Speaker 1: Welcome to All the Smoke, a production of The Black
Speaker 1: Effect and our Heart Radio and partnership with Showtime M.
Speaker 1: Welcome back All the Smoke. Two. We in the building
Speaker 1: with some new merchant. And now y'all see it. You
Speaker 1: don't see it, you see they see it. Man. We
Speaker 1: want to welcome to the show one of the bright
Speaker 1: young talents in the w n B A. And I'm
Speaker 1: gonna do this in two parts, Sabrina, and then I'm
Speaker 1: gonna let you announce your own last name because I
Speaker 1: think it's the most mispronounced name in sports. No, you
Speaker 1: still looked it up your school, school, your nest school. Yeah,
Speaker 1: went out there. Stop sucking up on it, damn it.
Speaker 1: That's why I didn't want to because I wasn't sure.
Speaker 1: I was like, let me just tell half her tel
Speaker 1: the world what it really is so we can we
Speaker 1: can get off to a good stars. I'm just gonna
Speaker 1: call your brain. That's fine, all right? Cool? So bar
Speaker 1: are you girl? Want to Creek to be exact, shout
Speaker 1: out the bay. Um, tell us about your upbringing. I
Speaker 1: know you're really close knit family. Talk to us about
Speaker 1: what life and one of Creek was like, Yeah, born
Speaker 1: and raised, Um, love the bay. You know, the Warriors
Speaker 1: always went to the games. Um. But you know, I
Speaker 1: grew up with two brothers immigrant family. They all immigrated here,
Speaker 1: so it was a grind like growing up. Um you know,
Speaker 1: um Romania immigranted from Mania. Yeah, I came from Europe
Speaker 1: and UM drop us off at the park half the time.
Speaker 1: We'd play for ten hours a day and then go
Speaker 1: to school and UM, yeah, so it's been great. Um,
Speaker 1: I love the Bay. I always go back and UM, yeah,
Speaker 1: you're a twin. I got twins. I got identical thirteen
Speaker 1: year old boys, but you're a you have a twin brother.
Speaker 1: What's that dynamic like? Because I remember the twins like
Speaker 1: having their own little language when they were little. They
Speaker 1: couldn't even speak yet, but we'd have them on the
Speaker 1: baby monitors and they'd be going back and forth laughing like, yeah,
Speaker 1: what the hell are they talking about? Did you guys
Speaker 1: have any kind of special twins stuff? Absolutely? Um, I
Speaker 1: mean he said that was his first word. My first
Speaker 1: word was his name. His first word was my name.
Speaker 1: But honestly, it's a whole different world. Like people really
Speaker 1: don't get how close twins actually are, and we do
Speaker 1: absolutely everything together. I probably wouldn't be where I am
Speaker 1: today if it wasn't for him, because we got in
Speaker 1: fist fights, we punched each other, beat each other's asses
Speaker 1: on the court, like, did absolutely everything. So he's really
Speaker 1: pushed me to become, um, you know what I am
Speaker 1: today and honestly still does it. How did you find
Speaker 1: a game basketball? Like at what age? I know you
Speaker 1: said they dropped you off, but when did you fall
Speaker 1: in love with the game. I was probably in like
Speaker 1: third or four fourth grade and I was between tennis
Speaker 1: and basketball and tennis you need a partner, and my
Speaker 1: brothers would just like want to hoop. So I ended
Speaker 1: up being like, all right, I can't. I'm not hitting
Speaker 1: against you know, the wall to myself. So I got
Speaker 1: bored and I was like, all right, I'll go hoop
Speaker 1: then too. So from that age, like third fourth grade,
Speaker 1: the men were there at lunchtime and I was like,
Speaker 1: all right, I want to play too, then let's go.
Speaker 1: And so ever since then, I fell in love with
Speaker 1: the game and I haven't been able to put the
Speaker 1: ball down. You know you had it? Are you better
Speaker 1: than your brother or when did you pass them? Absolutely?
Speaker 1: When did you? I know he wanted admit it, But
Speaker 1: when did you pass your brother in hoping in high school?
Speaker 1: It took me a little while know how mad i'd
Speaker 1: be if my secret could ever say she could whoop
Speaker 1: my ass in basketball. He's still mad. And I played
Speaker 1: pro and he's still mad. I have to admit. At
Speaker 1: one point my older sister was one of the top
Speaker 1: players in Texas and she had to put it on.
Speaker 1: She beat me a couple of times for a year.
Speaker 1: That ship stopped quick. So he uses his strength like
Speaker 1: when we used to play, and like I beat him
Speaker 1: and then he'd be like all right, and then he
Speaker 1: just backed me down, backed me down getting to the keys,
Speaker 1: like now what you're gonna do? I'm like, wro that's
Speaker 1: not even fair straight up, let's just play. Yes, I'm
Speaker 1: gonna one way. Who did you idolize? Growing up? Um idolized?
Speaker 1: Is idolized Steph for sure being from the Bay and yeah,
Speaker 1: growing up and him coming in, I was just that
Speaker 1: young rookie. And you remember that people were a little
Speaker 1: do we like him or not on the team because
Speaker 1: it was because he didn't believe in stuff. I didn't
Speaker 1: believe in the organization as the whole well, it was
Speaker 1: the Monte Ellis like, do we keep Monte orlie Go?
Speaker 1: And I was the last old head there. I can't
Speaker 1: be here with a bunch of babies. I can't go
Speaker 1: out with none of them. We definitely couldn't do that.
Speaker 1: Stuff was a baby. He was what like, But I
Speaker 1: admitted I had no idea he was gonna be who
Speaker 1: he yesterday. I admitted that. But he knew why someone
Speaker 1: not tell them why I was leaving. He was like, yeah,
Speaker 1: your career, you want to go somewhere, But yeah, I
Speaker 1: regret that. Yeah, Steph Becky Hammond, Yeah, we'll talk about her.
Speaker 1: I loved um watching her at the point guard position.
Speaker 1: Kobe with the Lakers for sure. I mean that was
Speaker 1: our Michael Jordan's Yeah, so um him Steve Nash at
Speaker 1: the point guard position. I watched so much like NBA
Speaker 1: growing up with brothers, so that was really like who
Speaker 1: I watched, idolized and even now like Diana Tarrossi. And
Speaker 1: it's crazy because we're playing in the league together and
Speaker 1: it's like I remember being young and watching her and
Speaker 1: I'm like, yeah, she's about twenty years older than I am. Right,
Speaker 1: who would you say you're patting your game after? I
Speaker 1: would say I really try and take a little bit everybody. Everybody.
Speaker 1: That's yeah, it's like I try and take like ever
Speaker 1: since I was young. It's like, oh, I like the
Speaker 1: way step shoots. All right, I'm gonna shot from really far.
Speaker 1: But then it's like, but I really like how Steve
Speaker 1: Nash comes off the pick and roll. So I watched
Speaker 1: that and then I would just take little things of
Speaker 1: of players that I liked and was like, all right,
Speaker 1: I'm gonna watch film on Luca donshek how he's able
Speaker 1: to pull back. And it's just like finding all the
Speaker 1: players that I like and trying to put them on one.
Speaker 1: You know, it's funny you say that because we just
Speaker 1: have Roy Jones on the show Boxer. He said he
Speaker 1: took something from all the grades listed, like twelve grades. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it took one thing from all of them in But
Speaker 1: it's what you could do with other sports too, Like
Speaker 1: I really like watch other sports and it's like, oh,
Speaker 1: that footworks different, and that's that could be used on
Speaker 1: the court, or like even tennis, like how quick they
Speaker 1: are latterly and able to push off. Like I like
Speaker 1: watching other sports too because I think it could give
Speaker 1: you an advantage. What do you remember was about high school?
Speaker 1: A hundred and nineteen and nine. Yeah, I didn't lose
Speaker 1: much school record points put in the basket. I guess
Speaker 1: you can see. I guess you could shoot a little bit.
Speaker 1: She said, how was high school? It was great? Um?
