Speaker 1: This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast Network
Speaker 1: search seventy sixers podcast wherever you get your pods who
Speaker 1: welcome in to Coach Check, the official podcast of the
Speaker 1: Delaware Bluecoats, the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia
Speaker 1: seventy Sixers. Coach Check is proudly presented by Land Rover Wilmington.
Speaker 1: I'm Matt Murphy back with a special episode this time around,
Speaker 1: and that's because this one is part of the seven
Speaker 1: six day pod party on the seventy Sixers podcast Network.
Speaker 1: We've got big guests across all of the pods on
Speaker 1: the network, including Alan Iverson more details at the very
Speaker 1: end of this episode here of Coach Check. But without
Speaker 1: further ado, let's introduce our special guest on Coach Check,
Speaker 1: and it is Mariel Shayak, seventy six ers two way
Speaker 1: contract player, recently named third Team All NBA G League
Speaker 1: as well as being named to the NBA G League
Speaker 1: All Rookie Team. Recording this to kick off the month
Speaker 1: of July, coming off those G League awards. So, Mario,
Speaker 1: what did it mean to you to have your success,
Speaker 1: the success of your rookie season, rookie professional season, recognized
Speaker 1: with multiple honors. I mean it was great. I mean
Speaker 1: definitely an honor um to see that the from around
Speaker 1: all see that as one of the better players in
Speaker 1: this league. So definitely just a little bit more feel
Speaker 1: to just keep working hard and um and just keep
Speaker 1: getting better. And the rundown to this episode will be
Speaker 1: pretty much exactly what we did with Chris Kumaji on
Speaker 1: our most recent episode, So if you haven't heard that one,
Speaker 1: go back and check it out. Some really good stuff
Speaker 1: with christ Mariel's teammate in Delaware this year as well,
Speaker 1: but today we'll talk about this past season, your rookie year.
Speaker 1: We will also then go into, of course, our healthy
Speaker 1: lifestyle segment, presented by our friends at Christiana Care. Of course,
Speaker 1: as doctors, nurses, and caregivers, and as neighbors and friends.
Speaker 1: Christianna Care is a partner in everyone's journey to greater
Speaker 1: health and well being. Why do they do it for
Speaker 1: the love of health? Visit Christiana Care dot org. From there,
Speaker 1: we'll talk a little bit about Mariel's background and then
Speaker 1: hit our at the buzzer questions at the end, our
Speaker 1: standard questions recently pertaining to travel uniform numbers, and a
Speaker 1: little bit more. But let's start with this past season.
Speaker 1: You average twenty three points a game. In fact, you
Speaker 1: led all rookies in total points and total field goals
Speaker 1: made in the G League. What factors helped you transition
Speaker 1: from the college game to the pro game this year?
Speaker 1: Really just the work I put in since UM season
Speaker 1: and the last last March. I'll be able to get
Speaker 1: in the gym and just start working and really trying
Speaker 1: to get my game and translate to the NBA level. Obviously,
Speaker 1: the line does the main the main focus being further
Speaker 1: out from the college line, so I just want to
Speaker 1: get comfortable on that in and then just keeping working
Speaker 1: a last my game, and I think I was able
Speaker 1: to translate quite well. How are you able to grow
Speaker 1: your game on the court, maybe a little more specifically
Speaker 1: UM in Delaware, but the opportunity to play a lot
Speaker 1: of minutes and have the offense run to me, I
Speaker 1: was able to really just play play free and just
Speaker 1: UM just really showing my work that I put in,
Speaker 1: and I think the coaching staff and UM pretty much
Speaker 1: passed down from the sixty really put me in position
Speaker 1: to really just show what I could do. And I
Speaker 1: think I'll be able to do that. You hit a
Speaker 1: lot of big shots this year with the Blue Coat,
Speaker 1: perhaps none bigger than the game winner early March in DC.
Speaker 1: How many how many times have you done something like
Speaker 1: that at any level in your career? Hit hit a
Speaker 1: game winning buzzer beater, b be There has been a
Speaker 1: while since high school, UM, but UM hit a few
Speaker 1: big shots in college, none of rads of buzzers, So
Speaker 1: that was pretty cool to have one. No time remaining.
