1 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: Hey, welcome in. I'm Doug Gottlie Band. This is the 2 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: Old New Old ball Man. Do we have a great, 3 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: great podcast for you. I'm super super excited. Um. You know, 4 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: there are times in your life when you reconnect with 5 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: somebody and it's a different stage in your life and 6 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: you view them very differently. When I played at Okahoma State, 7 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: I had these imaginary rivals, you know. Um, I became 8 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: a guy who you know, my worth, my value was 9 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,160 Speaker 1: based upon if we won and how many assists I had. 10 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 1: And so there were a couple of guys who were 11 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: competitors of mine at the time, one of which is 12 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: our guest today. His names Mark Dickel. He's originally from 13 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: New Zealand. He's got a fabulous personal story. He's been 14 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: a proud g a player and a coach. Wait till 15 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 1: year I get the head coaching job of the Albanian nationals. Um, 16 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:09,960 Speaker 1: let me start doing with a couple of different things 17 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: here basketball wise, before we get to my talcome artickle. 18 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: First thing is the love for mission. I love Michian 19 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 1: I think what you want Howard's done is amazing. As 20 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: I pointed out on Twitter, it's not just Juwan Howard. 21 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: It's the people he hired, especially a guy like a 22 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: Film Martelli or Sadie Washington. Fill Martell, you had been 23 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: at a Vision one head coach for a long time, 24 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,559 Speaker 1: of course, most totably. I mean he he was the 25 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: legend of St. Joseph's. And Sadie Washington, who turned down 26 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: Western Michigan, is all the mater to remain as Michigan's 27 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: assistant coach. You get guys who know what you don't know. 28 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: That that doesn't mean you don't know basketball, but college 29 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: basketball is very different. And what Juwan has done is 30 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: hire people who know what he doesn't know and empowered them, 31 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: and they're beautifully coach basketball. He's also not like shoving 32 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: his son down our throats and playing him all the time. 33 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,359 Speaker 1: He's letting him earn his minutes. And everybody gets this 34 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 1: year back. Anyway. We'll see how they do against Ohio 35 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: State this week. Is look at their schedule and who 36 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:15,839 Speaker 1: are they playing. You know, even the Penn State game, 37 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: which was escape at home. They play at Penn State 38 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: had played Illinois, I played Indianna, play Ohio State here 39 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: at this upcoming weekend, and played Iowa. So the best 40 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 1: team is the Big ten they have played, so it 41 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: inflates their record something. Does it mean that they stink? No, 42 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 1: doesn't mean they're one of the three league teams in 43 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: the country. Not yet, not yet. I think that has 44 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 1: to be proved. Um. I think it's really funny to me, 45 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: he's some of the NBA conversations over All Star snubs 46 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: and look, fans picked Luca instead of picking Damian Lillard 47 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: or Donald Mitchell. I think Gamian low has had a 48 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: better year. I think Luca had a much better year 49 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: last year and the second half of the year, and 50 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:01,919 Speaker 1: doesn't that deserve any sort of recognition. I don't know. 51 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: It's a it's a fantastic question, but I think it's 52 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: interesting on how guys get really bent out of shape 53 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: over all start selections in an All Star game that 54 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: none of them want to play it. Also, they don't 55 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: want to play in a game that they approved, like 56 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: Players Association approved the All Star Game. There is no 57 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 1: discussion about having I don't think they should have it. 58 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: I think a waste of time. Can't hang out, can't 59 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: go out, only no fans there. It's gonna be super weird. 60 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: But if you agree to doing it, there's an effort 61 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: to keep all your money and guess what you have 62 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: to do. You have to do it all right. I 63 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: thought you'd like this. Mark Dikel just got back from 64 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: me and the head coach the Philippin national team just 65 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: add back surgery. So she's been on the shelf a 66 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:48,119 Speaker 1: little bit. Um. We had a great talk. Ah, take 67 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: a listen. Yeah, so there's a bunch of things to 68 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: get into. Let's let's just start with your current state. 69 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: Do you just had back surgery? Yeah, yeah, so so 70 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: so three weeks ago. Just uh, you just got sick 71 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: and tired of hurting all the time, you know, So 72 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: it just went back in And I had a surgery 73 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: fifteen years ago. Um, actually had it done in Athens 74 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 1: when I was playing over there, and and and the 75 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: surgeries are so much different now. So they kind of 76 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: went back in and cleaned that one up and L 77 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: four to sect to me. Oh wait, so you had 78 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: a you were brave enough to have a surgery in 79 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: a foreign country. I was told, don't ever do that. 80 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 1: They'll never let him catch it there. Go home and 81 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 1: let catch it at home. Yeah it sounded right, But 82 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 1: at the time, man, I like the idea of getting 83 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: that money too, right, So so they kind of kind 84 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: of played into that. But no, the surgery over there 85 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: was good. It was just you know, like so different 86 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 1: now like nowadays, the the surgeries like half an inch. 87 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 1: Back then it was like three four inches. They kept 88 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: you open, right, so so definitely back and they're cleaned 89 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: it up. I mean, it already feels much better. It's 90 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: just you know, getting older, man, you have a slow rehab. 91 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: Now it's going to take forever to come right. So 92 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: was it it was it like a herd disk or 93 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: what's that's the actual diagnosis? Yeah? Yeah, So I had 94 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: a had of protruding disc is sitting on the on 95 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: the nerve on my right side and alf four right 96 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: so they kind of going there, shave it down and 97 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: and all that nerve pain going down my right leg 98 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 1: stopped straight away. So that was really my the major 99 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: uncomfortable part of it, you know. So once that nerve 100 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 1: plane went away, I started feeling like I could walk 101 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 1: around and do stuff again. It's one of the first 102 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: things you learned when you're doing this side of it 103 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: is a protruding disk protruding disc. You have to make 104 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: sure you're protruding disc if you don't say. If you 105 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: say disc quickly, what's protruding is not what you want 106 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: to have protruding, right, Okay, So like look, you know 107 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: obviously our past cross when played against each other twice, 108 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: and you love the country one year, and I love 109 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:45,919 Speaker 1: the country another year, and assist, you've gone onto playing 110 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 1: and coaching and I've gone out of my thing. But 111 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: we were growing up, like what was your first memories 112 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:55,280 Speaker 1: the best, well, my first memories of basketball. We're kind 113 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: of like the n c A tournament, like one shining moment, right, Like, 114 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: we didn't get a whole lot of basketball in New 115 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: Zealand growing up, you know, such a rugby dominated country 116 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: that you know, my dad was a coach and and 117 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 1: he wrote to a lot of coaches in the States 118 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 1: to get like books, you know, VCRs, you know, Beta 119 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: whatever the tape was back then. So that yeah, Beta Max, 120 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:19,919 Speaker 1: so really man, that that was kind of my initiation. 121 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: So all the schools that were good back then, um, 122 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: you know in the eighties and nineties and kind of 123 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: the same same dominating kind of now. So like back 124 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: in the day it was you know, North Carolina, Georgetown, Um, 125 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 1: kind of grew up like with that as the focal point, 126 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 1: like what my dream was to try and make college 127 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:42,720 Speaker 1: right because but what was what was like your your 128 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 1: hometown New Zealand as well, the need in New Zealand 129 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: right at the bottom of the South Island. Go any further, 130 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:54,120 Speaker 1: you're at being tactic. Okay. So I'm guessing like got 131 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 1: to be cold in the winter, rightly, Yeah, really really 132 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: cold in the winter and not that warm in the summer. 133 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 1: Um kind of temperate climate, Like we might get snowed 134 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: down to sea level every now and then, but we 135 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: get that southerly coming from the Antarctic, man, and that's 136 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: not too warm. Right, So anytime the winter or the 137 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: wind comes from the North Islands is warm. Anytime it 138 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: comes from the South, it's cold. So growing up over 139 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: be a man different place, Okay. So again, like give 140 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: me the like do you live in the house apartment? 141 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: Growing up? Again? Like you're talking about my My only 142 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: knowledge in New Zealand is um uh is that The 143 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: Lord of the Rings was filmed somewhere around New Zealand And, 144 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: which looks beautiful. But that's not all of New Zealand, Okay, 145 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: So give me the Well, I grew up in Orange County, 146 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: Man it's it's a it's it looks like everything out 147 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: of the eighties that you would think of. Most of 148 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: the houses look the same. They're all small, small lots 149 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: or whatever. And you had to go to a park 150 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: to shoot hoop. What was your you're growing up was 151 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: luf Well, you know, head of house looks really close 152 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: to the ocean, you know everywhere in New Zealand, you know, 153 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: around the coastline, so you know, I've walked, I walked 154 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 1: down my driveway were kind of in the ocean. We 155 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: had a home in my house, which was kind of 156 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: real for New Zealand. And you know, not that many 157 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: people back there played as opposed to now where it's 158 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: actually challenging rugby as the most played sport, you know, 159 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 1: thanks to Steve Adams and and the influence of really 160 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: NBA two K, but really growing up over there, man, 161 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: it was just different, you know, just different, just you know, 162 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: sport was everything, but the sport that I love, basketball, 163 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: really no one played. So I kind of leaned on 164 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: my father a lot. And Drew come from well, you know, 165 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:36,959 Speaker 1: initially he was, you know, like everyone else, rugby cricket 166 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: in New Zealand. You know, they're the two sports. But 167 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,960 Speaker 1: in the sixties, the Boston Celtics actually traveled to New 168 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: Zealand and barnstormed and played and he played basketball in 169 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: our area and he actually played against the Celtics, so 170 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: that was kind of when he kind of fell in 171 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: love with basketball. Red Alback took teams over there, and 172 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: I think two years in a row they went there, 173 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: So so he kind of got the a bug from 174 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: that because prior to that, man, you know, like it's 175 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: just very very difficult to get the information to play 176 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: a sport like that. It wasn't really you know, I 177 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: think in New Zealand. You know, the Mormon missionary has 178 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: had a huge part to passing that game on, just 179 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,439 Speaker 1: going around the world and teaching everybody the game. So 180 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: so my dad kind of fell in love with it 181 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: like that and then and then just really wanted to 182 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 1: be a good coach at it, and there was really 183 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 1: no coaches in our area, so he kind of just 184 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:29,679 Speaker 1: asked everybody he knew and and and read as much 185 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: as he could, and and that was kind of it. 186 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:34,079 Speaker 1: So kind of when I came along and my brother 187 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: came along, he kind of he kind of used us 188 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 1: as guinea pigs. A little bit and tried to show 189 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: us stuff and try and help us and see which 190 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: one of us really wanted to go on, older or 191 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 1: younger brother two years older, Hey, little brothers, so you 192 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: get you get the benefit of having somebody to kind 193 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:53,719 Speaker 1: of beat up by you and push you right, and uh, 194 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: I'm a I'm a younger brother as well, So I 195 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,440 Speaker 1: remember what completely what that was like, trying to earn 196 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:03,119 Speaker 1: the respects your first your first chance to really see 197 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 1: how good you were as a kid, was held probably 198 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: thirteen or fourteen. We didn't really have you know, nowadays 199 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: in New Zealand, it's kind of like a AU now 200 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 1: a little bit. You know, they're playing so young. But 201 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:17,719 Speaker 1: you know, the first tournament I played, and I think 202 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: was under fifteen's right, So right up until then, you 203 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 1: kind of just play around outside at under fifteens. That 204 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 1: was kind of when I was like, okay, in my area, 205 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: you know, I'm a better player than most of the 206 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 1: other kids. And then when you go away to national 207 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: tournaments you start working out, man, and there's not really 208 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 1: that many other players better than you at that age either. 