Draymond Green Show - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope joins the Draymond Green Show from Resorts World in Las Vegas to discuss his early years with the Detroit Pistons, turning down a contract to join the Los Angeles Lakers, learning from LeBron James and Rajon Rondo, and rumors from the NBA Bubble about the Los Angeles Clippers. KCP also breaks down his time with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, his new teammates on the Orlando Magic, and more.

0:00 Start
2:00 Early years with Pistons
19:00 Joining the Los Angeles Lakers
27:00 NBA Bubble stories
41:00 Comparing Bron and Jokic
53:00 New teammates on Orlando Magic

Produced by: Jackson Safon

#Volume #Herd

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume.

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Speaker 4 (01:45):
What's up, everybody?

Speaker 5 (01:46):
Welcome back to the Draymond Green Show.

Speaker 6 (01:48):
We are here at Resort World in Las Vegas for
the NBA Summer League. I'm honored Taba another champion here
on the Draymondgreen Show. Two time world champion, my brother KCP.
What's upingg what's Welcome to the show man. I appreciate
you coming on. I always talk about like the resume

(02:11):
you gotta have to be a guest on the show. Like,
we don't just want anybody, like we want all stars,
we want champions, we want Hall of Famers, because.

Speaker 5 (02:19):
That's what the people want. Yeah, so I appreciate you
coming on.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
I appreciate you having me and my brother man. I
appreciate it absolutely. But I mean, let's get into it.
Take me back growing up in Georgia Country. What was
it like for you growing up and to make it
out of there?

Speaker 4 (02:38):
Like, was it a you that got you out? Was it? Like?
What was it that got you out?

Speaker 1 (02:45):
I would say AAU basketball for sure, that was the
most exposure I had as far as on the basketball circuit.
I probably maybe had one color coach to ever come
see me at my high school, you know, to see
me play. But yeah, A you open the doors up
for me for sure.

Speaker 4 (03:05):
Who is that coach?

Speaker 1 (03:07):
I forget his name, old coach from Alabama, but like
we were the first coach I ever come see me play.
But after that, that's when I ended up seeing uh,
three coaches from Georgia. And that's when I like I
committed to Georgia like verbally, uh, because I wanted to

(03:28):
stay home, close to home and to have my family
be able to travel come see me not too far.
So like Georgia was always you know, what's gonna be
home based for me, you know, even though I had
all the offers in the SEC, but I wanted to
stay close to the crib.

Speaker 4 (03:48):
I love that same for me.

Speaker 6 (03:50):
You know, we're going to Michigan State, Like I wanted
to be close to the crib and so that that
was a big thing for me. So you get one
high school coach to come to your one college coach
to ever come there high school, but you becoming McDonald's
all American. Explain that to me because I had way
more high school coaches college coach and I wasn't no.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
McDonald's high school probably be triple the size of minds.

Speaker 4 (04:14):
Like, but like I said, you open them doors up
for me.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
You know, Uh we're being on that basketball circuit, you know,
doing what I do best, shooting the ball, you know,
playing playing basketball, having fun. Uh that's when I started
getting like a lot of eyes on me, you know, uh,
being able to like sending out my highlights you know

(04:38):
in high school for like you know, coaches like college
coaches to see. I feel I had most of the
college coaches come see me play when I was playing
AAU basketball. Uh So, like I said, that opened up
the doors for me.

Speaker 4 (04:50):
So I have a question, a very interesting one for me.
We're like the same height. I'm a center, you too.

Speaker 6 (05:01):
For me, growing up in a small city, being the
tallest guy, they just put you at center. Now it's
a little different for me, which is why I got
my guard skill from because I played center defensively, but
offensively I played point guard.

Speaker 5 (05:17):
But my uncle was the coach, so he taught me
the game.

Speaker 6 (05:19):
He taught me, so I had all the guard skills,
which is why I'm able to play the position the.

Speaker 4 (05:24):
Way I do now.

Speaker 6 (05:27):
But there's always this thing of when you're when you're
the tallest kid in the small city, everybody want to
make you a center.

Speaker 5 (05:35):
That clearly wasn't the case for you. Why was that.

Speaker 1 (05:39):
I had a couple of guys that was tall to
me in high school so that I didn't have to
play that position, even though I did play all pop
position in high school.

Speaker 4 (05:49):
But yeah, I had.

Speaker 1 (05:50):
Some guys that were, you know, six eight, six nine
playing in the high school with me at that small
ass school, the small school. Yeah, so like I got
chance to be able to just play my position, and
like it elevated my games just you know, just learning
every position, I would say.

Speaker 4 (06:11):
And also just every day.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
After school, you know, going to my hometown basketball court,
you know, playing with the older kids, no guy to
pushed me around. You know, stuff like that made me
a little bit tougher, tougher and it just no basketball
just stuck with me, man. I just it was something
about the game that I love and.

Speaker 6 (06:32):
It just shows absolutely. And eighth pick to the Detroit Pistons. Uh,
drafted by Joe Dumars, which is like a father figure
to me.

Speaker 4 (06:45):
Still talk to Joe. We go way back there. I
remember like as soon as you got drafted.

Speaker 6 (06:50):
Uh, but just just walk me through that experience going
to the Pistons, which wasn't the organization then yeah that
it is now yea true. Uh, talk me through that experience.
And like going to Detroit, coming from the South, going
to the cold.

Speaker 1 (07:05):
Snow that I feel like that was the biggest judgment
for me. The snow, Like my my first year there
as a rookie. Man, it snowed all the way into May.
So like that was like my the hardest adjustment, you know,
being able to learn how to drive in that you know,
get the work, be safe. But I feel like, uh,

(07:26):
it was tough for me the first two years. No,
I couldn't get my family out there, Like my family
wouldn't travel out there. Like having good vets around me
at the time, you know, got me through my first
two years, you know, to understand the game.

Speaker 7 (07:42):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
But my experience there man was great. Uh all right,
I got a chance to like show like more than
I can do. Uh, because I feel like they drafted
me because of my defense potential. I would say, I
don't think they knew what I could do offensively then,
so I had an opportunity to like to showcase that

(08:03):
and and that what took my career off.

Speaker 6 (08:08):
He says, you had good vets. I always talk about
the importance of vets in the locker room. I am
a product of great vests. I had Jared Jack, Jermaine O'Neil,
David Lee Carlin, Andrew David West, like I had Andrew Bogan.
I had great vets, and like, now, that's one of
the things that I think is missing from the league.
You look at some of these teams and like some
of these teams vets are like you're four five.

Speaker 5 (08:31):
It's like, yo, you're not a vet.

Speaker 4 (08:34):
You need like scratch the surface of what a vet
is for sure. It's crazy.

Speaker 6 (08:38):
Like in year five of my career, I had won
two championships in your seven in my career, by year seven,
I had won three championships and played in four NBA finals.

Speaker 4 (08:54):
Nobody in the.

Speaker 6 (08:55):
Golden State Warriors organization was looking at me like I'm
a vet, right, And yeah, you got guys now who
ain't got no rings, nothing, no All Star appearances, no nothing.
But they kind of walk around this league like their vets.

Speaker 4 (09:12):
That's like it's just the era. Now. I came in
and live in twenty thirteen.

