1
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:03,800
Speaker 1: Welcome everyone. This is View from the Rafters. It is

2
00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,800
Speaker 1: my absolute pleasure to welcome in one of the pillars

3
00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:11,680
Speaker 1: of this organization. Everybody, forget good, don't go there, not yet.

4
00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,040
Speaker 1: What will we talked about in our podcast. You haven't

5
00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:16,279
Speaker 1: told him he had just come off the battlefield. I

6
00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:18,480
Speaker 1: know what a dream is to work. Half our listeners

7
00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,200
Speaker 1: probably don't even know what that is. Always gonna be green, baby.

8
00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,880
Speaker 1: Welcome to View from the Rafters Behind the Scenes with

9
00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,360
Speaker 1: the Boston Celtics, presented by Cardless. Here are your host,

10
00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:34,080
Speaker 1: Mark Demiko and Shawn grandy Well Sean. You rewind just

11
00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:36,559
Speaker 1: a few weeks and we're we're pushing up against that

12
00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:40,320
Speaker 1: NBA trade deadline, and it's kind of quiet here in Boston,

13
00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,440
Speaker 1: right We're not hearing a whole lot going on, maybe

14
00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,919
Speaker 1: some small moves on the on the periphery. Little did

15
00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:48,600
Speaker 1: we know a big move was coming down the pike,

16
00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,800
Speaker 1: and that was the Boston Celtics acquiring Derek White from

17
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,240
Speaker 1: the San Antonio Spurs. What was your reaction when all

18
00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,360
Speaker 1: this started to go public and then what stands out

19
00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,440
Speaker 1: to you about how he's been able to integrate himself

20
00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,320
Speaker 1: so quickly with the Celtics team. Well, the first part

21
00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:10,679
Speaker 1: I thought was, isn't it beautiful again that every rumor

22
00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:13,840
Speaker 1: connected to the Boston Celtics, the hundreds of them that

23
00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,240
Speaker 1: you scroll through every day, not a single one of

24
00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,120
Speaker 1: them had Derek White in it. And it just Brad

25
00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:23,600
Speaker 1: Stevens learned, Yeah, replays that point over and over again

26
00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,520
Speaker 1: that nobody knows, people don't know, and it's it's a

27
00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,040
Speaker 1: beautiful time to be making these deals because you can

28
00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,720
Speaker 1: flood the market with misdirection easily. You do one little

29
00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,200
Speaker 1: drop out there and it's like fish food and everybody

30
00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,680
Speaker 1: goes crazy and hey, look out there, or you're actually

31
00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:40,840
Speaker 1: doing this thing. And then the second thing I thought

32
00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:44,720
Speaker 1: of was Derek White, the player that played with you know,

33
00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,000
Speaker 1: I played on the national team, His connection to Emay,

34
00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,160
Speaker 1: his connection to the players of the room, the fact

35
00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,240
Speaker 1: that it was going to be yet another ferocious chew

36
00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:56,040
Speaker 1: on your ankle defender to make it speaking of a

37
00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,280
Speaker 1: fish tank, it's trying to score against this team is

38
00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:00,480
Speaker 1: going to be very difficult. And then the more spend

39
00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,360
Speaker 1: time you spend learning about Derek White and learning about

40
00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,880
Speaker 1: his background, there's no coincidence. Sarah Bark this connection that

41
00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:15,040
Speaker 1: Emay has with guys that were not the homecoming queen

42
00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,280
Speaker 1: right at their school and weren't the number one choice

43
00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,960
Speaker 1: at the prom, that took the long path to get there,

44
00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:25,080
Speaker 1: that he has such an affinity for those guys because

45
00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,200
Speaker 1: they're the ones that truly appreciate being there and they've

46
00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,800
Speaker 1: had to work the hardest to get there. Don't ever

47
00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:36,480
Speaker 1: discount mark guys personal backgrounds and connections to other players

48
00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,920
Speaker 1: when they're deciding who they want in the room with them. Yeah,

49
00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,400
Speaker 1: and not only did the Celtics decide that they wanted

50
00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:44,600
Speaker 1: Derek in the room with them, but then he just

51
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,120
Speaker 1: comes here and it's it hits the ground running, as

52
00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,600
Speaker 1: if he didn't even switch teams right like he comes in.

53
00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:51,880
Speaker 1: I think it was fifteen points during his first game,

54
00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,440
Speaker 1: had the Garden crowd on its feet. Ever since since then,

55
00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,320
Speaker 1: he's been playing great. Just the other night, eight teen

56
00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,120
Speaker 1: points off the bench during a comeback win or the

57
00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,800
Speaker 1: Atlanta Hawks. He has fit in seamlessly with the Celtics team,

58
00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,520
Speaker 1: both as a player and as a person. I think

59
00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,760
Speaker 1: the Celtics couldn't ask for any more than what they've

60
00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:11,680
Speaker 1: gotten out of Derk White over the first few weeks.

61
00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:14,440
Speaker 1: Of his career here with him here in Boston. So

62
00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:17,320
Speaker 1: without further ado, we're gonna jump into our interview in

63
00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,760
Speaker 1: our conversation with Derek White to talk about his process

64
00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,560
Speaker 1: of finding out that he was traded in San Antonio

65
00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,640
Speaker 1: where he was coming to the Boston Celtics, and man,

66
00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,520
Speaker 1: there is a lot that he talked about about what

67
00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:33,680
Speaker 1: he experienced over the last few weeks. Derek, this is

68
00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,520
Speaker 1: your first experience on the podcast, So first and foremost,

69
00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,680
Speaker 1: we appreciate you coming on. But more importantly, how have

70
00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:41,760
Speaker 1: you settled in? It's been about three or four weeks

71
00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,560
Speaker 1: now since since the trade went down, you've been here

72
00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:45,960
Speaker 1: in Boston. He had a little bit of an All

73
00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,240
Speaker 1: Star break. How are you settling in? Uh? Yeah, I'm

74
00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:52,840
Speaker 1: feeling good. Um. I mean it was a little crazy

75
00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,200
Speaker 1: before the break, um, just with the trade and trying

76
00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,480
Speaker 1: to take Afton out all all at once, but um,

77
00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:01,920
Speaker 1: once more comfortable now trying to figure out these streets

78
00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,040
Speaker 1: and where I'm going and everything. But um, it's been

79
00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:07,560
Speaker 1: fun so far. You're never going to figure out the streets,

80
00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,320
Speaker 1: trust me, the streets, the roundabouts, like it will never

81
00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,040
Speaker 1: make sense no matter how long you live here. Um,

82
00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:15,080
Speaker 1: you said that you've been trying to figure things out though.

