1 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: Hey, welcome in. I'm Doug Goliban. This is All Ball, 2 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: where we have a great conversation with Dan Grunfeld, who, 3 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: of course his dad Ernie, part of the Bernie and 4 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: Ernie Show, playing the NBA g M in the NBA 5 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: and was the GM of the Bucks the last time 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: they went to the Eastern Conference finals. Daniel joined us momentarily, 7 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: and I think you'll love the conversation about his life, 8 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 1: his career, his upbringing, and his new book that he 9 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: wrote about his family and their dramatic journey to uh 10 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: to success in America. Before you get to that, let 11 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: me just kind of give you my quick thoughts on 12 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: the NBA Finals. I want to tell you the best 13 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: team one, but they didn't the best healthiest team that 14 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: was standing one. But that is sports, right, That is sports. 15 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: That's how sports works. Whoever is healthiest, who's ever eligible. 16 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: At the end of the day, they win, they get 17 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: the spoils, they get to talk shit. That's the way 18 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: it goes. And that was the Bucks. They were dead 19 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: to rights beating against the Nets. Dad, they'd be get 20 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: me by forty in Game two, and then Kyrie sprains 21 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: his ankle. Of course, uh, James Harden was already hurt, 22 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: and they lose because Kevin Durant has his foot over 23 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,960 Speaker 1: the line at the end of regulation in UH in 24 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:23,199 Speaker 1: Game seven. But when their full strength, there's no question 25 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: the Nets appeared to have been better in a good 26 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: matchup for the Nets against the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't 27 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: think they'd beat the Clippers. I don't think they beat 28 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: the Lakers, but I don't think it matters because they 29 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: beat the teams they had to beat, and they won 30 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,119 Speaker 1: the championship, and Janice made seventeen and nineteen free throws. 31 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: It doesn't make Janice jest free throw fixed complete. It 32 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 1: doesn't mean the Bucks are the best team historically in 33 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: the NBA. They're going on a run. It just means 34 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: they won the tournament and they get the trophy. That's 35 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: what it means. Crazy though, right Mike Bounoser was about 36 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: to be fired. Now all of a sudden their NBA 37 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: champions It takes the National Guard to get him out 38 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: of there. Um. The other part is, you know, I've 39 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: I've long told people that the new rules. You know, 40 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: when I say new, I mean last fifteen twenty years 41 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:10,799 Speaker 1: of existence in the NBA, they actually helped non shooters 42 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: that can huge bodies, played downhill more so than even 43 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: help shooters Lebron James before he was more of a 44 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 1: shooting guy. And now what you're doing, we'll do with Janice. 45 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: I guess that that even points out even more what's 46 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: lacking in Ben Simmons game. But these guys getting downhill, 47 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: playing with angles, getting by you, using their body to 48 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 1: fend you off, and attacking the defense, that's the new basketball. Alright, 49 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,639 Speaker 1: without further ado, let's get to our interview. Here's Dan Grunfeldt, 50 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: Stanford alum, who joined me to talk about his journey 51 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 1: through basketball. All right, so let's let's do this. Let's 52 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: let's start with growing up. Like so, uh, my basketball background. Obviously, 53 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: my dad was stop your dad as a player, um, 54 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: but huge player that high school coached in college coach 55 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: and I was born in wisconsintly's the head coach. He 56 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,799 Speaker 1: did Milwaukee, then he moved along to to Orange County 57 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 1: when he was assistant Long Beach State. When when you 58 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:13,959 Speaker 1: were born, where were you born? Exactly in northern New Jersey, 59 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: so Livingston, New Jersey. Okay, Um, so where was your dad? 60 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: What was your dad doing when you were born? My 61 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: dad was a player for the Knicks, and actually, so 62 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: my birth was scheduled around two of his road trips 63 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:28,959 Speaker 1: because my parents wanted my dad to be there for 64 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: my birth but also for my brist right, which happens 65 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: eight days later. And so the Knick schedule is that 66 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: there were two road trips. And so the first road 67 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: trip was in Texas and that's the trip where Bernard 68 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: King had fifty points back to back nights um in Dallason, 69 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: San Antonio. So he had those legendary games. And then 70 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: my dad came home and for my birth, and yeah, 71 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: he was a player for the Knicks. Um, So what's 72 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: your first memory obviously like your did you remember any 73 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: of the Knicks stuff? And your dad is a player's 74 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: stuff when you're a kid, or is it more what 75 00:03:57,160 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: people have told you? More people have told me from 76 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: his playing career, because he retired when I was two, 77 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: so it was still a little a little young for me. 78 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: My sisters three years older, she's five and she was five, 79 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: so she remembers, but I don't remember him as a player. 80 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: But obviously he was then executive and general manager for 81 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: many years. So my whole childhood was around the Knick. 82 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: So really my first memories are in Madison Square Garden. 83 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: But he just wasn't playing anymore, I tell you. So. 84 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 1: My dad had a guy named Kurt Kashi who wore 85 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: forty four WM and there's other reasons I wore forty four, 86 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: but that was like that he was I thought he 87 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: was the coolest guy, and I became guy. I thought 88 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: the number was cool. Who was your first like nick 89 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: that you fell in love with when you're a kid. 90 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: John Stars, you know, and and there were a lot 91 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 1: of players who I love, but really John like because 92 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: I was a shooting guard growing up and he was 93 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: a shooting guarden. He just played the game with so 94 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:51,239 Speaker 1: much passionate heart, and I was in such a priviliged position. 95 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: I knew him, you know. So I would t M 96 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: at practice and we would talk and like, man, he 97 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 1: would just he would say Madison Square Guarden on fire. 98 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: Like every other team the league hated him, right because 99 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: he was you know, he would talk smack and he 100 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: was like a little bit brash. But man, I just 101 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: love John Starrs. He's he obviously in Oklahoma state alum 102 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 1: as well. Kind of interesting. Um well, I always find 103 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: it fascinating. I was having a have a buddy named 104 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 1: Brian moon Noddy. He's joining me on the parties played 105 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,160 Speaker 1: with me at Oklahoma State. He played ten years Italy 106 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: and um he's a he's a high school coach now 107 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: in Oklahoma. And we were trying to describe to people, 108 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,919 Speaker 1: like why our group because made the final four. I 109 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 1: wasn't in that group two thousand and four, they made 110 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 1: the final four. I was in that group. We made 111 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 1: the Elite eight, but we never won the league. And 112 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: yet our group he is way more popular I think 113 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:44,719 Speaker 1: now than kind of any other group outside maybe a 114 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: big country, right, And I was trying to express the 115 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: people like just sometimes there's unique groups that come together 116 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: that fans, fans get with, I feel like, and part 117 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 1: of it is they did go to the NBA finals. 118 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: I feel like that era of the Knicks is like that, right, 119 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: where they didn't actually win the championship. They never really 120 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: want anything. But there's there's something about John Starks, There's 121 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: something about um Anthony the late Anthony Mason, Right, there's 122 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: something about those guys that Knicks fans gravitated towards more 123 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: than just the fact that they actually got to the 124 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: NBA files. The spirit that they played the game with 125 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: just resonated. Man in New York is blue collar, you know, working, 126 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 1: you know, hard work, toughness, and that's how they played, 127 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: you know, and that kind of great and determination. Like 128 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,279 Speaker 1: people just love those teams and they were good and 129 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 1: they did have success, but it was more than that. 130 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: It was the heart and soul of the city. You know. 131 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 1: It's like for me growing up, like having kind of 132 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,679 Speaker 1: backstage access to that was amazing. But all my friends 133 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: in North New Jersey, everyone just loved the Knicks man 134 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: because it was just like you could get behind that, 135 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, Yeah, how did you How 136 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: did you deal with that? Like, because as much as 137 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 1: they got behind things when things are not that good. Um, 138 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: Knicks fans, especially kids like kids because kids echo the 139 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: sentiments of their parents and what their parents say, you know, 140 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 1: in their own homes. But a lot of times kids 141 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: don't have the filters that parents have right when they're 142 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: out kind of in public. How did you deal with that? Yeah, 143 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: I mean you kind of have to learn early that 144 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: that comes with the territory. But it's not pleasant and 145 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: it's not easy. Like I would always have kids at 146 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: school be like Nick suck or you know, like this 147 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: and that, and like, yeah, dude, like it's not fun. 148 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: And I think it makes like and I have a 149 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: lot of other friends who kind of grew around the NBA. 150 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,679 Speaker 1: It makes families kind of insular, you know, because you 151 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: rely on each other and you become very close. And 152 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: so my my parents were really great with me and 153 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: just always told me, like, you know, you're gonna have 154 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: a lot of friends and people who care about you 155 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: for who you are, and like those are the people 156 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: that you want to like bring in closer and trust. 157 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: And there's gonna be a lot of people who might 158 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: not know you as well and who might say things, 159 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: but always trying to make me understand that like it 160 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: wasn't it wasn't personal, it wasn't about me. It was 161 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: just kind of how people are. But yeah, man, it's 162 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: it's tough. Like there's a lot of perks that come 163 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: with with having like a famous dad or access to 164 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 1: really cool things. But yeah, there's there's a lot that 165 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: comes with and let alone, like the media, you know, 166 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: you'd you'd wake up in the morning with you know, 167 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: your dad's you know, face on the cover of the paper, 168 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: you know, being criticized and things like that when they're 169 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 1: not winning, and then of course when they're winning, it's 170 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: it's a different story, right, But yeah, those things are 171 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: tough to do with, particularly for a young kid. How 172 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: old were you and when he took the Bucks job? 173 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: So I was fifteen. So uh. He he was let 174 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: go in New York my freshman year in high school 175 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: and they actually went to the finals. So he had 176 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,679 Speaker 1: traded for Literal Spreewell and Marcus Canby and it didn't 177 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: quite work out at first he was let go, and 178 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,199 Speaker 1: then it worked out in an amazing fashion. He was 179 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 1: already gone, right, but he then got hired by the Bucks. 180 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: And so I moved from New Jersey to Milwaukee my 181 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: sophomore year, which seems really random, but my mom is 182 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: from Milwaukee, so I would visit there every summer, and 183 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: my my mom and dad meant when my dad was 184 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: playing for the Bucks, right, so like my family had 185 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: this history of Milwaukee. So it wasn't like as random 186 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: as you would think, but still tough to like at 187 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: that age when you're in high school, trying to come 188 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: into your own to move like it was a tough thing. Okay, 189 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: So let's let's go back for for a second, because, yeah, 190 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: what what was your dad like during those times? Like, 191 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: it's I think the hardest thing. There's a lot of 192 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: hard things about parenting, which you're you're gonna learn. Um, 193 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 1: I'm a little bit older. Um, but it's how you 194 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:16,719 Speaker 1: process work, stress and home life, right, has gotta be 195 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: you know, especially a very public job. And then the 196 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: NIXT go to the finals and he got fired. Like 197 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 1: what was what was your recollection of what he was 198 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: like during those times? Yeah, you know, listen, my dad 199 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 1: is an amazing person, but he's an amazing father, right, 200 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: So his first priority has always been his family, and 201 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: he always tried to like insulate us from all the 202 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,599 Speaker 1: pressures of his job. And so he also and I 203 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: said it before, like he has very big shoulders literally 204 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: and figured to be like he's a massive guy. But 205 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: he knows that in his position, you have to take 206 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: a lot of that, right, So he he tried to 207 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: really bear the brunt of all all the kind of 208 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: stress and disappointment. But that's not to say that there 209 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:56,959 Speaker 1: wasn't a lot of stress and disappointment. I mean, and 210 00:09:57,080 --> 00:09:59,079 Speaker 1: we'll probably get into this more later, but like my 211 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: dad grew up as an imigrant New York City watching 212 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 1: the Knicks and the Nosebley. It's not even been being 213 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 1: able to speak English, right, So then not only did 214 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: he play for the Knicks, but he ran the whole team. 215 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:09,559 Speaker 1: So that that was you know, it was a very 216 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 1: hard thing for for him, I know, and for our family, 217 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: but it's it's also the nature of the business. And 218 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:17,560 Speaker 1: you know, luckily he he got an opportunity right away 219 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: with an awesome team in Milwaukee, and they went to 220 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 1: Game seven in the Eastern Conference Finals. So his career 221 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: just really took off after and everything happens for a reason, 222 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: so you know, it was a tough time, man, but 223 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: he tried to insulate us as much as could. Okay, 224 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 1: so you get to Wisconsin, your guy from Jersey, your 225 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: jew from Jersey with it for the Jersey accent, all right, 226 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: what was bol your last three years of high schooling? Amazing? Honestly, man, Like, 227 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 1: Like I was so lucky to go to I went 228 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 1: to the top public high school in Milwaukee, Nicola High School, 229 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: which actually a basketball powerhouse. Now, uh, they're just saying 230 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: Jayalen Johnson to Duke and uh, you know, so it's 231 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: a it's a great school, basketball school, and it was 232 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 1: a strong school then, uh, amazing place to kind of, 233 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: you know, grow as a basketball player and as a student. 