WEBVTT - Tracy McGrady 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:01.600 Who's gonna be the face of the NBA in the 0:00:01.639 --> 0:00:06.200 next two years. I'm gonna give you Jaw, Luca Trey Young, 0:00:07.400 --> 0:00:13.640 LaMelo Ball. It'll be between LaMelo Ball and Jaw if 0:00:13.720 --> 0:00:17.080 they're LaMelo Ball can get to Lala Layer because I 0:00:17.120 --> 0:00:21.600 think he's built for that. Yes, like he has that personality, 0:00:21.600 --> 0:00:25.599 that moxie like, he's built for that. I think he 0:00:25.760 --> 0:00:29.640 can be that face all my life, running all my life, 0:00:30.240 --> 0:00:34.599 sac of fice, hustle, beg, pricing, one slice, got the 0:00:34.640 --> 0:00:37.760 dice swad all my life. I've been running all my life, 0:00:38.280 --> 0:00:43.040 all my life, and running all my life, sacrifice, hustle, beg, pricing, 0:00:43.600 --> 0:00:47.120 one slice, got the dice swad all my life. I've 0:00:47.120 --> 0:00:51.839 been running all my life. Hello, welcome to another edition 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:54.080 of Club Shay. I am your whole Shannon Sharp. I'm 0:00:54.120 --> 0:00:56.440 also the proprietor of Club sha Shay and the guy 0:00:56.480 --> 0:00:59.360 that's stopping by for conversation and a drink today because 0:00:59.400 --> 0:01:02.640 a seven time All Star, a seven time All NBA selection, 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:05.920 a two time scoring champ, a gold medalist Hall of Famer. 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:09.200 His government name is Tracy McGrady. We all know him 0:01:09.200 --> 0:01:12.600 as T Mac. T Mac. What's up, brother, I'm good brother. 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:15.160 It's a pleasure to be on your platform. Man, thanks 0:01:15.200 --> 0:01:18.520 for coming on today. How are you doing. I'm doing 0:01:18.600 --> 0:01:21.720 good man. You know, I've been retired for about nine 0:01:21.840 --> 0:01:27.320 ten years now, four kids, married. I'm loving life, bro. 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:31.320 And what's crazy is I'm more busier now than when 0:01:31.360 --> 0:01:34.360 I was actually playing ball. Yeah, we kids. Of course 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:39.160 you're gonna be more busy. Listen, I'm being pulled every weekend, 0:01:39.240 --> 0:01:42.319 whether it's volleyball, it's my son's hey you basketball, I'm 0:01:42.319 --> 0:01:45.600 all over the place every weekend. I am gone. So 0:01:45.760 --> 0:01:49.240 what's the ages. So I have a daughter at the 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:52.080 University of Miami right now, this start freshman year. Okay, 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:58.760 she's the oldest. My youngest is twelve. So I got nineteen, sixteen, fourteen, 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:03.800 and thirteen. Two boys, two girls. Oh that's that's great. Congratulations. First, 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:06.200 let me congratul let your own your business venture. You 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:11.240 started a league. It's called OBL one Basketball League. First, 0:02:11.320 --> 0:02:13.760 let me ask you what made you decide to start 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:18.080 your own league and watch this format? Well, I think 0:02:18.440 --> 0:02:20.680 you know when you look at the landscape of sports, 0:02:21.919 --> 0:02:26.760 we have three on three you talk about UFC, whereas 0:02:26.760 --> 0:02:29.200 one on one fighting you talk about tennis, you know, 0:02:30.160 --> 0:02:33.640 two people going at it. But in the sport of basketball, 0:02:34.680 --> 0:02:37.720 we don't have one on one. Right, we have we 0:02:37.880 --> 0:02:41.920 have underground leagues, but we don't have a major platform 0:02:42.160 --> 0:02:45.520 to identify. There's a lot of untapped talent out here. 0:02:45.600 --> 0:02:48.400 Everybody can't make it to the NBA, right, everybody can 0:02:48.760 --> 0:02:50.800 get that call to go and play overseas and make 0:02:50.880 --> 0:02:53.080 one hundred, you know, so a half a million dollars. 