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Speaker 1: Welcome to All the Smoke, a production of The Black

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Speaker 1: Effect and our Heart Radio and partnership with Showtime. Welcome

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Speaker 1: back to another edition All the Smoke. My brother Jack

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Speaker 1: was a very festive today. What are these? What are

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Speaker 1: these called? I don't want them? Thropes? Thropes by King's

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Speaker 1: Cloth in Dubai. And then you got the matching you

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Speaker 1: hit him. Yeah, J said, you're making it harder for

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Speaker 1: your for your other brothers. Out of here. Hey man,

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Speaker 1: One thing about it, man, everybody could do it like you.

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Speaker 1: You look good, you feel good, you pray good. Okay,

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Speaker 1: shout out my moscome's out, Dull. Who's that person with

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Speaker 1: the puff? Daddy Ringer? All about the Vegas anyway? Man,

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the show. Perfect Isaiah Thomas appreciated. Appreciate for

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Speaker 1: a minute, I've been hitting him like I want. I'm

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Speaker 1: gonna come on, we come so man, we finally got

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Speaker 1: you here. We appreciate that. Seattle boy. You know, two

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Speaker 1: thousand twenty obviously was it was tough for a lot

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Speaker 1: of us. Uh, you know, lost code, the pandemic, George

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Speaker 1: Floyd incident. Um, it seems how tough that was. What

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Speaker 1: are you motivated by? Um? You know? As we go,

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Speaker 1: you know, almost halfway through, I think I'm motivated by

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Speaker 1: just changed, you know. I think the positive out of

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Speaker 1: all those things that's happened is everybody you know, trying

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Speaker 1: to change for the better, no matter the race, no

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Speaker 1: matter the culture. And um, I think we're looking forward to,

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Speaker 1: you know, what's what's next and what can everybody change

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Speaker 1: to make this world you know, a better place. And

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Speaker 1: I think overall, you know, we could kind of see

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Speaker 1: the light at the end of the tunnel, you know,

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Speaker 1: in terms of things getting back to normal. I think

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Speaker 1: we just got to keep, you know, keep our foot

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Speaker 1: on the gas to make positive change because you know,

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Speaker 1: the world is not in a great place right now,

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Speaker 1: and I think, you know, we can make it all better,

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Speaker 1: so much more work to do, for sure. For sure,

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Speaker 1: where do you feel you are as far as health?

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Speaker 1: Obviously we'll talk about the injury a little later what

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Speaker 1: exactly happened to you, But where are you right now

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Speaker 1: as far as health? You feel health? I'm good now,

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Speaker 1: you know. It's been a long little three years since I,

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Speaker 1: you know, first got injured, but I'm a healthy now. Um.

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Speaker 1: I had a surgery. Not to get too deep into it,

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Speaker 1: but I had surgery last May, which you know, fixed

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Speaker 1: my ultimate problems. They have to go in and we

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Speaker 1: can go and explain this because I had a resurface

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Speaker 1: of my hip. So my my hip is metal now,

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Speaker 1: so I got it's I'm the first one in professional

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Speaker 1: sports or basketball to play with the metal hip, and yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's it's my it's my joint. So what my initial

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Speaker 1: problem was, my hip was bone on bone, so you know,

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Speaker 1: it's bone on guard. I have no range of motion,

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Speaker 1: so I was really fighting every day just to you know,

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Speaker 1: stay above water until I fixed my hip. So I

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Speaker 1: got a resurface of my hip joint. It gives me

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Speaker 1: the normal amount of space that everybody got in the

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Speaker 1: regular joint. My ship just met him. And you know

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Speaker 1: when you go through the airport, you gotta go through

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Speaker 1: the little special Yeah yeah, you gotta go through. Yeah yeah.

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Speaker 1: But at the end of the day, you know that

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Speaker 1: it changed my life because I was in paining every day,

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Speaker 1: not just trying to hoop, playing with my kids in

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Speaker 1: the house life I was. I was in paining. So

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Speaker 1: it gave me my range of motion back. So health wise,

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Speaker 1: I'm good. Mentally, I'm in a great place. And you know,

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Speaker 1: just waiting for an opportunity. I said, how challenging hasn't

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Speaker 1: been to remain patient knowing you back to knowing what

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Speaker 1: you can do, just like we know what you can do.

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Speaker 1: You know what I mean. And I've been in that

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Speaker 1: situation too, not even being in the NBA, but knowing

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Speaker 1: that I still had time, you know, had game left.

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Speaker 1: But you're on a different page, you know, you you

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Speaker 1: you did some stuff that I wouldn't even think close

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Speaker 1: to doing my career, but knowing the player you are, bro,

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Speaker 1: how does feel to be patient knowing that you deserve

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Speaker 1: to be back out there. I'm human at the end

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Speaker 1: of the day, so that should be hurting, you know that,

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Speaker 1: And I'm gonna just keep it all the way Hunter.

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Speaker 1: It be hurting. But you know, I got kids at home.

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Speaker 1: They watched me closely, and there's no quit in me. There,

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Speaker 1: there's no quit obviously. I got my days where you know,

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Speaker 1: some days are tougher than others. I'm watching guys signed

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Speaker 1: that I feel like I'm better then. But you know,

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Speaker 1: it's it's not always about you know the next man.

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Speaker 1: I try to worry about, you know, what I can't control,

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Speaker 1: And the only thing I control is being prepared, you know,

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Speaker 1: when my name called, being able to take advantage of

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Speaker 1: the opportunity. And if I just soaked and be out

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Speaker 1: the house and be high at the situation when my

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Speaker 1: name is called, I won't be ready to take advantage

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Speaker 1: of that. So you know, overall, I'm in a good

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Speaker 1: place mentally, but yeah, I'm human. That should be hurting.

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Speaker 1: That should be hurting. I'll be having my days where

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Speaker 1: I'd be like, damn, Like how how I go from

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Speaker 1: being top five MVP voting two years later? You know,

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Speaker 1: I'm trying to find a team to play. It just

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Speaker 1: makes no sense. But you know that's the business of

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Speaker 1: the game. You know, that's just is what it is.

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Speaker 1: I just know if my name is called again, then

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Speaker 1: when it is called, I'll be ready to take it

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Speaker 1: to the time. I promise you that I'm healthy now

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Speaker 1: and I don't have to fight that battle of you know,

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Speaker 1: showing the world I'm healthy. Are you able to still

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Speaker 1: watch games and follow games or is it? I mean

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Speaker 1: this year has been a little different from me because

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Speaker 1: I'm a hoop head, Like I love who I've always

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Speaker 1: loved it. I've always watched every most games every night.

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Speaker 1: This year has just been a little different, I think

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Speaker 1: just because obviously I watched Hoop, but not as much

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Speaker 1: as I did. The game is changing, so it's kind

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Speaker 1: of it's kind of tough to watch, you know, how

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Speaker 1: the game is being played. But you know, that's my

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Speaker 1: ultimate goal to get back in the league, obviously, and

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna stay connected at all times. But I don't

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Speaker 1: watch actual games as much as I did. I don't

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Speaker 1: you gotta prediction on who you think is coming out

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Speaker 1: of East or West? Any teams you think are clear cut? Honestly,

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Speaker 1: I don't think nobody can beat Brooklyn and you know

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Speaker 1: four times, you know on paper that is obviously what

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Speaker 1: we haven't really seen them go through any that city altogether,

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Speaker 1: so I think that's the the biggest question mark. But

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Speaker 1: out of the East, I mean, I'm gonna go with

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Speaker 1: Brooklyn and then I mean you can't really count Lebron

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Speaker 1: out into you see down in all the year. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: so you got you gotta go through l A in

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Speaker 1: the West, but it will be tougher than boys, it

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Speaker 1: will be. How do you feel about the league guard

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Speaker 1: play that we continue to witness. It's amazing. I mean,

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Speaker 1: in the Guards, what you got Lillard, you got Kyrie,

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Speaker 1: James Hardens, Steph Is turned it up the last two months.

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Speaker 1: Um west Brooks the cheat code. I mean, you know

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Speaker 1: them like them top ten point guards. It's like any

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Speaker 1: given night they can you know, they can give you fifty.

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Speaker 1: So that's the scary part about it. But it's dope

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Speaker 1: to watch that though, because you know the game is

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Speaker 1: about that guard position. Obviously the wings and Katie and

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Speaker 1: Lebron and the list goes on in that. But you know,

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Speaker 1: the guards are carrying the league right now, and I

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Speaker 1: think it's got it. It's out of good space right

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Speaker 1: now with that, because I mean, I'm a scoring guarding.

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Speaker 1: You got you gotta be a scoring guard to be

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Speaker 1: effective right in today's games. You're how far removed from

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Speaker 1: your Boston year for four years since you were in Boston.

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Speaker 1: Kind of crazy to think how much it's changed from

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Speaker 1: a standpoint at how many more shots point guards are

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Speaker 1: taking now that you take. You take fifteen threes and

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Speaker 1: that's cool, yeah, and it's fine, that's fine, that's just

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Speaker 1: three points that shot. That So it's crazy. We we

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Speaker 1: having talked about that, me and my Jamal Crawford, which

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Speaker 1: you guys know shout, we need you on the sime,

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Speaker 1: we need you on there. Um. Just how in four

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Speaker 1: years the game changed, That's what I'm saying. Since like

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Speaker 1: even when I was playing, you know, at my peak

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Speaker 1: at that year, the scores were still d Maybe now

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Speaker 1: you see regulation it's one, one forty, a lot of shots.

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Speaker 1: You know, the numbers are magnified now obviously because with

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Speaker 1: the one the game is. But I mean, you still

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Speaker 1: gotta go out there and produce, so you know, them

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Speaker 1: them them guards is doing that at a high level.

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Speaker 1: Are doing an amazing job night and night out. So

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Speaker 1: the guys you would just mentioned, you know, some of

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Speaker 1: the elite guards, you had good battles against all of them,

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Speaker 1: in particular Steph Westbrook and CP three. Tell us about

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Speaker 1: some of the battles you have with those three man Steph,

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Speaker 1: it started early with Staff just because you know that

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Speaker 1: Sack and Golden State little connection my first three years.

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Speaker 1: You know, they wasn't you know who they obviously were

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Speaker 1: for like six seven straight years. But we had them

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Speaker 1: battles and you know, going Againsteff, you gotta be locked in,

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Speaker 1: you know, from once he get the ball and bounds

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Speaker 1: because he's that special. Westbrook Westbrook is probably always my

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Speaker 1: toughest cover because you know, obviously he's way bigger than me,

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Speaker 1: but he's on goal from from the tip off to

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Speaker 1: to you know, the buzzer sounds, and then CP three

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Speaker 1: is just O G. He's he's he's been someone I've

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Speaker 1: always looked up to, you know, since I was in

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Speaker 1: shoot since he got in the league when I was

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Speaker 1: in high school, and even you know a little a

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Speaker 1: few years before that. So he's always tough in a

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Speaker 1: different way because he obviously he's the best leader out there. Um,

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Speaker 1: he'll do whatever it takes to win. He's the one

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Speaker 1: where you hate playing against him, but when you when

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Speaker 1: you're on his team, you love it because he's that

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Speaker 1: competitive and and he'll do whatever it takes. But you know,

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Speaker 1: other than them three guards, like obviously I battled with them,

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Speaker 1: but like I said, the guard list is is heavy.

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Speaker 1: It's every night like you got when I first got

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Speaker 1: in the league ten years ago, it was like it

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Speaker 1: was probably six seven of them where you really had

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Speaker 1: to get your sleep before tonight, you know, before before

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Speaker 1: that game. Now it's like almost every night, every night

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Speaker 1: where you can't you can't be like, oh, that's gonna

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Speaker 1: be an easy one, you know, so it's competitive out

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Speaker 1: there for them guards. You just said that he's a

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Speaker 1: cheat code. How do you feel your thoughts on Russ

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Speaker 1: breaking the Oscar record? It's crazy because if you go

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Speaker 1: back on all the interviews with you know, the top

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Speaker 1: Magic Johnson, everybody who talked about you know that record

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Speaker 1: would never be broken. It's like, right, and that's what

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Speaker 1: I'm saying. That's all you gotta you know, that's all

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Speaker 1: you gotta explain, Like he really broke a record that

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Speaker 1: nobody thought it was like a John Stockton record. Obviously

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Speaker 1: that's probably never gonna be broken here, but that triple

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Speaker 1: w and it happened within five years really like where

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Speaker 1: he really turned up. So you know, Westbrook is a

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Speaker 1: different animal. And I think that's why he doesn't always

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Speaker 1: get the credit he deserves because you know, he don't

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Speaker 1: he shoots it straight at you. You know, everybody don't

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Speaker 1: like Everybody don't like that, and but he deserves everything

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Speaker 1: and more. He's one of the best point guards that

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Speaker 1: ever played a game. You actually have the record for

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Speaker 1: the shortest point guard to record a triple double. Right,

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Speaker 1: that's what tell us about that night he was going

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Speaker 1: to get bulls steal it. That was coming. That was

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Speaker 1: just because that's one thing in my whole career, like

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Speaker 1: ever so little bro. I'm like, I'm probably never gonna

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Speaker 1: get that, like, you know, a triple devil. So I

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Speaker 1: remember was playing the Wizards and Sack. It was my

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Speaker 1: third year, and hey, I might have had like twelve

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Speaker 1: boards that game. I don't know how, but I got it.

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Speaker 1: And after the game they gave me the ball and

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Speaker 1: they're like, you're the shortest person and hit story it again.

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Speaker 1: I was like, well, she at least I got something

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Speaker 1: for I can go. I don't think anybody shorter than

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Speaker 1: me he's gonna, you know, get a triple devil. It's

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Speaker 1: that's why that's why I give all respect to to Westbrook,

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Speaker 1: whether he's chasing rebounds or not, like you gotta go,

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Speaker 1: he makes it look so easy. That's why I don't

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Speaker 1: think people appreciate it. Don't you look up real quick

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Speaker 1: and like, damn, he's got nothing in the first quarter

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Speaker 1: that they don't. They just don't appreciate it makes it

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Speaker 1: look like it's not that that's hard to exactly. Um,

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Speaker 1: speaking of short guards, obviously the evolution you were one

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Speaker 1: of the smaller players. But you handed yourself, Um, you know,

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Speaker 1: Nate Archball, the other Isaiah Thomas, uh, Damon Stodolma, Allen Iverson.

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Speaker 1: Who are some of the guys you looked up to

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Speaker 1: knowing that you weren't gonna be ye six eight type

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Speaker 1: Manag Johnson point guard. Um, obviously my names said. Isaiah

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Speaker 1: Thomas was you know, a big one, um you know

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Speaker 1: watching his old tapes. But Damon Stoddemyer was somebody I

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Speaker 1: modeled my whole game after. Um, he's somebody from the

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Speaker 1: Pacific Northwest. Lefty stayed in the pack team like somebody

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Speaker 1: that you know, realistically, I felt like I could be

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Speaker 1: like obviously Kobe was, you know, my favorite player ever.

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Speaker 1: But then you also had Trill Brandon from the Pacific Northwest.

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Speaker 1: It was big muggy bogs, Nate Robinson, you know, all

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Speaker 1: the small guys that paved the way for me. But

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Speaker 1: Allen Iverson and Damon Stoddemar were too that you know,

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Speaker 1: I felt like, somehow, some way I can somewhat beat them.

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Speaker 1: And you know, Damon was a little more realistic. But

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Speaker 1: then when I you know, start you know, started to

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Speaker 1: cook them boys, I'm like Okay, maybe I can be

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Speaker 1: Allen Iverson, you know so, and then when I got

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Speaker 1: the stamp from him, it was like, nobody can tell

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Speaker 1: me nothing after he you know, after he at me.

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Speaker 1: And but those are the small guards that you know,

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Speaker 1: I looked up to. Obviously everybody before me. They made

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Speaker 1: it and was small. They paved the way from me.

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Speaker 1: I appreciate it. But those number of guys really helped

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Speaker 1: me throughout my whole career, whether it be when I

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Speaker 1: was in college, you know, are throughout my NBA career,

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Speaker 1: and I can't thank them enough. Tell us about your

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Speaker 1: upbringing and when did you find sports, in particular basketball.

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Speaker 1: So I'm from Tacoma, Washington, UM, about forty minutes south

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Speaker 1: of Seattle. My parents always said I had a ball

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Speaker 1: in my hands since I was a little boy. So

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Speaker 1: basketball was the first thing I you know, I fell

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Speaker 1: in love with. You know, what I knew what love

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Speaker 1: was was basketball, like real talking. And I remember third grade,

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Speaker 1: third grade, my dad took me to my first signings

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Speaker 1: game signings versus Lakers, um actually signings versus Timberwood, Stephan

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Speaker 1: Marbury in and KG and I wore a Laker warm

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Speaker 1: up because my dad's from Inglewood. So I was brainwashing

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Speaker 1: to being a Leak fan. So I wore a Laker,

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Speaker 1: the little purple breakaway pants, the yellow TI on a

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Speaker 1: Timberwoold science game. It didn't make no sense. But basketball.

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Speaker 1: Since that day, since I was able to, you know,

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Speaker 1: be in the tunnel slap NBA player's hands like that

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Speaker 1: changed my life. I felt like that's what I wanted

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Speaker 1: to be since that day. And you know, to fast

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Speaker 1: forward to now, you know, when I'm playing NBA games

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Speaker 1: and you see that fan with his hand out, I

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Speaker 1: make sure slapthoughers because that's like you used to be him.

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Speaker 1: I used to be him, and that's what made my dream. Like,

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Speaker 1: that's what made my dream in reality, those little things

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Speaker 1: and for me to be able to, you know, do

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Speaker 1: those things two kids in the next generation, that means everything.

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Speaker 1: But ever since I was in third grade, basketball was

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Speaker 1: the my ultimate goal to make it to the NBA.

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Speaker 1: Your name represents greatness in this game. Tell everyone how

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Speaker 1: you actually got your name. It's two sides to it.

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Speaker 1: So my dad's a Leaker fan. He made a wager

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Speaker 1: with one of his friends. If this is what they're

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Speaker 1: telling me, this is what they're telling me on his

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Speaker 1: name they made. He made a wager with one of

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Speaker 1: his friends that if you know, the Pistons beat the Lakers,

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Speaker 1: he would name me Isaiah Thomas. My mom loved the name,

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Speaker 1: but she grew up in church. She wanted to spelled

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Speaker 1: the biblical way. So it was two sides. Two of

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Speaker 1: my dad lost to bed my dad. I mean, my

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Speaker 1: mom loved the name, but she's having to get swept

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Speaker 1: that year, right. Yeah. Yeah, they gotta beat and that's

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Speaker 1: how your name you So that that's the story that

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Speaker 1: they got. They they and then I happen to play hoops,

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Speaker 1: so we took it and ran with it. Yeah yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 1: that's funny. What was the funniest? At mentioned on social

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Speaker 1: media that you remember what it was supposed to be

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Speaker 1: directed to Isaiah Thomas g Man when the last dance

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Speaker 1: came out, they hated. Oh my that was on me though,

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Speaker 1: Like when the dance came out, Oh my goodness, it

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Speaker 1: was like for them whatever, six straight weeks, every episode

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Speaker 1: it was like, f you fter bad boys. Then you

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Speaker 1: got something hitting me like your dad's this and that.

