the sense of having never been 0:17:58.680 --> 0:18:02.640 a head coach, but I'm not a first time at all. 0:18:02.720 --> 0:18:04.359 I've been around this league for a quarter of a 0:18:04.400 --> 0:18:08.400 century and so knowing Brown like I do, I think 0:18:08.400 --> 0:18:11.679 the common denominator between he and I is the hunger 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:14.360 to win and to win at a high level and 0:18:15.720 --> 0:18:18.920 just sit and talk. And those are my nad and 0:18:19.040 --> 0:18:22.639 my team captains, and I think communication is key and 0:18:22.760 --> 0:18:27.439 a collaborative mindset of not your way or what works 0:18:27.520 --> 0:18:31.760 best for you specifically individually, we're gonna fail. If it's 0:18:31.760 --> 0:18:35.600 something that's not the whole group can embrace and thrive on, 0:18:36.280 --> 0:18:39.480 then maybe it's not a good idea. And I'm not 0:18:39.560 --> 0:18:42.679 afraid to say that or challenge my guys man in 0:18:42.960 --> 0:18:47.280 certain ways. So and again not being laughing, joky or 0:18:47.720 --> 0:18:51.800 being dark and aggressive and abrasive, like just just calling 0:18:51.800 --> 0:18:55.280 a cat and cat being real and just having a 0:18:55.280 --> 0:18:58.880 type of temperament where they know I'm serious and we're 0:18:58.880 --> 0:19:01.119 gonna push forward and try to make it work. But 0:19:01.119 --> 0:19:02.760 it's just not gonna be something we pull out of 0:19:02.760 --> 0:19:05.320 the sky. It's gonna be a well thought out, well 0:19:05.320 --> 0:19:09.720 informed decision or course of action. So that's the biggest 0:19:09.720 --> 0:19:12.359 thing for me, and just them understanding the clarity about 0:19:12.359 --> 0:19:15.080 it and getting their feedback and then landing in a 0:19:15.119 --> 0:19:19.480 place where we all feel good about, you know, the 0:19:19.520 --> 0:19:20.880 course of action we're gonna take. 0:19:23.560 --> 0:19:26.000 I covered Lebron when he was in Cleveland when David 0:19:26.000 --> 0:19:29.280 Black had took over, and it didn't go too well. 0:19:29.359 --> 0:19:33.920 Darn the players just didn't. 0:19:35.320 --> 0:19:35.399 That. 0:19:35.480 --> 0:19:39.040 The respect wasn't there. Yeah, the voice wasn't there. The 0:19:39.080 --> 0:19:43.240 accountability wasn't there. And so with that sense, we're saying 0:19:43.240 --> 0:19:45.600 that I know players on that team, they were like, 0:19:45.880 --> 0:19:48.280 you know, he wouldn't call out certain guys. 0:19:48.720 --> 0:19:49.919 So I want to ask you. 0:19:50.600 --> 0:19:53.160 Do you remember the first time you called out Lebron 0:19:53.400 --> 0:19:58.800 in front of the team. I call out that call out, 0:19:59.320 --> 0:20:01.760 that call out knowledge. 0:20:01.440 --> 0:20:04.600 Him when you have to. When you have film, you 0:20:04.680 --> 0:20:05.440 fight with film. 0:20:05.560 --> 0:20:09.040 Yes, that's any coach that's worked this way and go 0:20:09.359 --> 0:20:13.760 will tell you the film never lies. Is you have 0:20:13.800 --> 0:20:16.920 to fight with film. It's not calling anybody out. Are 0:20:16.960 --> 0:20:22.800 you willing to acknowledge a mistake made by the biggest 0:20:23.520 --> 0:20:24.400 asset in the. 0:20:24.440 --> 0:20:25.720 Room like. 0:20:27.560 --> 0:20:29.960 Respect that there's times when you stop the film, like Bron, 0:20:30.040 --> 0:20:31.680 I need you to be the meg, what we call 0:20:31.720 --> 0:20:35.359 our meg, our baseline up, our most important guy. And 0:20:35.600 --> 0:20:38.840 to his credit, is one of the reasons why we 0:20:38.840 --> 0:20:42.359 were able to have a success and that you know, 0:20:42.440 --> 0:20:44.640 transformed and what we were able to do going from 0:20:44.840 --> 0:20:47.840 h to six or to two and ten to getting 0:20:47.840 --> 0:20:51.080 to the final four in the conference finals. Like was 0:20:51.160 --> 0:20:55.639 his ability to allow himself to be coached like he 0:20:56.080 --> 0:21:00.840 like everybody, you know, he's this he he's the biggest 0:21:00.840 --> 0:21:07.359 personality global superstar we have today. But he's also a 0:21:07.400 --> 0:21:12.320 guy that's been praised and both criticized for always making 0:21:12.320 --> 0:21:14.680 the right play and playing and not being selfish enough 0:21:14.720 --> 0:21:18.200 at times. And the one thing I know about Lebron 0:21:18.280 --> 0:21:22.000 James is is IQ he just wants the right plays 0:21:22.000 --> 0:21:24.080 to be made. It doesn't have to be him shooting 0:21:24.119 --> 0:21:26.760 the ball going for a game winner. The biggest, one 0:21:26.760 --> 0:21:28.640 of the biggest shots that were made in our program 0:21:28.680 --> 0:21:30.800 this year was him kicking the ball out of Dennis 0:21:30.800 --> 0:21:33.560 Shroud and the play and game against Minnesota, Dennis knocking 0:21:33.600 --> 0:21:36.040 down the corner three. So when we talk about the 0:21:36.080 --> 0:21:40.000 game and we break stuff down, and even I encourage 0:21:40.040 --> 0:21:42.560 them when we're going through walkthroughs, you're going through film, 0:21:42.880 --> 0:21:46.920 I encourage the feedback. I know the coaches constantly. I've 0:21:46.920 --> 0:21:50.479 been in the room where in uniform as a player, 0:21:50.960 --> 0:21:53.080 watching the coaches give us all the answers and what 0:21:53.160 --> 0:21:55.960 he thinks and not really open enough the floor for 0:21:56.040 --> 0:21:58.400 guys to say what they need to say and get 0:21:58.400 --> 0:22:00.520 that feedback and from their petive. 0:22:00.640 --> 0:22:01.879 So that's the one thing. 0:22:01.800 --> 0:22:05.560 I wanted to try to create and my first opportunity 0:22:05.640 --> 0:22:08.119 being in the seat is to let these guys know 0:22:08.160 --> 0:22:12.119 that all feedback is welcome. But it can't be it 0:22:12.200 --> 0:22:16.040 can't be a personal agenda behind that. It's gotta be 0:22:16.560 --> 0:22:19.600