0:02:53.639 --> 0:02:56.480 So I wanted to give guys an opportunity here in 0:02:56.560 --> 0:03:00.000 the States, give them that platform. And some of these guys, 0:03:00.480 --> 0:03:05.200 you know, probably had something to it, you know alone 0:03:05.280 --> 0:03:07.919 their journey where they deviated off the course, made the 0:03:08.000 --> 0:03:10.799 left turner, and you know, things happened. They were teenagers 0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:13.239 and they didn't get the opportunity through their dream. I 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:16.960 want to offer that dream. So I'm looking to create stars, 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:21.519 tell their stories and take this thing global. Do you 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:24.120 think one of these guys are because obviously one on 0:03:24.240 --> 0:03:26.799 one and the thing but the NBA is that all 0:03:26.840 --> 0:03:29.600 the really great players are all really exceptional one on 0:03:29.720 --> 0:03:32.320 one players. Do you think your platform will allow some 0:03:32.440 --> 0:03:34.240 of the guys to get a look even if they 0:03:34.240 --> 0:03:40.160 don't have college eligibility. So I'm not. I don't want 0:03:40.680 --> 0:03:44.840 NBA players, Okay, I mean I don't want NBA. Don't 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:50.640 want retire NBA guys. No't retired NBA guys. No, no, no, no, no, 0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:53.720 no no no no no. Say sharp, there's some guys 0:03:53.840 --> 0:03:57.320 on the block right now, right. But if give the 0:03:57.480 --> 0:03:59.840 elite NBA players the business in the game and one 0:03:59.880 --> 0:04:08.560 on what at the freaking lute League? I listen, I've 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:11.760 seen some of these guys shake and these guys, man, 0:04:12.240 --> 0:04:15.880 there's a lot of under underground leads that are out here. 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:18.520 They people just don't know about it. I want to 0:04:18.600 --> 0:04:21.839 give them a platform. I'm telling you there are Kyrie's 0:04:21.880 --> 0:04:24.880 out here. There are James Harden's out here, Katie, They're 0:04:24.880 --> 0:04:29.320 out here. I've seen them. Wow. The league, the ages 0:04:29.360 --> 0:04:32.120 are from eighteen and up. The games are gonna start 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:35.400 in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, dm V LA, the Bay 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:39.520 Areas with the finals in Vegas. Now, you're gonna have 0:04:39.640 --> 0:04:43.600 three winners from each city. Correct, Those three guys in 0:04:43.680 --> 0:04:46.920 each city advanced to Vegas. Yes, sir, you win ten 0:04:47.040 --> 0:04:52.000 thousand for each city. The winner of each city will 0:04:52.040 --> 0:04:55.360 win ten thousand. So there's thirty two participants okay, in 0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:58.040 each city that we're invited, so you only take it 0:04:58.120 --> 0:05:02.080 one one for each city. No, no, no, we're taking three, okay, 0:05:02.120 --> 0:05:04.920 but I'm saying the number one winner is gonna win 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:08.239 the pot, okay for that for that region, Okay, okay, 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:12.359 and then you go to Vegas. So all three twenty 0:05:12.400 --> 0:05:14.960 one they're going to Vegas, Okay, And that's where we're 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:17.800 gonna crown the king, the ruler of the court for 0:05:17.880 --> 0:05:21.240 two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. So the winner gets 0:05:21.279 --> 0:05:24.120 two fifty the other twenty. Bro, y'all had a good run, 0:05:24.240 --> 0:05:27.760 but it's up. Hey, hey man, come back. Try to 0:05:27.839 --> 0:05:32.720 get next year. Bro. But you know, I look at this, 0:05:33.520 --> 0:05:37.120 you know this platform, I kind of you know, want 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:39.680 to get to where UFC is at right, right, Okay? 0:05:40.600 --> 0:05:44.400 Who was the UFC fighters before they got on that platform? Correct? 