1 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: Hey, well, welcome in. I'm gug Goliban. This is all 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: ball man. You are going to love this, uh, the 3 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: interview on on this All ball. But Jamal Thomas is 4 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: my guest. Now, those of us who know Jamal, you 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: would probably know him as five or five thirty, right, 6 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: that's what Uh. At some point in part two of 7 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 1: this podcast, I'm gonna get to the first time I 8 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: met Jamal um after we were in college. We played 9 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: together in Phoenix in the A B A. And it's 10 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: always interesting. I didn't know what our nickname was until 11 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: I had to look up a couple of things about 12 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: about about five. But anyway, he introduced himself as five 13 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: five thirty and you'll hear why he's known as as 14 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: five thirty. So he was an incredible player more than anything, 15 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: kind of an unbelievable person in terms of his ability 16 00:00:55,640 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: to overcome just a a kind of a tormented lifestyle 17 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: when he was a kid. So I can't wait to 18 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: get to that. At the moment of this recording, the 19 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:07,479 Speaker 1: Lakers are at the playoffs. The Clippers are down oh 20 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: one after an incredible come from behind series victory against 21 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: the Dallas Mavericks. The Nets are up two games and 22 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 1: none on the nets and UH and the Hawks as 23 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: well as they've played, they don't have DeAndre Hunter for 24 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: the season. The underwent an m R I which revealed 25 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: a small tear tear of the lateral meniscus. He under 26 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: when surgery on the meniscus today and he's out the 27 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 1: rest of the season. So that's a bummer because he's 28 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: incredibly versatile and a very talented kid. Even if the 29 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 1: one game they lost the Knicks, he missed a bunch 30 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: of shots he should he normally makes. So I just 31 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: I just think that what's really really interesting, really really interesting, 32 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: is that here we are and we're talking about the Lakers, 33 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: and because they lost in the first round, I think 34 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: people will pick up part of the decisions that that 35 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 1: Rob Polinka made and I don't agree with all of them. 36 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: I thought Dennis Shrewder was an off the bench guy, 37 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: not a starter, and I think that got exposed as 38 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: the season went on, especially late in the season. Um, 39 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: but but it will. It's like we'll never know because 40 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,399 Speaker 1: they weren't healthy. What we do know is that as 41 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: good as Lebron still is, he's an older verse himself, 42 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 1: and any older athlete now he needs more help, but 43 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: there's fewer times in which they have. They're a stuff 44 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: happens with Clayton Kershaw as a picture that's that's like 45 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: the easiest one to to to draw a parallel to 46 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,399 Speaker 1: what does it mean heading forward? Heading forward? It means 47 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: that they're going to continue to have to not only 48 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 1: add more shooting and add more shrine peace. They can 49 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: score more points because they were so focused on defense, 50 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: because they were a defensive champion last year. But I 51 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: also think you're gonna have to figure out if not 52 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,799 Speaker 1: only Lebron is willing to take a secondary role, maybe 53 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: a tertiary role, and Kenny operate in an offense and 54 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: which it doesn't solely focused around him having the basketball. 55 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: It's like they need a point guard, but will he 56 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: allow anybody else to be a point guard. As for 57 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,239 Speaker 1: the Clippers, they could have let won Game one. I'm 58 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: not as down on them as others are. I think 59 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: they still have good matchups here. I think you gotta 60 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: withstand uh Donovan, Mitchell, fort Point Barrage. I think they 61 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: can do that. I still like the Clippers, and I 62 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: like Tyler's adjustments as the series went on in Dallas, 63 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 1: and I think if that is the if that is 64 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: his strength, figuring out you know, the tricks. If if 65 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: you will to get in the right matchups, they should 66 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: be in good shape in this series. All right, let's 67 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: get to Jamal Thomas. We'll talk about some of these series. 68 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: We'll talk about playing in the NBA eventually, but first 69 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: I want to talk about his first falling in love 70 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: with basketball. One of the all time greats in the 71 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 1: Big East Providence College, Jamal Thomas. All right, Jamale Thomas 72 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: joins is here in the All Ball Pod. Uh. First, 73 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: you're currently driving home from your son's practice, held ten 74 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: years old. All these uh these we galltos New York 75 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: City gallows you already have with the gallo chains. Yeah. 76 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,559 Speaker 1: How different is it from when you were a kid? Uh? 77 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: Well I didn't, to be honest, I didn't play when 78 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: I was a kid. Um, I had a distance halft 79 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: and he does. So we just put him out there 80 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: for the experience and so you can have fun and 81 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: let him know what he's capable of going. Okay, so 82 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 1: let's let's talk about that your path was different. Right, Um, 83 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: you're you're born in Brooklyn. What was your what was 84 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: your what was the early days, like your first first 85 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: sports memories were like what, well sports? Um, my first 86 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:52,479 Speaker 1: book was baseball. Uh fell in love with baseball at 87 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: an early age. Uh probably around around nine ten years old. 88 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: I started playing baseball, you know, friends, I never really 89 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:03,599 Speaker 1: played organized, but I played in the street. I played 90 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 1: that first before basketball. And then when you start hooping, 91 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:13,479 Speaker 1: I started hooping when I was thirteen, Like you weren't 92 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:19,479 Speaker 1: even playing like pick up or playing break basketball before thirteen. Oh, 93 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: to be honest, I kind of watched it a lot 94 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 1: um because it was right there in front of my 95 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: face and Corney Allen, but I never really I never 96 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: played it. Why I never played it? Yeah, like I've 97 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 1: seen a lot like, um, you know my cousin stuff. 