September 29, 2022 • 60 mins
Doug discusses Damon Stoudemire being passed over by the Celtics to step in for suspended Ime Udoka, and former Arizona point guard - and Bundesliga MVP - Parker Jackson-Cartwright discuss his hoops background growing up in SoCal, his experience at Arizona, what he learned practicing against TJ McConnell, what it was like watching the DeAndre Ayton scandal unfold in real time, and how he was able to establish himself as a European pro and win MVP in Germany.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hey, what up. Welcome in. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is
all ball. You're gonna love this talk with my man
Parker Jackson Cartwright of course, so Cal born and red
basketball player who went on to play four years as
a starting point guard at the University of Arizona. What's
it like to make it overseas. I don't know if
you guys know, but in Germany last year he was
(00:27):
the player of the year in the first Division in Germany.
And that's back playing first division in France. We'll get
all of his thoughts on what it was like at Arizona.
When the DeAndre Ayton got a hundred grand news dropped
right before they played Oregon. You guys remember that, um
m asked Parker about it. Great dude, interesting story, how
he regained his confidence. He became really a star playing
(00:47):
overseas and he's very young. He's got a long career
ahead of Before we get to that, the story of
basketball right now revolves around Emay Udoka and I look,
I mean I think him of how we covered it
in the media was embarrassing, you know, like blaming everybody
except for email Judoka, who accepted responsibility. And yeah, But
(01:08):
the interesting part is how it affects the Celtics um.
Everyone I know in that organization says, Joe Mazilla's Joe
Massoula is a dude. He'll be great, He'll handle it great.
I just can't stop thinking, why didn't they give it
to Damon Stodemeyer, who was a star in the league,
has been a head coach, two things that Joe Massoula
hasn't done. It's a It's a little bit of a
curious um decision for me because I thought Damon was
(01:33):
ahead of him in the pecking order, but apparently he
is not. And and this is a hard one to
walk into because it feels a little bit like when
Kyrie Irving came back after missing the playoffs because he
had his his knee that remember the mesh was replaced
or what I was was was problematic, he had that
infection in his knee. With the Celtics and they go
(01:54):
to the Eastern Conference Finals in the next year, they
lose early, and you know, Kyrie, you know it's the
we are better without you. We can Joe Missoula, get
over that we were better without you. Think even if
they weren't always great, with Emay, they ended up in
the NBA Finals, and so the perception is this perception
becomes reality. The perception is that Emay turned around. Emay
is the reason that they were so good at the
(02:15):
end of the year. Um. I think it's a really
hard job for for Joe, very very difficult, and I
also would I'm not anybody who's critical of the Celtics.
It's it's one of those situations there's no guide booked for.
But all you can do is share as much as
people are comfortable with. But you can't share too much,
and you can't share nothing at all, especially if you're
(02:35):
gonna make some sort of dramatic move like suspending your
head coach for a year with no set plan for
if he'll come back or if he won't come back.
Most people think you won't come back, But I don't
understand why you wouldn't just cut ties. There has to
be something in terms of termination for cause and how
they're going about it, why they haven't terminated him yet,
(02:57):
or maybe it's just they really like him and they
like him to coach, but right now it's not possible.
You've gotta suspend it for a year and see what
happens if the dust dies down. Because because here's the
other thing that people don't think about. If they don't
do well and they don't want to retain Joe Massoula
as their head coach and they wanted to move back
to being insistent coach, Like do we think that works?
(03:18):
Bringing him back works? Because then, well what happens with
women in the organization? How somebody purports uff it doesn't
actually matter. Again, I'm not saying I say this, but
others will say winning is all that matters, and they've
brought him back to win. The big thing to keep
in mind is the Nets should be better, the Hawks
should be better, the Heat should be good, the Calves
(03:38):
should be better. Umhol was the Sixers should be better.
So so the East, and I haven't you know, there's
other I don't know about the Hornets and what they
look like. There's obviously gonna be other challengers out of
the East that one would think have improved. Um, I mean,
like the East has been and we haven't talked about Milwaukee.
Milwaukee should be very good. So you got all those
(04:00):
teams and yet the Celtics went to the NBA Finals.
What happens this year? And instead of looking at it
in a cylinder in linear fashion. Hey, do they have
better players or worse players? Or look who they've added?
And I do they They've added a quality backup point guard,
maybe even quality starting point guard. Um, I don't know
(04:20):
if they're the better because of it, because the field
is much more difficult. All right, more to come on
the Celtics stuff, but let's dig in. Here's my my
talk with Parker Jackson car right, who joined me from France.
I want to get to you your incredible year you
had last year, right, which is the culmination of a
lot right right, Um, But where did all start? Like
(04:43):
you first started playing basketball, you got your search your
memory banks. Where did you first to I mean start?
I mean the start was six years old, you know,
with John Fisher, who masters Uh you know I was
playing up with my brother because he was He's three
years older than me, and you know, John Fisher would
(05:06):
always have me playing up with older kids. So I
kind of just got my start there. Um, And I
got thrown into the fire early. You know, I had
to be I was tested, I was challenged at a
young age and it was you know, it all worked
out for me, so so you're you're playing up at
six years old? What level were you playing like eight? You? Yeah,
(05:28):
I think what you're playing nine and under at that time?
You know, I don't think I ever played my age.
And as I got older, you know, when I was
on John Fisher's like when I when I had my
own team, you know, we were playing up in tournaments.
So it was just like always that thing of being
(05:48):
thrown into a like a competitive environment with kids that
are supposed to be bigger and better than I think
you learned a lot of lessons in that would I
would agree, But I mean, like you're like, you're not
big now, you weren't up right, I mean, so, what
what was that like to always be the smallest? Do
(06:12):
you know? I never really felt like I was. I always, know,
always the smallest. I'm always, always have been the smallest
player on the floor anywhere I've been. But I never
felt like that. You know, I thought that, you know
if I just always felt like I stood out in
a way, um playing smart basketball, playing within myself, you know,
(06:34):
not trying to be too much or anybody else that
um I'm not supposed to be, and it just worked
for me. I think you know, you play with that
chip on your shoulder, you feel like you belong. It
doesn't get to you that much. You just kind of
do what you gotta do, and it always works for me.
So you're your first high school you went to was Oila, right,
(06:56):
which is all boys school. Yeah, what why they're Well,
my brother went there. It's very prestigious school in l A. Um.
I grew up really watching him, so I was like,
you know, Loyola is the school and I feel like
my brother went there. I always looked up to him.
(07:17):
He had so much success, and I kind of just
followed suit. And you know, I don't think coming out
of middle school I really wanted to go anywhere else.
It was either Loyola or nothing. And you know, my
my dad was raised Catholic, so Loyola's obviously a prestigious
Catholic all boys school, and it just made sense at
(07:39):
the time. Um, everything kind of just checked out and
I felt like I could have that same similar success
that my brother did, even more just watching you were
if I remember correctly, you're really highly counted. Right, everybody
knew like you're Hooper and then didn't you miss on me?
It was your sphing your junior year with it with
your foot or the stress fac true, it was that
(08:01):
would have been my sophomore year. I missed all that time,
maybe like a few months during the season cause I
started the season, we had that preseason tournament, and then
I didn't play until like the end of league play.
So yeah, I dealt with some foot injuries throughout my
whole high school career. I mean that was that was rough.
But that's hard, right when you're a hooper and it's
(08:24):
all you've done. All of a sudden, they're like, no,
you can't hoop, but you can't run, right, You gotta learned.
You I have food problems at shin splints. I'm wearing
a boot every other week. It so like, you know,
but it was just a part of that journey, you know,
when you um, when you went to Sierra Canyon. People
(08:46):
here Sierra Canyon now and they think it's always been,
but it hasn't always been like you were kind of
and then tell me if I'm wrong. You were kind
of that first wave of dudes to go to Sierra Canyon,
weren't you. Yeah, Yeah, I mean I was. I started
early pretty much. I was there in the fifth grade,
(09:07):
you know, when Sarah was still Sarah Kenyon, but not
like it is now. And then obviously when it's time
to come to high school, the high school wasn't like it.
You know, all it's built up to be now with
the gym and you know all the kids going there
that you that you kind of know. But um, yeah,
I feel like I'm part of that first group, that
(09:27):
first wave that had a big party in building. You know,
just that that cloud song so forth? But did you
did you not even play there? Right? Like? No, I didn't.
So wait, okay, So to take me through how this
all went down, right, you get down with your junior
year and what happens. I didn't want to done with
(09:48):
my junior year at Loyola, right and then now now
it's my senior year. I go into my senior year.
I'm there to play that you played that summer with
who I played as something with? How spring? Okay? We
had just come on, who's on my team? Who's on
that team? That team had Peyton Day strip Aaron Holiday Ziland,
(10:15):
cheat them. You know we made a good Ryan Peace Jam.
You know I was a good team in the previous year.
The summer before that, I played with Marcus Lee, Torn
Jones and Jordan Matthews Niga Williams. Cause so we finished
my junior summer, go to my senior year. I'm only
there half semesters, so I don't I don't remember how
(10:39):
many games we played. But you know, after after that
half se met that first semester, that's when the season
starts to get you know for real. You know, you're
you're in the league play you're about to get the playoffs.
So I have the incident, the academic incident, and then
what was the academic So all right, there's a three
strike will at Loyola and you know, over the course
(11:03):
of four years, you know, I had, you know, two
strikes um going into my going into that the last
time that I got penalized, which was for an art incident,
um plagiarized plagiarism type of thing. So would you do
I mean, like, it's dude, you're a professional BASKETBA player.
(11:24):
It's eight years ago. Yeah, I mean I think the
first I think the first thing I it was like
it was a homework fraud and it's a it's a
very prestigious school, so it's like, yeah, they're very changed.
You read something you didn't change the wording well enough,
so they said, didn't change the wording. So it's like,
(11:44):
so that's one. And then the second time was it
was a plagiarism fraud. You know you're you know you
not just saying that was so much intentional, but you know,
you're writing a paper and you're going through I forget
that we you seen your paper in and it kind
of checks. I forget that program. But obviously you're not
getting past that system. So that was my second dean.
(12:08):
And then the third time was it was art class
and I didn't do the assignment, but I just took
somebody else's assignment turned in his mind. So that's the
that's the third time. And say that I caught out
a class. Um, I remember that day, so okay, so
tell me about this day. Okay. So and and so
(12:29):
people understand you're being recruited by U C l A
and Arizona. Had you committed Arizona at that point, I
had committed to Arizona, My junie, you're committed to Ariazon.
You're going to Arizona. Played for Sean Miller, right, And
all of a sudden they come into what class to
get you? They come into my art class. I mean,
(12:50):
I'm in the class, you know, and you know the
tone of Dean, you know, and it's not good. And
I kind of just felt that energy. Knew it wasn't good,
but I didn't know, not thinking, oh what what did
I do? What is one of my in trouble for?