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Speaker 1: I'm like, I'm just laughing at it because I'm a

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Speaker 1: little that, you know, like I have nothing to do

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Speaker 1: with the bad Boys the last dance. I got nothing

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Speaker 1: to do. That's not my pops. But you know that

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Speaker 1: happens every now and then, especially when I was you know,

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Speaker 1: when I was a little younger and Isaiah Thomas was

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Speaker 1: on the Knicks. You know, they used to do him

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Speaker 1: when he was the coach. I used to go to

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Speaker 1: them games with Jamal because Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson

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Speaker 1: was on them teams. And it even started from near

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Speaker 1: social media. They was like it was they'd be on

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Speaker 1: his head. I'd be feeling bad because they be on

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Speaker 1: my head too sometimes, but a lot be directed at

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Speaker 1: him because I'm m J. Stuff Funny. The culture in basketball,

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Speaker 1: just to the energy of the Pacific nor West, particularly

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Speaker 1: the Seattle area, basketball has been so strong. Um, what

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Speaker 1: is it like out there in the summer. I mean,

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Speaker 1: you guys probably have the most pros you could think

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Speaker 1: of it, But what are those summers like? I know

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Speaker 1: Jamal runs a summer league, but what is that interaction like?

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Speaker 1: Because you guys have so many people that played in

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Speaker 1: the NBA that are going to the NBA, that have

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Speaker 1: played in the NBA. Man, this everything and you know

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Speaker 1: to to answer the question. First, is Doug Christy started that.

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Speaker 1: You know, Doug Chrissy was he was the one that

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Speaker 1: started that with Jamal and Jason Terry and those guys,

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Speaker 1: and then it just trickled down. And I remember when

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Speaker 1: I first met Jamal. I've known Jason since I was

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Speaker 1: in third grade. His dad coached me growing up in

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Speaker 1: high school. So Jet always been a mentor of mind.

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Speaker 1: But when I met Jamal, I was fifteen years old.

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Speaker 1: I met Jamal. I remember the things that those guys

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Speaker 1: always told me was like the things we do for you,

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Speaker 1: we want you to do for the next guys coming up.

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Speaker 1: And it's always been like that, and you know, in

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Speaker 1: that area, it's been like that. From Jamal Crawford, Jason Terry,

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Speaker 1: you go Brandon Roory, Nate Robinson, Aaron Brooks, Spencer Hawes,

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Speaker 1: Martell Webster, the first guy out out of Seattle to

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Speaker 1: go out of high school, stare of high school to

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Speaker 1: the NBA, and the list goes on. I mean, you

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Speaker 1: got those older guys, then you got me the Jon

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Speaker 1: T Murray, Kevin Porter Jr. Michael Porter Junior play one

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Speaker 1: year high school in Seattle. So we're gonna count him in.

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Speaker 1: I know I'm missing a lot, but the McDaniels brothers

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Speaker 1: that play right now, we gotta we got a young

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Speaker 1: group of guys that that are coming up as well,

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Speaker 1: so you know that that circle is really tight. And

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Speaker 1: like you said, the summertimes be like when dudes get

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Speaker 1: back home the next couple of weeks, you know it's

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Speaker 1: gonna be It's gonna be like summer scene the runs

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Speaker 1: at ul A explained the summer scene because of the

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Speaker 1: Summer League, Like you gotta have people from all over

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Speaker 1: the NBA but all the world coming out there to

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Speaker 1: play Jamal Summer League. And like I said, that started

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Speaker 1: with Doug Christie back in the day, and then it

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Speaker 1: transferred over to Jamal, which Doug gave it, gave reins

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Speaker 1: to Jamal, and Jamal has been I mean, he's at

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Speaker 1: you out there, He's at He's had everybody out there.

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Speaker 1: And that's the dope thing because during the week we play,

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Speaker 1: all the pros play, and then during the weekend is

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Speaker 1: when Jamal asked his his pro am. So it's like

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Speaker 1: all week we're hoping and we're kicking it with each other. Right,

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Speaker 1: It's real. It's a real brotherhood up there. That you know,

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Speaker 1: unless you're in it, you can't. It's hard to explain.

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Speaker 1: Everybody's super solid and super close because we went out there.

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Speaker 1: When we went out there for a Jamal's wedding wedding

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Speaker 1: and played at midnight. We had at midnight and it

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Speaker 1: was like ship was sold out. But that's when I

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Speaker 1: saw the Dejon Murray for the first time. That because

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Speaker 1: this high school kid who's nice as fun, I'm like,

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Speaker 1: all right, you know, I was already blowed. I didn't

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Speaker 1: really want to play anyway. It was at midnight. You

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Speaker 1: just trying. You want me to stay sober the whole

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Speaker 1: entire Anyway, we made it happen. But this young boys,

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Speaker 1: he was incredible. Bro Like he's like a young Jamal

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Speaker 1: watching he had bounced to this nigga was in I

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Speaker 1: think he's only a junior at the time the game,

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Speaker 1: but I remember that just like it was midnight and

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Speaker 1: the gym was packed. That's how much love they had

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Speaker 1: for Jamal. It was crazy. But he did it for

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Speaker 1: its wedding though. It was like one of his wedding

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Speaker 1: and that was like we all like blade DJ out

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Speaker 1: there high school. You spent three years self camp prep

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Speaker 1: and then you transferred. What made you go prep school?

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Speaker 1: So prep school. I had to get my academics right

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Speaker 1: in order for me to accept the scholarship at University

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Speaker 1: of Washington. So, um, I did three years of high

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Speaker 1: school at back home, UM, I did two years. I

401
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Speaker 1: did an extra year of high school at the prep school.

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Speaker 1: So I had to get my grades right in order

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Speaker 1: for me to accept the scholarship. And then once I

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Speaker 1: was able to do that, which was probably the toughest

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Speaker 1: thing I've ever been through in terms of it was

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Speaker 1: an all boys school, suit and tie every day. It

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Speaker 1: was just different from where I came from. And then

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Speaker 1: at sixteen years old, leaving you know, my parents, leaving

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Speaker 1: my clothes home, that was tough. That was that was

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Speaker 1: a cultural change for me. Like it went from me

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Speaker 1: having to wear a suit and tie every day to

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Speaker 1: you know, me being the man back home like that.

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Speaker 1: That that was tough. But in order for me accomplished

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Speaker 1: my goal of making it to college and you know,

415
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Speaker 1: possibly making it to the NBA, I had to go

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Speaker 1: do it. And looking back at it now, that was

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Speaker 1: probably one of the best decisions in my life because

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Speaker 1: it made me grow up faster than I needed to.

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Speaker 1: I was on my own at six team, so you know,

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Speaker 1: from sixteen on, I haven't been back home, you know,

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Speaker 1: like we're living under my parents, and I think that's

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Speaker 1: helped me become you know, the young man, the man

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Speaker 1: I am today and you know, ultimately the father I

424
00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,240
Speaker 1: am as well. So you know, it was it was

425
00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,119
Speaker 1: a good side too. Yeah, at the time that that

426
00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:30,159
Speaker 1: ship was, it made me think, Yeah, I was in Connecticut,

427
00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:33,480
Speaker 1: the middle of nowhere. But luckily the good thing about

428
00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:36,399
Speaker 1: that Jamal and Nate played for the Knicks. So I

429
00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:38,800
Speaker 1: would take the train up. Yeah, I would take a

430
00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:42,040
Speaker 1: little train over the White Plains for the weekend and

431
00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:44,920
Speaker 1: I was able to kick it with them. So who

432
00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:50,720
Speaker 1: else was recruiting you besides Washington? So ultimately, um, before

433
00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,160
Speaker 1: I committed to Washington, I was going to commit to Indiana.

434
00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:56,240
Speaker 1: I wanted to Guysa Thomas. I wanted to following that,

435
00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,320
Speaker 1: they had a coach and Mike Davis, which was African

436
00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:02,520
Speaker 1: African America and coach. It was. It was really good

437
00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:05,160
Speaker 1: and gave me one of my first offers. He ended

438
00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:06,840
Speaker 1: up getting fired and I had to go in a

439
00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,879
Speaker 1: different direction. And then I if I wasn't gonna go

440
00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:12,040
Speaker 1: to Indiana. I wanted to stay home. And then but

441
00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,119
Speaker 1: when I went to prep school, that's when like Yukon

442
00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:18,359
Speaker 1: came on me all the East coast, and I was

443
00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:21,040
Speaker 1: thinking about opening my recruitment back up because you know,

444
00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:25,000
Speaker 1: I was never recruited by them schools. But then, you know,

445
00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:26,600
Speaker 1: I wanted to go back to the crib. At the

446
00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:28,480
Speaker 1: end of the day, I wanted to be home. I

447
00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,840
Speaker 1: took two years. I was two years away from home already.

448
00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:33,520
Speaker 1: I was ready to get back home and you know,

449
00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:36,399
Speaker 1: try to put on for for my town. And I

450
00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:38,160
Speaker 1: was able to do that in a in a cool,

451
00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,080
Speaker 1: solid way a lot of accolades packed ten freshmen the

452
00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:44,240
Speaker 1: Year Tournament m v P. What was your college experience

453
00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:45,600
Speaker 1: like that you were back at home and you were

454
00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:48,800
Speaker 1: killing man, it was everything because you know, before before

455
00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:52,840
Speaker 1: I went there, should we had Nate Robinson, there Will Conroy,

456
00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:57,560
Speaker 1: Trey Simmons, m Brandon Roy obviously the best, you know,

457
00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:01,119
Speaker 1: guy to come out of University Washington. But you know,

458
00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:03,320
Speaker 1: when I was headed back home, I was hyped because

459
00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:06,320
Speaker 1: I was away for two years, so I was hyped

460
00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:07,879
Speaker 1: to be able to you know, put on for the

461
00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,679
Speaker 1: state of Washington, to be able to you know, go

462
00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,639
Speaker 1: to a big time college and just who and be

463
00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,480
Speaker 1: home at doing it. So it was it was probably

464
00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,600
Speaker 1: the best experience of my lifetime. Like college was so dope,

465
00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,840
Speaker 1: just you know, lifelong friends that we still got group

466
00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:26,480
Speaker 1: text with with all my teammates and everything with being

467
00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:29,760
Speaker 1: back home and going to college was everything I dreamed of,

468
00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:31,560
Speaker 1: and we happened to be pretty good. Like we went

469
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:34,159
Speaker 1: to Sweet sixteen one year, we went to n c

470
00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:36,399
Speaker 1: A tournament three years in a row, so it was

471
00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:39,760
Speaker 1: it was some success back home. And then you know,

472
00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:42,280
Speaker 1: ultimately I was able to get my jersey retired back

473
00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:45,159
Speaker 1: in college, so it was ship that you know, it

474
00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:47,679
Speaker 1: was happening then I didn't even dream of when I

475
00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:51,080
Speaker 1: was a kid. Talked to us about your legendary shot

476
00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:54,040
Speaker 1: you made in the pack team tournament. So the shot,

477
00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:58,040
Speaker 1: um that was that was everything because obviously it was

478
00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:03,280
Speaker 1: a National TV championship games as Johnson in Staples Center.

479
00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,040
Speaker 1: You know, Coby's my favorite player, so it was like

480
00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:08,439
Speaker 1: that whole last possession, I was like, man, this is

481
00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:12,040
Speaker 1: what Kobe did, this is what and my coach for

482
00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:15,760
Speaker 1: the first time in my little college career, when I

483
00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:18,639
Speaker 1: told him it's good, I got it. He was like, Okay,

484
00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:20,399
Speaker 1: go to work, and I was able to, you know,

485
00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:23,040
Speaker 1: isolation play at the top of the key. I think

486
00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:25,840
Speaker 1: yet the day before kimber Walker hit hit step Back,

487
00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,159
Speaker 1: so it was already in my mind like, okay, I

488
00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:30,879
Speaker 1: might have to go to the step back, this is

489
00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,600
Speaker 1: my chance, and you know I did. I did a

490
00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:37,040
Speaker 1: little crossover. He sat on the crossover step back at me,

491
00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,840
Speaker 1: my separation, and once I shot it, you know, I

492
00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:41,520
Speaker 1: knew what was going in and and it was just

493
00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:45,359
Speaker 1: like you know, everything you dreamed of being in outside

494
00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,720
Speaker 1: at the park when you're a little counting down from

495
00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:50,840
Speaker 1: ten and you know, thinking you're Michael Jordan's than you're

496
00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:54,199
Speaker 1: Michael Jordan's Kobe. So that was that was like a

497
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:56,800
Speaker 1: moment that you know, I'm an cherish forever for sure.

498
00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:03,600
Speaker 1: Who as did you? Busting CAUs was mimmorable man. College was.

499
00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:07,520
Speaker 1: College was tough. You know, I didn't really cook nobody

500
00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:09,760
Speaker 1: like I was doing in the NBA in college. You know,

501
00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:11,840
Speaker 1: I didn't. I didn't. You know, college is a little

502
00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:15,199
Speaker 1: well you didn't go to college. So college was, you know,

503
00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,800
Speaker 1: it was It's harder to score in college. I feel

504
00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:20,560
Speaker 1: like because it's just there's no space, no space, no

505
00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:24,439
Speaker 1: defensive three seconds in the key. So obviously I was

506
00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:27,080
Speaker 1: doing well, but I didn't really cook nobody that that

507
00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,439
Speaker 1: I can remember. Obviously, the the game winning shot was

508
00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:32,840
Speaker 1: probably my biggest moment. And I had a pretty good

509
00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:35,600
Speaker 1: game that game too, but it wasn't no game where

510
00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,440
Speaker 1: it stood out where I was frying the next guard. Yeah,

511
00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,119
Speaker 1: I'm not, I'm not even I could have just but

512
00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:43,359
Speaker 1: you saved that for the biggest stage. Yeah. Yeah, So

513
00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,439
Speaker 1: that the game winner was I could say that was.

514
00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:48,359
Speaker 1: That was probably the one of my best games. So

515
00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:51,479
Speaker 1: with all the accolades you acquired in college and you

516
00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,040
Speaker 1: end up being the last pick of the draft that

517
00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:57,840
Speaker 1: after after you're done, what was that? Like? That was

518
00:25:57,880 --> 00:25:59,920
Speaker 1: the longest day of my life. That was? That was

519
00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:05,600
Speaker 1: a tough day, just because I probably obviously going into

520
00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:08,399
Speaker 1: the draft I knew I wasn't gonna be like I was.

521
00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:10,680
Speaker 1: I was projected to be early second round, like that

522
00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:12,679
Speaker 1: was the highest I was like, okay, I'm solid with that.

523
00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:16,679
Speaker 1: If I'm just giving a realistic chance, I'm taking them

524
00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:19,600
Speaker 1: run with it. I probably had like twenty workouts, you know,

525
00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:22,199
Speaker 1: that pre draft, so I was chasing everybody like I was.

526
00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,080
Speaker 1: I was just trying to just show everybody that I'm

527
00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:26,800
Speaker 1: I'm I'm better than the next week some of the

528
00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:28,119
Speaker 1: guys you were working on the draft. Who was in

529
00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:30,400
Speaker 1: that draft with you? Man, So Kyrie Averon was number one,

530
00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:33,000
Speaker 1: obviously he wasn't he wasn't about to go against nobody

531
00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:36,360
Speaker 1: but Brandon Knight. I went against him. I went against

532
00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:39,439
Speaker 1: a few second round guys they got picked ahead of me.

533
00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:41,200
Speaker 1: Um not that you know, I don't want to put

534
00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:44,080
Speaker 1: no names out there. We ain't on that. But I

535
00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:47,720
Speaker 1: destroyed dudes. I destroyed them. I destroyed I mean, I'm

536
00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:50,880
Speaker 1: not even like, I'm not even gotta sugarcoated. I destroyed them.

537
00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:53,359
Speaker 1: And that's why it was frustrating on draft night because

538
00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:56,080
Speaker 1: I'm like, I think, what else do they want? Like

539
00:26:56,119 --> 00:26:59,359
Speaker 1: we went head to head, guys is getting drafted before me.

540
00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:03,920
Speaker 1: I've better college careers than them, And it was just tough.

541
00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:05,560
Speaker 1: But you know, at the end of the day, I

542
00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:07,959
Speaker 1: was like, Okay, if I'm drafted, that's all I ever

543
00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,439
Speaker 1: asked for. It was a chance Sacramento, which was my

544
00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:15,040
Speaker 1: first workout in two thousand eleven. I forgot all about

545
00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:18,080
Speaker 1: them after the Lakers. They have four second round picks,

546
00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:21,480
Speaker 1: and I thought at least one of those picks was

547
00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:24,920
Speaker 1: gonna be me. And once they picked two guards where

548
00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,800
Speaker 1: I think, like the fifty second pick, fifty fourth pick,

549
00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:31,159
Speaker 1: my mind started the race like, dang, I probably not

550
00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,800
Speaker 1: gonna get drafted because I forgot about Sack. And then

551
00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:36,719
Speaker 1: my agent called me, like the fifty eight pick. They

552
00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:39,800
Speaker 1: he like, Sacks gonna drafted with the last pick, and

553
00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:41,879
Speaker 1: that's when I was like, cool, I'm not even tripping

554
00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:45,440
Speaker 1: if they give me a chance. I'm prepared. I know what,

555
00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:48,320
Speaker 1: I know what to do with it. And then you know,

556
00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:50,080
Speaker 1: my back was against the wall because that year was

557
00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:52,240
Speaker 1: the lockout year. We didn't have no summer league, so

558
00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:54,720
Speaker 1: you know summer leagues where I could have got busy,

559
00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:57,320
Speaker 1: and you know, I got a guarantee deal. So I

560
00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:00,240
Speaker 1: went all the way into Shi the lock I was over,

561
00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:04,280
Speaker 1: like I think the day before Christmas, Chas got invited

562
00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:06,080
Speaker 1: to training camp and then it was all she wrote

563
00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:08,760
Speaker 1: after that, like I was able to get a solid

564
00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,720
Speaker 1: opportunity to show, you know, I can play at this level,

565
00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:15,000
Speaker 1: and you know, every step of the way, that's all

566
00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:17,159
Speaker 1: I did. I just prepared myself and then when my

567
00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:19,760
Speaker 1: name was called, I tak advantage. What was your welcome

568
00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:23,720
Speaker 1: to the NBA moment? My welcome to the NBA moment

569
00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:26,200
Speaker 1: was So the first game of the season, we played

570
00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:31,159
Speaker 1: the Lakers um Kobe Bryant, obviously my favorite player ever,

571
00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:35,680
Speaker 1: there was a ruling training camp, Paul Westfall rest in peace.

