WEBVTT - KJ Live - Jovani Ruff 0:00:01.280 --> 0:00:10.320 This is kJ Live with Chris john Sillen and Chris 0:00:10.440 --> 0:00:13.680 is having conversations with influencers in the sports world and 0:00:13.920 --> 0:00:20.759 entertainment in the Strait. Now here's Chris Johnson. You're now 0:00:20.880 --> 0:00:24.040 tuned in to K three Live. Today's guests on the 0:00:24.079 --> 0:00:27.760 show was one of the nation's top sophomore basketball players. 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:30.840 He's a six five one and seventy five pounds shooting 0:00:30.840 --> 0:00:36.000 guard at the legendary Long Beach Polly in Long Beach, California. 0:00:36.760 --> 0:00:40.320 He is the number fourteenth ranked prospect in the country 0:00:40.320 --> 0:00:45.480 by ESPN. Let's welcome in, Jovanni. Rough to kJ Live. 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:49.640 What's good, Jo, Vanny? What's up? Everything? Man? Everything you 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:53.599 on the show. Happy new year, brother, first ball, Yes, sir, Yes, 0:00:53.600 --> 0:00:56.120 there's a new year man. New beginnings is a chance 0:00:56.120 --> 0:00:58.480 to start at the top of things. Man. But we're 0:00:58.480 --> 0:01:01.240 in the middle of the basketball season. Yeah uh, and 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:05.520 you guys Long Beach Polly have played a hilicious schedule 0:01:05.640 --> 0:01:07.399 to start it out. Man, talk about talk to me 0:01:07.400 --> 0:01:09.880 about how this season has gone so far. Do you 0:01:09.920 --> 0:01:12.600 feel like there's been a bull's eye sort of a 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:15.920 target on you that wasn't there last year as a freshman? Yeah? 0:01:15.920 --> 0:01:18.280 It definitely is a target because of my rank and 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:21.160 who I am right now. But our coaches and our 0:01:21.200 --> 0:01:23.160 team are trying to keep me level headed. Is now 0:01:23.280 --> 0:01:26.399 that winning is you know the main goal? Yeah? And 0:01:26.400 --> 0:01:29.080 when you talk about winning, you you're playing at a program, man, 0:01:29.120 --> 0:01:32.080 that is notoriously one of the current your current coach 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:34.840 as well as Shelton Diggs as well as the coaches 0:01:34.920 --> 0:01:36.120 from the past. I mean, I know, I went to 0:01:36.160 --> 0:01:38.120 creat high school. We played Long Beach Polly and it 0:01:38.200 --> 0:01:40.080 was always, you know, one of the biggest games of 0:01:40.080 --> 0:01:44.280 the year. Do you feel that pressure or that legacy 0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:46.920 or is that something that this generation the ballplayer just 0:01:46.920 --> 0:01:51.480 really isn't tuned into. Nah? Me, personally, I feel the pressure, 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:54.760 but I don't think everybody else really realizes that. You know, 0:01:54.800 --> 0:01:57.680 we go to Polly like everyone's really gonna for us. 0:01:58.560 --> 0:02:00.440 Me personally, I kind of feel of it, and I 0:02:00.440 --> 0:02:02.320 feel like our coaches are trying to like let us 0:02:02.360 --> 0:02:07.160 know that, you know, like you're at Polly like lock in, Yeah, man, 0:02:07.280 --> 0:02:10.440 you are. And and you guys got um a lot 0:02:10.440 --> 0:02:13.320 of opportunity to play against some of the top talent 0:02:13.520 --> 0:02:15.799 not only in southern California but in the country. So 0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:18.640 far if all the players that you have faced because 0:02:18.639 --> 0:02:20.800 you faced bad like a murderous row. You're going against 0:02:20.880 --> 0:02:23.680 guys this year who has been who has it pressed 0:02:23.720 --> 0:02:27.880 you both so far? Uh? Sat Bernards Definitely, they gave 0:02:28.000 --> 0:02:30.240 us the hardest, the toughest match up. They were just 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:32.880 good all around. I like Tony Bland and how he 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:36.880 coached this team. I really like them. Yeah. Bernards is 0:02:36.880 --> 0:02:40.520 a nice little crew, uh, Tiger reasons and they got 0:02:40.520 --> 0:02:44.440 some upperclassmen that are very very good basketball players. What 0:02:44.680 --> 0:02:51.040 is it about this season that feels different than last season? 