1 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. What is up 2 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: Straight Fire? Fam, It's me Jason McIntyre, Straight Fire or Friday, 3 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: August five. It is a nice weekend, the last weekend 4 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: we will be without football for the next like six months. 5 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: And uh, Thursday Night's football game a k A. Hall 6 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: of Fame game was a glorified scrimmage if you watch that. 7 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: But next weekend, preseason football begins in earnest when some 8 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: starters will play. You can actually evaluate guys trying to 9 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,639 Speaker 1: make the roster. I didn't think, you know, Thursday Night's 10 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: game was anything special, so I did not watch it. 11 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 1: My son had a basketball game for his summer league. Uh, 12 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: my mom's in town. You know, I had that procedure done, 13 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: and um, it's like, it's just too many things happening 14 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: for me to watch a glorified scrimmage. That being said, 15 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: exciting new not just me being on the herd today. 16 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: Throughout the show, I'll be there with cow heard. Should 17 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: be fun. Check it out at S one. But today's 18 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: guest a true legend. And I know we tossed around 19 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: the word legend a lot, but that's the only word 20 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:21,759 Speaker 1: that applies to Jimmer Fredet, James Taft, fre Debt, Yes, 21 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: v B y you scoring impresario? Can I use that 22 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: word there? I mean this guy did everything at the 23 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: college level. He I think he led the country in scoring. 24 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: He was a lottery pick. We talked about his NBA career, 25 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: White didn't really work out and whether or not he 26 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: has like one last shot. But he went to the 27 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: CBA dominated, Uh, went to the D League, you know, 28 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: all Star game, m v P, went to China, drop 29 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: seventy five points, went to Greece one the championship. Like Jimmer, 30 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 1: Fredet has exceeded all expectations for like a six to 31 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: white kid coming out of Glenfall's New York. He has 32 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: just he's a great story. I won't spoil how I 33 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: got him to come on the podcast, but we do 34 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: talk about it. Um, it's pretty funny. He is a 35 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: super friendly guy. Guys just a winner. Um. From his 36 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 1: work ethic to his positivity and the way he looked 37 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: at the NBA situation. Um, he got a rough hand. Listen, 38 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: when you go to the Sacramento Kings, chances are good 39 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 1: that it's not gonna work out. The Kings are a 40 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: dumpster fire, have always been I think they have the 41 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: longest playoff drought in the NBA, something like eight twenty 42 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: years or close to it. He was only on one 43 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: good team in like his six year run. He actually 44 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: played with Devin Booker and DeAndre eight and early sons 45 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: pre Chris Paul. Obviously, it was back in twenty nineteen 46 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: and everybody knows Jimmifer Dead, all the guys that are 47 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: under twenty five now in the NBA. We're watching Jimmerford 48 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: at Torch College basketball. Um, just as Twitter was in 49 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: its infancy back in like two thousand ten and jimmifor 50 00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: Dett was the biggest deal in college hoops. He has 51 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: sent stually, how does Steph Gurry vibe to him? You know, 52 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: I mean, that's what the guy was doing. And the 53 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 1: fact that he came on the podcast just I was 54 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: all excited. I know, it's football season. Uh, there was 55 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: no news on the Lebron front. Um he met with 56 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: the Lakers, blah blah blah, nothing happened, and um, you know, 57 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: I just think there's a perfect time for a Jimmer 58 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:23,359 Speaker 1: fordt and interview. I do want to tease Monday's podcast. 59 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: We have a big time college football guest coming on 60 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: they talk a lot of gambling for college football. That 61 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: is on Monday, so, uh, it's coming up. You should 62 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: enjoy it. But first let's get to our guests, the 63 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: one and only Jimmer for Debt. Jason likes to think 64 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: he knows everything when it comes to sports. I know 65 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: what sports dance want, but for everything he doesn't. He 66 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: knows a guy who does. Let's just say I know 67 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: a guy who knows a guy he knows another guy. 68 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: All right, let's welcome into straight fire. One of the 69 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: probably the best college basketball players this cent. You know 70 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: you You have Steph Curry on the list and a 71 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: bunch of other great shooters, and Jimmer for Debt has 72 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: to be on the list. Just an incredible star at 73 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: b Y. You played many years in the NBA for 74 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: a bunch of teams, played internationally, drop seventy five in 75 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: a game in China. Uh, Jimmer for Debt, how are 76 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: you man? I'm good. How are you doing? I'm excellent. 77 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:24,119 Speaker 1: I'm honored that you'd come onto the podcast. I probably 78 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 1: should give the backstory of how this happened. Very fortuitous. 79 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 1: I've never met Bimmer and never talked to him before, 80 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: but somebody clipped off what you had done. I guess 81 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: in the first two games of the tournament, the TBT 82 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: this summer, you were averaging like twenty five just cooking guys, 83 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: and and I, you know, put it on Instagram. I 84 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 1: was like, Lakers, got to give this guy attende, you know, 85 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 1: come on something. I gotta give him a look. And 86 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: you responded to it, and I was like, hey, while 87 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 1: I got you here, what about an interview? And I 88 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 1: didn't know, but I mean, Jim Or do you do 89 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: a lot of interviews? Not a ton, not a ton. 90 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: I mean I definitely get a lot of requests for um, 91 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: um you know. I I definitely know some people that 92 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 1: UM that I like to do internew views with UM 93 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: and everything. But I've seen your platform, I've seen I've 94 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: seen what you do, and you know, decided to the 95 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: job jump on with you. So I appreciate the opportunity 96 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: and um, you know, it's always fun to be able 97 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 1: to talk basketball, talk about the life and about what's 98 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 1: going on and everything. So I'm happy to do it. Yeah, 99 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: I didn't know where we should start. I mean, obviously 100 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: everybody knows your background. I mean, hell, you were on 101 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 1: magazine covers. I think when you were b Y. I've 102 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 1: got some notes here because I was going through your 103 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: game logs at b YU. I saw you had forty 104 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: nine in a game at Arizona as a junior, and 105 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: this was before I don't think people were thinking of 106 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: you as like an NBA guy because I mean, you 107 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: didn't have a ton of scholarship offers if if my 108 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: research is correct, But you had forty nine in Arizona 109 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: and they had the number the eventual number two pick, 110 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 1: Derrick Williams on that team. Do you remember that game 111 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: like vividly? Do you watch it on YouTube or you 112 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 1: one of those I don't. I don't watch it, definitely. 