So you get to the office, get to beings obvious,
(13:11):
he tells you what's going on. Um, now you know
what you're up against because this is the third time
and I don't know what's gonna happen. So obviously they
call my parents. My parents upset, you know, it's a
it's just a very crazy thing now because now what
you know, I'm supposed to go to practice after school
and like we're I think now we're our last stretch
(13:32):
of league and then the playoffs. WHI we're gonna be
in because we've got Thomasquils, Max Hazard, myself. We had
a good team. And I just remember how all of
it happening so fast, Like Okay, now I can't finish
at the school. I have to take classes at a
community college if I want to get my diploma. Um,
(13:53):
and obviously I was, you know, well liked at Loyola
had a lot of friends. I was, you know, everyone
knew the situation, and uh so they didn't. They weren't
gonna let me finish school there, but they said I
could get my diploma if I go to a community
college and finished classes. So I just told I didn't.
(14:16):
I didn't. Obviously, I didn't feel like that was the
best option for me. So, you know, Sya Kenyon, I
got a lot of leves here. You know, they opened
their arms and they they let me back, and they
brought me back. They already you know, they reached out
to my dad to bring me back, and that was
you know, that was very great. When did you when
you talk to coach Miller within that within that time frame,
(14:40):
I think within those days where I was trying to
figure out what I was gonna do, because I had
a hearing at Loyola, you know, just to see if
I could stay in school in front of the board. Um,
so we talked if it happened. I think it happened.
The situation happened Friday, and I had a hearing maybe
the next day, so we talked, Um, what do you say?
(15:03):
So song was fine? I mean, obviously, you know there's
some disappointment and but he but he held my hand
through that situation and he was very strong, and you know,
he didn't waiver. He didn't waiver. Man, he he kind
of stuck with me and just that support. I knew,
if I didn't know before, if it was a good decision,
(15:24):
I knew after that, and the way he handled it
was was great. Can I give you mine? What I mean,
my senior, you love this? Yeah? So I had to
take typing class. I'd already committed another day and Notre
Dame incredibly prestigious academic institution, so I had to take
(15:45):
a typing class. I know that type. And what you
have to understand is that the difference in our age ages. Um.
You know, this is before the internet and used to
have to as you just had to type all your papers,
even be at a computer. It was more for word
processing than anything. So I'm gonna say, like the third
(16:06):
week of typing class, and it's dreadful. The teacher is
not particularly engaging, and she doesn't like athletes, and a
bunch of US athletes who were just trying to get
this stuff right. So she's you show up a class
and she's already pregnant, and like three weeks in she
goes on maternity leave and she's gonna be gone for
(16:27):
the semester, and like the assistant or head soccer coaches
like your your your teacher. We're like up top, this
is awesome. So we had and I had another teammate
named Sammy Greece and Sammy are knew how to type,
and basically the teacher would take we take his order
(16:48):
or whatever you want to eat, and then we'd all
pool in money and we use typing class to go
get food and we'd play like organ Trails or some
kind of computer game. So we're like, this is the
easiest thing ever. We'll get a's he's happy. Two weeks
to go in semester, she comes back early return from maternity,
(17:08):
but we're like, oh shit. So I come up with
an idea that um to take the final typing exam,
all you have to do is show her your words
for a minute, and then at some point during the
day she has to come behind you and watch you
use your fingers. Correct it's not it doesn't have to
(17:31):
be at the same time. Too many kids. She can't
sit there while you do the test and watch you
type right, So she goes up and she says like
fifty two words a minute. Alright, good, that's and then
she goes around and she's gonna watch you type, So
we do is somebody else does my test? My my buddy,
Raphael Lazarrea does my test because he knows how to type.
And then he's actually seated next to me, and we
(17:52):
switched the keyboard. Instead of it plugging into my screen,
it plugs into his and his plugs into mind. So
while she's watching me type, you're taking this thing where
you know, like you get hit the right letters, and
he's looking over my shoulder. He's typing right here and
making sure we get all the right letters. So it
all marries up. So I'm using the fingers and doing
(18:14):
it and he's actually doing the typing, and she has
no idea mean, while his commuters going because she's not
paying attention to that, right, So we're like straight everybody's
getting We're good. And then somebody knocked on us, and
I remember that walk, like you go into the vice
principal's office and you're like, oh, ship, like this is bad, bad, bad,
(18:37):
this is not like and it was before my senior
year and you know, like I just signed a scholarship,
like this ship is bad, so I gotta c in typing.
They made me retake everything and I end up getting
a C and typing. I was Fortunately I was at
a public school that I didn't have to go anywhere else.
So that's my that's my that's my story. Yeah, I
(18:59):
feel like it happened. It happens, It happens, man. Fox
Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
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s R to listen live. You show up at Arizona,
and what was it like Arizona? You know, I didn't
(19:23):
visit any other school for you know, pretty much on visit,
so I knew what I was going into. I knew
the school. I knew, you know, how I was gonna
fit in UM. And when when I get there, it's like, okay,
you know it's different because I I went, you know,
(19:44):
you got to all boys school, and although I went
to a co ed school my last semester, it's like, okay,
now it's on a bigger scale, you know, in college
and you know, now you're you're on a team with
guys like t J. McConnell and Stanley Johnson. So the
team is really a good uh you know, and this
is just a whole new experience you away from your
(20:06):
parents and I'm like, wow, this is like a dream almost.
You know, Arizona and that year was really surreal, man.
I mean people were unlucky to make the tournament, you know,
in four years. You know, I got to go and
almost make the final four that year. So and I
(20:28):
made a tournament every year I was there. So, I
mean Arizona was I thought the best fit for me,
um logistically being a student and a basketball player at
the time, because you know, my parents could come to
all my games, which they were. My dad was at
every game, um, which was very important to me. And
(20:50):
I mean they say college of the best years of
your life, and granted they were. I mean I had
a lot of fun, but um, I just think the
experience kind of it grew on me as I got older,
and you know, it was just it was unreal experienced.
Um what do you remember? What? What what was it
(21:12):
like to go against t J McConnell on a daily basis?
That guy just his motor is incredible. I mean, he
he stays at a level and he was just you know,
you talk about not being the most like skilled player,
(21:35):
but he has skill, and then he has this like
undeniable like gritting him and it's like that guy, he
may be better because he was just not gonna give
me anything, you know, like he was watching so so
like you know, when you get to college and you
played cal Supreme, played Loyal, played at the highest level
(21:56):
of au phm and basketball that you could pass to play,
and so you all everybody thinks, like I'm used to
going up against dudes, I'm used to playing hard, and
then you get there and here's a grown ass man
who plays way harder than you ever thought possible, right.
I mean he was a fifth year or maybe he
was six, and I mean every day it was a
(22:22):
it was a dog fight. I mean, you're trying to
guard him. He's super smart, and he's got one of
the best like mid range pull ups something I've ever
been around. Defensively, he's gonna pick you up full core,
like I mean, just going and get him in practice.
And then you know, at the time, I was playing
on like ten or twelve minutes, so I get to
(22:44):
watch him in the game, and I mean he's not
afraid of anything anybody. So I mean that team was
really special at rond As Hollis Jefferson on it. Who
was crazy? That guy was just She's like t J
but six eight, you know, long arms, defensive like crazy.
(23:07):
So I mean, learning from those guys and see him
in a year before, seeing what they almost did jumping
into that, it was like, I really had to step
up a level and mature really quickly. Why couldn't you
guys get over that hump? That's a good question. I
just say it's a it's a it's a combination of
(23:30):
you know, you need you need a little up on
your side. You know, we're we're in the lead eight,
we're playing Wisconsin, we're up the whole game. You know,
we're going in a halftime, and you know, like the
trajectory of a game and like how it's gonna go
based on how you're playing and how they are. We
feel like we had them figured out. They were a
good team. They had Kaminski and they had Decker. Obviously
(23:52):
they were experienced, but we felt like we were better.
That's a game we're supposed to get. You feel like
and you own, you missed some shots, they get hot
and the ball bounces their way and then and then
that's how it happens. Um. I think Sean Sean Miller
(24:12):
is one of the the best minds in basket college basketball.
But you know, I just think sometimes, like I said,
you need things to go your way, and you know,
it just didn't go away. Um. The next year, t
J is gone and you start some come out the
(24:33):
bench some what was that experience, Like, well, now you
now your team is different, you know, you still have
guys from a previous year, and you know, I felt
like I was supposed to take the jump that I
felt like I was supposed to, you know, being a
player that I was like in high school, like you
(24:55):
know that everybody knew um, and obviously the ball was
more of my hands. You know, we had Condee Mallon,
but I was more of a different type of player
than him. So I thought, you know, this was gonna
be like a year for myself to really break out.
Everyone has that breakout year in college basketball. Um, But
(25:16):
I never really found I never really found my footing.
I had some good games and I had some glimpses
of like okay, you know, I can. I can be
a good league guard in college basketball on Arizon this team, Um,
but I just never quite broke through. Not saying I
didn't have a good season, but you know, I felt
(25:39):
like for myself, it wasn't what I thought I expected
or what others expected. You know, never really broke through
and had games and had glimpses, but never really got
over the hump as a team. We never really got
over as a hump. And then you get to the
tournament and then you're bouncing thinking on in the first round. Yeah, prob,
(26:00):
that was the story of our season. Um. Okay, so
I won't name names, but your junior year there was
a player that kind of tripped out right that I was.
The story I was told was, um, he liked came
(26:24):
into the practice one day without his shoes and they're like, bro,
your shoes are in your locker and he was just
completely out of it. Like there there have been some
dudes that had some weird stuff go on that in
those next couple of years. Yeah, there, what's that? Like
what what what's what's go ahead? I won't say another word,
(26:47):
but uh, you know, it's it's that, it's that thing
of like you never realize what's happening around you, and
see you're in it. And so many, so many things
happened in those last really three years. You know we're
(27:08):
starting from my sophomore year till the end. It was
gave me one thing happened software, Um, well you have this,
you have the story with Ellie Pitts, um my Elliot
Pitts and then you So for people who don't remember,
(27:28):
what's the story, Well, I don't know. I don't know
the details of the story. You know, it's a it's
a misconduct situation. You know, I don't know that the
details I never you know, kind of kind of just
he was really one of my good friends, one of
the best teammates I've ever had. Right, so, so something
(27:49):
like that goes down and like now you're on the
opposite side of it, like when high school it involves you,
you know what it feels like, it's academics now you know,
like right, so, now now you know you're a player
on the team. Um, you know, and it's like it's
after a big win and then things happen and now
(28:11):
your seasons, like you now your season is changing and
everything around you was changing. So you know, you deal
with that your sophomore year and then obviously a junior year,
Alonzo Trier is going through his his deal with n
C a UM and it's just like, you know, we
can't catch a break. Arizona can't catch a break. Our
(28:32):
players can't catch a break. So it was it was
always something. But I think, you know, we did a
good job of kind of keeping it, keeping it together
in some way. You know, the guys that were going
through their things, they kept it together, and I think
that's kind of just a reflection of them and the program.