98 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 1: I used to eleven years old. I used to go 99 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:43,360 Speaker 1: to his games and I didn't even play. But but 100 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: but like why like New York City. When I think 101 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: in New York City, I think of all players and 102 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: then staff was like like a legend very early on, right, 103 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: And I just but why why weren't you playing? Was 104 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: you just didn't like it? Like, oh, well I was. 105 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 1: I was. I was was a street kid. I was 106 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: in the streets. I was really a street kid. Um, 107 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: I'm not trying to brag about it or claim it 108 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: or anything. It's just you know, my path was different. Um. 109 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: I didn't have both from my parents growing up, so 110 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: I didn't have any kind of guidance. Uh. You know, 111 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: Steph had his brothers whom played basketball, all of them 112 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 1: played Division one basketball, so he was able to see 113 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: that and follow that. So he had some type of 114 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 1: motivation to do the sports, and unlike me, I didn't 115 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 1: have that same motivation at him. So I was in 116 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: the streets fighting and you know, hanging out with drug 117 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 1: dealers and stuff like that. And then, um, you know, 118 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: I made a turning point in my life that at 119 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:43,159 Speaker 1: thirty years old with the with the help of my 120 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: mentor Mr Blue, who when passed away, uh back in 121 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: two thousand and seven. So he was the guy that 122 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: transitioned me from like the streets into playing basketball. Your 123 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 1: your mom was was murdered when you're four years old? 124 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: What happened? And this is like I'm guessing there's no 125 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,600 Speaker 1: therapy at the time. How did you deal with not 126 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: having your parents? How do you deal with being on 127 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: your own? Well, um, you know I was just in 128 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: the street, you know, self destructing. You know, I was 129 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: fighting a lot. Uh. You know, I wasn't like uh, 130 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: I wasn't a school kid. You know. I was cutting 131 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: class you know early, well, cutting school early, you know, 132 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: when I was young, So you know, I was just 133 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: you know, it was it was traumatizing. You know, No, 134 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: there's no way that you can deal with that type 135 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: of trauma. But um, you know, good lucky thing that 136 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: I I didn't really hurt anyone severelity because I would 137 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: hurt myself stability. So that's what I was just doing, 138 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: just running the streets and you know, and with with 139 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: with the background like that, the streets is there for 140 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: you to become part of it and self destructing and 141 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: make things work worse and become like a in the society. 142 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: And I was on that bird. And you know, it 143 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: was something in me that was just wanted to be 144 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: a good person. I just wanted to be somebody other 145 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: than this kid that's offering kid or this kid that's 146 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: the street kid that don't go to school. I wanted 147 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: to be something else. You mentioned you were thirteen, Yeah, um, 148 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: and you mentioned Mr Lou How did it happen? How 149 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: did how did the change happen? All right, this is 150 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: the story. Uh so stuff on one of the stuff 151 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 1: on his brother he was, he was just he was 152 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: a big time street through it after he finished, you know, 153 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 1: playing basketball or whatever, right, the big time street through. 154 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: So I was selling drugs and I was with the 155 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: guy that I was working for at the time, and 156 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: my cousin actually saw potential in me because this this 157 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: thirt thirteen years old. This is when I I grew 158 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: like six inches one summer. I just just got really tall. 159 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: And then he he said, uh, if I catch you 160 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: over here telling the drugs again, I'm gonna kill everybody 161 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: over here. And these guys are my friends. And and 162 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 1: I believe he meant it because I see him do 163 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 1: a lot of there in the streets already. So in 164 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: order to me to protect my friends, that had to 165 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 1: stop doing what I was doing. So after that situation, 166 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: I was on the base I was on the basketball 167 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 1: court playing baseball, but I was playing by myself. I 168 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 1: had a bunch of baseballs and you know how you 169 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: throw up the ball in the air and you just 170 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: swing with the bat. So I was I was just 171 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: working on that. And then my mentor, he was on 172 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: another basketball court that was closed to the other basketball court, 173 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: and he came over to me and he was like something, 174 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 1: what you want to do? What you want to do 175 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: with your like you want to play basketball and baseball? 176 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: And I was just like I was just trying to 177 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 1: stay out of trouble. I was like, man, I don't 178 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: know what I want to do. And then and he's like, 179 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: all right, comeing over here to the basketball court and 180 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do some girls with you and just see 181 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,079 Speaker 1: if you like it, to see if you like it? 182 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 1: Um and and the rest of its history wow, um okay. 183 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 1: What about school? Like how do you go from? Because 184 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: like I had T. J. Hushman's out on this, you know. 185 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: And he said like he was about that age and 186 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 1: his mom was strung out and he was in an 187 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: Oklahoma city and he learned to start selling drugs and 188 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: he never really figured out the school thing until he 189 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 1: got to to junior college. You figured out what high 190 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:40,679 Speaker 1: school at at Lincoln? Yeah? I figured I figured out 191 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: that Lincoln. Uh. You know, my my stories are pretty deep. 192 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: I have to give credence to a lot of like teachers. 193 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: Even though when I was self destructive, they they didn't 194 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: like stop me under the ground it was. They were 195 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: kind of really uplifting, you know what I'm saying that 196 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,320 Speaker 1: my my father's school teachers. When I was like fourth 197 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: grade and fifth grade and stick all the way up 198 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 1: to eighth grade. I I went to the school called 199 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: and Sullivan and it was a nurturing school. It was 200 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: something that I needed. And all the teachers there, from 201 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:14,680 Speaker 1: my maths teachers, to my English teachers, to my Spanish teachers, 202 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: and even the principles, they were just helping me emotionally 203 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: with the stuff that I was dealing with. So I 204 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: have to give credit to them. And it was helping 205 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:28,320 Speaker 1: me and pushing me and making sure I get to 206 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,839 Speaker 1: uh to high school so fast forwards to high school. 207 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:35,679 Speaker 1: My freshman year, I get back to some of my habits, 208 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 1: you know, not going to class, not going to school 209 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:45,839 Speaker 1: or whatever. And my English teacher, my English teacher who 210 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 1: became my mom to this day, she told me I 211 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: was on the verge of failing the class. And she said, listen, 212 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:57,839 Speaker 1: you're gonna fail the class. You never come to class, right. 213 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 1: I know, you have to all the potentitional the world, 214 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:02,839 Speaker 1: but every time you come to class, you always sit 215 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: in the back and you sit on top of your death. 216 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: And I was like, I sit on top of the 217 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: death because I can't fit under the death. I'm too tall. 218 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: So she got a kick out of that, and she said, 219 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: so I'll pass you if you pick one of these books. 220 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 1: So she had some books she had like the Great 221 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: gas be She had um a Magic Johnson's book and 222 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:27,320 Speaker 1: it was another book. She said, if you, if you 223 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,679 Speaker 1: read one of these books and do a book report 224 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: and and and and go in front of the class 225 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 1: and tell the classes about your your book report, I'll 226 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,319 Speaker 1: pass you. And that's what I've done. I read a 227 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: Magic Johnson book and I did it, and she passed me. 228 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: And Dad that happened like in March. Like the next month, 229 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:56,199 Speaker 1: in April, she had a meeting with my my um, 230 00:12:56,320 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 1: my adoptive mom whom whom is a Sebastian's mom had 231 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,679 Speaker 1: a meeting with her and my grandmother to see if 232 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 1: she can take me in into a house with her 233 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:11,000 Speaker 1: husband to help me out with academics and life in general. 