WEBVTT - CHRIS MATTHEWS (aka “LETHAL SHOOTER”) 0:00:09.039 --> 0:00:12.800 Shooting a basketball is one form of therapy for me, 0:00:13.280 --> 0:00:16.919 preferably in an empty gym or a deserted park. It 0:00:17.040 --> 0:00:21.800 can be flow state, pure bliss when my shots are falling. 0:00:22.200 --> 0:00:25.439 Problem is a'mount of talented shooter. I never was a 0:00:25.480 --> 0:00:29.720 real hooper, so plenty of days there's zero consistency and 0:00:30.000 --> 0:00:34.479 zero flow. So last year I posted my frustrations on 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:37.680 Instagram at a whole bunch of comments suggested that only 0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:42.559 at lethal Shooter could salvage my jumper. Now he's the 0:00:42.560 --> 0:00:46.040 most famous, most sought after basketball skills coach on the planet. 0:00:46.479 --> 0:00:49.080 He's tutored NBA and w n B A grades and 0:00:49.120 --> 0:00:52.680 a collection of superstars from all over the entertainment world 0:00:53.080 --> 0:00:55.520 who just want to shoot better. He's made it an 0:00:55.640 --> 0:00:57.480 art form to put a nine and a half inch 0:00:57.560 --> 0:00:59.640 ball through an eighteen inch rim ten ft off the 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:03.680 ground from twenty two feet away and makes it look effortless. 0:01:04.640 --> 0:01:09.040 Lethal Shooter is Chris Matthews, and his story will inspire 0:01:09.120 --> 0:01:14.800 and motivate you. Chris has faced obstacles and setbacks, disappointments, heartbreak. 0:01:15.360 --> 0:01:18.880 He chased his long shot dream all over the globe 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:23.280 for years and always refused to quit. He was driven 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:26.679 to never let down the people who believed in him. 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:29.679 His discipline and focus are summed up by his motto 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:34.559 stay locked in. There was so much fun to get 0:01:34.600 --> 0:01:38.280 locked in on all kinds of topics, Chris's unique path 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:42.840 of success, how he coaches basketball legends and celebrities, and 0:01:43.000 --> 0:01:48.080 even video analysis of my shaky jump shot. Today, I've 0:01:48.080 --> 0:01:52.680 got Chris lethal shooter Matthews. Well, Chris, I'm grateful for 0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:57.440 your time. Millions of people know your shooting skills. Most 0:01:57.480 --> 0:01:59.680 of them probably know your credentials as a as a 0:01:59.680 --> 0:02:02.520 world around shooting coach. I think less people probably know 0:02:03.320 --> 0:02:09.280 your story. So from being a survivor and persevering and 0:02:09.400 --> 0:02:13.720 pivoting and grinding and creating for yourself a career and 0:02:13.800 --> 0:02:17.440 a life where there was zero blueprint for that before 0:02:17.480 --> 0:02:20.440 you came along. What's the headline? Will start with that 0:02:20.520 --> 0:02:22.720 and get to some other stuff. The headline of your story? 0:02:22.720 --> 0:02:26.360 Do you think people need to understand on an essential level? 0:02:27.560 --> 0:02:30.160 Just basically, you know, if you want to be successful 0:02:30.160 --> 0:02:32.360 in life, it's going to be a rough route. You 0:02:32.400 --> 0:02:35.400 know you're definitely gonna hit walls in life. Um, and 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:37.359 don't get distracted. I feel like I am where I 0:02:37.400 --> 0:02:40.280 am in life because the people that instilled to me 0:02:40.480 --> 0:02:43.919 that just they made me understand that my surroundings wasn't 0:02:43.919 --> 0:02:47.120 gonna dictate my outcome. So I grew up in the Washington, 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:50.480 D c. Area. Um, I grew up in a rough neighborhood. Um, 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:52.240 there's a lot of things going on, but those are 0:02:52.280 --> 0:02:54.320 things that I didn't get involved with. Those are things 0:02:54.360 --> 0:02:56.760 that I didn't distract me. UM. And I didn't allow 0:02:56.800 --> 0:02:59.000 those things to stop me because I always knew when 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:00.600 my goal was in life, but I didn't know what 0:03:00.639 --> 0:03:02.519 I wanted. You know, I thought I was gonna play basketball, 