WEBVTT - TOM's Talks | Checking In With Danny Green 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.640 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:08.720 search seventy Sixers podcast wherever you get your pods. This 0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:12.280 week's edition of Tom's Talks features Sixers forward Danny Green. 0:00:12.840 --> 0:00:15.840 Not too many basketball players have a resume with three 0:00:16.079 --> 0:00:20.919 NBA championships with different teams and an NCUBAA title as well. 0:00:21.400 --> 0:00:23.639 Green has been part of a Sixers starting group that 0:00:23.640 --> 0:00:26.640 has been near perfect record wise when they're all together. 0:00:27.240 --> 0:00:30.040 Danny was nice enough to join us from Arizona during 0:00:30.080 --> 0:00:33.920 the seventy Sixers Western Conference road trip. Here's Danny Green. 0:00:36.120 --> 0:00:38.960 Welcome to another edition of Tom's Talks, and it is 0:00:39.000 --> 0:00:42.640 a pleasure to talk to Sixers guard forward Danny Green, 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:44.960 who joins us from Phoenix as the Sixers rough out 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:48.199 on this Western Conference road trip. And Danny, thank you 0:00:48.280 --> 0:00:50.440 so much. I know it was a long night for 0:00:50.479 --> 0:00:53.920 you getting from Portland to Phoenix. That's life in the 0:00:54.000 --> 0:00:56.400 NBA that a lot of people don't realize. The late 0:00:56.520 --> 0:00:59.840 arrivals and you know some of those things. Everyone thinks 0:00:59.880 --> 0:01:01.960 that so glamorous, And don't get me wrong, you guys 0:01:01.960 --> 0:01:05.080 are created really well. I know this is an unusual year, 0:01:05.120 --> 0:01:07.160 but that right there, the early arrival is something that 0:01:07.200 --> 0:01:12.520 people don't realize, right. Yeah, Unfortunately it's snowed in Portland 0:01:12.720 --> 0:01:14.320 on our way out, so we got to lay it 0:01:14.319 --> 0:01:16.400 a little bit leaving or getting up in the air, 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.160 so we'd end up getting here it's about four am. 0:01:19.319 --> 0:01:21.400 But you know, it's the life of as part of 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:24.600 the job's life of an NBA and some nights it's 0:01:24.640 --> 0:01:26.880 gonna be like that. Not off the nights, but we 0:01:26.920 --> 0:01:29.080 got in here late. Luckily we had the day off 0:01:29.120 --> 0:01:30.800 to we'll take care of our body's relax and rest 0:01:30.840 --> 0:01:32.880 a little bit. I still got to get tested at 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:35.360 some point during the day. But yeah, we took a 0:01:35.360 --> 0:01:37.240 tough loss and we have two more games road trips, 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:39.000 so we're trying to finish it out strong and hopefully 0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:40.960 win the next two before we go back home to 0:01:40.959 --> 0:01:44.080 the Philly. Just to piggyback on that for one second. 0:01:44.280 --> 0:01:46.480 And you've been around long enough to remember the four 0:01:46.520 --> 0:01:50.520 games and five nights, which typically involved West coast travel 0:01:50.520 --> 0:01:52.680 and for the Spurs maybe it was up here in 0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:55.440 the east, but there were nights you'd go to bed 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:58.960 like three o'clock, four o'clock, then you were off the day, 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:00.720 and then the next two nights might be the same, 0:02:01.240 --> 0:02:04.800 like the sleep and the deprivation. That's like one of 0:02:04.800 --> 0:02:06.880 the big things. I know there's been a huge push 0:02:06.920 --> 0:02:10.119 on the hydration and recovery, but speak about that. That's 0:02:10.120 --> 0:02:12.760 where you really have to take care of your body correct. Oh, 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:15.640 for sure, most recovery is done after the game and 0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:18.079 while you're in the air before you because most nights, 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:20.680 said on road trips and even at home, most guys 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:22.240 don't go to sleep right after the games, you know, 0:02:22.480 --> 0:02:24.480 watching the game, thinking about it, things they did wrong, 0:02:24.520 --> 0:02:27.240 could have did well, or how well they did do 0:02:28.000 --> 0:02:29.600 So most guys are said, I don't sleep at the 0:02:29.600 --> 0:02:31.040 games right way, it's a little harder to sleep at 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:32.359 the game. So most guys are going three or four 0:02:32.360 --> 0:02:34.160 in the morning, and depending on if you're flying and 0:02:34.200 --> 0:02:35.800 travel and it's gonna be five six in the morning. 