Speaker 1: The hard part was I never lost. So when I
Speaker 1: got to college it was like a rude awakening. I
Speaker 1: lost seven I think in my first year in in college,
Speaker 1: and I was like, I can't lose. Yeah, I almost transferred.
Speaker 1: I was like, this is awful, and it was like seven. Um,
Speaker 1: but high school was was the best. Just like eight
Speaker 1: hours of school and then it's like all right, I'm
Speaker 1: gonna go hoop now, and then you have a game
Speaker 1: and it's like, oh, I had forty four last night,
Speaker 1: and then you go to the next game the next day.
Speaker 1: It was just it was fun and like youthful. And
Speaker 1: then as you keep going like more pressured, harder games,
Speaker 1: like injuries. It just yeah, but high school was fun.
Speaker 1: Me and you both one of McDonald's What me and
Speaker 1: you both wanted to McDonald's MVP. But she actually got
Speaker 1: the trophy? I know, but what happening? What happened? So
Speaker 1: I had no I didn't actually get the trophy. I
Speaker 1: had the best stats I missed. I was a leading
Speaker 1: score everything by far, and Kobe said he thought, I
Speaker 1: said you didn't win it and gone stuff with the
Speaker 1: two guard. I was in three guard. I bought out.
Speaker 1: Everybody knew it. He said I want m VP because
Speaker 1: he thought I wanted because I had the best game.
Speaker 1: So in my mind, I want question me and you
Speaker 1: both want the m v P. The McDonald's game. How
Speaker 1: did that feel? I know how it felt for me?
Speaker 1: Crazy um Honestly, I went in super under the radar.
Speaker 1: I was the only player that hadn't committed to a college.
Speaker 1: All the other players were like Yukon UM, Stanford, Tennessee,
Speaker 1: the big dogs, and I was the only one that
Speaker 1: was that was uncommitted. And so I just remember, like
Speaker 1: before the game when the media comes in, like I
Speaker 1: had zero interviews, not one person came up to interview me.
Speaker 1: And I was like, all right, like this is going
Speaker 1: to motivate me. So I showed up to the game,
Speaker 1: I came off the bench and then I was like
Speaker 1: all right, I'm gonna just shoot. And I hit like
Speaker 1: seven threes and then one m v P and I
Speaker 1: was like, all right, this is the start of interview.
Speaker 1: Tell you. I mean I think she had the if
Speaker 1: fact that she could have went out of high school. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think just the how everybody was talking about and
Speaker 1: how your name was ringing, you know, going into college,
Speaker 1: everybody she could be one of the ones for the
Speaker 1: first woman to go straight out of high school. That
Speaker 1: would have been dope. That had been cool. Yeah. There's
Speaker 1: so many rules though. I think you have to be
Speaker 1: one any years from high school and you have to
Speaker 1: be twenty one or graduate from the contest like football.
Speaker 1: That's how they do football, right, Yeah, that's crazy. Um.
Speaker 1: But in the process, the number one point guard the
Speaker 1: two thousand sixteen class. You just said you were a
Speaker 1: late commit. How did Oregon win you over? I just
Speaker 1: didn't want to be like everyone else. Everyone was committing
Speaker 1: to all these schools that were known for winning, and
Speaker 1: I was like, I kind of want to go do
Speaker 1: something that no one's done at a school that has
Speaker 1: the potential to be up there in Oregon. I mean,
Speaker 1: with the funding from Niagive, Oregan is so dope. People
Speaker 1: who haven't in the Eugene I went to u c
Speaker 1: l A. When we went to Oregon, we had a
Speaker 1: blast every time. Girls. It was popping cool little bars
Speaker 1: and it's such a yes. It's like having Phil Knight
Speaker 1: come to your game. Tinker Hatfield walk in like it's dope.
Speaker 1: They're like, oh, what shoose you guys wanted there? He's
Speaker 1: over there like designing Jordan's Yeah, like it's cool. So
Speaker 1: when I went there for my official I was like,
Speaker 1: this could feel like home. Like football games, everything's about
Speaker 1: the student athletes. They're like everything is about sports. So
Speaker 1: I was like, all right, I want to do something
Speaker 1: that hasn't been done. I love the coaching staff, and um,
Speaker 1: it turned out to be, you know, great experience. It's
Speaker 1: hard to not be a sneaker head being a yeah,
Speaker 1: I'm looking at the one of the kind of hard.
Speaker 1: It's kind of hard too many you're considered the goat
Speaker 1: out there in Oregon. But what was your college experience
Speaker 1: like with you know, fandom and and just moving along
Speaker 1: just in your regular day. Obviously you did what you
Speaker 1: did on the court, but what was life like off
Speaker 1: the court for you? It it was gradual, So I
Speaker 1: think that helps. Like, you know, the US year, people
Speaker 1: would ask me to take pictures of the team, thinking
Speaker 1: I was the manager, and then it was like, oh wait,
Speaker 1: that's who that is. And then it was like, you know,
Speaker 1: year two, year three, it's like we get to two
Speaker 1: final fours and then you know it's we're beat Team
Speaker 1: USA and ore, you know, the best team and like
Speaker 1: arguably college sports my senior year and so it was
Speaker 1: a gradual kind of climb. But I think the cool
Speaker 1: thing to see was like we averaged two thousand fans
Speaker 1: my first year and my last year we averaged like
Speaker 1: eleven thousand, and so be able to see like the
Speaker 1: little girls and the boys that would show up to games,
Speaker 1: and it's just like, this is really what it's about.
Speaker 1: You know. It's like about inspiring these kids to want
Speaker 1: to play and be better. And so that was just
Speaker 1: a humbling experience and hopefully I can continue to do
Speaker 1: that in the pros as well. Absolutely, the triple douvil,
Speaker 1: you've made it look easy somehow, you and Russell Westbrook
Speaker 1: having neck for that. But do you remember your first
Speaker 1: one in college? You had? Damn it's for real, right,
Speaker 1: And I got with on a couple of them. My
Speaker 1: coach wanted to take me out with nine. Come on,
Speaker 1: you got to know better. That's what I'm saying. I
Speaker 1: went talk to him for a week, but we'd be
Speaker 1: up by like seventy and he was like the whole
Speaker 1: team to make sure you get that one. Everyone's boxing out,
Speaker 1: and then I'm yeah, probably high school. I know I
Speaker 1: had a quadruple double in high school. I had some
Speaker 1: steals in there, but like our stats were never up
Speaker 1: in high school, like all the little billboards was was points,
Speaker 1: So I half the time had no idea. I was
Speaker 1: just yeah, I was just trying to play and if
Speaker 1: I was the wing, and I was like, rebounding is
Speaker 1: the easiest way to get the ball, so I would
Speaker 1: just go out there and rebound. Yeah, you missed the
Speaker 1: n I L phase. How big do you think that
Speaker 1: could have been? Um while you were in college. I'm hurt.
Speaker 1: I'm real hurt. It's it's cool to see these kids
Speaker 1: making money now it's hard, like you you don't have
Speaker 1: time for a job, You don't have time for a
Speaker 1: lot of things, and it's like if your parents aren't
Speaker 1: sending you money and helping you out, it's like it's
Speaker 1: not easy all the time, like getting through day to
Speaker 1: day right, Like they have flights. They want to come
Speaker 1: out and see you want to fly home for the holidays,
Speaker 1: like that stipend isn't that big? No, So it would
Speaker 1: have been it would have been definitely um a plus.
Speaker 1: But I think at the end it was kind of
Speaker 1: a good thing because it wasn't a distraction for me.
Speaker 1: It was just like grind who take care of school,
Speaker 1: graduate and let everything else come one the times. Well,
Speaker 1: that's the one thing I think about. I think it's
Speaker 1: a double edged sword to your point right there, because obviously,
Speaker 1: like you said, if you not making ends meet, that
Speaker 1: money is great, But then you gotta think, we're seventeen
Speaker 1: eighteen with a couple hundred thousand dollars. That's gonna obviously
Speaker 1: derail a lot of kids at that time because you
Speaker 1: can't tell them ship to begin with. So let me
Speaker 1: get a couple hundred thousand and seventeen eighteen with no
Speaker 1: kind of money management anything. That's dangerous and that society
Speaker 1: they don't talk about yeah at all. And it's like
Speaker 1: then you start posting and doing all these media deals
Speaker 1: and this like well did you watch film forget? Did
Speaker 1: you here? Yeah? Did you go in the gym? Because
Speaker 1: I used to I would have had no time like
Speaker 1: I had practice. I'd work on the morning, go to school.
