WEBVTT - NBA Finals, Draft and Kentucky Coach Mark Pope 0:00:07.480 --> 0:00:10.119 Welcome a point game with John Wall and CJ. Toldonnell, 0:00:10.200 --> 0:00:13.360 presented by DraftKings. Don't forget DraftKings is your home for 0:00:13.480 --> 0:00:15.760 all the action across the NBA and gets too closer 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:17.599 to the game we all love. The crown is yours. 0:00:17.840 --> 0:00:20.760 We have a very special episode today. We are joined 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:24.320 by the captain the nineteen ninety six national champion Kentucky 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:27.560 Wildcats and the brand new coach of the University Kentucky 0:00:27.560 --> 0:00:30.600 men's basketball team, Mark Pope. But before we get to that, 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:33.720 we got to get John's reaction here on the Finals 0:00:33.720 --> 0:00:36.360 that just wrapped up Celtics in the winner. So, John, 0:00:36.600 --> 0:00:38.599 you've been kind of calling it as the Celtics We're 0:00:38.640 --> 0:00:40.720 gonna take it all this whole season since we started 0:00:40.720 --> 0:00:44.280 this pod. So wanted to get your reaction upon seeing 0:00:44.280 --> 0:00:46.400 them closest thing out in five and finally get their 0:00:46.479 --> 0:00:49.720 their first title with the Jalen Brown in Tatum era. 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:51.080 I think it was great. 0:00:51.440 --> 0:00:53.199 I told you before I felt like they had to 0:00:53.240 --> 0:00:56.560 win this championship. If they didn't, I think, you know, 0:00:56.720 --> 0:00:58.440 like before a lot of people said when they lost 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:02.320 in the twenty twenty two I think to the Warriors, 0:01:02.320 --> 0:01:03.920 there was like they got to split them up. They're 0:01:03.960 --> 0:01:06.840 not They're great, they're both great players, but they don't 0:01:06.840 --> 0:01:08.959 have enough to get it done. And you know, you 0:01:09.000 --> 0:01:11.160 always have those debates when we have two superstars or 0:01:11.160 --> 0:01:12.960 two stars in the back court of two stars on 0:01:12.959 --> 0:01:14.920 one team, like how do they co exist and can 0:01:14.959 --> 0:01:17.240 they play it well together? So then to finally get 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.640 over that hump and win the championship, I think it 0:01:19.680 --> 0:01:22.080 was excited for them. They really enjoyed it. I know 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:23.760 they're probably on the high right now, living in a 0:01:23.800 --> 0:01:26.760 moment still and yeah, like you kept you listening to 0:01:26.800 --> 0:01:28.040 the interview out the game, a lot of them kept 0:01:28.040 --> 0:01:30.039 saying they feel so surreal, like they can't believe it. 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:32.440 They still haven't registered in their mind that they won 0:01:32.520 --> 0:01:35.640 a championship. So I think it was dope. Like I said, 0:01:35.680 --> 0:01:37.039 I called it all season. I thought it was gonna 0:01:37.040 --> 0:01:40.040 play Denver, but you know, like the MAVs made some trades, 0:01:40.120 --> 0:01:42.880 other team made some trades, other teams got better, and 0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:45.360 Minnesota had a heck of a run and Dallas got 0:01:45.400 --> 0:01:45.840 over the hump. 0:01:45.920 --> 0:01:47.800 But it was great to see them get a win. 0:01:48.680 --> 0:01:51.760 No, it was dope too, because I remember the last 0:01:51.800 --> 0:01:53.320 few years. I think it was twenty twenty one and 0:01:53.320 --> 0:01:55.440 maybe a little bit of twenty two, people are talking 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:57.240 about do we need to separate these guys, do we 0:01:57.280 --> 0:01:59.960 need to move you know Jalen Brown. So one like, 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:01.760 how was it to see those two kind of make 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:03.560 it work? And do you think other teams are sort 0:02:03.600 --> 0:02:05.760 of taking note to give some of these duos in 0:02:05.800 --> 0:02:08.040 these teams a little bit more time? And then also 0:02:08.160 --> 0:02:10.440 do you sort of see with Jalen, you know, winning 0:02:10.520 --> 0:02:13.760 MVP in the conference finals, in the finals, do you 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:16.200 think that that Jason is Jason is kind of taking 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:18.000 that as a personal challenge that he's got to win 0:02:18.040 --> 0:02:20.840 those maybe in the future. So how do those guys 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:23.200 kind of how does the championship sort of affect their 0:02:23.240 --> 0:02:27.400 relationship and that duo after these you know, seven years together. 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:29.280 Oh well, I think yeah, more team is going to 0:02:29.360 --> 0:02:31.440 take more time not to try to break up duos 0:02:31.480 --> 0:02:34.720 too early. I think it was great because I didn't notice. 0:02:34.760 --> 0:02:36.959 But I think when if you listen to an interview 0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:39.720 or somebody said it, uh that Jalen Brown felt like 0:02:39.760 --> 0:02:43.000 he failed them last year, failed them last year when 0:02:43.000 --> 0:02:44.840 Tatum got hurt in Game seven. You know, they were 0:02:44.840 --> 0:02:46.880 looking for him to be the guy to step up. 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:48.800 He felt like he wasn't as good enough yet and 0:02:48.840 --> 0:02:50.480 that's why when they lost to Miami. So he felt 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:51.840 like he put a lot of pressure on his shelf 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:55.119 to get better over the summer. And uh, I think 0:02:55.160 --> 0:02:57.200 he's done that, and uh it looks great. 0:02:57.240 --> 0:02:57.440 Yeah. 0:02:57.440 --> 0:02:59.320 I think, like Tatum said, like he wasn't pressed to 0:02:59.360 --> 0:03:01.800 win NVP, but you know, everybody wants to win finals, 0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:04.280 and everybody wants to win his CAP finale and that's 0:03:04.280 --> 0:03:06.359 your ultimate goal. Shout out to Jayalen Brown. I feel 0:03:06.360 --> 0:03:08.680 like he don't get a lot of recognition, so it's 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:10.960 great for him to get those awards. In my opinion, 0:03:11.160 --> 0:03:12.679 and not because I'm a Tatum fan. I feel like 0:03:12.720 --> 0:03:14.560 he should have got either one of them because he 0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:16.720 let him. He let him in scoring in both series 0:03:17.639 --> 0:03:20.680 he was I think that this Pacer series he averaged 0:03:20.720 --> 0:03:23.320 thirty like twelve and eight, and this series he averaged 0:03:23.360 --> 0:03:25.560 like what twenty three, seven and seven, So I feel 0:03:25.560 --> 0:03:27.240 like he had the odds to win it. But if 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:30.000 there's no reason Jaylen Brown shouldn't want either. He was 0:03:30.000 --> 0:03:32.120 talent enough, he was great enough. I think they gave him. 0:03:32.120 --> 0:03:34.120 I think they gave him the edge because his impact 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:36.000 he had on the other end of the floor. He 0:03:36.080 --> 0:03:37.840 was a hell of a two way player throughout the finals, 0:03:37.840 --> 0:03:39.360 you know, I mean the way he was making it 0:03:39.400 --> 0:03:41.760 tough on Luca and just trying to do the best 0:03:41.760 --> 0:03:43.240 he can to stop me. I mean, Luca still was 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:45.640 almost average thirty, but he made it difficult on him. 0:03:45.680 --> 0:03:47.760 He made him work, So you know what I mean. 0:03:47.960 --> 0:03:49.560 I feel like Jason Davi should have got people, But 0:03:49.600 --> 0:03:51.280 I'm not mad at Jayleen Brown got you know. I mean, 0:03:51.440 --> 0:03:54.200 it's great for him. He deserved that recognition. I was 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:56.080 upseting he didn't make RNBA this year. I think he's 0:03:56.080 --> 0:03:58.080 only made All NBA one time. I mean, I think 0:03:58.120 --> 0:04:00.000 he may all made one time. So that's kind of 0:04:00.040 --> 0:04:02.560 shocking to me because I don't understand the narrative of 0:04:02.600 --> 0:04:04.840 All NBA. Then if you got guys that have the 0:04:04.880 --> 0:04:07.120 number one record in the league, both of these guys 0:04:07.120 --> 0:04:09.320 are All Star, they're both averaging high numbers, Like, how 0:04:09.360 --> 0:04:10.320 do I not be All NBA? 0:04:10.520 --> 0:04:11.720 Like that doesn't make sense to me. 0:04:11.880 --> 0:04:13.200 I could see if they were like a four seed 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:15.320 or a five seed, they almost been number one. Set 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:17.480 the last couple years, He's only made All NBA one time. 0:04:17.560 --> 0:04:20.200 Like you usually give your best teams two or three 0:04:20.200 --> 0:04:22.440 guys on a r NBA, so that's kind of shocking 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:24.360 to me. But shout out to Jalen Brown for winning MVP, 0:04:24.480 --> 0:04:26.200 And I mean, I think it was a shock to him. 0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:26.680 You look at him. 0:04:26.720 --> 0:04:28.600 He was surprised he got you know, I mean so, 0:04:29.040 --> 0:04:30.279 but it was great for him to get it because 0:04:30.279 --> 0:04:31.719 I feel like he don't get a lot of recognition 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:34.120 of other ways. So I think he was supercited. But yeah, 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:36.320 for Tatum, his mind said it, okay, I won one. 0:04:36.640 --> 0:04:39.200 But he did it the right way though, because I 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:41.719 think somebody said he wasn't shooting the ball. Well, he 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:43.760 wasn't having great games early on, but he was doing 0:04:43.760 --> 0:04:45.919 other things in the impact the game, getting to getting 0:04:45.920 --> 0:04:48.880 ten rebounds, and he could have went out there impressed 0:04:48.880 --> 0:04:50.719 and said, I'm just trying to win MVP, like forget 0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:52.480 the finals, winning the finals. 0:04:52.480 --> 0:04:53.280 I'm trying to win MVP. 0:04:53.640 --> 0:04:55.719 But he was more so focused on whatever I got 0:04:55.720 --> 0:04:57.880 to do to help us win, I'm willing to do it. 0:04:57.920 --> 0:05:00.480 So if that's not if I'm not shooting, well, let 0:05:00.480 --> 0:05:02.479 other guys take the lead. So it was great to 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:04.080 see and I think they, like you said, a lot 0:05:04.120 --> 0:05:07.160 of guys sacrifice on their team. Man, they sacrificed the most, 0:05:07.200 --> 0:05:10.160 and they have two great glue guys between Derek White 0:05:10.160 --> 0:05:13.240 and Jew Holliday at sacrifice so much. And then Al 0:05:13.240 --> 0:05:15.520 Horford man shouted out, Horfi you know what I mean? Yeah, 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:18.679 finally again his ringing that you have pazingers that came 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:20.279 back and he could have tried to get back into 0:05:20.320 --> 0:05:21.800 the starting lineup. He was like, no, I'm cool. We'll 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:23.960 come off the bench whatever way I can help them win. 0:05:24.080 --> 0:05:25.640 So I think that was big for their whole team 0:05:25.680 --> 0:05:28.680 and just speaks volume of all those guys making the sacrifice, 0:05:29.160 --> 0:05:31.599 how their front office is working, and how everybody respect 0:05:31.640 --> 0:05:32.480 their coaching staff. 