209 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,319 Speaker 1: So that was kind of the first time I realized, man, 210 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: I might be able to go on and do something here. 211 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: And I was little Doug. When I was growing up. 212 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:45,079 Speaker 1: You know, I didn't really grow. I didn't really grow 213 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: until I was sixteen. So so from that perspective, you know, 214 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: you're kind of fighting for respect, you're kind of fighting 215 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: for position, you're kind of fighting for everything. Right, So 216 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 1: when you're a little when you're young, I think it 217 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 1: kind of helps. Yeah, my son's actually going through that now. 218 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 1: I stayed back in theself so little and it really 219 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:04,320 Speaker 1: helped me. I grew like I was like five ft 220 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: tall when I was fourteen years old, and then by 221 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:09,440 Speaker 1: the time I was fifteen I went to high school, 222 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:11,720 Speaker 1: I was like five nine ten, right, I mean just 223 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: kind of sprouted. And then when I got to college 224 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: and the kind of that second way, like your man 225 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: muscles come in, you know, like all those things. Had 226 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 1: that stay back would have been it would have been 227 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: harder to compete at the at the higher level. Um. Okay, 228 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 1: so you grew late, you're like sixteen, When did it 229 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: become possible that you could play in college? Well kind 230 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: of then it kind of all happened at once. Um, 231 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 1: you know, the protein in my area, Um, they've been 232 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: very very good for teen or fifteen years, and they 233 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: just had a whole lot of older players retired at 234 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 1: the same time. So that kind of coincided with me 235 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: growing a whole lot. And it was over a summer 236 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:49,960 Speaker 1: period of three months that I grew. So I just 237 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 1: went to the trial, was there, made the team when 238 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: I was still I think I was a sophomore junior 239 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: in high school. So I started playing with the ProTeam. 240 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 1: So from that perspective, you know, I'm playing minutes on 241 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 1: the protein, I kind of started dreaming bigger a little bit, 242 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: like man, maybe I could go on, but we only 243 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 1: had one player from New Zealand before me go to 244 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: college and do well and play as stan Hill. He 245 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: went to San Jose State six or eleven, really good average, 246 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 1: about eighteens sophomore year, I believe, and then left school, 247 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 1: went to Europe and started playing. So he was kind 248 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: of New Zealand's best ever player and he was big. 249 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:27,200 Speaker 1: So that kind of set the bar like that, you know, 250 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 1: all the imports that came out to our country, the guards, 251 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: they were so good that you know, you realize that 252 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: they were just good enough to play at a Division 253 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 1: one school. How good do you have to be? Right, 254 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: So paying on your protein. When a guy named Leonard King, 255 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: he played at a Florida Atlantic um Man. There was 256 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 1: a lot going back and every year we seemed to change, 257 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: but he was the main one for seven or eight 258 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: years on my on our proteins, and from the time 259 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: I was like eleven or twelve when played with me 260 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: to three years before I went to school, so he 261 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: was kind of the one that pushed me and encouraged 262 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: me to man, maybe I could go ahead and do that. Okay, 263 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: So how did you get to U and l V. Well, 264 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 1: when I was eighteen, I made the national team in 265 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: New Zealand and we play Australia, so those games are 266 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 1: on TV in Australia and New Zealand. And there was 267 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:25,959 Speaker 1: a coach in Australian named Brian Gorgian right, who was 268 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: now the Australian national team coach. He's been the Chinese 269 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 1: national team coach seven eight years previously. But his father 270 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 1: was Ed Gorgian right. Brian's the brother of Greg Gorgian, 271 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:39,199 Speaker 1: who you also might know from l A scored a 272 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: million points there in high school. But Ed Gorgian was 273 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:44,679 Speaker 1: assistant coach at U and LB for a long long 274 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: time with Tuck was there in their winnings. So so 275 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: Brian called my father just randomly and said, hey, look, 276 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:54,559 Speaker 1: I still have a connection at certain schools. Is your 277 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 1: son interested in going up? Until then, you know, it's 278 00:13:57,800 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 1: very very hard to get recruited from a place when 279 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:03,719 Speaker 1: no one's recruiting you, right, So so it was really him. 280 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:05,920 Speaker 1: He kind of opened a few doors. And then I 281 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 1: went to Australia for three or four months to live 282 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 1: with him and to train and get ready, and and 283 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: then we settled it and we kind of narrowed it 284 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: down to a couple of schools. And that's when Bill 285 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: Bano came into play. And once once Bill Beano gets 286 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: his hands on you, it's very very difficult to go 287 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 1: anywhere else. Okay, So Billy back then was young. I 288 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 1: mean he was a good looking like good drassery were 289 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: loafers and games. So what do you remember about your 290 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: first time you met Billy? I just thought he was cool, right, 291 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: Like that was the best thing, you know, he was 292 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 1: cool and like like he treated you know, he was 293 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 1: one of the real ones that treated you like an 294 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: adult already, right, so you know, and he was honest 295 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: with me, said man you're going to have to really 296 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: work if you want to play. It didn't guarantee me anything, 297 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 1: but but he was the first coach that I kind 298 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 1: of connected with, right, So so it was easy man. 299 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 1: He came to Australia twice, we hung out, um yeah, 300 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: and just him working out with you, and that's really 301 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 1: his genius, you know, he's just helping you get better 302 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: and see what you need to work on and relating 303 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 1: with you like that. That's where we always connected was 304 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: on the court. So so it was easy man. You know, 305 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 1: I just believed in him. You know, at that point, 306 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 1: I didn't know who else he had on the team. 307 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,120 Speaker 1: I've never visited Vegas, you know, I was just really 308 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: going off him. Have you've been to America before? I 309 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: had been a couple of times because back in the 310 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: day with New Zealand national team, we would come and 311 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: play like everybody's exhibition games. So we'd just take hidings 312 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 1: man from everybody, right. So we played TCU one night 313 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: and then we played uh U c l A the 314 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: next night, and we'll play usc SEE the next night. 315 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: So you're kind of on a hiding for nothing. But 316 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 1: it was great because you've got to see you know 317 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: a the schools and are close what they're doing, but 318 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: just how good the players were and how much you'd 319 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 1: have to improve. As you've been to Vegas before I had. 320 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: We've kind of gone through Vegas, so I've been there 321 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 1: for a day and a half. But man, I was 322 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: so young and naive at that particular junction. I have 323 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: no idea what they get us, right, Okay, So you 324 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: so you committed on to un l V and you 325 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: leave home and you've been training in Australia, so it's 326 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: not like you haven't been away from home. You show 327 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: what what's it like to arrive in Vegas ninety six 328 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 1: and you get off the plane? Do you remember who 329 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: you what's what's the first members of showing up? Well? Yeah, 330 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 1: the first memories I have is that you know, the 331 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: airport is so close to the Thomas and that you 332 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: know so close, So we went right there and Beano 333 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: was there right so kind of you know, the first 334 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: hour or so, he's just talking, you know, then he's like, okay, 335 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 1: you know, we've got to get you situated in your apartment, 336 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 1: you know. So all that kind of then goes on 337 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: for a couple of days, um, and then really uh 338 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: my first real Okay, I'm now in Vegas. As we 339 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 1: went to play open gym and that's when I saw 340 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: some of the other players that were on McKeen, you know, 341 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 1: Keon Clark, Tyrone Nesby, guys like that. That's when I 342 00:16:55,360 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: was like, oh oh yeah, I did realized it was 343 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: gonna be like that, right. So so that was really 344 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: you know, a couple of days in and starting to 345 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 1: play with them and realizing, man, I got a long 346 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:11,360 Speaker 1: way to go if I want to play here. Yeah. Well, 347 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 1: Kean Clark so he used to What's interesting about that 348 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: group was Keon was that Irvine Valley for a year. 349 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 1: So he used to train at UC Irvine. There's a 350 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 1: great pickup games U s Irvine and there was a 351 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 1: point guard name Raymond Inglish and um uh uh yeah. 352 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 1: And then Kevin Simmons. Of course you transferred from USE, 353 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: so you see, I was stacked. And then I don't 354 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: remember they got an NCA trouble where there's a coaching 355 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: change or what. But then they all left and my boy, 356 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 1: Clay mcnaighty he went to Pacific Simmons. Kevin Simmons went 357 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:48,120 Speaker 1: to un l V. So did um, what's his name? 358 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,640 Speaker 1: You're shooting guards NBA system. Why am I forgetting right now? 359 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,880 Speaker 1: Brian Brian Keith right. So so all so you don't 360 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 1: know this, but like all of our I know, all 361 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,080 Speaker 1: those dudes that you're playing with and working out with 362 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,119 Speaker 1: Tyronez view was on free. So you show up and 363 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 1: you're like, you know, let's see what this is like. 364 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:08,400 Speaker 1: And you see these dudes running up and down. What's 365 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: going on in your mind? Well? I just I just 366 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:13,360 Speaker 1: never been exposed to it, you know, like the demand 367 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 1: for the ball that you know, like like I'm not 368 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: going to get to shoot you ever here. This is 369 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: the first thing I was aware of, and and and 370 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: rightfully in that case, man, they do good things with it, 371 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: right So so you know that was the first thing. 