Speaker 1: I practiced in the evening, and like, I wouldn't have
Speaker 1: had time to do anything else. Just grab your relationship
Speaker 1: with coach Kenny Grays then instant smile coming right here.
Speaker 1: You know those coaches that you just have like a
Speaker 1: love hate relationship. Yeah, yeah, that's one of them. Yeah,
Speaker 1: that's one of them. He would He knew the buttons
Speaker 1: to push to get me piste off, and um yeah,
Speaker 1: I'm really really thankful for like him seeing the value
Speaker 1: and you know, bringing me to Oregon and knowing the
Speaker 1: potential I had, and um yeah, I mean if it
Speaker 1: wasn't for him, who knows what my career would have
Speaker 1: turned out. So but yeah, he's the best. He knew
Speaker 1: what buttons to push, and you know what he had
Speaker 1: to do to kind of get me motivated and going.
Speaker 1: But he's definitely one of the best coaches that I've had.
Speaker 1: What's the best advice he's giving. I think it would
Speaker 1: be focusing on the fundamentals. He's so old school. He
Speaker 1: doesn't like the whole like between legs, behind the back,
Speaker 1: no look pat like all these you know, turnovers, just
Speaker 1: make the simple play. And he was so kind of
Speaker 1: old school like John Wooden ish in that way. He
Speaker 1: always had quotes of you know John Wooden up on
Speaker 1: the board and he was just a simple, a simple
Speaker 1: person and just demanded excellence in the simple tasks. You
Speaker 1: said you had unfinished business at Oregon and went back
Speaker 1: your saying year like that decision, knowing that she was
Speaker 1: bigger than life at that point, and decided to go back.
Speaker 1: What brought that decision up? When the brand was right there,
Speaker 1: you go to the bank and get whatever you want
Speaker 1: out of it right there here. It was hard and
Speaker 1: I decided within like five to ten minutes of like
Speaker 1: the deadline, like the night before. So your last minute
Speaker 1: person to sounds like very yeah, just wait to the end.
Speaker 1: And then I get something tells me the right decision.
Speaker 1: If I do it too early, I have too much
Speaker 1: time to think. So I feel with packing and I
Speaker 1: hate it, Like I packed my best the morning right
Speaker 1: right to the moment. I packed that ship early. It's
Speaker 1: a problem. I just you know, I was like, Okay,
Speaker 1: how would I feel going? How would I feel staying?
Speaker 1: And it was like I didn't feel right telling my
Speaker 1: team like yeah, I'm leaving right you only like I
Speaker 1: only had four years in college and we had lost.
Speaker 1: We should have you know, if we had won a
Speaker 1: national championship, I think it would have been my last year.
Speaker 1: That makes sense. Yeah, but having lost in the final four,
Speaker 1: it was like, nah, I still want to go and prove,
Speaker 1: you know that I have some things that I have
Speaker 1: to take care of, and sadly it got cut short.
Speaker 1: But people don't understand that college bond, though in sports
Speaker 1: is special. I mean that's some Obviously, high school is dope,
Speaker 1: same thing. I had a blast in high school at
Speaker 1: that college bond with the people that you'll have in
Speaker 1: the in your corner for the rest of your life,
Speaker 1: you know, especially if, like you said, have unfinished this.
Speaker 1: I got something to go finish. So yeah, COVID cut
Speaker 1: the season short. That was the only ship that was
Speaker 1: stopping us from winning a national championship too. Yeah, but yeah,
Speaker 1: you know, you're right, like once you go pro, you
Speaker 1: understand like college is like the yes, and then you
Speaker 1: go to the Pro and it's like every man for themselves.
Speaker 1: Everyone wants to contract, everyone has to you know, perform,
Speaker 1: and so it's a different beast in itself. So I'm
Speaker 1: really happy I stayed and was able to enjoy like
Speaker 1: one more Yearly April seventeenth, two thousand twenty, the number
Speaker 1: one overall picked to the New York Liberty Um. What
Speaker 1: do you remember the most about from that moment and
Speaker 1: how excited was the chat party? Yeah, but it was
Speaker 1: in the middle of COVID, so there was like seven
Speaker 1: people there because it would have looked bad on TV.
Speaker 1: It was cool. It was just like I couldn't I
Speaker 1: couldn't really hear her say my name. The connection was
Speaker 1: so bad. But like my family kind of started hitting me,
Speaker 1: and then I was like, oh, ship, I think that
Speaker 1: was me that they called because I wasn't gonna Yeah,
Speaker 1: I wasn't gonna expect it. Everyone's like, oh, you know
Speaker 1: you're going one, and I'm like, you hear it. Until
Speaker 1: you hear it and sign the little paper, you know,
Speaker 1: it's not it's not the same. So uh, it was
Speaker 1: pretty cool. It was like I worked for this my
Speaker 1: whole life and had always, you know, talked about it
Speaker 1: in third fourth grade like oh, I want to play
Speaker 1: in the w n B A, and so it was
Speaker 1: like pretty surreal once I got drafted, like oh yeah,
Speaker 1: I got here, and now there's so much more work
Speaker 1: to do. But I can tell my little self like
Speaker 1: you did it number one. You just do it right.
Speaker 1: So your first season is in the wubble? What was
Speaker 1: that like? Yeah, I was going up. I didn't want
Speaker 1: to see none of the other players, so I would
Speaker 1: go up straight to the room. Didn't hang out, Den
Speaker 1: Bond grab the food is in the cafeteria and the
Speaker 1: hotel where everyone was there hanging out, and it's like, no,
Speaker 1: I play these people tomorrow, Like I'm not hanging out
Speaker 1: with you? Ye do so? Or from my hotel room,
Speaker 1: I could look down into the pool and everyone was
Speaker 1: like hanging out at the pool and I'm like, y'all
Speaker 1: stay out there and get some Burton. Yeah, got it? Chip?
Speaker 1: How do you feel about that? I want I want
Speaker 1: her to come over to New York. I'm working on
Speaker 1: the off season plans here. Um yeah, I mean so
Speaker 1: happy for her. Um, she deserves it. She was on
Speaker 1: a really good team and she was able to learn
Speaker 1: from a lot of those vets and um yeah, I
Speaker 1: mean hopefully you could see her in a Liberty jersey.
Speaker 1: I'm pitching the fastest player in the w n b
Speaker 1: A only six games into your professional career. Triple double
Speaker 1: twelve and ten. How is it so easy? It's really not.
Speaker 1: But that was pretty cool because a lot of people
Speaker 1: had told me that I wouldn't be in high school.
Speaker 1: I told me I wouldn't be able to do in college,
Speaker 1: and college they told me I won't be able to
Speaker 1: do it in the pros. And so obviously I only
Speaker 1: had one last season, which was not Okay, I'll be
Speaker 1: having a lot more next season. But um, kind of
Speaker 1: coming back from injury and figuring out like, oh yeah,
Speaker 1: I can still do I can still play my game
Speaker 1: and do what I have to do. UM at the
Speaker 1: professional level was it was nice to see bad ankle
Speaker 1: sprain grade three keeps you out the remainder of the season.
Speaker 1: You're finally here on the big stage, having a good season,
Speaker 1: an injury cuts that season short. What's the mental process
Speaker 1: like for you? I'm still going through it a year
Speaker 1: and a half, two years later, Um, still rehabbing And
Speaker 1: that was my first like injury, and yeah, so it
Speaker 1: took a lot. Like physically, I think that's the easiest part,
Speaker 1: like figuring out like you're gonna work and you're gonna rehab,
Speaker 1: that part is not the issue. I think mentally, like
Speaker 1: I came back too soon and what was eager to
Speaker 1: play last year in my first season, and then it
Speaker 1: was like, well, you're playing at and it's like I
Speaker 1: think it was it's a whole process is of like
Speaker 1: just be patient, work hard, get really healthy, and then
Speaker 1: your game will do what your game has to do.