Speaker 1: That was definitely the first and first time in a while.
Speaker 1: What were you thinking with the ball in your hands.
Speaker 1: I know you had it in your hands in a
Speaker 1: lot of big moments this year in the G League,
Speaker 1: but in that game, time ticking down and knowing off
Speaker 1: the inbounds that you're going to have a look right,
Speaker 1: I mean, the game slow was weird. I think we
Speaker 1: had control of the game of the whole game, and
Speaker 1: I was playing well until like the last like six minutes.
Speaker 1: I had a few mistakes, two cushion mistakes, and he
Speaker 1: used as a minimum it got back in the game,
Speaker 1: and with that last possession, I remember just telling myself,
Speaker 1: like I really just want to go out there and
Speaker 1: be confident, forget about whatever happened in the last whatever
Speaker 1: four or five minutes and just really just try to
Speaker 1: get a shot off and a good love stop. And
Speaker 1: I was pretty confident I was going to go in
Speaker 1: and did. It's cool you and I talked about how
Speaker 1: you got some advice from seventy six ers veterans, one
Speaker 1: of whom is Tobias Harris, but really all the guys,
Speaker 1: what were some of the things that some of the
Speaker 1: vets told you that helped you the most this season?
Speaker 1: I mean, just to really be myself and go out
Speaker 1: there and just play confidence, continue to win the day
Speaker 1: and be patient, um, and then my time will come.
Speaker 1: And uh, i's actually try to do you try to
Speaker 1: take it day at the time and try to win
Speaker 1: each day and get better and and I think, I mean,
Speaker 1: I think I resulted in a pretty good season, and uh,
Speaker 1: those of lords kind of kind of really just show
Speaker 1: show the work I played in and our trusted the
Speaker 1: process first kind of continued to do that, um throughout
Speaker 1: end of the season and my career. You said, win
Speaker 1: the day, and I think that's something you kind of
Speaker 1: identify with. How how long have you thought of it
Speaker 1: that way? And where does that come from? Um? Really
Speaker 1: since I mean since the guy on the college and
Speaker 1: my first year sitting out and I would stay um
Speaker 1: so much time and so many days before I get
Speaker 1: to play again. That's really I really just try to
Speaker 1: attack it a day at a time and take every
Speaker 1: day off. I was like a child like almost it's
Speaker 1: game day. Really, just trying to max out east day
Speaker 1: and get better that way. What can you take away
Speaker 1: from Shake Milton's current season with the Sixers? You guys
Speaker 1: were the same exact draft pick, dominant in the G
Speaker 1: League as a rookie, and now Shake recently some really
Speaker 1: bright spots with increased NBA opportunity. What can you take
Speaker 1: away from his season? Um? That is, I mean what
Speaker 1: I'm like, I'm on the right path. I feel like
Speaker 1: he um had a really good season the year when
Speaker 1: he was a rookie and just someone someone I really
Speaker 1: like look up to as far as um his journey, Um,
Speaker 1: obviously we have similar journey, So I just really want
Speaker 1: to look at his journey, see what he did right
Speaker 1: and he learned from him from him and hope I
Speaker 1: could have the same success he's having right now. And
Speaker 1: it's definitely great to see him do what he's doing
Speaker 1: because I know I are you where saying I mean,
Speaker 1: definitely a good guys. He definitely deserves it. So it's
Speaker 1: really exciting to see what he's doing and hopefully I
Speaker 1: can get the same opportunity. February sixth at Milwaukee, your
Speaker 1: first NBA bucket. What was going through your head before
Speaker 1: that game? And then when you made the three before
Speaker 1: the game? It's really it was just like me, And
Speaker 1: it was by this time the seasons were going back
Speaker 1: and forth with both teams, so it's almost like it's
Speaker 1: been a long time. Comes I really wanted to go
Speaker 1: out there and just be myself and an opportunity to
Speaker 1: get open shots, shoot him like they usually do, and
Speaker 1: they just play just like another game. Just play as
Speaker 1: hard as possible. Time now for our healthy lifestyle segment,
Speaker 1: presented by Chris Gianna Care. A couple of quick hitters
Speaker 1: here to break things up, and this segment is all
Speaker 1: about doing things for the love of health. So with
Speaker 1: that in mind, how has yoga been treating you and
Speaker 1: how often do you do it? Do it every morning?