(28:53):
Arizona's party school. It's basketball school, but also a party school. Right,
how do you How did you manage that? How do
I manage it? I mean I have fun. I have fun.
I definitely have fun. You know, um, you're not gonna
you're not gonna get around it, meaning like you're in it,
(29:15):
So you have to find a balance. I thought I
did a good job of finding a balance. You know,
I've never been a huge party kind of guy. Obviously,
you know it was different. You got to college, You're
gonna party like you're on your own. You're gonna make
some questionable decisions like that's just what it is, and
I definitely went out and enjoyed the perks of being
(29:38):
a a college athlete UM on on great teams UM.
But yeah, I think I would get myself a poundment
back for managing it the best way UM and having
a great support system. I didn't go outside of myself
and do things that I knew would hurt myself for
(29:58):
my team or my family. His name, your senior year
is the is the year where you guys you got
a chance, right you got DeAndre Aden your your starting
point guard. You know I've been there four years. M
Where were you when the DeAndre story came out? Remember
rosact where you were? Yeah? I was with my girlfriend
(30:23):
at the time. I was her apartment and I'm just
reading it on the phone, like Twitter comes across Twitter.
I'm like, whoa, you know that's it's just like I said,
it happened so fast. You give Twitter the now you're
hearing your something school okay, but so so, but take
(30:46):
me through what that's actually like to be a part of.
It comes out on Twitter, right that he was getting
a hundred grad Okay, So I'm just it comes out,
it's not it was on social media that I don't
maybe it wasn't, but it was social for sure, definitely
social media. And then it was an ESPN story, right,
and that was anybody talked about you at your girlfriend's apartment?
(31:09):
You guys, is there a group text? Does somebody call you? Like?
What what are you guys doing with? I mean, it's
it's a it's a it's a group text within our team.
And then it's that long daunting weight of Okay, coach
is gonna sit out a message, and then officials sit
(31:30):
on a message. So it's like, now we have to
play kind of damage control in a way. Um, So
the news comes out and then you know, obviously have
a meeting, and at that time, it's like, okay, so
we're still in our season, so we have to play
(31:51):
organ I think that the next game was like yeah, yeah,
so we're on the road. We're supposed to go on
the road and play the game. And it was a
great game. We should have won the game, you know,
And that was another situation of like, Okay, we're you know,
we're dealing with this, but we still have to play basketball.
(32:11):
And I thought we handled fall intense purposes what anybody
else thought on the outside, I thought we held it
together the best we could. We Elens a Roman who
was on the staff. Um, you know, he was a
great voice, and stuff happens and you have to prepare
for those things. When do you, guys? Was there ever?
(32:34):
Did you get any money? Did you did you guys
start asking like I have to ask you what did
you get? I mean not within the team, but it's
like now outside chatters coming in and you're like, oh,
you know, what did you get? Did you get anything?
Did you did you get a card? Your parents died?
Your mom in a car? You know, everyone is is
saying something, you know, because it just it's a trickling effect,
(32:58):
you know. Now it's not just younger Aidens, everybody involved.
So what was it like for for him? For DeAndre?
And it's just a freshman obviously a really well respected player,
he's you know, he was having a good year. What
was that like? What what was as a as his
point guard? Was it? Like? I mean, I tried to
I tried to just help him through it. It's best
(33:18):
as as I could, um, you know, seeing him go
through it. I think at the time he was a
freshman and he wasn't as mature as he was is now.
But saying that is a compliment because he handled it
like he never really showed, you know, like like he
(33:42):
was very stressed or you know, he kind of just
kept it together. He's a very like lively dude. He's
not a down kind of guy. Move around getting your feelings.
So he handled it well. And I think because he
handled it so well, we were allowed to just move forward,
you know. And in an Oregon game he played really well.
(34:03):
I thought that was one of his best games that
I've seen him, do you know, Jumper Dunce, you know anything,
everything you've see now. So I think because he handled
it well and in the in the way he you know,
gave us the confidence that we can handle it well,
I think it was Okay. What's what's amazing about it is?
(34:27):
Um So you know, you guys lose that game in
uh was in overtime kind of huh? It was double
I think double overtime, Yeah, double overtime. And that was
your second straight You played Organ State in overtime, and
you played Organ and overtime both on that same trip, right,
and then you come back, you beat Stanford, you beat
(34:49):
cal mhmm, you win the Pack twelve tournament. So there's
a lot of people that look and they see the
loss to Buffalo and like, well they lost to Buffalo
because of the DeAndre Aten deal and it was a distraction,
but like it was such a distraction had you win
the pact of the tournament, All right, what what what
happened against Buffalo? We we weren't I'm not gonna say
(35:14):
we weren't prepared, because that's not the deal. We didn't
master their toughness. I mean, those guys, I don't know
if you've seen the tvt but like they've got that
same team, you know, Wes Clark, C. J. Massenburg, and
I think they played us. They played a different style
than us, and obviously we started to seven footers. You know,
(35:36):
they played small, played right, so they played small and
they're playing like five out. Even their center wasn't making
threes and there's it's hard when you bring okay, you
have lightning quick guards like they did and then three
bigs who were like dribbling and putting the ball on
the floor. Um. But I think more so they they
(36:01):
out tucked us. You know, we didn't match anything that
that they have for us. And obviously it's the n
c A tournament. It's one shot. If you don't match,
then you're gonna lose. It doesn't matter where you play it,
no matter who you are, you gotta you gotta come
out and really play. We didn't what what was the
(36:22):
locker room like? Because because you know, we always focused
on the team that pulls off the upset m hm.
But for you four years of the program, and yes,
it just again you weren't playing poorly. You just won
the pack towel tournament. Yeah, you just won the pack
towel tournament. And now all of a sudden you talk
about it being fast like it's over. That's it. You
(36:43):
will not put on the Arizona uniform again. What was it?
What was that locker room like? It was tough. It
was really tough. Um, you know, even being on the
bench those last seconds watching the time take down, it's like, man,
this one really asked and then like everything comes in
(37:03):
to reality and you know, that was a really good team.
So that locker room was just kinda it was we
were like we obviously had that moment of like okay, man,
this this sucks. But you know, after that, you know,
we we came together. But it was tough. You know
(37:24):
you have you have guys that are done, and you
know we're leaving and after such us, after such a
long season, with all the things that we've been through,
it's like but we didn't make excuses. We just we
rallied around each other and we walked out of there
(37:45):
with our his heart. So what was what? What was
your next summer and your decision like to play in
the I think you played G League right away or
what was that next? The next summer and season? Like well,
I don't think a lot of people know, but I
so after that game, maybe like a week later, I
(38:08):
hadn't had a leg pain towards the end of season,
even before the Packwall tournament, I'm like, my leg, I
don't know what's going on, Like I can't really jump
off of it, off of just like one leg. But
it wasn't like in my mind serious enough to where
I'm gonna shut it down. So after the season, I
go get an X ray and I have a tibial
(38:31):
stretch fracture that I have been playing with for maybe
could have been weeks, could have been months, I don't know.
So that's a serious that's a significant injury. I mean
to be a stretch fracture without certain I mean, without surgeries,
a fifteen months healing process shorter maybe more or less,
(38:52):
depending on you know, how it heals. But so opted
not to get surgery after that, After that X ray,
I was just gonna let it heal um. And you know,
I had seen doctors in l A like Okay, I'm
getting mixed information, like you to definitely get surgery or
(39:13):
it might not heal. It might not heal. You might
not be able to play if you don't get the surgery.
And it's like, okay, the surgery you have to stick
a ride through your leg, your knee and you know,
get that metal ride. And I was just I kind
of didn't want to do that, so I just opted
to to let heal um. But I ended up going
(39:35):
to training camp with Toronto, not particularly knowing that I
had the injury. But I thought that, okay, if I
just rehab and because I didn't want to miss that
much time, you know, And I felt like in my
mind I was putting this on morang pressure on myself
(39:56):
to just Okay, you know, this is my life, this
is what I have to do. So I was just
gonna stick with it. And I went to Toronto and
they took an X ray like a you know, a
normal check, and they're like, you can't play broken broken leg.
We're not gonna let You're not gonna put you out
in training camp. So I got cut and then came
(40:17):
back rehab for a few months until February. Then I
went to New York League and I was there about
a month and then that didn't work out. And then
the following year what was that? Like? What was here?
Here's the thing with New York and the league is
(40:38):
you played at the very highest level in college and
in Arizona there's never an MPC in the McHale Center
and I I've always thought, and me personally, it was
minor leagues is really hard, just because man, I'm used
to play in front of people that care, and now
(40:58):
you're on a team where nobody cares. They just want
to get the league right. That was really hard for me.
What was the experience like for you and playing in
the in the gym, Yeah, it was unlike anything I've experienced.
Just like you said, not that guys don't particularly care,
it's just like, you know, there's so much involved, like
this guy is gonna play and he's got to play
(41:22):
this amount of menus or you know, just he's been
he's earning his stripes, he's been on this team for
this long, like he's gonna playing. I was playing with
some good players like Billy Garrett was there, um who
was Who's a star on the team at the time.
So coming in I was just I didn't really know
what to expect. I didn't expect to come in and
(41:44):
not play, but you know, I was. It was an
experience for me. How did you how'd you end up
in English? Well, that summer, they they called my Asian
and they were just like, okay, you know, we know
he hasn't played, you know he's coming off an injury,
(42:05):
but we feel like this could be a good start
from And just talking to my family and my brother,
he was like, yeah, this could be a good start.
You gotta start somewhere. And for people that don't know,
like Europe is different, like you have to you have
to start somewhere. Unless you're a guy that's highly touted,
had a great cause career, you know you're not just
going to start at the highest level. Yeah, you have
(42:32):
to build. And I didn't. I didn't know anything English basketball.
But I knew it was. It was great from day one.
I mean it was, you know, not nothing. It couldn't
have went better. Um, I'm in a new country, but
they're speaking English, so the off court is fine and
the basketball was was right up my alley. Let me
(42:54):
be myself and in turn it started something great for
myself and Europe. The coolest thing about living in England,
I would say, London, what about it? But get going
to London just being in a big city, and that's
what I'm used to. I mean you can get lost there.
(43:17):
I was in a good city, Cheshire shoutout Cheshire. Chester
is a great town. But you know it was small, um,
sort like when I'm used to with Tucson, like small,
you know, great fan base, like you know, great food.
I don't know if you've heard of Nando's before, the
big food chain in England. It's like it's like Mediterranean.
(43:42):
It's like chicken, exotic, exotic food. I would say, halloomi cheese.
It's good. So then the next year you go to French, right,
Frances athletic, they get up and down, good style of ball. Right,
what was it like to play there? That was? That
(44:04):
was tough? I think in my whole career. That was
probably the toughest adjustment I've ever had to make because
the pro b France is the league is very physical,
and it's it's a slower pace. It's very in turn
like some some ways methodical. So I had to really
(44:26):
learn how to like slow down, you know, you know,
change change speeds and and think a little bit more.