0:02:51.120 --> 0:02:54.239 Last year, you guys had senior leadership. This year it's 0:02:54.280 --> 0:02:58.360 a young team. You're pretty much the senior leader, if 0:02:58.360 --> 0:03:01.720 you will, quote unquote. It's been the biggest difference between 0:03:01.720 --> 0:03:04.760 this year's Polly and last year. It's just this year 0:03:04.800 --> 0:03:06.960 we're young. Last year we were all, like you said, 0:03:06.960 --> 0:03:09.600 it was senior whatever. We don't have that. This year 0:03:09.639 --> 0:03:12.600 we have two seniors and one of them plays the 0:03:12.639 --> 0:03:15.079 other ones kind of you know, just there. But it's 0:03:15.160 --> 0:03:17.960 definitely that I feel like we're not as maturity were 0:03:18.040 --> 0:03:21.959 last year, but hopefully we can get on track. How 0:03:21.960 --> 0:03:25.920 important is that maturity? Giovanni is somebody that's been a 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:28.839 part of a team and played a major role. How 0:03:28.880 --> 0:03:31.960 important is maturity on the high school level for your 0:03:31.960 --> 0:03:35.160 team's success? Now, it's super important because if you're not 0:03:35.240 --> 0:03:37.920 mature and you're just in it for yourself or whatever, 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:41.120 you're not gonna in nothing. And I feel like we 0:03:41.120 --> 0:03:44.160 can get like that since we're young sometimes, but we 0:03:44.480 --> 0:03:47.440 have some games where we're just rolling. Like we lost 0:03:47.680 --> 0:03:51.640 some good teams, but they were good losses. But yeah, 0:03:51.720 --> 0:03:54.280 the maturity means a lot. Now you're listed as a 0:03:54.320 --> 0:03:58.200 shooting guard. Uh, it's my I'm of the opinion I 0:03:58.200 --> 0:04:00.880 think that your natural well, you're position will end up 0:04:00.920 --> 0:04:03.120 being more of a of a of a combo guard, 0:04:03.120 --> 0:04:04.880 a guy that can handle the ball as well as 0:04:04.880 --> 0:04:08.160 shoot it. Are you comfortable playing sort of the lead 0:04:08.240 --> 0:04:13.120 guard maestro point guard position? Yeah? I just started doing 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:16.440 that a couple of games ago and practice, our coach, 0:04:16.560 --> 0:04:18.360 Coach Shell, told me, I don't know, to start running 0:04:18.360 --> 0:04:20.640 the point more. Last year he wanted me to do it, 0:04:20.680 --> 0:04:22.520 but I kind of like backed off because I was 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:25.080 like nervous, like I was a freshman. I didn't want 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:28.240 to mess up my senior season, know whatever. So this 0:04:28.320 --> 0:04:31.960 year I'm really taking on that combo guard role. Yeah no, 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:36.160 And I mean having the basketball in your hands, being 0:04:36.200 --> 0:04:40.440 able to make decisions, especially at high speeds under durest. 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:42.680 I mean that's what gets you ready, and that's what 0:04:42.800 --> 0:04:45.080 you're I think you're built for. I watched you play 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:47.400 in the E y B l U during the summer, 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:49.720 and I just noticed that you have a unique ability 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:52.520 to I think rise to the occasion. I think that's 0:04:52.520 --> 0:04:54.320 something that I noticed about you. I think you you 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:56.760 rise to the occasion. You're able to step up and 0:04:56.800 --> 0:04:59.919 turn it on when needed. Now, sometimes when you play 0:05:00.120 --> 0:05:03.159 against teams that might not you know, bring the best 0:05:03.200 --> 0:05:05.919 out of you. You may you have, in my opinion, 0:05:06.000 --> 0:05:09.040 played to that level of competition. Now, how do you 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:12.920 become a guy that's just that one guy all the time, 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:16.480 no matter who you're playing with, you're going into absolutely dominant. 