234 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:01,560 Speaker 1: And so it was took an adjustment right when you moved. 235 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: You have to make new friends and figure it out. 236 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:05,959 Speaker 1: But you know, I when I when we got to Milwaukee, 237 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: I was like five ten forty five pounds. I had 238 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: played freshman basketball in New Jersey. So like, you know, 239 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: I thought, I you know, I had good skills, and 240 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: I knew my dad was really big, my mom was big, 241 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 1: and the doctrines kind of said, like, this kid is 242 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: gonna be pretty big. So I knew I kind of 243 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:20,719 Speaker 1: had a gross spurred any but I just didn't know 244 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: what I would become as a basketball player, right. So, 245 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: I mean I started varsity as a sophomore, but you know, 246 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 1: I was like seven points a game. I was six 247 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: six five, But then I'm six five, and then I'm 248 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: six six two oh five, and you know, by my 249 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 1: senior year, I'm a top plundered player. And you know, 250 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:36,559 Speaker 1: Stanford was kind of knocking on the door. And so 251 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 1: my kind of ascension happened quickly. But I don't think 252 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:40,960 Speaker 1: I'm not sure it could have happened if I didn't 253 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,319 Speaker 1: go to Milwaukee. Honestly, do you do you what were 254 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: kids like to you? And I asked you this because 255 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: I think one of the hard things, UM, I stayed 256 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: back because I had that I had a gross spur. Obviously, 257 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: people like me had a gross for six. I was 258 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: like five ft five one when I finished eighth grade 259 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 1: the first time that. I was like five ten when 260 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: I ended high school. Right, So during that year and 261 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 1: three months of Master Rosberg, um, but there was always 262 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 1: a I thought a group. And my high school was 263 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 1: really it was very good for public high school as well. Coached, 264 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: we have a lot of success, um. But I always 265 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:22,199 Speaker 1: felt like there was a group of the more popular 266 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 1: kids that weren't as accepting of me because I didn't 267 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: grow up there. You know, I grew up even five 268 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:30,079 Speaker 1: miles away, but I didn't even grow up there. For 269 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 1: you grew up in Jersey, you don't have sweat equity 270 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: with these kids. Was did you did you ever feel 271 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,320 Speaker 1: like there was any animosity towards you kind of parachuting 272 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:42,679 Speaker 1: in and the becoming a basketball star. Honestly, man, not 273 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:44,679 Speaker 1: not at all. And I think it speaks to the 274 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,239 Speaker 1: community that I moved to. Like, people in the Midwest 275 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 1: are just like very accepting, nice people, and like I 276 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 1: really found that it accepted me with such open armsticly. Man, 277 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:55,719 Speaker 1: I never had I never felt a lot of that, 278 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:57,559 Speaker 1: you know, pushed back. Maybe it was happening. I was 279 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,599 Speaker 1: just oblivious to it, but like, no, it was. It 280 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: was it was all love. Like people embrace me. They 281 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: tried to help me feel comfortable. And like basketball, as 282 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: you know, like it's the universal language, it's the vehicle. 283 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:10,640 Speaker 1: Like I just started playing hoops and making friends that way, 284 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,079 Speaker 1: and you know that that that really kind of just 285 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: helped me kind of assimilate. And yeah, the community was 286 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: like so accepting. So I have nothing but fond memories 287 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 1: about my time in Milwaukee. Where were you? So we 288 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: were in Fox Point, So I went to Nicola High School, 289 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 1: but my mom went to wife Fish Bay High School. 290 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: So you know the area well, like you know that's 291 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: right outside the city of Milwaukee. Yeah, it's pretty pretty awesome. 292 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: Who is your favorite Buck during those years? Man, those 293 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 1: years were so awesome that the answer is easy. Okay, 294 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: it's Ray Allen Um, But but I have to think 295 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: because they're so just of that team right, because you 296 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: have the big dog and you had Sam Cassell and 297 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: I love Tim Thomas, but dude, like Ray Allen. You know, 298 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: this is when Ray is years old, like just an 299 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: absolute superstar in the making, Like not only could shoot 300 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:59,679 Speaker 1: the ball, which everyone knows, but he was so explosive, 301 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 1: crazy athlete crazy. We we played against him when he 302 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: was at Yukon. We played against him, and a couple 303 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 1: of things. I remember so um he had the biggest 304 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 1: calves I had ever seen, like like normal sized legs, 305 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: maybe the skinny legs. And then he's like, if you 306 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: could carve out a grante with somebody's calves are supposed 307 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: to look like I remember that. And then he drove 308 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: to the middle and what we were doing was and 309 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 1: we did it against Villanova. Didn't work either. Where I 310 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: was guarding, like Doron Shepherd was like a footoller than me, 311 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 1: and every time Ray would put the ball in the ground, 312 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 1: I was gonna go and almost like double the ball. 313 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: And so he comes off a crewl like a pin 314 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 1: down on the weak side. I go in kind of 315 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: almost a help and he goes up like double almost 316 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 1: like triple clutches and then shoots spall like people forget 317 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: what a freak athlete he was because their snapshot of 318 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: Raylan is well Miami Heat Ray Allen or Boston Celtics Reyon, 319 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 1: where he had made himself into one of the league's 320 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: best shooters. They forget that that's like Ray Allen two 321 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 1: point one point though he did a little bit everything, 322 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 1: everything slashing in transition, I mean, dunking the ball like 323 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: he was such a monster, and culturally like he got 324 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: game had just come out, you know, just a few 325 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: years before, and so I was like, man like, for 326 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: all those reasons, I just love Ray. And then because 327 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 1: my dad's a GM of the team, like I'm working 328 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 1: out at the practice facility, I get to know him, 329 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: and as great of a basketball player as he is, 330 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 1: he's a better guy, the nicest guy in the world, 331 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 1: such a role model for me. Um and so like 332 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: I just looked at and again like someone who played 333 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: that that shooting guard position. Right. So in New York 334 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: it was like John Starts and then all in Houston, 335 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: and then it was Ray in Milwaukee. Learned so much 336 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 1: from watching him and all those other guys. And you know, 337 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 1: they again like they lost Game seven, two thousand one 338 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: in the Eastern Conference Finals afhilly right, but they had 339 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:46,000 Speaker 1: a chance. I mean they were knocking on the door. 340 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: So like those were those were awesome years. Fox Sports 341 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. 342 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot 343 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 1: com and within the I Heart Radio app search f 344 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 1: s R to listen live. Um, okay, so why did 345 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: you choose stand? So I wanted to go to Stanford 346 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: since I was in seventh grade. So my sisters older 347 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: than me, and my grandmother lives in the Bay Area, 348 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 1: so when we were visiting her, we visited Stanford's campus 349 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 1: for my sister to take a tour. And Stanford was 350 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: like number four in the country at the time, great 351 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 1: academics and I was a good student, and I said, man, 352 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: and it was close to my grandma, who I'm I'm like, 353 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: you know, talked to every day. It's like this is 354 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 1: where I want to play. But as you said, I'm 355 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: a you know, I'm a slow Jewish kid from the suburbs, 356 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: Like you know, odds aren't amazing for me. But du'dre 357 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: just kept kind of grinding, putting my head down, working, 358 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 1: and um really kept my eyes set on that. And 359 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: even like as I started getting recruited, like my AU 360 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:39,800 Speaker 1: coaches and all that. They told people like he wants 361 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: to go to Stanford. You know, so the Ivy's are 362 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: recruiting me and other good kind of academic schools, but 363 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 1: it was always about Stanford. And you know, you have 364 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: to you have to be good in some ways, but 365 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 1: you also have to be lucky. And I had a 366 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: little bit of both those things where like I played well, 367 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: but I also played well at the right times. And 368 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: you know, they Stanford went to the final four and 369 00:16:56,920 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: so and they were like number one in two thousand one, 370 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 1: right when I was getting a cruded, so they were 371 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: like a top, top program and like so it wasn't 372 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,160 Speaker 1: like a shoeman for someone like me to go there, 373 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: but it just worked out for me, man, and I 374 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 1: couldn't be more and more happy about it was such 375 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: an awesome experience. Okay, so you get to Stanford. Who's 376 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 1: there on the team. So Josh Childress is a year 377 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 1: older than me, um and he's he's really are our 378 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: best player. But honestly, like we had a lot of 379 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 1: very good but not like great great players who then 380 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: would go to the NBA. So guy like Matt Loddock 381 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,200 Speaker 1: right now is the coach of Alpreiso. Right, Matt was 382 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: we were playing the same position. He was two years 383 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 1: older than me, so it kind of took me under 384 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: his wing a little bit. Uh. You know. Julius Barnes 385 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:39,199 Speaker 1: was a very good all Pac ten player who had 386 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: you know, nice career in Europe. So there were guys 387 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,399 Speaker 1: sort of like really really solid. But Mike Montgomery was 388 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:46,920 Speaker 1: the coach and he built a system, man that was 389 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 1: so efficient. He recruited tough, skilled, smart people played together 390 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:54,400 Speaker 1: and like we were first or second in the Pac 391 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: ten at that time for for eight years in a row. 392 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 1: Like it was just a powerhouse. And so like my 393 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 1: my freshman year we were a four seed and my 394 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,240 Speaker 1: sophomore year we we started the season twenty six and 395 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 1: oh and we're a one seed. Like it was. It 396 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:09,399 Speaker 1: was really a roller coaster, man. Yeah, that was that 397 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,159 Speaker 1: was like the dream here, right, your sophomayer was was 398 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:14,200 Speaker 1: that was the dream here? That was the year. That 399 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 1: was the game. It wasn't Tiger at the game against Arizona, 400 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: so Doug that so we were nineteen and o right, 401 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: we're playing Arizona. Keep in mind, okay, Arizona starting five, 402 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 1: Mustafa Shakur, Selim Stodomeyer, Hassan Adams, Andrea Guadala, Channing Fry. Okay, 403 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:31,440 Speaker 1: they're all NBA players, one of them the finals M 404 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 1: v P. And then you have Stanford. We have Josh 405 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,119 Speaker 1: Children's but all good role players. We beat them in 406 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 1: Tucson when we were three. We were four and they 407 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,120 Speaker 1: were three in the country. Now we're too and they're 408 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 1: nineteen and we're we're not. I think. No, there were 409 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: twelve and we're nineteen and O right, we we make 410 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 1: a shot at the buzzer, a half court shot to 411 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:50,400 Speaker 1: win the game, to become twenty and oh Tiger's courtside. 