Speaker 1 (09:18):
My vet was I had Chauncey Phillips, I played with Chance,
played with Tayson Prince. I had an opportunity to be
coach BARACEI while so I also had a chance to
be around that bad boy area, you know, even though
they was on their way out, you know, but still
got an opportunity to them being my vets. And then

(09:39):
like I had Josh Smith as a VET, you know,
saying been through the league, the ups and downs, you know,
Like I had like a bunch of guys Charlie Charlie
Ville in the way, I had some good vet that
taught me how to be a professional, how to stay
in this league, you know what, and just to be
mentally strong.

Speaker 4 (09:55):
So did Ben come back? Were you still there when
Being came out? No, I wasn't there when Being came back.

Speaker 1 (10:02):
When Being came back, it was his he he was retiring,
They was retiring his jersey. So I got the opportunity
to see that as well. So like and retiring Chauncey
jersey there. So I got the opportunity to see a
lot of things, and like being around a lot of
great people, you know, Like you said, Joe dumars Man,
he the one that drafted me, you know, put me
in a position to be able to meet these guys,

(10:23):
you know, and be a part of that family.

Speaker 6 (10:27):
There was a story, famous story. You've been with Clutch
Sports your entire career. Yes, there's a famous story about
the contract that you turned down in Detroit number one.
I don't know whether you turned the contract down or not.
I would love to hear that from you. But what
I do know is if you did turn the contract down,

(10:49):
you've made all the money.

Speaker 7 (10:50):
Plus more, plus more. But talk to me about that,
you know, me and Riz talk about it a lot.
And now like that we here in my career, now
we can laugh about it a little bit. But I
didn't turn down that much money. You know, that money
wasn't offered to me. But like what they were saying.

(11:10):
But like even if I did turn it down, like
you said, you know, I rich believed in me. I
believed in myself, you know, and what I can do,
and I felt like at the time, I deserve more
than what they would offered me. So like me and
my team, we made a decision where all right, if

(11:31):
I put it into work.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
He's gonna get he gonna handle the rest. So that's
all that was said. Like I put it into work,
you know, and made all that money back and plus more.
So like my work paid off, you know, as far
as like me, everybody might say I turned it down, Okay, cool,
I turned it down, got it back, you know, So

(11:55):
it didn't take long. But like we slow grounded one year,
two years, one year, you know, but we never getting
it all back.

Speaker 6 (12:03):
I think one of the most interesting things the part
that people don't talk about. People always want to talk
about your failures. They always want to talk about where
someone falls short. They always want to talk about this
guy didn't get that money, he turned this down, he
turned that down. But the side they don't talk about
is if you stay there, are you a two time

(12:24):
champion because you still got the money plus more.

Speaker 4 (12:30):
Double at this point.

Speaker 6 (12:34):
But if you never go to the Lakers, if that
never happens, you don't end up at the Lakers.

Speaker 4 (12:40):
Do you end up a champion?

Speaker 6 (12:41):
So when you look back at that, now, was the
stress of waiting ultimately worth what came in in?

Speaker 4 (12:52):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (12:53):
Because I've had some going through that process after Detroit,
I have some stressful moments, you know where it it
took me here and then it brought me down, you know,
so alright, believing in myself, believing in God, you know,
having my my wife, my support, you know, everybody around me,
you know, like encourage me, you know, like you got this,

(13:17):
your game shows you know everything. You know, just go
out there and play your game and worry about anything else.
And like I sake my mind to that, you know,
like do your job, your don't let thembut do you uh,
and just play hard no matter what.

Speaker 4 (13:34):
Was there ever a point in that where you started
to doubt yourself or where you started to doubt Rich. Uh.

Speaker 1 (13:46):
I wouldn't say I never had a doubt, but like
I say it, I was. I was impatient. I would
say I wanted to come like as soon as possible.

Speaker 4 (13:56):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (13:56):
That's all I he would tell you that, like that's
always he always you tell me, just be patient, it's
gonna come, and be patient.

Speaker 4 (14:03):
This is this is just the job the business, you know. Uh.

Speaker 1 (14:07):
So like that was just me being impatient, you know,
and just belt myself, you know, and like have a
little bit doubt then, but just let's just do that
being impatient, you know, wanting it now, you know, instead
of waiting on it.

Speaker 4 (14:19):
Uh. But as I got older and I started.

Speaker 1 (14:21):
To learn that, you know, patience, know it's it helps
me stay calm, stay peaceful, you know.

Speaker 4 (14:27):
And I know I got Rich, you know, I know
he got my back. You know, I've been knowing him
for since I've been in this league.

Speaker 6 (14:34):
So yeah, not rich Rich the best man, like from
a contract negotiation standpoint, obviously, but they goes so much
further than that.

Speaker 5 (14:44):
I don't think people understand that.

Speaker 1 (14:46):
That's all just about to say I was like when
we talk about we rarely talk about basketball, so it's.

Speaker 4 (14:52):
Like, like, why ain't you calling you?

Speaker 1 (14:54):
Like, but like that's him though, like he he knows
like what he can do, Like so it's not just
like I said, it's just not about basketball, you know.

Speaker 4 (15:03):
And he made sure that, like all right, don't worry
about this. Then I got that, you.

Speaker 1 (15:07):
Know what I'm saying, We can talk about anything else,
you know, like he don't help me with a lot
of stuff, you know.

Speaker 6 (15:13):
So yeah, no, I think I always tell people like man,
I think what I appreciate more most about Rich is.

Speaker 4 (15:23):
He teach you a how you supposed to live your life?
Like true, so many guys get taken advantage of.

Speaker 5 (15:31):
So many guys don't see stuff coming. And I think.

Speaker 6 (15:35):
He he a teaches us how to how you how
you're supposed to live. Be one of the most impressive
things I think Rich has ever done with me. And
like yourself, that's my brother, Like is it my wedding,
Like goes so much further than being an agent.

Speaker 5 (15:56):
But I think when I you know, I also know
how to separate.

Speaker 4 (16:00):
Too, you know, I know ninety nine point nine.

Speaker 6 (16:04):
Percent of our costs I'm talking to my brother zero
point one percent. I'm talking to my agent, and I
know how to separate the two. But I think one
of the things that stood out to me most, and
I still say it to this day, like when I
bought my first home and I was searching for homes
in La, this dude walk ten houses with me, and

(16:31):
I remember when I first found a home. I found
a house in bel Air that I thought was the
house I was going to buy. And man, me and
Hazel was excited as shit, like his house, this is nice,
like rich rich was out of time when we first saw.
He like, I'm back tomorrow. I land at this time,
scheduling for this time. We'll go see it right away.
As soon as I land, I'll go straight from the

(16:52):
airport to the house.

Speaker 4 (16:52):
Perfect. He land, We get to the house, walk in.
I'm excited, Like I got the crib he walked in.
He like, nope, nope, nope, this thing, nope, that thing.
Way too much of this here, Nope, look at this

(17:12):
marble right here. We go in the backyard.

Speaker 6 (17:15):
It's like beautiful backyard, so it appears, but like if
you actually go through it, some of the stone is mismatches,
like they went to this stone yard and got with
the stone that was left there cheapest, went over to
this stone yard, got the stone that was left there
at the cheapest, put it all together and when he
showed me, he's We walked through this house and he

(17:36):
started pointing out all these things. We didn't even make
it through the whole house. We got up to the
master bathroom. He stopped in the master bathroom, he sat down.
He said, listen, I'm not letting you out.