0:05:33.120 --> 0:05:34.919 Yeah. I liked seeing that. That was one of my 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:37.720 favorite moments was when Al Horford was sort of checking 0:05:37.760 --> 0:05:40.360 out and he got that like standing ovation because you 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:42.360 got to imagine a guy like that, he can go 0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:44.760 be a vet anywhere else or whatever, but the Celtics 0:05:44.760 --> 0:05:47.120 decided to make him an integral part. He had a 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:49.720 backup KP. He got more minutes when KP, you know, 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:51.360 I think they were playing it a little safe and 0:05:51.720 --> 0:05:53.120 like we don't want to get him injured. And then 0:05:53.440 --> 0:05:55.960 you know, the MAVs get another one and they take 0:05:56.000 --> 0:05:58.400 advantage of that. But like it was dope seeing Al 0:05:58.400 --> 0:06:02.000 Horford finally get one. So that was cool. What do 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:04.160 you have to say With some of the internet they 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:07.560 said like the Celtics had the easiest road, like this 0:06:07.720 --> 0:06:09.360 was the easiest title to go and get. 0:06:10.160 --> 0:06:12.680 Well, the end of the day is bro It's about health. 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:13.520 Everybody know. 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:15.640 It's about being healthy and being looked, having some luck, 0:06:16.320 --> 0:06:17.919 you know what I mean. So they can't control that 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:21.040 round one, Jimmy Butler wasn't healthy, and then Terry it 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:22.800 was health. That's not their problem. I mean, that's the 0:06:22.800 --> 0:06:25.760 matchup they have. After the competing against that, you go 0:06:25.800 --> 0:06:27.600 to the second round. They can't help that. Jared Allen 0:06:27.680 --> 0:06:30.240 got hurt seriously before that against the Magic and then 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:32.719 Donnodan Mitchell ends up getting hurt. It's all about having 0:06:32.800 --> 0:06:35.040 health and all about having some look. So you know 0:06:35.080 --> 0:06:36.240 what I mean, I know they gonna look at it 0:06:36.279 --> 0:06:37.760 and like, you know what, if that's the case, then 0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:39.880 we try to run it back next year. But you know, 0:06:39.920 --> 0:06:41.960 I mean Milwaukee had an injury with Drew Holliday. I mean, 0:06:42.000 --> 0:06:44.120 I drew all that my badianness. I mean, you know 0:06:44.200 --> 0:06:46.280 Dann got hurt a little bit. Then you play the Pacers, 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:48.279 then you have Halliburt getting hurt. 0:06:48.279 --> 0:06:49.440 You know what I mean. I mean not Haliburg, you 0:06:49.480 --> 0:06:52.120 have yeah Halliberry Aliberg got. 0:06:52.040 --> 0:06:53.040 Hurtliburn was out. Yeah. 0:06:53.120 --> 0:06:53.480 Yeah. 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:55.800 So it's like it's it's tough to say because you know, 0:06:55.839 --> 0:06:58.440 it's all anything with basketball man throughout the regular season, 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:02.039 throughout NBA career. Like I said, for myself, like I've 0:07:02.080 --> 0:07:04.560 got injured, What what haveppened? What could John White have 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:06.280 been if he didn't have an injury, or what Dair 0:07:06.360 --> 0:07:08.560 Rose or Pinney Hardaway could have been or great Hair 0:07:08.560 --> 0:07:10.640 would have been. Like yeah, you want to go against 0:07:10.680 --> 0:07:12.080 the best, but all you can do is line him 0:07:12.080 --> 0:07:13.400 against the guys you're competing against. 0:07:13.680 --> 0:07:15.480 So here's the excuse. 0:07:15.560 --> 0:07:18.160 I if Brazilians don't come back for the finals and 0:07:18.200 --> 0:07:20.280 they lose, is it because oh the Dallas had an 0:07:20.280 --> 0:07:21.280 easy finals matchup? 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:23.040 Yeah? 0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:25.200 Are people? Are people gonna make that excuse? You know 0:07:25.240 --> 0:07:25.560 what I mean? 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:27.760 Like it's the nature of it. It's like you go 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:29.560 out there, you compete, you play at high level. You 0:07:29.600 --> 0:07:32.000 want no injuries, You want to clear slate finals when 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:33.880 everybody's healthy or throughout the whole playoffs. 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:35.840 But it's just the nature of the game. It's a 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:37.320 part of the game, right. 0:07:37.360 --> 0:07:40.200 I mean, if people look back on that Raptors Championship 0:07:40.200 --> 0:07:42.680 where you know, Katie and Clay got hurt and that, 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:45.440 I don't think it like discountant, but that is part 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:47.880 of the game. It's like how much you're playing your guys, 0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:51.680 you play them in freak accidents happen. So I still 0:07:51.680 --> 0:07:53.200 think it's like they still got to win those games 0:07:53.200 --> 0:07:56.160 because sometimes teams step up when their best player is out. 0:07:56.240 --> 0:07:59.280 You know, yeah, that's yeah, the Pacers step up, you see, 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:00.680 like they've been made the game. SAME's tough for Game 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:02.560 three and four, it's tough. But I just look at 0:08:02.600 --> 0:08:04.360 like you said, So if you go back to that 0:08:04.520 --> 0:08:06.440 is what you were saying, Katie and Clay been hurt. 0:08:06.560 --> 0:08:08.920 So do we say, if Katie was healthy the hole 0:08:08.960 --> 0:08:11.000 the whole playoffs here, do they sweep the raptor do 0:08:11.080 --> 0:08:14.880 they even get a ring. 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:16.640 On the Raptor? I would say no, I would say no. 0:08:16.120 --> 0:08:16.840 But that's what I'm saying. 0:08:16.880 --> 0:08:18.000 We all can say that, you know, I mean, but 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:19.040 like and in the day, you still got to go out 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:21.000 there and compete, Like, I think they went to what 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:21.880 did what did they go to? 0:08:22.000 --> 0:08:22.800 Six? Game six? 0:08:22.840 --> 0:08:23.000 Run? 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:23.480 Yah? Six? 0:08:23.600 --> 0:08:25.720 I think so so kad come back for like a 0:08:25.760 --> 0:08:28.720 couple twelve minutes and then get hurt, like so they 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:29.720 still took it to a game six. 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:31.080 So they still had to go out there and compete. 0:08:31.240 --> 0:08:33.199 You still have Klay Thompson, you still have dra Mind, 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:35.959 you had Boog, you had a good dollar, you had 0:08:36.080 --> 0:08:36.800 Steff come on. 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:40.480 Okay, well okay, so talking about that, like, say, let's 0:08:40.520 --> 0:08:42.760 look back on the last five years, who would you 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:46.079 say is the best championship team of these last five years. 0:08:46.320 --> 0:08:48.880 We're having this conversation before and he had some interesting 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:49.480 takes on this. 0:08:50.200 --> 0:08:52.720 I say that twenty two Warriors in my opinion, And 0:08:52.760 --> 0:08:54.760 why do you say that? I feel like, what does 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:56.360 it start for twenty twenty twenty one? 0:08:56.800 --> 0:08:58.600 Yeah, I guess let's start with the bubble. Let's start 0:08:58.600 --> 0:09:00.720 with the bubble. Was thatineteen twenty? 0:09:00.840 --> 0:09:02.679 Yeah, in nineteen twenty. I think it's like a lot 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:05.680 of people was not happy to go to the bubble. 0:09:05.720 --> 0:09:07.640 I think a lot of people was checked out of 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:10.680 going to the bubble. And for me, I don't know, 0:09:10.720 --> 0:09:12.000 I wasn't in the bubble, So I don't know how 0:09:12.040 --> 0:09:14.480 I was to living there every day and not being 0:09:14.480 --> 0:09:16.240 able to see your family, not being and see those things. 0:09:16.320 --> 0:09:19.080 So I just don't I just don't like that one. 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:21.240 Twenty one. I feel like you had a lot of 0:09:21.400 --> 0:09:21.920 that series. 0:09:21.960 --> 0:09:23.480 We have a lot of injuries in that same one, 0:09:23.520 --> 0:09:26.800 you know what I mean with the because nobody expected 0:09:26.800 --> 0:09:28.160 Decern to get there, you know, I mean they went 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:30.679 through some people they didn't have to go through with injuries, 0:09:31.200 --> 0:09:32.880 so you had the bucks. I don't really I mean, 0:09:32.920 --> 0:09:35.200 it's credit to them though, but it's another scenario like 0:09:35.240 --> 0:09:37.600 this year. Who had the hardest way to get there. 0:09:38.240 --> 0:09:41.280 Twenty two, I think it made it, specially because the 0:09:41.280 --> 0:09:43.439 Warriors didn't make the playoffs the year before because Steph 0:09:43.520 --> 0:09:46.520 was hurt, I think Clay was still out. And then 0:09:47.320 --> 0:09:49.840 to go there and have like Jordan pool Off, they 0:09:49.840 --> 0:09:52.400 bench have John the Comiga play roles, you have Otto Porter, 0:09:52.840 --> 0:09:54.760 you have different pieces that nobody thought the Ward was 0:09:54.760 --> 0:09:56.320 gonna make the plaoffs that year or it was gonna 0:09:56.320 --> 0:09:58.480 be good enough. So I think that's why you've seen 0:09:58.520 --> 0:10:01.200 Steph being so emotional to get over the hump and 0:10:01.200 --> 0:10:03.640 get their nuggets. I feel like they had a chance 0:10:03.679 --> 0:10:05.559 that Jamal's Murray's healthy. I feel like they just was 0:10:05.600 --> 0:10:08.680 a great team. And I just felt like when they 0:10:08.679 --> 0:10:10.600 played the Heat, the Heat was good, the heat battle, 0:10:10.640 --> 0:10:12.080 which they always going to do, the Heat coach there 0:10:12.160 --> 0:10:13.800 always going to compete at the high level. I just 0:10:13.800 --> 0:10:17.120 think they was outmatched right right. And then this year, 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:18.880 you know what I mean, people are saying that, People 0:10:18.920 --> 0:10:21.320 are saying that Celtis had an easy way, They didn't 0:10:21.320 --> 0:10:24.439 have a tough path, so you know what I mean, whatever 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:26.440 they say. Champions are champions. You can't take it away 0:10:26.480 --> 0:10:28.439 from them. So that's why I picked the Warriors. I 0:10:28.440 --> 0:10:30.160 feel like nobody expect them to be there then, not 0:10:30.240 --> 0:10:32.559 to make the playoffs the year before and come back 0:10:32.559 --> 0:10:35.240 and win the championship. I think that was pretty special 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:36.520 for me. Out of the last five. 0:10:37.120 --> 0:10:39.440 Yeah, no, I think yeah, that Worries team. It was 0:10:39.480 --> 0:10:41.160 I think it was a shock. It was almost like 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:42.840 a shock. But then people once they got in the 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:45.800 in the finals, it