Speaker 1: So yeah, it was unfortunate, but I think seeing bigger picture,
Speaker 1: it's like I'd rather, you know, endure that in year
Speaker 1: one than in year nineteen because my body's at one
Speaker 1: is going to react, you know, yeah, I mean, but
Speaker 1: it's it's to me that's dope to hear you say
Speaker 1: that the big picture because as a as a young athlete,
Speaker 1: we normally don't see that like damn, I gotta get
Speaker 1: back out there, like I can play, I'll be all right.
Speaker 1: But to understand that it's a marathon not a sprint
Speaker 1: at a young age, that's it's it's important, boy. And
Speaker 1: I think the big one was the pressure to like everyone,
Speaker 1: yeah New York And it was like it was in
Speaker 1: my third game in the season and it was like
Speaker 1: it was so anticipated, like this season and then be
Speaker 1: like yeah, I'm out. And then all of last year
Speaker 1: it was like I was playing on like a wooden
Speaker 1: leg and it and it hurt, and then it's like
Speaker 1: then you see the people switch like, oh, she's not
Speaker 1: really good, she's not and then it's like, Okay, this
Speaker 1: is really like I just have to focus on me.
Speaker 1: I have to get right and then everything else will
Speaker 1: take care of itself. I mean, you locked in first
Speaker 1: game back. So with the mamba jersey on game winner Barclays,
Speaker 1: what's going on, I just had to set the tone.
Speaker 1: Let me know, let it be. No, I know y'all
Speaker 1: probably got first game back game winner. Yeah. I honestly
Speaker 1: jumped about it the night before. I really did. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I really did. That's no bullshit, Like I really was like,
Speaker 1: I'm gonna hit a game winner if it gets to
Speaker 1: that point tomorrow. And so right when coach was drawn
Speaker 1: up to play, like I was just smiling. I was like, oh, yeah,
Speaker 1: here it is. And so it was cool. It was
Speaker 1: like my family was there, was able to watch me
Speaker 1: for the first time since college because of the bubble season,
Speaker 1: and so it was it was rewarding to be able
Speaker 1: to have done that at home in front of a
Speaker 1: crowd for the first time and kind of just like
Speaker 1: a pat on the back for like what I had
Speaker 1: endured the Dimanda j you walking in there? Oh yeah,
Speaker 1: I put it on and I like to don't forget
Speaker 1: represent at all times. What was your thoughts on your
Speaker 1: first taste of the playoffs. It was really it was
Speaker 1: intense and I love it. I love the whole whole
Speaker 1: different level and regnization. Yeah, it was. It's like you're
Speaker 1: not resting, you know, ever you're playing forty if you
Speaker 1: have to. There's no you know, you don't have tomorrow
Speaker 1: to be like, oh, I'll play better today. It's it's like,
Speaker 1: you know, now they changed it though. Now there's it's
Speaker 1: a three game series for for all the teams instead
Speaker 1: of a one and done. Um that first round yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1: so the last teams get a three series, which is cool.
Speaker 1: But I like the pressure of like, this is it, Yeah,
Speaker 1: this is it one and done and every possession counts. Yeah,
Speaker 1: every possession, every basket, every turnover. Like it felt like
Speaker 1: March madness, which was fun because I hadn't felt that
Speaker 1: since my junior year. So I was like, oh, this
Speaker 1: is exciting, another level of the game. How are you
Speaker 1: getting ready for the new season? Um, I just deadlifted
Speaker 1: two pounds yesterday, so I probably pulled both hands trains hurt.
Speaker 1: I'm pulling a handstrain thinking about it. I don't know
Speaker 1: if it's the back, I don't know what. Um. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I'm trying to get bulletproof for that, but um really,
Speaker 1: the main part of it is physically like getting really strong,
Speaker 1: feeling comfortable, confident, and then hooping as well, getting like
Speaker 1: being able to work on the things that I wasn't
Speaker 1: able to last offseason when I was just able to rehab.
Speaker 1: So I'm excited. I I feel like it's going to
Speaker 1: be a good one. Where do you feel like you're
Speaker 1: at healthwise, I'm I'd say, yeah, so I have three
Speaker 1: more months to the last is like conditioning and then
Speaker 1: like being able to shoot and work out when I'm
Speaker 1: really tired, like the end of the game stuff. So
Speaker 1: other than that though, shot feels really good. And yeah,
Speaker 1: it's like riding a bike for you give us a
Speaker 1: give us an average day, average day in l A.
Speaker 1: You say you're training in the off seat and somewhere
Speaker 1: does it start? Win? Does it in? Usually nine am
Speaker 1: is like court time. So I go like nine to
Speaker 1: nine thirty as of now, just because I have three
Speaker 1: months to kind of build up, and then I go
Speaker 1: to PT rehab for two and a half hour. Let
Speaker 1: me on a little bit. Let let's break it down
Speaker 1: for all the youngsters who are watching. So, what kind
Speaker 1: of stuff are you working on on the court. So
Speaker 1: now it's more repetition, so it's more like spot shots
Speaker 1: off the move, um touches around the basket. So the
Speaker 1: duration is shorter, but it's more intense and harder. Game speed,
Speaker 1: game speed, to just build up the endurance to be
Speaker 1: able to go like a two hour session is like
Speaker 1: simulated game. So that's where I'm at now for the
Speaker 1: next probably three weeks, and then we'll go into the
Speaker 1: next phase. Um so doing that, and then I go
Speaker 1: two and a half hours of strength PT rehab, which
Speaker 1: is like lifting, massage and band work, core arms, tedious ship.
Speaker 1: You gotta do stuff you don't like like you love it. Yeah,
Speaker 1: all the little things rolling out, the worst everything. So
Speaker 1: usually two and a half hours of that, and then
Speaker 1: I'll either have another PT session or I'll go back
Speaker 1: home and do like ride the bike or do some
Speaker 1: kind of like cardio with less impact, and then hot tub,
Speaker 1: cold tub norma tech watch the NBA games that are
Speaker 1: on TV. It's a pro do was just add a
Speaker 1: joint to it. That's a pro day. Yeah, we're gonna
Speaker 1: talk about our brother Kobe now, um, you know we
Speaker 1: we we love hearing stories about him on this on
Speaker 1: this show. Obviously he meant some mean to both of us,
Speaker 1: and and you had a very special bond with him. Um,
Speaker 1: talk to us about when you first met him, what
Speaker 1: that was like? Yeah that was who? When was that? Um?
Speaker 1: Three years ago? I would say three years ago. He
Speaker 1: and Gig and some of her teammates came to my game.
Speaker 1: We played at USC So we played here and our
Speaker 1: coaches were like, oh, there's going to be a surprise. Um,
Speaker 1: we didn't know what. Like, I hadn't had a relationship
Speaker 1: with him before that. We just like followed each other
Speaker 1: on Instagram. And so I'm like all right, and I'm
Speaker 1: out there shooting with like, you know, an hour and
Speaker 1: a half before the game starts, not a lot of
Speaker 1: people out there. And then they walk in and I
Speaker 1: was like, is this the surprise? Because there's nothing else
Speaker 1: tops this, so this has to be the surprise. And
Speaker 1: he can't, Like he watched the whole game, came to
Speaker 1: talk to our team after in the locker, room. That's
Speaker 1: when we like exchange numbers, talked, and then ever since
Speaker 1: then it was like workout. You know, I helped coach
Speaker 1: you know, GI's team with him. So ever since then,
Speaker 1: it was like we just clicked and became really good friends.
Speaker 1: He put you through workouts, details and saying yes. But
Speaker 1: it was not as much shooting as you think. It's
Speaker 1: almost little to no shooting. Well, he worked my twins out.