0:05:44.400 --> 0:05:47.320 And then they became this character and became you know, 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:49.520 a big household name. That's what I want to do 0:05:49.640 --> 0:05:51.720 for these guys and for the one on one league, 0:05:51.880 --> 0:05:53.960 That's exactly what I want to do. Team back. I 0:05:54.000 --> 0:05:55.520 don't know what we used to have a game. We 0:05:55.600 --> 0:05:57.280 called it eleven, or we called it twenty one. You 0:05:57.440 --> 0:06:00.880 own no team and you grab the ball and everybody 0:06:00.960 --> 0:06:03.560 had to play defense. You tried to score on everybody, 0:06:03.880 --> 0:06:06.600 and the winner you felt like you're really accopy something 0:06:06.800 --> 0:06:09.600 because sometimes you got a guy that's way taller than you, 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:12.400 way all older than you guarding you, and the first 0:06:12.440 --> 0:06:14.640 one to eleven or the first one to twenty one, man, 0:06:14.720 --> 0:06:18.800 you felt like you will copy something. Man. Absolutely. So 0:06:21.480 --> 0:06:24.080 here's here's what I don't want to happen though, Shay. 0:06:24.160 --> 0:06:28.159 I want to have a five pen guy going up 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:30.880 against a sixteen guy, right. You know what I'm saying 0:06:30.960 --> 0:06:33.960 like that that's kind of lopsided because the sixteen guy 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:35.640 already got to do is just back the guy down 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:39.480 and then you know, get an easy bucket. So going 0:06:39.560 --> 0:06:41.960 through the first season, you know we're gonna have to 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:44.799 try to watch out for that. But here's what here's 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:48.480 what the ideal of one on one and what I 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:50.880 want to bring to the people. I want to break 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:54.599 it into a hype class. Yeah, ok, yeah, we gonna 0:06:54.600 --> 0:06:57.080 have weight classes. I want to do hype classes. So 0:06:57.160 --> 0:07:00.160 you got you six three and under right right, you 0:07:00.240 --> 0:07:03.360 got your six four six seventh class right right? So 0:07:03.960 --> 0:07:06.400 I wanted to be even down. I don't want this 0:07:06.520 --> 0:07:08.960 to be a gimmick, right and then if you know, 0:07:09.240 --> 0:07:12.119 in those classes, whether it's a six three guy who's 0:07:12.160 --> 0:07:15.280 the champion and there's a sixteen guy and the fans 0:07:15.360 --> 0:07:18.680 want to see that matchup, hey, maybe maybe you will 0:07:18.760 --> 0:07:21.200 make that happen, but I want it to be evely 0:07:21.400 --> 0:07:24.760 matched right before we you know, create those type of matchups, 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:26.280 because I don't want it to be a gimmick. It's 0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:28.920 funny that you say that because in the original UFC 0:07:29.200 --> 0:07:32.640 there weren't no weight classes. So you have a hundred 0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:35.040 and fifty pound guy fighting the two fifty or three 0:07:35.160 --> 0:07:38.880 hundred pound guy. Absolutely, and it wasn't a great contest. 0:07:39.160 --> 0:07:43.920 It wasn't It wasn't a great contest. T Mack. When 0:07:43.960 --> 0:07:47.240 did when did T mac happen? I mean, obviously you 0:07:47.280 --> 0:07:50.040 say you got a son that's playing a traveling au ball, 0:07:50.320 --> 0:07:54.320 You played traveling aau ball, you went to the tournament attorneys. 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:56.720 I don't know if the ABC, the Nike, or whatever 0:07:56.800 --> 0:07:59.720 the case may be. When did T mac become T Mac? 0:08:02.080 --> 0:08:07.800 Nineteen ninety six, Summer of nineteen ninety six and teen 0:08:07.840 --> 0:08:12.960 of New Jersey. I was playing spring football sharp and 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:16.560 out of nowhere, this guy that was affiliated with Adidas, 0:08:17.240 --> 0:08:20.360 came down to Polk County and said he had an 0:08:20.400 --> 0:08:25.080 opportunity for me. But within that opportunity, I had to 0:08:25.160 --> 0:08:30.400 stop playing football. So he gave me the opportunity to 0:08:30.560 --> 0:08:33.080 go and play at the Adida's camp. I knew nothing 0:08:33.160 --> 0:08:35.319 about this. This is my first camp ever. You know. 0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:39.360 I'm I'm in small you know, Argandale, Florida, ten thousand people. 