was like, you know, the Celtics 0:10:45.840 --> 0:10:47.640 aren't going to compete. So it was kind of cool 0:10:48.000 --> 0:10:50.040 to see the Celtics get back and win this one too. 0:10:50.160 --> 0:10:51.480 Just relating to that, Yeah. 0:10:51.320 --> 0:10:53.680 I think I think the Celtiers they compete it because 0:10:53.679 --> 0:10:55.000 I went to Game three and four and they was 0:10:55.080 --> 0:10:56.760 up to one, had a chance to win game four 0:10:56.800 --> 0:10:59.559 at home after they stole Game one. I just think, 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:00.720 you know what I mean, I don't know, I've never 0:11:00.760 --> 0:11:02.280 been to the finals. I've never been in the West 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:04.439 Coast Final, East Coast Finals. But I think, I mean, 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:07.320 that stage is a whole different stage. It's only two 0:11:07.360 --> 0:11:09.880 teams left, everybody watch you, and I think they just 0:11:10.240 --> 0:11:11.959 haven't been in that moment before. So you know what 0:11:11.960 --> 0:11:13.880 I mean, Like the last two minutes three minute, they 0:11:13.960 --> 0:11:15.640 kind of took a couple of bad shots, kind of 0:11:16.080 --> 0:11:19.559 wasn't being patient, was forcing the issue. And I think 0:11:19.600 --> 0:11:21.440 the Wars they had a lot of guys that already 0:11:21.440 --> 0:11:23.800 been there before, like yeah, we're never rated, Okay, we 0:11:23.840 --> 0:11:26.679 lost home court, We're not rattled. I mean, we'll figure 0:11:26.720 --> 0:11:28.800 it out. So I think they had more exposure to 0:11:28.920 --> 0:11:29.880 kind of like this year. You know, I mean, you 0:11:29.880 --> 0:11:31.640 really had nobody really have been to the finals from 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:34.280 the Mass but Kyrie Irving. I mean, Lucas played on 0:11:34.320 --> 0:11:37.360 big stages overseas. Don't get me wrong, but I think 0:11:37.400 --> 0:11:39.320 sometimes that spotlight might get too big and you tell, 0:11:39.440 --> 0:11:41.120 just with the Celtics, they never got too high, they 0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:43.360 never got too low. And I think having you hollered there, 0:11:43.400 --> 0:11:45.240 got it already won one that can keep they locker 0:11:45.240 --> 0:11:46.120 home calm. 0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:47.880 It was pretty It was kind of easy for them. 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:49.360 It's easy slate for them to go through. 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:52.000 Yeah, speaking on Kyrie, and this would be the last 0:11:52.000 --> 0:11:53.520 thing with the Finals, but I think a lot of 0:11:53.520 --> 0:11:55.839 people wanted more out of them, and we've obviously seen 0:11:55.880 --> 0:11:58.360 what what Kyrie is capable of. So can you just 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:00.760 talk about what do you think happened with him this series? 0:12:00.800 --> 0:12:02.920 And then maybe with the Nows got to do this offseason. 0:12:03.559 --> 0:12:05.880 For me, I think nothing really happened with Kyrie. He 0:12:05.920 --> 0:12:07.400 had a great defend him and Drew Holliday, But if 0:12:07.440 --> 0:12:08.920 you look at the game, he still got to all 0:12:08.920 --> 0:12:11.440 the spots. I think he just missed short. He missed 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:13.240 a couple of shots. Then I mean he got back 0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:15.560 to Dallas, got back to his environment where he didn't 0:12:15.559 --> 0:12:17.800 have a crowd on him all day every day screaming 0:12:17.880 --> 0:12:20.319 Kyrie sucks or fu and all these twenty four to 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:22.800 seven So I think he tried to tune that out 0:12:22.840 --> 0:12:25.360 and play basketball, you know what I mean? But the 0:12:25.400 --> 0:12:27.040 shots was there. He got the same shots he had 0:12:27.080 --> 0:12:30.080 other series. They just wasn't falling. But I think he 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:33.360 had multiple defenders that can guard. They wasn't stopping him 0:12:33.360 --> 0:12:35.160 because he's still got the spot, but he had multiple 0:12:35.200 --> 0:12:37.040 defending that can make it tough on him. I think 0:12:37.120 --> 0:12:38.840 other series he probably had one or two guys that 0:12:38.880 --> 0:12:39.959 can kind of make it tough. 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:41.040 But happened. 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:43.040 Like I said before, they have four great defenders on 0:12:43.040 --> 0:12:46.240 the team that could defend at a high level. It 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:48.720 made it a little more difficult, but he played basketball 0:12:48.760 --> 0:12:49.920 the way he wanted to play. He took the same 0:12:49.920 --> 0:12:52.480 type of shots in Game three and four and they 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:55.120 failed those games. In games won two and five, they 0:12:55.120 --> 0:12:56.440 didn't fall for him in Boston. 0:12:57.080 --> 0:12:59.640 Yeah, No, I think the biggest thing is that Luca 0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:02.200 and I ree last year the DINT made the playoffs. 0:13:02.280 --> 0:13:04.480 This year there in the finals. The fact that they 0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:06.440 have figured it out, and then they got like you 0:13:06.440 --> 0:13:10.839 said before, PJ. Washington gaff like they're a squad now, 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:13.440 and so like they went to the finals, they're gonna 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:15.199 be back. They're gonna figure some stuff out, and so 0:13:15.360 --> 0:13:17.640 that's a four set. I think that the league's not 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:20.000 to continue to Reckon with I wanted to get back 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:22.800 into the season's over. I wanted to talk about the 0:13:22.840 --> 0:13:24.079 draft a little bit because youve got a couple of 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:26.760 Kentucky guys coming out in the draft. So I think 0:13:26.840 --> 0:13:31.480 Reed Shepherd might be the highest guard drafted. Since you 0:13:31.520 --> 0:13:33.600 so wanted to get your thoughts on Reid, I know 0:13:33.800 --> 0:13:36.520 you spent some time talking with him and watching him 0:13:36.520 --> 0:13:39.040 this year. Where's the best spot for him to land? 0:13:39.040 --> 0:13:40.560 And where do you think he's going to land? 0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:43.160 I think for him it doesn't really matter for him 0:13:43.200 --> 0:13:44.959 because he's a guy that shoots the three at a 0:13:45.000 --> 0:13:47.040 high clip. I think he shot the big the best 0:13:47.080 --> 0:13:50.160 percentage in college. But he's a guy that's not going 0:13:50.200 --> 0:13:52.840 to why you wi speed. He's a sneaky athlete that 0:13:52.880 --> 0:13:55.400 you don't expect, but he's a great defender, can shoot 0:13:55.400 --> 0:13:57.120 the ball very well at the high clip, and you 0:13:57.200 --> 0:13:58.920 just run a team. Yeah, I mean so, I think 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:01.360 he's one of those guys where you don't expect it 0:14:01.400 --> 0:14:03.080 from him, but he knows how to do all the 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:05.120 little things. And if he's a guy that can shoot 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:06.520 the ball as well as he can, can run pick 0:14:06.559 --> 0:14:09.880 and roll, can defend the ball screens very well, he 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:12.000 can fit in anyway, just figuring out his niche and 0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:13.720 find out what his role is gonna be for whatever 0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:14.400 team he goes to. 0:14:15.120 --> 0:14:16.920 What do you think is the player component? I know 0:14:16.960 --> 0:14:18.520 we don't like to compare players. What do you think, 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:21.040 like potential wise or ceiling wise? Who do you think 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:23.760 the best comp is for him? Clay Thompson? 0:14:24.480 --> 0:14:28.560 Nah, No, because Clay don't put because Clay's a knockdown 0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:34.480 shooting defender. But like Reese can handle the ball, push 0:14:34.480 --> 0:14:35.920 the ball on the floor to the high clip. He 0:14:35.920 --> 0:14:37.880 could do a sneaky applet, you know what I mean. 0:14:37.920 --> 0:14:40.200 Like I said, so, I really don't have a comparison 0:14:40.200 --> 0:14:42.000 for him, because it's like you might have one guy 0:14:42.000 --> 0:14:44.800 that can shoot like it, but don't run, pick and 0:14:44.880 --> 0:14:46.400 roll and make plays like he does, you know I mean, 0:14:46.440 --> 0:14:48.560 like I think he's the reason why Rob was able 0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:50.360 to blossom even more, you know what I mean, because 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:52.200 he came in. It was a true point guard, and 0:14:52.240 --> 0:14:54.400 Rob was easy to come in and be straight a 0:14:54.440 --> 0:14:55.600 mic awave, you know what I mean. I feel like 0:14:56.200 --> 0:14:58.240 and Rob had to run the team, it'd be a 0:14:58.280 --> 0:14:59.440 lot different for him, you know what I mean. But 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:01.480 he came into this is my road, get the ball, 0:15:01.520 --> 0:15:03.840 go be a bucket getter. So I just think reader 0:15:03.960 --> 0:15:06.440 just who he is. I don't really have a comparison really, 0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:07.000 to be honest. 0:15:07.480 --> 0:15:09.640 Okay, all right, one last thing before the break about 0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:11.520 this draft. Obviously you went number one. It was a 0:15:11.560 --> 0:15:14.000 huge night for you. So one piece of advice you 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:15.600 would give some of these guys who are about to 0:15:15.600 --> 0:15:18.120 get drafted that night, whether they're going to it or 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:21.040 they're at home, what's the piece of advice going into 0:15:21.040 --> 0:15:21.680 the draft night? 0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:22.480 Well, I don't know. 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:24.200 If you ain't being there, I know it's gonna be different. 0:15:24.200 --> 0:15:26.520 Because me, it's like you go a week early and 0:15:26.560 --> 0:15:28.360 like you just get to be around your family. You 0:15:28.400 --> 0:15:30.080 get to walk around and see how New York is 0:15:30.080 --> 0:15:32.440 and how beautiful the city is, and just living that 0:15:32.520 --> 0:15:34.160 moment because you living up to the hype every day. 0:15:34.200 --> 0:15:36.000 You just chilling, you relax and going to dinner and 0:15:36.040 --> 0:15:39.840 enjoying that moment. But when you get there nervous, like 0:15:40.200 --> 0:15:41.560 I don't care if you know you're going one, or 0:15:41.560 --> 0:15:43.600 you're going to or where you're going. It's just a 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:46.520 lot of jitters. But all the hard work and dedication 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:49.400 you put into the game to listen to your parents, 0:15:49.480 --> 0:15:52.640 listen to your coaches growing up to doing what you 0:15:52.720 --> 0:15:54.400 do in high school to going to college and playing 0:15:54.400 --> 0:15:57.360 well at a high level. Or if you was in 0:15:57.400 --> 0:15:59.360 the G League or you was the overtime elite and 0:15:59.440 --> 0:16:03.200 went to the It's dope, man, Like everything you believe, 0:16:03.240 --> 0:16:05.560 they all come to call all come true on one night. 