572
00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,080
Speaker 1: Guys would try to back me down, and they would

573
00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,280
Speaker 1: just always turn the ball over for whatever reason. Like

574
00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:44,520
Speaker 1: I'm not saying I'm super defender, it's just they would

575
00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:47,000
Speaker 1: They would try to exploit, you know, the mismatch, but

576
00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:48,840
Speaker 1: always seemed to turn the ball over and take a

577
00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:52,400
Speaker 1: bad shot. So in training camp, Paul west Falls like

578
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,040
Speaker 1: nobody's backing down. I t like, don't do it, or

579
00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:58,560
Speaker 1: you're you know, you're getting subbed out. So when Paul

580
00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:00,360
Speaker 1: west Fall put me in the game, I remember the

581
00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:05,640
Speaker 1: second quarter he's naming who everybody got, and then I'm like, coach,

582
00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,480
Speaker 1: who do I got? He's like, you got Kobe, and

583
00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,480
Speaker 1: remember nobody can back you down. I'm like like it

584
00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,280
Speaker 1: was funny because I was like, I appreciate you putting

585
00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:16,880
Speaker 1: me in, but bro Kobe's back and everybody down, Like

586
00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:20,240
Speaker 1: it didn't it didn't matter. So the first three possessions,

587
00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:22,880
Speaker 1: they do a little ice. So I'm over behind Kobe

588
00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,680
Speaker 1: just smiling like I'm like, I'm smiling, trying to guarden,

589
00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:28,320
Speaker 1: knowing he's about to fade away. He hits two out

590
00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:31,440
Speaker 1: of three shots. The first shot he hit, I'm spreading

591
00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:35,000
Speaker 1: down court just laughing, like, damn, I'm here, like the

592
00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,120
Speaker 1: first time in my life where somebody scored on me.

593
00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:39,800
Speaker 1: I was like I was. I was smiling and happy

594
00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:41,640
Speaker 1: about it because you know, that was my favorite player.

595
00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:44,440
Speaker 1: So it was like even touching his jersey, I was like, damn,

596
00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:48,760
Speaker 1: I made it. Just faded away on me all game solid,

597
00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:52,120
Speaker 1: And that was my welcome to the NBA moment. West

598
00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:54,720
Speaker 1: Hall throwing me in there and being like nobody could

599
00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:56,840
Speaker 1: back you down, and me having to guard Kobe the

600
00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:59,040
Speaker 1: first three possessions of my NBA career. So that was

601
00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:01,720
Speaker 1: Remember how many he had that game. I don't remember

602
00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:03,240
Speaker 1: how many he had, but he had four on me,

603
00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:05,440
Speaker 1: he had two. He was two for three. He was

604
00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:07,600
Speaker 1: two for three on me. So that was that was

605
00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:09,760
Speaker 1: my little welcome to the NBA moment. For sure. What

606
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,440
Speaker 1: was the state of the Kings at that time? You

607
00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:14,840
Speaker 1: got that a lot of young talent. Yeah, we was,

608
00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:20,200
Speaker 1: and we had de Marcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, we had

609
00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:22,120
Speaker 1: we had a talented team. Like but like you said,

610
00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,600
Speaker 1: we were young. We was young. I think it was

611
00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:26,760
Speaker 1: three or four coaches in my three years there, so

612
00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:32,320
Speaker 1: there was no like stability there and it was just tough.

613
00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:34,880
Speaker 1: I mean, you guys know, being on the young team,

614
00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:38,680
Speaker 1: having having different coaches, there's no structure. So that was

615
00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:41,200
Speaker 1: that was probably the toughest part. Because we had the talent,

616
00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:44,080
Speaker 1: we just couldn't put it together. We just couldn't put

617
00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:46,920
Speaker 1: it together. But my experience has Sacked. They gave me

618
00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:50,480
Speaker 1: my first chance. Then fans and Sack are amazing the

619
00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:53,200
Speaker 1: community and sacked like I fell in love with Sacramento

620
00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:56,280
Speaker 1: like that will always be you know, a special place

621
00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:57,760
Speaker 1: in my heart for sure because they gave me my

622
00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,560
Speaker 1: first Yeah, yeah, shout out to your on town. They

623
00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:02,880
Speaker 1: gave me my first They gave me my first opportunity,

624
00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:05,080
Speaker 1: and you know, I tried to take it around with it.

625
00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:08,320
Speaker 1: Talk to us about how good book he was. Man,

626
00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,800
Speaker 1: he was every big before before what they're doing now

627
00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:18,840
Speaker 1: and be joker, Yeah he was with all due respect,

628
00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,480
Speaker 1: but he was you know what they are now like

629
00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:25,200
Speaker 1: he was the point sending in yea doing it all.

630
00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:29,640
Speaker 1: He was doing everything, and it was that's the frustrating

631
00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:32,800
Speaker 1: part because he was doing so much, but there was

632
00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:35,360
Speaker 1: no way we was we just wasn't built to win.

633
00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:37,840
Speaker 1: And it was just a waste of years for him

634
00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:40,960
Speaker 1: because as you guys know, the first few years, like

635
00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:44,400
Speaker 1: obviously everybody's trying to get paid. But that was like

636
00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:48,480
Speaker 1: a generational talent, you know, before he got hurt, he

637
00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:51,480
Speaker 1: was I mean, he was what MB's doing. He could

638
00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:55,120
Speaker 1: bang with you, he could take you to the wingah

639
00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:57,920
Speaker 1: wait wait, wait more fluid and you know, bookies, that's

640
00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,840
Speaker 1: that's my dog. And he did it, you know, his way,

641
00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:03,920
Speaker 1: like like it wasn't gonna be no other way. But

642
00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:07,360
Speaker 1: he you know, you the only thing you can do

643
00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:09,960
Speaker 1: is respect that he didn't change for nobody, and you know,

644
00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:12,959
Speaker 1: that's that's my dog. And I'm happy to see him,

645
00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:15,680
Speaker 1: you know, in a winning situation where he could you know,

646
00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:17,680
Speaker 1: possibly want to check. I think he got some good

647
00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:21,880
Speaker 1: games and now he got some situation right now where

648
00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:23,880
Speaker 1: they rocked with him too. So it's important, you know,

649
00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:26,880
Speaker 1: that's all it's about. Mike Malone. What kind of coaches,

650
00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,840
Speaker 1: he what was your connection, Like Mike was a players coach,

651
00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:34,000
Speaker 1: he was he was for the culture for sure, and

652
00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:38,040
Speaker 1: I think that was the first coach did the markets,

653
00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:41,520
Speaker 1: you know, somewhat respected, you know, from day one, and

654
00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:44,440
Speaker 1: and I think, you know, you see what he's doing

655
00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:47,560
Speaker 1: in Denver right now, it's like it's obvious because he's

656
00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,000
Speaker 1: a player's coach. He relates to the players, and he's

657
00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:52,280
Speaker 1: been like that ever since. You know, he's been an

658
00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:54,280
Speaker 1: assistant in the league. His dad was a coach with

659
00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:57,880
Speaker 1: the with the Bad Boys. Um, so it's it's installed

660
00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:00,400
Speaker 1: in them to be that. And he's a hell of

661
00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:02,480
Speaker 1: a coach man. He let me rock out. My third

662
00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,440
Speaker 1: year was kind of like my breakout year. You know,

663
00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:08,800
Speaker 1: I averaged twenty points six assists, and I had a

664
00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:11,720
Speaker 1: lot to do with him. I remember one conversation he

665
00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,280
Speaker 1: had with me at one point in my third year

666
00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:17,560
Speaker 1: because everybody was in my ear about, you know, trying

667
00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:19,600
Speaker 1: to be a pass first point guard. That's just never

668
00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:23,200
Speaker 1: been who I am. I'm a scoring guard that makes plays.

669
00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:26,200
Speaker 1: And I mean one time he brought me inside. He's like, Bro,

670
00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:29,600
Speaker 1: you can't be John Stockton. There's no way you're not

671
00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:33,560
Speaker 1: gonna be him, be you, and be who Isaiah Thomas is.

672
00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:37,240
Speaker 1: And you know, ever since that day, I kind of

673
00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:39,840
Speaker 1: took that, you know, that confidence that he instilled in

674
00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,160
Speaker 1: me and ran with it because you know, all all

675
00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:45,560
Speaker 1: the NBA is about his opportunity and situation. Everybody got

676
00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:48,160
Speaker 1: who game if you if you're putting the right situation

677
00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:53,480
Speaker 1: where there's confidence poured into you nine times to attend sure,

678
00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:55,320
Speaker 1: that's what people don't understand. THO was that kid? A

679
00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:57,400
Speaker 1: situation like that in Golden State that the team Jack

680
00:33:57,440 --> 00:33:59,240
Speaker 1: and I played on with Nellly was like the first coach,

681
00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:00,560
Speaker 1: I just go out there, but I don't care if

682
00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:01,920
Speaker 1: you make a mistakes, just play hard. And when you

683
00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,360
Speaker 1: hear a coach tell you, like, really, what I'm in

684
00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,120
Speaker 1: the coach? You know, all due respect to every coach

685
00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:09,920
Speaker 1: out there, but you know that could be the best

686
00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:12,600
Speaker 1: defender for most players, right, you know, he could be

687
00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:16,200
Speaker 1: first team All defense for real bull you know, and

688
00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:19,600
Speaker 1: you gotta, you know, somehow figure out ways to to

689
00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:22,520
Speaker 1: get past those. But you know, sometimes that should be tough.

690
00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:24,880
Speaker 1: You break out with the career or your third year

691
00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:26,960
Speaker 1: twenty point six or sist you're part of a signing

692
00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,440
Speaker 1: trade to Phoenix and talk to us about that with

693
00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,120
Speaker 1: that blindside, Are you expecting that? No, it was because

694
00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:35,880
Speaker 1: I signed with Phoenix UM in the free agent and

695
00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,239
Speaker 1: then they had to work to signing trade. So I

696
00:34:38,360 --> 00:34:40,880
Speaker 1: knew that was gonna happen. I was surprised that I

697
00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:42,880
Speaker 1: didn't go back to Sack. That was probably the biggest

698
00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:45,560
Speaker 1: surprise because I felt like with them bringing guards in

699
00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:49,640
Speaker 1: every year and then me sending them out, I feel

700
00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:51,440
Speaker 1: like that was enough for two or straight years. But

701
00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:55,200
Speaker 1: you know, obviously, change your heart whatever the situation. Maybe

702
00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:57,920
Speaker 1: I go to Phoenix. We end up having three guards,

703
00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,000
Speaker 1: Blessed Old Tragic. Tragic just come third team All NBA.

704
00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:02,680
Speaker 1: He had a hell of a year. They almost make

705
00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:06,440
Speaker 1: the playoffs. I'm playing well that year. Obviously we're playing well.

706
00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:09,320
Speaker 1: I think we're seventh in the in the West before

707
00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:12,160
Speaker 1: the trade deadline happened in the trade, but it was

708
00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:14,800
Speaker 1: just it was before you know now where three or

709
00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:16,759
Speaker 1: four guards can play with each other at the same time.

710
00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:20,520
Speaker 1: It was just tough, like because every night somebody was upset.

711
00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:24,799
Speaker 1: Obviously because we had Tragic bled so me. We also

712
00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:27,719
Speaker 1: had Gerald Green too, so like me and Gerald was

713
00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:29,799
Speaker 1: coming off the bench, and there'll be some nights where

714
00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:32,840
Speaker 1: we are in the game and obviously they just played bled.

715
00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:36,920
Speaker 1: They're trying to pay Tragic, so they're gonna be hot,

716
00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:39,040
Speaker 1: you know, if they don't end the game. So it

717
00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:41,720
Speaker 1: was heated at times, not between us though, not between

718
00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:44,040
Speaker 1: the players. Obviously we had we was we were solid.

719
00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:46,560
Speaker 1: That was one of my, you know, my best teams

720
00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:49,200
Speaker 1: I've been on in terms of the guys on the team,

721
00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:52,680
Speaker 1: the camaraderie we had everybody. Everybody messed with each other,

722
00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:58,000
Speaker 1: and Phoenix, you know, is all of it. So then

723
00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:00,160
Speaker 1: you know, and then I get traded in the or

724
00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:02,160
Speaker 1: a year to where it was a blessing of guys.

725
00:36:02,239 --> 00:36:05,880
Speaker 1: Obviously I get traded the Boston It was all she

726
00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:08,640
Speaker 1: wrote after that. I mean, obviously you're you can continue

727
00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:14,600
Speaker 1: to improve and everything kind of comes together in Boston, Um,

728
00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:17,680
Speaker 1: you know, with the historical franchise talked to us about

729
00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:19,800
Speaker 1: obviously being there and then how things just kind of

730
00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:24,200
Speaker 1: continue to transpire for you. So for me going to Boston, UM,

731
00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:27,600
Speaker 1: I was caught. I was caught off guard with that

732
00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:29,879
Speaker 1: trade mid season because we was in the playoff race.

733
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:34,000
Speaker 1: We knew Tragic demanded the trade, so we were waiting

734
00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:37,160
Speaker 1: on that, and then when that happened, like five minutes later,

735
00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:40,320
Speaker 1: agent calls, he's like, you're about to get traded to Boston.

736
00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,920
Speaker 1: I'm like, damn, I'm already thinking they just traded Rondo,

737
00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:46,879
Speaker 1: so they rebuilding, Like this would be my first time

738
00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:49,880
Speaker 1: even possibly making the playoffs if I stayed with Phoenix.

739
00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:52,799
Speaker 1: So I was hot at the situation because I knew

740
00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:54,800
Speaker 1: they were in rebuild mode and I'm like, man, I

741
00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:57,200
Speaker 1: don't want to be on a bad team again. But

742
00:36:57,280 --> 00:36:59,360
Speaker 1: I remember the first person calling me after the trade.

743
00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:04,040
Speaker 1: Oh Guysaiah Thomas. He's like, you might not think it now,

744
00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:06,439
Speaker 1: but this is gonna be the best. This is the best,

745
00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:10,080
Speaker 1: you know, situation for your career. And at that time,

746
00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:12,880
Speaker 1: I'm like, and bro, I'm in Phoenix is high. I

747
00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:16,680
Speaker 1: don't even got a coat. Boston is rebuilding. This coat

748
00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:19,000
Speaker 1: is hell out there. I'm like, man, I don't want

749
00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:21,359
Speaker 1: to go. This is before I talked to Danny, talked

750
00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:24,480
Speaker 1: to Brad, all them. So then I get traded there,

751
00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:27,879
Speaker 1: and then I just you know, genuinely, it worked out

752
00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:31,160
Speaker 1: like they needed somebody like me. I needed somebody like

753
00:37:31,239 --> 00:37:32,560
Speaker 1: them that was gonna give me a chance. To go

754
00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:35,279
Speaker 1: rock out and then I was able to do that.

755
00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:39,440
Speaker 1: Brad put the ball in my hands, and you know

756
00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,120
Speaker 1: it was for three years. It was it was everything

757
00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:44,799
Speaker 1: I dreamed of, you know, being the man obviously from

758
00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:47,160
Speaker 1: the jump. It wasn't like that. I was the six

759
00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:49,600
Speaker 1: man the first year and the second year. So who

760
00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:51,759
Speaker 1: was on the team when you first got there? Are

761
00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:55,640
Speaker 1: the starters, So it was Marcus Smart, every Bradley and

762
00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:59,239
Speaker 1: that was Smarts rookie year, every Bradley, and then I

763
00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:03,799
Speaker 1: forgot who else after Evan Turner was there and those

764
00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:06,160
Speaker 1: were the guards. So my first year I was thinking

765
00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:07,759
Speaker 1: when I got traded, I'm like, okay, I'm coming in

766
00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:10,719
Speaker 1: and starting cool. They said I was coming off the bench.

767
00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:12,839
Speaker 1: I was fine with that. I end up playing really

768
00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:15,160
Speaker 1: well the end of the year. We end up going

769
00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:18,120
Speaker 1: to the playoffs against swept by Cleveland. Fast forward the

770
00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:22,000
Speaker 1: second year, which was my first All Star year. I

771
00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,400
Speaker 1: remember Brad Stevens coming to me in pre CD. He's like, man,

772
00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:28,040
Speaker 1: you're you're obviously our best player, but for this team

773
00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:29,680
Speaker 1: will be best you to come off the bench. And

774
00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:32,760
Speaker 1: I was like, like that hurt me because I worked

775
00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:35,040
Speaker 1: hello hard that summer. I'm like, this is a good opportunity.

776
00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,560
Speaker 1: I'm gonna be starting it hurt, but I'm like, okay,

777
00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:41,640
Speaker 1: I get it. It's all good. Two games into the season,

778
00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:44,759
Speaker 1: Smart end up getting hurt one game. I don't know

779
00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:46,680
Speaker 1: how he messed up his tall shoot around. He like,

780
00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:51,239
Speaker 1: I'm not playing. Brad's like, you're gonna start tonight. But

781
00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:53,480
Speaker 1: this ain't permanent because they knew when when when they

782
00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:55,080
Speaker 1: when they said I was starting. I'm like, okay, I'm

783
00:38:55,120 --> 00:38:58,760
Speaker 1: gonna take it the inn with. It's not permanent. Smart

784
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:00,480
Speaker 1: come back. You're gonna go back to im, Like okay,

785
00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:03,959
Speaker 1: Smart comes back in two games. But those two games

786
00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:07,719
Speaker 1: I had thirty one and nine. Every end up getting hurt.

787
00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:10,040
Speaker 1: So I stayed in the star in line and then

788
00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:13,040
Speaker 1: it was over after that, Like little little do people

789
00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:14,840
Speaker 1: know that the start that year, I was supposed to

790
00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:17,320
Speaker 1: come out the bench my first All Star year, and

791
00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:21,120
Speaker 1: then those two lower injuries average thirty and then it

792
00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:24,840
Speaker 1: was over. And then you know, I took that opportunity

793
00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:26,959
Speaker 1: and ran with it. I ended up, you know, making

794
00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:29,680
Speaker 1: my first All Star game, which was crazy because it

795
00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:32,440
Speaker 1: was Kobe's last All Star game in Toronto, so it

796
00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:35,880
Speaker 1: was just you know, I always dreamed of that happening. No,

797
00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:38,160
Speaker 1: I don't. I didn't know if it was gonna happen.

798
00:39:38,239 --> 00:39:40,480
Speaker 1: I didn't know if that opportunity was ever gonna come.

799
00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:43,400
Speaker 1: But I knew one thing, I was gonna be prepared

800
00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:46,399
Speaker 1: for it if it did. And then my third year,

801
00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:49,239
Speaker 1: which was my second All Star year, the game just

802
00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:51,279
Speaker 1: got The game just slowed down for me, like it

803
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:53,920
Speaker 1: was just so easy after that, No disrespect to nobody,

804
00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,239
Speaker 1: it was just I knew every night I was gonna

805
00:39:57,280 --> 00:40:00,360
Speaker 1: get thirty, just because I had the opport union I

806
00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:02,879
Speaker 1: prepared for like I knew where my shots was coming from.