0:05:18.000 --> 0:05:21.280 I think it starts in practice for real. Like I 0:05:21.320 --> 0:05:23.839 feel like even if you are, like you're playing against 0:05:23.839 --> 0:05:25.520 the second team or whatever, and you know that you're 0:05:25.560 --> 0:05:30.120 better on the other team, you just got I like 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:32.400 still go at them the same way, because it's like, 0:05:32.560 --> 0:05:33.800 if I don't do it in practice, when I get 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:36.039 in the game, we played like a league opponent and 0:05:36.080 --> 0:05:38.400 we're playing like they have won a game. I'm just 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:42.680 started sucking. But yeah, it's really starts in practice. No, 0:05:42.800 --> 0:05:46.160 it does, and it's it's your practice how you play. 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:49.039 And we were taught at U C. L A And 0:05:49.080 --> 0:05:52.600 Crentshaw High School, both my alma manors, that practice was 0:05:52.800 --> 0:05:56.120 like our most important part of our basketball experience. So 0:05:56.240 --> 0:05:58.159 we had to give it all in practice. There was 0:05:58.160 --> 0:06:00.680 no being late. There was we were always in to 0:06:00.800 --> 0:06:03.680 everything the coach said, and we're pushing ourselves. I think 0:06:04.000 --> 0:06:08.520 pushing yourself is is the one of the toughest things 0:06:08.640 --> 0:06:10.640 you have to do, especially sometimes when you might not 0:06:10.720 --> 0:06:15.440 necessarily have the level of competition around you that may 0:06:15.520 --> 0:06:17.800 push you, but you have to take it upon yourself 0:06:17.839 --> 0:06:21.200 personally to push yourself. Take have some pride each and 0:06:21.240 --> 0:06:24.159 every day about how you go about your business. Man, 0:06:24.720 --> 0:06:27.360 talk to me a little bit about your recruiting. Now. 0:06:27.400 --> 0:06:30.719 I know that they're our team or schools that are involved. 0:06:31.120 --> 0:06:34.280 How do you when you're looking at schools right nowadays, 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:38.640 how do you evaluate a program? It's a style of play, 0:06:38.760 --> 0:06:40.599 is it the coaching staff? Do you look at the 0:06:40.680 --> 0:06:43.000 number of guys that got in the league. Talk to 0:06:43.040 --> 0:06:46.120 me it's really about their style of play and how 0:06:46.160 --> 0:06:48.280 they coach. I'm not really worried about how many people 0:06:48.279 --> 0:06:49.680 they put in the league because at the end of 0:06:49.680 --> 0:06:51.400 the day, that's gonna be on me if I get 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:53.440 to the league or not wherever I go. But it's 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:56.599 really style of play because I know I play the 0:06:56.680 --> 0:06:59.080 right way, So I want to go to a program 0:06:59.080 --> 0:07:03.200 where like it's really all about fundamentals and they coach right. 0:07:03.320 --> 0:07:06.400 They don't just let people do whatever. They're gonna get 0:07:06.440 --> 0:07:08.240 on you, but they're still gonna show you love here 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:11.240 and there. You know, Yeah, No, I do know. Um 0:07:11.360 --> 0:07:14.000 U c l A was a place that I love 0:07:14.160 --> 0:07:16.840 because it fits the mode of that what you were saying. 0:07:17.040 --> 0:07:21.120 I also took an official visit to Duke University in 0:07:21.240 --> 0:07:25.240 nine so they had just won a national championship. Yeah, 0:07:25.320 --> 0:07:27.560 I'm hanging out with Grand Hill and them guys. Coach K, 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:29.720 I'm saying, the Coach K's office. I'll tell you what, 0:07:29.800 --> 0:07:32.239 it was one of the great experiences of my life. 0:07:32.240 --> 0:07:34.160 They No, Coach K wanted me to walk on. He 0:07:34.200 --> 0:07:36.080 didn't want me. He wasn't gonna off for me a scholarship. 0:07:36.080 --> 0:07:38.440 He's gonna give you a preferred walk on. He said, hey, 0:07:38.560 --> 0:07:40.760 the next season, you know, you can earn a scholarship, 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:43.440 because you know scholarships Joe Vannier a year to year. 