WEBVTT - TOM's Talks | Clarence Weatherspoon 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.640 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:08.680 search seventy Sixers podcast wherever you get your pods. This 0:00:08.720 --> 0:00:12.200 week's guest on the Tom's Talks podcast is a durable 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:16.440 and consistent seventy Sixers ford from the mid nineties. Clarence 0:00:16.440 --> 0:00:19.360 Weatherspoon grew up one of thirteen children in a small 0:00:19.400 --> 0:00:22.240 town in Mississippi. He would go on to college at 0:00:22.280 --> 0:00:26.079 Southern miss becoming a three time Metro Conference Player of 0:00:26.120 --> 0:00:28.680 the Year and the only Golden Eagle to have his 0:00:28.800 --> 0:00:34.160 number retired. Dubbed by the Philadelphia Media, Baby Barkley, Weatherspoon 0:00:34.200 --> 0:00:37.040 missed only four games in his first four years and 0:00:37.240 --> 0:00:40.400 played all eighty two three times. And he was a 0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:47.519 pump banking double double machine. Let's hear from Spoon. Welcome 0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:51.000 to another edition of Tom's Talks. And here we're with 0:00:51.120 --> 0:00:54.840 another great former sixer, Clarence Weatherspoon. He spent six years 0:00:55.360 --> 0:00:58.120 with the seventy sixers in the mid nineties. And Spoon, 0:00:58.520 --> 0:01:01.920 great to have you you join us from Mississippi. Sounds 0:01:01.960 --> 0:01:04.200 like life. It's good you and your wife Hazel raised 0:01:04.280 --> 0:01:07.000 three great kids. And what's everything like for you right 0:01:07.040 --> 0:01:10.200 now as you're working through this pandemic and everything that's 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:13.399 going on in our country. Well, you know, just trying 0:01:13.440 --> 0:01:15.920 to stay healthy and I stay blessed. Uh you know, 0:01:16.360 --> 0:01:18.399 my family is doing well, and uh, you know, it's 0:01:18.440 --> 0:01:21.560 just like you say, with the COVID nineteen and all 0:01:21.560 --> 0:01:25.840 the social changes that that's in awareness to social changes 0:01:25.880 --> 0:01:28.480 that have been happening. So you know, you're just trying 0:01:28.520 --> 0:01:31.000 to just trying to stay healthy and uh you know, 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.600 and and wishing everybody to uh, you know, to stay 0:01:34.640 --> 0:01:38.360 healthy and become more aware or what's happening. Uh, and 0:01:38.880 --> 0:01:41.720 what's going on right now, and there is quite a 0:01:41.720 --> 0:01:44.040 bit going on in our country. It seems like there's 0:01:44.120 --> 0:01:48.520 a huge moment and a huge movement for change. Growing 0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:51.720 up in a little town like Crawford, Mississippi, in the 0:01:51.800 --> 0:01:54.720 late seventies and in the eighties, what was that like 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:58.920 for you? Well, you know, I think I got a 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:01.960 chance to to to have an advantage. So I was 0:02:02.000 --> 0:02:05.080 the youngest of thirteen kids. So my older brothers and 0:02:05.160 --> 0:02:08.000 sisters they went through, uh you know, changing up, the 0:02:08.040 --> 0:02:12.040 segregation of schools, uh, the busing to schools and stuff. 0:02:12.080 --> 0:02:14.240 You know, I still a bus but growing up, I 0:02:14.400 --> 0:02:17.360 walked to our local elementary school, but doing high school. 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:20.120 I was bus to a high school, so you know, 0:02:20.200 --> 0:02:23.320 you don't think about those things as a kid, but 0:02:23.480 --> 0:02:26.160 as you become grow and become an a notte, you 0:02:26.560 --> 0:02:31.360 see the difference in those things, and uh the difference 0:02:31.400 --> 0:02:35.480 and the educational level of educational opportunities and stuff. But 0:02:36.000 --> 0:02:38.359 it's it's a it's a process that I think our 0:02:38.440 --> 0:02:40.880 state has been working through and getting better and better. 