372 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 1: And then and then just just the athleticism, the speed 373 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,119 Speaker 1: of the game, like how they moved that quick. Everything happens, 374 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:37,199 Speaker 1: you know, it was just all an adjustment. You know, 375 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: you had you had great speed, Your end to end 376 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:43,920 Speaker 1: speed was outstanding. Did you train for it? I mean 377 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: you know your dad played, but where'd your end end 378 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:51,680 Speaker 1: speed comprom I just reintract like in in high school, right, um, 379 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: you know, uh, and then just just just taking advantage 380 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:57,720 Speaker 1: of kind of what of kind of what you've been given? Right, 381 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 1: So I never really thought about it too much. I 382 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: just you know, maybe maybe out of necessity, maybe out 383 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:06,240 Speaker 1: of just like man, they can't pressure you if you 384 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:10,440 Speaker 1: go right by them, right, maybe that's the philosophy. But 385 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 1: but then didn't really didn't really think about it until 386 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:14,919 Speaker 1: you know, you start coaching and you start trying to 387 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: trying to encourage people to play faster and trying to 388 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,119 Speaker 1: do stuff like that. That's really started me on the 389 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 1: process of like how can I make not make how 390 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: can I help people play like that? Right? Just how 391 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:31,880 Speaker 1: do you It's it's a great how do you playing bad? Well, 392 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:34,639 Speaker 1: You've you've you've got to find people that are just 393 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,400 Speaker 1: as fast with the ball is without it. And that's 394 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:39,919 Speaker 1: a really hard thing, right, because most people are too 395 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: scared to make mistakes because you're gonna make mistakes, right, 396 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:46,160 Speaker 1: and especially playing our position, mistakes are scoffed at, right, 397 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 1: like you don't want people to make mistakes, right, So 398 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 1: I think that's what I think that's what scares a 399 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 1: lot of players who have that ability to not play 400 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: like that, right. So so with me, it's just trying 401 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: to reassure the players. Hey, look, if you play at 402 00:19:58,080 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: that tempo in that rhym, you've got to make mistakes 403 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,560 Speaker 1: until you get used to it, and then you know 404 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 1: it's gonna be a real asset and strength to your 405 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:06,359 Speaker 1: is that, you know, you kind of expect players to 406 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:08,439 Speaker 1: play like that. If they're not gonna feel free to 407 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 1: make the mistakes that they're gonna make. So, you know, 408 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: for me playing for my father growing up, I think 409 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: that's what helped me. He just didn't you know, he 410 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: didn't hold me beck. He encouraged me, and so did 411 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: all the other coaches that coached me when I was young, 412 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 1: because that would have been an easy thing to knock 413 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: out of somebody just by telling him to not do 414 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 1: it right. So play slower, Yeah, just to play slow 415 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:27,639 Speaker 1: with me. One of the things you try and do 416 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,920 Speaker 1: is to try and I've tried this for little kids, 417 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:31,360 Speaker 1: is you have them run up and down the court 418 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: as fast as they can in time of Okay, now 419 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 1: do it with the basketball. There's no reason you can't 420 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 1: do it at about the same speed, right if you're 421 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:40,399 Speaker 1: pet pushing the ball in front of you, and like, 422 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: that's the outimal speed, but it's it's really hard to 423 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:46,159 Speaker 1: teach guys to play at it. And that's that's honestly, Like, 424 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 1: I think the hardest adjustment for when you go to 425 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:53,600 Speaker 1: college is the speed is you know, it's just different 426 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 1: like when you get to the professional game. And I 427 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 1: don't know what you thought, but I thought I always 428 00:20:57,080 --> 00:20:59,880 Speaker 1: thought when you step up, especially in American professional basketball, 429 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: it's the length more than the speed, you know, because 430 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: the holes, everything closes up so much quicker because their length. 431 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:08,400 Speaker 1: But the difference in high school of college is guys 432 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: play harder and guys are way faster. Yeah, right right, 433 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:15,360 Speaker 1: And it's really and it's hard to replicate. And you 434 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: have that youth basketball where you play, you know, you 435 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 1: play a team from the city and they're gonna get 436 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:21,720 Speaker 1: after you, and they just have speeded there's no mispatch. 437 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 1: They have speed at every position and you have to 438 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:26,239 Speaker 1: learn to you have to learn to play at your 439 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 1: own pace within their pace. That's a really hard thing 440 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:32,880 Speaker 1: to do. Mm hmm. Okay, so you're not you and ovate. 441 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:37,159 Speaker 1: I'll give you my first memory when we came to 442 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:39,920 Speaker 1: play you guys. Okay, so the year before I got there, 443 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 1: so you're nineties, Uh, you guys, went to still Water 444 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:51,879 Speaker 1: and Tyrone Nesby dunked on Alex Weber and like for 445 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 1: the life, for our entire my entire three years is 446 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: still Water. We'd always pull up that tape and Alex 447 00:21:57,600 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 1: Big Alex would almost want to cry because it was 448 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: then that one of the nasty has done to him, 449 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:05,960 Speaker 1: seeing right, But by the time we got around to playing, 450 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,199 Speaker 1: you guys, it was your junior year, both of our 451 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:13,119 Speaker 1: junior year, and I was in a shitty place with 452 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 1: coach and I remember you guys had Sean Marian, Yeah 453 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 1: you yeah, Brian Keith, you have Kevin Simmons, You've got 454 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 1: Casper's Campbell, like you guys, guad what was But what 455 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 1: was it actually like to play? Be honest, Look, look, look, 456 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:32,600 Speaker 1: look man, it's not letting the cat out of bag. 457 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 1: We were just too loose, you know, everything was too loose, 458 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 1: you know, like we just had too much talent. If 459 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: there's such a thing, and and and and just too loose, 460 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:44,159 Speaker 1: you know, like a billy had that job now to 461 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 1: be a different world, right, a different world. But at 462 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 1: that time, hey man, we're all around the same age 463 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:50,879 Speaker 1: as he was. He's twenty nine years old when I 464 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 1: came here right now, and even we're playing you guys. 465 00:22:56,359 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: So we're playing you guys right And Clay mcnaho had 466 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:01,399 Speaker 1: was on the u c I team he flew in. 467 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 1: He played earlier in that day for Pacific, and I 468 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: would never forget um. The game was kind of a 469 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: wrap with like four or five minutes left to go, 470 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 1: and Casper's comes out at the feet that I go, yo, 471 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 1: what you guys getting into tonight? We're like, what where 472 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 1: you got? We're like, we're going to the hard rock, 473 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,160 Speaker 1: the Circle bar, the hard Rock. So there we had 474 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:24,359 Speaker 1: never like that ship just doesn't like, look we played 475 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 1: at all. We live in a small college town. Nobody 476 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:29,399 Speaker 1: stays to night afterwards. Definitely nobody hangs out with the 477 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,240 Speaker 1: team they played against. But he was. He was cool, 478 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:35,200 Speaker 1: Like he was the scariest dude I had ever looked 479 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:38,200 Speaker 1: at competing against. And he was. He was cool. Again, 480 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:40,360 Speaker 1: probably a little too cool. I want to hang out 481 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 1: too much, but it was definitely it was a that 482 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 1: was a different team where you guys were so talented 483 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,720 Speaker 1: and yet uh it was just a game and he 484 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:52,440 Speaker 1: didn't win. It was okay, we'll go and hang out. 485 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: We'll go try again tomorrow. Yeah, it was a look. Look, man, 486 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 1: it was. It was a different thing, I think because 487 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:01,439 Speaker 1: the expectations in Vegas have been so high four or 488 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,639 Speaker 1: five years earlier, and then before we all came, they 489 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:08,119 Speaker 1: were so low when Billy got the job, right, Like, 490 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 1: we kind of had a little bit of a grace 491 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:13,399 Speaker 1: period there, but maybe we shouldn't have had. Um, you know, 492 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 1: like I thought we were talented enough to get with anybody, 493 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,639 Speaker 1: but it's very, very difficult when when the roster kept changing, 494 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: Like you know, we got backups to deserve to play. 495 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: So if somebody has a couple of bad games, they're 496 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,159 Speaker 1: out there guys in now. So I think that was 497 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 1: a big part of it. Guys just never got comfortable 498 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: in their role. Um, and the other teams you're playing 499 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:33,640 Speaker 1: and hell are good man, Like you guys were good, 500 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 1: Like we could lose to you guys straight up, right, 501 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:38,959 Speaker 1: So so like I think, you know, like we had 502 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:40,960 Speaker 1: a couple of tough losses and then things would change 503 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: again and then it would be conference, right, So we 504 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: kind of always got in there in that mode that 505 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,479 Speaker 1: it wasn't really still conference. That we started coming together 506 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: and working out exactly who's going to play and how 507 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 1: much we're going to play and what's going on? What 508 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 1: about for you? Like, what what's it like to be 509 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: the point guard of U and l V in Vegas? Look? 510 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: Look it was great, man. It was everything I would 511 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:04,120 Speaker 1: wanted it to be, right, like, uh, you know, like 512 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: the hardest thing was a the expectations. Um, you know, 513 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:11,879 Speaker 1: I desperately wanted to play. Um, I didn't want to 514 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:13,879 Speaker 1: sit on the bench, right, But I know it's kind 515 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:16,199 Speaker 1: of been very very explicit and like, look, if you shoot, 516 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:19,679 Speaker 1: there's a good chance I'm gonna put somebody else in. 517 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 1: I wanted someone to run the team and get the 518 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:24,520 Speaker 1: but it becomes very difficult, as you know, if the 519 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:26,560 Speaker 1: other team knows you're not going to shoot, you know, 520 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: they tend to freak and make it very very difficult 521 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 1: for you. And what happens. Here's what's interesting about it 522 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 1: is like you get to this place where you're like, look, 523 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: I can make shots, but in the well, you don't 524 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:39,400 Speaker 1: have any confidence, Like, well, your coach has no confidence 525 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: in you. How are you supposed to have any You 526 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 1: have to have such supreme self confidence. And I'm just 527 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:47,280 Speaker 1: not built that way, right. I'm a pleaser, you know, 528 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: and I just and I'm just assuming you're that way 529 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:53,119 Speaker 1: where it was just like, hey, why don't you shoot? 530 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 1: Like well, because if I missed to it would take 531 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,119 Speaker 1: me out. So I don't want to sit out, so 532 00:25:57,359 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 1: don't shoot, and then guys start playing off you and 533 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: you it's hard to watch college films sometimes. Yeah, yeah, 534 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 1: I was, you know, I kind of I kind of 535 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 1: went through it, like like the sophomore year, we had 536 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: a couple of guys if my spot get hurt, so 537 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 1: for the last fifteen games, he kind of let me play, 538 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:15,959 Speaker 1: let me you know, and we won our conference, went 539 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: to the tournament. My junior year, first half of the 540 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: year I hurt my ankle, so I wasn't really that 541 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: kind of Junior year was a wash even though we 542 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,359 Speaker 1: had a really talented team. And then my senior year 543 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:30,160 Speaker 1: everyone left, so he kind of let me do whatever. 