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:45.400 So he was telling me that the next season, I 0:07:45.400 --> 0:07:47.239 can earn a scholarship. I was just kind of like, coach, 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:48.840 you know, you played me to the left up top 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:51.640 fifty like I've got roblic Okay, I'm going to u 0:07:51.640 --> 0:07:54.680 c l A. But that experience and when you when 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:58.560 you say programs that are fundamentality sound, those two come up. 0:07:58.960 --> 0:08:02.760 What programs have reached out to you or have shown 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:07.560 some early interests in your high school career. Um, right 0:08:07.560 --> 0:08:10.680 now at the moment, it's Illinois, U c l A, 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:16.360 USC Arizona, Stanford, Arkansas, a little bit of Virginia. Longby 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:19.320 State offered. LMU offered. It's just schools like that. It's 0:08:19.360 --> 0:08:22.840 really West coast right now. Congratulations on the l m 0:08:22.920 --> 0:08:25.440 U and the Long Beach State offer. I mean, I 0:08:25.480 --> 0:08:28.160 remember my first offer. I believe it was you CSB, 0:08:28.760 --> 0:08:31.080 and I felt like a million bucks because it's nothing 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:34.720 like knowing that there's a Division one or even a 0:08:34.800 --> 0:08:38.000 collegiate opportunity ready to take you on. That's a big 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:41.040 responsibility on them, and they're they're putting a lot into that. 0:08:41.120 --> 0:08:42.920 So you know, I'm gonna give you kudos, man for 0:08:42.960 --> 0:08:45.400 working this hard so far. Trust me, I know more 0:08:45.480 --> 0:08:48.280 offers are gonna roll in for you. Let's talk about it, 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:51.240 no question, man, Let's talk about a couple of those 0:08:51.280 --> 0:08:55.200 programs that you mentioned. UM. Arkansas is a program that 0:08:55.240 --> 0:08:59.079 I I love. I've I've we um, I've watched them, 0:08:59.120 --> 0:09:02.880 followed them for years. UM when coach Musselman got the job, 0:09:03.160 --> 0:09:05.240 I definitely was paying a lot of attention. I know 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:08.080 the last couple years they've got some players. What is 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:12.360 it about Arkansas style of play that is attractive to 0:09:12.400 --> 0:09:15.840 Giovanni Rock? I feel like they let their guards go, 0:09:16.320 --> 0:09:18.720 Like you see this year Nick Smith, Anthony Black. Athney 0:09:18.720 --> 0:09:20.880 Black is someone I watched a lot. These are like 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:24.520 eight point guard. A lot of him. People told me 0:09:24.679 --> 0:09:26.760 put me on him. I like how they let him 0:09:26.800 --> 0:09:28.800 go and like he's not selfish at all, He's just 0:09:29.160 --> 0:09:32.240 he's mainly a pastor for real. So yeah, I was 0:09:32.320 --> 0:09:34.800 like to let him go. Yeah, No, that's key man, 0:09:34.920 --> 0:09:37.360 letting you go, letting you play through mistakes. I think 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:41.240 that's one of the big things that Uh, athletes always 0:09:41.320 --> 0:09:43.080 want out of a coach. Just let me, you know, 0:09:43.160 --> 0:09:44.800 don't pull me out when I messed up, man, just 0:09:44.880 --> 0:09:47.280 let me play, let me go, and the freedom to 0:09:47.400 --> 0:09:50.760 create and do some things. What is it about, say 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:56.000 Illinois that picture interests as well as Big Tends on 0:09:56.080 --> 0:10:00.200 the East Coast, It's a whole different environ I mean, 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:03.920 the coaches show love lies, so I like that. I've 0:10:03.960 --> 0:10:06.920 been watching teams. They're doing pretty good this season. They 0:10:06.920 --> 0:10:09.840 have a couple of losses, but in general it's like 0:10:09.880 --> 0:10:12.719 the same let their guards go, but they let them 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:15.600 go to a certain extent, like they you don't want 0:10:15.600 --> 0:10:18.720 to like, you know, what's it going? Just let them 0:10:18.960 --> 0:10:21.920 mess up and stuff. You know. Well, yeah, this run 0:10:22.000 --> 0:10:24.079 run rampant. I had a chance to watch Illinois a 0:10:24.080 --> 0:10:26.240 couple of times this season. They smacked my U c. 0:10:26.400 --> 0:10:28.760 L A Bruins out in Vegas. Yeah that was a 0:10:28.800 --> 0:10:31.559 good game. Yeah it was. That was a good game. Man. 