Um while I while I was playing through the physicality,
you know, because pro A is more physical, which I
mean now, I mean it's more athletic. Sorry, yea. So
those first few months I had to figure it out.
(44:47):
I mean I didn't think that it was gonna work, honestly,
you know that the style just everything because you know,
now I'm going from England, English speaking country, I'm right
my element. Now I'm going to France. I don't speak French. Um,
you know, coaches really on my ass in a good way,
but it's on my ass and I'm trying to figure it.
(45:09):
I'm just trying to figure it out. So the first
few months were really tough. But then right after December
I really hit a stride. It was just like something clicked. Um,
what was COVID starting? What was what was COVID there. Oh,
I mean we our season stopped for months and we
(45:29):
were on curfew the whole year six six pm, seven pm,
so on everything with that. On top of that, it's
just like and mild depression, you know, really trying to
watch my mentor because like now I'm in the house,
I gotta be in the house at a certain time.
It's cold. So it was. It was a lot, but
(45:53):
I think that year really it really helped me for
everything that I have to deal with now talking about
your So that's last year was Germany, right, Yeah, and
you were the player of the year in the league,
which is unbelievable. So very goodly, very good Americans. They
love Americans. I love American guards. Where were you? I
(46:16):
was a bond Germany, grat City, Gray City, one of
my favorite cities that I've been. I enjoyed it. I
can't say too much about it. It was a perfect match.
It was close to Cologne's is another great city. So
I think I got to be my full self there
(46:41):
as a player and a person, and then in the
coach really unlocked all of my abilities, you know, just
letting me, letting me be my soulf like I felt
like this is okay, this is how I Did you
know that going in or did it take a while
to be like, oh this is really really good fit. Yeah.
I thought that justment was to the more to the practices,
(47:05):
you know, because our practices are very intense, very quick,
but like intense like high you know high a lot
of five on five, you know, like just up and down,
you know, a lot of competitive, competitive drills. But he
put the ball in my hands from day one, and
(47:26):
he trusted me to make decisions for myself and the team,
and he never you know, he let me play the mistakes,
which was which was a good thing early and I
just kind of was like, Okay, now that I have
that trust, I can just like not think. And that
was That season was probably one of the best seasons
I've had to date. Um On is on a river,
(47:51):
right and it's a big city, three thousand people in it.
You mentioned it's near Cologne. It's like a yeah, I
almost like it. What's the best thing to eat in Bond?
Best thing to eat in Bob Well? I like Italian?
I forget the Italian place. I was always there. It
(48:15):
was an Italian restaurant and I was there a lie
and it was it was like in the city, you know,
a little fancy, fancy Italian. I would say that's the
best because pasta pizza, It's like, that's what I love.
So I would say that's a good spot. Um, I
would recommend it if I had the name. They speak
(48:39):
English there or they was all German. Uh, there's some
English speakers, some English speakers. You can find you speakers everywhere.
But there's a lot of I met and I met
a few Americans in bond like living or going to school,
so that was pretty interesting. Um. And most of the
(49:00):
Germans speak English, so you know, it wasn't a big
It wasn't a big adjustment in that area. And when
your teammates speak English and you're around them miney five
percent at the time, it's it's never that. What What
was it like to be recognized as a player of
the year in the Lake considering all these different things
(49:21):
you've been through, Right, didn't start as much as you
wanted Arizona I had, you had the stress fraction in
your leg. After college, you start in England, right, you
go to Germany your third years a pro your player
of the year in the league. What was that feel like.
(49:41):
I mean, I think sometimes I'm so hard on myself.
I forget to like, Okay, you know I had to
earn that, you know, I had to earn coming back
from injury and sitting out all that time and taking
my knocks getting cut. So it was, um, it was
(50:02):
really emotional. It was really emotional, and you know I
had to I had to really calm myself down. But
you know, it was unreal. It was an unreal feeling,
you know, holding the MVP trophy up. You know, you
never you know, you're good enough player to win that
type of a war. And I knew I was having
this year, but to get that award, you know, that's
(50:25):
a that's a one on one man's MVP like knowing
else has it. So it's like it's specially with your
personal work. Okay, you see all kinds of videos of
guys and getting in their bag or what. But you're
a pronounce right, So your workouts consist of what I said,
(50:48):
I think workhouse consist of like being sharp, not not
being like in the gym for hours, but like locking
in and keenan on things that you need to sharpen.
And my brother works me out on the summers. So
it's like form shooting um mike and drills. It's like
(51:12):
mid range, you know, balance and pull up and deep
range from three UM. It's like it's like those things
that you know are going to be important, especially as
a small guard. You know, I have to be able
to get my shot off. I have to be able
to score in tight spaces and then quickly. So it's
(51:35):
like it's those things that helped me in the summers
that are very important through throughout the season. You mentioned
how well you fit with Germany with your coach, but
then you leave and you go to Aspell. Right now,
that's where you are pro a in French. There's just
too much money. I mean, I think it's just another opportunity,
(51:57):
like a great opportunity. And talk to my coach from
Bond was like, you know, because things happen fast, you
know if you're gonna stay or what's gonna happen next
and as well, you know, they come and they call
and it's like it's as well, man, this is this
is an unreal opportunity. You know, so you have to
(52:17):
it's like you gotta wait to options. But then you
have to be like okay, you know here you have
this opportunity. It's not so much always about the money.
You know, the money is great, but now you can
set yourself up and keep moving up. And you know,
this opportunity was just the best thing for me in
(52:38):
my career, in the step that I needed to take.
You you can say, huh, it wasn't easy though, you know,
because Bonds. Bonds are great club, it's a great team,
it's a great city. Um, in ten years, where will
where will you be? Well, it's funny because if you
(53:00):
asked me that when I first started, where I'll be
in five years, I always said the highest level of Europe,
you know, European basketball. You know, now that I've now
that I'm here, it's like, okay, I just want to
get to the highest level period, whichever that means for me.
You know, maybe I just just keep writing this in
(53:22):
Europe and have a great career. Which would be which
would I would be totally fine with, you know, or
you just never know. I'm only twenty seven. I feel
like if I continue to grow and develop, who knows,
maybe I can play an NBA. UM. I know I
have the talent, I know I have the tools, So
I'm never counting myself out in regard. Just I take
(53:45):
everything as it comes and then I just do what
I do, and you know, I get the recognition from
whoever I feel like I need to get it from.
But I don't have to prove anything to myself. Already
know who I am. You, Um, you can be more
connected obviously with your family because of the internet. Here
(54:07):
we are, you're in you know, you're in France, I'm
in California. We're talking via zoom, like you can do
that stuff, but it's still not home. What's the thing
you missed the most when you're when you're overseas, Mom's cooking.
I mean, you know, it's those little things like being
(54:29):
around your family, you know, because it's ten months like
so it's not it's not an easy It's not an
easy thing by any means. And my family is very connected. Uh,
we're very close, so you know, leaving is always hard,
and then this is my fourth year. You know, it
never gets easier. But um, I feel like I've had
(54:52):
that experience now where Okay, I know I know that
I can deal with it and things will be okay
and come visit. So it's not black life or death
or anything. But I definitely miss being at home, you know,
being around my family because it's different being around and
than seeing him through a camera. Uh. But you know,
(55:16):
I'm lucky we do have technology and that they can't
come and visit, you know, because that really helps, you know,
throughout a long and lessons whatever it is, if you
were if you were going to give advice to Hooper's
because like it's really hard, like what what you're experiencing.
People don't really understand. They're like, well, you're going somewhere
in a different country, you're making money, there's some cool
parts to it. How do you how do you do it?
(55:38):
How do you how do you focus on the positives?
How do you continue to push forward? You know? You also, like,
here's another thing. You're in a poor country when they
don't speak your language, if you're not playing good, they're
all talking about you, but you can't understand them because
they're talking a different language. And they'll do it right
in front of you too. How do you, like, what
would the advice be to a Hooper to get through
(56:00):
the tough times you're playing overseas? Sh I would just
say state of course. I mean, god knows, I've been.
There's always a tough period and in your career every
season when you're overseas, like it could be an adjustment
at the beginning when you first get there. It could
(56:23):
be in the middle of the season around Christmas, but
like it gets better, you know, and you have to
you have to think that way, and you have to
step outside of yourself. You have to. You're gonna be
an uncomfortable positions. But the uncomfortable zone is a great
place because you learn a lot about yourself. Youeling a
(56:45):
lot about what you can deal with, what you can take.
And it's going to be uncomfortable. Like off the rib.
You're in a non speaking English country, not English speaking countries,
so you just have to you have to be nice
to yourself and not be so hard on yourself. You know.
(57:05):
I had to learn that, Like, man, why am I
not figuring this out so quickly? Why why am I?
You know what I mean? But it's like, do what
works for you and don't be afraid to get help
from people, you know, because there are people that have
been in my position before, and I think now more
(57:25):
Americans overseas are starting to form this like bond like
union almost within ourselves. Just like talking about our experiences
and trying to make our lives easier for each other.
Who have you who have you gotten close with it?
You didn't know before this experience, like Hooper's Yeah, Um well,
(57:50):
I feel like I know a lot of people. And
I would say, like guys like Kyle Faller, who's who's
been has been overseas for a long time. He's in
China now, yeah, huge, made huge money. Yeah, way better,
way better post college career than college career. Yeah, He's
(58:10):
kept getting better and he's traveled all over the place.
So yeah, yeah, yeah, So I have like some o
g s that are like overseas. You know that I've
been through everything, and you think like no one's been
through what you have, but they have. And so it's like,
you know, you talk to guys, you play a guy
(58:31):
on the team, you know he's American. It's like you
guys just followed try on Instagram and it's like yo yo,
like and you just start talking and chatting about your
experiences with your team and your city and then you
just be like, man, this is the same situation basically verbatim.
So you're not you're never alone. I think that's some
(58:53):
other advice that I could give to players that maybe
are thinking about playing Europe. It's like you have to
branch out, you know, you can't just stay. I've always
been a quiet kind of guy, but like I think
Europe has like really pushed me to step outside of myself,
you know, brought in my horizons. Try different things, see
(59:13):
different things, get outside the house, like those are all
important things. Well, here's what I want to do. I
want to check back in with you in a couple
of months when you guys get up and playing. Yeah,
see what it's like. See what this experience is like,
as opposed to bun, as opposed to France before in
pro b as opposed to England. Is that cool? That
(59:34):
sounds good? Man, sounds good? All right, we'll make sure
you we pump this out. Your family will see it
and hear it. It's awesome. And congrats an amazing year
last year and hopefully replicated this year. Thanks man, talk soon,
all right, park Thanks my thanks to Parker Jackson cart right, Man,
that was great, really interesting stuff. I hope you enjoyed it.
(59:55):
I remember the Doug got Lap shows daily three to
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(01:00:18):
thanks for downloading, Remember to subscribe, rate and review. I'm
Doug Gottlieb. This is All Ball.