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:44.920 It's still changes that need to be made socially and 0:02:44.919 --> 0:02:49.280 and and and being more inclusive to everyone. Uh so, 0:02:49.480 --> 0:02:52.000 but I think, uh, you know, during that time, like 0:02:52.040 --> 0:02:53.880 I said, I was I was the youngest, so I 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:56.960 had a chance to not experiences as much as my 0:02:57.040 --> 0:03:01.040 older siblings and stuff. But you know, you become aware. 0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:03.880 You know, you're catching a five thirty bus to be 0:03:04.000 --> 0:03:07.239 plus across town to a different different school and stuff. 0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:12.080 So high school so it's different. You notice the difference 0:03:12.080 --> 0:03:14.160 when you become an adult and you grow to become 0:03:14.200 --> 0:03:17.520 an adult for you to be back at your alma mater. 0:03:18.080 --> 0:03:20.679 You're the only player that's ever had their jersey retired 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:24.400 with the Golden Eagles. Obviously a tremendous player, they're a 0:03:24.400 --> 0:03:27.280 Metro Conference Player of the Year at three times and 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:29.080 now to be a part of the coaching staff and 0:03:29.160 --> 0:03:31.320 working with your son who's a player there, that must 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:34.440 be special. Yeah, you know, getting a chance to go 0:03:34.520 --> 0:03:37.360 back to Southern Myths to be a part of the 0:03:37.400 --> 0:03:40.240 coaching staff and plus getting a chance to work with 0:03:40.280 --> 0:03:43.560 my son. It's been a great, great experience for me, 0:03:43.640 --> 0:03:46.000 you know, a learning experience. So you know this going 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:48.960 into my fifth year old staffs so but you know 0:03:49.080 --> 0:03:52.360 it's exciting at the same time, you know, and and 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:56.320 you know, I'm just glad to be still around basketball, learning, 0:03:56.320 --> 0:03:59.880 teaching and just growing with the sport. And you work 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:02.480 with him at Ridgeway High School. What's it like coaching 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:06.960 your son, Well, you know, it's just like you know 0:04:07.040 --> 0:04:10.720 in any h anything else. You know, from pee wee 0:04:10.760 --> 0:04:12.840 all the way through. You know, you don't want to 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:16.800 show favoritism anything anything like that. You just wanted to, 0:04:16.800 --> 0:04:19.240 you know, try to instill the valuable work ethics and 0:04:19.360 --> 0:04:21.880 uh and and let him work through all the Kingston 0:04:22.000 --> 0:04:25.000 and growing growing pains, you know. But still on the 0:04:25.000 --> 0:04:27.080 other side, you're still a father. But you know you 0:04:27.120 --> 0:04:29.919 want to see your son or your children do you know, 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:32.560 as well as possible. But you know, it's a it's 0:04:32.600 --> 0:04:35.080 a process, but you know it's enjoyable. But you know, 0:04:35.120 --> 0:04:37.080 getting a chance to work with him and all all 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:39.919 our student athletes, it's you know, it's been a pleasure 0:04:39.920 --> 0:04:43.159 for them. And now I'm sure all that having been said, 0:04:43.560 --> 0:04:45.480 there's part in the back of your brain like, man, 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:47.360 this is great. Look at my kid out there, right, 0:04:47.440 --> 0:04:50.800 I mean, you must really enjoy it too, well, you know, 0:04:51.160 --> 0:04:53.480 you know, it's just the part that you're giving a 0:04:53.600 --> 0:04:56.359 chance to see him live out his dream and some 0:04:56.440 --> 0:04:59.120 of his experiences. So you know, uh, you know, one 0:04:59.160 --> 0:05:02.640 thing about this, it brings so much, you know, so 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:06.080 much enjoyment to you. So for me getting a chance 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:08.040 to see him, getting a chance to be out there, 0:05:08.120 --> 0:05:10.320 getting a chance to compete in, the chance to grow in, 0:05:10.360 --> 0:05:13.599 the chance to you know, just work through and becoming 0:05:13.680 --> 0:05:16.560 a young adot himself. You know, but