0:02:36.240 --> 0:02:39.040 So hydrating, getting your rest, getting you know, time for 0:02:39.080 --> 0:02:42.359 treatment is very key when it comes to during these times, 0:02:42.480 --> 0:02:46.480 especially said when you're on the road. So yeah, it 0:02:46.520 --> 0:02:48.160 says as part of our we don't really have a 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:50.919 sleep schedule during the year. You know, it's based off 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:52.880 of how your games are, so it's kind of depth 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:54.440 and adjust So when you can't get sleep, when you 0:02:54.440 --> 0:02:56.359 can take naps, and when you can take care of 0:02:56.360 --> 0:02:58.360 your body. So you know, there is no real clock 0:02:58.400 --> 0:02:59.840 for us. We have to just figure out on the fly. 0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:04.079 So big picture with the Sixers so far this year, 0:03:04.800 --> 0:03:07.400 you know, it's such an unusual season and you were 0:03:07.440 --> 0:03:09.399 win the bubble last year and we'll talk about that, 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:12.200 but you have to feel pretty good for how you 0:03:12.240 --> 0:03:14.239 guys are doing at this stage of the season with 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:17.720 everything that's going on. Yeah, that's with the fact that 0:03:17.760 --> 0:03:20.079 we've had COVID issues, We've had guys out, we had 0:03:20.080 --> 0:03:22.320 groups out, we had a lot of guys injured. Stick 0:03:23.080 --> 0:03:25.840 but when I'm starting five is played, we've won a 0:03:25.880 --> 0:03:29.680 good amount of games. So yeah, even with that those things, 0:03:29.680 --> 0:03:32.040 those issues coming far, we've been playing pretty obviously want 0:03:32.080 --> 0:03:33.799 to be better, we want to do better, we want 0:03:33.840 --> 0:03:36.320 to never be satisfied. And we're not playing for right now. 0:03:36.320 --> 0:03:39.160 We're playing for you know, June, July and August now 0:03:39.160 --> 0:03:42.040 August or May, June and July because you was a 0:03:42.240 --> 0:03:43.640 May and June, but the season is different now, so 0:03:43.680 --> 0:03:45.440 we're playing for the end of the season and get 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:47.360 prepared for that. And we know we have a good group. 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:51.240 Just still learning, learning, and losses. So obviously learning how 0:03:51.240 --> 0:03:54.800 to win, keep that mature atmosphere of be able to 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:57.120 you know, not play down to our talent level or 0:03:57.160 --> 0:03:59.840 play down to our opponent opposing teams level if they're 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:02.520 not as talented or if they're have bodies out, because 0:04:02.560 --> 0:04:04.360 we've lost to Portland twice now and when they had 0:04:04.440 --> 0:04:06.560 bodies out. So we got to find ways to win 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:09.080 down the stretch and find ways to stay focused and 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:11.320 locked in. We have guys out, and when other teams 0:04:11.320 --> 0:04:13.360 have guys out, we don't play down to as at 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:17.840 our opposing teams level. You're a solid all around player, 0:04:17.880 --> 0:04:21.520 a very good professional player. You've wanted every single stop 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:23.720 and again we're going to get into that, but you're 0:04:23.760 --> 0:04:26.520 a star in your a role, especially in today's NBA 0:04:26.680 --> 0:04:29.880 with the three and the D where you know that 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:32.920 corner jump shot guarding one of the best perimeter players 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:36.440 I mean opposing team. Like a big chunk of your 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:39.640 career has married or meshed if you will, with how 0:04:39.680 --> 0:04:42.799 the NBA game changed of all last five or twelve years. 