83
00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,400
Speaker 1: It's just it was crazy before the before they all

84
00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,760
Speaker 1: start break arrived. Take us through that, Like, what is

85
00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,520
Speaker 1: it like to be an NBA player who gets traded

86
00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,000
Speaker 1: at the deadline, especially for someone like you who you

87
00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,520
Speaker 1: said when you got here, you just weren't expecting it

88
00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:32,799
Speaker 1: to happen. It kind of caught you off guard. Yeah,

89
00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:35,680
Speaker 1: I mean I didn't see it coming at all. Um,

90
00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:37,880
Speaker 1: my agent didn't see it coming, So it was kind

91
00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,120
Speaker 1: of just a shock. But um, pop just came and

92
00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:42,520
Speaker 1: he gave me a call and was like, what room

93
00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,239
Speaker 1: number you in because we were in Atlanta, and um,

94
00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,279
Speaker 1: he came in my room and just told me that

95
00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:52,000
Speaker 1: I was traded, and like, my mind just started going crazy,

96
00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:56,160
Speaker 1: and then he eventually told me it was Boston, and UM,

97
00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,200
Speaker 1: I mean it was a little crazy at first. Um,

98
00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,840
Speaker 1: you don't really know what's the next steps. Um, you're

99
00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,160
Speaker 1: kind of just sitting there, but he's trying to hit

100
00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,039
Speaker 1: you up and ask you all these questions you don't

101
00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,479
Speaker 1: really know the answer to. But um, I was super

102
00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,240
Speaker 1: excited to get out here and um play with the guys.

103
00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:13,080
Speaker 1: Um I knew a lot of the guys already. So

104
00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,320
Speaker 1: it was it was nice and um, I was excited

105
00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:18,400
Speaker 1: to get out here. We gotta go a little deeper

106
00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,440
Speaker 1: on like Pop coming to your room and first of all,

107
00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:23,919
Speaker 1: he calls to see where you were, and then he

108
00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:26,200
Speaker 1: comes over and he knocks down the door, Like what

109
00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,120
Speaker 1: are you thinking? When he calls, it asks what is

110
00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,320
Speaker 1: your room number? I gotta come pop by. Yeah. I

111
00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,760
Speaker 1: actually told him the wrong number. At first. I told

112
00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,039
Speaker 1: him like fourteen eleven and I was like fourteen o nine,

113
00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:43,000
Speaker 1: And so I had to call him. Yeah, I should

114
00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,400
Speaker 1: have sent him somewhere else. Um, but uh, I had

115
00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:48,599
Speaker 1: a calling back and was like, no, I'm actually in

116
00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,320
Speaker 1: fourteen o nine. Um. And so he came in and

117
00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:53,960
Speaker 1: knocked on my door. Um. We sat on the couch

118
00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:57,160
Speaker 1: and you know, just like, um, you know we love you,

119
00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:02,520
Speaker 1: but um, we've traded you to Boston. Um. And then

120
00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:06,360
Speaker 1: just kind of went over how I went down, um,

121
00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,720
Speaker 1: what their perspective was, how is gonna impact my career?

122
00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,440
Speaker 1: And just was thankful for everything I did there. So um,

123
00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,440
Speaker 1: I mean it was a pretty emotional conversation, but um,

124
00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:19,240
Speaker 1: I mean I was thankful I found out that way

125
00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:23,840
Speaker 1: compared to how other people find out as the thoughts

126
00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:26,479
Speaker 1: are racing through your head. Undoubtedly, I can picture Pop

127
00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,120
Speaker 1: talking and I can picture a thousand things going on,

128
00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,799
Speaker 1: and your head starts spinning. How soon did the fact

129
00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:36,480
Speaker 1: that Hannah is at home pregnant about to give birth,

130
00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:38,279
Speaker 1: you know, the next few months to your first child,

131
00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,960
Speaker 1: did that pop into your head and say, Wow, that's

132
00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,960
Speaker 1: gonna be an interesting phone call? Yeah? Um, I mean

133
00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,160
Speaker 1: after Pop calling me, I texted her. I was like,

134
00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:48,560
Speaker 1: Pop just called me. I don't know what's going on.

135
00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:50,919
Speaker 1: I mean, she knew it was a deadline, so she

136
00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,000
Speaker 1: probably knew something was up. But um, I mean that

137
00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:56,400
Speaker 1: was one of the first things, like what we gonna do,

138
00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:01,839
Speaker 1: How the hospital situation is gonna work out this and that? Um,

139
00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,960
Speaker 1: everybody here has been super helpful and and has helped

140
00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,480
Speaker 1: me a lot, so we're pretty comfortable here. And UM,

141
00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,160
Speaker 1: at the end, that end kind of got settled pretty quickly,

142
00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:15,160
Speaker 1: so we're extremely thankful for that. As someone who has

143
00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:16,760
Speaker 1: been through it, I went through it ten years ago,

144
00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:18,760
Speaker 1: and I can tell you when a woman gets attached

145
00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:22,080
Speaker 1: to her birth plan, she gets attached to her birth plan.

146
00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,480
Speaker 1: Uh was she she freaked out? She had to be

147
00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,240
Speaker 1: freaked out at first. Yeah, she was just asking a

148
00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:33,200
Speaker 1: bunch of questions. Um, I didn't have any answers, and so, um,

149
00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:38,600
Speaker 1: it wasn't really helping. So I was just like, I

150
00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,920
Speaker 1: don't know what to tell you, but uh, Will Hardy

151
00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:43,840
Speaker 1: just had a kid out here, and so he texted

152
00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:46,160
Speaker 1: me and when I was talking to him, He's like, yeah,

153
00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,120
Speaker 1: just have her talk to Spenser and we'll figure it out. So, um,

154
00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:52,320
Speaker 1: that made it a lot easier for her. And just

155
00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,480
Speaker 1: knowing people out here that um have been through it

156
00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:57,680
Speaker 1: and it can help us out, it has really made

157
00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:01,040
Speaker 1: it a lot easier for us. What's going through your

158
00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:05,640
Speaker 1: mind as your next step emotionally, physically, everything is that

159
00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:08,920
Speaker 1: I gotta get the Boston right Yeah. Um, I mean

160
00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,160
Speaker 1: I kind of I got traded in then. Um, I

161
00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,680
Speaker 1: didn't really know exactly what I was gonna do, Um,

162
00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:16,160
Speaker 1: how I was gonna get the Boston win. I was

163
00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:17,800
Speaker 1: gonna get to Boston. So I was just kind of

164
00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,200
Speaker 1: in the room, pacing back and forth. I mean, my

165
00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:23,520
Speaker 1: phone was going off NonStop, and um, a bunch of

166
00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:28,240
Speaker 1: people calling me, from my agent to Hannah, to my

167
00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:30,200
Speaker 1: parents and so it's just a bunch of people just

168
00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,079
Speaker 1: hitting me up and UM, just trying to let them

169
00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,160
Speaker 1: know everything that's going on and UM, and then they

170
00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,199
Speaker 1: told me what time I was going to catch a

171
00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:43,520
Speaker 1: flight in. UM started packing and gone that flight. Yeah.

172
00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,280
Speaker 1: What are those steps of like the new organization reaching

173
00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:49,480
Speaker 1: out to you, and what are I guess the steps

174
00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:53,440
Speaker 1: of kind of integrating yourself after you leave that hotel

175
00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:55,559
Speaker 1: room that is with the previous team and you kind

176
00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,400
Speaker 1: of step into that next phase. What is what are

177
00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,200
Speaker 1: the kind of the protocolls and what goes down behind

178
00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:04,839
Speaker 1: the scenes that a lot of us don't know about. UM.