0:08:39.880 --> 0:08:42.560 I don't know what's going on outside of central Florida, right. 0:08:43.720 --> 0:08:47.200 I hear about lamar Odom and these these elite guys, 0:08:48.200 --> 0:08:51.719 and I'm like, you know, let's go. I want to 0:08:52.280 --> 0:08:54.600 I want to see where I am as a basketball 0:08:54.679 --> 0:08:58.120 player because I felt that I'm one of the best. 0:08:58.760 --> 0:09:01.600 But I don't know. I've never laid against talent outside 0:09:01.600 --> 0:09:05.000 of you know, Florida, Right. So I get to this 0:09:05.160 --> 0:09:08.760 camp sharp and I'm seeing this sixteen point guard man 0:09:09.559 --> 0:09:14.679 and I'm like, oh, bo, you know sixteen where I'm at, 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:16.920 They're gonna make you the center because dude is bringing 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:22.839 the ball up and he looked smooth. I'm like, so 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:25.719 he was the first guy faced man and you know, 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:28.120 I had a great game against him. And then throughout 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:30.599 that whole camp, you know. I was just making a 0:09:30.720 --> 0:09:32.920 name for myself. There's the buzz going around like this 0:09:33.040 --> 0:09:36.440 is cat, this cat Tracey McGrady from Florida, and blow 0:09:36.600 --> 0:09:39.160 here comes up. I made the All Star Game that weekend. 0:09:40.400 --> 0:09:42.439 In the signature to put the icing on the cake 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:45.080 for that weekend, I was coming down on the left 0:09:45.160 --> 0:09:48.319 side and a guy was running down the middle and 0:09:48.480 --> 0:09:50.440 I didn't really see him. I was gonna wind mill, 0:09:51.080 --> 0:09:53.120 you know that. That was in my mind, So wind 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:56.160 mid this ball. So I went up wind mill. It's 0:09:56.160 --> 0:09:58.800 just so happy. He jumped into me and I win 0:09:58.880 --> 0:10:03.640 mill doing him and everybody in the stands, people running 0:10:03.679 --> 0:10:09.480 on the court. It was pandemonium in there. Okay, that's 0:10:09.559 --> 0:10:12.079 when I arrived. From that point on, I made a 0:10:12.160 --> 0:10:14.280 name for myself. And that just took place in the summer. 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:18.360 So you knew from that moment, Okay, there's gonna never 0:10:18.440 --> 0:10:22.120 be any more football. I'm Tracy mcgrade. I've arrived. Okay, 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:26.160 let me focus on this. My life changed at that 0:10:26.480 --> 0:10:29.959 very moment. When I left that camp, I was being 0:10:30.040 --> 0:10:34.200 considered as the top prospect in our class in nineteen 0:10:34.280 --> 0:10:38.160 ninety seven class high school basketball players. When it played out, 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:41.280 my high school career. My year in Durham North Carolina, 0:10:41.600 --> 0:10:44.600 and I became the number one basketball player in America. 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:49.840 So you leave Florida to go to Durham North Carolina. 0:10:50.320 --> 0:10:52.480 What kind of transition was that? Because you have said 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:54.920 you really haven't been out of outside of Central Florida. 0:10:55.240 --> 0:10:57.280 You hadn't seen a whole lot of players outside of 0:10:57.360 --> 0:11:00.839 Central Florida. So now you leave your your base with 0:11:00.960 --> 0:11:03.600 your Central Florida and go to Durham North Carolina. Why 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:07.120 did you do that? You know what I say, it's 0:11:08.240 --> 0:11:11.480 it's really just taking a leap of faith, you know 0:11:11.520 --> 0:11:15.160 what I mean, Because I've seen so many guys come 0:11:15.240 --> 0:11:20.120 before me that was extremely talented, but they ended up 0:11:20.200 --> 0:11:24.959 becoming local heroes, local celebrities, if you will, right, So 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:29.559 this was just an opportunity. I mean, this was all 0:11:29.679 --> 0:11:34.520 God's God's playing for somebody to discover me that I 0:11:34.679 --> 0:11:38.400 had no relationship with