Hey, what up. Welcome in. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is
all ball. You're gonna love this talk with my man
Parker Jackson Cartwright of course, so Cal born and red
basketball player who went on to play four years as
a starting point guard at the University of Arizona. What's
it like to make it overseas. I don't know if
you guys know, but in Germany last year he was
(00:27):
the player of the year in the first Division in Germany.
And that's back playing first division in France. We'll get
all of his thoughts on what it was like at Arizona.
When the DeAndre Ayton got a hundred grand news dropped
right before they played Oregon. You guys remember that, um
m asked Parker about it. Great dude, interesting story, how
he regained his confidence. He became really a star playing
(00:47):
overseas and he's very young. He's got a long career
ahead of Before we get to that, the story of
basketball right now revolves around Emay Udoka and I look,
I mean I think him of how we covered it
in the media was embarrassing, you know, like blaming everybody
except for email Judoka, who accepted responsibility. And yeah, But
(01:08):
the interesting part is how it affects the Celtics um.
Everyone I know in that organization says, Joe Mazilla's Joe
Massoula is a dude. He'll be great, He'll handle it great.
I just can't stop thinking, why didn't they give it
to Damon Stodemeyer, who was a star in the league,
has been a head coach, two things that Joe Massoula
hasn't done. It's a It's a little bit of a
curious um decision for me because I thought Damon was
(01:33):
ahead of him in the pecking order, but apparently he
is not. And and this is a hard one to
walk into because it feels a little bit like when
Kyrie Irving came back after missing the playoffs because he
had his his knee that remember the mesh was replaced
or what I was was was problematic, he had that
infection in his knee. With the Celtics and they go
(01:54):
to the Eastern Conference Finals in the next year, they
lose early, and you know, Kyrie, you know it's the
we are better without you. We can Joe Missoula, get
over that we were better without you. Think even if
they weren't always great, with Emay, they ended up in
the NBA Finals, and so the perception is this perception
becomes reality. The perception is that Emay turned around. Emay
is the reason that they were so good at the
(02:15):
end of the year. Um. I think it's a really
hard job for for Joe, very very difficult, and I
also would I'm not anybody who's critical of the Celtics.
It's it's one of those situations there's no guide booked for.
But all you can do is share as much as
people are comfortable with. But you can't share too much,
and you can't share nothing at all, especially if you're
(02:35):
gonna make some sort of dramatic move like suspending your
head coach for a year with no set plan for
if he'll come back or if he won't come back.
Most people think you won't come back, But I don't
understand why you wouldn't just cut ties. There has to
be something in terms of termination for cause and how
they're going about it, why they haven't terminated him yet,
(02:57):
or maybe it's just they really like him and they
like him to coach, but right now it's not possible.
You've gotta suspend it for a year and see what
happens if the dust dies down. Because because here's the
other thing that people don't think about. If they don't
do well and they don't want to retain Joe Massoula
as their head coach and they wanted to move back
to being insistent coach, Like do we think that works?
(03:18):
Bringing him back works? Because then, well what happens with
women in the organization? How somebody purports uff it doesn't
actually matter. Again, I'm not saying I say this, but
others will say winning is all that matters, and they've
brought him back to win. The big thing to keep
in mind is the Nets should be better, the Hawks
should be better, the Heat should be good, the Calves
(03:38):
should be better. Umhol was the Sixers should be better.
So so the East, and I haven't you know, there's
other I don't know about the Hornets and what they
look like. There's obviously gonna be other challengers out of
the East that one would think have improved. Um, I mean,
like the East has been and we haven't talked about Milwaukee.
Milwaukee should be very good. So you got all those
(04:00):
teams and yet the Celtics went to the NBA Finals.
What happens this year? And instead of looking at it
in a cylinder in linear fashion. Hey, do they have
better players or worse players? Or look who they've added?
And I do they They've added a quality backup point guard,
maybe even quality starting point guard. Um, I don't know
(04:20):
if they're the better because of it, because the field
is much more difficult. All right, more to come on
the Celtics stuff, but let's dig in. Here's my my
talk with Parker Jackson car right, who joined me from France.
I want to get to you your incredible year you
had last year, right, which is the culmination of a
lot right right, Um, But where did all start? Like
(04:43):
you first started playing basketball, you got your search your
memory banks. Where did you first to I mean start?
I mean the start was six years old, you know,
with John Fisher, who masters Uh you know I was
playing up with my brother because he was He's three
years older than me, and you know, John Fisher would
(05:06):
always have me playing up with older kids. So I
kind of just got my start there. Um, And I
got thrown into the fire early. You know, I had
to be I was tested, I was challenged at a
young age and it was you know, it all worked
out for me, so so you're you're playing up at
six years old? What level were you playing like eight? You? Yeah,
(05:28):
I think what you're playing nine and under at that time?
You know, I don't think I ever played my age.
And as I got older, you know, when I was
on John Fisher's like when I when I had my
own team, you know, we were playing up in tournaments.
So it was just like always that thing of being
(05:48):
thrown into a like a competitive environment with kids that
are supposed to be bigger and better than I think
you learned a lot of lessons in that would I
would agree, But I mean, like you're like, you're not
big now, you weren't up right, I mean, so, what
what was that like to always be the smallest? Do
(06:12):
you know? I never really felt like I was. I always, know,
always the smallest. I'm always, always have been the smallest
player on the floor anywhere I've been. But I never
felt like that. You know, I thought that, you know
if I just always felt like I stood out in
a way, um playing smart basketball, playing within myself, you know,
(06:34):
not trying to be too much or anybody else that
um I'm not supposed to be, and it just worked
for me. I think you know, you play with that
chip on your shoulder, you feel like you belong. It
doesn't get to you that much. You just kind of
do what you gotta do, and it always works for me.
So you're your first high school you went to was Oila, right,
(06:56):
which is all boys school. Yeah, what why they're Well,
my brother went there. It's very prestigious school in l A. Um.
I grew up really watching him, so I was like,
you know, Loyola is the school and I feel like
my brother went there. I always looked up to him.
(07:17):
He had so much success, and I kind of just
followed suit. And you know, I don't think coming out
of middle school I really wanted to go anywhere else.
It was either Loyola or nothing. And you know, my
my dad was raised Catholic, so Loyola's obviously a prestigious
Catholic all boys school, and it just made sense at
(07:39):
the time. Um, everything kind of just checked out and
I felt like I could have that same similar success
that my brother did, even more just watching you were
if I remember correctly, you're really highly counted. Right, everybody
knew like you're Hooper and then didn't you miss on me?
It was your sphing your junior year with it with
your foot or the stress fac true, it was that
(08:01):
would have been my sophomore year. I missed all that time,
maybe like a few months during the season cause I
started the season, we had that preseason tournament, and then
I didn't play until like the end of league play.
So yeah, I dealt with some foot injuries throughout my
whole high school career. I mean that was that was rough.
But that's hard, right when you're a hooper and it's
(08:24):
all you've done. All of a sudden, they're like, no,
you can't hoop, but you can't run, right, You gotta learned.
You I have food problems at shin splints. I'm wearing
a boot every other week. It so like, you know,
but it was just a part of that journey, you know,
when you um, when you went to Sierra Canyon. People
(08:46):
here Sierra Canyon now and they think it's always been,
but it hasn't always been like you were kind of
and then tell me if I'm wrong. You were kind
of that first wave of dudes to go to Sierra Canyon,
weren't you. Yeah, Yeah, I mean I was. I started
early pretty much. I was there in the fifth grade,
(09:07):
you know, when Sarah was still Sarah Kenyon, but not
like it is now. And then obviously when it's time
to come to high school, the high school wasn't like it.
You know, all it's built up to be now with
the gym and you know all the kids going there
that you that you kind of know. But um, yeah,
I feel like I'm part of that first group, that
(09:27):
first wave that had a big party in building. You know,
just that that cloud song so forth? But did you
did you not even play there? Right? Like? No, I didn't.
So wait, okay, So to take me through how this
all went down, right, you get down with your junior
year and what happens. I didn't want to done with
(09:48):
my junior year at Loyola, right and then now now
it's my senior year. I go into my senior year.
I'm there to play that you played that summer with
who I played as something with? How spring? Okay? We
had just come on, who's on my team? Who's on
that team? That team had Peyton Day strip Aaron Holiday Ziland,
(10:15):
cheat them. You know we made a good Ryan Peace Jam.
You know I was a good team in the previous year.
The summer before that, I played with Marcus Lee, Torn
Jones and Jordan Matthews Niga Williams. Cause so we finished
my junior summer, go to my senior year. I'm only
there half semesters, so I don't I don't remember how
(10:39):
many games we played. But you know, after after that
half se met that first semester, that's when the season
starts to get you know for real. You know, you're
you're in the league play you're about to get the playoffs.
So I have the incident, the academic incident, and then
what was the academic So all right, there's a three
strike will at Loyola and you know, over the course
(11:03):
of four years, you know, I had, you know, two
strikes um going into my going into that the last
time that I got penalized, which was for an art incident,
um plagiarized plagiarism type of thing. So would you do
I mean, like, it's dude, you're a professional BASKETBA player.
(11:24):
It's eight years ago. Yeah, I mean I think the
first I think the first thing I it was like
it was a homework fraud and it's a it's a
very prestigious school, so it's like, yeah, they're very changed.
You read something you didn't change the wording well enough,
so they said, didn't change the wording. So it's like,
(11:44):
so that's one. And then the second time was it
was a plagiarism fraud. You know you're you know you
not just saying that was so much intentional, but you know,
you're writing a paper and you're going through I forget
that we you seen your paper in and it kind
of checks. I forget that program. But obviously you're not
getting past that system. So that was my second dean.
(12:08):
And then the third time was it was art class
and I didn't do the assignment, but I just took
somebody else's assignment turned in his mind. So that's the
that's the third time. And say that I caught out
a class. Um, I remember that day, so okay, so
tell me about this day. Okay. So and and so
(12:29):
people understand you're being recruited by U C l A
and Arizona. Had you committed Arizona at that point, I
had committed to Arizona, My junie, you're committed to Ariazon.
You're going to Arizona. Played for Sean Miller, right, And
all of a sudden they come into what class to
get you? They come into my art class. I mean,
(12:50):
I'm in the class, you know, and you know the
tone of Dean, you know, and it's not good. And
I kind of just felt that energy. Knew it wasn't good,
but I didn't know, not thinking, oh what what did
I do? What is one of my in trouble for?
So you get to the office, get to beings obvious,
(13:11):
he tells you what's going on. Um, now you know
what you're up against because this is the third time
and I don't know what's gonna happen. So obviously they
call my parents. My parents upset, you know, it's a
it's just a very crazy thing now because now what
you know, I'm supposed to go to practice after school
and like we're I think now we're our last stretch
(13:32):
of league and then the playoffs. WHI we're gonna be
in because we've got Thomasquils, Max Hazard, myself. We had
a good team. And I just remember how all of
it happening so fast, Like Okay, now I can't finish
at the school. I have to take classes at a
community college if I want to get my diploma. Um,
(13:53):
and obviously I was, you know, well liked at Loyola
had a lot of friends. I was, you know, everyone
knew the situation, and uh so they didn't. They weren't
gonna let me finish school there, but they said I
could get my diploma if I go to a community
college and finished classes. So I just told I didn't.