Speaker 4 (17:49):
Yeah, because y'all will be looking for the next sucker
to come by this house from y'all, because he.

Speaker 6 (17:57):
About to suck y'all for this money right now. Y'all
gonna be looking for the next sucker to get out
to come by this house, y'all. And for me, that
was that was And by the way, this is well
into him being my agent. Listen to him being my agent.
But that to me was like a level of detail,
a level of care.

Speaker 4 (18:16):
They're like, you don't get that from agents, Like get that.
These agents not coming to walk a house. They don't
care what house you buy.

Speaker 1 (18:23):
Really don't even just get what that's what they're saying,
Like that's what I said. I respect rich so much,
man like because like he helped me out with so much.
Like I said, like a few things with like like
being married young, you know what I'm saying. Even you
know he's been through it, but like just helping me
navigate that, you know, because like it's so much. He

(18:46):
gave me that that safe space, you know, saying to
be able to talk to him about that, you know,
and like I said, like we talked about whatever it is,
Like I said, time, it's not basketball we're talking about
you know, and it's just about life. That's why I
respect about him a lot. Man. It's just humble kid,
like even just man. Like reading this book, like man,

(19:08):
I felt like I was here.

Speaker 4 (19:11):
It was crazy. I was like, I feel you.

Speaker 1 (19:13):
And when I read it, I was like, man, I
did not know half of that about you. You know,
like he don't showcase it, you know what I'm saying,
But I didn't know half of that about you.

Speaker 5 (19:22):
I learned so much from reading that book.

Speaker 4 (19:23):
Yeah, that's why me too, Like me too.

Speaker 6 (19:26):
It's crazy, Nah, story stories insane. So then you go
from Detroit kid from Georgia Country moved to Detroit. That
adjustment and then la, what was the adjustment? Like now
going from Detroit to Los Angeles for the Lakers. By
the way, nobody's showing up to these games in Detroit.

Speaker 1 (19:47):
I know, I wouldn't say that. Like when I was
in Detroit now playing in the Palace, No, we had
a nice little crowd sometimes sometimes I was like the
Palace is like historical, you know what I'm saying, A
board day's area, so like we have some fans and
then it was a few fans.

Speaker 4 (20:04):
There's a lot different from that, Like because.

Speaker 1 (20:11):
I said it out, I want, you know, the championship.
But like it's it's a love hate relationship with the
Lakers fans, you know, like like they love you regardless,
you know what I'm saying, but like you're doing bad
or like you ain't playing up to your picture potential
that they think you can play at, like they on you,
like they gonna let you know, like and then you're

(20:33):
playing at your greatest like they with you know what
I'm saying, say they with you regardless, but like they're
gonna let you know what you're doing good when you're
doing bad. And that's why I respect so much about
their fans.

Speaker 4 (20:44):
You know, they hardcore, you know what I'm saying. They
on you what and how are they on you? Like?

Speaker 6 (20:50):
Is that coming through social media? Is that like you
walking down the streets of La they coming up. I
would say a little bit of both. I wouldn't say
they like they're not so negative like when they see
you in person. You know what I'm saying, like more
you know, supportive. You know what I'm saying stuff like that.

Speaker 1 (21:05):
You know what I'm saying in the heat at the
moment in the arena, I can see a little bit
different than they're like what they're telling you, like you
pick it up.

Speaker 4 (21:12):
You know, I've had you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (21:15):
A little bit of both, you know through social media, uh,
like in the arenas, you know, like to a point
where they was they was like coming on wife with
my wife pictures or like the pictures she posted saying
shit about me.

Speaker 4 (21:31):
So it was a lot of.

Speaker 1 (21:32):
Stuff that was going on at one point when I
was there.

Speaker 5 (21:45):
You get to the Lakers. Lakers not very good.

Speaker 4 (21:50):
I think.

Speaker 6 (21:50):
What A year later, two years later, bron comes. A
year later, a year later later, y'all.

Speaker 5 (21:58):
Get changes the outlook of the franchise.

Speaker 6 (22:03):
At that point, Lakers had been struggling for a while,
kind of Tour on the end of Kobe's tenure into
cod retiring a couple of years.

Speaker 5 (22:11):
You get there, then bron come, what was.

Speaker 6 (22:16):
That like, like that big of a force coming to
the team, the media attention, which the media attention for
the Lakers is already christ but then you get Broun there, Like,
what was that transition then?

Speaker 5 (22:29):
Like from going from playing with like.

Speaker 4 (22:31):
All these young dudes and you kind of be in
the VET and the sense of what we were talking about.

Speaker 1 (22:36):
Being a young vet. They soke all you today? Yeah,
I was, I think I was.

Speaker 4 (22:41):
I was.

Speaker 1 (22:41):
I think the older two guys when I got there
twenty seventeen was Isaiah Thomas and Book Lopez and court Brew.
I was only three older guys and I was. I
was twenty four at the time when I got there.
Everybody else was like nineteen. It's crazy.

Speaker 4 (23:03):
Then bron come in. How did it?

Speaker 6 (23:05):
How did it change everything? Did it change from day one?
In practice? Did it change just the games? It was
also a growing process. I don't think y'all made the
playoffs that first year.

Speaker 1 (23:16):
Definitely was a growing process because you know, everybody him,
him adjusting, you know, to everybody, and then everybody trying
to adjudge, you know, to like him being there as well.

Speaker 4 (23:26):
So uh like it was a big adjudgment.

Speaker 1 (23:30):
You know, everything did shift, you know what I'm saying
as far as like you know, how we practice, how
we watched them, you know, like doing like stuff as
a team. You know, a lot of the stuff changed there.
And I was unfortunately fortunately to have you know, run
though too at the time. You know, Win Brown was there,
so like like they them two can both navigate, you

(23:52):
know what I'm saying. What's on the court, you know
what I'm saying, you know, and how we want, how
we want to play, you know, I would say, but
like it was, it was it was an adjustment, But
I don't think it was a big adjustment.

Speaker 4 (24:04):
How was the conversation.

Speaker 6 (24:06):
I'm a basketball I love I love the excellent os,
I love the game within the game, And so I'm
asking this question personally for me because I.

Speaker 4 (24:17):
Was okay, what was the what was the dynamic the
conversations like amongst Bron and Rondo, because for.

Speaker 6 (24:26):
Me, those are two of the greatest basketball mons ever
play in the NBA.

Speaker 4 (24:33):
I would say.

Speaker 1 (24:37):
The conversation of dialogue like as far as like in
film Man, they broke down everything like that's who, like
run those the one that taught me how to watch film,
you know, how to watch Like I didn't start watching
a full game of film until like two years like
two years ago. I guess who taught me how to
watch a full game of film? Like, but you can

(24:58):
just watch it, you know what I'm saying. But he
taught me what am I looking for? You know what
I'm saying when I'm watching this film.

Speaker 4 (25:03):
You know. And then just having them two together in
film together, man, it made.