179
00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,520
Speaker 1: I mean, uh, Frank kicked me up from out here

180
00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:14,720
Speaker 1: and the man he's been extremely helpful, UM through it all.

181
00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:17,240
Speaker 1: But you're just getting a bunch of random numbers texting

182
00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,640
Speaker 1: you and you're trying to figure out who all these

183
00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:23,120
Speaker 1: people are and UM, they're trying to set things up

184
00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:25,840
Speaker 1: for you and get the car service and everything. And

185
00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:29,280
Speaker 1: then when I landed in Boston, UM, Will Hardy actually

186
00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:31,920
Speaker 1: picked me up. Uh, he canceled the car service and

187
00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,559
Speaker 1: he picked me up. So that that was extremely cool

188
00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:36,800
Speaker 1: for me just to see someone I a common face

189
00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:41,160
Speaker 1: that I've known and had experiences before. And UM, I

190
00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:43,560
Speaker 1: mean we're just driving to the hotel and just tell

191
00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:45,840
Speaker 1: me about the team and everything, and it was it

192
00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:48,880
Speaker 1: was cool. And he's not the only one, right. You've

193
00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,280
Speaker 1: got Will Hardy, You've got you were with emay for

194
00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:53,080
Speaker 1: a couple of years, the first couple of years of

195
00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:55,719
Speaker 1: your career, Garrett Jackson, You've got familiarity with who was

196
00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,439
Speaker 1: also on the staff. How much did that help you?

197
00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:01,600
Speaker 1: I mean, that's that's got to make things easier when

198
00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:03,800
Speaker 1: you're going through this process for the first time of

199
00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,400
Speaker 1: your NBA career. Yeah, definitely. Um, I mean just having

200
00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,720
Speaker 1: that common bond with them. Um, it's not somebody brand

201
00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,720
Speaker 1: new that you only hear stories about or something like that.

202
00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:17,240
Speaker 1: So um, just knowing them. I mean even Paul West

203
00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:19,400
Speaker 1: is in the training staff, he was in San Antonio,

204
00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,080
Speaker 1: and Phil was there my rookie year, and so there

205
00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,400
Speaker 1: was a lot of common faces that that I've known,

206
00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,840
Speaker 1: which which made it transition a lot easier. And and

207
00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,480
Speaker 1: then everybody's just been helpful and knowing my situation and everything.

208
00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,920
Speaker 1: So UM, I'm extremely thankful that I came to an

209
00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:37,400
Speaker 1: organization like that where I already had those private bonds.

210
00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,079
Speaker 1: Not to mention guys in the room that you played with,

211
00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:45,600
Speaker 1: but was more interesting to me When Al left Atlanta

212
00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,520
Speaker 1: to come here. He talked about playing in the playoffs

213
00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:51,839
Speaker 1: for the Hawks against the Celtics in Boston and the

214
00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:55,760
Speaker 1: crowd serenading the Celtics whose season just ended with let's

215
00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:57,880
Speaker 1: go Celtics channel, how into it the crowd was, how

216
00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:00,319
Speaker 1: he always wanted to be involved. You had all these

217
00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,079
Speaker 1: familiar elements around you, but one of them was not

218
00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:05,720
Speaker 1: going to be a Boston crowd. You have this whirlwind

219
00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:07,640
Speaker 1: couple of days you race into the game for the

220
00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:12,840
Speaker 1: first time against Inver. Were you aware of and surprised

221
00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:17,080
Speaker 1: by how excited the fans were to see you put

222
00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:18,800
Speaker 1: on that uniform and step on the floor for the

223
00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,480
Speaker 1: first time here. Yeah, UM, a little bit. I mean

224
00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:24,520
Speaker 1: that was a pretty cool moment to get that staying

225
00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:28,040
Speaker 1: innovation and everything when I first checked in, and um,

226
00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,800
Speaker 1: just to feel the love, and UM, I mean I've

227
00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:34,200
Speaker 1: always known that Boston has a great sports down and

228
00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:36,800
Speaker 1: everybody they love their sports here, but um, it's pretty

229
00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:40,000
Speaker 1: cool to be on on this side of it. And UM,

230
00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:43,920
Speaker 1: I mean they're passionate, they love the Celtics, and um,

231
00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:46,800
Speaker 1: I've always I've always enjoyed playing here and now it's

232
00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:51,040
Speaker 1: even better being um on the home side, and all

233
00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:52,840
Speaker 1: you did was come out and score fifteen points, Like,

234
00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,360
Speaker 1: how the hell did you do that after the day

235
00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:58,120
Speaker 1: that you had gone through your first game with the team.

236
00:11:58,320 --> 00:11:59,920
Speaker 1: I don't know how much you know about the sys

237
00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:01,920
Speaker 1: them going into the game. You probably knew a little

238
00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:04,800
Speaker 1: bit just given the familiarity with the staff, But how

239
00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:06,760
Speaker 1: do you come in and play the way that you

240
00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:09,800
Speaker 1: played during that first game actually first few games before

241
00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:11,640
Speaker 1: the All Star break. Wait, but it's got to be

242
00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:13,880
Speaker 1: easier than finding an O, B G Y M. Yeah,

243
00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:16,880
Speaker 1: that's the easy part. Yeah, that was that was easy part.

244
00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:21,040
Speaker 1: I mean my adrenaline was going crazy. Um, I mean

245
00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,120
Speaker 1: I just learned some of the plays like right before. Um,

246
00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:26,120
Speaker 1: I didn't know I was gonna play until like an

247
00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:29,440
Speaker 1: hour before the game, and um, everything was kind of

248
00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:31,320
Speaker 1: crazy the whole day. And then I was just going

249
00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,280
Speaker 1: out there and UM, just try to do what I did,

250
00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,079
Speaker 1: and UM, I mean I got some good looks from

251
00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:38,880
Speaker 1: from the guys and I was able to knock them

252
00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,800
Speaker 1: down and just kind of get going from there. So UM,

253
00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,280
Speaker 1: it's always nice to go put hoop with people that

254
00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,480
Speaker 1: you played with before and Um, I was able to

255
00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:51,439
Speaker 1: get out there and do some good things early. It's

256
00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:53,160
Speaker 1: strange when you were just saying that, it makes me

257
00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:56,719
Speaker 1: think like, in some ways, was it actually easier that

258
00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:58,839
Speaker 1: you didn't know any of the plays and you're kind

259
00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:00,840
Speaker 1: of just playing basketball out there and you don't have

260
00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,840
Speaker 1: to really think about where you need to be and

261
00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,760
Speaker 1: you kind of just float and kind of do your thing. Um,

262
00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:10,160
Speaker 1: playing off of the other guys. Yeah, at times until

263
00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:11,800
Speaker 1: they call a play and then you're like, um, when

264
00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,640
Speaker 1: while I supposed to be doing uh, And that was

265
00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:16,840
Speaker 1: really the toughest part. So I was just trying to

266
00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:19,360
Speaker 1: stay out the way and um, just trying to learn

267
00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,320
Speaker 1: the system on the fly. Um. I mean it's still

268
00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:24,480
Speaker 1: a process that I mean, each game is kind of

269
00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:26,559
Speaker 1: a little different and trying to get more and more comfortable.