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:07.840 So just live in a moment, enjoy with your family, 0:16:07.880 --> 0:16:10.360 embrace it, and then know the next day after that, man, 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:13.000 your journey's gonna start. Like you get to go to 0:16:13.080 --> 0:16:15.600 the city, get drafted, to get to your press conference, 0:16:15.640 --> 0:16:18.680 you get to touch the jersey for the first time. Yeah, 0:16:18.120 --> 0:16:21.280 and embrace how it's gonna be. But it's the best 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:23.080 feeling you can have. Man, it gets still better. 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:26.840 That's incredible and special. Okay, all right, this, Uh we're 0:16:26.840 --> 0:16:28.520 gonna take a break here, but when we come back, 0:16:28.600 --> 0:16:30.720 I think there's an interview that a lot of Kentucky 0:16:30.760 --> 0:16:33.600 fans we saw you guys meet each other at eybl 0:16:33.680 --> 0:16:36.080 and now we're gonna have a convo here between you 0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:38.600 and the new Kentucky coach, Mark Pope. So we're gonna 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:40.800 take a break and when we come back, Kentucky head 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:50.480 coach Mark Pope will be joining us. Welcome back to 0:16:50.560 --> 0:16:54.000 point Game with John Wall and CJ. Toldonald, presented by DraftKings. 0:16:54.520 --> 0:16:56.280 I am so excited to bring on this next guest. 0:16:56.280 --> 0:16:58.360 We were joined by the captain of the nineteen ninety 0:16:58.360 --> 0:17:02.520 six national champion Kentucky Wildcats and now the head coach 0:17:02.840 --> 0:17:06.600 of the University of Kentucky men's basketball team, Mark Pope, Coach, 0:17:06.800 --> 0:17:08.440 how you doing man? Thanks for joining us on point 0:17:08.480 --> 0:17:09.040 Games easy. 0:17:09.080 --> 0:17:11.560 I'm not gonna lie. I'm hyped to be on with you, 0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:15.520 but I'm out of my mind to beyond with John Wall, Like, 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:19.480 what are we talking about? I'm telling you guys, listen. 0:17:19.960 --> 0:17:23.040 So I was at my first job, my first job 0:17:23.080 --> 0:17:26.119 in college basketball was at the University of Georgia. I 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:29.040 was there John's rookie is verst and only year at 0:17:29.080 --> 0:17:32.400 the University Kentucky. So you know, I had a two 0:17:32.440 --> 0:17:35.000 big job. I was folding laundry and hanna out towels. 0:17:35.080 --> 0:17:36.920 But on my own I was doing a lot of 0:17:36.960 --> 0:17:39.720 film studies, sitting with the staff doing film study. So 0:17:39.840 --> 0:17:45.000 we're prepping to go to Kentucky. We're watching film, We're 0:17:45.040 --> 0:17:49.840 watching your individual clips, and you guys know, I swear 0:17:50.119 --> 0:17:53.720 this is like not an exaggeration. You guys know how 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:55.800 it is back in the day when you would have 0:17:55.960 --> 0:17:58.240 little glitches in the film where it'd be going normal 0:17:58.280 --> 0:18:01.480 speed and all of a sudden like speed up to 0:18:01.680 --> 0:18:04.399 like true time speed, and then we'll go back to normal. 0:18:04.920 --> 0:18:09.000 So we're watching a transition clip and John, you started 0:18:09.080 --> 0:18:12.320 like one step past the free throw line. You took 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:14.520 like one or two strides, and then it was like 0:18:15.800 --> 0:18:16.960 and then all of a sudden you were in the 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:19.200 next freet throw line and we were like, wait, is 0:18:19.240 --> 0:18:23.160 the film broken? It was not broken, man, I mean, 0:18:23.520 --> 0:18:25.920 my gods, huge fan, huge. 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:28.520 Fan, my friend, appreciate it. I want to say thanks 0:18:28.560 --> 0:18:30.600 for joining us, coach. You know, I got to meet 0:18:30.640 --> 0:18:33.320 you at the Indy at the eybl things, so it 0:18:33.440 --> 0:18:35.200 was nice to finally get to meet you. And I 0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:37.200 know everybody was a tested playing like, oh it's John 0:18:37.240 --> 0:18:39.800 Wall gonna meet coach Pope before the season start. He 0:18:39.840 --> 0:18:42.200 gonna is he gonna go to games? But I just 0:18:42.240 --> 0:18:44.840 want to take congratulations to you again for getting ahead 0:18:44.880 --> 0:18:47.359 coaching job. And where do you see yourself taking the 0:18:47.440 --> 0:18:49.639 program and what you think like the future is. God know, 0:18:50.160 --> 0:18:52.160 there's a lot of expectations everybody wants you to live 0:18:52.240 --> 0:18:54.600 up to what coach Cayle did. But you're your own coach. 0:18:54.680 --> 0:18:56.480 You have your own pedigree, you have your own way. 0:18:56.880 --> 0:18:59.720 So where do you see yourself taking it? Well, listen, 0:18:59.800 --> 0:19:02.200 I'm in Kentucky. Is Kentucky? 0:19:02.600 --> 0:19:05.399 I mean, as you know right, there's nowhere like it. 0:19:05.600 --> 0:19:10.000 I mean there's there's there's college basketball, there's blue buds 0:19:10.040 --> 0:19:13.120 in college basketball, and then there's Kentucky. It's just a standalone. 0:19:13.760 --> 0:19:15.520 I might be biased when I say that, but I 0:19:15.640 --> 0:19:17.359 got to wear this jersey. I know what it's like 0:19:17.440 --> 0:19:20.440 to wear this jersey, and there's there's just no place 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:23.520 like this. I could cite a hundred different examples, whether 0:19:23.560 --> 0:19:27.680 it's winning or pros or championships or fan base, it 0:19:27.840 --> 0:19:32.880 just as different. And so there's no acceptable expectations here 0:19:33.640 --> 0:19:37.320 other than winning championships. And we say that all the time, 0:19:37.560 --> 0:19:40.640 like you know, if if if you know, we talked 0:19:40.640 --> 0:19:44.000 about this at the press conference when when when I 0:19:44.119 --> 0:19:47.560 was introduced as the next head coach, if if you know, 0:19:47.960 --> 0:19:50.199 most coaches stand up at the press conference and they 0:19:50.320 --> 0:19:54.000 try and moderate expectations because that's a smart thing to do. 0:19:54.320 --> 0:19:57.959 Give yourself time, build the program, take a few years, right, 0:19:59.680 --> 0:20:03.080 that's not acceptable Kentucky. Like when you walk in the door, 0:20:03.160 --> 0:20:05.760 you better be ready to win a banner, Like you 0:20:05.880 --> 0:20:07.760 got to hang a banner, you better win a ring, 0:20:07.880 --> 0:20:11.480 win a championship, and and and that might seem like 0:20:11.720 --> 0:20:16.000 unreasonable expectations, all of us on this zoom, we know 0:20:16.160 --> 0:20:19.119 how hard that is. And if you don't want that 0:20:19.440 --> 0:20:21.199 day one when you walk in the door, don't take 0:20:21.240 --> 0:20:23.200 the job of Kentucky. You go take some other job. 0:20:23.440 --> 0:20:26.159 You could take any other job in college basketball. But 0:20:26.280 --> 0:20:29.920 if you're, if you're if you know, if, if you're 0:20:29.960 --> 0:20:31.879 coming to Kentucky, you know what the challenge is. And 0:20:31.960 --> 0:20:34.080 the expectation is that you hang a banner every year, 0:20:34.119 --> 0:20:36.600 and if you don't, you fall short. And I'm okay 0:20:36.720 --> 0:20:40.080 with that reality. That's just the reality here, and there's 0:20:40.119 --> 0:20:41.119 no place I'd rather be. 0:20:42.600 --> 0:20:44.639 Coach. I saw it this week. I think it was 0:20:44.800 --> 0:20:47.800 you guys had started practice, so one wanted to ask you, like, 0:20:48.240 --> 0:20:50.080 how does it feel to finally get your guys on 0:20:50.160 --> 0:20:52.880 the court. Have there been any surprises from the guys 0:20:52.960 --> 0:20:55.120 you've seen now that they're playing? And then I also 0:20:55.200 --> 0:20:58.200 saw this micd Up clip where I love this expression 0:20:58.320 --> 0:21:01.280 and phrase where you were saying ton of joy, ton 0:21:01.320 --> 0:21:02.920 of juice, And I would love to get the background 0:21:02.920 --> 0:21:04.399 on that, because I think a lot of fans are 0:21:04.840 --> 0:21:06.919 were like, man, that was like amping the everyone up 0:21:07.320 --> 0:21:09.000 just watching it on their phones and the computers. 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:14.800 Yeah, guys, that's been you know, John, you've been here. 0:21:14.840 --> 0:21:16.800 You can imagine. I got here as a head coach 0:21:17.359 --> 0:21:18.920 and there was a couple of days where I'm sitting 0:21:18.960 --> 0:21:21.960 here as the only coach on staff in the offices 0:21:22.480 --> 0:21:25.840 with zero players on the roster, and then we talked 0:21:25.840 --> 0:21:28.680 about the expectations year one, and there were a couple 0:21:28.720 --> 0:21:30.480 of moments I was like, wow, this, you know this. 0:21:30.720 --> 0:21:33.840 We got a lot of work to do. And I 0:21:34.000 --> 0:21:36.320 love this staff. I can't wait till you guys get 0:21:36.400 --> 0:21:38.399 on campus and meet the guys on my staff. I 0:21:38.440 --> 0:21:41.480 think it's a really special group. And and then I 0:21:41.760 --> 0:21:46.840 like these players a lot. Like these guys, John, You're 0:21:46.880 --> 0:21:48.840 gonna love these guys, man, because when they put on 0:21:48.960 --> 0:21:52.080 this journey, every this jersey, every single one of them, 0:21:52.119 --> 0:21:54.080 it means something to that man. It means something to 0:21:54.119 --> 0:21:57.159 put on the same jersey that you wore, and all 0:21:57.240 --> 0:21:59.600 these great players that came before you and after you 0:22:00.600 --> 0:22:02.800 like it means something to our guys to put this 0:22:03.000 --> 0:22:06.880 jersey on, and and they're incredibly committed, they're gonna work hard, 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:09.520 and so getting finally getting the point where we could 0:22:09.520 --> 0:22:11.800 have on the practice flore we have so much work 0:22:11.880 --> 0:22:14.720 to do to kind of get to where our goal is. 0:22:14.800 --> 0:22:18.960 Like it's it's almost inconceivd amount of work. And I 0:22:19.040 --> 0:22:22.160 do think we have special pieces. You know, every single 0:22:22.200 --> 0:22:23.800 one of these guys we could look at as a 0:22:24.520 --> 0:22:26.720 is a piece that could be special. I would I'll 0:22:26.720 --> 0:22:30.400 tell you what I would love to have seen LaMonte Butler, 0:22:30.800 --> 0:22:34.040 who I think is probably the best defensive point guard 0:22:34.080 --> 0:22:38.639 in the country right now, who's it is fifth year, Uh, 0:22:39.119 --> 0:22:41.920 try and spend the time guard and John Wall the 0:22:42.000 --> 0:22:45.959 most electric point guard rookie in the country as freshman year. 0:22:46.400 --> 0:22:48.239 Like those kind of battles like I kind of get 0:22:48.320 --> 0:22:51.200 all the all the generations kind of flow together for 0:22:51.320 --> 0:22:53.040 me as I think about the grace that have been here. 0:22:53.080 --> 0:22:55.119 And so we're really happy to have these guys on 0:22:55.160 --> 0:22:57.239 the court right now. They're working hard and it's good 0:22:57.240 --> 0:22:58.359 because we got a lot of work to do. 0:22:59.359 --> 0:23:00.800 And I'm glad you say that because I was going 0:23:00.880 --> 0:23:03.280 to ask you how many times have you been sitting 0:23:03.320 --> 0:23:06.240 by yourself and pinch yourself that you've got to play 0:23:06.280 --> 0:23:09.960 for the University Kentucky winning championship there, but now you're 0:23:10.040 --> 0:23:13.680 the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcasting on top of that, 0:23:14.280 --> 0:23:16.320 how did you start your recruitment process? Like, how did 0:23:16.359 --> 0:23:18.200 you feel like you had to go through it because 0:23:18.960 --> 0:23:21.520 you was at BYU, which is a great place, great 0:23:21.520 --> 0:23:23.159 screw being in the Big twelve. But now you at 0:23:23.200 --> 0:23:25.840 your Almarad and being at Kentucky And like you said, 0:23:26.119 --> 0:23:29.359 it's about hanging banners winning championships. It's not just to 0:23:29.480 --> 0:23:32.080 come there and go to the INCMA tournament and lose 0:23:32.080 --> 0:23:33.960 in the second round or the third round. No, we 0:23:34.080 --> 0:23:36.639 want to see championships team. You know the pedigree, you 0:23:36.720 --> 0:23:38.840 walk through those floors, You've been through that city. So 0:23:38.920 --> 0:23:40.439 I just want to know how that all that feels. 