807
00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:05,680
Speaker 1: I knew, I knew all of that, and I prepared,

808
00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:08,040
Speaker 1: Like I said, I prepared for those moments. I always

809
00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:12,320
Speaker 1: dreamed about being the man, being on one of the

810
00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:16,320
Speaker 1: best teams in the NBA and having that opportunity, and

811
00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:19,640
Speaker 1: then when it came. One thing that I do regret.

812
00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:27,400
Speaker 1: Those opportunities I never like, I never, I guess I appreciate,

813
00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:30,040
Speaker 1: not appreciated them. I was so locked in the moment

814
00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:33,840
Speaker 1: that I was like, man, not like the fun I

815
00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:37,279
Speaker 1: should ad sixty Like I never enjoyed those moments because

816
00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:39,840
Speaker 1: I was just so locked into what's next. And I

817
00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:42,080
Speaker 1: always say, like, I think I was just so paranoid

818
00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:45,080
Speaker 1: because you know, nothing was ever given to me. So

819
00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:47,920
Speaker 1: I was always just like I might go back to

820
00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:50,640
Speaker 1: bench tomorrow, you know, like that was my mindset. So

821
00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:53,719
Speaker 1: those three years in Boston were everything to me. They

822
00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:57,400
Speaker 1: were they they they allowed me to reach heights that

823
00:40:57,520 --> 00:41:00,520
Speaker 1: I only dreamed of, and they allowed me to reach,

824
00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:05,400
Speaker 1: you know, be able to inspire so many kids that

825
00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:09,960
Speaker 1: looked like me, that's my height, that did never get

826
00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:12,520
Speaker 1: a real chance. So you know, that's what that was for.

827
00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:14,360
Speaker 1: When I was able to hit the top like that,

828
00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:17,040
Speaker 1: it was like it was for the next little dude

829
00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:19,840
Speaker 1: that has that has a problem getting his foot in

830
00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:22,960
Speaker 1: the league. You know, showing that a little dude can

831
00:41:24,239 --> 00:41:26,000
Speaker 1: have the number one record in the NBA, to be

832
00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:27,759
Speaker 1: the number one seed, to take a team to the

833
00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:32,960
Speaker 1: conference finals, like that can happen, you know, when it's

834
00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:36,080
Speaker 1: not normal. They don't like that. So that's that that's

835
00:41:36,120 --> 00:41:39,279
Speaker 1: the hardest part. So you know, that was my motivation

836
00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:41,840
Speaker 1: to make it easier for the you know, the guys

837
00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:46,560
Speaker 1: coming behind me. So fast forward into the playoffs, the

838
00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:51,440
Speaker 1: seventeen you tragically lose your sister. Um, talk to us

839
00:41:51,480 --> 00:41:53,719
Speaker 1: about that moment, that experience. I lost my mom at

840
00:41:53,719 --> 00:41:57,880
Speaker 1: the beginning after the We Believe season, like diagnosed with

841
00:41:57,960 --> 00:42:02,360
Speaker 1: cancer number one, only seven, and I was out of it.

842
00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:04,719
Speaker 1: The whole year was kind of a wash. You were

843
00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:07,920
Speaker 1: able to, through the grace of God, continue on it

844
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:10,120
Speaker 1: and actually played great. But talk to us just about

845
00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:12,839
Speaker 1: that experience and how important she was to you. Man,

846
00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:15,839
Speaker 1: that was I always tell people that was the best

847
00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:17,719
Speaker 1: year of my career, but the worst year of my life,

848
00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:21,839
Speaker 1: you know, like that was that was real life ship

849
00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:23,800
Speaker 1: that I went through, and that that I mean, you know,

850
00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:26,840
Speaker 1: it's still it still hurts me to this day. But

851
00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:29,120
Speaker 1: I think the thing that kept me going was like

852
00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:31,520
Speaker 1: basketball has been the only thing that ever keep me

853
00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:33,640
Speaker 1: going when I'm going through some real ship. So like

854
00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:36,279
Speaker 1: people always asked me, how did you play? It was

855
00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:39,200
Speaker 1: like that was the only option, that the only thing. Yeah,

856
00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:40,520
Speaker 1: I wasn't about to be at the house and just

857
00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:43,680
Speaker 1: crying the whole time. Like that was my to three

858
00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:46,520
Speaker 1: hours where you know, I can get that off my mind.

859
00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:48,920
Speaker 1: But then obviously at the end of the game, real

860
00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:50,600
Speaker 1: life hit, Like when I'm going back home, it is

861
00:42:50,680 --> 00:42:57,160
Speaker 1: just it's back to She's not here. So obviously my teammates,

862
00:42:57,280 --> 00:43:01,840
Speaker 1: the organization, my family, you know, everybody in my im

863
00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:04,719
Speaker 1: media circle helped me throughout that. Throughout that time, that

864
00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:06,399
Speaker 1: was the that was the toughest time in my life.

865
00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:10,160
Speaker 1: But to answer your question, basketball was the only thing

866
00:43:10,239 --> 00:43:13,239
Speaker 1: that I could possibly do too to be solid for

867
00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:16,560
Speaker 1: the most part, and that was all herd. That was

868
00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:19,000
Speaker 1: all guy like, you know, I was, My hip was

869
00:43:19,080 --> 00:43:22,080
Speaker 1: sucked up. I was battling and I wasn't just battling

870
00:43:22,120 --> 00:43:24,080
Speaker 1: on the court. I was bottling in real life. And

871
00:43:24,200 --> 00:43:29,239
Speaker 1: that that was that was the hardest part. And you know,

872
00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:32,320
Speaker 1: knowing the season I had and how many people I

873
00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:37,080
Speaker 1: was reaching to inspire, that's why I kept going. I'm like, bro,

874
00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:40,520
Speaker 1: this can change somebody's life. You know that that's going

875
00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:42,960
Speaker 1: through some real ship to give them the courage to

876
00:43:43,080 --> 00:43:46,600
Speaker 1: keep going. And you know, that's all I did. Obviously

877
00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:51,000
Speaker 1: I hurt myself even more. I sucked up my money,

878
00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:55,120
Speaker 1: but in that moment, there was no other way, Like

879
00:43:55,160 --> 00:43:56,520
Speaker 1: if I if I had to do it again, I

880
00:43:57,320 --> 00:43:59,439
Speaker 1: would probably do it again because that was the only

881
00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:01,640
Speaker 1: thing that they helped me through that, you know, the

882
00:44:01,719 --> 00:44:05,719
Speaker 1: toughest time in my life. And you know, you take

883
00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:07,240
Speaker 1: the good with the bad when it comes to stuff

884
00:44:07,239 --> 00:44:11,319
Speaker 1: like that. Right, you dropped thirty three hours after hearing

885
00:44:11,400 --> 00:44:14,520
Speaker 1: this news, rally your team back from an O two

886
00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:18,200
Speaker 1: devasit to beat the Bulls, win the second round, going

887
00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:22,400
Speaker 1: to the conference finals against Cleveland, and like you said,

888
00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:26,040
Speaker 1: fux your hip up, but kept press because sometimes we're

889
00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:28,560
Speaker 1: our our own worst enemies. And you know you're on

890
00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:35,040
Speaker 1: the brink of consistent All star MVP conversation. That big

891
00:44:35,200 --> 00:44:37,600
Speaker 1: paycheck is right around the corner, That hundred and fifty

892
00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:41,239
Speaker 1: million is right around the corner, that competitor, and you

893
00:44:41,280 --> 00:44:44,120
Speaker 1: wouldn't let you stop talk to us about just getting

894
00:44:44,200 --> 00:44:46,440
Speaker 1: to that conference finals and then being heard and then

895
00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:49,600
Speaker 1: kind of the trickle down effect after that. So I

896
00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:52,520
Speaker 1: heard myself back in March, carynthon Towns that fell on

897
00:44:52,600 --> 00:44:56,440
Speaker 1: me mhm um, tweeting my hip a little bit. But

898
00:44:56,560 --> 00:45:00,440
Speaker 1: at that point in time, I only mess our knee up,

899
00:45:00,480 --> 00:45:02,360
Speaker 1: like I sprained my knee. My hip was like I

900
00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:04,839
Speaker 1: didn't feel nothing to a couple of weeks later where

901
00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:07,239
Speaker 1: I just I felt some discomfort in my hip. It

902
00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:10,440
Speaker 1: wasn't nothing crazy. We took in my eyes, everything was

903
00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:14,160
Speaker 1: solid boom. Once we had the playoffs, the tragic news happened,

904
00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:17,359
Speaker 1: my hip was slowly getting a little worse. The only

905
00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:20,440
Speaker 1: thing that I would that I would have against Boston.

906
00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:23,160
Speaker 1: You know, everybody hated Boston for what they did to me.

907
00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:26,520
Speaker 1: It's a business. I understand it. I'm not tripping on it.

908
00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:30,279
Speaker 1: The only thing that I I think they handled wrong

909
00:45:30,440 --> 00:45:34,160
Speaker 1: was not explaining to me what the extent of my

910
00:45:34,280 --> 00:45:37,440
Speaker 1: injury could be if I do play. So that that

911
00:45:37,800 --> 00:45:39,880
Speaker 1: that was That was the biggest thing for me. Did

912
00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:43,680
Speaker 1: I did? Did I disliked because nobody gave me no insight. Okay,

913
00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:47,400
Speaker 1: if you do play, this can happen. We have to

914
00:45:47,480 --> 00:45:51,560
Speaker 1: hear that because everything it's at the end of the day,

915
00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:53,520
Speaker 1: it was a bomb bruise, Like that's what they said,

916
00:45:54,600 --> 00:45:57,080
Speaker 1: you know. So if you're gonna tell me it's a

917
00:45:57,120 --> 00:46:00,560
Speaker 1: bone bruise, I'm playing ten times as here, like I'm

918
00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:02,279
Speaker 1: gonna figure it out. I'm gonna get through that. So

919
00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:06,480
Speaker 1: that was probably the only thing that I wish they

920
00:46:06,560 --> 00:46:09,520
Speaker 1: would have done different, and I would have really sat

921
00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:13,560
Speaker 1: down and really asked those questions like what worst case

922
00:46:13,560 --> 00:46:17,360
Speaker 1: scenario or what happened? Obviously that didn't happen. Fast forward,

923
00:46:17,480 --> 00:46:21,040
Speaker 1: I keep playing to Game two of the Eastern Conference Finals.

924
00:46:22,400 --> 00:46:24,880
Speaker 1: I remember, no disrespect to Darren Williams, but he was

925
00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:26,920
Speaker 1: on his way out like he was getting a little slower.

926
00:46:27,840 --> 00:46:31,000
Speaker 1: I do a move and he just he just stand

927
00:46:31,040 --> 00:46:33,879
Speaker 1: in front. I'm like, damn. I'm kind of fast and quick.

928
00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:37,680
Speaker 1: I'm like, damn, Like what happened? And I just felt

929
00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:40,520
Speaker 1: like a shot in my like in in my in

930
00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:43,000
Speaker 1: my side, and I'm like, I tell the side. I'm

931
00:46:43,040 --> 00:46:44,839
Speaker 1: like it might be over because I couldn't push off

932
00:46:44,880 --> 00:46:49,680
Speaker 1: no more. And then you know, halftime comes and that's

933
00:46:49,719 --> 00:46:51,480
Speaker 1: when they shut it down. They're like, you're done, and

934
00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:56,000
Speaker 1: I'm like I couldn't. I couldn't move fast forward. I'm

935
00:46:56,040 --> 00:46:59,040
Speaker 1: done for the season. We go take a look at

936
00:46:59,239 --> 00:47:02,200
Speaker 1: um some some surgeons to see if I needed surgery.

937
00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:05,400
Speaker 1: The best option was to wait it out, to let

938
00:47:05,520 --> 00:47:08,440
Speaker 1: you know, the swelling go down, see see let the

939
00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:11,440
Speaker 1: summer go by, and then see what I have. Then

940
00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:14,960
Speaker 1: I get traded to Cleveland. So that that's what hurt

941
00:47:15,040 --> 00:47:17,160
Speaker 1: me the most because they know all the ship she

942
00:47:17,239 --> 00:47:19,160
Speaker 1: went through. I went through like I played with my

943
00:47:19,239 --> 00:47:21,759
Speaker 1: sister and that was my decision. So that's not on them.

944
00:47:22,200 --> 00:47:23,719
Speaker 1: The only thing that I would put on them is

945
00:47:23,760 --> 00:47:25,719
Speaker 1: they didn't give me the extent of my injury. That's

946
00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:28,799
Speaker 1: the only thing. But I decided to play, so I'll

947
00:47:28,840 --> 00:47:32,719
Speaker 1: take that hit you said the payday. Obviously, that's in

948
00:47:32,760 --> 00:47:37,680
Speaker 1: the back of my head. I'm thinking about, like I

949
00:47:37,800 --> 00:47:40,640
Speaker 1: was gonna be a Max player, so to keep it real,

950
00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:43,480
Speaker 1: I'm like, should I gotta play? Like you know, I'm

951
00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:46,800
Speaker 1: five nine. If I don't play, they're gonna forget about me.

952
00:47:47,040 --> 00:47:49,680
Speaker 1: That's how I always felt, just being the smaller guards.

953
00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:53,960
Speaker 1: So I played through it hurt myself even more. Fast

954
00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:57,920
Speaker 1: forward to August, out of nowhere, Danny calls me like,

955
00:48:00,320 --> 00:48:02,560
Speaker 1: asked me how my day was this and that I'm like, okay,

956
00:48:02,680 --> 00:48:06,200
Speaker 1: everything solid. He's like, I t I just traded you.

957
00:48:06,320 --> 00:48:11,440
Speaker 1: I'm like to where he's like Cleveland for Kyrie and

958
00:48:11,560 --> 00:48:14,279
Speaker 1: then you know, obviously, I mean, it just don't seem

959
00:48:14,360 --> 00:48:17,279
Speaker 1: real that at that point in time, I get off

960
00:48:17,320 --> 00:48:20,040
Speaker 1: the phone with him, I tell my wife, tell my family,

961
00:48:20,080 --> 00:48:24,320
Speaker 1: and I'm like, the only thing that that made me

962
00:48:24,400 --> 00:48:29,240
Speaker 1: hot about it. I think if if I wasn't injured

963
00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:31,240
Speaker 1: and I got traded, I was like, oh, I'm not tripping,

964
00:48:31,560 --> 00:48:33,640
Speaker 1: I'm gonna play with Brian we got a chance to

965
00:48:33,640 --> 00:48:36,160
Speaker 1: win the championship. The fact that I was injured hurt me,

966
00:48:36,480 --> 00:48:37,880
Speaker 1: Like you hurt me. I'm a human at the end

967
00:48:37,880 --> 00:48:40,279
Speaker 1: of the day. And the fact that they knew how

968
00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:42,279
Speaker 1: bad my hip was and to trade me on that

969
00:48:42,600 --> 00:48:45,279
Speaker 1: that hurt. So, you know, there was a lot of

970
00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:48,400
Speaker 1: people did you know. I was like, man, he should

971
00:48:48,440 --> 00:48:50,520
Speaker 1: stop crying. He It was like, first of all, I

972
00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:52,800
Speaker 1: wasn't the one bringing it up. The media was. I

973
00:48:52,920 --> 00:48:55,960
Speaker 1: just answered the questions. And the second off, it was

974
00:48:56,040 --> 00:48:58,000
Speaker 1: just like at the end of the day, like don't forget,

975
00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:00,279
Speaker 1: like I got real feelings, Like I'm human and at

976
00:49:00,320 --> 00:49:03,239
Speaker 1: the end of the day, I'm not just a basketball player.

977
00:49:03,360 --> 00:49:06,480
Speaker 1: So for them to trade me when I did get

978
00:49:06,560 --> 00:49:10,200
Speaker 1: hurt on their watch, that was hurtful. But then after that,

979
00:49:10,360 --> 00:49:12,040
Speaker 1: you know, I moved on, like I was able to

980
00:49:12,960 --> 00:49:17,560
Speaker 1: rehab for like six months play in January. I think

981
00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:20,920
Speaker 1: I played twelve thirteen games. It wasn't playing like they

982
00:49:20,960 --> 00:49:23,040
Speaker 1: thought it was. They traded me to Lakers, and then

983
00:49:23,800 --> 00:49:26,640
Speaker 1: you know, you go from being an all start in

984
00:49:26,800 --> 00:49:29,600
Speaker 1: m VP too, you know, being on a rebuilding like

985
00:49:29,680 --> 00:49:32,520
Speaker 1: your team there's not trying to make the playoffs in

986
00:49:32,640 --> 00:49:35,520
Speaker 1: less than a year that that was. That was a

987
00:49:35,600 --> 00:49:37,600
Speaker 1: lot for me. And then, like I told you guys earlier,

988
00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:41,120
Speaker 1: dealing with pain every day like, but I was going

989
00:49:41,239 --> 00:49:43,040
Speaker 1: through it like and at the end of day, my

990
00:49:43,160 --> 00:49:45,680
Speaker 1: sister still ain't around, like, so I'm still trying to

991
00:49:45,719 --> 00:49:50,759
Speaker 1: figure that out. So for like two three years straight, man,

992
00:49:50,840 --> 00:49:53,640
Speaker 1: every day was a battle for me, like, you know,

993
00:49:53,800 --> 00:49:56,440
Speaker 1: not just hoop wise, the health wise and that, Like

994
00:49:57,120 --> 00:50:01,640
Speaker 1: I don't think people necessarily always understand, Like it wasn't

995
00:50:01,719 --> 00:50:03,920
Speaker 1: about who at that point. It was about you know,

996
00:50:04,040 --> 00:50:06,719
Speaker 1: every day trying to be in a good mood and

997
00:50:06,960 --> 00:50:10,400
Speaker 1: have no pain. So you decided obviously just to let

998
00:50:10,480 --> 00:50:12,120
Speaker 1: to wait it out then the first time around. So

999
00:50:12,200 --> 00:50:14,440
Speaker 1: the first time, I decided to wait out because I'm like, okay,

1000
00:50:14,680 --> 00:50:18,000
Speaker 1: the first option was to wait it out, see what

1001
00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:20,400
Speaker 1: it's gonna be like when the when the swelling goes,

1002
00:50:20,480 --> 00:50:22,399
Speaker 1: I mean to cut you off. When did you find

1003
00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:24,759
Speaker 1: out how serious it was when you heard it the

1004
00:50:24,840 --> 00:50:26,760
Speaker 1: second time? Or do you still didn't know how serious?