270
00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:30,680
Speaker 1: But UM, I'm excited for what we can become and

271
00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:34,240
Speaker 1: how comfortable I could fit in this system. Let's talk

272
00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,680
Speaker 1: a little bit more about those pre existing relationships that

273
00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,720
Speaker 1: you had coming over here. As you said, it certainly

274
00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:44,320
Speaker 1: has eased the process of you integrating yourself into this team.

275
00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:47,079
Speaker 1: But how close were you with guys like Will Hardy

276
00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:52,360
Speaker 1: in emay Udoka when they were with you in San Antonio. Um, yeah,

277
00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:55,160
Speaker 1: we were super close. I mean Hardy was the summer

278
00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,920
Speaker 1: league coach my rookie year. Um, actually think my wroki

279
00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:02,360
Speaker 1: a second year, he was the summer league coach. So um,

280
00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:03,960
Speaker 1: he was like one of the first people that I

281
00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:06,319
Speaker 1: met there and kind of got a relationship with. So,

282
00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:11,040
Speaker 1: um we've always had that bond. And then he may Uh,

283
00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,240
Speaker 1: I mean he was always a player's coach and played

284
00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,600
Speaker 1: in the past, So um we always had a nice

285
00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:19,280
Speaker 1: little bond, and him and l A were super close

286
00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:21,640
Speaker 1: and I got close with l A. So that's how

287
00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,440
Speaker 1: we kind of grew our connection. And um, it definitely

288
00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:27,600
Speaker 1: makes things a lot easier just having that common a

289
00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:31,400
Speaker 1: voice that you've heard before and um kind of know

290
00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:33,960
Speaker 1: what you know what to expect from them. What makes

291
00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,120
Speaker 1: him a player's coach? Um, I mean he's not the

292
00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:39,440
Speaker 1: only one who said that. Yeah, why I got to

293
00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:41,480
Speaker 1: hear it from your mouth? Why why is he a

294
00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:45,480
Speaker 1: player's coach? Yeah, I mean he's hooped in the league before. Um,

295
00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,560
Speaker 1: he kind of understands the system, understands what guys are

296
00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:54,120
Speaker 1: going through. Um, how the league works, in the aspect

297
00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:56,040
Speaker 1: that some people that they haven't played in the league,

298
00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,400
Speaker 1: might not see before. And um, I mean this is

299
00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:01,480
Speaker 1: his first here and he's just doing a good job

300
00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:04,880
Speaker 1: of Um he's learning to fly to and um having

301
00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:08,440
Speaker 1: us prepared to each and every game. Could you feel

302
00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:13,000
Speaker 1: as a young player, it's sometimes instinctively you can tell

303
00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,360
Speaker 1: when you're around different coaches who's going to be a

304
00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:17,960
Speaker 1: head coach? Did you feel that with Email? And I

305
00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:19,480
Speaker 1: think we all we all know Will is going to

306
00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:21,840
Speaker 1: be a head coach someday in this league too. Could

307
00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,400
Speaker 1: you feel right away? It takes people, I think a

308
00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:26,160
Speaker 1: little bit of time to get to know Email, but

309
00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,160
Speaker 1: once you kind of get through that first little wall,

310
00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:31,440
Speaker 1: you realize this is a special guy who's been through

311
00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,080
Speaker 1: a lot in his life. Could you tell that this

312
00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,160
Speaker 1: is a guy that's going to lead a room one day? Yeah? Um,

313
00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:39,320
Speaker 1: I think I did an interview when we first in

314
00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,320
Speaker 1: San Antonio, we first played Boston. I was like, yeah,

315
00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,360
Speaker 1: you could tell that, Um, he had the head coach

316
00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:46,560
Speaker 1: in mindset. Um, it was only a matter of time

317
00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,360
Speaker 1: that before he got the job. Um as a coach,

318
00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:53,520
Speaker 1: and UM, he works hard. Um, he knows the game. UM,

319
00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:56,440
Speaker 1: he's passionate about it. So UM, stuff like that that

320
00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,480
Speaker 1: you you want to play for. And um, I mean

321
00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:01,520
Speaker 1: his careers a get started, but he's gonna he's gonna

322
00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:06,040
Speaker 1: be successful. Have you noticed any differences in him like

323
00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,680
Speaker 1: here as a head coach as opposed to your experience

324
00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,480
Speaker 1: with him as an assistant coach for a couple of

325
00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:15,200
Speaker 1: years out there in San Antonio. Just curious like if

326
00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,360
Speaker 1: if he has grown, if you can like see any

327
00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,440
Speaker 1: ways that he has changed over that time. Yeah, I

328
00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,280
Speaker 1: mean the last two years he's been gone. Um he

329
00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:27,240
Speaker 1: was in what Philliam Brooklyn, So, Um, I mean I

330
00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:28,840
Speaker 1: kind of was away from him for those two years.

331
00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:31,040
Speaker 1: But you can definitely see the growth that he's made

332
00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:36,080
Speaker 1: in in certain aspects. Um. I mean I can't really, folks,

333
00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:39,760
Speaker 1: I think of something right now, but um, he's done

334
00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:41,840
Speaker 1: a lot of similarities that he did back in San Antonio.

335
00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:44,840
Speaker 1: But there's definitely some things that he's grown in. Um,

336
00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:47,400
Speaker 1: he's he's learning on the fly. We'll have more with

337
00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,600
Speaker 1: Derrick White right after this. Today's episode is presented by

338
00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:54,400
Speaker 1: the Boston Celtics credit card powered by Cardless. You'll be

339
00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,400
Speaker 1: eligible to earn a special sign up bonus when you

340
00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:02,240
Speaker 1: apply and are approved at Carloss Com slash Celtics. Then

341
00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,399
Speaker 1: redeem your points for cash, back, game tickets, merch and

342
00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:09,560
Speaker 1: much more. Card issued by First Electronic Bank Member f

343
00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:13,960
Speaker 1: d I c offers subject to credit approval. Visit Cardless

344
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:18,040
Speaker 1: dot Com Forward slash Celtics for more information. That's Cardless

345
00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:23,879
Speaker 1: dot Com Forward slash Celtics. There is almost mythology about

346
00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:27,879
Speaker 1: Gregg Popovich for people on the outside who don't get

347
00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,639
Speaker 1: the interaction. There's the public face that he creates, and

348
00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:34,560
Speaker 1: our interaction is a lot different. Sean. You know, there's

349
00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:36,879
Speaker 1: there's a big jet listen. It's all by design because

350
00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:38,800
Speaker 1: he's smarter than all of the wall that he has

351
00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,440
Speaker 1: put up. You are one of the people, the few

352
00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:44,119
Speaker 1: that gets to be inside of it. Players who have

353
00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:49,080
Speaker 1: played for him rave about what we will never see,

354
00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,880
Speaker 1: which is his connection two players that you're talking about

355
00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,280
Speaker 1: email being a players coach. Most of the people that

356
00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:58,479
Speaker 1: play from pop Will, you know, swear by him as

357
00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:02,399
Speaker 1: someone who made them better and really genuinely cared on

358
00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:06,000
Speaker 1: a human level. Is that your experience with him? Yeah, definitely. Um,

359
00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:07,560
Speaker 1: I mean he just he tried to make you a

360
00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:11,320
Speaker 1: better person. Um, it's not really about basketball. He always

361
00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:14,399
Speaker 1: says like basketball that that's our job, but um, that's not.