the game of 0:05:16.640 --> 0:05:21.480 basketball allows you so many of those opportunities. Now, when 0:05:21.520 --> 0:05:26.680 you left Mississippi and Southern specifically, you were drafted ninth 0:05:26.720 --> 0:05:30.520 by the Sixers and traveling and moving to Philadelphia must 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:33.320 have been quite a transition for you as a young man. 0:05:33.680 --> 0:05:36.440 What do you recall from that that move from being 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:39.360 a college player, not only to the pros, but as 0:05:39.360 --> 0:05:44.920 I say, to a big Northeastern city like Philadelphia. Well, 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:47.080 you know, it was it was a learning process you 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:49.400 had to go through, and uh, you know they're just 0:05:49.440 --> 0:05:52.640 getting just getting used to the interstate system, you know, 0:05:52.720 --> 0:05:55.080 all the ends and out of the system in there. 0:05:55.120 --> 0:05:57.200 But you know, once I got in early and I 0:05:57.360 --> 0:06:00.800 found found the home, found a place to stay. You know, 0:06:00.880 --> 0:06:04.359 I had traveled so much with international basketball and stuff, 0:06:04.400 --> 0:06:06.200 so I had You've been used to being in big, 0:06:06.480 --> 0:06:09.960 bigger cities of different places and stuff. So uh, you know, 0:06:10.000 --> 0:06:13.480 I think that with the staff and everybody to help 0:06:13.920 --> 0:06:16.479 with that transition, you know, after a month or so, 0:06:16.600 --> 0:06:20.240 it became became much smoother for me. So you know, 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:22.400 it was it was a great experience for me. I 0:06:22.480 --> 0:06:26.120 really enjoyed my time with the Sixers, and I really enjoyed, 0:06:26.600 --> 0:06:29.120 you know, the city of Philadelphia and the Delaware Ever, 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:34.480 so the Sixers had just traded Charles Barkley. The Philadelphia 0:06:34.640 --> 0:06:37.479 media before you even came to Philadelphia had dubbed you 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:41.520 the Metro's barkleye the Metro Conference, and then when you 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:44.280 got here, at times they referred to as Baby Barkley 0:06:44.800 --> 0:06:47.240 obviously that's a huge compliment and that Charles was one 0:06:47.240 --> 0:06:49.960 of the great players and talented players in NBA history. 0:06:50.200 --> 0:06:52.240 But what did you think of that nickname and how 0:06:52.240 --> 0:06:56.000 did you take to that? Well, you know, definitely, you 0:06:56.040 --> 0:06:58.559 know Charles, you know, was one of my role models 0:06:58.640 --> 0:07:01.600 growing up, coming up, coming from Mississippi. You know, you 0:07:01.760 --> 0:07:05.320 from Alabama, played at Album, so you had followed him, 0:07:05.360 --> 0:07:07.679 I had followed him all the way through. So getting 0:07:07.680 --> 0:07:10.480 a chance to come to Philly and follow him, and 0:07:10.520 --> 0:07:13.040 you know, it was a great respect and you a 0:07:13.160 --> 0:07:15.720 great challenge. But you know, one thing I tried to 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:19.200 do earlier on was trying to establish myself as a player, 0:07:19.240 --> 0:07:22.080 you know, because it's the one thing the hardest thing 0:07:22.080 --> 0:07:24.720 in the world is to try to emulate or be 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:29.120 someone else, especially trying to be a superstar winning superstars 0:07:29.120 --> 0:07:33.160 of the game. So you certainly did establish yourself. I mean, 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:36.480 you average sixteen points a game as a rookie, and 0:07:36.560 --> 0:07:40.760 then in those second and third years you had you know, 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:45.920 like seventy five double double statistically, very durable if I'm 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:48.320 not mistaken. In your first four years three those first 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:51.239 four years, you played all eighty two games and missed 0:07:51.280 --> 0:07:54.240 only four games. So you were there every night and 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:57.800 you racked up numbers and both rebounding and scoring and 0:07:57.840 --> 0:08:02.040 contributed quite a bit. Is that how you remember it? Yeah, 0:08:02.120 --> 0:08:04.760 you know, My thing was always to come out and 0:08:04.840 --> 0:08:07.760 play hard, give give one hundred percent effort, and uh, 0:08:07.840 --> 0:08:09.960 you know, enjoy the game. You know, I enjoy playing 0:08:09.960 --> 0:08:12.640 the game. And uh you know, like I say, the 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:16.480 city and the team and the organization that gave me opportunities. 