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:34.040 I like I like that that one of the lefty. 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:36.760 They got a lefty that is like nice nice and 0:10:36.840 --> 0:10:39.319 were shooting it. And I'm familiar with the sky Clark 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:43.720 as well. Yeah. I had a question about how you 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:49.520 know someone in your class views and local. Being from 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:52.320 the city of Long Beach, how do you view the 0:10:52.360 --> 0:10:55.559 fact that U C, l A and USC are bouncing 0:10:55.720 --> 0:11:00.240 to the Big Ten Conference? How does that resonate with you? Uh? Yeah, 0:11:01.000 --> 0:11:03.120 I mean it's not like a big deal to me, 0:11:03.240 --> 0:11:06.240 But I feel like competition wise, it's a good thing. 0:11:06.360 --> 0:11:09.360 But maybe I wish they could have stayed out here 0:11:09.360 --> 0:11:12.880 a little longer. But competition wise, I feel like big talents, right, 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:18.400 would that be something It's like location or where in 0:11:18.520 --> 0:11:22.160 who people are playing? Is that something that matters to 0:11:22.280 --> 0:11:25.920 you a lot? Or are you focused on what is 0:11:25.960 --> 0:11:29.040 this coach and coaching staff and school are gonna do 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:32.040 for me? How can I leverage this situation? I'm not 0:11:32.040 --> 0:11:34.680 worried about who I play. Yeah, I'm not really worried 0:11:34.679 --> 0:11:37.800 about who I play. I feel like location doesn't matter 0:11:37.800 --> 0:11:40.080 because basketball can take you around the world. I'm trying 0:11:40.080 --> 0:11:42.959 to see everywhere. So it's really the coaching firm. Now, 0:11:42.960 --> 0:11:45.280 that's a great that's a great way to view it, man, 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:48.320 because there's a lot of l A guys that just 0:11:48.400 --> 0:11:50.480 hate the code. I'll keep it real so they'll turn 0:11:50.559 --> 0:11:53.640 down opportunities if it's cold and this and that. You know, brothers. 0:11:53.720 --> 0:11:55.480 K just go put on, you know, a big bubble 0:11:55.559 --> 0:11:58.160 jacket and get a beatie. You know, it's easy later 0:11:58.240 --> 0:12:00.480 up with dude, want to be like, No, man, too colde. 0:12:00.480 --> 0:12:02.120 I'm not messing with that. I'm like, all right, bro, 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:04.959 so you're not like that Javan. I like the rain 0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:07.960 all that? Okay? Cool? Cool, that's uh, that's good to know. 0:12:08.559 --> 0:12:11.959 Um in the era nowadays of the n I L 0:12:12.559 --> 0:12:16.640 the name image and likeness, which is something that is 0:12:16.720 --> 0:12:20.240 so kind of brand new to my generation because it 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:22.520 was always illegal to get that off. So you know, 0:12:22.559 --> 0:12:24.199 it was you know, it was never legal to really 0:12:24.200 --> 0:12:27.959 get this off. Now it's legal. How does someone at 0:12:27.960 --> 0:12:32.000 your age look at that? Are you actively like worried 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:34.400 about that, or you're worried more about just being the 0:12:34.440 --> 0:12:36.400 best basketball player you could be and then the n 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:38.280 I L will come? Or you like, do you even 0:12:38.360 --> 0:12:41.079 think about the n I L. No, I don't think 0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:43.000 about the n I L. I have people hit. My 0:12:43.040 --> 0:12:45.000 parents are talking about n I L s. It's it's 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:46.920 a blessing, of course, But I'm just focused on the 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:49.800 basketball park getting better