0:04:42.880 --> 0:04:46.480 Isn't that right for sure? And my focus is winning games, 0:04:46.960 --> 0:04:49.200 not necessarily obviously you want to play well, you perform 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:52.359 it I'll have individual numbers and stats and efficiency, but 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:54.560 sometimes you have to give that up. You have to 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:57.520 sacrifice those things to make the team better. And at 0:04:57.560 --> 0:04:59.479 this point in my career, I know iously I would 0:04:59.480 --> 0:05:00.840 love to scope poin so that's not what they need 0:05:00.880 --> 0:05:02.120 me here to do. Any me here to be the 0:05:02.120 --> 0:05:05.080 balance and when it comes to Guy's double and Joe 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:07.040 out to be a four spacer and play defense, but 0:05:07.200 --> 0:05:09.080 also be the guy that helps to get the ball 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:11.720 moving and keep the ball moving. So because we'll get 0:05:11.760 --> 0:05:13.640 stagnant and we'll have good offense, I have to get 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:16.279 guys in position or talking through it or defensively make 0:05:16.320 --> 0:05:18.279 sure that we're communicating and rotating the way we need to. 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:21.839 Um So that that comes with sacrificing some of the 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:23.440 things that you know when your younger years you would 0:05:23.640 --> 0:05:25.920 want to achieve and want to do. But yeah, so 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:30.520 winning is is my main focus. Um And said. As 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:32.400 you as you grow as a player, you start to 0:05:32.480 --> 0:05:34.120 understand your roles and what you're good at, which your 0:05:34.160 --> 0:05:36.760 strengths are, and you just got to be more self 0:05:36.760 --> 0:05:39.560 aware of who you are and what you become and 0:05:39.600 --> 0:05:41.280 what they bring you in to do. And you gotta 0:05:41.279 --> 0:05:43.040 able to accept that role a lot of kids. I 0:05:43.120 --> 0:05:45.120 was the younger ones. They're like, all right, I understand 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:46.400 the rolling, but I can know I want to show 0:05:46.400 --> 0:05:48.360 that I can do more. I was in this moment 0:05:48.400 --> 0:05:49.839 to do that. But when you're trying to win, you 0:05:49.839 --> 0:05:52.039 have a team that you're a contender, you should just 0:05:52.040 --> 0:05:53.800 do what you're what you're you know, put in place 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:55.360 to do and trying to do the best your ability. 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:57.400 And obviously when you can do a little more, you can, 0:05:57.480 --> 0:06:01.280 but don't try to force the issue you just described 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:06.040 about playing the right way and doing what's necessary. In 0:06:06.040 --> 0:06:09.279 other words, for the sixers, for Joel to throw it 0:06:09.279 --> 0:06:11.400 out of a trap, to move it to the wing, 0:06:11.600 --> 0:06:13.160 for that guy to throw it to the top, swing 0:06:13.200 --> 0:06:16.359 swing to the corner to you or Seth whomever. Basketball 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:18.520 is like art, it can be a thing of beauty. 