0:23:41.160 --> 0:23:48.000 Well, it's really humbling, you know, it's incredibly humbling. You know, listen, 0:23:48.920 --> 0:23:50.639 you know, John, I was the opposite of you. I 0:23:50.800 --> 0:23:53.480 was a terrible basketball player, like you, one of the 0:23:53.520 --> 0:23:56.440 best dudes better put on jersey. Like the fact that 0:23:56.520 --> 0:23:58.359 I got here was a little bit of a mistake. 0:23:58.440 --> 0:23:59.960 And the fact that I got to play at the league. 0:24:00.480 --> 0:24:02.919 I think the league is still trying to recover from. 0:24:02.840 --> 0:24:03.760 That that era. 0:24:05.640 --> 0:24:08.800 But but uh, but I am like the world's biggest 0:24:08.840 --> 0:24:14.520 fan and uh and I love I love this university. Man, Like, uh, John, 0:24:14.560 --> 0:24:16.440 I'll tell your story. You're gonna love CJ. You gonna 0:24:16.440 --> 0:24:20.879 love this. So my family grew up on Kentucky. So 0:24:21.080 --> 0:24:26.000 my second oldest daughter, Avery, So she grew up she 0:24:26.240 --> 0:24:29.800 didn't know that there was a word that was just blue. 0:24:29.960 --> 0:24:34.080 She thought Kentucky blue was one word, right, So she 0:24:34.160 --> 0:24:36.640 would go to class and people like, what's your favorite color. 0:24:36.720 --> 0:24:39.240 She's six years older in school and they say, what's 0:24:39.240 --> 0:24:41.800 your favorite color? She'd be like Kentucky blue, and she 0:24:41.840 --> 0:24:44.040 would get weird looks, but it just amunated her. So 0:24:44.920 --> 0:24:47.320 that game where we played, you remember that game where 0:24:47.400 --> 0:24:49.320 Travis Leslie dunket on boogie. 0:24:50.920 --> 0:24:53.600 Okay, So that was the charge. 0:24:54.960 --> 0:24:58.399 Yeah, see I like that. So so I mean, you 0:24:58.480 --> 0:25:01.119 guys got the weird which was mad, right, But so 0:25:01.400 --> 0:25:03.199 we're just to give you a sense of like how 0:25:03.320 --> 0:25:07.440 we feel about this this this place. So it was 0:25:07.520 --> 0:25:10.680 my first first and only year at Georgia, just kind 0:25:10.680 --> 0:25:14.400 of as an assistant to the director operations and we're 0:25:14.440 --> 0:25:17.400 in Georgia. I'm working for the great Mark coach Fox, 0:25:17.440 --> 0:25:19.639 who's on the staff now I love so much, who's 0:25:19.720 --> 0:25:21.879 been a mentor of mine for a long time. And 0:25:22.920 --> 0:25:25.840 we come into Rut and you know, my girls grew 0:25:25.920 --> 0:25:28.800 up like our dog is named Rup, like this place, 0:25:29.119 --> 0:25:32.720 this place means to me, right, and so so we 0:25:34.160 --> 0:25:35.960 were coming up. So I fly up and then the 0:25:36.040 --> 0:25:38.800 girls drive up. They get here and Avery at this 0:25:38.920 --> 0:25:42.520 time is like six or seven years old, and it's 0:25:42.560 --> 0:25:45.000 the girl's first time my daughters. I have four daughters, 0:25:45.040 --> 0:25:48.240 their first time, I ever seven foot in rough and Avery. 0:25:49.000 --> 0:25:51.080 They so they go to the Hyatt. They're in the hotel, 0:25:51.440 --> 0:25:54.000 they're changing to go to the game, and Leanne pulls 0:25:54.040 --> 0:25:58.720 out these red Georgia T shirts and Avery had a breakdown. 0:25:58.800 --> 0:26:02.360 She's like, mom, she's six. She said, Mom, I cannot 0:26:02.480 --> 0:26:07.920 wear a Georgia T shirt into rupp Arena. Like I'm 0:26:07.960 --> 0:26:11.080 not doing that. So Lee gave her a big conversation 0:26:11.119 --> 0:26:13.400 about like, hey, we got it. You know, we're supporting 0:26:13.440 --> 0:26:14.879 the teams that are paying the bills, right. 0:26:15.480 --> 0:26:15.720 Yeah. 0:26:15.880 --> 0:26:19.280 So the compromise was they stopped it, got some Kentucky socks, 0:26:19.560 --> 0:26:22.680 so even she wouldn't she would not interrupt Areena if 0:26:22.720 --> 0:26:25.920 she didn't have at least some Kentucky socks on. And 0:26:26.800 --> 0:26:28.240 that's what it means to me to be here. So 0:26:28.520 --> 0:26:31.800 you can imagine that like I love this place like 0:26:32.160 --> 0:26:35.240 like you can't imagine. And then in terms of in 0:26:35.359 --> 0:26:40.600 terms of us filling in, come on, man, you in 0:26:40.880 --> 0:26:44.200 college coaching, one of the oldest adages you never take 0:26:44.320 --> 0:26:49.080 the job after John Wooden. And I'm just dumb enough 0:26:49.680 --> 0:26:55.280 to take the job after all time revolutionary Hall of Famer, 0:26:55.400 --> 0:26:57.360 one of the greatest coaches ever walked on the face 0:26:57.359 --> 0:27:01.200 of planet, John Caliperi. And so you know that part 0:27:01.359 --> 0:27:04.320 is super humbling, you know, but we understand the assignment, 0:27:04.359 --> 0:27:06.760 we understand the job, and we're going full speed ahead. It. 0:27:07.320 --> 0:27:10.280 I love Cal. You know, Cal has been so incredibly 0:27:10.400 --> 0:27:15.560 gracious to me when I was starting and coaching. Cal 0:27:15.720 --> 0:27:18.359 let us let me bring a Utah Valley team here 0:27:18.440 --> 0:27:22.119 and actually play him uh here at rapp Arena several 0:27:22.240 --> 0:27:24.880 years ago. Every time I've seen him on the road, 0:27:24.920 --> 0:27:26.760 he's been so gracious and encouraging. 0:27:26.960 --> 0:27:28.560 And then I was. 0:27:28.560 --> 0:27:32.120 Actually having conversation with two days before we found out 0:27:32.160 --> 0:27:33.919 public and this job was open and then we were 0:27:34.040 --> 0:27:35.720 just at the SEC meetings. Man, he's one of the 0:27:35.760 --> 0:27:38.760 great great coach of human beings in this league. So 0:27:39.280 --> 0:27:41.720 all of that put together gives you a sense of 0:27:42.080 --> 0:27:44.960 what this place means to us and how daunting this 0:27:45.119 --> 0:27:47.320 job is. And there's no place I'd rather be. Man, 0:27:47.560 --> 0:27:48.080 Let's take on. 0:27:48.160 --> 0:27:48.800 The challenge and go. 0:27:49.720 --> 0:27:53.000 You know you're right, hey, John, We're gonna make you proud. Man, 0:27:53.800 --> 0:27:57.080 We're going to make you proud of your alma mater. 0:27:57.200 --> 0:27:59.640 That's that's my goal. I take that really personally and seriously. 0:28:00.920 --> 0:28:03.080 We'll saying that. Do you think, John, do you have 0:28:03.160 --> 0:28:05.280 plans to get out there? Like, are there players that 0:28:05.320 --> 0:28:07.120 have John come talk to the guys And I know John, 0:28:07.119 --> 0:28:09.000 you're gonna watch some games. So I wanted to know 0:28:09.040 --> 0:28:10.800 if there's any conbo or maybe we can start the 0:28:10.840 --> 0:28:13.719 convo here, how John could be you know, support continue 0:28:13.720 --> 0:28:14.800 to support the program. 0:28:15.640 --> 0:28:18.600 Well listen, just just from my standpoint, John, just you 0:28:18.720 --> 0:28:19.639 being around the program. 0:28:19.960 --> 0:28:20.200 Come on. 0:28:20.600 --> 0:28:22.200 You know we talked about all the time. One of 0:28:22.240 --> 0:28:25.240 the amazing things happening here right now is you guys 0:28:25.359 --> 0:28:27.960 might have seen this. And this is with a ton 0:28:28.040 --> 0:28:29.800 of respect to the Big East. I think the Big 0:28:29.880 --> 0:28:34.240 East are tremendous, tremendous conference. They put out a tweet 0:28:35.000 --> 0:28:37.600 right before the NBA playoffs started said, you know, the 0:28:37.760 --> 0:28:41.800 Big East, we have fifteen players. That's a bull of 0:28:41.960 --> 0:28:45.640 fifteen players from the Big East playing in the NBA playoffs. 0:28:46.760 --> 0:28:51.120 And that is that's an incredible number. It is, it's incredible, 0:28:51.560 --> 0:28:54.560 except that not accept that. And it also should be 0:28:54.640 --> 0:28:57.960 noted that Kentucky by themselves had twenty two players playing 0:28:57.960 --> 0:29:01.840 in the NBA playoffs this year, right, And so the 0:29:01.960 --> 0:29:04.800 one thing is like, we need your help, like this 0:29:05.040 --> 0:29:08.719 is it? Like John wall I mean, uh, there there 0:29:08.760 --> 0:29:11.920 were actually surveys that I saw recently, said John wall is, 0:29:12.000 --> 0:29:16.240 the current is the most popular Kentucky player on the 0:29:16.320 --> 0:29:18.280 face of the planet right now, like that that was 0:29:18.280 --> 0:29:20.080 actually the results of a survey that was done locally. 0:29:20.560 --> 0:29:23.240 I mean, John, this thing right here, I don't know 0:29:23.280 --> 0:29:24.760 if you said it. 0:29:25.520 --> 0:29:29.160 It goes a long way for sure, man Like. And so, 0:29:29.760 --> 0:29:30.440 so this is it. 0:29:30.840 --> 0:29:33.240 The one thing I know about Kentucky basketball. It's a family. 0:29:34.800 --> 0:29:37.960 It's been that, uh, from when I was here to 0:29:38.120 --> 0:29:40.920 the generations we're forore to the generations of after. And 0:29:41.440 --> 0:29:43.200 I do think that everyone got a chance to put 0:29:43.240 --> 0:29:45.080 on this jersey. It means something to us, and and 0:29:45.320 --> 0:29:47.880 and we're all trying to be as successful as we can. 0:29:48.000 --> 0:29:50.640 So uh, you know, you think about the weight of 0:29:50.880 --> 0:29:53.720 of of John and his legacy here and what he 0:29:53.800 --> 0:29:54.480 means this program. 0:29:54.560 --> 0:29:54.680 You know. 0:29:56.560 --> 0:29:58.080 I mean, I don't need to tell you guys, but 0:29:58.760 --> 0:30:02.080 Kentucky was not at it finest moment when you and 0:30:02.400 --> 0:30:05.360 and Eric and and and DeMarcus rolled in here with 0:30:05.520 --> 0:30:08.400 that crew. Uh, and you guys fix it like you 0:30:08.440 --> 0:30:13.600 guys fix it one season and with coach Cali Perry, right, Yeah. 0:30:13.560 --> 0:30:15.680 And and so that means a lot. 0:30:16.080 --> 0:30:17.920 Uh that that's always gonna be a lot here at 0:30:17.960 --> 0:30:19.920 Kentucky and and all of us being together is kind 0:30:19.960 --> 0:30:21.720 of what separates Kentucky from everywhere else. 0:30:22.640 --> 0:30:23.680 Yeah, that that was my goal. 0:30:23.800 --> 0:30:25.680 That was our goal going into there that years, Like 0:30:25.840 --> 0:30:27.680 we got to bring basketball back to life here, like 0:30:27.760 --> 0:30:30.920 we know what the history has been here. I'm definitely 0:30:30.960 --> 0:30:32.400 gonna come to games for sure, you know that. And 0:30:32.480 --> 0:30:34.920 I definitely got to continue my ritual of throwing up 0:30:34.960 --> 0:30:37.160 the why. So yeah, definitely get to see me. 0:30:37.520 --> 0:30:38.360 I like that a lot. 0:30:38.560 --> 0:30:41.240 And then and that's the man like mentoring these young 0:30:41.320 --> 0:30:45.200 guys you know, you know, or these veteran guys like. 0:30:46.640 --> 0:30:48.760 Yeah, that ain't too many young guys that they VISs 0:30:48.840 --> 0:30:51.800 ain't not many freshmen there, but but but but. 0:30:52.080 --> 0:30:54.480 Vets in terms of you know, but but also young 0:30:54.560 --> 0:30:57.000 in terms of this Kentucky experience, right, And that's that's 0:30:57.040 --> 0:30:58.840 where all of our former players, we just have a 0:30:58.920 --> 0:31:01.840 commodity that nobody has. I mean, nobody else has the 0:31:01.960 --> 0:31:04.240 reach and breath of the players before and players after it. 0:31:04.600 --> 0:31:05.800 And I think that's one of the places that make 0:31:05.880 --> 0:31:06.480 this place great. 0:31:07.640 --> 0:31:09.200 And that's one of my questions I wanted to ask you, 0:31:09.400 --> 0:31:11.760 is like have you explained to them what Big Blue 0:31:11.840 --> 0:31:14.080 Nation mean? Like, I know, like a lot of kids 0:31:14.160 --> 0:31:16.880 have played against Kentucky or watched Kentucky, but I don't 0:31:16.920 --> 0:31:19.560 think they really know what Big Blue Nation mean until 0:31:19.560 --> 0:31:21.840 you put that jersey on and get the walk in there. 