Speaker 1 (25:10):
I would say, it made everything so easy, you know
on the court, you know what I'm saying, because now
you know where to be. You know when this motion
is happening. I know I got to shift this way.
I gotta do that, you know what I'm saying. So
they put it, they break it all the way down
to a point where like if you're fucking up, you're
not giving out effort.

Speaker 4 (25:27):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (25:28):
So like if they give me to you this way,
you know what I'm saying, Like, that's knowledge, man, Just
take that, you know what I'm saying that That was
one of the things I took away from both of them.
I just learn how to break down that film, you know,
and actually know what I'm looking at when I'm breaking
it down.

Speaker 4 (25:44):
You know.

Speaker 1 (25:45):
So I was, and it has helped my career, you
know what I'm saying, being able to be a leader
on other teams.

Speaker 4 (25:52):
You know.

Speaker 6 (25:52):
So, was there ever a point or whatever times were
those two bump heads on their because there's some high
level thoughts both of them, dudes, happen whatever times that
that they bump heads on their ideas? And if so,
what's there ever time where RONI back down and say.

Speaker 1 (26:11):
Okay, we go on with run those saying, yeah, I
feel like they both had you know, there they disagreements
and as far as like what we're doing, uh, but
I feel like that that that would be you know
what I'm saying, more when they discussing together, because I
I've never seen it, you know what I'm saying happen
you know, in person. So I feel like if they

(26:33):
discussing amongst themselves, like they have a disagreement, I feel
like them guys, you know, they they fix it before
they even kind of like before we see them or
like before we have like team film, you know or whatever.
But yeah, I've never seen them like I disagree in person,
but if they did, it's like I feel like they both,
you know what I'm saying, humble enough, like be able

(26:55):
to listen to each other, you know what I'm saying
as far as like because they both, like you said, man,
one of the greatest on the game, and I feel like,
you know them both hearing each other out, you know,
up both of them absolutely.

Speaker 6 (27:09):
And speaking of your time with the Lakers, y'all didn't
going to win a championship in the bubble. There's a
lot of perspectives on the bubble, quite frankly by most
people who weren't there, right, But there's a lot of
perspectives on the bubble. What was your perspective on as

(27:29):
someone who was there won a championship there, so essentially
was there the longest time?

Speaker 5 (27:35):
What was your perspective on the bubble and being in it?

Speaker 1 (27:39):
It was hard, I'll say that for me, I'm restrained.
It wasn't hard, you know what I'm saying. I enjoyed,
you know what I'm saying. The time, you know, of
just reflected on myself by myself. You know, you can't
really see nobody can't really have the family there, but
That's the biggest sec fight I had was just not

(28:01):
helping my family there, you know, uh, trying to manage
to deal with that, you.

Speaker 4 (28:05):
Know, the kids. I just had a my third child
at the time, and he was just a baby, you know. Uh, So.

Speaker 1 (28:16):
That was the biggest sacrifice you know for me, just
leaving the family for three months.

Speaker 4 (28:21):
Or at that time. Man, was it was a lot. Yeah,
I felt like it was. For me, it was great.
You know, the stuff we did in the Bubble or
like being locked in that room. I did that at home.

Speaker 1 (28:36):
If I'm in my game room, No, I'm done that
six hours straight playing the game. So it's like it
really did phaze me as much, you know what I'm saying.
So like me missing the family and the kids, you know,
stuff like that. But other than that, man, I had
a great time.

Speaker 4 (28:50):
That's funny.

Speaker 6 (28:54):
And for those that say the Bubble Championship has an
asterisk next it, I'll say it before you go, I
am not of that. Yeah, because it's hard as hell
to win a championship.

Speaker 4 (29:10):
I don't care where the fuck you win to that.

Speaker 6 (29:12):
But for those that say there's an asterisk next to
the championship, that y'all wanted the bubble.

Speaker 4 (29:19):
What do you say to them?

Speaker 1 (29:23):
They just hated Man, it's like they that's like, like
you said, it's one of the hardest teams to like
the championship to win. I would say, you know, playing
the season and seasons shut down, like I don't know
if we're gonna even come back to play basketball or
like we were sold how off like the regular season,

(29:43):
how we was playing, and then we're like, what the
fuck season's over, like damn or what if like if
they do, what if we don't can't come back because
we already had in our mind like, man, this is
our championship, regardless of COVID stopped it or not.

Speaker 4 (29:58):
You know, so.

Speaker 1 (30:00):
But then the season stops, you know, boom, seasons start backup,
but we gotta go to the bubble. So like before
they even man, you know, uh, like before it even
happened to go into the bubble, like as a team,
you know, we still like you know what I'm saying,
I was able to like no, who I would say,

(30:25):
you know what I'm saying, We didn't really like we
did it within the rims of like the testing of
the NBA, you know, stuff like that, but like we
were still able.

Speaker 4 (30:33):
To be around each other, be able to hoop you know.

Speaker 1 (30:35):
What I'm saying, and have fun like regardless of like
if the season is stopped. So once the we knew
the season was like starting back up in the bubble,
Like we was hyped. We was ready to go get
our championship like that we was at like we wanted
you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (30:49):
Then you know, season stopped getting into the bubble.

Speaker 1 (30:52):
You know, guys that a lot of people don't like
these things, like have people's mind messed up?

Speaker 4 (30:57):
Like all right, now it's time. I'm ready to go home.

Speaker 1 (30:59):
You know what I'm saying, I forget basketball, So like
I'm so grateful and I'm like, like I appreciate all.
Like my teammates at the time, like, man, they they
mindset was like on that championship, they weren't ready to go,
like they came here for a reason, right and we
wanted it.

Speaker 6 (31:17):
So you said it was harder. It was one of
the hardest championships to win. As someone who's won multiple championships,
what made it so much harder to win there?

Speaker 4 (31:30):
As opposed to if you're going to Miami for an
away game, you know, or you're going to another place.

Speaker 1 (31:38):
I would just say the mindset we like we had,
uh and how everything had like everything happened. I was saying,
like COVID shutting down. You know what I'm saying, Like
we wanted that one so bad. You know what I'm saying,
we would We would have jumped through flaming hoops for it,
you know.

Speaker 6 (31:56):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (31:57):
So, like like I said.

Speaker 1 (31:59):
That, for me, it was the hardest one because of
like all the shutdown, like restarting shut down. No, that
can change a lot of people mindset, you know what
I'm saying, And like like you said, man, fuck this,
like it's I'm not dealing with this anymore, you know.
So I was appreciated that thankful to everybody on the
team at the time.

Speaker 4 (32:19):
At the same mindset, they weren't ready to go.

Speaker 5 (32:23):
So there was word that came out of those meetings.

Speaker 6 (32:27):
And again for those of y'all watching, I was not
there because we absolutely sucked that year. I think we
won fifteen games and so we didn't actually make the bubble.

Speaker 4 (32:39):
Ye. I had a lot going on that year, man,
a lot going on, to.

Speaker 6 (32:44):
Be quite honest. I was in La having a great time.
So I'm actually a little happy we didn't make the bubble. Also,
before we move forward, Adam Silver, the mayor of Los Angeles,
who wasn't the mayor at the time, so talk to
the previous mayor. Uh, this man just admitted that they

(33:07):
ignore all y'all COVID godlines, all y'all testing. They kept
playing basketball. They cheated on their way to a championship.
You feel like this is the flate Gate esque or
something of that nature, because these guys, when none of
us could play basketball, they just kept playing basketball and
getting better and then they go and win a championship.