1005
00:50:26,880 --> 00:50:28,080
Speaker 1: So when I heard it the second time, when I

1006
00:50:28,160 --> 00:50:30,000
Speaker 1: was done with the season, we went to the best

1007
00:50:30,080 --> 00:50:33,120
Speaker 1: hip specialist and that's when it was like they've never

1008
00:50:33,239 --> 00:50:37,560
Speaker 1: seen cartilage go away that quick. So we went from

1009
00:50:37,600 --> 00:50:40,759
Speaker 1: in March she was a normal hip to bone on

1010
00:50:40,880 --> 00:50:46,520
Speaker 1: bone in June. Like that's three months. So in June

1011
00:50:46,560 --> 00:50:48,840
Speaker 1: when I went, when we went to go, you know,

1012
00:50:49,080 --> 00:50:51,920
Speaker 1: to the top hip specially hip specialists in New York,

1013
00:50:52,520 --> 00:50:55,520
Speaker 1: that's when I knew. I'm like, you feel me, My

1014
00:50:55,600 --> 00:50:58,560
Speaker 1: hip is messed up. So I gotta figure out what's

1015
00:50:58,600 --> 00:51:01,160
Speaker 1: the best what's the best option for me going forward?

1016
00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:03,680
Speaker 1: The number one option was the surgery I just got

1017
00:51:03,800 --> 00:51:06,919
Speaker 1: last year, but nobody got it. So I'm like, I'm

1018
00:51:06,960 --> 00:51:09,640
Speaker 1: not about to be the excess. Yeah, I'm not about to,

1019
00:51:10,400 --> 00:51:12,600
Speaker 1: especially when my careers on the line, Like I'm trying

1020
00:51:12,600 --> 00:51:13,880
Speaker 1: to get paid next year. At the end of the day,

1021
00:51:13,920 --> 00:51:16,799
Speaker 1: it was like, bro, I gotta be available to get

1022
00:51:16,880 --> 00:51:19,760
Speaker 1: paid next year, no matter what it is, whether it's max,

1023
00:51:20,000 --> 00:51:24,080
Speaker 1: whether it's a one year contrade, regardless whatever it is.

1024
00:51:24,280 --> 00:51:27,640
Speaker 1: So I was like, I can't have an option of

1025
00:51:27,680 --> 00:51:29,560
Speaker 1: surgery because I'm gonna have to sit out the whole year.

1026
00:51:29,600 --> 00:51:31,120
Speaker 1: It's a whole So how long is it? Was? The

1027
00:51:31,200 --> 00:51:34,560
Speaker 1: prose really eight to ten months, you know, So that

1028
00:51:34,719 --> 00:51:36,719
Speaker 1: was the I would have basically sat the whole year

1029
00:51:36,880 --> 00:51:39,120
Speaker 1: and win in the free agency not playing off of

1030
00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:42,880
Speaker 1: surgery that they haven't really seen nobody come off of.

1031
00:51:44,080 --> 00:51:47,160
Speaker 1: So then I rehab that year, played for the Cars,

1032
00:51:47,239 --> 00:51:50,080
Speaker 1: four teen games, get traded, play a few games for Lakers.

1033
00:51:50,120 --> 00:51:51,879
Speaker 1: I'm playing a little better for the Lakers. But then

1034
00:51:52,040 --> 00:51:53,840
Speaker 1: like my hip just still messed up. So I'm like,

1035
00:51:55,400 --> 00:51:57,760
Speaker 1: I talked it over with my close circle of people.

1036
00:51:58,560 --> 00:52:01,319
Speaker 1: I decided to just do at the scopic surgery, try

1037
00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:03,120
Speaker 1: to clean it out and see if that would help

1038
00:52:03,600 --> 00:52:06,319
Speaker 1: that shi. It made it worse. That should made it worse.

1039
00:52:06,400 --> 00:52:11,000
Speaker 1: I rehab for like ten months, and that's supposed to

1040
00:52:11,040 --> 00:52:14,959
Speaker 1: be like a four month rehab. It made it worse.

1041
00:52:15,040 --> 00:52:17,759
Speaker 1: I signed with Denver that year, the one year, the

1042
00:52:17,840 --> 00:52:22,359
Speaker 1: one year that minimum I don't play into February that year.

1043
00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:24,000
Speaker 1: They allowed me to take my whole time. So I

1044
00:52:24,080 --> 00:52:27,080
Speaker 1: appreciate the Denver Nuggets so much because they didn't pressure

1045
00:52:27,120 --> 00:52:28,839
Speaker 1: me into playing at all. They allowed me to take

1046
00:52:28,880 --> 00:52:35,080
Speaker 1: my time. Then you know, I'm feeling cool, but I'm

1047
00:52:35,120 --> 00:52:37,480
Speaker 1: just not myself and it's obvious, like I'm I'm a

1048
00:52:37,600 --> 00:52:42,640
Speaker 1: shell on myself and I'm I'm having to tell people

1049
00:52:42,680 --> 00:52:46,120
Speaker 1: I'm cool to get by obviously, I'm five nine on

1050
00:52:46,239 --> 00:52:51,399
Speaker 1: a injured hip. Like, you know, I'm not really even

1051
00:52:51,400 --> 00:52:53,160
Speaker 1: supposed to be an NB at this point because I

1052
00:52:53,280 --> 00:52:56,600
Speaker 1: can't be myself. I'm not quick, I'm not fast, I'm

1053
00:52:56,640 --> 00:52:59,240
Speaker 1: not who you know was able to be All stars.

1054
00:52:59,320 --> 00:53:02,719
Speaker 1: I'm not that no more. So. Then fast forward, I

1055
00:53:02,760 --> 00:53:08,160
Speaker 1: signed with the Wizards. I start. I played forty two games,

1056
00:53:08,440 --> 00:53:11,640
Speaker 1: I start forty of them. I'm playing solid, but still

1057
00:53:11,680 --> 00:53:14,080
Speaker 1: not great. Like when you're a little you gotta be exceptional,

1058
00:53:14,200 --> 00:53:17,120
Speaker 1: you gotta every night, gotta be special. And that wasn't me.

1059
00:53:17,280 --> 00:53:20,719
Speaker 1: They traded me the Clippers. I get waived. Fast forward,

1060
00:53:20,760 --> 00:53:26,520
Speaker 1: the pandemic happened. Everything shuts down, and that's when I

1061
00:53:26,880 --> 00:53:30,719
Speaker 1: had a heart to heart with myself, like okay, we're

1062
00:53:30,760 --> 00:53:32,759
Speaker 1: gonna ride this out and try to just force it

1063
00:53:33,040 --> 00:53:34,680
Speaker 1: and see if we can get on the team. Or

1064
00:53:35,360 --> 00:53:38,040
Speaker 1: I'm gonna fix my ultimate problem. And then you know,

1065
00:53:38,120 --> 00:53:41,400
Speaker 1: I sat down with the surgeon and that was the

1066
00:53:41,440 --> 00:53:44,400
Speaker 1: best ecusion of my life. It changed my whole life.

1067
00:53:44,520 --> 00:53:46,160
Speaker 1: You know, whether I'm on the NBA team or not.

1068
00:53:47,000 --> 00:53:49,160
Speaker 1: My daily life, I have no pain no more. I

1069
00:53:49,200 --> 00:53:53,360
Speaker 1: got range emotion. My surgical hip is better than my

1070
00:53:53,800 --> 00:53:57,279
Speaker 1: my you know, my my normal hip. It changed my

1071
00:53:57,320 --> 00:54:00,840
Speaker 1: whole life. It got my mental illness space where nobody

1072
00:54:00,880 --> 00:54:02,640
Speaker 1: can ever take that from me again. And when you

1073
00:54:02,719 --> 00:54:05,800
Speaker 1: get that shot, you're capable of taking care of it completely.

1074
00:54:05,880 --> 00:54:08,040
Speaker 1: Now you know what I mean. And that's why that's

1075
00:54:08,040 --> 00:54:10,080
Speaker 1: why I'm really not tripping on anything, because I'm like,

1076
00:54:10,800 --> 00:54:13,160
Speaker 1: I know, when it does come like a real legit chance,

1077
00:54:13,239 --> 00:54:15,240
Speaker 1: I'm gonna be I'm gonna be prepared to take advantage

1078
00:54:15,239 --> 00:54:18,120
Speaker 1: of it. Before it was like the cards had to

1079
00:54:18,160 --> 00:54:20,480
Speaker 1: be perfect, but I had to be walking into some

1080
00:54:22,760 --> 00:54:26,040
Speaker 1: I didn't. I was. I was basically telling them I

1081
00:54:26,120 --> 00:54:29,480
Speaker 1: was good and knowing I wasn't, so everything had to

1082
00:54:29,560 --> 00:54:32,040
Speaker 1: be perfect. It had to be Okay, I'm gonna I'm

1083
00:54:32,040 --> 00:54:33,480
Speaker 1: gonna be a starter. I'm gonna be a six man.

1084
00:54:33,520 --> 00:54:35,759
Speaker 1: I'm gonna play twenty five minutes. Now I know what

1085
00:54:35,840 --> 00:54:38,560
Speaker 1: I can work with. Now, it's like, you put me

1086
00:54:38,600 --> 00:54:40,560
Speaker 1: in any situation, if you really give me a chance,

1087
00:54:40,840 --> 00:54:43,279
Speaker 1: I'm gonna show you because I'm healthy and I'm only

1088
00:54:43,320 --> 00:54:45,360
Speaker 1: thirty two years old, Like I really haven't played in

1089
00:54:45,440 --> 00:54:48,680
Speaker 1: three years, so it's not like I was. I was

1090
00:54:48,800 --> 00:54:51,399
Speaker 1: banging my body in and playing the last eighty two

1091
00:54:51,440 --> 00:54:54,680
Speaker 1: games every year, like I really haven't hoop hoops. Yeah,

1092
00:54:55,040 --> 00:54:57,600
Speaker 1: in two two and a half years, you know, so

1093
00:54:58,480 --> 00:55:00,520
Speaker 1: I'm ready to go. There's something all of us. Man.

1094
00:55:00,560 --> 00:55:03,800
Speaker 1: When we played hurt, we on the outside in the shelf,

1095
00:55:04,200 --> 00:55:06,279
Speaker 1: we physically like, yeah, man, we can do it, but

1096
00:55:06,360 --> 00:55:08,160
Speaker 1: in the back of our mind were like, man, why

1097
00:55:08,200 --> 00:55:10,320
Speaker 1: am I out here hurting? And that's what it was.

1098
00:55:10,400 --> 00:55:13,239
Speaker 1: In the game. I'm like, I gotta fake it, but

1099
00:55:13,760 --> 00:55:16,440
Speaker 1: I know deep down like I'm I just don't got it.

1100
00:55:16,920 --> 00:55:19,239
Speaker 1: I was. I was relying on the jump shot at

1101
00:55:19,280 --> 00:55:21,640
Speaker 1: five nine. It's like my strength is going into in

1102
00:55:21,760 --> 00:55:24,880
Speaker 1: the in the paint and making it happen. I couldn't

1103
00:55:24,960 --> 00:55:28,279
Speaker 1: do what I've always done. So that was the most

1104
00:55:28,400 --> 00:55:30,960
Speaker 1: frustrating part. And then, you know, like I said, once

1105
00:55:31,040 --> 00:55:34,280
Speaker 1: the pandemic hit, I had to be real with myself.

1106
00:55:34,520 --> 00:55:39,080
Speaker 1: I'm like, Okay, we're gonna either get the surgery or

1107
00:55:39,160 --> 00:55:40,840
Speaker 1: you're gonna have to thug it out and live with

1108
00:55:40,920 --> 00:55:44,879
Speaker 1: the consequences. And the surgery was like, Okay, it's gonna

1109
00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:47,520
Speaker 1: scare some people, but at the end of the day,

1110
00:55:47,520 --> 00:55:50,279
Speaker 1: I'm gonna be healthy, and all I need is one, one,

1111
00:55:50,680 --> 00:55:53,919
Speaker 1: one person to give me a chance. And it took

1112
00:55:54,000 --> 00:55:56,000
Speaker 1: me six months to get back. So you know, I

1113
00:55:56,120 --> 00:55:58,359
Speaker 1: told you eight to ten months. It was six days

1114
00:55:58,360 --> 00:56:03,200
Speaker 1: a week for seven straight months in rehab because I

1115
00:56:03,239 --> 00:56:05,040
Speaker 1: knew it was at stake. It's like, this is my

1116
00:56:05,120 --> 00:56:07,400
Speaker 1: career on the line, and I love this ship, so

1117
00:56:07,440 --> 00:56:10,399
Speaker 1: I'm gonna do whatever it texted you don't get it back,

1118
00:56:10,800 --> 00:56:14,480
Speaker 1: and I'm here today. You know, I obviously, I obviously

1119
00:56:14,520 --> 00:56:16,080
Speaker 1: want to be on a team, but I know when

1120
00:56:16,160 --> 00:56:24,080
Speaker 1: my name is called, it's go times for real. You've

1121
00:56:24,200 --> 00:56:27,640
Speaker 1: gone into great detail about the physical pain and and

1122
00:56:28,120 --> 00:56:31,160
Speaker 1: day to day and even playing, But talk to us

1123
00:56:31,160 --> 00:56:33,400
Speaker 1: about that mental because you said your mentor is right

1124
00:56:33,480 --> 00:56:35,960
Speaker 1: and and and where you are mentally, because I'm sure

1125
00:56:36,360 --> 00:56:38,480
Speaker 1: the mental was more fun up than you actual pain was.

1126
00:56:39,160 --> 00:56:41,560
Speaker 1: The pain was obviously there, but the mentor was like

1127
00:56:42,880 --> 00:56:46,360
Speaker 1: I couldn't hide that. I couldn't take that, Like you couldn't.

1128
00:56:47,840 --> 00:56:50,680
Speaker 1: You gotta get through that somehow. And you know, with

1129
00:56:51,360 --> 00:56:54,319
Speaker 1: everything happening back to back, my sister me getting hurt,

1130
00:56:54,719 --> 00:56:57,719
Speaker 1: getting traded three or four times in that small span

1131
00:56:57,800 --> 00:57:03,399
Speaker 1: of time, like yeah, for the first time in my life. Yeah,

1132
00:57:03,719 --> 00:57:07,800
Speaker 1: I'm like, damn, like is it over or is this

1133
00:57:08,800 --> 00:57:12,840
Speaker 1: do I just gotta do something else? And it was

1134
00:57:12,880 --> 00:57:14,960
Speaker 1: a lot for me. The mental part cut to me.

1135
00:57:16,400 --> 00:57:18,520
Speaker 1: But at the end of the day, I always was like,

1136
00:57:20,000 --> 00:57:22,600
Speaker 1: hoop is what I love. So if until I can't

1137
00:57:22,600 --> 00:57:25,560
Speaker 1: do it no more, I'm gonna try. And I always

1138
00:57:25,600 --> 00:57:27,400
Speaker 1: told people, I'm like, the easy thing to do at

1139
00:57:27,400 --> 00:57:30,240
Speaker 1: the end of the day is to quit. Anybody can

1140
00:57:30,280 --> 00:57:32,160
Speaker 1: walk in and quit and be like, I'm gonna throw

1141
00:57:32,200 --> 00:57:34,920
Speaker 1: the towel in, I'm tapping out. The hard thing to

1142
00:57:35,000 --> 00:57:37,560
Speaker 1: do is when some some real adversity hits you too,

1143
00:57:37,960 --> 00:57:40,160
Speaker 1: to be okay, how do I get through that wall?

1144
00:57:40,200 --> 00:57:43,240
Speaker 1: How do I get through that adversity? And I just

1145
00:57:43,360 --> 00:57:45,840
Speaker 1: stayed down, I stayed solid. I had the right people

1146
00:57:45,880 --> 00:57:49,120
Speaker 1: around me. Um. I remember d Rose telling me when

1147
00:57:49,200 --> 00:57:51,240
Speaker 1: we was the ro Is one of my close homies,

1148
00:57:52,040 --> 00:57:53,720
Speaker 1: and he told me when he was going through his ship,

1149
00:57:53,840 --> 00:57:57,919
Speaker 1: he was like, I was trying to fight against everybody.

1150
00:57:58,400 --> 00:58:02,200
Speaker 1: And once I let that fight, my mental just eased

1151
00:58:02,320 --> 00:58:04,280
Speaker 1: up and I was able to get through it all.

1152
00:58:05,120 --> 00:58:07,240
Speaker 1: And once you know, during that time with Cleveland and

1153
00:58:07,680 --> 00:58:11,840
Speaker 1: jumping the teams and chasing that that Max, once I

1154
00:58:12,000 --> 00:58:13,760
Speaker 1: was done with that, like and I had no more

1155
00:58:13,880 --> 00:58:16,840
Speaker 1: fight to to prove the people. I was like my

1156
00:58:17,000 --> 00:58:21,000
Speaker 1: mental just slowed all the way down and then Ship

1157
00:58:21,120 --> 00:58:22,800
Speaker 1: I did the surgery. I had no pain, no more.

1158
00:58:22,840 --> 00:58:26,280
Speaker 1: I'm like, my money is good, I'm I'm I'm straight,

1159
00:58:26,440 --> 00:58:29,120
Speaker 1: my kids is healthy. But one thing that kept me

1160
00:58:29,160 --> 00:58:31,240
Speaker 1: going was my little boys was watching me every day.

1161
00:58:32,320 --> 00:58:34,640
Speaker 1: Even though they would they would make jokes about how

1162
00:58:34,800 --> 00:58:36,080
Speaker 1: you know in the league, no more of you that

1163
00:58:36,280 --> 00:58:39,040
Speaker 1: you used to be. You miss everything now you used

1164
00:58:39,080 --> 00:58:42,320
Speaker 1: to make everything in Boston like those That's what kept

1165
00:58:42,400 --> 00:58:44,720
Speaker 1: me going because I knew if I did lay down

1166
00:58:44,960 --> 00:58:47,480
Speaker 1: and tap out at some point in their life, they're

1167
00:58:47,480 --> 00:58:49,640
Speaker 1: gonna tap out with some ship. That's That's that's why

1168
00:58:49,720 --> 00:58:51,360
Speaker 1: we comme in you, Bro. That's another reason why we

1169
00:58:51,440 --> 00:58:52,919
Speaker 1: want to want to have you on the show, because

1170
00:58:52,920 --> 00:58:55,840
Speaker 1: we're like giving giving our brothers that they flowers. I

1171
00:58:55,960 --> 00:58:57,520
Speaker 1: know a lot of times, Bro, I could be ing

1172
00:58:57,560 --> 00:58:59,360
Speaker 1: with my girl and I go to the game and

1173
00:58:59,440 --> 00:59:02,080
Speaker 1: I'm I'm not there. You know what I'm saying, just

1174
00:59:02,160 --> 00:59:04,560
Speaker 1: from an argument at home. I can't go out and perform.

1175
00:59:04,680 --> 00:59:07,560
Speaker 1: So our comm in you because to for everything you've

1176
00:59:07,560 --> 00:59:09,720
Speaker 1: been through it and to be able to perform and

1177
00:59:09,800 --> 00:59:12,080
Speaker 1: to still walk around with your chin up knowing how

1178
00:59:12,400 --> 00:59:14,680
Speaker 1: how even though we know it's not fat, but to

1179
00:59:14,800 --> 00:59:16,600
Speaker 1: still be strong. It takes a lot. But a lot

1180
00:59:16,640 --> 00:59:18,520
Speaker 1: of people that's on the outside looking in would never

1181
00:59:18,640 --> 00:59:21,520
Speaker 1: understand how hard that is, not at all, and and

1182
00:59:21,760 --> 00:59:24,680
Speaker 1: like and that's the mental side of it, Like we

1183
00:59:24,760 --> 00:59:27,240
Speaker 1: ain't even talking about the physical, like what you gotta

1184
00:59:27,280 --> 00:59:30,040
Speaker 1: fight and work out every day and grind and and

1185
00:59:30,080 --> 00:59:31,760
Speaker 1: then you're playing against the best players in the world.