0:08:16.560 --> 0:08:19.080 So my job to come in and tried to learn 0:08:19.120 --> 0:08:21.760 as much as I could from from the staffs and 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:24.960 my teammates and play hard and play every night. And 0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:27.240 that's what I tried to do, to come out and 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:30.560 be a consistent, solid, uh you know player, and uh 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:32.360 you know, and I think I tried to do that 0:08:32.840 --> 0:08:37.320 every night. Right, So you're you're the first year I 0:08:37.400 --> 0:08:40.320 was here, twenty five years ago, Stackhouse was drafted and 0:08:40.360 --> 0:08:43.559 you played with Jerry John Lucas was the coach, and 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:46.480 the team only won eighteen games. But the following year 0:08:46.520 --> 0:08:49.720 they drafted Iverson and the team had made the move 0:08:49.800 --> 0:08:53.080 for Derek Coleman the previous year, and now you got 0:08:53.080 --> 0:08:55.880 some talented players. Johnny Davis as the coach. I'm sure 0:08:55.920 --> 0:08:57.920 your shots went down a little bit with Allan and 0:08:58.559 --> 0:09:00.960 Jerry in terms of your field goal tims. But what 0:09:01.000 --> 0:09:02.920 do you remember from now mistaken el had been here 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:07.720 your fourth year in the NBA. Well, you know, once 0:09:07.800 --> 0:09:10.720 you add uh, you know, talent to a to a team, 0:09:10.760 --> 0:09:15.079 and especially a talent like Jerry and uh and Uh 0:09:15.160 --> 0:09:17.400 Alan and you had traded for it, Like I said, 0:09:17.440 --> 0:09:20.280 DC and those guys, you know, the SHOT's gonna go down. 0:09:20.559 --> 0:09:22.600 But the thing about you know, how I looked at 0:09:22.600 --> 0:09:24.520 it was, you know, if you're gonna if you're gonna 0:09:25.080 --> 0:09:28.040 win and win big and you add talent, you got 0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:31.000 to diversify your game. You got to circrifice, you got 0:09:31.000 --> 0:09:33.320 to be a team player. And I think that's that 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:36.520 was part of my makeup. You know, I wasn't worried 0:09:36.520 --> 0:09:40.040 about shots. I want to win games, you know, having 0:09:40.080 --> 0:09:42.480 the chance that win and that that was all what 0:09:42.640 --> 0:09:45.320 I was about, having the chance that winning. And you know, 0:09:45.360 --> 0:09:48.600 and you know Ai, all those guys, but Ai, especially Man. 0:09:48.760 --> 0:09:51.960 I really enjoyed Alan and then being a part of 0:09:52.000 --> 0:09:54.840 that and you know, and I'm glad to see him, 0:09:54.880 --> 0:09:58.080 you know, down the line lead the team to a 0:09:58.200 --> 0:10:00.800 chance to play in the final. So you know, Uh, 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:04.839 you know I was there at the beginning that I 0:10:07.360 --> 0:10:10.280 had of but you know, things work out different. But 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:12.960 he eventually I did and you know, and uh, you know, 0:10:13.080 --> 0:10:17.240 pulling for those guys get Alan, Like you obviously knew 0:10:17.280 --> 0:10:19.640 he was talented and being the number one pick out 0:10:19.640 --> 0:10:22.480 of Georgetown, but when you actually started playing with them 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:24.520 and he started racking up numbers, did he opened your 0:10:24.559 --> 0:10:27.600 eyes a little bit? Well? You know, like I said, 0:10:27.679 --> 0:10:30.800 Alan showed that he was super tough, tough as nails, 0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:34.200 you know, uh for for for a smaller guard. You know, 0:10:34.280 --> 0:10:37.160 he had all the quickness, the ability and stuff, but 0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:39.280 he had a mindset that he's going to come out 0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:44.360 there every night and compete, get knocked down, push shove whatever. 