544 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:31,840 Speaker 1: I could shoot, I could play, and there was no 545 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: one else you could take me out of. That's kind 546 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:36,720 Speaker 1: of how my career felt, right Like if I would 547 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,920 Speaker 1: break it down, it was like all right my senior year, Yeah, 548 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:42,080 Speaker 1: like I understand why he did it because we didn't 549 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:46,160 Speaker 1: have the super talent that we had previously. You've done 550 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,200 Speaker 1: plan at you. It will be what happens. I get 551 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 1: done planning at you and l v um. I'm trying 552 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:55,359 Speaker 1: to get ready for pre draft camps. I get hurt, right, Um, 553 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 1: have a bad injury. Go back to New Zealand. Uh 554 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 1: four or five months, so I do nothing. I go 555 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 1: to the Olympics for New Zealand. We automatically qualified because 556 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 1: the Olympics is in Australia in Sydney. So we go 557 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: there with New Zealand. We get beat badly by everybody. 558 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: Wasn't a great play and experience who you play? We 559 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:17,480 Speaker 1: played everyone? Man. You know we're in the group with 560 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:26,399 Speaker 1: the USA, Serbia, well they were Yugoslavia then I believe Croatia, Lithuania, China, 561 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:32,640 Speaker 1: and Angola. We beat Angola at least give Mangola right, 562 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:35,919 Speaker 1: But so so after that, I actually signed it in Australia. 563 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,119 Speaker 1: For my first two years. I played for Brian Gorgian 564 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 1: over there again, which was really good. Um. You know, 565 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: he kind of taught me a little bit more about 566 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 1: the pro game. So you can't rediscover your game too, right, 567 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:50,200 Speaker 1: You're like yeah, man, like like like definitely, it's it's uh, 568 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: it's different, you know, like like like the college thing. 569 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 1: You know, you don't realize that you're in your own 570 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,240 Speaker 1: little world right at the moment you're out of it, 571 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:00,919 Speaker 1: you'll do all right, well that like it never happened, 572 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:04,480 Speaker 1: and then you're right on to being an adult. Right. So, 573 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:06,639 Speaker 1: so my first couple of years it was like, Okay, 574 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: you know, this is a totally different game. You just 575 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: can't play like that anymore. You've got to give these 576 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:12,440 Speaker 1: other guys a chance. You're playing with some thirty five 577 00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:14,240 Speaker 1: thirty six year old guys that are trying to run 578 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 1: up and down like that, right. So, so I was 579 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: just trying to figure that stuff out, work it out. 580 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,199 Speaker 1: He was great, really patient, you know, a great teacher. 581 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 1: So work with him a lot. At the end of 582 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:27,200 Speaker 1: my second year there, he came to me it was like, man, 583 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:28,719 Speaker 1: you should go to Europe and try and make as 584 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: much as you can. That was kind of the already 585 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:33,639 Speaker 1: kind of pushed me out the door, so to speak. 586 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 1: This time the Americans you played with with With Gorgion, 587 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 1: I had a guy named Daryl McDonald, he's very very 588 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:44,480 Speaker 1: famous over the he's played there for about fifteen years. 589 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: And Jamal Moseley, who's now assistant coaching that's your guy, 590 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: so Jamama, Yeah, Jamal Mosley played for my dad from 591 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:55,239 Speaker 1: San Diego, played for my dad in Au and then 592 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 1: obviously went to Colorado and now he's at some point 593 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: destined to be And it's it's really crazy, like I 594 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: was doing this thing with I have youth teams now 595 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:08,280 Speaker 1: and and I was trying to tell these parents, like, look, 596 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: Cameron Sufi is an assistant with the Wizards. Like he 597 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:15,640 Speaker 1: he we played together since like fourth grade. Miles Simes 598 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 1: and Sits with the Lakers, we played together sharing in 599 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 1: the fifth grade. Um, you started kind of going through 600 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: like Adam Jacobson is Casey Jacobson's brother, Casey is now 601 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:27,479 Speaker 1: on TV like all of these guys. Adam Jacobson's an 602 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 1: assistant at Cal Baptist. Like so much of us, we 603 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 1: started playing basketball and you think now, granted it's different 604 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: now because everybody has in a team, you think there 605 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 1: was a lot of different teams and almost all of 606 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 1: the people that I play with are still involved in 607 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: basketball and some It's amazing, like how it becomes part 608 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 1: of your life and you end up making a career 609 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:48,920 Speaker 1: out of it if you really really like it. Man, 610 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: for sure, Man, it's uh and and how many like 611 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 1: you say, come from one area, you know, it tends 612 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: to be like that a lot. Like you see people 613 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 1: that have connected like from the time they're very young, 614 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: and then they're still doing it, like like like Jamal 615 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:08,640 Speaker 1: was just an incredibly hard worker, role player guy, and 616 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 1: you could tell like he was already thinking like a 617 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:15,880 Speaker 1: coach right like all the time, right like he he 618 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,720 Speaker 1: wasn't a he wasn't a me guy at all, right, 619 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: which isn't great to play as an import overseas, but 620 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 1: you're not really hard, really hard, Like it's so interesting 621 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:27,320 Speaker 1: And what's into what I found interesting about it is 622 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:30,720 Speaker 1: I feel like, and I think Australians especially but also 623 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 1: other Europeans, like they don't like the American style of 624 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: of of a little bit more me than we right, 625 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 1: Like it's just not how they want to play. On 626 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 1: the other hand, they want if you're coming in as 627 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 1: an American, you're expected to be able to get the 628 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 1: ball and go get buckets when they need to bucket. 629 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 1: So it's like, we don't really like the way you play, 630 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: but we know we need it in certain instances. So 631 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 1: you go be you and then you gotta fit in 632 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 1: with us the rest of the time. Man Like, like 633 00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:58,400 Speaker 1: they want you to be like that on the court, 634 00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: and they want you to be like being as much 635 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 1: as you can off the court, and that's kind of 636 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 1: you know, that's kind of what they want because you know, 637 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 1: they're getting there you and there to do some things 638 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 1: that the guys on their team count. That's why they're 639 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:11,320 Speaker 1: getting you there, So they're expecting you to be able 640 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 1: to do that. So, you know, I kind of saw 641 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 1: from Jamal that the enjoyment level for him wasn't the 642 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: same as what it was in college. I could see 643 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: that straightaway, just the expectations different. Whereas in college he 644 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 1: had such a good system coach all that he really 645 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: really enjoyed it Beer Colorado as opposed to you know, 646 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:30,240 Speaker 1: it's just hard, man. You know what it's like. You 647 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:32,760 Speaker 1: play overseas. It's not easy. A couple of bad games. Man, 648 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:37,720 Speaker 1: they're looking at you sideways, right, so I can everything. 649 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: It's a vacation. You got Australia. It's awesome. It's like 650 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:43,040 Speaker 1: a vacation, Like yeah, no, you have to do a 651 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 1: job and they can send you home if they don't 652 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:49,440 Speaker 1: like you. Very simple. So you played, you played in Greece. 653 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 1: The biggest question everybody asked. Somebody played in Greece, Did 654 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,600 Speaker 1: you get all your money? Yeah? I did, man, because 655 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: you know, like, yeah, I've always been lucky because I 656 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:01,760 Speaker 1: played on kind of big teams. We always played in Europe, right, 657 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 1: so I kind of got lucky my first two years. 658 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 1: I played a fin about you in Turkey, so you know, 659 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: like and we had good teams there and I played well, 660 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 1: so I kind of never had to sit in that 661 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 1: tough spot until I got older. You know. I was 662 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 1: kind of thirty three thirty four where the money started 663 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:19,800 Speaker 1: getting funny, but I had a good teen years over 664 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:22,840 Speaker 1: there where it was it was pretty decent. Like I 665 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: heard the stories, but I never related myself to that 666 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:28,200 Speaker 1: because I wasn't having to go through it. When I 667 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:30,760 Speaker 1: played in Russia, not only did I get every penny, 668 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:33,320 Speaker 1: but I actually left because I did a laker summer league. 669 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 1: I left and I had like they held me like 670 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: seven thousand dollars something, my like bonus from winning the 671 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:42,360 Speaker 1: Russian League championship, and I had every friend I knew. 672 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:44,000 Speaker 1: The basket was like, how could you leave without getting 673 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,120 Speaker 1: your money? I was like, well, like the guy can 674 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 1: only give me nine thousand, nine hundred to bring back 675 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:53,160 Speaker 1: in cash. And you know, like my wife had nine 676 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 1: thousand hundred, I had nine dollars. I was like what 677 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:57,280 Speaker 1: everyone was left was somehow we had like seven thousand. 678 00:32:57,360 --> 00:32:58,640 Speaker 1: I was just like just wired to me, I just 679 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 1: want to get that. I want to go. And because 680 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,360 Speaker 1: it was like mid June, because everything is pushed back 681 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 1: because the Olympic, because the Olympics. And sure enough, like 682 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 1: a week later, like popped up my bank account. They're like, 683 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:13,840 Speaker 1: no way, Yeah, I got every penny that I was out. 684 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:16,520 Speaker 1: But I heard the horror stories and I experienced a 685 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 1: little bit of it in Israel. They just did stupid 686 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 1: stuff in Israel with them with the money. Okay, the 687 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:26,880 Speaker 1: coolest country you played in it was what Turkey? Yeah, 688 00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:31,240 Speaker 1: not the first person to say that. Why uh just man, man, 689 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 1: the people man, they love bull Um. You know, the 690 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:37,000 Speaker 1: educated about basketball. The people over there are great. I 691 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 1: just liked that the food was awesome. And I was 692 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:41,360 Speaker 1: young still then too, dug. You know it was only 693 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 1: twenty three years old. You're really young. You know, you 694 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,920 Speaker 1: don't have kids, what all that you you just you know, 695 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:50,000 Speaker 1: you're just trying to find your way and and and 696 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:51,800 Speaker 1: and I think I got lucky going to the clubs 697 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 1: I went to, right the clubs I went to, We're 698 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 1: we're really good and well running, feeling like I about 699 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:02,320 Speaker 1: missing out anywhere else, you know, um, and and and 700 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 1: we did well without ever winning the championship or whatever. 701 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:08,080 Speaker 1: We did well. It was really enjoyable, um, you know. 702 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:10,799 Speaker 1: And I felt like that's where I played my best right, 703 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 1: Like I was healthy for the years that I was there. 704 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:17,000 Speaker 1: And that makes a huge difference. What who is your 705 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,879 Speaker 1: coach there? I had three or four different coaches. They 706 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:23,400 Speaker 1: tend to they tend to change. But the legend in 707 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: that club was a guy named died in Nurse. Right, 708 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:28,879 Speaker 1: he's a very very famous coach. What how you said 709 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:34,880 Speaker 1: I didn't urse? Yeah, and coach in England. He's speaking English? 