Speaker 1: Of my twins for their birthday, we took a surprise
Speaker 1: out Orange County. He worked him out very little shooting,
Speaker 1: you know. It was it was like fundamental. It was
Speaker 1: literally like you had a ball and it was like alright,
Speaker 1: pivot off your toe for like ten minutes, let it
Speaker 1: get tired, and like back like back pivot for pivots,
Speaker 1: side pivot, like all these pivots. I'm like, are we
Speaker 1: gonna shoot? It wasn't about that. It was all a
Speaker 1: little It was the little things, and it was cool
Speaker 1: because like all gis teammates were doing we're doing them
Speaker 1: and we're doing them really well. And I was like,
Speaker 1: this is this is when he practiced that team. Not
Speaker 1: to cut you off. He practiced that team. I think
Speaker 1: he told me, like because That's how we were. Obviously
Speaker 1: we were close, but and then we'd always see each
Speaker 1: other because I was coaching twins, he's coaching ge I'm like,
Speaker 1: you know, how often do you know do you guys
Speaker 1: practice like six days a week? You know? I got
Speaker 1: these girls run They're trying with their eyes closed. I'm like,
Speaker 1: what the funk coke? Like? You kid me? Like? And
Speaker 1: he was not playing it in no, he was not playing.
Speaker 1: And it was long practices. It was like two and
Speaker 1: a half hours, like, and they showed up, happy, excited
Speaker 1: everything day they left it. I love that best advice
Speaker 1: he gave you. Real sharpness comes without effort, Real sharpness
Speaker 1: comes with that effort. Yeah. Yeah, And he told me
Speaker 1: that we were like walking out of the gym. He
Speaker 1: had a little bag on his back with the balls
Speaker 1: that he carried and was just like and just told
Speaker 1: me that and then like walked away. I was like,
Speaker 1: leave you with that, okay, but Jim, Yeah, And then
Speaker 1: the whole time I was like, Okay, this is what
Speaker 1: he stands for, like put in the work, and then
Speaker 1: when you're out there, it's like, oh it looks so easy.
Speaker 1: It comes so after it's like, yeah, because you put
Speaker 1: the work in the scenes. Yeah, where were you at
Speaker 1: when you heard the news We're about to play Oregon State.
Speaker 1: Yeah in the locker room. Uh, probably like literally thirty
Speaker 1: minutes to tip off. Yeah, in the locker room. Um.
Speaker 1: And it was like do I play? Do I not play?
Speaker 1: Because I like I don't even remember that day. And
Speaker 1: I was like, no, I'm I didn't warm up, but
Speaker 1: I was like, I'm gonna play. And we met. We
Speaker 1: had not beaten Oregon State at Oregon State, so it
Speaker 1: was like a huge game for US ESPN game. Um.
Speaker 1: And I don't remember the game, but we won, so
Speaker 1: that was good. I think I did decent, But I
Speaker 1: was not there somewhere else. Yeah, I was not there
Speaker 1: to you spoke with the memorial service, Um, what was
Speaker 1: that like? It was like I was nervous, I was emotional,
Speaker 1: Like it was it was awesome to see how many
Speaker 1: people were there that were touched and had some story
Speaker 1: about him, like all the like half the whole NBA
Speaker 1: was there. To be able to see all like friends
Speaker 1: and family and everyone that really came together was it
Speaker 1: was really cool. But I mean it was hard and
Speaker 1: to the fact that I had a game special that
Speaker 1: day as well, there were two very special things obviously, Yeah,
Speaker 1: and so you know, going up there, I was like,
Speaker 1: oh my gosh, like the youngest player, your person to
Speaker 1: come up here. I was like nervous, emotional, and it
Speaker 1: was just like I have to just do I have
Speaker 1: to just speak, and it's like, don't worry about everyone
Speaker 1: else that's here. It's like you're just talking to them.
Speaker 1: And that's what my agent told me. And I was like,
Speaker 1: so I like that and that. I think that helped
Speaker 1: a lot and kind of calm down a lot of
Speaker 1: my fears. Michael Jordan's speech, I thought it was something
Speaker 1: that was needed. I wasn't expecting it. Um, you know,
Speaker 1: obviously Kobe was our Jordan's, but we saw Jordan two
Speaker 1: and to see that kind of compassion and love and
Speaker 1: the kind of relationship you have with code, how did
Speaker 1: that strike you? Yeah? I was interested to see how
Speaker 1: his speech was going to go. And I heard that
Speaker 1: he was going to be up there because yet it
Speaker 1: was that kind of like little brother mentorship. And it's
Speaker 1: hard when and you guys know, when you're playing against
Speaker 1: these players, it's like you idolize them. Then it's also
Speaker 1: like I want to kick your ass. So it's hard,
Speaker 1: but it was just this level of like respect between
Speaker 1: the two and for him to be able to go
Speaker 1: up there and he cried and you know the meme
Speaker 1: of that, he said it was going to be a
Speaker 1: meme and just you know, to be able to you know,
Speaker 1: see how how much it hurt him, but how much
Speaker 1: he meant to him was. You know, we all feel
Speaker 1: it now when we watch all these players that are
Speaker 1: doing his moves and stuff like, that's really what he
Speaker 1: was to all of us and to your guys kids
Speaker 1: and you know all of that. To see to see
Speaker 1: m J though, that's what it's different. That really touched me, Bro,
Speaker 1: you know what I mean, because you know how we
Speaker 1: all feel about him, but to see m J. Everybody
Speaker 1: wondered the relationship, but to see him actually show his
Speaker 1: real feelings and how he felt about Cold, I think
Speaker 1: everybody needed to hear that, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1: Everybody in the world needs to like a little brother
Speaker 1: shit like you knowing Kobe, you know what I mean,
Speaker 1: Like you don't picture but only like only Mike could
Speaker 1: say some ship like that, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1: And so just to have that in true Mamba fashion,
Speaker 1: as you mentioned, you spoke at the memorial, then went
Speaker 1: back and became the first not just woman but n
Speaker 1: C double a player to have two thousand points, a
Speaker 1: thousand assists, and a thousand rebounds that night. What was
Speaker 1: that twenty four hour span? Like that's crazy? Well, I
Speaker 1: literally spoke, got on plane. Yes, okay, that's how treat.
Speaker 1: That was the only way I get back to the game.
Speaker 1: Donor ed Milidus, I'm still friends with him. He let u,
Speaker 1: He let me hop on, hop on the plane, get there, speak,
Speaker 1: um literally fly. I didn't even like warm up, none
Speaker 1: of that fly fly back um. And I think it
Speaker 1: hit me like later on. It didn't hit me like
Speaker 1: right when I was speaking, but like before the game
Speaker 1: and stuff like I threw up the entire like three
Speaker 1: hours leading up to the game and for like the
Speaker 1: week after, like I probably had lost like ten pounds.
Speaker 1: So I think it was like I didn't warm up,
Speaker 1: I didn't stretch. I had just put my jersey on
Speaker 1: and was like, yeah, I'm just gonna go play, and
Speaker 1: so um, A lot of people were talking like are
Speaker 1: you gonna get ten rebounds? Are you gonna because I
Speaker 1: think I needed nine, And I was like it's gonna
Speaker 1: happen on this day because it's it's supposed to have
Speaker 1: and to be like it was, you know, it was
Speaker 1: meant to be, and so to be able to do
Speaker 1: that on like to and that ended up being my
Speaker 1: twenty six and last and the addition of the two,
Speaker 1: it was just it was like you couldn't write it
Speaker 1: any better. Yeah, that's a beautiful thing. You've developed a
Speaker 1: solid friendship with Vanessa and the girls right now. Can
Speaker 1: you speak to that a little bit? I mean, I see,
Speaker 1: you know, to see smiles on their face at all
Speaker 1: is amazing. But you know we see you in pictures
Speaker 1: every once in a while and you hanging out with
Speaker 1: the girls now, So how's that? Yeah, it's amazing. I mean,
Speaker 1: you know, I was so close to Cob and g
Speaker 1: and I didn't want, you know that to get in
Speaker 1: the way of like me not being there for Natalia
Speaker 1: and for the little ones and for Vanessa, and so
Speaker 1: I love the relationship and friendship we have. You know,
Speaker 1: we talk all the time, and um, just being able
Speaker 1: to be there and be there for them, They're there
Speaker 1: for me, um, laugh with them, cry whatever it is.