412 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 1: And it was my twentieth birthday, so so I'll never 413 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: forget like it was my birthday to do it. And 414 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,879 Speaker 1: we just had this magical, magical thing going on. What 415 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:04,119 Speaker 1: um I've always heard Stanford is is just different. This 416 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: is different in a in a great way, right. And 417 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: it was one of my schools I wanted to go 418 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 1: to and money and I told him to. You know, 419 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:13,600 Speaker 1: my brother worked for money for six years. He was 420 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: just too honest, alright, because he called me and offer 421 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:18,640 Speaker 1: me a scholarship and he's like, okay, so here's the deal. 422 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:20,719 Speaker 1: We have Brevin Knight. You'll back him up for two 423 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:22,920 Speaker 1: years and then you'll be and you'll play some with him, 424 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:24,680 Speaker 1: and then you'll be the starter for two years. And 425 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 1: I was like, coach, thanks love Stanford, think you were 426 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 1: in a great program. Not really interested. And they signed 427 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:33,639 Speaker 1: artly instead of me because I wanted to start as 428 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: a freshman. It was it was really kind of that simple, right, 429 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: But every guy I met from Stanford it's like the 430 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 1: guys from Notre Dame. It's like the guy smokes, they 431 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:44,840 Speaker 1: just kind of okage's right. There are kind of guys, um, 432 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: but give me the give me like all right, So 433 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 1: when Stanford guys sit around, we tell stories. Here's a 434 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 1: story of what it was really like. Yeah, lots hilarious 435 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:56,879 Speaker 1: about Monty. He is very honest. I think that was 436 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:59,159 Speaker 1: part of his success in a way. But also like 437 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,119 Speaker 1: you know that that that candid nature, you know, not 438 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 1: it is not for everyone, but that was kind of 439 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 1: his structure, right, Like you come in, you don't play 440 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:08,960 Speaker 1: at first, you you take your lips, you pay your dues, 441 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 1: then you kind of move up. So it's funny that 442 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,399 Speaker 1: you went through that, Uh, Stanford is a unique place, man, 443 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: It's just different. Like, ultimately, it's an amazing place. The 444 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: values are really right, Like the people treat each other well. 445 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:21,920 Speaker 1: There's a lot of innovation. There's a lot of like 446 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: you know, Stanford is a great school, so there's a 447 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: lot of like intellect there. But it's not it's not 448 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 1: even about that, dude. It's just about ideas and being 449 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,920 Speaker 1: supportive of other people and thinking big. So it's a 450 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:34,680 Speaker 1: really really special place. I after I retired professionally, I 451 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: went to business school there, so I got that paste 452 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 1: of it as well. And like so I spent six 453 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: years on campus and I just love it. But to 454 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 1: your question, like when the when the fellows are hanging 455 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:44,520 Speaker 1: out and we're talking, it's the same stuff, right, we're 456 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 1: telling stories of old games and old parties and this 457 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: and that. But like, you know, the thing that's interesting 458 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,120 Speaker 1: about Stanfords that when you're a student athlete in particularly 459 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: when the when the football team is awesome, when the 460 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 1: basketball team is awesome, like you think you'd be like 461 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,240 Speaker 1: the toast of the town and the biggest thing on campus, 462 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: but like there's so much going on there of people 463 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: have done so many cool things that you're just kind 464 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,120 Speaker 1: of a face in the crowd, which on one handed, 465 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: it's different, different, but it's also cool because you're just 466 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: like part of part of the deal. Yeah, it's must 467 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: be interesting they having gone back to business school there. How, 468 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 1: when you were there, Maples was arguably the best atmosphere 469 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,760 Speaker 1: in the league, and now it's one of the worst. Right, 470 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:25,359 Speaker 1: it's it's one of the worst. Um. Some of that 471 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: is they haven't been successful over the last decade, But 472 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: some of that is that all of that innovation, all 473 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: that other stuff has gotten even bigger in Silicon Valley, right, 474 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: and even bigger at the school, whereas sports matter less 475 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: and less, even when football has gotten really good and 476 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: and and basketball used to it used to be the 477 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: happening place, used to be the kind of crown jewel 478 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: of Stanford with Stanford basketball, it was crazy, man like Maples. 479 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:52,719 Speaker 1: And you know, we used to have this floor that bounced, 480 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,159 Speaker 1: which actually never placed after my sophomore year because we 481 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: had several stress fractors in people's feet. But like they 482 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: were playing that, I didn't know that. My sophomore year 483 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 1: we had three guys with stress fraction their feet, So 484 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,159 Speaker 1: they said maybe that contributed to it, so they replaced it. 485 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 1: But like that was our calling card, Like our fans 486 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 1: are jumping the floors, bouncing the ceilings, about to pop off, 487 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:12,439 Speaker 1: like it was the hottest ticket in town. Man, I'm 488 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 1: telling you, like and to your point, like it hasn't 489 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,160 Speaker 1: been like that, and you know, the program, like I'm 490 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,359 Speaker 1: of course very still close with the coaching staff and 491 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,159 Speaker 1: in huge supporters of them, like gotten great players, like 492 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: we've you know, we've we've had our moments and and 493 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: still trying to build up. But yet it had Maples 494 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 1: has not been hopping like it was. And it's a 495 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 1: bit of a bummer because like I take my wife 496 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:33,400 Speaker 1: back and like you're telling her about the glory days, 497 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 1: but we're looking around and like, you know, it's not 498 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 1: exactly how we remembered it. But listen, like I have 499 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,920 Speaker 1: faith in the program and the coaching staff, and I 500 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: mean in the kids they've recruited. But yet to your point, 501 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 1: like it hasn't quite been you know what what it was. Um, 502 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:51,200 Speaker 1: so you know we're we're hoping to get back. You 503 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:55,119 Speaker 1: get done play right, you don't get drafted, be your 504 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,719 Speaker 1: dad's in the league. Whatever. Uh, take me through your 505 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:02,960 Speaker 1: process have decided immediately go overseas. Sure. So you know, 506 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 1: so my junior year, I was first team Mall Pac ten. 507 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 1: I was, you know, one of the top scores in 508 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: the conference. I had a really really strong year. Um, 509 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 1: and so there was rumors that I'd be like late 510 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 1: first round pick if I left. So I was thinking 511 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:15,680 Speaker 1: about leaving. And at the end of the year, I 512 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 1: tore my a c l on a fast break in 513 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 1: an actually televised game. By the way, Tiger was courtsided 514 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: at that game too. He used to come to one 515 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: game year. UM. So I remember I was lying on 516 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 1: the table after I hurt my knee, like my dreams 517 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:29,399 Speaker 1: were just crushed, and literally my head, I thought, I 518 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:31,440 Speaker 1: wonder if Tiger will come back and like, you know, 519 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: give me some love. Like I wasn't in my right 520 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: mind then. But in my senior year I just wasn't right. 521 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 1: You know. I went from out of the eighteen at 522 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: game to twelve and so you know, I I played 523 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:41,959 Speaker 1: Summer League with Indiana, but you know it's very marginal. 524 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:45,119 Speaker 1: So I had an opportunity overseas in Germany. UM took it. 525 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:46,639 Speaker 1: You know, I'd never been to Europe. I didn't know 526 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:49,080 Speaker 1: anything about European basketball, guy, you played over there, Like, 527 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:52,080 Speaker 1: you know, I was just shocked at high the level, 528 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: was the way they play, and so I immediately kind 529 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: of fell in love with like just the whole I 530 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:57,920 Speaker 1: was doing what I always wanted to do. I just 531 00:23:58,040 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: wasn't doing it in the league, right, But I was 532 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: a pro player, I was getting paid, I was ball 533 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:03,879 Speaker 1: and I was just like it was really fun and 534 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:06,120 Speaker 1: of course, like I was wanted to play in the league, 535 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 1: and I got close with the Knicks and training camp 536 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 1: a few years later, but you know, ultimately, like my 537 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,200 Speaker 1: career in Europe man was was super fulfilling. Take take 538 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:14,920 Speaker 1: me to Okay, so what year was it when you're 539 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: in camp with the Knicks? Okay, who's the coach? It's 540 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: it's Mike d'antoni's first year, which actually really was an 541 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: advantage for me because everyone was new to the system. 542 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: But coach D'Antoni system is really like pass and move, 543 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: and that was type of player. I was like, listen, 544 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:31,719 Speaker 1: you weren't gonna give me the ball on the wing 545 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:34,719 Speaker 1: for an ice So at any level, particularly in the NBA, right, 546 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 1: but if you're passing and cutting and and that kind 547 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 1: of stuff that that worked for me. So I really 548 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,760 Speaker 1: really had a strong training camp and uh, yeah, it was, 549 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: it was. It was an awesome experience. And what is 550 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: that like though too, because again I wasn't at your level. 551 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 1: But and I didn't get to training camp, but I 552 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:54,200 Speaker 1: remember I was in summer League with the Lakers, and 553 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 1: uh and I would go to I went to a 554 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:00,640 Speaker 1: couple of that mini camps for them whatever, and every 555 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,080 Speaker 1: year would be the same where I go in there 556 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:06,200 Speaker 1: and I was really kind of emotionally mentally timid, like, hey, 557 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: just you know, you gotta you know, you're not a Laker, 558 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: you know. It's like in my mind, like you're not, 559 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:14,440 Speaker 1: like you gotta you gotta earn the right to be alker. 560 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:17,040 Speaker 1: You gotta kick everybody's ask you gotta be early, you 561 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:19,399 Speaker 1: gotta be perfect. And I put a lot of pressure 562 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: on myself. And then the more you do it more 563 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,680 Speaker 1: you're like, well, like you do this, you know, And 564 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 1: then you walk in the building and again I don't 565 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 1: know what the nicture like, but I'm guessing it's the same. 566 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:31,440 Speaker 1: It's like now you start to know the secretary's name, 567 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,600 Speaker 1: you know all the trainers names, everybody NBA people. Generally, 568 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:37,440 Speaker 1: they treat everybody with an incredible amount of respect, Like 569 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: even if you're not have no chance of making a team, 570 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:42,199 Speaker 1: like you want a massage, all that stuff, And by 571 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 1: like day three, you start to like envision yourself, like 572 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 1: what what if I was a Laker? If that would 573 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 1: be kind of cool? Right for you? Dad played in 574 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:55,439 Speaker 1: the league, grew up there, Dad was the GM. I'm 575 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:57,879 Speaker 1: sure there was a long relationship there with dan TONI 576 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 1: what is that like to go through the emotional ups 577 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 1: and downs of Dude, I I could make this team 578 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: to them calling you in and going, yeah, you're not 579 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:12,200 Speaker 1: gonna You're not gonna make this team? What was What 580 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,360 Speaker 1: do you remember about that? I've tried to stay even 581 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:17,120 Speaker 1: killing and just focus on the work. It's easier said 582 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: than done, right, because like if you get if you 583 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: start like you know, projecting out of what it could be, 584 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 1: it's hard to deal with that. But like to your point, 585 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 1: like you just have to earn your keep when you're 586 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 1: like a training camp invite or summing again. But so 587 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,640 Speaker 1: I always just tried to like work or like prove 588 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: my worth. There were moments because like you know, where 589 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 1: I was playing in Europe as a high level in 590 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:38,040 Speaker 1: the NBA, of course, is the highest level of the world. 591 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,640 Speaker 1: But the difference you know, between a good overseas player 592 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 1: and you know, maybe like a bench player of the NBA, 593 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:45,960 Speaker 1: you're like, you know, one of the the last bench, 594 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:47,440 Speaker 1: Like it's not that much. So all of a sudden 595 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:49,439 Speaker 1: you start playing, You're like, yeah, I could do this right, 596 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:50,800 Speaker 1: and I would have days. I was like, dude, like 597 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:53,400 Speaker 1: I call my buddies, Like, you won't believe the guys 598 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 1: who were guarding me that I was calling for the 599 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:57,119 Speaker 1: ball because they're like I was bigger than them. But 600 00:26:57,240 --> 00:26:59,000 Speaker 1: like these are guys that I grew up watching, and 601 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:00,879 Speaker 1: you kind of really it's like, oh, I could do this, 602 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:04,160 Speaker 1: and it really just takes discipline, man, to like try 603 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 1: not to get too much in your head. I can't 604 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 1: say that I was always successful because I and my 605 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:10,320 Speaker 1: dad played for the next and I grew up, you know, 606 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 1: idolizing this team and I was like, the one thing 607 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: is they had fifteen guarantee contracts, so I knew someone 608 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 1: needed to get traded, cut or bought out. Stephan Marbury 609 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 1: was a teammate at the time, and there was rumors 610 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:21,959 Speaker 1: that he was bought out so I was like, too 611 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:23,639 Speaker 1: it if he gets bought out, like maybe I slide in. 612 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:27,160 Speaker 1: When it didn't happen, I was bummed. But the other 613 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 1: part of it was I was also like kind of 614 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:31,199 Speaker 1: and we can get into this later, and I'm sure 615 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: we will be talking about my book. Like I had 616 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:35,920 Speaker 1: a very intense basketball career, right and you probably could 617 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: relate to this, Doug, Like, if I could go back 618 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:39,440 Speaker 1: and do it over again, I'd want to smile more 619 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:41,639 Speaker 1: and enjoy more and worry less, you know what I mean. 620 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 1: And I think a lot of their flights say that, 621 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 1: but you know, I was. I was rarely content, you know, 622 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:49,399 Speaker 1: And that was one rare moment where I felt like 623 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: I gave everything I had. I showed that I could 624 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 1: compete at that level. It didn't happen to work out, 625 00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 1: But I was also like, oh, I'm at a really 626 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 1: high level in Europe, and I was I was content 627 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: in a way when just which is strange to say 628 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:03,439 Speaker 1: because not only because I just like got cut from 629 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:05,399 Speaker 1: an NBA team, but it also was a feeling that 630 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:07,760 Speaker 1: I rarely had playing because like you know, there's so 631 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,640 Speaker 1: much kind of pressure and stress and and meaning behind basketball. 632 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:13,680 Speaker 1: And again it relates, you know, closely to my book, 633 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:15,159 Speaker 1: which I know we'll talk about. But we all have 634 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:18,000 Speaker 1: our stories about basketball why it means so much to us, 635 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:19,920 Speaker 1: you know what I mean? So like that the NIXT 636 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:21,399 Speaker 1: thing was kind of like a culmination for me of 637 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:26,480 Speaker 1: all that favorite country you played Israel, And I'm lucky 638 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 1: because I had really good stops overseas. So I played 639 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,200 Speaker 1: a year in Germany, three in Spain, and four in Israel. 640 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: Like these are good leagues, really good countries, live in 641 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:36,160 Speaker 1: may great friends, like I had such a cool experience. 