0:31:21.840 --> 0:31:23.440 And I know when they walked into the practice city 0:31:23.520 --> 0:31:25.800 or just walking around Cambus, it was a shocker to. 0:31:25.840 --> 0:31:27.400 Them, you know. 0:31:27.840 --> 0:31:29.160 So one of the things I like to do is 0:31:30.240 --> 0:31:33.920 Repperena is like Reparena is a sacred building. To me, 0:31:34.280 --> 0:31:36.400 it just is sacred. So one of the things that 0:31:36.760 --> 0:31:39.960 I've done with every single recruit is we'll walk into 0:31:40.000 --> 0:31:42.440 the to the top, or we'll go in on the 0:31:42.600 --> 0:31:47.240 upside the upper street into rupp Aerena and then walk it. 0:31:47.440 --> 0:31:49.840 I'll take the guys and just want one at a 0:31:49.920 --> 0:31:52.000 time and just go sit with them in the upper deck. 0:31:52.080 --> 0:31:55.080 We go all the way about ten rows from the top. John, 0:31:55.120 --> 0:31:57.000 I don't know if Coach Kyle ever made you go 0:31:57.160 --> 0:32:00.400 touch the wall, but Coach p made us run up 0:32:00.400 --> 0:32:02.520 and go touch the walls. We turned it over. Whatever 0:32:02.640 --> 0:32:04.560 goes to like, go touch the wall, and then there's 0:32:04.560 --> 0:32:05.640 a lot of other words with that. 0:32:06.680 --> 0:32:08.280 Yeah, I ain't never touched the wall before. 0:32:09.080 --> 0:32:11.000 Let me tell you this, man, it's steep up there, 0:32:13.760 --> 0:32:15.920 but I'm telling you, like, it's something really special to 0:32:16.040 --> 0:32:21.440 go sit there in the quiet of that gym and 0:32:21.720 --> 0:32:27.560 just take in what it looks like from ten rows 0:32:27.600 --> 0:32:30.880 down from the top. And so we'll spend some time 0:32:30.960 --> 0:32:32.720 and we look at the jerseys up on the wall 0:32:32.800 --> 0:32:34.760 and talk about the history guys that have run through there. 0:32:34.800 --> 0:32:35.840 It's actually super special. 0:32:35.880 --> 0:32:36.280 Me. I love it. 0:32:36.320 --> 0:32:37.440 I could do it every day for the rest of 0:32:37.480 --> 0:32:38.760 my life. I love it so much being in that 0:32:38.840 --> 0:32:42.240 building and look at those banners up on the wall. 0:32:42.600 --> 0:32:44.040 And then the other thing we talk about is we 0:32:44.160 --> 0:32:47.120 talk about the people that come and sit in those 0:32:47.200 --> 0:32:50.800 seats that it's probably people a lot of times that 0:32:50.920 --> 0:32:53.760 have spent their whole lifetime chairing for Kentucky that have 0:32:54.080 --> 0:32:57.960 met this is the first time they ever have got 0:32:58.080 --> 0:33:02.719 to come sit in those seats. And when our guys 0:33:02.840 --> 0:33:07.080 get to actually think about that and understand that, like, 0:33:07.240 --> 0:33:11.600 that's the beginnings of them kind of starting to comprehend 0:33:12.400 --> 0:33:16.240 what BBN is and what a it's a unique in 0:33:16.320 --> 0:33:18.520 the landscape of athletics that we get to come compete 0:33:18.560 --> 0:33:19.120 for these people. 0:33:20.400 --> 0:33:21.960 That's one thing I gotta do. I gotta go away 0:33:22.000 --> 0:33:23.120 to the top. I've never been there. 0:33:23.480 --> 0:33:25.560 And I know another thing that's gonna get them spooped 0:33:25.600 --> 0:33:29.440 is when Midnight madn is coming. That's the first experience 0:33:29.480 --> 0:33:31.440 I got, and I was like, Wow, there's no way 0:33:31.480 --> 0:33:33.640 a place to have twenty four thousand people in it. 0:33:34.320 --> 0:33:38.360 It's unbelievable. It's bigger than it's bigger than most NBA arenas. 0:33:38.480 --> 0:33:41.520 Yeah, I don't think there's any NBA arenas that big now, right, 0:33:41.600 --> 0:33:43.800 They've got them all the eighteen seventeen nineteen. 0:33:43.800 --> 0:33:46.320 Yeah, I think like eighteen nineteen maybe twenty twenty one 0:33:46.400 --> 0:33:47.360 couple of them, but I don't think. 0:33:47.440 --> 0:33:48.480 No, it's bigger than that one. 0:33:48.520 --> 0:33:51.760 Thou. Well, and listen, you changed me in that mass 0:33:51.760 --> 0:33:54.120 a little bit too. Now we walked in and did 0:33:54.160 --> 0:33:56.200 you think that? I mean, come on, that's one of 0:33:56.240 --> 0:33:58.959 the you think about. It's hard to have an iconic 0:33:59.120 --> 0:34:01.320 moment in the history you at Kentucky basketball is. There's 0:34:01.400 --> 0:34:04.080 so many moments that might be one of them. 0:34:04.680 --> 0:34:06.360 Coach, do you have any players on the team that 0:34:06.480 --> 0:34:10.040 have personalities like John and Boogie and some of those 0:34:10.080 --> 0:34:13.960 guys who we sort of learned about that during midnight madness? 0:34:14.640 --> 0:34:17.040 Well, I don't know if anybody can pull that off, 0:34:17.200 --> 0:34:18.879 Like we'll say, I don't know if anybody can pull 0:34:18.960 --> 0:34:22.000 that off, right, But we have some guys, I'll tell you. 0:34:22.040 --> 0:34:23.759 We have some guys. We have some guys that love 0:34:23.840 --> 0:34:26.280 this game. We have some guys that want to come compete. 0:34:26.320 --> 0:34:27.560 We have some guys that are saying, you know what 0:34:27.600 --> 0:34:29.960 I'm willing to do right now, I'm willing to set 0:34:30.000 --> 0:34:33.880 aside my personal ambition because I want I want nothing 0:34:34.080 --> 0:34:38.560 more than to come win, wear this jersey and hang 0:34:38.640 --> 0:34:40.839 a band or whatever it takes. If I get a start, 0:34:40.880 --> 0:34:42.200 if I got to come off the bench, if I 0:34:42.280 --> 0:34:45.960 get average thirty, if I got to average four, you know, 0:34:46.680 --> 0:34:48.319 we got we got a bunch of guys I think 0:34:48.400 --> 0:34:50.839 that are trying to live in that space. I think 0:34:50.880 --> 0:34:53.800 we have a chance to put together a really special 0:34:53.840 --> 0:34:54.560 team with this group. 0:34:55.600 --> 0:34:58.640 That's dope when you found out. And what I love 0:34:58.680 --> 0:35:02.000 about Kentucky is the alumni is so rich, a long list. 0:35:02.320 --> 0:35:04.800 So who's reached out since you know, you getting the 0:35:04.920 --> 0:35:07.920 job and any like advice or stories or you know 0:35:08.000 --> 0:35:10.160 who you who you've heard from since getting this job? 0:35:11.239 --> 0:35:14.400 Yeah, I mean, you know, listen, the list is so long, right, 0:35:15.200 --> 0:35:17.360 the guys have been so generous. What's interesting is like 0:35:17.800 --> 0:35:20.200 and this is what you'd expect. The fans have been 0:35:20.560 --> 0:35:24.360 unbelievably supportive, Like they've been incredibly sport starting with the 0:35:24.400 --> 0:35:26.560 press corps. I mean, you know, you think about this, 0:35:26.640 --> 0:35:29.000 You got almost thirty thousand people to show up for 0:35:29.000 --> 0:35:31.520 a press conference. Five thousand people had to be turned away. 0:35:31.600 --> 0:35:33.520 That had nothing to do with me, That just had 0:35:33.560 --> 0:35:36.319 to do with BBN. Say hey we're still here, right 0:35:37.080 --> 0:35:41.600 and then and then what's fun about the former players 0:35:41.719 --> 0:35:45.160 is pretty universally you know, John I don't think you 0:35:45.440 --> 0:35:47.719 totally threatened me the first time, but you kind of 0:35:47.760 --> 0:35:49.520 did with your eyes. I kind of get it says 0:35:49.560 --> 0:35:52.799 about don't you mess this up. This is especially who 0:35:52.920 --> 0:35:55.319 this up? Baby, And that's definitely what I'm getting from 0:35:55.360 --> 0:35:57.560 my former teammates. But I think university of the guys 0:35:57.600 --> 0:35:59.920 feel like that, and I dig it. That's how it's 0:36:00.080 --> 0:36:04.040 should be here, right, you know, there is something there 0:36:04.120 --> 0:36:10.400 is something that means a lot to me about you know, 0:36:10.480 --> 0:36:13.439 if you take us as a general, is generation after 0:36:13.560 --> 0:36:17.640 generation after generation of players, about us having a chance 0:36:17.840 --> 0:36:21.880 now as former players to come have some ownership over 0:36:21.960 --> 0:36:24.680 this program, some real ownership over the program. I think 0:36:24.719 --> 0:36:27.400 that's actually super special. But I think it's also a 0:36:27.440 --> 0:36:30.200 lot of pressure because, like, man, I'm telling you, it 0:36:30.320 --> 0:36:32.960 means a lot to me. I can't even explain to 0:36:32.960 --> 0:36:35.520 you what it's going to mean to me to have 0:36:35.640 --> 0:36:37.600 John wall be like, you know what, I'm actually proud 0:36:37.600 --> 0:36:39.480 of my guys. I'm really proud of what's happening there, 0:36:39.640 --> 0:36:43.239 or or the DeMarcus cousin, Eric Blutsoe, or or any 0:36:43.280 --> 0:36:44.960 of the guys that came before them, after them, like 0:36:45.560 --> 0:36:47.799 these guys, these guys have built this incredible place. It's 0:36:47.800 --> 0:36:50.680 our job to make them proud, and and and so 0:36:50.760 --> 0:36:52.360 I think it's special to have. This is a is 0:36:52.400 --> 0:36:55.320 a player run organization. My teams are player run teams. 0:36:55.800 --> 0:36:58.200 And I like the fact that this program right now 0:36:58.400 --> 0:37:01.600 is a chance to do a more player run program. 0:37:02.239 --> 0:37:04.680 Can you can you share with me your biggest big 0:37:04.719 --> 0:37:07.080 Blue Nation memory, like your favorite memory of all time 0:37:07.200 --> 0:37:07.360 for you? 0:37:08.440 --> 0:37:10.040 Yeah, so you might be. 0:37:10.040 --> 0:37:13.239 Able to relate to this. So so I got a 0:37:13.280 --> 0:37:17.120 blunch of stand out in my mind. But you know, 0:37:17.280 --> 0:37:20.759 I'd been here. I was here for three years, and 0:37:21.080 --> 0:37:23.560 it was it was I had this experience my third year. 0:37:23.640 --> 0:37:25.720 I got to say this with the exactly right words. 0:37:26.800 --> 0:37:30.120 But so we won a championship, We did all the stuff. 0:37:30.200 --> 0:37:33.160 We came back and then we were doing autograph signing 0:37:33.239 --> 0:37:35.440 at the mall here in Lexington. I don't even know 0:37:35.440 --> 0:37:39.360 if the mall is still here. And so we were 0:37:39.400 --> 0:37:40.960 there and I don't know, guys, we were there for 0:37:41.000 --> 0:37:44.000 three or four hours, and and John, you you understand 0:37:44.160 --> 0:37:47.720 this fan base. But it was a line wrapping around 0:37:47.800 --> 0:37:50.000 the mall outside of the mall like twice, and it 0:37:50.120 --> 0:37:53.840 was like ten people. Why, it was just insane. So 0:37:53.920 --> 0:37:55.399 we were there for a long time. I don't even 0:37:55.440 --> 0:37:58.239 think we got to like twenty five percent of people, 0:37:58.719 --> 0:38:04.680 but we're there our like three and and then you 0:38:04.760 --> 0:38:06.600 know how, you just signing going to the next person, 0:38:06.680 --> 0:38:08.160 trying to be as kind as a kid and trying 0:38:08.160 --> 0:38:10.480 to be nice, you know, and and give her attention, 0:38:10.560 --> 0:38:13.200 but also trying to get to the next person. So 0:38:13.280 --> 0:38:14.480 all of a sudden, I look out of the corner 0:38:14.480 --> 0:38:16.320 of my eye and there's there's a man there that 0:38:16.440 --> 0:38:18.840 must have been all he must have been late forties, 0:38:19.560 --> 0:38:23.480 early fifties, and and he had put in a hard 0:38:23.640 --> 0:38:27.960 day's work, maybe eastern Kentucky, but you could clearly tell 0:38:28.040 --> 0:38:32.800 that he had just come straight from work. And for 0:38:32.920 --> 0:38:35.120 the rest of my life I remember seeing his face 0:38:35.480 --> 0:38:37.920 because he had tears streaming out his face as he 0:38:37.960 --> 0:38:39.560 got to the front line and been waiting in here 0:38:39.640 --> 0:38:44.040 for several hours. And it was at that moment it 0:38:44.160 --> 0:38:46.160 was just one of those moments where I'm like, oh man, 0:38:47.120 --> 0:38:51.000 this Kentucky basketball is way bigger. You know. I thought 0:38:51.040 --> 0:38:53.400 I was the guy, right, we just want a champion. 