0:06:18.600 --> 0:06:24.080 So you're solving a puzzle and then executing and making 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:28.400 that ball swinging around and swishing a three. That's the 0:06:28.400 --> 0:06:30.640 beauty of the sport, right there? Isn't it? In part 0:06:30.960 --> 0:06:33.240 or Doc has a turn for it. I want to 0:06:33.279 --> 0:06:35.919 reveal it. But you know, as coaches, you know his 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:38.960 their coaches fantasy type of thing. So um, when you 0:06:38.960 --> 0:06:40.920 see the ball movement the way it does, and guys 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:43.560 making shots and sharing and playing with each other and 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:45.920 making the right cuts and making the right passes, making 0:06:45.960 --> 0:06:47.919 the right play. Giving up a good shot for a 0:06:47.960 --> 0:06:51.240 great shot as a coach's dream, so you know he 0:06:51.360 --> 0:06:53.320 enjoys it. We enjoy I enjoy at this point in 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:55.480 my carem in this level because I don't care about 0:06:55.480 --> 0:06:57.440 so as long as we get the best shot for 0:06:57.520 --> 0:06:59.680 us a lot of times, none times to tend you're 0:06:59.680 --> 0:07:01.400 gonna make shop, you give up a good shot for 0:07:01.440 --> 0:07:04.359 a greer shot. One of the things that's made the 0:07:04.400 --> 0:07:09.000 Sixers successful so far this year is success down the 0:07:09.040 --> 0:07:12.200 stretch as somebody who's been in the winner circle when 0:07:12.200 --> 0:07:14.360 it's all over so many times in your career in 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:18.680 college in Europe and three times as a pro, when 0:07:18.760 --> 0:07:21.440 you guys do it in the fourth quarter and execute 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:23.360 and take a play to the second and the third 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:27.120 option and see the results and then come away victorious 0:07:27.240 --> 0:07:30.320 knowing that you've done it. Does that work like muscle 0:07:30.360 --> 0:07:33.880 memory where it kind of clicks in and as athletes, 0:07:33.920 --> 0:07:36.400 you know, man, we've been down this road before. We're 0:07:36.400 --> 0:07:38.720 going to do this collectively, we're gonna make it happen. 0:07:39.000 --> 0:07:41.080 Does it pay off like that? Does it work like that? 0:07:41.480 --> 0:07:43.440 For sure? If you build those habits, and that's what 0:07:43.480 --> 0:07:45.200 we're trying to do. We're trying to build those habits 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:48.400 here in this organization, in this atmosphere. Obviously we're still 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:51.560 learning it. We've executed, we've done it, but we want 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:53.280 to do it time and time again and have it 0:07:53.320 --> 0:07:55.240 to where we're used to be in those situations where 0:07:55.320 --> 0:07:58.320 there's no second guessing, there's no thinking, where we're just 0:07:58.400 --> 0:08:00.680 you know, playing the way we're supposed to play and 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:03.480 you know, executing. So yeah, down the stretch, of course, 0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:05.320 we want to continue to play at a high level. 0:08:05.360 --> 0:08:08.240 We want to win games and execute. And right now 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:10.800 said obviously with Portland, there's gonna be some games, we're 0:08:10.800 --> 0:08:12.640 gonna have some take some hits or some losses, but 0:08:13.000 --> 0:08:15.600 the biggest thing is just making the winning place. And 0:08:15.800 --> 0:08:17.560 that happens not just in the fourth quarter of the place. 0:08:17.880 --> 0:08:20.280 The quarter is previous, but definitely the fourth quarter. You 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:22.360 gotta get on those balls. You gotta get the fifty fifties, 0:08:22.760 --> 0:08:24.440 you gotta get the rebounds, you gotta get the steals, 0:08:24.440 --> 0:08:26.480 you gotta get the stops, and that's what it comes 0:08:26.520 --> 0:08:28.840 down to in the fourth quarter, down the stretch. One 0:08:28.840 --> 0:08:31.320 of the reasons the Sixers brought you to this ball 0:08:31.360 --> 0:08:33.520 club is what you bring to the table. We just 0:08:33.559 --> 0:08:37.800 talked about that ability to score and guard, but leadership, 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:40.840 and with that leadership, it's not just coming out of 0:08:40.840 --> 0:08:42.560 a time out. It might be on a bus, it 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:44.040 might be in the locker room, it might be on 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:46.400 a plane, it might be at a walkthrough, it might 0:08:46.440 --> 0:08:49.320 be in the hotel after a talk talk or whatever. 