642 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 1: But for me, like and you played in Israel, right, 643 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:41,800 Speaker 1: so you know, like I play shame ting. I played 644 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:45,959 Speaker 1: Benet How Sharon used to be macab Ranana. So did 645 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: you play Metro West? It was that the gym you 646 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 1: guys played at, so we were we were in hurt 647 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 1: Sally at that point. I have played in Metro West 648 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 1: during the MCCA via games. That's actually where the gold 649 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 1: medal game was. But but yeah, so yeah you played 650 00:28:57,320 --> 00:28:58,720 Speaker 1: there was not at the time, but I played for 651 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: Ba Sharon and you know that's in the Ranana Hurts 652 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 1: a leader, like two of the nicest cities in Israel, 653 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 1: and that's where I lived my first year, so I 654 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,240 Speaker 1: was like, you know and listen, like different leagues have 655 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:10,600 Speaker 1: different qualities. So when I was in Spain for you know, 656 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:14,320 Speaker 1: the middle three years of my career, and we practiced 657 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:16,080 Speaker 1: twice a day, like I could barely get off the couch. 658 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: When I got home Israel, it's a little more relaxed. 659 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 1: And at the end of my career, I was cool 660 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:22,920 Speaker 1: with that, you know, practice once a day, enjoy, come home, 661 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 1: hang with my wife, go to the beach, like ful offul, 662 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: Like I looked at my wife and I would look 663 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:30,719 Speaker 1: at each other sometimes like this is this is what's up? 664 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 1: Because it was just so awesome. It was so great. 665 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 1: It was so great, Like my thing was UH. I 666 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 1: didn't really get along with Sharon drew Ker. I actually 667 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 1: thought he was a good coach. I played for Sharon 668 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 1: in UH in Jerusalem. He and I also didn't get 669 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 1: along like particularly well. But yeah, I we have nothing 670 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 1: but respect now. But I like this in hindsight, I 671 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: loved his practices because all we did was playing his practices. 672 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:55,720 Speaker 1: Like I don't remember I don't remember doing a bunch 673 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:58,960 Speaker 1: of drills. I just just the way in which I 674 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: think we and he had he had coached Myles Signon 675 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: the year before me and Myles and a man got lost, 676 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: so I had a little bit of that negative bias 677 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 1: and then I'll tell you something interesting to happen. So 678 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 1: um I played for him the year after like this, 679 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: right season, right after Night eleven. So they called me 680 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:16,080 Speaker 1: right after an eleven and wanted me to come over 681 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 1: and play. And it was dumb negotiations about money, but 682 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 1: it dragged out so long. By the time I registered, 683 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 1: I couldn't play the first four games, so I went 684 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:27,840 Speaker 1: through training. I missed the little training camp. I went 685 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: through training with them, and the first four games he 686 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 1: was He was like, goodly, wouldn't you you would be 687 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,960 Speaker 1: like a coach and coach with me. We go to meetings. 688 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:41,880 Speaker 1: It was great, like but I actually I knew too 689 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 1: much from be sitting in like I sat it on 690 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 1: coaches peas and we go through the kind of strategy 691 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 1: of scatter reports and I'd watched it because I don't 692 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 1: have anything to do, and you know, so um so 693 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 1: he started calling me professor, professor, go to live no 694 00:30:57,120 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 1: more than we know. And I was like, bro, you're 695 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 1: the one who asked my opinion. Now when I give 696 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: you my opinion, you don't like my opinion really weird anyway. 697 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:08,200 Speaker 1: My point is that I was in Russia the year before, 698 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: which our team was unbelievable, and I thought our coach 699 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:16,240 Speaker 1: was really really good, and yet living in Israel. Playing 700 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 1: in Israel was like you go in and you lift 701 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: in the morning and get some shots. Ap you come 702 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:24,240 Speaker 1: home and the weather was great and you want to 703 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:26,200 Speaker 1: go to the beach, and you weren't like you were't 704 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: gonna kill yourself with practice that night, so you were 705 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:31,880 Speaker 1: as in Russia, like bro we lifted hard for an hour, 706 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: We worked out hard for an hour. Then you come 707 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: home and life is hard because it's cold and you're 708 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 1: bundling up. And then you go home and just like 709 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: I gotta go to sleep and then get up and 710 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: then bump and bump five on five and drills and 711 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: stuff for practice for two hours just was harder. This 712 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,440 Speaker 1: Israel was better here. Here's something people don't realize it, 713 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 1: but you will like road trips. So like in Russia, 714 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 1: like if you were playing a road game, like you 715 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,280 Speaker 1: get on a bluster live like you go in Israel. 716 00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 1: It's such a small country. It's day of right, so 717 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 1: and I am from Spain where we'd be taking twelve 718 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:04,400 Speaker 1: hour bus rides Germany too, or if we'd fly, it 719 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: would still like you'd be gone for two days. I'd 720 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: be like really tough travel. Like in Israel, you're playing 721 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 1: in Haifa, which is a little bit far. It's like 722 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 1: that's like a two hour bus, right, that's like the 723 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 1: long one, you know, Like so that part of it, man, 724 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 1: it was just like such easy living. The basketball is good, 725 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 1: that people are cool like and then for me like 726 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,080 Speaker 1: being Jewish, having family in Israel, and you know, my 727 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:25,920 Speaker 1: my dad almost went to Israel, like you know, they 728 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 1: ended up coming to America, but like my whole all 729 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:30,240 Speaker 1: my other family members went to Israel, right, so like 730 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:33,320 Speaker 1: there's something meaningful there as well to like reconnect with 731 00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: family in the past. So for all those reasons that 732 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:41,400 Speaker 1: I just loved it there. Yeah, plus actually the falafel, 733 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:43,959 Speaker 1: but all the food, Like my wife and I came 734 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 1: home like snobs, like we've come to it. We'd be 735 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:47,520 Speaker 1: in a restaurant in the States like, well, this produce 736 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:51,040 Speaker 1: isn't fresh, you know, because like tell us also you 737 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:56,479 Speaker 1: never say hummus ever again, Yeah, exactly, it's not hummus. 738 00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 1: It's just it's not how much, it's not how to 739 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: pronounce it. Um okay, So you never played for my 740 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:05,800 Speaker 1: copy tele v what well I would have if they would, 741 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 1: if I would have gotten the offer. So like, let's um, 742 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 1: they'll understand, but why didn't they? Like what was it? 743 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 1: So my first year in Israel for for Banana Tarone, 744 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 1: I was the leading so I counted as Israeli as 745 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 1: you probably did, just on account of being Jewish, right, 746 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:19,320 Speaker 1: so that helps kind of with the quotas. And so 747 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 1: I was the leading domestic score in the league. Had 748 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 1: a really good year, Our team did really well, so 749 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:26,840 Speaker 1: I was like kind of sought after, and David Black 750 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 1: called me and I thought that it was gonna happen, 751 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: you know. So there was like a week where I 752 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:32,120 Speaker 1: thought I was gonna play from a copy. They ended 753 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 1: up going in a different direction, and uh, I actually 754 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,080 Speaker 1: signed with Halone very briefly to follow my coach Dan Shamir, 755 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:39,520 Speaker 1: who's an amazing coach. D had some financial stuff, so 756 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:41,560 Speaker 1: I end up going to Hopball Jerusalem, right, which is 757 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:43,760 Speaker 1: kind of like the second biggest team in the league 758 00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 1: and also a really strong club. And uh so never 759 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:52,120 Speaker 1: never so oh did Katash brought me Um and you know, 760 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:55,280 Speaker 1: oh Dad was just the legendary player. And actually when 761 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:57,680 Speaker 1: my dad was GM of the Knicks, my dad wanted 762 00:33:57,720 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 1: to bring oh Dad to the NBA to be the 763 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:02,520 Speaker 1: first really player, but it was during the lockout, so 764 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:05,440 Speaker 1: there was a lockout. And then I think eventually signed 765 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 1: with the team overseas and he never made it to leave. 766 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:09,359 Speaker 1: But he was an NBA caliber player, just an amazing player, 767 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:11,360 Speaker 1: a great guy. And then he was like go in 768 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:13,120 Speaker 1: the middle of my first year. And actually Sharon Drewker 769 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:15,920 Speaker 1: then joined and I had Drewker for for my last year. 770 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:20,080 Speaker 1: Um Katash was He's a different cat though, right, like 771 00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 1: he retired mid career to like go and find himself, 772 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:28,600 Speaker 1: didn't He Like, he's a he's an interesting dude, listen 773 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:30,719 Speaker 1: for I love this guy and he in Israel. He 774 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:32,400 Speaker 1: is just like a legend. He's a great guy, and 775 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:34,959 Speaker 1: they're there are just there are some. There are different 776 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 1: ways to be successful in life and in business and 777 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:38,959 Speaker 1: everything else. And like I learned a lot from Ode 778 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:41,440 Speaker 1: because like he's the type of hands off coach. Like 779 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:43,520 Speaker 1: I remember one time after practice our assistant was like, 780 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:46,319 Speaker 1: oh yeah, free throws and oh that looked at him 781 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:48,959 Speaker 1: like whatever, He's like, I don't care, like album shoot 782 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: free throws, Halbam, don't like when I was at Stanford, 783 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 1: like you were shooting twenty, you were registering how you 784 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:55,319 Speaker 1: shot it. There's a data base, you know what I mean, 785 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:57,879 Speaker 1: Like was like, shoot your free throws. Don't But I'll 786 00:34:57,920 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: tell you this. He won a championship in the Israel 787 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:02,719 Speaker 1: League with Khalil Gobaa like a few years before he 788 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 1: came in coming to Jerusalem. It hurts, you know what 789 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:07,240 Speaker 1: I mean, Like his hee's hands off. But he trusted 790 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:09,840 Speaker 1: his players. You know. But if you you can do 791 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:12,280 Speaker 1: with pros and but you gotta have the right pros 792 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 1: to the right prom dug. It didn't work in Jerusalem 793 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:17,279 Speaker 1: for us. We we struggled because we didn't have the 794 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:18,600 Speaker 1: right pros, you know what I mean. So that to 795 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:20,800 Speaker 1: your point, Yeah, it's gotta be the right people totally. 796 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:22,800 Speaker 1: You know. I just coached in TBT and you know, 797 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:26,120 Speaker 1: with those guys, we we played a game and they 798 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:28,960 Speaker 1: were exhausted, and I just I said, hey, we got 799 00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:30,800 Speaker 1: a shooting time middle of the day. Let me know 800 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:32,520 Speaker 1: if you guys want to go. And I expected none 801 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 1: of them to go and then you know, they all 802 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:36,120 Speaker 1: showed up and it was it was great. But I 803 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,640 Speaker 1: was like, actually didn't want them to go because I 804 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 1: wanted the rest of their legs. And then we got 805 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:45,160 Speaker 1: viserrated in the in the second game, Um, why did you? 806 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:47,400 Speaker 1: Why did you? Why did you close it? Why would you? 807 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 1: Why did you quit? Yeah, you can relate to this 808 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:53,200 Speaker 1: man like I mean like you put your heart and 809 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:55,040 Speaker 1: soul into it for all those years and you know, 810 00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:57,680 Speaker 1: you just know right, And and there was a point 811 00:35:57,760 --> 00:35:59,680 Speaker 1: like my last year, so there was my fourth year 812 00:35:59,719 --> 00:36:01,320 Speaker 1: in his or I went back to hurt Cilia and 813 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:03,720 Speaker 1: because I had two kind of disappointing years in Jerusalem, 814 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 1: and I thought I'd provide my career. I still physically 815 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:07,600 Speaker 1: was okay, not that ever I was. I was that 816 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: great physically, but I had whatever I had to begin 817 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:11,920 Speaker 1: with where I could still do some things. But dude, 818 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,960 Speaker 1: I would I would be groaning tying my shoes before practice, 819 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:17,640 Speaker 1: you know, like just physically like I just and and 820 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:19,560 Speaker 1: literally a weekend I called my dad. I was like, 821 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:22,200 Speaker 1: I'm done, man, Like I just don't have it, you know. 822 00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 1: And and also playing overseas takes a toll because you're 823 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:28,880 Speaker 1: away from your family all those years and Israel is 824 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:31,040 Speaker 1: like the best possible. This is the thing I think 825 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:33,680 Speaker 1: now now it's a little different, you know when I 826 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:35,680 Speaker 1: remember when I was there and this is like uh 827 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:38,560 Speaker 1: one or two is you know you can watch ESPN remember, 828 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 1: but there's still there's there's parts of your life which 829 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:45,400 Speaker 1: you are missing up right, Like you know it doesn't 830 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:47,440 Speaker 1: you can play fantasy football there, but it's just not 831 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:51,480 Speaker 1: the same on a Sunday when when you know the 832 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:54,640 Speaker 1: games are on at different times, and just parts of 833 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:57,680 Speaker 1: your life that you you take for granted about our 834 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:00,160 Speaker 1: country that you can't do and and you know you 835 00:37:00,239 --> 00:37:02,680 Speaker 1: have cousins that have kids, and people get married and 836 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:05,719 Speaker 1: going and seeing other people play their sports and just 837 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:08,520 Speaker 1: your regular life that I don't I don't know if 838 00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:12,200 Speaker 1: people conceptualize. They only vision, Hey, I'm gonna get money 839 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 1: and put that money away and have a bunch of 840 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:16,080 Speaker 1: money when I start my life, which is great, but 841 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:19,920 Speaker 1: there are things that are sacrificed. So I'll tell you this, man, 842 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:22,320 Speaker 1: Like I always like and my wife my wife, but 843 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:24,680 Speaker 1: she was my girlfriends for a tigracies acts my wife, 844 00:37:24,719 --> 00:37:26,839 Speaker 1: but like she was over with me for our last 845 00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:29,799 Speaker 1: five years. Right, if it weren't for her, I don't 846 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:31,760 Speaker 1: know how I would have made that trip over because 847 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:34,800 Speaker 1: I had the comfort and and that kind of connection. 