1186
00:59:32,320 --> 00:59:34,600
Speaker 1: Like my physical wasn't there and my mental was checking out,

1187
00:59:35,000 --> 00:59:36,960
Speaker 1: so like I was, I was going through it. But

1188
00:59:38,000 --> 00:59:40,280
Speaker 1: you know, they like they say that it can't stom forever.

1189
00:59:40,680 --> 00:59:42,440
Speaker 1: You know, at some point that something got to come out.

1190
00:59:42,480 --> 00:59:45,240
Speaker 1: And I really felt that. And then having mentors like

1191
00:59:46,720 --> 00:59:51,160
Speaker 1: r I, P. Kobe Alright, P. Nipsey Hustle and really

1192
00:59:51,240 --> 00:59:53,880
Speaker 1: taking that marathon lifestyle and knowing, Okay, there's gonna be

1193
00:59:53,920 --> 00:59:55,840
Speaker 1: bumping the road, there's gonna be tough times that you're

1194
00:59:55,840 --> 00:59:58,560
Speaker 1: gonna hear that versity. But at the end of it,

1195
00:59:58,880 --> 01:00:01,000
Speaker 1: when you fight through that and you run through that wall,

1196
01:00:01,960 --> 01:00:03,720
Speaker 1: the only thing you can do is having your chin up.

1197
01:00:03,800 --> 01:00:07,000
Speaker 1: And nobody can tell me not no more. Like I've

1198
01:00:07,040 --> 01:00:09,720
Speaker 1: been through it and I came out of it. You

1199
01:00:09,800 --> 01:00:13,000
Speaker 1: feel me with my mental right then do no no

1200
01:00:13,160 --> 01:00:16,000
Speaker 1: goofy ship. Then do no lane, not nothing Lane. I

1201
01:00:16,120 --> 01:00:18,960
Speaker 1: just stayed true to myself and I stayed solid, and

1202
01:00:19,040 --> 01:00:22,280
Speaker 1: I just kept working. And you know, I know at

1203
01:00:22,360 --> 01:00:24,440
Speaker 1: some point that opportunity is gonna come because I never

1204
01:00:24,520 --> 01:00:27,160
Speaker 1: cheated the game, not one time, and I know it's

1205
01:00:27,160 --> 01:00:28,640
Speaker 1: gonna come. And when it does, I'm gonna take it

1206
01:00:28,760 --> 01:00:31,520
Speaker 1: wrong with it and I'm just smile. I'm not gonna

1207
01:00:31,560 --> 01:00:33,320
Speaker 1: be like I told you so, I'm not gonna shoot

1208
01:00:33,320 --> 01:00:36,440
Speaker 1: on nobody. I'm gonna just smiling, be appreciative, and be like,

1209
01:00:37,200 --> 01:00:39,600
Speaker 1: you know, for the people that's looking, that's behind me,

1210
01:00:40,240 --> 01:00:42,600
Speaker 1: I'm gonna be like, this is for you guys, because

1211
01:00:42,920 --> 01:00:44,840
Speaker 1: when you hit adversary, the best thing to do is

1212
01:00:44,920 --> 01:00:48,520
Speaker 1: just run through it. Find a way, ain't no choice.

1213
01:00:49,200 --> 01:00:51,360
Speaker 1: You get a chance to play for the US basketball team.

1214
01:00:51,400 --> 01:00:52,840
Speaker 1: How good was it to get out there and play

1215
01:00:52,920 --> 01:00:54,880
Speaker 1: with Joe? But just get out there and really play again?

1216
01:00:55,000 --> 01:00:58,040
Speaker 1: Pain free? Man? It was everything because you know a

1217
01:00:58,080 --> 01:00:59,440
Speaker 1: lot of people be like, why are you gonna play?

1218
01:00:59,560 --> 01:01:01,200
Speaker 1: You say you was this and that's like, I got

1219
01:01:01,280 --> 01:01:04,520
Speaker 1: no pride for this game. This game blessed me with

1220
01:01:05,400 --> 01:01:07,480
Speaker 1: you know, to have some money, to have to take

1221
01:01:07,520 --> 01:01:10,480
Speaker 1: care of my family, Like I got no pride when

1222
01:01:10,520 --> 01:01:12,880
Speaker 1: it comes to whop I go? How is that bad? Though? Yeah?

1223
01:01:13,440 --> 01:01:16,520
Speaker 1: How is that bad? So many people are So I'm

1224
01:01:16,560 --> 01:01:18,560
Speaker 1: going to Puerto Rico to play for the USA team.

1225
01:01:18,600 --> 01:01:20,320
Speaker 1: It didn't matter me. And Joe was laughing about that,

1226
01:01:20,480 --> 01:01:22,320
Speaker 1: like when they hit him for it, He's like, hell yeah,

1227
01:01:22,920 --> 01:01:26,800
Speaker 1: like to to who for free? I mean to who

1228
01:01:27,360 --> 01:01:30,240
Speaker 1: and go to Puerto Rico, travel the world like only

1229
01:01:30,320 --> 01:01:32,960
Speaker 1: real hoopers know that. Like I ain't got no pride,

1230
01:01:33,040 --> 01:01:35,400
Speaker 1: Like when I'm really done, I'm gonna be hooping in

1231
01:01:35,440 --> 01:01:37,640
Speaker 1: the Big Three. Teel me like it's pride about that.

1232
01:01:37,720 --> 01:01:41,520
Speaker 1: That's hoops, real hoopers. So when I when I got

1233
01:01:41,600 --> 01:01:43,840
Speaker 1: the chance to to you just got excited to go ahead.

1234
01:01:48,120 --> 01:01:50,640
Speaker 1: When when when I got the chance to play for

1235
01:01:50,680 --> 01:01:53,560
Speaker 1: Team USA in Puerto Rico, it was a no brainer.

1236
01:01:53,600 --> 01:01:55,520
Speaker 1: When they asked, I'm like, bro, give me an opportunity

1237
01:01:55,560 --> 01:01:57,840
Speaker 1: to show that I'm healthy, To give me an opportunity

1238
01:01:57,880 --> 01:02:01,080
Speaker 1: to play basketball on the team. And I just took

1239
01:02:01,080 --> 01:02:02,840
Speaker 1: it around with it. I took took it for what

1240
01:02:03,000 --> 01:02:04,400
Speaker 1: it was, and it was to go out there and

1241
01:02:04,440 --> 01:02:07,960
Speaker 1: play basketball. And that's what I did. And I was

1242
01:02:08,040 --> 01:02:10,200
Speaker 1: happy about that, and it ship had got me an

1243
01:02:10,200 --> 01:02:12,960
Speaker 1: opportunity with the Pelicans, you know. A month later, it

1244
01:02:13,040 --> 01:02:15,520
Speaker 1: got me a little cool tended with the Pelicans, and

1245
01:02:15,880 --> 01:02:18,200
Speaker 1: you know, that's just what I gotta do to get

1246
01:02:18,240 --> 01:02:20,920
Speaker 1: back in and I'm cool with it, So I love it.

1247
01:02:21,360 --> 01:02:24,360
Speaker 1: You mentioned our brother Rest in Peace and Nipsey Hustle.

1248
01:02:24,800 --> 01:02:29,120
Speaker 1: You guys that are particularly close, uh relationship talked to

1249
01:02:29,160 --> 01:02:31,640
Speaker 1: us about the relationship and what it was like. Man,

1250
01:02:31,720 --> 01:02:34,040
Speaker 1: I met Nipsey back in two thousand nine when I

1251
01:02:34,160 --> 01:02:36,000
Speaker 1: was in college. He used to dude shows up in

1252
01:02:36,040 --> 01:02:38,840
Speaker 1: Seattle and I had a teammate that was from the

1253
01:02:38,880 --> 01:02:41,160
Speaker 1: Crenshaw district that put me on Nipsey, which is his

1254
01:02:41,240 --> 01:02:43,960
Speaker 1: name is Darnielle ghent Um. He went to Crenshaw High

1255
01:02:43,960 --> 01:02:45,560
Speaker 1: School and everything. He's the first one to put me

1256
01:02:45,600 --> 01:02:48,760
Speaker 1: on Nipsey's music back in the oh eight oh nine.

1257
01:02:49,240 --> 01:02:54,160
Speaker 1: You know, we we communicated on Twitter somehow, we exchanged information.

1258
01:02:54,320 --> 01:02:57,000
Speaker 1: He came to Seattle, gave me some tickets. I got

1259
01:02:57,120 --> 01:02:58,800
Speaker 1: to chop it up with him, and then ever since

1260
01:02:58,840 --> 01:03:01,840
Speaker 1: then we was you know, we been close and he's

1261
01:03:01,880 --> 01:03:04,240
Speaker 1: just somebody that you know, it's easy to relate to,

1262
01:03:04,520 --> 01:03:06,480
Speaker 1: no matter you know what walk of life you are,

1263
01:03:07,160 --> 01:03:09,360
Speaker 1: what he stood for you can relate to if you're

1264
01:03:09,360 --> 01:03:12,200
Speaker 1: on an everyday grind, you know, And I spoke about

1265
01:03:12,320 --> 01:03:15,120
Speaker 1: you know what he called the marathon. You know, it's

1266
01:03:15,160 --> 01:03:18,440
Speaker 1: a lifestyle. And he's somebody that, you know, one of

1267
01:03:18,520 --> 01:03:23,000
Speaker 1: my mentors. Somebody did you know if I needed game

1268
01:03:23,040 --> 01:03:26,920
Speaker 1: on anything, you know, life about you know, the mental

1269
01:03:27,000 --> 01:03:29,160
Speaker 1: part of things, about keep going and running your race.

1270
01:03:29,400 --> 01:03:32,560
Speaker 1: That's somebody always chopped it up with and somebody that

1271
01:03:32,680 --> 01:03:35,320
Speaker 1: always gave me real, genuine game, no matter what the

1272
01:03:35,360 --> 01:03:39,280
Speaker 1: circumstances was. And you know, it's rest in peace to

1273
01:03:39,480 --> 01:03:43,880
Speaker 1: him forever. And somebody that you know, left a huge

1274
01:03:44,040 --> 01:03:48,080
Speaker 1: mark on society, on the culture of you know where

1275
01:03:48,400 --> 01:03:52,080
Speaker 1: you know guys like like us come from. And you

1276
01:03:52,160 --> 01:03:54,240
Speaker 1: know he lived he lived life the right way. And

1277
01:03:54,280 --> 01:03:56,280
Speaker 1: I think that's why so many people can't relate to,

1278
01:03:56,760 --> 01:03:58,919
Speaker 1: you know, what he's stood for. What's the best piece

1279
01:03:58,920 --> 01:04:02,520
Speaker 1: of advice he can ever gave? I think just to

1280
01:04:02,680 --> 01:04:05,640
Speaker 1: never give up. You know, your race is your race.

1281
01:04:05,720 --> 01:04:07,320
Speaker 1: I remember one time you're telling me your race is

1282
01:04:07,360 --> 01:04:10,640
Speaker 1: your race, don't ever compared to nobody else's. And I

1283
01:04:10,760 --> 01:04:15,440
Speaker 1: think throughout my whole career always took that and ran

1284
01:04:15,520 --> 01:04:18,000
Speaker 1: with it, because you know, it's especially in our profession,

1285
01:04:18,080 --> 01:04:20,479
Speaker 1: it's hard to not compare yourself to the next dude

1286
01:04:21,200 --> 01:04:23,480
Speaker 1: special when dudes is getting paid and you play the

1287
01:04:23,560 --> 01:04:26,840
Speaker 1: same position and you produced in the same But once

1288
01:04:26,920 --> 01:04:29,720
Speaker 1: he told me that back in like before I got

1289
01:04:29,760 --> 01:04:32,360
Speaker 1: to the league, I took that and ran with it.

1290
01:04:32,440 --> 01:04:34,440
Speaker 1: And I was never worried about what the next name

1291
01:04:34,600 --> 01:04:36,720
Speaker 1: was doing. I was always worried about and focus on,

1292
01:04:37,320 --> 01:04:39,560
Speaker 1: you know, my marathon and my race, because my ship

1293
01:04:39,720 --> 01:04:41,760
Speaker 1: is going to be different than anybody else's, and so

1294
01:04:41,880 --> 01:04:44,840
Speaker 1: how can I compare mind to somebody else when we're

1295
01:04:44,920 --> 01:04:48,640
Speaker 1: running two different marathons, two different races. And I think

1296
01:04:48,720 --> 01:04:50,840
Speaker 1: that's probably the best advice he gave me. And I,

1297
01:04:51,120 --> 01:04:54,400
Speaker 1: you know, I take it into this day pace of

1298
01:04:54,400 --> 01:04:58,080
Speaker 1: the Homi from one father and legend to another code.

1299
01:04:58,200 --> 01:05:00,400
Speaker 1: You wore his number when you had your brief ten

1300
01:05:00,480 --> 01:05:02,640
Speaker 1: day with the Pelicans. Talk to us about what he

1301
01:05:02,760 --> 01:05:06,040
Speaker 1: meant to you and some experience. You have a code man.

1302
01:05:06,200 --> 01:05:10,640
Speaker 1: Kobe man everything to me. And Kobe was, yeah, Kobe

1303
01:05:10,760 --> 01:05:13,680
Speaker 1: was my Michael Jordan's. You know, Kobe was, like I said,

1304
01:05:13,760 --> 01:05:17,400
Speaker 1: my my family is from Inglewood, so I was Brainwashington

1305
01:05:17,400 --> 01:05:20,280
Speaker 1: to being a Laker fan. So in ninety six, I

1306
01:05:20,400 --> 01:05:23,640
Speaker 1: was seven years old and knowing who Kobe was getting drafted.

1307
01:05:23,720 --> 01:05:27,880
Speaker 1: Shock just came over like that was my childhood, you know,

1308
01:05:28,640 --> 01:05:32,240
Speaker 1: being able to when we graduating. Yeah, ninety seven, I

1309
01:05:32,320 --> 01:05:37,040
Speaker 1: mean ninety six, I was seven years old. That's how

1310
01:05:37,040 --> 01:05:39,200
Speaker 1: when I got my ten day, I'm only thirty two now.

1311
01:05:39,240 --> 01:05:41,240
Speaker 1: When I got my tenday, a young dude called me,

1312
01:05:41,280 --> 01:05:44,040
Speaker 1: o g I'm like, Brod, don't do that. Don't do

1313
01:05:44,160 --> 01:05:46,760
Speaker 1: that one. Yeah, you were gonna wait a few years

1314
01:05:48,320 --> 01:05:52,240
Speaker 1: he was. He like, I'm twenty on, Like then I

1315
01:05:52,360 --> 01:05:56,160
Speaker 1: feel but I'm not. Yeah he was. I was like,

1316
01:05:56,240 --> 01:05:59,160
Speaker 1: I'm not that yet. But Kobe, you know, he was

1317
01:05:59,240 --> 01:06:01,520
Speaker 1: everything to my life, not just who. You know, I

1318
01:06:01,600 --> 01:06:03,560
Speaker 1: wanted to be him. I knew I wasn't just because

1319
01:06:03,640 --> 01:06:06,000
Speaker 1: I was. I wasn't gonna be six six, I wasn't

1320
01:06:06,040 --> 01:06:08,880
Speaker 1: gonna be as big as him, but you know, he

1321
01:06:09,000 --> 01:06:11,600
Speaker 1: inspired me in so many different ways. And then when

1322
01:06:11,640 --> 01:06:14,840
Speaker 1: I was able to, you know, reach that level of

1323
01:06:15,240 --> 01:06:17,520
Speaker 1: you know, one of the top guys in the NBA,

1324
01:06:19,120 --> 01:06:22,200
Speaker 1: I was able to build a relationship with Kobe. And

1325
01:06:22,320 --> 01:06:24,760
Speaker 1: it wasn't just no whot relationship. It was an every day,

1326
01:06:24,880 --> 01:06:27,960
Speaker 1: you know, lifestyle relationship in terms of if I was

1327
01:06:28,040 --> 01:06:29,920
Speaker 1: going through something, I can hit him and he was

1328
01:06:30,120 --> 01:06:34,840
Speaker 1: hitting me right back. Um, and you know, he meant

1329
01:06:34,880 --> 01:06:37,400
Speaker 1: everything to me. When when I was able to build

1330
01:06:37,440 --> 01:06:41,080
Speaker 1: that friendship with him, it was crazy checking my phone

1331
01:06:41,120 --> 01:06:43,240
Speaker 1: and seeing the text from Kobe, Like it didn't make

1332
01:06:43,280 --> 01:06:45,640
Speaker 1: no sense because you know, I looked up to him

1333
01:06:45,680 --> 01:06:48,960
Speaker 1: for so long. So you know, when I got signed

1334
01:06:49,000 --> 01:06:51,600
Speaker 1: with the Pelicans and they were giving me jersey options

1335
01:06:51,640 --> 01:06:53,480
Speaker 1: and twenty four was there, it was no brainer, Like

1336
01:06:53,640 --> 01:06:58,120
Speaker 1: I wanted to do my part into paying some type

1337
01:06:58,120 --> 01:07:01,760
Speaker 1: of homage to my favorite player to ever play the game.