(33:29):
So that's why I'm putting the asterisk next to it,
because they was cheated. We did it through the rules, man.

Speaker 4 (33:35):
Everybody got every player got tested. You know what I'm saying.
If you had COVID, gotta go home. You can't be
around it, man.

Speaker 6 (33:41):
Did I bet Bron probably had Michelle sitting there testing everybody.

Speaker 1 (33:51):
We didn't want to stop playing like man like. And
it was like if it's just the Lakers team at
the time, like no outsiders, no nobody, Like everybody's within
the perimenal like the COVID testing that the NBA wanted, right,
I felt like we were good.

Speaker 4 (34:09):
You know, they couldn't say nothing.

Speaker 5 (34:11):
Well, guess what, they definitely can't say nothing now.

Speaker 8 (34:13):
So it's a great time to talk about three years later,
great time to talk about it. But there was reports
that came out during that time where y'all was like
having the meetings in the bubble and.

Speaker 4 (34:25):
The season stopped.

Speaker 6 (34:26):
There was reports that came out that most of that,
like the season stopping and people not wanting to play,
was from the Clippers team at that time. Is there
any truth to that, like, because by the way, by
the way that they went out, it kind of looked
like it.

Speaker 4 (34:46):
Was shrew by the way.

Speaker 1 (34:48):
That was one of my favorite series of the Bubble,
that that Nuggets Clippers series. All right, it was just like, man,
how in the hell right you up three one? Even
if you you you talked about leaving, like you up
three to one? Finish the job, man, who's the next round? Fact,

(35:12):
like you knew everybody wanted to see Lakers Clippers that year.
You know, uh, just finish the job, like then we
can we can sleep, y'all, Like then you can go home,
you know, like I wanna do it now, like and
then we just sitting there waiting like I say, that's
one of the favorite series cause we had to sit
there and watch, you know what I'm saying this whole series.

Speaker 4 (35:30):
So, so who was in the meet and quittin? Who
was in the from the Clippers c Who was in
there quit?

Speaker 8 (35:39):
What?

Speaker 6 (35:39):
I heard that there were some guys from the Clippers
team in there, like, man, I don't want to play,
I want to go home.

Speaker 4 (35:48):
Is that true? Who was in there quitting?

Speaker 6 (35:50):
I just want to know because by the way, if
you ask me, they left a championship sitting on the table.

Speaker 4 (35:57):
Now, whether they would have beat y'all or not.

Speaker 1 (36:00):
Well never, it would been one of the best series.
You know what I'm saying that year. You know what
I'm saying. You know what I'm saying. Like so like
everybody wanted it, you know what I'm saying, and we
wanted it as well, and we wanted that opportunity. All right,
we're gonna put this ship to bed like Lakers purchase
Clippers like here it is, you know, and they just
they just ship the bed man Like like you said

(36:21):
that that conversation, like I've heard it. Yeah, it did
come from the team. I don't know who said it.
You know what I'm saying it was quit. Was like
they was ready to go, the first team ready to go,
and then like uh forget who uh o g Miami?

Speaker 4 (36:39):
What's his name?

Speaker 1 (36:40):
Donna's he stood up and he was like, man, he
just talked about more for like it being for the
younger guys and the guys ain't gonna be able to
have no money. You know what I'm saying, if we
do stop this right now, Like what about these guys, man,
they just getting drafted, you know what I'm saying, Year
two three guys, Uh, Like what are they supposed to

(37:01):
do about money? You know, like are you are you
older guys gonna help him out? You know what I'm saying,
some of your bets and your rookies, you know, some
of your young guys. So I think that like kind
of shifted when he's like he stood up and said
all that, and I think that changed a lot of
guys mind.

Speaker 4 (37:14):
But like that was they were the first team ready
to go for show.

Speaker 6 (37:18):
That's great them boys left for They left for golden
opportunity sitting right there on the table, and they never
got it again.

Speaker 1 (37:25):
That's why I told you, like, when a lot of
stuff to stopping starting stopping, Like I had a lot
of people's mindset changed, Like now, all right, I've been
here long enough, man, you're gonna stop.

Speaker 4 (37:35):
I'm done, you know, So.

Speaker 1 (37:38):
Appreciate the twenty twenty Lakers team, you know, having that mindset.

Speaker 4 (37:42):
You know what I'm saying, winning that championship.

Speaker 5 (37:44):
Absolutely, I think, uh, it's crazy, what you know?

Speaker 6 (37:47):
Hearing Ud stood up and said that, because the reality is,
I remember sitting with rich when y'all were in the bubble, Yeah,
and like when and all those conversations going on, Richards
literally getting costs as it's going on, as it's ending,
what's next. We got another meeting later, and I remember

(38:09):
sitting there with him, and one of the things that
he was saying, which no one was thinking about, is,
and to you, Donna's point, but even to take it
a step further, if we stop now, not only does
those young guys not make money, but you're actually going
to have to negotiate an entirely new collective bargaining agreement, yes,

(38:32):
which could take up to a year or two to
actually negotiate that agreement, And so the league would stopped
for two years two years. Now today, you're not closing
a seventy six billion dollars TV deal if that stops. Right,
So when you look at all of those factors and
the effect that it had on the league, now, how

(38:53):
can you say the championship that was won through all
of those factors have an astroid?

Speaker 4 (38:58):
Buy? Oh wow.

Speaker 1 (39:00):
That's why I stopped listening to people when they say that. Man,
I just like, man, all right, it's a championship. They
we won, and I got my right. We were still
able to celebrate, you know what I'm saying, like on
the property, you know, in the in the Orlando but
I mean, we had a great time and we're not
uh like in the finals, I think like a sec

(39:23):
h end of the conference finals and then finals, was
able to have the family there, you know, which was great.
You know, our family was able to like see us
win the championship, got the confetti coming down. It still
was a you know, a championship level. But you know,
everybody would have loved for the fans to be there,
you know, to be able to celebrate with the fans.
But you know, at that time, unfortunately we didn't get

(39:45):
the opportunity, but we we won out them.

Speaker 4 (39:48):
Pulling that bubble off is still one of the greatest
things I've ever seen in sports. Come on, man, how
you do that?

Speaker 1 (39:54):
And with that minded like that amount of time you have,
you know what I'm saying, you get this done. I
was able to come here here no play and I
have to worry about you know what I'm saying, and
with like like going back to like the bubble, but
like it was so much like just so much basketball.

Speaker 4 (40:11):
I can hear everything, you know, play calls, you know what.

Speaker 1 (40:14):
I'm saying, team they call and everything out like that
was like much important to me and I can focus
just on basketball. You couldn't even like they might pump
the crowd, you know what it's saying, but it's just
like them cheering. So now you can't you don't hear
nobody talking to you throwing off your game.

Speaker 4 (40:30):
So like that, I enjoyed that. Man, I could play basketball.
That's why I hurted up, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 6 (40:36):
So no, it was it was definitely. I had fun
watching it in l A outside it was great, the
weather was amazing. I had a beautiful time watching it.
But then moving on, uh, you know, you winning championship
with the Lakers, you eventually end up moving on to

(40:59):
the Denver Nuggets.