0:08:49.880 --> 0:08:52.040 And it means so much more from a player like 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:55.560 yourself that's still contributing at a high level. Like certain 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:58.680 guys are a kind of hanging around in the NBA 0:08:58.760 --> 0:09:01.560 and you're like, yeah, if you're the fifteenth guy, can't 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:04.040 you know so talk about that as somebody who's right 0:09:04.080 --> 0:09:06.520 next to these guys in the foxhole with them and 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:10.680 able to share your expertise in your leadership experience. For sure. 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:12.800 I think it goes to for all you know, guys 0:09:12.800 --> 0:09:14.319 has been this league, even if you're a fifteen guys, 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:15.880 have you've been in this league long enough for ten 0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:17.920 to fifteen years. Because there's guy's like a Jared Dudley 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:21.360 whose voice really matters it all depends on your locker 0:09:21.440 --> 0:09:22.840 room and the guys that respect you. So you got 0:09:22.920 --> 0:09:24.720 to earn their respect, and a lot of these guys, 0:09:24.760 --> 0:09:26.800 thankfully in this locker room and even throughout the league, 0:09:27.000 --> 0:09:29.040 still respect me as a not just a person that 0:09:29.080 --> 0:09:30.959 understands the game, but it was a player that can 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:33.520 contribute on the floor. So if you have that type 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:35.880 respect from those guys, they'll listen, and you just hope 0:09:35.880 --> 0:09:37.800 that they'll they'll learn from you and hope that they'll 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:39.040 grow in by the end of the year, they'll take 0:09:39.040 --> 0:09:41.480 everything they learn and that make themselves and our team better. 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:46.040 So let's go back through your championship pedigree, and the 0:09:46.080 --> 0:09:50.400 most recent was last summer in August of twenty twenty 0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:53.839 in Orlando with the Los Angeles Lakers. They win their 0:09:53.920 --> 0:09:58.240 seventeenth championship. You beat Miami in six games, to watch 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:01.400 Lebron and Anthony David and for your team in Los 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:04.440 Angeles to come together, climb them out in the most 0:10:04.520 --> 0:10:08.080 unusual of circumstances in the history of the NBA and 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:11.720 win that title. What was it like? It was tough, 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:13.560 and I'm not gonna lie, but it was all worth it. 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:16.160 When it was all said and done, all the pain, 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:20.320 all the struggle emotional, mental and physical that we went through. 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:23.160 When you're able to raise that Layar Bryan Trophy makes 0:10:23.160 --> 0:10:25.000 it all worth it. You get home and you know 0:10:25.120 --> 0:10:27.440 your body's aching and sore. But it was a rough 0:10:28.040 --> 0:10:32.480 roller coaster, and that's from league shutting down, restarting multiple times, 0:10:32.800 --> 0:10:35.160 people that are close to us, passing away that we've 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:39.920 lost due to COVID and other you know things, the 0:10:40.040 --> 0:10:42.400 China incident where you know we went there. There's so 0:10:42.440 --> 0:10:44.280 much going on through that that whole season, the whole year, 0:10:44.559 --> 0:10:46.960 and then the bubble, which was mentally emotionally draining more 0:10:47.000 --> 0:10:49.360 than anything and physically playing out of the day. It 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:51.079 was not easy, so but being able to come out 0:10:51.080 --> 0:10:53.080 on top made it all worth it. But that year 0:10:53.160 --> 0:10:57.480 was one of the most unbelievably tough mentally, emotionally physical 0:10:57.559 --> 0:10:59.720 years that we all remember because