1338
01:07:02,120 --> 01:07:05,439
Speaker 1: And you know I was able to, you know, pay

1339
01:07:05,640 --> 01:07:07,320
Speaker 1: a little bit of homage to them a little two

1340
01:07:07,360 --> 01:07:09,600
Speaker 1: weeks I was there and playing in the NBA, and

1341
01:07:10,760 --> 01:07:12,680
Speaker 1: you know, that's the least I can do. And you know,

1342
01:07:12,800 --> 01:07:17,200
Speaker 1: I've been wearing Kobe since two thousand and fifteen to

1343
01:07:17,320 --> 01:07:19,840
Speaker 1: where you know, I get my little customized Kobe's and

1344
01:07:20,680 --> 01:07:26,000
Speaker 1: you know, even that it's like, you know, unreal, it's

1345
01:07:26,080 --> 01:07:30,360
Speaker 1: unreal looking at even that's unreal to be able to

1346
01:07:30,440 --> 01:07:32,680
Speaker 1: you know. And then when I was with Cleveland, I

1347
01:07:32,760 --> 01:07:35,080
Speaker 1: had my own player edition codes where they came out

1348
01:07:35,200 --> 01:07:37,440
Speaker 1: and they had a little he had a little chip

1349
01:07:37,520 --> 01:07:39,160
Speaker 1: on the tongue to where you know, when my tooth

1350
01:07:39,240 --> 01:07:42,000
Speaker 1: came out in the playoffs. So like and Kobe did that,

1351
01:07:42,440 --> 01:07:44,320
Speaker 1: you feel me? And then Kobe to do the little

1352
01:07:45,720 --> 01:07:48,360
Speaker 1: he did like a deer basketball on me. And it

1353
01:07:48,560 --> 01:07:51,720
Speaker 1: was like those things that Kobe did, Like, I'm a

1354
01:07:51,840 --> 01:07:54,400
Speaker 1: Chaerish for the rest of my life because as you know,

1355
01:07:54,520 --> 01:07:56,960
Speaker 1: that's a walking legend. And you know, I can't thank

1356
01:07:57,040 --> 01:08:00,320
Speaker 1: him enough for not just changing my basketball career, but

1357
01:08:00,480 --> 01:08:02,760
Speaker 1: changing my way of life. And you know, to be

1358
01:08:02,840 --> 01:08:05,960
Speaker 1: able to call those two guys rest in peace, mentors

1359
01:08:06,000 --> 01:08:08,040
Speaker 1: and somebody that I could you know when they were

1360
01:08:08,120 --> 01:08:10,160
Speaker 1: here reach out at any time and they hit me

1361
01:08:10,280 --> 01:08:13,440
Speaker 1: right back like you can't, actually you can't. Actually you

1362
01:08:13,520 --> 01:08:16,960
Speaker 1: know two people better than that. Talk to us about

1363
01:08:17,000 --> 01:08:19,760
Speaker 1: the Book of Isaiah, your documentary on your journey through

1364
01:08:19,800 --> 01:08:23,160
Speaker 1: this tough process. So the Book of Isaiah we started

1365
01:08:23,240 --> 01:08:26,920
Speaker 1: in two thousand fifteen. But overall, once my career is over,

1366
01:08:26,960 --> 01:08:28,360
Speaker 1: I want to do a movie because I got a

1367
01:08:28,400 --> 01:08:32,240
Speaker 1: production company called Slow Ground Media. We're slowly doing documentaries,

1368
01:08:32,320 --> 01:08:36,400
Speaker 1: sports documentaries, real life you know things not just sports,

1369
01:08:36,479 --> 01:08:39,400
Speaker 1: but every walk of life. We're trying to tap into

1370
01:08:39,439 --> 01:08:42,160
Speaker 1: those lanes. So at the end of my career, I'm

1371
01:08:42,160 --> 01:08:44,800
Speaker 1: gonna do a movie on my my whole career, from

1372
01:08:45,360 --> 01:08:47,439
Speaker 1: my last year of college to my last year in

1373
01:08:47,439 --> 01:08:50,639
Speaker 1: the NBA. And it's going to be called the Book

1374
01:08:50,640 --> 01:08:54,080
Speaker 1: of Isaiah. And you know, we've done a couple of documentaries,

1375
01:08:54,200 --> 01:08:59,120
Speaker 1: which one one one a Webby, which is Book of

1376
01:08:59,200 --> 01:09:01,160
Speaker 1: Isaiah to one of Webby that year that I was

1377
01:09:01,240 --> 01:09:03,719
Speaker 1: in Cleveland and got traded to the two the Lakers,

1378
01:09:03,840 --> 01:09:06,200
Speaker 1: that one of Webby, And I think, you know, I

1379
01:09:06,320 --> 01:09:08,200
Speaker 1: just want to tell my story because it relates to

1380
01:09:09,080 --> 01:09:10,920
Speaker 1: to so many people in the world. You know, me

1381
01:09:11,080 --> 01:09:14,400
Speaker 1: being you know five nine, me being counted out, me

1382
01:09:14,520 --> 01:09:18,200
Speaker 1: being not given no, no real chance to to really

1383
01:09:18,280 --> 01:09:22,040
Speaker 1: succeed like everybody else be given. Um. I think that

1384
01:09:22,200 --> 01:09:24,920
Speaker 1: relates to the average you know, the average person out there.

1385
01:09:25,120 --> 01:09:27,680
Speaker 1: And to just show them that, you know, I go

1386
01:09:27,800 --> 01:09:31,800
Speaker 1: through real ship that everybody goes through, and to show

1387
01:09:31,880 --> 01:09:34,880
Speaker 1: them the ups and downs of a real career, I

1388
01:09:34,960 --> 01:09:36,880
Speaker 1: think it will only be beneficial to you know, the

1389
01:09:36,960 --> 01:09:39,000
Speaker 1: next generation of guys trying to make it, not just

1390
01:09:39,160 --> 01:09:43,280
Speaker 1: in basketball, but you know, in life, because you know,

1391
01:09:43,400 --> 01:09:46,160
Speaker 1: the things that I've been through have been you know,

1392
01:09:46,320 --> 01:09:49,880
Speaker 1: it just haven't been sugarcoated. And it's also been documented.

1393
01:09:50,439 --> 01:09:53,080
Speaker 1: Like my ship, I've seen the bottom and I've seen

1394
01:09:53,120 --> 01:09:55,920
Speaker 1: the top and then seeing the bottom again. A lot

1395
01:09:56,000 --> 01:09:59,519
Speaker 1: of people's careers don't don't get to see both, and

1396
01:09:59,760 --> 01:10:03,639
Speaker 1: you I wanna. Obviously I've been documented since two thousand teen,

1397
01:10:03,760 --> 01:10:05,960
Speaker 1: but I want people to really see it a day

1398
01:10:05,960 --> 01:10:07,960
Speaker 1: in the day out of what guys like you know

1399
01:10:08,120 --> 01:10:12,360
Speaker 1: ourselves go through. I think you said something interesting. You

1400
01:10:13,360 --> 01:10:15,519
Speaker 1: You started at load the sixtiest pick, not sure if

1401
01:10:15,520 --> 01:10:18,800
Speaker 1: you're gonna be drafted to an All Star averaging nearly

1402
01:10:18,880 --> 01:10:20,840
Speaker 1: thirty points a game, playing an All Star game with

1403
01:10:20,960 --> 01:10:24,080
Speaker 1: Kobe back down to the injury. You didn't know how

1404
01:10:24,280 --> 01:10:27,439
Speaker 1: bad it was to happen to have that surgery, How

1405
01:10:27,520 --> 01:10:29,479
Speaker 1: did how much did that? Just where are you as

1406
01:10:29,520 --> 01:10:32,720
Speaker 1: a person? It wore me a lot. You know that

1407
01:10:32,840 --> 01:10:34,840
Speaker 1: goes back to them three years where my mentor was

1408
01:10:34,920 --> 01:10:38,280
Speaker 1: just I was trying to find it, you know, the

1409
01:10:38,479 --> 01:10:42,640
Speaker 1: up and down in the inconsistency of you know, not

1410
01:10:42,840 --> 01:10:46,559
Speaker 1: knowing what's next, going from the sixtieth pick, not knowing

1411
01:10:46,560 --> 01:10:48,680
Speaker 1: if i'mnna make the team to proving it, you know,

1412
01:10:48,760 --> 01:10:51,920
Speaker 1: I'm an NBA player, to get trade to Boston and

1413
01:10:53,160 --> 01:10:56,519
Speaker 1: you know, being a sixth man at first to taking

1414
01:10:56,560 --> 01:10:59,160
Speaker 1: it to I was fourth and MVP voting second team

1415
01:10:59,200 --> 01:11:03,960
Speaker 1: on NBA. Then a year later or that year getting traded,

1416
01:11:05,479 --> 01:11:10,759
Speaker 1: to hitting rock bottom, getting injured, to signing one year deals,

1417
01:11:11,080 --> 01:11:14,560
Speaker 1: to going from supposed to sign a max deal to

1418
01:11:14,680 --> 01:11:18,840
Speaker 1: signing one year bat minimum deals like that. Ship hurt

1419
01:11:19,600 --> 01:11:24,200
Speaker 1: that ship, I killed my spirit. But what helped me

1420
01:11:24,320 --> 01:11:26,960
Speaker 1: throughout those times is I had little the little boys

1421
01:11:27,000 --> 01:11:31,280
Speaker 1: at home. Bro. I couldn't be sad in front of them.

1422
01:11:31,360 --> 01:11:33,000
Speaker 1: I couldn't have a bad day in front of them.

1423
01:11:33,520 --> 01:11:36,800
Speaker 1: You know, like they feel that they see that. So

1424
01:11:37,280 --> 01:11:39,920
Speaker 1: that was my motivation to get it back and to

1425
01:11:40,040 --> 01:11:42,800
Speaker 1: hopefully get a chance to show that, you know, I'm

1426
01:11:42,920 --> 01:11:45,560
Speaker 1: I'm I'm who are always been, and I'm gonna be

1427
01:11:45,680 --> 01:11:47,400
Speaker 1: that and let me go out on my own. That's

1428
01:11:47,439 --> 01:11:49,880
Speaker 1: what I'm fighting for now. I'm just fighting for a

1429
01:11:50,000 --> 01:11:53,880
Speaker 1: legit chance to show that I'm I'm myself and that

1430
01:11:54,040 --> 01:11:56,400
Speaker 1: I have plenty of years to show I can still

1431
01:11:56,400 --> 01:11:59,240
Speaker 1: play at a high level. But to answer your question, mentally, man,

1432
01:11:59,280 --> 01:12:02,280
Speaker 1: I was cooked. I was cooked for a little bit.

1433
01:12:02,479 --> 01:12:06,240
Speaker 1: But you know, I think my small circle of friends,

1434
01:12:06,479 --> 01:12:11,360
Speaker 1: my small circle of family, and you know, my mentors.

1435
01:12:11,439 --> 01:12:13,920
Speaker 1: I thank them for just sticking with me. I remember,

1436
01:12:15,000 --> 01:12:17,360
Speaker 1: you know, Damon Soltenmarer texts me like what don't break

1437
01:12:17,400 --> 01:12:21,200
Speaker 1: a nigga with Megan nigga, you know? And I take

1438
01:12:21,280 --> 01:12:23,439
Speaker 1: that to heart every day. You know that I won't

1439
01:12:23,439 --> 01:12:27,320
Speaker 1: allow this ship to break me ever. And you know

1440
01:12:27,720 --> 01:12:31,719
Speaker 1: if it went, if it did, it wouldn't. It won't.

1441
01:12:31,920 --> 01:12:34,120
Speaker 1: You can't, it can't and I'm not gonna allow it.

1442
01:12:34,479 --> 01:12:38,360
Speaker 1: And like I said, I'm in a great space mentally,

1443
01:12:38,400 --> 01:12:40,519
Speaker 1: I'm in a great space. Then you know that's not

1444
01:12:40,640 --> 01:12:43,360
Speaker 1: gonna it. Don't rock. You know you don't like a

1445
01:12:43,439 --> 01:12:47,320
Speaker 1: boat no more. I'm even killed, don't know. Don't get

1446
01:12:47,360 --> 01:12:48,920
Speaker 1: too high, you don't get too low. I want to

1447
01:12:48,960 --> 01:12:50,400
Speaker 1: still you make it back just so you can talk

1448
01:12:50,600 --> 01:12:52,680
Speaker 1: it back to your kids. The point where I could

1449
01:12:52,720 --> 01:12:54,720
Speaker 1: my kids be talking big ship and I can't. I'm

1450
01:12:54,760 --> 01:12:56,439
Speaker 1: done playing. I can't talk. You know what I mean?

1451
01:12:56,479 --> 01:13:05,280
Speaker 1: It just but out there right head like you you

1452
01:13:05,360 --> 01:13:07,760
Speaker 1: hate what you used to One of my son said

1453
01:13:07,840 --> 01:13:09,200
Speaker 1: something to me that I would have thought someone else

1454
01:13:09,360 --> 01:13:14,439
Speaker 1: was saying to me like, and you know it's it's

1455
01:13:15,439 --> 01:13:21,200
Speaker 1: there was no sugar cool daggers. They're hitting you right here,

1456
01:13:21,280 --> 01:13:28,360
Speaker 1: and I'm like, I'm just smiling off, like that's funny.

1457
01:13:28,520 --> 01:13:30,280
Speaker 1: Going through everything you've been through, the ups down to

1458
01:13:30,439 --> 01:13:33,200
Speaker 1: roller coasters. What advice would you give a younger player?

1459
01:13:33,720 --> 01:13:35,519
Speaker 1: The advice I would give a younger player, I think

1460
01:13:35,520 --> 01:13:37,400
Speaker 1: the same advice d Rose game. You don't fight it,

1461
01:13:38,600 --> 01:13:42,640
Speaker 1: just take the punches, keep grinding, and you know they

1462
01:13:42,640 --> 01:13:45,599
Speaker 1: can't store forever. And you know, I think the biggest

1463
01:13:45,640 --> 01:13:48,080
Speaker 1: thing that I tried to tell those young guys coming in,

1464
01:13:48,280 --> 01:13:53,000
Speaker 1: it's like, enjoy the moment, bro. That's one thing I

1465
01:13:53,160 --> 01:13:55,040
Speaker 1: wasn't able to enjoy when I was at the top

1466
01:13:55,240 --> 01:13:58,880
Speaker 1: top because it was just what's next. I gotta do better.

1467
01:13:59,280 --> 01:14:02,800
Speaker 1: I was so pair annoying. Enjoy those moments, bro, because

1468
01:14:02,800 --> 01:14:05,719
Speaker 1: they're gonna pass and you go back and be like damn.

1469
01:14:06,479 --> 01:14:08,160
Speaker 1: And that's what you know. When I was injured, I

1470
01:14:08,240 --> 01:14:10,800
Speaker 1: was dealing with like Dann. I was doing some crazy ship.

1471
01:14:11,960 --> 01:14:15,360
Speaker 1: I was breaking Larry Bird's records. I was breaking you know,

1472
01:14:16,160 --> 01:14:19,000
Speaker 1: the greats records, and I was so locked into those

1473
01:14:19,080 --> 01:14:22,559
Speaker 1: moments on some Kobe ship. I was so some mama

1474
01:14:22,600 --> 01:14:24,920
Speaker 1: mentality like it's just not good enough. I gotta keep

1475
01:14:24,960 --> 01:14:27,600
Speaker 1: going to where. I think that's the best advice I

1476
01:14:27,640 --> 01:14:30,160
Speaker 1: can give those young dudes is staying those moments, bro,

1477
01:14:30,640 --> 01:14:34,360
Speaker 1: whether they're good or bad, enjoy those Enjoy those moments

1478
01:14:34,400 --> 01:14:37,160
Speaker 1: and keep grinding and don't get satisfied because once you

1479
01:14:37,280 --> 01:14:40,240
Speaker 1: get comfortable out there, you know they got another nineteen

1480
01:14:40,280 --> 01:14:43,800
Speaker 1: year old that's coming in trying to eat and you can't.

1481
01:14:43,880 --> 01:14:46,080
Speaker 1: You can't be complacent in this and you know, in

1482
01:14:46,160 --> 01:14:48,840
Speaker 1: this life, in this world, because you know it's it's

1483
01:14:48,880 --> 01:14:52,719
Speaker 1: whatever you've done for me lately. Thoughts on Mayweather, Paul,

1484
01:14:53,200 --> 01:14:56,519
Speaker 1: will you be in attendance? We will be. How I'm

1485
01:14:56,560 --> 01:15:00,360
Speaker 1: not gonna be in attendance, but it's gonna be. It's

1486
01:15:00,360 --> 01:15:03,800
Speaker 1: gonna be entertaining. I know, I know the setup with this.

1487
01:15:04,040 --> 01:15:06,519
Speaker 1: He talked to him, that's your boy. Yeah, yeah, I

1488
01:15:06,520 --> 01:15:10,080
Speaker 1: haven't spoke to him since this, But what what's the

1489
01:15:10,120 --> 01:15:14,000
Speaker 1: what's the secret? He's just gonna entertain. He's an entertainer, right,

1490
01:15:14,200 --> 01:15:15,800
Speaker 1: so so he's not gonna try to punish and fall

1491
01:15:15,880 --> 01:15:17,600
Speaker 1: him the answers he didn't know. He's gonna try to

1492
01:15:17,640 --> 01:15:20,080
Speaker 1: punish him. No, doubt. I know for it and when

1493
01:15:20,320 --> 01:15:23,559
Speaker 1: you know, when money talks. But it's gonna be fine.

1494
01:15:23,640 --> 01:15:25,920
Speaker 1: He's gonna be entertainment and then he's gonna make his case.

1495
01:15:26,640 --> 01:15:28,439
Speaker 1: Have you talked him since he snapped his half? No,

1496
01:15:28,560 --> 01:15:33,080
Speaker 1: I haven't. He was so I know. That's what I'm saying.

1497
01:15:33,120 --> 01:15:39,360
Speaker 1: He's got he's gonna make it to win before didn't.

1498
01:15:39,680 --> 01:15:44,599
Speaker 1: He didn't lay it down before. That's why he was Really,

1499
01:15:44,920 --> 01:15:48,559
Speaker 1: that's what I'm saying now. You know the champ coming

1500
01:15:49,040 --> 01:15:54,880
Speaker 1: always clean, clean everything. Was the first time we've seen

1501
01:15:54,920 --> 01:15:58,160
Speaker 1: him risky. The one day they caught him slipping. That

1502
01:15:58,240 --> 01:16:00,760
Speaker 1: was the first we've seen him slipping. That was the

1503
01:16:00,800 --> 01:16:04,360
Speaker 1: first time we've seen he whatever he wasn't he wasn't

1504
01:16:04,920 --> 01:16:08,639
Speaker 1: to pay for that. That's on the back of his head.

1505
01:16:09,760 --> 01:16:12,560
Speaker 1: He know he gotta entertained the people who's watching. But

1506
01:16:12,640 --> 01:16:14,519
Speaker 1: he's gonna make it like you know, why I do this.

1507
01:16:15,640 --> 01:16:17,760
Speaker 1: It's gonna be fun. What about since we talked about?

1508
01:16:17,800 --> 01:16:20,280
Speaker 1: What about what you think he's gonna do? Come on, man,

1509
01:16:21,240 --> 01:16:25,280
Speaker 1: he's an entertainer too. He's done. He's a he's an athlete.

1510
01:16:25,720 --> 01:16:27,080
Speaker 1: At the end of the day, he's gonna be locked in.

1511
01:16:27,520 --> 01:16:30,200
Speaker 1: You know, I hope he's locked in. I hope he

1512
01:16:30,280 --> 01:16:33,000
Speaker 1: locked in too. Since we're talking about Boxton, obviously the

1513
01:16:33,080 --> 01:16:35,680
Speaker 1: homies a homie to what were your thoughts when when

1514
01:16:35,800 --> 01:16:39,800
Speaker 1: Nate fought Jake and then the outcome, the outcome was

1515
01:16:40,479 --> 01:16:42,200
Speaker 1: laugh with it? Can you can you laugh with him

1516
01:16:42,200 --> 01:16:44,160
Speaker 1: about it yet? Yeah? I think it's to a point

1517
01:16:44,160 --> 01:16:47,360
Speaker 1: you can laugh with him now. Yeah, Like we've had

1518
01:16:47,400 --> 01:16:49,760
Speaker 1: our talks about it and he's laughed it off. So

1519
01:16:50,600 --> 01:16:56,160
Speaker 1: obviously he got a million guys happened. You're not a

1520
01:16:56,200 --> 01:17:04,120
Speaker 1: boxing man, so like, at the end of the day, obviously,

1521
01:17:04,280 --> 01:17:07,400
Speaker 1: the internet is undefeated. You're gonna get you a little.