234 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:17,680 Speaker 1: So that's that's the braverman's right, just so they take 235 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: you in. So now what you haven't had structure really 236 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: that much in your life, right, so you're in high school, 237 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:28,079 Speaker 1: and how did you react? What was their structure like, 238 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 1: like what was your day life? The structure, well, she 239 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: she laid them. She laid down um the rules before 240 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: I got there. She said. First thing, with no television, 241 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: I only got thirty minutes of television a day, and 242 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: and I watched Martin Lawrence during that thirty minutes of television. 243 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: I wouldn't even watch a bulls name or nixt game 244 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,959 Speaker 1: or whatever. I used my thirty minutes to watch Martin Lawrence. 245 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 1: She said, when you get home from school, you do 246 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: all your homework right. If you're not finished and you 247 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 1: need to eat, you can come down to eat, and 248 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:05,440 Speaker 1: after that you go back up to your room and 249 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 1: you finish your work. And when you finish your work, 250 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: that's when you get your thirty minutes. So I had 251 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: to finish my work before eight o'clock so I can 252 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: watch Martin. And she said nine thirty everything lights is out, 253 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 1: bedtime right, and we get up at six fift every morning. 254 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 1: Because she was a teacher at the school and she 255 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: had to give there early. What time what time had 256 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: you've been going to bed before that? My name is? 257 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: I knew the answer that was that was Fox Sports 258 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. 259 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 1: Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot 260 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: com and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f 261 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: s R to listen live. So when when you first 262 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: you move in, you have people that support you, but 263 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: you have these rules for an you gotta have the 264 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: lights out. What was your like It's it's not like 265 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: right away you're like, Okay, I'm going like what was 266 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: the what was that first year life? Well, so you know, 267 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: I remember like the first couple of weeks or whatever, 268 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 1: I definitely couldn't go to sleep that early, and I 269 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: couldn't sleep with you know, unfamiliar territory. So I was 270 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: just like, you know, it was just like just kind 271 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: of nervous, and because it was so quiet where they 272 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 1: lived at and um, I'm leaking, I'm peeking out the 273 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: windows and see if anybody coming to get me or anything. 274 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: So just it was it was like a crazy experience. 275 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: Like I think like the first week I was going 276 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 1: to bear like you know, one to three o'clock in 277 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 1: the morning and getting up at six. Um, I mean 278 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: obviously like look, your your mom's boyfriend, shoot your mom. 279 00:15:55,440 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: Your aunt's husband is more like a most abusive, easy 280 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: in and out of jail. So like you you gotta 281 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: have like some trust issues, right, Like you hadn't been 282 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: in this. Did you like it? Did you like? I'm 283 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 1: sure there were dudes that that want to know what 284 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: was up? What happened to you? What was the process 285 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 1: like of you embracing the stability of a real home. Well, um, 286 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 1: you know, when I grew up back it was like 287 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: there was a lot of us in uh and and 288 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: the three bear room apartment. It was ten of us 289 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: in the three bear room apartment, right. So one of 290 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: the things I really appreciated with what the problem is, 291 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: I have my own room, I have my own space, 292 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 1: right because you know, school work is is nothing. You know, 293 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: you can anybody can do schoolwork. You just you need 294 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: the time to space. You need the the um the 295 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: focus right to be able to get it done. So 296 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: that that was a big thing for me because even 297 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: when I wanted to do good when I was home 298 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: after I started playing basketball, it was always a distraction. 299 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:14,439 Speaker 1: Like when I'm doing my school work in the house, 300 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: it could be arguing and it could be you know, 301 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: my brothers and sisters are fighting, it could be something 302 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 1: that be man is just say, like, you know what 303 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 1: funk is, I'm just leaving the house and then you 304 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:28,439 Speaker 1: just go outside and just you do absolutely nothing, but 305 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:30,639 Speaker 1: you just leave the house and you just you know, 306 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 1: you don't do what you're supposed to be doing. And 307 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: and what the brablem has done for me know that 308 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: I trusted him in the first couple of weeks. No, 309 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,159 Speaker 1: but the way she treated me was so regular that 310 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 1: I was like, oh this this lady loves me right. 311 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:53,360 Speaker 1: And even if I like, we had arguments in the beginning, 312 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,439 Speaker 1: but it was like a back and forth like she 313 00:17:56,600 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: was my mom and then me and my mom back 314 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:03,080 Speaker 1: in Corney Allen. If we had arguments, it would carry 315 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:06,439 Speaker 1: over for like, you know, days and days with me 316 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 1: and the Ms Braviman, it wouldn't carry over at long 317 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: at all because our husband was the the middle guy. 318 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: He was you know, he was able to just squash 319 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 1: everything and and he had take my mind off the 320 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,280 Speaker 1: argument or school or whatever, and we'll started just talking 321 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: about basketball or sports or when he played that Lincoln 322 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,160 Speaker 1: or because he played that Lincoln and when he played 323 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:31,680 Speaker 1: at Yukon. So it took about two weeks. It was 324 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:35,280 Speaker 1: actually kind of quick because I had some times, like 325 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 1: for myself to focus, and and I understood that it 326 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:41,880 Speaker 1: was a blessing. But yes, we had ours. We went 327 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: back and forth. And I'm not gonna say like that 328 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 1: I stayed there the whole time. It was times that 329 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: we got into big arguments and I said, you know what, 330 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: I'm leaving. So I used to leave the house and 331 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:59,160 Speaker 1: go back to Corney Allen. And then I understood that 332 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: it was better for me over there. When she lived 333 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 1: there in the Rockaway then in Cone Allen. So she 334 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 1: from the beginning she always told me that my door 335 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 1: is always open if you leave, if you want to 336 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 1: come back. So it became like a revolving dog for 337 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 1: the first two years me living there, like I'll leave 338 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: again to argument, I'll leave and then I'll come back. 339 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 1: I'll leave and then I'll come back. Um okay, so 340 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:32,880 Speaker 1: now you're you're in high school, how good were you? Um? 341 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:38,159 Speaker 1: I was really good. I was really started playing so 342 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:42,640 Speaker 1: late like you started playing. Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna 343 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 1: tell you how good I was because of my my 344 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:49,159 Speaker 1: See you know us you can tell right now. And 345 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 1: if your son is good or not or whoever he's 346 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 1: playing with, right you can tell that potential because we're older, 347 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:57,680 Speaker 1: we've been through the wars. We we know how kids 348 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:04,640 Speaker 1: panned out. Right, So uh, when I was about fourteen 349 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 1: years old, stuff on his brother, his oldest brother who 350 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 1: who trained us, His name is Eric. We were playing 351 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:16,639 Speaker 1: three on three. He was on one team with staff 352 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 1: Um and another kid, and I had two other kids 353 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 1: from the park playing with me. We were playing three 354 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 1: on three or full court, and I was just getting 355 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 1: the rebound and just dripping the ball of court and 356 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:32,639 Speaker 1: you know, making like magic Johnson passes or finishing, you know, 357 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: like it was almost like a Scottie Pippen type o'deal. 358 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 1: And he was like, this motherfucker is good. And since 359 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: then he started like, you know, working with me. Steph 360 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 1: brother started working with me here like this motherfucker is 361 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: a better point guard. This stuff at the time, probably 362 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:59,080 Speaker 1: said it jokingly, but I heard it right and me 363 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: getting too high schoo. I didn't. I didn't play my 364 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 1: freshman year at all. I played probably like a minute 365 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:09,919 Speaker 1: and thirty seconds the whole year. But I became I 366 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 1: really knew I became good. Is when Lincoln we were 367 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: scouting for Grady and we were playing against Derrick Brown, 368 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 1: and Maurice Brown. Do you remember those guys right, Yes, 369 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: of course I know you. You're a basketball junkie. Um. 370 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:30,679 Speaker 1: So we were preparing for them and I was on 371 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: the other squad, the second unit. So coach told me 372 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: to play like Derrick Brown. And he said, Jamal, this 373 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 1: I want you to do. I want to dribble, I 374 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: want you to shoot it, want you to rebound. I 375 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:43,920 Speaker 1: want you to do everything out there that Derrick Brown does. 376 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:48,680 Speaker 1: And once he gave me that green lightning practice, I 377 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 1: was killing the dude shock a ship that was on 378 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,480 Speaker 1: our team because he played the five. He didn't order 379 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: defender guard. So I'm just going buy him and just 380 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:03,680 Speaker 1: doing whatever I wanted to do to him in practice. 381 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:08,400 Speaker 1: And then coach, you know, my coach was funny, jewish guy. 382 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: He was like, holy shit, Shaka, you can't Jammel Thomas. 383 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:16,240 Speaker 1: What the hell you think Daryl brand is gonna do 384 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:20,560 Speaker 1: to you tomorrow? So ever since then, it was like 385 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: it just it gave me confidence from right then and there. 386 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: And and that was the first game I played my 387 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 1: freshman year. I came down, got a rebound basketball to Steph, 388 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:32,679 Speaker 1: start up in the corner, shot the three boom, and 389 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 1: that was the only time I played for the whole season. 390 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:39,480 Speaker 1: And then after um, you know, all the scenes graduated, 391 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: Shaka and Corey Johnson, all those guys graduated. Coach had 392 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: to play me, he had to start me, and I was, 393 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: I was a mitch match for I had to play 394 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: the five in high school. So I was, I was 395 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: a mitch match for every five that I had to 396 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 1: go against at Lincoln because they didn't know how to 397 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 1: defend that at the time. Um. Meanwhile, like you're playing 398 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: with Staff, and Staff was the guy that year, right, 399 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:13,159 Speaker 1: he became the like everyone knew new new new Staff. 400 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: What what was your guy's relationship like while you were 401 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 1: getting better and becoming a start on your own, right, 402 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:21,240 Speaker 1: and he was on this kind of superstar and bath. 403 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 1: Oh but I mean stuff was like in high school, 404 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:29,160 Speaker 1: I was saying. In high school, he was a support 405 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,880 Speaker 1: of like, you know, especially like my first year when 406 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: I was coming out my show. So, um, I was 407 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: playing with an AU team called the Broncos, the New 408 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: York City Broncos. So that's like the B or C 409 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: division of a U programs, and you know in New York. 410 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: So you know, I had a couple of tournaments out 411 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 1: on Ohio and I had a tournament out in Virginia 412 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: and that was the person time I saw Ai and 413 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 1: I was like, this kid is ridiculous. So I had 414 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 1: good tournament out there. So where was getting back that? 415 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:06,000 Speaker 1: You know, you know this kid like Yo Jamal, you 416 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: know your cousin is killing. So when Steph heard that, 417 00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:13,160 Speaker 1: like him and my coach got together and they said, 418 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: now you're not playing with the bronfess them all. You're 419 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: coming with us to the Gallachos. So ever since then, 420 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: I started playing with the Gallachos with Steph like he 421 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:24,080 Speaker 1: was like, you know, he was bringing me along with him. 422 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 1: So every big time tournament that he played in in 423 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: New York like Golden Hoops or whatever, I was there 424 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 1: right with him. Five stars, you know what I'm saying. 425 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:34,160 Speaker 1: I was right there with him, right there with him 426 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 1: like you know he was he was he was. He 427 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:40,400 Speaker 1: was really supportive at that time. You know for my development. 428 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:45,119 Speaker 1: Um that who's on the Gauchers Teaenior last year you 429 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 1: shad Yeah, the sham Guard, Charleston Clark, Uh, Eric Harris, 430 00:24:53,800 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 1: Steph Uh, Yashima, evans Um, Gary Sanders, Oh, Larry Larry 431 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: at Adney, Larry Adney. Yeah, he's with his assistant coach 432 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:16,960 Speaker 1: with the Clippers. Now. Um, I think Mark Blunt played 433 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 1: played a few games with us, like we had a squad. 434 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:24,960 Speaker 1: I remember, did you guys lose go them alone? Going 435 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: them alone? Didn't you guys lose to like I'm gonna say, 436 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 1: like the Dallas team or something in Vegas. I just 437 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 1: remember that that there was like no way anyone is 438 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:37,640 Speaker 1: gonna beat you. And you guys played like an early 439 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:44,360 Speaker 1: morning game against the Dallas tea and the Gap beat. Yes. Yes, 440 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 1: and that makes me a basting team, right, yes, yes, 441 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:53,200 Speaker 1: we called them plastic man. Yep, that was a team. 442 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:57,080 Speaker 1: I'll give you the other side to it, right, here's 443 00:25:57,080 --> 00:25:59,880 Speaker 1: what everybody said about me about about like the gaug chaps. 444 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 1: Don't play him at night. If you can play him 445 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 1: in the morning, I got a shot. If you play 446 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:19,439 Speaker 1: the night, you got no shot. Yeah we were yeah, 447 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 1: well dog, I'm five. The only person that got some 448 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:26,960 Speaker 1: rest was probably Steph. Here's here's the only professional that 449 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:30,880 Speaker 1: was on the team that year. Why did you choose Providence? 