because I know, like one day 0:12:49.840 --> 0:12:52.880 the money will come, you know, But it's a blessing. Yeah, 0:12:52.960 --> 0:12:55.640 it is. It is a blessing. I think, Um, we 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:59.040 live in an era now with social media and you know, 0:12:59.120 --> 0:13:02.480 you have following ing and there's ability to like make 0:13:02.520 --> 0:13:05.560 money because you have followers. So a guy that stands 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:09.520 out for me is Jared McCain out at Corona Centennial. Uh, 0:13:09.559 --> 0:13:11.920 you know, he's got like a million TikTok followers. You 0:13:11.920 --> 0:13:14.480 know he's going to duke. He's out here doing his 0:13:14.600 --> 0:13:17.080 thing and he's balling and so so the key is 0:13:17.160 --> 0:13:20.800 it's always you gotta ball. Also, it's not just n 0:13:20.840 --> 0:13:25.000 I L talk and getting bags. I need thirty pieces. 0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:27.439 I need you know, triple doubles. I need a championship. 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:29.760 I mean that's to me. I come from that era, 0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:32.520 like you know, you gotta actually produce. But I love 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:35.400 the opportunity that it gives the young athletes today to 0:13:35.520 --> 0:13:38.719 maximize off their talent. Fox Sports Radio has the best 0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:41.600 sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:45.120 shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and within the 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:48.280 I Heart Radio app search f s R to listen live. 0:13:49.400 --> 0:13:53.920 When you look at your game, Rovini and you evaluate yourself, 0:13:54.000 --> 0:13:56.360 what does that process look like? Do you watch filming 0:13:56.440 --> 0:14:00.360 yourself are you revisiting the game and thinking play by 0:14:00.400 --> 0:14:02.480 play and what you could have did better? Give me 0:14:02.559 --> 0:14:06.360 some insight into how you break down your game. I 0:14:06.440 --> 0:14:09.400 really watched the losses because really this year, all of 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:12.319 our losses, I haven't really performed, you know, to them 0:14:12.360 --> 0:14:16.240 my best. But I look at what I what I 0:14:16.280 --> 0:14:18.760 could have done, what I did. You always want to 0:14:18.760 --> 0:14:20.280 look at the good stuff, you know, you want to 0:14:20.400 --> 0:14:24.440 put yourself down. But I feel like it's just all effort, 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:28.080 Like rebounding. He was talking about triple doubles and stuff. 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:30.160 I feel I can average triple double if I just 0:14:30.200 --> 0:14:33.360 put in the effort to go rebound on the offensive boards. 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:37.280 You and my teammates involved stuff like that. Yeah, you 0:14:37.360 --> 0:14:40.120 know those are things that it's It's definitely the first 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:42.360 part of it all is just recognizing things you can 0:14:42.400 --> 0:14:45.480 do better as basketball As basketball players. Sometimes, you know, 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:48.760 we don't we get sensitive about ourselves our game. You know, 0:14:48.760 --> 0:14:50.400 we don't want to watch film because of how we 0:14:50.520 --> 0:14:54.000 might look. But it's the best move is to be 0:14:54.120 --> 0:14:58.720 brutally honest with yourself at all times and listen to 0:14:58.760 --> 0:15:01.000 those people close to you, around you that have known 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:02.400 you for a long time and that are telling you 0:15:02.480 --> 0:15:04.360 things that that you know you you don't want to hear. 0:15:04.400 --> 0:15:05.760 I know, I never used to want to hear nothing. 