it was the toughest 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:03.160 one and I think for us so we won't forget it, 0:11:03.160 --> 0:11:04.959 but we'll always remember it as one of our toughest, 0:11:05.440 --> 0:11:09.360 hardest years and the biggest achievements. It's funny because before 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:13.920 the bubble, as we waited for play to resume, people 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:18.240 like whatever sportscasters pontificators were saying, well, this season will 0:11:18.280 --> 0:11:21.280 have an asterix. Well, yeah, it had an asterisk because 0:11:21.559 --> 0:11:24.960 what you just described it was more more difficult really 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:28.400 than any other. So in the year before you're with 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:33.000 the Raptors and you're with Kawhi and Pascal Siakam and 0:11:33.480 --> 0:11:40.679 Kyle and Marcassol, and before beating both Milwaukee and the Warriors, 0:11:41.480 --> 0:11:45.120 you had the game with the Sixers. Game seven walks 0:11:45.160 --> 0:11:49.920 through that It's it's Sunday in Toronto. It's both teams 0:11:49.960 --> 0:11:53.280 are tied at three, and Kawhi hits a corner jumper 0:11:53.280 --> 0:11:56.280 over Joel right by your bench, bounces four times and 0:11:56.360 --> 0:11:59.280 goes in. It was like a dagger to the Sixers, 0:11:59.320 --> 0:12:01.760 and for you guys, it helped to propel the Raptors 0:12:02.080 --> 0:12:07.000 to the eventual NBA Championship. That serious the most. It 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:08.760 was probably the toughest series that we had. I mean 0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:11.080 not saying other teams weren't good, but going seven games 0:12:11.480 --> 0:12:14.040 and almost going into overtimes. We went into overtime. You 0:12:14.080 --> 0:12:16.559 guys had the whole momentum um. You guys had Jimmy 0:12:16.920 --> 0:12:20.440 JJ obviously Toby's Joe I was rolling. Then I had 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:23.120 a deep team and they were playing very well. We 0:12:23.120 --> 0:12:24.720 were up and then next you know, you guys started 0:12:24.720 --> 0:12:26.840 making a run coming back. Jimmy started, you know, doing 0:12:26.840 --> 0:12:30.400 what he does and then defensively said making some plays. 0:12:30.400 --> 0:12:33.560 But luckily, he said, Kawhi came out knocked down a 0:12:33.559 --> 0:12:35.280 big shot and it kind of gave us new life 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:38.480 because that whole series we struggled with fine rotations, finding 0:12:38.520 --> 0:12:41.080 guys that could play against the big guards you guys had, 0:12:41.320 --> 0:12:43.720 finding out how we want to attack them. So it 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:46.400 was a chess game, and I think Brett Brown credited him. 0:12:46.559 --> 0:12:48.160 He did a great job of figuring out how he 0:12:48.160 --> 0:12:51.480 wanted to play or guard us or also attack us. 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:54.280 So it was tough to figure out. But you know, 0:12:54.360 --> 0:12:57.360 Kawhie hitting that shot gave us new life for obviously 0:12:57.400 --> 0:12:59.439 extending our season, but to kind of be refreshing and 0:12:59.480 --> 0:13:02.240 start over new series with guys having a different attitude 0:13:02.240 --> 0:13:04.760 and picking up their games like a Fred van Fleet 0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:07.520 who in his Phillyate series didn't really have much of 0:13:07.520 --> 0:13:09.920 a chance to impact it. But the next serieson against 0:13:09.920 --> 0:13:13.440 Milwaukee came alive and damn never you got some final 0:13:13.520 --> 0:13:16.040 MVP votes because of how well he started playing after 0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:18.880 having his son so you know that that shot was 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:21.920 a historic, legendary and it gave us new life, and 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:23.840 it allowed us to actually get a chance to win 0:13:23.880 --> 0:13:25.640 a title. Gave us chance to win a title. Because 0:13:25.880 --> 0:13:28.240 that didn't happened, we might not been the last team standard. 