848 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 1: But like it, it can be isolating, and like you know, 849 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:41,120 Speaker 1: I I have a lot of empathy for international players 850 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:43,120 Speaker 1: who come to the NBA and like fans will just 851 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:45,359 Speaker 1: like they don't know how hard it is to leave 852 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:48,200 Speaker 1: everything you know, the people, you know, the places, the 853 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:50,440 Speaker 1: things that come to a country that's not your own. 854 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:52,480 Speaker 1: And for me and Israel, like I had every advantage. 855 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:55,200 Speaker 1: I had family, they speak English. It's amazing. My wife 856 00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:57,960 Speaker 1: with me. Dude, you had to drag me to the airport. Man. 857 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:01,320 Speaker 1: By my last year, I'm almost like hiding in my 858 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:03,799 Speaker 1: bedroom closet. Dude, it's like to go back over because 859 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:06,520 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, you leave everything right, so um, 860 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:08,759 Speaker 1: people don't get it. But then also when you look 861 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:11,800 Speaker 1: at young Europeans in the NBA, like I have a 862 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:14,240 Speaker 1: lot of empathy because I'm like they left everything behind. 863 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:17,840 Speaker 1: It it's hard. Okay, so did you quit mid season? 864 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:20,560 Speaker 1: Did you finish that? Hear? What did you do? Now? 865 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:22,719 Speaker 1: I would never equipment season and like I never quit 866 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:24,840 Speaker 1: on my team, Like I was trying, like I did 867 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:27,120 Speaker 1: not have a great hear like I must at all 868 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: all my energy, but no, I I kind of knew 869 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:31,120 Speaker 1: like this is gonna be my last year, and actually 870 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:33,120 Speaker 1: I wanted to make it like the best I possibly could, 871 00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:35,000 Speaker 1: and so I still tried. You know, I worked and 872 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:38,200 Speaker 1: I competed. But you know, when your heart kind of 873 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:40,680 Speaker 1: checks out a little bit, it's really hard because basketball 874 00:38:40,719 --> 00:38:43,279 Speaker 1: is so competitive, man, and like and and that's how 875 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:45,320 Speaker 1: it should be. Like if you don't fight tooth and 876 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:48,239 Speaker 1: nail for everything, someone else will and it should be 877 00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:49,839 Speaker 1: that way. And there was a point in my career 878 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:52,120 Speaker 1: where I was the guy out working and out fighting people. 879 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:53,440 Speaker 1: And then I got to the point where I was 880 00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:55,200 Speaker 1: getting out worked and out fat by guys. And I 881 00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:58,080 Speaker 1: guess that's a natural cycle. But like, uh finished out 882 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,480 Speaker 1: my career. But like, honestly, as soon as the buzzer 883 00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:04,759 Speaker 1: sounded on my last game, broke broke into tears. Man 884 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:09,279 Speaker 1: just just cried, just crying, who is it against? Who's 885 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:12,879 Speaker 1: your last game against? Funny? And Uh, actually I write 886 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:14,880 Speaker 1: about this this story in my book because it was 887 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:16,680 Speaker 1: against hopp walle a lot. And you know how it 888 00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:18,799 Speaker 1: is in in these leaves you get relegated if you're 889 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:20,839 Speaker 1: towards the bottom. And pertually it was like a good 890 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:23,239 Speaker 1: club like should never be in danger of relegation, and 891 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:25,400 Speaker 1: we were this year. And it came down to the 892 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:27,520 Speaker 1: last game of the year, the last game I knew 893 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:29,640 Speaker 1: of my career. So I'm like, jeez, like, can I 894 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:31,680 Speaker 1: just sail off into the sunset with this thing? Like 895 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:33,839 Speaker 1: and I'm playing like crap, and I'm like, oh, can 896 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:35,360 Speaker 1: we just you know, end this in the on the 897 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:38,560 Speaker 1: positive note, The game came down to the last possession. 898 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:40,520 Speaker 1: We were up one and they had the ball and 899 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:43,000 Speaker 1: actually the teammate from a mind from Jerusalem national team, 900 00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:45,040 Speaker 1: awesome player, you've all Naimi. I don't know if you 901 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:47,320 Speaker 1: remember him, but really really good player. He had the 902 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:50,600 Speaker 1: ball to win the game, and at the buzzer he missed, 903 00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:53,360 Speaker 1: so like and and our fans stormed the court, you know, 904 00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:55,120 Speaker 1: and I did. I just put my hands on top 905 00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:56,440 Speaker 1: of my head and just started to cry. And I 906 00:39:56,480 --> 00:39:58,080 Speaker 1: looked in the in the stands of my wife and 907 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:00,120 Speaker 1: she was crying because like, listen, this is a is 908 00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:03,360 Speaker 1: a lifetime pursuit, man, and you know, you put everything 909 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:05,840 Speaker 1: into it. I growing up going to games with my 910 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:08,719 Speaker 1: dad working out with my dad, like everything that he 911 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:10,839 Speaker 1: went through in my grand and my family went through 912 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:13,239 Speaker 1: to get me the opportunities I had, Like it all 913 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:16,759 Speaker 1: just came out at that moment um. It's interesting. So 914 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:22,360 Speaker 1: I have two end of career stories. So, um, my 915 00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:26,080 Speaker 1: last game in Russia. It was my first year professional, 916 00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:30,399 Speaker 1: but this was when I probably knew right then and there, 917 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:33,319 Speaker 1: like I wasn't cut out for European basketball or maybe 918 00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:37,839 Speaker 1: even professional basketball. So when I went to perm Rush, 919 00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:40,400 Speaker 1: I played with euro Great and I played as American 920 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:43,359 Speaker 1: and I joined them in January and we only lost 921 00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:45,239 Speaker 1: one game the whole time I was there, which is 922 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:47,799 Speaker 1: crazy in our European league. And that and the only 923 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:49,600 Speaker 1: guy game we lost was because I played with the 924 00:40:49,719 --> 00:40:53,880 Speaker 1: juniors against Seska because we had won the league in 925 00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:56,480 Speaker 1: advanced automatically to the semifinals. It was like our last 926 00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:59,760 Speaker 1: regular season game and those guys got to go on vacation, 927 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:02,879 Speaker 1: had to stay and play. So I was really hard 928 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:05,200 Speaker 1: because like I went from like I'm a facilitator by 929 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:07,440 Speaker 1: nature to like now I'm the guy. And I took 930 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:09,880 Speaker 1: a bunch of shots. I missed a tun of them anyway, 931 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:13,200 Speaker 1: So my last game Rush we win the Russian Championship 932 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:17,080 Speaker 1: against Kazan, and it's in Kazan and they have a 933 00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:19,960 Speaker 1: small arena, but it was packed and there's kazoos whatever, 934 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:22,719 Speaker 1: and I was getting like a fifty grand bonus or 935 00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:24,800 Speaker 1: somebody else. I was really excited about it. But the 936 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:27,799 Speaker 1: way in which that series went, we were so much better. 937 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,359 Speaker 1: They would start me and I would They would try 938 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:33,360 Speaker 1: and press to start the game and he couldn't press me. 939 00:41:33,719 --> 00:41:35,759 Speaker 1: And then we get a lead and they take me out. 940 00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:38,200 Speaker 1: And then once we get a big lead, Willie Burton, 941 00:41:38,239 --> 00:41:39,719 Speaker 1: who was the other American, they take him out too, 942 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:42,560 Speaker 1: because they wanted the Russian guys to win, to to 943 00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:45,799 Speaker 1: be you know too that So I didn't hardly play 944 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:48,480 Speaker 1: that much. And I just remember winning the championship and 945 00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:52,279 Speaker 1: everybody was celebrating and I had no feeling in my 946 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:56,759 Speaker 1: body and I was like and the juxtapansation of that 947 00:41:57,080 --> 00:42:02,440 Speaker 1: and a year earlier, when I lost my last game 948 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:05,319 Speaker 1: with Oklahoma State and we're at Syracuse, like I felt 949 00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:07,640 Speaker 1: like we all it was like a death in the family. 950 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:11,279 Speaker 1: I can tell you every one of my losses in 951 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:14,480 Speaker 1: college and every reason why we lost and everything I 952 00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:16,440 Speaker 1: should have done better, right like, I can tell you 953 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:20,360 Speaker 1: exactly what I did. I didn't give a ship. The 954 00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:22,719 Speaker 1: only thing I heard about was, oh my god, I 955 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 1: just made fifty dollars and I barely play right, and 956 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:28,200 Speaker 1: I just like, this is not what I got into 957 00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:30,759 Speaker 1: it for. And so then I uh. And then I 958 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:34,080 Speaker 1: went to Israel and it was okay, and then I 959 00:42:34,239 --> 00:42:38,040 Speaker 1: was I, Uh, I got a chance. I actually did 960 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:40,320 Speaker 1: broadcasting for year. I came back and played in France, 961 00:42:40,719 --> 00:42:43,600 Speaker 1: and I really liked it because I had a younger coach. 962 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:47,799 Speaker 1: He's uh, who's a black eye from like the Martinique 963 00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:50,560 Speaker 1: or whatever. It was fun. But so my actual last 964 00:42:51,160 --> 00:42:53,640 Speaker 1: competitive professional game, I don't know if I've told the 965 00:42:53,680 --> 00:42:59,360 Speaker 1: story on the product. So we're playing, uh, not Laman, 966 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:02,959 Speaker 1: some you from up like near Normandy, like Nancy or something. 967 00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:05,600 Speaker 1: I'm not sure. Okay, So we were I was brought 968 00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:08,120 Speaker 1: in to replace a guy who was injured to try 969 00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:09,799 Speaker 1: and get them to the first Division, and we were 970 00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:11,600 Speaker 1: like in third place in the top two teams went 971 00:43:12,640 --> 00:43:14,360 Speaker 1: and I think we went like four and one the 972 00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:16,480 Speaker 1: time I was there, or maybe six and one or something. 973 00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:19,279 Speaker 1: We lost wining. I remember like the day of the game, 974 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:21,239 Speaker 1: the other team we get done shooting around, and this 975 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:23,360 Speaker 1: is where like I actually enjoyed a little bit of 976 00:43:23,360 --> 00:43:26,960 Speaker 1: the isolation. I signed a deal and they they said, 977 00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:28,479 Speaker 1: we're not gonna give you a car because you're gonna 978 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:30,440 Speaker 1: live like two blocks from the arena. And it was 979 00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:32,360 Speaker 1: only for like two months. I was like, all right, whatever. 980 00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:35,360 Speaker 1: So I had this little studio. I get up in 981 00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:37,239 Speaker 1: the morning, I go across the street, I get a 982 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:40,239 Speaker 1: cappuccino and get a like a Danish. I'd walked to 983 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:43,680 Speaker 1: the gym, lift Wade's shoot, you know, hang out a 984 00:43:43,680 --> 00:43:45,400 Speaker 1: little bit. Then I walked to a cafe where I 985 00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:47,600 Speaker 1: got free food and the chef would come out and 986 00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:49,520 Speaker 1: say something in French. I always said I would like 987 00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:53,200 Speaker 1: and he would make it for me. It was amazing. Anyway, 988 00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:57,040 Speaker 1: So my last game open that we get out done 989 00:43:57,040 --> 00:43:59,040 Speaker 1: with like our shoot around, and the door opens for 990 00:43:59,120 --> 00:44:02,560 Speaker 1: their bus and it's my high school teammate, David Lallazarian, 991 00:44:02,960 --> 00:44:06,160 Speaker 1: who went to Notre Dame the year after I went 992 00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:08,720 Speaker 1: and I had to leave, so we never played together 993 00:44:09,320 --> 00:44:11,200 Speaker 1: as college players play age. But all of sudden he 994 00:44:11,239 --> 00:44:13,520 Speaker 1: walks out the bus, and so too does Kelvin Gibbs, 995 00:44:14,280 --> 00:44:16,560 Speaker 1: who I had known grown up. He played at Pepperdime. 996 00:44:16,680 --> 00:44:19,640 Speaker 1: I played him my my senior year uh in school, 997 00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:22,720 Speaker 1: and so Kelvin's on the team. David was like traveling 998 00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:24,920 Speaker 1: with the team. They're trying to put on a contract 999 00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:29,520 Speaker 1: for next year. End of the game, Uh, I'm talking 1000 00:44:29,560 --> 00:44:32,799 Speaker 1: ship this French point guard. We're winning, and he wants 1001 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:34,919 Speaker 1: to fight, and these other guys score off and start 1002 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:37,160 Speaker 1: fighting and I get kicked out of the game with 1003 00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:39,840 Speaker 1: like fourteen seconds ago in my last professional game. So 1004 00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:42,520 Speaker 1: I'm going this is to the crowd. I'm doing this thing, 1005 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:45,960 Speaker 1: you know, to the crowd. And my wife and David 1006 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:48,359 Speaker 1: are actually sitting up in the stands and I walked 1007 00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:51,680 Speaker 1: underneath them in that little vomitorium area right and I'm 1008 00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:53,520 Speaker 1: I'm like blowing kisses, and all of sudden I hear 1009 00:44:53,560 --> 00:44:55,880 Speaker 1: this rush sound and the guy comes to want to 1010 00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:58,520 Speaker 1: fight me in the hallway in a huge melee. Anyway, 1011 00:44:59,160 --> 00:45:01,600 Speaker 1: I'm suspended six games in France if I ever go back. 1012 00:45:01,960 --> 00:45:05,279 Speaker 1: Just so you're aware, um, as I went out with it, 1013 00:45:05,360 --> 00:45:08,040 Speaker 1: I did not go out with the tears of joy 1014 00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:11,160 Speaker 1: and mixed emotions. But I do know that feeling because 1015 00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:15,239 Speaker 1: that year I had it. And then the reason I 1016 00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:17,080 Speaker 1: didn't come back and play was I got a full 1017 00:45:17,120 --> 00:45:20,279 Speaker 1: time offer ESPN, and I couldn't even get myself to 1018 00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:24,360 Speaker 1: play pick up ball, you know, for like almost a 1019 00:45:24,520 --> 00:45:27,840 Speaker 1: year because I just had this one. I had my 1020 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:31,000 Speaker 1: shooting mental block thing was really was had gotten better, 1021 00:45:31,719 --> 00:45:34,319 Speaker 1: but it just it really bothered me sometimes to play 1022 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:38,279 Speaker 1: basketball with people, um and then two it just wasn't 1023 00:45:38,360 --> 00:45:41,279 Speaker 1: the same. I just didn't I love it because it 1024 00:45:41,320 --> 00:45:45,000 Speaker 1: didn't mean anything everything, Like I like basketball that means something, 1025 00:45:45,280 --> 00:45:46,839 Speaker 1: even if you go play the park, like I want 1026 00:45:46,840 --> 00:45:48,520 Speaker 1: to stay on the court or I want to play 1027 00:45:48,560 --> 00:45:50,160 Speaker 1: with a friend and I want to I wanted to 1028 00:45:50,200 --> 00:45:52,239 Speaker 1: mean something, Like it got to a point where didn't 1029 00:45:52,239 --> 00:45:54,719 Speaker 1: mean anything. Yeah, I didn't touch a ball for a 1030 00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:56,719 Speaker 1: year after I retired, and it was you know, I'd 1031 00:45:56,760 --> 00:45:59,160 Speaker 1: say a similar thing like I needed a break, needed 1032 00:45:59,200 --> 00:46:02,120 Speaker 1: to kind of like be impressed, and like basketball is 1033 00:46:02,120 --> 00:46:04,200 Speaker 1: such an accessible sport, right like you watch it, you 1034 00:46:04,680 --> 00:46:06,480 Speaker 1: roote for it, but you know, like if you haven't 1035 00:46:06,560 --> 00:46:10,200 Speaker 1: lived it, it's hard to really understand like the pressure 1036 00:46:10,600 --> 00:46:13,480 Speaker 1: that how much it means, like and how much you 1037 00:46:13,600 --> 00:46:15,239 Speaker 1: have to put into it to get to some of 1038 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:17,840 Speaker 1: those levels. Uh, you know, sort of like you and 1039 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:19,560 Speaker 1: I like, yeah, we had some ability, but it's not 1040 00:46:19,640 --> 00:46:21,120 Speaker 1: like you can just walk on the floor at any 1041 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:23,160 Speaker 1: time and dominated, right, So you have to really devote 1042 00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:25,040 Speaker 1: your life to get into the level you want to 1043 00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:28,000 Speaker 1: get to. And uh, it's it's just it's an amazing journey, 1044 00:46:28,080 --> 00:46:30,560 Speaker 1: but it it is taxing. So you get back and 1045 00:46:30,680 --> 00:46:32,719 Speaker 1: when did you decide to go to business school? So 1046 00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:35,320 Speaker 1: my last year playing, I knew that, like, okay, I 1047 00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:37,160 Speaker 1: want to because you know, I had done well academically 1048 00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:38,960 Speaker 1: at Stanford. I was really I like to learn, and 1049 00:46:38,960 --> 00:46:40,279 Speaker 1: I was like, I want to go back to school. 