Speaker 1: You know. Um, it's just so important and what she's
Speaker 1: doing for her kids, is you know, hats off And
Speaker 1: I don't think really a superwoman's superpowers and I don't
Speaker 1: think she also, you know, gets a lot of credit
Speaker 1: for for that because she is one amazing human being.
Speaker 1: Let's shoutout Vanessa. Um building a brand. You found a
Speaker 1: way to do that. Um, we see you when Stay
Speaker 1: Farm commercials the CP how that situation come about? Yeah,
Speaker 1: that was really cool. It was my first one. Actually,
Speaker 1: I think it was like one of my first aired
Speaker 1: commercials too, So, um, I was a little nervous, but
Speaker 1: it was cool. It was like my first time having
Speaker 1: to shoot on a commercial and like make a shot.
Speaker 1: And is that more pressure than a big game to
Speaker 1: you a little bit? Yeah, because do I have to
Speaker 1: like make it? And they're like, well no, we could
Speaker 1: like you know, make it go in And I was
Speaker 1: like no, like yeah, I can't break this. Um. So
Speaker 1: yeah it was. It was awesome. And to still be
Speaker 1: able to see it like playing and people reaching out.
Speaker 1: Stars are crazy. Yeah, they're on every single commercial. It
Speaker 1: wasn't one of those commercials. Shooting with Chris another guy, well,
Speaker 1: y'all crying laughing the whole time. Yeah, he's funny. He's funny.
Speaker 1: But we were able to work out after like we
Speaker 1: had like an eight hour shoot day and then he
Speaker 1: was going to the gym and so we had to
Speaker 1: talk before. I was like, I'd love to work out.
Speaker 1: So we ended up working out like two hours after
Speaker 1: that finished at like eleven PM, and I was like,
Speaker 1: this is dope. Yeah. I mean, he's one of the
Speaker 1: great greats of all time. You know, he a neighbor
Speaker 1: of mine and our kids are good friends. So he
Speaker 1: flies to twins out to Phoenix to see But Chris
Speaker 1: is a dope dude. I know, you guys have developed
Speaker 1: a friendship and he's you know, supported you at games
Speaker 1: and stuff with it, like becoming friends with CP. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it's awesome. Yeah, I mean being able to work out
Speaker 1: with him and see what he does and then you know,
Speaker 1: jumping in on drills, shooting drills, all these things, and
Speaker 1: then you know, now seeing him being one of the best,
Speaker 1: you know, point guards the league's gonna end up seeing
Speaker 1: is is really cool because that's the way that he
Speaker 1: masters his craft, like through his practice, and so I
Speaker 1: was really able to witness that, and yeah, it's nice
Speaker 1: to see him come out support Although I don't know
Speaker 1: who he's rooting for, Phoenix or US when we were
Speaker 1: in Phoenix, but I think he's room for me, so
Speaker 1: but the other team it happens. Yes, So twenty four
Speaker 1: you lead the league in Jersey sales. Slam Magazine labeled
Speaker 1: you know pressure the next Queen of New York. When
Speaker 1: you hear stuff like that, you know a girl from
Speaker 1: Wanat Creek, California, what kind of stuff starts going through
Speaker 1: your mind. I don't think I'm gonna really process it
Speaker 1: until I'm done playing. I think it's going to be
Speaker 1: one of those things. But it's cool, like but I
Speaker 1: just have so much more that I want to do
Speaker 1: and accomplished, and I feel like I haven't even scratched
Speaker 1: the surface yet. So I'm really just focusing on, you know,
Speaker 1: the controllables and and I know what kind of sounds cliche,
Speaker 1: but I'm really like that. So we're about only what
Speaker 1: you control is a good thing. But the title the
Speaker 1: next Queen of Band? Why I gotta be just sound dope?
Speaker 1: That sound dope dope. You can stay modest as you won't. Um.
Speaker 1: You also work with our brother k D and Rich
Speaker 1: over there boardroom. What's that experience? Like? I love because
Speaker 1: when we played, it wasn't so much about business and basketball,
Speaker 1: you know, it's just let's hope and then go have phone.
Speaker 1: We're done. Now there's so much attention to detail about
Speaker 1: saving your money and building your own individual brand. Obviously
Speaker 1: teaming up with you know, one of the greatest we've
Speaker 1: ever seen, and then rich as a beautiful genius mind.
Speaker 1: What's it been like working with those two over there.
Speaker 1: It's been amazing. But you know, you're you're right. It's
Speaker 1: like when you're younger and back when you guys played,
Speaker 1: it was just basketball. It wasn't as much like branding
Speaker 1: and investing and figuring out, you know, your brand partners
Speaker 1: and how they have to align with your brand, and
Speaker 1: so now it's it's really evolved, and I kind of
Speaker 1: think I was just thrown into the fire, you know, graduating,
Speaker 1: joining you know, the league number one pick, and it's
Speaker 1: like you're getting all these brands, you know, thrown at you,
Speaker 1: and it's like figuring out, like, Okay, what do I
Speaker 1: want to do, who do I want to partner with?
Speaker 1: And so being able to you know, align with boardroom
Speaker 1: and Kevin being in York and just being able to
Speaker 1: stop by the office and pick his brain and figure
Speaker 1: out all right, we should invest here and here and
Speaker 1: this is why. And also yeah, they're they're really good
Speaker 1: and Riches honestly one of the best that I've been
Speaker 1: able to like witness. Ye talk us about your relationship
Speaker 1: with Steph Curry. You mentioned it earlier, you know, being
Speaker 1: a one of Creek girl and and growing up and
Speaker 1: stuff is out that way, which your relationship with him,
Speaker 1: Like I've watched him since I was and when he
Speaker 1: came into the league and so um, you know when
Speaker 1: I was finally able to meet him and then was
Speaker 1: in college and you know, I almost signed with Curry
Speaker 1: Rand because of him and our relationship and being able
Speaker 1: to you know, open gym and go to his games
Speaker 1: and have that relationship where I can just pick up
Speaker 1: the phone and call him. You know, when he called
Speaker 1: me right when I got hurt and you know, helped
Speaker 1: me out because he had ankle injuries early on in
Speaker 1: his career too. So um, I mean, what he's doing
Speaker 1: for the game is something you know, we might not
Speaker 1: see him any more times from players and so it's
Speaker 1: it's really cool and I'm just proud of him for
Speaker 1: the player and for the person that he is now,
Speaker 1: he's like the you can create a superstar, Like he's
Speaker 1: the one, you know what I mean, Like he's the one,
Speaker 1: and and to be able to handle the pressure and
Speaker 1: continue to live the right way. I mean, obviously Lebron
Speaker 1: did it too, but Steph's kind of like the no
Speaker 1: tattoo the Golden Boy. Yeah, I mean he got tattooed. Yeah.
Speaker 1: They just they're hitting smaller here and yeah they're small
Speaker 1: and hidden. Man shout out the baby face by face.
Speaker 1: Yeah that's what it is. Yeah. Who are your top
Speaker 1: five players right now today that you tune into male
Speaker 1: or female besides Matt Yeah, are you guys included? Keep
Speaker 1: us out? Keep us out? Uma? Male, male or female?
Speaker 1: Like if there's any o g s you've been to
Speaker 1: Dina Trrossi earlier or NBA guys, who are you checking
Speaker 1: out right now? Oh? So they're still they have to
Speaker 1: be playing. Oh just in general general, this is the
Speaker 1: most controversial questions more. I mean, m J Kobe Kevin
Speaker 1: shocks up there. Um, Diana Trossi is gonna end up
Speaker 1: being probably top five all time, Sue Bird is gonna
Speaker 1: end up being in the in the top five all time.
