September 9, 2025 • 35 mins
This past weekend, Rachel Nichols represented All the Smoke and caught up with three newly minted Basketball Hall of Famers, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Maya Moore. Rachel and guests discuss their evolutions from hopeful hoopers to immortalized legends.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, Hey, this is Rachel Nichols. Matt and Stack will
be right back on the next drop on this feed.
But in the meantime, we have something special for you.
All the Smokes. Open Run Show was at the Basketball
Hall of Fame inductions this past weekend, and we wanted
to share some of the fun conversations we had with
three of the Hall's newest members, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard,
(00:21):
and Maya Moore. Enjoy listening to some legends. Carmelo Anthony,
Welcome to open Run All the Smoke. We appreciate it.
People have been telling you you're a future Hall of
Famer for decades now. How surreal does it feel to
actually be here?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
It's here now. It's a lot to put into to worry,
it's a lot going on right now. So a lot
of perspective, a lot of reflection. I'm here, you know.
That's That's I'm satisfying.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I say that, does it finally feel that way?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
It feels It's feel satisfying for sure. I mean, you
go through so much, you deal with, you deal with
so much, but understanding, like when you deal with journeys
and careers, like ups and downs, is part of that
for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
This is the time to reflect, look through your whole
life as a basketball player. Who made you fall in
love with basketball?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
The struggle, The struggle made me fall in love with basketball.
I mean my brothers, my brother, my oldest brother, always
watching him play. You know, I always love the way
that he approached the game. Used to come in the
house man, and you know his approach was was different
and I love that, and I just fell in love
with with with with the basketball. You know, whether it
(01:41):
was a basketball, whether it was a baseball, whether it
was a football, whatever it was, I just needed to
be active.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Allen Iverson is of course helping to induct you into
the hall. I know he was one of your early influences.
How much did you try to be like Alan?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I didn't try to be like him. I just wanted
to kind of walk his path because I felt like
he he was one of the few guys who understood
what I where I was coming from, and what I
had to deal with and what I was dealing with.
So when you have that and you see somebody that
it's like a mirror image. You know, it's like you
going through the same thing that they just went through.
All over again you have a different connection and then
(02:19):
have an opportunity to play and alongside him in Denver. Like,
that's what our friendship really tightened up, because now I
got a chance to see your influence on me and
up close in person. Every single day I get to
see how you know again I was tempted. That's basketball royalty.
So you get a chance to see basketball or royalty
really lock in and prepare for games and prepare for
(02:42):
situations basketball alone. What I've learned from him on preparation
was his major and then as a friend, as a
as a friend, as a brother, somebody who he said, Yeah, man,
you know, how could you not have it out there?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
You know what?
Speaker 1 (02:56):
I call him our greatest living American.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yes, I agree, I agree.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
And both you and I are both from Maryland and
he's from Virginia. So I feel our whole area is.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Just it's you know, we we working on the DMV thing.
We work it or trying to bring it all together.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
It's all in there. You mentioned the Denver Nuggets. Things
have been icy between you and that team since you left.
That's the nice way to say it. They have not
been welcoming of you.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
I got putt of ice.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
But they kind of have made overtures this weekend, they're
doing a whole campaign for you, saying congratulations for the
Hall of Fame. Did you not know that?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I didn't know that. I didn't know that. Again, I
don't know. I don't know why I got icy. You
know what it's again to me, is this this game
and this sport. It's a business. And at that point
in time, were talking about a kid in his legal
twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven years old, still trying
to figure out their career, still trying to figure out
their way, having some type of way with all of
(03:53):
what's going on. It's a little bit of a business
acumen when it came to that during that point, and
then the lack of you know, information, Now it's when
you reflect back on it. I have to like the
Denver Nuggets, the city of Denver, like that's where it
started to me. They gave me those keys at nineteen
years old to say here, do or die? Like you
(04:15):
go out there and you figure you figure this out.
But you know, my love, I don't know what's out there,
what's being said. But I've never spoken ill towards Denver
on Denver. My love for Denver will always be it.
They will always be part of like that foundation of basketball.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
You've been very complimentary to them. They gave nicolayok at
your jersey number. They done it.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Jersey number first. It's like, get rid of this motherfucket
about it here.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
So what does it mean to you that it seems
like they are really coming back to you in this.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Moment patience, timing, maturing, understanding and if they want to
have a conversation, we can have a conversation. I just
don't know, like talking about going back seventeen years now,
like it's what we're going to do.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Well, they can't reach each other. They can't retire your
jersey right now, so maybe maybe that'll come down the road.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, but you know, honestly, even even if that's not
the case, you know, it's it's my love. Don't waiver
for that. I love. Don't waiver for them. What they did?
You know to that to me and to that number
giving a number away? I mean, of course as an athlete,
that's a matter who spend time here that are you
going to feel that? You get you get over it.
You you understand what's going on your life goes on,
(05:31):
things happen, many more games come, family kids like it's
it moves on.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
You're getting so much love this weekend. Also from the
New York Nexts and their fans. What did it feel
like this spring to be in the garden, Just the
electricity with the team doing so well and just the
people in the stands. I mean, they brought back so
many former players, and Spike of course is there and
to Shadow.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
May like the new face of the next move over,
Spike shallow May got this now. It's a it's a
beautiful thing being in the garden when you can really
put that once a Nick, always a nick into fruition
and you see the people and you see all the players.
To me like that's the only organization that's out there
(06:16):
that's actually really doing it. Who could pull that off?
And it's New York and the guys that come. We
all come out to support the Knicks. As long as
they continue doing what they doing on they side, we
go continue doing what we're doing on the outside. But
that's just a different love when you when you went
through those locker rooms and you been through that building,
and you've been through the highs and the lows, of
(06:36):
that building. It's a it's a different connection that you
have with I was.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Looking over your career and the people who have like
sort of repped out for you. It is the most
impressive list in basketball because it starts with Michael Jordan
and you were the first person that he gave the
signature shoe line to for Jordan Brand, besides himself of course.
And I know that he talked to you over the
years and gave you support and also gave you a
little tough love. Now and then, what were some of
(07:02):
the on both sides, What were some of the things
he said to you.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
The tough love was there. I think the tough love
was there because he saw what I was, what I
had to offer, He saw the potential, He saw a partner.
You know, for me to be like you said, the
first singasun athlete and Enjodan like, that's a partnership that
you have that was created with him. So for me
(07:25):
to have that back end and have that support from him,
it just meant a lot. When a lot of people
went left, he stayed silent. He stayed, you know, with me.
He had my back brand wise, company wise, I got him.
He's with us and when you have that type of
support you wanted, you want so hard to try to
(07:46):
just change that for that person. And for me, I
had to have to realize that, you know, being young
in his lead, trying to find my way, trying to
figure it out, wearing a white hat, got the keys
to a whole city organization, Like, it's a lot that
comes with that.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
What's some of the best advice he gave you over
the years?
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Oh, man, you know, he told me one time. Honestly,
he told me one time he said, you're the only
one that you're the only one that can control you.
And when he said down, I'm like, man, you're talking
about boy. He's like, no, you're the only one. You
control your own destiny, Like don't don't allow other people
(08:28):
to put your destiny in their hands. So whatever you do,
that's what you're gonna get out of it. And it
took me a while to sit back and really processed
that and comprehend what the hell he was saying. Again,
I was young, but as you get older, you were like,
damn that was that was some real good advice right there.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
You also had Kobe Bryant giving you advice throughout your career.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
That was a different type of advice. We'll tell Kobe
advice all the time. Was he would watch games and
he was He would just call me after the game
and say, why didn't shoot that?