and give me the opportunity to 0:11:38.600 --> 0:11:42.520 go to this Adidas camp. That was that that created 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:45.480 the path for me, and that created confidence that I 0:11:45.679 --> 0:11:48.520 was on that right path. So it was just a 0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:50.760 no brainer for me to leave Florida because of the 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:55.839 opportunity that you know, prevented itself and I couldn't. I 0:11:56.000 --> 0:11:59.040 could not let that pass by. And it was you know, 0:11:59.360 --> 0:12:01.880 obviously be and a great decision on you know, my 0:12:02.080 --> 0:12:05.959 my part in my family. Your senior year, after you 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:10.920 finish up your senior year, did you have any ambitions 0:12:11.040 --> 0:12:15.560 of going to play college? Oh, so you were going 0:12:15.600 --> 0:12:19.120 to go to Kentucky? Yes, sir, I knew he was 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:22.320 going with that, Yes, sir. Listen, I took my visit 0:12:22.440 --> 0:12:25.400 to a couple of colleges, but I went. When I 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:28.720 went to Kentucky and I saw how those boys was living, 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:31.520 I said, I'm going. This is where I want to 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:34.320 go to school. Okay, right, I was already a fan 0:12:34.440 --> 0:12:37.240 before I went there. Right, Well, I took that visit, bro, 0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:39.360 and I seen how they were living up there as 0:12:39.440 --> 0:12:44.439 college students, college athletes. Right, I want to go. I 0:12:44.520 --> 0:12:49.040 want to go to Kentucky. What Adidas? You go to 0:12:49.120 --> 0:12:51.360 the Adida's camp. You make a name for yourself into 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:54.559 Adida's camp. Adidas come in and say, okay, we got 0:12:54.679 --> 0:12:58.319 something special here. We're about to break him off. What's 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:03.520 going through your mind now? So I'm sitting in my 0:13:03.600 --> 0:13:08.520 coach's office, okay, and you know he's telling me you 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:11.079 know giving me this speech. You know, I know you 0:13:11.200 --> 0:13:15.120 love Kentucky and what they have to offer, and I 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:17.599 know you'll do grades. It's giving me all this, But 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:20.760 he's like, I have an offer from Adidas. They want 0:13:20.840 --> 0:13:24.040 you really bad. And when he sat it in front 0:13:24.080 --> 0:13:29.240 of me, it's at that time, eighteen years old, it's 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:32.880 not a hard decision, you know what I mean. It's 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:36.160 it's not a hard decision when we came from right 0:13:36.200 --> 0:13:39.440 from where we came from. That's it's like, man, forget college, Bro, 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:44.880 They me twelve million dollars, Like, but I can't turn 0:13:44.960 --> 0:13:49.320 that down, right, So you see this checking night, Tracy McGrady, 0:13:50.040 --> 0:14:04.640 twelve million? What's going through your mind? Mama? We made it. Man. Look, 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:09.000 hey man, look, I ain't gotta be laying on the 0:14:09.120 --> 0:14:12.480 couch and hearing rat traps can pop. Ain't y'all to 0:14:12.520 --> 0:14:15.920 turn on the stove the warm up the house that night. 0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:19.240 I gotta go get some cakerosene to put on that heat. 0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:21.040 They ain't gotta do none of that stuff. Don't go, 0:14:21.200 --> 0:14:24.520 hey man, this is too much information for you. But Bro, 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:27.200 I used to sit sit on the toilet and have 0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:30.120 to raise my feet up because we had rats running around. Bro. 