1522
01:17:07,600 --> 01:17:10,519
Speaker 1: You know, everybody make jokes about it. It was on

1523
01:17:10,680 --> 01:17:15,720
Speaker 1: national TV. But that's my dude. Yeah, yeah, and he

1524
01:17:15,840 --> 01:17:18,160
Speaker 1: was in a fraternity that you know, that's our guy.

1525
01:17:18,360 --> 01:17:22,920
Speaker 1: So obviously he got knocked. But you know, onto the

1526
01:17:23,000 --> 01:17:27,360
Speaker 1: next exactly at the end of the day, most don't

1527
01:17:27,439 --> 01:17:29,880
Speaker 1: have the balls to go do that, and you know,

1528
01:17:30,040 --> 01:17:33,400
Speaker 1: he did it. He got knocked. We move on, you know,

1529
01:17:33,520 --> 01:17:35,800
Speaker 1: at the end of that, we we men, And I'm

1530
01:17:35,840 --> 01:17:37,960
Speaker 1: not gonna be at his house cracking jokes about it.

1531
01:17:38,240 --> 01:17:40,400
Speaker 1: You know, if somebody cracking joke, if you want to

1532
01:17:40,439 --> 01:17:43,600
Speaker 1: crack one, We're gonna crack him. But if not, you know,

1533
01:17:43,840 --> 01:17:45,960
Speaker 1: we just gotta keep it moving. It happened, and you

1534
01:17:46,040 --> 01:17:50,559
Speaker 1: know he still make the grade. And I remember after

1535
01:17:50,640 --> 01:17:54,200
Speaker 1: the yeah, after after I after that happened, I text him.

1536
01:17:54,240 --> 01:17:57,519
Speaker 1: I remember, I'm like, you know, because you know, everybody

1537
01:17:57,600 --> 01:18:01,439
Speaker 1: been in situations where they've been embarrassing. I was like, Bro,

1538
01:18:01,520 --> 01:18:04,320
Speaker 1: you're still a superhero where we come from. Don't forget that.

1539
01:18:04,760 --> 01:18:08,000
Speaker 1: Feel me sorry. I tried to say my two cents

1540
01:18:08,120 --> 01:18:10,599
Speaker 1: and just remind him, like, you're still the greatest where

1541
01:18:10,640 --> 01:18:13,160
Speaker 1: we go from. Hey, we're talking nath one of the

1542
01:18:13,240 --> 01:18:17,760
Speaker 1: great best athletes evere we ever seen. So you know

1543
01:18:17,880 --> 01:18:23,639
Speaker 1: that don't define you. But I mean it was. That's

1544
01:18:23,720 --> 01:18:27,559
Speaker 1: my dude, Alright, quick hitters. First thing to cume of mind.

1545
01:18:28,080 --> 01:18:30,519
Speaker 1: Shoot it at us. Top five point guards of all time,

1546
01:18:30,680 --> 01:18:35,720
Speaker 1: and that's to right off yah, off the cuff, right

1547
01:18:35,800 --> 01:18:40,479
Speaker 1: off the red. I'm gonna go with my name sake,

1548
01:18:40,560 --> 01:18:44,880
Speaker 1: Isaiah Thomas. Um, you gotta pay homage the magic Johnson

1549
01:18:45,600 --> 01:18:48,960
Speaker 1: first big point guard. UM, and then I'm gonna go

1550
01:18:49,080 --> 01:18:56,880
Speaker 1: just my errand I'm gonna go um, Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving,

1551
01:18:59,720 --> 01:19:05,080
Speaker 1: Chris Poem and no disrespect. This is just the top. Yeah,

1552
01:19:05,560 --> 01:19:09,519
Speaker 1: slid rapid fire, you plus four going to the black Top?

1553
01:19:09,560 --> 01:19:12,479
Speaker 1: What are you taking with you? Black Top? That's different?

1554
01:19:12,560 --> 01:19:19,439
Speaker 1: So yeah, shot, Yeah, you got to be built to

1555
01:19:19,479 --> 01:19:25,080
Speaker 1: be out there. For the love of it. I'm gonna

1556
01:19:25,120 --> 01:19:28,920
Speaker 1: take Jamal Crawford as I'm ready for that. Me just me,

1557
01:19:29,120 --> 01:19:32,680
Speaker 1: Jamal Crawford on some real shot. I'm gonna take y'all too,

1558
01:19:32,720 --> 01:19:35,519
Speaker 1: because I need I need some goons, you know, case

1559
01:19:35,600 --> 01:19:39,080
Speaker 1: some ship go down. We need some dudes's gonna handle

1560
01:19:39,120 --> 01:19:44,599
Speaker 1: some stuff. That's four right there, black Top and now

1561
01:19:44,600 --> 01:19:47,639
Speaker 1: I'm gonna take hire. Yeah, because he's he's gonna put

1562
01:19:47,680 --> 01:19:50,559
Speaker 1: on the show. We don't have to do nothing, not security.

1563
01:19:50,640 --> 01:19:55,800
Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah, you're gonna be embarrassing to dude, should

1564
01:19:55,800 --> 01:19:57,880
Speaker 1: get our hand. Yeah, Like I said, some screens, we're

1565
01:19:57,880 --> 01:19:59,439
Speaker 1: gonna be better. We're gonna be making all the side

1566
01:20:00,120 --> 01:20:03,679
Speaker 1: mama when during time I would be smoking, YEA, working harder.

1567
01:20:03,760 --> 01:20:07,120
Speaker 1: We're working smarter. I got I got my protection. Nice.

1568
01:20:07,520 --> 01:20:11,360
Speaker 1: Top five artists in your opinion. Top five artists, Um

1569
01:20:12,120 --> 01:20:19,160
Speaker 1: jay Z, Drake, Tupac, Biggie and Nipsey. That's my list.

1570
01:20:19,240 --> 01:20:21,080
Speaker 1: Let me ask your question. Yeah, that is your list.

1571
01:20:21,520 --> 01:20:28,679
Speaker 1: Who was the most um famous rapper from Seattle? Baby

1572
01:20:28,720 --> 01:20:31,400
Speaker 1: got back? However, you when that was he was a baby. Yeah,

1573
01:20:31,400 --> 01:20:33,479
Speaker 1: I was a baby when he was rolling around into Ferrari,

1574
01:20:33,760 --> 01:20:37,240
Speaker 1: the Red Ferrari. He has some things out there too. Yeah,

1575
01:20:40,240 --> 01:20:45,360
Speaker 1: for sure. The best five players ever from Seattle Washington area.

1576
01:20:46,880 --> 01:20:52,560
Speaker 1: Best five you go with? Who that's tough? Nate Robinson,

1577
01:20:55,560 --> 01:21:06,800
Speaker 1: Jason Terry, Jamal Crawford, Brandon Roy. Damn that was tough. Um.

1578
01:21:07,600 --> 01:21:09,519
Speaker 1: I'm gonna go with Martell Webster because he was the

1579
01:21:09,520 --> 01:21:11,320
Speaker 1: first to go out of high school and I always

1580
01:21:11,320 --> 01:21:13,479
Speaker 1: got paid comments to him. He's the first to go

1581
01:21:13,560 --> 01:21:16,320
Speaker 1: in to high school from our states. So I'm gonna

1582
01:21:16,320 --> 01:21:18,000
Speaker 1: go with him. I'm gonna be the six man. So

1583
01:21:18,800 --> 01:21:20,960
Speaker 1: I'm gonna tear off this question quick. We'll get back

1584
01:21:21,000 --> 01:21:24,559
Speaker 1: to it. Tell people how good Brandon Roy was a man,

1585
01:21:24,760 --> 01:21:26,960
Speaker 1: and I remember I remember a lot of interviews back

1586
01:21:27,600 --> 01:21:29,479
Speaker 1: back then. You will always say he's one of the

1587
01:21:29,560 --> 01:21:33,519
Speaker 1: toughest to guard. Kobe said he had no weaknesses. Um,

1588
01:21:33,720 --> 01:21:37,280
Speaker 1: Brandon Roy on one knee because he only had one

1589
01:21:37,640 --> 01:21:42,880
Speaker 1: even from the college. One of the most special dudes.

1590
01:21:43,040 --> 01:21:44,439
Speaker 1: I always said, I mean he would have been Hall

1591
01:21:44,439 --> 01:21:46,800
Speaker 1: of Fame if he would, he would have went down

1592
01:21:46,880 --> 01:21:50,040
Speaker 1: as one of the best shooting guards to play. And

1593
01:21:50,200 --> 01:21:52,560
Speaker 1: for somebody like Kobe to say he had no weaknesses

1594
01:21:52,640 --> 01:21:54,400
Speaker 1: run our tests, I think said he was the hardest

1595
01:21:54,400 --> 01:21:57,720
Speaker 1: guy he he might have had the guard Brandon Roy

1596
01:21:57,880 --> 01:22:01,320
Speaker 1: was the real deal. He was. He was tough for

1597
01:22:01,400 --> 01:22:05,120
Speaker 1: all of us because the size he was. He was

1598
01:22:05,200 --> 01:22:07,640
Speaker 1: too shifty, too shifty, you know what I mean. And

1599
01:22:08,520 --> 01:22:12,040
Speaker 1: he loved to go left strong hand was right, so

1600
01:22:12,240 --> 01:22:14,360
Speaker 1: like which way do you force? Yeah? And it's and

1601
01:22:14,479 --> 01:22:16,760
Speaker 1: his step back was before time, before a time when

1602
01:22:16,800 --> 01:22:18,920
Speaker 1: he had a weird way of with his size being

1603
01:22:18,920 --> 01:22:21,600
Speaker 1: able to back anybody down. It was weird, like he

1604
01:22:21,640 --> 01:22:23,559
Speaker 1: could back. He would back you down like Kobe could

1605
01:22:23,560 --> 01:22:25,400
Speaker 1: back you down. No matter how big and strong you are,

1606
01:22:25,520 --> 01:22:27,240
Speaker 1: he still back you. He's still getting I'm like what

1607
01:22:29,120 --> 01:22:31,160
Speaker 1: Roy was special? And like you said, I mean from

1608
01:22:31,200 --> 01:22:33,640
Speaker 1: the jump it's been on one knee. Most don't know that.

1609
01:22:34,040 --> 01:22:35,680
Speaker 1: And then his other name you start messing up. But

1610
01:22:36,840 --> 01:22:40,960
Speaker 1: the Roy special legend. Uh. Five dinner guests that are alive,

1611
01:22:43,560 --> 01:22:45,400
Speaker 1: five dinner guess So guys that I wanted to be

1612
01:22:45,520 --> 01:22:48,320
Speaker 1: with me at the dinner table you plus five better

1613
01:22:48,400 --> 01:22:54,760
Speaker 1: alive And I want Tupac because I just wanted I

1614
01:22:54,840 --> 01:22:56,920
Speaker 1: want to hear all the stories. I'm gonna go with

1615
01:22:57,040 --> 01:23:01,800
Speaker 1: my guys, Nipsey, him and cod Um. I want Snoop there,

1616
01:23:03,080 --> 01:23:10,080
Speaker 1: so she called Snoop Tupac Um. I always wanted to

1617
01:23:10,120 --> 01:23:12,080
Speaker 1: beat Will Smith. I never got to beat beat Will

1618
01:23:12,120 --> 01:23:17,080
Speaker 1: Smith him. There's a loaded question right here, because you

1619
01:23:17,080 --> 01:23:18,880
Speaker 1: got a lot of motherfuckers that you know that we want.

1620
01:23:18,960 --> 01:23:20,880
Speaker 1: So if you can have your choice to pick the

1621
01:23:20,960 --> 01:23:22,599
Speaker 1: guests that you want to see on all the smoke,

1622
01:23:22,640 --> 01:23:26,600
Speaker 1: who would it be? Who would it be? Um? And

1623
01:23:26,680 --> 01:23:30,240
Speaker 1: if you know you need to help us? Yeah, because

1624
01:23:30,280 --> 01:23:34,920
Speaker 1: I got a list already. Yeah, I got one of

1625
01:23:35,080 --> 01:23:40,640
Speaker 1: the real Jamal hasn't been all right, No, thank you.

1626
01:23:41,000 --> 01:23:42,519
Speaker 1: We need to get you. I'm gonna get Jamal. I'm

1627
01:23:42,520 --> 01:23:46,800
Speaker 1: I'm gonna call him right there, Crawford, because he he

1628
01:23:46,960 --> 01:23:49,759
Speaker 1: has all the stories in the world. He has stories

1629
01:23:49,800 --> 01:23:55,800
Speaker 1: about us, no no doubt, his memories insane, his memories unbelievable.

1630
01:23:55,840 --> 01:24:00,920
Speaker 1: He tickling us after every after every court. Jamal said,

1631
01:24:00,960 --> 01:24:04,200
Speaker 1: that's that's big, bro. Jamal gotta come out here because

1632
01:24:04,200 --> 01:24:09,000
Speaker 1: he had stories from where do you come in? He

1633
01:24:09,080 --> 01:24:11,479
Speaker 1: got Jordan's stories, got he got a lot, so I

1634
01:24:11,520 --> 01:24:14,240
Speaker 1: would love for him to end. It's and it's authentic

1635
01:24:14,320 --> 01:24:17,320
Speaker 1: on here. So he gotta breaking down and not sugarcoat,

1636
01:24:17,400 --> 01:24:20,479
Speaker 1: not Jamal Crawford. Gotta be on here because people don't know.

1637
01:24:21,200 --> 01:24:24,240
Speaker 1: Jay kars is one of the best basketball minds you

1638
01:24:24,280 --> 01:24:26,560
Speaker 1: could be around. He kind of like you though, like

1639
01:24:26,600 --> 01:24:28,559
Speaker 1: he can student at the game. He can tell you stats,

1640
01:24:28,600 --> 01:24:31,439
Speaker 1: you can tell Oh my god, Bro, put him on

1641
01:24:31,479 --> 01:24:34,040
Speaker 1: the spot real quick. You got your phone on you FaceTime?

1642
01:24:34,240 --> 01:24:37,040
Speaker 1: Let me call show time. You know he ain't got FaceTime,

1643
01:24:37,120 --> 01:24:41,200
Speaker 1: You got got the green phone. The only person I

1644
01:24:41,280 --> 01:24:46,160
Speaker 1: know with the blackberries him and it probably still Flip Rose,

1645
01:24:46,840 --> 01:24:49,960
Speaker 1: but they got to deal with blackberries something. I'm about

1646
01:24:49,960 --> 01:24:51,479
Speaker 1: to call him right now and see if he has

1647
01:24:52,120 --> 01:24:57,240
Speaker 1: you know answer, Oh damn, you know that? My god, Jay,

1648
01:24:57,320 --> 01:25:00,160
Speaker 1: this he needs to tell me for every game. Want

1649
01:25:00,479 --> 01:25:05,120
Speaker 1: leup line? Why smell it? What was that the popcorn popping? Smell?

1650
01:25:06,040 --> 01:25:11,840
Speaker 1: Smell it's popping? Its Jamal, it's show time. Look you

1651
01:25:11,920 --> 01:25:14,439
Speaker 1: want to speaker phone, I got I got stacking Matt

1652
01:25:14,560 --> 01:25:17,320
Speaker 1: here we are we on live live the show. You

1653
01:25:17,400 --> 01:25:20,000
Speaker 1: gotta come on. We need you, Bro. I gotta come

1654
01:25:20,040 --> 01:25:34,160
Speaker 1: on your first show time. What's up Showtime? That's they

1655
01:25:34,200 --> 01:25:36,360
Speaker 1: wanted me to call you because we gotta get They

1656
01:25:36,439 --> 01:25:39,200
Speaker 1: need you on the they need you to get on there.

1657
01:25:39,240 --> 01:25:40,920
Speaker 1: For two years. I know they got a master play.

1658
01:25:40,920 --> 01:25:42,320
Speaker 1: They just waiting to bring me on you. They just

1659
01:25:44,520 --> 01:25:46,880
Speaker 1: we're saying, you got all the stories in the world.

1660
01:25:47,000 --> 01:25:56,000
Speaker 1: That's why you gotta come on s time. Fail. See

1661
01:25:56,040 --> 01:25:57,760
Speaker 1: he got it off the top of his head too.

1662
01:25:57,920 --> 01:26:00,960
Speaker 1: That's funny. Now, I was just calling you fail. Okay,

1663
01:26:01,000 --> 01:26:02,719
Speaker 1: we all have a good time. I'm coaching. The kids

1664
01:26:03,080 --> 01:26:06,719
Speaker 1: love it. Yeah, it's dope, right, I told you many

1665
01:26:06,800 --> 01:26:11,920
Speaker 1: and your little man's a killer too. Come on, mans,

1666
01:26:11,960 --> 01:26:17,120
Speaker 1: your sun what you spect all right? Alright? Alright boy

1667
01:26:18,680 --> 01:26:26,200
Speaker 1: jamal Yeah. Man, We appreciate your time. Man. Man, we

1668
01:26:26,320 --> 01:26:31,040
Speaker 1: love you your journey. Appreciate you, man, We appreciate you.

1669
01:26:31,120 --> 01:26:33,800
Speaker 1: Man has been asking so yeah, like Jack said, and

1670
01:26:34,200 --> 01:26:35,439
Speaker 1: you've been through a hell of a journey. At the

1671
01:26:35,479 --> 01:26:36,960
Speaker 1: end of the day, like you have this together and

1672
01:26:37,000 --> 01:26:39,320
Speaker 1: I love that you said that. That's why extensively asked

1673
01:26:39,360 --> 01:26:41,080
Speaker 1: you because you didn't see the best and you've just

1674
01:26:41,160 --> 01:26:42,720
Speaker 1: seen the worst. Thing. You're still here, man, and we

1675
01:26:42,840 --> 01:26:45,760
Speaker 1: with you. So man, we love you, we appreciate you.

1676
01:26:45,920 --> 01:26:50,439
Speaker 1: It's all always. That's a wrap, all the Smoke special

1677
01:26:50,479 --> 01:26:53,120
Speaker 1: guest Isaiah Thomas. You can cast us on Showtime Basketball

1678
01:26:53,160 --> 01:26:56,519
Speaker 1: YouTube with the I Heart platform Black Effects. See you

1679
01:26:56,560 --> 01:26:58,679
Speaker 1: all next week. All of it. This is all a smoke,

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01:26:59,040 --> 01:27:01,599
Speaker 1: A production of the Lack Effect and Our Heart Radio

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01:27:01,920 --> 01:27:03,240
Speaker 1: in partnership with Showtime