(14:16):
I didn't. Obviously, I didn't feel like that was the
best option for me. So, you know, Sya Kenyon, I
got a lot of leves here. You know, they opened
their arms and they they let me back, and they
brought me back. They already you know, they reached out
to my dad to bring me back, and that was
you know, that was very great. When did you when
you talk to coach Miller within that within that time frame,
(14:40):
I think within those days where I was trying to
figure out what I was gonna do, because I had
a hearing at Loyola, you know, just to see if
I could stay in school in front of the board. Um,
so we talked if it happened. I think it happened.
The situation happened Friday, and I had a hearing maybe
the next day, so we talked, Um, what do you say?
(15:03):
So song was fine? I mean, obviously, you know there's
some disappointment and but he but he held my hand
through that situation and he was very strong, and you know,
he didn't waiver. He didn't waiver. Man, he he kind
of stuck with me and just that support. I knew,
if I didn't know before, if it was a good decision,
(15:24):
I knew after that, and the way he handled it
was was great. Can I give you mine? What I mean,
my senior, you love this? Yeah? So I had to
take typing class. I'd already committed another day and Notre
Dame incredibly prestigious academic institution, so I had to take
(15:45):
a typing class. I know that type. And what you
have to understand is that the difference in our age ages. Um.
You know, this is before the internet and used to
have to as you just had to type all your papers,
even be at a computer. It was more for word
processing than anything. So I'm gonna say, like the third
(16:06):
week of typing class, and it's dreadful. The teacher is
not particularly engaging, and she doesn't like athletes, and a
bunch of US athletes who were just trying to get
this stuff right. So she's you show up a class
and she's already pregnant, and like three weeks in she
goes on maternity leave and she's gonna be gone for
(16:27):
the semester, and like the assistant or head soccer coaches
like your your your teacher. We're like up top, this
is awesome. So we had and I had another teammate
named Sammy Greece and Sammy are knew how to type,
and basically the teacher would take we take his order
(16:48):
or whatever you want to eat, and then we'd all
pool in money and we use typing class to go
get food and we'd play like organ Trails or some
kind of computer game. So we're like, this is the
easiest thing ever. We'll get a's he's happy. Two weeks
to go in semester, she comes back early return from maternity,
(17:08):
but we're like, oh shit. So I come up with
an idea that um to take the final typing exam,
all you have to do is show her your words
for a minute, and then at some point during the
day she has to come behind you and watch you
use your fingers. Correct it's not it doesn't have to
(17:31):
be at the same time. Too many kids. She can't
sit there while you do the test and watch you
type right, So she goes up and she says like
fifty two words a minute. Alright, good, that's and then
she goes around and she's gonna watch you type, So
we do is somebody else does my test? My my buddy,
Raphael Lazarrea does my test because he knows how to type.
And then he's actually seated next to me, and we
(17:52):
switched the keyboard. Instead of it plugging into my screen,
it plugs into his and his plugs into mind. So
while she's watching me type, you're taking this thing where
you know, like you get hit the right letters, and
he's looking over my shoulder. He's typing right here and
making sure we get all the right letters. So it
all marries up. So I'm using the fingers and doing
(18:14):
it and he's actually doing the typing, and she has
no idea mean, while his commuters going because she's not
paying attention to that, right, So we're like straight everybody's
getting We're good. And then somebody knocked on us, and
I remember that walk, like you go into the vice
principal's office and you're like, oh, ship, like this is bad, bad, bad,
(18:37):
this is not like and it was before my senior
year and you know, like I just signed a scholarship,
like this ship is bad, so I gotta c in typing.
They made me retake everything and I end up getting
a C and typing. I was Fortunately I was at
a public school that I didn't have to go anywhere else.
So that's my that's my that's my story. Yeah, I
(18:59):
feel like it happened. It happens, It happens, man. Fox
Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
com and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f
s R to listen live. You show up at Arizona,
and what was it like Arizona? You know, I didn't
(19:23):
visit any other school for you know, pretty much on visit,
so I knew what I was going into. I knew
the school. I knew, you know, how I was gonna
fit in UM. And when when I get there, it's like, okay,
you know it's different because I I went, you know,
(19:44):
you got to all boys school, and although I went
to a co ed school my last semester, it's like, okay,
now it's on a bigger scale, you know, in college
and you know, now you're you're on a team with
guys like t J. McConnell and Stanley Johnson. So the
team is really a good uh you know, and this
is just a whole new experience you away from your
(20:06):
parents and I'm like, wow, this is like a dream almost.
You know, Arizona and that year was really surreal, man.
I mean people were unlucky to make the tournament, you know,
in four years. You know, I got to go and
almost make the final four that year. So and I
(20:28):
made a tournament every year I was there. So, I
mean Arizona was I thought the best fit for me,
um logistically being a student and a basketball player at
the time, because you know, my parents could come to
all my games, which they were. My dad was at
every game, um, which was very important to me. And
(20:50):
I mean they say college of the best years of
your life, and granted they were. I mean I had
a lot of fun, but um, I just think the
experience kind of it grew on me as I got older,
and you know, it was just it was unreal experienced.
Um what do you remember? What? What what was it
(21:12):
like to go against t J McConnell on a daily basis?
That guy just his motor is incredible. I mean, he
he stays at a level and he was just you know,
you talk about not being the most like skilled player,
(21:35):
but he has skill, and then he has this like
undeniable like gritting him and it's like that guy, he
may be better because he was just not gonna give
me anything, you know, like he was watching so so
like you know, when you get to college and you
played cal Supreme, played Loyal, played at the highest level
(21:56):
of au phm and basketball that you could pass to play,
and so you all everybody thinks, like I'm used to
going up against dudes, I'm used to playing hard, and
then you get there and here's a grown ass man
who plays way harder than you ever thought possible, right.
I mean he was a fifth year or maybe he
was six, and I mean every day it was a
(22:22):
it was a dog fight. I mean, you're trying to
guard him. He's super smart, and he's got one of
the best like mid range pull ups something I've ever
been around. Defensively, he's gonna pick you up full core,
like I mean, just going and get him in practice.
And then you know, at the time, I was playing
on like ten or twelve minutes, so I get to
(22:44):
watch him in the game, and I mean he's not
afraid of anything anybody. So I mean that team was
really special at rond As Hollis Jefferson on it. Who
was crazy? That guy was just She's like t J
but six eight, you know, long arms, defensive like crazy.
(23:07):
So I mean, learning from those guys and see him
in a year before, seeing what they almost did jumping
into that, it was like, I really had to step
up a level and mature really quickly. Why couldn't you
guys get over that hump? That's a good question. I
just say it's a it's a it's a combination of
(23:30):
you know, you need you need a little up on
your side. You know, we're we're in the lead eight,
we're playing Wisconsin, we're up the whole game. You know,
we're going in a halftime, and you know, like the
trajectory of a game and like how it's gonna go
based on how you're playing and how they are. We
feel like we had them figured out. They were a
good team. They had Kaminski and they had Decker. Obviously
(23:52):
they were experienced, but we felt like we were better.
That's a game we're supposed to get. You feel like
and you own, you missed some shots, they get hot
and the ball bounces their way and then and then
that's how it happens. Um. I think Sean Sean Miller
(24:12):
is one of the the best minds in basket college basketball.
But you know, I just think sometimes, like I said,
you need things to go your way, and you know,
it just didn't go away. Um. The next year, t
J is gone and you start some come out the
(24:33):
bench some what was that experience, Like, well, now you
now your team is different, you know, you still have
guys from a previous year, and you know, I felt
like I was supposed to take the jump that I
felt like I was supposed to, you know, being a
player that I was like in high school, like you
(24:55):
know that everybody knew um, and obviously the ball was
more of my hands. You know, we had Condee Mallon,
but I was more of a different type of player
than him. So I thought, you know, this was gonna
be like a year for myself to really break out.
Everyone has that breakout year in college basketball. Um, But
(25:16):
I never really found I never really found my footing.
I had some good games and I had some glimpses
of like okay, you know, I can. I can be
a good league guard in college basketball on Arizon this team, Um,
but I just never quite broke through. Not saying I
didn't have a good season, but you know, I felt
(25:39):
like for myself, it wasn't what I thought I expected
or what others expected. You know, never really broke through
and had games and had glimpses, but never really got
over the hump as a team. We never really got
over as a hump. And then you get to the
tournament and then you're bouncing thinking on in the first round. Yeah, prob,
(26:00):
that was the story of our season. Um. Okay, so
I won't name names, but your junior year there was
a player that kind of tripped out right that I was.
The story I was told was, um, he liked came
(26:24):
into the practice one day without his shoes and they're like, bro,
your shoes are in your locker and he was just
completely out of it. Like there there have been some
dudes that had some weird stuff go on that in
those next couple of years. Yeah, there, what's that? Like
what what what's what's go ahead? I won't say another word,
(26:47):
but uh, you know, it's it's that, it's that thing
of like you never realize what's happening around you, and
see you're in it. And so many, so many things
happened in those last really three years. You know we're
(27:08):
starting from my sophomore year till the end. It was
gave me one thing happened software, Um, well you have this,
you have the story with Ellie Pitts, um my Elliot
Pitts and then you So for people who don't remember,
(27:28):
what's the story, Well, I don't know. I don't know
the details of the story. You know, it's a it's
a misconduct situation. You know, I don't know that the
details I never you know, kind of kind of just
he was really one of my good friends, one of
the best teammates I've ever had. Right, so, so something
(27:49):
like that goes down and like now you're on the
opposite side of it, like when high school it involves you,
you know what it feels like, it's academics now you know,
like right, so, now now you know you're a player
on the team. Um, you know, and it's like it's
after a big win and then things happen and now
(28:11):
your seasons, like you now your season is changing and
everything around you was changing. So you know, you deal
with that your sophomore year and then obviously a junior year,
Alonzo Trier is going through his his deal with n
C a UM and it's just like, you know, we
can't catch a break. Arizona can't catch a break. Our
(28:32):
players can't catch a break. So it was it was
always something. But I think, you know, we did a
good job of kind of keeping it, keeping it together
in some way. You know, the guys that were going
through their things, they kept it together, and I think
that's kind of just a reflection of them and the program.
(28:53):
Arizona's party school. It's basketball school, but also a party school. Right,
how do you How did you manage that? How do
I manage it? I mean I have fun. I have fun.