0:03:02.639 --> 0:03:04.440 though I was gonna be a teacher. I thought there 0:03:04.480 --> 0:03:06.799 was so many things going through my mind. And once 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:08.880 I figured out what I really wanted to do in life, 0:03:08.919 --> 0:03:11.040 you know, once it was a clear picture, I just 0:03:11.080 --> 0:03:12.880 went after it. But it wouldn't have started if I 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:14.800 didn't have the right people around me that gave me 0:03:14.840 --> 0:03:17.480 the foundation to just understand in life, you know you 0:03:17.480 --> 0:03:20.119 are gonna fail. Just stay focused. You're gonna have distraction 0:03:20.160 --> 0:03:23.040 in life, but stay focused and don't allow your community 0:03:23.440 --> 0:03:25.560 or the things around you to stop you. Because you 0:03:25.680 --> 0:03:28.519 you know you're a special one. You call them walls. 0:03:28.560 --> 0:03:30.760 Walls can be pretty thick and pretty high and pretty 0:03:30.800 --> 0:03:34.040 impenetrable and pretty hard to break through. What was it 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:35.880 inside of you? I know you got help and yet 0:03:35.920 --> 0:03:39.520 good mentors, What was it inside of you that helped 0:03:39.560 --> 0:03:41.560 you break through those walls when they were sharing right 0:03:41.600 --> 0:03:45.280 at you? Just basically a lot of my mentors that 0:03:45.360 --> 0:03:48.880 helped me, Um, they weren't really successful in their goal, 0:03:48.960 --> 0:03:51.160 if that makes sense. So the reason why they were 0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:53.480 so good to push me and to teach me is 0:03:53.520 --> 0:03:55.560 because they let me know where they stopped, They let 0:03:55.600 --> 0:03:57.760 me know where they failed. They let me know, um, 0:03:57.800 --> 0:03:59.880 how they've made mistakes. So that's why I was a 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:02.680 would skip a few steps to not make my mistakes 0:04:02.680 --> 0:04:04.080 in life. So when I did hit a wall and 0:04:04.080 --> 0:04:07.400 I did, UM want to quit? Um, I used. You know, 0:04:07.480 --> 0:04:09.800 I think about coaching nut, I'll think about my dad. 0:04:09.920 --> 0:04:12.480 I think about semi on different coaches that instill the 0:04:12.520 --> 0:04:15.320 toughness in me because they were honest with me, you know, 0:04:15.440 --> 0:04:17.680 especially my my dad that raised me. Like you know, 0:04:17.960 --> 0:04:19.880 I would have been this if I had kept up 0:04:19.920 --> 0:04:21.680 with this, So I would have been that if I 0:04:21.680 --> 0:04:24.279 wouldn't allow this, you know, stay away from drugs, stay 0:04:24.279 --> 0:04:26.720 away from alcohol. So I feel like those type of 0:04:26.760 --> 0:04:29.840 things definitely still to this day with me being the 0:04:29.920 --> 0:04:32.360 age I am with my family, I still and still that, 0:04:32.680 --> 0:04:36.160 you know, with myself and my and my kids. So 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:38.800 you were a pretty damn good shooter early. Thus the 0:04:38.920 --> 0:04:41.320 name lethal, right, that's not a marketing thing, that's not 0:04:41.360 --> 0:04:44.560 about branding. That's the name you got really young from 0:04:44.600 --> 0:04:47.720 somebody who was really important in your life. Yeah. Yeah, 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:49.480 So when I was younger, my dad used to call 0:04:49.520 --> 0:04:52.760 me lethal, but it wasn't lethal shooter. Uh And when 0:04:52.800 --> 0:04:54.880 I was coming up with this Instagram name, I was 0:04:54.960 --> 0:04:56.800 just confused. I didn't know what type of name I 0:04:56.839 --> 0:04:59.000 wanted to use. You know, back then, probably you're probably 0:04:59.000 --> 0:05:01.360 coming up with her name is. I was confused, So 0:05:01.400 --> 0:05:03.000 I said, when I was just coming up with lethal 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:05.920 shooter because my dad used to always call me lethal, 0:05:06.320 --> 0:05:08.600 and it's just an honor to have that name. He's 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:10.760 he's called me that since like middle school. And I 0:05:10.760 --> 0:05:13.479 definitely don't take a uh lightly because when my dad 0:05:13.520 --> 0:05:15.719 used to come to my games, I was always trying to, 0:05:15.960 --> 0:05:18.440 you know, just make him happy, and