Speaker 4 (41:03):
What was that experience like?

Speaker 6 (41:04):
Going from playing with Bron, who I always tell people
people don't understand how hard it is to get a
good shot every time down the floor. And when Bron
there are a few players, only a few though there's
not many, Bron obviously being one of them, Joker obviously

(41:25):
being one of them.

Speaker 4 (41:27):
Where you come.

Speaker 6 (41:28):
Down the court and every time they have they are
capable of getting the team a good shot.

Speaker 4 (41:35):
What was it like going from them playing with Bron who's.

Speaker 6 (41:39):
Able to do that, but then going to play with Joker,
who kind of does it in a different way.

Speaker 4 (41:45):
It was just Brun.

Speaker 1 (41:46):
You see Bron on the ball mostly you know what
I'm saying, bring the ball up, even though Yo can
do the same thing.

Speaker 4 (41:51):
No point five.

Speaker 1 (41:54):
But like once you get there, like like them two guys, man,
they they do man attention, you know what I'm saying.
As soon as they checked the ball there, you know
what I'm saying, so like and I just I just
fed off that, you know what I'm saying. Like I
knew them guy was gonna have so much attention on them,
you know, and I was gonna either get a wide

(42:15):
up a shot or we created a wide up a shot.
You know what I'm saying. Now the defense got to
move because somebody's open. You know, they doubling them two guys,
you know what I'm saying, And what made it so
much easier. And that's why I say they I don't
see a difference between them two. You know what I'm saying.
They IQ is fucking out this world. Uh they can
like joking, they can shoot both of them like they

(42:37):
got it that all around game, you know.

Speaker 4 (42:39):
What I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (42:39):
But I would say it's just for them, Like for me,
what made my career great playing to get with them
like they were willing to pass the ball when you open,
Like I don't care what type of passion or if
you open, They're gonna try to get it to you,
you know what I'm saying. And all I had to
do was be ready to shoot, you know what I'm saying.
So and that like kudos to both of them guys, man,

(43:02):
you know, like they have made my career better, you know,
like later in my later later in my years.

Speaker 4 (43:11):
So like man, my brothers, man.

Speaker 6 (43:15):
No doubt, My brothers, no doubt. And then being in
Denver twenty twenty two season, don't end the way you
wanted to end. Jamal Murray's out, then you come back
twenty twenty three with Jamal Murray. Was were y'all in

(43:38):
the space going into twenty twenty three or at what
point and in that season was it like was it
like going in where we got Jamal back, we think
we're a championship team, or was it at some point
during that season like, ah, we like we can do this.

Speaker 2 (44:01):
Yeh.

Speaker 1 (44:01):
I mean I felt like they they already knew they
was a championship team, you know, like the previous years
before it happened me, they.

Speaker 4 (44:08):
Made the playoffs, you know every year almost.

Speaker 1 (44:13):
I feel like like like they always tell me, they say,
was missing just the one piece.

Speaker 4 (44:17):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (44:18):
And like when I got traded there, uh, and I
felt the same thing.

Speaker 4 (44:22):
I was like, Man, I felt this in training camp like, well, I'm.

Speaker 1 (44:26):
Walking around guys, man like, man, look, we can just
stay focused, man, Like we got a chance, you know
what I'm saying. And it's just me before I even
got that, me watching from it from the outside, you
know what I'm saying. How their team chemistry was like.

Speaker 4 (44:39):
Like me plugging into that spot, man, was it was
like the best fit, you know. Like, so I told him,
like start.

Speaker 1 (44:47):
A training camp, man, Like, man, we're gonna win the
champions Like we're gonna win the championship. Like if we
can just you know, stay together, you know, you know,
and continue to like sacrifice and play for each other man,
Like it's gonna be like it's gonna be a kkewalk,
you know what I'm saying, Like like in them by me,
like being that vocal leader talking about that, like being

(45:07):
the only one at the time, you having that championship. Ah,
I feel like the guy they listened. They gravitated towards you,
like towards me, you know what I'm saying. Like And
when I spoke, I didn't even speak about offense, like
all like we had top five you know offense, you
know that year, And for me, it was just about

(45:28):
their defense. Like first thing, I walked up to coach
coach Loan and ask them, like, you know what I'm saying,
what was our defense last year? Like they was like
twenty you know what I'm saying, winning championship. It was
number one in the West, and we was top five defense,
you know what I'm saying, So like top ten, so
switching that, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (45:47):
Up like like it changed a lot.

Speaker 1 (45:49):
Man, I'm just being like I said, going back earlier,
know what I'm saying, like learning from them guys, man,
being the leader, h I think it was it was
important for them, like like at the time for the Nuggets.
You know what I'm saying to hear that, you know
what I'm saying, to be able to have a guy
that's won a championship, you know what I'm saying, it's
been through that type of pressure. You know what I'm saying,

(46:11):
and taking my knowledge that I know from that championship,
you know what I'm saying, even though they say, what's
the bubble, But like I learned a lot, you know
as far as like how to how to get there,
you know what it takes, you know, and just bringing
that to Denver. You know, them guys gravitated towards man
like they they stuck with it.

Speaker 4 (46:33):
Absolutely. Also I intentionally skipped over Washington by the way,
just so it's all good.

Speaker 1 (46:44):
That much to say that, man, you know, because at
one point we started off ten and four, you know,
we was number one at one point.

Speaker 6 (46:52):
You know, at the time, it's always interesting starting the
season and seeing the bum teams at number one, number
two in the conference, and you know they're gonna finish
at fourteen.

Speaker 4 (47:02):
We definitely dropped down sure quick. It's always interesting. But nonetheless,
like I said, you know what, we're.

Speaker 6 (47:09):
Gonna act like that never happened because Detroyers where it started.

Speaker 4 (47:16):
Ain't gotta have a little couple of speed bumps in there.

Speaker 6 (47:18):
The Lakers Championship, it's like a blob of time and
then nuggets.

Speaker 4 (47:28):
Some high road trip.

Speaker 1 (47:29):
Yet you want you see a nice little area, you
want to take a detour, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (47:34):
Absolutely say, it was just like a little a little
stock by the way. I love d C.

Speaker 6 (47:38):
Me too, d It's amazing. I absolutely love d C.
But yeah, we're not gonna even talk about your time.

Speaker 1 (47:45):
Yeah, DC was like it was great city for me,
my kids, family loved it. You know, even though it
was a year, we enjoyed it. We met like some great
people there, you know, even know we're still friends with
them now. Like so like it's a great city.

Speaker 6 (48:02):
Last year, y'all end up losing to the Minnesota Timberwolds.

Speaker 4 (48:08):
Not able to defend the title and go back to
back throughout that season, did you know y'all didn't quite
have the championship team like y'all had the year before.

Speaker 6 (48:24):
Losing Bruce Brown, losing Jeff Green. I think those were
some huge losses. So in going through that season, did
you feel like y'all didn't quite have the championship team?

Speaker 1 (48:39):
You know, I thought we still had it, you know
what I'm saying, because you know what I'm saying that
the people we had behind Bruce and Jeff, you know,
Peyton Watshon, you know, Christian Brown, right them guys into
championship run.

Speaker 4 (48:53):
You know what I'm saying, The guys showed promise.