0:10:44.480 --> 0:10:46.960 You know, Alan was gonna gonna pop right back up 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:48.720 and uh and bring it and bring it to you. 0:10:48.800 --> 0:10:51.360 So you know, that's that's what I enjoyed about it, 0:10:51.400 --> 0:10:54.040 you know, you know, just being just watching that and 0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:57.440 watching his broth to be a super competitor. Always was 0:10:57.440 --> 0:11:00.199 a competitive but you know, like I said, for some 0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:03.520 the pounding and the stuff he went through his first 0:11:03.520 --> 0:11:05.280 couple of years in the league, you know, I think 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:08.880 Alan set a tone for you know, for the league 0:11:08.920 --> 0:11:10.760 for a lot of guys because he was one of 0:11:10.800 --> 0:11:13.520 those young guys who took that whip and he took 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:17.680 the physicality and showed that smaller guards can league teams. 0:11:17.720 --> 0:11:20.319 And now you look at the league, everybody got a 0:11:20.360 --> 0:11:23.640 little quick guys who turned and perform stand in the 0:11:23.760 --> 0:11:27.640 pain shooting three. So you know, I think Alan definitely 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:31.120 was a trancesetter with that. We'll have more of my 0:11:31.200 --> 0:11:35.200 conversation with Clarence Weatherspoon in a minute. In this time 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:40.160 of social distancing, Novacare Rehabilitation is offering physical therapy from 0:11:40.200 --> 0:11:43.319 the comfort and safety of your home. Through their new 0:11:43.520 --> 0:11:48.160 tell a Rehab program, Novacare will virtually bring their services 0:11:48.200 --> 0:11:51.840 to you so you may heal, build strength, and get 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:54.679 back to the things you love. Tell a Rehab let 0:11:54.720 --> 0:11:58.520 you easily connect with one of Novacare's licensed therapists through 0:11:58.600 --> 0:12:02.599 web based technology. Is hip hop compliant. For more information, 0:12:02.760 --> 0:12:06.280 visit novacare dot com. Now back to Mike Chat with 0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:10.720 Clarence Weatherspoon. People probably forget and you would seem to 0:12:10.760 --> 0:12:13.920 be an unlikely candidate, but you were in the dunk competition. 0:12:14.360 --> 0:12:17.679 The year was nineteen ninety three. Harold Minor, the lefty 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:20.040 out of Miami who went to Southern cal won the 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:23.199 dunk competition. That must have been a pretty cool experience 0:12:23.200 --> 0:12:26.520 at All Star Weekend. Yeah, you know, getting a chance 0:12:26.559 --> 0:12:29.400 to go to All Star Weekend, especially you know as 0:12:29.559 --> 0:12:33.200 as as a rookie and uh going there and seeing 0:12:33.240 --> 0:12:35.760 all the All Stars is something that you describe to. 0:12:36.080 --> 0:12:38.760 But I think that was doing the fifteen the anniversary, 0:12:38.800 --> 0:12:42.000 I think also with some of the greatest players in 0:12:42.280 --> 0:12:44.720 the history of basketball was there in South Lake City, 0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:47.640 So you know, it was a great experience, and you know, 0:12:47.679 --> 0:12:50.640 it's just it's just one of those situations where you 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:52.800 just see it and you see the history and all 0:12:52.840 --> 0:12:55.679 the greatness that was there at that time. And and 0:12:55.720 --> 0:12:57.920 then getting a chance to compete at the in the 0:12:58.000 --> 0:12:59.839 dunk contest, you know that that was that was that 0:13:00.000 --> 0:13:02.960 a big moment for him. That's probably pretty cool. So 0:13:03.160 --> 0:13:06.959 then Larry Brown takes over and he tried to trade 0:13:06.960 --> 0:13:09.280 you in the off season to Boston. It didn't work 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:13.040 out because the player Roger didn't pass his field physical. 