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Of course, Kobe said, why didn't you shoot that?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Yeah, why didn't shoot that? Why you pass that?
Speaker 4 (09:05):
What?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
What the fuck you doing? Like He's like, that's that's
just him, you know what I mean? And those little
he didn't he didn't even have to say much. It
was just the fact that he was acknowledging, like what
you're doing, and the fact that he cared that much
to understand or know what I was thinking, what I
was doing, and I and then I turned the game
when he's doing the same thing, and why you ain't
(09:27):
shoot that? Man? You know you know him? So he
got different excuses at that point.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I do, well, I love that all of these people
have meant so much throughout your career, and I love
that they're all going to sort of be here to
celebrate you. Obviously not Kobe, but I love I was
gonna say, he's here in spirit. I love that so
many people have come to support you, even your old
team that maybe I see and it's indicative the ice
is thawing, but it's indicative of what you've done and
(09:54):
the way you bring people together. And congratulations, appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
You've been interview with me since I was eighteen.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
I was going to say, I can chapter and verse
every moment of this Hall of Fame career because I
was for every step. Dwight Howard Hall of Famer, Double
Hall of Famer. You're being inducted two times this weekend,
which we'll get to in the moment, but welcome to
open run. With all the smoke. We were just talking
as you were sitting down. When was the start of
me interviewing you.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
Since I was eighteen years old. You have been interviewing
me since I was a JIT, and now I'm heading
into the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
That is crazy. We both still look the.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Same, We're the same age. Really, it's amazing, same age.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
This is this is incredible, remarkable.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
When you look back through that career, I mean I
can think of so many incredible high points, so many
points where you were just like, man, this isn't going
how I want to. What do you look at as
the thing You're most proud.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
Of the fact that I just stayed resilient through it all.
You know, a lot of times when situations are you know,
storm come come our way, we tend to allow it
to deeter our path or stop us from going and
getting us to where we want to get to.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
And I don't think it did, you know, And I'm
just grateful.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
That, you know, for all the friends and family and
the people that are you know, stuck by me and
stuck with me through these incredible times.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
To make it to this point is amazing.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
What's been the scariest part of this Hall of Fame career.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
The scariest part was actually after my I want to say,
my eighth or ninth eighth season in Orlando, and the
doctor actually told me that would be my last year
playing basketball. Come on, yeah, that's what I ended up
having the back surgery and that would have been my
last year. And so, you know, that was probably the
most scariest part, is knowing that hearing the doctor say, Dwight,
(11:51):
this is it, this is your last time playing. So
I'm just so grateful that, you know, I got past
that store and we're here today.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
We would have been having a much different conversation.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
We probably wouldn't be here today.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
When you think back over all the people that had
influence over you. I know, there's so many people who
are just so kind and supportive to you. Who's the player, coach,
media member who ray really gave you all the smoke
but actually helped you in challenging you, helped you in
your career.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
You know, it was so difficult back then.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
But I think when we came into the league, you know,
everyone was saying he got to stay off social media
when it first came out. You know, don't worry about
what people are saying. But I would say, for me,
every person that was in the media that I came across,
no matter what they said, I still loved them. You know,
It's like, why would I get upset? You know, I
(12:48):
realized that, hey, they have to do what they have
to do to survive, and I'm doing the same thing.
And so once I really came to that realization, you know,
it was like, it's no, I have no issue with
anybody on the media or anybody because what they're doing.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Is trying to get to the Hall of Fame. We're
all trying to make it.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
And I'm just thankful that I had that opportunity to
go through those little issues and learn because it's made
me who I am today.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
You know, the whole reason I'm on social media at all,
have any accounts is because of you, because you sat
me down when Twitter started and said, Rach, you gotta
do this, you gotta do this.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Crazy.
Speaker 5 (13:22):
I remember when Twitter was out and I was doing
the periscope and we were trying to figure everything out,
and people's like, you shouldn't be doing social media, and
I'm like, hold up, man, I got to get on
it and you didn't know what to do.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
And then now it's like the roles are reversed.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
I'm trying to figure out how to do social media
and Twitter and all that stuff, and you the queen
of it.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Twitter didn't even exist anymore. But yeah, no, we got it.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
We got it.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
I'm talking about I forgot.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
I'm old.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
We're talking about people who gave you the smoke or whatever.
But you know, your relationship with Kobe is something that
I watch go up and down and everything over the years.
What was sort of the crux of the moment with
you guys where it got really real and how did
you go on from there?
Speaker 5 (14:01):
Well, see, I just think that we were in two
different parts of our career and you know, at one point,
I was just coming off an injury, coming to a
new team with a new situation, new franchise, and you know,
at that time, you know, I'm like, man, one day,
I want to be that franchise player for this team
(14:22):
as well. And you know, Kobe's in a position where
it's like, hey, this has been my team, you know forever.
You ain't finna just take it like that. And I
think what he really was wanting from me was to
see how bad I really wanted it. And I just
think that with the communication, you know, really wasn't there,
but I think he saw how bad I wanted it
(14:44):
when we came back in twenty twenty and.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Got the championship.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
As say, I saw some really nice moments between you
guys back then that.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
You know, the last time I saw him, he kind
of slapped me in the back of my head. It's
like pina head and hit me in the back of
the head when I was shooting in corner threes and
got a picture with my son and him before he passed.
So yeah, I wish he would have been here today
to receive his Hall of Fame times too exactly as well.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
But I know he's with us in spirit. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
The second part of your Hall of Fame induction is
because you are also, in addition to being inducted as
an individual, you're being inducted as a member of the
redeem Team. You were the youngest guy on that team.
What was that like with all the luminaries on there
that Kobe was of course on that team as well.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
It was like a blur.
Speaker 5 (15:33):
It happened so fast, and looking back on him, like, man,
I really didn't understand what I was in here. I
am playing with the greatest basketball players, you know, Kobe Bryant,
Jason Kidd in his prime, Lebron is just getting into
the league and start killing people, Carmelo Ballhead, d Wade,
(15:55):
Michael red is an All Star, you know, just superstar
at this time. So it's like, man, man, I'm nineteen
years old, fresh out of high school?
Speaker 2 (16:03):
What is this?
Speaker 5 (16:05):
And you know, that was one of the craziest but
most fulfilling experiences of my life being able to be
aside greats like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James and win
a champion went not a championship.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
But a gold medal.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
We always hear about the scrimmages for Team USA, because
sometimes that was more competitive than the actual games. All right,
so tell me the Jason Kidds story. Scrimmage. Then he
scrimmage with Kobe and go at each other, and there's
a couple other ones, him and Lebron. I think at
one point Jason was was trying to get the young
guys to get a rest to.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
My own world, like literally, like you gotta think wide.
I nineteen year old.
Speaker 5 (16:44):
I'm coming from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, this small school
in the center of ben Hill, never been anywhere, and
now here it is. I'm playing with all these guys
in front of the whole world. I didn't know what
I didn't know what was going on. And you know,
Chris Bosh, thankful for him and Carlos Boozer. These guys
(17:05):
had experienced, you know, on a professional level and all
that stuff.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
So I just followed their lead.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
But I was just so grateful to be there and
now to be enshrine with these guys.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
It's amazing.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
You were young when you came into the league. You
had some habits. Dwight Howard. I remember all the candy,
so much candy that I did.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Used to eat.
Speaker 5 (17:27):
Well, I still do eat candy. You know, it's so crazy.