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:35.640 I'm saying like, hey, man, oh the day's low with Bro. 0:14:36.200 --> 0:14:39.560 So you obviously your mom's not there. What's your mom 0:14:39.640 --> 0:14:41.000 with you? Or did you call your mom on the 0:14:41.040 --> 0:14:43.760 phone say mom, get up here. I got some great 0:14:43.840 --> 0:14:46.520 new I want you to see this. Mama. Nah. So 0:14:46.720 --> 0:14:48.960 my my parents were still in Florida and I was 0:14:49.280 --> 0:14:53.120 I was in North Carolina. Still, Yeah, so I called. 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:55.560 I made the call to them, and you know, obviously 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:59.240 that was overwhelmed with joy. But man, that's to me, 0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:01.920 that's what it's all about. Man, That that type of 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:05.040 impact that you have on your family and even going 0:15:05.120 --> 0:15:07.920 through my career, you know, I wasn't fortunate enough to 0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:10.600 win a championship, right, but when I look back on 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:12.920 what I was able to do for my mother and 0:15:13.000 --> 0:15:17.920 my grandmother, you won the championship in life. Absolutely absolutely. 0:15:18.800 --> 0:15:21.760 So you get to let me ask you a question. 0:15:21.840 --> 0:15:23.920 Let's just say, for the sake of argament, we're gonna 0:15:23.960 --> 0:15:29.080 fast forward. We come to twenty twenty one, somebody got 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:33.160 obviously twelve million dollars. Kentucky is still on the table. 0:15:33.560 --> 0:15:36.480 Are you going to Kentucky with twelve million in your pocket? 0:15:36.760 --> 0:15:39.520 Because you know, Kentucky if A, if A, if a 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:42.640 Nike school, you can't. We're a need at a Nike school. 0:15:42.840 --> 0:15:46.760 What you're gonna do, Team Matt, I'm going to Kentucky. Bro, 0:15:47.240 --> 0:15:52.239 you're gonna take the twelve millions? Still go absolutely absolutely 0:15:53.280 --> 0:15:56.320 listen if I could meet twelve million dollars and enjoy 0:15:56.400 --> 0:16:01.360 the college spirits, right, why not? Why not? I love 0:16:01.600 --> 0:16:05.360 college basketball? I watch it faithfully, right, I watch my 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:11.840 Kentucky wildcast faithfully. So yes, I would have taken that 0:16:11.920 --> 0:16:14.600 twelve and went to Kentucky for shure. Obviously it was 0:16:14.640 --> 0:16:17.480 a great experience to go to the NBA, But do 0:16:17.640 --> 0:16:20.680 you wish you could have enjoyed their college experience at 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:23.400 least for just one year? Go to step show, to 0:16:23.520 --> 0:16:25.840 be on the yard. I don't know, you're not gonna 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:27.800 play it your first year, but just to be just 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:29.960 to be a college kid. Because when you go to 0:16:30.000 --> 0:16:31.560 the NBA, you at the door. I don't care if 0:16:31.560 --> 0:16:33.680 you're eighteen, You at the door because you gotta get 0:16:33.800 --> 0:16:35.680 You gotta get a play, a place to stay. You 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:37.840 got to sign the leads, you gotta play. You gotta 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:39.520 play all the bills, all the bills in your name. 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:45.960 So you no longer a kid, you're grown ass mayhem, right, 0:16:46.560 --> 0:16:50.240 I think that all that stuff that you mentioned, I 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:53.840 don't care about that, But I think, you know, the 0:16:53.920 --> 0:16:57.720 one thing I do miss out on the whole marsh 0:16:57.760 --> 0:17:02.880 madness state, Like that experience to me is like the 0:17:03.040 --> 0:17:06.360 memory that you would love to create and be able 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:10.159 to talk about those memories thirty forty years from now. 0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:14.760 So for that, yes, I had I wish I had 0:17:14.800 --> 0:17:17.760 the opportunity to experience that. But you know, going to 0:17:17.880 --> 0:17:21.080 the parties and stuff like that, I mean that that 0:17:21.480 --> 0:17:25.320 really is not my thing. When you when you played 0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:27.960 in the league, how much one on one did you play? 