0:13:29.280 --> 0:13:31.839 I'm gonna delve off a little bit here because you 0:13:31.920 --> 0:13:34.679 mentioned Freddie van Fleet becoming a dad and just the 0:13:34.800 --> 0:13:38.680 whole exhilaration that comes with that, and then he was 0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:42.200 close to Rockford in that Milwaukee Series. And I go 0:13:42.280 --> 0:13:44.240 back a little bit too. I believe it was my 0:13:44.320 --> 0:13:48.400 first year in the NBA and Hakimlajuan, who's Muslim, was 0:13:49.040 --> 0:13:51.440 going through the fastone and all the things that come 0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:55.520 with Ramadan. So it was February that particular year, and 0:13:55.679 --> 0:13:59.360 you know how they passed the whole day until sunset. 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:03.520 You're thinking, man, this guy's got to be on full 0:14:03.640 --> 0:14:06.880 How could he? Well, he won Player of the Month, 0:14:07.080 --> 0:14:08.400 look it up. So I think it would have been 0:14:08.440 --> 0:14:11.880 like ninety six. And so John Lucas was our coach 0:14:11.880 --> 0:14:13.360 at the time, and I'm sure you know it, Luke, 0:14:13.800 --> 0:14:16.440 and we had this debate and it was I'm like, 0:14:16.640 --> 0:14:19.640 I know, but he was spiritually lifted, so that that 0:14:19.720 --> 0:14:23.600 incident that focused that singular focus that comes from his 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:26.200 personal life and his religious pla. To me, it helped 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:28.840 catapult him. And I'm speaking for ah team. But and 0:14:28.880 --> 0:14:30.960 it sort of in a different way. Did the same thing? 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:33.760 Can something like that off the court, because sometimes if 0:14:33.760 --> 0:14:36.000 you're not right off the court, it can go off 0:14:36.040 --> 0:14:38.760 the rails. Talk about that a little bit definitely. Man, 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:42.040 think you see these these these great games come from 0:14:42.080 --> 0:14:43.920 these guys when they have these type of life experiences 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:47.520 because it gives them their energy and extra boost and 0:14:47.600 --> 0:14:49.680 also it gives them a care free attitude where they 0:14:49.720 --> 0:14:52.000 just go out and play and have fun. You know 0:14:52.040 --> 0:14:57.200 when people have children or God forbid, somebody passes as 0:14:57.200 --> 0:14:58.960 a tragic and they go out and play with more 0:14:58.960 --> 0:15:01.800 emotions and play with more you know, passion for the 0:15:01.840 --> 0:15:04.960 game when great things happen, and even when bad things happen, 0:15:04.960 --> 0:15:07.360 even though it sucks. Uh. But and they're playing for 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:10.880 something or for someone, um for that night. Um, that's 0:15:10.880 --> 0:15:13.160 when their whole they leave everything out on the floor. 0:15:13.160 --> 0:15:15.280 But a lot of those things can propel their energy 0:15:15.520 --> 0:15:16.920 in a good way, some in a bad way, or 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:19.240 some more just a motivated angry way. UM to where 0:15:19.280 --> 0:15:21.920 they have an unbelievable night. But um, you know, for 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:23.960 Freddie to have a kid and some other people have babies, 0:15:24.000 --> 0:15:26.840 like in a great way, it helps them to propel 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:29.200 themselves and their energy even though they're up all night. 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:32.000 But to have that you know, care free, you know, 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:35.160 have fun, bring basketball back to a passionate when they 0:15:35.160 --> 0:15:38.240 were youth, youthful days and not worrying about anything else. 