I think it came for my grandfather. You know, he
had a candy store and he would always allow us
to get as much candy as we wanted. So shout
out to Granddaddy Ben being Strobridge. He had the only
one of the first stores in Swainsboro, Georgia, and that's
(17:51):
where I got my candy addiction from.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
And it went crazy.
Speaker 5 (17:54):
When I got to the NBA, it was like magnified
times one hundred.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
And it helped me win games. So shout out to
Skittles Starburst. You help me make it to the Hall
of Fame. I appreciate this man.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Had candy everywhere in his car and his locker and
his bag. Anyway. All right, so some of the people
who were key to your career, I'm thinking about standing Gunny, right, that's.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
The first person that just popped up in my head
as soon as you said that. I don't believe that
I'll be a Hall of Famer without Staff. What he
has meant to me over the years, how he pushed me. Uh,
he was the one who pushed me more than anybody.
So he wanted me to stay away from like you said,
(18:39):
the media and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
But he was on me if I.
Speaker 5 (18:43):
And it didn't take much, you know, And you know,
I appreciate the fact that, you know, he gave me
room to grow, but he also was on my case heavy,
and I appreciate that. And I really appreciate Otis Smith,
you know, for Ashley believing in me and drafted me
as an eighteen year old kid. So it really started
(19:03):
with ODIs Smith when everybody else was going against it
and saying, you should get this kid a Mecca OCA
for out of college, who's proven he's won and.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Stuff like that. But Oldis saw something different. So shout
out to older Smith.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
What's your relationship with Stan right now?
Speaker 5 (19:20):
Actually, you know, we have a pretty good relationship. Actually,
during the playoffs, we were texting a lot and I
was telling him how good he was doing on TV.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Mister media, by the way, now.
Speaker 5 (19:32):
He's actually he's I told him, he's really funny and
he's really good at describing the game. And the thing
I like about it is because that's how he was
with us, and that's how I got really so good
at on the defensive end because of how he was
very detailed. So shout out to Stan Man, He's doing
an awesome job.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
So you reconciled with Kobe, You reconciled with Stan, and
now Shaquille and Hill is going to be a fun
stage inducting you into the Hall of Fame, which might
be the biggest reconciliation of all. I talked to you
and him a couple of weeks ago. We were down
in I think or Dallas together. How did this come about?
Speaker 5 (20:12):
It was crazy because you know, I don't know how
me and him have ever got to this place. And
I really I feel like it's all miscommunication and other
people outside noise and stuff like that. And I remember
doing Carmelo's show seven Brooklyn, seven thirty Brooklyn, and I
was like, man, next time I see shack Man, I'm
(20:34):
gonna just talk to him wherever I'm at whatever. We
just got to talk. Like this is too much. And
so when I got inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame,
I ended up seeing Shaq at.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
A hookah lounge.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
You just ran into, just.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
Ran into shack out of nowhere, just and I'm like
this is crazy. So I'm like, man, I'm finna go
talk to him. Yeah, So we get a little room,
we sit down and you know, we have a conversation
and it got better from there, and I'm just grateful
for it because, you know, one, you know, we represent,
(21:09):
you know, so much for our people, not just you know,
the basketball fans, but people around the world who just
have lost hope because of you know, just little petty
beefs and stuff like that, and we represent so much
more than you know, allowing those little things to affect us.
And if we can reconcile, if we could get back
on the same page and everybody could do that. You know,
(21:31):
we've had I guess there's beef for so many years.
But to see now that you know, it's no more
than that we can both move together in peace and
really fulfill the purpose that we're supposed to together. You know,
there's room enough in this world for two superman. So
(21:52):
you know, I'm just grateful that he's going to be
walking me out and it's a big honor. I remember
watching him in eleventh grade in high school when they
were playing in the finals against the Sixers, and at
that time, I really didn't know who Shaq was until
I saw this series and I was like, dang, I'm
(22:15):
going to have to be playing against him in a
couple of years.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
I'm going to have to lift some weights.
Speaker 5 (22:18):
But I can't wait until now to have him walk
me into the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
He told me a couple of weeks ago, he was
proud of you. What does what does that hear? What
does that say? What does it make you feel when
you hear that?
Speaker 6 (22:32):
You want to tell you, Rachel, I'm really proud of them.
He's done an amazing job. He didn't allow anything that
I said to deter him office his path. He's made
it to the Hall of Fame. Now he can be
in that G fourteen classifying conversation that he's always wanted
to be in.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
I'm proud of him.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Very good.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Yeah, can I get your stand in personation?
Speaker 7 (23:00):
I knew it.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
I knew it soon as I got to be your coach.
I saw you dunk that ball. I saw you run
up and grab the rim and block those shots. I said,
we're going far, and then you cut me off the
white I was so mad. I was mad, But it's
okay because I still love Joey ass boy. I love
you to death. I don't know what it is about you, boy,
(23:23):
but I love you and congratulations.
Speaker 7 (23:26):
Man, Will you.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Do me a favor, with our friendship being as long
and as many decades since it's been, do not impersonate me.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
I'm gonna leave you alone.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
I'm gonna just stick to you know, the stay in
the shack and Charles sometimes.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
But yeah, I won't. I won't mess with you like.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
That for you just sort of reaching this moment. I
know it's not the end you've been. You know, in
the Big Three this past season, I watched you close
up just really grow with that. What does it mean
to you to still be playing basketball? But overseas and.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Three I enjoy it.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
You know, it's an opportunity to continue to grow the
game of basketball. It's an opportunity to give fans a
chance who maybe didn't get a chance to see me
at a younger age see me now play. But also
the Big Three has and what ice Cube has done
over the last eight nine years has really given guys
(24:25):
an opportunity to continue to live out their dream of
playing basketball and play.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
On a high level.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
You know, it's so much fun going into these different cities,
playing in front of new fans. You know, playing three
on three is a whole different vibe. So I'm looking
forward to next year. I'm looking forward to actually doing
some ice Cube movies. I love seeing ice Cube on
the sideline saying hey, hey, hey, but it's so fun.
It's so much fun.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
I'm adding Cube to your impersonation list again. Please here.
Congratulations Dwight Howard, thank you so much. Congratulations Via Maura
making the Hall of Fame. Welcome to open run with
all the smoke, Let's just go back to the beginning.
Who did you watch that made you really fall in
(25:15):
love with basketball?
Speaker 7 (25:16):
Got to be the Houston comments. Cynthi Cooper, Cheryl Swoons,
Tina Thompson, and Jeanette Arkane raised the roof all the
hype like that just I fell in love back in
those late nineties early two thousands.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
How did that team was just so electric? How did
they make you sort of feel what was possible?
Speaker 3 (25:32):
You know?
Speaker 7 (25:32):
I think it was actually one of those things where
I was unconsciously become like I wasn't conscious that what
was happening in my mind and how I saw myself.
It was just a natural thing of like, oh, they're
doing it, so I can do it. And I just
kept playing the game because I loved it, and one
(25:53):
door led to another, and I looked up and I
was getting the opportunities to become one of those players
one day.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
You were getting the opportunities to multiple finals, multiple MVPs. Well,
what's the moment in your basketball journey that you look
back on and you think, I am really proud of that, man.