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:29.960 Because you know, the only time we get a chance 0:17:29.960 --> 0:17:31.800 to do so, only time we get a chance to 0:17:31.840 --> 0:17:34.120 do one on one with dvs. I mean it's a drill. 0:17:34.200 --> 0:17:35.720 We got one on what but we're just not a 0:17:36.119 --> 0:17:38.560 calling somebody out there just for fun. But you get 0:17:38.600 --> 0:17:41.679 a chance, an opportunity to go one on one against 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:45.720 a teammate. How often did you do that? So, first 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:47.920 of all, I grew up playing one on my basketball 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:51.960 right like that that was my That was my thing. 0:17:52.280 --> 0:17:57.119 I loved it, whether it was with my brothers, putting 0:17:57.520 --> 0:18:01.159 making a closed hanger into a basket. Know about that, right, 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:09.560 So you know about all absolutely, So we did all 0:18:09.600 --> 0:18:12.920 that in right. But when I got to the league, 0:18:14.240 --> 0:18:18.440 obviously I felt like I was, you know, pretty talented offensively. 0:18:19.080 --> 0:18:21.679 And my teammate was Doug Christie, who was a premier 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:26.040 defender in the NBA. So I took it upon myself 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:31.200 to play against Doug Christie every single day one on 0:18:31.320 --> 0:18:34.080 one basketball because I know if I can figure him 0:18:34.119 --> 0:18:37.200 out and score on him, then I score anybody in 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:40.600 the NBA. And with that built my confidence as well, 0:18:40.760 --> 0:18:42.320 and that's why I go on one. To me, is 0:18:42.359 --> 0:18:45.879 so important because you could go and train two hours 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:48.440 with the personal trainer, but then you go and play 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:52.399 five or five organized basketball. You have a coach. That 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:57.359 coach has a different philosophy and role for you that 0:18:57.480 --> 0:19:00.720 you probably see yourself. And I'm not talking about elite players. 0:19:00.720 --> 0:19:03.320 I'm talking about the guys that you know are probably 0:19:03.440 --> 0:19:06.960 are really talented, but they're not the guy, right, you 0:19:07.000 --> 0:19:09.080 know what I'm saying. So they they're being put in 0:19:09.160 --> 0:19:12.639 a role. So you train two hours, you go and 0:19:13.280 --> 0:19:17.560 play five and five organized basketball. The role might not 0:19:17.720 --> 0:19:21.720 be conducive to what you're training it, right, Okay, so 0:19:22.320 --> 0:19:25.080 how many opportunities are you really going to get to 0:19:25.160 --> 0:19:28.960 where you feel you're extremely confident as a ball right? 0:19:29.400 --> 0:19:32.119 So one on one to me, if you do that 0:19:32.280 --> 0:19:36.320 same two hour training and you're training or playing one 0:19:36.400 --> 0:19:40.520 on one every single day, your mental toughness is gonna 0:19:40.560 --> 0:19:44.560 get better and your physical and your skills, uh skill 0:19:44.600 --> 0:19:48.480 set is going to improve immensely. Did you did you 0:19:48.600 --> 0:19:50.639 call out any playoffs? Obviously you say you you you 0:19:50.960 --> 0:19:52.840 cut your teeth with Doug Christie because he was a 0:19:52.840 --> 0:19:55.640 premier defender and you felt that if I can beat him, 0:19:56.560 --> 0:19:58.440 I feel I should be able to beat him him him. 0:19:58.840 --> 0:20:00.520 But did you call out some of the they offensive 0:20:00.520 --> 0:20:02.840 got because you know it is I'm better than you 0:20:02.920 --> 0:20:04.600 one on one? Bro, You're not, Bro, You're not better 0:20:04.640 --> 0:20:09.639 than me one on what? Stop saying that. No, I 0:20:10.000 --> 0:20:17.480 didn't call out anybody, you know. Obviously, Tobe was somebody 0:20:17.640 --> 0:20:22.000 that you know, I considered one of the best one 0:20:22.080 --> 0:20:24.280 