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:40.360 Um allows them to just you know, play their game 0:15:40.400 --> 0:15:41.960 and also play at a high level with a lot 0:15:41.960 --> 0:15:46.120 of confidence. So let's talk about San Antonio and winning 0:15:46.160 --> 0:15:50.760 the championship with the Spurs and at that time they 0:15:50.760 --> 0:15:53.360 were the gold standard in the NBA for a big 0:15:53.440 --> 0:15:57.000 chunk of that year from twenty ten until now. And 0:15:57.080 --> 0:15:59.600 for you, you know, you had to spend time and 0:16:00.000 --> 0:16:03.160 at the time the NBA G League or the Development League, 0:16:03.160 --> 0:16:06.920 you went overseas as I mentioned in Slovenia. So to 0:16:06.960 --> 0:16:09.920 get into the finals and be a champion after having 0:16:09.960 --> 0:16:13.120 gone through some struggle to get to that level, what 0:16:13.240 --> 0:16:15.600 was that? That must have been a very rich experience 0:16:15.640 --> 0:16:18.920 for you with san Antonio. Oh definitely, man, it's my 0:16:18.960 --> 0:16:21.480 first one. You know, you dream of that stage as 0:16:21.520 --> 0:16:23.440 a kid. You never think you'd be an NBA another 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:26.160 one playing an NBA finals stage and win a championship. 0:16:26.200 --> 0:16:28.880 So going through all that and then we went to 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:32.480 the finals previous that year and lost until will play 0:16:32.560 --> 0:16:35.320 and also being a starting, starting team, and then come 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:37.360 back and playing the finals the second year and actually win. 0:16:37.840 --> 0:16:39.520 It was a very surreal moment, man. So the roller 0:16:39.560 --> 0:16:41.560 coaster ride, and I try not to think about it 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:43.640 reflect too much. Each each year. I try to do 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:45.560 in the summertime because I don't want to be too satisfied. 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:46.920 I don't want to get back to the grind and 0:16:47.440 --> 0:16:50.240 stay hungry. But every time I think about it, where 0:16:50.240 --> 0:16:53.480 I've come from to now and at that point said 0:16:53.600 --> 0:16:55.920 growing up as a kid, just imagining be on final 0:16:55.960 --> 0:16:57.560 station and win an NBA championship. That will do that 0:16:57.600 --> 0:16:59.920 and bring the trophy back home to my family, my hometown. 0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:02.120 I was unbelievable, man. And it was like, it's a 0:17:02.200 --> 0:17:04.040 dream come true that I've always dreamed since I was, 0:17:04.119 --> 0:17:06.720 you know, five six year old kids. So that was 0:17:06.880 --> 0:17:08.600 when you say you went to the finals. The year 0:17:08.600 --> 0:17:10.920 before that was the year that Ray Allen. It looked 0:17:10.920 --> 0:17:13.359 like the Spurs were seconds away from winning the title, 0:17:13.400 --> 0:17:16.160 and yet Miami it's a huge shot from Ray Allen. 0:17:16.600 --> 0:17:20.760 And then Miami wins the championship. Right lost twenty fourteen, 0:17:20.800 --> 0:17:23.879 We came back to win right for that team, And 0:17:23.920 --> 0:17:28.239 I always referenced this, you know, like you weren't going 0:17:28.240 --> 0:17:31.960 to get validation like the next month. It took eleven 0:17:32.040 --> 0:17:35.680 months later for that Spurs team to get in position, 0:17:36.720 --> 0:17:39.040 and they had that whole thing about pound the Rock. 0:17:39.640 --> 0:17:42.360 I mean as an athlete, that is to me one 0:17:42.359 --> 0:17:45.760 of the greatest examples of sticking with it, putting in 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:49.280 the time at good days, at up and put yourself 0:17:49.320 --> 0:17:52.320 in a position to change the course of what had 0:17:52.320 --> 0:17:54.760 happened the year before. That had to be a tremendous 0:17:54.840 --> 0:17:57.440 learning experience, oh for sure, man. And like I said, 0:17:57.480 --> 0:18:00.640 even now, preparing for that time time, so that whole 0:18:00.720 --> 0:18:02.199 year was rough for us. We played a chip on 0:18:02.200 --> 0:18:03.880 our shoulder in every game that we played, every team 0:18:03.880 --> 0:18:06.879 that we played, every possession, we prepared as if we 0:18:06.880 --> 0:18:09.840 were playing in an NBA Finals against Miami Heat, because 0:18:09.880 --> 0:18:11.239 we knew if we got an opportunity to get back, 0:18:11.240 --> 0:18:13.920 there were probably gonna be that team to play, because 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:15.320 they were the best team in the league in time. 0:18:15.320 --> 0:18:19.119 They were obviously defending champions So we played every game 0:18:19.160 --> 0:18:20.480 and it was a rough years. Even with the coach 0:18:20.560 --> 0:18:22.840 staff of the team, the players, they were on us 0:18:22.880 --> 0:18:24.600