0:13:13.240 --> 0:13:16.760 Eventually you get traded to the Warriors, and then you 0:13:16.840 --> 0:13:19.880 started another part of your career, if you will. Golden 0:13:19.920 --> 0:13:23.480 State Miami Cleveland, the Knicks. How did that last part, 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:28.319 the second part of your career and out from your perspective, Well, 0:13:28.360 --> 0:13:31.120 I think I think it you know, it wasn't really 0:13:31.160 --> 0:13:34.079 good for me because, like I say, when coach Brown 0:13:34.200 --> 0:13:37.160 came in, it was it was it was a situation 0:13:37.240 --> 0:13:41.240 where he was building the team, putting fits and pieces together, 0:13:41.280 --> 0:13:43.280 and like I say, as you see they went on 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:46.800 and had a chance to play for world championships, so 0:13:46.920 --> 0:13:50.920 you know, you know, definitely a veteran coach that was building. 0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:53.520 So you know, you know, that's part of sports. You know, 0:13:53.640 --> 0:13:57.040 guys put pieces that anything fit and do. But with 0:13:57.200 --> 0:13:59.319 me being traded out the Golden State, he gave me 0:13:59.440 --> 0:14:01.760 a chance to play on the West Coast to see 0:14:01.840 --> 0:14:07.360 different styles and and teams more often. But it also 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:10.600 was doing a free agent year, so it gave me 0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:13.319 a chance to be a free agent and choose where 0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:15.719 you want to get a chance to play and go 0:14:15.800 --> 0:14:18.080 and uh and I chose to go down to Miami 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:21.240 and U and that was my first playoff experience. So 0:14:21.400 --> 0:14:25.160 like I say, that led to having a playoff situation 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:28.160 in Houston at the end. So uh, you know, that's 0:14:28.160 --> 0:14:30.000 what you want to do coming into the league. You 0:14:30.480 --> 0:14:33.760 want to develop as a player. You want to be 0:14:34.040 --> 0:14:36.360 a good player, you want to be a consistent player. 0:14:36.440 --> 0:14:39.440 But every player would tell you he want a chance 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:42.080 to play in the playoff because that is the biggest 0:14:42.080 --> 0:14:45.400 stage for the NBA. And you know, playing for World 0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:49.520 Championship is the ultimate, ultimate opportunity. So you know, I think, 0:14:49.600 --> 0:14:51.920 uh I got a chance to do that my later 0:14:52.000 --> 0:14:54.040 years of my career. So you know, I think everything 0:14:54.080 --> 0:14:56.800 worked out for me and and I was extreamly proud 0:14:56.840 --> 0:14:59.360 of my career and happy I had the opportunity to 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:03.160 play in the game playoffs. Spoon, you were for your position, 0:15:03.680 --> 0:15:08.360 forward and undersized player, and you were known in many respects. 0:15:08.720 --> 0:15:11.920 One of my former uh, well, I love chat Walker 0:15:11.960 --> 0:15:14.920 when he played both here in Philadelphia and for the 0:15:15.000 --> 0:15:18.000 Chicago Bulls. But you used a series of pump bakes, 0:15:18.280 --> 0:15:20.720 and you had to be crafty because you scored the ball. 0:15:20.800 --> 0:15:23.600 Not everybody can score double figures on a routine basis, 0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:27.160 like you did. Speak to that and try to you know, 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:29.720 trick the opposition and using all those pump bakes to 0:15:29.760 --> 0:15:35.000 get your shots off. Well, you know, from from from 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:37.360 high school all the way through college, you know, I 0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:39.920 was I was learning to play in traffic, and so 0:15:39.960 --> 0:15:44.560 when you play in traffic is angles, pump fakes, quickness 0:15:44.800 --> 0:15:48.240 and explosion. But once I got you got the Philly, 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:50.960 you know, I just worked with that within my game. 0:15:51.000 --> 0:15:53.040 And you know, like I said, he was able to 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:56.920 learn and continue to learn to play in space. So 0:15:57.320 --> 0:16:01.040 when your career ended, you got into us producing a 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:03.360 little bit and tell me a little bit more about 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:07.239 that aspect as you began to begin life after basketball. 