1050 00:46:40,320 --> 00:46:42,440 Speaker 1: So I was studying for the test, and I joke 1051 00:46:42,520 --> 00:46:44,640 Speaker 1: with people like I, you know, I I focused a 1052 00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:46,439 Speaker 1: lot on that and it probably showed on the court, 1053 00:46:46,480 --> 00:46:48,399 Speaker 1: but also on the test. I did really well there, 1054 00:46:48,480 --> 00:46:51,560 Speaker 1: but like, yeah, you know, so I I took a 1055 00:46:51,719 --> 00:46:54,239 Speaker 1: year and I worked at the NBA for my first 1056 00:46:54,320 --> 00:46:57,399 Speaker 1: kind of job post post basketball, which is also weird 1057 00:46:57,520 --> 00:46:59,920 Speaker 1: because then I'm like i'd be like sitting at a 1058 00:47:00,160 --> 00:47:02,480 Speaker 1: desk at noon and I'm like I text my friend 1059 00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:04,520 Speaker 1: like dude, I'm just like sitting here. Like they're like, 1060 00:47:04,719 --> 00:47:06,400 Speaker 1: this is what I do now, Like you get used 1061 00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:08,080 Speaker 1: to it now, I said, that's what you do. But 1062 00:47:08,200 --> 00:47:11,120 Speaker 1: like there's that transition when you're used to just like yeah, 1063 00:47:11,200 --> 00:47:13,120 Speaker 1: lifting and practice and resting. And I was like, oh, 1064 00:47:13,200 --> 00:47:15,360 Speaker 1: I I said at the desk. But uh, you know, 1065 00:47:15,440 --> 00:47:17,480 Speaker 1: so I have a I have a friend. His name 1066 00:47:17,520 --> 00:47:20,960 Speaker 1: is Gabe Frank. He's a doctor, uh in North Carolina. 1067 00:47:21,080 --> 00:47:23,000 Speaker 1: But he also played the copy games team with us 1068 00:47:23,160 --> 00:47:29,000 Speaker 1: in oh One. Anyway, he went from playing in the CBA, 1069 00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:31,840 Speaker 1: he went to Wisconsin Stevens Point to being in medical 1070 00:47:31,920 --> 00:47:35,680 Speaker 1: school and he would he was like his first year, 1071 00:47:35,680 --> 00:47:37,680 Speaker 1: he almost I think he almost flunked out and he 1072 00:47:37,800 --> 00:47:39,880 Speaker 1: really struggled. And it wasn't because he wasn't smart, but 1073 00:47:39,960 --> 00:47:42,439 Speaker 1: he was just so used to the basketball lifestyle, which 1074 00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:45,600 Speaker 1: basketball lifestyle is. We all think we worked hard, but 1075 00:47:45,640 --> 00:47:47,880 Speaker 1: there's you can only be in the gym so long, right, Like, 1076 00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:50,800 Speaker 1: so I spent all days. I'm like, he didn't you 1077 00:47:50,880 --> 00:47:53,800 Speaker 1: went there if you went hard, you know, you lifted 1078 00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:55,640 Speaker 1: hard for forty five and you went hard in the 1079 00:47:55,719 --> 00:47:57,640 Speaker 1: gym for an hour and then he came out, he 1080 00:47:57,680 --> 00:47:59,359 Speaker 1: got some eat and then he came up and take 1081 00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:02,160 Speaker 1: an app. Yeah, and then young you play video games 1082 00:48:02,160 --> 00:48:04,480 Speaker 1: all day and then you called some friends and then 1083 00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:06,719 Speaker 1: you had practice at night. Right, So he was like 1084 00:48:06,880 --> 00:48:10,360 Speaker 1: used to that lifestyle. Now he's now he's in medical school. 1085 00:48:10,560 --> 00:48:12,880 Speaker 1: Like yo, doue. We don't like take a nap in 1086 00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:15,520 Speaker 1: the middle of the day. We don't play video games 1087 00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:17,720 Speaker 1: in the middle of the day, like you gotta study 1088 00:48:17,960 --> 00:48:20,239 Speaker 1: all the time. And then residents, he was really hard 1089 00:48:20,320 --> 00:48:23,400 Speaker 1: for him. It's it's like, as athletes, you do have 1090 00:48:23,480 --> 00:48:26,040 Speaker 1: to work hard, but it's just a different patient pattern 1091 00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:29,120 Speaker 1: than how my friends I we call him civilians and 1092 00:48:29,200 --> 00:48:32,040 Speaker 1: how civilians live, so true man, and like, so there 1093 00:48:32,080 --> 00:48:33,840 Speaker 1: was that adjustment for me the first year, you know, 1094 00:48:33,840 --> 00:48:36,600 Speaker 1: applying to business schools got into Standard, which was awesome, 1095 00:48:37,040 --> 00:48:38,839 Speaker 1: such a great program, and like I at the time, 1096 00:48:38,920 --> 00:48:40,719 Speaker 1: my life there, like it was a great kind of 1097 00:48:40,760 --> 00:48:43,719 Speaker 1: accelerator for me, and just you know because again, like 1098 00:48:43,800 --> 00:48:47,440 Speaker 1: you go through this very intense athletic pursuit, but you 1099 00:48:47,560 --> 00:48:48,880 Speaker 1: have your your whole life in front of you. And 1100 00:48:48,960 --> 00:48:50,560 Speaker 1: I was also lucky because I had a great example 1101 00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:52,960 Speaker 1: my dad, Like he had an awesome career and he 1102 00:48:53,000 --> 00:48:54,960 Speaker 1: was a legend in all these ways. And thirty one 1103 00:48:55,040 --> 00:48:57,799 Speaker 1: years old, he was done playing thirty one, right, it's 1104 00:48:57,880 --> 00:48:59,359 Speaker 1: you're still a young man. And so but I saw 1105 00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:02,160 Speaker 1: like his career after that, you know, after playing, you know, 1106 00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:04,480 Speaker 1: it was it was bigger than his playing career, right, 1107 00:49:04,520 --> 00:49:06,640 Speaker 1: and so like I had that great example like you 1108 00:49:06,760 --> 00:49:09,000 Speaker 1: need to build after you're done, and so, you know, 1109 00:49:09,239 --> 00:49:11,600 Speaker 1: I love love my experience at Business School and I 1110 00:49:11,920 --> 00:49:14,719 Speaker 1: definitely recommended for for players who have the kind of 1111 00:49:14,760 --> 00:49:17,160 Speaker 1: the desire to do because I think it's an awesome experience. 1112 00:49:17,160 --> 00:49:19,040 Speaker 1: Will learn not only like about the business world, will 1113 00:49:19,080 --> 00:49:22,359 Speaker 1: learn about yourself plus the people who are around you, right, 1114 00:49:22,480 --> 00:49:25,960 Speaker 1: Like I'm sure Stanford Business School there are probably some 1115 00:49:26,440 --> 00:49:31,200 Speaker 1: pretty successful people that that go through those halls. Amazing. Yeah, 1116 00:49:31,239 --> 00:49:34,359 Speaker 1: it's like and just like amazing friends and like push 1117 00:49:34,440 --> 00:49:36,840 Speaker 1: you and challenge you. But like, yeah, like the network, 1118 00:49:36,960 --> 00:49:39,040 Speaker 1: right that the Stanford Business School network before and after 1119 00:49:39,239 --> 00:49:42,359 Speaker 1: is really powerful and in your personal relationships. And uh, 1120 00:49:42,560 --> 00:49:44,279 Speaker 1: I wouldn't trade it for the world. Man, why do 1121 00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:46,720 Speaker 1: you why do you think this is a question? Okay, 1122 00:49:46,800 --> 00:49:51,640 Speaker 1: so it's real conversation I had. So, Um, I'm a 1123 00:49:51,719 --> 00:49:54,080 Speaker 1: big believer in the value of the network. Right, But 1124 00:49:54,239 --> 00:49:56,840 Speaker 1: that's that's the real reason you're going to college. You 1125 00:49:56,840 --> 00:49:59,319 Speaker 1: don't go to college is anything you'll learn. I learned 1126 00:49:59,320 --> 00:50:01,800 Speaker 1: a lot in local and state marketing. I learned a 1127 00:50:01,880 --> 00:50:05,480 Speaker 1: lot at Notre Dame. Just it was kind of like Stanford, 1128 00:50:05,520 --> 00:50:07,920 Speaker 1: where the level of intelligence of everybody there and the 1129 00:50:08,040 --> 00:50:11,399 Speaker 1: ideas who was really profound, which is above any sort 1130 00:50:11,440 --> 00:50:13,120 Speaker 1: of level of what I'm I was used to. And 1131 00:50:13,160 --> 00:50:15,719 Speaker 1: so what I told those guys is like, look, uh, 1132 00:50:15,960 --> 00:50:18,040 Speaker 1: Oklahoma State basketball. Now it's kind of become a little 1133 00:50:18,040 --> 00:50:20,200 Speaker 1: bit of dysfunctional family because we've had a bunch of 1134 00:50:20,239 --> 00:50:24,640 Speaker 1: different head coaches, and some of the head coaches weren't 1135 00:50:25,160 --> 00:50:27,960 Speaker 1: weren't about the basketball family. They were just about their 1136 00:50:28,120 --> 00:50:31,000 Speaker 1: basketball team. When we were there, it was all about 1137 00:50:31,160 --> 00:50:33,880 Speaker 1: the family, right And to this day, if I need something, 1138 00:50:34,280 --> 00:50:36,440 Speaker 1: those are the guys I talked to. Those are the 1139 00:50:36,480 --> 00:50:39,120 Speaker 1: guys I call on. Those are the guys I depend upon. 1140 00:50:39,640 --> 00:50:41,600 Speaker 1: And so I said, look, let's let's fix that. Do 1141 00:50:41,680 --> 00:50:44,759 Speaker 1: you guys need anything, you call me. Um. I know 1142 00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:47,799 Speaker 1: Stanford's like that where you guys are super super close. 1143 00:50:47,880 --> 00:50:50,120 Speaker 1: I think a lot of schools are like that. But 1144 00:50:50,280 --> 00:50:53,200 Speaker 1: why do you think that in I just feel like 1145 00:50:53,719 --> 00:50:56,920 Speaker 1: maybe the media we do a bad job of helping 1146 00:50:57,040 --> 00:51:00,439 Speaker 1: people understand what the real value to call just because 1147 00:51:00,480 --> 00:51:04,360 Speaker 1: we're we're in this mindset where the only thing that 1148 00:51:04,520 --> 00:51:09,600 Speaker 1: is a value is actual money, and I don't I 1149 00:51:10,000 --> 00:51:12,680 Speaker 1: don't think that's the case. Don't get me wrong. You know, 1150 00:51:12,840 --> 00:51:15,799 Speaker 1: some guys come from tough means. A little money does help, 1151 00:51:16,400 --> 00:51:19,520 Speaker 1: absolutely helps. And the money you make is a professional 1152 00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:22,040 Speaker 1: athlete should help you in that next life. But that 1153 00:51:22,200 --> 00:51:24,480 Speaker 1: next life is all about who you're gonna pick up 1154 00:51:24,480 --> 00:51:26,960 Speaker 1: the phone and call when you want to start your life, right, 1155 00:51:27,600 --> 00:51:32,800 Speaker 1: And I just I wonder why society, in society, we 1156 00:51:32,960 --> 00:51:35,520 Speaker 1: don't understand the true value of who you know and 1157 00:51:35,640 --> 00:51:38,600 Speaker 1: who you meet during your time in college. Yeah, I 1158 00:51:38,640 --> 00:51:41,279 Speaker 1: mean it's listen. I mean I think everyone's different, right, 1159 00:51:41,320 --> 00:51:43,200 Speaker 1: and like college is not for everyone, which is of 1160 00:51:43,320 --> 00:51:46,360 Speaker 1: course fair and cool and and everyone should just do 1161 00:51:46,640 --> 00:51:49,920 Speaker 1: what what is comfortable for them. Like for me, I 1162 00:51:50,120 --> 00:51:53,200 Speaker 1: really appreciate the opportunity in college to like to meet 1163 00:51:53,239 --> 00:51:55,800 Speaker 1: different types of people, you know, and that was so 1164 00:51:56,320 --> 00:51:58,040 Speaker 1: that that just brought into your horizons a lot. And 1165 00:51:58,080 --> 00:51:59,600 Speaker 1: Standard is a really cool place because it is such 1166 00:51:59,640 --> 00:52:02,920 Speaker 1: a diverse student population. But like that's really stuff that 1167 00:52:03,040 --> 00:52:05,640 Speaker 1: I'll take with me forever, just like meeting friends from 1168 00:52:05,640 --> 00:52:07,920 Speaker 1: different parts of the world with different interests, you know. 1169 00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:10,560 Speaker 1: I wasn't. I wasn't just hanging out with basketball players, 1170 00:52:10,560 --> 00:52:12,399 Speaker 1: although I did a lot of that, right, But even 1171 00:52:12,480 --> 00:52:15,040 Speaker 1: my teammates are from all difference, uh parts of the world. 1172 00:52:15,120 --> 00:52:17,440 Speaker 1: So yeah, I think that, like, the college has a 1173 00:52:17,560 --> 00:52:20,200 Speaker 1: ton to offer. I think it's important to talk about it, 1174 00:52:20,280 --> 00:52:22,160 Speaker 1: you know, in the classroom. Out of the classroom, you 1175 00:52:22,200 --> 00:52:24,880 Speaker 1: can grow a lot. But for those who like aren't 1176 00:52:24,880 --> 00:52:27,920 Speaker 1: academically inclined or who aren't interested in college, I think 1177 00:52:27,960 --> 00:52:30,719 Speaker 1: I don't think it's the only path either. Yeah, it's 1178 00:52:30,840 --> 00:52:32,560 Speaker 1: it's I don't know, it's gonna be interesting see how 1179 00:52:32,600 --> 00:52:38,000 Speaker 1: it evolves with so many different options for for players, Um, 1180 00:52:38,840 --> 00:52:40,719 Speaker 1: what what it looks like five years from now? What 1181 00:52:40,880 --> 00:52:43,560 Speaker 1: looks like ten years from now? Whereas I think kind 1182 00:52:43,600 --> 00:52:46,440 Speaker 1: of growing up for me and you, it was all 1183 00:52:46,440 --> 00:52:48,759 Speaker 1: I ever dream about was playing in college, right, Yeah, 1184 00:52:48,920 --> 00:52:50,600 Speaker 1: that's all I ever dreamed about. And I talked about 1185 00:52:50,640 --> 00:52:52,040 Speaker 1: it with a lot of people, and I did a 1186 00:52:52,120 --> 00:52:55,360 Speaker 1: podcast in Maurice Clarette and he was like, look, I 1187 00:52:55,400 --> 00:52:58,319 Speaker 1: grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, and when I grew up, 1188 00:52:58,640 --> 00:53:01,920 Speaker 1: all anybody cared about was playing in college, right, And 1189 00:53:02,040 --> 00:53:05,480 Speaker 1: it does feel like that has evolved in change. Whereas 1190 00:53:05,560 --> 00:53:07,680 Speaker 1: college too many people. And I think it's how we 1191 00:53:08,160 --> 00:53:10,080 Speaker 1: It's like it's not really a way station. It's a 1192 00:53:10,320 --> 00:53:12,799 Speaker 1: place you stopped and then maybe you go to another 1193 00:53:12,880 --> 00:53:16,520 Speaker 1: destination afterwards. But you stop, you unpacked, you grow, you evolved, 1194 00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:20,879 Speaker 1: and I feel like we diminished that. Um okay, when 1195 00:53:20,960 --> 00:53:23,719 Speaker 1: did you decide I want to write a book? So 1196 00:53:23,800 --> 00:53:25,239 Speaker 1: I've done a lot of writing over the course of 1197 00:53:25,280 --> 00:53:27,440 Speaker 1: my life. When I was playing professionally, I had contributing 1198 00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:31,120 Speaker 1: writing positions to several websites, and I had some you know, 1199 00:53:31,200 --> 00:53:33,200 Speaker 1: success with my writing. I just love it, man, even 1200 00:53:33,200 --> 00:53:34,759 Speaker 1: as a kid, like my mom and dad will tell you, 1201 00:53:34,800 --> 00:53:36,440 Speaker 1: like everyone knew me as like a basketball player, but 1202 00:53:36,480 --> 00:53:38,920 Speaker 1: I'd come home and just like rite stories like and 1203 00:53:39,000 --> 00:53:40,920 Speaker 1: even when I was writing when I was playing, like 1204 00:53:41,400 --> 00:53:43,200 Speaker 1: people weren't paying me. I just loved it, man. So 1205 00:53:43,239 --> 00:53:46,080 Speaker 1: I was writing articles and things like that. And I 1206 00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:48,680 Speaker 1: always knew that there was like a white whale project 1207 00:53:48,760 --> 00:53:51,440 Speaker 1: for me, which was this book. And so um so, 1208 00:53:51,600 --> 00:53:54,040 Speaker 1: my dad is the only player in NBA historyes parents 1209 00:53:54,040 --> 00:53:56,680 Speaker 1: survived the Holocaust, and so my grandparents were Holocaust survivors. 1210 00:53:56,719 --> 00:53:59,000 Speaker 1: Have a very very big story. You know, my grandmother 1211 00:53:59,440 --> 00:54:02,560 Speaker 1: was saved. I by Swedish diplomat Robul Wallenberg, who's like 1212 00:54:02,640 --> 00:54:04,920 Speaker 1: one of the greatest heroes of the Holocaust. Um, my 1213 00:54:05,080 --> 00:54:07,040 Speaker 1: grandma lives here in the Bay Area, came to every 1214 00:54:07,080 --> 00:54:10,040 Speaker 1: home game I played at Stanford, so like we're extraordinarily close. 1215 00:54:10,120 --> 00:54:11,719 Speaker 1: And you know what I was talking before about, like 1216 00:54:12,400 --> 00:54:14,200 Speaker 1: why I cried when my career ended, what it all 1217 00:54:14,239 --> 00:54:16,279 Speaker 1: meant to me, Like basketball is a miracle for my 1218 00:54:16,360 --> 00:54:19,120 Speaker 1: family because my dad came to the United States nine 1219 00:54:19,200 --> 00:54:23,320 Speaker 1: years old, having never never touched a basketball, didn't speak English, 1220 00:54:23,600 --> 00:54:25,680 Speaker 1: really grow up in the shadows of the Holocaust, and 1221 00:54:26,320 --> 00:54:28,400 Speaker 1: his brother passed away right when they got to America, 1222 00:54:28,560 --> 00:54:31,000 Speaker 1: like really really tough background, and he went to the 1223 00:54:31,040 --> 00:54:33,040 Speaker 1: park to play hoops and make friends and learn English. 1224 00:54:33,080 --> 00:54:35,200 Speaker 1: And like, you know, ten years later, standing on the 1225 00:54:35,239 --> 00:54:37,480 Speaker 1: podium as an Olympic gold medalist for the United States, 1226 00:54:37,520 --> 00:54:39,600 Speaker 1: you know, shows you what basketball can do. So for 1227 00:54:39,760 --> 00:54:43,000 Speaker 1: my family, man, like I live this life of like man, 1228 00:54:43,120 --> 00:54:46,160 Speaker 1: basketball is such a profound impact on us. And so, 1229 00:54:46,680 --> 00:54:48,439 Speaker 1: and since I love to write, and since the story 1230 00:54:48,520 --> 00:54:49,880 Speaker 1: means so much to me, I was like, one day 1231 00:54:49,920 --> 00:54:51,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do it. And so when I was in 1232 00:54:51,520 --> 00:54:53,360 Speaker 1: business school, since I had a little bit of space 1233 00:54:53,400 --> 00:54:56,000 Speaker 1: after my career to like think about things and really 1234 00:54:56,080 --> 00:54:58,080 Speaker 1: like looking to myself and inside of me and be like, 1235 00:54:58,160 --> 00:55:00,480 Speaker 1: what do you want to do? And uh, I said, listen, 1236 00:55:01,280 --> 00:55:02,680 Speaker 1: I want to do this. This is probably the most 1237 00:55:02,719 --> 00:55:04,480 Speaker 1: important thing I'll ever do, just because it's my it's 1238 00:55:04,480 --> 00:55:07,400 Speaker 1: our history, and it's an important story. But and I 1239 00:55:07,480 --> 00:55:09,560 Speaker 1: said this, like, if you're gonna do it, you need 1240 00:55:09,600 --> 00:55:12,040 Speaker 1: to approach it like you approached hoops, like for basketball. 1241 00:55:12,080 --> 00:55:14,399 Speaker 1: I got up at in the morning, I'd eat, i'd 1242 00:55:14,440 --> 00:55:16,600 Speaker 1: go to sleep, I'd work out when I got up. 1243 00:55:16,920 --> 00:55:18,560 Speaker 1: You know. It was all disciplined. And so I was like, 1244 00:55:18,800 --> 00:55:20,239 Speaker 1: if I'm gonna write this, I have to write it. 1245 00:55:20,320 --> 00:55:22,080 Speaker 1: So I'd get up at six am every morning for 1246 00:55:22,200 --> 00:55:24,920 Speaker 1: eight months, um and write the thing. And so you 1247 00:55:24,960 --> 00:55:27,040 Speaker 1: know that was after a year and a half of research. 1248 00:55:27,280 --> 00:55:29,839 Speaker 1: So it really is uh, you know, it just came 1249 00:55:29,880 --> 00:55:31,640 Speaker 1: in time. I was like, this means the world to me. 1250 00:55:31,719 --> 00:55:33,759 Speaker 1: I want to I wanna get it out there. But 1251 00:55:33,840 --> 00:55:35,719 Speaker 1: to do it, you, just like anything else, you have 1252 00:55:35,760 --> 00:55:38,480 Speaker 1: to put your mind to it and be disciplined. Um. 1253 00:55:39,040 --> 00:55:42,840 Speaker 1: Did you sell it first and you know, with like 1254 00:55:42,920 --> 00:55:45,200 Speaker 1: a rough outline of what it was like or did 1255 00:55:45,320 --> 00:55:48,760 Speaker 1: you write it and then shop it? It's a great question. 1256 00:55:48,880 --> 00:55:50,919 Speaker 1: And so I knew very little about like the book 1257 00:55:51,000 --> 00:55:53,279 Speaker 1: business before I started writing it. And how you would 1258 00:55:53,360 --> 00:55:55,719 Speaker 1: usually do a project like this is you like you 1259 00:55:55,800 --> 00:55:57,839 Speaker 1: have an idea, right, and like there's also a lot 1260 00:55:57,920 --> 00:56:00,200 Speaker 1: of like really big stories about my fan only like 1261 00:56:00,239 --> 00:56:03,319 Speaker 1: how they got to American fleeing communism and all these things, 1262 00:56:03,400 --> 00:56:05,040 Speaker 1: and also my career and how it's kind of like 1263 00:56:05,080 --> 00:56:07,600 Speaker 1: all intertwined because I grew up privileged, right, And we 1264 00:56:07,680 --> 00:56:11,359 Speaker 1: talked about that, like with opportunities my answers couldn't have imagined, right, So, um, 1265 00:56:11,800 --> 00:56:13,480 Speaker 1: so I knew that there was a big story here. 1266 00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:15,239 Speaker 1: So usually what I would do is I put an 1267 00:56:15,320 --> 00:56:17,439 Speaker 1: I put an outline together. I'd write a sample chapter 1268 00:56:17,560 --> 00:56:20,319 Speaker 1: of marketing plan, then find an agent. Then the agent 1269 00:56:20,400 --> 00:56:22,799 Speaker 1: would sell that idea. Then you would write the book 1270 00:56:22,840 --> 00:56:26,320 Speaker 1: around that idea. I did it backwards, and I that 1271 00:56:26,480 --> 00:56:28,239 Speaker 1: was Some professors at Stanford kind of mentored me a 1272 00:56:28,280 --> 00:56:29,800 Speaker 1: little bit through this, and one of them in particular 1273 00:56:29,840 --> 00:56:31,560 Speaker 1: said they were like, you know what this means the 1274 00:56:31,600 --> 00:56:35,360 Speaker 1: world to you? You've written a lot write it like 1275 00:56:35,560 --> 00:56:37,480 Speaker 1: because I think this person kind of sense like this 1276 00:56:37,640 --> 00:56:39,040 Speaker 1: is like really in my heart and it needs to 1277 00:56:39,080 --> 00:56:41,560 Speaker 1: be said. They're like, you don't you want to write it? 1278 00:56:41,840 --> 00:56:43,640 Speaker 1: So like I just put my head down, man, and 1279 00:56:43,760 --> 00:56:46,279 Speaker 1: just wrote it. And then after I did that, I 1280 00:56:46,360 --> 00:56:48,480 Speaker 1: got an agent. Then I built a proposal based off 1281 00:56:48,520 --> 00:56:51,200 Speaker 1: the book that already existed. Then we kind of publish 1282 00:56:51,280 --> 00:56:54,879 Speaker 1: it for it. Um did your wife edited? Like who 1283 00:56:55,680 --> 00:56:57,960 Speaker 1: read it and gave me the first like legit feedback. 1284 00:56:58,600 --> 00:57:01,000 Speaker 1: So my wife has a mass There was some communications 1285 00:57:01,040 --> 00:57:03,279 Speaker 1: and she worked as a copy editor, so she's like 1286 00:57:03,640 --> 00:57:06,440 Speaker 1: she she helps me with all my stuff. She's amazing, amazing. 