362
00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,280
Speaker 1: The important stuff is about how you are as a son,

363
00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:20,200
Speaker 1: how you are as a father and stuff like that. So, um,

364
00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:22,480
Speaker 1: I've learned a lot from him on the court obviously,

365
00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,919
Speaker 1: but um so much more off the court. And UM,

366
00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:28,680
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm stupid extremely thankful that he was my

367
00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,960
Speaker 1: my head coach to start my career in Um. I mean,

368
00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,680
Speaker 1: obviously his record and everything speaks for himself, but he

369
00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:38,480
Speaker 1: he truly cares about people as human beings instead of

370
00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:42,920
Speaker 1: just basketball players. So that's always makes it special. How

371
00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:45,800
Speaker 1: did that relationship translate into that conversation when he did

372
00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:48,000
Speaker 1: come knock on your door, because usually you don't get

373
00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,040
Speaker 1: that conversation with the coach, right usually that's I mean,

374
00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:53,280
Speaker 1: in this instance here in Boston, that would be Brett

375
00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:56,399
Speaker 1: Stevens probably giving you a call and having that conversation.

376
00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:58,359
Speaker 1: In prior years here in Boston, that would have been

377
00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:02,600
Speaker 1: Danny Ainge. How did kind of player coach relationship of

378
00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:04,879
Speaker 1: also kind of a father's son type of type of

379
00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,320
Speaker 1: situation with the wisdom that he's passing on to you

380
00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:14,240
Speaker 1: relay into that conversation of we just traded you. Uh, yeah.

381
00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:17,240
Speaker 1: I mean, uh, he came there and like he he

382
00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:19,800
Speaker 1: obviously took it hard to um, which is just cool

383
00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,240
Speaker 1: to see as a person that I mean, I had

384
00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:26,920
Speaker 1: some sort of impact on him and the team. And UM,

385
00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:28,760
Speaker 1: I mean we we just kind of talked for a

386
00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:32,040
Speaker 1: little bit and then stood up and hugged and to

387
00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:35,800
Speaker 1: like seconds, um, and then he kind of left it.

388
00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:38,879
Speaker 1: So that was that was tough. Um. I mean obviously

389
00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:42,480
Speaker 1: it's emotional, and um, he spent five years there and

390
00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:44,920
Speaker 1: he's been coaching me for five years and he's he's

391
00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:48,399
Speaker 1: seen me from the rookie that didn't know if I

392
00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:50,560
Speaker 1: could play in the league or not and to who

393
00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:54,520
Speaker 1: I am now. So um, he's helped a lot help

394
00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:57,000
Speaker 1: me grow as a player and a person. And I mean,

395
00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:59,920
Speaker 1: I'm excuse me thankful for him. Not a hand trick though,

396
00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:02,440
Speaker 1: hug right, and not just a hug, but at twenty

397
00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:06,040
Speaker 1: to thirty second hug. Like, take us into those emotions,

398
00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,800
Speaker 1: like what was what was going through you in those

399
00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:11,919
Speaker 1: those moments when you're I mean you're not saying goodbye forever,

400
00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,159
Speaker 1: but you're saying goodbye to that player coach relationship. Yeah,

401
00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,080
Speaker 1: I mean it was it was tough. I mean, uh,

402
00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:21,320
Speaker 1: I mean, he just hugged me, said he loved me. Um.

403
00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:23,920
Speaker 1: I just kind of had that moment um that was

404
00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,320
Speaker 1: specially in UM. I mean, I'm just thankful that he

405
00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:29,800
Speaker 1: came in and he kind of talked to me about it,

406
00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:33,120
Speaker 1: and so I found out and UM, I know some

407
00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:36,320
Speaker 1: teams and some people might not have got that same luxury.

408
00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,280
Speaker 1: So I'm extremely thankful for that. My God, you gave

409
00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:41,639
Speaker 1: him the right room. I mean, he would have been

410
00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:47,000
Speaker 1: hugging somebody else. I imagine it didn't take long in

411
00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,600
Speaker 1: your time with Emay to see he has an affinity

412
00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:53,639
Speaker 1: for players that took a different path, a longer path

413
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,639
Speaker 1: to the league, which obviously he did at which you

414
00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:59,800
Speaker 1: did as well. I want to go back ten years now,

415
00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:02,520
Speaker 1: your senior year in high school. There are a lot

416
00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:04,480
Speaker 1: of players who get looked at from the time they're

417
00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:06,600
Speaker 1: twelve thirteen years old, and people are like, this is

418
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,400
Speaker 1: gonna be the next guy. We're gonna watch this guy.

419
00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:12,080
Speaker 1: There's profile college games and all the way into the league.

420
00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:15,440
Speaker 1: For people who don't know your story, ten years ago,

421
00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:17,600
Speaker 1: you're starting your senior year, your midway through your senior

422
00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:20,200
Speaker 1: year in high school, how many what was the grand

423
00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,359
Speaker 1: total of Division one offers that you had towards the

424
00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:26,320
Speaker 1: final month or two of your high school career. Zero,

425
00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:30,160
Speaker 1: I didn't even talk to a D one. It's crazy.

426
00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:33,200
Speaker 1: And when you think about it, and again for people

427
00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:35,720
Speaker 1: who don't know the part of your story, you had

428
00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,320
Speaker 1: someone helping you out, putting tapes together, putting you know,

429
00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:42,719
Speaker 1: the day, which is what we used. Who is who

430
00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:44,439
Speaker 1: is helping you do all that? Yeah, my dad was

431
00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:47,879
Speaker 1: doing all that, um, putting together all these tapes, just

432
00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:52,440
Speaker 1: sending transcripts different. It was all D two's back then, Um,

433
00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:56,679
Speaker 1: just sending tapes, sending transcripts, um, trying anything to to

434
00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:59,480
Speaker 1: get my name out there. Um, should get me to

435
00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,040
Speaker 1: play college college basketball. Him and and my trainer Marcus

436
00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:06,320
Speaker 1: Mason isn't then college to me too, So UM, I

437
00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:08,560
Speaker 1: mean there was a bunch of stuff that happened, Like

438
00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:10,760
Speaker 1: I do a workout in front of a coach and

439
00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,240
Speaker 1: he'd be like, nah, this is not what we want.

440
00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:18,080
Speaker 1: Or a team would come watch me and they said

441
00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:20,440
Speaker 1: I wasn't even going enough to walk on for their team.

442
00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:24,240
Speaker 1: So stuff like that. Um, it's kind of crazy looking

443
00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:26,240
Speaker 1: back now, but I mean that's what I went through

444
00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:28,640
Speaker 1: in um kind of made me who I am now.