I felt, I 0:05:18.440 --> 0:05:20.520 felt that the best games I always plays when he 0:05:20.520 --> 0:05:22.040 was there because I was able to look at him, 0:05:22.040 --> 0:05:24.120 and I was able to get that like connection with 0:05:24.160 --> 0:05:25.680 my dad to know, like, I'm doing this for you 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:27.880 and I'm doing this for us, and I appreciate you 0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:29.960 for always believing in me. So you know, everything I 0:05:30.040 --> 0:05:33.960 do to this day, shooting videos, training clients, anything has 0:05:34.000 --> 0:05:36.400 to do with basketball, I'm thinking about my dad because 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:37.800 you know, I go back to all the way to 0:05:37.839 --> 0:05:40.360 like St. Gabriel's when my dad was with me elementary school, 0:05:40.360 --> 0:05:44.200 helping me with basketball. St. Botoventure was your second college. 0:05:44.480 --> 0:05:47.560 You shot lights out, but I'm told like you were 0:05:47.560 --> 0:05:51.400 always a born coach, whether it's in high school on college, 0:05:51.400 --> 0:05:53.600 you would look at other guys shots. You would always, 0:05:54.040 --> 0:05:57.160 besides developing yourself, had that kind of innaid ability to 0:05:57.160 --> 0:05:59.159 sort of help other people out, and they they sought 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:02.599 you out. As I've heard coaching be called a calling, 0:06:02.880 --> 0:06:04.960 you know, and you you kind of always seem to 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:09.000 have that calling. Yeah, absolutely, But you know I really 0:06:09.000 --> 0:06:11.560 didn't recognize until, like you know, when you get older, 0:06:11.640 --> 0:06:14.000 you know. Um. The person that really brought it to 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:17.320 my attention. Rest in Peace was coach John Thompson. One 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:19.560 time we were at Georgetown working out with the players 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:22.080 and a few guys were making mistakes on my team, 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:23.400 but I was just telling them how to fix the 0:06:23.440 --> 0:06:25.120 jump shot because I wanted to win the pick up games, 0:06:25.120 --> 0:06:27.040 you know what I mean, something like, hey, you know, 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:28.920 do this, do that when you shoot, do this, do 0:06:29.040 --> 0:06:31.800 this to that. And that's when he he pulled me 0:06:31.839 --> 0:06:33.800 to the side and say, hey, I want you to 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:36.320 help one of our guys with the artist shooting. And 0:06:36.360 --> 0:06:38.760 if you ever want to come here to help, to 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:41.040 be on staff, you can be on staff. And Georgetown 0:06:41.080 --> 0:06:42.760 is one of the first places that actually gave me 0:06:43.320 --> 0:06:45.760 opportunity if I wanted to be a coach. And then 0:06:45.800 --> 0:06:48.120 when I started realizing that my life, playing in France, 0:06:48.120 --> 0:06:51.239 playing in high school, playing at AU, I was always 0:06:51.240 --> 0:06:53.120 that guy that was trying to help my teammates, not 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:54.600 because I wanted to be a coach, you know what 0:06:54.600 --> 0:06:56.560 I mean. I was just trying to help them because 0:06:56.560 --> 0:06:58.520 they were on my team. So now that I'm able 0:06:58.839 --> 0:07:02.280 to help professional fleets, you know, help celebrities and and 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:04.240 just to help people in general, the art of shooting, 0:07:04.480 --> 0:07:06.839 it just comes natural because I love basketball and I 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:10.680 love helping others learn new things. Use that phrase art 0:07:10.680 --> 0:07:14.120 of shooting, not science, not anything else art. How do 0:07:14.160 --> 0:07:18.120 you define the art I'm shooting the ball. Yeah, I 0:07:18.200 --> 0:07:20.280 define as the art because it's something that I take 0:07:20.440 --> 0:07:23.400 very seriously. You know, my clients can tell you. Of course, 0:07:23.440 --> 0:07:25.560 the stuff I post on Instagram and I'm just having 0:07:25.600 --> 0:07:27.960 a good time when I'm posting celebrities and stuff. But 0:07:28.200 --> 0:07:30.680 when I trained my real clients like Sa Bonus and 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:34.560 Anthony Davis and Grayson Island, Bobby Portis, etcetera. List goes on. 0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:36.840 I take it very serious because it is an art. 