1287 00:57:06,520 --> 00:57:10,279 Speaker 1: So honestly, they'll Doug like, my, my, you won't believe this. Man. 1288 00:57:10,400 --> 00:57:12,680 Speaker 1: My parents didn't know I was working on this for 1289 00:57:12,760 --> 00:57:16,120 Speaker 1: the first three and a half years because when you 1290 00:57:16,160 --> 00:57:17,360 Speaker 1: when you talked to it was like what do you 1291 00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:19,439 Speaker 1: what are you doing? Dan? What are you doing time? 1292 00:57:19,680 --> 00:57:23,840 Speaker 1: I mean, like I listen to a book, I would 1293 00:57:23,960 --> 00:57:25,040 Speaker 1: you know once in a while, I was like, you know, 1294 00:57:25,040 --> 00:57:26,800 Speaker 1: I'm working on a few things. But and I also 1295 00:57:26,920 --> 00:57:28,960 Speaker 1: interviewed my dad's like a year but I told him 1296 00:57:28,960 --> 00:57:30,680 Speaker 1: I was like, listen, I'm gonna I'm gonna work on things, 1297 00:57:30,720 --> 00:57:32,360 Speaker 1: and I just want to know all these things but 1298 00:57:32,480 --> 00:57:36,280 Speaker 1: like for me personally, it's it's it's so deep and 1299 00:57:36,400 --> 00:57:38,280 Speaker 1: meaningful that like I had to just kind of like 1300 00:57:38,880 --> 00:57:41,720 Speaker 1: go into my own world with it, and and so 1301 00:57:42,000 --> 00:57:44,120 Speaker 1: but when it was finally ready, when there was something 1302 00:57:44,160 --> 00:57:45,760 Speaker 1: to be seen, it was you know, my wife of 1303 00:57:45,880 --> 00:57:47,800 Speaker 1: course read the first one and we we went back 1304 00:57:47,840 --> 00:57:50,120 Speaker 1: and forth, and it's been dude, I've been working on 1305 00:57:50,200 --> 00:57:52,440 Speaker 1: for five plus years at this point, Like it's, uh, 1306 00:57:52,720 --> 00:57:54,480 Speaker 1: you know, a book is like a labor of love 1307 00:57:54,560 --> 00:57:56,480 Speaker 1: in every way, particularly one like this man, where the 1308 00:57:56,560 --> 00:57:58,920 Speaker 1: story is big and and not only is a big 1309 00:57:59,000 --> 00:58:01,640 Speaker 1: for me personally, but for me there's always felt universal, 1310 00:58:01,760 --> 00:58:06,840 Speaker 1: right because the themes are survival, perseverance, family legacy, sports 1311 00:58:06,880 --> 00:58:08,720 Speaker 1: is a way to build bridges. And I always just 1312 00:58:08,800 --> 00:58:11,000 Speaker 1: had this sense like, man, this matters to the world, right, 1313 00:58:11,080 --> 00:58:13,640 Speaker 1: Like these type not not just this story, but these 1314 00:58:13,720 --> 00:58:16,120 Speaker 1: types of stories. Right, this is just one of many 1315 00:58:16,160 --> 00:58:18,160 Speaker 1: stories that matter in this way. So I was like, 1316 00:58:18,400 --> 00:58:20,760 Speaker 1: I just want to tell it because I think, you know, 1317 00:58:21,000 --> 00:58:23,320 Speaker 1: there's a lot of there's a lot of really hard things, 1318 00:58:23,360 --> 00:58:24,960 Speaker 1: you know, when you're talking about when I'm talking about 1319 00:58:24,960 --> 00:58:26,960 Speaker 1: what happened to my great grandparents and Auschwitz where they 1320 00:58:27,000 --> 00:58:29,640 Speaker 1: were murdered really really difficult things like my dad never 1321 00:58:29,720 --> 00:58:32,440 Speaker 1: had grandparents. All of his grandparents were killed in Auschwitz, 1322 00:58:32,520 --> 00:58:35,000 Speaker 1: you know. But at the same time, the story is 1323 00:58:35,040 --> 00:58:38,720 Speaker 1: hopeful because my dad, you know, played in the NBA 1324 00:58:38,760 --> 00:58:40,880 Speaker 1: and as Olympic gold medalist, was a long time you know, 1325 00:58:41,000 --> 00:58:43,280 Speaker 1: executive in the NBA. Like it kind of is like 1326 00:58:43,320 --> 00:58:46,800 Speaker 1: a dreams can come true situation and and certainly the 1327 00:58:46,880 --> 00:58:49,800 Speaker 1: American dream you know. So man just just such a 1328 00:58:49,880 --> 00:58:53,080 Speaker 1: like a personal personal pursuit to tell that story. Um. 1329 00:58:56,000 --> 00:58:58,600 Speaker 1: I also find that this, this story now I needed 1330 00:58:58,600 --> 00:59:00,520 Speaker 1: to be told. But there's a lot lot of people 1331 00:59:00,560 --> 00:59:06,160 Speaker 1: who need to understand it, right because there's so many 1332 00:59:08,160 --> 00:59:11,320 Speaker 1: like as time goes, not enough people know the story, right, 1333 00:59:11,360 --> 00:59:14,800 Speaker 1: They just don't they you say Holocaust, and it doesn't 1334 00:59:14,920 --> 00:59:21,440 Speaker 1: really when you say like six million Jews, ten million people, 1335 00:59:21,720 --> 00:59:24,720 Speaker 1: Now it's gonna be like really and it's so hard 1336 00:59:24,840 --> 00:59:29,200 Speaker 1: to fathom, right, because of all the different struggles we 1337 00:59:29,320 --> 00:59:33,720 Speaker 1: go through, right, Like you can't even imagine in your 1338 00:59:33,800 --> 00:59:38,800 Speaker 1: mind the atrocities that were committed less than a century ago, 1339 00:59:38,960 --> 00:59:41,600 Speaker 1: records of a century ago, right, so it needs to 1340 00:59:41,680 --> 00:59:45,400 Speaker 1: be told. Well, what is the feeling like when you know, 1341 00:59:45,760 --> 00:59:50,640 Speaker 1: like Myers Leonard saying saying, Kike right, and other people 1342 00:59:51,240 --> 00:59:57,160 Speaker 1: you know, using um not really understanding what they're talking about. 1343 00:59:57,280 --> 00:59:59,240 Speaker 1: Like what is that like for you who not only 1344 00:59:59,600 --> 01:00:02,240 Speaker 1: has a family who's survived, but you've also researched it, 1345 01:00:02,480 --> 01:00:05,200 Speaker 1: and when you research it, it becomes even more tangible, 1346 01:00:05,720 --> 01:00:10,360 Speaker 1: more real to you. Yeah, yeah, I mean, listen, it's 1347 01:00:10,520 --> 01:00:13,560 Speaker 1: it's upsetting, like anti Semitism and and really injustice in 1348 01:00:13,640 --> 01:00:17,000 Speaker 1: any form is upsetting. And for me for to not 1349 01:00:17,160 --> 01:00:19,160 Speaker 1: understand kind of what happened and what's at stake when 1350 01:00:19,200 --> 01:00:21,720 Speaker 1: there's injustice, right, and I know that we all not 1351 01:00:21,880 --> 01:00:24,400 Speaker 1: all too well right, and to your point, it wasn't 1352 01:00:24,480 --> 01:00:26,280 Speaker 1: that long ago like that, when we get when we're 1353 01:00:26,320 --> 01:00:28,640 Speaker 1: done here, I will call my grandma because I call 1354 01:00:28,680 --> 01:00:30,600 Speaker 1: her every night, and we're gonna just talk and she's 1355 01:00:30,640 --> 01:00:34,440 Speaker 1: gonna face time with my with her great grandson. She's man, 1356 01:00:35,200 --> 01:00:37,920 Speaker 1: she was there right, like she was there. Like it's 1357 01:00:38,040 --> 01:00:40,880 Speaker 1: like you can say, like her parents were killed, five 1358 01:00:40,920 --> 01:00:43,560 Speaker 1: of her siblings were murdered, like those are just words, 1359 01:00:43,640 --> 01:00:45,800 Speaker 1: but that happened to her, right, and so like that, 1360 01:00:46,000 --> 01:00:48,240 Speaker 1: that's that's where someone I love, one of the people 1361 01:00:48,240 --> 01:00:49,800 Speaker 1: I love the most in the world she went, she 1362 01:00:49,880 --> 01:00:52,120 Speaker 1: went through that, right, So like, yeah, it hurts me 1363 01:00:52,200 --> 01:00:55,560 Speaker 1: when I see that like anti Semitism and also it 1364 01:00:55,760 --> 01:00:58,400 Speaker 1: not being kind of you know, taken as seriously as 1365 01:00:58,480 --> 01:00:59,880 Speaker 1: it is. And again that goes for all forms and 1366 01:01:00,000 --> 01:01:02,600 Speaker 1: elsin And I think I was always raised like stand 1367 01:01:02,680 --> 01:01:04,720 Speaker 1: up when things are wrong because you know what's at stake, 1368 01:01:04,800 --> 01:01:07,120 Speaker 1: and like it could be you know, whether it's whether 1369 01:01:07,120 --> 01:01:09,520 Speaker 1: it's Jews or you know other groups were being like 1370 01:01:09,640 --> 01:01:13,200 Speaker 1: persecutor discriminated against. There's just no place for it. And yeah, 1371 01:01:13,280 --> 01:01:16,320 Speaker 1: it's super personal for me, man, It's super personal. Okay, 1372 01:01:16,400 --> 01:01:19,000 Speaker 1: So so I know social justice is a huge part 1373 01:01:19,040 --> 01:01:22,320 Speaker 1: of who you are, um, but you'll have people that 1374 01:01:22,400 --> 01:01:26,280 Speaker 1: will say, you know, there's like look, Dan, white privilege. 1375 01:01:26,320 --> 01:01:28,640 Speaker 1: That's how you were able to Your dad was a 1376 01:01:28,720 --> 01:01:31,680 Speaker 1: gentle manager, you went to great schools, then you go 1377 01:01:31,800 --> 01:01:36,000 Speaker 1: to Stanford. And my pushback not being you would be like, 1378 01:01:36,240 --> 01:01:38,200 Speaker 1: hold on, dude, his dad got off the boat and 1379 01:01:38,280 --> 01:01:41,600 Speaker 1: everything he got he yearned for himself. And we're in 1380 01:01:41,680 --> 01:01:46,760 Speaker 1: a sport which is predominantly black, and every negative stereotype 1381 01:01:46,880 --> 01:01:49,320 Speaker 1: given is given to the white basketball player that you 1382 01:01:49,400 --> 01:01:52,760 Speaker 1: have to find a way to overcome. If I said 1383 01:01:52,840 --> 01:01:54,840 Speaker 1: to you, or somebody said to you, Dan, you're a 1384 01:01:54,960 --> 01:01:59,160 Speaker 1: product of white privilege. What would your response be? I 1385 01:01:59,200 --> 01:02:01,320 Speaker 1: would agree with at And I'll tell you why I am. 1386 01:02:01,440 --> 01:02:03,480 Speaker 1: I am, in no doubt I'm a product of privilege 1387 01:02:03,520 --> 01:02:05,040 Speaker 1: because I grew up in a privilege and fronement where 1388 01:02:05,080 --> 01:02:07,840 Speaker 1: I had opportunities and resources. But as a white man 1389 01:02:08,040 --> 01:02:10,920 Speaker 1: in America, I benefit from privilege. I think that's how 1390 01:02:10,960 --> 01:02:13,880 Speaker 1: our society is um and I think that's you know, 1391 01:02:14,040 --> 01:02:16,959 Speaker 1: that's fair to to acknowledge. And I'm and I'm happy 1392 01:02:16,960 --> 01:02:19,520 Speaker 1: to acknowledge that. Like, as a white man, you know, 1393 01:02:19,720 --> 01:02:23,960 Speaker 1: I have advantages unfairly that some of my black friends 1394 01:02:24,000 --> 01:02:26,800 Speaker 1: don't write. And I do think they're they're injustices in 1395 01:02:26,960 --> 01:02:30,800 Speaker 1: society that are important to call out. But that being said, 1396 01:02:30,840 --> 01:02:33,040 Speaker 1: like everyone everyone has their own journeys as well. So yeah, 1397 01:02:33,160 --> 01:02:35,880 Speaker 1: my dad is, But aren't those Aren't those My pushback 1398 01:02:35,920 --> 01:02:40,200 Speaker 1: would be, aren't those privileges? Heard? Right? Like you're going 1399 01:02:40,280 --> 01:02:42,720 Speaker 1: to Staford that's because you worked your ass off in 1400 01:02:42,840 --> 01:02:46,560 Speaker 1: both school and sports, like I I mean, I think 1401 01:02:46,560 --> 01:02:48,680 Speaker 1: I think there's athletic privilege. I don't think we're talking 1402 01:02:48,800 --> 01:02:52,440 Speaker 1: up about there's socio economic privilege, you know, And I 1403 01:02:52,560 --> 01:02:56,200 Speaker 1: don't know. If I don't, I don't know, I have 1404 01:02:56,240 --> 01:02:59,600 Speaker 1: a tough time. And just because I do understand that's 1405 01:02:59,760 --> 01:03:02,240 Speaker 1: that people come from different means. But you're describing to 1406 01:03:02,360 --> 01:03:06,600 Speaker 1: me a you know, family in disarray that comes to 1407 01:03:06,720 --> 01:03:11,800 Speaker 1: this country and uh and and earns everything they've had, 1408 01:03:12,040 --> 01:03:14,880 Speaker 1: and yet you're saying that you're somehow privileged for what 1409 01:03:15,040 --> 01:03:17,160 Speaker 1: So it's been earned previous to you. So so I 1410 01:03:17,440 --> 01:03:19,600 Speaker 1: I think, like, for instance, for me getting to Stanford, 1411 01:03:19,640 --> 01:03:22,240 Speaker 1: for my dad make it to the NBA, that wasn't privileged, right, 1412 01:03:22,240 --> 01:03:24,640 Speaker 1: because there are no gifts in basketball. That's hard work, right. 1413 01:03:24,840 --> 01:03:27,040 Speaker 1: But I just think in society, as a white male 1414 01:03:27,080 --> 01:03:31,160 Speaker 1: in society, you benefit from privilege just based off of 1415 01:03:31,280 --> 01:03:34,720 Speaker 1: that status because there are inequities in our society. I 1416 01:03:35,120 --> 01:03:37,800 Speaker 1: think that's the reality. But as a place like my 1417 01:03:37,920 --> 01:03:40,360 Speaker 1: success and my dad's success, it's all there's been no 1418 01:03:40,480 --> 01:03:43,080 Speaker 1: privilege at all because my like my dad earned what 1419 01:03:43,160 --> 01:03:45,040 Speaker 1: he what he got, and I earned what I got 1420 01:03:45,120 --> 01:03:47,080 Speaker 1: on the basketball winning the classroom. Right. So I got 1421 01:03:47,160 --> 01:03:48,680 Speaker 1: to Stanford because I worked my ass off and the 1422 01:03:48,680 --> 01:03:50,520 Speaker 1: classroom on the court, you know what I mean. And 1423 01:03:50,640 --> 01:03:54,760 Speaker 1: my dad game went from like this really really tough background, 1424 01:03:55,040 --> 01:03:58,600 Speaker 1: not speaking the language, like I mean, it's it's amazing. 1425 01:03:58,720 --> 01:04:01,880 Speaker 1: Like what he was, where he was able to get 1426 01:04:01,920 --> 01:04:04,600 Speaker 1: from where he started what is truly a miracle. And 1427 01:04:04,680 --> 01:04:06,960 Speaker 1: it was through hard work and perseverance and all these 1428 01:04:07,040 --> 01:04:10,120 Speaker 1: qualities that were inside of him. So like the success 1429 01:04:10,280 --> 01:04:12,480 Speaker 1: that like he had or that I had was earned. 1430 01:04:12,920 --> 01:04:15,120 Speaker 1: But I do think it's really important to acknowledge that 1431 01:04:15,240 --> 01:04:18,240 Speaker 1: as like white males in society, we do benefit from 1432 01:04:18,280 --> 01:04:20,960 Speaker 1: privilege because of like the the inequalities that you know 1433 01:04:21,080 --> 01:04:26,520 Speaker 1: that that our president. Um when when somebody reads this book, 1434 01:04:27,520 --> 01:04:29,400 Speaker 1: and don't you don't tell people that you tell people 1435 01:04:29,440 --> 01:04:32,120 Speaker 1: basically kind of the premise of it one story that 1436 01:04:32,240 --> 01:04:35,800 Speaker 1: they're not gonna believe that you're gonna I cannot believe. 1437 01:04:35,840 --> 01:04:41,480 Speaker 1: I oh man, there is that's an awesome question. Once well, listen, 1438 01:04:41,520 --> 01:04:43,080 Speaker 1: I don't want we've already touched on some of the 1439 01:04:43,120 --> 01:04:46,960 Speaker 1: more difficult things. You know, I'll tell you something that 1440 01:04:47,040 --> 01:04:49,240 Speaker 1: people won't believe because this is a story that that 1441 01:04:49,400 --> 01:04:53,440 Speaker 1: is not really well known. So my dad is uh, 1442 01:04:53,960 --> 01:04:56,600 Speaker 1: fled Romania as a refugee, right, So my dad was 1443 01:04:56,640 --> 01:04:59,680 Speaker 1: one under communism and my my my family fled under 1444 01:04:59,760 --> 01:05:02,720 Speaker 1: dre s, right, and so living under communism, you're not 1445 01:05:02,800 --> 01:05:05,240 Speaker 1: allowed to have anything, you can pick anything out right, 1446 01:05:05,320 --> 01:05:07,760 Speaker 1: So it's you know, this is pretty pretty hard life. 1447 01:05:08,000 --> 01:05:11,880 Speaker 1: And so my family was able to accumulate money illegally, 1448 01:05:11,960 --> 01:05:14,360 Speaker 1: right because under communism you're not allowed to accumulate things. 1449 01:05:14,720 --> 01:05:17,440 Speaker 1: And they were always they were searching for for ways 1450 01:05:17,480 --> 01:05:19,840 Speaker 1: to get it out right. So because you know, everything 1451 01:05:19,880 --> 01:05:22,000 Speaker 1: was searching you couldn't take anything out with them, they 1452 01:05:22,080 --> 01:05:24,720 Speaker 1: were able to and they had several thousands of dollars 1453 01:05:24,800 --> 01:05:26,560 Speaker 1: by then, which was like a fortune in those days. 1454 01:05:26,600 --> 01:05:28,680 Speaker 1: So my grandpa was like, how then on, like, we're 1455 01:05:28,720 --> 01:05:30,600 Speaker 1: getting this money out, how are we going to do it? 1456 01:05:31,000 --> 01:05:33,360 Speaker 1: The way they were? And they had American dollars, which, 1457 01:05:33,400 --> 01:05:35,360 Speaker 1: by the way, if you were caught with American dollars, 1458 01:05:35,440 --> 01:05:38,640 Speaker 1: like you're going to prison, your maybe being tortured, maybe 1459 01:05:38,680 --> 01:05:40,480 Speaker 1: being killed. So this is like pretty high you know, 1460 01:05:40,640 --> 01:05:44,320 Speaker 1: like high stakes stuff. My my grandparents were able to 1461 01:05:44,440 --> 01:05:47,720 Speaker 1: smuggle their money out by eliciting the support of one 1462 01:05:47,720 --> 01:05:51,680 Speaker 1: of the biggest celebrity comedians in the United States, Buddy Hackett. 1463 01:05:52,920 --> 01:05:57,680 Speaker 1: So Buddy Hackett was filming a movie in Budapest, and 1464 01:05:58,200 --> 01:06:01,080 Speaker 1: my grandparents to new some on who was working on 1465 01:06:01,160 --> 01:06:04,320 Speaker 1: the movie set, and they were able to convince Buddy Hackett, 1466 01:06:04,360 --> 01:06:06,560 Speaker 1: who was like one of the biggest celebrities in America, 1467 01:06:06,760 --> 01:06:09,320 Speaker 1: to smuggle their money out for them and send it 1468 01:06:09,360 --> 01:06:10,880 Speaker 1: to their family in the United States. So when they 1469 01:06:11,160 --> 01:06:14,800 Speaker 1: already put it, they sent it to my grandmother's brother 1470 01:06:14,840 --> 01:06:17,520 Speaker 1: who was already settled in the Bronx with extra money 1471 01:06:17,560 --> 01:06:20,040 Speaker 1: on top by the way, saying good luck in America. 1472 01:06:20,480 --> 01:06:22,360 Speaker 1: And so when they got off the boat. While they 1473 01:06:22,360 --> 01:06:25,160 Speaker 1: actually flew, but when they got to America, Uh, the 1474 01:06:25,280 --> 01:06:27,360 Speaker 1: money that they were able to start a life with 1475 01:06:27,840 --> 01:06:32,040 Speaker 1: was illegal money made under communism in Romania that was 1476 01:06:32,080 --> 01:06:34,040 Speaker 1: smuggled out by one of the biggest celebrities in the 1477 01:06:34,120 --> 01:06:37,520 Speaker 1: United States at the time. Um, have you been to 1478 01:06:37,640 --> 01:06:42,880 Speaker 1: the concentration games? I haven't. Um, I haven't neither. I 1479 01:06:42,960 --> 01:06:45,360 Speaker 1: want to go. You know, I had an opportunity where 1480 01:06:45,360 --> 01:06:47,920 Speaker 1: I wasn't able to but listen, Like, I actually talked 1481 01:06:47,960 --> 01:06:51,320 Speaker 1: to someone today who told me about that someone in 1482 01:06:51,360 --> 01:06:54,360 Speaker 1: their family visited Alfitch and this is a non Jewish friend. 1483 01:06:54,680 --> 01:06:56,640 Speaker 1: He said it was one of the most profound and 1484 01:06:56,840 --> 01:07:00,360 Speaker 1: chilling experiences that they've ever had. I felt that when 1485 01:07:00,360 --> 01:07:02,920 Speaker 1: I went to Yashem every time I've in Yashem in 1486 01:07:03,240 --> 01:07:06,800 Speaker 1: in Jerusalem, just I just you know, like brought to 1487 01:07:06,880 --> 01:07:10,680 Speaker 1: my knees every time, just the trustees and and look, 1488 01:07:10,880 --> 01:07:13,200 Speaker 1: I'll be honestly I wasn't. It's not the same. But 1489 01:07:13,560 --> 01:07:17,480 Speaker 1: you're in the National Civil Rights Museum in uh in Memphis. 1490 01:07:17,840 --> 01:07:20,479 Speaker 1: It's at the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luther King Junia 1491 01:07:20,560 --> 01:07:23,280 Speaker 1: was shot and so they still have the room intact, 1492 01:07:23,400 --> 01:07:27,800 Speaker 1: and then the museum is built around it, and um, 1493 01:07:28,080 --> 01:07:32,040 Speaker 1: obviously there's not six main people but the but when 1494 01:07:32,200 --> 01:07:36,480 Speaker 1: you visit it, you walk away just the embarrassed for 1495 01:07:36,560 --> 01:07:38,840 Speaker 1: your country. Just you're just sitting there going like how 1496 01:07:38,880 --> 01:07:42,200 Speaker 1: did granted you know, my family is like your family, 1497 01:07:42,280 --> 01:07:45,440 Speaker 1: Like we you either treated people with respect, you know, 1498 01:07:45,840 --> 01:07:48,000 Speaker 1: or or you wouldn't see the light of day, right, 1499 01:07:48,640 --> 01:07:50,560 Speaker 1: But you just you look around you like how how 1500 01:07:50,800 --> 01:07:53,600 Speaker 1: how do people have that within them in humanity? Right? 1501 01:07:54,040 --> 01:07:57,320 Speaker 1: And and the Holocaust is just to a completely different level. 1502 01:07:57,400 --> 01:08:00,280 Speaker 1: I do want to do it, I just don't know, 1503 01:08:00,960 --> 01:08:03,600 Speaker 1: like emotionally, I'm not really I still don't think I'm 1504 01:08:03,640 --> 01:08:05,240 Speaker 1: prepared for it. But it's like one of those things 1505 01:08:05,280 --> 01:08:07,560 Speaker 1: that you've gotta I have this discussion with my kids 1506 01:08:07,600 --> 01:08:12,000 Speaker 1: because I have three children and their mom is not Jewish, 1507 01:08:12,800 --> 01:08:15,640 Speaker 1: and um, you know, two of them go to like 1508 01:08:15,720 --> 01:08:19,000 Speaker 1: a Jewish day school and one says she's an atheist, 1509 01:08:19,120 --> 01:08:22,320 Speaker 1: one says he believes in Jesus, and then their sisters like, 1510 01:08:22,520 --> 01:08:24,280 Speaker 1: you know, I believe in God. I can't really figure out. 1511 01:08:24,320 --> 01:08:26,800 Speaker 1: And I try and tell them like listen, I and 1512 01:08:27,080 --> 01:08:29,920 Speaker 1: I don't. Actually doesn't actually bother me if you're not Jewish, like, 1513 01:08:29,960 --> 01:08:31,960 Speaker 1: I'd love you to believe what I believe. But if 1514 01:08:32,000 --> 01:08:34,120 Speaker 1: the more I say you need to believe what I believe, 1515 01:08:34,640 --> 01:08:37,160 Speaker 1: then the less likely it is to happen. Right, it 1516 01:08:37,560 --> 01:08:40,200 Speaker 1: happens or it doesn't happen. You know, I just want 1517 01:08:40,240 --> 01:08:42,560 Speaker 1: you to tribute respect and hopefully believe in God and 1518 01:08:42,760 --> 01:08:45,000 Speaker 1: know there's staff of life, will all be together, et cetera. 1519 01:08:46,200 --> 01:08:49,479 Speaker 1: But your last name is God. That is a Jewish 1520 01:08:49,560 --> 01:08:52,599 Speaker 1: last name. If and if there is a time which 1521 01:08:52,600 --> 01:08:55,000 Speaker 1: people get singled out, you're gonna get singled out, whether 1522 01:08:55,040 --> 01:08:56,840 Speaker 1: you like it or not. And you have to understand 1523 01:08:58,120 --> 01:09:01,719 Speaker 1: everything that kind of comes with it, right, And that's 1524 01:09:01,800 --> 01:09:08,080 Speaker 1: when those conversations, those visits, I think, become really necessary. 