Speaker 7 (26:11):
I would probably say, I mean, obviously just twenty sixteen
when we started to use our voice and to speak
out as human beings, right, Like, I think that's the
best part of sports, is when you are in a
situation where you're appreciating the talent, but you're also remembering
their humanity and our humanity. So that's really been I
think my most proud aspect of being on a stage
(26:35):
or on a platform is to use my voice on
my platform to remind us all, Hey, we're human beings
and we got to be better to each other. So
I was really proud of the way we didn't just
be machines and just go out and shoot, but we
actually protected our humanity and encourage other people to do
the same, because at the end of the day, that's
(26:55):
the greatest championship is being the best human being we
can our communities.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
I was going to ask you what's the scariest moment
of your basketball career, but you may be the same thing.
I don't know, you tell me.
Speaker 7 (27:06):
I mean, that was a scary moment of like, hey,
we're gonna throw a big old wrench in the wheel
that just keeps going around and around and around to say, hey,
we're humans and we're sad and we're hurting, and we
want to help stop the suffering. So that was a
scary moment. It was also scary when I walked away
from the game in twenty eighteen that was my last
year and going into the unknown of trying to follow
(27:29):
this purposeful path that I felt like I needed to
go on. So that was pretty scary, but it worked out.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
When you look back on that decision, are you completely
happy with it? Do you think what if? How do
you feel about it now?
Speaker 7 (27:42):
I'm super proud. I'm a really thoughtful person. Like I
try to, I almost I would err on the side
of overthinking things, and so I'm really proud of the
thought and the time and the wisdom that I sought
in every move that I made. Because I really do
value my Minnesota family, the WNBA basketball family. So to
walk away from something like that, I wanted to make
(28:03):
sure that it was for good reasons and being very thoughtful.
So I have no regrets.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
I mean, it's pretty incredible. You walked away literally at
the height of your power, and you're still here in
the Hall of Fame. They're like, oh, yeah, just a
portion of a career is good enough with maya more.
How proud are you of that?
Speaker 7 (28:18):
Yeah, super proud And honestly, my biggest secret, which should
be out by now, is that I was on the
best teams. Like I got drafted to the Links right,
to Simona Augustus, to Lindsay Whalen, to Rebecca Brunson. That's
not normal, right, So the success that I had early
was so much because of what I couldn't control, which
was being drafted to a championship ready team that was
(28:39):
just struggling with injuries the year before and just kind
of barely missing it. So USA basketball playing with legends right,
going overseas and just grinding and getting championships over there.
So I'm just super grateful going to Connecticut right playing
with other greats and cultures that I just added too.
So I'm standing here very appropriately next to like cyl
(29:02):
and Sue, who were other superstars that I got to
play with and went with.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
You got in particular, it's not a like babyish environment.
They're not sitting around telling you how great you are.
Was there a coach that coach, or a player, a
fellow player or media member or someone who you had
all that smoke with but actually made you better?
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Hmmm?
Speaker 7 (29:22):
I mean, like you said, obviously Gino was going to
push every button that he could possibly find. You know,
I think our assistant coaches did a good job of
also like challenging me, but supporting me, knowing how much
pressure I put on myself because I'm somebody who leads
the charge and putting the pressure on and so I
think actually my coaches sometimes had to be the ones
(29:44):
that remind me, hey, it's okay, like you can pull
back some or don't put so much pressure on yourself.
As a young person I was, I was just putting
a lot of pressure on myself to be great.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
But you had to smoke with you.
Speaker 7 (29:53):
I had to smoke with me. Yeah, I mean that's
I guess, that's what I'm saying. And it's a lot
of self pressure or that I had to learn how
to balance, and our coaches and my teammates, you know,
helped me and have my back. Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
It's funny hearing you say, oh, you grew up watching
Cynthia Cooper and the Rockets, because Paige Becker's talks about
she grew up in Minnesota and she watched you and
idolized you and that's why she went to Yukon. Do
you see any of yourself in her game or her
personality or her swagger?
Speaker 7 (30:22):
I mean, kind of the selfless superstar that Yukon puts
out right, like that is just something that has to
be It has to be in you. But it's also
cultivated at Yukon because like you, like we talked about,
when you're at Yukon, you're not going there to get
kissed up too. You know, you are going to get
(30:43):
pushed and you're gonna get told about yourself. So I
think there's a humility that comes out of playing for
a program like Yukon. And she just wants to win.
She just wants to help her team win, right Like
I didn't care who got the credit whatever, I just
wanted to help my team win. And she has that
same that same mindset, but I don't. I'd say she
had even more poised than I had as a younger player,
Like she's so poised when she's out there, you know
(31:06):
I had. I had a I think, a kind of
a grit and a look in my eye that's kind
of hard to imitate that. There's just an intensity that
I brought from day one at Yukon. But I just
love to see that culture in that that way of
leadership still still thriving.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
When you look when you look at where women's basketball is,
where the w in particular is, do you think, oh man,
look at how far we've come, or do you think,
oh man, these people have no idea how much further
we can go.
Speaker 7 (31:37):
It's kind of I'm kind of torn right now because
there's always this pressure in the US marketplace to make
people products sure, and I am like the opposite of that,
right Like, that's like the opposite of what I stand
for of wanting to humanize everybody. So I do appreciate,
obviously players getting paid more their value, but I also
(31:59):
don't want it to be at the expense of their humanity.
So I kind of have mixed feelings of like, hey,
let's make sure we're staying, you know, true to our
humanity right, which I appreciate players having voices right, getting
to speak and be seen and to show who they are.
And w BA players I think are very community minded
just in general. So I love that. But we just
(32:21):
we got to be careful to make sure that we
stay true to being human as we are on these stages.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Love that you left the game to become an advocate
for social justice causes. How have you redefined success?
Speaker 7 (32:33):
M success? It's a great question.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (32:38):
I think success, just in our shallow attempts at trying
to find significance, can be connected to numbers and money
and status and appearance and who you know, and you
know those things are what they are. But I've just
learned that life is so much about the quality of
(33:00):
your relationships. A relationship with your creator, relationship with people,
a relationship with creation and nature, like all these things
we were meant to have healthy relationships with. If those
things are off, your life ain't gonna work like It's
just you're not gonna be as happy. And so stepping
away from the game has allowed me to nurture more
of those relationships and it's ongoing, right, I'm not perfect.
(33:22):
I'm still in progress and in process. But that's how
I'm defining sus. The success these days is how can
I bring some more peace to some of these relationships
today and gives me a lot of joy and satisfaction
at night, even though no one may may see it.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
You always had such a three sixty approach to the
game and the people you were with. You were one
of the players I brought up to my daughters all
the time about this is who you should be. Like,
what do you tell young women now when they come
to you and they want advice? Who are young basketball
players or just in the world.
Speaker 7 (33:55):
Yeah, advice build your team, like you got to have
people around you that you know look out for you
as a person, but also take time to check in
with yourself. I think we can move so fast and
(34:18):
get caught up in things that are so quick, Like,
don't shy away from the things that are going to
take time. Things take time, and that's okay. Like the
best things in life have to be seasoned and grown
and worked out. Like you're not gonna have everything right now.
Don't be afraid to wait and to go through your process.
It's not it's not all or nothing. Every decision isn't
(34:40):
going to be the biggest decision of your life. And
so I think when we're young sometimes we just get
so anxious and feel pressured to have to make quick
decisions and fast things. But just slow down, have a
wise counsel around you. Get connected with people who've gone
before you. That was my secret. I hung out with
vets like I just followed them around. Can I eat
with you, like tell me about this? Or watching them?
Remember watching Sue when I was a baby on the
(35:03):
team and see how she took care of her body
and just wanted to imitate that or a care of
losson and yeah, surround yourself with people who are ahead
of you on the journey and do your best to
learn and to listen and it's okay to be on
a journey.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Well, clearly it worked. Hall of Famer congratulations, Thank you
so so much,
Hey, Hey, this is Rachel Nichols. Matt and Stack will
be right back on the next drop on this feed.