710 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 1: Like what was he speaking? No, No, he's he's speaking English. Um, 711 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:41,719 Speaker 1: he can speak great English. Uh. You know when I 712 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:43,840 Speaker 1: when initially when I got there, I was the only foreigner. 713 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:46,240 Speaker 1: Then when I first went there, the other foreigner was Serbian, 714 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 1: so you know, they don't Serves and Turks they didn't 715 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:52,000 Speaker 1: like him either, so they were kind of looking at 716 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:54,279 Speaker 1: me for a long time, like what am I like right, 717 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 1: but after a while, no problem they speak English with you, 718 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:58,759 Speaker 1: because you know I've heard that no one over there 719 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:00,879 Speaker 1: speak to English. The man, they spoke English once they 720 00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 1: liked you. Man, it was just like anything else. The 721 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 1: coolest city in Turkey. Let's standbul I mean I like 722 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:11,719 Speaker 1: Anchor too, but butter standbul Man is great. I lived 723 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:16,560 Speaker 1: right in thin about you, right, beautiful beautiful place, man, 724 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:19,799 Speaker 1: right on the waterfront. What favorite food. And I like 725 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 1: all the different soup man other be like in the 726 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:25,360 Speaker 1: soup and brid but I remember the remember the coffee 727 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:28,759 Speaker 1: in Turkey being unbelievable, Like I'm a big coffee guy. 728 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:32,360 Speaker 1: Remember stop where they had that stuff. They're like heated 729 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:35,480 Speaker 1: up on some like rocks or something. I don't yeah, yeah, yeah, 730 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:38,000 Speaker 1: like people go crazy to the coffee beer. But like 731 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:39,880 Speaker 1: like all this stuff. Man, I ate all the street 732 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:42,120 Speaker 1: food there, which I never did anywhere else. You know, 733 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:45,719 Speaker 1: like you know obviously you know the chicken kebabs. You know, 734 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:48,600 Speaker 1: I just never seen any pork over there. Man, it's 735 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: been in a Muslim country. But everything else be chicken 736 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:56,279 Speaker 1: lamb oh really good. Yeah. Oh you're so you're in 737 00:35:56,320 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: your mid thirties, right, yep, Your body is breaking down. 738 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 1: Where are you playing? I had my last year in 739 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:06,759 Speaker 1: Greece then in a city called Tree Color, right, which 740 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:11,440 Speaker 1: is probably three hours drive from from Athens, from a 741 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 1: coach that I played four or five or six years earlier. 742 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:16,919 Speaker 1: And at that particular junction, man, I'm just hanging there 743 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:19,040 Speaker 1: for a play check, right, Like, I'm like, look, man, 744 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:21,279 Speaker 1: I can make more money doing this than anything else. 745 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:23,080 Speaker 1: Right now, I know I want to get into coaching. 746 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:25,000 Speaker 1: How do I do that? So I kind of had 747 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:28,359 Speaker 1: that transition year, uh, and was hurt the whole year. 748 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:32,920 Speaker 1: So I did play, but I just played in the games. 749 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:38,120 Speaker 1: I didn't practice at all so hard. But because we 750 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:40,319 Speaker 1: do get to an age where when you don't touch 751 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:42,920 Speaker 1: a ball for a long time, when you start to 752 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:45,279 Speaker 1: the first time you back, you make everything right, and 753 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:46,960 Speaker 1: then's the second day back because you probably had that 754 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:50,960 Speaker 1: without practicing, right, I'm feeling yeah, Well, well, I mean, 755 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:52,600 Speaker 1: you know, like if you're not trying to do too much. 756 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:55,279 Speaker 1: You know, European basketball, especially as you get older. Man, 757 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: at that particular junction, they've gone from two imports each 758 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: tea and now you can have four. That that that's 759 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:04,120 Speaker 1: kind of what happened and and and my ankles were 760 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 1: so bad that year. Look, I could probably take pills 761 00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 1: or rejectures for the game to get through the game, 762 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:11,480 Speaker 1: but there's no way I could practice day to day 763 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:14,080 Speaker 1: or do any of that. So so I kind of 764 00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:15,799 Speaker 1: just tried to get through the season as best I 765 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 1: could and then plan what I do next. Were you 766 00:37:17,719 --> 00:37:20,120 Speaker 1: networking in in time and tiging your coach or was 767 00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:22,719 Speaker 1: this just kind of plan in your head? Just just 768 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:25,080 Speaker 1: just to plan in my head? Um, you know, it's 769 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:28,680 Speaker 1: really hard because I'd always wanted to coach in college 770 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:31,600 Speaker 1: in America. You know, that was always my dream, right, 771 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:35,200 Speaker 1: But it's just so hard to know where to start. 772 00:37:35,239 --> 00:37:36,640 Speaker 1: I mean, a whole lot of my friends were doing 773 00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:39,360 Speaker 1: that already, a lot of the people that mentored me, 774 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:42,960 Speaker 1: and that that was what they were already doing. Um, 775 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:44,640 Speaker 1: you know. And and and at the same time, my 776 00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:47,240 Speaker 1: kids are young now, you know, there are four, three 777 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:49,359 Speaker 1: and one right, So I'm kind of in my mind, 778 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:51,320 Speaker 1: I'm like, man, I'd love for them to see New Zealand, 779 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:54,040 Speaker 1: you know, where I grew up, because I knew if 780 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:56,040 Speaker 1: I came back here and got into system straight away, 781 00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:57,960 Speaker 1: that's all they would have ever known, you know. They're 782 00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:00,399 Speaker 1: all born here in Vegas, which is not a bad 783 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:02,120 Speaker 1: place to live at all, but you know, I definitely 784 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:03,839 Speaker 1: wanted them to know where they're from, or where I'm 785 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:06,399 Speaker 1: from at least, right, So you know, I started looking 786 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:09,000 Speaker 1: at opportunities in New Zealand, which was which was kind 787 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:10,760 Speaker 1: of different because there's not a whole lot of coaching 788 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:15,120 Speaker 1: opportunities over there. So what you always your first coaching job, 789 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:18,200 Speaker 1: first counting job, was in New Zealand. It was as 790 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:20,880 Speaker 1: a director of development. So what that is is for 791 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:23,400 Speaker 1: for that area, you're kind of in charge of anything 792 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:27,279 Speaker 1: that's not the professional team, right, So, so any of 793 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:31,080 Speaker 1: the age group, so from under tien, under eleven, under twelve, 794 00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:34,480 Speaker 1: under thirteen, you've got to try and find coaches and 795 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:37,880 Speaker 1: and make sure that there working on the stuff that 796 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:39,960 Speaker 1: you think they should be working on. And and I 797 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:43,760 Speaker 1: coached every age group from under eight, under ten, under fourteen, 798 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:47,480 Speaker 1: under eighteen, under twenty um. And I still played on 799 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:50,440 Speaker 1: our ProTeam, and I was player coach at back team, right, 800 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:54,839 Speaker 1: And I played pretty badly and coach relatively well when 801 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:56,880 Speaker 1: I was on the sideline and vice versa. When I 802 00:38:56,960 --> 00:38:58,600 Speaker 1: was in the game, very very difficult to be a 803 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 1: player coach. Um is your player head coach? Yeah, yeah, 804 00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:09,760 Speaker 1: very very dream It sounded good, you know, like especially 805 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,440 Speaker 1: when you start, you know, combined two jobs, I make 806 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:15,279 Speaker 1: double money. Right. No, it's not really very simple, right 807 00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:18,200 Speaker 1: so so really really because the season in New Zealand 808 00:39:18,239 --> 00:39:20,279 Speaker 1: is only for four months of the year, so the 809 00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:22,319 Speaker 1: pro season, so we kind of play in between the 810 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:26,000 Speaker 1: Australian season, so you know that's only for a short 811 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:28,560 Speaker 1: period of time. My real job was coaching direct of 812 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:30,680 Speaker 1: development in the area that I grew up the needed 813 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:35,480 Speaker 1: what so, so like, do you did you still have 814 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,359 Speaker 1: a passion like to go to the gym and work 815 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:41,319 Speaker 1: with kids? Did you find yourself immediately passionately, like, man, 816 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:47,239 Speaker 1: this is every day? Well, I guess I was luck 817 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:49,360 Speaker 1: because I just got a group of kids where I 818 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:51,480 Speaker 1: was from the love basketball, so they gave you the 819 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:53,200 Speaker 1: energy to want to do it, you know, and they 820 00:39:53,239 --> 00:39:55,440 Speaker 1: were all different ages. There's probably forty or fifty of 821 00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:58,560 Speaker 1: them or from like eleven through to sixteen or seventeen 822 00:39:58,600 --> 00:40:01,919 Speaker 1: that really didn't have the aspirations but just love the game. 823 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,200 Speaker 1: So you know, our school start at nine o'clock over there, 824 00:40:05,239 --> 00:40:08,200 Speaker 1: so in the morning. So so I kind of got 825 00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:10,279 Speaker 1: everyone in at six thirty and we started training for 826 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:12,360 Speaker 1: a couple of hours. So that's kind of what gave 827 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:15,280 Speaker 1: me the impetus to really want to do it right. Okay, 828 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:17,279 Speaker 1: so six dur in the morning. How old were the kids? 829 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,759 Speaker 1: All different ages, boys and girls from say twelve to 830 00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:26,200 Speaker 1: sixteen or seventeen. Okay, so what's your what's your philosophy 831 00:40:26,239 --> 00:40:29,600 Speaker 1: with say you got an hour? Got an hour? My 832 00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:31,600 Speaker 1: eleven year old sons right here, so I need it. 833 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:35,920 Speaker 1: So you're you're you're get an hour with elevens and 834 00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:37,799 Speaker 1: twelve year olds? What do you want to focus on? 835 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:41,160 Speaker 1: Or skill development? And then let him play for ten 836 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:44,680 Speaker 1: minutes of the in you don't play until you know, 837 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:46,879 Speaker 1: you don't play until all the skill development is done. 838 00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:52,839 Speaker 1: Most important skills you know, obviously shooting, passing, dribbling, you know. 839 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 1: So you just work on the same generic fundamentals that 840 00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:57,600 Speaker 1: you want everyone to work on. So you try and 841 00:40:57,600 --> 00:41:00,600 Speaker 1: get that over with. If you have two hours or 842 00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:02,239 Speaker 1: if you have an hour, you just break it down 843 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:04,680 Speaker 1: so that you don't ever let them play to the 844 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:06,960 Speaker 1: point whereby they feel like they're coming every day to 845 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:09,200 Speaker 1: play that's for their own team or their own coach 846 00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:11,239 Speaker 1: on their own time, right, becoming there to work on 847 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:13,840 Speaker 1: their game and try and get better. So you know 848 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:16,040 Speaker 1: that that was really the change and what I wanted 849 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:18,799 Speaker 1: to stress because you know, most of the teams that 850 00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:20,880 Speaker 1: I've ever been on, the coach just talks about what 851 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:22,920 Speaker 1: the team is running and what the team is doing 852 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:24,920 Speaker 1: and executing and all that. I kind of went all 853 00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:26,319 Speaker 1: the other way and was like, I don't care what 854 00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:28,840 Speaker 1: we're gonna run, but I want everyone be able to shoot, 855 00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:33,239 Speaker 1: dribble and past, so you have the requisite skills. I 856 00:41:33,239 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 1: think when I started first started coaching kids, um, you 857 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:39,480 Speaker 1: get super frustrated by you tell them to do things 858 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:41,600 Speaker 1: and they don't do it. But then you start to realize, like, hey, 859 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:44,240 Speaker 1: did I actually coach those things to you? I teach 860 00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:47,319 Speaker 1: you how to do it. So the the process of 861 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:51,520 Speaker 1: like breaking things down and and so now what I've 862 00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:53,600 Speaker 1: kind of taken to and I've always done this a 863 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:57,400 Speaker 1: little bit as a broadcaster, but pointing out when I 864 00:41:57,440 --> 00:41:59,360 Speaker 1: first got into broadcasting, and there's a guy named Danced 865 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:02,480 Speaker 1: here and then hired me, and he hired friend for 866 00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:06,640 Speaker 1: schilla um and he said, you know, look that what 867 00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:10,160 Speaker 1: you do is analysts. You gotta answer the question why right, 868 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:12,719 Speaker 1: For there's a lot of people that tell you what, 869 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:15,560 Speaker 1: but you don't need to see what. Everybody has a television. 