I definitely have fun. You know, um, you're not gonna
you're not gonna get around it, meaning like you're in it,
(29:15):
So you have to find a balance. I thought I
did a good job of finding a balance. You know,
I've never been a huge party kind of guy. Obviously,
you know it was different. You got to college, You're
gonna party like you're on your own. You're gonna make
some questionable decisions like that's just what it is, and
I definitely went out and enjoyed the perks of being
(29:38):
a a college athlete UM on on great teams UM.
But yeah, I think I would get myself a poundment
back for managing it the best way UM and having
a great support system. I didn't go outside of myself
and do things that I knew would hurt myself for
(29:58):
my team or my family. His name, your senior year
is the is the year where you guys you got
a chance, right you got DeAndre Aden your your starting
point guard. You know I've been there four years. M
Where were you when the DeAndre story came out? Remember
rosact where you were? Yeah? I was with my girlfriend
(30:23):
at the time. I was her apartment and I'm just
reading it on the phone, like Twitter comes across Twitter.
I'm like, whoa, you know that's it's just like I said,
it happened so fast. You give Twitter the now you're
hearing your something school okay, but so so, but take
(30:46):
me through what that's actually like to be a part of.
It comes out on Twitter, right that he was getting
a hundred grad Okay, So I'm just it comes out,
it's not it was on social media that I don't
maybe it wasn't, but it was social for sure, definitely
social media. And then it was an ESPN story, right,
and that was anybody talked about you at your girlfriend's apartment?
(31:09):
You guys, is there a group text? Does somebody call you? Like?
What what are you guys doing with? I mean, it's
it's a it's a it's a group text within our team.
And then it's that long daunting weight of Okay, coach
is gonna sit out a message, and then officials sit
(31:30):
on a message. So it's like, now we have to
play kind of damage control in a way. Um, So
the news comes out and then you know, obviously have
a meeting, and at that time, it's like, okay, so
we're still in our season, so we have to play
(31:51):
organ I think that the next game was like yeah, yeah,
so we're on the road. We're supposed to go on
the road and play the game. And it was a
great game. We should have won the game, you know,
And that was another situation of like, Okay, we're you know,
we're dealing with this, but we still have to play basketball.
(32:11):
And I thought we handled fall intense purposes what anybody
else thought on the outside, I thought we held it
together the best we could. We Elens a Roman who
was on the staff. Um, you know, he was a
great voice, and stuff happens and you have to prepare
for those things. When do you, guys? Was there ever?
(32:34):
Did you get any money? Did you did you guys
start asking like I have to ask you what did
you get? I mean not within the team, but it's
like now outside chatters coming in and you're like, oh,
you know, what did you get? Did you get anything?
Did you did you get a card? Your parents died?
Your mom in a car? You know, everyone is is
saying something, you know, because it just it's a trickling effect,
(32:58):
you know. Now it's not just younger Aidens, everybody involved.
So what was it like for for him? For DeAndre?
And it's just a freshman obviously a really well respected player,
he's you know, he was having a good year. What
was that like? What what was as a as his
point guard? Was it? Like? I mean, I tried to
I tried to just help him through it. It's best
(33:18):
as as I could, um, you know, seeing him go
through it. I think at the time he was a
freshman and he wasn't as mature as he was is now.
But saying that is a compliment because he handled it
like he never really showed, you know, like like he
(33:42):
was very stressed or you know, he kind of just
kept it together. He's a very like lively dude. He's
not a down kind of guy. Move around getting your feelings.
So he handled it well. And I think because he
handled it so well, we were allowed to just move forward,
you know. And in an Oregon game he played really well.
(34:03):
I thought that was one of his best games that
I've seen him, do you know, Jumper Dunce, you know anything,
everything you've see now. So I think because he handled
it well and in the in the way he you know,
gave us the confidence that we can handle it well,
I think it was Okay. What's what's amazing about it is?
(34:27):
Um So you know, you guys lose that game in
uh was in overtime kind of huh? It was double
I think double overtime, Yeah, double overtime. And that was
your second straight You played Organ State in overtime, and
you played Organ and overtime both on that same trip, right,
and then you come back, you beat Stanford, you beat
(34:49):
cal mhmm, you win the Pack twelve tournament. So there's
a lot of people that look and they see the
loss to Buffalo and like, well they lost to Buffalo
because of the DeAndre Aten deal and it was a distraction,
but like it was such a distraction had you win
the pact of the tournament, All right, what what what
happened against Buffalo? We we weren't I'm not gonna say
(35:14):
we weren't prepared, because that's not the deal. We didn't
master their toughness. I mean, those guys, I don't know
if you've seen the tvt but like they've got that
same team, you know, Wes Clark, C. J. Massenburg, and
I think they played us. They played a different style
than us, and obviously we started to seven footers. You know,
(35:36):
they played small, played right, so they played small and
they're playing like five out. Even their center wasn't making
threes and there's it's hard when you bring okay, you
have lightning quick guards like they did and then three
bigs who were like dribbling and putting the ball on
the floor. Um. But I think more so they they
(36:01):
out tucked us. You know, we didn't match anything that
that they have for us. And obviously it's the n
c A tournament. It's one shot. If you don't match,
then you're gonna lose. It doesn't matter where you play it,
no matter who you are, you gotta you gotta come
out and really play. We didn't what what was the
(36:22):
locker room like? Because because you know, we always focused
on the team that pulls off the upset m hm.
But for you four years of the program, and yes,
it just again you weren't playing poorly. You just won
the pack towel tournament. Yeah, you just won the pack
towel tournament. And now all of a sudden you talk
about it being fast like it's over. That's it. You
(36:43):
will not put on the Arizona uniform again. What was it?
What was that locker room like? It was tough. It
was really tough. Um, you know, even being on the
bench those last seconds watching the time take down, it's like, man,
this one really asked and then like everything comes in
(37:03):
to reality and you know, that was a really good team.
So that locker room was just kinda it was we
were like we obviously had that moment of like okay, man,
this this sucks. But you know, after that, you know,
we we came together. But it was tough. You know
(37:24):
you have you have guys that are done, and you
know we're leaving and after such us, after such a
long season, with all the things that we've been through,
it's like but we didn't make excuses. We just we
rallied around each other and we walked out of there
(37:45):
with our his heart. So what was what? What was
your next summer and your decision like to play in
the I think you played G League right away or
what was that next? The next summer and season? Like well,
I don't think a lot of people know, but I
so after that game, maybe like a week later, I
(38:08):
hadn't had a leg pain towards the end of season,
even before the Packwall tournament, I'm like, my leg, I
don't know what's going on, Like I can't really jump
off of it, off of just like one leg. But
it wasn't like in my mind serious enough to where
I'm gonna shut it down. So after the season, I
go get an X ray and I have a tibial
(38:31):
stretch fracture that I have been playing with for maybe
could have been weeks, could have been months, I don't know.
So that's a serious that's a significant injury. I mean
to be a stretch fracture without certain I mean, without surgeries,
a fifteen months healing process shorter maybe more or less,
(38:52):
depending on you know, how it heals. But so opted
not to get surgery after that, After that X ray,
I was just gonna let it heal um. And you know,
I had seen doctors in l A like Okay, I'm
getting mixed information, like you to definitely get surgery or
(39:13):
it might not heal. It might not heal. You might
not be able to play if you don't get the surgery.
And it's like, okay, the surgery you have to stick
a ride through your leg, your knee and you know,
get that metal ride. And I was just I kind
of didn't want to do that, so I just opted
to to let heal um. But I ended up going
(39:35):
to training camp with Toronto, not particularly knowing that I
had the injury. But I thought that, okay, if I
just rehab and because I didn't want to miss that
much time, you know, And I felt like in my
mind I was putting this on morang pressure on myself
(39:56):
to just Okay, you know, this is my life, this
is what I have to do. So I was just
gonna stick with it. And I went to Toronto and
they took an X ray like a you know, a
normal check, and they're like, you can't play broken broken leg.
We're not gonna let You're not gonna put you out
in training camp. So I got cut and then came
(40:17):
back rehab for a few months until February. Then I
went to New York League and I was there about
a month and then that didn't work out. And then
the following year what was that? Like? What was here?
Here's the thing with New York and the league is
(40:38):
you played at the very highest level in college and
in Arizona there's never an MPC in the McHale Center
and I I've always thought, and me personally, it was
minor leagues is really hard, just because man, I'm used
to play in front of people that care, and now
(40:58):
you're on a team where nobody cares. They just want
to get the league right. That was really hard for me.
What was the experience like for you and playing in
the in the gym, Yeah, it was unlike anything I've experienced.
Just like you said, not that guys don't particularly care,
it's just like, you know, there's so much involved, like
this guy is gonna play and he's got to play
(41:22):
this amount of menus or you know, just he's been
he's earning his stripes, he's been on this team for
this long, like he's gonna playing. I was playing with
some good players like Billy Garrett was there, um who
was Who's a star on the team at the time.
So coming in I was just I didn't really know
what to expect. I didn't expect to come in and
(41:44):
not play, but you know, I was. It was an
experience for me. How did you how'd you end up
in English? Well, that summer, they they called my Asian
and they were just like, okay, you know, we know
he hasn't played, you know he's coming off an injury,
(42:05):
but we feel like this could be a good start
from And just talking to my family and my brother,
he was like, yeah, this could be a good start.
You gotta start somewhere. And for people that don't know,
like Europe is different, like you have to you have
to start somewhere. Unless you're a guy that's highly touted,
had a great cause career, you know you're not just
going to start at the highest level. Yeah, you have
(42:32):
to build. And I didn't. I didn't know anything English basketball.
But I knew it was. It was great from day one.
I mean it was, you know, not nothing. It couldn't
have went better. Um, I'm in a new country, but
they're speaking English, so the off court is fine and
the basketball was was right up my alley. Let me
(42:54):
be myself and in turn it started something great for
myself and Europe. The coolest thing about living in England,
I would say, London, what about it? But get going
to London just being in a big city, and that's
what I'm used to. I mean you can get lost there.
(43:17):
I was in a good city, Cheshire shoutout Cheshire. Chester
is a great town. But you know it was small, um,
sort like when I'm used to with Tucson, like small,
you know, great fan base, like you know, great food.
I don't know if you've heard of Nando's before, the
big food chain in England. It's like it's like Mediterranean.
(43:42):
It's like chicken, exotic, exotic food. I would say, halloomi cheese.
It's good. So then the next year you go to French, right,
Frances athletic, they get up and down, good style of ball. Right,
what was it like to play there? That was? That
(44:04):
was tough? I think in my whole career. That was
probably the toughest adjustment I've ever had to make because
the pro b France is the league is very physical,
and it's it's a slower pace. It's very in turn
like some some ways methodical. So I had to really
(44:26):
learn how to like slow down, you know, you know,
change change speeds and and think a little bit more.
Um while I while I was playing through the physicality,
you know, because pro A is more physical, which I
mean now, I mean it's more athletic. Sorry, yea. So
those first few months I had to figure it out.
(44:47):
I mean I didn't think that it was gonna work, honestly,
you know that the style just everything because you know,
now I'm going from England, English speaking country, I'm right
my element. Now I'm going to France. I don't speak French. Um,
you know, coaches really on my ass in a good way,
but it's on my ass and I'm trying to figure it.