Speaker 1: So that's my that's my answers, Curry. I mean, actually
Speaker 1: about my favorite female player of all time. We just
Speaker 1: had on the show Don Staley. What do you know
Speaker 1: about Don Staley? Well, obviously we haven't played each other
Speaker 1: in college, so we kind of passed that one. But
Speaker 1: she coached me um a year at USA Basketball, and
Speaker 1: I liked I just like her demeanor. She's like quiet
Speaker 1: similar really yeah, she's like quiet, but like very to
Speaker 1: the point elite at what she does. Was a great
Speaker 1: player and an even better coach now at what she's doing.
Speaker 1: And so I want to keep like picking her brain
Speaker 1: because she played that point guard position, um in the
Speaker 1: Olympic and um, so I'm hopefully going to be able
Speaker 1: to get a better relationship with her. Yeah, best live
Speaker 1: game you've seen. Oh that's a good one. That's a
Speaker 1: good one, you think, rich, Yeah, that's that's a Do
Speaker 1: we believe playoffs? Did you? Oracle? Yeah? And I had
Speaker 1: those court side seats because we're like three per quarters.
Speaker 1: People don't get it. Yes, Oh Billy smelled like Tree. Honestly,
Speaker 1: one of those games when I was younger had to
Speaker 1: be like on just bedrins like all those guys. I
Speaker 1: was like, yeah, um predictions were at the halfway point
Speaker 1: in the NBA season. Some teams are still kind of
Speaker 1: find their footing. But who do you see in the
Speaker 1: fine else the Warriors and the Nets. Yeah, a dark
Speaker 1: horse pick outside of those two teams, I would say
Speaker 1: it could be Chicago. Like Chicago, that's a dark Going
Speaker 1: back to Cobe, I think he really shined the light
Speaker 1: on female sports. Um obviously through g and Um the
Speaker 1: growth that's kind of taken on since he's kind of
Speaker 1: put his foot in there, and then it's kind of
Speaker 1: along with the same rise of you kind of coming
Speaker 1: into the w n b A. Do you feel, like
Speaker 1: you said in college, your game started two thousand people
Speaker 1: of game, now it's eleven thousand. Do you feel just
Speaker 1: a growing support behind your guys game these days? I do.
Speaker 1: I definitely do, And it definitely started with him, and
Speaker 1: I think a lot of the NBA is really starting
Speaker 1: to transition. I think it's also like these guys are
Speaker 1: starting to have daughters and have sisters, and it's like
Speaker 1: Stu got a whole flock of them. Yeah, you know, andball,
Speaker 1: But I think it's important to see, like, you know,
Speaker 1: having those NBA players come to the games with their
Speaker 1: daughters and you know, showing them that it is possible
Speaker 1: to be an elite athlete in play. And he did it,
Speaker 1: you know, just by showing up and and you know,
Speaker 1: representing us and vouching for us, wearing the w n
Speaker 1: b A sweatshirts all the time. And now it's like
Speaker 1: you see football players wearing them and everyone wants them.
Speaker 1: So it's cool to see how he changed that. And
Speaker 1: I think it's still changing. There's still so much, you know,
Speaker 1: that needs to be done, but I think it's cool seeing,
Speaker 1: you know, people in power start seeing the appreciation. I
Speaker 1: think a lot of obviously, I think it brought new
Speaker 1: eyes to it, but I think a lot of us
Speaker 1: supported it, but we just didn't support it publicly. And
Speaker 1: not that we're hiding it, but it just wasn't like yeah,
Speaker 1: because I've always watched v NBA, but I just never
Speaker 1: you know, I think now that like you said, people
Speaker 1: are speaking on it and really showing support is what
Speaker 1: kind of move the needle could? You guys have support,
Speaker 1: But I think him, obviously his presence helps. But then
Speaker 1: like you said, people just and rep in the brand.
Speaker 1: I mean that's how it grows. So I think we
Speaker 1: got our w n b A s which was last
Speaker 1: year right to do a great job of keeping us
Speaker 1: engaged with the w n B A and the w
Speaker 1: b A players. But Kobe rubbed off on everybody. We
Speaker 1: all got a part of the play and we all
Speaker 1: love the game, and like Don Stanley say, it's basketball
Speaker 1: regards if you man, a man wanted us basketball, so
Speaker 1: we all have the same feeling about the game. Yeah, no,
Speaker 1: it's yeah, that's and it's the media plays such a
Speaker 1: big part in that too, you know. It's it's we'll
Speaker 1: do something and then someone in the NBA will do
Speaker 1: something similar, but it's like they get all the recognition
Speaker 1: and we don't. And it's like we put up the
Speaker 1: same numbers or even better. And so it was cool
Speaker 1: to see like he didn't do it for the fame
Speaker 1: or he didn't do it to be talked about, but
Speaker 1: he shut a lot of people up about it because
Speaker 1: he showed like, no, this is important and this is
Speaker 1: where I'm going to invest my time in. And I
Speaker 1: think it shut up a lot of haters and kind
Speaker 1: of I was like, oh, yeah, he's right, Like we
Speaker 1: should be paying more attention to this. We understand it
Speaker 1: different though, because we understand what you'll go through. Yeah,
Speaker 1: the preparation, you know what I'm saying, being away from
Speaker 1: your family. These as like we understand that party, you
Speaker 1: know what I mean. So it's important to us that
Speaker 1: we look y'all looked at its equal as the NBA
Speaker 1: and the power of social media, how you view it,
Speaker 1: I mean, we all know it's powerful. Um, I'm really
Speaker 1: a low key person, so I don't love putting up
Speaker 1: a bunch of stuff on social media. I know it's
Speaker 1: kind of part of the new age with like do
Speaker 1: your sons have Yeah, you know, so it's like seven Instagram.
Speaker 1: But with that said, you do speak your mind on
Speaker 1: important issues when you need be do. That's one thing
Speaker 1: I love about. Yeah, I do. I'll talk to my
Speaker 1: ship when I have to. But yeah, no, it's powerful
Speaker 1: and I think now it's like, you know, when I
Speaker 1: was younger, we didn't we weren't able to really see
Speaker 1: what NBA players are. Like, I wasn't able to see
Speaker 1: what you guys were doing. I was able to see
Speaker 1: what guys are doing on the court when I was
Speaker 1: at the games, but like I wasn't able to be like, Okay,
Speaker 1: this is what he's doing today or whatever. So sometimes
Speaker 1: it's like I try to make sure, like there's a
Speaker 1: seven year old that's watched my Instagram right now, and
Speaker 1: like what do they see? And it's like, all right,
Speaker 1: I'm battling an injury. How am I saying? Positive? What
Speaker 1: am I doing? And you don't really realize sometimes that
Speaker 1: really can change someone's life with what they're dealing with.
Speaker 1: So I really try and you know, stay mindful of
Speaker 1: like I'm a low key person, but also like I
Speaker 1: want to do the best I can and reach people
Speaker 1: in places like Europe and Asia like places that I
Speaker 1: might not be able to like actually be there. And
Speaker 1: then you have to play basketball, like they look up
Speaker 1: to you, and anything you go through, they just correlated
Speaker 1: to their life with the situation that they're dealing with.
Speaker 1: It might even be basketball. Yeah, you know what I
Speaker 1: mean by saying, you get through this ankle injury, and
Speaker 1: it encouraged me to get through what I was going
Speaker 1: through at the time, you know what I mean? That
Speaker 1: means a lot to a lot of people. Can this
Speaker 1: Parker talk about her for a second? Is she coming back?
Speaker 1: Have you guys heard? Because I would trying to get
Speaker 1: her on the show. She keeps now that you want
Speaker 1: to ring at the crib? We never do you guys,
Speaker 1: do you want to ring? You could go back for
Speaker 1: another year, or you can finish your career on I
Speaker 1: was pushed out the league. What is I think it's fifteen? Ye, yeah,
Speaker 1: I mean she's got what two rings? I would probably
Speaker 1: right off on that high horse, especially because business after
Speaker 1: basketball has already started, you know what I mean. And
Speaker 1: that's what you know. What's fun for me was, you know,
Speaker 1: life after basketball had started before I was finished playing,
Speaker 1: So when the transition I made, it was smooth, you
Speaker 1: know what I mean. But obviously each person is different.