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:39.480 It's something that starts from your toes all the way 0:07:39.520 --> 0:07:41.080 to your brain. You know, if you can't be an 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:45.600 elite shooter like Steph Curry or Clay Thompson or Kevin Durant, 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:48.880 if every single piece of your body doesn't understand what 0:07:48.920 --> 0:07:50.680 to do when you shoot the basketball, you know, it's 0:07:50.720 --> 0:07:53.080 just like somebody that's a good at pitching or Tiger 0:07:53.120 --> 0:07:55.800 Woods that's good in golf, like he can literally control 0:07:55.880 --> 0:07:58.040 everything when he's when he's hitting that ball. And that's 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:01.320 why it's an art because once like move, once like blank, 0:08:01.400 --> 0:08:03.440 that's wrong. If you don't breathe the right way, you 0:08:03.440 --> 0:08:05.600 can miss. And that's why the best of the best 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:09.120 and they they're able to control everything from top to bottom. 0:08:09.160 --> 0:08:10.760 And and that's why I feel like it's the art 0:08:10.760 --> 0:08:12.800 because it's just like a piece of artwork. You know, 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:15.920 when somebody paints something, it starts from from top to bottom. 0:08:15.920 --> 0:08:19.280 They don't just just put anything on the canvas. You 0:08:19.360 --> 0:08:23.760 work with kids, you mold jump shots from scratch, you 0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:27.080 work with beginners, You work with celebrities who are the elite. 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:30.120 But you also work with the elite shooters in the 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:33.440 world and offer ideas and tweak shots that are already good. 0:08:33.440 --> 0:08:37.199 So which part of that it's more satisfying to you? 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:40.600 I would say all of it, you know, I would 0:08:40.600 --> 0:08:43.200 say the most is the kids. Um when when I 0:08:43.240 --> 0:08:46.160 post doing stuff for the community, because you know, it's 0:08:46.200 --> 0:08:49.199 nothing like putting a smile on somebody's face, And I say, 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:51.200 you know, growing up, while I was growing up, I 0:08:51.280 --> 0:08:53.400 was blessed to have mentors to be there for me. 0:08:53.440 --> 0:08:55.120 But a lot of my friends that I grow with, 0:08:55.160 --> 0:08:57.280 a lot of people that I know in the communities 0:08:57.280 --> 0:08:59.000 that I grow with, they didn't have mentors to help 0:08:59.000 --> 0:09:00.959 with basketball. So that saw I'm always trying to take 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:03.800 the time to help you with the artist shooting. Most importantly, 0:09:03.840 --> 0:09:05.800 just to put a smile on their face. So you know, 0:09:05.840 --> 0:09:08.600 it's fun, you know, seeing people's numbers go up, you 0:09:08.600 --> 0:09:11.280 know as a blessing. You know, training people in the 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:14.120 next year, like Grant Williams, Like I had Grant Williams 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:16.280 last season and he finished like top five in the NBA. 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:18.840 You know, that's a blessing. That's fun. But I feel 0:09:18.880 --> 0:09:21.400 like helping the youth is what it's all about and 0:09:21.440 --> 0:09:24.199 giving back to the community. Yeah, we'll talk more about that, 0:09:24.200 --> 0:09:26.200 because I think you do a tremendous job of using 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:29.079 your fame and your platform and the fact that you're 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:31.880 looked up to by so many kids to give messages 0:09:31.920 --> 0:09:34.600 that a way beyond basketball. I definitely want to hear 0:09:34.600 --> 0:09:37.240 about that. When you watch you do