But in the meantime, we have something special for you.
All the Smokes. Open Run Show was at the Basketball
Hall of Fame inductions this past weekend, and we wanted
to share some of the fun conversations we had with
three of the Hall's newest members, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard,
(00:21):
and Maya Moore. Enjoy listening to some legends. Carmelo Anthony,
Welcome to open Run All the Smoke. We appreciate it.
People have been telling you you're a future Hall of
Famer for decades now. How surreal does it feel to
actually be here?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
It's here now. It's a lot to put into to worry,
it's a lot going on right now. So a lot
of perspective, a lot of reflection. I'm here, you know.
That's That's I'm satisfying.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I say that, does it finally feel that way?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
It feels It's feel satisfying for sure. I mean, you
go through so much, you deal with, you deal with
so much, but understanding, like when you deal with journeys
and careers, like ups and downs, is part of that
for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
This is the time to reflect, look through your whole
life as a basketball player. Who made you fall in
love with basketball?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
The struggle, The struggle made me fall in love with basketball.
I mean my brothers, my brother, my oldest brother, always
watching him play. You know, I always love the way
that he approached the game. Used to come in the
house man, and you know his approach was was different
and I love that, and I just fell in love
with with with with the basketball. You know, whether it
(01:41):
was a basketball, whether it was a baseball, whether it
was a football, whatever it was, I just needed to
be active.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Allen Iverson is of course helping to induct you into
the hall. I know he was one of your early influences.
How much did you try to be like Alan?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I didn't try to be like him. I just wanted
to kind of walk his path because I felt like
he he was one of the few guys who understood
what I where I was coming from, and what I
had to deal with and what I was dealing with.
So when you have that and you see somebody that
it's like a mirror image. You know, it's like you
going through the same thing that they just went through.
All over again you have a different connection and then
(02:19):
have an opportunity to play and alongside him in Denver. Like,
that's what our friendship really tightened up, because now I
got a chance to see your influence on me and
up close in person. Every single day I get to
see how you know again I was tempted. That's basketball royalty.
So you get a chance to see basketball or royalty
really lock in and prepare for games and prepare for
(02:42):
situations basketball alone. What I've learned from him on preparation
was his major and then as a friend, as a
as a friend, as a brother, somebody who he said, Yeah, man,
you know, how could you not have it out there?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
You know what?
Speaker 1 (02:56):
I call him our greatest living American.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yes, I agree, I agree.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
And both you and I are both from Maryland and
he's from Virginia. So I feel our whole area is.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Just it's you know, we we working on the DMV thing.
We work it or trying to bring it all together.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
It's all in there. You mentioned the Denver Nuggets. Things
have been icy between you and that team since you left.
That's the nice way to say it. They have not
been welcoming of you.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
I got putt of ice.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
But they kind of have made overtures this weekend, they're
doing a whole campaign for you, saying congratulations for the
Hall of Fame. Did you not know that?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I didn't know that. I didn't know that. Again, I
don't know. I don't know why I got icy. You
know what it's again to me, is this this game
and this sport. It's a business. And at that point
in time, were talking about a kid in his legal
twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven years old, still trying
to figure out their career, still trying to figure out
their way, having some type of way with all of
(03:53):
what's going on. It's a little bit of a business
acumen when it came to that during that point, and
then the lack of you know, information, Now it's when
you reflect back on it. I have to like the
Denver Nuggets, the city of Denver, like that's where it
started to me. They gave me those keys at nineteen
years old to say here, do or die? Like you
(04:15):
go out there and you figure you figure this out.
But you know, my love, I don't know what's out there,
what's being said. But I've never spoken ill towards Denver
on Denver. My love for Denver will always be it.
They will always be part of like that foundation of basketball.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
You've been very complimentary to them. They gave nicolayok at
your jersey number. They done it.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Jersey number first. It's like, get rid of this motherfucket
about it here.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
So what does it mean to you that it seems
like they are really coming back to you in this.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Moment patience, timing, maturing, understanding and if they want to
have a conversation, we can have a conversation. I just
don't know, like talking about going back seventeen years now,
like it's what we're going to do.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Well, they can't reach each other. They can't retire your
jersey right now, so maybe maybe that'll come down the road.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, but you know, honestly, even even if that's not
the case, you know, it's it's my love. Don't waiver
for that. I love. Don't waiver for them. What they did?
You know to that to me and to that number
giving a number away? I mean, of course as an athlete,
that's a matter who spend time here that are you
going to feel that? You get you get over it.
You you understand what's going on your life goes on,
(05:31):
things happen, many more games come, family kids like it's
it moves on.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
You're getting so much love this weekend. Also from the
New York Nexts and their fans. What did it feel
like this spring to be in the garden, Just the
electricity with the team doing so well and just the
people in the stands. I mean, they brought back so
many former players, and Spike of course is there and
to Shadow.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
May like the new face of the next move over,
Spike shallow May got this now. It's a it's a
beautiful thing being in the garden when you can really
put that once a Nick, always a nick into fruition
and you see the people and you see all the players.
To me like that's the only organization that's out there
(06:16):
that's actually really doing it. Who could pull that off?
And it's New York and the guys that come. We
all come out to support the Knicks. As long as
they continue doing what they doing on they side, we
go continue doing what we're doing on the outside. But
that's just a different love when you when you went
through those locker rooms and you been through that building,
and you've been through the highs and the lows, of
(06:36):
that building. It's a it's a different connection that you
have with I was.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Looking over your career and the people who have like
sort of repped out for you. It is the most
impressive list in basketball because it starts with Michael Jordan
and you were the first person that he gave the
signature shoe line to for Jordan Brand, besides himself of course.
And I know that he talked to you over the
years and gave you support and also gave you a
little tough love. Now and then, what were some of
(07:02):
the on both sides, What were some of the things
he said to you.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
The tough love was there. I think the tough love
was there because he saw what I was, what I
had to offer, He saw the potential, He saw a partner.
You know, for me to be like you said, the
first singasun athlete and Enjodan like, that's a partnership that
you have that was created with him. So for me
(07:25):
to have that back end and have that support from him,
it just meant a lot. When a lot of people
went left, he stayed silent. He stayed, you know, with me.
He had my back brand wise, company wise, I got him.
He's with us and when you have that type of
support you wanted, you want so hard to try to
(07:46):
just change that for that person. And for me, I
had to have to realize that, you know, being young
in his lead, trying to find my way, trying to
figure it out, wearing a white hat, got the keys
to a whole city organization, Like, it's a lot that
comes with that.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
What's some of the best advice he gave you over
the years?
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Oh, man, you know, he told me one time. Honestly,
he told me one time he said, you're the only
one that you're the only one that can control you.
And when he said down, I'm like, man, you're talking
about boy. He's like, no, you're the only one. You
control your own destiny, Like don't don't allow other people
(08:28):
to put your destiny in their hands. So whatever you do,
that's what you're gonna get out of it. And it
took me a while to sit back and really processed
that and comprehend what the hell he was saying. Again,
I was young, but as you get older, you were like,
damn that was that was some real good advice right there.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
You also had Kobe Bryant giving you advice throughout your career.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
That was a different type of advice. We'll tell Kobe
advice all the time. Was he would watch games and
he was He would just call me after the game
and say, why didn't shoot that?