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:07.600 My my dad had to say, I never wanted to 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:09.760 hear nothing, my mom, I don't want to hear nothing, like, 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:12.800 don't tell me nothing. And my dad played in the league. Bro, 0:15:13.160 --> 0:15:14.760 if my dad was in the league and all types 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:16.280 of stuff, and I did my dad like that, like, no, 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:17.880 you don't know what you're talking about. Man. You played 0:15:17.920 --> 0:15:20.320 ten years ago, twenty years ago. Man, So but the 0:15:20.360 --> 0:15:23.840 reality is he did, and the reality is I should 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:27.960 have lifted. But back to you, um, the E y 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:29.920 b L. I wanted to talk about that because I 0:15:29.960 --> 0:15:32.400 coached on the E y b L in sixteens several 0:15:32.520 --> 0:15:35.720 years ago. With the truth, did you feel like, did 0:15:35.720 --> 0:15:37.720 the E y b L experience for you didn't give 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:42.240 you uh confidence going into this season or was confidence 0:15:42.280 --> 0:15:46.480 already there from the freshman year? No. Confidence was definitely 0:15:46.520 --> 0:15:48.040 there from the freshman year. But when I came back 0:15:48.080 --> 0:15:50.240 from the y b L, I nobody in this area 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:52.280 really was playing y b L. So I was like, 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:54.760 if I can hang over there, when I come back there, 0:15:54.800 --> 0:15:58.160 I should be dominating. So it boosting me up. Yeah. 0:15:58.560 --> 0:16:02.760 Are you looking forward as far as um we talked 0:16:02.760 --> 0:16:06.480 about college. Are you looking forward to like locking in 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:11.000 a major? Um? Do you have like interests outside of 0:16:11.000 --> 0:16:13.240 basketball as far as you know what you're gonna do? 0:16:13.320 --> 0:16:15.880 Is it business? Is it you know? Law? Maybe history? 0:16:15.880 --> 0:16:18.560 I don't know. Talk to me about your interests outside 0:16:18.600 --> 0:16:20.760 What is your long term kind of thought process on 0:16:20.880 --> 0:16:23.800 what you want to be after the ball stops bouncing, 0:16:24.360 --> 0:16:26.400 after the ball saws bouncing. I feel like I want 0:16:26.400 --> 0:16:29.040 to stay in the basketball room, even if it's like 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:31.600 a now scene, you know, doing what you you interview 0:16:31.640 --> 0:16:34.800 people like this is cool? Yeah, I like stuff's history 0:16:34.880 --> 0:16:37.000 is cool too. I don't know if I can see 0:16:37.080 --> 0:16:43.240 myself as a historian. I want to basketball circle. Yeah. Sorry, 0:16:43.560 --> 0:16:47.120 what's your favorite subject in school? Oh? It's history? You're 0:16:47.120 --> 0:16:48.520 like his what what I wanted? Saw? I was a 0:16:48.600 --> 0:16:51.400 history major U. C. L A. And I'm fascinated with history. 0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:54.120 What is it about history that you like so much? Like? 0:16:54.160 --> 0:17:00.160 Why history? It's you're learning about at the path us 0:17:00.160 --> 0:17:02.480 to why certain things and today's day happens. But it's 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:04.760 really my teacher, Like it's all about the teacher. The teachers, 0:17:04.760 --> 0:17:07.359 cold cold everybody, and he teaches. Well, you're gonna like 0:17:07.400 --> 0:17:10.920 to subject. I don't good teachers this year. Shout out, shout, 0:17:10.920 --> 0:17:12.919 what's your teacher history teachers name? Give him shout out. 0:17:12.920 --> 0:17:17.800 He might be listening, Mr Scott, what's something? Mr Scott? Uh, 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:22.480 you know he'll be listening. Um. When when you look 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:28.760 at the NBA, when I was coming up, when I 0:17:28.800 --> 0:17:30.840 was your age, I did not think about the NBA. 0:17:31.000 --> 0:17:33.480 The NBA was not something that I'm just like, look 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:36.800 so far away from me. It's a lot closer to 0:17:36.960 --> 0:17:40.119 guys nowadays. It's a lot more reachable and attainable, in 0:17:40.160 --> 0:17:42.840 my opinion, When you look at the n B A, 0:17:44.320 --> 0:17:46.760 what are your thoughts on it? How do you