0:16:08.360 --> 0:16:11.880 Well it started, uh when I signed with the Nicks 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:14.600 as as a free agent, you know, being in New York, 0:16:14.720 --> 0:16:18.600 you around, Uh that's you know the entertainment Meca. You know, 0:16:19.080 --> 0:16:21.840 with with with entertainment music, so you made a lot 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:24.920 of contacts and stuff and never a lot of new 0:16:24.960 --> 0:16:29.520 people and stuff. So uh during that time, you know music, 0:16:29.720 --> 0:16:34.440 uh guys, rappers, seniors, artists and stuff. So he gave 0:16:34.520 --> 0:16:37.600 me another idea of you know, coming back when I 0:16:37.640 --> 0:16:40.680 got retired and uh you know retired, He gave me, 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:44.200 you know, some ideas and stuff. And anytime you see 0:16:44.320 --> 0:16:48.000 guys who who working and having a chance and half talent, 0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:51.800 but sometimes they don't have their resources or the outlet 0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:55.240 and sort the contact. So you know, um, once I retired, 0:16:55.240 --> 0:16:57.800 I had more free time to talk and meet with guys. 0:16:57.840 --> 0:17:00.040 And what I end up happening, I was able to 0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:03.080 put those guys in the right places and put them 0:17:03.080 --> 0:17:05.239 in front of means and contacts, and then we end 0:17:05.280 --> 0:17:08.600 them having a couple of songs that start generating buzz 0:17:08.680 --> 0:17:12.960 in the South and encounter kept going from there. Now 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:14.919 I circle back to your career for a little bit 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:17.959 because I just remember in our times traveling together, you 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:20.399 were a nervous flyer, right did that make it a 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:23.000 little difficult to travel in the NBA for as long 0:17:23.040 --> 0:17:25.960 as you did? Well, you know, you had to get 0:17:26.040 --> 0:17:28.399 used to it. Just say, you know, it's just like 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:30.880 moving to the East Coast. You have to get used 0:17:30.880 --> 0:17:34.080 to it, you know, coming from you know, from from 0:17:34.359 --> 0:17:36.960 Southern Miths and our conference we flew, but you know 0:17:37.040 --> 0:17:40.600 it's nothing like eighty two games schedule in half of 0:17:40.640 --> 0:17:43.480 those games is on the road. So you're either gonna 0:17:43.520 --> 0:17:47.919 be flying, uh, you know two or three times a 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:51.840 week is in different situations. So but you know, as 0:17:51.920 --> 0:17:53.680 you know, as I got older and stuff you got, 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:56.040 I got more comfortable with it. But you know, starting out, 0:17:56.080 --> 0:17:58.800 you know, being on being on that many different flights 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:01.720 and constantly on flight going and catching flace. You know, 0:18:02.000 --> 0:18:03.720 it was. It was something I had to get used to. 0:18:04.600 --> 0:18:06.560 One of the other things we did. Because the nets 0:18:06.600 --> 0:18:10.320 were still in the meadow lands. We often, almost always, 0:18:10.400 --> 0:18:12.959 unless we were coming from someplace else, we bust up 0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:17.440 there and we would stop and sell Philadelphia for pizza 0:18:17.520 --> 0:18:20.679 and hogis, and the late