450 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 1: That's that game against when we played against Dallas. That's 451 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:45,080 Speaker 1: when um, Bobby Gonzalez recruited me. That's when he was like, 452 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:50,120 Speaker 1: that's when they gave me the offer because sometimes like 453 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 1: like I can hang out late and do whatever at 454 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:54,399 Speaker 1: night and I can wake up because my body was 455 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:59,639 Speaker 1: kind of accustomed to it, right, So that game, I 456 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:02,160 Speaker 1: just I was I was doing the same thing, like 457 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,200 Speaker 1: like rebound and bringing the ball court and making certain passes, 458 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 1: hitting certain shots. Like I played a totally different way 459 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,119 Speaker 1: with the Gauchos than that Lincoln. I played more like 460 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:15,399 Speaker 1: a small forward power forward with the Gauchos, and that 461 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:17,199 Speaker 1: Lincoln I was just stuck to the fire because I 462 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:22,120 Speaker 1: was the biggest guy there. And yeah, but the reason 463 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 1: why I chose Providence is because you know, every school 464 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 1: in the country that was recruiting stuff to get step 465 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: there was gonna include me in the package. Though I'm 466 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:37,840 Speaker 1: talking about Syracuse, Georgia Tech, U C l A. Every 467 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: school it was like, well, we have thrown him in 468 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: there too if you come, you know, basically, so that 469 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 1: wasn't gonna work, right, Uh, Step step Pops is like, no, 470 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 1: you need to get out of step shadow and do 471 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 1: your own thing. And you know my parents the problems. 472 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 1: You know, everybody felt the same way. So it boiled 473 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:00,160 Speaker 1: down to two schools, right, I had you man, if 474 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:02,440 Speaker 1: that wanted to recruit me, they wanted me take lou 475 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:05,119 Speaker 1: row spot. And then my high school coach is like, no, 476 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: he's not a four or five. He's just forced to 477 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 1: play this position at Lincoln. He's a he's a he's 478 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,200 Speaker 1: he's a legit small forward. So and I think that's 479 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 1: when Calipari was there and um, jem Bino, Um, Jeff 480 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 1: By know what's his name, yeah, Bill Beano Yeah yeah, 481 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: So they were there. So that didn't work out, and 482 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 1: then I narrowed down to two schools, right, so it 483 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:34,200 Speaker 1: was Rutgers University and Providence College. So I went on 484 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:38,640 Speaker 1: my my college visits. So my first college visit was 485 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 1: uh at an official college visit at Rutgers University. And 486 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 1: you know my parents, you know, they were heavily involved, uh, 487 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 1: the brothers heavily and involved. So my host was Charles Jones, 488 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:54,280 Speaker 1: so we you know, were Brooklyn guys. You know, you 489 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 1: know what we like to do. So he um, he 490 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: was my host. Um, and I went to a couple 491 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 1: I went to a practice, I went, I saw the 492 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:09,320 Speaker 1: facility and then at night he said, five, I got 493 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: you and then he showed me around campus and then 494 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 1: I just had a ball for the like that. I 495 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: just I had a great time. I thought I was 496 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 1: in Coney Allen with a bunch of intellectual people. So uh. 497 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: And when I get home to my my, my, my 498 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:29,880 Speaker 1: parents house the Braboman, they said, how was your visit? 499 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 1: I was like, oh my god, it was great. I 500 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 1: had the best time in my life. I'm going to 501 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: Ruckers University. They was like, okay, all right, that's fine, 502 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 1: but we don't want to make good decision yet. Let's 503 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:43,640 Speaker 1: let's let's try Providence. Let's let's take the officials, take 504 00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 1: another official of Prividence. You know, it's free, you're you're 505 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:49,720 Speaker 1: flying there. So I was like, all right, but I'm 506 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 1: going to Rutgers. So I was adamant about that. And 507 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:57,680 Speaker 1: I took my official visit at Providence College and Jason 508 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 1: Murdoch was my host, and he takes me to the 509 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 1: Whitest Club and the whole Providence Rhode Allen area. I 510 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 1: was like, Jay, this is like this is not my 511 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:16,000 Speaker 1: cup of tea. Like you know what I'm saying, like 512 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 1: we gotta get up out of here. And uh, you know, 513 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 1: I sort of practices and all that you know they 514 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 1: give you, they show you your jersey, your sneakers and 515 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: all that they try to tell you with that, and 516 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:33,320 Speaker 1: it was everything was closed and like like ten eleven 517 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: o'clock out there. I was like, now this ain't for me. 518 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:39,840 Speaker 1: This ain't for me. So I went back home to 519 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 1: my parents and I told about the my Providence College experience. 520 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:47,320 Speaker 1: I was like, now this this ain't for me. Providence 521 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:51,600 Speaker 1: is not I I'd rather go to Rutgers. And then 522 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: you know, they had to talk with me that was like, well, 523 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 1: you gotta look at Rukas like is living in Coney 524 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: Allen well all the distractions right, and then you gotta 525 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: look at Providences like not living over where they live 526 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: at Fort Sae, but a place where you can focus, right, 527 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:14,920 Speaker 1: So where you think you would be your most successful 528 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:22,720 Speaker 1: at off the court. So I'm like, well that that 529 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: would be Providence. So they said, when you think it'd 530 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 1: be smart to go to Providence College so you can 531 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 1: be successful off the court, we we we have every 532 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: all the faith in you that you're gonna do well 533 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,959 Speaker 1: on the court. But you're in college now and you're 534 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 1: gonna be by yourself. You don't have no tutores. You 535 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 1: don't have all this these people to help you in 536 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:44,600 Speaker 1: urt you, so you're gonna be on your home. So 537 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:47,200 Speaker 1: that's how we came up with the decision to go 538 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:53,320 Speaker 1: to Providence. So okay, so you so you go from like, man, 539 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:56,560 Speaker 1: this is the spot is close enough to home to 540 00:31:56,560 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: to this other place that feels foreign. But now champ 541 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 1: I goes there too. What do you remember when you 542 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 1: when you said all right, you're going back, when you 543 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 1: first show up, what was it like? Well, um that 544 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:10,840 Speaker 1: I was the hook for a lot of guys to 545 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:14,440 Speaker 1: go to Providence because that was cool with Sham and 546 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 1: Derek Brown was like, you know, my brother from Corney, Allen. 547 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:23,720 Speaker 1: So I'm like, you know, say I'm going to problem. 548 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 1: I'm I'm I'm signing. I'm signing. You know, I signed 549 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 1: before the season started my senior year. I'm signing like 550 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: tomorrow whatever. He's like, after, you're going to problems. I'm 551 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:39,040 Speaker 1: going to right. So coach, you know, Coach Gonzo was 552 00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: getting me on the phone with these guys to try 553 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: to hook him in. I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna. I'm 554 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 1: I didn't know how to hook anybody in or sell anything. 