113 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:05,919 Speaker 1: I I definitely not usually watching it. It comes up 114 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 1: every once in a while on your feet or someone 115 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: that's watched it kind of put it out there. But 116 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: it was an incredible game. I remember UM, you know, 117 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: going into that building. Obviously a lot of history in 118 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: that building, such a great program. UM had some really 119 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: great players at the time, as you mentioned with Derrick Williams, 120 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 1: some other guys they were. They were very solid. I 121 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 1: think they were top you know ten in the country 122 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: at that point, so they weren't expecting us to come 123 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: in and play as well as we did, and we 124 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: had a really good team. We played played super well, 125 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: but I just was feeling it. It was one of 126 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: the games kind of like my coming out party before 127 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: the actual coming out party. But it actually kind of 128 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: put me um as a basketball player on the map 129 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 1: on the NBA radar, being like, oh, who is this 130 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,600 Speaker 1: kid from b y U. What is this team doing? Um, 131 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: you know, they're really good. We should check them out. 132 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 1: So it was. It was an incredible time. It was 133 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: one of the things I won't forget because the fans 134 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: at the Mcial Center actually uh gave me a standing ovaship, 135 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 1: gave a stinoish and as we left the game because 136 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 1: they appreciated good basketball, which was fun to see. Yeah, yeah, 137 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: I mean that that's got to be the feeling of greatness, 138 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: right that was It looks like, you know, one of 139 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: your first fifteen games before the calendar even turned to 140 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: twenty two thousand ten. It was still two thousand nine, 141 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: like over the holiday break, and I know those games 142 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: can kind of get lost in the shuffle, Jimmer, but 143 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: I'm just curious, do you recall what the reaction was. 144 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: Did you start getting calls from like potential agents, Um, 145 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: did you start thinking, I know you'd wanted to play 146 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: in the NBA forever, but in Arizona by thirty dropping 147 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:33,679 Speaker 1: forty nine in a game, it was one of those 148 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: okay nine threes, like we got something here. It definitely 149 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: picked up a little bit for sure. Um. I had 150 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: had one agent that had been following me actually since 151 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: I was like a sophomore in college before anybody did. 152 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 1: And he's the agent that I actually ended up going 153 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: with eventually, Chris Emmons with Acregon. But uh, yeah, definitely 154 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 1: started to get more notoriety, more interview calls. Um. You know, 155 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: people knew recognize me a little bit more, and definitely, 156 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: you know, agents were starting to pop up and starting 157 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: to kind of plant some seeds, uh, you know, for 158 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 1: the future. Yeah, and you know you had a pretty 159 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: good nc A tournament. You dropped thirty seven on Florida, 160 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: UM in a win in the first round, double overtime game, 161 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: and you know that was kind of like, okay, we've 162 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: got to start for the following season. And then the 163 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: next season. I still remember this game, Jim or when 164 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: you went toe to toe with Kawhi Leonard, who was 165 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: at San Diego State. It was like a top I 166 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: think a top ten match up almost certain. It was 167 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: on ESPN, and you just you know, you you hate 168 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: and it was just one of those I remember because 169 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,599 Speaker 1: Twitter was in its infancy, and that was one of 170 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: those games where it's like, holy cow, all these people 171 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: are tweeting about a top ten game between b YU 172 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: and San Diego State. What and you you you were 173 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: going off? Huh, Yeah it was. It was a cool moment. 174 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: I mean it was. There was a ton of hype 175 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 1: going into that game, like you said, because we were 176 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,439 Speaker 1: both top ten. UM. I think we both combined had 177 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: maybe one loss. You know, I think they were undefeat. 178 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: I think we had one loss or something like that. UM, 179 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: and obviously they had Kauai who was highly touted going 180 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,319 Speaker 1: to be a high draft pick, and a lot of 181 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: other guys on the team, and um, you know, kind 182 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: of a clash of styles of how we play UM 183 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 1: and everything as well. UM. So people were anticipating it 184 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 1: and wanted to see the game, and UM, you know, 185 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: you basically had everybody watching it. I mean at that point, 186 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: Twitter had just started kind of and you know, people 187 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: were tweeting about it. You had Kevin Durant tweeting about it, 188 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: Nelly tweeting about it, You had, you know, Steve Nash 189 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: tweeting about it. I mean people that you would wouldn't 190 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:34,839 Speaker 1: even think of or watching the game because they were 191 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: tuned in and excited to watch that matchup. And at 192 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 1: that point, that's when it really kind of blew up 193 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,440 Speaker 1: for myself and for the team. Yeah, I want to ask, 194 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: at this point, you know, you're a marked man. Are 195 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:47,079 Speaker 1: guys talking a lot of trash to you at this stage? 196 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 1: You know you played for me? Why you uh, you 197 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: know you've given you know, a Mormon background. Our guys 198 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: trying to get in your head at this point and 199 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,559 Speaker 1: get physical. Are they doing the trash talk or because 200 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: you're like the leading score in the country or people 201 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: just like yo, were I want to set this guy off? Yeah, 202 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 1: depending on who you're playing. Yeah, obviously, sometimes there are 203 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 1: guys that you know, like to talk, and some would 204 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: talk in the media and some would talk on the 205 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 1: court um, and then there are other guys who are 206 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: you know, more like Hey, I don't want to, you know, 207 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: try to set them off. I'm just trying to stay 208 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,199 Speaker 1: in front and trying to be more like friendly, you 209 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: know what I mean almost take me off my game 210 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: by you know, being nice to me and everything, and uh, 211 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,679 Speaker 1: you know, and that doesn't you know, that doesn't work 212 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:28,199 Speaker 1: as well for me because I'm a pretty nice guy. 213 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: Usually I'm just nice right back to him and then 214 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: just keep going on my way. So it's kind of 215 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:34,679 Speaker 1: how it works. But uh yeah, I definitely had some 216 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: people and some guys that we're trying to get into 217 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: my head, into our team's head. Obviously, the fans every 218 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: arena we played at were was sold out, and um, 219 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,200 Speaker 1: you know, the fans were always going nuts, had signs, 220 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: had chance hit me up on Instagram and Facebook and 221 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:53,079 Speaker 1: all that stuff before the game and try to get 222 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 1: in your head all those different types of things that 223 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: are fun that comes along with college basketball. I've read 224 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: a lot about your work ethic, and you know, I've 225 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 1: got two young kids and I'm trying hard. Jimmer. Obviously, listen, 226 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: my my family doesn't have a lot of NBA players, 227 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: but I want them to be athletic. The benefits of 228 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: playing team sports, being social, you know, working together toward 229 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: a goal, all that stuff. But it seems like you 230 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: had significantly older siblings and you were able to play 231 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 1: with them, you know. I I know people joke like, 232 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: oh that kid was born eight years later, he's a mistake. 