445
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,880
Speaker 1: Most great stories like that aren't the things that are

446
00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:36,600
Speaker 1: handed to people who are sort of destined from the beginning.

447
00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:40,000
Speaker 1: What is remarkable to me, and this is what I

448
00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:42,720
Speaker 1: want to know. How do you, as a fifteen, sixteen,

449
00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:46,840
Speaker 1: seventeen year old kid with a dream, fight through the

450
00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:49,880
Speaker 1: rejection of so many people telling you it is not

451
00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:53,679
Speaker 1: going to happen. Yeah, it was tough, especially that the

452
00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,080
Speaker 1: Metro State one where they said I wasn't gonna have

453
00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:58,520
Speaker 1: to walk on because I used to go to Metro

454
00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,680
Speaker 1: State camps as a kid. All your friends are your

455
00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:04,679
Speaker 1: friends that are playing on this team. Yeah, Um, like

456
00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:06,440
Speaker 1: I used to go to the games as a kid

457
00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:08,720
Speaker 1: and and like with my dad and just watch it.

458
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,720
Speaker 1: So and Metal State was a powerhouse Division two back then.

459
00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,439
Speaker 1: I mean they's still really good now. So, UM, I

460
00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:17,240
Speaker 1: was that kind of hurt when they said I wasn't

461
00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:20,640
Speaker 1: even good enough to walk on, And um, I mean

462
00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,399
Speaker 1: that was during the season still, so it hurt a lot,

463
00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:27,719
Speaker 1: And UM, I just kept working. UM got lucky that

464
00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,159
Speaker 1: coach Coover got the job at UCCS and kind of

465
00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:34,360
Speaker 1: brought me on as basically I preferred walk on, And um,

466
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,639
Speaker 1: kind of all went from there. When did it start

467
00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:44,400
Speaker 1: to turn for you? Probably after my senior year, going

468
00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,280
Speaker 1: into my freshman year. I grew um a little bit.

469
00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:49,919
Speaker 1: That always helped, and then I just a little bit.

470
00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:53,440
Speaker 1: It was a few inches, right, Yeah, like three inches. Um,

471
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:57,800
Speaker 1: that definitely helped. UM, kind of got more athletic, UM

472
00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:01,280
Speaker 1: worked harder. UM. Everything kind of just went all into that.

473
00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:04,000
Speaker 1: And then UM, each summer I just kind of kept

474
00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,800
Speaker 1: working add something to my game. And this made me

475
00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:10,040
Speaker 1: a better player every summer, and I was able to

476
00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:14,760
Speaker 1: continue doing good things. You suggest eventually transfer for you,

477
00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:18,080
Speaker 1: and I never got right, Yeah right, it just never haptory.

478
00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:20,840
Speaker 1: Here's the funny part about the growth sport. The story

479
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,920
Speaker 1: was that your coach you've talked about, Coach Cover knew

480
00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:27,879
Speaker 1: your dad and knew that he had had a growth

481
00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:30,800
Speaker 1: spurt fairly late and later than most kids have. Is

482
00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:34,080
Speaker 1: that right? Yeah? Yeah, my dad grew late. UM, and

483
00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:37,480
Speaker 1: I hit puberty late. So I was always hopeful. I mean,

484
00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:41,120
Speaker 1: my knees we're hurting growing up from growing pains, and

485
00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:44,200
Speaker 1: I was just hoping that one day it all clicking.

486
00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,400
Speaker 1: I Mean, it came late, but I'm happy it came,

487
00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,760
Speaker 1: Is there a message there everybody. Kids look at players

488
00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:58,480
Speaker 1: different ways, and everybody's gonna idolize different players. But is

489
00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:01,919
Speaker 1: there a message for were the kids who are constantly

490
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,920
Speaker 1: being told not gonna happen for you, Your dream won't

491
00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:07,040
Speaker 1: come true. It's a million to one it can't happen.

492
00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:11,160
Speaker 1: Do you ever think about yourself or talk to kids

493
00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,400
Speaker 1: who are in that spot as someone that they can

494
00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:16,320
Speaker 1: look to and say, don't don't give up until they

495
00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:18,680
Speaker 1: pry it from you, that there's can always be a

496
00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:21,520
Speaker 1: path if you believe in it. Yeah, Um, I mean

497
00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:23,679
Speaker 1: it's always cool. I mean if you go to our

498
00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:26,800
Speaker 1: locker room right now, everybody's stories a little different on

499
00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:29,359
Speaker 1: how they got to the league. Um, there's not all

500
00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,960
Speaker 1: one path to get to the n b A and um,

501
00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:34,240
Speaker 1: you just kind of have to keep going, keep working,

502
00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:38,760
Speaker 1: keep believing in yourself if nobody does, um, I mean

503
00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:41,479
Speaker 1: even the NBA. I mean I remember telling somebody like

504
00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:43,639
Speaker 1: when I was like a sop or my senior year

505
00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:45,600
Speaker 1: in high school, after I committed u CCS, I was like,

506
00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:48,200
Speaker 1: now I'm gonna stay there all four years, Like that's

507
00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:49,960
Speaker 1: just what I'm gonna do. Like they're like, you're gonna

508
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,160
Speaker 1: go one year and transfer. I'm like, no, I'm gonna

509
00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:54,280
Speaker 1: be there the whole time. So, like the NBA wasn't

510
00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:56,399
Speaker 1: even in my mind, but I just wanted to be

511
00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,320
Speaker 1: the best player that I could be UM and help

512
00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:02,240
Speaker 1: the team win a u CCS. So UM just kept

513
00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:05,639
Speaker 1: working in and good things started happening. And then obviously

514
00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:08,600
Speaker 1: I ended up transferring and everything kind of worked out

515
00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:10,280
Speaker 1: for me in that aspect, but just trying to be

516
00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:12,760
Speaker 1: the best me and good things started happening for me.

517
00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:18,719
Speaker 1: And the process here, Derek, is extremely accelerated, right, Like

518
00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:23,240
Speaker 1: you're you're taking what some kids have from sixteen to

519
00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:27,080
Speaker 1: nineteen or maybe fifteen to nineteen. Of Okay, I want

520
00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:28,320
Speaker 1: to get to the n b A. I think I

521
00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:29,960
Speaker 1: have a chance to get to the n b A.

522
00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:32,440
Speaker 1: I'm gonna go through the college process and then get there.

523
00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:35,560
Speaker 1: You're scrunching that into like a couple of years here, right,

524
00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:38,359
Speaker 1: So at one point, at what point did you start

525
00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,720
Speaker 1: to actually think this is a place that I could

526
00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:43,639
Speaker 1: get to. I could get to the n b A.