shoot ball, how 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:39.840 long does it take to say this, this, and this 0:09:39.960 --> 0:09:41.559 gotta be better, this needs to be fixed. I'm talking 0:09:41.559 --> 0:09:44.920 about people who are already accomplished shooters and maybe aren't 0:09:44.920 --> 0:09:48.800 that used to feedback, aren't that used to being told, hey, 0:09:48.840 --> 0:09:51.760 you gotta fix this, because they're already making a lot 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:55.440 of money and they're already making shots. Yeah, you know, 0:09:55.640 --> 0:09:57.440 when when it comes to those type of players, you 0:09:57.440 --> 0:09:59.360 know you have to understand where they come from. You know, 0:09:59.520 --> 0:10:02.000 if I was training you and then right after you, 0:10:02.080 --> 0:10:05.160 I had to train Grason Island, you guys are two 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:07.040 different people. And that's what that's what we have to 0:10:07.040 --> 0:10:13.720 do with trainers. What what I'm saying, Like every every 0:10:13.800 --> 0:10:16.840 single person with my training, I don't teach everybody the 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:19.160 same way. So the one thing I do a good 0:10:19.240 --> 0:10:23.320 job is once I see somebody do something, I'll say, hey, 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:25.840 you know, hey, Chris Um, when you shoot the basketball, 0:10:25.880 --> 0:10:28.120 you love to jump left. What you do love to do, 0:10:28.280 --> 0:10:29.720 you know, So the one thing I want you to 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:32.800 do be more cognitive Chris, when you instead of jumping left, 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:34.200 I want you to do this, So I want you 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:37.880 to do that. Then when I see your your learning capacity, 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:40.840 what I do is, if you're a really high volume learner, 0:10:41.000 --> 0:10:44.839 I'll attack your mental really really fast with with multiple things. 0:10:45.120 --> 0:10:46.959 If I feel like I have to be tactful in 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:49.720 my teaching, I'll give you two small pieces so so 0:10:49.800 --> 0:10:52.640 your brain can consume all this. Because the reason why 0:10:52.679 --> 0:10:55.080 people muscle memories can change even at the early age, 0:10:55.360 --> 0:10:57.960 is not somebody can't do something. It's the way that 0:10:58.040 --> 0:11:00.800 somebody teaches them so that brain can understand how to 0:11:00.840 --> 0:11:02.920 do something repetitively, and that's why you're really good at 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:05.680 what you do, because when the camera cuts them, you know, okay, 0:11:05.679 --> 0:11:07.480 this is this is that, blah blah bah blah. But 0:11:07.559 --> 0:11:09.800 a lot of people, if they wasn't taught something the 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:12.760 right way, they can be sloppy in certain areas. And 0:11:12.800 --> 0:11:14.160 that's where I can come into place. As soon as 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:16.200 I see somebody shoot, as soon as I see their 0:11:16.240 --> 0:11:18.680 learning capacity, as soon as I see their ability to 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:22.480 consume what I'm saying, I know how to strategically attack 0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:24.719 their mental So as soon as they wake up in 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:27.600 the morning, they I'm they're they're waking up to my voice, 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:29.800 and that's what I want. I would assume if they 0:11:29.800 --> 0:11:32.200 come to you, that's funny they come to you, that 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:35.840 there's a need. They respect you, they know your reputation, 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:38.880 but doesn't mean that they're gonna take to tweaks and 0:11:38.960 --> 0:11:41.280 changes what they've done for a long time. So there's 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:42.800 got to be a push pull with these guys who 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:45.720 are so accomplished who you know. I hear you, but 0:11:46.400 --> 0:11:48.319 I'm not sure I buy it, And I gotta I 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:51.840 gotta work through it myself and see results. Yeah, I 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:55.400 love that because you know, NBA players are professionals, they 0:11:55.400 --> 0:11:58.440 are very arrogant and sometimes and I'll give you a 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:01.760 good example. Um after the Lakers season, me and Danny 0:12:01.760 --> 0:12:04.200 Green started. He's one of the best shooters of all time, 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:07.880 and he hired me to help him with the corner three. 