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Of course, Kobe said, why didn't you shoot that?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Yeah, why didn't shoot that? Why you pass that?
Speaker 4 (09:05):
What?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
What the fuck you doing? Like He's like, that's that's
just him, you know what I mean? And those little
he didn't he didn't even have to say much. It
was just the fact that he was acknowledging, like what
you're doing, and the fact that he cared that much
to understand or know what I was thinking, what I
was doing, and I and then I turned the game
when he's doing the same thing, and why you ain't
(09:27):
shoot that? Man? You know you know him? So he
got different excuses at that point.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I do, well, I love that all of these people
have meant so much throughout your career, and I love
that they're all going to sort of be here to
celebrate you. Obviously not Kobe, but I love I was
gonna say, he's here in spirit. I love that so
many people have come to support you, even your old
team that maybe I see and it's indicative the ice
is thawing, but it's indicative of what you've done and
(09:54):
the way you bring people together. And congratulations, appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
You've been interview with me since I was eighteen.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
I was going to say, I can chapter and verse
every moment of this Hall of Fame career because I
was for every step. Dwight Howard Hall of Famer, Double
Hall of Famer. You're being inducted two times this weekend,
which we'll get to in the moment, but welcome to
open run. With all the smoke. We were just talking
as you were sitting down. When was the start of
me interviewing you.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
Since I was eighteen years old. You have been interviewing
me since I was a JIT, and now I'm heading
into the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
That is crazy. We both still look the.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Same, We're the same age. Really, it's amazing, same age.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
This is this is incredible, remarkable.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
When you look back through that career, I mean I
can think of so many incredible high points, so many
points where you were just like, man, this isn't going
how I want to. What do you look at as
the thing You're most proud.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
Of the fact that I just stayed resilient through it all.
You know, a lot of times when situations are you know,
storm come come our way, we tend to allow it
to deeter our path or stop us from going and
getting us to where we want to get to.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
And I don't think it did, you know, And I'm
just grateful.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
That, you know, for all the friends and family and
the people that are you know, stuck by me and
stuck with me through these incredible times.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
To make it to this point is amazing.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
What's been the scariest part of this Hall of Fame career.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
The scariest part was actually after my I want to say,
my eighth or ninth eighth season in Orlando, and the
doctor actually told me that would be my last year
playing basketball. Come on, yeah, that's what I ended up
having the back surgery and that would have been my
last year. And so, you know, that was probably the
most scariest part, is knowing that hearing the doctor say, Dwight,
(11:51):
this is it, this is your last time playing. So
I'm just so grateful that, you know, I got past
that store and we're here today.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
We would have been having a much different conversation.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
We probably wouldn't be here today.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
When you think back over all the people that had
influence over you. I know, there's so many people who
are just so kind and supportive to you. Who's the player, coach,
media member who ray really gave you all the smoke
but actually helped you in challenging you, helped you in
your career.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
You know, it was so difficult back then.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
But I think when we came into the league, you know,
everyone was saying he got to stay off social media
when it first came out. You know, don't worry about
what people are saying. But I would say, for me,
every person that was in the media that I came across,
no matter what they said, I still loved them. You know,
It's like, why would I get upset? You know, I
(12:48):
realized that, hey, they have to do what they have
to do to survive, and I'm doing the same thing.
And so once I really came to that realization, you know,
it was like, it's no, I have no issue with
anybody on the media or anybody because what they're doing.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Is trying to get to the Hall of Fame. We're
all trying to make it.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
And I'm just thankful that I had that opportunity to
go through those little issues and learn because it's made
me who I am today.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
You know, the whole reason I'm on social media at all,
have any accounts is because of you, because you sat
me down when Twitter started and said, Rach, you gotta
do this, you gotta do this.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Crazy.
Speaker 5 (13:22):
I remember when Twitter was out and I was doing
the periscope and we were trying to figure everything out,
and people's like, you shouldn't be doing social media, and
I'm like, hold up, man, I got to get on
it and you didn't know what to do.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
And then now it's like the roles are reversed.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
I'm trying to figure out how to do social media
and Twitter and all that stuff, and you the queen
of it.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Twitter didn't even exist anymore. But yeah, no, we got it.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
We got it.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
I'm talking about I forgot.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
I'm old.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
We're talking about people who gave you the smoke or whatever.
But you know, your relationship with Kobe is something that
I watch go up and down and everything over the years.
What was sort of the crux of the moment with
you guys where it got really real and how did
you go on from there?
Speaker 5 (14:01):
Well, see, I just think that we were in two
different parts of our career and you know, at one point,
I was just coming off an injury, coming to a
new team with a new situation, new franchise, and you know,
at that time, you know, I'm like, man, one day,
I want to be that franchise player for this team
(14:22):
as well. And you know, Kobe's in a position where
it's like, hey, this has been my team, you know forever.
You ain't finna just take it like that. And I
think what he really was wanting from me was to
see how bad I really wanted it. And I just
think that with the communication, you know, really wasn't there,
but I think he saw how bad I wanted it
(14:44):
when we came back in twenty twenty and.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Got the championship.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
As say, I saw some really nice moments between you
guys back then that.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
You know, the last time I saw him, he kind
of slapped me in the back of my head. It's
like pina head and hit me in the back of
the head when I was shooting in corner threes and
got a picture with my son and him before he passed.
So yeah, I wish he would have been here today
to receive his Hall of Fame times too exactly as well.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
But I know he's with us in spirit. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
The second part of your Hall of Fame induction is
because you are also, in addition to being inducted as
an individual, you're being inducted as a member of the
redeem Team. You were the youngest guy on that team.
What was that like with all the luminaries on there
that Kobe was of course on that team as well.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
It was like a blur.
Speaker 5 (15:33):
It happened so fast, and looking back on him, like, man,
I really didn't understand what I was in here. I
am playing with the greatest basketball players, you know, Kobe Bryant,
Jason Kidd in his prime, Lebron is just getting into
the league and start killing people, Carmelo Ballhead, d Wade,
(15:55):
Michael red is an All Star, you know, just superstar
at this time. So it's like, man, man, I'm nineteen
years old, fresh out of high school?
Speaker 2 (16:03):
What is this?
Speaker 5 (16:05):
And you know, that was one of the craziest but
most fulfilling experiences of my life being able to be
aside greats like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James and win
a champion went not a championship.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
But a gold medal.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
We always hear about the scrimmages for Team USA, because
sometimes that was more competitive than the actual games. All right,
so tell me the Jason Kidds story. Scrimmage. Then he
scrimmage with Kobe and go at each other, and there's
a couple other ones, him and Lebron. I think at
one point Jason was was trying to get the young
guys to get a rest to.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
My own world, like literally, like you gotta think wide.
I nineteen year old.
Speaker 5 (16:44):
I'm coming from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, this small school
in the center of ben Hill, never been anywhere, and
now here it is. I'm playing with all these guys
in front of the whole world. I didn't know what
I didn't know what was going on. And you know,
Chris Bosh, thankful for him and Carlos Boozer. These guys
(17:05):
had experienced, you know, on a professional level and all
that stuff.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
So I just followed their lead.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
But I was just so grateful to be there and
now to be enshrine with these guys.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
It's amazing.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
You were young when you came into the league. You
had some habits. Dwight Howard. I remember all the candy,
so much candy that I did.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Used to eat.
Speaker 5 (17:27):
Well, I still do eat candy. You know, it's so crazy.
I think it came for my grandfather. You know, he
had a candy store and he would always allow us
to get as much candy as we wanted. So shout
out to Granddaddy Ben being Strobridge. He had the only
one of the first stores in Swainsboro, Georgia, and that's
(17:51):
where I got my candy addiction from.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
And it went crazy.