870 00:42:15,560 --> 00:42:18,440 Speaker 1: They can see what just happened. Oh that's a great dunk. Yeah, 871 00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:21,640 Speaker 1: no ship? Right? How did he get open? Why? Where 872 00:42:21,719 --> 00:42:24,160 Speaker 1: is the mistake of all the stuff that when we 873 00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:26,760 Speaker 1: watch film as players and coaches or as a coach, 874 00:42:27,120 --> 00:42:29,239 Speaker 1: like we point things out, how can you do that 875 00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:31,920 Speaker 1: in a concise fashion? Well, so I started doing that 876 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:34,920 Speaker 1: with kids, which is like when you do you do 877 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:38,839 Speaker 1: the fundamental drills, then you do something bigger, and then 878 00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:42,840 Speaker 1: you blow the whistle when they when something happens. For example, 879 00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:45,160 Speaker 1: we do a drill and my dad always taught called 880 00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:48,320 Speaker 1: monkey in the middle, right, very simple, fift ft apart. 881 00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:51,279 Speaker 1: One guy in the middle. He's challenging the ball, you're 882 00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:54,040 Speaker 1: faking a pass and making a pass. Right. But so 883 00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:57,200 Speaker 1: oftentimes we get you get into you're playing against the 884 00:42:57,200 --> 00:42:59,719 Speaker 1: defense and a kid gets it on the wing and 885 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:02,520 Speaker 1: he's got somebody cutting into the post or standing open, 886 00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:04,879 Speaker 1: and you've got to blow the whistle. And you say, 887 00:43:04,920 --> 00:43:07,359 Speaker 1: this is why we did monkey in the middle. There's 888 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:09,160 Speaker 1: a defender in between you, and then where you want 889 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:11,600 Speaker 1: to throw the basketball, and you can't just throw it 890 00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:15,160 Speaker 1: straight away. You gotta big high and throw low. And 891 00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:17,520 Speaker 1: so I think I totally agree with you. It's like 892 00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:21,359 Speaker 1: the it's like the fundamentals are the fundamentals, like they're 893 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:24,960 Speaker 1: there for a reason. And so oftentimes we you're torn 894 00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:28,680 Speaker 1: because you want to have the fun workout. But the fun, 895 00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:32,440 Speaker 1: the fun comes from when you actually can master the 896 00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:35,160 Speaker 1: rout dimensional skills. And that's a that's a hard thing 897 00:43:35,280 --> 00:43:37,319 Speaker 1: for It's a hard thing for little kids. You know. 898 00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:39,520 Speaker 1: It's like, hey, you just gotta trust me. You do 899 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:42,480 Speaker 1: this passing, catching and cutting, the actual playing stuff gets 900 00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:45,879 Speaker 1: way easy, yeah, man, And and and and like you said, man, 901 00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:49,680 Speaker 1: most kids nowaday they want it immediately, right, And the 902 00:43:49,719 --> 00:43:55,759 Speaker 1: fundamentals do not come immediately, they say so. So it's 903 00:43:55,800 --> 00:44:00,000 Speaker 1: just it's just trying to make that process fun, you know. Uh. 904 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:02,160 Speaker 1: And young people make it fun, man, They make it 905 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:04,879 Speaker 1: fun for you because they get so much enjoyment out 906 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:07,160 Speaker 1: of just playing. You know, as you as you get older, 907 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:09,080 Speaker 1: that that stands to be the first thing to go 908 00:44:09,120 --> 00:44:11,359 Speaker 1: when it becomes a job. Right. Whereas when you're around 909 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:14,480 Speaker 1: young people, man, they keep you young. That's a great point. 910 00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:18,360 Speaker 1: And it's something that I felt when I was in 911 00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:22,200 Speaker 1: when I played profession, which is like I wanted to win. 912 00:44:22,640 --> 00:44:25,480 Speaker 1: I'm a competitor. I want to win every game. Okay, 913 00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:27,440 Speaker 1: it's not. It's not. It doesn't you don't lose your 914 00:44:27,480 --> 00:44:30,920 Speaker 1: competitive drive. But I do feel like it became like 915 00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:34,799 Speaker 1: a job, whereas in college every game I lost, like 916 00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:37,880 Speaker 1: I was devastated by. It wasn't just for me, it 917 00:44:38,040 --> 00:44:40,880 Speaker 1: was for all of us, you know, for your coach, 918 00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:43,640 Speaker 1: for your school, for your teammates, Like there was and 919 00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:46,840 Speaker 1: there was a true joy in playing. I didn't necessarily 920 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:48,920 Speaker 1: have the joy and practicing, you know, like you know 921 00:44:48,920 --> 00:44:51,480 Speaker 1: it gets get the college practice at the way oh 922 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:53,719 Speaker 1: we used to go forever. But I do think the 923 00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:55,600 Speaker 1: joy of playing is something that you have to find 924 00:44:55,600 --> 00:45:01,640 Speaker 1: a way to to uh facilitate the the growth up right, 925 00:45:01,640 --> 00:45:04,680 Speaker 1: So it is still fun, right And and that's a 926 00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:07,400 Speaker 1: that's okay. So here's the question. When you're player coach 927 00:45:08,239 --> 00:45:12,759 Speaker 1: in New Zealand, you know, when you guys would lose, 928 00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:15,040 Speaker 1: would you be critical of yourself? Like how do you 929 00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:18,600 Speaker 1: how do you do you guys call you coach, the 930 00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:22,160 Speaker 1: guys call you Mark, Like what was like that really 931 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:23,880 Speaker 1: interesting here. Yeah, it was it. Look, it was it 932 00:45:23,960 --> 00:45:26,560 Speaker 1: was just awkward or around, right, So it was awkward 933 00:45:26,560 --> 00:45:29,520 Speaker 1: all around because coach, you won championships. Now it's not 934 00:45:29,600 --> 00:45:32,279 Speaker 1: it did it seemed to work for him? Yeah. The 935 00:45:32,360 --> 00:45:34,400 Speaker 1: difference is, man, like, this is where I worked out 936 00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:36,520 Speaker 1: that you can't do it very well. Right, is that 937 00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:38,759 Speaker 1: in our position, you're out the front, you don't see 938 00:45:38,800 --> 00:45:41,759 Speaker 1: anything that's going on. You know, Bill Russell's position, he's 939 00:45:41,760 --> 00:45:44,040 Speaker 1: at the back. He can communicate and tell everyone what's 940 00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:45,960 Speaker 1: going on. He can actually see who's doing their job. 941 00:45:46,280 --> 00:45:48,880 Speaker 1: I have no idea behind me who was doing what. 942 00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:51,239 Speaker 1: So when I'm looking at film after the game, then 943 00:45:51,280 --> 00:45:53,640 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, okay, I can see where oviousing up. 944 00:45:53,640 --> 00:45:56,640 Speaker 1: Now that makes perfect sense. But during the game, you know, 945 00:45:56,640 --> 00:45:58,759 Speaker 1: it just it comes hard. So you know, obviously had 946 00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:00,840 Speaker 1: assistant coaches on the side line helping me in that, 947 00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:02,840 Speaker 1: but you know, they don't want to overstep their bounds 948 00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:04,839 Speaker 1: and try and tell you what because you're like, you're 949 00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:06,520 Speaker 1: like the legend. Like the last thing they want to 950 00:46:06,520 --> 00:46:09,520 Speaker 1: do is tell Mark Tickle what he didn't see, right, 951 00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:12,680 Speaker 1: which was probably a lot. But yeah, look, there was 952 00:46:12,719 --> 00:46:15,480 Speaker 1: definitely a part of that. So like, you know, the 953 00:46:15,480 --> 00:46:17,200 Speaker 1: first couple of years I played a lot. The third 954 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:18,960 Speaker 1: year I hardly played. Man. I just tried to do 955 00:46:18,960 --> 00:46:22,799 Speaker 1: the job as best I could. Um, Okay, so you 956 00:46:22,880 --> 00:46:27,279 Speaker 1: get done. Um by the way you played in look 957 00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:31,120 Speaker 1: a motive, right, you played it was cool, It was cool. 958 00:46:31,120 --> 00:46:33,000 Speaker 1: I just should have never left Turkey, man, I should 959 00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:37,840 Speaker 1: have just never left. Yeah. Well, you know it's you 960 00:46:37,840 --> 00:46:39,560 Speaker 1: know what it's like. It's so hard to get a 961 00:46:39,560 --> 00:46:44,040 Speaker 1: reputation where you've proved yourself and you don't feel like anymore. 962 00:46:44,040 --> 00:46:47,200 Speaker 1: On a couple of bad games you can be out, um, 963 00:46:47,239 --> 00:46:51,239 Speaker 1: you know, and you had done yeah, and and like 964 00:46:51,280 --> 00:46:53,879 Speaker 1: I've done well enough to wear by. Now, I wasn't 965 00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:56,319 Speaker 1: doubling my money by going to Russia. That didn't make 966 00:46:56,360 --> 00:46:58,560 Speaker 1: a whole lot of sense, right, So you know, I 967 00:46:58,640 --> 00:47:00,719 Speaker 1: just live. The advice I had at the time kind 968 00:47:00,760 --> 00:47:02,680 Speaker 1: of swayed me a little bit. I mean, I don't 969 00:47:02,719 --> 00:47:04,880 Speaker 1: regret going to Russia. A great experience in that, but 970 00:47:04,960 --> 00:47:07,200 Speaker 1: from my wife Ashley, kids in that, I mean we 971 00:47:07,239 --> 00:47:11,840 Speaker 1: would have fid rather state in Turkey. Okay. Um, your 972 00:47:11,920 --> 00:47:15,520 Speaker 1: first national team state was with the Albanian national team. Now, 973 00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:17,759 Speaker 1: yere's what I think about Albania. I thought that was 974 00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:23,880 Speaker 1: the place everybody had the fake passports, yeah right, and 975 00:47:23,880 --> 00:47:25,960 Speaker 1: I could get an Israeli passport. But other guys, like 976 00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:27,239 Speaker 1: I had a buddy I played with the college and 977 00:47:27,239 --> 00:47:30,400 Speaker 1: he has an Albanian pastors, like, well, how the Albani 978 00:47:30,440 --> 00:47:32,480 Speaker 1: pastors Like, man, it's twenty grand you get Albanian past 979 00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:37,359 Speaker 1: work and you can play, as you already know, right, 980 00:47:37,400 --> 00:47:40,800 Speaker 1: So did you have any Albanians or did you have Americans? 981 00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:42,480 Speaker 1: Who did you have in your team? I mean we 982 00:47:42,520 --> 00:47:45,680 Speaker 1: had we had a whole mix. Man, we had you know, 983 00:47:45,800 --> 00:47:48,480 Speaker 1: like like a whole lot of the players throughout Europe 984 00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:52,520 Speaker 1: had Albanian ancestry appearance, right, So you know, it was 985 00:47:52,760 --> 00:47:54,799 Speaker 1: it was interesting. We only had three players on our 986 00:47:54,880 --> 00:47:59,440 Speaker 1: national team that were born and raised there. All the 987 00:47:59,480 --> 00:48:03,680 Speaker 1: rest of them professionally outside either in Turkey, you know, Greece, Russia, Italy. 988 00:48:04,280 --> 00:48:07,560 Speaker 1: A lot of Albania's play in Italy, um and the 989 00:48:07,600 --> 00:48:10,400 Speaker 1: lower levels over there. So really interesting. I mean, the 990 00:48:10,480 --> 00:48:13,040 Speaker 1: interesting most interesting part about that is that you know, 991 00:48:13,080 --> 00:48:15,799 Speaker 1: I was playing in Greece at the time, and and 992 00:48:15,840 --> 00:48:18,840 Speaker 1: I was still playing in Europe, and we played the 993 00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:21,319 Speaker 1: Albanian national team, and like a practice game before the 994 00:48:21,320 --> 00:48:25,000 Speaker 1: playoffs start, and and and they came right up to 995 00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:26,360 Speaker 1: be after the game. He said, do you want to 996 00:48:26,360 --> 00:48:28,920 Speaker 1: play on our team? So I was like, sure, I'll 997 00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:31,839 Speaker 1: play right, Like obviously, if the money's right, I'll come 998 00:48:31,840 --> 00:48:34,719 Speaker 1: and play. You know. Like at that time, I hadn't 999 00:48:34,760 --> 00:48:36,840 Speaker 1: played on the New Zealand national team for three years, 1000 00:48:36,840 --> 00:48:40,480 Speaker 1: so naturally you can play for another association. So I 1001 00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:42,839 Speaker 1: went over there. I came to find out I can't 1002 00:48:42,880 --> 00:48:47,919 Speaker 1: play on their national team and coach and the head 1003 00:48:47,920 --> 00:48:50,120 Speaker 1: coach just quit and said you can do it, right, 1004 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:53,080 Speaker 1: So I was like, okay. So that was kind of 1005 00:48:53,080 --> 00:48:55,120 Speaker 1: how I got the first gig. It wasn't planned. I 1006 00:48:55,160 --> 00:48:57,960 Speaker 1: didn't go over there with the thought of coaching. They 1007 00:48:58,040 --> 00:48:59,759 Speaker 1: kind of just sit here, man, go ahead and do it. 1008 00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:02,960 Speaker 1: So okay. So when you're coaching, did you just run 1009 00:49:03,080 --> 00:49:06,360 Speaker 1: some of the system stuff that you ran in Greece, 1010 00:49:06,560 --> 00:49:08,120 Speaker 1: some of the stuff you like in Turkey, some of 1011 00:49:08,120 --> 00:49:09,839 Speaker 1: your own stuff? How did you formulate what you want 1012 00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:13,240 Speaker 1: to do? Man? I just stand whatever I had thought 1013 00:49:13,239 --> 00:49:16,000 Speaker 1: worked previously, or that other people have done against me 1014 00:49:16,040 --> 00:49:18,200 Speaker 1: that have worked, or that you know, like just tried 1015 00:49:18,239 --> 00:49:20,360 Speaker 1: to steal everything I could from the other coaches and 1016 00:49:20,440 --> 00:49:23,959 Speaker 1: they're like, what, so, so your your style as a coach, 1017 00:49:24,000 --> 00:49:25,839 Speaker 1: and granted, obviously you gotta fit it to the team 1018 00:49:25,840 --> 00:49:29,400 Speaker 1: and to the personnel you have. Okay, so like like veno, 1019 00:49:29,520 --> 00:49:32,440 Speaker 1: now let's start with them, because it's interesting I've evolved 1020 00:49:32,480 --> 00:49:36,840 Speaker 1: as well, Like, okay, what I used to do, man, 1021 00:49:36,920 --> 00:49:39,399 Speaker 1: most definitely, Well look, look, man, I I kind of thought, 1022 00:49:39,440 --> 00:49:42,120 Speaker 1: you know, and keep in mind, I was thirty four then, right, 1023 00:49:42,160 --> 00:49:45,279 Speaker 1: so I kind of thought, then, man, I wanna I 1024 00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:48,279 Speaker 1: want to play through the bigs. We had good bigs, right, 1025 00:49:48,360 --> 00:49:50,479 Speaker 1: I was slowing down because we don't have a whole 1026 00:49:50,480 --> 00:49:53,719 Speaker 1: lot of good God play, right, Like this was personnel 1027 00:49:53,800 --> 00:49:57,200 Speaker 1: driven what I was thinking. Um, And that's kind of 1028 00:49:57,200 --> 00:49:59,480 Speaker 1: how everyone in York played, man, you know, like no 1029 00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:02,080 Speaker 1: one was on the playing up tempo or planned like that. 1030 00:50:02,239 --> 00:50:03,960 Speaker 1: It was, you know, protect the ball, try and keep 1031 00:50:04,000 --> 00:50:06,279 Speaker 1: the score in the fifties or the sixties, trying out 1032 00:50:06,320 --> 00:50:09,759 Speaker 1: defend them, play a lot of zone. Um. So I 1033 00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:11,360 Speaker 1: just kind of fell in line with that. And we 1034 00:50:11,400 --> 00:50:14,239 Speaker 1: played in EuroBasket B Division, so we didn't play any 1035 00:50:14,239 --> 00:50:16,520 Speaker 1: of the top teams, so we didn't play Italy Greased 1036 00:50:16,520 --> 00:50:20,640 Speaker 1: any of that. We were playing Cypress or Switzerland or 1037 00:50:20,800 --> 00:50:22,640 Speaker 1: you know, good teams, don't get me wrong, but you 1038 00:50:22,640 --> 00:50:24,880 Speaker 1: can compete with them, especially with the players we had, 1039 00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:27,600 Speaker 1: so so I didn't really want to make it too difficult. 1040 00:50:28,120 --> 00:50:30,600 Speaker 1: We we had really good talent, we just weren't that organized. 1041 00:50:30,680 --> 00:50:32,640 Speaker 1: So now I just try to slow it down and 1042 00:50:32,640 --> 00:50:34,520 Speaker 1: play through our beds. We had three seven footers that 1043 00:50:34,600 --> 00:50:38,280 Speaker 1: could all play and shoot. If the guards played too fast, 1044 00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:40,520 Speaker 1: they quit and would walk up and down the court. 