Speaker 1 (48:54):
You know what I'm saying that they'll be able to
to pick that slack up, you know.

Speaker 4 (48:58):
Uh like, and.

Speaker 1 (49:00):
We we also have faith in them guys as well.
You know that was going to do the same, you know,
but you know it's all about opportunity. You know, if
they get the opportunity, you know, do do what you
do best.

Speaker 4 (49:09):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (49:10):
I feel like during that season, you know, to running
back to back, you know, we all had the same mindset,
like that's what we wanted to do, you know it.
We had a few bumps in the role. Like you
know what I'm saying, we slipped up, you know what
I'm saying, But it was three It's a three way
time for first you know, like I feel like that's
where we spent most of you know, you know how

(49:31):
like towards the playoff guys get their rest, but I
feel like that's what we spent most of, you know,
our energy and like like time, you know what I'm saying,
trying to get that first place, you know what I'm saying,
playing catch up and playing ketch up, and then like
we get to the playoffs, all right, we have no gas.

Speaker 4 (49:50):
You know. We felt like the Lakers should have beat us,
like we was down every day every game.

Speaker 1 (49:56):
Definitely at least like at least tend to like higher
mayven but with twenty something right right then, just taking
that energy and know using the deer. So it was
a lot that went into that season, know that.

Speaker 4 (50:11):
We wish we could have did better.

Speaker 6 (50:16):
That's interesting because when I think back to like our
runs that first year, we wanted first.

Speaker 4 (50:23):
Like nobody fromorrow, and we got it. We won championship.
The second year, which was twenty sixteen, we won seventy
three and so although we weren't chasing the first seed,
we were chasing the seventy three wins.

Speaker 6 (50:42):
And when I look back on it, I don't regret
it because quite frankly, I don't think we ran out
of gas in the playoffs, like we.

Speaker 4 (50:51):
Run three to one still, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 6 (50:53):
So I don't think it was necessarily something that boil
down to like, ah, we ran out of gas. However,
what I will say is this though, after that trying
to win them seventy three was so exhausted that then
twenty seventeen kdkme. And it was never about like can
we get the number one? CE Like, we beat a

(51:15):
bunch of teams, so we're going to be in the
race for it anyway. But it was never our goal like, yo,
we gotta get the number one, see, because I felt
like at that point we knew like, A, we can
win on the road, so we need to go win
a road again, we can do that or two if
we need to, like we felt like we could do
that and B And you know, some teams try to

(51:39):
drop and stuff to get matchups that they want. That
was never a thing for us, like it don't really
matter who we match up again. And so it's interesting
to hear that though, because I feel like our mindset
right after that was like, we're going to make sure
we get to the playoffs healthy, not necessarily be the

(52:02):
number one. If we the three seed, who cares like
it don't matter? And so it's interesting to hear a
team that just want a championship. But then again, I
guess when I look back on it, that next year
we were chasing wins too. But it's just interesting to
hear a team that won a championship say we felt
like we had to get the number one seed.

Speaker 1 (52:23):
I feel like that's what we that's whether I wouldn't
say the mistake, but like trying to get that, you know.
And it was like I want to say, we had
like eight to ten games left like even like try
to get that first place, but like you had okay,
see you had Minnesota, like with them guys, they were hooping,

(52:46):
like the team was like killing so like like it's
just me thinking, it's like talking like talking the older
guys DJ, So like man, it's like that's I felt
like that's like where mindset was, you know what I'm saying.
We knew we was gonna make the playoffs. But they
was like, oh no, we won't. We want number one seed,
you know what I'm saying. And it was like talking

(53:07):
like figuring, trying to figure out who we would match
up with. You know, That's what it's like. I don't
worry about that. Let's just get to the playoffs no
matter what seed we are. You know what I'm saying,
Like list, it's not gonna be.

Speaker 4 (53:18):
How Champiature route, but we was number one seed when
we had that route.

Speaker 1 (53:21):
No, it's not gonna be that this year, you know
what I'm saying, because during the season we did have
mall got hurt a little bit and sat down.

Speaker 4 (53:28):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (53:29):
I set out a few games, you know, a g
getting hurt, you know, by the thing happened within.

Speaker 4 (53:34):
That, you know, trying to race up for first.

Speaker 1 (53:37):
So like like you said earlier, you know, we should
have just been like trying to get their healthy, you know,
regardless of what seed we was, and then just go
from there.

Speaker 6 (53:46):
Before we get out of here, we must talk about
number one. Congratulations uh new three year, big money deal
another one, so congrats on that, appreciate it. But first off,
just what excites you. Well, before I go into that,
I'd be remiss if I didn't say the Magic are

(54:08):
finally trying to win some games. And the reason I
say that is because so a couple of years ago,
I was on the shot and Math was asking me
like or p was asking me, like, yo, who's the
teams that like on a soft Tuesday, Like you're just

(54:29):
like yo? And I was saying, like, at the time,
it was the Kings, although the Kings for us was
different because of that North Northern California riot.

Speaker 4 (54:40):
Who was the Kings Orlando Magic?

Speaker 6 (54:45):
And it's funny because when we played the Magic the
next year, the young fellas out there like, yeah, motherfucker,
Like you think he's gonna be I was like, Oh,
it's the young Cord that y'all got now, but just
talk to me and well, I actually spoke about this

(55:08):
during that draft.

Speaker 4 (55:09):
They end up drafting Polo. Everybody was saying they was
gonna draft Jabari Smith.

Speaker 6 (55:12):
I personally thought Paulo was that it should have been
the number one pick.

Speaker 4 (55:15):
They ended up taking them. In large part they was
watching the Draymond Green Show taking my intel. They was
high on his bar. They took the intail.

Speaker 6 (55:27):
Hey, they did right, and I think Paolo is one
of those generational players that that organization hasn't been one
that's been willing to spend money. They would give a
Jeff Green a one year fifteen million, get somebody else
one year fifteen million, which pretty much says, we got
a we got a cap threshold that we have to reach,

(55:48):
so we're going to give you this one year deal,
but we're not really trying to win and we're not
locking nobody in. And now you see, like obviously they
got the young core, they just extended front up.

Speaker 4 (56:00):
But bringing in someone like you says.

Speaker 6 (56:03):
To me that, oh, now, oh they're serious now, Like
they bringing in the guy who's proven to help lead
teams championship teams, proven leader, uh, two way guy, knock
the shots down, defend the other guys, uh, the other
team's best wing player.

Speaker 4 (56:20):
They ready to win.

Speaker 6 (56:21):
Now, what are you in looking at that situation that
you're going into. What are you most excited about about
joining in the Orlando Magic?

Speaker 4 (56:28):
Ah? Man, just.

Speaker 1 (56:33):
I'm just I'm excited like all around, you know, just
to be able to play with the with a young
group of guys that's as that's hungry. You know what
I'm saying that that's had a taste of the playoffs.
You know what I'm saying. Cleveland to Game seven, yea,
you know they know what it takes. H and just
talking to a few guys. You know, a mindset, you know,

(56:54):
is it's about winning. You know, it's not oh I'm
this guy, I'm that guy. It's just winning basketball games
and then trying to get to that point of winning
the championship.

Speaker 4 (57:05):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (57:06):
But I'm just most excited just just to play with
them guys on on on this defensive end. Man, just
they finished top with you know, three or five you know, defensively,
Uh and Sugs man made defensive team.