233 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: Ha ha ha, and they joke about it. But for 234 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 1: your situation, it almost worked out perfectly, right because you know, 235 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: your family supported you from a young age and then 236 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:38,959 Speaker 1: they watch you doing this in college. Did you start 237 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: thinking by senior year, like, holy cow, this kid's got 238 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:45,439 Speaker 1: the work ethic, you can score. Good kid, great background. 239 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 1: Like were you thinking, all right, I'm I'm an NBA player. Yeah, 240 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: for sure. I mean I thought that ever since I 241 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 1: was super young, and it was probably super nice naive 242 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: of me to think of that coming from you know, 243 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: small town upstate in New York and given the way 244 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:01,080 Speaker 1: that I look, and it's not super athletic, and you know, 245 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: all these things, but I always had that belief, and 246 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: you know, I just kind of I think that was 247 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:07,440 Speaker 1: one of the reasons why I was able to make it. 248 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: I truly believe the power of being able to think 249 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: things and to speak things into existence is is powerful 250 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:15,679 Speaker 1: if you truly believe it, and then you go out 251 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: and you actually work hard for it, right, And I 252 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 1: think for me, I always tell kids, you know, my 253 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: my parents and my brother Um, they were a huge 254 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:26,839 Speaker 1: help to me. But they never forced me to go play. 255 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: It was always me that wanted to go do it. 256 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 1: Like I was the one that had the internal drive 257 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: of like, hey, I need to get better today. I 258 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: want to go work on my game. And I played 259 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: all other sports. I played football, I played baseball, but 260 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: even during those seasons, I knew that I wanted to 261 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 1: play basketball and I'd have to still get my work 262 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: in uh to be able to you know, get better. 263 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: But yeah, I mean they supported me throughout my career. 264 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:50,319 Speaker 1: I give credit to my brother who was seven years 265 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: older than me. Um, you know, he wasn't jealous, He 266 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 1: wasn't any of those things, you know what I mean. 267 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: When he saw me starting to get notoriety, he was 268 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 1: right there with me, try to push me to get 269 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:05,080 Speaker 1: better every day and saw you know that drive and me, um, 270 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: and knew that I wanted it. So he kept pushing me, 271 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 1: kept supporting me, kept helping me throughout the career, which 272 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:12,080 Speaker 1: was a huge help for me just to know that 273 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 1: I had that type of support and background for my 274 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 1: family knowing that I, uh that I could do it. 275 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: So it was a whole collective team effort. So in 276 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: the nature versus nurture discussion, it sounds like you are 277 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 1: kind of straddling the fence there because you know, your 278 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 1: dad wasn't a former basketball player. I'm assuming it sounds 279 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: like on your mom's side there were some athletes, but 280 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: I mean nothing of this level. Yeah, yeah, I know 281 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: for sure I was. Yeah, definitely we had athletic jeans. 282 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:40,319 Speaker 1: But I knew I wasn't gonna be super tall. Um. 283 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 1: You know, my family is just not you know, but 284 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: around six ft or so as the tallest. I'm one 285 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: of the tallest in the family now probably the tallest 286 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 1: in the family. Um, And we had athletic jeans. My 287 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 1: uncle Lee taft uh, he's actually been an athletic trainer 288 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: for his whole life. So that was one of the 289 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: things that definitely, uh, I have to give credit to 290 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:01,839 Speaker 1: with him. I've been working out from a young age, 291 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:05,560 Speaker 1: so I learned how to move my body the best 292 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 1: way that I could. Right, So I've got every single 293 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 1: ounce of athleticism that I possibly could out of my 294 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: body to be able to be the best shape I 295 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: could be in, but also be able to move the 296 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 1: way that I could. So even if I'm not the fastest, 297 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 1: I can stop the quickest, and I can move and 298 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: do all these things really really well. That's something that's 299 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: really really important in basketball to be able to be 300 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: shifty and kind of move your body and and that 301 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: hurt me jerking type games stop and start quickly. So 302 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: I did all work on all of those things growing 303 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: up so that I could, you know, stop on a 304 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: dime and shoot a shop, you know, and have that 305 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: core strength and all those things. So I worked on 306 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: that a lot growing up and continue to do that 307 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: to this day. That's interesting because a lot of people 308 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: have the quick twitch discussion, like can you develop those 309 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: if you don't want to already have them? And it 310 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: sounds do you do you think you had them? You 311 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: just needed to activate them through this training with your relatives. Yeah, 312 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 1: I mean obviously some people have more than other, right, 313 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 1: Like it's just genetics the way that it works. Some 314 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: people are going to have more quick twitch and others. 315 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: But I do believe that you can get them better, 316 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: um and get them to the best that you can 317 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,080 Speaker 1: get them. Right. So if you don't work on them, 318 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: you're not gonna get to the potential that you need 319 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:15,080 Speaker 1: to get to. But if you work on them. You're 320 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: gonna get faster you work on them. You're gonna be 321 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: able to jump a little bit higher. Now, you may 322 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 1: not be able to dunk the way you want to 323 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 1: or those types of things, but you can move your 324 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: body the best way that you can move your body. 325 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: And if you can do that, you'll become as You'll 326 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: become athletic. Right, You'll become athletic. You'll be able to 327 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: move the way you want to. You'll be able to 328 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: play the way you want to um. But it's about 329 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: putting in that work and getting the best effort out 330 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: of your body. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports 331 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows 332 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 1: at Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the I 333 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app. Search f s R to listen live. 334 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: So I want to ask, like you dominated high school obviously, 335 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: but still the big boys didn't come calling. Uh, it 336 00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: sounds like it came down to b y you versus 337 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: Sienna obviously listen Division one programs, non no question. But 338 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 1: it wasn't like, you know, Duke in North Carolina and 339 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 1: then you torch college basketball and it's getting ready for 340 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: NBA time and you know were you. I don't recall 341 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: that process in two thousand and eleven, the draft had 342 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: you know, Kyrie Irving and then a bunch of guys 343 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: who didn't really pan out or do much, and then 344 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: you you felt a tent. I'm mostly curious about the 345 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: process leading up to it. Um was there? Like what 346 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: was it like for a guy like you? You know 347 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: you said six to not as athletic in workouts? Like 348 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: did you go up against Kyrie Irving any workouts? Did 349 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 1: you go up against Play Thompson or anything? No, not 350 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: those two specifically. Um. You know, in workouts, especially if 351 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: you're a top pick, a lot of times you just 352 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: do workouts by yourself. You don't even go against other 353 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 1: people or anything like that. But I kind of just 354 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 1: went up against whoever you know was there. I did 355 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: five workouts. I knew that I was going to go 356 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 1: somewhere between like seven and fifteen, Like that was the 357 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: intel that we were getting. So I worked out for 358 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: five different teams within that range, um, because I didn't 359 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: feel like I needed to to overreach and you know underreach, 360 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:11,119 Speaker 1: like I prote for those five teams and then worked 361 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 1: out with whoever they brought in. So I remember with 362 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: the Phoenix suns. For example, Um, it was just me 363 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 1: and Amman Schumpert and that was it. And Mon Schumpert, 364 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: you know, super great athlete, big strong, physical guy, UM, 365 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: really good defender, you know that type of a player, 366 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:31,880 Speaker 1: And it was just me versus him, and they had 367 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: us playing one on one the whole time, the full 368 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:38,880 Speaker 1: court one on one, half court one on one. Absolutely absolutely, 369 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 1: And for a guy like me, that's difficult, right, Like, 370 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 1: that's not necessarily my game to go up against, you know, 371 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 1: a great athlete like COmON to be able to play. 372 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: But they don't necessarily care about you and how you do. 373 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,640 Speaker 1: They want to see how competitive you are, right, They 374 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 1: want to see if you're gonna actually get down there 375 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,440 Speaker 1: and actually try as hard as you can and put 376 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:02,719 Speaker 1: in your full effort and be like, hey can you 377 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: can you can you at least make him turn a 378 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: couple of times? And is he competitive? Is he's trying 379 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 1: to win the game because he's just letting him go? 380 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: You know, all these things And I think that, um, 381 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 1: you know helps when you have um, you know, workouts 382 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:16,119 Speaker 1: like that and you just show your competitiveness and go 383 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 1: out there and play and they know I can shoot 384 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 1: the you know I can score. They just wanted to 385 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: see my competitiveness right, And then had a couple of 386 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:24,160 Speaker 1: I had to work out against Kimba and some other 387 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 1: guys at the time. Um, and you know, it was 388 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,920 Speaker 1: it was a fun process. Obviously, it's tiring. Some guys 389 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:35,119 Speaker 1: are going for workouts, they're working out for almost every 390 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: team because they're on the fringe and they're trying to 391 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 1: get you know, and that and that gets really tough 392 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: and time consuming and also really tiring for a lot 393 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:44,920 Speaker 1: of these guys. And I was in a fortunate spot 394 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: where I could pick and choose a little bit more. 395 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:50,119 Speaker 1: But it was still a great process. I enjoyed it. Um, 396 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 1: And you know, obviously it worked out. It worked out 397 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:55,199 Speaker 1: well for me. And in the process, I'm curious what 398 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: it's like to go up against Kimba like and and shampered. 399 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:00,680 Speaker 1: Are these guys cool? Are they like, man, I'm I'm 400 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: just gonna destroy this little white kid and blended, you know, 401 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 1: become a star. Like does it get heated and competitive 402 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: when you guys are like, is there a trash talk? 403 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: Is they're shoving any incidents like that? Yeah, there definitely 404 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: can be. Um, they're all good guys though. I mean, 405 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 1: obviously when you're off the court, when you're talking with them, 406 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:18,119 Speaker 1: we're both we're all in the same situation, so we 407 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:20,399 Speaker 1: kind of understand each other better than you know, just 408 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:22,679 Speaker 1: a normal person would. They're going through the grind of 409 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 1: the draft and um, trying to figure out, you know, 410 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:28,320 Speaker 1: where we're gonna be and and obviously, um, so when 411 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 1: we're in the locker room, everything's cool. But when you 412 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 1: get out there, obviously, if you're competing, you're competing. And 413 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,359 Speaker 1: but most guys can, most guys can turn it on 414 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: and off pretty well. Like when you're on the court, 415 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: you're out there and you're competing and you know, you 416 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: take no prisoners. But once you get off the court, 417 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: you can be friends again and kind of just you know, 418 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: wrap each other up and say, hey, that was great, 419 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:49,920 Speaker 1: good work, congratulations, hope you you know, hope you get 420 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,159 Speaker 1: drafted where you want to get drafted to. You know, 421 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: ultimately we're all trying to reach that same goal. But 422 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: it's a it's professional sports is an interesting thing because 423 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 1: at any time someone's trying to take your position, but 424 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:04,639 Speaker 1: you're also teammates, right, so you're trying to have a 425 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: balancing act of um supporting your team and supporting your teammates, 426 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 1: but also not wanting that guy to take your position. 427 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: You know. So it's an interesting, interesting dynamic, but it's uh, 428 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 1: it's fun. I asked about the draft workouts because I 429 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: think the most memorable story I heard was the Curry 430 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: versus Tyreek Evans one. Well, a couple of years before 431 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,920 Speaker 1: you where um they made Tyreek Evans play Steph Curry 432 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 1: one on one and that's similar to you. You know, 433 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 1: in the stuff Curry mold and Curry got destroyed and 434 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: they were like, oh, we gotta take Tyreek Evans. We 435 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,440 Speaker 1: killed Steph Curry, and it's like, you know, you came 436 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:39,439 Speaker 1: along at a time before. I don't want to get 437 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:41,720 Speaker 1: Brad Stevens too much credit, but Brad Stevens is kind 438 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 1: of the positionless basketball guy, right. He's like, you got 439 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:46,960 Speaker 1: the ball handlers, you got the wings, you got the bigs, 440 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 1: as opposed to is Jim or a point guard or 441 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: is your shooting guard? Is because because you were kind 442 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:55,200 Speaker 1: of in the in between, right, Like I was totally 443 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 1: in the in between, and they talked about it constantly. 