527
00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,640
Speaker 1: When did that start to actually creep into your mind

528
00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:50,840
Speaker 1: that you could make it? Uh, probably during my junior

529
00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:54,160
Speaker 1: season a CCS and then after Um, when I decided

530
00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,240
Speaker 1: to transfer. Um, I mean that's the reason why I transferred,

531
00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:00,440
Speaker 1: is I felt like transferringly gave me the best abosition

532
00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:02,359
Speaker 1: to get to the n b A and have my

533
00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:06,720
Speaker 1: talent scene. So um, when having that conversation with my

534
00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:09,159
Speaker 1: trainer and him telling me that I got a chance,

535
00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:12,960
Speaker 1: and then hearing it from all sorts of different people. UM,

536
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,360
Speaker 1: I mean when Chauncey told me Taunty Billips, that's when

537
00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:18,080
Speaker 1: I really was like, all right, now I really got

538
00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:20,160
Speaker 1: a chance if he sees it then and I must

539
00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:24,000
Speaker 1: be doing something right. So um, just keep working. And

540
00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,840
Speaker 1: UM that's when I really started believing in myself. They

541
00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,040
Speaker 1: had to feel good, man. And it was just within

542
00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:32,480
Speaker 1: a few years time. You got everyone telling you know,

543
00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:36,760
Speaker 1: and now you've got everyone, including Chauncey Billups, Mr Big Shot,

544
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,200
Speaker 1: telling you you can. That had to feel good. Yeah,

545
00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:42,200
Speaker 1: I mean it it was crazy. I mean I've I've

546
00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:45,840
Speaker 1: worked Chauncey's camp since I was in like eighth grade. Um,

547
00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:47,800
Speaker 1: he had it in my hometown, so I was always

548
00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:51,200
Speaker 1: work them, and UM, I remember there's times they had

549
00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,440
Speaker 1: pickup games when um Chris Paul came to the camp

550
00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:56,800
Speaker 1: and I wasn't even able to get on the court

551
00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:00,879
Speaker 1: because I wasn't good enough. So um, just as the

552
00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:03,280
Speaker 1: years went on, Um, the better I got. And then

553
00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:04,919
Speaker 1: we had those pickup games and I was in them,

554
00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:07,760
Speaker 1: I was playing well in them. So Um, he's a

555
00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:11,199
Speaker 1: long process and journey from from that point to to

556
00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:13,720
Speaker 1: where I am now had to be a lot of

557
00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:18,080
Speaker 1: tears on draft night, I would imagine in that family. Yeah,

558
00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:22,240
Speaker 1: my dad lost it. Um. I mean he kind of

559
00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:24,640
Speaker 1: lives through me, and he's so proud of me, and

560
00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:26,880
Speaker 1: I mean that always means a lot to me. Um,

561
00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:28,800
Speaker 1: I'm not want to be where I am here without

562
00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:32,200
Speaker 1: my dad and my mom. Um, they've been rocks. They've

563
00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:35,600
Speaker 1: been supporting me since I was five years old and

564
00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:39,000
Speaker 1: I first started playing basketball. Um, so just to share

565
00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:43,240
Speaker 1: that moment with them, and um, it's always great to

566
00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:45,400
Speaker 1: play in front of them and have them always supporting

567
00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:47,760
Speaker 1: me and texting me after games and stuff. So I'm

568
00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:52,520
Speaker 1: always thankful for them too. Did your dad lose it

569
00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:54,320
Speaker 1: when he found out that you were getting traded to

570
00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,600
Speaker 1: Boston too, because we know he was a Celtics fan, right, Yeah, Yeah,

571
00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:01,479
Speaker 1: he was super happy. Um. Yeah, he grew up in Boston.

572
00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:04,880
Speaker 1: Until he was like eight or nine. Um, die hard

573
00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:10,520
Speaker 1: Red Sox fan, Um, big time Celtics fans. So uh.

574
00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:12,840
Speaker 1: I sent a picture of my jersey and he's like,

575
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:15,680
Speaker 1: just to see white on that Celtics jersey. I mean

576
00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,040
Speaker 1: I couldn't do it, but at least my son could,

577
00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,920
Speaker 1: So I was he was happy about that. How did

578
00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:23,600
Speaker 1: his fandom like impact you growing up? I mean, did

579
00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,000
Speaker 1: you follow the Celtics? Were you a Celtics fan at all?

580
00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:30,360
Speaker 1: Because he was? Nah, I was always a Colorado fan

581
00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:34,240
Speaker 1: like I was a Rockies fan, a Broncos fang fan.

582
00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:38,600
Speaker 1: So um. So he didn't brainwash you, no, not quite.

583
00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,040
Speaker 1: But I mean sports were always on um in the house,

584
00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:44,680
Speaker 1: and um, I mean that's kind of how it is

585
00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:47,080
Speaker 1: now with me. Like I love all kinds of sports

586
00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:48,960
Speaker 1: and my dad loves all kinds of sports, and we

587
00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:53,200
Speaker 1: just talk about any any type of sport in UM.

588
00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:56,000
Speaker 1: It said just that bond that we have that um

589
00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,239
Speaker 1: no one else really has, that we can have our

590
00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:00,480
Speaker 1: own little lano that no one else really the stands.

591
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:03,840
Speaker 1: But I understand him, so um, I mean that's my guy,

592
00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:06,480
Speaker 1: and UM, he's kind of help shape me who I

593
00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:09,400
Speaker 1: am today. Has he been here yet see you play

594
00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:12,920
Speaker 1: in the Celtics uniform. Nah, he hasn't. Um, not yet.

595
00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:15,560
Speaker 1: You're gonna have to get them out here soon. I'm

596
00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:17,640
Speaker 1: still in a hotel, so they gotta they're gonna have

597
00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:21,120
Speaker 1: to wait for a while. And um, but once I

598
00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:23,280
Speaker 1: get set on everything, then we're definitely gonna have them

599
00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:25,959
Speaker 1: out and um. I was telling some of the other

600
00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:27,720
Speaker 1: day that he's gonna lose his mind when he comes

601
00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:32,880
Speaker 1: to a game in the garden. Just in a couple

602
00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:35,120
Speaker 1: of weeks. Yeah, I'll see them when I when I

603
00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:38,640
Speaker 1: go back to Denver. Um. It's always great playing in

604
00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:42,040
Speaker 1: Denver in front of the friends and family. What's the

605
00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:44,720
Speaker 1: timeline to get you out of a hotel room? When

606
00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:46,320
Speaker 1: are we going to get you into a real home?