Speaker 4 (57:23):
Know, just them guys, you know, just that length.

Speaker 1 (57:26):
I'm excited to just man to see how team is gonna,
you know, try to try to play against this you know, Uh,
it's gonna be tough.

Speaker 6 (57:36):
You just mentioned Sugs, so you know, joining the Orlando Magic,
Suggs is there who's really good defender.

Speaker 4 (57:44):
Obviously we know what you came up.

Speaker 6 (57:45):
By the way, I must say I saw you guard
when you were in Detroit in particular, and I don't
know if you remember this game. It was at the
Palace and then you did it again at the Oracle.
But I saw you probably guard Steph is good. I've
ever seen that one guard stuff. I remember the game
and I remember one for two.

Speaker 5 (58:05):
Yeah, and I was just like, man, I can't screen
this dude, Like.

Speaker 4 (58:12):
I couldn't believe you guarded him that well. And that's
when I knew, like, yo, this dude is different defensively.

Speaker 1 (58:19):
But like that didn't even even I didn't even know
when I had that, you know what I'm saying, Like.

Speaker 4 (58:24):
It clicked my sophomore year in college, like.

Speaker 1 (58:28):
Where my freshman year, I didn't even I was playing
outside of my position. I was playing three guard and
you know two thousand college in first half you come
on on the bench, right, So that was me like
my whole freshman year. So I'm like, man, I want
to play, you know what I'm saying. I'm tired of
sitting out here, and something just click. You know, next year,

(58:48):
I'm going the best team player and I'm actually moving
my feet stand in front of these guys against steals
and I've never worked on defense like that, you know
what I'm saying, Like it's just like I'm just click
in my head where like, no, this is your skill
right here, like this is where you best at you
score the ball, you know what I'm saying, But like

(59:08):
your mind setting how it works.

Speaker 4 (59:11):
Defense works first then the offense. You know what I'm saying.
And I just just carried that on.

Speaker 1 (59:15):
You know when I got to Detroit, No, I uh,
it didn't happened to my second year where like Staying
came over.

Speaker 4 (59:23):
That's when I was going the best player every night.
You know what I'm saying. It just got.

Speaker 1 (59:28):
I just got stronger, I got better at it, you
know what I'm saying. I started learning watching the film.
You know what I'm saying, and all that you know,
gu ties into it. But like that didn't happen like
just like it just happened, Like I don't know what
they just clicked.

Speaker 4 (59:43):
So what you're not being with the magic? Does that
give you all the best defensive backcard in the league.

Speaker 1 (59:48):
Yeah, I said that in my press conference. Don't be surprised.
You see me in sub zones some all defensive team
next year. So I posted made it this year too,
you know.

Speaker 4 (59:59):
What I'm saying. But like I don't know how that works.

Speaker 6 (01:00:03):
Man, somebody got to move over because I wasn't qualified
to make it this year. I'm not getting suspended next year,
of course not make it.

Speaker 4 (01:00:11):
So somebody got to move over, That's all I'm saying.
I'm just gonna I mean a.

Speaker 1 (01:00:15):
Lot of guys on there that I felt like I
was no better than no defensively wise. You know that
was on there. You know, first team, You know that,
I feel like that was solid. You know who they
had up there? Uh, like second team you got at
least considering you know what I'm saying, k CP for sure.

Speaker 4 (01:00:32):
You know, k CP do his thing.

Speaker 5 (01:00:35):
I respect that fran just got his extension.

Speaker 6 (01:00:42):
Obviously, Paulo's next up to break the bank.

Speaker 4 (01:00:47):
What do you see.

Speaker 6 (01:00:50):
That needs to happen with this team in order for
it to take that next step? Like got the game seven,
lost to Cleveland. That's that's great for a young team.
But a lot of teams get stuck right there. Yeah,
what needs to happen with this young team to ultimately
take that next step?

Speaker 4 (01:01:10):
I feel like they got the formula already, you know
what I'm saying. I feel like they Uh. One of
the reasons they bringing me over.

Speaker 1 (01:01:17):
I feel like they didn't have a lot of shooting
you know what I'm saying where you know, you put
you put a lot on you know, Paulo and Vonn
you know, to make plays.

Speaker 4 (01:01:26):
No, but you also got to have God, they're gonna
be ready to knock down their shot too.

Speaker 1 (01:01:30):
Uh And it was like a lot of uh inexperience
as well.

Speaker 4 (01:01:35):
You know they're young.

Speaker 1 (01:01:36):
You know, it's the first time they're making it, you know,
as a young crew of your core. You know, Like
I was like surprised they went to Game seven, you know,
but seeing how they was, the toughness, know, the effort they.

Speaker 4 (01:01:50):
Gave, man like they made it. It made my decision easy,
you know what I'm saying to come to Orlando, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:01:56):
Uh uh and they wanted me is just as bad
as you know saying I wanted to know to be
able to join their team, you know, and what I
can add so like that that made it easier for
like you need to make my decision, Like I'm excited
about these guys, Like it's.

Speaker 4 (01:02:11):
Just they got the formula, just just needed you.

Speaker 1 (01:02:16):
Know what I'm saying, Like, like I said, just shooting,
I would say, just watching from them, watching them through
the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (01:02:23):
Man, my brother, I appreciate you.

Speaker 6 (01:02:25):
My dog coming on the show has been an honest
in here having this conversation talking to you about your journey. Man,
it's like, obviously I've been on one team and never
had to make those adjustments. And it's always interesting to
me to hear that journey because like I am, I
keep everything the same, Like I don't. I don't adjust

(01:02:47):
to change well. And so to see like guys do that,
I have a tremendous amount of respect like I struggle
with like, oh man, it's a new coach, it's a
new trainer in the training room, it's a it's you know,
it's a.

Speaker 4 (01:03:02):
New stream coach. Like I struggled with those things, and so.

Speaker 1 (01:03:06):
I said, it's a hard adjustment, you know, no matter
you don't know what you're walking into. You know how
the team, how the organization is, Like how like the
trainers are you know.

Speaker 4 (01:03:16):
Everybody around you?

Speaker 1 (01:03:17):
Uh, But like I would say, every team I've been on,
either it's somebody that came with me previous team, or
I'm going to a team where I know someone you understand,
which made it easier, you know what I'm saying, to
be able to just come over there and like just
fit right in.

Speaker 4 (01:03:33):
You know, I know one person all I know everybody else.
Uh and every team I've been on. I like it's
been that way. So Alex Crew.

Speaker 1 (01:03:43):
So one of my my good friends. Man, today I
got traded. I signed with LA I didn't know he
was playing with the G League team and I played
against him in college.

Speaker 4 (01:03:53):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (01:03:53):
So like's just having them type of like friendship, you know,
and like people that you know. Man helps out a
lot when when when you're adjusting to new teams and
new cities.

Speaker 6 (01:04:03):
Getting traded, you know, having like with Cools, having brid
there is about the only thing that saved washing it.

Speaker 4 (01:04:13):
I appreciate you man.

Speaker 6 (01:04:16):
Brother from the resort world, we appreciate y'all to it
And now Vegas baby Peace.

Speaker 1 (01:04:34):
The volume