444 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: It was a really big issue, right, who I play 445 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:02,399 Speaker 1: one or do I play too? Who does he guards 446 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:04,160 Speaker 1: the guard? One? Does he guarded two? Did he bring 447 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 1: the ball up? Or does he just say off ball 448 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 1: and shoot? And they were they were for sure big 449 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:10,920 Speaker 1: on that when I was coming out, which yeah, obviously 450 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 1: unfortunate for for someone like me, was kind of a 451 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 1: tweener who kind of did a little bit of both, um. 452 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,400 Speaker 1: And you know, I was just trying to figure out, 453 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:20,480 Speaker 1: you know, what they wanted me to do, and I'd 454 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 1: get a lot of uh different um you know, signals 455 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:27,159 Speaker 1: saying you want they want me to do, be just 456 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: a point guard and like get the guys into the offense. 457 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: Do that. Then they'll be like, well, no, actually, now 458 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 1: we want you to shoot. We want you to be 459 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:34,879 Speaker 1: off the ball and that type of stuff. So I 460 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:36,880 Speaker 1: was trying to figure that out as we were going. 461 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 1: And you know, today it's like, hey, you either can 462 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: handle the ball or you can shoot it. Whatever it is, 463 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 1: you can do it all, which is uh, which is 464 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:46,479 Speaker 1: a little bit more like my game for sure. Um. 465 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: So you know, listen, I'm not want to bash franchises, 466 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:53,879 Speaker 1: but Jimmer, you could not have had a worst landing 467 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 1: spot than Sacramento. I mean, one of the worst organizations 468 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 1: in the league. I know you, I don't expect you 469 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:00,800 Speaker 1: to bash it, but you know, you land and said 470 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:02,960 Speaker 1: you go to Sacramento. Obviously they loved you. You know, 471 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 1: I saw the Jersey sales numbers like you were the 472 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:09,399 Speaker 1: king there. But uh no, pun intended on king king. Huh. 473 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: But you know, Jimmer, I mean, this is an organization 474 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:14,440 Speaker 1: that KIT hasn't been able to get out of its way. 475 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 1: And I looked at the roster and it was it 476 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 1: seems like all me first kind of guys. You know, 477 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: let's be honest here, what was that like as a 478 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:24,680 Speaker 1: rookie going into a locker room with like DeMarcus Cousins 479 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,199 Speaker 1: and some of these guys, you know, it was it 480 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: was definitely different. You know, obviously coming from b y U, 481 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:32,919 Speaker 1: we were so team first oriented. We had such a 482 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 1: we had such a brotherhood. Um, you know, obviously college 483 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 1: athletics is kind of like that and in general, but 484 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,439 Speaker 1: we had such a great team and we're playing for 485 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: each other, had such a great experience and then you know, 486 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:45,439 Speaker 1: you won't go to Sacramento Kings. And uh we were 487 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:48,199 Speaker 1: all super young too. We were all super young. And 488 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 1: you know at that point, um, you know, guys trying 489 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 1: to figure out their place in the league and trying 490 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: to get to their next contract. Um, you know, trying 491 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 1: to do all these things. Um, and we didn't really 492 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 1: have a whole lot of leadership, right. They were trying 493 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 1: to sell the team at that time. Um. You know, 494 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 1: there was actually a lockout in two thousand eleven when 495 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:08,200 Speaker 1: we came out. Um, so there was no summer league. 496 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 1: There was no workouts or anything like that. I couldn't 497 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: you know, be at the King's facility, um, the whole summer, 498 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: all the way through until after November. Then we started 499 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 1: and they're like one couple of couple of days of 500 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: training camp and then you're on And what was it 501 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:25,840 Speaker 1: like living in Sacramento there when you can't play basketball. 502 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:28,439 Speaker 1: I wasn't living in Sacramento at the time. I was 503 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: actually I stayed in at b y U and just 504 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:32,640 Speaker 1: was working out. Everyone was kind of staying at through 505 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:34,879 Speaker 1: a place because he literally couldn't go to their facility 506 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:38,120 Speaker 1: to work out. So because of that, no one was there. 507 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:40,919 Speaker 1: We were all in our own places, um, you know 508 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: doing that. So and then once we got into the season, um, 509 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:47,680 Speaker 1: you know, coach westball Um who was the coach that 510 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:50,399 Speaker 1: drafted me. He got fired two weeks into the season, 511 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 1: and and then a new you know, interim head coach 512 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 1: comes in. They're trying to sell the team and the 513 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: you know, Jeff Petriot was the GM at the time, 514 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 1: and he knew that they were selling the team, didn't 515 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:01,919 Speaker 1: know what was going to happen. So it's kind of 516 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 1: all in flux at that time, really, um, and we 517 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,920 Speaker 1: played like it. Honestly, we played like a disorganized or 518 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 1: disorganized team. UM who you know, didn't really have necessarily 519 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:15,760 Speaker 1: an identity, um. You know. But it's it's not like 520 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 1: it was just me in that situation. There's other guys 521 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:20,360 Speaker 1: in this situation as well, and there's been a lot 522 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 1: of guys in that situation throughout professional sports. It's just 523 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: the way that it works. Sometimes you don't get enough, 524 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: you don't get to pick where you're drafted, and all 525 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 1: these things. You just gotta roll with the punches and 526 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:33,560 Speaker 1: do the best that you possibly can with it. And 527 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 1: I'm proud of how I've been able to handle it 528 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 1: and continue to move forward in my career. But I mean, 529 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: a thousand percent, I think, you know, And that's the 530 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: other thing I'm trying to drill into my kids, like, Hey, 531 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: life is gonna throw some crap at you. It's not 532 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 1: the crap, it's how you handle the crap, and you 533 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,120 Speaker 1: pretty much dealt with it pretty well. You know. You've 534 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 1: got you were on Sacramento, Chicago, the Pelicans, uh, the Knicks, 535 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,119 Speaker 1: a bunch of teams and then Uh. The one story 536 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:00,919 Speaker 1: that I am curious about is the Spurs called you 537 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:03,439 Speaker 1: to come out and then you were with them and 538 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: then I guess just talk about how that went because 539 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 1: that was kind of a big turning point in your 540 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 1: basketball life. Yeah. Absolutely, Um, yeah, I got a call 541 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: from the Spurs um and wanted me to come out 542 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 1: and you basically, you know, be a free agent to 543 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 1: try out for the for the team, right, they had 544 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: a couple they had like one spot available and they 545 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 1: were bringing three guys in that they were really had 546 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:26,920 Speaker 1: a shot to make the roster and me being one 547 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: of them. Um, and then there was a couple other guys, 548 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,159 Speaker 1: so we we went in. I was there for about 549 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: two months, working out all summer, you know, with the 550 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 1: guys and and just putting my best foot forward, doing 551 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:42,119 Speaker 1: the best that I could could. Ask real quick, Jimmer, 552 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 1: could I ask real quick. Um, did