0:38:53.480 --> 0:38:55.759 I thought I was important. I was like this this 0:38:56.000 --> 0:38:59.480 is way bigger than me, Like this jersey is way 0:38:59.560 --> 0:39:03.000 bigger than me. It's way bigger than coach Patino. It's 0:39:03.040 --> 0:39:05.759 way bigger than any coach or it's even probably bigger 0:39:05.800 --> 0:39:10.840 than John wallerf That's it is, for sure. It just is. 0:39:11.040 --> 0:39:15.359 It's like in people's heart and soul here And he wasn't. 0:39:15.800 --> 0:39:18.640 He wasn't in tears. It's like grown man that has 0:39:18.960 --> 0:39:22.960 spent more days working in the dark than I could 0:39:23.080 --> 0:39:27.360 ever possibly imagine. But but he was here because of 0:39:27.480 --> 0:39:31.440 this Kentucky Jersey, right, And I just don't know if 0:39:31.480 --> 0:39:33.800 there's anywhere else that has that. I just think it 0:39:34.080 --> 0:39:36.839 sets it aside. So you asked me about memories where 0:39:37.040 --> 0:39:39.839 I felt like, Oh, I start to understand this place 0:39:40.000 --> 0:39:41.520 That'll stand out of my life forever. 0:39:41.760 --> 0:39:44.399 Yeah, because it's like it's basically they protein, bro It's 0:39:44.440 --> 0:39:47.200 like they protein. It's like the NBA team to them. 0:39:47.280 --> 0:39:50.440 So being in Kentucky, even when you go on tours, 0:39:50.520 --> 0:39:54.400 you probably go to the litwist town that you don't expect, 0:39:54.440 --> 0:39:56.080 and if they get one chance to meet you at 0:39:56.120 --> 0:39:59.360 an autograph signing or even out to eat or at 0:39:59.400 --> 0:40:01.839 a game, it's like it's the best thing they ever done. 0:40:01.920 --> 0:40:04.120 Like they don't care about who wins the NBA Championship. 0:40:04.120 --> 0:40:06.840 Who win the NFL Championship is all about Kentucky. So 0:40:07.120 --> 0:40:08.200 it's a special place to be. 0:40:09.600 --> 0:40:11.080 Yeah, Amen to that coach. 0:40:11.160 --> 0:40:13.840 I one shout out here because I think some fans 0:40:13.880 --> 0:40:15.960 who are new to you didn't know you played in 0:40:16.000 --> 0:40:18.919 the NBA, like with some real greats here like Ray Allen, 0:40:19.040 --> 0:40:22.560 Sam Cassel, Carmelo Anthony. So I wanted to ask you, like, 0:40:23.000 --> 0:40:25.240 who is one of your favorite teammates in the NBA 0:40:25.280 --> 0:40:26.920 and do you have any stories you know, playing with 0:40:27.000 --> 0:40:27.439 those guys. 0:40:28.800 --> 0:40:29.000 Yeah. 0:40:29.040 --> 0:40:32.080 I was really blessed, you know, I was really blessed 0:40:32.080 --> 0:40:34.080 to be in that league at all and play might 0:40:34.120 --> 0:40:36.520 be a stretch I sat for most of my career, 0:40:36.640 --> 0:40:39.640 but I was really blessed. 0:40:39.640 --> 0:40:39.759 You know. 0:40:40.920 --> 0:40:42.359 One of the things that I was really blessed about 0:40:42.440 --> 0:40:44.440 is in the NBA. I think you just kind of 0:40:44.640 --> 0:40:46.920 walk in and then you learn from the guys that 0:40:47.000 --> 0:40:49.279 are there. You learn how to be a pro, right 0:40:49.800 --> 0:40:52.600 and you there's no instruction, man, So you just kind 0:40:52.640 --> 0:40:55.200 of walk into a locker room and those guys teach 0:40:55.239 --> 0:40:57.200 you what it means to be a pro. And so 0:40:57.400 --> 0:41:00.200 my rookie year, I was on that great he had 0:41:00.200 --> 0:41:02.960 a pacers team from the last dance that lost to 0:41:03.040 --> 0:41:05.520 Mike in Game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals, right, 0:41:06.120 --> 0:41:09.400 and you think about how blessed am I? Man? I 0:41:09.520 --> 0:41:12.840 got to walk in and Larry Bird, Larry Bird is 0:41:12.880 --> 0:41:15.920 a head coach, and Reggie Miller, the great Reggie Miller. 0:41:16.000 --> 0:41:19.000 Man is like one of the great leaders I've ever 0:41:19.320 --> 0:41:22.720 been around in the game of basketball. And Mark Jackson, 0:41:23.080 --> 0:41:26.040 I mean, come on, Jackson was like you talk about 0:41:26.200 --> 0:41:30.719 you talk about like John, you could have made it 0:41:30.960 --> 0:41:33.839 down and back and down and back by the time 0:41:34.640 --> 0:41:37.080 Jacks would have crossed half court. But that dude was 0:41:37.160 --> 0:41:41.880 a like he was a straight up baller. And you 0:41:41.920 --> 0:41:44.480 know Jalen Rose on that team, and Antonio and Dale 0:41:44.520 --> 0:41:47.880 Davis like Chris Mullet and Rick Smith's and you know, 0:41:47.960 --> 0:41:52.000 I got to walk into that locker room not knowing anything, 0:41:52.600 --> 0:41:55.160 and from day one I was like, Oh, I got 0:41:55.280 --> 0:41:58.759 the greatest education on what it meant to be a 0:41:59.040 --> 0:42:04.040 pros pro, a real pro for those guys. And I'll 0:42:04.520 --> 0:42:06.920 always be able to be grateful to those guys on 0:42:07.000 --> 0:42:09.960 that rookie team. Man, I was really blessed, really blessed. 0:42:09.960 --> 0:42:13.840 That's awesome. My last question here is actually for John. 0:42:14.320 --> 0:42:16.759 Since John has been part of the program a little 0:42:16.760 --> 0:42:19.520 bit more recent than you have. I wanted to ask John, 0:42:19.600 --> 0:42:22.080 what's your one piece of advice having been there more 0:42:22.120 --> 0:42:25.520 recently the coach to give him as he starts his 0:42:25.600 --> 0:42:28.120 season as the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. 0:42:29.000 --> 0:42:31.000 Well, I really don't think I can give him no 0:42:31.040 --> 0:42:33.160 advice because he knows. I think he played there, He's 0:42:33.160 --> 0:42:35.800 seen the experience. For me, it was different though, Like 0:42:35.840 --> 0:42:37.480 he said, they had went to like two inn I 0:42:37.560 --> 0:42:39.760 t so we were just trying to get Kentucky basketball 0:42:39.840 --> 0:42:42.440 back on the map, put him in that platform. So 0:42:42.560 --> 0:42:44.520 for him, I think he already knows the right way 0:42:44.560 --> 0:42:46.400 to go with it. Like you said, how much it 0:42:46.480 --> 0:42:48.120 means to him, how much it means to his family, 0:42:48.200 --> 0:42:50.440 Like even his daughter having it. Talk about when y'a 0:42:50.440 --> 0:42:52.640 had with the Georgia shirt on, She's like, no, I 0:42:52.760 --> 0:42:55.600 have to put something with Kentucky blue on it. 0:42:55.680 --> 0:42:56.520 So I think you know that. 0:42:56.680 --> 0:43:00.359 I think just been around that environment, been around those fans, 0:43:00.400 --> 0:43:02.120 like they know how much they love basketball. I think 0:43:02.160 --> 0:43:05.200 you said, like having your first practice, letting them guys 0:43:05.400 --> 0:43:07.200 instilled in them how you want the program to go, 0:43:07.280 --> 0:43:09.920 how you want them to play. Still figuring that out, 0:43:10.000 --> 0:43:12.400 but I think just then walking around campus and when 0:43:12.440 --> 0:43:14.600 they get to go through their first scrimmage or first 0:43:14.640 --> 0:43:17.080 preseason game, there really know how much it means to 0:43:17.120 --> 0:43:19.120 play for Big Bow Nations. So I think you got 0:43:19.200 --> 0:43:21.440 him in a great position. I hope you have a 0:43:21.440 --> 0:43:23.000 great first year. I know it's gonna be a sighting. 0:43:23.360 --> 0:43:24.920 You can't wait to walk out there and put your 0:43:24.920 --> 0:43:26.480 little suit on or whatever you're gonna wear for your 0:43:26.520 --> 0:43:29.359 first game and just to see how loud the crowd gets. 0:43:29.360 --> 0:43:30.960 I think it's gonna be amazing experience for you. So 0:43:31.000 --> 0:43:33.239 I'm happy for you to have that job. I'm definite 0:43:33.280 --> 0:43:34.920 happy to have the opportunity to come out and support 0:43:35.440 --> 0:43:38.040 and you have my information, so we're locked in. 0:43:39.200 --> 0:43:42.439 Man, John, I'm sure great. Hey, you know the world 0:43:42.480 --> 0:43:44.520 on the seat is Eric Lesso playing on the tv T. 0:43:44.800 --> 0:43:46.480 No, I ain't playing on TVT. They trying to get 0:43:46.480 --> 0:43:48.239 me to go play in it not. 0:43:48.600 --> 0:43:52.759 But what I'm saying is like, Hey, you know, it's 0:43:52.880 --> 0:43:55.200 July nineteenth, man, it could be a fun time. We're 0:43:55.239 --> 0:43:57.120 gonna have the whole team that we're trying to We're 0:43:57.160 --> 0:43:59.920 trying to get the whole team. We're gonna go crazy 0:44:00.160 --> 0:44:04.480 for these former players. Man, they're playing that rock. You know, 0:44:04.560 --> 0:44:08.480 it's that rough. We're gonna bring the house down, Like, 0:44:08.600 --> 0:44:10.839 I can't wait to have those cats back in here, 0:44:10.960 --> 0:44:12.680 Like it's gonna be happening. 0:44:12.560 --> 0:44:14.800 To Ulus coaching the right, Tyler Ewlis coaching. 0:44:15.400 --> 0:44:18.040 Yeah, Tyler's coaching them. In fact, they got like, ah, 0:44:18.800 --> 0:44:20.799 I think that they're coaching staff. I think they got 0:44:20.880 --> 0:44:22.799 five or six guys on the coaching staff. But it's 0:44:22.920 --> 0:44:25.520 it's like this is a legit. This group is gonna 0:44:25.520 --> 0:44:26.520 be so fun. 0:44:26.760 --> 0:44:28.239 Well, I'm glad they did it like that because you 0:44:28.280 --> 0:44:30.160 look at some of these alumni schools got there, but 0:44:30.239 --> 0:44:32.040 some of the kids never went to that school, never 0:44:32.160 --> 0:44:34.759 did anything for the school. So I'm glad they keeping 0:44:34.760 --> 0:44:36.560 all the Kentucky tied together. That should be dope. 0:44:36.719 --> 0:44:38.839 I'm just gonna say here, coach, this is a good 0:44:38.880 --> 0:44:41.600 sign because you just try to re recruit John Wall 0:44:41.960 --> 0:44:44.640 to the program again, so we know how much you wanted. 0:44:44.719 --> 0:44:45.320 That was dope. 0:44:47.760 --> 0:44:50.360 Hey, hey, I know, Tyler, I don't know what, but 0:44:50.480 --> 0:44:52.719 I know I know he hasn't finished trying to get 0:44:52.719 --> 0:44:53.359 you on this team. 0:44:53.560 --> 0:44:59.319 I know trust he has I know, Coach, good luck, man. 0:44:59.320 --> 0:45:01.040 I appreciate you and in time, I know, I know 0:45:01.440 --> 0:45:03.960 your time is precious right now, So appreciate you coming 0:45:04.000 --> 0:45:05.480 on the pod. And I'm excited to see what you 0:45:05.520 --> 0:45:08.239 guys do, and I'm excited to see John interact with 0:45:08.280 --> 0:45:10.680 you guys. And you're in your tenure at at Kentucky. 0:45:10.800 --> 0:45:12.560 So appreciate you, man, CJ. 0:45:12.800 --> 0:45:13.879 John, Super great for you, guys. 0:45:13.920 --> 0:45:15.960 Man, Thanks coach, Thanks coach. 0:45:22.239 --> 0:45:25.120 Welcome back to point game with John Long. CJ. TOLDONNOD 0:45:25.120 --> 0:45:28.000 presented by DraftKings. Don't forget. Bucketer Brick is brought to 0:45:28.040 --> 0:45:31.480 you by DraftKings Sportsbook. Draftking Sportsbook is your home for 0:45:31.600 --> 0:45:34.800 all things MB action, from player props, the same game parlays. 0:45:35.120 --> 0:45:37.759 Check out everything DraftKings sports Book has to offer to 0:45:37.840 --> 0:45:41.359 make your NBA experience even sweeter. The krown is yours, John. 0:45:41.600 --> 0:45:45.640 You ready for this, uh this uh installment of Bucketer Brick. 0:45:46.160 --> 0:45:47.279 You know it all right. 0:45:47.480 --> 0:45:50.520 So the season's over, Celtics with the champs. But DraftKings 0:45:50.600 --> 0:45:53.399 odds have the Celtics at plus two ninety and big 0:45:53.440 --> 0:45:56.000 favorites to win it again next year. So Bucketer Brick, 0:45:56.080 --> 0:45:58.120 the Celtics are going to repeat next year. 0:45:59.400 --> 0:46:01.640 I say, I say, bucket and. 0:46:02.360 --> 0:46:04.000 You were right about them winning this year, So why 0:46:04.000 --> 0:46:05.000 do you think they're gonna repeat. 0:46:06.000 --> 0:46:07.759 I think they bring the same team back. I just 0:46:07.800 --> 0:46:10.040 think they're gonna get even stronger, and they probably add 0:46:10.080 --> 0:46:11.879 a piece of two. But I think all those guys 0:46:11.960 --> 0:46:14.000 coming back, And the only concern I did have is 0:46:14.040 --> 0:46:15.600 that if they would have lost Al Horford, but he 0:46:15.680 --> 0:46:18.560 said he's not retired, he's coming back. So I think 0:46:18.600 --> 0:46:20.480 they helped their team out even a lot more because 0:46:21.000 --> 0:46:23.000 they got through the finals. I mean, they got through 0:46:23.000 --> 0:46:25.680 the most of the playoffs without Pazingis and now Horford 0:46:25.680 --> 0:46:27.239 had to step in and play that role for them, 0:46:27.320 --> 0:46:28.920 So I think that was big for him. 0:46:29.000 --> 0:46:30.040 He got his confidence up. 0:46:30.719 --> 0:46:33.320 Who would you say, like what is their biggest weakness? 