Speaker 1: I really try to shut mind, David da No, there
Speaker 1: is ten or twenty dirty minutes or really try to
Speaker 1: get a good stretch becially, even when I wasn't able
Speaker 1: to get in the gym, I was doing that every
Speaker 1: single morning when I wake up. So it was something
Speaker 1: that I've always wanted to get into and that I
Speaker 1: had the time. It's quarantine, and I'm definitely glad I
Speaker 1: got into it. And let's talk about what's in your fridge.
Speaker 1: What are some of the go to maybe on the
Speaker 1: healthy side, snacks or drink options that you kind of
Speaker 1: gravitate towards. Lots of water, lots of Gatorade. I like
Speaker 1: my orange and apple juices. And then as far as
Speaker 1: the health, I mean really just getting eating a lot
Speaker 1: of rice, chicken, lean shaking, a lot of veggies, love property,
Speaker 1: green beans, stuff like that, and I need a lot
Speaker 1: of truth. So it really just basically transitioning to a
Speaker 1: little bit about your background. And your story is fairly
Speaker 1: well known, especially by six er spans at this point.
Speaker 1: I mean, they all do the research as soon as
Speaker 1: you're drafted, and now the season in the rearview your
Speaker 1: rookie year at least in the G League, not the
Speaker 1: NBA season of course, as we record this to kick
Speaker 1: off the month at July. But let's run through some
Speaker 1: of this here before we get to our at the
Speaker 1: buzzer questions. You became the first Ottawa Native ever selected
Speaker 1: in the NBA draft and we are recording this on
Speaker 1: Canada Day, So Happy Canada Day, by the way, appreciate
Speaker 1: that everybody back home. But when did it kind of
Speaker 1: all start coming together that making history in that way
Speaker 1: might be possible? In other words, living out your MBA dream, right,
Speaker 1: I mean, it's always We've always a dreaming. We've always
Speaker 1: been focused on being a professional athlete and playing the
Speaker 1: NBA since I was the kids. So it started a
Speaker 1: blade back when and Exchange just kept working and kept
Speaker 1: chipping away at it to all my thoughts, whether it
Speaker 1: was high school in Jersey or Virginia and Iowa stage
Speaker 1: really trying to chip away at it and eventually are
Speaker 1: able to make it. We hear stories of players in
Speaker 1: all sports, especially basketball, watching other players on YouTube growing up.
Speaker 1: Who were some of those players for you? I mean
Speaker 1: I watched YouTube in the live games A big basketball
Speaker 1: fans as far as watching the game and studying the game. So, um,
Speaker 1: I mean that's favorite players always, um Kobe m k D.
Speaker 1: I really watched a lot of Chasing Grady team, Vince
Speaker 1: Carter watch a bunch of scoring guards, especially in early
Speaker 1: two thousands, the really exciting time and going into the
Speaker 1: mentwo thousands, guys like the Brown and d Wade Um.
Speaker 1: I mean, I watched a lot of a lot of basketball,
Speaker 1: so a lot of players. You've talked recently about your
Speaker 1: journey and your path not being a straight line. Who
Speaker 1: are some of the people in your life you think
Speaker 1: of when it comes to those who have helped you
Speaker 1: on this journey. Oh, my family, my family, and my
Speaker 1: high school coaches. I really have a tightning circle, so
Speaker 1: I must have for other siblings who are all older,
Speaker 1: and so I'll study on me and making sure I'm okay.
Speaker 1: And then a high school coach in Canada who I
Speaker 1: work out with when I'm back home, and a high
Speaker 1: school coach New Jersey keep in contact with and he's
Speaker 1: now a little bit coose spies. So those those people
Speaker 1: are people are really lean on for advice or just
Speaker 1: to check up on me and take it of me.