Speaker 5 (17:54):
When I got to the NBA, it was like magnified
times one hundred.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
And it helped me win games. So shout out to
Skittles Starburst. You help me make it to the Hall
of Fame. I appreciate this man.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Had candy everywhere in his car and his locker and
his bag. Anyway. All right, so some of the people
who were key to your career, I'm thinking about standing Gunny, right, that's.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
The first person that just popped up in my head
as soon as you said that. I don't believe that
I'll be a Hall of Famer without Staff. What he
has meant to me over the years, how he pushed me. Uh,
he was the one who pushed me more than anybody.
So he wanted me to stay away from like you said,
(18:39):
the media and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
But he was on me if I.
Speaker 5 (18:43):
And it didn't take much, you know, And you know,
I appreciate the fact that, you know, he gave me
room to grow, but he also was on my case heavy,
and I appreciate that. And I really appreciate Otis Smith,
you know, for Ashley believing in me and drafted me
as an eighteen year old kid. So it really started
(19:03):
with ODIs Smith when everybody else was going against it
and saying, you should get this kid a Mecca OCA
for out of college, who's proven he's won and.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Stuff like that. But Oldis saw something different. So shout
out to older Smith.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
What's your relationship with Stan right now?
Speaker 5 (19:20):
Actually, you know, we have a pretty good relationship. Actually,
during the playoffs, we were texting a lot and I
was telling him how good he was doing on TV.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Mister media, by the way, now.
Speaker 5 (19:32):
He's actually he's I told him, he's really funny and
he's really good at describing the game. And the thing
I like about it is because that's how he was
with us, and that's how I got really so good
at on the defensive end because of how he was
very detailed. So shout out to Stan Man, He's doing
an awesome job.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
So you reconciled with Kobe, You reconciled with Stan, and
now Shaquille and Hill is going to be a fun
stage inducting you into the Hall of Fame, which might
be the biggest reconciliation of all. I talked to you
and him a couple of weeks ago. We were down
in I think or Dallas together. How did this come about?
Speaker 5 (20:12):
It was crazy because you know, I don't know how
me and him have ever got to this place. And
I really I feel like it's all miscommunication and other
people outside noise and stuff like that. And I remember
doing Carmelo's show seven Brooklyn, seven thirty Brooklyn, and I
was like, man, next time I see shack Man, I'm
(20:34):
gonna just talk to him wherever I'm at whatever. We
just got to talk. Like this is too much. And
so when I got inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame,
I ended up seeing Shaq at.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
A hookah lounge.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
You just ran into, just.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
Ran into shack out of nowhere, just and I'm like
this is crazy. So I'm like, man, I'm finna go
talk to him. Yeah, So we get a little room,
we sit down and you know, we have a conversation
and it got better from there, and I'm just grateful
for it because, you know, one, you know, we represent,
(21:09):
you know, so much for our people, not just you know,
the basketball fans, but people around the world who just
have lost hope because of you know, just little petty
beefs and stuff like that, and we represent so much
more than you know, allowing those little things to affect us.
And if we can reconcile, if we could get back
on the same page and everybody could do that. You know,
(21:31):
we've had I guess there's beef for so many years.
But to see now that you know, it's no more
than that we can both move together in peace and
really fulfill the purpose that we're supposed to together. You know,
there's room enough in this world for two superman. So
(21:52):
you know, I'm just grateful that he's going to be
walking me out and it's a big honor. I remember
watching him in eleventh grade in high school when they
were playing in the finals against the Sixers, and at
that time, I really didn't know who Shaq was until
I saw this series and I was like, dang, I'm
(22:15):
going to have to be playing against him in a
couple of years.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
I'm going to have to lift some weights.
Speaker 5 (22:18):
But I can't wait until now to have him walk
me into the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
He told me a couple of weeks ago, he was
proud of you. What does what does that hear? What
does that say? What does it make you feel when
you hear that?
Speaker 6 (22:32):
You want to tell you, Rachel, I'm really proud of them.
He's done an amazing job. He didn't allow anything that
I said to deter him office his path. He's made
it to the Hall of Fame. Now he can be
in that G fourteen classifying conversation that he's always wanted
to be in.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
I'm proud of him.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Very good.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Yeah, can I get your stand in personation?
Speaker 7 (23:00):
I knew it.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
I knew it soon as I got to be your coach.
I saw you dunk that ball. I saw you run
up and grab the rim and block those shots. I said,
we're going far, and then you cut me off the
white I was so mad. I was mad, But it's
okay because I still love Joey ass boy. I love
you to death. I don't know what it is about you, boy,
(23:23):
but I love you and congratulations.
Speaker 7 (23:26):
Man, Will you.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Do me a favor, with our friendship being as long
and as many decades since it's been, do not impersonate me.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
I'm gonna leave you alone.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
I'm gonna just stick to you know, the stay in
the shack and Charles sometimes.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
But yeah, I won't. I won't mess with you like.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
That for you just sort of reaching this moment. I
know it's not the end you've been. You know, in
the Big Three this past season, I watched you close
up just really grow with that. What does it mean
to you to still be playing basketball? But overseas and.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Three I enjoy it.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
You know, it's an opportunity to continue to grow the
game of basketball. It's an opportunity to give fans a
chance who maybe didn't get a chance to see me
at a younger age see me now play. But also
the Big Three has and what ice Cube has done
over the last eight nine years has really given guys
(24:25):
an opportunity to continue to live out their dream of
playing basketball and play.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
On a high level.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
You know, it's so much fun going into these different cities,
playing in front of new fans. You know, playing three
on three is a whole different vibe. So I'm looking
forward to next year. I'm looking forward to actually doing
some ice Cube movies. I love seeing ice Cube on
the sideline saying hey, hey, hey, but it's so fun.
It's so much fun.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
I'm adding Cube to your impersonation list again. Please here.
Congratulations Dwight Howard, thank you so much. Congratulations Via Maura
making the Hall of Fame. Welcome to open run with
all the smoke, Let's just go back to the beginning.
Who did you watch that made you really fall in
(25:15):
love with basketball?
Speaker 7 (25:16):
Got to be the Houston comments. Cynthi Cooper, Cheryl Swoons,
Tina Thompson, and Jeanette Arkane raised the roof all the
hype like that just I fell in love back in
those late nineties early two thousands.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
How did that team was just so electric? How did
they make you sort of feel what was possible?
Speaker 3 (25:32):
You know?
Speaker 7 (25:32):
I think it was actually one of those things where
I was unconsciously become like I wasn't conscious that what
was happening in my mind and how I saw myself.
It was just a natural thing of like, oh, they're
doing it, so I can do it. And I just
kept playing the game because I loved it, and one
(25:53):
door led to another, and I looked up and I
was getting the opportunities to become one of those players
one day.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
You were getting the opportunities to multiple finals, multiple MVPs. Well,
what's the moment in your basketball journey that you look
back on and you think, I am really proud of that, man.
Speaker 7 (26:11):
I would probably say, I mean, obviously just twenty sixteen
when we started to use our voice and to speak
out as human beings, right, Like, I think that's the
best part of sports, is when you are in a
situation where you're appreciating the talent, but you're also remembering
their humanity and our humanity. So that's really been I
think my most proud aspect of being on a stage
(26:35):
or on a platform is to use my voice on
my platform to remind us all, Hey, we're human beings
and we got to be better to each other. So
I was really proud of the way we didn't just
be machines and just go out and shoot, but we
actually protected our humanity and encourage other people to do
the same, because at the end of the day, that's
(26:55):
the greatest championship is being the best human being we
can our communities.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
I was going to ask you what's the scariest moment
of your basketball career, but you may be the same thing.