0:12:08.160 --> 0:12:10.040 And I said, hey, man, these are things I want 0:12:10.080 --> 0:12:11.880 to change with the corner three. And he was like, 0:12:12.360 --> 0:12:14.320 I don't, I don't. I don't like that. So I said, 0:12:14.400 --> 0:12:16.920 let's do this. You shoot twenty your way and then 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:19.400 we'll shoot twenty with my way. And then he did 0:12:19.400 --> 0:12:21.040 his way, then my way, and he was like, all right, 0:12:21.080 --> 0:12:23.400 I'll stick to your way. So it's more when I 0:12:23.480 --> 0:12:26.320 trained certain guys, and I feel that tension a good 0:12:26.480 --> 0:12:28.600 Another good example was Bloody Hills as well, when I 0:12:28.600 --> 0:12:31.679 had him UH two a year ago as well. We 0:12:31.679 --> 0:12:32.960 were in the gym and he was like, I don't 0:12:32.960 --> 0:12:34.360 like this. I don't like that, and I said, okay, 0:12:34.520 --> 0:12:37.360 you shoot like this and we shoot twenty five my way. 0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:40.680 And a good thing about results you allow somebody to 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:44.320 sometimes revert to what they like and then you say, 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:46.600 you know what, do it my way and let's see 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:50.000 what what results are. Higher, and then once they see 0:12:50.040 --> 0:12:53.840 that your results are better. You know something, these guys 0:12:53.920 --> 0:12:56.280 and women are fools. They're gonna always go with it. 0:12:56.320 --> 0:12:58.040 But the one thing and the reason why they're the 0:12:58.120 --> 0:13:01.560 best is because they have that eric and attitude, because 0:13:01.600 --> 0:13:04.280 they're they're really tough on themselves. And sometimes when you 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:07.080 have clients who have that type of mental I love 0:13:07.120 --> 0:13:09.960 it because we're stimulating each other. I don't. I don't 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:12.360 just want to client. When I'm telling them something, they're 0:13:12.360 --> 0:13:15.440 not asking questions, they're not feeding and picking my head. 0:13:15.480 --> 0:13:17.480 You know. A good example is Grace and I trained 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:21.120 Grayson Island uh last week for about five days. Every 0:13:21.160 --> 0:13:23.160 time I trained him, he's picking my head. So why 0:13:23.200 --> 0:13:24.840 do you tell me how to do this? What is 0:13:24.840 --> 0:13:26.520 that for? And I'll say, hey, this is for that, 0:13:26.600 --> 0:13:28.440 this for this, this is fat Oh, I don't know. 0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:31.600 And that's the type of people that I'm stimulated by. 0:13:31.640 --> 0:13:33.440 And that's why I don't train a lot of people 0:13:33.480 --> 0:13:35.440 because a lot of people can't take that type of teaching. 0:13:36.080 --> 0:13:41.000 Any great teacher or coach demands that pay attention, giving 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:44.160 me feedback. Do not be like a spectator in your 0:13:44.160 --> 0:13:47.080 own education, right, a participant in it and then you, 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:50.560 but you're talking about some guys who are very high level. 