(45:09):
I'm just trying to figure it out. So the first
few months were really tough. But then right after December
I really hit a stride. It was just like something clicked. Um,
what was COVID starting? What was what was COVID there. Oh,
I mean we our season stopped for months and we
(45:29):
were on curfew the whole year six six pm, seven pm,
so on everything with that. On top of that, it's
just like and mild depression, you know, really trying to
watch my mentor because like now I'm in the house,
I gotta be in the house at a certain time.
It's cold. So it was. It was a lot, but
(45:53):
I think that year really it really helped me for
everything that I have to deal with now talking about
your So that's last year was Germany, right, Yeah, and
you were the player of the year in the league,
which is unbelievable. So very goodly, very good Americans. They
love Americans. I love American guards. Where were you? I
(46:16):
was a bond Germany, grat City, Gray City, one of
my favorite cities that I've been. I enjoyed it. I
can't say too much about it. It was a perfect match.
It was close to Cologne's is another great city. So
I think I got to be my full self there
(46:41):
as a player and a person, and then in the
coach really unlocked all of my abilities, you know, just
letting me, letting me be my soulf like I felt
like this is okay, this is how I Did you
know that going in or did it take a while
to be like, oh this is really really good fit. Yeah.
I thought that justment was to the more to the practices,
(47:05):
you know, because our practices are very intense, very quick,
but like intense like high you know high a lot
of five on five, you know, like just up and down,
you know, a lot of competitive, competitive drills. But he
put the ball in my hands from day one, and
(47:26):
he trusted me to make decisions for myself and the team,
and he never you know, he let me play the mistakes,
which was which was a good thing early and I
just kind of was like, Okay, now that I have
that trust, I can just like not think. And that
was That season was probably one of the best seasons
I've had to date. Um On is on a river,
(47:51):
right and it's a big city, three thousand people in it.
You mentioned it's near Cologne. It's like a yeah, I
almost like it. What's the best thing to eat in Bond?
Best thing to eat in Bob Well? I like Italian?
I forget the Italian place. I was always there. It
(48:15):
was an Italian restaurant and I was there a lie
and it was it was like in the city, you know,
a little fancy, fancy Italian. I would say that's the
best because pasta pizza, It's like, that's what I love.
So I would say that's a good spot. Um, I
would recommend it if I had the name. They speak
(48:39):
English there or they was all German. Uh, there's some
English speakers, some English speakers. You can find you speakers everywhere.
But there's a lot of I met and I met
a few Americans in bond like living or going to school,
so that was pretty interesting. Um. And most of the
(49:00):
Germans speak English, so you know, it wasn't a big
It wasn't a big adjustment in that area. And when
your teammates speak English and you're around them miney five
percent at the time, it's it's never that. What What
was it like to be recognized as a player of
the year in the Lake considering all these different things
(49:21):
you've been through, Right, didn't start as much as you
wanted Arizona I had, you had the stress fraction in
your leg. After college, you start in England, right, you
go to Germany your third years a pro your player
of the year in the league. What was that feel like.
(49:41):
I mean, I think sometimes I'm so hard on myself.
I forget to like, Okay, you know I had to
earn that, you know, I had to earn coming back
from injury and sitting out all that time and taking
my knocks getting cut. So it was, um, it was
(50:02):
really emotional. It was really emotional, and you know I
had to I had to really calm myself down. But
you know, it was unreal. It was an unreal feeling,
you know, holding the MVP trophy up. You know, you
never you know, you're good enough player to win that
type of a war. And I knew I was having
this year, but to get that award, you know, that's
(50:25):
a that's a one on one man's MVP like knowing
else has it. So it's like it's specially with your
personal work. Okay, you see all kinds of videos of
guys and getting in their bag or what. But you're
a pronounce right, So your workouts consist of what I said,
(50:48):
I think workhouse consist of like being sharp, not not
being like in the gym for hours, but like locking
in and keenan on things that you need to sharpen.
And my brother works me out on the summers. So
it's like form shooting um mike and drills. It's like
(51:12):
mid range, you know, balance and pull up and deep
range from three UM. It's like it's like those things
that you know are going to be important, especially as
a small guard. You know, I have to be able
to get my shot off. I have to be able
to score in tight spaces and then quickly. So it's
(51:35):
like it's those things that helped me in the summers
that are very important through throughout the season. You mentioned
how well you fit with Germany with your coach, but
then you leave and you go to Aspell. Right now,
that's where you are pro a in French. There's just
too much money. I mean, I think it's just another opportunity,
(51:57):
like a great opportunity. And talk to my coach from
Bond was like, you know, because things happen fast, you
know if you're gonna stay or what's gonna happen next
and as well, you know, they come and they call
and it's like it's as well, man, this is this
is an unreal opportunity. You know, so you have to
(52:17):
it's like you gotta wait to options. But then you
have to be like okay, you know here you have
this opportunity. It's not so much always about the money.
You know, the money is great, but now you can
set yourself up and keep moving up. And you know,
this opportunity was just the best thing for me in
(52:38):
my career, in the step that I needed to take.
You you can say, huh, it wasn't easy though, you know,
because Bonds. Bonds are great club, it's a great team,
it's a great city. Um, in ten years, where will
where will you be? Well, it's funny because if you
(53:00):
asked me that when I first started, where I'll be
in five years, I always said the highest level of Europe,
you know, European basketball. You know, now that I've now
that I'm here, it's like, okay, I just want to
get to the highest level period, whichever that means for me.
You know, maybe I just just keep writing this in
(53:22):
Europe and have a great career. Which would be which
would I would be totally fine with, you know, or
you just never know. I'm only twenty seven. I feel
like if I continue to grow and develop, who knows,
maybe I can play an NBA. UM. I know I
have the talent, I know I have the tools, So
I'm never counting myself out in regard. Just I take
(53:45):
everything as it comes and then I just do what
I do, and you know, I get the recognition from
whoever I feel like I need to get it from.
But I don't have to prove anything to myself. Already
know who I am. You, Um, you can be more
connected obviously with your family because of the internet. Here
(54:07):
we are, you're in you know, you're in France, I'm
in California. We're talking via zoom, like you can do
that stuff, but it's still not home. What's the thing
you missed the most when you're when you're overseas, Mom's cooking.
I mean, you know, it's those little things like being
(54:29):
around your family, you know, because it's ten months like
so it's not it's not an easy It's not an
easy thing by any means. And my family is very connected. Uh,
we're very close, so you know, leaving is always hard,
and then this is my fourth year. You know, it
never gets easier. But um, I feel like I've had
(54:52):
that experience now where Okay, I know I know that
I can deal with it and things will be okay
and come visit. So it's not black life or death
or anything. But I definitely miss being at home, you know,
being around my family because it's different being around and
than seeing him through a camera. Uh. But you know,
(55:16):
I'm lucky we do have technology and that they can't
come and visit, you know, because that really helps, you know,
throughout a long and lessons whatever it is, if you
were if you were going to give advice to Hooper's
because like it's really hard, like what what you're experiencing.
People don't really understand. They're like, well, you're going somewhere
in a different country, you're making money, there's some cool
parts to it. How do you how do you do it?
(55:38):
How do you how do you focus on the positives?
How do you continue to push forward? You know? You also, like,
here's another thing. You're in a poor country when they
don't speak your language, if you're not playing good, they're
all talking about you, but you can't understand them because
they're talking a different language. And they'll do it right
in front of you too. How do you, like, what
would the advice be to a Hooper to get through
(56:00):
the tough times you're playing overseas? Sh I would just
say state of course. I mean, god knows, I've been.
There's always a tough period and in your career every
season when you're overseas, like it could be an adjustment
at the beginning when you first get there. It could
(56:23):
be in the middle of the season around Christmas, but
like it gets better, you know, and you have to
you have to think that way, and you have to
step outside of yourself. You have to. You're gonna be
an uncomfortable positions. But the uncomfortable zone is a great
place because you learn a lot about yourself. Youeling a
(56:45):
lot about what you can deal with, what you can take.
And it's going to be uncomfortable. Like off the rib.
You're in a non speaking English country, not English speaking countries,
so you just have to you have to be nice
to yourself and not be so hard on yourself. You know.
(57:05):
I had to learn that, Like, man, why am I
not figuring this out so quickly? Why why am I?
You know what I mean? But it's like, do what
works for you and don't be afraid to get help
from people, you know, because there are people that have
been in my position before, and I think now more
(57:25):
Americans overseas are starting to form this like bond like
union almost within ourselves. Just like talking about our experiences
and trying to make our lives easier for each other.
Who have you who have you gotten close with it?
You didn't know before this experience, like Hooper's Yeah, Um well,
(57:50):
I feel like I know a lot of people. And
I would say, like guys like Kyle Faller, who's who's
been has been overseas for a long time. He's in
China now, yeah, huge, made huge money. Yeah, way better,
way better post college career than college career. Yeah, He's
(58:10):
kept getting better and he's traveled all over the place.
So yeah, yeah, yeah, So I have like some o
g s that are like overseas. You know that I've
been through everything, and you think like no one's been
through what you have, but they have. And so it's like,
you know, you talk to guys, you play a guy
(58:31):
on the team, you know he's American. It's like you
guys just followed try on Instagram and it's like yo yo,
like and you just start talking and chatting about your
experiences with your team and your city and then you
just be like, man, this is the same situation basically verbatim.
So you're not you're never alone. I think that's some
(58:53):
other advice that I could give to players that maybe
are thinking about playing Europe. It's like you have to
branch out, you know, you can't just stay. I've always
been a quiet kind of guy, but like I think
Europe has like really pushed me to step outside of myself,
you know, brought in my horizons. Try different things, see
(59:13):
different things, get outside the house, like those are all
important things. Well, here's what I want to do. I
want to check back in with you in a couple
of months when you guys get up and playing. Yeah,
see what it's like. See what this experience is like,
as opposed to bun, as opposed to France before in
pro b as opposed to England. Is that cool? That
(59:34):
sounds good? Man, sounds good? All right, we'll make sure
you we pump this out. Your family will see it
and hear it. It's awesome. And congrats an amazing year
last year and hopefully replicated this year. Thanks man, talk soon,
all right, park Thanks my thanks to Parker Jackson cart right, Man,
that was great, really interesting stuff. I hope you enjoyed it.
(59:55):
I remember the Doug got Lap shows daily three to
five Eastern time, twelve to two Pacific and then we
have a special daily podcast only you know if you
you download that socker that'll end up that's kind of
all you need for your day. If you can't catch
the radio show, it's one hour, it's quick, it's hard
hitting with all the different new stuff and usually an
interview as well and some fun stuff. That's the Doug
Gottlieb Show. And of course you got all Ball, so
(01:00:18):
thanks for downloading, Remember to subscribe, rate and review. I'm
Doug Gottlieb. This is All Ball.
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