Speaker 1: So yeah, then for sure more with Mariel Shayak coming up,
Speaker 1: But first, Nomore's Sports Medicine believes that highly personalized one
Speaker 1: on one physical therapy for young athletes is paramount to
Speaker 1: a speedy and complete recovery. Learn more at Namore's dot
Speaker 1: org slash pt. All right, Mario, let's go at the
Speaker 1: buzzer before we get you out of here. And I've
Speaker 1: kind of shifted this around to be somewhat consistent over
Speaker 1: the last few episodes, even with Chris last week. There's
Speaker 1: a little bit of a rule for this first one
Speaker 1: for you because it has to do with travel, and
Speaker 1: the question is what was your favorite road city that
Speaker 1: you played in this season? But the rule for you
Speaker 1: is that you can't say Mississauga, Ontario because we know
Speaker 1: that would be an obvious choice. So what was your
Speaker 1: favorite road city that you played in this year? And
Speaker 1: why I would say west Chester? I just liked the arena.
Speaker 1: They had a similar as far as like the dim
Speaker 1: lights from the in the stands like the Garden does,
Speaker 1: and play the same type of music with Garden does.
Speaker 1: So I felt like I'll started playing in the Garden
Speaker 1: and I had a pretty good game there and really
Speaker 1: got me going, So it was it was definitely some
Speaker 1: place to play. It's a good game, but yeah, definitely
Speaker 1: miss Chester. How many games did you play at the Garden? Previously?
Speaker 1: I played in college, UM, and I got called up
Speaker 1: for one. I didn't play, though, but I got called
Speaker 1: up one this year with the Sixers, UM, and then
Speaker 1: just watched a few in high school. So I always
Speaker 1: been a big fan of the Garden. In terms of
Speaker 1: your jersey number, what's the story behind either your current
Speaker 1: jersey number thirty five or your all time favorite jersey number,
Speaker 1: because I know you were a single digit guy in college, right, UM?
Speaker 1: Always one of three? UM, Ever since I was a kid,
Speaker 1: three has been my favorite favorite number, of favorite jersey number.
Speaker 1: UM usually I mean maybe because of Ai and d
Speaker 1: Way where one of my favorite players growing up and um,
Speaker 1: and then once I got to Virginia to retire, so
Speaker 1: I kind of went before. Didn't really like it, to
Speaker 1: be honest, but um, one of the stay single digits,
Speaker 1: and most numbers are taken and I have the stay.
Speaker 1: I was able to get back three, and being myself
Speaker 1: against like three easily my number, and obviously getting drafted
Speaker 1: the Sixers, that's most definitely even gone. So UM, I
Speaker 1: just wanted to keep three in it. I just really
Speaker 1: just kept three in there and just went thirty five.
Speaker 1: That's funny because Chris said on our previous episode that
Speaker 1: he had liked twenty one growing up, and he ends
Speaker 1: up in Philly and obviously Joe LMB wearing twenty one,
Speaker 1: so he had to switch his as well. Last one
Speaker 1: is the fun fact question. And I'm not gonna make
Speaker 1: you sing, but you did list your hidden talent as
Speaker 1: singing during the Bluecoats preseason, so you don't have to
Speaker 1: sing if you don't want to. But what do you like?
Speaker 1: What do you like to sing? And how long have
Speaker 1: you been singing for? I like to sing a lot
Speaker 1: of old school R and b M, big time ulscal,
Speaker 1: rmb gout nineties rmb um and then I mean that's
Speaker 1: thing I'm singing the showers and when I'm messing around.
Speaker 1: But other than that, not a public singer like that.
Speaker 1: Good stuff. We did get a whistle alive whistling display
Speaker 1: from Michael Bryson on coach Check earlier this year because
Speaker 1: he's that he he whistles a lot. But I appreciate
Speaker 1: the time. It's really good to catch up with you
Speaker 1: as always. Oh do appreciated you having me, so thanks
Speaker 1: again to Mariel Shayok, and thanks as always to our listeners.
Speaker 1: Be sure to check out the other podcasts we released
Speaker 1: today on the seventy six ers podcast Network as part
Speaker 1: of our seven six day pod party. Tom McGinnis chats
Speaker 1: with Alan Iverson on a special edition of Tom's Talks,
Speaker 1: and Brian Seltzer, Lauren Rosen, and Devon Gibbons preview the
Speaker 1: restart of the NBA season on the broadcast. Once again,
Speaker 1: He's Mariel Shayak and I'm Matt Murphy. Until next time.
Speaker 1: Take it or leave it at the coach check