on one players, like he was the selling as far 0:20:24.359 --> 0:20:29.000 as one on one basketball, right, And I knew because 0:20:29.040 --> 0:20:30.960 he was older than I was, he came into the 0:20:31.040 --> 0:20:34.080 league before me. I knew I had to sharpen my 0:20:34.240 --> 0:20:36.640 skills and my one on one skills if I wanted 0:20:36.720 --> 0:20:40.200 to compete against him, right, you know what I'm saying, 0:20:40.240 --> 0:20:44.960 Like he was measuring stick. He was the bar, right, 0:20:45.080 --> 0:20:48.119 he was the bar. When I'm a young kid looking 0:20:48.200 --> 0:20:51.920 at Cold, I was like, okay, he's the bar. Who 0:20:52.040 --> 0:20:54.920 He's who I got to come at, you know, and 0:20:55.040 --> 0:20:59.760 make a name for myself competing against him. Tea Back 0:20:59.800 --> 0:21:01.600 when you were growing up? Were you always the first 0:21:01.640 --> 0:21:03.760 one pick? So when they choosing up side in the park, 0:21:04.080 --> 0:21:05.680 were you the Were you the first? Were you the 0:21:05.760 --> 0:21:08.800 number one on a draft pick? Every time? I was 0:21:09.240 --> 0:21:13.520 in all sports? But what's crazy is you know basketball 0:21:13.640 --> 0:21:17.359 is my third sport right? Really? Yeah, basketball is my 0:21:17.480 --> 0:21:21.040 third sport. My first sport is baseball, Okay, and then 0:21:21.280 --> 0:21:25.000 I play football. Were you play As a kid, I 0:21:25.160 --> 0:21:28.359 played more baseball and football than I did basketball? Wow? 0:21:31.600 --> 0:21:33.720 You keep you said that. I read what you said. 0:21:33.800 --> 0:21:35.720 The best part about the NBA is the one on 0:21:35.840 --> 0:21:38.480 one because basically it's a lot of one on one. Okay, 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:40.040 the man in front of me. I got to beat 0:21:40.040 --> 0:21:41.639 the man in front of me. And you look at 0:21:41.760 --> 0:21:44.000 some of these one on one players like KD and 0:21:44.119 --> 0:21:48.119 Steph and Kyrie right now, as you and I have 0:21:48.320 --> 0:21:50.720 this discussion, who do you believe is the best one 0:21:50.800 --> 0:21:57.040 on one player in the NBA. I have to say 0:21:57.960 --> 0:22:01.760 it'll probably be k D. I don't think anybody can 0:22:01.800 --> 0:22:06.800 mess with Katie and seven foot can shoot, can handle. 0:22:07.520 --> 0:22:14.720 I mean, he's so leathal offensively. But we gotta have feet. 0:22:14.840 --> 0:22:16.880 We gotta have that hike, we gotta have that hight 0:22:17.200 --> 0:22:20.440 because Kyrie I was just about to say that, I 0:22:20.600 --> 0:22:25.520 wasn't about to play that. Wasps play that. But when 0:22:25.560 --> 0:22:30.120 we're talking one on one and not if we're doing 0:22:30.520 --> 0:22:36.120 height wise the class Kyrie Mankrie got a bag man. Oh, 0:22:36.800 --> 0:22:42.240 I'm talking about a very deep bay very Yeah. He 0:22:42.280 --> 0:22:45.040 got a fand a Christmas bag. He got one of those, baby, Yeah, 0:22:45.080 --> 0:22:48.200 he got one of the bag. Hey. He got a 0:22:48.280 --> 0:22:50.199 couple of sacks that he got on his back. Bro 0:22:50.520 --> 0:22:53.840 he's carrying around. When you look at Kyrie, he got 0:22:53.960 --> 0:22:56.440 game from the three point to the mid range. Have 0:22:56.640 --> 0:22:59.920 you ever seen a man his size finish at the 0:23:00.200 --> 0:23:04.440 rim with either hand, kisses, the floaters, the fall aways, like, 0:23:04.680 --> 0:23:07.720 have you seen anybody in your time and even now 0:23:08.040 --> 0:23:14.120 be able to finish White Kay can Yeah? Yeah. Rod Strickland, Wow, 0:23:14.520 --> 0:23:18.159 Rod Strickland was one of the greatest finishers at that 0:23:18.280 --> 0:23:20.520 size that I've ever seen. And he had handles too, 0:23:21.320 --> 0:23:22.879 and then and I think that, you know, it's crazy. 0:23:22.920 --> 0:23:25.639 I think that's Kyrie's godfather. Okay, I think there's a 0:23:25.680 --> 0:23:30.440 relationship right between those two, right, but yes, straight straight, 0:23:30.520 --> 0:23:32.879 Oh my god, he was. He was one of the 0:23:32.960 --> 0:23:36.280 best at finishing around the realm and had the handles. 0:23:37.720 --> 0:23:40.159 You mentioned k D. And when people talk about one 0:23:40.240 --> 0:23:42.640 on one, they said, KD the guy seven foot tall. 0:23:42.960 --> 0:23:45.240 He got three point ray, he got the mid range 0:23:45.280 --> 0:23:47.159