Lenny Oaks would be putting 0:18:20.720 --> 0:18:23.520 sodas and all that stuff on the bus. Remember you 0:18:23.560 --> 0:18:25.480 and I were there once and all that were left 0:18:25.480 --> 0:18:28.520 for chips. And it seems in the granted you traveled 0:18:28.520 --> 0:18:32.040 on as you said, chartered aircraft, but sometimes it was 0:18:32.480 --> 0:18:35.600 much smaller than that. Uh, like I said, loading up 0:18:35.600 --> 0:18:39.840 with pizza and hogies from South Philadelphia, Oh definitely, you know, 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:42.920 you know, bringing up some some some good farm memories 0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:46.119 of uh you know, the staff and travel you know, 0:18:46.200 --> 0:18:49.280 I would, like I say, meaning right there, exit four 0:18:49.320 --> 0:18:51.679 and the Turnpike, jumping on the bus, ending up to 0:18:51.720 --> 0:18:55.240 the Middle Lands, end up to New York for games 0:18:55.240 --> 0:18:57.119 and stuff. You know, that was good times and stuff. 0:18:57.160 --> 0:18:59.840 And uh, you know, Lenny was one of those guys 0:18:59.880 --> 0:19:02.680 I was real fun of and all and all those 0:19:02.680 --> 0:19:05.440 guys that um you know in a uh that was 0:19:05.480 --> 0:19:07.800 part of the staff at that time. So you know, 0:19:08.320 --> 0:19:10.080 like I say, it was a great experience for me 0:19:10.240 --> 0:19:14.320 coming from a little small town, Mississippi, but getting the 0:19:14.400 --> 0:19:19.000 chance to be on the East coast right there in Philly, Jersey, 0:19:19.040 --> 0:19:21.439 New York area. So you know, it was it was, 0:19:21.480 --> 0:19:24.520 it was a great experience for And now that you're 0:19:24.520 --> 0:19:28.280 back in Mississippi to be in basketball and to be 0:19:28.600 --> 0:19:32.159 you know, college basketball with your team, that must be 0:19:32.200 --> 0:19:36.640 pretty special at this phase of your life. Yeah, it's 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:40.159 it's it's it's a new challenge, but it's an exciting challenge. 0:19:40.160 --> 0:19:42.719 You want to you want to try. You know, when 0:19:42.800 --> 0:19:45.520 we was there, we had really good teams. You know, 0:19:45.640 --> 0:19:49.720 we had two really good matchups with the South. One 0:19:49.800 --> 0:19:52.920 year they beat the South for the in T Championship 0:19:52.960 --> 0:19:54.840 in New York, and the next year up in the 0:19:54.960 --> 0:19:58.960 u NCAA tournament. Uh you know, Uh, Doug and Lino 0:19:59.000 --> 0:20:01.960 and those guys, they they got revenge on us and 0:20:02.000 --> 0:20:04.520 they handed to us in the NCAA tournament. So you know, 0:20:04.560 --> 0:20:06.520 it just it was just one of those situations where 0:20:06.680 --> 0:20:09.919 you know, it just worked out that way, and uh, 0:20:10.000 --> 0:20:12.240 you know, now you want to get back to that level. 0:20:12.280 --> 0:20:15.840 You want you know, just working and UH recruit, trying 0:20:15.880 --> 0:20:18.960 to get guys to again tell the story that you 0:20:19.000 --> 0:20:22.239 know you can win at Southern Missing and UH and 0:20:22.359 --> 0:20:25.000 have that excitement and playing on the biggest stage. So 0:20:25.040 --> 0:20:28.040 that that's that's that's the part I like doing. One 0:20:28.080 --> 0:20:30.160 of the other things you did is you had basketball 0:20:30.240 --> 0:20:32.840 camps over the span of a dozen years in both 0:20:32.920 --> 0:20:37.199 Brazil and Germany, taking the game to other parts of 0:20:37.320 --> 0:20:42.560 the world. What was that experience like, well, again it 0:20:42.600 --> 0:20:46.600 was it was based off friendships in UH in contacts. 0:20:46.600 --> 0:20:50.359 So again, like I said, Tournai Leo he Um, he 0:20:50.520 --> 0:20:54.720 introduced UH myself and UH him and Fred Fred Carter 0:20:54.920 --> 0:20:57.639 was going over. So you know, they asked me what I, 0:20:57.800 --> 0:21:00.439 you know, wanted to get involved with it, and I 0:21:00.640 --> 0:21:02.359 end up liking that, you know, and it gave me 0:21:02.440 --> 0:21:04.840 a chance to take my family on trips and stuff 0:21:04.880 --> 0:21:08.119 and show them different parts of other world. Again, like 0:21:08.160 --> 0:21:11.119 I say, basketball being a blessing and so many ways. 0:21:11.119 --> 0:21:14.520 So you know, I think Tony had family or wife 0:21:14.880 --> 0:21:17.560