1525 01:09:08,360 --> 01:09:10,920 Speaker 1: But I I just think like we do a terrible 1526 01:09:11,000 --> 01:09:14,800 Speaker 1: job as a society in not teaching people about the 1527 01:09:14,920 --> 01:09:17,920 Speaker 1: atrocities of the past. And then they like, you don't 1528 01:09:17,920 --> 01:09:20,040 Speaker 1: want to scare kids, but you do have to educate 1529 01:09:20,120 --> 01:09:23,000 Speaker 1: them on the evils that did run the earth, no 1530 01:09:23,080 --> 01:09:25,280 Speaker 1: doubt about there. There's been some really troubling data around 1531 01:09:25,320 --> 01:09:28,360 Speaker 1: like Holocaust awareness, and there are other things too, are 1532 01:09:28,360 --> 01:09:32,040 Speaker 1: like people aren't educated on, but like people have to know. 1533 01:09:32,960 --> 01:09:35,000 Speaker 1: I have to know about these things, and so that's 1534 01:09:35,080 --> 01:09:36,640 Speaker 1: kind of one of my hopes with the book is 1535 01:09:36,720 --> 01:09:39,559 Speaker 1: that younger people will engage because ultimately it's a it's 1536 01:09:39,600 --> 01:09:42,200 Speaker 1: a story about some of these things that happened, but 1537 01:09:42,280 --> 01:09:44,840 Speaker 1: the rapper is basketball. There's a lot of funny and 1538 01:09:45,000 --> 01:09:48,000 Speaker 1: fun things and about growing up and you know, playing 1539 01:09:48,080 --> 01:09:50,240 Speaker 1: the game, and the game you know how how my 1540 01:09:50,360 --> 01:09:53,160 Speaker 1: dad's path my path, and so you know, there's there's 1541 01:09:53,200 --> 01:09:55,680 Speaker 1: that really accessible part of it. But my hope is 1542 01:09:55,680 --> 01:09:58,679 Speaker 1: always that younger people will engage and in the process 1543 01:09:58,960 --> 01:10:00,560 Speaker 1: learn about some of these things, because I mean, like 1544 01:10:00,760 --> 01:10:03,120 Speaker 1: the data shown, like I forget exactly what the numbers 1545 01:10:03,120 --> 01:10:05,880 Speaker 1: where it was like half half of like millennials hadn't 1546 01:10:05,880 --> 01:10:08,600 Speaker 1: even heard of the Holocaust, I didn't even right. It 1547 01:10:08,680 --> 01:10:10,920 Speaker 1: was something like so disturbing, and I didn't even know 1548 01:10:11,040 --> 01:10:12,960 Speaker 1: like what alf Fitz was or thought it was like, 1549 01:10:13,320 --> 01:10:15,240 Speaker 1: you know, I didn't know the number six million and 1550 01:10:15,320 --> 01:10:17,960 Speaker 1: things like that. And so listen, you know, all these 1551 01:10:18,000 --> 01:10:20,599 Speaker 1: really troubling things in history, regardless of like who it happens, 1552 01:10:20,600 --> 01:10:22,120 Speaker 1: do we need to learn from a man, because like 1553 01:10:22,640 --> 01:10:25,760 Speaker 1: their humanity is capable of of a lot of great, 1554 01:10:25,760 --> 01:10:28,160 Speaker 1: amazing love and amazing things. But there's a lot of 1555 01:10:28,280 --> 01:10:30,519 Speaker 1: really really had things that can happen. And so that's 1556 01:10:30,560 --> 01:10:34,000 Speaker 1: why I like, you know, treating people well, standing up 1557 01:10:34,040 --> 01:10:37,240 Speaker 1: for what's right, standing against injustice, regardless of the form. 1558 01:10:37,720 --> 01:10:39,960 Speaker 1: It's so important man. And so I hope my book 1559 01:10:40,040 --> 01:10:43,160 Speaker 1: is just like a small part of that um okay 1560 01:10:43,479 --> 01:10:46,599 Speaker 1: uh co basketball things before before we ended they were 1561 01:10:46,640 --> 01:10:51,799 Speaker 1: a great shooter, What where did you aim? I appreciate 1562 01:10:51,840 --> 01:10:53,640 Speaker 1: you saying that I was a streaky shooter. So if 1563 01:10:53,680 --> 01:10:55,400 Speaker 1: I was in my if I was like in my 1564 01:10:55,520 --> 01:10:58,080 Speaker 1: comfort zone, I could be lights out. But I was 1565 01:10:58,120 --> 01:10:59,760 Speaker 1: a little bit too analytical that you know how it 1566 01:10:59,880 --> 01:11:02,320 Speaker 1: is like like you're you're your own yourstead of me. 1567 01:11:02,439 --> 01:11:05,120 Speaker 1: So I could definitely shoot the basketball, but I wish 1568 01:11:05,200 --> 01:11:07,280 Speaker 1: again I could go back and like kind of retraining 1569 01:11:07,320 --> 01:11:09,320 Speaker 1: my mind to shoot it a little more comfortably. But 1570 01:11:09,640 --> 01:11:12,720 Speaker 1: you know what, I tried to a like front rim, 1571 01:11:13,240 --> 01:11:15,080 Speaker 1: you know, but obviously over the front rim. But I 1572 01:11:15,200 --> 01:11:18,040 Speaker 1: was more like front rim than back room. But I 1573 01:11:18,200 --> 01:11:20,200 Speaker 1: was always I always kind of thought like I always 1574 01:11:20,200 --> 01:11:22,560 Speaker 1: wanted to shoot naturally right and like not aim and 1575 01:11:22,640 --> 01:11:24,400 Speaker 1: just kind of like did you watch the flight of 1576 01:11:24,439 --> 01:11:26,439 Speaker 1: the ball or did you only look at the target? 1577 01:11:27,000 --> 01:11:28,760 Speaker 1: I think I mostly looked at the target. I'm like 1578 01:11:28,840 --> 01:11:30,960 Speaker 1: trying to go back and think, you know, so I 1579 01:11:31,040 --> 01:11:34,840 Speaker 1: don't I don't quite remember her. I usually like when 1580 01:11:34,840 --> 01:11:36,400 Speaker 1: I left my hands, I had a pretty good sense 1581 01:11:36,439 --> 01:11:37,920 Speaker 1: of what was going to happen, you know, like when 1582 01:11:37,960 --> 01:11:39,840 Speaker 1: I was on and there were times like you know 1583 01:11:39,840 --> 01:11:41,320 Speaker 1: how it is, like when you're feeling in like the 1584 01:11:41,400 --> 01:11:43,439 Speaker 1: ball swings and you shoot it and you're like, well, 1585 01:11:43,600 --> 01:11:45,280 Speaker 1: I know what happened. I know what's happening there, Like 1586 01:11:45,360 --> 01:11:47,360 Speaker 1: that's you know, started running back, Like those are the 1587 01:11:47,400 --> 01:11:49,280 Speaker 1: best feelings. And there are times where it wasn't happening. 1588 01:11:49,320 --> 01:11:52,000 Speaker 1: You shoot, you're like, oh that doesn't feel right. Um, 1589 01:11:52,439 --> 01:11:54,920 Speaker 1: So I don't really remember if I tracked the path 1590 01:11:55,000 --> 01:11:56,920 Speaker 1: of the ball. I might have though, now that I'm 1591 01:11:56,920 --> 01:12:01,800 Speaker 1: thinking about it, Um, step in or one too or 1592 01:12:01,880 --> 01:12:07,320 Speaker 1: hop in your shot one too? Always left right, yeah, now, 1593 01:12:07,400 --> 01:12:09,400 Speaker 1: I mean like we worked at Stanford. Montgomery was big 1594 01:12:09,439 --> 01:12:11,640 Speaker 1: on this, like trying to develop like some the right 1595 01:12:11,680 --> 01:12:13,320 Speaker 1: handed player, so left right would be the true for me, 1596 01:12:13,400 --> 01:12:16,160 Speaker 1: Like trying to be comfortable right left, because if you're 1597 01:12:16,360 --> 01:12:18,160 Speaker 1: coming off a screen, a downscreen on the right side 1598 01:12:18,160 --> 01:12:19,760 Speaker 1: of the floor, like you're gonna curl around where like 1599 01:12:19,840 --> 01:12:21,960 Speaker 1: you want to take like right left into the shot, 1600 01:12:22,040 --> 01:12:23,680 Speaker 1: you know. So we would work on that a lot 1601 01:12:24,040 --> 01:12:26,400 Speaker 1: at Stanford, like stepping in with both feet. But my 1602 01:12:26,600 --> 01:12:29,360 Speaker 1: comfort was just like left right. I always kind of 1603 01:12:29,400 --> 01:12:31,280 Speaker 1: admire people like Ja Ja Reddick is so good at 1604 01:12:31,320 --> 01:12:33,120 Speaker 1: like hopping into it, you know, and he seems to 1605 01:12:33,160 --> 01:12:35,560 Speaker 1: get good spring off it. Like my one of my 1606 01:12:35,640 --> 01:12:37,439 Speaker 1: weaknesses with my child, like my when my legs went 1607 01:12:37,520 --> 01:12:39,040 Speaker 1: or I got tired, like you know, the jump shot 1608 01:12:39,080 --> 01:12:40,280 Speaker 1: comes from the legs a lot, like when my should 1609 01:12:40,280 --> 01:12:42,439 Speaker 1: would get a little flat. And I sometimes think back, man, 1610 01:12:42,479 --> 01:12:44,080 Speaker 1: if I had that good hop step, maybe it would 1611 01:12:44,080 --> 01:12:47,400 Speaker 1: have give me a little more spring. Um, you're the 1612 01:12:47,479 --> 01:12:52,479 Speaker 1: funniest teammate you ever played. Man, that's such it. Carlton 1613 01:12:52,560 --> 01:12:59,519 Speaker 1: weatherb my teammate at Stanford, Man, just the funniest, funniest dude. Um. 1614 01:13:00,280 --> 01:13:02,840 Speaker 1: They were the same same grade, same age, and we 1615 01:13:02,920 --> 01:13:06,280 Speaker 1: would just laugh NonStop. Um. And then of course professionally, 1616 01:13:06,280 --> 01:13:09,200 Speaker 1: like I played with other guys to like, um, you 1617 01:13:09,240 --> 01:13:11,599 Speaker 1: know Lee Alan, who you probably remember playing the league 1618 01:13:11,640 --> 01:13:14,439 Speaker 1: like Lee and I, oh yeah, like I know Lee's 1619 01:13:14,479 --> 01:13:16,600 Speaker 1: coaching now. Like Lee just had me rolling in on 1620 01:13:16,640 --> 01:13:18,479 Speaker 1: the floor so many times. Like you play with guys 1621 01:13:18,520 --> 01:13:20,479 Speaker 1: who just like are really really funny. But I had 1622 01:13:20,479 --> 01:13:22,360 Speaker 1: a lot of teams at Stanford where we would we 1623 01:13:22,400 --> 01:13:25,160 Speaker 1: would man have a lot of laughs. You just did 1624 01:13:25,240 --> 01:13:27,280 Speaker 1: you ever did you know type so all the time? 1625 01:13:27,360 --> 01:13:29,720 Speaker 1: Did you ever do you feel like you no? No? 1626 01:13:30,040 --> 01:13:32,360 Speaker 1: So when so the game you mentioned when we hit 1627 01:13:32,439 --> 01:13:34,400 Speaker 1: that half coad shot to win it all my birthday right, 1628 01:13:34,479 --> 01:13:37,240 Speaker 1: like the fans rushed the court. It was like it 1629 01:13:37,360 --> 01:13:40,280 Speaker 1: was madness. So finally we get into the locker room 1630 01:13:40,560 --> 01:13:43,160 Speaker 1: and Tiger came into the locker room to talk to us, 1631 01:13:43,760 --> 01:13:45,320 Speaker 1: you know, so it was like it was and that 1632 01:13:45,400 --> 01:13:48,200 Speaker 1: was two thousand four, So he's like the biggest celebrity 1633 01:13:48,240 --> 01:13:51,360 Speaker 1: on the planet and I'm not that's like, yeah, it's 1634 01:13:51,400 --> 01:13:53,479 Speaker 1: like it's like peak Tiger, right. So he and he 1635 01:13:53,600 --> 01:13:55,280 Speaker 1: was married to Ellen at that time, so they both 1636 01:13:55,320 --> 01:13:58,160 Speaker 1: came in the locker room and uh, actually I remember 1637 01:13:58,200 --> 01:14:00,200 Speaker 1: he went around the team and slapped us all high lives, 1638 01:14:00,240 --> 01:14:01,840 Speaker 1: you know, and we're all just like little kids like 1639 01:14:01,920 --> 01:14:04,639 Speaker 1: lining up, and he missed me. I was the last dude, 1640 01:14:04,680 --> 01:14:07,120 Speaker 1: and he missed me. And he turned around, and I 1641 01:14:07,280 --> 01:14:09,320 Speaker 1: was like kind of like oh man, Like but I 1642 01:14:09,360 --> 01:14:11,679 Speaker 1: guess I didn't have like whatever the gusts to be like, yeah, Tiger, 1643 01:14:11,720 --> 01:14:15,479 Speaker 1: could I get some love? But Montgomery his credit, said hey, Tiger, 1644 01:14:15,479 --> 01:14:17,040 Speaker 1: you give grunty some love. Give grunty some love. And 1645 01:14:17,080 --> 01:14:18,920 Speaker 1: he turned around and it was like, you know, like 1646 01:14:19,000 --> 01:14:20,720 Speaker 1: the two hands met, and I was like, oh man, 1647 01:14:20,840 --> 01:14:23,760 Speaker 1: that's the best. Uh. That was my most interaction with him. 1648 01:14:23,760 --> 01:14:25,240 Speaker 1: I never got a chance, but I had a couple 1649 01:14:25,280 --> 01:14:27,040 Speaker 1: of friends on the golf team who said that he 1650 01:14:27,240 --> 01:14:29,839 Speaker 1: came and talked to them and did some like drills 1651 01:14:29,920 --> 01:14:31,799 Speaker 1: with them where they would like chip into a bucket 1652 01:14:31,920 --> 01:14:34,040 Speaker 1: or something. And my buddies like, yeah, like those guys 1653 01:14:34,080 --> 01:14:35,360 Speaker 1: on the team, like out of ten, like if you 1654 01:14:35,439 --> 01:14:37,519 Speaker 1: made like one to three, like it was good and 1655 01:14:37,560 --> 01:14:40,240 Speaker 1: Tiger would get like eight nine ten. It would just 1656 01:14:40,240 --> 01:14:42,960 Speaker 1: be like boom, boom boom, and it was like, dude, 1657 01:14:42,960 --> 01:14:46,800 Speaker 1: it was next level. The most successful Stanford guy who 1658 01:14:46,960 --> 01:14:50,320 Speaker 1: you were friendly with for any period of time one 1659 01:14:50,360 --> 01:14:54,240 Speaker 1: of your two times to stamp wow. So you know, 1660 01:14:54,360 --> 01:14:58,439 Speaker 1: the founder of Instagram was my class um, Kevin Sistram, 1661 01:14:58,520 --> 01:15:00,640 Speaker 1: Like like I knew him around, but he doesn't. I 1662 01:15:00,680 --> 01:15:02,320 Speaker 1: mean that was that was a huge you know, a 1663 01:15:02,439 --> 01:15:05,240 Speaker 1: huge outcome. Uh you know it's a Ray who's a 1664 01:15:05,360 --> 01:15:08,519 Speaker 1: very big, you know, actress and media personality, was a 1665 01:15:08,640 --> 01:15:11,559 Speaker 1: year behind me at Stanford. Of course, like a lot 1666 01:15:11,640 --> 01:15:13,800 Speaker 1: of athletes who have done really cool stuff, like my 1667 01:15:13,880 --> 01:15:16,760 Speaker 1: guy Brook Lopez just wanted an NBA championship, which was 1668 01:15:16,800 --> 01:15:21,120 Speaker 1: so cool. Brooke Brooke came the year after I left it. Actually, 1669 01:15:21,120 --> 01:15:23,040 Speaker 1: I've heard you tell a very funny story about Brooke 1670 01:15:23,080 --> 01:15:25,639 Speaker 1: and Robin because I know you you play with Alex right, yeah, 1671 01:15:26,120 --> 01:15:28,280 Speaker 1: I know you know those guys, but uh yeah, listen, 1672 01:15:28,320 --> 01:15:30,280 Speaker 1: like like there are and then there are a bunch 1673 01:15:30,320 --> 01:15:33,840 Speaker 1: of people like in business school who just like have 1674 01:15:33,920 --> 01:15:36,720 Speaker 1: started companies that are doing like extraordinarily well, which is 1675 01:15:36,800 --> 01:15:40,800 Speaker 1: like Instagram. That's pretty right, Yeah, that's did you ever 1676 01:15:40,920 --> 01:15:44,400 Speaker 1: get hit up on investing any of these things? You're like, well, 1677 01:15:44,400 --> 01:15:46,840 Speaker 1: i'll tell you this, Okay, So Instagram, so you're gonna 1678 01:15:46,880 --> 01:15:49,639 Speaker 1: take your own picture wherever you are. You're like, yeah, 1679 01:15:49,760 --> 01:15:52,560 Speaker 1: great idea. You'll appreciate this time. So like my my 1680 01:15:53,200 --> 01:15:55,280 Speaker 1: at Stanford, you have random freshman roommates. A lot of 1681 01:15:55,320 --> 01:15:58,800 Speaker 1: schools like you you you yeah, so, which was great. 1682 01:15:58,840 --> 01:16:01,000 Speaker 1: So my random freshman room it became my roommate all 1683 01:16:01,040 --> 01:16:02,559 Speaker 1: four years at Stanford is one of my best friends 1684 01:16:02,600 --> 01:16:05,160 Speaker 1: in the world. But he wasn't he he actually played 1685 01:16:05,200 --> 01:16:07,280 Speaker 1: on football team briefly, but he wasn't recruited to Stanford 1686 01:16:07,280 --> 01:16:09,439 Speaker 1: as an athlete. He was a mechanical engineer major, so 1687 01:16:09,640 --> 01:16:11,840 Speaker 1: ours and we were all he lived with. All there's 1688 01:16:11,920 --> 01:16:13,400 Speaker 1: a lot of other people on the team our sophomore 1689 01:16:13,600 --> 01:16:15,200 Speaker 1: that we lived with, so he was the only non 1690 01:16:15,320 --> 01:16:17,720 Speaker 1: basketball player. And he went to a career fair, like 1691 01:16:17,760 --> 01:16:21,040 Speaker 1: on a weekend, and we were like, dude, we're watching movies, 1692 01:16:21,120 --> 01:16:23,400 Speaker 1: we're hanging out. You're going to a career fair. And 1693 01:16:23,479 --> 01:16:25,760 Speaker 1: this was two thousand four, our sophomore year, and he 1694 01:16:25,880 --> 01:16:27,519 Speaker 1: came back. It's like, dude, like I got this job 1695 01:16:27,560 --> 01:16:29,960 Speaker 1: offer from this little company like Facebook, like they had 1696 01:16:29,960 --> 01:16:33,200 Speaker 1: a little booth, like I think it's pretty cool. We're like, dude, 1697 01:16:33,840 --> 01:16:36,720 Speaker 1: hang out, like we're just chill, like it's not about that. 1698 01:16:36,840 --> 01:16:39,280 Speaker 1: And so he he didn't take that, and so we 1699 01:16:39,400 --> 01:16:42,000 Speaker 1: looked back on that. We're like, sorry, man, like you 1700 01:16:42,160 --> 01:16:44,240 Speaker 1: you were right like we were. We were probably noted 1701 01:16:44,280 --> 01:16:47,760 Speaker 1: on the right side of history there. Um, okay, so 1702 01:16:47,960 --> 01:16:51,000 Speaker 1: you've this is like your life's work, right, this is 1703 01:16:51,120 --> 01:16:57,360 Speaker 1: your no. One. It's a great question, man. Like, first all, 1704 01:16:57,400 --> 01:16:59,040 Speaker 1: I I do love to write, so I would love 1705 01:16:59,080 --> 01:17:00,920 Speaker 1: to see more opportunity used to be able to do that. 1706 01:17:01,040 --> 01:17:03,400 Speaker 1: But I just like, honestly, like I really want to 1707 01:17:03,439 --> 01:17:05,680 Speaker 1: live in the moment with this project now because the 1708 01:17:05,720 --> 01:17:08,280 Speaker 1: book comes out on November, right, so it's available for 1709 01:17:08,320 --> 01:17:10,559 Speaker 1: pre order now, and that that all that stuff has 1710 01:17:10,560 --> 01:17:13,800 Speaker 1: gone really really well. There's been great engagement around and enthusiasm, 1711 01:17:13,960 --> 01:17:17,600 Speaker 1: enthusiasm around it. Like unfortunately and you kind of you 1712 01:17:17,680 --> 01:17:20,800 Speaker 1: references it's really relevant because of not only like the 1713 01:17:20,920 --> 01:17:23,960 Speaker 1: increase in anti Semitism, but just in general, right, the 1714 01:17:24,000 --> 01:17:26,360 Speaker 1: different kind of injustices in our society, Like stories like 1715 01:17:26,479 --> 01:17:29,760 Speaker 1: this are really are are irrelevant now. Um, not that 1716 01:17:29,840 --> 01:17:32,799 Speaker 1: they've ever done irrelevant, but there's been really good engagement 1717 01:17:32,840 --> 01:17:35,120 Speaker 1: around it, and so like you know, just trying to 1718 01:17:35,200 --> 01:17:37,559 Speaker 1: like stay in the moment, you know, share this story 1719 01:17:37,600 --> 01:17:40,519 Speaker 1: with people, and then um continue to just kind of 1720 01:17:40,560 --> 01:17:42,519 Speaker 1: like honor this history man. And like my grandmother, she's 1721 01:17:42,520 --> 01:17:44,519 Speaker 1: really like she's the hero. She's my hero. She's the 1722 01:17:44,600 --> 01:17:46,760 Speaker 1: hero of the story. She is a hero. And this 1723 01:17:46,840 --> 01:17:48,760 Speaker 1: is something else that's in the book, Like she was 1724 01:17:48,840 --> 01:17:51,639 Speaker 1: able to obtain false documents to survive on the streets 1725 01:17:51,640 --> 01:17:53,920 Speaker 1: of Budapest during the war, but she risked her life 1726 01:17:54,000 --> 01:17:56,880 Speaker 1: to obtain seventeen other documents for other people to write. 1727 01:17:56,960 --> 01:18:00,479 Speaker 1: So she's quite literally a war hero. And um, for 1728 01:18:00,840 --> 01:18:03,000 Speaker 1: me to like memorialize this and just to be able 1729 01:18:03,040 --> 01:18:05,519 Speaker 1: to kind of like live her values, like that's that's 1730 01:18:05,560 --> 01:18:07,040 Speaker 1: the most important thing to me right now. And if 1731 01:18:07,040 --> 01:18:08,760 Speaker 1: I'm able to write more things and of course do 1732 01:18:08,880 --> 01:18:11,400 Speaker 1: more things professionally. Basketball is always a huge part of 1733 01:18:11,439 --> 01:18:14,280 Speaker 1: my life. Like those are all things that I care 1734 01:18:14,320 --> 01:18:16,040 Speaker 1: about a lot, But just like to like live my 1735 01:18:16,120 --> 01:18:18,080 Speaker 1: Krandma's values, then that's that's all I can ask for. 1736 01:18:18,600 --> 01:18:21,759 Speaker 1: All Right, last thing you mentioned Milwaukee's plushment to high school. 1737 01:18:22,120 --> 01:18:23,800 Speaker 1: Your dad was DGM there when they went to the 1738 01:18:23,880 --> 01:18:27,479 Speaker 1: Eastern Conference Finals the last time around. Right, to see 1739 01:18:27,520 --> 01:18:31,559 Speaker 1: them as NBA champions. And what's really interesting is part 1740 01:18:31,600 --> 01:18:34,479 Speaker 1: of the stories I told is the New Yorkers from 1741 01:18:34,960 --> 01:18:38,400 Speaker 1: MSG came over, brought the team right, and they they 1742 01:18:38,439 --> 01:18:40,360 Speaker 1: had a vision and they weren't allowed to move it 1743 01:18:40,560 --> 01:18:42,160 Speaker 1: her coals Like I'll throw in a hunter million, but 1744 01:18:42,200 --> 01:18:45,000 Speaker 1: you can't move move the team, right. So they built 1745 01:18:45,040 --> 01:18:47,479 Speaker 1: the practice ability, they built the new arena, and the 1746 01:18:47,640 --> 01:18:50,800 Speaker 1: their NBA champions. But for you to have seen it, 1747 01:18:51,360 --> 01:18:53,240 Speaker 1: it wasn't the darkest time when you were there, right, 1748 01:18:53,720 --> 01:18:56,280 Speaker 1: but to see it and now see them as champions 1749 01:18:56,320 --> 01:18:59,000 Speaker 1: and see what that city is going through, what's it like? 1750 01:18:59,600 --> 01:19:02,360 Speaker 1: It's all some dude, Like I'm stopping for the community 1751 01:19:02,640 --> 01:19:05,320 Speaker 1: to see sixty five thousand people in the Deatrick like 1752 01:19:05,640 --> 01:19:09,040 Speaker 1: supporting that team, you know, and also to see like 1753 01:19:09,120 --> 01:19:11,360 Speaker 1: it's such a likable team, right, be honest, like what 1754 01:19:11,560 --> 01:19:13,360 Speaker 1: what what a what a human being? Let alone like 1755 01:19:13,439 --> 01:19:16,240 Speaker 1: just an amazing player Drew Holiday, Chris Middleton, Like these 1756 01:19:16,240 --> 01:19:18,519 Speaker 1: are just like stand up people playing the game the 1757 01:19:18,640 --> 01:19:21,120 Speaker 1: right way for a community in a in a city 1758 01:19:21,160 --> 01:19:23,800 Speaker 1: that I really care about. Something that's not very well known. 1759 01:19:23,880 --> 01:19:26,120 Speaker 1: So you mentioned my dad's history with the Bucks. So 1760 01:19:26,360 --> 01:19:28,400 Speaker 1: my mom and dad met through the books. So when 1761 01:19:28,439 --> 01:19:31,600 Speaker 1: my dad was drafted, you know, he got to Milwaukee said, hey, 1762 01:19:31,640 --> 01:19:33,280 Speaker 1: any any has Jewish girls in town, and oh, you 1763 01:19:33,320 --> 01:19:37,080 Speaker 1: should meet Andy Khan. So my grandfather on my mom's 1764 01:19:37,080 --> 01:19:40,800 Speaker 1: side was the original lawyer and and a part owner 1765 01:19:40,880 --> 01:19:42,720 Speaker 1: of the Bucks. Like this is in the seventies, So 1766 01:19:42,880 --> 01:19:46,200 Speaker 1: like my family's history of Milwaukee goes back fifty years. 1767 01:19:46,320 --> 01:19:49,720 Speaker 1: And in fact, when the Bucks won in seventy one, 1768 01:19:49,760 --> 01:19:52,040 Speaker 1: my grandfather got a championship ring because again he was 1769 01:19:52,200 --> 01:19:54,639 Speaker 1: very closely affiliate with the team. For my bar Mitzvah, 1770 01:19:54,680 --> 01:19:57,080 Speaker 1: he gifted me that ring. So I have a Bucks 1771 01:19:57,200 --> 01:20:00,400 Speaker 1: championship rings from nine one. So it's actually funny because 1772 01:20:00,720 --> 01:20:03,040 Speaker 1: my dad is in the NBA for forty years, but 1773 01:20:03,160 --> 01:20:05,040 Speaker 1: I'm the one in my family with a ring, you know, 1774 01:20:05,439 --> 01:20:07,120 Speaker 1: And I remind him of that. He'll say, I do 1775 01:20:07,200 --> 01:20:09,559 Speaker 1: have a gold medal, and just that's just data sharing 1776 01:20:09,760 --> 01:20:12,200 Speaker 1: with you, right, But yeah, man, So like my my 1777 01:20:12,320 --> 01:20:15,200 Speaker 1: grandparents born and raised in Milwaukee, man, Like our roots 1778 01:20:15,240 --> 01:20:17,240 Speaker 1: there are so deep so and I have so many 1779 01:20:17,280 --> 01:20:19,800 Speaker 1: dear friends, man, so to see them win it and 1780 01:20:19,920 --> 01:20:21,960 Speaker 1: the way they wanted and see like a city that 1781 01:20:22,040 --> 01:20:25,240 Speaker 1: I care about so much, like have that success. It's 1782 01:20:25,320 --> 01:20:29,880 Speaker 1: just awesome, just awesome, so exciting. Um, Dan, I can't 1783 01:20:29,880 --> 01:20:32,000 Speaker 1: tell how much I appreciate you joining me. I can't 1784 01:20:32,040 --> 01:20:34,080 Speaker 1: wait to read this book. I think it's a movie. 1785 01:20:35,680 --> 01:20:37,880 Speaker 1: I'm sure. I'm sure you have the movie rights to it, 1786 01:20:38,360 --> 01:20:41,760 Speaker 1: and the second somebody somebody in Hollywood reads it, they'll 1787 01:20:41,800 --> 01:20:45,960 Speaker 1: make it into a movie. I appreciate it, and I 1788 01:20:46,080 --> 01:20:48,680 Speaker 1: really appreciate joining us on the pod. No, thank you, guy. 1789 01:20:48,720 --> 01:20:50,600 Speaker 1: This is awesome. It's great, you know, spending time and 1790 01:20:50,680 --> 01:20:54,519 Speaker 1: catch it up and UH really appreciate this. You got 1791 01:20:54,600 --> 01:20:59,200 Speaker 1: him a man. Talk to you soon. Quick reminder, The 1792 01:20:59,240 --> 01:21:02,360 Speaker 1: Doug Godlip Here is daily three to six eastern, twelve 1793 01:21:02,439 --> 01:21:05,240 Speaker 1: three Pacific on Fox Sports Trader the I Heart Radio 1794 01:21:05,280 --> 01:21:08,599 Speaker 1: app series six seventeen and two oh three. My thanks 1795 01:21:08,680 --> 01:21:10,920 Speaker 1: to Dan Grunfelt for join us. I hope you pick 1796 01:21:11,000 --> 01:21:13,080 Speaker 1: up that book. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm Doug Gottlieb. 1797 01:21:13,200 --> 01:21:14,320 Speaker 1: This is all ball