607
00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,240
Speaker 1: And we're working on it. We're working on it. I'm

608
00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,200
Speaker 1: sure Hannah is loving that right life in the hotel. Yeah,

609
00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:54,160
Speaker 1: it's tough, and we have two dogs so it makes

610
00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:57,680
Speaker 1: it even tougher. But we're we're working through it. We're

611
00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,160
Speaker 1: working don Hey, if I can help it anyway, you know,

612
00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:01,640
Speaker 1: we gotta get you out of the hotel room. You

613
00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,040
Speaker 1: gotta get you into into a home. Yeah, it's gonna

614
00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:08,080
Speaker 1: it's gonna happen here soon. Good. Hey. One thing we'd

615
00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:12,920
Speaker 1: be remiss not to talk about is, um, just how

616
00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:16,360
Speaker 1: much special needs and the Special Olympics and all of

617
00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:18,880
Speaker 1: these things mean to you. I know, this is something

618
00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,520
Speaker 1: that you've really dedicated a lot of your energy and

619
00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,920
Speaker 1: your time toward, um, not only during your NBA career,

620
00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:27,280
Speaker 1: but just in your life in general. And a lot

621
00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:29,840
Speaker 1: of it has to do with your aunt. Talk to

622
00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:33,640
Speaker 1: us about your your aunt, Genie McManus, and um, what

623
00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:36,600
Speaker 1: she has taught you in your life and and and

624
00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,280
Speaker 1: helped to kind of motivate you to be so passionate

625
00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:42,880
Speaker 1: about this. Yeah, she's a rock star. Um. I mean

626
00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:46,520
Speaker 1: she always has a great attitude. I mean we have

627
00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:49,920
Speaker 1: a family parties in UM, it was always special just

628
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,960
Speaker 1: to spend time with her, and um, just see how

629
00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:57,040
Speaker 1: she handles day to day and then Especial Olympics kind

630
00:31:57,080 --> 00:32:00,520
Speaker 1: of is. She likes to swim, and it was always

631
00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:02,920
Speaker 1: cool to just see that and and she's great at it,

632
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:07,040
Speaker 1: by the way, Yeah, she's better swimming than me. So UM,

633
00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:09,640
Speaker 1: it's always cool to see that. And just to be

634
00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:12,280
Speaker 1: more and more involved in Special Olympics and all the

635
00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,719
Speaker 1: different things that can go into that, and um, anything

636
00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,120
Speaker 1: to put a smile on their faces, because they always

637
00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,600
Speaker 1: put a smile in mine and and everybody around them, Um,

638
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:26,040
Speaker 1: just by their joy and happiness. So um, there's obviously

639
00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,680
Speaker 1: something I'm extremely passionate about it, and we continue to

640
00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:32,640
Speaker 1: do more and more with it, and um it all

641
00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:37,480
Speaker 1: started from from Genie. Well, for everyone that's listening right now,

642
00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:39,520
Speaker 1: I just I just gotta say, we can see the

643
00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:41,640
Speaker 1: smile on your face as you talk about her, which

644
00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:43,800
Speaker 1: is it's really your beam, and while you talk about her,

645
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:46,880
Speaker 1: it's really cool to see. Yeah. Um, we've always had

646
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,080
Speaker 1: a pretty cool um bond. Um, I mean when I

647
00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:53,200
Speaker 1: was younger. Um, I mean she doesn't let me color

648
00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:55,760
Speaker 1: anymore with her, but we always had that a little

649
00:32:55,800 --> 00:33:00,320
Speaker 1: special bond. Isn't one of the great joys of the

650
00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:04,560
Speaker 1: job that you have been fortunate enough to earn that

651
00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:08,120
Speaker 1: to see on other people's faces, what you get to

652
00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:11,880
Speaker 1: do when you give back, to be able to participate

653
00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:13,760
Speaker 1: in things like that. I don't know how many times

654
00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:15,160
Speaker 1: over all the years I've been doing this, and that

655
00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:18,680
Speaker 1: players and coaches tell me, Man, we went to visit kids,

656
00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,200
Speaker 1: we did a special Olympics event, We went to a hospital,

657
00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:24,280
Speaker 1: and you're the one that always feels better at the

658
00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:28,240
Speaker 1: end of the day. Yeah, Um, I mean we I

659
00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:30,200
Speaker 1: just did a three on three theme before I left

660
00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:33,440
Speaker 1: San Antonio with the Special Olympics, And I mean just

661
00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:36,040
Speaker 1: to see them playing, Um, the joy in their faces

662
00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:38,120
Speaker 1: that when they make a shot or make a three,

663
00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:40,760
Speaker 1: and just watching them run around, Um, you can't help

664
00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:43,840
Speaker 1: but smile, and and just to feel joy and grateful

665
00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:46,160
Speaker 1: for for the gifts that we have that we take

666
00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:49,760
Speaker 1: for granted each and every day. UM. So just a

667
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:51,760
Speaker 1: little things like that just just make you a better

668
00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:55,280
Speaker 1: person and and everything. Um, when you go and experience

669
00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:59,000
Speaker 1: that firsthand, there's one more gift that you're about to get.

670
00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:01,360
Speaker 1: And I wonder how much time you spent thinking about

671
00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:04,320
Speaker 1: these moments. We had to talk to Jason after one

672
00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:06,680
Speaker 1: of the games he had. Jason Tatum is going to

673
00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:12,040
Speaker 1: do things in this world that people will never be

674
00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:13,920
Speaker 1: able to appreciate. But one of the things that a

675
00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,680
Speaker 1: lot of us do is when right after a game

676
00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:19,520
Speaker 1: he can score forty on national TV, but his son

677
00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:21,520
Speaker 1: will run to him on the court and he will

678
00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:22,960
Speaker 1: pick him up and hold him and he will tell

679
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,560
Speaker 1: you that's the best part of his day. When you

680
00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:30,239
Speaker 1: see that, does it make you even more excited for

681
00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:32,200
Speaker 1: the next chapter of your life, which is going to

682
00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:36,120
Speaker 1: begin as this one begins here in Boston. Yeah, I mean, UM,

683
00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:38,840
Speaker 1: that's always been cool to see. UM, just that relationship

684
00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:42,720
Speaker 1: in the bond that they've um, they've developed over the years,

685
00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:46,399
Speaker 1: and I'm super excited, Uh to have that bomber with

686
00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:49,600
Speaker 1: my my kid and UM, try to raise them the

687
00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:52,719
Speaker 1: right way, teach him things, UM, play with them, have

688
00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:56,239
Speaker 1: my little buddy around all the time, and UM have

689
00:34:56,400 --> 00:35:00,320
Speaker 1: them experienced things that I'm experiencing. So, UM, it's gary,

690
00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:03,120
Speaker 1: but I'm super excited and UM, I can't wait for

691
00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:08,520
Speaker 1: that day. Well, listen, Derek, after the Spurs traded you

692
00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:12,440
Speaker 1: to Boston, Gregg Popovich didn't talk about you the player outgoing.

693
00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:14,520
Speaker 1: He talked about you the person. He just said, you're

694
00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:17,279
Speaker 1: a great human being. And I think after talking to

695
00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:18,840
Speaker 1: you here for about a half hour and just the

696
00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:21,360
Speaker 1: way you've carried yourself through the last few weeks, we

697
00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:23,200
Speaker 1: all know that the Celtics got a good player, but

698
00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:26,120
Speaker 1: they got an even better person. So welcome to Boston.

699
00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:28,719
Speaker 1: We appreciate you taking the time to come on the

700
00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:32,600
Speaker 1: podcast today and good luck with everything that's looming over

701
00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:34,080
Speaker 1: the next couple of months for you. I know it's

702
00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:36,399
Speaker 1: gonna be an exciting time but also a really fun time,

703
00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:38,600
Speaker 1: and we're looking forward to, uh to being able to

704
00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:42,359
Speaker 1: witness it all. Yeah, I appreciate that. Thanks for having me,

705
00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:48,200
Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to you from the Raptors. Behind

706
00:35:48,239 --> 00:35:51,520
Speaker 1: the Scenes with the Boston Celtics, presented by Cardless