0:13:50.600 --> 0:13:52.600 You guys are speaking the language in terms of shooting 0:13:52.600 --> 0:13:55.200 mechanics and not that many people are familiar with. But 0:13:55.240 --> 0:13:57.760 I think that's that's cool. And I've I've heard you 0:13:57.840 --> 0:14:01.520 say that as a coach is not affiliated with one team, 0:14:01.559 --> 0:14:04.360 you know you're not going to get a team championship ring. 0:14:04.400 --> 0:14:06.600 But when you work with the guy and you've helped 0:14:06.640 --> 0:14:10.280 him improve his shot and you see him collecting a 0:14:10.440 --> 0:14:14.480 ring or collecting a nine figure contract, and you know 0:14:14.559 --> 0:14:18.640 you played a role that it's a it's it's a 0:14:18.720 --> 0:14:23.200 huge blessing. You know. A good example is I wasn't 0:14:23.240 --> 0:14:25.840 able to train him as much this season because I 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:29.440 was with the Bonus so long. But two years ago 0:14:29.640 --> 0:14:31.960 I started with Kateavis called with Pope and I was 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:35.200 with him last year and they won the ring two 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:39.360 years ago in the bubble, and it felt like I 0:14:39.400 --> 0:14:41.040 want the ring, you know what I mean? Because I 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:43.240 understood how much work he put in. He almost broke 0:14:43.360 --> 0:14:46.760 Kobe's three point record playoff record, But people don't understand 0:14:46.800 --> 0:14:49.280 how much work he put in. And when he signed, 0:14:49.560 --> 0:14:53.280 he just resigned. And it feels good. Of course, like 0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:56.560 you're saying, I'm not rich. I'm not getting uh, seventy 0:14:56.560 --> 0:14:59.400 five million dollars or fifty million dollars. But to help 0:14:59.440 --> 0:15:03.000 other people feed their families and to get generational wealth 0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:06.760 and to help somebody reach their full potential, it feels 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:09.120 like fifty million dollars, you know what I mean. And 0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:12.160 another good example was is Bobby Porter. It's two years ago. 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:15.760 He hired me. The first year he shot forty seven 0:15:15.760 --> 0:15:18.440 percent from three, he was like top three in the NBA. 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:21.840 They wanted the year that I started with with Bobby, 0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:24.320 you know what I mean. And and when Bobby won 0:15:24.440 --> 0:15:27.360 that ring, seriously, I really mean this, I felt like 0:15:27.400 --> 0:15:29.200 I want to ring. I don't need to be there. 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:31.080 I don't need to touch the ring. I don't need 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:34.000 to go to the parties after your team goes out 0:15:34.120 --> 0:15:35.760 because I'm not here for them. I'm here to just 0:15:35.800 --> 0:15:38.680 be your coach. But like you're saying, that's the whole 0:15:38.720 --> 0:15:41.480 part of being a coach, it's about helping others succeed 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:43.600 and push them to a level that they didn't know 0:15:43.680 --> 0:15:46.720 they can reach. So it's priceless. I love that, man. 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:49.720 It's it's the process. It's not the spoils that you're 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:53.000 in it for. It's not the glamour and the accolades necessarily. 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:55.040 You know, and the person you've helped knows in a 0:15:55.120 --> 0:15:57.520 in a quiet way, what you did for them, and 0:15:57.960 --> 0:16:00.960 that I respect that all of this off is a 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:04.480 long way where you were. I want to backtrack now 0:16:04.560 --> 0:16:07.760 and get your journey. You know from Saint Bonaventure um 0:16:08.440 --> 0:16:10.200 you were going to make the league and that couldn't 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:11.680 have been an easy message. I don't know what you 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:14.200 figured your chances were, but you didn't give up on 0:16:14.280 --> 0:16:18.160 basketball and you pursued it around the world. It's one 0:16:18.200 --> 0:16:20.360 of the craziest pass I've ever heard of in in 0:16:20.440 --> 0:16:23.600 terms of the different places that you played around the 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:28.960 run down the places that that that basketball took you. Man. 