view it? 0:17:46.840 --> 0:17:48.800 Is it something I know it's obviously the place you 0:17:48.840 --> 0:17:51.320 want to play, but is it Is it one of 0:17:51.320 --> 0:17:53.600 those things where it looks like something that is almost 0:17:53.600 --> 0:17:56.119 an impossible dream? Or do you feel like you have 0:17:56.160 --> 0:17:58.199 the confidence that if you work hard enough, you can 0:17:58.240 --> 0:18:01.399 attain it. No, feel like the NBA for me is 0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:04.800 very possible, but I'm very far right now. But if 0:18:04.840 --> 0:18:06.679 I keep working hard, I feel like one day I 0:18:06.800 --> 0:18:12.680 was seeing myself. Who's your favorite player and team right now? 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:18.040 Boston Celtics. This is you ain't there from you from 0:18:18.080 --> 0:18:21.719 Long Beach. Hold on, you talk about Jason Tatum Tatum? 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:26.320 What about j J. Tatum's game is so nice right now? 0:18:26.720 --> 0:18:28.920 The way he gets to his spots and I feel 0:18:29.000 --> 0:18:31.600 like he's a little inconsistent here and there. But when 0:18:31.600 --> 0:18:35.760 he's on, he's like unstoppable. It feels like but Luca, 0:18:36.160 --> 0:18:39.480 Luca might might have got him. Yeah, that's interesting. But 0:18:39.560 --> 0:18:41.840 Da Donovan Mitchell has seventy one the other night. It's 0:18:41.880 --> 0:18:45.920 it's been some crazy stuff going on. Do you think that? 0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:49.360 And he obviously you you weren't. You weren't born when 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:52.440 the league was more of a physical league and there 0:18:52.520 --> 0:18:55.960 was more of an emphasis on physicality and big men 0:18:56.080 --> 0:18:58.359 that were true big men and stuff like that. Do 0:18:58.480 --> 0:19:02.479 you feel like the nb A right now do you 0:19:02.520 --> 0:19:05.520 feel like if you could have, if you could look 0:19:05.560 --> 0:19:08.720 back on the eighties and nineties and on YouTube, do 0:19:08.760 --> 0:19:13.040 you feel like the NBA right now is less physical 0:19:13.560 --> 0:19:16.280 then it was back then. In your research and the 0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:18.240 things that you have watched and seen, talk to me. 0:19:18.280 --> 0:19:21.080 I need to hear your perspective, man. I feel I 0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:24.160 feel like it's still physical to a certain extent, but 0:19:24.240 --> 0:19:27.160 I feel like back then it was physical and like, 0:19:27.560 --> 0:19:29.840 I don't know how to explain it, the players wanted 0:19:30.240 --> 0:19:32.439 everyone to see how physical it is. I feel like 0:19:32.480 --> 0:19:36.159 it's these days, like it's still physical, but it's like, 0:19:36.280 --> 0:19:39.119 you know, don't do that type stuff now. That's a 0:19:39.119 --> 0:19:41.760 great point when you say when you said the players 0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:44.920 they wanted to know everybody, Hey I'm physical, Hey man, 0:19:44.920 --> 0:19:48.080 I'm out here the boy. Yeah, because it was it 0:19:48.200 --> 0:19:51.320 was it was all about intimidation and nowadays it may 0:19:51.400 --> 0:19:54.840 be just as physical. But I think the intimidation, bullying, 0:19:54.960 --> 0:19:58.000 trying to punk dudes aspect has been kind of taken 0:19:58.040 --> 0:20:00.240 out of the game. Now. Dudes are actually folk ist 0:20:00.320 --> 0:20:04.560 on basketball like it should have been. Yeah, when you 0:20:04.640 --> 0:20:08.399 watch them old days and you look at guys in 0:20:08.720 --> 0:20:11.600 our era, I mean in the current era, do you 0:20:11.960 --> 0:20:14.560 ever do the comparison thing? Man, when you look at 0:20:14.600 --> 0:20:17.600 like Michael Jordan's or Kobe and like he says, you know, 0:20:17.680 --> 0:20:20.400 Lebron now or anybody like that, do you ever compare 0:20:21.080 --> 0:20:23.639 players from different eras? Do you ever think about that stuff? 0:20:24.280 --> 0:20:25.919 I think when I'm talking to my friends, you know, 0:20:25.960 --> 0:20:28.720 it's always you know, who's better Michael or Jordan's or 0:20:28.720 --> 0:20:32.919 not Michael Michael Lebron, but me personally, I never compared 0:20:33.240 --> 0:20:36.000