0:46:33.400 --> 0:46:35.640 Like how do you improve that Celtics team this summer? 0:46:37.840 --> 0:46:40.239 I would say maybe, I don't know the way they 0:46:40.280 --> 0:46:42.600 stacker their team to like they take Jaln Brown out, 0:46:42.680 --> 0:46:44.839 or they take Jowady out in the substitute like somebody else, 0:46:44.880 --> 0:46:46.960 seeing like with Sam Hows and somebody. I think the 0:46:47.080 --> 0:46:49.799 only weakness they have if they live and die by 0:46:49.840 --> 0:46:51.640 the three. That's the only thing at times. But other 0:46:51.680 --> 0:46:54.520 than that, I don't see no weakness. They all can guard. 0:46:54.840 --> 0:46:56.359 They all can create and put the ball on the floor. 0:46:56.440 --> 0:46:59.120 Like I was saying before, you have to guard. Everybody's accountable. 0:46:59.120 --> 0:47:01.200 They could everybody I went through five and catch the 0:47:01.239 --> 0:47:03.719 ball and dribble seth. If you bring like Sam How's 0:47:03.719 --> 0:47:05.680 on the bench, He's just they knocked down shooting for them. 0:47:05.719 --> 0:47:07.879 But everybody else on they team can catch and shoot, 0:47:07.920 --> 0:47:09.480 put the ball on the floor, and can defend at 0:47:09.480 --> 0:47:11.040 a high level. So I don't really see too many 0:47:11.080 --> 0:47:11.879 weaknesses for them. 0:47:12.360 --> 0:47:15.319 Okay, all right, let's move on here. A DraftKings has 0:47:15.400 --> 0:47:18.359 Luka Doncic at plus three seventy, only behind Yo Kitch 0:47:18.440 --> 0:47:21.719 for MVP next season, so bucket to Brick, Luca will 0:47:21.760 --> 0:47:23.120 be the MVP next year. 0:47:24.120 --> 0:47:26.399 Brick, I think if Joelin beat is healthy, I think 0:47:26.440 --> 0:47:28.040 he wins EVP. I think he would have won it 0:47:28.080 --> 0:47:31.040 this year, to be honest, So I say maybe joelan 0:47:31.080 --> 0:47:33.319 Bhay if Shakee caps the rosh up like he did 0:47:33.440 --> 0:47:33.799 last year. 0:47:33.800 --> 0:47:36.040 I think those are my two favorites next year. 0:47:36.400 --> 0:47:38.600 Yeah, I mean, if Joel's healthy and then they do 0:47:38.800 --> 0:47:42.320 get that new piece. With Tobias's contract running out and 0:47:42.800 --> 0:47:44.440 a lot of this time, it's like the number one team. 0:47:44.480 --> 0:47:46.279 The team is winning, and I feel like you're right. 0:47:46.360 --> 0:47:49.160 If the Sixers are healthy and they're winning and Joel 0:47:49.160 --> 0:47:51.080 continues to be their best player, it's got to go 0:47:51.160 --> 0:47:51.480 to him. 0:47:51.840 --> 0:47:53.399 I don't even think number one could have had. Number 0:47:53.400 --> 0:47:54.879 one Sha should have got they had THEMB one team, 0:47:54.960 --> 0:47:55.560 you remember. 0:47:55.600 --> 0:47:57.879 But that was that was close, like we really good. 0:47:58.040 --> 0:47:59.640 It was close. It was close for sure. 0:47:59.680 --> 0:48:02.359 And and then I also understand like how nobody from 0:48:02.400 --> 0:48:05.200 the Celtis get in the MVP conversation. Is it because 0:48:05.280 --> 0:48:08.120 they are beating everybody by so much? Like yeah, it's 0:48:08.160 --> 0:48:09.920 like it's just weird to me, because how the narrative 0:48:09.960 --> 0:48:12.600 has changes. You had to make All Star games if 0:48:12.640 --> 0:48:14.359 you was winning, You had to make all NBA teams 0:48:14.360 --> 0:48:17.160 if you was winning. Usually when teams are one or two, 0:48:17.280 --> 0:48:18.799 they always get two or three guys in the All 0:48:18.840 --> 0:48:22.640 Star Game, at least two guys or it just changes though. 0:48:22.680 --> 0:48:25.000 I don't know how the narrative is now, but it 0:48:25.160 --> 0:48:25.640 is what it is. 0:48:26.520 --> 0:48:30.320 Okay, all right, moving on here, Bucket or Brick, whatever 0:48:30.480 --> 0:48:32.480 team you're on next year is going to be a 0:48:32.520 --> 0:48:33.400 playoff contender. 0:48:34.120 --> 0:48:34.919 Bucket for sure. 0:48:35.120 --> 0:48:37.640 Yeah, talking about it a little bit, I'm a missing 0:48:37.680 --> 0:48:39.399 piece to a couple of teams, like just a point 0:48:39.440 --> 0:48:41.480 guard that can run a team, you know, I mean, 0:48:41.920 --> 0:48:44.320 come off the bench, whatever road that I'm willing to accept. 0:48:44.400 --> 0:48:46.320 But I feel like I have a lot left in 0:48:46.360 --> 0:48:47.680 the tank to help a team out, you know what 0:48:47.680 --> 0:48:50.200 I mean, because I can still defend, I can knock down, 0:48:50.239 --> 0:48:51.880 catch and shoot threes, and I can create and just 0:48:51.960 --> 0:48:54.680 find guys. But whatever role it is, I'm willing to 0:48:54.719 --> 0:48:56.440 accelp you know what I mean. If it's being a 0:48:56.520 --> 0:48:58.799 third guy, being a third point guard, if somebody else 0:48:58.840 --> 0:49:01.200 get hurt and then get opportunity play, or of its 0:49:01.239 --> 0:49:03.640 being the second point guard that comes in behind the 0:49:03.680 --> 0:49:06.000 starting point guard, I'm fine with that role. 0:49:06.880 --> 0:49:09.080 Whatever team. I'm buying that jersey, whatever team you're on, 0:49:09.239 --> 0:49:10.200 or you got to send me that. 0:49:10.560 --> 0:49:13.759 Right, Yeah for sure. Yeah all right. 0:49:13.840 --> 0:49:16.360 So finally this was like the drama's already started a 0:49:16.360 --> 0:49:18.799 little bit in the NBA. But the detectives out there 0:49:18.840 --> 0:49:22.440 found out that Clay unfollowed the Warriors, deleted our Warriors 0:49:22.520 --> 0:49:26.320 content on his Instagram. So bucket to brick. Clay Thompson's 0:49:26.320 --> 0:49:27.640 going to be on the Warriors next season. 0:49:29.000 --> 0:49:31.719 Brick, I see Klay Thompson leaving this summer, I see 0:49:31.800 --> 0:49:34.759 him going up somewhere else, and I think they split 0:49:34.840 --> 0:49:35.600 the dynasty up. 0:49:35.680 --> 0:49:37.200 Well, I don't think they trying to split it up. 0:49:37.200 --> 0:49:38.880 I think Clay just for like his times is up 0:49:38.920 --> 0:49:41.160 with the Warriors, and I feel like he wants to 0:49:41.360 --> 0:49:43.399 just go somewhere new and kind of start fresh. 0:49:43.880 --> 0:49:46.680 Well, because you said it on previous episodes with Kaminga, 0:49:47.000 --> 0:49:49.720 and everyone knew like Kaminga wasn't happy with the playing 0:49:49.760 --> 0:49:52.880 time he got. Then actually Curse started playing the more 0:49:52.880 --> 0:49:54.880 and they went on that little streak there, so kind 0:49:54.920 --> 0:49:57.160 of give us a little bit more that that opinion 0:49:57.239 --> 0:49:59.759 that you had of like Kaminga is their number two option. 0:50:00.440 --> 0:50:02.640 Well, I just know how gifted Kamingo was. I've seen 0:50:02.719 --> 0:50:05.359 him playing my John Walladay imitation. I watched him through 0:50:05.360 --> 0:50:07.759 a high school. I just know like for him, it 0:50:07.840 --> 0:50:09.600 was kind of tough early on because they were throwing 0:50:09.640 --> 0:50:11.840 the ball in the post, and you know with the 0:50:11.920 --> 0:50:14.640 wards with Clay Thompson and Steph and Jordan Pool, most 0:50:14.640 --> 0:50:16.680 of the time that's not the scores to Washington come 0:50:16.719 --> 0:50:18.840 off of actually get throwing backdoor cuts. So he shoot 0:50:18.880 --> 0:50:21.759 passing the ball for threes. Condition you see the offense change. 0:50:21.760 --> 0:50:23.280 He got the ball and he was able to be aggressive, 0:50:23.360 --> 0:50:25.600 able to be a score. I think they kind of 0:50:25.640 --> 0:50:27.759 helped him grow a little bit better. You could tell 0:50:27.880 --> 0:50:30.000 just how much confident he got it much happy he was. 0:50:30.280 --> 0:50:31.839 And I think they kind of moved Clay from them 0:50:31.920 --> 0:50:34.040 the number two option cond of to the three, third 0:50:34.120 --> 0:50:36.040 or fourth option because they still had Wiggins. And I 0:50:36.120 --> 0:50:38.520 think Clay it's kind of going to be like a 0:50:38.600 --> 0:50:41.239 catch and shoot guy and a defending for whatever team 0:50:41.280 --> 0:50:42.480 he goes to. So I think it's a lot of 0:50:42.520 --> 0:50:44.439 teams where they probably gonna have a lot of teams 0:50:44.480 --> 0:50:47.080 that double team a lot like I think like a 0:50:47.120 --> 0:50:48.719 team like the Magic could use them very well. I 0:50:48.760 --> 0:50:51.719 think a team like Clippers could use them. I think 0:50:51.760 --> 0:50:54.319 a team like Philly could use him. Even a team 0:50:54.360 --> 0:50:55.880 like Denverer could use it. I mean a guy that 0:50:55.960 --> 0:50:57.920 can if you double team and Yoki, she's a guy 0:50:58.000 --> 0:51:00.080 in the wing that got a great catching shoot and 0:51:00.200 --> 0:51:02.560 we know he's in the rhythm, his confidence is there. 0:51:03.160 --> 0:51:04.920 He's one of the top five best shoots that I 0:51:05.000 --> 0:51:06.320 have seen in the league history. 0:51:07.239 --> 0:51:11.040 Yeah, all right, well, John, this has been officially the 0:51:11.520 --> 0:51:14.000 last episode of this particular season a point game with 0:51:14.080 --> 0:51:16.799 John wall I want to say to the fans, if 0:51:16.840 --> 0:51:19.799 you enjoyed this podcast, keep showing love like that helps 0:51:19.840 --> 0:51:22.920 out leave comments, rate the podcast. Tell everyone you know, 0:51:23.320 --> 0:51:25.640 I feel confident in the social content that we put 0:51:25.680 --> 0:51:27.120 out there that you guys have been loving it and 0:51:27.200 --> 0:51:30.000 sharing the stuff. So, John, what's what's the message you 0:51:30.080 --> 0:51:32.960 want to leave the fans on our summer break before 0:51:33.000 --> 0:51:34.000 we know when we come back. 0:51:34.840 --> 0:51:38.560 Oh, I want to cry. I'm sad. Now what do 0:51:38.640 --> 0:51:38.800 you do? 0:51:38.920 --> 0:51:41.480 What do you do during this downtime with with this a. 0:51:41.480 --> 0:51:43.600 Lot of spend a lot of time with my kids, 0:51:43.920 --> 0:51:45.560 continue to work out, work on my game, Spend a 0:51:45.560 --> 0:51:47.040 lot of time my kids. Take a couple of trips 0:51:47.080 --> 0:51:53.399 and vacations. Just relax, keep working on your game. Yeah 0:51:53.440 --> 0:51:54.799 for sure, I'm going to do that. I don't never 0:51:54.840 --> 0:51:56.640 stop working out, but U just spend a lot of 0:51:56.680 --> 0:51:58.680 time my kids. May know my kids in summer camp 0:51:58.760 --> 0:52:01.239 right now, daring to sports, you know what I mean. 0:52:01.280 --> 0:52:03.120 They're doing all their sports activities so they get to 0:52:03.200 --> 0:52:05.640 do the opportunity spend time in the backyard, go swimming, 0:52:06.480 --> 0:52:08.160 just try to find some new hobbies. I'm definitely gonna 0:52:08.200 --> 0:52:10.640 be bowling but I definitely want to thank everybody for 0:52:10.920 --> 0:52:11.759 tuning in to the part. 0:52:11.840 --> 0:52:12.520 I really enjoyed it. 0:52:12.560 --> 0:52:14.160 I fell in love to a new space that I 0:52:14.239 --> 0:52:17.080 never thought that I would get into, So when I 0:52:17.160 --> 0:52:18.600 got asked to do it, it was kind of dope. 0:52:18.640 --> 0:52:20.759 And then early on just figuring out how to get 0:52:20.800 --> 0:52:24.200 better with it and having the support. Give a shout 0:52:24.200 --> 0:52:25.719 out to like all the guests that we have. That's 0:52:25.960 --> 0:52:29.520 super dope for us and super because you know, starting off, 0:52:29.560 --> 0:52:31.480 some guys might say no, some guys might not want 0:52:31.520 --> 0:52:33.239 to be a part of it. But to get the love, 0:52:33.280 --> 0:52:35.640 get the recondition, we get to get some dope stories out. 0:52:36.160 --> 0:52:38.920 I think it's only the beginning, So I enjoy everybody 0:52:38.960 --> 0:52:41.799 for tuning in, and we'll definitely see y'all next year. 0:52:42.200 --> 0:52:44.680 Yes sir, much love of the guests and the fans, 0:52:44.840 --> 0:52:47.359 and keep following our accounts. This has been point game 0:52:47.440 --> 0:52:51.440 presented by DraftKings. Appreciate you guys, and we'll be posting 0:52:51.480 --> 0:53:03.240 more stuff for this summer, So love peace. 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