I don't know, you tell me.
Speaker 7 (27:06):
I mean, that was a scary moment of like, hey,
we're gonna throw a big old wrench in the wheel
that just keeps going around and around and around to say, hey,
we're humans and we're sad and we're hurting, and we
want to help stop the suffering. So that was a
scary moment. It was also scary when I walked away
from the game in twenty eighteen that was my last
year and going into the unknown of trying to follow
(27:29):
this purposeful path that I felt like I needed to
go on. So that was pretty scary, but it worked out.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
When you look back on that decision, are you completely
happy with it? Do you think what if? How do
you feel about it now?
Speaker 7 (27:42):
I'm super proud. I'm a really thoughtful person. Like I
try to, I almost I would err on the side
of overthinking things, and so I'm really proud of the
thought and the time and the wisdom that I sought
in every move that I made. Because I really do
value my Minnesota family, the WNBA basketball family. So to
walk away from something like that, I wanted to make
(28:03):
sure that it was for good reasons and being very thoughtful.
So I have no regrets.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
I mean, it's pretty incredible. You walked away literally at
the height of your power, and you're still here in
the Hall of Fame. They're like, oh, yeah, just a
portion of a career is good enough with maya more.
How proud are you of that?
Speaker 7 (28:18):
Yeah, super proud And honestly, my biggest secret, which should
be out by now, is that I was on the
best teams. Like I got drafted to the Links right,
to Simona Augustus, to Lindsay Whalen, to Rebecca Brunson. That's
not normal, right, So the success that I had early
was so much because of what I couldn't control, which
was being drafted to a championship ready team that was
(28:39):
just struggling with injuries the year before and just kind
of barely missing it. So USA basketball playing with legends right,
going overseas and just grinding and getting championships over there.
So I'm just super grateful going to Connecticut right playing
with other greats and cultures that I just added too.
So I'm standing here very appropriately next to like cyl
(29:02):
and Sue, who were other superstars that I got to
play with and went with.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
You got in particular, it's not a like babyish environment.
They're not sitting around telling you how great you are.
Was there a coach that coach, or a player, a
fellow player or media member or someone who you had
all that smoke with but actually made you better?
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Hmmm?
Speaker 7 (29:22):
I mean, like you said, obviously Gino was going to
push every button that he could possibly find. You know,
I think our assistant coaches did a good job of
also like challenging me, but supporting me, knowing how much
pressure I put on myself because I'm somebody who leads
the charge and putting the pressure on and so I
think actually my coaches sometimes had to be the ones
(29:44):
that remind me, hey, it's okay, like you can pull
back some or don't put so much pressure on yourself.
As a young person I was, I was just putting
a lot of pressure on myself to be great.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
But you had to smoke with you.
Speaker 7 (29:53):
I had to smoke with me. Yeah, I mean that's
I guess, that's what I'm saying. And it's a lot
of self pressure or that I had to learn how
to balance, and our coaches and my teammates, you know,
helped me and have my back. Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
It's funny hearing you say, oh, you grew up watching
Cynthia Cooper and the Rockets, because Paige Becker's talks about
she grew up in Minnesota and she watched you and
idolized you and that's why she went to Yukon. Do
you see any of yourself in her game or her
personality or her swagger?
Speaker 7 (30:22):
I mean, kind of the selfless superstar that Yukon puts
out right, like that is just something that has to
be It has to be in you. But it's also
cultivated at Yukon because like you, like we talked about,
when you're at Yukon, you're not going there to get
kissed up too. You know, you are going to get
(30:43):
pushed and you're gonna get told about yourself. So I
think there's a humility that comes out of playing for
a program like Yukon. And she just wants to win.
She just wants to help her team win, right Like
I didn't care who got the credit whatever, I just
wanted to help my team win. And she has that
same that same mindset, but I don't. I'd say she
had even more poised than I had as a younger player,
Like she's so poised when she's out there, you know
(31:06):
I had. I had a I think, a kind of
a grit and a look in my eye that's kind
of hard to imitate that. There's just an intensity that
I brought from day one at Yukon. But I just
love to see that culture in that that way of
leadership still still thriving.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
When you look when you look at where women's basketball is,
where the w in particular is, do you think, oh man,
look at how far we've come, or do you think,
oh man, these people have no idea how much further
we can go.
Speaker 7 (31:37):
It's kind of I'm kind of torn right now because
there's always this pressure in the US marketplace to make
people products sure, and I am like the opposite of that,
right Like, that's like the opposite of what I stand
for of wanting to humanize everybody. So I do appreciate,
obviously players getting paid more their value, but I also
(31:59):
don't want it to be at the expense of their humanity.
So I kind of have mixed feelings of like, hey,
let's make sure we're staying, you know, true to our
humanity right, which I appreciate players having voices right, getting
to speak and be seen and to show who they are.
And w BA players I think are very community minded
just in general. So I love that. But we just
(32:21):
we got to be careful to make sure that we
stay true to being human as we are on these stages.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Love that you left the game to become an advocate
for social justice causes. How have you redefined success?
Speaker 7 (32:33):
M success? It's a great question.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (32:38):
I think success, just in our shallow attempts at trying
to find significance, can be connected to numbers and money
and status and appearance and who you know, and you
know those things are what they are. But I've just
learned that life is so much about the quality of
(33:00):
your relationships. A relationship with your creator, relationship with people,
a relationship with creation and nature, like all these things
we were meant to have healthy relationships with. If those
things are off, your life ain't gonna work like It's
just you're not gonna be as happy. And so stepping
away from the game has allowed me to nurture more
of those relationships and it's ongoing, right, I'm not perfect.
(33:22):
I'm still in progress and in process. But that's how
I'm defining sus. The success these days is how can
I bring some more peace to some of these relationships
today and gives me a lot of joy and satisfaction
at night, even though no one may may see it.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
You always had such a three sixty approach to the
game and the people you were with. You were one
of the players I brought up to my daughters all
the time about this is who you should be. Like,
what do you tell young women now when they come
to you and they want advice? Who are young basketball
players or just in the world.
Speaker 7 (33:55):
Yeah, advice build your team, like you got to have
people around you that you know look out for you
as a person, but also take time to check in
with yourself. I think we can move so fast and
(34:18):
get caught up in things that are so quick, Like,
don't shy away from the things that are going to
take time. Things take time, and that's okay. Like the
best things in life have to be seasoned and grown
and worked out. Like you're not gonna have everything right now.
Don't be afraid to wait and to go through your process.
It's not it's not all or nothing. Every decision isn't
(34:40):
going to be the biggest decision of your life. And
so I think when we're young sometimes we just get
so anxious and feel pressured to have to make quick
decisions and fast things. But just slow down, have a
wise counsel around you. Get connected with people who've gone
before you. That was my secret. I hung out with
vets like I just followed them around. Can I eat
with you, like tell me about this? Or watching them?
Remember watching Sue when I was a baby on the
(35:03):
team and see how she took care of her body
and just wanted to imitate that or a care of
losson and yeah, surround yourself with people who are ahead
of you on the journey and do your best to
learn and to listen and it's okay to be on
a journey.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Well, clearly it worked. Hall of Famer congratulations, Thank you
so so much,
Hosts And Creators
Stephen Jackson
Matt Barnes
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