Speaker 1: But she's doing her I think obviously she's doing a
Speaker 1: great job outside the space, It's it's cool, and I
Speaker 1: think the hard part is like the competitive nature and
Speaker 1: you of like, I'm still healthy, I can still play,
Speaker 1: and I think that's going to be interesting. But to
Speaker 1: see what she's doing on the court but also off
Speaker 1: the court and just being able to represent the w
Speaker 1: n b A but also a woman on you know,
Speaker 1: on ESPN, on all these shows. It's cool. And I've
Speaker 1: gotten to know her a little bit, you know, through
Speaker 1: Vanessa and through the league and so I'm excited to
Speaker 1: see what she does, but super proud and happy for
Speaker 1: her winning UM back in Chicago and her in her hometown.
Speaker 1: Vicky Hammo was real close to becoming at first NBA
Speaker 1: woman's coach, but she's in in Vegas. Now give me
Speaker 1: your thoughts on her big Am, Yeah, I was. I
Speaker 1: was ready to see her make that jump in the
Speaker 1: n B A. UM. You know, I know it's political,
Speaker 1: I know I know how it works and um, but
Speaker 1: that doesn't mean you know, I think she said it best.
Speaker 1: The door is not closed. I think you know that
Speaker 1: that door will that will be open, and she might
Speaker 1: be the first one to be able to knock it
Speaker 1: down and we'll get that job. I think she's respected
Speaker 1: through the league, you know, coaching the G League and
Speaker 1: being under pop for for so long. But I think
Speaker 1: it's great for the league to have our league, to
Speaker 1: have someone you know, who's played in it, coached at
Speaker 1: the highest level and then be able to come back
Speaker 1: and kind of like pay it forward for the next
Speaker 1: generation of of players who's wanting to do something similar.
Speaker 1: Is I'm excited to see what she does in big
Speaker 1: is just not when they play right right, all right,
Speaker 1: coming down to the end quick hitters. So first thing
Speaker 1: to come to mind, Shoot, you're welcome to the w
Speaker 1: n B. A A moment was I think I got
Speaker 1: my block shot to like my shot block to like
Speaker 1: the third row. Remember who it might have been, Liz Cambidge. Yeah,
Speaker 1: And I was like, okay, yeah, I gotta get a
Speaker 1: little floater in now I can't make it all the
Speaker 1: way to the basket. That's funny. You Ascar Robinson and
Speaker 1: Russell Westbrook on the team and the three on three game, right,
Speaker 1: who owns points, rebounds and assists. You can only choose
Speaker 1: one Peach Mine's assists. Okay, so you're gonna lead in assists.
Speaker 1: I would say Russell will be easy. Russ I work
Speaker 1: out with his brother. I got the point. You said,
Speaker 1: points of Russ and the rebounds would be Oscar. Solid question.
Speaker 1: The funniest thing that's happened to you recently? That's a
Speaker 1: good question. No one ever asked that. Yeah, no one
Speaker 1: ever asks a crazy The funniest thing that's happened to
Speaker 1: me recently? My brother be saying some funny ships. I
Speaker 1: mean today, like I was doing pushed ups at PT
Speaker 1: and he was over there making some comments about how
Speaker 1: I was looking weak and don't make me laugh while
Speaker 1: I'm doing push ups please, So I would just say that,
Speaker 1: are you guys so you got still close? As he
Speaker 1: out here right now? He comes Yeah, he comes out.
Speaker 1: He just graduated. But yeah, we're we're always really close,
Speaker 1: even though you twins. He's a big bro. No, he's
Speaker 1: a little I'm older, but he's like six six so big.
Speaker 1: He's big. Yeah, so he that was always a year
Speaker 1: older than me. But I'm a big brother. Yeah yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1: I'm big broyeh know, he's but he's like you know,
Speaker 1: when you're like twenty three years four years old. It's
Speaker 1: like he's so immature still yeah, the time, he can't
Speaker 1: take the time at the moment right now, I'm like,
Speaker 1: are you're a child still? Five dinner guests that are alive?
Speaker 1: Five dinner guests? Can they be my friends at your table?
Speaker 1: It's my table code? Gee for sure? Um Obama? Nice,
Speaker 1: um my mom. And then I would say, Tom Brady,
Speaker 1: that's twelve to have five greatest female athletes up all
Speaker 1: the time. Excuse me, Oh that's hard. Serena Williams. Have
Speaker 1: you seen King Richard? No, not yet, but I heard
Speaker 1: it's really good. Really will I would like this really fine?
Speaker 1: I was trying. Yeah, I can do it really good.
Speaker 1: What gives you whole different perspective on their father becose
Speaker 1: growing up? Okay, I heard that, so I would say
Speaker 1: Serena honestly, Naomi, A sock is going to be yes,
Speaker 1: especially um yeah, And then I think basketball bias. I'm
Speaker 1: going to go with like Diana, Um, I feel like
Speaker 1: I'm missing some other sports, so I'm trying to think
Speaker 1: about track track soccer. Um. I'm going with those three
Speaker 1: because I don't want to say I don't want to
Speaker 1: miss out on someone that I know is there? Yeah? Yeah?
Speaker 1: What's three artists? Songs? Are you having your rotation right now?
Speaker 1: Are you listening to break his new album that's Jack
Speaker 1: Jack Star. Yeah, I still listen to but I'm on
Speaker 1: the shuffle of like twenty like top hits, so it's
Speaker 1: like him pop smoke, um a sap, like just whatever
Speaker 1: whatever is getting me going for my workouts. Three shows
Speaker 1: you currently binge watch? I'm literally not watching any show NBA, TV, ESPN. Yes,
Speaker 1: I love it. If you could have a guest on
Speaker 1: our show, who would it be? But before you answer it,
Speaker 1: but you have to help us get your answer on
Speaker 1: this show. And I got good with answering that question.
Speaker 1: I used to struggle with it at first. I would
Speaker 1: say they're a good ring level m second, I think
Speaker 1: Steve Nash. We have Steven we had Okay, that was remote?
Speaker 1: Yeah did you was it good? And I love Steve
Speaker 1: Nash because he's one of the only people on this
Speaker 1: earth that still has George Floyd as his profile and
Speaker 1: his profile pick on his Instagram. Oh yeah, you're right,
Speaker 1: he does? You know? That was my guy? I love that. Okay,
Speaker 1: So not Steve Nash is canceled. Yeah, we had him already.
Speaker 1: Give us somebody else and I have to help, so
Speaker 1: I have to know them. There you going all right?
Speaker 1: Let me think? All right, Naomi Oskker God, I love
Speaker 1: her too. We'll take her ding ding ding first press
Speaker 1: conference for George Floyd, Her and Carday were in the
Speaker 1: audience and nobody knew and they just stood there regular
Speaker 1: like everybody else, no security and that, and it was
Speaker 1: like three thousand people out there and they were just
Speaker 1: standing there like regular people. So shout out to her. Yes,
Speaker 1: we would love to have her on the show. Cardy
Speaker 1: just dropped a new album too, I got an album coming,
Speaker 1: got picked it up. Check them out. Well before you
Speaker 1: get going, we wanted to give you a little you
Speaker 1: got to smoke. We gotta see what mom, you know
Speaker 1: what I mean. We appreciate you coming on the show.
Speaker 1: Best of luck, get healthy. We want to see you
Speaker 1: all the way healthy next year. We feel good when
Speaker 1: we see the grates and all the smoker we've seen
Speaker 1: Draymond and the rest of those guys wear to the game.
Speaker 1: I can't wait to see you in it, you know
Speaker 1: what I mean, So I can repost it. Reposted that. Well,
Speaker 1: that's a wrap, Sabrina Unesco, I did it. You can
Speaker 1: catch this on Showtime Basketball, YouTube and the I Heart
Speaker 1: platform Black Effects. We'll see you all next week. And
Speaker 1: this is all a smoke, a production of The Black
Speaker 1: Effect and Our Heart Radio in partnership with Showtime