555 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: I'm like, yeah, I'm just going to problems. They're like, 556 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:49,120 Speaker 1: why are you going? I'm going to and it was 557 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 1: just like that, you know, just like some neighborhood stuff 558 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 1: like you're going over there to the club, I'm going too. 559 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:59,200 Speaker 1: So that's what happened that second year. You went on 560 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: the Elite eight. And what was what people don't remember 561 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:06,600 Speaker 1: about that team was you guys you went small before 562 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: playing small was cool, right, liked Garson, Ruben was was 563 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:16,400 Speaker 1: like he was like your five, but he was basically 564 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:19,160 Speaker 1: a four. And then you had Austin who could who 565 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:21,400 Speaker 1: could you know, play outside the three, and you guys 566 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: just opened up the lane for you and for for 567 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 1: for god, and it was it was That was what 568 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:31,200 Speaker 1: I remember about that team was that how it was 569 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:33,320 Speaker 1: like going into the year. Was that the plan or 570 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 1: that just that just kind of happened over time and 571 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: the coaches figured it out. Yeah, that that definitely happened 572 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 1: over time, and the coaches figured out, you know, we 573 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:50,520 Speaker 1: we're a culturable kids like myself, sham koit right, and 574 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 1: you know dark Brown and Ruben. Yeah, we're coachable, but 575 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 1: sometimes you just gotta let players just just hope. You 576 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:01,040 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying, you know, say, you know how 577 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 1: this does you make a mistake and you got in 578 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:04,760 Speaker 1: your head like if I made a turn out, I'm 579 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:07,920 Speaker 1: gonna try to go get the still like so in 580 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:12,239 Speaker 1: the tournament he was letting us do that because he 581 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: didn't have no choice, like he can't just take everybody else, 582 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,000 Speaker 1: because you know, it's like come on, like coach, like 583 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:19,640 Speaker 1: you know you'll get this powering thing. But during the 584 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 1: season he was there was too much control, like you 585 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:24,520 Speaker 1: do this, to do that, go to this spot and 586 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:28,279 Speaker 1: that spot. But when the tournament happened, the dogs came 587 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:33,279 Speaker 1: out and then you know, we're very unselfish players like 588 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 1: myself and Sham and it was easy to find Austin. 589 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: And I remember Austin the first game is like Austin 590 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:42,799 Speaker 1: comes like he hits his first like three shots and 591 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:45,880 Speaker 1: then then like he hot and we just started feeding him. 592 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:50,960 Speaker 1: Or I think also, how about like forty and those 593 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:53,959 Speaker 1: A lot of those games wasn't a rooting Dousters game, 594 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:58,279 Speaker 1: right the route Rupe mcgston game was for It was 595 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:01,200 Speaker 1: for the second round, right, But when we played Dupe, 596 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 1: because they were kind of small, like Sean McLeod and 597 00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 1: Steve Woods your house, trading lane in and and Jeff Chapel, 598 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:13,759 Speaker 1: Like they were kind of small, so we matched their height, 599 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:17,480 Speaker 1: but they didn't match our intensity because they didn't know 600 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:22,359 Speaker 1: what to expect. Wow, I mean, God was just too 601 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:25,640 Speaker 1: athletic for to Joe you know, how to keep in front. 602 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:27,600 Speaker 1: And the way they played, because we played in the 603 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:29,719 Speaker 1: next year in de tournament, the way they played like 604 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:33,839 Speaker 1: they just pressured everything. Right, but you gotta be able 605 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:36,760 Speaker 1: to contain the ball, and you ain't pressured in sham 606 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:43,319 Speaker 1: got Wells you know. No, no, no, we had and 607 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:45,600 Speaker 1: we we grew up with that type of pressure, like 608 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:50,200 Speaker 1: we're gonna break that like easy, Like we understand the 609 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: power of the ball faking the press, like I could 610 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:55,359 Speaker 1: get the whole defense to shift one way just by 611 00:35:55,400 --> 00:36:00,279 Speaker 1: a ball fake and then pass to the head. What yeah, 612 00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:07,560 Speaker 1: why didn't you leave early? Um? I wasn't. I wasn't 613 00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:15,040 Speaker 1: really ready. I mean I probably I was ready, uh 614 00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:18,400 Speaker 1: you know, physically, but I don't know if I was 615 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:24,799 Speaker 1: ready mentally. And but but that that sounds I mean 616 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:28,560 Speaker 1: like look that today, that's out like wow. But most 617 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:33,200 Speaker 1: guys aren't ready mentally emotionally, even if they already physically. 618 00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:37,959 Speaker 1: They still go sham got left right? But why why 619 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:39,920 Speaker 1: did why did you stay? I mean you had you 620 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 1: go on to run. You're shooting a high percentage from 621 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 1: three right, like, and you know people are like, well, 622 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:47,920 Speaker 1: don't go back to school because then they'll pick you apart. Like, 623 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:50,520 Speaker 1: I'm just wondering. Was it the brave men's that were 624 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:52,600 Speaker 1: telling you that? Did you know inside yourself you're not 625 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:55,400 Speaker 1: ready for all that? Oh? Yeah, well you know they 626 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:58,239 Speaker 1: played a major role in that. Like everything with them 627 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 1: was like degreed, degreed, degreed degree degree. Yeah, so I mean, 628 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,920 Speaker 1: I know I definitely wasn't. I wasn't even think about 629 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 1: to be honest, I see, dog, I'm gonna keep it 630 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:12,440 Speaker 1: roll with you. I like you do you know what 631 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 1: I'm saying you You're a biggiest guy. And then you 632 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: went off and left us. When Steph got drafted in 633 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:23,480 Speaker 1: nineties six, I was after I was at the draft. 634 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:27,400 Speaker 1: I saw the energy. I uh, I saw the workout 635 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:29,680 Speaker 1: that he was, the work that he was putting in 636 00:37:29,719 --> 00:37:32,960 Speaker 1: to get there. And then when it happened, I'm like, oh, 637 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:35,640 Speaker 1: this this ship really can happen. Because we had a 638 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:38,359 Speaker 1: bunch of boy players from my neighborhood and Corney Allen. 639 00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:40,799 Speaker 1: That was very good that we was close to, you know, 640 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:43,160 Speaker 1: making it, but they just didn't make it because maybe 641 00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:46,440 Speaker 1: one had a baby, one got shot, or one then 642 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:48,600 Speaker 1: finished school and dropped out. It was it was a 643 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:51,880 Speaker 1: whole bunch of reasons why whatever. Even though they were lazy, 644 00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:54,120 Speaker 1: they you know, they didn't want to put the work in. 645 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:58,160 Speaker 1: So when step did it, I was like, hoh, Ship, 646 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:00,600 Speaker 1: like we can actually do it because he done it 647 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:03,919 Speaker 1: and I saw it. So that summer in ninety six, 648 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,040 Speaker 1: I put in a lot of work and I had 649 00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:10,640 Speaker 1: the mentality that I was gonna leave after my sophomore year, 650 00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:13,600 Speaker 1: no matter what the brother to say or anything. So 651 00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:20,480 Speaker 1: m our first tournament was in Alaska at Alaska fair 652 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:26,719 Speaker 1: Banks and average about like twenty two and eleven. And 653 00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:30,959 Speaker 1: that in that tournament, right, I was just being a dog. 654 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:33,360 Speaker 1: I was shooting a fishing. I was just you know, 655 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:38,960 Speaker 1: I was just being really aggressive. And when I got 656 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:44,680 Speaker 1: when we got back to Providence after that tournament, coach 657 00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:49,319 Speaker 1: just took the ball out of my hands. Took the 658 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:51,799 Speaker 1: ball out of my hands. He said, Jamal, when it's 659 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,799 Speaker 1: your turn, I'll let you you know, you know, you'll 660 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:56,440 Speaker 1: be the guy but right now, you gotta pass the 661 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:59,920 Speaker 1: ball to the seniors. And mainly he said I had 662 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:01,840 Speaker 1: to pass the ball. I don't want to you know what, 663 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:04,480 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. He said, I've had to 664 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:08,279 Speaker 1: pass the ball to Austin. He just saved Derrick Brown. 