1045 00:50:40,600 --> 00:50:43,239 Speaker 1: So I kind of had to playcate them a little bit. 1046 00:50:43,480 --> 00:50:46,400 Speaker 1: And man, we had some success, man, but it's just 1047 00:50:46,440 --> 00:50:50,120 Speaker 1: not easy in Albania trying to replicate anything. Everything changes, man, 1048 00:50:50,200 --> 00:50:53,040 Speaker 1: like overnight, you know, like you think it's one way, 1049 00:50:53,080 --> 00:50:54,960 Speaker 1: and the next day you wake up and that players 1050 00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:57,040 Speaker 1: gone and there's another player in. Right, It's just a 1051 00:50:57,960 --> 00:51:03,080 Speaker 1: it's just a different control over his coach. Man. They like, 1052 00:51:03,320 --> 00:51:07,120 Speaker 1: uh like control what what? What are that control? In Albania, 1053 00:51:07,160 --> 00:51:09,719 Speaker 1: I controlled what time I got to the gym. I 1054 00:51:09,760 --> 00:51:12,560 Speaker 1: controlled what we did once I got to the gym, 1055 00:51:12,600 --> 00:51:14,520 Speaker 1: and I controlled who came in and out of the game. 1056 00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:19,600 Speaker 1: Other than the hid, I was just uh following orders. Man, 1057 00:51:19,920 --> 00:51:24,520 Speaker 1: that's a different place. Okay, Um, your most recent stint 1058 00:51:24,560 --> 00:51:28,560 Speaker 1: was with the Filipino national team, right, yes, what was it? 1059 00:51:28,560 --> 00:51:33,000 Speaker 1: Because I know there's an incredible passion for basketball, but 1060 00:51:33,120 --> 00:51:35,160 Speaker 1: they just have no size. They just have no Like 1061 00:51:35,280 --> 00:51:38,080 Speaker 1: Jordan Clarkston's like the only thing, right they hope they 1062 00:51:38,080 --> 00:51:40,400 Speaker 1: can get him back to come play. Like what was 1063 00:51:40,520 --> 00:51:42,879 Speaker 1: how did you? How did you get that game? Well? 1064 00:51:43,920 --> 00:51:46,719 Speaker 1: Three and a half years ago. Um, you know kind 1065 00:51:46,719 --> 00:51:50,879 Speaker 1: of kind of was outgrowing New Zealand started looking opportunities elsewhere, right, 1066 00:51:50,960 --> 00:51:53,719 Speaker 1: so you know, I got the opportunity two or three 1067 00:51:53,760 --> 00:51:56,040 Speaker 1: quarter years ago to go to Manila and coach a 1068 00:51:56,080 --> 00:51:59,880 Speaker 1: protein over there. Talking text, Bano had actually coached that 1069 00:52:00,040 --> 00:52:02,000 Speaker 1: team in two thousand and three, so that was kind 1070 00:52:02,040 --> 00:52:06,160 Speaker 1: of the connect with the with the team over there. Um, yes, 1071 00:52:06,239 --> 00:52:09,360 Speaker 1: so so went over there. Our team was really successful 1072 00:52:09,600 --> 00:52:13,040 Speaker 1: outside of winning winning the championship, which is very very 1073 00:52:13,040 --> 00:52:15,319 Speaker 1: difficult to do over there. I mean there's so many 1074 00:52:15,600 --> 00:52:18,000 Speaker 1: there's so many talented players and talented teams, but just 1075 00:52:18,040 --> 00:52:21,600 Speaker 1: like you said, no size, you know, and especially internationally, 1076 00:52:21,680 --> 00:52:25,360 Speaker 1: that's what what traditionally holds them back. So usually what 1077 00:52:25,440 --> 00:52:29,040 Speaker 1: happens is they naturalized a big guy, right, so you know, 1078 00:52:29,080 --> 00:52:32,040 Speaker 1: previously the big guy they naturalized was Andre Blatch, but 1079 00:52:32,080 --> 00:52:34,600 Speaker 1: he actually retired or they said he's no longer on 1080 00:52:34,600 --> 00:52:36,359 Speaker 1: the team when I got the job, so we just 1081 00:52:36,400 --> 00:52:40,760 Speaker 1: went with straight Filipinos. We have one young Filipino who's 1082 00:52:40,920 --> 00:52:43,800 Speaker 1: over playing with the G League Select team, Kais Soto, 1083 00:52:43,880 --> 00:52:47,000 Speaker 1: who's pretty talented, right, but he's kind of an old 1084 00:52:47,040 --> 00:52:51,000 Speaker 1: school big right. He's kind of like not really that athletic, 1085 00:52:51,040 --> 00:52:54,239 Speaker 1: but can really play really skilled. But he didn't play 1086 00:52:54,280 --> 00:52:56,000 Speaker 1: on the national team with me when I was there, 1087 00:52:56,040 --> 00:52:58,080 Speaker 1: so you know, we didn't we didn't have a whole 1088 00:52:58,080 --> 00:53:00,600 Speaker 1: lot of size. Were just parted quick, uh, you know, 1089 00:53:00,880 --> 00:53:03,120 Speaker 1: put five shooters on the court and spread everyone out 1090 00:53:03,120 --> 00:53:06,520 Speaker 1: and try and take advantage of the of the opportunities 1091 00:53:06,560 --> 00:53:12,480 Speaker 1: we get. Give me your craziest Philippine story. Well, just 1092 00:53:12,520 --> 00:53:15,279 Speaker 1: my first day there, man, that the you know, like 1093 00:53:15,320 --> 00:53:18,359 Speaker 1: I've obviously been in places where the traffic is bad, right, 1094 00:53:18,480 --> 00:53:21,400 Speaker 1: but but so I get there at like five o'clock 1095 00:53:21,440 --> 00:53:23,399 Speaker 1: at night on a Friday, and it takes me five 1096 00:53:23,440 --> 00:53:26,200 Speaker 1: and a half hours to get to the place I'm 1097 00:53:26,239 --> 00:53:33,319 Speaker 1: staying yet and it should take about twenty minutes eight 1098 00:53:33,360 --> 00:53:35,440 Speaker 1: five and a half hours and steven twenty minutes, and 1099 00:53:35,480 --> 00:53:37,400 Speaker 1: it should have taken about twenty minutes. It took me 1100 00:53:37,520 --> 00:53:39,759 Speaker 1: five hours to get and and that was when I 1101 00:53:39,800 --> 00:53:41,560 Speaker 1: was like, oh, I don't know if I can deal 1102 00:53:41,600 --> 00:53:43,319 Speaker 1: with this place. I'm not going to tell my wife 1103 00:53:43,320 --> 00:53:45,520 Speaker 1: Ashley about this traffic because she will not want to. 1104 00:53:45,600 --> 00:53:47,319 Speaker 1: You know, it was like that one, right, it was 1105 00:53:47,480 --> 00:53:49,160 Speaker 1: I just couldn't believe it. And we didn't move that 1106 00:53:49,280 --> 00:53:52,560 Speaker 1: I'm talking, we didn't move so like you know, I 1107 00:53:52,560 --> 00:53:54,120 Speaker 1: could have got out and walked it in an hour 1108 00:53:54,200 --> 00:53:57,399 Speaker 1: and a half, right, Like, it's like that type of thing. 1109 00:53:57,640 --> 00:54:00,640 Speaker 1: And the people are everywhere and no what he adheres 1110 00:54:00,680 --> 00:54:05,799 Speaker 1: to any rules regarding traffic, right, they just go That 1111 00:54:05,840 --> 00:54:08,120 Speaker 1: reminds me like Russia, remember Russia. Like Russia, you go 1112 00:54:08,200 --> 00:54:11,080 Speaker 1: to like McDonald's Moscow and there were no lines, no rules. 1113 00:54:11,880 --> 00:54:13,960 Speaker 1: I just felt like in Russia there was no real rules. 1114 00:54:13,960 --> 00:54:16,040 Speaker 1: They like it. It just cuts in, right, like the 1115 00:54:16,040 --> 00:54:20,640 Speaker 1: whole suggestion that everything was just suggestions. It's like stop signs, 1116 00:54:21,239 --> 00:54:25,080 Speaker 1: basic rules, anything, just a suggestion. You know you have money, 1117 00:54:25,080 --> 00:54:28,879 Speaker 1: Oh that's it's totally different if you have money, you know, right, 1118 00:54:29,840 --> 00:54:32,520 Speaker 1: it's an amazing like we live in, this is the 1119 00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:34,879 Speaker 1: same universe I live in now, did many pack you'll 1120 00:54:34,880 --> 00:54:37,360 Speaker 1: ever show to try and work out with you guys. No, 1121 00:54:37,520 --> 00:54:39,440 Speaker 1: but I did see him in a couple of games 1122 00:54:39,440 --> 00:54:41,080 Speaker 1: and that I mean, he just love to see a 1123 00:54:41,120 --> 00:54:44,120 Speaker 1: guard over there. They love basketball over there. It's like 1124 00:54:45,560 --> 00:54:48,239 Speaker 1: it's what they know, man and like. And it's really 1125 00:54:48,239 --> 00:54:51,200 Speaker 1: interesting because they're not suited for that game at all, right, 1126 00:54:51,280 --> 00:54:53,200 Speaker 1: like you know, body type was I mean there should 1127 00:54:53,239 --> 00:54:55,319 Speaker 1: be really soccer or football or something like that, right, 1128 00:54:55,480 --> 00:55:02,120 Speaker 1: But but they really educated in it too, and great fans, um, 1129 00:55:02,160 --> 00:55:03,759 Speaker 1: you know, like the p b A over there that 1130 00:55:03,800 --> 00:55:05,879 Speaker 1: I coached in the Pro League, great league, really good 1131 00:55:05,880 --> 00:55:08,560 Speaker 1: players you know, have been a long time running now 1132 00:55:08,640 --> 00:55:12,320 Speaker 1: it was good man like, really good basketball education. But 1133 00:55:12,320 --> 00:55:14,919 Speaker 1: but two and a half three years was long enough. Yeah, 1134 00:55:14,920 --> 00:55:19,080 Speaker 1: that's okay. So now what now? Well, Ma'm I'm just 1135 00:55:19,080 --> 00:55:21,360 Speaker 1: trying to get on something over here. Um. You know, 1136 00:55:21,400 --> 00:55:23,000 Speaker 1: I felt like, you know, I'm kind of teen years 1137 00:55:23,000 --> 00:55:26,400 Speaker 1: into this coaching thing now and four Um, you know, 1138 00:55:26,440 --> 00:55:28,240 Speaker 1: I see a whole lot of my friends and colleagues 1139 00:55:28,239 --> 00:55:31,319 Speaker 1: and that guys I played with are over here excelling, right. 1140 00:55:32,200 --> 00:55:33,680 Speaker 1: You know, I'm kind of really proud of them, but 1141 00:55:33,680 --> 00:55:36,600 Speaker 1: but want to get amongst it. Man, you know, I 1142 00:55:36,640 --> 00:55:39,960 Speaker 1: think I have a lot to offer. Um, yeah, it 1143 00:55:40,040 --> 00:55:43,320 Speaker 1: just it just loved the game. Um, you know, I 1144 00:55:43,560 --> 00:55:46,000 Speaker 1: I watched as much as I've seen so many different angles. 1145 00:55:46,040 --> 00:55:48,680 Speaker 1: It's interesting that you coached, but you know this from playing, 1146 00:55:49,360 --> 00:55:51,359 Speaker 1: Like if you played, and you played in all these 1147 00:55:51,360 --> 00:55:55,080 Speaker 1: different countries and all these different systems. Like it's like 1148 00:55:55,120 --> 00:55:57,920 Speaker 1: then when when Nash got the job, when people are 1149 00:55:57,920 --> 00:56:01,279 Speaker 1: like questioning, like, well, he hasn't coached before, Like have 1150 00:56:01,440 --> 00:56:04,560 Speaker 1: you ever played point guard? Why was that? Why did 1151 00:56:04,560 --> 00:56:07,120 Speaker 1: he get all that height? What was that about? Like 1152 00:56:07,200 --> 00:56:11,520 Speaker 1: if there's anyone who's born to coach, if there's anyone 1153 00:56:12,400 --> 00:56:15,120 Speaker 1: for the last thirty years, you would look at me like, dude, 1154 00:56:15,120 --> 00:56:19,280 Speaker 1: it looks like he's coaching the team down there, because 1155 00:56:19,320 --> 00:56:23,000 Speaker 1: you are like, it's so different than football, right, and look, 1156 00:56:23,160 --> 00:56:25,440 Speaker 1: I think quarterbacks could do it, but quarterbacks they have 1157 00:56:25,520 --> 00:56:29,280 Speaker 1: different meeting rooms than everybody else. Like there's five guys 1158 00:56:29,840 --> 00:56:32,440 Speaker 1: and you can't hear your coach most of the time, right, 1159 00:56:32,719 --> 00:56:35,120 Speaker 1: and you barely guys barely pay attention to their coach. 1160 00:56:35,719 --> 00:56:39,040 Speaker 1: The point guard is everything and the idea that like, 1161 00:56:39,080 --> 00:56:41,480 Speaker 1: well you know you have to have. Don't get me wrong, 1162 00:56:41,520 --> 00:56:43,520 Speaker 1: there's lots of administrative stuff that you don't know how 1163 00:56:43,560 --> 00:56:46,520 Speaker 1: to do, okay, and you have to learn. I think 1164 00:56:46,960 --> 00:56:49,720 Speaker 1: substituting is an art. But I think most point guards 1165 00:56:49,719 --> 00:56:51,279 Speaker 1: know who should be in and who should be out. 1166 00:56:51,320 --> 00:56:52,719 Speaker 1: And you can look at a guy know if he's 1167 00:56:52,760 --> 00:56:56,200 Speaker 1: gassed and he's tired. You know. But it's more administrative stuff. 1168 00:56:56,440 --> 00:57:00,120 Speaker 1: And in college it's about recruiting and boosters and the 1169 00:57:00,120 --> 00:57:03,200 Speaker 1: other ship. But the actual basketball stuff, like, dude, that's 1170 00:57:03,200 --> 00:57:06,120 Speaker 1: a rat. You know, I've seen this fifteen times over. 1171 00:57:06,200 --> 00:57:08,279 Speaker 1: I know exactly, I've seen this puzzle. I know I 1172 00:57:08,320 --> 00:57:10,200 Speaker 1: know the answer to it. Right, That's what That's what 1173 00:57:10,239 --> 00:57:13,520 Speaker 1: it feels like. The harder part is getting the kid 1174 00:57:13,840 --> 00:57:16,840 Speaker 1: who hasn't seen enough to instantly react. How do I 1175 00:57:16,880 --> 00:57:19,640 Speaker 1: teach him so that he instantly reacts? You know? My 1176 00:57:19,640 --> 00:57:23,560 Speaker 1: My my issue is and and you know, sometimes you 1177 00:57:23,640 --> 00:57:26,320 Speaker 1: have a guy who's a long time assistant coach, well 1178 00:57:26,360 --> 00:57:28,120 Speaker 1: he's been a long time since coach. We're like, look, 1179 00:57:28,160 --> 00:57:30,800 Speaker 1: if you sat there, you have a lot of ideas, 1180 00:57:30,880 --> 00:57:32,800 Speaker 1: but you've never put him in play, and you've only 1181 00:57:32,840 --> 00:57:35,800 Speaker 1: seen it from the perspective of your system. Whereas if 1182 00:57:35,800 --> 00:57:39,880 Speaker 1: you've played, like I, how many how many do you 1183 00:57:39,920 --> 00:57:43,720 Speaker 1: know how many countries you played in maybe eight or nine, Okay, 1184 00:57:43,840 --> 00:57:48,520 Speaker 1: and then how many different coaches, right, and everybody sees 1185 00:57:48,680 --> 00:57:51,439 Speaker 1: and and though you don't agree with most of the ship, 1186 00:57:51,520 --> 00:57:54,560 Speaker 1: they tell you learn something from every guy. Are you Like, Oh, 1187 00:57:54,800 --> 00:57:57,560 Speaker 1: I never I didn't think of that. Like that was 1188 00:57:57,720 --> 00:57:59,320 Speaker 1: that was kind of cool. And like you said, like 1189 00:57:59,360 --> 00:58:00,640 Speaker 1: all the stuff that work do you want to do, 1190 00:58:00,680 --> 00:58:02,280 Speaker 1: all the stuff that didn't work you don't want to do, 1191 00:58:03,200 --> 00:58:05,240 Speaker 1: and the stuff that you do, and then you try 1192 00:58:05,240 --> 00:58:07,640 Speaker 1: and coach the way you want to be coached, and 1193 00:58:07,680 --> 00:58:09,640 Speaker 1: sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't because it depends 1194 00:58:09,720 --> 00:58:12,680 Speaker 1: upon the kid. But I agree with like, even without 1195 00:58:12,760 --> 00:58:16,240 Speaker 1: all of your coaching, like you've lived fifty different basketball 1196 00:58:16,240 --> 00:58:18,760 Speaker 1: lives as opposed to most guys. I think the problem 1197 00:58:18,760 --> 00:58:22,040 Speaker 1: you'll run into is in the college game. You know, 1198 00:58:22,520 --> 00:58:25,520 Speaker 1: it's so much of it's about basketball families now, So 1199 00:58:25,720 --> 00:58:30,120 Speaker 1: some some Aussies may help you, right, because New Zealanders 1200 00:58:30,120 --> 00:58:32,760 Speaker 1: are like you guys are like cousins, rights. I mean, 1201 00:58:32,760 --> 00:58:35,480 Speaker 1: they may hook up. But what I found in the 1202 00:58:35,520 --> 00:58:37,680 Speaker 1: college game is it's a lot of your head coach 1203 00:58:37,760 --> 00:58:41,200 Speaker 1: is the head of the patriarch of the basketball family, 1204 00:58:41,480 --> 00:58:44,320 Speaker 1: and those are all your connections, whereas you know, Keeps 1205 00:58:44,320 --> 00:58:46,360 Speaker 1: in the NBA and Billy before he took a breaks 1206 00:58:46,360 --> 00:58:48,360 Speaker 1: in the NBA, and you guys are kind of in 1207 00:58:48,360 --> 00:58:50,360 Speaker 1: the NBA, and you guys are kind of in the NBA. 1208 00:58:50,600 --> 00:58:52,600 Speaker 1: So that's where it's it's weird. It's like it's not 1209 00:58:52,640 --> 00:58:58,400 Speaker 1: necessarily on merit more who you know and what basketball family. Yeah, look, look, man, 1210 00:58:58,800 --> 00:59:00,640 Speaker 1: I'm well aware of what you're saying it right, but 1211 00:59:00,720 --> 00:59:03,080 Speaker 1: my my kind of feeling is, man, I'll just do 1212 00:59:03,160 --> 00:59:05,120 Speaker 1: whatever I gotta do to get an opportunity, and if 1213 00:59:05,120 --> 00:59:07,240 Speaker 1: I get an opportunity, once I do, it's gonna be 1214 00:59:07,280 --> 00:59:09,439 Speaker 1: a rep and I'll just take my opportunity and run 1215 00:59:09,480 --> 00:59:12,160 Speaker 1: with it. You know. It's it's interesting. I had a 1216 00:59:12,160 --> 00:59:15,160 Speaker 1: conversation with Dan Docket, who is a former coach now 1217 00:59:15,200 --> 00:59:18,320 Speaker 1: broadcaster on the show, and we were talking about and 1218 00:59:18,360 --> 00:59:20,120 Speaker 1: this is where it's perfectly to me and you is 1219 00:59:20,720 --> 00:59:23,200 Speaker 1: you don't have a point guard college basketball, it's gonna 1220 00:59:23,200 --> 00:59:24,920 Speaker 1: make you look like a bad coach, even if you're not. 1221 00:59:25,520 --> 00:59:26,560 Speaker 1: You look at a lot of these teams that are 1222 00:59:26,560 --> 00:59:29,560 Speaker 1: struggling this year. Duke's point guard play not good. Then off, 1223 00:59:29,560 --> 00:59:32,600 Speaker 1: there's really the NBA Draft Kansas. I don't know why 1224 00:59:32,680 --> 00:59:36,160 Speaker 1: Dotson left for the NBA draft. Uh, you know, Michigan State, 1225 00:59:36,240 --> 00:59:39,800 Speaker 1: you lose an all time great point guard leader, You 1226 00:59:39,840 --> 00:59:43,160 Speaker 1: don't have it. What is it like for you to 1227 00:59:43,280 --> 00:59:46,960 Speaker 1: try and teach somebody to be you? Right, you were 1228 00:59:47,000 --> 00:59:51,560 Speaker 1: a leader, you're a you're the consummate, and you sacrifice 1229 00:59:51,560 --> 00:59:55,280 Speaker 1: your scoring for your team. How what is that process 1230 00:59:55,320 --> 00:59:57,200 Speaker 1: like for you to try and teach somebody to do 1231 00:59:57,680 --> 01:00:00,200 Speaker 1: the subtle things that you instinctively knew how to do 1232 01:00:00,280 --> 01:00:04,280 Speaker 1: for twenty years a pro day Just personality man personality 1233 01:00:04,320 --> 01:00:08,640 Speaker 1: traits is huge, right, Like, like is he inherently unselfish? 1234 01:00:08,800 --> 01:00:10,840 Speaker 1: And if he is, it's going to be easy to 1235 01:00:10,880 --> 01:00:14,120 Speaker 1: make that guy understand exactly why you should be unselfish. 1236 01:00:14,160 --> 01:00:16,439 Speaker 1: And you know, the problem nowadays you find is there's 1237 01:00:16,440 --> 01:00:19,440 Speaker 1: so many people think they're scoring points right, or so 1238 01:00:19,520 --> 01:00:22,920 Speaker 1: many people evaluate their successage game based off how many 1239 01:00:22,960 --> 01:00:27,200 Speaker 1: points they get right. So you know, it's the game's 1240 01:00:27,280 --> 01:00:31,000 Speaker 1: changing all the time. But the idea that the player 1241 01:00:31,040 --> 01:00:32,600 Speaker 1: with the board is going to make the game easier 1242 01:00:32,600 --> 01:00:36,160 Speaker 1: if everyone else is still strong, right, So how do 1243 01:00:36,240 --> 01:00:38,800 Speaker 1: you get people, you know, how do you get players 1244 01:00:38,800 --> 01:00:43,000 Speaker 1: to understand that you know you're actually sacrificing for everyone else. 1245 01:00:43,120 --> 01:00:45,480 Speaker 1: But trust me, the players, sorry, the coaches that know 1246 01:00:45,800 --> 01:00:49,920 Speaker 1: will know that it's you out there doing good stuff. Right. So, 1247 01:00:49,920 --> 01:00:51,600 Speaker 1: so how do you get a player to understand that 1248 01:00:52,320 --> 01:00:57,880 Speaker 1: million hours of film and evaluating each and every practice 1249 01:00:58,000 --> 01:01:01,280 Speaker 1: and watching film with them, watching every game, watching every 1250 01:01:01,480 --> 01:01:04,280 Speaker 1: basketball game you get with them of somebody else and 1251 01:01:04,360 --> 01:01:07,240 Speaker 1: eventually it clicks in. If you don't have that time 1252 01:01:07,280 --> 01:01:09,760 Speaker 1: with that person, it's really hot. Well that's I think 1253 01:01:09,800 --> 01:01:11,480 Speaker 1: that the hardest part about college is a limit the 1254 01:01:11,480 --> 01:01:14,080 Speaker 1: amount of time we have with guys. And people think 1255 01:01:14,080 --> 01:01:17,080 Speaker 1: it's protecting the players, but it's not. It's actually hurting 1256 01:01:17,080 --> 01:01:20,320 Speaker 1: the players development in many ways. There's is there a 1257 01:01:20,320 --> 01:01:22,720 Speaker 1: smart way to do it? It's interesting you point out 1258 01:01:22,720 --> 01:01:24,880 Speaker 1: the ability to make people better, like that's what makes 1259 01:01:25,000 --> 01:01:28,440 Speaker 1: somebody a great players. You make everybody else kind of 1260 01:01:28,480 --> 01:01:32,640 Speaker 1: around you, uh better, You learn about other people and 1261 01:01:32,680 --> 01:01:37,280 Speaker 1: personality traits are fantastic way to kind of um evaluate that. 1262 01:01:37,360 --> 01:01:40,000 Speaker 1: It is frustrating that when you I'm sure you've experienced this, 1263 01:01:40,080 --> 01:01:43,080 Speaker 1: when you see something and you know what's coming, you 1264 01:01:43,120 --> 01:01:48,120 Speaker 1: know what happens, and the player you're coaching is like 1265 01:01:48,160 --> 01:01:51,200 Speaker 1: a second late and doesn't see it, Like, how can 1266 01:01:51,240 --> 01:01:53,200 Speaker 1: you not? It's just you know what I mean, because 1267 01:01:53,440 --> 01:01:56,440 Speaker 1: I would guess that you and I view the basketball 1268 01:01:56,800 --> 01:01:59,880 Speaker 1: like a play the exact same way, right. I know 1269 01:02:00,080 --> 01:02:02,360 Speaker 1: that I'm reading the idea to play as this guy 1270 01:02:02,440 --> 01:02:04,600 Speaker 1: coming off of a player screen, but the second his 1271 01:02:04,680 --> 01:02:06,760 Speaker 1: man hedges out, I know the slip is gonna be open. 1272 01:02:06,960 --> 01:02:08,680 Speaker 1: I know exactly what I have to throw the ball. 1273 01:02:09,000 --> 01:02:12,360 Speaker 1: And I think that I always thought that like everybody 1274 01:02:12,360 --> 01:02:14,360 Speaker 1: sees it. Then you start coaching, you're like, no, you 1275 01:02:14,360 --> 01:02:15,760 Speaker 1: didn't see it at all, did you? Like, no, I 1276 01:02:15,760 --> 01:02:17,400 Speaker 1: have no idea I missed it. Or by the time 1277 01:02:17,440 --> 01:02:19,000 Speaker 1: they see it's too late and you know it's too 1278 01:02:19,080 --> 01:02:21,680 Speaker 1: late in stolen. That's the part that I find to 1279 01:02:21,720 --> 01:02:25,440 Speaker 1: be to be the most kind of tenuous, a really interesting, 1280 01:02:25,480 --> 01:02:28,400 Speaker 1: because like I had so many debates I call them 1281 01:02:28,440 --> 01:02:30,920 Speaker 1: debates with the players because they're not arguments, right because 1282 01:02:31,080 --> 01:02:33,680 Speaker 1: he might have to seeing something different. But the reality 1283 01:02:33,800 --> 01:02:38,480 Speaker 1: is oftentimes they're looking at that downscreen to occupy the 1284 01:02:38,480 --> 01:02:40,520 Speaker 1: other two players on the weak side of the court 1285 01:02:40,920 --> 01:02:43,520 Speaker 1: so they could take their player one on one. They're 1286 01:02:43,520 --> 01:02:46,440 Speaker 1: not even really looking at the play or hoping the 1287 01:02:46,480 --> 01:02:50,000 Speaker 1: play of you know develops like like, it's really interesting. 