they Were they 553 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,400 Speaker 1: upfront with you and said, hey, it's basically you, Joe 554 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 1: and Mike are battling for one spot. Did they say 555 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 1: that or not? Really? Yeah, No, they were pretty upfront 556 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 1: with us, you know, like my agent would talk with 557 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:57,199 Speaker 1: him and he's saying, listen, this is these are the 558 00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 1: guys that that you have, UM, that are basically going 559 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 1: for this spot. Right. So it's I knew that going 560 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 1: in UM, and which was which was totally fine with me. 561 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 1: I was like, all right, I'm gonna try to go 562 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:12,159 Speaker 1: in here and try to win the position right and 563 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 1: do the best I could. UM. You know, but I 564 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 1: will say this at that time, honestly, I've been beating 565 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 1: I had been beating up a little bit mentally, just 566 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: with you know, going through the rounds of the NBA, 567 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:23,440 Speaker 1: and I didn't feel like I was my best self 568 00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:26,439 Speaker 1: honestly at that point. And so it was tough. It 569 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:28,920 Speaker 1: was tough for me, and Uh, I ended up getting 570 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:32,439 Speaker 1: called into coach proper vicious office and they ended up 571 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:35,159 Speaker 1: letting me go. And uh, it's the first time I 572 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:38,360 Speaker 1: had been cut from a basketball team before in my life. Right, Like, 573 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:41,360 Speaker 1: most of the time you're you're one of the better players, 574 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 1: you're kind of growing up and all these things, and 575 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: then all of a sudden you get cut from a 576 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:46,639 Speaker 1: team and you're just like, man, what happened? You know 577 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 1: what I mean, Like, what do I do? Now? I 578 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: guess I go home and I wait for a call, right, 579 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 1: And that's when, um, you know, the opportunity to you know, 580 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:55,639 Speaker 1: I played in the G League for a while, but 581 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 1: the opportunity to go overseas and play in China a 582 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: rose and uh, you know, decided to take full advantage 583 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,879 Speaker 1: of it. It's almost like, you know, things happened for 584 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:07,880 Speaker 1: a reason, and you going to China. I'm sure when 585 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: your agent tells you, hey, Jim, or there's a chance 586 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:11,919 Speaker 1: in China you can make some money, you're probably like 587 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:14,680 Speaker 1: you were you married at the time or now? Yeah, 588 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 1: I was. I was married at the time, and I 589 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 1: had a kid that was you know, on the way 590 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 1: she was my wife was pregnant for right, first my 591 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 1: first baby. How do you selled China on the wife? Now, 592 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:29,399 Speaker 1: this was before China was the situation it is now. Um, 593 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: it was sixteen or seventeen, yeah, I believe it was. Yeah, 594 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 1: So yeah, it was you know it was inspired decision, 595 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 1: I think on my part. You know, I'm pretty religious person, 596 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,119 Speaker 1: so I just tried to think about it and and 597 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:46,200 Speaker 1: pray about it, and we're worked through it right down 598 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 1: by pros and cons of all the stuff, because I 599 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: had everybody calling from Europe to Australia to you know, 600 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: everywhere over an age and you know it could have 601 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 1: you know, picked where I wanted to play, UM, but um, 602 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:00,080 Speaker 1: you know, for some reason, Shanghai was the place that 603 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,119 Speaker 1: stuck with me. Um U Yao Ming was actually the 604 00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:05,640 Speaker 1: owner of the team at the time, UM and they 605 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:08,160 Speaker 1: had an American head coach. His name was Brian Gorgon, 606 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:10,200 Speaker 1: and I spoke with him a lot, and I felt 607 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: really comfortable with Brian. Um. He just you know made 608 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:15,400 Speaker 1: me feel good about the situation. And you know, knew 609 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 1: knowing that he was going to be there. There was 610 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,120 Speaker 1: an American trainer over there at the time and everything, 611 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: so and he knew told me that Shanghai is such 612 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,359 Speaker 1: a great city. It's very international, much different than a 613 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,520 Speaker 1: lot of places in China. So you're gonna feel a 614 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:30,160 Speaker 1: lot better here. So I decided to do it. And 615 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: you know, I could have gone one of two ways 616 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 1: right when the Spurs, you know, cut me. I could 617 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: have been like all right, sulked about it and been 618 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,440 Speaker 1: like forget it, you know, like I'm not gonna really try, 619 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:40,000 Speaker 1: or I'm gonna try to just go over and get 620 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 1: my money and come back and not really do it. 621 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 1: Or you could take the second option and be like, 622 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 1: all right, I'm gonna make the best out of this 623 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,640 Speaker 1: that I possibly can. I'm gonna immerse myself in the 624 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:51,000 Speaker 1: team and the culture, really get to know the guys, 625 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: get to know China, Shanghai, get to know the fans, 626 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 1: and go out there and try to win m v 627 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:58,560 Speaker 1: P and and bring our team to the playoffs and 628 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:00,920 Speaker 1: do all these things and try to really go out 629 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 1: and try to dominate the best I could. And and 630 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:05,840 Speaker 1: that's that was my Mindset's like, hey, you know your 631 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:08,560 Speaker 1: get throwing a curveball, but it's an opportunity for you 632 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 1: to do something great in another place and try to 633 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:13,480 Speaker 1: take advantage of it. Dude, that's crazy. I I mean, 634 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: not that you really care, but uh, you know I 635 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 1: I basketball was my number one sport growing up. I 636 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:19,960 Speaker 1: mean I was better at soccer, but I love toops. 637 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:21,720 Speaker 1: I tried out for the freshman team, and I was 638 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: stunned that I didn't make it, not that I was 639 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 1: really good, and my parents were like, well, you really 640 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 1: like sports, why don't you go work at the local newspaper. 641 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:31,160 Speaker 1: So as soon as that turned sixteen, I got a 642 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 1: job like covering sports at the local paper. That led 643 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 1: to media, and you know, it's really how you respond 644 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 1: to things, and you know, I I built a thriving career. 645 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 1: You kind of did all right in China, right, I 646 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 1: mean dropped seventy five in a game, and I don't 647 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:51,600 Speaker 1: know what was I'm just more outside of the basketball. 648 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 1: What was the life like in China? Did you feel 649 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:57,960 Speaker 1: like safe and everything? Was it you know okay for 650 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,400 Speaker 1: you in the family? Yeah, So my wife would come 651 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:03,160 Speaker 1: over every once in a while, Like that first year 652 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: was tough because she was pregnant because you know, she 653 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 1: couldn't fly past a certain day and we didn't want 654 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: to have the baby over in China, so she was 655 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,440 Speaker 1: it wasn't there most of the time, but she had 656 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 1: been over there. Um, you know several times after I played, 657 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 1: you know, four years in China. So um. But honestly, yeah, 658 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 1: I mean I felt safe as far as that's concerned. Um, 659 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 1: you know, like you kind of like the Chinese people are. 660 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: They're they're really great people. They're they're they're awesome to 661 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 1: be around. Their fun. Um, they're just trying to live 662 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,160 Speaker 1: their life, right, They're just they don't really worry about 663 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 1: kind of what's going on around them and surrounding them 664 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 1: as far as politics and all that stuff is concerned. 