665 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:09,800 Speaker 1: He said, I have to pass the ball to Austin. 666 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:15,040 Speaker 1: And I kind of I blew up, like just blew up. 667 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:18,239 Speaker 1: Like we just went back and forth, you know. And 668 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:21,640 Speaker 1: sometimes when you when somebody tried to take advantage of me, 669 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:24,880 Speaker 1: like I go, I I go back to that. I 670 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:26,560 Speaker 1: don't have a mother, I don't have a father, don't 671 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:28,920 Speaker 1: have nobody protecting me. So I gotta protect myself right 672 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:31,879 Speaker 1: here and then in this situation. And that's what I've done. 673 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:36,880 Speaker 1: And then the next game I got suspended because I 674 00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:39,279 Speaker 1: felt that I was like I was protecting myself and 675 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 1: but coach Gillen felt like I was disrespecting them. So 676 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:46,239 Speaker 1: ever since then, I went from averaging twenty two and 677 00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:52,319 Speaker 1: eleven to like fourteen and five my junior year. So 678 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:54,720 Speaker 1: I got in trouble another dame, right, so I trst. 679 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:57,879 Speaker 1: I gotta Oakoma State. My junior year, I started three 680 00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:02,200 Speaker 1: years so I was average in like thirteen and ten, 681 00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:07,359 Speaker 1: and we play We play Florida Atlantic. We played out 682 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:09,759 Speaker 1: in Hawaii. We won this tournament and I played good. 683 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,360 Speaker 1: Came back. We played TCU, they had Lee Alon. We 684 00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:15,680 Speaker 1: beat them, and we're ranked like six in the country. 685 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:20,560 Speaker 1: And we played Florida Atlantic. And we have um like 686 00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:25,440 Speaker 1: a former player who's like grad assistant for year Brooks Thompson, 687 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:27,120 Speaker 1: God rest his soul, right, he died a couple of 688 00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:29,800 Speaker 1: years ago and Brooks, they just come out of the 689 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:33,080 Speaker 1: league and they let Brooks do the scatterport. And so 690 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:37,840 Speaker 1: he's like, these guys are so shitty if you don't 691 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:41,040 Speaker 1: beat him by thirty. And we used to have coach 692 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:44,120 Speaker 1: es to have these things where he'd have like, okay, 693 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:47,240 Speaker 1: you must we must shoot above fifty. They must shoot 694 00:40:47,239 --> 00:40:50,760 Speaker 1: below forty. They must be held below sixty, we must 695 00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:53,840 Speaker 1: score above seventy, like and if you hit all of these, 696 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:57,320 Speaker 1: there's no practice tomorrow. If not, I'll see at seven am. 697 00:40:57,320 --> 00:40:59,719 Speaker 1: Like there wasn't even any discussion about it, right, So 698 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:03,319 Speaker 1: he's fun coaches rules. If you don't smoke them, run 699 00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:05,440 Speaker 1: them out of the gym. I do not respect you. 700 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:07,200 Speaker 1: You can out wear these uniforms. And like that was 701 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:10,080 Speaker 1: the skind of report. So we get this game and 702 00:41:10,680 --> 00:41:13,360 Speaker 1: all they're doing their plan. We had only four guards 703 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:18,040 Speaker 1: eligible because remember glenn and Alexander, so Glennon had transferred 704 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:21,359 Speaker 1: from Arkansas and McDonald's American from Arkansas, but he wasn't 705 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:26,759 Speaker 1: eligible for a couple of games. So, um, we have 706 00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:28,480 Speaker 1: a big guy out there, big six ten dude, and 707 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:31,120 Speaker 1: they're just playing like all six four or six five 708 00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:34,279 Speaker 1: and below dudes. We're not playing won't play zone and 709 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:36,160 Speaker 1: they're just running little flex and then when they get 710 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:37,960 Speaker 1: into a big guy, go one four flat and just 711 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:43,080 Speaker 1: doing us right, doing our big guy. So we end 712 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:45,799 Speaker 1: up losing to them on some crazy ship and I 713 00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:49,080 Speaker 1: got a technical foul and we lost by one on 714 00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:51,800 Speaker 1: a crazy play. But I had like eight and eighteen 715 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:54,360 Speaker 1: assists and like and I had to sit for like 716 00:41:54,360 --> 00:41:56,560 Speaker 1: five or six minutes because I got a tea. Then 717 00:41:56,600 --> 00:41:58,200 Speaker 1: we play U C L A and I get two 718 00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:00,200 Speaker 1: teas and I get thrown out and so I got bit. 719 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:03,160 Speaker 1: So I went that year this is where I feel. 720 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:05,440 Speaker 1: Yet I actually lead the country and assist and I 721 00:42:05,480 --> 00:42:09,919 Speaker 1: played the fewest minutes per game of my entire career, 722 00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:12,640 Speaker 1: like twenty six minutes a game, because like I went 723 00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:14,520 Speaker 1: through eight games where I barely played, like I was 724 00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:18,239 Speaker 1: buried up in the doghouts. And so then you're like, wait, 725 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:20,600 Speaker 1: should I even come back here? Should I even be here? 726 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:23,799 Speaker 1: Should I go and make money playing pro? Right? Like 727 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:27,120 Speaker 1: all that stuff is spinning through, and so I do think. 728 00:42:27,239 --> 00:42:30,000 Speaker 1: But then you did come back after the eight and 729 00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:34,040 Speaker 1: now you just started started bawling out. Was he true 730 00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:35,759 Speaker 1: to his work? Did you get did you get to 731 00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:40,760 Speaker 1: have the ball in your hands as you got older? Well? See, 732 00:42:41,680 --> 00:42:43,920 Speaker 1: I know he was a powerful guy because every summer 733 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:47,600 Speaker 1: he was with the US the USA team, right, what 734 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:52,680 Speaker 1: what the college players or whatever? I think NBA players too. Yeah, yeah, 735 00:42:53,080 --> 00:42:59,480 Speaker 1: And his promise was when you become a senior, I'll 736 00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:02,000 Speaker 1: do the same anything for you. That was his promise. 737 00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:10,719 Speaker 1: So after my junior year he left and went to Virginia. 738 00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:14,200 Speaker 1: So I didn't respect him as a man anymore for 739 00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:17,640 Speaker 1: his word. But he was telling me that, and I 740 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:22,560 Speaker 1: gotta take care of my family. You know, I'm like, okay, 741 00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:26,480 Speaker 1: But a man has his word, that's all he has, right, 742 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:30,400 Speaker 1: And I've been a young adult for a long time, 743 00:43:31,719 --> 00:43:35,120 Speaker 1: and that's where we had our disagreements. And you know 744 00:43:35,719 --> 00:43:38,239 Speaker 1: when he when he did leave, I said a good 745 00:43:38,239 --> 00:43:41,400 Speaker 1: speech on his behalf and you know how he was, 746 00:43:41,719 --> 00:43:44,800 Speaker 1: you know, a mentor and it was a good coach 747 00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:49,440 Speaker 1: or whatever. But ever since then, UM, I didn't really 748 00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:52,359 Speaker 1: want to be have no part with him because he 749 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:55,600 Speaker 1: wasn't a man of his word after he took the 750 00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:58,920 Speaker 1: ball out of my hand, because you're saying you have 751 00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:02,200 Speaker 1: to feed your family when I was out there trying 752 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:05,160 Speaker 1: to be a dog to fee mine, you know what 753 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:09,400 Speaker 1: I'm saying. So and that's what happened. I mean, I 754 00:44:09,440 --> 00:44:13,239 Speaker 1: love coach going to this day, but you know I 755 00:44:13,719 --> 00:44:18,600 Speaker 1: would never forget that. Um. All right, so you're now 756 00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:22,480 Speaker 1: you're like twisting in the wind. Tim Welch comes in 757 00:44:24,600 --> 00:44:27,440 Speaker 1: and like like you're paying the picture. You're somebody who 758 00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:29,279 Speaker 1: you've been a young adult for a long time. You're 759 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:31,759 Speaker 1: trying to read people. Now you don't trust anybody because 760 00:44:31,760 --> 00:44:34,440 Speaker 1: the coaches said, hey, wait till your senior year. He bounces. 