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:32.120 I played in Russia, I played in China. I played 0:16:32.120 --> 0:16:35.640 in Iceland. I played in Switzerland. I played in Mexico. 0:16:35.880 --> 0:16:40.160 I mean, I've played everywhere, but like you're saying, nine 0:16:40.200 --> 0:16:42.920 point nine out of tend I've played in Bolivia, I've 0:16:43.040 --> 0:16:47.080 played in Peru, I played in Brazil. But every single 0:16:47.160 --> 0:16:49.680 place I have a story that is an injury or 0:16:49.800 --> 0:16:52.800 something that happened that I thought didn't happen. And I 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:57.840 feel like all of those moments are the reason why 0:16:57.880 --> 0:16:59.640 I'm the coach I am today, you know what I mean. 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:04.000 Those those failures, those injuries, those not doing well helped 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:05.959 me become the coach I am today. And that's why 0:17:06.000 --> 0:17:08.440 I feel like I'm so good Because I could watch 0:17:08.440 --> 0:17:10.960 a client shoot bro right, and if I haven't seen 0:17:11.040 --> 0:17:12.479 him in like three weeks, I can tell you if 0:17:12.520 --> 0:17:14.560 he formed shooting, he's been working out or not because 0:17:14.560 --> 0:17:16.000 I know what I used to do, I know what 0:17:16.040 --> 0:17:18.920 I didn't used to do, I know how somebody's concentrats 0:17:19.000 --> 0:17:20.920 is supposed to be. And I feel like my path 0:17:21.000 --> 0:17:23.760 in life has helped me become the coach I am today. 0:17:23.800 --> 0:17:26.159 And that's why I'm always real big on telling people 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:28.639 don't be afraid of your path, you know. Like you 0:17:28.680 --> 0:17:31.520 said on my page, I'm always letting people know everybody's 0:17:31.600 --> 0:17:34.520 path in life is helping them to get to their 0:17:34.560 --> 0:17:36.879 to their main goal, if that makes sense, you know 0:17:36.960 --> 0:17:39.240 what I mean. So like, all those places have definitely 0:17:39.240 --> 0:17:42.400 molded me, especially Saint Bonaventure. Man Like when I first 0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:45.399 got the Saint Bonaventure from Washington State, I was like, Okay, 0:17:45.440 --> 0:17:47.520 this is a small town, Like I'm gonna I'm gonna 0:17:47.520 --> 0:17:49.120 do what I want to do with this college because 0:17:49.119 --> 0:17:50.760 I came from big time Pac ten, you know what 0:17:50.840 --> 0:17:52.920 I mean. I got to that school. Man, they were 0:17:52.920 --> 0:17:55.440 pushing me so hard mentally, they were pushing me so 0:17:55.480 --> 0:17:58.520 hard in the weight room with coach. Coach Schmidt was 0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:02.000 in my life. He was just pushing me so uncomfortable, 0:18:02.400 --> 0:18:04.800 and I was just like, man, like, this is this 0:18:04.880 --> 0:18:06.080 is what I need to do to take it to 0:18:06.119 --> 0:18:08.560 the next level. And that's why my senior year, I 0:18:08.600 --> 0:18:11.560 was top five UH in the nation and three's made 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:14.119 and I was number one in Atlantic ten and threes 0:18:14.160 --> 0:18:16.920 made and number one is shooting percentage. But it wasn't 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:20.280 because of me. It was because my coaches were just 0:18:20.400 --> 0:18:23.560 so hard on me. And it's crazy. I still use 0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:26.960 those philosophies from like Coach Schmidt and Coach Moore and 0:18:26.960 --> 0:18:29.919 and all those guys all my players today because I 0:18:29.960 --> 0:18:31.919 know when somebody's putting in the work and when somebody's 0:18:31.960 --> 0:18:33.880 not putting the work. And I'll be I don't care 0:18:33.920 --> 0:18:36.159 if you're making a hundred ms. If I get in 0:18:36.160 --> 0:18:37.840 the gym with you and you're half asking me, I'm 0:18:37.840 --> 0:18:40.840 gonna let you know Yeah, you use the word uncomfortable, 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:42.439 which is a word that a lot of people are 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:44.480 not comfortable with, and that's a shame because you can't 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:46.640 grow unless you get uncomfortable. And I think it's beautiful. 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:48.480