665 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:39,480 Speaker 1: They they know they don't have a whole lot of 666 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:41,959 Speaker 1: you know, say, as far as that's concerned, So they 667 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 1: kind of just go out and and have fun and 668 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:46,720 Speaker 1: be the best that they can be. But one thing 669 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:49,200 Speaker 1: that I will say is that there if you give 670 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 1: them respect, they're going to respect you back. And I 671 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: think that that's what I've really found. So I tried 672 00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 1: to get to know my teammates and some of them 673 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 1: spoke great English, and some of them didn't speak very 674 00:30:58,040 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 1: good you know what I mean, So it just kind 675 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 1: of pended. But I tried to, you know, go out 676 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: of my way to take them out to lunch or 677 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 1: to hang out with them during you know, road trips 678 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:08,720 Speaker 1: and talk with them and get to know about their families. 679 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:12,360 Speaker 1: They're very family oriented people. Um, you know, so I 680 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,920 Speaker 1: enjoyed living there I mean Shanghai. Like like I said, 681 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,760 Speaker 1: it's the most international city you can get there. They 682 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: have a shake shack, they have cheesecake factory, they have 683 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: you know, uh Disney Disney World. You know they haven't 684 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:26,440 Speaker 1: you know, have all of that stuff there, so you 685 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:28,400 Speaker 1: can find if you didn't want to eat Chinese food, 686 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:30,760 Speaker 1: you can eat anything that you wanted anyway. So I 687 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: felt comfortable, and I you know, just decided to you know, 688 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 1: try to figure out and go around the city as 689 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 1: much as I could get to know it. And you know, 690 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: since I was there a lot by myself figure out 691 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 1: what Shanghai had to offer. So it was a lot 692 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 1: of fun. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk 693 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 1: lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at 694 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 1: Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the I Heart 695 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 1: Radio app search f s R to listen live. You 696 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 1: went to Greece for a minute and then back to China. 697 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 1: I guess was it was the second China trip during 698 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 1: COVID or No, yeah, yeah, I was, And that was 699 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: that was tough. That was probably the toughest year that 700 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 1: I've had basketball wise, um, you know, because we were 701 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 1: in a bubble the full season. So we went over 702 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 1: there We didn't know that I was going to be 703 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:15,720 Speaker 1: about with the full season. We thought it was gonna 704 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 1: be only for the beginning months, but then it just 705 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 1: continued to snowball into you know, basically the whole season. 706 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 1: So we were in a Chinese hotel for seven months, 707 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 1: and we we couldn't leave the hotel. You had to 708 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 1: just sit in the hotel and wait for the games, 709 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: and then they'd bust you to the game and practice 710 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 1: and then you'd come back and that was it. So 711 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 1: we ate Chinese hotel food for seven months. So I 712 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: rice broccoli and chicken breast literally every day for seven months. 713 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 1: Didn't get to see my family and two kids, not 714 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 1: one time. Um, you know, it was really difficult for 715 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: all of us that was in that position. Um. So 716 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:54,440 Speaker 1: that was really really hard. And they wanted us to 717 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:56,360 Speaker 1: come back and do that again last year, and I 718 00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: just said I couldn't do it. So I I didn't 719 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:00,800 Speaker 1: go back last year and do that with with the situation. 720 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 1: So now I'm sure some people will hear that Jimmer 721 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 1: and say, dude, they're offering you a lot of money, 722 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 1: you know you I don't know if I haven't looked 723 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:08,640 Speaker 1: up the salary I'm assuming you know, seven figures or 724 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:12,400 Speaker 1: something big, but you know, turning down that money and 725 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 1: you're still in kind of your prime years to maximize 726 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:18,960 Speaker 1: playing hoops, right, So you didn't play last year. Now 727 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 1: you did play this summer in the in the TBT. 728 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: But yeah, I don't what does the future hold for 729 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 1: basketball and Jimmer Fredetti. I can't imagine you can not 730 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 1: go into coaching, right I mean, I don't know. We'll 731 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:32,840 Speaker 1: see the coaching thing. I've been asked that a lot. 732 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:36,640 Speaker 1: The coaching thing is you really want to have You 733 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:38,760 Speaker 1: have to really want to do that full time in 734 00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:41,560 Speaker 1: order to do that, because there's you're you actually spend 735 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: more time as a coach than you do as a 736 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:45,600 Speaker 1: basketball player, right, Like you're in the film sessions. You 737 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:48,680 Speaker 1: know you're recruiting, if you're in college, you know you're 738 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:51,200 Speaker 1: traveling a lot. And I have three young kids at 739 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:52,720 Speaker 1: this point. So I don't know if I'll get into 740 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:56,600 Speaker 1: that right away for sure. But um, as far as 741 00:33:56,640 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 1: playing is concerned, I'm kind of just waiting out and seeing, 742 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:02,880 Speaker 1: you know, wanna if it's gonna be to be playing 743 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: next year, it's going to take the right situation, right 744 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 1: I I'm in a fortunate spot in my career where 745 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:11,440 Speaker 1: I don't necessarily have to worry about financial decisions. Um, 746 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:15,839 Speaker 1: as far as that's concerned. Um, it's more about lifestyle, uh, 747 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:19,279 Speaker 1: fit and uh you know, having fun, um and being 748 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:22,080 Speaker 1: able to have my family come over and see and 749 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:24,040 Speaker 1: and and not be away from them for too long. 750 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:26,239 Speaker 1: So I'm in a good spot. I have people that 751 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:29,960 Speaker 1: are definitely calling them all over the place, UM and uh, 752 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:32,080 Speaker 1: you know, we'll be able to make a decision of 753 00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 1: what it is that I want to do. But I've 754 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 1: you know, definitely been you know, I've been living my 755 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: life as if I haven't playing basketball for the last 756 00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:41,680 Speaker 1: year and a half or so, and it's been really 757 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:43,799 Speaker 1: fun and been working on some other things. It's been 758 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 1: a it's been a good time. I do wonder UM. 759 00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:49,560 Speaker 1: You know, there there's a guy named, I think Chip England, 760 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:52,319 Speaker 1: known as the shot doctor. Yeah, he was with us, 761 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:54,799 Speaker 1: and he was with us and the Spurs. Know what, 762 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:57,280 Speaker 1: Oh that's right, Yeah, he was with the Spurs. Apparently 763 00:34:57,320 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 1: he's the guy credited with fixing Kawhi Leonard shot. Have 764 00:34:59,840 --> 00:35:02,840 Speaker 1: you ever been approached about being a shot doctor, which 765 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 1: is a little bit of an easier job you don't 766 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:08,840 Speaker 1: have exactly. That's a good that's a good point. I 767 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:10,920 Speaker 1: haven't been approached by I have not been approached by 768 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:13,000 Speaker 1: a team. I definitely get a lot of people that 769 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:15,719 Speaker 1: hit me up on Instagram or people that I know. 770 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 1: They're like, hey, can you train my kid or look 771 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 1: at their shots and try to fix their shot that 772 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:23,799 Speaker 1: type of thing. I was like, yeah, and I've done 773 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 1: it some of that with some kids that I know. 774 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: But I do you know some some social media posts 775 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:32,560 Speaker 1: about some basketball tips and everything that I that I 776 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:34,480 Speaker 1: do it is I think it's good to be able 777 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:37,840 Speaker 1: to get give some knowledge back to kids and everything. 