1288 01:02:50,000 --> 01:02:51,920 Speaker 1: When you see what the players see, you're able to 1289 01:02:51,960 --> 01:02:54,640 Speaker 1: work out how far they're gonna go. Right, Like, uh, 1290 01:02:55,240 --> 01:02:58,040 Speaker 1: you know, like you go and watch an eight or 1291 01:02:58,080 --> 01:02:59,960 Speaker 1: a nine year old kid that can see the court, man, 1292 01:03:00,160 --> 01:03:01,800 Speaker 1: I'll tell you that kid's gonna be really good. I 1293 01:03:01,800 --> 01:03:04,280 Speaker 1: don't care if you girls or not. Right, So, you know, 1294 01:03:04,360 --> 01:03:06,439 Speaker 1: passing is kind of a lost art. But I don't 1295 01:03:06,440 --> 01:03:09,640 Speaker 1: really know how you take it either, right, Like, it's 1296 01:03:09,680 --> 01:03:13,400 Speaker 1: a really really hard, really hard, really hard. I think 1297 01:03:13,480 --> 01:03:15,280 Speaker 1: you have to one you have to give them the 1298 01:03:15,280 --> 01:03:20,160 Speaker 1: fundamentals of and and and hone them right every pass. 1299 01:03:21,200 --> 01:03:22,440 Speaker 1: At first, they have to be able to throw a 1300 01:03:22,480 --> 01:03:24,200 Speaker 1: chest pass. They have to be able pass either hand. 1301 01:03:24,240 --> 01:03:26,240 Speaker 1: They have to be able to use bounced pass. They 1302 01:03:26,240 --> 01:03:27,680 Speaker 1: have to be able to throw a baseball pass and 1303 01:03:27,720 --> 01:03:30,560 Speaker 1: hook past whenever. And then you have to kind of 1304 01:03:30,640 --> 01:03:33,600 Speaker 1: show them a little bit and then you know, then 1305 01:03:33,640 --> 01:03:35,800 Speaker 1: they have to see it. The problem I found is 1306 01:03:35,880 --> 01:03:38,640 Speaker 1: that they don't. I used to watch game. I used 1307 01:03:38,640 --> 01:03:41,080 Speaker 1: to come home and watch the Big East because I 1308 01:03:41,080 --> 01:03:42,600 Speaker 1: grew up in California and the Big East was on 1309 01:03:42,600 --> 01:03:44,760 Speaker 1: at four o'clock every Monday, Big Monday right. So I 1310 01:03:44,840 --> 01:03:46,439 Speaker 1: watch all these dudes, a little lot of West Coast 1311 01:03:46,480 --> 01:03:48,640 Speaker 1: guys when you're watching them. So I came on, I 1312 01:03:48,680 --> 01:03:51,120 Speaker 1: watch and then I go and shoot outside, right, or 1313 01:03:51,160 --> 01:03:54,800 Speaker 1: I go to practice whatever. And kids I don't they 1314 01:03:54,800 --> 01:03:58,160 Speaker 1: don't watch games nearly as much. They'll watch highlights and 1315 01:03:58,200 --> 01:04:02,160 Speaker 1: stuff on the phone, you know. So I got a 1316 01:04:02,240 --> 01:04:05,120 Speaker 1: text today from my son where he saw this on 1317 01:04:05,200 --> 01:04:08,280 Speaker 1: TikTok some way to beat his own and it's kind 1318 01:04:08,280 --> 01:04:09,919 Speaker 1: of what I've been telling him. But it's the first 1319 01:04:09,960 --> 01:04:12,080 Speaker 1: time he's ever shared with me a video. And I 1320 01:04:12,120 --> 01:04:13,840 Speaker 1: was like, I was like almost in tears, like this 1321 01:04:13,920 --> 01:04:19,240 Speaker 1: is beautiful. It's beautiful. Believe it. You believe Um? Okay, 1322 01:04:19,640 --> 01:04:25,000 Speaker 1: dream scenario for you in five years you're ware doing what? Man, 1323 01:04:25,280 --> 01:04:27,240 Speaker 1: I'll be a head coach of a college team somewhere. 1324 01:04:27,560 --> 01:04:30,240 Speaker 1: That would be a dream scenario. I mean, are you 1325 01:04:30,240 --> 01:04:32,240 Speaker 1: gonna be like you guys can be like St. Mary's 1326 01:04:32,320 --> 01:04:34,080 Speaker 1: bringing a bunch of possis and a bunch of tall 1327 01:04:34,080 --> 01:04:36,240 Speaker 1: blacks in there, or are you gonna I'm gonna have 1328 01:04:36,240 --> 01:04:39,760 Speaker 1: some fellas too. I'm gonna have people from all around 1329 01:04:39,800 --> 01:04:45,360 Speaker 1: the world. Man, Turkeys connection that that that's not an issue. Man, 1330 01:04:45,400 --> 01:04:47,600 Speaker 1: I got people over the day that are itching to come, 1331 01:04:48,080 --> 01:04:50,640 Speaker 1: you know, to me. To me, it's you know, with 1332 01:04:50,760 --> 01:04:52,320 Speaker 1: the way the rules are now, and you can just 1333 01:04:52,320 --> 01:04:54,800 Speaker 1: transfer people in. I mean, there's no excuse to not 1334 01:04:54,880 --> 01:04:58,440 Speaker 1: be great every year. I mean, like, if your programs 1335 01:04:58,560 --> 01:05:00,960 Speaker 1: right and they can see that what you're doing is successful. 1336 01:05:00,960 --> 01:05:03,360 Speaker 1: When you're tuning pros out, meaning as either going to 1337 01:05:03,400 --> 01:05:06,160 Speaker 1: the NBA or overseas, why would they not want to come, right, 1338 01:05:06,200 --> 01:05:08,400 Speaker 1: You don't have to sit out a year anymore. I mean, 1339 01:05:08,480 --> 01:05:10,960 Speaker 1: there's really no excuse to be bad one year and 1340 01:05:11,040 --> 01:05:15,800 Speaker 1: bad the knicks, right, they're kind of taking those excuses out. Now. Well, 1341 01:05:15,880 --> 01:05:17,640 Speaker 1: we'll wait till you get your own head coaching job 1342 01:05:17,680 --> 01:05:20,880 Speaker 1: and we'll see if you agree with that. I do agree, 1343 01:05:21,000 --> 01:05:22,680 Speaker 1: But again you come up short in a point guard. 1344 01:05:23,160 --> 01:05:25,840 Speaker 1: Dude gets hurt, You got kicked out of school, guy 1345 01:05:25,920 --> 01:05:28,080 Speaker 1: leaves really for the pros you didn't expect, Like there's 1346 01:05:28,120 --> 01:05:30,720 Speaker 1: all kinds of all kinds of all kinds of craziness. 1347 01:05:30,800 --> 01:05:32,160 Speaker 1: Or you signed a guy and then he gets off 1348 01:05:32,160 --> 01:05:34,680 Speaker 1: of the pro con. You signed a foreign kid and 1349 01:05:34,720 --> 01:05:37,200 Speaker 1: he signs a pro contract, you know, to to to 1350 01:05:37,240 --> 01:05:39,880 Speaker 1: stay home. Um, Okay, A couple of a a couple of 1351 01:05:40,520 --> 01:05:43,840 Speaker 1: go on. The best player you ever played against could 1352 01:05:43,840 --> 01:05:46,480 Speaker 1: be anywhere anywhere in the world. The guy who's just 1353 01:05:46,520 --> 01:05:50,680 Speaker 1: like that guy wore me out kill al Amine and 1354 01:05:50,680 --> 01:05:53,640 Speaker 1: in Turkey he got me a few times. And I 1355 01:05:53,680 --> 01:05:55,480 Speaker 1: didn't really like it that much because I thought he 1356 01:05:55,520 --> 01:05:58,600 Speaker 1: was fat He I gotta be honest, he's fatally good, 1357 01:05:58,640 --> 01:06:01,000 Speaker 1: but I'm not. But you know, and it kind of 1358 01:06:01,080 --> 01:06:03,840 Speaker 1: hurt my feelings because that's the only thing I wasn't right. 1359 01:06:03,960 --> 01:06:07,120 Speaker 1: So so but he was just really clever, really good 1360 01:06:07,240 --> 01:06:09,880 Speaker 1: and and he talks ship the whole time too, so 1361 01:06:10,000 --> 01:06:13,040 Speaker 1: it just made it worse, right, But uh, but but 1362 01:06:13,120 --> 01:06:15,640 Speaker 1: he was really good. He was great in Europe. He 1363 01:06:15,920 --> 01:06:17,800 Speaker 1: should have been a tenure NBA guy. I thought he 1364 01:06:17,840 --> 01:06:23,040 Speaker 1: was super talented. Um who else was good? Okay? I've 1365 01:06:23,040 --> 01:06:26,640 Speaker 1: been told like in Australia, you know, you you you 1366 01:06:26,680 --> 01:06:29,240 Speaker 1: go and you play ball and then you go get piste, right, 1367 01:06:29,280 --> 01:06:31,360 Speaker 1: you get go drinks and you have a great time. 1368 01:06:31,960 --> 01:06:35,280 Speaker 1: Is the mentality the same for New Zealanders as this 1369 01:06:35,400 --> 01:06:38,800 Speaker 1: for us Man completely So I'm not a drinker, never 1370 01:06:38,840 --> 01:06:40,600 Speaker 1: been a drinker, so that's not my thing. But yeah, 1371 01:06:40,600 --> 01:06:43,360 Speaker 1: that's completely Like there's two games it's a game on 1372 01:06:43,400 --> 01:06:46,280 Speaker 1: the court and then there's a game afterwards, so they're 1373 01:06:46,320 --> 01:06:48,760 Speaker 1: trying to win both of them. Right. But but this 1374 01:06:48,840 --> 01:06:51,480 Speaker 1: is also culturally what makes it so enjoyable to play 1375 01:06:51,520 --> 01:06:54,520 Speaker 1: there is that both play. You know, players on both 1376 01:06:54,520 --> 01:06:57,680 Speaker 1: teams are all cool. There's not the animosity or hatred 1377 01:06:57,800 --> 01:07:00,280 Speaker 1: or envy or any of that. They you know, play 1378 01:07:00,320 --> 01:07:03,400 Speaker 1: hard in the game and then have fun. Offer, Um, 1379 01:07:03,560 --> 01:07:09,000 Speaker 1: did you think mellow ball would be this this impactful this? Yes, 1380 01:07:09,440 --> 01:07:11,280 Speaker 1: I thought he'd be. I thought he'd do better than 1381 01:07:11,320 --> 01:07:17,919 Speaker 1: what he is. Okay, really passed. But what's his gift. 1382 01:07:18,080 --> 01:07:21,240 Speaker 1: His gift is passing gifts. And he's huge, he's six eight, 1383 01:07:21,400 --> 01:07:23,880 Speaker 1: so he can see over the defense. So it's just 1384 01:07:23,960 --> 01:07:26,919 Speaker 1: the manner of opportunities. When when I saw him play 1385 01:07:26,920 --> 01:07:28,840 Speaker 1: in the Australian League, the first thing I noticed is 1386 01:07:28,920 --> 01:07:31,320 Speaker 1: man he sees over the top of the he sees everything. 1387 01:07:32,000 --> 01:07:34,560 Speaker 1: If he can never hit a shot consistently, Maneko is 1388 01:07:34,560 --> 01:07:38,040 Speaker 1: going to be unguttable, right And and I didn't think 1389 01:07:38,040 --> 01:07:39,880 Speaker 1: his defense would be as good as what it has 1390 01:07:39,920 --> 01:07:42,400 Speaker 1: been in the NBA because he was really bad in 1391 01:07:42,440 --> 01:07:46,400 Speaker 1: Australia comparatively. That was my problem with him. Was like 1392 01:07:46,680 --> 01:07:50,600 Speaker 1: there was nothing there. Defensively, Now, he also avoided contact 1393 01:07:50,600 --> 01:07:52,800 Speaker 1: a lot when he drove, but he's a better The 1394 01:07:52,840 --> 01:07:55,240 Speaker 1: problem that his brother had was brother was a bad shooter, 1395 01:07:55,280 --> 01:07:58,240 Speaker 1: but also a terrible finisher. And he's actually a pretty 1396 01:07:58,240 --> 01:08:00,760 Speaker 1: good finisher. And he knows how he used his body. 1397 01:08:00,880 --> 01:08:03,440 Speaker 1: He's got he's got a little bit more kind of 1398 01:08:03,440 --> 01:08:05,080 Speaker 1: shipped to him, you know what I mean. And he's 1399 01:08:05,120 --> 01:08:08,320 Speaker 1: the youngest Doug, he's the youngest man. So he you're coming, man. 1400 01:08:08,360 --> 01:08:11,240 Speaker 1: He's been sitting there watching everything. And he's smart. He's 1401 01:08:11,280 --> 01:08:13,560 Speaker 1: incredibly intelligent. I heard that from the players that he 1402 01:08:13,640 --> 01:08:17,719 Speaker 1: played with the Nila Wara Australia, Like really smart, studies, 1403 01:08:17,800 --> 01:08:24,320 Speaker 1: film works hard. Not an ego guy, right, like cool right, 1404 01:08:24,360 --> 01:08:26,479 Speaker 1: So I kind of thought he'd do what he's doing, 1405 01:08:26,479 --> 01:08:29,679 Speaker 1: To be honest with you, I'm not surprised at all. Um. Okay, 1406 01:08:30,080 --> 01:08:35,000 Speaker 1: last thing, Um, what was the coolest Vegas moment? You're 1407 01:08:35,000 --> 01:08:38,439 Speaker 1: in Vegas. You mentioned you're coaching the Filipino Anasta team 1408 01:08:38,439 --> 01:08:41,360 Speaker 1: and coaching and protein so pakia was that was that games? 1409 01:08:41,400 --> 01:08:44,519 Speaker 1: But in Vegas when you guys were good, it was 1410 01:08:44,960 --> 01:08:46,680 Speaker 1: you guys are like the lakers of the town. It's 1411 01:08:46,720 --> 01:08:49,120 Speaker 1: a who's who at big games or maybe when you 1412 01:08:49,120 --> 01:08:52,520 Speaker 1: went out of night. Just give me one cool Vegas story, 1413 01:08:52,880 --> 01:08:55,559 Speaker 1: A man, there's so many, right, all right? So we're 1414 01:08:55,560 --> 01:08:57,559 Speaker 1: at the hard Rock Hotel after we play a game 1415 01:08:57,920 --> 01:09:01,680 Speaker 1: and always circle ball. I'm we're there, right, And I 1416 01:09:01,720 --> 01:09:03,599 Speaker 1: live right behind here at the Paradise Bay Club at 1417 01:09:03,600 --> 01:09:05,559 Speaker 1: the time too. And I think I was only nineteen 1418 01:09:05,560 --> 01:09:07,160 Speaker 1: at the time, which is neither here nor there, right, 1419 01:09:07,439 --> 01:09:09,000 Speaker 1: And I looked like I was about twelve when I 1420 01:09:09,040 --> 01:09:10,559 Speaker 1: was nineteen, So I don't know why I was in there, 1421 01:09:10,560 --> 01:09:14,000 Speaker 1: but I can remember being in there, and and I 1422 01:09:14,040 --> 01:09:15,680 Speaker 1: forget who I was with someone from the team, and 1423 01:09:15,720 --> 01:09:18,040 Speaker 1: he tapped me on my shoulder and he was like, hey, look, 1424 01:09:18,360 --> 01:09:20,759 Speaker 1: I think that guy over there looks like Tom Cruise, 1425 01:09:20,840 --> 01:09:23,479 Speaker 1: but he's way too short to be Tom Cruise, right, 1426 01:09:23,960 --> 01:09:25,760 Speaker 1: And so I looked over it. And you gotta remember, 1427 01:09:25,800 --> 01:09:27,840 Speaker 1: there's no internet enough back then. How would we know 1428 01:09:27,880 --> 01:09:30,080 Speaker 1: how tall dude is. He looks tall at the movies, right, 1429 01:09:30,160 --> 01:09:34,160 Speaker 1: like Top Gun and Daddy's playing tall. So I looked 1430 01:09:34,160 --> 01:09:36,160 Speaker 1: over at him and there's two bodyguards deal with him. 1431 01:09:36,160 --> 01:09:38,439 Speaker 1: So I was like, dude, I think I think that's right. 1432 01:09:38,960 --> 01:09:40,840 Speaker 1: I think, I think that's Tom Cruise. So I'd go 1433 01:09:40,920 --> 01:09:43,000 Speaker 1: right over to him and I try to go near him, 1434 01:09:43,040 --> 01:09:45,000 Speaker 1: and they stopped being going near him. So that's when 1435 01:09:45,040 --> 01:09:47,680 Speaker 1: I was like, damn, that's Tom Cruise. And I just 1436 01:09:47,720 --> 01:09:50,400 Speaker 1: couldn't believe that he was out there where we were 1437 01:09:50,640 --> 01:09:52,880 Speaker 1: and that the dudes only like five two or five three. 1438 01:09:52,880 --> 01:09:55,120 Speaker 1: I just couldn't believe it was that way. He's not 1439 01:09:55,200 --> 01:09:59,960 Speaker 1: that small man, he's short man. He was sure too, 1440 01:10:00,040 --> 01:10:04,200 Speaker 1: five three, that's that's hey. Hey. When I looked at him, 1441 01:10:04,240 --> 01:10:06,400 Speaker 1: the first thing I thought was there's no way that 1442 01:10:06,439 --> 01:10:08,160 Speaker 1: he could be in movies and all that, you know 1443 01:10:08,200 --> 01:10:10,559 Speaker 1: what I mean, Like, that's short maybe five five. Look, 1444 01:10:10,640 --> 01:10:14,200 Speaker 1: anyone who's under five nine to me looks really short, 1445 01:10:14,360 --> 01:10:16,479 Speaker 1: right like, like I look straight away, and I was like, damn, 1446 01:10:16,520 --> 01:10:18,840 Speaker 1: that's that's really Tom Cruise. And he was maybe the 1447 01:10:18,840 --> 01:10:21,360 Speaker 1: biggest movie star on the planet and he's just walking 1448 01:10:21,360 --> 01:10:25,200 Speaker 1: around like you are. Okay, here's what we're gonna do. Okay, 1449 01:10:25,200 --> 01:10:28,719 Speaker 1: we're going to We're gonna take maybe a week, okay, 1450 01:10:28,840 --> 01:10:30,920 Speaker 1: and I want you to do take some notes on 1451 01:10:31,040 --> 01:10:33,720 Speaker 1: some college hoop guys you want to talk about and 1452 01:10:34,160 --> 01:10:36,400 Speaker 1: m B A NBA Steff want to talk about and 1453 01:10:36,479 --> 01:10:38,519 Speaker 1: this one's about you, and the next one we'll just 1454 01:10:38,560 --> 01:10:40,960 Speaker 1: talk ball about what's going on. It's like cool man, awesome, man, 1455 01:10:40,960 --> 01:10:44,920 Speaker 1: it's to man whenever with it all right? Great. I 1456 01:10:44,960 --> 01:10:47,000 Speaker 1: really appreciate you join us. I look forward to find 1457 01:10:47,040 --> 01:10:49,519 Speaker 1: out what's next. Take care of that back and those kiddos, 1458 01:10:49,520 --> 01:10:51,800 Speaker 1: and let's talk soon. Man, Thanks a lot, buddy. We'll 1459 01:10:51,840 --> 01:10:57,160 Speaker 1: talk later. Okay, thanks man, Thanks bro. Okay, that's it 1460 01:10:57,240 --> 01:11:00,000 Speaker 1: from my talk with Mark Mark Dicko. Will will pump 1461 01:11:00,040 --> 01:11:02,280 Speaker 1: another one of these here and the weekend to give 1462 01:11:02,320 --> 01:11:04,759 Speaker 1: you kind of the landscape of Ward college basketball sites, 1463 01:11:04,840 --> 01:11:07,400 Speaker 1: especially as we get ready for March. In the meantime, 1464 01:11:07,479 --> 01:11:09,719 Speaker 1: remember listening to Doug Alip Show three to six Eastern 1465 01:11:09,720 --> 01:11:12,719 Speaker 1: time or twelve and three Pacific on your Fox Sports 1466 01:11:12,800 --> 01:11:15,679 Speaker 1: radio station, your I Heart Radio, Apple or you download 1467 01:11:15,720 --> 01:11:18,360 Speaker 1: this podcast. You can download that one in the meantime. 1468 01:11:18,400 --> 01:11:24,439 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review 1469 01:11:24,880 --> 01:11:27,559 Speaker 1: something like that. No, download, subscribe and rate, and if 1470 01:11:27,560 --> 01:11:29,000 Speaker 1: you write a review too, I might get a little 1471 01:11:29,000 --> 01:11:31,080 Speaker 1: bit more money out. Thanks so much for listening. I'm 1472 01:11:31,080 --> 01:11:32,439 Speaker 1: Doug Gotlip. This is all ball