761 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:38,560 Speaker 1: What was it like? Tim? Was? Well? Tim, Tim set 762 00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:40,520 Speaker 1: the tone from the beginning. He let me know what 763 00:44:40,560 --> 00:44:43,440 Speaker 1: it was gonna be, and he demonstrated it all the 764 00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:46,520 Speaker 1: way to the tea and and that was it. Like 765 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:49,959 Speaker 1: Tim was a good guy. I love Tim Welch. Tim 766 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:52,640 Speaker 1: was a good guy. What was that like? What was 767 00:44:52,719 --> 00:44:57,279 Speaker 1: it like your senior year considering you know, your sophomore year, 768 00:44:57,360 --> 00:45:02,319 Speaker 1: you guys had that run God leaves right, um, And 769 00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:04,760 Speaker 1: I know, I know how it is like you're putting 770 00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:08,840 Speaker 1: pressure on yourself because you think every bucket is more money, 771 00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:12,040 Speaker 1: every every great performance is more money. But that's there's 772 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:15,319 Speaker 1: a lot of pressure in that. Was it enjoyable to 773 00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:19,520 Speaker 1: be the dude your senior year? Yeah? Of course, I 774 00:45:19,520 --> 00:45:24,560 Speaker 1: mean I I don't. I never looked at basketball pressure 775 00:45:24,719 --> 00:45:27,799 Speaker 1: as pressure, like I grew up in pressure, like I 776 00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:30,880 Speaker 1: grew up without a mom and dad. Like basketball was 777 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:34,680 Speaker 1: just it was. It was activity for me to not 778 00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:37,120 Speaker 1: think about that the stuff that I grew up with. 779 00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:41,440 Speaker 1: So I never thought about pressure on the court. I 780 00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:45,120 Speaker 1: was just out there having fun. And Coach Welles he 781 00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:48,560 Speaker 1: did his best, as the best of his ability to 782 00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:51,279 Speaker 1: make sure that we had fun. He came up with 783 00:45:51,320 --> 00:45:54,279 Speaker 1: like a New York City playing style, like pressing like 784 00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:59,400 Speaker 1: every after every make you know, which was it was 785 00:45:59,440 --> 00:46:01,520 Speaker 1: a lot of fun. So it wasn't It wasn't no 786 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:09,480 Speaker 1: pressure at all. So you finish, did you get your degree. Absolutely, 787 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:14,720 Speaker 1: what what what do you remember about that my degree? 788 00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:18,920 Speaker 1: About getting it? About the moment where you're like, you know, 789 00:46:19,080 --> 00:46:21,719 Speaker 1: like I'm sure that the problem is there. You know, 790 00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:24,759 Speaker 1: everybody's around you, like, I don't know in the moment, 791 00:46:24,800 --> 00:46:29,680 Speaker 1: did you realize that, like how monumental. Every statistic that 792 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:32,839 Speaker 1: you will look at says that from your home, from 793 00:46:32,880 --> 00:46:36,880 Speaker 1: your background and your upbringing, the likelihood of you getting 794 00:46:36,920 --> 00:46:41,080 Speaker 1: a college degree is the smallest percentage, right, And you 795 00:46:41,239 --> 00:46:45,280 Speaker 1: overcame all those obstacles to not only hoop and hoop 796 00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:48,600 Speaker 1: well but also get a degree. Did you like when 797 00:46:48,640 --> 00:46:50,560 Speaker 1: you was it special to you at all when you 798 00:46:50,640 --> 00:46:53,000 Speaker 1: got it? I know it's special to them because they 799 00:46:53,080 --> 00:46:55,200 Speaker 1: knew what you've gone through? Did it at the time? 800 00:46:55,239 --> 00:47:01,120 Speaker 1: Did it matter? Of course? It mattered, No, mattered. But 801 00:47:01,160 --> 00:47:03,480 Speaker 1: at the time I really didn't know how big it was. 802 00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:06,880 Speaker 1: Even though I didn't I didn't have a family member 803 00:47:06,960 --> 00:47:09,160 Speaker 1: that I grew up with I had a degree, so 804 00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:12,120 Speaker 1: I never saw the paper until I got you know, 805 00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:15,160 Speaker 1: with the broblem is. But I was just I was 806 00:47:15,239 --> 00:47:19,600 Speaker 1: just going through a lot, and the people in the 807 00:47:19,640 --> 00:47:23,840 Speaker 1: audience made me realized how big it was, Like, you know, 808 00:47:23,880 --> 00:47:26,400 Speaker 1: Coach Gillen came down from Virginia. He popped up. I 809 00:47:26,440 --> 00:47:29,560 Speaker 1: was like, oh ship, like my mentor came and it 810 00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:31,320 Speaker 1: was it was a lot of people that I didn't 811 00:47:31,320 --> 00:47:34,640 Speaker 1: know that was gonna come to this. So you know, 812 00:47:34,719 --> 00:47:39,880 Speaker 1: my um my graduation and that's when I realized, like, wow, 813 00:47:39,920 --> 00:47:42,800 Speaker 1: this this is really a huge thing, you know what 814 00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:46,680 Speaker 1: I'm saying. And once I when I graduated, the problems 815 00:47:46,719 --> 00:47:49,280 Speaker 1: like you got that paper, that's the most important paper 816 00:47:49,280 --> 00:47:52,799 Speaker 1: you need, so you know me, I'm thinking about like 817 00:47:52,880 --> 00:48:02,120 Speaker 1: now when is these workouts? Ye? That first early second? Yeah, okay, 818 00:48:02,200 --> 00:48:06,239 Speaker 1: So so uh I want to I want to end 819 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:08,120 Speaker 1: part one on this. I want to do another one 820 00:48:08,239 --> 00:48:13,000 Speaker 1: on your pro career and your clothing line and everything 821 00:48:13,040 --> 00:48:15,560 Speaker 1: else if you have time another time in the very 822 00:48:15,600 --> 00:48:22,359 Speaker 1: near future. But Draft night, it's uh, it's I mean, 823 00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:26,719 Speaker 1: you were a great college player and all, and and 824 00:48:26,840 --> 00:48:30,960 Speaker 1: your your brother Bassie is it the top is a 825 00:48:30,960 --> 00:48:35,239 Speaker 1: lottery pick. Staff is the fourth pick God has picked. Right, 826 00:48:35,280 --> 00:48:38,880 Speaker 1: There's just I'm so did you know you wouldn't get dragged? 827 00:48:38,920 --> 00:48:42,279 Speaker 1: Like what what was the thinking going into it? We 828 00:48:42,360 --> 00:48:46,480 Speaker 1: have we have to do a part too of this, yes, yes, 829 00:48:46,560 --> 00:48:47,920 Speaker 1: so you want to you want to start part two 830 00:48:47,920 --> 00:48:52,239 Speaker 1: with that. Yes, we can start with that. Okay, that's 831 00:48:52,280 --> 00:48:56,399 Speaker 1: a big ship right there, dog are you If you're 832 00:48:56,400 --> 00:48:58,080 Speaker 1: okay with it, that's gonna be a great ship. So 833 00:48:58,120 --> 00:48:59,880 Speaker 1: this is a good like little little teaser for us. 834 00:49:00,040 --> 00:49:06,080 Speaker 1: Cool yep, absolutely all right? Uh um, all right for 835 00:49:06,480 --> 00:49:09,560 Speaker 1: you before we go. Your clothing line for people who 836 00:49:09,560 --> 00:49:13,839 Speaker 1: haven't seen it. Okay, there is all your gear. Your 837 00:49:13,920 --> 00:49:17,800 Speaker 1: logo is it's like a man holding a basketball behind 838 00:49:18,160 --> 00:49:21,560 Speaker 1: his back and reaching out to a kid. What is 839 00:49:21,560 --> 00:49:28,640 Speaker 1: that symbolize? The symbolize? Imagine you as an adult can 840 00:49:28,640 --> 00:49:32,560 Speaker 1: tell yourself as a kid, after all the things that 841 00:49:32,600 --> 00:49:36,520 Speaker 1: you've been through, right, I don't worry about nothing. I 842 00:49:36,600 --> 00:49:43,399 Speaker 1: got you back. So that's where the symbolizes. Is that 843 00:49:43,719 --> 00:49:47,000 Speaker 1: is that all of your mentors or is that one 844 00:49:47,040 --> 00:49:50,959 Speaker 1: person specifically you know you want to be for your kid? Like? What? Who? Who? 845 00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:55,000 Speaker 1: Is the image there? That image? The image is myself 846 00:49:55,040 --> 00:49:59,160 Speaker 1: as an adult and myself as a little boy. That 847 00:49:59,239 --> 00:50:02,560 Speaker 1: little boys are hurting kid right there? He lost his 848 00:50:02,560 --> 00:50:06,880 Speaker 1: his mom, He never met his his dad. Um he 849 00:50:06,960 --> 00:50:11,880 Speaker 1: has to, um, you know, go live in a dysfunctional house. 850 00:50:12,719 --> 00:50:15,680 Speaker 1: Like so everything the world was against him. He was 851 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:19,000 Speaker 1: he was broken. This kid was broken. So imagine as 852 00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:22,960 Speaker 1: that yourself, as an successful individual, you can tell your 853 00:50:23,560 --> 00:50:26,560 Speaker 1: younger self that's gonna have the the the craziest path 854 00:50:26,680 --> 00:50:29,200 Speaker 1: that you can ever imagine that, don't worry about it. 855 00:50:29,239 --> 00:50:31,919 Speaker 1: I got your back. Everything will be okay and yes, 856 00:50:31,960 --> 00:50:34,400 Speaker 1: and that's through all the mentoring that I that I 857 00:50:34,440 --> 00:50:37,440 Speaker 1: had and the Brahmans you know, you know, you know, 858 00:50:37,560 --> 00:50:42,080 Speaker 1: my adoptive, my you know, even my community. Everybody played 859 00:50:42,200 --> 00:50:47,480 Speaker 1: a role in me becoming a man. So that's the image. 860 00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:51,600 Speaker 1: How can somebody get ahold of your gear? Go to 861 00:50:51,800 --> 00:50:56,560 Speaker 1: jamal j A M E l n Y dot com 862 00:50:56,640 --> 00:50:58,840 Speaker 1: and the website is laid out and we're about to 863 00:50:58,880 --> 00:51:01,120 Speaker 1: come out a new collection and in a couple of weeks. 864 00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:05,920 Speaker 1: That's great. All right, listen, let's schedule part two. Uh 865 00:51:05,960 --> 00:51:09,600 Speaker 1: anytime you want um, and just know we're going. If 866 00:51:09,640 --> 00:51:13,800 Speaker 1: you think that's deep, we're going deeper. Okay, We're going deeper. 867 00:51:14,520 --> 00:51:18,120 Speaker 1: I'm here for well man. I appreciate your time. All right, 868 00:51:18,200 --> 00:51:23,200 Speaker 1: thanks dog, that was great. I'm sure you can't wait 869 00:51:23,360 --> 00:51:28,080 Speaker 1: till part two. Neither can I. So I could ramble 870 00:51:28,120 --> 00:51:30,640 Speaker 1: on and on about other stuff, let's just pack that 871 00:51:30,760 --> 00:51:33,759 Speaker 1: thing in after this one. Take have you noticed that 872 00:51:33,840 --> 00:51:37,920 Speaker 1: Kevin Rants the best player in basketball? Yeah, I noticed 873 00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:39,960 Speaker 1: it three or four years ago. I know that you 874 00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:42,080 Speaker 1: can make the argument Lebron has been more valuable to 875 00:51:42,120 --> 00:51:44,200 Speaker 1: his team over those past three or four years. And 876 00:51:44,200 --> 00:51:47,160 Speaker 1: of course Kdi missed most missed all of last season, 877 00:51:47,800 --> 00:51:49,880 Speaker 1: and you know, both parts of last season, and then 878 00:51:49,920 --> 00:51:52,680 Speaker 1: missed a bunch of time. Now he's the best player 879 00:51:52,680 --> 00:51:54,560 Speaker 1: on the planet. I think that man On was patched 880 00:51:54,760 --> 00:51:58,120 Speaker 1: past when they first played the Calves his first year 881 00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:00,640 Speaker 1: at Golden State. In the second off of those games, 882 00:52:00,719 --> 00:52:02,759 Speaker 1: Lebron was guarding him, and he was guarding le Bron, 883 00:52:02,840 --> 00:52:05,200 Speaker 1: and he was the better player. And yes, his team won. 884 00:52:06,080 --> 00:52:07,799 Speaker 1: But I guess now, if your tear dudes up in 885 00:52:07,800 --> 00:52:11,359 Speaker 1: the playoffs, people start to figure it out. Be sure 886 00:52:11,400 --> 00:52:13,000 Speaker 1: to tune in and listen to The Doug Gotlieb Show 887 00:52:13,080 --> 00:52:16,000 Speaker 1: daily three to six Eastern twelve to three Pacific. You 888 00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:17,480 Speaker 1: can listen to the I Heart Radio app. You can 889 00:52:17,480 --> 00:52:19,840 Speaker 1: download the podcast. Did that as well. I'm Doug Gottlieb 890 00:52:19,880 --> 00:52:21,160 Speaker 1: in this his Elbowl