778 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,720 Speaker 1: But so we'll see that would be that would honestly 779 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 1: be a better path for me to be like a 780 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,920 Speaker 1: skills guy, someone that can go in and and be 781 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:48,200 Speaker 1: a player development person. I've done a lot of that 782 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:50,920 Speaker 1: in my life because I've worked at it. You know, 783 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:53,279 Speaker 1: I've had to work at it a lot um so 784 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:54,759 Speaker 1: I know a lot of tricks of the trade to 785 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 1: be able to score the basketball, for sure. I guess well, 786 00:35:57,719 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 1: we could wrap up with this. You're in Colorado. There's 787 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:04,920 Speaker 1: a certain NBA team out there that is a legit contender. 788 00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:09,480 Speaker 1: They had a great, great passing big man. I just 789 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:11,600 Speaker 1: you know, and again, you never want to look back 790 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:13,480 Speaker 1: on what might have been. I hate doing that. I 791 00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:15,760 Speaker 1: used to do it a lot Now it's just totally pointless. 792 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:19,120 Speaker 1: But I look back at your the rosters you played on, Jimmy, 793 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:21,319 Speaker 1: you were never really with any good players other than 794 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 1: I mean Anthony Davis is probably the best guy you 795 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 1: played with, right, Yeah, yeah, yeah, Anthony was. Anthony was great, Um, 796 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:28,920 Speaker 1: obviously a great player. That was a good team. We 797 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:31,919 Speaker 1: had a good team with Drew Holiday there and Eric Gordon. Yeah, 798 00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:34,440 Speaker 1: you know, we were a really solid team and ended 799 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:36,400 Speaker 1: up making the playoffs that year, which was great. But 800 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:39,840 Speaker 1: uh yeah, I mean I played in the Chicago Bowls 801 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:43,799 Speaker 1: system with Tips, which was, um, you know, would have 802 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 1: been a great system for me, honestly, if if I 803 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:47,919 Speaker 1: was able to get on the court and play more 804 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:49,719 Speaker 1: and he just had his seven guys that he was 805 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:52,959 Speaker 1: playing right, and then he doesn't play anybody else, um, 806 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,439 Speaker 1: you know at that at that point. But I love 807 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:57,879 Speaker 1: that team in that system. They that would have worked 808 00:36:57,920 --> 00:36:59,600 Speaker 1: well for me, I think because they were so defensive 809 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 1: orient it with Jokey Noah Todd Gibs into the back 810 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: end being able to help out so well with jim 811 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:06,600 Speaker 1: and Jimmy Butler and then being able to just focus 812 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:10,480 Speaker 1: on scoring. But that's what Dj Augustine was. He was there, 813 00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:13,680 Speaker 1: you know, before me, and that's what his role was. Um, 814 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:15,879 Speaker 1: you know that type of deal. But yeah, I mean, 815 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:20,680 Speaker 1: for sure, obviously, Yokich is incredible. I mean, I I 816 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:22,560 Speaker 1: get to go and play with the Nuggets during the 817 00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:25,200 Speaker 1: offseason because they look for guys to come in and 818 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:28,360 Speaker 1: work and everything, so I get to go. I have 819 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:30,160 Speaker 1: gone in there and play with him and some of 820 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:32,200 Speaker 1: the guys a lot. So I know. I know coach Malone. 821 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:36,000 Speaker 1: I worked played with for him at Sacramento for my 822 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:38,040 Speaker 1: third season there, so I know him really well. In 823 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:40,520 Speaker 1: the coaching staff, they're great guys, great people, and they're 824 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:44,520 Speaker 1: doing such a good job over there player development wise. UM, 825 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:47,319 Speaker 1: and Yokich is just an unbelievably special talent and it 826 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:49,680 Speaker 1: would be amazing to play with someone like that. Makes 827 00:37:49,719 --> 00:37:52,359 Speaker 1: your your job a lot easier as a shooter. I mean, 828 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:54,320 Speaker 1: if I'm a GM, I look at that roster and 829 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:58,080 Speaker 1: I say, Okay, where's the veteran leadership, Like who's one? Stuff? 830 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:01,319 Speaker 1: At any level, they're like Jamal Murray, I love them. Uh, 831 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:04,960 Speaker 1: Michael Porter Jr. Will see your kids obviously, m v P. 832 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:07,759 Speaker 1: But I look at that, I'm like, where are the veterans? 833 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:10,520 Speaker 1: And that's where I just wonder about a guy like you, 834 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:14,560 Speaker 1: Like we've seen Rondo high i Q player, locker room leader, 835 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:16,680 Speaker 1: just come into team for the playoffs and he turns 836 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:18,440 Speaker 1: into playoff Rondo. I don't know, do you still have 837 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:21,480 Speaker 1: envisions about dreams about that stuff or you know at 838 00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:24,160 Speaker 1: the stage you like whatever, I don't even care. Yeah, 839 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:26,319 Speaker 1: at this point, it's like, you know, I've been through 840 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:28,200 Speaker 1: the ringer for a lot of this, so it's like, 841 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:30,319 Speaker 1: you know, you kind of just get to a point 842 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:32,239 Speaker 1: where you like, yeah, I mean not to see if 843 00:38:32,239 --> 00:38:34,640 Speaker 1: an NBA team calls me, I'd love to be a 844 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:36,680 Speaker 1: part of it. And you know, I feel like I 845 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:39,080 Speaker 1: can still play, you know at that level. I I 846 00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:41,919 Speaker 1: can shoot the basketball, score the basketball. But I'm also 847 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:43,719 Speaker 1: a guy that's gonna work hard and do the right 848 00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:45,759 Speaker 1: things on and off the court, right like you said, 849 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:48,200 Speaker 1: So a veteran guy that's that can help with the 850 00:38:48,239 --> 00:38:51,360 Speaker 1: younger guys. Just learn teach them how to work honestly, 851 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:53,759 Speaker 1: teach them how to work, how to get better off 852 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:56,440 Speaker 1: the court, um, how to how to work out, how 853 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:59,160 Speaker 1: to train, how to you know, eat and and do 854 00:38:59,239 --> 00:39:01,360 Speaker 1: the right things. And then being able to be a 855 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:03,759 Speaker 1: guy that provides something on the court, but also you know, 856 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:06,680 Speaker 1: almost be like another coach out there, you know, on 857 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:09,400 Speaker 1: the bench. I mean, those are those are valuable guys 858 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:11,600 Speaker 1: for sure. Um that then there's a lot of them 859 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:13,920 Speaker 1: in the NBA, and most teams have at least one 860 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:16,040 Speaker 1: of them. Um. You know, so if someone wants to 861 00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:17,920 Speaker 1: call me and have me be that role, I'd love to, 862 00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:20,800 Speaker 1: you know, Lebraun and the Lakers are gonna need some shooters. 863 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:24,319 Speaker 1: They got no shooting. But all right, Hey, thanks a 864 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:26,319 Speaker 1: lot for taking the time. Man. Congrats on all your 865 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:29,719 Speaker 1: success in life and basketball and everything. Uh and uh 866 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:32,000 Speaker 1: you know, good good luck with whatever the future holds. Man, 867 00:39:32,719 --> 00:39:35,080 Speaker 1: I appreciate Jason. Thanks, this was fun and we'll talk 868 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:35,200 Speaker 1: to